Ok, the snow is finally gone, and now what? Did you see all that muck underneath the melted snow including the itchy balls (hundreds of them), dead leaves, and other stuff? It is now time for the annual spring cleanup and the beginning of the gardening season. That means bagging, blowing, lifting, dragging, and getting rid of the stuff so you can get your lawn and house looking nice for the summer months to come. It also means that you are going to pull weeds, mulch, and replace those dead plants with new ones that will look beautiful during the late spring and summer months. Is your body is ready for the task? Gardening and mulching can be physically demanding. If you haven't visited the chiropractor in a while, it is a good idea to do so before you start to dig the hole, mulch the bed or lift that heavy bag of fertilizer. After the snow body maintenance. Lately, we have seen quite a number of people who tightened up during snow removal who just thought it would go away. This usually means their back is in spasm but they are tolerating it because they are stiff but no longer experiencing pain. When your body mechanics are compromised, your body loses leverage and power. Stretching does little to improve this phenomenon because of shortened myofascia which is our connective tissue. Loading it up with spring cleaning will surely increase the likelihood of an acute exacerbation that could take weeks to treat. Our recommendation is to get back into the chiropractic habit now, before doing spring cleaning. I realize we are all busy but you need to take care of yourself first. One or two visits can pay off big when hitting a ball, raking, bagging, and lifting. Now is the time to do it. Make this your priority. Your body and your spouse will thank you. If you don't have a chiropractor or are wishing to find out what chiropractic care can do for you, request your appointment here . You can also call our North Brunswick office at 732-846-6400 or Scotch Plains at 732-829-0009.