photo courtesy of shareski

A patient in my office asked, “after I’m finished treating my injuries, how often should I return for care?”  When this patient’s injuries resolve, she will be released from care related to a motor vehicle collision.  She was essentially asking, how often she should make appointments when she wants to continue feeling well.

This patient was still recovering from injuries to muscles, ligaments, and nerves in her neck and low back, but she explained that she was already beginning to feel range and ease of motion that rival her pre-accident status.  Her care concluded when she felt better and we ensured that her condition had stabilized.

The Benefits of Chiropractic Care

If she felt better treating with injuries, she saw that she could continue feeling better receiving chiropractic adjustments after her injuries healed as well.  She understood that her body was benefiting from chiropractic therapy and wants to continue to feel that way in the future.  This is a message that I try to impart to every patient.

For most patients that have no current complaint and desire to present for maintenance care, I recommend visits once a month.  This is often a very good starting point and in the course of care, we will learn if this is a good frequency.  If the patient feels that they are not maintaining optimal functionality, then their frequency can be adjusted accordingly.

Of course patients that are having pain wonder how often they will be treated as well.  Often, patients with injuries will initially be recommended to treat multiple times a week to control symptoms and start to correct misalignments in the spine.  When we start to see maintained improvements then, visit frequency can be reduced.

Staying Aligned Helps Reduce Daily Stresses

The body constantly responds to stressors that affect our well-being and chiropractic treatment can help reduce the effects of these daily stresses on our bodies.  Every patient is different and particular conditions require varying levels of care.

At Matthews Chiropractic Center we can devise an appropriate care plan whether you seek pain relief or desire to stay out of pain.  This is patient centered care, care to suit you.

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I’d suggest sitting down before you read on, but that would just add to your risk… that’s right, sitting for long periods of time is a risk factor for low back pain and injury.

Photo courtesy of Saxon

New Study on Fatigued Muscles

A recent study undertaken at the State University of New York at Buffalo determined that “the degraded force generating capacity of the fatigued muscles can be a significant risk factor for low back pain^[1].  The research showed that prolonged sitting causes creep (changing length) in muscles primarily responsible for posture and maintaining stability in the spine.  When the same muscles were recruited for lifting or carrying following sitting, they generated less force.  In other words, muscles that have stretched from prolonged sitting are weaker, less able to stabilize and move the spine, and more prone to injury.

Examples of how this phenomenon affects us include:

• taking packages out of the trunk of the car after a long drive,
• getting the newspaper off the ground after sleeping side lying,
• transporting luggage following an airline flight,
• or bending to lift anything at work after awhile at the desk.

The key in all of these situations is that the back muscles are experiencing an increased demanded for force at a time when the muscle is least capable.  This is when injury can easily occur in these back muscles.

Simple Recommendations to Avoid Back Pain

For similar reasons, I frequently recommend that patients avoid twisting the torso while bending and lifting.  These actions put considerable strain on spinal muscles, because tissues are being asked to stabilize and move the spine simultaneously, increasing the risk of overloading the muscles.  Sitting for a long period before doing the same work only increases the risk of injury further.  So remember to take frequent breaks from prolonged sitting and give your muscles time to adjust when asking your back to do work following sitting.

The risks of warming the couch maybe even greater yet.  A newly published article described how prolonged sitting, even when adults participate in physical activity, is a factor for reduced lifespan^[2].  I will examine this topic in a later post.

1. Shin G, D’Souza C, Liu YH.  Creep and fatigue development in the low back in static flexion.  2009 Aug 1;34(17):1873-8.
2. Owen N, Healy GN, Matthews CE, Dunstan DW.  Too Much Sitting: The Population Health Science of Sedentary Behavior.  Exerc Sport Sci Rev.  2010 July;38(3):105-13.

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The morning is often a hurried time. We’re trying to get everything done at breakneck speed to prepare for our commute and work.  Just grabbing a cup of coffee may seem like a good way to get your motor running, but your first meal of the day is really something to fit into your schedule or prepare the night before to take along.

Don’t Starve Yourself

If you don’t have a meal until lunch, than you’re planning to fast (read: starve yourself) for 15 to 20 hours.  The body responds by attempting to store as many calories as possible, not knowing when the next refueling will come.  People who skip breakfast usually get hungry earlier and tend to binge when they finally eat.  Even those not prone to overeating are more likely to grab a doughnut or another unhealthy snack. Those who bypass breakfast often end up ultimately consuming more calories than those who fuel-up with breakfast in the morning.

Breakfast Benefits

Research well supports the benefits of breakfast.  Studying participants of the National Weight Control Registry has found that eating breakfast is a characteristic shared by 78% of those who are able to successfully maintain weight loss^[1].  Another analysis discovered that subjects who ate breakfast had reduced caloric intake overall and lowered LDL cholesterol levels.  Results found that skipping breakfast can lead to weight gain and increased risk of heart disease^[2].  If you needed any more reason to eat breakfast and encourage your children to do so, researchers have found that as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle, breakfast can have a positive impact on children’s health and well-being.  “Evidence suggests that breakfast consumption may improve cognitive function related to memory, test grades, and school attendance^[3].”

Breakfast Recipe Suggestions

Oatmeal with fruit and crunch: to 1 cup of oatmeal, made with 1/2 cup of lowfat milk, add 1 cup sliced strawberries, banana, or blueberries and top with 1 Tbs walnuts, pecans, wheatgerm, or lowfat granola.

Multi-grain waffles with fruit topping: toast 2 waffles and top with 1 cup blueberries or other fruit and 3 Tbs light syrup or natural dark maple syrup.

Dairy Protein Breakfast: 1 cup lowfat plain yogurt or cottage cheese with sliced melon.  Sweeten with 1 Tbs honey if desired.

Cooked Eggs on English Muffin with Cheese: cook 2 eggs (break yolks) until firm, top with lowfat cheese (or spread Laughing Cow wedge on muffin half).  *This is great for preparation the night before; wrap in wax paper to reheat.

Most Important Meal of the Day

The benefits of eating a sensible breakfast are considerable.  Eating a low-fat, high-fiber breakfast will not only help you avoid the distraction of mid-morning hunger pangs and subsequent overeating, but will also boost your metabolism, helping your body burn fat.

In addition to keeping hunger at bay, eating breakfast helps to boost metabolism, burn fat, support weight loss, lower bad cholesterol, and improve academic performance in children.  Like chiropractic care, adding breakfast to a healthy lifestyle is another way to keep the body performing at its peak.  Visit the National Weight Control Registry if you seek additional support.  If you are interested in learning more about any of the material in this blog or chiropractic care, please contact us at Matthews Chiropractic Center.

1. Wyatt et al. Long-term weight loss and breakfast in subjects in the National Weight Control Registry. Obes Res. 2002 Feb;10(2):78-82.
2. Farshchi et al. Deleterious effects of omitting breakfast on insulin sensitivity and fasting lipid profiles in healthy lean women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Feb;81(2);388-96.
3. Rampersaud et al. Breakfast habits , nutritional status, body weight, and academic performance in children and adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005 May;105(5):743-60.

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Well, the feet are integral to Chiropractic, because they form the foundation of our kinetic chain. The spinal column rests on the sacrum, which articulates with the bones that form the hip joints, which connect to the thigh, knees, legs, ankles, and ultimately THE FEET.

If this sounds like the Dem Bones song that we sang as children, then you’re right! Movements (or lack thereof) in one part of the body can have an affect in an area that it’s ultimately connected to – this is the concept of the kinetic chain.  And, a small change in one part of the chain can have an effect elsewhere.

Maintaining Spinal Mobility

This underlines the importance of maintaining good spinal mobility, posture, removing subluxations (areas of restricted spinal motion), and supporting our foundation properly.  With Foot Levelers Spinal Pelvic Stabilizers, it’s easier than ever to correct postural problems of the foot and maintain the health of our arches.  Together, chiropractic adjustments and a secure foundation to our kinetic chain can help to keep the body biomechanically sound.

The foot bone’s connected to the leg bone, the leg bone’s connected to the knee bone, the knee bone’s connected to the thigh bone…

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