However, if a person has suffered from chronic pain, headaches, sciatica, etc. and has NOT responded to traditional medical care, I cannot imagine why a physician would have any problem if their patient decides to try something else.  What really drives me crazy is when the patient has already come to see me and is getting results!  Yet, when they tell their doctor, he says that seeing me “is not a good idea.”  Why in the world would they question something that is working?  Don’t they care that you’re feeling better?

Let me be clear; if your physician is saying that you should not see a chiropractor, don’t accept the old “Because I said so” routine.  That’s not good enough in today’s culture.  Gone are the days that we should be mindlessly accepting opinion as fact.  Your doctor needs to document, in writing,  WHY that is and provide literature supporting their decision.

They won’t.  Why?  Because the supposition that a patient should not see a chiropractor is NOT based on science or fact.  It is based on a biased opinion.  Furthermore, it is the opinion of someone who hasn’t been able to help you with your problem!  Why in the world should someone’s opinion matter when your health is at stake?

As you sit at your desk in agony, this is the last thing you want to hear from the fake-tanned, self-proclaimed fitness guru in the cubicle next to you.  However, he is not the only one repeatedly spouting this half truth.  It is a common misconception in the health care and fitness world, even among “experts.”  Strong abs = no back pain.  The premise is simple and seems to make sense, but when taken too far it will only set people up for failure.  The reason is this: when most people think of ‘abdominals,’ they think of the rectus abdominis muscle, or the “six pack” we see on professional volleyball players, superheroes, and statues.

It MUST be true, then!

First of all, let’s forget about back pain.  I first want to address the notion that sit ups and crunches with help the rectus abdominis become more visible, producing that sought-after “washboard” stomach.  This is a fallacy.  The idea has been pushed by cheesy infomercial salesman for funky exercise equipment and ab-targeting exercise videos and ill-informed amateur personal trainers.  The reality is that unless you have a healthy diet, a solid fitness plan, and an overall healthy lifestyle, even “strong” abdominal muscles will be forever bathed in a layer of fat, hiding them from the world.  So people continue to eat nasty food and do endless sit-ups and crunches in order to look good (which doesn’t work) while they ignore the muscles that do the most for helping them FEEL good.  I’m talking, of course, about the CORE muscles. Technically, the rectus adbominis is a part of the core and it should be exercised, but there are other muscles that play a much bigger role in core stability and are often forgotten. 

Transverse Abdominis (TVA): This is the deepest of the abdominal muscles.  It acts like a corset, wrapping around the torso from front to back and from the ribs down to the pelvis.  This muscle stabilizes the pelvis and spine while the prime movers (quads, gluts, pectorals, etc.) perform their functions.  Loss of coordinated contraction of the TVA leads to lower back injury.  Anyone who has done Pilates knows all about this muscle! Exercise: Plank

External and internal obliques:  These muscles aid in lateral bend and rotation of the spine.  They also help to compress the abdomen and help protect the organs.  They are the largest, thickest muscles of the core. Exercise: Side plank , Oblique cross crunch

 Erector Spinae:  This group of muscles travel along the entire spine, aiding in extension and lateral bend of the spine.  This collection of three muscles also helps maintain posture and proper spinal curvature.  They also stabilize the spine during flexion. Exercise: Back extension

Multifidus:  This muscle runs along the back of the spine, deeper than the erector spinae.  It aids in flexion, lateral bend, and rotation of the spine, as well also helping to maintain posture. Exercise: Bird dog, Bird Dog 2

The great thing is that the exercises listed work more than one part of the core.

Doing these exercises routinely will strengthen the core muscles and improve your overall spinal health.  However, chronic muscle imbalance also has a lot to do with muscle tightness, as well.

Many people who have weak core muscles also have tight hip and trunk flexors.  I will tackle that in a later post.  But what if you’re in acute pain?  Exercises and stretches may aggravate your condition.   In that case, all the exercise in the world is not going to realign a dysfunctional spine.  If you are currently experiencing lower back pain that is caused by spinal or pelvic misalignments, chiropractic care may be just what you need to take the pressure off the nerves and joints and restore the proper biomechanics of your spine.  Once the joints are stable, then a good core stability program will help to prevent problems from re-occurring.

It is frustrating that Sally would give chiropractic a bad rap when her failure was nobody’s fault but her own since she was the one who decided to wait 4 years to get her problem corrected only to quit the program two weeks in.  But what about happy patients?!  Are they just like customers in any other industry?  Do they keep it to themselves?  Unfortunately, yes.

For some reason, patients can be very reluctant to share their progress with their friends and loved ones.  Why would this be?  We are all to happy to tweet, talk, and foursquare to all our friends and followers about that amazing latte we had this morning.  But what about those migraines that have all that disappeared?  What about getting that sciatica under control, allowing you to golf and play with your kids?  How about your child’s asthma that has improved with chiropractic care?  Doesn’t that have a greater impact on your life than a tasty coffee that will only impact your life for a few minutes?

Of course it does, but people are reluctant to talk about their health, especially when it’s improving with something that is considered “alternative.”  For some reason, people clam up about seeing a chiropractor because they are afraid about what some people might think (even their doctor).  Instead of WORRYING about what they think, why don’t you help CHANGE the way they think?

Chiropractic care wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for patients who helped spread the word on how they were helped by a chiropractor.  We don’t have the pharmaceutical industry to run ads constantly telling people to “See their doctor if they are experiencing (insert vague assortment of symptoms here).”  We don’t run Super Bowl commercials, sponsor PGA events (Viagra, anyone?), or put our brand on the front of a NASCAR driver’s jacket.  By the way, have you ever wondered why drugs are so expensive?  I digress….

Sure, Zehr Chiropractic runs the occasional ad.  We have a website.  I have a blog.  We have a pretty sign out front.  But what brings the majority of people in Muskegon to our office is patient referrals.  Every day, we meet patients in need of care who would have never made it through our doors if a friend or loved one didn’t care enough to share their experience.  So, if you’re happy with your chiropractor, tell somebody.  If that somebody lives far away and they want help, we will help them find a chiropractor to assist them.  Imagine how much better off our country would be if everyone was in adjustment?  Less drugs.  Less surgeries.  Better health.  Now there’s something to shout about.

The rush is on to get your kids’ to the optometrist, dentist, and physician before school starts but what about their spines?  Are they being checked out?  Why not?

Obviously, we all want our precious little snowflakes to have straight, cavity-free teeth and perfect vision.  But what if the headaches little Johnny is experiencing don’t go away with those new glasses or bite splint?  Have you ever considered that your child has an unhealthy neck and spine?

Children are the most at risk for spinal problems because there is this crazy notion that kids always “bounce back.”  If Suzie takes a major digger off the trampoline and lands on her head, no one gets worried as long as she doesn’t sustain a fracture.  After a few days of R & R, that soreness goes away and she seems “fine.”  What often happens is that she has compensated elsewhere for the locked up joints that were damaged in her neck so her symptoms subside for the time being.  Her neck is still stiff but that will “go away” and it gets ignored.  Suzie even forgets about it.

Until “it” happens.  Whether it’s a volleyball game, dance party, or an ill-advised snooze on the couch, the symptoms come back, perhaps worse than before.  Why did this happen?

Well, the body is an amazing machine and it can certainly compensate for joint problems…for a while.  A twisted neck will lead to a twisted upper back and pelvis which will lead to problems down the road because the body can only do it so long.  If your child has EVER sustained an injury to the spine, whether symptoms are there or not, they should be checked by a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic.  Problems can often be discovered before they cause a major problem.

You don’t take your kids to the dentist because their teeth hurt, correct?  You take your kids to the dentist to KEEP their teeth from hurting.  Well, teeth can be filled, pulled, and replaced if they are neglected.
Your child’s spine?  Not so much.  Thetruth is, parents would take better care of their kids’ spines if they were located on their faces.  Out of sight, out of mind.  This can be a dangerous omission.

Everyone knows that guy in sales  with the bad back or that lady in accounting with the bad neck and headaches.  They decline to meet up with everyone for lunch or join the office golf league because their spinal problems limit their ability to live life to its fullest.  If you want to save your child from that fate, proper spinal care is a worthwhile investment.  It’s never going to be easier to fix than it is right now.

“I’ve always wanted to see a chiropractor, but they always want you to keep coming back.”  It’s a sentiment that always seems to hang over the chiropractic profession, like a rain cloud over Charlie Brown.  It has been propagated by the medical community and other skeptics, as well as people who are skittish about giving chiropractic a try.

But where did this come from?  Is it valid?  Is it unique to the chiropractic profession?

The idea that anyone who seeks a doctor of chiropractic will be forever tethered to the chiropractor’s table is pretty silly.  In our Muskegon practice, we put together a specific care plan for every patient, in order to alleviate their particular health challenge.  We state, up front, that most conditions require maintenance down the road, but that part is UP TO YOU.  No contracts in blood.  No oaths.  The ball is in their court.

But why don’t the conditions just stay fixed?  Why do spines need maintenance?  The reason is the time the problem has been there and the crazy stuff humans do to re-aggravate their conditions (I’ll have to tackle that in another post).

Delay of Game on the Offense.  Five Yard Penalty.  Still First Down.

It’s no secret that we are not every body’s first choice when it comes to health care so spinal problems usually fester for a long time until the patient shows up in our offices with neck pain, back pain, migraine headaches, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, or fibromyalgia (to name a few).  They’ll often find that they have also developed visceral symptoms such as constipation, asthma, acid reflux, or IBS.

They start by ignoring the problem.  They may even self-medicate with over the counter meds or worse (scoring some leftover vicodin from their neighbor who recently had a knee replacement).

When it gets so bad they can hardly stand it, they finally show up at their medical doctor’s office.  If it is not a fracture, tumor, or infection, they are put on more pain medications.  Those will often take the edge off for a while, but when they fail, the doctor puts them in physical therapy.  If the PT clinic does nothing but passive modalities (muscle stim, ultrasound, etc.) the patient will get some symptomatic relief but in most cases the problem will keep coming back.  They go back to their doctor, who starts talking about injections, surgery, and pain clinics.

A percentage of folks won’t even bat an eyelash at needles and scalpels, but most people get pretty freaked out at this point.  Spinal surgeries don’t have the best track record, to say the least.  So they start looking at alternatives. Depending on how long this whole process takes, the patient has had this problem for YEARS.  The longer the problem has been there, the longer the bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons have remodeled and become dysfunctional.

Because of this phenomenon, patients with chronic problems are a lot tougher to fix and they need maintenance care in order to keep things in place and stay healthy.  Again, this is up to the individual patient.  This concept makes sense to most people (especially if they’ve lived it) but gets a lot of scrutiny from the medical profession.

Once Again, the Pot is Calling the Kettle Black

The next time you hear someone criticize your chiropractor for advocating spinal health maintenance, ask them if they are on any medications (as they probably are on a first name basis with their pharmacist).  Have you ever met anyone on a blood pressure medicine regimen that only lasts 6 weeks?

No?

Really?

You mean, they have to take those things daily?  For life?

Huh.

Think about that for a second.  The same people who criticize a monthly adjustment have no problem whatsoever instructing someone to take a medication twice daily until kingdom come.  How many people do you know have been taking aspirin or ibuprofen daily for their back pain and headaches….for years?!  Apparently, those anti-inflammatories and painkillers aren’t permanent.  Shocking.

I have never, ever needed to see a patient multiple times every single day in my office.  In fact, chiropractic patients have to come in less and less over time while most people on medications have to take more and more.  The body starts to get immune to medications so they have to up the dose in order for it to be effective.  Meanwhile, your liver and kidneys have to filter all that gunk, not to mention all the other pills that you have to take to counteract the side effects from the first medication.

I understand people’s concerns with maintenance chiropractic care.  There is a cost involved.  And insurance doesn’t always cover it (if it covers anything at all).  But with all the pills and surgeries you WON’T need, it pays for itself over time.  Not to mention, how in the world do you put a price on being able to move, function, and feel good?  Chiropractic care is cheap compared to the alternatives out there.  Maintaining good spinal health is a habit.  Just like exercise.  Just like good nutrition.  Just like getting enough sleep.  So, do you have to keep coming back?  Only if you want to stay healthy.

There is one thing about chiropractic that I truly love above all else.  Although the profession has seen many advances and changes, the principle behind chiropractic has never changed.  How many professions can say THAT?  Misalignments of the spinal joints cause damage to the joints as well as dysfunction in the nervous system, which (in addition to pain) can cause dis-ease throughout the entire body resulting in a myriad of symptoms and illnesses (neck pain, back pain, migraine headaches, sciatica, fibromyalgia, extremity numbness, etc.).  Chiropractors utilize non-surgical, non-pharmaceutical means to realign the spinal column to promote healing in the joints and remove pressure from the nervous system.  The principle seems pretty straightforward for most, but this idea was vehemently challenged by the medical establishment in the early part of the 20th century.

Adjusting Spines?!?! That’s a Felony!

At the very least, the medical profession thought chiropractic was useless chicanery, at worst they warned that chiropractic adjustments were harmful to one’s health (reminds me of a story about a pot and a kettle…hmm).  In fact, the medical profession fought so hard against chiropractic that doctors of chiropractic were put in jail for “practicing medicine without a license” in the 1930s.  Of course, by not prescribing medications, stitching up wounds, or treating fractures, it boggles the mind how anyone would try and accuse chiropractors of trying to “practice medicine.”  It didn’t matter what the treatment was, medical doctors could not stand the thought of people needing anything but drugs and surgery for their health.  It just wasn’t scientific enough.  This was in the days when lobotomies were done routinely, physician endorsement of cigarettes was common, and only a decade after bloodletting fell out of fashion, but that’s besides the point.  Doctors of chiropractic sat in jail so I could do what I do today and all they were trying to do was offer an alternative in order help to their fellow (wo)man.  Meanwhile, politicians have been allowed to run free for decades (just kidding…sort of).

Trust Me. I'm a Doctor

Once it was proven that chiropractors were not, in fact, “practicing medicine,” they were allowed to return to their homes and their practices.  The chiropractic profession was established as its own entity, with its own set of
guidelines on education and scope of practice.  It was spelled out very clearly what a chiropractor could and could not do and they were clearly second class citizens in the healthcare field.

Although the law of the land clearly placed medical doctors as the gatekeepers to health care and chiropractors as obvious adjuncts to medical care , the medical establishment didn’t stop there.  It just wasn’t good enough.  They wanted their competition out of the picture altogether.  Hence, the American Medical Assocation conducted a decades long smear campaign against chiropractic.  In medical schools, clinics, and hospitals, chiropractic was considered unscientific and unsafe (again, by the same people who thought cigarettes were OK) and this mantra was to be repeated by every doctor, student, professor, nurse, etc.  It was not to be questioned and no proof of these claims was needed.  It was accepted as dogma.  Their bylaws also clearly stated that any medical doctor who “associated” with a chiropractor would be ostracized for doing so.  What this meant is that no medical doctor at any time could ever refer a patient to a chiropractor.  This effort was supposed to drive every DC out of business and kill chiropractic care forever.  But they underestimated one small thing: the actual patients.  People with health care problems don’t care about politics or egos.  They want help and they were willing to see chiropractors in order to get it.  This alone kept chiropractic alive.

Apparently, medical doctors still couldn’t stomach the notion that anyone would even dare to help people with their health while lacking the initials “M.D.” after their name.  They felt that anyone outside the “cool kids club” shouldn’t be allowed to offer any services related to health care!  Well, they have a name for that type of business model.  It’s called a monopoly.  And those are illegal in the United States of America.  So in 1976, Dr. Chester Wilks and four other chiropractors sued the American Medical Association, as well as several physicians, for violations of sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act.  It was a true David vs. Goliath battle.  More like David vs. an army of Goliaths.

The legal process is long and when you have an army of lawyers like the AMA does, you can drag it out even longer.  However, in 1987, Judge Susan Getzendanner ruled that the AMA had engaged in an unlawful conspiracy in restraint of trade “to contain and eliminate the chiropractic profession.”  She went further, stating that the “AMA had entered into a long history of illegal behavior.” She issued a permanent injunction against the AMA to prevent such future behavior. To this day, the AMA can not publicly or privately denounce the profession of chiropractic with baseless allegations.  It did not force them to play nice with chiropractors, they just couldn’t officially bully the profession anymore.  Of course, the AMA used every bit of their financial and political might to appeal (they petitioned the supreme court three times), but the injunction was upheld.  Apparently, you just can’t point at a competitor and call them a quack without evidence, especially when you’re going to profit financially because of it.

There is no “Rx” in Team

Dr. Wilks imagined a world where medical physicians and chiropractors could provide the people of this country with the best health care possible, pooling our resources and working together for the greater good.  So where are we now?  Well, that depends who you ask.  Just the mere fact that chiropractic is still around is significant.  With all the profession has been up against, we still stick around.  Why?  Results.  If we weren’t getting the results, there is no way we could have weathered the storm and survived as a profession.  Chiropractic has been the ultimate “grass roots” story in health care.  No huge multinational companies to fall back on.  No limitless advertising campaigns to promote it.  No major political clout to receive funding and entitlements from the government.  Every time the profession has had its back against the wall, it was the patients themselves who helped chiropractors fight for their right to practice.

As the result of the Wilks lawsuit and others like it, things have changed “legally” but discrimination against chiropractors is still abound in the medical establishment.  Patients often tell their MD when they have had results in our office after the doctor’s treatments have failed.  Instead of expressing relief that their patient’s migraines are gone, most get dismissive (even snippy) about the patient coming in to see me in the first place.  On the other hand, some patients tell me that their doctor is happy for them and they encourage them to keep seeing me because they see the results.  We even have a couple medical doctors and osteopaths in the Muskegon area that refer patients to us. So I have to admit that things are improving.

"This is going to hurt....a lot"

“Why don’t you crack bones like other chiropractors?”  This question often comes up after I explain the Atlas Orthogonal adjusting procedure to a new patient in my Muskegon chiropractic practice.  The answer to this question may surprise you.  It has nothing to do with trying to be a maverick.  It has nothing to do with finding some niche in the market.  It has nothing to do with an inability to perform a manual manipulation (I was proficient in traditional chiropractic before discovering these techniques). It has nothing to do with saving my own back (which has been a really nice side benefit since our technique is also MUCH easier on the doctor).  In fact, it has nothing to do with me at all.  It has everything to do with being able to serve more people.

“I Hated it When My Old Chiropractor Snapped My Neck”

It’s a fact.  Not everybody can tolerate a more forceful, chiropractic manipulation.  This is not to say that traditional chiropractic methods are unsafe.  Far from it.  Even the most aggressive chiropractic manipulation, when done properly, is orders of magnitude safer than drugs, injections, and surgeries.  And there are plenty of patients who love a good old fashioned cervical manipulation, which is great.  I am not knocking the practice of manipulation per se, as long as the doctor is very specific and taking care of the patient properly.  Chiropractic was created and developed with manual manipulation by the “greats” like Dr. B.J. Palmer, Dr. Clarence Gonstead, and  Dr. John Grostic.  However, there are multiple patient populations who don’t feel the benefit of a manipulation is worth the pain experienced during and after the treatments.  So, if you can get the same benefit of chiropractic care, without the discomfort to the patient, wouldn’t it make sense to do so?

For instance, osteoporotic patients are not being seen for their osteoporosis specifically, but their condition increases the risk of fracture, which is a legitimate concern with manual manipulation (especially rib fracture). Rheumatoid arthritis patients have instability in the ligaments of the upper neck, so a forceful manipulation in this area of the spine can be problematic, as well.  In addition, RA patients who are experiencing a “flare up” are very unlikely to be able to tolerate an aggressive manipulation.  The same is true of fibromyalgia patients.  When they’re having a “bad day,” they are often in so much pain they can hardly move.  I can’t even imagine what would happen if someone tried to “twist” the neck.  Would the patient be seriously injured?  Most likely not.  However, the risk of aggravating the symptoms is very real.  Who wants to come see a chiropractor if the treatment makes them feel considerably WORSE?

I hear this all the time from patients who have switched to Zehr Chiropractic because of our  method.  “You’re not going to twist my neck, right?” asks Molly MacButter, a 38 year-old migraine sufferer.  Guess what?  She didn’t come to us because she liked our sign.  Our office is not located on her commute.  She wasn’t enthralled by my immensely humorous, informative, and entertaining blog (obviously).  She consulted us because Sally Swayback in accounting told her we wouldn’t twist her neck.

Variety is the Spice of Life

Gentle, non-manipulative techniques like Atlas Orthogonal and Activator Methods, which are both used in our office, are also great for new patients whose symptoms are very acute.  I have met patients who are in severe neck spasm and they can only turn their head 10 degrees from side to side.  I don’t have to wonder “How the heck am I going to fight her muscle contraction in order to put her atlas back in?  I know!  I’ll tell her to ‘Just relax!’  That always works!”  Luckily for our patients, the instruments we use to adjust the spine are very precise and very fast, negating the need to overpower the patient.  Work smarter, not harder!

If you like chiropractic care but get nervous every time you put your head into someone’s hands, you may want to try an Atlas Orthogonal or Activator Methods doctor of chiropractic.  If it just wigs you out to think of someone “cracking” your bones, that’s okay, too.  Remember, it’s your body and you can decide which method is best for you, (regardless of what your insurance company thinks you need..but that’s another topic).

Dr. Zehr Administering an Atlas Adjustment

One thing that always irks me is when someone says “Well, I tried chiropractic and it didn’t do anything for me.”  Correction.  You tried a chiropracTOR.  ChiropracTIC is an entire profession made up of thousands of doctors across the globe who utilize dozens of various techniques.  There is no way that you have exhausted the whole gamut of a profession by seeing Dr. Joe down the street.

To put it another way, have you EVER had a bad experience in a doctor’s office, clinic, ER, urgent care, or hospital?  I’m guessing you have.  Did you completely swear off allopathic medicine because of that ONE experience with that ONE practitioner?  Of course not.  So should it be with chiropracTIC.  If you didn’t achieve the results you wanted, keep looking until you find a good fit for your health care needs.  If you live in West Michigan, I would love to be your doc (provided you have good hygiene…just kidding).  If not, ask your friends, co-workers, or parole officer who they see for their spinal care.     Don’t give up hope because of one experience.  Your spine is too important  Your health is too important.

NOTE:  Thank you for stopping by!  If you liked this post, leave a comment!  If you hated this post, leave a comment!  If you have a topic you would like me to tackle, leave a comment!  If you are completely indifferent, leave a comment!  My narcissistic personality compels me to know that people are actually reading this thing, whether they love it or hate it.   I want to hear from you!

Spring is finally here in Muskegon, Michigan!  Time for soccer games, picnics, camping, and trips to the beach.  This is also the time that people start going outside to get their exercise again (unlike those of us who enjoy cross country skiing).  Pulse-checking, moisture-wicking-shorts-clad, iPod-toting joggers seem to be coming out of the woodwork lately.  Although there are many options out there to get fit through exercise, jogging is by far the most common.  But what if the very exercise that started the “exercise craze” years ago is not as good for us as originally thought?

An old friend of mine recently emailed me, lamenting the fact that he can no longer jog because it hurts his back and feet too much.  This guy is only in his early 30s but has been running his whole life.  We spent years running track together throughout school (I ran hurdles and sprints and he did long distance) and he also participated in cross country for years, as well.  He has stayed in pretty good shape throughout adulthood, but the years of pounding the pavement have finally caught  up with him, like it has for many of my patients here at Zehr Chiropractic.

Jogging is widely regarded as the annointed go-to exercise for the masses.  You don’t need fancy equipment.  You don’t need a gym membership.  All you need is time (a lot of time) and the gumption to do it.  However, there is a dark side to long distance running.

Running Ragged

In addition to the hopes of increased aerobic capacity, a slimmer waistline, and more endurance, joggers are likely to also experience ankle, knee, hip, and back problems.  Most interactions between a group of runners are likely to turn into discussions on preventing and treating injuries.  The big question is, if running is so GOOD for you, why do people end up worse off for doing so?  What good is it to lose a few pounds if only to trade it for an early knee replacement?  What is the point if you are laid up for days every time you “tweak” your ankle, hip, or back?  Are you much better off?

If the high probability of acute and chronic injury wasn’t enough, there is even more to the story. Studies show that jogging isn’t what it’s cracked up to be in regards to the promises of weight loss and improved physical fitness.  While it is true that your body burns more fat when doing slower, sustained exercise, the key to weight loss is not burning calories during the activity, but raising your overall metabolic rate to burn more calories ALL THE TIME!  Studies show that excercise that incorporates shorter intense bursts of activity separated by periods of rest are far superior to activities that involve easier sustained exercise (like jogging) in regards to improving aerobic capacity, body composition, and overall fitness.  So, it seems jogging is nowhere near the best option out there.

At the end of the day, I would still argue that jogging is still better than doing no exercise, but wouldn’t it make sense to choose exercise that gets you results in less time, without promoting stress fractures, arthritis, and joint dysfunction?

Here are some great alternatives to jogging that allow you to improve your fitness in a fraction of the time (without prematurely aging your joints!).

Weight Training

I know. I know.  The majority of females out there are programmed to skip right over any section of text that contains the words “weight” and “training.”  Why?  Because, for some reason, there is a myth out there that any woman who starts lifting weights will end up looking like an East German swimmer overnight, adding 20 pounds of unsightly bulk in no time.  Not every woman wants the Serena Williams look, which I completely understand.  What they don’t realize is that the amount of muscle mass you put on has more to do with genetics and diet (and pharmaceutical enhancement) than it does training.   Besides, most men (myself included) have a hard time putting on vast amounts of muscle mass quickly, even if they are training specifically to do so.  For women, it is much more difficult.  Sure, there are certain training techniques that are specially designed to put on “bulk,” but you can only gain muscle mass by consuming more calories than you burn.  So, unless you start crushing 10-egg omelettes and weight gainer shakes, you are most likely not going to look like a linebacker.

So, why is weight training crucial to any fitness plan?  The reason is simple: intense exercise causes your body to have to adapt.  Your muscles have to get stronger to make up for the increased demand.  This raises your metabolic rate at rest, which means you’ll burn more calories all day long!  Again, it’s not about burning fat and calories while you exercise, it’s all about burning fat while you’re at rest!  Weight training forces you to literally build a bigger engine in your body’s cells, which means you need to burn more fuel (which will help you burn fat stores in your body).  In addition, you’ll be able to pick up your toddler with ease, open pickle jars like nobody’s business, and you’ll get that strong and lean look (as opposed to the emaciated marathon runner look).

Furthermore, weight training gives you great “bang for your buck.”  Unlike jogging, you can get a great weight training workout in 30 minutes, if you stay focused.  If you treat your time at the gym like a social event, it will take you considerably longer, so keep the rest between sets at a minimum!  That also means less time checking out the hot girl/guy on the treadmill or finding the perfect track on your mp3 player for the next set, and more time sweating!

Sprinting

“But I thought you said running was bad for your joints?!”  Sprinting is an entirely different animal altogether.  When you are sprinting, you strike the ground with your forefoot, which is much less of a shock to your lower extremities that the heel strike which occurs during jogging.  In addition, you take much fewer strides while sprinting, because you perform several short bursts at a time, instead of mindlessly pounding the pavement for 90 minutes straight. Again, when it comes to overuse injuries, the poison is in the dose.  The toll on the joints while sprinting is minimal compared to jogging.

In regards to weight loss, sprinting is a lot like weight training.  It is very intense, which means your muscles have to work much harder, again forcing your body to adapt more strongly, which will increase your baseline metabolism.  Just like weight training, you can get a great sprinting workout in 30 minutes, saving time while saving wear and tear on your joints!  (I’ll share my workout method for sprinting later on in this post).  Be sure to “work your way up.”  If you haven’t gone for an all out sprint in years, start out running at a 75% effort before going full tilt.  You should always have a five minute warm up before sprinting, followed by a brief cool down and stretching.

Interval Training

This is crucial to any well rounded fitness plan, because you can really mix it up and perform a variety of exercises with this technique.  Variety is the key to any exercise routine because boredom is the number one reason people quit exercising (that with a lack of results, both of which are addressed with interval training).  The idea of interval training is to perform short bursts of very intense exercise with a set amount of rest in between.  My favorite method is the Tabata protocol.

The Tabata method was developed by Japanese exercise researcher Dr. Izumi Tabata. For more history and info on the Tabata method click here or here.  To sum it up, the Tabata protocol includes:

Five minute warm up (which is a good idea for any training session)
8 sets of 20 seconds maximum effort exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest
2 minute cool down

The whole interval only lasts 4 minutes, but it will feel like the longest four minutes of your life (besides the parallel parking portion of your driving test).
Try to mix up the exercises that you perform while doing  intervals.  Stick with full body movements like air squats, push ups, kettlebell swings, burpees, deadlifts, thrusters, etc.  After the 2 minute cool down, I will often repeat the process once or twice more.  If I do 3 intervals, the  whole workout takes 25-30 minutes total.  You will feel like you ran a marathon afterward, without sacrificing your whole afternoon!

You can also enjoy Tabata intervals outside with a variety of movements.  You can do Tabata intervals on a bike, running stairs in the dunes (for us West Michigan folks), jumping rope, swimming, doing plyometrics in your back yard, or sprinting.  You can get apps for your Android or iPhone that has a Tabata timer that will give you cues when to start and stop during your interval.  These apps will work while you’re listening to music so you can still jam to “Eye of the Tiger” while getting your Tabatas on!

Exercising Can Be a Real Beach!

One of my favorite workouts to do here in West Michigan is beach sprint intervals.  Of course, our friends who live on the ocean can do this, as well.  If it can help Balboa defeat Clubber Lang in Rocky 3, it can work for you!

Sprinting in sand is one of the most exhausting endeavours known to (wo)man.  Sure, the focus is on the legs, but it is a whole body movement, which means that you’re sending a very strong signal to your cells (which is going to help to raise your metabolism).  I sprint as hard as I can for roughly 75 yards (remember, it’s sand, so 75 yards will feel more like 150, more like 250 if you’re facing a strong headwind).  I take roughly a minute break (however long it takes to catch my breath) and do it again. Lather, rinse, repeat.  After about 6-8 intervals (depending on how I’m feeling) I will do a cool down activity (a brisk walk, play catch with my boys, etc.) and then stretch.  I will often find a spot to do some push ups to hit the upper body, as well.  Then, I jump in the lake to cool off.  There is nothing quite like it.

Post Workout Nutrition: No, You Don’t Need “Muscle Milk”

Remember to consume a post workout meal to help minimize the amount of soreness you feel after your workouts.  You need to get some protein and some carbs down the hatch within 30 minutes of any strenuous exercise.  Stay away from sugary, high fructose corn syrup-laden “sports drinks.”  Consume real food, if possible.  If you really have to get your post workout meal in a shake, stick with whey protein (NOT SOY!!!) and blend it with berries or bananas (instead of processed sugar).  Skim milk also works great as your protein source (that is, if you tolerate dairy well).  The reason I advocate skim milk here is because you do not want to add fat to your post workout meal.  Fat slows absorption (which is GREAT for every other meal because it prevents blood sugar fluctuations and controls hunger) but the nutrients need to get to your muscles and you don’t want to slow that process down.  And, of course, be sure to hydrate before, during, and after your workout!

Mix it Up!

You can weight train on Monday, do intervals on Wednesday, and sprint on Friday.  On the weekends, just do something active that you enjoy (hiking, biking, rock climbing, chasing your kids at the park, take your furry friends to the dog park, etc.).  In all, 2-3 hours per week is all you need to get in the best shape of your life!  Who can’t find 3 hours?  Put down the gossip mag, unplug the TV, neglect your Farmville game.  In addition to “working out,” perform what I can “random acts of fitness.” Park further away at the grocery store.  Pound out 25 pushups in between clients.  Take a brisk walk around the block after work.  Do 50 bodyweight squats in between every load of laundry.  Ahem….do your postural stability exercises your chiropractor gives you…ahem.  It all adds up!  If you are looking to get fit and lose weight without ruining your joints, there are a myriad of choices out there.  Find some weights, some water, some grass, or some sand and get going already!  Get inspired, get a plan, and get fit!

When inappropriate amounts of pressure and force are applied to inappropriate areas of the back, lower back pain is a possibility.

In Michigan, ‘Ergonomics’ is a term that is sometimes associated with the alleviation of lower back pain and the study of human movement as related to the environment and use of tools.

Those who study ergonomics in Michigan may look at how the tools of a computer desk and chair physically and mentally affect a Muskegon employee possibly determining that certain tools, such as a specific type of chair, inappropriately apply pressure to areas of the back in Michigan and could cause you back pain. A chair may then be designed which, when correctly used, redistributes the pressure so that back pain is minimized for Michigan workers.

Practicing different postures, engaging in periods of movement, lifting with your legs, and correctly using ergonomically designed tools are all adjustments that may lessen lower back pain for people in Muskegon Michigan.

If you are in Michigan and are interested in seeing what Zehr Chiropractic can do to alleviate your back pain give us a call at (231) 780-9900.

“Because Your Spine Affects Your Life!”

They are a fixture of the human condition.  They prevent us from succeeding in our professional and personal lives.  They keep us from being better parents, spouses, and friends.  Every single day, I hear them keep people from looking, feeling, and performing at their best.

No, not the government!  I’m talking about excuses.

Whether the goal is to lose weight, actually DO your prescribed spinal stability exercises, or make better food choices, excuses are the reason that most people fail to live up to their own expectations.  Whether we’re in Muskegon or Minneapolis, chiropractors hear excuses from their patients all the time.

“I can’t afford it.”

“I’m too busy.”

“Everybody in my family has a bad back.”

“It’s my weight.”

“It’s my age.”

“It’s my stress.”

People use excuses to rationalize their destructive behavior.  It allows them an “out.”  If they have an excuse, they are “off the hook.”  It’s not their fault.  They’re just victims.  This mentality is pervasive in health (and society/government at large, but I don’t want to open up THAT can of worms) and it has been put there in part by the pharmaceutical establishment through the mass media over the years.  It is now part of the public consciousness.  Mission accomplished.

We are told, in a nutshell,  that human beings are broken by default.  We are all either sick, weak, old, depressed or overweight.  However, that which we were born with is not enough to overcome our problems.  We need outside help.  We can’t do it on our own.

Enter big pharma.

With medications, you can artificially boost your serotonin levels so you feel better (that is, if you don’t commit suicide first!).  Through surgery, you can have your guts re-arranged so you can lose weight.  You can take pills that will literally dumb down your nervous systems so you feel less pain.  If you are a type 2 diabetic, you can inject insulin to help metabolize all that darn sugar in your blood (who cares how the sugar got there in the first place!?).

You don’t have to do a darn thing to fix the damage you caused by not exercising, making poor food choices, neglecting sleep, and failing to lift properly.  Heck, they can even fix those who were unlucky enough to be “born with bad genes.”  You don’t have to spend any time, expend any effort, or make ANY drastic changes to your lifestyle!  These guys are geniuses!  They have eliminated most of the excuses that keep people from dealing with their problems!  (Except, of course, the money part…so make sure you either have a rich uncle or reallllly good insurance!)

Obviously, medical care is essential in acute life-threatening situations.  It is with the chronic conditions where medicine fails, because the CAUSE of the problem never gets dealt with.  So many people end up gaining every pound back after their bariatric surgery.  Why?  As one patient told me, “It didn’t fix this” she said, pointing to her head.

Exactly.

If you don’t change peoples’ mindsets, you will never change their outcomes.  Patching up our problems through artificial means will do nothing to ensure life long health and vitality.

I meet people in my chiropractic practice all the time that fire those aforementioned excuses at me when they gripe about how they cannot follow through with my recommendations in regards to their spinal health.  So, I’m going to take them apart, one by one.

1.  “I can’t afford it.”  Wow, I started out with the touchiest one, didn’t I?  I often hear this from women who have to reach into their Coach bag to put their 300 dollar iPhone (which has a $100+ per month service plan) on “vibrate” during our initial consultation.  Or the guy who needs help with his back because it’s affecting his golf game.  If you can afford an iPhone or a golf habit, you can afford the care in our office, I guarantee.

For most people, it is a matter of priorities.  A patient (who lives on a very modest income) once told me that they temporarily took the insurance off of their second vehicle so she could afford her care because “my health is more important right now.”

And let’s compare the alternatives.  Sure, pills are cheap, but you know as well as I that they only mask the problem, which allows it to get worse over time (which means the problem will only get more expensive to fix…have you ever heard of Peter and Paul???)  A spinal injection at your local “pain clinic” (aptly named) costs over $2,000.  And they are only temporary, if they work at all, so you will likely need more than one.  Of course, they have side effects and complications, as well, which is why they only allow you to have them periodically (hint: they destroy joint tissue).  Back surgery costs over $100,000 once you add up all the imaging, follow up, and therapy.  And there is not ONE shred of proof that fusion surgery works at all.  Not to mention, you have to give up a few months of your life.  What is THAT worth?  When you compare the alternatives, chiropractic is a bargain.

2.  “I’m too busy.” Really?  Sure, the initial visits do take some time.  In fact, most people actually appreciate it.  It does take some time to figure out just exactly what is causing the problem and how we’re going to try to fix it.  But follow up treatments do not take long at all (depending on what we find that day).  I understand that the early stages of care require more frequent treatments and the travel back and forth can be a nuisance.  But if you’ve ever had a migraine that wipes out an entire day or a back flare up that destroys an entire weekend, a trip to the chiropractor is nothing.  Most chiropractic offices have morning and evening hours to fit most schedules.  Most people just need to spend less time watching TV, updating their facebook, and gossiping about celebrities.

3.  “Everybody in my family has a bad back.” This issue is not usually a matter of genetics, more of learned behavior.  I understand that a lot of people in your family have had spinal troubles.  But how many of them have ever done anything about it?  If they all just made excuses and accepted it, that does not mean you have to do the same.  Every “heavy” family has that one member who is fit and in shape because they made the CHOICE to do so.  Get YOUR health fixed so you can be the exception to the “rule.”

4.  “It’s my weight.” Okay, maybe I didn’t already cover the most touchy subject.  Listen, I understand that obesity is the single biggest health concern our country faces.  I know it affects people’s physical and mental well being and I know we’re all placed in a society that has us “doomed to fail” with all the added sugar and garbage in our food supply.  I get it.

I myself lost 30 pounds 18 months ago and I can guarantee that I wouldn’t have been able to do it if I was suffering from migraine headaches, lower back pain, neck pain, and sciatica.
Once you get your spinal health back on track, you will move easier, breathe easier, and sleep better.  Improved posture and biomechanics will give you more energy.  You will be more motivated then ever to get more exercise.  That will also help motivate you to making better food choices.  Good health choices can snowball!

5.  “It’s my age.” At Zehr Chiropractic, we see patients form every age group, from newborns to the very…ummmmm….experienced.  It’s usually not a matter of the age of the patient, but the age of the problem.  Even so, we have had patients in their 80s with chronic back pain, neck pain, and headaches and they often respond very well.  While other octogenarians are complaining that they can’t get out anymore, our patients are out walking, golfing, and traveling.  If you want to age well, you want to make a chiropractor part of your health team!

6.  “It’s my #$*@ stress!” Everybody has stress.  Stress is a part of life.  Stress can definitely push your body over the edge and trigger your symptoms.  But triggers do nothing if there are no bullets in the gun.  I have had dozens of patients who tell me that they (or their physician) has blamed their condition on their “stress.”  I don’t go home and cook dinner for their families.  I don’t balance their checkbooks.  I don’t deal with their whiny neighbors. And I most certainly don’t fix the annoying habits of their spouses.  Yet, they get well.  Soooo, if stress was their problem, why did our treatment work?  Hmmmm.

"You need to relax!"

Once we are able to get a patient’s spine more stable, stress is taken OFF the nervous system.  Many of our patients are amazed how much better they are able to relax once the muscles and joints of the spine and extremities are functioning better.  Getting rid of stubborn back pain, headaches, and acid reflux will make you sleep better, too, which will greatly enhance your ability to deal with stress.  If you are feeling stressed all the time, that is all the more reason to visit a chiropractor to see if nervous system dysfunction is partly to blame!

So stop making excuses.  They derail your progress and prevent you from being the vibrant, healty the person you want to be.  Instead, make choices and then stand by them.  You’ve only got one spin on this merry go round.  Why not be the best you can be?