ClickCease
+1-915-850-0900 spinedoctors@gmail.com
Select Page

Athletes

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.


BMI Doesn't Predict Heart Disease in Minorities

BMI Doesn't Predict Heart Disease in Minorities

Even though obesity can indicate a risk for heart disease and diabetes in white people, it may not be as reliable for predicting these risks in other racial and ethnic groups, a U.S. study suggests.

Almost one in three people with a healthy weight for their height based on a measurement known as body mass index (BMI) still had at least one risk factor for heart disease such as elevated blood pressure or high levels of sugars, fats or cholesterol in the blood, the study found.

Among white people in the study, only 21 percent normal weight individuals based on BMI, or about one in five, had risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. But a much higher proportion of healthy weight people in other racial and ethnic groups had heart or diabetes risk factors: 31 percent of black people, 32 percent of participants of Chinese descent, 39 percent of Hispanics and 44 percent of South Asians.

“These results show that having a normal BMI does not necessarily protect an individual from cardiometabolic risk,” said lead study author Unjali Gujral, a public health researcher at Emory University in Atlanta.

“We advocate a heart healthy diet and lots of exercise in all individuals, regardless of race/ethnicity and body weight, but especially in those who are members of racial/ethnic minority populations,” Gujral said by email. “It is also important for patients, particularly those who are Asian American, Hispanic American and African American to have conversations with their physicians/healthcare providers regarding their increased risk for heart disease even at normal weight.”

For the study, researchers examined data on adults aged 44 to 84 living in seven U.S. cities. Within this group, 2,622 were white, 803 were Chinese, 1,893 were black, 1,496 were Hispanic and 803 were South Asian.

They used data on participants’ height and weight to calculate BMI and then see how often a healthy BMI was associated with common risk factors for heart disease that are typically seen in obese people.

For most adults, including white, black and Hispanic individuals, a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered a healthy weight, 25 to 29.9 is overweight and 30 or above is obese, according to the World Health Organization.

Because Asian people are known to have a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes at a lower BMI than other populations, WHO created a different scale for Chinese and South Asian people. In this scale, a BMI of 18.5 to 22.9 is considered a healthy weight, a BMI of 23 to 27.4 is overweight and 27.5 or above is obese.

Even with these different BMI scales applied to the participants, researchers found that BMI alone didn’t explain heart or diabetes risk. Neither did age, education, gender, exercise, whether people smoked or where their body tended to store fat.

Researchers calculated that the ethnic and racial differences in risk mean a white person with a BMI of 25.5, which is in the overweight range, has about the same likelihood of heart disease or diabetes as an African American with a BMI of 22.9, a Hispanic person with a BMI of 21.5, a Chinese person with a 20.9 BMI and a South Asian person with a 19.6 BMI – all of whom would be considered in the “healthy” BMI range.

Current U.S. screening recommendations that emphasize testing for risk factors for heart disease and diabetes in people who are overweight or obese, may lead the risk to be overlooked in some normal weight people, especially if they aren’t white, the researchers conclude.

In particular, even normal weight people should pay close attention to their waistline and make lifestyle changes if they start to get thicker around the middle, said Jean-Pierre Despres of the Quebec Heart and Lung Institute Research Center and the Laval University in Canada.

“Your waistline, irrespective of your BMI, is an important vital sign,” Despres, who wasn’t involved in the study, said by email. “You do not want it to go up if you are healthy, and you want it to go down if you have risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.”

Meet A Bull: Marcela Carrillo

Meet A Bull: Marcela Carrillo

I�m an original member since the gym opened 2 � years ago.

I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas.

I�m single and I have one child

I wake put at 6:00 a.m. and get to work about 8:00 a.m. When I get to work there is not time to waste. I�m on an adrenaline rush until I clock out for the end of the day; yet I am not really ever off. I work out at the Femmefit class at 6:00 p.m. I make it a point to WOD at least five days a week.

My biggest accomplishment was just being able to WOD and finishing a WOD. When I walked into the box, I was morbidly obese and unsure if I could do it. I remember being so scared, but willing to try because I was tired of just going through the motions. Since being a BULL, I have been able to accomplish things I never thought I could ever do. I�ve snorkeled, kayaked, zip-lined, played basketball�Most importantly I, now, enjoy life. I�m no longer a spectator but an active participant.

It�s hard to just pick one favorite WOD or movement. I love almost all of them. I guess if I had to pick something it would be rowing. Least favorite, that�s easy. I hate burpees.

My goal is to lose 70 more pounds and, hopefully, one day compete at Boxtoberfest. A girl can dream, can�t she? LOL.

I make it a priority. It is an investment in myself. I make sure that I get my work done on time so I can get to the Box on time. Cross Fit is part of who I am now and not being in the BOX with my peeps just doesn�t feel right.

I have so many great memories here. I love the coaches. I love the difficult WODs. I love the friends I�ve made here. If I had to pick up�the first time I competed at a Labor Day event. It was when I first started. It was so difficult, but I don�t know the meaning of the work quit. I remember throwing up in my mouth and swallowing it, because quitting was never an option. I also remember Coach Jessa. She was one of my first coaches. I remember having a biggest loser moment with her and her encouraging words as she left me cry my little heart out. Sometimes, I still hear her encouraging me. She was amazing!

You can do anything you set your mind to. Your greatest obstacle is your own mind. If you can get out of your mind, you can accomplish anything.

Meet A Bull: Lucila Pineira

Meet A Bull: Lucila Pineira

Lucila Pineira aka Lucy or P.
I�ve been a member at Bullstrong since it opened on July 29, 2013

I was born and raised in El Paso, TX!
Currently in a relationship
I am a mommy of four kids whom are 10,7,3,1.

My typical day involves dreading hearing my alarm at 415am, then realizing it�s
the best way to start off your day at a 5am CrossFit class. After that it consist of
showering, getting my kids ready, feeding them, heading out to school/ work
which involves me being a TEACHER. After my work day it involves me going
back to CrossFit at 4/5pm to work on my goats (weakness in CrossFit skills).
After that, it involves picking up my four kids, making dinner together, talking
about our day, getting them ready for bed, then finally sitting down or laying down
in my bed.

Where do I even begin to describe my biggest accomplishment at Bull Strong. I
would have to say one of the biggest accomplishments I have had at the facility
was GAINING my dedication, motivation and determination in becoming a better
version of myself. I have always been over weight, low self esteem and even
more after having my kids I lost a lot of self confidence. Now that I�m fully back
after having my miracle baby, it�s been a reminder of how dedicated, determined
an motivated I am to be a better version of myself. Bull Strong coaches and
members have given me that confidence that I am capable of reaching goals that
I never saw myself accomplishing. My biggest weakness in life has always been
trying to exercise and having others tell me what to do, I�m the type of person
who had the mentality of MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY, but thankfully it�s
completely different now. Now I allow myself to hear others advice and allow
them to show me and tell me how to do things correctly. Bull Strong has definitely
been a life changer and I wouldn�t change facilities for anything.

Where do I even begin to mention my favorite WOD! I would honestly have to
admit that as much as we all hate every movement I honestly LOVE them all.
Reason being because the more we work at them the better we get at them.
Even though I might not have every movement down or lift a lot of weight, I�m
slowly getting up there and I�m slowly starting to truly enjoy this way of staying fit.
Definitely a unique and amazing way of getting your body moving.

Honestly my goal in CrossFit is to one day become a CrossFit Kids Coach. I truly
enjoy teaching kids. Teaching is honesty my true passion in life and to be
surrounded by kids, what a better way to accomplish more goals then by showing
kids different ways to stay fit and also learn new things. Kinesthetic learning is
the new way of learning. I would love to embrace this type of learning into
workouts to show kids that learning can also be completely adventurous and fun.

Ohhhh my alarm at 4:15am is the one who tells me to get up and workout daily.
That�s how it�s become a routine in my life. I started going 3 times a week then
5/6 times a week, it�s just part of my daily routine. Don�t get me wrongs, there�s
days I am dead tired and sleepy, but I still remind myself that the only person who
can change, is myself.

I don�t think I have an ultimate favorite experience/story in CrossFit because
honestly everyday is AMAZING! So if you ask me, to me everyday is my favorite
experience, everyday I learn something different about CrossFit but better yet
everyday I�ve learned something about myself and how to improve myself.

Exercise A Great Prescription To Help Older Hearts

Exercise A Great Prescription To Help Older Hearts

 

Regular exercise is potent medicine for older adults with heart disease, a new American Heart Association scientific statement says.

Physical activity should be a key part of care for older adults with heart disease who want to reduce their symptoms and build their stamina, said geriatric cardiologist Dr. Daniel Forman. He’s chair of the panel that wrote the new statement.

“Many health-care providers are focused only on the medical management of diseases — such as heart failure, heart attacks, valvular heart disease and strokes — without directly focusing on helping patients maximize their physical function,” Forman said in a heart association news release.

Yet, after a heart attack or other cardiac event, patients need to gain strength. Their independence may require the ability “to lift a grocery bag and to carry it to their car,” said Forman, a professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System.

 

“Emphasizing physical function as a fundamental part of therapy can improve older patients’ quality of life and their ability to carry out activities of daily living,” he added.

And, no one is too old to get moving. “Patients in their 70s, 80s and older can benefit,” Forman said.

Cardiac rehabilitation is a crucial tool for elderly patients, providing exercise counseling and training to promote heart health, and manage stress and depression. But Forman said it’s not prescribed often enough.

“When treating cardiac patients in their 70s, 80s and 90s, health-care providers often stress medications and procedures without considering the importance of getting patients back on their feet, which is exactly what cardiac rehabilitation programs are designed to do,” he noted.

Daily walking and tackling more chores at home also can be helpful, Forman said. Resistance training and balance training can help prevent falls. Tai chi and yoga employ strength, balance and aerobic features, he explained.

The statement also outlines ways for heart doctors to assess patients’ levels of physical functioning.

The statement was published March 23 in the journal Circulation.

Heart disease in older Americans is a growing concern because the number of people 65 and older in the United States is expected to double between 2010 and 2050.

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.

Exercise Beats Weight Loss At Helping Seniors Hearts

 

Seniors who want to give their hearts a healthy boost may want to focus on exercise first, a new study suggests.

The research found that getting active may do more for cardiovascular health in older adults than losing weight does.

“Any physical activity is positive for cardiovascular health, and in elderly people of all weights, walking, biking and housework are good ways to keep moving,” study author Dr. Klodian Dhana said in a news release from the journal European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. The findings were published in the journal on March 1.

In the study, Dhana’s team tracked 15-year outcomes for more than 5,300 people. Participants were between 55 and 97 years old, and free of heart disease when the study started.

Over the 15 years of follow-up, 16 percent of the participants developed heart problems.

In this group of older people, the researchers found no link between their body mass index (BMI) alone and heart disease. BMI is an estimate of body fat based on weight and height — the higher the number, the more fat.

However, the study did find that physical activity was tied to a lower risk of heart disease, no matter what a person’s BMI was.

“Overweight and obesity is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and it is recommended to lose weight,” said Dhana, who is a postdoctoral researcher at Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

However, “in the elderly this is slightly different because weight loss, especially unintentional, is associated with muscle loss and death,” the researcher explained.

She said the study’s authors aren’t refuting the idea that overweight and obesity can raise heart risk in the general population.

But, “our results show that physical activity plays a crucial role in the health of middle age to elderly people,” Dhana said. “Those who are overweight and obese without adequate physical activity are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease.”

Expert guidelines currently recommend 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity physical activity to decrease the risk of heart disease, she said.

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.

 

Call Today!

Lifestyle Factors Can Increase the Risk of Developing Cancer

Lifestyle Factors Can Increase the Risk of Developing Cancer

Cancer isn’t inevitable, but many Americans don’t know that several lifestyle factors affect their risk of developing the disease, a new survey finds.
Only one in two Americans is aware that obesity can raise the risk of cancer. And fewer than half understand that alcohol, inactivity, processed meat, eating lots of red meat and low consumption of fruits and vegetables are linked to cancer risk, the researchers said.

“There is a clear crisis in cancer prevention awareness,” said Alice Bender, head of nutrition programs at the American Institute for Cancer Research.

A larger percentage of Americans mistakenly believe that stress, fatty diets and other unproven factors are linked with cancer, according to the institute’s 2017 Cancer Risk Awareness Survey.

“It’s troubling that people don’t recognize alcohol and processed meats increase cancer risk,” Bender said in an institute news release. “This suggests the established factors that do affect cancer risk are getting muddled with headlines where the research is unclear or inconclusive.”

Factors Affecting the Risk of Cancer

Highlights of the survey findings include:

  • Fewer than 40 percent of Americans know that alcohol affects cancer risk.
  • Only 40 percent know that processed meats are also associated with cancer risk.
  • Fifty percent of Americans are aware that being overweight spurs cancer risk, up from 35 percent in 2001.

Nearly one-third of common cancers in the United States could be prevented through diet, weight management and physical activity. That increases to half when factors such as not smoking and avoiding sun damage are added, according to the institute.

Research has linked alcohol to at least six cancers, including colon, breast, liver and esophageal. Studies have also shown that bacon, hot dogs and other processed meats may raise the risk of colon and stomach cancers.

Only half of Americans know that obesity increases the risk of several cancers and that a healthy weight is the second most important way — after not smoking — to reduce cancer risk, the researchers said.

“We know a lot of healthy people do get cancer and sometimes it’s easier to worry about genes or uncontrollable things rather than your everyday choices,” said Bender. “But the research says that being physically active, staying a healthy weight, and eating a plant-based diet has the potential to prevent hundreds of thousands of cancer cases each year,” Bender aded. “It’s a powerful message.”

SOURCE: American Institute for Cancer Research, news release, Feb. 1, 2017

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 .�

Additional Topics: Whole Body Wellness

Following a balanced nutrition as well as engaging in regular physical activity and sleeping properly are all proper lifestyle habits which can help increase and maintain overall health and wellness. Many common complications associated with improper lifestyle habits, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer, however, the risk of developing these can be prevented with a few lifestyle changes. In addition, visiting a chiropractor and receiving chiropractic care can help maintain and improve the overall health of the spine as well as its surrounding structures.

 

blog picture of cartoon paperboy big news

 

TRENDING TOPIC: EXTRA EXTRA: New PUSH 24/7�? Fitness Center

 

 

Scheduling Meals Can Improve Heart Health

Scheduling Meals Can Improve Heart Health

People who want a healthy heart should be mindful of not only what they eat, but when they eat, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA).

The report is a response to the growing evidence that timing matters when it comes to heart disease risk, said Marie-Pierre St-Onge, the lead author of the statement. The various organs of the body have their own “clocks,” St-Onge explained, and that may affect how we handle food at different times of the day and night.

“For example, later in the evening, it’s harder for the body to process glucose [sugar], compared with earlier in the day,” said St-Onge, an associate professor of nutritional medicine at Columbia University in New York City.

The new statement highlights what’s known — and what’s not — about meal timing and heart health. The statement lacks specific rules, such as “Never eat after 8 p.m.,” or “Everyone should eat breakfast.”

It does, however, suggest that people spread out their calories over a “defined” period of the day — as opposed to either eating a lot over a short period, or grazing from morning until night. Based on the evidence, the AHA says, it’s probably a good idea to get a large share of your calories earlier in the day.

“A long fasting duration at night is better than a long fast during the day,” St-Onge said.

But there’s no declaration that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

The evidence, St-Onge said, is just not clear enough to make specific recommendations on breakfast.

A number of studies have found that breakfast eaters are generally healthier than breakfast skippers: They tend to weigh less, have better blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, and have lower risks of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, according to the AHA.

The problem is, those studies don’t prove that breakfast deserves the credit. And few trials have actually tested the effects of “assigning” people to eat breakfast, the AHA says.

Based on what studies have been done, adding breakfast doesn’t seem to aid weight loss, the report said. Of course, if breakfast skippers simply add an extra meal to their day, they’ll gain weight, St-Onge pointed out. A few small trials have, however, suggested that breakfast can help regulate blood sugar and insulin levels, according to the AHA.

Sonya Angelone is a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. And she was clear in her support of eating breakfast.

“I think it’s very important to eat breakfast every day,” Angelone said.

Just as important, she said, is to hydrate after a long liquid-free night. Coffee does “count,” she noted, but a glass of water is better. According to Angelone, breakfast is critical because it’s hard to get all the nutrients you need in just two meals a day — even if you snack.

That raises another question: Should people eat “three square meals,” or is it better to stick with small, but more-frequent meals?

That’s not clear, according to the AHA.

Studies that track people in the real world have found that those who eat more often during the day have a lower risk of obesity and better cholesterol levels. On the other hand, the AHA says, small trials that have tested the effects of altering meal frequency have mostly come up empty. When daily calories are kept constant, meal frequency may not affect people’s weight, levels of “good” HDL cholesterol or other factors that affect heart health.

Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to eating, St-Onge said.

Some people, she noted, do well with “grazing” throughout the day — as long as the food choices are healthy, and they do not keep grazing until midnight.

“If you’re someone with good control over your diet, maybe grazing is a good idea,” St-Onge said. “But if it’s difficult for you to stop eating once you start, it’s probably not a good idea.”

According to Angelone, frequent eating may not be wise for people with resistance to insulin — the hormone that regulates blood sugar. Insulin resistance is seen in people with type 2 diabetes or “pre-diabetes.” If those people eat often, Angelone explained, their insulin levels may never have a chance to drop. In general, St-Onge said, “mindfulness” is critical. Often, people eat not because they’re hungry, but to deal with emotions, she said.

“Ask yourself why you’re eating,” St-Onge said. “Is it because you’re stressed or sad or bored? Ask yourself whether you’re really hungry right now.”

The statement was published online Jan. 30 in the AHA journal Circulation.

SOURCES: Marie-Pierre St-Onge, Ph.D., associate professor, nutritional medicine, Columbia University, New York City; Sonya Angelone, M.S., R.D.N., spokesperson, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Chicago; Jan. 30, 2017, Circulation, online

For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .

Additional Topics: Weight Loss Eases Back Pain

Back pain and symptoms of sciatica can affect a majority of the population throughout their lifetime. Research studies have demonstrated that people who are overweight or obese experience more back complications than people with a healthy weight. A proper nutrition along with regular physical fitness can help with weight loss as well as help maintain a healthy weight to eliminate symptoms of back pain and sciatica. Chiropractic care is also another natural form of treatment which treats back pain and sciatica utilizing manual spinal adjustments and manipulations.

 

blog picture of cartoon paperboy big news

 

TRENDING TOPIC: EXTRA EXTRA: New PUSH 24/7�? Fitness Center

 

 

Mastodon