Household chores can be a pain in the sacroiliac. Unless you're careful, routine activities around the home— washing dishes, vacuuming, even talking on the phone— can strain your back, including the sacroiliac area near the tailbone, and result in debilitating discomfort.

But you can protect your back by knowing the right way to go about such activities, according to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA).

Consider lifting. It doesn't matter whether you're picking up your child or a heavy bucket of water, you need to do it the proper way to avoid injury.

How? Bend from the knees, not the waist. As you lift, hold the item as close to your body as possible. If you have to turn to place it, step in the direction of the turn. That way, you're not twisting your body and straining your spine.

As I was deciding what to wear this afternoon, I came across my LEAST favorite piece of clothing!  It is a dark blue sport coat.  Not only are sport coats uncomfortable and restrictive, but can make the temperature in the room ten times hotter than it really is!

Probably the reason that this sport coat is my least favorite article of clothing, is because it was my dad's.  And it was given to me on the day that he passed away...I wore it to his funeral.  Since that day, I have worn this dark blue sport coat to many, many funerals.  That seems to be the only time I ever wear it, except for an occasional church event.

Today, I came across it as I was preparing for yet another funeral.  Todays funeral is another special person...Its my grandma's.  So it seemed appropriate to share about her in my "blog" today.

She always set a great Christian example for me as I was growing up.  And out of all of the stories that I can remember most about her, if you take out the "special" grilled cheese sandwiches cut diagonally that she used to make me, or the Ramen noodles with bits of real chicken in it that she could whip up in no time, or the carrots that my grandparents grew in their backyard that were SO big that I could poke my finger through each slice and wear as a ring. The most precious memories that I have of my grandma, are the ones of when I was little and would spend the night at my grandparents house.

Most every time I would get up in the wee hours of the morning to go potty, I would always see a bit of light peeking out around one of the guest bedroom doorways.  It may be 1, 2, or even 3 o'clock in the morning, but my grandma would be in there, in private, on her knees praying for hours.  The strange thing about it, is that the next day nothing was ever said about it...No attention drawn to it, no pleas for a pat on the back, nothing!  I really wouldn't understand why until much much later in life.

And if you don't believe in God, please indulge me as I "chase this rabbit" for just a second, but looking back I now finally understand that her actions weren't about her and her glory, but rather about God and His glory.  That the spotlight not be put on her, but rather God.  I suppose that is why she never mentioned or rarely mentioned her late night hours praying.  I suppose that is why she never talked about it, even though I would hear her praying while gardening and she didn't know that I was hiding nearby...

So looking back on this day, I am thankful for a grandma that prayed for her family and friends.  I am thankful for the memory and legacy that she left to me.  And as we were singing "Praise the King" in church yesterday morning, I couldn't help but think to myself that today, she is singing with the King.

If you've ever been involved in an auto accident, then you know the headache that can accompany it - literally!  What most people do not understand is that injuries from auto accidents can start showing up days, weeks, even months after the actual accident.  We worry about getting our automobile up and going and forget about ourselves until its too late!

Whiplash symptoms can range from neck and arm pain to stiffness to headaches to fatigue, dizziness, vision trouble, ringing in ears, and even low back pain.

When a whiplash injury is severe and includes chronic pain it can lead to “whiplash associated disorder” symptoms, which include depression, anger, frustration, anxiety, stress, drug dependency, post-traumatic stress syndrome and insomnia.

As a chiropractor, Ive seen what can happen if these injuries aren't treated properly.  At the Scarbrough Clinic, we can usually help auto accident victims get relief and heal properly while working with their PCP, attorney, and insurance company.

As spring is starting, more people are getting outside playing and gardening.  One common complaint that I see is with the low back, and if left untreated can flare up the sciatic nerve that goes down the leg.  Short of hiring someone else to do your playing and gardening, I always recommend a lumbar brace.  They really help keep the low back pain from starting and can keep it from worsening once it starts.

Think about it...Athletes brace up and support up before running out on the field and they are in top notch shape!  Yet, 'Joe' gets out there after sitting in an office all week and "overdoes it".  You can buy lumbar braces at Wal-Mart or even stop by our office and someone will fit you with one properly!  So, brace up America, you'll be glad you did!

As I sat today watching "Cars" for the 1000th time with my kids, I couldn't help but think about how we (including myself) usually take better care of our cars than we do ourselves.  From the new tires to the regular oil changes, we stay on top of things because we know that our car may break down and leave us stranded.  Yet, we do not take the time to get our "maintenance" done, whether its our back or our blood pressure.

We usually keep going until our body makes us shut down for rest and repairs.  We, as humans, tend to take a magic marker and scribble over our "check engine soon" light, rather than have a doctor "check under the hood" and get the problem fixed.  Its funny how we all make some sort of new years resolution regarding health, yet that's probably the first ball we drop!

I recommend patients set regular exam dates on their calendar or in their smartphone to remind them of important blood work, chiropractic treatment, dental cleanings, and even eye exams, so that they don't "break down" on the side of the road.