5 Exercises to Prevent The Pain In Your Neck!
March 29, 2010
We spend endless hours in front of a computer and it was reported in the Journal of Applied Physiology that as many as 63% of office workers will suffer from neck pain sometime this year. One of the most common questions I get asked is “What is the best chair for me to sit in all day?” There is no one chair that is perfect for everyone, and, no chair is going to allow you to sit in one place for eight hours with no consequences. Our bodies love and crave MOTION! There are good ergonomic tips to follow if you have a desk job. If you are sitting, you should get up at least every hour and walk around the room, to the bathroom, across the room to set a timer for the next hour reminding you to get up!
What's wrong with this picture?
Women are especially at risk for neck pain from computers because our strength typically isn’t in our upper bodies. These 5 exercises can significantly reduce the risk for this happening to you and to prevent it happening again. Have 3 sessions each week and do 3 sets of 10 each time!
- Shoulder Shrug. Stand holding 2 lb dumbbells at your sides. Keeping your neck straight, slowly lift up your shoulders toward your ears and lower them again. Repeat .
- One Arm Row. With a dumbbell in your left hand, stand at the left side of a knee –high workout bench. Set your right knee on the bench and bend at the waist, setting your right palm on the front of the bench for balance. Your left arm should be straight, palm facing in, with the weight hanging toward the ground. Slowly pull up the weight toward your chest, then gently lower and repeat. Switch sides and repeat with opposite arm.
- Upright row. Standing holding a weight in each hand, resting the weights on your thighs, palms facing your body. Bending at the elbows, slowly lift the dumbbells to chest height ( your elbows should point slightly up, not straight out to either side). Keep the weights close to your body and your neck relaxed and straight. Lower gently and repeat.
- Reverse Fly. Reposition your bench so it’s at a 45 degree angle to the floor. With a weight in each hand, straddle the seat and press your chest against the raised end of the bench. Extend your arms toward the floor, palms facing in. Keeping your elbows slightly bent, extend the weights out to your sides until your arms are parallel to the floor. Slowly lower and repeat.
- Shoulder abduction. Stand holding the weights at your sides, pressed against your thighs. With your elbows slightly bent, extend the weights out to your sides until your arms are parallel to the floor, palms down. Keep your neck straight and relaxed. In a smooth motion, lower and repeat.
Use 2 lb weights only. Make time for 3 sessions each week and do 3 sets of 10 each time.
If your neck pain persists, be sure to make an appointment to have it further evaluated at our office. We always offer a no charge consultation to find out if chiropractic care is appropriate for you. You can reach us at 408-979-9999. Be Well!!
You Aren’t A REAL Doctor…
March 24, 2010
What most people don’t realize is that to become a doctor of chiropractic is a long process! Most chiropractic colleges now require an undergraduate degree to be accepted in to Chiropractic college and then it is a 4 year program, including an internship, to graduate.
A classmate of mine once estimated that between mid-terms, finals, national board exams, state board exams, jurisprudence exams and radiology exams that we write between 600-700 exams before we graduate. We also are required to have continuing education every year including the areas of adjustive technique and x-ray.
What many people find interesting is the hours for medical school and the hours for chiropractic college are almost identical.
Chiropractic Education Medical Education
Class Hours Subject Class Hours
520 Anatomy 508
420 Physiology 326
271 Pathology 335
300 Chemistry 325
114 Bacteriology 130
370 Diagnosis 374
320 Neurology 112
217 X-Ray 148
65 Psychiatry 144
65 Obstetrics & Gynecology 198
225 Orthopedics 156
2,887 TOTAL HOURS 2,756
Other required subject for doctors of chiropractic:
Adjusting, Manipulation, Kinesiology, and other similar basic subjects related to their specialty.
Other required subjects for doctors of medicine:
Pharmacology, Immunology, general surgery, and other similar basic subjects related to their specialty.
GRAND TOTAL CLASS HOURS
CHIROPRACTIC MEDICAL
4,485 4,248
Does philosophy dictate whether or not we are considered “real”? I’ll tell you what’s real, seeing true and incredible healing every day coming from WITHIN, seeing the change in our practice members lives because they chose to do something different….that’s REAL.
How can we help you?
Getting Your 9 Servings?
March 22, 2010
Did you know there has been over 200,000 studies showing the positive benefits of lifestyle nutrition including fruits and veggies! So why don’t we make this a priority? A recent article in the Mercury News showed that in Santa Clara county only 50%of adults and 42.9%of children eat 5 or more servings a day.
Jennifer Moiles, an ayurvedic health counselor has a great article about how you can make this easy! Be SURE to scroll to the end where she gives her 18 great tips!
If you are looking for another easy way to supplement your GREENS, you can order one of the best products on the market that actually TASTES great!! We only recommend products we use ourselves and we cannot rave enough about Greens First!
Ever thought about having fresh fruits and veggies delivered? I came across a great family farm CSA that will deliver to your home. They only need 5 families in San Jose to begin delivery down here! Check them out at Greenhearts Family Farm!
5 Tips To Create Your Best Workstation!
March 16, 2010
A common question we hear is “What is the best chair for me at work?” The reality is that there isn’t a chair that will prevent the damage done to our bodies from being sedentary. No one chair fits everyone and we should only be sitting an hour (maximum!) before we take a break! Here are five tips you can use to make sure you are not hurting yourself at work.
1. 90 degree rule. Your hips and knees should make 90 degree angles when you are sitting back in your chair. Usually you will have a fixed desk height so you may need to add a block under your feet if you are shorter.
2. Support your arms. Use a chair with adjustable armrests. If this is not possible, move your keyboard into your lap so your arms can rest comfortably in your lap on the keyboard.
3. Make sure your monitor is at eye level. Have a co -worker/spouse look at you from the side and confirm that you are not looking down at your monitor. This will cause undue stress and strain on your neck.
4.Make sure to drop your shoulders when you are sitting and remember to breathe! When stress hits, our shoulders become earrings and we breathe very shallowly. To reduce the effects of stress on our bodies, we need to be mindful of our breathing at all times.
5. Take breaks every 30 minutes. Look up, grasp your hands together behind your back and pull your shoulder blades together as you stretch on your way to grab more water or to the restroom. Set a timer across the room if you need to so you at least have to get up to reset it.
If you need further help with your workstation please do not hesitate to contact us at 408-979-9999.
Why Is Proper Fit Important?
March 15, 2010
Outside of the improved self image and comfort of a bra that fits the needs of her wearer, there are specific health issues to wearing a bra that is appropriate for size, shape and body type. The three most important issues I come upon are slipping bra straps leading to shoulder and back pain; poor fitting bras leading to poor posture and pain; and the delicate issue of finding the right fit for breast cancer survivors.
Does it seem like no matter how much you tighten your bra straps they keep sliding off your shoulders? Are you hunched over to try and keep your straps up? Do you have tightness in your neck and shoulders because its hard to keep your straps secure.
There are a few reasons this could be happening. If your bra is more than a year old, the elasticity is probably gone and its time to invest in a new one. For someone with a band size of 38 or higher or a cup size of D or higher, the replacement time is even shorter.
Have you been fitted by a professional fitter recently? If you are wearing a band size that is too large and compensating with a cup size that is too small, you may think you have a good fit but you do not. The bra straps will not line up at the right spot and they will slip off.
Straps should be snug but you should also be able to run a finger under the strap smoothly. Too tight is just as bad as too loose.
No breast is exactly the same…even on the same body! It is very possible that straps will have different adjustments on each side. Adjust each strap for comfort and so that it sits securely without causing bulging or gapping in the cup or slipping straps.
Some of us are lucky enough to have very narrow or sloped shoulders. Try a bra with a J-clip or criss-cross straps!
I am not a fan of minimizer bras. I understand that there are certain times that they work with an outfit. So wear them with that outfit and find a supportive bra to wear the rest of the time! One day, I got a call from a client who asked if I could fit her mother. Her mother is a beautiful woman and I could immediately see why she was so uncomfortable!
She was wearing a minimizer bra. The bra was “smushing down” her breast tissue. After wearing this particular style of minimizer for a number of years, the elasticity was gone from her breast tissue. The bra straps were cutting into her shoulders and she was hunched forward. As soon as I fit in her a bra that was close to her size, her back straightened but her right shoulder was completely (and very noticeably) out of alignment! Please, ladies, don’t let someone you love wear a minimizer bra! They are bad news for breast, neck and back health! With the help of her chiropractor and the support of a well fitting and appropriate bra, I am happy to say that when I saw her a few months later for a refit, she was a different body!
In my line of work, there is nothing more gratifying than working with breast cancer survivors. That every woman’s body is unique is never more true than with the exceptional women who are members of this extraordinary class! And what the marketplace has offered thus far in terms of bras is shameful! Ladies who have had surgery, lumpectomy or reconstruction have a difficult time finding a bra that naturalizes their look in their clothing. While some women require custom bras, many women are thankfully now finding bras which offer a seamless and moulded cup help give them back their natural shape and contour. It is most important to be certain that the bra selected gives good support to the remaining tissue. The best way to ensure great fit is to first talk with your doctor and then find a bra fitter that is knowledgeable and be willing to experiment until you find just the right bra.
No matter what your fit challenge, take heart. There is help. There are styles and products to meet every need. Email me at laurabeth@glamourbylbd.com. We will find a solution. There is simply no reason to put up with the frustration and discomfort of slipping straps!
Visit GlamourByLBD online at www.glamourbylbd.com. And, If you become a fan of the GlamourByLBD Facebook Page at http://tinyurl.com/glamourfan between now and March 31st, GlamourByLBD will donate $1 for each fan to the Avon 3-Day.
How Could A Taser Gun Relate To Chiropractic?
March 12, 2010
I see chiropractic everywhere! I even saw it during a show called Fight Science on National Geographic. Last night, the show was demonstrating how taser guns work to immobilize their targets. ( I would have used the word “victim”) Normally I am very disturbed by these kinds of shows and immediately turn the channel, but something told me to stay tuned….
Extreme Interference
Two incredible things the show pointed out:
1. Interference to the nervous system. The taser gun “interferes with the electrical current between the brain and the muscles” This is an example of EXTREME interference, what if you had just a little interference, could that lead to a muscle that just won’t relax? A liver functioning only at 50%? Digestion and absorption of nutrients at 60%?
2. The brain is the master control system! “Without the brain telling the muscles what to do , they STOP WORKING, and the person is IMMOBILIZED” The brain controls it all! You can live 30 days without food, 3 days without water 3minutes without air but not even 3 seconds without a brain activity and a nerve supply!
Do you have interference in your nervous system? How would you know? The only way to know for sure is to be evaluated by a Doctor of Chiropractic . Call us at 408-979-9999 to find out how you can be healthier and happier functioning without interference!
Another Young Person Dies…
March 10, 2010
Corey Haim only 38 years young, dead today. I am so saddened by all these multiple deaths of young people in the past few years, it’s so senseless and unnecessary.
In our culture of pill takers, we often search for the magic pill or potion to heal us. Because most of us learn this at a very early age ( sometimes even unknowingly i.e. TV), when something physically hurts, we look for an outside pill, lotion, potion or cure. It follows that when we experience great emotional pain that we also would look for something external to make the pain go away. Corey Haim started as a crack/cocaine addict and only became addicted to pain medications after a stint in rehab. It was the prescription drugs – reportedly up to 85 pills a day-that killed him.
Careful, take only when there are NO other options.
Did you know that more people are killed every year from prescription drugs than street drugs? More than AIDS and breast cancer COMBINED!
What can YOU do?
1. Think before taking/starting a medication. Is this necessary? Are there alternatives? What would the worst outcome be if I didn’t take it? Ask your practitioner these questions if you don’t know. Then get a second opinion from another provider. It becomes a slippery slope once the medicating takes place. This is something we need to take extremely seriously.
2. Talk with your kids about healing coming from the inside, and not from anything we put into our bodies. Our bodies have an incredible innate healing force that is constantly moving towards better health-tap into yours, reduce stress and focus on a healthy lifestyle.
3. Have an alternative care practitioner as your primary care doctor. Recent studies have shown that you’ll need FAR less medication, hospital stays are reduced, and you’ll be saving a BOATLOAD of money!
If there is any way we can help you or a family member by showing a different way to progress health and stop the medicating madness, please call us -we are here to help!!
Get That Ostrich’s Head Out Of The Sand!
March 4, 2010
If you are the ostrich, why not challenge yourself to see health and longevity differently?
Embrace your innate potential. Do you have a parent or great grandparent that lived to 80, 90 or 100 years old? Whether you like it or not, this is your innate, genetic potential. Your children and grandchildren share your genes as well, so become excited about your longevity and make the lifestyle changes now to ensure your health and vitality for a lifetime.
You'll be glad you pulled your head out of the sand!
Remove interference. Your mind and body will break down when there is interference in your nervous system. Just like a car accident will interfere with the flow of traffic, interference to your in your nervous system will cause dis-ease in your body which can lead to pain, sickness and even chronic disease. Sometimes you will have symptoms and sometimes you won’t. Don’t wait for the symptoms, the crisis, to remove this interference. That’s what an ostrich would do. Stay healthy by keeping this interference out of your spine and your lifestyle, regardless of how you feel.
Build a Health Care Team. Crisis care teams and health care team are different. While there may be some overlap, many people surround themselves with a crisis care team only and they never look to maximize their innate, genetic potential. Can you imagine waking up well rested, feeling great, with lots of energy and making the most of every day because your mind and your body were functioning at their highest level? This is what your health care team and Lifestyle Care will help you achieve.
We are excited to be a part of that team for you and your family. If you have an ostrich in your life, please send them to our office for an appointment. We would be honored to help them get their head out of the sand.
Do You Have An Ostrich In YOUR Family?
March 4, 2010
Have you ever seen a picture of an ostrich with its head buried in the sand? This is one of the funniest scenes in nature and is a great metaphor to describe individuals who have a crisis care mentality about their health. This means that they only take care of themselves when they get sick, diagnosed with a disease or are in excruciating pain. This is not a good idea.
Is this someone you know?
If you want to live an active, healthy long life, it’s time to redefine crisis. Here are earlier signs that you or your loved ones are in crisis:
- You take over the counter drugs on a monthly basis
- You have taken prescription drugs consistently for more than three months
- You have altered your life due to a health concern
- You constantly try to pop your neck and back or are fidgety
- You cannot exercise
- You take medication to offset the side effects of other medications
- You experience irregular sleep patterns
- You are susceptible to colds and the flu
- You say things like, “I need to go to the doctor” or “I need to take a pill” often
- You have difficulty standing or sitting up straight
Many seniors and centenarians are suffering the consequences of their “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”, ostrich-like attitudes. We’re getting the advance notice that our parents and grandparents never received.
These concepts will help you think differently about health and pull your head out of the sand:
If you have an ostrich in your family, help them by sending them this article and letting them know there is another way to view their health!
