iPad Winner!!!

Congratulations to Will D.!  He is the winner of our Founder's day iPad contest.  We also drew winners of 6 runner up prizes, movie tickets for two.  Kelly B., Darwin S., Emily H., Debbie C., Arnie A., and Michi S. get to go to the movies on us.  Thanks to everyone who took the time to care for someone else and help them get answers to their health problems.  The response was terrific and I hope everyone had fun as well.

Weekend Warrior Syndrome

Are you one of those people that works 10-14 hour days and then tries to cram all his exercise into one or two weekend days?  This would be the philosophy that some exercise is better than no exercise.  Unfortunately this may not be true.  Saving all your physical activities for the weekend boosts your risk of injury and does little to improve your fitness. 

A better strategy is to include at least some activity throughout the week.  For example, take a brisk 15 minute walk during lunch.  Stretch for a few minutes afterward.  You will have done a lot to keep your joints moving and lubricated, your muscles free and strong, and your heart and lungs working effectively. 

Can you take it a step further?  Go to the gym or allow a longer time 2-3 days per week for a more comprehensive exercise routine.  Saving it up for the weekend will no longer be necessary.

Rib Cage Pain

Patients often ask me if I can help pain in the chest or rib area.  This is especially common in people who work at Microsoft or other places where they are in front of a computer most of the day.  The main causes of rib cage and chest pain are mechanical, trauma, nerve inflammation, and organ issues.

Chiropractic care is very effective for the first three causes and much less effective for the last.  The problem is that if you experience sudden onset of pain in this area it can be hard to tell what you should do.  If you think you might be having a heart attack or have significant shortness of breath, the best action is to call 911 right away. 

Otherwise, we can evaluate this sort of problem to determine the cause and whether we can help.  Many times, the pain is from the spine or ribs simply not moving correctly.  That is something that usually responds very well to chiropractic care.

To prevent problems be sure to get up from your computer on a regular basis and move around even if it is only for a coupe minutes.  Breathe deeply to expand the chest.  This keeps movement in the area as well as refreshes the air in your lungs.  Engage in regular physical activitiy.  Both cardio and weight training have benefits for your core and chest area.  Let me know if I can be of any help in evaluating a problem you are having or in recommending further exercises.

Back To School Back Stress

Now that the kids are back to school, it's good to keep several things in mind that can impact your kids spinal health.  Kids are transitioning from summer with all it's outdoor activities to sitting much more in class and doing homework.  Motion is extremely important for spinal health.  So try to plan more physical activity at this time of year.  School sports and PE can help but make special effort to get your kids doing some type of sport or regular exercise activity. 

Every parent has probably noticed their kids posture at some point.  Repeated poor positions and postures become normal after a time.  So, just like your mother told you, sit up straight, stand up straight, yes, it's really important!

Backpacks are a frequent problem as well.  It's not so much the pack as the amount placed in it.  Many kids use a backpack that is too large for them and then they can easily overload it.  This then creates overload on the lower back joints and discs.  It can even lead to back pain.  For all of our patients we provide a free backpack evaluation at our Redmond office.   This would include looking at the fit and usage of your students pack as well as an evaluation of it's weight.

TMJ Problems

Many people know that TMJ stand for temporomandibular joint.  That because problems with the TMJ or jaw joint, are extremely common.  This little joint has to put up with substantial forces when chewing food or even just with talking.  This makes it very susceptible to damage and injury.

Factors that aggravate the TMJ are dental problems such as misaligned or broken teeth, trauma, and postural stress.  Emotional stress and grinding of the teeth can both cause TMJ injury and be a symptom of it.  Other symptoms can include pain on one or both sides, pain in the teeth, headaches, and noises when you open your mouth. 

Here's a tip to test if your TMJ is in trouble.  Hold your fingers together and then bend the index finger.  Open your mouth as far as you can comfortably.  You should be able to easily fit the three straight fingers between your teeth.

Another tip to help your TMJ is to do a light massage on some of the muscles that affect it.  To do this, clench your teeth together while holding the first two fingers of both hands about two inches in front of your ears.  You should feel a muscle pop up as you clench.  Once you find that, relax your mouth.  Then do a light circular massage on these muscles with the same two fingers.  The pressure should be very light but you can do about 1-200 circles over these muscle once or twice per day.  

If none of this helps, the next step is to see your chiropractor.  We work with TMJ on a daily basis and can let you know if we can help of if other evaluation is necessary. 

Something Free from Your Chiropractor

How many of you know that Sept. 18 is the 115th birthday of chiropractic?  I'm sure most of you know it's back to school time.  What do these two things have in common you might ask?

Simply that they are occurring at the same time.  So we thought we'd integrate the two with a special drawing here at the office.  We are giving away an iPad!

Win by referring a patient to us before Sept. 18th.  You will automatically be entered in our drawing for a new iPad and other great prizes.  Ask us if you have any questions about things we help or if you need a free referral gift certificate.

The big question will be if you win the iPad do you get it or the kids who are going back to school???