5 Tools to Reduce McHenry Holiday Back Pain and Stress

The holidays are upon us all in McHenry. All of us McHenry chiropractors, teachers, parents, workers, and employees are feeling the holiday stress. Let’s all make a vow to better cope this year! Here are 5 tools OrthoIllinois Chiropractic offers:

1. A Grateful Attitude
• Be grateful. Gratitude leads to joy which is what the holiday season is all about!
2. Good Food
• Eat well especially on in-between party days.
• Mix in fruits and vegetables.
• Enjoy the sweets, but don't go crazy with them. Unneeded sugar for immediate energy turns into fat. Fat doesn’t help back pain or attitude!
• Stay hydrated. Begin a new water drinking habit. Eight glasses of water a day is a fine start! OrthoIllinois Chiropractic promotes water consumption for your bone, skin, spinal disc, bowel, mind, and appetite! (1)
3. Movement
• Just move. Walk more.
• Schedule a workout or a yoga class (2) or a walk at the gym or on the treadmill.
• Start a new routine of waking to motion with a simple exercise you can do while in bed even: knee-chest and hamstring stretch.
4. Self-Care
• Don’t ignore signs of back pain or neck pain. All that McHenry shopping and gift wrapping (There's no ideal position to get this job done!) may strain your spine. Schedule a visit to your McHenry chiropractor - your back pain specialist - sooner than later.  OrthoIllinois Chiropractic is here for you!
• Breathe. Focus on the breath when too many choices appear, too many cookies have to be baked, too many gifts have to be wrapped. Just breathe. It's astonishing what 6 even breaths in and out will do.
• Visualize calm. When "too much" comes your way, visualize yourself in your favorite location: a beach, a snow capped mountain, a hot tub, a lounge chair in front of a fire. Ahhh.
• Close your eyes. Not while you're actually driving to grandmother's house, but close your eyes for a moment while sitting at your desk or in your car. Closing your eyes shuts out all the stimuli if only for a moment.
• Soak in the sun whenever possible. Its Vitamin D does wonders for your bones and immunity and spirit! (3)
• Appreciate some McHenry chiropractic care!
5. Sleep
• Sleep gives your mind and body a rest to be ready for more! (4)

The holidays are so busy. The time is so short. The demands – self imposed or family imposed or work imposed or society imposed – are high. Your McHenry chiropractor and all the staff at OrthoIllinois Chiropractic feel it, too. Let’s support each other this year! OrthoIllinois Chiropractic looks forward to your relaxing, re-energizing, pain-relieving holiday McHenry chiropractic visit! Contact us today. Happy Holidays!