There are many different causes for what many people refer to as sciatica (a sharp pain down the back of the leg), one of which is called piriformis syndrome.  This occurs when the piriformis muscle tightens up and irritates the sciatic nerve, the main nerve that innervates the leg.  To understand why this occurs we must first look at the anatomy.  The piriformis muscle is locate deep to the gluteal muscles, and attaches from the tail bone (the sacrum) to the hip bone (the greater trocanter). 
   Many people describe the pain as a tightness in their buttock accompanied by shock like pain down the back of their leg, some also experience numbness and paresthias (the same feeling you get when your arm or leg 'falls asleep').  Once a patient has been diagnosed with piriformis syndrome the next step is treatment.  Manual therapies, including soft tissue work and stretching will effectively help treat the muscle and decrease the pain symptoms.   Below are a few examples of piriformis stretches.  If you are having buttock and leg pain it is best to consult your chiropractor or primary care physician before starting to treat the symptoms yourself as there are much more serious conditions that could be causing the same pain.

Lay on your back and cross one leg over the other.
Wrap your hand around your leg that is not crossed and pull it towards yourself.
Hold for 7-10 seconds and repeat 2-3x.

This is the Yoga pose called Half Pigeon
You start on all fours, then cross one leg over the other.
Slide your non crossed leg back and then lean forward, supporting yourself on you elbows (as seen here) or rest your forehead on the floor.
Hold this pose for 45-60 seconds.
This is a much harder stretch to do and I suggest taking a few yoga classes before trying this one.

    Whenever it rains everyone always says "it’s a movie/TV day," but it doesn't have to be that way.  Although it might not be that nice outside, there are more options for things to do on a rainy day.  Since the upcoming weekend doesn't look like it will be that nice I thought I would share some different ideas to stay active instead of being a couch potato. 
1. Go to the gym.  Actually use that gym membership that you pay for and go get some exercise.  Maybe there is a class you have been wanting to try out or (like I previously posted) you can catch a movie while you do some cardio.
2. Go shopping.  This doesn't have to be clothes shopping and in fact you don't have to even buy anything.  Go walk at the mall and window shop or get your weekly grocery shopping done.  Rainy days are also a great time to catch up on doing errands that you normally wouldn't want to do on a sunny day.
3. Clean the house, and by clean I mean cleanse.  I know that it is officially summer now, but it's never too late to do some spring cleaning.  Go through your closets, garage, or attic and get rid of anything you can do without (it feels very empowering).  You can donate or recycle items that you don't want any more at your local Salvation Army or church. 
4. Go to a museum or exhibit.  I know that the 'Body' exhibit is not currently in Albany, but I am sure there are a handful of exhibits or museum in or around the capital region that are worth checking out.  One of my favorites is the Racing Museum in Saratoga.
5. Try an indoor sport.  Bowling and racquet ball are both really fun sports.  If the last time that you went bowling involved a school bus and permission slip then maybe it is time to revisit the bowling alley.
6. Cook something from scratch.  Sometimes we just don't have enough time in the day to even throw a frozen dinner in the microwave, so why not take the chance on a rainy day to make a delicious meal complete with a salad and tasty dessert.
7. Pamper yourself. This could mean many different things.  For some it might mean a full out day at the spa, but it doesn't have to be.  Soak in a bath or give yourself a manicure or catch up on some rest, it's your decision.
8. Catch up with friends and family.  Maybe you could host a small get together at your house.  Nothing fancy, just a few people who you could enjoy a glass of wine with and chat.  Talking to others can relieve stress and research has shown that talking actually makes us happier.
    When all else fails make it a game day, read or do a puzzle.  Sometimes it is nice to get away from the computer and TV and just hang out with friends and family (not to mention that too much time staring at a screen can be bad for our posture...see my post from a few days ago).  Rainy days can be fun and memorable; you just need to use your imagination.

    A chiropractor is a neuromusculoskeletal specialist.  We deal mostly with back and neck pain, but we can sometimes help with aches and pain in the arms and legs as they can originate from the nerves in the neck and back.  We can also treat whiplash, headaches, disc problems, muscle spasm, and sciatica (to name a few).  After a thorough history a chiropractor performs an evaluation, which involves looking at muscle strength, nerve function, reflexes, range of motion, and the results of any orthopedic exams (further examinations including x-rays may or may not be needed depending on the mechanism of the injury).  Once a diagnosis is reached a treatment plan is developed and the patient is educated on their condition.  Depending on the injury, we may begin by treating the soft tissue through electric stim, manual soft tissue work, or passive stretching.  Once the muscles and any inflammation have been addressed it is usually (but not always) time for an adjustment to be performed.  With precise positioning and manual pressure a chiropractor is able to move specific joints.  Movement in a joint helps to decrease pain, speed up healing, and increase range of motion.  By the end of a chiropractic treatment you should be able to feel and function better (hence my motto).

    In today's society it is hard to function without the use of technology, especially computers and cars.  Unfortunately operating both of these commonly used objects can put a lot of stress on our shoulder and neck muscles.  When your body is stuck in these positions for any extent of time, some muscles start to tighten and develop trigger points while other become stretched out and weakened.  Take a look at these two pictures:
    Both pictures show very similar postures.  Here is a breakdown of what is happening in both pictures: the chin is jutted forward, tightening the muscles in the upper neck where the skull is connected to the spine and shortening the SCM (the primary muscle responsible for turning your head, connecting your sternum and collar bone to your skull just behind your ear); both shoulders are raised, making the distance between the ears and shoulders shorter than it should be (this can cause more trigger points in a different muscle called the levator scapulae, the muscle that is used whenever you shrug your shoulders); lastly the upper back is rounded, adding to the compensation that must be made by the neck.  
    In addition to causing trigger points and muscle fatigue in the upper back and neck, this posture can be the cause of headaches.  When the chin is jutted forward the muscles of the suboccipital triangle are engaged (rectus capitus posterior major, obliquus capitus inferior and obliquus capits superior).  Check out the picture below to get an idea of where these muscles are, all the muscles mentioned are highlighted in pink:
The nerve that goes through this triangle is called the dorsal ramus of the C1 sub occipital nerve (basically just a small portion of the sub occipital nerve).  When we are stressed or spend long amounts of time in a forward head posture these muscles will contract and eventually form trigger points which can then cause headaches.  Headaches caused by this mechanism are usually located around the base of the skull.  
    Another cause of headaches, due to the same posture, is from trigger points in both the upper trapezius (which lay between your shoulders and neck) and the SCM (the same muscle discussed earlier).  When trigger points can either be active or latent.  When they are active that means that you can experience pain in a referral pattern without any pressure being applied to the trigger point.  On the other hand if you have a latent trigger point (which are more common), you only experience pain in a referral pattern when pressure is applied (like when you get a massage or when someone rubs your shoulders).  Below are the referral patterns for the upper trapezius and SCM (respectively):
 So what can be done to avoid these headaches?  First off if you drive a lot during the day or if your job requires you to be in front of a computer screen for most of the day you will want to pay attention to these tips:

1. Make sure to take breaks.  Get up and move around during the day, taking at least a minute or two every 15 minutes to stretch your neck and walk around.  This goes for people who are work as truck drivers too, just make sure to be safe while driving and take walking breaks every few hours or more often if needed.  

2. Try the following stretch.  Note that the patient is reaching over his head and pulling it down towards his one shoulder while he stabilizes with his other hand on the table.  When you first start to use this stretch, try it without the stabilizing hand.  As you get used to the stretch you can hold on to your seat with the other hand or sit on it to get a deeper stretch.  An easy modification to this stretch is to turn your head in toward the armpit of the hand that is raised.  This modification will help stretch out different muscles.

3. Be mindful of your posture.  While you are driving or sitting, check every few minutes to make sure that you are not slipping into a forward head posture.  Activate you abdominal muscles, sit up straighter, and tuck you chin in and down.  

    Even with all these helpful tips, it is still possible that you can get trigger points in the muscles mentioned.  That is why I recommend that my patients come in for a 'tune up' every few weeks.  With a little muscle work and a gentle adjustment you can help fight the battle against bad posture and dull achy muscles.

    I don't mean to miss lead people by the title.  What I wanted to talk about today was the latest innovation in cardio equipment.  Having just joined a local gym early this spring, I was amazed at the new technology.  When I walked in the gym for the first time I was stunned to find a flat screen TV mounted in front of every eliptical and treadmill.  At first I wasn't sure if I could get used to having the TV be so close to my face, but after taking a short jog I was hooked.  It amazes me at how fast the time goes by when I run now.  I am a bit of a slow runner, and I like to do a warm up and walk inbetween miles, so I can usually walk/run about 2.5 miles in a half an hour.  On average you can burn about 100 calories/hr running and 75 calories /hr walking (men usually burn more than women simply becuase they weight more, these stats are for an average sized woman).  This means that I can burn about 225 calories in a half an hour by simply jogging while I watch the same TV shows that I would have normally watched while sitting on the couch (and possibly consuming 225 calores worth of snacks).  
    If you are one of those people who doesn't like to run with headphones or have a TV 2 feet from your eyes, there are other options (at least at my gym).  One of the other features at the gym I go to is the cardio-cinema.  They play a different movie everyday on a large screen and have tiered levels of cardio equipment.  It's dark inside and the surround sound is turned up so you can hear the movie over the sounds of people running and the machines moving.  I love having this option because they sometimes play movies that I have recently been released on DVD and I haven't seen yet  (so I am motivated to stay for the length of the entire movie, even if it means walking/running more than usual).  While watching TV or a movie may not be your cup of tea, it keeps me motivated, and that is what's important.  Find what motivates you at the gym and use it to your advantage.

    Obesity has been on the rise for the past decade or so in this country.  It is estimated that 2/3 of the American population is overweight or obese, with complications from excess weight and inactivity accounting for more than 300,000 deaths per year (the second most common preventable cause of death, only behind smoking).  With fast food being cheap, easily accessible, and well… fast, it is no wonder that people in America are struggling to keep the weight off.  More important than the weight itself, are all of the health problems that go along with being obese.  Health problems associated with excess weight include: heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis (to name a few).  Being overweight also puts stress on the back, legs and internal organs which can result in chronic pain.
    A general way to check to see if you are overweight or obese to look at your BMI or Body Mass Index.  Your BMI is calculated by multiplying your weight in pounds by 700, dividing the results by your height in inches, and then dividing that result by your height in inches a second time.  There are many websites out there that will do this math for you, one being the National Heart Lung and Blood Association.  Just click the link and type in the information.  After clicking submit, check to see where your BMI falls on the chart to the right.  A BMI between 25-29.9 is considered overweight while a BMI over 30 is considered obese.  While this system is helpful as a general overview to check your weight, it should be noted that other factors are not calculated into the equation.  An example would be a very muscular body builder (who may have a higher weight due to muscular build).  
    A better way to evaluate your body fat is by having someone measure you with body fat calipers.  Usually personal trainers or nutritionist will have these on hand.  Using these calipers they can evaluate your percentage of body fat and tell you whether or not you should try to lose weight.  Usually 25% body fat or less for women and 17% body fat or less for men is considered average.  
    While Americans may be over fed, they are still undernourished.  This means that it is even more important for people to start thinking about exactly what they are fueling their bodies with.  A general rule to follow is to make sure you 'eat the rainbow' when selecting foods to eat.  Most of the foods that are fattening are brown.  Think about it: bread, rice, anything fried... it's all brown.  Instead of waffles or cereal in the morning choose a bowl of fruit or veggie omelet; instead of a sandwich for lunch try a homemade soup; for dinner, instead of chicken and potatoes, make a stir fry with veggies and lean meat.  Making small changes like this can have a great impact on your overall health, giving you more energy and reducing your risk for many of the preventable disease listed above.  There are hundreds of websites and blogs on the internet with ideas for healthy meals.  If you want to submit a favorite recipe, feel free to comment below. 

    Summer is just around the corner and with the capital region temperatures breaking into the 90s today it is important to stay hydrated and stay safe.  There are three main ways that fluids are able to leave the body.  We lose water through breathing (as we humidify the air that we expel and intake), waste removal (bowel and bladder function), and by sweating (our bodies own A/C system).  If we lose too much fluid we then become dehydrated, which can lead to serious health problems (ie. kidney failure, coma, shock, etc).  Some of the signs/symptoms of dehydration include: thirst, concentrated urine, dry mouth, nausea, muscle cramping, and lightheadedness.  This is not a comprehensive list, but these signs/symptoms are among the most common.  
    Since about 75% of our body is made up of water it is vital that we stay hydrated.  The best way to beat dehydration is to prevent it all together.  If you work outside or you plan on being outdoors at all on these hot days it is important to pack a large water bottle to bring with you, and start drinking it before you get thirsty.  Unless you are an endurance athlete or are performing heavy manual labor, stick to water and avoid heavily sugared sports drinks.  Also make sure to wear sunblock.  Getting sunburn can cause blistering which will lead to further dehydration (along with possibly leading to skin cancer).  Lastly, be sure to take a few breaks throughout the day.  These breaks will give your body time to rest and allow you to some time to drink more water.  Remember to be safe this summer, drinking water throughout your day!

"Water is life's mater and matrix, mother and medium.  There is no life without water."
-Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

    There has been a drastic change to the food pyramid, in fact it's not even a pyramid anymore, but a plate.  I am glad to see many of the changes that have been made, but there are still a lot of things that the plate doesn't address, such as proportion size and fat intake (which is not even shown on the plate).  The plate, seen below, is divided up into 4 sections: fruit, vegetables, grains, and protien.  There is also a small circle, seperate from the rest of the circle, labeled dairy, which I assume is supposed to represent a glass of milk.  Overall I agree with the proportion sizes they have laid out on the plate.  As a nation we need to cut down on grains and protein and amp up the veggies and fruit on our plates.  The plate, unlike the pyramid, is much more staight forward and allows people to see exacatly how they should proportion their chicken intake with their brussel sprouts.  If you want more information on myplate check out this: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/.