Inside a UNC lineman’s concussion ordeal

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Inside a UNC lineman’s concussion ordeal by Andrew carter is worth the read. As someone who treats people with concussions and have sustained my own concussion in 2017, I can say Andrew does a really good job of describing the injury. We’ve come some distance in recognizing concussions and there is still so much that we don’t understand about the brain. No two concussions are the same and each person experiences them differently in terms of symptoms and how long it takes to heal.

Something that is missing in the conversation of concussions and prevention of concussions is treatment.
The medical model of treating concussions is primarily pills to manage symptoms and wait and see. Many times these medications cause other symptoms to manage which ultimately puts more burden on the persons system and physiology.

Another way of approaching treatment is thru osteopathic manual therapy and craniosacral therapy. These modalities allow us to directly work with and affect the various tensions that happen from a concussion and traumatic brain injury. By assisting the body to move thru, unwind and discharge these tensions the body begins to heal.

The Upledger Institute did a pilot study with some NFL players with great results. Below are links to a couple videos worth seeing.

Juice Is Not The Health Food It Was Made Out To Be

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Opinion piece By Erika R. Cheng, Lauren G. Fiechtner and Aaron E. Carroll
“Drinking fruit juice is not the same as eating whole fruit. While eating certain fruits like apples and grapes is associated with a reduced risk of diabetes, drinking fruit juice is associated with the opposite. Juices contain more concentrated sugar and calories. They also have less fiber, which makes you feel full. Because juice can be consumed quickly, it is more likely than whole fruit to contribute to excess carbohydrate intake. For example, research has found that adults who drank apple juice before a meal felt hungrier and ate more calories than those who started with an apple instead. Children who drink juice instead of eating fruit may similarly feel less full and may be more likely to snack throughout the day.

There is no evidence that juice improves health. It should be treated like other sugary beverages, which are fine to have periodically if you want them, but not because you need them. Parents should instead serve water and focus on trying to increase children’s intake of whole fruit. Juice should no longer be served regularly in day care centers and schools. Public health efforts should challenge government guidelines that equate fruit juice with whole fruit, because these guidelines most likely fuel the false perception that drinking fruit juice is good for health.

It’s much easier to prevent obesity than it is to reverse it. We need to teach kids how to eat healthier when they’re young so that they develop good habits to carry on for the rest of their lives. In the past decade or so, we have succeeded in recognizing the harms of sugary beverages like soda. We can’t keep pretending that juice is different.”

Neck Tension And Self Care

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I’m a huge fan of Eric Franklin and The Franklin Method.  I don’t spend near enough time using his simple techniques at home.  However, this morning when I woke up with a stiff neck there it was, the latest blog post from The Franklin Method about easing neck tension.  I have to say it really helped!

Check out the video here.  It’s not very long but it is very useful.

The Psychological Importance Of Wasting Time

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This article is so relevant to our culture of work and busyness these days.  As a self employed person I can completely relate to feeling like I need to always be working – if it’s not one on one with my clients it’s research, studying, tackling the many lists of to do’s I have, and on and on…

Even weekends have slid into a mix of catching up on administration tasks and then some non-work activity.  I love what I do so I can find it challenging to pull away and take time off just for me.

This winter however, I had time to reflect on, and put into practice, the importance of wasting time.  Earlier this year I sustained a concussion and had no other choice but to wast time.  I can tell you tho, it did not come easy.  In the first few weeks of my concussion I fought the fact that I was injured.  I was resting yes, but I was still trying to work and keep busy.  My first thought was, well if I can’t physically be with clients I can catch up on reading and studying and research.  I’ve got my endless list of to do’s.  Well, I got shut down.  My body said, “No!!!  We can’t do this right now!”  I had to listen.  What a blessing it was.

I slowly learned how to let go of the “to do” and just “Be”.  I went for walks with no agenda, I sat and looked out my window on rainy days and just stared into the distance, I watched movies and let my mind wonder.  I actually learned how to day dream!

What a wake up call.  Prior to my concussion I was noticing a feeling of burn out and taking time off helped, but not totally.  During my recovery period I began to realize that I never really stop.  Sure I take time off and have weekends but I wasn’t unplugging.  Not even for half a day.

“Wasting time is about recharging your battery and de-cluttering,” he says. Taking time to be totally, gloriously, proudly unproductive will ultimately make you better at your job, says Guttridge. But it’s also fulfilling in and of itself.”

So, I am learning.  I’m now back to work and putting into practice the skill of wasting time.  I have to say, unplugging like this really does seem to cleanse my brain and make space so that when I come back to my tasks I feel ready to go.  My suggestion – give yourself permission to wast time!

FDA Issues Final Rule On Safety And Effectiveness Of Antibacterial Soaps

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Consumers don’t need to use antibacterial soaps, and some of them may even be dangerous, the Food and Drug Administration says. In 2013 the FDA issued a proposed rule that required companies to to provide data on products’ safety and effectiveness. Antibacterial hand and body wash manufacturers did not provide the necessary data to establish safety and effectiveness for the 19 active ingredients addressed in this final rulemaking.

For complete information on this new ruling check out the FDA web page

And also a short read from NPR

A Great Stretch For Forward Head Posture

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In my last post I talked about forward head posture or texting neck. The latest phrase I’ve heard is devise-itis. Whatever you call it, it’s definitely affecting a lot of people. In this post I want to share a neck stretch with you that I show all of my clients with FHP. Rather than describe it, I thought I’d find a video and post it here so you can watch it.

The video is from Yoga Tune up and is pretty much the same stretch I teach in my CranioSacral practice. This stretch is great for anyone who has a forward head posture, has had whiplash, general neck and shoulder tension, TMJ and even symptoms from carpel tunnel and repetitive stress issues of the arms and hands.

I give this stretch to my clients as part of their home care program. It’s a very effective stretch and a great way to help yourself between sessions. Check it out and if you have any questions feel free to contact me. Remember, posture is important for a healthy functioning body. Give some attention to your posture now. Watch the video, try the stretch and enjoy the freedom of movement you’ll get from this stretch.

Neck stretch for forward head posture