posted: Apr. 28, 2023.

Well, the curves in this fence are symbolic as to the proper cervical thoracic and lumbar curves, that your spine needs to be stronger, stable, and flexible. Why are you may think that if your spine was straight, it would be stronger that is not necessarily the case. A straight spine will weaken the overall biomechanics of the spinal region, causing injury, tension reduced range of motion and pain. Read more

posted: Feb. 24, 2023.

So, Dr. Joe why do you have to take x-rays. Well, the reason for that is not only to see what injuries or traumas that you may have experienced during your life, but to also rule out something that they may be there that we not be able to know without an x-ray. Read more

posted: Dec. 25, 2022.

First access the situation and check yourself for injuries. If you're injured, call 911 or ask someone else to do so and wait for the appropriate emergency personnel. If a minor auto accident you can exchange information, document the accident and notify the insured. Many times after accidents the adrenaline is flowing and you may not feel much, but later that day or night the muscle soreness and injury may begin to set in... This is where whiplash injuries, neck/back pain, headaches and misalignments in the spine may start to occur within several hours to days of an injury. A chiropractic consultation and examination as soon as possible after an auto accident will help ease your pain, start to recovery process and can help prevent long term complications from the injuries caused by the accident. Read more

posted: Oct. 22, 2022.

Getting a proper nights sleep is one of the most important things you can do to maintain proper health. Two huge factors that play a large part in this is your mattress and pillow. They not only allow you the ability to sleep well but aid in recovery from work, activity and daily stressors and many people overlook the importance of these two. Many pillows and mattresses offer proper support for the body and give the comfort at the same time. I put together a guide when choosing some of the best mattresses and pillows for you to unlock your ability to achieve ideal sleep, aid in recovery and improved health. These will help you by choosing the best mattress and pillow that suit the proper way that you should be sleeping. Read more

posted: Jul. 05, 2022.

It looks like that auto accident you had when you were a teenager is finally catching up with you. This month I had several patients who had severe pain in their neck that just happened for no apparent reason or cause, it just happened as they stated. While discussing their reviewing history, they didn't remember of any accidents in the last 10 or 20 years that they recalled. The spinal exam showed a lot of restriction and muscle spasm. After the recommendation of neck x-rays, it was determined that they had a spinal level which is typical for the fifth and sixth vertebra in the neck to have significant amount of spinal degeneration and arthritis. I asked them do you remember maybe 30 years or more ago were you may be in a small fender bender. The answer to that is oh yeah, I remember I was a teenager and was rear ended. You know, I really didn't feel any pain I was just sore for a couple days, but it just kind of went away. I said this is the accident that caused this amount of spinal degeneration in your neck and arthritis. Read more

posted: Jun. 03, 2022.

Many people seeking help from a chiropractor are suffering from back pain or discomfort; in essence, they’re looking for that much-needed pain relief from a medical professional. But what happens when your back pain is worse after a chiropractor visit? Does that mean that the treatment didn’t work? The short answer is no. In order to understand why this happens, we need to understand what the treatment consists of when you start chiropractic care Read more

posted: Jan. 31, 2022.

If you’re like I was, you might wonder how a chiropractor can help you improve conditions like asthma, headaches or numbness in hands. It all links back to the “Arc of Life” or natural C curve found in your neck. Adam Meade, Doctor of Chiropractic, explains that neurosurgeons refer to the curve of the cervical vertebrae the “Arc of Life” because these bones protect the brain stem which is also a passageway for spinal nerves that affect every organ and bodily function. When any one of the four natural curves (neck, mid back, low back and sacral regions) in the spine is misaligned it causes stress that affects the spinal discs, tissues and nerves. One of the most prevalent and destructive imbalances has to do with the cervical curve, the natural curve in the vertebrae of the neck. When we lose the proper curvature of the cervical and lumbar curves, we lose as much as 50% of our spinal strength. A 45-degree curve/arc gives the spinal cord the most room to function at 100%. Read more

posted: Jan. 07, 2022.

The short answer to this question is yes, you should see a chiropractor as soon as you can after an auto accident. A minor auto accident can cause whiplash, back pain, misalignments in the spine, as well as other ailments. Receiving chiropractic care as soon as possible after an auto accident will help ease your pain and can help prevent long term complications from the injuries caused by the accident. Read more

posted: Nov. 20, 2021.

Every activity or sport comes with a potential for injuring yourself. If your body is not properly aligned and balanced to remove lockups and tension, a simple fall or misstep could result in serious injury and pain. When you keep up with regular chiropractic adjustments your body can move in a way like a well-oiled machine, this helps absorb impact and protect your joints and tendons. Read more

posted: Nov. 08, 2021.

One question I have been asked before is “What is the difference between an adjustment and manipulation of the spine?”. In this article we will discuss the many factors that set an adjustment aside from a manipulation. There is a myth that “Chiropractic is manipulation, and manipulation is chiropractic”, but that is not true. Read more

posted: Sep. 27, 2021.

A question that I get asked is how long should I wait after a recent fall or maybe an auto accident to be examined?. We’ll, that answer is quite simple and I have always said that the longer you wait to address or fix something the harder it will be to correct. Let say you were recently involved in an auto accident, this accident didn't seem like much, but you were a little sore for a couple days and then maybe after several weeks your neck became a little stiff and restricted that was the beginning of some of the long-term effects of having some thing not addressed immediately after it happened. You're driving down the road and you hit a pothole going 55 miles an hour. You do have a couple choices, you can continue to drive thousands of miles with your being out of alignment or you can stop by a auto mechanic and have your tires realign so it doesn't cause long-term damage or wear and tear on your tire. Read more

posted: Mar. 22, 2021.

Over the last 29 years in chiropractic practice, I have been not only humbled but honored to take care of many seniors who took care of me, feed me, taught and looked out for me over all these years. Here are Top five reasons that seniors seek chiropractic care. While many of the seniors are unaware of the benefits of regular chiropractic care, here is the top reasons in no particular order; pain relief, increase range of motion in the spine/extremities, improve balance and coordination, decrease joint degeneration and lastly improved overall health and well-being. We will go over one at a time, explain some of the details and benefits through chiropractic care. Read more

posted: Jan. 10, 2021.

We are all going through one of the most stressful times in our world today. Our teenagers have as much or more of that stress not only with the lack of socialization that they are not being a part of, but also extended periods of sitting in front of a computer and the continuous hours of texting that they are such a part of their daily lives. As a Chiropractor, seeing many early to late teens, they are experiencing several complaints that I am seeing on a consistent basis. These are in no specific order, starting with headaches, neck pain and upper to mid back pain. We will talk about each separately and explain some of the reasoning, the causes and my recommendations to help these young adults improve their overall health while reducing their pain and a few preventative tips for decreasing future spinal problems. Read more

posted: Oct. 10, 2020.

Experts estimate that 90 percent of all world-class athletes use chiropractic care to prevent injuries and increase their performance potential. All National Football League (NFL) teams rely on DCs in varying capacities, and 77 percent of athletic trainers have referred players to a chiropractor for evaluation or treatment. You don’t have to be an athlete to benefit from regular chiropractic care. At Sheppard Chiropractic, we treat patients from all walks of life, Sports (PeeWee, High School and College) and fitness levels (weekend warriors and elite athletes). Most people make the conclusion that a person visiting a chiropractor is doing so for problems with their back or neck. According to a recent study led by Dr. Simon French of the Melbourne University in Australia, most people do visit the chiropractor for these reasons. However other research is showing that people are reaching out to their D.C. for other treatments involving problems with their muscular-skeletal system, and a great deal of these patients are younger athletes. Read more

posted: Sep. 11, 2020.

A lot of my patients ask me about their children and about what they should (and should not) be doing to maintain proper spinal health. Since the habits formed early in a child’s life will often carry over into adulthood, it is important to ask these questions and to know what bad habits to look for and intervene on. Here I will discuss 8 different things that your child or teen should NOT be doing, and briefly explain why these things can be harmful to their health. Some of these are not extremely detailed, so feel free to ask me if you have any questions. Read more

posted: Jul. 20, 2020.

“It’s a tech world, and most people these days spend an average of two to four hours a day reading and texting on their smart phones” - Dr. Evan Johnson, director of physical therapy at The Spine Hospital at the Neurological Institute of New York. Computers and cell phones have been around for decades now, and as the technology behind them continues to advance, so does our need for these devices. It is the new normal to own multiple different electronic devices, and even more common to spend most of the day using them. Whether for work or play, people are spending more time on their phones and computers than ever before, and their bodies are beginning to show and feel the result. Read more