What should you do to stay healthy? Should you eat well? Exercise? Visit the doctor regularly? You don’t have to have an M.D. to know the answers. You should do all of these things, of course, and more.
Yet too many Americans see artificial distinctions between the different things we do to stay healthy. We know that we should eat well and that we should go to the doctor, but we don’t always appreciate how interconnected these things are. We’d be better off if we could appreciate the ways in which all of our health needs — and all of the things that we do in order to address them — are interconnected. We should take a holistic approach to our health. That means addressing our daily rituals and scheduling periodic doctor’s appointments. Here’s what you need to know about a smart and all-encompassing approach to health.
It’s All Connected
What would you do if you had sudden and severe pain in your back? If you’re smart, you’d reach for the phone and get in touch with experts in back pain. Chiropractors like the ones at one well-regarded center for lower back pain treatment in New Jersey are trained to recognize and address all kinds of back pain and spine-related problems. They’ll be able to set out treatment options for low back pain and address specific conditions like arthritis, inflammation, and herniated discs.
Experts like these would also take a look at your medical history and consider how your lower back pain might have its roots in something other than your vertebrae and discs. After all, lumbar spine issues don’t come out of anywhere. Your spinal column may be having a tough time dealing with something. Something like your weight, for instance: Chronic back pain can be caused by obesity. Pain relief can come from professionals like chiropractors, but physical therapy and pain medications are only part of the solution. As any expert in back pain will tell an overweight patient, back pain can be reduced (or even prevented) by a healthy lifestyle.
All of this demonstrates something that should be obvious: Low back pain, like many other medical conditions that can send you to the doctor in a hurry, is not just the domain of medical experts. It’s something that you can help or hurt every day with your actions. Your daily routine matters and a holistic approach to health can make all the difference.
What to Do
Convinced yet? Great. But what can you do? How can you actually live a healthy life and minimize your risk of chronic low back pain (as well as heart disease, cancer, and a whole lot of other things)?
For starters, you can eat right. That means eating a lot of whole foods — not just the processed junk that is all too popular in the United States. Eating lots of vegetables and other foods that are dense in nutrients and light on calories can help you shed pounds and get healthier on the inside.
Exercise is a must, too. Experts recommend 150 minutes of exercise per week. That’s just a half-hour a day, five days a week. Do that and you’ll do the physical therapist’s job for them, avoiding muscle weakness and strengthening your body against muscle-related pain symptoms.
A holistic approach to health also means taking supplements, including natural health supplements, more seriously. There’s nothing silly about investing in your health, so start reading up on the supplements that help most. You might be surprised by how much holistic medicines and supplements can help your physical and mental health.
CBD is a great example. Derived from marijuana, CBD is a “cannabinoid” — a chemical compound that affects the body. A sort of “active ingredient” within marijuana, CBD should not be confused for its cousin THC. THC is primarily responsible for marijuana’s famous high, while CBD is non-psychoactive (in other words, it won’t get you high at all).
But CBD does do some things. In fact, it’s responsible for many of marijuana’s health benefits. CBD is believed to help reduce symptoms of anxiety, fight nausea, and reduce pain. For more on CBD, check out the expert guides from Bloom and Oil. The pros at Bloom and Oil specialize in essential oils and natural plant products like hemp, CBD, and rosemary.
If you approach your daily life with your whole health in mind, you can avoid health problems. A holistic mindset means relying on doctors when you need to while living in the healthiest possible way in between appointments.
