Legends of the Fall: Autumn and Your Back

By Krista Elliott

Ah, autumn. It's such a beautiful season, with the warm sun but crisp air, deep blue skies, and changing foliage. It's also a busy season. The kids are back to school, everybody's back from their vacation and settling into serious work, and you're spending a lot of your free time getting your property prepared for the upcoming winter. Raking leaves, clearing up debris, putting the summer toys and equipment away -- it's all a lot of work. 

During this time, it can be all too easy to damage your back, either from overwork or slips and falls. You want to get everything done, so you embark on a marathon raking session, only to be in agony the next day. Or, you're up and down a stepstool, putting things away or taking out your window screens, and one misstep results in a nasty wrench to your back muscles -- or worse. 

If you've gotten out of your regular chiropractic routine over the summer, now is the time to pick it back up again. 

Why Chiropractic Care is an Autumn Essential

• Proper Preventative Care: By ensuring that your spine and joints are properly aligned and working the way they are supposed to, chiropractic treatment helps prevent injuries and strain. If your joints and spine are out of alignment, you're set up for injury right from the get-go. By starting your job with a strong, well-functioning back, you improve your range of motion, efficiency, and resistance to injury. 
• Recovery From Injury and Strain: Chiropractic care is shown to be very effective in treating acute back pain (the kind of sudden pain you get from lifting something heavy or "wrenching" your back). 
• Get Your Body Working Efficiently: If you have subluxations in your spine or misaligned joints, not only is your range of motion compromised, but your nervous system cannot work as efficiently. The nervous system is the electrical wiring for your entire body, keeping everything running smoothly. By making sure that the spinal column and joints are at optimal health, chiropractic care eliminates structural impediments to the functioning of the nervous system. 

In autum, you want to enjoy your time outdoors, whether you're jumping in leaf piles with the kids, taking a stroll on a tree-lined trail, playing some touch football, or enjoying a pumpkin spice lowfat soy latte while wearing a chunky cable-knit sweater. (If you can't embrace ridiculously stereotypical seasonal activities in autumn, when can you, I ask?) By making chiropractic care a part of your regular routine, you help make sure that you'll always be up for whatever the season may bring.