Chiropractic in Sports

Athletes place a high physical demand on their bodies. They ask the body to work like a finely tuned, well-oiled machine. The rigorous training and competition schedules leave little time for injuries. Perhaps this is why almost every professional team in sports has a chiropractor looking after its athletes. As an example, 95% of NFL teams will employ chiropractors regularly to treat their players.
 
Chiropractic is a healing art that focuses its attention on the function of the spine, and the precious nerve tissue (the spinal cord) that is encased in it. When it is aligned properly, the spine’s hard bony shell protects the spinal cord from damage, while its 26 separate moving parts (the vertebrae) provide a perfect combination of stability and flexibility to allow for a myriad of functional movements. When even a single vertebra is out of place (a subluxation), the effects are not only painful, but can also result in diminished function of the nervous system, which is required to coordinate the rest of the musculoskeletal system. When the nervous system is even a little off target, the results can be quite dramatic.
 
If the subluxation is in an area that affects the function of the shoulder, the milliseconds difference in muscle-firing patterns can mean the difference, for a baseball pitcher, between a well-placed, high-speed strike and an off-target ball in the dirt.  If the subluxation involves the lower back, and this athlete is a professional golfer, the difference in core stability can mean a loss of several yards off the tee, leaving a much more difficult approach shot to the green.  And, if the subluxation affects the pelvis or legs of a world-class sprinter, this slight difference can be all it takes to turn a gold medal into a 5th-place finish.

Getting the Most out of Exercise

When preparing for a workout routine, some light movements help to get the musculoskeletal system primed for an increased workload. Five to ten minutes of light calisthenics, followed by some stretching of the muscles to be used most in the workout, helps prevent injury.

As the temperature increases, our bodies tend to perspire more with exercise. Proper hydration keeps your circulatory system flowing so that every cell of your body receives the nutrients it requires. Signs of dehydration usually include a dry mouth or excessive thirst, but may also include nausea, headaches and fatigue. On average, you should consume about 2 liters of water per day, but this amount may need to be increased on the days that you are more physically active.

Every person and every situation is different. Even the experts do not always know how far you can go on any given day. Only you do. Your body will let you know when it has had enough. Rest when you need to. Stop to catch your breath and if something does not feel right, it probably is not. Listening to the body’s early warning signs can go a long way in reducing serious injury. Take note of what you were doing when that strange feeling came up, and tell your chiropractor. Little aches and pains are clues that something is wrong, and it is almost always easier to fix shortly after they first appear. Waiting too long before addressing an issue usually leads to other problems, as the body tries to compensate for injured or weak areas. Once you have multiple areas of pain and dysfunction, it is more difficult to treat, and it also becomes more difficult to diagnose the main problem.

Preparing an Exercise Routine

Exercise is one of the best things you can do to keep healthy. This is especially true for your muscles, bones and joints. However, any time you shift from a more sedentary lifestyle to one that is more physically demanding, there is a greater likelihood for strain on these tissues. Small imbalances, or slight weaknesses, can become exaggerated as you begin to place a greater workload on your body.
One of the keys to preventing those injuries is to get advice from an expert before you begin a new exercise program. Schedule a check-up with your chiropractor to see if everything is aligned and working properly. If your body starts off in better balance, you will reduce the risk of strains and sprains later.
 
Another good way to prevent injury is to increase the intensity of your exercise gradually. If you are planning to start a new exercise program, consider consulting with a personal trainer. A knowledgeable trainer can provide you with proper instruction and give you a detailed program that outlines how far and how fast you can safely go.

What Can Vitamin K Do For You?

Consuming an adequate amount of vitamin K is essential in helping prevent bone fractures. In a review of vitamin K studies that appeared in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers showed evidence that indicates hip fractures were reduced by 77% and vertebral fractures were reduced by 60% for people using vitamin K supplements. In a seven-year study on elderly men and women, participants who consumed the highest dietary amounts of vitamin K had a 65% lower risk of hip fracture than those who consumed lower amounts of the vitamin.

The scientific community is increasingly interested in vitamin K’s impact on some forms of cancer. In a study released last year, researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota discovered that people who consume higher dietary levels of vitamin K had a 45% lower risk of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system involving tumors that develop in a specific type of white blood cell. The authors of the study believe vitamin K may block inflammatory cytokines, which are chemicals released from immune system cells and are involved in the growth of this type of cancer.

Vitamin K and diabetes is also on the radar among medical researchers. The Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center conducted a study on insulin resistance – a condition that causes the body to stop using insulin properly (this problem often develops into diabetes). When researchers gave the test group multivitamins containing 500 micrograms of vitamin K, men in the group saw a slower progression of insulin resistance compared to the control group. As a reminder, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, kale, citrus fruits, milk and eggs are good sources of this vitamin.

Obscure Vitamin K May Provide Big Health Benefits

More likely than not, you have not heard much about vitamin K. In fact, you may have never heard of it at all. It certainly does not have the high profile of other vitamins. But as more research has been devoted to this nutrient, vitamin K has become a rising star over the last five years.

Vitamin K plays an important role in both blood and bone health by assisting in blood clotting (coagulation). When a blood vessel is damaged, the blood forms clots to prevent blood loss and promote healing. Vitamin K helps develop proteins vital for proper blood clotting. It also assists the protein known as osteocalcin, which is crucial in promoting healthy bone growth, repairing bone fractures and helping prevent osteoporosis.

To get adequate amounts of vitamin K from your diet, you should choose spinach, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, kale and citrus fruits. Milk and eggs are also a good source of this vitamin. Scientific study indicates that vitamin K is a hardy nutrient, which keeps most of its nutritional value even when heated. When you cook with oil, opt for canola, soybean or olive - all are rich in vitamin K.