San Diego Chiropractor

As a San Diego Chiropractor, I counsel many individuals who come to my clinic who want to lose weight. I know how hard it can be, and I also know how important it is to lose those extra pounds. Before you let the seams out in those slacks or skirt, there’s something important that you may want to know about those few extra pounds you may have gained. Over the years, those pounds can add up to a substantial number of health issues from heart and pulmonary diseases and diabetes to back problems and joint degeneration. Even a few additional pounds put harmful stress on organs, like the heart, and on joints in the low back, hips, and knees. Over half (62%) of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, according to recent studies. That is a very significant percentage and a sizable national health issue (no pun intended).

It is likely no surprise to you to learn that the human body was not intended to carry around excess weight in the form of body fat. Just an additional 20 or 30 pounds can veritably overload and encumber the joints and muscles of the body. Excess weight in the abdominal region, for instance, makes it necessary for the body to compensate (counterbalance the weight) by tilting the pelvis forward. The tilt creates compression in the joints of the low back. Painful inflammation results as this joint compression restricts nerve activity. Nearly all people that are overweightfeel substantical pain in their low back as the result of  an impingement of the sciatic nerve or misalignments of the spinal column that restrict nerves as a consequence of weight-bearing stresses. If ignored, misaligned vertebra not only persist in irritating the degenerative changes that have taken place already, but can develop into new arthritic changes in the spine in the future.

How can chiropractic help? To begin with the obvious, a healthy body weight is essential in order for the musculoskeletal system to perform in the way it is meant to. Chiropractic treatment can not only relieve pain caused by excess weight compensation, but it can aid in weight reduction. Here’s how. Chiropractic adjustments relieve nerve impingements in the vertebral column and assist in getting motion back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, such as in the low back, hips, and knees. And, obviously exercise and physical activity are a lot easier, and more beneficial for the body, when the the joints have good mobility and the spine is aligned. The added benefit of exercise the, in addition to helping with weight reduction, it can actually delay degenerative changes as over the years.

It is always best to review your diet and exercise options with a healthcare professional, like your chiropractor. In addition to helping individuals suffering from back pain and joint inflammation, chiropractors can provide trained suggestions on the type of lifestyle corrections that can help an individual to stay healthier, more vital, and more active through the years. It isn’t a foregone conclusion that arthritis and immobility an inescapable part of the aging process. The human body was created for a lifetime of pain-free movement.

So, if you’ve been thinking that a few extra pounds won’t hurt, think again! As your chiropractor in San Diego, and someone who cares deeply about your overall health, I’d like to help you to make healthier choices. Make an appointment today!

Technorati Tags: arthritis, back pain, chiropractic, chiropractor, excess weight, joint inflammation, weight loss

A new survey by the NPD Group, a leading market research organization based in Rosemont, Ill., shows that around 62% of men and women and 34% of adolescents are overweight or obese. The ubiquitousness of arthritis escalates with growing weight. Research implies that sustaining a healthy weight lessens the risk of developing arthritis in the first place and may decelerate degenerative progression. A reduction of just 11 pounds can lessen the occurrence (incidence) of new knee osteoarthritis and would be extremely beneficial in decreasing back pain as well.

A good diet and regular exercise is mandatory for an individual who wants to overcome their back pain, knee pain, and joint pain in other places in the body.  Although this counsel presumably doesn’t strike you as anything new, it genuinely is the only solution for you to stop suffering and get your life back.

First of all, let’s talk about the issue of dieting.  There are a huge number of different ways to diet and many of them are useful only for a limited period.  Just think about it, if you were to lose weight for good, the diet industry would lose a life-long customer!  Eating a healthy diet (as a lifestyle choice and not a temporary fix) and decreasing your calories so that you are at a slight calorie “deficit,” is the only approach to losing weight in a healthy, permanent manner.  Dropping a lot of pounds too fast is not only temporary, but dangerous. Losing about 2 pounds every week will take off the weight and improve your health.

Research has shown that exercise and physical activity not only decreases pain and improves function, but truly delays disability. At least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, no fewer than 3 days a week, has been confirmed to be effective. Even at 10-minute intervals such movement is beneficial.

Chiropractic adjustments are a proved way to get motion back in the joints of your spine and other areas of, and can be a wise first step before starting an exercise program. A spine in alignment makes exercise and physical activity a lot easier and will slow down arthritic degenerative changes. The Annals of Internal Medicine reported the findings of a survey of 232 people who were under a rheumatologist’s care for their arthritis.  Of those people, 63% replied to the survey by saying they were using some type of “complementary care” as named by the study.  Of those individuals, 31% were utilizing chiropractic. Undoubtedly the most notable statistic was that 73% of those trying chiropractic found it helpful.  Explaining why they’d tried the non-medical chiropractic care, those surveyed provided a number of reasons: 1) to reduce pain, 2) they’d been told that it helps, 3) they felt certain that it is safe, 4) it had assisted someone they knew, and 5) because their prescription medication wasn’t stopping the pain.

Chiropractors, also called doctors of chiropractic, have been aiding people suffering from back pain due to arthritis as well as other arthritic problems for over a hundred years. Your chiropractor treats misaligned vertebra that, in addition to creating arthritic pain and degenerative changes in the spine, can decrease resistance and immunity, thus causing new health challenges.

It is always a good idea to see a health care professional to talk about diet and exercise. If you are interested in highly knowledgeable advice on the type of lifestyle changes that you will required to help you to manage your arthritis, your chiropractor will be more than glad to help you. By the same token, in addition to getting your spine in alignment through gentle adjustments, your chiropractor will analyze any faulty gait patterns or posture irregularities that may be contributing to your arthritic pain.

Technorati Tags: arthritis, chiropractic, chiropractor, weight loss