Brian Murer

Moderator: Good morning, everyone. We're joined today by doctors from Bloomington Sports and Wellness to answer your health-related questions. Director Brian Murer is here with Amanda Smith, associate chiropractor who has special training in complementary sports medicine and exercise and pain in pregnancy.

Brian and Amanda, thanks for participating in our chat. Are you ready to get started?

BRIAN MURER: Hello this is Dr. Murer and I'm ready.

AMANDA SMITH: I am here and ready to answer any questions that you may have.

QUESTION: Hi thanks for being here. I have had back pain on and off for about 6 years, it tends to manifest itself in the form of back spasms. By looks alone I have a huge imbalance in my erectors where my left side is extremely well developed as compared to my right side. I competed in a sport where this imbalance developed.

I am careful not to do any direct flexion of the lumbar spine when I exercise. but want to know what I can do to get the right side to catch up. Or should "catching the right side up" even be my approach? Additionally and I find this odd, when I directly load my spine in the form of back squatting I rarely see any problems, but when I do what is normally recommended and Front Squat I tend to see this issue arise more quickly.

Thanks

Steve, Bloomington

BRIAN MURER: Thanks for writing in Steve. This is Dr. Murer. I think, in terms of your imbalance between your erectors, an approach that tries to address the tightness and on the right (manual therapy, stretching) and "catching up" the left would be the best approach. Addressing your pain while working out. The front squatting tends to load the spine in a more complex way. I stick with back squats.

AMANDA SMITH: I am happy to help in anyway that I can, however, without actually seeing you and being able to do an examination it makes it a little more difficult to answer the question. It is important during any activity to have good spine and core stability. It is also important to have the correct muscle patterns firing while having others turned off. For the body to function optimally during an activity you need more than the big muscle groups but also the small intrinsic muscles working properly.

QUESTION: What are the benefits of going to a chiropractor? When do you suggest someone see a chiropractor? I have friends that swear by it but say once you go, you're hooked and it requires frequent visits. Is that true?

-- Sarah Morin, Bloomington

AMANDA SMITH: A chiropractor can help the body by working on the nervous system and the nerves that supply the muscles. Anyone can see a chiropractor at anytime. Some people prefer to see a chiropractor for body maintenance and keep a regular schedule as to how often they come in and want to be seen while other people prefer to see a chiropractor just when they are having any aches and pains.

QUESTION: Hello Drs. Murer and Smith,

I’m wondering if it’s a coincidence that my neck has been sore for two months, when I look to the left and right, and I’ve been trying to “improve” my running form during this period, too. Are there some common running form mistakes runners make that contribute to sore necks or tight shoulders?

Thanks, Tracy

Tracy James, Bloomington

BRIAN MURER: Hey Tracy,

As you know, everything is connected. This includes the primary running muscles in the lower half of the body and the postural muscles of the neck. The most common upper body mistake that runners make is that they try to move their upper arms too much. This can eve occur subconsciously when one is concentrating on making changes in the lower half of the body.

QUESTION: Besides occasional manual therapy, what are some suggestions/tips for runners with chronically tight hips and adductors? Thanks.

Jessica, Bloomington

BRIAN MURER: Thanks for asking Jessica. The most common mistake I think that avid runners make is that they don't really commit to variety in their workouts. Its very easy to run. That's why most people do it . Throw on a pair of running clothes and shoes and your on your way. The ease and the "bang for the buck" you get for running makes it easy to avoid cross training. I would find an exercise option that challenges all of the planes of movement that the body moves. Running mostly groves the saggital or front to back plane. Pilates, yoga, and weightlifting done on a consistent basis brings balance to the body and help runners develop overuse syndromes like your talking about. So, find variety and stick with it!

AMANDA SMITH: Jessica thank you for your question. Knowing your body and how much it can take is important with any chronic issue. Problems may come from your toes to the swing of your arms and anywhere in between during your gait cycle, so having someone take a look at how you run may be beneficial. I would think activities in water from time to time along with active release technique may also help.

QUESTION: I ripped a disc once while indulging in water sports, with my usual lack of grace, while on vacation in Wisconsim. My lower back muscles seized up a couple of days later, landing me in the hospital. The pain was acute. But then I was administered a spinal epidural full of steroids, and it was like waving a magic wand. I walked out of the hospital shortly thereafter and took my kids to a ballgame that evening. So in the wake of Mark McGwire's public admission yesterday, what can you tell clients -- especially kids -- about the legitimate use of steroids as opposed to abuse? What sort of message would you like high-profile people such as McGwire to deliver about steroids?

Andy, Bloomington

BRIAN MURER: Andy,

The kind of steroids that you were given in the hospital were not of the performance enhancing type. Regardless, this was an acute medical situation and you were supervised by a doctor. So, if were talking about anabolic versus corticosteroids ( the type you were give), its a difficult conversation because young kids are given so many conflicting signals. With the young athletes in my practice, I have lengthy conversations about the dangers of anabolics. I think that is the best thing I can do is stop what I'm doing and take whatever time I must. The message always is that the risks are never worth the short term gains.

QUESTION: Hello Both,

I badly sprained my ankle around 5 months ago - I have since stopped running as it just doesn't feel strong, and I still have pain e.g. when I balance on just that leg.

Is this normal, and should I consider seeking some treatment to get this ankle back to it's former health?

Thanks.

Catherine, Bloomington

BRIAN MURER: Catherine,

Five months is a long time to still be feeling the pain in your ankle and I would have it looked at. There is long list of things that must be ruled out before traditional therapy can be started. If all serious pathology can be ruled out, then conservative approaches like we perform in our office i.e. Active Release Techniques, Frequency Specific Microcurrent and functional rehabilitation should help you out.

AMANDA SMITH: Catherine, thank you for your question. While I was at Logan College of Chiropractic, we did a senior research project on ankle injuries and the effects of Kinesio tape. Kinesio tape helps with joint proprioception, swelling and stability if it is applied properly. I encourage you to try and see how it can help you too.

QUESTION: OK, I have another question ... what do you two think of barefoot running? Thanks, Tracy

Tracy James, Bloomington

BRIAN MURER: Tracy,

The first time I was exposed to the idea of barefoot running was back in the 1990's during discussions with Brooks Johnson the legendary Stanford Track and Field coach. Even back then Brooks was concerned with our dependence on "high tech" shoes. I kept this in mind when I was a college track coach. We did parts of our warm ups and and cool downs in bare feet. The year that I added these barefoot drills our injury rate decreased by 50% in our event groups. As far as long stretches or work outs in bare feet, I'm not very versed on the research or technical aspects of such a program. Sorry.

QUESTION: I'm 55 years old and friends insinuate that I'm nuts for continuing to run/jog. They say I'm killing my knees. From what I understand, the knee joints get their lubrication from compression - the impact of walking and running. So while I do struggle sometimes with arthritis and tendonitis, it the knee thing seems to be a wash. Agree or not?

Mike, Bloomington

BRIAN MURER: Mike,

This is a very tricky subject. Many factors play into a decision to "retire" from running. As they said in the Indiana Jones movie, "Its not the years. Its the mileage." That phrase means this to me. When did you start running? What kind of other damage have you had to your knees (torn cartilage, torn ligaments). What is your body type? I'm an ex-hammer thrower and I have to watch my miles because of the pounding. What is your over all state of fitness and musculo-skeletal stability? ( see my response to Jessica's question) My general opinion is this. If you don't have a negative contributing factor that would require you to stop. Keep running. Movement is life.

Moderator: That's all the time we have for today. Thanks for all the questions.

Brian and Amanda, thank you for joining us. Any wellness advice or tips you'd like to pass along before you leave?

BRIAN MURER: This is the time of year for New Years fitness resolutions. One of the most common factors that derails new workout programs is injury. I would suggest starting slow and getting a functional stability examination to see where your weak links are located. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Readers can contact us for this functional stability check up at our office. We can be contacted at www.bloomsportsandwellness.com Thanks for the great questions everyone.

AMANDA SMITH: Thank you all for your questions! I enjoy helping out anyway that I can. I am a graduate of Logan College of Chiropractic and certified in Lower Extremity Active Release Technique. I am finishing a Masters in Sports Science and Rehabilitation and enjoy working with athletes and low back pain due to pregnancy. I am taking new patients, so please feel free to schedule an appointment at Bloomington Sports and Wellness.

Amanda Smith