Protecting Your Joints in the Summer
For more people, summer is the most active time of the year. It can be hard to resist heading outside to do any number of activities, from mowing the lawn to strolling in the park. Summer is also the season of golf, beach volleyball, swimming, and more. No one wants to be cooped up indoors when the sun is shining and there isn’t a cloud in the sky – but you might be if you don’t take care of your joints. Our experts understand how an active lifestyle can lead to injury, especially in the joints and spine. Here are some easy methods of protecting them in order to prevent joint injury.
Stretch Before Doing Anything Active
The number one thing that you need to remember to do is stretch. Stretching loosens the ligaments and gets your muscles ready for any number of activities. Stiff joints end up getting hurt. You might feel weird doing them, especially if you’re the only one in your group stretching out before that golf game, but your knees, hips, back, and shoulders will thank you. Thankfully, you only need to hold each stretch for around 15 seconds, which is just enough to get your body ready for motion.
Do Some Warm-Up Exercises
Speaking of getting ready for movement, you should also do a few warm-up exercises. Like stretching, they loosen up the joints and prevent you from getting injured. Do a few deep knee lifts, run in place for a few minutes, and then bust out the jumping jacks. If you can get some of your friends to do it as well, then you won’t feel as though you’re acting strangely at all. In fact, everyone should do these activities, especially since they don’t want to get hurt either.
Use Wraps If You Need Additional Stability
If you have injured joints and worry about them getting worse, then use compression sleeves or ace bandage wraps on them. Wrapping your knee will give you some extra stability and it will make that area of your body feel stronger. You’re much less likely to overextend or strain your joints if you have them protected in this manner. In addition, if you worry about sweating through the wraps (and who isn’t, on a hot day) find ones that are breathable. This will allow some air through, keeping you from overheating and sweating in that area. Your knees, ankles, elbows, and wrists can all be wrapped in this manner.
Ice Your Joints If They Start to Hurt
One final thing that you can do in order to protect your joints in the summertime is to know when to stop. If your knees start to hurt, stop pushing yourself. Sit down, relax, and then ice that part of your body. Remember that pain equals injury. If you continue moving through the pain, then things will only get worse, and you’ll find yourself sitting out on the sidelines or on your couch while everyone else has fun. It helps to keep a few ice packs in your freezer, just in case you begin to hurt.
Don’t Overlook Your Spinal Health
Your back is composed of bones that allow your back a range of movement. These bones have soft discs in between allowing a flexibility that lets you bend and move your back around. When the casing around these discs wear down, it can cause the soft interior to push out and pinch nerves. This can cause numbness, tingling, or weakness in the area where the nerves have been disrupted by the pressure exerted by the herniated disc.
Spinal decompression is a non-invasive procedure that relieves the pressure placed on the discs that make up the back. It works by gently pulling the spine, taking any pressure off of the discs in the spine. It is extremely effective at providing pain relief as well as healing the issues, like herniated discs, causing you pain. If you have pain in your neck, back, or joints and have not been able to find relief, visit West Texas Neck and Back. Our experts will develop an actionable plan to help you get back on your feet and eliminate your pain.
Visit West Texas Neck and Back For All Your Chiropractic Needs
Our chiropractic experts at West Texas Neck and Back are skilled at diagnosing and treating a variety of spinal conditions. We use state-of-the-art chiropractic technologies and therapies, like spinal decompression, that help heal injured individuals, so they can return to their daily lives. Contact us today if you think you may be suffering from a herniated disc, our chiropractors are here to support you.