Spinal Hygiene: You only have one, so take care of it
What is spinal hygiene?
Spinal hygiene is the set of practices associated with preserving and maintaining spinal health, which involves both home spinal care and regular chiropractic check-ups and adjustments.
Why should I consider this?
It’s similar to dental hygiene. For many years now (but hasn’t been forever), people have believed in going into the dentist every 6 months for a standard check up on their teeth, gums, bite, etc. Why? Because it’s good practice to take care of ourselves to prevent disease, illness, etc. Once we get our adult teeth, they are the only ones we have….for the rest of our lives. Makes sense to take care of them then, right? Right. Can’t argue that.
Now the question…..how many spines do we get in our life? We get one. So….just like we go in to the dentist to make sure our teeth stay in good health, we should get in the habit of taking the same diligent care of our spine. After all, it’s the only one we have.
How does this help me in the long run?
People live active lives and do strenuous activities that can lead to a sore back, neck, shoulder, knees, ankles, etc. We often think that we need to wait until we are in pain before going to the Chiropractor to get relief. Here’s the thing, pain is the last thing to show up.
By making spinal health and hygiene a part of your monthly or bi-monthly schedule (or whatever works for you), you are able to rebound faster after incidents happen (i.e. after raking, shoveling, playing sports or even sleeping wrong).
Having adjustments on a maintenance basis will help catch these misalignments/subluxations before they become a problem (a.k.a. “painful”). That’s beneficial not only because you may avoid any pain, but also the after-effects of the muscle spasms that may have taken place.
The body can go into a protective mode when it’s injured and that’s when a person gets that “locked up” feeling. The muscles are tightening up to protect the spine and the body from further damage, but the drawback is that recovery from this situation can be a little more involved and time consuming.
This is where preventive maintenance goes back to the age old axiom from Benjamin Franklin that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Our approach
Dr. Ayen’s primary focus is on health and wellness. He strives to build a longstanding partnership with his patients that results in their optimal health. He wants to work with you to identify your “healthcare blueprint” and map out a plan to get you to be the best possible YOU.
His goal is to give you exercises to work on at home along with any helpful tips in managing day to day life to help get you out of pain and keep you out of pain. Dr. Ayen doesn’t want you dependent on him to feel well on a daily basis, but instead works with you to come out of the pain (if you are in pain). He will work with you to find a plan that works for you to maintain your spinal hygiene together.
Testimonial
“I've now been in to see Dr. Ayen 3 times! In the past I've had off/on neck pain upon waking in the morning. Usually it lasts for a good week (where I look like a robot when I try to try my head). This time, I decided to try a new path, so I called Dr. Ayen. He was able to get my in on short notice. Dr. Ayen did a thorough evaluation and explained what was wrong and why he was doing what he was doing. I hadn't been to a chiropractor that used the Activator method, but I have to say, it's fantastic! My neck pain was gone within a day. Now if I have something that doesn't feel quite right, I get to Dr. Ayen as soon as possible, instead of suffering! The clinic is inviting, Cindy at the front desk is warm and friendly and my treatment and outcomes have been beyond my expectations!”
- Wendy
