As handy tools for carrying belongings, backpacks are a staple accessory for students, travelers, professionals, and busy parents. However, improper backpack use can put undue strain on the back, leading to pain and discomfort. This is especially true for individuals with existing musculoskeletal concerns.

At Elevate Wellness Chiropractic, we understand that prevention is key to ensuring a healthy, pain-free back. That’s why we’ve compiled this guide outlining some of the most important factors to consider when choosing a backpack, whether you plan to use it for school, work, or fun.

#1. Prioritize Ergonomics

When shopping for a new backpack, resist the temptation to choose the most stylish option. If your goal is to optimize your spinal health, prioritize ergonomic designs above all else. 

Look for bags specially designed to evenly distribute weight across your back and shoulders. Adjustable padded straps are another essential feature, as they allow you to customize the fit to your body’s unique contours and proportions. Additionally, a padded back panel can provide much-needed cushioning and support against your spine.

#2. Size Matters

Bigger backpacks aren’t always better. If they’re too large, they encourage overpacking, leading to unnecessary strain on your shoulders and back. On the other hand, if they’re too small, you may be forced to cram your items inside, resulting in uneven weight distribution and premature wear and tear on the backpack. 

Opt for a backpack that suits your needs without being oversized. Consider the items you usually carry and choose a bag that can fit them without excess bulk.

#3. Weight Distribution

Even weight distribution is crucial for preventing back pain. When loading your backpack, put heavier items closer to the back and lighter items toward the front. This thoughtful placement helps maintain stability and minimizes strain on your spine. Avoid overloading it with unnecessary items, and reassess the contents periodically to make sure you’re only carrying the things you need.

Always wear your backpack with both straps rather than slinging it over one shoulder. The casual look may make you feel like the coolest kid in school, but only using one strap can wreak havoc on your spine. By leaning to the side to compensate for the uneven weight, you risk experiencing back, shoulder, and neck pain or even developing scoliosis.

#4. Supportive Features

Look for backpacks with additional supportive features designed to enhance spinal health. Hip belts and waist straps transfer some of the weight from your shoulders to your hips, reducing strain on your back muscles. Compression straps secure the contents of your bag and prevent them from shifting during movement, which is especially beneficial for hiking or other outdoor activities. Finally, choose a pack with multiple compartments to help distribute weight more evenly and keep your belongings organized.

#5. Consider Your Lifestyle

Consider how you plan to use your backpack. If you’re a student who’s constantly weighed down by textbooks and needs to protect your laptop, choose an option with padded compartments and a laptop sleeve. Outdoor enthusiasts should opt for a specialized hiking backpack with additional features like external attachment points for gear. When you choose a bag that aligns with your lifestyle, you ensure both functionality and comfort.

#6. Try Before You Buy

Online shopping is undeniably convenient, but when it comes to buying a backpack, it’s best to test it out before making your final decision to ensure it’s comfortable. Place a few items inside, adjust the straps to achieve a snug, supportive fit, and walk around the store to gauge its comfort level. Pay attention to any areas of discomfort, as these may indicate that the backpack is not right for you.

Backpack Causing Pain? We Can Help

Whether you’re a student who has to lug textbooks across campus every day or an outdoor enthusiast who just returned home from a trek through the wilderness, your back, shoulders, and neck may be feeling the effects of heavy lifting. At Elevate Wellness Chiropractic, we are experts in providing targeted adjustments and soft-tissue manipulation to help you find much-needed relief.

Spinal misalignments can have far-reaching effects on the body, so if you’re feeling weighed down by back pain, don’t ignore it. Schedule an appointment with one of our expert chiropractors to restore musculoskeletal alignment and help you live your life free of discomfort. In addition to performing adjustments, our team can also help you prevent future back pain, whether that means developing an at-home exercise plan or helping you choose a more ergonomic backpack.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders can cause pain or discomfort in the jaw and surrounding muscles, often disrupting everyday activities like eating, speaking, and even sleeping. While traditional treatments like medication or surgery may offer relief, they’re not the only option. Chiropractic care is a natural, non-invasive, effective alternative that can address the root cause of TMJ disorders. 

If you’re suffering from a TMJ disorder, keep reading to learn how Elevate Wellness Chiropractic can bring much-needed relief. 

Understanding TMJ Disorders

Before exploring chiropractic interventions for TMJ disorders, let’s talk about the condition itself.

The temporomandibular joint connects your jawbone to either side of your skull, facilitating movements like chewing and speaking. When this joint becomes misaligned or experiences excessive strain, it can lead to TMJ disorders. Common symptoms include:

• Jaw pain: Pain in the jaw area, either persistent or intermittent, often worsened by chewing or jaw movements
• Clicking or popping: Audible grinding, popping, or clicking noises when moving the jaw
• Restricted jaw movement: Difficulty fully opening or closing the mouth accompanied by a sensation of the jaw locking
• Muscle tension: Tightness or tenderness in the jaw muscles, sometimes extending to the face, neck, and shoulders

These symptoms don’t just cause physical discomfort; they can also impact your overall quality of life, making everyday tasks more difficult.

It can be difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of an individual’s TMJ pain, but risk factors such as arthritis, jaw injury, chronic bruxism (tooth grinding), and connective tissue diseases may increase your chances of developing a TMJ disorder.

Chiropractic Care: A Holistic Approach

When considering treatment for TMJ disorders, your first thought may be to talk to your dentist or doctor. While they can undoubtedly help you find relief, don’t discount the power of chiropractic care. 

At Elevate Wellness Chiropractic, we focus on restoring proper alignment and function to the musculoskeletal system, treating a wide range of conditions, including TMJ disorders. By addressing misalignments, relaxing tense muscles, and soothing irritated nerves in the jaw, neck, and spine, our talented chiropractors can alleviate pain and improve jaw mobility without the need for invasive surgical procedures or medications.

Spinal Adjustment

As you probably already know, chiropractors utilize targeted spinal adjustments to realign the vertebrae in the spine. What you might not realize is that these adjustments can have far-reaching effects, benefitting not just the spine but the entire body. By realigning the vertebrae in the cervical spine (neck), chiropractic care promotes optimal nerve function and facilitates healing within the temporomandibular joint.

Jaw Mobilization Techniques

By gently manipulating the jaw joint, chiropractors can improve the range of motion and alleviate the stiffness often associated with TMJ disorders. These jaw mobilization techniques help loosen tight muscles, promote circulation, and reduce inflammation, all of which contribute to relieving pain and discomfort in the temporomandibular joint.

Soft Tissue Therapy

Chiropractic adjustments mainly focus on the skeleton, but chiropractors may also incorporate complementary soft tissue techniques such as massage therapy or myofascial release to address muscular issues in the face, jaw, and neck. By releasing tension and promoting relaxation, soft tissue therapy works together with spinal adjustments to enhance the quality of life for patients with TMJ disorders.

Lifestyle Modifications

In addition to performing hands-on treatments, chiropractors provide valuable guidance on ergonomics, posture, and lifestyle modifications to support the long-term management of TMJ disorders. Individuals can optimize their healing journey and reduce the likelihood of recurring issues by addressing underlying factors such as stress, dietary habits, or poor posture.

The Personalized Road to Relief

Keep in mind that chiropractic care is not a one-size-fits-all solution for TMJ disorders. Each individual has unique symptoms, needs, and preferences, which means a personalized approach to care is paramount. 

Before beginning treatment, our qualified team will conduct a comprehensive evaluation to develop a tailored treatment plan. This evaluation can include a physical examination, diagnostic imaging, and a review of medical history, ensuring your specific needs and goals are addressed.

Find Relief From TMJ Disorders at Elevate Wellness Chiropractic

Chiropractic care may be the missing piece of the puzzle on your path to relief. As you seek treatment for a TMJ disorder, let Elevate Wellness Chiropractic guide you on your journey toward reduced pain and improved function. By addressing spinal misalignments, muscle tension, jaw stiffness, and lifestyle factors, we can help you reclaim control of your health and embrace a life free from jaw pain and discomfort. 

Don’t let your TMJ disorder dictate your life any longer. Take proactive steps toward healing and contact Elevate Wellness Chiropractic today to schedule an appointment with one of our highly trained chiropractic professionals.

More than 3 million people across the United States suffer from migraines. These extreme headaches can make performing everyday tasks difficult, if not impossible. While some medication and lifestyle changes can help you reduce migraines, one other treatment stands out as a reliable way to decrease them: chiropractic care. 

At Elevate Wellness, our team understands how detrimental migraines can be to your ability to perform everyday tasks. The pain may feel unmanageable, and you may struggle to reduce discomfort, even with prescription pain medication. Keep reading to learn more about how your chiropractor can help reduce migraines. 

What are Migraines? 

Migraines are headaches that cause throbbing pain, most often on one side of the head. They are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme light and sound sensitivity. Migraines may last between a few hours and several days, and the pain can be so bad that it interferes with everyday activities.

There are four stages of migraines, including: 

• Prodrome: The first stage begins about 24 hours before your migraine. You may notice mood changes, nausea, fatigue, and more. 
• Aura: This stage is a collection of warning signs that a migraine may be beginning. The aura may last between five and sixty minutes and may occur at the same time as the headache. Not everyone who experiences migraines will experience auras. 
• Headache: Once the prodrome stage ends, the migraine starts. This headache may last between four hours and three days.
• Postdrome: The final stage lasts for a few hours to several days. These symptoms may feel similar to an alcohol-induced hangover. 

What are the Triggers for Migraines? 

Some of the most common triggers for migraines include being hungry, thirsty, or stressed. Major changes in your everyday routine may also lead to a migraine attack. However, there are far more triggers that may cause migraines, including: 

• Hormone Changes
• Teeth Grinding
• Head Injuries
• Electronic Device Use

If you experience consistent migraines, you should consider keeping a journal to help you identify your specific triggers. This will help you rule out some activities and determine what factors of your lifestyle may contribute to your migraines. 

How Can Your Chiropractor Reduce Migraines? 

If you have struggled to reduce migraines on your own, working with a reliable chiropractic team is a great way to alleviate this pain. To start, your chiropractor will perform a physical exam and discuss your migraine symptoms with you. From this physical examination, your chiropractor may recommend spinal adjustments and decompression therapy to help reduce migraines.

Spinal adjustments and decompression therapy can help improve your spinal function and alleviate stress on your nervous system. Misalignments may contribute to your migraine frequency. Adjustments can correct this misalignment, potentially reducing the frequency and intensity of your migraines. 

They may also recommend soft tissue therapies, including massage and trigger point therapy. These treatments can help relax tightened muscles in your neck, shoulders, and back. Tension in these areas can contribute to migraine headaches, so releasing muscle tension may help alleviate migraine frequency and intensity.

These chiropractic treatments can help you reduce migraines without having to rely on pain medications you may not feel comfortable using. In addition to chiropractic treatments, your chiropractor may recommend lifestyle changes to help reduce migraines. These lifestyle changes include drinking more water, getting more consistent sleep, and improving your posture.

Finally, your chiropractor may recommend learning self-care techniques such as stretching and relaxation techniques. These techniques can help you alleviate the stress you may experience as you feel a migraine setting in and prevent them from occurring altogether. 

Should You Speak to a Doctor about Your Migraines? 

While your chiropractor can help you reduce migraines, there are some signs that you should seek medical attention. If you have regular migraines, keep a record of the triggers and symptoms. From there, make an appointment with your healthcare provider and discuss medications and treatments that can help you alleviate their frequency.

If you experience any of the following migraine symptoms, you should seek immediate medical attention:

• Sudden onset migraines
• Headaches accompanied by stroke symptoms, such as confusion, numbness, or difficulty walking or seeing
• Headaches after an auto accident or sports injury
• Chronic headaches that worsen after physical exertion

Migraine Treatment and More at Elevate Wellness

Whether you are trying to reduce migraines or treat other ailments with the help of a chiropractic team, it is essential that you work with a team of reliable chiropractors like our team at Elevate Wellness. With years of experience helping patients across the Bountiful area and beyond recover from injuries and impairments, we are confident that we can do the same for you. 

We can help you treat workplace injuries, sciatica, neck pain, and more. If other treatments haven’t helped you reduce migraines and you would like to speak to our chiropractor about how they can help, don’t hesitate to contact us today for support.