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10 Ways to Maintain Your Good Health in 2024
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Did you make any New Year’s resolutions to start 2024? As we work our way through the often long and dreary month of January, we thought it would be a good time to review some goals for the year.
Here are our top 10 chiropractor-approved resolutions to help you stay healthy for the rest of the year:
1. Get A Good Night’s Sleep
Sleep is important to overall health. Both body and mind rest and refresh while you sleep. If you have difficulty sleeping, consult your chiropractor for help and solutions. Here are some tips to help you get a good night’s rest.
2. Warm Up
Before jumping in the pool, hitting the field or picking up a golf club, take 20 minutes to warm up. Your warm-up should include deep-breathing exercises, gentle stretching and range of motion exercises to loosen and warm your muscles and joints.
3. Cool Down
Cooling down after a workout is just as important as warming up. Take 20 minutes for a brisk walk or slow jog and stretch out your muscles and joints before heading for the change room or the car.
4. Practice Perfect Posture
Good posture not only makes you look better, but it also delivers increased energy, better breathing, and improved circulation. Good posture is actually an investment in your appearance AND your health. The secret to good posture is maintaining the spine’s natural curves. If your spine is misaligned, it can result in strain and pain.
5. Choose a Good Office Chair
Do you sit most of the day? While sitting seems restful, staying in any one position for too long can cause strain and injury to your muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments.
A good office chair helps a lot. The right chair should:
- Adjust to suit your size or task
- Adapt to support your spine in various working positions
- Have a backrest that supports your lower back
- Have a front edge that curves downward to promote proper posture
One last tip: Vary your sitting positions throughout the days to prevent injury and strain.
6. Prevent Neck Pain
Your neck is part of your spine, which runs from the base of your skull to the bottom of your back. Neck pain is a common problem with many possible causes. Poor posture, hunching over a computer, arthritis, whiplash, and muscle strain from simple things like reading in bed or grinding your teeth can all trigger neck pain.
Keeping your back safe and strong also protects your neck. Here are some tips to help you prevent neck pain.
7. Manage your Headaches
Tension headaches are common but they are not well understood. Most people describe having a band of pressure around their head that can last from 30 minutes to a week. Tension headaches can be related to muscles tightening in the back of the neck and improper alignment of the joints of the spine.
Record when your headaches occur and what you were doing before they started. Try to recognize the factors that cause or aggravate your headaches. Be sure to tell your chiropractor if you’ve noticed any changes in your usual headaches, such as frequency, duration or intensity, or if your headaches begin to worry you.
8. Prevent Falls
Anyone can fall, but the risk of slips and trips increases as you get older. Every year, one in three Canadians over 65 will fall – often with serious consequences.
Hip, wrist and pelvic fractures are common in this age group and can take a toll on independence and quality of life. Here’s a great list of tips to help you prevent falls.
9. Nourish Yourself
Meal timing is an important factor in maintaining energy levels. Skipping meals can cause blood sugar swings, often resulting in fatigue. People often skip meals and then wonder why they are tired in the afternoon.
To manage energy levels and prevent fatigue, you should eat at least three nutritious meals each day with the last meal well before bedtime.
10. Visit Pickering Village Chiropractic & Massage for year-round wellness
Working with a chiropractor and registered massage therapist will help you stay on track with your goals and pamper your spine.
The wellness team at Pickering Village Chiropractic & Massage provides patients with more than just chiropractic and massage therapy services, but also the know-how to build better personal wellness habits so you can be at your best for work or play, every day.
To book an appointment or learn more about the chiropractic and therapeutic massage therapy services available at our clinic, call 905-427-3202.
Avoid the Ache When You Rake with These Five Simple Tips
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As you head out to rake your leaves this month, chances are the last thing you’ll be thinking about is your posture. But you should, because an hour or so spent tidying your lawn can have long-term consequences if your body isn’t accustomed to the activity.
Ajax Chiropractors Dr. John Noble and Dr. Mark Fera and the massage therapists at Pickering Village Chiropractic and Massage have helped numerous patients overcome injuries, many of which have occurred while working around the home.
“Although raking may seem like an easy task, it’s actually an intensely physical activity,” says Dr. Noble. “To avoid injury, it’s important to make sure you’re performing this task correctly.”
Follow these tips and avoid a backache next time you rake.
Pick the right tool for the job
Is your rake the correct length for your height? Ideally, your rake should be about chin high. If it is too tall or too short, this could lead to improper reaching or bending and potential injury.
Get your body moving before the raking begins
Before you grab the rake, spend five to 10 minutes doing a variety of whole-body stretches. These can include a basic hamstring stretch, shoulder, wrist, and side stretches. For a full list of stretches, click here. Do each of the exercises five times, holding each for 15 seconds. Be sure not to bounce, jerk or strain. It should be a gentle stretch, not a pain.
Ensure proper raking posture
Once you’ve warmed up, keep your back straight while raking and avoid repetitive motions by switching arms and pulling in different directions. This allows you to work out different parts of your body equally.
Remember to bend at the knees when lifting
Whether you’re moving a planter across the deck or lifting a bag of leaves, remember to bend at your knees, not at your waist, and keep your feet shoulder-width apart. As you’re lifting, tighten your abs, straighten your knees and keep your back straight. For turning, you should avoid twisting at the waist by moving your feet instead.
Take frequent breaks
Every 20 minutes or so, pause for a few minutes to catch your breath and stay hydrated. Check your posture and perform a few stretches to ensure that you are maintaining flexibility throughout raking.
Follow these tips to rake safely and effectively. However, if an injury does occur, give our clinic a call at 905-427-3202 and book a consultation with our chiropractic or massage therapy team.
Use the “PRICE” Method for Treating Sprains and Strains
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The hot summer weather that has many of us spending so much time outdoors — walking, running, hiking, golfing, playing tennis — often means an inevitable increase in strains and sprains.
Assuming your injury isn’t serious enough to warrant a trip to the ER, you may be wondering how to treat your new sprain or strain.
Should you apply ice? Or is it heat? What else can you do?
The best treatment for a sprain or strain is with the “PRICE” method, a helpful acronym that is useful to remember when you have an acute injury.
Please note that if you are unsure of the severity of your sprain or strain, you should talk to your doctor before beginning any treatment or rehabilitation.
Remember P.R.I.C.E.
These five simple rules will help speed up your recovery in the first 48-72 hours of a sprain (ligament) or strain (muscle) injury.
P is for PROTECTION.
Protect the injured area from sustaining any more damage.
R is for REST.
Allow the injury time to heal.
I is for ICE.
Ice should be applied to an injured area as soon as possible.
Use the 10/10/10 method of ice application: 10 minutes of ice; followed by 10 minutes of rest without ice; followed by 10 minutes of ice again. Do not apply heat. Ice works to reduce pain and inflammation to your injured muscles, joints and tissues and may even slow bleeding if a tear has occurred.
C is for COMPRESSION.
Use a tensor bandage to wrap the injured area. When wrapping, begin at the end furthest away from the heart.
E is for ELEVATION.
If possible, raise the injured area above the level of the heart, especially at night, by putting a pillow under the injured area.
After the first 48 hours, slowly start to use the injured area again and continue icing for another day. If you are unsure of the severity of your injury, consult a docotr or chiropractor for an evaluation.
The wellness team at Pickering Village Chiropractic & Massage provides our patients with more than just chiropractic and massage therapy services, but also the know-how to build better personal wellness habits so you can be at your best for work or play, every day.
To book an appointment or learn more about the chiropractic and therapeutic massage therapy services available at our clinic, call 905-427-3202.