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The Intersection of Crossfit and Chiropractic

~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

Bottom Line:

If you’re into Crossfit, then you know how addicting it can become. The mix of high-intensity interval training with a little competition can help you stay motivated and make amazing changes to your body. The key to success is staying consistent with your workouts, but it can be challenging if you start to suffer injuries. 

Why it Matters:

Injuries can often occur when your body doesn’t have the correct balance of strength and flexibility. Muscles tears, sprain and strains, and even painful arthritic changes can flare up by either lifting too much weight or by not having enough flexibility to support that weight through a full range of motion. So, here a few tips to reduce the likelihood of injuries:

  • Take a few minutes to stretch before and after your workout.
  • Increase the weight you lift slowly and focus on reps vs. max weight.
  • Use good posture and ergonomics during your workouts. Don’t “cheat” and increase your risk of an injury 

Next Steps: 

Researchers have discovered that a combination of proper warm up/cool down, a full range of motion and progressive intensity training can help reduce injuries when strength training. One of the most effective ways to improve your spinal mobility and flexibility is through Chiropractic care. Adjustments to your spine and extremities have been shown to increase their range of motion and may help you find that perfect balance of strength and flexibility.  

Science Source(s): 

Short-term effect of spinal manipulation on pain perception, spinal mobility, and full height recovery in male subjects with degenerative disk disease: a randomized controlled trial. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2014

Progressive resistance strength training and the related injuries in older adults: the susceptibility of the shoulder. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research 2014

Health Alert: Smoking Deaths Underestimated.

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Health Alert: Smoking Deaths Underestimated.

Smoking may be a bigger killer than currently estimated. The current estimate from the United States Surgeon General is that 480,000 Americans die yearly of smoking-related causes, but researchers from the American Cancer Society claim that the figure may be closer to 540,000 after including at least some deaths caused kidney failure, intestinal disease, heart disease caused by high blood pressure, infections, breathing problems, and breast and prostate cancer. Though these diseases are not typically associated with smoking, researchers found that smokers are more likely to die from these conditions than non-smokers. Thus, they believe these additional deaths should be included in smoking-related mortality calculations.

New England Journal of Medicine, February 2015

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Your Active Lifestyle

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Bottom Line:

Maintaining an active, healthy lifestyle can provide you with a life rich in experiences and fulfillment. Whether you enjoy team sports, individual pursuits, or just like getting your 10,000 steps in every day, we’re here to support you. While not everyone is destined to be a pro athlete, staying active and living a high quality of life are goals we can all strive for. Even just a few small changes to your habits around your exercise routine, thought processes, and nutrition can pay big dividends on your overall health and wellness.

Why it Matters:

Medical researchers around the world agree on the health benefits of an active lifestyle, such as reducing your risk of heart disease, anxiety and diabetes – but it doesn’t stop there. Each year, new research is published that shows even more benefits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle by staying active, eating right, and keeping a positive mental attitude. We call this a balance of physical, chemical and emotional stress. As nice as it may seem, no one can reduce all the stress in their life, but by understanding this delicate balance, you can start taking practical steps towards having a great life experience. 

  • A steady balance (or homeostasis), is when your body can function at its optimal level.
  • Excessive or chronic physical, chemical, or emotional stress can throw off this delicate balance.
  • Chiropractic care has been shown to reduce stress in the neuromusculoskeletal system by way of a muscle spindle stretch response.

Next Steps: 

Information and education about how to live a healthy lifestyle are essential, but what counts is taking action. Just like learning how to do a push up won’t make you more fit, understanding how to be more healthy won’t make you more healthy until you start to create better health habits and work towards making healthier decisions each day. Need a little inspiration? Connect with our Facebook Page where we post daily health tips and motivating messages to keep you on track!  

Science Source(s): 

The effects of a single session of spinal manipulation on strength and cortical drive in athletes. European journal of Applied Physiology. 2018

Changes in biochemical markers following spinal manipulation-a systematic review and meta-analysis. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice. 2017

Wellness/Prevention: Use of Media Devices Affect Teens’ Sleep Significantly.

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Wellness/Prevention: Use of Media Devices Affect Teens’ Sleep Significantly.

A Norwegian study has found that if it takes more than an hour for a teenager to fall asleep, there is an almost 50% likelihood that they are spending more than four hours per day outside of school using electronic devices such as computers, TVs, smartphones, and MP3 players. The findings are of concern since the majority of teens in the United States report having at least one electronic device in their bedroom, and poor sleep has implications on school performance. The authors add, “The current recommendation is not to have a TV in the bedroom. It seems, however, that there may be other electronic devices exerting the same negative influence on sleep, such as PCs and mobile phones. The results confirm recommendations for restricting media use in general.” Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, November 2014

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Words to live by……

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“Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” ~ Will Rogers

For More Information on Back Pain, Neck Pain, Headaches, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Whiplash, and more, go To: http://www.AberdeenChiropracticBlog.com

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How are you sitting while you read this?

Image ~ ~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

I’d bet not like this! 

Poor posture while at your desk or while looking at your phone can lead to a myriad of issues including back pain, neck pain and headaches. 

Be aware of your positioning when at your desk and watch those aches and pains disappear! 

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Diet: Healthy Diet May Lower Risk of COPD.

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Diet: Healthy Diet May Lower Risk of COPD.

New research suggests that a diet low in red meat and rich in whole grains may reduce the risk of developing a chronic lung disease known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Researchers tracked over 120,000 individuals and found that healthy eaters were one-third less likely to develop COPD when compared with regular consumers of red meat, refined grains, sugary drinks, and alcohol. The findings reveal that good eating habits appear to lower COPD risk for both smokers and nonsmokers alike.

 

British Medical Journal, February 2015

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Finding Headache Relief Without Drugs 

~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

Bottom Line:

Waking up with a headache or consistently getting one by the end of work each day is not fun (or normal). Headaches can be caused by a variety of factors, none of which are a shortage of medication in your body! As a matter of fact, if you have been relying on drugs to find relief day after day, there is a variety of new research that encourages you to reconsider. 

Why it Matters:

Relying on medications to find relief each and every day places an enormous amount of strain on your liver and other internal organs. What’s more, researchers have found that a common “side” effect of many popular headache mediations is…more headaches! And if that wasn’t enough to encourage you to think differently about how to treat your headaches, new research has found an increased risk of heart attacks in people who had taken NSAIDs (or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). It’s easy to see why our firm belief is that the best way for most people to find relief from their headaches is through natural healthcare such as combination of Chiropractic and light stress-relieving exercise like yoga. 

  • Headache medications often have dangerous side effects. 
  • Research has shown little to no evidence that such drugs are effective at treating headaches.
  • In a recent study, over 30% of participants saw a 100% improvement in the frequency and severity of their headaches after receiving Chiropractic care. 

Next Steps: 

Our workshop on finding natural solutions and relief from headaches is coming up soon! We’ll help you discover the causes of many common types of headaches, share tips on reducing their impact in your life, and review the steps you can take to ensure that you don’t have to suffer from them in the future. Share this with a friend and be sure to let us know how many people will be attending the workshop with you! 

Science Source(s): 

Dose-Response and Efficacy of Spinal Manipulation for Chronic Cervicogenic Headache: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. The Spine Journal. 2010 

Chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for cervicogenic headache: a single-blinded, placebo, randomized controlled trial. BioMed Central. 2017 

Chiropractic: Resolution of Shoulder Pain Following Chiropractic Care.

~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ 2 Comments

Chiropractic: Resolution of Shoulder Pain Following Chiropractic Care.

A new case study sheds light on the benefits of chiropractic care for shoulder pain. A 73-year-old woman with a one-year history of shoulder pain presented for chiropractic care. Her working diagnosis included brachial neuritis, cervicalgia, arthritis, and cervical spinal joint fixations. She reported resolution of pain, and improvements in both function and quality of life following just eleven chiropractic treatments over the course of ten weeks.

Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research, February 2015

For more health and wellness tips and information follow us or check out our blog at http://www.aberdeenchiropracticblog.com 

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Injury Prevention

~ Dr. Robert Speirs DC ~ Leave a comment

Bottom Line:

Have you ever been excited to start a new exercise program, shed a few pounds, and get in shape? It’s incredible, until about 2-3 weeks in when you suffer an injury, take a few days off and then never quite get back on track. Does this story sound familiar? You’re not alone. It happens all the time. So let’s take a look at how you can get active, reach your goals, and avoid those pesky injuries during those first few weeks. 

Why it Matters:

While it’s impossible to avoid every potential injury, a balance of spinal strength and flexibility can help dramatically reduce your likelihood of getting injured.  Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was your body. Long term strength is built through repetition. While there is a time and place for loading with max weight, if you are just getting started in a workout routine, it’s usually best to start slow by using lighter weights and working towards increasing your repetitions. Flexibility is the second key to staying injury free. Whether you are stretching during long work hours at the computer, practicing yoga on the weekends, or using Chiropractic care to improve your spinal (and extremity) range of motion, it’s essential to view flexibility as a journey rather than a destination. Every day that you take a proactive step with your strength and flexibility, you are reducing the chance of an injury, making progress towards your goals, and living a healthier life. 

  • Stretching can improve your flexibility and decrease your risk of injury.
  • Dynamic (or movement-based) warm-ups have been shown to potentially enhance performance. 
  • Strength training can increase your resilience and prepare your body for activity. 

Next Steps: 

We understand that everyone has unique health goals. If you have a specific question about injury prevention based on the activities you love, ask! We believe that by taking a proactive approach with your health and wellness, you can have a more inspired and fulfilling life, and we’ll be here for you every step of the way. 

Science Source(s): 

Mayo Clinic: Stretching: Focus on Flexibility. 2017