Catalina Medical Center: Blog

Posture refers to the body’s alignment and positioning with the force of gravity. If we are sleeping, standing, running, or walking, maintaining good posture means that force will be distributed evenly throughout our neck, shoulders, back, and legs.  Good posture is important for your health because it helps you walk tall while improving circulation and digestion while keeping the structures in the spine healthy. If you are looking for some tips to improve your posture, utilize these and give our doctors at Catalina Medical Center a call. Imagine that a string is attached to the top of your head and pulling you upwards. The idea is to keep your body in perfect alignment, maintaining the spine’s natural curvature, neck straight and shoulders parallel with the hips. To stand correctly, you should always keep your shoulders back and relaxed while pulling in your abdomen and keeping your feet about hip distance apart. Balance your weight evenly on both feet an...

Our doctors at Catalina Medical Center utilize the Activator Method to treat back pain, neck pain, and headaches. The Activator technique uses a small, hand-held instrument to deliver a gentle impulse force to the spine, with the goal of restoring a patient’s range-of-motion and increase mobility to the targeted problem area. This type of therapy is a safe and efficient way to reduce pain and enhance joint function.   During a consultation with Dr. Richard Cohen, D.C., or Dr. Rob Josefsson, D.C., the patient will be evaluated for signs and symptoms to identify the extremities that are causing discomfort. During an adjustment using the activator technique, the patient will lay face down on an adjustment table. One of our doctors will then use an Activator instrument to target the area that is causing pain. The patient will remain still throughout the entire process but may feel as if their reflexes are being tested. The activator technique usually requires several visits for maximum tre...

Whiplash is a term used to describe neck pain that results from a sudden movement in the neck. Whiplash is frequently caused by a car accident, but can also occur from trauma in sports, or a blow to the head. When whiplash is left untreated, pain from the neck can spread to the surrounding extremities, leading to further physical damage as well as psychological symptoms of depression and anxiety. Our doctors at Catalina Medical Center want patients to be in their best shape mentally and physically, if you experience symptoms of whiplash, call us immediately. Fortunately, whiplash isn’t a life-threatening condition, but it can be problematic if not treated promptly. Whiplash may leave a person feeling dizzy and can cause shoulder pain, headaches, fatigue, and back pain. Treatment for whiplash will depend on the variety of symptoms the patient has but usually consists of hand manipulation. Spinal manipulation techniques can increase the range of motion and improve overall mobility. If yo...

Car accidents that aren’t major collisions are too often overlooked by those involved.  More worried about an insurance claim or being late for work, we don’t always stop to assess what damage may have been done to our bodies. Because of the sudden and unnatural movement of a body during a car accident, anyone involved should visit a chiropractor for evaluation. The staff at Catalina Medical Center knows that some passengers feel the effects of whiplash injuries immediately following an accident, while others may walk away not feeling injured and experience pain later. This is why a chiropractor should always be consulted. The most common site of pain and stiffness for passengers involved in an accident are the neck and back.  A chiropractor can evaluate these injuries, as well as treat damage to both hard and soft tissue. Depending on a patient’s evaluation the chiropractor may perform an adjustment or assign exercises to help heal a particular injury. If you have been involved in a c...