The BEST (and Easiest) Exercise for Chronic Low Back Pain

First, the obligatory disclaimer.  Before any exercise is attempted, consult first with your physician.  There are many causes of Chronic Low Back Pain some of which can be life threatening if not diagnosed properly.  This information is meant to be discussed with and utilized in conjunction with you treating physician.   Now, a little bit of background.  The Low Back is a complex structure, however, one thing is almost always consistent when I deal with patients with Chronic Low Back pain; the posture muscles are almost always weak.  Strengthening the posture muscles will greatly increase your body’s ability to overcome Chronic Low Back Pain.   The best exercise you can do to strengthen those essential posture muscles is to do half-crunches on a yoga/pilates ball.

 

 

 

The exercise is simple yet essential.  There are a few steps you need to take to do this exercise effectively and safely.  (If you have severe balance issues, DO NOT do this exercise unless you have a dedicated spotter.)  

Sit on the ball with your feet shoulder width apart, crossing your arms in front of your chest.  Ask for a friends help or do this next to a wall if you feel unstable.  Start to do the half crunches.  Do as many as you can without falling over.  

As you continue to do this exercise, you may find that it becomes too easy.  If this is the case, move your feet closer together, until eventually they are together.  As this becomes easier, do it with one foot.  For those who are advanced, NO feet.  

As you do this exercise, you will begin to feel you Low Back begin to stabilize and many times the chronic pain will begin to lessen as your core strengthens.  

Be aware that there are other, very beneficial exercises that can be used to strengthen the core.  Utilize these in coordination with you primary physician.  However, this is one of the best and EASIEST exercises to truly begin to strengthen your core and begin your journey back to health!

Health, marriage and Summer Time (Not necessarily in that order).

When I was 19 and still struggling with what I was going to do with my life, I asked an elderly gentleman if he had any life advice for me.  He looked down while a small smile flickered across his face.  I waited for a moment, wondering if I needed to repeat the question (did I mention he was elderly?)  Suddenly he looked up with no trace of a smile.  ”Son, there’s only 2 things you need to know, first, love your wife (I wasn’t married yet) with all your heart.  Second, always, ALWAYS look good in a swimsuit.”

I remember standing there as I watched the gentleman turn his attention to a young lady at the reception.  My first reaction was to look in a mirror and feel that perhaps the old man thought I would look bad in a swimsuit.  I looked over again at the elderly man and watched as he shuffled over to his wife and took her hand.  It was then that I realized that perhaps the man was not making a judgement of me and my looks, but perhaps he was making a statement about himself and his readiness (or lack thereof) for the upcoming summer months and his own donning of a swimsuit.  (I also thought about his wife and the obvious love that they had for each other, but that is for another blog.)

I began to imagine scenarios of what could have possibly happened recently to make this gentleman feel that those two things were the most important things to tell a young, impressionable man.  I imagined him outside in the sweltering heat, mentioning to his wife how nice it would be to go for a swim and her replying, yes, it would be nice.  Then cut scene to the gentleman looking in the mirror and realizing that swimsuit and current physique were not a good match.  Or perhaps he actually had gone swimming and one of his innocent grandchildren had said, “Grandpa, why do you have 2 tummies?” or “Mommy, grandpa forgot his top!” or “Nice John Stockton shorts, Gramps.”  Needless to say, this ‘advice’ has stuck with me through the years.  And now that the summer months are upon us, what are YOU doing to be ready?  For, according to a wise, old and by all accounts happy elderly man, all you need in life is two things, a happy marriage and looking good in a swimsuit.

Now, I may not be able to help much with the marriage part, there are a few tips I can give for looking good in a swimsuit.

1st, make sure it fits (most important).

2nd, cardio

3rd, more cardio

4th, SMILE, it covers up a host of flaws, trust me!

5th, get out and enjoy the sun!  You’re going to look great!

5 Most Stunning views from Hubble

Now, before I get to the pictures (which I will do, don’t worry) you may be asking yourself, “Why would a person who does a health blog write about Hubble and Space?”  Good question.  First, I love space and everything there is to know about it, it is my passion (see ‘hobby’).  If I wasn’t a chiropractor, I would be an astronomer… no, actually I’d be an astronaut!  Space and planets and everything about it gives me a child-like giddiness.  Whenever NOVA (see PBS) broadcasts anything about “Super-massive Black Holes” or “Hypernovas”, I’m there, much to the dismay of my wife.  Sometimes I find myself sitting and thinking about faster-than-light travel, and even though Einstein says “No can do” (why Einstein?… WHY!!?), yet I still hold out hope.

Secondly, I believe that having a secondary hobby, something beyond work, is very healthy.  So, there you go, the health aspect!  Now, onto the pictures.

I love this picture, it shows two galaxies (ngc 2207 and ic 2163) interacting with each other.  Amazingly, as the galaxies get closer and even collide, the individual stars will probably never hit each other.

This picture shows galaxy m87.  Hubbles lensing shows the galaxy emitting a jet of high-speed electrons.  Super cool!

This picture shows a black hole.  You don’t actually see the black hole, but you can see the dust disc around it.  This is in galaxy ngc 7052.  Black holes fascinate me to no end!

This is a great picture.  Just sit back and enjoy it!

And finally, the most interesting and intriguing picture (at least to me) from Hubble is….

This is the Eskimo Nebula (ngc 2392).  I think they should call it God’s Eye.  Stunning, intricate, amazing.  What I wouldn’t give to be traveling to such places.  But alas, looking at them will have to suffice…. for now.

In the meantime, pick a cool hobby (you know what I would suggest) and keep your life healthy!  Pick Chiropractic!

Food Drive (Who will you save today?)

Two things I want to share today.  Firstly, I have been thinking a lot about food lately.  My wife started a diet campaign recently and I happily (is kicking and screaming happy?) joined in the process.  Now, going to, from, or around the office is quite… distracting.  You see, and smell, all kinds of interesting and saliva inducing smells when you are dieting.  I frequently find myself stopping in the parking lot next to McJonald’s and watching the jolly, plump and ridiculously happy people leaving the establishment.  During these moments of… distraction, I can’t help but think that I am quite willfully breaking God’s tenth commandment.  Yes, it brings a smile (albeit brief) to my face to smell the old familiar friend of grease, fillers and MSG wafting through the air.  However, with great willpower I have been able to refrain from indulging in these… distractions (note that “refrain” in this context includes any moments of blacking out, time loss and reawakening with special sauce on my lips, all explainable by… distractions).

This then brings me to the second thing I wanted to share.  All this hullabaloo about food has gotten me to thinking about those who have no choice but to “diet” because of whatever worldly situation the economy, family or God has put before them.  This time has helped me to reflect about this and make the decision to do what little I can for those in need.  So, I decided to do a Food Drive for the Placer Food Bank.  It runs from March 18-28th.  Any new patient who brings in a non-perishable food item will receive in return a Free Exam, Free X-rays (if necessary), Free Report of Findings and a  Free First Adjustment!

Also, on March 23rd (Saturday) we have our patient appreciation day.  From 10 am to 2 pm we will be adjusting, massaging, eating and partying, and everything will be FREE.  Don’t miss it!

I choose to be hungry.  There are many who cannot make that choice.  Step-up and give a little of yourself to help those who are less fortunate.  I am, will you?

Top Ten Reasons Our World Is Destroying Our Health

Genes adapt in about 10,000 years.  These factors are less than 100 years old.  So, without further ado, let’s jump right in.

1.  Trans Fatty Acids.  If you don’t know about these, please, PLEASE read my article, Trans Fatty Acids, Butter and a girl named Marg(arine).  Trans Fatty Acids cannot be metabolized, and they alter receptor sensitivity (in other words, the function of receptors) for neurotransmitters and hormones.

2.  Unbalanced omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in our diets.  Omega-6 equals animal fats.  Omega-3 equals fish oils.  We, as a nation, are low on fish oils.  Too much omega-6  causes systemic inflammation, immuno-suppression, elevated cortisol levels (causing weight gain) and an increased sympathetic response.  Too little omega-3 reduces brain function, neuroplasticity and reduces the level of the neurotransmitters (and this is important!) dopamine and serotonin!  (Low levels of these neurotransmitters is what drives the anti-depressant medication market).

3. (This will be shorter..)  Refined sugars (see white sugar) increases insulin production and release (see diabetes), and ages all of our systems (including your skin).

4.  Plastics release a chemical (phthalates) which get into our water and food.  This acts as a hormone disruptor (mimics hormone estrogen) and carcinogen.

5.  Antibiotics, not only giving rise to SUPER BUGS but also causing increased incidence of allergies and autoimmune disorders.

6.  Insecticides, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, etc., these are neurological disruptors and carcinogens (cancer causing!).

7.  Aspartame & Glutamate (aka, MSG).  For you med-heads out there, these excite the N-methyl d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor.  In laymen terms, causes chronic pain and there have been links to it in degenerative brain diseases.

8.  Deficiencies of vitamins and minerals in good foods because of soil depletion and vitamin destruction from microwave ovens.

9.  Pollution: diesel, mercury, fluoride, lead, aluminum, cadmium, etc.  These are also wonderful neurolgical disruptors and carcinogens.

10.  Finally, last but not least, our sedentary lifestyle.  Primarily from television, secondary from computers and video games.  Remember, motion is life.  Just like when a joint stops moving, due to injury or other issues, it quickly degenerates.  The same can be said for our health.

In conclusion, there are numerous things that can cause our bodies problems, however, knowing what these things are is the first step in being able to overcome them and eliminate them from our lives.  Choose a healthy lifestyle, find a health partner who will help you and guide you, whether it is a dietitian, wellness coach or chiropractor and then see your life change.  Your health is in our hands.

Your body, a road map of where you’ve been.

I cannot tell you how often I have had someone come into my office and tell me, “I was in a car wreck 25 years ago, but I never had any problems from it.”  One of the biggest misconceptions in our society today is the concept that, if it doesn’t hurt, then nothing’s wrong.  

Here’s a mind blowing statistic.  Can you guess what the first sign of heart disease is for over 40% of the human population?  Pain down the arm?  Nope.  Crushing pain in the chest?  Umm, not really.  What about death?  Ding ding ding!  The first sign of heart disease for over 40% of the human population is DEATH.  So, let’s ask a question.  Let’s take a person, say Joe Schmo, who happens to fall in the 40 percenter club.

Two days before Joe’s fatality, did he have a healthy heart?  What about two weeks prior? Two months?  Two years?  You see where I’m going.  Joe had a problem brewing in his heart long before he felt any symptoms, he had to!  Whether it was plaque build-up, arrythmia, clotting, etc.  Any number of issues that were symptomless.  Well, the same thing happens not only to the heart, but the entire body.  Underlying injuries and issues will continue to progress and get worse until, BOOM, “Dr., it just started hurting when I bent over to pick up a pencil…”  Maybe that’s when the pain started, but the problem, the issue, has usually been there for a much longer time.  

The point?  See someone who can detect these underlying, insidious problems before they turn into overlying, pernicious problems that ruin lives.  See your chiropractor today!

Hang with the RIGHT crowd

If you’re like me, you’ve probably set some goals for this 2013 new year.  And, like me, those goals most likely involve being healthier, eating better, losing weight, etc.  The question then arises, are you around the right people in order to be successful in your goals?

“If you want to be happy, hang out with happy people.”  The same could be said for being healthy.  Stop by your local Chiropractic Clinic and note the people who go in and out.  These people are, for the most part, healthy and excited about life.  However (and here’s the key), most of them didn’t start out with that attitude.  They had to make the conscious decision to maintain their spinal health like other happy, healthy Chiropractic patients.  

If, this New Year, you are resolved to being unhappy, sicker and more tired, by all means drop by your local pharmacy or hospital.  However, if you are committed to bettering your health and improving your life this New Year, then join the masses who can help get you there.  They’ll be hanging out at their Chiropractor’s office.