Good morning everyone. Dr. Alex Hernandez, Chiropractor in North Bergen, NJ. Today I’m going to talk about over the counter medication and back pain. I’m going to talk about a patient who came in and was taking OTC medication for a long period of time. Typically what happens is when most people have back pain from raking the leaves or taking the garbage out and they feel a little twinge in the back, one of the most common things that people do is they take either Advil or Tylenol, or a muscle relaxant. That’s okay, we’re not against you taking any of these medications, nobody wants to be in pain. However, you really have to get to the underlying cause of what is creating your back pain.

What I decided to take after doing an examination, I took this patient’s x-ray. Look at this back here, this is the spine, and we’re looking at it from the front, this is the pelvis, these are the bones on the back. We could see really what the low back problem is, why he was getting pain. The green line is where the spine should be and the red line is how his back is. So taking pain medication isn't really going to do much for him, after taking them for 2-3 weeks twice a day, he said, okay I need to get some professional help, I need to figure out what’s causing my pain.

The last thing I want to share with you today is it’s okay to take these anti-inflammatories, these OTCs. But this isn’t really the solution to your problem. If you’re going on four, five or six weeks trying to manage your pain with these, your body is telling you that there is something deeper causing your pain. So the lesson here is to look at the source of the problem, seek professional help. If you have a back problem, it’s important to see a professional. See a Chiropractor, get some x-rays, find out what the cause of the problem is, and don’t prolong taking the over the counter medication. Thank you.

Good morning everyone, my name is Dr. Alex Hernandez, Chiropractor in North Bergen, NJ. Today, behind me I have an old TV that has been left as junk. So we’re going to show you how to lift something heavy and we’re also going to show you, more importantly, how not to lift heavy items.

This is an old school TV, it was awesome back in the day, but unfortunately these pieces of equipment are very, very heavy. Now, most people are inclined to lift things the wrong way. So when they see something like this, the way that they would approach it is they would bend forward, screwing up their back, and this is how people get injured, doing everyday things incorrectly.

Now I tested this before, it’s a pretty heavy item, very uncomfortable, but the way you want to approach something like this is you want to bend, use your legs, so you do not hurt your back. If you bend forward and pick up this TV, you can herniate a disc, causing a lot of excruciating pain. So the proper way to attack this by myself, is to bend and lift. If you have to bring a heavy item like this up a flight of stairs, it’s a real problem.

So I’m going to ask my friend, Joe the cameraman, and we’re going to show you how to properly lift this with a teammate. Again we’re bending at the legs, we’re taking this uncomfortable piece, and then we’re securing it properly, and then we can move it to wherever it needs to go. Then when placing it down, you would do the same thing, bend our legs and then properly put the piece down.

Ladies and gentlemen, that’s how to avoid getting injured by picking up heavy items. Thank you for watching and contact us if you need any advice or evaluation.

Good day everyone, Dr. Alex Hernandez from Life Chiropractic and Acupuncture. Today, I’m here to show you the simple and right way to change your water dispenser jug. This is a 5-gallon jug, and many people have these dispensers at home. One of the things that I find is that people pick this jug up wrong. We’re going to show how to replace this properly. Most people have a tendency to bend forward and try to lift this using the muscles of their back. When we look at the muscles of the back, they are small thin muscles when compared to your legs. Legs are thick muscles. We want to use the power of our legs, we want to bend down, we want to properly lift this water jug. So, take the cap out, bend forward, to pick it up, bring it close to the body, and then go ahead and give the proper turn.

Okay, so as simple as this is, if you’re changing this every week, and doing it wrong, you can get hurt. So this is the right way to pick up a water jug to prevent injury. I hope this tip helps and we’ll see you on the next video. Thank you.

My name is Dr. Alex Hernandez, Chiropractor from Life Chiropractic and Acupuncture in North Bergen. I have Janelle, my office manager, and today we’re going to talk about something simple that people do every week: vacuuming. We’re going to show you the wrong way to vacuum and the right way to vacuum. The importance of this is how you can protect yourself so you don't hurt yourself doing something as simple as vacuuming.

So Janelle, go ahead and show them how people vacuum on a day to day basis, they do it wrong, and they don’t know that over-time they can get hurt. So let’s demonstrate what people typically do: they bend their back, they twist, they go one way or another and try to go around the wall, they try to extend the cord. What they’re doing is creating repetitive stress in the low back that can cause you to get hurt over-time. If you are vacuuming this way, you are setting yourself up to get back pain.

Okay Janelle, now let’s show them the appropriate way to vacuum so that they don’t hurt their back. Alright, basically you’re going to walk behind the vacuum. Alright so her back is a bit more straight, she’s following the vacuum, and she’s not rushing. A lot of times people try to get the work out of the way. If you have to go around the corner, you actually move your whole body and follow through.

This is the correct way to vacuum, this is how you’re going to protect yourself. If you need any more information, contact us.

Good morning everyone, Dr. Alex Hernandez here from Life Chiropractic and Acupuncture. I’m here with Janelle, and we’re going to demonstrate the top 3 exercises for your low back. Many people experience low back pain and they want to know what stretches to perform at home.

In this video we’re going to show you something you can do that is really simple, this is what we teach all our patients. We start out with Janelle lying face out. The first exercise, we call the 555 Stretch. Janelle bends her knees, brings her arms up, and let the legs just drop to the side. Do a count of 5 seconds. Great, let’s go to the other side, let’s bend arms and bend the legs, and what we’re trying to have you do is really stretch the low back out, between the low back and your sacrum. This takes pressure off of the nerves, it takes pressure off of the low back, it creates a very, very nice stretch. Let’s do it again, one more time. Some people may notice that they’re tighter on one side than the other, so ultimately your goal is to try to get both sides to move as evenly as possible. Do this 5 times to each side.

Alright the second stretch, it’s a common stretch called the simple knee to chest exercise. Start off again laying on the back, we’re going to bring the knee to the center, and we’re going to have you pull it as far as you can without causing yourself any kind of pain, and we’re going to hold that for 10 seconds. Then do the other side. You’re allowing yourself to stretch out the low back, you’re pulling in, creating some stretching of your low back, and this also gives you relief into your low back.

Lastly, bring both knees to the center, both knees to the chest and we’re going to need a nice pull, one side pelvis, second side the other pelvis, and then the third, both of them to the center. Again, you’re holding for 10 seconds. So this is the second stretch, and you can do it in that order. First the 555, then the knee to chest, and then the third and last one.

Then have a seat. This is what we call the piriformis stretch, the piriformis is a deep muscle inside the glute, very deep in, and you can only access that by doing this specific stretch. Basically you’re going to cross the leg over and stretch yourself all the way as far as you can and then again hold for a count of 10. Do the other side. We’re trying to stretch part of the hip muscles in here, part of the glute, this juncture in here that is known to cause back pain.

So when people are sitting at desks for 8, 10 hours a day, this area will tighten up and as you do this stretch, it’s going to give you a lot of relief. Let’s do the other side. Some people may find it very difficult. That’s okay, graduate yourself up little by little, until you’re able to reach as far as you possibly can, and that will give you a lot of relief in your low back.

So use these 3 stretches to help yourself out, this is a morning routine. It takes you less than 5 minutes, and hopefully that will help you relieve your back pain. If you have any questions, contact us.

Good morning, my name is Dr. Alex Hernandez, Chiropractor here in North Bergen from Life Chiropractic and Acupuncture. Today I want to help you with the decision of "when to get an x-ray". Then, in my next segment we’re going to talk about "when you need an MRI".

At our Chiropractor's office we do routine x-rays for the spine, from the neck to the low back. Questions that are asked are "why do we take an x-ray?" and, "when is it necessary?" We take an x-ray when we feel that your spine, anywhere from your neck to your low back, may be out of alignment. I

Not everybody needs an x-ray, but in general if you’re having some sort of back pain, we want to check in; if you’re having some sort of neck pain, we want to check in and see what is going on with your spine, what is going on with your neck. There could be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 segments out of alignment that are causing you pain. It’s important not to guess, not to assume we know what’s going on. We want to make sure that we get the appropriate diagnosis so we can create the appropriate treatment plan. For these reasons we use x-rays.

In our office we take digital x-rays. What does that mean? It’s a fancy term for x-rays that are high definition and we can actually manipulate the images -- we can make them brighter, we can make them darker. Here is an example of what we’re talking about.

In the video you see a normal spine. You can see the x-ray quality is very, very high. We see the ribs, we see all the low back bones, we see the hips, we can even see the gases going through the intestines. So I can take this image and basically manipulate it. I can look at it and contrast it and it shows me a different view. I can change the quality of it, and again I can make it lighter and darker. I can zoom in on the images and then zoom out so I can really look at all of the details as to what’s going on with your spine so that you can get the proper treatment.

An x-ray is a very valuable tool that will help us to understand what is in alignment, what is not in alignment, and then what we need to do in order to put your spine back to normal.

How long does it take to get an x-ray? Two x-rays for your low back take less than 10 seconds. For more information, contact us

Good afternoon, my name is Dr. Alex Hernandez from Life Chiropractic and Acupuncture. Today we’re going to talk about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This is something that a lot of people are now experiencing because they are doing so much computer work. Some people spend anywhere from 6 to 12 hours on their computer as part of their job, and there is a hazard to doing this.

What ends up happening is, through the carpal tunnel you have muscles and tendons that cross through along with two main nerves, and then you have a big ligament coming across as well. So it is a very small, tight area, and when you do a lot of repetitive functions like computer, sewing, or playing guitar, you can develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

What does that mean?

That means that you’re putting pressure on the nerves that are crossing through this tunnel, mainly the median nerve and the ulnar nerve. Those are the two main ones that cross through, and when you put pressure on these, you end up with numbness or tingling, maybe even a burning sensation, you can drop stuff, no longer have a proper grip, try to open a jar and can’t do it. Those are the signs when experiencing carpal tunnel. Some people shake their hand to try to relieve the pain and tingling.

What do you need to do?

First of all, you need to get checked. Find out where the nerves are being pinched, in the wrist or in the neck? So when we take a look we can find out if you are putting pressure on the nerves starting from the root, or pressure in this area here, something trapped in the nerve, the muscle, the ligament, the tendon. Until we look, we don’t know so it’s important to get checked.

So if you need a consultation, if you need somebody to help you with your carpal tunnel, please call my office, 201-861-2025 and we will help you.

This is Dr. Alex Hernandez from Life Chiropractic and Acupuncture Due to popular demand, I’m going to talk about some do’s and don’ts. I have some silly pictures here, but they’re going to prove the point. I’m going to show you how you don’t mess yourself up with simple things that we do everyday.

Let’s talk about one of the common ones: picking up luggage. This guy is picking up luggage the right way, you can see he’s balancing himself. The man on the left side, he’s not doing well, he’s about to really screw up his back. You can see what’s happening, he’s got a load on his shoulder, another bag here. This is a true story, people have gotten hurt - bad disc herniations -from doing this.

Alright, let’s look at another one: working on the car. When you work on a car, often if you are a do-it-yourself, if you’re bending over for 6, 7, 8 hours a day, you can get hurt. You have just got to watch out when doing repetitive bending for long periods of time.

Everybody has a cellphone, not too many people have house phones, however, the habit is the same. So if you’re crunching your neck this way, talking on your phone while you’re doing something else like writing, you’re going to get neck pain. Be aware not to do that.

Another big one is working with computers. We got a lady here sitting upright, this is the proper posture. Here we have her hunching really bad, this is an exaggeration but many people find themselves in this position, and you end up getting neck pain, shoulder pain, and carpal tunnel syndrome. This is a really terrible position to be in. So, again, look at the best possible posture. If you zoom in here you could see that this lady has a back support, right there. The other lady does not have a back support. You need to have that low back support to hold your posture upright, if not, this is how you’re naturally going to sit down.

Okay, let’s do another one, vacuuming. This is a big one, a lot of people get hurt vacuuming. Again, this silly photo proves the point, you need to walk right behind your vacuum. A lot of people twist. They end up vacuuming this way, and then they pull this way, and then they can duck underneath, and they’re twisting their spine, and they’re really screwing themselves up. I get a lot of people that get low back pain because of that.

Those were a few do’s and don’ts, hopefully you got some value out of that. And I’ll see you next time with some more valuable tips. Thank you.

For more information, contact us.

Today we continue the subject of acupuncture and our most frequently asked questions regarding acupuncture: What is an acupuncture needle, and do they hurt? This video is offered by the professional chiropractic and acupuncture care team here at North Bergan’s Life Chiropractic & Acupuncture. Once again, we have with us today our licensed acupuncturist, Monica Gajiwala here at Life Chiropractic and Acupuncture Center here in North Bergan.

Hello everyone. This is Monica at Life Chiropractic and Acupuncture Center here in North Bergan. Today we are going to discuss the acupuncture needle and if acupuncture hurts.

I have a chart here which compares the needle with other needles and objects. For comparison, I have a matchstick here with the comparison with an injection needle, sewing needle, and the acupuncture needle. Looking at the diameter, the acupuncture needle is hair thin. We have next to it is a human hair which is comparable with the acupuncture needle. So acupuncture does not hurt. How it feels, many say, is that the feel nothing regarding the acupuncture needle insertion. Some feel the sensation of a pinch or prick. Acupuncture should not be a painful experience.

Whether you suffer acute or systemic neck pain, regardless of the cause, Life Chiropractic & Acupuncture here in North Bergan can and will improve your quality of life. Click here to learn more about our North Bergen Chiropractic Care Clinic. Of course, call anytime!

Greetings again from the professional chiropractic team here at North Bergan’s Life Chiropractic & Acupuncture. Today we’re like to cover the subject of acupuncture, a term most of us know, but a subject most of us know little about. Today, our licensed Acupuncturist, Monica Gajiwala, helps shed light on this ancient practice that does much more than mitigate pain. 

Hello everyone. This is Monica Gajiwala, a licensed acupuncturist at Life Chiropractic and Acupuncture Center here in North Bergan. Today we are going to quickly define acupuncture and the benefits of acupuncture. Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine that originated thousands of years ago. Acupuncture uses healthy needle to various point in the different part of the body to reduce the pain, reduce inflammation, promote relaxation, and restore the body's energy.

Acupuncture helps with lower back pain, neck pain, Bell's palsy, plantar fasciitis, as well as allergy, sinusitis, insomnia, inflammation, and many more. A full list of ailments and conditions that acupuncture could help you out with are listed on our acupuncture webpage.

Whether you suffer acute or systemic neck pain, regardless of the cause, Life Chiropractic & Acupuncture here in North Bergan can and will improve your quality of life. Click here to learn more about our North Bergen Chiropractic Care Clinic. Of course, call anytime!