Weight Importance and Its Significance in Chiropractic
Let’s discuss the importance of weight management. Occasionally looking at ourselves and saying “I need to lose weight” can be challenging and morally deflating. However, recognizing that we are able to improve our life style and then doing so, can promote a positive mental outlook and a longer, healthier life.

The spine and its long term health can be affected by obesity and weight gain. The IVD (intervertebral disc) can degenerate early from carrying extra weight. Over time the degenerative discs slowly become arthritic, a condition responsible for much of the population’s lower back pain symptoms. Reduced physical activity and a sedentary life style are more likely to affect those suffering from arthritic pain. Reduced activity also contributes to other health concerns including diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. So managing our weight contributes to healthier discs and bones in the spine.

Another way promote health in the spine is to keep up on your maintenance visits. I suggest to all our patients who currently feel good to keep feeling good by scheduling a monthly treatment. Continuing to do this will help you stay pain free and promote good spinal health. Consider yourself similar to your car – if your front end is misaligned, continuing to drive the car will cause the “soft” components of the front end to wear out much more quickly. Similarly, allowing your spine to stay out of alignment for long periods of time will more quickly wear out the “soft” components of your spine. One of those components is the IVD. In the same way that carrying extra weight can have a negative impact, extended periods of misalignment contributes to degenerative disc disease and can increase the likelihood of other health complications.

Managing your weight and staying on a maintenance schedule helps all of us sustain a healthy life style as we move through the years. As we like to say at Mirando Chiropractic, it’s easier to stay well than to get well.

Yours in health,

Dr. Dominick Mirando

(Image by Maria Molinero)