Too Much Salt? I Thought The Body Is Mainly Made of Salt Water?

You are correct. Here’s the deal – salt’s chemical name is NaCl – that’s sodium chloride. It’s about 40% sodium and 60% chloride. It’s that 40% that sort of gives salt the bad rap. The high sodium is what gives doctors their reason for concern. That high sodium that can be a contributor to things like heart disease stroke, and diabetes.

Here’s the good news – if you eat more natural fresh foods you’re mostly in the clear. What has been discovered however is that ¾ of the American diet may be from processed foods; these are often high in sodium. Canned goods, packaged items, junk food… Next time you pop open that bag of potato chips, think about what we just talked about.

This is why I wrote this blog. So many of us are so confused when we here on television or from someone else (who may have learned from a television commercial!), or from our doctors to cut our salt. It’s easy to understand, and intentions are good, but we are missing the complete picture. Really we need to cut the sodium. We need to cut the processed stuff.

On a side note: I like to drink a lot of water. One of the things I’ve learned is to actually add a pinch or two of salt because your body actually needs a certain amount of salt for proper nervous system function, for muscle contraction, and more. As you can imagine, the two previously listed items are pretty important.

For our disc pain patients especially, we often recommend increasing water intake. This will help hydrate the lumbar discs, and in combination with lumbar decompression and low back chiropractic treatment, helps us hault the back pain faster.


The Glastonbury Chiropractor is located in central Connecticut- CT Spine and Disc Center specializes in patients who suffer from sciatica, disc degeneration, bulging disc or herniated disc in the lumbar spine. Call our chiropractic office at 860-633-8756 to schedule an appointment and to see if you are a candidate for non surgical spinal decompression

Additional Reading Resources:

• Glastonbury Chiropractic Information
  
• Matthew Bellinger Chiropractic on Google Maps
  
• Ct Spine & Disc Center in Glastonbury CT, Picures and Info
  
• Non Surgical Spinal Decompression in Connecticut
  
• Contact the Glastonbury Chiropractor

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Can My Weight be Contributing to my Lower Back Pain?

Quick answer: Yes! The bottom line is that a few extra pounds shouldn’t make a big difference, however, most people gain a significant amount of weight over time. I’ve seen patients who’ve injured themselves to the point where they weren’t exercising like normal and they started to gradually gain weight. I’ve seen people who experienced some kind of trauma and found themselves eating to cope. Also, as we get older, we often become less active.

Try strapping a 20 lb back pack to your back and wearing it all day; see if you can do it. Actually, better you don’t! I don’t want you to hurt your back. Not only will your back be sore, but you’ll be exhausted. These are symptoms you feel right away.

Over time, the increased pressure of the weight will literally start contributing to disc degeneration and joint breakdown.

Also, I’ve seen patients’ posture change because of the weight they’re carrying. I may see someone for a few visits for back pain. Then they leave the office feeling 100% only to come back one year later 25 lbs heavier and significant lumbar extension. This can especially happen when the majority of that weight is in the gut region. Some people tend to lean back or extend the lumbar spine to counter balance the weight. So, if that’s what your posture looks like you can now imagine even more stress and strain on the joints and the lumbar discs. Not only do you only have the increased weight of gravity on your back, but your spine is weaker because it’s out of position.

If your posture and spinal alignment has shifted and stayed that way for a period of time, loosing the weight may help, but may not be enough to restore it to normal. Consult with your local chiropractor to see how he or she may be able to help.



The Glastonbury Chiropractor is located in central Connecticut- CT Spine and Disc Center specializes in patients who suffer from sciatica, disc degeneration, bulging disc or herniated disc in the lumbar spine. Call our chiropractic office at 860-633-8756 to schedule an appointment and to see if you are a candidate for non surgical spinal decompressionAdditional Reading Resources:

• Chiropractor Glastonbury
  
• Causes of Back Pain
  
• chiropractic patients speak
  
• What is Non Surgical Spinal Decompression: FAQ's
• Research about Non Surgical Spinal Decompression

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The Hips: A Key Factor in Back Pain!

When you lose motion in your hips it will cause your back and back muscles to work harder. It will also cause a change in your gait or the way you move. This, in turn, works its way into your lower back. Not only will this eventually strain or overwork muscles, but it will cause uneven wear and tear on your spine and lumbar discs.


There are some really easy ways to exercise the hip, keeping the joints loose and allowing the hip to move like it should.

First, try laying on your back, knees up- bring your knees out sideways and then back to the center. Repeat slowly for 10-20 repetitions. You can also do it standing, bringing your knees out and in, rolling your feet.

Another good stretch is to lay on your side allowing one leg to hang over the other. This will stretch the hips and the oblique muscles. You can do this lying on the edge of the bed so that your above leg can stretch and hang more.

I find that for a lot of our patients adjusting the hips along with the back helps to relieve their pain faster.


The Glastonbury Chiropractor is located in central Connecticut- CT Spine and Disc Center specializes in patients who suffer from sciatica, disc degeneration, bulging disc or herniated disc in the lumbar spine. Call our chiropractic office at 860-633-8756 to schedule an appointment and to see if you are a candidate for non surgical spinal decompressionAdditional Reading Resources:

• Contact us at our new location
  
• The X Pain method
  
• Open House at the Chiropractors office
  
• What is Non Surgical Spinal Decompression: FAQ's
• Research about Non Surgical Spinal Decompression

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“I Squat Down When I Lift, But I Still Get Back Pain!”

There are a few reasons for this. First, bending your knees and squatting helps, but you still may not be maintaining your normal lumbar lordosis. To do this, it’s recommended to hold your stomach in tight and keep your head up.

Next, avoid lifting things that are much too heavy. No matter how perfect your technique you can still injure your back by being foolish. The same goes for carrying something; don’t do it if it’s too heavy. Also, keeping things in close to the body helps with lifting or carrying things as well.

Lastly, keep in mind your lumbar discs are biggest early in the morning, making them more susceptible to injury. This combined with the fact your muscles are often more rigid in the morning can be a big negative for your low back.

Remember “practice makes perfect.” So keep these tips in mind when lifting and your back will stay healthier, and the proper way to lift will become habit.


CT Spine and Disc Center is located in central Connecticut- Specializing in patients who suffer from sciatica, disc degeneration, bulging disc or herniated disc in the lumbar spine. Call us at 860-633-8756 to see if you are a candidate for non surgical spinal decompression

Additional Reading Resources:

• Does A Disc Typically Resolve On Its Own?
  
• Best Way T Diagnose A Disc Problem
  
• Re-hydration helps maintain the discs
  
• Understanding Non Surgical Spinal Decompression: FAQ's
  
• Research about Non Surgical Spinal Decompression
  

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