The Best Chiropractic Care Tips for Optimal Spine Health
A healthy spine allows us to move freely in our lives and do fun things like run and jump and dance. Forgetting about spine health can lead to permanent injuries that prevent you from doing the things you love.
Seeing a chiropractor when you experience back or neck pain, like 35 million other people in the U.S. do, prevents issues before they happen. You can also get advice on how to care for your spine properly.
Exercise Regularly
One of the best things you can do for spine health is to exercise regularly. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily. This means doing something within the moderate to intense range like brisk walking, jogging, swimming, mowing the lawn, aerobic dancing, strength training, or rock climbing.
Work on Core Strength
Concentrate on strengthening your core muscles when exercising. Your core is made of more than just your abdominal muscles. It also includes those in your lower to middle back.
Pay Attention to Your Posture
Poor posture is a major contributor to chronic back problems and spinal issues. Sitting up straight while watching television, working at a desk, or sitting at the table for a meal can eliminate many back and neck issues.
You See a Chiropractor Because it’s a Healthy Thing to Do
Whenever people hear that I am a chiropractor, they will either do one of two things. They will usually grab their neck or back and say something like, “Man, I really need to see you,” or, “I’ve never had to see a chiropractor but if I had the need I would definitely try it.”
Like brushing your teeth, seeing a chiropractor for periodic checkups is a healthy thing to do. We don’t eat well for one day and expect to be healthy our whole lives. Similarly, we also don’t exercise a couple times and expect to be physically fit
The optimal movement of our spine and that impact on our nervous system and global health represents one of the key secrets to experiencing optimal health and function.
In a previous article I went into how important structure is to function. Every scientist, contractor and engineer recognizes that structure necessarily affects function. When our structure (spinal column) becomes misaligned, it causes irritation of the delicate nerve fibers that travel through it.
determined that, “Subluxation is very real. We have documented it to the extent that no one can dispute its existence. Vertebral subluxations change the entire health of the body by causing structural dysfunction of the spine and nerve interference. The weight of a dime on a spinal nerve will reduce nerve transmission by as much as 60%.”
TESTIMONIALS
I was in a level 10 of pain in my lower back for over a week. I had gone to my primary doctor to find out what was wrong and they prescribed me pain med’s. After a week of being in severe pain and on med’s I realized that a chiropractor could help me
got an adjustment the same day. Within 24 hours my pain level had gone from terrible pain from a level 10 to a 5. I then went and got adjusted again the next day and my back pain is extremely better. I can’t thank him enough. He helped me so much and while the pain med’s just numbed the pain, it didn’t solve my problem like the adjustment have been. If you are in pain and suffering like I did I would highly recommend calling this practice and making an appointment
I am an avid runner, so when I started getting numbness in my arms and hands I looked for a solution and thought a chiropractor would be a good possibility. I decided to because they are walking distance from my house and I’m very glad I did. Great doctors, very friendly staff, soothing environment.
They got me running again in just a few weeks without any pain at all and I’ve even set a PR in the last 1/2 marathon I ran. Much of the joy I’ve found in running has returned because I made the decision
My wife is 6 months pregnant and she too has started to go to ease the muscle and back pain that comes with toting around our next child. She also raves about them to me and all our friends. If you’re having back or muscle pain, give these folks a try.
Things People Don’t Know About Chiropractic Care.
Adjustments Don’t Hurt.
No, you’re not going to get your head ripped off, and your bones aren’t going to snap. It’s actually much gentler than you would imagine. Most patients who are new to the chiropractic route are pretty anxious about the thought of this. That sound you hear during the adjustment is called a “cavitation” and is only space being created within the joint causing gasses to be released from the joint capsule, which creates the popping noise.
“I heard you have to go forever” is a myth.
If you want to get adjusted forever, you can. When patients come in with pain, they are scheduled out for a month or two to make sure every stays balanced. Then occasionally they would come in, just to check up, like you could to get a check up at a dentist every six months.
Chiropractic care may help you get sick less.
Studies show that adjustments constantly reduce the production of pro-inflammatory mediators, associated with tissue damage and pain. Also, it may enhance the production of immunoregulatory complexes that are important to a healthy immune system.
Successful chiropractic patients accept responsibility.
In most cases, back pain doesn’t happen overnight, and even more importantly; the pain won’t go away over night. When someone says chiropractic didn’t work for them, 9/10 times the patient wasn’t fully dedicated to the regularly scheduled adjustment and advice the doctors gave.
We know about more than just your backbone!
Surprising right? Chiropractors will give advice on fitness, nutrition, ergonomics and lifestyle. The training is not much different than a medical doctor too. Chiropractors are also able to complete specialties such as pediatrics, sport rehabilitation, neurology, clinical nutrition and addictions and compulsive disorders.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions about chiropractors. Knowing the answers to these important questions will help you pick the best chiropractor
WHY CHIROPRACTIC FOR KIDS?
Over the counter drugs are no longer under the radar since pediatric cough and cold medications perform no better than placebo (sugar pill)
Since 1985, all six randomized, placebo-controlled studies of the use of cough and cold preparations in children under 12 years of age have not shown any meaningful differences between the active drugs (robitussin, dimetapp, tylenol plus, pediacare, and triaminic) and placebo (sugar pill). A placebo is when a group of people thinks they are getting medication, but they actaully don’t, they get an inert substance, like a sugar pill. The bottom-line is that direct-to-consumer ads deem these medications safe and effective; however, 750,000 reports of concern to poison-control centers to cough and cold products were reported from 2000-2007.
WHAT IS CHIROPRACTIC?
Chiropractic is a healthcare that focuses on health, performance human potential. There are 3 parts, a science, philosophy and art. The fundamental principle of chiropractic is that vertebral subluxations (spinal misalignments) produce pressure on nerves emitting from the spinal column, thus causing dis-ease or a lack of adaptation to stress. A subluxation is when the normal diameter of the holes the nerves go through in the body are impinged and/or narrowed, thus resulting in a decrease in function of the nerves. This is an important clinical observation because there are many symptoms that can arise from the impingement of the nerves emitting from the spinal column. The principles of chiropractic, form the philosophy and the science research informs more effective ways to improve the art of adjusting. Adjusting or an adjustment is given after the location of the nerve interference using chiropractic analysis, with the goal of releasing pressure on the nerves emitting from the spinal column.
WHAT TYPES OF PAIN DO CHIROPRACTOR’S TREAT?
Chiropractors don’t treat pain, they treat the function, which often results in the pain someone is coming in with to decrease as their function increases. The great thing about pain management with chiropractic is that you can prevent it from happening with consistent care, just like you can prevent heart disease by diet and exercise. Some common symptoms and pain issues people come in with are headaches, indigestion, tension in muscles from depression/anxiety, bad posture, injuries from sports or sitting all day, low back pain, sciatica, tendonitis and stiffness in any joint of the body, hip pain, an injury from falling on an outstretched hand, stepping off the steps wrong, and many more. Chiropractic care statistically strengthens the functional integrity of the neurological muscular and skeletal system as they relate to each other. This truly strengthens the mind-body connection and brings back function, integrity and health to millions every year.