With cold temperatures and inclement weather, winter can be a real pain! If you are like many people, you feel more aches and pains in the winter than in the summer. Cold weather can make your joints feel stiff and sore; slipping on the ice can wrench your muscles and falls can cause painful musculoskeletal injuries. Even colds and flu can make you feel miserable.
Fortunately, chiropractic care can help you beat common winter ailments in your body to help prevent illness and injury, or to help you overcome the aches and pains that often come with the season.
Chiropractic Care in the Winter
Chiropractic care can help you overcome the perils of winter, including aches and pains, slips and falls or sports injuries, and even illnesses from colds and flu.
Fight Aches and Pains
Cold weather can cause the elastic tissue in your joints to stiffen up and become achy. Stiffness is a special problem if you have arthritis, which often flares up when you first start moving in the morning. A sedentary lifestyle can also cause stiff joints; cold temperatures and inclement weather can often delay exercise and increase sedentary behavior. Achy joints might also discourage you from exercising.
Chiropractic care can help you overcome aches and pains associated with cold weather, including stiffness and discomfort associated with arthritis, to help you stay active throughout the season.
Aide Recovery from Winter Sports Injuries, Slips and Falls
Skiing, skating, and other winter sports are fun, but they can be dangerous. Common winter sports injuries include spinal injuries, knee problems, ankle sprains, and more. Sledding is the most common cause of sports injuries during winter, but skiing, ice skating, hockey, and snowboarding can also cause sports injuries. The ice and snow of winter make slips and falls more likely. Emergency departments treat more than 2.8 million older people for fall injuries each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Injuries from slips and falls can be serious, causing broken bones and other injuries. In many cases, slipping and falling causes sprains strains and muscle aches.
Chiropractic care for sports injuries, slips, and falls include stretching for increased flexibility, chiropractic adjustments to address joint tightness, and muscle work to break up scar tissue.
Improve Posture
Chiropractic care can help you improve your posture, which helps you keep your balance as you walk on slippery surfaces.
Immune System Support
A strong immune system protects your body from contagious illnesses, such as colds and flu. Adults usually get two to three colds each year, according to the CDC, and children can catch even more because they have weaker immune systems.
Spinal adjustments can cause beneficial changes in the nervous system. Research shows that there is a strong connection between the nervous system and the immune system and that chiropractic care that includes spinal adjustments can help improve the overall health of an individual.
Boost Your Mood
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that tends to worsen in the darker days of winter. Research shows that chiropractic care can lessen anxiety and other symptoms of depression by decreasing pain, melting muscle tension, improving mental clarity, and providing a boost in physical energy.
Beat your winter ailments this year with chiropractic care! Spinal adjustments, massages, posture screenings, and muscle training can help you avoid injuries and illnesses during the cold season.
Schedule an appointment with Martha Lake Chiropractic & Wellness today!