Do you know how to properly shovel snow?

With the snow this weekend, it is a great time to give a reminder on proper snow shoveling technique.

Snow shoveling requires a significant amount of energy and strength, and as a result it is one of the most common causes of back injuries in the winter.  Back injuries when shoveling snow are usually the result of not properly warming your body up before shoveling, shoveling at too fast of a pace, and not using proper ergonomic lifting techniques when shoveling.  We have provided a sample of ergonomically correct techniques below.  Note that here are other options, but this will give you a place to start.

At the store there are many choices when deciding to buy a snow shovel.  We advise that you use an ergonomic snow shovel.  This is the type of snow shovel that is used in the demonstration pictures. An ergonomic snow shovel has many advantages such as requiring you bend less with your back and bend more at your knees.  These shovels are also generally lighter weight to help decrease the strain required to lift the shovel.  These components help to make an ergonomic snow shovel the proper choice for all your shoveling needs.

Just like all exercise we advise you to warm up before beginning to snow shovel.  Place close attention on stretching your quads, hamstrings, lowback, shoulders, and arms.  The blog on our website has some great instructional videos to help demonstrate proper stretching form in case you are in need of a refresher. 

Lifting techniques should be used when moving snow to help make sure you are not increasing your risk for injury. 

1.        Pushing: Make sure you begin with squaring your body up to the shovel and face towards the area of show you are planning on shoveling.  The handle of the shovel should be in the center of your body, with both hands pushing and using your legs to generate the force necessary to move snow.  

2.        Preparing for lifting: Make sure you bend your knees and keep your back straight.  Keep your feet at least shoulder width apart.  Focus on pushing your chest up and out when loading the shovel.  Place one hand as close as comfortably possible to the shovel blade.

3.       Focus on keeping the load of snow in the shovel light to decrease the amount of load in the blade.   Once you load the shovel handle make sure you lift with your legs and rotate the shovel with your hands and dump the snow to the side.  Try leaning your arm against your leg to help support the weight of the shovel.  Make sure you do not twist with your back while dumping the shovel blade.  Notice in the picture how my body stays facing forward and the spine does not bend or rotate.  Instead, my legs are doing most of the work and the elbow on the forward leg's thigh takes much of the weight passively.  

4.       The optional way to dump the shovel is by dumping the snow in front of you.  Straighten your front leg and use it to lift the weight of the snow shovel.  Keep the heavy portion of the handle close to your body.  Walk forward and drop the load of snow in a new location. 

5.      One additional option to avoid lifting the snow at all is to simply push it into a pile.  Use the form from step 1 using your legs to push the snow in the same manner that a plow does.  This is the easiest way to move snow for your body.  However, the weight increases very quickly so it only works in small passes or with light snow. 

Hopefully this helps you to avoid getting injured during the snow storm.  But if you or someone you know does injure themselves, please consider paying a visit to our office.  

Our advanced treatments are successful at resolving most painful conditions.  

Dynamic warm up for runners

This stretching video is meant to serve as a warm up for runners. Not discussed here, it would be ideal to perform 2-5 min very light cardio before completing this routine.

The current consensus amongst top sports trainers is that a pre-event warm up and stretching routine should mimic the forces of the activity you are about to do. Since almost all sports involve repetitive movements, our warm up stretching should mirror this. This describes the concept of dynamic flexibility. Instead of stretching and holding a position, we will utilize gentle, repetitive motions on key muscle groups and movement patterns. Static stretching is still important, but should be utilized after your workout. Yoga is also a great form of dynamic flexibility exercise.

I hope you like this routine. Enjoy your run, stay active, and stay healthy!

Sample Kettlebell Routine

Kettlebell training is a remarkably effective way of improving strength, endurance, flexibility, as well as decreasing risk of injuries from other sports (when performed correctly).  Below I have provided a sample beginners routine.  I hope you find it helpful.

Warm up:

light jog or run in place 1-2 min.

dynamic stretching routine, click here for example

Turkish get up: 5 reps/side (don't EVER rush these, and be sure to use perfect form)

swings - 20 reps

repeat circuit 3 times

clean - 20 reps/side

high pull - 20 reps/side

repeat circuit 3 times

active cool down 3-5 min

brief, light stretching (static or dynamic) 2-5 min

I know it doesn't sound like much, but believe me when I say that you're in for a surprise on how much exertion it takes to get this done.  

I hope you enjoy this!

Stay Healthy,

Kirk Iodice, DC, ART

Calve stretch

When the weather heats up a lot of people will start cramping.  Cramping in the calves is one of the most common locations for cramps.  While stretching alone will not clear you of cramps it can help.  Dont forget to get plenty of fluids this week while it is heating up outside. 

Follow this easy to do video and you will have those calves stretched out in no time!!

Calf Stretch

Make sure you are stretching your calves correctly.  If you do not have proper muscle length and tone in the calf muscles (gastroc and soleus) you can drastically affect your ability to walk correctly.  Follow this simple video to help ensure you keep your muscles working and functioning correctly.

 

 

Perfect Warm-UP for softball

Make sure that you are doing everything you can to help keep yourself healthy this spring.  If you are playing softball or baseball you want to make sure you are getting your muscles ready for the load that is going to be placed on them.  When you are throwing you are using your Serratus Anterior muscle.  you may not think of this muscle or read a lot about it but it is important for stabilizing the shoulder.  Watch our video and see how you can do the Push-UP Plus exercise to help strengthen and warm this muscle up before you play softball or baseball.

Push-Up Plus Demonstration Video

Dairy Free Mac and Cheese

Ingredients Needed

Dairy Free cheese (Daiya)-     1 Cup Mozzarella

                                                1 Cup Cheddar

Go veggie Cream cheese-      2TBS

Dairy Free butter (Earths Balance buttery Spread)   1 TBS

Gluten Free noodles (Schar Fusilli)    4 Cups

Water from the noodles after they cooked 3/4 cup

Garlic, salt, pepper, basil- do not have to use for taste only

Also, you can try with bits of bacon, sausage or broccoli.  My family loves it;)

Melt butter in pan and then add mozzarella and cheddar.  Mix constantly until mostly melted and then add the cram cheese.  Once all the cheese is melted and mixed well add the water from the noodles and mix well.  Add noodles, seasoning, and meat if you want.  Enjoy!

Shoulder Strengthening Exercises

Shoulder strengthening is commonly performed at the gym or at home.  When working out I like to perform complex motions to target multiple muscle groups or to strengthen the muscle in a functional movement pattern.  When you are performing a shoulder press exercise it is very good for working the specific muscles you are trying to target, the Deltoids.  On the other hand this exercise does not do a good job at training the body to use these muscles in correlation with other muscles that you use to perform your every day activities.  I am attaching five videos with explanations and demonstrations for how to perform these.  The first exercise is an Arnold Press.  The Arnold Press exercise is a great exercise for working the shoulders, and unlike most shoulder press exercises this works all 3 heads of the Deltoid muscle.  The Arnold press is not an example of a functional strengthening exercise but it is a great way to target all 3 heads of the deltoid compared to only targeting one head of the deltoid.  The second exercise I am attaching is the Chop and Lift exercise.  This exercise is great for developing shoulder strength and shoulder stability. The third exercise I am attaching is The Sword exercise.  This exercise is designed to work the posterior portion of the shoulder blade muscles and the deltoid.  The Seatbelt Exercise is the next exercise video we will cover.  This is called The Seatbelt Exercise because it is a similar motion to what you do when you are putting your seat belt on. This exercise is designed to work the middle and lower portion of the trapezius and the posterior head of the deltoid.  The Shoulder Matrix Exercise is the final shoulder exercise we will discuss.  This series incorporates multiple exercises in multiple planes of motion.  This exercise involves a modified shoulder press to decrease tension and load on the shoulder.

Arnold Press Exercise:

Chop and Lift Exercise: 

The Sword Exercise:

 

The Seatbelt Exercise:

 



 

The Shoulder Matrix Exercise:

 

Dr. Kirk Iodice
Dr. Robert Sindorf

Advanced Chiropractic and Rehab
20160 W. 153rd St.
Olathe, KS 66062

Pregnancy Related Back Pain

Did you know that Pregnancy is the Number 1 cause of low back pain for women?  

Low back and pelvic pain during pregnancy can usually be managed or prevented with safe, drug free treatments.  At our clinic, we use treatments for joints, soft tissue release, and at home exercises that focus on strengthening weak muscles and lengthening short muscles.  

Active Release Technique is considered the "Gold Standard" in soft tissue treatment and is one of the key tools we use to help decrease this painful condition.  The goal of Active Release Technique is to permanantly strip away scar tissue that accumulated in injured areas.  

Many Patients have had great success from our treatments, Here are some testimonials. 

"I am also coming to him for my 2nd pregnancy to help with hip pain issues.  he is truly a master at what he does! I wouldn't trust anyone else with my body at such a special time!"

"I have big babies and Dr. Kirk helped me feel great throughout the entierety of my secondy pregnancy"

If you or anyone you know is pregnant it is never too early or too late to start getting treatment to help decrease your risk for developing low back pain, or helping to decrease any low back pain you currently may be having.  

Dr. Kirk Iodice
Dr. Robert sindorf
Advanced chiropractic and Rehab
20160 W. 153rd st
Olathe, KS 66062
913-764-2271

Did You Know We Treat "JAW PAIN"

If you or anyone you know has jaw pain it may be TMJ dysfunction.  Most people do not know we treat this condition, but we have a great success rate with treating this condition.  

When the Jaw joint or the TMJ joint doesn't work properly it leads to tracking problems, clicking, and popping when opening or closing the jaw, pressure in the ears, and headaches.  It is well documented there is a correlation with TMJ dysfunction and tight muscles around the head and neck.  

Active Release Technique is one of the most effective treatments for soft tissue injuries and to break up scar tissue in tight muscles.  Treatments are brief and involve shortening a muscle or other structure, pressing on specific points, and stretching that area.  Most effects can be noticed immediately.  

Research has found 1/3 of patients with neck pain is related to TMJ dysfunction.  We have a high success rate with treating this condition so contact our clinic to come in so we can help you.

Dr. Kirk Iodice
Dr. Robert Sindorf
Advanced Chiropractic and Rehab
20160 W. 153rd St
Olathe, KS 66062
913-764-2271

What is Active Release Technique (A.R.T.)

Active Release Technique is a soft tissue technique that is aimed at breaking up scar tissue in muscle and helping injured soft tissues heal better.  This is done by a combination of pressure on a muscle in a specific direction and incorporating a specific movement pattern.  

Active Release Technique requires an assessment and treatment of the involved soft tissues at each visit.  This assessment allows us to determine the change in the muscle between treatments.  We are capable of evaluating the texture, tightness and movement of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments, and nerves.  To help these different tissues there are over 500 protocols that are aimed at treating the muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments, and nerves.  

This always leads to the question what type of conditions can A.R.T. or Active Release Technique help with?  The answer is any problem involving muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves, and fascia.  The most common conditions we see in the clinic are headaches, sports injuries, back pain, achilles tendon, nerve entrapment such as carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, sciatica, plantar fascitits, shoulder pain, knee pain, elbow pain, and many other conditions.  

If you think you have a condition that is bothering you give our clinic a call today.

Dr. Kirk Iodice
Dr. Robert Sindorf
Advanced Chiropractic and Rehab
20160 W. 153rd St
Olathe, KS 66062
913-764-2271

What is an Overuse Injury?

Overuse injuries can result from multiple different causes.  An overuse injury can also affect multiple different soft tissues such as: muscle, ligament, tendon, and fascia.

There are three key ways that overuse injuries affect these soft tissues.

1. Acute Conditions:  this collective term for injury includes tears, pulls, and strains.
2. Micro Trauma: this is a long term build up of small tears in the muscles.
3. Low oxygen: If a soft tissue does not have enough oxygen delivered it can not function the way that it is required to.  This is usually a side effect of localized injury, such as chronic tightness.

These three conditions are much more common than you would think.  When you have one of these soft tissue injuries the body will try to heal it with scar tissue.  That is correct, just like scar tissue that you see on your skin when you have an injury, you have this same scar tissue build up in muscle when it is injured.

The GREAT news for patients at Advanced Chiropractic and Rehab is that by utilizing advanced soft tissue techniques such as: Active Release Technique A.R.T., Graston, FAKTR, and Kinesiotaping; Dr. Iodice and Dr. Sindorf are capable of quickly helping patients get healthy and stay healthy.  

If you or any friends could benefit from these services make sure you make an appointment.

Dr. Kirk Iodice
Dr. Robert Sindorf
Advanced Chiropractic and Rehab
20160 W. 153rd St
Olathe, KS 66062
913-764-2271

Congratulations Dr. Sindorf our NEW Associate Doctor

Dr. Robert Sindorf, DC is the new associate doctor at Advanced Chiropractic and Rehab!  Dr. Sindorf has previously been an intern at the clinic while he was finishing his doctoral studies.   Dr. Iodice has since been training him on the advanced treatment methods that make our clinic so successful at treating a wide variety painful conditions and improving athletic performance.

 

Dr Sindorf is an alumni from Kansas State University where he received his Bachelors degree in Kinesiology.  After completing his Bachelors degree he was accepted into Cleveland Chiropractic College in Overland Park Kansas.  While at Cleveland he concurrently got a Masters Degree in Human Anatomy and Physiology from New York Chiropractic College.  Although Dr. Sindorf took a heavier course load than any other student in his class he graduated with Honors in both his Masters Degree and Doctorate.   Dr. Sindorf has extensive training in Graston Technique, Motion Palpation, and Rehabilitation therapies.  His treatments are centered on: Chiropractic, Soft tissue work, and Rehabilitation therapies.

 

Dr. Sindorf is an avid athlete.  He has been a runner for the past 15 years.  He ran track and cross country in high school and his passion for running has never dwindled.  He has run multiple 5k, 10k, and has also finished the Chicago marathon.  When he was at KSU he was on the Men’s Varsity Rowing Crew, and Captain of the team his senior year.  Along with running he also loves to ride his road bike for recreational exercise.  He has been cycling for 10 years and enjoys this when he is not running. 

 

When Dr. Sindorf is not at Advanced Chiropractic and Rehab, running, bicycling, or at Garry Gribbles Running Sports he is with his fiancée Kelsey.  He and Kelsey spend a lot of their time together cooking, having fun, and playing with their 3 year old German Shepherd Sophie.  He and Kelsey are set to get married in the summer of 2014. 

 

Dr. Sindorf is passionate about providing top-quality care to our patients and we are excited to have him as a part of our team!

Running's most important stretch and warm up

This stretching video is meant to serve as a warm up for runners. Not discussed here, it would be ideal to perform 2-5 min very light cardio before completing this routine.

The current consensus amongst top sports trainers is that a pre-event warm up and stretching routine should mimic the forces of the activity you are about to do. Since almost all sports involve repetitive movements, our warm up stretching should mirror this. This describes the concept of dynamic flexibility. Instead of stretching and holding a position, we will utilize gentle, repetitive motions on key muscle groups and movement patterns. Static stretching is still important, but should be utilized after your workout. Yoga is also a great form of dynamic flexibility exercise.

I hope you like this routine. Enjoy your run, stay active, and stay healthy!

KI

Do you know how to properly shovel snow?

Snow shoveling requires a significant amount of energy and strength, and as a result it is one of the most common causes of back injuries in the winter.  Back injuries when shoveling snow are usually the result of not properly warming your body up before shoveling, shoveling at too fast of a pace, and not using proper ergonomic lifting techniques when shoveling. 

At the store there are many choices when deciding to buy a snow shovel.  We advise that you use an ergonomic snow shovel.  This is the type of snow shovel that is used in the demonstration pictures. An ergonomic snow shovel has many advantages such as requiring you bend less with your back and bend more at your knees.  These shovels are also generally lighter weight to help decrease the strain required to lift the shovel.  These components help to make an ergonomic snow shovel the proper choice for all your shoveling needs.

Just like all exercise we advise you to warm up before beginning to snow shovel.  Place close attention on stretching your quads, hamstrings, lowback, shoulders, and arms.  The blog on our website has some great instructional videos to help demonstrate proper stretching form in case you are in need of a refresher. 

Lifting techniques should be used when moving snow to help make sure you are not increasing your risk for injury. 

1.        Make sure you begin with squaring your body up to the shovel and face towards the area of show you are planning on shoveling.

 

2.        Make sure you bend your knees and keep your back straight.  Keep your feet shoulder width apart.  Focus on pushing your chest up and out when loading the shovel.  Place one hand as close as comfortably possible to he shovel blade.

 

 

3.       Focus on keeping the load of snow in the shovel light to decrease the amount of load in the blade.   Once you load the shovel handle make sure you lift with your legs and rotate the shovel with your hands and dump the snow to the side.  Try leaning your arm against your leg to help support the weight of the shovel.  Make sure you do not twist with your back while dumping the shovel blade.  

 

4.       The optional way to dump the shovel is by dumping the snow in front of you.  Straighten your front leg and use it to lift the weight of the snow shovel.  Keep the heavy portion of the handle close to your body.  Walk forward and drop the load of snow in a new location. 

 

 

 

Dynamic Stretching and Warm Up for Runners

This stretching video is meant to serve as a warm up for runners.  Not discussed here, it would be ideal to perform 2-5 min very light cardio before completing this routine.

The current consensus amongst top sports trainers is that a pre-event warm up and stretching routine should mimic the forces of the activity you are about to do.  Since almost all sports involve repetitive movements, our warm up stretching should mirror this.  This describes the concept of dynamic flexibility.  Instead of stretching and holding a position, we will utilize gentle, repetitive motions on key muscle groups and movement patterns.  Static stretching is still important, but should be utilized after your workout.  Yoga is also a great form of dynamic flexibility exercise.

I hope you like this routine.  Enjoy your run, stay active, and stay healthy!

KI

Psoas/Hip Flexor stretch

The hip flexors are a group of muscles that move the leg forward when running and walking. The hip flexor muscles are located in the front of your leg, above the thigh muscles, and they act to bring your leg up towards your trunk. The hip flexors are extremely important because of what can happen when they aren’t functioning normally.

 

Check out the following stretch for the psoas muscle (the primary hip flexor)

New Treatment at ACR...FAKTR

We have an exciting new treatment being offered at ACR known as FAKTR, an acronym standing for Functional And Kinetic Treatment with Rehab.

Dr. Iodice is one of the only practitioners of any profession in the KC area who is proficient in both Active Release (ART) and Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Release (commonly known as Graston).  Despite our very high success rate, we are always striving to improve our results.  Thus, the Dr is now also FAKTR certified.

The treatment involves using soft tissue release techniques, such as those mentioned above, during movements that reproduce a patient’s painful activity.  In this example, we are using a lunge on wobble boards to reproduce the forces encountered during running to treat an IT band injury. 

FAKTR treatments enable the Dr. more effectively treat complex or stubborn injuries, even those that have failed previous treatment. 

Sample conditions include: neck pain, shoulder impingement, elbow injuries, hip flexor/groin strain, hamstring pull, Achilles tendon pain.

Call our office at 913-764-2271 or email at office@advancedchiropractickc.com to experinece FAKTR for yourself!

Lower Extremity Stretches

Stretching is important for maintaining flexibility, reducing muscular soreness after a hard workout, and reducing the chance of injuries in the lower extremity. Below are four stretches for the lower extremity.

The IT band and TFL is often overlooked in stretching. Tightness in this structure is often correlated with IT band syndrome (lateral knee pain).

Tight hamstrings are often correlated with lower back pain and knee pain.

Note: With this stretch, be sure to maintain an anterior pelvic tilt (e.g. sticking your bottom out).

The quadriceps muscle is often overlooked, but is actually the most commonly tight muscle of the lower extremity. This muscle is often involved in hamstring pulls, as excessive tension (meaning shortness) of this structure will overly lengthen the hamstrings, causing a strain.

The adductor stretch helps lengthen the muscles of the groin. Be sure to maintain a posterior pelvic tilt as you perform this stretch.

Hamstring Stretch

Tight hamstrings can be a serious problem for both athletes and non-athletes alike. Individuals with tight hamstrings are at an increased risk for lower back pain and knee pain.

Most people who feel tightness in their hamstrings during activity actually have over stretched hamstrings and shortened hip flexors. Thus, many people actually need to stretch their hip flexors more than their hamstrings. See our archived hip flexor and quad stretches for more info.

Note: be sure to keep the back arched by sticking your butt out as you lean forward. Try stretching once how you'd usually do it, then try this tip. You'll really feel the difference.