Peak Physical Performance

...or "why is Caolan posting with alliteration this blog??"

...so, daylight saving is nearly upon us - and that means the beginning of summer sports competitions...

"...oh great - another blog where Caolan bangs on about all that stretching that I don't do..."


...yes, stretching is a part of playing any sport, as is physical training...but preparing your body requires more than that...

...of course, summer means increased temperatures - which means you will sweat more and therefore, lose more body water while you play or train...a general guide for most people is that you should consume around 5% of your body weight in water every day (for example, 83kg of me should consume about four litres of water, especially on the days when training or playing). 


...now I know that there are a lot of sports drinks out there on the market that advertise that they replace the important electrolytes that your body loses while you sweat (and they do), but I have a major issue with them. The amount of sugar in them - the leading sports drinks have 14 grams of sugar in a 600ml serving of the sports drink. 


"...yeah, so - what's wrong with sugar?? Wouldn't I have just burnt that off??"


...you may have burnt off the kilojoules of energy that the sugar supplies, but that's not what I am concerned about...sugar changes the way in which our body responds to injury and inflammation - it only takes 5-7 grams of sugar to markedly decrease our body's ability to repair itself. There are hydration formulas on the market that do not contain these processed sugars (apologies, most of them will be practitioner only so you will need to consult your chiro), and that's what I take myself...


"...okay, that's what I can drink - now's where you tell me I have to watch what I eat too..."


(I love it when patients finally get it)


...yes, you do...and the eating side of things can get a little complicated, so I am going to break it down into the times before the event:


4-6 hours before the event: eat a good balanced meal, with a focus on eating some good low glycemic index (low GI) carbohydrates...if you want to consume some fats or sugar, now is the time to do it...


30 minutes - 1 hour before the event: here is where you need a good source of simple carbohydrates to give you that extra little burst of energy before you play - fruit is a really great example (bananas are usually my choice of fruit here), a chocolate bar is not...this is also a good time to hydrate yourself too...

20-45 minutes after the event: now is the time to replenish the body's glycogen stores that would have been depleted whilst exercising (glycogen is a form of glucose that the body stores in the muscles as a quick source of energy) - you need to consume more of those good low GI carbohydrates...


...couple these tactics with a good, regular stretching program and adequate pre-event training and you should be all set for your summer sports...and as always, if you want to know more - ask your chiro...or me...

Exercise and Arthritis

I had a colleague of mine make me aware of this article during the week:


http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=817


"...wow, exercise is good for arthritis??"


...not that this is really a new idea, but it is nice to finally see research on the topic. However, I feel like it needs a little more explanation. Let's start with what arthritis actually is...

 ...in strict terms, arthritis is basically inflammation of the joints - but the term is now used to cover roughly a couple of hundred diseases that fall under this definition. 

...most forms of arthritis tend to occur when something goes wrong with the structure of a particular joint - in some cases this can be due to a physical injury or overuse (which usually results in osteoarthritis or OA), an autoimmune disease that breaks down the tissue of the joint (rheumatoid arthritis or RA) or via infection (infectious or septic arthritis).

...now, each form of arthritis has different signs and symptoms - OA will generally begin with mild symptoms that develop over time: specific joint stiffness after use, a lack of flexibility in the joint itself and at times, a grating sensation. RA will tend to lead to more systemic and bilateral symptoms that will tend to affect the more distal joints, like the fingers and toes, pain in generally worse in the mornings and the joint itself will become swollen and red. Fatigue is extremely common in people with RA, and weight loss may often occur as a result. Infectious arthritis will usually present with a fever and other symptoms of illness, and the joint itself will be swollen and painful.

...in all forms there are common findings - joint stiffness, a breakdown of joint tissue and atrophy of muscles surrounding the joints...

"...Caolan, that's a lot of blah-blah...how will exercise actually help??"

...so let's breakdown those three major components and see how exercise and physical activity can help:

...joint stiffness can be aided with a regular stretching program that involves all of the major and minor muscles of the affected joint - the more thorough the stretching program is, the more relief the patient will feel...

...the breakdown of tissue surrounding the joint is a little more serious - to attempt to rebuild, or at least arrest the rate of tissue erosion, a long term exercise program needs to be in place. Understandably, most arthritis patients will actually find rigorous exercise to be painful so the program needs to be tailored to the individual. Generally, walking or exercising in water are the better ways to go - both have a decreased amount of impact on joints and provide the necessary weight bearing to increase skeletal tissue density...

...and resistance exercise will help prevent the atrophy of the muscles around the affected joint. The exercises need to be specific for the affected joint, and not compromise the affected joint further...

...as always - if you want to know more, ask your chiro...

Biomesotherapy - the final destination...

We've reached the final part of my epic - where the ring is cast into the fires of Mordor, and the little dudes with the hairy feet make it home in time for eleven-sies (and if my nerdy reference is lost on you, just do what most people do - shake your head)...

...anyway, back to the text - what is biomesotherapy??


"...isn't that like the soup?"


...ummm, that would be miso soup...and no, it's not like that...


...what biomesotherapy is, is a treatment involving the injection of saline into a specific site and the sublingual (that's under the tongue) application of specific homeopathic or homotoxicological preparations...


...of course, if you have read the previous two blogs you would understand that these preparations are dilutions of specific plant or herbal agents...and that means that it is natural and does not involve drugs...


"...ummm, I heard the word 'injection' there - is it painful?? And it is safe??"

...biomesotherapy generally utilises the same sort of syringes that a diabetic would use - they hold about 1ml of fluid and tend to be a very fine gauge...so, there may be a small sting when the initial injection but that's about the extent of the pain...


...and as far as safety - you're being injected with a disposable syringe that will be discarded after use, and with a substance that is known to be sterile and within concentrations that are normal for the body...the oral part of the procedure utilises homeopathics - which contain very little substance to cause side effects within the body...


"...okay, so it's safe - but why would I choose it over taking oral homeopathics or homotoxicological products??"


...that's simple - the injections mean the therapy can be targeted at a specific site, as well as having systemic (whole body) effects due to the oral homeopathic use...


...now, what can biomesotherapy be used for??


...biomesotherapy is really effective on inflammatory conditions, like arthritic conditions and chronic long term injuries like tendonitis and cartilage degeneration...but are really good for acute (recent) injuries such as heavy bruising or muscle, tendon and ligament tears...it can also soften scar tissue and help with chronic sinus inflammation - or relax muscles and improve circulation...


...it can also help with deeper problems within the body, such as irritable bowel syndrome or other inflammatory conditions within other organs...


...relief from biomesotherapy tends to occur within a relatively short time period, although some chronic conditions may require a number of treatments to achieve long term relief...


"...it sounds a bit like cortisone...is it??"


...no, no way...cortisone overrides the body's pain response, whereas biomesotherapy works with the body's own systems to return the body to a state closer to normal...and biomesotherapy tends to cost at dramatically less than what a medical injection would...


...so, biomesotherapy is a safe and sterile treatment that allows for localisation of therapy...if you want to know more - ask your chiro...

Homotoxicology to Biomesotherapy - the Saga Continues...

...yep, it's part two:

...which means: Part Two: What is Homotoxicology?? (which also means if you haven't read the blog before this one, then you've got some reviewing to do) Homotoxicology is "modern homeopathy" - or the use of homeopathic preparations to restore the body's ability to heal itself, and restore itself to it's normal state...

"...but Caolan, why does my body get out of whack??"

...well, for a lot of reasons - poor diet, poor rest and relaxations habits, and poor posture and lifestyle habits...

"...geez mate, I'm not really that bad am I?? I mean, I get sick once in a while...but doesn't everyone??"

...the symptoms of disease are actually a result of the body attempting to heal itself, and therefore should not be suppressed. Therefore, homotoxicology works with the body's natural defence mechanisms to assist the body in excreting or eliminating the offending substance...the focus is on restoring tissue integrity and bioregulation ("body normal")...

"...isn't that what cold and flu medications do too??"

...actually no, it's not - most pharmaceuticals work by bypassing the body's natural systems, and actually decreasing their natural function...it's worthwhile to note that in Germany (the home of homeopathy and homotoxicology) approximately 80% of orthodox medical practitioners ultilise homotoxicology in conjunction with traditional pharmaceuticals to increase their potency...

"...so what is this homo-stuff actually good for??" (and yes, I have had a patient call it that)

...well, basically any condition where your body can longer regulate itself as normal...which realistically, is every disease or sickness known to man...now, this means that homotoxicology is not, strictly speaking, a cure for anything - what it is is a treatment method that works to restore the body to it's normal function, and allow the body to heal itself from there...

...so, homotoxicology is "modern homeopathy" - a formulation of homeopathic ingredients that work with the body's own natural defence systems to return the body to it's normal state by eliminating toxins...and for those of you who are curious - yes, this guy is a toxin...

...and of course, if you want to know more - consult your chiro...

Homeopathy to Homotoxicology to Biomesotherapy - the Saga Begins...

...a long long time ago, in a galaxy far far away...oh hang on, wrong saga...


(I apologise that the next couple of blogs will be a little on the heavier side - they're all in service of explaining a technique I use...bear with me though, the ride is worth it)


Part One - Homeopathy


...to preface this, I would like to state that I am not a classical homeopath, and that I have never been trained as a classical homeopath - this means that my explanation of homeopathy is purely from my point of view, and may not be the strict definition...


...let's start with the easy part - what is homeopathy?? Well, if I followed the classical definition, it would be the practice of treating like with like...yeah, I've got that slightly bemused look on my face too - the one that says "what exactly does that mean?"...let me take you through how I look at homeopathy...


...what homeopathy is not is energetic medicine - homeopathy takes a substance through repeated dilutions (hence the 4X, 12X etc on the side of some homeopathic preparations - it's an indication of how many times the dilution has been performed) until you're left with a preparation to treat the body...


...what this makes homeopathy is micro-dosing - this essentially means you have a preparation that holds parts per million or parts per trillion of a substance. The first question usually fired at me here is:


"...how can something in that low a dosage affect my body?" 


...and my usual answer is to pull up the following example of how homeopathy works - say we have a substance in a human body that exists in the ratio of 20 parts per trillion, and we change that to 49 parts per trillion - would you expect any dramatic change in the body?? Most people would expect that this small a change would have very little global affect - well congratulations, you've just denied every woman on the planet their ovulation and menstruation...


...get it?? Homeopathy works right down on that very hormonal / neurotransmitter level of the body...it aids the body in stimulating it's own natural processes...


"...yeah, but they've got drugs that do that too, why should I use homeopathy??"


...let's ignore the fact that drugs do not work like that, but yes, why should you use homeopathy?? This requires a bit of a personal story, and possibly explains a lot about why I do what I do for a living - when I was a young boy, my mum, like mothers in that period, would give me Panadol syrups when I had a fever or was sick. The problem was that I would often vomit (sometimes projectile vomit) afterwards - my body was reacting negatively to the medication - I was chemically sensitive. This is why I use homeopathy - for me, I don't get side effects, and my recovery is often a lot quicker than what would be expected...


...so, essentially - homeopathy = mirco-dosing of the body with a natural substance that stimulates the body's natural action and has a greatly reduced incidence of side effects...


...the next part of this blog will deal with the branch of homeopathy that I do use called homotoxicology - and if you don't show up to read it, I'm sending this guy after you:

Work posture - how important is it??

...or "why your desk job is hurting you"


...now, I know that you all know what correct posture at a desk is when you're working, but just in case you've forgotten - here it is:

...but let's be honest - by the end of the day, most of us wind up sitting like this......or even worse...but that's only half of the picture...

...let's revisit what you already know - a large percentage of you spend between 6 and 16 hours in front of a computer a day. That's 25-67% of your day in the (roughly) one position. Which really makes your posture in front of the computer incredibly crucial. Poor posture can contribute to a number of postural syndromes, which usually lead to humanity's greatest motivator - PAIN!!


"...so, Caolan - you're telling me if I sit properly at work all day, then I'll never have a problem and I won't have to visit you as often??"


...comments like that make me think you don't love coming...but essentially, no of course that's not true...even if you do all the correct things with your posture at work all day, there is still the problem that you are actually sitting for that long a period during the day...


"...umm, Caolan - I don't think my boss is going to be real impressed at me getting up and walking away from my desk all during the day..."


...no, he's probably not...but part of looking after your body at work includes what you do outside work too...


...okay, I am going to assume that most of you will be seated in front of a computer when you read this...and I know all of you will have just adjusted your posture so that you're sitting like that first illustration...I'll give you another second to double check yourself...


...good?? Okay, now contract your hamstrings (that's the big muscle down the back of your upper thigh if I have been too technical)...what's that?? You can't?? Oh...you can a little bit...fine, now try and contract your hip flexors...same problem?? I'll explain why...


...the seated position puts those two muscle groups into a situation called passive insufficiency...which is a really fancy way of saying the muscle is in a position that is too short for it to have an effective contraction...


...so if you spend 6 to 16 hours a day in this position, you'll wind up with two things - firstly, a shortened muscle and secondly, a weakened muscle...which is a recipe for eventual disaster...


"...great, so my job is eventually going to hurt me...what am I going to do about it??"


...well, I'm glad you asked...really, it's simple - you're going to lengthen and strengthen those muscles...something as simple as walking and a light stretching program will be enough to counteract those hours at the office...

...and of course, if you want to know more - ask your chiro...

Core strength...and why you're possibly getting it wrong...

Now, unless you've been living under a rock, you will have heard the term "core strength" repeatedly...whether it be in infomercials, on The Biggest Loser, or at your chiropractor's office. 


So, what is it?? 


And why is it so crucial??


Core strength is basically the muscular stabilisation that allows your body to undertake everyday tasks, such as lifting, twisting and bending. So, working on your core strength will help you perform these tasks more efficiently, and with a decreased risk of injury.


Now, core strength does involve the abdominal muscles (namely the rectus abdominus, internal and external obliques, and the deep musculature of the transverse abdominus) but it also involves the hip flexors (psoas, pectineus and rectus femoris), hip extensors (hamstrings and gluts) and some muscles of the back (erector spinae and multifidus).

I'll tell you now - your sit-ups aren't going to exercise all of those muscles...and not all of those muscles will need exercise...


I hear so many people talk about "the plank" as the exercise to do...and you know what?? It does help, but it's a very very long way from the whole picture...the plank really only fires rectus abdominus (the six-pack muscles) and transverse abdominus. And if you happen to have an overactive psoas muscle, I don't care how long you can hold the plank for - you're not going to correct it...


So, how do you solve this puzzle and know which core strength exercises are for you?? Well, you ask...preferably, ask someone with the knowledge and training behind them and who has taken the time to assess your physical state. Core strength isn't just about exercises, it also involves stretching of overactive muscles and the correct balancing of agonist and antagonist muscles. 


My point is - core strength is not a simple matter, it involves a thorough assessment and the application of the correct exercises and stretches. This means, in my opinion, if you want to know - consult your chiro...

Exercise Physiology and Functional Biomechanics...

Big impressive sounding words...but what do they actually mean??

And what relevance do they have to you as a patient??

I'll make it pretty simple...those words basically mean I spent four years studying exactly how you should move...and then spent another four years telling elite athletes these exact things...

"...but Caolan, I'm not trying to compete in the Olympics...I just want to lose this..." 

(note: at this stage the said patient is usually grabbing at their stomach or other area they feel they need to lose weight from)

...so, why would me telling you how you move help?? Simple, firstly it will make sure that your technique is correct and this means that your chosen form of exercise will work the exact muscles you want it to...

...secondly, if the exercise is performed correctly you're less likely to injure yourself in your sporting endeavours...and let's be honest, although I love seeing my patients, it's annoying for both them and me when I have to constantly treat things that are incredibly preventable...

The other point in all of this - as much as my extra studies (yes, extra - this isn't something every chiropractor studies) help me to help you to move properly, I can also help you in what to do when you are not moving...

"...oh, so you're telling me how I should rest now??"...in a short answer, yes...I'm telling you how you should recover - and that means stretching...but I will also tell you how you should be working too...

Now, I could run through all the different things you should think about at work...but everyone of you has a different job and a different build, with different strengths and weaknesses...so you really need someone to individually assess you, and tell you how you can change your postural habits and physical workspace to ensure you stay in the best physical shape possible...

At the end of the day, most people come to see me because they're in pain...and they're usually in pain, not because of one incident but because they have done the same little thing wrong - over and over again...and that's what the study of exercise physiology and biomechanics can help me identify and you overcome...

Things to do on a very long Easter weekend...

Who doesn't love five days off in a row?? 


The question is: what should you do over this weekend?? Well, if it's me it will usually involve mentally switching off for a few days, catching up with some friends...and some light exercise and a stretch...


...I can hear the complaints already...


"...come on, Caolan, I'm on holidays...surely a couple of days off won't matter..."


...actually, it will...I know long weekends are a time to over-indulge - whether it be chocolate or alcohol...and the longer you take to kickstart your metabolism, the more likely those extra calories will remain with you...


"...surely a choccy egg or a beer won't make that much difference..."


...okay, let me make it easy for you...every beer you drink means you will have to spend about 6 minutes running, 18-20 minutes walking or 8-10 minutes on a bike or in the pool...a glass of wine is reasonably similar, although a glass of red will tend to pack about half the calories of a beer...


...and chocolate is much worse - your average Easter egg or about five little ones will mean about a 35 minute run, 50 minutes swimming or on the bike, and a colossal two hours walking to burn off...


...and for those of you counting at home - Caolan's personal tally for the weekend: zero Easter eggs...and it'll stay that way...

So, why stretch??

People say it to me all the time: 

"…but Caolan, stretching is boring…"

...you know what, you're right…it is…but that doesn't make it any less essential. Let's talk through why it's important:

Stretching increases your range of motion and flexibility…well duh, of course…but why is this THAT important?? Well, the old adage of "use it or lose it" applies - if you do not continually put your body through it's full range of motion, you will lose the outer ranges of movement over time…

"…but Caolan, I don't need ALL that range of movement, do I?? I mean, I don't want to be a gymnast or a ballerina…"

…no, you won't always utilise that entire range of motion…but that range of motion is important…I won't bore you with the exact calculations, but a loss of 2-5% in muscle length can result in a 7.5-12.8% reduction in muscular strength…sound like more than you thought it would be?? That loss in strength is not the most crucial part of this loss in range of motion…

We all know stretching and exercise should go together, but why?? It's pretty simple - most exercise is compressive, you need to shorten a muscle to perform the task. The body has a habit of leaving things how they are and adapting to how it is used, so if you exercise consistently your body will leave those muscles shortened. If you continue to exercise with shortened muscles, sure you'll get stronger and bigger (or leaner if you're working on toning) but you won't be using the full range of the muscle and therefore it won't be as beneficial as it should be and you'll be wasting a fair part of your effort…and I'll be honest, a longer leaner muscle is a lot more flattering...

Injury is another place where stretching is important. Most major injuries involve a period of immobilisation…I think you can see where this is already heading…and that means that the body will generally shorten and tighten muscles over that period, not just as a function of habit but also as a function of protection. The injury may also have left scarring and adhesions within the joint or muscle itself, and stretching will help break these down, and restore the body to a more functional state.

Stretching in injury prevention is also just as crucial. A longer muscle, able to utilise it's entire range of motion is less likely to be injured, and more likely to be able to protect surrounding joints from injury. Your balance is also largely dictated by your muscles' ability to control movement easily, and this becomes more crucial with age.

"…Caolan, mate…I don't exercise…and I haven't had an injury in years - why do I need to stretch??"

…okay, I'm going to have to ignore the "I don't exercise" statement…but there is a point there: what benefit does stretching have to everyday life?? Well, a large number of us work relatively sedentary jobs…sitting for eight to ten hours a day (even up to 16 knowing a couple of my patients) - that's 8-10 hours sitting with your hip flexor muscles and hamstring muscles in a shortened position. Now think about your body posture during those hours, usually stooped forward in front of a computer screen - do you think that posture might contribute to some sore and stiff muscles??

Now I throw in that ugly S word…stress…and let's be honest, we're all under stress. Stretching is a great stress reliever. It's ten to fifteen minutes (yes, at least that long) of your own brainspace, where all you have to concentrate on is freeing up your body's little aches and pains. Stretching improves circulation to all parts of your body, and that increased blood flow will bring endorphins to all parts of your body. Tight muscles can also affect your mood - the tighter those muscles, the higher the resting tone of your body - the higher the resting tone of your body, the more on edge you will be mentally, emotionally and physically…

Finally…you know what…I don't know a way to make stretching exciting, I just know what I do to make it less boring…I usually either do it with someone else and talk my way through the entire thing…or I pop the headphones in, and listen to a few of my favourite tunes while I release some tight and sore muscles…give it a try, because I know your body will thank you for the benefits of your work…