Quarterback Jim McMahon discovered the health benefits of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care. This is the same technique used at Dawn of Health Chiropractic!
The “Back” Swing by Dr. James Strunk
Many golfers have asked me over the years if golf is bad for their back. This is a difficult question to answer. After all, golf is exercise and exercise is typically good for you right? It all depends on the structures we are utilizing to make the golf swing. Have you ever had an injury that didn’t heal correctly or do you have underlying joint degeneration that could be aggravated by your golf swing? Do you swing the golf club properly? What kind of shape are you in and do you prepare and strengthen your body to be able to perform a golf swing etc.
As an Upper Cervical Specialist it is my job to make sure that there is not undue pressure on the brainstem and spinal cord. If someone is having pressure on their spinal cord they will not be able to move or function appropriately. This can lead to health problems as well as movement restrictions because the innate intelligence inside the body will guard against any movement that may compromise the neural integrity. We call the Brain and Spinal cord the body’s “information super highway”. If there is a problem with pressure in this area your body will not be able to move appropriately.
In our office, when we eliminate spinal cord pressure, we often see improved ranges of motion and less restriction or pain in problem areas. The procedures we use are painless and don’t require any twisting or popping to make a correction.
Below you will see a before and after xray of a recent patient’s neck. The neck is supposed to have a natural curve in it to allow for dynamic motion and function. This patient went from having a reversed cervical curve (head forward posture) to a more natural curve.
So to answer the original question: Is golf bad for my back? If the person on the left were to swing a club properly they would probably aggravate the muscles, nerves and joints in their neck and back. If the person on the right were to make the same swing there would be much less stress on their neck and back. Problems like this go undetected very often until it gets bad enough to stop someone from swinging a golf club. It is a good idea to get your spine checked by an upper cervical doctor so you know if your swing is hurting you or not.
How much exercise do you need?
How Much Exercise Do You Need? Author: Dr. Pierre DuBois
“Exercise” Versus “Lifestyle Activity”: How Active Are You – Really?
The
most frequent questions I get are: “How much exercise do I need?” and “What’s the best way of getting that exercise?” If you are like most people, working out just for the sake of working out does not really appeal (although there are many dedicated gym buffs who couldn’t live without their daily workouts!).
We all know that it’s important to exercise regularly if we want to live a long and healthy life. However, if you find the idea of trotting along on a treadmill for 15 minutes and then spending half an hour of working out on Nautilus machines to be about as exciting as a trip to the dentist, then this article is for you!
What the Experts Recommend:
Experts recommend that we get at least 150 minutes of exercise each week to stay in shape. But many people find taking this much exercise at once (or in three 50-minute stretches) too daunting. The good news is that a recent study conducted by researchers at Boston University that was published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that bouts of exercise lasting less than 10 minutes a couple of times daily, such as the kind you get when cleaning the house, were sufficient to meet your weekly exercise needs.
What the Study Showed
Over 2,000 participants were included in the study, more than half of whom were overweight. Motion detectors were attached to each of the subjects for eight days, and an average of half the participants met their weekly exercise quota of 150 minutes. The average participant met his or her quota with exercise that lasted less than 10 minutes at a time. The types of exercise ranged from moderate (heavy cleaning, walking briskly and sports such as golf and badminton) to vigorous (running, hiking, shoveling and farm work).
As long as the participants met their 150-minute per week quota, no matter the length of their exercise, they had lower body mass index, smaller waists, lower triglycerides and better cholesterol levels than those who did not meet the quota.
Assistant professor at Boston University’s School of Medicine, Nicole Glazer, says “This study really speaks to the idea that some activity is better than nothing. Parking a little bit farther away, getting off the bus one stop early – all of these little things can add up and are related to a healthier profile.”
For years, researchers have studied the effects of exercise from practicing sports or visiting the gym. However, according to Glazer, “This idea of lifestyle activity is one that is under-measured in research studies.” Activities such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, using a push mower instead of a riding mower, etc. can add up to a significant amount of energy expenditure. Experts still stress that it’s important to also get in some traditional forms of exercise and not merely replace it with lifestyle activity. Still, any exercise is useful.
“The levels of sedentary behavior in this country are alarming. So the concern that someone’s going to stop exercising and instead just get off the bus a stop earlier, that’s not my concern,” Glazer says. “The real question is, is this a stepping-stone? Is this the way we can get inactive people to do any sort of activity? People will come up with any excuse to not exercise. I don’t need to worry about my giving them one. They’ll be able to think of something.”
The Bottom Line:
•Experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week
•That doesn’t mean that you need to be a gym rat or marathoner. Ten minute exercise intervals centered around everyday lifestyle activities can be sufficient.
•So you are out of excuses. You have the time. You have all the equipment you need. You don’t even need special workout clothes.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Chronic pain and illness can inhibit you from engaging in a regular exercise program. Chiropractic care could be the answer! At Dawn of Health Chiropractic, we make sure that your nervous system is clear and free of interference. Your Nervous System is the way your brain communicates with your body and any interference in those messages causes dysfunction in your muscles, tissues and organs. We focus on removing this interference and allowing your body to function at its maximum potential. Please call us at 919-303-2213 to schedule an AT NO CHARGE consultation to see how we can help you get the most our of your life!
Dangers of those beautiful high heels
Those high heels are gorgeous but what are they doing to your body??
High heels put all your body’s weight on your forefoot, causing you to adjust the rest of your body to maintain balance. The bottom half of your body has to lean forward, so to compensate the top half must lean back. This causes a disruption in the normal ‘S’ curve of your back. As you can imagine, it is very difficult to maintain good posture in this position. This is not only is it detrimental to the health of your spine, but being ‘stooped over’ is not a sexy look!
High heels can also cause structure and skin problems for your feet. With the foot in a downward position, there is a significant increase in the pressure on the bottom of the forefoot, which can lead to pain or deformities such as hammer toes, bunions, and more. The downward foot position also causes your foot to supinate, or to turn to the outside. Not only does this put you at risk for a sprained ankle, it changes the pull of the Achilles tendon and may cause abnormal tightening.
If you aren’t willing to give up those high heels forever, make sure you take breaks throughout the day and don’t wear them every day! If you have been wearing high heels for years, it is wise to visit your chiropractor to check your body balance and the health of your spine. Abnormal curvatures of your spine can increase disc degeneration and cause nerve irritation leading to many health issues that can be resolved through chiropractic care. Please call us at 919-303-2213 to schedule your AT NO CHARGE consultation with Dr. Strunk to discuss your health concerns!
Natural Solutions for Headaches
Headaches present many different ways as you can see from the picture above. Knowing what type of headache you are having is important as well as paying attention to when you are having headaches. Many people try to mask the headache with drugs only to have another headache. Why? The drugs only mask the symptoms…ie. the headache. The drugs don’t resolve the real reason why you have a headache. At Dawn of Health Chiropractic, we offer a low-force and gentle chiropractic approach to find the cause, correct it and allow your body to function better!
If you or anyone you know suffers from headaches, call us at 919-303-2213 to set up a consultation with Dr. Strunk AT NO CHARGE.
Did you know your body can heal itself??
Chiropractic was founded on a premium philosophy…God put the most amazing healing power inside each of us. He breathed His own life in to our bodies and formed us with His own hands. Whether one believes in God or not, it is a scientific fact that the human body has an inborn wisdom. It is a self-healing, self-regulating organism capable of not only staying well, but overcoming any disease or illness known to man. All the healing power is in the human brain. The brain’s only job is to keep every organ, cell and tissue functioning and healing for up to 120 years proven through medical research performed at Harvard University. The brain travels through the brain stem, down the spinal cord and over the nerves to the body. The nerve system (brain, brain stem, spinal cord and nerves) is the only organ in the entire body encased with bone. The skull wraps the brain along with 24 movable vertebrae shielding the spinal cord and nerve roots. When the spine is in its proper alignment the nerve system is protected, allowing for 100% communication from the brain to the organs. For you to be truly healthy there must be a brain-body connection with no interference. Have you ever had your Nervous System checked for interference??