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Issue: # 4.0
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October/2008
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ASC HEALTH & WELLNESS NEWS
Greetings!
As we welcome the start of the fall season, our lives are often thrown into another dimension of the term "busy". Between the return to school, planning for upcoming holidays, political events and ever tumultuous economy, stress levels can soar! At our August Mixer Event, we began our Body & Mind Series with a focus on how we can better manage stress in our everyday lives. In case you weren't able to make it, I'll be reviewing a few of the strategies we discussed in this newsletter. Read on for more details, upcoming events, and nutritional advice to help keep you on the road to a successful, healthy and active lifestyle! As always, thank you for your continued support! Wishing you health and success, Dr. Katrina  |
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EXERCISE TIP OF THE MONTH: Pelvic Tilts/ Bridge Marching
Back in the days when man was constantly walking and had to run to work in the morning, our backside probably didn't have too much of an issue with staying strong. Women probably didn't worry if their high heels made their butt look more lifted, and guys probably didn't wonder if they were able to sit in the bleachers for the whole game without their back getting sore. Now, most of our modern-day lives, consist of sitting at a desk or standing up all day, lopsided and switching our weight back and forth from one leg to the other. This can lead to an unstable pelvis, weak gluteals, (butt muscles), hamstrings, and abdominals. All of these muscles are of utmost importance in keeping a strong core. A strong core means decreased chance of conditions like low back pain, SI Joint pain, herniations, and sciatic pain.
Perform this simple exercise each day to help strengthen the hamstrings and gluteals, and increase your Pelvic (core) stability. Reccomended Exercise: Perform 2 sets of 15 lifts once each day.
Pelvic Tilts with Lift: Begin with both feet on the floor with the heels hip width apart and the knees bent. Press the hips upwards towards the ceiling, lifting the spine until the hips are a hand width or more off the floor. Aim to lift the buttock off the floor until the hamstrings and low back create a straight line. ( In other words, without dropping your butt to the floor). Keep abdominals pulled in tight throughout the motion. While breathing in, hold the high position for a count of 2. Relax your neck, shoulders,
and ribcage, while strengthening your ankles, thighs and hips. Exhale and return to starting position.
You can increase your number of repetitions as well as the number of seconds in the held lifted position as you develop your strength.
To increase the difficulty of this exercise: Lift one foot off the floor at a time, maintaining the level of the hips. As your strength develops, try extending one leg at a time, rather than just lifting the foot. To further increase the challenge, place a foam roller, ball, or other unstable object under the standing leg.
Imagery and Cueing: Imagine the hips are suspended in a hammock, and that your belly button is being pulled to the ceiling with a string as each leg floats up. If one hip drops as the leg lifts, squeeze your buttocks to help keep the hip level with the opposite side. If you note a cramping sensation in your hamstrings, it may be a sign that they are weak. Try adjusting your feet either closer or further from your buttock before lifting your hips off the floor. The closer your feet are to your buttock, the more you will be working your gluteal muscles. The further they are away, the more you'll be working your hamstrings.
Reminder: If you are experiencing pain of any kind, be sure to follow up with your healthcare provider. These exercises are provided strictly as a benefit to help you improve your core strength, and should not be used in place of a proper diagnosis or treatment plan.
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Life Imitating Art: Updates in Medicine and Cancer Treatments
A recent article published in the UC San Diego Alumni Publication announced that a current study has created a new and hopeful tumor treatment straight out of the annals of SciFi. Chemists at UCSD have created microscopic "nanoworms" to behave like cruise missiles that home in and destroy tumors.
The team, consisting of numerous biochemists from UCSD, MIT, and UC Santa Barbara, created this wormlike particle at a size 3 million times smaller than an actual earthworm. When coated with an iron oxide based tumor specific molecule, the worms are able to target specific tumors and show up brightly on diagnostic imaging devices, such as MRI.
Bioengineers at MIT have verified that the nanoworms homed in on tumor sites by injecting them into the bloodstream of mice with tumors, and then following the aggregation of the nanoworms on the tumor sites. Unlike other nanoparticles of similar size that were shuttled out of the blood by the immune systems, these new nanoworms remained in the bloodstream doing their work for hours.
Maybe Science Fiction isn't so far off after all!
For the full article, check out the article "Mini Medicine" by Kim McDonald in the September 2008 issue of @UCSD, a publication of UC San Diego Alumni.
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SEASONAL TIPS: STRESS MANAGEMENT IN YOUR LIFE
- Stress is a natural part of life, and can affect each of us in numerous ways. It can be caused by both external conditions, such as heat, danger and noise, as well as internal stress, such physical and psychological conditions. Some of what we experience is "Good Stress"- they are what give us the "fight or flight" shot of adrenaline in times like an attack or sporting event.
However, there can also be "Bad Stress".
- Any time that your body experiences stress, it releases numerous steroids hormones and chemicals into your body. Chronic stress arises when your body or mind has been under such constant bombardment that it can no longer shuttle the chemicals out of your system. Instead, chronic stress becomes manifested as inflammation, pain, increased blood pressure, eating problems, headaches, heartburn and ulcers, sleep problems, sexual dysfunction, immune disorders, memory problems, and more.
- Ask Yourself: Does anything listed above sound like something you have been experiencing? If it does, then its time to start making some changes, before its effects are too late to reverse.
- Ways to reduce stress as discussed at our last Body & Mind Series:
- Power of Human
Touch: Virginia Satir, a famous American psychotherapist, once said
that people need 4 hugs a day to help prevent depression, 8 for
psychological stability, and 12 for personal growth. Although not all
of us are apt to ask for hugs, chiropractic care and massage can help to greatly relieve
stress and reduce anxiety and depression. Massage and chiropractic have also been shown
to help the following conditions: * reduce aggression and hostility
*improve mood and behavior in ADHD students * decrease
hypertension * improve quality of sleep * reduce symptoms of pain *
break adhesions in areas of chronic tension and * decrease muscle spasm
- Get regular adjustments and medical checkups: The word "regular" may mean something different for everyone. For some, it might mean weekly, for others, it might mean once every other month, depending on your activities, stress levels, and other medical conditions. Only you and your doctor can decide what is right for you, but chiropractic care has been proven to help decrease restrictions in joints, and pressure placed on nerves from surrounding spasmodic musculature.
- Get on a regular exercise and stretching program: Regular exercise helps to improve cardiovascular health, improve mood, strengthen your body and flush out stress hormones.
- Improve your nutrition: If you aren't already, start taking a daily multivitamin. If you are already experiencing joint issues, be sure to additionally supplement with supplements such as Glucosamine, MSM, and enzyme complexes. A few good choices are listed here:
- Women's Formula & Men's Daily Supplement Packs: All of the basics without the high cost.
- DoubleX Multivitamin/Mineral/Phytonutrients: For active and/or high stress individuals.
- Ocean Essentials Join Health: High Omega 3's and more for Potent Anti-inflammatory effects.
- Rhodiola 110: Helps to improve mental and physical performance and energy.
For Further Information, and to learn more about how chiropractic care, massage, acupuncture and nutritional improvements can help improve your pain and stress levels, contact us today.
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ASC PRESENTS THE BODY & MIND SERIES #2:
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SPORTS PERFORMANCE
SAVE THE DATE! Thursday November 6th, 6:30PM
Have you ever had someone tell you that 90% of being successful at something is directly due to believing that you will be? It's true! Whether you are a professional athlete, a weekend warrior, or a busy and motivated business professional, your mind-set can distinctly determine your success and your defeat.
If you would like to learn more about how you can improve your performance on and off the playing field, be sure to attend this event. Stay tuned for the official Evite! After all,
"If you change your thoughts, you change your world!"
Want to find out more? Be sure to check our News & Events Page regularly for fun and interesting events in and around San Diego County. You can also visit the ASC BLOG ONLINE at www.ActionSportsChiropractic.blogspot.com. If you have an event you think we should know about, email us at DrKatrina@ActionSportsChiropractic.com.
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Action Sports Chiropractic & Wellness
is San Diego's premiere location for developing and
maintaining an active lifestyle. Whether you are looking to get
through the
pain and discomfort of a new injury, motor vehicle accident, manage chronic stress and
headaches, or to
improve your strength, fitness and posture, we'll provide a step by
step,
personalized approach to reaching those goals as quickly as possible.
We
believe that an active, goal oriented approach is the best way reach
your
optimal performance levels. If you've been searching for a place that
understands the demands and needs of an active lifestyle, we're confident
you'll like what you'll find. What are your goals? Come check us out at www.actionsportschiropractic.com or call 858.481.0303 to make an appointment and start reaching your goals today!
Sincerely,
Dr. Katrina M. Stopper, DC, ATC, CSCS
Action Sports Chiropractic & Wellness
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