Ergonomics at a Home Office

A few months ago, we advised our patients on how to keep their backs comfortable while in the office. Since then, a lot more people have been working at home, where they may not have an ideal set-up. We’re taking precautions at Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield to limit the spread of the coronavirus. But to prevent back pain relapses among people continuing to work from home, we thought it would be a good idea to say a bit more about how to set up a workstation.

Ideally, a computer screen should be at eye-level, with the keyboard and mouse easily reachable by holding the arms straight outward. Unfortunately, this is often not possible with laptops. People should still try to avoid looking downward by elevating the laptop, and may need to look into getting a wireless keyboard. People should keep their feet flat on the floor while typing and try to make sure they’re not resting their wrists on anything that might compress their undersides, which would put them at risk for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

If you don’t have an ergonomic office chair, you’ll need to practice the same protocols you do when sitting in a car for a long trip. Try to support your lower back with a cylindrical cushion or rolled up towel if your chair isn’t giving you back support when you sit up, and make sure you have sufficient padding. You’ll need to stretch every half hour and make sure you’re getting up and moving around at least every ninety minutes. Lastly, make sure you’re listening to your body. If something hurts, don’t assume you’ll get used to it in time; change your workstation so you don’t have to stay in that position.

Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.

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 Kosak Chiropractor in Fairfield, CA, Dr. Michael Wilson 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 Fairfield, CA 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. 

 

Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Michael Wilson, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.

 

How Chiropractic Care Benefits Bicyclists

According to People For Bikes, about 47.88 million Americans participated in bicycle riding in 2018. Cycling, a popular sport, and leisure activity is only growing with thousands of riders today. At Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield, CA, many of Dr. Michael Wilson’s patients are avid bicyclists. Here are five ways bicyclists benefit from chiropractic care.

 

Correct Posture

A biker’s position places more pressure on your neck and back. Your trusted Fairfield, CA chiropractor evaluates your spine for misalignment and damage. Through a variety of spinal manipulations, we will correct your posture and provide different tips and tricks to maintain good spinal health the next time you get on a bicycle.

 

Relieve Joint Pain
Cycling places a strain on your joints, especially around the hip and knee areas. Using treatments like exercise and massage therapies, we loosen stiff muscles and strengthen your joints. 

 

Treat Injuries
Like any sport, biking has its fair share of accidents. At Kosak Chiropractic, Dr. Wilson is skilled in treating common bike injuries. This includes impact injuries, tendonitis, head and spine trauma, ruptured discs, and much more. 

 

Manage Shoulder & Neck Pain

One of the most common ailments bikers face is shoulder and neck pain. Hunching over your handlebars while trekking over long trails increases the tension on your spine. At Kosak Chiropractic, we recommend spinal manipulations, acupuncture, or massage depending on the level of injury. 

 

Preventative Care

Even if you don’t suffer from injuries or biking-induced pain, we strongly encourage riders to visit our Fairfield, CA office today. We believe prevention is the best medicine for overall health. Our care improves mobility, flexibility, and strength, so you can enjoy bicycling free of pain and illnesses!

 

Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Michael Wilson, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.

 

 

H-Wave Therapy

At Kosak Chiropractic, we believe in the best chiropractic care for our patients. This is why we employ the latest state-of-the-art technology known as H-Wave therapy to relieve pain. To learn more about how H-Wave therapy speeds your recovery, schedule an appointment with Dr. Michael Wilson of Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield, CA today!

 

What is H-Wave Therapy?

H-Wave therapy is a type of electrical stimulation therapy. At Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield, CA, Dr. Wilson uses this treatment method to relieve chronic and injury pain, restore function, and speed recovery of his patients.

 

Why is H-Wave Therapy Beneficial?

Unlike other electrical nerve stimulation therapies, H-Wave therapy doesn’t just relieve symptoms and pain. This electro-therapeutic treatment is designed for long-term wellness and health. It rehabilitates dysfunctional areas of the body by improving circulation and enhancing the movement of fluids to facilitate proper lymphatic drainage. Patients reap this treatment’s many benefits all while avoiding the addictive side effects of medications and any severe reactions.

 

How Does H-Wave Therapy Work?

Your trusted Fairfield, CA will apply mild frequencies of sound waves into the inflamed tissues of the body. Depending on the type of injury you have, we will apply one of two stimulation levels: high-frequency or ultra-low frequency to promote safe and effective healing. An average session with H-Wave therapy will last from 30-60 minutes, so book your appointment today!

 

Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.

 

 

Hip Labral Tears

Do you feel pain in one of your hips when you’ve been standing, sitting, or moving for a long time? Does it feel stiff or like it gets caught? If so, there may be a problem with the joint’s cartilage. At Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield, we’re more than just a clinic for back pain. Our experts in musculoskeletal health use non-addictive, non-invasive treatments for all sorts of joint problems. This week, we’re discussing a type of hip injury known as a labral tear.

A labrum is a seal of cartilage that locks the ball of the femoral head into the socket of the pelvis. (There’s one connecting the arm to the shoulder, too.) The labrum also provides cushioning, and if it tears, a person is at risk for developing arthritis or a bone spur in the future. Although the labrum can be damaged by an acute injury, it can also wear down due to repetitive motions, particularly in people who had an abnormal ball and socket connection to begin with. People who play sports that stress the hip muscles, such as soccer and hockey, are at greater risk for developing hip labral tears.

Hip labrum tears don’t always have symptoms, but they may be accompanied by other injuries. An x-ray will help us to determine if there’s something wrong with the bones of the joint that would require a chiropractic adjustment. Otherwise, patients will likely be prescribed physical therapy to improve their hip’s range of motion and stretch out their muscles. We can also use electric muscle stimulation and therapeutic massages to reduce inflammation and shorten workout recovery time.

Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.

 

Causes of a Stiff Back

Lower back pain is one of the most common health ailments. It has several causes, and most people are at risk for at least a few of them. However, the most common causes of back stiffness can be treated with minimal invasiveness and without the use of dangerous medications. At Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield, we’re dedicated to providing holistic treatments and lifestyle counseling that will prevent the return of back stiffness, so let’s take a closer look at how it can be prevented.

Usually, lower back stiffness can be traced to overuse of some muscles, putting excessive pressure on the structures of the spine. But the muscles in question aren’t always in the back. When the hamstrings or hip flexors are tight, they’ll pull on the lower spine, putting it out of alignment with the pelvis and potentially triggering inflammation. The same can occur with the ligaments in that area. Certain positions also make inefficient use of the lower back’s muscle and ligament support, such as when a person sits hunched forward or slouching backwards. If a person isn’t warming up before exercising, they’re especially likely to strain their supporting muscles through acute injuries or long term wear. Prolonged inflammation and excess pressure could wear down the cartilage cushioning the joints between their vertebrae, leading to more stiffness.

Chiropractic adjustments can realign joints, reducing the pressure on nearby tissues and preventing erosion of cartilage. But to remain healthy, a patient will need to engage in core strengthening and flexibility exercises. Core strengthening will provide the lower back with more support, and flexibility training will lengthen the hip muscles so they don’t pull as much on the spine. Maintaining better posture will also help to prevent tightness in the lower back as well as the neck.

Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.

 

Golf Injuries

If you’re looking for a way to exercise while physically distancing, golf isn’t a bad option. Besides allowing you to stretch your limbs, it exposes you to plenty of sunlight, which will allow you to build stronger bones. But golf can take a toll on your back if you’re not careful, and at Kosak Chiropractic in Fairfield, we’ve seen a lot of golfers suffer from lower back pain. Although we provide holistic, non-addictive treatments to enable a speedy recovery, we want our patients to know how to prevent wear and tear to their musculoskeletal system.

Swinging a golf club subjects the torso and hips to strong forces. The spine is rotating quickly on a tilt, and the lumbar region, or lower back, doesn’t have as much internal stability as other parts of the spinal column. Ideally, the hips and shoulders should be rotating with the spine to create a fluid motion, but if not, the muscles and ligaments attaching to it may be strained. In worse cases, a spinal disc may rupture, or a fracture in the facet joints may allow a vertebra to become unstable. Disc injuries tend to occur more in older athletes, while facet joint injuries tend to happen more often to younger people.

Anytime a person exercises, it’s important to warm up first by doing dynamic stretches. It’s a good idea for new golfers to seek professional training, but one basic pointer is that they should bend with their hips and knees instead of their lower backs. If a golfer suffers an injury that is still causing problems after a day of rest and icing, we can provide a diagnostic and determine whether they would benefit from treatments including chiropractic adjustments, electric muscle stimulation, therapeutic massages, and ultrasound. We’ll also recommend therapeutic exercises that will improve core strength and the flexibility of the hips and shoulders.

Kosak Chiropractic is located at 1252 Travis Blvd., Suite G, Fairfield, CA, 94533. To schedule an appointment, visit Kosak Chiropractic online or call 707-426-1111.