We have all been there. You come home from work to “Netflix and chill” but its been a long day, you are tense and have a headache. You’ve worked hard all day and after you fix some dinner you just want to sit with your family and relax. Maybe you want to hit “play” on the next episode of your favorite show. In our house, that would be Heartland and or Gilmore Girls. But instead of enjoying the evening, you find yourself focused on pain or a headache. You might even try shifting positions or rubbing the sore spot, still you can’t seem to unwind and enjoy the evening.
Welcome to the unfortunate reality of “bringing home the pain.” Whether you spend your day sitting at a desk, hunched over a computer, or constantly on your feet, the stress and strain of daily life won’t always magically disappear when you clock out. Sometimes, they follow you home, turning your downtime into discomfort time.
But what if there was a better way. Maybe it is time for “Chiropractic and Chill?”
Why Sitting All Day is a Pain in More Ways Than One
Hours of sitting can lead to poor posture, muscle tension, and misalignment in your spine. Over time, this can cause issues like:
Stiff neck and shoulders
Lower back pain
Headaches
Numbness or tingling in the arms and legs
Proper Ergonomics – Ergonomics are is important, they help maintain a good posture throughout the day. However, they will only minimize the chance of discomfort; it cannot always eliminate it. Here is the best way to sit through the day to minimize tension in the neck and shoulders:
Sit upright, with your hips and knees bent at approximately 90 degrees, with your feet flat on a surface.
Make sure your spine is resting against the back of the chair to utilize the lumbar support.
Keep your elbows near your side, with a 90-degree bend, and avoid reaching for either keyboard or mouse. The keyboard and mouse should be close enough so that your elbows stay close to your side.
Avoid laptop monitors because they keep you looking down, and that will increase tension on the neck and shoulders. Instead, use a regular monitor, and have your eyes looking just below the top of the screen.
The problem for many is that even with good ergonomics, once you’re home, these issues don’t just disappear. They can turn relaxing family time into a constant struggle to find comfort.
Chiropractic and Chill
At Desert Valley Chiropractic, we’re all about helping you reclaim your chill time. Our gentle, precise Chiropractic Care is ideal for
Relieving muscle tension and stiffness by restoring proper joint movement in the neck and upper back, which reduces strain on surrounding muscles.
Improving posture and spinal alignment, helping to correct the forward head posture that often contributes to chronic neck pain and tension headaches.
Reducing nerve irritation through gentle adjustments, which can decrease referred pain patterns and help calm the nervous system.
Supporting long-term relief and prevention by addressing the root causes of pain, not just the symptoms—especially when combined with stretches, posture tips, and ergonomic support.
Imagine coming home, sinking into the couch, and actually enjoying your time with your family, without the constant battle against headaches or neck and upper back pain.
Tips for Bringing Home the Relief, Not the Pain
Stay Active: Take short breaks to stand at least every hour. Consider a quick stretch or walk during your workday.
Prioritize Your Posture: Adjust your workspace to support your spine.
Stay Consistent with Chiropractic Care: Regular adjustments can help keep your spine in line and your body feeling great.
Stretch Before You Chill: A few gentle stretches in the evening can release tension. You don’t always have to do a 30-minute yoga practice, often just a few minutes of stretching can help you relax and enjoy your night.
Don’t let your daily grind turn into nightly discomfort. Make “Chiropractic and Chill” your new routine – because you deserve to enjoy your evenings pain-free. If you’re ready to feel better, move better, and actually chill, give us a call at Desert Valley Chiropractic. We’re here to help.
We are seeing more and more patients with pickleball injuries seeking out chiropractic care. It’s not surprising considering pickleball has taken the world by storm, becoming one of the fastest-growing sports in North America. Roughly 20-40 million people will play this year and it’s easy to see why — it’s fun, social, and suitable for all ages. But like any sport, pickleball has its own set of common injuries, and for those who love to play, staying healthy and active is key. That’s where chiropractic care and advanced therapies like shockwave treatment come into play.
Common Pickleball Injuries
While pickleball is considered a low-impact sport, its quick movements, rapid direction changes, and repetitive motions can lead to a range of injuries. Some of the most common pickleball injuries include:
Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis): Maybe it should be called pickleball elbow, but that really doesn’t have the same ring to it. Either way it presents as pain on the outside of the elbow caused by overuse of the forearm muscles.
Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis): Pain on the inside of the elbow due to repetitive gripping and swinging.
Shoulder Strains and Rotator Cuff Injuries: Caused by overhead serves and aggressive volleys.
Ankle Sprains: Resulting from quick direction changes or unstable surfaces.
Knee Pain or Strains: Often from sudden stops, pivots, or improper footwear.
Plantar Fasciitis: Heel pain caused by repeated stress on the foot arch.
Most injuries are caused from repetitive stress, a word of caution bone fractures while playing pickleball are on the rise . There is nothing wrong with a little competition, but pickleball is meant to be fun, so perhaps let that tough shot go instead of diving for it.
How Chiropractic Care Can Help Pickleball Players
At Desert Valley Chiropractic, we specialize in gentle, effective chiropractic care using the Activator Methods technique. Our approach is ideal for pickleball players because it provides safe, precise adjustments without the twisting, cracking, or popping associated with traditional chiropractic care.
Relieves Pain: Our adjustments help align the joints and reduce stress on the muscles, relieving pain in the elbows, shoulders, knees, and back.
Improves Flexibility and Mobility: Regular chiropractic care helps maintain joint function, keeping you moving well on the court.
Reduces Recovery Time: By improving circulation and reducing inflammation, chiropractic care helps you bounce back faster from minor strains or soreness.
Shockwave Therapy for Fast Injury Recovery
For players dealing with stubborn pain or chronic injuries that may be keeping you off the court Shockwave Therapy is a game-changer. This non-invasive treatment uses high-energy acoustic waves to stimulate healing in damaged tissues. It is particularly effective for:
Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow: Breaking down scar tissue and encouraging healing in the tendons.
Rotator Cuff Injuries: Promoting blood flow and reducing inflammation in the shoulder.
Plantar Fasciitis: Relieving stubborn heel pain by accelerating tissue repair.
Chronic Tendon Injuries: Encouraging faster recovery from overuse injuries common in pickleball.
Prevention of Pickleball Injuries
It is nice to know there are options to help in case of an injury, however it is always wise to focus on prevention first. A great way to avoid an injury while playing pickleball to warm up effectively. Here are 5 effective stretches to perform before playing pickleball to help prevent injuries:
Shoulder Cross-Body Stretch
How to Do It: Stand tall. Bring one arm across your chest and use the opposite hand to gently press it towards your body, feeling a stretch in your shoulder.
Hold for: 15-20 seconds on each side.
Benefits: Helps warm up the shoulder muscles, reducing the risk of shoulder strains.
Arm circles
How to Do It: Stand tall. Bring both arms out to your side. Start and rotate your arms in circles moving forward for 20 repetitions, then repeat moving backwards.
Benefits: Helps warm up the shoulder muscles, and “lubricate” the shoulder joint reducing the risk of shoulder strains.
Hip Circles and leg swing
How to Do It: Use a stationary object for balance and do one leg at a time. Swing the leg back and forth and then side to side. Lifting the foot up and bending at the knee, make circular motions at the hip joint
Benefits: Helps warm up the legs and hip joints
Standing Quad Stretch
How to Do It: Stand tall, grab your ankle, and pull your heel towards your glutes while keeping your knees close together. Use a wall for balance if needed.
Hold for: 15-20 seconds on each side.
Benefits: Loosens the thigh muscles, reducing knee strain.
Torso twists or core warm up
How to Do it: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms outstretched. Twist your torso to the right, then to the left, in a controlled motion.
Repeat: For 30 seconds.
Why Choose Desert Valley Chiropractic for Pickleball Injury Care?
At Desert Valley Chiropractic our Phoenix Top Doctors, we combine our expertise in gentle chiropractic care with the latest in technology, including Shockwave Therapy. Our personalized approach helps you stay active, recover faster, and play your best game — without pain holding you back.
If you’re an avid pickleball player or just getting started, don’t let injuries keep you off the court. Contact us today at (602) 439-1515 or visit our website at desertvalleychiropractic.com to schedule your appointment and keep your game strong.
Tennis Elbow or Golfer’s Elbow: What’s the Difference?
Tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow—what’s the difference, and can chiropractic care help? The short answer to both is yes! If you’re dealing with nagging elbow pain, you’re not alone—and it may not even be from sports. Despite their athletic names, tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow are two of the most common causes of elbow pain and can affect anyone from athletes to desk workers.
With Golfers elbow less than 1% of the population will suffer annually, While roughly 3% of the population or up to 10 million people will suffer with tennis elbow annually and in about 80% of those will have symptoms for up to 1 year. But who wants to suffer for a year if there is an effective solution that does not involve injections or surgery
At Desert Valley Chiropractic in North Phoenix, we specialize in non-invasive solutions like Activator Method chiropractic adjustments and radial pressure shockwave therapy to help relieve pain and restore function—without drugs. injections or surgery.
Caused by repetitive flexion of the wrist and gripping.
Common in golfers, but also affects weightlifters, mechanics, those with repetitive gripping motions, and side sleepers who rest their arm under the pillow.
Both conditions involve microtears in the tendons that attach to the elbow joint, leading to inflammation, pain, and weakness in the arm and wrist.
How Chiropractic Can Help
At Desert Valley Chiropractic, we use gentle Activator adjustments to restore function and alignment not just in the elbow, but also in the wrist, shoulder, and spine—because elbow pain is often connected to joint stress elsewhere in the body. Our low-force method means no twisting or popping will also reduce swelling to the affected joints , and it’s safe for acute and chronic elbow injuries alike.
Shockwave Therapy for Elbow Pain Relief
One of our most effective tools for stubborn cases of tennis or golfer’s elbow is Radial Pressure Shockwave Therapy. This treatment uses pulsed acoustic waves to:
Break up scar tissue
Increase blood flow
Accelerate tissue repair and healing
Reduce pain and inflammation
Promote stem cell production
Shockwave therapy is a great option when rest, braces, or even cortisone shots haven’t helped—and you can see improvement in just a few sessions.
Looking for Elbow Pain Relief in North Phoenix?
If you’re tired of elbow pain interfering with your work, workouts, or daily life, let us help. At Desert Valley Chiropractic, we serve the Moon Valley and greater North Phoenix area with customized care plans for elbow injuries, including gentle chiropractic adjustments, rehabilitative exercises, and cutting-edge shockwave therapy.
Call us today at (602) 439-1515 or schedule online at desertvalleychiropractic.com to find out if you’re a candidate for our elbow pain relief protocols.
Chiropractic care that helps you feel better, move better, and live better—right here in North Phoenix!
How do I know if my pain is coming from a muscle or a joint?
So many patients have often asked “how do I know if my pain is coming from a muscle or a joint? The answer is—it’s usually both! You might wonder, “How can you say that without knowing my specific issue?” Because, in most cases, it’s a “chicken and egg” situation—they go hand-in-hand. Here’s why: Think of your muscles as a system of pulleys, each muscle attaches to two different joints. So, if a muscle is injured, in spasm, or out of balance, it pulls abnormally on one or both of those joints. This can cause small misalignments and inflammation in the joint. Which is exactly what we focus on treating with chiropractic care for muscle and joint pain!
Another analogy I like to use is that your muscles are like the canvas of a painting, and your joints and bones are like the frame. If the frame bends, it affects the canvas. If the canvas pulls too much, it can twist the frame. Similarly, joint misalignments create dysfunction, which leads to inflammation. This inflammation then triggers muscle spasms, which in turn worsen the joint dysfunction. The result? A viscous cycle where joint misalignment feeds muscle spasms, and spasms feed back into joint misalignment. This is why your symptoms either worsen or just don’t seem to go away.
So, how do we treat it?
This is where chiropractic—especially the Activator technique—really shines! Our treatments align the joints, reduce inflammation, and ease muscle spasms. With Activator care there is no twisting, popping or aggressively yanking on the joints. Activator is particularly effective because it uses a gentle, yet extremely precise thrust to adjust the joint. This creates maximum motion while minimizing inflammation instead of aggravating it. As the joints align, muscle tension decreases, and the body starts to heal and feel better.
This also makes other therapies, like massage or topical treatments (think CBD or Arnica), more effective. So, whether your pain started with a muscle strain or a joint misalignment, our activator adjustments at Desert Valley Chiropractic with the right care plan can address both to get to the root of the issue. This helps you feel better, move better, and ENJOY LIFE!
I know it is obvious but vertigo is not fun. It can be a debilitating condition that leaves you feeling dizzy, off-balance, and unable to go about your daily routine. If you’ve ever experienced the sensation that the room is spinning or felt unsteady on your feet, you know how disruptive vertigo can be. Fortunately, chiropractic care offers a natural, non-invasive solution to help manage and even relieve vertigo symptoms.
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) – is a common inner ear disorder that causes brief episodes of dizziness or vertigo when you change the position of your head. It’s often triggered when tiny calcium crystals in the inner ear become dislodged and interfere with balance signals sent to the brain. Although BPPV can be uncomfortable, it is usually not serious and can often be treated effectively with simple maneuvers to reposition the crystals.
Inner Ear Infections – Can lead to inflammation of the inner ear causing symptoms such as vertigo and nausea.
Dehydration – Can lead to a drop in blood pressure and reduced blood flow to the brain. Which then may trigger symptoms of vertigo, including dizziness and balance issues. Staying hydrated is crucial for maintaining proper inner ear function and overall balance.
Head and Neck Trauma – Trauma can cause an assortment of serious concerns including bleeding in the brain. A consultation with a medical professional may be necessary with head and neck trauma. Once more serious concerns have been ruled out by your medical professional, then we may want to consider the alignment of the cervical spine.
Misalignments of the neck – Another common source of vertigo is related to misalignments in the spine, particularly in the upper neck region. These misalignments can interfere with the nervous system, which plays a critical role in balance and coordination
What Can I do at home if I am Dizzy?
There are a couple of key things you can do on your own to try and help with vertigo.
Hydrate – Most people do not drink enough water, and dehydration is an incredibly common cause of vertigo. This is made worse in our dry desert climate in Phoenix. When asked, most patients think they are drinking enough water until they learn how much the human body needs.
Epley’s maneuver – This is a maneuver that can help symptoms related to benign paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). The instructions can be found here, and it can easily be done at home. It is helpful at repositioning tiny calcium crystals in your inner ear that can cause dizziness.
At Desert Valley Chiropractic, we specialize in gentle, safe adjustments to the cervical spine. Utilizing the Activator Method Chiropractic Technique is especially effective in addressing misalignments in the upper cervical spine (neck) without twisting popping or cracking your neck. By restoring proper alignment and relieving pressure on the nervous system, chiropractic care can improve balance and reduce dizziness. In fact, many patients report a significant decrease in vertigo episodes after just a few treatments.
Why Choose Desert Valley Chiropractic in Phoenix?
Our clinic is proud to offer personalized, compassionate care for patients suffering from vertigo. We take a holistic approach, addressing the underlying causes of your symptoms to provide long-lasting relief. With over 330 five-star Google reviews and recently being names one of the Top Phoenix Chiropractors, we are a trusted resource for gentle, effective care.
If you’re looking for a Chiropractor in Phoenix to help with vertigo or other balance issues, call us at 602-439-1515 or schedule online here. We offer customized treatment plans to suit your individual needs and help you get back to living a life free from dizziness and discomfort.
How to Get the Most Out of Maintenance Chiropractic Care
You’ve made great strides in your health, and now it’s time to protect that investment with regular chiropractic maintenance care. At Desert Valley Chiropractic in Moon Valley, we believe that maintenance care is crucial for long-term wellness, helping you move better, feel better, and enjoy life to the fullest.
Here are a few tips to make the most out of your chiropractic maintenance care:
1. Don’t Skip Visits
Consistency is key! Pre-scheduling your maintenance care appointments ensures you stay on track. Regular chiropractic adjustments keep your body aligned and help prevent potential setbacks. Set reminders and prioritize your health to maintain the benefits you’ve worked hard to achieve.
2. Move Every Day
Incorporating daily movement into your routine is essential for keeping your body in top condition between visits. A simple 30-minute walk can work wonders in keeping your muscles and joints flexible while supporting spinal health. Daily movement is a great complement to your adjustments and helps you stay active and mobile.
Small flare-ups or inflammations may happen occasionally, but applying ice can soothe these areas and keep you feeling great. Ice helps reduce swelling and inflammation, making it a simple, effective tool to have on hand. For more tips on when to use ice or heat, check out our helpful guide.
5. Incorporate At-Home Exercises
Staying proactive with nerve flossing and core exercises can make a big difference in maintaining the results of your chiropractic care. These exercises help support your spine and nervous system, prolonging the benefits of your adjustments. Adding just a few minutes of these exercises into your daily routine can boost your overall wellness.
6. Address Flare-Ups Quickly
If you feel any pain or discomfort lasting 24-48 hours between visits, don’t hesitate to call us for an appointment. We recommend catching flare-ups early to get you back on track with your maintenance care plan.
Why Maintenance Care Matters
Regular chiropractic maintenance is the smartest choice for keeping your spine healthy and your body functioning at its best. Whether you’re dealing with past injuries or aiming for long-term wellness, staying consistent with care will help you continue to live pain-free.
