All Posts in Category: Lifestyle

Parkinson’s Disease

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Parkinson’s is a progressive disease caused by a decreased level of dopamine produced by nerve cells in the brain, in an area called the substantia nigra. Dopamine levels drop as the disease progresses.  Dopamine sends messages in the brain to areas that control movement and coordination. With decreased dopamine, patients have difficulty controlling their limb and overall body movement along with their emotions.

Approximately 1,000,000 adults in the USA have Parkinson’s Disease, while males have a 50% higher risk than females.

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Pilates

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When it comes to injuries and back pain, it is important to find exercises that are easy on the spine. Pilates is one of the best exercises to maintain and support a healthy spine. When looking for a Pilates program or studio, make sure to do the following:

1.Let your instructor or trainer know of any previous injuries and your medical history
2.Pick a Pilates studio that encourages neutral spine positions and training.
3. Always engage your pelvic floor and abs to protect the lower back

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Lumbar Disc Disease

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Symptoms

Symptoms vary depending on the severity of the condition, and may range from no symptoms to severe pain in the back and or legs with variable degrees of numbness, tingling and weakness in the legs.

Causes

The lumbar discs are the cushions between each of the lumbar vertebrae in the lower back. These cushions are composed of an inner layer of material called the nucleus pulposus, which is surrounded by fibrous bands called the annulus. The nucleus material is a gelatinous core that has the consistency of “boiled shrimp”. These cushions serve as the shock absorbers in our lower back, just like the shock in your car. These “shock absorbers” experience daily wear and tear.

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Fitness Friday: How to Maintain a Healthy Back

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Most of the time when one is experiencing back pain, they often stay sedentary all day, because they think being active or stretching will hurt them more rather than elevate their back pain. Here are some great stretches and exercises that will increase core strength to support a healthy back.

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How to Avoid Neck Pain at Work

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Have you ever arrived to work and before the hectic day has even begun you are already experiencing the nagging and far too familiar feeling of neck pain?

By: Jessica Beggs, DPT (Legacy Neurosurgery Physical Therapist)

There are many sources of neck pain but one that is commonly overlooked is body positioning throughout the work day. According to a recent study by Caio et al. neck pain is a common condition that can cause substantial disability and is of high prevalence with individuals who perform occupational activities while sitting and leaning.1 So, what type of employment fits that job description? This data is not limited to computer programmers and call centers but instead could be applied to nearly all job styles! When sitting, leaning forward is a position that the body sometimes naturally assumes especially when driving a car, using a phone, or working on a computer. It requires countless muscle fibers to recruit and a conscious effort to maintain upright posturing.

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Congratulations to Dustin Johnson for his Playoff Opener Win

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The Play by Play

Dustin Johnson is cool under pressure! Despite falling five shots behind Jordan Spieth after five holes Sunday in the Northern Trust, Johnson never panicked.

The seemingly insurmountable deficit was wiped clean in five holes, with Johnson making two birdies and Spieth finding water on the sixth hole for a double-bogey. Spieth, then making another bogey on the ninth. From the 11th on, Johnson out-dueled Spieth and won the opener of the FedExCup Playoffs with two great performances on the final hole.

On the 72nd hole, Johnson, facing a make-or-break situation, buried an 18-footer  for par to force a playoff, and then claimed the hardware on the first extra hole, when he unleashed the longest drive on the 18th all week — a 341-yarder that easily cleared the lake — and then struck a 60-degree wedge to 3 feet and made the putt to win.

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The Simple Facts: Lumbar Stenosis

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Stenosis is a common spinal condition caused by arthritic build up in the joints (facet joints) and ligaments in the lower back. In addition, one may have a disc bulging that causes pressure on the nerves passing through the narrow canal.

Symptoms:

Back and leg pain down one or both legs, numbness or tingling, weakness often associated with electric shocks running from the back to the feet. These symptoms are increasingly aggravated, at a varying degree while walking, and improve when sitting or stooping forward.

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“The Golfer’s Swing: A Multi-modal Approach to Improving Your Game”

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A competitive edge is a highly sought attribute for any serious athlete. As young, healthy athletes slowly begin to add years of experience to his/her playing card, there are added stressors and strains that inevitably accumulate. Very often I see an aging adult that has the follow through and motivation of a champion but an uncooperative physique. So the question then becomes, how can the imminent become less inhibiting?

Let’s discuss some of the limiting factors and how we might be able to address these items through a strengthening and flexibility regime that could potentially be the difference between double bogey and par. Primary areas of focus will include hip range of motion, low back musculature, and biomechanics of your golf swing.

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What is Sciatica?

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In order to best understand sciatica, it’s important to first understand the literal “ins and outs” of what it’s caused by, what it feels like and how to treat it.

The first misconception to address is that sciatica is not an actual medical diagnosis- it’s a symptom of a medical condition.  More specifically, it’s the uncomfortable symptom of tingling, numbness, weakness or pain running from the lower spine, through the buttock, into the back of the thigh and down through the foot- the route of the largest single nerve in your body, the sciatic nerve.

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