Blogs

This week I want to talk to you about stretching. The spring is a time that many of us are starting to head outside of our homes now that the weather is warming up again and starting to exercise. You may want to get more active, maybe you are trying to get a “swimsuit body”, or maybe you have a friend who is dragging you along with their exercise plan. Whatever the reason may be, exercise is good for you but you should always stretch first. Stretching after is also a good idea. Here are some things you can do to get your body warmed up.

Touch Your Toes. This is the classic stretch but can be increasingly difficult as we age or become less active. Something to try is standing with your feet shoulder width apart and relax your torso so that your arms hang as low as possible naturally. Now take a deep breath and let it out like a sigh. You should notice that your hands hang a little lower now. Continue doing this until you feel a pull in the backs of your legs and hold it for a few seconds. Stand back up slowly, pretending that your spine is building itself back up one vertebrae at a time with your head being the last thing you straighten. You’ll be amazed at how much more flexible you’ll be just by doing this even three times a week.

Stretch Straight Up. Now that you’ve touched your toes, let’s go in the opposite direction. Stand again with your feet shoulder width apart and stretch your arms up over your head. Pretend that you’re grabbing at a bar that is just out of reach of your fingertips. Try going up on your toes if possible. You should feel a stretch in your arms and your chest. This will help with your circulation and will warm you up if you are cold, especially in the morning. Relax your arms back down, never dropping them suddenly. Remember to breathe through the stretches.

These are two simple stretches that almost anyone can do. Combine this with coming into DiBella Chiropractics and see how much better you feel physically in just a couple of weeks. Enjoy that warm weather and whatever bathing suit you want!

If where you are is anything like where I am, this entire past week has been cloudy and full of rain. You know the phrase “April showers bring May flowers”? Well if that is indeed true, then my entire area should be filled to the brim with beautiful and colorful flowers come next month with all of the rain and mud I have had to find my way through just in the short time April has been here. While I look forward to these lovely floras, there is a more pressing issue during April, and that is the amount of pain I have been in due to the rain.

For any of you who suffer from chronic disorders such as arthritis and fibromyalgia, you will understand exactly what I mean. Even some of my friends who do not have these issues have recently been feeling the ache that they hear me complain of so often. Today is actually the first day where we have had less than five hours of rain for a full week, so it isn’t hard to imagine that it has begun to take a toll on many of us. The humidity and pressure that accompanies rain is something that can cause pretty severe pain, and the fact that we have had thunderstorms over the past few days as well means that the warm fronts, for once, aren’t helping.

There is a reason that most people feel bad while it rains. The cold and damp weather can settle until it feels like it’s in your bones. The constant ache affects many, even if they don’t realize it. Sometimes the pain level is low enough that it doesn’t actually register, but many do still feel it. However, the more severe your disorder is or the older you get, the more pain you will likely feel.

Thankfully, there are a few things that you can do to help combat this pain. Stretching is a great way to loosen up your muscles and get your joints working again. Another thing that you can do is come into DiBella Chiropractic and see just how much better you’ll feel after a spinal adjustment. Getting your joints professionally cracked will help to relieve that pressure that settles during the rain storms, so come on in and leave feeling like a brand new person!

This week I want to talk to you about stretching. The spring is a time that many of us are starting to head outside of our homes now that the weather is warming up again and starting to exercise. You may want to get more active, maybe you are trying to get a “swimsuit body”, or maybe you have a friend who is dragging you along with their exercise plan. Whatever the reason may be, exercise is good for you but you should always stretch first. Stretching after is also a good idea. Here are some things you can do to get your body warmed up.

Touch Your Toes. This is the classic stretch but can be increasingly difficult as we age or become less active. Something to try is standing with your feet shoulder width apart and relax your torso so that your arms hang as low as possible naturally. Now take a deep breath and let it out like a sigh. You should notice that your hands hang a little lower now. Continue doing this until you feel a pull in the backs of your legs and hold it for a few seconds. Stand back up slowly, pretending that your spine is building itself back up one vertebrae at a time with your head being the last thing you straighten. You’ll be amazed at how much more flexible you’ll be just by doing this even three times a week.

Stretch Straight Up. Now that you’ve touched your toes, let’s go in the opposite direction. Stand again with your feet shoulder width apart and stretch your arms up over your head. Pretend that you’re grabbing at a bar that is just out of reach of your fingertips. Try going up on your toes if possible. You should feel a stretch in your arms and your chest. This will help with your circulation and will warm you up if you are cold, especially in the morning. Relax your arms back down, never dropping them suddenly. Remember to breathe through the stretches.

These are two simple stretches that almost anyone can do. Combine this with coming into DiBella Chiropractic and see how much better you feel physically in just a couple of weeks. Enjoy that warm weather and whatever bathing suit you want!

For many of us, the nighttime is a time for rest and relaxation. After a long day of hard work, it feels good to put your feet up with some hot food and sit in front of the television to escape from the world for an hour or so. Unfortunately, some of us don’t get this full experience due to increased pain levels during the evening hours. If you suffer from a chronic disorder such as arthritis or fibromyalgia, you will know exactly what I’m talking about. How can you feel better at night and get a good sleep when everything seems to ache?

One of the first things to ask yourself about your nighttime routine is what do you eat and drink. If you drink alcohol right before trying to sleep, you will likely toss and turn quite a bit. Likewise, try to avoid heavy or spicy food before bedtime. While it may taste good going down, it will probably not be as friendly while it is trying to digest as you’re lying down.

Another thing to ask yourself is how old your mattress is. Mattresses do wear out and can become lumpy and apply pressure to different areas of the body, making them uncomfortable and causing pain. If you cannot afford a new mattress, look into a memory foam mattress pad. They are considerably cheaper and can be purchased with the aid of coupons at many retailers both in person and online.

Check to make sure that your bedroom is conducive to sleep. If rooms are too bright or warm, it can cause the body to reject sleep and may cause more pain than you were previously in. Always make sure to try and avoid using electronics right before bed as well, as the blue light generally disrupts your body’s natural sleep cycle.

Also, make sure that you have good pillows. A lot of the pain we feel at night or upon waking up is due to spinal and neck pain caused by old, lumpy, or insufficient pillows. If you have pain in other places as well, try using other pillows to cushion the contact you have with the bed. You may also want to try a heating pad.

If you have pain at night, come into DiBella Chiropractic in Gastonia and see what a neck and spine adjustment can do for you. Until then, sweet dreams!