This unique two-day intensive introduced the main theories, concepts, and research of manual therapy. Significant time was spent in hands-on diagnosis according to the Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) approach via visual inspection, movement patterns, muscle quality and trigger points. The final half of the seminar was spent evaluating the musculoskeletal system for key areas of dysfunction, constructing an individualized set of therapeutic goals and applying strategic manual therapy methods and key exercises to facilitate the recovery and rehabilitation process

Foot care is one of the fastest growing, yet most neglected, areas of healthcare today. The incidence of foot problems increases with age, making this issue timely and important to baby boomers and especially those who suffer from diabetes. 
As well, the popularity of high heels makes this an interesting topic for women as they suffer from four times as many foot problems as men.

When you think of orthotic therapy, you might think of foam impression molding. And you would be correct. This is an innovative diagnostic tool that analyzes your foot. The result is an impression of your foot that provides a thorough clinical assessment to help the doctor prescribe custom orthotics – literally within minutes.

Footmaxx custom orthotics have several uses both for the treatment and prevention of foot problems, especially among diabetics who sometimes can avoid lower extremity amputations with annual screening and gait analysis. As well, abnormal foot function can lead to ankle, leg, knee, hip and even lower back problems.

The purpose of this article is to advise you of your treatment options and how custom orthotics can (and have) helped thousands of people. Please call me at your earliest convenience in order to determine if Footmaxx custom orthotics are the right treatment option for you.

Most people have trouble fitting exercise into their schedule. But there are the select few where it becomes addictive. You know the saying, “Some is good, more is never better when it comes to the body” and exercise is no exception. Excessive exercise is hard to identify and treat because it easy to rationalize what is viewed as a healthy behavior. However, the symptoms are what you would expect: increased fatigue, injury, irritability, and problems with work and relationships because exercise takes priority.

A study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings suggests that too much exercise can actually be harmful to the heart by causing structural changes and damage to the heart and large arteries. A good indicator that exercise is a compulsion is if it is disrupting normal areas of your life, and you experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop working out. As Adam Naylor at Tella Sports Psychology Coaching and a clinical assistant professor at Boston University states, exercise addiction is ”linked closely to disordered behavior; one continues to do it even though there is a physical detriment.” Is this you or someone you know? Professional help may be warranted.

Deardorff, Julie, “Overdoing it on Exercise: When Working out Becomes an Obsession, the Results can be Anything but Healthy.” Chicago Tribune, Feb. 12, 2013.

With diabetes on the rise, especially among our children, the more ways available to help control it, the better. A group of researchers in Australia wanted to find out more about the impact strength training may have not only in controlling glucose for those already diagnosed with diabetes, but to prevent it in those who are at risk.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), American Diabetes Association (ADA), and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommend strength training should be performed twice per week for glucose control. However, there is a lack of evidence to prescribe specific amounts of strength training for those with impaired glucose metabolism (IGM). The Australian study’s goal was to look at a large population-based sample of Australian adults without clinically diagnosed diabetes, but have IGM in order to find better recommendations of frequency and duration of strength training.

What they found was that one strength training session per week or 10-39 minutes/week provided benefit in terms of minimizing the risk of developing diabetes or IGM as compared to those who only performed strength training for less than 10 minutes per week. This was true even after controlling for age, gender, educational level, family history of diabetes, smoking, and leisure time activities.

Great news for the person who has limited time to work out, but needs to for diabetes control or prevention.

Minges, Karl E., et al, “Associations of Strength Training with Impaired Glucose Metabolism: The AusDiab Study.” Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise. Vol. 45, No. 2, Feb. 2013. Pp. 299 – 303.

The first guidelines for pregnancy and exercise were released by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) in 1995. So much has changed since then. In 2011, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) felt the need to re-evaluate the need and importance of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) with exercise during pregnancy. In the past, the concern with exercise and LTPA was the safety of the fetus, but this concern has not been substantiated. The focus of this group was to view the benefits of LTPA and exercise with regard to maternal health, pregnancy outcomes, and child health with a focus on hypertension, gestational diabetes, excessive weight gain, birth weight, timing of delivery, and child body composition.

While the review group realized that more research and better studies need to be done, the current knowledge on the health benefits of exercise and LPTA is encouraging. Research on the longer-term effects is still in its infancy (no pun intended!), but future research may help provide an important effort in combating the increase in chronic disease.

Therefore, the current recommendations still stand as beneficial. For the less active woman, it is suggested:

“Healthy women who are not already highly active or doing vigorous-intensity aerobic activity should get at least 150 minutes (2 hrs and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Preferably, this activity should be spread throughout the week.”

For women who were regularly active before pregnancy, the suggestion is:

“Pregnant women who habitually engage in vigorous-intensity aerobic activity or are highly active can continue physical activity during pregnancy and the postpartum period, provided that they remain healthy and discuss with their health-care provider how and when activity should be adjusted over time.”

And as always, check with your physician first before exercise!

Mudd, Lanay, M. et al, “Health Benefits of Physical Activity during Pregnancy: An international Perspective.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Vol. 45, No. 2, Feb 2013. Pp. 268-277.

If insurance-related hurdles are preventing you from achieving optimal health, cash-based chiropractic can be an effective solution. High deductibles and co-pays lead many individuals to forgo treatment in an effort cut expenses, while those without insurance often ignore seemingly minor issues until they turn into major health problems. If you’re looking to attain a healthy balance both physically and financially, cash-based chiropractic offers an affordable way to immediately improve your overall health and wellness.

Improve Your Quality of Life and Avoid Costly Medical Treatments
Many people overlook the importance of preventative health measures, ignoring minor aches, pains and weight problems until immediate medical attention is required. At that point, expensive medications or surgery may be necessary to address the resulting health issues. While chiropractic is often associated with rehabilitative treatments, it is also an ideal form of preventative care.

Whether you’ve suffered an injury, are overweight or are simply looking for help in setting and achieving fitness goals, Spine & Sports Chiropractic can help. Dr. Luke will develop a customized health program designed to improve your strength, fitness, mobility and overall quality of life. Chiropractic is a smart alternative to traditional curative care because chiropractors focus on addressing underlying health and fitness issues rather than merely treating the symptoms. By taking a holistic approach to health and wellness, chiropractors can help alleviate pain, restore full mobility and prevent further injury in patients undergoing treatment, while empowering preventative-care clients to achieve and maintain optimal health and fitness.

Cash-Based Chiropractic as an Alternative to Insurance
With today’s skyrocketing health insurance premiums, costly co-pays and high deductibles, the ability to pay cash for life-enhancing chiropractic treatments can mean the difference between living with chronic pain and feeling great again. For many people, paying for private health insurance coverage is simply not possible; for others, the only affordable healthcare plan options carry deductibles of $1,000 or higher – some are as much as $10,000. Not only must patients cover the cost of premiums, but they’re also saddled with thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses before any insurance coverage begins! Rising insurance costs and lengthy approval processes shouldn’t impede your access to chiropractic care or the immediate health benefits it can provide.

Is Cash-Based Chiropractic the Right Choice for You?
If you are among the millions of uninsured, or if your insurance plan has high out-of-pocket costs, cash-based chiropractic treatments can be a sensible alternative. Take the time to research your options. By comparing your insurance-related expenses with a cash-based chiropractic plan, you can determine the best, most cost-effective way achieve your wellness goals and take charge of your health.

Find a Chiropractor With Flexible Payment Options
Looking for a chiropractor? Spine & Sports Chiropractic offers expert services and flexible payment options. Dr. Eric Luke has extensive knowledge in a variety of areas and can provide chiropractic for chronic pain, sports injuries and preventative care.

Dr. Luke is dedicated to helping his clients correct and prevent health issues. To learn how Dr. Luke can help you, feel free to call him personally at (815) 623-8600. If money is a concern, ask about your options – Dr. Luke will work with you to find an affordable solution.

An article appearing on the official U.S. Army website credits the chiropractic clinic at Fort Rucker, Alabama for helping soldiers heal from injuries and discomforts sustained during their “everyday” work week. The base’s chiropractic clinic attends to more than 200 active duty personnel a week, and prides itself on delivering timely and effective care. Fort Rucker is the primary flight training base for army aviation and is home to the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence. Read the full story here.

Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization is based on the principle that the nervous system establishes programs that control human locomotion, which is comprised of posture and movement. This ‘motor control’ is largely established during the first critical years of life. Therefore, Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization emphasizes neurodevelopmental aspects of motor control in order to assess and restore dysfunction of the locomotor system and associated syndromes.

This course covered basic principles of developmental kinesiology, development during the first year of life, stabilization of the spine in the sagittal plane, development of the phasic movements coupled with trunk rotation, principles of early pediatric screening, postural activity, postural reactions, primitive reflexes, the relationship between development during the first year of life and pathology of the locomotor system in adulthood, the reflex consequences following central neural programs during the first year of life, functional stabilization of the spine, correction of poor stereotypical respiration, posture from a developmental point of view, the most important principles of reflex locomotion, locomotor patterns, stepping forward and support function, support/stimulating zones, functional joint, centration and decentration, stabilization and punctum fixum.

About Biofreeze

Biofreeze was first introduced to the world by a medical professional who was searching for a way to help his grandmother manage her arthritis pain. The formula he created consisted of the active ingredient menthol with a synergistic blend of inactive ingredients. The resulting formula offered quick, effective pain relief without the use of prescription drugs.

Today, Biofreeze products are providing relief to countless arthritis sufferers. But the pain reliever’s unique, cooling formulation is also comforting to sore muscles and muscle sprains; easing back, shoulder and neck pain; reducing painful ankle, knee, hip and elbow joints and helping to lessen effects of muscular strains.

The company that launched Biofreeze was Performance Health, Inc. This company was acquired by the Hygenic Corporation in 2006. Hygenic Corporation is located in Akron, Ohio and serves the hands-on healthcare professional markets with pain management solutions and with its Thera-Band brand product portfolio of Systems of Trusted Progression.

How Biofreeze Works

Traditional thinking is that the pain-relieving mechanism of action of menthol – the active ingredient in Biofreeze Pain Reliever – results from a counter-irritant effect. Simply put, a counter-irritant has an effect of overriding noxious pain signals traveling to the brain through a process modulated between pain-transmitting and non-pain transmitting neurons. This process, known as “gate control” or “gating,” was first described by Melzak and Wall.

Gate control theory is based on the understanding that pain is transmitted by two kinds of afferent nerve fibers. One is the larger myelinated A-delta fiber, which carries quick, intense-pain messages. The other is the smaller, unmyelinated “C” fiber, which transmits throbbing, chronic pain. A third type of nerve fiber, called A-beta, is “nonnociceptive,” meaning it does not transmit pain stimuli. The gate control theory asserts that signals transmitted by the A-delta and C pain fibers can be thwarted by the activation/stimulation of the nonnociceptive A-beta fibers and thus inhibit an individual’s perception of pain.

More recently, laboratory researchers have discovered that menthol stimulates the TRPM8 cold receptors. Even though it has long been accepted that cooling and cold can induce analgesia it has been a poorly understood mechanism. As scientists have continued to isolate these specific heat-sensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) channels within our sensory neurons we are now able to have a much better understanding of the body’s cutaneous temperature detection. With the isolation and further study of these specific TRPM8 receptors there is stronger evidence supporting the benefits achieved with the cooling effect of menthol in functioning as a topical analgesic while activating these receptors and the resulting consequent pain relief.

February brings lots of snow for most of the country and with it comes the dreaded task of snow removal. Shoveling your driveway is already a hassle; don’t let it be a pain in the neck and back, too. The American Chiropractic Association suggests the following tips to help you avoid muscle strain and other injuries when shoveling:

• Use a lightweight, ergonomically-designed shovel.
• If possible, push the snow aside instead of lifting. If you need to lift, bend your knees, allowing the muscles of your legs and arms to do the work instead of your back.
• Do not throw snow over your shoulder or to the side. This requires twisting or turning motions that can cause injury.
• Take frequent breaks – a fatigued body asks for injury.
• Stop immediately and seek medical attention if you feel faint, dizzy or have chest pain.

If after a few days you continue to feel soreness or muscle strain, it may be time to visit your local chiropractic office.  Dr. Eric Luke, Rockton, IL chiropractor and owner of Spine & Sports Chiropractic, offers mobile chiropractic services for musculoskeletal (muscle and joint) injuries.  He may be reached directly at (815) 623-8600.