Hopefully many of you are learning the importance of maintaining a healthy spine. Something that I haven’t yet discussed in this space is the importance of our spine’s foundation… our feet. With the spring upon us and many outdoor sports and activities starting again, this is a great time to check the health of our feet and arches.

The feet form the foundation of the skeleton in the same way that a foundation provides a steady platform on which a house can be built. If there is a problem with the foundation, then the structure above may lack stability/balance and be prone to excessive wear and tear/degeneration. In our bodies, improper support of the feet can affect the ankle, knee, hips, pelvis, low back and up the spine. So, the importance of a solid foundation can not be understated.

Supporting the Alignment of Your Feet

The more you move and exercise, the greater the importance of good support and alignment of the feet. Every time the foot strikes the ground information is transmitted to the ankle and up to the spine to inform the body of the foot’s position in space, so that our bodies can maintain balance and know how the position the foot and ankle for the next step. Imagine the number of times that the feet hit the ground when you go for a jog or track down a fly ball for example. Moving over unlevel ground (cross country, rounding the bases) or running while avoiding obstacles (basketball, soccer, football, field hockey) put even greater demands on the feet and ankles.

Foot Levelers has devised the following screening to determine if you might benefit from custom made spinal pelvic stabilizers:

1. Do you stand or walk on hard surfaces for more than 4 hours daily?
2. Do you participate regularly in any physical sport?
3. Have you had a prior injury to your knee, back, or neck?
4. Do your shoes/sneakers wear unevenly?
5. Do you have joint pain while standing, walking, or running?
6. Is one of your legs shorter than the other?
7. Do you have knock-knees or bow legs?
8. Do you have obvious foot problems (bunions, corns, etc.)?
9. Do your feet “toe out” when you’re walking?
10. Do either or both feet appear “flat” with no arch support or extra high in the arch area (strong arch)?

Find Balance

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may be a good candidate for Foot Levelers custom-made stabilizers. Whether your feet need improved support or if you simply desire custom fitting, Foots Levelers offers a full line of products including Spinal Pelvic Stabilizers, Shoethotics, and Sandalthotics to help put the spring back in your step. At Matthews Chiropractic Center, we offer custom scanning of your feet and the full catalog of Foot Levelers products. Come in today to have your feet scanned, so you can be more comfortable in all your spring activities.

Dr. Leibman will be conducting a free foot screening at the Matthews Vitamin Shoppe on Saturday, April 18th from 11am until 1pm.

*Images provided by Caselet & Joel Bedford respectively.

When taking history from patients who present with new low back pain, I often find that they could have limited the severity of their injury. Especially injuries that have muscle spasm as a major component. Muscle injuries can be very painful, make it difficult to move, and can cause spinal joints to move improperly or become immobile. These are some of the most common injuries that I see in the office. Weekend warriors, do-it-yourselfers, spring cleaners, and those who work in the yard are all at risk.

Pay Attention to What is Causing Your Pain

Muscle injuries can often become worse within 12 to 24 hours, so when we feel some minor pain, pulling, or tightness this could be the signal to back off. If your are working and lifting or move incorrectly and feel a twinge of pain or something pop, then stop and take it easy. Those who soldier on and figure that it will be okay, many times are the same folks who come crawling in wondering what caused their pain.

Treat With Heat Later, Not First

While it initially feels good and often loosens in the short term, using heat (heating pad, hot bath/shower, hot tub) should be avoided within the first 48 hours after an injury to the low back. If your pain is strong and you are having a hard time finding a comfortable position, try to lie on your back (on a firm surface) with your knees bent. Some patients are comfortable lying on a couch with their legs hanging over the arm (bent knee position).

Some basic tips to follow:

1. Do not use heat
2. Apply ice for 20mins each hour (paper towel between ice & skin)
3. Avoid strong or excessive (painful) stretching
4. Rest in a comfortable position, try to walk slowly periodically
5. Present to Matthews Chiropractic Center for chiropractic care

Many patients have asked if there is anything that they can do to help reduce or control chronic pain. Aside from regular chiropractic treatment to ensure that the spine and nervous system are functioning properly and daily exercise, our diets are one of the strongest contributors to our well-being. Much attention has been paid to trendy diets and super foods, but I will try to keep things simple.

Finding the Right Things to Eat

It seems almost everyday we hear about foods that we shouldn’t eat. Many of the foods in our diet are considered pro-inflammatory. This means that they increase the body’s level of inflammation and set off a cascade of reactions that predispose us to pain and sickness. So, of course there are foods to avoid. Chief offenders are processed and fatty foods. Steer clear of labels with ingredients that include anything “partially hydrogenated.” Try to avoid cakes, cookies, crackers, chips, fried foods, shortening, snack foods, and oils made from corn, cottonseed, sunflower, safflower, soybeans and peanuts.

Whether the discomfort is in your neck, shoulders, low back, knees, or elsewhere trying to incorporate anti-inflammatory foods into your diet can be beneficial. As a general rule, eating fish, grass-fed meats, fruits and vegetables should be the staples in a healthy diet (READ: eat more of these). Here I have assembled a few recipes which feature foods that can help to reduce the body’s overall level of inflammation (avoiding the bad foods is good too).

Breakfast Shake

• Frozen blueberries, cherries, raspberries, strawberries &/or bananas
• Water
• Whey and soy protein
• Glutamine (an amino acid)
• Soaked pumpkin seeds, cashews, almonds, walnuts (softened & drained)
• 3 Tablespoons of fresh ground flax
• Organic coconut oil

Start with water and protein powders (follow manufacturer’s instructions). Incorporate flax, coconut oil and glutamine, then add berries and nuts (any or all) to taste. Blend ingredients until smooth. Vary your recipe to taste.

Anti-inflammatory Salad

1. Chopped raw onions, red bell peppers, avocado – place in a bowl
2. Add organic extra virgin olive oil, organic balsamic vinegar, mustard, spices (ginger, turmeric, garlic, sea salt)
3. Add mixed greens – blend with previous ingredients
4. Sautee chicken, fish or meat and mix with vegetables
5. Hint: to keep calories low, DON’T cook protein with oil; saute in water or the natural oil/juices of the protein.

OOOSS Juice

• Use high quality, heat retaining, stainless steel 2-3 gallon pot
• Boil 1 gallon of water; add 1/2 pound of sliced ginger; lightly boil for 5 minutes; turn off and keep off
• Add 2-6 organic green tea bags, steep for 30-60 minutes, then remove
• After 4-12 hours, strain out ginger, place juice in glass jar and cool in refrigerator; reheat or drink cold

You can drink the ginger root and green tea straight or dilute with water. If you need to sweeten, add a small amount of fruit juice (100% apple juice for example). *Sweeten with 100% JUICE ONLY; nothing with high fructose corn syrup, added sugar or artificial sweeteners.

We hope you find some of these beneficial and useful to your life. If you have some recipes to share with us please let us know in our comments! We’re always looking for new great treats to pass along to our patients and friends.