Are we intelligent enough to handle our Smartphones? Keeping up with all the latest technology may have a downside. Besides for missing out on what is actually happening around us in real time, how does the repetitive use of these devices affect our bodies?

There are various ways in which we can injure ourselves due to our Smartphones, almost all due to repetitive use.  These injuries are commonly known as “blackberry thumb”.

Some of the more common injuries that are associated with blackberry thumb are; Neck pain, hand pain, shoulder, pain, forearm pain, and thumb pain, golfers and tennis elbow.

These injuries can occur as a direct result of repetitive stress due to overuse on the muscles of the upper extremities while using hand held devices.

What is repetitive stress? As the name implies, they are repetitive patterns that creates small stresses to specific areas of the body, which over time will accumulate, and causing injury.

Relating Repetitive Stress to “Blackberry Thumb”

Think about how many times you press your thumb against the phone’s keyboard.

A simple text message, for example “I am running a bit late” is 23 presses.  Multiply that by 100 texts a day, 2300, by 7 days a week, 16,100, by 52 weeks would be about 837,200 presses a years. That is a lot of work for your arms, wrists, and fingers.

Your thumbs, fingers and the muscles that allow them to move, can develop adhesions due to the repetitive stress and can cause cramping, fatiguing, throbbing or general pain of the thumb, fingers, wrists, and/or forearm.

Now that we are more aware of the repetitive stress and its effects how can we prevent injury? These are a few tips to help reduce the risk of blackberry thumb:

- Stretch the arms, forearms and hands out sporadically through out the day to keep the muscles loose.

- Keep device at eye level vs. looking down, to help keep the neck from straining.

- Strengthening of the muscles in the hands i.e. squeezing a tennis ball, thera-puddy, or and iso-flex ball.

- Be a bit more mindful of how often you use your Smartphone and try to use it a bit less.

- Make more actual phone calls.

- Using an earphone vs. a Bluetooth will allow you speak hands free without radiation and neck strain that holding the phone up to your ear can cause.

- If you are using your Smartphone as part of your job and cannot decrease the usage you may want to get Soft tissue treatment, such as Active Release Technique, every few weeks to help reduce adhesions that develop though out the week.

In addition to preventive care, someone who has already started to develop symptoms will also want to include the following:

- Icing the muscles of the hands and forearms.

- Rubbing the hands and forearms with a natural over the counter topical creams/gels. Two brands that I commonly recommend are Traumeel by Heel, Arnicare by Boiron

- Stretches you can get from a trained health care provider.

- Always Seek attention from a healthcare provider to insure that what you are suffering from is diagnosed properly.

In my practice, an affective treatment I use is Active Release Technique. ART or Active Release Technique, a patented state of the art soft tissue system/movement based technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves.  ART can be effective in releasing adhesions, tightness, and scar tissue in the body, quickly and permanently.

Kristi Anderson, Corrective Exercise Specialist par excellence, demonstrates a new foam roller exercise she has come up with, which she has found incredibly helpful for women.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Massage is important for many powerful reasons, including detoxification and stress relief. But, when people ask me why to get massage or why it’s important the answer that resonates with most “type A” New Yorker’s is that it helps you get into good shape faster with less stiffness and soreness, allowing you to push your body harder. Perhaps most important is that massage helps prevent the injuries that will set you back.

We all know the enormous benefits of exercise and moving the body. Anyone who routinely pushes their physical limits through any movement, sports, strength training and aerobics can benefit from a massage. Whether you are a weekend warrior that fits in workouts between work and family or a serious athlete, massage in an important part of any sports regimen. Sports medicine clinics and both professional and college athletic teams use massage to heal and prevent the wear-and-tear and minor injuries that naturally occur with strenuous movement. The added physiological and psychological benefits of massage also
add to the reasons to do it.

Heavily exercised muscles may also lose their capacity to relax, causing chronically tight (hypertonic) muscles, and loss of flexibility. Lack of flexibility is often linked to muscle soreness, and predisposes you to injuries, especially muscle pulls and tears. Blood flow through tight muscles is poor (ischemia), which also causes pain. Some benefits of massage for exercise and injury prevention:

1. Reduced chance of injury by improving range of motion and muscle flexibility.
2. Performance enhancing results with improved power and performance.
3. Shortened recovery time between workouts.
4. Maximizes the supply of nutrients and oxygen through increased blood flow and the elimination of lactic acid in the muscle (a by-products of exercise).

Massage helps the body recover from the stresses of strenuous exercise, and facilitates the rebuilding phase of conditioning. The physiological benefits of massage include improved blood and lymph circulation and muscle and general relaxation. These, in turn, lead to removal of waste products and better cell nutrition, normalization and greater elasticity of tissues, deactivation of trigger points, and faster healing of injuries. It all adds up to relief from soreness and stiffness, better flexibility, and less potential for future injury.

With regular massage for maintenance the therapist can zero in on particular muscle groups and work specific tissues, they can help maintain or improve range of motion and muscle flexibility. The overall objective of a maintenance program is to help you reach optimal performance through injury-free training. Regular massage also gives a therapist a chance to find your unique trouble spots, perhaps from past injuries. They can pay special attention to these areas, monitor them for developing problems, and help keep them in good condition. An experienced massage therapist can also compliment treatment received from other health care professionals for various injuries. Massage for injuries can speed healing and reduce discomfort during the rehabilitation process. Deep tissue and trigger point massage breaks up the tissues in the muscle to speed recovery.

So to sum it up, make massage part of your wellness and fitness routine. You’ll get all the benefits of relaxation and if you’re that more intense personality, remember, you can push yourself a little harder with less injuries and get in shape a little faster.

Nancy Shaw
In Touch Bodywork
133 East 58th Street
15th floor
New York, NY 10022
(212) 751-8300
nancy@intouchbodyworknyc.com

When we’re sick or injured, we all know that getting plenty of rest is important. This is because during sleep your muscles and soft tissues heal and scar tissue develops. Scar tissue is the dense fiber that the body creates to repair injuries, whether it’s a sudden injury or a chronic injury that develops over time.

What people don’t realize is that the way you sleep can aggravate an injury and prevent it from healing properly. This is because when scar tissue develops it can bind up and tie down tissue that needs to move freely. This buildup is known as adhesions, trigger points or knots. As scar tissue builds up, muscles become shorter and weaker, tension on tendons can cause tendonitis, and nerves can become trapped. This can reduce range of motion and strength, and create pain. If a nerve is trapped you may also feel tingling, numbness, and weakness.

It’s important to sleep in a neutral position so that your body can heal properly from injury. And even if you don’t have an injury, if you’re not sleeping in a neutral position, you can create problems like my patient Sam.

Sam is a 35-year-old male that came to the office because he had been suffering with low back pain for “as long as he could remember.” He explained that he had a “knot” of pain located on the right side of his back just above the hip bone. He had been to numerous chiropractors, acupuncturists, osteopaths, orthopedists, and pain management specialists over the past 12 years. Some of the treatments helped for a few hours but none were permanent or long-term.

We performed a thorough history and evaluation, including an extensive overview of lifestyle and biomechanics.  Sam exercises 3-5 days a week and has a healthy diet. Past MRI and X-rays showed a normal healthy spine. So I asked Sam about his sleeping habits – he spends most of the time prone, or on his belly.

After a physical exam we realized that in addition to Sam’s low back pain, there was also significant decrease in the movement of the neck. The decrease in neck movement could possibly be attributed to the fact that his head was rotated most of the night. In the office we did myofacial release technique in which ART was utilized as well as manual manipulation/chiropractic release of the joints. He was advised to sleep in his normal position until the next treatment. Sam left the office feeling better than he had in years and was pain-free until the next morning. What that told us was that his muscle tension was possibly related to his sleep position. I then gave Sam sleep directions with tips on how to keep a neutral position. After the second treatment and change in sleeping pattern, Sam’s pain was gone for good.

Repetitive Stress and Sleeping
When sitting, standing, or holding any general position for too long our limbs can get sore or “fall asleep,” which can also happen during sleep.  Most healthy adults sleep an average of 6-8 hours, or up to 1/3 of our lives.  During that time, many have experienced numbness or soreness otherwise described as “sleeping” or ”dead” limbs.  This sensation will usually dissipate after changing positions or shaking the limb out. In some cases the sensation can be strong enough to wake us up.

Why do limbs fall asleep? The simple answer is that blood flow to the muscle and nerves is compromised.  This depletes the muscles of the resources needed to function, slowing the nerve conduction which creates this loss of feeling. Common triggers for this compromise are sleeping positions.

Ergonomics and repetitive stress are known triggers of injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, Achilles’ tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, joint and Disc degeneration. Many people take the time to change the way they sit at a desk, type on a computer, drive a car, and talk on a phone. Repetitive stress injuries can occur while doing mundane everyday activities, and sleeping is no exception.

How should we sleep?
The two ideal positions to sleep in are on your sides or on your back. We want to avoid sleeping on our stomachs to avoid torsion. Torsion in the neck and lower back can create compression of the discs, degeneration and muscle strain.

Ideal Side Position
Lay on your side with a pillow under your head and between your legs:
To ensure a neutral position your pillow should be as thick as the distance between your ear and shoulder. The pillow between your legs should ensure that the top leg does not cross over the bottom leg.

Ideal Back Position
Lay on your back with one pillow under your head and one or two under your knees:
When on your back we want to focus on the curve of your spine. Choose a pillow that will support the natural curve of your neck. The pillow under your knees should have enough height to keep your low back comfortably flat against the mattress.

Every person is a little different and may need other specific variations, for further assistance call your local chiropractic specialist so you can wake up feeling truly well rested.

Let’s Talk About You

Welcome.
You found your way here.
Let’s talk about you for a second.

I invite you to take a moment… and notice the way you’re sitting.
Are you sitting on your sitting bones?
What’s going on in your lower back? Your upper back?
What’s happening in your shoulders?
How does your neck feel?
What are your feet doing?
Are you clenching your jaw?

These questions are inviting you to check in with your body – with your muscular-skeletal system – and your kinesthetic sense of yourself.

Why Is Developing A Kinesthetic Sense Of Myself Important?

You know that pain you feel in your shoulder, the ache in your lower back, the tightness in your neck? Well those things (and more) have their roots in unconscious habits that you’ve developed over time. In order to address them, you first need to become aware of them. Often it is HOW we do something that creates the problem, not the activity itself.

We interfere with our natural functioning, and we don’t even know it. Often, people are surprised to find that they don’t bend their knees, that they always bend their back, that they stick their neck out,… that they’ve been doing things so long that the feedback system doesn’t enter into their consciousness any more; they just muscle through things. These conditions don’t just happen; they develop over time: like a train coming around a bend, you can’t see it at first, but it’s coming.

When we don’t know what our bodies are doing or what our habits are, that’s when we develop pain, stress, and lose our natural balance. And we find ourselves working harder than we have to, physically, muscularly, just to be upright. And that’s a lot of extra energy being spent on things that could better be spent elsewhere.

We feel pain in one part, and we think that’s the part we need to fix… In fact, we actually need to build the entire support system in order to find balance and healing. As Plato said, “The part can never be well unless the whole is well.”

That’s where the Alexander Technique comes in.

What’s The Alexander Technique?

The Alexander Technique is a psycho-physical technique for self-care. It is mind-body re-education. It’s re-learning the most efficient, effortless way to move, to stand, to sit, to be in one’s body. This is not physical therapy – although it does have therapeutic value. This is really about learning how to use yourself more efficiently and more effectively. How to live in neither a collapsed nor a held posture. How to let go of excess tensions in the body. How to coordinate all the individual parts of your body into a balanced whole, in which the breath supports your spine which balances your head and mobilizes your ribs which float your shoulders which support your arms as your lower back releases which frees your hips and legs which releases your knees so you can walk with ease and groundedness, all without pulling down, clenching, muscling, constricting, bracing, or otherwise impairing the natural design of what can be a healthy muscular-skeletal system.

Most problems stem from overusing some muscles and neglecting others. The technique teaches people to move and coordinate their bodies by using forgotten muscles to support movement and avoid poor posture and overuse. Alexander work doesn’t ask you to take time out of your day or “do” any exercises. Rather, it asks you to think WITHIN the activities you’re normally doing. As students change their individual habits, they develop poise and ease when standing and walking, and sitting becomes more comfortable, reducing the desire to slouch.

People are delighted to find that they can make lasting changes which improve the way they carry out their daily activities, thus eliminating their pain and discomfort and giving them newly found freedom of mind and body. They learn how dynamic and changeable the body really is.

Why Is It Called The Alexander Technique?

F.M. Alexander was an actor at the turn of the century who lost his voice onstage, and discovered that it was the way he was using himself – breathing, standing, moving – that was causing the problem. His unconscious physical habits were hindering his instrument, his professional craft, and his physical (and emotional) well-being.

So he took it upon himself to identify what those habits were, and how he could change them. He re-educated himself through self- observation and conscious learning, until he found that his voice returned, his mobility improved, and his physical, professional, and emotional well-being was restored.

His system of observations and techniques have since become internationally renowned as an effective method for physical change and renewed freedom. The Alexander Technique is used by people all over the world to deal with issues like muscular-skeletal pain, neurological problems (such as Parkinson’s and M.S.), respiratory problems (like asthma), vocal fatigue, headaches, and gastrointestinal disorders, among others.

Intermission…. A Quick Return To Kinesthetic Awareness

I invite you to check back in with yourself.
Notice how you’re feeling.
How are you sitting now? Have you changed position? Are you holding tension anywhere?

Take a moment to give a very gentle nod of your head (a small gesture of “yes”) to lead your spine upward and incline your torso forward. You may feel the rolling of your sitting bones on the chair. By doing this, you are preventing yourself from rounding your back and collapsing through your chest. Notice that there’s less downward pressure on your neck.

When you want to come back to sitting upright, let your head again lead the movement, and your spine follow upward as you feel your sitting bones roll back.

Now, just let a breath out.

And now notice that a new breath returned, and you didn’t have to “do” anything for that to happen.

What Happens In An Alexander Lesson?

Well, that was a little taste of it. Except that a teacher would be there with hands-on guidance: imagine a teacher infusing this knowledge into your body with their hands. You will experience a release of tension like you’ve never experienced before. Light bulbs will go off!

Lessons in the Alexander Technique are about re-education– which is why we refer to ourselves as teachers of students, rather than as therapists treating patients.
The first step is to help a student develop an awareness of his/her unique thinking, movement, and breathing patterns. Together we explore basic activities such as sitting, walking, bending, lifting, and speaking. Once the principles of the technique are understood, lessons are then geared to the individual needs of the student. We simulate your daily activities – playing a piano, typing on a laptop, chopping vegetables in the kitchen, running on a trail, driving to work, talking on the phone, you name it.

Over time, a student learns how to identify places of unnecessary muscle tension and how to address them with improved coordination and ease. S/he also begins to redevelop healthy breathing patterns as an internal support for the whole body. Gradually, harmful patterns are replaced with new ones that allow the student to carry out her/his daily activities with less pain, increased mobility, and healthy breathing patterns.

Alexander lessons usually last 45 minutes.
To experience lasting benefits, it’s best to study once a week for at least 6 months.

Final Act, Or, What Do I Do Now?

Here are some options:

• Go to www.AmSAT.com. Find an Alexander teacher. Try a class. See how it goes, and what it does for you.
• Visit www.JessicaWolf.net. Read a little more about the Alexander Technique, and The Art of Breathing.
• Know that you can make choices; you’re not a prisoner of your habits. You can find renewed physical freedom by developing your kinesthetic awareness and learning how to improve the way you move.
• Allow your breath out and effortlessly, let a new breath to return.

ART is a patented, state of the art soft tissue system that is movement based.
The technique is used to treat problems that involve the muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and nerves.
ART uses the examiners hands to apply the technique. The main goal is to reestablish proper motion between muscles and fascia while reducing fibrous adhesions. Ultimately myofascial (muscle and fascia) and neural (nerves) glide is reestablished allowing for proper function.

The technique can be used on patients with acute, chronic, overuse, repetitive strain injuries and postoperative cases of all types. The number of postoperative cases ART providers see is growing steadily due to the scar tissue development involved in healing.

Who can benefit from ART?

Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar null, knee problems, and tennis elbow are a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly and many times permanently with ART. These conditions have an important thing in common; they are often a result of overused muscles.

How is ART different from other soft tissue techniques?

ART^® uses movement of the patient to create tension on scar tissue. Every session combines an examination and treatment, which targets the soft tissue that has been injured. ART treats specific muscles, which target the exact area of the scar within each tissue. Unlike massage or other myofascial release techniques, ART^® has over 500 specific protocols that treat affected areas of the body.

What is scar tissue and what are its causes?

Scar tissue is dense fibrous material that body creates to connect and bind injured tissue. The problem occurs when that same scar tissue binds to surrounding structures like “glue” which occurs more often than thought. If a nerve runs through a muscle in an area where scar tissue had laid, the nerve can be “pinched”, pulled or entrapped by that adhesion which can cause it to trigger pain. The process can limit motion over-stimulating or overworking healthy tissue, which can also lead to pain and discomfort.

How does overuse/ repetitive stress cause scar tissue?

Overuse or repetitive stress increases the tension in the tissues of the body. Chronic tension applied to the tissue decreases the blood supply, causing the body to form adhesions. (Examples of repetitive stress could be; poor posture, improper exercise form, athletic pursuits, improper ergonomic at the work place.)

I believe a lack of flexibility is the root cause or major contributing factor of many injuries and stretching is the solution to this lack of flexibility. It counters the gradual tightening and constriction we all develop from both under- and over-use of our body. It is the perfect antidote for long periods of inactivity and holding still and is just about the simplest of all physical activities.

Regular stretching will:

1. Decrease muscle tension, which is the most common cause of back and neck pains and headaches.
2. Decrease the incidence of all types of injuries, from joint sprains to tendonitis to muscle strains and spasms.
3. Speed up the recovery rate from injuries.
4. Increase physical and mental relaxation.
5. Improve performance of any skilled movement.
6. Improve and increase body awareness.
7. Slow the aging process.
8. Enhance the neurological system.
9. Improve circulation.
10. Support the detox system.

Precautions

Don’t stretch an area if you:

• Recently broke a bone.
• Have an infection or inflammation in or around a joint involved with the stretch.
• Experience sharp or acute pain with stretching or joint movements.
• Recently had a sprain or strain in the area being stretched.
• Have an unstable joint in the area.
• Have osteoporosis.
• Have any disease that needs medical approval before undertaking any new activity.

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Relieve the pain in your neck

Did you know that when your body slumps, the weight of your arms, shoulders and scapulae are forced to hang off of your already overstressed neck muscles? Your shoulder girdle weighs 14% of your total body weight, so even if you only weigh 130lbs, your poor neck is now holding up more than 18lbs of extra weight every minute of every day. In the ideal postural alignment all of that weight should rest on top of your ribcage, thus taking the stress out of the neck and shoulders. When this ‘drop front panel’ is preset, however, it also makes simple things like turning your head difficult, as these muscles and the fascia enveloping them become chronically tense and stiff.

Try this

Allow your upper body to slump, even just slightly. Now notice how far you can turn your head to each side, and how it feels to do so. Next, imagine a string attached to the top of your head, lengthening and lifting you up towards the sky. Notice how your posture improves just by consciously doing this. Then, turn your head side to side again. Feel the ease of movement and increased range you gained in your neck just by straightening up. Use this string visual any time gravity is getting the best of you, and to ensure your ideal alignment as you move throughout your day.

Cause of stress

Chronic stress comes from many places. It can be the result of bad posture as described above; our thoughts -that stinkin’ thinkin’ we are all sometimes guilty of; the S.A.D. Standard American Diet – filled with sugar, caffeine, refined carbohydrates, etc.; the numerous toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis; and many other factors. All of this contributes to the rigidity in our bodies.

Get moving

In order to get moving again and rehydrate stiff tissue, use the simple tennis ball tricks shown in the video clip. The release at the base of the skull, the suboccipitals, is particularly useful for countering the tension created by forward head posture, relieving eye fatigue and strain, tension headaches, and sinus congestion. Enjoy the freedom you can create for yourself in just a few quick minutes at home or even during your travels!

By DR. ROB DESTEFANO

Back pain is one of the most prevalent ailments of our society. Some argue that we’re not really fully evolved to walk and sit upright without complications, but as long as we’re trying, how can we make it less painful?

One of the major contributors to back pain is the Iliopsoas group. Comprised of three muscles, this group is the major hip flexor, and a major postural stabilizer of the body (it acts somewhat as a moderator between the abdominals and their antagonist the spinal erectors). Its location and actions, however, can be a little hard to get a handle on. The psoas major and minor travel from the front of the lumbar vertebrae, diagonally down through the abdomen—beneath the intestines–to attach on the front of the femur (thighbone) just to the inside of the hip joint. The iliacus lines the inside of the ilium, or pelvic bone, then feeds into the common tendon with the major and minor psoas. If your feet are fixed to the ground, the iliopsoas pulls the spine forward toward the legs; when the feet are free, the iliopsoas flexes and externally rotates the hip.

It is a tricky set of muscles to reach and treat manually, and treatment requires a practitioner with good hands…and some compassion. Because the muscles are deep to the intestines, the practitioner has to get under the organs in order to apply pressure to the muscle tissue. And because this muscle group is a primary “flight or fight” muscle, it is affected by stress, and can hold a lot of emotionally charged tension. Once MRI and X-Ray have ruled out structural damage, growths, or disease process, however, the Iliopsoas is one of the first places to look for some of these causes of back pain, despite the potential for discomfort.
 
Possible Symptoms:

Some common symptoms arising from Iliopsoas dysfunction are:

• Low back aches and pain, that may gradually spread throughout the back and hips
• Pain upon rising from a seated position, or standing upright too quickly
• Pain during the second half of a sit-up
• Discomfort or pain while driving with extended or flexed legs
• Pain upon twisting the spine, or leaning to one side
• Aches and pain with extended periods of time sitting or standing (especially with poor posture)

Some Possible accompanying symptoms:

• Hip Pain
• Pelvic Discomfort
• Bowel disruption

 

How Does It Happen?

Being over-tired, stressed and spent, interferes with proper healing, and contributes to the over-all stress of the muscles, so keeping balance in your life and diminishing stress is a great first step to a healthy iliopsoas. That being said, there are several mechanical reasons for iliopsoas dysfunction.

Prolonged sitting, especially when combined with a forward head posture–such as we often find in our computer-centric society–shortens the iliopsoas muscles. Even sleeping or driving, if the posture places the iliopsoas in a shortened state for too long, can compromise its resting length.

Excessive standing, with the back “collapsed,” knees hyper-extended and the hips pushed forward, encourages a shortened iliopsoas, and stresses a multitude of joints, instead of engaging the core and spinal stabilizers.

Even significant repetition of hip flexion can cause shortness and/or hyper tonicity (tightness) of the iliopsoas group. This can come in the form of frequent or distance cycling, stair climbing, or even certain weightlifting, or other exercise moves. Also, if the abdomen and iliopsoas are not coordinated, and the gait cycle is off, the resulting imbalances can cause further biomechanical compensations.

Why Does This Cause Pain?

A shortened iliopsoas group pulls the spine into hyperlordosis and an anteriorly tilted pelvis (an over-arched low back). This posture can put stress on all the spinal muscles, including the erector spinae–the muscles which hold the spine upright, and all the vertebral joints of the lower spine (causing pain).

Low back pain can also develop as a tight iliopsoas generates tension in its tendinous attachment to the lumbar spine. While this tension occurs in the muscle, the pain is felt along the low back. This tension can also affect nerve roots of the spine, resulting in nerve pain, which is felt in the low back, or radiating away from the area.

A short or tight iliopsoas can pull and twist the vertebrae, causing excess compression of the discs and other vertebral joints. These forces cause pain as they occur, but also lead to degeneration of the structures over time, which can result in structural damage, like disc herniation, and degenerative disease processes, a whole new cause of pain.

Iliopsoas dysfunction comes with many distracting companions, which contribute to the overall set of back pain symptoms: a dysfunctional psoas can put the burden of hip flexion on the other, weaker hip flexors, which can become overused, irritated and painful. Or a tightened, short psoas can inhibit gluteal function, further disrupting the balance of optimal muscle function, and putting undue pressure on inappropriate muscle groups.
 
What You Can Do?

• Assessment, diagnosis and treatment by a medical professional
• Self-Treat: psoas, low back, quadratus lumborum, spinal erectors  (see musclemedicinebook.com)
• Stretch: iliopsoas, hamstrings, low back, hip flexors (see musclemedicinebook.com)
• Strengthen: abs, glutes, spinal erectors/stabilizers, psoas if it’s weak. Then do functional full body exercises that emphasize posture and balance. Part of this might be retraining the body’s movement patterns to coordinate imbalanced muscles, like the synergists iliopsoas and abdominals, or antagonists iliopsoas and gluteals, during walking. (see musclemedicinebook.com)
• “Abs” alone is not enough!! Commit to strengthening your core and floor (the muscles of the entire core and muscles of the pelvic floor)!
• Muscle memory, neuromuscular facilitation, postural reflexes, all can be trained to bring peace back to the iliopsoas. Look into Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, physical therapy, or a functional movement based exercise program.
• Constructive Rest can bring much needed relief to a hypertonic iliopsoas (see coreawareness.com)
• Instead of a chair, you may want to try to sit on a physioball! It forces you to engage you core and joint stabilizing muscles, it allows for movement, so the body is not so static, and it allows the hips to relax in a more neutral position as the legs slope off the side of the ball, rather than being held rigidly in flexion by a chair seat.
• Combat stillness by moving, give the muscles a break from their shortened position by getting up and stretching them out every 20-30 minutes.

 

For more information visit musclemedicinebook.com, chiroweb.com, coreawareness.com or somatics.com.

Although I believe whey protein, which comes from dairy is a great source of protein, I do not believe dairy is healthy in general. We have all been brainwashed to think that dairy products strengthen bones and stave off osteoporosis. But this is not the case. Walter Willett, M.D., professor of preventive medicine at the Harvard School of Public Health and his colleagues analyzed dietary information gathered from nearly 80,000 women, ages 30 to 55, over a 12-year period. They found no evidence that women who consumed one to three servings daily of milk or other calcium-rich foods–like cheese or yogurt–reduced their risk of hip fractures, the standard measure for osteoporosis. The findings became even more dramatic when the Harvard researchers examined women who consumed three or more servings of dairy a day and found that none had any added protection against bone fractures. The data shows that Vitamin D appears to be much more important than calcium in preventing fractures. And interestingly, countries with lowest rates of dairy and calcium consumption (like those in Africa and Asia) have the lowest rates of osteoporosis.

So, apart from being the source of whey protein, there do not appear to be any other benefits of dairy and to make matters worse, dairy seems to have detrimental effects to your health. Milk should be for calves (baby cows), most humans have a problem digesting it. I cannot tell you how many patients I have seen over the years whose chronic constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, chronic sinusitis and allergies cleared up when they stopped eating dairy. When people come to see me in my practice and I put them on a diet, I almost always remove dairy.

So this what I suggest?

Don’t rely on dairy for calcium. Rather eat lots dark green leafy vegetables, sea vegetables, canned salmon or sardines with bones, sesame seeds and nuts.

And you can always take a Calcium supplement.

For healthy bones, exercise frequently and supplement with at least 2,000 IU’s of vitamin D as well. Get your vitamin D levels checked!!

Try this test and see how you feel. Remove dairy for 2-3 weeks and see how you feel. Then introduce it again and see how you feel. Most people feel better when they remove it and worse when they re-introduce it. If you don’t seem to have a problem with dairy, then I suggest using only small amounts of organic dairy products, preferably fermented products like unsweetened yogurt and kefir, and preferably raw if possible (hard to get in most states).