Ergonomics in Today’s Unique Work Environments

If you’re like most people, the past few months have brought about many changes to your work environment. Many people across the country have been working from home for weeks, and many of us will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Whether you’re figuring out how to optimize your home office, are struggling to set up a productive workspace in your kitchen, or are still in the office on a daily or weekly basis, you should be paying attention to how helpful your work environment is when it comes to your productivity.

What Role Does Ergonomics Play?

Ergonomics is the study of an individual’s efficiency as it pertains to their working environment. It is about both the mental and physical efficiency you have based on your work setting. It includes how focused you feel in addition to how physically comfortable you are, as both work together to maximize your productivity and concentration. Ergonomics not only affects how much work you get done how quickly, but it’s also about you feel in your physical environment—are you uncomfortable, in pain, or overly distracted? If so, your work ergonomics need an overhaul. You may need to clean up your desk, clear the area around your workspace, or move your furniture into a different room or layout. You also may need a better chair, as your physical comfort is a big part of work productivity and efficiency.

Back Pain & Work Ergonomics

One of the biggest complaints of office workers is back pain. The next most common is neck pain. This makes sense since they’re sitting the majority of the day, often hunched over paperwork or a computer screen and keyboard. If you’ve been working from home, you may be experiencing even more pain and discomfort than normal. […]

Poor Sleep in Children: There Is Hope

Quality sleep is one of the main goals of every parent. Whether you have a newborn baby, a school-aged child, or teenagers, you know how important sleep is to health, growth, and overall happiness. You also know how difficult it can be for everyone in your household to get a good night’s rest, especially regularly.

A lot of different things can contribute to poor sleep in children. One is natural sleep disruptions, such as growth spurts, newborns needing to eat throughout the night, or being woken from bad dreams or loud noises in the house. These are pretty unavoidable in most cases, and they are typically singular events or at least temporary. But what about when children have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep for months or years on end?

Some kids never learn how to fall asleep on their own, so when they wake in the middle of the night, they struggle to fall back asleep without the help or comfort of a parent. Other children may stay up later than their bodies need to or they don’t take quality naps during the day, so they struggle to get adequate sleep they need and deal with the consequences on a daily basis.

The Trouble with a Lack of Sleep

Not only does a lack of sleep in children impact the mood of the child, but it can affect a lot more. Children who are exhausted may be grumpy, irritable, and angrier. They may also be more prone to temper tantrums or disrespectful behavior. They can also experience challenges with their development since their brains don’t have enough time to rest and repair during the night.

In addition, when kids don’t sleep, parents don’t sleep either. This can lead to a stressful environment in the home […]

The Importance of Staying Hydrated

Our bodies are primarily composed of water, and we are in a constant state of losing and replenishing this water. As we sweat, drink alcohol, cry, and use the restroom throughout the day, we are losing water each time. This means it’s important that we are replenishing that water supply throughout the day. Without this balance, we can experience dehydration and resulting health issues. Drinking water is important not only to prevent dehydration, but also to proactively increase health. Keeping up with your water intake combined with regular visits to a Lithia Springs chiropractor can help you prevent potential health issues before they begin. Read on to learn some of the benefits you can see from drinking more water.

Prevent Fatigue

While fatigue can certainly be caused by a lack of sleep, not drinking enough water can also lead to this feeling of being constantly tired. Water fuels the heart’s ability to pump blood throughout the body, and when there is a lack of hydration, the heart has to work harder to accomplish this. As a result, the organs also must work harder to function properly. All of this extra effort can lead you to feel more tired than usual.

Remove Toxins

Over time, the body builds up toxins based on environmental factors. This includes what we eat and drink, as well as the things we touch and the air we breathe. Toxins can build up even faster if our spine is misaligned. Getting adjusted by Lithia Springs chiropractor Dr. Bolar can release these toxins. But after being released, the toxins need to be eliminated from the body, which is where water becomes even more important. Water helps to flush out toxins in the body throughout the day. And as a bonus, water keeps […]

Chiropractic Care Aids Brain Development

When we think about our health and the ways we maintain it, most things we think about will be related to our physical well being. We may think of illnesses like colds, injuries to the back or legs, and broken bones. These are all important components of our health, but what many people don’t realize is that these are all tied to interconnected systems inside the body. Both the brain and the spinal cord work together to regulate the rest of the body. This means that what you may see as a minor injury or illness is rooted in issues of the brain, the spinal cord, and their communication. For the brain to develop properly and maintain health, proper care of the spine is also important. Visiting a Lithia Springs chiropractor can be a step towards optimal brain development.

How the Brain Develops

A child’s brain begins developing before they are even born and doesn’t stop developing throughout their life. The brain develops from right to left, and the majority of this growth happens in the first 3 years of life. The right brain controls emotions, processing, and moral choices and is the first part of the brain to develop. Then between the ages of three and six, the left brain begins to form reasoning, problem solving, and language abilities. While these functions develop, it is imperative for the body and brain to communicate well. The brain controls all systems in the body, including the central nervous system, which is tasked with transmitting messages from the brain to various nerves and body systems. Because of the spine and brain’s connection, a misalignment in the spine could lead to developmental delays and cause long-term issues. By adjusting the spine, a chiropractor like Dr. […]

4 Reasons to Drink More Water

As our bodies are made up of mostly water, it stands to reason that drinking water is an important component of staying healthy. Various routine practices can cause us to lose water from our system, including sweating, crying, using the restroom, dieting, and drinking alcohol. This is why it’s necessary to drink plentiful amounts of water throughout the day and replenish this lost resource. In addition to rehydrating the body, water also has a number of health benefits. Being proactive about your health can help prevent future issues and make sure you are functioning well every day, and you can take proactive steps by being under regular chiropractic care as well as drinking more water. In addition to the benefits you’ll receive from regular care at a Lithia Spring chiropractor, below are some of the ways drinking more water will improve your wellbeing.

Prevent Fatigue

Fatigue, or feeling extremely tired to the point of lethargy, can often be one of the first symptoms of dehydration. In order to keep blood pumping through the body, the heart needs water, and when it lacks water, it has to work even harder. Organs also have to work harder to perform their daily functions when the body enters dehydration. Getting plenty of rest and drinking adequate amounts of water can stave off fatigue and help you feel more energized.

Reduce Muscle Cramps

When the muscles are not getting enough water, they can become tight, causing painful cramping. This may occur when you are resting or moving. If you’ve ever experienced this phenomenon, it can range from annoying to excruciating and prevent you from completing daily activities. Drinking enough water prevents your muscles from cramping and will keep you active and without muscle pain.

Detox

As we eat, drink, and […]

Chiropractic Care and Tech Neck

In today’s world, we are on our phones constantly, and if we aren’t on our phone, we are likely looking at a computer, tablet, television, or smart watch. It’s impossible to list the ways in which technology has improved and simplified many areas of life, but that doesn’t come without problems. Our bodies were not built to be bent over, looking down, and straining in the way that they do to accommodate the constant use of this technology. While this is not something most people think about, the health concerns brought about by these postures are so common that they have been coined “tech neck” by experts, though some prefer to call it “text neck.” While tech neck is a relatively new concern to match new technology, chiropractic care has been around for a long time, and visiting Lithia Springs chiropractor Dr. Ronnie Bolar can help alleviate this modern problem.

Do I Have Tech Neck?

Tech neck is caused primarily by the straining of our necks, specially straining forward past the shoulders, beyond where they naturally fall. This can lead to pain or discomfort in the back, neck, or shoulders. It’s no wonder this can cause annoyance as every inch our neck stretches past our shoulders, an extra 10 pounds of pressure is added! In addition to pain, this leaning can also lead to stiffness, tenderness, headaches, or even tingling in the arms. Some of these symptoms can also indicate poor posture, where the head is not fully supported by the neck. These two problems often occur together and are interrelated. If you experience any of these symptoms, it may be time to visit Vital Life Chiropractic to see how chiropractic care can help reduce your pain.

Chiropractic Care for Tech Neck

The […]

Suffering from TMJ? Chiropractic Care Can Help!

For many people, back or neck pain are clear indicators that it’s time to visit the chiropractor. But there are other types of pain that can be addressed by your local Lithia Springs chiropractor. Those suffering from TMJ, or temporomandibular joint disorder, know that the chronic disorder can cause pain, swelling, and clicking sounds near the jaw. An estimated 10 million people report TMJ in America, and those sufferers know that it can be painful and frustrating to deal with. Because TMJ is rooted in joints and the musculoskeletal system, Dr. Ronnie Bolar and the staff at Vital Life Chiropractic may be able to bring relief from the symptoms of TMJ.

What Is TMJ?

TMJ manifests itself in most people with symptoms such as swelling, nerve pain, and a clicking sound when moving the jaw. Others report pain while chewing, grinding teeth, and headaches as symptoms of TMJ. This is because the disorder affects the jaw muscles and connected nerves. Not much is known about the cause of TMJ, but some believe it can be partially due to poor posture or a misalignment of teeth. Stress can often exacerbate the symptoms as it causes tension and subsequent clenching of teeth. Most people with TMJ use over-the-counter medication to find relief from symptoms, but this is short-term and does not address the root causes of TMJ in the same ways as chiropractic care. Dr. Ronnie Bolar knows that treating the root cause is always the best way to find long-term relief.

Chiropractic Care for TMJ

Because TMJ is rooted in the jaw, chiropractic adjustments can relieve tension. Simply relaxing the muscles near the jaw can correct TMJ and allow normal jaw function to resume. But in some cases, the root cause of TMJ […]

Why You Should See a Chiropractor for Infant GERD

If you’re a parent, you know that one of the most stressful things can be trying to determine what your baby needs. They cry when they’re tired, hungry, or just want to be held. This can make it hard to know when your baby’s crying is a symptom of something more serious, like infant GERD. The symptoms of infant GERD can include vomiting, appetite changes, and excessive crying—all of which babies are prone to on a normal day. It can be hard to determine the proper care to seek for your child and what remedies they need. If your infant seems to be suffering from infant GERD, visiting Dr. Ronnie Bolar at Vital Life Chiropractic is the first step towards long-term relief that is both safe and effective.

What Is Infant GERD?

While GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, is found across ages, infant GERD is very common in young babies. About two-thirds of infants will experience GERD symptoms, compared to one in five adults. GERD is caused by food getting backed up in the esophagus, rather than traveling to the stomach as it should. Because infants have underdeveloped digestive systems, doctors believe they are more prone to these symptoms and they will often resolve as children age. While testing can be done in severe cases, most infant GERD is diagnosed simply by recognizing symptoms in affected infants. In many cases, doctors will prescribe medication to alleviate symptoms for short-term relief, but many of these medications come with harmful side effects, effectively trading one ailment for another in many infants. Before going this route, visit a Lithia Springs chiropractor to explore chiropractic care for your child.

Stopping Infant GERD with Chiropractic Care

While infant GERD is concentrated in the stomach and esophagus, it is connected […]

Chiropractic Care for Managing Glaucoma

Serious vision problems can lead to blindness, and one of these serious eye conditions is called glaucoma.  Glaucoma is a condition that attacks the optic nerve.  There isn’t much known about what causes glaucoma, but it is related to fluid pressure build-up in the eye.  Our eyes are constantly filling up and being drained of fluid to keep the eye tissue healthy.   If the eyes can’t drain properly and the fluid continues to build up, that is when the problems with pressure develop. When increased pressure build-up reaches a high level, it causes damage to the optic nerve. The fluid and pressure in the eye doesn’t allow the optic nerve to take the light we see and turn it into images, causing vision problems to occur.

Who Is Affected by Glaucoma?

Glaucoma can affect people of any age, including men, women and children.  No one is exempt at any time. People with high blood pressure are more prone to developing glaucoma as a side effect of higher blood pressure. The problem with glaucoma is that by the time symptoms have appeared, the pressure build-up in the eye has already done some damage to the optic nerve, which is almost always irreversible.  The key is to prevent eye damage before it starts.  Research has shown that chiropractic care can have a significant impact on vision.  Regular adjustments from a Lithia Springs chiropractor can prevent glaucoma as well as improve vision after the onset of this disease.

Chiropractic Care and Glaucoma

How exactly is it that adjustments of the spine can affect the eyes?  The answer lies in the nerves.  The central nervous system, composed of the brain and spinal cord, is essential to how our bodies function.  The optic nerve communicates with the brain to tell […]

How Can Chiropractic Decrease the Risk of Falls for the Elderly?

One of the biggest risks of injury as we enter our golden years is falling.  After the age of 65, the risk of falling rises significantly. In fact, 1 in 3 people over the age of 65 experience a fall each year and about 25% of them experience serious injuries due to a fall.  The statistics related to older adults falling can be scary in and of themselves.  Not only does the older population have to worry about serious injuries, surgeries, and hospital stays from falling, but they also experience a psychological fear of falling because of an increased awareness of the risks. But the fear of falling doesn’t have to consume you. An experienced Lithia Springs chiropractor can give the elderly back their confidence in their ability to function well and avoid falls through regular chiropractic care.

What Contributes to Increased Falls as We Age?

As we get older, our bodies experience significant wear and tear. The musculoskeletal system may not function as it once did.  The elderly population also deal other types of pain that can affect their ability to walk and get around easily. Additionally, poor spinal alignment can also lead to balance problems that causes unsteadiness when moving or standing. Vertigo is another issue that many elderly people face. Problems with the inner ear can cause dizziness that can lead to a higher risk of falling. Over time, aging causes muscles to atrophy and blood flow to decrease. Weakened muscles can decrease function, causing stiffness and making walking difficult. Any number or combination of these health concerns will only increase a person’s chances of falling and therefore increase the risk of injury. Thankfully, regular chiropractic care from a Lithia Springs chiropractor can address all these concerns to […]

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