School is back in session here in Santa Cruz County.

And that doesn’t just mean a change in scheduling priorities. 

For kids and teens, it’s also a pretty big change in physical activity levels.

Most kids go from freedom of movement and summer play to:

Suddenly, spending a whole lot more time sitting.

For many kids and teens, that means sore shoulders, tight necks, headaches, back pain, and posture changes.

Sometimes parents are surprised that something as ordinary as going back to school can contribute to pain and discomfort. But—

Think about what school asks their growing bodies to do all day.

Nobody likes being told to take time off from their exercise routine, especially when they’ve been building strength or training for a big event. 

If you're someone who likes to stay active, being told to simply “rest your knee” probably isn't what you want to hear.

But if any of the following scenarios sound familiar, you probably DO want to learn what you CAN do to keep yourself moving:

Does your knee hurt every time you walk downstairs?

Do squats suddenly make you think twice?

Does that downhill section of your favorite trail—the part you used to cruise through—now fill you with dread?

Those are all signs of patellar tendinopathy. 

Most moms expect a little low back discomfort as their baby grows. 

What often surprises them is how much that discomfort affects everyday life.

Back pain can really throw off your daily rhythm.

And back pain is one of the most common complaints during pregnancy.

It can look like this:

• Rolling over in bed suddenly hurts
• Standing up from the couch takes extra effort
• Walking through the grocery store leaves your back aching
• Getting in and out of the car needs to be a carefully planned maneuver

Is this just how pregnancy is? Yes, and No. 

Have you ever caught yourself rubbing your shoulders for what feels like the hundredth time that day?

Maybe you stretch your neck between meetings, or roll your shoulders while you're sitting in traffic? 

Do you find yourself often asking your partner for a quick shoulder rub at the end of a long day because your shoulders are aching so bad? 

These are all common ways to cope with the pain and discomfort that comes with tight necks and shoulders.

And these tension-easing techniques do work… for a little while.

But then the tightness comes right back.

Most people assume they simply have "tight shoulders" that need another stretch or massage. 

But more often than not, those muscles are working overtime because they're trying to compensate for something else.

That's what's happening with a condition called trapezius myalgia.

If you've ever experienced vertigo, you know how frightening it can be.

One moment you're fine. The next, it feels like the room is spinning around you. 

You may feel like you're moving even though you're perfectly still. 

Your stomach flips. 

Your balance disappears. 

And suddenly, you're grabbing onto furniture just to stay upright.

When it comes to vertigo, I've had patients tell me they're afraid to roll over in bed, bend down to tie their shoes, look up at a shelf, or even walk across the room without holding onto something.

When your world won't stop spinning, it's terrifying to think about moving in any direction.

Thankfully, many cases of vertigo are treatable.

Your neck and upper back do a lot of work every day, like holding up your head and helping you turn your body. Even breathing is facilitated by your neck and upper back. 

Staying upright through long hours at a computer, doing physical work, or just sitting down to eat takes work. And work creates tension and stress. Especially when ergonomics are not optimal.

We often recommend these exercises to help reduce tension, restore mobility, and support a healthier posture. 

Ever reach into a cabinet and suddenly notice a sharp pain in your shoulder?

Maybe it only hurts when you lift your arm overhead.

Maybe sleeping on that side has started waking you up at night.

Or maybe you've noticed yourself avoiding certain movements because you already know they're going to hurt.

That's often how rotator cuff tendonitis starts talking to you.

One of the biggest problems with rotator cuff tendonitis is that it usually doesn't seem like a big deal at first.

You spend hours every day feeding your baby. As a new parent, it’s a major part of the job description. 

And like any more-than-full-time job, your body will begin to show the effects of repetitive strain. 

In fact, quite a few musculoskeletal problems come from feeding a baby. 

It might seem weird, but you may start to notice that…

Even though you’re mostly sitting still, your entire body hurts.

I treat a lot of seniors at Golden Chiropractic. 

I love getting to know my older patients, and enjoy forming relationships with them. 

Treating their pain and helping them enjoy life is the best part.

Along with stories about life and learning, I hear about symptoms common to many seniors:

“My legs feel heavy when I walk.”

“I feel numbness creeping into my feet.”

“I need to lean forward on my shopping cart just to get through the grocery store.”

Many of my patients assume these changes are simply “part of getting older.” 

They push through the discomfort for months, or even years, before seeing someone who can help.

Pregnancy changes your body—a lot. And these constant changes can make you kind of miserable.

You feel uncomfortable pressure. You have pain and discomfort in places you never felt it before:

Low back pain. 

Pelvic tension. 

Trouble getting comfortable at night. 

That heavy feeling that shows up more as the weeks go on.

As your body adapts, the right kind of movement can help you feel more comfortable during this process of growing a tiny human.

Simple, intentional movements can:

• Reduce tension
• Create space
• Help your body function a little more comfortably

Ever wake up, get out of bed, and notice a tight, stiff, slightly painful feeling in the back of your heel?  

Does it tend to “warm up” after you move around a bit?

That’s often how Achilles tendonitis starts talking to you.

And the biggest problem with Achilles tendonitis is that it does feel better once you get moving.

This leads many of our patients to assume it’s not a big deal.

But if ignored, over time it CAN become a VERY big deal.

We work, communicate, and seek entertainment on our devices. They are a big part of our lives. 

We’re all on our screens. Everyday. Some of us more than others.

Our devices do make life easier, and more fun. 

But for teens, screen time can lead to unhealthy musculoskeletal development.  

It’s more than just “bad posture,” and parents need to be aware of the consequences. 

Today’s technology-centered lifestyle is killing our necks and shoulders.

Our desktop computers and mobile devices are giving us pain. Add in a long commute, and our bodies begin to show negative symptoms. We begin to experience conditions associated with poor posture and improper weight distribution. Shoulder impingement and text neck, are two prime examples. 

The good news: We can use movement to counteract the negative effects of technology and car use.

Not too long ago, an exhausted, worried mama came in with her 10-day-old newborn. 

Her son’s birth had been traumatic, and she was having some concerns:

• The baby had birth-related cranial remodeling
• He also exhibited poor feeding, and a lack of weight gain
• His latch was shallow

Mom heard that Cranial Sacral Therapy and chiropractic might help. 

That's what brought her in. 

After one visit—and because she followed her home care instructions—the baby’s feeding improved, and Mama began to feel relieved. 

Over time, together, we were able to address all of her newborn’s symptoms. 

When your wrist is unstable, you’re less capable of managing daily life.

Working with your hands, typing at a computer, or simply getting dressed all become incredibly difficult when you can't easily use your wrist.

Your wrist health plays a crucial role in keeping you active and independent.

When wrist instability sets in, even the simplest tasks can become frustrating or painful. Left untreated, this condition can lead to chronic pain, reduced strength, and long-term disability.

Chiropractic care can make a big difference for an unstable wrist.

By relieving pain, restoring strength, and stabilizing your wrist, chiropractic can get you back to living your life with ease.

Babies are small, but they go through a lot: birth, feeding challenges, gas, tension patterns, and learning how to move in their brand-new bodies. 

The exercises below are gentle, developmentally appropriate movements often used to support infant comfort, mobility, and ease. They are meant to support care—not replace a professional evaluation.

Before you begin, make sure these exercises are appropriate for your baby’s needs.

Every baby is different. Some symptoms can look similar while having very different causes. 

If you’re unsure which exercises are appropriate, we strongly recommend having your baby evaluated by a trained professional.

If you’d like guidance, we’re happy to help you in person at our Aptos office. Book online here. 

Neck and upper back strain often sneak up on people who perform manual labor.

One week you’re powering through your workload like always. The next… every overhead reach, every turn of your head, every load you lift feels difficult and painful.

It’s tough when you’re the one everyone else relies on—at work and at home—and yet you’re the one working through pain that would sideline most people.

Why do neck and upper back strain hit so hard? Let's take a look at what’s going on inside your body, and what happens if you just push through it. 

Hint: pushing though the pain is not the way to go. 

The holidays feel great at the moment, don't they? Food, travel, events, late nights, and friends and family time feel great after working hard all year.

The problem is: pain and stiffness often come afterward.

After the holidays, your body often feels tighter, puffier, and way more uncomfortable than it should.

That “post-holiday slump” reflects a serious lack of balance.

Holiday excess isn’t just about overindulgence. It’s the cumulative effect of:

• More sitting
• More lifting and twisting
• More travel
• Less sleep
• More stress
• Less consistent movement

When these things stack up, your muscles tighten, your joints compress, and your nervous system feels stuck in stress mode.

When you bring your newborn home, you expect some exhaustion, some learning curves, and a whole lot of love. 

And, as a new parent, of course there will be advice. So, so much advice.

But even with the best advice, there will be things you're just not sure about. Times when you feel apprehensive, but no one is taking you seriously.

Moms-to-be should feel confident in their ability to carry and birth their baby just as they want to. It's your body and your baby. At Golden Chiropractic, we see our role as members of your support team—helping you have a healthy and successful pregnancy and birth.

Basing our prenatal recommendations on clinical experience and research, we treat the three most important components of a pain-free, uber-healthy pregnancy and successful birth:

1. Health of Mom and Baby
2. Mental Preparation
3. Physical Preparation

Chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, ergonomic adjustments, and nutrition support optimal health and ease throughout your pregnancy, and beyond. Below you’ll find our general recommendations for your prenatal and postpartum pregnancy stages.

Let’s talk about the myth that frailty is “just a part of aging.”

We’ve all heard the story: an older woman falls, breaks her hip, and “never quite recovers.” 

What we don’t hear enough about are the heartbreaking realities that follow.

Within a year of a hip fracture, half of women lose their independence. Many can’t walk without help, and some never make it back home.

But that loss of freedom isn’t necessarily destiny.

You can do things to reduce your risk of developing fragile bones.

Many of my older patients joke about getting “a little more hunched every year.” And while I may laugh a bit with them, I also try to emphasize that feeling more bent over each year is really not a joke.

That bent-over posture we often see with aging can have quite a few negative effects—including stiffness, fatigue and shortness of breath.

But it doesn't have to get really bad. You can stay strong and more upright with the right care. You can also learn to manage those age-related posture changes.

But first, why do people get more hunched over as they age?

Ever stood up after sitting for a while and felt like your hips just won’t open up? That’s probably hip flexor tightness. 

Your hip flexors are involved in every step you take. Whenever you stand up or sit down, the hip flexors are involved there, too.

When they’re tight, they don’t just affect your hips—they pull on your pelvis and your low back. It’s this tightness that limits your ability to move freely.

Many people feel uncomfortable talking about their pelvic pain. That's because there are many potential "embarrassing" reasons for having issues in the pelvic area. 

Too many people—especially women—feel dismissed when they bring up pelvic issues. And too many suffer in silence, thinking it’s “just part of aging” or “something I have to live with after having babies.”

But you don't have to put up with the pain and discomfort.

We can talk about your pelvic pain here at Golden Chiropractic. We may even come up with the perfect treatment plan for you.

Parenting can sometimes feel like you're losing your mind. I’ve been there.

It’s exhausting and scary, especially when you're getting all kinds of conflicting advice. And if you're a first-time mom? Whew. The pressure is intense.

But here’s the truth: You know your child better than anyone else.

If your gut is saying, "Something's not right," trust it.

If your baby is inconsolable, maybe we can help. We’ve seen infants improve with a little gentle adjustment. 

If your young child crawls wonky, or seems “off” after a big fall, we can help you figure out what's going on, and help their bodies feel and work better. 

There are a few reasons your baby might be uncomfortable, or your toddler may seem off. There are certain cases where chiropractic can help babies and young children with discomfort or imbalance.

Postpartum is a time when new moms go through a lot of physical and emotional challenges. Being so exhausted and having to be there for your new baby and your family is really challenging. 

And new moms don’t often give themselves enough space and time to heal. 

With so much new baby responsibility, you want to feel strong in your body again.

You want to hold your baby without pain shooting through your wrists.

You want to nurse without your neck locking up.

You want to take a walk, get up from the floor, or sleep through the night without aching from the inside out.

Postpartum strain can make you feel like you’re falling apart.

It's especially hard because new moms tend to feel like everyone expects them to hold it all together.

Santa Cruz County is an amazing playground. We are truly blessed to live here.

Skating, hiking, paddling, mountain biking and boating are all possible here! 

This place just invites movement and fun.

And it's all good until something starts to hurt.

We often see athletes who live for our outdoor lifestyle come in with hip pain, shoulder strain, or a tight low back.

Many of our patients keep pushing through it, until their bodies say “no.” 

No one really wants any downtime from all that fun. But you need to listen to your body when it hurts. It’s asking for help.

When your baby is irritable all the time, it can get really frustrating. Parents with a colicky baby often don’t know how to help their baby feel better, and frequently worry that their baby is in pain. It’s a tough situation to be in, but chiropractic can help. 

Sports like soccer, tennis and martial arts keep you fit and sharp, but they also put stress on your body. Sometimes that physical stress turns into pain.

We see it all the time in our Aptos office: Athletes come in frustrated and hurting after trying to push through hip pain, shoulder strain, or aching knees. 

Sometimes it's hard for athletes to remember: pain is never just “part of the game.” It’s your body asking for help.

If you use your body for a living—whether it’s swinging a hammer, hauling materials, or running a trimmer—you’ve probably felt that deep, lingering ache from doing the same motions over and over. 

That’s repetitive stress at work. And over time, it leads to real injuries.

Here’s the good news: there are simple, practical changes you can make right now to take better care of your body on the job. 

These aren’t expensive tools or fancy gear—just smarter ways to move, rest, and achieve your work goals.

If you work with your body—jobs like roofing, landscaping, tree trimming, and warehouse work—pain often feels like it's part of the job.

A stiff back, a sore wrist, or an aching shoulder all may seem normal and easy to shrug off. But here’s the deal:

Letting work-related aches and pains go untreated makes them worse.

Let’s talk about periods.

Let’s talk about how they’re not just “annoying” or “inconvenient”—they can be downright disabling.

Many of us deal with low back pain, abdominal cramps, headaches, nausea, even vomiting and diarrhea during our cycle. 

The medical term is primary dysmenorrhea, but let’s be real—that clinical label doesn’t capture how much it can hijack your whole day, your whole mood, your whole ability to show up for your people.

And yet, we’re expected to just...push through.

Keep the house running.

Go to work.

Smile for the kids.

But pushing through is not your only option. And it’s certainly not your best one.

Rest is productive. 

Tending to your body is powerful. 

Self-care during your period is a radical act of listening to your body’s needs. And when you take that time, you actually become more effective in the rest of your life.

If you’re training for a triathlon, you’re trying to grow stronger in three different disciplines. 

Growing stronger means putting increasing stress on various muscle groups and joints. This added stress over time can cause injuries if you’re not thoughtful about how you train. 

It definitely feels great to get fitter and fitter, but it’s also important to remember that you've got to train smart.

As a runner myself, I know what it feels like when your legs scream halfway through a long run—and how frustrating it is to get sidelined when you're finally feeling strong. 

For triathletes, every part of your training matters. So when something hurts, it doesn’t just affect your workouts—it messes with your whole lifestyle: how you sleep, what you eat, who you hang out with. 

The mental game can be just as tough as the physical, and taking time off from injury will not make you happy.

Most triathlete injuries don’t come from one wrong move.

It's normal for seniors to face challenges like joint pain, stiffness, and decreased mobility. The aches, pains, and fears that come with these changes can begin to erode your confidence and joy of living. 

But aging doesn't have to mean you stop actively enjoying life. With chiropractic care and simple lifestyle changes, you can stay strong, mobile, and independent. 

Getting older doesn’t mean you can't enjoy an active, vibrant life. 

With the right self-care, you can enjoy an active life, move with ease, and feel great in your body again. 

Computers make so many things easier and faster, and most adults and kids can’t work without them. 

Sadly, all the productivity and creativity you get with your computer comes with a huge cost to your body.  

If you’ve ever ended a workday feeling stiff, achy, or downright exhausted, you’re seeing the signs.

As kids grow, their bodies go through incredible changes—but some of these changes can also bring challenges.

Some kids develop conditions like scoliosis. Others have lifestyle habits that promote poor posture. Left unchecked, musculoskeletal issues can lead to serious chronic health issues later in life.

Posture problems, sports injuries, and growing pains often come with growing up. Left unaddressed, these issues can affect confidence, comfort, and the ability to stay active.

With the right support, you can help your child feel better and grow stronger. From improving posture to recovering from injuries, there are ways you can help your child with spinal health. 

Can you imagine life without the ability to walk, climb stairs, or easily sit down in a chair? Having your knees work is pretty essential for most of your daily activities. This is true regardless of your lifestyle.

Our patients include athletes, manual laborers, busy parents, and seniors trying to stay active. Knee problems make their work, daily activities, and training all extremely difficult. 

When your knees stop working, you can have chronic pain and constant dysfunction. That's no way to live. 

The right preventative measures can help keep your knees healthy. A bit of self-education and taking some simple actions will go a long way. 

Have you ever twisted your ankle while stepping off a curb, or felt a sharp pain in your shoulder after lifting something heavy? These are pretty common scenarios for our patients. 

When one of these events occurs, you’re likely to suspect a strain or a sprain. 

While you know for sure you're in pain, you may not be not sure what's happening in your body. 

My patients, and my staff, often hear me say, “Motion is lotion.” It’s one of my favorite sayings, because movement is one of the key ways you can take care of yourself.

Your body is simply more healthy when you move—that's why you should prioritize your health by taking a walk instead of some other less-than-healthy stress-reliever (sugar and alcohol, I'm looking at you). 

You already know that you need to exercise, but did you know that healthy exercise doesn't have to be strenuous and time-consuming?

You don’t need to go to the gym everyday for two hours, ride your bike for 20 miles, or swim 60 laps in the pool to get benefits. These activities are all great for you, but sometimes you just can’t put in the time or energy. 

When you’re pressed for time or lacking energy, walking is a small act of self-care that you can fit in pretty easily—no matter where you are. Walking is an easy way to care for yourself, and its health benefits are physical, mental and emotional. 

Many pregnant women suffer from low back pain, sciatica, neck tension, pelvic pain and even carpal tunnel. The good news is that prenatal chiropractic care is effective—and safe—before, during, and after pregnancy.

Dr. Goldi herself experienced the benefits of chiropractic during her pregnancy. With adjustments throughout her two pregnancies, she got significant relief from low back pain and other aches. This helped her stay active and enjoy the work she loves.

Prenatal chiropractic care can help keep you comfortable and healthy, too.

When you've got problems with your hips, you can’t move freely. You feel stuck, losing your ability to easily do what you love. When your hips aren't working, your ability to move independently becomes threatened: Walking, bending, or even standing can become a difficult challenge. 

A condition like hip instability takes away many of your basic functions. Chiropractic can help. 

With chiropractic care, you can regain your stability. You can move with confidence again. With proper treatment, you can stay active and enjoy life without fearing pain and dysfunction.

Do you love to get outside and play? Are you a swimmer, cyclist, hiker, gardener, surfer, or trail runner? Maybe you love to hit the gym or train for more traditional sports like football or soft ball?

Getting exercise is great for your physical and mental health, no question. But when you're seriously active, you increase your risk of musculoskeletal injuries.

The good news is that you can decrease your risk of injury by adding a quick warm-up to your exercise routine.

Whiplash comes from any motion causing your head to forcefully and quickly move backward and forward. Motions causing whiplash often injures bones, discs, ligaments, muscles, nerves, and other tissues of the neck and spine.

You may notice a new smiling face around our office in the coming weeks. That is Madison Light, Golden Chiropractic’s latest intern.

We’re excited about having Madison in our office. She shares one of our core beliefs when it comes to patient care: that the human-to-human relationship is critical to healing, feeling good, and thriving.

Waking up with a neck that can't move is scary.

Have you ever woken up with an intense spasm in your neck, or pain when you try to move your neck?

The cause of your limited mobility could be Acquired Torticollis—otherwise known as "crick in the neck."

We often see patients in our office with unexplained shoulder pain. Sometimes we diagnose their condition as shoulder impingement, and sometimes we diagnose their condition as shoulder instability.

Shoulder instability is frustrating, especially when there's no clear cause for it. 

Shoulder instability could be from a recent injury. It could also be from repetitive stress that has been building up over time. 

No matter the cause, shoulder instability can drastically impact your daily life, but chiropractic can help.

Vertigo is scary.

Sometimes it’s feeling dizzy and light-headed. Maybe the dizziness only happens when you look to one side or the other. Maybe it comes when you extend your head or just look up.

Sometimes you may feel like the room is spinning. Other times you feel like you’re moving when you’re actually still.

Vertigo can affect your balance and your other senses.

Vertigo can make you fear falling down, like you’re not able to control your ability to function.

Our patients with vertigo symptoms have good reason to feel nervous and uneasy. Vertigo makes you feel out of control.

Chronic lower back pain often sabotages your plans for the day, making life difficult. Nerve compression in your lower back is especially disruptive.

With nerve compression, you feel sharp, shooting pain radiate from your lower back into your buttocks, legs, or feet.

Nerve compression makes you avoid activities that aggravate your symptoms. You may find yourself constantly shifting your position, unable to get comfortable. 

Chronic nerve compression is exhausting, and frustrating. But you don't have to struggle to manage your condition. 

Chiropractic and lifestyle changes can make your life enjoyable again.

Understanding how your body is changing as you age, and what you can do to maintain fitness, are the keys to staying active at 40, 50, 65, and beyond.

When it comes to exercise and sports, the rules change as you age.

Our bodies are always changing, and after 40, those changes require certain lifestyle adjustments.

After 40, your athletic performance begins to decrease. After 65, you really need to carefully consider your fitness activities to stay active and avoid injuries like broken bones.

If you want to maintain an active lifestyle, you need to come to terms with these changes. By making the necessary adjustments, you'll reap fitness' rewards and avoid painful injuries.

Here's a list of 6 ways your body changes as you age, and what you can do about it.

Like many forms of exercise, running helps not only with physical fitness, but also with mental clarity and emotional well-being. 

From a mental health perspective, running helps reduce stress. By releasing endorphins, running can also ease symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

Physically, running helps improve your cardiovascular health and increase your muscle tone. It's also helpful for weight management. 

Dr. Joe has experienced running's benefits firsthand:

"As a former swimmer, I initially used running to get in shape for hiking and backpacking. Over time, running became more than just exercise; it became a vital part of my life. Running has helped me lose over 40 pounds and significantly improved my mood and mental resilience."

Sadly, running often comes with injuries.

We have put together a helpful guide for helping our runners avoid injury. This post contains an oveview of the contents and a download link so you can keep it handy. 

When you come to our office in pain, we may determine that cupping, along with other therapies, is the best treatment plan for your condition.

Cupping therapy has many benefits, enhancing the effectiveness of chiropractic adjustments.

Before an adjustment, cupping can relax muscles and improve your circulation. This makes your tissues more receptive to realignment.

Cupping can also help promote healing through increased blood flow and muscle relaxation.

It helps with postural imbalances, as well, relaxing overactive muscles and activating under-active ones.

At Golden Chiropractic, we use RockPods for cupping therapy. Dr. Goldi is certified in Functional Movement Techniques (FMT) with RockPods.

When you feel pain in your hand, wrist, or forearm, you may begin to worry that you've got carpal tunnel syndrome. Since most of us use computers and devices, it's natural to suspect the pain is from this notorious office-work condition. We do see a lot of carpal tunnel in our office, but it's not always from office work. There are quite a few reasons you may develop carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

Women’s bodies go through an enormous amount of changes during pregnancy. Some of the changes are confusing, others are downright frightening. Suddenly having pain in places where you didn’t have pain before can cause some serious stress. It's especially challenging when the pain and discomfort negatively affect your ability to perform daily tasks.

We've seen the symptoms quite a few times over the years: Sitting slightly crooked, leaning to one side, and away from the opposite buttock.

Patients may complain of low back pain on one side, and buttock pain with radiating "sciatic" pain down the leg to the back of the thigh. Often the pain is worse with driving and sitting. 

We often instruct these patients to unload their pockets. Then we see it—an enormous wallet pulled from a back pocket.

Sometimes our bodies need signals to rest and relax. That’s where the Craniosacral therapy (CST) and Myofascial Unwinding (MFR) can really help. I’ve seen patients with headaches, low back and sacral pain, or pregnancy related tension all get relief with CST/MFR.

Chronic lower back pain and hip discomfort are common symptoms of a condition known as Lower Cross Syndrome (LCS). This postural condition often affects people who sit for prolonged periods of time. 

If you’re commuting long distances for work, and/or working in an office with a poor ergonomic setup, Lower Cross Syndrome could be the cause of your lower back and hip pain. 

We also see LCS in other groups, like new moms that frequently slouch over their baby, runners, and cyclists.

LCS comes from strengthening, tightening, and weakening muscle groups in ways that create an imbalance in your musculoskeletal system.

Soft tissue injuries are not only debilitating, they're frustrating. You feel crummy and achy in your muscles. You're irritable from moving less and not getting those exercise endorphins. Worst of all, you're anxious about those training schedule setbacks. Soft tissue injuries don't just mess with your body, they mess with your head and stress you out.

When home treatments stop working, it may be time for blading.

As a mother of two VERY active teenagers, I know about those “growing pains” and sports-related injuries. As parents, we can prioritize helping our kids prevent injuries as a form of self-care. What we can’t do is speed up the natural development of their biomechanics. This is why growing teens are especially susceptible to Sever’s disease.

You understand the importance of ergonomics at your workstation, but have you considered the ergonomics of your driving position?

Improper driving ergonomics can encourage back and neck pain. 

If you find yourself behind the wheel for long periods of time, you'll want to spend a little time learning how to drive ergonomically.

Repetitive activities such as typing, grasping gardening tools, pulling weeds, and swinging your arm to hit a tennis ball can cause pain and discomfort.

If you’re not stretching properly, these activities can even lead to injury.

The good news is that there are some simple stretches you can do to help keep you out of pain. 

Chronic neck and upper back pain are common symptoms of a condition nicknamed “Silicon Valley Syndrome.” As chiropractors, we officially call it Upper Cross Syndrome (UCS).

Upper Cross Syndrome is a postural condition, due primarily to repetitive, improper ergonomics. If your job requires long hours at a desk, and you're too busy to focus on your posture, you could have "Silicon Valley Syndrome." 

UCS has other causes, too. Maybe you participate in a sport like cycling that encourages maintaining the same posture for long periods of time. Maybe you’re a commuter, hunching over your steering wheel for an hour or more a day. 

Regardless of the cause, UCS is a condition that disrupts your daily life, making you feel grumpy, limited, and frustrated. 

Chiropractic can help you get out of UCS pain and back to enjoying your daily life.  

Where have you been working over the last few years? Your kitchen table? Curled up on your couch? Reclined in bed? If this is you, you may be asking for a world of pain, and some chronic posture problems in the future.

Working from home may have many benefits, but supporting a pain-free lifestyle often isn't one of them. If you're experiencing pain in your neck, back, or even hips and legs, it could be from your home office set-up.

Poor ergonomics could mean a lot more intermittent pain today, and maybe some chronic pain from a serious condition later in life. Is it time to assess the set-up of your home work station?

Organized physical activities are great for kids: They keep their bodies moving and help build their confidence.

With sports, kids learn to care for their bodies, be mindful of their thoughts, and develop social skills.

While sports do help build a happier, healthier life, they also come with the risk of injury.

Injuries are not just inconvenient for you and your child. They can also lead to long recovery times, and possible permanent damage.

You can help your kids avoid injury. There are 7 things we recommend parents and guardians consider to help protect their child's musculoskeletal health. 

Most of us feel some headache pain, and pop a pill to make the pain go away. Headaches are commonly treated with over the counter pain meds, and rarely do we worry much about them. 

But have you ever thought about the cause of your headaches? Have you ever considered treating that cause, and not just the symptoms?

Headaches have quite a few causes, and can also be avoided by understanding the cause and getting the right treatment. 

Most people automatically think of a chiropractor when their neck or back hurts. 

Your neck and back are definitely major players in your musculoskeletal health, but they aren't the only body parts that benefit from chiropractic care. 

You may be surprised by a few of the conditions that chiropractic helps. From headaches to foot pain, chiropractic care can treat most musculoskeletal issues.  

Some of the most common conditions we see in our Aptos office don't manifest in your neck or back, but begin elsewhere. That’s because:

Straps falling off, underwires digging in, shoulder pain, back pain, breast pain—you know your bra is there throughout the day, and not in a good way.

Most women have learned to accept that bras are uncomfortable. But an uncomfortable bra not a necessary evil. You just need to know how to find the right bra for you.

Bra discomfort and pain often come from improper sizing and style. Bra pain can also come from changes in your body, including pregnancy and other motherhood stages.

From pregnancy to childbirth—and throughout the early years of nurturing a child—a mom’s body undergoes significant changes. 

Each stage—from carrying the extra weight during pregnancy to breastfeeding and caring for your little one—puts a strain on your body, especially your spine. 

Understanding and practicing proper ergonomics can profoundly impact your spinal health and overall well-being. This is why we're excited to share Episode 41 of the ChiroMom podcast. 

Dr. Goldi co-hosts the ChiroMom podcast with fellow chiropractor moms Dr. Sarah and Dr. Holly. These three chiromoms are passionate about helping moms stay out of pain. 

Episode 41 is packed with ergonomic tips specifically for moms. 

When your toddler, child or teen is in pain, it can be difficult to know how to help them. Seeing your kid suffer can make you feel helpless, worried, and frustrated.

You may feel like you are not doing enough to help your child, or that you are failing them in some way.

The stress and anxiety of caring for your child when they are in pain can be a lot to deal with, but chiropractic can help.

This list of the symptoms and common conditions we see in kids could help put your mind at ease.

IT Band Syndrome (ITBS) is pretty common among runners and cyclists. Competitive rowers, skiers, and athletes that play soccer, basketball, or field hockey can also get ITBS. Even folks with knee arthritis, or those with a knee replacement, might experience ITBS symptoms.

ITBS is caused by performing your activity—like when you're running and constantly bending and stretching your knee. That repetitive motion can tighten up your IT band, or even cause it to swell.

While ITBS can feel like bad news, chiropractic treatment and proper self-care can help you return to the activities you love.

I often see patients suffering for years because they’re sleeping on the wrong mattress.

Sleeping on the wrong mattress is terrible for your health. Not only does an uncomfortable night’s sleep rob you of energy, it also causes many health problems. Poor sleep increases stress, pain, and emotional distress. It also reduces memory and cognitive performance. 

In my practice, I often see patients with neck and/or back pain caused by having the wrong mattress. That's why I've written this guide to help you determine if you need to consider getting a new mattress.

Text Neck is an overuse or repetitive stress injury from having your head hung forward and down for extended periods of time. As you move your head forward, its weight increases for every degree your ear moves in front of your shoulder.

Your head is a ten pound weight, but at 15 degrees of forward flexion, the weight of your head increases to nearly 30 pounds. Your neck is simply not made to hold this weight. Your body will react negatively to this forward tilt of your head. 

Deep breathing is the most accessible, natural pain management tool there is. When you're feeling aches and pains, taking slow, deep breaths can help calm your body down. 

When you deepen and slow down your breathing, you send a message to your brain to relax. Your brain then signals your muscles to loosen up and release tension. 

Belly breathing is one of my favorite techniques for relieving anxiety, stress, pain and tension. Not only is belly breathing great for feeling better right away, it's also good for building a healthy spine. 

We know most of our beloved senior patients have Medicare, and that comes with questions about chiropractic coverage. Since we love helping our seniors get the care they need, we wrote this blog post to help explain how we work with Medicare. 

SI joint pain is no fun. The sharp, sometimes debilitating pain in your lower back and hips often comes with an emotional weight that can affect your day-to-day activities. The discomfort of Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain can make it nearly impossible to perform the simplest tasks. There’s no question: SI Joint pain makes life harder. 

SI joint pain limits your mobility, disrupts your work (and play!), and takes you away from otherwise peaceful sleep. Fortunately, chiropractic care has helped many of our patients with SI joint pain live freely and fully again.

Pregnancy often comes with discomforts, like low back, pelvic joint, and groin pain. Your pregnant body's rapid adjustments during pregnancy can cause tension, spasms, and nerve irritation. 

These pregnancy-related conditions often lead to imbalance and significant discomfort. They can also lead to birthing difficulties like breech positioning if your baby can't move into the ideal position. 

Spinning Babies techniques help ease anxiety about your breech baby.

Having a baby in a breech position can cause significant stress and anxiety. The breech position introduces potential complications to the birthing process. Parents often worry about the health and safety of both the mother and the baby, and whether a cesarean section will be necessary.

When it comes to breech presentations, our primary goal is to help our pregnant patients prevent cesarean sections. That’s why our doctors have studied and practiced the Spinning Babies® method.

What is chiropractic?

Chiropractic is the most common natural healing art practiced in the world. It is based on spinal manipulation—the chiropractic adjustment—to treat segmental joint dysfunctions. In chiropractic circles, this is often called a subluxation or joint misalignment. 

Low back pain can make you miserable for a few days, weeks, or even years when it's chronic! For some of our patients, we can provide instant and lasting relief from discomfort through chiropractic care. For others, we manage pain through regular visits and ongoing maintenance. No matter the cause of your low back pain, chiropractic can help.

Golden Chiropractic proudly welcomes Kyle Medina, our newest massage therapist. Kyle's dedication to evidence-based treatments and genuine human connection make him a perfect addition to our team.

We couldn't ask for a better fit for our practice.

We are so excited to work with Kyle, and here's why:

It can be frustrating when your stomach seems "out of sync." That nagging sensation of indigestion, those intense burping sessions—an upset stomach is super unpleasant. 

When you don’t understand what's causing your abdominal issues, it can feel worrisome and overwhelming. You may be wondering how long you should wait until you see your doctor. What you may not be considering, but probably should, is telling your chiropractor about your abdominal issues. 

Many of our patients with similar symptoms have been astonished to find that chiropractic can help. 

Wait, chiropractic works for stomach issues? 

Yes, it can, especially if you're suffering from a hiatal hernia. 

Does this sound familiar to you? 

You wake up, the sun is shining, and you're excited about the day ahead. As you arrive at work, your mood remains high. 

Then, later in the morning, during a meeting, a sudden twinge of discomfort shoots through your lower back and down your leg. 

You shift uncomfortably in your chair, trying to ignore the growing sensation of pain. By the time you get up, the pain has intensified, making each step an effort. 

What was supposed to be a productive day quickly turns into a struggle. Navigating your tasks while dealing with your sciatica symptoms is starting to make your day quite difficult. 

Luckily, chiropractic can really help ease your sciatica pain and discomfort. 

Gardening has so many health benefits. You get improved mental health from connecting with nature. You also gain physical health from getting moving. There's no arguing that gardening is good for you. Yet, like many outdoor physical activities, aches and pains from gardening are not uncommon. With a little self-care, and occasional chiropractic care, you can cultivate balance and enjoy more pain-free gardening.

Having a “rib out” can be a real pain, in more ways than one. The discomfort rib pain causes makes even the simplest tasks challenging. Sleep becomes elusive because you can't find a comfortable position. Moving hurts. Even breathing is painful. Chiropractic care can help you say good-bye to that troublesome pain-in-the-rib and get back to living the life you love. 

Maybe something like this has happened to you?

You lace up your trail runners, excited for your trail run at Nisene Marks. You take off, feeling alive and connected to the redwoods. Each time your foot pushes off the ground, you get a little more pumped.

As you tackle that first challenging incline, you suddenly feel a sharp pain in your inner thigh. Then the discomfort radiates through your groin area.

Every step intensifies your discomfort. You begin to limp, and you can no longer continue your trail run.

In the days that follow, you're unable to do your regular run. Walking and sitting trigger the discomfort in your groin. This injury has paused your active lifestyle, and you are not happy. 

You think you may have "pulled your groin." Can your chiropractor help? Yes! Chiropractic can treat your pulled groin and help you get back to that blissful run on your favorite trail.

When you've got bursitis in your hip, life is so much harder. Bursitis causes persistent pain and discomfort, and limits your mobility. With bursitis, just getting around the house becomes a monumental task.

Bursitis impacts your physical fitness by restricting exercise and keeping you from doing the things you love.

Living with chronic bursitis pain can lead to increased stress and anxiety from the limits it places on your life. It interferes with your work productivity, and makes it hard to participate in your favorite social activities.

If you're suffering from bursitis, you’ll be glad to know that chiropractic can help ease your symptoms and improve your quality of life.

Pregnancy comes with immense joy and anticipation, but it can also bring on stress and uncertainty. Expectant moms have to decide on so many things: healthcare providers, prenatal care, birthing options and more. It can be overwhelming. That's why we tell those who are expecting to develop a birthing plan. It can really help you make decisions that are right for you. 

We've found that both first-time and experienced moms who develop a personalized birth plan experience less stress. When your birth plan aligns with your unique needs, it ensures that your preferences are honored, no matter how your pregnancy goes.

Hip pain can make your life extremely challenging. When your hip isn’t working well, it’s hard to get around and do just about anything. One particularly debilitating hip condition for active folks and athletes is femoral acetabular impingement. 

FAI limits your ability to exercise or participate in your favorite sports—causing pain and stiffness in your hip joint, especially during or after physical activity. The limited mobility you experience with FAI can leave you stuck at home while everyone else is out playing.

Like many other conditions of the hip, chiropractic care can help with femoral acetabular impingement. When it comes to hip pain, chiropractic is among the best non-invasive treatment and management options for FAI.

When you've got degenerative joint disease/osteoarthritis in your hip, it can be hard to walk, sit or even sleep. It's an extremely uncomfortable condition. DJD can also impact your mental health, making you feel anxious, depressed and isolated.

The good news is that chiropractic treatment can make a significant difference in managing your DJD symptoms. In fact, regular chiropractic combined with self-care for DJD can significantly improve your overall quality of life.

Have you ever experienced tingling or numbness in your hand or arm? Maybe you suspected you had carpal tunnel syndrome, but that could be the wrong diagnosis. We often find that patients with carpal tunnel symptoms actually have thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). It's a common self-misdiagnosis. 

Patients with TOS can experience a range of symptoms that limit their ability to carry out everyday activities. Simple tasks like grasping, typing or using a mouse become challenging and frustrating. Even overhead lifting can be difficult. TOS can cause a major disruption to your daily life, including decreased productivity that sets you back. Luckily, chiropractic can help. 

Are you among the many people who feel nervous about getting adjusted by a chiropractor? It’s not uncommon to feel apprehensive about forceful adjustments. In fact, some of our newer patients have shared fears of stroke, serious injury, or even bones breaking during treatment! For these patients, we need to address that fear to help ease their pain and discomfort.

You can relax more with the Activator.

Using the Activator tends to ease anxiety and fear in our patients, especially those who may have had a bad experience in the past. It’s our favorite technique for building trust and a sense of safety. For our patients who come in with feelings of apprehension along with their pain, the Activator causes less stress as we work to get them back into life.

Neck pain can make life extremely difficult. It’s not just that your neck hurts, you also have a hard time moving and taking care of everyday tasks. That leads to a lot of frustration and delays in getting things done. 

There are more than a few ways that neck pain makes life more difficult.

Neck pain can:

• make it hard to focus
• limit your movement
• limit your flexibility
• make it hard to turn your head
• make it hard to reach for objects
• make it hard to sleep
• cause headaches and migraines

The symptoms of neck pain can range from mild to severe. It can feel like a dull ache or a persistent stiffness that worsens as you move. Some of our patients even describe a sharp, stabbing pain that radiates to their shoulders, arms or head. 

Whether intense or mild, neck-related pain can really make you miserable. Happily, chiropractic can provide neck dysfunction relief, and help prevent more pain in the future. 

Scoliosis can feel devastating for a teenager.

During those turbulent teen years, the disfigurement from scoliosis can feel extremely embarrassing. Wearing a bathing suit and other more revealing clothes can feel especially mortifying. Add to that the difficulty of finding properly fitting clothes, and you’ve got a very frustrated teen on your hands.

Scoliosis can also make a teen feel scared about getting care, as their ribs can feel sensitive and their spinal muscles can spasm.

The constant discomfort and lack of quality sleep resulting from scoliosis can affect not only a teen's school performance, but can also have a negative impact on their overall mood and well-being.

Teenage scoliosis just makes life harder.

When your teen is in pain, their overall quality of life really suffers: 

• School is more difficult. Chronic pain Makes it hard to focus in school. Teens with neck or back pain often struggle to pay attention because of constant discomfort.
• They can't move freely. Pain makes it harder to do physical activities. Inactivity can cause a decline in their physical health, as well as their mental well-being.
• They can't participate socially. Because they are in pain, they miss out on opportunities to connect with friends and family, or to participate in fun activities. 

Neck and back pain can really cause a teenager to feel frustrated, isolated, and limited.

3 screens and counting: my child's digital life

One day I stumbled upon my teen using three screens at once. They were juggling a three-way video chat on their phone, a game on their Nintendo Switch with another friend, and their latest Netflix binge on the TV. I was both shocked and amazed by the digital dexterity!

Impressive in some ways, but damaging in others.

Many teen social activities have moved online, and that impacts their physical well-being. When it comes to neck and back pain, more screen time equals more pain. This “new online normal” is not good for the teenage spine.

Hip pain keeps you from doing everyday activities like walking or climbing stairs. When you've got hip pain, it’s hard to get around and almost impossible to get everything done. The good news: with chiropractic care, you can get relief from hip pain symptoms, get moving and get back into life.

Rib pain can be quite debilitating. Rib pain makes it hard to take a deep breath, or causes a lot of pain when you CAN take a deep breath. It can also lead to depression because it’s disrupting your life, feels horrible, and makes it hard to sleep. 

Rib pain can also be pretty alarming—especially when it occurs in the front of your chest! Many of our patients with rib pain in the front think they're having a heart attack. If you suspect you’re having a heart attack, please dial 911 and/or go to your nearest ER. Don't wait for an appointment with your regular healthcare provider. 

The good news is that most rib pain can be managed by chiropractic care. Whether caused by a traumatic impact, or a chronic condition, rib pain doesn't have to stop you from living life. 

Having difficulty walking and feeling wrenching pain, as though your pelvis is tearing apart, can really disrupt your life! If your job is very active, SPD can negatively affect your income. SPD can also keep you from enjoying your favorite sport, or even quickly running to the grocery store for a forgotten item. 

That shooting or aching pain in your pelvis can be a symptom of Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD). The pubic symphysis joint is between your left pelvic bone and your right pelvic bone. Its job is “to help your pelvis absorb some of the weight from your upper body before it travels to your lower body. It also helps separate your pelvic bones to prepare for vaginal childbirth.” When this joint is misaligned, your lower body movement is severely limited.   

Making healthy choices throughout the holiday season is challenging. Holidays are a busy time of giving, spending time with family, and celebrating with friends. We are bombarded with parties, tempting foods, and opportunities to eat too much. Way too much. And, oh, those cocktails, they are everywhere. To keep up your health, make a self-care plan for getting through the holidays.
 

Surfing requires a level of fitness and skill to do well. It requires the strength to paddle, dexterity to pop up, and balance to stay up. All of these actions require a healthy and flexible spine. If you don't take steps to maintain a healthy back, you won’t enjoy surfing for as long as you’d like. 

“Being a surfer means that you are at the mercy of thousands of pounds of water at any moment. It also means that the lower back takes a beating from the unnatural positions that you must take.

“I used to just deal with the pain because I had no other solution, but with adjustments, I can be ready to go for another session at a moment's notice.” —Jeffrey R., Golden Chiro patient

Taking time away from surfing because of low back pain can be frustrating. It’s hard to watch a good set roll in and miss out on the fun. But if you experience low back pain, you must get treatment as soon as you notice it’s an issue. Left untreated, surfers can get chronic low back pain, and eventually experience arthritic degeneration.

Most people really don’t want to talk about “down there,” even with their healthcare professional. Let's face it — issues with urination and sexual dysfunction often feel embarrassing.

Pelvic floor dysfunction often results in leaking urine. It can also cause problems in our sex lives. It's a condition that often contributes to, and is linked to, acute and chronic low back pain, as well. These problems make us feel physically uncomfortable at best, and deeply ashamed at worst.

Did you know that 10 million individuals in the US have urinary incontinence?

It's really not that weird, and definitely not shameful! Neither is having sexual difficulties from pelvic floor dysfunction. Sometimes it's just a part of life we need to deal with. Pelvic pain and spasms, or urinating without intention during sneezing or coughing aren't a life sentence. Therapeutic interventions like chiropractic can really help.

Throwing out your back is a term used to describe what happens when the muscles in your back have been strained. This happens when you lift a heavy object incorrectly, overwork, stretch too far or awkwardly, or have improper posture.

When you throw out your back, you can’t live life fully. That’s not only painful, it’s also very stressful as you have a hard time working and doing the things you enjoy.

It’s important to know that “throwing out your back” isn’t a specific condition. When you suddenly experience back pain, the cause of your pain will be specific to you: your body, your lifestyle, your activities.

For many expectant moms, fears about delivery complications are very real. One of the most common fears associated with birthing is having their baby move into a breech position. The good news is that there are techniques and exercises that help keep babies out of the breech position. 

Babies are innately intelligent — they want to be in that ideal position for birth. When they aren’t able to get there before birth, chiropractic can help. 

Aging, as they say, isn’t for the faint-hearted. And, yes, growing older can have its challenges, but it doesn't have to mean a weak and unstable body.

Aging is often associated with a slower metabolism, loss of balance, loss of strength, reduced mobility and reduced range of motion. These common traits of aging ARE NOT inevitable, though. If you want to age strong, you have to prioritize a very important act of self-care: regular exercise.

If exercise were advertised on TV like pharmaceuticals, most people would “ask their doctor about” this "miracle" drug.

While exercise is not a patented drug, I do prescribe some form of it to almost every patient. Exercise is the best prescription for an excellent quality of life, especially as you move into your elder years. You can even see benefits if you begin exercising later in life.

Problems with breastfeeding can cause a lot of pain and confusion. When breastfeeding is hard, many mothers worry that their bond with their baby won’t be as strong. This is especially true if their delivery did not go as planned. Often, problems like poor weight gain, dribbling, or biting the nipple can be signs of a tongue tie. The fussiness that comes with difficult breastfeeding is often related to the stress of trying to feed despite a tongue-tie.

One of the easiest ways to prioritize your health is to let your smart watch do the thinking for you. Technology is supposed to make our lives easier, and when you get health-smart with your watch's fitness features, it's easier to take good care of yourself. Easier = less stress and more health.

Here are my 4 favorite ways to optimize self-care with a smart watch.

You may be surprised to learn that chiropractic care is not just for adult back and neck pain. Chiropractic can also be beneficial for babies experiencing colic, constipation and tongue tie, as well as some other musculoskeletal conditions.

While it may seem unusual to think of babies receiving chiropractic care, it's actually safe and effective. Many parents are unaware that chiropractic treatments can provide relief for their baby's discomfort.

Have you ever had lower back pain that appeared out of nowhere? Like one day your lower back is just achy, tight, or stiff? You’ve had no trauma, no accident, no sports injury. There’s just suddenly pain. What’s going on?

It could be time spent on your computer. Maybe your computer posture or poor ergonomics are putting a strain on your low back. Many of our patients are surprised to learn that not moving much, or staying in one position for too long, can cause pain.

We need computers to get just about anything done these days. Low back pain from computer use can feel unavoidable, and frustrating, but there are ways to stop it.

Life is stressful. 

You may be constantly bombarded with crises to handle and fires to put out. It can often seem like there are just not enough hours—or energy—to manage everything and still take care of yourself.

The neck, back, or shoulder pain you may be feeling from just managing your life can add fatigue and tension. It's even more stressful when you've got an injury.

There may be relationship demands: sometimes coming from our jobs, sometimes from our kids, our spouses, or our parents. We can often feel pressure from all of these relationship stressors at the same time.  

We may be feeling financial stress as the economy and inflation go up and down, and our go-tos for managing stress may not be readily available. 

Endometriosis can be annoying, and terrifying. The unpredictability regarding your own body when you’ve been diagnosed with endometriosis can drive you crazy. Management of this condition is often tricky, and over time dealing with it becomes tiresome.

Some women end up feeling completely hopeless. It’s a condition that can leave you wondering if you will ever be able to conceive, or ever have a consistent, normal period. It’s a lot to handle, and the symptoms can make life difficult.  

Stressed, overwhelmed, tense—these feelings come along with motherhood because being a mom is a full-time job. And while it’s a very rewarding job, it can also wreak havoc on your body. One condition we often see in stressed out moms has been lovingly termed “mom shoulders.”

The symptoms of mom shoulders can cause pain and discomfort, and most moms just don't have time for that. Luckily, chiropractic treatments can help relieve the pain and stress that come with motherhood. 

Do you have to be a mom to experience mom shoulders? No.

Anyone carrying a lot of responsibility—feeling busy and overwhelmed without a lot of time for self-care—can experience the tension that causes stiff, tight and painful neck and shoulder tissues. We just happen to see a lot of moms with this condition, so we named it mom shoulders. 

Expectant moms feel pain and discomfort. Many moms-to-be suffer frequently from low back pain, pelvic joint pain, and groin pain. These pains come from the changes in a woman's body that occur with pregnancy.

As the body prepares for birth, connective and supportive tissues expand and contract rapidly and extensively. This causes tension, spasms, and pulling on nerve endings. The result is a body that's out of balance, and a mom who is feeling extremely uncomfortable.

With the Webster Technique, moms often feel instant waves of relief and calm.

Chronic lower back pain can be disabling. Not only for your ability to move as you'd like, but also for your outlook on life. Low back pain can make you anxious — expecting the worst and unable to focus on anything else. Chronic back pain negatively affects not only your body, but your work and your most important relationships, too. In fact, chronic pain rewires your brain in a way that produces negative emotions. 

Making snow or sand angels when you were a kid was fun. It was also great for preserving some range of motion in your arms, shoulders, and side body.

Lowerback compression and hip stiffness can mean you need to get moving! 

Regain pelvic mobility with an overball. 

If you feel tension or burning pain in your neck or upper back, this stretching sequence is for you. 

Long hours hunched over your computer or digital device can cause pain and discomfort.

If you’re not moving often, the poor posture associated with screen use may lead to long-term damage. 

The good news is that there are some simple stretches you can do to help keep you out of pain. 

My patients often tell me their “hips feel off.” I also see patients who notice one leg seems shorter than the other. If you are experiencing these symptoms, you can get relief immediately.  In this video I show you how to do a series of simple movements to re-align your pelvis. Get out your mat,…

We’ve seen ice used for injuries during sports events for much of our lives. Ice has been the traditional go-to for almost as long as I can remember. But ice is not always the best answer for your injury as you go through the healing process. Sometimes heat is better. Sometimes neither heat nor ice is the answer. Sometimes it's best to use both. 

The question you need to ask yourself (or better yet, your chiropractor, sports medicine doctor, or physical therapist) is, “Will ice help me or hurt me?” The answer depends on the cause of your pain and the best course of treatment for your specific circumstances.

There are 3 common reasons for triathlete’s susceptibility to injury — inflexibility, inadequate range of motion, and inadequate stability. You can reduce your odds of injury with a specific exercise routine for triathlete self-care. These 5 exercises increase your flexibility, range of motion, and stability.  Shoulder exercises to help prevent and rehab rotator cuff tendonitis.…

Here in Santa Cruz County we have a great climate for Triathlon training. We can run at Big Basin, Nisene Marks, and West Cliff Drive. We can swim around the Wharf in Capitola. We can bike in many beautiful places — on dirt or on pavement.  Triathletes need to train a lot, and there are…

Hemp has been a wellness tool for thousands of years. What the ancients knew from observation, we now have science to explain. It’s the way hemp works chemically with the human body. The body creates compounds called endocannabinoids, while hemp produces phytocannabinoids. The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) maintains human health and function. Scientists believe that its…

I have frequent pain in my lower back and leg due to a herniated disc at my L5 vertebrae on the left. As a mother of two and an avid skiier, staying active is important to me. As a business owner and doctor of chiropractic, I can't let pain keep me from serving my patients. When shooting pain in my leg from gardening happens during busy clinic weeks, my herniated disc feels almost like a disability.

The pain is debilitating. Not being able to perform my work without pain is stressful. Experiencing this pain again and again throughout my life is frustrating. That’s why I get regular adjustments to manage and prevent my herniated disc pain.

Pain radiating from the mid back which wraps around the waist and travels towards the groin could be Maignes Syndrome. Patients with this condition also tend to experience pain in the lower back, hip, and groin.

Maignes syndrome can be worrisome for patients. No one wants to experience pain in their groin area! Luckily it doesn’t present any real danger to the groin. But, it can cause some pelvic floor issues which need to be addressed.

Is pain holding you back in life? Are you avoiding activities you once enjoyed because of pain? Do you miss gardening, being active with your family, running, or riding a bicycle? Are you afraid you’ll not be able to enjoy life again, because of your pain? The good news is that pain can be managed.…

When plantar fasciitis hits, it puts a full stop on your favorite activities. The nagging discomfort and being unable to move the way you want to can add a lot of frustration to your life. When plantar fasciitis starts getting in the way of your routine, you'll need to take it easy and deal with it. Keeping plantar fasciitis pain in check and safely getting back to your routine is where chiropractic can really help.

While you may not think of chiropractic for foot problems, we actually do treat plantar fasciitis successfully. 

Everyone’s using fitness tracking these days, and that’s a good thing. We love it when our patients tell us they are paying attention to their health. You can track many, many, MANY things with a fitness watch. At our Golden Chiropractic office, patients ask questions about what to track and why. Here's what we recommend:

It’s that time of year, again! Sore throats. Coughs. Runny noses. Or worse—moderate flu complications like sinus and ear infections. Some patients even suffer from serious flu complications like pneumonia. 

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient. It helps the body to absorb calcium, which promotes bone growth. Strong bones keep you moving and living life. The body produces its own stores of vitamin D when exposed to ultraviolet light. Most people just need 5 to 10 minutes of  UVB and UVA sunlight—without sunscreen—to synthesize vitamin…

Non-Harmful Sunscreen is Best Sunscreen use has risen. That’s great news! Protecting your skin from harmful sun rays can save your life.   The problem, though, is most conventional sunscreen products. These chemical sunscreens typically use one or more harmful chemicals. These chemicals include oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, and octinoxate.  Some Sunscreens Cause Problems, Disrupting…

Patients Ask, We Deliver! Dr. Goldi just created an account with Biotics Research for ordering nutritional supplements. Dr. Weinstein retired in March and has since referred many of his former patients to Golden Chiropractic. We will be carrying their products based on many requests from Dr. Weinstein’s patients. An online patient ordering option is available…

Introducing the All-New PRO SPORT Pain Stick   CBD CLINIC™ is the first and only family of FDA-registered Topical Pain Relief Ointments & Creams combining cannabidiol (CBD) and pain-relieving ingredients. Our most popular and powerful ointment is now available in a convenient twist-bottom tube applicator! $80 The CBD CLINIC PAIN STICK is 30 grams of…

Many of our patients experience shoulder pain and limited shoulder movement. They often describe the pain as a pinched nerve. When they come in to see us, we frequently diagnose the condition causing the pain as Shoulder Impingement.

Do you suffer from neck pain and poor sleep? Do you find yourself trying a new pillow every few months? Still trying to find the "perfect" pillow?

Do you know what makes a pillow perfect for YOU? We do! 

Temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders, commonly called “TMJ,” cause not only aches and pains in your jaw, they can also cause a lot of frustration, anger, irritation, and sadness. TMJ and jaw pain can make it difficult to:

• eat
• speak
• sleep

The discomfort and limitations from TMJ disrupt your daily activities and make life much harder. Chiropractic care can help ease TMJ pain and improve the overall function of your jaw.

Sometimes, chiropractic care is the solution for TMJ. It helps to understand the symptoms and the causes in order to identify the best treatment.

Many parents worry that their child’s backpack is too heavy. Heavy packs can lead to neck, shoulder and low back pain. Even worse, a backpack can lead to poor posture that will have long term effects on a child’s spine. 

How Does Your Fee Structure Affect My Care?  At Golden Chiropractic, we simply don’t believe that an adjustment in isolation is best for long term health and wellness. We deliver Massage and/or Myofascial Release with your chiropractic adjustment. Releasing soft tissues eases the adjustment, and helps the results last longer.   Unfortunately, many insurance providers will…

I’ve learned the hard way what happens when I stop taking care of myself: I FEEL SICK AND TIRED OF FEELING SICK AND TIRED! I feel overwhelmed because the expectations I put on myself are very high. When I start to get TOO BUSY. The first thing I always let go of without even noticing is my exercise routine. Then I skip an adjustment because I’m too busy catching up with other priorities.  Not far behind that comes take-out at a restaurant or just picking up tacos at the brewery...

Anesthall Topical Analgesic: We’ve Used This Over and Over and Over. Our Patients Love It! Advanced Pharmaceutics offers a product that helps to promote a pain free life. Anesthall Topical Analgesic is available as a pain relieving cream, and a pain relieving balm for use as a topical agent that temporarily relieves minor aches…

Daily commutes and long drives are hard on our bodies. Burning pain in the back of the neck and/or across the back of the shoulders is very common for those who drive a lot.

The good news is that you CAN ease this pain, and work towards preventing it.

To help, I've put together this list of 8 things you can do to avoid neck and back pain from driving.

Could your SuperSize Purse be giving you neck pain and musculoskeletal problems? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that great bag that carries everything is not good for your body. Big, heavy bags cause quite a few health issues.

Many of our pregnant patients say they feel more energized, get better sleep, and show up better in other areas of their life when they are adjusted regularly. They also feel better when they are getting support for their musculoskeletal system through proper taping techniques. 

“Doctors, professional athletes and other patients have reported truly amazing results.” Check out their website CBC CLINIC over-the-counter, non-prescription ointments and creams are FDA-registered, made in an FDA-registered facility. They have provided remarkable relief to NFL players, other professional athletes and patients across the US since its introduction to health & wellness professionals in early…

Patients often come creeping across the lobby. They cling to the counter, leaning towards any surface of security. These patients are unable to stand up straight. These patients are in a lot of pain. They often tell me they think they have a pinched nerve.

But it's not a pinched nerve, it’s Facet Joint Syndrome.

Desk jobs, binge watching, long commutes — it all adds up to some major health risks. Prolonged sitting is linked to several serious illnesses — various types of cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Prolonged sitting also contributes to low back and leg pain, known as Sciatica.

Because Our Motto is “Get Out of Pain and Back Into Life” My name is Dawn Weathersbee. I’ve known Dr. Goldi for years, because of bike racing, and particularly through involvement with Velo Bella about 10 years ago. Currently I create and edit blog, email, and social media content for Golden Chiropractic. As a result of…

Text Neck is a common condition thanks to all the time we spend on our devices. Leaning forward for prolonged periods of time, looking at our phones, causes stress injuries. The poor posture associated with text neck can cause neck and shoulder pain, as well as headaches. As a culture, we need reminders to correct our posture.

A 2018 study found that, "Sleep quality appears related not only to pain intensity but also to a wide range of patient mood and function factors." In other words, when you don't get a good night's sleep, your pain is worse, and so is your mood. You also can't function as well. While you may have already known that, did you know that the type of back pain you experience should be considered when you go to buy a bed or a pillow?

Stress is an inevitable part of life. Demanding jobs, loved ones that need our attention, traffic, overly packed schedules — stress really can’t be avoided. The truth is, stress will always be here. Keeping stress at a moderate or tolerable level at times can seem impossible.

The only real solution to stress is learning to avoid it or react positively to it.