Want to Lose Weight? Get Some Sleep!
Posted on 09. Apr, 2010 by Santa Barbara Chiropractor in health
As a chiropractor, I’m very interested in the overall health of my patients. As part of a healthy lifestyle we discuss a nutritious diet, getting enough rest, drinking enough water, and getting regular chiropractic care, of course. And, since body weight can affect the stability and function of the musculoskeletal system, as well as impact its organic structures, I am always interested in new studies about weight issues. So, now, let me ask you this: What could be worse than feeling tired and groggy during the day after not getting enough sleep the night before? Well, craving calories, that’s what! A recent study found that normal-weight young men ate a “Big Mac’s-worth of extra calories” when they’d gotten four hours of sleep the night before compared to when they slept for eight hours.
Let’s face it, as a group, we Americans have been sleeping less and getting fatter over the past few decades. The researchers wrote in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, “Sleep restriction could be one of the environmental factors that contribute to the obesity epidemic.” No experimental studies to date have actually looked at what happens to a normal-weight person’s eating patterns when he or she sleeps less.
To read more about this study, go to reuters.com
Your San Diego Chiropractor Wants You to Know That Those Extra Few Pounds Can Make a Big Difference in the Long Run
Posted on 05. Mar, 2010 by admin in health
As a Chiropractor in San Diego, I counsel many individuals who come to my clinic who want to lose weight. I know how hard it can be, and I also know how important it is to lose those extra pounds. What’s the harm in being just a few pounds overweight? Over time, those pounds can add up to a substantial number of health issues from heart and pulmonary diseases and diabetes to back challenges and joint degeneration. Surplus poundage puts harmful stress on organs, like the heart, not to mention on joints in the low back, hips, and knees. A shocking 62% of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, according to recent studies. That is an extremely compelling number and an enormous dilemma (no pun intended).
Though we try to pretend otherwise, most of us know that the human body was not intended to carry around surplus weight in the form of body fat. Just 20 or 30 extra pounds can veritably overload and even overwhelm the joints and muscles of the body. Added weight in the belly, for example, makes it necessary for the body to compensate (counterbalance the weight) by tilting the pelvis forward. This shift puts pressure on the joints of the low back. Joint compression restricts nerve activity and causes painful inflammation. The majority of individuals that have a “spare tire”experience low back pain as the result of a compressed sciatic nerve or misalignments of the spinal column that impinge nerves as a consequence of weight-bearing stresses. If ignored, misaligned vertebra generally produce new arthritic changes in the spine over time, as well as persist in irritating the degenerative changes that have already taken place.
You’ll be happy to hear that chiropractic treatment can help. First of all, to be clear, a moderate body weight is necessary in order for the musculoskeletal system to function in the way it is built to. Chiropractic treatment can not only help to decrease pain caused by excess weight compensation, but it can aid in weight reduction. Here’s how. Chiropractic adjustments relieve nerve impingements in the vertebral column and help to get movement back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, especially in the low back, hips, and knees. And, of course exercise and physical activity is a lot easier, and more beneficial for the body, when the the joints have good mobility and the spine is aligned. The added benefit of exercise the, in addition to helping with weight reduction, it can actually slow the potential for degenerative changes as we age.
Healthcare professionals, like your chiropractor, can talk to you about your diet and exercise alternatives. In addition to helping men and women suffering from back pain and joint inflammation, chiropractors can provide trained advice on the type of lifestyle modifications that can help you to stay healthier, more vigorous, and more active through the years. Arthritis and immobility due to aging don’t have to be unavoidable. The structure of the human body is intended to carry a person through an entire lifetime of pain-free movement.
So, if you’ve been thinking that a few extra pounds won’t hurt, think again! As your chiropractor in San Diego, and someone who cares deeply about your overall health, I’d like to help you to make healthier choices. Make an appointment today!
Santa Barbara Chiropractor: Are Extra Pounds Putting Your Joints on Overload?
Posted on 08. Dec, 2009 by admin in Where:Santa-Barbara-CA
It is no secret that carrying around excess body weight, especially as we age, can cause a number of health problems from cardiovascular diseases and diabetes to back and joint pain. Too much body weight puts extra stress on organs, like the heart, and on joints in the low back, hips, and knees. Recent studies have revealed that more than half of the adults in the U.S. (62 percent) are overweight or obese. That is a very significant number and an enormous problem (no pun intended).
The human body was not designed to carry around extra weight in the form of body fat. Only an additional 20 or 30 pounds can put the musculoskeletal system literally on overload. Weight in the belly, for instance, causes the body to compensate (counterbalance the weight) by tilting the pelvis forward. This produces compression in the joints of the low back. Joint compression constricts nerve activity and produces painful inflammation. Weight-bearing stresses can cause a pinched sciatic nerve or create misalignments of the spinal column that impinge nerves. This is the reason that most overweight individuals suffer from low back pain. Misaligned vertebra can not only cause new arthritic changes in the spine, but can continue to irritate the degenerative changes that have already taken place over the years.
You may be wondering how chiropractic can help. First of all, to be clear, a healthy body weight is a necessity in order for the musculoskeletal system to perform the way it is meant to. That said, in addition, chiropractic treatment relieves nerve impedence in the spine and helps to restore mobility back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, like in the low back, hips, and knees. A spine in alignment and joints that have healthy movement make exercise and physical activity a lot easier. Exercise will not only help with weight loss, but it can actually decelerate degenerative changes as a person ages.
It is always best to discuss diet and exercise with a healthcare professional, like your chiropractor. Chiropractors not only help individuals get pain relief from back challenges and joint inflammation due to arthritis, but in addition they offer highly knowledgeable advice on the kind of lifestyle changes that can aid an individual in staying healthier and more active through the years. Arthritis and immobility as we get older do not have to be inevitable. The human body was meant to move, to walk, even to dance, without pain, for a lifetime.
So, if you’ve been throwing your weight around and all you’ve been getting in return is back and joint pain, your chiropractor can help relieve your suffering. Make an appointment today!
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