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August 2021

Tips for planning wellness, and what to do with elbow pain

By Newsletter

How to Plan Your Wellness

No one plans to fail at their health. We all have some health improvement goals at one point, some of us even have them all the time. So, what makes or breaks the outcomes?

There are several possibilities, but generally speaking there are some themes that many people struggle with. Whether your goals are to relax more, eat well, exercise, or reduce anxiety; the hardest part is always knowing how and when to start. This is why having a clear plan from the onset will help you with your health goal successes.

Here are a few ideas that can get your plans in motion:

  • Consider how you make choices. Identify how your decisions are made, and be aware of the results. Are you an impulsive decision maker? This can cause you to make choices you could regret because they feel good in the moment. Are you an over-thinker? Analysis paralysis is a real reason why people can fail at their goals. Here’s some perspective. Say, losing  some weight is a goal. If you are impulsive, it’s easy to make poor choices when out with friends because you’re having a good time. Similarly, if you are an overthinker, maybe you’ll decide not to go out with friends at all. As a balanced decision maker, you can consider eating before you arrive or looking at a menu online ahead of time and choosing what you’ll eat before you get there. Either way you are showing up, enjoying yourself and following through with your goals.
  • Begin with goals that are attainable. Having reasonable timelines and expectations are the key. It’s easy to become discouraged when you feel like things aren’t happening fast enough.
  • Identify possible obstacles. Understanding that you will have challenges, and even knowing what some of those may be will give you a chance to plan around them.
  • Reward yourself. Today’s culture talks a lot about humility, but we must celebrate our wins in order to stay motivated! It’s okay to acknowledge you have done a good job or achieved a goal. Life is busy and unpredictable, setting and achieving health goals is much like undoing generations of lackluster habits. Go ahead and be proud of the work you have put into changing your health.
  • Follow through. This may seem like an easy aspect of goal setting, but all of the success is in the follow through. If you have a plan to visit with your chiropractor monthly to remain proactive, then stick to that plan, even when you are feeling good.

It Doesn’t Have to Be Hard

Overall, planning wellness can seem overwhelming when you are just looking at the big picture. But when you break it all down into measurable goals that are planned out, you can achieve anything. Your health is what will determine how you age, how you heal, and how you feel mentally. I hope your plan for wellness is one that makes you proud and keeps you healthy!

 

Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow: Do You Have It?

Tiger Woods. Annika Sorenstam. Roger Federer. Serena Williams – serious, high-level athletes.

But if you think that you need to compete like these players to get tennis or golfer’s elbow, you couldn’t be more wrong!

In fact, you don’t need to be active in golf OR tennis to get golfer’s elbow or tennis elbow. Both can result from a variety of different activities, some of which might be part of your everyday routine.

It’s a condition that can affect just about anyone. Both result from overuse, or repetitive motions in the arm or wrist. There are some differences in each condition, but the treatment can often be the same.

All About Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is also known as lateral epicondylitis. It typically happens to a person in the age group 30-50. When overuse occurs, inflammation sets in on the outside of the elbow and forearm. The muscles become overworked and inflamed. You may experience this problem if you have a job such as carpentry, but it can also occur with gardening or raking.

The symptoms of tennis elbow include any of the following feelings from the elbow to the forearm and wrist:

  • Radiating pain
  • Achiness
  • Pain while reaching

All About Golfer’s Elbow

Similar to tennis elbow’s technical name, golfer’s elbow is called medial epicondylitis. It involves a problem on the inner side of the elbow and arm. And just like tennis elbow, it involves overuse – this time, of the wrist, when it’s twisted or flexed too much. Shoveling, gardening, repeated listing, and of course, playing golf or tennis can cause golfer’s elbow.  Other causes include racquet sports, baseball or softball, weightlifting, carpentry, painting and other similar activities.

The symptoms of golfer’s elbow include

  • Pain when lifting
  • Pain when twisting the forearm
  • Pain when making a fist
  • Swollen, tender area inside the elbow
  • Weakness in the hands or wrist
  • Stiffness in the elbow

Seeking Help Quickly Is Always Your Best Bet

Too many people think, “If I wait it out, it’ll probably go away.”

The truth is, like most injuries, seeking treatment right away is best if you suspect you have golfer’s elbow or tennis elbow.

Chiropractors are experts in all the joints of the body, including your elbow.

If resting it for a time and refraining from the activity that irritated the area doesn’t help, a checkup with us might be just what you need. We can diagnose whether you have tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow and either provide you with a care plan, adjustment, or refer you to another healthcare professional if they feel you will benefit from a referral.

Meanwhile, use ice and apply to the affected area, which can reduce pain and cut down on the swelling you might be experiencing.

And as difficult as it may be, take a break from any movement that irritate your elbow, forearm or wrist – getting a little rest can be just what your body needs to heal!

 

Detox: Do You Need It?

In recent years, “detoxification” has become quite a buzzword. Often shortened to “detox,” it implies cleaning the body from toxins that we encounter in our everyday lives and that can build up, affecting our health in negative ways.

The goal of detoxifying the body is to improve your health. Many other forms of detox may focus specifically on issues such as weight loss, too.

Your body has a built-in ability to detox itself using the lungs, skin, digestive system, kidneys and liver. Each of these organs must be healthy, however, to eliminate toxins. If they aren’t working optimally, you may be unable to detoxify naturally. And there is much you can do to ensure your body’s systems are prepared to properly detoxify.

What Are Toxins?

Even the healthiest people encounter toxins on a daily basis. They can include pollutants in the air or water, chemicals in household cleaners and beauty products, heavy metals, processed foods, and more.

Despite your best efforts, some exposure to toxins is inevitable. Toxins negatively affect your health, which is why detoxification has become popularized in recent years.

The Many Ways to Detox

There is no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to detox. Many detoxes involve laxatives, vitamins, teas or shakes that claim to detox.

Your best bet, however, is to work with your body in more natural ways to help your systems work as they should.

There are quite a few ways to do so:

  1. Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol has serious effects on your health, and the intake of alcohol is seriously taxing on your body, particularly your liver. Lighten the load by refraining from alcohol or cutting down on your consumption.
  2. Get proper sleep. A body that doesn’t get enough rest is a body that cannot heal. When you’re asleep, your body does its deep cleansing work. Aim to get at least 8 hours a day, even if it means heading to bed early.
  3. Eliminate sugar and processed foods. Both sugar and processed forms of foods are harmful to the body. Cutting them out is a positive step for anyone, particularly those who are interested in detoxification.
  4. Eat nutritious, antioxidant-rich foods. Concentrate on getting nutrient-dense foods into your diet. Think of eating a rainbow of produce so that you get all possible nutrients.
  5. Get natural prebiotics and probiotics. You don’t need to take a pill from a bottle to get these. Prebiotics are what the good bacteria in your gut feed off of, such as leeks, onions and garlic. You can get probiotics through kombucha, sauerkraut and fermented foods.
  6. Stay active. When you move your body and sweat, it’s a natural way of pushing toxins out of the body. If you don’t exercise, start small with short walks, working your way up to a higher activity level.
  7. Choose clean products. Look at what you’re using to clean your house, as well as your body care and beauty products. Most brands are full of toxic chemicals, though there are many that are all-natural if you do some internet research.

With each of these in mind, you are well on your way to giving your body a healthy boost and enabling it to detoxify!