Oblander Chiropractic

Top 5 Ways to Warm-Up Before a Golf Game

April 21, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

If you don’t know better, golf can seem like a laid-back sport that carries little risk of physical injury other than being hit by a stray ball or having a foot run over by a speeding golf cart. But the truth is that a correct golf swing requires a great deal of balance, flexibility and core strength and that it can place a great deal of strain on the golfer’s back.

Unfortunately, many golfers don’t recognize the importance of warming up before teeing off until it’s too late. With more men and women playing golf than ever before, the incidence of golf-related back pain is also growing. Frequent play can aggravate chronic or intermittent low back pain that, in turn, can interfere with your ability to play golf. However, warming up before you play can go a long way to stop the cycle of golf and back pain. Not only can it keep you on the course, it can also improve the quality of your game.

Focus on Stretching and Taking Practice Swings

Trunk rotations allow you to warm-up the torso by mimicking the motion you will use to swing your club. Place a golf club across the back of your shoulders and slowly twist from left to right to stretch the torso and the shoulders. The lower body should remain stable with the movement taking place in the torso.
Stretch quadriceps by standing with a chair or bench behind you with your arms crossed over your chest. Bend your knee so that one foot is resting on the seat of the chair or bench. Squeeze your buttocks muscles to cause a contraction of the quadriceps (muscles in the front of the thigh). Follow the motions of your golf swing. Repeat on the other side.
Stretch your back by standing behind the back of a chair with your feet apart. Hold the back of the chair while keeping the back straight. Still holding the chair, drop your body down and pull it away from the chair to create a stretch near the armpits.
Sitting on a bench or chair, place the ankle from one leg on top of the thigh of the other leg. Use your forearm to push down on the bent leg. Lean forward to create a gentle stretch in your hip. Repeat on the other side.
Woodchops are a good golf warm-up because they reach the abs, legs and back. To perform these, stand holding a golf club straight up and down, perpendicular to the ground. Raise the club slowly over the head while holding your arms straight. Keep back slightly arched to stretch the chest. Next, bring the club down and between your knees while you go into a squatting position. Maintain a flat back and hold abs in throughout the stretch. Move slowly enough that it takes 30 seconds to complete the entire stretch.

Good Swing Mechanics For a Healthy Back and a Healthy Back for Good Swing Mechanics

It really does work both ways. Golf-related back pain is often the result of muscle sprains or strains that can be prevented with appropriate preparation and warm-ups. But poor swing mechanics will also take their toll over time—even for golfers who are relatively young and fit. Swings that are off-balance or that rely on the wrong muscle groups to generate power put players’ backs at risk. The reverse is also true—players who are nursing back injuries (and other types of injuries, for that matter) frequently compensate for them by making changes in their golf swing that hurt their performance and that may increase the risk of additional injuries.

Golfers of all skill levels can benefit from regular chiropractic care. Many chiropractic physicians have specialized training in biomechanics and some have made a particular study of golf performance and golf-related injuries. If you’re a golfer who’s interested in getting or staying healthy and improving your game, call or visit our office today!

Chiropractic Care Gets High Marks from Back Pain Patients

April 14, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

Lower back pain is a very common problem across the US. In fact, experts estimate that as much as 84% of the population will experience it over the course of a lifetime! For about 23%, this pain will be chronic and for 11%-12% it will be debilitating.

While these are sobering statistics, there is also some good news. Depending on your condition, chiropractic care can be an effective treatment option—helping to relieve pain and restore mobility.

Patient Satisfaction by the Numbers

In addition to the many clinical studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of chiropractic care, a number of well-known public health and consumer research organizations have also conducted surveys and polls in order to better understand the experience of patients when it comes to treating back pain. In April and May 2009, the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center surveyed the magazine’s subscribers. In particular, the Center was interested in learning about back pain patients’ satisfaction with their healthcare providers and with the different treatment options they provided.

Of patients who had visited a chiropractor, 59% were highly satisfied* with the treatment and advice they received. By comparison, fewer than half were highly satisfied with the treatment and advice provided by their medical specialist (44%) or primary care physician (34%).
Of patients who had received chiropractic manipulation, 58% reported that the treatment helped a lot. Only 45% reported that prescription drugs helped a lot and just 22% said the same thing about over-the-counter medications.

What’s especially interesting about these survey results are the number of people who participated and their backgrounds.

The Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center surveyed more than 14,000 participants who had suffered from lower-back pain in the prior year but had never had back surgery.
More than half reported that pain severely limited their daily routine for a week or longer. Many reported that pain interfered with sleep, sex and efforts to maintain a healthy weight.
88% reported that the pain recurred through the year.
Most had tried five or six different treatments.

Two years later, the Center published an updated report describing how Americans use alternative approaches to healthcare as well as their experience with various providers and therapies. Chiropractic care once again was found to be the most popular approach to back pain relief and was ranked most highly in terms of patient satisfaction.

Your chiropractor is specially trained to relieve back pain and restore mobility by using drug-free, hands-on techniques called manipulation, adjustments or mobilization. He or she may also employ other types of therapy, such as massage and cold laser treatment, depending on the nature and cause of your back pain. In addition, many chiropractic physicians work closely with their patients to develop new, healthier habits—usually around exercise, nutrition and sleep—that can help prevent some types of injuries and chronic medical conditions. By focusing on both immediate pain relief and the underlying causes of back pain, your chiropractor can help you return to your active lifestyle as soon as possible!

Remember—every patient’s body is different. If you’re wondering whether chiropractic care is an appropriate choice for you, please call or visit our office today! We’ll be happy to help!

*Defined as either Completely Satisfied or Very Satisfied.

Chiropractic and the Benefits of Conservative Care

April 12, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

It’s been in the headlines for years now—non-specific back pain has become an epidemic in the U.S. According to some estimates, Americans now spend approximately $100 billion per year looking for relief. At the same time, many public health officials, medical researchers and clinicians see a growing gap between the types and amounts of care being delivered and the results being achieved for patients. In particular, the rapidly growing use of advanced diagnostic tools (especially early imaging) and high-tech treatment options (surgeries, medical devices and drugs) appear to be driving up costs as well as risks without producing widespread benefits. So what is to be done?

Surgery as a Last Resort

According to many experts, the right answer for many patients is a conservative approach that emphasizes proven treatment options and resorts to more expensive and riskier alternatives only after these have failed to produce results. This may be particularly true when it comes to surgery. The Mayo Clinic, for example, recommends caution before choosing this option. Their website warns, “Spine surgeons hold differing opinions about when to operate, what type of surgery to perform, and whether—for some spine conditions—surgery is warranted at all.” A 2013 study in Washington State, published in the journal Spine, also highlighted an interesting correlation between the number of back surgeries performed and the type of doctor first visited. The study found that of those injured workers who saw a surgeon first, 42.7% chose surgery (a relatively expensive and risky option) as a solution. Of those injured workers who first saw a chiropractor, the rate of surgeries dropped to 1.5%. In other words, those who visited a chiropractor first found that surgery was less likely to be necessary.

There are of course situations where back surgery may be absolutely necessary. However, study after study has shown that other methods of treating back pain are far less expensive, less risky and frequently more effective. If you have been advised to have back surgery, it’s always good to get a second or even third opinion from different medical professionals to be sure you do not undergo a surgical procedure that may be best treated more conservatively.

The Chiropractic Alternative

Interestingly, most cases of back pain are mechanical, as opposed to being caused by more serious medical conditions such as infection, arthritis, fractures, or cancer. Some are caused by sports injuries or accidents, but others can be triggered by nothing more severe than bending down to pick up a dropped pencil. Still others are caused by misalignments of the spine, neck and joints that have built up over many years, as opposed to being caused by a single trauma.

Most of these conditions can be successfully treated by Doctors of Chiropractic, who are specially trained to use manipulation and mobilization techniques to relieve pain and address the underlying causes. Over time, chiropractors can help to return your spine and whole body to a more normal state of health, in which reoccurrences of back pain are less likely to appear.

Chiropractic care has received high marks in clinical studies as well as in patient satisfaction surveys conducted by governments and leading consumer research organizations. It is also recognized as one of the safest therapies you can use to treat back, neck and joint pain when performed by properly trained and licensed healthcare professionals. Potential side effects are usually limited to a mild aching or short-term soreness in the spinal joints or muscles. Spinal adjustments pose few serious risks, although rare complications include the possibility of a herniated disk or compression of the nerves in the lower spinal column.

During your visit, you should be very specific about your symptoms and about any concerns you have. This will help us offer the safest and most effective treatment for you. Depending on your condition and the specific problems being treated, you and your chiropractor may choose to forego manipulation in favor of joint mobilization, therapeutic exercise, soft-tissue techniques, or other types of therapies.

Chiropractic care is a safe, effective and—above all—conservative approach to the treatment of back pain. It is non-invasive and uses no drugs that may have potential negative side effects. The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research conducted a study of all available care for lower back problems and recommended spinal manipulation as the safest and most effective initial treatment of lower back pain in adults.

If you are one of the four out of five people who will experience back pain during their lifetime, you can do something about it. This is an important thing to know. Unfortunately, many people aren’t aware of their options. A survey conducted by the American Physical Therapy Association found that although two-thirds of Americans experience low back pain, more than a third of them don’t seek professional help for it. So if you’re experiencing back pain, call or visit our office today. All you have to lose is your pain!

The Benefits of Life-Long Sports

April 7, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

Not only can playing sports at any age help you maintain your strength, stamina, balance, flexibility and coordination, the benefits are actually cumulative over time. That means the more adults participate in sports throughout their lifetime, the more they will benefit as they reach the age where joint problems and declining energy become a problem. For people to enjoy the most benefit, they should begin to consciously “ramp-up” their physical activity in early adulthood to support the continuation of active leisure time activities throughout later phases of life.

Playing sports into mid-life allows adults to maintain physical capabilities that will help reduce their risk of developing age-related problems that are often tied to inactivity, including heart disease, colon cancer, stroke and diabetes. In addition, sports burn calories and help prevent weight gain as metabolism slows as part of the aging process. Sustaining their physical health through middle age and into their senior years will allow them to continue participating in more of the activities they enjoy and to maintain their independence longer. Not only will staying active help them enjoy better health, it will also improve their longevity.

Sports Participation Increases Energy, Improves the 3Ms

Most of us recognize that exercising actually increases our general energy levels. This is true at any age, including 50 and beyond. But did you know that it also improves the 3Ms—memory, mood and mind? Participating in sports helps adults stay motivated and provides a release from stress. Many also enjoy the chance to compete against other athletes in their age bracket. Benefits are important to both men and women in the over 50 category.

Popular Sports for Older Adults

Obviously, most older adults are not going to jump into sports like tackle football, rugby, lacrosse or ice hockey, but there are a large number of sports that will help them strengthen muscles, build stamina and maintain their balance, flexibility and coordination. Many of these also offer great opportunities for social interaction and will help seniors feel better all the way around.

Increases stamina and strengthens legs. Can also encourage core strength and flexibility.
Enhances breathing, improves bone density, reduces body fat and maintains reaction time.
Not a physically demanding sport, and well-suited for those who are not in the best physical shape. Sharpens hand-eye coordination and offers mental and social benefits.
Increases energy and stamina with minimal risk of muscle and joint injury. Increases flexibility and tones muscles, offers aerobic exercise for improved heart health and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Improves coordination, balance and can improve mobility.

Although the greatest benefits from playing sports occur in those who have continued to engage in sports activity throughout their lives, it is never too late to learn a new sport and enjoy the physical and mental benefits they can provide.

Focus on Footwear: The Trouble with Flip-Flops

April 5, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

Ask just about any chiropractor which type of footwear is the worst for your feet and back, and you’ll likely hear about two culprits: high heels and flip-flops. While high heels spell trouble for women, flip-flops are worn by men, women, teenagers, and children, making them a more ubiquitous health hazard than any other commonly worn type of footwear. So what exactly is the trouble with flip-flops? Why do chiropractors advise so strongly against wearing them? In a nutshell, flip-flops not only lack a protective shell or any sort of support, but they force wearers to walk unnaturally, causing numerous foot, leg, and back problems.

Shoes are designed to perform two basic functions. One function is to offer shock absorption; the other is to provide a solid, stable surface that your foot can push off from. Flip-flops, however, provide neither shock absorption nor stability. They are essentially just covers for the bottoms of your feet.

Flip-flop manufacturers have tried to address the issues of shock absorption and stability, with minimal success. A few of the more pricey brands offer some arch support, and some have more cushioning—but no flip-flops can compare to sneakers in terms of support and shock absorption. If your footwear cannot perform its two basic functions, you could find yourself in pain, not only in your foot but up your entire leg and into the knee, hip, and back.

Without a suitable arch or appropriate shock absorption, you are forced to walk differently, which can negatively affect the ligaments, bones, and muscles in the foot by making them work harder than they are used to. Overuse can even result in stress fractures in the bones of the feet.

Flip-flop wearers must walk abnormally in order to keep their flip-flops on. A study conducted by Auburn University found that the average flip-flop wearer takes shorter steps than those who wear other footwear. The study also found that flip-flop wearers hit their heels to the ground with less vertical force, which throws off a person’s natural gait and can cause pain and other issues in the feet, ankle, legs, hips, and back.

All flip-flops come with a small strip of material that the toes must grip in order to keep the footwear in place. This repetitive gripping causes muscle overuse and can result in tendonitis, a painful condition wherein tendons become inflamed. Regular use of flip-flops can also cause or exacerbate bunions and hammer toe. Other flip-flop related maladies include plantar fasciitis, splinters, blisters, and burns due to flip-flops’ lack of protection.

Lastly, flip-flops are a breeding ground for bacteria—sometimes dangerous types. In fact, a 2009 study from the University of Miami found that even just one pair of flip-flops can contain over 18,000 bacteria, including Staphylococcus and bacteria from fecal matter.

If you feel you must wear flip-flops, consider asking your chiropractor for recommendations on which brands to look at. Additionally, you should wear them sporadically and avoid wearing them on any days on which you will be doing a lot of walking. There are other sandals that are better for your feet, so consider them as an alternative to flip-flops.

When It Comes to Nutritional Supplements, Quality Counts!

March 31, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

Nutritional supplements are one way that many of us try to improve our health and to support our efforts to lose weight, stop smoking, and more. Although using good quality supplements can be beneficial to your health, it can be difficult to determine which ones really fit the bill. Supplement makers are lightly regulated relative to the pharmaceutical industry, and there have been specific ingredients and some products pulled from the store shelves only after they have proved harmful to a number of people. When the New York Attorney General recently revealed the results of a probe into supplement sales at four top national retailers and found that many products didn’t actually contain the correct ingredients, it came as no surprise to some experts who have worried about poor quality control and manufacturer fraud for years.

A Matter of Omission

While many of us might be more concerned about what’s in a supplement that shouldn’t be, it can also be a big problem if the product doesn’t actually contain the key ingredients listed on the label. If an individual is depending on a particular supplement to remain healthy, the lack of key ingredients could have serious consequences that the user may not be aware of. In a number of cases, key ingredients had apparently been replaced with cheap fillers or other alternatives that not only failed to meet the specific nutritional need but that also had the potential to cause harm to some consumers.

Herbal Ingredients: What You May Not Know

Many supplements use herbs in their products as their main ingredients. Because these herbs are “all natural”, many people mistakenly believe that they cannot harm you or have side effects similar to those of prescription drugs. In reality, herbs can and do interact with each other, with other foods and with medications to produce unexpected results. And this is true even when nutritional supplements are properly labelled. When supplements are manufactured poorly and/or deliberately misrepresented through their labeling, this can make matters even worse.

Need an example? Consider the consumer who believes that she is purchasing an herbal supplement that is wheat-free when. Now suppose that the supplement contains NONE of the herb listed as the primary ingredient but that it DOES contain wheat. If the consumer has a wheat allergy or is on a gluten-free diet, taking these supplements could cause health problems that would be both serious and completely unexpected. In the New York Attorney General’s investigation, some of the products that were found to be improperly labeled were:

Ginkgo Biloba
John’s Wart
Valerian Root
Probiotics
Ginseng
Garlic
Saw Palmetto
Echinacea

Protecting Yourself from Low Quality Supplements

By now it should be clear that choosing a nutritional supplement isn’t only a matter of selecting the right type to get the health benefits you’re looking for. It’s also a matter of purchasing a high-quality product that contains ONLY what it should. However, the current regulatory approach—essentially self-regulation–doesn’t inspire confidence and leaves consumers more vulnerable to shortcuts in manufacturing and quality control as well as deliberate misrepresentation or fraud.

What can be done? Several very well-regarded companies manufacture high-quality nutritional supplements to the same standard as heavily regulated pharmaceutical firms. Many of these companies distribute their products exclusively through the offices of healthcare professionals, including chiropractic physicians and nutritionists. If you’re interested in learning more about nutritional supplements and what you can do to be sure that the ones you take are safe and effective, we encourage you to call or visit our office today!

Why Having a Catch is Good for You at Any Age

March 29, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

Having a catch is a classic familial activity—the image of a father having a catch with his son or daughter often comes to mind—but there’s more to having a catch than parental bonding. In fact, the ability to throw and catch is good for physical and brain development, as it fosters the brain and body connection. Throwing and catching involves anticipation, advanced planning, and physical movement, and it has been shown to boost cognitive development for young people. For adults, maintaining hand-eye coordination has been found to even slow down aging. Read on to learn more about why having a catch is good for you at any age.

For young children, playing a throwing and catching game is great for brain development and hand-eye coordination, which, according to Psychology Today, leads to overall better cognitive and social skills. Having a catch regularly will help a child improve hand-eye coordination. Developing hand-eye coordination in toddlers is a practical way that parents can give children every advantage for learning and creating social connections while laying the neural groundwork for increasing their overall potential. Planning a throw and then coordinating the muscles to execute that throw is a fun way for kids to train their brains to use their hands and mental skills simultaneously.

Having a catch also gives a child the improved ability to focus on more than one thing at once. Throwing a ball is not just physical—a child has to plan (often subconsciously through practice) how much force to put in each toss, where to aim to keep the ball from going too high or low, and when to release the ball. All these tasks are eventually intuitive and are taken for granted as people age, but it does take skill to throw a ball correctly, and developing this skill trains the brain to perform in other areas as well.

Having a catch isn’t just good for kids, though. In addition to the fresh air and exercise that having a catch gives adults, the act of throwing and catching can help avert the decrease in hand function that is associated with aging. According to a 1992 study published in the Journal of American Physical Therapy Association, as people age, they experience changes in coordination, visual, touch, and auditory processes, as well as changes in the muscular, skeletal, and nervous systems. The decline in speed and coordination of movement are related to a decline in neuromuscular function, which happens as people get older. Sensory processes that are impaired are a factor in decreased motor coordination, resulting in decreased hand-eye coordination as age increases. However, performing hand-eye coordination-building exercises such as catching and throwing can slow these downward trends and help a person stay agile longer.

A regular game of catch can also improve an adult’s eyesight, and a variety of ball activities and exercises can be used to improve hand-eye coordination. Catching, rolling, and throwing are all useful in improving a person’s eyesight, due to the fact that one’s eyes are required to track the ball’s movement and then coordinate with the hands on what they should do next.

Having a catch isn’t just beneficial for one’s health—it’s actually fun. Research has repeatedly shown that fun exercise is the best kind, because it keeps people coming back for more. Consider a game of catch the next time you’re looking for a fun way to get some good exercise, and remember to keep your eye on the ball.

Overuse Injuries in Young Athletes: An Introduction for Parents

March 24, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

There’s a curious dynamic at work in youth sports these days. Maybe you’ve noticed?

On the one hand, public health officials are worried about a broad decline in team sport participation among children. According to a recent survey, the number of kids between the ages of 6 and 17 who play organized baseball, basketball, football, and soccer fell about 4% between 2008 and 2012.

And on the other hand, healthcare professionals are also worried about many of the estimated 60 million children in the U.S. who do play organized team sports. They see signs that young athletes may be taking their sports too seriously—training too hard, playing too much and specializing too early in life. The popular media offers many statistics and anecdotes that seem to point in this direction:

“While injuries from recreational activities such as biking have fallen over the last decade, team sports including football and soccer saw injuries rise by 22.8% and 10.8% respectively…” (Wall Street Journal)
“While concussions account for about 15% of youth sports injuries, experts say many sports carry risks for musculoskeletal injuries, in large part due to increased emphasis on year-round competition, single-sport concentration and intense training regimens, even for pre-teen athletes.” (Wall Street Journal)
“Overuse and overtraining are also major concerns… As children become good at competitive sports, there is sometimes an impulse to keep them in the same sport year round, which may not be the healthiest thing for a young athlete.” (HealthDay News)

What’s more alarming to physicians than the number of youth sports injuries is the nature of those injuries. A troubling new pattern seems to be emerging. According to Dr. Amy Valasek, a sports medicine expert at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, only about half the sports injuries she sees are the sorts of sprains, strains, fractures and concussions that have traditionally been common among young athletes. 50% to 60% of them are related to overuse. Because the musculoskeletal system of children and teenagers is still growing, they may be especially susceptible to these kinds of injuries.

Unsurprisingly, each sport has its own risk profile when it comes to overuse injuries. For instance, overuse injuries of the shin and knees are most common to runners. Baseball, softball and football players often have elbow and shoulder injuries. Cheerleaders, skaters and dancers are prone to ankle injuries. And gymnasts frequently encounter wrist injuries as a result of the extreme demands their sport places on this particular part of the body.

In addition, doctors say they tend to these types of overuse injuries more often in children who play one sport year-round or play over multiple consecutive seasons without taking a break rather than in those who participate in a variety of athletic activities. Recent research found serious overuse injuries are 2.3 times more common in young, single-sport athletes than they are in more well-rounded athletes, even after accounting for the number of hours committed.

There may be several reasons for the apparent trend in overuse injuries. Experts believe that there’s growing pressure among athletes to specialize in one sport—and sometimes even in one position—at a younger and younger age. They also believe that youth training programs and competition schedules are simply becoming more demanding. At the same time, though, it’s likely that many managers and coaches at this level (not to mention parents) don’t fully understand the risks and don’t work with their young athletes to build healthy training and injury prevention habits. And when they are injured, it’s not uncommon for children to return to practice before their injuries are completely healed.

So what’s the best advice for the parents of a talented (or even just enthusiastic) young athlete?

Encourage a wide variety of athletic activities and well-rounded development. Evidence suggests that playing more sports leads to fewer overuse injuries, lower burnout rates and better overall performance in the long run. While there’s no hard-and-fast “rule,” many experts suggest that children and parents avoid specializing in a single sport before the age of 14.
Take time off. The American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness advises that children practice no more than five days per week and take at least one day off from any organized training. Some experts offer an alternative rule-of-thumb: young athletes shouldn’t participate in a sports more hours a week than their age. The Council also suggests a 2- to 3-month break to recover between seasons.
Teach—and practice—injury prevention from an early age. Warm-ups and whole-body stretches should become lifelong habits.
Be sure your athlete understands what overuse injuries are, how to recognize them and how they should be treated.

Additional Resources

Intense, Specialized Training in Young Athletes Linked to Serious Overuse Injuries. http://www.newswise.com/articles/intense-specialized-training-in-young-athletes-linked-to-serious-overuse-injuries

Sports Should Be Child’s Play. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/11/opinion/sports-should-be-childs-play.html

Guidelines for Young Athletes to Reduce Injuries. http://online.wsj.com/articles/guidelines-for-young-athletes-to-reduce-injuries-1416869652

Balance, Reflexes and Senior Health

March 22, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

middle-aged-yoga-woman-200-300 It’s sad but true: As we get older, our balance tends to deteriorate and our reflexes tend to slow. When you’re aware that it’s happening, it can be very frustrating. But when you’re not aware of these gradual changes, they can actually be dangerous as well. This is especially true as you exit middle age.

Part of the reason it’s so frustrating to experience a decline in balance and reflexes is that—many times—it feels like there’s not very much we can do about it. And to a certain extent, decline really is almost inevitable. However, there is some good news. Even for middle-aged adults and seniors, there are numerous ways we can help maintain or even improve our sense of balance.

The Relationship Between Balance, Reflexes and Overall Well-Being

By the time we’re in our late 50s or early 60s, many of us will begin to have episodes where we feel dizzy or unsteady, or as if our surroundings are in motion. These feelings are triggered by gradual deterioration in the three major systems that work together to provide our balance and coordination— the visual system, the vestibular (inner ear) system, and the proprioceptive system (the sense of body position in space). A loss of balance makes falling more likely. And since our reflexes are also slowing, it becomes less likely that we will be able to catch ourselves if and when we do fall. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly one-third of adults age 65 years and older fall each year. And among older adults, falls are actually the leading cause of injury-related deaths.

But even when they’re not fatal, falls can have serious consequences for an older person’s health and lifestyle. Falls can cause injuries that limit activity or make it more difficult to live independently while recovering. And when recovery is slow or incomplete, a lack of mobility can sometimes result in social isolation and depression. In some circumstances, the psychological effects may be more long-lasting than the physical ones. Fear of another fall and a loss of confidence can discourage seniors from returning to an active life—which actually tends to make balance and reflexes deteriorate faster. Unless something happens to change things, this can be the beginning of a downward spiral.

What Can Be Done?

Chiropractic physicians are specially trained to diagnose and treat conditions related to the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, and have a deep understanding of how these systems change as we age. We can work with you to develop a personalized plan to improve your overall musculoskeletal and nervous system health, including strength, range of motion, stamina, balance, coordination and speed.

Regular chiropractic care and massage therapy can be particularly useful in maintaining flexibility, improving circulation and increasing muscle tone. Recent studies have identified strong links between the lifestyle habits we practice in young adulthood and middle age and overall health and wellness during our senior years. With this mind, a chiropractor can recommend specific nutritional and exercise strategies that can help in these key areas:

Building healthy bone and muscle mass as the foundation for an active lifestyle.
Stimulating and reinforcing neural pathways associated with activities requiring good balance and quick reflexes.
Achieving a healthy weight that reduces unnecessary wear-and-tear on joints.
Maintaining good overall cardiovascular fitness

Exercises to Improve Balance and Reflexes

Fortunately, there is a wide variety of exercises, both physical and mental, that will help improve balance and reflexes. And most of them don’t even require a gym membership or any expensive equipment! Here are just a few to consider:

Jogging in the woods, where your body will need to react quickly to stimuli in the form of obstacles and uneven terrain. The more often you run in the forest, the quicker your reflexes will get.
Bouncing a rubber ball on the floor, throwing it against a wall, or having a catch with a partner. These activities will all improve anticipation, reaction time, hand-eye coordination and lateral movement.
Kicking a soccer ball back and forth with a partner or against a wall. Moving to the ball builds coordination while stopping it and striking it with either foot requires balance. The more quickly you pass the ball back and forth, the more your reflexes will improve over time.
Practicing an appropriate form of yoga or tai chi can provide a wide range of health benefits, including improved balance and coordination.
Playing some types of video games—especially those with motion controllers—can help improve reflexes as well as peripheral vision.

Remember—use common sense when choosing your activities. Be sure to ask your chiropractor for advice if you have any specific health conditions or if it’s been a while since you participated in any kind of strenuous physical activity.

Maintaining your musculoskeletal and nervous system health is one key to enjoying an active lifestyle at every stage of life. We can design a program that will help you do that safely. Call or visit our office to learn more!

Best Exercises For Preventing Shin Splints

March 17, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

soccer-ball-on-shin-200-300 Although you may have heard the term before, you may not know exactly what a “shin splint” is. It’s a common term for painful inflammation at the front of the tibia caused by strenuous activity. Medical professionals refer to it as medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS). The following exercises will not only help to prevent shin splints or MTSS, but the first two exercises can also help relieve some of the agony for those who are already suffering from the syndrome. If you already have shin splints, use care and restraint in performing these exercises.

Spread Toe Elevation – Stand with your heels together, toes pointed outward and rise slowly on your toes. Hold for a few moments and then lower your heels slowly to the floor. Perform ten times.

Tuck Toe Elevation – Start with your big toes together, heels spread apart, and rise slowly on your toes. Hold for a few moments and then lower your heels slowly to the floor. Perform ten times.

Edge of Oblivion – Don’t let the name scare you. By using this exercise, you can prevent future shin splints, sending them into oblivion! However, this might not be the best way to heal shin splints if you already have them. If that’s the situation you’re in, we’d suggest that you use the other two exercises instead.

Find a sturdy step stool, stair or curb.
Face downstairs or away from the stool or curb. Move your feet forward until only your heel is on the edge and most of your foot is dangling over empty air. For balance, hold onto the stair railing or maneuver your stool next to a wall.
Start with legs straight and point your toes downward as far as they will go (without going so far as to slide off the step).
Lift your toes as far as they will go.
Repeat as rapidly as you can.
Using a timer or watch, perform this exercise for a full 30 seconds. Make certain that you extend and flex fully each time.
When done, bend your knees at a 45-degree angle and repeat 30 seconds of extensions and flexions. When done, you have completed one full set.
Rest one to two minutes between sets and repeat until you’ve done three of these two-part sets.

If after the first set, you feel a burning sensation in your lower legs, then you’re likely doing it the right way. If at any point you feel damage is being done, discontinue the exercise.

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