Chiropractic care is designed to alleviate pain and restore the body to its natural balance. For chiropractors, injury prevention is key for a healthy body. Good practices combined with solid exercises creates toned muscles that protect the body and spine from harm. While each patient receives exercise instructions for their specific condition, the following exercise tips for chiropractic patients apply to everyone.

Do Take Time To Warm Up Before Exercising

Before starting any exercises, it’s important to warm up. A series of dynamic moves will boost your heart rate and heat up the muscles that you will be using during your work out.

Select whole body movements such as leg lunges paired with arm motion or walk in place while raising and lowering your arms. Once you’ve warmed up, you can safely stretch without risk of injury.

Introduce Ergonomics Into Your Home And Work Space

One of the most important exercise tips for chiropractic patients is to take steps to keep your body in alignment as you move through your day. In the workplace, check with an ergonomics consultant to ensure proper positioning, especially if you spend most of the day seated or doing repetitive tasks.

A comfortable chair reduces muscle strain and prevents injury. Make sure that your feet sit firmly on the floor and that lumbar support is in place. At home, you should have a good mattress and supportive furniture.

Choose The Right Shoes

Before you buy your next pair of shoes, check for stability, flexibility, and comfort. During your test drive, make sure that the shoes feel firmly in place as you move through your entire range of motion for a stable gait during wear.

Footwear should be flexible enough to give easily at the base of the toe for a smooth gait, and there should be cushioning at all the right places with plenty of room for the toes to move. Shoes that properly fit your feet means that your walk will be more natural and healthy during exercise and in daily motion.

Sit And Stand With Posture In Mind

Perhaps the biggest reason that these exercise tips for chiropractic patients are so important is that strong and flexible muscles will help you have good posture. Be mindful of the following as you move through your day:

• When sitting, your feet should be on the floor, your shoulders should be relaxed, and your forearms should remain parallel with the ground.
• If you will be standing for a time, make sure that you maintain posture by tucking your stomach muscles in.
• When standing for an especially long period of time, be sure to shift your weight from one foot to the other and from the heels to the toes and back again.

These simple tips for maintaining good posture will passively work your muscles and result in a healthier spine.

Passive Stretches For Large Muscles

Finally, it is important to target large muscle groups with passive exercises. Use your weight to slowly stretch your hamstrings, your piriformis, and your entire back. Passive stretching is gentle and relieves stress points that cause back pain. These gentle exercises provide a great deal of relief and are easily adjusted to suit your current ability.

Your chiropractor will work with you to design an exercise program that is optimal for you. Be sure to follow through with the plan and include these tips in your regular work out to experience the joy of healing from chiropractic care.

This article is copyrighted by Blogging Chiros LLC for its Doctor of Chiropractic members and may not be copied or duplicated in any manner including printed or electronic media, regardless of whether for a fee or gratis without the prior written permission of Blogging Chiros, LLC.

3 Key Ways Runners Can Benefit from Chiropractic Care

Running is one of Americans’ favorite forms of exercise. The reasons for its popularity are simple — it can be done almost anywhere, takes no special equipment, and burns lots of calories. Running also offers a great many health benefits such as weight control, decreased blood pressure and cholesterol, and relief from stress.

Everything with running is fabulous, right up until the time you hear a snap, crack, or pop. The downside of all the wonderful benefits is that running causes its share of injuries to the body.

The New York Times featured a study by Harvard scientists who presented an alarming statistic that two-thirds of runners will be injured in some way. Tendonitis, shin splints, ankle sprains, hip pain, and knee strains are a few of the many injuries brought on or exacerbated by a regular running routine.

What is a runner to do?

It’s important to take common sense precautions to not get injured in the first place. Purchasing high quality shoes and respecting the body’s limits are two excellent choices.

Another great choice is committing to chiropractic care. Regular runners can reap many positive results from visiting a chiropractor. Three big benefits chiropractic care offers for runners are the following:

Increased Range of Motion

Loose and relaxed joints allow for greater flexibility and movement, all of which benefit a runner’s gait and time. A study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine found evidence that a chiropractic treatment regimen increased mobility in the hips over time.

While chiropractic care does not guarantee an individual will experience an increase in speed, unrestricted joints and better range of motion will definitely help a person move more freely and stand a better chance of avoiding running injuries.

Decreased Healing Time for Injuries

Unfortunately, runners frequently deal with injuries, some of which take weeks or months to heal. For dedicated runners, a serious injury is terrible news.

The first action for runners after they have been injured is to stop running so it can heal. Most runners do not want to risk losing the stamina that interrupting their routine brings on.

Chiropractors can work with runners who have injured themselves from the repetitive motion of running regularly. By using chiropractic adjustments, chiropractors can promote healing in the body as a whole. Runners love this because they want to get back to hoofing it as quickly as possible.

Minimized Instances of Becoming Injured

A spine out of alignment can cause other parts of the body to be weaker and more susceptible to injury. One part of the body compensating for another that is off kilter is one common way runners end up hurt.

Chiropractic treatment helps to keep the spine in alignment, which can have a ripple effect through the body. Regular adjustments can reduce the negative impact the jarring motion of running has on a person’s body, and help avoid running-relating injuries on the front end.

Running is a popular exercise routine for many, and yields a multitude of positive results to a person’s health and well-being. By taking proper steps to minimize the chance of injury, runners can enjoy the good points running brings to the table and steer clear of the bad.

Chiropractic care can be an effective part of making certain your body is in prime running condition and resistant to injury. If a person ends up dealing with an injury, chiropractic treatment may be able to boost healing time.

Ready! Set! Go!

If you are a runner and would like to talk further about the benefits chiropractic care offers you, contact us today for a consultation.

This article is copyrighted by Blogging Chiros LLC for its Doctor of Chiropractic members and may not be copied or duplicated in any manner including printed or electronic media, regardless of whether for a fee or gratis without the prior written permission of Blogging Chiros, LLC.

Do you suffer with back pain? Well, you’re not alone. According to the American Chiropractic Association, back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work, and the second most common reason for visiting a doctor (only behind upper respiratory infections).

Why is back pain so common? There is more than one answer to that question. A large number of back pain patients suffer because of the following three reasons:

They have suffered a back injury

Individuals can hurt their backs by lifting heavy objects, overexerting themselves, or moving the wrong way. The muscles and ligaments in the back can be twisted and damaged.

Back pain that is the result of a recent injury is called acute pain, meaning it comes on suddenly. Acute pain is usually temporary, so when the injury heals, the pain lessens or disappears completely. Over the counter medications such as analgesics, topical creams, and anti-inflammatory drugs help manage back pain caused from an injury but don’t necessary fix the problem.

Chiropractic care is another way to lessen acute pain and feel more comfortable. By adjusting the spine, chiropractors can relax the muscles, and relieve acute pain faster than simply “suffering through” the injury.

They battle a medical condition or illness

Unfortunately, there are several illnesses that can cause back pain. Fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, inflammatory diseases of the joints, and scoliosis are some of the common conditions that cause back pain. Because the conditions create pain that lasts longer periods of time, this type of pain is considered to be chronic pain.

Chronic pain is an entirely different animal than acute pain, and patients who suffer with it often look for options outside of traditional medication. Chiropractic care is an excellent choice in dealing with chronic back pain.

Adjustments to the spine can promote healing in all areas of a person’s body, as well as provide relief from the pain. Chiropractic care for medical conditions sometimes takes a bit longer to show results, so the patient must be committed to the treatment plan the chiropractor suggests in order to enjoy the maximum benefits of chiropractic.

They have made poor lifestyle choices

Decisions we make can affect our health, either negatively or positively. Being overweight, avoiding an exercise routine, and smoking can result in health issues that cause back pain.

• Additional weight puts extra stress on an individual’s back that can eventually cause pain.
• Smoking is a habit that has many negative consequences, including increasing the chances for back pain. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), smoking can cause a lack of nutrients which affects the back’s discs. In addition, people who smoke tend to heal slower, so smoking can actually increase the length of time a person must endure back pain.
• Exercise increases a person’s strength in muscles and tendons, and a sedentary lifestyle weakens a person’s body, often bringing on back pain, as well as other health issues.

Chiropractic care can assist in lessening a patients back pain, which then hopefully leads to better lifestyle choices.

Feeling better often prompts patients to embark on a fitness routine, eat healthier, and quit smoking. Exercise regimens that include strength training can positively impact a person’s health in a number of ways, including back pain reduction.

Millions of people struggle with back pain on a daily basis. Fortunately, there are multiple ways to treat both the symptoms and the underlying causes. Chiropractic care either by itself or in a combination with other treatments is one of the best choices available today.

This article is copyrighted by Blogging Chiros LLC for its Doctor of Chiropractic members and may not be copied or duplicated in any manner including printed or electronic media, regardless of whether for a fee or gratis without the prior written permission of Blogging Chiros, LLC.

If you were asked to name a condition commonly treated by chiropractors, chances are neck and back pain would come to mind. But the list could be much longer. Even though 11% of of Americans seek the services of a chiropractor each year, most people are unaware that chiropractic care-a more than 100-year-old hands-on discipline that focuses primarily on manipulation of the spine – can be used to treat discomfort in many parts of the body.

Asthma. The goal of treating people with asthma is to stimulate the rib cage muscles to ease breathing, optimize blood and lymph flow and enhance nervous system activity, all of which help reduce symptoms such as chest tightness and shortness of breath. In treating asthma, chiropractors typically use not only manipulation but also other modalities such as stretching/and or trigger-point therapy. Exercise, good eating habits and meditation also may be discussed. Additionally, chiropractic and acupuncture can be an effective combination for asthma.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). This condition, which causes shooting pain and numbness in the hand (usually the thumb, index and middle fingers), often occurs in people who have poor posture while performing repetitive tasks, such as working with small hand tools or typing at a keyboard. Chiropractors can improve CTS by doing stretches and adjustments at the wrist, guiding physical therapy exercises and counseling patients on how they position their hands at the computer or while using hand tools. Wrist splints, worn at night, also may help. Scientific evidence: Two studies support the use of chiropractic for CTS, including one reporting significant progress in strength, range of motion and reduced pain after several chiropractic sessions.

Fibromyalgia. Characterized by chronic pain and tenderness in joints and muscles, fibromyalgia is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning other illnesses must first be ruled out, since no laboratory tests can identify it. Chiropractors can help relieve symptoms by focusing on the tender points and relaxing these areas as well as the patient’s entire frame. They can also apply heat, ice or electrostimulation, which uses electric current to promote muscle contractions, improving blood flow. A diet that reduces the systemic inflammation that fibromyalgia patients typically have also may be recommended. Such a diet emphasizes fish, fresh vegetables and fruit and discourages fatty meat, fried food and dairy products Scientific evidence: A 2009 study of fibromyalgia patients in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine tested the effects of resistance training – including chest presses and leg extensions- combined with chiropractic care. It found that the resistance training’s positive impact on patient strength was enhanced by the addition of chiropractic, which improved flexibility, balance, and coordination. In addition to the healing effects of chiropractic’s hands-on approach, chiropractors tend to excel at listening to their patients, which also provides comfort.

Headache: Many of the up to 45 million American affected by chronic headache (occuring at least 15 days a month) try one drug after another to find relief. While headache pain obviously manifests in the head, a significant number of headaches are related to the alignment of the cervical spine (neck). Scientific evidence: Research has found chiropractic care to be especially useful for tension headaches, the most common type experienced by adults in the Western world. Chiropractic can also help with migraines. The spinal adjustments that are administered help to improve the structured balance of the neck which allows the muscles around the spine to relax removing the under lying neck tension.

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ): This refers to a variety of conditions marked by intermittent pain in the jaw joints and surrounding tissues, making it difficult to chew or yawn. Many patients have a genuine mechanical malfunction in the jaw, caused by simply too much tension from holding their jaws too tightly and/or grinding their teeth. Chiropractic can address this issue with light TMJ adjustments to help the temporomandibular joint track more normally, therefore allowing the muscles to function with better balance. Spinal adjustments to the neck can also improve the necks mechanic’s which will improve TMJ function. Exercise and lifestyle changes can prevent a relapse. Mouth guards also can be used by people who grind their teeth at night. Scientific evidence: Research published in 2003 in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics tracked nine TMJ patients who suffered pain while opening their mouths. After eight weeks of chiropractic therapy, all of the patients were able to open their mouths more widely and with less pain.