So why do some people not seem
to need a chiropractor, while others can’t seem to live without one? How can some people live their lives
basically never getting sick, or never seem to be flustered or stressed?
We seem to need much more help
in our society lately. Mental health issues,
cold and flu “seasons”, we’re more obese, and more people seem to need chiropractic
care than they did previously. I’d argue
that our whole societal mindset has become such that we are less connected and
less healthy in a multitude of ways, but this post, I want to focus on traumas.
Everyone knows about “throwing
your back out”. They associate it with
improper lifting technique and jobs that require more activity, like warehouse
workers and construction crews. Ironically,
when care is taken, those who are required to be more physically active for
their career are less likely to suffer from back injuries.
The most common reason people
come to the chiropractor is because they are in pain. They hurt their back either by picking up
something, or they “just woke up with it”.
In both cases, I present to you that the person sitting at a desk all
day is more likely to suffer. Why? Because our bodies were designed to move.
The proverbial office worker,
sitting behind a desk in a cubicle for 8 hours a day is not getting enough
motion in their spine. Their back muscles
aren’t being used the way they were designed.
The posture (even when we are trying to be mindful) eventually goes into
a position that adds stress to the joints of the spine. Many may argue that they workout and so their
job doesn’t matter…their back muscles are strong. In fact, the weekend warriors tend to get injured
far more often than both the landscaper and the office worker who doesn’t exercise.
The weekend warrior is experiencing
an odd phenomenon where their back and core and all their other muscles are stagnant
for 40 to 60 hours a week minimum and to offset that, they push those same
muscles to a point of potential injury. Their
psoas muscles (responsible for bending your hips) are chronically shortened,
then they try and run a marathon. This
can lead to complaints that wouldn’t even be considered an injury. Low back pain, leg pain, muscle soreness that
they can’t seem to get rid of… digestive issues, reproductive complaints and
nerve irritation.
If you’re stuck at a job that
requires you to sit all day, make a point to take a short walk every hour for
5- 10 minutes. This will help your
muscles not become completely complacent and weak, and in addition, that
reprieve from work for 5 to 10 minutes helps your mind re-focus, resulting in
increased productivity.
Taking a few minutes in the
morning and going through a few yoga poses can help keep your spine and back
muscles moving more naturally. Of
course, if you do experience a segment that is “stuck”, you likely wont be able
to let it work itself out when you sit all day, and that misalignment of the
bones in the spine can result in a higher likelihood of injury as well as
arthritis and can cause various complaints that aren’t always associated with
back issues (like digestive problems or reproductive health issues). Getting those issues addressed quickly is the
best way to ensure complications are minimized.
What about your kids? I mentioned in a Facebook post that I never
used both shoulder straps as a kid. I
also didn’t bring my books or notebooks home with me (ask my teachers). Kids these days are carrying more on their
little backs and sitting for longer AND they are spending less time playing
actively AND they are eating less healthy foods. It has been stated that this generation may
be the first since the industrial revolution that can expect a SHORTER life
expectancy than their parents. Getting
you and your children checked by a chiropractor, getting nutritional advice and
staying active as a family are crucial if you want your and your children to live
your best lives possible.
Comments
Post a Comment