Sheridan Chiropractor – Winkelmann Chiropractic & Injury
February 8, 2017
Dr. Zach Winkelmann provides chiropractic care for Sheridan, WY and the surrounding areas. Dr. Zach Winkelmann was trained at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, IA. Dr. Zach utilizes x-rays as well as many different techniques in order to provide the best patient care. Care plans are developed to relieve pain and make a person well in the least amount of time possible. Techniques range from using drop tables to diversified adjusting as well as mechanical adjusting.
For additional information on chiropractic care from Winkelmann Chiropractic & Injury please call (307) 763-4141 or visit www.sheridanchiropractor.com!
Low Back Pain? Help Yourself In 15 Minutes Per Day
January 22, 2017
Low back pain affects millions of people everyday. Winkelmann Chiropractic & Injury offers several different adjustments to the pelvic and lumbar region to restore motion to the spine in these areas. In the meantime, WHAT CAN YOU DO at home to help loosen the musculature and provide relief?
Follow these simple stretches two times a day (morning and evening) and get relief from tight musculature.
There are 7 stretches total. Do each stretch BILATERAL and hold for 30 SECONDS on each side.
1. FLOOR HAMSTRINGS STRETCH – Hold for 30 seconds on each side.
2. KNEES TO CHEST – Do as the picture shows but also try extending the opposite leg so it’s flat on the ground. Hold for 30 seconds on each side.
3. TWISTING BACK STRETCH – Hold for 30 seconds on each side.
4. PIRIFORMIS STRETCH – Hold for 30 seconds on each side.
5. HIP FLEXOR STRETCH – Hold for 30 seconds on each side.
6. QUADRICEPTS STRETCH – Hold for 30 seconds on each side.
7. LOW BACK STRETCHES – Do these stretches at the end of each regimen. These stretches can be done periodically throughout the day as well.
These are easy ways to loosen the low back before and after work and prevent low back pain. For questions on these stretches as well as others and chiropractic care please call today at (307) 763-4141 or visit www.sheridanchiropractor.com where Dr. Zach Winkelmann would be more than happy to help you become WELL!
Prevent Injury While Shoveling Snow
January 12, 2017
As the winter months progress so does the amount of snow and for many of us that means more snow shoveling and potential back injuries. Here are several tips that will help prevent any serious back injuries this winter. If you would like one-on-one training on shoveling snow you can come to my house and shovel my snow and I will watch and give you tips as you go.
- Warm-up – People typically shovel snow in the morning. This means they get out of bed, eat breakfast and start shoveling. In the morning muscles are stiff and you vertebral discs are filled with fluid, which is a perfect recipe for injury. So, get up early and give your body an hour upright prior to shoveling. Do 50 jumping jacks, 25 body weight air squats and 50 pushups. These exercises will activate your muscles and get the blood flowing.
- Stretch – After warming up do some quick stretches. Stretch your hamstrings (the back of your legs) and the lower back musculature. This only takes 5 minutes.
- Boots – Wear shoes or boots that have traction. Don’t go out in your dress shoes that are typically flat bottomed with no traction. Many people injure their back not from the actual shoveling but from slipping and the quick movement to catch them from falling.
- The Shovel – Use a shovel that is not as wide. An extra 12” or even 6” on the width of the shovel can increase the load significantly and lets be honest, how much time does that really save you. Not much. So use a smaller shovel.
- Alternate Hands – It will feel awkward at first, but alternate the hand that is forward. If you shovel with your left hand forward, do this for 5 minutes and then put your right hand forward. This will work the muscles on both sides of your body equally.
- More Than Once – What does that mean? If you are expecting 12” of snow, shovel when there is 4” or 6” and then do it again. People hate shoveling but look at it like it’s your exercise for the day.
- Get Adjusted – Come get adjusted and restore motion in the spine and allow your nervous system to function properly.
For additional information or to schedule an appointment call Dr. Zach Winkelmann at Winkelmann Chiropractic & Injury today at (307) 763-4141 or visit www.sheridanchiropractor.com. Same day appointments are available so call NOW! Prevent low back injuries this winter and align your spine at Winkelmann Chiropractic & Injury!
Casper Mattress Review
January 3, 2017
I have many patients ask me: what is the best mattress? What is the best pillow?
I wish I had an answer to that question, but unfortunately I don’t, however, I recently purchased a Casper mattress and have had it for a month at this point and would like to tell everyone about this particular mattress.
The Casper mattress is a memory foam mattress and is ordered online so one is not able to physically see or touch the mattress so I think there is some hesitation when people go to purchase the mattress.
The total cost of the mattress was less than $1000 and I purchased a Casper pillow as well. When I made the purchase Casper was running a special so I got $75 off a purchase of two or more items. I basically got the pillow for $10. The mattress showed up within the specified delivery date and the total shipping weight was 112lbs (king size).
Unpacking the mattress: Unpacking was very easy. I was able to do it myself but recommend having someone help you if you are a smaller person. All you do is take it out of the box, unroll it and lay it on the surface you want it on. You then remove the vacuum packing and it immediately expands. Within 5-10 minutes the mattress is fully expanded and ready to be slept on. Some memory foam mattress have a chemical smell to them due to the materials they are made of, this does NOT. Which was a bonus!
Review: My overall review is excellent. Casper offers a 100 day money back guarantee so I kept the box just in case I needed to send it back. After 10 days of sleeping on the mattress I recycled the box because I knew I would not be sending it back. As far a COMFORT AND SUPPORT, this is a memory foam mattress is it is rather firm, which is what I wanted. A firmer mattress provides the support one needs while sleeping. I think it is just the right amount of firmness. It is not overly hard but still provides the support. Does it get HOT WHILE SLEEPING, not at all. This was one of my biggest concerns. This mattress does not make me sweat or get hot. Are you able to MOVE AROUND OR DOES IT CONFORM to your body. Many people have told me that they feel their memory foam mattress conforms to their body, thus, not allowing them to move around easily. I don’t feel this mattress molds to your body at all. If I need to move I can easily move throughout the night. Overall, I give this mattress 5 STARS. It may not be for everyone but with the excellent at home trial period and for the cost I think it was a great investment.
Here’s a quick review on the PILLOW. I don’t care for the pillow. It seems to be high quality but it’s too fluffy for me. I’m going to keep it (they offer a return on this as well) but I’ve had better pillows. Looks like the hunt for the perfect pillow continues!
For more information or if you have question please don’t hesitate to call as I would be more the happy to answer any additional questions! Call Winkelmann Chiropractic & Injury at (307) 763-4141 or you can visit our webpage at www.sheridanchiropractor.com for additional blogs and information.
Chiropractic Adjustments
December 29, 2016
Whether you have been to a chiropractor in the past or this is the first time it is important to know there are many different chiropractic adjustments available. These range from upper cervical specific, to manual adjusting, to the use of a mechanical tool. Different people respond to certain adjustments better than others. Depending on what you like, what you need and what conditions you have may warrant a different type of adjustment.
Dr. Zach Winkelmann has training from Palmer College of Chiropractic and offers multiple types of chiropractic adjustments. A list of these adjustments is below.
- Diversified Technique – These adjustments are manual hands on adjustments. Many times with these adjustments you may hear a small pop. Don’t be alarmed as this is simply a gas release from the joint and mean the joint moved.
- Gonstead Technique – Gonstead is a technique that uses the cervical chair and has the patient upright when adjusting the cervical spine. Some people like this better than lying on their back or stomach for their cervical adjustments.
- Side Posture – These adjustments work great for the pelvic and lumbar regions.
- Thompson Drops – These adjustments are used typically and the pelvis but can also be used on the remainder of the spine. These involve a special chiropractic table that has drop pieces. The drop pieces simply drop as a light force is pressed on the misaligned joint.
- Pelvic Blocking – This type of adjustment uses block that are placed under the pelvis and gravity simply takes care of the rest. Pelvic blocking is used in cases of acute low back pain. By placing these block under the misaligned pelvis gravity pulls the pelvis back into alignment.
- Intersegmental Traction – This is a table that tractions the spine. This table can be beneficial for loosening musculature as well as for people with disc problems.
- Activator – The activator is a mechanical tool that is used that stimulates different mechanoreceptors and muscles causing the joint to move. This is a very light adjustment for people who don’t care for the manual type adjustments. Also, with activator adjustments, one will not here the audible or the pop after a manual adjustment.
- Soft Tissue – In many cases after an adjustment has been applied, soft tissue work is done. Active release on the musculature as well as Graston or Guasha scraping techniques may be used to help break up scar tissue.
- Toggle Drops Upper Cervical Spine – The toggle method works well with patients who suffer from headaches, migraines or cervical pain. This drop involves a light force on the upper cervical spine.
- X-rays – In house digital X-rays are used to look for misalignments and see the quality of your spine.
These are many of the techniques used by Winkelmann Chiropractic & Injury and Dr. Zach Winkelmann. If you would like to try a particular method over another, just let Dr. Zach know and he will use this method. During your consultation he always asks about your chiropractic experiences to see if one method may be more ideal than another.
Call Winkelmann Chiropractic & Injury today at (307) 763-4141 or visit www.sheridanchiropractor.com to get additional information. Align your spine and get relief AT LAST!