What to do in your 2nd Trimester of Pregnancy
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What To Do During Your 2nd Trimester Of Pregnancy

What to do in your 2nd Trimester of Pregnancy

You’ve made it past the first twelve weeks and the reality of pregnancy starts to set in. You’re having a baby! Congratulations! It’s now time to start preparing for the birth of your child and your life as a parent. This time may seem overwhelming but I want to remind you to relax and use this time to connect with your baby. In order to have the most enjoyable pregnancy possible, I’ve created a list of things to focus on so you know what to do during your 2nd trimester of pregnancy.

1) Reduce your Stress Level

Throughout pregnancy, your baby is extremely sensitive to stress hormones. These hormones cross over the placenta and can have a significant impact on your baby. Taking care of your baby means taking care of yourself too! Whether this involves a foot massage, meditation, candle-lit bath, or going on an evening walk, indulge in activities that allow you to slow down and nurture yourself. Use this time to relax and to really connect with your baby.

2) Create your ideal “Birth Team”

Once you know what type of birth you would like to have (e.g. birthing center, home, hospital birth), decide who you want as a part of your “birth team”.

When patients ask me for advice about creating a birth team, I strongly suggest hiring a midwife and doula. A midwife is highly trained to provide exceptional medical care for mom and baby during the pregnancy, birth, and post-natal weeks. A doula is there to support the mother physically, emotionally, and spiritually. A doula gives the mom the utmost confidence and support during the birth process.

Regardless of who you choose to be a part of your special day, make sure that your birth team honors the type of birth you wish to have.

3) Attend a Birthing Workshop

Pick a birthing workshop that reinforces the type of birth you would like to have. Educate yourself on the different types and choose one that inspires and empowers you! Corrective Chiropractic will host 2 different childbirth classes this fall, Hypnobabies and Baby Steps. These amazing classes educate and honor the body’s natural ability to give birth.

4) Maintain Good Posture

As pregnancy advances, you will start to experience gravitational changes. As a result, women compensate for the additional weight by widening their stance during pregnancy. This widened stance hyperextends the lumbar spine, compressing the disc spaces between the vertebrae. In order to maintain proper spinal biomechanics during pregnancy, I recommend that every pregnant woman goes to see a chiropractor. Chiropractic adjustments ensure proper alignment for better posture and a more comfortable pregnancy.

 

We’re Here to Help

If you have any questions about your second trimester of pregnancy, would like more information on a birthing class, or would like to get your posture checked, call Corrective Chiropractic at 404-355-5499 or leave a comment below.

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Noise When Chiropractor Adjusts You
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What is the Noise When Chiropractors Adjust You?

Noise When Chiropractor Adjusts You

Many people think when they receive a chiropractic adjustment that either their bones are cracking, grinding, or popping. Well, I have good news! For this article we’ll answer the question “What is the noise when chiropractors adjust you?” so you’ll know once and for all what you’re hearing.

Eggs are cracked and popcorn is popped but chiropractic adjustments gently move the vertebra back into it’s proper position without damage.

Similar to how you hear noise when you release your knuckles; anytime you move a joint past its end range of motion there will be sound.

As we setup for the chiropractic adjustment, the space inside the spinal joint is being increased, and the pressure within is dropping. Due to the pressure drop, carbon dioxide is released and this is the noise you hear during your adjustment.

These adjustments are 100% safe and effective which is why Corrective Chiropractic in Atlanta has the best results for the correction of vertebral subluxation.

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thoracic-outlet
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Are Chiropractic Adjustments Painful?

Are Chiropractic Adjustments Painful

“Are chiropractic adjustments painful?” This is the most common question I hear from people in Atlanta coming in for their first adjustment.

Many people come to the chiropractor scared to have their body adjusted, which I completely understand. However, once people receive their first adjustment they usually say “that was it?” or “I never realized how locked up I was”.

Our goal at Corrective Chiropractic is to make sure you understand 2 important steps:

  1. Why we are adjusting?
  2. What to expect during the adjustment

We are one of the only chiropractors in Atlanta to specialize in corrective care so we want to make sure you are fully knowledgeable and understanding of your case.

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What to do During Your 1st Trimester of Pregnancy
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What to do During Your 1st Trimester of Pregnancy

What to do During Your 1st Trimester of Pregnancy

You are pregnant…..now what?!? With all the research the internet offers, figuring out what to do and what not to do during your first trimester can be a daunting task. Based on my experience as a birth professional and chiropractor, I’ve attempted to simplify this task for expecting mommies so you can have the healthiest pregnancy possible during your 1st trimester. In this article I discuss what to do during your 1st trimester of pregnancy by providing 4 actions steps.

1) Focus your attention on your baby from day one

My friends and patients have told me that they don’t allow themselves to really “feel pregnant” until the first kick, 36 weeks, or until the baby is born. As a result, many women do not start caring for themselves until this reality sets in. Unlike an exam, we can’t cram good health for our baby into the last few weeks. The first trimester is crucial for growth and development, and the baby needs your attention and focus from day one.

2) Define HEALTH

The World Health Organization defines health as “optimal physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. This means your health is based on how your body is functioning (rather than how you feel). To achieve optimal health during pregnancy, you need to focus on:

  1. quality nutrition, sleep, and exercise
  2. having a well functioning nervous system
  3. reducing toxins
  4. minimizing stress
  5. maintaining positive thoughts

In our office, we acknowledge that all of these factors influence health so we educate our patients on the best ways to live a healthy lifestyle throughout pregnancy.

3) Decide what type of birth you want to have

I tell my patients from to start thinking about what type of birth they would like to have from day one. Do you want to have a home birth, give birth at a birthing center, or have a hospital birth? Do you want the birth be more of a medical process? Or do you desire to take a more natural approach? Educate yourself on the pro’s and con’s of each birth and pick one that honors the needs of you and your partner.

4) Get checked by a chiropractor

Chiropractic care ensures that the master control system of your body, the nervous system, is working properly so that you can be as healthy as possible during your pregnancy. By maintaining a well functioning nervous system, an expecting mom can better tackle some of the hurdles that the first trimester offers such as nausea, fatigue, frequent urination, heartburn and constipation. Also, chiropractic adjustments ensure that your pelvis maintains proper alignment to allow your baby the adequate room to grow and move.

Your Turn

If you have any questions about your first trimester of pregnancy, or would like to see how your body is functioning, feel free to call Corrective Chiropractic at 404-355-5499 or leave a comment below.

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What’s the most important week of the year?

This week is my favorite week of the year!

As we come closer to July 1, we become a step closer to the halfway point for 2014.

Many of us have gone full steam ahead after our goals and dreams, while several of us have lost our steam and drive.

As many of you know, my wife and I always take off time this week, so we can have full reflection away from “most” technology and distractions.

This year, we are adventuring in the beautiful country of Italy, enjoying the scenes, food, people, and culture.

Here are a couple pictures of our trip so far:

                    

I am taking this time to reflect on the first part of the year to see what I need to do or who I need to become in the ladder part to fulfill my dreams.

When reviewing this 2014 year, I find that focusing on the following 5 categories helps align my life goals and dreams: Personal, People, Play, Professional, and Prosperity.

I find it fascinating that in Italy locals do not let their professional commitments consume every facet of their lives.

This is a very different mindset from that of ours in United States, a society where many people (not all) look at success only from a professional standpoint.

Breaking down the 5 P’s, however, shows that “professional”  is only one piece of the puzzle (or only 20%) to living a successful life. This means a person could be at 0% in her or his professional career but still be living an abundant life of 80% success overall.

I would love to hear from you about what you plan to do to reflect on how your year is going thus far.

Are you where you want to be or are you better?

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Farmers Market
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Atlanta Farmers Markets

Summer is upon us, and that means fresh farm food is at its prime! Atlanta has so much to offer its residents, especially its focus on and access to myriad local famers. One need not look terribly far in this city to find a farmer’s market booming with fresh produce, homemade delicacies, and eager food-lovers seeking out the best products for their weekly meals. Here is a list of Atlanta farmers markets happenings. Wherever you look, local food is not too far away!

Atlanta Farmer’s Markets 2014

Atlanta Farmers Markets

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How to Choose a Chiropractor
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How to Choose a Chiropractor

How to Choose a Chiropractor

Having the largest chiropractic college in the world right in its backyard, Atlanta can be a confusing place to find a chiropractor. Similar to finding a dentist, medical doctor, mechanic, or hair dresser it is important to do research if you’re looking to find out who is the best chiropractor in Atlanta. In today’s article we’ll discuss how to choose a chiropractor and provide questions you should ask yourself and the chiropractor you’re visiting.

Choosing the Best Chiropractor

There are certain strategies I feel are very important when seeking to find a chiropractor that give you and your family the best care.

1. How thorough is the consultation?

The first day in a chiropractic office is what sets the tone for the relationship and is the determining factor for what the patient will need. In our office we use the first visit to analyze the entire spine to figure out:

  • Can we help this person?
  • If so, how long will it take?
  • How often will we need to see them?

These questions are important in the first day and should be asked by the chiropractor your visit. This will help you achieve your goal and not waste your time.

To give you an idea of which tests we utilize here is a list of what 99% of each client receive on their first visit:

  • Blood pressure: Research shows chiropractic can lower blood pressure better than two medications
  • Spirometer: This detects lung capacity and how much air a person can blow out. We track this number since our office specializes in corrective care and as the patients posture improves they are able to increase their lung capacity
  • Grip strength: Each patient should be stronger by roughly 10-20% on their dominant hand. By assessing this we can determine if there is soft tissue or nerve blockage not allowing for increasing grip strength.
  • Nerve scans: We use digital thermography to assess the nerves in the spine to detect stress on the nervous system. This can help us locate pinched nerves and see where the problem is coming from.
  • Postural assessment: Each person receives a front and side view picture so we can track to measure if the spine is moving back into it’s normal position.
  • Digital x-rays: It is important to have a set of x-rays done on the spine to measure the curves and make sure it is straight on the front view but has 3 smooth flowing curves on the side view. Since we are one of the only offices in Atlanta to specialize in corrective care we use these first x-rays as a base in order to help our patient get as close to normal.

2) Do they adjust on the first visit?

When I look for chiropractors in other states for people that need them the first question I ask is “Do you adjust on the first visit?”. If the chiropractor adjusts on the first visit this means I immediately hang up the phone and call the next chiropractor.

Personally, if I was visiting any healthcare provider or personal trainer I would prefer they perform all the testing and gather as much data as possible then follow-up with me the next day or two days later to review their findings.

3) Are there classes to learn more about the body and how it works?

An area I feel we specialize in which I would hope more healthcare providers followed suit is education. The term doctor literally means teacher and unfortunately this is not the case in our healthcare world.

Our office holds 4 classes a month to help our patients know what they can do at home to achieve the best results and keep their bodies healthy. Two of these classes are our Natural Healthcare Orientation which is the first class each patient will attend to explain to them how they got their spine in this situation and steps to take to get the best results in the quickest amount of time.

4) What is the follow-up protocol to track progress?

Most doctors track progress based on symptoms and how their patient feels. Unfortunately, this does not work as they are a lot of people walking around who feel great but they have heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other diseases that do not show symptoms until the latter stages. This is why our office focuses heavily on objective results versus subjective results.

We re-evaluate the spine using all of our technology to strategically show someone is getting better not because their symptoms are going away. This is very important in healthcare as most people only care for their health when they are symptomatic but neglect their health when they are asymptomatic.

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Are you playing a bigger game in life?

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to visit one of the top organically   photo 3  grown supplement companies in the World: Standard Process. If you are interested in learning more about their products, which I recommend, then check out Jessica’s article “Which supplements are best for you?”

We arrived at the Standard Process (SP) farm on Friday at 10:00 AM and took a thorough tour through the farm and facility to better understand the efficiency and quality of their products. Everything about the company is contagious from the way the employees clean the machinery to the types of produce they put in their supplements to the passion of each SP worker.

Following the 2-hour tour, our weekend speaker asked the group of 60 chiropractors if we are “playing a bigger game” in our lives. This question intrigued me and sparked many ideas, as I truly believe my life’s purpose is to reeducate people about TRUE healthcare. In today’s U.S. society, we are marketed a different kind of healthcare system, one that has the potential to have the best of intentions but does not always come with desired results. Obviously, if what everyone is doing worked so well, then we would be the healthiest country on the planet, but unfortunately, we are one of the sickest. photo 4

When you look at your life ask yourself, “Am I playing a bigger game?”

The speaker’s message drove the point that most people focus on the outcomes and goals, but they rarely focus on the game itself. However, if people spend more time on the game, then everything else will be a byproduct of playing that game, and success will be a result of each action. photo 2

For example, we set specific goals for our practice, such as the number of new patients we want to accept each month, the number of people who will attend workshops, and the list continues. If we only concentrate on raising these numbers, then our main focus is more so on the outcomes rather than the game, yet we work diligently to ensure that the details of your care are covered every quarter of the game.

This game our amazing staff and myself are playing is “creating energy in people’s lives”. We do this through chiropractic adjustments, compliments, quality customer service, new facilities, best technology, advanced workshops, weekly newsletters, functional nutrition consultations, and even high fives. Our game is to create a healthier energy for you, so you can live the best version of yourself.

One of the other reasons I loved visiting the farm is because of the game they are playing and how well they care for their employees. Here are some of the employee benefits (even with a staff of over 300 people):

1) Free chiropractic care on-site
2) Massages for only $6/20 minutes on-site
3) Discounted acupuncture on-site
4) $450 worth of supplements each month
5) Free gym membership with classes and challenges
6) Subsidized daycare by the company

Standard Process highly values its employees and their personal fulfillment and health. After all, the better the workers play the game and become part of the company’s vision, the better the outcome for everyone involved.  photo 5

My hope for you is that you look at your life (not judging it good or bad) and determine whether you are hanging out in the comfort zone or playing a bigger game for humanity. At times, we have a tendency to stay in this comfort zone, and I am guilty of doing so, as well. However, if you let yourself venture into the experience of playing a bigger game, you might just find that you get uncomfortable in the comfort zone very quickly because your life is set on a different (and oftentimes more exciting) path.

When John F Kennedy told our country, he is going to put a man on the moon in 10 years, he did not know the “HOW”. He was a visionary willing to play a big game and lo and behold, a man gets to the moon. If you know the “HOW” behind your game in life then your game may not big enough.

I would love to hear any feedback and help you find out if you are playing a bigger game in life.

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Best Pediatric Chiropractor in Atlanta
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Who is the Best Pediatric Chiropractor in Atlanta?

Best Pediatric Chiropractor in Atlanta

Who is the best pediatric chiropractor in Atlanta? Well, this depends on how you define someone as being the “best”. In my opinion, the “best” person to take care of you and your family is a chiropractor who you trust, will educate you through the process, and who has received advanced training in pediatrics.

What Should You Look For

1) Find someone who you trust and feel comfortable with. Whenever choosing any health care provider, find someone you can connect with. Follow your intuition and choose a provider who makes you feel comfortable when you walk into the office.

2) Find someone who explains what they are doing and why they are doing it. The Chiropractor should explain what is going on with your child, what impact it might have on him/her, and what to expect during care. This allows you to be educated throughout the process and make informed decisions regarding your child’s health.

3) Look for a Chiropractor who has received advanced training in pediatrics. Parents can look on the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) website, icpa4kids.com, to find Doctors who specialize in pediatrics and pregnancy. This website shows any chiropractors who have obtained post-graduate training in pediatric care.

At Corrective Chiropractic, we care about the health of you and your family! Our mission is to serve and educate the Atlanta community about true health. Dr. Savy has received advanced training in the management of infants, children, and pre-and postpartum women and is also certified in the Webster Intrauterine Contraint Technique. If you have have any questions or would like to make an appointment to get your child checked, please call our office at 404-355-5499.

Your Turn

Do you have a chiropractor you trust to care for your child? What criteria did you use to select your family’s chiropractor?

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What Does The Chiropractic Roller Table Do?

What does the chiropractic roller table do

May people ask us about the roller tables we have in our office, more specifically they ask “What does the Chiropractic Roller table do?” and “What benefits do they provide?”.

A differentiating factor between us and most chiropractors is, following the adjustment, we have everyone lay for between 5-7 minutes in our tranquility room on the “roller tables”. Most people call these “roller tables” but for us they are known as Spinal Stabilizer Tables. These tables actually stabilize the spine post-corrective adjustment.

Since we specialize in corrective care, it’s important that people do not go back in their car and head straight in front of a computer. It is important to relax for at least 5 minutes to allow the adjustment to hold itself in place. The “roller tables” help this relaxation process.

These Spinal Stabilizer Tables roll up and down the spine massaging the disc spaces. These disc spaces are the cushioning between the spine and help them stay hydrated. The more stimulation these discs receive the healthier and taller you will feel and look.

Your Turn

Have you ever laid on a roller table when visiting a chiropractor?

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