Safe Stretching: Four Things Not to Do
There are no disadvantages to stretching - unless, of course, you do them improperly, which is actually easy to do if you don't know what you're doing. Here are a few tips to keep in mind before starting any stretching program:
DON'T bounce when stretching; hold your position for the specified time.
DON'T stretch cold muscles; always do some type of warm-up for at least five minutes: jogging in place, walking on a treadmill, light jump rope, etc.
DON'T overstretch. There should be a little discomfort, especially if you're not used to stretching, but it should not be painful.
DON'T stretch a muscle improperly. If you are not sure of the proper stretch or how to perform it, get some assistance from a professional.
toyourhealth.com September 2009
small business spotlight
Back Solutions, located three doors left of Lowes in Cole Park Plaza, is a full-service chiropractic center now in its fifth year of operation. In addition to several types of chiropractic adjustment, it offers a range of physical medicine procedures, such as ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation, and kinesiotaping, among others.
Headed by Dr. Mindy Bradshaw, Back Solutions’ staff also includes four experienced, licensed massage therapists. A chiropractic adjustment coupled with a massage is one of the center’s most popular treatments. Prospective patients begin by supplying their medical history, to determine what sort of examination might be necessary—and whether chiropractic treatment might effectively address the problem. To save time spent waiting at the office, these forms can be accessed from Back Solutions’ website (www.back-solutions.com) and filled out in advance.
After opening Back Solutions, Dr. Bradshaw has completed post-doctoral work in kinesiotaping and custom orthotics. She is a member of several professional organizations, among them the American Chiropractic Association, the North Carolina Chiropractic Association, and the Barter Business Exchange. In 2008, she was awarded “Best in Chatham County: Chiropractor.” Community involvement is a hallmark of Back Solutions, including an annual food drive for Chatham Out-Reach Alliance, a local food bank, and serving as a “Toys for Tots” drop-off point. Dr. Bradshaw is the team chiropractic for Carrboro High School’s football program.
Back Solutions is open from 9 am-12:30 pm and 3-6 pm Monday- Thursday; it is closed on Fridays. On Saturday, it is open in the morning to established patients, no appointment necessary (except for massage therapy). It accepts most insurance carriers and financial plans are available.
Southern Neighbor Magazine, August 2009
Vitamin C is essential for a wide range of metabolic reactions, and it's manufactured internally by plants and animals, which synthesize it from glucose. We humans are a notable exception, which means we need to get vitamin C from food and/or supplements.
The good news is that while our bodies can't manufacture vitamin C naturally, it is present in high amounts in a number of foods and is also commonly added to foods that do not already contain this important nutrient - important because adequate consumption is associated with numerous health benefits.
We've known for decades about the non-neurologic risk for smoking-heart disease, lung disease, cancer, says Barbara S. Giesser, M.D., clinical director of the MS program at the University of California in Los Angeles. Now we have evidence that it may adversely affect the course of MS. And while scientists don't know exactly how smoking promotes the onset and progression of disease, the detrimental effects are indisputable.
Research shows that smokers have a 40- to 80-percent higher risk of developing MS than non-smokers. The more you smoke, the greater the risk, says Alberto Ascherio, M.D., professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
But smoking doesn't only affect the onset of MS; it also impacts the progression of the disease. Smokers are twice as likely to develop full MS from a clinically isolated event (a one-time episode of tingling or numbness) than nonsmokers. And research from Harvard School of Public Health shows that smokers are three times more likely to change from a relapsing/remitting course of MS to a secondary progressive course compared to people who never smoked.
