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What is an Inside-Out Approach to Health?

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Chiropractic care is all about an inside-out approach to health. There is an emphasis on restoring our body’s ability to adapt, heal and grow. Our nervous system’s job is to be the command center for the body. It helps all other parts of the body communicate with each other. Keeping the nervous system functioning at its best is essential for our health. Feeling good on the inside translates to how we look on the outside. There is so much more value in how we feel rather than how we look! Taking an inside-out approach to health gets to the root of the problem and provides long-term solutions to pain and discomfort.

How Chiropractic Heals the Body from the Inside-Out

Chiropractic was founded on the belief that the body has the innate ability to heal itself. We are constantly exposed to external sources of healing whether that is medications, surgery, or quick fixes. While those things have value in certain circumstances, Chiropractic principles teach that the body is capable of incredible things when it is functioning at its best. The goal of chiropractic adjustments is to create balance in the body by removing interferences and restoring the nervous system’s functionality. We need proper structure in order to achieve proper function. Getting regular chiropractic adjustments aids in the restoration of our body’s innate ability to heal itself by focusing on the health of the spine and the nervous system.

Food and Inside-Out Health

In addition to consistent chiropractic care, the things we put into our body plays a big part in how well we function. Food is fuel for our bodies! Whole, nutrient-rich foods can impact our body’s ability to heal itself. On the other hand, when we constantly feed our body with sugar-filled, processed food, we are limiting the incredible things that our body can do. While it is important to treat ourselves and enjoy the food we eat, there is so much value in adding more fresh, whole foods into the mix.

Daily Movement’s Role in Inside-Out Health

Exercise routines can feel intimidating and impossible to keep up with. However, adding daily movement into your day does not need to be stressful or overwhelming. Going on a walk, stretching before bed, trying a new workout class with a friend, or even standing up throughout the day at work are all ways to get moving. An inside-out approach to health involves getting your heart rate up and prioritizing daily movement. The benefits of exercise are seemingly countless; increased circulation, better sleep, improved mood, and more energy are just a few. Once we begin to look at movement as a tool to help us feel our best rather than using it to look a certain way, it becomes even more powerful to our health.

How Mindfulness and Meditation Impact Inside- Out Health

The way your think affects your health. Whether you think about things in a positive or negative light makes a difference. Mindfulness is the practice of being present and aware of what is going on in the moment. Meditation is a great way to get into the practice of mindful thinking. Thinking in this way reduces anxiety, improves positivity, and promotes a healthy lifestyle. Our mental health and our physical health go hand and hand so it is important that we take our mental health seriously. How we think about ourselves, others, and the world around us is a huge part of inside-out health.

Workspace Ergonomics

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Sit at a desk all day long?  Have shoulder and neck pain?  These two questions tend to go hand in hand with each other.  Sitting at a desk can be detrimental to your health in many ways, but the placement of your work materials is important.  Here are a few easy changes that you can make to your desk:

1.  Move your mouse:  When your mouse is not placed properly, you have to strain to reach it. This will cause long-term strain to the muscles of the arm, shoulder, and neck.  By simply placing it closer to you, without having to reach for it, your muscles will become more relaxed. If you are at your computer all day, consider purchasing a ball mouse, these are ideal for optimal hand positioning.

2.  Adjust your armrests:  If your chair has armrests, make sure they are parallel to the floor.  Adjust them so that they keep your arms at a natural 90-degree angle.

3.  Prop up your computer screen:  Many times desk jobs include long, tedious hours staring at a computer screen.  If this is you, check out to see the position of your monitor.  The top of the screen should be roughly 2 inches above your eye level.  Anything lower will cause you to have a strain on your neck muscles.

4. Feet flat on the floor: As tempting as it is to cross your legs try to avoid this at all costs. Crossing your legs causes an imbalance in your pelvis and hips.  Which can, in turn, cause low back pain and interference to the nerves going to your digestive tract and reproductive organs.

4.  Take breaks:  Nobody should be sitting for hours at a time without getting up.  Every ten to twenty minutes, get up and stretch.  Take a short walk around the office.  Anything that gets you up and moving! We love Stand Up! The Work Break Timer app, that allows you to set reminders throughout the day to remind you to get up and move around. Here is a list of our favorite desk stretches, make a habitat to start integrating these into your routine breaks.

5.  See your chiropractor:  When you sit for the majority of your day, your body tends to be misaligned.  You start to develop improper motion, strained muscles and don’t feel your best.  By having a chiropractor remove misalignments to your spine, you will be feeling good and working better than you ever have before!

Our Fort Collins Chiropractors are here to help.  They can also come to your work and check out your ergonomics for you and your entire staff.  Our doctors love to bring new and beneficial information to peoples’ workspaces and offices, bring everyone a free lunch, and spread wellness to the Fort Collins community.  If this sounds like something you would like to do for your office, contact Impact Chiropractic at (970) 223-5501.

BACK TO SCHOOL, BACK TO FOCUSING

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As Labor Day marks the “unofficial” end of summer, the kids get ready for another week of school.  Some parents struggle to let go, while others can’t wait to get their kids back into a routine.  It’s early in the school year so if your child is already struggling to focus, concentrate, or behave, take action now.

In our office, we help many children balance their energy levels.  Some children crave constant input and when they don’t receive it, they create it.  When their bodies have subluxations, or misaligned vertebra, their nervous system can go into overdrive.  Their gas pedal (or sympathetic nervous system) is stuck on and they can’t get themselves out of “flight or fight.”  They can’t sit still, they can’t focus, they can’t thrive and learn.  Chiropractors help by activating the brake pedal (or the parasympathetic nervous system) and allow their body to slow down and regulate itself.  Adjustments and also proprioceptive activities can help these kiddos throughout the school year.

Impact Chiropractic specializes in pediatric chiropractic in Fort Collins.  We know how important it is for your child to learn and get the most out of school.  Bring them in to get adjusted, but also incorporate some of the following proprioceptive activities during their school day.

  1. Ask the teacher to give them classroom chores.  This will get them up and moving, and give them an important task to complete.
  2. Tie a Theraband around the front of their desk for them to kick.
  3. Buy them pencil grips
  4. Allow them to have a balloon filled with flour or sillyputty, to keep their hands busy.
  5. Give them gum to chew, if allowed by the school and/or the teacher
  6. Active recess games such as jump rope, football, playing catch with heavy balls/bean bags

For more ideas about how to get your child to focus during class, ask one of our doctors!  Back to school should be fun and exciting for your kiddos, and not be stressful and difficult.  Keep the kids well adjusted so they can get the most out of their school day!

Check in with our Facebook page for updates, educational articles, and cute pictures of our wonderful patients.

BEST BABY CARRIER FOR BABY

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Let’s face it, moms can only do so much.  They multitask every single day, all day long, usually with babies in there arms and picking up after toddlers/adolescents/husbands.  If you’re one of these moms, baby wearing may be a great option for you.  You can be close to your little one and still be able to use both of your hands.

There are many baby carriers on the market, so lets talk about the best options for you and baby.  We want to avoid any developmental problems with their hips, and keep their bodies properly positioned.  The risk of hip dysplasia (abnormal growth of the hip joint) is a frequent concern when talking about carriers.  Hip dysplasia can be present at birth or can develop throughout the first year of a child’s life.  Infants have softer tissue and bone than adults do, so the hip can slip out of place and become subluxated (misaligned) and become problematic.  Parents can reduce the risk of hip dysplasia by encouraging hips to be spread apart, without being in an extended position.

When choosing a carrier, avoid the narrow-based options.  Look for options that support the baby’s hips/thighs.  When placing the child in the carrier, tilt their pelvis inward and have their feet below their knees.  Don’t force your baby into any position that doesn’t seem easy or comfortable.  Below is a diagram taken from carrymeaway.com

safe babywearing

The first image shows a narrow based carrier with legs hanging down with no support.  When using these types of carriers, the hip takes the full weight of the legs.

The second image shows a medium based carrier.  The legs are still not well supported, but this is a better option than the first.  These carriers will still not properly support the weight of the leg.

The third image is the wide based option.  The knees are above the hips, with no weight being placed onto the hip joints.

The fourth image shows a side view of the wide based carrier.  Again, you can note the position of the knees.

Here is a short list of a few of the best wide based carriers:  Boba 4G, Ergo, Beco Gemini/Soleil, Tula.

WHAT ABOUT SLINGS/WRAPS?
Slings are a great option for moms who want to be close to their little ones.  Remember that slings should also support the baby’s legs and spinal alignment.  Use a soft fabric that will conform to the baby’s spine, and encourage proper cervical spine development.  Again, a short list of the best slings/wraps:  Moby Wrap, Wrapsody Stretch-Hybrid, Hana baby wrap, Boba stretchy wrap, Girasol woven wrap, Didymos woven, and ring slings.

Let us know if you would like any help using your wraps, and let us know what works best for you and your precious babe.  If you have any concerns about your baby’s hips bring them in for a chiropractic evaluation and examination.  Chiropractic is safe and gentle on kiddos, plus both of our Fort Collins doctors are pediatric certified!

For more great information on carriers visit https://www.carrymeaway.com/learncenter/baby-carriers-and-healthy-hips-busting-some-myths/