Fatigue is a common symptom that many people share and may be a sign of adrenal fatigue. The problem is in our fast paced society instead of treating that fatigue adequately with more rest we tend to rely on stimulants to give us a boost which drains our adrenals even more. For a great article that I came across that explains this very well click here. Want to find out how burnt out your adrenals are? Then complete this questionnaire!
A great site to find many of the supplements mentioned including the Douglas Labs Adreno-Mend is iHerb. Follow the link and use the discount code at the top of the page to save some additional money on your order.
Also check out the previous posts on sleep enhancement and the website www.adrenalfatiguesolution.com where you can find more in-depth information on this horribly underdiagnosed problem facing millions of people. 

For those patients of mine that are not aware I have set my schedule so that established patients can come in as a walk-in on Friday mornings from 0730-1200. This helps to offset how busy my schedule is and allows for those who have ever changing schedules a chance to get in more readily. That being said we are getting ready to head into the holiday season so I wanted to post which Fridays I will be open for walk-ins through January.

Friday November 29th: Closed
Friday December 6th: Open
Friday December 13th: Open
Friday December 20th: Closed
Friday December 27th: Closed
Friday January 3rd: Closed
Friday January 10th: Open
Friday January 17th: Open
Friday January 24th: Open
Friday January 31st: Open

I hope everyone has safe and enjoyable Holidays! Don't forget your home exercise porgrams over the break!! Feel free to contact me with any questions you have.

Breathing. There is nothing more basic to health than proper breathing. There are many things that are out of our control when it comes to our health. We cannot control what is put into our water or on our food but we can optimize out breathing. Breathing is something almost everyone takes for granted. It is a process that our body does automatically but in the case of many people has become dysfunctional and is causing poor health. Most of the patients that I test in my office cannot breath with their diaphragm properly, breath primarily from their mouth, and note they snore at night. These are all signs of poor breathing mechanics. By simply addressing these we can change many processes in the body. By breathing more from the diaphragm we reduce stress hormones and inflammation. By breathing through the nose we increase Nitric Oxide production which is a natural vasodilator important in cardiovascular health and a potent antibacterial agent that kills the germs in the air. 

So how do we optimize breathing? The same way we improve at anything….practice! The first key is working on the mouth breathing. Luckily there are some very simple techniques to clear congestion and retrain nose breathing through the Buteyko Method. Watch the video below on the basic maneuver for clearing the nose and making it easier to be a nose breather. Then check out the article on the Buteyko Breathing Method at Mercola.com. 

The second video is a simple exercise for practicing your diaphragm breathing that can be done anytime. (You can use the shoes to help give you feedback on the proper breathing technique, but once you know what you are doing you won't need them anymore at least not for breathing)

So start retraining your breathing and taking control of your health today!

When I put together the video for the phase one foam roller exercises it really took a lot of planning to have a window of uninterrupted opportunity. I had to bribe my daughter by telling her if she was quiet then we could make a video afterwards and I had to throw the dog outside with a treat. Here is the video Raven wanted to make afterwards and just like normal out dog Solei let herself back in and made her own appearance. So for your entertainment, I give you….

The first thing that has to be addressed when trying to restore normal movement patterns to eliminate pain is breaking up the restrictions in the fascial system that prevents muscles and tensdons from functioning properly. This program is designed to eliminate the most common restrictions I find in my patients using a foam roller. Yes it will hurt but it will also help exponentially.


Exercise 1: Thoracic Spine mobilizations using the foam roller:
Perform just how it is described in the video. Try to do at least 10-15 repetitions at as many spots between the base of the neck and base of the rib cage.

Exercise 2: Latissimus Dorsi Release
10-15 repetitions on each side

Exercise 3: Deltoid Releases
10-15 repetitions on each side

Exercise 4: Biceps Releases
10-15 repetitions on each side

Exercise 5: Oblique Releases
10-15 repetitions on each side

Exercise 6: Quadriceps Releases
10-15 repetitions on each side

Exercise 7: Hamstring Releases
10-15 repetitions on each side

Exercise 8: Hip Adductor Releases
10-15 repetitions on each side

Exercise 9: Hip External Rotator Releases
10-15 repetitions on each side

The Quadratus Lumborum is a major low back muscle that when imbalanced is a primary cause of chronic recurring musculoskeletal pain. In the video below Dr Leibenson outlines ways in which you can test the strength of your QL and several exercises to rebalance it which will go a long ways toward improving your function and stability. It is important for correcting back pain, knee pain, ankle pain, and shoulder pain. Test yours today and start adding these exercises into your program.

Start with the side bridge on knees shown in the video and perform them for one set completing as many repetitions as you can until you lose form or notice shaking in the muscles. Perform a single set 3-4 times a day for 1-2 weeks or until you can perform the side plank for at least 20 seconds without shaking or losing form. Once you can perform the side plank then start performing 2-3 sets of 10 second holds daily and start adding in sets of the plank roll.

At that point progress to the Suitcase Carry. Start with no more than 20 pounds and notice the difference between sides. When the Suitcase Carry is no longer challenging progress to the Rack Carry, the Bottoms Up, and the Overhead Bottoms Up. When you have progressed to the point that you can perform the Overhead Bottoms Up and there is no discernable difference in the sides then you have completed rebalancing the QL.  

Sleep! It is the most important factor in health and the most overlooked. Disrupted sleep leads to everything from concentration issues to lowered immunity and even obesity. It is vital to get "good" sleep as often as possible. Without the proper rest your body cannot recover from your daily routines. It does not matter whether your job is more physically or mentally challenging as both tax your system and require proper rest to recover from. Therefore optimizing sleep is the most importnat thing you can do for your physical, mental and emotional health.

Let's look at some easy ways to enhance sleep.
1) Temperature of your room: The temperature of your bedroom should be between 67-70 degrees to optimize sleep. You want it slightly cool which is a natural cue for your body to relax and preserve energy making it easier to fall and stay asleep.
2) Total darkness: In order to stimulate proper melatonin release to optimize sleep most people need a room that is pitch black. That means no glowing clocks, light coming in from outdoors, etc. Buy yourself some blackout curtains and cover the clock.
3) Nutrition: This may sound backwards from what you have been told before but eating a meal with a good amount of protein and good fats later in the evening will keep your blood sugar from crashing which is a major reason for awakening and is even thought to stimulate nightmares.
4) Take a cold shower or bath: If you are one who has issues falling asleep then try taking a cold shower or bath before bed. If you suffer from major insomnia you might even have to resort to ice baths for 15 minutes before bed but this will again much like the cooler room stimulate a natural response that calms the mind and forces you to sleep.
5) Pillow and Mattress: Simple! If you are uncomfortable you will not sleep. Having a good mattress and pillow combination is vital to a good night's rest. Yes the sleep number bed and the temperpedic mattresses are the best. Yes they are worth the money. Think of it this way...if you were to buy a new vehicle today you are likely to spend an average of at least $16,000 for something most people spend less than an hour a day in and yet your bed that you spend 8+ hours a night in (hopefully) you are not willing to spend $4,000-6,000? Sleep is more important!!
For a great pillow check out my post on the only pillow I endorse
6) Comforter: Wool comforters are the way to go here. Wool will keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The natural ones with non-toxic dyes are the best but any wool comforter is a major upgrade.
7) Schedule: If you can do it (meaning you are not on shift work) then go to bed at the same time as often as possible. I will vary from traditional thought here and say that there are days where sleeping in past your normal wake up time is not only encouraged but necessary depending on how stressful the week has been, but making sure you get to bed at the same time will train your body to go to sleep faster and reach deeper levels of sleep enhancing rest.
8) No alcohol or sleep drugs!!! These will make you go to sleep but they both inhibit REM sleep and therefore you don't get the reparative rest that you need.

Follow those 8 tips to start enhancing you sleep tonight and you will start noticing that your concentration improves, your energy levels rebound and even your pain levels will reduce.
I will have follow up posts to this with more advanced techniques for enhancing sleep

I have tried almost every type of pillow there is with very disappointing results until recently. I have been using the mediflow pillow for the last 2-3 months and the results have been great. Basically how it works is that the pillow has a standard plush pillow on top but the bottom of the pillow is a bladder that you fill with water until you reach the amount of firmness you like. With the base being water the pillow basically free floats so that it moves as you do while sleeping maintaining support for your head and neck even as you shift around while sleeping. For the first time I can tell a difference in how I feel when I wake up with less stiffness and pain in my neck. And at only $35 through Amazon it is much more affordable than most of the other specialty pillows out there. 

The Relief seat cushion back Backjoy is the only product that I support for improved posture and less pain while seated. Unlike lumbar rolls which classically put pressure into your lumbar spine to aid the muscles and relax them, the Backjoy Relief cushion actually puts your pelvis into proper alignment so that you are sitting correctly and improving posture while eliminating irritation and pain. I have one in my vehicles and recommend them to anyone who sits or drives for more than 45min a day. It is very light and portable but also at only about $30 you may want 2-3 so you don't have to move them around. Definitely worth every penny. Let me know what questions you have about it.