Bending, lifting, and twisting. Each of these movements, in and of themselves, is not harmful to the spine. In fact, the spine was designed for those exact movements. Done properly, those motions will assist us in moving around and getting work done. All Locked Up However, if those three movements combine over a long period of time, one or more vertebrae in the spine can misalign, or subluxate. A subluxation is defined as, “One vertebra out of alignment with the one below it, causing aberrant movement.” Simply stated . . . it’s not moving normally. Some describe it as “locking up” as in, “Oh Doc, I got out of bed this morning and my back locked up.” The Problem of Subluxation So, what happens when we bend, lift, and twist repeatedly over the course of a day? With those three motions we … [Read more...]
Stress and More Stress
Stress has had quite an impact on all of us this year. Who knew we would be dealing with a virus so dangerous it would affect our ability to work, play, or go to the store to buy bread? Now More than Ever Of course, we dealt with stress before COVID-19 invaded our lives, but most situations came and went. We could usually work out strategies for our problems in a matter of days or weeks. Most of us felt we had workable plans for situations that might arise. Perhaps most significantly, we weren’t staring death in the face every day. Okay, maybe “staring death in the face” is a little overstated, but COVID-19 is a mean son-of-a-gun virus for us to deal with. It’s sent shockwaves through our lives and escalated our stress. How the Body Copes How does the human body deal with elevated … [Read more...]
Chiropractic: More Than Just About the Spine
Did you know chiropractic adjustments are not limited to the spine? With proper training, a chiropractor can adjust nearly any joint in the body, and it's something I particularly enjoy. The shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle are the most common injured joints. Fingers and toes can be adjusted as well. That's especially important to know if you have ever “jammed” one or more of them! Adjusting a swollen finger or toe after an injury can speed the recovery time and return to normal use. The joint adjustment helps to re-align that joint’s ligaments and muscles. It also strengthens them to hold the joint in a more normal position. Healing can take a while, but that time is significantly reduced when an adjustment protocol is followed, as opposed to doing nothing at all. The … [Read more...]
