Tag Archives: alignment

Get In Your Garden!

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Finally the weather is warming up and many people are getting ready to get their hands in the dirt to plant some seedlings, flowers and have some fun in their garden! Working outdoors in your garden and yard is a great form of physical activity, even better if it’s something you are passionate about. However every year people come into the practice because they have inevitably irritated their body or  strained a muscle somehow! To protect your body and avoid injury, consider some of these tips when stepping out to get your garden started this season:

  1. While mowing the lawn, keep your head up and stand directly behind the mower so you can keep your hips and shoulders in line with your spine. Push the mower uphill rather than pulling. Always use both hands rather pushing  or twisting with one.
  2. When working in the dirt, crouch down, sit on a stool, or squat instead of bending at the waist which can strain the joints in the low back.
  3. Bend your knees when lifting anything so that you can use the strength of your legs.
  4. Keep yard waste bags close to your body while lifting them. 
  5. Hold a rake with one hand at shoulder height, one hand at waist level and walk or drag the pile.

Most importantly, vary your tasks and take breaks when necessary.  Avoid staying in prolonged postures involving the lower back and neck.

Your best bet for protecting your back? Consider regular Chiropractic care! Waiting until symptoms appear before taking care of your body often can make the problems worse, ultimately causing them to take longer to heal. Chiropractors assess your posture and spinal joints to ensure they are moving properly and that your body is physically balanced. The results people experience from regular spinal care are profound, and the increases in their quality of life measurable….which allows you to keep playing in your garden or in any other hobby you enjoy! 

Finding a Chiropractor

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ID-10083067Everyone can benefit from having a Chiropractor on their health care team, but finding the right one depends on your health goals. Chiropractors are primary health care professionals.  As Doctors, you don’t need a referral to see us, which is great news because you get to choose someone who suits you!

My 3 Tips for finding a Chiropractor:

1) Think about What Kind of Care You Want. The first place to start when searching for a Chiropractor is determining exactly what kind of care you are looking for – someone to help you specifically manage an injury or someone to support your overall health? Are you looking for help with a specific health challenge and a short-term fix? Or looking to rebuild your body?  Remember that any investment in your health will always pay you back multiple returns, and the long-term cost to your health by relying on ‘quick fixes’ is dramatic, often eventually leading to larger problems.  Having said that, sometimes limitations in time or money can cold us back with pursuing some health initiatives, and we just need to do the best that we can at the current time.  Once you know what kind of care you want, you can better determine who can help you.

2) Connect With Them.  I have given workshops, had guests tour my practice, even hosted booths at farmer’s markets to offer people the chance to connect with me!  If you have a name of someone find out how you can meet them, and make the time to do so.  Most Chiropractors will offer complimentary consultations, a time you can meet with them, discuss your health and find out more about their approach.  

3) Do They Fit On Your Team?  You are a consumer in a world of health care professionals, and that’s how I recommend you think about finding the right Chiropractor for you – like you’re hiring someone for your health care team! Consider the doctor’s personality, office atmosphere, location, office hours, office team, and accessibility.  Did you feel heard, cared for, and were you assessed thoroughly? Can you see yourself working with them? Do you want to? 

You are the health care consumer and you have every right to invest your time and finances with someone who will provide the care you want, and to change provider if you are not happy, not getting the results you want, or simply need a fresh approach.

Taking responsibility for your health involves building a team of professionals to support you. Find a Chiropractor to add to your team and get aligned with a better health.