However, that being said, there is a more important component that comes into play.  The strength of the core musculature is vital to maintain a healthy low back or for that matter an entire body frame.  As such the term “working the core” has become a popular exercise and fitness phrase in the last several years, but what does that mean. 

The “core” muscles are essentially all the muscles that help surround and/or support the spine to keep it stabilized, so that the rest of the body can work as efficiently as possible.  Many times when people want to work on their  “core”, they typically think doing a lot of abdominal work, and while the abs are important, there is more to it than just having strong abs.  We have to get further down and get at the little muscles surrounding the spine, the ones you will never hear advertised about on an infomercial, after all, what the heck is a multifidus? 

We also have to work on the little postural muscles(like the multifidus J) as well as the bigger muscles in the low back, glutes and hips.  I can’t tell you the number of patients I have seen over the years that come in with low back problems, but they have abs of steel from all the work they do on them, yet they have neglected the low back and glutes as well as the unknown smaller postural muscles. 

So, how do we strengthen our “core” then?  First, speak with either a chiropractor, a physical therapist or a well educated personal trainer to learn how to do proper technique on any and all exercises.  Then go to work on those abs(I usually will start people off with a very basic contraction of their abdominal wall, then I will work up to some crunches and some glute tucks etc.,  and then go on later to the obliques.  Remember, you don’t have to get fancy to be effective).  Second, learn to add in some form of hyperextension exercise for the low back(They make benches specifically for this exercise, but you can also start off just lying facedown on the floor and pretending you are superman for a few seconds at a time).  Third, and this is the most often left out part, get at those little guys around the spine by doing exercises such as a plank or some variation of a plank.  Do this routine for a while and you will notice much less low back pain and better posture in no time.

So what is that noise and is it necessary.  The answer really is quite simple.  The “popping” noise you sometimes hear is nothing more than air that has built up in a joint.  The 2 bones of a joint have a substance called synovial fluid that help keep them lubricated.  Think of it as oil for a joint.  At times, if there is enough friction between the bones, the synovial fluid will form a little bubble of air.  When you get adjusted, we essentially push the joint apart for a split second so that it can re-align right.  As this happens any bubbles in the synovial fluid will burst, making the “popping” effect.

Is it necessary for this to happen when you get adjusted?  The answer is no.  The “popping” noise has no effect on whether a joint has been realigned or not.  Some people tend to build up a lot of these air bubbles, while other people never have them.  I always tell my patients, “Some people pop like popcorn and others never make a sound, and we get great results for both categories of people in our office.”

So whether you “pop” or not, chiropractic may be able to help.

Now that you understand a little bit more about the muscles you can get a better grasp of why the rotator cuff becomes injured in sports so easily. The typical pattern begins with the athlete tightening up the external rotator muscles excessively by either working out or not stretching them out or many times, just by repetitive trauma due to the throwing or serving motion. Once the external rotators are not being allowed to stretch and flex their maximal amount(through this repetitive trauma) they become spasmed and some calcification begins to take place in the muscle(think of this like a person taking a paintbrush and dipping it in glue then just brushing it all different directions to patch a tear in something). Now the muscle is not able to function correctly and as stated it gets tight. Now remember the idea that the internal rotators are much stronger and think about your throwing motion. You go through several phases: The first being the “Cocking Phase” in which you take the arm back preparing to throw(external rotation), then you have the phase where your shoulder stops going back and is about the go forward and then you jump into the “Throwing Phase” in which your arm rapidly springs forward(internal rotation). Now all this happens in a matter of seconds, so think of how your shoulder must go from the external rotation to internal rotation extremely fast. Keeping in mind the internal rotators are much stronger, doesn’t it make since that if you external rotators are tight and not moving optimally when you rapidly flex the internal rotators, there will be some tearing in the muscle or tendons of those external rotators. Thus you now have a rotator cuff injury.

So, how is this prevented? Well of course one of the best ways is to warm up and stretch properly. Also there are various exercises to strentgthen the rotator cuff(you can get advice from me on these exercises, or you can contact any certified personal trainer to find out what will be best for you). Another thing that is vitally important is that when you have had some small injury in the shoulder, make sure you have your chiropractor check it out and treat it, thus preventing a major tear which will take months(and possibly surgery to fix). Prevention is always the key!

(Pictures above taken from Essential Clinical Anatomy by Keith Moore and Anne Agur)

 This is an extremely important nutrient for the body, but due to the relative toxicity of fat soluble vitamins, many people get nervous when taking in Vitamin A.  So first let’s be clear on that subject.  A toxic dose of Vitamin A for a normal healthy adult would be someone taking in excess of 50,000 IU for a prolonged period of time.  Please note, however that Beta-Carotene(a form of this nutrient that is often marketed as Vitamin A) is actually safe in general at much higher levels than this.  Beta-Carotene is actually a precursor to true Vitamin A.  If you are unsure about how much Vitamin A you are taking or should be taking, please consult your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

 So what are some of the uses for Vitamin A?

1. Eye Health
2. Immune Health
3. Bone Health
4. Liver Health
5. Skin Health

 These are just few of the places where Vitamin A is involved in maintaining a healthy body, but let’s focus in on 2 vital roles for Vitamin A.

 First, this nutrient plays a key role in protecting epithelial integrity, what that means in lay terms is that Vitamin A is essential to maintaining the membranes surrounding everything in the body including the cells themselves.  This is one of the reasons that you will notice that people with Acne are prescribed drugs (RetinA, Topical Retinoids, etc.) that are essentially megadoses of Vitamin A. 

 The other role we want to look at with Vitamin A is its place in the immune system.  Vitamin A, due to its place in maintaining membrane integrity is vital to the walls of the intestines.  Did you know that 70+% of your immune system is based in your intestines?   As a result when we get a deficiency in Vitamin A, and our gut lining begins to break down, we start losing a big part of maintaining immune health.  As a result we generally will see people begin to have all sorts of sickness, including allergic responses!  If you don’t get enough of this nutrient in your body, you are essentially setting yourself up for breakdown of your body tissues and as such you are much more likely to end up sick!

 So where do we get Vitamin A?  Food sources include Cod Liver Oil, Liver, Carrots, Mint, Spinach, Parsley, Turnip Greens, Cherries, Peaches, Chicory, Squash etc.

 As always, I recommend that you have this in the basic nutrition you take into your body via Multivitamin as well!

For more information, contact us at 512-321-9604

1. Diet sodas generally contain Aspartame, an artificial sweetener that has been shown over and over again to lead to various problems in your body.  Some examples include fibromyalgia, neurological dysfunction, etc.

2. Diet sodas or any soda for that matter, contains high levels of Phosphoric acid which can lead to deficiency in your body’s calcium levels as well as set you on a path to hyperacidity. 

3.  Diet sodas with caffeine often seem to be ignored on the caffeine levels they contain.  The average diet soda contains around 40 milligrams of caffeine per serving.  To put that into perspective the an average drip cup of  coffee is about 120 milligrams per serving.  People usually know about the coffee, but ignore the caffeine in the sodas.  It’s not that caffeine is an inherently bad substance, in fact it is probably the most studied nutrient in the world and proves time and again to be safe when done in moderation, and therein lies the key.  People that tend to drink large amounts of diet sodas can potentially become dehydrated due to the caffeine that they take in.  This leads to deficiency in multiple nutrients including Magnesium, Potassium, B Vitamins, etc.

Watch the following video to see how these diet sodas can mess with your system and ultimately lead to acid problems and weight gain:

Periodically, we will be adding some information on some of the more common sports injuries, how they happen, and how to prevent them. Stay tuned!

Where do you get magnesium from?: Nuts, grains, and dark green leafy vegetables are the best food sources. Depending on your particular situation, supplementation may be required. To find out, stop by our office.

1. Consultation and History with the Doctor

2. Complete Neurological, Orthopedic, and Chiropractic Examination(many patients have stated that I do a more thorough exam than they have ever gotten elsewhere.)

3. X-Rays(if necessary)

4. Treatment(in many cases)

Then typically on your second visit you will receive:

1. A complete and thorough Report of Findings

2. Treatment(in many cases)

3. A customized Treatment Plan set to your specific situation and needs.

As treatment plans go on, you will receive more adjustments, exercises, stretches, nutritional advice and supplements when necessary, and the best in wellness care and disease prevention.

Dr. Matt Parsons has spent much of his life devoted to health and wellness. An avid fitness enthusiast, Dr. Parsons began his pathway to health and wellness when he became involved in the athletic programs in his hometown of Taylor, TX. Dr. Parsons was involved in several sports over the course of the years, but took particular interest in powerlifting and football. He spent two years in high school powerlifting, earning third place in the Texas Highschool State Powerlifting Championships his senior year. He then went to Texas A&M and continued with the Powerlifting Team for the Aggies, qualifying for nationals for all four years he was eligible. It was at this point when Dr. Parsons turned his attention to chiropractic healthcare. Although he had been seeing chiropractors since a much younger age, the final decision to become a chiropractor came after various injuries he sustained which were made better, not by the medication he was given(it didn’t help), but through the use of chiropractic.

Dr. Parsons went on to earn his Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science from Texas A&M in December of 2000. He then moved on to Texas Chiropractic College. He graduated from TCC with a second Bachelor of Science degree, this one in Human Biology, as well as a Doctorate of Chiropractic. While there he also had the privilege of serving as his class Ethics Officer, and was President/Co-Founder of the Texas Chiropractic College Powerlifting Club. Dr. Parsons at that time also earned his certification as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

After graduating chiropratic school, Dr. Parsons went to work for Burow Chiropractic in Taylor, TX, serving as the Associate Doctor on staff. Over the course of his time there, Dr. Parsons continued to develop his skills in chiropractic, focusing on the treatment of families as well as spending much time working with several of the athletic programs around the area. Dr. Parsons stood the sidelines with the football team in Taylor and helped athletes from Thorndale, Granger, Hutto and Thrall while there as well.

Dr. Parsons also sees the need for proper nutrition in the journey to wellness and thus has also devoted much of his time to learning more on the subject. He attended a post-graduate class on clinical nutrition that consisted of over 300 hours of coursework, plus required case studies, a research project and several tests. He is now eligible to sit for his examination to earn a Diplomate in Clinical Nutrition.

 Dr. Parsons is ever-striving to improve himself and the lives of those he comes into contact with and is always willing and waiting to meet someone new from all walks of life. He has made it his goal to reach and help as many people through chiropractic as he can.