As a chiropractor, I see people from all walks of life for a variety of reasons. Some are wellness clients that get checked on a routine basis to build and maintain an active and vibrant lifestyle. These clients generally bring their whole family and do so to get off (or stay off) the medication merry-go-round. Others come to avoid a problem that had been corrected that they just don’t want to have to deal with again. Still others come in to correct a problem for which painkillers just don’t cover up any more.It’s that last group I want to talk about today. Sometimes the problem might be in their arm or shoulder, sometimes the knee, and sometimes in different parts of the spine or hips. While my focus as a chiropractor is on the nerves and spinal cord by way of the spine, problems with the spine can cause other problems in other parts of the body.
Let’s talk about those joints, though. Our bodies were designed for movement. And body movement involves three components; nerves, muscles and bones. Muscles move bones after getting signals from the nervous system. Joints, or hinges, make movement more efficient and more effective. I think everyone would agree that the moving parts in any machine (especially the human machine) are generally the first parts to wear out.
The tendency is to blame joint problems on aging. Well, that’s just too easy a copout. If it were as easy as that, every senior citizen would have bad joints. Granted, many seasoned citizens do have joint problems, not all. But aging alone is not really the problem. Besides, there’s nothing we can do about getting older. BUT, there is plenty that can be done about HOW we get older.
Since “structure affects function”, we should look at the other aspects of body movement and joint stress. One component of joint stress is body imbalance. We’ll spend more time on this component in the near future. But, just know that if you look in the mirror and notice that one shoulder or one hip is higher than the other or your head tilts in one direction, you are predisposed to structural problems that will affect you down the road.
The power to move is generated from the muscles. The stronger and more flexible your muscles, the less stress there is on your joints. If your muscles are weak, the joint bears all of your body weight and all the stress of movement. Oh yeah, and folks who don’t maintain a good level of muscle tone are usually somewhat overweight, putting even more stress on their joints.
So, what’s the answer? Well, there are a couple depending on your perspective. If you’re one of those passive individuals who beleive that “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”, then just wait until your knees, elbows, wrist, back or hip wears out and hope that drugs or surgery will “fix it”. If that’s you, I wish you good luck. You’ll need it. On the other hand, if you want to make sure your joints last longer and work better, there are a few things you can do.
First, make sure you drink plenty of water on a regular basis. This helps keep the joints from drying out. Second, start a regular conditioning program. If you’re not exercising already, start slowly. But start! And don’t just focus on just those parts you want to look firmer. Firm it ALL up! That will help you lose unwanted fat quicker and strengthen all your joints. Walking is great and can be done almost anywhere. Just use your whole body when you do. When you get stronger, start doing some resistance exercises to get even stronger.
Finally, if you notice any posture distortions or other problems, find a good wellness chiropractor. Remember, structure affects function. And, how your body functions affects every aspect of your life. Life is motion. Get moving!
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