Dead Butt Syndrome

Chiros see this constantly and it is also called gluteal amnesia. It's mainly because most of us sit all the time. We drive to work or sit on the bus/train, sit at work, drive or catch public transport home then sit in front of the tv or read. We might throw in a walk or a gym session but that isn't enough to undo the number of hours we have spent on our bottom.

When we sit down our glute (bottom) muscles need to relax in order for us to maintain that posture. Our hip flexors (muscles at the front of our legs) are switched 'on' and they often stay that way when we stand up. 
 

Lower limb muscles

Lower limb muscles


How can I tell if I have a 'dead butt'?

  • Flat/saggy butt
  • Tight hamstrings, lower back or hip flexors
  • Lower back pain

Why is it a bad thing?

If your glutes don't work, then your lower back and hamstrings (muscles at the back of your legs) need to work overtime to compensate which is why they get tight and often don't loosen up regardless of how much stretching you do.

What can be done about it?

Work it, baby! but even if you do glute exercises, these muscles may not even switch on because in a way your brain may have forgotten about them. That is where chiropractors can help as we work on the spine which influences the nerves and causes our brain and glutes to communicate again.  Also, all of our practitioners are able to check you have the correct form when doing exercises.

Some great exercises for it are clams and hip hinges, both pictured below. Glute bridges usually have too much hamstring activation, if our glutes have switched off so don't go nuts thinking you are firming up your bottom because most likely you aren't.

 Clam exercise: make sure your hips/lower back don't roll backwards

 

Clam exercise: make sure your hips/lower back don't roll backwards

Hip hinge: keep your weight over your heels and evenly between both feet

Hip hinge: keep your weight over your heels and evenly between both feet

If you think this might be stopping you from being more active or pain-free please book online or email us as our North Ryde chiropractor and remedial massage therapist love helping you out.

Standing Work Station Ergonomics

So, you have yourself a standing work station. They're awesome! Whilst they take a lot of strain off the discs in your lower back and muscles it also means you are burning more sugar and fats i.e. calories. We will be taking a look at the benefits of having one, how it should be set up correctly, common postural mistakes and how to correct them.

Benefits

  1. It is much better for your core spinal muscles – providing you stand properly and can lower the incidence of neck and upper back pain by up to 54%. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23057991
  2. Reduces the risk of cancer, particularly breast and colon cancer which seem to be affected by activity. It also reduces the risk of obesity because you burn more calories which helps to prevent heart disease and metabolic syndrome.
  3. It can also help to increase productivity and boost your mood.
  4. Our core muscles become less active when we sit especially for long periods of time. When we stand they're much more active but only if they're strong and haven't been damaged, think use it or lose it. I won't go into how to strengthen your core as that's a whole topic of its own. The problem with this is they support all the joints in our spine and if they are weak you are more likely to injure yourself.
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Set up

As with sitting down to use a computer the set-up is very important as well.

  1. Desk height should allow a 90degree angle at elbows with keyboard at a comfortable distance in front of you
  2. Monitor arm's length from eyes
  3. Top of screen not monitor level with eyes
  4. If wear bifocals, top of screen level with upper most part of near sighted section. 
  5. If using two monitors, whichever monitor you use the most be directly in front of you. If you use two equally, put them together on an angle with the edges touching. 

Problems that may arise

 A picture speaks a 1000 words so have a look at the accompanying image. I caught myself a couple of times standing with my weight significantly over one leg and then also leaning on my elbow. This caused my spine to curve which creates wear and tear.

Also, watch out for rounding your shoulders and sticking your chin forward. This causes a huge increase in strain for your upper back and neck, again, causing wear and tear which eventuates in pain and arthritis.

Standing up is hard work. Partly because it takes time to get used to it but even after you have been doing it for a while your heart needs to work harder to pump the blood around your body and your muscles have a fatigue cycle so they need some rest. To help out with this, alternate between sitting and standing every 45-60 minutes.

Acquiring a standing work desk is absolutely a win for your health. Please remember to have it set up correctly and stand properly as this does wonders for your spine and body.

If you have any questions regarding this or would like help with any spine, muscle or joint pain please contact us, book online or call our North Ryde chiropractor on 8096 6781.

Constant Stress

We have all experienced stress at times in our lives.  The source of our stress can vary from things such as: our relationships at home, work deadlines, colleagues at work or illness. Constant stress can become unhealthy particularly when it causes us to crave foods that may taste good but don't nourish our bodies - did someone say comfort food?!  If we don't receive the correct nutrition it becomes harder for our bodies to deal with stress and we're more likely to put on weight.  

The Cortisol Made Me Do It 

Also, known as “the stress hormone,” cortisol can increase when you’re feeling tense or stressed. This may cause you to reach for comfort foods such as pasta and bread as well as sugary foods.  This isn't such a great idea as eating those foods causes our blood sugar to quickly rise. This combined with the fact that cortisol causes our blood sugar to rise too as our bodies are preparing us to either 'fight or flight' can lead to type 2 Diabetes.  Of course, one can enjoy these foods in moderation. Try to eat a diet filled with nutrient-dense foods such as lentils, beans, lean protein and plenty of vegetables. 

Chronic Stress

Long term increases in cortisol can lead to a lower life expectancy, interfere with learning and memory, lower immune function and bone density, increase weight gain, blood pressure, cholesterol, heart disease.  Chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels also increase risk for depression, mental illness, and lower life expectancy. (1)

How To Manage Our Stress

Whilst alcohol can help to relax us it isn't a great way to deal with stress long term.

If you are stressed and you have been a couch potato lately it is time to get moving as this can reduce your cortisol levels. It also boosts our endorphin levels which are our 'feel good' hormones.  You don't need to go for a run, going for a walk is great but do try to get your heart rate up and push yourself.

Receiving chiropractic treatment may have a positive impact on reducing your cortisol levels. (2)  Chiropractic can also help alleviate muscular pain and tension which may help to your alleviate stress. (3)

Meditation and breathing exercises can help to reduce stress and clear you mind - try out this video.  A lot of people say they can't keep their mind still enough to meditate.  Meditating won't necessarily make you a zen-like Buddhist monk and it is very normal to have thoughts going in and out of your mind, try not to get frustrated by this.  Instead, notice that your mind has wandered, and start focusing on your breath again. Your mind may wander a hundred times and that is ok!

If you would like help with your stress management, contact us today to schedule an appointment.

(1) https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201301/cortisol-why-the-stress-hormone-is-public-enemy-no-

(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2050804/

(3) 'Mechanism of action of spinal manipulative therapy' Joint Bone Spine, Vol 70, Issue 5, September 2003, pg 336 - 341

It Takes Time

When starting treatment, people and this includes myself, want to see results straight away and some people do.  For lasting changes it really does take time for our body to heal and become strong again, especially when our muscles and connective tissue have tightened up and are full of scar tissue which pulls us back into our old, incorrect posture.

I was reminded of this recently when I had a moment of frustration about my back still giving me issues after I had an unstable pelvis late in my 2nd pregnancy.  Whilst I am significantly better than I was (I could barely walk from 36 week's of gestation), I had to remind myself that I hadn't given it enough time or adequately done rehab exercises to strengthen my spine to get myself back to great spinal health.  I am now being vigilant about doing my exercises!

So, just remember - Rome wasn't built in a day... It takes time for our body to heal.

Stronger is Better

I hope you enjoyed the October Long Weekend and have adjusted to the clock going forward.  I love this time of year as the days are getting longer.

People tend to get back into exercise if they let their exercise regime lapse over winter. I want to share with you a wonderful exercise to help strengthen your core stabilising muscles, it is called the Pallof Press. It is so important to have a strong core to minimise spinal injury.  Please take a look at this video on our new Riverside Chiropractic YouTube channel.   We will be uploading more videos to our channel in the near future which is very exciting.

 

We will be uploading more videos to our channel soon which is very exciting.

Yippee!!

Hooray for the arrival of spring! Recently I've been getting stuck into my garden at home by removing some small trees and lots of weeds.  It struck me as to what a good workout it was as well as other DIY activities, however, it is potentially quite damaging for one's spine.  Some of these tips might be really obvious to you but nevertheless a reminder is always good.

1) Vary your position when doing a prolonged activity eg if raking do it from the right and left hand side of body and when weeding change from between crouching, squatting and kneeling.  Doing a deep squat is best as it takes pressure off the balls of your feet and calves. 

2) Stretch: your muscles can get a really good workout so loosening them up when you finish will help you to not only feel better but also reduce the likelihood of injury later on.  Our resources page contains stretches

3) Bend your knees not only when you lift heavy pots and plants but also when picking up light objects such as a trowel or a paintbrush.

Gardening and DIY can be a great workout however it predominantly works the muscles at the front of your body so one still needs to do exercises to help strengthen their spine.  This helps to keep it healthy and reduce pain. Some of these exercises are: bridges, vertical row and core muscle exercises.  My colleagues and I can help you out if you have any questions regarding looking after your body whilst gardening.

There's A Reason Why It Is So Important

Walk into any gym or health club and you’ll find people exercising their core. Core training has taken the world by storm, and for good reason as strengthening the core creates stability and better movement and helps prevent lower back pain. To help you get the most out of your efforts, it’s important you understand what you’re doing.  We’ve outlined below the difference between local and global muscles, to help you perform core work safely and effectively.

What Is your Core?

Your core is a shorthand way of referring to all the muscles of your lower back/pelvis/hip area. It’s where your centre of gravity is located and where movement begins. A strong core stabilises the spine and pelvis and supports you as you move. The core has 29 pairs of muscles that fall into two categories:

1) Local Muscles: Think of your local muscles as the deeper muscles, the ones close to the spine and responsible for stabilisation. They don’t have much ability to move the joints. The local muscles are further broken down into primary and secondary categories. The primary local muscles are the Transverse Abdominus and Multifidi (the two most critical muscles for providing stability). The secondary local muscles are the Internal Obliques, Quadratus Lumborum, Diaphragm and Pelvic Floor muscles.

2) Global Muscles: The global muscles are the outermost layer of muscle—they’re the ones you can feel through your skin. They’re responsible for moving joints. The global muscles in the core are the Rectus Abdominus, External Obliques, Erector Spinae, Psoas Major and Iliocostalis.

The core should operate as an integrated functional unit, with the local and global muscles working together to allow easy, smooth, pain-free movement. When the muscles work together optimally, each component distributes, absorbs and transfers forces. The kinetic chain of motion functions efficiently when you do something dynamic, like exercise or run.

Core Injury

An injury to one of the core muscles usually means an episode of lower back pain. When that happens, the deep stabilizers change how they work as a way to compensate for the injury and protect the area. The stabilisers now have delayed action; they’re turned on only after you move, instead of as you move. Because now they’re not functioning as they should, the brain recruits the global muscles to compensate. That causes a core imbalance. The result: pain in the lower back, pelvis and glutes (the big muscles you sit on).

Exercises designed to help get your core muscles back in balance are the best way to prevent re-injury and avoid lower back pain. Traditional abdominal exercises are often recommended to strengthen the global muscles. These exercises can actually increase pressure on the lower spine. Similarly, traditional lower back hyperextension exercises meant to stretch out the lower spine also may actually increase pressure on it. A better approach to preventing lower back pain is restoring stability with the core exercises below.

Abdominal Brace

The abdominal brace activates all the contracting muscles in the abdominal wall. This exercise strengthens the connection between the global muscles and the deep local muscles. This helps restore the balance between them and improves spinal stiffness.

To get an idea of how the muscles in your core work, place your thumbs in the small of your back on either side of your spine. Next, do a hip hinge: bend forward from the hips about 15 degrees. You should feel the muscles in your lower back move as you bend and stand back up again.

To do the brace, stand upright and suck in your stomach, as if you were about to get punched. Hold that for 10 seconds, then relax. Repeat 20 times; do three sets.

You’ll know you’re doing the brace correctly if you poke your extended fingertips right into your side below your ribs and then brace. You should feel the muscles move under your fingertips.

Curl-Ups

Curl-ups train the Rectus Abdominus, the long abdominal muscle that runs vertically from your breastbone all the way down on both sides of your bellybutton.

Start by lying on your back with your hands palm-up beneath your lower back. Bend one leg and put the foot flat on the floor; extend the other leg, perform the abdominal brace. Hold your head and neck stiffly locked onto your ribcage - imagine them as one unit. Lift your head and shoulders slightly off the floor by about 10 centimetres and hold that position for 20 seconds. Your elbows should touch the floor while you do this.  

Relax and gently lie back again and repeat 10 times. Switch legs and repeat 10 times again. Do three sets.

Tip: If you experience neck discomfort doing this, push your tongue against the roof of the mouth to help stabilise the neck muscles.  If you experience pain in your low back try bending both knees.

Bridge

Lying on your back with your knees bent, brace your abdominals then raise your hips up until you are in a straight line.  Do not over arch your back.  Keep your hips level and hold for 10 seconds then lower hips to the  floor.  Repeat 10 times.

This strengthens all of your core muscles due to abdominal bracing as well as your Glutes and Hamstrings.  These muscles become weak from sitting too much.

Side Bridge

This exercise is great for training the back extensors, including the Longissimus, Iliocostalis and Multifidus.  

Start on your hands and knees (quadruped position). Raise and extend the opposite arm and leg simultaneously.  Hold for eight seconds, then return to the quadruped position. Repeat eight times, then switch arms and legs and repeat for ten reps. Do three sets.

All the muscles of the core must work together to produce efficient and effective movement. The core is the centre of the body’s motion—training it is a critical part of any exercise routine.

Back Your Inner Athlete

This year, Spinal Health Week 2016 runs from 23 to 29 May with the theme ‘Back Your Inner Athlete’. 
 
Every day more and more Australians experience disabling low back pain, neck pain and headaches, limiting their ability to work and engage in an active healthy life.
 
One explanation for this is the impact an increasingly sedentary lifestyle has on postural fitness. Think about all the hours you spend each day sitting at work or school, on a computer or other mobile device, watching television or playing computer games. Poor posture increases pressure on your spine which can cause low back pain, neck pain, headaches and fatigue.
 
Low back pain is a growing problem and now ranks second in Australasia and seventh in the world according to the World Health Organisation’s latest Global Burden of Disease study. Neck pain is also problematic ranking ninth in Australasia and 21st in the world.
 
If you suffer from back pain, neck pain or headaches or if poor postural fitness is impacting on your ability to live life to the fullest, visit our chiropractors at Riverside Chiropractic and Back Your Inner Athlete.
 
Chiropractic care focuses on the relationship between body structure (primarily the spine and pelvis) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) and how this relationship can restore and maintain health.
 
Each week around 300,000 patients visit an Australian chiropractor. Chiropractic care is an increasingly common and effective treatment for back pain, neck pain and headaches eliminating the need for drugs or surgery. This means chiropractic care can also be very cost effective in comparison to other types of treatment.
 
At Riverside Chiropractic, we are encouraging our patients and the North Ryde community to begin a conversation about preventative health and well-being and adopt healthy habits.
 
Chiropractors have an important role to play in preventative health and well-being because they understand that a vital part of maintaining normal spinal function is by helping patients to make healthy lifestyle changes around nutrition, exercise and wellness. 
 
Adopting healthy habits today (such as improving postural fitness) can significantly reduce the risk of injury or pain later on and have a positive impact on your self-esteem, social relationships and even mental health.
 
Back, neck and spinal problems are also a leading cause of lost productivity in the workplace and forced early retirement. Every year forced early retirement has a traumatic effect on the hopes and prosperity of a large number of Australians.
 
We are encouraging people who haven’t been in for 6 months or more or those who have never had their back checked to com in and discover what steps you can take to improve your overall health and well-being and Back Your Inner Athlete.  Please either phone 8096 6781 or email us for an appointment today.
 
Celebrate Spinal Health Week on 23 May by downloading the CAA Back App with augmented reality feature at Back Your Inner Athlete, on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
 
Spinal Health Week 2016 is a national initiative of the Chiropractors’ Association Australia (CAA).

Thrills, Spills, Pills 2

Welcome to ‘Thrills, Spills and Pills 2’.  It is an article containing three tips which reflect the three different types of stressors we typically experience in our lives.

Thrills: Mental and Emotional Stress – relationships, work, finances etc
Spills: Physical Stress – Sitting, sports injuries, training, car accidents etc
Pills: Chemical Stress – Diet, alcohol, cigarettes, pollution, supplements, medication etc

Thrill Tip: The 10 Min Practice: this is an exercise to help purge yourself of a negative self-image. If you are constantly beating yourself up, this exercise is great to reset your thinking. Here’s how it works: every morning, before you do anything else, write down every negative thought about yourself that you have. Try to aim for at least 20 things. Really be brutal with yourself. Then turn around each statement and write down the list again, this time writing the opposite of each thought.  This is another one that only seems to work if you hand write it out.

Spill Tip: Ever wanted to increase your low back mobility? Probably the best exercise for this is the full squat. Here’s how to do it: stand with your feet roughly shoulder width apart and with straight arms held out in front (this helps with balance but is not essential). Slowly squat down into a full squat position. Your buttocks should almost be touching the floor and your heels should be flat on the floor. Let your tailbone sink down and under. If you’re having difficulty balancing, use a pole, table, doorframe etc to hang onto and lean back until your heels are flat. Aim for 10 minutes cumulatively per day.

Pill Tip: Ever tried to start the day with a smoothie but found it unfulfilling? Were you hungry only an hour later? Try the following to supercharge your smoothies: ensure that you add plenty of fat and protein. Do this by adding two raw eggs and a whole scoopful of high quality protein powder. You may also wish to add a tablespoon of coconut oil or a some full-fat, pot-set, organic, biodynamic yoghurt. The extra fat and protein from these additions will bring your smoothie to a much more satisfying level.