An active exercise program is essential to maintain good health….FOR EVERYONE! Exercising should be a part of your daily routine whether you are 10, 20, 40, or 60. Regular exercise is proven to lead to better long-term health. For seniors, ages 60 and up, we want you to keep living, actively, for as long as you can, to increase your chances of longevity. But before starting any daily exercise routine, it is important for everyone, seniors in particular, to remember to Warm Up! Warm up exercises help to stimulate blood flow, to prepare your body for the elevated exercise that is to follow, and to help reduce the risk of injury while exercising. Check out the following examples of warm up exercises to help you start your daily routine off right:
1) Walking – Start by walking in place for 5 to 10 minutes. This helps to gently raise your heart rate and breathing before beginning more strenuous exercise.
2) Bicycle Riding – Hop on your stationary bicycle for 5 to 10 minutes if you are not into walking in place. Maintain your pace to ensure a proper warm up.
3) Rowing – Either stationary or actually on the water, use this warm up exercise to increase blood flow, while using your arm and leg muscles.
4) Stretching – Take care to do slow, thorough movements, to build flexibility and to avoid muscle injury.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/129030-warmup-exercises-seniors/

A young athlete never wants to hear the coach say, “sit out,” or “you’re done for today.” It’s easy for teens to think they are being punished when asked to sit out of a game because of a fall during the last play…a fall that really didn’t seem so bad. But sometimes, it is far from punishment! In fact, sitting out could save your child’s life…when you’re dealing with concussions.
A concussion is a temporary disturbance of brain function, resulting in confusion, amnesia, loss of consciousness, or loss of vision. Other symptoms include headache, dizziness, impaired orientation and difficulty concentrating.
Many coaches, parents, and young players minimize athletic brain injuries. But listen up: IT IS NOT jus t a part of the game! Young athletes should not be encouraged to “be tough” and keep pushing to remain in the game if they have experienced a potential brain trauma. You should always keep in mind that it is very easy for what appears to be a minor injury, to become a very serious injury if a player returns to the game too soon. After sustaining one brain injury, the risk for a second injury is 3 times greater, while the risk for a third injury is 8 times greater. Always, always, always, encourage young athletes to SPEAK UP! Don’t be afraid to tell a coach or another adult about an injury during play.
Keep these steps in mind about how to recognize a concussion:
1) If an athlete loses consciousness, the first step is to remove him/her from the game
2) The level of consciousness is the single most important indicator of the severity of a brain injury
a. A mild concussion may not result in any loss of consciousness
b. A moderate concussion may result in loss of consciousness that lasts 5 minutes or less
c. A severe concussion may result in loss of consciousness that lasts 5 minutes or more
3) Test the memory of the injured player. Loss of memory of events just before the injury and just after the injury is a common occurrence. A loss of memory of anything preceding the injury could be a sign of a more serious concussion.
4) Seek profession medical attention.

http://www.teengrowth.com/index.cfm?action=info_article&ID_article=1213

Let’s talk teens and sports injuries! There are two main types of sports injuries: an acute traumatic injury, and an overuse or chronic injury. An acute traumatic injury involves a trauma from a single blow to an area of the body. They can include any of the following: fractures, strains, sprains, lacerations/cuts, abrasions/scrapes, head/neck/spinal cord injuries, or bruises/contusions. Chronic injuries are the result of repetitive training or overusing an area of the body over time. These can include: stress fractures, tendonitis, growth plate overload, and repetitive motion injuries. Although acute injuries are serious, overuse injuries should not be ignored. Overtime, untreated chronic injuries are sure to get worse.
Now that we know what a sports injury is, let’s discuss prevention. Here are some tips to keep your child safe in any sports season:
1) Insist on a pre-season physical. Make sure your child is in good physical condition before playing any sport.
2) Buy appropriate equipment. Make sure any protective gear fits properly.
3) Warm up. Make sure your child has a thorough 10-15 minute warm-up before beginning any activity. Don’t forget cool down stretches at the end of any activity.
4) Drink lots of water!
5) Don’t allow sick and/or recovering children to play. Keep them at home until he/she is fully recuperated.
6) Most of all, HAVE FUN!

https://www.akronchildrens.org/cms/tips/7af13d5c04c9c9cd/index.html

Capitol Rehab is pleased to announce that Dr. Beck has recently completed his Upper Extremity certification of Active Release Technique. Dr. Beck is now certified in both Upper and Lower Extremity protocols, broadening his knowledge of a variety of soft tissue injuries.

Active Release Technique is described as “a patented, state of the art soft tissue system/movement based massage technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves.”

At Capitol Rehab-Arlington, Dr. Beck is able to integrate this very comprehensive soft tissue technique with functional rehabilitation and Chiropractic Care to provide very detailed treatment of such difficult conditions as Carpal Tunnel, Sciatica, Plantar Fasciitis, Shin Splints and Tennis Elbow.

Dr. Beck plans on completing ART certifications in Spine and Long Tract Nerve Entrapment later this year.

Capitol Rehab of Arlington is pleased to be supporting Ricardo Reinoso www.ricardoforacure.org in his work with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Join us in supporting his efforts! Click here for more information.

FYI only for Capitol Rehab of Arlington patients with appointments this Tuesday and Wednesday of this week…

The weather is calling for snow showers beginning around 9am. Dr. Beck and Dr. Booker will both be available starting from 8:45am. We are strongly encouraging patients with afternoon and evening appointments, as well as Wednesday morning appointments, to consider coming in earlier on Tuesday to avoid the worst of the storm.

Capitol Rehab of Arlington is closely monitoring the weather to make every accommodation possible for our patients. We will update our information several times during tomorrow to keep you and all patients notified of any changes in our schedule.

To your health!!
Capitol Rehab of Arlington

As many of you are aware, I am participating in the Marine Corp Marathon.  Yes, it has been 5 1/2 months of running more than I have in, well…ever. And yes, I ran track back in my younger days, but I don’t ever recall saying to myself, “Let’s go for a quick little 12 mile run.”

Quick little 12 mile run?  Who says that?

Only a crazy marathoner, of which I have to now consider myself.  In any event, October 25th is the day, and so it is important for me to mention just how eager I am for October 26th, when I can get back to doing what I probably do best, and focusing on the work of providing what I hope is the highest level of chiropractic, physical therapy, pain management and fall prevention available.

October 26th marks another important date…

We will be transitioning from a Marathon Blog, specific to the interests and concerns of distance runners, to a Capitol Rehab of Arlington blog where we will discuss a variety of topics relevant to a broader spectrum.  There will be many themes and several topics, but if I had to put an umbrella over the entire message it would be this:

Get busy living, or get busy dying!

I wrote an introductory article in our January newsletter using this title as my platform. Essentially we can spend alot of time talking about how to prevent low back pain or how to treat plantar fasciitis, and we will.  We can tackle topics that are current and relevant like the swine flu or a recent study revealing that healthy kids who take Ritalin are at a 500 percent greater risk of sudden death, and we will do that too.  But the underlying effort will be to provide information that allows and encourages you to get the most out of your life.

In a world of mixed messages and a society that encourages dependency and passivity, I want you to take a proactive posture and live your fullest life. Can Capitol Rehab of Arlington play a role in that? Perhaps.  But our larger goal is to provide and share information. I have a responsibility to educate on the dangers of complacency. I have a responsibility to do my part and be completely open and honest about the dangers of smoking, obesity and excessive overuse of unnecessary medications.  I also have a responsibility to break down the ingestion of propaganda and mis-information.  If I don’t work to do these things, then I am not fulfilling my responsibility as a health provider.

At times I may step on some toes or hurt some feelings, this is certainly not my intention.  But it is much more important that I work to be right than liked.  So I look forward to chatting with everyone, and I hope to see you participating in the process. Get Busy Living, Or Get Busy Dying!