Sit Up Straight Young Man!

Your Mom Was RightPosture is Very Important!

“Don’t slouch!”

These are the words many of us have heard growing up. Most of us hated to hear this, but complied with her instructions having no understanding of the anatomical and biomechanical reasoning behind her persistent prodding. As a matter of fact, she probably wasn’t aware of the true implications of poor posture! But without understanding, your mother always seemed to know best.

So what is good posture anyway and why is it so critically important? Posture refers to the body’s alignment and positioning in relation to gravity. Whether standing, sitting or lying down, gravity exerts a force on our spine, bones, joints, ligaments and muscles. Good posture leads to accurate distribution of the force of gravity through our body to prevent overstressing of these parts.

When an architect designs a building he has to take these same laws of gravity and weight distribution into account. Similarly to the body, a building with a poor foundation is less resistant to strains and stresses. Think of the Tower of Pisa. Our bodies experience these strains and stresses over the months, years and decades of life.

When I look at someone’s posture, I’m concerned with the alignment of the spine with the individual standing. I have them close their eyes and turn the head left and right, then return to what they think is center. Having the eyes closed is important because this reduces neurologic information from the bodies righting reflexes. Ideally the shoulders and hips should be level and the head not turned. From a side view the neck should have a forward “C” curve with the ear hole over the mid-shoulder. A backward “C” in the mid-back. Lastly, the low back should have a forward “C” curve. The ideal alignment maintains balance to the spine and its associated structures. Without this alignment abnormal pressure is exerted on the spine, intervertebral discs, ligament, tendons and muscles.

The consequences of improper alignment is osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, disc herniation, chronic muscle problems, numbness and tingling and many other conditions. All of these conditions take time to develop. As an example, it typically takes 7-10 years for the arthritis to be visible on x-rays.

So how do you check for proper alignment? My best recommendation is make an appointment with an office that is expert in the detection and correction of these problems. Additionally, seek the professional who has a track record of correct improper alignment. Our office has been successfully helping these types of problems for well over a decade. Regular check-ups are also critically because you will not typically feel it when these problems begin.

Henderson NV chiropractor, Dr. Darrell Swolensky has been practicing in Nevada for more than 13 years. He focuses on spinal correction to reduce, eliminate and prevent the recurrence of pain and symptoms with a series of state of the art technologies. He can be reached at (702) 565-7474 or on the web at www.nevadachiro.com.

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How Posture Improves Athletic Performance

At sea aboard USS Bataan (LHD 5) Sept. 24, 200...
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As an athlete, your regimen probably consists of the usual exercises: cardiovascular endurance, strength training, aerobic conditioning, etc.  But while these workouts may aid in improving your overall performance, a new study has shown that athletes are overlooking a vital component of a successful training regimen: maintaining excellent posture.

A 2004 study conducted by the American Medical Athletic Association (AMAA; www.amaasportsmed.org) concluded that athletes who want to optimize their performance should focus on their posture.  The study reported that “postural repositioning exercises, breathing exercises, gluteal, hamstring and abdominal/oblique exercises alone can provide for improved…performance as a result of improved posture.”  The study also concluded that improved posture can alleviate aches and pains, as well as prevent common sports injuries.

So why does good posture play such an important role in how well you’ll run during the big marathon, football game or at your next tennis match?  Simple: it’s because improper application of pressure on your spine, joints, muscles and nerves can all contribute to a less-than-optimal athletic performance.

Think about it in terms of a car.  No matter how much top-notch oil you pour into it, or how powerful the engine is, if the fundamental mechanics of the car aren’t properly aligned or working, you won’t get the maximum performance out of the car.  The human body functions in the same way: even if your diet and exercise routines are highly optimized for an Olympic outcome, you won’t get the expected results if your body has been strained by poor posture.

So what exercises can you do to improve your posture?

Experts recommend that all athletes include yoga and meditative practices in their training regimen as a way of strengthening key muscles and joints.  While yoga teaches how to find and maintain excellent posture, meditative sessions can reinforce proper breathing techniques, which can also relieve strain on muscles and joints.  Try this simple exercise, known as “belly breathing”:  breathe in through the nose and into the diaphragm for a count of five, and then exhale by “sighing” for a count of seven.  By using this breathing technique, athletes will not only relieve stress to the ribs, shoulders and backs – this type of breathing also requires less energy to use.   And as any athlete knows, less energy expelled on breathing means better performances.

Many athletes may require more assistance with corrective posture to enhance their athletic performance, which is where our combination of physical rehabilitation and chiropractic services help.  At an initial consultation, the athlete’s overall balance, structure and tension will be assessed to determine the root cause of poor posture.  Once the mechanical or structural problem has been identified, a custom program will be developed to help the athlete correct the imbalance and regain full range of athletic ability and performance.

When considering treatment for correcting posture related problems and enhancing athletic performance, our clinics in Henderson NV comes highly recommended by physicians in Clark County.  Feel free to contact us for a Sports Performance Evaluation, by calling us at (702) 565-7474 or at www.nevadachiro.com.

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The Importance of Carbohydrates

Mylohyoid muscle visible right under jaw
Image via Wikipedia

Do you notice symptoms of:

Or do any of these sound like you?

  1. Dry, itchy eyes or dry mouth
  2. Poor memory
  3. Unable to relax, become serene, or meditate
  4. History of diabetes in family
  5. Blood sugar problems, either hypoglycemia or diabetes
  6. Uncontrollable appetite (i.e., eating when not hungry)
  7. Desire to lose weight
  8. In need of a meal replacement

There is often a stress point involves the tongue, muscles of deglutination, and the posterior and lateral muscles of the neck. These muscles are involved with tongue movement, swallowing and the hyoid bone. When they are weak and contracted, hence the previous mentioned complaints.
#6/SvG – T1 to T3 – Stress Point Palpation

Other tissues that may be involved with this stress point are:

  • Retina
  • Muscles and tissues of the face and nose
  • Teeth

Effect of Carbohydrate Reduction in the Diet

The tissues prefer to use carbohydrate for energy over both protein and fat. The quantity of carbohydrate stores in the body is only a few hundred grams (glycogen in the liver and muscles.) This can supply energy needed for the body for about half a day. Therefore, after a few hours of carbohydrate deprivation the body resorts to converting protein and fat to glucose (in Stress Mode). Fat will be the primary source of energy production and depletion of its stores will continue unabated until depleted.

A very good product is SVG. It is essential to delivering the lacking carbohydrates.

Stretch Exercise
Practice the “tongue in cheek” movement. Hold for a count of five. Do each side at least three times several times daily.

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Forward Head Posture Facts

spinal cord.
Image via Wikipedia

As a continuation of forward head posture theme, I wanted to share a couple of other vital research tibits you need to be aware of:

1. “For every inch of forward head posture, it can increase the weight of the head on the spine by an additional 10 pounds.” (Kapandji, Physiology of the Joints, Volume 3)

2. “Loss of the cervical curve stretches the spinal cord 5-7 cm and causes disease.” (Dr. Alf Breig, neurosurgeon and Nobel Prize recipient)

I regularly see patients come in the door with 3-4 inches of forward head posture and they don’t even realize it. They are walking around carrying an average of 30-40lbs of additional head weight.

Equally disturbing is that 5-7cm equals 2-3 inches. Imagine stretching the spinal cord 2 inches. It is devastating situation. The impact of that stretch primarily occurs at C1, which has a control effect on the entire body.

That is how a seemingly simply thing such as forward head posture can have an effect on your entire health.

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