PUSH-as-Rx ®™ Wellness Exercise & Fitness

Your health is easily one of the most important things in your life. When your health is good, you feel better, are more productive and generally happier. When your health is not good, it becomes difficult to accomplish even the smallest tasks—and your mood and ability to enjoy life suffer. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to lead a healthier life. Read on to learn some of the most important tips for healthy living!

3 Tips for Healthy Living from Your Chiropractic Team

1. Keep your body in alignment through regular chiropractic care.

Regular chiropractic adjustments are the perfect way to keep your body in alignment. Proper alignment of the spine and joints reduces pain and inflammation, speeds up healing and makes moving more enjoyable.

Many times people are unaware of how to move in the best way for their bodies. Poor movement patterns can lead to injuries, which make it impossible to stay as active as you like. If you start to notice any pain caused when you move—like when adopting a new exercise routine—stop doing what you are doing and consult with your chiropractor. Chiropractors are trained to identify movement problems and help correct them. Your chiropractor should be able to help you find a way to exercise that does not cause pain or lead to injury.

2. Keep track of your health.

It is important to get an accurate assessment of your current health on a regular basis. The goals you set for the future will be much more easily achieved if you know where you are starting from. Some of the ways you can keep track of your health include

:

• Maintain a relationship with your doctor, dentist, and chiropractor. Preventative healthcare is more effective and less expensive than waiting for something to go wrong. By keeping regular appointments with your doctor, dentist, and chiropractor, you can get valuable feedback on your current state of health. They can also help you catch potential problems early on.
• Keep a diary of your exercise, diet, and mood. The diary does not have to be complicated or overly detailed. You just need a clear picture of how much you are exercising, what kinds of exercises you are doing, what food you are eating and how you are feeling.

3. Start with the basics—a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Good health is built on a foundation of diet and exercise. The goal is to improve and maintain a regimen where you eat healthily and exercise regularly over the long-term. You do not have to do anything drastic, either. You will have an easier time making changes if you start small and gradually shift towards a lifestyle that you think is best for you.

Some points to remember:

• The perfect diet for one person may not be perfect for another, but there are some basics that work well for the vast majority of people. A diet focused on whole foods, including plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, is ideal. Repeated studies have shown that a Mediterranean style diet is healthy and easy to maintain, making it a good place to start if you are new to healthy eating.
• Take baby steps. Extreme shifts in diet can be mentally exhausting and difficult to maintain. Drastic changes in exercise habits risk injury and are also hard to maintain. Focus on taking small, incremental steps to reach your goals.

Contact Us Today to Schedule an Appointment

If you would like a personalized plan for improving your health, please contact us. One of our chiropractic team members is ready to assist you!

Reduce Plantar Fasciitis Pain with Functional *FOOT ORTHOTICS* | El Paso, TX (2019)

Foot pronation is the natural movement which occurs during foot landing while walking or running. Foot pronation also occurs while standing, and in this instance, it is the amount in which the foot rolls inward toward the arch. Foot pronation is normal, however, excessive foot pronation can cause a variety of health issues, including bad posture.

Plantar fasciitis: A Perspective In Functionality

Plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of the plantar fascia or aponeurosis. Which can be caused by trauma, e.g. jumping/running activity, or more from longstanding stretching of pronated feet.

• The pain of plantar fasciitis is commonly at its worst when getting out of bed in the morning.
• The initial steps cause a painful stretching of the tissue after hours of being in a shortened position.
• As a person sleeps, the feet naturally go into a position of plantarflexion and shorten down in a relaxed.
• Mild relief is common after moving about for a while.

Treatment options

Treatment options for plantar fasciitis include:

• Reduced activity
• Cryotherapy
• Ultrasound
• Taping
• Massage
• Chiropractic
• Orthotics

If the patient is capable of walking without an antalgic gait, look to see how much foot flare occurs during the gait cycle.

Rule of thumb for foot flare:

1. Both feet should be pointing in the general direction you are walking toward.
2. Any deviation from a line directly in front involving one foot more than the other is a red flag for dysfunction in the kinetic (moving) chain and may be a contributing factor in the syndrome.
3. Foot flare is a compensation mechanism to help balance a wobbly pelvis.
4. If this is detected, remove shoes and socks and look at the medial arch.

Gentle care

• Direct palpation of the plantar fascia may reveal painful thickened muscle, especially along the medial longitudinal arch.
• This thickened muscle is the result of repetitive tear and repair process.
• With the foot relaxed, grasp the toes and gently pull them up into passive dorsiflexion.
• Gentleness is essential; as this motion stretches the irritated plantar area.
• It often presents with fixations or subluxations of the bones of the feet.
• The collapse of any of the three arches of the foot sets the stage for joint fixation.

Mobility & function

• Mobility is life to a joint, so don’t overlook the benefit of adjusting the subluxations or fixations of the lower extremity.
• Once the acute phase of plantar fasciitis is under control, you can address the factors that contributed to the condition.
• Most of the time patients need arch structure to be supported in an optimal functioning position.
• Custom-made orthotics support all three arches of the foot provide the necessary support to reduce the tension on the plantar fascia by blocking the excessive pronation stretches.

Improvement through non-invasive treatment

1. Improvement of muscle function of the kinetic chain through massage or other forms of muscle management can improve muscle compliance, or the ability of the muscle to contract and relax.
2. Chronic muscle tension creates joint dysfunction and can lead to inflammation in the plantar fascia.
3. A massaging or mechanical chiropractic compression down the length of the plantar fascia can restore flexibility to that tissue.
4. Roll the foot over a golf ball or similar device for the purpose of restoring fascia flexibility can have profound effects on foot pain and function.
5. Patient tolerance is the key to any technique used, so try to understand that the chiropractor/physical/massage therapists are trying their best to bring relief, increasing the pressure and the length of any intervention.

NCBI Resources

The SMART approach is a guide for setting realistic goals and attaining them. It is an acronym that outlines a success-focused strategy for goal setting:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Accountable
• Realistic
• Timeframe

Each step will bring you closer to achieving your goals and improve your health.

Some people find it easier to engage in certain healthy activities during different times of the year. For instance, they may enjoy the fresh produce of summer or going for a run during the cooler days of fall. However, there are some things you can do to stay healthy regardless of the season. These are some good habits you can cultivate and develop for good health, rain or shine, cool weather or warm. By incorporating these four practices into your daily routine, you are very likely to see much less of your doctor and enjoy your life a whole lot more.

See a Chiropractor Regularly

Visiting a chiropractor regularly will keep your body balanced and your spine aligned. Chiropractic care has several significant benefits including decreased pain, faster healing from injuries, increased mobility, and better flexibility.

What makes it even more preferable is that chiropractic takes a whole-body approach to health issues. This means that when you have a problem such as pain or a medical condition, your chiropractor will work to get to the root of it and treat the condition where it starts while traditional medicine typically focuses on symptoms. Chiropractic care is non-invasive and drug-free, a truly natural approach to health care.

Maintain a Balanced Diet

A healthy diet is the cornerstone of good health. You should maintain a diet that includes lean meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. The key is choosing fresh, seasonal foods that are local to your area. Foods grown in their season have certain vitamins and minerals that the body needs for the time of year in which they are ripe and ready.

It is also worth noting that several small studies have found that animal protein can exacerbate pain, specifically osteoarthritis. It does not mean you should stop eating meat altogether because certain types of meat offer significant health benefits. Salmon is a good example. It is loaded with heart-healthy Omega 3 Fatty Acids – which, incidentally, also help to reduce inflammation in the body.

Find an Exercise Routing that Works

If you want to be able to move, then you have to start moving. Exercise is crucial for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The problem is, many people believe that the only way they can exercise is by joining the gym or going for a run which has to be done in good weather. This isn’t so.

There are plenty of things you can do indoors, even in small spaces or while on vacation, to get some exercise. If you have problems with mobility, walking is an excellent option, but even gardening is great.

Also, women over 40 should do weight-bearing exercises several times a week to ward off osteoporosis. Furthermore, exercise is a great complement to chiropractic. It helps to keep your body flexible and increases your range of motion. Three to five times a week for 20 to 30 minutes is all you need.

Get Good Sleep

Good sleep is one of the most underrated keys to good health. When you sleep, it gives your brain and body an opportunity to refresh and heal. The discs in your spine are rehydrated, your body relaxes, and you less susceptible to stress when you are well rested.

On average, adults need anywhere from seven to nine hours of sleep a night in order to reap the full benefits. Take time to set up your bedroom for good rest: a comfortable mattress, a good pillow (they can wear out so change them regularly), a cool, dark, quiet room, and a relaxing environment that may include white noise or lavender scent. Make your bedroom as comfortable and sleep-inducing as possible.

Good health practices don’t have to be complicated or difficult. Start with small steps and let those behaviors become habits. Good health habits will help you have a long, full life.

Massage Therapy Rehabilitation | El Paso, Tx.