Compass Chiropractic

As we thought through topics that would be most helpful to share with our patients, one of the first that we identified was sitting at your desk/ computer without getting neck or upper back pain. Sounds simple enough, right? I’m guessing, though, that a good number of you (and your coworkers, family, and friends) experience pain caused by this very reason.

Maintaining correct posture is a great habit to develop as it contributes to your health, general well-being and quality of life. Think of the bony anatomy of a healthy body and you should generally notice alignment and symmetry. The (front/ back) curvature of a healthy spine should remain close to neutral through most of your day whether you are sitting, standing, working, playing, or even sleeping.

When standing in good posture, your ear, shoulder, hip, and heel should remain in the same plum line.  When you sitting or even squat or bend to get something off the floor, your feet will come out of that line, but the ear, shoulder, and hip should remain in the same line.

In the video below, Katie deomonstrates the proper sitting posture:

Our bodies were not created to sit in one static position for long periods of time, but for the majority of our culture, this is hard to avoid. Our bodies were created to be regularly active so when we force ourselves to sit stagnant for hours on end, certain parts of your body will be placed in great stress. Whether it is your job or lifestyle that calls you to be in this position, it is easy to sit lazy and slump into a forward bent. When we slip out of good posture and into one big “C-shape” curve from head to tail-bone, the muscles along the length of the spine beg you to sit up right… and your body communicates to you through pain.

As you begin feeling that pain, raise your chin up to the sky, open your chest, and stretch extending back. Refrain from tucking your chin and flexing forward as that can easily exacerbate the strain.

If your job or lifestyle does call you to sit for many hours a day, take a few seconds every half hour or hour to do a few simple extension exercises. When you’re done with your day of sitting, choose to take a quick walk to get your body moving and blood flowing. And while you are sitting, here are some key tips to think of so reduce pain:

1. Use a seat that supports your back (low back especially) and creates just over a 90 degree angle between your trunk and your thighs.
2. Allow the top of the monitor to be at or slightly below eye level
3. If your screen creates a glare, you may find yourself straining to see what is on the computer and a screen cover would be a good investment.
4. Place your monitor a little more than an arms distance in front of you.
5. Allow feet to rest flat on the floor. If your legs are not long enough for that, create a footrest out of some books or a box.
6. If typing from a document, place it on a stand at eye height near the computer screen.
7. Only use a wrist-rest while resting, not typing, to reduce risk of impinging the nerves and tendons in your wrist. Maintain straight wrists in relation to forearms.
8. Keep shoulders relaxed down and elbows at an appropriate angle to keep your wrists straight.
9. Keep body, monitor, and keyboard in the same plane to decrease rotation.
10. Avoid propping up your keyboard on its retractable feet. Although it’s easier to see the keys, it forces you to strain your wrist.
11. Use a stable work station that won’t bounce or move around.
12. Take frequent breaks throughout your day!!.

In addition to the postural keys, we recommend a few items that can aid in decreasing pain and increasing healthy posture. The first is very simple. I’ve been giving each of our new patients a few stickers to take with them (if you need some, just ask) so that they can be put in strategic places…  places that you spend a good amount of time in or places that you recognize being in when your pain presents. When you see the sticker, it should act as a reminder to sit up tweak some of those postural points, to drink more water, to bring your ears in line with your shoulders, or to do anything else that you are having trouble remembering to do.

One product we sell here at Compass that works to retrain the shoulder muscles to pull back into form. The Str8nUp is a spandex band in the infinity shape that hugs your shoulders wraps around your upper back. It is a rigid brace but rather it gently reminds the shoulders where they should stay. For more information you check out the video.

A third item that can help with good posture is the disc-o-sit. This is a air-filled disc that when sat on creates the feeling of sitting on an exercise ball. On it, you will initiate your core and hip muscles more than if on a static chair. Going further than that, you can do intentional exercises on it throughout your day. Here is my video showing ways to use the disc-o-sit.

Finally, we have a product called the McKenzie Roll. This pillow-like roll comes with a strap that keeps the roll on whatever chair you are using. Seeing that it is so light and small, it can easily be moved from your car to home to the office! When used correctly, the McKenzie Roll pushes forward on the low spine and causes you to sit with the lumbar spine neutral.

I know it can be overwhelming to make all these changes at once, so this month, identify a few areas that need to be modified and begin to make healthy changes. If you become confused or overwhelmed, feel free to email our staff with questions. We would love to help.

If you are looking to relieve sinus pressure, nasal symptoms, or allergies, irrigating your nasal passage via a neti pot might be a good option. This salt water flushing loosens and thins mucus, making it easier to expel which can reduce and eliminate the root issue of recurrent sinus issues. Antihistamines, antibiotics or even surgical interventions resolve the symptoms but may fail to stop the cycle at the cause. As the mucus releases, cilia in the nasal passage are able to function more efficiently to rid excess mucus toward the throat or the nose to be expelled. Note, though, that it is crucial that you only use sterile water!

Because the solution flushes the nasal cavity, if contaminated water is used, it obviously poses great threat to your sinuses and potentially to your brain!  Because tap water can be home to any number of contaminants, it is extremely important to use only sterile, distilled or boiled water (that is cooled after) for nasal irrigation. In two reported cases, a contaminating amoeba, named Naegleria fowleri, enters the nasal sinus then traveled to the brain where it causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which destroys brain tissue. In both of these cases, it resulted in death.

Although this fatal ameba is rare, it is important to use save practices when using a nasal irrigation. When choosing water to irrigate with, be sure to use distilled, sterilized, adequately filtered or previously boiled water. You can perform this nasal irrigation up to four times a day until your symptoms improve. Generally, if you follow the instructions carefully and continue the routine until all your symptoms resolve, it is a very effective, and safe, technique.

The sad truth is that Indy has some of the dirtiest water in the country according to the Environmental Working Group.  We discussed this in more detail in our Dirty Water post. There isn’t a lot we can do about the water that comes into our house, but there are a number of options to clean the water once in your home.

Over the next few posts we will share about the different water filtering options available including: carafe filters, faucet mount, counter-top, under-sink and reverse osmosis.

The most common type of water filter is the carafe filter.  These filters have a cartridge that sits in a pitcher which filters the water as it drains into a storage compartment.   An example of a carafe filter is the Brita Filter.  These filters are cheap and require no instillation, but are they the best option for cleaning your water.   The most obvious down side to the carafe filter is the small capacity for holding water.  These types of filters also take a considerable amount of time to filter water so you have to plan ahead.  If you have a busy household you will most likely find yourself drinking regular tap water because the filter is empty.

Prices range significantly in this category from $15 to over $200.  The top of the line, and number 1 ranked by Consumer Reports (CR), is the Tersano Lotus LWT100 that sells for $229 from Amazon.  At the bottom of the CR rankings is the Crystal Quest CQE-PI-00600 which is available for $30 on Amazon.  There are four main criteria that Consumer Reports uses to determine the ranking of these filters: Lead removal, chloroform removal, flow rate and clogging.  The only category that may not be straight forward is the chloroform removal which Consumer Reports describes as “Chloroform removal rates the percentage of chloroform removed. A filter’s ability to remove chloroform predicts how well it will remove organic compounds as well as byproducts created by disinfectants used by water systems.”

The Tersano is a great filter with the highest rating in all of the aforementioned categories, but it is not without problems.  It is much larger and complex than some of the less expensive models.  It is also a two-stage filter that uses ozone to clean the water during stage 1.  Ozone is used in many of the large water treatment and bottling plants.  Some people have experienced leaking of ozone from this unit, which is believed to cause problems in people who have respiratory conditions.  The second stage filter is carbon and is expected to last a year producing a gallon/day.

The Clear2O water filter is second on Consumer Reports list and can be purchased for $15 on Amazon.  As far as cleaning the water and flow rate the Clear20 competes nicely with the Tersano. The only category that the Clear2O falls short is in clogging.   The Clear2O does have a faucet hose that will only work on traditional faucets.

The Brita Smart Pitcher is the only other CR recommended carafe filter which can be purchased for $35 on Amazon.  This model was comparable to the Clear2O in all  categories.  Both these type of filters do require disposable filters that the manufacture recommends replacing every two month and the newer Brita filters have an electronic sensor that indicates when the filter needs changed.  Individual filters sell for around 8 dollars.

Personally I’ve been using the same Brita filter for many years and it has worked well for our family.  I should replace the filter more often, but with two small children some things fall through the cracks.  In writing this post I learned about the electronic sensor, which is something I would consider investing in when it’s time to replace our current filter.

The bottom line is that you should be filtering your water, especially here in Indianapolis.  The carafe filter provides inexpensive clean water that doesn’t require any installation.  If you don’t currently filter your water this is a great place to begin.

Now we’ve seen the importance of connecting with our friends and family, we also need to nurture our time with our closest person….our self! When we take time for to invest in our own health we can better pour ourselves out in the various roles we have in life. Yes, it can seem selfish or unproductive to even try to find time for just you, but when we are running on a tank that is less than full, we can become resentful of the responsibilities we have and discouraged. By investing time  into hobbies or other interests is a great way to nurture our points of view and creative parts of our brain.  Activities are as simple as reading, sewing, yoga, crafts, gardening, sports, and dance.  True many of these things can be shared with friends or family but it’s so important that we as individuals have something that is for ourselves.  Give yourself a chance to unwind and think through the day.  It may seem like a luxury to carve time out, but that small investment pays off in dividends in having a more balanced wheel!

Every few months I like to take a personal inventory of how I am doing in varies areas of my life.  Heavy stuff,  I know.  But several years ago I was given a simple tool to make this journey easier… the wheel.  Whenever you go on a road trip of any kind, it’s always best to have your wheels in tip top shape.  The same is true when we look at the big picture of our realistic current state, ideal current state, and long term goals.

How does this wheel work?  The wheel provides opportunity to define eight major areas of our lives, including: money, health, relationships, spirituality, creativity and hobbies, our environment, parenting, and school. To the left is an example of one of these wheels. We can define our eight major areas beyond the basics of financial, health, and alone time.

One visual way to gauge how you are doing at maintaining a balanced wheel is to draw spokes onto your wheel. Begin at the center, draw a spoke out toward the edge in each section. The more time you put toward developing that specific area, the closer to the edge you will draw. If it helps, you can think of it as rating each section on a scale from 1-5 (5 being the edge of the wheel). Ideally, all areas would be somewhat equal. It’s always interesting to identify the areas we put more energy towards and those we neglect.

If there is an imbalance in your wheel, I would love to develop a clearer picture of how to develop some of your “lower” spokes. I’ll be writing two posts in September and two additional ones in October as we bring in the often stressful holiday season (I can’t believe another holiday season is almost here!), so keep your eye out for those articles with tips and ideas of how to increase and combine our “spokes” to get back on track with our lives and goals!

We’re sailing right through Spring and on our way to Summer!! I’m so thankful for the shining sun, green grass, beautiful flowers, warm temperatures, and cool breezes. As we all begin spending more time outside, I wanted to share info on sunscreens.

Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a company that works to protect kids from toxic chemicals in our food, water, air and the products we use every day.

EWG asked a great and simple question “Does your sunscreen work?” and after researching available sunscreens, I was shocked to find out that only 20% of available sunscreens are trustworthy! You wouldn’t think that ingredients in certain sunscreens would have that much of an effect on your body, but some ingredients have somehow slipped past the Food and Drug Administration and can potentially put you at risk for endocrine disruption and even speed skin tumor developments. While we don’t have a say in what ingredients are put in sunscreen, we do have a choice in which we will buy.

EWG’s website offers a comprehensive list of available sunscreens, each with a score from 1-10, 1 being the least hazardous, and 10 being the most. Their website also offers great tips for shopping for sunscreens. All information can be found at Environmental Working Group .

It can be hard to remember which one of these sunscreens are more or less toxic so EWG has created an app with an extensive database of sunscreens.  You can find more about the app by going to the EWG sunscreen app page.

I’m not talking about how much it costs to get your clothes cleaned, but the health risks associated with the chemicals used in dry cleaning.

It is estimated that 85% of cleaners in the US use a chemical called perchloroethylene (or PERC, for short) as a solvent in the dry cleaning process.  PERC has been shown to cause a number of health concerns.  According to the EPA breathing PERC for a short periods of time can adversely affect the human nervous system.  Effects range from dizziness, fatigue, headaches and sweating to in-coordination and unconsciousness.  Also, nursing mothers exposed to PERC may excrete it in their milk, placing their infants at risk.

What are your options?

For the busy person who needs their clothes cleaned in a timely fashion, hand washing may not be practical.  Luckily there are cleaners that do not use PERC during the cleaning process.  Be careful, there are a number of cleaners who advertise that they are “green” or “eco-friendly,” that doesn’t mean that they are not use PERC.  You have to ask your cleaners specifically if they use PERC.

When I first moved to Indy I found some information on EPAs website stating that Curley’s Cleaners on Illinois was a PERC free cleaners.  I learned this was not the case after speaking to them.  Luckily,  I recently found out that Meridian Heights cleaners in Meridian Kessler (49th and Penn) is a PERC-free facility.  At this point Meridian Heights is the only PERC-free cleaners in the Indianapolis area that I’m aware of and lucky for me it is  right between my house and my office.

We’ve all been in a confined space with someone who is talking entirely to loud on their cell phone, and if you’re anything like me you get extremely annoyed in these situations.  I like to think that I follow a live and let live philosophy, but this is one situation where I’m not the bigger person.  Well, according to a new study from Cornell University I’m no the only one and there is a good reason for my inability to ignore these conversations.

Researchers asked subjects to listen to two types of conversations: one where they could hear both people talking and another where they could only hear one side of the conversation.  They found that listening to half of a conversation required much more concentration and therefore was more distracting.  Listening to the one-sided conversation took more concentration because the brain  attempts to figure out what the other person is saying.

Personally I would be happy if cell phone conversations were treated like smoking; not inside especially if people are eating.  Next time your phone rings in a crowded room, think of all the brain power you will be draining from the room with you one-sided conversation and maybe let it go to voicemail.

Spring cleaning is upon us and it is important to make sure you house is not only clean, but also healthy.  Many of the chemicals in our homes, including cleaning supplies have been shown to cause or contribute to health related conditions. In order to make sure your houses are as healthy as possible download this ewg-hht-checklist and grade your home.

We’ve all heard that lifestyle modifications such as eating better and exercise can improve our health, but Lee Berk, DrPH, MPH, director of the molecular research laboratory at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, Calif. believes that laughter should be added to that list.

”The parallel between moderate exercise and mirthful laughter is uncanny,” Berk says.  Berk has found that ”mirthful laughter” reduces the stress hormones known as cortisol and catecholamines, much the same way that moderate physical exercise does. It’s also been found to enhance immune system functioning and may lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

Berk’s most recent study looks at the effect laughter pays on appetite.  Subjects had blood drawn to measure appetite regulating hormones before and after watching a funny film.  The study found that there was a decrease in certain hormones that suppress appetite after a subject laughed.

At first glance you might think to yourself, “I’m hungry enough, I’m never laughing again!”  From this research it is thought that laughter doesn’t increase appetite, but rather balance your appetite.  This information is likely to be used with the elderly who have very little appetite and who need to increase their food intake.

Link to the original article: WebMD

For you dose of laughter…