November 05

3 Stretches you can do while still in bed first thing in the morning
We all know that it is hard to find time to stretch or do our daily exercises even though we know they are good for us.  We all have too much to do (or at least claim that we do) whether it is getting the kids ready for school, getting to work on time, or dare I say checking the latest “tweets.” 
I’m going to try to make easy this as easy for you as possible to feel good and still save time in 5 minutes tops!

    1. Lying on your back with your legs out long, slowly roll your feet inward towards each other. The goal is to touch the bed with the inside of your foot.  Make sure that the back is in a comfortable position and the rotation is coming from the hips. 
    When people experience back spasms it often is from twisting or bending over. There are 32 muscles that attach to and cross the hip/pelvis and play a key role in keeping our backs happy.  If there is good rotation in the hips then the risk for back, hip, and knee injury is decreased.
    2. While still on your back flex your foot toward your face while exhaling and hold for 2 seconds; release and point your toes away from your face while inhaling. Both feet can be done at the same time. Try to do at least 10 repetitions. The legs should be completely straight.
    This will be a gentle stretch for your calves while pumping blood to the lower half of your body.  High arches, Plantar Fasciitis, shin splints are results have over developed or tight calves.
    3. Okay last one. With your legs out long and still lying on your back, bring one knee into your armpit, gently assist, and hold only for 2 seconds; release and alternate with the other side.  This should give you a gentle stretch in the inner thigh, back of the thigh and/or in the low back. If you feel it across the front of your hip then it most likely means your hip flexors are tight. That should be fixed with some Active Isolated Stretching. Check out the website for a hip flexor release (on October 15 blog entry under “back pain”). http://Stretchingbythebay.com. Stay tuned for more stretches or even better call for an appointment! (415) 407-3874.

Thanks for reading and take care of yourself. You’re worth it!



8:12 PM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

October 15

For all of you who sit for hours at a computer this article is for YOU!
If you're sitting... How's your back?

Well for all of you who sit for hours at a computer this article is for YOU!

After being seated for a while many people encounter low back pain. Even if you are sitting with good posture, your hip flexors are in a shortened position. Try these few adjustments and they could make a big difference.

Back Pain
If your hip flexors are shortened from years of sitting, this be a huge part of your back pain. Why? Because your primary hip flexors (psoas & illiacus, sometimes referred to as "illiopsoas") go from your lumbar spine (T12 - L5, including the discs) to your thigh bone (the femur, the biggest bone in your body). They are naturally in a shortened position when you are seated. Are you seated now?
Try this: stand up. Now, while making sure that your pelvis is in a neutral position, use your butt muscle to extend one leg behind you. Switch. Try to get your leg to go straight back, with your hips even and squared to the front. Do not arch your back past neutral! Oh, and if you don't know what I mean be "neutral pelvis" (call soon! or) tuck your pelvis under, sort of flattening your low back, for the purpose of safety in this exercise.

Do you lock your knees?
Locking knees and slouching over work (posture issues) are often a big part of back pain. You can have the best chiropractor and personal trainer in the world, and un-do all your progress with a few bad moves or habits. Instead of locking your knees have your thigh bone directly over your shin bone using muscles to preserve the integrity of your knee joint.

Incorporate kinesthetic awareness into your life for greater ease and enjoyment! OK, so those may look like straight forward challenges for exercise to address, but what if you have peripheral neuropathy or disc issues? Can I help you then? Probably. I create the conditions for healing: restoration of proper length (and strength) of all muscles, tendons and fascia; restoration of elasticity of tissues + education for home care (perhaps a few stretches/exercises, habit/posture re-evaluation).



12:50 PM GMT  |  Read comments(0)