How is your Core Strength?

Your Core muscles are VERY important. Wither you are an athlete running, catching or throwing or a parent, aunt, uncle, brother and do most of your running chasing kids, friends or your busy schedule. These muscles keep you moving.

Anyone that has ever had an episode of bad back pain will tell you that it can keep you from doing the things you want to do the most. One of the top ways to help prevent back pain and keep it from coming back

if you have suffered with it in the past is to have a strong core.

Blondina Polazzo is a certified personal trainer and a while ago I asked her to write an article for my patient news letter and I wanted to share it on here also!

Blondina writes,

"What is a helpful way to explain the core to clients and why is it so important?

Blondina Polazzo, ACE Certified Personal Trainer

President, Fitness Empowerment, LLC

The core is best described as the anatomical "box" in the mid-section of the body, with the abdominals in the front, the paraspinals next to the spine and the gluteals in the back. The diaphragm is the roof, while the pelvic floor and hip girdle musculature are at the bottom. The core fuctions as a muscular "corset," working as a unit to stablize the spine. It is the 'foundation" of all limb movements.

As an Exercise Professional I am committed to maintaining and improving the fuctional independence and physical performance of my clients. Core stability is defined as the ability to have functional strength and endurance through all planes of motion and actions. Therefore, core stability is crucial in being fully functional in daily activities without pain through a normal range of motion.

Research has demonstrated that two of the deep spinal stabilizing muscles, the multifidus and transverse abdominis, start to rapidly atrophy following an episode of low-back pain. This is like a vicious cycle where a weak core leads to low-back pain which further weakens the core. If these muscles are not retrained, back pain will most likely reoccur in the future.

Core stability can be assessed by yourself, or more accurately by chiropractor. The very basic do-it-yourself method involves holding the ‘plank’ position for at least 30 seconds, as a time below that would indicate a weak core. The ability to go over 60 seconds is indicative of having a strong core. In our Boot Camps "core" work is a part of each workout performed.

For more information about Boot Camp Challenge or Personal Training by Blondina please visit: www.my-fitness-studio.com"

Chiropractic is important to helping overcome and prevent back pain because along with strengthening the core muscles adjusting the low back, pelvis and sacral areas are important in making sure you have a strong foundation and proper joint function in order to build and maintain proper core strength

If you have more questions about low back pain or core stability feel free to email me or stop by my office.

Staying Active in the Changing Season

Fall is here! The leaves are changing the weather is getting colder and we are getting excited for holidays and spending time with family. As our thoughts are turning from outside barbeques and sports to raking leaves and winter coat, it’s important not to forget to stay active. Here are some easy ideas that can help you to stay active this winter and keep your health out of hibernation.

· Take a hike – find trails and parks in your area where you can get out and enjoy the changes of the season.

· Take advantage of the activities at your city’s recreation centers

· Look in your community’s newsletter for activities going on in the community.

· Get to know your neighbors. – sharing an evening of back yard games with your neighbors and friends it a good way to stay active.

Remember that staying active is key to staying healthy. Get out there and enjoy.

ACA - Stress Relief

Stress is something we all have and need to some extent. Here is a link to an article with some good tips on how to handle stress in a healthy way.

ACA - Stress Relief

Walk It Off

Child bumping their head, smashing your finger with a hammer, a baseball player getting hit with a pitch what do these all have in common? Well they hurt but something else that they have in common that you may or may not realize is that they all three do once thing similar.... the use movement to help it feel better.

When a child bumps their head a mom will almost as a reflex tell the child to rub it. Don't go trying it but when you smash one of the first things you'll to is start shaking your hand in the air. Coaches alway tell their players no matter the situation to get up and "walk it off". Why is that you ask? What makes movement so important that we do it almost on instinct when we are injured?

To understand first you have to know a bit about how our nervous system works. There are millions upon millions of nerves that go to and from every part of our body. These nerves have different jobs with out getting too complicated we'll talk only about two types ones that send pain from your body to your spinal cord and brain that sense movement.

The first type there is easy enough to understand their job. when you smash your finger with the hammer these nerves let your brain know it.

The other type have special movement detectors (mechanoreceptros) When they detect movement they let your body know. That is how you are aware that you are moving, walking, jumping or whatever it may be. These nerves as well as sending a signal to your brain informing it of movement it also send substances (neurotransmitters) into the spinal cord that help to block pain signals. This is why in the before mentioned scenarios rubbing it or walking it off helps you feel better. It also it why we feel so good getting a massage.

Movement is important for keeping our joints healthy, keeping us physically fit and now you know that it also helps with dealing with pain. Chiropractic adjustments help to decrease pain (short term affect of care) and improve the motion of joints in your body to improve or maintain proper movement and keep the joints and you healthy and functioning well.

I enjoy being a chiropractor and helping people feel and function better. If you or someone you know wants to talk about how chiropractic care can help please email me.

Are your electronics killing you

Have you ever watched a person text or work on their mobile phone or hand held device for an extended period of time? If you have maybe you have noticed some of the following things; The longer a person texts the lower and lower the head may go down and you may even see their head start to stick out more and more. Also they tend to roll their shoulders and slouch their upper back forward. Another common thing is to see their arms wrist of fingers sore from the constant tapping of the keys or with a lot of devices now they are not even keys just a continual tapping on the screen accessing the virtual keyboard.

Some of the above are things that I notice in me and others who use their mobile device a lot to work and play. In myself I notice that using the phone a lot to text and write emails causes the muscles in my neck and upper back to get very tight and I can even on occasion start to feel a headache come on.

In the article Your Body is Sending You a Message by Dr. Dean Fishman, it's mentions that the Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that young people 8-18 years old spend in excess of seven-and-a-half hours a day using some form of mobile media. The continual head forward position among other things will be a cause of aches in pains for years to come. In the book Physiology of the Joint Volume 3 by Kapandji it explains that every inch of forward the head is from its normal position over the shoulders can equate to increasing the weight of the head by 10lbs!! reach back and feel your traps, is Kapandji talking about you? The forward head posture can also lead to long term muscle strain, disc degeneration, and even nerve impingement (Mayo Clinic Health Letter, March 2000).

Now if you are like me you are probably not going to go as far as to get rid of your phone, PDA, PSP or whatever your device of choice may be. Our phones are great we just have to learn how to use them and still take care of our body. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) has a few simple guidelines that one can use to help you get the most out of your electronics while saving your neck and back. A few of them are the following:

Sit upright, keeping your ears over your shoulders.
Look down with your eyes and gently tuck your chin in, not forward.
Never pinch the phone between your ear and shoulder.
Using a headset
Minimize the time you bend the elbows to hold the screen up to see it.
Instead of returning all your e-mails on the phone, wait until you can

use the computer.
Avoid leaning on the flexed elbow while talking on the phone or in the car.

If after trying these tips you still can't seem to get rid of pain or discomfort that you may be feeling its may be a sign that you need to get help from a health care professional. This type of mechanical pain is a big part of what I as a chiropractor deal with day in and day out. Chiropractors are a great cost effective way to treat this and similar types of pain. if you need helping finding a chiropractor near you I would be more than happy to help. Also if you would like to have a copy of the article for the ACA with more information and tips you can email me and I can send it to you in PDF format at DrCarpenterDC@gmail.com

Family Time

Summer is in full swing now. I love this time of the year there is so much to do and its a great time for family bonding. While the family time is great its easy for aches and pains to creep in and spoil the fun. Here are a few ideas of easy things to you can do to make sure you get the most out of your family time this summer.

As soon as the weather warms up lots of people go out to jog and walk around their neighborhood. Most importantly as you are out stay well hydrated. Making sure you drink enough water will help reduce muscle cramps and injuries. Also remember kids dehydrate in the hot weather faster than kids so even if you are not thirsty they may be.

Secondly I see lot of people out jogging or walking with their children in a stroller. Before you start make sure to check the height of the stroller handles to make sure they are not too low. it you are leaning to far forward while you are pushing the stroller this could set you up for some unwanted back pain. Also for your child's safety make sure the stroller has a good harness system and adequate shade from the sun.

Swimming is a great summer activity that allows families to bond. When planning an outing to the pool remember to pack the sunscreen and bring plenty of water. Here are some good tips for pool safety taken from a publication by the CPSC.

Never leave a child unsupervised near a pool.

Instruct babysitters about potential hazards to young children in and around swimming pools and the need for constant supervision.

Completely fence the pool. Install self-closing and self-latching gates. Position latches out of reach of young children. Keep all doors and windows leading to the pool area secure to prevent small children from getting to the pool. Effective barriers and locks are necessary preventive measures, but there is no substitute for supervision.

Do not consider young children "drown proof" because they have had swimming lessons; young children should always be watched carefully while swimming.

Do not use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision.

Also taking a CPR class is a good way to make sure you are prepared for an emergency

Hiking is another great family summer activity. Lots of parks have great places to hike and explore your local outdoors. When hiking its important to make sure everyone has the proper footwear to avoid blisters and sprained ankles. Also make sure you don't get so distracted by all the wonders of nature that you don't watch where your going. Bring along fruit or trail mix for a healthy snack to keep you energized along they way.

ACA - Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

I could talk for hours about the effects of the TMJ on your health but I like this article and I will let it talk for me. I will add that I had a patient that was suffering from headaches and working with her TMJ is one of the things that really helped change her life.

ACA - Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

Vacation time

Now is the time of the year when people are starting to think about where they will go on vacation for the summer. Something that is just as important as making sure all the bags are packed and the gas tank is filled are things you can do to make sure that your body stays healthy and pain free while you are driving, riding or flying to you vacation spot this year.

If you are driving, make sure that you have your seat and mirrors adjusted to keep you in a posture that is comfortable for such a long trip as well as one that will help support the natural curves of your spine. Also don’t forget to get out and stretch every couple of hours if you are going to be in the car for several hours. Also slightly changing your seat position every 30 minutes or so can help with decreasing the aches of a long car ride.

If you are flying, try getting up and walking around the cabin for a moment on longer flights or even just moving your legs around to get the blood moving in them. And most important no matter what why you are traveling stay well hydrated. Lots of times on long tips we forget to drink enough water. This will help keep your muscles from cramping up as you are traveling this summer. Another challenge of vacation trips is trying to remember to eat healthy as you travel. Packing healthy snacks will help keep you from munching on the "junk de jour" at the gas station or airport. And no matter what you do remember to, BE SAFE and HAVE FUN!!!!

Local Honey

This year I have noticed that my daughter and I have had really bad allergies. I believe it is related to the tree pollen in the area around our house. Here are a couple of things that I have done to help us to overcome the itchy eyes and sniffles this year.

1. I got saline drops to put in our eyes 2-3 times a day. This helped alleviate the itchy eyes

2. At night we used breath-right strips to help open our nose and allow us to get a good nights sleep.

3. We bought some honey from a local bee keeper. Local honey is great for helping build up an immunity to pollen and allergens in the area. Another thing we are going to do is go back to the bee keeper and getting some honeycomb to chew on. Even with local/natural honey if heated during the bottling process it may kill of some of the pollen but the honeycomb is not heated or processed and there for the pollen/allergens in the honeycomb are preserved.

One thing that we didn't do and should of done that would have helped is that shortly after the trees in the area started to bloom pollen was all over the cars. We took our time in washing our car to get the pollen off. in doing so some of the pollen got into the ventilation system in the car. Every time my daughter or I would be in the car for a long period of time our symptoms would come back. If we would have took the time to wash our car promptly we could have avoided some of the suffering.

Drink Water

As you are outside more now that its starting to warm up. Don't forget to remember to take water with you wherever you go.

Staying well hydrated is an important part of having a healthy summer. As we become dehydrated our bodies don't function at efficiently and become more susceptible to things like heat stroke and muscle cramps. Also if you have children they are likely to become dehydrated much faster than do, so remember to check often to make sure they have enough water.

Again just another simple thing you can do to help you and your families have a safe and healthy summer.

Yard Work

This time of the year as the flowers are starting to bloom and the grass is getting greener, is also a time when people start doing yard and garden work.

Lots of injuries to the middle and low back are caused by excessive bending and twisting. Getting down on your knees when possible helps to limit the amount of bending over you do while working the yard. If necessary you can use a padded surface on the ground for comfort. Also not reaching out too far and working in an area close to your body helps to limit excessive twisting.

These are two simple tips to help you stay healthy and enjoy the outdoors this summer.  Hope everyone has a safe and fun filled summer.

A great salad

A good salad needs to have lost of fresh vegetables and herbs, as well as different types of leafy greens (not just iceberg lettuces) and even some beans for protein. Below is the recipe for a great salad that is quick and easy to make. (this recipe is taken from the book Superfoods Rx by Steven Pratt, M.D. and Kathy Matthews)

(makes on serving)

1 cup spinach torn into bite-size pieces

1 cup chopped romaine

1/4 cup shredded red cabbage

1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper

1/2 tomato chopped

1/4 cup chickpeas; if canned, rinse well

1/2 cup grated carrot

1/4 avocado, cubed

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar.

Combine the above ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix the olive oil and vinegar and whisk together. toss the salad and dressing just before serving.

Spring is a great time to experiment and find health good foods and snacks. Take advantage of fruits and vegetables that are in season to find great healthy snacks for you and your family.

Migranes

many people may not know but headaches and neck pain are the number 2 reason that people go see a chiropractor. there are many different types of headaches and some respond better to care than other. I was reading an article on another chiropractor's website in the St. Louis area and he had posted some common causes of migraines. I thought I would share these with you all.

What causes a migraine headache? There are many triggers – the most common are:

• Foods, including alcohol, aged cheese, caffeine, chocolate, artificial sweeteners and seasonings (MSG).

• Hormonal changes, related to a drop in estrogen levels, which may occur before a woman’s monthly period. Birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy can also trigger migraines.

• Medications

• Stress

• Too much/too little sleep

• Weather changes or changes in time zone or altitude

• External factors, such as bright lights, certain smells (perfume) or second-hand smoke

No matter what kind of headache you may suffer from it is important to look at things in your environment that may trigger them. Conservative care for any type of headache can include, diet assessment, stress management, chiropractic care, and massage. other options may exist depending on the person and type of headache. I have seen chiropractic and conservative care work wonders for people suffering from chronic headaches. It's great to see peoples lives change and their ability to function improve. Remember no matter if its one headache a week or one a year its not normal and something you have to live with. People suffer years with headache lots of time because they just never seek treatment. you don't have to suffer longer than you choose to.

Headache Emergencies

This is a good video about what to do in a headache emergency. However headaches are the 2nd most common reason people go to a chiropractor. So for those not "every day normal" headaches (no headache is normal) many find relief from chiropractic evaluation and care.

Headache Emergencies

Ear Infections in Children

Its the time of the year for ear infections. through chiropractic care and diet changes I was able to prevent my sound from having to have surgery on his ears. This article does a good job about explaining how your chiropractor can help. you may ask what I did for my son. This is what I did.

1. Lymphatic massage to help promote drainage of the eustachian tubes. (tubes that run between the ears and the back of the throat)

2. Chiropractic adjustment to the upper cervical spine which helps with boosting the immune system as well as further promote eustachian tube drainage.

3. Looked at his diet and made changes as to limit dairy products and other high inflammatory type foods. These types of food can make a person more prone to infections.

it was so great to see my son not have to suffer with ear chronic ear infections. If you have anymore questions on this subject or other let me know.

Check out the article below.

ACA - Chiropractic Approach to Ear Infections

Running

this is an article that shows how chiropractic can be good for running and other sports. Chiropractors are bio-mechanical exports.

http://www.planetc1.com/search/chiropractic-for-long-distance-running.html

taking out the batteries

Chiropractors first and foremost are physicians. we receive training in all the same general areas of health care as a primary care M.D. does. A couple things that make us different are the following:

First chiropractic as a profession has chosen not to use medications and our scope of practice in all 50 states do not allow us to do so either. Also one of the differences between chiropractic and medical school is that as chiropractors we don't receive nearly the amount of education in toxicology and pharmacology as a medical doctor does. (and thats totally ok by me :P)

Second the medical model of health care is usually to just take a pill to help with what is bothering you and then another pill if that pill bothers you. Now that is a generalization not all medical doctors think or believe that is the way to practice health care. but its kind of the road that medical doctors end up going down with their patients. However taking pill after pill for what ails you in a sense is like being in a house fire where instead of getting out of the house and putting the fire out you just go around and take the batteries out of all your smoke detectors. Thinking that if the smoke detectors stop sounding an alarm then you are ok is as flawed of thinking as if "I'm not in pain I must be ok now." A chiropractic physicians goal is to get you out of pain yes but that is only the first step. once you are out of pain then its easier to address the source of the problem be it biological, physiological, bio-mechanical or whatever it may be.

In a perfect world a chiropractor would want to find the source of the problem, fix it and that would be the end of it. However sadly chiropractors are usually not the patient's first choice we are usually the patient's last resort. When fixing the problem isn't an option a chiropractor then turns to maintaining the highest level of function with the lowest amount of pain for the patient. Different chiropractors use different methods to accomplish the above but what I think all will agree on is that the way to truly be healthy is not just get rid of pain but improve the body's function because the lack of function (of one kind or another) is what caused them to have pain in the first place.

Good article

this article is about how chiropractic can be beneficial to children. check it out!

http://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=1261&pagenumber=1

Let it Snow

we are well into February and spring is close at hand, but there is still lot of opportunities for snow. Snow means its easier to slips and falls to occur. make sure that when you are shoveling your driveways or sidewalks to have a shovel that allows you to work without excessively bending forward and turning. this bending and twisting action is what causes lots of the back injuries people get during this time of the year. Also after shoveling make sure to use salt on the walk ways so that you can have a ice free area. Until next time.

p.s. if you have any questions or ideas for my blog send them to abraham.carpenter@gmail.com