Regular Chiropractic Care and Personal Fitness

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Getting regular exercise is not a cure-all. Although it's very difficult to maintain good health if you're not exercising consistently, exercise in itself is not enough. Additional components  of a healthy lifestyle include good nutrition, sufficient rest, intangibles such as a positive outlook on life, and regular chiropractic care.

Regular chiropractic care ties together all the other things you're doing to achieve high levels of personal health and wellness. By identifying, analyzing, and correcting spinal misalignment's, your chiropractor is helping to reduce nerve interference and helping to facilitate optimal functioning of all your body's physiological systems. As a result, you're able to make maximum use of the good foods you're eating and get the most out of your exercise time. By making these healthy lifestyle choices, including regular chiropractic care, you're choosing to enhance your personal health and well-being.

Your Own Personal Trainer

Back in the day, there were no personal trainers. If you needed to learn how to exercise, you got a subscription to one of a few well-known "muscle magazines" and read several  issues cover to cover. Then yo joined a "Y" and began to discreetly observe what was going on in the weight room, trying to match up what you had read in the magazine with that you were seeing in the gym. Eventually, you put together a series of exercises, sets, and reps that worked for you. Back then, any strength training program you developed would be strictly based on the seat-of-the-pants approach. You learned by trial and error.

Today there is a vast body of scientific literature focused on the various benefits of numerous forms and types of exercise. However, scientific studies are not good at evaluating the how-to's of getting fit. Fortunately many informal resources are available, all intended to point you in the right direction. But not all of these resources are accurate or trustworthy, and the challenge is to identify a set of basic principles that will be applicable to your specific situation. 

Firstly, before getting started you need to make sure that it's OK to actually begin. Let your doctor (your family chiropractor, family physician, or internist) know what your're planning to do and have her tell you what you need to watch out for, if anything. Next, you need to make a commitment. Consistency is the key to deriving lasting value from exercise. Additionally, irregular exercise sessions will often lead to injury. If you're serious about getting fit, then make a commitment to yourself to participate in a 12-week program. At the end of 12 weeks, you'll evaluate how you feel, what you've accomplished, and whether you want to keep going.

In terms of strength training (that is, weight lifting), three sessions per week is ideal, thus avoiding potential for overwork and injury. But, you may find that an alternate set of split routines works best for you. The key is to start slowly and build up strength gradually. Once you have some experience and an improved level of fitness, you may branch out and vary your basic routine, experimenting and seeing what works best for you. In terms of sets and repetitions (reps), three sets per exercise and eight to 12 repetitions per set represent the classical, tried and true method of getting fit and making gradual strength gains over time. For any strength training exercise, start with a weight at which you can do eight repetitions comfortably. This should be neither too easy, nor too difficult. Of course, it's far better to err on the side of caution. You never want to do too much too soon.

As you do along in your fitness program, you'll add core exercise and aerobic exercise such as walking, swimming, biking, and running. If you work out slowly and gradually and maintain consistency, you'll have a great deal of fun and gain substantially improved levels of health and well-being.

Storer TW, et al: Effect of supervised, periodized exercise training vs. self-directed training on lean body mass and other fitness variables in health club members. J Strength Cond Red 28 (7): 1995-2006, 2014

Kahle N, Tevald MA: Core muscle strengthening's improvement of balance performance in community-dwelling older adults: a pilot study. J Aging Phy Act 22 (1):65-73, 2014

Huffman KM, et al: Metabolite signatures of exercise training in human skeletal muscle related to mitochondrial remodeling and cardiometabolic fitness. Diabetologia 2014 Aug 5. [Epub ahead of print]  

Chiropractic Care and Long-Term Health

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Whenever we think about long-term health and well being, we may also think of regular chiropractic care. In addition to periodic check-ups for blood pressure, laboratory tests, and other aspects of health care maintenance, regular chiropractic care helps ensure that your nerve system is intact and functioning effectively. Importantly, if your nerve system is not doing its job, other steps you're taking to achieve good health may come up short.

For example, regular vigorous exercise and a nutritious diet are key components of a healthy lifestyle. But if your nerve system is not appropriately coordinating the functioning of your musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory, gastrointestinal, and hormonal systems on a moment-by-moment basis, you may not achieve the benefits you're hoping for from your investment of time and effort. By helping your nerve system function at peak levels, regular chiropractic care assists in the achievement of long-term good health.

The Long View

In general most people pay close attention to auto maintenance. Whether the concern is tires, brakes, transmission, or windshield status, people make sure that their cars do what they need them to do. People count on their cars to perform effectively. No one wants a surprise, especially in a critical situation. But in stark contrast, people often give much less consideration to their own physical functioning and capacity than they do to several critical performance factors related to their own automobiles.

The metaphor of machine upkeep standing in for health maintenance is commonplace but apt. To prove the point, most of us allow our physical conditioning to deteriorate far beyond that which we would ever tolerate relative to our cars or even our power lawnmowers. The immediate consequences of such neglect are the developed world epidemic in diabetes, the United-States-based epidemic in obesity, and the ongoing high levels of cardiovascular disease worldwide.

What redress is required with respect to our physical health and welfare? As with our cars, the long view is needed. If we lease a new car every year, upkeep is not an issue beyond an oil and filter change or two. But if we want our car to continue to perform reliably for three, five, or ten years, regularly scheduled service is necessary. Our cars need check-ups every 12 months or so. As flesh-and-blood organisms, we require a similar schedule of maintenance.

Importantly, feeling fine is not necessarily a good guide to how we're doing from a health perspective. High blood pressure, for example, is known as the "silent killer." There are no fully recognizable signs and symptoms of hypertension, until its too late. By the time a person has had a debilitating heart attack or stroke, high blood pressure has probably been in place for years. Similarly, the early symptoms and signs of diabetes are subtle and seemingly harmless. Fatigue and an inability to focus may be ignored or interpreted as mere symptoms of an overly stressed lifestyle. Frequent thirst and frequent urination might be conveniently explained away as side effects of poor eating habits. Again, serious damage may be done, possibly involving one's kidneys and one's vision, as a result of undiagnosed and untreated diabetes.

The solution to helping prevent such potentially serious health problems is to make sure you have regular check-ups. Operating on the long view, rather than operating as the proverbial ostrich (with his head buried in the sand) or the proverbial grasshopper (who fiddled all day), we will have annual or biannual blood pressure reading and blood tests. Appropriate scheduling for such check-ups will be specific to the individual, based upon age, past medical history,and family history. The critical takeaway is to practice preventive health care based on the long view. Perform personal maintenance and service checks as needed. 

Harness the Power of Hybrid Vigor

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Certain things in life just go together naturally. In the kitchen, peanut butter and jelly is a classic combination. Another such pairing is apple pie and ice cream.Other categories of life experience, such as human performance, prize the association of freedom and creativity. And in the field of health care, exercise and nutrition are two pillars of a solid foundation for long-term wellness and well-being.

The combination of exercise and nutrition makes intuitive sense, of course, but it's useful and informative to drill deeper into this relationship. Regarding exercise, almost any type of this activity is beneficial.¹ "Whatever works for you" is a time-honored principle in fitness. Swimming, running, bicycling, lifting weights, playing basketball, doing yoga, and walking all provide substantial benefit for people. What's best is to do the things you like to do. Hidden beneath the surface, however, is a very interesting fact. If you combine certain types of exercise, specifically, if you do both strength-training activities and cardiovascular exercises during the course of a week, you'll obtain enhanced results. Interestingly, both your strength and endurance will improve more rapidly compared to doing only one type of activity.

Beyond expedited improvement (and the great satisfaction many of us derive from lifting heavier weights in the gym and running faster on the track), improved strength and endurance are very closely linked to numerous important indicators of optimal health and well-being. It's the combination that makes the difference.^2,3

Similarly, good nutrition is not only a matter of making sure that every food group is represented in your daily diet. Choosing foods from the fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains, and dairy groups is the key first step in all nutritional programs that provide lasting value. But, again, there are hidden relationships. Combining proteins and carbohydrates at every meal causes improved digestion and improved absorption of all nutrients. By more efficiently breaking down the food you eat and more effectively absorbing valuable nutrients, you derive enhanced benefit from the calories you're consuming. You gain more energy to use throughout the day and are able to perform at a higher level. As a result, your sleep is more restful and you wake up refreshed, ready to engage with whatever challenges the new day brings.

The principle behind the power of these various combinations is that of hybrid vigor. The concept is derived from studies of genetics in the 19th century in which it was discovered that cross-breeding often produced hardier plants. We, too, can harness this principle to become hardier ourselves, enabling us to enjoy long-term health, wellness, and well-being.

¹Lackland DT, Voecks JH: Metabolic syndrome and hypertension: regular exercise as part of lifestyle management. Curr Hypertens Rep 2014 Nov;16(11):492. doi: 10.1007/s11906-014-0492-2
²Sigal RJ, el al: Effects of Aerobic Training, Resistance Training, or Both on Percentage Body Fat and Cardiometabolic Risk Markers in Obese Adolescents: The Healthy Eating Aerobic and Resistance Training in Youth Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Pediatr 2014 Sep 22. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2014.1392. [Epub ahead of print]
³Ho SS, et al: The effect of 12 weeks of aerobic, resistance or combination exercise training on cardiovascular risk factors in the overweight and obese in a randomized trial. BMC Public Health 2012 Aug 28;12:704. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-704

What are Symptoms?

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With gas prices through the roof, everyone hates to see that low fuel light come on!

As bad as the low fuel light is, it really is pivotal. It is a symptom of a low tank and a WARNING that unless you do something about it you will be "hoofing" it soon!

When it comes to health, pain or other symptoms are just the same. Symptoms are warnings! A "low health" light if you will.

Unfortunately, many people look for the quickest way to cover up the symptom and then move along. They ignore the warning and think that if the symptom is gone then the problem is gone. NOT TRUE! It would be no different than putting tape over the low fuel light and then just keep driving. It is no wonder that so many people are so sick and suffering.

Chiropractic addresses the cause not the symptom!

Health Statistics and You

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We are awash in numbers, thanks in large part to the proliferation of personal mobile devices and the wrong-headed use of so-called big data.¹ But applying statistical tools to the same set of data can support competing theories and lead to contradictory results. Such conflicting outcomes, known as antinomies if you remember Philosophy 101, cannot logically co-exist, and the field of statistics gets a bad reputation as a result. But big data can provide substantial value for people as individual patients. The key is to set some ground rules and understand the limitations of statistical investigation.

First and foremost, it's important to gain some clarity regarding the concept of false positives in regards to health. This statistical construct is familiar to all of us, although we may not be aware of it. If one of your doctors sends you for a laboratory test and the results are "positive", you'll be sent for follow-up tests until a final determination is made. If the final test turns out "negative", then the earlier results represented a false positive. The test results said you had the condition or disease, but in fact you did not.

False positives create numerous serious problems, not the least of which is the emotional toll of stress, anxiety, and fear experienced by the patient and her family and close friends. This is especially true when the suspected disease is a malignancy or other serious, life-threatening condition. It's useful and empowering for people to learn that 5% of all test results are falsely positive right from the start. Medical tests are designed this way. The 5% false positive rate is a necessary part of statistical analysis. It's built-in to the statistical design. In other words, test values that represent "normal" are obtained by cutting off the bottom 2.5% and the top 2.5% of a large sample of results from people who are "normal" for the thing being tested, such as white blood cell count or hemoglobin level.

Thus, 5% of normal people automatically have false positive results. Another way of stating this outcome is to consider that if you undergo a panel of 20 blood tests, one result (5% of 20) will be positive no matter what.

The vast majority of patients are not familiar with the statistical concept of false positive results.² With a basic understanding of this construct and its implications, patients could ask their doctors meaningful questions such as, "What do the test results mean?,", "Have you considered the possibility of a false positive result?," and "How will the additional tests you're recommending affect decision-making in my case?"

Posing such questions is tremendously empowering for you, the patient, and helps reestablish equity in the doctor-patient relationship.³ As a health care consumer, a little knowledge goes a long way. Gaining more than a little knowledge by reading articles on diagnostic methods and health care decision-making will further strengthen your own process as a patient. 

¹Bates DW, et al: Big data in health care: using analytics to identify and manage high-risk and high-cost patients. Health Aff (Millwood) 33(7):1123-31, 2014
²Paddock SM: Statistical benchmarks for health care provider performance assessment: a comparison of standard approaches to a hierarchical Bayesian histogram-based method. Health Serv Res 49(3):1056-73, 2014
³Stacey D, et al: Decision aids for people facing health treatment or screening decisions. Cochane Database Syst Rev 28;1:CD001431, 2014

Your Own Personal Trainer

Back in the day, there were no personal trainers. If you needed to learn how to exercise, you got a subscription to one of a few well-known "muscle magazines" and read several issues from cover to cover. Then you joined a "Y" and began to discreetly observe what was going in the weight room, trying to match up what you had read in the magazine with what you were seeing in the gym. Eventually, you put together a series of exercises, sets, and reps that worked for you. Back then, any strength training program you developed would be strictly based on a seat-of-the-pants approach. You learned by trial and error.

Today there is a vast body of scientific literature focused on the various benefits of numerous forms and types of exercise.¹However, scientific studies are not good at evaluating the how-to's of getting fit. Fortunately many informal resources are available, all intended to point you in the right direction. But not all of these resources are accurate or trustworthy, and the challenge is to identify a set of basic principles that will be applicable to your specific situation.

Firstly, before getting started you need to make sure that it's OK to actually get started. Let your  doctor (your family chiropractor, family physician, or internist) know what you're planning to do and have her tell you what you need to watch out for, if anything. Next, you need to make a commitment. Consistency is the key to deriving lasting value from exercise. Additionally, irregular exercise sessions will often lead to injury. If you're serious about getting fit, then make a commitment to yourself to participate in a 12-week program. At the end of 12 weeks, you'll evaluate how you feel, what you've accomplished, and whether you want to keep going. 

In terms of strength training (that is, weight lifting), three sessions per week is ideal. By doing "split routines" you can exercise all the major muscle groups each week. On one day you'll do exercises for the chest and back. Another day you'll do exercises for the legs. On the third day you'll focus on the shoulders, biceps, and triceps. This set of split routines will produce optimal results for many people.

Importantly, you'll be doing chest and triceps (and back and biceps) on different days, thus avoiding the potential for overwork and injury. But you may find that an alternate set of split routines works best for you. The key is to start slowly and build up strength gradually. Once you have some experience and an improved level of fitness, you may branch out and vary your basic routine, experimenting and seeing what works best for you. In terms of sets and repetitions (reps), three sets per exercise and eight to 12 repetitions per set represent the classical, tried and true method of getting fit and making gradual strength gains over time. For any strength training exercise, start with a weight at which you can do eight repetitions comfortably. This should be neither too easy, nor too difficult. Of course, it's far better to err on the side of caution. You never want to do too much too soon.

As you go along in your fitness program, you'll add core exercise routines² and aerobics exercise such as walking, swimming, biking, and running. If you work out slowly and gradually and maintain consistency, you'll have a great deal of fun and gain substantially improved levels of health and well-being.³

Come visit our Chiropractic office in Orange County, California! 

¹Storer TW, et al: Effect of supervised, periodized exercise training vs. self-directed training on lean body mass and other fitness variables in health club members. J Strength Cond Res 28(7):1995-2006, 2014
²Kahle N, Tevald MA: Core muscle strengthening's improvement of balance performance in community-dwelling older adults: a pilot study. J Aging Phys Act 22(1):65-73, 2014
³Huffman KM, et al: Metabolite signatures of exercise training in human skeletal muscle relate to mitochondrial remodelling and cardiometabolic fitness. Diabetologia 2014 Aug 5. [Epub ahead of print]

How Often Do You Celebrate This?

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It is no secret that I love babies. Watching my daughter, Melika, growing up has been amazing. They're very precious and they can make anyone smile. But let's change gears for a minute. What I'm going to tell you today in this little handout is something you already know, but you make have forgotten about.

You know that your body performs trillions of tasks each and every day, without any conscious input from you. It's automatic. Babies do it, and seniors do it, so it's not something new. I mean you're not sitting around your house, or driving the car and monitoring your blood pressure, or your heart beat, or even how many times you're blinking your eyes. It's just automatic. And it's a good thing it is automatic. Can you imagine trying to monitor a baby's heart rate, or bowel movements the first five years of their life? No way right?

Well one thing is automatic for everyone, including baby's is replacing old cells with new ones. Again you don't sit around and think about how many cells you need to replace or when. Again this process is all automatic.

I've said this before, but I'm going to have to tell you again. You get a new stomach lining every 5 days, which is phenomenal, you get new skin every 28 days and some of us need it, you get a new liver every 6 weeks-so your body is in a state of constant renewal, and therefore there are a lot of things going on that you don't even know about. In the course of every hour, your body produces one trillion new cells. That's a lot of cells. This ongoing process allows your body to repair itself, constructing a whole new you fairly often. This is when the power of chiropractic care is magnified. What do I mean?

Your body looks to its current "pattern" and "structure" to guide the placement of new cells. So what does all of this have to do with your adjustments? Well that's simple. Regular chiropractic care helps reduce unhealthy structures. As new cells replace old cells (and remember this is happening right now) they do so using the healthier pattern that is programmed into your brain and nervous system. This is the nature of healing and why I stress keeping your spine aligned and free of interference. We are here to work with your body to achieve the best possible YOU! So celebrate the fact that you're adjusted and that your body is functioning better. It really is something you should celebrate.