It couldn’t be more clear, then, that healthy weight loss is essential for active participation in all areas of your life. But, I’d like to take a moment to direct attention to one particular place in the body that is frequently the most visible indication of excess weight and obesity. You may have already guessed that I’m speaking of the body’s midsection. Take Santa Claus for instance. Though he may have been jolly once a year, with that extra weight around his belly he most likely suffered from painful musculoskeletal problems most of the year! I suppose at this point that I should mention that I’m also a chiropractor. That’s why I know from years of experience that men and women, like Santa, who walk around with too much weight in their belly, often endure back pain that is moderate to severe.

You may be wondering why so many overweight people experience back pain. Well, for one thing, the spine was not intended to bear excessive weight. Now, don’t get me wrong, the spine is elegantly structured. But, as with every other internal system of the body, one of its functions is to compensate when forced to perform in ways that are repetitive and/or “unnatural.”  The spine begins to distort and compress as a person puts on extra pounds. This “reconfiguration” creates a lot of pain and discomfort. Furthermore, due to the spine’s magnificent compensating features, over time the excess weight will force the pelvis to tilt forward as a counterbalance. Such repositioning may pinch the sciatic nerve. In fact, sciatic nerve pain frequently accompanies the lower back pain from which overweight individuals suffer.

Weight loss takes the stress off of the spine and allows it to function normally. However, though excellent reasons to lose weight, decreasing back pain and sciatica are just two of the many healthy reasons to shed those extra pounds. As a healthcare professional, I believe that it is crucial that weight loss and weight maintenance take place in a natural, nutritious, and healthy way. But, as mentioned above, I understand, as a weight loss Dallas specialist, that losing excess weight is both difficult and, if done in a healthy manner, takes time even with the best of intentions. The good news is, you don’t have to lose it alone. In many areas around the country, there are centers like mine, and doctors like me, who have the expertise to help you lose the weight you need to lose in a way that will help you to feel good as well as look good. Don’t wait to lose that weight! Every day your body is compensating for those extra pounds and your health is at risk. Don’t let excess weight keep you from living your life fully.

Technorati Tags: back pain, fat, overweight, weight loss

San Diego Chiropractor

As a Chiropractor in San Diego, I counsel many individuals who come to my clinic who want to lose weight. I know how hard it can be, and I also know how important it is to lose those extra pounds. What’s an extra pound or two? Over time, they can add up to a large number of health issues from heart and pulmonary diseases and diabetes to back challenges and joint degeneration. Extra pounds put excessive stress on organs, like the heart, as well as on joints in the low back, hips, and knees. A shocking 62% of men and women in America are overweight or obese, according to recent studies. That is a very significant percentage and an enormous problem (no pun intended).

Though we try to pretend otherwise, most of us know that the human body has not evolved to schlepp around a surfeit of weight in the form of body fat. Just an additional 20 or 30 pounds can veritably overload and encumber the joints and muscles of the body. Excess weight in the abdominal region, for example, requires that the body compensate (counterbalance the weight) by tilting the pelvis forward. This shift produces compression in the joints of the low back. Joint compression inhibits nerve activity and causes painful inflammation. Most people who have a heavy midsectionexperience low back pain generated by  a compressed sciatic nerve or spinal misalignments that impinge nerves due to weight-bearing stresses. If not addresses, misaligned vertebra not only continue to irritate the degenerative changes that have already taken place, but can develop into new arthritic changes in the spine in the future.

Here are the ways in which chiropractic treatment can help. First of all, to be clear, a moderate body weight is required in order for the musculoskeletal system to function in the way it is meant to. That said, in addition, chiropractic adjustments relieve nerve impingements in the spine and assist in getting motion back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, such as in the low back, hips, and knees. And, of course exercise and physical activity is a lot easier, and more beneficial for the body, when the the joints have good mobility and the spine is aligned. Not only will exercise help with weight reduction, but it can actually inhibit degenerative changes as we age.

It is always best to review your diet and exercise options with a healthcare professional, like your chiropractor. In addition to assisting people suffering from back pain and joint inflammation, chiropractors offer expert suggestions on the type of lifestyle modifications that can help a person to stay healthier, more vital, and more active through the years. It isn’t a foregone conclusion that arthritis and immobility an inescapable part of the aging process. The structure of the human body is intended to carry a person through an entire lifetime of pain-free movement.

So, if those extra few pounds have started to add up to a lot of pain, as your chiropractor in San Diego and someone who cares deeply about your overall health, I can help. Make an appointment today!

Technorati Tags: arthritis, back pain, chiropractic, chiropractor, excess weight, joint inflammation, weight loss

Of course, the study’s “revelation” probably comes as no surprise to anyone (including the researchers, themselves) that junk food can cause an addiction, similar to alcohol or substance abuse. Any parent who’s had deal with the “withdrawal” hysterics of a child whose “fix” at McDonald’s was replaced by a nutritious home-cooked meal knows far too well the insidious pull that soda, shakes, and french fries can have on a developing physical body and emotional psyche. And, as mentioned above, over-weight adults attempting to change their unhealthy habits frequently find themselves going “in” more than staying “out,” of an In-N-Out Burger.

But, would you be surprised to learn that a new study shows that frequenting tanning beds can also be “addictive”? Yep, that’s right! Tanning bed tanners beware…an intervention may be coming your way! Though the junk food study found that eating junk food can actually change the chemistry in your brain, the tanning booth researchers suggested that many people “crave” a nice tan and, therefore, this “constant craving,” especially in winter months (in wintry climates), is like a form of addiction that sends people over the edge and into risky behavior of tanning bed tanning that has been shown to considerably raise a person’s risk of developing skin cancer.

Are we to start making excuses for artificially-tanned people by calling their behavior an “addiction”? Or, could it be that the word “addiction” needs to be used in its proper context? The researchers stated that “in addition to a desire for appearance enhancement, motivations for tanning include relaxation, improved mood and socialization.” Could it be, then, that cosmetics are addictive? I know many women who are absolutely agoraphobic without their mascara and lipstick. Could sports be addictive? No one can doubt the “high” that an athlete feels when he or she “scores.” And, could it be that love, itself, is addictive. And, of course, that reasoning would take pages to explore.

The dictionary definition of addiction is “the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.” I seriously doubt that those who engage in bed tanning would experience “severe trauma” if an invention were to take place. Let’s not make anymore excuses for ourselves when we “choose” ego enhancers. Instead, may I suggest that we help ourselves by seeing ourselves as simply egotists who are psychologically superior to our exterior.

Technorati Tags: addictions, fitness, health, healthy lifestyle, junk food, weight loss