August 2010 Blog Entries
Closed for Labor Day 2010
Posted by Dr. Woodbeck 1 year, 5 months ago.We will be closed on Monday, September 6th for Labor Day. I will still be available via email should you need to reach me.
Have a happy and safe Labor Day!
Dr. Adam
Forefoot running
Posted by Dr. Woodbeck 1 year, 6 months ago.I used to receive incredulous looks years ago when I began advocating for forefoot running over the "traditional" heel strike running. But now that the evidence supporting forefoot running has been published and articles espousing its benefits have been printed, more people are coming around to the idea of changing their running gait to prevent injury.
"It looks like this is how our ancestors have been running for a million years or more," Dr. Dan Lieberman says. "It's only been in the last 10,000 years that we've had any kind of shoes, really."
Dr. Lieberman, an anthropologist at Harvard University, published a study1,2 in the journal Nature demonstrating the forces involved in forefoot running vs. heel strike running. As one may expect, the calf muscles do a much better job absorbing shock than the smaller and considerably weaker anterior lower leg muscles. The more shock absorbed by the calves translates to less shock making its way up the kinetic chain to the knees, hips, and lower back. Also, the foot's arch and its associated soft tissues function like a spring while running, further increasing the efficiency of the gait.
Backpacks: Pack them light
Posted by Dr. Woodbeck 1 year, 6 months ago.School is right around the corner and my primary concern as a father and as a chiropractor is the weight of my child's backpack. Carrying too much weight in a backpack can have a negative effect on a growing spine. Therefore, I strongly recommend limiting the weight a child carries in his/her backpack to 10-15% of the child's body weight.
Try this experiment: pack your child's backpack with all of his/her school supplies and put it on a scale. How close does it come to the recommended 10-15% of your child's body weight? Now, realize that this doesn't even count the heaviest items kids put in their backpacks: books. So you can see how quickly the weight of backpacks increases as necessary school supplies are added.