Archive for September 2023

I have demonstrated the importance of staying hydrated for overall well-being. Now let’s look at hydration from the point of view of someone suffering from joint pain. There are hundreds of proffered remedies on the web, in medical journals, at the doctor’s office, or in the health food store. But one that all experts should universally agree upon is the importance of hydration for joint health. However, it is often overlooked as a part of a health plan to deal with joint pain and stiffness. 

Joint supplements often contain a mix of carbohydrate and protein complexes that nourish our joints and add to the joint’s innate cushioning, lubrication, and shock-absorbing capacities, which may be eroding with time or due to injury. So yes, joint supplements are good for restoring lost cartilage, but in order for them to truly work, they need to be properly hydrated. We want you to take this seriously!

Coffee, soda, tea, and alcohol all provide trace amounts of hydration; however, they also act as diuretics, meaning they promote more water loss than they truly restore. So cutting out these drinks and replacing them with your daily recommendation of water is a great way to improve your suffering from joint pain and stiffness.

There are many other natural ways you can use your diet to improve joint health, but water is the most simple. With chiropractic care, we can correct the underlying cause of joint dysfunction and help you return to a normal range of motion. From here, we help you to keep up a regime of diet and exercise that will keep your joints healthy long into life. Give our office a call and schedule an appointment today.

Gardening is supposed to soothe the body, mind, and soul. Of this triad, one is more vulnerable to becoming strained and that is the body: the lifting, twisting, pulling, and sweating involved with a day in the garden can leave a spine imbalanced. The last thing you want to feel while trying to relax and reap the benefit of your garden is a twinge in the lower back or a muscle spasm in the shoulder region. Follow these tips to keep gardening stress-free for the body:

• Warm-up: you may think, really? For gardening? Yes, I am serious: limber up before you garden with a few simple stretches to prevent injury from occurring to overly tight muscles. 
• Kneel > bend: many quick tasks in the garden could be done by quickly bending over and pulling. This is often how people, “throw out” their backs. 
• Keep your tools and your task in front of you. This helps to avoid the kind of twisting that damages the back. 
• Lift the way your mama taught you: that is, with the legs instead of your back.  
• Rest: take breaks, preferably before you feel overworked. Find some shade, have a glass of water or two, and admire your work. Then get back to it. 

Finally, stay well adjusted: chiropractic adjustments make sure that your spine is aligned and your nervous system is working properly. It’s good for the mind, soul, and body! To make sure your body is optimized for your gardening routine, give our office a call. 

The summer of 2023 is entering its final chapter and there are school bells ringing in the distance. What better time to take a vacation? Seeking adventure in remote mountains, serenity on tropical beaches, and fine dining in busy cities is what we work so hard for during the year. Often, these journeys require time spent in the cramped confines of an airplane, which can be torture for ailing spines. Airplane seats are rarely designed ergonomically; in fact, we are lucky if they are even designed for comfort! Checking in with a chiropractor before your flight is a good idea, but if you are taking off tomorrow, keep these tips in mind: 

• Support your back during the flight: Bring an inflatable pillow, or use the one that is provided on the plane for your head and use it to support the curve in your lower back. 
• Posture, posture, posture: just be aware. Long hours in a cramped space often encourage us to tighten, and you will feel it in the muscles of the neck, shoulders and lower back. Keep your posture upright and try to shake out your shoulders every once in a while. 
• Move around: break the monotony and release tension from your back by standing up. It’s everyone’s right on the plane, as long as the seat belt sign is off. Don’t be afraid to look goofy, it feels really good to walk a few laps up and down the aisles. 
• Stretch: While you’re standing up, you might as well stretch! Anything you can do to lengthen the muscles and keep them limber against t
• Utilize heat and ice: heat stretches the tissues and ice will prevent swelling. 

As we put our bodies through so much just to get these few days of respite every year, it would be a shame to spend these weeks in pain. Call your chiropractor and see what we can do to keep your flight comfortable and see you to your destination and back free of pain.