Here at Dakota Chiropractic we are committed to helping those in our community of Apple Valley, MN live a pain free life through healthy living tips and excellent chiropractic care.
Let’s start with suggestions for people in Apple Valley to find good chiropractic care.
The number one thing to keep in mind when you’re looking for a chiropractor in Apple Valley or anywhere is you want to find somebody that’s going to listen to you. You want to make sure that your concerns are heard, that you feel comfortable, and that they are really listening to you. That is more important than chiropractic care involves the latest technology or crazy marketing. The most important thing has to be that the chiropractor listens to you more than they speak.
A good question that people in Apple Valley should ask when looking for chiropractic care is what can your doctor provide for you to do outside of the chiropractic clinic.
A good chiropractor not only gives good treatment for you when you are in the clinic, like adjustments and muscle work and rehab exercises, but they also encourage you take ownership of your health, and to be able to do things outside of the chiropractic clinic as well to live a pain free life.
The top five things I suggest to somebody in Apple Valley after they received chiropractic care to live pain free is:
1. Stay mobile. Because we live in a sedentary society, we are so used to sitting at our computers or sitting on the couch. I suggest get up and get moving as much as possible, even if it’s just five minutes at a time or 30 minutes at a time. That’s huge. The consistency of making this a habit is the most important part. Set an alarm on your phone or give your self a visual clue somehow. Whatever will get you to remember!
2. Drink more water. That’s free. That’s simple. You can get to water all the time. (It may not be the best water, but we will save that for another discussion!) A lot of people think that they’re drinking enough water, but if you want to change something in your health, start with drinking a gallon of water a day and see what that does. People often respond to that by saying, “Won’t I have to pee all of the time if I drink a gallon of water per day?” to which I respond, “YES!” That is just one more way to get you up and moving. It is 100% worth the extra trips to the bathroom!
3. Get enough rest. I know that that it might seem like the opposite of keep moving. But in our society we often think that it is that it’s a badge of honor to be crazy busy and stressed out and working all the time and that is so far from the truth and honestly detrimental to your health. Take time for rest. Prioritize sleep and try as hard as you can to get eight hours of sleep. The hardest part about that is usually the discipline of going to bed earlier. We worry that we will lay in bed wide awake and that is a stressful thought but see if you can reframe it. Even if you lay in bed for an hour awake but laying there quietly in the dark – that is still rest! Your body is still repairing itself and detoxifying while you do that. Try to give yourself a chance to lay in bed doing nothing instead of grabbing your phone when you can’t fall asleep right away.
4. Take time for gratitude. I know that doesn’t sound super health-related, but there are studies out there that show that taking time to just jot down what you’re thankful for or saying out loud to somebody else what you’re thankful for can contribute positively to a lot of healthy metrics, like lowering your blood pressure and lengthening your life! One way to do that is to keep a gratitude journal. Every morning right down 10 things from the day before that you are thankful for. This way you must pay attention throughout the day to positive things. The more you look for joy, the more you will find it.
5. Spend time in community with others. Make sure that you are getting together with family and friends and loved ones. This really does boost one’s health. Humans have been social creatures forever and not meant to live in isolation. I know this can be tough when we feel pressure to accomplish and achieve. It might feel like there is less and less time to be social, but if we can put something on our calendar and make it a priority it pays off 100 fold.
These are the things that people in Apple Valley, MN (and anywhere!) can do to support a pain free life and maximize good chiropractic care.
If you are looking for someone to help you live a pain free life, I would love to meet with you! Please contact me and let’s get to know each other.
