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For those of us who still have to suit up and show up for work during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is surprisingly little information being offered about what you can do to boost your immune system beyond using hand sanitizer and wearing a mask of any sort any time you leave your home.

The truth is we’re walking germ farms. A part of the human experience is even trading germs so our bodies can mount healthy defenses against them, defenses that safe your life down the road.

Getting outside so you can get fresh air, vitamin D, and maybe have some healthy exchanges with some low-risk folks around this time, that will do a lot toward keeping your body in shape for warding off infection.

Right living is extremely important during this time. Eat clean, whole foods and cut out processed sugars and carbohydrates that cause inflammation, which disrupts your body’s natural processes, leaving you vulnerable to getting sick.

Get 7-9 hours of sleep. Your body uses this time to regenerate and detoxify itself. Anything less and you are rolling the dice when it comes to your health.

Chiropractic adjustments are another great way to give your immune system a quick boost, setting you up for success if you’re an essential worker. We’re here to provide our essential treatments during this time at Holmes Chiropractic. Contact us today to schedule your consultation. We’re here to help you take your health back!

As COVID-19 restrictions begin to loosen and things are looking to get back to some semblance of normal, it’s perfectly okay for you to start looking at yourself again in order to see where you stand when it comes to assessing your 2020 health and wellness goals.

It’s okay if you have to make some adjustments. You might not be able to hit that annual mile mark for running if you haven’t been able to lace up those running shoes faithfully every day like you might have before this pandemic. Cut yourself a little slack and maybe decrease your numbers a bit in consideration of the two months the world has been closed. 

Maybe you’ve had to settle for processed foods and whatever was available to you during these uncertain times. That’s okay, too. Maybe now is a good time to get back to your normal diet and maybe not settle for those comfort foods that might not be the best for your overall health and wellness.

Maybe you started yoga or martial arts class and those have been put on hold. If your classes are offered via Zoom right now, that still gives you an opportunity to stay on top of your practice, whatever it is.

As May gets underway and more businesses begin to open up, it’s time to get back to your goals. Holmes Chiropractic offers treatments that go hand in hand with a healthy lifestyle and we’re open during this time to give our patients essential treatments.

The effects of social-distancing and self-quarantine have been known to have negative health consequences for those who put themselves through such isolating conditions. In the end, human beings are meant to be around each other. During this time many of us might have a whole new appreciation for others.

However, the fact remains that our immune systems could be compromised from this time we’ve stayed indoors. That’s why it’s important to make healthy choices and to double-down on our own wellness protocols as we acclimate back to some semblance of normal society.

First, it’s important to eat clean, whole foods. Don’t bog your body down with processed foods that also cause inflammation that makes your body more susceptible to infection. Drink plenty of water (half your body weight in ounces per day). Exercise, especially incorporating your cardiovascular system.

As restrictions become more relaxed, start meeting one-on-one with people you haven’t seen in awhile, as long as their not susceptible to COVID-19 and did not test positive. That way you can start exchanging that healthy biome that helps protect you from viral invasion.

Chiropractic treatment is also a great way to boost your immune system, setting the tone for a healthy summer. Contact Holmes Chiropractic to schedule your consultation today. We’re here to provide our essential treatments during this time of rebuilding.

When it comes to mindfulness, it’s something we should all be practicing more every day. As we continue to live in a world where most of us are staying at home and limiting our contact with others, it’s a good time to turn things inward and check-in with yourself.

Below, Holmes Chiropractic Goes over a few ways to exercise your mind during this time.

1.) Meditation

Sit down and try to think of nothing for 10 minutes… every day. That’s pretty much what meditation is. Sit down with your back straight. Maintain good posture and focus on your breathing. If you have an invasive thought, identify it and let it drift on down the stream of consciousness. Initially, you’ll probably find yourself thinking quite a bit. As time goes on and as your practice strengthens, you’ll find yourself thinking of nothing more and more, which is the idea! Proper meditation is like a power nap for the brain, you’ll find yourself coming out of your session refreshed and ready to carry on with your day in a positive way.

2.) Thinking of Others

We tend to think of ourselves all the time, plain and simple. The more time you can spend thinking of someone else, the less narcissistic you will be yourself. Apart from your meditation practice, it can be nice to close your eyes and close the distance between yourself and a loved one. During your meditation, you can even invite people who you’ve loved and loss to sit with you. You’ll be surprised how much of a spiritual presence you’ll start to feel. The truth is, the love we share with others is not completely contingent upon them being there in the flesh. It’s beneficial to explore keeping these connections strong.

3.) Reading Something Difficult

As the last two modes of mindfulness are more easygoing, balancing these practices out with exercising the mind more rigorously might serve you well. Read a difficult book that requires concentration and thought. Do this for 30 minutes to an hour each day to strengthen and expand your mind.

Contact Holmes Chiropractic today to learn about how our treatments go hand-in-hand with a healthy lifestyle.

A good night of sleep is crucial for your body and brain for a number of reasons. Getting your requisite 7-9 hours each night will help your daytime awareness, this much is widely known. But not a lot of people know the full benefits of a good night of sleep.

Below, Holmes Chiropractic goes over a few compelling benefits that getting your Zs gets you.

Tissue Regeneration

When you get into deeper states of sleep, your blood flow increases, targeting the muscles, which enables tissue growth to occur.

Brain Benefits

REM sleep has been shown to give energy to the brain and the body. Your brain is also being active during states of dreaming.

Immune System Benefits

A healthy night of sleep has been shown to help contribute to a healthy immune system, which will help you ward off sickness and infection.

Contact Holmes Chiropractic to learn more about how our treatments can help you get a better night of sleep, even for those who live with insomnia. Call today to learn more.

As many of us continue to hunker down in our quarantine efforts, some of us might be taking it a little too easy on ourselves when it comes to getting exercise, getting the right amount of sleep (and not oversleeping), and eating healthy foods.

Below, Holmes Chiropractic goes over a few common mistakes people are making with their quarantine routines.

1.) Failing to Hydrate Enough

Drinking half your body weight in ounces of water will help your body run and function properly. Lack of hydration can lead to headaches, irritability, lethargy, exhaustion, and more.

2.) Being a Loafer

Most of us staying at home now have a considerable amount of free time on our hands. It’s important to try to be productive, even if it’s just in small ways. Keep the house clean, meditate, even make some video calls to some loved ones — all those things are better than sitting on the couch binging TV for hours.

3.) Lack of Exercise

It’s important to get 20-45 minutes of exercise in each day, whether it’s a morning walk or a Zoom yoga class you’re attending. Make sure you stay active this time in order to stay healthy.

Take a good look at your routine and see if there are areas where you can improve. Making progress, even if it’s slow, that’s what it’s all about! Contact Holmes Chiropractic for more information about how to boost your COVID-19 defense.

Stress about COVID

At Holmes Chiropractic, we offer techniques that incorporate The Palmer Method, techniques that improve posture and provide drug-free pain relief, not to mention release tension in the body for therapeutic and wellness benefits.

The Palmer Method is a technique that aims to manipulate the atlas, which is the first vertebra. The atlas is located at the top of your spine and misalignment of the atlas can cause potential problems that extend to the lower spinal column. Properly aligning the rest of the vertebra will help your spine fall more naturally into place.

The Palmer Method utilizes a special “hole-in-one” technique. We provide X-rays that will help locate the exact position of the atlas, then systematically manipulate the spine and atlas in a variety of directions until we’re able to put it rightfully in place.

If you’d like to learn more about our techniques and services, contact Holmes Chiropractic today. We have a long track record of keeping families healthy and well.

A case of a herniated disc occurs when the rubbery cushion (intervertebral disc) in between the vertebrae of your spinal cord either pushes out of place, bulges, or ruptures.

This can often happen due to overuse, injury, or slow degeneration over time.

Generally, herniated discs happen in four stages.

First, there is disc degeneration, which happens due to chemical changes that come along with advancing in age. The disc starts to dry out and becomes less useful as a shock absorber.

Second is the prolapse stage, which is when the position or form of the disc changes, which can be a slight bulge or protrusion, which will end up crowding the spinal cord. 

Extrusion happens next the wall of the annulus fibrosis starts to experience breakthroughs from gel-like pulposus which still remain inside the disc.

Lastly, sequestration occurs, which is when nucleus pulposus breaks through the anulus fibrosis, moving past the disc and into the spinal canal.

Chiropractic treatment has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of herniated discs at any stage. If you believe you have a herniated disc and would like a drug-free solution, contact Holmes Chiropractic today to learn more!