A systematic review revealed fair evidence supporting manual and manipulative therapy for common shoulder complaints such a rotator cuff disorders, frozen shoulder, and other soft tissue conditions. At Denver Chiropractic Center, we use Active Release Techniques to effectively treat shoulder pain. Our success rate is over 95%.
Journal of Manipulative Physiologic Therapeutics, June 2011
Whiplash is a slang term for cervical acceleration, deceleration syndrome, or CAD. There are facts and myths surrounding the subject of whiplash. Let’s look at some of the facts.
The origin of CAD. The history of CAD dates back to a time prior to the invention of the car. The first case of severe neck pain arose from a train collision around the time of 1919 and was originally called “railroad spine.” The number of whiplash injuries sharply rose after the invention of cars due to rear-end crashes.
Whiplash synonyms. As stated previously, the term “cervical acceleration-deceleration disorder, or CAD, is a popular title as it explains the mechanism of injury, where in the classic rear-end collision, the neck is initially extended back as the car is propelled forward, leaving the head hanging in space. Once the tissues stretch enough in the front of the neck, the head and neck flex forward very rapidly, forcing the chin towards the chest. This over stretches the soft tissues in the back of the neck. Another term for whiplash is WAD or, Whiplash Associated Disorders. In 1995, the Quebec Task Force categorized injuries associated with whiplash by the type of tissues that were found to be injured. Here, WAD Type I represents patients with symptoms/pain but normal range of motion and no real objective findings like muscle spasm. Type II includes injuries to the soft tissues that limit neck motion with muscle spasm but no neurological loss (sensation or muscle strength). WAD Type III includes the Type II findings plus neurological loss, and type IV involves fractures of the cervical spine.
Head rest facts: Prior to the invention of head rests, whiplash injuries were much more common and more serious because the head was propelled in a “crack-the-whip” like fashion. However, headrests are frequently not adjusted correctly; they are either too low and/or too far away from the head. If the seat back is reclined, this further separates the head from the headrest. The proper position of the head rest should be near the center of gravity of the head, or about 9 cm (3.5”) below the top of the head, or at minimum, at the top of the ears. Equally important is that it should be as close as possible to the back of the head. When the distance reaches 4” away from the head, there is an increased risk of injury, especially if it’s also set too low. When the headrest is properly positioned, the chances of head injury are decreased by up to 35% during a rear-end collision.
Seat back angle. The degree of incline of the seat back can also contribute to injury of the cervical spine. As stated above, as the seat is reclined, the head to headrest distance increases, furthering the chance for injury. A second negative effect is called “ramping.” Here, the body slides up the seat back resulting in the head being positioned over the top of the head rest. Also, the degree of “spring” of the seatback contributes to the rebound of the torso during the CAD process.
Concussion: The notion that the head has to hit something to develop a concussion is not true. Also, the idea that a loss of consciousness is needed to develop a concussion is also false. Simply, the rapid forward/backward movement of the head is enough force for the brain (which is suspended by ligaments) to literally slam into the inner walls of the skull and can result in concussion. The symptoms associated with concussion are referred to as post-concussive syndrome or, mild traumatic brain injury.
We realize you have a choice in where you receive your healthcare services. If you, a friend or family member requires care for whiplash, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.
Chiropractic may only be 114 years old, but spinal manipulation has been around for thousands of years. Massage and manipulation are two of the oldest remedies known to man. In fact, the first pictures depicting spinal manipulation were discovered in prehistoric caves in Point Le Merd in southwestern France. These drawings depicted crude, non-specific attempts to manipulate the spine that date back to 17,500 bc. The ancient Chinese were using manipulation in 2700 bc. and James Cyriax, in his Textbook of Orthopedic Medicine, included a picture of a Buddhist temple with a statue over 2,000 years old showing manipulation of the lumbar spine.
More recently, Hippocrates (460-377 bc), the father of Greek medicine said, “Get knowledge of the spine, for this is the requisite for many diseases.” He wrote over seventy books on healing and was a proponent of spinal manipulation. This great physician was also the first to deal with the anatomy and the pathology of human spine. In his books, he provides a precise description of the segments and the normal curves of the spine, the structure of the vertebrae, the tendons attached to them, the blood supply to the spine, and even its anatomic relations to adjacent vessels. Hippocrates devised two apparatuses, known as the Hippocratic ladder and the Hippocratic board, to reduce displaced vertebrae.
Hippocrates believed only nature could heal and it was the duty of a physician to remove any interference preventing the body from healing. Hippocrates taught that the essence of life and the ability of the body to heal was the result of a vital spirit.
Health Alert: High Fructose Corn Syrup and Type-2 Diabetes. Researchers found a 20% higher proportion of the population has diabetes in countries with high use of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), like the United States, compared to countries that do not, like the United Kingdom. The United States has the highest consumption of HFCS at 55 lbs (~25 kg) per year per person. The United Kingdom consumes 1.1 lbs (~.5 kg) per year per person.
Global Public Health, November 2012
Diet: Food Advertising. Childhood obesity has tripled in the past 30 years. Food companies spend $10 billion a year marketing in the United States, and 98% of that is on foods high in fat, sugar, or sodium.
Journal of Pediatrics, November 2012
Exercise: Walk Much? The more moderate physical activity (like brisk walking) you do, the better. Compared to doing nothing at all, seventy five minutes of vigorous walking per week was linked to living an extra 1.8 years. Walking briskly for 450 minutes or more per week was found to provide most people with a 4.5-year longer lifespan. The longer people spent each week being moderately active, the greater their longevity. Heart, November 2012
Chiropractic: Keep Your Disks Healthy. In normal healthy disks, the nerves (sinuvertebral) only sense pain on the periphery or outer regions of the disk. In grossly degenerated disks, nerves may penetrate into the center (nucleus) of the disk and be more vulnerable to degeneration and/or inflammation. Lancet, 1997
Wellness/Prevention: Cell Phone Addiction. Cell phone and instant messaging addictions are driven by materialism and impulsiveness and can be compared to consumption pathologies like compulsive buying and credit card misuse. Cell phones may be used as part of the conspicuous consumption ritual and may also act as a pacifier for the impulsive tendencies of the user. Impulsiveness plays an important role in both behavioral and substance addictions.
Journal of Behavioral Addictions, November 2012
Keeping an eye on 3 kids shouldn’t mean that Meredith and I need to skip workouts. Of course the kettlebells travel nicely from the basement to the backyard, but few of you actually have kettlebells. So here is a G-R-E-A-T bodyweight swingset workout that you can do anywhere.
Get out of the sweaty musty gym, head to the nearest park (or if you have a big ol’ swing set in your backyard, head there) and get ready to have some strength-building, muscle-working fun in the sun.
We’re going to cycle between 3-5 rounds of the following exercises:
· Decline Pushups
· Pull-ups / Australian Pull-ups
· Hanging leg raises
Decline Pushups. Decline pushups are a little tougher than flat pushups, so if you have trouble with regular pushups, just stick with those. But the decline pushup is great for working the chest, shoulders and core.
Place your hands about shoulder width apart (who remembers the Zone of the Dog shoulder articles?) and your feet on a swing. Make sure you don’t let your body sag – use your core to keep it tight.
Anyway, strive for sets of 20 pushups, moving down slowly and back up a little bit faster. Once you get to 3 sets of 20, instead of adding more reps, try doing your reps at a slower and slower pace.
Pull-ups
Next, we move on to pull-ups. We’re going to shoot for 10. If you can’t do sets of 10 pull-ups, do smaller sets to get to 10. For example, 5 sets of 2. Or 2 sets of 3 reps followed by a set of 2 reps and then 2 sets of 1 rep. As long as you get to 10. I prefer the monkey bars with my palms facing each other, but any hand position you prefer is fine.
Pull-ups can be hard on the elbows, so generally, the wider you can position your hands, the less the elbow strain. If you can’t do pull-ups, bring a buddy who can help you!
Hanging leg raises
After the pull-ups, shake out your arms and get ready to hang. I still think that hanging leg raises are among the best ab exercises out there.
While hanging, brace your abdominals as of you’re about to take a punch. Then curl your knees up to waist level. Hold for a second or two, and SLOWLY lower back down. Shoot for 10 reps with good form. If you can do only 3 or 4, that’s ok. Don’t combine smaller sets to get to 10. Over time, you’ll get stronger and the rep count will get higher.
So there you have it. A great upper body / core workout with just 3 exercises and a swing set. If you want to up the ante and have a couple of kettlebells lying around, the kettlebell complexes that I show on the last post are great!
Kettlebell training for women only. ($297) 4-weeks, starting Wednesday June 29 , 5:30-7:30. Class limited to 4 participants. (First spot already spoken for). Call the office to reserve and pay for your spot over the phone 303.300.0424.
We’ll be embarking on a 4-week project to make you an expert in using what many consider the greatest fitness device that’s ever existed: the kettlebell.
Kettlebells let you get more done in less time, at home, whenever the hell it happens to fit your schedule, and without having to stand around the gym waiting for some moron to finish up.
I first learned about the kettlebell sometime around 2003, when my old Russian buddy Pavel Tsatsouline sent me one to try out. Pavel is the guy who gets credit for bringing the kettlebell to America and launching a revolution.
Seven years later, my collection of kettlebells remains the focus of my strength and conditioning training. They’ve allowed me to maintain my strength and muscle mass even when I’m training for triathlons. My wife, Meredith, has used kettlebells extensively to lose baby weight (3 times!), to get stronger and toned without “bulking up”, and to fit workouts into her very busy life.
You’ll learn the proper mechanics and safe execution of the following high-intensity kettlebell exercises:
· Swing (single, double, low & high)
· Clean (classic and ‘dead’)
· Snatch (classic and ‘dead’)
· Floor press
· Row (many kinds)
· Shoulder Press
· KB Jerk
· Front squat
· Overhead press (single / double)
· Squat press
· Lunge press
· Turkish get-up
· Windmill
· More
In addition to technique training, we’ll put it all together into workouts you can take with you.
I’ve been through Level 1 and 2 of the RKC training, and hold a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification from the NSCA. So I know how to teach you how to use kettlebells. Being a chiropractor helps, too. In other words, if you want to learn to use kettlebells properly, I’m your guy.
And of course, we’re still here to help you when you’re in pain. We’re of course still doing Active Release, chiropractic care, and full service rehabilitation!
I’ve been taking some time away from swimming and biking, but still doing some running. Mostly, I’ve been hitting the kettlbell pretty hard.
I bought a DVD about improving your VO2 max with the kettlebell snatch & this weekend I finally watched. Very interesting.
In a nutshell: You set a 2-second cadence with the kettlebell snatch, so one rep every two seconds. This amounts to essentially non-stop snatching. You do 15 seconds of this with 15 seconds of rest. For 25 minutes.
Absolutely brutal. A Danish study showed that this was more effective than intense running or biking for increasing VO2 max. How will this affect my triathlon training? Well, hopefully it will increase my VO2 max. Stay tuned…
Interested in learning more? Well, kettlebell class just might be returning soon.
Those of you (over 1000!) who get our paper newsletter already have the barefoot running article from the June / July 2010 newsletter.
We sort of goofed and never managed to put it online. Well, here it is:
http://www.denverback.com/pdf/2010_July.pdf
For those of you who like to follow my training, I did a workout I picked up from top strength guru Mike Mahler’s facebook page. P90X is starting to seem a little too easy for me.
It looked a little something like this:
10 sets of 10 reps of the following (in giant-set formation):
‘Twas quite brutal. Look for Mike Mahler on Facebook, or go to www.mikemahler.com
I decided to get strict with the gluten free diet about 4 weeks ago. I simply cut all wheat out of my diet, like I’ve suggested to so many of my Natural Treatment Program patients. I dropped about 6 pounds of fat since then without doing anything else differently. Granted, I’m still training for the Xterra Lory triathlon, and still working with my Russian Kettlebells.
For the record, I give myself one cheat meal per week.
Many people misunderstand gluten. Gluten is a type of protein found in certain grains. For some reason, some people are not able to digest this protein. They lack an enzyme – called transglutaminase – that breaks down gluten. The deficiency of the enzyme usually correlates with the severity of symptoms. The less you make, the worse you feel.
Since lab testing for gluten intolerance is inaccurate, the simplest way to assess yourself is to stop eating gluten containing grains – primarily wheat, and avoid processed foods. After about 2 weeks, take note of how you feel. Many people drop fat without trying, improve thier digestion, sleep better, are less moody, etc.
I’ve tried going gluten-free before, but this is the most effort I’ve ever put into it, and I feel a difference. By the way, the blood test I had at my MD’s office said I had no problem with gluten. So who’s right?
Update – Dragondoor says I’d have to start back at Level 1, which I think is ridiculous. So I’m not sure I’m going to bother recertfiying with them. Have the swing, clean, snatch, press, get up, and squat changed so much that I need to pay $1800 to re-learn them?
Original post:
I’ve decided that I am going to renew my kettlebell certification next year in at the RKC . The requirements are kids of tough. 100 snatches with the 53 pound kettlebell in 5 minutes. Clean and press the kettlebell closest to 1/2 of my bodyweight (the 88lb bell). A strict pullup with a 53 pounder hanging on my foot. Double kb jerks with two 53 pounders. Sounds like fun! April, 2011: plenty of time to train.
I’m skipping Xterra Indian Peaks this weekend to attend a Selective Functional Movement Assesment workshop. This will help me do an even better job helping all of you.