Easter Chiropractic Service Project

Chiropractic care for the needy was a grand success with four chiropractors volunteering throughout the day. This service project of the Georgia Chiropractic Association District 1 began in 2010, and provides chiropractic care at four events each year in downtown Atlanta at Thanksgiving, Christmas, MLK Day and Easter. We were part of the Easter Day of Services at the Georgia Dome. The chiropractors involved were Drs. Winston and Chantaye Carhee, Dr. Bianca Kiovanni and myself. Men and women from the ages of 81-21 who came to the Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless Event received exams and chiropractic adjustments. There were folks with years of accumulated stress and strain, old injuries that were not properly treated and joints and muscles that bear the burden of poverty and ill health. We had a steady flow of people wanting to have their spines checked, and ask questions about their health concerns. I appreciate the opportunity to serve, and am thankful that I have a home and food on the table.

Roswell Proclaims October National Chiropractic Health Month

Mayor Jere Wood of Roswell, Georgia has made an Official Proclamation declaring October 2011 National Chiropractic Health Month. Mayor Wood is joining other elected officials across the USA in recognizing the contribution that Doctors of Chiropractic make to the welfare of their patients and the public health. Through an initiative of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) National Chiropractic Health Month 2011 will focus on the importance of being "TechnoHealthy" by using technology safely and making time to rest, exercise and engage in other wellness-enhancing activities.

Roswell Chiropractor, Dr. James E. Schantz, a long standing member of the ACA, is leading the initiative in North Fulton. Dr. Schantz remarks, "Repetitive stress injuries from texting and computer use are increasing and cause about 28% of the workforce to miss time from work. Inactivity and poor posture can cause stress on the neck and back which can lead to headaches, neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and numbness, pain and weakness in other parts of the body. Chiropractic Doctors focus on the whole person and have particular expertise in ergonomics and care of musculo-skeletal injuries.

If you think that you may be at risk for pain or injuries as a result of overuse or misuse of technology, then check back with our Blog during the month of October for advice.

Keeping Young Athletes Fit & Healthy

In today’s age of health and fitness, more and more kids are involved in sporting activities. Although being part of a football, soccer or Little League team is an important rite of passage for many children, parents and their children could be overlooking the importance of proper nutrition and body-conditioning needed for preventing injuries on and off the playing field.

“The majority, if not all, sports are good, provided that the child prepares appropriately,” says Dr. Timothy Ray, a member of the American Chiropractic Association’s Council on Sports Injuries and Physical Fitness. “Without proper preparation, playing any sport can turn into a bad experience. There are structural and physical developmental issues that need to be taken into consideration before children undertake certain sports.”

Highly competitive sports such as football, gymnastics and wrestling follow rigorous training schedules that can be potentially dangerous to an adolescent or teenager. The best advice for parents who have young athletes in the family is to help them prepare their bodies and to learn to protect themselves from sports related injuries before they happen.

“Proper warm up, stretching and strength-training exercises are essential for kids involved in sports, but many kids learn improper stretching or weight-lifting techniques, making them more susceptible to injury,” says Dr. Steve Horwitz, an ACA member from Silver Spring, Md., and former member of the U.S. Summer Olympic medical team. “Parents need to work with their kids and make sure they receive the proper sports training.”

“Young athletes should begin with a slow jog as a general warm-up, followed by a sport-specific warm-up. They should then stretch all the major muscle groups,” says Dr. Horwitz. “Kids need to be instructed in appropriate exercises for each sport to prevent injuries.”

Proper nutrition and hydration are also extremely vital. “While an ordinary person may need to drink eight to 10 8-ounce glasses of water each day, athletes need to drink even more than that for proper absorption. Breakfast should be the most important meal of the day. Also, eating a healthy meal two to four hours before a practice or a game and another within one to two hours after a game or practice allows for proper replenishment and refuels the body,” adds Dr. Horwitz.

Young athletes today often think they are invincible. The following tips can help ensure your child does not miss a step when it comes to proper fitness, stretching, training and rest that the body needs to engage in sporting activities.

Encourage your child to:
•Wear the proper equipment. Certain contact sports, such as football and hockey, can be dangerous if the equipment is not properly fitted. Make sure all equipment, including helmets, pads and shoes fit your child or adolescent. Talk to your child’s coach or trainer if the equipment is damaged.

•Eat healthy meals. Make sure your young athlete is eating a well-balanced diet and does not skip meals. Avoid high-fat foods, such as candy bars and fast food. At home, provide fruit rather than cookies, and vegetables rather than potato chips.

•Maintain a healthy weight. Certain sports, such as gymnastics, wrestling and figure skating, may require your young athlete to follow strict dietary rules. Be sure your child does not feel pressured into being too thin and that he/she understands that proper nutrition and caloric intake is needed for optimal performance and endurance.

•Drink water. Hydration is a key element to optimal fitness. Teenage athletes should drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Younger athletes should drink five to eight 8-ounce glasses of water.

•Drink milk. Make sure your child has enough calcium included in his/her diet. For children over 2 years of age, ACA recommends 1 percent or skim milk rather than whole milk. Milk is essential for healthy bones and reduces the risk of joint and muscle related injuries.

•Avoid sugar-loaded, caffeinated and carbonated drinks. Sports drinks are a good source of replenishment for those kids engaged in long duration sports, such as track and field.

•Follow a warm-up routine. Be sure your child or his/her coach includes a warm-up and stretching session before every practice, game or meet. A slow jog, jumping rope and/or lifting small weights reduces the risk of torn or ripped muscles. Flexibility is key when pushing to score that extra goal or make that critical play.

•Take vitamins daily. A multi-vitamin and Vitamin C are good choices for the young athlete. Vitamin B and amino acids may help reduce the pain from contact sports. Thiamine can help promote healing. Also consider Vitamin A to strengthen scar tissue.

•Avoid trendy supplements. Kids under the age of 18 should avoid the use of performance-enhancing supplements, such as creatine. Instead, they should ask their coach or trainer to include weekly weight training and body-conditioning sessions in their workout.

•Get plenty of rest. Eight hours of sleep is ideal for the young athlete. Lack of sleep and rest can decrease performance. Sluggishness, irritability and loss of interest could indicate that your child is fatigued.
Chiropractic Care Can Help
Doctors of chiropractic are trained and licensed to treat the entire neuromusculoskeletal system and can provide advice on sports training, nutrition and injury prevention to young athletes.-Courtesy of the American Chiropractic Association.

Spring Break, Not Spring Broken

Spring Break for some is their first round of golf or a trip to the beach. For others Spring Break is a chance to start on yardwork. Travel and yardwork can both take a toll on your body. How can you get through your Spring Break without getting broken? Well if you prepare yourself and be mindful of your body mechanics, you can decrease your risk factors.

Driving Risk Factors

1. Driving puts 300 lbs. per square inch of pressure on the disks in your lower spine. Hour after hour that you are behind the wheel adds to the build up of pressure that can cause bulging disks that make you stiff and ache. Make sure you take breaks to get out and stretch every few hours, regardless of whether you need gas or require a rest room break. By alleviating the build up of disk pressure, you may avoid a backache that plagues you the rest of your Spring Break.

2. Support your lower back when you drive. Use a lumbar cushion positioned so that it fills the gap between your backside and middle spine. Otherwise your lower spine will tend to slump foward and your body weight will put more pressure on your disks. Vehicles equipped with built-in lumbar supports may be adequate, if they inflate enough to do the job, and hit you in the precise spot.

3. Adjust your seat so your knees are slightly higher than your hips. This allows the weight of your upper body to be better absorbed by the back of the seat, rather than landing directly on your lower spine. Changing the angle of your seat back may be necessary on a long trip. Wait until your vehicle is stopped before re-adjusting your driver's seat.

Yard Work Risk Factors

1. Our spine works best and feels best when it is working in a balanced and aligned position. Reality is that the nature of yardwork is such that it frequently dictates us to be unbalanced and misaligned. That being said, one of the biggest risk factors for back pain is home ownership.

2. Warm-Up first. Think of yardwork as a sport. Most of us do some type of stretching or warm-up routine prior to playing a game of tennis or softball. Do the same thing before you do your yardwork. Here are a few stretches that will help.

Arms Over Head: Stand up and reach both arms over your head with your fingertips extended. Reach higher with your right hand, then your left hand. Alternate reaches until you have stretched 10x on each side.

Bend Over Stretch: Stand with your feet further apart than your shoulder width; your knees slightly bent. Bend over at the waist with your arms and head relaxed. Let your upper body gently stretch your lower back. Hold for a count of 10, and slowly come up. Repeat 3x.

Quadriceps Stretch: Stand with your weight on your right foot, bend your left knee and grab the back of your left ankle with you left hand. Bring your left ankle behind you, so that you are pulling it close to your buttocks. Hold for a count of 10 and repeat on the other side.

3. Remember to bend at your knees, not your waist, as much as possible. Kneeling and squatting are better on your back than leaning forward and bending at the waist. Keep your nose and your toes in the same alignment as you work, as to avoid twisting motions.

Should you end up with a backache, remember our motto: When in doubt, chill it out!

Use ice, rather that heat on a new injury or painful episode. See your chiropractor, if pain persists.

Happy Spring Break!

Stayin' Alive-Stayin' Alive

Yes, we do play the Bee Gees on Saturday mornings, but "Stayin' Alive is more than just a great song. It is the rhythm by which you perform chest compression with CPR. Dr. Schantz, Karen and Jessica just renewed their certification for Basic Life Support for Healthcare Professionals.

Our practice is held to a high standard, because Dr. Schantz is not only licensed by the State of Georgia to practice Chiropractic, our office is credentialed by Kaiser Permanente, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Aetna, and other healthcare plans to provide safe and effective chiropractic care to children, adults and seniors. Being able to handle emergency situations is part of being a credentialed facility. Our training was conducted by Vonya Turry, a certified CPR trainer, who works with hospitals, medical practices and corporations. Now you can sleep even better at night knowing your chiropractic office will help you Stay Alive!