How Your Everyday Lifestyle May Be Hurting You More Than You Know and What Your Colorado Springs Chiropractic Clinic Can Do About It
Our Colorado Springs Chiropractic clinic's philosophy of care is rooted in empowering the patient with powerful information that motivates action, outside of our clinic's walls. We believe that if you change your mind, you will change your life. Isn't that better than telling you that you need us in order to be healthy?
With that in mind, have you made the connection between your lifestyle choices and your aches and pains?
Kaiser Permanente's Health News recently published that 75% of all health care dollars are spent on chronic, preventable disease. That means that about $1.5 trillion dollars are spent on ailments that could be prevented. Shocking, right?
It is the same with back pain - the number one reason why people call our office, and the number 2 reason for doctor visits in the US.
Back pain has become an epidemic in the US, and the situation is just getting worse. Why? We believe it to be linked to lifestyle choices, to include stagnant working environments, smoking, obesity, sugar intake and dehydration. On top of this, Americans value reactive health care, rather than preventative health care.
Using government research, we've calculated that the average American spends 91% of their day sitting. This includes meals, tv time, work, and commuting. Chronic sitting causes forward head posture and, over time, you can actually distort the curves of the spine, by altering your ligaments and stabilizing muscles and compressing your discs.
Movement is Life
Your spine actually lives off movement. There is no blood flow to the spine. The way it receives nutrients is by movement, which creates a pumping or flushing mechanism in the spine moving spinal fluid up and down the spine, hydrating the spine and supplying its vital nutrients. Without movement, the spine (and the rest of your body) begins to weaken.
At our Colorado Springs Chiropractic office, we use the following diagram to educate patients about the various phases of spinal degeneration.
With that in mind, have you made the connection between your lifestyle choices and your aches and pains?
Kaiser Permanente's Health News recently published that 75% of all health care dollars are spent on chronic, preventable disease. That means that about $1.5 trillion dollars are spent on ailments that could be prevented. Shocking, right?
It is the same with back pain - the number one reason why people call our office, and the number 2 reason for doctor visits in the US.
Back pain has become an epidemic in the US, and the situation is just getting worse. Why? We believe it to be linked to lifestyle choices, to include stagnant working environments, smoking, obesity, sugar intake and dehydration. On top of this, Americans value reactive health care, rather than preventative health care.
Using government research, we've calculated that the average American spends 91% of their day sitting. This includes meals, tv time, work, and commuting. Chronic sitting causes forward head posture and, over time, you can actually distort the curves of the spine, by altering your ligaments and stabilizing muscles and compressing your discs.
Movement is Life
Your spine actually lives off movement. There is no blood flow to the spine. The way it receives nutrients is by movement, which creates a pumping or flushing mechanism in the spine moving spinal fluid up and down the spine, hydrating the spine and supplying its vital nutrients. Without movement, the spine (and the rest of your body) begins to weaken.
At our Colorado Springs Chiropractic office, we use the following diagram to educate patients about the various phases of spinal degeneration.
Notice the plump, fluid-filled discs on the left, and as the disc degenerates, so does the vertebra. The vertebra create bones spurs and eventually fuse together, squeezing and stretching the spinal cord and nerves that flow from the vertebra.
Smoking, excessive weight, and dehydration can greatly increase this process. Smoking increases this process because it dehydrates the discs of the spine.
As a Colorado Springs Chiropractic clinic, we are acutely aware of how easy it is to dehydrate your body. Because of the altitude and arid semi-desert climate in Colorado Springs, just breathing dehydrates the body. A good rule for hydration is to drink at least half your body weight in water (not tea, soda, coffee or Gatorade). So, if you weigh 200 lbs, aim to drink 100 oz. of water each day.
Obesity and Your Back
In the US, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that there has been a 300% increase in obesity in many states since 1986. That means that the number of obese people has doubled every 8.5 years. That's a scary statistic.
Obesity dramatically compresses the discs and vertebra of the spine and decreases the intended space allotted for nerves. This can lead to bugling discs, ruptured discs, spinal misalignment (called vertebral subluxation), fractures, and more. Also, abdominal weight gain can alter the curves of the spine, especially in the low back. The further a body moves away from its intended design, the greater risk for pain, degeneration, and disease.
If you are looking for a Colorado Springs Chiropractic office that empowers you to change your life, please consider us. Come check out the office, meet the doctor, and see if we are a good fit for you. To do this, we'd like to offer you a free consultation with no obligation. Call today at 719.475.8676.
Smoking, excessive weight, and dehydration can greatly increase this process. Smoking increases this process because it dehydrates the discs of the spine.
As a Colorado Springs Chiropractic clinic, we are acutely aware of how easy it is to dehydrate your body. Because of the altitude and arid semi-desert climate in Colorado Springs, just breathing dehydrates the body. A good rule for hydration is to drink at least half your body weight in water (not tea, soda, coffee or Gatorade). So, if you weigh 200 lbs, aim to drink 100 oz. of water each day.
Obesity and Your Back
In the US, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that there has been a 300% increase in obesity in many states since 1986. That means that the number of obese people has doubled every 8.5 years. That's a scary statistic.
Obesity dramatically compresses the discs and vertebra of the spine and decreases the intended space allotted for nerves. This can lead to bugling discs, ruptured discs, spinal misalignment (called vertebral subluxation), fractures, and more. Also, abdominal weight gain can alter the curves of the spine, especially in the low back. The further a body moves away from its intended design, the greater risk for pain, degeneration, and disease.
If you are looking for a Colorado Springs Chiropractic office that empowers you to change your life, please consider us. Come check out the office, meet the doctor, and see if we are a good fit for you. To do this, we'd like to offer you a free consultation with no obligation. Call today at 719.475.8676.