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What To Watch For! |
" Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party! "
Robin Williams
In the office this month:
Ball / Core Fit Class - Every Tuesday @ 7:15
New session started January 27th with our amazing trainer Kate ! Drop ins Welcome!
Orthotics Workshop - Wednesday April 22nd Ever wondered what orthotics are all about and how they work or even if your current footbeds are right for you? Join us to learn all about it. Sign up
Spring Break! - April 6th to 9th
The office will be closed for a spring break. Please see Adrienne to re-schedule your appointments. Easter Monday - Monday April 13th The office will be closed for the Easter Holiday Monday. Please see Adrienne to re-schedule.
The Guy Show: April 25th & 26th
Come visit us at Lansdowne, because guys need Chiropractic too! |
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Custom Orthotics: The Real Story
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 We often get questions about orthotics, what are they? do they work? how do they work? etc... Because of all the interest, this month, along with this article, we have put together a workshop all about orthotics and encourage everyone to come and check it out, bring your current orthotics and questions!
It seems the whole world has heard something about arch supports, custom insoles or orthotics. They are quite common but as it turns out, most of them are fairly worthless... Why?
The
foot is actually a complex machine that depends on all of its 26 bones
and even more joints to work in harmony. When it works as designed, the
foot is capable of remarkable things which all help insure not only
pain-free health of the foot, but the parts up the chain, including
ankles, knees, hips and spine. The foot unwinds to absorb shock as the
heel strikes the ground, changes shape to accommodate to varied
terrain, then winds back up to be a firm, propulsive lever to advance
forward.
There
are two basic states of the foot that should be very familiar: arch up
and arch down. The arch down state happens when, after the heel strikes
the ground, the foot unwinds inside and the arch does a free fall due
to gravity. Most people are able to do this so well they overdo it.
Many foot problems arise from low, weak or unsupported arches. The strength and integrity of the arch is what makes the foot a rigid
lever for push off. The foot must wind back up inside to raise the arch
and stiffen itself. If the arch stays down you have to propel yourself
forward with a mushy foot. That is not only tiring because your muscles
have to work harder, it leads to the common foot pains and deformities
that afflict millions every day: bunion, plantar fasciitis, and
metatarsalgia to name a few.
The arch down state is important to absorb shock and adjust to uneven floor surfaces. But when it is overdone,
the arch can't get back up. Going down hill is easy, but how does it
get back up, into the arch up state? About 90% of the population can't
get back up enough to have normal foot function. Assisted by gravity,
body weight, muscle weakness and hard floors, the foot learns to unwind
and flatten the arch ever closer to the ground, getting flatter with
age. You may have heard this called over-pronation, which is just a
fancy name for flat, flexible feet.
A
long time ago, people tried helping others with very flat feet, by
devising platforms that would fit in their shoes under their feet and
hold up their arches. The only problem was they used solid steel, wood
and solid chunks of leather -all of which felt like rocks under their
feet. So common medical practice abandoned the idea of holding the arch
up. If nobody could tolerate it, what's the point?
So
to this day, the most common approach to helping the flat foot avoids
direct arch contact and control. Combinations of cushions, wedges under
the heel or forefoot are used to try to control the flattening foot
-all with undersized or minimal arches. This is why most major studies
have shown that typical custom foot orthotics work no better than what you might buy off the shelf at the drug store or supermarket.
From
a very common-sense, mechanical point of view, the only way you can
effectively control the foot is to apply a force directly up under the
arch. The reason we can now do that comfortably is modern plastics. The
goal is to create a custom, supportive platform for each foot that is
rigid enough to achieve the arch up state, yet flexible enough to allow
some small degree of flattening for shock absorption, terrain
adaptation and comfort. To do that we have to know how much a person
weighs, because bigger people need more support. We also need to know
how flexible their foot structure is, because floppier feet need more
support. Throw in what kind of activities a person is used to doing and
now we have some real custom information to make a device that can
control their feet.
But
before we can make a truly custom device, we have to cast your feet in
a very specific way in order to capture the corrected position we want
the orthotic to impose on your foot. If you just stepped in a box of
foam, we would capture all that is wrong about your feet: the fallen
arch, the splayed forefoot, etc. That is why we were carefully trained in our casting technique specific for what our orthotics supplier requires to make the best custom orthotics available. The result is an orthotic that really works the way it is supposed to. We actually
change how a foot functions on the ground.
So
what's the big deal? Well . . . , ask someone who really suffers from a
persistent foot pain or a deformity that keeps rubbing into their
shoes. Or ask someone who has just had their third surgery to correct a
bad bunion. Or someone who is off work because their plantar fasciitis
is so bad they can't stand or walk for more than 10 minutes at a time.
The fact is, many people suffer from foot disorders and are constantly
looking, sometimes desperately, for relief.
There
are many routine treatments for foot problems, from anti-inflammatory
pills to cortisone injections, to a zillion different pads, cushions,
ointments and, of course, surgery. All of these have temporary,
pain-relieving effects. But, if you want the chance to permanently
solve the problem, you must change the way your feet function on the
ground. And the only way to do that is to use a true custom,
biomechanical orthotic: Sole Supports.
To find out more about sole supports(the only orthotic we use at Arc of Life), join us for our orthotics workshop Wednesday April 22 @6:15PM. Bring your questions and even bring your current or old orthotics to see if they are doing what they are supposed to do. We can check them out and let you know if they are supporting you the way they are supposed to. Sign up for this workshop at your next visit or by Email.
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Performance Enhancing Secret of Top Athletes!
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The greatest thing about what I do for a living is after I
respond, "I am a Chiropractor!" the person then grabs his or her neck
or back and says, "Oh Doc, I need ya!". While it is true that as a Chiropractor I am
blessed to be able to help people recover from all types of pain but there is
more to this story than just recovering from pain!
As a Chiropractor, the best stories I can tell you are those
about patients recovering their lives and increasing their performance. At Arc of Life, our team sees all types of
people. Some are interested in overcoming
a variety of health problems, disease or pain.
Others are looking to maintain their health and still others are athletes
looking for that extra edge or increase in performance. Bottom line is that whatever the problem or
concern of my patients, the most wonderful thing is seeing them achieve the
results through natural Chiropractic care.
Chiropractic works on the principle that within each of us there
is a natural drive and ability to function and to recover at 100%. Natural Chiropractic care works with your
body to restore that ability first of all to your bones and joints and most
importantly, to your nerve system. The
function of your body may be impaired by years of bad biomechanics, old injuries
that have not healed properly and even the repetitive stress be it physical,
chemical or emotional you place on your body daily. These stresses can be affecting your health
and causing further degeneration without you even knowing about it! Take for example your training... You might ask
how could my Chiropractor possibly help me get better results from my training? The answer is simple and the evidence is amazing...
The simple
part is that by taking pressure off your nerve system with a Chiropractic adjustment,
your body can function better. Research
shows that in one study there was an average of 30% increase in athletic ability including: agility,
balance, kinesthetic perception, power, and reaction time following a course of
Chiropractic care*. Correct me if I'm
wrong but there is not a pill or potion out there that can demonstrate that
type of increase in performance and be good for you at the same time! So if you've noticed ?
Why do you think top athletes at the peak of their game are usually
under Chiropractic care?
Most Professional athletes in the NHL, NBA and NFL today do incorporate regular Chiropractic care into their health regime and many pro sports and Olympic teams have a team Chiropractor taking care of them. Here are just a few professional athletes are under Chiropractic care see
who you recognize:
Lee
Haney (Mr Olympia 1984-91)
Dr.
Frank Columbo ("Conan The Barbarian", Mr Universe, Mr Olympia)
Arnold Schwartzeneger
Clifta
Coulter (Miss USA)
John
Defendis (Mr USA)
Rick
Valente (ESPN "Body Shaping)
Evander
Holyfield (Heavyweight Champ)
Rocky
Marciano (Heavyweight Champ)
Muhammed
Ali (Heavyweight Champ)
Scotty
Pippin (Basketball)
Michael
Jordan (Basketball)
Roberto
Clemente (Baseball)
Jose
Canseco (Baseball)
Wade
Boggs (Baseball)
Wayne
Gretzky (Hockey)
Brett
Hall (Hockey)
Joe
Montana (Football)
Emmet
Smith (Football)
Fred
Funk (Golf)
Tiger
Woods (Golf)
Donovan
Bailey (Sprinter)
Jim
Connors (Tennis)
John
McEnroe (Tennis)
Mark
Allen (Triathlete)
Dan
O'Brien (Decathlon)
Lance Armstrong (Cycling)
Now you know the performance enhancing secret of top athletes! Don't be surprised if because you are in better alignment your golf score drops a few strokes, skating or skiing is more symmetrical or even if just climbing stairs or going down the grocery isle is easier! Now you know the secret of many top athletes that Chiropractic enhances performance by optimizing the nerve system and creating balance in the joints of the hips, pelvis and spine! Under corrective Chiropractic care you are making the move not only towards
better health but also better performance. So don't keep it a secret, share your story about how Chiropractic has made a difference in your life!
* Lauro A. Mouch B. Chiropractic effects on
athletic ability.Chiropractic: The Journal of Chiropractic
Research and Clinical Investigation. 1991; 6:84-87.
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Are You Going To Finish Strong?
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Another short video of amazing human potential!
Click on the photo to play video...
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