I think we can all agree that this winter was long and cold! We probably weren’t as active as we would have liked and hibernated in our homes instead. But the sun is shining and the weather is warming up, so we can start dreaming about the summer activities we are going to enjoy. Some people start soccer, baseball or golf, or they plan more walks with the family and camping trips.  All activities that ask your body to move in different ways…This is great!! Our bodies love movement, sunshine, and exercise.

HOWEVER, after a long, sluggish winter, our bodies are not ready to do these activities without a little bit of preparation first. Remember…the absence of pain does not equal the absence of problem. Did you know that you can have up to 80% dysfunction (strain/stress/damage) before you feel any discomfort at all??

Think about this example: a 50 year old man has had a bit of lazy winter, and although he may have caught up with the latest season of Storage Wars on Netflix, he has not kept up with his conditioning program! The day the course opens, he heads to the driving range. As he goes for his first practice swing, he “throws out his back”.   What do you think: was it that light golf swing that he has performed thousands of times over the years, or was it that his body wasn’t in the condition to take on that swing??

As you can imagine, this man would not be happy if his chiropractor told him he had to lay off golf for the first month of the season so that his back can heal properly!!

The lesson is this: Don’t Wait For Pain and start thinking about the health of your body NOW. . .Prepare for a sunny and fantastic spring/summer free of injury and embrace this time of year.

Until next time,

Dr. Brad Wild