by Dr. Haque on June 30, 2009
Are you stepping your way to knee pain?
Your gait cycle, the bio mechanics of the way you walk, ultimately affects the knee, hips, pelvis and the spine. That is the why the movement of ankle and foot is crucial to protecting your knees. This is particularly important for people who participate in sports that involve running.
There are three main parts of the gait cycle:
1. Heel Strike- the way the heel of the foot hits the floor
2. Mid Stance-the part of the gait when the entire foot is flat on the ground
3. Toe-off- the push of the fore foot and toes that lifts the heel
A perfect gait cycle is difficult and rare to find. Most of us whether it be due to loss of arches in the foot or problems in the hips will not walk heel to toe which will results in knee problems. For example, many of my patients who present with knee pain and back pain, will have a gait cycle where the foot will flare out to the side or in which causes over-stretches the middle or lateral capsule of the knee. Over time, this stretch can cause a strain and weakness in the knee causing pain, swelling and even problems with the hips and spine.
If your gait is causing knee problems, many solutions are available! Getting your gait analyzed would be the first step. Alignment of the bones in the foot and ankle along with a custom made orthotic can also help in these problems. In addition to alignment and orthotics, rehabiliation of the muscles of the ankle, foot and knee is what is usually preformed with patients in my office.
If you are suffering with knee pain, get your knee and gait cycle evaluated so that the proper treatment protocol is administered. This is usually safer and smarter than covering up the pain with pain killers.
by Dr. Mike on June 29, 2009
Although the majority of treatment performed by chiropractors focuses on the spine, the same techniques can be applied to other joints as well. It’s believed that malfunctions and fixations of the joints can be the result of direct trauma. Many times the trauma occured years ago and is only now creating symptoms. It is also common to see joint problems that are the result of very small micro-traumas caused by repetitive injuries.
One very common result of repetitive trauma is carpal tunnel syndrome. The tunnel is comprised of the bones of the wrist and a band of ligaments. Painful symptoms result when the contents of the tunnel are compressed. Surgery is often used to loosen the ligaments and reduce the compression, thus freeing the nerve to a degree. It’s surprising to learn that some wrist problems may be due to functional changes to one or more joints of the neck, shoulder, elbow or wrist. Basically, a nerve can get “pinched” where ever there is a joint. That can be from the spine all the way down to the fingers. So while carpal tunnel syndrome is most often a wrist problem, it can also come from other sources. It’s important to know exactly where the interference is located
Because chiropractic offers a conservative approach, it makes sense to take what is believed to be a wrist problem to a chiropractor first. Medication and surgery can always follow if neccessary. Only a chiropractor can tell you if it’s a chiropractic case, so scheduling an examination would be a wise idea.
by Dr. Mike on June 28, 2009
I remember attending a motivational seminar where the speaker said, “If you want to be enthusiastic, act enthusiastic.” The idea being, if you don’t feel like you posess a certain quality, you should act as if you do, and then your actions will work to change your mind set. Of course, it would always be great if the act came about as a result of a change from within. That way the changes come from the heart and are much more likely to last. By acting “as if” all the time there is the risk that what you are doing will remain an act and there will be a regression to the old behavior. Bottom line is that any meaningfull change must eventually come from inside. We must all come to terms with ourselves and decide what we really want. Is all this exercise and diet just something I do or is it a part of who I now am?
When I decide to make changes in my life that are in line with my fitness goals I ask myself if I actually am thinking differently and not just going through the motions. Do I dread the thought of eating fast food? Do I hate sleeping in? Do I feel uneasy about taking a day off from working out? We are all human, and I understand that even Jack Lalanne fought exercising once in a while, but if we do the right things most of the time and our heart is in it we need not be so hard on ourselves. Some days I can’t wait for the alarm to go off at 5 am so I can get to the gym. Some days it’s tough, but I know that if I act “as if” until I get my shoes on, the desire and enthusiasm will be there. The important thing is to be comitted to your goal. Be consistent in your behavior. Those changes that you desire will come about. No amount of extra sleep or calorie laden food can compete with the feeling of being fit.
by Dr. Haque on June 21, 2009
Have you said “Thank You” Lately?
When is the last time you appreciated your health and the ability to do things you do? The truth is that most of us take our lives and health for granted until something goes wrong. Just the other day I had a new patient come to my office in Livermore. He spoke about how his lower back had given out on him and he was no longer able to ride his bike, play with his kids and work at his job because of the pain and the fear of it getting worse. What a way to live life! The saddest thing I think is that so many people are in that same situation. So I ask again, when was the last time you took the time to appreciate the motion and function of your body before it goes south?
Even better, when is the last time you took the time and effort to nourish your health by getting it checked out before any symptoms to provide some insurance from waiting until it’s too late? Most probably would say never because it is human nature to forget about what our bodies do for us with our hectic schedules and demands of our lifestyles. I have been urging all of my patients for this reason to bring in their spouses, children, friends and loved ones for a spinal check-up before something goes seriously wrong so that they don’t have to regret taking their body’s for granted.
by Dr. Mike on June 16, 2009
If there’s life in what you do, then most likely you’ll find within it a metafor for life. We could find a connection with many of the things we do. Our work, our pastimes and our games can all be equated to life if we use some imagination. For me, it is the gym. It’s about setting and attaining goals. It’s about overcoming limitations. It’s about pushing limits. It’s me versus the weights, or the clock. It’s about changing beliefs. It’s about getting stronger and doing things you never thought you could do. The gym is my fortress of solitude, my island getaway, my spot on the roof. At the gym my head is clear. I’ve been able to work out many problems while engaged in lifting weights or running on an eliptical trainer. I choose to go to the gym before or after the crowds. I don’t use the gym to socialize. I like to get the job done and not waste time. Some do better working with a partner or taking a class. It’s an individual thing. No hard rules here. The gym dosen’t require a lot of upper level mental capacity (all the better for my case) to perform required tasks. And the nice thing about it all is that when you are done with your workout, whatever it has been, you leave a better person, physically and mentally. I see more of an older generation starting programs at the gym than in the past. How great is that! It’s great therapy. It’s a good habit and the more your body does it, the more it wants it.
One of the best web sites I know is by Dave Draper. He understands what the gym represents. He is an incredible source of great information on health and fittness, but I believe what endears so many of his newsletter subscribers (aka bombers) is his ability to communicate his great knowledge and passion for fittness and for weight lifting/bodybuilding. The gym has always been his life and what he writes comes from his heart. You’ll want to get on his e-mailing list.
One thing we can do to get more from life is to bring exercise into our day. This could be at the gym or by having a gym at home or any one of many ways to be active. What’s important is that you are doing something to improve yourself every day. I admire every person I see making an effort to improve their health whether it’s the 5am runner or the 6pm walker. One thing I’m sure of is that they are working out their challenges and getting in better health.
by Dr. Haque on June 10, 2009
When should you see a Chiropractor/Who needs to see a Chiropractor?
The majority of the people who become new patients in my office are suffering with any of the following symptoms:
Most often a person with one of the above symptoms usually has dealt with the pain for some time before they realized that either the pain was not getting any better or the severity of the pain was getting worse. The smaller percentage of my new patients are the people who want to adhere to a healthier lifestyle without drugs or surgery; People who have learned the benefits of staying healthy holistically; Children whose parents do not want to them to grow to have the same spinal problems as them.
So who really should see a chiropractor? The answer may be shocking, but the person who feels healthy without aches and pains is the ideal chiropractic patient. It is never too early to practice good spinal hygiene. By having a chiropractor check your spine for any mis-aligned vertebrae that can alter the nerve signals from the brain to the body, it can prevent a whole list of problems and symptoms in the future. Understanding the anatomy of the nerve which only contains 2% pain receptors to indicate pain and/or discomfort can help to make sense of the fact that many people who have subluxations (pinched nerves) usually have had them for years but without any pain! That is why it is safer, easier and cheaper to see a chiropractor when you still feel good until waiting until things hurt, have gone on for a long time and has affected your lifestyle.
For more information on this subject please contact me at drhaque [at] haquechiropractic [dot] com
by Dr. Haque on June 8, 2009
Are your headaches caused by a jaw problem?
Quite often, when a new patient comes into my office in Livermore complaining of chronic headaches they will admit to having clicking and/or pain in their jaw also. Most of these patients are surprised that I ask about their jaw and are usually puzzled when I tell them that the two can be connected. The jaw bone connects into the skull right in front of the ear. The jaw is made up of the bone and a disc of fluid which helps with all the shock absorption required with the hundreds of thousands of times we open and close our jaw.
The amount of stress we put into our jaw increases as we grind our teeth or clench our teeth as stress levels increase. As the force of the jaw joint increases, it also transfers force into the temporal bones of the skull and all the other bones that make up the head. What this equals are HEADACHES!
Part of the treatment process with headache and/or migraine sufferers in my office is to also address the jaw joint and relieve any tension in the joint by stretching it, providing muscle therapy and also re-aligning the joint as often times it is mis-aligned.
A few tips I offer my patients for jaw and head relief are the following:
- Open the jaw as wide as you can and let the muscles stretch
- Open the jaw half way and pull the jaw to the left
- Open the jaw half way and pull the jaw to the right
- Open the jaw straight down to get a final stretch
- Avoid chewing gum and candy
If you have been suffering from chronic headaches and/or migraines, it might be helpful to have your jaw examined by a chiropractor as it might be the culprit.
For more information contact us at info@haquechiropractic.com
by Dr. Mike on June 7, 2009
When we finally make the big decision to improve our health it’s going to involve a changing of habits. It’s going to be challenging and it’s going to take some time but the way we feel after can’t be compared.
There are three things that have to happen to successfully change a habit. The first is that you must make the decision to change. It can’t come from a spouse, a doctor, a friend, a parent or anyone else. If for any other reason a change is made, chances are very good that it won’t last. It has to come from you. When you make a decision, you are affirming to yourself that you are willing to go to any lengths to make wishes come true. This means that you will need to completely eliminate the word “try” from your vocabulary. When you say “I’ll try to do my exercises,” you are leaving an open door to not doing them. Then in your mind, if you don’t do your exercises, that’s okay because you only said you would “try” to do them. If you want to successfully change your habits to live a healthier life, you cannot leave an open door to your old habits. It’s like losing 50 lbs and saving your old pants in a box in the garage. Get rid of them! You need to just do it, just make a decision and not look back.
The second thing is to act “as if.” Whenever you change what you are doing, it will feel unnatural. It may feel like you are doing something wrong, funny or something that is just not you. In a way, you are right. When you change a habit, you are by definition acting in a way that is “just not you.” But in a very short time, it will feel normal and it will seem strange that you ever acted any different. Changing habits is like starting a new job, the first couple of weeks are stressful and disorienting, but if you just hang in there, you will feel at home before you know it.
The third is to work on yourself every day. The highest demonstration of a healthy and growing self-image and self-esteem is the commitment to work on yourself each and every day. You experience an elevated consciousness when you realize you power to step up to your greatness or default to your weakness with every challenge, distraction and decision. Working on yourself with consistency and persistence connects you to your inner wisdom and inner strength to become unstoppable.
.”
by Dr. Haque on May 31, 2009
How can chiropractic help me after giving birth or during pregnancy?
The extreme changes a woman’s body experiences when she experiences the miracle of life is truly amazing. To begin, a hormone called elastin is released among several others that acts to increase the elasticity of the body therefore allowing the pelvis to expand. This expansion is necessary to give the baby room to grow and move around as the 9 months progress.
During pregnancy, the expansion of the pelvis can cause a shifting in the sacrum (tailbone) that can cause pressure to the sacral nerves therefore causing sciatica. For this reason, many pregnant women visit chiropractors and obtain drug-free relief that is safe for themselves and the growing fetus.
During labor, the pelvis will dilate and separate from the front (pubic symphysis) several centimeters in order to widen enough to get the shoulders (widest part of the baby) out. After the delivery, the pelvic bone will gradually come together. When it does come back together, it can be off alignment form the pubic symphysis which can cause a misalignment of the pelvis. This malformation can cause pinching of the sciatic nerves which produces pain in the lower back, buttock region and sometimes down into the leg. This type of misalignment can be corrected by a chiropractic adjustment that involves re-aligning the pelvis, sacrum and pubic symphysis.
If you are suffering with back pain during pregnancy or afterwards contact us at www.haquechiropractic.com for drug-free, safe and gentle treatment options.
by Dr. Mike on May 30, 2009
“Once you start going to a chiropractor, you have to keep going for the rest of your life.”
I hear that every so often, although not as often as I used to. It ’s usually said by someone who doesn’t really understand what Chiropractic has to offer. That it’s said at all indicates a lack of understanding among the general public about Chiropractic. And there is some truth to it. You only have to continue going to the chiropractor as long as you wish to maintain the health of your neuromusculoskeletal system. Going to a chiropractor is much like going to the dentist, exercising at a gym or eating a healthy diet: As long as you keep it up, you continue to enjoy the benefits.
Chiropractors could learn from the field of dentristry. Many years ago, dentists convinced everyone that the best time to go to the dentist is before your teeth hurt, that routine dental care will help your teeth remain healthy for a long time. The same is true of chiropractic care for your spine. It is inportant to remember that, just like your teeth, your spine experiences normal wear and tear as you walk, drive, sit, lift, sleep and bend. Routine chiropractic care can help you feel better, move with more freedom and stay healthier throughout your lifetime. Although you can enjoy the benefits of chiropractic care even if you receive care for a short time, the real benefits come into play when you make chiropractic care a part of your wellness lifesytyle.
