Ergonomic Principles

Whether you work nine-to-five in a cubicle, or do physical labor on the job, following proper ergonomic principles can improve your overall health, prevent musculoskeletal disorders, and most importantly, keep you safe in the workplace. Poor ergonomics is not only a hazard to your posture, but it can affect your productivity levels as well as increase your risk of work injury. As much as we love to see your face here at Carolina Chiropractic Center, we’d rather you follow these ergonomic principles to reduce the risk factors that may lead to discomfort.

• All work activities should permit the worker to adopt several different, but equally healthy and safe postures.


• Where muscular force has to be exerted it should be done by the largest appropriate muscle groups available.


• Work activities should be performed with the joints at about mid-point of their range of movement. This applies particularly to the head, trunk, and upper limbs.

No matter what the job is, the goal is to make sure that you are safe, comfortable and less prone to work-related injuries.

To learn more about the services we provide at our office, be sure to contact Carolina Chiropractic Center for an appointment. Our Florence, SC office can be reached by phone at (843) 665-9192 or through our website, www.carolinachirocenter.com. 

Therapeutic Exercise Benefits

Therapeutic exercise is defined as a bodily movement prescribed to correct impairment, improve musculoskeletal function, or maintain a state of well-being. It may vary from a highly selected activities restricted to specific muscles or parts of the body, to general and vigorous activities that can return a recuperating patient back to the peak of prime health. At Carolina Chiropractic Center, our doctor can tailor an individualized therapeutic exercise treatment plan that will meet your needs.

Whether you suffer from back pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, or more, we have exercises to assist your healing process. Low back extension, extended shoulder rotation and spinal rotation name a few. Therapeutic exercise aimed at achieving and maintaining physical fitness fall into the following major categories: endurance training, resistance training, and flexibility training. In general, no matter what exercise may be needed, the overall goal of rehabilitation is to achieve whenever possible an optimal level of physical fitness by the end of the program.

If you think you may benefit from therapeutic exercise, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our office, be sure to contact Carolina Chiropractic Center for an appointment. Our Florence, SC office can be reached by phone at (843) 665-9192 or through our website, www.carolinachirocenter.com. 

Tips for a Healthy Spine

Your spine keeps everything in your body aligned including both your frame and your health. This is why it is important to keep your spine in good shape. Here at Carolina Chiropractic Center in Florence, SC, we want our patients to know how to take good care of their spine at home.

Sleep Posture

Sleeping with the right posture allows your body to heal and rest properly while you sleep. This greatly depends on the type of pillow you have. Side and back sleepers will want a thicker pillow. Stomach sleepers should use a thin pillow or no pillow at all. Extra support may be needed in other areas of the body for each position, so make sure you do your homework and place the pillows accordingly.

A Strong Core

Add a few abdominal exercises to your routine a couple times per week. Having a strong core will help you keep good posture and good balance. This is not only healthy for your spine, but it also reduces the risk of injury.

Heavy Lifting

Lifting large or heavy objects is a very common way to injure your back. Make sure you are lifting with your legs while keeping a straight back. Also, never twist your body while picking up an object.

Sitting Posture

When sitting for a long period of time, make sure your feet are flat on the floor and your legs are bent at a ninety-degree angle. Give yourself good lumbar support and keep your computer monitor at eye-level. Sit up straight and keep your shoulders rolled back.

To learn more about good spine health, be sure to contact Carolina Chiropractic Center for an appointment. Our Florence, SC office can be reached by phone at (843) 665-9192 or through our website, www.carolinachirocenter.com. 

Auto Injury

Auto accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. Once you realize that you are not seriously injured, your mind starts thinking about all the hassle you will have to deal with like insurances and getting your car repaired. What we want you to know here at Carolina Chiropractic Center is that the spine is very sensitive to abrupt movements. Here in our Florence, SC office, we encourage you to come in for an evaluation as soon as possible following an auto accident. Even if it seems like you are okay, there could be hidden injuries.

Whiplash is a common injury that happens during auto accidents. This occurs when the spine is thrust forward and then whipped back quickly. The cervical spine and the surrounding structures can become sprained, strained, or even misplaced. Sometimes a whiplash injury is felt right away in the form of pain and stiffness. Other times, they pain may be hidden for a few days, weeks, or even months. The injury may be hidden by another more apparent injury or by the endorphins your body releases when it goes through trauma.

The potential for hidden injuries is why it is so important for patients who have been in an auto accident to see their chiropractor as soon as possible. To set up an appointment with Carolina Chiropractic Center in Florence, SC, call our office at (843) 665-9192 or visit our website, www.carolinachirocenter.com. 

Chiropractic Care for Sports Injury

An injury during the game is an athlete’s worst nightmare. No one wants to be on the sidelines when their team needs them. At Carolina Chiropractic Center in Florence, SC, we help athletes heal from injuries to get them back in the game quicker.

Chiropractic care is usually only associated with spinal care; however, chiropractors work with the joints, nerves, soft tissues, and hard tissues along with the spine. Understanding that the whole body works together as a whole, we treat the body as a whole.

Treating a sports injury is not what it used to be. Here at Carolina Chiropractic Center, we utilize advanced technology to speed up recovery. Some of these technologies include cold laser therapy, electrical muscle stimulation, and ultrasound. We can also perform adjustments and create a unique therapeutic exercise program.

Chiropractic care does not just treat the symptoms of an injury; it treats the injury from the source. If you have been recently injured or if you are an athlete, it is good to have an experienced chiropractic team on your sideline. To schedule an appointment with Carolina Chiropractic Center in Florence, SC, call our office at (843) 665-9192 or visit our website, www.carolinachirocenter.com. 

What is a Chiropractic Adjustment?

Probably the most well-known treatment in chiropractic is adjustments. At Carolina Chiropractic Center in Florence, SC, we perform adjustments, or manipulation as it is sometimes called, for our patients. An inline spine allows the whole body to run at peak functionality.

Adjustments are very minor movements to the spine and joints. The adjustment is quick and moves the spine or joint back into its correct position. When the spine or a joint is out of line, called a subluxation, the surrounding nerves can be pinched or otherwise hindered. These nerves are then not able to carry messages to and from the brain properly. Depending on where in the body the subluxation is, the nerves in that area will cause the body system they are connected with to function at a lesser level.

Your chiropractor will use their hands or a chiropractic instrument to move the spine or joint back into place quickly. There may be a cracking sound when it happens, which is just gas leaving the joint. There is often no discomfort and many patients experience a sense of relief afterwards.

Chiropractic adjustments can improve a number of different body ailments, however if you are experiencing frequent pain, numbness, or tingling to a limb or joint, you should not wait to come in for an evaluation. To schedule an appointment with Carolina Chiropractic Center of Florence, SC, call our office at (843) 665-9192 or visit our website, www.carolinachirocenter.com. 

What is Cupping Therapy?

Cupping is one of the oldest methods of traditional Chinese medicine and we utilize this type of therapy at Carolina Chiropractic Center. Cupping therapy is a form of alternative medicine in which cups are placed on the skin to create suction. The treatment is used primarily to treat respiratory conditions, arthritis, gastrointestinal disorders, and much more. The cups themselves can be made of a variety of materials, including glass, bamboo, and earthenware.

During cupping therapy, the suction of the cups mobilizes blood flow to promote the healing of a broad range of medical ailments. One way to think about cupping is that it is the inverse of massage therapy. Rather than applying pressure to muscles, the suction uses pressure to pull skin, tissue and muscles upward. In a typical cupping session, glass cups are warmed using a cotton ball or other flammable substance which is soaked in alcohol, let, then placed inside the cup. Burning a substance inside the cup removes all the oxygen which creates a vacuum on the skin. Depending on the condition being treated, the cups will be left in place for 5-10 minutes.

If you think you may benefit from cupping treatment, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at our office, visit www.carolinachirocenter.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. James Huggins, Jr. at Carolina Chiropractic Center in Florence, SC, call 843-665-9192.