San Diego Chiropractor Advises: Don’t Let Just a Few Extra Pounds Put Your Joints on Overload
As 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. Before you let out all the seams in your current wardrobe, there are some things that you may want to know relating to those few seemingly benign extra pounds you may have gained. As we age, they can add up to a surprising 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, not to mention on joints in the low back, hips, and knees. Over half (62%) of men and women in America are overweight or obese, according to recent studies. That is an extremely compelling number and an enormous national health issue (no pun intended).
It is likely no surprise to you to learn that the human body was not intended to transport additional poundage in the form of body fat. A mere excess of 20 or 30 pounds can veritably overload and encumber the joints and muscles of the body. Added weight in the abdominal region, for instance, makes it necessary for the body to 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 hinders nerve activity. A larger percentage of individuals that have a “spare tire”suffer from low back pain caused by an impingement of the sciatic nerve or misalignments of the spinal column that restrict nerves as a result of weight-bearing stresses. If left untreated, misaligned vertebra in most cases produce new arthritic changes in the spine over time, as well as continue to irritate the degenerative changes that have already taken place.
Here are the ways in which chiropractic treatment can help. To begin with the obvious, a “normal” body weight is essential in order for the musculoskeletal system to act and respond in the way it is designed to. Chiropractic treatment can not only relieve pain created by excess weight compensation, but it can aid in weight reduction. Here’s how. Chiropractic adjustments relieve nerve compression in the spinal column and help to get movement back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, particularly 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 movement and the spine is aligned. Not only will exercise help with weight reduction, but it can actually inhibit degenerative changes as we age.
Healthcare professionals, like your chiropractor, can advise you regarding your diet and exercise choices. In addition to treating individuals suffering from back pain and joint inflammation, chiropractors offer proficient guidance regarding the type of lifestyle corrections that can help a person to stay healthier, more vigorous, 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 intended for a lifetime of pain-free movement.
So, if those extra pounds have been sneaking up on you, and they’ve turned into a surprising load of pain, as your San Diego chiropractor and someone who understands, I can help. Make an appointment today!