With heart disease being the leading cause of death for both men and women it’s so important for patients to be able to get the care they need, especially when it comes to their heart. Keeping your heart healthy really isn’t that difficult and patients who are at an increased risk for heart disease will most certainly want to incorporate these heart-healthy habits into their daily routine. After all, preventing heart problems from occurring is far easier than trying to treat or manage the problem once it has developed.
Follow these rules for a healthy heart:
- Make sure you are getting enough sleep every night, as a lack of sleep can greatly increase your risk for heart disease in people of all ages.
- Get regular exercise and get up and moving throughout the day, as leading a sedentary lifestyle can also contribute to heart disease.
- Avoid or quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke as much as possible, as even secondhand smoke can increase your risk for developing heart disease.
- Make sure that you are eating a healthy, balanced diet that contains lean protein, vegetables, fruit, whole grains and healthy fats. Avoid trans fats, as this can increase your risk for heart disease and stroke. Trans fats are anything found in packaged snack foods or baked goods, as well as fast and fried foods.
- Practice good oral hygiene, which includes flossing daily and brushing twice a day. After all, the state of your gums can tell your doctor a lot about your overall health. In fact, those with gum disease are at an increased risk for developing heart disease.
So, where does an osteopath come in? First, it’s important to understand what an osteopath does. An osteopath is a medical doctor who uses drug-free, manual therapies to manipulate the joints, ligaments, muscles and other tissue within the body to reduce pain, swelling and other musculoskeletal complaints; however, the benefits of osteopathic medicine don’t just stop at improving any achy back or stiff neck. It can also provide relief for a wide range of physical problems, from respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders to migraines and even heart disease.
It’s not surprising that many people don’t realize the benefits of getting osteopathic manual therapy (OMT) for treating cardiovascular disease. While patients will still want to follow their doctor’s advice when it comes to medications to take and other treatments to undergo, many patients living with heart disease can also benefit from adding an osteopath to their treatment plan.
An osteopath can provide complementary and non-invasive therapies to improve muscle energy and correct dysfunctions within cardiac lymph flow. By performing mobilization therapy on areas around the heart and also prescribing special home exercises, most patients experience some relief from their heart disease symptoms such as high blood pressure and feeling fatigued.
If you or a loved one is dealing with heart disease, find out today if osteopathic manual therapy is the right way to help manage your heart disease symptoms.