Sprout Chiropractic & Wellness Blog; Roseville, MN

Let's talk birth plans! Birth plans are created to let your birthing wishes and desires be known to your team. This way, when an expecting person is laboring, there aren’t questions about what that person is wishing or wanting. For instance, if it is known that you don’t wish to have a certain medication such as a sleep aid available, this would be on your birth plan: “do not offer me sleep aids” and this question shouldn’t be brought up. “Natural” unmedicated birth, medicated birth, hospital birth, birth center birth, home birth, and cesarean or surgical birth are all BIRTHS. They can have a plan. While birth is unpredictable and the unexpected can and usually arises, it is still helpful to be prepared as best you can. What do you include in a birth plan? Requests for Labor, Requests for Baby, Requests for Surgery, Requests for Postpartum, perhaps Requests for Transfer (if out of hospital or baby is transferring) Start by writing out your birth team: partner, doula,

Now that it is summer time, it is a good idea to take a look at safety when it comes to yard work. Whether you love it, hate it or feel impartial to it, yard work is a part of most adults’ lives. It is important to take the proper precautions against muscle strain! Since prevention is the best approach, Sprout Chiropractic and Wellness offers the following tips to help you enjoy a safe, productive day of landscaping, gardening or yard work. ·          When gardening, use properly cushioned pads to support your knees. Check your local garden supply store for specially made pads for yard work. The pads will not only offer relief on your knees, but they may help improve your body position which will decrease the likelihood of injury. ·          If you are breaking ground with a shovel or another garden tool, moisten the soil first to make the job easier on you and your back. ·          If you are using mechanical equipment, such as a motorized trimmer, make sue it has a s

In order to manage seasonal challenges, it is important to understand what causes them. Seasonal challenges (allergies) are the result of an overreaction of the immune system to substances that usually cause no reaction to most individuals. It all starts in the nose. The nose produces mucus, which is normally thin and clear. Mucus helps keep dust, debris and environmental allergens out of the lungs by trapping foreign particles. But these substances can still cause a reaction in the body. The mucous membranes line the bronchial and nasal passages and contain immune cells (mast cells) which are loaded with histamines. Receptors sit on top of these mast cells, and when an allergen trigger lands on the receptor, it alerts the mast cells, which then respond by releasing histamine and other inflammatory mediators. The histamine initiates a series of reactions meant to help the body get rid of the intruder, including sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes and itching. To counteract the effe

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard patients tell me, “I’ve been trying to come in for awhile now but life has been so busy.” We often don’t hesitate to take care of loved ones but will push our own problems to the side before actually going in to be checked.  Mental stressors can often have physical symptoms. Headaches, migraines, constipation, rapid heartbeats can all be caused by all sorts of physical and mental stress.    Self-care doesn’t have to be big, extravagant spa days (although, we wouldn’t mind that every week). Little things throughout the week can help relieve stress and have us feeling good. Try reading or listening to a chapter of a book before you go to bed. When you finally have 10 minutes of overlapping nap schedules, try using it for a quick meditation session to rest your mind. Find a sitter for a couple hours a week so you can make that fitness class. It may be hard to do these things at first but relieving some stress can be very beneficial to

​​​​​​​ MOM plus ME, LLC A new resource for families with little ones!   In-home postpartum rehabilitation and recovery for moms and their families. Meet Jenica Domanico, OTR/L  Owner of MOM plus Me Jenica is a licensed and registered occupational therapist with a vision to work in the postpartum world and change the standard of care for moms post birth.  She hopes to use her knowledge of mental and physical recovery in her relationship with the moms she treats to help them have their ideal recovery from becoming a mom. Hello Mama! Thank you for checking out MOM plus ME! You are doing an amazing thing for yourself and your family by finding ways to support yourself as a mom who has wants and needs.  A happy mom makes for happy children and a happy family. Take a breath right here.  You are doing it! MOM plus Me is a way to reach your goals, whether it is feeling stronger to do your daily tasks or getting a better mindset and more tools to tackle the mountain of new expe

Postpartum care During pregnancy, a mother’s body goes through a lot of changes. Carrying another human in your belly will put a lot of physical pressure on your body, not to mention all the hormonal and emotional stress. During delivery and following birth, your body also goes through a lot of changes. Giving birth is a very traumatic experience. It puts a lot of stress on your body and as most mothers know, you don’t get much rest following as you now have an infant to hold, carry, nurse and care for. Chiropractic care can be a beneficial part in postpartum care for mothers. Chiropractors can help relieve the back pain associated with pregnancy and giving birth. It’s very common for pregnant women to develop low back pain during their pregnancy. The pelvis has been through a lot of stress and trauma, not to mention the hormone called relaxin that cause the tissues to loosen, making the pelvis more susceptible to pressure that may cause misalignments which could lead to low b

VBAC prep Deciding on a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) can be a hard decision. Not knowing how your body will handle a vaginal birth and the fears that may come with that can be stressful. To help you get ready for a VBAC, we have some advice to help prepare you mentally and physically so that you can have a positive and healthy experience. -           Mental Preparation o    Committing to a VBAC is a start. You should be confident in your decision and don’t let your own self-doubts and fears change your decision. Make sure your partner/spouse is also on board. If they aren’t sure of the decision, an informational meeting can be made with a knowledgeable midwife can help with your partner’s concerns. Joining support groups and hearing successful stories (Like ICAN Twin Cities!) can help boost confidence and positive energy during pregnancy. o    Find a VBAC-friendly practitioner. Finding a doctor that aligns with what you want to do and your plans for birthing will allo

With a new year, comes a time when people want to make a physical change! Perhaps you've given birth this last year or several years ago. Before you start that new work out, here are a few things to consider. While Diastasis Recti is not a condition specifically for females, it is highly prevalent in the female population. Men with this condition could also take this information in to consideration. What is diastasis recti?                 Diastasis recti (DR) is a common and normal condition that normally develops during pregnancy. It is a separation of the rectus abdominis muscles that can leave your stomach pooch out following your pregnancy, which may be unaesthetically pleasing for the woman; but it can also create lower back or pelvic pain, pain with intercourse, and a weak core. Diastasis recti develops because of an expanding uterus as well as a response to changing hormone levels. While most pregnant women will develop DR, women who are petite, carrying multipl