Everyone, unless you don’t own a TV, has seen Forest Gump once, twice, or 30 times in their life, and we all know that he spent a good chunk of his time RUNN-INGG. While we all know that there was a bit of fiction and exaggeration in the movie, I think sometimes, there is also a lot of parallel in Mr. Gump’s approach to running and ours.
One day, sitting on the porch, Gump had an idea. He decided to start RUNN-INGG. And that is exactly what he did. What he did right, was he had a new, sturdy pair of running shoes. This is important because running, while great cardiovascular exercise, has one big downside. It is HIGH IMPACT, and that impact is absorbed by our joints in the lower extremity and lower back. Which is why runners typically are prone to having foot, ankle, knee, hip and lower back injuries. It is important to have good shoes, with proper fit to YOUR feet. When buying a running shoe, make sure there is a good arch that fits YOUR arch. Every foot is different. If you can’t find a shoe that fits your arch, maybe a good insert would be valuable for you. Also, test the shoe by holding it at the toes and heel, then try to bend it in half. The “bend” should happen at the area of the sole that is at the ball of the foot so that you can get the proper push off when running. Lastly, a key point in the movie showed that Forest never replaced his shoes. You should, and it is recommended to do so every 300-600 miles or 3-6 months.
What did he do wrong? He forgot to WARM UP! Forest, just got up off the porch swing and took off. A major no-no. Rule number one of exercise is warm up properly before and STRETCH after. How much of a warm up is good enough is the next question I get. I would say a good rule of thumb is that for every hour of exercise, you should warm up for 15 minutes and stretch for 15 minutes. So, if you go out on a Saturday morning and run 5 miles, with a 8 minute mile average, you should warm up for 10 minutes and stretch at the end for 10 minutes. What was never mentioned in the movie was that Forest Gump probably had an inflamed IT Band, a strained hamstring, shin splints, and runner’s knee. I hope he had a good chiropractor, as all these conditions can possibly be helped with chiropractic treatment.
Tell me if this has ever happened to you. One day you are sitting on the couch and you reach into the potato chip bag only to discover that the chips are gone. You look around, no one is in the room, so you take the bag, turn it upside down and try to get those last little, greasy crumbs to fall into your mouth. Then you reach for the Big Gulp and suck the last watered down drink up. At that point, you decide you are not happy with your body and make the decision to get in THE BEST SHAPE OF YOUR LIFE! You have a new energy and decide running is going to be the primary exercise that takes you to the next level of health and give you a body that will be gawked at on the Tahoe beaches this summer. You throw your shoes on and run 8 miles. Then 8 miles the next day, then 8 miles the next day. The next day your wake up with shin splints and plantar fasciitis. Is this anyone’s story? SLOW DOWN! Nobody could do what Forest Gump did, but everyone keeps trying. Start slow, a mile or two a few days a week, then when that becomes easy, move to 2-3 miles, then 3-4 miles, up to whatever your goal is. Make a chart, set goals, up the increments by 10 percent every week or so, or more if you are a first time runner. I can train for a 5K in one week, but I have been a runner for 10 years and workout 3-4 times a week. If I were to run a marathon or even a half marathon, I would train for a few months on a very specific schedule because my body is not conditioned for that degree of running.
Forest was a rookie runner, and coincidently he made a lot of rookie mistake. Another was the route he took. He ran back and forth across the United States on the pavement and blacktop. This is very hard on your joints, because there is no give in the hard surface. The force of impact must go somewhere, so it transfers to your knees and lower back. In order of least to most impact on your joins it goes; grass, mulch (like on a trail), blacktop/pavement, concrete and finally the treadmill (although, now some treadmills have shocks built into them). So whenever you can, run on the grass or on a natural trail.
Of course, something that Gump had no control over because of the scoliosis that gave him crooked legs was his gait. It was AWFUL. This is a very important part of running and is just as critical to being able to run without injury as everything mentioned above. It is also a very extensive topic which you can read about in the next blog, or ask Dr Tom to evaluate your running gate the next time you are in the office.
In Good Health,
Dr Tom Rammel
Monday, May 23, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
The Big Idea
Dr. Amanda and I have one simple but large goal that we try to achieve every day in practice. That being, try to help as many patients as possible achieve a high quality of life than what they previously had. The avenue that we both chose to do this through is of course, chiropractic.
So, I thought that there would be no better way to kick this blog off, than by giving everyone a little insight into Chiropractic 101. I would like to share with all of you what we discussed in our first class of our first day of chiropractic school. It is "the Big Idea," or underlying though process of which the chiropractic paradigm is based on. We call it the Chiropractic Premise, and it goes as follows:
THE CHIROPRACTIC PREMISE
- You are a self-healing (your hand healing after you get a cut) and self-regulating organism (heart beat, breathing, digestion, sweating.
- Your nervous system (brain and spinal cord) controls and coordinates every function in your body (what makes your heart beat, your lungs take in and expel air, and your body sweat when you work out?)
- If there is interference of "vertebral subluxation" in your nervous system, you are no longer 100% self-healing and self-regulating (SO IMPORTANT IN YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PREMISE!)
- Uncorrected vertebral subluxations have devastating effects on human health and well-being (how many of you have experienced better digestion, better breathing, better sleep after being under chiropractic care, and why is that, do you think?)
- Simply put, our (the chiropractor's) goal is to locate these points of interference or subluxations, remove them (and the cause of them) and allow your body to heal itself on every level.
It is of my opinion and experience that 99% of people would understand and agree with the first two points of The Chiropractic Premise. They are basic facts of human anatomy and physiology, and therefore easily understood and difficult to argue. It is at the 3rd point that people may get lost. When reading this one sentence, you could ask any or all of the following questions:
"What is a vertebral subluxation?"
"What does it interfere with and/ or how does it interfere with my body's ability to work?"
"Why does a vertebral subluxation affect my nervous system?"
These are all critical questions to be answered in order to understand The Big Idea and the chiropractic paradigm. If you are a patient of ours, ask us to explain it to you ASAP, and we apologize for not doing so earlier. If you are not a patient, and are reading this, feel free to email or call us and we will help answer your questions so that you to may have that higher quality of life you wish to achieve!
In Good Health,
Dr. Tom Rammel
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The Backpack Dilemma
by: George LeBeau, D.C.
The controversy and dialog about the problem with backpacks has raged for decades. Many groups have done "studies" to determine the extent of continuing trauma to young people literally saddled with carrying numerous books in backpacks that can easily weigh as much as 15% more of this total body weight.
Organizations such as The American Chiropractic Association and the American Orthopedic Association have sponsored and performed numerous studies to determine the long term effects of heavy backpacks on the musculoskeletal frame of children. The results of these studies have been published almost continuously in national and international journals.
Everyone agrees that the "Back Pack Syndrome" is a real and threatening danger to the structural health of children in their formative years. The degree of threat varies from one "report" to another with some going as far as saying it can contribute to "Developmental Scoliosis." The preponderance of information available on this subject shows no good evidence in support of this theory. However, the occurrence of back pain symptoms in children who carry a high percentage of body weight in their backpacks is supported by numerous studies published in high-quality journals from around the world. There is no doubt that the problem exists. The dilemma is... what do we do about it?
All sort of suggestions have been presented from proper weight distribution (not carrying the pack on both shoulder equally) to designing a more ergonomic backpack. To have a better understanding about the confusion surrounding this problem, perform a Google search of "Images, Backpacks." Daunting, to say the least. Of the dozens of pictured suggestions there are arguments for the adoption of each one in eliminating the problem. However, none of these suggestions eliminates anything. At best, they "accomodate" the child to the pack. We, as chiropractors, are always telling our patients that we treat the "cause" of the problem, not the "symptom." Designing a better backpack treats the symptom! To eliminate the "cause", we simply need to get rid of the backpack entirely.
One suggestion for this is "wheeled" backpacks. I believe the airline industry was first in connecting the "continuing trauma" workers compensation disability claims with heavy backpacks. The solution reached by their research department was to require the use of special wheeled cases for their pilots and flight attendants.
While this approach may take the weight off the child's shoulders and back, putting it onto the cart, other issues then come into play. Probably the most serious for young people, especially boys, is teasing and harassment from peers about being a sissy, weakling or any number of inventive, disparaging remarks from their "friends" can come up with. Another problem is the issue of stairs. Most schools from kindergarten to universities about with stairs of every type and description. As a result, we not only have the weight problem to contend with, we also have the awkward and unwieldy (no pun intended) handle and wheels to lug up those pesky stairs. Yes, the handle retracts and there are straps on the trolley, but how many kinds are going to bother with that when the bell rings and they're in a rush?
Others are still promoting the re-institution of school lockers. However, there are a number of inherent problems with school provided lockers in every part of the world; for instance, cost, danger (e.g., drugs, weapons, pornography), graffiti, continuous abuse, damage and repair and last, but not least, hiding younger classmates for later release at the most embarrassing moment.
In today's digital age, and advanced computer technology, a possible solution to this widespread and potentially disastrous problem exists. It is possible to put every word of every book in existence into electronic format. Indeed, this "paperless revolution" is already being done by just about every publishing house in the world, except, for some reason, the educational materials publishers. How simple it would be to take those very heavy textbooks and transfer that material onto a CD or post it on a password protected website. Teachers could had out assignments via email or on a thumb drive. Students would then upload the information to their computer (Do you know any student who does not won one?), follow the "menu" to the appropriate chapter and study directly from their computer. Most of them do this anyway, even though they still have to lug the physical books around. This solution eliminates all but the smallest pack that would be used to hold and transport the CD's. With the tens of billions of dollars spent each year on school books, the savings to Government and State Education Departments would be enormous. What incredible profit margin made by the educational publishing houses, I'm sure the publisher's lobby would surely do everything possible to block this advancement. Where are the environmentalists, "Tree Huggers", when you NEED them?
The controversy and dialog about the problem with backpacks has raged for decades. Many groups have done "studies" to determine the extent of continuing trauma to young people literally saddled with carrying numerous books in backpacks that can easily weigh as much as 15% more of this total body weight.
Organizations such as The American Chiropractic Association and the American Orthopedic Association have sponsored and performed numerous studies to determine the long term effects of heavy backpacks on the musculoskeletal frame of children. The results of these studies have been published almost continuously in national and international journals.
Everyone agrees that the "Back Pack Syndrome" is a real and threatening danger to the structural health of children in their formative years. The degree of threat varies from one "report" to another with some going as far as saying it can contribute to "Developmental Scoliosis." The preponderance of information available on this subject shows no good evidence in support of this theory. However, the occurrence of back pain symptoms in children who carry a high percentage of body weight in their backpacks is supported by numerous studies published in high-quality journals from around the world. There is no doubt that the problem exists. The dilemma is... what do we do about it?
All sort of suggestions have been presented from proper weight distribution (not carrying the pack on both shoulder equally) to designing a more ergonomic backpack. To have a better understanding about the confusion surrounding this problem, perform a Google search of "Images, Backpacks." Daunting, to say the least. Of the dozens of pictured suggestions there are arguments for the adoption of each one in eliminating the problem. However, none of these suggestions eliminates anything. At best, they "accomodate" the child to the pack. We, as chiropractors, are always telling our patients that we treat the "cause" of the problem, not the "symptom." Designing a better backpack treats the symptom! To eliminate the "cause", we simply need to get rid of the backpack entirely.
One suggestion for this is "wheeled" backpacks. I believe the airline industry was first in connecting the "continuing trauma" workers compensation disability claims with heavy backpacks. The solution reached by their research department was to require the use of special wheeled cases for their pilots and flight attendants.
While this approach may take the weight off the child's shoulders and back, putting it onto the cart, other issues then come into play. Probably the most serious for young people, especially boys, is teasing and harassment from peers about being a sissy, weakling or any number of inventive, disparaging remarks from their "friends" can come up with. Another problem is the issue of stairs. Most schools from kindergarten to universities about with stairs of every type and description. As a result, we not only have the weight problem to contend with, we also have the awkward and unwieldy (no pun intended) handle and wheels to lug up those pesky stairs. Yes, the handle retracts and there are straps on the trolley, but how many kinds are going to bother with that when the bell rings and they're in a rush?
Others are still promoting the re-institution of school lockers. However, there are a number of inherent problems with school provided lockers in every part of the world; for instance, cost, danger (e.g., drugs, weapons, pornography), graffiti, continuous abuse, damage and repair and last, but not least, hiding younger classmates for later release at the most embarrassing moment.
In today's digital age, and advanced computer technology, a possible solution to this widespread and potentially disastrous problem exists. It is possible to put every word of every book in existence into electronic format. Indeed, this "paperless revolution" is already being done by just about every publishing house in the world, except, for some reason, the educational materials publishers. How simple it would be to take those very heavy textbooks and transfer that material onto a CD or post it on a password protected website. Teachers could had out assignments via email or on a thumb drive. Students would then upload the information to their computer (Do you know any student who does not won one?), follow the "menu" to the appropriate chapter and study directly from their computer. Most of them do this anyway, even though they still have to lug the physical books around. This solution eliminates all but the smallest pack that would be used to hold and transport the CD's. With the tens of billions of dollars spent each year on school books, the savings to Government and State Education Departments would be enormous. What incredible profit margin made by the educational publishing houses, I'm sure the publisher's lobby would surely do everything possible to block this advancement. Where are the environmentalists, "Tree Huggers", when you NEED them?
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Christmas in November List
Here are the details of the family of 4 we adopted through the Children's Cabinet. They are experiencing considerable hardship exacerbated by a recent fire in their home.
Natasha, 1 year old: Clothes (12 months), socks (12 months), crib sheets (pink or white), sippy cups, baby push/walker, any other age appropriate toys, and baby gate.
Samuel, 5 years old: Shirts and pant (size 6/7 boys), Lego's, shoes (size 13 boys), socks (size 13 boys), art supplies (paper, crayons, paints, markers, coloring books, etc.), board games (Sorry, Connect 4), puzzles (Ben 10 or Superheros), any age appropriate books, a new bicycle (18" tires).
He is in kindergarten and LOVES puzzles, he recently completed a 1,000 piece puzzle.
Courtney, Mom: Socks (size 8 women's), bath towels (white or green), any VHS tapes or DVDs (scary movies or Disney movies), vacuum cleaner.
Bruce, Dad: New coat (size 3x in men's), socks (size 12 in men's), shoes (size 12 in men's), PS3 games (Resident Evil 5, Medal of Honor)
Family Wish: Any gift cards to Lowes/ Home Depot to assist w/ home repairs. In March, Bruce's Dad passed away, family moved into a mobile home which is in need of repairs. The family experienced a fire in their home on October 21st and are still living there and working to repair fire damage.
Natasha, 1 year old: Clothes (12 months), socks (12 months), crib sheets (pink or white), sippy cups, baby push/walker, any other age appropriate toys, and baby gate.
Samuel, 5 years old: Shirts and pant (size 6/7 boys), Lego's, shoes (size 13 boys), socks (size 13 boys), art supplies (paper, crayons, paints, markers, coloring books, etc.), board games (Sorry, Connect 4), puzzles (Ben 10 or Superheros), any age appropriate books, a new bicycle (18" tires).
He is in kindergarten and LOVES puzzles, he recently completed a 1,000 piece puzzle.
Courtney, Mom: Socks (size 8 women's), bath towels (white or green), any VHS tapes or DVDs (scary movies or Disney movies), vacuum cleaner.
Bruce, Dad: New coat (size 3x in men's), socks (size 12 in men's), shoes (size 12 in men's), PS3 games (Resident Evil 5, Medal of Honor)
Family Wish: Any gift cards to Lowes/ Home Depot to assist w/ home repairs. In March, Bruce's Dad passed away, family moved into a mobile home which is in need of repairs. The family experienced a fire in their home on October 21st and are still living there and working to repair fire damage.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Christmas in November
It's that time of year again! Like last year, we are adopting a family through the Children's Cabinet. From November 1st- December 17th The Back Doctors will be taking cash, clothing, and toy donations to distribute to an under-privileged family in the Reno area.
For any donation equal to or greater than $25.00, the doctors will offer to donate their time and services to any friends or family members who are in need of Chiropractic care.
Donations will quality friends and family to take advantage of a no cost consultation and examination, including X-rays.
The Children's Cabinet will be sending us the family's wish list by this coming Friday, November 5th. As soon as we get the list, we will put it up on the blog. If you would like to make a cash donation, we will use that money to purchase anything that is remaining on the family's list.
This is a great way to donate to a good cause and give the gift of health!
For any donation equal to or greater than $25.00, the doctors will offer to donate their time and services to any friends or family members who are in need of Chiropractic care.
Donations will quality friends and family to take advantage of a no cost consultation and examination, including X-rays.
The Children's Cabinet will be sending us the family's wish list by this coming Friday, November 5th. As soon as we get the list, we will put it up on the blog. If you would like to make a cash donation, we will use that money to purchase anything that is remaining on the family's list.
This is a great way to donate to a good cause and give the gift of health!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
4 Foods to Help You Fight the Flu
Article taken from the Living Well magazine: published by the Northern Nevada Medical Center
1) SALMON. A recent study of Japanese schoolchildren suggests that a daily dose of vitamin D during winter may reduce the incidence of influenza A, a common strain of seasonal flu.
The children in the study took vitamin D supplements, but oily fish such as salmon is an edible option. Fortified milk and cereals are good sources, too. This nutrient is also made naturally in the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight, but it's not always enough when they days grow shorter. As your doctor how much Vitamin D you need.
2) GREEN TEA. Several studies have found that drinking green tea may improve your immune system- but can it battle the flu bug? In one study, participants took capsules containing two green tea components (L-theanine and epigallocatechin gallate). The results showed the capsules decreased the number of people reporting cold and flu symptoms by about a third. There was also a big decrease in how long the symptoms lasted.
3) YOGURT. Probiotics are live microorganisms that live in the gut. They are found in some foods, such as yogurt, and come as dietary supplements.
In a recent study, researchers gave 3 to 5 year old probiotic supplements to see if that would affect flu symptoms. Some children received one probiotic strain, while others received a combination of two. After six months, both groups showed a reduction in the incidence and duration of flu symptoms when compared to a placebo group. The group that took the combination of the two probiotic strains had the best results.
4) HOT LIQUIDS, LIKE SOUP. Fluids help your body fight infection, and hot liquids like chicken soup may relieve symptoms, too. In a small study, 30 volunteers with cold-or-flu-like symptoms drank either a heated or room temperature fruit drink. Researchers then tested their nasal airflow and asked about six symptoms: runny nose, cough, sneezing, sore throat, chilliness, and tiredness. While the airflow test showed no significant improvement with either drink, participants who drank the hot beverage reported relief from all six symptoms. Those who drank the cooler drink experienced relief from only three: the runny nose, cough and sneezing.
1) SALMON. A recent study of Japanese schoolchildren suggests that a daily dose of vitamin D during winter may reduce the incidence of influenza A, a common strain of seasonal flu.
The children in the study took vitamin D supplements, but oily fish such as salmon is an edible option. Fortified milk and cereals are good sources, too. This nutrient is also made naturally in the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight, but it's not always enough when they days grow shorter. As your doctor how much Vitamin D you need.
2) GREEN TEA. Several studies have found that drinking green tea may improve your immune system- but can it battle the flu bug? In one study, participants took capsules containing two green tea components (L-theanine and epigallocatechin gallate). The results showed the capsules decreased the number of people reporting cold and flu symptoms by about a third. There was also a big decrease in how long the symptoms lasted.
3) YOGURT. Probiotics are live microorganisms that live in the gut. They are found in some foods, such as yogurt, and come as dietary supplements.
In a recent study, researchers gave 3 to 5 year old probiotic supplements to see if that would affect flu symptoms. Some children received one probiotic strain, while others received a combination of two. After six months, both groups showed a reduction in the incidence and duration of flu symptoms when compared to a placebo group. The group that took the combination of the two probiotic strains had the best results.
4) HOT LIQUIDS, LIKE SOUP. Fluids help your body fight infection, and hot liquids like chicken soup may relieve symptoms, too. In a small study, 30 volunteers with cold-or-flu-like symptoms drank either a heated or room temperature fruit drink. Researchers then tested their nasal airflow and asked about six symptoms: runny nose, cough, sneezing, sore throat, chilliness, and tiredness. While the airflow test showed no significant improvement with either drink, participants who drank the hot beverage reported relief from all six symptoms. Those who drank the cooler drink experienced relief from only three: the runny nose, cough and sneezing.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Long-term effects of infant colic: a survery comparison of chiropractic treatment and nontreatment groups.
Miller JE, Phillips HL.
Advanced Professional Practice Chiropractic Paediatrics, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK. jmiller@aecc.ac.uk
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Investigation into the alleviation of long-term effects of infant colic on the toddler is a neglected area of research. The aim of this study was to document any behavioral or sleep disturbances experienced by post-colicky toddlers who were previously treated with chiropractic care vs those who had not experienced this treatment as an infant.
METHODS: Two groups of children were sampled from clinic records from a chiropractic clinic and from a child care center in similar regions of England. Patients were classified in the treatment group if they had been treated for infant colic with routine low-force chiropractic manual therapy. The nontreatment group consisted of post-colicky children in the same age group who had received no chiropractic care for their diagnosed colic as infants. A survey of parents of 117 post-colicky toddlers in a treatment group and 111 toddlers in the nontreatment group was performed.
RESULTS: Toddlers who were treated with chiropractic care for colic were twice as likely to not experience long-term sequelae of infant colic, such as temper tantrums (relative risk, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-3.0) and frequent nocturnal waking (relative risk, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-2.8) than those who were not treated with chiropractic care as colicky infants.
CONCLUSION: Untreated post-colicky infants demonstrated negative behavioral patterns at 2 to 3 years of age. In this study, parents of infants treated with chiropractic care for excessive crying did not report as many difficult behavioral and sleep patterns of their toddlers. These findings suggest that chiropractic care for infants with colic may have an effect on long-term sequelae.
Advanced Professional Practice Chiropractic Paediatrics, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK. jmiller@aecc.ac.uk
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Investigation into the alleviation of long-term effects of infant colic on the toddler is a neglected area of research. The aim of this study was to document any behavioral or sleep disturbances experienced by post-colicky toddlers who were previously treated with chiropractic care vs those who had not experienced this treatment as an infant.
METHODS: Two groups of children were sampled from clinic records from a chiropractic clinic and from a child care center in similar regions of England. Patients were classified in the treatment group if they had been treated for infant colic with routine low-force chiropractic manual therapy. The nontreatment group consisted of post-colicky children in the same age group who had received no chiropractic care for their diagnosed colic as infants. A survey of parents of 117 post-colicky toddlers in a treatment group and 111 toddlers in the nontreatment group was performed.
RESULTS: Toddlers who were treated with chiropractic care for colic were twice as likely to not experience long-term sequelae of infant colic, such as temper tantrums (relative risk, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-3.0) and frequent nocturnal waking (relative risk, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-2.8) than those who were not treated with chiropractic care as colicky infants.
CONCLUSION: Untreated post-colicky infants demonstrated negative behavioral patterns at 2 to 3 years of age. In this study, parents of infants treated with chiropractic care for excessive crying did not report as many difficult behavioral and sleep patterns of their toddlers. These findings suggest that chiropractic care for infants with colic may have an effect on long-term sequelae.
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