The most ubiquitous spinal habits which cause harm include:

• Poor diet
• Poor posture
• Poor lifting technique
• Smoking
• Lack of exercise 
• Overuse of technology

Many of these malefactors go hand-in-hand; for example, lack of exercise and poor diet leads to weight gain which makes good posture more difficult; overuse of technology contributes to lack of exercise and poor posture. But all of these factors lead down the same road, the one that points toward back pain. The sooner we realize this, the sooner we can start exercising control over the factors that matter for keeping our spines healthy. 

Initiating a chain reaction of change in your spinal health habits

The first step is awareness. But how many of us are aware of our harmful habits, yet feel stuck in a cycle and do nothing about them? At Holmes Chiropractic, one of our priorities is giving you the motivation and desire for a healthier spine. But rather than a kick in the backside, we focus on using gentle adjustments and work on the soft tissues surrounding the spine to give you a taste for how good it feels to have a back free of stiffness and pain. We restore alignment to the spine, improving range of motion, boosting circulation and reducing pain. From this vantage point, we can show you how to make simple changes that will effect great improvements in your spinal health habits.

This is the only spine you get 

This seems to be an underappreciated fact. Remember that the spine is a depreciating asset, but it is one of the most important assets you have and it is a center of wellness. If you care about the longevity of your spine, and your well-being moving forward, give our office in Houston a call to schedule an appointment today.

The post Unlearning the Habits that are Hurting your Spine appeared first on Dr. Randall Holmes.

First of all what determines “good alignment?” A properly aligned body refers to a position in which the head, shoulders, spine, hips, knees and ankles align in a position that puts minimal pressure on the spine. Let us give you some reasons why this is important:

• Good spinal alignment contributes to better body mechanics and fewer injuries
• Good spinal alignment protects and aids in the functioning of the central nervous system
• Good spinal alignment facilitates the optimal functioning of all your major bodily systems

What can you do outside the chiropractor’s office to keep your spine aligned

Here are some of the most important things you can do to keep your spine aligned.

• Chiropractic care: we detect where you spine has gone out of alignment and help you determine why, before correcting it and setting a course to prevent it from happening again
• Maintaining a healthy weight: to keep excess pressure off the spine.
• Learn good posture: especially if you sit at your job. Sitting is the worst position for the spine and contributes to a lot of dysfunction and misalignment 
• Focus on strengthening the stabilizing muscles: to support the spine and prevent injury. 

Chiropractic is the number one thing you can do to keep your spine aligned

Proper spinal alignment is one of the number one gifts you can give your body- both in terms of feeling well in the moment and preserving your body so you can feel well in the future. If you are interested in learning more about how a properly aligned spine can change your life for the better, give our office in Houston a call to schedule an appointment today.

The post Keeping your Spine Aligned: What you can do appeared first on Dr. Randall Holmes.