Newsletter: August 2003

We have a bit of exciting news to share with you before we get into our topic this month.

First...We surveyed our patients for three weeks to see if there was much demand for an evening session at the office. The results indicated, as we suspected, that there are many patients who would find it very beneficial to have the option of an evening appointment.

So we began our new office hours last week. We are open from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Thursday evenings instead of the previous morning-only session. It has turned out to be a very popular time slot. Please refer to the office hours printed at the end of each newsletter for a complete list of hours.

The second bit of office news comes from the writer (Nancy) -- because if it was left up to Larry, as most of you know, he would not feel comfortable "tooting his own horn". Dr. Larry was asked for permission to have the article he wrote "Will Running Cause Arthritis?" syndicated with The Glucosamine Information Center. In exchange for using his article on their website, they will link to our website. After reviewing their website, Larry agreed to the proposal. If you are interested in the subjects of arthritis and glucosamine, please visit our new 'partners' site at: www.glucosamine-arthritis.org/.

Watch this newsletter for more news about our office and in particular to some exciting things Dr. Larry is going to be doing in the near future.

This month's issue is, once again, taken from direct questions that Dr. Larry has received from patients. As usual, he gives us good information and helpful suggestions as to what we can do to take responsibility for protecting, maintaining and improving our own health.

There is one type of exercise routine which is highly effective in preventing future recurrences of low back pain. These group of exercises are commonly referred to as "core stability" exercises. There is a popular form of exercising using a "Fit Ball" or "Swiss Ball" that helps develop core stability. This month's newsletter focuses on Core Stability Exercises Using The Fit Ball.

What Are The Core Muscles?

How Do These Muscles Become Weak?

Balance and posture are the key in developing strong core stability. A patient with big muscular arms, legs and pecs may still have back problems because he has underdeveloped core stability muscles. According to Taylor-Kevin Isaacs, a kinesiology instructor at California State University, Northridge who was named 2002 Personal Trainer of the Year by the American Council on Exercise, "A client with poor core stability but huge arms and legs is a Ferrari with a VW engine. A client with high core stability is a VW bug with a Ferrari engine."

How Does The Fit Ball Help Develop Core Stability? A great explanation can be found by Daniel Ramon, B.HMSc. at: www.fit4one.com/fit4one/html/article-fit-ball.html

I have found that using a Fit Ball is a very effective way to correct postural alignment. Exercises on the ball can be very mild or extremely challenging, depending on the needs of the client. By balancing on the ball, the client now has no other support to rely on except his or her own body. The body will automatically call on the righting and equilibrium responses, facilitating a coordinated effort of the postural muscles. The client unconsciously finds a way to balance on the ball with the least amount of muscle use possible, therefore reinforcing positive movement patterns.

Fit Balls are one of the most effective exercise tools to improve and develop spinal, pelvic and shoulder girdle stability. Total core stability is achieved along with improved posture and an increased awareness of your own body - the way it moves and the way it is designed to move. An enhanced kinesthetic sense is discovered and refined, allowing you to 'feel' your own actions and be able to adjust incorrect positions and movements performed throughout the exercises.

Fit Balls add variety to create new and challenging demands on the body in a number of different planes. Just about any exercise done in the gym can be performed using the Fit Ball. We all know how important variety is to every program. Not just from the point of view of changing the stimuli to allow for continued adaptation but to enhance motivation. Without it, the likelihood of adhering to our current exercise program and achieving our goals is somewhat slim.

Basics of Developing The Core Without The Fit Ball.

• Start by lying on your back with knees bent. Your lumbar spine should be neither arched up nor flattened against the floor, but aligned normally with a small gap between the floor and your back. This is the 'neutral' lumbar position you should learn to achieve.
• Breathe in deeply and relax all your stomach muscles. Breathe out and, as you do so, draw your lower abdomen inwards as if your belly button is going back towards the floor. Pilates teachers describe this as 'zipping up' -- as if you are fastening up a tight pair of jeans. Hold the contraction for 10 seconds and stay relaxed, allowing yourself to breathe in and out as you hold the tension in your lower stomach area. Repeat 5-10 times. Sounds easy? Well maybe, but it is absolutely vital that you perform this abdominal hollowing exercise correctly, otherwise you will not recruit the Transverse Abdominis and the Multifidus effectively. These coaching points must be followed to ensure your practice is correct.
• Do not let the whole stomach tense up or your upper abdominals bulge outwards, as this means you have cheated by using the large rectus abdominus muscle (the 6-pack) instead of the TA.
• Do not brace your TA muscle too hard: just a gentle contraction is enough. Remember, it's endurance -- not max strength you are trying to improve.
• Do not tilt your pelvis nor flatten your back, as this means you have lost the neutral position you are trying to learn to stabilize.
• Do not hold your breath, as this means you are not relaxed. You must learn to breathe normally and maintain the contraction of the TA and MF.
• Use your fingers for biofeedback on either side of your lower abdomen to feel the tension in the TA muscle.

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Contact the office:
Dr. Larry Smith D.C., B.P.E.
Chiropractor

P.O. Box 307
255 Island Highway
Parksville, British Columbia
Canada V9P 2G5