Putting in the necessary work at the chiropractor’s office may be enough to correct your spine and nervous system concerns for the time being, but if you really want your chiropractic work to stick, there is some work you have got to be willing to do on your own. “Healing is a 50/50 process in our office. The patient does their part and we do our part so that together, you get the best results,” says Dr. Gena.

It’s just like working with a personal trainer to lose weight and/or tone up. Exercising at the gym with your trainer is not always enough. You should ideally also follow their workout protocol on your off days. It’s a combined effort between you and your personal trainer to reach your goals, just as it’s a combined effort between you and your chiropractor to keep your body moving and functioning at its best.

As part of your personalized care and wellness program at Dr. Gena Chiropractic, your favorite family chiropractor in Plantation, special exercises and stretches are taught to help strengthen and correct the irregularities in the body that may be causing or exaggerating the pain that you are experiencing. We refer to these corrective exercises as “blueprint” because they are, in a way, an instructional guide for patients to follow on their own time, in the comfort of their own home or preferred space. 

By performing these exercises at home, it can increase the effectiveness of the chiropractic adjustments that Dr. Gena and her team of doctors do during your session, as well as the overall spinal correction plan that they will develop for you. These exercises and stretches will not only supplement Dr. Gena’s adjustments, but they can also help you feel relaxed and rejuvenated, and help your body achieve the balance it needs for proper health and well being.

Home Exercise Ideas

“There are many things you can do to support the work we do together in the office,” Dr. Gena always reminds her patients. She stresses that posture-related exercises are the most beneficial. Most people are stuck in a flexion pattern, which is when both the head and shoulders are rounded forward. This is a direct result of living in the digital age: people constantly sitting at their desks working on computers, laptops and tablets all day, texting on their phones, etc. 

Our heads and necks are always looking down at our screens, and because of this, many of us feel a lot of tension in our neck and shoulder area. There are experts in the field that refer to this sensation as “text neck.” In these cases, the extensor muscles (the muscle whose contraction extends or straightens) are weaker, and the flexor muscles (the muscle whose contraction bends) tend to be tighter. This is why we highly recommend stretching the pectoralis, or chest, muscles. An easy way to do this is by doing exercises that mimic a pulling movement, i.e., pull-ups, lat pull downs, and seated rows. Any type of muscle movement that involves the extensors will help strengthen these particular muscles.

If this sounds a bit overwhelming to figure out on your own, don’t be discouraged. Dr. Gena and her chiropractic team are here to ensure that you completely understand how each of the recommended exercises and stretches should be done, so you will be able to perform them as effectively and efficiently as possible on your own time. 

Remember that at Dr. Gena Chiropractic, your health is in your hands; our hands are here to help. Give our office a call at 954-417-5815 to schedule a consultation, and let us help guide you back to good health.