Coping with Stress and Depression
As the weather outside becomes gray and work becomes dauntingly slow,
despite the holidays, we can have a tendency to become overwhelmed with
seasonal depression or stress. But there are ways to cope with this
that are much more simple than one might think. It starts by simply
living a healthy lifestyle.
First of all, you need to understand that this is something everyone
experiences at least once, if not many more times, in their life.
Although you may feel hopeless and unfulfilled with things that used to
bring you joy, there is hope! It is simply a condition and everyone has
the means to overcome it and avoid it in the future. It is strongly
advised for someone who is depressed to seek help from a professional.
However, there are additional day-to-day things you can do to cope with
or prevent it, which is what this post will focus on.
It is important to get daily exercise in order to get your blood
pumping, improve your circulation, contribute to detoxification, provide
an outlet for your frustrations, and release the body’s natural
feel-good chemicals.
Eating right is another way to keep your mind and body healthy.
Indulging on fatty, over-processed, and sugar-filled foods will not only
weigh you down, but cause fatigue and harmful chemicals to be released
in your body. It is important to get a nutritional diet filled with
nutrients and all parts of the food group. This includes lean meats,
dairy, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and plenty of water! Some of
the most common nutrient deficiencies that have been connected to mood
disorders are omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, B vitamins, zinc, folate,
chromium, iron, iodine, and amino acids. It is also important to note
that these nutrients are absorbed much better when they are provided by
foods, rather than taking store-bought vitamins. Foods that contain
these nutrients can easily be found online or through your doctor.
Meditation is another way that many people find relief from the
stresses of everyday life. Take the time to relax, breathe in deeply,
and focus on your own mind and body for a little bit each day. This will
allow more oxygen to your brain and body as you breathe in deeply,
which will also help to combat some of the physical pains that often
come from stress, depression, and mood disorders.
Make sure you are getting at least eight hours of sleep each day,
limiting alcohol consumption, getting natural sunlight, and taking some
time each day to do something fun for yourself! In addition to
exercising, laughing is another easy way to boost the levels of the
natural feel-good chemicals in your body. When we’re faced with a long
and stressful to-do list on a daily basis, it can be easy to forget to
do things for ourselves, but nonetheless, it is actually very important
for your physical and mental health.
So if you’re starting to feel down in the dumps lately, or more
on-edge than usual, try incorporating these things into your daily life,
it certainly won’t hurt to try!
If your experiencing physical pain from stress, you should also
consider visiting a chiropractor. We offer a variety of services that
will surely relieve your pain and get you back on track with a healthy
body. For chiropractic care in Vancouver, Washington, contact Back to
Health Chiropractic for an appointment!
Health Maintenance – Winter Cold and Flu Guide
Winter is here! And if it hasn’t hit you already, be prepared; tis the season for the cold and flu.
Contrary to what many people think, however, the cold weather is not
the reason for our increased susceptibility to some of these nasty
viruses, but rather, the fact that winter often brings a bit of slacking
when it comes to our health. If you’re being extra conscious of your
daily health routine, you may be more immune than some others. But for
many, neglecting your health will result in a suppressed immune system,
meaning increased vulnerability to the cold and flu.
Avoid Getting Sick By Strengthening Your Immune System
Some of the common causes for a suppressed immune system may be
unhealthy eating, vitamin D deficiency, insufficient sleep and exercise,
and high stress.
Some of the harmful foods we tend to overeat include sugar and
grains. These foods should be eaten in moderation because they are
highly detrimental to your immune system, which lies mostly in your gut.
As always, it’s important to eat a balanced, nutritional diet. Vitamin
C, antioxidants, and probiotics are excellent things to look for in
food, especially when you’re trying to avoid a cold. And keep in mind
that vitamins and nutrients are best absorbed through food, rather than
pills.
Most importantly, wash your hands! Especially when you’re around anyone who’s sick.
What To Do When You Think You’re Sick
Studies have been shown that vitamin D, otherwise known as the
sunshine vitamin, can not only help you prevent a flu or cold, but also
help get rid of it faster. If you aren’t able to get regular access to
the sun, you might want to consider enriching your diet with vitamin D3
supplements.
Zinc has also been proven to help, and should be taken at the first
sign of a cold or flu, as well as the other nutrients mentioned above.
If you’re looking for a hot beverage that will contribute to the cause,
try drinking some green tea.
What To Do When You Know You’re Sick
It is best to try to avoid some of the over the counter medicines, if
you’re able to. Some of these medications can actually slow down your
healing process by interfering with the body’s natural way of combating
the virus. For instance, a slight fever and fatigue occur naturally; it
means your body is fighting off the cold, so interfering with that will
only make it take longer. As long as your fever is not more than 102,
you should let your immune system do its magic and simply rest as much
as possible while getting all the nutrients you can and drinking plenty
of water.
If you’re temperature is above 102, and you’re experiencing shortness
of breath, uncontrollable cough, and/or pain around the eyes or ears,
you should call your physician.
Overall, Be Healthy!
Your fate this cold and flu system really lies in your own hands. Get
lots of sleep, drink lots of water, exercise, get some sun, eat
healthy, and take some time to relax and laugh each day to maintain good
mental health. And don’t forget to wash your hands of course!
The Benefits Of Body Weight Exercising
Body weight exercising is a great way to stay in shape if you have no
access to a gym or other exercise equipment. Even if you do have access
to these things, body weight exercise may be a better choice for you.
By using your own body weight as resistance, you get a number of
benefits that other styles cannot compete with.
Convenience
Time is the great exercise killer. Many people who are too busy to go
to a gym or dedicate themselves to an intense, equipment-filled workout
may find that body weight training is a perfect fit. Not only can you
exercise anywhere and any time, but the workouts are generally fifteen
to thirty minutes long. This is because it is so easy to move from one
exercise to the next. Body weight training is very versatile and
eliminates the traditional two-hour workouts.
Tailored to Suit Your Needs
Another great benefit of body weight exercising is that your routine
can be easily modified to fit your unique body type. If you cannot do
regular push-ups, do wall push-ups, then slowly introduce greater
resistance as you build up more strength. This works for every muscle
group. Your body type is unique, and with body weight exercising, your
workout routine can be unique as well.
Mix it Up
Regular weight training and cardio routines can get very boring over
time. You end up doing the same exercises over and over again. With body
weight training, there are many different exercises available for each
muscle group, as well as different blocks that are designed to vary your
set and rep counts. By mixing up the exercises and introducing a more
varied approach, you keep your muscle groups from getting comfortable
and keep your interest level high.
Combine Cardio and Strength
In between strength exercises, you can do cardio workouts like
jumping jacks or burpees, which will keep your heart rate up and get you
a full body workout that other methods cannot compare to. This is
especially helpful if you don’t have time to go for a run every day or
climb on a Stairmaster for thirty minutes.
Affordable
With body weight exercising, you don’t need to purchase an expensive
gym membership. You won’t need to spend large amounts of money on any
equipment either. There may be a few minor pieces, such as a pull-up
bar, that you will want to invest in, but the overall cost will be
minuscule compared to other exercise programs and methods.
Low Injury Risk
One of the worst exercising experiences is being sidelined for months
because of an injury. Since body weight resistance routines do not
require heavy, awkward equipment, the risk for injury is minimal. Most
exercises work with natural body movements that keep your muscles active
and healthy.
Remodeling:
When you’re in a motor vehicle accident, your head and body are
violently thrown. This causes ripping and tearing of your muscles,
tendons and ligaments. The body naturally heals on its own. The body
will send out cells that produce collagen fibers. If left to heal
naturally without care, the collagen fibers will randomly place
themselves and produce tight scar-like tissues. Here it Back to Health
Chiropractic we use the most advanced chiropractic and massage treatment
to help remodel the collagen tissues back to their elastic nature. By
manipulating the small intricate muscles, tendons and ligaments, they
return back to the normal resiliency they were prior to the accident.
Chiropractic adjustments, if done correctly, have proven to be the most
effective treatment to remodel the damaged tissue back to its normal
elasticity. The chiropractic adjustments are capable stretching these
fibers to their normal para-physical limit. No other therapy has been
proven capable. This is the key to proper healing of the intricate
tissues that surround the spine. In conjunction with chiropractic
adjustments, we use massage therapy to help rehabilitate the larger
tissue damage in the larger muscles, tendons and ligaments. By using
both chiropractic and massage therapy we help the body heal and remodel
as near to pre-accident status as possible.
Degeneration:
If the body does not receive proper care, these tight scar fibers
will cause the joints in your spine to wear down faster than normal.
This wearing and tearing is called degenerative arthritis. If left
untreated, the arthritis produces degenerative spurs. The arthritis will
also degenerate the discs in the spine. The discs play an important
role in the spine. They act like little shock absorbers in your spine.
As you walk, jump and run they cushion the vertebrae. As degenerative
arthritis is produced in the body, your body’s range of motion
decreases. It is important to realize that life is motion. The
degeneration of the vertebrae and discs can cause your vertebrae to fuse
together if left untreated for a prolonged period of time. If the
vertebrae become fused together there is no motion. It is important to
your health that you receive the proper care to prevent this
degeneration from taking place.
Posture:
The body’s posture is drastically changed due to ripping and tearing
of the muscles, tendons and ligaments. Your posture is extremely
important to your health… at Back to Health Chiropractic, we use many in
office and home therapies to help restore your posture to its original
or better than original state.
Reinnervation:
The ripping and tearing of the muscle, tendons and ligaments also
causes another problem, reinnervation… If left untreated the body will
produce new nerve endings in the damaged area. This is called
reinnervation. This causes your pain threshold to decrease. The lower
pain threshold means that it takes less stimuli to produce pain. This is
the cause of chronic pain. It is ever so important to repair these
tissues as quick as possible to prevent reinnervation from taking place.
Nerve Pressure:
The ripping and tearing of the spinal tissues also cause pressure on
the nerves coming from the spinal cord out through the vertebrae. This
abnormal pressure can cause many problems. First and most prominent is
pain. The other important factor is if this pressure is great enough, it
can affect different organs in the body. If the nerves have pressure on
them, they don’t communicate as well to the organs of your body. This
lack of communication can have detrimental effects on your health. Here
at back to health chiropractic, we use the latest techniques and
adjustments to eliminate this nerve pressure to allow your body to be in
the best health possible.
New Tissue:
The first 45 days after an accident are when most of the scar tissue
is formed. This is a golden period to help the remodeling of the tissue.
Though the tissues can be remodeled after this period, it is best to
treat them as quick as possible. The sooner you get chiropractic and
massage therapy treatment, the better the results will be.
Most Auto insurances pay 100%. You do not need a M.D. referral to a chiropractor to use your auto insurance.
Injury Recovery Methods at Back to Health Chiropractic
People who live an active lifestyle are more likely to suffer
injuries, and those injuries can be frustrating to go through. If you
have sustained an injury, be it from work, sports, or accident, you will
want to utilize recovery methods that can get you back to one hundred
percent as soon as possible. With Back to Health Chiropractic, your
wellbeing and comfort are the top priority, and we will put you on a
path to recovery that works best with your unique situation. The
professionals on our staff know how to diagnose and properly treat many
different injuries, and we can help you heal and recover from injuries
you never thought possible. There are several different methods to use
when recovering from injury.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is primarily focused on relieving you of your pain
and suffering and getting you back to performing your daily activities
in comfort. As you recover, physical therapy treatments evolve to build
on the functions you have and slowly introduce more resistance to the
injured areas. Under the direct supervision of a trained physical
therapist, it is usually possible to make a full recovery. Physical
therapy can even shorten your recovery time, as exercising your injured
joints, ligaments, or tendons will prevent them from becoming stiff and
help them gain strength faster.
Massage Therapy
Massages can contribute a lot to the recovery process. Not only will a
massage enhance relaxation and muscle function, but it can also help
with the mental aspect of recovery. Massages are known to help with
sleeping and strengthening your immune system, which can go a long way
in helping you fully recover. If your joints are sore after a physical
therapy session or are aching from an old injury, a massage can restore
functionality and help you go about your daily activities in far less
pain. Our specialists at Back to Health Chiropractic are trained in all
aspects of massage, meaning you will leave feeling refreshed and in less
pain than when you came in.
Exercise
A personalized exercise program is essential to recovering from
sports-related injuries. Rather than let your joints and ligaments get
stiff, which will prolong your recovery time, it is best to slowly ease
into exercising. This will shorten your recovery time and work to
strengthen your body. Remaining as active as possible is always better
for your recovery time, and our specialists at Back to Health
Chiropractic can help you form an exercise program that will work best
for you.
Natural Ways To Treat Arthritis Pain
Arthritis pain is a condition featuring inflammation in the joints
that causes stiffness and pain. It typically gets worse with age, as the
joints suffer more wear and tear and aging factors. While the condition
is typically treated with anti-inflammation medications, there are
several techniques you can use at home that may provide relief.
Weight Loss
Reducing the strain on your joints can go a long way to relieving
your pain. Losing weight can contribute a lot to the amount of pressure
your joints are exposed to on a daily basis. Extra weight makes it more
difficult for your knees, hips, and feet. By losing the weight, you can
also prevent future damage from occurring.
Exercise More Often
Regular movement helps your joints maintain flexibility and motion.
However, there are varying degrees of exercise, and some forms, like
running, can actually do further damage. Stick to low-stress exercises
like swimming to reduce the strain on your joints and keep the
flexibility intact.
Heating and Cooling Methods
Warm showers or baths in the morning can help with the stiffness in
your joints, thus relieving a little pain every day. An electric blanket
or heating pad at night can keep your joints loose throughout the
evening hours and provide relief as well. If your joints are causing you
bad pain, an ice pack or bag of frozen vegetables can do a lot to help
you.
Meditation
Meditation and relaxation techniques can actually be very beneficial
to your overall health. By reducing your stress and increasing your
relaxation, you can better cope with arthritis pain. Those who suffer
from other conditions on top of arthritis, like depression or bipolar
disorder, are even more likely to experience benefits from regular
meditation and relaxation techniques.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy is excellent for joint and muscle pain, and can be a
huge benefit for those who suffer from arthritis. Massages can take
stress from the joints and loosen them up, while also improving your
range of motion. Many massage therapists are trained for working with
arthritis patients, and will work directly with you to improve your
condition.
The Benefits Of Massage Therapy
Massage therapy, once relegated to spas and resorts, has become a
main component of the alternative medicine movement. There is good
reason for this, as massage therapy offers a number of benefits that can
improve your overall health dramatically. Whether you are an athlete
preparing for or recovering from the strenuous daily workouts, or worker
who wants some relief from the stresses of an average day, massage
therapy can help you and your body feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
It Relieves Stress
Stress can come in many different forms and have weird effects on
people. Many illnesses and muscle pains are linked to stress, and its
presence is only growing in the fast-paced world around us. Massage
therapy cannot completely eliminate stress, for obvious reasons, but it
can help manage it. A relaxing massage can lead to lower anxiety, better
sleep, and more energy, all of which can help you manage your stress
and keep your attitude positive as you go about your day.
It Helps With Muscle Pain
Muscle pain affects everyone as some point, whether it be from
lifting heavy machinery all day or from sitting at a desk for too long.
Massage therapy relieves tension in these muscles and helps them to
relax, which means less pain for you. With less pain, your range of
motion increases, letting you perform more actions and perform them at a
higher level than before. This is especially beneficial for athletes,
as their bodies take a lot of strain from daily activity. If you are
experiencing muscle pain, give massage therapy a try. It can help with
your pain and give your muscles the relief they are craving.
Injury Recovery
If you have recently been injured, massage therapy can be a very
helpful part of your recovery process. Car accidents or sports injuries
can be detrimental to your body’s overall health, and massage therapy
can contribute to you getting back where you want to be.
If you feel like your life has become too stressful, or your muscle
pain has become unbearable, make an appointment with a massage therapist
and try it out for yourself. You can relieve your stress, help your
muscles recover, and increase your overall health. With frequent visits,
you may find that there are even more benefits you would not have known
of otherwise.
How a Chiropractor Helps
If you have experienced chronic pain in certain areas of your body,
like your back or shoulders, for a long time, chiropractic treatment
could be beneficial for you. Chiropractic treatment services have come a
long way in providing relief and health benefits for a lot of different
people. Do not suffer through your pain or put on a brave face.
Treatment from a professional chiropractor can get you back to moving
around pain-free and living the life you want to live. Here are only
some of the benefits offered from regular chiropractic treatment.
Immune System Functionality
Chiropractic treatment can increase your immune system functionality.
This could be the biggest benefit of chiropractic care. Your overall
health is closely related to the performance of your immune system,
meaning that if the immune system is working better, you will be much
healthier overall. You may even suffer fewer colds due to chiropractic
work.
Pain Management
With chiropractic care, you can locate and provide attention to
nervous system stress, which can significantly help with pain
management. A chiropractor can also strengthen the muscles surrounding
your nerves and give you advice on how to properly care for you body,
reducing overall pain in the process.
Increased Range of Movement
With the pain in your body under control, not to mention muscle work
being done, you should see increased range of motion in your daily life.
Your flexibility will increase, letting you move and stretch more, and
you will then be able to do more things day to day.
No Drug Use
Since chiropractors only use natural methods to treat their patients,
you won’t have to deal with any pain killers or drug side effects. The
overuse of medications and drugs can lead to serious problems for you in
the future. With chiropractic care, you do not have to worry at all
about any of those issues.
If you have ever wondered how chiropractors can help you and increase
your overall health, make an appointment today. You can greatly affect
how your body goes about the day, decrease pain, increase flexibility,
and improve your overall health.
