July 2019 Health Newsletter

As the temperature rises so too does the risk for exercise related heat stroke and performance drop. The human body doesn't perform optimally when it becomes too hot. New research shows that using cooling techniques such as ice vests or cold water bathing/applications before and/or during workouts increases performance. Your body requires significant energy and blood flow to keep your body from overheating. Any external assistance with the cooling process provides the body with additional energy and blood flow to exercising muscles. Various cooling methods were studied including the use of cooling vests and cold packs, consumption of cold water or ice slurries, immersion in a cold water bath or a combination. Researchers also studied the effects on performance comparing pre-exercise applications vs. during exercise applications. Researchers found while pre-exercise and during exercise applications of cold increased performance, a combination of the two worked best. One of the most effective applications was wearing an ice chest during exercise along with a combination of pre-exercise techniques. Doing so improved athletic performance by close to 7 percent. In addition to the increased performance, cooling techniques reduce potential for heat stroke - a very common side effect of exercise, especially in the summer heat.

Chiropractors have always maintained that chiropractic care is not just for the treatment of back and neck pain, but is in fact effective for other conditions issues as well. A new case study, published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine backs these claims by examining the treatment of arm and hand pain. A 41-year-old female patient was experiencing alarming pain, numbness and weakness in her right arm and hand. Her symptoms had begun three weeks prior to treatment, when she woke up in the morning and assumed she had “slept wrong.” Medical assessments confirmed her pain, numbness and decreased grip strength. Treatment began immediately and included specific chiropractic manipulative therapy as well as myofascial therapy and elastic therapeutic taping. The patient was also assigned an active home care regimen which included postural exercises and workstation ergonomics education. The results—The patient showed immediate improvement of her numbness and weakness after just the first treatment. The case study’s authors noted that over a series of eleven treatments, her symptoms were completely resolved and she was able to return to work without pain. If you’re experiencing any sort of body pain, numbness or loss of strength, contact your local chiropractor today. Consultations are affordable, safe and chances are very good that chiropractic care may be able to help!