Have you ever seen people who you know have significant problems go about their day, and wonder how you can do it too?
It turns out there’s no real mystery to it other than simple everyday habits and some healthcare with a focus on correcting the underlying cause(s).
For now let’s focus on 3 daily habits that can start to shift your daily pain.
Now, if the word “habits” makes you wince a little, I get it. It sounds like a lot of work.
But it’s true what they say:
If you can stick with a new habit long enough, you’ll forget it’s a habit.
Good habits can definitely help you improve the quality of your life and avoid bigger problems.
I know because I made it my mission to incorporate a daily routine into my life. At first, I got tripped up by missing days, not being consistent and forgetting practices.
I couldn’t seem to get into a rhythm. There’s a good reason.
There’s an old myth that it takes 21 days to establish a habit. A study in Scientific American showed that it takes from 18 to 254 days to establish a habit.
So if you’ve been struggling to stick to your exercises or walking or bed time, you’re not alone. Most people give up before they benefit enough from their new practice.
The real key to success is doing your new activity or practice long enough that you experience the benefits. After that it becomes much easier.
Read on to discover 3 easy habits to help you start to get control of your chronic neck or back pain.
#1. Move Your Body
Honestly, at first it is often hard for many to follow through with this one.
However, moving your body is critical for pain relief. The human body was designed to move.
So if you find it challenging to incorporate into your routine, you’re not alone. Pain naturally results in us pulling back on our activities and movement because it hurts. What we don’t realize is that lack of enough movement will cause pain on its own.
It’s natural to have some fear around moving more if your history is more pain with more movement.
But remember, you can’t heal neck or back pain without movement.
Here’s the good news:
You don’t need to join a gym.
Start off by committing to some movement practice at least 10 minutes a day. If you are already doing that then make it 20 minutes.
Find an activity that doesn’t aggravate your pain. If you have low back pain and walking is too painful consider finding a pool to walk or swim in. If your neck hurts then walking can be a very gentle way to get some movement in the neck.
Once you make it part of your routine, you will notice how much better you feel with movement! You might notice less pain or it might be that you simply feel better.
You can also set clearly defined goals to help you move every day.
Keep in mind that movement looks different for everyone, so what works for someone else may not be the best for you.
Another thing that helps is to start off slow. Try something for 5 minutes the first few days to make sure it doesn’t bother you.
#2. Change Your Breathing
I underestimated the power of breathing until I did a deep dive into it, but it’s crucial to your well being on so many levels it is so worth paying attention to.
The majority of us have dysfunctional breathing patterns and with chronic pain that is probably close to 100%.
When you don’t breathe properly you’re likely to activate the Sympathetic Nervous System, which undermines your ability to overcome your pain because it drives muscle tension, pain, and inflammation.
This will ultimately be a perpetuating factor that interferes with your ability to rest and recover.
The Sympathetic System is tasked with survival and it turns down all the processes associated with long term health and well being. If your survival were threatened it would be normal for your muscle tension to increase, breathing to increase and your sleep would diminish.
So even if you are confident your breathing is fine, make sure you follow this to turn on your vagus nerve and allow your body to relax.
Here are the first steps to breathing in a way that activates the Vagus Nerve:
Step #1
Close your mouth and breathe through your nose. If you are not eating, drinking, or talking, then your mouth should be closed.
Step #2
Slow down your breathing and lighten your breathing. The way to remember this is if you’re breathing gently, lightly, and slowly the message your brain is getting is that you are safe.
Step #3
Activate your diaphragm. Put your hands on your lower outer ribs and gently push in. As you breathe in through your nose feel the ribs pushing your hands out and as you breathe out allow your ribs to come back in.
Spend 5 minutes twice a day breathing slowly and lightly in and out of your nose. Lighten your breathing enough that you experience a slight desire to take deeper breath but are able to continue.
#3. Prioritize Sleep
This one can be extra challenging, especially if you’re used to staying up late and not having a consistent bedtime.
Over the last 5 years there has been a lot of research on sleep. Books have been written and I have listened to numerous researchers speak on the role of sleep in health.
You may think that you can make up for what you miss during the week, but the truth is there is a cost to poor quality and quantity of sleep and you can’t make it up.
When you get enough quality sleep each night, you give your body the best opportunity for better physical and emotional health.
Most researchers feel that the vast majority of us need about 7 or more hours of sleep a night.
Here are a few ways to improve sleep:
- Have a consistent bedtime each night
- Sleep in a cooler room
- Remove any lights from the bedroom and consider blackout shades
- Do not eat for at least 2-3 hours before bed
Wrapping it up
Whether you’re new to overcoming chronic pain, have been at it for a while, or you just want a way to take back more control, these habits will help you on your journey to pain relief.
All you need to do is stick to a routine.
Remember it takes time and dedication, and failure is part of the process. So if you go off track at any point, that’s completely normal. Don’t beat yourself up and lose time worrying about it. Get right back to it. You got this!
If you are ready to take the next step you can schedule your initial Consultation and Exam with Life Chiropractic in Grass Valley here: Schedule Here
About Dr. Berkowitz
Dr. Bill Berkowitz is a dedicated chiropractor who brings reliability and depth to his practice at Life Chiropractic in western Nevada County. Focused on addressing chronic issues like low back pain, headaches, and anxiety, Dr. Berkowitz delivers patient-centered care rooted in proven methods without unnecessary extras.
Life Chiropractic, founded by Dr. Bill Berkowitz, offers reliable and results-driven chiropractic care for residents of western Nevada County. With a focus on foundational health solutions, the practice prioritizes quality and effectiveness to help clients achieve relief from chronic issues without unnecessary add-ons.
Schedule your first visit here: Schedule Here