How to Keep Your Spine Healthy

Health is wealth, as the popular saying goes. That’s why taking care of your body including your spine is important because it allows you to live longer and keeps dangerous diseases away. At Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center, Dr. Jay McClanahan is passionate about helping patients achieve healthy spines, the key to lifelong wellness. Here are three tips to keep your spine healthy. If you love these tips, contact our office in Nitro, WV to learn more! 

Exercise and Diet

Eating healthy and staying fit should be a no-brainer tip for better spinal health. If you want to take the extra step for spinal health, Dr. McClanahan will work with you to create a diet and exercise plan that fits your preferences and life. Good habits like exercise and healthy eating set you up for a strong and robust spine!

Correct Posture

Bad posture equals a host of issues for your spine. Slouched and hunched stances not only strain your spine but also cause back and neck pain. 

One of the best things you can do for your body right now is to correct your posture. If you’re sitting at a desk, keep your feet firmly planted on the ground. Relax shoulders and position your knees at the same height as your hips. Feel free to use cushions or pillows to support your lower back.

If you’re standing, let your arms hang naturally on their sides. Stand up tall and straight, with your shoulders back and most of your weight on the balls of your feet. For long periods of standing, your Nitro, WV chiropractor recommends shifting your weight on each foot.

Spinal Adjustments

Spinal adjustments are the holy grail of chiropractic care. This treatment focuses on adjusting spinal misalignment or subluxation. Your spine misaligns because of many factors including injury and age. Dr. McClanahan uses gentle manipulations to revert your spine to its original position. These adjustments to your spine not only relieve pain when it comes to injury or chronic conditions but also serve as a preventative treatment.  Since your spine is connected to your entire body, adjustments are beneficial for reducing and preventing anxiety, stress, sleep, and mobility problems. Spinal adjustments also strengthen natural immunity and prevent injury risks. 

Dr. Jay McClanahan is the owner and chiropractor of Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center. Our office is located in Nitro, WV. To schedule an appointment with Dr. McClanahan visit our website or call 304-776-1520. 

Tension Headaches 101

Tension headaches (TH) affect about 1-3 percent of the world’s adult population, according to the World Health Organization. One of the most common headaches disorders, tension headaches are described as tightness or pressure around the neck and head. At Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center located in Nitro, WV, Dr. Jay McClanahan treats tension headaches with skilled expertise and a variety of therapies.

Symptoms of Tension Headaches

Dull aching pain in the head

Sensations of a tight band around the neck and head

Pressure around the neck and head

Tenderness of scalp, shoulders, and neck

Causes

It’s unknown what causes tension headaches. However, some scientific theories allude to stress, high levels of emotion, or muscle contractions in the face, shoulders, and neck as a cause for tension headaches. 

Treatment

Treating a tension headache involves different types of treatment such as medication, stress management, and physiotherapy. Located in Nitro, WV, Dr. McClanahan uses electric muscle stimulation (EMS) and massage therapy to treat patients with tension headaches. In a typical EMS therapy session, your trusted chiropractor will deliver a series of low-energy pulses into the affected area of the body. This non-invasive and painless procedure aims to target the trigger points of the muscle area and reduce swelling. 

If you’re looking to get a massage for your tension headache, Dr. McClanahan suggests a deep tissue massage or a relaxation massage that relieves stress and tension in the muscle and body. Contact our office today to learn more about the different types of massage to treat tension headaches!

Dr. Jay McClanahan is the owner and chiropractor of Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center. Our office is located in Nitro, WV. To schedule an appointment with Dr. McClanahan visit our website or call 304-776-1520.

Everything You Need to Know About Text Neck

As more and more teens are using social media, text neck is becoming an increasingly familiar term. Coined for the neck and back pain users gain while staring at a smartphone, the long-term effects of text neck syndrome on growth and development are unknown, but experts agree on the syndrome’s potentially detrimental effects on the spine. At Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro, WV, Dr. Jay McClanahan offers tips and tricks to alleviate this condition, but also wants to spread awareness to his patients. Here is everything you need to know about text neck syndrome and how you and your child can practice good habits while using your cell phone. 

What Are the Effects of Text Neck?

Text neck has only been studied in adults so far, but experts believe the phenomenon is more prominent in kids and teens—a tech-savvy group that logs more hours in social media, texting, and screen time than any other generation. The effects of text neck in adults include neck and back pain as well as soreness. Common symptoms also include reduced mobility in the neck, shoulders, and upper back, muscle spasms, shoulder tightness, and pain. This excessive strain on the spine not only ruins good posture but leads to long-term health problems and invasive procedures like spine degeneration and surgery. 

Exercise

One of the best ways to prevent or at least limit the damaging effects of text neck syndrome is something simple: staying away from your phone! Your Nitro, WV chiropractor advises exercising regularly, going outside, and moving around to prevent the neck and back pain that comes from staring at technological devices for too long. In a world where many are turning to their devices for entertainment, breaking this habit and being active together will serve as an investment for your family’s overall health and wellness.

Take Breaks

With everything online today and virtual school the norm, sometimes it may be inevitable to use a device for long periods. Generally, try to avoid being hunched over your smartphone for multiple hours, but if this is the case, take frequent breaks so your body doesn’t reap the negative effects of text neck. 

Maintain a Neutral Position

While you use your phone, it’s important to stay in a neutral position, which is refraining from a hunched back or moving your face forward towards the screen. Keep your device at eye level instead of bending your neck towards your screen to also be safe during cell phone use.

Stretch

Alongside breaks, remember to stretch. Take a few minutes to arch your back and neck to relieve any tension and sore muscles before going back to your phone. Arch your back and neck to relieve sore muscles and tensions.

Dr. Jay McClanahan is the owner and chiropractor of Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center. Our office is located in Nitro, WV. To schedule an appointment with Dr. McClanahan visit our website or call 304-776-1520.

How Your Chiropractor Helps Your Mental Health

Back pain, stiff ligaments, and dislocated joints—this is what we usually associate with chiropractic care. But at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center located in Nitro, WV, Dr. Jay McClanahan believes in ensuring his patients’ overall wellness and that includes mental health. Here are four reasons why you should visit our office today for your mental health care.

A Mind-Body Connection

Chiropractors believe the entire body is connected and at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center our beliefs are no different. Our multidisciplinary approach to wellness puts a strong emphasis on the mind-body connection. This means no stone is unturned and we look at diet, massage therapies, exercise, and adjustments to provide a holistic treatment plan.

Decrease Pain

Chronic pain has a tremendous effect on an individual’s mood and mental health. Your Nitro, WV chiropractor provides non-invasive procedures to relieve pain that clouds the mind and causes mental health illnesses like depression or anxiety.

Relaxation

Constant worry and a toll on mental health can wreak havoc on your body, not to mention your sleep and general ability to relax. From massage that invigorates soft tissues and reduces muscle tension to posture correction, we will drastically improve your sleep and promote relaxation for a better quality of life.

Fix Spinal Misalignment

Your spine is one of the most important parts of your body, connecting your neurological system so your brain and body can communicate. Stress and anxiety can be a result of a misaligned spine. After we adjust your spine, your body will trigger positive hormones such as cortisol and oxytocin, which lifts your mood, blocks pain, and gives you the “feel-good” hormone. 

Natural Treatments

While many traditional treatment plans for mental health disorders include therapy and medications, chiropractic care is a great alternative if you’re looking for an all-natural and no side effects approach for mental health. At Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center, we provide natural ways to treat common mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.

Dr. Jay McClanahan is the owner and chiropractor of Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center. Our office is located in Nitro, WV. To schedule an appointment with Dr. McClanahan visit our website or call 304-776-1520.

Sciatica

When the sciatic nerve is pinched, patients experience pain in their lower back, hips, buttocks, and legs. Sciatica is painful, but you don’t have to suffer in agony your whole life. At Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center located in Nitro, WV, Dr. Jay McClanahan uses non-invasive treatments to relieve pain, allowing patients to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. Here’s everything you need to know about sciatica. 

What Causes Sciatica?

The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body. Spanning from your lower back and down to your hips, buttocks, and two legs, sciatica usually starts because of a herniated disk in the lower spine. This herniation causes the disk to place pressure on the nerves, including the sciatic nerve. Most sciatica patients range from 30-50 years old. While rare, children and teens are prone to sciatica too. 

Symptoms

One of the main symptoms of sciatica is pain. Pain levels vary and radiate from different parts of the lower back. Sometimes the pain consists of electric-like shots, mild aches, or sharp burning sensations. Other symptoms include numbness, tingling feelings, and muscle weakness.

How Chiropractic Care Helps

Spinal Adjustments

Since sciatica impacts the nerve, Dr. McClanahan recommends spinal adjustments to relieve pain. Spinal misalignment or subluxation means your vertebrae is moved from its original position. This misalignment impairs the brain’s communication with the body’s neural pathways. The good news is spinal adjustments greatly remove the pressure of the sciatic nerve, giving you the much-needed relief to go on with your life. 

Diet Tips

Overweight individuals are more likely to develop sciatica due to the immense spinal strain. That’s why your Nitro, WV chiropractor advises patients to eat healthy. Maintaining a well-rounded diet with fruits and vegetables lowers inflammation and reduces excess weight on the joints.

DTS Therapy

DTS Spinal Compression is a non-invasive procedure for disc-related issues in the lumbar and cervical spine area of the body. DTS is a gentle therapy designed to relieve sciatica pain and enhance muscle control. Contact our office today to learn more about this therapy. 

Dr. Jay McClanahan is the owner and chiropractor of Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center. Our office is located in Nitro, WV. To schedule an appointment with Dr. McClanahan visit our website or call 304-776-1520. 

4 Tips for Computer Users

Spending long hours in front of the screen? The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we work, logging into meetings from Zoom instead of the office due to stay-at-home orders. But spending all day on the computer has detrimental effects on your spine health. That’s why at Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center located in Nitro, WV, Dr. Jay McClanahan provides expert care and tips for patients who use the computer regularly for their work-related tasks. Here are four tips for computer users.

Proper Posture

Staring at your computer places immense strain on your neck and back. Don’t hunch your back or move your face closer to the screen. Instead, keep your body including your neck and back in a neutral position. Make sure your feet are flat on the ground with elbows remaining on your sides.

Take Breaks

Frequent breaks to stretch and move around are beneficial for lessening the strain that comes from sitting in front of your laptop for long hours. Your Nitro, WV chiropractor recommends 15 minutes for a stretch break or a walk to relax your muscles, increase blood flow, and reduce numbness. 

Change Positions

Dr. McClanahan advises all his patients to avoid staying in one position while working. If you primarily complete tasks while sitting in front of your computer, consider incorporating standing work. Whether it’s simply sending an email over a standing desk or taking a call while walking around the room, your spine will thank you for changing your work positions. 

Adjust Your Workspace

Adjust your workspace, so your body doesn’t have to do extra work to do work. Ensure your screen isn’t too far away that you have to move forward. The same for your keyboard. Your fingers need to reach the keys without your body twisting or turning. Another tip is using light touches to type on your computer. Hard strokes not only damage your device but also potentially wreck your tendons.

Dr. Jay McClanahan is the owner and chiropractor of Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center. Our office is located in Nitro, WV. To schedule an appointment with Dr. McClanahan visit our website or call 304-776-1520. 

How to Save Your Back While Driving

Your body is subjected to a lot of force in a moving car, especially behind the wheel as the driver. Without proper care and prevention, you may suffer from joint pain and long-term health issues. At Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center located in Nitro, WV, Dr. Jay McClanahan is passionate about preventative care, especially when it comes to the bad posture and body aches that come from driving. Here are a few tips and tricks to use the next time you’re on the road. 

Adjust Your Seat

One of the first steps to preventing bad posture while driving is adjusting your seat. Start by fixing your seat height, making sure you can see the road and dashboard. At the same time, your seat height should not strain your back or neck when bending down or turning towards the side. For shorter drivers, a cushion for more comfort and to reach the steering wheel is recommended. Keep your right foot relaxed on the pedals, with the heel touching the floor. Use the balls of your feet to press the accelerator or brake pedals. Unless using the clutch, the left foot should remain in the footrest. 

Adjust Your Steering Wheel

Your hands around the steering wheel should be in the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock position. Bring the steering wheel towards you, taking care it doesn’t block any important information on your car’s dashboard. Your Nitro, WV chiropractor also recommends keeping your arms relaxed and elbows rested on the seat’s armrests.

Use the Mirror Trick

A simple technique that encourages good posture is the old mirror trick. In a sitting position at the driver’s seat, adjust your rear and side mirrors. This way you’re forced to sit up straight whenever you have to use them as you drive, resulting in terrific posture!

Take Breaks

If you’re driving a road trip, incorporate short stops along your route to stretch. A 15-minute break will do wonders to relax your muscles, increase blood flow, and reduce numbness in the lower limbs. 

Dr. Jay McClanahan is the owner and chiropractor of Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center. Our office is located in Nitro, WV. To schedule an appointment with Dr. McClanahan visit our website or call 304-776-1520.