Sometimes your weight can be a factor in lower back pain. If the weight is around the middle of your body and it's directly placing stress on the joints of your spine, it's a factor causing the back pain.
If you don't match an ideal weight for your height but your weight is evenly distributed throughout the body, it's not contributing to your back problem.
Lastly, it really depends upon the back problem itself. If you fell down a flight of stairs and sprained your back, it doesn't matter what your weight is.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
"I don't want to get buff from weights"
You won’t. Many women have fears of getting “buff and gross”, as one patient put it.
If you are female, you should lift weights and the weights should become progressively heavier.
Regardless, here are the reasons lifting won’t cause you to get buff:
1. Genetics. People that get big have the genetics to get big. There are ectomorphs, mesomorphs and endomorphs. Google them and you’ll soon learn that you can’t make an ectomorph into a mesomorph. Trust me, I’ve tried for years.
2. You must lift weights for many years, even decades, and lift more than twice your body weight in the three big lifts: bench press, squat and deadlift, and do NO CARDIO. If you’re lifting dumbbells or pulling cables, you are most certainly not going to get large.
3. You must eat 2 grams of protein for each pound of body weight per day. To get huge, if you are a scrawny 140 pounds, you must eat 280 grams of protein per day. If you are not doing that then you will simply not grow large bulging muscles.
4. Those people that achieve the really “gross” appearance have taken steroids. Since you are not going to do that, you will not achieve that grotesque look.
5. You must use spray tanning techniques to highlight all the little lines that define muscle.
6. Those “gross” people in magazines are in their contest shape. They aren’t like that all the time. Those pictures show them just 30 minutes away from passing out due to dehydration (dehydrated muscles look better on a stage). They’ve dieted down to the leanest that they can become.
7. Photoshop. All those good looking models in the magazines were half created by a computer technician that can narrow the hips, make lips fuller, etc. What you see in a magazine is a half-truth.
So you can see that lifting weights will not cause you to get big. It takes a lot of work both in and out of a gym to achieve that, as well as good genetics and other techniques.
You need to be strong enough to carry your child, lift a bag of dog food, work in the back yard, walk up the flight of stairs to my office, etc. If you can’t, you need to lift weights to build up to at least that. You will want to lift progressively heavier weights and you should have no fear of getting too buff.
If you are female, you should lift weights and the weights should become progressively heavier.
Regardless, here are the reasons lifting won’t cause you to get buff:
1. Genetics. People that get big have the genetics to get big. There are ectomorphs, mesomorphs and endomorphs. Google them and you’ll soon learn that you can’t make an ectomorph into a mesomorph. Trust me, I’ve tried for years.
2. You must lift weights for many years, even decades, and lift more than twice your body weight in the three big lifts: bench press, squat and deadlift, and do NO CARDIO. If you’re lifting dumbbells or pulling cables, you are most certainly not going to get large.
3. You must eat 2 grams of protein for each pound of body weight per day. To get huge, if you are a scrawny 140 pounds, you must eat 280 grams of protein per day. If you are not doing that then you will simply not grow large bulging muscles.
4. Those people that achieve the really “gross” appearance have taken steroids. Since you are not going to do that, you will not achieve that grotesque look.
5. You must use spray tanning techniques to highlight all the little lines that define muscle.
6. Those “gross” people in magazines are in their contest shape. They aren’t like that all the time. Those pictures show them just 30 minutes away from passing out due to dehydration (dehydrated muscles look better on a stage). They’ve dieted down to the leanest that they can become.
7. Photoshop. All those good looking models in the magazines were half created by a computer technician that can narrow the hips, make lips fuller, etc. What you see in a magazine is a half-truth.
So you can see that lifting weights will not cause you to get big. It takes a lot of work both in and out of a gym to achieve that, as well as good genetics and other techniques.
You need to be strong enough to carry your child, lift a bag of dog food, work in the back yard, walk up the flight of stairs to my office, etc. If you can’t, you need to lift weights to build up to at least that. You will want to lift progressively heavier weights and you should have no fear of getting too buff.
Monday, May 24, 2010
What's wrong with me?
Pain will limit a patient’s memory and ability to understand. It happens when a patient is in pain and asks me “what’s wrong with me?” I’ll answer and 1 ½ minutes later, they’ll say, “I wish I knew what was wrong with me.” I’ll answer again and sure enough, they’ll leave the office wondering what’s wrong with them.
Pain can blur things. If you don’t know what’s wrong with your body, ask me. I’ll be happy to answer more than once. I understand it’s hard to remember.
The more you know about your own condition, the more you’ll understand why I recommend ice versus heat or stretching versus exercise. Make sure you know why you are coming in to see me.
Pain can blur things. If you don’t know what’s wrong with your body, ask me. I’ll be happy to answer more than once. I understand it’s hard to remember.
The more you know about your own condition, the more you’ll understand why I recommend ice versus heat or stretching versus exercise. Make sure you know why you are coming in to see me.
Be a Friend, Help a Friend!
We know times have been tough, and many people have lost their health insurance. But that shouldn’t prevent people from seeking the medical attention they need and deserve.
For your friends and loved ones who don’t have insurance we have “Friends Helping Friends”. As a courtesy to You, our patient, the person you refer to our office will receive a special new patient benefit.
The first visit includes:
-Consultation
-Orthopedic and Neurological Examination
-Spinal Functional Examination
-Deep Tissue and Trigger Point Examination
-Any recommendations and/or treatment performed that day
With Friends Helping Friends, the first visit is $50 (normally $100) and just $40 after that!
Remember, we are a sports-injury oriented office that specializes in unique and cutting edge methods such as Graston, Gonstead, cold laser, and Non-force Adjusting. These methods are helpful for injuries common to runners, swimmers, golfers, cyclists, and other athletes.
Our office gives patients the advantage of quicker recovery and long lasting results without the ‘crack’ and ‘pop’ of traditional chiropractic.
The techniques we utilize are evidence based and effective in treating such problems as headaches, rotator cuff syndrome, knee pain, degenerative arthritis, and herniated discs.
If you have a friend or family member experiencing pain, refer them to our office. Be a Friend, Help a Friend! They’ll love you (even more) for it.
For your friends and loved ones who don’t have insurance we have “Friends Helping Friends”. As a courtesy to You, our patient, the person you refer to our office will receive a special new patient benefit.
The first visit includes:
-Consultation
-Orthopedic and Neurological Examination
-Spinal Functional Examination
-Deep Tissue and Trigger Point Examination
-Any recommendations and/or treatment performed that day
With Friends Helping Friends, the first visit is $50 (normally $100) and just $40 after that!
Remember, we are a sports-injury oriented office that specializes in unique and cutting edge methods such as Graston, Gonstead, cold laser, and Non-force Adjusting. These methods are helpful for injuries common to runners, swimmers, golfers, cyclists, and other athletes.
Our office gives patients the advantage of quicker recovery and long lasting results without the ‘crack’ and ‘pop’ of traditional chiropractic.
The techniques we utilize are evidence based and effective in treating such problems as headaches, rotator cuff syndrome, knee pain, degenerative arthritis, and herniated discs.
If you have a friend or family member experiencing pain, refer them to our office. Be a Friend, Help a Friend! They’ll love you (even more) for it.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
10 tips for knee pain
1) Get some knee sleeves.
Buy some knee sleeves and wear them every time you workout. Warm knees hurt less.
2) Warm up.
Warming up reduces the viscosity of synovial fluid (the stuff that fills your joint space), providing better lubrication and healthier joints in general.
3) Improve ankle and hip flexibility.
Knee pain that is non-traumatic are typically due to dysfunctions such as hip and ankle flexibility.
4) Work out the butt.
Squats and Lunges work very good for this as long as you are doing it correctly. Ask me and I'll show you.
5) Do the following daily:
• Foam rolling of the quadriceps, IT band, and calfs.
• Trigger point therapy to the same muscles including the inside knee muscle.
6) Stop exercises that increase the pain.
This is sommon sense but lots of people don't follow it. Get it evaluated so that you know what you're dealing with.
7) Get your body in proper alignment.
See a DC. Enough said.
8) Learn how to lift weights properly.
We see a lot of patients FROM the gym. If you don't know how to do a machine, find out first. That's what they are there for right?
9) Eat an anti-inflammatory diet.
Take fish oil, GS/CS that's in the joint formula, and stop eating white pasty things. Eat chicken, turkey, eggs, meat and vegetables. Eat fruit for snacks. It really isn't more complicated than that.
10) Stretch your thighs and calves.
Too many people emphasize the hamstrings. Try stretching the thighs and calves and see what it does for your knees. It may just improve them.
Buy some knee sleeves and wear them every time you workout. Warm knees hurt less.
2) Warm up.
Warming up reduces the viscosity of synovial fluid (the stuff that fills your joint space), providing better lubrication and healthier joints in general.
3) Improve ankle and hip flexibility.
Knee pain that is non-traumatic are typically due to dysfunctions such as hip and ankle flexibility.
4) Work out the butt.
Squats and Lunges work very good for this as long as you are doing it correctly. Ask me and I'll show you.
5) Do the following daily:
• Foam rolling of the quadriceps, IT band, and calfs.
• Trigger point therapy to the same muscles including the inside knee muscle.
6) Stop exercises that increase the pain.
This is sommon sense but lots of people don't follow it. Get it evaluated so that you know what you're dealing with.
7) Get your body in proper alignment.
See a DC. Enough said.
8) Learn how to lift weights properly.
We see a lot of patients FROM the gym. If you don't know how to do a machine, find out first. That's what they are there for right?
9) Eat an anti-inflammatory diet.
Take fish oil, GS/CS that's in the joint formula, and stop eating white pasty things. Eat chicken, turkey, eggs, meat and vegetables. Eat fruit for snacks. It really isn't more complicated than that.
10) Stretch your thighs and calves.
Too many people emphasize the hamstrings. Try stretching the thighs and calves and see what it does for your knees. It may just improve them.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Stress and Our Bodies
Stress and Our Bodies
In a life and death situation our body reacts similarly to how we react to any stress. We have a hormonal, adrenalin and muscular experience. We are simply “hard-wired” to react this way.
How does it work?
During stress, certain bodily functions shut down: digestion stops, sexual function stops, adrenalin in released from glands, and even our immune system is temporarily turned off. Our heart pumps two-to-three times its normal speed, our eyes dilate, and the blood vessels under the surface of our skin close down, so we can sustain a surface wound and not bleed to death (this makes our skin turn pale). At the same time, our blood pressure rises, so life-giving fluid reaches our muscles faster, sweating increases to cool our muscles and help them stay efficient and all of this happens when our minds and bodies are stressed. This is a fight-or-flight phenomenon as well as what happens during chronic stress.
The structural panic pattern
Chiropractic has a unique approach to dealing with stress. The fight or flight response was originally discovered and researched by the great Harvard physiologist Walter Cannon in the 1920’s. Cannon and his associates, being physiologists, studied the body’s reactions to danger by limiting their observations to a person’s chemical, vascular and internal organ changes.
Chiropractors using Koren Specific Technique (KST) have discovered that structural changes in the body are also involved in the fight or flight response. We refer to this as the panic pattern.
What is the panic pattern?
The panic pattern is the structural component of chronic stress. It consists of the following:
1. The coccyx (tailbone) moves forward. When the coccyx moves forward, our nerves within the spine tighten. Watch your dog when they tuck their tails between their legs as they run in fear. This happens to us too.
2. The sternum moves up. This protects our heart and lungs.
3. The zyphoid process moves forward. This often makes breathing harder.
4. The larynx moves up. This makes it harder to speak and makes our throats feel tight.
5. The pubic bones moves up.
Which comes first—the stress or the posture?
It doesn’t matter. We strive to fix both, but in the chiropractic office it’s easier to fix the posture. Some research has shown that postures may not just reflect internal states but rather produce them.
Researchers discovered that tasks performed in “defeated” or “helpless” postures create a sense of defeat in patients. When people perform the tasks in good posture, the sense of defeat takes far longer to manifest. It’s like smiling or frowning, irrespective of our emotional state, we create a chemical physiology of happiness or sadness.
Finding and correcting the panic pattern
Using KST protocols, we can quickly and easily analyze and correct or adjust the posture making it ideal for correcting the panic pattern. The patient is usually adjusted in standing or sitting posture. I use the ArthroStim™, setting it at 12 taps per second. The areas that are adjusted are usually the coccyx, sternum, ziphoid, larynx, and pelvis. Patients often feel an immediate sense of relief within 24 hours and the stress reduces their physical pains tremendously.
In a life and death situation our body reacts similarly to how we react to any stress. We have a hormonal, adrenalin and muscular experience. We are simply “hard-wired” to react this way.
How does it work?
During stress, certain bodily functions shut down: digestion stops, sexual function stops, adrenalin in released from glands, and even our immune system is temporarily turned off. Our heart pumps two-to-three times its normal speed, our eyes dilate, and the blood vessels under the surface of our skin close down, so we can sustain a surface wound and not bleed to death (this makes our skin turn pale). At the same time, our blood pressure rises, so life-giving fluid reaches our muscles faster, sweating increases to cool our muscles and help them stay efficient and all of this happens when our minds and bodies are stressed. This is a fight-or-flight phenomenon as well as what happens during chronic stress.
The structural panic pattern
Chiropractic has a unique approach to dealing with stress. The fight or flight response was originally discovered and researched by the great Harvard physiologist Walter Cannon in the 1920’s. Cannon and his associates, being physiologists, studied the body’s reactions to danger by limiting their observations to a person’s chemical, vascular and internal organ changes.
Chiropractors using Koren Specific Technique (KST) have discovered that structural changes in the body are also involved in the fight or flight response. We refer to this as the panic pattern.
What is the panic pattern?
The panic pattern is the structural component of chronic stress. It consists of the following:
1. The coccyx (tailbone) moves forward. When the coccyx moves forward, our nerves within the spine tighten. Watch your dog when they tuck their tails between their legs as they run in fear. This happens to us too.
2. The sternum moves up. This protects our heart and lungs.
3. The zyphoid process moves forward. This often makes breathing harder.
4. The larynx moves up. This makes it harder to speak and makes our throats feel tight.
5. The pubic bones moves up.
Which comes first—the stress or the posture?
It doesn’t matter. We strive to fix both, but in the chiropractic office it’s easier to fix the posture. Some research has shown that postures may not just reflect internal states but rather produce them.
Researchers discovered that tasks performed in “defeated” or “helpless” postures create a sense of defeat in patients. When people perform the tasks in good posture, the sense of defeat takes far longer to manifest. It’s like smiling or frowning, irrespective of our emotional state, we create a chemical physiology of happiness or sadness.
Finding and correcting the panic pattern
Using KST protocols, we can quickly and easily analyze and correct or adjust the posture making it ideal for correcting the panic pattern. The patient is usually adjusted in standing or sitting posture. I use the ArthroStim™, setting it at 12 taps per second. The areas that are adjusted are usually the coccyx, sternum, ziphoid, larynx, and pelvis. Patients often feel an immediate sense of relief within 24 hours and the stress reduces their physical pains tremendously.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Here's information on stretching
http://www.clickondetroit.com/health/23158050/detail.html
This is a good link for those of you that need to stretch.
This is a good link for those of you that need to stretch.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
How can I change the hump in my back?
What you can do to help the adjustments change your posture are the following:
Nutrition: Make sure that the hump doesn’t get worse from microfractures of the vertebrae. Everyone knows to take calcium, but the overlooked nutrients in bone health are protein and vitamin C. Don’t be one of those people that take calcium supplements but are deficient in protein and vitamin C. Protein and vitamin C are the building blocks of the matrix of bone that calcium attaches itself to.
Foam roll daily: Get a foam roll and use it daily. Roll the lower area of the middle back. This should take no longer than 3-5 minutes.
Stretch the front of the shoulders: Go in a doorway and put your elbows on the door frame and stretch the front of the shoulders/chest muscles for 30 seconds three times per day.
Strengthen the back muscles: If you have access to a rowing/weightlifting machine, use it a lot. Most people workout the “beach muscles” and neglect the back. Rowing/pulls, pull ups, spinal extensions will all help the adjustments work better and avoid the ugly hump in the back.
Nutrition: Make sure that the hump doesn’t get worse from microfractures of the vertebrae. Everyone knows to take calcium, but the overlooked nutrients in bone health are protein and vitamin C. Don’t be one of those people that take calcium supplements but are deficient in protein and vitamin C. Protein and vitamin C are the building blocks of the matrix of bone that calcium attaches itself to.
Foam roll daily: Get a foam roll and use it daily. Roll the lower area of the middle back. This should take no longer than 3-5 minutes.
Stretch the front of the shoulders: Go in a doorway and put your elbows on the door frame and stretch the front of the shoulders/chest muscles for 30 seconds three times per day.
Strengthen the back muscles: If you have access to a rowing/weightlifting machine, use it a lot. Most people workout the “beach muscles” and neglect the back. Rowing/pulls, pull ups, spinal extensions will all help the adjustments work better and avoid the ugly hump in the back.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Bananas
It seems the banana in 2010 is the egg of 1970.
In the last two weeks, I’ve commented to patients regarding snacks to simply eat a banana and you wouldn’t believe the concern and fear. You would’ve thought I asked them to eat an egg in 1970.
I have come to the realization that people believe bananas are bad for you. Frankly I’m surprised because isn't “eat your fruits and vegetables” a mantra that we’re all supposed to follow? One patient told me that their medical doctor told them not to eat bananas because of their high sugar content. Another person told me about bananas and the lack of fiber. Still another person told me that they refuse to eat bananas because of the glycemic index chart. This all seems very strange to me. People are spending way too much time investigating this issue.
This reminds me of a time when the egg was evil. You couldn’t get people to eat an egg even if you paid them. They thought that an immediate heart attack was about to happen if they consumed it. Years later the yolk was to blame, so everyone was eating egg whites. Currently we know that the yolk has lecithin which is actually supposed to LOWER your cholesterol. Jeez, you just can’t win.
Now the banana is the bad guy.
My argument is that in time we will find another food to blame and bananas will be popular again. For those of you on the fence, I’m not asking you to eat 90 bananas a day. I mean, it’s just a banana. How many can you eat in a day anyway? It’s just a piece of fruit.
In the last two weeks, I’ve commented to patients regarding snacks to simply eat a banana and you wouldn’t believe the concern and fear. You would’ve thought I asked them to eat an egg in 1970.
I have come to the realization that people believe bananas are bad for you. Frankly I’m surprised because isn't “eat your fruits and vegetables” a mantra that we’re all supposed to follow? One patient told me that their medical doctor told them not to eat bananas because of their high sugar content. Another person told me about bananas and the lack of fiber. Still another person told me that they refuse to eat bananas because of the glycemic index chart. This all seems very strange to me. People are spending way too much time investigating this issue.
This reminds me of a time when the egg was evil. You couldn’t get people to eat an egg even if you paid them. They thought that an immediate heart attack was about to happen if they consumed it. Years later the yolk was to blame, so everyone was eating egg whites. Currently we know that the yolk has lecithin which is actually supposed to LOWER your cholesterol. Jeez, you just can’t win.
Now the banana is the bad guy.
My argument is that in time we will find another food to blame and bananas will be popular again. For those of you on the fence, I’m not asking you to eat 90 bananas a day. I mean, it’s just a banana. How many can you eat in a day anyway? It’s just a piece of fruit.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Ankle Pain
If you have ankle pain that just does not go away, it may be because your ankle has lost the ability to pull upwards enough. Your ankle should have enough range of motion to point your toes upwards by 20 degrees. If you can't walk on your heals for example and maintain at least 2 inches between the ball of your foot and the ground, you may have this problem.
This can be easily fixed with adjustments and stretching. The adjustment creates a gap between the ankle (the talus bone) and the shin (the tibia bone). Almost instantly the normal range of motion is restored.
Stretching the calf in the back of the lower leg and the soleus muscle (that's in front of the achilles tendon) often allows the ankle to maintain the range of motion.
Problem solved.
Lack of motion in the ankle can lead to chronic pain in the ankle and often knee pain.
It seems last week I had a number of patients with this problem and each and every one of them responded beautifully to this technique.
This can be easily fixed with adjustments and stretching. The adjustment creates a gap between the ankle (the talus bone) and the shin (the tibia bone). Almost instantly the normal range of motion is restored.
Stretching the calf in the back of the lower leg and the soleus muscle (that's in front of the achilles tendon) often allows the ankle to maintain the range of motion.
Problem solved.
Lack of motion in the ankle can lead to chronic pain in the ankle and often knee pain.
It seems last week I had a number of patients with this problem and each and every one of them responded beautifully to this technique.
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