Why Go Barefoot ? Advice For Barefoot Runner’s

Barefoot running is a great way to go for the long term health of your body.  But the first question people always ask is “Don’t I need an arch support ?”

The whole idea of barefoot running is to avoid an arch support.  Shoes effectively splint the foot and prevent it from its natural range of movement.  As a result, the arch becomes weak and collapsed since muscles are no longer exercised.  Once you start wearing shoes with arch support your feet get weaker.  You will always need arch supports and eventually you will de-condition to the point where you will get an injury.

No one I know of can start running barefoot immediately.  You have to wear a minimalist shoe like a Vibram Five Finger or VivoBarefoot.  This will protect the skin on the bottom of your foot and give you some slight cushioning until your foot gets into shape.

Here’s how to transition into barefoot/minimalist shoe running:

1. Your feet will need time to adjust, be prepared to take several months to make the switch.
2. Do not rush into doing heavy exercise in VivoBarefoot.  You should start with  short distances.  Sometimes only 200 yards.
3. Listen to your body.  If your feet start to hurt, stop.  You will often find that your feet will hurt when you start to fatigue.  The fatigue changes your running form and you start to hit harder with your heel.
4. Concentrate on landing lightly.  You can’t use your old sloppy “pound the ground form” that you used when you wore shoes.

If you are having foot issues, log on to www.stopyourfootpain.com for more information.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Learning

You may have heard that fish is “brain food”.  It turns out that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish may be very beneficial to the brain.  Taking omega-3 fatty acids may have a beneficial effect on cognition, mood, learning, child development and even ADHD.

Research that appeared in the Journal of Child Health Care measured omeg-3 fatty acid levels in children with ADHD and in children with ADHD coupled with a learning disorder.  Researchers found that children with learning difficulties have lower DHA (omega-3 fatty acid) levels than children without any learning difficulties.  Students with high levels of DHA tended to have less anxiety, better reading, spelling ability and word recall.

Other research that appeared in Psychology and Behavior found a relationship between low omega-3 and problems with learning and health in general.  Children had more colds and higher anti-biotic use when omega-3 was low.

It is very important to include high omega 3 foods like fish, flax, walnuts, olive oil and chia into your child’s diet.  (And yours too)  Supplementing with good quality omega-3 supplements is a great idea, especially if you or your child is having difficulty with memory, concentration, learning, mood or behavior disorders.

We are hear to help.  For more information about my practice, log on to www.painfree-greatposture.com.  We can help by giving you the nutritional direction you need.  Call Jennifer, Karen or Pat at 262-251-8306 for a free no obligation consultation.

Does Weather Make Pain Worse?

Any doctor who has treated people in chronic pain will hear the patients say that they feel more pain when the weather is bad.  Especially cool humid weather.

Is this all in the patient’s head or is there some scientific cause for it ?

Well a study done in the journal, Spine, in 2004, studied 26,862 patients from 23 different health centers in the National Spine Network.  They concluded that changes in barometric pressure caused people to have lower scores on general health surveys.  (SF-36).  This meant that people rated their general health, physical function, bodily pain, mental health, social function, fatigue and emotional health, lower when the barometric pressure changed.

A study in the Journal of Rheumatology in 1985 showed that falling barometric pressure indicative of a coming storm, increased arthritic symptoms in patients.

Another study noted that 76 to 83% of patients could predict rain by their arthritic symptoms.  (Ann Rheum Dis 1990;49:158-9)

Patients with higher self-reported pain were more weather sensitive.  (Pain 1999;81:173-7)

So there is a definite link to weather and chronic pain.  Research findings suggest that abnormal nerve impulses generated at injured areas could cause increased pain and that these impulses are sensitive to and aggravated by weather.

But the pain is not directly caused by the weather.  An injured or arthritic area is the cause of the pain.  The weather changes merely aggravate the problems.  It is important to get injuries and arthritis treated properly so your pain levels go down and you aren’t as sensitive to weather changes.

For more information on how I treat chronic pain, log on to www.stopyourfibronow.com or www.newbackpainreliefinfo.com.

How Long Do I Need To See A Chiropractor?

There are hundreds of chiropractic techniques out there. Some claim to fix serious problems in a single visit. Some chiropractic techniques have treatment programs that take several years…and everything in between. It can be very confusing for the consumer…and that’s an understatement.

I have personally benefited from long term corrective type care, and short term relief care. I have never tried the one visit method…somehow this does not seem possible…but there are patients that swear it has worked for them.

As a chiropractor in Menomonee Falls,Wisconsin…(it’s been 16 years now) I have focused primarily on tailor made treatment programs based on individual needs. Sometimes this is very short term treatment…just a few visits…and sometimes it’s longer term…a few months.

There is no cook book answer…everyone is different.  A patient that was involved in a car accident certainly needs more chiropractic adjustments than a patient that slept funny.

A patient with a herniated disc in the neck will require more adjustments than a patient with a sprain.

At Pain Free Great Posture we consider your age, your over-all level of physical conditioning and health, whether or not there are multiple areas of involvement (eg: neck, mid back, low back), and if the problem is new or chronic.

Managing chiropractic treatment programs can be an art. So, I also learn from experience helping previous patients with similar conditions.

I also modify the treatment as a patient improves. Yes, chiropractic has a fantastic success rate, as well as patient satisfaction rate…but some people do not respond. Together, we have to decide when chiropractic is not working. I refer out at this point for a second opinion.

Anyway…how many visits you need depends on many factors…but in the end, it’s up to you to decide how you wish to use chiropractic. It’s not an all or none treatment. Typically, you will benefit from whatever you do…even if it’s only one or two sessions.

Personally, I use chiropractic adjustments as a component of an over-all health program which includes exercise, good nutrition, plenty of rest, good ergonomics, and lots of water.

The more attention you put on these other components of health, the less you have to lean on chiropractic. But if need be….chiropractic can pull a heavy load for you…naturally!

Dr. Paul Kramer owns Pain Free Great Posture in Menomonee Falls, WI.  To schedule an appointment call 262-251-8306.

How to Live with Fibromyalgia – Don’t Let It Ruin Your Life!

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a condition that produces widespread pain that can literally change the life of a FM patient, but as they say, “…life must go on!” Therefore, this blog is dedicated to discussing ways to empower you with tips that will help you live your life to the fullest. These ways include the following:

1. Look to Alternative Health- FM is a condition that medical doctors don’t do very well treating.  Its basically, pills, pills, pills,… which would be fine if they worked, but for most people, they don’t.  Chiropractic work, done by a chiropractor experienced in treating fibromyalgia, can be a life saver !  Nutrition, massage and acupuncture are very helpful as well.

2.  Exercise:  There are two forms of exercise you should include in your self-management program. One is light aerobic exercises such as walking and/or water exercises with the objective to increase your heart rate. The other is strength training with a low weight / high repetition approach emphasizing the part of the exercise where you slowly release the weight back to the start position.  Here is a list of tips from the National Fibromyalgia Association that should help:

a. Start slow – don’t overdo it the first few times you exercise as post-exercise soreness is normal but, it’s exaggerated in the FM patient.  The soreness makes most FM sufferers want to quit.
b. Listen closely to your body’s feedback! Increase the activity according to your tolerance – NOT TOO QUICKLY!
c. Start with only a few minutes of gentle exercise and work your way up.
d. Walking is a GREAT form of exercise and can and should be done in even the worst FM cases.  It can be done inside (in the winter, for example), outside, and/or in water (to reduce weight bearing loads).
e. Gently stretch before and after exercising.
g. Keep your chiropractor informed and work as a “team” to advance your program.

3. Sleep:  A poor sleep pattern is the “norm” for FM patients. The pain associated with FM usually interferes with sleep, which leads to more pain followed by more sleep disturbance – it’s a vicious cycle that needs to be broken. The National Sleep Foundation and others recommend the following steps to help us sleep:

a. Stick to a sleep schedule. Go to bed at a similar time each night, even on weekends.
b. Room temperature – keep it cool, not too warm!

c. Caffeine – avoid this especially towards evenings (coffee, tea, soda, and/or chocolate).
d. Alcohol – avoid before bedtime as it can keep you awake.
e. Exercise – in the afternoon, NOT before bedtime.
f. Nap as needed but ONLY briefly – like 20 min. max.!
g. Be comfortable – wear soft PJ’s and consider a white noise machine.  Sleep on firm surfaces with proper attention to pillow heights.  Very low pillows when sleeping on the back.  High pillows when sleeping on the side.
h. Bedtime routine – consider reading, listening to soft music – whatever works for you! Once you find a routine that works, stick with it!

4. Diet: Talk to your chiropractor about food allergy, gluten sensitivity, diabetes, thyroid function, medication/vitamin use and any other unique issues that pertain to you.

5. Emotional control: Start talking about your situation with your family, good friends, your healthcare providers, and consider FM support groups. Use the proper attitude, forgiveness of self and others is a key to healing from any illness.  Meditation, deep breathing and visualization exercises, as well as cognitive therapy can also be very effective.

If you, a friend or family member requires care for FM, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services!

For more information on fibromyalgia log on to : www.stopyourfibronow.com

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You may be a candidate for Fibromyalgia Treatment in the Milwaukee area at Pain Free Great Posture. For a no-obligation consultation, call 262-251-8306 and mention this blog post.

I Hurt My Back After Shoveling Snow- Ice or Heat ?

I am asked this question all the time.  Should I use ice or heat if my back is hurting. ? The answer is “ICE”.

Ice reduces swelling.  When muscle or ligament tissues are injured, blood vessels get injured as well.  The injured blood vessels let blood leak out and it causes swelling.  The swelling gets bigger and bigger until the amount of pressure outside the injured blood vessel equals the pressure inside.  The swollen tissue gets stretched, it can be damaged further and the amount of pain increases.

Ice causes the muscles surrounding larger blood vessels to contract.  This allows less blood to get to the cold area.  Less blood means lower blood pressure at the site where there is an injury.  This means that less blood will leak out of the injured vessels and therefore less swelling.

Heat increases circulation and can cause swelling in injured tissues.  Heat makes larger blood vessels expand.  This increases the pressure in the injured area and causes more blood to leak out of injured vessels.  More swelling, more pain, no fun for the patient.

Whenever someone sprains an ankle, injures a shoulder, breaks a bone, etc. they always put ice on it to control swelling.  If you didn’t use ice, or worse if you used heat, a sprained ankle could swell to the size of a softball in no time.  But, for some reason, people like to treat the back differently.  Patients are often told to use heat; probably because it feels better when it is applied; especially during cold winter months.  This is bad advice.  Heat makes the back swell and it can take weeks for the swelling to go down.  People who use heat, often end up having to go to the emergency room because the pain gets so bad they can’t walk.

So, even if it doesn’t feel good after you have been shoveling snow, use ice.

For more information on back pain log on to: www.newbackpainreliefinfo.com

Fibromyalgia – Important “Fibro Facts”

So you think you may suffer from Fibromyalgia (FM) and you’re trying to find out more information about FM…..but where do you start?  Certainly you can “Google” the word “fibromyalgia” and spend the rest of the day, week, or maybe month reading about the symptoms, clinical signs, the many treatment options and the different types of doctors who treat FM patients.  You will certainly learn a lot!  But you will still most likely remain confused as to what to do about it.

First, what is fibromyalgia? It is a chronic (long standing) painful condition resulting in widespread pain throughout the body and it’s usually difficult to isolate a cause or reason for such significantly disabling symptoms.  It is very common, affecting 3-6% of the general population (global) and 6-12 million Americans (2-4% of the US population). Woman are affected more than men (75-90% are women), and it is typically diagnosed between 20-50 years of age.  It affects people physically, emotionally, and socially.  The symptoms can fluctuate but it never completely disappears. The cause, though still debated, points to the central nervous system in which a “minor” pain signal reaching the brain is somehow magnified and perceived as more intense (this is called “central sensitization”).  This makes the FM patient hypersensitive to normal stimulations like a hug or a when hitting a bump in the road with the car.

How is it diagnosed? Prior to 1987, it was not recognized by the AMA as an illness or cause of disability.  In 1990, The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) reported the initial criteria for diagnosing FM.  There are no blood tests, x-rays, biopsies, EEG’s, EMG’s or other tests for FM.  Hence, a thorough history (frequently revealing fatigue, sleep problems, mental fog, depression, headache, and bowel problems) and examination ruling out other disorders is appropriate.  Diagnosis includes a history of widespread, chronic pain and the presence of multiple tender points (at least 11 of 18) located all over the body.

What is the treatment? Pain management has been the focus and this can include medication, ice/heat, exercise, lifestyle adjustments, counseling when anxiety/depression are issues, dietary strategies, sleep management, but perhaps most important is education – about FM and how to “live with it.” That is, learning how to “control it” since no one has found the “cure.”  Exercise in short durations of time by walking or swimming (not too strenuous). Expect post-exercise soreness so don’t overdo it initially, or you’ll be “convinced” you shouldn’t be exercising.  Diet – avoid glutens/grains and emphasize fruits, vegetables, lean meats (grass fed chicken, beef, and fish), and consider nutritional support from a multiple vitamin, calcium/magnesium, fish oil (omega 3 fatty acids), Vit D3, and Co-Q10.  Find a good “team” of doctors – chiropractic, family doc, and rheumatologist who YOU are comfortable with and who will work together for you.  Don’t expect miracles – it may lead to disappointment.

We recognize the importance of including chiropractic in the team to help those suffering with FM.  If you, a friend or family member require care for fibromyalgia, we would be honored to offer our services.

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR FIBROMYALGIA!
For more information log on to www.stopyourfibronow.com