Say goodbye to the winter slog- it’s time to freshen up your routine. Along with spring cleaning, you should always focus on the health of your spine. A great way to limit the impact of back pain on your life is by focusing on adding stability into your lower back. Your core and associated stabilizing muscles should be much more than a set of muscles developed for appearance’s sake; let’s look at the muscles which contribute to spinal stability and what they do for you:

 Muscles involved in lower back stability

• Multifidus: important for spinal stability; keeps spine stable during movement and prevents injury to the bones of the spine. 
• Transverse abdominis: performs the action of compressing the abdomen and interacting with other core muscles
  
• Internal and External Obliques: the twisting muscles, providing for trunk rotation without injury
• Erector spinae: important for trunk extension, for example when you stand or sit up straight 
• Retcus abdominis: perform trunk flexion- the bending forward action. 

A more stable lower back means more mobility and less pain 

The first step to developing these stabilizing muscles is to get in touch with them. In this sense we urge you to stand up and perform the actions that correspond with the movements above. 

• Compress your abdomen to feel the transverse abdominis in action
• Bend over to feel the rectus abdominis
• Stand upright and proud to feel the muscles erector spinae activate
• Turn your trunk from side to side to feel the obliques 

How we help manage back pain and increase lower back stability It is always a good idea to converse with a health professional before beginning any regime to strengthen muscles around the spine; we begin by helping you identify areas of muscle weakness that are letting you down when it comes to core stability. We can prescribe exercises and stretches that will help you strengthen the muscles that matter and add core stability in to your life. Chiropractic adjustments ensure that your spine is properly aligned and free of nerve compression so that you can get the most out of each workout. 

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For many of us, working out is the first part of our routine to go out the window. Outside of work, working out is the activity that requires the most energy input and therefore it is the easiest to set aside on a day when you are feeling lazy. Let’s change our attitudes toward working out and avoid these common mistakes.

Are you actively practicing any of these workout pitfalls? 

• Working out for the mirror: mirror muscles are chests, shoulders, abs, biceps, triceps and traps; the ones that make you look great. Looking great is a part of feeling good, but by focusing on only these muscles, you are foregoing the strengthening of muscles that matter for the longevity of your body. 
• Working out is a chore: if you dread the hour of your day you have carved out for working out, chances are you are due for a change of activity. Focus on muscle building and cardio conditioning activities that you actually enjoy. 
• Taking short cuts on your warm up: This is the most important part of your work out. If you are going to take short cuts, make them in the actual exercise. Falling short on the warm up leaves you susceptible to injury and actually harms your chances of building muscle effectively. 
• Cardio before strength training: choosing cardio first can sap your energy levels that you need for muscle building. Try alternating days between the two or doing cardio after weights. 

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Unless you are constantly changing your position throughout the day, you are likely to settle in to some kind of posture that is putting undue pressure on some part of the body. Because “proper posture” involves a lot of positioning of the upper body, slumping and slouching causes a lot of the problems to filter down to the lower back, which is responsible for bearing the weight of the upper body. Read on to find out how you can make “good posture,” second nature. 

Become a posture professional

• Listen to your body: don’t ignore twinges of pain or signals of tightness. If possible, stand up and walk for a couple minutes to relieve and reset.
• Use pillows: even a rolled up jacket will work for supporting the lumbar region and maintaining proper curvature. A travel neck pillow can be used so that when you feel it touching your ears you know your shoulders are tensed and creeping upwards. 
• Keep ears aligned with shoulders: maintaining awareness of this position and resetting every so often will prevent your chin from keeping forward toward the screen and destabilizing the spine.
• Don’t cross your legs: keep balls of the feet on the ground, hip-width apart and knees at 90 degrees or slightly higher. 

An ally in your quest for better posture

A lot of spinal dysfunction and general back pain is caused by lack of awareness of posture and improper use of body mechanics. Chiropractic is about teaching (often helping you to relearn) how to keep your body working harmoniously. Standing and sitting are the two most common postures we are going to assume during a working week so it is important to know exactly how to sit and stand and to be aware of the accumulation of tension that will naturally occur. 

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Chiropractic and weight loss are two subjects that overlap and influence one another. Maintaining a healthy weight reduces the daily burden on the spine and prevents many of the deleterious spinal conditions that come with age and natural wear and tear, considerably increasing the efficacy of chiropractic treatment. But how does chiropractic influence weight loss? Chances are, you are already aware of an ideal target weight. But getting yourself there can feel overwhelming- where to start? 

Our action plan for helping you reach your target weight

The first focus is caloric balance: how to slowly reach that point of balance where calories consumed = calories burned. There are many ways to do this: becoming more conscious about food choices, when you eat and how much. We can help you design an action plan and keep you accountable through food journaling.

The second focus is on getting your body in better shape so that you can feel freer to move and exercise more. 

• Chiropractic adjustment: Subluxation can cause debilitating pain which limits people from exercising to their full potential; we want to reduce the grip of this pain and get you back to pursuing physical activity. 
• Lifestyle changes: “exercise more, eat less,” sounds like fighting words, but we want to show you that it’s not as alarming as it sounds. Can you requisition 30-45 minutes out of each day and dedicate it to light aerobic activity? Taking a brisk walk, going for a bike ride, or a swim can help you start losing weight immediately when combined with smaller meals.

Keep in mind the caloric balance equation: calories in = calories out. Any imbalance will cause weight fluctuation. At Holmes Chiropractic, we want to help you lose weight and feel better. Give our office a call to schedule an appointment today.

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1. Confidence that regular motion will not create pain. 
2. Better athletic performance
3. Better posture
4. Longer connective tissues and muscles
5. Prevention of injury

Embracing the chiropractic lifestyle

In order for us to enjoy a long life free of back pain, we must focus on maintaining the mobility of joints and keeping our muscles pliant. At Holmes Chiropractic, we can help you in this endeavor by ensuring the alignment of your spine through chiropractic adjustment. Adjustments are proven to improve range of motion and balance of the body, making it easier for your to focus on core stability exercises and flexibility stretching. 

We are there to help you every step of the way

It is in our interest to help you live your best life. Leaving pain and stiffness behind starts with identifying the underlying causes of your dysfunction. We can help you do that and set a course for correcting whatever is holding you back from living your best life. 

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Yet for many of us they are- the pressures of money and social commitments on top of an already overburdened schedule can push us to the tipping point. If this describes you, and you want to prevent yourself from tipping, the only response is to take control of stress reduction. There are many ways to do this- one of our favorites is a tech break. Phones, computers and tablets seem so necessary in today’s society. But there was a time not long ago when these devices plaid zero role in our lives! And who can say whether we were worse off. While we would never suggest ditching your devices completely, you can manage your screen time more effectively. 

Managing screen stress

The constant dinging of notifications, e-mails, offers and updates has become the 21st century soundtrack in the lives of many. What we often fail to countenance is its impact on our stress level. The holidays present the perfect time to unplug and unwind- especially when you are having a family gathering. One tactic is to turn the phone off and leave it out of the picture as much as possible during holiday activities. This may mean ceding control of the photo-taking to another family member, but it will help you stay more present and less stressed out. 

Why stress reduction is so important 

Stress is a silent killer. Western medicine is finding out more about the role of consistently high stress levels in a number of chronic illnesses. Chiropractic, as part of a holistic plan for wellbeing, helps reduce stress by establishing mental and physical balance. If it’s time you started getting serious about stress, give our office in Houston a call to schedule an appointment today. 

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Chances are this post finds you slouching in your chair trying to relieve stiffness that has come from sitting upright in your chair. And while it may feel good in the moment, this is the wrong way to go about things. “But its human nature to seek comfort!” I hear you arguing- to which I have more than a few refutations. To begin with, sitting is not human nature- we were made bipedal for a reason and that was to make us more effective movers. By not moving for 10 hours a day, your body and spine are adjusting to a “new normal,” that is anything but good for you. 

Stop perpetuating that pain 

By alternating between sitting upright and slouching (getting lower in your chair), you may be finding a temporary reprieve from the stiffness, but it is actually perpetuating your pain and stiffness. The key is to take regular breaks to stretch and move. Every time you feel that impulse to slide lower in your chair, temper it by choosing to stand up and do a few stretches. Take a walk to the water fountain and hydrate before returning to your desk and resume sitting upright. Rather than slouching, roll up your sweater and put it behind your back and roll your shoulders to release tension. 

Release pain from your workday

If the pain and stiffness has been accumulating and is causing you noticeable discomfort, pay a visit to your Houston chiropractor. There is a good chance that an adjustment, along with some proactive stretching and simple lifestyle adjustments will be able to save you from a future of chronic back pain and dysfunction. Give our office a call to schedule an appointment today. 

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Whether it be an aggressive treatment like spinal surgery, or a more conservative one like chiropractic, many people believe that seeking treatment for their back pain will simply make it go away. But when it comes to spinal conditions, there is no panacea or magic bullet. To begin with, pain is a symptom and not a condition; chronic back pain is often linked to a complex network of causative factors that resist even the most vigorous treatment. 

Choose conservative care first 

Any spinal health care treatment should be designed with the patients wellbeing in mind. A spinal surgeon and a chiropractor both operate on the same premise: how can we address the structural abnormalities that are causing your pain and limiting motion? For the right patient, spinal surgery can be a transformative, life-changing treatment. But there is a significant portion of people who go through surgery and find that they still suffer from chronic pain after the operation.

Chiropractic is conservative care that seeks to address pain and dysfunction without surgical intervention. Our techniques have been developed for over a century to effectively treat, manage and resolve spinal dysfunction. Furthermore, if your condition and pain responds well to chiropractic, this is a good indicator that you will find success with surgery. 

Regardless of which path you choose, it is important to get the conversation started as soon as possible. If you are living with chronic back pain, please don’t wait a second longer to get in touch with us at our office in Houston. We can provide you with a full physical examination that includes diagnostic imaging to help get to the bottom of your pain. Then we can work with your PCP and other spinal health care experts to develop an effective treatment plan. 

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This disease, most prevalent in our elderly population, is characterized by weakness in the bones which leaves them vulnerable to partial or total breakage. The first step is diagnosing the problem: many people won’t find out they have osteoporosis until they’ve broken a bone. If you suspect you may have osteoporosis, your PCP may need to order a bone density scan which will give use key indicators regarding your bone mineral density. If we determine that you have osteoporosis, it’s time to start being proactive about your condition. 

Osteoporosis requires coordinated care

At Holmes Chiropractic, we work together with your health team to provide another dimension of osteoporosis care. Osteoporosis can limit range of motion, cause spinal dysfunction and raise your chance of injury. Chiropractic is designed to maintain spinal mobility and keep you physically able so that you can prevent falls and work on building muscular strength to support your weakened bones. 

Chiropractic for osteoporosis

Depending on the severity of your condition, we use a diversified range of chiropractic techniques. Most osteoporosis patients benefit from spinal adjustments and mobilization to help increase range of motion. We then work with you to design a detailed program of exercises that strengthen the support network of your bones, as well as a diet regime that includes bone-strengthening supplements like calcium and vitamin D. At Holmes Chiropractic, we help you take control of your condition- if this is something you are interested in, please don’t hesitate to give us a call to schedule an appointment today. 

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If you have a pre-existing spinal condition, chances are that the thought of being in transit doesn’t fill you with joy. The hours of sitting, lack of activity, lack of sleep, and changes in dietary and hydration patterns all conspire to leave your spine in a stiffer and more vulnerable condition. But rather than accepting this lying down, you need to be all the more proactive about taking care of your beleaguered back. 

Taking up the fight for your spine 

Step 1 is not foregoing motion completely. Even though you will be restricted in terms of physical space to move around in, you can still exercise some degree of independence. In a train or a plane you are perfectly entitled to stretch in the aisle space or by the bathrooms without shame or fear of judgment! In a car, you will need to pull over and take significant 5-10 minute (or longer) breaks to allow your spine the time it needs to move, rehydrate and release tension. You may also consider bringing a travel pillow to support your lower back and neck. A final consideration is to hydrate as much as you can- hydration offers natural lubrication for your spinal joints and ensures better blood circulation. 

Seeing your chiropractor before traveling 

If you have real concerns about your comfort while traveling, please pay us a call at our office in Houston. We can help you design an action plan that will minimize discomfort and maximize wellness during your travels. 

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