(518) 390-2484
25 Mohawk Ave, Scotia NY
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Proper Computer Station Ergonomics

3/27/2015

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   More and more people are transitioning over to jobs that require them to work on a computer.  Whether it's at home or in an office, you likely have some type of work station set up to go about your daily routine.  As a chiropractor I constantly see work and stress related injuries associated with spending too much time, in a not so ideal posture, while working on the computer. Today we will go over some simple solutions to improve your posture and decrease muscle strain, and optimize eye health.
  • Chair Height – You should be able to fit a fist between your chair and knee and be able to slide a flat hand between the bottom of your thigh and the chair seat.  If your seat is too high you will tend to tuck your feet back and cross them which dramatically increases the stress on your 1st metatarsal phalangeal joint (big toe).  You may have to work around the height of the desk first since you probably can’t adjust it.  If you need to, make your chair height taller in order to reach the keyboard comfortably, consider using a small box under your feet so they are not ‘dangling’ off the chair.  
  • Feet – There are a few options here.  You can either have your feet rest comfortably on the ground or use a binder to raise your feet to a 15-25 degree angle.  Having an increased angle will help to relax the muscles of the lower back (this is why there is a foot rest in your car for your left foot!).  
  • Back Rest – The back of the chair usually has a small lumbar support on it and this is exactly where the support should rest.  Remember your spine is full of curves and we want to use the back rest to support these curves. Having the support too high can cause us to slouch with our lower back.  Having the support too low increases strain on your upper back and neck
  • Arm Rest – The arm rests are meant to take the stress off your shoulders and neck.  Set them at a height that is comfortable for you when your shoulders are relaxed.  Having them too high or low will cause you to shrug your shoulders, creating trigger points, stiff muscles and vertebral restrictions.  
  • Keyboards – Try to use ‘floating fingers’ when you are typing.  Having a wrist support is ok as long as you remember to keep the keyboard flat (there are risers on the back of the keyboard, try not to use them).  
  • Monitor Distance – An arm’s length away.  30 inches is the point of vergence for our eyes (when all the lights are off this is the distance your eyes will adjust to naturally).  
  • Monitor Height – The top of the monitor should be at or below eye level.  This will keep you from craning your neck and help with your eye health (40% more of your cornea and sclera are covered when you gaze down at a 30 degree angle, keeping more of your eye properly moisturized).  
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Consider the image to the right.  After reading all about proper ergonomics can you spot some of the flaws at this work station?

Look at how high the screen is, do you think this might cause discomfort in your neck?  

Notice the lack of lumbar support or arm rests.  It would be hard to maintain proper posture for any extended amount of time.

Does the screen seem a little close to you?  Can you imagine it being at least an arms length away?  

Finally, notice the incline in the keyboard, this would certainly put some increased stress on your wrists while typing.  

If after going over this blog post you feel like you or your co-workers still need more help with setting up your computer desk please just give my office a call at (518) 390-2484.  

I can help correct your alignment issues that you have from years of sitting at a desk that isn't right for you and can go over in depth everything you can do to move forward!


As always, Yours in Health,
Dr. Hodder

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Snow, Snow, and more Snow

2/19/2015

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  This February has been one of the coldest on record and the constant stream of snow storms has been relentless. I have seen a lot of snow and ice related injuries, from strains to falls over the past several weeks. I'm sure at this point many of us are crossing our fingers in hope that the worse is behind up but just in case we have another small storm I wanted to review the importance of warming up beforehand. 
  Today we are going to talk about a few easy ways to to stretch and get ready to shovel, go sledding, or build a snow man. These 3 easy steps only take a few minutes to complete and could save you the pain of a pulled muscle or locked joint later that day.
STEP 1: Get the blood flowing
  Do 1-2 minutes of jogging in place or going up and down the stairs, making sure to move your arms around as you go.  This improves circulation and starts to warm up the muscles.
STEP 2: Start to stretch
  Take the next 2-3 minutes and stretch out all of the large muscle groups that you will be using.  By stretching your quads, hamstrings, calf muscles, triceps, low back and doing some range of motion stretches with your neck you reduce the likelihood of straining them when you start your activity outside. You can find some easy stretches online or drop me a message if you would like me to go into more detail on how to stretch out these muscles.
STEP 3: Stay hydrated
  As always in addition to stretching and warming up your muscles be sure that you are drinking enough water.  With the cold temperatures we may not feel thirsty but keeping our bodies hydrated is crucial to healthy muscle function. 
  If you have any questions feel free to contact me.
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New Logo Coming Soon

1/20/2014

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Within the next few weeks Spyratos Chiropractic will have a new logo that will be displayed on the website, cards, sponsorship opportunities, and facebook!  The very talented Jessica Martin, a Syracuse Univeristy graduate, is working hard to come up with some really great artistic samples.  Be on the look out and let me know what you think when the new logo is debuted! 
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I'm Back with New Hours

11/18/2013

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  I'm so happy to announce the birth of our new daughter, Marybeth.  All of my patients have been so amazing, sending me gifts, cards and well wishes.  I truly feel blessed, and I'm very excited to be back doing what I love here at the office.  Since the baby is still very young, born October 24th, I will have abbreviated hours until after the first of the year.  I will be open Monday 7-12 and 2-3; Wednesday 7-12 and 2-5; and Friday 7-12 and 2-430.  If anything changes before the new year I will update this information on both my website, blog and facebook page :)
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More Information of Facebook

7/10/2013

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Just a reminder that Spyratos Chiropractic does have a page of facebook.  I am able to easily post important information about the office and any pertinent articles related to health and wellness there.  If you get a chance and
have a facebook account of your own, look us up and like our page.  Feel free to spread the information you find there to all your friends and
family!  The link for the page can be found here or on our main page
of our website.
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Closed for July 4th

7/1/2013

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Just a reminder that our office will be closed this Thursday in observance of Independence Day.  Normal office hours will be kept for Wednesday and Friday!  Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday
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Chiropractic Care for the Military

5/31/2013

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Over the past few years in practice I've had so many active and retired military patients that have asked me about covereage for chiropractic treatment.  Unfortunately the military insurance, Tricare, does not reimburse for chiropractic care, but there was a recent law passed that states that veterans should have access to chiropractic health care.  This seems to contradict itself. 
  Most of the VA hospitals in NYS are linked with New York Chirorpactic College who has intern rotations in the hospitals on a regular basis.  This care is free of charge and as an NYCC graduate I can say that I have been on several rotations to both the Canandaguia and Bathe VA hospitals.  The one VA that they are not affiliated with is the local
Albany VA hospital. 
  Recently I had a patient come to my office that questioned the VA about chiropractic coverage.  He has chronic back pain, as many military personel do, and was undergoing extensive diagnostics through the VA to find out what his back pain was coming from.  They gave him a script for a full year of chiropractic care (12 visits) which is completely reimbursed through the VA, not Tricare. 
  This is great news for many of the local veterans and active military in the area.  Depending on your diagnosis through the VA you can get coverage for your chiropractic treatment.  If this is something you would like more
information on please contact me at the office and I will try my best to answer your questions or steer you in the right direction. 
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Niska-Day Tomorrow

5/17/2013

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  Tomorrow marks the 32nd annual Niska-Day parade and community event.  As a native of Niskayuna I have attended several of these celebrations and have always enjoyed myself.  With all the good food and fun activites it's easy to find something for everyone.  This years theme is 'Vegas Style', I'm not exactly sure if I'll be able to do anything special to reflect this with the practice but I'm sure the theme will be felt throughout the day!  This event is free to attend and even offers up a great bbq (usually under $10 per person), a fun parade, and an evening with a great fireworks display.  This year I will be offering up some great specials for first time patients that schedule the day of the event.  Along with that I'll also be giving away free samples and answering any questions about chiropractic, my business, and anything health related that comes up.  New this year, I will have donation boxes out for the APF and Peaceful Acres, the two animal foundations that I am raising money for at different events in the coming weekSo if you are looking for something fun to do tomorrow stop by and check it out, and make sure to visit Spyratos Chiropractic! 
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May 12th Event

5/10/2013

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Just a reminder that Spyratos Chiropractic will be at the Tri County Pony Club horse show this Sunday, May 12th, for their Show Your Colors horse show.  I'll have a booth set up on the show grounds with information about chiropractic, free advice and biofreeze, and a special discounted price for those who wish to sign up the day of the event for an initial exam and treatment ($30 discounted price, normally $50).  Also I'm excited to announce that I'll be offering chiropractic adjustments for those that make a minimum $10 donation to the Peaceful Acres Horse Rescue.  Check out their website here for more information about the rescue.  Hope to see you this Sunday!
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Top Ten Reasons Horseback Rider's Need to Be Adjusted

5/8/2013

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I'm so excited to be sponsoring the Tri County Pony Club show this weekend!  Below is a list of reasons I've come up with for why rider's (and not just their horses) should be adjusted.  Enjoy and let me know what you think!

 1.  You've fallen off recently

2.  Your trainer constantly yells at you for riding with a head tilt

3.  Your back always hurts after ten minutes of riding

4. You aren't pinning well because you can’t keep your shoulder’s back

5.  You ride a ‘stopper’

6.  Your horse is ‘heavy’ (in your hands, not in regards to weight)

 7.  You own a green horse, no more needs to be said

 8.  Your horse thinks he gets extra points for bucking after a fence

9.  Your trainer pesters you about ‘opening up your hips’ at the sit trot

10. You ride in any equitation classes (or simply because you think it’s necessary to have your hunter adjusted on a regular basis)

Schedule your appointment today with the only local chiropractor that understands your equestrian concerns
 
Dr. Amanda Hodder
105 Mohawk Ave, Scotia NY
(518) 390-2484

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    Dr. Amanda has knowledge on many different subjects including nutrition, anatomy and neurology.  If you have a question please feel free to submit under the 'contact us' tab.

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