TIPS FOR PAIN-FREE TRAVEL

Traveling can be a pain in the neck - literally!  Planes, trains & automobiles can also wreak havoc on our backs.  Here are a few tips to help reduce pain while traveling:   1.  Spinal support:  When traveling for long period in a car, plane or train, place a rolled towel or small pillow in the curve of your lower back and place a U-shaped neck pillow or rolled towel around your neck. This will help you maintain better posture, which is critical to maintaining normal curves in your back. 2. Stay hydrated:  One of the most basic, yet common, causes of pain is dehydration. Not having enough fluid in the body to keep the body cool, the blood moving, the muscles supple and the tendons relaxed. 3.  Baggage handling:  Try to pack only what you need and keep stress off the shoulders by utilizing luggage with wheels.  Also, be mindful of your posture when lifting bags into the overhead bins or from baggage claim carousels. 4.  Get some rest:  Hotel pillows can often be the source of a sore neck in the morning.  Travel with your own pillow or ask for extras when you check in.  You can also use a pillow (or folded over towel) in between your knees. 5.  Keep the blood flowing: On long flights, be sure to stand up for a few minutes and doing some light stretching, twisting or bending will help keep you limber, relaxed and the blood moving in and out of the muscles. Be sure to check out our "Retail Deal" this month to save 10% on any of our posture tools and... Bon Voyage!

THE IMPORTANCE OF HYDRATION

Two-thirds of the human body is made up of water. Every cell and organ depends on water to perform essential functions.  The water in your body performs the following functions:

• Removes waste and toxins
• Transports nutrients and oxygen
• Controls heart rate and blood pressure
• Regulates body temperature
• Lubricates joints
• Protects organs and tissue, including the eyes, ears, and heart
• Creates saliva

How to stay hydrated: 

Drink lots of fluids. Drinking at least eight cups of water each day is a good rule of thumb, according to the American Dietetic Association. 
Eat foods with high water content.  Many foods contain water and can help replenish lost fluids. Choose foods like lettuce, cucumber, melons, and broccoli.   
Avoid foods and drinks that may contribute to dehydration.  Beverages with sugar and/or caffeine (such as fruit juice, soda, and coffee) can dehydrate the body.

ICE or HEAT FOR PAIN?

The rule to follow is if an area is red, swollen, inflamed, or if it's an acute injury, meaning an injury that just occurred, we want to cool the area down with an ICE PACK to prevent any inflammation. 

NOTE:  to avoid an ice burn, do not apply ice directly onto the skin.  Instead run a tea towel or washcloth under the tap, wring it out, and wrap the icepack (or bag of frozen peas) before applying to the skin.

 

HEAT will generally be used to prepare a body part or a portion of your arm or leg for exercise. It helps in increasing blood flow or circulation, increasing tissue elasticity or flexibility, and it will just help warm up or prepare the body part to accept the exercise or the stretching that the therapist will be doing to the area. 

If you have more questions, please feel free to inquire with one of our Massage Therapists or Chiropractors. 

Independence from Pain

Greetings! Dr. Heidi In honor of the 4th of July Holiday celebrated this month, I would like each of us to declare our Independence from Pain. This does not mean that by simply making a conscious declaration we can be free from ALL pain. That would be naïve. But what we can do is commit to being proactive with our current state of health with the intent to be as pain free as we possibly can. And we can commit to preventive measures in the form of a healthy lifestyle to avoid pain that could be in our future. Attached you will find a Declaration For A Pain-Free Life (click HERE). Print it out and place it on your refrigerator or near your desk so that you see it daily and are reminded of your ongoing commitment to good health.    Until our next adjustment....  Yours in health,     Dr. Heidi & The InnerMovement Wellness Team

RETAIL DEAL OF THE MONTH

TAKE 10% OFF*   any our regularly priced posture tools!   *offer good until 07/31/12    Vestibular Disc Cervical Neck Pillow Knee pillows