I wish I could make this stuff up and if you're hearing it for the first time, you probably think I'm on the verge of going coo-coo. Everyone should be aware of what science is teaching us and start letting go of the classical way of thinking because it only limits us as a human race from our maximal potential. I picked up this book called "Why Quantum Physicists Do Not Fail" by Greg Kuhn. This guy knows how to simplify scientific language and translate in a way that can be easily read. Let me remind you that quantum physics is not some crazy belief system, it is real science. Chapter 9 of Kuhn's book is quite fascinating. If you missed my blog on the Observer Effect, please give it a look so you'll have a better understanding of what I'm about to discuss. Something very powerful has been uncovered through science and that is the idea that "nothing in the material universe is a preexisting entity. No material object exists independent of you, awaiting your discovery. You are, literally, the creator of all that you see." (Kuhn p. 66)! Kuhn goes on to say that "material objects are created solely in context with you, the observer." Take a second to digest that. We can't comprehend that because we have been taught to think a certain way and developed a belief system that keeps us from exploring this train of thought. Kuhn describes it better, "you command the quantum field to form that which you already know, those things about which you have reestablished, habitual patterns of thought. This is a convenient and handy physical adaptation of the human brain that saves you from having to completely form your world anew with each observation of the quantum field...This handy tool, our brain's neural pathways of habitual thought, is actually designed to shortcut the process of constant seminal creation and allows you to live a normal, adult life on our planet. And because your brain is the repository of these neural networks, it is easy to believe the facade that your brain (and, thus, "you") are experiencing free will and choice in your life." That is not the case. There are those in life that slowly learn to figure out that life is a choice and being happy is one of those. Don't get stuck in the idea that everything in the world happens to you and start to understand that you have more control than you "think". Science is now telling us that we happen to the world not the other way around! Please "share" so that we can all BeneFIT!! www.ScottRusin.com New research was presented yesterday about the role of phosphates and how they contribute to heart disease and hypertension. News Medical states "Over 500 million people around the world suffer from chronic kidney disease. Clinical studies have shown that these patients often develop cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and vascular calcification. Until now, the connection between renal disease, the accumulation of the hormone FGF23 which is produced in the bones, and cardiovascular disease was unclear." We now know that high consumption of phosphates in your diet contribute to increased production of FGF23 which controls the reabsorption of filtered sodium in the kidneys, so too much equals increased blood pressure. "FGF23 also controls calcium levels. As with sodium, the calcium is filtered in the kidneys and reabsorbed back into the body. If this reabsorption does not take place, the body loses calcium. Too much FGF23 leads to increased take up of calcium by the kidneys, and results in vascular calcification." (News Medical) This is big news. So you ask, what do we eat that contains high phosphate levels? Processed cheese, Parmesan, cola, baking powder and most processed foods. For a list, click here. Thank you for reading! Please share so that we can all BeneFIT! www.ScottRusin.com I came across some disturbing stats today that were posted on Twitter by WebMD concerning pain medication. It is a sensitive topic and I'm going to voice my opinion on this one. Please chime in if you feel like it. The first stat was that enough prescription painkillers are sold each year to medicate every U.S. adult all day, every day for one month! Second, more people have died each year from drug poisonings than from motor vehicle crashes since 2009 and third, opiods now account for more overdose deaths than heroin and cocaine combined!!! Startling to say the least. I sympathize for those with pain and it can be misunderstood for sure, but this is a huge problem. We treat a large amount of pain from the physical therapy perspective, but are often not an option to our patients. If you go to the doctor for back, neck, shoulder, hip, knee, etc. pain, ask for physical therapy so we can attempt to fix the problem from a biomechanics standpoint and address the underlying issue. Let's not get you on the path to dependency! You would be surprised how we can help your pain through soft tissue work, joint mobilizations, exercise, hot/cold modalities, TENS units, etc.! I often hear about our patients only given pain meds as an option for pain and are sent home for it to reoccur. Go to your physical therapist and get evaluated because I believe what we do really helps and could potentially save the health care system large amounts of money by avoiding surgeries and filling prescriptions! Please share so that we can all BeneFIT!! www.ScottRusin.com Got knee pain? The knee is an interesting joint and I'm finding that the more knees I treat, the less I focus on the knee itself. In my other blogs I had mentioned how the hip influences the low back, well it also plays a major role in knee health. The knee likes to bend forward and back, flexion and extension, and would like to avoid the rotational component. It seems that those with knee pain lack what we call, proximal stability, quite often. The hip is weak and causes the knee to want to drift inward especially during single leg stance. Try this, stand on one leg only and try to lower yourself down in a mini-squat. Does your knee want to cave inward towards the midline of your body? If so, that is hip/glute weakness. If it does not, we may look into the ankle and other factors, but in most cases this is pretty common. That weakness may not be exposed through low level activities, but may create problems when performing repetitive activities, i.e. running, and load bearing activities, i.e., stairs. Research is also coming out now stating that physical therapy is just as effective as arthroscopic knee surgery to correct meniscus tears (the cushion between your knee joint). This was featured on Dr. Oz on 04/25/14 with exercise demonstration. The exercises on the video are a conservative start, but I would encourage you to try the resisted side step exercise I described in my previous blog Piriformis/Sciatic Pain? Do This Exercise. It is great because it does not stress the knee so you can perform it without irritating your knee pain and indirectly make your knee stronger. Just balancing on one leg alone is also very important because it gives us a good idea how the hip is performing. If you try and you're struggling to stay upright, your hip is weak and makes you more susceptible to knee injury. For any questions you may have about knee pain, contact me at srusincscs@yahoo.com Otherwise, please "share" so that we may all BeneFIT!! www.ScottRusin.com For those of you who don't know, 850 is the area code for which I reside in. It is the Destin, FL area which is a major hub for stand up paddle boarding (SUP) and the location of BOTE, YOLO and GUSU boards. You can't live here and not notice their presence in the area. At first, I didn't see the excitement in them. I'd sit on the beach and watch people float by and wonder how that was seen as enjoyable. Next thing you know, I had to have one! I rented one first to test it out and was amazed by how much fun I had. It is a great form of exercise and it puts you out in nature where you can see a different world below you. It is not at all like riding in a boat, you're right on the water and in full control. Imagine having dolphin swim by and seeing different fish while exercising and staying fit. The board is great because it forces you to use your lumbo-pelvic stabilizing muscles, your core, and using your entire body to paddle. We sit at work and spend most of our days in a slouched position, paddle boarding forces you to use your postural muscles which is great for your overall health. They even have Yoga classes on the boards and races are becoming very popular. Not to mention, the great cardio workout and metabolism boost. You can travel pretty far on a paddle board and venture to remote areas, turn it into a camping trip and just be outside! We all have gone to the beach and parked our butts in one spot, sort of like at work except better surroundings! Why not get up, paddle, enjoy nature, all while exercising and staying in shape?!! So get off your butt and go paddle! Please share so that we can all BeneFIT! www.ScottRusin.com Also, check out Stand up Paddle Board Review and Tower Paddle Boards I recently read a post on Runner's World about what to do for piriformis syndrome and I felt like they had left something out. From working with piriformis and "sciatic" pain on a daily basis, I'd thought I'd share a little info on an exercise that has done wonders for my clients. Often, runners and triathletes neglect frontal and transverse plane movements, meaning that they do not perform any exercises going side to side or with a rotational component because all of their movement is in forward, backward flexion and extension. Some runners choose not to do resistance exercises at all because of the idea of carrying too much muscle mass which, I think, is a mistake. You can train to be strong and avoid the bulk while making yourself a more balanced and efficient runner. Your hip/glutes are vital in controlling rotational forces of the lower extremity and protecting the back from accessory movement. It's like driving on tires that are not balanced, they wear faster just like your joints. Your glutes are part of your "core", much more important than the 6 pack abs (they just look good). If you are already flexible, stretching the piriformis will provide you with little benefit other than temporary relief. The glutes and piriformis need strength to accept your body weight when landing on one leg while running. Strengthening the glutes may help with your knee pain as well believe it or not (We had an Ironman solve his knee pain within days of performing this exercise I'm about to describe). Your knee does not want to rotate, it wants to flex and extend. If the upper leg rotates inward because of weak glutes, it puts strain on the knee joint and IT Band. So, once again, you can try to stretch the IT all that you want, but the strength in the glutes will most likely provide the greatest benefit. I am a huge fan of an exercise that we call resisted side step because of how effective it is in targeting your butt muscles. The only equipment you need is a theraband with good resistance. You can tie one around your ankles or purchase one in the 850HealthStore through Amazon. Blue or green would be your best bet, blue being more difficult. The continuous loop band seems to provide better resistance (12 inches). Now, walk sideways with it around your ankles while keeping your toes pointed a tad inward and avoid pointing outward because it will engage your hip flexor instead of the muscles we're going after. Also, avoid leaning sideways and keep your midsection tight. You can walk sideways for approx. 20 feet then walk back without turning around. Do 3 sets and you will feel it! Give it 2 weeks of performing most days of the week and you will be a better athlete! Please share so that we can all BeneFIT!! www.ScottRusin.com |
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iPerformanceCenter www.ScottRusin.com 850Health Facebook Page Dr. Mark Giovanini Neurosurgeon AuthorScott Rusin is the Director of Physical Therapy at the Sandestin Executive Health & Wellness Center in Sandestin Resort, Miramar Beach, FL. He has a degree in Physical Therapy, is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Nike Golf NG360 Performance Specialist Powered by the Gray Institute. Archives
November 2015
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