Your San Diego Chiropractor Wants You to Know That Those Seemingly Harmless Extra Few Pounds Can Make a Big Difference Over Time
Posted on March 23rd, 2010 by admin
As a Chiropractor in San Diego, I counsel many individuals who come to my clinic who want to lose weight. I know how hard it can be, and I also know how important it is to lose those extra pounds. Before you let out all the seams in your current wardrobe, there’s something you may want to know about those few extra pounds you may have gained. Over the years, they can add up to a substantial number of health issues from heart and pulmonary diseases and diabetes to back challenges and joint degeneration. Surplus poundage puts excessive stress on organs, like the heart, as well as on joints in the low back, hips, and knees. Over half (62%) of American adults are overweight or obese, according to recent studies. That is a substantial figure and an enormous dilemma (no pun intended).
Though we try to pretend otherwise, most of us know that the human body was not intended to schlepp around surplus weight in the form of body fat. A mere excess of 20 or 30 pounds can veritably overload and encumber the musculoskeletal system. Added weight in the tummy, for example, requires that the body compensate (counterbalance the weight) by tilting the pelvis forward. This shift puts pressure on the joints of the low back. Joint compression restricts nerve activity and causes painful inflammation. The majority of people who have a “spare tire”experience low back pain generated by a pinched sciatic nerve or misalignments of the spinal column that impinge nerves due to weight-bearing stresses. If ignored, misaligned vertebra not only persist in irritating the degenerative changes that have taken place already, but can produce new arthritic changes in the spine in the future.
How can chiropractic help? To begin with the obvious, a healthy body weight is requisite in order for the musculoskeletal system to function in the way it is meant to. That said, in addition, chiropractic adjustments relieve nerve compression in the spine and assist in getting mobility back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, especially in the low back, hips, and knees. And, certainly exercise and physical activity are a lot easier, and healthier for the body, when the the joints have good mobility and the spine is aligned. Not only will exercise help with weight reduction, but it can actually reduce degenerative changes as over the years.
Healthcare professionals, like your chiropractor, can talk to you about your diet and exercise options. In addition to helping men and women suffering from back pain and joint inflammation, chiropractors offer proficient guidance regarding the particular lifestyle modifications that can help a person to stay healthier, more vital, and more active through the years. It isn’t a foregone conclusion that arthritis and immobility are an unpreventable part of the aging process. The human body was created for a lifetime of pain-free movement.
So, if those extra few pounds have started to add up to a lot of pain, as your chiropractor in San Diego and someone who cares deeply about your overall health, I can help. Make an appointment today!