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Posture month continued: ADAPTATION
Thursday, June 2nd, 2011
ADAPTATION – The 5th Posture Principle
Over the last month, I have been blogging about the Posture Principles: Motion, Balance, Patterns, and Compensation. Now we have reached the 5th Principle: Adaptation. Adaptation is the body’s response to stressors. Our bodies are very efficient in coming up with strategies to avoid pain and stress. Unfortunately, while we may be able to avoid pain in the short-term, we have unconsciously entered the Pain Cycle. Remaining in the Pain Cycle by continuously adapting to pain leads to: (1) compromised movement, (2) “shifting” of the body’s loads, (3) repetitive stress, and (4) further injury. Once you have reached step (4), you are immediately thrown back into step (1)….and so on and so on.
The good news is this: MOTION breaks the pain cycle!
To move out of the Pain Cycle and into the Motion Cycle, a great first step is an Aligned Strong Posture. Posture training leads to balanced motion. Balanced motion means freely-moving joints, ligaments and muscles. It is “youthful” motion! With freer, more youthful motion comes the ability to effectively exercise. Exercising while maintaining a strong core maximizes the health benefits and helps prevent injuries. Training your core muscles helps to keep your body stabilized, and results in a stronger posture….leading to balanced motion, effective exercise, trained and coordinated core muscles…and so on and so on!
We often hear people say, “Use it or Lose it”. With posture training, you CAN “Use it to KEEP it”!
Because of the great response to Posture Month at Overland Chiropractic, we have extended it into the middle of June. We are offering our patients, their families, and their friends a Free Posture Photo Analysis. Please call our office at 913-345-9247 to claim this offer for yourself and a loved one. Why put off living better and aging well? Let’s begin, together, today!
Posture Month Continued: COMPENSATION
Wednesday, May 25th, 2011
COMPENSATION – The 4th Posture Principle
You are probably sitting as you read this blog – at a computer desk, in an easy chair with your laptop, or enjoying the outdoors with your smart phone. And how you are sitting has most likely not crossed your mind. You are sitting the way you always sit…without thinking about your posture.
Your body has learned to move in the patterns it has been taught. Sitting, walking, crossing your legs or arms in your own unique pattern….it has all been learned over time. In fact, try this:
- Cross your arms
- Observe – is your left or right forearm on top?
- Now, cross your arms again, but this time put the OPPOSITE forearm on top. Doesn’t it feel awkward (if you can even do it at all)?
Dr. Steven Weiniger, founder of BodyZone, explains the above exercise this way: “The body moves in a pattern of motion which follows the path of least resistance. Reversing the top forearm moves your arms, shoulder girdle and neck in an unfamiliar pattern. Habits, old injuries and your unique body type cause muscles to strengthen and joints to stretch in your ‘normal’ pattern of motion.”
This is also known as Compensation. Compensation allows us to get better at creating the habits that shape our body. These habits can be good, or they can be bad. Bad habits begin taking hold when injury, then pain, cause us to compensate and avoid pain. As Dr. Weiniger puts it, “Over time, a vicious spiral of compensation and adaptation weakens posture, balance and joint stability and sets the stage for new injury, chronic pain, and joint degeneration (osteoarthritis.)”
A February article on the Center for Disease Control’s website states the following: “Research shows that pain or fear of pain, fear of worsening symptoms or damaging joints, and lack of information on how to exercise safely prevent people with arthritis from being physically active. Not being physically active is a risk factor for many other chronic diseases and interferes with management of these conditions.” Clearly, breaking the Pain Cycle is key to not only living better now, but also for preventing further serious illness.
Posture training can help break the pain cycle by reducing muscle and joint stress, and thereby preventing injury and further breakdown. Overland Chiropractic is offering our patients, their families, and their friends a Free Posture Photo Analysis. Please call our office at 913-345-9247 to take advantage of this offer for yourself and a loved one. Why put off living better and aging well? Let’s begin, together, today!
Posture Month continued: Patterns
Tuesday, May 17th, 2011
PATTERNS – The 3rd Posture Principle By Kelley Patterson
Just under a year ago, I made a commitment to leave my “couch potato” lifestyle and began exercising on a more regular basis. To age well, I knew that I needed to get moving. “Hypokinetic Disease” is a term drafted by Drs. Kraus and Raab in their 1961 book, and it means degeneration which occurs from a sedentary lifestyle. Hypokinetic Disease includes obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, low back pain, and Type 2 diabetes. Peggy Kraus (Examiner.com) writes, “70% of our population have some type of hypokinetic disease… In spite of the fact that exercise reduces body weight, lowers cholesterol level, lowers blood pressure, improves sleep, improves body image, improves mood and lifts depression, reduces risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke, and osteoporosis (among others), and reduces the need for many common medications in addition to countless of other benefits, more than one-third of Americans do not exercise.”
May is Posture Month at Overland Chiropractic, and Patterns is the 3rd Posture Principle. “Patterns”simply refers to the fact that your body’s chain of motion will follow the path of least resistance. When you are sedentary, when you have a job that requires you spend a lot of time seated, and when you do not exercise on a regular basis, your body will begin compensating for your weaker muscles. Your brain, spinal cord and nerves will learn to use your stronger muscles more than your weaker ones, and your core and posture will become weak as your body strives to maintain upright balance.
Try this: Take a piece of paper and fold it sharply.
Now, unfold the paper, and take out the crease.
Can’t do it? Here’s why: You can unfold the paper, but once creased, it is always creased. The paper fibers are distorted in a pattern which becomes the path of least resistance. Now, think about your body. Contracting muscles and connecting ligaments, tendons and fascia fold and distort along the creases we create in our body as we, too, move along the path of least resistance.
Posture distortions not only cause fatigue and pain, but set the stage for posture degeneration and premature aging.
So, what can you do? You must create a new pattern of motion by:
1) Restoring motion to areas of restriction; and
2) Focusing exercise to unused muscles.
Posture and core-strengthening exercises will result in pain-free, balanced motion. Balanced motion helps you move naturally and age well!
Overland Chiropractic is offering our patients, their families, and their friends a Free Posture Photo Analysis. Please call our office at 913-345-9247 to take advantage of this offer for yourself and a loved one. Why put off living better and aging well? Let’s begin, together, today!
March is National Nutrition Month
Monday, March 7th, 2011
Do you suffer with symptoms of heartburn, indigestion, reflux, constipation, diarrhea, gas or bloating? As a chiropractic physician who is interested in all aspects of health and wellness, I am always concerned with nutrition and digestion and their vital role in how a body responds to chiropractic therapies. Enzyme therapy is one way we can help you reach your wellness goals.
“Enzymes are very large complex protein molecules. They are responsible for the pre-digestion of our food. Enzymes run every biochemical reaction in our body. What is poorly understood is how important enzymes are to digestion and to the concept of staying healthy. Think of enzymes as the workers or builders of a house. The house is made up of raw materials called: Proteins, carbohydrates, fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. To build the house, the enzymes put all of the raw materials together to build the house. If there are no enzymes present, the house won’t be built. If there are very few enzymes present, it will take years to build the house; or, the house may never get built at all. Enzymes also nourish the immune system. The immune system is responsible for keeping us from getting sick by destroying bacteria, and viruses.” (Paul S. Inselman, DC)
March is National Nutrition Month, and to celebrate, we are offering a 25% discount on our 24-Hour Urinalysis, and a 10% discount on our Source of Stress Exam. The 24-hour urinalysis tells us how your are digesting the fats, carbohydrates and proteins that you are eating. This helps determine the types of foods that you should eat and the ones that you should avoid. The Source of Stress Examination is a reliable, reproducible method of determining the stressed organ systems in your body. Combined with a 24-hou urinalysis, we can determine which enzyme formulations you need to improve digestion, improve waste elimination and nourish stressed organs.
Please give us a call at 913-345-9247, and a member of our staff will be happy to assist you. Happy Nutrition Month!
ABC News Medical Unit Shares Health Tips For the 2011 New Year!
Tuesday, January 11th, 2011
Posted By: Dr. Robert Patterson
Here is an article from ABC News, written by Katie Moisse, about how to maintain your New Year’s resolution goals. Moisse provides five health goals for the new year. The first health goal is about losing weight.
Five Health Goals for 2011 and How to Meet Them
Nothing gets you thinking about health quite like a month of excess. As the holiday haze clears, New Year’s resolutions come into focus. But for many, January’s motivation dwindles by March – if not sooner.
Because the start of a new year is a great time to think about breaking bad habits and starting fresh, ABCNews.com asked health experts to share some healthy resolutions and tips on how to see them through.
Lose Weight
Many of us start the year with ambitious plans to shed the holiday pounds and then some. But without signs of success in the first few weeks, motivation can fizzle.
The key to losing weight, and not January’s enthusiasm, is to set realistic short-term goals, according to Lisa Cimperman, a registered dietician at University Hospitals Case Medical Center.
“There’s a lot that goes on between losing that first pound and losing that 100, 50 or even 20 pounds,” Cimperman said. Aiming to lose 1-to-2 pounds per week can help you stay on track and power through the inevitable weight loss lulls.
“There’s a lot that goes on between losing that first pound and losing that 100, 50 or even 20 pounds,” Cimperman said. Aiming to lose 1-to-2 pounds per week can help you stay on track and power through the inevitable weight loss lulls.
But don’t let the numbers on the scale be the be-all end-all, Cimperman warns. Strength training can boost muscle mass, masking successful fat loss. Measuring your waist and thighs over time and paying attention to how your clothes fit can help you track how your body’s changing.
And if you do get stuck in a rut, don’t be afraid to ask for some help.
“Studies have shown that support groups or just having someone else encouraging you will help make you successful,” Cimperman said.
How to Reach your Personal Goals for the 2011 New Year!
Friday, January 7th, 2011
Posted By: Dr. Robert Patterson
Another year has begun. Have you taken time to reflect back on last year? What things did you accomplish? What do you want to achieve this year?
If you have not done it yet, begin making a list of the things that you would like to achieve this year. Personally, I like to write down categories such as family life, spiritual life, health, and finances. I then list the various things that I would like to accomplish in each category this year. Lastly, I ask myself what has to happen in order for each of those things to happen, and I put a time frame on it.
It takes some time and effort, but it is the only way you are ever going to realistically achieve your goals. As Zig Ziglar once said, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.”
A few tips to help you achieve your
- Make your goals concrete and specific.
- Visualize the goal and what it is going to take to achieve it, in as much detail as possible.
- Set specific time frames to achieve each of the steps along the way
Have a great year, and good luck in achieving your goals!
Dr. Robert Patterson of Overland Chiropractic Reviews How to Stay Healthy During the Holidays
Monday, November 29th, 2010
By: Dr. Robert Patterson
The delicious food and drinks that surround the holidays can make it difficult to stay in shape. This article from MSN.com offers tips about how to be healthier during the holidays.
Mmm, holiday carbs! Eat, drink and not fatten up
During the holiday season, most people attend tons of festive events—and nearly all of them center around fattening food. Add seasonal stress and zero time to cook or hit the gym, and you have a recipe for holiday weight gain. Well, not this year! We came up with 10 tips to help you survive the hectic holiday season.
HOLIDAY PARTIES
It’s inevitable that you’ll be going to at least a few soirees this holiday season, whether it’s the office holiday party or your neighbor’s annual bash. Here are a few tactics you can employ.
1. Sip smartly
With alcohol, the goal is to keep both your calories and your buzz under control.
A single shot of vodka, gin, or rum mixed with club or diet soda and a squeeze of lime will set you back only about 100 calories. Other standard low-cal options include light beer or wine, most of which have fewer than 150 calories per serving. That’s perfect if you can sip one all night; if you’re the type to make several trips to the bar (no judgments!), try asking the bartender to fill your glass only halfway each time to keep your total intake down.
Champagne or pink Prosecco are both great options. Not only are they low on the calorie chart—around 80 to 120 per glass—but they’re also more likely to be sipped rather than guzzled.
2. Work the room
If you’re planted next to the food table, you’ll shovel chips and dip into your mouth all night long. So stay far, far away. You won’t eat mindlessly if you have to cross the room to get to the food or if you’re chatting someone up.
You should also be picky. Passed hors d’oeuvres, which hover at every turn, are small, but they add up—fast. To avoid eating 2,000 calories worth of cheese puffs, limit yourself to three that you love. Been waiting all year for bacon-wrapped scallops? Go for it. But pass on the crab cakes and other fried fare.
AT THE MALL
Another inevitability during the holidays is the mall food court, unless you’ve perfected the art of online shopping! Having to make decisions diminishes people’s willpower. So all the gift decisions you face at the mall will make you that much more vulnerable to temptation at the food court.
3. Pack snacks
Malls are filled with kiosks hawking softball-size cinnamon buns and soft pretzels on steroids. Keeping portion-controlled goodies in your bag will make other snacks easier to resist. Stick 30 pistachios or 24 almonds in a ziplock bag with two dried plums or apricots, or even some turkey jerky or a snack bar with less than 200 calories and at least 5 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. The carb/protein/fat combo in these foods will keep you full.
4. Sidestep seasonal sirens
An economic theory called the scarcity principle explains why we’re such suckers for holiday treats. Decades of research show that items we perceive as being in limited supply seem more desirable to us than non-scarce items. Holiday-themed coffee drinks and sweets are often more caloric than regular ones, so it’s safer to stick to the basics. Add your own cinnamon to your every day coffee or drizzle your own vanilla or peppermint extract.
Overland Park Chiropractor Discusses Muscle Imbalance
Thursday, August 12th, 2010
By: Dr. Patterson
Have you ever noticed that one leg stretches easier than the other or that one arm goes farther behind your back? If so, you may be experiencing muscle imbalance. Muscle imbalances can occur almost anywhere in our bodies. We can be imbalanced from side to side or from front to back.
You might ask, what is the big deal about one leg stretching more than the other? In this example, the problem lies in the increased stress that this puts on your pelvis, hips and spine. A tight hamstring creates torque in the pelvis and may lead to pain and early arthritis in your joints. Muscle imbalance impedes your performance and can eventually interfere with your daily and recreational activities. Similar problems occur in the neck and shoulders.
Muscle imbalances develop for a number of reasons. Right or left handiness cause us to use one side more than the other. Work postures or sporting activities may force us to perform one-sided activities over and over. One set of muscles will naturally become tighter than the others. Stuck or dysfunctional joints themselves also lead to imbalances and increased stress. Poor digestion and stress to our organs create muscle contraction. Left untreated, this will cause muscle imbalances such as leg length discrepancies and shoulder contractions.
Stretching some muscles and strengthening others can treat many muscle imbalances. Other times it requires manipulation of the joints or nutritional approaches to relieve muscle contraction. The keys to correction are proper evaluation as to the cause of the imbalance as well as the identification of the muscles to retrain.
Overland Park Chiropractor Reviews Tips to Prevent Lower Back Pain
Thursday, August 5th, 2010
By: Dr. Patterson
We are nearing the month of August, and for many of us, that means back-to-school shopping with our kids. Usually, these shopping trips include the purchase of a new backpack.
Children and adolescents often carry backpacks that are too heavy or are worn improperly. To help prevent injury, please consider the following suggestions from the ACA (American Chiropractic Association) when shopping for a backpack:
1. Make sure your child’s backpack weighs no more than 5 to 10 percent of his or her body weight. A heavier backpack will cause your child to bend forward in an attempt to support the weight on his or her back, rather than on the shoulders, by the straps.
2. The backpack should never hang more than four inches below the waistline. A backpack that hangs too low increases the weight on the shoulders, causing your child to lean forward when walking.
3. A backpack with individualized compartments helps in positioning the contents most effectively. Make sure that pointy or bulky objects are packed away from the area that will rest on your child’s back.
4. Bigger is not necessarily better. The more room there is in a backpack, the more your child will carry, and the heavier the backpack will be.
5. Urge your child to wear both shoulder straps. Lugging the backpack around by one strap can cause the disproportionate shift of weight to one side, leading to neck and muscle spasms, as well as low-back pain.
6. Wide, padded straps are very important. Non-padded straps are uncomfortable, and can dig into your child’s shoulders.
7. The shoulder straps should be adjustable so the backpack can be fitted to your child’s body. Straps that are too loose can cause the backpack to dangle uncomfortably and cause spinal misalignment and pain.
8. If the backpack is still too heavy, talk to your child’s teacher. Ask if your child could leave the heaviest books at school, and bring home only lighter hand-out materials or workbooks.
9. Although the use of rollerpacks – or backpacks on wheels – has become popular in recent years, the ACA is now recommending that they be used cautiously and on a limited basis by only those students who are not physically able to carry a backpack. Some school districts have begun banning the use of rollerpacks because they clutter hallways, resulting in dangerous trips and falls.
If your child experiences pain from his or her backpack use, please do not hesitate to call our office for an evaluation.
Antacids May Increase Your Risk of Osteoporosis
Friday, July 30th, 2010
By: Dr. Patterson
The importance of proper digestion cannot be overemphasized. Antacid medications are one of the leading over-the-counter drugs sold. In fact, in 2009, Nexium was the number two pharmaceutical drug sold in the United States.
Every day I see patients in my office who are taking these medications. Some patients have taken these medications for so long that they have become immune to the fact that they have a digestive disorder, or they feel because it may be an over-the-counter medication that there is no harm in it. I guarantee that it if you have symptoms of heartburn, indigestion, or reflux, it is not because you are suffering from a Nexium or other antacid deficiency. These medications are treating your symptoms, not the cause of your problems.
There are many potential problems with the long-term use of antacids. Today I want to focus on osteoporosis. Studies in recent years have indicated that use of these antacids, either for more than one year or in high doses, increases the risk of osteoporosis in people over 50. University of Pennsylvania researchers found a 44% increased risk of hip fracture in people taking proton pump inhibitor types of antacids. These are commonly known by names such as Nexium, Aciphex, Prevacid, Prilosec, Protonix and Zegerid.
In May 2010 , the FDA finally came out with a warning about the possible increased risk of spine, wrist and hip fractures with the use of antacid medications. They reviewed seven published studies. Six of the seven studies showed an increase risk of fracture.
As a Doctor of Chiropractic and Internal Health Specialist, these findings come as no surprise. Calcium can only be absorbed in an acidic environment. When you reduce the acidic environment of the stomach, calcium will have a more difficult time being absorbed into your system. The good news is that we can improve digestion with the use of enzyme replacement nutrition and diet modification. Specific testing can be performed to determine what your body is having trouble digesting, and we can treat the cause vs. treating the symptom.
If you would like information on how to be tested, please contact our office.