Why You Need to Care for Your Joints
By Sara Butler
Your joints are pretty important, so you have to work to keep them healthy. Over the course of an average day, you use over 140 different joints to execute different movements. The repetitive movements you do over and over again can put the equivalent of six times your body weight on your joints. As you can see, learning to be kind to your joints is of the utmost importance if you want to keep them healthy and keep your flexibility and range of motion in the healthy range. You’re not the tin man from the Wizard of Oz, so it looks as if, instead of an oil can, you need a chiropractor! Here are some tips you can use to keep your joints healthy!
Maintain an Ideal Body Weight
When you’re carrying around extra weight on your frame, you’re increasing your risk of joint problems. That’s due to the fact that unbalanced pressure on your joints simply wears them out faster. According to the American Chiropractic Association, for every pound of extra body weight you have, you put four times that amount of stress on your knee joints. Losing even 10 percent of your body weight can make a huge difference in joint health as well as overall health.
Get Proper Nutrition
Part of maintaining a healthy weight is eating right, but that’s not all proper nutrition can do for you. Eating a complete diet full of omega-3 fatty acids helps to provide lubrication naturally for your joints. Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E help support your body’s natural ability to repair connective tissue and help to promote joint regeneration.
Part of the larger picture of proper nutrition is also understanding which foods may not be great for your joints. Foods that can cause joint issues such as gout include shellfish, alcohol, and red meat. Know what to eat and what not to eat to stay healthy! If you’re in doubt, make sure to ask your chiropractor!
Simple Steps Toward Healthy Joints
To keep your joints healthy, you need to:
- Practice proper posture
- See your chiropractor regularly to correct joint dysfunction and restriction
- Use proper ergonomics in the workplace and at home
- Lift and carry heavy objects properly
Caring for your joints isn’t just your job alone, your chiropractor can help! So make sure to come into The Joint Chiropractic for your regular adjustments!
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in San Jose, Calif.