Tuesday, January 31, 2012

What's the secret to getting stronger in only a fraction of the time it normally takes?

Power Plate Whole-Body Vibration

How does it work?


Many of you have already experienced the benefits of Power Plate Whole Body Vibration.  "It works! I don't know how or why, but it works."


Check out the video below to listen to Dr. Perry Cammisa, physician at the world's biggest Power Plate clinic, give his own personal testimonial.




Well at Active ChiroCare we do know "why" and we do know "how" it works. We thought some of you might be interested in this too.


Acceleration Training™ with Power Plate creates instability in the human body, as with each vibration the body is forced to perform reflexive muscle actions, multiple times per second. Furthermore, these contractions must work in multiple dimensions as Power Plate actually oscillates in all three planes, exactly as the human body is designed to do. The net result is an incredible improvement in force production, or strength and power.


The principle by which Power Plate works lies in the law of motion, stated by Sir Isaac Newton: that the force of an object is equal to its mass multiplied by acceleration, or f = m x a. What this means is that one can improve functional force (stability, strength or power) by either applying more mass or more acceleration to the body.


Many forms of training and conditioning use mass - as seen in methods with weight machines, free weights, etc. Power Plate, instead, uses the second half of this equation, by applying acceleration to the body, while keeping mass, i.e. your body weight, the same.


This is a real breakthrough in training and conditioning as we can now optimally “load” the human frame while minimizing high impact, high load, and high stress factors.



Gravity is the force that adds load to the human body every second of every day for every movement we perform. Through Acceleration Training™ exercise, Power Plate machines make the body feel as though it “weighs” more every time acceleration forces increase.


The result is that you work against a far greater influence or “load” of gravity in every movement you perform.


This is the essence of all strength and conditioning programs and Power Plate simply uses a different part of the same equation to achieve this! In fact, the amazing outcomes seen with Acceleration Training™ exercise respect the same biological and physiological laws of the body as witnessed in other forms of training. The difference is merely the nature of the stimulus applied (i.e. acceleration), and not the human response.


So... to make a long story short. There are two ways to increase strength and stability. More mass or more acceleration. By adding more acceleration you decrease the time necessary and the risk, which is inherent to more mass, to achieve the same results.

Isn't it time you tried it?


- Dr. Leif 


Thanks to Ultimate ChiroCare for this information.

Monday, January 30, 2012

What do you know about sleep?

Why is sleep so important?
You'll live longer   Chronic insomniacs are more likely to suffer a heart attack than those who sleep well. Some studies have linked lack of sleep to a higher risk of dying from a stroke and developing cancer.
You'll look better   It's called beauty sleep for a reason! Swedish researchers took photos of people when they were well rested and then again when they were sleep-deprived. Strangers rated the plenty-of- zzz's shots as more attractive.
You'll be slimmer   People who slept five hours or fewer per night were 32 percent more likely to experience major weight gain over 16 years, according to a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Too little sleep causes an increase in ghrelin, an appetite-stimulating hormone, and a decrease in leptin, which helps you feel full.
You'll be smarter   Shorting yourself on rest ages your brain by four to seven years. people who slept fewer than six hours a night tallied scores on memory, reasoning, and vocabulary that resembled those of senior citizens.
You'll be nicer    Exhaustion takes a toll on your morals, according to a recent study in the Academy of Management Journal, which showed that a lack of sleep increased deviant and unethical behavior and made people more rude.
Convinced yet? Nearly one-third of American women use some kind of sleep aid at least a few nights a week but beware of side effects, which include dizziness sleepwalking, and even addiction. Skip the risk and try these better sleep tips tonight.
Unplug   Cozying up to your beloved laptop in bed or nodding off to the tvcould disrupt your zzz's. Not only is the content on the screen stimulating, but electronics emit a blue hue that mimics daylight. It stops your body from producing the sleep hormone melatonin. As a rule, turn off all gadgets at least one hour before bedtime.
Ease up on Caffeine    Caffeine lingers in your system for up to 12 hours, so that 3 p.m. java can still have a hold on you come bedtime. When coffee cravings hit after noon, reach for a cup of decaf. If you're desperate for an energy boost, try going for a brisk walk around the block instead of drinking that cup of joe.
Build a Great Nest    Considering how many hours you spend in your bed, it might be overdue for an upgrade. First, the mattress: the most common bedding mistake people make, says Zee, is not replacing it often enough. Most can last about 5 to 10 years; if yours is sagging, it's probably already past its prime. When buying sheets, make breathability the top priority. Your body's temperature changes as you move through different sleep stages, so you need sheets that can handle the fluctuations." go for natural fibers like cotton and silk
Keep Your Cool    Set the thermostat to around 65°F, plus or minus 5 degrees. That's the range in which your body can stay comfortable without having to do anything, like shiver to heat itself up or perspire to cool down.
Hit the Gym in the A.M.    Exercise reduces stress, so it's good for sleep, but it also increases your body's core temperature, making it tough to drift off. Morning work-outs improve sleep quality more than late-day exercise.
 Make your Bed    Once you've got your pretty new threads, don't leave them in a heap when you get up in the morning. Aesthetics aside, taking a moment to tidy up may help you sleep better at night. In fact, 44 percent of people who make their beds daily report snoozing more soundly than those who don't.  Researchers speculate that a messy room can make you feel more stressed and restless.
Follow Your Nose    The scent of lavender may improve your sleep quality, according to a study conducted at Wesleyan University. Researchers found that people who took a whiff of lavender oil before going to bed spent more time in deep slumber and awoke feeling more energetic than those who sniffed plain water.
Thanks to Windsor Spine Center for this info!

How to strengthen thighs and glutes when you already have back pain

Hey guys!  I know some of you out there are trying to strengthen your legs and glutes, even though you might be having low back pain right now.  Not to worry!  



Here are some exercises you can do to strengthen your thighs and glutes without risk of increasing your back pain.


GLUTEUS MAXIMUS EXERCISE

To exercise these muscles without injuring your back, lie on your stomach with your legs extending straight out and flat on a surface such as a floor or bench. Slowly tighten your buttocks and extend one leg upward, holding for three to five seconds. Don't force the movements and focus on keeping your spine and back straight. Repeat with the other leg, for four to six repetitions on each side.


GLUTEUS MEDIUS EXERCISE

Lie sideways against a wall with your legs extended out against the wall. Slowly lift your top leg with your toes slightly pointed, holding the leg in an upward position for two to three seconds. Keep your spine straight and focus on making slow, fluid movements. Repeat with the other leg for 10 repetitions on each side.


THIGH EXERCISE

To stretch your thighs before exercise, lie on your back with your legs extended outward. Cross one leg over the other. Bend both knees and then place your hand under the lower leg to gently pull both legs toward your chest. When you feel a stretching sensation, hold the position for two to three seconds, then repeat by crossing the other leg. To exercise your thighs and back, stand with your back against the wall and your feet about 12 inches away from the wall. Squat into a sitting position as if you are sitting in a chair and hold for five seconds, repeating 10 times.

If you are having back pain, though, an easy way to let the muscles in your back loosen up is to get up and walk.  Usually, sitting down for an extended period of time will get your back muscles to tighten up, so do the opposite and get up and move around frequently!

If back pain has been an issue for you and you're ready to see if there's a solution for your pain, then give me a call at Active ChiroCare!  

- Dr. Leif


This information is courtesy of www.LiveStrong.com

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Should You Really Use a Baby Bjorn?

The importance of using a carrier that places a baby in a seated position; not hanging by their crotch


There are plenty of carriers that place baby in the correct position, including but not limited to Ergo, Boba, Beco, Olives & Applesauce and Babyhawk, as well as wraps and ring slings when used correctly. 



Baby Bjorn and Infantino front packs are of the first type in this image that is not recommended.


Information courtesy of: International Hip Dysplasia Institute



www.ActiveChiroCare.com

Taking Steps to Become Healthier


If you haven't noticed yet, January's almost over.  What goals did you have in mind for 2012?

Are you taking (or not) the steps yet to come closer to achieving your goals?

Just remember that it takes a plan to achieve anything worthwhile.  Rarely is it as simple as saying, "I'm going to do this." and it just happen.

Usually, there has to be a committed decision everyday to take the steps to keep going forward.

What are YOUR goals this year?  To lose some weight?  To get spend more time with your family?  To not have so much credit card debt?

Whatever the answer is, take the steps to start changing your life today.

If you or somebody you know wants to start taking the steps to have a healthier and more ACTIVE life in 2012, please tell them about Active ChiroCare and how we help people eliminate and reduce neck pain, back pain, headaches/migraines, and increase muscle and bone strength with our BStrong4Life program!

"All we can do is be better prepared today than yesterday and better prepared tomorrow than today."  James Howell

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Secrets to Assessing Your Body's Ability for Peak Golf Performance

Here's my latest article I wrote for Star City Health for the Lincoln JournalStar!  
What do you suppose is the difference between someone who goes out and plays 18-36 holes and is clearly worn out and exhausted (the majority of you), compared to someone who goes out and can play the same number of holes in a day and make it look effortless?

It has nothing to do with their fitness level or how hard they swing. It has to do with how efficient they are in their swing mechanics. The difference is their level of mobility, stability and efficiency in creating explosive energy.
To assess yourself in determining your body's potential for peak golf performance, we're going to cover a few different functional movement screen tests in the next couple of articles - tests designed to assess how your body's muscles respond to movement.
This month we're going to cover the Deep Squat Assessment. Think of yourself squatting on the green, reading your next putt. If you can successfully deep squat, more than likely you have good overall flexibility. If you can't deep squat, you're probably stiff throughout your body or have an imbalance between the right and left sides of your body. To conserve energy and prevent fatigue on the course, balance is required.
How to assess yourself: Hold a golf club overhead so that your arms and elbows are fully extended, and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Descend slowly into a squat position. Your heels should be flat and your feet should not turn outward or slide as you go down into the squat. Also, make sure your club remains directly overhead at all times. (Stop immediately if you feel any pain at any point.)
If you can keep your heels down, prevent your feet from rotating or sliding, bend your hips below your knees and keep your knees aligned over the top of your feet - congratulations, you just passed your first test!
Next month, we're going to cover two functional movement tests - the Straight Leg Raise and Seated Rotation. Until then, enjoy the great weather if you're out playing on the courses!
Dr. Leif Olson is a golf fitness expert and a chiropractic sports doctor at Active ChiroCare in Lincoln. Visit his golf web site at www.ExtremeGolfMakeover.com.


Read more: http://journalstar.com/niche/star-city-health/tips/secrets-to-assessing-your-body-s-ability-for-peak-golf/article_a9b3d741-737e-5904-8981-2c25f1f24792.html#ixzz1jjnUBJcV

Monday, January 16, 2012

Chiropractic featured on Dr. Oz

Did you know 22 million people a year see a Chiropractor at least once?


This means that more and more people are seeing a chiropractor when they have back pain or headaches/migraines.  What this ALSO means is that there are still a lot of people out there that don't know the things we do at Active ChiroCare can enable them to live a healthier, more actve and most cases, a pain-free lifestyle!

You may or may not have noticed (I do because I'm a chiropractor!), but chiropractic offices are becoming more and more prominent in Lincoln!

One of the reasons chiropractic is becoming more popular is 1) people are having success with resolving their pain and specific health issues by going to one and they're telling others about their great experience and 2) chiropractic is hitting the big-time in Hollywood!

Here's the video from the Dr. Oz show featuring chiropractic and how chiropractic is now mainstream for pain relief treatment!



love it when a new patient comes to me seeking answers for their headaches, neck/back pain, or stress that's keeping them from living an ACTIVE life!  If there's someone you know is suffering with an unnecessary pain issue, please tell them about Active ChiroCare!

- Dr. Leif
www.ActiveChiroCare.com

Have a Question for Dr. Leif?

Email me at DrLeif@ActiveChiroCare.com!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Pain Relief from Migraines and Neck Pain!

Hey guys!  I wanted to share this awesome video testimonial from another one of our success stories - Sheila!  Sheila struggled with regular headaches and tension throughout her neck and midback because of her job duties!  Watch her video below!



If there's someone you know who's not living up to their potential and you know they need to get back to living an ACTIVE life, then tell me about us!

- Dr. Leif Olson, Chiropractor Lincoln NE

www.ActiveChiroCare.com

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

BStrong4Life FAQ's to Building Stronger Bones



Frequently Asked Questions
I have degenerated discs. Is it Safe? Actually the BStrong4Life System has been proven to alleviate disc pain and return users to a normal, more active lifestyle. Strengthening your spine is the key to a long, healthy lifestyle.

I already have Osteopenia/Osteoporosis. Can the program help? Bone is a living tissue and constantly regenerating or degenerating. Unlike traditional weight lifting, which stresses joints and works your outer muscle, the BStrong4Life System works your inner muscle or the "cables" on the bones.  Stressing your  "cables" encourages new bone growth. We've already seen documented results from DEXA scans showing reversal of Osteoporosis in less than 6 months?

Can I push so hard something breaks? No. Because you're pushing an immovable object, you're incapable of breaking something with your own strength.

I'm a runner. How will this program help?  Watch this video of Tanya, a marathon runner. Using the program has reduced her fatigue and increased her stamina.





What age should I be to benefit the most? Any age! We have users from 10 to 90 years old. The program enhances performance regardless of an individual's personal goal.

How long do I have to do the program? The length of time depends on your age, health goals and conditioning level. Just like exercise, the longer you do it the greater the benefits.


BStrong4Life Session Tips
  • Maintain a schedule. If you miss a day, schedule the following day if possible.

  •  We recommend athletic shoes with orthotics if you wear them. However, any shoe will work.

  •   Some clients wear weight lifting or bike gloves. They find it improves their grip

  •  Some new users experience fatigue/or aching bones. This is because your inner muscle is putting stress on the bone. Stress on the bone stimulates growth.  To reduce these symptoms, drink a bottle of water immediately after your session and take 2000mg of Vitamin C. As you get stronger, these symptoms will disappear.

  •   Remember to watch the screen; even your eyes stimulate muscle response.       If you are at risk of Osteoporosis, we recommend a Dexa-scan so that you can track your progress.

      Please advise our staff if you have any injuries or aches or pains. BStrong4Life system can be adapted for rehabilitation of injuries.

www.ActiveChiroCare.com

Monday, January 9, 2012

The Real Source of Your Neck/Back Pain and Headaches

When I'm meeting with a new patient in my office, I ALWAYS tell them we need to take xray films of their spine.  

Here's why:  Almost always, the source or cause of the person's pain is because of how their spine is built or shaped.  It makes sense, though, right?  If the foundation of your house was off, what would you start seeing after a couple years - maybe some cracks in the walls, foundation, or ceilings, etc.  EVERYONE knows what happens if your teeth are in alignment - you would have some crazy buckteeth going on (and I have the school pictures to prove I did way back in the day!).

My point is, what if you never fixed the structure of the foundation in your house or didn't straighten your teeth out?  And the "Captain Obvious" answer is:  It wouldn't function or perform the way you wanted it to and there would be problems or issues that would arise later on down the road!  The same goes with the structure and alignment of your spine.

Take, for example, this person's neck xray.  It's taken from the side, so this would be a profile view.  There are 2 lines on xray, black and red.  Black is where the neck should be, and red is where the spine is at.  It's easy to see the neck isn't shaped the way it's supposed to, right?  Right!

Now, what if I told you that this person who has their neck shaped like this has neck pain and occasional headaches?  That would make sense, though, right?  Of course, because once your spine isn't functioning the way it's supposed tobecause it's shaped the wrong way, sooner or later it starts to have problems (ie, symptoms of pain, headaches, numbness/tingling, etc).

Here's another example or how a spine can be misaligned - this time we're looking at a person's low back from the front.  Can you see how their spine leans to the left?  That's because the foundation (see how I'm tying this all in together?) their spine sits on, their sacrum and pelvis, is uneven - thereby causing the spine to curve.  It's literally just short on the Left side!

If a person's spine looks like this on xray film, most times they have low back pain or tightness, hip pain, or sometimes even knee pain.  But it all makes sense - the way your body is structured, the way it will either perform....or not.

So, if you're one of those people that seems like you have neck or back pain every so often, and then it goes away for a while, but then keeps coming back....and then goes away....then comes back....Maybe it's because your spine isn't actually able to function at a level of peak performance and you have pain.

And if you're one of those people that would finally to like to the truth about what's going on and would like to see if there's a potential solution for your problem, I'd love to see if I can help!

Call my office or email me at DrLeif@ActiveChiroCare.com to get ahold of me.

Until next time,

- Dr. Leif

PS - Check out some of the success stories of REAL people, just like you, that have had success and are now living without pain because they made the decision to figure out what was keeping them from living an ACTIVE lifestyle!

 
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Patient Hours:

Monday:   10AM-12PM and 3PM-6PM
Tuesday:   10AM-12PM and 3PM-6PM
Wednesday:  10AM-12PM and 3PM-6PM
Thursday:  9AM-12PM and 3PM-6PM
Friday: closed

BStrong4Life FAQ's to Building Stronger Bones


Frequently Asked Questions

I have degenerated discs. Is it Safe? Actually the BStrong4Life System has been proven to alleviate disc pain and return users to a normal, more active lifestyle. Strengthening your spine is the key to a long, healthy lifestyle.

I already have Osteopenia/Osteoporosis. Can the program help? Bone is a living tissue and constantly regenerating or degenerating. Unlike traditional weight lifting, which stresses joints and works your outer muscle, the BStrong4Life System works your inner muscle or the "cables" on the bones.  Stressing your  "cables" encourages new bone growth. We've already seen documented results from DEXA scans showing reversal of Osteoporosis in less than 6 months?

Can I push so hard something breaks? No. Because you're pushing an immovable object, you're incapable of breaking something with your own strength.

I'm a runner. How will this program help?  Watch this video of Tanya, a marathon runner. Using the program has reduced her fatigue and increased her stamina.


What age should I be to benefit the most? Any age! We have users from 10 to 90 years old. The program enhances performance regardless of an individual's personal goal.

How long do I have to do the program? The length of time depends on your age, health goals and conditioning level. Just like exercise, the longer you do it the greater the benefits.


BStrong4Life Session Tips
- Maintain a schedule. If you miss a day, schedule the following day if possible.

-  We recommend athletic shoes with orthotics if you wear them. However, any shoe will work.

 -  Some clients wear weight lifting or bike gloves. They find it improves their grip

-  Some new users experience fatigue/or aching bones. This is because your inner muscle is putting stress on the bone. Stress on the bone stimulates growth.  To reduce these symptoms, drink a bottle of water immediately after your session and take 2000mg of Vitamin C. As you get stronger, these symptoms will disappear.

-  Remember to watch the screen; even your eyes stimulate muscle response.       If you are at risk of Osteoporosis, we recommend a Dexa-scan so that you can track your progress.

-  Please advise our staff if you have any injuries or aches or pains. BStrong4Life system can be adapted for rehabilitation of injuries.


If you want to schedule your personal FREE BStrong4Life demo, call us at (402) 323-7838!
www.ActiveChiroCare.com