Chiropractic Adjustment from Sitting Too Much

ProActive Chiropractic provides expert chiropractic adjustments for pain from sitting too much in San Francisco CA.

“Tech Neck”/Upper Crossed Syndrome
Back Pain
Upper Back (Cervicothoracic pain)
Mid Back (Thoracic and Rib Pain)
Low back
Sciatica
Hip and Pelvic Tightness and Pain
Working From Home
Weight Gain
Pregnancy
Herniated Disc
Degeneration
Atrophy of leg and glute muscles

BACKGROUND:

As any Bay Area resident will tell you, the majority of our day revolves around sitting. Whether it’s the long commute to and from work, spending the entire day at the office on a computer, staring at our cell phones, or watching our favorite television show at home, the sedentary lifestyle we lead is detrimental to our health. These activities share a common theme and can lead to muscular imbalance in the body.

As much as we don’t want to admit it, we live a sedentary lifestyle. Biologically speaking, our ancestors were all hunters or gatherers. They had to move around constantly to find food, build shelter, and get away from predators and seasonal changes. Our biological make-up is optimally designed for this 8+ hours a day of movement, where we are lubricating the many joints in our bodies. Nowadays, we find ourselves in front of a rectangular screen for 8+ hours a day, instead of moving around. We sit for hours on end, which makes us feel guilty and so we get up and workout hard for 1-2 hours. This means that we are doing complex movements like squats, deadlifts, and running without properly warming up and getting synovial fluid pumping into our joints. Synovial fluid around our joints helps protect our joints from other joints and allows us to reach full range of motion, which is vital for proper biomechanics and injury prevention.

Upper Crossed Syndrome (UCS):

Upper Crossed Syndrome aka “Tech Neck” aka Proximal or Shoulder Girdle Crossed Syndrome is defined as an imbalance in the neck, upper back, chest, and shoulder muscles as a result of sustained slouching posture with the head forward or unbalanced training. This ultimately leads to a deformed posture and joint dysfunction, which stresses the muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons, and bones of the entire body.

The name comes from the “X” pattern of overcompensated and undercompensated muscles. Specifically, the upper trapezius, levator scapulae, suboccipitals, and pectoral muscles are staying contracted; while the deep next flexor muscles, rhomboids, serratus anterior, and lower trapezius are stretched or weak.

Lower Crossed Syndrome (LCS):

Lower Crossed Syndrome aka “Unterkreuz Syndrome” or Distal or Pelvic Crossed Syndrome. Tight hip flexors and thoracolumbar extensors and weak abdominals and gluteus maximus.

Sitting is the New Smoking:

Sitting for too long can cause more than just stiff muscles. It has been linked to deep vein thrombosis (DVT), heart disease, cancer risk, weight gain, anxiety and depression.

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT:

After a comprehensive examination to rule out any red flags and clear you for care at our office, our doctors will use their expertise to effectively treat you. Both Palmer West School of Chiropractic Alumni, these doctors are well prepared to diagnose and treat issues related to a sedentary lifestyle. The examination at ProActive Chiropractic is more comprehensive than what you have experienced at any other wellness center.

At the first appointment, the chiropractic physicians will get a complete history of the complaint(s) and do an analysis of your vitals, posture, range of motion, Functional Movement Screening (FMS) or biomechanics, and gait. Subjective and objective findings will be noted, including orthopedic testing, neurological testing (sensory: dermatome and vibration, deep tendon reflexes; and motor evaluation: muscle testing), and palpation. Posture scans and 3D foot scans will be taken and thoroughly explained to patients during their second visit during a Report of Findings visit. Applied Kinesiology is utilized as a main technique for diagnosing either muscle, ligament, disc, visceral, stress, and/or joint misalignments. If no fractures or clinically significant concerns are found, the doctors will proceed with treatment.

At ProActive Chiropractic, we effectively use movement based screening to identify where the imbalance is so that we can accurately treat and reverse dysfunctional patterns to get you moving better and faster throughout your day. In addition to movement screen tests, rehab stretches and exercises are given to help strengthen weak muscles that are critical for joint stability and relax tight muscles necessary for appropriate functionality.

The treatments in our office are completely hands-on with your doctor! This means that the entire duration of your appointment is with one of our chiropractors. No being handed off to an aide or hooked up to a machine.

Chiropractic Manipulative Therapy (CMT):

Scientific evidence proves that chiropractic techniques help patients by restoring joint mobility to provide proper functional movement patterns and balance out the nervous system. This decreases spasms, stiffness, and pain while promoting optimal health.

We have many options to address the structural components that contribute to your pain. We always consider our patient’s preferences first, so when it comes to corrective adjustments, we provide a variety of methods to achieve this goal. Our specialty is manual adjustments. We are experienced in high velocity, low amplitude manipulations to the joints of the body in order to deliver the most comfortable and effective adjustments.

Our one-of-a kind chiropractic tables feature an automated drop piece that utilizes an air compressor to address the joint in both directions in a gentle way. It allows the doctors to adjust front to back and back to front. The drop piece is maneuvered by foot so there are no extra knobs at the side of the table allowing patients to move around comfortably.

Sometimes we discover smaller yet specific adjustments need to be made. For this, we use an innovative device, called the Activator, delivering a small impulse to the appropriate joint. Whether you love or are intimidated by the “cracks,” the doctors at ProActive Chiropractic will adjust to your preference while still administering the adjustments needed.

Graston Technique and Fibroblaster Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) Tools :

When joints get stuck, the soft tissue structures around them suffer as well. When the muscles and connective tissues around the joint are not moving and gliding along each other, scar tissue and fascial distortion occurs. We have multiple tools of different sizes and shapes to help address these issues.

Graston is a patent protected, innovative instrument that assists in soft-tissue mobilization, improving flexibility and decreasing pain by effectively breaking down fascial restrictions and removing scar tissue between muscles. Proactive Chiropractic is Graston certified and a Preferred Provider®.

Fibroblaster IASTM Tools help our doctors diagnose and treat patients by providing controlled microtrauma to break scar tissue and fascial restrictions to restore full range of motion to keep you in the game.

Therapeutic Exercises:

Our journey to improve your health and wellness does not stop when you leave the office. At ProActive Chiropractic, we honor a mutual collaborative effort by our doctors and you, our patients. While in our office, we believe it is our job to manually correct the underlying source of your pain by adjusting and performing techniques that you would not be able to do on your own. We then encourage you to perform customized rehabilitative exercises at home, in the office, or at the gym to better hold the adjustments made. We believe in a team approach where the doctors will align and balance patients on the table, and patients do their part in building the right habits, muscles, and strength to hold those adjustments. These specific exercises help relax painfully tight muscles and build strength to key muscles groups which are imperative for spinal support.

We understand that educating our patients on their condition and teaching them how to prevent it is key to success. We want our patients to know when to come into the office and when they can fix ailments on their own. Our goal is always to save you time and money.

So many people think that if they can keep up with the latest Barry’s Bootcamp, Orange Theory, Rumble, P90X, Barre, Pilates, or Jiu Jitsu workout, that they have the proper strength to be out of pain. “I can deadlift 500lbs, run a 4.6 second 40-meter dash, and kill it in all my workout routines, so why am I in pain?!” The truth is that these people are great at compensating. To complete these workouts, they may be using their muscle groups improperly. These workouts are often complex and work on the big “show-me” muscles that are usually overcompensated anyways. When the doctors at ProActive Chiropractic break these big muscle groups apart and muscle test each individual muscle, these athletes are often surprised at how “weak” their muscles are when separated from another.

We constantly want to be a part of the newest workout routines, machines, tools, and fads. But is it good for us? These new trends are made to hype up new training licenses, not necessarily because they have been researched and proven to help improve health.

The exercises given at ProActive Chiropractic are designed to focus on the smaller, undercompensated muscles that support the joints, ligaments, and deep muscles that help with posture and overall performance. The truth is that new workouts emerge for purposes of more certifications to promote the fitness business. They consist of complex movements that people cannot efficiently achieve without going back to the basics. You crawl before you walk, right? Same concept.

Sure, you can perform these complicated exercises, but are you using the right muscle groups to perform them, or are you creating more of an imbalance and thus pain? Are you breathing correctly and can your brain connect to all the different muscles of your body so that one muscle group is not taking the brunt of the work for another muscle group? The doctors at ProActive Chiropractic will let you know! They will literally show and teach you the tools to perform these exercises properly, leaving you pain-free and even improve your posture.

Understand that these are not glamorous, complex exercises you see at your workout class or on the newest feed on your IG or TikTok account. However, they are needed, effective, and present a challenge in that you have to rehabilitate your brain to connect to muscles that it has been neglecting for a long period of time. Check out some of our favorite therapeutic exercises on our YouTube channel!

We are excited to help you get back to the movement you love, and by performing the prescribed exercises given by our doctors, we will get you there in no time!

Kinesiology Tape:

Kinesio Taping is a rehabilitative taping technique to increase stability around hypermobile joints. Additionally, the tape offers better circulation to the injured area, reduction of swelling and inflammation, speedy recovery of overused muscles, and reduced muscle cramping.

We use different types of kinesiology and medical tape to suit your needs. When using tape as a brace, the doctors at ProActive make sure to give you the support you need while also allowing the surrounding muscles to properly engage so that your own muscle and body becomes a natural brace for itself as a result. Depending on allergies, sport, and how much you sweat, the doctors will use their expertise to know which tape and style of taping is needed for you!

NormaTec:

Come check out the most advanced rehab and recovery solution in just one small package! Whether you are trying to maintain a healthy workout routine or training for the Olympics, the NormaTec is your go-to to decrease inflammation and soreness. NormaTec’s cutting edge compression systems are the ultimate in recovery to fit your needs.

NormaTec sleeves have been scientifically proven to enhance the body’s natural ability to recover, increase circulation, reduce pain, rejuvenate muscles, boost flexibility, and clear out lactate and metabolites. The benefits of NormaTec are so significant that 97% of professional teams rely on its technology to train harder and achieve more.

At the end of the day, this device feels like a nice massage. Our patients usually find time in their busy schedules to come in, kick up their feet, relax, and meditate or look over emails while receiving all the great benefits of NormaTec.

Denneroll Neck Orthotic

In addition to the hands-on services provided in the office, we also offer clinically proven products shown to reverse the damaging effects of trauma, age, and bad posture. The Denneroll is one of them.

Normally, your cervical spine should present with a healthy curve (similar to a wide shaped “C”) that points toward the front of your body, called a lordosis. This allows our nerves, ligaments, and muscles to function properly. When we lose that cervical lordosis structure and our necks become more straight, it is considered an abnormal cervical lordosis or reversal of cervical lordosis. This can happen as a result of age, repetitive slouching, spending too much time in front of electronics in a sustained position, trauma, and even stress. It causes unwanted muscle discomfort and degeneration of discs, which can lead to nerve issues.

The doctors here often get asked which neck hammock, traction devices, braces, supportive clothing, and reminder buzzers are best for pain associated with sitting at a desk all day. Although there are plenty of choices on the market that are said to improve posture and decrease pain, not enough reliable research has shown that these products actually accomplish what you need.

Numerous evidence-based studies have proven that correcting abnormal cervical lordosis will alleviate pain and muscle tension, while enhancing posture, comfort, and overall health. The Denneroll helps facilitate normal cervical lordosis to help create balance between the nerves, ligaments, muscles, and joints of your upper body. It is a great tool in conjunction with chiropractic care because it helps keep your adjustments longer to keep you feeling pain free and back to work, back to play.

Posture Pointers:

“Sit up straight!” “Stop slouching!” “Chin up, chest out, abs in!” We have all heard these cues from our parents, partners, coaches, personal trainers, fitness instructors, and doctors. Being conscious about the way you sit, stand, and perform exercises is a start, but what if the structures of your body simply will not allow you to get in that perfect posture position? What is perfect posture anyway?!

The doctors at ProActive Chiropractic take the time to educate patients on proper posture and how to achieve it. We analyze patients’ posture and functional movement mechanics, address the under and overcompensated muscles and structures to allow for proper range of motion and movement, and give patients the correct postural exercises to address the deep muscles that support the skeletal system.

Ergonomics:

Each new patient in our office will receive a comprehensive posture evaluation and 3-dimensional foot scan, revealing potential hidden problems that could go unnoticed. In addition, we offer virtual ergonomic assessments at a much lower cost than a traditional in-office ergonomic assessment with a full printout of findings and recommendations for you to keep.

Equally important to diet and exercise, understanding how your body is commonly positioned against gravity can help doctors find the underlying issue with chronic pain.

Proper ergonomics allows for better productivity, promotes great posture, lessens fatigue, and decreases the pain that comes from repeated movements. We can also perform ergonomic evaluations on site or even virtually using a series of photographs and compiling 4-6 pages of specific recommendations which save you time and money.

Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT):

Research on Low-Level Laser Therapy reveals that it is a non-invasive and efficient method to reduce healing time after any sort of injury— with zero side effects.

At ProActive Chiropractic, we offer laser therapy using devices from the world leader in Low-Level Laser Technology, Erchonia. Thousands of reliable studies have deemed these lasers to be safe and successful in pain management and recovery.

Similarly to how plants use sunlight for energy to grow, the cells in our body convert the non-thermal photons of the laser into energy, which is then used to heal the damaged tissues faster. Read about the clinical research here.

Labs:

Sometimes the root of your condition is not structural. Inflammation, allergies, or deficiencies in our chemical make-up can keep us from recovering fully or quickly. We never want our treatments to plateau until you’ve reached your goals.

Our office is conveniently partnered with LabCorp and Cyrex Laboratories to help better understand your diagnosis when needed. If our doctors believe that a blood and/or urine analysis will benefit your health, they will order these labs at generally a lower cost than what your insurance can. Our goal is to get you the most affordable and efficient comprehensive assessment possible to save you time and money.

Imaging:

Although we do not have an on-site imaging center, we are partnered with RadNet and SimonMed for all of your X-ray, MRI, CT Scan, and Ultrasound needs! If there are any red flags noted by the doctor, imaging can be necessary before performing any treatment.

Frustrated by the pain and just want ease of mind to know what is actually going on in your body? The doctors at ProActive Chiropractic can provide you with a prescription to get imagining done if it is within reason with the assessment.

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Our overall goal is to get you pain-free as soon as possible. Learn how we can get you the answers and help you need by booking a complimentary consult with one of our doctors today by calling 415-762-8141 or visiting our online schedule!