Your San Diego Chiropractor Wants You to Know That Those Seemingly Harmless Extra Few Pounds Can Make a Big Difference Over Time
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010As a San Diego Chiropractor, 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. Have you been telling yourself that an extra pound or two doesn’t matter? Over the years, they can add up to a large number of health challenges from heart and pulmonary diseases and diabetes to back pain and joint degeneration. Extra pounds put harmful stress on organs, like the heart, and 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 percentage and an enormous problem (no pun intended).
Though it is able to compensate to some degree the human body has not evolved to schlepp around excess weight in the form of body fat. Just 20 or 30 extra pounds can, in point of fact, overload and encumber the musculoskeletal system. Excess weight in the belly, for example, requires that the body compensate (counterbalance the weight) by tilting the pelvis forward. This angle produces compression in the joints of the low back. Painful inflammation results as this joint compression restricts nerve activity. A larger percentage of men and women that have a heavy midsectionexperience low back pain caused by an impingement of the sciatic nerve or misalignments of the spinal column that constrict 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 “normal” body weight is required in order for the musculoskeletal system to function in the way it is designed to. That said, in addition, chiropractic adjustments relieve nerve impingements in the spine and assist in getting movement back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, especially in the low back, hips, and knees. And, of course exercise and physical activity are a lot easier, and more beneficial for the body, when the spine is in alignment and the joints have good motion. The added benefit of exercise the, in addition to helping with weight reduction, 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 can provide proficient advice on the particular lifestyle modifications that can help a person to stay healthier, more vital, and more active through the years. Arthritis and immobility due to aging don’t have to be inevitable. The structure of the human body is intended to carry a person through an entire 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!