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Healthy Tips for a Healthy Spine
The following tips can help you take better care of your spine:
1) Make sure you have a firm mattress that keeps the spine aligned and supports the spine's natural curve. The best sleeping positions are on your back or side.
2) When standing for extended periods, rest one foot on a small stool to maintain spinal curvature and relieve pressure. The knees should be bent when bending forward. Low-heeled shoes may help by maintaining spinal curvatures and cushioning your weight.
3) Use chairs that promote good posture and support your back. Placing a lumbar support in the lower portion of your back may help support your spine's natural curve. Readjust the seat of your car so that your knees are level with your hips.
4) When bending forward, bend at the knees and hips, but keep your back straight. This will help to keep your spine's curvature in proper alignment. When lifting, keep your spine straight while using your legs to do most of the work. Hold the objects being lifted close to your body to keep the weight on your spine to a minimum.
The ABCs of Subluxations
Vertebral subluxations are displacements of the spinal bones (vertebrae) that can cause stress to your spinal cord and nervous system. Subluxations may be caused by poor sleeping habits, poor posture, strenuous exercise, injuries, auto accidents, sports, slips or falls, and in some cases, the birthing process itself.
Chiropractic adjustments are very helpful in correcting subluxations and restoring optimal health.
| The chiropractic perspective on health and disease emphasizes two fundamental concepts:
1) the structure and condition of the body influences how the body functions and its ability to heal itself;
and
2) the mind-body relationship is instrumental in maintaining health and in the healing processes.
The Key to Perfect Posture
Your mother always told you, “Stand up straight.” Although no one has perfect posture, slouching is an all-too-common state that may point to deeper spinal issues. The path to strengthening posture consists of three steps:
Step 1: Posture Consciousness
Have a friend take a picture of your posture. Alternatively, stand straight in front of a mirror with your eyes closed and then, without moving, open them. Take a conscious look at your posture. Observe what is level, what is not, and what is different from one side to the other.
Step 2: Wrong vs. Strong Posture
Here is a simple balance test you can use to test yourself: Simply stand on one foot for 30 seconds. If you cannot balance on one leg for 30 seconds, or if you flail about, your internal perception of where your body is in space does not agree with true reality. As a result, when you move or exercise, your motion is not symmetrical and you will compensate by working some muscles more and others less.
Step 3: Retrain Your Body
By strengthening your posture with 10 minutes a day of posture exercise, along with regular chiropractic care, you can stand taller, with less pain, and actually age better. Daily posture exercise creates an awareness of body placement, helps stretch shortened muscles and ligaments, and gives people the ability to stay active.
Talk to your chiropractor about how posture exercises can help you breathe deeper, reduce stress and give you more energy.
| Widespread Use of Chiropractic Care
The increasing interest in alternative forms of care has caught the attention of several health associations and government agencies. A 1993 study in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that "The estimated number of visits made in 1990 to providers of unconventional therapy was greater than the number of visits to all primary care medical nationwide," and chiropractic was among the most frequently used non-medical therapies.
A followup report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1998 found that the use of non-medical treatments had increased significantly since the 1990 survey, with "overall prevalence of use increased by 25%, total visits by an estimated 47%, and expenditures on services provided by practitioners of alternative therapies by an estimated 45%." Of the survey respondents, one in nine (11%) had used chiropractic care within the previous year. |
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