The Sounds of Summer

An image of a woman doing a stretch with her hands clasped and her arms stretched upwards. She's wearing workout attire while on a shaded trail surrounded by trees.

The variegated songs of the mockingbird. The crack of the bat on the baseball diamond. The screaming of little children at play in the community pool. Wherever we turn, the sounds of summer surround us in a joyful uplifting cacophony. Summertime may mean barbecue and it may mean the beach, but it also means outdoor activities that we haven't engaged in for much of the year such as hiking, biking, volleyball, and tennis. If we want to enjoy a summer full of fun, it's important to do some preparation to minimize the risk of physical injury and help make sure we can do all the things we want to do. Although the possibility of injury to muscles, tendons, and ligaments is inherent in all physical activity, there are many steps we can take to keep our musculoskeletal system healthy and functioning at peak capacity.

Two main courses of action involve regular stretching and regularly doing a dynamic warm-up. Stretching, done properly, wakes up our joints and musculoskeletal soft tissues and prepares our bodies for physical work. Stretching basically means lengthening, and when you stretch you're encouraging the major muscles of your back and legs to gradually achieve their greatest length. When you stretch, you're primarily focusing on the hamstrings, calf muscles, quadriceps, and erector muscles of your back.

Stretching is done gently, slowly, and with the utmost attention. It's important to remember that if you're not fully focused, you may strain a muscle by an inadvertent sudden movement or by overstretching. Stretching is a Zen-type activity and requires concentration and mindfulness. Your stretching session could take 10 or 20 minutes, depending on your overall level of flexibility. When you're done, the blood supply to all your muscles has increased and the contractile mechanisms of your major muscle groups have lengthened. As a result, you're ready to engage in vigorous physical activity and withstand sudden starts and stops while minimizing the risk of unexpected damage.

The importance of doing a dynamic warm-up has become increasingly recognized in the last decade and these preparatory activities have gained in prominence and become increasingly popular. Dynamic warm-ups engage your muscles, joints, and associated soft tissues in low-level movements that involve actual physical work. In a sense, dynamic warm-ups are training sessions so your body will learn what's required when larger mechanical forces come into play, such as acceleration and deceleration and the need to successfully counter the force of gravity.

Your dynamic warm-up is done right after your stretching session. Numerous activities are available and part of the interest and fun of a dynamic warm-up is the wide variety of choices. Wednesday's program might be substantially different from that done on Monday, and Friday's activities might be completely different from what you've done earlier in the week. Dynamic warm-up activities include torso twists, arm circles, lunges, squats, and light jogging. Your dynamic warm-up session could take 10 minutes. When you're done, you're prepared to fully enjoy your summertime games and outdoor exercise.

Regular chiropractic care is a year-long activity that is especially valuable during the summer months. The summer weather brings us outdoors where we can run, jump, ride, skate, and play ball with abandon. We'd like to make sure we can do all these things with a minimum risk of injury. Unexpected back and neck strains and sprains slow us down and interfere with what we want to do. The best policy is to do what we can to avoid these problems in the first place.

A primary solution is to make sure we're getting regular chiropractic care. By detecting and correcting spinal misalignments, sources of nerve irritation that interfere with musculoskeletal function, regular chiropractic care optimizes our body's mechanical performance. Regular chiropractic care helps keep our spine and nerve system in good working order so we can participate fully in our summer exercises and games and enjoy ourselves throughout the season. In this way, regular chiropractic care is a key component of our program for summer-long fun.

  1. Johnson CD, et al: The relationship of core strength and activation and performance on three functional movement screens. J Strength Cond Res 2017 Apr 18. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001943. [Epub ahead of print]
  2. Shamsi MB, et al: Comparing core stability and traditional trunk exercise on chronic low back pain patients using three functional lumbopelvic stability tests. Physiother Theory Pract 31(2):89-98, 2015
  3. Coulombe BJ, et al: Core Stability Exercise Versus General Exercise for Chronic Low Back Pain. J Athl Train 52(1):71-72, 2017

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Office Hours

Our Regular Schedule

Monday:

7:00 am-5:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am-12:00 pm

1:00 pm-6:00 pm

Wednesday:

7:00 am-5:00 pm

Thursday:

1:00 pm-6:00 pm

Friday:

7:00 am-5:00 pm

Saturday:

7:00 am-12:00 pm

1:00 pm-4:00 pm

Sunday:

Emergency Only

Testimonials

Reviews By Our Satisfied Patients

  • "Life would not be the same without Dr. Jayne! In addition to being the loveliest and most caring person, she's an extraordinary chiropractor. She truly has healing hands, an incredible knowledge of the body (MY body!), an uncanny gift for knowing exactly what the issue is right away, and then correcting it effectively. I always know I can rely on her to correct my neck and back issues when they arise, sometimes just after one visit. And Dr. Lou and Jayne's staff are wonderful - kind and patient, and always extremely helpful. I wouldn't go anywhere else."
    Beth B
  • "Dr Jayne and Dr Lou are both amazing! They offer not just great care, but a warm, welcoming atmosphere— truly family friendly! They go above and beyond and truly care about the whole patient, well beyond chiropractic care. Dr Jayne has offered amazing support and solace through my journey as a new mom and I will always be grateful!"
    Katherine G.
  • "Absolutely amazing ! First, the staff was very friendly. I am 8 months pregnant and I've had a lot of back/shoulder pain, and the doctor Jayne was very friendly and professional. You can tell she know what she's doing. She did an amazing job, when I got up from the chair I felt like I was 10 years old again ! My pain was completely gone. I am so happy I have found that place !"
    Manon J S.
  • "I've seen a whole bunch of chiropractors and Lou and Jayne are the best, by far. They're also two of the sweetest people I know."
    Scott C.
  • "I have no words to express my gratitude for Dr. Jayne. I was looking for a Webster Technique chiropractor during my pregnancy and I am so happy I found her. Thanks to her treatments we were able to turn the baby in optimal position and avoid any kind of medical interventions during delivery. But most of all, I valued her precious advice and physical and emotional support during before and after my baby was born. The most beautiful moment of all was giving my son his very first adjustment when he was only couple of days old. I definitely recommend her and her team!"
    Marija R.
  • "Dr Lou and Dr Jayne are fantastic. They've put my spine back in line and are always the nicest people to work with."
    Gerry G
  • "Friendly and welcoming. I enjoy my visits here as they are short and sweet, and really contribute overall health. Twice a week was all I needed and it has changed my world."
    Carlos C
  • "Dr. Lou has taken care of me for close to 20 years. ALWAYS spot on and just an amazing staff. Thank you for all you do."
    Marc W
  • "For two days I have been dealing with that ache in my bicep and having to stretch my hand and it constantly cracking...within minutes of leaving your office from my adjustment my ache is gone and no need to stretch the hand and when I did no cracking. Magic Hands I tell ya!!"
    Janice Bowman
  • "I highly recommend Family Chiropractors for all you health needs ..... From a tune up to a serious issue they will bring you back to the road of recovery ..... They are knowledgable and listen to your needs and concerns ..... I have gone to Dr Lou for over 10 years and I will tell you as a runnner and a yogi you can not find someone better or more caring ... Give them a try ... I believe you will be glad you did and so will your body."
    Thomas Randazzo
  • "It's miraculous how they make me feel better so quickly!"
    Richard Reiter
  • "Drs. Lou and Jayne are the best. Wonderful with even the very youngest children and babies, all the way to folks in later life. Friendly, personable, and strong at what they do -- each with his or her own style. Great to have appointments with both of them! They also have things like a water massage table, which is a wonderfully relaxing mini-escape, and laser treatments for things like carpal tunnel. They are also a gay-friendly business, which encourages me to refer more folks to them."
    Elizabeth Schroeder
  • "Love that place"
    Joe V