One question I get asked a great deal is, “Should I stretch before or after I exercise?” Many of us have been taught (since Little League) that you always need to stretch before you do heavy physical activity to avoid injuries. To most of us, this means the type of stretching where you reach down to touch your toes and hold for 15 to 30 seconds.
However, most exercise experts now agree that this type of stretching should be saved for after your workout. When performing stretches that involve long holding times and no movement, also known as static stretches, you are actually temporarily weakening the muscles that you’re stretching. This isn’t good if you’re preparing to play a sport or do exercise where strength and coordination of these muscles is crucial for performance and safety. Instead I recommend what’s called a dynamic warm-up. This involves explosive movements, such as jump squats or lunges, where muscles are being activated rather than turned off. It’s kind of like telling them “wake up, its time to work.”
The static stretching is crucial after your workout. This is where we’re trying to condition your muscles to be “long and strong;” a great recipe for performance and safety.
Healing Tip of the Week Try a dynamic warm-up instead of your static stretches before a workout. I personally like the one demonstrated at the link listed below.
Here is a cooking tip from a Spaniard. Growing up in Spain made me appreciate the simplicity of many of the tasty foods from Spain.
One of the secrets of such cuisine is the liberal use of garlic in combination with parsley. It’s simple and affordable. It gives food a zest it would otherwise lack, and it’s very healthy. Garlic contains hundreds of nutrients and minerals. And, it has powerful antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal properties.
And the best part is that when you handle garlic and find it difficult to get rid of its smell on your hands or your utensils, you just rub parsley on them and voila! The smell disappears.
I had been going to the Advanced Wellness Center for about ten years for Chiropractic adjustments so was very familiar with the center and everything it offered. Usually, I would just go in whenever I felt the need to be adjusted.
A case of a really sore thumb made me look into Acupuncture. It had really gotten to a point where I couldn’t even use my left hand, and the cortisone shots that my primary doctor prescribed were only temporary cures. After the second cortisone shot failed to relieve my pain, I decided to pursue another cure for my thumb.
I took the time to educate myself about Acupuncture and I was convinced that it would help me. I was a little apprehensive. I wasn’t sure if I really wanted a bunch of needles being pierced into my skin. But I knew it was the right move to make and after meeting Dhannel I decided to just go for it!
She was very professional, friendly and extremely knowledgeable. I was definitely impressed!
I began going in for treatment two days a week for the first month. After those first 30 days, the pain was 50 percent improved. I felt so much better. After the second month, I began to go in weekly, bi-weekly and now monthly. Even now that I am only going in on a monthly basis, I feel like 90 percent of the pain in my thumb is completely gone.
I have also noticed another astonishing effect of the treatment. Since I began going in, I no longer get hot flashes. Its great!
Acupuncture heals. It is completely worth giving it a try, no matter what type of pain you suffer. Go see the practitioners at the Advanced Wellness Center.
In an effort to give back to our devoted patient base, the Oriental Medicine Department is offering a new summer special!
As one of our patients, you understand the value of great health. We would like to encourage you to offer that same value to your friends and family.
Our Friends Helping Friends Program will help you do just that! Tell them about us, and they will receive a 50% discount on their New Patient Visit with one of our experienced acupuncturists. And, for referring your friends and family, you will receive 50% off your next visit with your acupuncturist.
Let your friend know which acupuncturist you want him or her to schedule with. When they call to set their appointment, have them mention your name as the referral source and the Friends Helping Friends Program. After their first scheduled visit, which includes a one-hour consultation, exam and discussion of findings, you will get 50% off your next visit!
Enjoy a happy, healthy summer!
Don Hockersmith
Acupuncture Dept. Administration
* This offer is only applicable with the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Dept. of the Advanced Wellness Center.
Healing Tip of the Week
Make sure that when your friends or loved ones call to schedule the first appointment, they mention our Friends Helping Friends Program and your name. We want to make sure to thank you for the referral with 50% off your next visit!
Have you been feeling overly anxious or overwhelmed with “the tasks of life”? Signs or symptoms of anxiety can be feelings of apprehension and powerlessness, fatigue, increased heart rate with sensations of heat, or even a sense of panic or danger around. Being uncomfortable in ones own skin is a common term used in relation to having experienced some sort of anxiety state. Anxiety disorders affect more than 18 million American adults in any given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Although looked at as bad, anxiety can be viewed, as a sign to observe why this is occurring time and again. Feelings of uncertainty and being fearful of situations lead us to a condition we all know as “stress”. These stressors, or tasks of life, need to be merely managed or reevaluated to find balance within our daily life.
An increased sense of awareness is a great start to more clearly understand the causes of an anxious state. Lao Tzu, an ancient Chinese philosopher, stated, “When one is depressed they are living in the past, and when one is anxious, one is living in the future”. Here we can see how the busy mind and feelings of increased needs can cause the body’s nervous system to react. Moving away from this state and being more still with ones own self can guide one to more peace.
Through Chinese medicine, we can further understand how our emotions have a direct affect on our physical body. Acupuncture, Chinese herbs, food and lifestyle cultivation are great ways to calm anxiety and provide relaxation for the mind and body.
I initially went to Dr. Mark DeDubovay to get my foot checked out. After injuring myself on a ski trip, my sister recommended that I go to the Advanced Wellness Center. Although I was a bit skeptical about chiropractors, I decided to make an appointment.
Everyone in the building was extremely friendly, they truly made me feel like I was the only person there. So, I didn’t hesitate to make my first appointment with Dr. Mark. Three months later I was skiing again!
That was 10 years ago, and that first appointment has changed my life.
Dr. Mark took the opportunity to address other health issues and has been my health counselor ever since. He has helped me with everything from allergies to minor aches and pains. Among his most impactful recommendations, he prescribed a dog as a treatment for stress levels. Today I am stress free alongside my 8-year-old golden retriever, Sierra.
As if that was not enough, Dr. Mark did more for my Colitis than any pill or treatment ever could. Now that he has helped me identify which foods cause the inflammation, I no longer need to rely on a prescription for my illness.
Under Dr. Mark’s treatment and supervision, the quality of my health and of my life has improved more than I ever could have imagined.
As we make our shift into the spring season, a world of change takes place. From Mother Nature, to our own individual lives, we notice instant subtleties to the environment and how they affect our health. Spring brings more light and activity from the tranquil, shorter winter days. And, thoughts of cleaning out old and preparing for new can uplift our spirits and clear our minds.
In Chinese medicine, Spring is a time of “sprouting” as the yang energy (or sun) becomes more abundant during the day. This corresponds with the movement of growing upward and extending out. We see this in nature as the flowers begin to bud and vegetation starts to thrive. So yes, it is time to get outside and enjoy the environment around you. But, climate of spring is ‘windy’ and can stir up conditions like allergic rhinitis or asthma, skin rashes, frequent colds and arthritis.
The emotional component of the spring energy is related to the liver, which if disturbed can cause imbalance. Developing good life habits and regularity should be the focus during these months to ensure the stability of our emotions. An erratic lifestyle filled with rage, worry and anger will disturb the mind and hinder digestion. Therefore, regular nutritious meals, rest and physical/mind exercises (i.e. yoga, meditation, tai ji, walking with friends, etc.) will help cultivate energy as you move into the summer months.
Chinese medicine encompasses acupuncture, herbal medicine, food as medicine, as well as exercise and healthy lifestyle choices to create a peaceful approach for each individual.
Ask your acupuncturist how he or she can help guide you along your path and help with health concerns. Here is a list of common conditions related to spring:
As I follow trends for my business and talk to my patients, I realize how many people try to get their help from Google to solve their pain. I have treated hundreds of back pain patients, and it’s almost always the same. They were given a wrong diagnosis, or one that was limited to x-ray or MRI. There’s so much more to the body we just can’t see yet! So don’t be fooled.
The problem is the information out there generally is so poor, or so weighted with someone trying to make a sale, that people:
End up diagnosing themselves with something far worse than they have.
Make their pain worse by obsessing for hours on the computer.
So, where does back pain come from? Why do we have millions of dollars in healthcare spent every year on back surgeries and pain medications? Because we’ve failed to take a functional look at the pain. Here’s a quick list of common causes of back pain:
Decreased hallux dorsiflexion (aka, your big toe doesn’t bend), limiting hip extension on walking.
Tight calves
Weak Tibialis Anterior
Tight Quads/Psoas Major
Poor hip rotation (usually from one tight and one weak hip). This usually involves other muscles up and down the body’s muscular chains.
Poor pelvic rotation (aka, your hips always turn one way). This can be caused by seated posture, or any of the above.
Hip hiking (usually from one quadratus lumborum, or latissimus)
On a more holistic note, back pain can even be linked to faulty emotions, abnormal breathing patterns, adrenal dysfunction, digestive issues, or poor diet.
You get the picture!
All of these cause Spinal Subluxations or Joint Pathology to occur. Your spine is like a gigantic circuit breaker. Any of the imbalances listed above will cause the electricity of your “spinal circuit breaker” to become dysfunctional. That is why many folks that come to me for back pain realize after they’re out of pain that the adjustment to their spine caused them to also have more energy and sleep better. Many patients that commit to yearly checkups also report getting sick less throughout the year.
If you don’t take anything else away from this, it’s that most injuries are LARGELY DUE TO NERVOUS SYSTEM DYSFUNCTION. Mainly, once movement stops, it’s literally like a switch gets turned off to some very important nerves in your joints called: mechanoreceptors and nociceptors. Chiropractic adjustments turn the switches back on! This is why it’s so useful for painful conditions; we’re rebooting the “circuit breaker!”
Healing Tip of the Week
Don’t go it alone with your pain. You’ll thank yourself for going to see a holistic practitioner, because not only will you get to the root of you pain, you’ll probably come away with even greater health and balance in your life!
Rebecca Rebmann, CTN, provides easy to follow instructions Southern Caifornians can use to minimize the effects of exposure to low levels of radiation, which may result from the nuclear reactor meltdown in Japan.
Have you ever wondered: Is my monthly cycle normal? Or, does everyone experience the same monthly symptoms I do? Most women experience a wide variety of symptoms prior to their menstruation, including lower abdominal cramping, increased tension, headaches, fatigue, and depression. All of these symptoms can be prevented or significantly limited with some simple lifestyle modifications. It can be as easy as eating a balanced diet, enjoying regular physical exercise, and working toward greater mental clarity. Environment, diet, and emotional stability all have a direct relationship with the regularity of female hormones.
A regular cycle is considered 28 days, plus or minus 3 days. The duration of the actual period ranges anywhere from 3-7 days, depending on the individual. Paying attention to these cycles and qualities has a direct correlation on overall women’s health. Balanced hormone levels early on are essential for a healthy pregnancy and easy transition into menopause.
Practicing good habits are a vital component to find regularity and ease from month to month. Chinese medicine teaches us this is a fragile state, as interior fluids are shed and the body is exposed to the exterior, leaving the body vulnerable. Vulnerability, in this case, means the body’s vulnerability when exposed to environmental factors, both emotional and climate. Through Chinese medicine, we learn ways to cultivate our life through common daily practices as they are listed below. The focus is on prevention rather than emergency care.
Ask your acupuncturist how he or she can help you in all areas of women’s health.
Healing Tip of the Week
Here are some helpful tips of things to avoid or incorporate during your menstruation:
Avoid heavy physical work
Avoid emotional stress
Avoid overexposure to damp and cold conditions
Avoid working with your hands in cold water
Avoid constipation
Get plenty of rest
Abstain from sexual intercourse
Good Habits to Support a Healthy Menstruation
Have you ever wondered: Is my monthly cycle normal? Or, does everyone experience the same monthly symptoms I do? Most women experience a wide variety of symptoms prior to their menstruation, including lower abdominal cramping, increased tension, headaches, fatigue, and depression. All of these symptoms can be prevented or significantly limited with some simple lifestyle modifications. It can be as easy as eating a balanced diet, enjoying regular physical exercise, and working toward greater mental clarity. Environment, diet, and emotional stability all have a direct relationship with the regularity of female hormones.
A regular cycle is considered 28 days, plus or minus 3 days. The duration of the actual period ranges anywhere from 3-7 days, depending on the individual. Paying attention to these cycles and qualities has a direct correlation on overall women’s health. Balanced hormone levels early on are essential for a healthy pregnancy and easy transition into menopause.
Practicing good habits are a vital component to find regularity and ease from month to month. Chinese medicine teaches us this is a fragile state, as interior fluids are shed and the body is exposed to the exterior, leaving the body vulnerable. Vulnerability, in this case, means the body’s vulnerability when exposed to environmental factors, both emotional and climate. Through Chinese medicine, we learn ways to cultivate our life through common daily practices as they are listed below. The focus is on prevention rather than emergency care.
Ask your acupuncturist how he or she can help you in all areas of women’s health.
Vincent Koeller, LAc
Licensed Acupuncturist
Healing Tip of the Week
Here are some helpful tips of things to avoid or incorporate during your menstruation:
