Many years ago in a college lecture about active listening, I remember hearing that it is important to listen for the intent of peoples questions, that one should try to understand the situation of the person asking and the emotional context of what was being asked. We were told that understanding those things would be at least as important as hearing the words. It was as if I had skipped that lecture the first time a patient asked the new Chiropractor standing before her, "So Doc, what do I do now?" Happy that her body was working well again and that her symptoms no longer seemed to get in her way, I heard myself deliver the short answer. "Marissa, it’s time to go back out and live your life. Enjoy yourself. Thanks for coming in, and we’ll be here if you need us." Lucky for me and every patient I have seen since, she didn’t let me get away with it. "No. I mean what do I do NOW, to take CARE of myself! I like this and I like you, but that doesn’t mean I want to come in here any more then I have to. I’ve got things to do. What can I do to take care of ME." Many people have asked the same question in various forms since then, and it is often the most productive question anyone can ask when finishing treatment. They are moving on with bodies that are as strong, as mobile, and as pain free as possible and looking for ways to keep them that way. While the details vary according to each persons individual need, the basics of after care management, AKA Self Care 101, get built around these ideas:

First, consider supplementing with a proven joint re-builder. Glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin have strong research supporting their use for safely rebuilding damaged cartilage and relieving chronic joint symptoms over time.

Next, turn down the fire within. Chronic inflammation that is largely driven by diet and lifestyle makes it hard for normal, local responses to injury to occur properly and perpetuates inflammation at injury sites. Diets that are high in sugar, processed or fast foods, many vegetable oils, snack foods and baked goods, and low on fruits and vegetables do not do us any favors when healing from injuries. Extra virgin olive oil, soy products, nuts, Omega 3 fats found in deep-water fish, and many fruits and vegetables help turn down the flame. Spices such as ginger and turmeric have a long track record of being effective at stopping inflammation and work largely through the same systems as commonly used pain relievers but without the side effects.

Find an exercise that keeps you moving but doesn’t increase symptoms. Low impact exercise such as walking, biking, Pilates, tai chi, yoga, and swimming can help with weight control and stress reduction.

Maintain a healthy weight. Overweight men and women have a 30% greater chance of developing osteoarthritis in their hips, knees, and ankles then those who maintain a healthier weight. With obesity the OA rate in weight bearing joints jumps to 60%. Fat cells also stimulate system wide inflammation.

Today, there are over 70 million Americans with symptomatic osteoarthritis and chronic joint injuries that affect their ability to participate fully in life. The large number can be understood in part by remembering the process of growing up. We do it while falling out of trees and off of bikes, colliding into our friends on playing fields, piling accident upon accident, then shaking it off, getting up, and doing it all over again. Later we do damage to our bodies at work, or in cars, or while enjoying our weekends. It becomes part of life and we keep moving forward, thinking that if it doesn’t hurt any more then it normally does, we must be pretty much OK. Then time passes. Normal begins to shift. Joints and muscles that once carried us easily through trauma after trauma begin to talk back when we ask them to do things that we once did without blinking. Bumps and bruises that we forgot to take care of begin to resurface and demand attention. Those who take these changes as a call to action can go a long way with a little self care and it’s never to late to begin. For people who are active, who push their bodies at work or while exercising, or have a history of trauma, there are strong indications that the basic principles of Self-Care 101 can be used as preventative measures before symptoms surface. For those already experiencing trouble, taking time to take care can help eliminate many symptoms, minimize the frequency and severity of others, and improve function, all of which translates into a greater ability to go out and enjoy this life at the beach.