Moms and Back Pain

It is estimated that six and a half million U.S. citizens seek treatment for low back pain every day. Chiropractic doctors estimate that many more people in society go untreated for this kind of pain. The statistic is that eight out of ten people will suffer from severe back pain requiring treatment at least once in life. If this pain is not treated it can turn into chronic pain that can last the rest of their lives.

Neck pain that comes on without any apparent cause could be the consequence of an untreated injury to the neck. That is why if you suffer any kind of an injury such as a knock to the head, an impact in a car accident or a fall you should seek a chiropractic evaluation and chiropractic care immediately. Untreated neck pain can lead to serious chronic problems such as persistent neck pain, headaches, degeneration of the spinal tissue, soft tissue generation, hardening of muscles, stiffness and restriction of motion.

There are a lot of ways to contract back pain including auto accidents, falls, sports and just careless lifting. Stresses that are placed on the abdomen and back muscles stress the ligaments that keep the vertebrae that are supposed to keep the vertabras in proper alignment as well. These ligaments are the supporting structures for the spine and when they become misaligned the nerves inside the spinal chilling can become pinched, trapped or stretched.

If you have ever been afflicted with back pain you already realize that living a normal life becomes almost impossible. Most of us could avoid pain and disability if we had a prompt diagnosis of the problem. It is the job of th4e chiropracter to determine whether it is a ligament, muscle or disk deterioration, a fixated joint, inflammation or a degenerative joint disease that is the cause of the problem. Sometimes the back pain has a surprising source such as sciatica or a disease of an internal organ.
Cricks in the neck, neck pain and stiffness can be caused by tumors, fixed vertebrae, spinal disk protrusion and muscle spasming but for the most part it is caused by misaligned spinal disks.

Even the slightest misalignment of spinal bones can cause spinal nerves to be pinched or alter the alignment of the spine. If these painful and stiff conditions are not addressed they can lead to degenerative joint diseases that cannot be reversed. Unfortunately spinal structures can heal in the wrong position and cause pain for life.
If you experience back pain it is a good idea not to dismiss chiropractic treatment as being a last resort and instead treat it as a first line treatment for the problem. Many women experience relief by doing Yoga or stretching exercises. Physiotherapy can help this problem as well.

Can Sleep Help You Lose Weight

Are you a busy mom who is just eating all wrong or trying to lose post pregnancy weight? The good news is that the experts now say that you can lose it by sleeping!

Have you ever noticed that you eat more when you’re tired? That is just one reason why you should get more sleep.

In addition to a healthy and balanced diet and regular exercise, a restorative night’s sleep can help flatten that tummy. According to recent studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and the Lancet, lack of sleep can slow down your metabolic function and make you huge!

This is because there are hormones that make you hungrier if you are not well rested. Two hormones in particular – gherkin, which is responsible for making you feel hungry, and leptin, which makes you feel full – are affected by your sleep patterns.

When you’re sleep deprived, ghrelin levels increase and leptin levels drop, making you feel hungry and escalating our need to indulge cravings. When faced with cravings, our tendency is to grab highly processed sweet and starchy snacks that make us really fat. You are more likely to keep eating even when you’ve had enough because when you are tired.

The hormone cortisol also appears to be linked to body weight. Stress or sleep deprivation can cause cortisol levels to rise, and your appetite and cravings will rise right along with it. Excessive cortisol has been linked to a surplus storage of fat, specifically around the mid-section – this is a bad place for extra pounds as it can put women at higher risk for heart disease, stroke and cancer.

In order to keep your hormonal cycle in check, aim for seven to nine hours each night. You are sleep deprived if you have difficulty falling asleep, wake up a lot during the night, wake up too early in the morning and if you wake up and you don't feel rested. These are all experiences that mean it is time to alter your routine. Try adjusting your bed, clearing out distractions like television and blackening out your room so you can get a better rest.

If you have answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, it may be time to address your sleep routine to help you lose those extra pounds. Just remember, the better the quality of sleep is, the more pounds and fat you will just lose naturally! I'd rather nap than exercise!