Sitting Too Long is Bad for You

When we sit for long periods of time, it takes a toll on our health in ways we may not realize. In fact, researchers have reported that sitting for long hours has been linked to a decreased state of mental health, a higher risk of death from heart disease, and a higher risk of disability. Additionally, these studies have proven that even if you exercise regularly, too much sitting is bad. This is why Dr. Kent Carlomagno at Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center encourages you to get up and get moving.

If you sit more than eight hours a day, it’s definitely not benefitting your health; you are shutting down the function of your central/peripheral nervous systems function to innervate your body and muscles which begins the process of elastic soft tissue deformity, aging and spinal vertebral nerve compression leading eventually to chronic health problems from spinal compression and irritated/ pseudo pinched nerves. You may think you’re confined to your cubical, (or your couch) but it doesn’t hurt to get up and take a stroll, even if it’s for just a few minutes. If you have a desk job, taking a quick walk can clear your mind and get the oxygen flowing to your brain. Here are some tips for doing so:

• Never take the elevator when you can take the stairs


• Plan more active things to do after work


• Instead of sending an email or picking up the phone, walk over and talk to that person.


• While enjoying your morning coffee, take a few laps around the office.


• You may also perform isometric contractions of muscles for 5-10 seconds while sitting to activate the nervous system and maintain muscle tone

To learn more about the conditions we treat and the services we provide at Summit Chiropractic Health and Longevity Center, visit www.summitchiro.net for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kent Carlomagno in San Rafael, CA, call 415-721-7520.

Degenerative Disc Disease

Also known as DDD, degenerative disc disease is not really a disease but a term used to describe the normal changes in your spinal discs as you age. As we age, our spinal discs break down, or degenerate, which may result in degenerative disc disease in some people. DDD is typically diagnosed with a medical history and a physical exam, so if you are experiencing any aches and pains out of the ordinary, visit Dr. Kent Carlomagno at Summit Chiropractic Health and Longevity Center, today to determine if Chiropractic care can offset the results of diminished height due to disc bulging.

Spinal discs are soft, compressible discs that separate the vertebrae that make up the spine. The discs act as shock absorbers for the spine, allowing it to flex, bend, and twist. Symptoms of DDD are most commonly concentrated in the low back or neck, depending on where the degenerated discs are. Where the pain occurs depends on the location of the affected disc. Common symptoms include pain that ranges from nagging to severe and disabling and periods of severe pain that come and go, lasting from a few days to a few months. Treatments that Dr. Kent Carlomagno may recommend include physical therapy and exercises for strengthening and stretching the back.

If this condition sounds all too familiar, please give us a call to discuss your treatment options. To learn more about the conditions we treat and the services we provide at Summit Chiropractic Health and Longevity Center, visit www.summitchiro.net for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kent Carlomagno in San Rafael, CA, call 415-721-7520.

Tips for Perfect Posture

The term posture is used to describe how your body is positioned when you’re sitting, standing and laying down. When you practice correct posture, your body is in alignment with itself and this can prevent common problems such as back or neck pain, headaches, and much more. At Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center, we have a variety of techniques and methods to correct your posture, but we would like to share some tips to help you maintain a correct standing posture on a daily basis.

• Imagine that a string is attached to the top of your head and pulling you upwards. The idea is to keep your body in perfect alignment, maintaining the spine’s natural curvature, neck straight, Chin slightly dipped and shoulders parallel with the hips.


• To stand correctly, you should always keep your shoulders back and relaxed while pulling in your abdomen and keeping your feet about hip distance apart.


• Balance your weight evenly on both feet and try not to tilt your head forward, backwards or sideways. Finally, you should always keep your legs very slightly bent, but your feet relaxed.

If you wish to improve your posture, please give us a call to discuss your treatment options. To learn about the services we provide at our office, visitwww.summitchiro.net for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kent Carlomagno in San Rafael, CA, call 415-721-7520. 

Peripheral Neuropathy Diagnosis and Treatment

I’ve talked about peripheral neuropathy just a short while ago.  Since I frequently receive questions on my neuropathy program -- and since more and more people affected by this condition (small fiber) are now turning to chiropractic care for help-- I thought I should go into a few of the specifics when it comes to diagnosing and treating peripheral neuropathy with natural, drug-free treatments.  At Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center, I offer diagnostic tools and customized treatment programs that have helped many of my patients manage and prevent the advance of their peripheral neuropathy symptoms.  Here’s a brief overview of our peripheral neuropathy diagnosis and treatment program.

While some neuropathy patients of mine have already received a diagnosis when they come to see me, many others are only aware that they experience a sharp, burning and tingling pain.  This pain usually starts in the feet and runs up the patient’s body. These pains are often increased when subjected to touch and increases or decreases in temperature. When a patient describes this and other physical symptoms that are in line with the condition, I typically begin the diagnostic process. Diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy usually a series of specific test that show me more about the patient’s reflexes, nerves, posture, and coordination.  Nerve function tests and an ENFD (Epidermal Nerve Fiber Density) testing may be performed, especially if small fiber neuropathy is suspected.  This diagnostic process gives insight into the specific type of neuropathy affecting the patient.  Such specifics are easily overlooked in the large fiber neuropathy diagnosis, which makes it difficult to implement an effective treatment.

Once we determine the nature of the patient’s specific type of neuropathy, I’m able to create a neuropathy treatment program.  Individual programs are designed with three specific points in mind.  The first being the type of neuropathy to be treated, followed by the underlying biological and lifestyle factors that may have contributed to the presence of the neuropathy, and finally, the current condition and lifestyle needs of the patient.  One or a combination of resources I offer at Summit Chiropractic andLongevity Center is then utilized to help the patient overcome their pain and manage their condition—all without the use of drugs or invasive procedures.  Such resources include cold laser therapy and vibration, to help soothe and stimulate the patient’s internal tissues. Aid with dietary, lifestyle modification and fitness improvements may also be implemented to control and inhibit the spread of neuropathy’s symptoms to other parts of the body.

For any of my readers who want to learn more about how I naturally and effectively treat peripheral neuropathy with your overall wellness in mind, I invite your calls and questions. Contact me directly at my chiropractic and longevity center in San Rafael, CA. by visiting my website www.summitchiro.net or calling 415-721-7520.

A New Neuropathy Treatment for an Increasingly Common Condition

A number of patients come to me seeking treatment of neuropathy.  Some have been specifically diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, a disease of the peripheral nervous system, while many others describe their experience with a series of symptoms that clearly point to this painful, sometimes inhibiting condition.  Unfortunately, peripheral neuropathy appears to be affecting more and more people, which likely results from growing population of Americans over fifty, the increasing prominence of diabetes, poor diet, excessive use of medication, and exposure to chemicals and pollutants causing internal inflammation within the body.  Sciatica, immune disorders, various infections, acute alcoholism are among many other factors that play a role in the presence of peripheral neuropathy.  For patients who are suffering from symptoms of this condition, and for those who have either found no success with conventional medicine and medications, and for those who are simply looking for a better more natural solution to alleviate their pain and discomfort, I offer a new neuropathy treatment at Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center.

My new neuropathy treatment involves no medications. Instead, it is a natural, healthy approach that utilizes many of the wellness and longevity services I offer at my practice.  The goal of this new treatment is to relieve and prevent the painful tingling, burning and shock sensations that most patients by stabilizing and rebuilding injured and inflamed nerves patients will start to feel improvement on their feet, and then gradually, upward, through the rest of their body.  Once this uncomfortable and inhibiting effect is eased, I gradually work with my patient to help them restore their mobility and energy.  I also help them in making dietary, physical and therapeutic changes that can prevent further advancement of peripheral neuropathy’s effects and aid them in achieving an overall natural wellness and renewal that I strive to enable in all my patients.

If you or someone you care about is affected by peripheral neuropathy or similar symptoms, I invite you to reach out to me to see if my new neuropathy treatment and peripheral neuropathy diagnostic tools can help. Find out and to learn more, please view the Neuropathy Program information on my website, or contact me directly at my chiropractic and longevity center in San Rafael, CA. You can call us at 415-721-7520.