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.

 

Fall Prevention

Many people are still spending more time at home, but that doesn’t mean they’re completely safe from injury. We provide non-invasive, non-addictive care for sprains, dislocation, and other musculoskeletal injuries at the ACT Wellness Center in Woodbridge. But we also value prevention, and since so many knee, hip, and lower back injuries result from falls at home, we wanted to share some tips for preventing them.

 

Some simple ways to prevent falls are to keep walkways clear and well-lit. It might be a good idea to put double-sided tape on the undersides of throw rugs and to install lights that are motion-activated or controlled by clapping. There should be enough space between furniture for a person to move easily and spills should be immediately removed from the floor. People should avoid walking while wearing stockings without shoes, and should ensure their house shoes provide arch support and cushion the ankle against twists.

 

Other ways of mitigating or preventing falls are to increase core strength and hip flexibility through low-impact exercise. This will make someone less likely to lose their balance and less likely to incur overuse injuries that will cause them to adjust their gait. Our Bio Nutrition service can also help patients to ensure they’re getting sufficient Vitamin D to keep their bones strong and that they’re getting the nutrition they need for healthy eyes and unblocked circulation.

 

If you’ve suffered a dislocation from falling or want to reduce your risk, schedule a visit to Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo at the ACT Wellness Center, 14111 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, Virginia. Call 703-491-9355.

Osteoarthritis and Sleep Deprivation

If you suffer from arthritis, you’ve doubtlessly lost a lot of sleep to it. You’ve probably also noticed that arthritis exists in a vicious circle with sleep deprivation; the more scared you are of pain, the less you sleep, and the more sensitive you become. So how do you break free of this cycle? At ACT Wellness Center in Woodbridge, we utilize minimally invasive, fast-acting pain relief methods for people suffering from joint damage. Those include chiropractic adjustments, high-tech treatments, and lifestyle changes.

 

Osteoarthritis is a kind of joint inflammation in which the cartilage that cushions joints suffers wear-and-tear damage, triggering swelling. If you are are tired, your soft tissues is less elastic and are more prone to irritation. People who dread pain tend to lose sleep out of fear of it, and the nerves pain travels along become over stimulated. People with chronic inflammation may also develop bony spurs, which could further stretch soft tissues and erode cartilage.

 

While you cannot do anything to completely stop the degenerative disease process of osteoarthritis, you can help to slow the process through regular chiropractic care and good nutrition. Chiropractic adjustments help to restore joints to their proper place, making them less likely to push against nearby tissues. In addition to correcting spinal misalignments, at ACT wellness Center, we utilize a variety of anti-inflammation soft tissue treatments, including low level laser therapy and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF). We can recommend wedge pillows that provide you with better joint support while sleeping. A bio-nutritional consultation may help to determine how your diet may be triggering inflammation. Many people sleep better when they reduce their intake of sugar and limit their screen time before bed, and when they stretch throughout the day to remain limber.

 

For holistic anti-inflammation treatments and relief from joint stress, visit Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo at ACT Wellness Center, 14111 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, Virginia. Call 703-491-9355.

The Importance of Vitamin D

During the short days of February, it’s easy to go for several days in a row without being exposed to direct sunlight. The further towards the poles you go, the longer the winter lasts. This could pose a significant health problem, since sunlight is what triggers the production of vitamin D. Obtaining vitamin D is not usually difficult if you live in a sunny area. If the sun is at the proper angle, most people get enough by being exposed to sunlight directly (not through a window) for periods of fifteen minutes three times a week. As a holistic health practice, we at the ACT Wellness Center want everybody to understand why vitamin D is so important to bone health, and what they can do to ensure they’re getting enough.

 

One of the key constituent minerals of bone is calcium. This is not a mineral the human body produces on its own; it is absorbed in our digestive tract from food. Vitamin D is what regulates the intake of calcium, and when we don’t produce enough vitamin D, we can’t absorb enough calcium to maintain the integrity of our bone structure. This could lead to the sort of brittleness seen in people with osteoporosis, which puts people at increased risk for bone fractures and vertebral collapse. In addition, several studies show that vitamin D is linked with immune system function.

 

If you can’t rely on getting enough sunlight, and want to reduce your risk of a vitamin D deficiency; consider eating foods that are known to have high Vitamin D levels. These include products such as dairy, egg yolks, fatty fish oil’s and some mushrooms. Breakfast cereals and orange juice are commonly fortified with both vitamin D and calcium. Our favorite way to get vitamin D in the winter is from wild salmon.

 

If you are not eating enough vitamin D enriched foods, proper supplementation can help fill nutritional gaps in your diet. Numerous studies suggest positive association between taking vitamin and mineral supplements, and disease prevention. It’s a convenient way to get necessary nutrients that you may be lacking or not otherwise easily get in your daily nutrition. We offer pharmaceutical grade vitamins to help ensure our patients receive the maximum benefit possible, without exposure to any unnecessary toxins, fillers, or otherwise unwanted ingredients.

 

If you want to learn more about maintaining healthy bones, visit Dr. Carmelo Caratozzolo at ACT Wellness Center, 14111 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, Virginia. Call 703-491-9355.