Sports Spine Specialist Chiropractic Team: Athletes strive to achieve their body’s maximum performance by participating in numerous training regimens consisting of strenuous exercises and physical activity and ensuring they meet all of their body’s nutritional requirements. Through proper fitness and nutrition, many individuals can condition themselves to excel in their specific sport. Our training programs are designed for athletes that look to gain a competitive edge in their sport.
We provide sport-specific services to help increase an athlete’s performance through mobility, strength, and endurance. Occasionally, however, the excess workouts can lead many to suffer injuries or develop underlying conditions. Dr. Alex Jimenez’s chronicle of articles for athletes displays in detail the many forms of complications affecting these professionals while focusing on the possible solutions and treatments to follow to achieve overall well-being.
El Paso, TX. Chiropractor Dr. Alex Jimenez discusses student-athletes and injuries.
Most injuries to student-athletes occur during routine practices, but only about a third of public high schools have a full-time trainer, according to the U.S.-based National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA).
“It’s important to have the right sports safety protocols in place to ensure the health and welfare of student athletes,” said Larry Cooper, chairman of NATA’s secondary school committee. “By properly preparing for practices and competitions, young athletes can excel on the field and stay off the sidelines with potential injuries.”
As Spring Season Approaches NATA Recommends Parents & Students Review Their Schools Policies On Sports Injuries
Here’s what to consider:
Who handles sports-related injuries? Know who will care for athletes who are hurt during practice. Consider that person’s experience and credentials, including first aid and medical training. Determine who makes medical decisions. Coaches and athletes may not make objective decisions about injuries and safety if they are concerned about winning.
What’s the emergency action plan? Every team should have a written plan detailing what to do if a serious injury occurs. An athletic trainer or first responder should review this plan.
Is all equipment in good working condition? Sports equipment such as field goals, turf, basketball flooring and gymnastics apparatus should be examined to make sure it’s safe. Medical equipment such as splints and spine boards should be checked routinely. Schools should have an automated external defibrillator (AED) and staff trained in its use.
Are high school coaches qualified? All coaches, assistant coaches and team volunteers should undergo a background check. They should have knowledge in the sport they are coaching and all credentials required by the state and athletic conference or league. Coaches should be trained to administer CPR, use an AED and provide first aid.
Are locker rooms and gyms sanitary? These areas should be cleaned routinely to prevent the spread of bacterial, viral and fungal skin infections. Athletes should never share towels, athletic gear, water bottles, razors and hair clippers.
NATA says parents should also help ensure their teens are both mentally and physically prepared to play sports. This includes a preseason physical to identify any health conditions that could limit their participation. Young athletes shouldn’t be pushed or forced to participate. Parents should make sure their child’s school, coaches and other staff have a copy of his or her medical history as well as a completed emergency medical authorization form.
NATA recommends parents, student-athletes and coaches keep these safety tips in mind when spring training begins:
Acclimate gradually. Athletes playing in hot weather should build up their endurance over one to two weeks. During this time, they should stay well hydrated and adjust their exercises according to weather. Athletes who must wear heavy protective equipment should gradually get used to playing in their gear. For example: wear only helmets on days one and two; then helmets and shoulder pads on days three and four, then full gear by day five.
Be aware of concussions. Student-athletes, coaches and school medical staff must be well educated on concussion prevention and management. Students with head injuries should speak up if they experience symptoms such as dizziness, loss of memory, lightheadedness, fatigue or trouble with balance.
Screen for sickle cell. All newborns are tested for this inherited trait that can lead to blockage of blood vessels during intense exertion. Athletes with sickle cell trait should take precautions. Warning signs include fatigue or shortness of breath.
Allow for recovery time. The body needs to rest between seasons. Incorporating recovery time into the year can help prevent injuries. Repetitive motions can put excessive stress on joints, muscles or ligaments, resulting in injuries from overuse.
“It’s critical that all members of a school’s sports medicine team (athletic trainers, physicians and school nurses) work together to help prevent, manage and treat injuries or illnesses should one occur,” Cooper said in a NATA news release. “With a team approach we can reduce acute, chronic or catastrophic injury and ensure a successful season all around.”
News stories are written and provided by HealthDay and do not reflect federal policy, the views of MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
El Paso, TX. Chiropractor Dr. Alex Jimenez looks at yoga for back pain.
Yoga increases strength and flexibility, but some find it to be a spiritual experience that brings serenity and delight.
I attended my first yoga class after I was 21 years old. At the time the goal was purely to appease my self so that I really could tell my family, buddies and coworkers that “I do yoga”. In my experience, yogis were “cool” and I enjoyed being linked with that healthy lifestyle. My twenty-something year old mind was in a self absorbed place and that I totally enjoyed the freedom of dedicating myself to yoga and other enjoyable ways to fill my time.
Yoga in its purest form is intended to help the individual’s head and body and is likely to be practiced without ego.
My First Yoga Course
I loved her gentle encouragement. As I visited my weekly yoga classes, bending and twisting and telling myself “I can perform this,” I began to reap the benefits. I was sleeping better. My body felt less angry and I noticed a calmness come over me. I felt more patient coping with the irritations of life, too.
Here is The�Irony
Yoga is not something you do. It’s a thing that you encounter. Because over time, it gets engrained in you it’s called a practice. The teachings of Maureen were put in me like little seeds which didn’t actually completely thrive until much later in my life. To jogging, though I did not intentionally give up my usual yoga practice, around along the way it took a back seat. Those little seeds were there but lay dormant for now.
Running Was Different
I felt free moving swiftly across the road. Being goal oriented, I found monitoring my mileage to be a pleasing achievement. Running was pleasing for another reason, too. My best friend Linda was also a runner, and we’d meet most Sundays for long runs. We’d participated in occasional half marathons and put in 15 to 20 miles each week. Running that distance took time � two hours or even more.
Those small seeds were there all along. Like I mentioned, yoga has a way of becoming engrained in you.
My Back Pain & Yoga
If you’ve been following my site, you understand that I’ve had back pain through most of my entire life. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, my little friend “yoga” softly arrived back on the scene. My pain riddled body seemed to intuitively understand it needed yoga again. I began feeling the requirement to roll over on my back and pull my legs towards my chest, before getting out of bed in the early hours. (The knees-to-chest pose extends your lower back muscles and is a gentle, soothing approach to begin your day.) The reach that was straightforward felt energizing and really good.
There are quite a lot of advantages of yoga, especially for maintaining well-being and managing low back pain. A follow up experiment was conducted after 26 weeks, and those same yoga participants were experiencing increased function and less pain. For me, the continual practice of yoga has relieved my pain to the point that I no more need pain medication to get me.
Other Ways�Yoga Relieves Back Pain
Yoga strengthens abdominal muscles both of which help support the spinal column and builds flexibility in the rear, when practiced regularly.
Holding yoga models, for up to a minute, helps stretch the muscles over time.
Properly stretching�the muscles in the low back reduces stress over the area.
Yoga offers relief from pain, stress and anxiety. All low back pain suffers know this is a vicious cycle. You start with pain that doesn’t go away. You find out there is an anatomical reason for the pain. But, you still have the anxiety, and stress of worrying about how long this may last. Yoga can counter that triple threat.
Yoga improves posture. To maintain a strong, fit, flexible backbone great posture is vital. Seated and standing yoga poses help improve the alignment of the spine and also posture. Proper bearing reduces back pain and removes some of the pressure from your spinal column.
Yoga For Beginners
Thus, let’s get started with a couple of poses which are a cinch to do and great for preserving flexibility in your spine.Try these three poses daily for increased flexibility and your spine will thank you!
Knees to Chest Pose (Picture below)
Lie on your back with legs and arms stretched
Bring both knees to chest as you exhale. Clasp your hands around legs
Back is flat on the floor (mat)
If it’s comfortable for you, gently rock back and forth, which gives you a little massage
Cat/Cow Pose (Images below)
Begin on all fours in a tabletop�position
Place your hands under your shoulders along with your knees under your hips
Like a cat, round your back up to arch on the exhale
Bring your chin to chest
On the inhale, drop your abdomen and raise your head, extending your sitting bones (sits) back up
Cat Pose
Cow Pose
Child’s�Pose (Picture below)
Move from table top to a kneeling position. Rest your arms by your side, press your shoulders down and simultaneously reach your head tall
Slowly lower�your buttocks towards your heels feeling a nice stretch in your lower back/hips.
Let your forehead�rest on the floor
Place arms resting alongside your body
Or you can place�arms above head, gently stretching as they are placed on the floor
If it is easier too, you can widen knees as you stretch out
Those small yoga seeds�put by my first teacher long past � have continued to grow/flourish. I’m a fully certified yoga teacher and revel in sharing my practice with students every week now. May you find peace on your own journey and pain relief too, one pose at a time. Namaste.
In this cycle we will be working on pull strength, prepping for a better Memorial Day Murph, and extra supplemental strength work to do on your own after or before WOD. You can find this video here.
By the way, �Murph� is a workout that we do every Memorial Day. It is a classic CrossFit workout that just about every CrossFitter has done at one point or another. It is done in memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005. (Yes, the same guy the Lone Survivor Movie featured)
����
Warmup:
3 Rounds:
8 Hip Extensions w/ 3sec pause half way
12 Lunges
16 Jumping Jacks
Strength:
Superset
4 Sets
a) Sumo DL x 2 @ H
b) 5-10 Glute Ham Raise
Supplemental Strength:
1) Superset x 4:
DB Bench Press x 8 (heaviest)
One Arm DB Row x 8 (ea arm)
2) Dips- 4�7 (Heaviest)
3) Barbell Curls- 4�8 (heaviest)
El Paso TX. Chiropractor Dr. Alex Jimenez looks at some exercises that are help�posture.
Prone Shoudler Arcs Can Help Strengthen Upper Back Muscles Which Hold Your Shoulders In Better Posture
By lifting a dowl or light pole up off the floor and moving the shoulder can help strengthen the muscles between the spine and shoulder blade.
Shoulders and shoulder blades which are relaxed and sit back and down instead of hunched up and slouched forward are better for your posture. Good posture can prevent neck pain, shoulder pain and headaches in the future.
Prone Shoulder Arcs
Deep Neck Flexor Training
Call Today!
For further hints and tips on postural care and general healthy living go to ccbrighton.co.uk/videos
It’s hard to overcome a bad reputation — even for food! But some edibles once deemed to be health hazards have been vindicated by the ever-evolving science of nutrition.
“With new research emerging on these topics, our recommendations change,” says Kelly Pritchett, national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
It happened with eggs. One of America’s most popular breakfast foods was branded a villain to heart health in the 1970s due to high levels of cholesterol. Now, experts are changing their tune. They’re even singing praise for the egg — yoke and all.
“The 2015 Dietary Guidelines gives the thumbs-up on having one egg per day,” says registered dietician Joy Dubost. “Eggs are an all-natural source of high quality protein and a number of other essential nutrients, all for 70 calories per large egg.”
In a 2013 study, participants who ate an egg breakfast were better able to control their food intake than those who a carbohydrate-heavy cereal breakfast. And don’t go the egg white-only route. The yolk is packed with three grams of protein as well as vitamins D and B12, riboflavin, folate, phosphorous, selenium and choline.
Here are seven other good foods with bad reps:
Whole milk: A 2015 review of 25 studies published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that people who ate full-fat dairy products were no more likely to develop cardiovascular disease or Type 2 diabetes than those who stuck with the low-fat versions. Even more surprising, the full-fat crowd reported less weight gain and obesity. Experts recommend drinking only organic milk from grass-fed cows.
Coconut oil: A high saturated fat content tarnished the reputation of coconut oil, but research reveals that much of it is medium-chain triglycerides, which are healthy fats that boost both immunity and metabolism. A study published in the journal Lipids found that coconut oil reduced abdominal fat. It’s also one of the healthiest oils for cooking because it can withstand high heat without oxidizing better than vegetable oils.
Potatoes: The carb-heavy spud was kicked to the curb due to its high glycemic index, meaning it can spike blood sugar. But pairing potatoes with protein or healthy oils slows down digestion of them. Furthermore, potatoes are low-calorie, very filling and rich in several nutrients, including potassium, fiber and vitamin C. Eat the skin and you’ll also reap powerful antioxidants. Just don’t deep fat fry them or slather a baked tater with gobs of butter, sour cream and bacon bits.
Popcorn: All bets are off if you eat this movie theater munchie bathed in unhealthy oils — or cooked in a microwaveable bag lined with toxic chemicals. But air-popping organic popcorn will deliver a 100-calorie whole grain treat, per three-cup serving, that also delivers three grams of fiber and more healthy phytonutrients than most fruit.
Coffee: Once blamed for stunting growth and contributing to various maladies including heart disease and cancer, coffee is now being hailed as healthy for most folks. In fact, research published in the journal Circulation found that people who downed three to five cups a day were 15 percent less likely to die from any cause than non-coffee drinkers. Credit the anti-aging flavonoids for protecting cells from deterioration. Just don’t go dumping a lot of fattening sugars and creams into your java.
Avocados: It’s hard to believe that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration only got around to declaring this superfood to be “healthy” in May 2016. The problem previously was its high fat content, but most of it is the healthy monounsaturated kind. Avocados are not only rich in nutrients but their fats also help you to absorb fat-soluble nutrients from other foods. So go ahead and order the guacamole, but nix the chips!
Beer: The sudsy stuff is a source of B vitamins and minerals, including potassium, magnesium and bone-building silicon. It’s also loaded with antioxidants. “Beer is not just empty calories,” declares Dubost. “In addition to the nutrients, large population studies consistently show that moderate alcohol consumption, including beer, reduces mortality.”
Rules requiring regular physical education for young teens stem from “good science,” researchers say.
Frequent “phys ed” classes not only improve fitness, they also encourage healthy living, finds a study from Oregon State University.
Researchers looked at more than 400 students, ages 12 to 15. They found that more than one in five received no physical education, and only about 27 percent met federal government physical activity guidelines. Nearly 40 percent were obese or overweight.
“Perhaps some were not meeting the guidelines because fewer than 35 percent actually knew what the guidelines were for their age group,” said study co-author Brad Cardinal. He’s a professor in the school of biological and population health sciences.
The federal recommendation calls for at least 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity five days a week, the researchers said. The study found that long-term physical education boosts fitness and teaches students how regular physical activity is associated with good health. There was a strong connection between regular physical education and students meeting the federal activity guidelines, the researchers said.
The study authors said the trend toward more lax phys ed mandates for middle-school students is detrimental to their development.
Physical activity has been shown to improve thinking and academic achievement. It also helps students develop the knowledge, interests and skills for a lifelong healthy lifestyle, according to the researchers.
“We have the physical activity guidelines for a reason, and they’re based on good science,” Cardinal said in a university news release. “With only slightly more than one in four adolescents meeting the guidelines, today’s youth are being shortchanged in terms of their holistic development. They are not being prepared to live the proverbial good life,” he added.
New guidelines are due to be released in 2018.
“Because of a growing propensity toward inactivity in daily life, such as increased media consumption and screen time, the guidelines very well may have to be ratcheted up to compensate,” Cardinal said.
The study was published recently in the American Journal of Health Promotion.
News stories are written and provided by HealthDay and do not reflect federal policy, the views of MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Chiropractic and Athletic Performance
Many athletes who are injured performing their specific sport or physical activity, frequently seek treatment from chiropractors. Chiropractic care focuses on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of injuries and conditions affecting the musculoskeletal and nervous system. While chiropractic is a safe and effective form of conservative care for a variety of ailments, chiropractic can also be utilized to enhance athletic performance.
Australian researchers have found that a diet high in saturated fat is a prime suspect in the onset of osteoarthritis after finding that it changes the composition of cartilage, especially in the weight-bearing joints of the hip and knee.
“Our findings suggest that it’s not wear and tear but diet that has a lot to do with the onset of osteoarthritis,” said lead researcher Professor Yin Xiao.
In possibly the first study to investigate the link between osteoarthritis and common dietary fatty acids, scientists at the Queensland University of Technology studied the effects of diets rich in a variety of fatty acids, found in butter, coconut oil, palm oil, and animal fat, and simple carbohydrates. Simple carbs found in sugar, corn syrup, and high-fructose corn syrup and the combination of high-fat, high-carb foods are commonly known as “junk food.”
“The main function of cartilage is to seal the bone ends in a joint and absorb pressure on the bones during weight-bearing movement such as walking,” said Xiao.
“We found that a diet containing simple carbohydrates together with 20 percent saturated fats produced osteoarthritic-like changes in the knee.
“Saturated fatty acid deposits in the cartilage change its metabolism and weaken the cartilage, making it more prone to damage. This would, in turn, lead to osteoarthritic pain from the loss of the cushioning effect of cartilage.
“We also found changes in the bone under the cartilage on a diet rich in saturated fat.”
But when the team tested lauric acid, a saturated fatty acid found in coconut oil, their findings were different. “Interestingly, when we replaced the meat fat in the diet with lauric acid we found decreased signs of cartilage deterioration and metabolic syndrome so it seems to have a protective effect,” said researcher Sunder Sekar.
He said fatty acids could cause tissue inflammation throughout the entire joint. “We tested a variety of saturated fats and found that long term use of animal fat, butter, and palm oil could weaken the cartilage.
“Replacement of traditional diets containing coconut-derived lauric acid with palm oil-derived palmitic acid or animal fat-derived stearic acid has the potential to worsen the development of both metabolic syndrome and osteoarthritis,” Sekar said.
Other studies have found that coconut oil benefits the body in many ways, including reducing the deep abdominal fat that’s a risk for heart disease, and reducing the buildup of proteins in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s.
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