How Chiropractic Care Works Best

Bird Dog Stretch

Chiropractic is at its most powerful when coupled with exercise and nutrition.  Chiropractic adjusting helps to turn on our postural stabilizer muscles, multifidus and rotatores, as well as normalizing muscle firing around the joints.  

The longer one has had back or neck pain the longer the muscles have not been working the way they are supposed to and become weakened and deconditioned.  It is important to re-strengthen the body to maximize your results from chiropractic and reduce the likelihood of relapses of aches and pain.  When we look at strengthening the muscles of the low and mid-back one of the top beginner exercises is the bird-dog exercise, we have handouts of this at the office free of charge.  Another great way to start is with wobble board or bosu ball balancing.  An intermediate exercise is doing a side-plank, plank, side-plank regimen.

In the course of working out remember the importance of proper hydration.  In rare cases, too much water can thwart progress, leaving your body more like a fresh water pond (sweat is salty, isn't it).  While we are approximately 65% water, it is a salty water.  That's where electrolytes play a role.  Gatorade is junk despite its glitzy commercials, too much sugar.  Start drinking water before you exercise to help prevent dehydration.

---