Archive for February, 2009

Cell Phone Warnings

Posted by Dr. Max on February 23, 2009 under Uncategorized

DID YOU KNOW YOUR iPod, Blackberry OR Cellular Phone CAN BE  A LITERAL “PAIN IN THE NECK”

Believe it or not, cell phones, Blackberries, I-Pods and handheld games have Americans spending a lot of time peering down at their laps.  The kids probably do it more then we do, but at their young age, they can afford to do that.   While the gadgets are a source of entertainment and help keep people connected to friends and coworkers, more so that I like a lot of times, handheld devices are also a source of muscle pain and injury.

I have seen a dramatic increase in the number of people complaining of pain as a result of their handheld devices.  You may not be complaining yet, but if you are having any type of pain in the neck, you should consider your cell phone as the culprit.

Most of my patients don’t realize how much looking down at a gadget can worsen neck, back and shoulder problems, but it does.

I actually ask patients to hold the device in their hands and then take a look at the way they’re holding their body.  I can see almost immediately the cause of their pain-poor posture and overused muscles.  This applies to lap top computers as well, but I’ll save that discussion for another day.

To help lessen muscle soreness caused by popular handheld devices, I suggest you do the following if at all possible:

*Practice good posture when using any handheld device.  Sit in a chair that provides solid back support and keep feet comfortably on the f loor.  I know this is hard, but try your best.

*Spend 10 minutes or less with your head tilted down looking at the device, and when possible- hold the gadget at eye level.

*When at home or in the office, connect the device to your keyboard or computer.

*Take frequent breaks and alternate activities that use different muscle groups.  Do stretches to help relieve your pain.

*Watch for WARNING signs of overuse such as headaches, fatigue or muscle pain.

If you continue to feel soreness, pain or muscle strain after following these tips, it is time to schedule an appointment.  If you’re still having trouble after a few adjustments, it’s time we did a new examination to find out the root cause of your problem.

Motion

Posted by Dr. Max on February 18, 2009 under Uncategorized

The human body is an amazingly complex system of bones, joints, muscles and nerves, designed to work together to accomplish one thing: MOTION

Remember that motion is life!

Everything about the human body is designed with motion in mind: your delicate nerve fibers stimulate your strong muscles to contract, then your strong muscles contract to move hard bones, then your hard bones move around structured joints, and your nervous system, which is the brain and spinal cord controls it all.

As a matter of fact, research has shown that motion is so critical to your bodies health that a lack of motion has a detrimental affect on everything from your digestion to your emotional state, immune function, your ability to concentrate, how well you sleep and even how long you live.

If your lifestyledoes not include enough MOTION, your body cannot function efficiently.

First, you will bot be as physically healthy and will suffer from a wide varity of physical ailments, ranging from headaches to high blood pressure.

Second, you will not be as productive in your life because of reduced energy levels and the lack of ability to mentally focus.

Third, because you have less energy, your actitvity level will tend to drop off even further over time, creating a downward spiral of reduced energy and less activity until you get to the point where even the demands of a secondary job leaves you physically echausted at the end of the day.