Stiff Neck

At the Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center in San Rafael, we want our patients to know we can use chiropractic to provide them with safe, fast pain relief from a stiff neck. But we also want them to know more about this condition so that they can avoid its most common causes.

Neck stiffness is often related to the levator scapulae muscle. It is what connects the cervical vertebrae to the shoulders and can become strained through repetitive motions such as the way swimmers turn their heads with each stroke or extended overhead lifting. It can also be impacted through repetitive straining thus causing misalignments of the cervical and upper thoracic vertebrae and suffer overuse as a result of people looking downward at a screen too much or thrusting their heads into an unnatural position. Some examples of the latter include sleeping on the front, which pushes the head back and resting the chin on the palm.

We can treat a stiff neck with adjustments, microcurrents, cryo/halotherapy and cold laser treatment. But first, the patient will need to undergo a thorough examination so we may be sure of the cause of their discomfort. In rare cases usually accompanied by fever symptoms, neck pain can also be due to bacterial infection.

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 Summit Chiro and fill out a contact sheet.

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.

Sleep Positions for Better Rest

Can the way you sleep contribute to subluxations? Most people don’t think about how long they may be holding a strenuous pose every night, but at the Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center, we often see them suffering from the results.

People commonly have difficulty gaining restful sleep for two reasons: strain on the musculoskeletal system and obstructed airways. A person who sleeps on their back with a pillow under their head is keeping their spinal system in optimal alignment. Their lungs can expand freely and their limbs aren’t under any pressure. However, gravity is working against their throats, which can restrict airflow and is a common cause of snoring.

Sleeping on the front is the worst position for spinal health. The lumber vertebrae are left unsupported and stretched out while the head is pushed backward and sideways. People who sleep this way commonly suffer from back aches and neck aches, but they continue to do so because it feels easiest on their nasal and throat passages. Sleeping on the side is usually the easiest way to balance the musculoskeletal system’s needs with ease of breathing. Many people find that keeping a pillow between their knees prevents them from rolling over and suffering strain to their hips and knees.

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.

Neck Pain Causes and Treatment

Neck pain is a chronic condition that millions of Americans live with on a daily basis. In most cases, neck pain is caused by an injury such as whiplash, but there can be many other causes to this pain. Your neck, also called the cervical spine, begins at the base of your skull and contains seven small vertebrae. While your neck can move in nearly every direction, this flexibility makes your neck very susceptible to pain and injury.

You can sustain whiplash anytime there is a sudden acceleration-deceleration force that causes the rapid forward and backward movement of the head and neck. This can occur during a car accident or even during contact sports. While most people involved in a car accident recover quickly without and chronic pain, some will experience symptoms for years after the injury.

Though whiplash is one of the most common causes of neck pain, there are also other factors that can play into your pain:

• Old age – degenerative disorders like osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease affect the spine as your grow older


• Daily life – having poor posture, being obese or having weak abdominal muscles can disrupt spinal balance causing neck pain


• Injury – when you make a sudden move involving your neck , your muscles react by tightening and contracting, causing muscle fatigue which can result in pain and stiffness

During your procedure, Dr. Carlomagno will perform exams to locate the source of your pain. Once determined, Dr. Carlomagno will either perform neck adjustments in order to improve the mobility of the spine and restore range of motion. Neck adjustments can also increate movement of the adjoining muscles, improving back function altogether. 

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.

Treat Your Neck Pain at Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center

The muscles that make up our necks are used constantly throughout the day, and when the movement of these muscles is inhibited, it can be incredibly frustrating and painful. Whether the pain is chronic or the result of a recent accident, patients shouldn’t try to tough out their neck pain.  At our practice in San Rafael, CA, Dr. Kent Carlomagno can treat your pain and improve your overall quality of life with chiropractic care.

Neck pain can be caused by a variety of factors, including trauma from an accident or unnecessary stress and strain on the muscles due to poor posture. Whether your neck pain is a result of spinal misalignment from daily activity or from an auto accident, we can help. Using his hands, Dr. Carlomagno will adjust your spine with quick movements that move the vertebrae back in place. This removes interference to your body’s natural healing ability and allows it to start functioning more efficiently. Additionally, chiropractic treatment can remove some of the strain placed on your neck muscles, alleviating any pain.

To find relief from pain, you can schedule an appointment at Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center by calling (415) 721-7520. For more information, please visit www.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.

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  

The Nervous System Connection

How would you describe your mental connection with all that surrounds you? Are you in tune with who and what you interact with in your environment? If you ever feel what many people call “mental exhaustion” it should surprise you to know that focus requires energy and intention, which can become depleted and replenished like other forms of energy. Since the amount energy you have at a given time can be considered finite, how you choose to distribute that energy plays a big role into what you gain in return. The more passionate or attracted you are to something the more likely you are to do well at it or succeed in learning it.  This may seem obvious, but if you’re not getting what you want out of life, or if you feel you’re not reaching your full potential for success, consider how you’re interacting with environment, what you’re focused on and how your nervous system not only connects across your body, it connects you to the outside world.

Yours in health,

Dr. Kent G. Carlomagno, D.C.

Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center

Mental Energy, Focus and Balance

In exploring the mind body connection, it’s important to assess your state of mental energy and focus.  As your read these words, pause for a moment and ask yourself:  Is your energy in high state, a centered and calm state, or low energy state? The answer is directly related to a very unique part of the brain known as reticular formation. The brain’s reticular formation in located in the brainstem in a group of nerve fibers.  This part of the nervous system has influence on positive and negative mental stimulus and deals with a number of functions that include motor function, awareness, attention, arousal and cardiac reflexes.

Yours in health,

Dr. Kent G. Carlomagno, D.C.

Summit Chiropractic and Longevity Center  

Source: http://biology.about.com/library/organs/brain/blreticular.htm