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Dr. Tony here with Essentials of Life Chiropractic, kicking off our December festive series, Holiday Health Tips. And the first week we're going to talk about here is nutrition, and I've got some math to help us with this one this week. Let's talk about how you want to organize your plate during the holiday season. So, imagine taking a plate, drawing a line right through it in half, and the bottom half of that plate is going to be plants. So, think fruits and vegetables. Plants go on the bottom of the plate. Then we divide that top half in half, so that's a quarter, so you have a half and two quarters, and one of those quarters is going to be your protein, and the other quarter is going to be your carbohydrates. So, half plants, fruits and vegetables, and then the top half, protein and carbohydrates . That's how you want to organize your plate this year. So, if you had a family gathering, this is how you do it. Next math is keeping hydrated during the season. Drink half your body weight in ounces every single day. Very simple, take your body weight, divide it by two, and that's how many ounces of water you need every single day as a baseline. And lastly, let's talk about subtraction. Subtract out that stuff, sugar. I know this is the hard season for that, and it's all around you at all times, and realize that if you have one bad day, you can write it off, but watch out for all the added sugars this holiday season, because sugar will destroy your health and wellbeing. Stay tuned next week as we continue our Health Tips series. Be Well, Dr. Tony

Dr. Tony: Well, hey, it's Dr. Tony here with Essentials of Life Chiropractic, and I have a guest with me. This is Brett Foster. And I can't wait to share his story. Now, I want Brett to be able to share his story, because I will say it's an honor to serve Brett and his family, and he is always so gracious every time. He's always thanking us for helping him along this journey. But can you share with us what got you to the office and what chiropractic has allowed you to be able to do? Brett Foster: Absolutely. So I do keep Dr. Tony busy. Essentially, I was a little bit standoffish on chiropractic care. My wife was a patron here, and I found a reason. So I joined BMX racing, and that activity alone required lots of attention from Dr. Tony, so some bumps and bruises, the ailments and aches. And assuredly, you've kept me in tune just fine. Dr. Tony: He said this would be a challenge. I said I was up for the challenge. I'm grateful for the challenge. And now, what would you say has been the biggest game changer for you of what you've noticed and really what you're grateful that chiropractic has allowed you to do? Brett Foster: Yeah, absolutely. Game changers, the mornings, right? You wake up, you have the bumps and the bruises from just normal life. That was fixed right away. It was the recovery time that I see in my personal life as an aging athlete. I can knock something out and have it put back into alignment and get back on the track faster with your care. Dr. Tony: Yes. So I want to share some insight. This is just a wonderful story. We get to hear these amazing stories every single day in the office. And so we want to do this series where you also get to experience just the gratitude and the impact the chiropractic has made. So it's an honor to be able to serve you and your family, and stay tuned. Be Well - Dr. Tony

Back at Essentials of Life Chiropractic today, and we need to have a real talk about posture. You know the one — head forward, shoulders rounded, slouched over your phone or laptop like a cashew. Yeah… that one. It’s become so common that most people don’t even notice it anymore. But let me tell you — your body notices. Every single day. Bad Posture = Big Problems Let’s start with this: posture is more than just how you look. It affects how your spine moves, how your nervous system functions, and how much energy you have throughout the day. When your head is forward and your shoulders are rounded, that adds 30 to 40 pounds  of extra pressure to your spine. It’s like walking around with a bowling ball hanging from your neck all day. That kind of stress adds up. Signs Your Posture Is Out of Whack Most people don’t come into the office saying, “Hey Doc, I have bad posture.” They come in saying: “My neck is always sore.” “I get headaches by the afternoon.” “My upper back feels like a rock.” “I’m tired, but I can’t relax.” That’s your body waving the red flag. And often, poor posture is the root cause. Why It Happens We live in a “forward world.” Forward phones. Forward laptops. Forward driving. Forward everything. Our bodies aren’t built to be in that position for hours every day. Over time, those forward habits lead to forward head posture, rounded shoulders, and a curved upper back. It’s not just about tight muscles — it’s about spinal misalignment and nervous system interference. The Posture Fix Starts at the Spine This is where chiropractic care comes in. Adjustments restore motion to the spine and help realign the vertebrae, so your body can hold itself upright again — the way it was designed to. And here’s the thing: when your spine is aligned and your nervous system is clear, your posture doesn’t feel  like work. You’re not forcing yourself to “sit up straight.” Your body just knows how to be there. That’s the power of a healthy spine and nervous system. What We Do in the Office When someone comes in with posture problems, we look at everything: Head tilt Shoulder position Curve of the spine Hip balance Muscle tension From there, we build a plan — usually a combo of adjustments, posture-specific exercises, and home habits to break the bad patterns. The goal is not just to fix how you look in the mirror. It’s to fix how your body functions. Posture Tips You Can Start Today While chiropractic care lays the foundation, there are things you can do right now to start improving your posture. Get up every 30–60 minutes. Move your body. Walk. Stretch. Change positions. Strengthen your upper back. Think rows, band pulls, or even wall angels. Open up your chest. Stretch those tight pec muscles. Foam rollers are great here. Set your screens higher. Eye-level screens mean less head tilt. Check your backpack or bag. Heavy bags pull you forward. Lighten the load or wear both straps. And For the Parents Out There... If you’ve got kids or teens, start watching their posture now. The earlier we catch these patterns, the easier they are to fix. I see high schoolers with posture worse than some of my adult patients. Hours of gaming, scrolling, and slouching add up fast when the spine is still developing. Get them adjusted, get them moving, and get ahead of the curve — literally. You Deserve to Feel Strong Again Good posture isn’t about perfection. It’s about function. Confidence. Strength. Energy. If you’ve been feeling stiff, tired, or tense — don’t just stretch it out and hope it goes away. Let’s take a real look at your posture and your spine, and build a plan to help you stand tall again. Be Well -Dr. Tony

Dr. Lisa: Hey everyone, Dr. Lisa here from Essentials of Life Chiropractic, and welcome to our insights and inspiration about gratefulness and having gratitude for others. This is Kurt, one of my patients who've been with me for a while, and we're very thankful for patients like Kurt. And then also, if you guys didn't know, he's also an Andover firefighter, so you should all be thanking him for his service. Thank you- Kurt: You're welcome. Dr. Lisa: ... for all that you do. And all of you should be thankful, because he is the one who likes to bring the fire truck every year for our Trunk or Treat. Kurt: Yeah. Dr. Lisa: Yeah. It's fun, all the kids love it. So something that Kurt... Well, tell us, Kurt, why did you start coming in? Tell us a little bit about yourself, why you started coming in and why you continue to keep coming. Kurt: Great. Well, about five years ago or so, I was lifting weights, doing things that I thought were right, and I was not. I did some poor form on a lot of different things, ended up with two bulging discs in my back. It was bad. Went to the doctor, did all the normal things that people do, got the pain pills, got the muscle relaxers, did the therapy. Nothing was helping. So I had a friend suggest Dr. Lisa, say, "Come on in here, check it out." Walked in the door and you took care of me. Dr. Lisa: I did. Kurt: So without her, I wouldn't have been able to, I guess, continue being a firefighter. They were talking about fusing discs in my back, which I think would've probably ended that. Dr. Lisa: You're right. Kurt: Yeah. So ever since, we've been hanging out at least once a week, we were on a plan to keep me healthy. Dr. Lisa: We're on a plan, yeah. Kurt: And I keep bringing everybody else in here that I can. Dr. Lisa: All right. Well, thank you, Kurt for coming in- sharing your story. And stay tuned for more insights and inspirations. Be Well Dr. Lisa

Dr. D: So Dr. D here in the office tonight at ELC. And this month has been all about gratitude here in the office. We have the lovely leaves falling up on that window up there with everything all of our folks are grateful for. And this is Eric. He has been with us since 2019. So clearly he and his family love coming into the office, love the care that we give. And so we'd love to hear from Eric. What do you feel most thankful for that Chiropractic has provided for you and your family? Eric: I'm thankful for the opportunity. Somebody gave me the gift to come in here and to help my mobility with work, in life with my kids, with my family, to be able to get out and stay active and moving in the way I want to. Dr. D: That's awesome. And we loved being able to celebrate you too here at the gala. It's one of the things that we do to celebrate all of our folks that have been in the office and have been with us as long as they have been, including Eric. So it's been such a lovely journey to have you guys in the office. So appreciate you taking the time with us here tonight, Eric. Thank you. Eric: Thank you.

Dr. Tony here with Essentials of life Chiropractic. I wanted to show you a very important stretch that can help correct something called forward head posture along with chiropractic care. So forward head posture is just like the name sounds, the head forward from where it should be. Now this comes from, sometimes this gets the name tech neck, people on phones or tablets or on a computer all day long, and people walk around like this, and the problem isn't just that it looks really bad. The problem is that it's affecting a lot of stuff underneath everything, like the spine, the muscles, tendons, ligaments and, most importantly, the nervous system which travels through the spine and controls all the healing and function of your body and it adds extra stress onto that. In fact, we have a scanner here that can calculate how much extra stress is added to the spine. It's called posture screen mobile. Here's a picture of it right here. And yet what it actually will measure is how much added stress you are putting on your neck and upper back just because of a forward head carriage. The general rule of thumb is for every inch forward, it adds an extra 10 pounds to your neck and shoulders. Now here's the stretch. It's very simple. It's called a chin tuck exercise. You stand against the wall, tuck your chin, hold the head straight back, keep the arms relaxed. One way you'll know you're doing it right is if you see that double chin. You hold this for about 30 seconds. Do it two to three times a day. That's the chin tuck exercise to help correct for forward head posture. Be Well Dr. Tony

It is Dr. D here and we're back with another common stretch that I recommend to a lot of my patients, especially those that spend a lot of time sitting at a desk, working at a computer. Maybe you spend a lot of time driving throughout the day and you got some upper back, neck tension, low, and maybe even across the shoulders. This is a nice easy one that you can either perform with a mattress here, or you can use on an exercise ball. Today I'm going to show you it on the edge of a mattress so that ease of access for the most people here. So one of the most important things as I'm demoing this, I want you to feel like your neck is fully supported at all times. I only really want the very back part of your head to be the thing that is falling off the edge of the mattress. So please don't feel like your neck is really bent during the stretch. So we'll get into it here. You're going to sit on the edge of the bed here so that you can position your head so that we're going off the corner of the mattress. And this is going to be important here in a second. So when we're positioning ourselves, we're going to go ahead and find just the back part of the head again, falling off the edge of the mattress here. And with us now positioned at the corner of the mattress, we can then take our arms and drape them off either side of that mattress and really feel a nice big open stretch through your chest. And we'll be able to relax here for however long feels comfortable. One of the things that folks might tend to notice as they're doing this stretch that I want you to make sure that if you notice this, you can go ahead and stop and we'll pick it up again the next time, is if you do feel like your fingers start to get a little bit tingly, or if you have any sensations change in your arms, please do discontinue this stretch. Chat with your doc about it, that might be a little bit too long or a little bit much for your particular body. So please do this safely, but this is going to be a great stretch for you to employ for your body if you feel like you got a lot of tension that builds up in that upper back, lower neck, at the end of the day, especially from being hunched over doing a lot of the things that we do on our technology. So give that one a try, check in with your docs and let them know what you think. Be Well Dr. Daniel

Hey everyone. This October, we are going to be giving you lots of different spinal tips, mostly stretches and exercises to help you throughout the day. Today, we're going to be talking about the hip flexors. This is going to be really good for any of those who have low back pain, hip pain, really great for athletes, and even those who sit at a desk all day long. Your hip flexor attaches to all of the segments in the low back and then goes through the hips and attaches to your leg. This is a really big muscle, so if there's any imbalance, you might feel that in your back. So again, let's go through a stretch that can help you with this. So first, what you're going to want to do is find a wall, stagger your feet. So this one, the right foot is forward. So what you want to do first is tuck that tailbone under. You might already start to feel it in the front of your left hip. But then next, we're going to bend that right leg, and then bring that left arm up, reach up. And then as long as there's no pain, you can reach over to the opposite side. Now, this is a really great stretch for right in the front of the hip here. Now, make sure to hold 20 to 30 seconds, switch sides, do the same thing on the other side, and then do that two to three times throughout the day. Now, if you're someone who has really tight calves and maybe you feel more in your calf than in your hip, then guess what, you can do this on your knees. So again, tuck, forward, arm up and over. And then obviously, 20 to 30 seconds and switch sides. So hopefully this helps you throughout the day and do this every day, and you'll notice your hips and your low back should be feeling better. Be Well Dr. Lisa

Hey, everyone. Today we're going to go through a stretch that's going to help with low back pain, knee pain, pelvic pain, hip pain, couple different things. So this one is the hamstring. Here it is. So you can see where it's attaching. So you can see where you might have some knee pain, maybe hip pain, pelvic pain, low back pain. So let's do some stretches to help make sure that back can start dissipating over time and to help your body heal faster. So I'm going to show you three different ways to stretch the hamstring. So the first one is the one that I teach most of my patients right away with low back pain. And basically you'll use a step or something that you can put your foot up on. So what you're going to do is put your foot up on wherever it's going to be. You can do this on the floor as well, but you're going to go right there. And then what you're going to do is bend from the hip. So you're not going to bend from the back, you're going to bend from the hip forward and just a little bit where you're going to feel a stretch right in the back of the leg. So you don't have to reach down, touch your toe, it's really just the bend from the hip is all you need. Now all you're going to do is hold this for 20 to 30 seconds, three times throughout the day, and then you're all set. Of course, you're going to want to switch sides so that you are even from side-to-side. So that's one way to stretch it. The other one is if you go onto the floor, you just do like a figure four here. Make sure this leg is straight in front of you. Make sure it's not to the side. Same thing from when you were standing, make sure it's straight in front of you. And then what you're going to do is, again, bend from the hip forward. And you can reach, you don't have to, but just bend forward and you'll feel that stretch in the back of the leg. So that's another way to stretch the hamstring. Another one, and I'm just going to move the camera here, is against the wall. So if you remember that hip flexor stretch I did couple weeks ago, this one's going to go really good hand in hand with that one. So with this one... Let me move that. So if you did the hip flexor stretch, what you're going to do is transfer your weight back, flex that foot in the front, and bend from the hip forward. So with this one, whatever leg is the straight one, the back of the leg is where you're going to feel that. So just make sure your back is nice and straight when you're doing this and you're bending from the hip. And, again, both of those, make sure you do both sides. All right, hope that's helpful. Make sure to do your stretches. We'll see you next time. Be Well Dr. Lisa

If you're having lower back discomfort or pain across the top of the hips or the pelvis, whether it's on one side or both sides, it's very likely that the muscles in the area are not able to help support your spine in the way that they need to. Some of this can be due to restriction of the joint function itself, and some of it is going to be related to just conditioning over time. If you have to spend a lot of time throughout your day seated, or if you spend a lot of time with a loaded spine for whatever reason, the muscles of your lower back need to work in tandem with the other muscles in the area. And so if we're not getting help from those other muscles, your lower back can bear the brunt of that. So I'm going to show you a quick, easy exercise that we can do to help engage those stability muscles and help improve the sharing of the load between your lower back and some of the other muscles that should be helping out. So we're going to lay down here on the table, but you can do this one on the floor. Ideally not on a mattress because it just has a little bit too much cushion or padding in there, so something with a little bit of feedback for your body here. We're going to lay on our back with our knees bent, and our spine here is going to have a little bit of space, a little bit of an arch in the lower back. That's going to be a key thing we're going to want to focus on during this exercise. The first movement here is to flatten your spine and push it into the table here. That's going to cause some rotation of your hips, but what I want you to focus mostly on is your belly button working down towards the floor and feeling your spine press into the floor From here, once the spine is pressed into the floor, we are going to engage and squeeze our glutes, and lift up off the floor about an inch. That's all we need to get that good contraction going. Then we're going to allow that to slowly release out, maintaining the pressure into the floor with my low spine, and then relaxing that pressure from there. That's one full rep. Let's take it through it together here. Belly button towards the floor. Get a little bit of that rock in the pelvis. Now we're going to squeeze those glute muscles, lift about an inch, then relax the glutes, return down, and relax the lower spine. So this is one that you can do daily or regularly to not only help alleviate some symptoms that you are feeling currently, but also help build and work towards your body feeling better stabilized throughout the day and thus having less pain in that lower back. Be Well Dr. Daniel

Well, it's that time of year again. Cold and flu season is right around the corner, and I want to give you five things to keep your immune system nice and strong so you can be prepared for it. Number one, keep your nervous system nice and clear with regular chiropractic adjustments because your nervous system controls your immune system. Number two, be sure to get plenty of sleep every single night. Adults, we need at least seven hours of sleep every night. Kids need at least nine. It's important because sleep is where you immune system repairs. Number three, stay active. Activity stimulates the immune system and continues to circulate blood, which carries oxygen and nutrients, which helps with the immune response in your body. Number four, make sure you drink plenty of water. Keeping the body nice and hydrated will help strengthen the immune system. Number five, consider supplementing with vitamin D, elderberry syrup, and zinc. That's three very powerful supplements that can help strengthen your immune system. So there you go, five ways to strengthen the immune system and get ready for the upcoming cold flu season. Be Well, Dr. Tony

We have had many testimonials over the years from adults and school-aged children alike, telling us that they experience better focus and better mental clarity, and oftentimes they wonder how does that work? Well, here's my explanation for that. Your brain is the master control center of your entire body. It controls not just your thoughts, but also all the healing and function that happens in every cell, muscle, and tissue in your body. And that happens through the nervous system, which is basically your brain, spinal cord, and nerves. So if your nervous system is carrying a lot of extra stress on it, which by the way, these scanners that we have in our office can detect and show us exactly where that is and direct where our adjustments will go, and our adjustments are designed to clear out those neural spinal pathways, when you clear off all the extra stress from the nervous system, it frees up your brain to be able to do things like focus, memory, attention, along with all the other healing and function that has to do in the body. Be Well Dr. Tony