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 Why Shoulder Joints Are Especially Vulnerable and
What You Can Do to Prevent Injuries
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The healthy shoulder joint allows us to move our arms a full 270 degrees in range, which no ot  her joint can do. When you consider the shoulder's range of motion and its complexity, it's no wonder that this joint is particularly prone to injury. However, there are some steps you can take to help prevent shoulder damage. The shoulder is susceptible to two types of injury: overuse injury and traumatic injury. Overuse injuries are common in athletes and workers who practice re  petitive motions that involve the shoulder, particularly activities where the shoulder is raised above the head. These activities include tennis, swimming, weightlifting, pitching, construction work, house painting, and even gardening. Bursitis and tendinitis are the most common overuse injuries of the shoulder.  Traumatic injury of the shoulder typically occurs due to a fall or blow to the shoulder, causing a sprain or strain to the supporting tendons and ligaments of the shoulder, rotator cuff tears and dislocation of the shoulder.  An upper body exercise program can help the shoulder achieve the strength and flexibility needed to be able to hold up to repetitive motion and withstand the force of impact. Here are some simple exercises you can do at home twice a day to improve strength and flexibility:- Basic strengthening - Attach a length of elastic tubing to a doorknob and gently pull it toward your body. Hold for five seconds, repeat five times with each arm.
- Shoulder press-ups - Sit upright in a chair with an armrest, with your feet flat on the floor. Use your arms to slowly raise yourself from the chair. Hold for a count of five, repeat five times.
- Wall push-ups - Stand two or three feet from a wall, facing it with your hands on the wall and your feet shoulder-width apart. Perform a push-up against the wall five times.
- Shoulder Rotation - Bring your fingertips to the top of your shoulders with your elbows pointing out to the sides. Slowly start drawing "circles" with your elbows, starting with small rotations and gradually becoming larger. Once you have done them clockwise, switch to doing counter-clockwise circles.
Dr. Hertz can recommend additional shoulder-strengthening exercises for you to practice at home and which, done correctly, will reduce the chance of your suffering an injury to your shoulder joint. |
Save the Date!
Wednesday, October 16 is
St. Charles Pain & Wellness Center's
next heart screening
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Meditation and Your Health-
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Researchers have found in study after study that meditation can offer both mental and physical health benefits. Doctors and integrative health programs increasingly prescr  ibe meditation techniques alongside traditional treatments to achieve a wide range of health goals. So how effective is it? Short-term studies have found that meditation may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's, and that it improves memory and general cognitive functioning. A nine-year study of African-Americans with heart disease found that those who regularly practiced Transcendental Meditation (TM) twice a day had a 48% lower risk of stroke, heart attack or death than those who had only received health education. They reported significantly less stress and had 5mmHg lower systolic blood pressure.
Two studies from Ohio State University found that meditation was effective against cancer. The first showed that breast cancer survivors had a lower recurrence of the disease with the daily practice of relaxation meditation. The second found that meditation increased the elderly subjects' "killer cells," providing more resistance to viruses and tumors.
Scientists believe that one of the major benefits of meditation is that it lowers stress. Stress causes the release of hormones such as cortisol, which stimulates the "fight or flight" response, increasing blood pressure and stress on the arterial walls. Although one of the roles of cortisol is to control inflammation in the body, with prolonged exposure to it (which is what happens with chronic stress), the body eventually becomes unresponsive to the hormone. Despite the adrenals pumping out more cortisol to try to keep up, inflammation continues to increase. By lowering stress, inflammation is reduced throughout the body, resulting in a reduction in the symptoms of chronic disease.
Meditation is a simple practice that anyone can perform once or twice a day for 10-15 minutes sessions: Sit comfortably cross-legged on the floor or in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your spine straight. With eyes open or closed, simply bring your attention to your breath and notice it as it comes in and goes out. When your mind begins to wander (which it invariably will), just bring your attention back to the breath. Some find it useful to focus on each part of the body, mentally relaxing each muscle as you focus on it.
If you're interested in learning more, call or visit our office!
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Stress Reduction Through Acupuncture & Massage
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 We're delighted to be associated with Jaquelyn Taylor, a licensed acupuncturist (L.Ac) and Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner nationally certified in Oriental Medicine & Acupuncture. Her training includes more than 3,400 hours of study, focused on acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and integration with western biomedicine. Jacquelyn is offering a free introductory 30-minute consult and stress reduction treatment. Call 630-513-7770 today for your appointment, and experience the centuries-old health and wellness benefits of Chinese Medicine acupuncture.
Massage Therapist  Carol Hayes is nationally certified and a member of the Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP), and been doing massage for three years. She graduated from the Elgin Community College Massage Program and is certified in both prenatal and post-partum massage. Stop in to meet Carol or call 630-513-7770 to make your appointment and take advantage of her one-hour massage for just $40.
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A Different Kind of Stress Relief:
Volunteering!
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Dr. Jacob volunteers his time in local organizations to as a way of giving back to the St. Charles Community; first, with the Kids World program at Christ Community Church once a month during Saturday evening services. "This is the church that my family has called home and belonged to for the past three years," says Dr. Jacob. "I'm what's called a Zone Leader and I help ensure the safety of kids, volunteers, and staff during services including proper adult supervision, child safety counts and emergency preparedness."
He is also a new member of the Exchange Club of the Tri Cities which raises funds to provi  de services to abused children. Founded in 1979, the Club has donated money to several charitable organizations and causes through the years, staying focused on its main goals -- prevention of child abuse, promotion of patriotism and supporting community initiatives.
Some of the agencies that have benefited from its fundraising efforts and/or offering manpower to aid their events:
- TriCity Family Services
- Salvation Army Tri-Cities Corps
- Riverwoods Christian Center
- Royal Camp for Kids
- CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)
- Kane County Juvenile Drug Court
- Fox Valley Pregnancy Center
- Moosehart/STC HCBatavia VFW
- Moose
- Lazarus House homeless shelter
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Three Strategies for Building a Better Workout
by Richard Wolff, RD, LDN,
MedFitness of St. Charles
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There's no denying it -- most of us love a great deal, and we approach fitness with the same mindset. We want results and we want them now. What many fail to recognize is that working out is only half of the equation. Working out stimulates change, but it's the recovery phase (what you do after your workout) that allows change to occur. Getting the nutrition and rest your body needs will maximize recovery. Here are three strategies for maximizing recovery and getting more from your workout.
Add Some Protein
Productive strength workouts produce microscopic tears in skeletal muscle. During the recovery phase, your body attempts to repair these tears. The repair process is what leads to stronger, healthier, muscles. After a workout, your muscles are hungry for nutrients that support the repair process. Research suggests that consuming a small amount (10 to 20 grams) of high-quality protein after exercise promotes muscle protein synthesis (recovery) and may enhance the body's response to training.¹
To avoid overdoing calories, stick with low-fat options (fewer than 5 grams of fat per serving). Picking the right food comes down to what you like. Personally, I like a refreshing fruit smoothie after my workouts.
My favorite recipe is 2 scoops of chocolate HMR 120, 12 ounces of cold water and 1cup of frozen strawberries - mixed in a blender on low for 90 seconds. It's simple, enhances recovery and tastes great! Here are some other high-protein, low-fat foods to consider: 1 cup of low-fat milk; one cup of plain, low-fat yogurt; a fruit smoothie shake made with a meal replacement or protein powder; a sports nutrition bar; 2 ounces of low-fat cheese; 2 ounces of lean beef, poultry or fish; ½ cup of cottage cheese; two eggs; one veggie burger.
Get Some Sleep
Busy schedules often lead to a lack of sleep. According to Bonnie Liebman of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, "the average American sleeps one to two hours less per night than he or she did 40 or 50 years ago²." This is an unfortunate trend because sleep deprivation interferes with muscle recovery.
If you are not getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night, you're not allowing your muscles to fully recover. Get to bed on time, since you've already invested in your workout!
Get More Rest
For those obsessed with doing more, rest can seem counterintuitive. But , when it comes to building strong, healthy muscles, rest is your best friend. Your muscles require rest after intense strength training so that they can recover. Exercise scientists call the recovery process over-compensation, and it leads to stronger, healthier muscles. It takes time, more time than people realize.
Recovering from intense, full-body, strength workouts like the MEDFITNESS Workout can take 3 to 5 days. That means you don't achieve the benefits of the workout for up to 120 hours. Working out before your muscles have fully recovered only prevents over-compensation. Thinking that "more is better" (working out more often) is a common mistake. If more were better, you would get stronger and healthier by working out every day. . . . but this just doesn't happen.
You should rest at least 3-4 days between high-intensity, strength workouts. More frequent strength training limits strength gains and increases your risk of injury.
Resting your muscles does not mean you should be inactive. Cardio-respiratory activity (a.k.a. aerobic activity) should be engaged in daily. Expend at least 150 calories every day to maintain your physical and mental health. If you are exercising to lose weight, strive for 300 calories per day. A 30-minute, full-body strength workout burns approximately 150 calories for women and 200 calories for men.
To get help improving your muscular fitness schedule a Free Trial Workout at MEDFITNESS. To schedule your workout call (630) 762-1784 or visit www.medfitnessprogram.com.
References
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Gatorade Sports Science Institute, Sport Science Library. Protein Nutrition and Endurance Exercise: What Does Science Say? Martin J. Gibala Ph.D., Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University
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Unexpected Surprising Findings from the Last 40 Years, Bonnie Liebman. Nutrition Action Health Letter, January/February 2011.
Richard Wolff the president of WOLFFfitness and a nationally acclaimed speaker and author. His fitness column has been published in award winning newspapers and magazines including The Daily Herald,Weight lifting USA and Nautilus America's Fitness Magazine. Richard has lectured to health professionals and physicians at UCLA and the University of Pennsylvania. To experience the trademarked MEDFITNESS program schedule a free trial workout by calling (630) 762-1784.
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How Chiropractic Care
Has Helped Me:
Meet Allison Jones
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Competitive cycling, such as last weekend's Prairie State Cycling Criterium event in St. Charles, is a sport that taxes the body in a major way. Competitions often last for days (the Criterium was an 8-day event), with little time in between courses to recover. Skiing is another competitive sport that requires large amounts of endurance.
Now imagine competing in these sports using only one leg! Allison Jones was born with a deformed femur and wears a prosthetic leg, but it has not stopped her from becoming one of the top female athletes in these two fields. Jones has competed in six Paralympic Games and won over a dozen medals in both in cycling and skiing, and she continues to leave her competitors in the dust.
Jones is a strong believer in the benefits of chiropractic care. She said, "I was born without my right leg, and have met life's challenges with the attitude that quitting is not an option. Chiropractic care has been essential to my good health and success - including earning multiple gold medals in international competitions over the past 10 years."
Jones credits her chiropractor, Dr. Mindy Mar, with helping her to achieve the most her body can accomplish. Mar says, "Professional athletes have the same issues as everyone else when it comes to stress, aches, pains, lack of mobility - it's just much more pronounced. Chiropractic care allows everyone to live their lives to the fullest."
As Jones says, "Anything is possible if you put your mind to it."
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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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