Sitting Positions for Less Back Pain

Chiropractic care is typically sought out by people seeking relief from neck or back pain.  At Dr. Kent Carlomagno’s Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center, we treat patients and relieve pain, but patient self-care is just as important for their continued health. Simple changes to everyday habits can help you live a pain-free life.  So many of us spend hours each day sitting, between working at computer desks, watching TV, and commuting to work. All of this sitting can cause back pain, making it the most common reason patients visit the chiropractor.  Making a few adjustments to how you sit can ease this stress, help alleviate back pain, and minimize future visits.

Believe it or not, you’ll put less stress on your back when you don’t sit up straight. Leaning back just enough so that your thighs are at a 135-degree angle with your torso is an optimal seated position for preventing back pain. Long periods of sitting are what really increase the risk of muscle pulls, strains, and cramps. So if you don’t have time to walk around and stretch at work, try switching between sitting and standing, and look for opportunities to lean back a little!  

If you suffer from back pain, please give us a call to discuss your treatment options. To learn more about all the treatments available at the practice, visit SummitChiro.net for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kent Carlomagno at Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center at 710 C Street, Suite #12, San Rafael, California, 94901 call 415-721-7520.

Tailbone Injuries

At Dr. Kent Carlomagno’s Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center in San Rafael, we use non-invasive chiropractic techniques to treat a variety of back and nerve problems. A problem in the spine can have repercussions elsewhere in the body, and that’s especially true of problems in the lower back. Today, we’ll look at the lowest part of the back of all: the coccyx.

The coccyx is also known as the tailbone, but it’s actually a fusion of several vertebrae. It’s relatively rare for it to get bruised or broken, but it can be as the result of biking or horseback riding accidents or problems during pregnancy. When the coccyx is in pain, we call that coccydynia. A pinched nerve in this location can cause symptoms of sciatica, including incontinence, sexual dysfunction, and pain or tingling in one or both legs.

It will take some time for a coccyx injury to heal naturally, during which the patient will be in discomfort. We aim to reduce their pain through means such as adjustments and therapeutic pelvic floor exercises. We can also recommend specialty cushions or wedges that are easier to sit on for a person who is avoiding putting pressure on their tailbone.

Dr. Kent Carlomagno operates Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center at 710 C Street, Suite #12, San Rafael, California, 94901. To schedule an appointment, call 415-721-7520 or visit SummitChiro.net and fill out a contact sheet.

Biking Comfort

Back pain and injuries are the most common health complaint among cyclists. At Dr. Kent Carlomagno’s Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center in San Rafael, our philosophy is to focus on prevention, so we want all our cyclists to know how they can reduce their chances of strains and misalignments.

It is of crucial importance for the bike to be fitted to the rider. The handlebars shouldn’t be too low and they shouldn’t be so far forward that the rider has to stretch out to reach them. However, back pain is common even among professional cyclists who don’t have any problem getting their bikes fitted. This is usually due to lack of core strength. As cyclists become tired, their spinal posture gets worse, putting extra strain on their lower backs and necks.

Regular core strengthening exercises are an important means of reducing back pain. It is also important for the rider to be flexible, particularly in the hamstring area. Other changes will be more specific to the rider’s style; for example, Bigger tires n wheels are better shock absorbers but less desirable for racing. If possible, it is a good idea to change postures frequently while riding and to not sit for too long at work or home, either.

Dr. Kent Carlomagno operates Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center at 710 C Street, Suite #12, San Rafael, California, 94901. To schedule an appointment, call 415-721-7520 or visit SummitChiro.net and fill out a contact sheet.

Backpack Safety

Now that children are back in school, most of them are using backpacks on a daily basis. This is a good time for a reminder from Dr. Kent Carlomagno on how to use backpacks safely, in order to avoid unnecessary strains and potential accidents.

A backpack should only weigh about 15% of its wearer’s body weight, at most. Tell your children not to put things they won’t really need it. Most children’s class schedules will have settled down enough by this point for them to plan which items to swap out during passing periods, so ask them if they’re remembering to do so. Backpacks should also be worn at the center of the back. Children should tighten the straps if it is hanging over their lower back, but not so much they cut off circulation to their arms.

It is certainly better to use a backpack than a shoulder bag or large purse that concentrates weight on one side of the body, but the weight in the backpack has to be evenly distributed and both straps should be used. It’s best to use a backpack with a chest strap and to select the smallest one possible. Make sure your kids use proper lifting techniques while putting the backpack on and removing it, and ask them if they have tingling or numbness or nerve pain from vertical weight pressure in their limbs if it looks like they’re struggling under its weight.

Dr. Kent Carlomagno operates Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center at 710 C Street, Suite #12, San Rafael, California, 94901. To schedule an appointment, call 415-721-7520 or visit SummitChiro.net and fill out a contact sheet.

Spinal Decompression Therapy

Spinal decompression may sound painful, but it’s actually quite the opposite. The goal of spinal decompression therapy is to relieve pain and promote optimal healing for bulging, degenerating, or herniated discs. Dr. Kent Carlomagno of Summit Chiropractic Health and Longevity Center uses this nonsurgical method to help patient’s return to their daily activities, pain-free.

Spinal decompression therapy uses a traction device placed on a table and involves stretching the spine, with the goal of relieving back and leg pain. At Summit Chiropractic Health and Longevity Center, Dr. Kent Carlomagno utilizes Posture Pro spinal decompression therapy, a state-of-the-art treatment for neck pain relief, sciatica relief, and much more. PP therapy uses gentle forces, to improve blood flow and nutrient exchange to an injured area. Therapy sessions typically last less than 20 minutes and Dr. Carlomagno will create an individualized treatment plan that is attentive to your needs.

If you have questions or concerns about spinal decompression, please give us a call. 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.

Why People Stoop as They Age

New patients at the Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center commonly wonder why it is that people tend to bend forward as they age. While there are a few different causes, osteoporosis is the most common reason.

Osteoporosis is the weakening of bone tissue, which makes it more vulnerable to small fractures. As vertebrae crack, they collapse, causing the patient to lose height. Usually, the cracks are small enough that the patient will not feel as though they have broken a bone, although they may experience some discomfort. A few stress fractures won’t cause the patient to stoop much, but people who experience one fracture are at a high risk for others.

People who stoop over commonly develop difficulty breathing and walking. Practicing good posture is an important compensatory measure, but getting proper nutrition is essential for preventing osteoporosis. As part of our anti-aging regimen of treatments, we offer vitamin supplements and nutritional counseling. We also use chiropractic to provide patients with several means of relieving pain from stress fractures.

Weight bearing, impact exercise is a key ingredient throughout life to maintain healthy bone matrix.

Dr. Kent Carlomagno operates Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center at 710 C Street, Suite #12, San Rafael, California, 94901. To schedule an appointment, call 415-721-7520 or visit SummitChiro.net and fill out a contact sheet.

Self-Care for Back and Neck Pain

Almost everybody who experiences tight shoulders and neck accompanied with tension headaches knows how unpleasant the pain can be. Here at Summit Chiropractic Health and Longevity Center, we offer a variety of treatments to treat your back and neck pain. However, when you can’t make it to the office, here are some self-care tips to keep your discomfort under control.

1. Take it easy – contrary to popular belief, studies on acute back pain actually show that a few days of restricting your activity, and taking the appropriate over-the-counter medication, is all that many people need to allow the strained muscles to relax and unwind.


2. Ice, then heat – Ice and heat can alleviate local pain that comes from muscle and ligament strain. Ice slows swelling and inflammation and using heat afterward increases blood flow to the deep tissues and relaxes muscle spasms.


3. Massage -- if you have a willing companion, gentle massage may provide some relief by stretching tight muscles and ligaments.


4. Get into see your Chiropractor ASAP and or make an appointment with Dr. Carlomagno to get your nervous system checked to remove nerve irritation/impingement and hasten the healing response by a Chiropractic adjustment!

If you are suffering from back and neck pain, 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.

The Reality of Back Pain

Back pain is extremely common. In fact, 80% of people will have significant back pain at some point in their life. In addition, the experience of back pain can be very complex as symptoms vary from individual to individual. If you have pain that is interfering with your ability to complete your daily activities it is advisable to seek help right away before the pain grows worse. An accurate diagnosis of the source of your back pain requires a combination of Dr. Kent Carlomagno’s findings from your medical history and physical exam.

To stay healthy, the spine needs regular Chiropractic adjustments a regimen of stretching, strengthening and aerobic conditioning exercises. While it’s true that well-conditioned individuals are less likely to have an episode of back pain than sedentary individuals, back pain can affect all people regardless of activity levels. However, an overall sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise leads to lack of strength and flexibility and generally does more harm than good.

If you are experiencing back pain of any kind, please give us a call. To learn more about the conditions we treat and the services we provide at Summit Chiropractic 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.

First Visit

When you come into our office, we want you to be comfortable. If you’ve never been to a chiropractor, you should know what to expect when you visit our beautiful Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center facility in San Rafael, CA. Our staff has trained extensively in the care of patients and our chiropractor, Dr. Kent G. Carlomagno has over 20 years of chiropractic experience. He specializes in helping people regain their spinal health, including care of difficult, chronic and acute injuries.

Before you even come in for your appointment, make sure to visit our website for information about all the services and technologies we offer at Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center. You’ll also find useful information about general chiropractic care and you can even download pre-appointment forms to fill out before you come to our office, this means less time in the waiting room! Dr. Carlomagno is a dedicated doctor who was inspired to become a chiropractor after suffering life-altering injuries that resulted from a car accident. 

We want to make your first appointment as relaxing as possible. While many believe that chiropractic adjustments are painful, you should know that these adjustments are not painful, in fact, they can be quite soothing. Dr. Carlomagno maintains that he’s not healing patients; he’s just making the adjustments that help the body heal itself. With that in mind, remember that you’re coming in to relieve your pain, so any procedure that Dr. Carlomagno performs will go towards alleviating your pain. It doesn’t matter if you have headaches, stress related symptoms or you hurt your back walking down the stairs, Dr. Carlomagno is there to hear your concerns and relieve you of your pain.

If you would like to come in for an appointment, please give us a call or visit www.summitchiro.net for more information. We hope to see you soon!

Disc Herniation is San Rafael, CA

Many of our patients who seek out chiropractic care at Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center in San Rafael, CA do so for a herniated disc in their spine. While commonly referred to as a slipped disc, this condition actually occurs when the disc—the soft cushion between each of the vertebrae in your spine—ruptures or splits. This can happen as a part of a natural degeneration over time, if the discs become dehydrated and brittle or due to an auto accident. Whichever the reason, Dr. Kent Carlomagno can use chiropractic methods to treat the condition in a safe and non-invasive manner.

If you are experiencing neck pain, back pain, stiffness, tingling, weakness or other symptoms that a doctor has diagnosed as a symptom of a disc herniation, receiving chiropractic treatment can help alleviate your pain and increase your body’s ability to heal itself. Typically, treatment involves manual manipulation and adjustment of the spine. Dr. Carlomagno does this by using his hands to gently flex the spinal to stimulate the surrounding nerves and tissue that are causing the pain. This will help increase range of motion and decrease pain and other symptoms of a herniated disc. When the spine is aligned properly, it is able to function at its highest level, which benefits the rest of your body.

If you’ve hurt your back in an accident or if you’re suffering from natural disc degeneration, you don’t have to rely on painkillers or resort to surgery to relieve your pain. With the help of chiropractic, you can relieve your pain and heal naturally. Call (415) 721-7520 to schedule an appointment. For more information, please visit www.summitchiro.net.

DTS Therapy Instead in San Raphael, CA

Virtually every movement we make uses our back muscles or those adjoining them, which means that any injury to our back can be unbearable. When suffering from a back injury, you may experience numbness, weakness and reduced function in your limbs, and this can interfere with the quality of your daily life. If physical therapy hasn’t worked to remove your pain and surgery seems like it might be your only option, Dr. Kent Carlomagno can help. Whether you are suffering from lower back pain, sciatica, a pinched nerve, neck pain or degenerative discs, DTS therapy may provide the relief you are looking for while providing an alternative to surgery.

DTS therapy uses gentle forces to decompress the spine and improve blood flow and nutrient exchange in the injured area. Therapy usually spans less than 20 minutes, three times a week for a month before transitioning from passive to active treatment. In the beginning, therapy consists of several cycles of stretch and relaxation, and many patients find relief in as few as six to 10 treatments. Most are released from treatment after eight weeks.

At Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center, we combine DTS therapy with exercise and other complementary therapies to accelerate healing and alleviate pain. These therapies include heat, muscle stimulation, ultrasound and cold therapy. Our goal is to not only help your spinal discs heal but also to enhance your muscles’ control and support of your back and neck.

To schedule an appointment at in San Raphael, CA, call (415) 721-7520. For more information, please visit www.summitchiro.net.

Hip Pain

Hip pain is a common condition that is experienced by our patients, though there are many different areas of the hip that are causing the pain. Some causes of hip pain we see include arthritis, bursitis, and fractures of the hip, tendon strain and muscle strain. Dr. Kent Carlomagno here at Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center provides chiropractic care to help relieve the pain and prevent further damage to the hip joint. In many situations, the hip pain is a result of the body being out of alignment.

 

The symptoms of hip pain not only include pain and stiffness in the hip, but also in the following areas of the body:

• Thigh
• Groin
• Buttocks
• Inside the hip joint
• Outside the hip joint

Chiropractic care helps our patients with hip pain through adjustments and manipulations, massage and preventative care. We locate the cause of the pain and use that to determine the best available treatment. We assess each case individually and work to prevent further pain episodes as much as possible. 

Neck Pain

Here at Summit Chiropractic, we believe in healing the body, not just one ailment. But many times patients see us for localized pain and discomfort, such as neck pain, and it is our first priority to treat that condition first. By treating this area, the rest of the body also starts healing thanks to better balance and harmony. Unfortunately, neck pain is a common complaint with our patients, as it can result from injuries or repetitive motions and strain.

 

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the following causes can lead to neck pain:

• Bad posture
• Bending over for long periods of time
• Whiplash and vehicle accidents
• Sleeping in the wrong position
• Turning or twisting
• Sprains
• Medical conditions
• Infection or cancer of the spine

Pain medications only relieve the pain and discomfort for a short period of time, and it typically returns in a few hours. With chiropractic care provided by Dr. Kent Carlomagno, patients are addressing the cause of their neck pain, not just covering up the discomfort. This provides them with a long-term solution toward balancing their spine’s vertebrae and improving the pain continuously. 

Personal Injury

A personal injury is defined as bodily harm caused by an accident or a mishap outside of work. These types of injuries can be incredibly painful and disruptive to your life, especially if you do not receive proper medical attention. In the case of a personal injury, seeing a chiropractor may prove essential to full recovery, since chiropractic often treats underlying issues that traditional medicine either misses or chooses not treat until it worsens. At our office in San Rafael, CA, Dr. Kent Carlomagno uses a variety of chiropractic and holistic practices to help his patients heal, and he can help you regain your quality of life after a personal injury.

The difference between treating the symptoms of an injury and fixing the underlying cause is the difference between temporary pain and a chronic issue. By using chiropractic adjustments and other holistic methods, Dr. Carlomagno can increase your wellness and treat what medicine often can’t.

Chiropractic is known to help a variety of injuries and disorders by treating the spine, the nervous system and muscles directly. The alignment of the body is also addressed, which has a profound effect on the entire body. By removing impairments form the nervous system, such as subluxations and misalignment, the body is able to communicate between its systems better and heal itself from injuries and ailments. From slip and fall injuries to joint, back and neck pain, chiropractic treatment and physical therapy can help you recover from your work injuries.

If you’re suffering from a personal injury, don’t let it permanently alter your quality of life. At Summit Chiropractic and Longevity, we can help put you back on the path toward regaining your quality of life. To schedule an appointment, call (415) 721-7520. For more information, visit www.summitchiro.net.

Chiropractic and Scoliosis

The spine is comprised of 24 small vertebrae: seven in the neck, 12 in the thoracic or middle back and five in the lower back—and when viewed from behind, these vertebrae stack up to form a straight line. While everyone’s spine usually curves slightly to the right or left or even twists in one or more of the vertebrae, if the curving or twisting is excessive, it is called scoliosis.  

In most cases of scoliosis, 85 to 90 percent, the cause is unknown and the condition is called AIS, adult idiopathic scoliosis. To treat this type of scoliosis, orthodox medicine has tried wrapping the torso in plaster casts, straightening the spine with rods and metal restraints and using electrical stimulation, but these methods are often overused and ineffective in the long run.

However, with new research on scoliosis showing that a disturbance or defect in the part of the nervous system that controls posture is a contributing factor in the condition, chiropractic treatment for scoliosis has become more valid than ever.

Chiropractors do not treat disease, but they do treat spinal nerve stress, which can interfere with proper nervous system function. By removing stress on the spine and nervous system, the body is able to resist disease of all kind, and recent studies suggest that scoliosis is included.

Clinical studies have shown that chiropractic has decent results in controlling, reducing and correcting scoliosis, and at Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center, Dr. Kent Carlomagno has had success in helping his patients who suffer from the condition.

To schedule an appointment with our San Raphael office, call (415) 721-7520. For more information, visit www.SummitChiro.net.

DTS Therapy Instead of Surgery

Virtually every movement of the body uses the back muscles or those adjoining them, which makes back injuries incredibly debilitating. Those who suffer from back injuries often experience numbness, weakness and reduced function in their limbs, which can interfere with daily life. If physical therapy hasn’t worked to remove your pain and surgery seems like it might be your only option, Dr. Kent Carlomagno can help. Whether you are suffering from lower back pain, sciatica, a pinched nerve, neck pain or degenerative discs, DTS therapy may provide the relief you are looking while providing an alternative to surgery.

DTS therapy uses gentle forces to decompress the spine, improving blood flow and nutrient exchange in the injured area. Therapy usually spans less than 20 minutes, three times a week for a month before transitioning from passive to active treatment. In the beginning, therapy consists of several cycles of stretch and relaxation, and many patients find relief in as few as six to 10 treatments. Most are released from treatment after eight weeks.

Along with therapy, we use exercise and complementary therapies, including heat, muscle stimulation, ultrasound and cold therapy, to accelerate healing and alleviate pain. Our goal is to not only help your spinal discs heal but also to enhance your muscles’ control and support of your back and neck.

To schedule an appointment at Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center in San Raphael, CA, call (415) 721-7520. For more information, visitwww.SummitChiro.net.

Heal with Microcurrent Therapy

Microcurrent therapy uses low-level electrical currents to heal the body and relieve pain in the soft tissues. Short therapy sessions are excellent for facilitating the healing of both acute and chronic pains. At Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center, we use this type of therapy as a compliment to chiropractic for increasing a patient’s overall health and rate of healing while decreasing pain and rate of illness and injury.

Each tissue in your body has its own electrical frequency, which can be disrupted by an injury. Microcurrent therapy alleviates pain and inflammation and helps the tissue heal by restoring its normal frequency within the cells by sending a very small amount of current to the injured area. If you are suffering from muscle spasms, the current can help relax the muscle and return it to its normal state. The therapy also increases protein synthesis and ATP, which is the energy that fuels biochemical function at the cellular level. Both help accelerate healing.  

Treatment usually involves several sessions and can benefits a range of conditions, from arthritis, headaches, fibromyalgia, headaches and neck pain to neuropathy, sciatica, shingles, slow-healing wounds, tendon and ligament pain and back pain.  

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kent Carlomagno in San Rafael, CA, call (415) 721-7520. For more information, visit www.SummitChiro.net.

Cold Laser Therapy

Cold laser therapy is a great tool for the treatment of pain and inflammation and is commonly used for those who have suffered an injury through athletic activity. Laser therapy does not involve taking medications in order to cure patients of chronic pain. Dr. Kent Carlomagno has adopted this new technology in order to better treat his patients at our San Rafael, CA practice, Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center.

 

This is a non-invasive procedure that uses red and near-infrared light to enhance the body’s natural healing process. The light source is placed in contact with your skin, allowing the light energy to penetrate tissues where it increases circulation and helps restore normal cell function. Before recommending patients utilize cold laser therapy, Dr. Carlomagno will confirm that the issue is pain from a conditions caused by aging, injury or genetics.

 

This FDA-approved treatment has no known negative side effects. Dr. Carlomagno will locate the exact position, cause, degree and frequency of your pain in order to select the appropriate treatment protocol. When it comes to treating inflammation, arthritis, tendonitis and sprains cold laser treatment is a great non-invasive option. The treatment causes the smaller arteries and lymph vessels of the body increase in size, known as vasodilation. Vasodilation allows the inflammation and swelling to be cleared away from injury sites quickly and effectively.

 

We recommend cold laser therapy to provide pain relief especially for patients who want to avoid invasive surgery or ineffective drugs. In most cases, patients will need more than one treatment for optimal pain relief. The total number of treatments needed depends on the condition being treated, the severity of the condition, and each patient’s individual response.

 

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kent Carlomagno, call 415-721-7520. Visitwww.summitchiro.net for more information regarding cold laser therapy and other services we offer. 

What’s Your Athletic State?

As an athlete are you in a depleted or a replenished state? Do you feel strained and limited when you performed physically, or do you feel activated and rich with potential energy? If you feel you’ve gone from a replenished to depleted state much faster than in the past, there is a reason for that.  As we age, the ability for the energy chain molecules to replenish themselves retards. Our adrenal system is not so easily activated. So what do you do to regain your high energy potential? Have you assessed your need for adrenal support?

Yours in health,

Dr. Kent G. Carlomagno, D.C.

Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center  

How Much Do You Care About Your Health?

How much do you care about your health? If we were to measure this as a percentage and compare it to the obesity rate here in America, for most people it would only be about 40%. In other words, less than half the population of American is consciously engaging with their health from a proactive, preventative approach. Most Americans look at health from a disease model perspective, as in taking a pill to treat their symptoms rather than maintaining a functional, wellness standpoint, which starts from the inside out. As a result of this attitude, many individuals expect their doctor to be responsible for their health and neglect the opportunity to take control. Relying upon a doctor to take care of your health for you places the burden on someone who cannot possibly be responsible in this matter. So I encourage you to ask yourself this: Are you participatory in caring for your health or reactionary?

Yours in health,

Dr. Kent G. Carlomagno, D.C.

Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center