“There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.”~ Albert Einstein
Monday, February 27, 2012
Exercise of the Week: Pelvic Rotations – Leg Straight
Difficulty: Moderate
Start: Lie down on back with legs straight, resting on floor. Place arms out to side, palms up.
Exercise: Extend one leg straight up, feet pointing toward ceiling. Then, let leg roll all the way across body so that foot touches floor. Place hand on knee to keep it in that position. Hold for 30-60 seconds, and then return to starting position. Switch sides, and repeat 2X per side.
Topic of the Week: What You Should Know About Concussions
This health problem has risen in the public eye in the last year - the result of several professional athletes being affected by concussions. Recent research suggests we may be underestimating the impact of mild brain trauma on long-term neurological health.
A study published in the medical journal Brain indicates athletes who sustained concussions in early adulthood showed evidence of mental and physical deterioration 30 years after the event.
Impact to the head can cause the brain to move inside the skull, which can lead to bruising, blood vessel damage, swelling and bleeding – sometimes severe enough to require immediate medical intervention to prevent serious brain damage or death.
Sport concussions grab most of the media attention, but this type of brain injury can result from car accidents, workplace incidents, falls and fights.
To get familiar with concussions, here are the most common symptoms:
• Headache
• Slurred speech
• Confusion
• Blurred vision
• Dizziness
• Light and noise sensitivity
• Nausea and vomiting
• Memory and concentration problems
If an injured person has symptoms that last beyond 15 minutes or loses consciousness, he or she should be evaluated by a physician.
Concussions: Get Serious!
Health researchers are pointing to evidence that reveals the public may not be taking concussions as seriously as it should.
About half a million children visit hospital emergency departments annually for treatment of traumatic brain injury. The medical journal Pediatrics published a study that showed hospitalized children who were labeled as having a concussion spent fewer days in the hospital compared to children who were labeled as having mild traumatic brain injury – even though the labels mean the same thing.
Another troubling statistic revealed high school football players were more likely to suffer concussions and severe head injuries compared to college players. The American Journal of Sports Medicine published this evidence, noting there were 0.67 injuries per 100,000 players at the high school level but only 0.21 per 100,000 players at the college level. One of the study authors suggested a possible reason could be that high schools do not usually have team physicians, unlike at the college level. This may result in improper diagnosis and players returning to the field before they have adequately recovered from their injury.
Football is not the only sport where concussions occur. An analysis of minor league hockey in Canada indicated there was a significant increase in head injuries, including concussions, among nine and ten year old players when hockey organizations allowed bodychecking for this age group.
In December of last year, the Radio - logical Society of North America presented interesting research on soccer players and brain trauma. The study looked at 38 amateur players who frequently hit the soccer ball (several times daily) with their head. They scored 20% lower in verbal memory and processing speed compared to players who rarely hit the ball with their head. Brain imaging scans of the 38 players revealed microscopic white matter, consistent with traumatic brain injury.
Currently, many athletes participate in baseline concussion tests that measure cognitive performance involving memory, concentration and reaction time. If an athlete suffers a suspected concussion, he retakes the test to see if any changes have occurred since the injury. However, health researchers at Loyola University uncovered the possibility of high false negative tests, which could mean an athlete returns to play prematurely.
Concussions and Chiropractic
One of the highest profile sport concussions cases is that of NHL superstar Sidney Crosby. After suffering concussions, Crosby had to endure an extensive break from playing hockey to rest and recuperate. While he was sidelined, Crosby received treatment from a team of chiropractic neurologists. The therapy consisted of non-invasive, drug free rehabilitation that included adjustments and receptor-based stimulation of the senses, exercise and dietary changes to boost the function of the brain and nervous system. The treatment has helped many concussion sufferers to heal and recover more quickly from injury.
Your chiropractor wants you to take precautions to avoid concussions. While engaged in sports, use proper equipment. Always wear a seatbelt when in a vehicle and familiarize yourself with the symptoms of a concussion. If you have any questions, talk to your chiropractor.
Disclaimer: Information contained in the The Wellness ExpressTM 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 © - The Wellness ExpressTM
Friday, February 24, 2012
Riding the Brakes
Every driver knows that you can’t get to your destination with one foot on the accelerator and the other on the brake. For safe, efficient travel you switch smoothly between these two pedals and you reach your goal effectively. But simple machines such as automobiles are fairly easy to operate. There aren't that many options. The human machine, on the other hand, has an almost infinite number of possible operating modes. And the human machine doesn't come with an instruction manual.
As an example, it's obvious that your car won't move forward if you're riding the brake. But it's not that obvious when you're holding down the corresponding metaphorical pedal of your physical organism. At some point, most of us slow ourselves down in this way without knowing it. And the price we pay may be far more serious than that involved in the necessity of re-lining the brakes of our car.
What does "riding the brakes" look like for humans? What slows us down? What actions interfere with our ability to thrive, our ability to enjoy vibrant good health? Not eating a wide variety of nutritious food is a prime culprit. Our bodies are not designed to live on fast food, lots of simple carbohydrates, and a dearth of fresh fruits and vegetables. Another "brake" on good health is lack of vigorous physical activity. Our bodies were designed long ago for vigorous physical work, i.e., exercise.
It's really true that we're not born with an instruction manual. Parents know this all too well, first when their kids are infants and toddlers and much later when the formerly cute preschoolers grow up to become too-worldly-too-soon teenagers. But such an instruction manual would be invaluable for all adults and all young people. Finally, we'd be able to have access to first-hand information on how to take care of ourselves.
As the most basic example, when we buy a new car the schedule of maintenance is clear. Check-ups and an oil and filter change every 5000 miles. Bigger systems overhauls every 15,000 miles, with specific diagnostics and possible replacements at 30,000 miles, 60,000 miles, and so on. Most cars have a built-in reminder that flashes when it's time to go to the dealership. Everything's laid out for us.
But with our bodies - very possibly our most precious possessions - such formal guidance is just not available. All we have to go on is folklore and guesswork. And so people ride their brakes, blithely cruising along and never giving a thought to how they're really doing. But at some point a price must be paid and things begin to go wrong. At that point, it's often very hard to recover.
Put simply, if we're missing out on high-quality nutrition and plenty of exercise, we're "riding the brakes" and may find ourselves "coming to a stop". Hopefully we'll notice in time that we're "slowing down'. We can regain our normal "cruising speed" if we're willing to take healthy actions on our own behalf. Fortunately, there are many things we can do to restore our good health. Regular exercise, eating a variety of healthy foods, and getting regular chiropractic care are three important actions that, done consistently, will keep our physical "machine" in peak condition.
Chiropractic Care - A Key Chapter in Your Body's Instruction Manual
Hidden physical "gotchas" can slow us down even when we're eating high-quality, nutritious food and doing regular vigorous physical exercise. You drop your keys, bend over to pick them up, and all of a sudden you've hurt your lower back. Or you're inspecting the heirloom tomatoes at the local organic market and someone calls your name. You turn your head in surprise, and suddenly you've twisted your neck. Hidden spinal misalignments may be the cause of these unwelcome problems.
Your chiropractor locates the source of these difficulties and chiropractic care restores more normal spinal function. Spinal muscles, ligaments, and tendons now work more effectively and you're able to enjoy increased health and well-being. Good nutrition, exercise, and chiropractic care work together to help you thrive.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Quote of the Week
“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest “ ~ Mark Twain
Exercise of the Week: Pelvic Rotations – Cross-Over
Difficulty: Moderate
Start: Lie down on back with legs bent to 90 degrees and feet on floor. Place arms out to side, palms up.
Exercise: Cross one leg over other – knee over knee. Then, let legs roll all the way to the side so that outside knee rests on floor. Place hand on knee to keep it in that position. Hold for 30-60 seconds, and then return to starting position. Switchsides, and repeat 2x per side.
Topic of the Week: Sleep- Can It Hurt My Back?
At the end of a long day, when we retire into the warm embrace of our blankets, pillows and comforters, why is it we sometimes wake up more tired or sore than when we first lay down? How dangerous can a set of springs or space-age foam really be?
In this issue, we will discuss the perils of poor mattresses, and the best positions you should take to help prevent back pain and ensure a good night’s sleep.
Can a mattress really hurt your back? Recent scientific research says YES!
In one published review of sleep, low back pain and mattress choice, researchers found that up to 50% of people with back pain also suffer from sleep disturbances and they go on to show that poor sleep is one of the criteria that can be used to predict delayed healing after an injury. Even the orthopedic surgeons agree: in a recent survey, 95% of those surveyed believed that mattress choice has a role in the treatment of back pain. The vast majority of these musculoskeletal specialists suggest a medium-firm mattress as the best support to help an aching back.
In the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, researchers documented significant improvements in their subjects’ pain levels, sleep quality and stress-related symptoms when their old mattresses were replaced with new bedding systems. Although it is common knowledge that stress can affect our quality of sleep - and therefore our pain levels - this study shows the reverse is also true. If you don’t get a proper night’s rest, you are more likely to feel the stress in your body the next day. These researchers used new, medium-firm mattresses to achieve their results.
What people find ‘comfortable’ will vary from person to person, but as a general rule choose a mattress that is more firm than soft if you have a tendency for back pain. If you find your body develops sensitive pressure points after sleeping on a firm mattress, consider buying a thin foam-based top-cover to place over the mattress.
Now that you have the new mattress, what about your sleeping position? Did you know that how you decide to curl up at night (or not) also plays a major role in how you feel when you wake up in the morning?
A recent article in the Huffington Post covered this topic nicely.4 Recommendations were taken from various healthcare specialists, including chiropractors, medical doctors and others. The pros and cons of the most popular sleeping positions are provided below:
Best: On Your Back
Pros: According to chiropractic and medical experts, sleeping on your back on a medium firm mattress helps to best support the natural curves of your spine.
Pillow advice: Try using a very thin or down-filled pillow. If you use a thicker pillow, this can push your head too far forward, leading to neck strain and headaches. A small neck roll would work to maintain the natural curve of the neck too.
Cons: This position may contribute to snoring.
Next-Best: On Your Side
Pros: Can also give adequate support for your spine curves, but requires proper pillow selection to ease strain on neck and pelvis.
Pillow advice: Be sure to select a head pillow that stays firm, to support the distance between your head and your shoulder. Also, place a pillow between your knees to maintain proper pelvic alignment and ease the strain on tight hip muscles.
Cons: Dermatologists say this position can contribute to facial wrinkles, and some MDs suggest it may also promote breast-sagging.
Worst: On Your Stomach
Pros: None.
Pillow advice: If you can only find rest in this position, use no pillow at all.
Cons: Turning your head to one side while you sleep is bad for your neck. Also, if you have a soft mattress, your low back is almost guaranteed to be sore in the morning when you wake up from this position. If you can avoid it, DO NOT sleep in this position.
At your next visit, review your sleeping habits with your chiropractor. A poor mattress, pillow, or improper sleeping position may be the one thing preventing you from enjoying a healthy, pain-free spine!
Disclaimer: Information contained in the The Wellness ExpressTM 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 © - The Wellness ExpressTM
Monday, February 13, 2012
Quote of the Week
"If you see yourself as prosperous, you will be. If you see yourself as continually hard up, that is exactly what you will be."~ Robert Collier
Exercise of the Week: Pelvic Rotations – Knees Together
Difficulty: Easy
Start: Lie down on back with legs bent to 90 degrees and feet on floor. Place arms out to side, palms up.
Exercise: Bring knees together. Then, let legs roll all the way to side so that knee rests on floor. Hold for 30-60 seconds, and then return to starting position. Switch sides, and repeat 2X per side.
Topic of the Week: Kids, Exercise and Academic Performance
If you want your child to do better in school, you should make sure your son or daughter gets plenty of exercise. Research indicates physical activity can impact a child’s brain as much as the body.
In a review of exercise studies published last month in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, researchers uncovered compelling evidence in 12 studies that children who participated in regular physical exercise achieved better academic performance.
Exercise and the Brain
Why does exercise have a positive effect on the brain? Researchers offer a number of reasons. Physical activity increases the amount of oxygen and blood to the brain, which in turn boosts cognitive function. As well, exercise develops brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) - a protein that exerts significant influence over the creation of neurons. BDNF is primarily found in brain areas important for learning, memory and higher thinking. Laboratory experiments showed mice that were exercised increased their production of BDNF considerably compared to sedentary mice. Exercise also increases production of mood-lifting endorphins and this may give kids the confidence to tackle academic challenges.
Most experts agree additional human studies are needed on exercise and its impact on academic performance, but so far the research shows promise.
A study on middle school kids revealed those students engaged in vigorous exercise (20 minutes at least three days a week) achieved higher academic grades over two semesters than students who did not participate in intense exercise.
Research published in the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology showed that elementary school children who had good aerobic fitness were more likely to excel in reading and mathematics. However, strength training was not associated with improved academic performance. In their conclusion, the study researchers remarked: “These findings suggest that fitness was positively associated with neuroelectric indices of attention and working memory, and response speed in children.”
An analysis conducted on overweight children showed interesting results as it relates to executive function, which influences a child’s ability to organize, plan, problem solve and concentrate. Researchers split the children into two groups – one group did more weekly physical activity than the other. Children who engaged in 40 minutes of activity each school day over 15 weeks scored better on executive function than kids who only did 20 minutes of exercise over the same period. When they reviewed brain scans for the most physically active group, the researchers found these kids had more neural activity in the brain’s frontal lobe – a key area involved in executive function.
Many schools are already convinced of the influence of exercise on their students’ academic results. In an article that appeared in Education Week, a school district in Illinois developed a physical activity class for students struggling with reading and writing. The students participated in early morning exercises followed immediately by a literacy support class. After just one semester, the students’ literacy development jumped 1.34 years in progress compared to 0.7 for students who only received literacy support. The school district expanded the program to include mathematics, and the participating students saw their algebra scores improve 20.4%.
Less Active Students – A Troubling Trend
Unfortunately, the focus for many schools is to reduce time spent on physical activities and concentrate more on academics. This seems counter-intuitive, especially when there has been such a rise in obesity among children and adolescents.
Research indicates having additional physical activity in schools does not necessarily lower student academic performance. A review of scientific studies on this topic was published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity and the researchers remarked: “Given competent providers, PA (physical activity) can be added to the school curriculum by taking time from other subjects without risk of hindering student academic achievement. On the other hand, adding time to ‘academic’ or ‘curricular’ subjects by taking time from physical education programmes does not enhance grades in these subjects and may be detrimental to health.”
Is your child getting enough exercise? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children and teens should get a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity daily, and most of it should be aerobic. Need advice on appropriate exercise for your child? Ask your chiropractor!
Disclaimer: Information contained in the The Wellness ExpressTM 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 © - The Wellness ExpressTM
Monday, February 6, 2012
Quote of the Week
“To swear off making mistakes is very easy. All you have to do is swear off having ideas” ~ Leo Burnett
Exercise of the Week: Pelvic Rotations – Figure 4
Difficulty: Easy
Start: Lie down on back with legs bent to 90 degrees and feet on floor. Place arms out to side, palms up.
Exercise: Take one leg, and cross ankle over opposite knee. Then, let legs roll all the way to side so that foot rests on floor. Hold for 30-60 seconds, and then return to starting position. Switch sides, and repeat 2X per side.
Topic of the Week: Mind, Body and Chiropractic
Have you ever bent over to tie your shoes, but were not able to straighten up afterward?
Have you ever experienced a ‘kink’ in your neck, simply by looking over your shoulder?
Have you ever wondered what causes these kinds back pain?
When intense back or neck pain happens seemingly out of the blue, one of the things you may be experiencing is psychosomatic pain. According to the Heritage Medical Dictionary, this kind of pain is defined as:
• Of, or relating to, a disorder having physical symptoms, but originating from mental or emotional causes
• Relating to, or concerned with, the influence of the mind on the body, especially with respect to disease
In fact, there is a whole field of study in the effects of psychosomatic symptoms known as psychoneuroimmunology.
Books have been written on this subject, based on the premise that the mind and body are intimately connected via the “molecules of emotion”; what happens in the mind is reflected in what appears in the body. If pain is felt in the body – seemingly unrelated to physical stress or trauma - it is likely a reflection of the painful state in one’s mind or emotions. It may sound far-fetched, but it is true.
One of the simplest examples of this phenomenon is to reflect on what happens to your body when you are experiencing a negative emotion, like anger. Imagine yourself getting very upset with someone who has stolen one of your prized possessions. How do you feel? Relaxed, or tense?
More tense than relaxed, every time
With your body more tense, do you think you are more likely, or less likely, to injure yourself? With more tightness in the musculoskeletal system, you are MORE likely to experience sprains and strains, as your normal range of motion is decreased. Everyday activities, like bending over to tie your shoes or turning your head to look over your shoulder, things you do thousands of times without any difficulty, all of a sudden become strenuous physical exercises. Any pre-existing imbalance in your alignment can also become a bigger imbalance with this tension, leaving you even more Chiropractic treatments can help decrease the potential for injury in these cases by maximizing your muscle and joint alignment, thereby reducing the chance that these mood swings will lead to physical bouts of pain.
Another example of mind-body interaction impacts your health is the effects your mood has on the central nervous system. Your central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord, is hard-wired to respond to the environment to ensure your survival. When danger (stress) is detected, the sensitivity (tone) of the central nervous system increases, allowing you to respond more quickly to this potential threat. Nervous system tension leads to musculoskeletal system tension (so you can run away from, or fight off the danger), and just like in the previous scenario, increased muscle tension leaves you more prone to experiencing sprains or strains.
Chiropractic is ideally suited to help deal with these psychosomatic effects, because vertebral subluxations also increase nervous system ‘tone’. Chiropractic adjustments, by removing subluxations from the spine, help to normalize the tone of the central nervous system, thereby reducing the effects of stress on the body.
The third way that the mind can affect the body is via energy disturbances in the body. Caroline Myss, one of the most highly recognized and respected medical intuitives posits that every disease is related to an energetic disturbance in the body, caused by emotionally or mentally traumatic events. In this way, our “biography becomes our biology.” In addition, she sees the spine as the conduit for life-energy, making it one of the most important structures in the body related to the mind-body model of health and wellness.
Chiropractic is the only healing profession dedicated to the healthy alignment of the spine. A spine free of subluxations allows for your life energy to flow unimpeded. If you would like to experience more vitality, a greater sense of ease and relaxation and be less likely to experience the strains and sprains caused by mindbody stress, be sure to maintain a regular schedule of chiropractic adjustments!
Disclaimer: Information contained in the The Wellness ExpressTM 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 © - The Wellness ExpressTM
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Half-Empty or Half-Full?
(This newsletter issue for February 2012 is brought to you by Life Wellness Center)
What's your worldview? Are you an optimist or a pessimist by nature? Do you always expect good things to happen or are you waiting for the other shoe to drop? Our mental attitude affects how we interact with others and how we respond to events and the comings and goings in our daily lives. Remarkably, our mental attitude also affects our health and well-being. How we feel, not only mentally but also physically, is significantly impacted by what has been termed our "internal guidance mechanism".
Back in the 1960s a plastic surgeon named Maxwell Maltz wrote Psycho-Cybernetics, a groundbreaking book that has been continuously in print for almost 50 years. Psycho-Cybernetics, one of the original self-help books, popularized the idea that the subconscious part of our mind is a goal-seeking mechanism. Maltz famously compared the subconscious to a guided missile, stating that the subconscious would do exactly what it is programmed to do. If you want to achieve a goal, Maltz proposed, visualize its successful completion. Visualize yourself driving that red sports car. Visualize the fun you and your family are having on your trip to Hawaii or Italy. Visualize living in your beautiful home. Provided that the instructions are clear, your subconscious will go to work to cause your goal to manifest in your life.
This wasn't mumbo-jumbo. Maltz was a scientist and made a very strong case for his theory, backed up by decades of interaction with his patients. Since then, of course, hundreds if not thousands of self-help gurus have sprung up, publishing books, giving seminars, and being interviewed in broadcast media. Maltz, Napoleon Hill, Norman Vincent Peale, Emmet Fox, and Ernest Holmes were the originals, the pioneers who promulgated the concepts and precepts of taking charge of your own life.
In terms of health, for example, attitude is critically important.1,2,3 How do you respond, internally, if a nearby co-worker coughs or sneezes throughout the day? Have you noticed that if you think that you, too, are going to get sick, that in fact you do? But others, exposed to the same environment, do not. Is it possible that these others paid no attention to the ill co-worker, that they did not internalize the notion that they were being exposed to contagion? Such a scenario is not necessarily true, but it is possible. The conclusion could be that our thoughts matter. As Earl Nightingale, one of the pioneers of the personal development field, famously stated, "You become what you think about".
So what should we do? Think happy thoughts all day long? Not really. But it is important to remember that attitude counts. If we are more frequently seeing the glass as half-full rather than half-empty, it is possible that we are going to have a more productive, more successful, more fulfilled day. And, unbeknownst to us, our subconscious mind will build on those successes and help to bring us more success, personal growth, happiness, and well-being.
Chiropractic Care Helps Support a Positive Mental Attitude
It's tough to focus on the positive when you have pain. Headaches, neck pain, and back pain can often take the joy out of what had started out as a beautiful day. Even when we have good tools, when we know, for example, how to return to the breath and find our center, physical pain can be insistent and continue to take over our attention.
Chiropractic care can help intervene in a cycle of pain and help restore normal function. By helping spinal joints work more effectively, chiropractic care removes many sources of physical pain. A more normally functioning spinal column leads to more effective function in the nerve system. All body systems improve and overall health and well-being increases. As a result, chiropractic care helps us focus and regain our positive mental attitude.
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