How to Save Your Back While Driving

Your body is subjected to a lot of force in a moving car, especially behind the wheel as the driver. Without proper care and prevention, you may suffer from joint pain and long-term health issues. At ACT Wellness Center in Woodbridge, VA, Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo is passionate about preventative care, especially when it comes to the bad posture and body aches that come from driving. Here are a few tips and tricks to use the next time you’re on the road. 

 

Adjust Your Seat

One of the first steps to preventing bad posture while driving is adjusting your seat. Start by fixing your seat height, making sure you can see the road and dashboard. At the same time, your seat height should not strain your back or neck when bending down or turning towards the side. For shorter drivers, a cushion for more comfort and to reach the steering wheel is recommended. Keep your right foot relaxed on the pedals, with the heel touching the floor. Use the balls of your feet to press the accelerator or brake pedals. Unless using the clutch, the left foot should remain in the footrest. 

 

Adjust Your Steering Wheel

Your hands around the steering wheel should be in the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions. Bring the steering wheel towards you, taking care it doesn’t block any important information on your car’s dashboard. Your Woodbridge, VA chiropractor also recommends keeping your arms relaxed and elbows rested on the seat’s armrests.

 

Use the Mirror Trick

A simple technique that encourages good posture is the old mirror trick. In a sitting position at the driver’s seat, adjust your rear and side mirrors. This way you’re forced to sit up straight whenever you have to use them as you drive, resulting in terrific posture!

 

Take Breaks

If you’re driving a road trip, incorporate short stops along your route to stretch. A 15-minute break will do wonders to relax your muscles, increase blood flow, and reduce numbness in the lower limbs. 

 

To learn more about how to drive safely, contact Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo at ACT Wellness Center at 14111 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, Virginia. Call 703-491-9355 today. 

 

 

Proper Workplace Posture

At ACT Wellness Center, we advise our patients to practice good posture at work. While back injuries aren’t always preventable, years of bad posture may have taken a toll on your back. Over time, putting unnecessary strain on your back adds up and can increase your back pain by up to 50%. You are doing a great disservice to your back and your body when you have poor posture.

When possible, we encourage our patients who work at a desk job to get up and stretch every half hour so your back stays loose and your muscles don’t tighten up. While at work remember to not slouch in your chair and to have your feet on the floor and your back pressed firmly against the chair. Your computer screen should also be in direct line with your eyesight so your neck strained from moving up and down all day.

Our doctors are specialized in spinal manipulation and can help treat your back pain. Remember, your health is the most important thing to us!

If you dealing with back pain it might be because of poor work habits. Our staff can help to provide you with pain relief and help you properly sit at work. Please contact ACT Wellness Center in Woodbridge, VA. You can set up an appointment with Dr. Carmelo F. Caratozzolo both online and over the phone. Schedule online at our website, www.actwellness.com, or call 703-491-9355. 

Chiropractic Care for Bicyclists

According to People For Bikes, about 47.88 million Americans participated in bicycle riding in 2018. Cycling, a popular sport, and leisure activity is only growing with thousands of riders today. At ACT Wellness Center in Woodbridge, VA, many of Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo’s patients are avid bicyclists. Here are five ways bicyclists benefit from chiropractic care.

Correct Posture

A biker’s position places more pressure on your neck and back. Your trusted Woodbridge, VA chiropractor evaluates your spine for misalignment and damage. Through a variety of spinal manipulations, we will correct your posture and provide different tips and tricks to maintain good spinal health the next time you get on a bicycle.

Relieve Joint Pain
Cycling places a strain on your joints, especially around the hip and knee areas. Using treatments like exercise and massage therapies, we loosen stiff muscles and strengthen your joints. 

Treat Injuries
Like any sport, biking has its fair share of accidents. At ACT Wellness Center, Dr. Caratozzolo is skilled in treating common bike injuries. This includes impact injuries, tendonitis, head and spine trauma, ruptured discs, and much more. 

Manage Shoulder & Neck Pain

One of the most common ailments bikers face is shoulder and neck pain. Hunching over your handlebars while trekking over long trails increases the tension on your spine. At ACT Wellness Center, we recommend spinal manipulations, acupuncture, or massage depending on the level of injury. 

Preventative Care

Even if you don’t suffer from injuries or biking-induced pain, we strongly encourage riders to visit our  Woodbridge, VA office today. We believe prevention is the best medicine for overall health. Our care improves mobility, flexibility, and strength, so you can enjoy bicycling free of pain and illnesses!

To learn more, contact Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo at ACT Wellness Center at 14111 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, Virginia. Call 703-491-9355 today. 

Why is My Back Stiff?

Nobody likes having a stiff back, and yet, back pain is one of the most common health complaints people have. Although there are several things that can cause the back muscles to be underdeveloped or overused, most of them are preventable with the right knowledge. At ACT Wellness Center in Woodbridge, we can provide noninvasive, nonaddictive treatments for all sorts of musculoskeletal problems, but to help our patients maintain their wellness, we wanted to discuss some of the most common reasons why people’s lifestyles cause them to develop excessive wear and tear.

 

In many people’s cases, back pain is the result of overusing some muscles and underusing others. A sedentary person who maintains any one position for a long time is going to suffer from a weak core, and some positions make particularly inefficient use of the back’s supporting muscles. Hunching forward toward a computer monitor or slouching backwards will cause the back muscles bearing all the upper body’s weight to tighten up. But a person who engages in exercise without properly warming up or strengthening their core could also be over relying on their back muscles to compensate for weak hamstrings and hip muscles. Eventually, the weakened back muscles will no longer be able to keep the spinal column aligned, allowing the lumbar vertebrae to become subluxated.

 

Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo is certified as a chiropractic sports physician and extremity practitioner who can educate patients on better posture and form, in addition to providing chiropractic adjustments. Our diagnostics will also help us to determine whether their spinal discs are suffering from dehydration and whether a skeletal abnormality is putting excess pressure on certain muscles. ACT Wellness Center offers a variety of wellness services, including nutritional counseling and customized orthotics, to help patients maintain the strength and balance of their musculoskeletal systems.

 

If you’re trying to improve your back’s strength and flexibility, schedule a visit to Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo at the ACT Wellness Center, 14111 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, Virginia. Call 703-491-9355.

 

Tips To Prevent Back Pain While Working From Home

With over a million Americans working from home due to coronavirus stay at home orders, more and more chiropractors are reporting a rise in clients with back pain problems. At ACT Wellness Center in Woodridge, VA,  Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo specializes in non-invasive procedures that help alleviate back pain and body aches, but at the same time, believes prevention is key to ensure the overall health and wellness of his patients. Here are some tips that you can practice while working from home to save your body from aches, pain, and long term health issues.

Avoid the Bed or Couch

While it may seem like one of the perks of not attending meetings in a traditional office, using your bed or couch as a workplace can wreak havoc to your posture and allow for back pain, especially if you’re doing this daily. Instead, try to create a separation from your work and rest spaces by using a desk and chair and mimicking your normal workstation at the office as much possible. When sitting in a chair, make sure your feet can rest flat on the floor for blood to flow throughout your body without restriction. If your chair doesn’t have good lower back support, add pillows or a cushion for more comfort.

Incorporate Standing Work

Sitting for long hours in a desk and chair may strain your back and neck. A good way to lessen this strain is to alternate between sitting and standing while you work. Whether it's taking calls while you walk or installing a standing desk to rotate with a desk and chair, the important idea is to reduce the amount of time you’re spending in one work position. 

Take Breaks

Frequent breaks to stretch and move around are beneficial for lessening the strain that comes from staying in a sitting position for long hours. Your Woodbridge, VA, chiropractor states that simply taking a 15-minute break to stretch or to walk around the house will help relax your muscles, increase blood flow, and reduce numbness. Others recommend a change of scenery, like moving to a different workspace in the house. 

 

To learn more about reducing back pain while working from home, visit Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo at ACT Wellness Center, Woodbridge, VA. Call 703-491-9355.

 

 

Upper Crossed Syndrome

When people hunch over, they tend to develop an ache in their backs, necks, and shoulders. And when they continue to hold that position, they may end up weakening some muscles and overdeveloping others. “Upper Crossed Syndrome” is a term chiropractors use to describe a particular pattern of deformity in the upper body that usually results from poor posture. At ACT Wellness Center in Woodbridge, we provide treatments for this condition that will help a patient return to health, but they’ll have to continue maintaining good posture to avoid a relapse.

 

The trapezius and levator scapula are muscles that connect from the vertebrae to the bones of the shoulders. When a person hunches forward, those muscles get stretched and swollen, while the muscles in front of the chest become tight. In contrast, the muscles on the sides of the neck and lower in the shoulder become small and weak. When seen from the side, a line drawn between the tight muscles and a line drawn between the weak ones would form an x. The practical consequence of this is that the neck will be curved too far inward and the upper back too far outward, resulting in pain from the head to the ribs.

 

There are many strengthening exercises a person could do to restore the alignment of their neck and upper thorax, although we encourage patients to ask our chiropractor, Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo, for professional guidance on proper form. We can also determine whether a patient has incurred subluxations from the pressure being exerted on their vertebrae, and our chiropractic adjustments can help to gently stretch or relax their muscles in addition to realigning their spines.

 

Upper Crossed Syndrome is usually reversible, but treating it often requires lifestyle changes.  For help restoring upper body musculoskeletal health, schedule a visit to Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo at the ACT Wellness Center, 14111 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, Virginia. Call 703-491-9355.

 

Upper Back Pain

Do you frequently suffer from upper back pain? If so, you’re in good company. Although pain in the upper back isn’t as common as in the neck or lower back, it’s still one of the most common ailments. Some surveys have found that almost ten percent of men and twenty percent of women are suffering from it at any given time. The good news is that upper back pain usually responds well to safe, holistic treatments, and that the ACT Wellness Center in Woodbridge provides a variety of complementary therapies and postural correction techniques.

The upper back, or thoracic spine, is made up of twelve vertebrae. They have additional joints that connect to the ribs, making them less mobile than the other vertebrae and therefore less likely to suffer acute injuries. However, they may still suffer from wear and tear, especially when the muscles near them are overused. People who make repetitive motions with their arms, such as painters, may strain their back and shoulder muscles. But people who simply sit with bad posture, such as office workers and truck drivers, also run a risk that their tendons will tighten. Swelling in the thoracic region could also compress one of the spinal nerves, which could result in pain or numbness radiating into the chest.

We offer several means of relieving upper back pain and reducing inflammation, including chiropractic adjustments, low level laser therapy, and pulsed electromagnetic therapy. But to prevent a relapse, patients will need to do therapeutic stretches and make sure they don’t sit in the same position for too long in the future.

For fast, non-addictive, and minimally invasive relief from upper back pain, visit Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo at ACT Wellness Center, 14111 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, Virginia. Call 703-491-9355.

 

Introduction to Spinal Spurs

Spinal spurs sound scary, and it’s true that they can cause pain. But with the right treatment, they are manageable. The ACT Wellness Center in Woodbridge does more than relieve symptoms; we also put patients in the best position to care for their own wellness and avoid pricey and more dangerous interventions. Therefore, we wanted to say a bit about bone spurs in the spine and why they should be treated early. 

 Bones are alive, constantly breaking down and re-growing new tissue. Spurs are what happen when they grow tissue in an inappropriate place, often in response to inflammation. When a person’s spinal discs are degenerating, they are unable to absorb shocks and the discs’ protrusion may irritate nearby muscle and ligament tissue. The irritated tissue thickens with inflammation and distorts the vertebrae’s growth pattern. Additionally, people with osteoarthritis are at risk of developing bone spurs because the erosion of their joint cartilage causes their bones to rub together. The rubbing triggers inflammation in their joints and abnormal growth of replacement bone tissue. 

 

Spinal spurs could cause shooting pain, tingling, or numbness by compressing a nerve at its root. More commonly, they cause soreness. After using visual imaging to diagnose a bone spur, our treatment options include chiropractic adjustments to reduce stress on dislocated joints, soft tissue therapies such as electric muscle stimulation to reduce inflammation, and therapeutic stretches to improve flexibility. We may also recommend strengthening exercises to reduce the burden on the joints and improve posture. 

 

To prevent the development of spine spurs and manage symptoms associated with them, contact Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo at ACT Wellness Center, 14111 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, Virginia. Call 703-491-9355. 

Lower Back Pain and Indoor Cycling

To keep your spine aligned, you need strong muscles to support it. Exercise is a key element of overall health. Indoor cycling, often also called spinning is a popular way to get aerobic exercise.  If the exercise is not done correctly or the rider's position is bad, injuries can occur; problems with the lower back and knees are most common. At ACT Wellness Center in Woodbridge, we work with our patients to devise routines that will keep them strong and flexible. This week, we’re going to take a look at why that is and how to prevent it.

 

To prevent injury and aid comfort it is crucial to make sure the bio-mechanical position of the rider is correct. Posture is always one of the first things to examine when a person is struggling with back pain. Bicycles need to be fitted to the person using them. If a person has to stretch too far forward to reach the handle bars, that will put strain on their lower back. A well-trained group cycling instructor can help you to adjust the seat and the handlebar height prior to riding. In addition, bicycle stores are usually able to fit their customers; and people inheriting a used bicycle should be properly fitted as well.

 

Professional cyclists can be assured of good equipment, but they still suffer from high rates of lower back pain due to uneven work-out routines. The lumbar or lower region of the spine is supported by muscles that connect to the pelvis and femurs. As those muscles get tired, the lumbar vertebrae sway side-to-side, causing joint fatigue. People who cycle regularly also need to remember to strengthen the core muscles supporting their lumbar spines. This can be done through exercises including bird-dogging and planking. Our chiropractor, Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo, is a Chiropractic Sports Physician and can help patients to identify which exercises are safest and most effective for them. He can also help people suffering from lower back pain to return to activity sooner through corrective chiropractic care.

 

To reduce the risk of athletic injuries and learn more about injury prevention, visit Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo at ACT Wellness Center, 14111 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, Virginia. Call 703-491-9355.

Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction

Do you feel pain or stiffness in your lower body? A joint problem might be to blame, but there are several joint dysfunctions that could cause similar symptoms. At ACT Wellness Center in Woodbridge, we provide natural, holistic pain management with special emphasis on musculoskeletal disorders. This week, we want to educate our patients about one of the lesser-known causes of lower back pain: sacroiliac joint dysfunction.

 

The sacrum is the structure of fused vertebrae that dangles beneath the lumbar region of the spine. It connects on both sides to the iliac crests, which are the highest bones of the pelvis, and the two connections are called the sacroiliac joints. These joints can suffer stress, especially when their supporting lower back and pelvis muscles are weak or tight; typically they don’t have very much mobility.  Inflammation of these joints is called sacroiliitis, and it may cause a person to feel sore in their lower back and buttock. Usually, only one side is inflamed at a time.

 

Although sacroiliac joint dysfunction is less likely than a herniated lumbar disc to compress a nerve, it could still cause pain to radiate outwards. A person is especially likely to feel pain when they put weight on the joint. We can make a diagnosis by testing how a patient responds to pressure on different bones. If a person has a sacroiliac issue, we can treat them by performing chiropractic adjustments, and by reducing their inflammation through low level laser therapy and electric muscle stimulation. Our chiropractor, Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo, is a Chiropractic Sports Physician and Certified Chiropractic Extremity Practitioner; he may also recommend therapeutic exercises to strengthen the lower back and pelvic regions.

If you suspect you have sacroiliac joint dysfunction or a similar disorder, visit Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo at ACT Wellness Center, 14111 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, Virginia. Call 703-491-9355.

 

Beat Back Pain by Strengthening Your Core

At ACT Wellness Center in Woodbridge, VA, we find that the majority of our patients with back pain lack core stability. A weak core can increase the risk of disc bulges and nerve damage. There are numerous exercises that can be done, even in the comfort of your own home with little to no equipment needed, to steadily build your core, relieve back pain, and ultimately prevent future back pain.

Some core-building exercises include:

- Plank

- Clamshell

- Bird Dog

- Glute Bridge Single-Leg Progression

- Pelvic Tilt/Glute Bridge

- Side Plank

- Tabletop Leg Press

- Superman

- Dead Bug

- Cat Stretches

- Reverse/Forward Lunge

These exercises can also help with balance, function, stability, and limit the chances of getting seriously injured. Dr. Caratozzolo wants to inform his patients with new knowledge about their back pain and how they can treat it with an at-home regimen on days when they do not come into the office. However, it is important to remember that if any of these exercises increase pain, numbness, or weakness, you should immediately stop doing them and speak to your chiropractor.

Consistent chiropractic adjustments can help your back pain. We are happy to address any concerns or answer any questions you have! ACT Wellness Center is located at 14111 Minnieville Rd. in Woodbridge, VA 22193. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit actwellness.com or call the office at 703-491-9355.

 

Introduction to Herniated Discs

Lower back pain affects tens of millions of people in the United States and is a major contributor to missed workdays. There are several reasons for it, but one of the most common is a herniated disc. Also known as a slipped disc or ruptured disc, this ailment has potential implications for the spinal nerves, so we at the ACT Wellness Center in Woodbridge want people to understand why they should take treatment seriously.

 

The spinal discs are shock absorbers located in between the flat bodies of most vertebrae. They have tough fibrous outer rings and gelatinous centers. Discs become dehydrated with age and suffer wear and tear throughout a person’s life. When the gelatinous center pushes against the fibrous walls or leaks out, the disc is herniated. The resulting pressure on the surrounding tissues causes pain and triggers the body’s inflammatory response, and nerves branching out of the spinal cord nearby could be compressed. This would result in pain or numbness along the pinched nerve, which could extend the length of the arm or leg.

 

Herniated discs can occur as a result of acute injuries or wear-and-tear, but they are more common in people over the age of sixty. Although frequent in the lower back, they can occur higher up. Chiropractic adjustments can help put the spinal column back into alignment, and we can use techniques such as low-level laser therapy to reduce painful swelling. We can also advise patients on nutrition to ensure their spinal discs get the vitamins and minerals they need to stay supple, and on strengthening exercises that will allow their back muscles to take on more of the weight bearing down on their discs.

If you suffer from back or neck pain, contact ACT Wellness Center at 14111 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, Virginia by calling 703-491-9355 or visiting ACT Wellness. Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo, or Dr. C, has been designated Prince William County's best chiropractor for ten years in a row.

 

 

Bones of the Spine

The nerves to our limbs all pass through the spine. One of our foundational theories at ACT Wellness Center in Woodridge is that the health of the body depends on the spine being healthy and properly aligned. We offer several kinds of treatments to ensure patients do not suffer from subluxations, but to fully understand their choices patients will need a basic understanding of how the spine works.

The spinal column is a complicated structure comprised of the spinal nerves, their protective membranes, shock absorbing rubbery discs, and a series of connected bones. The bones, called vertebrae, are flat discs that stack on top of each other and have arch-shaped protrusions in back, which the nerves of the spinal cord run through. They also have joints in back by which they connect to each other. The top seven vertebrae are the neck bones and are also called cervical vertebrae. On top is the axis vertebra, which plays a vital role in moving the head up and down, and below it is the axis vertebra, which allows the head to pivot.

The upper back is comprised of the twelve thoracic vertebrae. They have additional joints by which they attach to the ribs. The lower back is made up of the five lumbar vertebrae, which are the largest vertebrae and bear the most weight. Below them are the sacrum and the coccyx, two structures each made up of fused vertebrae without spongy discs between them. The sacrum connects to the hip bones, while the coccyx or tailbone dangles below and also anchors pelvic muscles. Nerves to the legs pass through the sacrum.

We would love to help you feel better now! If you are in need of a chiropractic adjustment in Woodbridge, VA, come visit us! Dr. Caratozzolo of ACT Wellness Center is a Certified Chiropractic Extremity Practitioner (CCEP) and a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician. Dr. Caratozzolo offers a multitude of services that sets him apart. To schedule an appointment at ACT Wellness Center, 14111 Minnieville Rd., Woodbridge, VA, call us at  703-491-9355 or visit ACT Wellness.