May 2016 Newsletter

          Ever try cold laser treatment? …if the answer is no, this month just might be the right time to see what it can do for you. Our May special is one free cold laser treatment.  Have you ever wondered how infrared light can help minor injuries feel better faster?  This is just one of the things that can be helped by cold laser. Come in during the month of May and experience it for yourself!                   

          Take a Walk…you’ll think better!  A study conducted by The University of Illinois looked at seniors that had not been active.  Men and women ages 60-75 were randomly assigned to two groups:  one that did an anaerobic routine of stretching and muscle-toning while the other did a walking program.  Participants were given mental functioning tests involving executive control processes that use the prefrontal and frontal lobes of the brain.  Participants were shown alternating letters and numbers and asked to determine between vowels or consonants or odd and even numbers in a series that tested task switching.  These are the processes that enable a person to live independently.  Previous studies that involved only regularly active people have shown that regular exercise may lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.  Alzheimer’s involves the death of brain cells. This is different from more generalized memory lapses that often come with aging.  The people in the walking group had scores that had improved by 25%, while the people doing anaerobic exercise showed little improvement.  The data analysts said it isn’t clear how walking helped brain function.  They even admitted it might be that these participants had more interaction with people. Isolation by itself is bad for general health, as well as day to day brain functioning.  More studies using MRI to check blood flow might help provide further information.                              
         
          Be good to your feet… they hold you up all the time!  Muscle cramps are painful anywhere, any time.  But foot cramps can be especially excruciating, they can actually incapacitate a person. Some possible reasons for foot cramps: stress, foot fatigue, insufficient blood flow, potassium or magnesium deficiency, dehydration, hormone-level changes, nerve compression, alcohol use, tobacco use, and new shoes that don’t accommodate foot enlargement from exercise.  Mineral imbalances can result from diarrhea, loss of menstrual blood, and heavy sweating.  Uneven wear in the soles of the shoes can sneak up on a person.  Look at the bottom of your shoe, especially in the heels.  In general, things that either restrict blood flow or cause an imbalance in the mineral and vitamin needs of the muscles can cause foot cramps. 
Foot cramps can be kept away.  Begin by taking some preventative measures.  Wear shoes with proper support in the shoe that are not too tight, and don’t lace them up too tight.  Stretch the bottom of your foot by rolling it over a semisoft ball like a tennis ball or racquetball while sitting, before and after you are on your feet.  Also, stretch your calf muscles before activities that require standing or walking. There are three arches in the foot that can get strained, not just one.  The inside long arch, the outside long arch and the metatarsal arch, between the balls of the foot.  I sell a few different kinds of arch supports.  Good arch supports, otherwise known as orthotics, need to include all three in order to support the foot completely.  Some people say shoes that have separate pockets for each toe helped them.  For foot cramps that happen before even getting out of bed, place a plump pillow at the bottom of the bed to keep the sheets and blankets from pushing the feet into a pointed toe position when lying on your back.  Tuck the feet under the pillow so it rests on the front of your ankles to lift the blankets off a bit. 
After and during the attack of cramping, slowly move the foot into a normal position and out of the direction of the cramp.  For example, if the cramp is making the foot bend up find a way to pull it back.  If the cramp is making the toes point, gently put weight on it to force it to bend. Massage the foot until the muscles start to relax.  Warm soaks increase blood flow and adding Epson salts to the water may help.  A light, non-restrictive wrap applied before exercise may help.  Ice packs or a cold water soak can help, especially if the cramps started after a sports injury.  Elevation of the foot can help once the cramping has subsided.  Reduce inflammation with “over the counter drugs”, homeopathic remedies, and/or either herbal or tonic water.  These would be more to help after-cramp muscle soreness.  I was told moon stones rubbed over the muscles help keep cramps away.  
If cramping and pain become chronic and won’t subside, consider that you may have something else wrong, like a foot fracture or torn ligament or tendon.  These are especially possible if the cramping started after a strenuous event.  Hoping it will ‘go away’, when the usual treatments aren’t working can aggravate the problem, that’s when it’s time to see your podiatrist.                            

          Actual Hiker Comments from 1998… left on Forest Service registration sheets and comment cards by backpackers completing wilderness camping trips: 

  A small deer came into my camp and stole my bag of pickles. Is there a way I can get reimbursed? Please call. 
  Escalators would help on steep uphill sections. 
  All the mile markers are missing this year. 
                                                                    
  Trails need to be wider so people can walk     while holding hands.                                                                        
  Ban walking sticks in wilderness.  Hikers that use walking sticks are more likely to chase animals. 
  I found a smoldering cigarette left by a horse.  (Was it nearby a horse? Left by a horse that smokes?) 
  Trails need to be reconstructed. Please avoid building trails that go uphill. 
  Too many bugs, leeches, spiders and spider webs.  Please spray the wilderness to rid the area of these pests. 
  Please pave the trails so they can be plowed of snow in the winter. 
  Chairlifts need to be in some places so that we can get to wonderful views without having to hike them. 
  The coyotes made too much noise last night and kept me awake.  Please eradicate these annoying animals. 
  Reflectors need to be placed on trees every 50 feet so people can hike at night with flashlights.  
  The places where trails do not exist are not   well marked. (No kidding!)
              
          Our fundraiser for May… will be held this month on Saturday, May 22nd, from 9 am until 1 pm.  Stop by and receive either a chiropractic adjustment or an acu-stim meridian balancing treatment in exchange for a donation that will be given to a local charity.  This month's recipient will be the Woodland Park Community Cupboard.