I'm left handed now!

It only took 40 years but I've gone left handed.

Using a mouse that is, for all else I still use my right hand predominately.The change was amazing and by balancing the body in this one area, it had a ripple effect every where else. My neck and shoulder stress has diminished, the subluxations in this area were significantly less. My overall posture at the computer ( where I've been spending more and more time) has improved and relaxed.

Let me take you back over 18 months now. My desk has always been ergonomically sound, we took great care when setting up the office to look at such issues. A few years ago we had chairs specifically built for us. I can tell if someone has changed chairs with mine and if they have changed the settings :) But longer hours spend typing away, like I am now meant that on top of my daily adjusting patients, my wrists were causing me great concern.

Looking after my patients is my joy, so my only thought was to look outside of the box to a solution. My right hand and my work were one and the same. Then the thought came to me that my left hand was capable, just untrained and it could be put to good use, after all plenty of people had probably made the same changes after injury and illness.

The first month was all about giving my left hand an experience of using the mouse. Yes it felt strange at first. I played solitaire on the computer to help with general mouse movement, while it went a long way to help my control it did little for my scores. Then I progressed to reading my emails and generally using it to surf, with each of these activities I worked mainly in the less busy times of the day. Interval training helped me to lighten the load away from my right hand and not over burden the left at the same time.

Slowly but surely I picked up speed in the second months and by months end I knew I had reached a milestone when I went to use another computer in the office and searched for the mouse with my left hand. Strength and speed have increased with time and I still focus on my posture. My next venture is getting used to my saddle seat at home. But that's another story for another time. For now I balance my load of work with both hands and exercise my wrists and hands along with regular adjustments.

Please note these exercise may not be for everyone, please check with your Chiropractor if they would recommend them specifically you. Remember to take care not to force your hands or wrists and please take your time.

Stretch Out.- We are constantly gripping things with our hands. The pen we write with, the door handle we open the door with, even using the keyboard to strike the keys with is a partial gripping action. While a stress ball feels great at times, again its a gripping action at work. Balancing what the hands do, will mean we should stretch out the whole hand.

• Step 1, place your hands palm side down on a flat surface and relax your wrists. 
• Step 2, gently spread your fingers apart and hold them for a count of 5.
• Step 3. repeat for 3 to 5 times.

Stretch back - Now that your fingers are gently warmed up, try the next stretch to get that extra flexibility going.

• Step 1. from the relaxed position in Stretch out, lift just your fingers off the flat surface. Try to keep the palm of your hand on the flat surface and still. Hold this for a count of 5 or less if this it too much for the first time. Slowly build up to it, there is no use over doing it at the beginning.

• Step 2, repeat for 3 to 5 times.

Make a Fist - After you have exercised in one direction its now time to do the other direction.

• Step 1, from the relaxed position in Stretch out, make a gentle fist with your hands. Again hold for a count of 5 or what ever you are first capable of.

• Step 2, repeat for 3 to 5 times.

Wrist moves - Moving up from the hands, its now time to move those wrists. Gentle! Please be aware that forcing any of these moves is NOT what these exercises are about, you are just after a gentle stretch pressure. If any of these hurts please stop and discuss your difficulties with your Chiropractor.

• Step 1, from the relaxed position, bend one or both your wrists at the same time UP and hold for a count of 5 or as what ever you are capable of. Then rest your whole hand flat.

• Step 2, lift your whole lower arm off the flat surface, keeping as horizontal as possible and bend down at the wrist. Hold for a count of 5. Rest once you have done that.

• Step 3, repeat for 3 to 5 times in both directions. Alternately you can do this exercise with both hands together for light or greater resistance.

Yoga - two great beginner poses

Over the years that I have been in practice I have found that those patients who hold their adjustments the longest are those that participate in some form of either Yoga, Tai chi , Pilates or keep a regular routine of stretches. 

This isn't remarkable really, these disciplines involve focusing on a specific mode of  breathing, look at keeping the ranges of motion in our joints and balancing our muscular strength. They also delve into a form of mediation as well. More of a balancing of all aspects of health.

My two favourite poses in Yoga for beginners are the Thunderbolt pose and the pose of the Child. Both may need to be modified for those that have knee issues, all others should be comfortable. Please do check with your Chiropractor if this is appropriate for you.

The Thunderbolt or Diamond Pose (Vajra-asana) Instruction:

1		The vajra-asana is a seated posture. Begin by sitting back on your heels and placing your knees, legs and feet together.
2		Keeping the back straight place the palms of your hands down on top of your thights.
3		Breath gently thorugh your nostrils and sit in this position for at least three minutes.

The vajra-asana is a versatile posture well suited for meditation and as a rest in between other seated postures.

The Child Pose (Bala-asana ) The bala-asana is one of the more relaxing Yoga postures and can easily be done by beginners.

Starting with the Thunderbolt pose inhale deeply, then exhale as you bring your chest between your knees while swinging your arms forward.The bala-asana can be held for as long as is comfortable. Repeat at least twice if it is held for less than a minute.


Both poses are great for relaxing and calming the mind and body after a long day, its also a great way to wind down once you have done your cool down exercises from any particular sport.

simple stretches for our children

Getting us oldies to change our routine is often fraught with excuses and dramas, but teach a child something early on in life and they will accept it more readily into their routine.

Straighten Up was also designed to be brought into the school curriculum to teach our children about looking after their spinal health.These simple exercises are a great way for children to learn to look after their bodies and keep them in a regular habit of exercising.

Please visit the link below for a great exercise routine to share with your children.

http://www.straightenupamerica.org./Handouts/files/page2_2.pdf

Please Note: Check with your Chiropractor or other healthcare professional before starting "Straighten Up" to make sure these exercises are appropriate for your specific needs.

Straighten Up Australia

If you're looking for a daily stretching program that enables you to get that overall stretch happening - then Straighten Up is for you. Designed by Ron Kirk of Life University, this program is being used to promote spinal health throughout the USA.

During my studies at Life Uni, Ron was a keen advocate of daily spinal health. We as students all took his spinal health care classes as part of our curriculum. This routine takes 3 minutes to complete, does not need fancy special equipment and can and should be done easily at home.

Done routinely, these Straighten Up exercises focus on getting your body ready for the day ahead. They can be done before your day even commences or even in a break during the day. Theses exercises form a great platform for an active healthy lifestyle.

For how to do these exercises click on this link. Straighten Up


Please note : Check with your Chiropractor or other healthcare professional before starting "Straighten Up" to make sure these exercises are appropriate for your specific needs.

Looking after your lower back

You’ve been sitting down all morning trying to get to the bottom of your work pile when you notice that you haven’t moved in hours from your desk. You think it’s high time you got out of that chair and stretched. Your Chiropractor has told you often enough..

Do you know why?
After only 15 minutes of sitting down your lower back experiences compressive forces that reduce your natural spinal curve and the height of the vertebrae themselves and the discs,– even when you’re doing it well!! 15 minutes isn’t long in anyone’s books. How are you going to reduce the stress in your lower spine – spinal de-compressive exercises.





Seated Exercise
Sit forward in your chair as shown in the picture below. Rest your hands behind you on the chair. Keep your arms slightly bent. Start by lifting your chest in an upward direction, followed by your lower back. Keep your bottom still on the chair. This should feel like something is pulling you towards the ceiling. Next focus on stretching and straighten out your elbows. Keep this stretch for a count of ten and relax. Repeat two or three times.

This coordinated stretch reduces those forces felt in your lower back after sitting down. When done frequently throughout the day, it releases the tension and helps the mind stay on track.


If you’re able to get down on the floor and do a double leg lift, or even bring one knee towards your chest (knees and toes pointing to the ceiling) at a time. Alternate and feel your lower back relax.

How much force is your lower back experiencing?

Lets say you’re an average 70kg person.Your standing at ease. The third lumbar vertebra in your lumbar/lower spine experiences roughly 51 kg of force. That equates to about 73% of the bodys weight felt at the joint.

Here are some more statistics

Sitting without a lumbar support equals 71 kg of force on the L3 vertebrae – Yes more than the actual weight of the individual.

Sitting with a lumbar support 41 kg – time to get that chair looked at isn’t it?

Coughing produces 61 kg of force.

Doing sit ups 122 kg of force.

Bending forward and rotating 20 degrees holding a 10 kg weight – 214 kg of force!!!. Think of yourself getting the shopping out of the car and reaching into the corner of the boot to get that last shopping bag. Or bending down to pick up your toddler and placing them on your hip. 10 kg now becomes 214 kg.

In a moment of not thinking about what you’re doing or how you’re doing it, you can put extreme force on your lower spine without even realising it. We often forget just how much work our lower back is doing for us. And what do we do for it? Do these stretches to start with and have your spine adjusted by your Chiropractor.

Yours in Health

Dr Lucy

Source

http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com

Disc Pressure Measurements NACHEMSON, ALF L. MD (C) Lippincott-Raven Publishers.