Upper cervical care in Charlevoix MI provides back pain relief for patients. No condition is as widespread and as disabling as back pain. The American Chiropractic Association reported that at least 31 million Americans suffer from it at least once in their lifetimes. Ongoing back pain costs are so staggering – people are spending more than $50 billion a year combating this condition. Back pain may suddenly appear without warning, or so most people would think.

In most cases, back pain stems from our regular daily activities, especially those that we are doing wrong. Most people take these things for granted. Back pain causes discomfort and may harm the quality of our daily lives. 

Here are the eight daily factors that may give you Back Pain

#1. Unbalanced Diet

Inflammation caused by a poorly balanced diet can easily contribute to chronic back pain and other health problems. Inflammatory foods include:

  • Refined sugars
  • Carbohydrates
  • Highly processed foods
  • Canned goods (filled with artificial preservatives)

Bring more balance to your diet by including foods that combat inflammation. These can significantly help your gut, and your back will feel better. These would consist of the following:

  • Ginger
  • Salmon
  • Walnuts
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Certain herbs
  • Spices 

To learn more about the connection between head and neck injuries and low back pain, download our free e-book by clicking the image below.

#2. Too Much Sitting

Many of our lifestyles and jobs require us to spend considerable time seated. For many people, their work requires them to do a lot of sitting in front of computers, using the phone, and operating factory equipment. Sitting for extended periods can result in muscular imbalance. Meaning, some muscles become over-lengthened and some over-contracted. As a result, the spine becomes forced to arch forward and sustain more force on the discs in a seated position compared to lying down or standing up.

Too much time spent on sitting correlates with a higher risk of early mortality. The risk is still present even if you do exercises. A study done on almost 8,000 adults found out those individuals who sat for less than 30 minutes straight had the lowest risk of early death. It would be best for people to start taking a movement break every 30 minutes of chair time. Spend this short break from sitting by stretching your muscles and help relieve your spine tension and stress.

#3. Excessive Stress

Chronic pain and stress often go hand in hand. When you feel stressed out, your muscles become tense; you become restless; you may not sleep well; and your digestion can also be affected. All of these factors contribute to your back pain.

Beat stress by doing these things. Find the time to incorporate stress-reducing activities into your daily routines. These can do wonders for your health and well-being. Be more active. You can go out into the sun. Do some yoga or try a meditation practice. Get a hobby. Do some activities that bring you joy and relaxation. Talk to some close friends and reconnect with them. All these can help reduce stress-induced back pain. Upper cervical care in Charlevoix MI can also help minimize your stress.

#4. Poor Workspace Ergonomics

If your work causes you to maintain awkward positions for prolonged periods, then you are at a higher risk of getting back pain and other health problems. If you have a job that requires you to spend extended periods in front of a desk, it is vital to consider ergonomics when you set up your workspace. Put your monitor at an eye-level, so you don’t have to lean forward all the time. An ergonomic workspace focuses on taking good care of your back and maintaining proper posture at all times. 

#5. Carrying a Purse or Bag That’s Too Heavy

It is a problem that can plague just about anyone. Examples include adults carrying heavy purses or briefcases to work, and kids carrying heavy backpacks to school. We often bring our bags with so many unnecessary items that add weight to our loads. 

Regularly carrying something too heavy on your shoulders can contribute to your back pain. It is exceptionally accurate with most bags that are carried over only one shoulder rather than distributing the weight evenly between both. A good backpack can solve this issue. Take a conscious effort to clean out your purse or bag. Doing this can help eliminate a lot of unnecessary weight and help keep your neck and spine healthier, free from pressure and strain.

#6. Lack of Exercise

Underused and weakened back muscles may be the cause of some chronic back pain. You do not need to run a 10-K marathon or be an Olympic-class weightlifter to build your strength and be healthy.

Regular exercise can help your back become strong. It also reduces the severity of your back pain. These back pain exercises would be good enough:

  • Take a walk for at least 30 minutes under the early morning sun.
  • Have a bicycle ride around your friendly neighborhood.
  • Attend some yoga classes with some co-workers or friends.

#7. Smoking

There are many obvious health risks associated with smoking. In many cases, it can also be the reason why you are suffering from back pain. Smoking prevents the body from delivering the right amount of nutrients to the discs in your spine. Your discs are the shock-absorbers between each of your vertebrae. If they do not collect the proper level of nutrients, they will begin to bulge or degenerate, which can be extremely painful.

#8. Poor Pillow or Mattress Support

Your pillow and mattress should provide enough support to your spine, not hurt it. Your pillows should not be too thick that they force your head forward. Ideally, the head should be positioned slightly lower than the neck. Also, your mattress must neither be too firm nor too soft. It should be keeping your spine in a neutral position, not pressured or at an awkward angle while you sleep. 

After doing all the things above, if you still wake-up with an ache, soreness, or tightness in your back in the morning, you will need a better and firmer mattress.

Upper Cervical Care in Charlevoix MI Can Be The Key

Upper cervical chiropractic care has already proven its worth in helping patients who have back pain and other chronic pain issues. It focuses on spinal misalignments in the upper part of the neck. While this may not seem relevant for you, if you have a middle or lower back pain, it might be the one thing that can help you achieve positive results that are more than just temporary.

The upper cervical spine has the atlas (C1) and axis (C2) vertebrae, and these bones carry the head’s weight. The atlas and axis bones are responsible for the majority of the head’s movement. When a misalignment in this area of the neck occurs, it causes the head to be carried off tilt at an awkward angle. It will inevitably cause a series of compensations to happen throughout the back as the spine works hard to balance the head correctly.

While the pain you’re experiencing is in the middle or lower part of your back, the cause of the problem could lie somewhere else. Sometimes, a gentle and precisely given adjustment to the upper cervical spine is all that is needed to provide long-lasting relief. This adjustment addresses the root of the problem rather than providing short-lived symptomatic relief to your back pain.

Our upper cervical chiropractors will take care of your back pain. If you want to receive upper cervical care in Charlevoix, MI call Ricks McClure Chiropractic at 231-227-4493.

 

To schedule a consultation with Dr. McClure, call our Charlevoix office at 231-227-4493. You can also click the button below.

If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.