Every month one of the publications I get is called Chiropractic Economics.  Lots of fun articles about treating conditions, new technology, recent studies, equipment reviews, etc.  You know fun stuff if you are a chiropractor 🙂

This month there was an article about family chiropractic care.  Explaining how the entire family can benefit from getting adjusted.  Often there is a misconception that children do not need adjusted.  The parents often tell me, they are young and they haven’t had any accidents or falls to need adjusted.  This is very much the medical mentality that we have all grown up with, why go to the doctor if you aren’t sick or hurt.  It is very true that 90% of my patients come to me for the first time due to pain.  Then through education they hopefully find the benefit of regular care to maintain their spine and prevent future injuries as well as improving their overall health through a properly working nervous system.

The editor of Chiropractic Economics presented a perfect example of how a patient gets “hurt” without having an injury.

” As a child and teenager, JD lugged heavy backpacks to school, usually slung over one shoulder.  In college, JD slept on a poor mattress in his dorm, and didn’t’ pay much attention to nutrition.  When he went jogging, he often did so in worn tennis shoes.  When exercising, the sit-ups he did put considerable strain on his lower back, too.  From adulthood to his middle years, JD would commute to work by car, and he spent most days sitting at a desk or in a cubicle, steadily continuing to stress his lumbar disks and vertebrae.  Finally, as middle age progressed, he began exercising less, and his spinal discs began to lose their elasticity.  So it wasn’t that surprising when, one day doing yard work, he bent down to pick up a heavy bag of mulch and the annulus fibrosis at L1 ruptured.  The subsequent herniation pressed on a nerve, leading to his appointment with you in hope of finding relief.”

In this example JD was doing some things right, he was exercising at times, but wasn’t paying much attention to the strain he was putting on his spine.  He was working, which I love that he had a job 🙂  But he was sitting a lot and putting what I call micro-trauma into his spine.  This is a classic example of how a patient hurts themselves without even knowing it.

How do you prevent this?

  1.  Get adjusted on a regular basis.  And by regularly, I mean you can get adjusted as little as once a month.  It’s a 20 minute appointment and I promise I won’t give you a shot.
  2. Exercise at least 3 days per week.  Go for a walk with your spouse or dog.  They will enjoy the time with you.
  3. Stretch you back and leg muscles.  I have a video series that is amazing for core strengthening that I would be happy to send to you for free.  They are only 15 minute videos.
  4. Eat a healthy diet.  You don’t have to be vegan to be healthy.  I love a cheeseburger as much as the next guy.  Every thing in moderation.
  5. If you have a desk job stand up and move around every hour.  Take a 5 minutes break.  I’d be willing to bet you waste more time on Facebook, you’re boss won’t mind a little stretch break.
  6. Avoid reaching, bending and twisting.  The absolute worst position for your discs is this motion.  It puts all the pressure on one spot of your disc.  I see more herniated discs from that movement than any other.  

I am accepting new patients and would love to have you aboard.