woodbridge

Exercise Shoes

in Chiropractor  by April 22, 2016 0 comments

Should I join a gym or just workout at home?  That is a great question.  Sure the gym may be more motivating but it costs a lot and I can run outside for free!  And free is a pretty sweet deal!  The one place you can’t skimp is with your running or exercise shoes.  No matter how great your gym is or how free your running trail is, if you hurt your feet you are done!  I guess if you are avoiding the gym costs and you hurt your feet you really aren’t out anything…  But wasn’t the goal of exercise getting in shape!!  Your Woodbridge, Dale City VA Chiropractor has some tips to help make sure you get the right shoe.

How to Select Athletic Shoes

Too many people choose fashion over function when purchasing athletic shoes, not realizing that poor-fitting shoes can lead to pain throughout the body. Because footwear plays such an important role in the function of bones and joints—especially for runners and other athletes—choosing the right shoe can help prevent pain in your back, hips, knees, and feet.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as the very best athletic shoe—every pair of feet is different, every shoe has different features, and overall comfort is a very personal decision. For this reason, it is recommended that you first determine your foot type: normal, flat, or high-arched.


The Normal Foot

Normal feet have a normal-sized arch and will leave a wet footprint that has a flare, but shows the forefoot and heel connected by a broad band. A normal foot lands on the outside of the heel and rolls slightly inward to absorb shock.

Best shoes: Stability shoes with a slightly curved shape.

The Flat Foot

This type of foot has a low arch and leaves a print that looks like the whole sole of the foot. It usually indicates an over-pronated foot—one that strikes on the outside of the heel and rolls excessively inward (pronates). Over time, this can cause overuse injuries.

Best shoes: Motion-control shoes or high-stability shoes with firm midsoles. These shoes should be fairly resistant to twisting or bending. Stay away from highly cushioned, highly curved shoes, which lack stability features.

The High-Arched Foot

The high-arched foot leaves a print showing a very narrow band—or no band at all—between the forefoot and the heel. A curved, highly arched foot is generally supinated or under-pronated. Because the foot doesn’t pronate enough, usually it’s not an effective shock absorber.

Best shoes: Cushioned shoes with plenty of flexibility to encourage foot motion. Stay away from motion-control or stability shoes, which reduce foot mobility.

When determining your foot type, consult with your doctor of chiropractic. He or she can help determine your specific foot type, assess your gait, and then suggest the best shoe match.

Shoe Purchasing Tips

Consider the following tips before you purchase your next pair of athletic shoes:

 

  • Match the shoe to the activity. Select a shoe specific for the sport in which you will participate. Running shoes are primarily made to absorb shock as the heel strikes the ground. In contrast, tennis shoes provide more side-to-side stability. Walking shoes allow the foot to roll and push off naturally during walking, and they usually have a fairly rigid arch, a well-cushioned sole, and a stiff heel support for stability.
  • If possible, shop at a specialty store. It’s best to shop at a store that specializes in athletic shoes. Employees at these stores are often trained to recommend a shoe that best matches your foot type (shown above) and stride pattern.
  • Shop late in the day. If possible, shop for shoes at the end of the day or after a workout when your feet are generally at their largest. Wear the type of socks you usually wear during exercise, and if you use orthotic devices for postural support, make sure you wear them when trying on shoes.
  • Have your feet measured every time. It’s important to have the length and width of both feet measured every time you shop for shoes, since foot size often changes with age and most people have 1 foot that is larger than the other. Also, many podiatrists suggest that you measure your foot while standing in a weight bearing position because the foot elongates and flattens when you stand, affecting the measurement and the fit of the shoe.
  • Make sure the shoe fits correctly. Choose shoes for their fit, not by the size you’ve worn in the past. The shoe should fit with an index finger’s width between the end of the shoe and the longest toe. The toe box should have adequate room and not feel tight. The heel of your foot should fit snugly against the back of the shoe without sliding up or down as you walk or run. If possible, keep the shoe on for 10 minutes to make sure it remains comfortable.

How Long Do Shoes Last?

Once you have purchased a pair of athletic shoes, don’t run them into the ground. While estimates vary as to when the best time to replace old shoes is, most experts agree that between 300 and 500 miles is optimal. In fact, most shoes should be replaced even before they begin to show signs of moderate wear. Once shoes show wear, especially in the cushioning layer called the midsole, they also begin to lose their shock absorption. Failure to replace worn shoes is a common cause of injuries like shin splints, heel spurs, and plantar fasciitis.

 

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Doroski Chiropractic Neurology

3122 Golansky Blvd, Ste 102

Woodbridge VA 22192

703 730 9588

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OTC anti inflammatory information

in Chiropractor  by February 5, 2016 0 comments

As a chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City Virginia area I see lots of musculoskeletal injuries.  One thing I always tell patients is to ice them down if possible.  Most of them are associated with inflammation.  Once care starts people ask about other ways to help.  It usually leads to the wondering about an anti-inflammatory type of medication.  There are a few over the counters that may help.  Here is some information on them that may help you decide if you should take them or just stick with the ice.

To properly assess the risks of chiropractic treatment, it must be compared against the risks of other treatments for similar conditions. For example, even the most conservative conventional treatment for neck and back pain— prescription and over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)—may carry significantly greater risk than the drug-free chiropractic approach to these conditions.

The most common and most serious adverse effects associated with NSAIDs are gastrointestinal (GI) ulcers and bleeding. These conditions can often be very serious, and occasionally lead to fatal complications such as perforation of the gut or bleeding to death. According to a study from the American Journal of Gastroenterology, approximately one-third of all hospitalizations and deaths related to gastrointestinal bleeding can be attributed to the use of aspirin or NSAID painkillers like ibuprofen.


One retrospective study reported that nearly 80 percent of all ulcer-related deaths in the U.S. occurred in patients who were using an NSAID. At any given time, a patient on NSAID therapy has a 5- to 10-times greater risk than non-users of developing a gastric ulcer.

One large epidemiological study estimated that the death rate for NSAID-associated gastrointestinal problems was 0.04% per year among patients receiving NSAIDs specifically for osteoarthritis and related conditions. This figure extrapolates to 3,200 deaths in the U.S. per year.

A more recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine estimated that at least 103,000 patients are hospitalized per year in the United States for serious gastrointestinal complications due to NSAID use. At an estimated cost of $15,000 to $20,000 per hospitalization, the annual direct costs of such complications exceed $2 billion. This study estimated that 16,500 NSAID-related deaths occur among patients with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis every year in the United States. This figure is similar to the annual number of deaths from AIDS and considerably greater than the number of deaths from asthma, cervical cancer or Hodgkin’s disease. If deaths from gastrointestinal toxic effects of NSAIDs were tabulated separately in the National Vital Statistics reports, these effects would constitute the 15th most common cause of death in the US.

Complications from NSAID use apparently do not result only from long-term use. One analysis found short-term NSAID use was actually associated with a higher risk of GI complications than chronic use. One double-blind trial found that 6 of 32 healthy volunteers (19 percent) developed a gastric ulcer that was visible on endoscopic examination after only 1 week’s treatment with naproxen (at a commonly prescribed dose of 500mg twice daily–the same dose received from 5 non-prescription Aleve per day).

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Doroski Chiropractic Neurology

3122 Golansky Blvd, Ste 102

Woodbridge VA 22192

703 730 9588

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Changing your diet

in Chiropractor  by January 8, 2016 0 comments

As a chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City VA area I get asked by my patients about what to eat all the time.  Diet is a funny thing!  Making huge changes all at once almost never works.  I try to encourage my patients to make little changes over the course of months.  Even if that means we start at one big mac instead of two for lunch.  Trying to come in and make radical changes almost always leads to failure.  Here are a few good things to try to slowly improve your eating habits.

Healthy Dietary Choices

Eat more raw foods. Cooking and canning destroys much of the nutrition in foods. With the exception of canned tomatoes, which have been shown to help prevent prostate cancer, fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables generally have more natural vitamins and minerals.

Select organically grown foods when possible, because they have lower amounts of toxic elements, such as pesticides and heavy metals.

Consume 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day. Whole-grain breads and cereals, beans, nuts and some fruits and vegetables are good sources of fiber. High-fiber diets can help prevent digestive disorders, heart disease and colon cancer.

Eat out more sparingly. Food preparation methods in restaurants often involve high amounts—and the wrong types—of fat and sugar.

Brown-bag your lunch to control your fat and sugar intake while adding nutritious fruits, vegetables and grains.

Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Don’t substitute coffee, tea and soft drinks for water.

Limit your intake of alcohol, and quit smoking. Drinking alcohol excessively and/or smoking hinder your body’s ability to absorb nutrients from food.


Vegetarian Diets

Research shows that a good vegetarian diet as part of a comprehensive health program can help prevent heart disease, cancer and other diseases. However, fried foods, hydrogenated fats and commercial meat substitutes may contain more sugar and fat than a meat-eater would consume. If you are considering a vegetarian diet, keep the following tips in mind:

Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes to consume a wide range of nutrients.

Consume fortified foods or take supplements, such as vitamin B12, to obtain the nutrients you no longer get from animal-based products.

Children, pregnant and breast-feeding women, and people recovering from illness should consult their healthcare practitioners before eliminating animal products from their diet.

Supplements

While dietary supplements are becoming increasingly popular, they are not substitutes for foods, nor can a person sustain good health simply by taking vitamin and mineral supplements. When taken properly, however, supplements can play an important role in achieving maximum health.

Since supplements are just an added source of nutrients, consume dark green vegetables, oils, nuts and seeds, which are sources of magnesium, fatty acids and many other vitamins and minerals.

Don’t “self-prescribe.” Consult your doctor of chiropractic to determine what supplements are best for you, especially if you have symptoms such as headaches, chronic fatigue or cardiac problems.

 

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Doroski Chiropractic Neurology

3122 Golansky Blvd, Ste 102

Woodbridge VA 22192

703 730 9588

Map Link