Four Unexpected Benefits of Chiropractic Care: Part I

A popular misconception about chiropractic care is that it’s only for people with back pain. The fact is, chiropractic treatment has the potential to treat various physical ailments. Whether you’re an athlete who needs help with sports recovery, a professional suffering from “tech neck,” or simply dealing with aches and pains, you may benefit from chiropractic care.

Avoid High Heels

High-heeled shoes may be one way to make a fashion statement, but any chiropractor will tell you it’s a risky way. Excessive wear of high-heeled shoes puts not only a woman’s feet at risk, but also her knees, hips and back. And it’s not just chiropractors who bemoan the perils of the high heel. Podiatrists, doctors who specialize in treatment of the foot, also have long warned against them.

Three Tips to Reduce Lower Back Pain for the Hybrid Worker: Part II

Here are two more tips to strengthen and protect your back while working.

Set yourself up for success: your work environment can have a big impact on your comfort and musculoskeletal health. Instead of forcing your body to fit your workspace, set up your workspace to fit your body.

Three Tips to Reduce Lower Back Pain for the Hybrid Worker: Part I

Do you experience regular back pain? You’re not alone. According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, more than 1 in 4 working adults experience low back pain.

Not only is it painful, but studies show that back pain can limit your activities and impact your ability to work. In fact, the health policy institute found it to be a leading cause of work-loss days, with 83 million days of work lost per year.

Use Care When Lifting

It’s sometimes unavoidable that we have to lift a heavy or cumbersome object. Using some basic precautions, you can minimize the likelihood of pulling a muscle or otherwise injuring yourself in the process of lifting.

The most important thing to remember is to bend at the knees when lifting a heavy weight. Let your leg muscles do the lifting. If you bend at the waist and straighten up with the weight, you’re making your back muscles bear the weight.

Chiropractic and Professional Baseball and Football

Chiropractic’s integration into professional sports medical teams has resulted in the creation of the Professional Baseball Chiropractic Society (PBCS). Many of the team chiropractors in Major League Baseball were in attendance, as well as a few from minor league baseball at the first annual PBCS workshop held in March 2015. This first seminar even included a surprise visit from former MLB manager Joe Torre, who took some time to address those in attendance on how beneficial chiropractic was not only to him, but also to the players on the teams he managed.

Anticonvulsant Drugs Ineffective for Low Back Pain and Can Cause Harm, Despite Increased Prescribing

Anticonvulsant drugs are increasingly being used to treat low back pain, but a study in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) finds they are ineffective and can have adverse effects. Clinically, the prescription of anticonvulsants for back and neck pain, including radicular pain in primary care, has increased by 535% in the last 10 years. Low back pain affects millions of people and is the number one cause of disability.

Safeguard Against Falls

One of the perils of advancing age is the fall, which can leave a person with a debilitating injury like a broken hip. Muscle and bone strength deteriorate over the years as does our ability to stay balanced. The American Chiropractic Association recommends a number of practices to help avoid a fall:

Periodically review with your physician the type and dosage of prescriptions you may be taking. Some can cause dizziness or lightheadedness.

Protect your Joints

A healthy back and spine, of course, are vital to your well-being. The spine protects the spinal cord, which transmits signals back and forth between the brain and the body’s other parts. But you have to be careful with all the body’s joints and protect them to maintain a good quality of life. Here are some tips to keep in mind during routine daily activity:

Keep your weight under control. Every excess pound you carry puts unnecessary strain on joints, including hips, knees and ankles. Excess weight also puts strain on your feet.