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Musculoskeletal Well-Being in 2018
Musculoskeletal disorders are on the rise in the USA
Disease and disorders related to joints, bones and muscles are reaching comparable levels with heart and lung conditions in the United States. Arthritis is already a significant cause of disability in our country, and with an aging population, and a working demographic shifting into more sedentary settings, the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders is slated to rise further. Whether you are a dedicated couch potato or a fitness fanatic, 2018 is the year that we should pay more attention to our musculoskeletal health.
Improving Health in 2018: Start by Drinking More Water and Less Caffeine
Water vs. Caffeine
Water or caffeine should never be a choice; the former is absolutely necessary for life while the latter we only deem necessary for life. Some medical studies estimate that as many as 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated, which paints a damning picture of the working world. We are living in a society in which plenty of people are over-caffeinated while simultaneously ignoring one of life’s most essential ingredients. What we find most interesting is that staying hydrated can, in of itself, solve one of the problems that caffeine makes up for: low energy levels.
Chiropractic and the Road to Wellness
Chiropractic’s role within the medical world
B.J. Palmer, known as the, “Developer,” of chiropractic theory once said, “Medicine is the study of disease and what causes man to die. Chiropractic is the study of health and what causes man to live.” This should not be interpreted as a criticism of Western medicine. As we see it at Family Chiropractic and Natural Healing Center, the two can serve complimentary purposes. Chiropractic’s role is in wellness, and a great part of wellness is prevention. At our office in Milpitas, we focus on designing wellness solutions that help you maximize your body’s innate healing capacities and regulate the nervous system in order to prevent illness and pain.
From Stress to Pain and Back Again
Stress and back pain perpetuate each other
Stress is a condition of mental or emotional strain that results from overwhelming or demanding factors. At its most useful, external stressors provoke the fight-or-flight response which helps you perform better during a given task. But anything beyond this and stress starts to take a toll on well-being. One way that stress manifests itself physically is through muscle tension: chronic stress provokes muscles of the body to tighten as a preventative tactic for avoiding injury. This near constant state of contractedness can have a direct impact on spinal health. Back pain then causes mental anguish which perpetuates the stress further. So how do we break ourselves out of this vicious cycle?
Christmas Shopping is a Drain on the Body and Brain
Christmas shopping has been exposed as a stress-fraught affair
Each year, as the multiplicity of consumerism increases, and the streets get marginally thicker with people, the stress of christmas shopping becomes more palpable. For many of us, the holiday season is a balance between the simple joys of life like family and more outstanding concerns such as the toll on our wallets. This holiday season in full swing, take steps to ensure your sanity above all else!
Anti-Inflammatory Christmas
What would christmas be if it weren’t chalk full of inflammatory ingredients
The recipes we love are full of sugar and saturated fats, two of the worst culprits when it comes to inflammation. If you suffer with chronic back pain, but baking is your family’s christmas tradition, take care this season to monitor your intake of inflammatory ingredients. Avoing inflammation is a critical way of mitigating back pain, especially if you suffer from autoimmune disorders including:
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Axial spondyloarthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
If your joints are stiff and inflamed, take a look at our tips for mitigating inflammation this holiday season.
Exercise Snacking Your Way Through this Holiday Season
Life is busier during the holiday season- that means it’s time to adjust your fitness habits
You’ve worked hard all year to reach the plateau of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week. But with the holiday season in full swing, you have noticed a dip in activity levels. This is likely going to accelerate as the month moves along, culminating in a week of festivities and feasting around Christmas that leave you with even less time to exercise. Amidst all the baking, socializing and shopping, some people quit their fitness plans completely. Don’t let this be you this holiday season! Read on to find our tips for finding exercise amidst the chaos of Christmas.
Fitness Trainer Santa Says: Get a Heat Pack for the Athlete in Your Family
This holiday season, heat is the athlete’s best friend
When considering what to gift the serious athletes in your family, consider the gift of heat. Every athlete is pushing their body and very few of them can afford to be sidelined for days waiting for their muscles to recover. For many athletes, the holiday season is a time of slowing down and relaxing in the living room with family. What better time to turn them on to the benefits of heat for healing?
A 4-Step Plan for Overcoming Sciatica
Taking action to overcome your sciatic nerve pain
Sciatica is a blight on your everyday health. We are always surprised to find how long people let it linger before they seek help. The number one way to overcome sciatica is to address it as soon as possible; letting it linger only compounds the problem and makes the recovery process longer. Sciatica is usually an easy diagnosis; the simple leg-raise stretch can usually give us a good indicator as to the prominence and severity of your sciatica. A full physical examination will tell us exactly where the problem is originating and guide our course of action.
Take steps to overcome sciatica today
Once we determine that sciatica is the true source of your lower back pain, we get you started on a four-step plan for overcoming it:
- Reducing pain. Providing chiropractic adjustments to restore spinal alignment and relieve the sciatic nerve from problematic compression.
- Utilizing deep-tissue massage to encourage better circulation and catalyze the healing process.
- Using corrective exercise and stretching to further restore mobility to the region and prevent sciatica from recurring. A further focus is placed on conditioning the core stabilizing muscles to stabilize the lower spine.
- Teaching appropriate posture for normal and athletic activities that will further aid your lower spine in maintaining stability.
Enough is enough: calling time on sciatica in your life
When you have decided that you’ve had enough of the sciatic nerve pain affecting your life, give our office in Milpitas a call. We are standing by to help you overcome sciatica or any other condition that is causing you back pain.
Sarcopenia is one of the Greatest Threats Facing our Seniors
Age-related muscle loss will affect everyone
Muscle loss due to age is known by the rather unsavory term sarcopenia. While the causes are not exactly agreed upon, we do know that age-related muscle loss contributes to:
- Less mobility
- Less ability to perform everyday tasks
- More vulnerability to injury
- Loss of independence
Sarcopenia varies in intensity, but the most important determining factor is how much muscle you start with. If you are a relatively fit 40-something, the decline may not be as noticeable as if you have a weak musculature to begin with. As you move into your 50s and 60s the muscle loss accelerates until it supersedes the rate at which you can replace muscle; this deficit is what contributes to frailty in our elderly populations.