Today’s young athletes work harder, longer hours, and push through injury more than ever before. Traveling sports start at a younger age, which usually means more practices per week and tournaments multiple weekends per month. Tee ball starts by age 4. Travel baseball and football begins by age 8. Kids committing to one sport, also called specializing, is seen by middle school.

Seasonal allergies affect millions of Americans. While the exact causes of allergy symptoms remains uncertain, most agree that allergy symptoms are due to inflammation after the immune system pathways encounter allergenic materials in the environment. These allergenic materials are often from plant pollens, animal dander, insect venom, or certain foods.

Aside from taking over-the-counter and prescription medication, here are several natural approaches that can improve your allergy symptoms this season. 

Although definitions may vary slightly, what many can agree on as “fad diets” are when an individual nutritionally adheres to a set diet in order to lose weight in a brief period of time. This said diet usually lacks overall sustainability, long term health benefits, or focuses on any other aspect of health promotion like exercise. Food movements on the other hand take into consideration research and apply the principles to everyday life, making a sustainable change or changes for the betterment of life and health. The short term goals of both might be to lose weight, but the long term goal of a food moment is to create a healthy lifestyle.

According to experts, 80 percent of our New Year’s resolutions fail. That number is quite discouraging, not to mention that’s a lot of pressure to put on ourselves. If your finding that your enthusiasm is beginning to stall this year, don’t worry, read on for six great strategies to help you reboot your resolve and rebalance.

Heart disease is one of the biggest health concerns facing Americans today. As the No. 1 killer in the United States, it accounts for one in every four deaths, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.

The good news is it is also preventable. You might think that heart disease is only a concern for older adults, but even at a young age, lifestyle decisions can put you at a higher risk for heart issues later in life.

During the 2008 Olympics, beach volleyball players drew attention with colored stripes of Kinesio Tape. Over the years, this effective technique has become increasingly popular among athletes. As a chiropractic physician with the 2016 Olympic Village Polyclinic staff, I used the technique to help athletes gain an extra advantage that could make the difference in winning a race.

Prior to the Olympics, I taught Kinesio Taping at National University of Health Sciences since 2012. The university has a long history with this therapy since the inventor, Dr. Kenzo Kase, is a 1974 DC alum.

Kinesio Taping involves taping over and around muscles in order to send neuromuscular signals that enhance performance and help heal injuries. While Kinesio Taping is best known for its effectiveness on athletic injuries, it can also be effective for non-athletic ailments. That’s why Kinesio Taping is a versatile therapy that offers a number of benefits for everyone.

The holidays are a time to enjoy family gatherings, delicious meals, and home decorating. Nevertheless, it is easy to get over-involved in the holiday chaos and end up stressing over things that are meant to be pleasant.

Each year, there is an increasing amount of studies that show how people are stressed, and even sad, during the holiday season.

Lady Gaga recently came forward about her struggle with fibromyalgia, a unique syndrome that is not yet well understood by the medical community.

Once thought to be a psychological disorder, it wasn’t until 1981 that a scientific study confirmed fibromyalgia is a real medical condition. However, stigmas surrounding the condition still exist. In hopes of raising awareness, Lady Gaga is featured in an upcoming Netflix documentary, “Gaga: Five Foot Two,” which explores her struggle with the chronic condition.

As the diagnosis of the condition has increased, the medical community seems to have become more accepting of the syndrome. However, there are still some physicians who do not believe fibromyalgia is a real condition.

In the Q&A below, Anna Jurik, DC, MS, RD, LDN, an attending clinician at the NUHS Whole Health Center in Lombard, Illinois who specializes in women’s health, sheds light on four important questions about fibromyalgia.

Having good posture doesn’t just keep you looking tall and feeling confident, having good posture is a daily habit formed over many years that can have a huge impact on your overall health.  

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) defines posture as the position in which we hold our bodies while standing, sitting, or lying down. Good posture is the correct alignment of body parts supported by the right amount of muscle tension against gravity.