Back Clinic Health Team. The level of functional and metabolic efficiency of a living organism. In humans, it is the ability of individuals or communities to adapt and self-manage when facing physical, mental, psychological, and social changes in an environment. Dr.Alex Jimenez D.C., C.C.S.T, a clinical pain doctor who uses cutting-edge therapies and rehabilitation procedures focused on total health, strength training, and complete conditioning. We take a global functional fitness treatment approach to regain complete functional health.
Dr. Jimenez presents articles both from his own experience and from a variety of sources that pertain to a healthy lifestyle or general health issues. I have spent over 30+ years researching and testing methods with thousands of patients and understand what truly works. We strive to create fitness and better the body through researched methods and total health programs.
These programs and methods are natural and use the body’s own ability to achieve improvement goals, rather than introducing harmful chemicals, controversial hormone replacement, surgery, or addictive drugs. As a result, individuals live a fulfilled life with more energy, a positive attitude, better sleep, less pain, proper body weight, and education on maintaining this way of life.
Have you ever wondered how many years your treating chiropractic doctor went to school for or how their education compares to that of other health care professionals? Knowing your doctor’s educational background and additional certifications is often essential to helping you choose the health care provider that is right for you. While the word�”doctor” automatically implies an extensive academic curriculum, each health care specialist has a unique and individualized educational program to complete prior to practicing in the field. Our doctors�have designed this article to help you understand your chiropractor�s educational background and how it may affect your care.
Chiropractors Educational Requirements?
As with many professionals, the specific requirements outlined often vary from state to state. Typically, chiropractors are required to have completed undergraduate pre-medical studies and obtained a bachelor�s degree prior to admission to a post graduate chiropractic college. Each chiropractic college has undergone a meticulous evaluation process to become certified by the Department of Education as an accredited educational institution.
The amount of time that your chiropractic doctor spends at a specific chiropractic academic institution is impressive. In fact, your chiropractor has spent a minimum of 4,200 hours at a chiropractic college prior to receiving his diploma. This time is spent in the classroom, laboratory, and clinic learning about the various aspects of the chiropractic profession and health care in general.
In the classroom, your doctor focuses his studies on the subjects of anatomy, physiology, diagnosis, pathology, biochemistry, neuromuscular and orthopedic evaluation, pediatric and geriatric care, microbiology, nutrition, immunology, radiology, philosophy, and clinical research. While this may seem like a lot, all of this information is assimilated and tested prior to advancement to clinical work. Once the student has completed his academic work, he will typically spend a minimum of 1,000 hours at a campus clinic under the guidance of a clinic doctor. During this time he will learn hands on how to diagnosis and treat patients in real clinical situations.
During your chiropractors education they will be tested through a number of different evaluations. Not only is your doctor subject to evaluation by their chiropractic college, they must also pass a series of national board examinations. Chiropractors practicing in the United States are required to have passed a series of four national board exams which evaluate them on their understanding of the basic sciences, clinical sciences, physiological therapeutics, diagnostic imaging, case management, and clinical competency. In addition to these requirements, following graduation and completion of national board examinations, each chiropractor must become certified by their state licensing agency.
The completion of these standards is not the end of the educational journey for chiropractic doctors. Depending on the state, each chiropractor is required to complete additional approved course work at designated times following their licensure. For example, Wisconsin requires a minimum of 40 hours of continuing education every two years following graduation.
Chiropractors Education In Comparison To Other Health Care Professionals?
After reading the above information, I feel it is safe to say that your chiropractic doctor knows far more about your health than just treating your back. To help understand this it is useful to compare a chiropractor�s education to other members of the health care community. Since many people are familiar with a medical doctor, we will compare their educational background with that of a chiropractic doctor. For starters, the typical chiropractic student will have completed a total of approximately 2,419 hours of academic work prior to the initiation of clinical studies. In comparison, the majority of medical students will have completed somewhere around 2,047 hours of study. Further, while each health care discipline has its strengths, chiropractic students undergo more hours of study in the fields of anatomy, embryology, physiology, biochemistry, diagnosis, x-ray, and orthopedics. In contrast, medical practitioners have had more classroom hours studying the subjects of pathology, psychology, and obstetrics.
When analyzing these numbers it is important to understand that while differences exist, each of your doctors has undertaken and completed a similar core education. In addition, it is important to remember that each of your doctors (even in the same health care discipline) possess various strengths to compensate for other health care professionals’ weaknesses and utilize a different approach to healing the body. In the end, finding the doctor that understands your needs and has the tools to provide you with the most appropriate care is what is important.
Throwing punches in the ring is only part of the reason why professional boxers have knockout bodies. They also sculpt their strong physiques with tons of cross training—with a focus on building a rock-solid core. “Core conditioning is crucial for boxing,” says Chris Algieri, a professional boxer and two-time world champion. “Most of the power in a punch comes from being able to forcibly rotate your core, giving the strike explosive power.”
A sturdy core also helps keep a boxer’s body safe during a match. “The boxer has to be able to take blows to the body without damaging their ribs and organs,” explains Algieri. “The muscles in the abdominals and obliques act as body armor against opponents’ attacks.”
You don’t have to be a pro fighter to reap the ab-chiseling benefits of a boxer’s training. In the video above and in the gifs below, Algieri demonstrates his go-to conditioning exercises for a strong, stable core that’s ready to roll with the punches.
Bicycle crunches
This move is great for boxers because it focuses on core stability, while also rotating the shoulders and incorporating the lower body. Plus it’s an athletic movement that hones coordination.
What to do: Begin by laying on your back with hands behind head, then alternate bringing each elbow to the opposite knee, while maintaining a tight core. Do 10-20 continuous crunches with each elbow. Rest and then repeat 2-3 times.
Side plank
This is a key exercise for a boxer, since the movement promotes both core stability and shoulder girdle strength—crucial for throwing those strong punches.
What to do: Turn to one side with your legs extended and your feet and hips planted on the ground. Now, put your elbow under your shoulder and push your abs and hips up until the top of your body forms a straight line. Hold for 30-60 seconds. Return to the starting position, then move to the other side and repeat.
This is an awesome move that challenges balance and coordination, as well as core strength.
What to do: Start off in a plank position. With your weight resting on your left forearm, slowly lift your right arm off the ground, reaching it out in front of you. Lower back down, and alternate to the left arm. Do this 10 times with each arm.
T-push-up
The T-push-up will help you build core stability, as well as posterior shoulder strength and flexibility. Boxers experience a lot of wear and tear on the shoulder, so it’s important to strengthen each part of the shoulder. Plus, the push-up works the anterior deltoid, which is important for movement and power when punching forward.
What to do: Begin in a standard push-up position. Lower your body slowly, as you would for a regular push-up. But as you push yourself up, turn to one side, raising that side’s arm towards the ceiling. Return your hand to the floor, then repeat on the other side. Do this 15 times on each side.
Alternating leg with ball pass + seated underhand pass
This exercise really works your lower abdominals and also promotes full-body coordination. Boxers will often explode out of a crouched position, so it’s important to have strong lower abs to support this movement. And the second part, seated underhand pass, uses isometric holds to promote core strength and stability. Plus it hones the hand-eye coordination necessary to be a great fighter.
What to do: From seated position with feet off the ground, squeeze your abs and pull knees in as you pass a weight (or medicine ball or an imaginary object) under your bent leg. Repeat 20 times.
Accordion side crunch
This isometric hold promotes core strength, while the crunch tones your obliques and increases endurance. It’s also another move that promotes coordination between the upper and lower body.
What to do: From side position, simultaneously crunch and pull knees in, keeping feet off the floor and focusing on your obliques. Repeat this 15-20 times.
Russian twist
This classic ab move will improve your core rotational strength, which is important for maximizing power when throwing a punch.
What to do: Starting in a seated position, explosively twist from one side to the other. Aim to twist to each side 15-20 times.
Sit-up with a twist
This is a full-core movement, which works you upper and lower ab muscles in the initial sit-up, then fires up your obliques during the twist. Similar to Russian twist, this sit-up variation strengthens rotational core movement and improves your ability to generate power from the core (aka the essentials for throwing a punch.)
What to do: Starting on your back, roll up into a sit-up, with one leg extended and one foot pressed into the floor, knee bent. From here, explosively twist to the side, bringing your opposite elbow to the bent knee. Do this 15-20 times, then switch to the other side.
Adding a few miles of biking each day to your commute might add years to your life span, new research suggests. The British study found that bicycling to work appeared to halve people’s odds for serious disease and premature death.
Researchers from the University of Glasgow in Scotland looked at the commuting habits of more than 264,000 people in the United Kingdom and tracked their health over five years.
Cycling to work was associated with a 46 percent lower risk of heart disease over five years and a 45 percent lower risk of cancer compared to a sedentary commute. Risk of premature death was 41 percent lower. Walking to work was also beneficial, but not to the same degree.
Hoofing it was associated with a 27 percent lower risk of heart disease and a 36 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease. However, it wasn’t linked with a lower risk of cancer or premature death, the study found.
The study doesn’t establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship between commuting by bike and longevity.
Still, “if these associations are causal, these findings suggest that policies designed to make it easier for people to commute by bike … may present major opportunities for public health improvement,” said researcher Dr. Jason Gill in a university news release. He’s with the Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences.
Gill suggested bike lanes, city bike-sharing, subsidized bicycle purchases and increased accommodation of bicycles on public transit.
The researchers said cycle commuting may offer greater health benefits than walking because cyclists cover longer distances, get more intense exercise, and have higher levels of fitness than walkers.
For example, cyclists commuted an average of 30 miles a week, compared with 6 miles a week for walkers.
The study was published April 20 in the journal BMJ.
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 .
SOURCE: University of Glasgow, news release, April 20, 2017
Additional Topics: Chiropractic and Athletic Performance
Chiropractic care is a popular, alternative treatment option which focuses on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of injuries and/or conditions associated to the musculoskeletal and nervous system, primarily the spine. Many athletes, and civilians alike, seek chiropractic care to restore their natural health and wellness, however, chiropractic has been demonstrated to benefit athletes by increasing their athletic performance.
When walking you need your shoes to handle that repetitive heel-to-toe rolling motion. After all, “a 150-pound woman’s body encounters between 900,000 and 1,350,00 pounds of impact over a three-mile walk,” says Paul Langer, DPM, author of Great Feet for Life.
So make sure your kicks are comfy and supportive—a poor fit can lead to injury. And choose ones that are secure across the instep and in the heel, but roomy enough to wiggle your toes. Here, shoes that will protect your feet whether you’re fitness walking or simply commuting.
Running is a simple and efficient way to exercise: all you need is a pair of shoes. It’s been shown to lower a person’s risk for heart disease and cancer, possibly by regulating weight and blood pressure. Now a recent study, published in the journal Progress in Cardiovascular Disease last month, reports that people who run tend to live about three years longer than those who don’t.
The researchers, who have studied the benefits of running in the past, decided to look at available research and investigate whether other forms of exercise like walking and biking provide the same benefits, or if runners have a special advantage.
The study’s authors found that while other types of exercise like walking and cycling were linked to a longer lifespan, it wasn’t to the same degree as running. The researchers calculated that a one-hour run may translate to an additional seven hours added to a person’s life. The benefits capped out at about three years, and the researchers found that the improvements in life expectancy leveled out at about four hours of running per week. More running wasn’t found to be significantly worse for a person, but the researchers say there are no further apparent longevity benefits.
However, the researchers only found an associational relationship between running and longevity. Their data showed that people who run tend to live longer lives, but not that running specifically increases a person’s lifespan. Runners tend to have other healthy lifestyle behaviors like maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking and only drinking low-to-moderate amounts of alcohol, the authors note. Still, the findings suggest running is an especially effective form of exercise.
The study also found that runners who also do other types of physical activity have the same lower risk of early death, though combining running with other exercise is “the best choice,” the researchers write. (Federal guidelines recommend both aerobic exercise, like running, and strength training for optimal health.) They also acknowledge that it’s not yet clear how much running is safe, or if a person can run too much.
“Running may have the most public health benefits, but is not the best exercise for everyone since orthopedic or other medical conditions can restrict its use by many individuals,” the authors concluded.
People who run marathons go through intense training before enduring the physically grueling 26.2-mile event�so it�s little wonder their health can sometimes suffer. But on marathon days, the event can also create unexpected problems for non-runners who need urgent medical care.
In a new report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that road closures and traffic disruptions on marathon days can lead to delays in emergency care that can cost people their lives.
Dr. Anupam Jena, from the department of health care policy at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, and his colleagues analyzed data from Medicare claims for hospitalizations for heart attack in 11 cities that hosted marathons from 2002 to 2012. They compared the death rates of these people on marathon days to those a few weeks before and after the marathon. People who had heart attacks on marathon days had a 13% higher rate of death than people on other days. Ambulances also took 4.4 minutes longer on days marathons were run.
�We were expecting to see there would potentially be delays in care,� says Jena, �but not necessarily increases in mortality. It�s difficult to influence mortality; you would have to have substantive delays in care.�
Road closures, detours and other changes in traffic patterns were dramatic enough to cause delays that could affect a person�s chance of surviving a heart attack, the team found. Over a year, marathons could contribute to an additional four deaths, based on the 30-day mortality rate calculations. The effect remained strong even after they adjusted for the possibility that more people visit a city hosting a marathon, and therefore statistically there may simply be more heart events. The researchers also made sure that hospitals and emergency services were not short-staffed or overburdened with the added volume of requests. All of these factors were similar on marathon and non-marathon days.
The disruption in traffic during a marathon is the primary reason for delays in care, Jena says. That�s good news because it�s a fixable problem; marathon planners can ensure that access to hospitals is not congested and affected by the race route.
The other lesson from the study is useful for people in need of medical attention. A quarter of the people in the study chose not to call an ambulance and instead drove themselves to the hospital�perhaps because they thought that emergency services were tied up with the marathon�and these people seemed to account for most of the higher mortality on marathon days, says Jena. That may be because they were forced to take more circuitous routes to reach the hospital, he says. �They don�t experience the four-minute delays of ambulance transport; they�re experiencing much larger delays because they are trying to drive themselves.�
Even with the delays, ambulances were the best form of transportation to the emergency room. �Anybody thinking of driving to the hospital themselves on the day of a major public event should pick up the phone and call 911,� Jena says.
Yoga can be an effective way to prevent and ease aches and pains—but it can also cause them if you’re not careful. The key is proper alignment. Go from “ow” to “om” in seconds by making simple alignment tweaks to common poses. In this video, Yoga With Kirby founder Kirby Koo shows you quick fixes to take pressure off your knees, wrists, and neck. These basic principles can be applied throughout your practice to help prevent pain before it starts.
Warrior II
Once you’re set up in Warrior II, pay attention to the position of your front knee. Is it sticking out beyond your ankle? Is it collapsing inward? Pull your knee back into place, so it’s stacked directly above your ankle, and tracking in the same direction as the toes of your front foot. This protects the ligaments in your knee and prevents knee pain.
Plank is a great core stabilizing exercise if you have proper alignment. But if your belly and hips sag in this pose, then your wrists are probably taking on the brunt of your body weight. In plank, engage your core muscles by imagining a zipper running up from your pubic bone to your belly button. This should help raise your hips so your body forms a continuous line from the top of your head to your heels, a more stable position that will help distribute your body weight more evenly and ease the pressure in the wrists.
Cow Pose
Cow pose can feel super satisfying, but it’s easy to go overboard and strain your neck while you’re enjoying the gentle backbend. When you’re in cow pose, it’s important to remember not to tip your head too far back, shortening the back of the neck. You’ll get a lot more out of the pose (and avoid neck strain) if you imagine your neck as an extension of the gentle curve of the spine. Lift your gaze only as far as you can without compromising the curve in your spine and the length in the back of your neck. The same concept can apply for Upward-Facing Dog, too!
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