Dear Friends,

If you’re anything like me you know that time is of the essence.  That being said, who has time for stretching before activity?  However, the real question should actually be who has time for injury?  Injuries are more costly and take longer to treat.  Therefore, a good way to practice risk management is to take a few minutes out before each exercise and stretch.  Stretching before a run, for example, can help improve your performance because longer legs equal longer, easier strides.

One therapeutic benefit of stretching includes warming up your body’s tissues.  Warming up an area of the body creates more tissue laxity thus decreasing the risk for ligamentous and tendinous tearing, also known as sprains and strains.

According to the American Chiropractic Association, “Flexibility not only reduces stiffness in the body, but it also helps your body to pump blood to your muscles and nerves, helping alleviate the possibility of aggravating or reinjuring yourself if you have any musculoskeletal problems and helps maintain good range of motion of your joints.”

Athletes in the final stretch of a run, or the expiring minutes of an intense sporting event find themselves in “the zone”.  Their bodies have endured physical activity and are now running full speed on all cylinders.  Pain, at this point, is no longer apparent because it is masked in the moment.  The body may be tired, but nothing beats the gratification of a thorough workout.

It is after exercise when athletes need to point their focus toward Chiropractic care.  Injuries can come abruptly.  Whether it is from repetitive motion, collision with another athlete, or impact on hard surfaces – injuries typically show their true colors after the adrenaline of exercise has settled down.

When soreness and pain are experienced after exercise, relief typically comes in the form of aspirin, acetaminophen, and other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).  Painkillers only create temporary relief and prolong the extent of the injury – the keyword being relief. The body needs treatment when dealing with persistent pain.

For example, a twisted knee can cause the body to slump to one side, dropping the hip, which disturbs the lower back.  While NSAIDs may provide quick relief, the problem is not resolved.  Most are unaware that their back pain is derived from an ailment in the knee.  Athletes of all levels should seek Chiropractic treatment in order to correct the issue.

Chiropractors specialize in the biomechanics of the body; they pinpoint the origin of pain, to relieve other parts of the kinetic chain that can potentially be affected.

Having the ability to exercise and be active is a huge part of many of our lives. In order to carry out our passion for exercise and sports, we need to take care of our bodies.

Best of health to you,

Robert Sierszulski, D.C. “Dr. Robert”

ChiroSolutions, P.C.

630-784-8500

310 S. County Farm Rd., suite F

Wheaton, IL 60187

www.chirosolutions.org

The Weather is getting colder, and we often feel the cold stiffening our bodies.  With the onset of cold weather, it’s also time for rain,   sleet and snow.  Rain and sleet are pretty easy except for the stressful Driving.  Snow on the hand is not only heavy, but it becomes very dangerous to walk in,  even more so after it melts,  re-freezes and turns into ice.

Shoveling snow is not only very physical activity; it’s often very stressful because we are often shoveling before work. There is often an increase of activities in emergency room visits due to snow shoveling injuries. A lot of these injuries are due to trying to shovel too fast and lifting the snow with your low back instead of your legs, which are a much stronger group of muscles and are much better equipped to deal with the heavy snow. Always lift with legs and not your back. Take time to hydrate and if you have the time, lay back and make a snow angel. The snow is great for your low back, and the angel is a great for all your limbs at once. Furthermore it’s fun, after all winter shouldn’t be completely misery laden.

Another hazard is walking on icy surfaces which can be dangerous even if you don’t fall. Quite often catching ourselves before we fall can cause severe muscle strains. If we do happen to fall the low-back can often be a target especially down icy stairs. Take your time and be careful!

So if you happen to get injured from a fall or shoveling, we here at ChiroSolutions have Chiropractic care, acupuncture, and massage therapy to help you get back to optimal health.

Jon Summerbell, LMT

ChiroSolutions, P.C.

630-784-8500

310 S. County Farm Rd., suite F

Wheaton, IL 60187

ChiroSolutions1@gmail.com

www.chirosolutions.org

Many of us have heard about our core muscles. We hear things like “I need to strengthen my core,” and “my core is weak.”  Well, what exactly is our core?

Generally speaking, the core is the muscles surrounding the torso. But before we can go further into defining exactly what our core is, we need to establish what our core does.

The primary functions of our core are:

1.  Provide stability for the torso, specifically the spine, pelvis, abdomen, and hips

2.  Provide awareness of the body in a three dimensional space

3.  Assist in proper breathing

4.  Efficiently distribute forces from one part of the body to another

The last function, distributing forces, is an extremely important and often overlooked function of the core musculature. To illustrate this idea, imagine using a hammer to drive in a nail. If you hit the nail while holding the hammer loosely, what happens? The nail barely moves.

The reason the nail barely moves is that the loose hand absorbs all of the force energy required to drive in the nail. If you hold the grip tightly, the hand stays rigid against transferred energy when the hammer hits the nail. The force then transfers back through the hammer and into the nail, making it move.

The core is the same way. A well-functioning core provides the proper rigidity to direct forces from one part of the body, such as the legs, to another part, such as the arms. This is useful for performing nearly any physical activity, from lifting objects to running, to balance activities like skiing. A healthy core provides proper force transfer.

The core musculature is actually two different but related systems of muscles. These systems will be explained in the next several blogs. The other functions of the core will be addressed as well. At ChiroSolutions we offer many options to help patients achieve a strong and healthy core.

-          Chris Wood, L.M.T.

ChiroSolutions, P.C.

630-784-8500

310 S. County Farm Rd., suite F

Wheaton, IL 60187

ChiroSolutions1@gmail.com

www.chirosolutions.org

Dear Friends,

Many women seek alternatives to Cesarean section, or “C-section,” surgeries.  Most Medical Doctors will recommend a C-section surgery if a transverse lie is detected in the pregnant woman’s 3^rd trimester ultrasound.  A transverse lie describes the fetus’s head in a sideways position instead of the normal head down position a baby is supposed to be in.

The risk in delivering a fetus in a transverse lie is the difficulty in delivering the baby him or herself.  Pulling on an arm or a leg can potentially physically harm the baby during delivery.  That’s why delivery through the abdomen is recommended in that case.

C-section surgery can usually easily be avoided with the use of a Chiropractic technique called “Webster Technique.”  Webster Technique is a safe and effective way of adjusting the pelvis and relaxing a pregnant woman’s taut round ligament in order to allow her to rotate the fetus herself, naturally.

Frequency of care depends on the urgency of the treatment.  This technique usually takes about 3-6 visits to achieve results and the pregnant female should feel her fetus rotate during this time.  Usually, if an OBGYN does not see a fetus’s head in the downward position on ultrasound at week 36 of pregnancy, a C-section delivery is scheduled.

I have had personal success with this in practice and statistics show a 98% success rate with Webster Technique.  Now the only question is, why don’t most Medical Doctors refer to Chiropractors in order to avoid these surgeries?  The answer is multi-faceted, but the fact of the matter is that most Chiropractors are not familiar or skilled with this specialized technique and most Medical Doctors are not aware of this technique.  The answer lies in education and delivery of this education to the general public so they can make better decisions on their health care.

To find out more, please call ChiroSolutions at the number below.

Best of Health,

Robert Sierszulski, D.C. “Dr. Robert”

ChiroSolutions, P.C.

630-784-8500

310 S. County Farm Rd., suite F

Wheaton, IL 60187

ChiroSolutions1@gmail.com

www.chirosolutions.org

As we abruptly feel the summer changing into fall on some days, it’s important to keep in mind that our bodies are trying to keep at 98.6 degrees.  This takes great effort when some days we get a 30 degree temperature shift from early morning to afternoon and then it will drop again by nightfall. So in order to keep yourself in tip-top shape throughout this transition always keep hydration,nutrition and proper clothing in mind.

With hydration we may be less inclined to keep hydrated with the decrease of hot weather.  Just because we may be sweating less, water is a basic building block in our bodies and is in every cell in our bodies. HYDRATE! With nutrition, take advantage of the fall harvest,  you can often find great deals on delicious fresh veggies at local farmers markets.  Sometimes you will actually pay slightly more, but if you look at the big picture, you’re employing local farmers and you get produce that puts big box stores to shame with both taste and quality.  Always dress appropriately for any type of weather, because with the onset of cold weather and stress, we tend to wear our shoulders around our ears which is terrible for our upper backs and necks.  So as we transition into winter, hydrate, eat well, dress warm, and stay healthy.  If you start to feel your body stiffening up with the cold weather we have many treatment plans available to help you have healthy, holliday season.

Jon Summerbell

This is a question that may or may not have ever crossed your mind: If our body uses inflammation to heal, why are we trying to prevent that when we use ice?  Shouldn’t the body, with its innate sense, use the right amount of inflammation to heal the area?

The answer is an interesting one.  When an area of the body is injured, whether it is a sprain, cut, bruise, broken bone, or torn muscle, the body cannot tell if the injury is an open wound.  It is a case of “body blindness”.  Since the body cannot tell what type of injury has occurred, it over-compensates by producing a great amount of swelling and sending large amounts of white blood cells to the area to prevent the potential infection from spreading.  This method is fine if there is an open wound, such as a cut, abrasion, or an exposed broken bone.  But if the injury is internal, such as a sprain or muscle tear, the overcompensation for infection will actually prolong the time it takes the body to heal.

This is why ice is used; it primarily counteracts the amount of inflammation the body creates when an injury first occurs.  Ice constricts the blood vessels, slowing the circulation and reducing inflammation.  There are other effective methods to control inflammation.  Massage, ultrasound, sound-wave therapy, and therapeutic exercise, all of which are offered at ChiroSolutions, also decrease inflammation and reduce healing time. To find out more, please call ChiroSolutions at 630-784-8500.

Dear Friends,

Any car accident 10mph or greater has a risk for injury.  That risk is determined by a few different factors such as: the impact speed, whether or not you were wearing your seat belt, whether or not your airbags deployed, what kind of car you were driving, what kind of car the other car was driving, where you were hit on the car, your position in the car, your age, your lifestyle habits, your general health, any history of prior injuries, and if you braced before the accident or not.

Sadly, most people that come out of car accidents feel fine because of an adrenal rush.  The symptoms that can come from car accidents, usually stiffness, achiness, or headaches, can sometimes come the next day or not at all.  This trauma, whether felt or not, can create misalignments, also known as subluxations, in the spine.  These subluxations, if untreated, can turn into arthritis years later.  Arthritis can be avoided with proper Chiropractic treatment that is not delayed after trauma.  The only way to know whether or not you have a clinical problem would be to do a thorough Chiropractic exam.  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure – this is the truth with regards to severity of injury and cost of care.

The best part about this is, if you were not the driver at fault in the accident, the other driver’s insurance would be billed for the services.  Please let us know if we can help!

Best of health to you,

Robert Sierszulski, D.C. “Dr. Robert”

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is one of the oldest forms of medicine in the world.  As far back as 2,500 years ago the Chinese were writing books about the organs, blood vessels, and body systems long before sophisticated medical equipment such as X-rays and MRIs were invented.  They were far ahead of most of the other cultures as far as their understanding of the human body.

Acupuncture and TCM is concerned with blood flow.  Blood gives life.  If an area of the body receives less blood flow it will suffer.  TCM gets blood flow moving again.  Our blood circulation is damaged by genetics, trauma, poor lifestyle choices, and age.  Blood also plays a vital role in our body’s waste removal process.  If blood flow is poor, our body’s ability to clear out debris and contaminants is affected and unhealthy things can grow, like tumors and cancers.

When the acupuncture practitioner places a needle into a specific area of the body, the nervous system is stimulated.  The message is instantly sent to the spinal nerves and from there to the brain.  When the brain receives the message, it recognizes that there is a problem in the body and it sends fresh blood to the problem area.  The blood contains oxygen, natural pain killers, nutrients, and hormones.  When the diseased part of the body is nourished by the new blood it begins to heal.

When your blood, nerves, and organs are working properly, you are healthy and feel well.  Your body can function this way without the use of pharmaceutical drugs.

Western medicine (the medicine that we are most familiar with in this country) is great for traumas and emergencies.  If you get into a serious car accident the best place to go is the hospital.  It is also very useful for diagnostic purposes.  Doctors often can determine exactly what the problem is through the use of CT scans, MRIs, and blood tests.  Western medicine does not work very well for chronic health issues, like back pain, headaches, and menstrual irregularities.  Patients are usually given pharmaceutical drugs for these ailments that don’t really fix the problem or promote healing, but instead cover the problem up like a band-aid.  When you stop taking these drugs your problem will return.  Most people have to take them for the rest of their lives.  Also, they often produce side effects that give you more problems that you have to worry about!

Chinese Medicine takes a different approach.  It was developed so that the emperor and his warlords stayed strong and lived long, healthy lives.  In fact, the Asians have always lived long lives, even hundreds of years ago.  This is because they took care of their health and followed the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

As we get older, our circulatory system unfortunately gets worse.  The good news is that our lifestyles can make a big difference.  If we eat more natural foods, exercise, and get enough sleep we will last longer and feel better as well.

I believe that if more people were educated about acupuncture and TCM and utilized it as a curative and preventative medicine, we would be much healthier and have more fulfilling lives.  I encourage people to learn more about it by finding a basic book on the subject at your library.  The more educated you are, the more choices you have.   Then you have the freedom to make decisions that are the best for you.

With the popularity of flip-flops, bare-foot running, and generally not wearing shoes in the summer, there is often an increase in heel pain.  Much of this can be attributed to foot gear that does not have enough or the correct support for our modern feet.

In the case of flip- flops, our toes are clenching the front of the flip-flop causing foot strain that is often compounded by no arch support on the foot-bed.  So as you’re walking you lift your foot and it’s trying to keep the flip-flop on your foot.  When your foot touches the pavement, also known as heel-strike,  it’s actually straining from the connection of your foot to the flip-flop foot-bed,  instead of being strained from balancing as with everyday walking.

This particular strain affects the connective tissue on the bottom of foot known as the plantar fascia.  This connective tissue actually wraps around the bottom of the heel and continues halfway up the calf connecting to the large muscle in your calf called the soleus.  The soleus is very important because through the simple act of walking, it is responsible for pumping blood back up our legs.

So rather than using flip-flops as standard footwear, save them for very limited use like the pool or beach.  Be nice to your feet, foot pain is no laughing matter.  If you are experiencing any heel pain symptoms, please give us a call because we have a variety of treatment options for this condition.

-          Jon Summerbell, L.M.T.

ChiroSolutions

630-784-8500

310 S. County Farm Rd. suite F

Wheaton, IL 60187

www.chirosolutions.org

What is fascia? Fascia is the connecting tissue of the body. It wraps and covers nearly every part of your anatomy. It is primarily made of cells, water, and collagen protein, and it is the same material that composes ligaments, tendons, joint capsules, and scar tissue. It anchors the skin to the body, and envelops the muscles, nerves, and bones.

To give an analogy: If you cut an orange in half, you are able to see the pulp and the walls, or septa, which divide it. The pulp is like a muscle, while the septa is like fascia. If you look closer at the pulp, you can see it is further separated into smaller segments. In fact, the pulp is divided down into a microscopic level by its septa. The muscle is the same way; it is divided down to a microscopic level by its fascia.

To take this idea one step further, all of the fascia of a muscle converges and forms a tendon. This tendon then attaches to the covering of the bone, the periosteum, which is also a form of fascia. Looking further down the bone, the periosteum forms ligaments and joint capsules, which then attach to more forms of fascia. So as you can see, since fascia is continuous, any fascial problem in one area can have far-reaching effects in other parts of the body.

Fascia is inherently very sticky. Through trauma, disuse, scarring, or continuous irritation, it can bind to itself and develop stuck areas called “adhesions”. Adhesions can irritate underlying structures, compressing them and altering proper movement. Fortunately at ChiroSolutions, we offer many techniques that treat adhesions and their associated compensations. Techniques like chiropractic adjustments, myofascial release, A.R.T. (Active Release Technique), and ultrasound are very successful with fascial related conditions. Please contact ChiroSolutions at (630) 784-8500 for any questions you have concerning fascia and its treatments.

- Christopher Wood, L.M.T.

630-784-8500

310 S. County Farm Rd. suite F

Wheaton, IL 60187

www.chirosolutions.org