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.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Diets, Fitness
For the more than 68 percent of Americans who own smart phones, it’s difficult to imagine doing without them, especially when it comes to your health. Millions use them to keep track of the number of steps they take, the calories they consume, and even the medications or supplements taken each day.
To aid in this process, more than 165,000 healthcare applications have been developed for iPhones and androids — focusing on diet and fitness, as well as the management of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and mental health.
“The technology in healthcare apps has exploded,” IT expert Sanket Shah tells Newsmax Health.
But with so many health apps on the market it can be challenging to chose the right app, says Shah, who specializes in helping people the right technology for healthcare services.
“There are thousands of apps out there and some of it can be overwhelming. Just like trying new hobby or picking out a new pair of pants, you need to see what works for you and what makes you the most comfortable,” says Shah, an instructor in the University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Biomedical and Health Sciences.
Shah recommends deciding beforehand what you plan to do with an app and chose only one (or more) that will be the most useful. Don’t just download apps that will sit on your phone without ever being accessed. Her recommendations:
- Avoid the apps that bombard you with ads.
- Consider how user-friendly the app is.
- Read the reviews. Some of the best information can be found in them.
- Realize that nothing is really free. In exchange for that so-called “free” app, you are usually asked to grant permission for your age, email, zip code, and other personal information to used internally, shared, or sold.
- Be careful about add-ons. Many apps charge for additional content or enhanced experiences that require extra purchases and costs. Most apps require a credit card, which means yours is probably on file, so be careful not inadvertently purchase these features.
These are Shah’s top five health apps:
HealthTap (Health Tap)
Launched in 2010, this online service provides real-time answers to health questions from more than 107,000 doctors. In an era where Internet services provide thousands of vague results, HealthTap was designed to give patients direct access to health professionals, saving you time and money. You can also pay for a virtual consult to video or text chat with a primary care doctor 24/7 or a doctor of your choice during their “virtual office hours.”
Drink Water Reminder (Leap Fitness Group)
Dehydration can lead to serious health problems. This app lets you calculate your needs based on your gender, weight, and the climate where you live. Taking its lead from apps that remind you to take 10,000 steps a day, this app provides customized tracking and reminders to ensure that you are drinking enough water throughout the day.
Fooducate (Fooducate LTD)
Do you really know what’s in the food you eat? Nutritional labels may be misleading, so Fooducate takes all of the guesswork out by providing a grade instantly on the items you buy. Simply scan the UPC code from your mobile camera (over 250,000 items) and the app will grade the product and most importantly, explain why it is healthy or unhealthy, as well as provide alternative choices. A diet and weight loss goal tracker is also included.
Breath2Relax (National Center for Telehealth & Technology)
Oftentimes we focus on the physical aspects of health but our mental health is equally important. Focusing on the mind and taking some time to relax can provide tremendous benefits in your daily life This app provides a guide to simple breathing exercises to help relieve stress and relax.
Down Dog (Yoga Buddhi Co.)
Yoga is gaining in popularity, and there is a reason why this ancient practice has been around for centuries. Improving your mental state and also strengthening your core muscles is the goal of this app, designed for all levels. It provides easy-to-follow tutorials and all you really need to get started is a basic yoga mat.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Diets, Fitness
An Australian study involving more than 60,000 volunteers aged 45 years and older found that eating fruits and vegetables lowered anxiety and depression.
The study, which was published in the British Medical Journal Open, measured psychological distress at two time points, 2006-08 and 2010 using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. It also assessed their intake of fruits and vegetables.
Eating a diet high in both fruits and vegetables was the most effective at keeping the blues at bay, especially in women. Women who ate five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables daily lowered their risk of stress by 23 percent.
Fruit gave the biggest bang for the least amount consumed — at least when vegetables were also included in the diet. Women who ate two servings of fruit daily lowered their risk by 16 percent when compared to women who ate no fruit or a single serving.
Men and women who ate three to four servings of vegetables a day lowered their risk of stress by 12 percent when compared to those who ate no vegetables or only one serving a day. Women who ate three to four servings of vegetables daily lowered their risk by 18 percent.
“This study shows that moderate daily fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with lower rates of psychological stress,” said Dr. Melody Ding of the University of Sydney’s School of Public Health.
“It also reveals that moderate daily vegetable intake alone is linked to a lower incidence of psychological stress,” Ding said.
“We found that fruit and vegetables were more protective for women than men, suggesting that women may benefit more from fruit and vegetables,” said first author and University of Sydney Ph.D. student, Binh Nguyen.
Fruits and vegetables are packed with stress-fighting antioxidants, including vitamin C. One German study found that berries were especially effective in fighting stress.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Diets, Fitness
Over recent years, the detox has become a form of diet in its own right for losing weight with low-calorie regimens. As springtime arrives and some may have weight-loss programs in mind, here’s a look at five common myths about detox diets and whether they’re true or false.
Detoxing is a natural process
TRUE. In reality, detoxing is a natural process of purification that’s constantly underway in the body. When everything is functioning properly, the infamous toxins are destroyed and excreted by different organs in the body, known as emunctories: the skin, the lungs, the kidneys, the intestines and the liver. Toxins that accumulate in the body (food, air, tobacco, cosmetics, drugs, heavy metals, stress) are eliminated at varying speeds depending on your metabolism. You can help your body detoxify all year long, notably with foods rich in antioxidants like fresh fruit and vegetables that are organic and don’t contain pesticides.
A detox is a diet
FALSE. A drastic diet or a fast isn’t the same things as detoxing. The word diet has been wrongly associated with the concept of the detox, since the two approaches don’t have the same goal. In fact, the aim of a detox isn’t necessarily to lose weight. However, you should take care to avoid sugar, junk food and barbecued food which hinder the work of the emunctories.
Plant-based supplements can be helpful
TRUE. A course of certain plant-based dietary supplements or herbal teas can be used to support and optimize detox performances in periods of burn-out, stress or fatigue, for example. Artichoke, milk thistle, rosemary, turmeric, fennel, birch, dandelion, black radish, queen-of-the-meadow and fumaria are the most effective. Some plants, like chlorella, spirulina and laminaria japonica help combat heavy metals (mercury, aluminum, lead).
Juices and broths are a good way to detox
FALSE. Although they contain fruit and vegetables, juices, soups and broths have two drawbacks. First, they contain high quantities of sugar and salt, and have less fiber than eating the equivalent fresh fruit or vegetables whole. Second, a liquid-only diet isn’t advisable, as you could end up starving yourself, since the body needs a minimum amount of protein to function. Small quantities of white meat or pulses are recommended to boost the detox process. And don’t rely on a soup + herbal tea + yogurt combination for your evening meal, as this can favor water retention. However, drinking lots of water (1.5l per day) is recommended.
Massage can help flush out toxins
TRUE. Massages in the abdominal region — home to three groups of emunctory organs: the liver, the kidneys and the intestines — can help flush out toxins. But lymphatic drainage is even more effective, promoting blood circulation and helping the lymphatic system to drain out waste substances which aren’t filtered out by blood.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Diets, Fitness
If you live in the city, you might want to make sure you take your vitamins. A study from Columbia University found that B vitamins reduce changes to the epigenome — the chemicals that regulate and direct genes — caused by air pollution.
The study reveals even small amounts of the vitamins could counteract the damage caused by tiny, toxic pollutant particles called PM2.5, which include toxins such as sulfate and black carbon. These pollutants are often deposited in the respiratory tract resulting in inflammation in the lungs and throughout the body.
According to the World Health Organization, about 92 percent of the world’s population lives in areas where pollution is higher than safety levels set by the WHO. The U.S. also has pollution problems. The American Lung Association says that 47 percent of Americans live in areas that often have dangerously high levels of pollution.
“The molecular foundations of air pollution’s health effects are not fully understood,” said Dr. Andrea Baccarelli. “Our study launches a line of research for developing preventive interventions to minimize the adverse effects of air pollution.”
For the study, researchers gave adult volunteers a B-vitamin supplement (2.5 mg of folic acid, 50 mg of vitamin B6, and 1 mg of vitamin B12) or a placebo daily for four weeks. Participants were healthy non-smokers, 18 to 60 years old, who were not taking any medicines or vitamin supplements. They were then exposed to pollution particles.
Blood tests showed that levels of B vitamins increased significantly in those taking the supplements. Tests also found that while the PM2.5 pollutants can turn off cells in the immune system, supplementing with B vitamins limited their effect by up to 76 percent.
“As individuals, we have limited options to protect ourselves against air pollution,” said Baccarelli. “Future studies, especially in heavily polluted areas, are urgently needed to validate our findings and ultimately develop preventive interventions using B vitamins to contain the health effects of air pollution.”
The study’s results are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Diets, Fitness, Probiotics
Created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, National Nutrition Month® is celebrated annually every March to help everyone make more informed food choices and develop healthier eating habits for improved well-being.
With many recent studies focusing on the benefits of a diet that includes probiotics, also known as “good” bacteria, and prebiotics, which act as food for probiotics and promotes their growth, here we round up some of ways that boosting levels of good bacteria could improve various conditions and overall health.
Reduce social anxiety
A 2015 study of 700 students participants found that eating fermented foods, a good source of probiotics, is associated with reduced symptoms of social anxiety.
The study, published in Psychiatry Research, also found that the link between fermented foods and reduced social anxiety was strongest among those who already rated high in neuroticism.
The findings came after an earlier study published in The Lancet Psychiatry stated that an increasing amount of evidence suggests an important relationship between the quality of diet and mental health.
Improve sleep, protect against stress
A study published just last month found that prebiotics, can help improve sleep and protect against the negative effects of stress.
The team of researchers fed 3-week-old male rats a diet of either standard chow or chow that included prebiotics, and found that those on the prebiotic diet spent more time in non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep, which is restful and restorative, than those on the non-prebiotic diet.
Rats who were on the prebiotic diet also spent more time in rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep after being exposed to a stressor, with REM sleep is believed to be critical for promoting recovery from stress.
Previous research has also shown that stress can reduce healthy diversity of gut bacteria, but the rats on the prebiotic diet maintained a healthy and diverse gut microbiota even after exposure to stress.
Reduce obesity
A 2015 study confirmed a link between balanced intestinal flora and weight loss.
The study, published in the journal Obesity, showed that while following a four-week high-fat diet the men who drank a probiotic milkshake containing VSL3, a probiotic with multiple strains of bacteria including Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum, put on less weight than others following the diet who drank a placebo milkshake.
The researchers think that probiotics could have changed gut bacteria in a way that resulted in less body fat accumulation, and that the probiotics could have reduced fat absorption.
Reduce risk of allergies
Prebiotics have been shown in various studies to help reduce the risk of allergies.
A French study using mice found that those who received prebiotics had a lower risk of developing a wheat allergy thanks to the prebiotics improving the immune system’s tolerance to allergens, while a US study by the University of Chicago also found that in infants who had trouble tolerating cow’s milk, a new probiotic not only got rid of the allergy, but also changed the composition of their gut bacteria significantly.
A separate study also from the University of Chicago, found that supplementing rodents with probiotics containing the bacterium Clostridia later in life could reverse a peanut allergy.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Children
Many are starting to wonder why more and more kids are starting to be under regular Chiropractic care. For some, this may sound mysterious, but for others who understand what Chiropractic care provides for children, they realize it is much more than fixing back pain.
According to world renowned Chiropractor and author, Dr. Jennifer Barham- Floreani, �The nervous system is the master controller of our body and if its communication channels become fuzzy, distorted or damaged then we may experience all sorts of communication errors. For babies this ineffective communication may play out as colic or irritability, an inability to suckle and breastfeed or poor sleep habits. For a child poor nerve communication may result in developmental delays, an inability to concentrate, behavioral problems, digestive issues, asthma, headaches � the list is endless.�
How can your child�s body lose its natural alignment and develop subluxations? Studies have shown that in the majority of cases, trauma (often unrecognized) from the birthing process or procedures causes subluxation of the infant�s spine. Subluxation damage can be caused by a constricted uterus, a breech presentation or a difficult delivery, and in cases of vacuum extraction or excessive force, the spine is always traumatized. Health problems in childhood or even adulthood have been traced back to spinal and structural damage at birth in many cases.
Abraham Towbin, MD states: �The birth process � is potentially a traumatic, crippling event � mechanical stress imposed by obstetrical manipulation-even the application of standard orthodox procedures may prove intolerable to the fetus � most signs of neonatal injury observed in the delivery room are neurological.�
Research is confirming chiropractors� observations that infants may suffer from spinal subluxations. In one study, 1,250 babies were examined five days after birth; 211 of them suffered from vomiting, hyperactivity and sleeplessness. Subluxations were found in 95% of this group. Although the researchers in this study were MDs, they recognized the power of chiropractic care and these babies were given the care they needed.
The spinal adjustment �frequently resulted in immediate quieting, cessation of crying, muscular relaxation and sleepiness.� The authors noted that an unhealthy spine causes �many clinical features from central motor impairment to lowered resistance to infections- especially ear, nose and throat infections.� The above study discusses an 18-month-old boy suffering from tonsillitis, frequent enteritis, therapy-resistant conjunctivitis, frequent colds, earache and increasing sleeping problems.
He received a chiropractic spinal adjustment. The child demanded to be put to bed and slept peacefully until morning. His health returned to normal. One wonders, what would have happened to this child if he never had chiropractic care? A life of antibiotics and other medications? A life of continued sickness?
The authors of the above-mentioned study concluded that a chiropractic spinal checkup �should be obligatory after every difficult birth� and any spinal stress �should be � adjusted � the success of adjustment overshadows every other type of care.�
According to the Chiropractic pediatric specialist Larry Webster, DC, there are six times in a baby�s first year of life when chiropractic examinations are especially important:�
- After the birth process.
- When the baby starts to hold his/her head up.
- When the baby sits up.
- When the baby starts to crawl.
- When the baby starts to stand.
- When the baby starts to walk.21
Toddlerhood through childhood is a very �physical� time. Those first hesitant steps soon evolve into jumping, running, falls and accidents which are all part of a normal childhood. While most falls are minor, at times they can cause nerve-damaging subluxations with serious long-term consequences. For that reason all children need periodic spinal check-ups.
What are the Benefits of Chiropractic for Kids?
Over many decades parents, clinicians, and researchers have noticed positive changes in behavioral, physical, and emotional health of children under chiropractic care. Many different behavioral conditions have been observed to improve with chiropractic care including ADD/ADHD, anxiety, and also focus, concentration, and grades in school.
Since the nerves collectively control and influence all bodily functions, removing nerve interference may result in improvement of many different health problems depending on the area of the spine and nervous system involved. Improvement is commonly seen in conditions such as colic, constipation, ear infections, allergies, asthma, sinus infections, persistent bed wetting, stomach aches, �growing pains� in the legs or arms, headaches, back and neck pain, scoliosis, and abnormal gait among others.
What�s the Best Reason to Have Your Kids Under Regular Chiropractic Care?
We believe that the best reason to do any health related activity is for wellness and prevention. And it is easier to grow healthy children than to repair damaged adults. Life is so much better when your children never seem to get sick or have health problems than when you are routinely going from appointment to appointment constantly treating the symptoms of ill health.
It is not unusual to hear parents state that since starting chiropractic care their children get sick less frequently and less severely, have less ear infections, and take less antibiotics and other drugs than their classmates. Our vision is to use chiropractic today for a better world tomorrow. Starting from birth, remove interference to the body�s inborn ability to heal itself and allow children to reach their health potential throughout their life.
10 Reasons Parents Take Their Children to See a Chiropractor
- To encourage good neural plasticity (brain and nerve development).
- To support �first-class� nerve communication throughout the body to promoting health and wellbeing.
- To help strengthen their child�s immunity � encouraging fewer colds, ear-aches and general illness.
- To help resolve breastfeeding issues and colic.
- To reduce the detrimental impact our modern world has on our children�s health.
- Encourages children to thrive by supporting digestive strength.
- To diminish nerve interference which may impact their child�s capacity to learn and concentrate.
- To promote body balance � helping to resolve poor posture, asthma, allergies and bed-wetting..
- To help kids stay fun and light hearted.
- To help kids stay in tip-top shape.
Sourced through Scoop.it from: circleofdocs.com
For a child poor nerve communication may result in developmental delays, an inability to concentrate, behavioral problems, digestive issues, asthma, headaches. Parents, clinicians, and researchers have noticed positive changes in behavioral, physical, and emotional health of children under chiropractic care.�For Answers to any questions you may have please call Dr. Jimenez at 915-850-0900
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Athletes, Power & Strength, PUSH-as-Rx
Walk into any gym or health club and you�ll find people exercising�their core. Core training has�taken the world by storm, and for good reason, as every DC knows. Strengthening the�core creates stability and better movement and helps prevent lower back pain. To help patients get the most from�their efforts, it�s important they understand what they�re doing. You can explain the difference between the local and global muscles, as I�ve outlined�below, and help your patients�perform core work safely and effectively.
What Is the Core?
I like to tell patients that their core is a shorthand way of referring to all the muscles of their�lower back/pelvis/hip area. It�s where your center of gravity is located and where movement begins. A strong core stabilizes the spine and pelvis and supports you as you move. The core has 29 pairs of muscles that�fall into two categories:
��Local Muscles. Patients can think�of local muscles as the deeper muscles, the ones close to the�spine and responsible for stabilization.�They don�t have much ability to move the�joints. The local muscles are further broken down into primary and secondary categories. The primary local muscles are the transverse abdominus and multifidi (the two most critical muscles for providing stability). The secondary local muscles are the internal obliques, quadratus lumborum, diaphragm and pelvic floor muscles.
��Global Muscles.�The global muscles are the outermost layer of muscle�they�re the ones you can feel through your skin. They�re responsible for moving joints. The global muscles in the core are the rectus abdominus, external obliques, erector spinae, psoas major and iliocostalis.
The core should operate as an integrated functional unit, with the local and global muscles working together to allow easy, smooth, pain-free movement. When the muscles work together optimally, each component distributes, absorbs and transfers forces. The kinetic chain of motion functions efficiently when you do something dynamic, like exercise or run.
Core Injury
An injury to one of the core muscles usually means an episode of lower back pain for your patient. When that happens, the deep stabilizers change how they work as a way to compensate for the injury and protect the area. The stabilizers now have delayed action; they�re turned on only after you move, instead of as you move. Because now they�re not functioning as they should, the�brain recruits the�global muscles to compensate. That causes a core imbalance. The result: pain in the lower back, pelvis and glutes (the big muscles you sit on).
Exercises designed to help get patients� core muscles back in balance are the best way to prevent re-injury and avoid lower back pain. Traditional abdominal exercises are often recommended to strengthen the global muscles. These exercises can actually increase pressure on the lower spine. Similarly, traditional lower back hyperextension exercises meant to stretch out the lower spine also may actually increase pressure on it. A better approach to preventing lower back pain is restoring stability with the core exercises below.
Abdominal Brace
The abdominal brace activates all the contracting muscles in the abdominal wall, without involving the nearby obliques and rectus muscles. This exercise strengthens the connection between the global muscles and the deep local muscles. This helps restore the balance between them and improves spinal stiffness.
To get an idea of how the muscles in your core work, place your thumbs in the small of your back on either side of your spine. Next, do a hip hinge: bend forward from the hips about 15 degrees. You should feel the muscles in your lower back move as you bend and stand back up again.
To do the brace, stand upright and suck in your stomach, as if you were about to get punched. Hold hat for 10 seconds, then relax. Repeat 20 times; do three sets.
You�ll know you�re doing the brace correctly if you poke your extended fingertips right into your side below your ribs and then brace. You should feel the muscles move under your fingertips.
Curl-Ups
Curl-ups train the rectus abdominus, the long abdominal muscle that runs vertically from your breastbone all the way down on both sides of your bellybutton.
Start by lying on your back with your hands palm-up beneath your lower back. Bend one leg and put the foot flat on the floor; extend the other leg. Hold your head and neck stiffly locked onto your ribcage�imagine them as one unit. Lift your head and shoulders slightly off the floor by three or four inches and hold that position for 20 seconds. Your elbows should touch the floor while you do this. Relax and gently lie back again. Repeat 10 times. Switch legs and repeat 10 times gain. Do three sets.
Tip: If your patient has�neck discomfort doing this, have them push their�tongue against the roof of the�mouth�to help�stabilize the neck muscles.
Side Bridge
The side bridge, also called the side plank, trains the quadratus lumborum, lateral obliques, and transverse abdominus muscles, all local muscles that help stabilize the�spine.
Start by lying on your side. Place your top leg in front of your bottom leg (the heel of your top foot should touch the toe of the bottom foot). Raise your body using the down-side shoulder and elbow. Cap the opposite shoulder with your free hand. Hold for as long as you can, aiming for 30 seconds. Switch sides and repeat.
Bird Dog
This exercise is great for training the back extensors, including the longissimus, iliocostalis and multifidii.
Start on your hands and knees (quadruped position). Raise and extend the opposite arm and leg simultaneously, like a dog pointing to where the bird is. �Hold or eight seconds, then return to the quadruped position. Repeat eight times, then switch arms and legs and repeat for eight reps. Do three sets.
Conclusion
All the muscles of the�core must work together to produce efficient and effective movement. The core is the center of the�body�s motion�training it is a critical part of any exercise routine. Teaching your�patients proper technique for core training will result in�big benefits for them now and in the future.
Share this Core Strengthening guide with patients, courtesy of WebExercises
Sourced through Scoop.it from: Dr. Alex Jimenez
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Walk into any gym or health club and you�ll find people exercising�their core. Core training has�taken the world by storm, and for good reason, as every DC knows. Strengthening the�core creates stability, better movement and helps prevent lower back pain.
