SOHMA: The Path to Tai Chi & Qi Gong Mastery

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5 Reasons to Find a Chiropractor In Long Beach

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Chiropractor Consultation

You might be thinking “Great, some Chiropractor telling me I need to use them!” Rest assured the #1 concern we have here at SHOMA Integrative medicine is your health. Whether you use us or another qualified medical professional isn’t the issue. Our concern is to raise the level of health in our fine city of Long Beach, CA.

Before we dig into the details, allow me to share with you a story of a client who visited me years ago (you just might relate).

“I thought all chiropractors did was crack a few necks, weren’t real doctors, and really didn’t do much”.

I wish I could tell you that this was the first time I heard this type of messaging however it was not. If that is how you feel it’s ok. Discover how chiropractic care might benefit you. What you will discover is that at SOHMA Integrative Medicine we are more than just Chiropractic care, however for today let’s dig into a few reasons you might want to consider starting a chiropractic regime.

You Have Regular Back and Neck Pain and Want to Avoid Taking Pills to Handle the Pain

We aren’t against modern medicine however many of our patients come to us being tired of filling prescriptions. They want a different way of life. They are searching for a way that they aren’t dependent on pills to take away their pain.

Many of our patients come to us after having tried multiple doctors or even other chiropractors to handle their neck and back pain.

Oddly enough it’s not just car accidents (which is what many think) can cause neck and back pain. Here at our office we have seen folks develop back and neck pain from:

  • Sleeping wrong on a consistent basis (one of our clients routinely falls asleep sitting straight up in a chair and it led to neck pain)
  • Weekend warriors who push their bodies to the limit and don’t have the same mobility that they used to when they were 20 years younger
  • Lifting heavy objects on a routine basis with the incorrect form either at work or at home

If you are experiencing neck or back pain on a regular basis and your current treatment isn’t working as you desired it might be worth looking into alternative treatment options.

Stress is Causing You Issues and Your Current Treatment Methods are Not Reducing Your Stress Levels

Many of us have had the vision that we just want to disappear to an island where stress doesn’t exist. It’s a pretty sweet dream! Before you sell all of your belongings and disappear to an island we would invite you to discover how to manage your stress.

How does chiropractic care help with stress?

Part of chiropractic care is management of pain throughout the body. Pain in the body causes stress. When you can move without less pain or even no pain you will discover how your level of stress goes down. The body doesn’t want to manage consistent pain. One of the best methods is to discover how to reduce the pain so the body can focus on other items.

You Are An Athlete Who Wants to Improve Your Performance

We have yet to meet an athlete at our Long Beach, CA location who didn’t want to improve their performance. We have runners, triathletes, cyclists, gymnasts, football, soccer, track and more who come to our location.

One of the reasons they come to us is they are seeking an edge in performance. One particular triathlete had shoulder pain when he was down in his drops on the bike. This is a problem for racing and training.

What he discovered after a few sessions:

  • We were able to help him increase his mobility that reduced the pain
  • The bike was not quite fit to his specific body type and some adjustments to the bike also help reduce his pain
  • We provided him with additional exercises to help the muscles that could help support his body during racing and training

One of the benefits of our staff and chiropractors is they are individuals who have a wide variety of interests. Many are dedicated athletes who continue to train for events and they bring that passion to helping our patients.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask us if we are right for you. Located in Long Beach, CA we help individuals from Long Beach and the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

Benefits of Spinal Decompression

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Doctor showing spinal section

Let’s get one important item out of the way. Back pain is difficult. Whether it’s lower back pain, pain from discs or pain in your legs because of issues with your back it can have an extremely negative impact on your quality of life.

Spinal decompression is an alternative treatment. It’s a treatment method designed to help alleviate the pain in your back.

One of the reasons we like recommending spinal decompression is because it is a non-surgical alternative.

We aren’t against surgery however if surgery can be avoided and you can avoid going “under the knife” so to speak we believe it’s worth looking at all of your options.

What is Spinal Decompression?

Spinal decompression is a process where your spine is gently stretched. This is a process that is done with a doctor who is trained, a very specific table, and a computer.

We perform this type of therapy at our Long Beach, CA facility to help those within the community who are looking for alternatives to surgery. 

We have had patients look at the table or have seen pictures and say it looks like a modern version of something they read about in medieval history class. Rest assured this is a very expensive piece of equipment that is designed to help those with very specific issues.

A few of the physical ailments we use to the spinal decompression table for are:

  • Bulging discs
  • Sciatica
  • Worn spinal joints
  • Leg pain where the pain is caused by issues in alignment with the spine

We could go into more detail however we hope you get the idea that spinal decompression is pretty cool, advanced, and may help you avoid surgery. 

Let’s look at some specific benefits. At any time you can call our office to see if it’s right for you.

Benefit #1: Provides Pain Relief

When muscles are tight, spasming, or injured it can be extremely painful. We have yet to meet someone who wanted more pain in their lives. One of the benefits of spinal decompression is that it can provide pain relief. We can guide the equipment to provide relief to your muscles. The gentle stretching provides relief and can help stimulate the nervous system.

Benefit #2: Helps to restore spinal disc and joint alignment

A body out of alignment is a body that is not functioning at full capacity. Think of it like your car. When a car is out of alignment everything is affected. Tires wear unevenly, suspension takes on additional wear and tear, and the car is difficult to drive. 

The same type of thing happens to your body when it is out of alignment. Spinal decompression is a treatment method where we can gently guide your body back into alignment. You then end up with less wear and tear and pain.

Benefit #3: Relieves pressure on spinal nerves

Pressure can be a good thing when you are trying to achieve your best in an athletic event. Pressure is not good when it is applied to your spinal nerves. Spinal nerves can get pinched and when they do the pain will radiate and you will be in nearly constant discomfort.

We have seen nerves pinched in discs and bones. Using spinal decompression we were able to guide the body to heal without surgery. Patients ended up in less pain and an improved quality of life.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask us if we are right for you. Located in Long Beach, CA we help individuals from Long Beach and the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

5 Benefits of Tai Chi

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Tai Chi. Many have seen it and may not even realize it. You may have noticed individuals in the park or even groups of people making very deliberate movements.

We have been asked “what’s with the slow Karate?”

It is not Karate, it’s Tai Chi. One of the programs we have been doing for years here at SOHMA Integrative Medicine is organizing Tai Chi classes for our neighbors in Long Beach.

One of the commonly asked questions we get is: Can you tell me what Tai Chi is?

What is Tai Chi and Will It Benefit Me?

Tai chi is an ancient tradition that began in China. It is a gentle form of exercise. One of its many benefits is how it can be performed by those in many states of physical fitness. You might be an Ironman triathlete or an individual coming off injury or even someone beginning their exercise journey.

Tai chi has many styles and because it includes posture, exercise, and stretching it can help you in many different ways.

Let’s get into the benefits of Tai Chi and you can decide if you would like to join us for one of our classes.

Benefit #1: Decreased stress, anxiety, and depression

You will discover how to focus on the current state of your body. It will teach you to understand your body and how to focus your mind. When you do this it is amazing how many other issues seem to reduce in importance.

Benefit #2: Improved flexibility, balance and agility

We have individuals who regularly attend our Tai Chi Class at Heartwell Park who are competitive triathletes, cyclists, and runners. Why would they do this “slow motion” exercise?

They do it for the benefits of their flexibility. Regardless of your sport, when you improve your flexibility and balance it will help you. We have yet to meet an athlete who said “I am too flexible” or “I have too much balance”.

Benefit #3: Improved aerobic capacity

Are there times when you are going up stairs that you have a hard time breathing? Are there times when you are walking that you feel out of breath?

Starting a regular exercise routine can be scary. Tai Chi, especially one like our beginner group, is a safe space to begin. You will get support from those around you who have been where you are if you are just starting.

What you will discover is you begin to see progress. You want to change other things and “suddenly” your health has improved because you took the first step.

Benefit #4: Improved Mood

A positive attitude can really change one’s perspective. Having a great attitude in a bad situation can make it not as bad. Dare we say it can even make a situation fun.

What you will discover in tai chi is that you learn how to breathe, you learn how to control your body, and by process you will discover how you can alter your mood.

Benefit #5: Increased energy and stamina

Walking by a school yard you can see kids have boundless energy. Many adults say “I wish I had their energy!”. It’s true kids have a ton of energy and here is another thing adults can have more energy as well!

What we invite you to do is take up a form of exercise that can provide you with more energy. There are exercise routines that are so aggressive they can reduce your energy. Tai chi is one that can help you build energy and stamina.

Explore The Benefits of Tai Chi at our Free Class

We met on a regular basis at Heartwell park in Long Beach, CA. We often get asked “why is it free?” or “is it really free?”

The answer is yes it is absolutely free. We do this class as a way to give back to the community in Long Beach, CA. We care about the health of our community members.

Check out our meet-up page for information on Long Beach Tai Chi Classes.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask us if we are right for you. Located in Long Beach, CA we help individuals from Long Beach and the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

Back to Life is now SOHMA Integrative Medicine.

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Dr. Michelle Litzinger, DC is relocating and has entrusted Back to Life to her fellow Lakewood High School alumnus and colleague Dr. Daniel Hoover, DC, LAc, CCSP®.

Dr. Hoover and his team are dedicated to carrying on the legacy of Back to Life Integrated Medicine and honoring Dr. Haygood, the original founder.

What should you expect?

The office will slowly transition its name. Dr. Hoover intends to build on all the great things that have been established with this practice. Schedule an appointment, come meet the new practitioners and doctors, and help us give a warm send off to Dr. Michelle!

We look forward to continuing to provide exceptional patient centered care for you, your families, and the community. Check out our Mission, Vision, and Core Values that are now posted in our Long Beach offices. 

Tai Chi for Beginners Series Now Available on DVD!

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We’re very excited to announce that our Tai Chi for Beginners series is now available on DVD! To purchase your copy, click below:

Tai Chi Chuan is a slow moving internal martial art that helps improve our balance and health in many ways. At the School of Healing Martial Arts™ (SOHMA), we teach Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan form set 24 and integrate it into our patient’s rehabilitation programs at our health center. This is the most popular Tai Chi form practiced worldwide. All of the major martial arts applications in the 24 form are demonstrated in this series.

In the Tai Chi for Beginners series, we offer seven lessons which are each thirty-minutes in length, including:

  • Lesson 1: Tai Chi Fundamentals
  • Lesson 2: Balance and Flow
  • Lesson 3: Opening and Expanding your Frame
  • Lesson 4: Place of Power
  • Lesson 5: Awareness
  • Lesson 6: Transitions
  • Lesson 7: Deepening Your Practice

These lessons build upon one another and will give you a wonderful start and foundation to your practice.

Dr. Hoover Teaches Tai Chi Class in Nepal

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Check out these photos from our International Tai Chi Class in Nepal! Dr. Hoover taught travelers from all over the globe at what is known as the Crown Chakra of the Earth. Participants shared in learning the Tai Chi Chuan 24-Form pattern, as well as select Qi Qong exercises.