Category — Exercise

Staying active and fit matters, especially as you age. Regular physical activity can help you prevent disease and injury in your “golden years”. In grade school you learned how important exercise is. Now to refresh you on why it’s so important…

Physical activity boosts the metabolism and keeps excess weight off. Regular exercise enhances the immune system, improves mood, helps prevent depression, and promotes cardiovascular health. Exercise has been shown to delay or prevent osteoporosis, and even certain types of cancer. Exercise done regularly also helps balance and control blood lipids, diabetes, and obesity.

On the other hand, a lifestyle of inactivity can be very dangerous. When you combine years of poor eating and inactivity, not only do you miss out on the benefits mentioned above, but you compromise and weaken your cardiovascular system.

If you want to receive benefits to your cardiovascular system and lungs, you must perform any moderate (or more strenuous) activity for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. Here are some suggestions of activities and exercises that you can enjoy safely:

• brisk walking
• hiking
• stair-climbing
• gardening
• yard work
• swimming
• dancing
• tennis or racquetball
• golf

A simple tip to remember is that the 30-minutes of activity can be broken up into smaller chunks of time at different times of the day. What’s important is to get into a routine and to develop an active lifestyle. Remember, movement is one of the keys to life!

Our center’s mission is to promote superior health through natural therapy. And it’s amazing how powerful natural therapies can be… with the right knowledge backing it up.

Many of my clients have serious complaints that can be corrected rather quickly. In many cases our clients need to rely on our professional expertise to solve the problem. Sometimes it’s a matter of a series of adjustments or trigger point massage therapy. Sometimes it involves a course of laser therapy.

In other cases it’s just a matter of making changes to their lifestyle. This could involve tweaking an exercise program and eliminating harmful exercises. It could mean getting more sleep. It could mean learning how to activate the core muscles (which we teach in our center). It may involve learning how to better manage stress.

In the cases involving complaints in the lower extremities (the feet, ankles, knees, and/or hips), many times the solution can be found in proper support and balance.

I’ve found that excessive pronation is one of the most common problems that’s at the core of many lower extremity complaints. Excessive pronation is a condition where the medial arch of the foot is not doing it’s job in supporting the foot. It begins to drop too far upon weight bearing.

This means that every time you step down, the medial arch drops too far. This causes a cascade of problems working their way up the chain of joints. Foot problems have been shown to cause problems all the way into the spine and up even to the jaw.

Excessive pronation, poor support, and disturbed balance can cause these common problems:

• foot pain
• plantar fasciitis
• bunions
• hammer toes
• ankle pain or instability
• shin splints
• sciatica and piriformis syndrome
• knee pain
• hip or sacroiliac pain
• poor posture
• back pain

If you have any of the previous problems, please schedule an evaluation to have your feet checked by me or someone at our office. It only takes about 5 minutes to do a thorough evaluation, which could possibly uncover a problem that has an easy fix.

This small investment of your time could save you incredible amounts of pain and suffering. And if your lower extremity problem is interfering with your activities, we may be able to help you get back to enjoying an active lifestyle again.

In cases of excessive pronation or instability, I will almost always recommend these two things:

1. Start using custom-fit arch support

The ones you can buy at the neighborhood pharmacy, can add a little padding but don’t support the arches properly. We fit people for the custom-fit arch supports right in the office. I use a specific balance test during the fitting process to make sure it’s the perfect fit for your specific arch size. The arch support I prescribe is an excellent product by a company called Symmetry. It provides support for all three of the arches of the foot, while remaining flexible to allow the foot to move normally. The style of arch support is determined by the use. For example, athletic shoes and dress shoes require different styles. They even make a style that accommodates sensitive feet. I’ve been using Symmetry arch supports for around 7 years now. I’ve found them to be inexpensive, very durable and comfortable… and they do the job very well.

2. Start wearing a good motion control shoe

The motion control shoe I recommend is the 1123 by New Balance. You can check them out online. It’s an excellent shoe that provides motion control, stability and cushioning. It’s a bit expensive, but it is very durable. I’ve heard that it can last twice as long as the typical running shoe. I just bought my first pair this week, so I don’t know first hand yet.

Focusing on body support and balance is a wise investment of your time and money and could save you a great deal of pain and suffering. Taking care of your problem now may enable you to get back to enjoying an active lifestyle again. Even if you don’t have any substantial pain, you may have a significant problem developing. If you suspect that you have a problem with support or body balance, give us a call today.

It is always easier to stay well than to get well.

This past weekend my family and I travelled to a little-known park called Ricketts Glen. It’s a Pennsylvania state park located in the Endless Mountain Region, which is in the Northeast part of the state just west of the Poconos. It’s well worth the three-hour drive from the Philadelphia area. We consider it to be one of the hidden treasures in Pennsylvania.

The park is located on Red Rock Mountain. The region is covered by a majestic forrest that conceals the Glens Natural Area and twenty-three beautiful waterfalls. They range in height from 11′ to 94′ high and are absolutely breathtaking. And to see them all, you’ll definitely get quite a workout. A difficult hiking trail called the “Falls Trail” calls out to you as it offers a close up view of all but one of the falls.

It was our fourth time visiting the park and we decided to “push it” a little this time since our kids were a bit older and stronger. We took the shortest route looping through the Falls Trail, which was approximately 4 miles long. We started at around 10:00 AM, and finished four and one-half hours later! Joshua, our three-year-old toughed it out until the last mile at which point he was hoisted up on to my shoulders for an easy ride home.

It’s great when exercise fits right into enjoyable activities, like hiking. While we were enjoying the wonderful surroundings, we didn’t even realize we were burning up between 300-500 calories per hour! Of course, everyone felt it the next day or two.

Later we had to prepare for our campfire by gathering and chopping wood. More exercise camouflaged as fun! After dinner, we got together with another family and organized an exciting game of “capture the flag”. We set up the field in and around the woods surrounding the cabins and used brooms as flags. More exercise in the form of running, chasing, and sneaking through the woods. Laura had even got into the fray and secretly snuck all the way into “enemy” territory unnoticed.

Rest came later as everyone sat around the campfire and shared stories of the days events. We were blessed with beautiful weather and a clear sky that gave way to a host of twinkling stars. It was our kids’ first realization that our sky is literally filled with stars from horizon to horizon. They were amazed.

The next day we “relaxed” more at the lake. Our family spent the day wrestling on the beach, playing football, and running in and out of the cold water. The day finished again with preparations for dinner and the campfire and another round of “capture the flag”.

Overall we had a full weekend. Our trip to Rickets Glen State Park was filled with wonder, laughter, togetherness and lots of physical activity. Overall, it wasn’t the most relaxing trip… but it was good.

Following an injury, exercise therapy is almost always required if you want to have an optimal recovery. To achieve superior health, the condition of your muscles, tendons, and ligaments can’t be overlooked. Without some form of exercise therapy, recovery from an injury or long-standing physical problem takes longer to achieve.

Your body will heal regardless of whether a program of exercise therapy is completed or not. However, if you don’t complete a properly designed exercise therapy program, your healing will most likely be less than perfect. When your healing is less than perfect, you increase the likelihood of a relapse - with your original health problem returning again and again.

In our practice, we’ve found that long-lasting pain relief can be achieved only when:

• complete healing occurs
• your body returns to optimal function

When muscles, tendons, or ligaments of the spine are damaged through work injuries, car accidents, overexertion, repetitive motion or even weakened by inactivity, your overall health is negatively affected.

In our practice, we integrate chiropractic, massage therapy, nutrition and exercise therapy to achieve a powerful holistic approach to wellness. As a client, we will skillfully and patiently help you overcome obstacles that are interfering with your return to full function. Through one-on-one coaching, we can improve your:

• core strength
• overall body strength
• energy
• flexibility
• endurance
• balance

Because consistency and diligence are critical in exercise therapy, clients are usually given a set of simple exercises they can do at home. We’ve found that clients who play an active role in their own program, get better quicker and achieve better results.

This is a deep question. And it needs to be addressed because many of our clients ask this question of us early on. We usually try to explain everything on the first to our center. To handle this question we need to begin by establishing a foundation…

True Healing

First, it may surprise you to learn that doctors and drugs don’t heal. They can’t form the new tissue to mend a broken bone or heal a cut. Only your body can do that. I believe that each of us is a masterpiece, that has the miraculous ability to heal. True healing comes naturally from within.

At Spectrum Wellness we respect the natural healing process of the body. And because healing is a process, it take time. In some, healing takes longer than in others.

Children often see results quickly. Adults and seniors with long-standing problems can take much longer. Each person is unique and responds somewhat differently. When involved in natural healing, patience is a must.

What are Your Goals?

To reasonably answer the question of “How long will my recovery take?” we’ll need to uncover our client’s health goals. What are your health goals? We will always work with you and honor your goals.

If your goal is only pain relief, then your program with us will be relatively shorter. Now, if your goal is to recover as well as to prevent a relapse then we’ll need to focus on restoring full function. We’ll likely focus on core strength, balance, and muscular endurance. And if your goal is comprehensive care & wellness, then you’ll soon realize that attaining superior health is not a destination… it’s a journey.

At Spectrum Wellness, we get great results because we take a multi-faceted approach to healing. We’re a fusion of chiropractic, massage and exercise therapy. We work one-on-one with our clients to design personalized programs to produce the greatest results in the shortest amount of time.

If your recovery doesn’t progress as expected, we’ll change what we’re doing. Or, we’ll refer you to another health and wellness practitioner. You and your health are our primary concern.

With all this talk about pursuing a lifestyle of wellness, I want to address the number one reason people consult our office. Pain.

We, at Spectrum Wellness, accept clients with big pains or little ones. We handle acute or chronic conditions. Sport or work-related injuries. Even motor vehicle accident injuries. We welcome clients ranging from one end of the spectrum to the other.

What is pain anyway? Does it have a purpose?

Pain is a warning sign. It’s your body’s way of telling you that a limit has been reached. Like a smoke alarm, it’s not the alarm that’s the problem. The alarm has a cause, just like nearly every ache or pain has a cause. Some people choose to just cover up the pain instead of correcting the true cause. They end up believing that they’re totally fine because they feel fine. Unfortunately, the problem that lies below the surface of the pain still exists.

What’s your approach to dealing with pain?

Drugs?

Choosing to numb or cover up the pain with a chemical. Drugs can offer temporary relief, but they can’t correct structural or functional problems - such as spinal joint dysfunction (subluxation) or muscular problems. Just covering up the symptoms of a problem can be dangerous. Imagine if you were driving your car and a red flashing light appeared on the dashboard. Would it be wise to take a black marker and scribble over the light so that it wouldn’t shine in your eyes? Also, many drugs have dangerous side-effects and also have a long-term toxic effect on the whole body… just check out the back page of a drug advertisement in a magazine.

Physical Therapy?

Physical therapy is an option that many people choose. However, exercising spinal joints that are misaligned is like continuing to drive your car with misaligned wheels! Some physical therapy facilities do adjustments like us.more than guide patients in an exercise program, but none offer the combination of natural therapies that we have.

Surgery?

This is the most drastic of all measures. Cutting through layers of skin and muscle tissue to cut, scrape, fuse, remove or alter body parts. While there may be times when surgery makes sense, they are risky. When it comes to emergency care, nothing beats Western Medicine. If I had a serious knife wound, I wouldn’t drop in to a fellow chiropractor’s office to get an adjustment! I’d get to an ER stat. Go to a hospital for sickness care… come to us for health care.

Natural Therapy?

Even better, Natural therapy is safe. The combination of chiropractic, massage and exercise therapy is the wise choice. Our focus is to find and correct the underlying cause of your problem.

Earlier this week, I was talking with Christine and Linda about our vision and our passion. After an insightful discussion we summed it up: Our passion is to help our clients get well and stay well - using natural therapeutic techniques that are safe and effective. We love the idea of promoting superior health in our community through natural therapies. We discussed just how different our approach to wellness is than the typical “Western” medical approach. To clarify our thoughts, I’d like to share the following story of a patient who visited us this month. Her story isn’t that unusual…

(I have changed the patient name to protect her privacy)

Debbie was referred in to our office by a caring family member. After she was warmly greeted by Christine and Linda, she was introduced to me. She was pleasant enough and seemed to carry herself well, but I could tell something was bothering her. After Debbie completed some health history forms I brought her into my exam room and began the interview. I looked over her forms with her and when I got to the pain/body diagram, my heart broke for her.

She literally had nearly every symptom checked and every body part circled - indicating she had pains everywhere. She indicated that her pain was a 9 out of 10 and was fairly constant. I discovered that she had been suffering from debilitating pains for over 14 years and had not been getting any better despite the numerous medications and injections she was given. She was at her wit’s end.

I began asking some hard questions. Did any of her doctors recommend chiropractic, massage or any other natural healing art?… “No.” Did any of her prior doctors advise her to a try healthier way of eating?… “No.” How was her diet? “Poor.”

Then I started the exam. Debbie was able to move fairly well during the exam and nothing really struck me as that extraordinary until I had her lie down on my exam table. I performed a detailed exam of her spine and the muscles of her back, thighs, legs, shoulders and arms. I discovered multiple areas of spinal subluxation (”stuck” spinal joints that cause nerve interference). I also found that she had multiple areas of extreme muscular tension and active trigger points (muscular “knots”) throughout her body. Some of her trigger points that were so “fired up” that when pressed they shot pain to across to other areas of her body.

I then asked her if any of her prior doctors examined her like this?… “No.” She told me she her doctors interviewed her and then she had x-rays, MRIs, and lab work. All tests revealed nothing wrong. It didn’t surprise me.  I see this type of case frequently.  I knew that all those expensive diagnostic tests don’t reveal the types of problems I found in her joints and muscles. And I found her problems (and the cause of her pains) by just using my hands. (Side note: chiropractic means “With Hands” or “Hand Practice”)

So what does traditional medicine do when they can’t find any causes?  She was prescribed medication to ease her pain. Over the years that changed to injections, and then more and more drugs. And she just didn’t think anything else could be done.

After finishing the exam, I clearly explained to Debbie what was wrong, and that I could definitely help. I provided hope. Her face lit up.

I let her know that I would accept her as a patient, and there was good hope that she would recover, but she would have to make a commitment to better health. She would have to start a program consisting of regular visits for chiropractic and massage therapy. It was also vital that she change her way of eating. She joyfully agreed. Her journey to superior health was just beginning.

This true story helped me clarify my passion as a chiropractic doctor and a natural healer. And in regards to wellness, it also revealed a very distinct difference between our approach and the typical “Western” medical approach…

We know that true health comes from within… not in a bottle.

And we don’t just cover up the symptoms with drugs… we uncover the true cause of the problem and provide natural and corrective care. How refreshing!

And in Debbie’s case… life-changing.