Repetitive stress injuries are typically very difficult to treat successfully. These injuries are the result of actions done repeatedly, frequently, and consistently over time. They've taken a long time to build up and, therefore, the healing process also requires a fair amount of time. Shin splints, iliotibial band syndrome, and rotator cuff syndrome are examples of common repetitive stress injuries. These problems are also known as overuse injuries. Tennis elbow is another common injury that is likely caused by repetitive stress.
Tennis elbow usually involves pain on the outer bony surface of the elbow joint (the lateral epicondyle). A variant involves pain on the inner surface of the elbow (the medial epicondyle). Regardless, tennis elbow pain interferes with many activities, not only those involving tennis and golf. Even the simple act of firmly twisting the lid on a difficult-to-open jar can cause significant pain. Driving for more than 30 minutes and prolonged keyboard activity are other examples of activities that may become quite troublesome when one is hampered by tennis elbow. Treatment usually involves rest, anti-inflammatory medications, and even injections of steroid compounds.1,2 But such treatments tend not to provide more than short-term relief. Ultimately tennis elbow may be frustrating and disheartening, as there doesn't appear to be an effective solution.
More useful treatment for repetitive stress injuries involves directly addressing the source of the problem. In the case of tennis elbow, mechanical issues in the forearm itself need to be corrected. For those whose painful elbows are in fact caused primarily by tennis or golf, focusing on sound technique will often help to provide significant relief. For example, in both sports, if lines of force generated by the arm muscles and lines of force generated by the forearm muscles cross at the elbow, significant pain is likely to develop over time. Learning how to generate parallel lines of force will help solve the problem, and such a solution may require the services of a coach.
For the rest of us, there are additional specific solutions. First, trigger points in the major forearm muscle bundles need to be treated.3 Trigger points in themselves may be very painful, and a trigger point also causes chronic fatigue in the muscle of which it is a part. When you try to use such a pre-fatigued muscle, damage to the muscle fibers and the tendon may result. Over time the involved region, such as the elbow, becomes chronically painful. Manual trigger point treatment relaxes chronic spasm and helps restore normal muscle tone. Increased blood flows to the muscle belly, and the involved muscle fibers have an opportunity to regain their normal length and to heal. The second specific solution is to use a narrow (1.5-inch thick), nonelastic elbow brace placed approximately 1 inch below the elbow. The brace will shorten the contractile length of the major forearm muscles, allowing them to achieve relative rest. The combination of trigger point therapy and appropriate use of a specific elbow brace will help to achieve long-term resolution of painful, difficult-to-treat tennis elbows.
1Childress MA, Buelter A: Management of chronic tendon injuries. Am Fam Physician 87(7):486-490, 2013
2Coombes BK, et al: Efficacy and safety of corticosteroid injections and other injections for management of tendinopathy: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Lancet 376(9754):1751-1767, 2010
3Ajimsha MS, et al: Effectiveness of myofascial release in the management of lateral epicondylitis in computer professionals. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 93(4):604-609, 2012
The holidays are here - Chanukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. Lots of family get-togethers, lots of fellowship and fun, and usually lots of food.
Family dinners, parties, family breakfasts, more parties. Is there any way to avoid gaining five or ten unwanted pounds during the extended holiday season? Thanksgiving through early January can be a pretty long time. In order to maintain that healthy weight range you've worked hard to achieve, it's important to keep following the good habits that got you there.
We want to have fun and enjoy ourselves during the holidays. We want to participate in all the activities and share the abundance of good food with family and friends. This really is a Zen question. How to let go without letting go? The solutions are available by having built a solid foundation. Food plans that work are based on a few simple and solid principles -
Such a food plan is realistic and doable. There's no crazy dieting involved, no highs or lows. You are eating healthy food with no restrictions, choosing from all basic food groups. You eat anything you want, being sure to follow guidelines on portion sizes. The results are weight loss that stays lost. Because you're exercising regularly, your body sheds fat pounds and adds a few pounds of lean muscle mass. Your metabolism becomes optimized to burn fat, even when you're resting. If you've been following such a food plan your metabolism is already doing what it's designed to do. During the holidays you'll continue to burn fat for energy, provided you don't overload your system with too many extra calories.
Try to schedule your free day - when you can eat anything you want, as much as you want, and whenever you want - to coincide with a big holiday get-together. When you're at a party and it's your free food day, you can indulge as much as you like. It's a part of your regular food plan. That's a pretty good bonus! Also, alcohol consumption often goes up during the holiday season. Punch, egg nog, all sorts of "holiday cheer". These beverages are super-high in calories. 3 Again, your free day is a good day to indulge yourself. On other days, maybe not so much.
After the last guest has gone home and the last dish is put back in the cupboard, if we've gained a few pounds during the course of the holidays it's not so bad. What we wanted to avoid was gaining a bunch of weight. Now, we can return to our regular food plan - six days on and one day off - and those extra few pounds will be gone in four to six weeks.
We had fun, we spent quality time with a lot of family and friends, and at the same time we took care of our health and well-being. That helps make the holidays especially joyous!
1 Hageman R, et al: A specific blend of intact protein rich in aspartate has strong postprandial glucose attenuating properties. J Nutr 138(9):1634-1640, 2008
2 Claessens M, et al: Glucagon and insulin responses after ingestion of different amounts of intact and hydrolysed proteins. Br J Nutr 100(1):61-69, 2008
3 Suter PM: Is alcohol consumption a risk factor for weight gain and obesity? Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci 42(3)197-227, 2005
So far 2009 has been a rollercoaster ride - many great new developments. And yet the worldwide economic turmoil has been very, very rough on most people. Stress levels have been sky high, and stress saps a person's energy. Even the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is concerned. In March 2009 the DHHS posted "Getting Through Tough Economic Times" to its website1, highlighting possible health risks and strategies for managing stress.
Excess stress causes the adrenal glands to pump out adrenaline on an ongoing basis. This "fight or flight" hormone is designed to be released for short bursts of energy. Continuous release of adrenaline begins to wear down key body systems, resulting in even more levels of internal stress. Precious energy resources are wasted by excessive adrenaline, and cells and tissues begin to fail in critical functions. Breakdown in the form of actual disease is not far behind. Also, high stress levels may cause a person to lose sleep or have less-than-restful sleep. This only adds to the burden of stress.
New energy sources are needed to combat the losses of energy and restore health to the body.
One main source of energy, of course, is food. "But I eat enough," you say. "In fact, I'm trying to cut down and lose weight." It's not the quantity of food you eat. Eating the right kinds of food in the right combinations provides the energy we need. Otherwise, food calories are just packed on as additional fat cells, rather than being used for energy.
The right kinds of food are nutrient-dense, rather than being calorie-dense. Whole grains, lean meat, fish, high-quality dairy products, and fruits and vegetables are all nutrient-dense foods. Double cheeseburgers with french fries are calorie-dense and low in nutrition. Sprouted grain breads are nutrient-dense. White bread is calorie-dense.
It takes a little work to figure out which foods are healthy and which are not. But once you've done your homework and gotten used to reading labels, it becomes easy to choose the foods that will provide valuable energy and nutrients to you and your family.
Exercising regularly provides a person with lots of energy.2 People who exercise regularly fall asleep right away, need less sleep, and usually wake up rested and refreshed. They have energy throughout the day to do what they need to do and rarely "crash" in the middle of the day.
How does all this happen? Regular exercise resets your metabolic clock. Training your muscles also trains your metabolism to work efficiently. You spend less energy to make more energy. It's a remarkable system.
Another key part of the energy puzzle is finding some quiet time during the day to recharge your batteries.3 Most of us are not aware of the importance of this "alone time". Our lives are very hectic and we really do need some quiet time to allow us to decompress. "But I'll never find time in the day to do that," you say. That's right. People need to proactively create the time, even though it seems impossible. Once you begin setting aside ten or fifteen minutes each day to just sit and center yourself, you'll find you actually want to make the time to engage in this highly restorative and energizing activity.
The bottom line? More energy is available to each of us - we just need to plan and make sure we're taking the time to do things that support us. Eating the right foods, making time for regular exercise, and making room for quiet time will bring you a new sense of peace, well-being, and true, meaningful accomplishment.
Your chiropractor is an expert in creating lifestyle programs that will assist you in improving your well-being and quality of life. She will be glad to help you develop exercise and nutritional plans that will work for you.
1"Getting Through Tough Economic Times", U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - http://www.samhsa.gov/economy/
2Marshall DA, et al: Achievement of heart health characteristics through participation in an intensive lifestyle change program (coronary artery disease reversal study). J Cardiopulm Rehabil Prev 29(2):84-94, 2009
3Orme-Johnson DW: Commentary on the AHRQ report on research on meditation practices in health. J Altern Complement Med 14(10):1215-1221, 2008
It's early January - a New Year - and you've decided this is going to be the year you actually fulfill your list of New Year's resolutions. This is going to be the year you finally start taking good care of yourself. You're going to exercise regularly, you're going to lose weight, and you're going to find our whether chiropractic care can make a difference in your life.
You've been promising yourself good health for years. Your friends and even some family members have been recommending chiropractic health care to you for a very long time. You decide you're ready to take action and you make an appointment to see your local chiropractor.
Chiropractic health care is more important now than ever before. Today 47 million Americans are without any form of health insurance. Another 25 million Americans are underinsured. Health care costs continue to rise and household incomes have been flat for many years. Chiropractic health care can play a large part in the solution to our health care crisis.
Chiropractic care is low-cost but provides high value. Chiropractic treatment is focused on the musculoskeletal system - muscles, joints, and bones - but is designed to primarily address the functioning of the nerve system. In a word, chiropractic care makes your nerve system more efficient. And an efficient system of nerve supply is necessary for optimal functioning of all other critical body systems - your digestive, cardiovascular, immune, and respiratory systems.
Chiropractic care utilizes a hands-on approach, and office visits provide real, personal interactions between you and your chiropractor. Your chiropractor is highly trained in a variety of disciplines - including restorative exercise and nutritional evaluation - and will make recommendations that are specifically designed for your needs.
Chiropractic care itself - called spinal adjustments - is gentle and relaxing. Immediate results often include increased mobility of the neck, back, shoulders, and hips. People often report sensations of increased alertness and increased focus. And for those with back-related pain, improvement is often noted within 24 or 48 hours.
Additional profound benefits of chiropractic care derive from its direct effect on nerve system functioning.1,2 Although chiropractic health care is not specifically a treatment for headaches, allergies, asthma, menstrual cramps, or digestive problems, improvement in one's health may occur across the board as an indirect result of chiropractic therapy.
So, chiropractic care provides a lot of bang for your buck - a lot of health benefit for your health care dollar. And at your chiropractor's office, you not only receive the benefit of treatment but also the benefit of health-care knowledge - you learn about how your body works and how to take care of it. Your chiropractor is an educator as well as a health-care provider, interested in all aspects of your health and well-being.3
1Bronfort G, et al: Efficacy of spinal manipulation and mobilization for low back pain and neck pain: a systematic review and best evidence synthesis. Spine J 4(3):335-356, 2004
2Stuber KJ, Smith DL: Chiropractic treatment of pregnancy-related low back pain: a systematic review of the evidence. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 31(6):447-454, 2008
3Johnson C, et al: Chiropractic and public health: current state and future vision.
J Manipulative Physiol Ther 31(6):397-410, 2008
Every successful athlete knows that a plan is necessary to reach the highest levels of performance. How many practice sessions are needed each week, what kinds of things to work on during each session, how much rest to get, how much and what kinds of food to eat, how much water to drink - these are some of the factors in an overall program for athletic success.
Venus and Serena Williams, Lisa Leslie and Diana Taurasi of the WNBA, and Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh (perennial women's beach volleyball champions) are examples of world-class athletes who have very clearly defined roadmaps to help them get where they want to go. Michael Jordan worked on his jump shot every day, even after he won his sixth world championship. Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees takes batting practice and does strength training every day during the baseball season, as he continues a stellar Hall of Fame career. Track-and-field stars such as Usain Bolt of Jamaica (brand-new double world-record holder in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash) train year round and have very specific plans to reach their performance peaks at race time.
Even though we may not plan to become professional athletes, we still require a plan for success in terms of physical performance and overall health and well-being. 1-3However, most of us don't consider health and fitness from the point of view of planning. We forget that the hallowed maxim of business success - "if you fail to plan, you're planning to fail" - applies equally to health and fitness. What happens if we don't have an actual plan for being healthy? We eat to satisfy cravings. We sit on the couch and watch TV all evening. We spend all weekend at the mall. None of these activities helps us maintain good health. We put on weight, year after year, and allow our bodies to deteriorate hour after sedentary hour.
What would we be doing if we had a plan for achieving optimal health and wellness? Obviously we'd be consuming a healthful diet and engaging in regular vigorous exercise. We'd maintain a good weight for our particular body type and we'd be getting sufficient rest on a weekly average. Maybe not so obviously we'd also see our chiropractors regularly. Chiropractic care is a key ingredient in planning for long-term health and wellness. Your chiropractor is an expert in human performance.
We are able to identify roadblocks and limitations that can be corrected with chiropractic care. Diet, exercise, and rest are critically important to good health. The underlying mechanism that coordinates all your body's activities - the nerve system - needs to be in top shape, too. That's where chiropractic care comes in. Talk with us about your plans for your family's health and wellness. We will be glad to help design programs that will work for your entire family.
1Holla J, et al: Recreational exercise in rheumatic diseases. Int J Sports Med August 14, 2009 (online ahead of print)
2Pisinger C, et al: The relationship between lifestyle and self-reported health in a general population. Prev Med August 27, 2009 (online ahead of print)
3Sternfeld B, et al: Improving diet and physical activity with ALIVE. Am J Prev Med 36(6):475-483, 2009
Rice and beans is a well-liked combination of foods that is not only delicious, but also good for you. Other well-known examples of food combinations, such as corn and lima beans (succotash), tomatoes and avocados, and even orange juice and oatmeal, provide benefits beyond those gained by eating these sound nutritional choices individually.1
For example, the combination of rice and beans provides complete dietary protein (containing all the essential amino acids we need to build all the other proteins in our bodies). Similarly, the succotash combination of lima beans and corn contains high concentrations of essential amino acids. When you combine avocados and tomatoes, the fat from the avocado helps your body more efficiently use heart-healthy and cancer-fighting antioxidants such as lycoprene contained in the tomato. A heart-healthy breakfast consisting of real oatmeal, such as oatmeal made from rolled oats or steel cut oats, and real orange juice (not from concentrate) provides a potent combination of phenols that are associated with reduced atherosclerosis and cancer. 2,3
These combinations are specific examples of the more general principle of food combining by which you combine proteins and complex carbohydrates at every meal. When you combine these complementary sources of nutrition on a regular basis, you retrain your body's metabolism. By consuming a "slow-burning" energy source, you're providing high-quality fuel for the next three to four hours. Several very good things occur as a result. Energy utilization is optimized, that is, your body gets more benefit out of every calorie it's burning. Additionally, insulin levels are stabilized throughout the day. Over time, food combining helps a person become a leaner machine and helps reduce the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. These benefits are especially important for people who have been told they are hypoglycemic or pre-diabetic. Of course, you should always check with your doctor to make sure a food combining strategy is right for you.
When you add a program of regular, vigorous exercise to your food combining lifestyle choice, you obtain even more profound benefits. The vigorous exercise you're doing raises your body's basal metabolic rate. Your body begins to burn calories even when you're asleep. Owing to the increase in lean muscle mass you're gaining from exercising over time, you're burning more calories throughout the day. You find yourself craving more nutritious foods, that is, those that will provide higher-quality nutrition, such as the nutrition contained in such combinations as rice and beans and oatmeal and orange juice. Thus, your positive lifestyle choices contain their own positive feedback system. The better choices you make, the healthier you become, and the healthier you want to be. The long-term results are enhanced health and well being for you, your family, and your friends.
1Liu RH: Health-promoting components of fruits and vegetables in the diet. Adv Nutr 4(3):384S-392S, 2013
2Hu D, et al: Fruits and vegetables consumption and risk of stroke: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Stroke 45(6):1613-1619, 2014
3Thomburg KL, Challis JR: How to build a healthy heart from scratch. Adv Exp Med Biol 814:205-216, 2014
The days are long, the weather's warm, the sky is blue . . . it's summer and we're ready to enjoy the great American pastime - road trips!
We want to get to wherever we're going safely - and healthily, too. A safe trip is ensured by following the rules of the road and practicing good driving habits. A healthy trip is ensured by bringing along snacks that fill us with fuel and are packed with healthful nutrients.
And a fun trip is ensured by keeping the kids entertained with plenty of music, games, and electronic gadgets.
Being a safe driver consists of continuously practicing many small habits.1,2 Keeping your eyes on the road is a given. When you need to check how the kids are doing in the back seat, just flick your eyes to the rear-view mirror. Don't turn your head around - instead, make eye contact with them in the mirror. Your kids can read your eyes pretty well - they don't need to see your face to know what you want them to do.
Keep checking the traffic around you. Use all three mirrors to see what's going on - who's behind you and who's on your right and left. Always make sure you have enough space to stop short or make a quick lane change if needed. If you're boxed in, all you can do when confronted with an obstacle is crash.
Maintain a minimum safe distance (MSD) from the car in front of you. The MSD between two cars traveling at 65 MPH on the freeway is three seconds. Find a landmark and start counting as the car in front of you passes it. If you reach it in less than three seconds there's not enough space between you and the first car.
And of course, only use a hands-free cell phone.
What about food? On longer trips, good snacks are key - for both the adults and the kids.
Kids want to eat chips, cookies, and candy.3 The best we can do is bring along more nutritious alternatives as well and encourage our kids to mix and match. Energy bars combining 20 grams of protein and 25 grams of carbohydrate are terrific. These chocolate-coated complete small meals have only 5 grams of fat and 300 calories. Juices without sugar additives provide energy and vitamins. Bananas, apples, carrots, and celery can be sliced and carried in plastic bags for no-mess access.
Bring plenty of water. Drinking enough water keeps everyone alert and focused. This is particularly important for the driver, as well as the passengers. Drinking enough water is a subtle way to keep everyone's spirits up, ensuring a happy, fun trip.
Road trips help families bond and create life-long memories. A little preparation goes a long way toward making these family outings safe and fun!
1Verschuur WL, Hurts K: Modeling safe and unsafe driving behaviour. Accid Anal Rev 40(2):644-656, 2008
2Donmez B, et al: Mitigating driver distractions with retrospective and concurrent feedback. Accid Anal Prev 40(2):776-786, 2008
3Contento IR, et al: Enhancing personal agency and competence in eating and moving. Formative evaluation of a middle school curriculum. J Nutr Educ Behav 39(5 Suppl):S179-S186, 2007
Did you ever think your health and well-being are important factors in the health and well-being of the planet? It's true. The choices each of us makes each and every day are important for our family's welfare as well as the welfare of our neighborhood, our community, our city, our country, and our global society.
We don't often consider that a healthy personal lifestyle - relating to fitness and nutrition - has an impact on the environment and the global biosphere. But our personal choices and actions do matter. Our life-affirming choices to get fit, be fit, and eat right affect everyone and everything around us. How you get to work is a perfect example.
Of course, most of us drive to work, as it's a lifetime habit, and we don't even think about it. But, driving always produces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions - every gallon of gas burned pumps 17 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Biking to work and walking to work are fitness-promoting activities that have
a double benefit.1,2 You're exercising on your workdays and you're actively
helping to reduce GHG emissions and stabilize the Earth's climate.
If it's too far to walk or bike to your place of employment, arrange to car pool with co-workers and walk or bike to their house on the days when you're not the designated driver.
Planting a garden or participating in the activities of a community garden is a health-promoting action step that has a triple benefit.
First, you're producing or helping to produce foods that are grown locally. Foods consumed
in the United States travel an average of 1500 miles to reach your local supermarket. Foods grown locally eliminate almost all of the fossil fuel resources required to transport non-local items.
Second, you're adding really fresh vegetables to your family's diet, providing vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals required for abundant good health.
Third, gardening is exercise - the kind of exercise people used to get when they didn't sit in chairs at desks all day long.
The benefits of health-promoting activities keep on coming.3 For the most part, healthy people don't wind up in the local hospital emergency room. Resource saved include fossil fuels burned by high-speed ambulances, fossil fuels burned to produce electricity used to power life-saving medical devices, and energy utilized to produce the vast amounts of medical supplies consumed in an emergency procedure, including syringes, IV set-ups, and towels, wipes, and disinfectants.
Being a healthy individual as a member of a healthy family has a huge multiplying effect. Your chiropractor knows that all body systems are deeply interconnected and must work together to produce good health. So too are the many different living systems that make up Planet Earth. Your chiropractor can provide you with detailed information about good nutrition and good exercise that can help make a real difference in your health and the health of your community.
1Villegas R, et al: The cumulative effect of core lifestyle behaviours on the prevalence of hypertension and dyslipidemia. BMC Public Health 13(8):210, 2008
2Christie BR, et al: Exercising our brains: how physical activity impacts synaptic plasticity in the dentate gyrus. Neuromolecular Med 10(2):47-58, 2008
3Booher MA, Smith BW: Physiological effects of exercise on the cardiopulmonary system. Clin Sports Med 22(1):1-21, 2003
