Understanding the Basics

This is my first, in what will be several messages to address The Capitol Rehab “How To” Checklist to improve health and wellness. As we age (and we are all doing that) it will inevitably take MORE WORK, just to maintain the current status of our health. AND EVEN IF WE DO OUR BEST TO MAINTAIN…we are likely to experience bumps in the road. Just yesterday I had a meeting with a long time patient and friend who injured himself while riding his bike. This is a guy who not only does many of the things we recommend, he has his entire family on board, committed to a better life of health and wellness. The injury is going to require surgery, but in the end, he will recover fully and he will be ready to get right back at it.

I will address “bumps in the road” in the next post.

This list may seem a little long and overwhelming. My ask is to start with some of the simple routines, like increasing your water intake, and incorporate what you can. Start slowly at first, but remember that the most important thing is to look at these as lifestyle changes. Everyone’s plan is different for every person.

• Chiropractic  – 1x Per Month

• Deep Tissue Massage – 1x Per Month

• Maintenance PT Visit – 1x Per Quarter

• Water – ½ your body weight in ounces DAILY

• Sleep –  NOT LESS THAN 7 hours a Day (Naps Count). 

• Cardiovascular Exercise  – 30 minutes a day 3x Per Week

• Strength Training – 2x Per week

• Flexibility Training  – 5 to 10 minutes Daily (a little goes a long way)

• Meditation – 5-15 minutes Daily (i’m very bad at this one)

• Dentist Visit – 3x Per year

• Optometrist – 1x/year

• Pedicures –  1x/month-1x/every other month

• Vitamins Multivitamin and Omega – 3/Daily

• Collagen – Do some research and consider a daily program

Chiropractic-We Recommend 1x per Month fFor Maintenance

For years, I have been loose on recommending maintenance Chiropractic Visits, but no longer.  When I was in my 20’s I thought I could help people become bulletproof.  Now that I’m in my 50’s, my focus is to just help people remain upright!  Chiropractic is no longer an alternative approach, it’s a foundational piece to maintaining the structural integrity of the musculoskeletal system. 

Let me explain.

If you dislocated your shoulder, what would be the FIRST thing you would want your doctor to do?  That’s right….put the shoulder back in place.

1/64th of an Inch

It is important to remember that joints are moving all the time, and while the idea of a dislocated shoulder is a gross example, it only takes 1/64th of an inch of joint movement to adversely affect the muscles and ligaments that connect the joint.

It is this 1/64th of an inch that is associated with EVERY MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURY!

KEY POINT #1: 

• The joint will move, usually long before you perceive any level of pain.

KEY POINT #2:

• The longer the disrupted joint goes unaddressed, the worse the problem will be by the time it presents itself.

Injury = Force x Duration

KEY POINT #3:

Joints move as a result of unusual forces placed on the joint.  The equation above explains this. We all understand that if you were in a car accident, that would be a HIGH FORCE over a SHORT DURATION.  That force would result in joint disruption and subsequently, an injury.  What is now understood in the research is that sitting at your desk (as an example), is a LOW FORCE over a LONG DURATION, which over time, can result in the same level of injury as a car accident.  The best way to prevent these injuries is to regularly have the joints in your body checked and corrected for abnormal movement by your chiropractor. 

Summary:

We now know and the research supports it, that joint dysfunction is the FIRST step in any musculoskeletal injury.  Low back pain…lumbar joints disrupted; Shoulder pain…Shoulder joint disrupted; A pulled hamstring…hip joint dysfunction; etc. Address the joints throughout your body on a regular basis and you will insure:

• A higher Level of Function
• A reduction of chronic pain