Catalina Medical Center: Blog

Exercising is important for your health, and Catalina Medical Center encourages all our patients to be active.  There are simple mistakes people make exercising that cause more pain, so keep these in mind to make sure your workout truly benefits you!  Not warming up, or replacing a warm up with a lot of stretching, is the most common mistake when exercising. Light warm-up exercises will raise your heart rate and increase circulation, providing better blood flow to muscles.  Even five minutes of light cardio exercise and some easy stretching can have this effect.  It is most important to stretch after a workout, when muscles have been warmed up and worked out. Stretching will feel easier and can prevent soreness by releasing lactic acid built up in the muscles. Even people who exercise regularly can experience strain if they don’t train their core.  Core and abdominal strength is essential for supporting the spine, and abdominal muscles should be trained with every workout.  No matter w...

Sports massages are customized based on upcoming athletic events and on the current level of discomfort for athletes. The days of athletes only getting massages to perform during sporting events are long gone. There are four different types of massages offered at Catalina Medical Center: pre game, post-game, restorative, and rehabilitative massages. Prior to playing in sporting events we offer stimulating Swedish massages that target the muscles that will be utilized in the event and boost circulation in the body to maximize performance. Massages for after the event are designed to relieve soreness and help prevent muscle stiffness the day after. Our Chiropractors at Catalina Medical Center also offer restorative massages and rehabilitative massages. Restorative massages are designed for keeping muscle warm and supple while limiting the potential for injury. Rehabilitative massages target a specific injured area to speed up recovery time and increase circulation and range of motion. Al...

When working with patients at Catalina Medical Center we always like to be clear about one thing, nutrition matters. Chiropractors help patients with physical therapy, acupuncture, spinal adjustments, and even massages. Those things only focus on the physical aspect of recovery; the other aspect of recovery is nutrition. For bodies to function at maximum capacity a steady diet of carbs, fats, minerals, proteins, and vitamins are important. Eating healthy makes the body run better and keeps the pressure off your joints. An unhealthy diet of sugars and fats can lead to diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. Stressful environments and a lack of essential nutrients in the daily diet demand additional support to aid the body in preventative health care. For the body to function at its best it is important to combine a healthy diet, a lot of rest, and spinal adjustments to keep your body a well-oiled machine. At Catalina Medical Center we can help answer any questions about nutrition ...

It has been an amazing 2018 here at Catalina Medical Center with so many new patients becoming a part of our family. We want to make 2019 the best year yet by providing excellent service to all of our patients so everybody can have a happy and healthier year. We welcome people of all ages and have something for everybody! There’s no better time than the New Year to come see a chiropractor for the first time and our chiropractors are happy to help. We offer a variety of services to clients including massages, electrical stimulation therapy, physical therapy, acupuncture, and so much more.  No matter where the aches are we have something for you here at Catalina Medical Center to have yourself healthy. Our office is opened Monday-Friday and are available until 6 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and until 7 pm on Monday and Friday. For more information on Catalina Medical Center and to view our services massages visit our website at www.catalinamedical.com or give us a call at 310-...

If you experience pain in your hips, chiropractic treatment can help.  Come to Catalina Medical Center for evaluation and treatment. Hip joints are the largest joints in the body, and are intertwined with muscles, ligaments and nerves that control most of the body.  Because the hip is a complex joint and connects so much of our anatomy together, assessment from a chiropractor is important for diagnosis.  What someone perceive to be hip pain can easily be caused by or linked to an issue in the lower back, legs, or butt. At your examination, tell your chiropractor what your discomfort feels like and when it occurs.  Describe if it is painful, feels stiff, or you feel a decrease in the range of motion.  Also note if your hip is mainly sore after waking up, or becomes more painful at certain times.  When the source of your pain is determined we can determine the best treatment.  In addition to adjustments your chiropractor will assign exercises and stretching to do on your own, which is im...

Catalina Medical Center offers chiropractic care to patients of all ages, and there is no age recommendation for beginning chiropractic care.  Even infants who have suffered trauma to the spine during a natural or C-section birth can receive a minor adjustment.  Chronic ear infections in a small child can feel like a vicious cycle, but this irritation is often related to misalignment in the neck.  Restoring that balance can improve middle ear drainage and prevent further infections. Allergies and asthma also start to surface in young children, and the two are closely linked to the respiratory system. A misalignment in the spine can confuse a body’s immune system and cause a reaction with respiratory symptoms, so children should be seen by a chiropractor before being treated for allergies.  Regular adjustments are healthy for the growth and development of a child’s nervous system and strengthen immunity.  Chiropractors use the body’s ability to heal itself in their approach to treatment...

The body goes through many changes during pregnancy, and some women experiencing pain and discomfort assume there will be no relief until the due date. But that’s not true! At Catalina Medical Center, we can help expectant mothers maintain a healthy pregnancy with prenatal chiropractic adjustments. Chiropractic care during pregnancy is a safe and effective way to care for a woman’s changing body and prepare for delivery.  In later stages of pregnancy when the abdomen begins to protrude, the back and pelvis respond to this change. For some women this can result in a misaligned spine or joints. Maintaining pelvic balance and alignment during pregnancy is possible, and prenatal chiropractic adjustments can help.  A healthy pregnancy benefits the mother and baby, all the way through to labor and delivery! To learn more about chiropractic adjustments and all the services we provide, v isit CatalinaMedical.com for more information.  To schedule an appointment at the Catalina Medical Center,...

Each of us has acupressure points located in various parts of the body. When pressure is gently applied to these areas, the healing touch will reduce muscular tension, increase circulation, and relieve stress. When receiving acupuncture treatment at Catalina Medical Center, one of our doctors will focus on certain acupressure points to alleviate back pain, joint pain, and improve the overall wellness of a patient. There are hundreds of acupuncture points on the body, which is why you and our doctor will work together to determine which ones need the most attention. Acupressure therapy and acupuncture work hand-in-hand to relieve tightness associated with back pain, sciatica, and chronic fatigue. Acupressure is designed to not only heal a patient physically but mentally and emotionally as well.   If you have questions or concerns regarding chiropractic care or acupuncture, please give us a call. To learn about services we provide at our practice, visit  www.catalinamedical.com  for more...

More professional athletes are turning to chiropractors now than ever.  Medical doctors tend to treat a sports injury by alleviating symptoms with medication and recommending rest from activity.  At Catalina Medical Center, our chiropractic approach to rehabilitating sports injuries takes the rest of the body and its natural ability to heal itself into account.  This always results in less time ‘benched’ from activity and a quicker recovery. You don’t need to be a professional athlete to rehabilitate a sports injury the right way.  If you or your family members are involved in sports, a chiropractor can help you too.  Rather than prescription medication and rest from activity, a chiropractor will focus on repairing any damage to hard and soft tissue with chiropractic adjustments to     the spine and extremities.  If you are in pain from an injury, of course your chiropractor will advise the best pain relief strategy for you.  However, your only prescription will likely include physica...

You may have heard of people turning to acupuncture to quit smoking or to assist in their weight loss journey, but it does much more than those two things. Acupuncture can be used to treat headaches, bursitis, low back pain, asthma, Fibromyalgia, and myofascial pain to name a few more. Acupuncture is based on a theory that energy, called chi (say “Chee”), flows through and around your body along pathways called meridians. To begin the acupuncture process here at Catalina Medical Center, our doctors will give you an exam and ask questions about your pain and range of mobility. Acupuncturists believe that illness occurs when something blocks or unbalances your chi. The technique itself is done by placing very thin needles into your skin at certain points on your body. This is done to influence the energy flow.  Not everyone is a good candidate for acupuncture, which is why it is important to schedule a consultation first. If you have questions or concerns regarding acupuncture, please gi...

At Catalina Medical Center, a patient’s first visit will involve a few special steps so that we can get to know you and your lifestyle habits. In addition to filling out new patient forms, the most important part of your appointment will be your chiropractic examination from one of our doctors. An initial chiropractic exam will typically have three parts – a consultation, case history, and a physical examination. During the consultation, you will meet with one of our doctors to discuss your duration and frequency of symptoms, as well as your areas of pain and what makes the pain feel better or worse. Your case history will include questions about your family health problems, dietary habits, past history of other treatments and occupational history. Once our doctor is able to provide you with a diagnosis, a treatment plan will be developed from there. Being well-prepared for your appointment will ensure that the doctor has all of the needed information to provide the best possible care ...