Cleary Family Chiropractic: Blog

We talk a lot about preventing overuse injuries, but exercise is essential for a healthy body. You need a strong core to support your back and flexible hips to avoid pulling on your lumbar spine. So how do you minimize the risk of strain? Every exercise has its proper form, and we at Cleary Family Chiropractic in Woodstock want everyone experiencing back pain to get the approval of one of our biomechanical experts before engaging in a work-out. But one feature every routine has in common is properly warming up and cooling down. When your muscles have blood pumping through them, they are less likely to be strained or frayed. But stretching a muscle while it’s still cold puts it at much greater risk. Warm up stretches should be dynamic, meaning they should increase blood flow to a muscle while loosening it. Part of the reason for yoga’s popularity is that there are a lot of poses that do this. Other dynamic stretches include arm and hip circles, butt kicks, lunges, and leg swings. It wi...

People who sit all day have high rates of back pain. This isn’t surprising, since not only is it hard to get enough exercise while working in an office, but many people also don’t understand how to properly support their backs. At Cleary Family Chiropractic in Woodstock, we relieve people’s back pain, but we want everyone to increase their overall wellness by taking better care of themselves. We thought we'd offer a few pointers regarding office ergonomics. While sitting at a computer, you want to avoid slouching forward or backward into your chair. Position your desk and chair height so that when your feet are flat on the floor and your back is straight, your monitor is directly at eye level. Your elbows should be at ninety degree angles when your hands are resting on the desktop. You should be able to sit all the way back in the chair, so your lower back is supported by the chair’s back cushion. Don’t have anything in your back pockets while you’re sitting, and place your armres...

Do you suffer from soreness in your upper back? You’re not alone; although the condition is not as common as lower back pain, it is still widespread. Upper back pain is usually a condition that builds up over time. We can treat it safely and quickly at Cleary Family Chiropractic in Woodstock, but we want our patients to understand why preventive care and lifestyle changes are so important for avoiding relapses. The twelve vertebrae of the thoracic region have less mobility than those in the neck or lumbar region. Their connection to the ribs makes them more stable, and the powerful muscles of the shoulder wrap around the upper thoracic vertebrae. Still, they may develop arthritis or degenerative disc disease, and irritation in the shoulder muscles may be felt in the upper back. People also commonly wear out the connective tissues in their upper backs by slouching in cars or office chairs and neglect to keep the muscles there strong. If a nerve root in the thoracic spine is compressed,...

Back pain can get worse when it’s left untreated. Many of the problems in people’s spinal columns are due to degenerative conditions causing chronic inflammation. Although inflammation is triggered by the immune system, it causes problems of its own when it persists, including the development of bone spurs in the spine. Fortunately, we at Cleary Family Chiropractic in Woodstock provide holistic, low-risk treatment, preventing bone spurs from growing and minimizing the problems caused by ones already present. Bone spurs are protrusions from bone that build up in places with prolonged inflammation. They are common in people with osteoarthritis, whose joint-cushioning cartilage is wearing away. The facet joints of the spine connect the vertebrae to each other, and as their cartilage erodes, they rub against each other, causing irritation and new bone growth. Spinal spurs also commonly develop around herniated discs, which put pressure on the nearby soft tissues and are unable to function...

Ankylosing Spondylitis is the name of a kind of arthritis that can affect the spine. One of its defining symptoms is inflammation of the ligaments and tendons that attach to the vertebrae. Although it is a chronic condition, it is manageable through regular maintenance, and we at Clearly Family Chiropractic in Woodstock are committed to providing our patients with treatments that are safe and as non-intrusive as possible. The exact cause of ankylosing spondylitis is unknown, but it has a major genetic component. It most often occurs in young men and causes early morning stiffness in the lower back and pelvic region. It is often intermittent and can sometimes be felt in the hips and shoulders. In severe cases, the vertebrae may fuse together as the bone regrows during periods when the inflammation subsides. Treatment for ankylosing spondylitis revolves around keeping the spinal joints mobile and reducing inflammation. Spinal adjustments can prevent stiffness, and Active Release Techniq...

It’s no secret that if you suffer from back pain, you won’t sleep as well. But what may be less clear to patients is how certain lifestyle changes can help them get better sleep if they suffer from osteoarthritis. We’re dedicated to helping our patients at Cleary Family Chiropractic in Woodstock to free themselves of pain through holistic, minimally invasive means, so we want to explore the ways patients can escape the vicious circle of pain and insomnia. Osteoarthritis differs from other forms of arthritis in that it is characterized by mechanical wear to cartilage. As the bones rub together, their cushioning erodes and they form bony spurs at their tips, triggering inflammation in the surrounding tissues. The dread of pain often causes people more sleep deprivation than the pain itself, and when a person is short on sleep, their soft tissues become less elastic and supportive. If they suffer pain long enough, it may become centralized, meaning that their body is continually sending ...

Cleary Family Chiropractic is located in Woodstock, GA. It’s run by Drs. Matthew Cleary and Dr. Dave Sikanowicz, two top-tier chiropractors. That’s why they’ve taken the time to create this little description of Personal Injury. Specifically, what is a Personal Injury? This is any kind of injury that happens outside the workplace. It’s best to get treatment right away before it gets worse. Contact us today to set up your first appointment!   The appointment starts with a physical evaluation. This is the best way for Drs. Cleary or Sikanowicz to get an understanding of your condition. They look for resulting injuries from the accident while informing you of the best treatment methods going forward.   Here are a few common types of personal injury: -car or automobile accidents -bicycle accidents -fall, slip, or trip   There is a monumental difference in the way other medical practitioners and chiropractors provide treatment. Chiropractors focus on your body as a whole, a connected system...

If you suffer from any sort of pain, chronic or acute, contact Cleary Family Chiropractic today. This includes any sort of shoulder pain! Drs. Matthew Cleary and Dave Sikanowicz commonly treat shoulder injuries and discomfort. It’s best to get treatment before it worsens. If you find yourself struggling to sleep or even carry a bag, let us know! We are conveniently located in Woodstock, GA.   The biggest and most common symptom is a pain when moving or lifting your arm. Other experiences are decreased range-of-motion, a burning sensation, and a pinching feeling. We offer treatment for all of these. Your shoulder joint is very vulnerable which is what puts it at risk. It’s why we offer strength techniques alongside treatment. By making the joint stronger, you minimize the risk of re-injury.   There are a few ways to injure a shoulder: -overuse -improper usage when exercising -trauma from an accident -over-loading   There are a few more severe issues that your Woodstock, GA, chiropractor...

Did you know that the stooped gait commonly seen in older people is largely preventable? Hyperkyphosis, an extreme forward curvature of the upper spine, is often the result of disease. One disease in particular, osteoporosis, accounts for most instances of it, so we at Cleary Family Chiropractic in Woodstock wanted to inform our patients of what causes it and how to mitigate it. As living tissue, the bones of our backs are constantly breaking down and regrowing. But among some people, the bones break down faster than they regrow. The resulting weakness is called osteopenia, and if it is severe enough for gaps to appear in the bones, the patient is said to have osteoporosis. This disease is most common in older women, although it is not rare in men. As bones become more brittle, they are likelier to develop small fractures. A person may not feel each fracture, but their accumulative effect is that the vertebrae slowly collapse, resulting in hyperkyphosis. To counteract osteoporosis, a ...

Exercise is crucial to a healthy lifestyle and is often a core component in our patients’ recovery from back aches. Cycling is especially popular, since it won’t jostle the spine or other joints with impacts. However, lower back pain is a common complaint among cyclists, and we at Cleary Family Chiropractic in Woodstock want our patients to know to take steps that will prevent it. As with any sport, it’s important for cyclists to have properly-fitted equipment. Often, when people get used bicycles, they never get them properly refitted, but this will become a problem if they have to reach too far forward to reach the handlebars. Ideally, a person should be free to shift posture on the bicycle during the course of their ride so they won’t hold one position or stretch their lumbar spine for too long. However, professional cyclists also commonly experience lower back pain, and this probably isn’t due to old equipment. As a person cycles, the muscles supporting the lumbar region of their ...

Pain in your back may be due to a problem further down your body. When people have knee pain, they’re likelier to adopt poor posture, keeping pressure off their aching joint by thrusting out a hip and bending their back to the other side to keep their balance. This is terrible for the lower back and pelvic muscles, and while we at Cleary Family Chiropractic in Woodstock can provide safe and minimally invasive treatment, we want people to better understand how knee pain develops. When a person is suffering from stiffness and soreness in the knee, we call that “patellofemoral syndrome.” The kneecap is a sesamoid bone, which means it does not connect to the rest of the skeleton in the way most bones do. Instead, it rests on cartilage in a trench at the bottom of the femur and is held in place by muscles and ligaments. When those tissues become inflamed and the kneecap is displaced, it may erode its supporting cartilage. Patellofemoral Syndrome tends to be worse when a person is walking u...

A fall can permanently damage a senior’s joint health. Lower back pain is one of the most common ailments in the United States, and the fact that one fourth of Americans over the age of sixty-five suffer a fall each year is one of the major reasons why. As chiropractors who maintain long-term interest in our patients’ well-being, we at Cleary Family Chiropractic want the households we serve to understand how they can reduce environmental hazards and minimize risk. Good balance requires good posture and weight distribution on the feet. When a person has foot pain, they tend to compensate by leaning too far and putting strain on their back muscles. Seniors should wear supportive shoes as much as possible, including when they are inside the house. Their shoes should have soles with good grip and should stabilize their ankles. Walking areas should be kept clear of carpets that create uneven floor height and have upturned corners, and hallways should be well-lit.  A person will be at much ...

Imagine this: when you lean backward, a muscle spasm starts in your back. It travels down the back of your leg or into your shoulder and up to your skull. The pain is dull and throbbing, but it’s hard to predict how long it will last. If this sounds familiar, you may be suffering from Facet Joint Syndrome. We frequently treat this problem at Cleary Family Chiropractic in Woodstock, but it remains little known and many people don’t ask for help with it. In the back of our vertebrae is a hollow, bony protrusion that the spinal cord runs through. The protrusions attach to each other at something on either side called a facet joint. Unlike the spinal disc, the facet joints are made up of bones cushioned by cartilage and lubricated by synovium produced by a capsule. They are mobile enough to allow the spine some degree of torsion and to move back and forth, but they also prevent the vertebrae from sliding out of place. A person could feel symptoms of Facet Joint Syndrome if the tissues of ...

Raking is a great way to get exercise and sunlight this fall season. But if you do it improperly or have a history of back injuries, you will be at greater risk of developing back pain. We highly value preventive care at Cleary Family Chiropractic in Woodstock, so we thought it would be a good idea to provide our patients with a few basic safety tips. The first things to think about when raking are your clothing and equipment. Your clothes should be lightweight, breathable, and allow you to stretch. They should be form-fitting, and you’ll need to remove dangling jewelry. You should also wear shoes with slip-resistant soles and that provide arch support. The rake should be light and have a long enough handle for you to use without bending down. Try to plan your raking so you can do it when the leaves are dry and won’t weigh as much. Warm up by doing dynamic stretches for at least five minutes. The American Chiropractic Association recommends raking with one foot forward and one back, s...

At Cleary Family Chiropractic, we find that the majority of our patients with back pain lack core stability. A weak core can increase the risk of disc bulges and nerve damage. There are numerous exercises that can be done, even in the comfort of your own home with little to no equipment needed, to steadily build your core, relieve back pain and ultimately prevent future back pain. Some of our favorite core-building exercises include: Plank Clamshell Bird Dog Glute Bridge Single-Leg Progression Pelvic Tilt/Glute Bridge Side Plank Tabletop Leg Press Superman Dead Bug Cat Stretches Reverse/Forward Lunge These exercises can also help with balance, function, stability and limit the chances of getting seriously injured. The chiropractors at Cleary Family Chiropractic want their patients leaving the practice with new knowledge about their back pain and how they can treat it with an at-home regimen on days when they do not see a chiropractor. However, it is important to remember that if any o...

In order to complement and enhance the healing effects of chiropractic manipulative treatment, Cleary Family Chiropractic provides hands-on physiological therapeutic procedures. We teach our patients special “blueprint” exercises uniquely designed for them, to help strengthen and correct their own particular problem. Our physiotherapy procedures include: Ultrasound Interferential electrical muscle stimulation Russian Stimulation Mechanical traction Cryotherapy Moist heat therapy Work hardening rehabilitation program Cold Laser Active Release Techniques Decompression Postural restorative exercises Your first session with Dr. Matthew Cleary or Dr. Dave Sikanowicz will be unique to you because your particular needs are addressed. The doctor will also ask a series of questions about your medical history as a starting point for his diagnosis. Once a diagnosis is reached, you will receive a treatment plan with set achievable goals. The doctor will also prescribe an at-home exercise/stretch ...

Cleary Family Chiropractic uses CBP, also known as “Chiropractic BioPhysics,” a technique designed to improve spine and postural alignment. This non-invasive technique combines joint and body part adjustments, extension traction of the head and neck, “mirror image” stretching exercises, and manipulation of the spine. While doctors treat patients symptomatically, chiropractors see the body as something that needs to be entirely maintained, like a well-oiled machine.    The CBP technique also helps improve:   Muscle reflexes Nerve reflexes Balance Head/neck alignment Long-term pain relief   The CBP technique focuses on correcting the curvature of the spine to a normal, healthy state. If you’ve recently suffered a personal or work injury, or experience constant headaches, dizziness, back pain or neck pain, your body is telling you to see a chiropractor! In most cases, poor posture is to blame for these problems. Cleary Family Chiropractic is committed to helping patients live a pain-free...

Cleary Family Chiropractic is there for you when accidents unexpectedly occur in everyday life, such as a whiplash injury due to a sporting mishap or an auto accident. According to Mayo Clinic, “whiplash is a neck injury due to forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck, like the cracking of a whip.” Symptoms of whiplash include: Neck pain and stiffness Worsening of pain with neck movement Loss of range of motion in the neck Headaches, most often starting at the base of the skull Tenderness or pain in the shoulder, upper back or arms Tingling or numbness in the arms Fatigue Dizziness Blurred vision Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) Sleep disturbances Irritability Difficulty concentrating Memory problems Depression If you are showing signs of whiplash for several days to a couple weeks after an accident, X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs are required to diagnose how severe it is. At Cleary Family Chiropractic, we take pride in being the premier chiropractic office in Woodstock for treatin...

 According to the national headache foundation, 45 million Americans suffer from chronic reoccurring headaches, many of these headaches if not a majority come from tension found in the joints and muscles of the neck. At Cleary Family Chiropractic we recommend spinal manipulation as it has proven to cure headaches and cause them to occur less frequently than medicine. Causes of headaches include stress, poor posture, changes in sleep, some processed food, and alcohol. For at home treatments of headaches, some solutions include sleep, reducing stress, drinking plenty of water, a heating pad on the back of your head, and spinal manipulation that can be done by Dr. Matthew Cleary. Chiropractic adjustments for headaches are beneficial because the doctor will alleviate stress in your system and provide relief for your brain to relax. Studies show that 9 out of 10 Americans suffer from headaches at different levels of frequency but the issue remains. Instead of popping pills, fighting through...

Cleary Family Chiropractic, located in Woodstock, GA., is dedicated to helping any and all patients find relief and assistance by providing natural, noninvasive alternatives. One of these alternatives, administered by Dr. Matthew Cleary and Dr. Dave Sikanowicz, is called Active Release Technique (ART). ART is a patented soft tissue system/movement based massage technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and nerves.   ART is primarily used to treat conditions stemming from overused muscles, like back pain, carpal tunnel, sciatica, tennis elbow, and shin splints. These overused muscles can be caused by pulls, tears, and collisions. Not getting enough oxygen is another common cause. The results are a build-up of scar tissue in the affected area. This scar tissue locks up muscles that need to move freely. If left untreated muscles weaken and nerves become trapped. Patients will experience a reduced range of motion, loss of strength, and pain.   At your ART app...