If you have ever golfed, you'll likely know the importance of a full golf swing. Whole magazines seem to be dedicated to techniques to improve your swing. What if something as safe and easy as a chiropractic adjustment could improve that golf swing? A new study shows just that! Chiropractic adjustments when combined with specific stretching improved golf performance and scores more than just specific stretching.
For a growing number of professional athletes, chiropractic care has been the tool they've usesd to increase their overall performance in their particular sport. So before you go on those links, stop by to get adjusted
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
April is National Backpack Safety Month
Research shows the majority of students carry more than the recommended weight in their packs.
Low quality backpacks and/or improper backpack techniques can cause serious short term and potentially long-term back and spinal problems.
Here is a checklist for parents:
Is the backpack the correct size for your child? The backpack should never be wider or longer than your child's torso and the pack should not hang lower than 4 inches below the waist.
Does the backpack have two wide, padded shoulder straps? Lugging a heavy backpack by one strap can cause neck muscle spasms, as well as low back pain.
Is there a waist belt? This will help distribute the weight of a heavy load from the back and shoulders to the hips and torso.
Does the pack have several compartments? A backpack with individualized compartments helps position the contents more effectively
In addition to the great hints listed above, I would like to add a couple of thoughts. First, most people have one leg that is slightly shorter than the other. This is due to either a true short leg or a discrepancy in muscle balance. Secondly, in the middle school years is when scoliosis, curvature of the spine, starts to become an issue, especially with girls.
A child carrying a heavy pack with the altered gait caused by a true leg length difference, muscular imbalance or a spinal curvature is increasing their risk for injury even with the best backpack.
Checking for a leg length difference or spinal curvature is fast, easy and absolutely painless. We provide this service for our patient's children at no charge. I advise that before your child carries a heavy backpack that you bring them in for this simple check.
Low quality backpacks and/or improper backpack techniques can cause serious short term and potentially long-term back and spinal problems.
Here is a checklist for parents:
Is the backpack the correct size for your child? The backpack should never be wider or longer than your child's torso and the pack should not hang lower than 4 inches below the waist.
Does the backpack have two wide, padded shoulder straps? Lugging a heavy backpack by one strap can cause neck muscle spasms, as well as low back pain.
Is there a waist belt? This will help distribute the weight of a heavy load from the back and shoulders to the hips and torso.
Does the pack have several compartments? A backpack with individualized compartments helps position the contents more effectively
(excerpted from an article by the ACA, August 2005)
In addition to the great hints listed above, I would like to add a couple of thoughts. First, most people have one leg that is slightly shorter than the other. This is due to either a true short leg or a discrepancy in muscle balance. Secondly, in the middle school years is when scoliosis, curvature of the spine, starts to become an issue, especially with girls.
A child carrying a heavy pack with the altered gait caused by a true leg length difference, muscular imbalance or a spinal curvature is increasing their risk for injury even with the best backpack.
Checking for a leg length difference or spinal curvature is fast, easy and absolutely painless. We provide this service for our patient's children at no charge. I advise that before your child carries a heavy backpack that you bring them in for this simple check.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
My Neck is Killing Me
One of the most common complaints in our office is neck pain.
Most people will start the conversation with "My neck is killing me. I must have slept wrong." Sleeping in an odd position is a frequent culprit, especially when the neck pain is a rare occurence.
However, the more likely cause for ongoing or frequent bouts of neck pain is poor posture combined with weak muscles. In today's society, increased abdominal weight pulling the body forward or hours of sitting at the computer (or driving especially in McHenry County) are the most common scenarios causing poor posture.
For every inch that your head slouches forward, the pressure on the vertebrae and discs is increased exponentially. The discs tend to "creep" or bulge because of the sustained increased pressure. Muscles are stretched so taunt that they ache constantly. And finally after years, the vertebrae will actually compress due to the constant pressure.
All of this is easily avoided by doing basic postural exercises like yoga, using proper ergonomics and controlling weight. Basic neck exercises are located in exercise section of both of the websites, http://www.advancedchirocareplus.com/ and http://www.chiropracticclinicofmarengo.com/.
If you need more help with these issues, come into the office and we can review your situation.
Vacation
The clinics will be closed April 7-10.
Mr Hovi is attending the Illinois Chapter of the American Massage Therapy Association Convention in Itasca while I have a girlfriend's weekend scheduled.
We will be back on Monday April 11 ready to take care of any of your problems.
Mr Hovi is attending the Illinois Chapter of the American Massage Therapy Association Convention in Itasca while I have a girlfriend's weekend scheduled.
We will be back on Monday April 11 ready to take care of any of your problems.
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