Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Chiropractic is a Golfer’s Best Friend

If they weren’t a necessary component of a popular sport, the movements involved with a golf swing would be banned by most chiropractors. The repetitive , one-sided nature of the golf swing makes it a common cause for back injuries.  They’re several reasons why the golf swing is so problematic for the body.  First, it requires good posture, which in also uncommon. Third, the power move in golf is always one-sided, leading to muscle and joint imbalances.

Flexibility for Powerclip_image002[5]

According to Butch Harmon, one of the foremost authorities of the golf swing, in order for golfers to generate more power and more distance, the are coached to “feel their arms staying in front of the body as they turn back.”  Todd Anderson, a Golf Digest teaching professional, goes into more detail by suggesting that a proper backswing should see “the shoulders starting parallel to the target line and turning 90 degrees, the hips turning to 45 degrees, and the knees turning to 22 degrees.”  This mean the backswing will generate a lot of spinal twist and loading.  Compounding this amount of torque with near-maximum acceleration in the downswing is a recipe for disaster.  Repeating this move 50-70 times per round makes it difficult to stay injury free over the course of your golfing life.clip_image002[7]

This kind of movement requires flexibility not only in the spine, but also in the shoulders and hips. To ensure that you have the kind of flexibility that allows you to take a proper golf swing, have your chiropractor check the range of motion of these joints.  If you have any tightness in these areas, you chiropractor can perform specific adjustments to help these joints move better and may suggest stretches to help keep them moving properly.clip_image002[9]

Good Posture for the Set Up

When a golf pro is asked to create a good, repeatable golf swing, one of his first tasks is to establish a proper set up.  This is the golfer’s starting position when addressing the ball.  Posture is of utmost importance here.  Maintaining natural curves throughout the spine with good posture ensures that maximum rotation will be achievable in both the backswing and the follow through.

To illustrate this point, sit on a bench and allow your body to slouch. Cross your arms, placing your hands on opposite shoulders. Then, try to rotate fully to one side, then the other.  Ask someone to observe how far you can go.  Try again, but this time start by sitting upright first.  Notice how much further your spine can rotate with you start with good spinal posture.

Ask your chiropractor if your lower back has the proper spinal curve when standing normally and when demonstrating a set-up position for the golf swing.  If you suffer from restrictions and displacements in your body, these could be preventing you from achieving normal postural positions. And it could be taking 10-20 or 30 yards off your best drives!  See how much easier it is to swing the golf club after your chiropractor corrects this problem.

One-Sides Sport Requires Special Attention

The amount of effort exerted by most amateur golfers when driving a golf ball has been estimated at 90 percent of their peak muscular activity. This level of exertion has been compared to those used in sports like football, hockey and martial arts.  This amount of physical effort, combined with the one-sided nature of the swing, requires a lot of special attention.  If a person is not careful, over-exertion can easily lead to stress and strain.clip_image002[11]

Chiropractic treatments are very effective at re-establishing proper biomechanics in and around every joint of the body.  However, maintaining proper function remains the patient’s responsibility.  Preparation for  golf should include an adequate warm-up, proper stretching, and a lot of core stabilization training. It’s no wonder that many of the PGA professionals have trainers and chiropractors join them when they go on tour.  Make sure to tell your chiropractor that you are a golfer so particular attention will be given to the areas of the body to maximize your golf swing.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Exercise of the Week

We have given you several exercises to help build core stabilization over the past few weeks.  We are crazy for core exercises!  With a stable core, it’s much easier to attain your fitness goals and maintain a healthy body.


Lumbar stabilization (stage 2)
Plank Position
Difficulty: Moderate


(Consult your chiropractor before
engaging this or any other exercise.)

  
Start: imageLie down on stomach. Then, begin by propping upper
body up onto elbows/forearms, with hands together in prayer position. Engage inner abdominal muscles by bringing belly button inward. Keeping spine steady, lift hips and knees so you’re resting on toes, creating a straight line from ankles to shoulders.

Exercise: imageKeeping spine steady, bend one leg to 90 degrees. Hold this position for 10-20 seconds. image(Option 1) If this is relatively easy,
try lifting leg higher, and hold this position for 10-20 seconds. (Option 2) Switch legs, and repeat. Perform 3-5 sets of this exercise per side. Be careful not to strain lower back.

If you have any questions concerning exercises shown here, please stop in for a quick review. 

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Food and your Mood.

clip_image002[13]Most of us underestimate how food can affect our moods. The brain reacts quickly to food - both good and bad - fed into your body.

Although you may feel sugary candy gives your mood a lift, you expose yourself to erratic fluctuations in your blood sugar levels. After the “sugar rush” effect wears off, your mood worsens. Caffeine is not much better, as it eventually makes you feel jittery and anxious. A better approach is to feed your brain the right nutrients so you can expect good moods to consistently dominate over bad moods.

Eating right does take some time and planning. Unfortunately, in our rushed, stress-filled lives, we frequently turn to quick fixes like fast food. But these quickie meals are often nutrient deficient and heavy with ingredients
that make you feel sluggish.clip_image002[11]

Nutrition for Brain Health

To understand how food affects your moods, you need to understand neurotransmitters. These are chemicals that send messages between nerves in your brain. Neurotransmitters are vital players when it comes to mood; they’re sensitive to what
nutrients are circulating in your body.

When your neurotransmitters are out of sync, you feel depression, anxiety and irritability. The best way to start your day in a good mood is to eat breakfast. Taking the time to enjoy a morning meal pays off for hours. It boosts your metabolism and keeps your moods stable. The best choice is to have both wholesome carbohydrates and protein.

Select carbohydrates like fruits and whole grain products. Fruits that are lower in sugar are the best option; these include berries, apple, and kiwi. If you’re not able to get these fresh or in season, choose frozen fruit(canned fruit often contains sugary syrup). And choose whole grain breads over highly-refined baked products.

Be sure to include some protein with all your meals, as it stabilizes blood sugar, reduces mood swings and creates energy. Protein also provides many of the building blocks for the creation of neurotransmitters. Good sources are fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, soy and nuts. Stay away from deep fried protein goods.
To help keep the pounds off, use breakfast as your main meal of the day and opt for lighter lunches and dinner with a couple of nutritious snacks in between. clip_image002[9]

Vegetables that are low in starch and high in fiber are excellent sources of brain nutrients. Try spinach, kale, tomatoes, asparagus, cucumber, carrots and cauliflower. Fresh vegetables are better than frozen, but frozen is better than canned. clip_image002[17]

In the Archives of Internal Medicine (Nov. 2009), a year-long research study showed that those who followed a low fat, high carbohydrate diet had consistent improvement in mood compared to those who consumed a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet. When cooking food, opt for olive oil or macadamia nut oil. Stress can cause inflammation in your body. These oils are filled with oleic acids which are anti-inflammatory compounds.

When it comes to fluids, avoid sugary and caffeine-heavy beverages. Try green tea, hot or iced. Although it does have some caffeine, green tea also contains L-theanine, an amino acid which contributes to calm feelings. Chamomile is a popular herbal tea that provides a mild, calming sedative effect as well. And don’t forget to drink plenty of water. Keeping your body well hydrated keeps you from feeling tired and irritable.

When You Can’t Always Eat Rightclip_image002[15]

Sure, there are going to be some days when your schedule prevents you from eating right. To help keep your mood
on an even keel and to round out any nutritional deficiencies, you should take a good quality multivitamin every day. If you’re a moody person, you may want to include a B-complex supplement that includes 25 to 50 milligrams of the B vitamins, which play an important role in neurological health. You should also consider using an omega fatty acids supplement. Fatty acids also play an important role in keeping your brain fit.

***


Do you often suffer low moods? Look closely at your daily diet. And talk to your chiropractor, who can provide with you nutritional advice on improving your mood and your overall health!

Quote of the Week
“Health is my expected heaven.”
- John Keats

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Is Obesity Linked to Low Back Pain?

Low back pain has been recognized as a problem of epidemic proportions. It’s estimated that approximately 80%
of the North American population will experience debilitating back pain at some point in their adult lives.1 It’s no surprise that more and more people are seeking chiropractors to find relief.
clip_image002

What’s even more alarming is the apparent link between the incidence of low back pain and obesity. According
to the American Obesity Association, 64.5% of adult Americans (about 127 million) are considered overweight or obese.2 Recent evidence suggests that obesity seriously impacts the musculoskeletal system, increasing the risk of low back pain as well as osteoarthritis, spondylolisthesis, degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis.3 One study in particular showed that people who underwent surgery to help them lose weight also experienced less low back pain.

Causes and Effects of Obesity and Back Pain

Some studies suggest that the link between obesity and low back pain is inconclusive.5 But they’re several obvious reasons why an obese person would experience more of this type of pain.

First, we should look at the common causes of obesity. If we exclude certain genetic or hormonal diseases, we discover North American obesity is primarily related to poor nutrition and lack of exercise. Our meals are often high in saturated fat and low in essential fatty acids. This leaves us prone to inflammatory states like arthritis. The large amounts of caffeine we consume
also robs the skeleton of its bonebuilding calcium.  And if we take into account our sedentary lifestyle, the body lacks the necessary weightbearing effects to maintain a fortified skeletal structure. The result is an increased incidence of osteoporosis and bone fractures. clip_image002[10]

As a person packs on more weight, moving around becomes difficult. Therefore, many obese people choose to remain inactive. But this leads to big problems. Lack of movement in the
joints can accelerate degenerative changes, which are seen in cases of osteoarthritis. If an obese person does remain active, the extra body weight puts additional stress and strain on the muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints. Postural changes are also common in obese people, usually caused by carrying extra weight in their abdomen. As the size of the mid-section increases, the person’s center of gravity shifts forward and the lower back curve is exaggerated to accommodate for these changes. This adds more compressive loads on the joints of the lower back, increasing the risk of subluxation and pain.clip_image002[6]


What You Can Do About Weight Problems

When faced with any health issue, the first thing you should do is consult with healthcare professionals. Your medical
doctor can order blood tests to rule out hormonal imbalances or genetic metabolic disorders. Your chiropractor is knowledgeable in nutrition and exercise and is an excellent source for help in these areas.

Secondly, take control of the two most powerful factors controlling your body weight: diet and exercise. Portion
control is one of the easiest ways to reduce excess body fat. Eat slowly and stop consuming when you’re no longer hungry. Eating because your body needs the fuel is different than eating because you enjoy the food. Think of the body as a machine with moving parts, and give it the right fuel to keep the engine running smoothly. clip_image002[8]

Before starting an exercise program, also check with your doctor of chiropractic. Weeks, months or years of inactivity can leave your body too weak to pick up where you left off. Consider hiring a personal trainer. If cost is a factor, have the trainer design a starting program that you can do on your own, then update the program  every six weeks or so. This gives you the best chance for continued progress, and keeps you more interested as your exercise routine varies.

Above all else, keep a positive mental attitude. Read about people who have achieved what you’re setting out to do, and tell yourself, “If they did it, so can I!” Value your health, and experience how the aches and pains get less and less as your body gets lighter and lighter.

Quote of the Week
“In order to change we must be sick and tired of being sick and
tired.”

- Author Unknown

Disclaimer: Information contained in this Topic of the Week™ Newsletter is for educational and general purposes only and is designed to assist you in making informed decisions about your health. Any information contained herein is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or other healthcare professional.
Copyright 2010 Mediadoc™

Monday, March 1, 2010

We’re 6!

It’s been a great 6 years!

Because of you, we’ve been very fortunate to build a great clinic where we can help people attain their best health.  Now it’s our turn to give back to the community.  image

It’s a PAW-TY with $6 spinal adjustments and $26 new patient exams……….all proceeds will be given to the SW Washington Humane Society. Come visit us this Saturday, March 6th between 10am and 2pm for all kinds of fun. Something for everyone. 

Maybe you’re looking to adopt a new dog or cat into your home?  We’ll have a special guest appearance for the Humane Society “adoptive dogs”. 

Even if you can’t stay for a free chair massage, we’d still love to see you for a quick hello. 

Call us to make your appt for Saturday.  882-7733