Featured Article
A publication for patients and friends of Westford Family Chiropractic
Westford Family Chiropractic's
Spinal Times of 2012
Dr. Richard J. Leigh * 288
(978) 692-4476 www.westfordchiropractic.com
To all of Westford Family Chiropractic patients; welcome to our bi-monthly health newsletter!
Every two weeks we will attempt to address two or three areas that will help improve your health.
westfordchiropractic@yahoo.com
Please comment in the BLOG section of the website.
February 2012, Edition 5
In addition to the electonic Newsletter,
Westford Family Chiropractic will be providing a
paper Health Newsletter which will be issued through the mail.
If you wish to receive this Newsletter you can sign up
in the office, call, or send us an email.
Dr. Leigh
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Flourishing
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| Chiropractic Care and the Possibility of Flourishing |
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Health issues often interfere with the ability to participate fully in life. For example, ongoing lower back pain can make a person irritable and anxious. Lower back pain reduces a person's activities, wastes valuable metabolic resources, and saps energy. The affected person's emotional range becomes restricted as she is continually compelled to be aware of her body's limitations. Chiropractic care may provide substantial benefit in the case of lower back pain and many other physical ailments. Gentle chiropractic care helps reduce pain by restoring mobility and reducing inflammation of affected muscles, ligaments, and tendons. As the person's pain resolves her interest in daily activities begins to grow. Reducing pain is associated with increasing involvement in life. As good health is restored, the person's ability to thrive and flourish is restored as well. |
*From the February 15, 2012 Health Newsletter*
Back Pain - Am I At Risk?
Are there risk factors for back pain? And, if there are, what can I do to keep myself healthy and well?Learning about potential risk factors and taking appropriate action will help ensure a stronger, more flexible, and healthier lower back.\r\
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Your Family and You
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For the most part back injuries are caused by mechanical issues, and the tendency to get such injuries is not inherited.
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Are there risk factors for back pain? And, if there are, what can I do to keep myself healthy and well? Your chiropractor can help answer these questions and more.
One primary risk factor relates to exercise. Everyone has heard, "if you don't use it, you lose it". If you're not exercising regularly, your back muscles are deconditioned and much more susceptible to injury - the strains and sprains we're accustomed to calling "back pain".
Muscles get stronger when they're required to do work. Also exercise helps "train" the soft tissues around a joint - the ligaments and tendons - these supporting structures "learn" how to withstand mechanical stresses and loads without becoming injured. Basically, when you exercise - when you do any kind of exercise - your body gets "smarter" and you're less likely to get those annoying back problems.1
A related risk factor is weak abdominal muscles. When you were a kid, at some point one of your gym teachers probably told you to "suck in your stomach". Actually, it turns out that was pretty good advice. Your abdominal muscles support the muscles of your lower back. If your abdominals are weak or if you're not using them - letting them hang out and droop instead of keeping them activated - your body weight has to be held up by the muscles of your lower back. They're not designed to do that - they're designed to move your spine around. And eventually, these lower back muscles will give way under the excess strain. The result is a very painful lower back injury.
There are many easy-to-do exercises for your abdominal muscles. The key is to actually do them - and do them after you're finished doing the rest of whatever exercises you've scheduled for that day. How often? Three times a week is plenty. Abdominal routines are quick - no more than 10 minutes. And, remember to use your abdominal muscles throughout the day. Imagine your abdominals are being pulled in and lifted up. This is not a "tightening" - your thought should be "activate". Your body will know what to do, once you've started adding consistent abdominal training to your exercise routine.
Risk factors for back pain may also be found in your personal and family medical history.2,3 During your initial visit your chiropractor will ask you about accidents and surgeries you've experienced, and discuss any important elements in your family history. For example, surgery to remove an inflamed galllbladder or appendix or to repair a hernia may result in weakened abdominal muscles. A motor vehicle accident or a fall from a height may have caused injuries that healed with soft tissue scarring.
Learning about potential risk factors and taking appropriate action will help ensure a stronger, more flexible, and healthier lower back.
Look for our "hardcopy" Health Newsletter coming soon....in the mail.
A Westford Family Chiropractic "ALERT"! 90% of prospective patients will find their chiropractor ON-LINE. Positive reviews are so important...and we / I hope that you feel Westford Family Chiropractic and myself provide you with top quality (5 star) chiropractic care. I ask that each of you who receive a newsletter would kindly take the time to "write" positive review on one (or more) of these sites:
Click on the logo for the site which you may wish to provide a "review" and type "Chiropractor near Westford" in the search box. Click on the Westford Family Chiropractic heading...Thank You!
When creating a "review" you will need to "verify" your authenticity by providing an email address. THANKS!
February 2012 Special !!!
Positioning Roll exclusive to persons NEW to our office. Westford Family Chiropractic will always be happy to provide x-rays and evaluations to past and present patients for$25.00.
For any existing patient that refers someone to our office; we will provide you with a neck or back roll as our thank you!
Call Westford Family Chiropractic today!
(978) 692-4476 or
request an appointment on-line.
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