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Rules to Live By for a Healthy Spine

1. Get your Spine checked regularly especially if you are under stress, ill, pregnant or had an accident.
2. Men should remove their wallets from their back pockets. Wallets create a wedge putting strain on the pelvis, causing problems to occur and reoccur.
3. Always put ice on after an injury because the area of the injury is inflamed, and the ice will help reduce the swelling.  Use ice for the first 72 hours; after that, a combination of ice and heat will best help promote the reduction of the swelling. Use ice for a maximum of 20 minutes; leaving it longer will cause the opposite effect to occur.
4. Always wait at least 30 to 45 minutes, after reapplying ice to an injury, or before placing heat on the area, as the sensation of the skin is altered and there may be a risk of burning a numb area.
5. An Epsom salt bath is beneficial to sore stiff muscles, as the lactic acid in the muscle will be drawn out.  For such a bath, dissolve 2 pounds of Epsom salts into the warm bath water, then soak for 20 minutes.  Another option is to dissolve 1 cup Epsom salts and 1 cup of baking soda into the bath water.
6. Never sleep on your stomach. This position places a stress on your spine which can cause problems to occur and self perpetuate.  
7. Sleep on your side with a pillow between your legs, and always make sure your neck is supported in line with your spine.  You can also sleep on your back, though it may be necessary to place a pillow under your knees to relax your back muscles. 
8. After any injury, get your spine checked. That will prevent lasting effects that can occur for months, or even years, later.
9. Muscles do not like to be cold, or kept in a shortened position, for extended periods of time.  Be aware of air vents blowing on the muscles, like ceiling fans, drafts etc.
10. Always lift from you knees using both legs. You have one back and two legs.  Carry objects close to your body.
11. The best way to injure you back is to bend forward, twist (rotate), and lift a heavy weight.  To avoid this, always face the heavy object, use your legs to help lift it, hold it close to your body, then turn and face the direction in which you are going to place the object down, before placing it down.
12. You may be tender after the first adjustment. It’s like exercising after not doing anything for a while. You may be stiff the next day. Ice can always be applied to the tender area for 20 minute intervals. There are no side- effects from ice.  It has a pain relieving ability and helps with inflammation.
13. No holding the telephone between the ear and the shoulder! Doing so will cause prolonged shortening of the muscles of the neck and shoulders, and can lead to neck issues or reactivation of neck problems.    
14. The recommended daily intake of water is half your body weight in oz.  That sounds like a lot, but it isn’t. Start with a 32oz bottle, and soon you will find you are drinking more.  I recommend using a stainless steel bottle. Plastic can leach chemicals into the water, especially if it gets hot.  
15. Eat organic meats and vegetables, and buy local, whenever possible.   
16. Conventional meat can contain hormones and antibiotics and usually comes from grain fed animals. Grain can be inflammatory, so its use should be limited.  Pesticides are used in conventional farming methods, and certain fruits and vegetables absorb the pesticides into the skin. 
17. Take a whole food based multivitamin. These are easier to absorb and the body recognizes them more so than a synthetic multivitamin.  Why do we need to take a multivitamin? Even with the best diet, you may not get all the nutrients your body needs.  To satisfy current recommended daily vitamin requirements, you would have to consume up to 12 - 18 fruits and vegetables a day.
18. Don’t sit too long. You should get up every 20 minutes, or at least once every hour. Sitting shuts down your sacro occipital pump so you will tend to get sleepy. To reduce the negative effects of sitting, you can sit on an unstable surface like an exercise ball or a vestibular disc.
    

Healing Hands Chiropractic, Inc.  |  434.409.0564 1445 Rio Road E., Suite 201, Charlottesville, VA 22901