IMPATIENT NATION HAS A NEW VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEknkQq-898

Don't Forget About Your Hips

Your Hip Joints are very valuable for overall low back health. If they become too restricted or weak then your back has to undergo extra stress. I have written a nice article in this month's Train Hard Fight Easy magazine which goes over this topic and shows some of my favorite exercises. You can pick it up at your local Barnes and Noble and most newsstands.

WEIGHT GAIN AND BACK PAIN

As we age and get out of shape the chances of developing low back pain increases. Too much sitting and pizza pies can lead to an increased girth. This in turn can cause your pelvis and lumbar spine to shift forward increasing the stress and shear on the muscles, ligaments and lumbar disc. With increased stress and compression from a big belly back pain is inevitable. Eat right, Exercise, Reduce the sitting and see a chiropractor to spare your back.

WAKING UP WITH LOW BACK PAIN

One of the questions I frequency ask patients with back pain is, " Is it worst or experienced after sleeping?". Many times patients feel ok during the day and will wake up with spinal pain. This can be in the neck, upper back or low back. The first thing I look at is sleeping position. This can be a problem with a pillow or mattress that they are sleeping on. It can also be a problem with sleeping position. A majority of people tend to belly sleep which places stress on the spine mostly from extension and rotation if the body or neck are twisted. I recommend that we try to sleep on the back with a pillow under the knees and lower leg. On the side I like the fetal position with a pillow between the knees and head maintained in a neutral position. In other ways the pillow raised the head so that the neck and spine are in straight alignment. These positions will take pressure off the spine and start you day off right.

Take Out the Wallet

It just dawned on me the other day while I was working on patients. Guys still sit on their wallets. This boggles my mind as a chiropractor because I have been placing my wallet in my front pocket for years and assumed everyone did. For years I failed to mention to my patients this simple fact and did not realize it until I saw a patient remove his wallet from his back pocket. All my years of adjusting the low back and pelvis and i rather realized it. MY FAULT I TAKE BLAME. It is bad enough that as a society we sit too long. Is sitting the new smoking? But do we have to sit on a wedge causing misalignment to the pelvis and low back. So switch the wallet and give your spine and the pickpockets a break.

As the Healthcare debate continues to rage on i felt the need to do my part. Over the past few years I wrote a book entitled "Impatient Nation". i hope it helps. The description is below: "Impatient Nation"-How self-pity, medical reliance and victimhood are crippling the health of a nation by Dr. Robert J Haley Healthcare as we know it is crisis-driven and controlled by providers when really it should be controlled by you. People don’t realize that many decisions they make throughout the day can have a positive or negative effect on their health. By the end of this book, you'll have the tools you need to take charge of your health. Impatient Nation is your personal blueprint for success! Available at Nook books "http://www.barnesandnoble.com

Health Care Reform Causing a Mess

All over the news rages the health care reform debate. How will this effect spinal care. There are so many options for care. Which ones will survive and which ones will be cut. The best care is spinal wellness and prevention. However, in 15 years of practice this appears low of people's priority list. Usually someones waits till they have a symptom or pain and seek help. These problems usually occur way before the pain starts. I mentioned this in previous posts. This concept is especially important once the pain and dysfunction is minimized ( notice I did not say fixed, because once there is a dysfunction you can always flare it up.). People go back to the lifestyle which caused the problem and expect it to be fine. WRONG WAY THINKING. Your thoughts.