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By Bend Total Body Chiropractic General Health

Importance of Self-Care in the Digital Age

How many hours a day do you use technology? You’re even using it right now. While technology makes it easier to connect and communicate, it can also have a negative impact on your mind and body if you use it too often.

But we get it — it’s just not possible to completely cut the phones, computers, and other electronic devices. However, it’s important to take at least a few hours out of each day to unplug and reset your mind and body.

Continue reading to learn about the benefits of powering down your devices and powering back up with chiropractic care, massage therapy, and acupuncture in Bend.

Relieves Stress

When you take your work home with you, your brain doesn’t get any downtime. Try to take some time off work-related technology when you get home to reduce stress. Taking a walk, reading a book, or doing a hobby can all ease these symptoms.

Getting a massage is a great relaxation technique. Massage therapy has been found to physically decrease stress hormones like cortisol and increase feel-good hormones, such as oxytocin and dopamine. Plus, your massage therapist in Bend uses techniques to relieve the physical symptoms of stress, like muscle knots.

Acupuncture is one more form of therapy that can help alleviate stress. This treatment uses hair-size needles to stimulate your nervous system and reset the body. It also releases hormones that encourage euphoria and relaxation.

Supports Mental Health

The FOMO (fear of missing out) and comparison that comes with social media can cause feelings of loneliness, jealousy, and more. Research even shows that people with heavy technology usage are more likely to experience sleep deprivation, anxiety, and depression.

It can help to set time limits on individual apps and intentionally focus on daily gratitude. Plugging back into reality can support your mental health.

Improves Sleep Quality

Blue light from your electronic devices has been linked to decreased serotonin and melatonin, which are hormones your body needs for sleep. Reducing your usage about 2 hours before bed can help your body realize it’s time to wind down.

Massage therapy also encourages deeper rest. This effect not only occurs because of the hormones released during your session, but it also is because massage slows your heart rate and gives you time to completely step away from the stressors of everyday life.

Boosts Your Physical Health

It may not be the first thing that comes to your mind, but technology drastically affects your body. The way you usually hold your phone causes muscle strain in your neck and shoulders, which is better known as “text neck.”

Text neck results in aches, stiffness, soreness, and spinal damage. Not to mention, bending over a keyboard or poor posture sitting at your desk can compress your nerves, leading to seemingly unrelated issues like headaches and tingling in your arms and legs.

While looking up and stepping away from your devices can reduce this impact, you need something more. That’s where massage therapy and chiropractic care in Bend comes in. Chiropractic care restores proper alignment and relieves pressure on your spine. Massage therapy in Bend also releases tension in the neck and shoulders to help you feel lighter and looser even after your first visit.

Even though you can’t give up technology, you can reduce its effect on your mind, body, and spirit with the best chiropractic care in Bend. Come in for a visit for an individualized plan to help you feel your best.

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Massage Therapy

3 Massages for Pressure Points in Your Feet

Whether you spend all day standing or complete hard workouts daily, your feet really take a beating. But did you know that all that walking doesn’t just affect your feet? It affects your whole body. Targeted foot massages can ease tense areas that cause problems throughout your body, lower stress, aid digestion, and improve sleep through reflexology.

Continue reading to learn more about reflexology and three foot massage techniques you can do at home.

What is Reflexology?

Reflexology is a type of alternative therapy that involves applying varying pressure levels to the feet, hands, and ears. It is believed that pressure points in these areas correspond to different parts of the body. By releasing tension in the trigger points, reflexology helps restore balance and encourage healing in other places.

Pressure Points in the Foot

Reflexology charts can show you a full breakdown of pressure points within the foot. Here’s a general guide for corresponding body parts on the foot:

Toes: The head, specifically the brain, side neck, and sinuses

Inside surface (along the arch): The spine

Outer edge: The shoulders, arms, hips, knees, and legs

The entire bottom of your foot corresponds with various organs.

Top third (near the ball of your foot): Chest organs, including the lungs and heart.

Middle third (near your arch): Abdominal organs, like the stomach, spleen, liver, and intestines

Bottom third (near the heel): Pelvic organs, such as the bladder, colon, reproductive organs, etc.; the sciatic nerve

Three Foot Massage Techniques

1. For Anxiety

Stimulating the cardiovascular system can promote relaxation and ease some effects of anxiety.

  • Curl your toes and identify the small dip between your 1st and 2nd toe right beneath the ball of your foot.
  • Use your thumb to massage the area in a circular motion.
  • You can also firmly press down on the area for 10 to 15 seconds.

2. For Lower Back Pain

Some people report that reflexology on the foot can relieve lower back pain even better than an actual lower back massage. You’ll want to focus on the arches along the inside of your foot for this massage technique.

  • Move your thumb in short strokes from your heels to your toes.
  • You can also walk your thumbs along the arch.

3. For Full-Body Reset

This technique doesn’t focus on one area. Instead, you will use a tennis or golf ball to identify areas of tightness all over your foot and release them. This method is one form of myofascial release therapy, similar to what you’ll experience during massage therapy in Bend.

  • Roll your foot around over a tennis or golf ball until you find a sensitive spot.
  • Press down to apply pressure until you feel it soften.
  • Hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds.

Reflexology works best in conjunction with other full-body treatment methods, like chiropractic care or acupuncture. Your massage therapist in Bend can help you identify tense areas of your body and offer suggestions for at-home maintenance, including the above techniques. We offer the best chiropractic care in Bend that combines several alternative therapies to help you feel your best even after your visit.

 

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic General Health

National Migraine & Headache Awareness Month: How Chiro, Massage and Acupuncture Can Ease Your Pain

For those who experience migraines and headaches, everyday tasks during an episode become extremely difficult. That’s why June is National Migraine & Headache Awareness Month. This event encourages those with headaches and migraines to get proper diagnosis and treatment, while highlighting the available options for relief. Chiropractic care, massage therapy, and acupuncture are three treatment methods that may reduce the frequency and severity of these conditions.

What’s the Difference Between Migraines and Headaches?

It’s important to understand the difference between these two headache disorders. Most people will experience a headache at some point in their lives. However, migraines are a recurrent, often debilitating condition that affect 1 in 7 people, according to the World Health Organization.

Headaches are usually short-term, lasting for a few hours — although, you may experience them in clusters for days at a time. A headache is characterized by mild to severe pressure or aching on both sides of the head.

Depending on the type of headache you’re experiencing, the causes may vary:

  • Stress
  • Muscle tension or strain
  • Sinuses or illness

On the other hand, migraine episodes can last anywhere from hours to days and cause a more intense reaction than a headache. In fact, migraines are accompanied by several symptoms beyond head pain:

  • Nausea
  • Pain behind the eyes or ears
  • Light sensitivity
  • Temporary loss of vision
  • Seeing spots or flashes of light
  • Vomiting

While more research is needed to determine the exact cause of migraine, it’s becoming clearer that this condition stems from the nervous system. More specifically, it is an instability in how the brain deals with certain sensory information.

Some of these sensory triggers, include:

  • Bright lights
  • Loud noises
  • Stress or anxiety
  • Alcohol
  • Hormonal changes

Treatment Options for Migraines & Headaches in Bend

Generally, migraine and headaches are treated using over-the-counter medications — and prescriptions in severe cases. However, these options treat the symptoms rather than the source of your problem. Holistic chiropractic care aims to get to the root cause of your discomfort and deliver longer-lasting results.

Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic adjustments fix subluxations, or misalignments, in the spine that can put pressure on the nerves and trigger headaches. By restoring the proper alignment and nerve function, chiropractic care can potentially reduce the frequency of attacks.

Massage Therapy

If your headaches stem from muscle tightness or stress, then massage therapy is clear choice. Your massage therapist in Bend will focus on trigger points in the back, shoulder, neck, and head. This technique releases pressure in the compressed nerves that are sending pain signals and making your headache worse.

Not to mention, massage therapy in Bend provides mental and physical relaxation to combat stress and tension headaches. Other benefits include:

  • Relaxing tense muscles putting pressure on nerve pathways
  • Relieving muscle spasms
  • Improving blood flow to vessels that supply the brain

Acupuncture

Acupuncture focuses on the same trigger points as massage therapy. However, rather than simply releasing pressure, your acupuncturist in Bend signals the release of hormones and endorphins that make headache pain more bearable. This treatment option is also thought to help because of how it stimulates the immune and circulatory systems.

The best chiropractic care in Bend aims to keep you comfortable well after your appointment ends. That’s why our trained staff not only offers these treatment options for headaches, but we also give you lifestyle recommendations that may make your migraines and headaches more manageable.

 

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic General Health

Chiropractic Care for Runners: Preventing Plantar Fasciitis

Do you know that sharp pain in your heel when you first step out of bed in the morning? Well, it could be plantar fasciitis. If you’ve recently started running or even just stand on your feet all day, you may already be familiar with this condition. In fact, it is the leading cause of heel pain, especially among middle-aged adults. Fortunately, chiropractic care, massage therapy, and acupuncture work together to alleviate symptoms and promote healing.

Continue reading to learn your options for treating this condition:

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis occurs when the ligament that connects the heel bone to your toes (plantar fascia) has small tears. This ligament becomes inflamed, swollen, and weak, which results in sharp, stabbing pain. Discomfort is more common when you first wake up, after exercising (rather than during it), while walking upstairs, during long days of standing, and after periods of inactivity.

This condition typically results for several reasons:

  • Excessive exercise, especially for new runners, long-distance runners, and dancers
  • Obesity because of excess pressure on the plantar fascia
  • Flat feet or extremely high arches
  • Standing on your feet all day
  • Wearing shoes with poor arch support, like sandals and worn-out sneakers

Plantar fasciitis also more commonly affects those between the ages of 40 and 60 but can strike at any time.

Treatment Options for Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis can become chronic if left untreated. That’s why it’s important to seek out comprehensive treatment to help heal your condition and avoid surgery.

1. Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care in Bend is a great treatment option for plantar fasciitis. Your chiropractor in Bend will not only manually adjust your joints, but they will also offer stretches you can do at home to avoid pain.

Chiropractic care provides several benefits for those with the condition:

  • Eliminates pressure to reduce stress on the ligament
  • Minimizes secondary injuries that can occur from misalignments in the hips, low back, ankles, and knees.
  • Promotes healing by giving the feet time to rest

2. Massage Therapy

Massage therapy in Bend focuses on the muscles and other soft tissues that may contribute to plantar fasciitis. These muscles are mainly in the calf, such as the gastrocnemius, soleus, and plantaris. Muscles and tendons in the feet also contribute to this condition.

Using myofascial release, deep tissue, and stretching techniques, your massage therapist in Bend provides relief in these ways:

  • Breaking down scar tissue in the foot
  • Improving blood flow to the affected area for quicker healing of tears
  • Relaxation of tight and restricted muscles

3. Acupuncture

Your acupuncturist in Bend will carefully place tiny needles in the foot and appropriate areas which will then:

  • Rebalance nerve signals to provide immediate pain relief
  • Release and lengthen overly tight muscles
  • Promote proper healing

How to Prevent Plantar Fasciitis

There are several steps you can take to prevent your condition from worsening:

  • Stretch your calves and feet before and after exercise
  • Buy shoes with good arch supports or use inserts
  • Opt for low impact exercises while you’re healing, like swimming
  • Rest and ice your feet each day for 10 to 15 minutes

At Total Body Chiropractic & Massage in Bend, we offer these services to address and treat plantar fasciitis in a non-invasive way. We additionally offer Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT), which can desensitize nerves and break up scar tissue for further comfort and relief from this condition. We deliver the best chiropractic care in Bend that not only targets your problem areas but also improves full-body function to help you feel your best.

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic General Health

How Chiropractic and Massage Can Relieve Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Fall is in full swing, and seasonal allergies are at an all-time high. Over 65 million people in America experience symptoms from the seasonal conditions, ranging from coughing, itchy eyes, sneezing, and runny nose to shortness of breath through the respiratory system, muscle pain, and chest tightness. However, with the help of the best chiropractic care in Bend, your symptoms do not have to ruin your season.

Continue reading to learn how chiropractic and massage therapy in Bend can reduce the severity of common allergy symptoms to make you more comfortable during allergy season.

What causes allergies?

Allergies occur when non-harmful particles enter the body and are perceived as a threat. The immune system then overreacts to these “foreign invaders” to fight them off and dispel them with an allergic response by sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, etc.

The most common allergy triggers during this season include:

  • Pollen
  • Grass
  • Dust
  • Pet Dander
  • Mold

While you can cut down on the prevalence of some of these allergens with a thorough cleaning, there are some things you can’t avoid, like the outdoors. That’s why it is important to actively control your allergic reactions with comprehensive treatment options, like chiropractic care in Bend.

Can chiropractic care ease allergy symptoms?

Chiropractic treatment is a popular option for several conditions, from neck and back pain and migraines to sports injuries and even allergies. Unlike traditional methods, chiropractor care provides relief by targeting the cause of your allergies to prevent severe reactions rather than just dulling symptoms for chiropractic patients. Not to mention, conventional allergy medication may cause drowsiness and nausea.

Research shows a clear link between the nervous system and the immune system. So, when there are spinal misalignments, these two systems cannot have proper communication. Chiropractic adjustments remove this interference so that the immune system can fight off allergens more effectively without such a severe reaction with a better immune response.

Misalignments in the upper back are also known for increased shortness of breath in people with asthma. So, regular chiropractic care and gentle adjustments can potentially allow better airflow.

How does massage therapy in Bend alleviate allergies?

Massage therapy shows promise in providing immediate relief of allergy problems. Your massage therapist in Bend will use lymphatic drainage techniques boost the circulation of lymph and other fluids to ease sinus congestion — one of the most common allergy symptoms. Likewise, massage therapy improves blood flow, which can quickly ease sinus headaches and other discomforts.

It’s no secret that stress is the root cause of various health conditions, and allergies are no different. Studies even show that stress can significantly increase the severity of your symptoms. Massage therapy provides effective allergy treatment through mental and physical relaxation to decrease the body’s reaction to allergens.

You shouldn’t have to be an allergy sufferer throughout the whole fall season. Regular chiropractic care and massage can enhance your body’s ability to fight off allergens and keep your symptoms at bay.

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Exercise

How to Prevent Gardening Injuries

With April showers bringing May flowers, you’re in for a lot of gardening this season. You may even find yourself venturing into the yard in honor of Earth Day.

Before starting, remember that gardening is a significant undertaking and can even count as a workout, depending on that day’s chores. So, it’s important to treat this springtime activity like any other physical pastime and maintain your body with the best chiropractic care in Bend.

Potential Gardening Injuries

After staying inside this winter, your body may not be used to the exertion needed to care for the yard. And unused muscles can easily tire out, leading to aches, pains, and muscle strains. Common gardening injuries include:

Many of these conditions result from overuse, repetitive motion, or improper form and can be easily avoided.

Safety Tips for Gardening This Spring

You can prevent many gardening injuries with these easy steps before, during, and after your project:

  • Always warm up — Whether you take a brisk 10-minute walk or do some jumping jacks, warming up is extremely important for loosening up joints and muscles.
  • Stretch it out — Be sure to do easy, low-impact stretches after your warm-up and once you’ve completed your tasks for the day. Focus on your wrists, shoulders, arms, thighs, sides, and back.
  • Lift with your knees, not your back — When lifting objects, always bend your knees, keep your back straight, and your core engaged. If you need to turn, always use your feet to pivot towards the direction — don’t twist.
  • Stay hydrated — It doesn’t matter if it’s sunny, cloudy, or breezy. Your body will lose a lot of fluid while you’re working. Not to mention, water keeps your muscles, joints, and spinal discs lubricated.
  • Take frequent breaks — Don’t try to tackle the whole yard in one day! Taking breaks and completing select tasks each day can prevent overuse of muscles and repetitive stress injuries. Likewise, switching your positioning every 20 minutes can reduce the potential for strain.

Treat Your Gardening Injuries with the Best Chiropractic Care in Bend

You should expect some soreness after a hard day’s work. If the pain persists, it may be time to see a professional. Chiropractic care and massage therapy in Bend can reduce pain related to gardening. Chiropractic adjustments will address spinal misalignments that occur after hours bent over in the planting and weeding.

Your massage therapist in Bend uses techniques that release muscle tension to prevent spasms and decreases inflammation. If you’ve sustained an injury, massage therapy also increases blood flow to the affected area to encourage quick healing.

If you have pain or soreness from gardening, schedule a visit to our clinic to prepare your body for the rest of the season.

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Chiropractic Care, Exercise, Massage Therapy

4 Common Spring Sports Injuries and How to Prevent Them

As the weather warms up, many of us are excited to participate in our favorite sports and activities. From softball, tennis, and golf leagues to leisurely runs, hikes, and bike rides, spring opens new doors for entertainment — and sore bodies. Chiropractic care and massage therapy in Bend are great options for keeping your body warmed up and maintained throughout the season.

Continue reading to learn how these services can prevent spring sports injuries and keep you off the sidelines.

Common Spring Sports Injuries

1. Sprains and Strains

Sprains and strains are the most common spring sports injuries in any activity. They occur when ligaments (sprains) or muscles and tendons (strains) become stretched or torn. Depending on the severity of your injury, symptoms typically include mild to severe swelling, bruising, and loss of mobility and stability.

2. Herniated Discs

Your spine is made up of vertebrae with small cushions to separate each bone, called discs. When a tear in the disc allows the jelly-like material to leak out, it leads to a bulging or herniated disc. A herniation is usually marked by local or radiating pain and a decreased range of motion. This condition is common in older golfers and athletes in contact sports, like football.

3. Tendonitis

Tendons are connective tissues that attach muscles to bones. Overusing certain tendons can lead to inflammation and pain, known as tendonitis. While tendonitis can occur in several places around the body, common forms of this condition include tennis elbow, baseball elbow, shin splints, and Achilles’ tendonitis.

4. Stress Fractures

Stress fractures are small breaks in weight-bearing bones from repetitive impacts, like running or jumping. This condition is extremely common when starting a new workout regimen or suddenly increasing intensity. Fractures can also occur with repetitive motions in pitching or rowing, but that is uncommon. Stress fractures can cause pain and tenderness but should resolve with rest.

Tips for Preventing Sports Injuries

Adequately preparing your body after a long winter indoors is essential for preventing injury. Here are some things you can do during the season for your safety:

  • Warm up for at least 5-10 minutes with stretching and cardio
  • Maintain proper equipment, especially supportive shoes
  • Start strength training and conditioning weeks before the season begins
  • Rest between games, matches, training, etc. to prevent overuse

How Chiropractic Care and Massage Therapy in Bend Can Treat Sports Injuries

Chiropractic care and massage therapy are two clear choices for athletes wanting to improve their abilities and reduce discomfort. For most sports injuries, misalignments in the spine lead to incorrect form, which often triggers further damage. So, regular adjustments allow you to play each game at your best.

Studies have even shown that these therapies can improve balance, agility, and response time because the body will move as it should. Not to mention, the massage therapist in Bend will relieve stiff muscles and release tension to increase flexibility and range of motion, allowing you to twist, bend and reach to your full potential.

If you happen to sustain a sports injury despite your best effort, the best chiropractic care in Bend can encourage quick and complete healing. Massage therapy promotes blood flow to the affected area, which is necessary for recovery, while chiropractic care returns your body to its proper position. Many patients even report pain relief as early as the first visit.

Before your season starts, make a trip to Total Body Chiropractic & Massage to get your body prepared for spring sports. We offer a list of comprehensive services that will help you feel your best and keep you off the bench this year.

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Chiropractic Care

What is Piriformis Syndrome and How Can Chiropractic Help?

Sometimes the smallest muscles can cause the biggest pain, like the piriformis muscle. This structure is situated in the buttocks, extending from the pelvis to the top of the hip joint. It’s responsible for rotating the leg outward, meaning you use it when you’re walking, balancing and for almost every motion involving the hips and legs. When this small muscle spasms, it leads to noticeable pain in the glutes and surrounding areas, known as piriformis syndrome.

Unfortunately, after experiencing the condition once, it’s more likely to recur. That’s why consistent chiropractic care in Bend is necessary to keep you comfortable when you have a tight piriformis muscle.

Learn more about the symptoms and causes of piriformis syndrome and how Total Body Chiropractic can offer comprehensive chiropractic treatment below.

Piriformis Syndrome Symptoms

Typically, symptoms of piriformis syndrome include:

  • Pain
  • Tingling
  • Numbness in the gluteal muscles or gluteus maximus

Additionally, the spasms or swelling in the piriformis muscle can compress the sciatic nerve, which runs alongside or through the structure. And in this case, piriformis syndrome is a painful condition where that pain can extend down through the legs to the feet.

It is worth noting that most cases of sciatica do not result from piriformis syndrome. 

What Causes Piriformis Syndrome?

This condition is typically caused by tightness in the piriformis muscle. It can also occur as a result of injury or trauma that causes swelling or inflammation in the muscle, which then irritates the sciatic nerve.

The situations that can irritate the piriformis muscle and trigger this pain include:

  • Sitting for prolonged periods of time, as is the case with office workers, long-distance drivers, and even those just having a lazy Sunday
  • Walking, running, cycling and rowing
  • Climbing stairs

Chiropractic Care in Bend as Piriformis Syndrome Treatment Options

Chiropractic care is a clear choice for piriformis syndrome treatment. This method is an effective treatment that focuses on how other areas, like the feet, legs or pelvis, may be contributing to the problem.

Not only can your chiropractor identify your condition and give you an accurate diagnosis, but they can also treat your symptoms and determine an appropriate treatment plan. While piriformis syndrome can be hard to pinpoint, a combination of your medical history, current symptoms and a physical examination may help you receive a proper diagnosis.

After confirming your condition in the initial evaluation, your chiropractic specialist will provide holistic treatment, including chiropractic adjustments, spinal manipulation, the Graston technique, stretches for the hamstrings and piriformis muscle, and range of motion exercises or physical therapy. Your chiropractor will work to relax the muscles to prevent spasms, reduce pressure on the sciatic nerve, and allow you to return to everyday activities.

When done regularly, chiropractic may reduce the recurrence and severity of piriformis syndrome to keep you comfortable. You’ll also learn exercises that ease your symptoms when you can’t make it to the office right away. Plus, at Total Body Chiropractic, we provide full-body solutions, which means you’ll experience back, joint, and sciatic pain treatment in Bend in addition to your piriformis syndrome treatment! Book your appointment today.

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Massage Therapy

How Chiropractic and Massage Work Hand in Hand to Maximize Healing

Are you one of the many people who choose either chiropractic care or massage therapy for pain relief and comfort? Why not both? You see, chiropractic care and massage therapy work hand in hand as back and joint pain treatment in Bend. Not to mention, when used together you may experience stronger results than you would from simply using one method.

Continue reading to learn how pairing chiropractic care and massage therapy in Bend can maximize your healing.

First, let’s look at how these treatment methods work together to provide care to the whole body.

Chiropractic care generally focuses on hard tissues, like your vertebrae and joints. On the other hand, massage targets your soft tissues, such as muscles, ligaments and tendons. And all of these structures work together to allow proper function and movement. So, when you only focus on one tissue type, the other is still hindering your ability to perform at your highest level.

When you opt for chiropractic and massage as part of your holistic care routine, these treatment options give the best results, including:

1. Quicker recovery

During your adjustment, your chiropractor may address your injuries by restoring your natural alignment. Then, massage therapy will increase healing blood flow to these newly adjusted areas, meaning faster and more complete recovery.

2. Easier adjustments

Has your chiropractor ever mentioned that you are particularly tight or “not moving well” during your visit? Getting a massage before your adjustment allows your joints and vertebrae to move more freely, so your chiropractor in Bend can work on a more intense level.

Not to mention, relaxed muscles are less likely to pull your joints out of alignment, meaning your adjustments last longer.

3. Increased range of motion

Chiropractic care itself helps restore your ability to twist, bend and lift like you should. However, massage therapy takes this a step further with stretching techniques that increasing your flexibility, even in injured and impacted areas.

4. Enhanced comfort

You are likely to experience pain after your adjustment, and in some cases after your massage. Often times, this feeling is because the unaddressed tissues are still causing discomfort. By working on the inflammation and tension present in your hard and soft tissues, you’re more likely to experience all-encompassing comfort longer.

5. Improved circulation

Massage therapy helps release the buildup of toxins and lactic acid in the muscles, while promoting better circulation of blood and lymphatic fluid throughout the body. This not only helps relieve soreness, but it also increases healing. Likewise, by releasing pressure off compressed nerves, chiropractic care allows the nervous system and its counterparts to encourage proper circulation to injured areas.

At Total Body Chiropractic & Massage in Bend, we offer a holistic treatment plan, including adjustments, massage therapy, nutrition and exercise, that complement each other and help you feel your best. So, whether you’re looking for a chiropractor for neck pain or a massage therapist in Bend for soreness, Total Body has you covered for both.

By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Exercise, Neck Soreness

6 Stretching Exercises for Desk Jockeys

You spend a lot of time sitting. From working 40 hours a week, driving, and spending time relaxing on the couch, the average adult will sit for about 13 hours a day. And without the proper posture, all that sitting can take a toll on your body, causing neck and back pain that leads to headaches, muscle spasms, and a slew of other issues.

Fortunately, getting therapy for back pain in Bend can help relieve the pressure and tension that comes from working a desk job. But to hold onto these adjustments, you’ll need to practice daily maintenance stretches. Your chiropractor for neck pain in Bend will offer individualized stretches for your problem areas.

Here are 6 additional exercises to practice throughout the day for different muscle groups – and you can even do them seated at your desk!

1. Neck Stretch

  • Seated in a neutral position, grab the bottom of your chair with your right hand.
  • Tilt your head to the left, bringing your ear toward your shoulder.
  • Hold this position for 10 to 30 seconds.
  • Repeat on the opposite side.

You can deepen your stretch by gently pressing down on your head with your left hand.

2. Shoulder Shrug

  • Sit in a relaxed position with your head forward.
  • Lift your shoulders toward your ears, while inhaling deeply.
  • Squeeze and hold for 2 seconds.
  • Then, roll your shoulders down and backwards on the exhale.
  • Complete 5 to 6 reps.
  • Repeat by rolling forward.

3. Spinal Twist

  • Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor and your hips forward.
  • Place your left hand on the outside of your right knee and twist toward the right.
  • Hold for 3 to 5 breaths and exhale as you return to neutral.
  • Repeat on the opposite side.

You can use your right arm to brace the back of your chair and twist deeper.

4. Lumbar & Mid-Back Stretch

  • Scoot a little further than arms’ length away from your desk.
  • Sit up tall, looking forward with your arms extended straight overhead.
  • Gently bend forward and grab your desk.
  • Relax, breathe and hold this position for 10 to 30 seconds.
  • Repeat this exercise 3 to 5 times.

Adjust yourself as needed until you create a horizontal bridge from your desk to your chair.

5. Seated Hip Stretch

  • Sitting down, place your right ankle over your left knee.
  • Sit up tall and gently lean forward, being sure to hinge at the hips and keep your back straight.
  • Continue reaching with your torso until you feel the stretch in your right hip and glute.

Deepen your stretch by placing gentle pressure on your right leg with your hand.

6. Hamstrings

  • In a seated position, extend your legs at a 45-degree angle.
  • Gently bend toward your toes, keeping your back straight.
  • Hold this pose for 30 seconds.
  • Repeat the exercise 3 to 5 times.

or from standing…

  • Squeeze your glutes and brace your stomach.
  • Roll down vertebrae by vertebrae and try to touch your toes.
  • Hold for 3 to 5 breaths and roll back up vertebrae by vertebrae.

Don’t forget that even with these stretching exercises, you should take breaks to walk around for a few minutes each hour. Coupled with chiropractic care and massage therapy in Bend, these stretching exercises will keep you relaxed and pain-free! Come in for an adjustment at Total Body Chiropractic & Massage and get an individualized routine that will help you feel your best!