Dr. Melanie Brown

Understanding Sciatica, Piriformis Syndrome, and What You Can Do About It By Dr. Melanie Brown, Chiropractor, Mountain Life Clinic, for The Mountain Times That deep ache in your glute that won’t go away — especially when sitting or driving — might not just be a sore muscle. For many people, it’s related to irritation of the sciatic nerve, and the source isn’t always where you think. The sciatic nerve starts in the lower spine and travels through the hip and down the leg. It runs through or...

By Dr. Melanie Brown When most people think about spinal health, they picture bones, discs, or the muscles of the back. But one of the most important stabilizers of the spine isn’t located in the back at all. It’s the diaphragm — the large dome-shaped muscle that helps you breathe. You use your diaphragm about 20,000 times every day without thinking about it. Each breath doesn’t just bring oxygen into your lungs. It also plays an important role in helping stabilize and support your spine....

The holiday season settles over the Mountain communities in a way that feels both magical and demanding. Between the early nightfall, the cold damp air rolling in off the forest, and the pressure to “fit everything in,” many of us feel our bodies tightening up long before the snow really starts to fall. Even when we love this season, our nervous systems often get overwhelmed — especially here in the foothills of Mt. Hood, where winter asks a little more from our bodies. Your Nervous System...