Providing healing and wellness without drugs or invasive surgery by focusing on spine function and natural methods is what makes Chiropractic care unique. You may be surprised to know that Dr. Dukes uses a host of techniques and methods beyond spinal adjustments to help her patients find relief and lifelong wellness. Natural therapies such as heat, cold, massage, stretching and exercise are the most common tools. When employed in a specific and controlled manner, these and other techniques positively influence a wide range of body functions reducing pain symptoms while increasing wellness. Dr. Dukes often uses a variety of therapies to help her patients:
It is important to remember that each patient's situation is unique. After a complete examination, Dr. Dukes may employ specific manipulations (chiropractic adjustments) in conjunction with one or more of the above therapies to remove structural or nervous system irritation that may be a major contributing factor to your condition. If you or your loved one is experiencing any of these conditions, chiropractic care may help. Call Dr. Dukes today. Schedule an examination. Together, you can learn if chiropractic care is right for you and your specific situation. Call today (813) 752-2524
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If you’re like me, time speeds up over the holidays and before I know it, healthy habits have fallen by the wayside. It’s easy to talk keeping your workout schedule but quite a different matter to make it happen. It’s just so rewarding to celebrate with friends and family. Make this year different. Minimize your stress and keep stay on a healthy schedule by introducing brief ‘micro-workouts’ into your daily routine. Our bodies were designed to move. Study after study show how regular exercise reduces stress and improves function, flexibility as well as overall health. Maintaining your regular routine through all the food, family and festivities over the holidays is tough – if not impossible – for most of us. I recommend adjusting how you approach your workout so that you can stay on track. Incorporate ten-minute micro-workouts 3 times each day. No special equipment are needed. Walk to the store, take the stairs or create a 10-minute workout that combines 5-minutes of stretching and 5-minutes of calisthenics. No matter how you decide to formulate your micro-workout, you’ll be glad you did. Recent research published in the American Journal of Health Promotion suggests that short periods of activity really add up. When researchers analyzed data from more than 6,000 adults, ages 18 to 85, they found that those who got short bouts of exercise (between 1 and 10 minutes) through everyday activities experienced many of the same benefits, as did those who continuously exercised for 30 minutes. Call Dr. Dukes today. Schedule a wellness exam before beginning any exercise regimen. Dr. Dukes will help you find a safe and effective plan to help you feel your best and stick to it - for life. Make health your top priority, call Dr. Dukes at (813) 752-2524 and schedule your wellness consultation today. When discussing long-term wellness, it's common for patient's to comment about a 'super-healthy' friend that doesn't have to diet or work to be fit. They wonder what that friend does to be so 'lucky'. The truth is that 'luck' is often grounded in a lifetime of simple habits. If I had to pick one habit that my healthiest patients have in common, it is routine. They focus on making sleep a priority, enjoy daily physical activity, make water their primary beverage, eat regularly and cook most meals at home, limit screen (TV, phone, etc) time, make self-care a priority, occasionally miss a workout and they focus on keeping life simple. Of course that demands of work and kids make holding to a routine tough. That's why keeping your routine simple is key to lifelong wellness. Here are a few tips to help you simplify your routine and stick to it despite the demands life throws at you: 1.) Go to bed earlier than you think you should. First, turn off your screens (TV, computer, phone, etc,) at least an hour before bed time. This will help que your body that it's time to rest and reduce the amount of time it takes you to fall asleep. Have a target bed-time and try to be in bed at least 15-minutes ahead of that. Going to bed at a regular time has broad benefits beyond helping to ensure that we get enough sleep each night. 2.) Wake-up, warm-up and eat. You don't have to wake and 5am and workout like a madman to be healthy. My healthiest patients wake-up about the same time every day. Then they warm-up. Some stretch, some walk and others have a more intense workout. All of them get moving first thing. Then they have good breakfast every day. 3.) Drink plenty of water. Healthy people make water their drink of choice. For them, it's not about avoiding coffee, tea or sugary drinks, they simply chose to drink water more often. You should too. 4.) Plan your meals and avoid processed foods. This can be tough - particularly for those with kids and demanding work schedules. You'll have to work ahead by planning your meals and maybe even preparing them ahead of time. Once you develop this habit, you'll feel the difference every day. 5.) Limit your screen time. Our digital gadgets have a big impact on our wellness. Healthy people simply spend less time in front of a screen at night. They understand that it's not realistic to eliminate TV, social media and checking email - they simple choose to limit their exposure after dark. 6.) Prioritize self-care. Whether it's work or social, healthy people make self-care a priority. They understand that it's important to say 'no' so that they can avoid being overscheduled and maintain their routine. 7.) It's okay to miss a workout now and then. Patients are often shocked to hear this. Healthy people listen to their body. They know that a workout should make you feel better, not worse. If you're not 100% it's okay to take a rest day, exchange your workout for a massage, or go to yoga instead of a HITT class. 8.) Keep it simple. Hopefully you recognize that what steps 1-7 have in common is simplicity. My patients that enjoy consistent wellness all share a sense of simplicity in their daily routines. They understand that life may disrupt their routine today and it's okay - tomorrow is a new day. A consultation and wellness exam from Dr. Dukes can help you find what works best for you to feel your best and stick to it - for life. Make health your top priority, call Dr. Dukes at (813) 752-2524 and schedule your wellness consultation today. Patients often seek out chiropractic care for acute conditions like headaches, back pain or neck pain. Did you know that these acute conditions are not the top 5 reasons patients stay with chiropractic care? Proper nervous system care offers benefits that may surprise you such as: Stress Relief, Injury Prevention, Mood Improvement, Immune System Strengthening and Better Sleep. Stress Relief Have you ever said, 'I just don't feel right'? When your nervous system is out of line we know something is wrong but it can be tough to figure just what the trouble is. This can cause a great deal of mental and physical stress on your body. That's why regular wellness care is so important to feel your best. Injury Prevention Proper posture is vital to preventing injuries that can hold you back. Posture education and regular chiropractic adjustments are powerful tools to help ou acheive consistently proper posture at work, paly or rest. Improve Your Mood Wellness care helps balance every system in your body - including your body's chemistry. Physically feeling your best, and even working towards feeling your best, jump-starts the chemical signals that keep you in a positive mood. Improve Your Immune System Chiropractic adjustments help remove subluxations that prevent the nervous system from working properly. This includes the signals to and from your immune system. Your immune system can only work properly when your nervous system sends and receives the right signals. Improve Your Sleep So many of us suffer from sleep-related issues. Most of these sleep problems are related to stress, pain and/or body aches. Wellness treatments helps you improve sleep quality and get a good nights rest. Chiropractic wellness care can helps you live the happy, healthy, well-adjusted life that you deserve. Make your health your top priority, call Dr. Dukes at (813) 752-2524 and schedule your wellness consultation today. ts of us suffer from painful conditions without understanding that how we sleep may be a significant contributing factor. It’s not unusual for proper diagnosis to be delayed because how we sleep and sleeping position is often initially overlooked as a potential cause. How you sleep can have can cause more than just back or neck aches. Did you know that sleep apnea, muscle cramping, impaired circulation, headaches, heartburn, tummy troubles and even premature wrinkles can be caused by poor sleep posture? Sleep is vitally important. When discussing good sleep habits with my patients, we talk about sleep hygiene and which sleep position might be best for them. First, understand that there is no sleep position that works best for everyone – life factors and health conditions must be considered. Stomach sleepers are rare – about 7% of adults sleep facing down. While it may ease snoring, stomach sleepers are in an unhealthy position for their back and neck with their head turned to one side. I encourage patients to try a different position. Even if they are comfortable sleeping on their stomach, experience has taught me that eventually they’ll experience morning back or neck pain – symptoms of the tension caused by this poor position. Side-sleeping and back-sleeping positions put most adults in a safer position. With the right pillow, your back and neck are in a neutral position. Side-sleeping is the sleeping position recommended most often as it allows your back and neck to rest in a neutral position and it’s very adaptable to individual needs. Stretching your legs out and placing a pillow between the knees helps achieve optimal body alignment and comfort. Side-sleeping may help reduce symptoms of those suffering from sleep apnea, heartburn or acid reflux. And, sleeping on the left side is recommended for pregnant women because it may improve circulation to the baby. Back sleeping is good position too – particularly when a good pillow is placed under the knees. The pillow helps restore the natural curve to your back making this position more comfortable for some while reducing the tendency to over-extend your back when sleeping in this position. One note of caution – avoid the sleeping on your back with your arms over your head as this can cause back pain. Proper sleep position and a good sleep routine can keep you feeling your best. A consultation and wellness exam from Dr. Dukes can help you get the good night’s rest that you deserve and your body needs. Make your health your top priority, call Dr. Dukes at (813) 752-2524 and schedule your wellness consultation today. |
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