Exercise: The Downside; The Negatives

Since this is in fact, my blog, I get a chance to air some of my pet peeves and today is one of those times.

I think any person new to training and even new to a particular gym (i.e., you just joined) should hire a personal trainer to show them the lay of the land. Learn the particulars of their machines, the gym and the local gym etiquette. Let them train you once; even if you think you know what you’re doing. Unfortunately, most don’t know what they’re doing and although that’s good for me because I get to fix them and get paid for it; I’d much rather they learn properly and not have to come to my office in agony. Learn to train correctly from the start and save yourself the aggravation and expense of injury.

Now, (one of my many gym pet peeves) today is about doing less than half the workout you think you’re doing; and most are clueless about it. They're missing out on the benefits of “the downside”.

So what is the downside? What are the negatives I refer to in the title? I’m talking about eccentrics; also known as negative repetitions. So, I’m in the gym and there is some guy pulling up 40-lb dumbbells with each arm. He’s struggling to get them up and manages to get 10 repetitions out of it. The problem is when he gets the weight all the way up, he simply drops it back down as fast as gravity will take it. There was another guy who did the same thing with bench pressing. He would drop the weight to his chest and push ever so slowly back up to the top. A 3rd person, attempting triceps extensions was simply swinging the weight like a pendulum. So what’s the problem with that?

The problem is, you get the majority of your power from the eccentric strength of your muscle. Unfortunately, I can’t find any specific reference for you that described the specific contribution of eccentric to concentric (aka negative to positive) to the overall power of a muscle, but it is widely accepted in the sports medicine community that (approx) 60% of the strength of a muscle comes from the eccentric. So, the next time you are in the gym, don’t forget about the “down side” of your repetitions. Otherwise, you’re losing out on a majority of your efforts and robbing your body of true, complete functional strength.

The last word….Put It Down Slowly. And yes, this is especially important for rehab as well.

Healthfully yours,

DocT

For More Information About Me, Go To: http://www.naturalsportsmedicine.com/

Dr. Narson is a 2-term past president of the Florida Chiropractic Association’s Council on Sports Injuries, Physical Fitness & Rehabilitation and was honored as the recipient of the coveted Chiropractic Sports Physician of the Year Award in 1999-2000. He practices in Miami Beach, Florida at the Miami Beach Family & Sports Chiropractic Center; A Facility for Natural Sports Medicine.

#chiropractormiamibeach #MiamiBeachChiropractor #SportsInjuriesFixedHere #DrNarson #ToddNarson #Narson #TriDoc #TriathlonDoc #ChiropracticSportsMedicine #ACASC #SportsMedicine #SportsChiropractor #MiamiBeachSportsMedicine #SportsMedicineMiami #MiamiSportsMedicine #MiamiChiropractor #Triathlon #Running #Ironman #IFixPeopleInPain #TrainWithoutPain #MiamiBeachChiropractor #GrastonTechnique #FAKTR #IASTM #Chiropractor #FootPain #Narson #NarsonBodyMechanic #NarsonTool #DACBSP #CCSP #ACBSP #BackPain #NeckPain #ShoulderPain #RotatorCuff #ITBandSyndrome #runnersKnee #PlantarFasciitis #Plantarfascitis #AchillesTendonitis #AchillesTendonosis #GettingAthletesBackInTheGame  #MiamiBeachChiropractor #MiamiSportsMedicine #MiamiBeachSportsMedicine #WeFixPeopleInPain #TrainWithoutPain #ChiropracticSportsMedicine #ACASC #ProSportChiropractic #FunctionalMedicineMiami #DrNarson #BackPainRelief #NeckPainRelief #SportsInjuriesFixedHere #LaserTherapy #RockTape #KinesioTape #KTTape #Nutrition #21DayPurificationProgram #DetoxProgram #PaleoDiet #PaleoDoc #FunctionalNutrition #Chirooractor #Chiropractic #ChiropracticPhysician #DoctorOfChiropractic #USATriathlon #USAT #TeamUSA #CorporateWellness #HappyEmployeedProfitableBusiness #HeadacheRelief #MigraineHeadacheRelief #Migraine #SportsSpecificExam #SportSpecificTreatment #WorkCompDoc #WorkersCompensation #ankleSprain

LASER Therapy, Pain & Sports Injuries: Does Your Doctor See The Light?

First conceptualized by Albert Einstein in 1916, laser technology has been around since 1965 and has been fascinating us whenever or where ever we've see them ever since. In the past couple of decades, laser technology has made some extensive advances and with that, has shed some new light to a new therapeutic approach to treating sports injuries (and many other injuries and conditions).

You must understand that our bodies use light energy in a similar way that plants do. I’m sure you remember photosynthesis from high school biology and how plants turn the sun’s energy into food that the plant survives and thrives on. Well, we have some of that ability too. Like plants, when our body’s tissues are stimulated by specific wavelengths of light, research has shown that our body will have the following physiological effects:

 

1. Decreased pain levels
2. Reduced inflammation
3. Increased tissue proliferation & regeneration
4. Accelerated soft tissue and bone repair
5. Increased tissue tensile strength
6. Enhanced nerve regeneration & function
7. Increased cell metabolism
8. Increased enzymatic responses
9. Increased cell membrane potentials
10. Increased microcirculation & vasodilation
11. Increased lymphatic flow
12. Increased collagen production
13. Enhanced angiogenesis (creation of new blood vessels)

So what does this mean you ask??? It means biostimulation of damaged tissue with LASER will cause tissues to heal faster and heal-stronger-faster. It means it can stimulate the regeneration of tissue, reduce inflammation and pain. What does this mean for an injured athlete or the victim of a car accident? Not only faster relief of symptoms, but faster healing of the damaged tissues as well. Not bad for a super-duper flashlight on steriods.

Understand there are 2 basic camps in the laser world; hot lasers and cold lasers. Hot lasers are the kind used for surgery; they cut, they burn, they get hot. Hence the name. Cold lasers (aka LLL or Low Level Lasers) generate laser light which can be in the visible or invisible spectrum but do not generate heat. The cold lasers don’t actually get cold either, they’re only called cold because they don’t get hot. Cold lasers (what I like to call therapeutic lasers) are used to increase the rate of healing damaged tissues, reduce inflammation, reduce pain, increased blood flow and in the case of some therapeutic lasers and red lasers are known to also reduce infection.

Sounds too good to be true right? What are the side effects? Well, there really are none. Just don’t shine them in your (or anyone else’s) eyes because they can burn the retina and blind you; so, always wear safety glasses. Don’t use the laser over the thyroid, nor over a developing baby in the womb during the 1st trimester of pregnancy. Lastly, since therapeutic laser helps increase the rate of tissue healing, do not use it over cancerous growths as it can speed up the rate of the cancer’s growth. Outside of these very specific things; Let There Be Light.

What are the down sides? There has been no research to date that shows cold lasers can hurt any condition. At worst, they’ve only shown that over exposure to cold laser therapy causes a plateau in the rate of improvement. Otherwise, doctors who do see the light are getting incredible results from this simple tool that simply stimulates the body to heal faster. So next time you’re enjoying the Pink Floyd Laser Light Show on a Friday night, ask yourself if your feel any better when you wake up Saturday morning.

So, does your doctor see the light? I know I do.

For more information, you can visit the following:

USA Laser
www.NAALT.org
Laser World

References:

Jan Tuner, Lars Hode; The Laser Therapy Handbook

William Prentice, Therapeutic Modalities in Sports Medicine, Chapter 10, pp 215-238

DocT

Dr. Narson is a 2-term past president of the Florida Chiropractic Association’s Council on Sports Injuries, Physical Fitness & Rehabilitation and was honored as the recipient of the coveted Chiropractic Sports Physician of the Year Award in 1999-2000. He practices in Miami Beach, Florida at the Miami Beach Family & Sports Chiropractic Center; A Facility for Natural Sports Medicine.

Finally, Something Healthy For My Sweet Tooth!!!

For all you athletes, health nuts and those trying to get healthy again who starve & crave for something tasty, sweet and healthy, I’ve finally found something that meets all my criteria without compromising my Ultrametabolism “Whole Food” nutritional values.

Up until now, it has been fruit and more fruit to satisfy my sweet tooth; well, and the occasional piece of 87% Cacao Dark Chocolate(we’re talking bittersweet & about a 1”x 2” square of it every couple days). Sometimes, it's not very convenient to eat a piece of fruit. Some of them can be a bit messy and that doesn't always work for me in the middle of the day while in my office.

For those who don’t know me, I’ve been on this crusade against high fructose corn syrup(HFCS), corn syrup, even added sugar to my foods as well as stamping out all hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils from my diet. It has been somewhat trying, but after 5 months, it now comes naturally.

I read labels on EVERYTHING that I stuff into my mouth now. Recently, I found a “bar” that I can eat that is (1) Whole Food (2) Contains healthful nuts and fruits (3) Doesn’t have any added sugar, or that HFCS crapola (4) Doesn’t have any artificial sweeteners, nor do they have any hydrogenated oils. What are they? LARABAR


They come in a variety of flavors and they are a very welcomed treat to add to my whole food way of eating. If you are looking for an in-between meal treat, I think you’ve found your answer. For example, the “cherry pie” bar pictured above contains unsweetened cherries, almond and dates. That’s it. No really….that’s it.

Here’s the scoop on them…

LäraBar is a delicious blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices. Made from 100% whole raw food, each flavor contains no more than 2 to 6 ingredients. Pure and simple, just as nature intended.

Raw! Uncooked, unprocessed!
Delicious!
Kosher Certified!
Simple Real Food - only a handful of ingredients!
No Dairy!
No Soy or soy by-products!
No Corn Syrup! Corn-Free!
No Sugar!
Non-irradiated!
No added Sweeteners of any kind!
No Wheat!
No GMO!
No Gluten!
Sulfite-Free!
Low-Glycemic index!
No Cholesterol!
No Artificial Colors!
No Preservatives!
Completely Vegan, no animal by-products!
Convenient!
Easily digestible and quite filling!
Great Texture!
Only mostly Organic due to cost.
Rich in Antioxidants, with a good balance of Vitamins, Essential Enzymes, Fiber, Minerals, Omega 3 & 6 EFAs, Protein and Complex Carbohydrates!

And yes….they taste great too!!!

Go to http://www.larabar.com/ to read more about them.

Enjoy!

DocT

PS....and for all of you out there concerned about carbohydrates and sugar. Stop whining and read Ultrametabolism already. Your body needs carbohydrates from whole natural sources. It's all of the added sugar and refined carbohydrates that screw you up. That is what you should be worrying about. To the right of this column there is a link to purchase Ultrametaolism. Click on it, buy it and learn how you are supposed to feed your body. Stop trying to cut things out of your diet that your body is designed to eat; rather learn how to eat to speed up your metabilism and start living again!

_____________________________________________________________

Dr. Narson is a 2-term past president of the Florida Chiropractic Association’s Council on Sports Injuries, Physical Fitness & Rehabilitation and was honored as the recipient of the coveted Chiropractic Sports Physician of the Year Award in 1999-2000. He practices in Miami Beach, Florida at the Miami Beach Family & Sports Chiropractic Center; A Facility for Natural Sports Medicine.

Networking Strategies ( and a couple other thoughts) for Doctors

1. Find Out Where Your Patients Go Before They Go To YouAlways ask who your patients other physicians are. Doesn’t matter what specialty, it’s an opportunity to meet another professional and expand your network and reputation. It doesn’t matter if it is a dentist, optometrist, podiatrist or maybe even a massage therapist pf a faith healer; whomever they sought out before they came to you - you need to meet them. Pick up the phone and invite them to lunch.

2. In A (Medical) World of Specialists, Seek Out The Generalists
Since the focus of my practice is sports medicine, sports injury related treatment, as well as treatment of general musculoskeletal aches, pains and injuries, I seek out general practitioners and internists. These physicians see a multitude of problems. Offer to help them help their patients by being their “go to guy” for the specific systems, disorders and/or conditions you specialize in. Again, pick up the phone, invite them to lunch. Or better yet, bring lunch to their office. And yes, treat their staff to lunch as well.

3. Tell Your Patients What Else You Do.
If your patient sought you out for their neck pain & headaches, often they will think you primarily treat patients with neck pain & headaches and therefore will only refer people with those types of conditions. Don’t be afraid to tell your patients the various conditions you treat BESIDES the one they came to you for. Then, ask them who they know, love and care about right now who is suffering that they would like you to help and ask your patient to call them when they get home.

4. Don’t Just Join, Get Involved.This is one of the keys to developing a stable community based practice. Join the local hospital foundation, chamber of commerce, B.N.I. and other similar groups. However, just joining will get you nowhere. You must get involved. Get yourself out of your practice and on some committees and boards for those organizations, offer your help, your wisdom and give from your heart. In time, the people you meet along the way will become eventually become your friends and the best source of referrals to your practice. Joining an organization gives you access to that organization. Go to the parties, go to the fund raisers, go to the meetings because that is where the people are who make the organizations work and pull the strings in your community.

5. Practice What You Preach.I can’t stand doctor who smoke. Come on man, that’s so 1960's. (maybe get rid of the brown paneling and shag carpeting too). You might be a genuinely nice person, but who the hell do you think you are giving advice about health? Walk your talk. You’re a doctor. Besides the responsibility to your patients, you have one to yourself and your family. Look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if you would go to you? Otherwise, why should your patients believe you? You apparently don’t believe yourself. Practice what you preach. Get rid of your unhealthy vice no matter what it is. Set the example - be the example.

6. Lose The Arrogance.
You’re a doctor, not G-d. You may be able to save a life, fix a broken part or fix someone’s aches, pains or infection, but I have yet to see a doctor create a life from scratch. So, until then, lose the arrogant attitude. I have had way too many patients who leave their other doctors and come to our office because of the other doctor’s attitude. If you are bothered by a patient asking you a question, you’re in the wrong business. Be humble, caring, genuinely concerned and empathetic. Your attitude comes through loud and clear when you’re with other people. My wife always taught me to “kill ‘em with kindness”. And yet again….She’s right.

7. Relationships Are The Key

It’s not just meeting more people that makes the difference, it’s getting to know people well. When you’re out at a networking event, at dinner with a new business contact or at a party, lose the small talk and really get to know the people you speak with like you are holding an interview for a new best friend. It’s not whoever dies with the most toys wins; It’s whoever dies with the most friends wins. Read Keith Ferazzi's book Never Eat Alone and you'll understand.

Dr. Narson is a 2-term past president of the Florida Chiropractic Association’s Council on Sports Injuries, Physical Fitness & Rehabilitation and was honored as the recipient of the coveted Chiropractic Sports Physician of the Year Award in 1999-2000. He practices in Miami Beach, Florida at the Miami Beach Family & Sports Chiropractic Center; A Facility for Natural Sports Medicine.

#chiropractormiamibeach #MiamiBeachChiropractor #SportsInjuriesFixedHere #DrNarson #ToddNarson #Narson #TriDoc #TriathlonDoc #ChiropracticSportsMedicine #ACASC #SportsMedicine #SportsChiropractor #MiamiBeachSportsMedicine #SportsMedicineMiami #MiamiSportsMedicine #MiamiChiropractor #Triathlon #Running #Ironman #IFixPeopleInPain #TrainWithoutPain #MiamiBeachChiropractor #GrastonTechnique #FAKTR #IASTM #Chiropractor #FootPain #Narson #NarsonBodyMechanic #NarsonTool #DACBSP #CCSP #ACBSP #BackPain #NeckPain #ShoulderPain #RotatorCuff #ITBandSyndrome #runnersKnee #PlantarFasciitis #Plantarfascitis #AchillesTendonitis #AchillesTendonosis #GettingAthletesBackInTheGame  #MiamiBeachChiropractor #MiamiSportsMedicine #MiamiBeachSportsMedicine #WeFixPeopleInPain #TrainWithoutPain #ChiropracticSportsMedicine #ACASC #ProSportChiropractic #FunctionalMedicineMiami #DrNarson #BackPainRelief #NeckPainRelief #SportsInjuriesFixedHere #LaserTherapy #RockTape #KinesioTape #KTTape #Nutrition #21DayPurificationProgram #DetoxProgram #PaleoDiet #PaleoDoc #FunctionalNutrition #Chirooractor #Chiropractic #ChiropracticPhysician #DoctorOfChiropractic #USATriathlon #USAT #TeamUSA #CorporateWellness #HappyEmployeedProfitableBusiness #HeadacheRelief #MigraineHeadacheRelief #Migraine #SportsSpecificExam #SportSpecificTreatment #WorkCompDoc #WorkersCompensation #ankleSprain

The Haunting: When Childhood Bumps & Bruises Come Back To Roost In Adulthood.

I’m sure you remember falling off your bike as a kid. Maybe a little accident on the monkey bars or on the ball field. A bump on the head, a bruised knee, a sprained ankle or a sore shoulder from a multitude of childhood horsing and playing around. You went home, mom or dad put on a cold compress and the next day or the day after you’re up and running around again like nothing ever happened.

Ahhhh; but something did happen. Your little bump, bruise, strain or sprain started a little process. Yes it’s your body’s natural healing process but its how we ignore the process that presents the problem. Mom or dad puts an ice pack (if you were lucky) or a heating pad on it for a day or two and then off to the races you go. It doesn’t really matter if you go to a doctor or therapist for treatment of your injury, it will heal on its own regardless. But that doesn’t mean it will heel properly or optimally. That’s where we (the doctors, trainers & therapists) come in.

So, you have some contusion (deep muscle bruise) or strained a muscle that now needs to be fixed. The healing process starts by removing the damaged tissues then when that’s done, it starts bring in the new materials to start rebuilding. Inflammation happens, hopefully it subsides on its own, typically it doesn’t. So you put on some ice, take some over the counter pain killer and you feel fine again. Trust me on this, you’re not fine. You can ignore the pain, the slight change in function and get on with your little life. But the healing process ensues. Eventually, the damaged tissue heals with scar tissue and you’re all patched up. Now, here in lies the problem.

Scar tissue isn’t as good as the original tissue. Just look at any old cut on your arms or hand, or that spot where you skinned your knees as a kid and you can easily see it. Scar tissue has a haphazard matrix of fibers whereas the original tissues matrix is organized. It’s organized based on the specific function of the tissue for both strength and resiliency. Have you ever seen a car that had bad body work done on it? It’s just like that. Most scar tissues (adhesions) are simply a bad “patch job”. If you’re lucky enough to realize what’s going on in the beginning, applying ice compresses, doing light stretching and very light resistance exercise can help scar tissue heal optimally. If you just brushed it off, took a few over the counter pain killers and ignored it, (like most of us); as you get to your mid 30s or 40s all of a sudden you start getting these aches and pain out of nowhere. Then you are forced to deal with it as that once childhood bump, bruise or strain, comes back to Haunt You.

The problem lies in the transition area between the scar tissue and “normal” tissue. It’s a zone of weakness that is prone to re-injury. It’s not that neat organized “normal” flexible tissue you used to have prior to that old injury, and it’s not that thick inflexible scar. It’s the transition somewhere in-between. And it’s weaker!

So, how do you get rid of it?

In the past, we never realized that scar tissue and adhesions from old injuries were such a problem. The conditions were attributed to “old age” (what I call a cop-out), arthritis or the doctor would say something like “you probably twisted yourself in your sleep” or something the like. The approach was typically physical therapy, ice compresses, or heat compresses or stretching or massage, joint mobilization, adjustments to the joints etc. Which, are all good treatments, but never really addressed the primary problem. Now, through a lot of trial and error and some published research, reducing scar tissue and adhesions from old injuries seems to be solving many of the problems people have been told they simply have to “live with”.

Once scar tissues have formed they are pretty darn durable. Which is usually as good thing. But many scars attach to more than just the injured part and therein lies the problem. Muscles, ligaments, connective tissue, fascia etc are all layered on top of one another and they slide & glide on top of each other. When one tissue gets injured, the “stuff” that becomes a scar to heal the area solidified while attaching to a bunch of different tissues in the area bonding them together. But they weren’t made to work together like that, they should work independently. This causes restriction and pain and sometimes it could take years for it to develop as the scars become more mature as the years pass. (Think about lifting your pants leg up while it sticks to your sock or stocking with static cling; or taking a band-aid off a cut while the little white pad sticks to the scab)

You can’t massage them away, some more aggressive stretching works in some cases but is mostly temporary. Typical therapies just never really did the trick. However, over the past 8-10 years a new technology has emerged that directly addresses scar tissues and adhesions at their source. With high density stainless steel soft tissue mobilization tools, doctors and athletic trainers using Graston Technique (aka: Graston Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (GIASTM) have been able to detect both superficial and deep scars and adhesions, reduce and remove them and in combination with post GIASTM treatment protocols, finally get rid of this nemesis that plagues us as we get older. I have great successes with rotator cuff problems, post surgical knees, chronic hip pain after hip replacement surgery, low back pain, TMJ disorders, neck pain deep contusions, ankle sprains, plantar fascitis just to name a few.

The GIASTM technique has been wildly successful to the point where most Athletic Trainers for the NBA, NFL, MLB have become certified and use the technique to treat their pro athletes. This past summer I was down in Cartegena Colombia treating world class athletes along with some colleagues at the 2006 Central American & All Caribean Games; and after only a few days, those of us certified in Graston Technique were getting a huge following amongst the athletes, their team physicians & trainers. Those physicians who weren’t certified, all inquired about signing up for the certification program. That's how powerful this is. Trust me, physicians are a skeptical bunch.

So, if your joints are starting to ache and you feel like you too are suffering from “old age”, maybe try a new approach. If you are an athlete and you feel things aren’t just right, maybe not like they use to be, then seek out a Graston Certified practitioner in your area and put those childhood bumps, strains and bruises back in the past where they belong.

If you need a good Graston Technique physician, athletic trainer or physical therapist, feel free to email me.

Healthfully yours

DocT

Dr. Narson is a 2-term past president of the Florida Chiropractic Association’s Council on Sports Injuries, Physical Fitness & Rehabilitation and was honored as the recipient of the coveted Chiropractic Sports Physician of the Year Award in 1999-2000. He practices in Miami Beach, Florida at the Miami Beach Family & Sports Chiropractic Center; A Facility for Natural Sports Medicine.

#chiropractormiamibeach #MiamiBeachChiropractor #SportsInjuriesFixedHere #DrNarson #ToddNarson #Narson #TriDoc #TriathlonDoc #ChiropracticSportsMedicine #ACASC #SportsMedicine #SportsChiropractor #MiamiBeachSportsMedicine #SportsMedicineMiami #MiamiSportsMedicine #MiamiChiropractor #Triathlon #Running #Ironman #IFixPeopleInPain #TrainWithoutPain #MiamiBeachChiropractor #GrastonTechnique #FAKTR #IASTM #Chiropractor #FootPain #Narson #NarsonBodyMechanic #NarsonTool #DACBSP #CCSP #ACBSP #BackPain #NeckPain #ShoulderPain #RotatorCuff #ITBandSyndrome #runnersKnee #PlantarFasciitis #Plantarfascitis #AchillesTendonitis #AchillesTendonosis #GettingAthletesBackInTheGame  #MiamiBeachChiropractor #MiamiSportsMedicine #MiamiBeachSportsMedicine #WeFixPeopleInPain #TrainWithoutPain #ChiropracticSportsMedicine #ACASC #ProSportChiropractic #FunctionalMedicineMiami #DrNarson #BackPainRelief #NeckPainRelief #SportsInjuriesFixedHere #LaserTherapy #RockTape #KinesioTape #KTTape #Nutrition #21DayPurificationProgram #DetoxProgram #PaleoDiet #PaleoDoc #FunctionalNutrition #Chirooractor #Chiropractic #ChiropracticPhysician #DoctorOfChiropractic #USATriathlon #USAT #TeamUSA #CorporateWellness #HappyEmployeedProfitableBusiness #HeadacheRelief #MigraineHeadacheRelief #Migraine #SportsSpecificExam #SportSpecificTreatment #WorkCompDoc #WorkersCompensation #ankleSprain