Stay Aligned in the Sunshine

Summer is finally here and many of us are looking forward to enjoying the great outdoors and traveling. Unfortunately, certain activities, like sunbathing, surfing, or sitting in a cramped car or airplane seat for hours en route to a vacation spot, have the potential to trigger a spinal misalignment.

If any misalignments should occur, we are of course always here to adjust you. But it is better—for your health as well as for your wallet—to maintain your adjustments as long as possible. For this reason, we suggest some preventive measures which can improve your spinal stability and chiropractic ‘holding’ times.

The first way is through diet and supplementation.  Adequate consumption of protein generally—and consumption of collagen protein particularly—will provide the essential amino acids needed by the body to fortify the collagen fibers in your tendons and ligaments that hold the bones in position.  The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that individuals who exercise regularly consume 0.5 to 0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight daily.[1]  We also strongly recommend the Standard Process supplement Ligaplex II, which is a manganese-based, all-natural supplement specifically formulated to promote ligament and tendon strength.[2]

The second way is by exercise.  Resistance training, or weight-bearing exercise, is a great way to promote bone density and to strengthen ligaments/tendons throughout the body.  There are also certain exercises we recommend specifically for strengthening muscles in the neck, with the main objective of helping the ‘atlas’ (C1) of the neck become more stable in its alignment. These exercises (chin tucks and arm circles) are described in a blog post on our website here.

The third way is by strategic use of your soft cervical collar.  When sitting in a car or airplane seat for extended periods of time—especially before anticipated uneven/rocky terrain or turbulence—wearing your soft cervical collar can reduce the risk of incurring vertebral misalignment in your neck, especially of the ‘atlas’ vertebra.  Remember that the atlas vertebra is the most important to safeguard during your travels, especially as it helps keep the rest of the spine in alignment.

Finally, with respect to diet, supplementation, and exercise, bear in mind that long-term implementation of these habits will be far more beneficial than short-term bouts of enthusiastic compliance.  In fact, the same principle applies to chiropractic care: consistent and long-term care delivers the best results.  If you have gone more than two months without visiting us, you are likely living with uncorrected spinal misalignments.  These misalignments may be interfering with nervous system function, increasing susceptibility to injury, and holding you back from optimal health.  Help us help you—call our office to get back under regular care, by scheduling a chiropractic ‘check-up’ today.