Have you ever heard the phrase “movement is life”? It indicates that life is dependent on movement and is true on the cellular level as it is on the macro level. On a cellular level our blood cells need movement to flow, our heart has to pump (or move) to beat, our lungs have to contract and relax to breathe, and our muscles need to be stimulated for oxygen and strength. The macro level includes things such as the exercises we do, the day-to-day functions we perform, and when multiple smaller movements are working together for bigger movements. As Chiropractors, we also look at joint movement. Lack of movement creates dysfunction which can cause muscle spasm, change the way you walk or move, and can lead to injury down the road. Proper joint movement is also extremely important for brain stimulation. When a joint is not properly moving, the brain, and therefore nervous system, are not working as well as they should and/or could.
It is now summer in Minnesota and more movement is happening. Moving is good, but moving correctly is even better. This is why we use specific adjustments to restore proper joint function and make sure your muscles are firing properly so you can do the movements you were made to do. When we are not moving properly, we start to compensate and that creates injury in the body.
Movement throughout the day is important. Think about sleeping and then instantly trying to run a mile. Without proper stimulation or “waking up”, your muscles won’t do what they need to as well as they potentially could if given the correct circumstances. During the winter our movement is different and typically quite a bit less. With the warmer weather so many more people are outside doing things like running, walking, biking, hiking, tubing, four-wheeling, gardening and never-ending yard work! We move differently in the summer after the long winter, so our bodies need to be supported differently as well. We are here to support you in making sure your body is able to do what it wants to do and needs to do all summer long. “Waking up” our bodies for summer will allow us to do what we want to and be able to take advantage of the summer while it is here!
-Dr. Sophie Mills