One of the most common questions we are asked is: “How can I feel better sooner and hold my alignments longer?”
Well we are glad you asked!
Here are a few daily habits you can evaluate in your own life and decide if you may need to make a change or two
This is not a list of do’s and don’ts.
It’s what we recommend for patients who want to feel good as soon as possible.
WATER!
Thats right! Water! Some of the first signs of dehydration are:
Headaches
Asthma
Joint Aches
Allergies
Back Pain
Heartburn
High Blood Pressure
Memory Loss
When the body becomes dehydrated the first place is pulls water from are the discs in your spine! Have you ever heard someone say they just bent over and their back went out? This is primarily caused by dehydration.
Recommendations: take your body weight and divide it by two. That number determines how many ounces of water you need to drink on a daily basis.
For starters: drink 8 oz of water before you have your favorite drink. For example, if you like to have a cup of coffee in the morning, drink a glass of water first. Doing this throughout the day will get you accustomed to drinking water.
Another thing to keep in mind is that caffeine actually dehydrates your body, so by drinking water with soda, tea or coffee, you are helping your body keep up.
SLEEP AND REST!
Throughout the day your spine compresses the discs while you are sitting and walking around. The discs act as shock absorbers. If you do not allow those discs to plump back up at night while you sleep they will become damaged over time. Also, sleeping prevents fatigue during the day. Fatigue is one of the common causes for a persons spine becomes misaligned or why it will not stabilize.
Recommendations: try to go to bed before 10pm. Your body sleeps best between 10pm and 2am. Make sure you are sleeping on a good mattress. You spend 1/3 of your life in bed! If a new mattress is not in your budget, then try a foam cover. Also, make sure you are sleeping on a good pillow. Neck pain and numbness can be irritated by using a pillow that is too big.
STRESS!
75% – 90% of all medical appointments are for symptoms related to stress. Stress will cause the body to become too tense and too tired. This will cause the spine to fatigue and misalign.
Recommendations: be honest with yourself about the stressors in your life.
These can include:
Being unorganized
Debt
Procrastination
Taking on too many activities
Being around negative people
Make a plan to minimize just one area of stress and stick with it. For example, if your house is cluttered plan on cleaning one closet or one room each week.
Also, make sure you laugh! Laughter releases great chemicals that help your body stay healthy!
EAT GOOD FOOD!
When the body builds up chemicals it causes major organs such as the liver, kidneys and lungs to work extra hard. These organs will pull vital energy from other less important systems. This will cause the body to become fatigued. Foods that are harmful to the body include:
Excessive sugar
Fast food
Processed foods
Bad fats
Recommendations: Eat live foods like fresh fruits and vegetables. Limit the amount of fatty foods and sweets. Eat dessert with your meal, not later. Set realistic goals and expectations for yourself. You know what you are capable of better than anyone else. For starters: exchange soda for green tea. This will lower calories significantly and promote a better immune system. Reduce processed desserts like cake and cookies and replace them with dark chocolate or hot cocoa. Eat the foods you enjoy and make a promise to yourself to eat one green salad a day. (Real lettuce, not iceberg)
EXERCISE!
Our bodies are 90% water. When we do not exercise, that water becomes stagnant. Imagine a swamp versus a stream. The swamp is full of bacteria and disease, while the stream is clean and clear. Exercise has the same effect on the body. It relieves stress and anxiety, improves muscle tone and it helps prevent arthritis and osteoporosis.
Recommendations: pick an exercise you enjoy and start where you are. Make sure you have the correct equipment (shoes, clothes, proper size bike). Set a realistic goal.
For starters: get a good pair of walking shoes and walk to 10 minutes three times a week. You can do this on a treadmill or outside. Join a gym and find someone who will meet you there. You are more likely to go when someone is expecting you. Find an exercise video that you enjoy and stick to the program.
HAVE MORE FUN!
Laughing causes your body to release chemicals that help it to maintain being healthy. There are many reports of people who have been healed of cancer by laughing more. Being around negative people or situations causes toxic chemicals to build up in our bodies and damage our health. Also, the human body was not designed for constant worrying, stress or negative emotions.
Recommendations: fill your life with positive people and things–music, television, books, activities etc. Make time for things you will look forward to. For starters: have daily quiet times to read and meditate God’s word. It brings life and healing to all your flesh. Do not watch the news, especially before bed. Do not expose yourself and your family to stressful situations, bad language or violence.
Supplements
Because most of our food has less nutrients, it is good to take supplements. For starters: most people need a multivitamin, folic acid and A complex. Remember you can become toxic from taking too many supplements. Do not excuse a poor diet because you take vitamins. Consult a certified nutritionist for your body’s specific needs.
Testimonials
We asked several of our patients about what changes they have made to help maintain their alignments and feel better– this is what they said:
“Don’t worry about life and your alignment!” -David
“Quit drinking caffeine and eating processed cakes and cookies. As soon as I eat it I can feel my back get tight and I start to hurt” -Mary
What can cause a spine to misalign?
THREE T’S
THOUGHTS
Fear
Negative
Hopeless
TRAUMA
Accidents
Surgeries/Dental work
Emotional, physical or sexual abuse
TOXINS
Medications
Vitamins
Junk food
Best Regards,
-Drs Ray and Mary Marshall