TOP TIPS

10 REASONS TO VISIT YOUR CHIROPRACTOR DURING THE HOLIDAYS (THE FIRST 5)

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1. TRAVEL

The holiday season is the busiest time of year for most people.  Whether you are traveling by car, plane, or train, traveling can cause extra stress to your life.  Sitting for extended periods of time can cause your body to be stiff and your muscles to tighten.  Lifting heavy suitcases can cause low back pain.  Sleeping on air mattresses or uncomfortable couches can put a “kink” into your neck.  Chiropractors can help ease your body out of pain and get you back to feeling like yourself again.

2. STRESS

Family time is wonderful, but it can also be stressful.  Trying to make every event on your family’s holiday calendar can be daunting and cause you to get stressed out.  When you mentally get stressed out, your body may respond with tense muscles, headaches, insomnia, and even stomach pains.  Chiropractic is a wonderful way shift your mindset towards positive thoughts and can get your mind and body healthy again.

3.  BAD WEATHER

Weather in Colorado is unpredictable.  Today as I am writing this, the snowfall totals are over 10 inches for Fort Collins.  Snowy conditions not only cause car accidents, but they can also cause slips and falls.  Hopefully, these instances don’t happen to you; a car slides into you, you rear-end someone at a stop light, or you slip on your driveway.  Pain may not develop immediately but can result hours or days after.  If these unfortunate events do happen, it is important to get checked by a chiropractor right away.

4. SHOVELING

Going along with the snowy conditions that are likely to happen around the holidays, comes the clean-up of such weather.  The snow must go somewhere, and someone has to move it.  Shoveling can cause flare ups to already existing pain, but it can also cause new pains.  You may not be using proper form as you lift incredibly heavy snow with your plastic shovel.  Make sure that your shovel is the correct length for your body, and is sturdy enough to help you lift the snow.

5. DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS

The holiday season does not get a good reputation for being the healthiest time of the year.  Heavy, dense meals are common and sweet treats are the norm.  With an increase in these comfort foods, many of us tend to not get enough fruits and vegetables into our diet.  Without a proper amount of fruits and vegetables, your digestive system will begin to slow down.  Chiropractic can help maintain proper digestion by freeing up misalignments in your spine, allowing the nerves to properly get to your digestive tract to keep things on schedule.

 

Want to learn more? Check out part two of this blog series to see 5 more reasons you can benefit from a trip to the chiropractor this holiday season!

FLU SEASON: CHANCE OR CHOICE?

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As we approach the “flu season” it is important for us to recognize some of the lifestyle dynamics that contribute to our increased susceptibility to the flu.

boosting your immune system naturally Our bodies have an incredible ability to adapt to their environments and maintain a state of “ease” or balance. It is this balance or proper function that creates true health and well-being. However, physical, emotional and chemical stresses adversely affect our bodies’ ability to adapt and maintain this balance.

All summer long we enjoy the outside sunshine, the warm, fresh air, and an increase in physical activities. Schedules are less hectic and there is more opportunity to relax. Fresh fruits and vegetables are in abundance, and we tend to eat lighter, more nutritious foods.

Back to school means back to busy schedules. Time constraint and convenience has many children eating the not-so-nutritious school lunches and resorting to vending machines for quick snacks. School activities and community meetings are in full swing and every “spare” moment after school and on weekends is spent rushing from one activity to another.

Additionally, back to school means at least six hours per day when our children are slouching in uncomfortable chairs at desks and carrying heavy book bags. When summer is over, activity levels are decreased and time outside is often limited to a 20-minute recess period.

With fall comes the stress of the holiday season as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa are upon us. The exhausting tasks of shopping, preparations, and hectic deadlines combined with our already busy schedules often force us to replace regular good eating habits with fast food substitutes. “Take out foods” become easier to fit into our “on the go” lifestyles than preparing home cooked meals. Additionally, foods associated with the customs of the holidays (excess carbs, fats, and sweets) add to the mix of increased chemical stress and decrease our family’s immune system function. All that preparation, all those parties, all that rushing, all of those increased stressors begin to take their toll on our family’s health. Physical stress, emotional stress, and chemical stress: a cycle of stress overload leads to decreased function and dis-ease.

It is no secret that an overload of stress affects our health. Numerous studies are being published that substantiate the direct relationship between stress overload and the body’s ability to cope and adapt. In chiropractic we recognize that an increase in these stresses adversely affect the nervous system, which in turn affects the body’s ability to function in its maximum state of health. Continuous stress overload will lead to a state of dis-ease in our bodies, and our bodies respond with decreased immune function. Considering the amount of stress our families go through returning to school and participating in the holidays, is it any wonder that the holiday season is also synonymous with flu season?

Our lifestyles play an important role in our bodies’ ability to function in a state of health. We are told that more exercise, better diets, and “relaxation time” are all important to keep our immune systems strong and healthy. Choices we make daily and seasonally affect our immune system function.

Although it may seem impossible to resist the stresses imposed on us by the demands of our hectic society, we can reduce the effects these stresses have on our families’ health. Our key to health for our families depends on two ingredients: the lifestyle choices we make that reduce ongoing stressors and what we do to help our bodies adapt to the incoming stressors we cannot change.

Our nerve system and immune system function are intimately connected. Therefore, spinal nerve stress adversely affects both our nerve and immune systems. Reducing interference to the nerve system on a regular basis with chiropractic adjustments allows the immune system to function better. Regular chiropractic care is one way of helping our bodies maintain a state of balance and cope with the never ending stresses we are exposed to.

Regular chiropractic care makes sense when we are seeking ways for our families to improve immune system function. Chiropractic care works with the body’s inherent ability to restore function and health. Regular spinal adjustments have become a vital ingredient in the family wellness lifestyle. Share your chiropractic experiences and knowledge with other families you know. Tell them about the advantage you have discovered for improved family health with chiropractic!

This article appeared in Pathways to Family Wellness magazine, Issue #08 and was written by Jeanne Ohm, D.C. on December 1st, 2005.

PROPER POSTURE

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Proper posture is important for people of all ages.  When you have proper posture, your entire body can function the way it is intended to.  Here in Fort Collins, Impact Chiropractic knows posture is the window to the spine.  If you have poor posture, you will have a poorly functioning mind and body.

fort collins chiropractor

The ACA’s website explains all you need to know about your posture.

“WHY IS GOOD POSTURE IMPORTANT?”

“Good posture helps us stand, walk, sit, and lie in positions that place the least strain on supporting muscles and ligaments during movement and weight-bearing activities. Correct posture:

  • Helps us keep bones and joints in correct alignment so that our muscles are used correctly, decreasing the abnormal wearing of joint surfaces that could result in degenerative arthritis and joint pain.
  • Reduces the stress on the ligaments holding the spinal joints together, minimizing the likelihood of injury.
  • Allows muscles to work more efficiently, allowing the body to use less energy and, therefore, preventing muscle fatigue.
  • Helps prevent muscle strain, overuse disorders, and even back and muscular pain.

To maintain proper posture, you need to have adequate muscle flexibility and strength, normal joint motion in the spine and other body regions, as well as efficient postural muscles that are balanced on both sides of the spine. In addition, you must recognize your postural habits at home and in the workplace and work to correct them, if necessary.”

“CONSEQUENCES OF POOR POSTURE”

“Poor posture can lead to excessive strain on our postural muscles and may even cause them to relax, when held in certain positions for long periods of time. For example, you can typically see this in people who bend forward at the waist for a prolonged time in the workplace. Their postural muscles are more prone to injury and back pain.

Several factors contribute to poor posture-most commonly, stress, obesity, pregnancy, weak postural muscles, abnormally tight muscles, and high-heeled shoes.  In addition, decreased flexibility, a poor work environment, incorrect working posture, and unhealthy sitting and standing habits can also contribute to poor body positioning.”

“HOW DO I SIT PROPERLY?”

  • Keep your feet on the floor or on a footrest, if they don’t reach the floor.
  • Don’t cross your legs. Your ankles should be in front of your knees.
  • Keep a small gap between the back of your knees and the front of your seat.
  • Your knees should be at or below the level of your hips.
  • Adjust the backrest of your chair to support your low- and mid-back or use a back support.
  • Relax your shoulders and keep your forearms parallel to the ground.
  • Avoid sitting in the same position for long periods of time.

“HOW DO I STAND PROPERLY?”

  • Bear your weight primarily on the balls of your feet.
  • Keep your knees slightly bent.
  • Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart.
  • Let your arms hang naturally down the sides of the body.
  • Stand straight and tall with your shoulders pulled backward.
  • Tuck your stomach in.
  • Keep your head level-your earlobes should be in line with your shoulders. Do not push your head forward, backward, or to the side.
  • Shift your weight from your toes to your heels, or one foot to the other, if you have to stand for a long time.

“WHAT IS THE PROPER LYING POSITION?”

  • Find the mattress that is right for you. While a firm mattress is generally recommended, some people find that softer mattresses reduce their back pain. Your comfort is important.
  • Sleep with a pillow. Special pillows are available to help with postural problems resulting from a poor sleeping position.
  • Avoid sleeping on your stomach.
  • Sleeping on your side or back is more often helpful for back pain.
  • If you sleep on your side, place a pillow between your legs.
  • If you sleep on your back, keep a pillow under your knees.

“CAN I CORRECT MY POOR POSTURE?”

“In a word, yes. Remember, however, that long-standing postural problems will typically take longer to address than short-lived ones, as often the joints have adapted to your long-standing poor posture. Conscious awareness of your own posture and knowing what posture is correct will help you consciously correct yourself. With much practice, the correct posture for standing, sitting, and lying down will gradually replace your old posture. This, in turn, will help you move toward a better and healthier body position.”

At Impact, our doctors can assist you with proper posture.  We can give you exercises which will improve your posture and help you stay in proper alignment. We can also assist you with choosing proper positions while doing activities at home and work, in order to help reduce risk of injury to your body.  Our goal is to have everyone in Fort Collins to have a healthy, balanced spine and nervous system.  You can’t look good on the outside if your spine doesn’t look good on the inside!

4 HEALTH & WELLNESS TIPS FROM A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE

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Impact Chiropractic sponsors MMA fighter, Jesse O’Rullian. Jesse took some time to write a guest blog post about his top “Health and Wellness” tips from an athlete’s perspective.  He is a coach at Trials Martial Arts & Fitness and is also starting a blog of his own.  He has been a patient of ours since March and has already seen great

Tips from pro athletes results in his training and performance, not to mention his overall health and well-being.  He has wonderful insight on how to get the most out of your workouts and keep your body healthy while you’re doing it. Enjoy!

We have all found ourselves at some point in our lives on an elliptical at the gym telling ourselves “This is good, I’m exercising, I’m being healthy.” The reality is we would rather be in our underwear eating cheetos. It’s easier and more comfortable to live a sedentary lifestyle. However, we need discomfort in order to grow and live a healthy lifestyle.

1. WHERE IS THE LOVE?

The first thing I would tell someone trying to improve their health and wellness is to find something that they love to do. When you really love what you are doing it becomes less of a task and more of a joy. By enjoying what you are participating in it becomes easier to turn that activity into a habit. Yeah, I could give you a miserable diet and exercises, but those aren’t sustainable. True, lasting health and wellness can only be achieved through a lifestyle change. “But Jesse, there is nothing I have really found yet that I really love to do.” That’s okay! I am a firm believer in trying new things. You’ll never know unless you try and allow yourself to change.

Trying new things can be overwhelming. It feels like puberty all over again whenever I try new activities. I feel awkward and think everyone is watching. “What if I’m terrible? I might fart. I have no idea what I’m doing.” Maybe you’ve fared better than I have in which case I congratulate you and secretly resent you.

I’ve found that the best success has come from setting daily micro goals for each session. Maybe it’s to focus on my breathing or to keep my chin down. If I got my butt kicked but worked on my daily goal then the day was a success.  Some of the best advice I have been given by a coach is to ensure I am having fun. Whenever I am able to do this time flies by and I rarely realize how hard I am working.

Getting burned out? Get outside! Another way to love your training is to shake up the routine with some cross training, Athletes frequently cross train to get out of the gym, break a sweat, and clear the mind. If you’re feeling burnt out, try dedicating just one day a week to train both your body and mind while outside.

2. STABILIZERS, SYMMETRY, AND BALANCE

Strength training is imperative to health and wellness. However, few people focus on symmetry. Whether you are starting a new training regime or maintaining one, it is imperative that you start with a good foundation. Structurally, we must be sound and one of the easiest ways to ensure this is to get some x-rays done. Know what is going on with your spine and your overall alignment. This will help mitigate injuries and give you an initial blueprint of how to structure your training. A few snap, crackle and pops later and you will be amazed by the results.

I have seen a lot of injuries happen on the mats. I have also seen a lot of people re-injure themselves (myself included). The more I train the more I have learned that we are only as strong as our weakest links. Having symmetrical movement in our shoulders, knees, hips, ankles, and spine is paramount. If one area of our body becomes out of alignment over time it can offset the entire body. All of these joints have so many accessory muscles, tendons, and ligaments. By having an unsymmetrical body it places the burden on the other areas of the body. Over time this can really progress the unsymmetrical alignment and lead to injury. What does that mean for your training? Lose the ego and lose the weight. Try using lower weight and work on more on balance and stability. Foam rollers are your friend and post-training stretching should be mandatory but I’m not your real dad, so do what you want.

Tim Grover, coach of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Dwayne Wade has worked with professional athletes for well over a decade. Over the years he and his team have found that one of the most common injuries for professional athletes is a rolled ankle. Due to this fact, his training sessions regularly included band work with an emphasis on their feet and ankles. So much of our power and balance starts and ends with our feet. There are a lot of exercises and habits you can do to invest in yourself. Something as simple as drawing the alphabet with your big toes while you watch T.V. can really pay long-term dividends.

3. PERFORMANCE GOALS OVER BODY IMAGE GOALS

Making healthy lifestyle choices is a lot easier when you have a goal that isn’t just to look good. Train for performance rather than appearance. As a professional athlete, I have seen fighters with different body types. I have also seen people walk into the gym who at first glance appear to be absolute monsters but once tested they are unable to bridge the gap between fitness and athleticism. Looking good in the mirror and being able to fight are two different things. We’ve all heard the timeless adage of how we should never judge a book by its cover.

The Boxer Butter Bean was a great example of this.

 

I know that it is easy to get caught up with body image goals. Don’t get me wrong–it’s important to feel good about yourself and like who you see in the mirror. Deep down however, I think we all know there is more to it than that. What we seek is a moment. A moment to be truly present. A moment where it is just you and nothing else. A moment where you aren’t thinking about bills, people, or any other of things. You are just there being the best you can be. It is this moment that causes us to train for these performances. Whether you fight, run, do yoga, or whatever it is you need to do and use it as a means to be present. Life gets messy and so do we. We will have our share of both victories and defeats. What we can control is to be present and to do our very best.

4. BE A DOER

“ A non-doer is very often a critic-that is, someone who sits back and watches doers, and then waxes philosophically about how the doers are doing. It’s easy to be a critic, but being a doer requires effort, risk, and change.”–Wayne Dyer

One thing that will help you become a doer is to keep a journal and write down your goals.

Keeping a training journal of your diet, training, thoughts, and goals is one of the easiest ways to help quantify your results. Go to the gym with your workout planned and written out. Then write down your results and how you felt. Collecting data is one of the best ways to ensure that your regiment is efficient. Each individual’s journey for health and wellness is unique to them. What works for me may not work for you. While there may be some universal maxims with health and wellness, don’t be afraid to try something new. In essence, fake it till you make it.

“I’ve never been lost, but I will admit to being confused for several weeks.”, Daniel Boone.

Another reason keeping a journal is beneficial is that it will help you create a routine and accountability. It has been said that creating a habit takes 21 days. Having goals written down has really helped me stick to my guns and hold myself accountable.

 In summation, Abraham Maslow the father of self-actualization noted that our suffering often reveals our “greater strengths”. Everyone has unique capabilities and potential. Each person’s journey towards health and wellness will be unique to them alone.

Without the love of what you are doing, fitness and wellness will be a task rather than a joy. By loving what you do, having strong stabilizers, symmetry, and balance it will be easier to map a training regime and prevent injury. Lastly, by focusing on functionality over aesthetics it will allow for individuals to experience more serenity.

“Necessity of discipline, deprivation, frustration, pain, and tragedy. To the extent that these experiences reveal and foster and fulfill our inner nature, to that extent they are desirable experiences…The person who hasn’t conquered, withstood and overcome continues to feel doubtful tha he could.” (p.4)