Moms' vitamin D shortage weakens children's bones

Many pregnant women don't get enough vitamin D--and that can lead to weak bones in their children years later.

Researchers at the Princess Anne Maternity Hospital in Southampton, England, measured circulating vitamin D in 198 pregnant women and found that 31 percent had borderline-low vitamin D levels and 18 percent had outright deficiency. Nine years later, the investigators examined the bone density of the women's children and found that those whose mothers had adequate vitamin D levels during the third trimester of pregnancy had stronger bones than those whose moms had low vitamin D levels. Thin bones in childhood can increase the risk of osteoporosis and fractures later in life.

These findings support growing evidence suggesting that vitamin D plays a vital role in protecting overall health. In addition to promoting bone strength, vitamin D may help prevent diabetes, multiple sclerosis, premenstrual syndrome, and some kinds of cancer.

While researchers aren't certain how much vitamin D pregnant women need, our medical consultants say that 400 international units (IU)--the amount in the typical prenatal vitamin--should be enough for most individuals.

However, women who consume few foods high in vitamin D, such as fatty fish and fortified items, and rarely get out in the sun--which stimulates production of the vitamin--might possibly need more D. They may want to ask their doctor to check their blood level of the vitamin.

Source: http://www.consumerreports.org/health/natural-health/consumer-reports-moms-vitamin-d-shortage-weakens-childrens-bones-306-prenatal-vitamins-prenatal-development/index.htm

What high heels and heavy bags are doing to your body

Wearing high heels regularly puts one at greater risk of lower back pains, said Dr. Anton Cancio, chiropractic doctor and certified chiropractic sports physician.

The spine has a natural curve. Constantly wearing two-, three-inch heels or more alters the biomechanics of the spine, increasing the back’s curvature. When the curvature increases, the body will extend backwards.

Two things happen, said Cancio, when the back is extended: It causes stress and load to the facet joints at the back, and the muscular component is changed. Structure (spine) and muscular conditions are related; one cannot change without affecting the other, he said.

“As the structure increases in curvature, putting additional stress on the facet joints in the back, the muscles will shorten and contract and tighten. Overtime those two factors will lead to lower back pain,” Cancio said.

Muscles adapt quickly

Cancio said the muscles adapt more quickly than you think. After four or five hours wearing heels, the muscles will remain in a certain position as when you were still in heels. When the muscles around the back are shortened, those in the front are lengthened. As contracted muscles get tight, lengthened muscles get weak. There will be a tug-of-war between the back and front muscles.

Another contributing factor is the structure you are born with. Some women are born with a little more curvature than the normal. The risk of lower back pains is even greater if one insists on wearing heels at all times. For women born with the least curve, wearing flat shoes is just as bad.

“That’s why if you’ve noticed some shoes are more comfortable. They may not be completely flat and may have a two-inch heel but they feel just right for you. Everything boils down to structure,” Cancio said.

He said nine out of 10 fashionistas who insist on wearing high heels will definitely experience lower back pains. The problem is, Cancio said, fashionistas are so used to it they think it’s normal. Normal is when you don’t feel pain, he said.

Even ballroom or ballet dancers who have core and spine that are structurally strong still get lower back pains because they get beat up over time.

What to do

Stretching and muscle strengthening and proper nutrition can help, but Cancio said these are only secondary. Eventually the structural change will take its toll on the lumbar spine. He said it will be better for your lower back if you shun high heels.

Since muscles are shortened, stretching will keep the spine flexible and maintain its normal position when you’re not in heels anymore.

Strengthening the front muscles (core) will help distribute the load from the back and front and remove stress from the back. Doing something as simple as reaching for your toes, spine twisting, side-to-side bending, knee to chest exercises can relieve much of the stress buildup. Stretching is good for the back; strengthening is good for the core.

Rule of thumb, said Cancio, is not to sit in one position for more than an hour without moving your spine. Standing up to get a glass of water or even simply walking around your chair could alleviate the stress on your back.

“When muscles adapt it’s called creep, a condition muscles undergo when they adapt to the posture of the spine. Standing up even for a few seconds will be like resetting the muscles,” he said.

Lower back pains won’t cripple anyone, but the quality of life will definitely be affected. Cancio said it is guaranteed that after at least 10 years of consistently wearing high heels, one’s curvature will increase. It’s going to be uncomfortable as women age, he said, since things will only get worse from thereon.

Huge bags

Another accessory that contributes to one’s body pain, he said, is a huge bag. Heavy bags will eventually lead to shoulder and neck pains, which could trigger headache or migraine.

Generally, he said, the bigger the bag the heavier it is with less important things. Switch them from right to left shoulder, or don’t carry the same bag every day. Notice, he said, how people who regularly carry heavy bags tilt sideways when walking. Notice, too, he added, how these people still tilt sideways even when they’ve put down the bag.

“It’s all about load distribution in the spine and how the muscles adapt. Once you have an alteration to the alignment of the spine the muscles automatically adapt to that change,” he said.

It’s not that people don’t know what’s causing their pain; it’s just that they have to be reminded how to manage them better. Bring back alignment and mobility to help the muscles relax and return to normal.

“People generally respond well to chiropractic. They’ll notice their back is not as painful, shoulder not as tense and headache gone even if they continue to wear heels or carry heavy bags,” he said.

By Anne A. Jambora
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Source: http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/wellness/wellness/view/20100921-293357/What-high-heels-and-heavy-bags-are-doing-to-your-body

Back To School: Eating Healthy!

“Over the summer, my family has adopted some new eating habits.  We are avoiding processed foods and sugar.  Trying for a lot more whole foods and I wanted to see if you have some ideas for school lunches.  The new school year is coming up and I don’t want to fall into old habits with sugary yogurts, chips and cookies.”

Habits are the essence of healthstyle. Good ones can make health and weight loss easy, bad ones can derail your most sincere dieting attempts. While habits are hard to break, once they’re formed they’re easy to keep around.

But here’s the thing about building habits:

If the healthy choices aren’t as easy and appetizing as the unhealthy ones, you probably aren’t going to stick with them.

So whatever you try, make sure it’s something you’re willing to continue doing for the entire year.

Though I do not have children and have not spent much time with them, I have been a student for the past 26 years and know a few things about toting lunch around. If you do have kids, feel free to chime in.

Healthy School Lunch Ideas

Fruits and vegetables. Make these as easy and fun to eat as possible. If your kids are resistant to fresh produce, my recommendation is to have them participate in the buying process. Make your weekly farmers market trip a family outing and explain to kids what it means for something to be in season. Show them how sweet and flavorful foods can taste when they’re at their peak and let them pick their favorites. Eating a carrot is much more satisfying when you’ve picked it out yourself. Pro tip: This trick works on adults too.

Here are some ideas for produce that can be cut, bagged and stored until lunch time: carrots, celery, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, sweet red pepper, sugar snap peas, apples, blueberries, grapes and melon.

Homemade granola. Store bought granola is usually more like dessert than a healthy snack, but you can make your own with less sugar and it is still delicious. Don’t worry about using butter if it is called for, especially for growing children. Granola can be made in big batches, is easy to store, easy to transport and is based on intact grains that are both healthy and satisfying. Put a serving into a small zip bag and enjoy.

Hummus. Hummus is a Mediterranean dip made from chickpeas that is delicious and easy to make. A small tupper of hummus is a perfect accompaniment to cut up vegetables, whole grain breads and crackers. It is also convenient because it can be made in huge batches and frozen in smaller containers. Here is my favorite homemade hummus recipe.

Cheese. In reasonable quantities cheese can be a satisfying snack. Some wonderful artisan cheeses can even be bought for reasonable prices. American cheddar is a perfect example. Just stay away from the really processed stuff at the grocery store–check the ingredients label and avoid long, scientific sounding words.

Peanut butter. Like hummus, peanut (or any nut) butter can be a wonderful dip for fruits and veggies. I know that many parents these days are hysterical about nuts, but if the idea doesn’t bother you too much it can be a very healthy snack.

The consistency of natural nut butters can take some getting used to, but I strongly recommend these over the homogenized processed kinds. Natural nut butters that have no added sugar, no added trans fat, are full of healthy fats (this is good) and must be stored in the refrigerator (real foods don’t have preservatives). If you’re new to nut butters, almond butter is a great place to start.

Trail mix. Similar to nut butters trail mix can be scary for parents worried about nut allergies, but if your child can tolerate nuts then trail mix is a fun and nutritious snack. Try different combinations of nuts and dried fruits. I’ve recently discovered the amazing dried Bing cherries at my favorite farmers market. For a special treat you can add a few small chocolate chunks, which is a better indulgence than cookies or chips.

Sandwiches. I’m not a big fan of bread (even "whole grain” bread), but sandwiches are a reasonable option on occasion. When choosing bread, look for artisan brands with few ingredients and no preservatives. This kind of bread is often found in paper bags and costs less than the fake-healthy soft stuff in plastic. You can cut up loaves and store bread in zipper bags in the freezer. To thaw, heat for a few minutes at 325 F or move to the refrigerator the night before.  Healthy sandwich choices include: hummus, avocado, peanut/almond butter, soft fruit, canned Alaskan salmon, cheese, roasted chicken or turkey, egg salad, mixed veggies, etc. Try not to choose deli meats as your standard choice, since the nitrates and nitrites have been tied to all sorts of health problems. Likewise, limit canned tuna to once per month (especially for children) because of the high mercury content. Mercury can damage developing nervous systems and has been tied to lower IQ scores.

Popcorn. For a crunchy, salty alternative to chips you can try popcorn. Though the instant kind can be hit or miss in terms of health, natural popcorn is relatively healthy and can be very easy to make. Explore different spices and flavor toppings such as cheese, cinnamon, cumin, black pepper, garlic salt and other spices. You can make this a weekend project and let the kids choose their own flavors, store it in air-tight containers and use it during the week.

By Savannah Grandfather  

http://summertomato.com/back-to-school-healthy-packed-lunches/

Omega Imbalance: Know Your Fats!

PARIS (AFP) – Overeating combined with the wrong mix of fats in one's diet can cause obesity to be carried over from one generation to the next, researchers in France reported Friday.  Omega-6 and omega-3, both polyunsaturated fatty acids, are each critical to good health.

But too much of the first and not enough of the second can lead to overweight offspring, the scientists showed in experiments with mice designed to mirror recent shifts in human diet.  Over the last four decades, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 in a typical Western diet has shifted from a healthy five-to-one to 15-to-one in much of Europe, and up to 40-to-one in the United States.  In the breast milk of American women, the average ratio has gone from six-to-one to 18-to-one.

Earlier studies have established a link between such imbalances and heart disease. But "this is the first time that we have shown a trans-generational increase in obesity" linked to omega intake, said Gerard Ailhaud, a biochemist at the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis and main architect of the study.  "Omega six is like a fat-producing bomb," he told AFP by phone. Experts differ on whether obesity is more importantly due to the percentage of fat in one's diet or the sheer amount of calories consumed.

The findings, published in the US-based Journal of Lipid Research, add yet another dimension to the debate, and could shed new light on the obesity epidemic that has swept across the globe, mainly in rich nations.

They also suggest that persistence within families of health-threatening weight gain -- while not genetic in origin -- may not be entirely due to environmental factors either. The link between omega imbalance and obesity "is probably epigenetic," said Ailhaud, referring to the complex process whereby the information in genes is translated into chemical activity. "The genome and the DNA of the rodents has not been modified, but these factors can influence the way in which certain genes are expressed."

In the experiments, four generations of mice were fed a 35-percent fat diet with the omega imbalance now found in much of the developed world.  The result was progressively fatter mice at birth, generation after generation.  The rodents also developed insulin-resistance, a telltale symptom for diabetes 2, one of the most common -- and debilitating -- consequences of obesity in humans.  The equally undesirable increase in omega-6 and drop in omega-3 can be partly explained by the change from grass-fed to grain-fed livestock, Ailhaud explained.  Grass is rich in omega-3. "But to increase productivity, feed was shifted to grain meal, especially corn, which contains a high concentration of omega-6," he said.  Adding a small quantity of flaxseed oil to animal feed could help restore a healthy omega balance in meat and daily products, he added. 

There are three types of fatty acids -- saturated fats, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.

In France, health authorities recommend that fat intake should between 30 and 40 percent of calories consumed, while the US Food and Drug Administration suggests a range of 20-to-30 percent.  Both governments agree that most of that intake should be from polyunsaturated and monosaturated fats such as fish, nuts and vegetable oils rather than the saturated fats found in red meat and dairy products.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100716/hl_afp/healthobesitydiabetesfat

Working Around Food Allergies

Summer is the best time for eating outdoors, so why let food allergies spoil the party?

In some people, that innocent-looking picnic spread could provoke symptoms ranging from hives and stomachache to life-threatening difficulty breathing. But by working with an allergist, you can head off a potential emergency.

"Food allergies are serious, but with a little preparation, you can still enjoy summer parties. An allergist can help you identify the foods that are causing your symptoms and create a plan to steer clear of problems," said Dr. James Sublett in a news release from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

Here are some of the association's suggestions about how to avoid food allergies at picnics and barbecues:

• Bring your own condiments in individual-sized packs. That will help prevent cross-contamination when people share large containers of condiments like mayonnaise and ketchup.
• Pack allergic and non-allergic foods separately so one won't contaminate the other.
• Use a plastic tablecloth on a picnic table so food particles left by previous picnickers won't cause allergic reactions among your guests.
• Carry emergency medications if needed.
• Bring separate spoons and other utensils for items that are shared to avoid cross-contamination.
• Grill foods for guests with allergies first, or cook the items on a fresh piece of aluminum foil. Also, allow guests with allergies to dig into the food first, before cross-contamination of items can occur.
• Bring anti-bacterial wipes and gels.
• Check your cell phone coverage. If your picnic or barbecue is away from home, be sure you can get a cell phone signal in the area so you can call 911 if someone has a severe allergic reaction.

Also, if you know someone has a severe allergy to a given food, don't bring it. There are plenty of other dishes to enjoy.

 Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20100712/hl_hsn/dontletfoodallergiesspoilthepicnic

Chiropractic Treatment Helps With Blood Pressure

High blood pressure affects millions of Americans; one out of every three. If left untreated, it can be deadly. Most people take medication to control but some patients have found a simple way to keep their numbers down without drugs. They're turning to chiropractic care.

The mad dash to get the kids off to school, the crazy commute and work, they are enough to raise anyone's blood pressure. Just ask Adrian Caspar. "We work on deadlines, and that's what makes it difficult," said the busy accountant. "All the changes in the law keep me in business, but keeps us also pretty stressed out," he added.  Like many people, the stress began to take its toll and Caspar was forced to go on medication for his high blood pressure.

Caspar didn't like the idea of being on medication so he decided to visit chiropractor Dr. Peter Martone. Dr. Martone has been using a new adjustment to the neck to help bring down blood pressure. "If the bone is out of alignment and putting pressure on a nerve, it interferes with the ability of the heart to function properly," Martone explained.  After a few visits, Caspar's blood pressure was normal. Bill Bird also has a stressful job. He's a car salesman. He was also on blood pressure medication but wanted to try to control his numbers naturally. His daughter suggested a visit to Dr. Martone.

A few adjustments later and Bird's primary care physician cut his medication in half.   "Another 30 to 45 days, if my blood pressure stays at this level, I'm going to be off it 100 percent," he said, enthusiastically.  The treatment is experimental, but studies show it might actually work.  "This is a very novel concept," explained blood pressure specialist Dr. George Bakris.  Dr. Bakris conducted a small, carefully controlled study with some of his patients.  He sent them to a chiropractor for the same adjustment Dr. Martone uses.

"We saw miraculous changes in blood pressure," Dr. Bakris explained. The results were dramatic enough to catch the attention of the federal government.  The National Institutes of Health is now funding a study to see if the findings can be duplicated. While Dr. Bakris believes the study is exciting, he admits there are a lot of unanswered questions.

"I think we'd have to really find out what is going on, why this is happening," he said.   Caspar and Bird say they have all the proof they need. "I just feel better and feeling better is the way to be," Caspar said. Bird agreed. "I feel younger. I've never felt better," he said. Dr. Bakris believes this is most likely to work on people who have had some sort of neck trauma in their lives, even if it was falling off a swing as a child.

He believes if your hypertension is hereditary, this may not work for you. The experts also warn that patients should not stop taking their blood pressure medication without talking to their doctor first.

Source: http://cbs4.com/health/Blood.pressure.chiropractor.2.1716071.html

Chest Pain & Chiropractic Care

Interesting article on chest pain and how chiropractic can help! Non-invasive care from your chiropractor is certainly better than a serious of medical tests and days of waiting for results...

 Acute chest pain is pretty serious stuff. And indeed it may be a prime indicator of a disease process that is best rapidly identified and dealt with aggressively by medical specialists.Much of our chest pain though is not immediate "serious stuff" however many of us in our panic and knee jerk reactions to pain, then spend a lot of time and money in the wrong office getting a wait-and-see diagnosis. After an arduous course of EKG's, x-rays, CAT scans, MRI, physical exams and a plethora of other avenues of investigation, "just to make sure" we are left alone to wait and see.

OK, well and good. For 40 percent of us the first symptom of a heart attack is death! For the other 60 percent there may or may not even be any preceding chest pain.  So if you get over the obstacles in the Doctor's office and comply with all the tests and referrals, and the chest pain persists, especially for more than several days, what do you do about it now?  Drugs of course are the mainstream treatment of choice for most of us. Drugs to stupefy us and knock out the awareness of pain are sold daily by the boxcar loads.
We have pains. Many of us pain constantly, and especially as we age.  But most chest pain isn't a heart or lung or other organ problem at all. Much of our chest pain may be due to physiologic bone and muscle pain.
Because many of us aren't armed with information about our anatomical or functional nature, and not aware of what we are and how we work, we then make the call and the extended visits to the Doctor's office. The mystique of what cannot be seen, what is "in the dark," like our pain, needs to be enlightened. So we go to the Doctor to "shed a little light" on our problem, we see this as the safe thing to do.

Caught up in his "specialist" trade the busy Doctor may not know or consider the physiology of your chest wall either. He may be a well-educated-man but if his professors didn't think outside of the pale then he may not have the academic armament to deal with our concerns, our unique chest pain. He may just let us go and live with it for awhile.

Not good enough. Chest pain is telling us something and it should be interpreted and solved.
Again, most chest pain is from a musculoskeletal origin, it may be a form of back pain. Muscles and bones are designed to function in a very precise and peculiar manner. When they cannot fulfil that function, when they cannot express their abilities to be healthy and do their work, we often feel the result of the restrictions as pain.

Think of our chest wall like this with me. Think of a bell jar, remember them from high school labs? A bell jar, the chest wall, is placed over the heart, aorta, the lungs and the oesophagus. Then the bottom of the jar is sealed with a complex muscle sheet called the diaphragm. The walls of the chest are ribs lashed together with muscles running from the spine to the ribs in various angles and directions and from between the ribs to themselves. These muscles are called intercostals, pectorals, deltoids, and serratus to name a few.  One job with the chest wall is that of assisting breathing. But even as important, is another job, that of making a strong stable base for us to do work from. Healthy bodies do work.

Housed inside our chest are five bladders called lungs. When we wish to do work with our arms, neck and trunk we inhale deeply, close our mouth and larynx, then hold the air in and bear down to create a greater pressure inside the chest than the pressure of the outside environment around us. This action stiffens the chest, the bell, and then allows a platform for our extensions such as the shoulders, arms and neck to have a stiff secure base to perform work from.

Sounds simple enough doesn't it. And it is for most of us so long as we are well nourished and all of the parts are contributing to this essential function as their design intended.  But many of us in error alter the original design. We may strain and sprain the muscle wall or have occasion to fall, or accidentally jerk the structures supporting the chest wall. Then when we attempt to do our work, that of chest wall splinting and using the arms and neck, we may feel the result of a slight incorrect shifting of the parts, the bones. And then the subsequent binding and jamming of the joints cause pain, the parts are straining.

There are 24 ribs surrounding the healthy chest wall, with 12 on each side (male and female are the same). The ribs originate with two joints each from the 12 spinal thoracic vertebrae and their discs starting at the base of our neck. The descending chain of ribs reach around from our back and go down both sides of us under the arms. They continue to the front of our chest and join up on each side there to the edge of a cartilage plate. The cartilage plate is the front of our chest with the first 10 ribs attaching to the outside edges of it. The plate then joins the two edges of a flat bone in the middle of the very front of our chest called the sternum. The seams from the ribs as they join the edges of the cartilage plate and joining of the plate to the edge of the flat bone are prone to respond poorly to shifts in position and become very painful if the ribs are stressed as they reach around the wall from the spine.

The ribs of our body have a multitude of connective joints that allow them to move as we exhale and inhale and splint our chest walls to do work. In fact in our mid back alone we have about 100 joints enhancing the movement of the ribs and their thoracic vertebrae.  Ideally these 100 joints would always be exact in their positions and in their range of motion (ROM). However our bell jar chest cage is not solid but more like a wicker basket with its vertebrae, ribs, flat front cartilage and bone.

Now imagine that we take the wicker basket bell and twist and distort it's symmetry. Imagine the forces that are applied to the "parts" as they join to form our chest at the front, then run along our sides to meet up with the joints of the vertebrae in the back.  Suppose in our zeal to get "healthy" we recently picked up some small weights and tossed them around allowing the arms and the shoulder holding muscles to pull sharply on the ribs, where they originate, causing the rib joints to subluxate or misalign. Perhaps an accident in the car or a fall or a strain from reaching, pulling, pushing or carrying something, may have stressed and distorted the cage.
Many times a much earlier strain of the chest wall is later compounded by a recent but seemingly insignificant event, but added together they pull the ribs from their joints and produce, you guessed it, chest pain.

Left alone the compromised chest wall often leads to shoulder, neck and arm pain along with limb weakness and loss of function. Hand and wrist pain usually ensues.  Left alone the compromised chest wall reduces our capacity to meet our work potential, showing as pains within our shoulders, limbs and neck, but also may be felt as difficulty breathing, stomach upset or problems with swallowing. Headaches and jaw pain are associated with this syndrome.

Over time we may heal the parts to the point of compromise with little pain but we may have now become a time bomb waiting for any small incident to re-create our chest pain symptoms. I often see in my offices people with sharp pain in the mid back between the shoulder blades. These patients have a history of re-occurring bouts of this pain and continually have been seeking help for it. Many of these intense sharp and debilitating symptoms are produced by the subluxated ribs and vertebrae located there.

How do we deal with our acute and our chronic chest pains? Consult your chiropractor. For his education does fall beyond the pale. Chiropractors are thoroughly instructed on "what we are, along with the how and why we do as we do." Only the chiropractor can assess and then, with high velocity low impact specific spinal vertebrae and rib adjustments, correct our subluxation complexes that often cause chest pain.

When administered correctly chiropractic adjustments have been proven to be safe for the young to the elderly and are not only sensible and the best form of treatment for most back pain but also the most economical.

Source: http://freeport.nassauguardian.net/editorial/326347569369371.php

Work Out Harder, Not Longer

 

If you're always complaining that you don't have time to exercise, your excuse-making days may now be over. A new study published in the Journal of Physiology suggests that doing short-duration, high-intensity training sessions may be just as effective as longer duration, less intense exercise. Simply put, you can do your workout in just 20 minutes and still see the benefits.

Researchers from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, had seven men exercise for just one minute on a stationary bike at the highest intesity they were capable of. This one-minute burst was followed by a minute of rest, another minute of intense exercise, and so on, until partipants reached 20 minutes total – 10 exercising, 10 resting.

Participants were subjected to muscle biopsies before and after training, and specific attention was paid to the number of mitochondria – the tiny powerhouses in each cell.  "People’s risk of type 2 diabetes is inversely related to the amount of mitochondria in cells," said professor Martin Gibala, the study's lead investigator. "After the high-intensity training, the amount of mitochondria went up to levels that we've seen in traditional endurance training, 4-5 hours per week."

Translated: muscle fitness in just 20 minutes.

Of course interval training is nothing new – elite athletes have been training with intervals for years, but Gibala says the goal here was to prove that anybody – not just the finely tuned athletes – could train with intervals.

"We've been doing interval training research for years now, but the model we've used...is not something people can use in everyday life," said Gibala. "In this study, we used a less-extreme model of interval training using a standard stationary bike. It's a safer and more realistic for the everyday person, and still time efficient."

But, exercise experts say the only downside to short bursts of high-intensity training – by itself – can be a lack of muscle endurance.

"It depends on what benefit you're looking for," said Forrest Pecha, director of athletic training services at Emory University Sports Medicine. "If you're looking to build cardiovascular endurance, interval training only works in conjunction with longer, more sustained workouts."

If, however, you're looking to simply get in shape, and time is your enemy, Pecha says, intervals may be right for you.

Editor's Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

Source: http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/16/study-working-out-harder-for-less-time-effective/?hpt=C2

Stress Free Is The Way To Be

 
If there were a medication you could take that would reduce stress, lower your blood pressure, reduce anxiety, increase your ability to focus, prevent disease and improve your quality of life would you take it? Well, there is no such drug, but research shows that meditation can help all of those things. Doctors at Mayo Clinic have developed an iPhone application to help you fit the many benefits of meditation into your busy life.
Ann Marie Gullickson's life is packed. She works, takes classes, keeps her family organized and somehow finds time to sew costumes for her kids' performances. "When my mind is really busy with all the different balls I have in the air."

 

Meditation is what keeps her together. Every day Ann Marie carves out 10 minutes and turns on her iPhone meditation app for a quick, but very effective session. "Sometimes when I'm meditating or right after, I maybe don't feel any different. But later I'll notice the sense of awareness, of calm, of presence." Then, Ann Marie says, the to-do list that used to feel miles long, seems a little less daunting. She feels less stressed. "Meditation is a state of concentration with relaxation."

Dr. Amit Sood and his colleagues at Mayo Clinic developed the application after four years of research. "We combined concepts and ideas from a variety of meditation styles. We also looked at some of the scientific data and put it all together into a program that could be learned in as little as 10 minutes."

It's very user-friendly. Musical chords synchronized with moving circles help you focus your breathing and mind. Dr. Sood says if you practice this two or more times a day, you will begin to feel more alert, focused, relaxed, and like Ann Marie, better equipped to confront a busy day. There is no mystical, ritualistic or religion-based approach to it. It's simply a way to train your mind so that your attention becomes strong. And that can help you live a fuller, more balanced.

Source: http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/86891547.html

Chiropractic Facts & Myths

Many people have misconceptions about Chiropractors, largely due to several myths about the profession. To clear up these misunderstandings, we would like to discuss some myths and facts about Chiropractors.

Myth # 1: Chiropractors Aren’t Really Doctors

Fact: This is not true. Chiropractors must attend years of schooling and obtain their license to practice just like any other type of doctor. In fact, we would say some of the best doctors in New Jersey are Chiropractors. The primary difference between a Chiropractor and any other doctor are the methods they use for healing. Medical doctors usually prescribe medications to treat your symptoms, but Chiropractors like Dr. Josh and his associates treat the actual cause of the problem. This helps you to feel better and avoid further complications over the long term, and ensures that you do not have to take potentially harmful drugs or chemicals.

Myth #2 Chiropractic Adjustments are Dangerous

Fact: There is nothing at all dangerous about getting an adjustment. It's one of the safest and most natural ways to improve the overall health of your body. Your spine is intended to remain in place, so when it falls out of alignment it will have a negative impact. You may lose energy, have trouble sleeping or feel constant pain, and the more out of alignment you are, the worse your body gets. People often rely on medication to dull the pain, but taking chemicals into your body is far more dangerous than a natural adjustment, and it does nothing to solve the problem. When your spine is properly adjusted, you will feel better, sleep better be more alert and have an overall quality of life that is much higher.

Myth #3 Once you Start Going to a Chiropractor You Must Always Go

Fact: You will not need to keep going forever. Generally speaking, the truth is the medical profession is designed to force you to seek treatment throughout your entire life. That's because doctors often prescribe medication to combat the symptoms you may feel from an illness or ailment instead of figuring out what is actually causing you to become ill in the first place. Chiropractic physicians like the ones at Cafe of Life are trained to treat your problem itself, and not just the side effects of that problem. By its very nature the Chiropractic profession is designed to provide a cure, and help you avoid needing to visit doctors in the future.

Myth #4 Medical Doctors don’t think Chiropractors Can Help People

Fact: While it is possible that there is some mistrust and ill will between people in any type of professions, there is no rivalry between medical doctors and Chiropractors. In fact, many medical doctors are treated by Chiropractors every year, and some chiropractic professionals are actually hired to work full time at hospitals and other health care facilities.

Myth #5 You Can Actually Adjust Yourself

Fact: You cannot adjust yourself, and by moving your neck or back around until it cracks you can actually do harm to your body. The popping noise is produced by one of the segments in your spine, and it has nothing to do with the back or neck pain you may be experiencing. California chiropractic professionals like the ones at Cafe of LifeChiropractic are certified to safely and accurately make an adjustment on anyone. Don't put yourself at risk by thinking you can produce your own cure; always rely on a trained professional.

Myth #6 Chiropractic Adjustments Are Painful

Fact: It is actually quite pleasant. Most people feel much better the moment their spine has been adjusted. When your spine is not aligned properly, that can produce a great deal of pain and create many other health related issues. A spinal adjustment is designed to help your back, and it will leave you feeling well, alert and pain free.By now you may be asking "How do I choose a Chiropractor?", and the answer is you should make sure they are well qualified, and that you feel comfortable going to see them. The best way to determine this is to go and see one! Come see the Chiropractic physicians in Mill Valley at the Cafe of Life. Dr. Deitch is a well-known and respected wellness doctor, and he is ready to help you start feeling better today.

Source: http://www.healthyadjustments.com/chiropractor-myths-vs.-facts.html

Following Your Dreams

I read the following article the other day and found myself completely inspired. Often people don't understand the value of chiropractic, so this is just a perfect example of just how powerful it really is:

This article by Dr. R. Dean Harman discusses how chiropractic changed his life and why he became a chiropractor:

Each day, everyday I struggle very hard to keep going. I suffered from constant neck spasms, pain in the back of my head, loss of balance, and absolutely crushing fatigue for 6 to 7 years. As a 30-year old IBM electrical engineer, I was unable to climb a flight of stairs without resting on the landing halfway up, Some days the room whirled so much I couldn't get up without falling and would be unable to eat, drink, or stop vomiting. The resulting dehydration would be so severe as to cause an erratic heart beat. An ambulance would have to be called to transport me to the hospital since I couldn't even stand up.

During those years I made many visits to internists, orthopedists, ear specialists, neurologists, and neurosurgeons. I went to the largest clinic in New York City at the time--reportedly better than the Mayo Clinic. I went to the two largest specialty ear clinics in the US, the latter trip all the way from New York State to the California clinic where the astronauts were tested.

That was 1968 or so, before MRI and other diagnostic equipment was available- not that those test would have detected my problem. The first ear clinic wanted to drill a hole under my brain to drain the fluid out of my inner ear. However, they agreed with me that removing the fluid would INCREASE my loss of balance AND that I would be deaf in that ear. They had no test to decide which ear to drain, so I prudently declined the surgery.

One neurosurgeon I consulted in that time frame was of some help. He thought my neck spasm clamped down on the arteries in my neck, resulting in fluid asymmetry between the left and right inner ear causing the loss of balance. He did find one muscle relaxant that provided some relief. All other medications for my symptoms were useless, some with nasty side effects.

At the second clinic, desperate and becoming suicidal, I was tested for two whole days. (If you've ever been seasick or motion sick, think about being that way 24hours a day for years. Imagine, if you can, what it's like going to bed at 6 p.m. and feeling even more tired the next morning. I might have been able to tolerate the ever-present neck pain and headache in the absence of the other symptoms. Life not only wasn't any fun - it barely worth living under those conditions.) They performed every test known to medicine at the time, except for putting me in the centrifuge. I was already dizzy and the centrifuge belonged to NASA.

Two doctors sat down with me afterwards to discuss the results of my tests. I was told:

1) you smoke too much,

2) you drink too much coffee,

3) you're faking,

4) or you're crazy.

But I'd smoked for only one year, ten years before, while in the Navy and didn't drink coffee. Having required hospitalization numerous times, faking didn't seem likely either. But, I did consider that I might be crazy and spent the next six months seeing a succession of four different psychiatrists. I found two of them to be certifiably crazy themselves--the other two of no help.

In that time frame I crushed a lumbar vertebra (50%) in an accident. I refused surgery again, and spent 9 months instead in a Jowett brace. I was pain-free for about a year before back pain set in. I couldn't even lean back against a foam couch and driving was becoming a problem.

A fellow IBMer finally persuaded me to go see his chiropractor with him, a 60-mile trip over a very bad lane road where people crashed and died nearly daily. His doctor specialized in a chiropractic technique called Van Rumpt's technique. After watching him work on Joe I almost fled; it looked really weird to me as a young engineer.

After an x-ray and examination he told me that he probably couldn't help my back pain due to the amount of crush, 50%, and consequent scar tissue, BUT told me he could take care of my headaches and dizzy spells. I didn't know chiropractors worked on anything but backs. Since I hadn't even mentioned the other problems to him, I thought he was some kind of crazy quack and told him so. I got up from the table and started out of the office.

Fortunately there was a 3 X 5 index card thumb-tack to the back of the front door, stating that treatment was available for $4 if paid in cash in advance (1968). What went through my mind was that nothing else had worked over the years and I might not even make it back home alive on those roads. I had also spent tens of thousands of dollars already and gotten nowhere medically!

After a moment's pause, I turned around and challenged him to prove he could help me. He was nice enough to take me as a patient after my comment about his being a quack. He adjusted only my upper neck. My headache vanished instantly! I sat up on the table and the room didn't spin. I tried lying back down--the room spun and I fell off the table. Two days later I returned for a 2nd treatment, a 120-mile extra loop before driving to New York City for a meeting. Oh, by the way--my back pain went away over time too with chiropractic treatment.

The pastor of my church phoned me early the next morning after my first adjustment because I was reportedly behaving "strangely." I had great difficulty convincing him I had just been to a chiropractor the night before. He thought I had been out taking some kind of recreational drugs because the change was so striking and broad in scope. No headache, no dizziness, and normal energy for a 30-yr old. Did fellow IBM employees pass me in the hall at work that day and didn't recognize me? Yes. Was it a miracle? Absolutely to me, and that's why I left IBM to become a chiropractor. It just took me 15 years to get up the courage to change careers.

-R. Dean Harman, DC

Balance: An Equilibrium Toward Health

By Dr. Seth E. Labott

As a health care practitioner who focuses on the structure of the human frame and how that relates to the communication and function of the nerve system, I have noticed that balance and one's health is usually directionally proportional.  There are all types balance to consider.  When I think of balance in relation to health, the term homeostasis comes to mind. This would be our body's way of regulating our internal environment in order to maintain a constant stable condition.  I also think of proprioception - the sense that indicates whether the body is moving with required effort, as well as where the various parts of the body are located relative to one another.

There is another less defined type of balance that I unfortunately see array in the majority of my patients.  This balance I speak of is the delicate balance of life.   I notice this in myself quite often.  When I start to get fatigued, run down or begin to feel pain in any way, ultimately I can look at my life balance meter and notice I am leaning more heavily toward one side.  Am I working too hard and not getting the down time I need? Am I staying up too late and not getting the proper rest I need? Am I eating too much protein and not enough fats and carbohydrates? Am I filling my head with too much noise and chatter and not getting the proper amount of silence and retrospection? Do I spend too much time engaging in contractile activities and do nothing to stretch and elongate? Am I in a chair all day and not making time for nature? Do I interact with the same people all the time or do I meet new and interesting people to relate with and grow from?

When I am not in balance my body, mind, and soul break down.  I see people all day who have lost balance. Over time this loss of balance can manifest in a myriad of health concerns, including but not limited to postural distortion, misalignment of the spine, high blood pressure, shortness of breath and depression.  The consequences of a life out of balance can be devastating.

If you or someone you know has lost balance in his or her life, there is hope. Balance can be restored. Generally, the longer you have been out of balance the longer it will take to get your balance back. Sometimes it requires help.  Surround yourself with those living balanced lives and follow their lead.

If being out of balance has got you in pain and searching for vitality and wellness, visit us at www.marinspine.com.  We are passionate about restoring balance to our patients. We feel they will in turn help restore balance to our community locally and globally.

Respiratory Function Diminishes in Patients with Neuromuscular Disorders and Scoliosis

By: Chris Maynard

Nov 24, 2009 (Spine-Health) -- Patients with neuromuscular disorders had diminished respiratory muscle strength and pulmonary function compared with a healthy control group, according to a new study also examining how scoliosis affects lung function.

As detailed in a recent edition of The Spine Journal, neuromuscular disorders are known to lead to lung volume loss and respiratory muscle weakness, but the effects of scoliosis on lung function are unknown, a point that served as a basis of this study.

For some context, neuromuscular disorders occur when the neurons, or nerve cells that send messages that control voluntary muscles like the arms and legs, become unhealthy and die. As a result of this breakdown in communication between the nervous system and muscles, the muscles weaken, possibly leading to a wide variety of symptoms (including twitching, cramps, aches, pains, and joint and movement problems) and even affecting heart function and breathing ability.

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine that is often marked by one shoulder, side of the rib cage or hip appearing higher than its respective other, the waist appearing uneven, the body tilting to one side, or one leg looking shorter than the other.  Back pain is not usually considered a symptom of scoliosis.

For the study, approximately 22 patients with neuromuscular disorders and scoliosis, 17 patients with neuromuscular disorders without scoliosis, and 24 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were subjected to various tests comparing their respiratory muscle strength and pulmonary function, which specifically measures how well the lungs take in and release air and move this oxygen throughout the body.

According to the study’s findings, patients with neuromuscular disorders, regardless of having or not having scoliosis, had diminished respiratory muscle strength when compared to the healthy subjects. Furthermore, patients with neuromuscular disorders and scoliosis had significantly lower pulmonary function scores than not only the control group of healthy patients but the patients who had neuromuscular disorders but were without scoliosis.

The researchers indicated that these findings could mean that the effects of neuromuscular disorders on respiratory function are independent of scoliosis and suggested that clinicians should be aware of the possibility of compromised respiratory function when treating patients with neuromuscular disorders.

http://www.spine-health.com/news/20091124/respiratory-function-diminishes-patients-neuromuscular-disorders-and-scoliosis

What You Need to Know About Sciatica

By: Stephen H. Hochschuler, MD

The term sciatica describes the symptoms of leg pain and possibly tingling, numbness or weakness that originates in the low back and travels through the buttock and down the large sciatic nerve in the back of the leg.

The vast majority of people who experience sciatica get better with time (usually a few weeks or months) and find pain relief with non-surgical sciatica treatment. For others, however, sciatica pain can be severe and debilitating.

Sciatica is often characterized by the following symptoms:

• Pain on one side of the buttock or in one leg that is worse when sitting
  
• Burning or tingling down the leg
  
• Weakness, numbness or difficulty moving the leg or foot
  
• A constant pain on one side of the rear
  
• A sharp pain that may make it difficult to stand up or to walk
  

The clinical diagnosis of sciatica is referred to as a "radiculopathy", which simply means that a disc has protruded from its normal position in the vertebral column and is putting pressure on the radicular nerve (nerve root) in the lower back, which forms part of the sciatic nerve.

Note that sciatica is not a medical diagnosis, but rather a symptom of an underlying problem in the lower back (such as a herniated disc or spinal stenosis that is compressing or irritating the nerve roots). This is an important distinction because it is the underlying diagnosis (vs. the symptoms of sciatica) that often needs to be treated in order to relieve sciatic nerve pain.

Sciatica occurs most frequently in people between 30 and 50 years of age. Often a particular event or injury does not cause sciatica, but rather the sciatic pain over time tends to develop as a result of general wear and tear on the structures of the lower spine.

Sciatica symptoms

  For some people, the pain from sciatica can be severe and debilitating. For others, the pain might be infrequent and irritating, but has the potential to get worse.  While sciatica can be very painful, it is rare that permanent nerve damage (tissue damage) will result. Most sciatica symptoms result from inflammation and will get better within two weeks to a few months. Also, because the spinal cord is not present in the lower (lumbar) spine, a herniated disc in this area of the anatomy does not present a danger of paralysis.
While relatively rare, two sciatica-related symptoms that warrant prompt medical attention and possibly emergency surgery, include: progressive weakness in the leg, and either bladder or bowel incontinence or dysfunction. Patients with either of these symptoms may have cauda equina syndrome and should seek immediate medical attention.

Sciatica medical definition: radiculopathy

To clarify medical terminology, the term sciatica (often misspelled as ciatica, cyatica or siatica) is often used very broadly to describe any form of pain that radiates into the leg, however, this is not technically correct. True sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve is pinched or irritated and the pain along the sciatic nerve is caused by this nerve (radicular pain) and is called a radiculopathy. When the pain is referred to the leg from a joint problem (called referred pain), using the term sciatica is not technically correct. This type of referred pain (e.g. from arthritis or other joint problems) is quite common.

View Sciatica Videos

Sciatica treatment

Sciatica nerve pain is caused by a combination of pressure and inflammation on the nerve root, and treatment is centered on relieving both of these factors. Typical sciatica treatment include:

• Non-surgical sciatica treatments, which may include one or a combination of medical treatments and alternative (non-medical) treatments, and almost always includes some form of back exercises and stretching. The goals of non-surgical sciatica treatment should include both relief of sciatica pain and prevention of future sciatica pain.

Source: http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/sciatica/what-you-need-know-about-sciatica

Lower Back Pain Symptoms and Treatment Options

By: Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD

While there are many causes of lower back pain, most cases of low back pain can typically be linked to either a general cause - such as muscle strain - or a specific and diagnosable condition, such as degenerative disc disease or a lumbar herniated disc.

In the US, lower back pain is one of the most common conditions and one of the leading causes of physician visits. In fact, at least four out of five adults will experience it at some point in their lives.

Ironically, the severity of the pain is often unrelated to the extent of physical damage. For example, lower back spasms from a simple back strain can cause excruciating lower back pain that can make it difficult to walk or even stand, whereas a large herniated disc or completely degenerated disc can actually be completely painless.

Types of Low Back Pain

 

Low back pain is typically classified as either acute or chronic:

• Acute back pain is short term, generally lasting from a few days to a few weeks. Some acute pain syndromes can become more serious if left untreated.
  
• Chronic back pain is generally defined as pain that persists for more than three months. The pain may be progressive, or may occasionally flare up and then return to a lower level of pain. With chronic pain, the exact cause of the pain can sometimes be difficult to determine.

Types of Lower Back Pain that Indicate a Surgical Emergency

There are a few symptoms that indicate a possible serious medical condition requiring surgery. Patients with these symptoms should seek medical attention immediately. Symptoms include:

• Sudden bowel and/or bladder dysfunction (cauda equina syndrome)
• Progressive weakness in the legs (cauda equina syndrome)
• Severe, continuous abdominal and low back pain (see abdominal aortic aneurysm)

People with fever and chills, history of cancer with recent weight loss, or who have just suffered a severe trauma should also seek immediate medical attention.

Source: http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/lower-back-pain/lower-back-pain-symptoms-and-treatment-options

Soreness and Pain (including Back Pain) Account for 11 Percent of Missed Work Days

By: Chris Maynard

Online Content Manager, Spine-health

As many people prepare to enjoy some extra time away from their jobs this Thanksgiving weekend, recent studies provide more insight on the relationship of missing time from work due to back pain and other injuries and illnesses.

In the past, exact estimates to the amount of work time missed because of back pain have varied, although back pain has been previously described as the second most common cause of missed workdays due to illness.

Earlier this week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its 2008 report on Nonfatal Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Requiring Days Away from Work and found that approximately 1.1 million work days were missed in the private industry for these reasons last year, which was down 7 percent as compared to 2007.

Some interesting findings in the report that were related to back pain included the following:

• Sprain or strain injuries in selected occupations (including laborers, truck drivers, nursing aides, construction laborers, retail salespersons, etc.) accounted for 39 percent of the 1.1 million missed days from work in 2008
• The back was injured in 40 percent of the sprain and strain cases involving these selected occupations
• Soreness and pain (including back pain) for these selected occupations accounted for 11 percent of the total injury and illness cases requiring days off from work.

The reported added that musculoskeletal disorders (also described as MSDs or ergonomic injuries in the report) accounted for 29 percent of the grand total of 1.1 million days missed from work because of injury or illness in 2008. More specifically, there were 317,440 cases of MSDs that required a median of 10 days away from work last year.

As recently detailed in The Spine Journal, another study examined more than 10,000 cases of non-occupational sick leave in Chile, finding that acute lower back pain represented 5.4% cases of work absences.

Regardless of where people live, the combination of these findings confirm the importance of not only employees and employers securing safe work environments and practices but patients making the effort to seek treatment, especially when their symptoms persist, and doctors continuing to understand and improve upon care.

Source: http://www.spine-health.com/news/20091126/injuries-and-illnesses-cause-more-1-million-missed-work-days-2008

Eat Healthier in 2010!

New Year’s Eve means getting together with family and friends to share wishes for happiness, good health and prosperity in the upcoming year. It is also a time to reflect on the past and, here we go again, make resolutions for the future.

Some of the most popular resolutions are to lose weight, pay off debt, save money, get a better job, get in shape, eat better (no more eggnog until next year), go back to school, quit drinking or smoking, reduce stress and spend more time with family. Some resolutions seem to repeat themselves year after year.

If eating better/healthier is on your resolution list, then here are some healthy tips that may help jump-start your New Year and new you.

Eat a heart-healthy diet that is delicious and varied and rich in vegetables and fruits, whole grains, high-fiber foods, lean meats and poultry, fish at least twice a week, legumes and fat-free or 1 percent fat dairy products.

Cut back on food that contains a lot of fat, salt and sugar. Foods like lettuce, spinach, zucchini and melons contain a high percentage of water. More water means fewer calories for the same weight of food. Buy low- or reduced-sodium food items such as chicken broth, soy sauce and canned vegetables. Rinse canned veggies and beans before using. Cut added salt in half or leave it out completely in your meals. Instead of salt, use a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice or a splash of vinegar.

Eat more colorful fruits and dark colored vegetables. Add a variety of whole grains, such as whole wheat bread, brown rice and oats to your diet. Too often entire meals are planned around the meat entrée you are serving. Instead, choose one or two vegetables (or fruits) as the stars and plan a creative presentation around them.

Add a small portion of a starch, such as rice or potatoes, and red meat, chicken or fish to complete the meal.Read labels for a healthy heart. Make reading food labels a habit. This will help you choose foods more wisely.  Healthy eating is a lifestyle, not a diet. It means making changes you can live with and can enjoy for the rest of your life.

Eating healthy does not have to take a lot of time. You can prepare a healthy meal just as quickly as an unhealthy one. It is just a matter of planning, having the right foods on hand, and learning how to cook quick, healthy meals.

Source: http://www.sunherald.com/food/story/1845219.html

How Chiropractic Helps Headaches

Migraines, tension, cluster, and sinus headaches are some of the most common symptoms people suffer from everyday but they don't realize that the cause may be due to an upper cervical spinal bone in the neck. Multiple muscles are attached to the vertebral spinal bones and this is what allows it to move, twist, and turn.

When there is a vertebral spinal bone in the upper neck that is misaligned and causing consistent nerve pressure, muscles will tighten and pull on one or both sides of the neck and head causing excruciating pain to develop. Using multiple therapies or taking all different types of medications just may temporally relieve the pain but it does not take care of the main cause. A specific chiropractic adjustment in the upper cervical area unlocks the misaligned vertebral spinal bone, relieves pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, removes tension from the head and neck muscles and restores back balance to the body, relieving individuals from their headaches. But the primary objective of upper cervical chiropractic care is to remove true consistent nerve pressure and by doing that allows the nervous system to become healthy once again.

Upper cervical chiropractic care requires no forceful, twisting or jerking motion of the neck. The adjustment is very specific and it is exceptionally safe. If you are suffering from any type of headaches or health ailment you might want to try upper cervical chiropractic care. It just may help.

Happy Muscles: Suggestions for Quick Relief

By Dimity McDowell

Colette Glass, a massage therapist in Atlanta, offers her top three moves for leg relief.

• CALVES: Standing, place one leg on a low chair or bench. Reach down and place thumb and forefinger of one hand on opposite sides of the top of the heel. Squeeze your fingers and slowly raise your toes, flexing your foot. Lower the foot. Repeat two more times, then move a half-inch up your leg and repeat the sequence, continuing up to the back of the knee. Repeat on other leg.

• Tibialis Posterior: To reach the tibialis posterior — the muscle behind the shin — stay in the same position as for the calf massage. Starting just above the ankle, poke a thumb into the muscle behind the shin and twist your wrist, as if you’re trying to push your thumb under your shin. Flex and lower your foot three times, then move up a half-inch. “It will be most tender about three-quarters of the way up” to the knee, Mrs. Glass said, noting that this is a common place for stress fractures. Repeat on other leg.

• Quadriceps: Sitting so your knees are bent 90 degrees, make a relaxed fist with one hand, and press the knuckles into the muscle above your kneecap on one leg. Slowly straighten the leg. Lower, and repeat three times before moving up in half-inch segments to the top of the leg. If the pressure isn’t enough, apply more with your other hand, or use the heel of a hand. Repeat on other leg. 

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/03/health/nutrition/03fitside.html?_r=2&ref=fitnessandnutrition

Can't Wait for a Massage? Try This At Home!

As a former cross-country runner for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where a free massage was part of an athlete’s weekly schedule, Briana Boehmer remembers the benefits of having qualified hands work her sore muscles. Now that she is 30 and starting a corporate wellness business with her husband, Mrs. Boehmer no longer enjoys such a perk, so she massages her muscles herself. She works out about seven hours a week, training for triathlons and duathlons, and begins and ends each session by kneading her back and legs on a foam roller, which she calls her “best friend.”

Devices for self-massage have become more common as more people compete in endurance sports and, more recently, as the recession has made professional rubdowns look prohibitively expensive. Trainers usually recommend a massage every week or every other week for people who are training for a marathon or triathlon, but the costs do add up: according to the American Massage Therapy Association, the average price of a massage is $63 an hour.

Though a massage may sound like a luxury, it can become a necessity as part of a training regimen. When the same muscles are forced to do the same motions over and over, they become tight and injury-prone.

For instance, “riding on aerobars on the bike sets up a huge muscle imbalance in the upper back and shoulders,” said Tim Crowley, a triathlon coach in Marlboro, Mass. “Hip flexors, hamstrings and glutes become extremely tight and immobile from running.”

While it’s hard to say how many people do self-massage, many athletes swear by it, and a growing range of products and how-to videos is available in stores and online. A foam roller, which costs about $25, is just one of a family of products, manufactured or improvised, that can relieve tight muscles.

“In the late ’90s, you could only find foam rollers through physical therapy catalogs,” said Keats Snideman, a massage therapist and conditioning coach in Tempe, Ariz., who produced a DVD about self-massage. “Now you can buy them anywhere, and exercises with them are all over YouTube.”

In addition to the many name-brand products that are sold specifically as massage aids, old-fashioned household objects will do, too. Most small balls, including golf, tennis, baseball and lacrosse balls, can unkink sore muscles.

Rich Poley, author of the book “Self-Massage for Athletes,” favors using your own hands. But he is also a fan of the Knobble II, a mushroom-shaped device that can be used to press on muscles at specific trigger points to try to break up knots, and the Thera Cane, a hook that can be used to reach points on the back.

For all its advantages, self-massage has its limitations. Cassidy Phillips, founder of Trigger Point Performance Therapy, considers it the equivalent of oral hygiene. “You brush away some plaque yourself,” he said, “but you still go to the dentist for a thorough cleaning.” His company, based in Austin, Tex., sells self-massage tools for athletes.

Clearly, a massage from a trained therapist can be more effective — and relaxing — than a self-administered massage. A therapist also has a comprehensive knowledge of anatomy and can help with injuries, like muscle  strains, that may not respond to self-massage.

“A foam roller can’t alleviate deep trigger points the way an experienced thumb or knuckle can,” said Collette Glass, a sports massage therapist in Atlanta.

Yet Mrs. Glass, whose livelihood depends on athletes who need her care, is a proponent of self-massage. She and her husband, Dr. Josh Glass, a sports chiropractor, hold self-care seminars in the Atlanta area several times a year. “The message we stress through the whole demonstration,” she said, “is that self-massage keeps you out of our offices.”

Any kind of massage —the professional type and the D.I.Y. — can stimulate blood flow and break up scar tissue, thus reducing an athlete’s risk of injury, Mrs. Glass said. “In massage, shortened, overworked muscles get flushed out and return to a normal length, which helps them properly recover,” she said. When she was training for Ironman triathlons in 2006 and 2008, she said, she used a roller every day to soothe her iliotibial bands (tendons that run along the outside of the upper leg).

Jenni Gaertner, a physical therapist and competitive cyclist in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, also advocates a combination approach. “I go to a massage therapist only during racing season, because it can be so expensive,” she said. “But I use a foam roller year-round and prescribe it to patients and teammates.”

Abby Ruby, an athlete and coach from Manitou Springs, Colo., massaged her muscles daily while training for a 100-mile trail run in Leadville, Colo., this year. She doesn’t leave home without her tools: half of a foam roller and a small ball from Trigger Point Performance Therapy. “I sit on the ball on flights to release my piriformis,” she said, referring to a muscle deep within the hip and buttock region.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/03/health/nutrition/03fitness.html?ref=fitnessandnutrition