Blog | Innate Chiropractic Center

Dr. Dennis Walk / Run For Health and Wellness

Innate Chiropractic practice members are welcome to join me each and every Tuesday morning so that we can all be in better shape, to make new friends, and maybe just run or walk for better fitness! Some of us are just starting an exercise program; others have been exercising for a while. But regardless of the specifics, we all share one common goal – to have fun.

This is a non-intimidating environment, and I really do motivate people to get fit and have fun.

The general format of Run/Walk for Wellness is as follows:

An organized training run or walk each Tuesday morning with a group of runners or walkers whose training pace is similar to yours.
A short 15-20 minute seminar on injury prevention, stretching, nutrition or other topics related to distance training each Tuesday to help you learn the fundamentals of successfully improving your fitness. The seminars will be held prior to our run or walk.

Dr. Dennis’ Run/Walk for Wellness works because it follows the successful format of the USA Fit program which has been refined and improved since it began in 1989. The USA Fit programs have improved the health, fitness and wellness of thousands of people each year throughout the USA, Canada and around the world. Dr. Dennis is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as an Exercise Leader. Come out and join us and see for yourself right here in Lansing, Michigan.

Tuesday’s at 7:00 AM. Please meet me at the 7-11 on Jolly and Aurelius.

Back Problems in Teens

Will a chiropractor ever treat an adolescent during his professional career? Junior took a baseball right in the back. Julie fell off the human pyramid during cheerleading practice and landed on her back. Needless to say, parents of athletic adolescents are usually first in line at the chiropractic office.

Can Teens Suffer from Back Problems?

While back problems are more common in adults, they are a rarity in teens since the latter is more flexible and agile. That is why any backaches that accompany any athletic event (such as contact sports) should be immediately checked by a chiropractor.

Back Conditions in Teens

Back conditions that can affect teens or kids include –

Any pain that worsens by performing gymnastic activities such as handsprings or the butterfly stroke in swimming may be indicative of spinal conditions such as Spondylolysis. Younger athletes have more chances of developing the condition than older kids who take part in sporting activities. The condition is often caused by over-use that causes constant trauma and is one of the most common causes of back pain in kids.
This is also why the condition has more chances of occurring during a teen’s growth spurt, which is also why it is more common in boys rather than girls. A chiropractor might diagnose Spondylolysis in teens who are aged between 15 and 16.
Any type of backache that causes compromises a teen’s balance or coordination may be caused by a problem in the spinal cord.

Adolescents and teens might put themselves in dangerous situations more than the average five year old, but the fact remains that they are still kids. In other words, they tend to be more aggressive in their activities than younger children. A four year old will probably not stick his hand in a light socket if he has been electrocuted once. However an adolescent will have to keep stressing his back especially if he is pressured to make a tackle or prevent a touchdown in order for his team to win.

Parents cannot stop commercial advertising or peer pressure that expects their kids to push the envelope, but they can educate on taking better care of themselves. A teenager can always be grounded if he/she doesn’t comply to the rules, but parents will be helpless if a backache worsens or worse, ends up paralyzing their child.

Image used under Creative Commons Licensing: Heelstretch Pyramid.jpg

Do Mosquitos Like You Better Than Anyone Else?

2612506038_9c5c4c9833_z Summer means it’s mosquito season in most of the country. Warmer parts of the country see mosquitoes almost year round. No one I know likes mosquitoes. But something that has irritated me about mosquitoes is how much they seem to like me compared to other people around me. I sit there swatting and scratching while others enjoy being outdoors without much trouble.

I find that I’m not alone. About 20 percent of people seem to be favorite food to mosquitoes. As such, they get bit more than other people. So it’s true and not your imagination that you might be pestered by mosquitoes more than the people around you.

What makes you so enticing? Here are a few things that make you so tasty:

Blood Type. This is the most obvious answer, and scientists have found that mosquitoes land on people with Type O blood about twice as often as they land on people with Type A blood. There is also a less known fact that some people secrete a chemical signal through their skin that mosquitoes seem to be attracted to, indicating what type of blood they have. About 85% secrete this chemical and 15% do not.

Breath. More specifically, carbon dioxide. This is how many insects are attracted to mammals is by smelling the CO2 that we exhale with every breath we take. Mosquitoes can sense carbon dioxide from over 150 feet away. Larger people exhale more carbon dioxide and will attract more mosquitoes than smaller people. This might explain why children get bit less often than adults.

Skin. Bacteria that lives naturally on our skin seems to be especially appealing to mosquitoes. Those areas of our skin that are more bacteria rich, like ankles and feet, get bit more often than the rest of our bodies.

Metabolism. Mosquitoes can also smell lactic acid, uric acid, and ammonia that are released through our sweat. The more we sweat, the more we attract the blood suckers. And if you are naturally warmer, the mosquitoes want to cuddle up with you.

Pregnancy. Just being pregnant makes you a target. Pregnant women exhale over 20% more carbon dioxide than the average person and they tend to run about one degree warmer than normal while they are pregnant.

Alcohol. Beer, just one bottle of beer, makes you more attractive. It could either be the alcohol in your sweat or because drinking increases body temperature.

Clothing. Mosquitoes use vision as well as scent to locate sources of blood. Wearing black, navy, or red seem to make you easier to find.

Scientists are using all this information to try to determine a more natural mosquito repellent. Until then, be aware of how appealing you seem to be to mosquitoes, and offer the big guy next to you another beer after you dance.

Photo Credit: Mosquito bite via James Jordan at Flickr

Practice Perfect Posture

Your excellent posture gives you energy and stamina for improving the quality of your life. Yoga teachers emphasize that it is impossible to make a healthful impression without perfect posture. Posture expresses to others “who you are” and shapes the function and structure of the nerve energy lifeline that is your spine. Research has shown posture to significantly affect the mental, structural, and chemical balance of the body and its organs. Posturally speaking standing is fundamental. It is the training and proving ground for a strong, healthy life from a well-balanced stress-free spine.

Spondylolysis and Lower Back Pain

Spondylolysis is one of many conditions that chiropractic practices have to deal with. The condition occurs due to a weakness in the section of the vertebrae that is known as pas interaticularis. This is a thin piece of bone that is responsible for connecting the lower and upper portion of the facet joints. These join in the vertebrae’s upper and lower section to form a comprehensive network of bone that allows the spine to move.

The defect can lead to small fractures in the spine that cause certain vertebrae to slip out of place.

Some chiropractic practices say that Spondylolysis is a hereditary disease especially considering infants who are born with a thin vertebrae, a condition that puts them at a higher risk for fractures. Repetitive trauma to the lower back may also cause the pars interarticularis to weaken over time.

Symptoms

Those who have spondylolysis do not experience any symptoms and which is exactly why they might not be aware of it once it does occur. Low back pain is the most common symptom once the pain from the condition spreads. It feels like a muscle in the lower back has been sprained and usually gets worse with exercise or activity. It can also occur during a teenager’s growth spurt after puberty which is why the typical age of a person who acquires the condition is usually between 15 to 16 years.

The condition usually occurs in 3 to 4% of the population and is the most common cause of lower back pain in children or people below the age of 26. Spondylolysis is more common in kids or teenagers who take part in vigorous activities that over extend their spines such as weightlifting, gymnastics and football.

Treatment

The condition calls for a more conservative approach. Chiropractic care of Spondylolysis would aim to reduce the pain, let the fracture heal and help return the patient to normal activities. Patients are also advised to refrain from any vigorous physical activities such as exercise or sports to help them heal faster. Treatments for severe cases often involve the use of a back brace or support which helps stabilize the back and prevent lower back pain to aid the healing process.

The condition might not be preventable in some cases however certain steps can be taken to reduce the risk of fractures in the lower back.

Image Used under Creative Commons license. Photo Credit: Spinal column curvature 2011.png

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