FIND YOUR BALANCE 5 EXERCISES TO IMPROVE BALANCE
Though we may not always think about it, balance is essential to just about everything we do in our daily routines. From simply getting out of bed, leaning over to tie our shoes, or even walking to the mailbox, we need good balance to keep ourselves steady while performing normal tasks. Know why balance is important. Balance is the ability to control your body’s position, whether stationary or moving. It is a key component of fitness that many people neglect while developing their fitness regimen. Balance training is a great way to help your body recognize where it is and control movements in a given space. When the body knows where its limbs are in space — known as proprioception — it is able to produce smooth, controlled movements with fewer risks of injuries. Reaction time and agility are also improved with balance training. The body learns how to quickly correct itself but not overcompensate
and has the ability to quickly change direction effectively and efficiently. Though balance training is important for everyone, it is especially important for those who have problems due to illness, weakness, or dizziness. It allows them to overcome stiffness or unsteadiness and to develop an awareness of body segments and how to align them. These exercises help with balance. Balance training involves exercises to strengthen the muscles that help keep you upright and improve stability. These types of exercises can be done as often as you like or even every day. Consider trying the following exercises: • Standing with your weight on one leg and raising the other leg to the side or behind you.
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Standing up and sitting down from a chair without using your hands. Walking while alternating knee lifts with each step. Stretching and gentle movement as part of yoga or tai chi.
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Balance is essential to living a healthy, functional life. It’s important to incorporate balance training into your fitness regimen. That way you can decrease the risk of injuries and help move freely and confidently.
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Putting one heel right in front of the other foot, as if you were walking a tightrope.
IMPLANTS CAN SAVE YOUR JAWLINE — AND YOUR LIFE
Bone Grafts and Implants Many people are wary when it comes to oral treatment — nobody wants to pay for more treatment than they need. We completely agree with that sentiment. At Comfort Family, we value your family, needs, and resources most of all. But when considering a tooth implant, depending on the amount of bone in your jaw, a bone graft may be a necessary component of your treatment. As mentioned, after tooth loss, the affected area and jawbone can be very vulnerable and subject to change. We then assess the condition of your bone, because we want to place the implant where the tooth was removed so healing can occur smoothly. Ideally, we would like to place the implant when the tooth is removed without a graft, for a number of reasons, including reducing bone recession and so implant healing can occur concurrently with the tooth removal healing. However, in the event your jaw is not strong enough to accept the implant, a graft will be created to help stabilize your implant and benefit your lifelong oral health. Want to preserve your jawline and smile carefree? Give our offices a call so we can help make that happen for you!
The cost of a tooth implant can seem intimidating at first. “Is it really worth it?” you may wonder. “So, what if I can’t chew as well?” However, a tooth implant does a lot more than help you chew. It strengthens your overall oral health, and studies show it can actually help you live longer! Additionally, it’ll prevent bone loss and preserve your youthful jawline for many more years to come. Here’s how. The Real Cost of Tooth Loss As an adult, after losing a tooth or extracting it from the mouth, the bone of the jaw where the tooth was located can recede. For example, if you imagine a forest, all of the trees are fairly immovable. However, once removed, the hole where the tree roots used to be can be soft, vulnerable, and even cause lasting problems in the landscape such as erosion. A similar effect can apply to your jawbone. In effect, your bone loss accelerates without all your teeth in place. To compensate, we can install a bone graft to be placed into the area where your tooth was removed. It strengthens the infrastructure, helps with healing, and preserves the volume and density of your bone so the implant can be placed. We often recommend considering an implant early in your treatment plan as soon as we assess a risk of tooth loss.
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