Active Life Chiropractic

01/14/2026

Shoulder stiffness, pinching, and “cranky” overhead positions aren’t random — they’re usually a sign that your shoulder is missing the right stability, mobility, or strength strategy.

The good news?
Those pieces can be trained.

Saturday, January 24 at 7:30AM, join us for a FREE hands-on workshop at Rushmore CrossFit:

💥 Bulletproof Shoulders: Stability, Mobility & Strength for CrossFit

In this interactive session, you’ll learn:
• Common causes of shoulder discomfort in CrossFit athletes
• Why mobility alone doesn’t fix overhead issues
• How to create stability before adding load
• Simple pressing and pulling progressions
• Warm-up routines that protect shoulders during WODs and daily life

This isn’t a lecture — it’s practical, movement-based, and built for real training.

📍 Rushmore CrossFit
⏰ 7:30AM (before the 8:30 class)
🎟 Open to members & non-members

Train overhead with confidence.
Build shoulders that last.
Don’t let your shoulders be the limiter.

01/13/2026

POV: That shoulder knot you’ve been chasing forever? Turns out it was coming from your neck and this movement finally helped you fix it. 👀

What you’re seeing is a McKenzie Method (MDT) cervical extension pattern, a core part of Mechanical Diagnosis & Therapy that helps uncover and treat referred pain coming from the spine rather than just the local muscle tightness. MDT isn’t just “another exercise”, it’s a movement-based assessment and treatment system that identifies how your symptoms change in response to specific movements to pinpoint the true source.

📌 Research like the EXPOSS study highlights something powerful: a significant portion of people with extremity pain (like shoulder discomfort) actually have a spinal source driving those symptoms and when clinicians use MDT to screen and treat the spine, those patients often improve more than when treated locally alone.

In practice that means we don’t just chase knots, we look for directional preference movements (like extension or retraction) that reliably reduce and centralize symptoms and then teach you how to use them yourself. That’s patient empowerment, not passive care.

Curious if your pain is coming from the spine too? Let’s take a look and find the movement that actually helps you.
👉 DM us to schedule an MDT evaluation!

01/13/2026

The 4 T’s of Rolling 🤍
Rolling from tummy ➝ back isn’t just about “getting there”, it’s about building strength, mobility, and coordination side to side.

✨ Tuck: bringing the elbows underneath to build shoulder + arm strength
✨ Tracking: using the eyes and neck to follow objects smoothly side to side
✨ Transfer of weight: reaching with one arm while on the elbows to shift weight and initiate movement
✨ Top strength: playing on an inverted surface (wedge, boppy, or mom’s leg) to continue developing upper body strength

Rolling is truly a side-to-side skill. If you’re noticing tension when your baby tries to roll, difficulty building upper body strength, limited or asymmetrical tracking, or rolling only to one side, those are all signs their body may need a little extra support.

📞 Give Dr. Mikayla at Active Life Chiropractic a call today! Gentle, intentional care can help your baby move with more ease, balance, and confidence. 💛

01/12/2026

Noticing your baby’s head always tilts or rotates to one side? It could be pediatric torticollis, and early care makes all the difference. 💜

Learn what causes it, how gentle chiropractic care can help, and simple tips you can try at home in our latest blog! 👶✨

Pediatric torticollis is a very common condition where one of your baby’s neck muscles tightens or goes into spasm, making it hard for them to keep their head in a neutral position. The good news is that with early support-including gentle pediatric chiropractic care and simple home positioning st...

01/09/2026

I’m not just your chiropractor…

I’m a business owner, janitor, baby whisperer, pregnancy comfort coach, highly caffeinated human ☕️
…and most importantly, your partner in the healing journey.

Same person. Many roles. One goal: helping you feel your best.

01/08/2026

Cue up the anatomy lesson…

Active Life Chiropractic
📍 Rapid City, SD
📞 605-791-0605
🌐 activelifesd.com

01/07/2026

Nothing happens… and that’s the problem.

Adjustments + in-office care start the change, but the real results live in what you do at home. Your rehab plan isn’t “extra credit”, it’s the nervous system learning the new normal.

If you skip the exercises, your body just goes right back to the old strategy: tight neck, cranky shoulder, lazy core. Consistency beats intensity every time. Do the plan = get the payoff.

We’ll coach you, but you’ve got to press play at home.
Claim your results with the link in bio.

01/07/2026

Chiropractic care isn’t just for adults with back pain.
It’s for growing bodies, developing nervous systems, and tiny humans doing big things 💛

From birth to first steps (and beyond), a child’s nervous system and movement patterns are constantly developing. Gentle, pediatric-specific chiropractic care focuses on:

🧠 Supporting nervous system balance after birth
🌀 Reducing tension that can affect symmetry, comfort, and movement
🚼 Encouraging smooth developmental milestones like crawling and walking
😴 Helping with common discomforts like colic, reflux, torticollis, and sleep challenges
🤱 Supporting breastfeeding by addressing tension in the neck, jaw, and face

Our approach is gentle, evidence-informed, and always tailored to your child—no cracking, no force, just intentional care.

✨ Ready to support your baby or child’s development from the inside out?
Schedule their first visit at Active Life Chiropractic today — link in bio.

01/05/2026

This is why rehabbing your back feels harder than it should.

Because the internet turned rehab into a guessing game.

One day it’s
“Do THIS exercise for back pain”
The next day it’s
“STOP doing that immediately”

So people bounce between programs, get a little better… then worse.
Not because rehab doesn’t work — but because there’s no consistency or strategy.

Here’s the truth ↓
Your back doesn’t need flashy exercises.
It needs the right dose.

Most rehab fails because it’s either:
• too much, too soon
• not enough load to create real change
• or completely disconnected from the actual source of pain

Tissue adapts with appropriate load over time, not random exercises saved from Instagram.

That’s why real progress happens when rehab is:
✔️ specific to your pain
✔️ progressed intentionally
✔️ guided by a professional who understands movement, not trends

At Active Life Chiropractic, you’re not handed a generic program.

You get 1-on-1 care, education every step of the way, and a plan that actually makes sense for your body.

✨ Ready to stop guessing and start progressing?
👉 Book your evaluation — link in bio.

01/02/2026

2025 WRAPPED 🎧✨
And wow… what a year.

1,667 appointments later and here’s what we’re most proud of 👇
Not the numbers—but the people behind them.
👶 65 babies + infants
🤍 53 postpartum moms
🤰 77 expecting mamas
🏒 🏈2 professional sports teams
💪 Hundreds of adults moving better, hurting less, and living more fully

From belly breathing reminders to deadbugs, press-ups, cold hands, and a LOT of “you don’t have to stop working out”… this year was special.

This isn’t just a recap.
It’s a thank-you.

To every person who trusted us with their care.
Who told a friend.
Left a review.
Shared a post.
Or voted us Best.

You’re the reason Active Life exists—and why we love what we do every single day.

Here’s to more movement, more confidence in your body, and more life in 2026 🥂

12/31/2025

New year. New standards.
Rapid City, we’re doing things differently.

We’re keeping:
✔️ movement
✔️ intention
✔️ doctors who actually listen

We’re leaving behind:
❌ “just rest”
❌ temporary relief

Ready to feel strong again?

→ Move better, Rapid City
Link in bio