LOGO - Horizontal

              MAY 2012 

In This Issue
Seasonal Yard Work
New UPMC Requirement
Spinal Fusion Surgery
Take Your Fish Oils
Facebook
 MEMORIAL DAY   
The Clinic will be CLOSED on Saturday, May 26th and Monday, May 28th for the Memorial Day holiday. We will re-open on Tuesday, May 29th at 7:00 a.m. Enjoy the holiday! 
Quick Links...

 


Join Our Mailing List 

Find us on Facebook
  

View our profile on LinkedIn

 

Follow us on Twitter

Greetings!

Welcome to the May issue of our monthly newsletter.  As summer arrives we begin to see a lot of back injuries related to seasonal yard work and the first article below will give you some tips on how to avoid this problem.  Also, the clinic will be closed for three days during the Memorial Day holiday weekend.  Enjoy this month's issue.
Seasonal Yard Work and Back Pain  
yard workAs the summer arrives more of us are off the couch and in the yard performing maintenance and gardening chores.  The tips below will help you avoid developing a back problem during this time of year.
1.  Avoid lifting too much at one time. Taking smaller loads or using a cart to carry heavy yard tools will minimize injury.
2.  Don't stay bent over too long.  Staying in a bent position puts a lot of stress on the muscles and discs of the lower back and increases the likelihood of a strain or disc injury. 
3.  Don't bend forward repeatedly too often.  Yard work requires you to repeatedly bend forward which puts strain on the lower back.  Try to take breaks to perform either standing back bends or low back arching while on the belly (Cobra stretch in yoga).  Do these at a frequency of at least 10 repetitions every hour.  It would also help to perform the same back bending movements after the yard work by doing 3 sets of 10 repetitions. 
4.  Stretch.  Stretch the upper body, hips, and leg muscles before you begin to help your muscles prepare for the activity.
5.  Use you hips/legs to do the heavy lifting.  The old adage "lift with legs" is very important.  The lower back should stay in a arched position and the movement of lifting should come from the hips and not from the spine.  Performing an exercise called a hip hinge will help you groove the right pattern of movement to prevent injury.  You can download this exercise from our website: Click on "hip hinge" under the Hip and Knee section.  
6.   Get regular chiropractic check-ups.  Research has shown that chiropractic maintenance care can significantly reduce your change of back injury. 
UPMC Health Plan Requires Conservative Care Before Spinal Surgery
UPMCThe University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Health Plan has released landmark guidelines in the treatment of back pain that requires patients to try conservative care before any surgical procedure is performed on the spine.  These guidelines went into effect this year and makes the UPMC plan the first in the nation to require at least 3 months of conservative care including physical therapy, chiropractic, and medicine.  
Spinal surgery has been shown in the literature to be highly preventable and less than 2% of spinal pain actually requires a surgical intervention.  We are pleased to see the recognition of the scientific literature go into actual practice for a major health plan on an issue we see in our clinic every day.  The implementation of this requirement will no doubt save the plan money but also improve the health of its subscribers.  We hope to see this concept spread to other major plans nationwide.    
Spinal Fusion Surgery: Up, Up, and Away  
Take Your Fish Oils 

fish picThe research on the benefits of taking a daily fish oil supplement continues to grow.  Fish oils, or Omega 3 fatty acids, are now one of the most recommended daily supplements.  Here are some bullet points about fish oils: 

1.  Omega 3's have been shown to be a natural anti-inflammatory that help protect the heart.

2.  Normal levels of Omega 3's in children have shown to be associated with normal growth and brain development. 

3.  Fish oil supplements have been shown to reduce the disease processes of arteriosclerosis, arthritis, allergies, and aging.

4.  Omega 3 intake has been shown to help reduce anxiety, depression, anger, and dementia. 

5.  Diets high in omega 3's show dramatically decreased levels of heart disease, asthma, type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis.  

     These are just a few points from recent research on incorporating Omega 3 fatty acids to your diet.  We recommend at least 1000mg (1 G) of a quality fish oil supplement and our clinic carries a pharmaceutical grade product made by Anabolic Labs.            

Visit Us On Facebook
facebook1

Cohen & Haydu Chiropractic Clinic is on Facebook.  Become a Fan and get weekly practice updates and the links to the latest medical information.  Please remember to recommend us to your other Facebook friends!

Visit our profile by clicking HERE!
As always, thank you for your support and referrals.  For more information on our available services please visit our website at www.CohenHayduChiro.com. 
Sincerely,
 
Dr. Aaron Haydu  &  Dr. Richard Cohen
Cohen & Haydu Chiropractic Clinic