Stekel Chiropractic » Health-tips

Helping relieve tension headaches through chiropractic and nutrition

admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:20:19 +0000

Helping relieve tension headaches through chiropractic and nutrition

Over the years I’ve worked with many people who suffer from chronic headaches. Being a chiropractor, in practice since 1998 in Midtown Manhattan, I always begin the process by doing a through exam of their spinal alignment. Many people suffer from headaches due to bad posture through out the day. It begins at work, possibly a work station that forces them to look at a computer all day from an angle that doesn’t allow a neutral gaze. The chair might be too high, to allow a person to watch their moniter without straining the cervical muscles and subluxates, pulls out of positions, the vertebrae in there spine. Doing this for hours at a time sets up muscles that contract, and can’t relax, as well as bones that are forced out of normal positioning. As a person comes home, many times they crash on the couch watching television, another way to further the imbalance created at work. Finally, retiring to bed only to sleep with huge pillows on their stomachs. All this over even a few days will create a pattern in the upper neck where muscles will begin to compensate for the abnormal tension and shorten, straightening the cervical curve and cause headaches.
Another correlation I’ve found for headaches, even of the migraine type, is a lack of proper probiotic, good bacteria, in the gut. If a person is eating a diet high in sugar and processed grains and meats, the good bacteria will lessen. This can cause an over acidification of the body, leading to severe headaches. A good probiotic, bought from your local health food store, or any fermented food such as sauerkraut will balance the good bacteria out in your body, and allow the processed foods to be digested with greater ease. Cutting back on Sugar, wheat, and animal products and replacing with green leafy vegetables will help as well.
Finally, it’s important to change the bad positioning that causes the headaches in the first place. Through chiropractic adjustments, stretching of the cervicals, and stregthening exercises, proper function to the body can be restored. Changing the dynamics of your work station, so that you’re able to work for long periods of time without looking down when reading or working on the computer is of vital importance. Watching TV in an upright relaxed position when home, and sleeping on your back with thinner pillows should also help tremendously in restoring health to the neck. For those who have snoring issues, sleeping on the side comes in as the next favorable postition.
Have any questions, or if you’d like to schedule an appointment, Contact: Dr. Dani Stekel, (212)581-3331, or email me at DrStekel@gmail.com. Address is 250 West 57st., NY NY 10107, Suite 930

The Best position when sleeping for better posture and back pain

admin — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:23:58 +0000

Over the past few months, I made a decision to begin sleeping on my back in an effort to improve my posture. Being a chiropractor, in practice since 1998 in Midtown Manhattan, I am keenly aware of the degenerative effects of sleeping prone on the stomach, but never was able to move out of that bad habit. Then approximately four months ago, I made a true effort, for the first time, to begin sleeping only on my back. My goal was to counter the forward translation of my head. It looked as if My head was two to three inches forward of my shoulders looking at my posture from the side and my cervical curve was straightened. My neck was compensating for all the stress of years of sleeping on my stomach with my head turned. I felt guilt preaching to my patients that sleeping on their stomachs was bad for them and yet I was doing it myself.
The first week of sleeping on my back was miserable. I set up my bedroom as comfortably as possible, made sure that the light was right, sheets my favorite…and yet it was still so difficult getting used to this new position. No exaggeration…I slept an hour or two. When I did wake up I felt tingling and numbness in my fingers…they were falling asleep! But I continued on…every night dealing with the same feelings although a bit less by the end of the week. By mid week on my second week my body began to really adjust to the new position. I was sleeping through a full night, and no more numbness. It’s now four months later, and I love it. My posture has improved dramatically, with the forward translation of my head reduced at least 50-60 percent.
It took time, perseverance, and a willingness to endure a few sleepless nights, but I’m healthier for it. Here are a few pointers to get you started: The first is to make sure that you begin with your normal pillow, and gradually work down to a thinner pillow so your head isn’t bending forward as you sleep. Secondly, make certain you don’t have sleep apnea which can be aggravated by sleeping on your back. Also, if you’re going to sleep on your back, try to avoid food for a few hours prior to sleep to avoid digestive acid reflux which can come up in to the throat area as we sleep if we are digesting food.
If you would like to schedule an appointment for chiropractic care, or for any further questions answered, contact me at: Dr. Dani Stekel DC, (212)581-3331, Email:DrStekel@gmail.com, Tel:(212)581-3331

Healing your back pain through an alkaline diet

admin — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:55:55 +0000

A few years back I took a course for continuing education as a chiropractor. Having opened my office back in 1998, these courses had become over the years a helpful tool to revitalize my office, and getting excited about the wonderful profession that I’m very thankful to be in. The course back in 2009 which I took was called the anti-inflammatory diet. The instructor taught how over acidic diets can unlock genetic propensities for sickness in the body, and lead to disease. He recommended a diet high in alkaline fruits and vegetables, cutting out most grains including wheat, eating only grass fed meats, and fish, using spices, and taking omega fish oils for supplementation. For snacking, he recommended only eating alkaline dried fruits, raw nuts and seeds, and dark chocolate that came from non high fructose corn syrup. He was very realistic that it takes pounds of green vegetable consumption to keep an alkaline environment. I decided to try the diet, however after only a few weeks I went off course. I continued to bounce on and off of this beneficial diet, but in the end it was just hard enough to keep me from staying on it consistantly. I noticed that when I’d stick to the diet, the stiffness in my lower back would ease up considerably…If you didn’t know this, being a chiropractor is very physical work. Along with my chiropractic adjustments that I received on a weekly basis, I stayed on this diet as much as I could.

In 2010, I came across Kangen alkaline ionized restructured water. The water, came in 8.5ph, 9.0ph, and 9.5ph. Normally water is at neutral 7.0, or acidic below 7.0 on the ph scale depending on the source. The Kangen was exponentially more alkaline than regular water. Within a month of drinking the kangen water, I noticed that my spine was so much more flexible than it had been in years. I learned that the alkalinity of this water was highly anti-inflammatory, and few cups of kangen water a day would alkalize my body more than were I to eat those pounds of vegetables that I had been really working hard to take in every day. Kangen isn’t a cure for any sickness or disease but I began to feel great. My energy increased considerably and would stay with me through long days of working with my patients. I had always been low energy since my childhood, but the water also gave me a significant boost that stayed with me throughout the day.

Consider alkalizing your body through diet, and alkaline ionized water for greater health.

If you have any questions on alkalinity, feel free to contact me at:

Dr. Dani Stekel

DrStekel@gmail.com

(212)581-3331

250 West 57st.

Suite 930

New York, NY10107

Stretching for Your Back

admin — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:51:58 +0000

As a chiropractor in private practise since 1998, I’ve worked with many patients suffering from lower back pain. Recently, I began working with a patient who was post surgery for lower back disk herniations. It had been a few months since her surgery, and she still was undergoing lower back pain. Her fear was that she’d always have this lower back pain and that the surgery was a failure. Following a detailed examination, I began chiropractic adjustments on her lower back, and used mechanical traction. A stretching routine of knee to chest stretches were performed on her, and I advised her to continue doing the same at home.

By her next visit, she was feeling a measurable reduction in pain. We continued with her adjustments, traction, and stretching over the next month and she has continued to improve weekly.

Although her chiropractic adjustments and mechanical traction on her lower back helped, I believe, in her case, the stretching of her glutes, hamstrings, and lower back spinal erector muscles is what allowed the adjustments to hold, and help her continue the process of healing she needed from the spinal surgery.

I really love knee to chest stretching.

Of course consult with your chiropractor or MD prior to beginning any stretching program when you’re in pain. However, once you have, try knee to chest stretching. Lay on your back, and bending your leg, grab one knee with both hands. Keeping your other leg resting extended, hold the bent leg and slowly bring it toward your chest. Make sure to only bring it to the beginning of the stretching feeling at first to avoid overdoing it. Slowly release the leg keeping your hand on your knee. When you finish feeling the stretch, perform another 5-10 repetitions slowly breathing as you bring your knee to your chest.

This can help tremendously with minor lower back pain. This is just one of numerous stretches that can be helpful for lower back pain. For more serious lower back pain, anything over a 4 level on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the most pain, I highly recommend you consider chiropractic treatment. Chiropractic brings your body back in to alignment, and with proper nutrition and hydration, keeps it performing at its best.

If you have any questions on how to heal from back pain, feel free to contact me at:

Stekel Chiropractic

(212) 581-3331

Taking Care of Neck Pain

admin — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:44:39 +0000

Neck pain can be aggravating, and depending on the severity can really make daily tasks…well…”a pain in the neck!” I’ve been a chiropractor in midtown manhattan on west 57st. since 1998, and I’ve seen many patients over the years with neck pain. There are many causes of neck pain. From car accidents, to just waking up with it, nearly everyone will experience at least one episode of neck pain over there lifetime. The good news is that our necks are biomechanically rough and tough.

They can handle some of the most concussive forces and still bounce back from injury. Think about some of the things we do as human beings. Athletics such as boxing, MMA, yoga headstands are just some of the ways we beat up our cervicals. Poor sleep positioning, rollercoaster rides, reading with our heads facing down for hours at a time…I think you get the picture..our necks are built to endure.

But with all that our neck do for us, understand that our necks house and protect our spinal cord leading all the way up in to the base of the brain. Nerve impulses travel at an incredible rate of speed through our spinal cords, and were it not for the vertebrae in our cervicals, there would be nothing to protect the delicate structure of the cord.
So what should a person do when they have minor neck pain? Here are a few ways of helping oneself when experiencing neck pain. Contrary to popular belief, heat is not one of the options. Many people go straight for the hot water shower or some salve that heats up from the pharmacy.

These options may help ease the pain in the moment, but do little to take care of the problem. I recommend to all my patients that they use ice. Ice lowers inflammation in the area which is necessary in the acute phase of any injury. Twenty minutes on, alternating with twenty minutes off is the optimal method. Any more than twenty minutes will cause more swelling.

Another option to do at home is using a rolled up towel instead of a pillow. By sleeping on your back, with a rolled up towel, you allow the muscles which are in spasm to relax, and create a better curve in the neck as you sleep. However if it’s too painful, sleep in any position that brings relief.

Finally, consider a chiropractor for spinal adjustments. The chiropractor will do a through examination to determine the source of your problem, possibly take x-rays to make certain there aren’t any pathological reasons for the problem, also to ensure the integrity of the cervical curve hasn’t been compromised, and to check for any misaligned vertebrae termed subluxations.

One last reason to take radiographic images is to make certain there isn’t any degeneration of the joint spaces between the vertabrae. Your chiropractor will determine if he or she can help you, how long it will take for symptomatic relief care, and to correct the cause of the pain. Following all this, a chiropractic adjustment will be given to you. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact Stekel Chiropractic 212-581-3331.

Healing Low Back Pain with Chiropractic

admin — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:27:00 +0000

Lower back pain is one of the top reasons for lost productivity in America. Many people who suffer from low back pain fail to make it in to work. Too many become addicted to pain relief medications in the hopes that the lower back pain will eventually diminish. Most people, however, fail to receive the necessary help from medication alone. Lower back pain can be attributed to a number of causes. The pain can be due to muscle spasms, misaligned vertebrae, disc protrusions or herniations, muscle weakness, poor posture, not receiving the proper nutrition, and even can be an indirect sign of other serious diseases. Lower back pain can be felt in many different pain patterns. Some people experience lower back pain localized in one area, others may feel the pain shift from one area to another as they move. Lower back pain can even radiate down a leg causing pain as far as to the toes.

When a new patient comes in to our chiropractic office, our first priority is taking a full history. We want to find out as much information as possible about our patients past. Have they had lower back pain before, what about any serious illnesses or diseases. Have they been experiencing any flu like or cold symptoms recently, what about any previous hospitalizations or surgeries. We also want to find out if the patient’s parents, siblings, or other family members have had or currently have similar symptoms. How long has the lower back pain been going on for, has it gotten worse or better, has the pattern shifted in any way. What activities of daily living are being interfered with, do they have trouble working etc. Once we’ve taken a full history, we then perform a comprehensive chiropractic exam which includes range of motion of the person. How far can they bend forward, backward, to the sides, or twist their body. Is there lower back pain when they perform these movements. Following the range of motion exam, which is measured by an instrument, we perform a series of orthopedic examinations to help narrow the possible cause of the lower back pain. We then perform a limited neurological exam, to determine if the person has normal sensitivity of dermatome, or skin patches, which correspond to different spinal levels, and we have the patient perform different exams to determine whether the possibility exists of an upper or lower motor lesion.
Following all these exams, and dependent on what we’ve found so far, we may send the patient to have x rays of their spine. The radiological films of the lower spine can help determine if there is any pathological, degenerative, or traumatic reason for the lower back pain. The films also help show us the structural integrity of the spine, if the normal lordotic curve is present in the spine, or if there is any scoliotic curve.
Once we’ve gathered all this information, we can come to a diagnosis, determine if chiropractic care can be of help, and how long the patient can expect to remain in care. Whether the pain is acute, or has been a chronic problem for the patient, will be a determining factor in how quickly the lower back pain will recede. It is fairly normal for lower back pain to diminish quickly under chiropractic care, however our goal is to better the integrity of the lower back so that the pain doesn’t recur. Following our recommendations, being consistent with care, and our recommended exercise and nutrition suggestions helps our patients get better quicker.
Dr. Dani Stekel, a New York City Chiropractor, has been in private practice helping people with their low back pain since 1998
250 West 57th St. Suite 930
212-581-3331

Health questions?

admin — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:53:04 +0000

Living in New York city can be a challenge for even the most health conscious individual. The city’s streets offer temptations to people that if left unchecked could prove disastrous to their waist size, and their health. I’m speaking about all the amazing tasty foods that I pass every day, and any day. It’s true, Manhattan is a city that never sleeps, and if I’m not aware of what I’m doing for even a moment, it’s possible I’ll find myself at the corner savoring a slice of pizza, or enjoying an “everything” bagel with cream cheese….I’m only human. But as the saying goes, it’s not what you do some of the time, but what you do most of the time that counts…or something like that…right??? Hard to remember that when I’ve got that bagel in my mouth. Who would’ve known that all those amazingly tasty foods aren’t exactly good for me. We used to know what was healthy for us years ago. Remember the pyramid of the food groups, and how we should focus on veggies, and grains for health, with fish and chicken as protein staples. Dairy came in strong as a calcium source, and bone strengthener. But more and more questions began to surface in the last 20 years. Questions about what foods our soon to be dinner are eating themselves. Are our cows healthy? What about those chickens…how did they get so big??? They look like they’ve been pumping iron…I sometimes get jealous of how muscular my chickens are. How is it my vegetables are still fresh if they’ve seen more of the world on there trip to my plate than I have in my entire life. What a world…I’ve been a Doctor of Chiropractic in Manhattan since 1998, and I’ve helped many people figure out how to make this sometimes complex issue of what is healthy, and what isn’t easier to digest. Now you too, will have the opportunity to learn what works and what doesn’t in your quest for better health by reading this blog. Please feel free to post comments…

To Your Health,

Dr. D