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Top 10 Ways to Hold Your Adjustment Longer
Sunshine Simmons
The key to your results with chiropractic care
is not just the number of adjustments you receive. The most important aspect of
chiropractic is maintaining your adjustment, keeping your spine aligned so that
your nervous system works properly.
Your spine controls every vital function of your body, and following
these 10 guidelines will help you retain vitality and quality of life.
1. Stream-line your movements and
activities
Whether you are picking up a small object from
the floor, or doing a yoga class, be conscious of
your body’s position. Most
people hurt themselves when they are rushing or just not thinking about the
positioning of their body in movements or activities. Everyone has different
limitations, but always being aware of the correct positioning of your body
will prevent you from injuring yourself.
Keep all
your movements stream-lined; avoid turning and twisting in awkward
positions. Pay special attention to
your posture. Slouching actually
causes stress on your spine, where as sitting up straight will, in fact, strengthen the muscles in your back. Also know that crossing your legs at the
knees creates a shift in your hips that can irritate your lower back and
sciatic nerve. Crossing your legs
also impinges the circulation going to the lower legs, contributing to varicose
veins.
2. Rest after your adjustment
Any time you receive an adjustment, it is best
to rest at least 24 to 48 hours for
the adjustment to be more effective.
Plan to catch up on yard work or heavy house cleaning before your
adjustment, rather than after. Your
body heals most when you are sleeping or resting. It is best not to lie in bed all day,
however we urge our patients to not “overdo it”. It is our job to facilitate the
body’s ability to heal. It is
up to you to allow the body to heal.
3. Don’t hold the telephone
with your shoulder
This causes
a strain on your neck muscles, which affects the rest of your spine. Cell phones can cause the most strain
because of their slender design.
Some patients quite often come in with a cell phone on their shoulder to
sign in or check out! There are new
devices, like a hands-free attachment or speaker phone setting that can help
you avoid causing a strain on your neck, as well as make driving on the road or
running errands safer and less cumbersome.
4. Eat foods that are healthy
instead of harmful
A patient coined a phrase that sticks with me,
“You can’t put “junk” in a machine and expect it to
work well. If you continue to put
“junk” in your system, it will not be able to function properly,
causing more discomfort and more doctor visits.
According to
many websites, “junk food” is a term used to categorize foods that
are tasty and convenient,
but poor in nutritional value. These foods you should avoid are high in
fat, sodium, and sugar, like candy, fast-food, chips, fried chicken and French
fries. Buy healthy snacks and bring
them with you when you leave your home.
Having something healthy to snack on will help you from indulging in the
wrong foods.
5. Make it easier on yourself
With the
holidays upon us, sometimes we forget how much we put on ourselves,
literally. While you are out
shopping this season or any season, it is important not to carry several bags
that could put a strain on your body.
You may not realize the items you carry everyday also may have an effect
on your spine. Carrying a heavy
purse or book bag on the shoulder can result in you needing an adjustment. We recommend switching to a small purse,
carrying any weight with your hands at your side or directly in front of your
body. If you must carry laptops,
book bags, or briefcases, you can purchase luggage with wheels for those heavy
loads.
6. Stretch more often
It is great if you already stretch in the
morning and at night, but what about during the day. After working on a computer, even for a
few hours, can cause muscles to stiffen.
Rolling and shrugging your shoulders and doing some light, routine
stretches during the day may help prevent you from needing our treatments as
often. We urge our patients who
have spinal issues not to “roll” the head or stretch the head from
side to side. We only recommend stretching the head front
to back.
7. Give health to yourself, not
your car
With healthcare and insurance costs getting
higher everyday, we can’t afford to get sick. Someone could easily spend a fortune for treatment for cancer,
heart attacks, surgery and diabetes.
To prevent sickness takes dedication to positive health decisions on an
everyday basis.
Many people spend hundreds of
dollars a year getting oil changes,
tune-ups, and tires for their vehicle, to extend the life of their car. What about you?
I have found that people hesitate to spend money for good-quality vitamins,
organic foods, and doctor’s visits.
Of course, it is more expensive to buy these products or visit the
doctor for preventative care, but look at the rewards: preventing sickness, surgery, cancer, and diabetes.
You could invest in vitamins and healthy foods
or spend your money on doctor’s visits and medication. The choice is up to each
individual. Just know you can sell
or trade in your car, however you only have one
body to maintain.
8. Getting
your hair washed may be more strenuous than you think
It may feel wonderful to let someone else wash your
hair, but know you may pay the price.
Looking at the picture (at left), showing this woman leaning her head
back in a hard ceramic bowl. Although
they can give you extra support with hand towels around your neck, the vigorous
way they wash your hair can directly affect your alignment, especially when you
get color. We recommend washing
your hair at home or leaning over the bowl while standing. We would also urge you to schedule
chiropractic appointments after your salon appointment rather than before.
9. Let
the doctor evaluate your condition in a timely manner
So many want instant relief from their condition
and do not realize the reasonable
expectations of the body. All of us
want instant alleviation from our symptoms; however the body heals at a certain
rate. Children and people
who make good health decisions usually heal and stabilize faster.
Let the
doctor know within one to two weeks after a treatment if your condition has not
improved. The doctor can stabilize
your spine with a few adjustments in a short amount of time, rather than going months in between
your visits. Our treatment is not as effective if you wait too long in between your
adjustments. On a scale from
1-10(10 being the most pain), if your pain level reaches past level 5, it will
take you longer, and possibly more adjustments,
to get you back to level 1.
Also, if you have a fall or injury, many times
this causes the spine to be unstable,
resulting in your body needing more time and treatment to heal. Making the doctor aware of your
condition, by getting regular checkups (like your car), also helps him
determine if you need further evaluation outside the scope of our treatment.
10. Avoid sleeping in awkward
places
We all have
dozed off in the car, on a plane, or on the couch. We want you to be aware that the effects
of sleeping in these awkward places can result in you needing an adjustment. Look at the picture (at left); you can
see how this young girl’s head is tilting. Any position of your body that reaches
farther than your normal range of motion 
may result
in a strain on the muscles, causing a misalignment.
We
suggest using a u-shape pillow (at right) that will support your neck in an upright,
sitting position.
For more information on this topic, you may contact the
The Highest Level is the monthly e-mail newsletter of the
© Humber Parkerson Clinic
2005
December 2005 issue of The
Highest Level
