Archive for the ‘chiropractic’ Category
March 4th, 2010 | 
Author: You probably know that “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” but did you know that “A pound of fat equals 3,500 calories”? As a chiropractor who believes that a healthy lifestyle includes a healthy weight, I believe that the latter equation is just as important as the former when it comes to your health. So does First Lady, Michelle Obama. In announcing a national plan to counter childhood obesity, she indicated that weight loss doesn’t have include an unnatural “minus” intake of food, but slight lifestyle changes, such as replacing soda pop with water or walking to school, are “small changes that add up.” The formula seems simple enough: reducing calorie intake by just 100 calories a day, or burning up that amount, would equal losing a pound every 35 days, or as much as 10 pounds or more a year. And, though individual losses might vary and educating children (and their parents) about nutrition is still very necessary, in my opinion making “small changes” is a healthy place to start for many kids.
Unfortunately, there are those who find such equations “misleading,” like the health blog at NYTimes.com . In it Tara Parker-Pope states that “numerous scientific studies show that small caloric changes have almost no long-term effect on weight. When we skip a cookie or exercise a little more, the body’s biological and behavioral adaptations kick in, significantly reducing the caloric benefits of our effort.”
The question the article poses is “Can small changes in diet and exercise at least keep children from gaining weight?” And it goes on to say that “While some obesity experts think so, mathematical models suggest otherwise.”
To read the blog in its entirety, click the link above. Then you can reach your own conclusions.
Injuries are not uncommon with any type of sport. The smart thing to do is to find out what injury is inclined to happen in a specific sport and then to do whatever it takes to avoid it. Sadly, sports injuries can’t always be avoided. As a result, it’s advantageous to take conscientious care of your body to make injury less predictable, or less traumatic. The most valuable thing that you can do is to be confident that you have the proper fitness level prior to starting to play a sport, such as golf. You may very well keep your body safe from injury if you follow these general guidelines: Cultivate a healthy lifestyle; keep your joints mobile and your muscles limber; prepare your body prior to activity; use proper form and good postures during activity; allow yourself sufficient cool down and relaxation time.
Golf injuries don’t simply happen to amateurs. Approximately, one-third of pro golfers playing concurrently are playing with injuries. The good news is that overall good health and fitness can decrease the number of injuries that you may incur and could actually prevent them totally.
Good body strength in the muscle regions most employed when golfing is very important. However, before you try to build muscle strength, it’s essential to make sure your spine is aligned and has good mobility. A successful golf swing is contingent upon your spine’s facility to adequately rotate efficiently. Back injuries are the most widespread kind of injuries sustained by golfers. Your Sacramento chiropractor will establish that your spine is in appropriate alignment and that there is efficient movement of the vertebrae. Chiropractic management can make a big difference in helping you to prevent back injury.
Once you’re “straightened” it’s time to strengthen. Safe, injury-free action on the green depends upon your being prepared for your golf game. You can warm up your muscles and make straining them less likely by doing golf stretching and flexibility exercises. Flexibility in all parts of the body can be developed relatively fast through full body range of motion (ROM) exercises. In addition, elastic band conditioning offers distinct golf range of motion improvements and can build needed strength in the shoulders, hips and deep muscles of the core. Since elastic band training provides the dynamic resistance that general weight lifting does not, sports professionals, such as your chiropractor, are adding them to their golf conditioning programs.
Quite a few golfers have painful “Golfer’s Elbow” along with back injuries. There is a minor difference between golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow though they are almost identical injuries. Tennis elbow affects the outside of the upper arm whereas golfer’s elbow affects the inner arm. Golfer’s elbow, like tennis elbow, can be the consequence of a single violent action, such as (in golf) hitting the mat at the driving range or striking a hard fairway surface. Repetitive stress from smaller shocks, though, is more commonly the protagonist. Moreover, it can occur for those who suddenly start playing too much golf. For instance, if those that usually play golf once or twice a month decide to play in a tournament, they are potentially at risk for incurring the injury.
Golf makes exclusive demands on the body. The game is ordinarily longer than many other sports and that can result in fatigue. Once the body is fatigued, unhealthy posture and lack of coordination normally follow. Together, these two components can cause a number of injuries. Moreover, the shoulder muscles are liable to injury because of the constant swinging of the golf clubs. Just as great care should be taken to make certain that your muscles are stretched and warmed up before starting your golf game, be sure to rest your body suitable between games.
An unexpected injury sometimes connected with golf is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. But, because it a condition that happens due to repetitive stress, a numerous amount of games of golf played over several months constantly may produce this injury. carpal tunnel Syndrome can be a an extremely damaging injury causing incapacitation and on occasion requiring surgery. However, if a health professional, such as your chiropractor, diagnoses it at an early stage, chiropractic management and, sometimes, the use of a brace will alleviate the problem.
The majority of golfers seem to assume that injuries are simply an unavoidable part of a golfer’s life. However, a healthy, mobile spine, dedicated preparation, appropriate exercise and muscle conditioning, attaining and sustaining a a suitable fitness level, and reasonable rest and recuperation after your game is over, can assisting in making injuries a good deal less a part of your golfing experience.
Dr. Yong Kim is a Chiropractor in Sacramento with over thirteen years of experience helping thousands of patients get out of pain and get their lives back. Dr. Kim’s clinic is located at 1707 Professional Drive, Sacramento, CA 95825. He has a special interest as well as post doctoral training in sports injuries. For more informaton visit www.sacramentochiropractor.org
Posted in chiropractic | 
Tags: back pain, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, chiropractic, chiropractor, Golfer's Elbow, shoulder pain | 
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Let's face it, if you like beer, you're going to look for a good reason to drink it, whether it's a tailgate party, as a pizza accompaniment, or to help built strong and healthy bones. Say what? Up until I heard the recent news reports and read an article that appeared recently on the healthDay News blog, I wouldn't have listed that last reason on the "pro" side of any health list I was making. But according to a new study published in Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture beer, or at least some beer high in barley and hops contain dietary silicon,contributes to bone mineral density. I'm a chiropractor, so naturally anything that helps to build bone density is good in my book. And, though there are foods, such as bananas, that also contain dietary silicon, if you like beer, this study is good news!
Beer for the Bones? (HealthDay News) — Beer may help keep bones strong because it's a rich source of dietary silicon, which contributes to bone mineral density, a new study reports. But the amount of silicon apparently varies by the type of beer. "The factors in brewing that influence silicon levels in beer have not been extensively studied," study author Charles Bamforth, a professor in the food science and technology department at the University of California, Davis, said in a news release from the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. The study is published in the journal's February issue. "We have examined a wide range of beer styles for their silicon content and have also studied the impact of raw materials and the brewing process on the quantities of silicon that enter wort and beer," Bamforth said. Wort is liquid extracted from the mashing process during the brewing of beer. The researchers tested 100 commercial beers and found that their silicon content ranged from 6.4 to 56.5 milligrams per liter. "Beers containing high levels of malted barley and hops are richest in silicon," Bamforth said. "Wheat contains less silicon than barley because it is the husk of the barley that is rich in this element. While most of the silicon remains in the husk during brewing, significant quantities of silicon nonetheless are extracted into wort, and much of this survives into beer."More information
The U.S. National Institute of arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases has more about bone health.
SOURCE: Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, news release, Feb. 7, 2010