Hi everyone!
This week I’m sharing some Q&A from daily patient interactions – the top questions I get about joints and aging:
QUESTION: I find as I’m getting older, my joints are getting achier. Is this just a fact of aging, or is there something I can do about it?
A: Actually my answer might surprise you. A lot of the typical aches and pains we gripe about as we get older are due to (a) wear and tear, and (b) a slow buildup of chronic low-grade inflammation. And this CAN be controlled with good nutrition, supplementation, and fixing muscle imbalances.
For acute pain, the treatments I do work well because they allow your nervous system – the body’s command center for healing – to function at its peak. But I also look at other lifestyle factors, because pain often requires a holistic approach.
QUESTION: What’s your #1 tip for low back pain?
A: Yikes, that’s a loaded question. It depends what’s causing the low back pain. So I guess my #1 tip would just be to get the problem assessed. For me to say something like “keep your core strong” would be doing you a disservice.
Even if you work your core a lot, if your hips aren’t moving the way they should, you could be dumping buckets of added strain on your low back whenever you walk, work out, or do your favourite activities. In fact, overworking the core might be making things worse! That’s why when you first come in I do a complete assessment to get to the root cause of your pain.
QUESTION: I work in a high-pressure job and often feel run down or tired, any tips to better deal with work-related stress?
A: First, give yourself permission to feel that way. It’s OK. It means you’re human. Second, negative thoughts and feelings alter your body’s biochemistry and trigger a ‘fight or flight’ response from your sympathetic nervous system.
The fastest way to reverse all that is to change your physiology in some way. Go for a walk. Do a workout. Jump up and down.
Beyond those short term fixes, the gentle adjusting techniques I use help promote a healthier parasympathetic nervous system, which calms things down in your body and pulls you back from the ledge of fight or flight. The net result is stress-thoughts don’t surface as much.
You’ll find yourself suddenly with more stamina, and better able to stay in the “green” zone. Some patients in high-performance jobs even say regular adjustments give them an edge over their co-workers.
If you’re finding it hard to cope with stress, or are lacking energy to enjoy your down time, do yourself a “solid” and complete the contact us form at https://annexfamilychiropractic.com/contact-us/ to schedule your initial consultation (or follow up).
Among my patients, salespeople, managers, students, athletes – all enjoy a new ability to dissolve stress on contact. You can too!
As always, I welcome your questions.
To Your Health,
Dr. Josh
