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St Charles Pain and Wellness Center Newsletter
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 Spinal Health at the Gym -- Form Matters!
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Back injuries at the gym are more common today due to the great amounts of time we spend sitting at a desk or hunched over a computer. According to Dr. Jacob Hertz of the St. Charles Pain & Wellness Center, "If someone is rounded throughout the day in their upper back, and then they go to the gym and do an overhead shoulder lift standing, their upper back cannot extend properly. They straighten and arch upward from their lower back, which has a nervous breakdown because it's getting all the stress."
Dr. Hertz suggests that in order to avoid injury, you consider getting a personal trainer who can show you the proper way of performing exercises and using equipment. The most important way to maintain good spinal health is to strengthen your core muscles. These are the muscles that lend strength and support to the spine, and which tend to become weakened with long periods of sitting.
Following are a few tips on using proper form when exercising or lifting weights in the gym.
Tighten your gluteus muscles. When performing a squat, deadlift, or during pushups, be sure to squeeze your glutes. This ensures that the muscles connecting your lumbar and sacral areas are locked so your hips and lower back move as a single unit. Otherwise there is a tendency for the lower back to curve, with the vertebral discs being exposed to more stress than they are designed to handle.
Tighten your abs. To keep your spine from arching too much in either direction, tighten your abdominal muscles like you are preparing to be punched in the stomach. This will provide stability to the spine as you bend and lift.
Pull your shoulders down and back A rounded upper back is one of the leading causes of back injury. It increases pressure on the front side of the vertebral disks, increasing the risk of disc herniation.
Keep hips and shoulders aligned. Back injuries happen more often when twisting and bending. Ensure that your hips and shoulders move as one unit. If you need to change direction, lead with the hips and the shoulders will follow. If you lead first with the shoulders, the hips tend to fall behind, too late to keep from overstraining the low back muscles.
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Introducing Our New Acupunturist
Jacquelyn Taylor
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Jaquelyn is a licensed acupuncturist (L.Ac) and Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner nationally certified in Oriental Medicine & Acupuncture (Dipl. OM) by the NCCAOM. She received her master's degree from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, one of the leading Chinese Medical schools in the country. The program, consisting of more than 3,400 hours of study, focused on acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and integration with western biomedicine.
Jaquelyn has to two young boys, and TCM helped her to stay healthy before, during, and after both pregnancies. She specializes in helping couples that are struggling with fertility issues to conceive using natural, safe, and effective methods.
Jaquelyn is passionate about all different types of complementary and alternative medicines, and enjoys working with other health care professionals to provide the best care possible for all of her patients.
For a limited time, Jacquelyn is offering a free introductory
30-minute consult and stress reduction treatment.
Call our office at 630-513-7770 today for your appointment,
and experience the awesome, centuries-old health and wellness benefits
of Chinese Medicine acupuncture.
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 HOW HEALTHY IS YOUR HEART?
Are You At Risk For Peripheral Neuropathy?
Do You Have Plaque In Your Arteries?
Are You At Risk For Heart Attack or Stroke?
Are You Genetically Predisposed to Heart Disease?
Learn the answers to these and other heart health questions by getting screened with the latest technology measuring hypertension and central nervous system health on
Wednesday, June 12
8:00am to 6:00pm
The MaxPulse™ screening device monitors the
before-and-after effects of diet and
lifestyle change, and can help predict, identify, and monitor patients with hypertension and other cardiovascular disease.
This simple 20-minute screening will
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help you determine your risk for heart attack or stroke;
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detect plaque in your arteries;
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indicate whether you're predisposed to heart disease; and
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determine your risk for peripheral neuropathy.
You receive a copy of the results immediately, which include heart rate,
blood pressure, pulse wave (circulation testing) and heart rate
variability (how well the nervous system controls the heart function)
This life-changing screening is just $40 for first-time patients, or $20 for those who were screened in February who want to learn their 90-day progress. The cost may be covered by your insurance.
Schedule your screening appointment today!
Call Diana at
St. Charles Pain & Wellness Center:
630-513-7770
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The Seven Truths of Fitness
by Richard Wolff, RD, LDN,
MedFitness of St. Charles
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We think about fitness, we talk about fitness, we read about fitness, we even dream about it, we just don't live it. Being fit has become the great unrealized American dream.
Today we have more exercise equipment but less physical activity, more food but less nourishment, more advice but less action and more experts but fewer solutions. The challenge we face is to uncover the truth. What behaviors will truly make a difference? Is it even possible to make fitness a part of who we are? These questions are pondered by millions of Americans every day.
Contrary to most fitness advice, my message is one of hope and simplicity. It's much easier than you think to become fit. The Seven Truths of Fitness are biologically accurate and behaviorally relevant. There are no theoretical systems or unproven concepts - just common sense, logic and science. The 7 Truths are:
Truth 1: Build Minutes
Truth 2: Create a Safe Haven
Truth 3: Emphasize "Yes" Behaviors
Truth 5: Add Color
Truth 6: Think "Easy Wins"
Truth 7: Practice Daily
The power of The Seven Truths of Fitness lives in its simplicity. Therefore, my challenge to you is a simple one. Commit ten minutes every day for the next 30 days to one of the Seven Truths. Ask yourself, "Where can I improve?" That's where you begin. Accept my challenge and your life may change forever!
Get help reaching your goals by contacting the experts at MEDFITNESS. To experience our trademarked, personal training program, schedule a Free Trial Workout by calling (630) 762-1784 or visiting us online at www.medfitnessprogram.com.
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From the "Leadercast" in Atlanta, May 10:
Crisis evokes serenity
Keeping too much information and garbage in your head makes you overwhelmed and people say things like, "I need more time to get things done" or "there's just not enough hours in the day" and typically it's not even about time (even Einstein and all the other great thinkers in history only had 24 hours in a day!) -- it's about SPACE.
If you can get some of the things out of your head and on paper in a way that is precise and understandable (not just a list) you will have more room in your head for thinking clearly, developing creativity and achieving success.
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Dr. Jacob M. Hertz
is a Cum Laude graduate of the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, IA. Following graduation, Dr. Hertz practiced as an Associate Chiropractor in Peoria and for four years successfully treated over 5,000 patients and their families with many different health conditions. He moved to St. Charles in 2010 to open his own practice.
He has been involved with chiropractic almost since he was born -- he was adjusted as an infant by his uncle, a chiropractor in Wisconsin where Dr. Hertz grew up. Dr. Hertz uses a number of gentle and safe chiropractic techniques for adjusting the spine including Diversified, Activator, and Drop Table. He is also Nationally Board Certified in Physiotherapy and uses exercise and rehabilitation to help patients heal faster and reach optimum health. St. Charles Pain & Wellness Center also offers nutritional aids for those who seek to supplement their diet and improve their health, which have proved successful in preventing unnecessary surgeries for many patients. |
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