What Type of Mattress Should You Buy?

What Type of Mattress Should You Buy?

The mattress you sleep on has a lot to do with your spine health.  If you are sleeping on a bed that doesn’t offer adequate support, you could wake up with pinched nerve pain, back or neck pain in Lake Worth, or even shooting leg pain in Lake Worth.  Dr. Craig Selinger, a caring and motivatedchiropractor in Lake Worth, FL, talked to Rick, a manager at City Mattress, to help people learn more about the mattresses available today and which kind might be right for them.  Here are some highlights from their conversation:

Dr. S: What are some of the different kinds of mattresses that are out there?

Rick: Well, you’ve got your traditional mattress, which is coil springs, and specialty, which would include air, water and foam. Foam is the area where we’re seeing the biggest increase in sales.  In general, you’re going to have Tempur-Pedic type mattresses with memory foam and latex mattresses, such as the prana sleep mattresses.  Not a real big fan of water or air.

Dr. S: I’ll tell you, water mattresses, they do not support your spine properly.  There’s no resistance and plus, you know what, they’re just way too ‘70s. I mean the next thing you’re going to see is some guy wearing a leisure suit. So [water mattresses] are something I definitely try to avoid from a lot of perspectives – it’s bad for your back, and I think bad for your social life. 

But some of the other mattresses we have.  You mentioned the Prana mattress, which I thought was an excellent mattress and it’s a new technology that’s out there.

R: Prana sleep has asked Latex International to produce a proprietary foam for them, one of the highest quality foams in the industry – it has the most amount of rubber in it.  That will give you the most amount of lift or buoyancy in a mattress so you get plenty of support and very little pressure. What’s different with a prana sleep than a Tempur-Pedic type mattress is that with prana sleep you don’t feel like you’re stuck in the mattress; you don’t sink in really deep into the mattress like you might with a Tempur-Pedic type mattress. 

Dr. S.: You feel like you’re a turtle on your back, and you can’t tip over.

R: Both are excellent quality products. Most times it comes down to whether the customer likes, which comfort they like, one or the other. Both mattresses would be superior to an innerspring mattress because they would give less pressure.  There are some excellent innerspring mattresses out there, they give you plenty of support but you get the pressure.

Dr. S.: Right

R: If you’re very sensitive, you’re better off going with a foam type mattress.

For more information, stop by a City Mattress location near you or call the offices of Lake Worth andPalm Beach chiropractor Dr. Craig Selinger.,

Hangover Help

Hangover Help

Dr. Selinger makes it clear that he does not condone the use of alcohol or drugs, but he knows there are times many of us may over indulge.  “Alcohol can cause a lot of health problems, it can also cause car wrecks, it can cause liver damage and unwanted hook ups,” the Lake Worth and Palm Beach chiropractor says. “But I know a lot of people are going to be out there drinking and I have some tips to alleviate some of the hangover symptoms you’re going to be feeling the next day.”

Here are his tops tips for dealing with the pain of a hangover:

• Don’t drink more than one drink per hour.
• Make sure you drink a lot of water. When you drink, you dehydrate your body.  Water will help you hydrate. 
• Avoid coffee. Caffeine is a diuretic – what that will do is add to your dehydration and increase the symptoms of the hangover.
• Sweat it out.  You can go for a brisk walk, sweating some of the toxins out of your body is going to be helpful. Don’t overdo it though.   And make sure you do this when you’ve had a lot of water.
• Avoid pain killers.  Painkillers such as Tylenol have acetaminophen which is bad for your liver.  Your liver has been working overtime.  We don’t want to put fuel on the fire. So try to avoid that.
• Take vitamins – especially B6, and vitamin C. They’re going to help you as well. 
• Eat fruit. Fruit has fructose which is helpful in metabolizing alcohol.
• Snack while you’re drinking.  This is going to also help you.
• Make sure you sleep in, get enough rest.  Lay in a dark room because light can increase the effects of a headache. 
• Be safe, be healthy and make sure you don’t do any David Hasselhoff impersonations because, look, YouTube videos last forever.  

Most importantly, if you are going to indulge, don’t under any circumstances drink and drive! Dr. Selinger has seen patients injured because of a drunk driver.  As a car accident chiropractor, he can help some of them – but not all. 

If you think you have been injured in a car accident, you can rely on Dr. Selinger, a leadingchiropractor in Lake Worth. In addition to chiropractic adjustments, Dr. Selinger also offers deep tissue massage in Lake Worth from his offices at 7749 Lake Worth Road.  He also provides acupuncture for Lake Worth area patients. Dr. Selinger has helped patients suffering from pinched nerve pain, shooting leg pain in Lake Worth, back and neck pain. Lake Worth area residents don’t have to live with pain (unless, perhaps, they are severely hung over – and then it’s only temporary.)

Low Back Pain Travel Tips

Low Back Pain Travel Tips

There are a lot of ways you can injure yourself when you travel – you can take a tumble on the ski slopes, burn your hand while roasting marshmallows on a campfire or get a sunburn after a week in the islands.  You can also find yourself longing for your chiropractor in Lake Worth, FL, before you even arrive.

If you’re not careful, a plane trip can lead to pinched nerve pain, neck and back pain for Lake Wortharea residents flying the not-so-friendly skies. Lake Worth chiropractor Dr. Craig Selinger has some tips that will help keep you healthy when you fly.

“One – avoid the last aisle in the plane,” he says. “Those seats typically don’t recline back. It’s very uncomfortable and all that weight is on the L5/S1, the lower part of your spine. Also, they’re usually close to the bathroom, which isn’t a nice experience.”

Another great idea he says is to request a seat in the emergency exit row.  “Usually you’ll get twice the amount of legroom. It’s easier to get up and it’s easier to stretch.” 

If you can’t get the exit row (or, if you’re only 5’2” and you feel guilty denying someone taller all that lovely legroom), you can reserve an aisle seat.   “If you sit in the aisle seat you’ll be able to get up, stretch and move around more,” says Dr. Selinger – who also offers acupuncture in Lake Worth. 

The good doctor, known to some for his skill as a car accident chiropractor, also recommends that you drink lots of water.  “When we fly, we dehydrate.  If we drink lots of water, it will hydrate us and it will fight the effects of jetlag. Also, the cabin has almost no humidity, so drinking water will help our body adjust to that pressurized cabin,” he explains.

Dr. Selinger’s fifth tip is to use a lumbar support pillow.  If you’re lucky enough to find one of the small pillows the airlines provide, that will work.  To be on the safe side, you may want to bring one of your own.  If you forgot to pack something and there are no available pillows on the plane, try rolling up a sweater or jacket and using that instead.  Whatever you’re using, you’ll want to put it right in the small of your back, then Dr. Selinger says, “Sit back with your shoulders back and that will help preserve the natural curve in your lower back.”

Lugging Luggage Safely

Lugging Luggage Safely

It wasn’t that long ago that people actually had to carry their suitcases wherever they went. It was definitely an incentive to pack light, but there are times when each of us has a heavy load to carry. And that, of course, resulted in lots of sore backs, pinched nerve pain and neck pain in Lake Worth and other communities in Palm Beach County.

Looking back, it’s surprising nobody came up with the idea of putting wheels on our luggage sooner.  But even now, when you can roll your suitcase down a long terminal with ease, luggage can still pose a threat to your spine health and the fun you’re planning to have on your trip.

“So many of my patients injure themselves while traveling, typically by lifting luggage or sitting in the plane seat,” Lake Worth and Lantana chiropractor Dr. Craig Selinger says.

If you want to be in good shape to enjoy your vacation or family visit or be at your best for the business meeting you’re traveling for, Dr. Selinger has some advice on the proper way to place your carryon baggage in the overhead bin.

“The first thing we want to do is get close to our luggage and we want to bend our knees and we want to lift our luggage keeping our back straight,” the Palm Beaches chiropractor says. “And then we want to put it onto the chair of the plane. We want to make sure the overhead compartment is open. We want to take the luggage by the top handle and we want to bend our knees, get close to it, lifting it with both hands [one grabbing the top handle and one hand placed underneath the bottom of the bag] from our chest. And then placing it into the overhead compartment.”

Getting that bag down is a bit easier but you still need to be careful, Dr. Selinger says.  “When we’re taking it down, we want to lift it again using two hands – one on the top handle and one at the bottom of the bag by the wheels.  As you lift it, keep it close to your body. Bring it down onto the chair. Then to get it on the ground, you get close to it, lifting it by the handle, and then bend at the knees, placing it down.”

Dr. Selinger will be there for you if you come home with shooting leg pain to Lake Worth or are in need of deep tissue massage in Lake Worth following your trip.  But, if you want your trip to be a good one, he says, “The key things are bending your knees, keeping your back straight, ask for assistance if you need it. If you do these things, you’re going to be less likely to injure your back on your trip”

Health Tips for Skiers

Health Tips for Skiers

Dr. Craig Selinger is not only a respected chiropractor in Lake Worth, he’s also a skier. He knows how invigorating a day on the slopes can be – especially for Floridians! That’s why he doesn’t want you to ruin your ski vacation with pinched nerve pain or to return home with back pain to Lake Worth.

“I’ve got some health tips for you while you’re skiing,” the Palm Beach chiropractor says. “One, always be careful when trails are merging. Two, wear a helmet; head injuries are for life. Three, make sure you stretch out before skiing; you could easily tear a muscle and then you’ll ruin your trip.”

And speaking of your trip, Dr. Selinger recommends that you be careful when carrying your luggage and ski equipment – that’s another way to easily injure yourself on your travels. Be especially careful when lifting your luggage to put it in the overhead bin, if you’re flying. (Stick around – Dr. S. will have more to say on that subject in a future blog post!)

Once you’re off the plane and headed for the resort, he says you should make sure you drink plenty of water. Flying is very dehydrating, so you’ll need to compensate for that.  Being adequately hydrated is also a good way to avoid altitude sickness.

And here’s one last tip from Dr. Selinger for skiers: “Make sure you know where you’re going,” he says. “Make sure you have a map and a plan.”

If you do come home with back or neck pain to Lake Worth, give the Lake Worth chiropractor a call.  He promised not to say, I told you so.

Spinal Decompression Therapy

Spinal Decompression Therapy

If you suffer from chronic back pain, surgery isn’t always the answer.  If you haven’t had any luck with traditional treatments, you may want to consider spinal decompression therapy. 

It worked for Jared! “I came to Dr. Selinger two weeks ago in excruciating pain.  I’ve been doing decompression therapy and I feel amazing,” he says. “I highly recommend it and advise you to do the same thing.”

According to WebMD, “Nonsurgical spinal decompression is a type of motorized traction that may help relieve back pain. Spinal decompression works by gently stretching the spine. That changes the force and position of the spine. This change takes pressure off the spinal disks, which are gel-like cushions between the bones in your spine, by creating negative pressure in the disc. As a result, bulging or herniated disks may retract, taking pressure off nerves and other structures in your spine. This in turn, helps promote movement of water, oxygen, and nutrient-rich fluids into the disks so they can heal.”

Among the conditions that WebMD says have been treated using nonsurgical spinal decompression are: Back or neck pain, sciatica, bulging or herniated disks or degenerative disk disease, worn spinal joints (called posterior facet syndrome) and injured or diseased spinal nerve roots.

As Lake Worth chiropractor Dr. Craig Selinger, spinal decompression therapy is not for everyone. In fact, the treatment can be dangerous if you have severe osteoporosis, are pregnant, have recently had lumbar fusion surgery or have metal implants in your spine. Spinal decompression is also not recommended for patients with pelvic or abdominal cancer, disc space infections, pars defect or pathologic aortic aneurysm. Dr. Selinger, one of the leading Lake Worth chiropractors offering spinal decompression therapy, will be happy to discuss the treatment and help you decide if it is right for you.

If you suffer from shooting leg pain in Lake Worth or back or neck pain in Lake Worth and have not found relief through traditional treatments, talk to Dr. Selinger. The treatment begins with daily sessions lasting 30-45 minutes for two weeks. After that, you may only need to visit three times a week for two weeks and then two times a week for the final two weeks.  Like Jared, though, most patients report significant improvement within the first two weeks.

Acupuncture Treatment

                                                        Acupuncture Treatment

In addition to chiropractic care, Lake Worth Chiropractor Dr. Craig Selinger offers his patientsacupuncture in Lake Worth.  The dictionary defines acupuncture as “a system of complementary medicine that involves pricking the skin or tissues with needles, used to alleviate pain and to treat various physical, mental, and emotional conditions. Originating in ancient China, acupuncture is now widely practiced in the West.”

Like chiropractic care, much research has been done on acupuncture that demonstrates its effectiveness in treating a surprising array of injuries and conditions, ranging from back pain to depression. As the Mayo Clinic reports, though, “A key component of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is most commonly used to treat pain.”

Acupuncture is an ancient practice developed by the Chinese.  The Mayo Clinic explains their approach.  “Traditional Chinese medicine explains acupuncture as a technique for balancing the flow of energy or life force — known as qi or chi (CHEE) — believed to flow through pathways (meridians) in your body. By inserting needles into specific points along these meridians, acupuncture practitioners believe that your energy flow will re-balance.”

The effectiveness of acupuncture can also be explained from a Western perspective. “In contrast, many Western practitioners view the acupuncture points as places to stimulate nerves, muscles and connective tissue,” the experts at the Mayo Clinic explain. “Some believe that this stimulation boosts your body's natural painkillers and increases blood flow.”

If you think you might benefit from acupuncture treatments, you can rely on Dr. Craig Selinger, a leading chiropractor in Lake Worth. Dr. Selinger also offers deep tissue massage in Lake Worth from his offices at 7749 Lake Worth Road.  Dr. Selinger has helped patients suffering from pinched nerve pain, shooting leg pain in Lake Worth, neck pain and back pain. Lake Worth area residents don’t have to live with pain.  

Research and Studies on Chiropractic Care

Research and Studies on Chiropractic Care

The number of studies showing the effectiveness of chiropractic care is growing.  There’s a lot of research that consistently shows chiropractic treatment works.  Not only that, the services provided by highly trained professionals like Palm Beach Chiropractor Dr. Craig Selinger are also cost effective. And, perhaps most important when it comes to your family’s health – research has shown that chiropractic care is safe. 

You don’t have to take our word for it, though. Here are some conclusions drawn by various studies which were provided by the American Chiropractic Association:

In a paper that appeared in the British Medical Journal, Korthals-de Bos et al (2003) summarized their research: “In a Randomized controlled trial, 183 patients with neck pain were randomly allocated to manual therapy (spinal mobilization), physiotherapy (mainly exercise) or general practitioner care (counseling, education and drugs) in a 52-week study. The clinical outcomes measures showed that manual therapy resulted in faster recovery than physiotherapy and general practitioner care.”

And that’s not all! The study also showed that, “total costs of the manual therapy-treated patients were about one-third of the costs of physiotherapy or general practitioner care.”

What did we tell you?

Here’s something from the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (Nyiendo et al, 2000): “Patients with chronic low-back pain treated by chiropractors showed greater improvement and satisfaction at one month than patients treated by family physicians. Satisfaction scores were higher for chiropractic patients. A higher proportion of chiropractic patients (56 percent vs. 13 percent) reported that their low-back pain was better or much better, whereas nearly one-third of medical patients reported their low-back pain was worse or much worse.” 

And here are the 2017 guidelines from the American College of Physicians (ACP) to its members when it comes to Noninvasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Low Back Pain: The ACP says, “For patients with chronic low back pain, clinicians and patients should initially select nonpharmacologic treatment with exercise, multidisciplinary rehabilitation, acupuncture, mindfulness-based stress reduction (moderate-quality evidence), tai chi, yoga, motor control exercise, progressive relaxation, electromyography biofeedback, low-level laser therapy, operant therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, or spinal manipulation (low-quality evidence)."

So, if you’re suffering from neck pain in Lake Worth, are looking for relief from lower back pain, have shoulder pain, shooting leg pains or a host of other aches and ills, schedule an appointment with Lake Worth chiropractor Dr. Selinger.  And keep in mind that, after a car accident a chiropractor can be very helpful.

What to Expect with Chiropractic Adjustment

What to Expect with Chiropractic Adjustment

Ok, so you’ve done some homework, talked to some friends and have made the decision to try seeing achiropractor in Lake Worth.  Even though you’ve made the decision (congratulations! We think you made a good choice!), you probably still have some questions.  Dr. Craig Selinger, who is one of the very best Lake Worth chiropractors, will be happy to talk to you to make sure you have all the information you need. 

For now, here’s some great information from the American Chiropractic Association that you might find useful

• First of all, don’t worry. The ACA says, “Chiropractic manipulation is a highly controlled procedure that rarely causes discomfort. The chiropractor adapts the procedure to meet the specific needs of each patient. Patients often note positive changes in their symptoms immediately following treatment.”

• More reason to feel confident from the ACA: “Chiropractic adjustment or manipulation is a manual procedure that utilizes the highly refined skills developed during the doctor of chiropractic’s intensive years of chiropractic education.”

• And here’s how the ACA explains the actually procedure: “The chiropractic physician typically uses his or her hands--or an instrument--to manipulate the joints of the body, particularly the spine, in order to restore or enhance joint function.”

• And best of all, according to the ACA, “This often helps resolve joint inflammation and reduces the patient's pain.”

And remember, Lake Worth and Lantana Chiropractor Dr. Selinger always has time to answer your questions.  Dr. Selinger also performs acupuncture in Lake Worth, if that’s something you’re interested in.  You don’t have to live in pain, we’re here to help.

What Is a Chiropractic Adjustment?

What Is a Chiropractic Adjustment?

If you’re considering seeing a Lake Worth chiropractor, chances are you’re already suffering – it could be pinched nerve pain, back or neck pain or, maybe, shooting leg pain in Lake Worth. One of the ways chiropractors like Dr. Craig Selinger can treat your pain is with chiropractic adjustment.

According to the American Chiropractic Association, chiropractic adjustment – also known as spinal maniplulation – is one of the most common and well known therapeutic procedures performed by chiropractors. “The purpose of spinal manipulation is to restore joint mobility by manually applying a controlled force into joints that have become hypomobile – or restricted in their movement – as a result of a tissue injury,” the ACA explains.

Your pain may stem from a single traumatic event – maybe you were lifting something heavy. It may also be the result of repetitive stresses, such as sitting slumped over at your desk for a long period of time. “In either case,” the ACA says, “injured tissues undergo physical and chemical changes that can cause inflammation, pain, and diminished function for an individual. Manipulation, or adjustment of the affected joint and tissues, restores mobility, thereby alleviating pain and muscle tightness, allowing tissues to heal.”

So, what can you expect if you decide to have a chiropractic adjustment with Dr. Selinger, achiropractor in Lake Worth, FL known for his patient care?  According to the ACA,

“Chiropractic adjustment rarely causes discomfort. However, patients may sometimes experience mild soreness or aching following treatment (as with some forms of exercise) that usually resolves within 12 to 48 hours.”

The ACA also makes a very important point: “Compared to other common treatments for pain, such as over-the-counter and prescription pain medications, chiropractic's conservative approach offers a safe and effective option.”

So, if you’re suffering from back pain in Lake Worth, need shoulder pain treatment or need help with diabetic neuropathy in Lake Worth, schedule an appointment with Lake Worth chiropractor Dr. Selinger.