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Gibsons Chiropractic Blog

November 26, 2011

To Your Health Newsletter 11-25-2011

By Dr. Stacey
Brought to you by www.toyourhealth.com
 

Tis’ the season for giving and spending precious time with loved ones during a magical time of year. Unfortunately, tis’ also the season for back, neck and shoulder injuries. Let’s review some of the potential dangers lurking this holiday season and how you can reduce your risk of injury.

All Boxes Are Not Created Equal

The culprit for back injuries is typically a smaller box that looks deceptively light because of its size. Don’t fall for it! Lightly kick or push the box with your foot to determine how heavy it is before you commit to the lift. The lesson here is to take extra time to test the weight of an object before you lift. Every second counts.

Slippery Slopes Will Get You Every Time

Even if you don’t live in an icy, cold environment, the first strategy should be to expect the unexpected. Become aware of your surroundings and become very intent with every movement. Doing balance exercises is also a great way to prevent falls.

It’s a Long Way Down From Up There

Climbing up ladders or standing on stools/chairs to hang lights and decorations can be a dangerous adventure. Take special care to ensure all ladders are functioning properly and you have a “safety spotter” to help in stabilizing any device you are standing on.

Holiday Stretches Under the Mistletoe

When you become more sedentary, you inherently become less flexible. Your muscles shorten and become weak from inactivity, making you prone to injury. You can make significant improvements by stretching to increase the performance of your body. The better you move, the more resistant you become to injury.

Your chiropractor can tell you more about holiday health risks and suggest simple strategies to ensure an injury-free holiday season.

Horizontal Rule

Fructose is the sugar found in fruit – and if it’s found in fruit, it must be good for you, right? Wrong. This misconception is being perpetrated by the food industry and most people just don’t have the facts. Open your eyes to the potential health issues of fructose. 

  

Disruptions of sleep patterns or the inability to achieve certain stages of sleep can occur with stress, medications, bowel and bladder problems, background noise or pets, to name just a few factors. If you are consistently waking up tired, here’s what you need to know.

  

Most physical activities depend on stable core muscles, which, in turn, promote balance and stability. Without a stable core, your low back, hips, pelvis and abdomen are prone to injury. Try these three simple exercises to strengthen, tighten and tone your core.

Horizontal Rule

Vitamin D deficiency is linked to various health conditions including osteoporosis and even cancer. Learn how to ensure you are getting enough of this important vitamin every day.

  

Recent studies suggest prolonged bottle-feeding may be contributing to obesity in children. Do you know how long is too long? Make sure you know the answer.

 

Filed under: back pain,Fitness,Nutrition,Sleep,Supplements — Tags: , , , , , , ,

March 9, 2011

What is your Core?

By Dr. Stacey

The word “core” refers to the area of your body between your diaphragm and your pelvic floor. It includes all the joints of the lumbar spine as well as those of the low thorax (chest) and the pelvis. 

Although all muscles of the body are often involved in stabilization, some muscles are better situated to be able to control a joint’s movement; these muscles are called “core muscles” or the “inner unit”. Every joint has an inner unit; the shoulder’s being the rotator cuff.

The inner unit muscles of the lumbopelvic region are the transversus abdominus, the multifidus, the diaphragm, and the pelvic floor. These muscles have attachments to the spine or the pelvis, and are therefore better able to stabilize than, for example, the erector spinae or rectus abdominus. As Diane Lee says, “collectively, the inner unit forms a corset around the lumbar spine and pelvis, forming the “circle of integrity”. 

[Source:  www.gaiaadventures.com. Reprinted with permission.]

Filed under: back pain,Exercise,Fitness,Posture,Spine — Tags: , , , , ,

March 5, 2011

Keys to Whole Body Health

By Dr. Stacey

Take a moment to look at your body. Quickly glance at your arms, hands, hips, legs and feet. Do you realize that you have approximately 640 muscles that are responsible for moving the 206 bones in your body? How do you get these muscles to move those bones? It has to do with the way the spinal cord and the nerves send information out to the body. It might surprise you to know that many common ailments that we experience, like headaches, lower back pain and shoulder pain, can have links to the muscles, bones and spinal nerves.

The spine is made up of 29 vertebrae that are divided up by specific regions of the body: cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacrum. Think of the spine as a protective housing for your spinal cord that lives in the center of the vertebrae. At every level of the spine, nerves branch off of the spinal cord, move past the vertebrae and outward to supply the different parts of the body.

Furthermore, as the nerves branch off from the spine, certain ones move out farther and farther, going all the way to the hands and feet. While a nerve is traveling, it must repeatedly pass by or around different bones. It stands to reason that the position of the bones is important. If the bones are not in correct position, or “out of alignment,” the nerves will be compromised.

An easy way to remember how the body works is that the vertebrae, spinal cord and nerves affect everything from your toes all the way up to your nose. As an example, migraines and other headaches can be caused when the spinal vertebrae in the neck region are misaligned. This causes pressure on the nerves as they branch off of the spinal cord and move through the vertebrae out to the muscles of the neck and head. This compromised nerve flow also affects the circulation of blood to and from the area. All of these factors play an important role in headaches.

If our vertebrae are in good, proper alignment over time, then the spinal cord and nerves function without any interference. The simple idea of keeping the spine lined up as much as possible will keep our body healthy.

Regular chiropractic care, massage, acupuncture, exercise and a nutritious diet are all important facets of good spinal health. The key here is to realize that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Regular practices of spinal health will not only keep you feeling great, but also will help protect you in the future from many problems that could arise, including neck pain, headaches, shoulder pain, tennis / golfer’s elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, hip pain, sciatica, knee pain, and ankle and foot pain. Your chiropractor can tell you more about the importance of the spine and its connection to whole-body health.

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[Source: www.toyourhealth.com]

Filed under: Adjustments,Aging,back pain,Bones,Chiropractic,Feet,Neck Pain,Nervous System,Posture,Spine,Wellness — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

December 22, 2010

To Your Health Newsletter 12-22-2010

By Dr. Stacey

Pain: Putting the Fire Out

Back pain, neck pain, knee pain, foot pain – wherever the pain is, it’s a pretty powerful motivator. In fact, depending on the severity of the pain, you may be willing to do just about anything to get rid of it. That’s why so many people rush to the medicine cabinet and pop a few pills at the first sign of pain. Here’s a much better idea: Ask your chiropractor about these simple exercises that can actually help reduce pain caused by common overuse conditions.

You wake up at night with numbness and tingling in your hands. Sleeping through the night is almost an impossible task. You may be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition in which nerves from your neck traveling into your hand can become compressed in the wrist.

What you can do: Extend (straighten) your arm out in front of your body with your palm facing up. Straighten your fingers, keeping them close together. Bend your wrist backward and try to point your fingers toward the floor, and with the opposite hand press down on the palm side of your fingers to bend (extend) your wrist slightly further. Hold this stretch for 2 seconds, return the wrist to a straight position, and then repeat the entire movement for 10 repetitions

Do you feel clicking and popping in your knee? Perhaps walking up and down stairs has become a challenge and taking those after-dinner walks is more and more difficult. Knee pain can be a tricky condition because proper motion depends on the functioning of the hips and ankles.

What you can do: Stand on the edge of a step with the balls of your feet. Make sure you have something to hold on to for balance. Keep a slight bend in your knees and let your heels drift downward towards the floor, so your toes are higher than your heels. Sink the heels downward as far as you can and hold for 5 seconds. You can progress to one foot at a time for increased intensity. Return to the starting position and repeat 10 times.

If you experience sharp pain on the outside of your elbow when trying to twist open a jar or grasping something with your hand, it may be tendonitis of the forearm muscles. This injury became known as tennis elbow because players would get elbow pain after hitting repetitive backswings in tennis.

What you can do: Stand sideways against a wall. Bend your arm 90 degrees at the elbow with the thumb facing up. Place a tennis ball between the top of the forearm and the wall, with the opposite hand press against the inside of your forearm, putting additional pressure into the ball. Move the forearm back and forth in a circular motion on the tennis ball, searching for tender spots. Spend between 30-60 seconds on each tender spot until the pain begins to fade; then search for other tender areas. Do this three to five times per day.

The most important point to remember is that no exercise should make your pain worse. Soreness and discomfort are acceptable and expected; however, increased pain and dysfunction is not. It takes time for an injury to properly heal. Talk to your doctor for more information about what you can do to keep pain away the natural way.

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How Nutrition Can Help Eczema

There are three main objectives in the treatment of eczema: reducing inflammation, relieving itching of the skin, and moisturizing dry patches. As most alternative health practitioners know, certain dietary practices and various supplements can help to accomplish these objectives in many cases of eczema that seem to be resistant to standard medical treatment. The most evidence-based lifestyle, dietary and supplementation strategies shown to improve cases of eczema are as follows:

Dietary and Lifestyle Considerations: Avoid any known dietary or environmental irritants or allergens. Reduce the build-up of the polyunsaturated fat arachidonic acid within skin cells, as it is the direct building block of inflammatory prostaglandin hormones. To accomplish this, reduce the intake of the following foods: high-fat meat and dairy products; corn oil, sunflower seed oil, safflower seed oil, and mixed vegetable oils; alcohol, hydrogenated fats (e.g., margarine, commercial peanut butter, shortenings).

Replace the above foods with the following: chicken, turkey, fish, Cornish hen, 1 percent milk or yogurt, low-fat cheese (3 percent or less milk fat), olive oil, canola oil, or peanut oil (for salad dressings, to sauté vegetables or stir fry only).

Important Supplements: Omega-3 fats provide the building block for the production of prostaglandin hormones that reduce the inflammatory activity of skin cells. They also reduce the build-up of arachidonic acid in skin cells by blocking the enzyme that converts linoleic acid and gamma-linolenic acid to arachidonic acid. Examples of omega-3 fats of importance to skin health include EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). EPA is found in fish and fish oils, and ALA is found primarily in flaxseed oil. Clinical trials have shown that omega-3 fats can be effective in the treatment of eczema.

Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) has also been shown to help in cases of eczema. Studies reveal that many patients with eczema lack the enzyme to convert linoleic acid to gamma-linolenic acid. As gamma-linolenic acid is the building block of an important anti-inflammatory prostaglandin hormone, supplementation with an oil that is high in gamma-linolenic acid, such as borage, black currant or evening primrose oil, has been shown to favorably affect cases of eczema.

A number of B vitamins (especially B6 and niacin) are necessary co-factors to speed up the enzymes that produce anti-inflammatory prostaglandins in the skin. Vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium and zinc are also required to support various enzymes within skin cells that promote the formation of prostaglandins, which reduce skin inflammatory conditions, including eczema. I recommend a high-potency multivitamin/mineral supplement that contains a B-50 complex along with boosted levels of antioxidants.

In many cases, once specific allergies have been ruled out, the medical profession is at a loss to provide eczema sufferers with any meaningful treatment options. For this subgroup of patients, specific dietary and supplementation practices outlined in this article can provide significant improvement of their condition in many cases. Your doctor can tell you more about the connection between diet and skin health.

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Lower Sugar, Lower Blood Pressure

Sounds pretty simple, right? Except in a society overwhelmed by processed foods loaded with added sugar, keeping your sugar (or blood pressure) in check can be a major challenge.

But let’s leave the topic of limiting sugar consumption from all sources for another day, and instead focus on sugar from a single source: sugar-sweetened beverages. According to a study published in the June 2010 issue of Circulation (a journal of the American Heart Association), a reduction in sugar-sweetened beverage consumption of one serving per day reduced systolic blood pressure in adults by 1.8 mg Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 1.1 mg Hg over 18 months. (If your blood pressure is 120-75, for example, your systolic blood pressure is 120 and your diastolic blood pressure is 75.) Diet beverage consumption and caffeine intake did not appear to be associated with blood pressure.

Remember, even a small reduction, particularly if all you have to do is drink less sugar-sweetened beverages, can make a big difference. In fact, it might save your life. Your doctor can tell you more – much more – about the considerable dangers of sugar and high blood pressure.

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[Source: www.toyourhealth.com]

Filed under: back pain,Blood Pressure,Feet,Inflammation,Neck Pain,Nutrition,Pain,Skin,Stretches,Supplements — Tags: , , , , , ,

October 9, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

By Dr. Stacey

Holidays Can Be a Pain in the Neck!

Here are some tips from the BC Chiropractic Association to make your Thanksgiving holiday weekend enjoyable, and pain-free:

  • If you have to drive more than two hours to visit friends and relatives, take a break; get out of your vehicle and stretch. This temporarily restores normal posture, which will help prevent a recurrence of neck or low back conditions.
  • When loading your vehicle for the trip, organize your luggage and packages into smaller loads, as opposed to one large suitcase, cardboard box or carrying case.
  • Wear your seatbelt. Adjust vehicle headrests so that the top is no more than two inches below the top of the back of the head. Many of the estimated 20 million car accident victims suffering whiplash injuries in North America could have prevented much of the injury had their vehicle seat headrests been adjusted properly.
  • Make sure your children have support. Use the proper car seat/booster seat with a head rest or a child-sized neck pillow so that they do not flop over if they fall asleep in the car. Flopping forward can impact your child’s ability to breathe and flopping over sideways can cause misalignments in your child’s neck vertebrae.
  • It’s OK to be a couch potato this weekend, but don’t slouch on the sofa and don’t fall asleep on the recliner, as two or three vertebrae in the spine can assume a sharp angle. When you sit up, the normal movement isn’t restored. We often see people walking into our office with their heads sideways, because by slouching, the position of the joints irritates the nerves and blood vessels, causing muscle spasm.
  • Avoid bending directly over the oven door to lift out the turkey. Crouch down, pull out the oven shelf, and use your legs for better balance. Avoid putting all the weight-bearing stress on the lower spine. This helps reduce the sharp leverage on the lower spine.

With these few simple tips, the Chiropractic Doctors of BC wish everyone a healthy, happy Thanksgiving holiday.

Filed under: back pain,children,Chiropractic,Holidays,Neck Pain,Posture,Sleep,Spine — Tags: , , , , ,

September 22, 2010

Fall is in the Air!

By Dr. Stacey

Fall is in the Air!

“You can tell that fall is in the air,” commented one of the staff. “With the cool rainy days, many of our arthritis patients are showing up for their pre-fall tune-ups.”

With the noticeable drop in temperature and increased moisture in the air, the common complaint with these patients is that for months they’ve felt great and now those re-occurring aches and pains are back.

When confronted with the question of why many of us ache worse in cold, damp weather I offer the following answer: “Who the heck knows!”

Researchers are unable to agree that osteoarthritis aches and pains vary with thermal or barometric changes. They often attribute these complaints of winter aches to psychological sequelae of shorter days and grey weather rather than physiologic changes (they obviously haven’t talked to enough of Canada’s snowbirds).

In my humble experiences with hundreds of snowbirds, I’ll fearlessly challenge these researchers, throw caution to the wind and offer a definitive medical opinion.

Cold winter weather bothers some patients physically, some mentally and some not at all. I’ve been told that I’m riding the fence on this issue. At any rate our office certainly gets busy when the weather turns nasty. I’ll share some of our advice to deal with this problem.

Stay active year round. Your body needs to be stretched, strengthened and active 12 months of the year. There will be days when it’s wet and cold and you won’t feel like going outside. Go to the mall and walk, walk on a treadmill, walk up and down some stairs, go to the gym, swim laps at the pool, or better yet, invest in a good raincoat and umbrella and head outside. The fresh air will help to invigorate you as well. If you turn into a couch potato in winter your body will hurt as much or more as a springtime couch potato.

Try to eat whole natural foods focusing on fresh veggies, fruit, legumes, nuts, seeds and good cuts of meat and fish. Try to stay away from empty calories in refined breads, pastas, rice and pastries. There is more recent research linking excess refined and poor quality simple and complex carbohydrate intake to increased inflammatory exudates (swollen joints).

Try some of the arthritis supplements on the market if you haven’t already. There is some support for glucosamine sulphate, MSM, a good antioxidant formula, a good calcium/magnesium/vitamin D formula and salmon oil capsules that are high in Omega 3 fatty acids.

Chondroitin sulphate has not done well in recent clinical trials in terms of efficacy so you should probably save your money. Do not take glucosamine or chondroitin if you have sulfa allergies — remember the full compound is glucosamine sulphate. Also, be careful if you have diabetes as the glucose in glucosamine may increase your blood glucose levels temporarily.

If you begin to experience back or joint pain, chiropractic treatment may help. Chiropractic is a safe and effective way to relieve pain in the joints, muscles and nerves along the spinal column. For more information on chiropractic care, preventing and treating back injuries in your family, contact Dr. Stacey Rosenberg on 604-886-7080 or find a family chiropractor at: www.bcchiro.com.

 

[Source: From: Alberni Valley Times; Byline: Dr. James Tilsted, DC, Dr. Brent Manson, DC and Dr. Cobi Bothma, ND]

Filed under: Arthritis,back pain,Bones,Degeneration,Fitness,Nutrition,Pain,Spine,Supplements — Tags: , , , , , , ,

September 15, 2010

To Your Health Newsletter 09-15-2010

By Dr. Stacey

Back Pain Basics: What to Do

If you’ve suffered from low back pain over the past few days, or if you get back pain sometime in the future, the tendency will be to wait it out and see if it gets better. Sometimes we even decide to take time off and lie in bed, hoping we will eventually be feeling better and back to our usual activities or work. However, more and more research shows that lying in bed or waiting it out is the worst thing you can do for yourself. Remember, only 10 percent of people develop chronic low back pain, but those cases account for an estimated $100 billion a year in health care and other costs. It’s a safe bet that most of them have taken this incorrect “wait and see” approach.

Research suggests that when it comes to back pain, early intervention is best. There are many reasons for this concept, but here is a basic summary of what current guidelines are saying:

Low back pain can sometimes be due to something more serious than a simple sprain. That’s why it’s important to see your chiropractor right away so they can evaluate you for anything more serious.
Spinal manipulation is one of the only treatments that is consistently being recommended for those with acute low back pain – and yet far too many people don’t visit a chiropractor and choose to pop over-the-counter pain medication instead.
Avoid bed rest as much as possible. Yes, I know that it feels good and frankly, when I had an episode of low back pain once, I was tempted to lie in bed all day, too. On a basic level, it’s the most “rational” thing to do. However, bed rest actually wastes away your muscles, and this effect lasts even for the lucky ones who improve with their low back pain. For those who are pain free, the bad news is that the muscles still waste away.

So, the next time you experience back pain and feel like you can’t do anything, always remember that any movement or activity or treatment that keeps you moving is crucial for your recovery. Another factor is that you may be deconditioned and not fit enough. With back pain, you can become even more deconditioned. That’s why starting to move and then progressing to an exercise program is crucial to ensure not only that you get better, but also that you don’t get future bouts of low back pain. Talk to your chiropractor for more information.

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Healthy Up Your Diet

We’re in a war, pure and simple, and the majority of Americans are losing it. We’re fighting formidable opponents including the fast-food industry, the soft drink manufacturers, and any company that mass produces processed and preservative-, artificial ingredient-laden food. It’s time to healthy up your diet and shift the balance of food power. Are you ready to make healthier choices for a healthier life? It’s not as hard as you think.

Preparation - Simple changes like replacing milk/butter with low-sodium chicken broth, baking food instead of frying, and using grape seed oil for cooking instead of butter can make a real, long-term difference in your health.

Focus - Don’t bring more stress into the process! By taking a good look at where you are, health-wise, and talking to your health care practitioner about what you should focus on (reducing sodium or carbohydrate intake, getting more fiber, increasing your “good” cholesterol, etc.), you can get a handle on the changes that will make the most difference in your health.

Variety - Food boredom can mean you dread lunch and leave it sitting in the fridge at work, choosing to drive off with co-workers for a burger and fries instead. Making meals as interesting as possible means we will look forward to eating and enjoy it.

Veggies - Trying to fit a vegetable into every meal or snack gets us closer to the 4-5 cups recommended by the USDA.

Realism - Unless a chef plans your meals, we’re each responsible for making our own healthy choices. Know what is realistic for you and change what you can. When you’re comfortable with the changes you made, re-evaluate your diet again and see what can be tweaked. Stepping down from a mocha to coffee/hot chocolate can lead to a step down to green tea – a drink that both supports your health and warms you up!

Making healthier choices isn’t easy, certainly not these days and certainly not when it comes to food, but the choices you do make can make a big difference. No one’s telling you swear off your favorite foods (if they happen to be less-than-optimal in terms of nutrition); it’s about shifting the balance of what you eat so you end up with more healthy foods and less unhealthy ones. Now that’s a recipe for long-term health and wellness.

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It’s Great to Be Gardening

If you think gardening (the produce-yielding variety) is reserved for people with vast acreage and limited or no access to grocery stores and other modern conveniences, keep in mind that a garden begins with nothing more than a handful of soil, a few drops of water and the seeds of your favorite garden delicacy. Here are five reasons to develop your green thumb if you’re not already doing so.

QUALITY: Unless your diet is already organic-only, you stand to benefit immensely from a well-tended garden that doesn’t rely on pesticides and other chemicals. A little love and attention will yield fresh fruit and vegetables absolutely bursting with nutrition and flavor.

PRICE: Even the most generous produce company can’t begin to compete with the low price of home-grown fruits and vegetables; just spend a little money on proper soil and some seeds, and you’re on your way.

ACCESS: When was the last time you were in the middle of preparing dinner and realized you were missing a key ingredient? If that missing ingredient is something grown in your own garden, then the store is no farther than your own backyard.

ENJOYMENT: Gardening is great family fun, and it’s so much more rewarding (and less expensive) than another trip to the movie theater or a new video game. Stay in shape, enjoy the outdoors and watch seeds turn to sprouts turn to food on the table. How cool is that?

ENRICHMENT: In general, people like to continually grow, learn and improve. Gardening gives you and your children an irreplaceable lesson in self-sufficiency and empowerment. Among other things, you learn that the best-tended garden often yields the best crop, something no book can teach.

[Original articles' source: http://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/home.php]

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Filed under: Adjustments,back pain,Gardening,Nutrition — Tags: , , , ,

August 29, 2010

Elderly Women with ‘Dowager’s Hump’ May Be At Higher Risk of Earlier Death

By Dr. Stacey

Elderly Women with ‘Dowager’s Hump’ May Be At Higher Risk of Earlier Death

26 May 2009  

Hyperkyphosis, or “dowager’s hump” the exaggerated forward curvature of the upper spine seen commonly in elderly women may predict earlier death in women whether or not they have vertebral osteoporosis, UCLA researchers have found.

In a study published in the May 19 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers found that older white women with both vertebral fractures and the increased spinal curvature that results in the bent-over posture characteristic of hyperkyphosis had an elevated risk for earlier death. The finding was independent of other factors that included age and underlying spinal osteoporosis.

Women who had only hyperkyphosis, without vertebral fractures, did not show an increased risk for premature death.

Hyperkyphosis can be caused by a number of factors besides osteoporosis, including habitual poor posture and degenerative diseases of the muscles and intervertebral discs.

“Just being bent forward may be an important clinical finding that should serve as a trigger to seek medical evaluation for possible spinal osteoporosis, as vertebral fractures more often than not are a silent disease,” said Dr. Deborah Kado, an associate professor of orthopedic surgery and medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the study’s primary investigator. “We demonstrated that having this age-related postural change is not a good thing. It could mean you’re likely to die sooner.”

For the study, the researchers reviewed data on 610 women, age 67 to 93, from a cohort of 9,704 participants in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures. The participants were recruited between 1986 and 1988 in Baltimore, Md.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Portland, Ore.; and Pennsylvania’s Monongahela Valley. Researchers measured spinal curvature with a flexicurve and assessed vertebral fractures from spinal radiographs; they assessed mortality based on follow-ups averaging 13.5 years.

Adjusting for age, as well as osteoporosis-related factors such as low bone density, moderate and severe vertebral fractures, and the number of prevalent vertebral fractures, the researchers found that women with previous vertebral fractures and increasing degrees of spinal curvature were at increased mortality risk from the spinal condition, regardless of age, smoking, spinal bone-mineral density, or the number and severity of their spinal fractures.

These study findings provide evidence that it is not just vertebral fracture alone but the associated increased spinal curvature that may be most predictive of adverse health outcomes. Other studies linking hyperkyphosis to poor health, such as impaired physical function, increased fall risk, fractures and mortality, have been unable to exclude the possibility that vertebral fractures alone were the underlying explanation for the findings.

The researchers note several caveats. This study focused on women, though hyperkyphosis also affects men; measurements for vertebral fractures were based only on height ratios, which could lead to misclassification of other causes of height ratio decreases, such as Scheuermann disease; and the timing of the assessments could have affected the results, though it’s unlikely to have made much difference.

However, this study demonstrates a possible association between hyperkyphosis and increased risk for earlier death independent of the number and severity of vertebral fractures or osteoporosis in older women, the researchers write.

“These results add to the growing literature that suggests that hyperkyphosis is a clinically important finding. Because it is readily observed and is associated with ill health in older persons, hyperkyphosis should be recognized as a geriatric syndrome a ‘multifactorial health condition that occurs when the accumulated effect of impairments in multiple systems renders a person vulnerable to situational challenges.’”

Study co-authors include Arun S. Karlamangla of UCLA; Li-Yung Lui and Steven R. Cummings of the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute; and Kristine E. Ensrud and Howard A. Fink of the University of Minnesota.

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the National Institute on Aging funded this study.

The UCLA Department of Orthopaedic Surgery provides consultation and treatment for disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Department faculty members provide comprehensive services for such specialties as joint replacement and reconstructive surgery, microvascular surgery, sports medicine, arthroscopy, foot and ankle surgery, hand surgery, pediatric orthopedics, spinal diseases, orthopedic trauma, orthopedic oncology, and metabolic bone disease. In 1998, UCLA and Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital formed a strategic alliance through which Orthopaedic Hospital was integrated with UCLA in the replacement facility for Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital.

Source: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/151328.php

Main News Category: Bones / Orthopaedics

Also Appears In:  Seniors / Aging, Women’s Health / Gynecology

Quoted from Maximized Living newsletter: http://maximizedliving.com/Home.aspx, posted to Gibsons Chiropractic on 08-28-2010

Filed under: back pain,Degeneration,Osteoporosis,Posture,Spine,Woman's Health — Tags: , , , , , , ,

June 1, 2010

June is Bike Safety Month

By Dr. Stacey

Cycle Safely!

With June being Bike Safety Month, I thought I would offer a few tips on how to prevent some of the most common cycling injuries…

Start with Good Cycling Posture

Good cycling posture is very different from good posture while sitting or standing. A posture that is comfortable for sitting still will not necessarily be comfortable while actually riding a bicycle. Correct cycling posture must facilitate the pedaling action, and also must enable the rider to cope with the jolts that result from road irregularities.

Many inexperienced cyclists adopt a posture that allows their upper bodies to be supported entirely by their skeleton. This has the advantage that it requires no muscular effort, but can lead to discomfort or injury when road shocks are transmitted through the rigid bones. This discomfort may affect the back, hands, wrists, shoulders or neck.

Posture faults are primarily found in three places:

The back should be arched, like a bridge, not drooping forward between the hips and the shoulders. If the back is properly arched, spinous processes (SP’s) – the bumps you feel down your back – will cause it to flex slightly in the direction of a bit more arch; this is harmless. If you ride swaybacked, the SP’s will cause the back to bow even farther in the forward direction, which can lead to severe lumbar pain, or even serious injury.

Some back-pain sufferers modify their bicycles with extra-high handlebars so that they can sit bolt upright, with their spines straight. This is actually counterproductive in most cases, because a straight spine has no way to “give” when the bike hits rough road. Road irregularities will jam the vertebrae together, often aggravating existing back problems. The bolt-upright posture is comfortable if you’re sitting stationary on the bike, but is not suitable for riding much faster than a brisk walk. Riders who require such a position should use some form of suspension, a sprung saddle at the very least.

The elbows should be slightly bent, not straight and locked. This allows the arm muscles to act as shock absorbers.

The shoulders should be pushed forward so that the muscles in the front of the chest help carry the weight of the upper body. Many cyclists make the error of letting their upper spine dangle forward, held up by the collarbones. Rolling the shoulders forward counteracts the bending of the arms, resulting in the same general angle of the upper body as a relaxed, bone-supported posture provides, but with the resiliency of muscles providing shock absorption.

If you’ve been letting your bones do all the work, you’ll find that the muscle-supported posture is tiring at first. The harder you pedal, the more of your upper-body weight will be supported by the reaction forces to the pedaling. If you’re not used to riding this way, you’ll find that you can only sustain the muscle-supported posture for a few miles. When you tire, you’ll revert to a bone-supported posture, and problems will ensue. The answer to this is to start with rather short distances and only gradually work up to longer ones. It is true that anybody in normal health can ride a bicycle for 10 miles, but someone who is not accustomed to riding with good posture will find such a ride uncomfortable. It is better to start out with 2- or 3-mile rides and gradually increase the distance. Your ability to adopt a good posture on a given bicycle will depend on correct fitting/adjustment of the bicycle.

Occasionally, neck trouble is due to poor adjustment of a helmet, specifically, a helmet which is too far forward on the head. If the helmet is too low in front, the rider is forced to tilt the head upward to keep the helmet from blocking the view forward (poorly fitting eyeglasses that slip down your nose will also cause this problem). Sharp backward bends in the neck can cause severe problems, so make sure that your helmet is properly fitted for your riding style. Riders with a more aggressive riding position need to wear their helmets farther back than those who sit more upright.

Some Common Cycling Injuries

Wrist pain is often caused by poor upper body posture. It can also be caused by having the saddle angle too low in front: This tends to make you slide forward as you ride, and you wind up using your hands to push yourself back into position.

If the skin of your hands gets sore, cycling gloves can help a great deal. If you ride bare handed, sweat may make your hands slippery, and this can lead you to grip the bars too tightly.

Numbness of the fingers is a potentially dangerous symptom, often related to carpal tunnel syndrome. Like your bottom, the heel of your hand has two bumps, with a sort of valley between. There are important nerves that run through this valley, and it is important to avoid excessive pressure here.One common cause of excess pressure on this “valley” is riding on the top corners of drop bars in such a way that the bar presses here. If you use thick foam handlebar grips, and/or gloves with too much foam/gel padding, the “bumps” that are best able to carry weight will press through the foam, but the foam in the middle will press back at the valley. Thus, as with saddles, too much foam/gel can worsen the problem it was intended to correct!

Numbness of the hands can also be related to poor wrist positioning. Generally, the wrist should be held so that the hand is pretty much in line with the forearm. If your hand is bent upward from the forearm, the nerves can get pinched, causing numbness.

Cyclists who do longer rides in hot weather are at risk for painful chafing on the inner thighs. This is usually the result of an inappropriate saddle. A saddle that is too wide will chafe, and saddles with excessive foam/gel are also likely to cause this sort of problem. The best saddles for preventing chafing are traditional leather saddles. Wearing proper cycling shorts will help, but beware shorts with excessive padding, which can make it worse. Many cyclists find relief by generous application of cornstarch before longer rides.

Cycling, done properly, is much less stressful to the knees than many other aerobic activities, since there’s no impact involved. Nevertheless, knee injuries do occur, usually as a result of poor technique or position. A principal cause of knee problems is over-stress as the result of using too high a gear.

Another common cause of knee problems is incorrect saddle adjustment, particularly if the saddle is too low.

Some knee problems result from incorrect placement of shoe cleats. Everybody has a natural angle that each of their feet prefers to be at; when you walk or ride with plain pedals, your foot assumes this angle, and everything is fine. If you use cleated shoes and matching pedals, it is important that the cleat is adjusted so as to permit your foot to be at its natural angle. If your cleats are misadjusted, the resulting twist on your lower leg will affect the alignment of the knee joint, and cause serious problems. This is less of an issue if you ride pedals with “float” (limited rotational freedom) in the cleat attachment. Most of the newer clipless pedals offer at least some float.

Also, the longer your cranks are, the farther your knees will have to flex on each stroke. Different riders will have different amounts of flexibility in this regard, but riding with longer cranks than you are used to may definitely cause knee problems.

If you have pain in the Achilles tendons, it usually indicates a problem in pedaling technique. Achilles tendon problems often result from “ankling” (having your cleats set too far forward or otherwise pedaling with the toes) during the pedal stroke. This is occasionally related to having the saddle set too high, forcing the cyclist to point the toes excessively to reach the bottom of the pedal swing.

Ankle pain while cycling may also result from being flat-footed, in which case orthotic shoe inserts are a good remedy. Another possible cause of ankle pain is a bent pedal or crank, causing the foot to wobble back and forth as the pedals turn.

Foot discomfort is often the result of inappropriate footwear, specifically shoes with soft soles that concentrate the pedal pressure on isolated parts of the foot. It can also be related to riding in a gear that’s too high, which results in more pressure of the foot against the pedal.

Some cyclists are hypersensitive to having their feet overheat while riding. An excellent solution to this is to wear cycling sandals. Cycling sandals are a fairly new development, and most people’s initial reaction to them is “what a goofy idea.” In practice, however, they are very comfortable in warm weather. For longer rides with sandals, you should wear socks to protect against chafing.

Chiropractic Care Can Help…

If you follow these simple tips, you can enjoy safe, pain-free cycling. If you do experience pain and stress, Doctors of Chiropractic are trained and licensed to diagnose and treat problems of the spine and nervous system.

For more tips and/or information on preventing and treating cycling injuries, contact Dr. Stacey Rosenberg at Gibsons Chiropractic (604) 886-7080 or your local family chiropractor.

Filed under: back pain,Exercise,Neck Pain,Pain,Posture,Spine,Sports — Tags: , , , ,

May 28, 2010

To Your Health Newsletter 05-27-2010

By Dr. Stacey

Brought to You by Gibsons Chiropractic

Avoiding High-Risk Moments for Your Low Back

When it comes to your lower back and injury risk, there are two critical times when you need to be especially careful. One is first thing in the morning. Your back is actually swollen at that time. You are substantially taller, and the discs have extra fluid in them. A careless forward bend or twist first thing in the morning can do substantial damage to your discs or other back structures. It doesn’t seem fair that such a simple thing, bending and twisting, something you have done thousands of times before, can suddenly cause big problems.

The other critical time is after you have been sitting. Long car drives or airplane trips are especially challenging. In this case, the culprit is something called “creep.” This means that your ligaments and tendons lengthen into the position that you have been in. Think of sitting as a bent-forward position, as your legs are forward. The ligaments and tendons do not provide protection properly when they have been lengthened by creep. When you first get up from sitting, you are at risk. The longer you have been sitting, the higher the risk. If you sit more upright, with good lumbar support, you will have somewhat less risk.

Common Events That Can Cause Back Pain

Scenario #1: You didn’t sleep well last night, perhaps from sleeping in an unfamiliar bed after travel, after sitting too long. You get up, feel stiff, but ignore it. You sit down in a soft chair to enjoy your morning hot drink. You get up and get a sudden sharp stab in the back.
Scenario #2: You get up from sleeping, and sit at your laptop, and get entranced by a video or article. You end up sitting far longer than you planned. You get up, and can’t completely straighten up.
Scenario #3: You get up from sleeping, drink your morning coffee, which wakes up your gut, and you go to bathroom to empty your bowel. You are a bit constipated, and have to strain. When you get up from the toilet, your back spasms.
  Overnight sleeping, even a good sleep on your favorite bed, leaves your back somewhat swollen. Swollen may be an exaggeration, but the reality is that there is extra fluid in all of your joints.

Two Ways to Minimize Injury/Pain Risk

1. Don’t bend over immediately after sitting. Sitting, even in good posture, puts you at risk. The longer you sit and the worse the seat, the more at risk you are. Airlines are very risky; it’s hard to get up and move around because of the tight quarters, and the minute the plane stops, you bend over and get stuff from under the seat, or reach up, and twist and lift to get your bag from the overhead compartment. After a long sit, give yourself at least a few seconds of backward bending and/or moving around to reset your spine. Then you can carefully, using your hips rather than your back, bend over to pick up something.
2. When you sit, don’t slump. Slumping reinforces the risks, makes it more likely for something bad to happen to your discs or joints or muscles. So, sit up straight, and keep your back in neutral. Neutral means that you keep a bit of a lordosis in your lower back, keep the lumbar spine from slumping forward, stay more upright. This simple action can make a huge difference. Like any habit, this will require you to “Just Do It” for a few weeks.

Talk to your doctor about these and other high-risk moments for your lower back and what you can do to relieve low back pain or avoid the pain altogether.

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Exercises to Ensure You’re Swimsuit Ready

The dreaded swimsuit season is upon us. It’s time to see just how much our bodies have changed over the course of a long winter, which can be an eye-opening experience. The fitness industry knows how traumatic this can be for you; that’s why every year there are countless new books, diets, videos, and magazines dispensing advice on how to get in shape for summer. Unfortunately, most of these “great” ideas involve quick-fix starvation diets and equipment-intensive workouts that are often difficult to follow. Inevitably, the weight comes back (with a few extra pounds added) because these quick-fix programs lower your metabolic set point, making your body more prone to storing body fat. And that’s the last thing you want to do!

So, what’s the answer? Well, it’s really quite simple and boils down to one simple word: MOVEMENT! Here are some of the best exercises to ensure you’re swimsuit ready this summer – and every month thereafter. It’s a sample program that’s quick, easy and positively invigorating

3-5 minutes of brisk walking
30 seconds of bear walks, 20 seconds of push-ups (repeat)
30 seconds of spiderman walks, 20 seconds of squats (repeat)
30 seconds of crab walks, 20 seconds of crunches (repeat) 30 seconds of duck walks, 20 seconds of push-ups (repeat)
3-5 minutes of slow walking

Push-Ups: Perform a standard push-up. If too difficult to perform, put your knees on the ground or change your angle by leaning against a wall.

Abdominal Crunches: Lie on your back and raise your legs off the ground. Grasp hands behind the head to cradle the neck, but do not pull the neck. Curl up, bringing the knees toward the chest and contracting your stomach.

Squats: Stand shoulder-width apart with arms extended in front of the body. Bend your knees, going parallel to the ground like you are sitting in a chair. Hold position for one second and return to starting position, being careful not to lock out your knees.

“Animal Movements”: Each animal walk below works different muscles and helps with balance, circulation, cardiovascular health, flexibility, and body toning. Make sure you breathe normally during this and all animal walks.

Spiderman walks: These are great for the hips, legs, back and arms. Start in a crouch position with your feet and your hands on the ground. Bring your right hand forward. Lift up your right leg and bring it up to meet your right hand. Make sure you keep your buttocks down; don’t lift them up too much. Now bring your left hand forward. Lift up your left leg and bring it up to meet your right hand. Repeat sequence.

Crab walks. These will work your arms, back, and lower body. Begin by sitting on the ground. Put your arms on the ground behind you and lift up your hips. Walk forward on your hands and heels, trying to keep your hips as high as possible. Repeat.

Duck walks. These will work your lower body like you have never felt. Get into a squatting position with your hands at your sides. Step forward with your left foot, then with your right foot. Keep walking like this until you can’t go any farther. Breathe naturally.

Bear walks. Bear walks will work your arms, back, chest and lower body. These will also get you out of breath really quickly! Find a large area to do this exercise. Put all your weight on your hands and feet. Bring your right hand and left foot forward. Then your left hand and right foot. Keep going.

This is a fun, effective workout that will enhance your physique and get you swimsuit ready. With additional movement comes greater flexibility, a leaner physique and more muscle tone. Summer shape-up can finally be an enjoyable time for physical fitness. (Note: It is highly recommended that you get full medical clearance for intense physical activity from your doctor prior to beginning any exercise program.) Move smarter. Move better. Look better. Sounds like the perfect combination. See you at the beach.

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The ABCs of BPA – What You Should Know

Bisphenol A, otherwise known as BPA, is a chemical that has been linked to the development of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. For example, a recent study, results of which were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that higher urinary BPA concentrations were associated with elevated rates of both conditions.

That’s important to know because it’s been estimated that up to 90 percent of U.S. adults have some level of BPA in their body (as seen from urine samples), which makes sense (unfortunately) if you consider that BPA has been used since the 1960s in many hard plastic bottles and to line food and beverage containers.

According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, there are certain precautions that can be taken to protect adults, children and infants from the potential hazards of BPA, including the following:

Don’t microwave polycarbonate plastic food containers. Polycarbonate is strong and durable, but over time it may break down from overuse at high temperatures.
Polycarbonate containers that contain bisphenol A usually have a #7 on the bottom of the container.
Reduce your use of canned foods.
Whenever possible, opt for glass, porcelain or stainless-steel containers, particularly for hot food or liquids.
Always use baby bottles that are BPA free.

For more information about BPA, visit www.niehs.nih.gov/news/media and click on “Since You Asked – Bisphenol A” on the left-hand toolbar. Your doctor can also provide information on the dangers of BPA and suggest safer alternatives.

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Filed under: back pain,Chemicals,Exercise,Fitness,Pain — Tags: , , , , , ,
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