Statistics have indicated that back pain will affect around 80% of all people at some time in their life.  Back pain can range from the lower back area to the upper back and shoulder blade area.  Back pains are especially bad when they impact every day functions such as walking, bending, sleeping, or sitting.  Americans spend billions of dollars every year fighting their back pains.  Is there any way to prevent it?  Here are five simple ways to help prevent back pain.

1. Eat Right.  Excess weight puts more stress on your lower spine and contributes to injuries.  Animal-based foods (all meats, poultry, fish, and dairy) contribute to a pro-inflammatory diet and also lead to the production of chemicals that fuel the pain process.  Eating a healthy, whole food, and plant-based diet will reduce pain and inflammation, and can help reduce your back pain.
2. Minimize Stress.  Life is stressful!  Everyone experiences stress of some degree or another.  Excess stress causes muscles to tighten and interferes with the normal healing process.  Prolonged stress leads to homone imbalances of the stress glands of the body – the adrenal glands.  These glands secrete hormones that regulate many body functions including: sleep, digestion, weight gain, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, immune system, arthritis, allergies, heart function, fatigue… to name a few.  These glands can be checked easily in our office and can usually be balanced/repaired through diet and supplements.
3. Maintain Good Posture and Ergonomics.  Maintaining good posture means keeping the body in a balanced and neutral position as much as possible.  Avoid stressful and damaging prolonged postures where ever you are.  Moat people use computer work stations both at home or at work.  These can be a problem if the ergonomics aren’t set up correctly.  Screens should be centralized and keyboards should be positioned where the height allows your arms to be bent at 90 degrees.  Some lower back pillow is recommended if you are sitting for long periods.  Frequent breaks to move and stretch can also help maintain body posture and balance.
4. Perform Healthy Exercises Regularly.  Regular cardiovascular exercise is important to help maintain good cardiovascular health, manage weight, and reduce stress.  But nothing replaces targeted spine-specific exercises to focus on your core.  Some of the bast exercises for your core also involve balance and muscle endurance.  Some examples are:
• Quadruped – on hands and knees.  While holding abdominals in tight (hollowing), alternate straightening opposing arm and leg and holding for 5 seconds.  Repeat 20 times.
• Bridge – on back.  Lift pelvis, torso, and shoulder blades off floor and hold for 30 seconds.  Repeat.
• Plank – pushup position supported on the forearms rather than hands.  While keeping abdominals in tight (hollowing), hold your body straight for 30 seconds.  Repeat.
• One Leg Balance – standing.  Keep abdominals in and balance on one foot (stork stand) for 30 seconds.  Switch legs and repeat.
5. Get Adjusted By Your Chiropractor.  Everyday activities, stress, and toxins take their toll on our bodies.  Our joints and muscles tighten, become restricted, and become imbalanced.  Adjustments help to retore normal joint motion and can rebalance your spine and body.

Many people think that once they begin chiropractic care, they’ll have to go forever.  This is simply NOT true.

After a thorough interview and exam, we will work together to come up with a treatment plan that will work for you.  You are always in charge of how much care you want and the frequency of your visits.  Like many other healthy habits, you may want to receive regular chiropractic checkups, massage therapy, and other natural therapies because they can help you maintain superior health.

Following completing the initial set of forms, I will conduct an interview and introductory exam.  The purpose of this visit is to determine if you would be a good candidate for care at our center.  After the introductory exam, I’ll let you know if I think I can help you. At this time, specific diagnostic testing or outside referrals may be necessary for your appropriate care. If I don’t feel that I can help you, I’ll let you know and may refer you to another doctor.

If it looks promising, I’ll invite you back to receive a full examination to more accurately identify the cause of your problem.

The full examination is usually attended to on your second visit, which may be later the same day or the following day. This two-visit approach accomplishes several things:

• Reduces the length of your first visit
• Gives us time to correlate our findings
• Avoids overloading you with too much information

In certain situations, and based on my professional judgment, we sometimes make exceptions. It just depends on your unique situation.

Regardless of your health goals, please understand that we see ourselves as mere servants. You’re the boss! It’s your body, your health and your future. Our job is to offer you the finest wellness care possible, and it’s up to you to decide how much of it you want and how fast you want to proceed.  Our wellness program options may help you understand this better…

Relief Care – When many people seek care in our office they have one goal: relief. So that’s where we start! During this initial stage of intensive care, we have several obligations:

• Uncover the underlying cause of the health problem
• Suggest a care plan to produce the fastest results possible
• Offer ways patients can participate in their recovery
• Suggest advanced strategies for long-term benefits
• Explain the value of post-symptomatic wellness care

Typical relief care programs range in length from 6 to 24 visits.  The more severe and more chronic the condition, the longer it may take for you to progress through this phase of care.

Rehabilitative Care – Many of our clients want to continue relief care into the next phase of care – the corrective or rehabilitative phase. Wisdom has taught us that long-lasting pain relief can be achieved only when complete healing occurs and your body returns to optimal function. This part of the healing process usually involves therapeutic exercises. We provide one-on-one coaching through this phase of care and focus on flexibility, strength, endurance, balance, and core-conditioning.

Typical rehabilitative care programs range in length from 6 to 12 visits.  The more severe and more chronic the condition, the longer it may take for you to progress through this phase of care.

Weight Loss & Weight Management – We provide one-on-one nutritional counseling, exercise program design, and utilize a special laser therapy technique, called auriculotherapy, to assist our clients lose weight in a way that is safe and very effective.

Laser auriculotherapy is non-invasive, requires no needles, and is painless. We see many overweight people that have tried diets but have failed because they have difficulty curbing their appetite and cravings. Laser therapy helps to curb your appetite and depress hunger cravings. Our laser technique also stimulates your metabolism to burn off extra calories and correct internal body hormonal imbalances.

Typical weight loss care programs range in length from 12 to 24 visits.  If you are severely obese, it may take longer to progress through this phase of care.

Ongoing Maintenance/Supportive Care – Many of our clients want to continue beyond both the pain relief and rehab phases of care.  Routine chiropractic checkups are enjoyed by millions (both young and old) who want to keep their spine, nervous system, and body as healthy as possible.  Why is regular care needed?  Because subluxations (misalignments of the spine and extremities) continue to occur in life.  Life is stressful!  You may need weekly checkups, or you may do fine with monthly visits.  It just depends on your body and your lifestyle.

So how much chiropractic care do you need?  It really depends on your unique situation and your personal health care goals.

Dogs are known as man’s best friend.  And for good reason.  For thousands of years both man and dog’s lives have become entwined in many ways.  Dogs seem to like to hang around us and we, humans, have found that dogs can be quite useful.

How can a dog promote a healthier you?

• Dogs have proven to be excellent companions, and lower stress level
• Dog owners tend to be more active, increasing their “leisure-time” physical activity
• Dogs are excellent motivators to get you moving, taking regular walks
• Dogs are cute and fun
• Dogs tend to make people more social
• Dogs coax you to play physical games like fetch, catch-me-if-you-can, and tug o’ war

We own one cool dog, named Sheba (pictured above with the pups), who was a rescue from the Philadelphia SPCA.  She’s an American Staffordshire Terrier/American Bulldog mix, and a terrific family dog.  She’s great with the kids and other people, loves to play, and she’s an excellent motivator for me to get up early and run with her.  Yes, I tie her leash to my waist and we go out every day.  We run 3-4 times per week, and walk the other times.

And now, my family is helping by fostering dogs without homes to get them ready for adoption.  Our first two dogs were actually an adorable pair of puppies (pictured above).  Emma is a Shepherd/Husky/Rottweiler mix, and Ryan is a Bluetick Coonhound/Pointer mix.  Man, did they keep us busy for several days until they were adopted.  To learn more about our local dog rescue, check out WetNoseRescue.org.

So if you want get more active, relieve stress, have fun, get outdoors more often, meet more people, and get healthier… get a dog!

———————————–

Some research studies about dogs and physical activity:

JPAH Volume 8, Issue 3, March

The Impact of Dog Walking on Leisure-Time Physical Activity: Results From a Population-Based Survey of Michigan Adults

Background: The extent to which dog walking promotes leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) remains unresolved. We describe the characteristics of people who walk their dog, and assess the impact on LTPA. Methods: Information on dog ownership, dog walking patterns, total walking activity and LTPA were assessed in the 2005 Michigan Behavioral Risk Factor Survey. Multiple logistic regression was used to generate adjusted odds ratios (AOR) for the effect of dog walking on total walking and LTPA. Results: Of 5,902 respondents 41% owned a dog, and of these, 61% walked their dog for at least 10 minutes at a time. However, only 27% walked their dog at least 150 minutes per week. Dog walking was associated with a significant increase in walking activity and LTPA. Compared to non-dog owners, the odds of obtaining at least 150 minutes per week of total walking were 34% higher for dog walkers (AOR= 1.34, 95% CI = 1.13-1.59), and the odds of doing any LTPA were 69% higher (AOR= 1.69, 95% CI = 1.33-2.15). Conclusions: Dog walking was associated with more walking and LTPA, however a substantial proportion of dog owners do not walk their dog. The promotion of dog walking could help increase LTPA.

From Pubmed.gov

Walking the dog: is pet ownership associated with physical activity in California?

Yabroff KR, Troiano RP, Berrigan D.

Applied Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported positive associations between pet ownership and a variety of health outcomes. In this study, we explored associations between pet ownership and physical activity in a large, ethnically diverse population-based sample in California. METHOD: Data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) were used to assess the associations between pet ownership (ie, dog, dog and cat, cat, and non-pet owners) and transportation and leisure walking in a sample of 41,514 adults. Logistic regression was used to assess associations between pet ownership and type of walking, and linear regression was used to assess associations between pet ownership and total minutes walking per week. RESULTS: Dog owners were slightly less likely to walk for transportation than were non-pet owners (OR = 0.91; 95% CI: 0.85 to 0.99) but more likely to walk for leisure than non-pet owners (OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.5 to 1.8) in multivariate analyses. Overall, dog owners walked 18.9 (95% CI: 11.4 to 26.4) minutes more per week than non-pet owners. Walking behaviors of cat owners were similar to non-pet owners. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the moderate association between dog ownership and higher levels of physical activity.

Do you want to get the benefits of 45-60 minutes of exercise in just 10 minutes? Sounds impossible, but it’s true.  And it’s backed by sound research.  Our new whole body vibration (WBV) exerciser is named the Power Vibe and is made by  a company called Zen Pro.

The concept dates back to the 1960′s and 70′s to the Russian space program.  The Russian cosmonauts were sent into space for prolonged periods of time and when they returned they discovered some shocking things.  The cosmonauts had significant muscle weakness (atrophy) and bone loss or demineralization (osteoporosis).  The Russian space program began to use whole body vibration as a way to simulate weight bearing loads.  The cosmonauts performed the rehabilitation exercises before, during, and after trips into space.

Afterward, German Universities continued their own research on the effects of WBV.  Many studies were done on a variety of effects on the body, such as WBV and Osteoporosis, developing muscle mass, improving balance and circulation, rehabilitation for injuries, weight loss, and the like.

In the 1980′s, whole body vibration exercise has been used by Olympic athletes as a way to enhance training and rehab.  And now, whole body vibration has become affordable and accessible for most people.  It is effective, fast, and safe for people of all ages.

What is Whole Body Vibration Exercise Like?

You begin by standing on a rapidly vibrating plate.  The body undergoes the stimulating changes of rapid acceleration/deceleration, similar to running or being on a trampoline.  You can then move into different simple positions and hold them for some time while the plate continues to vibrate.  Examples of some positions are the squat, the one-legged stork stand, or the plank.

Standing for just 5-10 minutes a day, while doing a few movements to transfer the vibration of the machine into various body regions, increases the flow of freshly oxygenated blood into the tissues, enhances lymphatic drainage, and generally loosens things up.  You will feel great!

What are the Benefits of Whole Body Vibration Exercise?

On a WBV machine, the platform you stand on moves very rapidly. This controlled motion is transferred up through your body.  What happens in your body is that all of your tissues are forced to react to the stimulus of the vibrating platform.

• WBV works and tones your muscles. Here WBV works very similar to the knee jerk reflex. When muscles are activated via a “stretch reflex” your body has no choice but to react.  WBV technology exploits this fact by using an external stimulus – the vibrating platform. When you load a muscle or muscle group in line with the direction of the vibration by assuming various positions, the muscles respond to the vibration as compensation with a brief reflex contraction of virtually all muscle fibers of that particular muscle. Now remember, the platform moves anywhere from about 1000 to 3000 times a minute depending on the setting! You can imagine the type of stimulus this creates, thus causing your muscles to tone and strengthen faster than any other form of workout.
• WBV increases your blood flow. In order for a muscle to do any contraction, it needs to burn glucose and oxygen. Where does the muscle get these 2 essential components from? Your blood flow! As your muscle contractions increase, so does the need for oxygen and glucose for the muscle. Your body supplies it by increasing your heart rate to get the necessary nutrients to the muscle.  Thus, WBV naturally increases your circulation.
• WBV increases your lymphatic drainage. When standing straight up on the WBV platform, you can feel your sinuses draining, and the stiffness and tightness from standing all day going away. These are typical signs of lymphatic drainage which also helps to fight infection and bacteria. It’s almost like WBV supercharges every cell in your body with energy! Spending just 5 minutes on a PowerVibe (especially the vertical vibration units) and swelling is down, you are feeling lighter, looser, and best of all more relaxed!
• WBV increases the release of Endorphins. Researchers in Germany have also shown that the stimulation of subcutaneous tissues and ligaments around the spine in particular release significant amounts of endorphins, the same “Feel Good” hormones that are showing up in the bloodstream after a lengthy run!
• WBV lowers your Stress Hormone Cortisol. Also of particular interest to me was the fact that exercising with WBV helps your body to reduce the levels of Cortisol. This hormone starts to show up when you’re stressed out and your system is running on overload. Cortisol is terrible for the body – it causes your body’s inflammation levels to go up, it robs you of sleep, wipes out your adrenal glands and after a while leaves you constantly exhausted. WBV on a PowerVibe unit helps to break down this damaging hormone and replace it with better hormones. We all know how well exercise works in combating stress.
• WBV trains your equilibrium sense. The human brain is built to keep our bodies in a state of equilibrium, balance, and stability in the 3-dimensional world.  If someone pushes your shoulder, your brain responds by telling you to lean back against the push so you don’t fall over.  If you’re standing on a platform that is moving 20 – 50 times per second, your brain must respond quickly by triggering certain muscles to contract and others to relax so that you maintain your balance. The brain is forced to respond to the rapidly moving surface under you or you would fall over! This is great exercise for the balance sense.
• WBV can combat osteoporosis. Weight bearing load is placed on the patient’s entire skeletal structure, which maximizes lymph drainage, promotes the release of osteoblasts, and  fights osteoporosis.

The benefits of WBV training are considerable, as evidenced by its acceptance in major medical, rehabilitation and therapeutic centers across the country. The health benefits are multifold and results can be achieved easily. It can enhance your general well being and quality of life regardless of age, medical, neurological or physical condition.  WBV training is not difficult, but it can be challenging – the degree of difficulty is entirely up to you.

Feel free to call me if you have any questions regarding whole body vibration and if you want to find out if this natural therapeutic exercise would be right for you.  You can also check out some Power Vibe videos at: http://www.powervibeusa.com/community/video.

Wow, are we excited about the recent changes in our wellness center!

1. We have finished our expansion and improved our chiropractic and massage services! Our office now extends all the way from the front of our building to the back.   We are very happy with the addition of two spacious, private, quiet, and newly decorated rooms. You are going to love receiving a relaxing therapeutic massage in either our “green room” or our “yellow room”.  We also converted the old massage room to another chiropractic treatment room.  These changes will allow us to provide better care for all of our patients!
2. We acquired an additional therapeutic exercise device that is just going to amaze you! The machine is called the PowerVibe by a company called Zen Pro.  It is a “whole body vibration” therapeutic exercise device.  You are going to be shocked at how fast (just 10 minutes) you can get the physiological effects of 45-60 minutes of exercise. The PowerVibe helps minimize pain, promote healing, improve balance, promotes weight loss, enhance muscle and bone growth, and prevent osteoporosis.   Also, it’s just plain fun to use!

1. We just launched our new web site – NaturalTherapyDr.com – and updated this blog! You may have noticed the new look already.  I welcome you to visit our new site.  Poke around.  It’s loaded with exercise videos, educational videos, and lots of great information about our practice.  Remember to share it as well!
2. Help me welcome Audrey Krieger! Audrey is a certified massage therapist, and the newest member of the Spectrum Wellness team.  She is highly skilled and puts her heart into every massage!

I’m excited about this new year!  Give me a call if you have any questions or concerns about these changes… I’d love to hear from you.  We’re looking forward to helping you meet your health goals in 2011!

The Patient’s Complaints

• Right sided shoulder pain and weakness with mild neck pain of unknown cause that began 3 weeks ago and has gradually worsened
• Limited movement and increased pain with reaching overhead and behind back to fasten her bra

Snapshot of My Examination Findings

• Restricted ranges of motion of the right shoulder as compared to the left, especially bad on lifting the arm up, to the side, and reaching behind her back
• Tight and painful muscles surrounding the shoulder joint, especially the supraspinatus and teres minor muscles (both are muscles of the rotator cuff)
• Weakness of the shoulder muscles (especially the supraspinatus)
• Multiple areas of spinal subluxations (jammed spinal bones that irritate the nervous system)
• X-ray evaluation of the right shoulder and cervical spine (neck) showed no problems with the bones

My Diagnosis

• Rotator Cuff Sprain/Strain – moderate
• Spinal subluxations

My Recommendations

• A course of 12 visits of integrative care to include the following:
• Chirporactic adjustments of the spine and extremities
• Myofascial release performed by massage therapist
• Progressive therapeutic exercises targeting the rotator cuff and surrounding musculature
• Ice at home as needed for 15 minutes per hour.

The Prognosis

• Fair

Discussion

Shoulder pain is a common complaint that is often associated with neck pain and upper back pain.  The only complaint we see more frequently in our office is low back pain.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 13.7 million people in the United States sought medical care in 2003 for shoulder problems.

When you think of shoulder injuries, you probably think of sports-related injuries seen in baseball or tennis.  However, shoulder injuries can be easily caused by many normal everyday activities (even those of a 67-year old). The shoulder is so  susceptible to injury because it has the greatest range of motion of all the joints of the body.

The shoulder consists of three major bones and over twenty different muscles.  Two major tendons of the shoulder are the biceps tendon, which attaches the biceps muscle to the shoulder and helps stabilize the joint, and the supraspinatus tendon, which helps form the rotator cuff.  Four short muscles originate on the scapula and pass around the shoulder where their tendons fuse together to form the rotator cuff.

Rotator cuff strain/sprain is an injury to the muscle and tendon that covers, rotates, and raises the shoulder.  Symptoms usually include shoulder pain and difficulty raising the shoulder.

Our Approach To Shoulder Problems

If you were a new patient visiting our office, we always start with a thorough case history, consultation, and examination.  I may recommend diagnostic studies (x-ray or MRI) if I need more information. At this point, if I determine that care is appropriate and you decide to begin care, I will design a treatment plan for you.  If at any time I discover something beyond the scope of my practice, I won’t hesitate to contact your primary care provider to discuss a possible referral to another healthcare provider.

We follow a very effective  treatment strategy based on the letters ASR.  They stand for:

• A – Adjust (whole-body adjustment techniques)
• S – Support (spinal pelvic stabilizers and other joint supports)
• R – Rehabilitate (targeted exercise therapy/physical rehab)

My approach that works so well with the spine can be applied to other joints of the body. Virtually every articulation of your skeletal system is susceptible to fixations that can impair function and range of motion.  We have a variety of other treatment options to help you recover quickly and completely.  Some of our other treatment options could include:

• Massage therapy
• Laser therapy
• Electrostimulation treatment
• Home TENS unit
• Therapeutic taping
• Targeted rehabilitative exercises for the shoulder
• Exercise modification
• Home exercise program
• Nutritional supplementation and dietary modification

We don’t want you to have to resort to dangerous medicines, injections, or surgery.  Our approach is to use chiropractic care and other natural therapies (such as massage or rehab exercises) to correct your shoulder problem quickly and  naturally.

We just returned from a 4-day vacation in upstate Pennsylvania.  Our family has made it a tradition to head out to a beautiful state park called Rickett’s Glen, which is about 3 1/2 hours from the Philadelphia area.  This year we met three other families there, and everyone had a great time.

The camp is located in an area called the Endless Mountain Region and is set on the top of Red Rock Mountain.  We keep coming back because Rickett’s Glen has so much to offer.  There are very nice and affordable modern cabins for rent.  For those who want to “rough it”, you can set up a tent in a traditional camp site along the mountain top lake.  Lake Jean is surrounded by tall trees and offers swimming, fishing, and boating.

The “Fall’s Trail” is the most popular trail and most difficult hike at the park.  This is what makes Rickett’s Glen so special.  It takes you through the Glen natural area and incorporates 22 different waterfalls.  It’s just beautiful!   The old forest, the clean air, the moss-covered boulders, the sounds of nature… it’s hard to take it all in.   The largest waterfall is called Ganoga (pictured above).  It’s 94 feet high and is absolutely breathtaking.

I hiked the Falls Trail with another family who had a couple young children.  We took a leisurely pace and completed the hike in three and one half hours.  I was very impressed that both of the little ones finished on their own.  When I finished, I was somewhat tired but felt mentally recharged.

It may not be the most relaxing way to spend your vacation, but is is very enriching and refreshing.  Not to mention that hiking is great exercise and burns somewhere between 300 to 500 calories per hour.

After a long hike, there’s nothing better than enjoying a good meal, relaxing around a campfire, toasting a few marshmallows, sharing stories with good friends, and waiting for the stars to come out.

If you’re looking for a great weekend trip, check out this hidden treasure in the heart of Pennsylvania.

For more information about Rickett’s Glen State Park click here.

I want to thank our staff and patients for helping come up with this list of fun Spring activities.  I hope it helps encourage you to stay active and enjoy this beautiful world.

1. Walk dog at the park.
2. Getting a massage at Spectrum Wellness.
3. Having a picnic at Kelly Drive park.
4. Playing hopscotch with the kids.
5. Playground!
6. Riding bikes.
7. Play my acoustic guitar.
8. Riding a Ripstik.
9. Play capture the flag in the woods.
10. Playing with the grandkids.
11. Plant a garden.
12. Driving with the windows down.
13. Ride a Harley!
14. Gardening.
15. In the morning, running in the cool grass.
16. Walking on the beach.
17. Biking to Spectrum Wellness.
18. Sitting on the porch drinking a banana, pineapple smoothie.
19. Cutting the grass in the sun.
20. Go to the park with friends.

If you suffer from chronic low back pain and want to experience freedom from your pain, you will want to pay particular attention to your core.  To finally gain control of your back pain and reduce the chance of a relapse, you have to improve the condition of your core.  The term “core” may have you thinking of Pilate’s, Yoga, or doing sit-ups until your six pack burns.  Unfortunately the term “core” is frequently misused and the true nature of the core is greatly misunderstood.

To understand the true nature of your core, you need to understand your body design.  Your bones, ligaments, and joint capsules (passive restraints) provide stability toward the end of joint motion (ROM).  They don’t provide much stability in the neutral position.  That’s where the muscles come in to play, and provide support and stiffness.  Your body muscles are set up in three basic layers.

The outer layer of muscles are your large muscles.  These are big, strong muscles that are designed to move your skeleton.  They also are the muscles that give your body its shape.  The rectus abdominus muscles (the “six-pack”) is an outer layer muscle, and technically not part of your core.

You have a middle layer of muscles that lie beneath the outer layer of muscles.  These muscles connect to your spine and are designed for stability and control.  These are muscles of endurance that allow you to maintain good posture while you go about your day.  These middle layer muscles work continually to protect your spine as you put your body through its many different positions – sitting, bending, twisting, running, jumping, etc. If your core is weak, you will be susceptible to injury as you try to sustain static postures (i.e. sitting), or try to perform dynamic activities (i.e. playing soccer).

You also have a deep layer of muscles that act as “sensors” for your nervous system.  These small muscles attach to your spine and give continual feedback to your brain with each joint movement. These deep muscles are muscles of endurance and enable you to maintain good posture, balance, and position sense.

The muscles of your middle layer and deep layer make up your true core.  And because your core is composed of muscles of endurance, you must work it differently.  You can’t just do the normal exercises promoted in most health clubs or gyms.  Focusing on strength doesn’t help the true core.  Muscular endurance, posture, and balance must be your focus if you want to improve the condition of your core.

Your body stability is a dynamic function and includes:

• Static positioning
• Controlled movement
• Alignment in sustained postures
• Movement patterns that reduce body strain, avoid injury, and allow efficient muscle action

Your body stability and movement patterns may be altered by any combination of the following:

• Injuries
• Insufficient muscular strength or endurance
• Poor neuromuscular control
• Fatigue

To improve the condition of your core, research has shown that very moderate levels of muscle activity can be enough to create stable joints.  To work the endurance muscles of your core, only about 10% of your maximum contraction is needed to provide joint stability.  In contrast, when doing strength training you have to work at 70-80% of your maximum contraction in 1-2 sets of 8-12 repetitions.

This is great news!  Even if you are suffering from chronic back pain today, you can take active steps towards recovery.  I have been working with patients with chronic back pain since 1992, and have seen many amazing recoveries from patients following our easy program.  If you are committed to our program of core stabilization exercises, you will in most cases be able to gain control of your back pain within 4 to 6 weeks.

No drugs.  No surgery.  No expensive traction devices.  No high-tech computerized exercise devices.

Just a series of core stabilization exercises that are so simple, I’ve pictured the basic part of the program on this site.  Sounds simple?  That’s because it is.

Just click here to see the core stabilization program.

Depression affects millions of Americans each year.  As we drudge through this rainy Autumn and approach the winter, no doubt many people will begin suffering from depression.  Some will be mild, while others will be more severe.  Mild to moderate depression can respond very well to natural therapies.  If you suffer from severe depression, you should consult the proper medical doctor for evaluation.  Regardless of the severity of your depression, natural alternatives can help you fight depression and help you avoid dangerous drugs and their side effects.

Exercise is the key.  Exercise can be one of your most effective weapons to fight depression.

According to the Mayo Clinic:

Exercise helps prevent and improve a number of health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis. Research on anxiety, depression and exercise shows that the psychological and physical benefits of exercise can also help reduce anxiety and improve mood.

Exercise can be a substitute for anti-depressant drugs according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 1999:

(the study) divided 156 men and women with depression into three groups. One group took part in an aerobic exercise program, another took the SSRI sertraline (Zoloft), and a third did both. At the 16-week mark, depression had eased in all three groups. About 60%–70% of the people in all three groups could no longer be classed as having major depression. In fact, group scores on two rating scales of depression were essentially the same. This suggests that for those who need or wish to avoid drugs, exercise might be an acceptable substitute for antidepressants.

How can exercise help you fight depression?  I’ve listed some of the benefits here:

• Physical activity stimulates the production of “happy” chemicals in your brain that will lift your mood.
• Regular exercise will help you look and feel better and more energetic.  This will boost your self-esteem.
• Even gentle exercises can help reduce pent up stress and tension in your muscles.
• Physical activity increases your body temperature, which has a calming effect.
• During activity your mind will be taken off your worries, and you can focus on positive things.
• If you exercise in a social setting, you can become more “socially healthy” if you interact with others during your exercises.
• Regular exercise will enhance your immune system function.  You will get sick less often and your body will reduce unwanted chemicals in your body that fuel depression.

Are there exercises that are best for fighting depression?  No.  It’s best to live by the Nike slogan… “Just Do It”.  All your activity doesn’t have to be done at once.  It’s okay to spread it throughout your day.  I would recommend trying for at least 30 minutes every day.  Here are some suggestions if you need help coming up with ideas:

• Walking or Running.
• Mowing your lawn or raking leaves.
• Swimming.
• Lifting weights.
• Table tennis.
• Rebounding (gentle bouncing on a mini-trampoline)
• Bicycling (to work?)

How do you stay motivated?  Here are a few key ideas:

• Find activities that you enjoy.  Keep it fun.
• Vary your activities.  Both your mind and body crave changes in the routine.
• Find someone to partner with.  They will help keep you motivated and you can return the favor!
• If you decide to exercise at a gym (rather than around the home), find a local club within 10 minutes of home.  The drive to the gym can be one of your biggest barriers to exercising.
• If you miss a day, don’t let it worry you.  Just start back with your routine ASAP.  Don’t try to “make up” missed time.  Just get right back on your normal routine.