Happy New Year!!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful 2011!
Here is  a link to our January newsletter!

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/News-from-Modern-Physical-Therapy.html?soid=1103866035485&aid=kf8ZD-JM-BM

Stage One Core Stability

Transverse Abdominal (TA)  and Lumbar Multifidus (LM) Co-Contraction

To find TA muscle:  Place fingers 1” in and 1” down from hip bones.  Can do gentle cough to make sure you are in the correct place.

To turn muscle on:  Pull belly button gently in towards spine.

What you should feel:  Muscle comes slightly into fingertips.

When you contract the transverse abdominals, the multifidi also contract, and together they act like a corset to stabilize your spine.  The pelvic floor muscle also work to provide stabilization from below.

Pain or injury in the low back can turn these muscles off, causing the big muscles (paraspinals) of your back to take over.  Strain and spasms in your back can occur when you are relying on these big back muscles to provide support to your spine. 

These exercises will help turn your spinal stabilizers on in order to decrease the load on the paraspinals and provide the support your spine needs during daily activities.  The goal of the lumbar stabilization program is to retrain these muscles to be active all day long, especially during activities where the demand on your spine increases such as during transitional movements (rolling in bed, sit to stand) or when lifting heavy objects.

Begin with 10 contractions.  Hold each contraction for 10 seconds.  5  times per day

Practice varying degrees of contraction (while still being able to breathe):

0% (no contraction), 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% (full contraction)

Amount of contraction depends on intensity of your exercise or daily activity.

Take a deep breath

STRESS.  You know it what it is and may have dealt with some today.  Deep breathing is great for relaxation.  It has also been shown to affect the brain, heart, digestion, and immune system.  New information is also coming forward that breathing can alter the expression of genes. 

Quick breathing can increase alertness and energy level. 

Slow breathing can help with the stress response and decrease heart rate and blood pressure. 

A great healthful habit is to focus on slow and relaxed breathing for 10 min a day.  Right before going to sleep is a great time to practice this since it is so relaxing. 

For more information on this you can read  http://ht.ly/3lmzc

Walk yourself happy!

In a recent study it was found that 20 min of mild to moderate exercise (60% of their maximum heart rate) improved mood.  In the study, individuals had lower levels of emotions like anger, depression, fatigue and tension for 12 hours after the workout session.  So lace up those workout shoes! 

http://www.realage.com/tips/get-happy-20-minute-workout?cbr=TWTTR01

December 2010 Newsletter

Here is a link to our December 2010 newsletter.

Enjoy.

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/News-from-Modern-Physical-Therapy.html?soid=1103866035485&aid=FCCy2crXevU

"D"elightful

Vitamin D also known as the sunshine vitamin.  New guidelines have tripled the recommended dietary allowance of vitamin D from 200 IU to 600 IU for ages 1-70 and to 800 IU for adults older than 70. 


Low levels of Vitamin D are correlated with:

• Poor bone health
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Heart Disease
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Immune deficiencies

With the darker winter days coming make sure you are getting sufficient vitamin D for your health!

http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20101129/guidelines-increase-vitamin-d?ecd=soc_tw

Yam it Up!

What is better alpha or beta carotene?  Alpha and beta carotene are similar substances however alpha carotine has some advantages over beta carotene in inhibiting tumor formation.  So, a research study looked at blood serum levels of alpha-carotine and mortality.  This study included an analysis of 15,318 adults of age 20 or older.  It was found that higher blood levels of alpha-carotine were associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease as well as cancer and other factors.  Where can I get some?  There are high concentrations of alpha-carotine in yellow-orange vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins and dark-green vegetables such as broccoli, and spinach.  These foods also have high concentrations of beta carotene as well so eating veggies is a win win situation! 

For more information you can read the ABC news write up of this story here: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Diet/alpha-carotene-live-longer/story?id=12238167&page=1