Posts Tagged ‘weight loss’

San Diego Chiropractor Advises: Don’t Let a Few Added Pounds Put Your Joints on Overload

San Diego Chiropractor

As a San Diego Chiropractor, 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. Have you been trying to persuade yourself that an extra pound or two doesn’t matter? Over the years, those pounds can add up to a substantial number of health problems from heart and pulmonary diseases and diabetes to back problems 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. Sadly,more than half (62%) of American adults are overweight or obese, according to recent studies. That is an extremely compelling percentage and an enormous problem (no pun intended).

It is likely no surprise to you to learn that the human body was not intended to schlepp around additional poundage in the form of body fat. A mere excess of 20 or 30 pounds can, in point of fact, overload and encumber the musculoskeletal system. 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 produces compression in the joints of the low back. Joint compression inhibits nerve activity and causes painful inflammation. Nearly all people that have a heavy midsectionsuffer from low back pain caused by  a compressed sciatic nerve or spinal misalignments that impinge nerves as a result of weight-bearing stresses. If not addresses, misaligned vertebra in most cases develop into new arthritic changes in the spine over time, as well as continue to irritate the degenerative changes that have already taken place.

Here are the ways in which chiropractic treatment can help. Perhaps, it should go without saying that a moderate body weight is essential in order for the musculoskeletal system to act and respond in the way it is meant to. Chiropractic treatment can not only help to decrease pain created by excess weight compensation, but it can aid in weight reduction. Here’s how. Chiropractic adjustments relieve nerve restrictions in the spine and help to get motion back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, such as in the low back, hips, and knees. And, obviously exercise and physical activity are a lot easier, and healthier for the body, when the the joints have good mobility and the spine is aligned. Not only will exercise help with weight reduction, but it can actually slow the pace of degenerative changes as we age.

Healthcare professionals, like your chiropractor, can talk to you about your diet and exercise choices. In addition to treating individuals suffering from back pain and joint inflammation, chiropractors offer qualified guidance regarding the particular lifestyle changes that can help an individual to stay healthier, more vigorous, and more active through the years. Arthritis and immobility due to aging don’t have to be unavoidable. The human body was designed for a 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!

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