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.

Back-Saving Tips

The American Chiropractic Association suggest the following do's and don'ts for chores and relaxation:

• When you wash dishes, open the cabinet beneath the sink, bend one knee and put your foot on the shelf under the sink. Lean against the counter so some of your weight is supported in front.
• When ironing, raise one foot a bit. Place it on a small stool or a book to take some strain off your back.
• To vacuum, use a "fencer's stance." Put all your weight on one foot, then step forward and back with the other foot as you push the vacuum forward and back. Use the back foot as a pivot when you turn.
• While talking on the phone, don't cradle the phone between your ear and shoulder. That can lock up the spinal joints in the neck and upper back, and cause pain. Instead, hold the phone with your hand or use the speakerphone.
• While watching television or relaxing, don't use the sofa arm as a pillow. The angle is much too sharp for your neck.
• Use a cold pack if your back begins to hurt. Wrap an ice pack in a towel moistened with warm water. The warmth gives way to gradual cold, which likely will alleviate the discomfort. (No ice? Try frozen veggies instead.)
• If pain persists for more than a day or two or if you experience numbness, tingling or weakness in your arms or legs, see a doctor of chiropractic. A doctor of chiropractic is an expert in spinal health and can help identify and treat your problem.

Our core values are influenced and shaped as we grow as children. Our parents, neighbors, friends, colleagues, and teachers all lend a helping hand in their formation. As time progresses and we grow older, our values become more fixed. The once elaborate list of learned traits is whittled down to possibly 6 or 8 values that we appreciate most. It is these core values that determine what is really important to us as an individual. Sadly, many of us are disconnected with our own core values. This can lead to a life of unhappiness, discontent and lack of fulfillment. It may even lead to contradictions and conflict. Why, you may ask? Because the lives we are living are not in accordance with our own personal values. To be successful and live a happy life, we must know ourselves and what we value most.

Try this little exercise … below is a list of words that might contain one or more of your core values. Circle 6 to 10 that reflect what you value most and feel free to add some that are not there. When you have chosen your core values, write them on a piece of paper or any other areas that you look at often during the day. Core values are a good reminder for us as to “what” we want to live our lives by and having them in sight can be useful when we need to make decisions on how to handle varying situations.

Personal Core Values:
1. Positive Attitude
2. Respect
3. Compassion
4. Growth
5. Learning
7. Passion
8. Determination
9. Courage
10. Self-confidence
11. Innovation
12. Open minded
13. Responsible
14. Committed
15. Professional
16. Humble
17. Loyal
18. Loving
19. Trusting
20. Optimistic
21. Affluence
22. Adventure
23. Ambition
24. Balance
25. Benevolence
26. Belonging
27. Bravery
28. Charity
29. Clarity
30. Cheerfulness
31. Consciousness
32. Creativity
33. Decorum
34. Dependability
35. Discipline
36. Endurance
37. Enthusiasm
38. Fairness
39. Fearlessness
40. Flexibility
41. Focus
42. Generosity
43. Grace
44. Gratitude
45. Happiness
46. Harmony
47. Health
48. Honesty
49. Independence
50. Inspiration
51. Intelligence
52. Kindness
53. Leadership
54. Liberty
55. Maturity
56. Mindfulness
57. Motivation
58. Obedience
59. Organization
60. Peace
61. Perseverance
62. Philanthropy
63. Pleasure
64. Power
65. Punctuality
66. Reasonableness
67. Recognition
68. Religiousness
69. Resourcefulness
70. Self-control
71. Sensuality
72. Silliness
73. Sincerity
74. Strength
75. Sympathy
76. Teamwork
77. Thankfulness
78. Tranquility
79. Trustworthiness
80. Uniqueness
81. Understanding
82. Vitality
83. Warmth
84. Wealth
85. Willingness
86. Wisdom
87. Winning
88. Youthfulness
89. Justice
90. Joy
91. Excellence
92. Rationality
93. Rooted-ness
94. Risk-taking
95. Safety
96. Intuition
97. Wellness
98. Equality
99. Discovery
100. Inner peace

1. More Energy
The vital energy that runs your body comes form the brain, travels over the nerves and gives vitality and vigor to your body. Logic says that if that energy is interfered with, your body will not work at its fullest potential.

2. Clearer Thinking, Concentration and Memory
Did you ever have a day when your mind was extra sharp, thoughts and ideas came quickly or your memory was especially good? Ever have just the opposite type of day? Well, your body chemistry determines to a great extent your ability to think, concentrate and remember. Body chemistry is controlled by your nerve system and your nerve system works better without any interference (vertebral subluxation)

3. Less Stress
How can getting adjusted make your job easier or cause your kids to give you less problems? Well, it cannot. But there is a difference between adversity and stress. Adversities are the circumstances of life. You cannot change them. Stress is the inability to handle those adversities. How well your body is working will determine to some degree how much adversity you can handle and how much stress you have in your life.

4. A Longer Life
Here is a reason based on logic. All things being equal, you will live longer if you take care of yourself, barring any unforeseen trauma, of course. Taking care of yourself, in no small measure, means keeping your nerve system free of interference due to vertebral subluxations.

5. More Sleep
All sleep is not the same. Just because you get ten hours does not mean you are getting the kind of rest you need. At different time, we have all awakened refreshed, sluggish, or tired from the same amount of sleep. How well your body is working will determine how much of your sleep is real sleep and not just "down time"

6. Greater Value from Your Exercise
We all need to exercise regularly. Some of us do not have the energy to get up off the couch and begin a workout, although that is an issue we have already addressed. Some of us have an interference in the nerve system that keeps the muscles of our body from receiving a full complement of vital life energy. It is like trying to exercise a paralyzed muscle. There is not enough energy going to those muscles. That is what happens when there is interference in the nerve system due to a vertebral subluxation.

7. More Balanced Chemistry
The proper balance of your body's chemistry is unique for you. Only the innate wisdom of your body knows exactly what is should be. People can only guess. The organs, glands and cells of the body must be working properly to produce just the right amounts at just the right time. Your nerve system is critical in the coordination of that function.

8. More Hours in Your Day
How can you get more than 24 hours a day from chiropractic visits, especially when the visit is going to take at least a little time? Well, time-management experts will tell you that it is the efficient use of your time, not the total number of hours that is the issue. If your mind and body are working as well as they possibly can, you will be more efficient and more than make up for the time it takes to visit your chiropractor.

9. Increased Income Earning Capacity
If you had more energy, clearer thinking, a better ability to handle adversity, more alertness, and were more efficient and physically, mentally and emotionally functioning at a higher level, you work more, work harder, get a better job or possibly a promotion, or even start a business of your own.

10. Improved Relationships
Why is it that some people seem to be able to get along with people that you cannot stand? Perhaps it is you. If you were functioning at a higher level, if your body chemistry was balance, perhaps you could handle them better and not be bothered by whatever it is about them that affects your relationship. Even better, get them to a chiropractor and you could, perhaps, become best of friends!

11. Improved Performance
With an improved nerve supply, all your performance levels will be elevated. Whether that improvement is enough to make a difference is an individual matter. As the advertisement says, "Results may vary." However, getting adjusted and doing some other healthy things will have a cumulative effect and result in noticeable changes. It just makes sense to do everything possible to improve performance, including having a good nerve supply.

12. Better Digestion
There are probably hundreds of reasons why certain foods affect certain people. Most times, the cause can be traced back to the inability of the body to handle that food. If it was the food, then it would negatively affect everyone. There are many reasons why your body, in general, and your nerve system, in particular, may not work properly. One of those reasons, an interference in the nerve system due to vertebral subluxation, can be addressed by regular visits to the Chiropractor.

13. Enjoy Life More
The bottom line is to have a happier and more fulfilled life. If you see improvement in the areas above, your life has to be more enjoyable. Even some of the things you do not enjoy now could become more pleasurable and rewarding. Visit your chiropractor this week!

Getting adjusted regularly just makes sense!