The holiday season can be a very stressful time for many. While there is so much to be grateful for, it is also easy to get wrapped up in everything and forget to take care of your own health. Putting others first on occasion can be beneficial, but when it is constant, the toll on your body can be huge. There are some easy ways to stay healthy during the holiday season. Here are 5 reasons why it is good to visit your chiropractor during the holiday season.

  1. Stress. Everyone knows the holidays can be stressful; Dealing with family members you disagree with or mediating family fights. Finding money to pay for expensive gifts, holiday meals or travel expenses. Traveling and being stuck in airports or driving in bad weather. Or being alone if you have lost loved ones or live far away from friends and family. Everybody has a different reason but the end result is the same. Your body deals with stress by tensing up, headaches, neck pain, low back pain, jaw pain, stomach aches, etc. Many people “throw their back out” every year around the holidays because they get stressed out and don’t do anything about taking care of their own body. You need to put yourself first once in a while, fix the cause of the problem, and get adjusted to treat and prevent injuries from happening repeatedly. Chiropractic is powerful and is great to deal with the negative effects of stress on the body.
  2.  Travel. This is the busiest time of year for traveling, and there are so many reasons why it can mess you up. Being in a car for long periods of time, tensing up if driving in bad weather or heavy traffic, long lines at the airports, pressure changes in the cabin of a plane, sleeping in strange beds (or pullout couches), or carrying heavy bags all takes a toll. The list goes on and on, but chiropractic is great for helping treat injuries brought on by wear and tear from traveling! A kink in the neck from sleeping on a bad pillow, sore shoulder from lifting heavy suitcases, sciatica pain from a 12 hour car ride. You name it! Before and after your next trip, get adjusted. Your body (and in-laws) will thank you! **Travel tip: Pack a tennis ball in your carry on and use it as a self-massager whenever you need a break. Put it between your back and a wall, and lean into it, using as much pressure as you can. Roll side to side and up and down to give yourself some quick relief!
  3. Cold & Flu. Tis the season for the sniffles and chills. Being stuck indoors, weaker immune systems, decreased vitamin D levels, and stress can all impact our health. Getting adjusted regularly can balance the nervous system, boost the immune system, promote lymph drainage and strengthen the lungs and other organs. It also helps eliminate and excrete toxins that can make us unhealthy. Chiropractic can also help fight ear infections, sinus infections and many other illnesses that occur more often in the winter months. Use it to prevent many conditions so that you can stay healthy this year.
  4. Fight SAD & Depression. With the hours of sunlight much shorter, our vitamin D levels drop a lot this time of year. Coupled with the stress of the holidays, it is easy to see why so many people get depressed in the winter. Instead of running to the MD to get a prescription for Prozac, try fighting it with more natural methods. Chiropractic has a positive impact on the nervous system, which can balance the spinal cord and CSF. Being in balance, pain free, and having all of our systems functioning properly can be enough of a boost for many to prevent depression.
  5. Start a New Workout. Millions of Americans list working out as their number one New Year’s resolution. This is great if you are really going to stick with it. Exercising is the best way to lose weight, lower your blood sugar, lower your blood pressure, lower your cholesterol and more. It strengthens muscles and increases bone density. But many people don’t make it through the first month, let alone the whole year. One of the reasons people stop working out is because of pain or injury. Everyone should be evaluated by a chiropractor BEFORE starting an exercise routine, especially if they are new to regular exercise. Foot, knee and hip pain can sideline someone pretty quickly and can be very frustrating. An undiagnosed low back injury can spell trouble if lifting weights. It is important for the body to be balanced before starting to exercising, or one side of the body will be weaker and have to compensate for the other, which in turn can lead to future injuries. If your New Year’s resolution includes working out, make sure to get evaluated so you don’t do more damage than good.

2020 may not have been the best year for most, but we can all end it pain free and healthy with chiropractic care.

Posted in Chiropractic Care

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