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Lower Back Pain Tips for Injury Prevention

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lower back pain

Lower Back Pain Tips for Injury Prevention

This is a guest post by Allied Movers.                                                                       Few things can limit your quality of life as much as a lower back pain sprain/strain. Once injured, it often takes time to eliminate pain and return the body to its former healthy state. Back injuries can interfere with multiple daily activities, from walking with ease or even picking up a set of keys from a low table. Preventing back injuries should be your goal every time you do any sort of physical labor or engage in any other strenuous activity. A few common sense tips can help you protect your back.

1. Use correct lifting techniques

When you need to lift a heavy object, reduce the amount of pressure placed on your back. Always bend with your knees to keep your spine properly aligned. Allow your legs to do the bulk of the work instead of your back. Always face the object you are lifting and avoid any sudden twisting movements as you lift. Lift gradually. Slow and smooth motions reduce the strain on your back muscles. Take your time to get a good hold on whatever you want to lift and use your legs and abdominal muscles to help you. Avoid the urge to prove how strong you are or show off, as either action can result in needless injury. Though it is impossible to avoid lifting items altogether, being cautious can preserve your back health.

2. Lighten the load

Test the weight of an object before you attempt to move or lift it. Push it lightly with your foot or hands to judge how much effort will be required to move it. The harder it is to budge, the more strain the object will put on your back when picking it up. Reduce the weight if possible. If you are moving something especially heavy, like a load of books, redistribute the books in several smaller boxes. If you cannot reduce the weight of the item you are lifting, ask for help in moving it. In the case of cumbersome objects like couches, bookshelves or appliances, hiring professional movers is the surest way to protect your back.

3. Manage your body

Before you start any lifting, stretch out your back and leg muscles. If you need to move more than one object or transport it a great distance, it is a good idea to take short breaks as needed. This gives your body a chance to rest and recover from strenuous activity before it takes too great of a toll. Be sure to plan extra time so you are not rushed when it comes time to move bags of mulch, clean out the garage or take holiday decorations to your attic.

4. Plan ahead

Be aware of your surroundings before you attempt to lift or move anything. Make sure you have a clear path and are not walking across a slippery surface. Take precautions to make sure the object is within reach when you bend to pick it up and transport it. If the object is hard to reach or you feel unsure of your grip before lifting, you significantly increase the risk of sustaining a back injury.

Although you’re likely to be safe when lifting heavy objects, back injuries can still occur. In this situation, seeking treatment from a licensed and experienced chiropractor is a smart option for healing your back. Be mindful and do your part to prevent a back injury in the first place. The adage “slow and steady wins the race” will go a long way toward keeping you healthy and pain-free.

If you have anything to add to this post, please feel free to Post a comment or share your thoughts through Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or comment section below to join the conversation.

Hay Fever and Chiropractic Benefits

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hay fever

Hay Fever and Chiropractic Benefits

This is a guest post by Dr. James A Devine DC, from Seattle about Hay Fever.

The return of blue skies and warmer weather has me excited, but those suffering from seasonal allergies may share my enthusiasm for the arrival of spring and hay fever with it.  Along with daffodils and tulips, springtime brings pollen that once again has hay-fever sufferers sneezing and wiping their eyes.

The body’s immune system, in addition to preventing disease and infection and combating stress, deals with the invasion of foreign substances such as pollution, dust and pollen.  Allergic reactions happen when the body’s immune system overreacts to allergens and overproduces neutralizing chemicals such as histamines to correct the problem.  An immune system not operating effectively will often over-react to pollen and other irritants.

Traditional allergy treatments only deal with the symptoms and do nothing to address the cause. It is a little known, but true fact, that antihistamines can cause heart problems, especially if taken in conjunction with alcohol and sedatives.  Chiropractic care, on the other hand, releases stress on a patient’s nervous system and allows the immune system to operate more effectively.

A healthy, stress-free body is more capable of fighting off allergens without the use of harmful medications. Subluxations or misaligned spinal vertebra put pressure on a nerve, which places stress on the nervous system and make the body more susceptible to disease.  Chiropractic adjustments remove subluxations and the resulting the nerve interference and allow the immune system to work optimally.  Free from nervous system stress, the body can work more efficiently to neutralize allergy-causing chemicals in the environment.

Symptoms that you might be suffering from seasonal allergies include:

  • Sneezing
  • Itchy, watery eyes
  • Congestion
  • Sinus headaches
  • Sinus pressure

Chiropractic is a conservative, natural and effective, drug-free approach for treating seasonal allergies.  If you are suffering from seasonal allergies, it is a great time to visit your chiropractor!

 

3 Tips on Staying Healthy At Work

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STRESS AND ANXIETY AT WORK
 This is a guest post by Dr. Lisette Rollins from Maxwell Medical in Manhattan, NY.                                                                                                        Sitting at a desk for many hours a day in front of a computer is the reality for many people these days. Busy days filled with conference    calls, answering emails, and client meetings has you glued to your chair and by the end of a long day you feel cruddy all over. Ever wonder why you feel tension and stress at the end of a day when you know you woke up without it in the morning? Here’s the fascinating truth: humans are animals. I know that we can forget that we need to put ourselves on the animal level, but truly, we are animals. We should be eating like lions and moving like primates. We should be drinking water regularly and breathing fresh clean air.  All of these things are critical to survival. But beyond just surviving, we should be living.  Pain at the end of a busy work day can make you feel miserable and want to just survive and not live. The following are three tips that can reduce much of the stress that you’ve been dealing with on a regular basis.
1. Move around.  Much of the muscle aches and pains come from micro injuries that are caused by sitting too long for too many many years.  Think about it this way: you’ve been sitting at a desk since you were in the first grade for at least 8 hours a day. When you were a kid, you ran around, played stick ball, and drove your parents crazy. So it was OK to sit because you compensated by being very active after your homework was done.  These days, you’re sitting at a desk, drinking coffee, and getting up only when the pressing urge to go the bathroom hits you. Then you go home, sometimes bring more work with you, sit on your couch watching reruns of Who’s the Boss and eating whatever you can microwave in 3 minutes flat.  Remember, I told you that you’re an animal. Animals move a lot. They don’t sit in one spot for 8 or 10 hours a day texting on their Blackberries. Take an opportunity every 30 minutes to do some light stretching at your desk. I’m not asking you to break into a full downward dog. What I am suggesting is that you raise your arms over your head and sway back and forth like a palm tree in Hawaii. Gently twirl your head around in all directions for 10 to 15 seconds. Then pump your feet like you’re driving through New York City traffic. Last but certainly not least, stand up from your desk and shake it all out. Your cube neighbors may think you’re a bit wonky, but perhaps you can tell them why you’re moving about and get the whole office to join in a better lifestyle. The extra blood flow to your head and limbs will give you a surge of energy. It’s something you won’t get from coffee.
2. Drink water. It’s no coincidence that your brain and earth share a similar percentage of water. The human brain is composed of up to 70% water.  Besides eating a well balanced diet, drinking water is crucial to a healthy body and healthy brain function.  Without water, we can become dehydrated and no water over a 3 day period would make you critically ill, if not extinct.   We’ve been hearing that 8 glasses of water a day is the proper amount of water to drink. That may be true for some people, but certainly not for all. To know how much water you should be drinking take your body weight in pounds and divide it in half. That number is how much water you should be drinking per day in ounces. So let’s take a 160 pound person. Divide 160 in half giving you 80. So he/she should be drinking 80 ounces of water a day. Assuming an 8 ounce glass, that person should be drinking ten glasses of water per day to be optimal. Figure out how many ounces you should be drinking per day and stick to it. Your body and your brain will thank you for it.  And if you’re wondering if coffee and sugary soda drinks count towards your water intake, think again. Coffee is a diuretic leeching important water from your system. And soda is just plain nasty. Cut the soda out of your diet and replace it with water. If you don’t like the taste of water or if it’s too boring for you, squeeze a lemon or orange wedge into your water for a citrusy pick me up.
Worried about all the extra bathroom trips? Sip your water starting from when you wake up until an hour or so before bed. It won’t be that much of an issue. If you’re more of a down 10 ounces in one sitting type of person, don’t stress. The extra bathroom trips gets you moving like I mentioned in tip #1.
3. Manage your stress. Is that crazy desk mate of yours complaining about their dog’s skin condition again? Is your boss asking you to work on the weekend for the sixth week in a row? Is some pesky colleague stealing your Greek yogurt from the communal fridge? Stress comes in many forms but your body sees it all as the same thing.  Whether your dog dies or you get into a car accident, your body goes through a fight or flight response.  Your palms get sweaty, your heart rate increases and the “get out of dodge” hormones rise. Stress in spurts is not detrimental. Your body has the awareness of recognizing stressful situations in order to keep you alive. When we were paleolithic creatures, the stress response was important because our ancestors had to run away from a large man-eating animal in order to survive. These days, Saber Tooth Tigers aren’t roaming the city streets but other dangers are. Especially in the office place where chronic stress can wreak havoc on your physiology.  Some of the best ways to manage stress is to put the stressor into perspective.  If you’re tired of hearing about your co-workers mangy dog, offer to find her a veterinarian in the area that specializes in skin conditions. How about that boss who keeps asking you to work weekends? Tell her you’ve got plans and you just can’t do it. Sometimes working on a weekend to finish a big presentation may be necessary, but when it’s moved into the realm where you’re a permanent fixture next to the fake potted plants, an open discussion may be necessary. Life isn’t just about working until your fingers bleed. Too much too often creates a toxic atmosphere anyway. Communication is key. Maybe your boss doesn’t know you mind. As for the fridge thief, brown bag your lunch and put your name on it. Or if you are feeling particularly generous, buy a few extra items of deliciousness and add it to the communal fridge space leaving a note for others to enjoy.  Your generosity may go a long way, plus it will make you feel better that you shared some wholesome goodness.  If you find yourself confronted with a situation that boggles your mind and leaves every muscle in your body tensed up, take a few very deep breaths and walk away from the situation for a few moments. The extra oxygen to the brain and muscles will help relieve your tension and help you think more clearly.
If you have anything to add to this post, please feel free to Post a comment or share your thoughts through Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or comment section below to join the conversation.

Four Ways to Keep Your Bones Strong

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BONES

Four Ways to Keep Your Bones Strong

This is a Guest Post by Kimi James.  – Bones

There’s a saying that goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones” and isn’t that true? When an object that’s ten times greater than your body mass is thrown at you, your body probably would get bruised or worse broken. I think we take the bones that make up our body for granted not realizing that the very thing that makes us up is the same thing we need to take care of to keep us in shape, in form, and in health.

When you wake in the mornings and rise from the bed, it took your meta-tarsals, your phalanges, your tibia, your femur, your fibula, your gluteus maximus (muscle), and many other bones to work in order for you to do just that one action.

Before I get ahead of myself and recite an in-depth physiological motion involved with just getting up, I want to emphasize four points to help you stay on track when dealing with your bones.

  1. Stretch. After getting up in the morning, do stretching exercises for three minutes. It doesn’t take much of your time but stretching can increase your blood flow and gets your muscles in motion. Stretching will make you feel alive and ready to start the day. Your posture when you stand up might also improve.

 

  1. Calcium Intake. Thank your body by giving it the nutrients it needs. Drink milk or eat green and leafy vegetables (the greener, the better). These also help to prevent osteoporosis.  Also this must be done with #4 -Lift Weights in order for Bones to absorb the Calcium.

 

  1. Be Active. Walk, jog, swim, play tennis, play basketball, climb the stairs…get the picture? The point is to move around. Your bones need to be strengthened, not weakened. Of course, when doing these activities, be consistent; don’t over-do them to a point where you hurt yourself. The key is to stay active in moderation.

 

  1. Lift Weights. Whether you do it at a gym or purchase your own equipment, weight lifting in moderation contributes to your body’s strength performance, improves your musculoskeletal system, and can decrease the chances of lower back pain.

Bones are necessary to get around in life and a part of daily living. How would you manage to do the  tasks like picking up a fork or tie a shoe lace if your femur or your phalanges no longer worked? Sadly, some people face that situation yet amazingly and with resilience still go on. But you have your limbs, your bones in tact, so use them and use them well. Your bones deserve the loving care it does so it works to keep you around. Drive less, walk more.