August is national wellness month! In honor of that, this month’s blog will focus on the idea of wellness and how we can keep ourselves well through change. Google (via the Oxford Dictionary) defines wellness as “the state of being in good health, especially as an actively pursued goal." We talk a lot about function in the office and this is because how you feel is often a result of how it is functioning. If there are areas of your body that are not properly functioning, we know that your overall movement can suffer and can lead to pain that comes on suddenly, or gradually builds over time. So, what can you do about it? If you think of health and wellness as a math equation and the goal is to have 100% function from your body, there are two sides to consider. What makes up that 100% and what can subtract from it?

First, what are things that may be taking away from my health or causing the problem to continue? As we discussed, restriction at the joint level, particularly at the spine, negatively affects how the area of the body is moving and we must compensate with motion or overuse in surrounding muscles. We can also be diligent with our movement and daily patterns. Have you ever noticed sitting in your chair seems to make your pain worse or you get sore after sitting for a long time? Small changes to things like posture and body alignment during the day and while sleeping can also reduce the amount of time your body is in a stressed position, leading to you healing faster.

The second aspect of wellness is adding good habits into your routine. The list is seemingly endless, and it can be hard to know which things to add, especially when you are already in pain. There are three things that stand out in our current understanding of the human body that can be added into your routine relatively easily. Exercise, nutrition, and the mind-body connection are three of the top ways to improve your overall health and feel better while also setting yourself up for less recurrences of pain in the long term. Going back to the definition of wellness “…an actively pursued goal.” This means making your self-care intentional and committing to a routine.

It can be a time of transition for many of us. Students are heading back to school, parents are adapting to their new schedules, and all of us will see changes as we transition from Summer to Fall. Use this time to make changes that will add to your health and function and take out one or two of the things that may be holding you back from living the life you want!

Dr. Conrad Bush is a graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic. He has special interests in weight loss, biomechanics, extremities, and sports rehab. He is currently working toward certification in Active Release Technique, which focuses on treating the soft tissue system of the body.