BodyWise Chiropractic will have the following hours this week due to Dr. Bennett’s involvement with Ragnar Relays.

Wednesday, February 22 9-12:30 & 2:30-7

Thursday, February 23  12-3

Friday, February 24 closed

Normal business hours resume Monday, February 27 at 9am.

Happy holidays!  Due to the holiday season we have a few changes to our normal office hours.

December 12-14   Closed

December 15   Office hours 12-7

December 16   Normal office hours resume

December 26  Closed

December 27  Normal office hours resume

Have a wonderful season with your friends and family!

Dr. B

It is likely you’ve heard the word “sciatica”, but do you know what sciatica really is?  Typical symptoms of sciatica include a burning or shooting sensation that seems to come from the lower back, shooting into the gluteal muscles or down the leg.  The pain can reach the toes in some cases, and will change your gait and make movement fairly miserable.  These symptoms can be pretty scary, and most individuals that experience this pain aren’t sure who to turn to for help.

Sciatica refers to pain, tingling, numbness, or burning down the leg, and is caused by compression to the sciatic nerve.  This is the major nerve that leaves the lower back and travels to the big toe.  Sciatica is actually just a symptom, and is not a medical condition of it’s own.

Sciatica can be caused by a number of things:

A disc injury: Bulging or herniation of a disc in the lower back can put pressure on the sciatic nerve.

Piriformis syndrome: One of the most common reasons I see sciatica in my office.  The piriformis muscle lies close to the sciatic nerve (deep in the gluteal muscles), and when it gets tight, spasmed or inflamed it may put pressure on the sciatic nerve.  I see this more often in individuals that spend a good amount of time in the car or sit for long periods of time during the day.

Pelvic misalignment: The sciatic nerve passes through the pelvic cavity, and can become compressed when the mobility of the pelvis or sacrum is compromised.  It is common for me to see this in combination with piriformis syndrome.

Spinal stenosis: This is much less commonly seen in my office, and generally affects older individuals with a history of arthritic changes.

So how do you know what is causing your sciatica symptoms?  An examination with a chiropractor will be a great start, as we evaluate the movement in the muscular and spinal components in the lower back and pelvis.  Orthopedic tests help to determine the cause of your symptoms, and many times treatment can begin immediately.  Even if your sciatica is caused by a disc injury, chiropractic care is an excellent treatment.

In our office, we utilize a combination of manual adjustments, active release, and at home exercises to treat sciatica.  Most patients begin feeling relief after a couple of visits, with a typical treatment plan to treat sciatica between 8-12 visits.

Questions about sciatica?  Feel free to call our office for a free 15 minute consultation with Dr. Bennett at 480-775-2593.

Dr. B will be taking a trip to hike Havasupai Falls, and will have the following changes in office hours:

Upcoming schedule changes:

Friday, June 10 office hours 9-12:30 pm.

Thursday, June 16 we will be closed.

Friday, June 17 we will be closed.

Regular office hours resume Monday, June 20 at 9 am.

Those of you that know me well understand my love for running.  I’ve been doing it for 18+ years, and have always found it to be my safety, my comfort, and my de-stressor.  Last year I found that racing was a little less exciting than it used to be, and decided to spread my wings, step out of my comfort zone, and do something radical.  I signed up for a triathlon.

Swimming is one of those things most learned to do at a young age, and for me it brings back memories of an ice-cold pool in South Dakota.  I have always been able to swim because of the years of lessons, however never considered myself a swimmer.  This would all have to change if I wanted to fulfill my new goal of becoming a triathlete, and I knew it would not be an easy task.  I was surprised to find swimming a calming, almost a meditative way to start my day.  Did I train enough in the pool?  Maybe.  Should I have done some open water training? Most definitely.

I purchased a road bike last summer, and found biking to be mildly scary due to the crazy Arizona drivers.  Becoming involved with the local biking community has been an eye-opening experience, as I have changed my own driving habits due to the emotions I have experienced on my bike.  Arizona can be a wonderful place for bikers as long as we all remain aware of the presence of bikes on the roadways!

In March, there was a women’s only triathlon held in Chandler, with the swim taking place in a pool.  Tri for the Cure seemed to be a good starting point for me, and I had a wonderful experience!  Meeting so many women competing for the first time was refreshing, and built confidence for us all before we began.  I began questioning why I waited so long to try this….it was actually fun!  Little did I know how different swimming in open water is, and how much more challenging it can be for triathletes.

Jump ahead to this past weekend, May 7.  Red Rock Co. hosted a sprint/olympic race, and I was fairly confident even though I had yet to swim in open water.  It can’t be so bad, right?  Wrong.  Treading water waiting for the horn to sound is a very nerve wracking experience, and I spent the majority of my swim trying not drown.  The remainder of the race flew by without a problem, but I left feeling quite humbled by the amazing athletes around me.  The sport of triathlon is certainly filled with incredible people, and I’m proud to count myself among them.

Pre-swim Irongear Rio Solado Triathlon

Did you know that your sleeping habits can be to blame for your neck pain and headaches?  Do you find that your neck feels great for a few days following your chiropractic visits, but the soreness tends to return?  Ordinary pillows generally do not provide enough support for your head, neck, and spine causing you to wake with discomfort.  Cervical pillows offer support to the spine and provide proper alignment overnight, preventing the stiffness and soreness people often wake with.  This proper alignment and posture will help to reduce tension through the day, enabling greater mobility.

Sleep on your side?  Cervical pillows work great for you too!  Simply rotating the pillow to allow the supportive portion of the pillow to follow your chin makes side sleeping comfortable and supportive.

Not ready to purchase a cervical pillow?  Try this temporary solution to determine whether you need more support:

1.  Take a light towel or t-shirt and roll it until it forms a small to medium size roll.

2.  Place the roll in the pillowcase of your current pillow near the place your neck rests.

3.  Rotate the pillow as needed depending on your sleeping habits.  Back sleepers can keep the pillow straight.

If you find your neck is improved by this small change, it may be time to look for a new pillow.  We can order all types of pillows in varying price ranges, and are happy to help  you find the pillow of YOUR dreams!

Remember, many times true health requires regular, consistent maintenance; by adding proper support to your current wellness plan those days of waking in pain just might disappear.

BodyWise Chiropractic will be closed on Friday, April 8th.  We will reopen Monday, April 11th at 2:30pm, and regular office hours resume on Tuesday, April 12th.

Please note you can always view our updated office hours by selecting the calender function on our home page.

Maybe you’ve tried chiropractic before and are interested in starting care again.  Maybe you’ve always wanted to give chiropractic a try, but aren’t sure what the first step is.  With the plethora of offices around, the challenge is generally deciding which office will help you best meet your goals.  I think you’ll find our office is different in a number of ways, and they all benefit you, our patient!

1.  You might get to hear our voice mail before speaking with us!

Have you called our office, only to find our voice mail picks up?  While this can be a minor inconvenience, it actually benefits you!  How?

Those of you that have visited BodyWise Chiropractic know we’re a small, lower volume office.  Because of this, the office is not staffed at the front desk, and it is not uncommon for Dr. Bobbie to be answering the phone between patients.

Our hours are listed under the calender function on this website…if you reach voicemail during office hours we are assisting patients, and will return your call promptly!  Many times we can get you on the schedule that day, so be patient and you’ll be feeling better in no time!

So…. how does this benefit you?  Because we are able to keep overhead down, our fees are more affordable for you!

2.  There’s more than one way to pay!

We still accept insurance for care, but know that copay and deductible amounts continue to increase.  Our solution?  We have some incredible new packages available for those of you without insurance coverage or looking for maintenance care.  Who knew chiropractic care could be so affordable?!   Stop by and we’ll show you the exciting things we’ve introduced in 2011!

3.  Our office is really a one stop shop for chiropractic, massage therapy, stretch therapy, nutritional therapy, and personal training! We share space with some incredible people! We are all dedicated to helping our patients and clients achieve their goals, whether it’s completing a 5k, increasing function, learning to relax, or decreasing headaches.

Dr. Bobbie, owner of BodyWise Chiropractic, offers chiropractic adjustments, physiotherapy, Active Release Technique, and Fascial Stretch Therapy.

Mark, owner of Ultimate Fitness and Rehabilitation, has functional 30-minute workouts available for a very reasonable price.  He works with all fitness levels, and I guarantee you’ll leave knowing it was money well spent!

Kathy, owner of Empowering Bodies Personal Training, offers one-on-one training sure to improve your form and activate those muscles that are just aching to spring to life!

Becky, owner of studio b massage therapy, offers everything from traditional massage therapy to raindrop therapy, a relaxing massage done with essential oils.

In addition, Carolyn and Nick offer various hours throughout the day for one on one or small group training, and Troy and Melissa offer early morning and evening boot-camps for those of you interested in something in a group environment.

Why wait?  We’re ready to help you achieve your health goals!

This is a common concern in my office, as it can be difficult to know which treatment is better.  Truth be told, they are both great treatments and have a place in your self-care routine both for prevention and treatment of aches and pains.

The general rule is to choose ice for an acute discomfort, and heat for something more chronic.  An acute injury is anything that occurs following an activity, such as an athletic event, and generally lasts a few hours to a couple of days.  Think of a sprained ankle, and the amount of swelling present.  Ice works to decrease the inflammation causing the swelling, thus decreasing the amount of pain present.  A chronic injury refers to a pain that is present more than 72 hours after the initial incident, and can last months to years.  An example of a chronic injury is neck and shoulder tension felt by someone that spends a lot of time working on their computer.  Increasing the amount of blood flowing to the area with heat helps to increase circulation, thus helping to relax a tight muscle. While this seems to work for most individuals, some prefer one or the other for all types of aches.

Athletes often choose to use ice as a preventative treatment, knowing that they will decrease soreness from a tough workout by taking the time to ice the area post workout.  You don’t need an ice bath at home to get the benefit of ice therapy: simply fill small cups with water and freeze.  Peel half of the cup away and viola: ice massage!  Heat works wonders on a stiff, tight lower back and often allows stretching and workouts to occur pain free.  A hot bath is a great way to unwind and relax your muscles after a long day.

While using ice and/or heat to treat pain can be helpful, it generally works best in conjunction with other treatments such as chiropractic manipulation, physical therapy, massage, and light stretching.

DISCLAIMER: This article is for informational purposes only, and does not take the place of an evaluation.  For proper medical advice, see your chiropractic physician or medical doctor before determining what type of self care works for you.

Many expecting mothers assume lower back discomfort is part of the pregnancy experience, and do not realize how chiropractic care can benefit them during this time.

Pregnancy is extremely hard on the lower back, as well as on the neck and shoulders.  Examine the spine of an expectant mother from the side and it’s easy to understand why they have aches and pains!  Due to the increased development of the breast tissue, the shoulders are rounded forward placing tremendous pressure on the neck and shoulders.  Expansion of the rib cage causes discomfort between the shoulder blades and along the middle back.  The weight of the growing child places the lower back in a strenuous position.

The nine months of pregnancy bring many hormonal changes that relax the ligaments stabilizing the lower back and pelvis.  As the pelvis rotates down in the front, the muscles of the lower back become short and tight, causing an increase in pressure on the pain sensitive joints of the lower back, producing achy lower back pain.  Sciatica is also common during this time, as the sciatic nerve is often compressed by bony misalignment or tight soft tissue.

In addition to pain relief, regular adjustments allow for increased movement in the pelvis.  Walking and performing regular activities are easier, and mom’s fitness levels are maintained.  This may also benefit mom during labor and delivery, as movement of the spine and pelvis is vital.

Who do you know that might benefit from regular chiropractic adjustments?  We look forward to helping you, your friends, and your family on your quest to optimal health!