Ways To Boost Your Memory

The results are in: yoga breathing can significantly improve memory. In particular, yoga breathing can improve spatial memory. This is the part of memory responsible for recording information about your environment. Spatial memory keeps track of where things are that you can see, where things are that you can't see, where you are, and how that all fits together. If you tend to have difficulty remembering where you put your keys or finding your way around large cities, then you may benefit from some intentional breathing.

What exactly is meant by yoga breathing? Several types of yoga breathing were included in the studies that revealed the astounding improvement in spatial memory. These included pranayama (voluntary regulation of breathing), nostril breathing (left, right, or alternating), and simple breathe awareness.

Heavy breathing during aerobic exercise won't cut it. One study of 85 elderly adults found that 16 weeks of aerobic training yielded no improvement in memory retrieval scores. Yet, a study of 108 individuals practicing nostril breathing or breathe awareness, found that they experienced an average 87% improvement in spatial memory scores after only 10 days. Another study had 30 children practice yoga breathing for 10 days. The children experienced a 43% increase in spatial memory scores.

Yoga breathing is easy to do and can be done just about anywhere at any time. There are many other benefits ascribed to breathe awareness besides improved memory, including stress relief and increased attention span. The following is a simple nostril breathing exercise. Try this exercise for at least a week and experience the benefits of intentional breathing:

-Try to sit with your head, neck and spine in a straight line.
-You will inhale through one nostril, hold the breath, then exhale through the other nostril in a ratio of 2:8:4 counts.
-Use the thumb and ring/pinky fingers of your right hand to close the right and left nostrils respectively, and close both nostrils when you hold the breath.
-Once each nostril has had a chance to inhale and exhale, this is called a round. Start with 3 rounds a day and build up slowly to twenty rounds, extending the count within the 2:8:4 ratio (for example, 4:16:8). www.nkychiropractor.com (859) 331-9566

Exercise of the Day (For Better Posture)

Seated Rows with Dumbbells

A strong upper back improves your posture--and looks great too!

Starting Position
Begin by sitting on the floor, leaning back slightly with knees bent and feet on the ground. Hold the dumbbells out in front of your body with your arms straight and palms facing inward, so the dumbbells are at 90 degrees.

Action
EXHALE: Bring dumbbells in towards your body at chest level as you squeeze your elbows behind your back as far as possible. INHALE: Return to starting position. Try doing 2 sets with 10-12 repetitions.

Special Instructions
Keep elbows in towards the body, but not completely against the body, as you go through the movement.

Muscles Worked: Upper back, Biceps, Shoulders

Time Involved: 4 minutes

Body Benefit: Better posture

Back Pain... Is it Serious?

If you search the web for back pain you will find over 64 million results. The reason for this is that nearly everyone at some time or another experiences some kind of back pain. Low back pain is the most common with pain between the shoulder blades coming in second.

While no one reading this will find it unusual for a chiropractor to be speaking about back pain I will tell you that not all chiropractors will tell you that the back pain you’re experiencing may be due to a serious problem. After all, pain is a warning sign from your body that is telling you something is wrong. Many people experience additional symptoms when they have back pain that include leg pain, tingling, numbness, muscular weakness, changes in bowel function (constipation & diarrhea), sexual dysfunction and bladder control issues.

Do those symptoms sound serious? Well, they are. They are evidence of a serious neurological dysfunction. I will tell you that these patients have what’s called a subluxation. A sub lux what? Is what lots of you are saying right now. A subluxation is just a fancy chiropractic word that means there is a damaged joint, causing nerve dysfunction that is causing a problem somewhere in the body.

When a person gets a subluxation he or she has experienced some kind of trauma that starts the process. Sometimes it’s not a particularly big trauma and goes unnoticed. If left untreated the subluxation gets worse and eventually the degenerative disk disease begins. As the degenerative disc disease progresses in the low back people can develop not just pain but all the terrible symptoms described above including bowel and bladder functional changes, sexual dysfunction and numbness & tingling.

If you develop back pain you should get checked out right away. As with all health issues, back pain is easier to fix the sooner the cause is treated. A good chiropractor is the only type of practitioner that can remove the subluxation for you because that is what chiropractors are trained to do.

Now, to be fair, physical therapy and acupuncture can help to alleviate some types of back pain and some back pain will go away by itself. However, the subluxation will not be gone and that is what is so insidious about your back pain. The pain is often the last part of the subluxation to show up and the first to leave. Don’t be fooled, get checked out. Don’t let the degenerative disc disease progress. www.nkychiropractor.com

Question of the Day

When was the last time that you truly felt good? If you want to feel good again, we can help. (859) 331-9566 www.nkychiropractor.com

Vitamin B12:

Vitamin B12 has been found to... RELIEVE Low Back Pain.

Tips To Improve Your Golf Game (Repost)

With Memorial Day Week-end upon us, I thought I would repost this:

Chiropractic Tips & Advice To Improve Your Golf Game & Save your Back

Many avid golfers contort their bodies into oddly twisted postures, generating a great deal of torque. Couple this motion with a bent-over stance, repeat 120 times over three or four hours, add the fatigue that comes with several miles of walking, and you've got a good workout-and a recipe for potential lower-back trouble.

As America's love affair with the game continues to grow, here is some advice on how to take a proactive approach that will prepare your body for many years of pain-free play.

Most golfers go until they get hurt, then look for help. Back pain is a warning sign that there is an underlying problem responsible for a symptom that will likely get worse. Doctors of chiropractic look for the cause of the symptom and help reduce the likelihood of future injury.

If you take the chiropractic approach, you're in good company. Most pro athletes visit their chiropractor regularly. Try these simple measures to help you avoid back pain or injury and improve your game:

Purchase equipment that fits. Don't try to adapt your swing to the wrong clubs: A six-footer playing with irons designed for someone five inches shorter is begging for back trouble.

For the women in golf: If you have "inherited" your husband's or significant other's golf clubs, they might be difficult for you to use. Not only are the clubs often too long, but the shaft is often not flexible enough for a woman's grip. Women typically play better with clubs that are composed of lighter, more flexible material, such as graphite.

For the men in golf: It is a good idea to spend some extra time performing quality stretches-before and after your game-to increase your trunk flexibility. While men are traditionally stronger than women, they usually aren't as flexible. Men need to improve their flexibility to maintain a more even and consistent swing plane and thus improve the likelihood of more consistent performance.

For senior golfers: If you show some signs of arthritis in the hands, consider a larger, more specialized grip for added safety and performance.

For all golfers: For some, scores may not be as important as enjoying the social benefits of the game. Having clubs that are comfortable will increase the chances of playing for a long time without significant physical limitations.

Take lessons. Learning proper swing technique is critical. At the end of the swing, you want to be standing up straight; the back should not be twisted.

Wear orthotics. These custom-made shoe inserts support the arch, absorb shock, and increase coordination. Studies show custom-made, flexible orthotics can improve the entire body's balance, stability and coordination, which translates into a smoother swing and reduced fatigue. While the upper part of a shoe may score style points, what the foot rests on affects your game.

Avoid metal spikes. They tear up greens and can increase stress on the back. Soft shoes or soft spikes allow for greater motion.

Warm up before each round. Stretching before and after 18 holes is the best way to reduce post-game stiffness and soreness. Take a brisk walk to get blood flowing to the muscles; then do a set of stretches. To set up a stretching and/or exercise routine, see a doctor of chiropractic or golf pro who can evaluate your areas of tension and flexibility.

Pull, don't carry, your golf bag. Carrying a heavy bag for 18 holes can cause the spine to shrink, leading to disk problems and nerve irritation. If you prefer to ride in a cart, alternate riding and walking every other hole-bouncing around in a cart can also be hard on the spine.

Keep your entire body involved. Every third hole, take a few practice swings with the opposite hand to keep your muscles balanced and even out stress on the back.

Drink lots of water. Dehydration causes early fatigue, leading you to compensate by adjusting your swing, thus increasing the risk of injury. Don't smoke or drink alcoholic beverages while golfing, as both cause loss of fluid.

Take the "drop." One bad swing-striking a root or a rock with your club-can damage a wrist. If unsure whether you can get a clean swing, take the drop.

Chiropractic Care Can Help
Doctors of chiropractic are trained and licensed to treat the entire neuromusculoskeletal system. Some doctors of chiropractic have specialized training in sports medicine and can provide advice for golfers to help them decrease the stresses and strains placed on their bodies. Doctors of chiropractic can address other health concerns, such as shoulder, knee, arm and wrist pain that could affect your game.

If you go to a chiropractor who also has a degree as a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician (CCSP), they have received special training which greatly benefits sports athletes and sports related injuries.

If you golf consistently, you will no doubt feel the stress of the game, but by following a few simple prevention tips, it is possible to play without pain for a lifetime.

Dr. Gary Callioni, D.C., CCSP
Chiropractic Rehab Center of Northern Ky
www.nkychiropractor.com
(859) 331-9566

Just For Fun....

Try squeezing the two ends of a raw egg as hard as you can. You won't break it. (Try it.... I dare you)!