How to Brush and Floss Your Spine in CITY!

What if I asked you the question, "I don't have any cavities so why should I brush my teeth?" Your most likely answer, "Um, are you serious?" This is a ridiculous question. Everyone knows that you don't let your teeth rot before you brush them or see your dentist. It just makes sense to brush, and brush regularly, to maintain healthy teeth.

What if I told you that the same is true with your spine? Just like your teeth, your spine needs regular "spinal hygiene". Just like teeth, the spine will rot when not taken care of. Our bodies were never meant to sit, or be sedentary, to the extent that they are in modern society. I love the saying, "Sitting, to the spine, is as sugar to the teeth." The biggest difference between the two is that you can replace a rotten tooth but you cannot replace a rotten spine.

So what is spinal hygiene? Well, there's a part that you do and a part that your chiropractor does. Your part consists of daily bushing and flossing the spine, ie - stretching and strengthening. You need to take your spine through its full range in each direction and hold those stretches for about 30 seconds at least 1-2 times a day. Then you need to strengthen your core regularly, there are so many ways to do this, google it and pick your favorite and do it! The chiropractors part consists of checking you spine for subluxations (cavities - area's of the spine that aren't functioning right and are causing nerve irritation and premature degeneration...not always causing pain) on a regular basis (2-4 time a month for maintenance or more for acute, or chronic, problems.). Keep up on both so that you don't have to deal with major emergency problems and so you can have a healthy spine and nerve system into your 80's, 90's, or even 100's!

Waiting to get back pain before you start spinal care is like waiting to get a cavity before you start brushing. Once you get a cavity it’s a little late. So don't ignore those subtle, or not so subtle, signals the body gives you that something needs to be taken care of in the spine. Look for signs of pain, tingling, feeling "off", weak immune system, heart burn, asthma, allergies, headaches, migraines, poor posture, etc....and call your chiropractor to get in there and have proper spinal hygiene!