​Everyone’s hands tremble a little bit. Hold your hands out in front of you and they will not remain perfectly still for long. However, some people’s hands tremble far more than usual, and this condition is more often observed in the elderly. Although Parkinson’s disease is sometimes the cause of trembling hands, more often than not, it’s a case of what is referred to as idiopathic or “essential tremor” (which means the cause is unknown).

​An estimated 4 out of every 100 adults over the age of 40 has essential tremor. However, the condition is not confined to only the elderly. Though less common, children and young people can experience it too. What begins as a minor inconvenience can become practically disabling, making it difficult to perform the most simple everyday activities such as sipping a cup of tea or writing a check. Although the hands and arms are usually the body parts most greatly affected by essential tremor, it can also expend to other areas, such as the head and feet.
One of the things that distinguishes essential tremor from Parkinson’s disease is that, with essential tremor, the shakiness only occurs when the body is in motion, whereas with Parkinson’s, the body shakes continually, whether in motion or at rest. Shakiness in the voice and head is also characteristic of essential tremor, and only rarely in Parkinson’s.
Despite the fact that it is one of the most frequent neurological conditions, there is still no known cause of essential tremor. It tends to have a genetic component: there is a 50% chance that someone whose parent has essential tremor will also acquire the condition.
Findings from scientists at the American Academy of Neurology have shown that those with essential tremor are more than twice as likely to develop dementia as those without the condition. Although this may be disturbing news to those suffering from it, the findings may allow for earlier and more effective treatment so as to delay the onset and reduce the progression of dementia.
While Parkinson’s disease is a condition that leads to steady deterioration, essential tremor is a condition that is manageable and does not necessarily get worse. It is not uncommon for someone to have a minor case of it for most of his or her life without it ever progressing beyond a slight tremor.
As of today, there is no cure for essential tremor, and there are no particularly effective medications to help with the condition. However, for those who suffer from more than a mild case of it, there is some hope that increased research will lead to the discovery of the cause, and that subsequently a treatment or cure can be found.

​Imagine for a moment how your life would change if each of your feet were made up of a single, rigid bone rather than several smaller ones. To begin with, the way we carry our weight while standing and the way we walk would be quite different and much less elegant. Our feet are designed to provide a strong, stable foundation to keep our bodies upright, while at the same time being flexible enough to allow for changes in shape that permit balance and agility.

​The human foot is a remarkable example of nature’s gift for engineering complex structures with functional finesse. Amazingly, the feet contain a quarter of all the body’s bones in a very compact area!
At the bottom of the lower leg, the tibia and fibula are connected to the foot at the ankle bone, called the talus. The ankle joint is thus formed by the junction of the lower leg's tibia and fibula with the foot's talus. The talus is the second-largest bone in the foot and supports all of the body’s weight.
The calcaneus, or heel bone, resides underneath and behind the talus at an angle, completing the arch at the back of the foot. The forward part of the arch is formed by rows of bones, starting with the small navicular bone in front of the talus. In front of the navicular are the three cuneiform bones. From the inside of the foot, they are the medial cuneiform, intermediate cuneiform and the lateral cuneiform. Adjacent to these two rows and overlapping them resides the cuboid bone on the exterior side of the foot. The cuboid starts below the front of the talus, but is also adjacent to the front end of the calcaneus. All of these bones of the foot form what is call the tarsus or tarsal bones.
The remaining rows of bones are the metatarsals and phalanges. Directly in front of the three cuneiforms reside the five long metatarsals. Directly in front of these are the proximal phalanges of the toes. Next are the middle phalanges and finally the distal phalanges. The big toe does not have a middle phalange.
Over a hundred tendons, ligaments and muscles connect all of these and allow a great deal of freedom of movement and control over the bones. These are critical for maintaining balance, and for allowing fine degrees of control in movement for walking, running and jumping. The more energetic movements are driven by muscles in the legs, but there are other muscles in the foot that allow for the finer degrees of movement needed for balance.
The foot arch acts as a shock absorber to keep each stride in walking and running from transferring too much of a jolt to the rest of the body. Without it (as well as shock absorption from the ankles and knees), the spine would be especially vulnerable to stress from repeated impacts.
Problems in the feet can create trouble farther up the body. Poor footwear, poor lateral angle of the foot during walking, and other difficulties with the feet can place extra stress on the ankle, knee, hip and spine, throwing your entire body out of alignment. The bad news is that this misalignment can have a variety of negative effects on your health and wellbeing. But the good news is that addressing problems with the feet can often alleviate these other issues.
Remember—good musculoskeletal health starts from the ground up! If you have any questions or concerns, please call or visit our office.     

​Although the term may suggest it, a shin splint is actually not a rigid device to immobilize or protect your shin. A shin splint is instead a pain in the shin caused by strenuous activity. This condition is known in medical circles as medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS)

​The front of the tibia (one of the bones in the lower leg) can become inflamed due to excessive or repetitive stress being placed on the lower legs. Typically, this kind of stress includes frequent stopping and starting in sharp bursts, such as the kinds of movement common in soccer, basketball, tennis or football. Those who run frequently on hard surfaces can also be at greater risk of shin splints.
Specific sources for the kinds of impacts or pressure that can cause shin splints include the following:

• Running down a slope.
• Running on uneven terrain or non-level surfaces.
• Running in unsuitable shoes or once-suitable shoes that have become worn or damaged.
• Participating in athletic activities that include sudden stops and bursts of speed.
• Structural weaknesses or asymmetries in the foot.

 
The following symptoms may indicate a case of shin splints:

• Numbness and weakness in the feet (muscle swelling can aggravate the nerves).
• Soreness or tenderness down the inner part of the lower leg
• Modest swelling in the lower leg

 
Whether the underlying cause is pressure or impact, the key here is "excessive". Aggressive athletes will be tempted to push "through the pain”. The problem with this strategy is that the pain from shin splints is NOT the same type of discomfort that can be produced when your body is exerting itself under the positive stress of a good workout or competition. It’s not like the “burn” or “stretch” that most athletes will be familiar with. Instead, shin splints are your body’s way of telling you that damage has been done. And that damage can actually be made worst by trying to push through it. And continuing the same level of excessive activity will likely delay recovery.
Due to hormonal factors, women are at greater risk for shin splints, particularly if they have low bone density, such as that accompanying osteoporosis.
Rest is the primary form of treatment for shin splints. Typically, two weeks is recommended to give the shin time to heal properly. Ice packs applied to the affected area and raising the legs can help reduce swelling and pain.
Before you return to normal physical activity, check with your chiropractor to ensure your feet are structurally sound and that your spine is properly aligned. Even seemingly slight problems can change the biomechanics of walking and running, causing excessive stress on your lower legs and possibly leading to problems like plantar fasciitis and shin splints.
After two weeks of rest, it should be okay to return to your regular activities. However, most physicians recommend that patients build up gradually to their prior levels of exercise or athletic activity in order to avoid setbacks in recovery. And—as always—it’s important that you be properly warmed up before engaging in strenuous activity of any kind to reduce the likelihood of injury or re-injury.
 

​Plantar fasciitis can cause more inconvenience than almost any other type of ligament inflammation, since the injured ligament is put to use every time you take a step. This means that resting it is difficult and recovery is prone to setbacks. The plantar fascia is the ligament that connects your heel to the ball of your foot. When extra stress is placed on it, or if it is stretched in an irregular manner, it can become inflamed and cause pain in your heel. Luckily, it does not have to become a chronic condition and can be managed with some extra care and specific exercises.

First of all, you should be aware of the types of exercise that make the condition worse. Anything that involves using your foot in a repetitive motion that involves force against a hard surface should be avoided, such as running and jogging.
People who are at greater risk of developing plantar fasciitis are those who have either flat feet (“fallen arches”) or high arches, and whose foot tends to roll inward (overpronation). These all contribute to a weakness in the foot, so strengthening the foot muscles is particularly important for these people. Other factors that contribute to plantar fasciitis are short and tight calf muscles, standing for long periods of time, particularly in improper footwear, and being overweight, which puts undue strain on the bottom of the sole.
Stretching the Achilles tendon (which attaches your calf muscle to your heel) is important, as tightness here can keep you from flexing your foot freely, putting more strain on the plantar fascia. And the plantar fascia itself should be stretched gently on a regular basis as well to keep inflammation from becoming a problem. These both tend to tighten overnight, which is why those with plantar fasciitis tend to find their condition worse first thing in the morning when taking their first few steps from bed.
Following are some simple exercises you can do to help treat plantar fasciitis:

• Sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you, loop a towel or belt around the ball of your foot and pull back slowly until you feel a good pull in your calf muscle. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times. Repeat with the other leg.

 

• Stand facing a wall at about arm’s length and lunge forward with one leg while keeping the other behind you with the heel flat on the floor. You should feel the stretch in the calf muscle. Hold for 30 seconds and then switch to the other leg. Repeat the sequence a few times a day.

 

• To stretch the plantar fascia, use a wall or stair to press the bottom your toes against so that they extend upward, while the ball of your foot remains touching the floor. Hold for 45-60 seconds on each foot and repeat twice. Sports doctors recommend this be done twice a day.

Massaging the plantar fascia by rolling your foot slowly back and forth over a rolling pin or drink can for a few minutes each day can also help to relieve plantar fasciitis.

​Artists who work with glass or metal know that you should not try to bend or shape the material while it remains cold and brittle. Glass will shatter. Metal will break or quickly show signs of fatigue and damage. Our bodies also need to be warmed up to change. They need the tender, loving care of an artist to reshape them. You are that artist. And sculpting your new body takes time, patience and persistence. And yes, it takes hard work

​You can’t expect your body to react well at the beginning if you ask it to do too much after years of inactivity. Using the following SMART approach to exercise will help you get back into an exercise routine and allow you to reach your goals:
Specific—It’s most effective set exercise goals that are well-defined rather than vague. Say you want to be a trim, 165 pounds of muscle and vibrant energy. This approach to defining your goal not only gives you a specific weight to shoot for, but also describes the feeling you want to go with it.
Measurable—This makes your goal even more concrete and will help you see the progress you’re making in an objective way. Not every approach to measurement uses numbers, but numerical criteria are usually the easiest to work with. This goes for measuring activity as well as measuring the results. For example, a 30-minute, brisk walk is measurable. If you've only walked 25 minutes, you know you're not done. Keeping a journal helps you compare these details later.
Action-oriented—You have to put your dreams into action, and exercise is all about physical movement. But don't let repetitive exercise become boring. Add different kinds of action. In fact, sports medicine doctors recommend varying the activity between stretching, light endurance, vigorous strength and other types of exercise. This helps to prevent heart attacks, sprains and other maladies from pushing too hard, too fast. It also helps to keep things more interesting.
Realistic—Never let anyone tell you that something cannot be done. By the same token, it never makes sense to ignore reality. If you are not realistic in your goals, you are setting yourself up for failure. Set a few attainable short-term goals when you are starting out in a new exercise program so you are more likely to stick with it as time goes on. It will help give you more confidence and you will be more motivated to set your goals a little higher each time.
Time-related—Set deadlines. This helps to keep you challenged so you keep moving forward. Naturally, any deadline needs to be realistic (see above). You should not expect to be running marathons in one month after a couple of decades of desk work, in-car commutes and armchair quarterbacking. 

​Standing desks or stand-up desks are not a new fad. They've been around since at least the time of Benjamin Franklin, the founding father who used one over two hundred years ago. However, there remains a great deal of controversy regarding the benefits and drawbacks of stand-up desks.
A number of sources agree that standing up while you work gives you more energy and keeps you more alert. The University of Chester performed a study in 2013 that showed heartbeats rose by ten beats per minute because of standing. This increased the number of calories burned each day. In addition, blood glucose levels after lunch returned to normal far faster in those study subjects who stood as they worked.

Others have found that standing helps reduce lower back pain. Users of stand-up desks found that they engaged more fully with their colleagues and felt more ready for action if something called them away from their desk. They felt their minds wandered far less and they stayed more focused. Some users even found that stand-up desks lent themselves to certain “power poses” that benefited physiology, increasing testosterone and decreasing cortisol, the stress hormone.
Stand-up desk users seemed to agree, though, that leg and foot soreness can be a problem. This may be a particular problem for individuals who are just starting to use a stand-up desk user and whose bodies aren’t yet accustomed to the new way of working. More comfortable shoes and an anti-fatigue mat can help reduce this problem. Gradually building up the amount of time spent at a stand-up desk can also help.
If you do opt for a stand-up desk, it's important to get one at the right height. Because each person is different, getting a custom desk built can be prohibitively expensive. A better alternative is to get an adjustable desk. One with hydraulic power can be lowered for occasional sitting and increased to a custom height to suit your individual needs.
Sitting for long periods each day can lead to all manner of illnesses—heart disease, diabetes, vein disease and more. But standing for long periods can also create health risks, especially vein disease.
A Cornell University ergonomics team found that the real solution was simply to move around regularly. If you're sitting at a desk, stand up every 20–30 minutes and move around for two minutes. The movement gets the blood pumping, increases calorie burn, and decreases the risks for heart disease, diabetes and other ailments. This doesn't require vigorous exercise. Simply pacing for a couple of minutes will be enough to undo the damage of sitting for half an hour. This, of course, requires an awareness of the time and a measure of discipline to move when the appointed time arrives. Adding some moderate exercise to your daily routine can do wonders for your health, even without the use of a stand-up desk.

​Active Release Technique (ART) is making news! Articles in mainstream magazines like Men’s Journal and newspapers like the Wall Street Journal are introducing readers to this very effective—yet still little-known—hands-on therapy. So what exactly is ART? And what can it do for you?At the most basic level, ART uses a specific type of massage and movement to promote healing and reduce pain in muscles, tendons, ligaments and other connective tissue. Carpal tunnel syndrome, low back pain and runner’s knee are some of the more common conditions that respond well to ART. New York City chiropractor and ART therapist Keren Day told Men’s Journal, “Tight, dysfunctional muscles are tugging and pulling at the joint or irritating nerves, and often that's what is causing the injury.”
​

ART therapists are experts on how the body’s musculoskeletal system works and know that treating one area can make a difference in the amount of pain felt in another. For example, the psoas muscle, which connects your hip to your spine, can become shortened in those who sit a lot during the day. This causes the pelvis to tilt out of alignment, making the muscles in the lumbar region have to work extra hard to try to keep your hips at the proper angle, leading to chronic low back pain. An ART therapist will dig their thumbs deep into the psoas to release the tension in the muscle, taking the strain off the muscles in the lower back. Day says, “Without addressing the psoas, most lower back pain will always be chronic, and most MDs don't even know what the psoas is.”
In an article in the Wall Street Journal, Jessica Tranchina, a certified ART therapist explains that although the ART technique has long been used by professional athletes, it can be particularly useful for people who spend long hours behind a desk suffering pain in the neck, shoulder and back. But don’t expect treatment to necessarily be a pleasant experience. “This is quite different from a massage,” Tranchina said. “It's not relaxing, in fact it hurts.”
ART therapy involves the practitioner pressing deep into the body’s soft tissue to break up scar tissue, remove adhesions and slowly stretch shortened muscles to release the trapped nerves that are contributing to chronic pain.
Boston Magazine recently interviewed Dr. Kate Kelly, from Active Recovery Boston, who is an ART therapist. Kelly said, “Problems such as headaches, shoulder pain, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, sciatica, knee pain, and plantar fasciitis are just a few examples of soft tissue injuries. Scar tissue is often an underlying component to injuries, whether the injury is acute, chronic, traumatic, or overuse related. ART is highly effective for locating and eliminating scar tissue.” She added, “Truly anyone can develop soft tissue injuries through trauma, stress, or overuse of muscles.”
Many chiropractors who work regularly with athletes are trained in ART, so ask yours if he or she thinks it may be a good addition to your regular adjustments. If you suffer from chronic musculoskeletal pain, adding ART therapy may be the answer.

​When most people first hear that the Washington Redskins football team has a Team Chiropractor, they’re probably not all that surprised. After all, we've all seen football games and witnessed the physical punishment that the athletes endure in every game. In fact, it would be more surprising if the quarterback who was just sacked by a 250-pound linebacker weighing 250 running at full speed WASN’T looking for a good chiropractor! However, what most football fans may not know is that the Redskins' Team Chiropractor treats as many team cheerleaders as he does football players.

One reason for this is that the sport responsible for the most injuries to women – and the most catastrophic injuries – is not bungee jumping or skydiving but (drumroll) cheerleading. Recent studies have indicated that two-thirds of the serious sports injuries reported by women in the United States occur in connection with cheerleading. The number of cheerleading-related emergency room visits increased from around 5,000 in 1980 to over 26,000 by 2007.  The Consumer Products Safety Commission estimates that there were almost 37,000 emergency room visits for cheerleading injuries among girls aged 6 to 22 in 2011.
Some of these injuries occur as the result of falls from the top of one of the "pyramids" built by cheerleaders during their performances.  And sometimes, the “flyers" who are launched into the air by their teams don’t land properly. But a much larger number of injuries are actually suffered by the cheerleaders who form the "bases" of the pyramids, supporting the weight of multiple people on their shoulders, and to the people who end up catching the "flyers." This can cause compression of the spine, inflammation, and other conditions that can leave athletes with reduced capabilities and in considerable pain. Just like the football players, the cheerleaders can try to ignore this chronic pain and injury and "play through it", or they can try to treat it with drugs. But both of these approaches can create additional risks and have debilitating effects, particularly if used over an extended long period of time. In some cases, athletes may be unable to continue with their cheerleading careers.
That's where Doctors of Chiropractic like Dr. Hirad N. Bagy come in. Having previously worked with athletes on national and professional soccer teams, he became the Team Chiropractor for the Washington Redskins in 2010. In this capacity, he and his staff have improved the health of both the players and the cheerleaders.
One reason that chiropractic care is well-suited for these types of sports-related injuries is that it doesn’t involve drugs, and is based on non-surgical, non-intrusive ways of helping the injured body to heal itself. Doctors of Chiropractic, especially those with a specialization in sports medicine, can help the athletes to heal more quickly from sprains and chronic back pain. They can also investigate the risk factors that led to the injuries, and provide advice for how to avoid them in the future. Chiropractors have broad diagnostic skills as well as the training to prescribe therapeutic, rehabilitative and preventive exercises. They can also provide nutritional and lifestyle counseling to help the athletes not only become healthy again but stay healthy.
One of the Redskins' cheerleaders has said, "I've experienced multiple injuries during my career as a cheerleader…that chiropractic care has always helped me recover from." Another says, "Without chiropractic care I would not have made it past my first year." If chiropractic has been of this much value to professional athletes, isn't it worth evaluating to see if it could benefit you as well?

One interesting thing to note is that American children are more likely to have food allergies than children in other nations. It may be due in part to Americans being better-off than people in other countries. The CDC noted on their website that, "Food and respiratory allergy prevalence increased with income level. Children with family income equal to or greater than 200% of the poverty level had the highest prevalence rates."

Experts surmise that the immune systems of people in poorer and undeveloped nations get exposed to pathogens far more often than people in nations with higher standards of cleanliness and more access to antibiotics. Exposure to a wide range of microbes at an early age helps to ensure that the immune system is kept busy and learns early to recognize the difference between a dangerous microbe and a harmless one. Many children in the US now grow up in homes so clean that they encounter relatively few germs until they are exposed to them in school.

Another issue is the reluctance of parents to feed their children foods that may possibly cause an allergy. For example, some women avoid eating peanuts during pregnancy and will not feed them to their children until they are older. However, if we look at the rate of peanut allergies in Israel, it is far lower than that in the US. The primary difference between the two countries is that Israeli parents feed their children peanut snacks at a far earlier age than American parents do.

The American diet also consists of far more processed foods and GMOs than the diets of other countries. The side effects of genetically modified foods have still not been thoroughly investigated, but more studies are finding health issues in animals fed genetically modified foods. In addition, conventionally-raised meat in the US is typically fed hormones and antibiotics, which may be wreaking havoc with our own immune systems when we eat meat from these animals.

Extensive pesticide and herbicide use can also increase the risk of food allergies. A study published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology found that people exposed to chemicals called dichlorophenols (DCPs) were more likely to develop food allergies. These chemicals are created when common pesticides and herbicides break down. People with the highest level of this chemical were more than twice as likely to have a food allergy.

The best thing you can do to help ensure that you and your family do not develop food allergies is to eat whole foods from reliable sources as often as your household budget will allow. Organically-grown foods may be one part of the answer. To be labeled “100% organic,” foods must not have been exposed to pesticides and herbicides, has not received hormones or antibiotics, and cannot be genetically modified. In addition, don’t be afraid of getting dirty! Regular exposure to germs helps keep your immune system exercised and it will be less likely to overreact to harmless microbes.

Here’s a quick overview of several nutrients that play a key role in keeping your nervous system healthy and working the way it should.

Vitamin B1 (thiamin)

A deficiency of this vitamin can give you that pins-and-needles sensation in the toes or burning feet, especially at night. Good foods for vitamin B1 are beef liver, seafood, brewer's yeast, beans, eggs and sunflower seeds.

Vitamin B6

Nerve cell communication suffers without this vitamin. Two key neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin, depend on vitamin B6 for their production. Bananas, potatoes, and chick peas are good sources.

Vitamin B12

A shortage of this vitamin can result in tingling and numbness in the hands and feet. Clams, fish, eggs, meat and dairy products are key sources of vitamin B12.

Copper

Like vitamin B6, this mineral is essential for the production of neurotransmitters. A severe lack of copper in your diet can lead to spinal cord degeneration and a progressive failure of nerve function. Liver and oysters are the best sources. Add prunes, spinach and kale (as well as other dark, leafy green vegetables), and nuts to your diet for even more copper.

Healthy foods for good nervous system function include the following:

Spinach—In addition to containing a powerhouse stock of nutrients and vitamins, this leafy green vegetable also contains an abundance of antioxidants to boost overall health and slow down the aging of the brain and nervous system.

Whole grains—Brown rice in particular contains high levels of vitamin B6, which helps to protect against mental deterioration caused by high levels of harmful homocysteines. Whole grains also include magnesium, which is important for the health of your nervous system. Stabilized rice bran contains one of the highest levels of antioxidants of all known foods.

Cocoa—This contains a powerful antioxidant that puts the brakes on oxidative stress that can lead to Alzheimer's and similar neurological ailments. It is also high in magnesium.

Whey—An excellent food for a naturally calming effect. Rich in L-tryptophan, which the body cannot produce, this essential amino acid is vital in the production of serotonin, an essential neurotransmitter. Low levels of serotonin can lead to depression.

Garlic—This not only includes antioxidants, but garlic can help prevent aging of the brain and prevent infections, too.

So try working more of the above foods into your weekly menus, and feel pleased that you are doing something good for the health of your nervous system!

Chiropractors believe that an optimally working body has the ability to heal itself. Chronic stress, trauma, lack of sleep and unhealthy, inactive lifestyles interfere with the body’s natural healing ability. Any of these conditions can cause spinal subluxations that restrict movement, cause pain and create a nervous system that doesn’t function as it should. When messages from the nervous system are not efficiently sent and received, it can compound your health problem until it gets to the point where drugs or surgery are required.

A chiropractor can correct whatever spinal subluxations are interfering with the smooth operation of your nervous system when they first appear. A body that is in proper alignment is far less likely to become injured. With the increased strength and range of motion that chiropractic care provides, you are able to move in a way that prevents accidents and falls. Your body also has a better capacity to heal itself due to proper nerve signaling and increased blood flow.

Doctors of Chiropractic are not only experts at treating your musculoskeletal system, they can also provide you with important information to help keep you well. This includes advice on a suitable diet, nutritional supplements, specific exercises you can do at home and other useful tips and techniques to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle that is more likely to keep you free from pain and help you avoid costly medical treatments. Chiropractic care is holistic and patient-centered, and treatments are designed specifically to meet your individual needs. In cases where traditional medical services are indicated, your chiropractor will refer you to your family MD or an appropriate specialist.

Just as you keep your car maintained with regular check-ups and oil changes to keep it running smoothly and keep it out of the repair shop, so should you treat your body. According to the American Chiropractic Association, “Wellness begins on day one of chiropractic care.” You and your chiropractor can determine an appropriate schedule for regular treatments so you can achieve the all the preventive health benefits that chiropractic care has to offer.

There are many ways in which a chiropractor can adjust your spine. The technique your chiropractor uses will be based on your age, body type and personal preferences. For example, many people enjoy the “popping” noise that joints make when they slide back into alignment, but others find it disturbing. For those who are bothered by it, your chiropractor may choose a low-force technique, such as the Activator Method, which uses a gentle mechanical instrument for performing the adjustment.

To adjust the spine, a load must be placed on a specific area of the back, but that load can vary in its velocity, duration, frequency and amplitude. Some chiropractors are hands-only, meaning that they use no mechanical instruments to assist them in their adjustments. As chiropractic care has developed over the years, mechanical instruments have been developed to assist chiropractors in their adjustments, both in helping with delivering the proper force to the area needing adjustment, as well as employing other therapeutic techniques that assist with or complement your chiropractic adjustment.

For example, both the Active Release Technique and Graston Therapy are actually soft tissue treatments that can be used in conjunction with a traditional chiropractic adjustment to help release adhesions in the soft tissue that are limiting range of motion and that may be contributing to pulling your spine out of alignment. Other forms of complementary therapy that chiropractors often use are ultrasound, electrostimulation, therapeutic massage and physiotherapy.

Some of the most commonly used chiropractic techniques include:

Diversified – Probably the most common technique used, this employs what is referred to as high velocity low amplitude thrust to provide the adjustment.

Gonstead – This technique involves a thorough analysis of the spine, using five different criteria to analyze the subluxations in the spine, including visualization, instrumentation, static palpation, motion palpation and an x-ray analysis.

Activator – Uses a hand-held tool which is a small, spring-loaded plunger that delivers a very quick, gentle, and highly targeted adjustment that is quiet and comfortable for the patient.

Thompson – A special “Drop Table” is used to help carry the joint through its full range of motion after it has been activated by the thrust of the chiropractor’s hands.

Your chiropractor is likely to use a combination of different techniques. Ask which he or she typically uses so you can agree on the ones that may be most helpful for your particular situation.

 

The answer is remarkably simple.  And—interestingly—the Japanese figured it out before we did!  They started to exercise at work.

Workplace exercise in Japan grew out of their philosophy of kaizen, or "continual improvement." That was one of the approaches that helped to lift their economy out of the ruins of World War II and allowed them to rise to world prominence in the fields of manufacturing and business. The idea was to examine every facet of work, analyze it, and see how it could be improved. Through this process, Japanese managers recognized that one of the key drivers of a company’s success is the workers themselves – their physical and mental health (and thus their ability to be productive.

Many Japanese corporations, realizing that more exercise could possibly make their employees healthier and more productive, began to schedule exercise programs during work hours. One of the first experimenters with this approach was Honda. When they hired new employees for the assembly line, instead of putting them to work immediately, they enrolled them in two weeks of exercise classes designed to simulate the movements they would need to perform on the job. Their on-the-job accident rates dropped significantly, the workers' productivity rose, and the employees logged far fewer sick days.

Other Japanese companies soon followed suit, scheduling on-the-job exercise sessions for all workers, not just those in manual labor positions. Again, productivity rose, the number of accidents and sick days fell, and over time, the cost of health care dropped. Now, a few years later, exercise programs at work are so common in Japan that there is a radio station – Radio Taiso – that plays nothing but music to exercise to, along with instructions for simple, low-impact aerobic exercises to be performed in groups. Companies who allow their workers to take periodic exercise breaks have noticed that in addition to the health benefits mentioned before, employee morale and their sense of camaraderie has increased, and that their employees feel as if they are more a part of a community than a corporation.

Some American companies are following in the footsteps of Japanese companies, and are beginning to schedule on-the-job exercise programs for their employees as well. Google – often cited as "the best company in America to work for" – not only allows its employees to get up from their desks and exercise, they mandate it. Having learned that sitting for too long is the cause of many of America's most widespread health issues (such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, etc.), Google actually requires its employees to get up periodically and stretch, walk around, or take part in one of the many exercise programs it offers. And again, the wisdom of this approach shows up in the "bottom line," in the form of higher productivity, lower absenteeism, and lower overall health costs. Hopefully more companies will follow their lead, and everyone will benefit.

There’s no doubt that a little bit of time watching TV, working on a computer, playing video games or using a tablet or smartphone can be useful. However, it’s also become increasingly clear that long, uninterrupted periods of screen time can cause real problems. This can be a result of the screen-watching activity itself as well as what’s NOT happening while an individual is focused on the screen. While there’s growing evidence that both adults and children are at risk, the rest of this article will focus on kids and what their parents need to know.

Most young children aren’t very good at moderating their behavior or setting their own limits. This means that it’s ultimately an adult’s responsibility to do it for them until they can exercise their own good judgment. And this is true EVEN THOUGH IT TAKES TIME AND EFFORT FROM THE ADULT AND IS OFTEN INCONVENIENT. As tempting as it may be to use devices with screens as electronic "babysitters" to free up your own time, being a parent or caregiver means keeping the child’s needs in mind, too.

Following is a brief summary of the most-widely circulated guidelines for children’s screen time (entertainment-oriented use of electronics), based on recommendations made by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Under 2 years—No screen time

2–5 years—One hour of preschool TV, but no computer time

5–8 years—One hour

Over 8 years—Two hours

The first couple of years are particularly critical for a child. This is the time when a baby’s brain goes through the most rapid growth and development. Children need to explore and to engage with their broader environment. When these opportunities are limited or “crowded out” in favor of engaging with electronic devices, their cognitive and social development may be altered in negative ways we don’t yet understand. At the same time, researchers have not been able to establish that screen time of any sort (regardless of the media) has any real benefit for very young children. This is why the American Academy of Pediatrics believes that infants younger than two years shouldn’t have any screen time. Media companies and advertisers of infant-oriented products may tell you otherwise, but their interests are probably not the same as yours when it comes to the best interests of your child.

Many of your child’s most basic preferences and habits are developing between the ages of 2 and 5. Simply put, the prevailing wisdom is that electronic babysitters offer no substitute for the physical activity and social interaction kids need at this age. In fact, to the extent that they encourage inactive, solitary play, they may actually pose real health risks on several fronts.  For instance, if your child is sedentary, he or she may have an increased risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease later on, and may be slower to develop physical skills. If he or she doesn’t have regular social interaction with other adults and children, emotional problems and depression may be more likely.   

By challenging your young children with a broad range of physical, intellectual and social activities, you offer them a developmental advantage. While media may have a place in the mix, experts agree that it should be a small one. Television specifically geared to preschoolers (think Sesame Street) can help expand your child's awareness of learning concepts, but it shouldn’t be occupy more than an hour a day.

Between 5 and 8 years old, children can handle a little bit of screen time without it jeopardizing their development. Just be sure to set firm limits and encourage them to spend at least some of their screen time doing things that will enhance learning and hand-eye coordination.

As your children grow older, teaching them to live within certain sensible limits (in this case, by regulating screen time) and explaining why these limits exist can help them begin to look out for their own health and develop their own sense of self-discipline. Life lessons like these have value in and of themselves. So while your kids may not appreciate your efforts to restrict their use of electronic media, there can be very real longer-term benefits for your kids and for your family as a whole. It’s worth the effort! 

1) Make sure your legs are bent at a 90° angle – This is the best angle to help reduce excess stress to the lower back while you are performing a sit-up. You should be sure to do your sit-ups on a cushioned surface such as a mat or carpet. With your legs bent, there should still be just enough of a curve in your lower back so it does not touch the floor.

2) Cross your arms over your chest – The traditional hands behind the neck posture for sit-ups sometimes causes people to pull on the neck during the upward movement, which can overstretch it and cause neck pain. Instead, cross your arms over your chest and tighten your abdominal muscles to slowly lift your head and upper body off the floor.

3) Lift up only 6 to 10 inches off the floor – There is no need to sit all the way up when doing sit-ups. In fact, according to researchers at the University of Louisville, once you are above a certain angle, different muscles than the abdominals are being worked, so much of that extra effort to condition your abs is in vain.

4) Go slowly, both up and down – Many people slowly raise themselves up, then flop back down. The best workout for your abs is to go slowly, both on the way up and on the way down. This engages the abdominal muscles more fully and is more important than the number of reps you can do.

5) Pace yourself – It is common to start off doing sit-ups quickly, then slow down as your abdominals tire. Start out at a slow, steady pace, and you are more likely to be able to keep it up than if you get burned out early on in your reps.

If you have ever felt a tightness or inability to move a joint in a fluid manner, you likely have a buildup of scar tissue. Our soft tissues (including tendons and ligaments) are made of collagen, which is a substance that looks like strands of rope wound together into a net-like formation called fascia. When an injury occurs, it causes frays, kinks and bends in the collagen strands of the fascia, which create the scar tissue. Ideally, scar tissue is replaced by normal tissue as it heals, but this does not always happen.

Adhesions are small bits of scar tissue that bind the tissues around them, leading to stiffness and a reduction in strength and range of motion. Nerves often become trapped in these adhesions, creating “trigger points” from which pain can radiate. Painful movements lead to less activity, and less activity leads to a further reduced range of motion. Because scar tissue has less circulation and is less flexible and elastic than normal muscle tissue, muscles become shorter and weaker. It is important to remove these scar tissue adhesions in order to reduce pain and restore strength and the proper range of motion.

Therapies such as the Active Release Technique (ART), Graston Technique and Myofascial Release are used by some chiropractors as a way of breaking up scar tissue to release trapped nerves and restore greater range of motion. The Graston Technique uses stainless steel instruments to break up the fascia, whereas ART and Myofascial Release employ a direct hands-on approach to remove adhesions and break up scar tissue.

Many chiropractors incorporate one or both of the above therapies into their practice to help increase their patient’s strength and range of movement, as well as helping their chiropractic adjustments to last longer. The more fluid and free of scar tissue the musculoskeletal system, the less likely tense muscles will pull the spine back out of alignment. So ask your chiropractor if he or she offers one of these therapies. 

The important thing to understand about the biomechanical chain is that if one link is broken, it will likely affect others in an adverse manner. The human body is brilliantly designed to compensate for these types of problems, but this compensation usually comes with a price as other parts of the body absorb additional or unusual stresses. For example, structural weakness, misalignment or asymmetries in the feet can trigger changes further up the body, particularly in the ankles, knees, hips, back and neck.

There is a similar cause-and-effect relationship that can begin with just a single misaligned vertebra in the back. Resulting pain may cause the person to favor one leg over the other while walking, resulting in further distortion of the posture and greater misalignment, resulting in even more problems and pain.

The study of mechanics concerns itself with how matter reacts to forces, which can involve pressure and/or motion. We see this when someone uses a simple lever and fulcrum to lift a heavy object. Biomechanics merely takes these same simple principles and applies them to the body. The field of biomechanics includes both static (body at rest and in balance) and dynamic (body in motion) aspects.

By studying the structure of the body and the forces involved in staying at rest or being in motion, scientists, doctors and physical therapists can better understand sources of injury and teach improved ways to perform repetitive or even competitive actions. Greater understanding of the biomechanical chain can help improve sports performance, functional training, and strength and conditioning. It can also help with injury management, rehabilitation and even injury prevention.

Poor biomechanics can lead to a range of musculoskeletal problems. When the body has to overcompensate for poor biomechanics, it has to work harder to produce the same effect. This leads to greater fatigue and pain. Even something as simple and seemingly low-stress as sitting at a computer desk can result in tension, stiffness and possible spasms in one or both arms, for example.

Your chiropractor is an expert at spotting structural problems in the biomechanical chain and can advise you about the best options for treatment. Regular chiropractic adjustments and close attention to the health and well-being of your body’s musculoskeletal system can help keep your biomechanical chain in good working order.

When it comes to ease-of-movement, problems with our hips usually take a back seat to other joint problems that become more obvious as our musculoskeletal system ages. In particular, our back and knees are prone to problems that can restrict our activities and cause chronic pain. However, the health of our hips is actually crucially important in ensuring that we maintain mobility into old age because they are the center around which the forces of movement revolve. 

Pain in both our back and our knees is often due to decreased hip mobility. A chronic lack of exercise combined with long hours of sitting, which is common to people with a desk job, causes the muscles around the hips (particularly the hip flexors) to become shorter and weaker. When this happens, range of motion is decreased and the back and knees take on much of the work that healthy mobile hips normally would. This causes the back and knees to work harder and can result in overuse injuries. If you’ve ever strained your back when picking up a heavy object, it may have been due to a lack of strength and mobility in your hips. In order to help prevent future injury to your back and knees, following are some of the best exercises for hip health and mobility.

Hip swings – Steady yourself with one hand on the back of a chair or similar object. Swing one leg forward and back, keeping it straight, and being sure to move from the hip and not the thigh. Do fifteen of these on each leg. Then change direction and practice swinging your leg across the front of your body and out to the side. Do fifteen sets of these as well. Try to move your torso as little as possible when doing this exercise for the greatest benefit.

Forward lunge – Standing with your feet hip-width apart, lunge forward with your right leg, bringing your left knee to the floor. Shift your weight forward until your right knee is perpendicular over your foot and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat lunge on opposite side.

Dog at the hydrant – While on hands and knees, lift one leg out to the side and draw small clockwise circles in the air with your knee, gradually making them larger. Then do the same using counter-clockwise circles. Repeat with the other leg.

Lying butterfly and variation – While lying on your back, bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together, with your knees pointing out to the sides. Hold for 30 seconds. Then bring your knees up so you are lying with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Bring the outside of your left ankle to rest on your right knee. Reach with your left hand through the little triangle made by your left leg to interlace your fingers behind your right thigh and gently pull your right leg toward your body (with your ankle still resting on the front of your knee). Repeat with the other leg.

There’s a well-known quip that goes “It’s not my willpower that I have problems with, it’s my won’t power.” Whether it’s dieting, quitting smoking, or just getting out of bed in the morning, our willpower is put to the test nearly every day. Some people seem to have more of it than others. So are there things you can do to improve your self-control? Experts suggest that there are.

Self-control is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it becomes. And the benefits to your life overall are considerable. Dr. Roy Baumeister, professor of psychology at Florida State University, says “Kids do better in school, people do better at work. Look at just about any major category of problem that people are suffering from and odds are pretty good that self-control is implicated in some way.”

In some ways, self-control is a finite resource. In a scientific study, subjects who were asked to exert self-control on a first task did worse on a second similar task. This was in contrast to their counterparts in the control group, who did not have to use self-control for the first task and performed just as well on the second task as the first.

Self-control has been shown to be associated with blood glucose levels. The lower your blood glucose, the less your self-control. This may be a large part of the reason why dieting is so difficult. Dieticians’ advice to dieters to eat several small meals a day is likely due to this phenomenon. “You need the energy from food to have the willpower to exert self-control in order to succeed on your diet,” Baumeister said.

Interestingly, a study conducted by researchers at the University of Georgia found that it was not necessary to ingest glucose in order for it to have an effect on willpower. In the study, published in the journal Psychological Science, researchers divided study subjects into one of two groups. They had the first group rinse their mouth with lemonade sweetened with sugar, and the second group rinsed their mouth with lemonade sweetened with Splenda, which does not raise blood glucose. The first group did far better on self-control tasks than the Splenda group. The lead author, Leonard Martin, wrote, “Researchers used to think you had to drink the glucose and get it into your body to give you the energy to (have) self-control. After this trial, it seems that glucose stimulates the simple carbohydrate sensors on the tongue. This, in turn, signals the motivational centers of the brain where our self-related goals are represented. These signals tell your body to pay attention.”

Both sleep and remembering powerful emotional experiences can have a positive effect on self-control. Laughing or watching a comedy film increased subjects’ self-control in scientific studies. Distraction is also useful. If you can distract yourself with something else (looking at cute cats on Facebook, for example), you are less likely to be tempted to give in to impulse.

Experts advise that like any exercise, you start small and work your way up. New Years’ resolutions are so often broken because people decide to change too many things at once. Pick one resolution, such as quitting smoking, and work on it until you have mastered it. Then you can move on to another. You are far more likely to be successful that way.

There are many different reasons why people may choose to become vegetarian, ranging from personal issues to ethical or environmental concerns. Some people stop eating meat for health reasons, and others just don’t like the way it tastes. For meat-eaters who are primarily interested in becoming vegetarian to improve their overall health, what does the science say? Are vegetarians really any healthier than people who eat meat? 

The results of a recent study of over 70,000 Seventh Day Adventists published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that the male vegetarians in the group had a 12% lower risk of death from any cause than the meat eaters. Interestingly, the study found that a vegetarian diet did not seem to benefit women any more than a meat-based one, and there was no greater protection against cancer in either group. The researchers noted that vegetarians tend to exercise more, be thinner and smoke and drink less than those who eat meat. They naturally eat far more healthy fruits and vegetables than meat eaters, which provide plenty of disease-fighting vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Although eating less meat is a good idea for just about everyone, just removing all meat from your diet does not guarantee good health. Vegetarians must ensure that they are receiving sufficient amounts of the vitamins and minerals that are difficult to find in a non-meat diet, such as zinc, vitamin B12 and iron. Although iron can be found in vegetables as well, it is non-heme iron, a form that is not as easily absorbed as the heme iron in meat. You can technically be a vegetarian by eating a meal of French fries, a coke and a chocolate chip cookie, but that is not healthier than a meal consisting of a moderate amount of lean grass-fed beef, broccoli.

In general, the meat itself is not the only issue when it comes to the health of meat-eaters. It is also the items that accompany it that tend to contribute to nutritional problems. Take, for instance, a hamburger. Most red meat comes from animals that have been raised on large factory farms where they are given hormones and antibiotics. That’s one unhealthy element of meat right there that can be eliminated by eating grass-fed organic meat, which must not receive any of these chemicals. Then that same burger is usually accompanied by highly processed and/or fried carbohydrates such as burger buns, mashed potatoes or chips, and a large sugary soda.

More current studies are finding that refined carbohydrates are causing the most chronic disease in our culture. Native cultures that have a high intake of fat and/or meat (such as the Masai and the Inuits) actually have lower rates of heart disease and diabetes than our culture, which eats less meat and saturated fat, but far more carbohydrates.

There is little doubt that eating less meat would be better for both our health and the health of the planet. But becoming vegetarian will not necessarily improve your health any more than eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables and eliminating refined carbohydrates.