Spinal hygiene is similar to dental hygiene whereby it is necessary to brush and floss your teeth daily as well as have regular dental checkups. In regards to spinal hygiene, it is necessary to stretch daily, do spinal moulding (using an orthotic to support your natural spinal curves) daily as well as regularly see a chiropractor for checkups. In the instance that your dental hygiene has been affected and there is a cavity, no brushing and flossing can fix it, only seeing a dentist will. The same goes for if you have a subluxation, only a chiropractor will be able to analyse, detect and remove the subluxation.
If you have good spinal hygiene – you have good posture, alignment, and function. If not, you may have a subluxation. Later, I will explain what subluxation is, why this is relevant to spinal hygiene, and in fact, why it’s relevant for you, your health wellbeing.
What happens in preconception care?
Both parents need to address their lifestyle and health choices. The most straightforward and obvious are: exercising regularly, eating healthy and balanced meals, having a healthy body mass index (BMI), stopping smoking and drinking alcohol and start taking preconception supplements. In addition, stress management is extremely important as during pregnancy, a mother needs to be as relaxed and happy as possible. When a mother secretes high levels of stress the baby’s muscle’s are further developed, however, when the mother secretes a low level of stress, then the baby’s brain and organs develop better. Also, research has found when a mother experiences high levels of stress during pregnancy, their newborn babies were born with shorter telomere lengths which is the marker for biological aging. In other words, telomere lengths are similar to candlesticks and will naturally shorten over time. Therefore, it is vital a newborn baby does not have a shortened telomere to ensure longevity. In saying that, telomere shape and structure are also equally important in marking health.
How long should preconception care be?
Preconception care should be a minimum of 4 months because the maturity of an egg takes approximately 100 days whilst sperm may take up to 116 days. The health of the egg and sperm reflects the health and toxicity of the environment in which they grow. However, it is recommended that those with pre-existing conditions such as thyroid disorders, diabetes, etc. should allow for a longer duration.
Below is a preconception care checklist published in The Australian Journal of General Practice.
Table 1. Preconception care checklist
Diet
Nutritional requirements including folic acid supplementation
Advice on a healthy diet
Weight
Measurement of body mass index and appropriate advice
Exercise
Advise 150 minutes of exercise per week or 30 minutes on most days
Pregnancy history
Screen for any modifiable risk factors
Genetic screening
If indicated from personal/family history or ethnic background
Smoking/alcohol/illicit drugs
Assess intake and provide appropriate advice
Psychosocial aspects
Screen for domestic violence
Screen for mental health conditions
Medical conditions
Review current disease status and medications
Referral/correspondence with a specialist if required
Environmental
Assess work, home and recreational environments
Contraception/family planning
Offer appropriate contraception advice for those not desiring pregnancy
Breast examination Dental health check Screening for sexually transmissible infections and other infectious diseases
Measles, mumps, rubella, varicella zoster, hepatitis B
Human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C with appropriate pre-test counselling
Cervical screening
If you’re interested in regarding about preconception care in further detail, I highly recommend the book Building Healthy Humans by Dr Pia Martin.
You can purchase the book in the link below.
https://www.amazon.com/Building-Healthy-Humans-Beautiful-Pregnancy/dp/194697823X
Or, if you would like discuss your preconception care in person with Dr Cindy, contact Provolution Health on 6299 2660.