By: Dr. Michelle Irwin

Now that the sun is here finally, I know many of you are wanting to get out and enjoy the best of the Pacific Northwest.

Hiking, running, jogging, biking, and generally being out in nature are just some of the great things to do in our beautiful state.

But with the good you may be starting to notice something not so good happening in your hips and legs. This could be due to misalignments in the pelvis and hips leading to pain with walking, running, squatting, and bending.

The hip is a true ball and socket joint that connects your legs to your body and determines the movement of your knees and ankles as well.

When your posture is incorrect, there is pressure on the hip joint which can lead to a change in your gait leading to a variety of issues from pain with sitting, standing, using the stairs, walking, or running. The longer these issues go on the more degeneration sets in and then the problem is only going to get worse.

When we can’t do what we love or even what we have done forever with no issue, we feel decades older.

We have even been told that is just the way it will be until we are bad enough to need to have surgery. Historically these pains have been managed with injections until a replacement is required, but with proper maintenance and care, we can feel younger than we ever have.
Chiropractic adjustments and low impact exercise can improve range of motion, reduce your pain, and improve your balance and stability.

Every day I hear “I feel like a 90-year-old” from people in their 30s and 40s but you know what, I know some very young 80- and 90-year-olds who have been taking care of their health from an early age. To this day, they are still out there dancing at the holiday parties and setting the quick pace for the youngsters in their lives.

Age is not the determining factor for how we feel, it is how we care for ourselves from a young age. We create our future with what we do today.

To make your present and future active and healthy check out these videos on our Facebook or YouTube page: Stretches for lower back pain and Strengthen Your Back at Home EASY!
Yes, lower back and legs go together so working one is working the other, just like your posture determines how you move and how you move determines your posture. Everything is connected and they go together like reading and writing.