Back Clinic Functional Medicine Team. Functional medicine is an evolution in the practice of medicine that better addresses the healthcare needs of the 21st century. By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach, functional medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms.
Practitioners spend time with their patients, listening to their histories and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease. In this way, functional medicine supports the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual.
By changing the disease-centered focus of medical practice to this patient-centered approach, our physicians are able to support the healing process by viewing health and illness as part of a cycle in which all components of the human biological system interact dynamically with the environment. This process helps to seek and identify genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors that may shift a person’s health from illness to well-being.
It is difficult for individuals to achieve health and fitness goals when they don’t like to eat vegetables. Intermittent fasting, Paleo, vegan, Mediterranean, or New Nordic, almost all healthy nutrition plans require vegetable consumption to achieve optimal health. However, it is never too late to learn to enjoy vegetables. Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Clinic can recommend ways not just to eat vegetables because they are healthy but to truly enjoy them.
Training Oneself To Enjoy Vegetables
Everyone’s taste preferences are different.
Many individuals grew up in homes where vegetables were prepared in unappetizing ways.
Over boiling and steaming are common preparation methods that many had experience with, including broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, and Brussels sprouts, which made them flavorless, mushy and is where many decided they were not going to eat these foods.
Vegetables are full of nutrients that are very beneficial to the body.
Vegetables contain antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients.
These nutrients help keep the mind and body healthy and avoid deficiencies.
Vegetables add fiber that provides a feeling of fullness by giving volume to fill the stomach without added calories.
This controls energy balance/calories in vs. calories out, which helps shed body fat without feeling hungry and maintain body weight.
Vegetables feed the intestinal bacteria that help the digestive tract.
Vegetables provide hydration that helps the fiber eliminate waste products.
Vegetables add variety to help maintain healthy nutrition.
Branching Out
The key is to branch out incrementally. Most individuals will have a vegetable or two that they can tolerate. This could be a starting point by expanding on new variations on those tolerable vegetables that will lead to broadened taste preferences. This can be done through different cooking methods that include:
Regardless of where you’re starting, there are simple ways to make the vegetable bitterness less intense, more palatable, and more enjoyable that consists of:
Vegetable Challenge
Vegetable Complement
Vegetable Cushion
Vegetable Challenge
Pick a vegetable that you would not normally eat that requires effort to try.
Motivate yourself to try it – health reasons, children, family, friends, etc.
Take a small bite; you may hate it, like it, or it has no effect.
You at least tried it.
Research suggests that individuals may need to try new foods many times (prepared differently) before tolerating or liking them.
It means pairing food with a vegetable to activate various tastes and flavors pleasing to the palate simultaneously.
Vegetable Cushion
On the tongue are a variety of receptors that bind to the chemicals in food.
When these receptors are activated, they send a chemical signal to the brain about the taste.
Variations in the number and type of receptors help develop flavor preferences.
Basic tastes – sweet, sour, spicy, salty, bitter, and umami.
Pairingbitterness with other distinct flavors, like sweet and spicy, can develop and change the brain’s perception of bland or bitter vegetables to tasty and delicious.
Cushions for bitterness include honey, real maple syrup, sour cream, Mexican crema, hot sauce, oils, almonds, and butter used in balance to enhance and bring out flavors.
The objective is to start small and work your way to becoming more comfortable with experimenting and combining more flavors. Consultation with a professional nutritionist can help individuals get on a healthy nutrition plan that they can enjoy.
Tip From A Dietitian
References
Christoph, Mary J et al. “Intuitive Eating is Associated With Higher Fruit and Vegetable Intake Among Adults.” Journal of nutrition education and behavior vol. 53,3 (2021): 240-245. doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2020.11.015
Melis M, Yousaf NY, Mattes MZ, Cabras T, Messana I, Crnjar R, Tomassini Barbarossa I, Tepper BJ. Sensory perception of salivary protein response to astringency as a function of the 6-n-propylthioural (PROP) bitter-taste phenotype. Physiol Behav. 2017 Jan 24;173:163-173.
Mennella JA. Development of food preferences: Lessons learned from longitudinal and experimental studies. Food Qual Prefer. 2006 Oct;17(7-8):635-637.
Tordoff, Michael G, and Mari A Sandell. “Vegetable bitterness is related to calcium content.” Appetite vol. 52,2 (2009): 498-504. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2009.01.002
Wallace, Taylor C et al. “Fruits, vegetables, and health: A comprehensive narrative, umbrella review of the science and recommendations for enhanced public policy to improve intake.” Critical reviews in food science and nutrition vol. 60,13 (2020): 2174-2211. doi:10.1080/10408398.2019.1632258
Wieczorek, Martyna N et al. “Bitter taste of Brassica vegetables: The role of genetic factors, receptors, isothiocyanates, glucosinolates, and flavor context.” Critical reviews in food science and nutrition vol. 58,18 (2018): 3130-3140. doi:10.1080/10408398.2017.1353478
When it comes to the torso is surrounded by various muscles that help protect the vital organs known as the gut system and help with stabilizing the spinal column in the body. The abdominal muscles are essential to maintaining good posture and core support for many individuals. When normal activities or chronic issues begin to affect the body, the abdominal muscles can also be affected and can cause referred pain all around the torso area. When the abdominal muscles are dealing with referred pain, it can develop into trigger points that mask other chronic conditions affecting the torso and the thoracolumbar region. Today’s article looks at the abdominal muscles and their function, how trigger points are affecting the abdomen, and how various treatments help manage trigger points associated with abdominal pain. We refer patients to certified providers who provide different techniques in abdominal pain therapies related to trigger points to aid many suffering from pain-like symptoms along the abdominal muscles along the torso. We encourage patients by referring them to our associated medical providers based on their examination when it is appropriate. We designate that education is a great solution to asking our providers profound and complex questions at the patient’s request. Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., notes this information as an educational service only. Disclaimer
The Abdominal Muscles & Their Function
Do you have trouble moving around? Have you been dealing with muscle spasms along your abdomen? Does it hurt when you are sneezing, laughing, or coughing constantly? All these actions affecting your abdominal muscles might correlate with trigger points along the muscles and disrupt the torso area. The abdomen in the body has various muscles, a complex organ with many functions that contribute to a person’s quality of life. The abdominal muscles have many important parts, from supporting the trunk, allowing movement like twisting and turning, and holding the organs in the gut system in place through internal abdominal pressure regulation. The abdominal muscles have five main muscles that work together with the back muscles to keep body stability. They are:
Pyramidalis
Rectus Abdominus
External Obliques
Internal Obliques
Transversus Abdominis
Studies reveal that the abdominal muscles can help increase the stability of the lumbar region of the body from the vertebral columns by tending the thoracolumbar fascia and raising the intra-abdominal pressure. This allows the abdominal muscle to bend and flex in different positions without feeling pain. However, overusing the abdominal muscles can lead to unnecessary issues that can affect not only the torso but the surrounding muscles around the torso.
How Trigger Points Are Affecting The Abdomen
The book “Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction,” by Dr. Janet Travell, M.D., mentioned that abdominal symptoms are common and can cause diagnostic confusion for many people. Since the abdominal muscles can provide stability to the body’s trunk when a person overuses the abdominal muscles through various activities like quick and violent twisting of the mid-section, lifting heavy objects with the core instead of the legs, overdoing exercise regimes, or having a persistent cough, these various activities could potentially lead to the development of trigger points in the abdominal muscles causing pain in the abdomen and causing referred pain to the lower back. Studies reveal that trigger points along the abdominal muscles are developed through aggravating factors like prolonged sitting or standing can cause the abdominal muscles to become extremely tender and hyperirritable along the taut muscle bands. When trigger points affect the abdominal muscles, they can produce referred abdominal pain and visceral disorders (somato-visceral effects) that work closely together to mimic visceral diseases. This pertains to many individuals thinking something is wrong in their gut system, but their abdominal muscles are causing issues in their bodies.
Releasing Trigger Points In The Abdominal Muscles-Video
Have you been experiencing abdominal issues around your torso? Does it hurt when you laugh, cough, or sneeze? Do you feel muscle stiffness or tenderness along your abdominals? If you have been dealing with these symptoms throughout your life, you could be experiencing abdominal pain associated with trigger points in your torso. Abdominal pain is common for many individuals and can vary from gut issues or muscle issues that various factors can cause in the torso. Abdominal issues can even cause confusion to doctors when they are diagnosing the issues that are affecting their patients. When various actions cause pain to the abdominals, it can develop referred pain associated with trigger points. Trigger points develop when the muscle has been overused, creating tiny nodules in the taut band. Trigger points can be tricky to pinpoint but are treatable. The video above shows where the trigger points are located in the abdominal muscles and how to release them from the affected abdominal muscles to provide relief and reduce the mimic effects of visceral-somatic pain.
Managing Trigger Points Associated With Abdominal Pain Through Various Treatments
When abdominal pain affects the muscles, the symptoms can develop trigger points. When this happens, it can lead to confusion and often misdiagnosed. All is not lost; there are ways to manage trigger points associated with abdominal pain through various treatments. Studies reveal that various therapies like dry needling combined with palpations can reduce trigger points from causing more referred pain issues in the abdomen. Other ways to prevent trigger points from developing in the future are through exercises that can help strengthen the abdominal muscles. Exercises like abdominal breathing, pelvic tilts, sit-ups, and even laughter can help strengthen weak abdominal muscles and positively affect the body.
Conclusion
The torso has various muscles, known as abdominal muscles, that help protect the vital organs in the gut system, help stabilize the spinal column, and maintain good posture for many individuals. Various factors affecting the abdominal muscles can lead to a confusing diagnosis, as it could be an internal or external issue. When the abdominal muscles are affected by being overused through various activities, it can develop into trigger points in the muscles, causing visceral referred pain to the torso and cause muscle weakness. Luckily multiple treatments can help reduce the effects of trigger points associated with abdominal pain and can help strengthen the core of the body. This allows the individual to feel better and consider what not to do to their abdominals.
References
Balyan, Rohit, et al. “Abdominal Wall Myofascial Pain: Still an Unrecognized Clinical Entity.” The Korean Journal of Pain, The Korean Pain Society, Oct. 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5665744/.
Rajkannan, Pandurangan, and Rajagopalan Vijayaraghavan. “Dry Needling in Chronic Abdominal Wall Pain of Uncertain Origin.” Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Jan. 2019, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30691770/.
Seeras, Kevin, et al. “Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis, Anterolateral Abdominal Wall.” In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL), StatPearls Publishing, 25 July 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK525975/.
Tesh, K M, et al. “The Abdominal Muscles and Vertebral Stability.” Spine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, June 1987, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2957802/.
Travell, J. G., et al. Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual: Vol. 1:Upper Half of Body. Williams & Wilkins, 1999.
Stress and anxiety treatments can include a range of therapies, including talking therapy, meditation techniques, and medication. Chiropractic care, adjustments, and massage are also used as a treatment plan to de-stress. Whether diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or experiencing intense stress, chiropractic functional medicine can address the physical symptoms to rebalance the mind and body.
De-Stress
Physical and mental health are connected. Stress and anxiety can cause tension, fatigue, headaches, and aches and pains. It can make sleeping and/or relaxing difficult, affecting mental and physical health. Signs of stress include:
Blood sugar level changes
Every day or almost every day, tension headaches
Teeth grinding
Backaches
Muscle tension
Digestive problems
Skin irritation
Hair loss
Heart issues
The spine is the conduit for the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
The sympathetic nervous system activates when the brain thinks sudden action or important stressful decisions needs to be taken.
The fight or flight response speeds up the heart rate and releases adrenaline.
The parasympathetic system deactivates the fight or flight response, calming the body into a more relaxed state.
Problems arise when the sympathetic nervous system gets activated repeatedly, causing the fight or flight system to remain semi-active. This can come from long commutes, traffic jams, loud music, deadlines, sports practice, rehearsals, etc. The parasympathetic nervous system never gets a chance to activate and settle the mind and body. The result is constantly feeling stressed and agitated.
Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care to de-stress decreases stress hormones and releases feel-good hormones like oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin, which allow healing and help the body relax. Chiropractic adjustments let the brain know it’s time to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and ease down. Chiropractic helps by:
Relieving Muscle Tension
When the body is under stress, the muscles tense up, causing discomfort, aches, and pains.
The continued stress can lead to health issues, panic attacks, anxiety disorders, and depression.
Chiropractic relieves tension restoring the body to its natural balance.
Chiropractic can help effectively restore bodily functions.
Adjustments and massage rebalance blood circulation and energy flow, allowing clear nervous system transmission.
Lowering Blood Pressure
Chiropractic care has shown positive results in lowering blood pressure.
Improving Quality Sleep
Chiropractic care improves sleep patterns by correcting spinal misalignments.
Increasing Relaxation
Chiropractic adjustments can release and relax muscle activity, allowing the body to relax and de-stress completely.
Health Voice
References
Jamison, J R. “Stress management: an exploratory study of chiropractic patients.” Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics vol. 23,1 (2000): 32-6. doi:10.1016/s0161-4754(00)90111-8
Kültür, Turgut, et al. “Evaluation of the effect of chiropractic manipulative treatment on oxidative stress in sacroiliac joint dysfunction.” Turkish journal of physical medicine and rehabilitation vol. 66,2 176-183. 18 May. 2020, doi:10.5606/tftrd.2020.3301
Mariotti, Agnese. “The effects of chronic stress on health: new insights into the molecular mechanisms of brain-body communication.” Future science OA vol. 1,3 FSO23. 1 Nov. 2015, doi:10.4155/fso.15.21
Stefanaki, Charikleia, et al. “Chronic stress, and body composition disorders: implications for health and disease.” Hormones (Athens, Greece) vol. 17,1 (2018): 33-43. doi:10.1007/s42000-018-0023-7
Yaribeygi, Habib et al. “The impact of stress on body function: A review.” EXCLI journal vol. 16 1057-1072. 21 Jul. 2017, doi:10.17179/excli2017-480
The body needs food for fuel, energy, growth, and repair. The digestive process breaks down food into a form the body can absorb and use for fuel. The broken-down food gets absorbed into the bloodstream from the small intestine, and the nutrients are carried to the cells throughout the body. Understanding how the organs work together to digest food can help with health goals and overall health.
The Digestive Process
The organs of the digestive system are the following:
The digestive process starts with the anticipation of eating, stimulating the glands in the mouth to produce saliva. The digestive system’s primary functions include:
Mixing food
Moving food through the digestive tract – peristalsis
The chemical breakdown of food into smaller absorbable components.
The digestive system converts food into its simplest forms, which include:
Glucose – sugars
Amino acids – protein
Fatty acids – fats
Proper digestion extracts nutrients from food and liquids to maintain health and function properly. Nutrients include:
Carbohydrates
Proteins
Fats
Vitamins
Minerals
Water
Mouth and Esophagus
The food is ground up by the teeth and moistened with saliva to swallow easily.
Saliva also has a special chemical enzyme that starts breaking down carbohydrates into sugars.
Muscular contractions of the esophagus massage the food into the stomach.
Stomach
The food passes through a small muscle ring into the stomach.
It gets mixed with gastric chemicals.
The stomach churns the food to break it down further.
The food is then squeezed into the first part of the small intestine, the duodenum.
Small Intestine
Once in the duodenum, the food mixes with more digestive enzymes from the pancreas and bilefrom the liver.
The food passes into the lower parts of the small intestine, called the jejunum and the ileum.
Nutrients are absorbed from the ileum, lined with millions of villi or thread-like fingers that facilitate the absorption.
Each villus is connected to a mesh of capillaries, which is how nutrients get absorbed into the bloodstream.
Pancreas
The pancreas is one of the largest glands.
It secretes digestive juices and a hormone called insulin.
Insulin helps regulate the amount of sugar in the blood.
The liver has several different roles that include:
Breaks down fats using bile stored in the gallbladder.
Processes proteins and carbohydrates.
Filters and processes impurities, medications, and toxins.
Generates glucose for short-term energy from compounds like lactate and amino acids.
Large Intestine
A large reservoir of microbes and healthy bacteria live in the large intestine and play an important role in healthy digestion.
Once the nutrients have been absorbed, the waste is passed into the large intestine or bowel.
Water is removed, and the waste gets stored in the rectum.
It is then passed out of the body through the anus.
Digestive System Health
Ways to keep the digestive system and the digestive process healthy include:
Drink More Water
Water helps the food flow more easily through the digestive system.
Low amounts of water/dehydration are common causes of constipation.
Add More Fiber
Fiber is beneficial to digestion and helps with regular bowel movements.
Incorporate both soluble and insoluble fiber.
Soluble fiber dissolves in water.
As soluble fiber dissolves, it creates a gel that can improve digestion.
Soluble fiber may reduce blood cholesterol and sugar.
It helps your body improve blood glucose control, which can aid in reducing your risk for diabetes.
Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water.
Insoluble fiber attracts water into the stool, making it softer and easier to pass with less strain on the bowels.
Insoluble fiber can help promote bowel health and regularity and supports insulin sensitivity which can help reduce the risk of diabetes.
Balanced Nutrition
Eat fruit and vegetables daily.
Choose whole grains over processed grains.
Avoid processed foods in general.
Choose poultry and fish more than red meat and limit processed meats.
Cut down on sugar.
Eat Foods with Probiotics or Use Probiotic Supplements
Probiotics are healthy bacteria that help combat unhealthy bacteria in the gut.
They also generate healthy substances that nourish the gut.
Consume probiotics after taking antibiotics that often kill all the bacteria in the gut.
Eat Mindfully and Chew Food Slowly
Chewing food thoroughly helps to ensure the body has enough saliva for digestion.
Chewing food thoroughly also makes it easier for nutritional absorption.
Eating slowly gives the body time to digest thoroughly.
It also allows the body to send cues that it is full.
How The Digestive System Works
References
GREENGARD, H. “Digestive system.” Annual review of physiology vol. 9 (1947): 191-224. doi:10.1146/annurev.ph.09.030147.001203
Hoyle, T. “The digestive system: linking theory and practice.” British journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing) vol. 6,22 (1997): 1285-91. doi:10.12968/bjon.1997.6.22.1285
Martinsen, Tom C et al. “The Phylogeny and Biological Function of Gastric Juice-Microbiological Consequences of Removing Gastric Acid.” International journal of molecular sciences vol. 20,23 6031. 29 Nov. 2019, doi:10.3390/ijms20236031
Ramsay, Philip T, and Aaron Carr. “Gastric acid and digestive physiology.” The Surgical clinics of North America vol. 91,5 (2011): 977-82. doi:10.1016/j.suc.2011.06.010
The body’s ability to heal itself is quite remarkable. When injury or illness presents, the body’s systems activate to deal with the problem and restore itself to health. The spine’s bones protect the communication pathways of the spinal cord and nerve roots. If the nervous system suffers injury or is damaged in some way, causing impairment, it can cause malfunctioning of the tissues and organs throughout the body. Chiropractic care combined with functional medicine can restore and enhance the body’s self-healing abilities to optimal levels.
The Body’s Ability To Heal Itself
A healthy body regenerates, fights infection, heals wounds, and repairs damage. The body is in a constant state of removing damage and producing new, healthy tissues.
Cells can heal themselves when they become unhealthy and replicate to replace injured or damaged cells.
The body produces new cells to heal the damage if a bone gets fractured or broken.
When the skin gets cut, the blood clots, stopping the bleeding, white blood cells remove the injured and dead cells, and new healthy cells repair the damaged tissue.
The immune system deals with viruses, bacteria, and toxins.
Natural destroyer cells recognize when the body’s cells have been invaded by a virus and destroy the infected cell.
Inflammation
Inflammation is the body’s reaction to an injury or infection, activating the immune system to restore the injured or infected area to health.
A fever is the body’s raising its temperature to levels that will kill viruses and bacteria.
The elevation in temperature also triggers certain cellular mechanisms which help the body fight the infection.
Stem Cells
The body heals and regenerates itself through stem cells.
Once the body is formed, embryonic stem cells disappear, and adult stem cells take over.
The adult stem cells divide, producing an identical stem cell and a healthy, mature cell of a specific type.
Each type of adult stem cell only can become certain types of tissue.
For example, Mesenchymal Stem Cells can regenerate bone, fat, muscle, and cartilage cells.
Neural Stem Cells help regenerate nerve tissue in the brain and spinal cord.
Epithelial Stem Cells regenerate skin.
Adult stem cells can reproduce for a long time but eventually stop reproducing as efficiently.
Nervous System
The nervous system assists the whole body in maintaining communication, using electrical and chemical impulses to send and receive messages. The system reacts to changes inside and outside the body. Infections, injuries, disorders, and conditions can cause imbalances causing communication problems that can lead to health issues. Common problems of the nervous system include:
Sciatica – Pressure on a nerve/s caused by a slipped, bulging, or herniated disc in the spine or arthritis of the spine and, sometimes, other factors.
Parkinson’s disease – The death of neurons in a part of the brain called the midbrain. Symptoms include shaking and mobility problems.
Epilepsy – Abnormal electrical activity in the brain causing seizures.
Meningitis – Inflammation of the membrane covering the brain.
Multiple sclerosis – The myelin sheaths protecting the nerves of the central nervous system become damaged and deteriorates.
Chiropractic Care
Subluxations are misaligned or damaged joints that are not functioning correctly. These joints can place pressure on a nerve, which interferes with the normal nervous system function. Chiropractic care can realign, restore and maintain neuromusculoskeletal system health to reactivate the body’s natural healing abilities.
Cerebral Palsy Chiropractic Treatment
References
Haavik, Heidi, et al. “Effects of 12 Weeks of Chiropractic Care on Central Integration of Dual Somatosensory Input in Chronic Pain Patients: A Preliminary Study.” Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics vol. 40,3 (2017): 127-138. doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2016.10.002
Lee, Courtney, et al. “Mind-body therapies for the self-management of chronic pain symptoms.” Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) vol. 15 Suppl 1 (2014): S21-39. doi:10.1111/pme.12383
Maltese PE, Michelini S, Baronio M, Bertelli M. Molecular foundations of chiropractic therapy. Acta Biomed. 2019 Sep 30;90(10-S):93-102. doi: 10.23750/abm.v90i10-S.8768. PMID: 31577263; PMCID: PMC7233649.
McSwan, Joyce, et al. “Self-Healing: A Concept for Musculoskeletal Body Pain Management – Scientific Evidence and Mode of Action.” Journal of pain research vol. 14 2943-2958. 21 Sep. 2021, doi:10.2147/JPR.S321037
Navid, Muhammad Samran et al. “The effects of chiropractic spinal manipulation on central processing of tonic pain – a pilot study using standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA).” Scientific reports vol. 9,1 6925. 6 May. 2019, doi:10.1038/s41598-019-42984-3
Mindful eating involves paying attention to what and how individuals eat, helping to become more aware of the body’s natural hunger and satisfaction cues. The process can help individuals become aware of the reasons behind their hunger and help to reduce cravings, control portion sizes, and develop long-term healthy eating habits.
Mindful Eating
It’s easy to rush through meals and snacks without pausing to enjoy the experience while refueling the body. Like meditation, individuals focus on what they are eating, how it smells, tastes, and the bodily sensations experienced. It is a way of checking in with the mind and body throughout a meal or snack. Mindful eating puts the individual in touch:
Hedonic hunger – emotional, stressful, conditioned, celebratory, etc.
Benefits
Individuals do not have to go all-in but can adopt some principles of slowing down and tuning into the body to improve health. Benefits include:
Better Digestion
Slowing down and chewing food properly makes it easier to digest.
Improved Nutrition
Fast foods can cause a feeling of sluggishness and bloating.
Eating nutrient-packed meals provides more energy.
Improved nutrition means improved immune system health.
The awareness reinforces making healthier choices.
Satisfaction After Meals
Rushing to finish a meal means not enjoying the flavors and texture factors that can generate a sense of fullness and satisfaction.
Training the mind and body to be truly satisfied with meals and snacks leads to less stress and less craving.
Healthier Food Relationship
The body needs food physiologically for fuel and nourishment.
Individuals also develop emotional attachments to food associated with experiences and memories.
Addressing all aspects and influences in food relationships allows individuals to become more aware of their learned behaviors, perceptions, emotions, and mindsets.
Identifies behaviors that are not beneficial so the individual can work to improve them.
Improved Cardiometabolic Health
Mindful or intuitive eating has been shown to improve:
Blood sugar levels in pregnant women.
Inflammatory markers in postmenopausal women.
Lipid and blood pressure in overweight adults.
Food Consumption Health
Put away electronics and set aside time and space for eating only.
Eat in a setting where you are relaxed.
Eating in the car, in front of a computer while working, or on the phone doesn’t give full attention to the eating process and, as a result, can cause the individual to eat more or eat foods that are not healthy.
Sit down and take a few deep breaths before starting the meal.
If emotions are running high and are geared towards eating, see if you can acknowledge and express those emotions rather than eat through them.
This will help the digestive process and get the most out of the meal.
Eat a palette of colors, sample various salty, sweet, spicy, and umami/savory flavors, and take in the food with all the senses.
Not eating a variety of flavors at a meal can cause a feeling of missing something that can lead to unhealthy cravings.
Eat with others, as sharing food can enrich everyone involved and help focus on the experience, not the amount of food consumed.
Chew thoroughly, as digestion begins in the mouth, where enzymes are secreted in saliva to break down food.
Not properly chewing and making the food smaller can cause indigestion and other digestive problems.
Listen to your body and recognize when you have had enough or want more.
Waiting five minutes before getting another serving can help the body become more attuned to hunger and fullness cues.
Eat Mindfully
References
Cherpak, Christine E. “Mindful Eating: A Review Of How The Stress-Digestion-Mindfulness Triad May Modulate And Improve Gastrointestinal And Digestive Function.” Integrative medicine (Encinitas, Calif.) vol. 18,4 (2019): 48-53.
Espel-Huynh, H M et al. “A narrative review of the construct of hedonic hunger and its measurement by the Power of Food Scale.” Obesity science & practice vol. 4,3 238-249. 28 Feb. 2018, doi:10.1002/osp4.161
Grider, Hannah S et al. “The Influence of Mindful Eating and/or Intuitive Eating Approaches on Dietary Intake: A Systematic Review.” Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics vol. 121,4 (2021): 709-727.e1. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2020.10.019
Hendrickson, Kelsie L, and Erin B Rasmussen. “Mindful eating reduces impulsive food choice in adolescents and adults.” Health psychology: official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association vol. 36,3 (2017): 226-235. doi:10.1037/hea0000440
Morillo Sarto, Hector, et al. “Efficacy of a mindful-eating program to reduce emotional eating in patients suffering from overweight or obesity in primary care settings: a cluster-randomized trial protocol.” BMJ open vol. 9,11 e031327. 21 Nov. 2019, doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031327
Nelson, Joseph B. “Mindful Eating: The Art of Presence While You Eat.” Diabetes spectrum: a publication of the American Diabetes Association vol. 30,3 (2017): 171-174. doi:10.2337/ds17-0015
Warren, Janet M et al. “A structured literature review on the role of mindfulness, mindful eating and intuitive eating in changing eating behaviors: effectiveness and associated potential mechanisms.” Nutrition research reviews vol. 30,2 (2017): 272-283. doi:10.1017/S0954422417000154
The chest has the pectoralis major muscle that works with the upper half of the body that provides mobility and power. The pectoralis major also surrounds the clavicle skeletal structure and works with the thoracic spine. The chest allows mobility to the arms and stability to the shoulders while working together with the shoulder and arm muscles. Many individuals utilize the upper body more when working out, lifting, or carrying objects from one place to another. This causes the muscle to become overused and succumb to injuries that can affect the functionality of the chest and invoke pain-like symptoms in the body. One of the chest muscles affected by pain is the pectoralis muscles, especially the pectoralis minor muscle. Today’s article looks at the pectoralis minor muscle, how myofascial pain affects the pectoralis minor, and how to manage myofascial pain associated with the pectoralis minor. We refer patients to certified providers specializing in chest pain therapies to aid many people suffering from trigger point pain affecting the minor muscles of the pectoralis. We brief patients by referring them to our associated medical providers based on their examination when appropriate. We indicate that education is a great solution to asking our providers profound and complex questions at the patient’s request. Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., notes this information as an educational service only. Disclaimer
The Pectoralis Minor Muscle
Have you been experiencing pain in your upper-mid back? Do you feel like your chest is feeling compressed constantly? Do you feel the tension in your shoulders that makes it difficult to reach behind your back? Most of these symptoms are signs that many individuals are developing myofascial pain along the pectoralis muscles, especially the pectoralis minor. The pectoralis minor muscle is a thin triangular-shaped muscle below the pectoralis major. It has a crucial part of the chest as it helps stabilize the scapula (the shoulder blades) and is in front of the thoracic wall of the spine. The pectoralis minor is also part of the respiratory muscle group that works with the lungs. The pectoralis minor muscle has many functions for the shoulder blades, which include:
Stabilization
Depression
Abduction or Protraction
Internal Rotation
Downwards Rotation
When environmental factors begin to affect the lungs and cause respiratory issues in the body, the surrounding respiratory muscle group also gets involved, causing the body to be hunched over.
Myofascial Pain Affecting The Pectoralis Minor
When environmental factors begin to affect the lungs, it causes the respiratory muscles to contract and become compressed. This is just one of the many factors that can affect the pectoralis minor muscle. The other factor is that the pectoralis minor muscle may be short in the chest and when individuals try to reach behind their backs. This causes the pectoralis minor muscle to to be overstretched and develop myofascial pain or trigger points along the muscle fibers. The book, “Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction,” written by Dr. Travell, M.D., described the pain from myofascial pain associated with the pectoralis minor to be similar to cardiac pain. This is known as referred pain caused by myofascial pain syndrome and it can be a bit difficult to diagnose since it can mimic other chronic issues. Studies reveal that shortening or any sort of tightness of the pectoralis minor is one of the potential biomechanical mechanisms that is associated with an altered scapular alignment which causes pain and shoulder movement impairments. Overusing the pectoralis minor muscles creates tiny nodules that can affect the stability of the shoulders and causes upper-mid back problems in the thoracic region of the spine.
An Overview Of Trigger Points On The Pectoralis Minor- Video
Have you been experiencing difficulty inreaching behind your back? Do you feeling your body becoming more hunched over than usual? Or have you been experiencing chest pain constantly? These pain-like symptoms are caused by myofascial pain associated with the pectoralis minor muscle. The pectoralis minor muscle helps with the stability of the shoulders and studies reveal that when the presense of myofascial trigger points are linked to shoulder and upper body disorders, it can increase the risk of overlapping conditions that trigger points can mimic. Myofascial trigger points are a common complaint as it can significantly impact a person’s daily activites by causing the taut muscle band to be tender or hypersenitive. When this happens, it can lead to issues of muscle imbalance, weakness and impaired motor function. Thankfully, there are various techniques that can help reduce the pain symptoms and issues in the pectoralis minor muscle, while mananging the trigger points. The video above explainshow to tell when your chest muscles are tight and various tests to know when the pectoralis muscles (both the minor and major) are being affected by trigger points.
Managing Myofacial Pain Associated With Pectoralis Minor
When dealing with chest pains associated with myofascial pain along the pectoralis minor, there are many techniques they can incorporate to prevent myofascial pain from causing further damage to the muscle itself and the surrounding muscles. Various chest stretches can help gently loosen the stiff muscles, warm the pectoralis minor, and improve mobility to the chest and shoulders. Correct posture can help prevent the body from being hunched over constantly and let the surrounding muscles and the pectoralis minor relax. If the pain is unbearable, studies reveal that treatments like dry needling and palpations on the pectoralis minor muscles can help manage the pain caused by trigger points. This kind of treatment allows the muscle to release the trigger point and, combined with a hot or cold pack, can reduce the chances of myofascial pain from forming again in the muscle.
Conclusion
Underneath the pectoralis major muscle, the pectoralis minor is a thin triangular-shaped muscle that helps stabilize the shoulder blades and is located in the front of the thoracic wall of the spine. This tiny muscle is part of the respiratory muscles that have a causal relationship with the lungs and can succumb to environmental factors that can lead to the development of myofascial pain or trigger points on the pectoralis minor. Myofascial pain associated with the pectoralis minor muscle can mimic cardiovascular issues and invoke pain in the muscle. Fortunately, various treatments can help relieve and manage myofascial pain from re-occurring in the pectoralis minor.
References
Bagcier, Fatih, et al. “Three Simple Rules in Pectoral Muscle’s Trigger Point Treatment, Which May Be a Cause of Chest Pain: Position, Palpation, and Perpendicular Needling.” American Board of Family Medicine, American Board of Family Medicine, 1 Nov. 2020, www.jabfm.org/content/33/6/1031.long.
Baig, Mirza A, and Bruno Bordoni. “Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Pectoral Muscles.” In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL), StatPearls Publishing, 11 Aug. 2021, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545241/.
Morais, Nuno, and Joana Cruz. “The Pectoralis Minor Muscle and Shoulder Movement-Related Impairments and Pain: Rationale, Assessment and Management.” Physical Therapy in Sport : Official Journal of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Jan. 2016, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26530726/.
Ribeiro, Daniel Cury, et al. “The Prevalence of Myofascial Trigger Points in Neck and Shoulder-Related Disorders: A Systematic Review of the Literature.” BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, BioMed Central, 25 July 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6060458/.
Travell, J. G., et al. Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual: Vol. 1:Upper Half of Body. Williams & Wilkins, 1999.
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