pittsburgh

Getting Back on Track

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Here in Western Pennsylvania, today marks the start of our move into the “Yellow” phase of re-opening after the Covid-19 stay at home orders.  For our family, we are looking at this move into “yellow” as a re-set point to get ourselves back on track to our healthy habits.

While we consider ourselves to be of general good health, at the start of 2020, we recommitted ourselves to a new regimen of eating healthy and exercise.  We used a system that we had planned to roll out to our patients this spring.  The pandemic, however, brought things to a halt.  While we had the best intentions of staying on track, with our gym closed and comfort eating becoming one of our nightly habits.

Let’s just say we strayed a little off course.   Maybe you’ve had the same experience?

Sometimes We Need a Re-set

Sometimes you need a symbolic push to get things back in gear, whether it be the start of a new year or, what the heck, moving to “yellow”.

As we re-start our routine, we will share some things here that we are doing with you along the way, in hopes of inspiring the same in your home.   We encourage you, if you’ve gotten a little off course, make a plan to re-set your healthy routines as well.

And, here’s to hoping our light switches to “Green” soon!

Photo by David Guenther on Unsplash

 

When is it Time to Seek Care?

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Roughly 16 million adults suffer from chronic back pain– close to 8 percent of the entire population.  Many people suffer so much that it impacts their ability to perform daily activities to their fullest.  It’s better to seek care earlier rather than later when dealing with back pain.

Benefits of Professional Chiropractic Care

Regular chiropractic adjustments can improve a person’s overall quality of life. The benefits can include the following:

  • Improvements in overall health and mobility of muscles, joints, and ligaments.
  • Improvement in nerve functioning.
  • Speed recovery process.
  • Improve sleep and energy level.

How to Know It’s When It’s Time to See a Professional

If you are experiencing back pain due to prolonged sitting, a chiropractic adjustment can take some of the stress off your joints and muscles.

If you are experiencing a limited range of motion due to back pain.

If you have experienced a recent injury, it is better to treat it sooner rather than later.

If you are experiencing chronic pain.

How to Make an Appointment

If you are currently experiencing acute or chronic pain, please contact the office at 412-343-2006.   Due to Covid-19, Dr. Sciullo has implemented policies for the office which follow CDC recommended guidelines. 

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Creative Solutions to Stay on Track

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During this unprecedented situation, we are all looking for ways to stay healthy and keep our basic routines going as much as possible.  One bright spot is the creative solutions provided online.   We will attempt to share them with you as we find them.  In the meantime, stay safe and stay healthy!

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For the Body

It’s essential to maintain your fitness regimen.  We have been using online workouts and outdoor walks to keep ourselves active.  Here are some resources for you to do the same:

Our former neighbor and all-around good guy Jason at Fuse Fitness Studio is offering two weeks of free fitness coaching.

IC Fitness instructors are providing online workouts via Facebook Live.
Check out Fitness Fun with Julie,  Fitness_Wave with  Michelle, Ali- Barre and TBC with Ali or TIFFIT Virtual Classes.

Venture Outdoors has transitioned its outdoor youth programming into an interactive learning tool. Activities can be completed on a short social distancing walk in your yard or from the inside.   They also offer ideas for short hikes that you can do while maintaining proper social distancing.

For the Mind – Keep the mind healthy while social distancing…

This is tough on everyone mentally.  In addition to worrying about the health of our family and friends, we are all struggling with fear of the unknown – fear about what happens to our jobs, our businesses and the economy when this is over.   We are, however,  working very hard at keeping our spirits positive.

First and foremost, we have our faith.  Many faith-based organizations and churches are streaming services online, so be sure to connect with yours.

Take time to appreciate something that you don’t usually have time to do.  How about some art?   Have you ever been to the Frick Museum?  Whether you’ve seen their collection in person or not, you can truly appreciate the detail of all these paintings through this virtual exhibition.    Click here for a full list of virtual offerings from the Frick, including kids’ activities, virtual exhibitions, and virtual tours.

In fact, with Google Arts and Culture, you can visit museums around the world from your home.

Artwork Archive offers up ideas on how to experience arts and culture virtually.

Local photographer, J.P. Diroll, offers up Pittsburgh Coloring Pages.

Read!  In our house, we are getting caught up on all those piles of books we’ve been wanting to read.  If you are in the market for a new book, consider your independent bookseller.  

Music can lift your spirit…

The Pittsburgh Irish Festival will live stream Irish music on their Facebook page starting tomorrow  (3/25)  evening.

Do you or your kids play an instrument?  Follow along with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’sPractice Practice Practice learning opportunity.

Do you have an idea?

What’s keeping you sane during the shutdown?  I’d love to hear from you.  Send emails to drtim@drtimsciullo.com.

*This post will be updated frequently, so check back often!

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Try dōTERRA with an Introductory Kit

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intro-kitredIf you have been curious or are new to essential oils, The doTerra Introductory Kit is a great starting point.  The Kit includes 5 ml bottle of dōTERRA’s CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint essential oils.

Lavender helps to calm and relax.

Lemon is for cleansing and also helps to uplift.

Peppermint can be used for a variety of aches and pains from stomach upset to muscle tensions.

Trios are available for purchase in the office or online here. 

 

Athletes and Chiropractic

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Swimmer (1)Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps, and Usain Bolt – these are just a few names of professional athletes who have used chiropractic to enhance their athletic performance.

Chiropractic can help both the professional and amateur athlete.

Dr. Sciullo has treated many different types of athletes, such as swimmers, football players, competitive weight lifters, wrestlers and gymnasts.

Here are some ways that an athlete can benefit from chiropractic.

  • Prevent wear and tear on the body. Strenuous activity can lead to spinal misalignment. Reduce the effect with adjustments.
  • Treat injuries naturally, without drugs. Avoid treatment that could lead to a risk of dependency or side effects.
  • Improve performance with preventative treatment. By keeping your body in alignment, you can avoid some minor injuries that could hamper your performance.
  • Reduce joint pain and muscle soreness post-activity. Spinal adjustments can increase your flexibility, which also helps to reduce injury.

Whether you’re competing at a professional level or a weekend warrior, chiropractic may be a positive addition to your sports performance strategy.

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Office Happenings. Welcome, doTERRA!

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Our family learned about doTERRA products about five years ago.  If you’re not familiar with them, they are  CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® essential oils and essential oil products.

When we first started using them, we thought we would experiment with some cheaper brands as well.  How much difference could there be?  After much trial and error, we found the doTERRA line to be superior in many ways and we are back to using them on a regular basis.

Because we love them so much, we decided to make them available through the office.  You will soon notice some new displays the next time you are in the office and some blog posts here about how we use them.  We will be rotating different samples for you to try as well.  If you don’t see something, but would like information or try a sample, just ask!

 

 

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Beat the Winter Doldrums

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Does the winter weather have you down?  Here in Western Pennsylvania, we’ve run the gamut from extreme frigid temperatures to snow days and rain storms over the past few weeks.  It’s normal to start feeling a little depressed this time of year.

One way to combat a bad mood is with exercise.  Even so, the gym can get tedious day after day.  At our house, we like to be able to get out and take walks on a regular basis.  If you feel like you can’t get outside though, due to poor walkway conditions or temperatures, consider visiting an indoor attraction to boost your spirits.

We spent one of the extremely cold days of January at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.  Not only did we get to stretch our legs, but we basked in some sunshine as well.  While it was a very cold (19 degrees!) day, it didn’t feel like it under the glass.  The sun was shining through and everything looked beautiful.  It was a big mood booster, as we felt like we’d escaped to the tropics!

The Pittsburgh area is full of museums and indoor venues, so try stepping outside of your normal gym routine to give yourself a little boost through the rest of the winter.

Phipps Convervatory

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens on a frigid January Day

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Inside it’s warm and sunny.

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Art mixed with lush greenery.

Workplace Injuries

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workplaceinjury (1)If you have are hurt on the job, seek care as soon as possible.   Ignoring pain can lengthen your recovery time and possibly lead to permanent damage.  There are some rules that you must follow if making a work injury claim with your employer.

  1. You must fill out an incident report with a human resources representative.

  2. Your human resources department should provide you with a list of providers you can see for your injury.  You must see one of the providers on this panel for the first sixty days.  After sixty days, you are free to see a provider of your choice.  Companies are required to have chiropractor providers on their panel.  If Dr. Sciullo is not currently on the panel, you can request your human resources department add him.

  3.  While company policies vary, generally the first five days of missed work will be taken as vacation or sick days.   After that, most policies will cover employees for missed pay.

  4. More companies are requiring drug/alcohol testing with every work comp claim.  Drug/Alcohol positive testing may result in job termination and claim denial.

The paperwork for a work injury can be very daunting.  We will handle all of the paperwork and authorizations for your treatment in our office so that you can concentrate on recovery. 

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Ice or Heat for Your Injury?

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IceorHeatredWhen you get injured, do you use ice or heat?

I find that people want to go for heat before they go for ice because it feels better warm than cold.  But there are definitive rules on the use of both.

When to Use Ice.

Always use ice for the first 24 hours after an injury.  Cold makes blood vessels constrict, which reduces pain caused by inflammation.   Also, use for inflammation reduction after activity – think of a baseball player icing a shoulder after a game.  Ice packs or frozen vegetables such as peas can be used.

When to Use Heat

Heat is a good pain reducer for chronic pain, but only after an area has healed.  Heat relaxes blood vessels and increases blood flow, which helps to aid healing.  This of back soreness after a long drive or finger pain from arthritis.  Use a hot water bottle or towel soaked in warm water for your hot compress.

Important!

Never apply heat or ice over skin that is damaged by rash, cuts or abrasions.  Place a damp cloth on the skin under the heat/ice pack and don’t use the pack more than 20 minutes every hour.

If you ever have a question on which home treatment you should be using, please call the office and I will be happy to guide you.

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