Spinal Health: The Right Routine With the Proper Focus

Spinal Health: The Right Routine With the Proper Focus

BIG “Thank you” to Dr. Lars Gunnar @vitalformchiro for not only being ROOT’s first guest blogger of 2018, but for also sharing his personal story that led him to becoming a Gonstead chriopractor and professional perspective on spinal health, its vital role in preventing disease, and spinal health tips you can integrate into your life today. Enjoy!

Routines can be both good and bad. They can keep us efficient and safe but also can inhibit us from growth. During high school, I had a very basic routine that revolved around one main focus: football. Football dictated my sense of the world and my obligations fluctuated between two priorities: 1) prepping and training for games and 2) pursuing the ladies (okay, so maybe there were two points of focus to my routine). It was a much simpler time when there wasn’t much to balance and I was ready for that “smooth sail” right into college sports.

All of that came to a screeching holt during a game senior year. A single bad hit not only ended my football career but also left me with blinding back pain. My whole world, my routine, was flipped turned-upside down. This pain prohibited me from practicing, playing or even sitting for longer than 5 minutes at a time. Can you imagine not being able to even sit? For those of you who’ve experienced this kind of physical trauma you know the toll it takes on both your body and your mind.

Overnight I felt like I was robbed of everything: my comfort, my dreams, and my mobility. My focus shifted from football and ladies to finding a solution to my pain and a way back to my life. My new routine consisted of a more complex round-robin style buffet of neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, and physical therapists all of whom were only able to provide short-term relief.

I tried just about every specialist under the sun until a family friend suggested a chiropractor who specialized in the “Gonstead protocol,” which consists of a series of X-rays, exams and neurological testing before any adjustments are made. The key difference was that his process focused the alignment on the 1-2 problem vertebrae instead of trying to tackle my entire spine. He was able to tell me exactly what was wrong, where and how I could correct.

The results were nothing short of a miracle. Now that I knew what to properly focus on, my routine changed again in an instant. I could move my whole body, sit for any duration, and finally sleep. This wasn’t a temporary fix but rather a shift in overall alignment and spinal health. I learned that the key to my wellness was my spine. I was so inspired by this transformation that I to became a Gonstead trained chiropractor to help others on their path to healing.

Throughout my day, I am incredibly fortunate to serve a diverse population that need care: acute injuries, chronic pain, infectious diseases, chronic diseases – all coming to my office for help. Through patient education and the experience of specific scientifically measured adjustments, my patients encounter first-hand how a functioning spine is a cornerstone of a healthy life.

Tips from a chiropractor

The feelings of frustration and panic that I felt right after my injury are something that everyone can relate to at some level, especially today. We all seem to be caught in a loop of organized chaos and a routine of short-term fixes. Even without any physical injuries per se, our ongoing quest to find the ever elusive “work life balance” takes a physical toll on our bodies. If I just look at Facebook and Instagram alone, it seems like everyone is working over 10 hour days, nurturing friends and family, working on side projects and still finding time to snap a flawless looking selfie. The more we focus on doing, the less we stop to align our body’s and mind’s best interest.

The truth is that many of us are just trying to survive within a demanding society and our biological functions (like breathing and digestion) as well as our needs (like sleep) have been drastically impaired. Stress, exercise, nutrition and sleep all play a role on our body and our nervous system because of how they are so closely tied to our spine.

In 1921, Dr. Henry Winsor (a medical doctor in Haverford, Pennsylvania) became fascinated with chiropractors and osteopaths and their ability to treat people suffering from conditions like heart disease, kidney disease, and lung disease without drugs or surgery. Winsor was inspired to investigate these practices and discovered that there was a near 100% correlation with the internal organs having some form of disease and the same area of the spine being mal-positioned. He also found that changing spinal curves in various degrees of flexion or extension changed the blood flow and nerve flow to the brain and organs.

What does this all mean? The way we move our spine influences everything and lack of movement impacts our organ health which could leave us vulnerable to diseases. Our spine gets nutrition from movement, which pushes nutrients in and pulls waste products out (like the inhales and exhales in breathing). Lack of spinal mobility or a toxic environment such as chronic inflammation or nutrient deficiencies will affect this process. So, what we put in our body is just as important as how we move our body.

When I work with my patients who suffer from similar and worse types of pain, diseases and discomfort, my approach is truly comprehensive. I encourage the following mindful movements and routines that focus on flexibility and also stimulate the nervous system in a positive way.

Reduce Stress: All of us are quite familiar with physical exhaustion- not having anything left in the tank to push through a workout or run another mile, but we are still so behind in prioritizing our mental and emotional exhaustion. These pain points look and feel quite a bit different than an achy back and some of us ignore it entirely.

Most of us have at least heard of the cognitive benefits of managing our stress which range from improved short and long term memory, boosted mental endurance and strengthened creativity. But more and more studies are showing that reducing stress can also have enormous impacts on our bodies. By decreasing stress, we can reduce the way we digest and absorb nutrients – vital to our spine, reduce systemic inflammation (whole body compromise/ contributor for chronic pain), strengthens our immune system and quite literally helps you live longer. What I recommend to my patients and myself:

  • Quieting and slowing your mind for a short time before you start your day or when you have a spare moment
  • Take periodic quiet minutes, yoga, self-talk and anything else that fills up your bucket (my personal favorites which keep me grounded so I can give my best to the next patient)

Take a breath and slow yourself down before you start your day to be the champion of your day.

Prioritize Movement: Spinal extension aka back bending isn’t just for stretching but actually increases blood flow and nerve activity to the brain by at least 30%. Don’t forget to stand up during the day not just because it’s good for your spine and joints but to increase your energy, ensure you’re getting proper oxygen and nutrients to your brain. What I recommend to my patients and myself:

  • Yoga asanas (poses) also have a muscular component and a visceral (organ) component and are great for feeding nutrients to the spine.
  • Spinal rotation, lateral bending and flexing all stimulate different organs to speed up or slow down with the ultimate goal of bringing balance to the body.

Get up and move, not just for aesthetics but for your entire well-being.

Minimize Toxins: I know that most of us aren’t actively seeking toxins – unless you’re a bad guy from a super hero movie – but simply being more conscious of what we buy can have tremendous impacts on our spinal health. What I recommend to my patients and myself:

  • Read food labels to make sure you are limiting refined sugars, artificial ingredients, preservatives and fake sugar substitutes reduces inflammatory processes. Some sugar substitutes have been shown to contribute to dementia, alzheimers and other neurodegenerative disorders.
  • Drink clean- purified or filtered water. Tap water is known to have trace metals that are detrimental to the health of our nervous system. Copper, mercury, manganese among other toxins are in tap water and these do not belong in our bodies at high levels.
  • Alkaline water has gotten quite a bit of traction over the recent years and the scientific data on it is still mixed. Does it affect your cellular PH in a positive manor? Maybe, but at the very least you are not consuming tap water or dead water (no positive benefit).
  • Sleep with your phone away from your bed- radiation emits from your phone and has been shown to be absorbed into neural tissue (YOUR BRAIN!) and cause damage to DNA.
  • Having a healthy environment in your body will help preserve health along with stimulating healing where it is needed.

“The preservation of health is easier than the cure for disease” – B.J. Palmer.

Get the Right kind of Sleep: Sleep has now been ranked second next to only food intake for importance in weight reduction and restoration of health. You need a nightly reset to allow hormones to stabilize, digestion and absorption to occur and recharge your learning/attention pathways in your brain. What I recommend to my patients and myself:

  • “Sleeping is a dangerous sport,” which simply means that position matters. There aren’t many activities we do for 6-9 hours at a time and sleep position can help or hurt us in our recovery process. Side and back sleeping are optimal positions while keeping the head in a neutral position.
  • If you want to avoid being hunched over later in life than don’t sleep curled up into ball, or using too many pillows which can all harm the spine.

You are what how you sleep.

The spine is the bridge between the brain and the body and the body to the brain. Having a properly functioning spine is the key to a metabolically balanced nerve system, long lasting health and an injury free life. Having your spine checked by a qualified practitioner that knows spinal mechanics, the art of a spinal correction and focuses on overall well-being is paramount.

For specific spinal corrections a Gonstead trained chiropractor will be your ideal practitioner. To find one near you there are multiple directories www.gonstead.com, www.gonsteadseminars.com. Choosing a practitioner can be difficult depending on your location as there are about 500 practicing Gonstead chiropractors in the world.

 

Dr. Lars Gunnar DC, BS, is a family chiropractor and the founder of Vital Form Chiropractic in Pasadena California. A graduate of San Diego State University and Southern California University of Health Sciences. Along with practicing the Gonstead system he has advance training in sport and extremity injuries, pregnancy care, pediatric development and scoliosis. Several individuals were instrumental in learning these skills including: Dr. Brad Ping, Dr. David Fowler, Dr. Jeremiah Thompson, The Gonstead Seminar staff, Dr. Ian Rossborough, Gonstead Methodology Institute and The Gonstead Clinical Studies Society. Dr. Gunnar’s goal is to inspire people to take control over their own health and to strive to be the highest expression of themselves.

To keep up with Dr. Gunnar follow @Vitalformchiro on IG and to learn more about his practice visit: vitaformchiropractic.com (coming soon!)

Ready to book your appointment with Dr. Gunnar?

Contact:

Vital Form Chiropractic
Institute of Functional Biomechanics

 

 

Following Through: What I Learned from Completing a Goal

Following Through: What I Learned from Completing a Goal

Happy New Year, ROOT Tribe! It’s 12 days in and I don’t know about you, but I’m already processing all of the feels around my 2018 goals and vision. I’ll admit that in most years, I don’t have much to show for reaching this two-week mark of the new year. My yearly routine usually goes a little like this:

  • Late December over a protein smoothie I start realizing that it’s the end of the year and I’ll need to start planning how I want the next one to pan out. I set my intention and start jotting down notes in one of my many journals to map out where I want to be one year from then. These items range from things I can control – connect with my fiancé more, get trims, be better about my personal meditation practice – to things that I might need the universe to help with a little – build a mega Yoga Therapy empire while remaining calm, focused and fully enlightened.
  • Late late December, somehow that smoothie has become pumpkin pie: I begin getting clearer about what it might actually take to meet some of those goals. I write out specific tasks and milestone around how this mega empire might come to fruition or, at the very least, I can find some snazzy pics that I can add to my vision board.
  • New Year’s Eve, while raising my glass for a festive “Cheers!”: “Woohoo, I’ll be unstoppable next year!”
  • Skip to second week of January, back to the smoothie but this time with an immune boosting essential oil added: I scrap all of the crazy moonshot goals (sorry, universe) and decide to cut my list of 15 things down to the top 3 most attainable – hair trims, more meditation and attend continuing yoga therapy education workshops and trainings.

Like most people, I have a fun pattern that starts with the good intentions of mental and written goals along with the occasional vision board to help me manifest what I want to accomplish by year’s end. Despite the usual methods of motivation and visualization, it seems like weeks blow by, or even the whole year in some cases, before we act on these hopes and dreams. Or maybe motivation isn’t the issue at all but rather fear of not knowing where to start or what to do once the wheels start turning – something I’m challenged with in my above-mentioned smoothie-pie-smoothie dance.

But this year was going to be different for me as I finally broke out of my pattern and did the unthinkable: set a big mega goal that I must follow through with by the first week of the year! Here’s how it happened …

As some of you know, I recently participated in the LA Yoga Expo. The Expo has been something I’ve always wanted to participate in, but timing and juggling my weekend school schedule made it pretty impossible. However, this year the Expo found its way to me! When I was invited to have an exhibit and teach at the event, I committed immediately. It was like the universe was calling my bluff and daring me to take it on in the height of the holidays (the Expo took place on January 6, 2018, so the timing was part of the challenge). I wasn’t going to let the universe mock me this way, so I said yes.

Take note that I had never done anything like this before. Other than needing a banner to display “ROOT Yoga Therapy” across the 6ft table that would be provided, I was clueless about where to begin. I began my research and brain-dumped my ideas with the ROOT team. I was officially in the expo flow and probably way in over my head. That’s the moment I learned:

Lesson #1: Commit before you think you’re ready. This will light the fire and create the energy to stimulate the process to reach for your hopes and dreams.

As the date of the event came closer, so did the holiday season. I had things in place and timed well, but one should always be prepared for the unexpected. It was New Year’s weekend and with holiday travels and personal life pop-ups, my web and design team were still working on a few key deliverables. My banner was unfinished (the main focal point of my booth!) and there was no way I could order it, print it, and have it shipped to me in time for a Saturday expo. Same thing went for the shirts and all the other “merch” I had in planned for. Most t-shirt printing places order shirts from third-party wholesalers so with NYE right around the corner, the work week was cut short and places were simply “closed for business”.

I felt everything was falling apart, including myself. I mean, how could I go to the expo without a banner to identify my exhibit? This got me nervous and by nervous, I mean anxious, frustrated, sad, defeated, alone, and hopeless. Oh yeah, pity party for one, stressed and having no fun. I nearly gave up and pulled out of the Expo. At that point I stuck my head up and learned:

Lesson #2: Have someone to keep you accountable. They will keep you honest, grounded and help you cut through your mental BS.

Thankfully, I have a close tribe to turn to when the going gets tough. They were willing to help in any way and despite my reluctance to ask for help, I started to delegate. We ran around the city rush ordering print jobs, used Amazon Prime more than ever in a 48-hour period and when I heard about heat transfers from an extremely helpful gentleman at the local FedEx, the possibility that shirts could be made in time was back in the mix! Yes, part of my tribe was Maurice from FedEx – bless his heart wherever he is. Thanks to my crew, including MVP Maurice, I was able to push through my to-do list and reclaim my calm after the panic and heart-palpitations from blowing my budget due to those pesky rush fees.

The day of the expo finally came and it was an absolute thrill. The response to our booth and work was overwhelmingly positive. We were able to introduce the ROOT brand and mission to such a broad audience and offer people a much-needed space to recharge at a very busy event – success! To think that I almost didn’t do it and that I almost gave up this goal due to fear and doubt. It made me think about all the other goals I’d given up on over the years and what would have happened if I stuck with them. And here we are at:

Lesson #3: Look Back. Reflecting on the experience serves in a big way. Not only do you create space to observe what you learn and where you can improve, you also open up the door to acknowledge and experience your accomplishment.

As I write this and reminisce on the challenges I faced and the amount of overwhelm I felt, I can’t help but feel proud of what I overcame to accomplish my goal. I clearly learned some hard lessons. I also was awakened to the fact that I am not alone, should not feel bad about asking for help, and that it’s important to allow yourself to let go of your plan. Sometimes that is the only answer to achieve these 2018 goals.

Stick with it, tribe! You got this.