Shin splints?

Posted by Michelle Waggoner, DC, CCSP on Mar 21, 2013 in General | 0 comments

Spring sports are well underway and now is a good time for a reminder about care and prevention of shin splints.  Most people are aware that shin splints are defined as pain in the front of the lower leg. It most commonly afflicts runners and walkers and many of our spring sports involve one or the other. Prevention is always the best medicine and this includes properly warming up, stretching, strengthening the front of the leg (tibialis anterior) and wearing proper, well-fitting footwear.  Shin splints are not always avoidable, however, and there are several treatment options.  Most people know about rest and ice. It’s difficult to rest during the short school season or even a driven club athlete. We recommend the use of ultrasound to break up adhesions, cold laser to speed up the healing, kinesiotape and massage.  Some massage techniques that are helpful include Active Release Technique, ice massage, trigger point therapy and deep tissue. Using a foam roller at home is also very beneficial. Treatment of shin splints is definitely a no pain, no gain situation. You will need to endure a little discomfort in order to decrease your overall pain and return to your sport pain-free.  If you suffer from shin splints or any other sports related injury call the office for an appointment.

Great way to eat kale!

Posted by Michelle Waggoner, DC, CCSP on Apr 20, 2012 in Nutrition and Diet | 0 comments

I had an inquiry on kale and my friend said she just doesn’t like the taste. Well I found a great vegetable stew with kale that I thought I would share. It is gluten-free, diary-free and diabetes friendly with beans that make it high in fiber. I found it in the Everday Food magazine and I do think it is delicious. I will say that I put in about half to 2/3 the amount of kale it called for and added some rotisserie chicken.

Hearty Vegetable Stew

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 carrots, thinly sliced
• 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced medium
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 can (15.5 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 sprigs thyme

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium.  Add carrots, celery and onion; season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots soften, about 5 minutes.

2. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.  Add tomatoes (reserving juice) and cook, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.  Add tomato juice, kale, beans, thyme, and 2 cups water; bring to a boil.  Reduce to a rapid simmer and cook until slightly reduced, 15 minutes.  Divide soup among four bowls and serve.  (To store, let cool completely, then refrigerate, in airtight containers, up to 1 week.)

Enjoy! Let me know how you like it.

Baby Weight Loss Part 2

Posted by Michelle Waggoner, DC, CCSP on Mar 28, 2012 in General | 0 comments

So I don’t really have a lot of progress to report to you. I have been fighting sleep deprivation, sick children and lots of family in and out. I think I’m down a consistent 2 lbs but I would have liked to report better news. I am still not working out regularly. However, I have improved my eating in the way of leaner options and eating more fruits and vegetables. I have found several suggestions on healthy snack alternatives that I would like to share with you! The following list comes from the smart snacking article in the Jan/Feb issue of Everyday Food.

• For 96 calories you could have 1/3 of a snickers bar OR 24 pretzel sticks and 2 tbsp dried cranberries (lots of antioxidants!)
• For 105 calories you could have 10 potato chips OR 1 corn tortilla and 1/5 of an avocado (good fat)
• For 105 calories you could have 8 peanut M&M’s OR 10 whole almonds and 1/2 tbsp of chocolate chips
• For 103 calories you could have 2 Oreos OR 1 Wasa cracker and 1 hard boiled egg
• For 95 calories you could have 1/3 of a large chocolate chip cookie OR 1/2 cup edamame with some spices and salt

There are lots of smart choices out there that are equally satisfying. Whether it’s an apple with peanut butter or a banana with nutella we can all pick healthy options 1 choice at a time. For me, adding a healthy choice each day is a victory until eventually healthy living is a habit.

Good choosing to you!

A well adjusted child!

Posted by Michelle Chard DC on Mar 21, 2012 in General | 0 comments

One of the most common questions we get is, “Why should I get my child adjusted?”.  There are many different answers to that question and the answer depends on your particular situation.  However, there are a few guidelines that all parents can follow.

1.  Pregnant mothers:  Mothers should be seen throughout their pregnancy to assure that their baby is in the best position possible to avoid intrauterine constraint.  It is important to maintain balance in the mother’s pelvis because this is the passageway for the baby.  The diameter of the woman’s pelvis is decreased when the sacrum is displaced as well.  These changes in the spine and pelvis can also cause an imbalance in the muscles and ligaments.  When the pelvis is in alignment, the uterus is able to grow with the growing baby.  If the bones are out of alignment, the uterus will not be supported the way it is intended to be.  This will reduce the amount of room for the baby.  This can affect the baby’s developing spine and skull.  This can also prevent the baby from getting into the best possible position for birth.  When baby is in the best possible position (vertex, occiput anterior), labors tend to be shorter, less painful (yes, there is such a thing), and less medical interventions are needed.  The Webster technique is used by a Certified chiropractor to make sure the pelvis, muscles, and ligament are all doing what they need to be doing.

2.  Newborn:  The newborn baby should be brought in as soon as possible after birth.  Imagine the pressure birth can cause to the developing head and spine.  Even in the most natural, non-traumatic birth, it is still traumatic.  Some things baby might experience that chiropractic can help are:difficulty nursing (difficulty with latch, not wanting to nurse on both sides).  Craniosacral therapy can be very helpful with this too.  

• colic
• torticollis (often is seen when the baby is around 2 months old due to muscles developing.  However, the damage is usually in utero)
• difficulty sleeping
• wellness/sickness-chiropractic can help the developing nervous system.  Having regular chiropractic care can help the body to fight off sickness.

3.  Infants

• any new milestone.  Holding up head, rolling over, sitting up, crawling, walking.  These are all essential to the developing spine and it is important that it is happening to a well adjusted spine.
• torticollis
• difficulty sleeping
• wellness/sickness- ear infections, viruses.
• acid reflux
• spitting up
• constipation

4.  Childhood

• trips and falls
• other trauma: motor vehicles accidents; etc
• Wellness care- every 4-6 weeks it is important to get your child checked.  They may not always need an adjustment.  This should occur more often during a sickness or injury
• difficulty sleeping
• bed wetting
• headaches
• anger
• developmental difficulties
• constipation
• asthma

Schedule your children for a consultation today!!

Young athletes need chiropractic care too

Posted by Michelle Waggoner, DC, CCSP on Mar 8, 2012 in Exercise and Sports | 1 comment

Have you ever gotten injured while playing sports?  Hurts pretty bad, right?  Young athletes get injured as well but we assume they are okay because kids bounce back from injuries much quicker than adults.  It is important for young athletes to get “checked out” after a sports injury as well as a playground injury.  Headaches, low back pain, shoulder, knee, ankle injuries and even broken bones do not manifest the same as adults.

Here are 5 reasons to get your young athlete checked out chiropractically:

1. Dysfunctional movement patterns – When you have an injured joint or muscle your body compensates for that injury.  An awkward movement pattern leads to wear and tear on the body that can lead to early onset arthritis.

2. Pain is the last symptom to show up and the first thing to go away.  This means that the dysfunction is there before the pain shows up, unless it was a traumatic injury, and they can be painfree even if the dysfunction is still there.

3. Kids don’t always complain.  It can be confusing to a child who doesn’t understand what is going on.  They may think it is more important to play than to possibly be taken out of the activity.  Having pain does not mean they have to ride the bench.

4. It keeps them at optimum performance.  Take a javelin thrower.  If he or she has an irregular movement pattern in their elbow then they won’t be able to throw as far.

5. Increasing frequency and intensity to become more competitive.   Help your child transition from rec league to a more competitive league.

Remember your young athlete is NOT a mini adult athlete! Girls grow until about age 18 and boys grow until about age 21. This means they still have a lot of cartilage and growth plates in their bones and not all their bones fused together either.  With growing concern over concussions and the long term effects of concussions it is important to have your child checked out regularly and especially during an injury.