Nearly all of us will experience health challenges in any given year. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, almost 80% of Australians had at least one long-term health condition in 2020-21 – and almost half had at least one chronic condition!
The good news is that there are things we can do to reduce our chances of becoming one of these statistics, by taking a proactive approach to our health care.
Traditional health care is reactive in nature, meaning that you treat sickness or injury once it happens. If you sprain an ankle, for instance, your treatment would include rest, recovery and pain relief.
The problem with reactive health care, however, is that you may feel like a passive participant, with little control over your own body. Thankfully there is an alternative, and it’s known as proactive health care.
What is Proactive Health care?
Proactive Health care is taking charge of your own health and wellbeing. Rather than waiting until you develop symptoms, you take action to avoid sickness or injury in the first place. The focus is on early detection and treatment to prevent or mitigate health problems.
What are the benefits?
With proactive health care you:
- May be able to avoid surgery or lengthy hospital stays;
- Become an active participant in managing your own health care;
- Are more likely to have better quality of life;
- Are less likely to need drastic intervention. Small changes in your life can reap big rewards – eating correctly, exercising and drinking enough water are keys to staying healthy.
Are there any disadvantages?
Proactive health care may seem to be expensive – but that pales into insignificance when you think about the cost and impact, should you develop a chronic condition. By taking a proactive approach to your health care, you are investing in yourself.
Making the effort to stay fit and healthy may include regular exercise, a well balanced diet, and regular checkups with health professionals.
Proactive Chiropractic
While many people only visit a chiropractor because they are experiencing back, neck or shoulder pain, chiropractic can also be a wonderful addition to your proactive health care strategy.
Drawing on a range of techniques such as massage, the application of heat or ice, stretching exercises, mobilisation of your joints, pelvic blocking and spinal adjustment, your chiropractor is able to help keep your musculoskeletal system in tip top shape.
Stress and repetitive body movements often cause pain and stiffness. When you’re stressed, your muscles tighten, resulting in headaches, lower back pain and the like. Frequent repetitive actions can cause tissue injury and joint stiffness.
Regular chiropractic care helps reduce muscle tension and pain, as well as with:
- Lowering stress hormones that affect the immune system.
- Reducing your risk of injury. If you have awkward movement patterns or poor balance, you’re at a higher risk of sustaining an injury.
- Freeing up movement in restricted joints.
- Improving sleep by stimulating the release of sleep hormones and relieving muscle tension and pain.
There’s no need to wait until you have pain before seeing a chiropractor – remember, prevention is better than cure!
Is it time you added regular visits to the chiropractor to your self care routine?
