While spinal manipulation is a chiropractor’s primary tool, functional medicine chiropractors also assess their patients’ lifestyles. Chiropractic care that focuses on functional medicine is holistic. This means that when you visit a functional medicine chiropractor, he or she will want to know about other aspects of your life in addition to performing a physical exam. Your initial visit will probably include filling out a questionnaire and having a long chat with your chiropractor about your physical condition, work, family relationships, diet and activity level. Based on this information, your functional medicine chiropractor might recommend various lifestyle interventions to improve your health.
Conditions Improved by Lifestyle Interventions
Lifestyle changes can prevent or improve many chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, obesity, osteoporosis, coronary heart disease and some types of cancer. For example, many people who suffer from type-2 diabetes are able to reduce or eliminate their reliance on medications by exercising more and improving their diets.
Types of Lifestyle Interventions
- Diet. Your chiropractor might identify nutritional deficiencies in your diet. He or she might suggest upping your protein consumption and decreasing your fat or salt intake, or eating whole grains instead of refined carbs. Chiropractors might also recommend dietary supplements, such as certain herbs or multivitamins.
- Exercise. Many Americans go from desk to car to couch. Your chiropractor can help you find realistic ways to work exercise into your busy schedule. Regular exercise can reduce chronic pain as well as help prevent or alleviate certain health conditions.
- Smoking. Everybody knows smoking is a bad idea. Although quitting smoking is hard, the benefits of stopping this habit are exponential. If you smoke, your chiropractor may discuss ways to help you eliminate the habit for good. It’s never too late to quit smoking.
- Alcohol Use. Even people who don’t usually overindulge might occasionally turn to alcohol to cope with stress or in certain social situations. Your chiropractor can help you assess how much you drink and whether it’s adversely affecting your life. If so, you can discuss ways to limit or stop drinking.
- Stress Management. Most people have a hard time keeping up with all the demands made on them by others and by themselves. A chiropractor can recommend ways to deal with stress, whether that means yoga, tai chi, meditation or a little quiet time in nature.
Do you feel like your overall health could be better? Are the demands of life overwhelming you? Call our clinic, and we will discuss lifestyle interventions to maximize your health.