Geaux Chiro Blog & News

"Stand up straight--don't slouch!"

If you have heard your grandparents or parents tell you to do this, don't ignore it because it is definitely worth heeding. Out of all your body's components, the spine may be the most overlooked and understated part of your body most responsible for maintaining overall good health.

The way you hold your body impacts how easily it can adapt to the stress of gravity, carrying excess weight and imbalance. Bad posture forces muscles to work harder, interferes with functioning of the circulatory and nervous system and may lead to development of numerous health issues that are routinely misdiagnosed and mistreated by physicians.

Dr. Wayne Johnson from Geaux Chiro Plank in Baton Rouge, LA performs a cervical misalignment correction on a seated patient.

Dr. Matt Shelly from Geaux Chiro in Hammond, LA shows how to perform a lat stretch with a foam roller.

Dr. Matt Shelly from Geaux Chiro in Hammond, LA explains how a "hollow hold" position can help engage core muscles in this video blog!

Dr. Matt Shelly from Geaux Chiro in Hammond, LA looks at posture and explains how it can affect crossfitters in this video blog!

What is Peripheral Neuropathy?

The term "neuropathy" describes painful conditions caused by nerve interference or damage. Examples of neuropathies include peripheral neuropathy, diabetic neuropathy and vascular neuropathy. The most common type of neuropathy diagnosed is peripheral neuropathy, or damage to nerves extending from your spinal cord and brain into all areas of your body. Degeneration of myelin (a protective fatty substance protecting nerve cells) prevents cells from transmitting electrical signals to your brain. Eventually, nerves short-circuit, send false signals to the brain and cause symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.

Dr. Matt Shelly from Geaux Chiro in Hammond, LA explains how to perform a hamstring stretch in this video blog!

If you spend hours walking and standing while attending Mardi Gras, don't be surprised if you suffer back pain soon afterwards. But why does standing for long periods of time cause some people's lower (lumbar) back to hurt while other people remain unaffected by back pain?

Respiratory infections send more people to the doctor than any other health problem in the U.S. Back pain is the second most common reason adults over 30 years of age visit their family physician. In fact, the number of people making appointments with a Louisiana chiropractor during and after Mardi Gras increases significantly in contrast to chiropractic appointments made at other times of the year!

To understand why your lower back hurts when you stand too long starts with knowing a bit about the anatomy of your back and spine.

The nervous system is connected to all organs and cells in the body. Each individual cell and organ is innervated (provided with sensation and responsiveness to external stimuli) by nerve endings throughout the cell or organ. These nerve endings come from spinal nerves that extend into all areas of your body. When something interferes with normal functioning of spinal nerves (misaligned vertebrae, bulging/ruptured disk, sciatica), pain inevitably develops due to inflammation of affected nerves. In fact, vertebral "subluxation" (improperly aligned spine) can cause a wide variety of health problems, from back, neck and joint pain to chronic headaches/migraines, allergies, insomnia and recurring infections.

Geaux Chiro's chiropractors focus on making sure your nervous system is operating at an optimal level because it is the nervous system that is responsible for maintaining your health and well-being. In addition to integrating other holistic principles of chiropractic medicine, chiropractors reduce pain and inflammation by emphasizing nutrition, the benefits of vitamin/mineral supplements and performing special exercises to increase muscle and joint health. For these reasons and many more, chiropractors do not recommend back or joint surgery until all other options have been explored.

Hunching over a work desk is one of the leading causes of lower back pain and neck pain in the 21st century. Aches, pains and stiffness emerge when your spine and muscles comprising your back are forced to assume one position for too long. Holding your head forward further stresses neck vertebrae and muscles by putting the weight of your head in front of your body instead of balancing your head on top of your body. Prolonged pressure on spinal vertebrae caused by sitting for lengthy periods may also promote chronic back conditions such as herniated discs, osteoarthritis or disc degeneration.