LaCombe Chiropractic & Wellness Blog

Fall is upon us and with that changes in the leaves and the temperature.  Fall time is also a time where people forget that a 10-20degree drop in the temperature can stress out the many systems of the body especially the immune system.  It is not uncommon for many people to have a slight cold in early September due to school being back in session but also because the weather changes.  Now don’t get me wrong, I have read the numerous articles that state that going out in the cold with wet hair does not make one sick and while I agree with that, going out in the cold with wet hair does stress the body more than going out in the cold with dry hair.  If the immune system is weakened due to overworking/stressed out it is more apt to break down and sickness can take place. 

So even though the weather is still nice outside please make sure you dress appropriately when doing any type of exercise outside such as running, walking, biking, hiking, etc.  When exercising outside and not dressing appropriately it can lead to the body being in a more stressed out environment which can cause  injury or even sickness. Most people know when they exercise that their temperature rises and they sweat/perspire in order to deal with that increase in heat.  The increase in heat is what allows our body to burn off calories which is one of the many benefits of exercising.   You still want to dress appropriately such as mind pants, undershirt or tank top with a t-shirt over that followed by a sweat shirt or wind jacket.  If you get too hot you can take the jacket off and tie it around your wait but better to have more than you need then less.  Also when you sweat your temperature will be higher which means you may not need the extra layers but once you cool down and your heart rate comes down so will your temperature and you will want those extra layers because there is nothing worse than being cold except being cold and wet.  And since most people sweat when they exercise they will be cold and wet, the extra layers will keep them warmer.  Another great idea is bringing an extra shirt so that once the workout is done you can change into a nice and  clean but more importantly dry shirt.

Also make sure that you are staying hydrated.  Just because you are not sweating as much as you normally would be on a warmer day does not mean you cannot become de-hydrated.  People associate sweating with needing hydration and in warmer environments where a person is wearing just shorts and a t-shirt it is very easy to see the person sweating during exercise. When you dress in layers it is sometimes difficult to tell how much you are truly sweating thus making it seem like the need for hydration is less in cooler weather when it can be just the opposite.  When people dress in layers they sometimes forget that even though the outside temperature is lower that because of the layers their body temperature is very similar to the body temperature on a warmer day where they are wearing just the shorts and t-shirt.  So they start at the same relative body temperature but because of the layers absorbing their sweat, they end up hydrating (drinking fluids) less and thus become de-hydrated.

Another issue regarding exercising outside as temperatures fall is stretching and warming up.  Stretching, in my opinion, is something that is so good for the body but most of us do not do it enough.  Stretching keeps the tendons, ligaments, and muscles more lax and loosened and not so tight and stressed.  Most professional athletes know very well how important stretching is for the body and overall performance.  In colder weather, you want to make sure that you are stretching to elongate the muscles, tendons, and ligament so that they can perform at their best.  You also want to make sure that you are warming up properly.  In colder weather muscles start out more stiff and tight and as a result a person’s normal warm up may take a few minutes more.  Just think of a car that has sat in a driveway overnight and the temperatures drops say 15-20 degrees.  Next morning when you jump in and off you go, does it take longer or shorter to warm up?  It takes longer to get the vehicle at a nice comfortable temperature because it started at a cooler temperature.  It is the same idea when it comes to the human body.

Remember cooler temperature do not mean you have to give up exercising outside.  Just make sure you are adapting to the changes outside accordingly. 

Next blog will be on the topic of Eating thru the holidays.  If anyone has any specific topic that they would like me to discuss please send me an email or in the comment section ask me it and i will answer it in a future blog. Till then take care of yourselves and being healthy.  God Bless.

One of the questions I get asked often in my practice is when to use ice or heat. The reason why it is so confusing is because there are so many articles and books written about injuries and when to use ice or heat as part of the healing process. First off when an injury such as a sprain/strain or muscle pull takes place it is a normal body process for the area to swell and that is because the brain is sending blood, fluid, and nutrients to the injured area in an attempt to clean up the damage that took place and get the area healed. So swelling and inflammation is quite normal when an injury takes place. What is not wanted is the pain that goes along with the swelling/inflammation. The pain is mainly because your skin can only stretch so much, plus the skin is highly sensitive with tons of pain fibers so that when it is stretched past its comfort zone, pain results. When pain is present you always want to use ice and never heat. Ice will slow down the transmission of blood to the site, and allow the blood already there to do its job. Heat is a pro-inflammatory, which means it will draw more blood to the region. If there is already swelling, adding heat will only cause more blood to be drawn to the area, which will cause more swelling, which in turn will cause more pain. Ice should be used for 20 minutes on and 30-45 minutes off and repeated as often as possible. Ice can be ice from the freezer and put in a plastic bag, or a gel pack you leave in the freezer for accidents, or it can be a bag of frozen vegetables just make sure you use the veggies after done icing. Icing it once is not going to do much but repeating it will cause the swelling to settle down and the pain will decrease. Now one might ask well when do I use heat? you use heat when you feel stiff and sore. And it should be mosit heat never dry heat. Dry heat will dehydrate the area and that can cause muscle spasms. Moist heat such as a hot water bottle with a moist towel around it. Heat should be used when the person is not in pain but mainly feels stiff and sore. A good example of using moist heat in the right application would be a hot shower in the morning. Most people wake up stiff from sleeping in one position for hours. They enter the shower stiff/sore from sleeping and after the heat from hot water causse their muscles to loosen up and they move better. They move better because their muscles are more flexible by getting blood to flow to those areas. So if you feel older than your age use heat. If there is pain however, you go with ice. Ice trumps heat when pain is involved. Both should be done for about 20 minutes and then taken off for 30-45 minutes and repeated as often as possible. Remember what you do for an injury the first day or two can make things better when using the correct combination, but using the wrong combination can cause the injury to hang around longer and cause more pain. Its your body and your health so take care of it. Till later have a great day and God Bless. Dr. Joel

Summer is upon us and that means temperatures reaching into the 90’s possibly even into the 100’s. With that much heat it seems highly unlikely of pulling or straining a muscle due to not warming up properly but the truth is a lot of muscles are strained during the summer due to dehydration (not drinking enough water). The old RDA recommedations called for 8, 8 ounce glases of water so 64 ounces per day. The new recommedations say to take your weight and divide it by half. For example a 200 pound man should drink 100 ounces of water per day (200/2 = 100). Even more if doing a lot of work in the sun. Common side effects of dehydration include headaches, soreness, tightness, dry mouth and sometime heat exhaustion. Take care and drink up, water that is.

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