Aging is an inevitable process of life. Being in pain doesn’t have to be. Except for accidents, injury, and trauma, pain is the end result of prolonged dysfunction. The signal to get your attention that something is not working correctly.
Midtown NYC Chiropractor Dr. Robert Shire shares 5 simple action steps you can choose to begin today to prevent and manage back and neck pain allowing you to live a pain-free, happy, and healthy life!
#1. Move It or Lose It: Motion is life, and life is motion. Our bodies are designed to move. Sitting around all day is counterproductive and detrimental to your health. Sitting has even been called the new smoking. Here are some tips to add more movement to your day:
- Set some reminders to get up every 45-60 minutes
- Stand tall, breathe, stretch
- Take a walk, climb stairs, do yoga, tai chi, or Pilates
#2. Hydrate With the Liquid of Life: Drinking enough H2O, aka WATER, is vital to our health. Did you know that 60-70% of the human body is water? Spinal discs are 90% water! We continuously lose water through respiration, perspiration, and … urination (defecation too). Coffee, caffeinated teas, soda, and alcohol deplete the body of this essential resource. Water is free and can dramatically enhance your physiology and alleviate your back pain.
#3. Nourish Your Body With Real Food: What you choose to put in your body can cause inflammation which is a shortcut to pain and dis-ease. Choose single-ingredient foods. Think fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, organic meats, poultry, and fish—nourishment Mother Nature provided for you to eat. If it comes in a fancy-colored box and has ingredients you can not pronounce, it’s probably not good for you, either. Eat from Mother Nature’s kitchen, not a manufacturing laboratory.
#4. Support Your Feet (and Body!) With Orthotics: Feet are the foundation of the body and the connection to the earth when we walk, run, and exercise in life. Arches are a system of support that, over time, can weaken and collapse due to pronation (a fancy word for flattening). Inserting customized spinal pelvic stabilizers (orthotics) can support your feet and help balance the ankles, knees, hips, and back.
#5. Get Adjusted: Chiropractic adjustments help keep the spine in line, and 24 vertebrae and 31 spinal nerves comprise the spinal column (aka backbone). Like instruments of a symphony, each plays a role in making the music sound harmonious, melodious, and rhythmic.
When the spine is balanced and moving together as a comprehensive unit, normal function follows. Pain happens when there is a problem. Something is stuck, fixed, subluxated, and not working properly. Pain is the signal that lets us know.
When the spine is aligned and functioning properly, pain diminishes.
Stay Active & Pain-Free As You Age
If you’re a senior, we want to help you diminish discomfort and stay active well into your golden years. Contact our practice today to book an appointment with Dr. Shire!