Good Posture

Today's lifestyle is often a stress on good posture, which affects good health. Sitting hunched forward at a computer screen, or over a book, or with your head propped forward on a pillow watching tv all creates a posture of excessive flexion (bending forward, head translated forward - hunched forward). One thing to consider in correcting this situation is spinal misalignments that a chiropractor can assess and correct and the other is to re-train you spine and the surrounding muscles to be straighter by doing extension exercises. Do 12 repetitions, keeping your chin semi tucked in, moving your head and shoulders backwards. Do three sets of 12. Each night, lay your neck over a rolled up towel for five to ten minutes. During the day, every day live the lifestyle of a person with good posture. Imagine a string attached to the top of your head gently pulling you up, shoulders back. Think about it, often and your posture and your health will improve. Also consider other health factors such as diet, exercise, mental health and of course - proper spinal alignments. Visit a chiropractor monthly even when not in pain to eliminate nerve irritation from misaligned joints. Dr. Steve Edelson, chiropractic physician http://tampa.chiropractor-edelson.com

Spring Back to Health

Dr. Steve Edelson, http://tampa.chiropractor-edelson.com often coaches his patients on how to their part in between adjustments. Between adjustments, it is important to reduce inflammation. Imagine hitting your thumb with a hammer. It usually will become swollen with inflammation. Joints and spinal nerves become inflamed when irritated as well. To reduce inflammation, drink a lot of pure filtered alkaline water, use a cold pack (not heat) on the areas of pain, and if needed, take an over the counter anti-inflammation medicine.

Are you a runner?

Are you a runner? Exercise is important, but can occasionally cause joints to misalign. I often see people who love to run with misalignments to the joints of the leg (ankle, knee, and hip). Chiropractic should be a part of a runners protocol to stay in optimum alignment and to have optimum performance and health.

How long will it take to get better?

Chiropractic Health Tip: Sometimes it takes a few visits to a chiropractor to get the results you want. When joints become misaligned, they get irritated, causing the nearby muscles to spasm, which locks the joint into this abnormal position. When the chiropractor adjusts you, these spasmed muscles become stretched, and like a tight spring can pull the joint out of alignment again. So, it is a re-training process. After a few adjustments, the muscles start to get the idea and will finally let the joint stay in its proper place and function properly.

Pregnant With Back Pain

Many women have discovered the amazing natural relief that they get with chiropractic care during the entire pregnancy.

During pregnancy a woman's body produces a hormone that makes joints more flexible, to prepare for her changing body and the task ahead. As the baby grow in the womb, the pressure also can grow on the expecting mother's back. Chiropractic can help to ensure that the pregnant woman's joints stay in place, avoiding back pain, while also creating the best environment for the developing baby. An expecting mother who is in alignment, not in pain will be in less stress and will pass this calmness on to her baby. Some women who have been under chiropractic care during their pregnancy have had less time in labor and delivery as well. As you can imagine, a pelvis that is in alignment will perform better than one that is out of alignment during that crucial time. Chiropractic and massage are a terrific combination to consider when you are pregnant. For more information, contact us at (813) 831-8321 in South Tampa http://drsteve.ws

Stretching

Hamlet's Fitness

Get the Most Out of Stretching

If your body has structural limitations, particularly involving the joints of the spine and pelvis, then you can run into difficulties when trying to stretch. Your spinal joints and sacroiliac joints (the big joints of the pelvis) need to be freely movable in order to get the most out of stretching and in order to avoid potential problems. Restricted mobility of these important joints will often cause tight muscles, and tight muscles can cause muscle pain and muscle injuries.

Your chiropractor is an expert in detecting the presence of these mechanical problems and in correcting the underlying causes. Regular chiropractic care helps keep your body flexible and functioning at its peak, helping you get the most out of all your exercise and fitness activities.

"To stretch or not to stretch." That wasn't exactly Hamlet's question. The Prince of Denmark had matters of state to consider, especially the most effective method to avenge the murder of his father. Getting ready for his next fencing lesson had taken low priority.

But for the rest of us who aren't Nordic princes, matters of fitness are in fact akin to matters of state, namely the state of our bodies. Your fitness choices are critically important to your health and well-being. Also, your overall approach to fitness activities matters a great deal, such as how you get ready to do the exercise things you're going to do.

The question of stretching has been debated for many years, going back to the early days of popularized forms of strength training in the 1960s.1,2,3 "To stretch or not to stretch" really was and continues to be the question. Proponents of stretching actively and vigorously defend their position. Those who believe that stretching has no value, or may even be harmful, are equally assertive. There is evidence in the scientific literature to support both sides. A person who wishes to derive the greatest benefit from her time spent exercising is, like Hamlet, in quite a quandary.

But there's no need to vacillate and mimic Hamlet's notorious exploration of doubt and indecision. The way forward, as always, is to do what works for you. For example, if you are naturally flexible there might not be a need for stretching. People who can just flop over and put their hands on the floor from a standing position already have one benefit that stretching provides. Their hamstrings and lower back muscles are already pretty loose. A contrasting example is the person with naturally tight muscles. Many such people would actually strain a back muscle or a hamstring if they tried to bend over and touch the floor without any preparation.

In the world of fitness, what works for one person does not necessarily work for another. If you're a person who would benefit from stretching, you need to stretch. But not everybody will benefit. For some, time spent stretching is time wasted. You find out by stretching before a few exercise sessions. If your muscles feel "long" and limber and your joints feel freely moveable, then stretching is probably a good thing to do. If your muscles and joints don't feel any different from the way they usually do, in other words, you were already pretty loose to begin with and stretching didn't add any noticeable benefit, then you're probably a person who doesn't need to stretch.

If you're stretching, the next question becomes whether to stretch before or after exercise. Again, there are proponents of each approach and some authorities suggest that stretching both before and after is the way to go. Explore the various possibilities and determine the most effective method for you. Most imphttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifortantly, get regular vigorous exercise and have fun doing it.

1Gartley RM, Prosser JL: Stretching to prevent musculoskeletal injuries. An approach to workplace wellness. AAOHN 59(6):247-252, 2011

2Stojanovic MD, Ostojic SM: Stretching and injury prevention in football: current perspectives. Res Sports Med 19(2):73-91, 2011

3Samukawa M, et al: The effects of dynamic stretching on plantar flexor muscle-tendon tissue properties. Man Ther August 2, 2011 (Epub ahead of print)

Chiropractic Wellness

The main difference between wellness care and standard medical care is that wellness care seeks to turn on the natural healing ability. Wellness care does not add something to the system, instead it removes anything that might interfere with normal function. Wellness care trusts that the body would know what to do if nothing were interfering with it. Standard medical care, on the other hand, seeks to treat a symptom by adding something from the outside – a medication, a surgery or procedure.
Inside Out vs. Outside In

If a patient has high blood pressure, a standard medical approach would be to choose a drug that lowers blood pressure, and ask the patient to take the drug. This may serve to lower the blood pressure, but ignores the underlying cause that is making the blood pressure high, and runs the risk of side effects complicating the person’s recovery. Whether it’s a nutritional issue, faulty control by the nerve system or a manifestation of stress, the medication could decrease the blood pressure, leaving the problem causing the symptom of high blood pressure unaddressed.
The Wellness Approach

Wellness is a state of optimal conditions for normal function… and then some. The wellness approach is to look for underlying causes of any disturbance or disruption (which may or may not be causing symptoms at the time) and make whatever interventions and lifestyle adjustments would optimize the conditions for normal function. That environment encourages natural healing, and minimizes the need for invasive treatment, which should be administered only when absolutely necessary. When the body is working properly, it tends to heal effectively, no matter what the condition. When the body heals well and maintains itself well, then there is another level of health that goes beyond “asymptomatic” or “pain-free” which reveals an open-ended opportunity for vitality, vibrant health, and an enhanced experience of life.This is true for mental and emotional health as well as physical health. While some people may suffer psychological disorders, creating an atmosphere of mental and emotional wellness will address all but the most serious problems. For more information go to http://drsteve.ws