Jul
12
2010
One of the most important ingredients a runner must stay informed about in his training is vitamins. This is even more so with the long-distance runner. A lot of iron is lost in sweat and urine. Vitamins are one thing in your diet a runner can control through proper nutrition.Some of the aspects you can control to make you a faster runner is long runs and repeats at track sessions. Longer runs make you a stronger runner so in turn you can keep building faster tempo runs. Faster tempos allow you to develop faster repeats. Through you’re running formulas you do finally get to the point that you are getting faster. You will be seeing the difference on time clocks at your next race.
Allow me put this into perspective of how vitamins can make you faster. I know you just had to read this because vitamins cannot make you faster. No not directly, but by indirect means they can! It took me a long time to really understand this. If you miss very much of your training you’ll see slow times on race day. So by now you get to thinking why would you miss any training days?
Well that can be any number of a dozen different things. I use to never have enough time to get my runs in. However, I made the time because I knew it would show on the time clock! Some times I found myself running at lunch. Some times I ran after dark. Then sometimes I ran before work. I could always change my training days around if I needed to. This meant my long run might fall on a Saturday or a Sunday or a Tuesday.
Now we are down to why would you miss any of your training days? Of course! Sickness! Yes, that is how you would miss training days if you were sick with a cold or the flu or any number of things. I did forget one other thing that would cause you to miss a training day and that is injuries. But injuries are a whole other ball of wax we won’t talk about them today.
See you actually do have many reasons that could actually knock you off your schedule but we are runners and we keep on running! This is what it takes to be a competitive runner at any age group competition. We get to the part here about vitamins and running. There’s no question running will deplete you of vitamins so we will watch our diet and stay in charge of that.
Some of my favorite snacks are apricots. They are rich in iron. You can loose a lot of iron in your long runs. Another one is wheat germ. You can sprinkle that on your cereal in the mornings. Cashew nuts and liver those are just a couple more. Runners know it’s easy to loose too much weight too fast. That’s why we must make it a habit to weigh ourselves every morning. If you are down more than three pounds than the previous day then you have lost too many fluids. Drink up!
One of the easiest ways to maintain your needed intake of vitamins is to add nutritional supplements into you diet. It’s not very likely you’re able to eat a bushel full of vegetables a day like the USDA requirements say that’s what it takes to keep a strong body healthy and build a runners strong immune system. We don’t want to get sick because we’ll miss training days. Missing training days is going to cost you seconds off the time clock on race days. If your passion is winning races then fast runners you’ll become and I’ll look over your shoulder to cheer you on!
Jun
7
2010
End The Suffering.Headaches are one of the more common conditions that enter the offices of primary care physicians, including medical doctors and doctors of chiropractic. As you know, the standard medical treatment revolves around the use of pharmaceuticals and/or injections.
The standard chiropractic treatment approach includes manual therapies such as spinal manipulation or adjustments, manual or mechanical cervical traction, mobilization techniques, trigger point therapy, physiological therapeutics such as electrical stimulation, ultrasound, etc., and nutritional counseling. While both approaches have pros and cons, there are far less negative side effects associated with the chiropractic treatment option.
There are many types of headaches, which can be generally classified as primary or secondary:
Primary Headaches: 1. Migraine; 2. Tension-type; 3. Cluster headaches. Secondary headaches occur because some other condition or injury is present such as after a car accident or slip and fall injury, due an infection, a sinus, jaw, and/or dental condition, a vascular injury such as stroke, a medication side effect, psychiatric disorder and others.
Find yourself frequently utilizing over-the-counter medications such as an anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen: Advil, Nuprin; Naprosyn such as Aleve) or Tylenol?
It is probable that chiropractic approach will provide relief for your headaches. Frequently, with headache patients, the vertebrae in the upper neck lose their normal range of motion and the muscles that attach to the base of the skull become overly tight and squeeze or compress the nerves feeding into the head. This results in pain that radiates over the top or around the head, sometimes into the eyes. Conservative gentle chiropractic care restores the vertebral range of motion, which in turn reduces the muscle tension and subsequent nerve compression, resulting in a reduction of headache pain! If you’ve also noticed stiffness in your neck, then give us a call. We offer short term affordable relief care for your headache. Explore this option. There is no obligation to receive care.
References: http://ihs-classification.org/en/ Image: www.freeimages.co.uk
Rossi, P.; Di Lorenzo, G.; Faroni, J.; Malpezzi, M.G.; Cesarino, F.; Nappi, G. Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with chronic tension-type headache: results of a headache clinic survey. HEADACHE 2006; 46:(4); 622-31.
May
13
2010
Back pain is one of the most commonly occurring abnormal health complications in the people. Nearly everybody of us suffers with the back pain more than once in a life. Previously, back pain was mainly associated with old age, but nowadays even the young people or even teens are found to be facing the problem of the back pain. The most common causes of the back pain are as follows:
1. Majority of the cases of the back pain are being noted due to old age. Many old people are found to be suffering with the back pain. When a person gets old his spinal cord** gets weak and is unable to control the entire body weight properly. This results in the back pain.
2. Osteoarthritis and osteoporosis are another cause of the back pain. Due to the osteoarthritis, the synovial fluid in the joints is less. This increases the friction of the lower ending of spinal cord with the other bones. Thus, it causes the pain in the lower back. In osteoporosis the bones become porous, this weakens the spinal cord. This results in the occurrence of the back pain.
3. Spinal Stenosis causes the back pain in generally the old people. This happens due to the constriction of the spinal canal. As a result the spinal canal becomes tight and results in the back pain.
4. Injuries are noted to be one of the most common causes of back pain. Any injuries to the spine, either fractures or sprains, cause the back pain in the person. You may face the problem of back pain permanently or temporarily due to these injuries. When a person suffers with the injuries the ligaments that support the spine work improperly, which result in back pain.
5. Lifting the heavy things with an improper technique causes the sudden back pain as whatever your lift directly puts the pressure on your spinal cord. So, follow the proper technique while lifting heavy weights. This will help you stay away from back pain.
6. Sitting for the more time at one place certainly puts the spinal cord under stress. This results in the back pain in many cases as spinal cord doesn’t gets the adequate rest. If you sit curved by bending the spinal cord, it results into the skeletal abnormalities. The unnatural curvature of the spinal cord results in the Scoliosis. This results in the back pain.
7. Spondylolisthesis is one of the most common causes of back pain. It occurs due to the abnormality in the normal stabilizing structures of the spinal column. This makes the spinal cord unstable, which results in the back pain.
8. Excessive weight gain is noted to be the cause of the back pain. Due to the too much of weight, a lot of pressure is put on the spinal cord. It is not able to hold on the weight and starts bending abnormally or start putting pressure on your back. This ultimately results in the back pain or sometimes in the lower back pain.
9. Muscle strain causes back pain in many cases. Many times muscle gets strain due to the excessive physical activity the most pressure is put on the back that causes back pain. This problem is observed in specifically the people who stand continuously and do lot of work related to lifting of any goods.
10. Back pain is also noted in pregnant women due to the child’s weight that puts the stress of their back. So, for this they need to avoid standing for the more time and keep the diet good.
These are the most common causes of the back pain.
-Written by: John Fitzgerald, http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/most-common-causes-of-back-pain-1295458.html
** Note: The spinal cord itself does NOT get weak, in this case for what is described in this article. Most likely the writer meant to use the term: “Spinal column” and/or ”Spinal vertibra”.
Apr
13
2010
Insomnia is a condition where the person suffers from lack of sleep on a regular basis. Chronic insomnia which is extreme sleeplessness should be treated as soon as possible after consulting the doctor. This is because insomnia in itself could be a symptom for another more serious health issues like heart diseases, diabetes, lung diseases or depression. Insomnia has many cures and the more popular ones are natural remedies which ensure there are no side effects.
Even before one starts taking medicines to cure Insomnia it is essential to change certain habits that help in getting sleep. This includes sleeping only when one feels drowsy so that one doesn’t have to fret about getting sleep. Worrying about getting sleep, which is common in insomniacs leads to greater sleep loss. Also, it is advised to go to bed with a calm and relaxed mind. Thinking about activities of the next day and planning and worrying about things, causes greater level of stress hormone called cortisol in the blood which increases restlessness. Meditating before sleep and avoiding chocolate, colas, coffee and anything that has a strong caffeine content is another good practice to get proper sleep. Finally it helps if insomniacs drink lot of water that helps flushing out toxins like Jing in the kidney. A gentle oil massage helps in de-stressing the mind and so does soaking the feet in warm water for a few minutes.
There are some natural remedies available to cure insomnia too, if it is very serious. Valerian is a herb that is increasingly being used to cure insomnia. It is thought to increase the level of a neurotransmitter called GABA that has a calming influence. Although it shouldn’t be used along with other medicines the advantages of this herb lies in the fact that it is not addictive like other sleeping pills and doesn’t cause any side effects the next morning. Melatonin is another remedy that is taken half an hour before bedtime. This helps the body to get sleep especially for those who experience sleeplessness because of changes in timings or jet lag.
Diet is a very important part of the remedy doctors suggest for insomnia. It should usually consist more of carbohydrate content and magnesium. Magnesium rich foods are very effective for calming the nerves and getting good sleep. It also reduces restless, anxiety and irritability of a person. Whole grains are rich in both carbohydrates and magnesium and hence should be consumed as a cure for insomnia. Legumes and seeds and leafy vegetables along with almonds and cashews are good for curing insomnia because of their high magnesium content. One should cut out caffeine that increases anxiety and sweets from the diet to get rid of insomnia. Sweets cause uneven blood sugar level and disrupt the sleep in the middle of the night.
There are many herbs that can be used to treat insomnia. Chamomile, passion flower, Ashwagandha and lemon balm are some of the more well known examples. A simple chamomile tea helps a person sleep by reducing anxiety. It is very important that there isn’t much pressure on the digestive system just before sleep. Warm sesame oil and warm mustard oil are also used as part of the Ayurvedic treatment for insomnia. Lavender and ylang ylang are two other sources for aromatherapy oils that relax the nerves and induce sleep especially after a warm bath. Eating bedtime snacks such as cottage cheese, pumpkin seeds, chicken and turkey help the body to produce melatonin that contributes to good sleep. Regular exercise and avoiding spicy and fatty foods are other factors to be taken care of to cure insomnia.
-Written by: Nicholas http://www.articlesbase.com/sleep-articles/how-to-cure-for-insomnia-2146186.html
Apr
8
2010
Correct Seated Posture
This picture is an illustration of the correct chiropractic seated posture while at a computer screen or desk.
As a chiropractor in Costa Mesa, I am asked all the time “what is the correct or best posture while working at my desk.” I will try to describe, in more detail, this correct chiropractic posture while at a desk or computer station.
Starting with the lower extremity: Your feet should be flat on the floor. You can use a foot stool or rest also, as long as it does not bring your knees up higher than your hip joints. Your knees should be at at 90 degree angle with your thighs supported by the chair, but without the chair pushing into the back of your knees. Your hips should also be at a 90 degree angle with the trunk of your body and thighs.
Your lower back should be supported with a lumbar support or cushion if you have lower back pain or a decreased lordotic curve in your lumbar spine. Otherwise “sitting up straight”, not leaning forward or backward is proper chiropractic form. Also if you have lower back pain, a chiropractic adjustment will have an enormous benefit to you and your lower back.
Your face and head should be about 27 – 29 inches away from the front of the computer screen or reading material centered over your body trunk. You do not want your head too far back or forward as this will cause muscle strain in the upper back and neck. There should be a maximum downward angle of 35 degrees. It is even better if your eyes looked straight ahead at the top 1/3rd of the computer screen.
Your arm and wrist position are very important because of the amount of time one spends on computers. Correct chiropractic and body alignment are essential for proper function and to minimize damage to joints that cause pain. Your elbows should rest comfortably at your side with a 90 degree angle between your arms and forearms. Your wrists should be straight and in-line with your forearms. The wrists can be supported by wrist pads, but ultimately you want the muscle strength in your wrists to support proper position on their own.
One thing that is not shown in the above picture are arm rests. If your chair has arm rests and you like to use them, make sure that your elbows are not pushed up causing your shoulders to shrug. The elbows should hang next to your side or lightly touch the arm rests. If your chair has arm rests and they are not adjustable, I would advise you not to use them, remove them, or use a different chair that fits your body and supports proper posture.
I hope this helps you work more productively and enjoy the time you spend while on your computer. If you have any questions please call me at my office.
-Written by: Dr. Dean A Geske, a Costa Mesa Chiropractor in Orange County
Mar
10
2010
Yes, a chiropractor can fix TMJ, according to a large number of studies and argues that provide evidence this to be true. In fact, a chiropractor will often provide significant relief and even a cure for TMJ symptoms.
A chiropractor will not only be better able to diagnose the problem that is causing TMJ pain, but he will also be able to give more direct relief and provide non-invasive and all natural treatments as well that have little or no side effects. TMJ treatments that involve chiropractic treatment usually work by correcting any misalignments which may exist in the jaw, face, head, or neck bones. These misalignments may be contributing to the TMJ disorder, so a series of adjustments or manipulations that realign the bones.
If done correctly, the procedure will be painless, quick, and should provide relief almost immediately. In some cases, this treatment may be necessary to treat TMJ, as the only way re-correct the bones is through a series of adjustments and manipulations; massage and exercise do not necessarily realign the bones on their own.
The chiropractor may be best suited to fix TMJ cases that are caused by accidents to the jaw, face, and neck area that have pushed any of these bones out of place and subsequently caused the tmj, chronic spinal and neck problems (including bad posture and poor sleeping positions) that have contributed to the jaw bones becoming misaligned, or overall blunt trauma to the head, face, or neck region that have created misalignments.
The chiropractor as a whole will not focus specifically on or directly treat any causes of TMJ that are dental in nature (such as a bad bite, teeth grinding, missing teeth, etc.); rather he will focus on the neck, jaw, and cranial bones as well as the spine to treat the TMJ. Other treatments which may be offered by the chiropractor to fix TMJ are massage therapy to treat weak muscles that have been affected by the misalignments, specific exercises to rehabilitate the jaw area that are often more effective, dietary and nutritional advice, and other natural and alternative treatments that are non-invasive and have no side effects.
Overall, a chiropractor is greatly preferred over a surgeon or other specialist to fix TMJ, as the surgeries and other invasive procedures which they will recommend are often very invasive, have a high risk of permanent damage, and are overall unnecessary for this particular disorder. But remember, as with any medical condition, it is always a good idea to consult with your doctor in order to determine the best treatment option for your needs. Stop suffering from TMJ anymore.
–Written by: TMJ Chiropractor http://www.articlesbase.com/dental-care-articles/tmj-chiropractor-can-a-chiropractor-fix-a-tmj-disorder-1579830.htmlFeb
10
2010
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common studied and diagnosed pshychiatric disorder in children. Its diagnosis is controversial and its cause ranges from genetic, diet, social and physical environments. There are listed symptoms of ADHD. 5-10% of school children routinely take medication for ADHD. Experts think that in reality only 3% need to be medicated. While the symptoms can seem harmless and mildly annoying to some it can affect: their ability to learn, their work environment, and their personal relationships. Most doctors only option is to medicate children, there are side effects that you cannot ignore, to these medications.
How can chiropractic help children with ADHD? Chiropractors provide “spinal manipulation” or “chiropractic adjustments“ to remove subluxations and therefore effect the body’s structural system, and in turn, the nervous system including all the other systems of the body. The direct reason is not completely clear, but it tends to have calming effect on the body and its nervous system. By removing pain in their body or pressure on the irritated nerve the child can now focus and have better attention to tasks.
Changing your child’s diet and nutrition can help in treatment. Adding Omega oils and fatty acids can help. Iron supplementation also has been shown to help.(1)
Here is a video of Dr. Martin Rosen, D.C. on a WBZ-TV Video:
The following television interview on Health Watch shows the benefits of chiropractic care in children with ADHD symptoms.
http://wbztv.com/video/?id=30936@wbz.dayport.com
Reference:
(1)Konofal E, Lecendreux M, Arnulf I, Mouren MC. Iron deficiency in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Dec. 2004; 158: 1113-1115.
Feb
3
2010
One of the questions I get frequently is what types of patients or patient conditions would be a good candidate for testing. The adrenal salivary testing that we’re using (ARK protocol) would be good for about ten different patient types that we see commonly in most practitioner’s offices.
The first and foremost is fatigue. Fatigue is the most common presenting complaint in any practitioner’s office and a good indication that somebody has an adrenal dysfunction. Number two would be pain. That could be chronic pain in the joints, it could be headaches; anybody who’s maybe not responding to your pain therapies would be a good candidate for an adrenal test. Depression, it seems that the further down the dysfunction scale a patient gets when it comes to the adrenals, the more depression is a prominent symptom
Another good group of patients to test the adrenals are those with female hormone disorders, be it PMS, infertility, perimenopause, PCOS (polycystic ovary disease), all good indications that there’s an adrenal dysfunction at work. Then patients with insomnia; those patients who have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep almost universally have adrenal dysfunction as part of their underlying condition.
Allergies is another big group of patients who have trouble controlling inflammation, same goes for those with asthma. Both of those disorders have some compromise in the adrenal output of cortisol that is compromising the inflammation exacerbating those symptoms, both allergies and asthma.
Thyroid disorders, symptoms often times overlap between the adrenals and the thyroid, and any time there’s a thyroid dysfunction the adrenals should be tested as well. Then patients who get symptoms associated with hypoglycemia like light headedness when they skip a meal, brain fog, headaches, fatigue, sleepiness. Those hypoglycemic symptoms are a sign that there’s an adrenal dysfunction at work.
Finally, the tenth and also very common type of patient to be tested are those who have GI disturbances, be it constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, reflux, bloating, or gas. Those patients usually have some irritability and irritation in the GI system that chronically stresses the adrenals and they would benefit from the adrenal testing.
Those ten patients leave a lot of room for inclusion of almost all patients who walk into the office, and it’s not a reach to suggest that most patients with chronic health problems need an adrenal test.
Jan
20
2010
If you can predict an injury, you may avoid an injury. Below are a list of tips to help you:
- The #1 Rule: don’t overdo it
- Avoid training when you are tired; you should be strong and ready to exercise
- Allow lots of time for warming up before your workout / activity and cooling off after your workout / activity
- Train on different surfaces, using the correct footwear
- Shower and change immediately after the cool down phase (after exercise)
- Increase the amount of carbohydrate you consume during periods of heavy training
- Match increases in training intensity or frequency with increases in resting. (Rest is how the body regenerates)
- Precede any increase is training load with an increase in strengthening
- Treat ever seemingly minor injuries very carefully to prevent them from becoming a big problem (see your chiropractor before it gets worse)
- If you experience pain when training, stop your training session immediately
- Never train hard if you are stiff from the previous training session
- Pay attention to hydration and nutrition (water before exercise, electrolyte drink during exercise, and water after exercise)
- Use appropriate training surfaces
- Check that training and competition areas are clear of hazards
- Check that equipment is appropriate and safe to use
- Introduce new activities gradually and make sure you are clear on how to perform them safely
- Review training and competition courses beforehand
- Stay away from potentially infectious areas when training or competing very hard
- Be extremely fussy about hygiene, particularly in hot weather
- Monitor daily for signs of fatigue; if in doubt, ease off your workouts for a day or two
- Get regular massages to keep muscles loose and blood circulating properly
- Get regular chiropractic adjustments to keep bones aligned properly and nerve system working optimally
Jan
4
2010
The World Health Organization defines health as being “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. [ 1 ]
Given this broad definition of health, epistemological constructs borrowed from the social sciences may demonstrate health benefits not disclosed by randomized controlled trials. Health benefits, such as improvement in self-reported quality-of-life (QOL), behaviors associated with decreased morbidity, patient satisfaction, and decreased health care costs, are reported in the following articles, and they make a compelling statement about the effects of chiropractic on general health.
Prevention and health promotion activities administered by chiropractors fall into 2 general categories: those considered orthodox by the medical community (eg, weight loss, exercise, smoking cessation) and those that are not (eg, soft-tissue and osseous manual procedures and some dietary supplementation). Previous research demonstrates that the orthodox activities used by primary care medical providers are also used by chiropractors. The concept that chiropractic care is of value in maintaining health and preventing disease began with the work of Palmer. This preventive treatment is traditionally referred to as maintenance care (MC). MC has been defined as “a regimen designed to provide for the patient’s continued well-being or for maintaining the optimum state of health while minimizing recurrences of the clinical status.” Many chiropractors believe that periodic patient visits permit the doctor to identify joint dysfunction or subluxations and make corrections with spinal manipulation or other manual procedures. These treatments are believed to prevent disease of both neuromusculoskeletal and visceral origin. [ 2 ]
Reference: http://www.chiro.org/research/ABSTRACTS/Wellness_Care.shtml