COVID-19 is the wakeup call to strengthen the immune system even more!
Right now, we are all bombarded with news, statistics and our inboxes are flooded with notifications and updates regarding the coronavirus pandemic. We are worried about our health more than ever, and now our finances, our children’s education, and our mental health.
Our wellness clinic remains open as an essential service to provide you with a safe environment to heal and deal with the stress induced by the situation. We also offer online support and telemedicine.
Our safety measures adhere to CDC guidelines including one person at a time in waiting room policy and increased time between visits for enhanced sanitization.
Why is chiropractic and acupuncture useful, especially now?
Medical offices and emergency departments are congested with patients experiencing upper respiratory symptoms or suspected COVID-19 infections. Hospital staff are consumed with the COVID-19 crisis and you wouldn't want to be exposed to that environment if you don't have respiratory or virus related symptoms. Our jobs are to keep you healthy, prevent severe pain episodes, and help you naturally build your immunity.
What does this mean for our communities? The more people getting adjusted or receiving acupuncture, the fewer number of emergency room visits for pain and stress-related issues.
Dr. Zair using PPE during patient care.
Acupuncture
Ten Useful Ways to Maintain Your Health And Protect Yourself From All Viruses (Not Just This One!)
Between your adjustments and/or acupuncture treatments, you can do the following to maintain your health and optimize your resistance to COVID-19 and all other airborne viruses:
Wear a mask when you leave your home or come in close proximity with others outside your home. You are protecting yourself and others. COVID-19 is an airborne virus. The N95 mask can filter out up to 95% of airborne small particles (aerosols) which are considered less than 0.3um (micrometers). However, they are currently very difficult to find (or very expensive if you do find them.) The simple masks such as homemade masks, surgical masks, are better than no masks. These can offer some protection from spray droplets (larger than 10um). It's important to know how to properly put them on, remove them, store them and keep them clean. Make sure you refrain from touching your face after handling the mask.
Wash your hands often and more often: Before and after toileting, eating, cooking, touching your face, shopping, etc. We have been hearing this ad nauseam but we can't stress this one enough!
Stretch every 30 to 60 minutes, even if it is upper or lower body. We are at home when not doing essential outings. So, it’s more important now than before to maintain fluidity in the joints, the intervertebral discs and provide healthy feedback to the brain.
Are you watching your sugar intake? We mean can you limit to eliminate it? Sugar is not a best friend when it comes to your immune system, your blood sugar, and your brain.
Sleep better. Most of us have more time to work on this. For tips on how to achieve better sleep, read our Sleep Habits for Children article – they work for adults too!
Supplement a clean diet with immune and stress management support. It’s not just the virus that’s a threat now. The stress and panic around this situation reduce your immune resistance to any bug out there. Vitamin C, Zinc, Echinacea, D3, B12, Magnesium as well as Omega 3 fish oil can help at a time like this. Food sources of these nutrients are helpful, however, depending on your current health status, your dietary history and the amount of stress endured at this time, it wouldn’t hurt to invest in high-quality supplements.
Exercise! If you are not getting outside for fresh air and moving your body, the stagnation will deplete the Qi in specific vital organ channels and reduce oxygenation throughout the body and your brain! Our patients have discovered daily brisk walking for at least 30 minutes significantly decreases their pain levels and joint stiffness.
Don’t panic. Fear-based mindset and anxiety can cause irrational decision making, impulsive behaviors, and lowered immune function. Take frequent deep breaths and practice calming the mind using meditation or nature walks.
Hydrate. We recommend constant hydration of room temperature water and hot herbal teas. Ginger root tea made from fresh ginger is a low cost, easy to prepare and powerful immune booster!
Smile and Laugh. Avoid the negative talk and limit the news. For safety and compliance, we need to stay on top of announcements from our local and state governments. Keeping it to a minimum, avoiding negativity and switching to comedies that make you crack a smile or burst into laughs is healthy food for the soul. A study in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine showed that laughter has positive effects on the cardiovascular system, improves your pain tolerance and helps reduce the stress hormone, cortisol (which we know is elevated in most of us lately)
Just do your best. Adopting some if not all possible measures will help you reach a higher level of resistance to all pathogens and chronic illnesses. If you would like to schedule an appointment for any pain related issues or to boost your immune system please click HERE to schedule. Stay safe and healthy, especially during this time!
Living Pure Chiropractic & Acupuncture
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6125057/