Are you searching for a non-invasive way to reduce or eliminate your chronic pain? If so, Dr. Dukes has helped patients with a variety of conditions through pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) technology. PEMF is a form of therapy that uses magnetic pulses to help reduce inflammation and improve circulation in the body. A number of studies have found that this technology can be helpful in relieving pain, especially for those suffering from conditions like fibromyalgia, arthritis, and sciatica. Let’s take a look at how PEMF works and why it might be beneficial for women seeking relief from chronic pain.

Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) technology works by using an electrical device to generate pulsating magnetic fields which are applied directly to the skin. These pulsating fields stimulates your cells, helping reduce inflammation and improving circulation. Dr. Dukes has found this to be a tremendous tool for pain relief with most patients also reporting increased overall energy level and a boosted sense of wellbeing.

PEMF therapy is generally considered safe and effective. It's not for everyone. Certain types of medical implants may not be compatible with magnetic fields. Dr. Dukes will discuss potential risks along with the benefits prior to any treatment. PEMF therapy should only be performed as directed by a trained and experienced healthcare practitioner.                              

Helping you better understand what is causing your health challenges is key to successful treatment and recovery programs. If you're struggling to find relief, ask Dr. Dukes is pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) technology is right for you. She'll take the time to discuss potential treatments without having to resort to dangerous prescription medications nor invasive treatments like surgery. ​That's why you'll find that Dr. Brenda Dukes and her team focus on communicating and educating throughout every course of treatment. Experience the difference for yourself.
Call today! ​​(813) 752-2524 Schedule your consultation with Dr. Dukes and experience the difference for yourself.

Combine stress, repetitive activities and poor posture, and what do you get? Tension headaches. 

Dr. Dukes revealed the most common contributors: poor posture, constantly looking down at your cell phone, working on your laptop in your home office all day, driving for hours without rest, playing video games for hours, chronic jaw clenching, and poor sleep posture.

Dr. Dukes explained that, “these activities overstretch the muscles on the back of your neck and weaken them, increasing your susceptibility to tension headaches. The second part of the problem is that using any muscle too much leads to pain and, often, results in tension headaches.” Episodic tension headaches come on quickly and are fairly painful. “They are usually associated with stressful events adn tend to be subside once the stressful event is over.” Chronic tension headaches can recur daily. They may come on as you wake up or after a long day of work or activity. “The muscles in your neck and scalp tend to stay contracted,” she says. “Pain and tightness develop on both sides of the head, in the forehead and at the base of the skull.”

Dr. Dukes recommends minimizing tension headache contributing factors by:

Minimizing stress: Try to avoid or limit stressful events.
Taking breaks: Limit the time you spend looking down at your phone. Take breaks on long drives.
Adjusting the way you sleep: Try sleeping on your back or on your side with a body pillow and your neck in neutral posture.
Exercise and stretch: Use a therapy cane or a hard therapy ball to massage out or stretch your neck and shoulder muscles.
Avoid clenching: If you have trouble avoiding this behavior, seek a dentist knowledgeable about temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome.

What about rubbing your temples when a tension headaches starts to build — does it help? “Muscle tension varies, so rubbing on your temples may not bring relief,” says Dr. Bang. “But rubbing on the tender spots, or trigger points, in your neck and shoulder muscles can help.”

If tension headaches don’t go away after trying these suggestions, it may be time to seek professional help from Dr. Dukes and her experienced team of professionals.  Call today (814) 752-2524. Reach out to Dr. Dukes. Schedule your consultation and learn how Chiropractic can help you.

Did you know that water is part of every cell in your body? Good spinal health begins with good hydration. Dehydration can cause limited mobility, decreased flexibility, and pain.

From the time you get up in the morning you are putting pressure on your spine, compressing and decompressing the discs that lie between each vertebra. 

If you don’t drink enough water, your body becomes dehydrated and your discs lack proper fluid pressure resulting in limited mobility, pain, and an increased risk of back injury. You may not even notice the typical signs of dehydrations such as headache and lethargy, but even lower levels of dehydration can cause serious problems in the body, especially if it is prolonged. Soda and other soft drinks do not supply the amount of water that is necessary for the body.

Water is the best way to hydrate your body, but it isn’t the only way. Foods like watermelon, lettuce, spinach, and soups are great sources of hydration. Herbal teas can also provide the body with the right source of water as well. Drinks with caffeine are not as effective since the caffeine can have a diuretic effect. 

If you have constant or frequent back pain the answer could be dehydration and, you can change that. If you’re paying proper attention to hydration and find yourself still feeling aches and pains, reach out to Dr. Dukes. Schedule a consultation and learn how Chiropractic care can help you get back to living life on your terms. 813-752-2524

When injured, your body begins the healing process naturally through inflammation however imbalances in your immune system may cause your improperly stay ‘on’, continually creating more inflammation in response to the existing inflammation.
 
Most patients are surprised to learn that left unchecked, chronic inflammation can lead to a host of issues exhibited through symptoms such as: joint pain, weight gain/inability to lose weight, complexion/skin problems, high blood pressure,
respiratory conditions (asthma, allergies, congestion) or digestive issues (irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion).
 
The good news is that you can reboot your immune system and find relief through non-drug / non-invasive treatment options. Many of my patients have found success by following a 3-step course of care:
 
1.Regular chiropractic adjustments are key to reducing cytokines that, left unchecked, cause inflammation to run rampant.

2.Pulse Electromagnetic Field Technology is cutting-edge technology that we use to help suppress inflammatory responses at the cell membrane level typically resulting in reduced pain symptoms and increased range of motion.

3.Lifestyle changes are the final step to preventing chronic inflammation from recurring. Regular exercise, proper sleep, good nutrition, hydration and smoking cessation
​
Following this powerful course of care allows most patients to attain levels of wellness they never thought possible. If you feel that you may be suffering from chronic inflammation, make health your top priority and call Dr. Dukes at (813) 752-2524 to schedule your wellness consultation today.

One positive outcomes from our pandemic is that more of us are walking more often. And, chances are that walking is something you've never really thought.

Walking offers tremendous health benefits. But, if it's been a while since you've been active, it's important to take a look at how you walk. After all, it’s a repetitive motion and thousands of steps per day can put a lot of stress on your entire body resulting in aches and pains that may keep you from realizing those benefits.

Chances are, you learned to walk when you were just a toddler and you haven’t really thought about it much since. But life and activity levels change so it's important to learn how to walk correctly. Here's how to make the most of your daily strolls step-by-step.

Understand the mechanics
Having a clear idea of what a step actually involves can help you visualize how to walk correctly. Every step happens in two phases: stance and swing. A single gait cycle of stance and swing typically lasts about 1-second.” Your brain does all of that instinctually. Understanding the parts can be valuable in assessing where you might have weaknesses and can help assess any pain you’re having.

Pick the right shoes
Choosing poorly fitting or unsupportive shoes can lead to serious health problems. While symptomatic aches and pains may begin at your feet, the core problem often creates spinal mis-alignments that wreak havoc all over your body. There’s no perfect shoe for everyone. Stability is crucial. Avoid walking in sandals or other footwear without arch support. 

Many shoe stores offer options with corrective structures designed to provide support in specific areas or even correct problems. I recommend starting with an established local running store or show store that specializes in corrective shoes. They'll look at the sole of your current shoes to determine wear patterns. If your shoes are wearing too much on the inside, then you might need something that gives you a little more arch support. If they’re wearing more quickly at the heel and causing pain, then you might need a little more cushioning. If you’re unsure about the shape of your step, sticking with a neutral shoe is a good place to start unless you’re having specific pain or are getting a personal assessment.

Pay attention to posture
It’s possible for your body to have an injury that you haven't noticed which is causing you to over-compensate and walk imbalanced. The obvious sign of this is poor posture. Poor posture often indicates weakness, pain or injury. When this happens we lean over to the weak or painful side, shifting the center of our mass to alleviate forces on that limb. That imbalance will cause of host of problems throughout the body.

If you start to recognize that you're imbalanced, seek professional help. Avoid attempting to force yourself into the right position because that often makes issues worse and accelerates health problems. Rather, call to schedule a consultation. We'll work together to find the underlying cause then use treatment to help eliminate the source of the problem rather than simply addressing the symptom. Sometimes the treatment solution is as simple as a combination of massage and learning proper walking technique and posture. 

Stand up straight
Slouching is never healthy and that’s especially true while walking. Pull your shoulders back, keep your bum tucked underneath you, and your head parallel to the ground. As you lift your chin up, you'll automatically help bring your head in line with your pelvis and eliminate slouching. If you have a habit of slouching at a desk all day, it's normal that your back, neck, and shoulder muscles may feel sore after a long walk. Keep at it, the soreness will soon be replaced with a feeling of vitality.  

Avoid over-striding
Once you’re a more experienced walker, it’s tempting to try and up your pace and distance. But doing too much, too soon can cause problems with your stride and limit your workout capabilities. Taking too big of a stride will require your pelvis to rotate too far to step out in front of you. This puts stress on your lower back and a lot of stress on your heel as it impacts the ground. If you're looking to put a 'little more umpf' into your walking, I recommend increasing the pace of your steps rather than compromising your health by overstretching your stride.

Custom Orthotics
A variety of problems ranging from joint pain, foot discomfort, and posture issues, and especially lower back pain can be alleviated through custom orthotics. These are insoles that slip into shoes. They are custom-crafted especially for your unique foot shape and biomechanical needs.
Dr. Dukes has helped many patients struggling with low back pain, knee pain, plantar fasciitis, and even neck and shoulder pain find relief through custom orthotics so they can achieve their health and fitness goals. 

When you're ready to live your best life, call me. Schedule a consultation. The team at Dukes Chiropractic is here for you. (813) 752-2524

What Is Inflammation?
Inflammation is your body’s natural immune response that helps the healing process begin. Chronic inflammation occurs when an imbalance in your immune system causes your immune response to ‘stay-on’, continually creating more inflammation in response to the existing inflammation.
 
Most patients are surprised to learn that almost everything we do can diminish or exacerbate the conditions that foster chronic inflammation. Stress, diet, exercise and sleeping habits can be major contributing factors.
 
Left unchecked, chronic inflammation can lead to diseases as well as impacting your whole body via symptoms such as: joint pain, weight gain/inability to lose weight, complexion/skin problems, high blood pressure, respiratory conditions (asthma, allergies, congestion) or digestive issues (irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion).

Treatment Options
The good news is that you can reboot your immune system and find relief through non-drug / non-invasive treatment options.
 
First, regular chiropractic adjustments have been shown to reduce the chemicals in your body (cytokines) that cause inflammation to run rampant.  Adjustments also align your spine ensuring proper nervous system function so that your immune system can function properly too.
 
Second, lifestyle changes are critical to successfully treating chronic inflammation. Regular exercise, proper sleep, good nutrition, hydration & PH balance and eliminating smoking will allow you to reach a level of wellness you never thought possible – without drugs or invasive procedures.
 
If you feel that you may be suffering from chronic inflammation, Call Dr. Dukes today.
​She’ll help you understand your challenges, learn your options and find lifelong health and wellness.