Month: March 2018

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Happy Spring!!

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Happy Spring!!

After our cold, dark, snowy winter, let me wish you HAPPY SPRING!

Many of us like to make resolutions at New Years. However, I have learned that it’s difficult to adhere to my ambitious resolutions at that time of year. I’m not very motivated and driven when it’s below zero, icy and I never see the sun. I find spring with its longer hours of daylight and sunshine, warmer weather, flowers starting to poke up and birds singing an easier time to start my resolutions. Especially health resolutions.

If you are looking to improve some aspect of your health, now is the time to begin. Nature itself is starting to enliven. The sap in the trees is starting to flow. Chipmunks, groundhogs and even bears are starting to stir. The ground is warming to allow the plants to grow. Robins will appear.

Biologically, we humans are also primed for health. It is a great time to nourish ourselves with healthy meals that give us abundant energy and help us shed unwanted pounds. It’s also a wonderful time to begin or ramp up our exercise program. Almost all exercise is beneficial but those of you who know me well will recall that I believe walking to be the best of all exercises and should be part of any routine.

Likewise, this is the perfect time of year to address health disturbances our bodies have acquired.  If we have spinal misalignments, our bodies don’t function properly. Our chiropractic care helps restore balance and allows our body to heal and function well – naturally – without drugs or invasive surgery.

So often we allow minor aches to accumulate. One ache comes along and then another. Soon almost all we can think about is pain. Our discomfort affects our sleep, ability to work at our jobs and at home and even affects our disposition with our family and friends. If this is your situation, now is the perfect time to put an end to pain.

If you are in pain, or just need a “tune-up” please give my office a call to schedule an appointment: 412-367-3313. We are always ready to help you on your path to good health.

Warm regards,

Dr James Schofield

Learn more about chiropractic offices 15237. Visit our Pittsburgh North Hills Dr of Chiropractic Facebook page.

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Dr. Schofield Attends Conference-Chronic Spinal Pain

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Chronic Spinal Pain

Dr. James Schofield, a Pittsburgh North Hills chiropractor, attended an educational conference March 16 and 17, 2018 in Woodbridge New Jersey. Doctors of chiropractic from around the United States met to discuss a main topic: The Opioid Epidemic in America.

It is estimated that 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. A large percentage of these patients suffer from spinal conditions. Opioid medications may be prescribed for back and neck pain. Pharmaceuticals such as Percocet, OxyContin, and Vicodin are several types of drugs in the opioid inventory. The chief deleterious side effect of opioids is narcotic addiction. These types of medications are highly addictive and create a dependence with those taking them. It is common knowledge throughout the United States we now have an opioid addiction epidemic. Patients taking these pharmaceuticals have died from overdose and suicide. Some become so addicted that they turn to illegal narcotics like heroin and can become involved in drug crimes.

Speakers at the conference noted that the opioid epidemic is a significant crisis in the United States and is growing. However, it was also noted that there is a powerful nonpharmaceutical remedy for this problem. Chiropractic care is very effective in combating chronic spinal pain. Ample research confirms a majority of people with pain of the lower back and neck respond well to care given by a chiropractor and subsequently will not need to have surgery or be prescribed potentially dangerous opioid pharmaceuticals.

“As many of you know, chiropractic care has been highly successful, for over 120 years, in the treatment of chronic spinal pain and, is considered by many, to be the gold standard of therapy”, said Dr. Schofield.

Learn more about chiropractic offices Pittsburgh North Hills. Here are some tips when choosing a chiropractor 15237.

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Posture, People!!

087b1f2421010923afad3c054ccfdf8cNeck posture is something few of us ever think of, but many of us experience neck pain from not observing ideal neck positioning. Proper neck posture will alleviate many difficulties. It is important to follow recommended posture or various long-term physical problems may occur. Here are some common situations where most people do not have proper neck posture.

Today, just about everyone uses a computer at home or at work. However, very rarely will we sit in the proper position with our feet flat on the floor, our back straight, and our head firmly back toward the headrest of the chair. Our head weighs about as much as a bowling ball. If our head is directly over our shoulders our neck and upper back can handle the weight. However, if our head is even one inch forward it effectively increases the weight of the head by some ten pounds. Stop where you are right now and measure the angle of your head. It is more likely you are leaning forward about three inches, increasing the weight by thirty pounds. No wonder our neck, shoulders and upper back ache!

Neck discomfort is also often caused by bad support when resting. People who prop up their head with a bunch of pillows and lie on their sides or rest on the arm of the sofa are in danger of neck pain from this position. This will often result in neck and shoulder pain that is quite uncomfortable. Furthermore, that neck pain can also cause horrible headaches, possibly even migraines.

Something else to consider is the lack of proper eyewear. This may seem an odd link to neck discomfort, but being unable to see properly will often cause a person to lean forward, especially when driving. Someone who has long commutes to work or drives for a living is likely to experience chronic neck pain from this habit.

Neck pain is not the only concern here. Abusers of improper neck posture can also experience conditions such as pinched nerves, arthritis, and back issues. It is not uncommon for someone with chronic, poor neck posture to have degeneration of the discs of the neck or cervical spine.

Many people know that chiropractic treatment can help with neck pain. Chiropractors will also give you advice on proper posture. Some simple, quick stretching and strengthening exercises can help, not only with alleviating your neck pain but, if continued, can keep the pain from reoccurring.

Learn how to prevent or help neck pain. Here are some tips when choosing a chiropractor in North Hills Pittsburgh.