International Chiropractic Pediatric Association|
[Source www.toyourhealth.com]
Regardless of your occupation, the physical demands of your job – whether you’re sitting at a desk all day, lifting heavy objects or running from location to location – can take a serious toll on your body. That’s where chiropractic care can help. In this interview with Timothy Wegscheid, DC, find out why he became a chiropractor and how he provides chiropractic care and ergonomic assessments to employees at a unique place of business: the Minnesota Zoo. Describe how you became interested in providing chiropractic care at the workplace. After I graduated from Northwestern College of Chiropractic in 1996, my father telephoned my office for an appointment, as he had strained his lower spine. He had been a lifetime employee at 3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing), and I remembered visits to 3M’s headquarters a couple of times as a kid. I was amazed at how large their headquarters were. They had everything there: a medical facility, a pharmacy and even a place to get your shoes shined and your hair cut. So, in reply to my dad’s request, I responded with, “Why don’t you see your chiropractor at work?” He responded, “What chiropractor?” This led me to ask the most basic of questions: “Why don’t you have a chiropractor on-site?” I understand you are currently involved with an exciting project with the Minnesota Zoo. How did this opportunity arise? The Minnesota Zoo is owned by the State of Minnesota. It opened in 1978 and is located in my home town of Apple Valley. The zoo has around 170 full-time employees year-round. Toward the end of my occupational health diplomate program, I asked the head of safety and security for the zoo, if he would be open to having me provide on-site chiropractic care for the zoo’s employees. He immediately understood the potential benefits of doing so, and with his assistance, we were able to implement an on-site chiropractic program. Describe the major occupational health services you are providing at the zoo. The zoo’s employees are divided into two groups: the physical labor portion (zookeepers, grounds crew, maintenance, etc.) and the more sedentary portion (administrative, guest services, etc.). As it turns out, an approximately equal distribution of workers has chosen to see me. The zoo supplied me with an exam / treatment room, in which I provide chiropractic care, acupuncture and rehab for any neuromusculoskeletal symptoms the workers experience. So, does your chiropractor provide chiropractic care and ergonomic assessments at your place of business? If not, you may want to pass this article on to your employer and suggest they contact your chiropractor. It’s a win-win-win situation for employers, employees and your DC.
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January 6, 2012
March 5, 2011
Keys to Whole Body Health
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.
[Source: www.toyourhealth.com]
December 22, 2010
To Your Health Newsletter 12-22-2010
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.
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.
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.
[Source: www.toyourhealth.com]
October 9, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
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.
July 31, 2010
CALL FOR NEW SUMMER SAFETY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
Chiropractors say they can’t see any reason not to expect another busy summer holiday injury period, and are gearing up for a busy time of back, spinal and neck injuries over the next two months.
The Chiropractors say just as Governments around Canada spend millions of dollars on road safety messages, similar campaigns should be introduced to warn Canadians about general summer safety during traditionally the busiest time of the year for holidaymakers. Hundreds of Canadians may suffer serious neck, back and spinal injuries as a result of careless or negligent behaviour at the beaches, rivers, lagoons and national parks.
We need a general awareness campaign throughout Canada focused on general summer safety, especially in relation to beach activity, focussed not just on drowning.
“The harsh conditions of the surf can put a strain on the spinal cord, and can pose long-term health problems if not identified and cared for properly” the chiropractic spokesperson said.
“Parents often overlook the dangers their children face in the surf, just because they may not stray far from the waters edge. But the reality is the ‘dumping’ action of the waves at low tide is what often causes injuries, and while children readily play within two metres of the beach waterline, they are often in a dangerous region to be ‘dumped’ and injured.”
“The most important rule for water safety is always, always check the depth first before diving or jumping into the water, even if the water is clear,” the chiropractic spokesperson said.
Swimmers and surf goers should be mindful of surf conditions and of swimming in between the markers where the surf conditions tend to be less harsh, to help minimise risk in the surf.
“It is similarly just as important for beach goers to minimize risk outside the surf, and to listen to their bodies when they experience small aches and pains. We see a variety of injuries ranging from simple strains and sprains to more serious injuries. Some surf injuries may initially appear minor, but unless cared for they are more than likely to re-emerge.”
“The harsh conditions of the surf and summer water activities including water-skiing can put stress on the spine and neck, which can have long-term health implications. Just consider the pressure on your spine must withstand to swim against strong currents – not to mention the implications from a wipe-out! Spinal and neck problems can upset posture and balance, and unless cared for, your risk of re-injury increases.”
Chiropractic helps to care for these misalignments that may have been a result of surf or water activity, and through regular checks, beach goers can help reduce the likelihood of re-injury.
For more information on how to treat or prevent injuries, contact Dr. Stacey Rosenberg at Gibsons Chiropractic on 604-886-7080 or your family chiropractor.
[Original article source: http://chiropractors.asn.au/]
June 23, 2010
To Your Health Newsletter 06-22-2010
Brought to You by Gibsons Chiropractic
Your Body Is Sending a Message
These days, people are constantly “connected” to their hand-held devices, whether it is their cellular phones, portable video games like Nintendo DS, e-readers such as Amazon Kindle, or they are just using apps on an iPhone. A 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. As a result, this younger demographic will surely be developing a condition known as forward head posture (FHP).
As technology advances in the market of hand-held mobile devices, it’s important to understand that where the head goes, the body will follow. If you have forward head posture, then you will have rolled shoulders. With rolled shoulders, a concave chest can follow, and often a pelvic tuck, all of which can contribute to progressive pain and dysfunction over time.
Because the demographic of people ages 13-27 is one of the largest groups of texters, we can expect to see a large increase of medical and chiropractic conditions within the next decade. The amount of time spent in a forward head tilt while texting or gaming, surfing or browsing the Web has increased as hand-held mobile devices such as cell phones, video games, and MP3 players have become smaller, mobile and essentially a direct extension of the person.
Look around you and you will see people with FHP using hand-held mobile device at tables in restaurants, at red lights in their cars, walking through the mall, in line at the grocery store, and even sitting in doctors’ reception areas. We are a society that is “connected,” now more than ever before, and we are suffering the health consequences.
Of course, forward head posture is not a new condition. Chiropractors have been treating and educating patients on the dangers of FHP for years, and the health conditions that FHP or anterior head carriage contribute to are well-researched and documented.
With all this said, it’s important to understand the negative effects of a repetitive stress syndrome and appreciate how many hours you are using your hand-held mobile devices and how many hours your children are using these devices. Talk to your doctor about forward head posture, the dangers of text messaging and other behaviours that put your body in stressful positions, and how you can avoid the pain before it starts.
Big Benefits of Physical Activity
According to the CDC, adults need to engage in at least 2½ hours (150 minutes) each week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity to achieve substantial health benefits. Examples include brisk walking (3 miles per hour), bicycle riding (less than 10 miles per hour), ballroom dancing, or general gardening. Indeed, aerobic activities that keep you moving are integral to an anti-aging lifestyle. Let’s review some of the wide-ranging benefits of physical activity; then get up and get moving with some physical activity of your own!
| 1. | Help Your Heart. Richard V. Milani, from the Ochsner Clinic Foundation, and colleagues investigated how psychosocial stress influences the effects of exercise training. The team followed 522 cardiac patients, including 53 who had high stress levels and 27 control patients who had high stress levels but did not engage in cardiac rehabilitation. The study subjects were offered 12 weeks of exercise classes consisting of 10 minutes of warm-up, 30 to 40 minutes of aerobic exercise (walking, rowing, jogging, or similar), and then a 10-minute cooldown stretch. The researchers found that the subjects who became physically fitter during the study period (by exercising) were 60 percent less likely to die in the following six years. |
| 2. | Grow Brain Cells. David J. Creer, from the National Institute on Aging, and colleagues studied the underlying mechanisms dictating how exercise improves information processing. The researchers prompted adult mice to uses running wheels, finding that doing so increased their number of brain cells and enabled them to perform better at spatial learning tests compared to mice that did not exercise. The exercising mice were better able to tell the difference between the locations of two adjacent identical stimuli, an ability that the team found to be closely linked to an increase in new brain cell growth in the hippocampus portion of the brain. |
| 3. | Build Strong Bones. Wolfgang Kemmler, from Freidrich-Alexander University (Germany), and colleagues analyzed data on 246 older women who were enrolled in the Senior Fitness and Prevention (SEFIP) Study. The researchers found that women who exercised had higher bone density in their spine and hip, and also had a 66 percent reduced rate of falls. Fractures due to falls were twice as common in the controls versus the exercise group (12 vs. six incidents). The authors’ conclusion: “Compared with a general wellness program, our 18-month exercise program significantly improved [bone mineral density] and fall risk.” |
| 4. | Stress a Little Less. Matthew P. Herring, from the University of Georgia, and colleagues analyzed the results of 40 randomized clinical trials involving nearly 3,000 patients with a variety of chronic medical conditions, including heart disease, multiple sclerosis, cancer and chronic pain from arthritis. The researchers found that, on average, patients who exercised regularly reported a 20 percent reduction in anxiety symptoms compared to those who did not exercise. |
So take some advice from the experts, starting today: Get up and get moving! As the research presented in this article suggests, consistent physical activity has profound health and wellness benefits that you deserve to enjoy. Your doctor can help evaluate your current fitness/activity level and outline a fun, energizing, health-promoting exercise routine to keep you happy and healthy day after day, year after year.
The Science of Sustained Energy
Carbohydrates, fats, and protein are known as the energy-yielding nutrients. These are the dietary components your body can actually break down to create molecules of energy known as ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate). While many diet plans emphasize focusing on one macronutrient over the others, a healthy diet represents balanced intake from all three groups. Let’s take a quick look at each macronutrient and how it impacts energy levels.
Carbs: Carbohydrates are often seen as your body’s preferred source of energy because they can most easily be broken down to create ATP. In fact, for several of your body’s tissues, including your brain, carbohydrates are actually the main source of fuel.
Simple carbohydrates, such as white bread, cookies, and anything made with refined flour, provide the body with a rapid rush of energy as they are quickly metabolized for fuel. Unfortunately, this energy rush is often followed by a fall in blood sugar, felt by the individual as an energy crash (and of course, hunger). On the other hand, a diet high in complex carbohydrates – whole grains, fruits, and vegetables – can offer unlimited health benefits. These carbohydrate sources contain dietary fibre, which provides a slower release of energy and contributes to feelings of fullness and satiety.
Fats: Just like carbohydrates, fat has received some negative publicity when it comes to a healthy diet. However, fat is actually the most energy-sustaining nutrient since it provides 9 kilocalories (kcals) per gram (protein and carbohydrates only provide 4 each). Fat is also digested more slowly and when consumed correctly, can help provide a steady, slow release of energy and contribute to feelings of fullness.
Much like carbohydrates, when incorporating fat into your diet it is important to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy fat sources. While saturated and hydrogenated fats can negatively affect health, omega-3 fatty acids, which can be found in nuts, seeds, and cold-water fish, can contribute to neurological and cardiovascular health.
Protein: Unlike fats and carbohydrates, protein is often touted as the healthiest of the macronutrients. It is true that protein, in addition to providing a source for energy production, is also required for the makeup of skeletal muscle and enzymes. Consuming meals high in protein can support lean body mass as well as contribute to satiety and blood sugar control. Food sources high in protein include meats and poultry, legumes, nuts, and quinoa.
While no one food choice is the best for supporting energy levels, a balanced combination of macronutrients which provide a high dose of micronutrients, including B vitamins and other supportive nutrients, will give your body the nourishment it needs. That’s the science of sustained energy. Talk to your doctor to learn more.
Visit the To Your Health magazine website
June 1, 2010
June is Bike Safety Month
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.
March 29, 2010
Chiropractic Whiteboard Thought of the Week 03-29-2010
Chiropractic care is more than neck and back pain. Adjustments release VITAL nerve energy in your body, the effects of which last for days and weeks.
March 18, 2010
To Your Health Newsletter 03-17-2010
Brought to you by Gibsons Chiropractic
In general, there is no one cause of neck pain that applies to every patient. If you have chronic neck pain, you may have received a diagnosis of disc herniation, whiplash, strain, sprain or something else. Regardless, most of these conditions have one thing in common: Certain muscles are affected, and these are the muscles we need to target before progressing to more challenging exercises or activities.
There are certain muscles in the neck that are designed to help us maintain our normal and healthy curve of the spine. In addition, these muscles are designed to hold our head up all day. The technical names of these muscles are the longus capitus and longus colli, more commonly known as the deep neck flexors. They are the muscles that attach to the front of your spine. Because they’re located deep in the front of the neck, we often ignore them.
In people with chronic neck pain, these muscles are often fatigued a lot quicker than in people without neck pain. That means other muscles pick up the slack and begin working harder. The muscles that begin working harder are the ones we generally end up stretching. Have you ever noticed that when you stretch stiff muscles, they feel good for a short period of time, only to get tight again? The thing is, if you don’t address the other muscles, the ones that get fatigued and gradually stop working, then your stretching program will not work as well. All these muscles need to be in “balance.”
The best way to see if your deep neck flexors fatigue is to try and lift your head off the ground when you are lying down. The technique is simple: Simply tuck your chin in to your chest and lift your head off the ground, and then attempt to hold it there for 10 seconds. If the neck begins shaking, or your chin is unable to stay tucked in, your deep flexors are fatigued and need to be addressed. For most people with chronic neck pain, this can be a difficult exercise. That’s why you can begin your exercise program by doing simple chin tucks while sitting or standing.
Simply tucking your chin in and holding it until you fatigue will help reactivate these muscles. You can start with 12 repetitions of this exercise, working your way up to three sets of 12 repetitions each. Ensure you take adequate rest (several minutes) in between each set.
Once you get comfortable with basic sitting/standing chin tucks, you can try doing the exercise lying down. The goal is to be able to do it 12 times, holding each one until you fatigue. The next goal is to work your way up to three sets of 12 repetitions, with rest in between each set. Then work your way to three sets of 15 repetitions and then three sets of 20 repetitions. Remember, this is a marathon, not a race. The goal is to increase the endurance of your muscles rather than their strength. Your neck is designed to carry the weight of your head all day, not to lift trains or buses! That’s why building up endurance should be your first priority.
Neck pain is an all-too-common condition that can prove debilitating if left untreated; fortunately, your chiropractor is the perfect health care professional to help you get rid of the pain.
The word protein is of Greek origin, from the word proteios, which means “of prime importance,” and when it comes to the human diet, protein’s importance cannot be understated. Examples of proteins in our bodies that make life possible are hormones, enzymes, muscles, tendons, cartilage and other types of structural tissues and transport molecules. Proteins are constructed as long chains of amino acids, of which there are eight that must be provided by the food we eat. They are called “essential” because our bodies cannot make them. If our food lacks enough of even one of these eight essential amino acids, then the body will have a harder time making new proteins.
Why does the body need new proteins? Because our body’s protein tissues wear out on a regular basis and must be repaired and replaced. This replacement process is accomplished by eating foods that contain protein. After eating protein, the digestive system breaks it down into a brand new supply of amino acids that become the building blocks that are used in repairing and replacing those that are worn out.
Most animal-based foods can be used very efficiently by our body because they have the right amounts of each essential amino acid, and therefore are often referred to as “high quality.” Among animal foods, the proteins of milk and eggs represent the best amino-acid matches for our body and thus are considered the highest quality. Plant proteins are often referred to as “lower quality” because some individual vegetables may have a low level of one or more of the essential amino acids (although as a group plant-based proteins do contain all eight essential amino acids).
It would be great if the highest quality protein equaled the greatest health, but it doesn’t, and that’s why the term quality is misleading. In fact, compelling research shows that “low-quality” plant-based protein, which allows for slow but steady repair of new body tissues, is the healthiest type of protein. Chronic inflammatory conditions exist in millions of Americans who eat too much dietary animal protein. Just consider the number of allergy-related symptoms attributed to consumption of milk-based protein (milk, cheese, etc.) and the cholesterol- and fat-related conditions caused by consumption of eggs and red meat.
When it comes to protein, don’t fool yourself, “fuel” yourself. Build a protein-based breakfast into your morning breakfast routine and make sure you get protein throughout the day. Remember, don’t overload on animal-based protein; small amounts of lean meat like chicken, turkey or fish are OK (4 ounces a day at most), but make sure plant proteins form the staple of your diet. You’ll look better, feel better and improve your quality of life, all at the same time. Talk to your doctor for more information.
Do you know what’s in your child’s backpack, how much it weighs, or how that weight is affecting their neck, shoulders, back and spine? You need to know, because studies suggest far too many children are carrying far too heavy loads to and from school, and with serious consequences.
For example, a 2003 study in Spine found a significant relationship between the incidence of lower back pain among schoolchildren (ages 12-18) and both the weight of their backpacks and the amount of time the backpacks were used. Some backpacks were inordinately heavy; 18.9 percent of the students surveyed carried backpacks that weighed more than 20 percent of the student’s body weight when full.
In another study, published in the same journal a year earlier, four of five children said their backpacks were heavy, and two-thirds said they felt fatigue when carrying theirs. The study also showed that lifetime prevalence of low back pain was related to the amount of time children carried backpacks on their shoulders.
Not very good news, is it? So, what can you do as a parent to help your children in this regard? Here are a few simple suggestions courtesy of National University of Health Sciences in Lombard, Ill.:
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Make sure your child’s backpack weighs no more than 10 percent of their body weight. |
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Also ensure that it doesn’t hang more than 4 inches below their waistline. |
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Urge your child to wear both shoulder straps. The straps should be adjustable so the backpack can be easily fitted to your child’s body. |
Improper backpack use is an important but often-overlooked cause of back pain. Your chiropractor can evaluate your child’s backpack and provide additional suggestions on how to ensure your child goes to and from school every day without putting their spine at risk of injury.