CHIROCARELA.COM: Blog

Of all the things we can do to maintain total body wellness, one of the most important is keeping our cores strong. This isn’t just a matter of liking the way we look or being in competitive athletic shape; our core muscles provide critical support to our spines and hip bones. At ChiroCareLA in Glendale, Dr. Jack Alajajian and his team are committed to helping our patients sustain wellness over the course of their lives, and for that, it’s necessary to understand some basic aspects of the core and how to care for it.   The muscles of our abdomen are made up of several layers that are all shaped differently. The deepest core muscle is the transverse abdominis, which wraps around our visceral organs in horizontal bands. The internal and external oblique muscles are on the sides of the trunk and are involved with rotating it and bending the spine. The rectus abdominis muscle is the one on the front that forms the “abs” and connects to the sternum. It helps to stabilize the trunk, but keep...

Neck pain happens, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with it forever. With some lifestyle adjustments you can prevent neck pain altogether. Dr. Alajajian and his staff, located in Glendale, CA, take pride in educating patients about good spinal health. Since many of our patients experience neck pain, it's important to take a step back and see what causes it. Only then can you take the necessary steps to treat and ultimately prevent your neck pain! Prevent neck pain by: - Sleeping on your back - Drinking plenty of water - Making sure you are using a comfortable and supported pillow - Making sure your computer monitor is at eye level - When texting, keeping your mobile phone at eye level, taking breaks, or using talk-text - When making a phone call, using a headset or earpiece - Stretching, exercising, and strengthening your neck muscles - Carrying weight on your person so that it is evenly distributed - Practicing a supportive posture (no slumping or hunching!) - Holding your ...

We at ChiroCareLA in Glendale, CA, understand that accidents happen. A slip, bump, fall, or another sudden trauma has the ability to cause subluxation, a misalignment in your spine. When or if an accident occurs, Dr. Alajajian and his staff are readily available to get you on a personalized treatment plan. While the main goal is to correct the misalignment of your vertebrae and alleviate discomfort, we also work to prevent future subluxations by building up your spinal health.   If you are experiencing subluxation, symptoms include:   - Swelling - Numbness and tingling - Limited mobility - Pain or discomfort - Degeneration of surrounding muscles, nerves, and bones   Did you know that subluxation is a partial dislocation of the spinal cord? You can probably guess that the pain is no walk in the park. Subluxations are identified through a chiropractic exam, which consists of manual palpation and x-rays. During the manual exam, Dr. Alajajian will check the alignment of your pelvis, join...

Neck pain happens, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with it forever. With some lifestyle adjustments, you can prevent neck pain altogether. Dr. Alajajian and staff take pride in educating our patients about good spinal health. Since many of our patients experience neck pain, it's important to take a step back and see what is causing it. Only then can you take the necessary steps to prevent it! Tips to prevent neck pain: - Sleep on your back - Drink plenty of water - Make sure you are using a comfortable and supported pillow - Make sure your computer monitor is at eye level - When using your mobile phone for texting, keep it at eye level, take breaks, or use talk-text - When using your mobile phone for making calls, use a headset or earpiece - Stretch, exercise, and strengthen your neck muscles - Carry weight on your person so that it is evenly distributed - Practice a supportive posture (no slumping or hunching!) - Hold your phone at a distance rather than right in front of ...

Have you ever accidentally contorted your body in a strange way that resulted in a sharp pain that decreased mobility in your neck or arm? You might have experienced a pinched nerve. Pinched nerves can occur anywhere along the spine, including the upper, mid, and lower back. They can even happen in any joint of your body. Dr. Alajajian and staff know all about the dreaded pinched nerve and how painful it can make doing the simplest tasks. Sometimes the nerve can move back into place naturally. However, if the pinched nerve is severe enough, you will need spinal adjustments to correct it. Symptoms of a pinched nerve include: - Lower back pain - Numbness, tingling, or burning sensation in your arms, legs, fingers, or toes - Pain radiating along your spine - Severe headaches or migraines - Pain that shoots down your arm or leg - Neck pain A pinched nerve can be caused by subluxation, disc degeneration, osteoarthritis, or disc herniation. These are silent afflictions in their beginning st...

When you combine poor posture, stress, and constant errand-running (which definitely causes stress), a tension headache can happen out of the blue. This is a signal that your body is taking on a lot at once! There are many other things that can bring on a tension headache, such as constantly looking down at your phone, staring at a screen all day, or driving for several hours without rest. Dr. Alajajian and staff feel that it’s important to recognize what your body is telling you and then take care of your body accordingly.   There are two types of tension headaches: chronic and episodic. Chronic tension headaches happen frequently, with pain developing on both sides of the head, the forehead, and at the base of the skull. Our chiropractic treatments can help decrease the severity and frequency since these headaches are more associated with tightness and misalignment in the neck vertebrae. Episodic tension headaches occur from stressful events and can often be treated with over-the-c...

If you are suffering from constant headaches and neck pain, it’s possible that you have lost the natural curve in your neck. A “straight neck” can be caused by a sedentary lifestyle, hunching over devices, a car accident or the normal process of aging. Dr. Alajajian and staff are proud to be the only chiropractic clinic in the Glendale area to offer spine remodeling with iTrac, a new technology that restores the neck curve. The loss of neck curvature can cause numerous other health problems as well. Pressure is put on other areas of the spine due to neck straightening, which increases the risk of degenerated discs. Research has also shown that the straightening of the neck and spine can affect blood flow to the brain. Dr. Alajajian and staff use iTrac in three simple steps: First, we slowly stretch the muscles and ligaments in the front of your neck. Stretching occurs during each treatment over a prescribed amount of time. Eventually, the soft tissues begin to lengthen, restoring the ...

Back pain is one of the most common reasons people go to the doctor or miss work. It’s also one of the most common problems our patients here at ChiroCareLA.com experience. Dr. Jack Alajajian can help you identify any signs and symptoms of back pain.  Most of these include muscle ache, shooting or stabbing pain, pain that radiates down the leg and limited range of motion. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, reach out for treatment. Dr. Alajajian provides a physical examination along with using imaging technology like x-rays in order to accurately pinpoint what is causing your pain. Don’t wait until the pain worsens.   There are two forms of back pain to watch out for. There is acute back pain, which comes on suddenly. This pain can last from a few days to a few weeks. This pain can become chronic if it lasts continuously for more than three months. When visiting ChiroCareLA.com for your back pain, Dr. Alajajian can examine your back and assess your ability to sit, stand, wal...