"Water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink... where am I?"

THE OCEAN!!! Hahaha... This famous childhood riddle is very fitting to my topic today... hydration!

Water makes up nearly 85% of our brain, about 80% of our blood and about 70% of lean muscle. Because our bodies are 1/2 – 4/5 water, then a lack of water - dehydration - could impact our health. If water is such a key component of our bodies, why do most people not consider it necessary to drink it? You would think that common sense would mean “ when you’re thirsty, take a drink. That’s what you need.” However, did you know that in 37% of Americans, the “thirst indicator” is so weakened in their bodies, that it is mistaken for hunger? People are dehydrated and don’t even know it!

Cassie, why are you talking about water? What does THAT have to do with chiropractic?

GLAD YOU ASKED! Let me show you…

In the immortal words of Tin Man: “Oooil caaan… Oh- oil my arms, please – oil my elbows. Oh!”

Water acts as the body’s “oil can”, if you will, to the joints. Since the majority of our body is made up of water, it stands to reason that it also includes our joints, ligaments, and muscles. Think of a prune. A raisin. Both, while once juicy pieces of fruit, are now dehydrated, wrinkled, and tough. Our muscles act in much the same manor. If you are not supplying enough water to your body, your muscles begin to shrivel and tighten. This can cause excruciating pain in the body that no amount of adjusting the spine can cure. Research shows that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain in 80% of sufferers. Wow!

It is so simple, yet we over look it. We often blame our dehydration symptoms on other things, but let me give you some statistics that might shock you:

• A 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on a computer screen or on a printed page.
• Lack of water is the Number 1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
• One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100 percent of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
• Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.
• Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45 percent, it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79 percent, and one is 50 percent less likely to develop bladder cancer.

I think that it is time to start taking our hydration more seriously. If not, you might find yourself one day to be high and dry…

Hip to be square...

Patellofemoral syndrome, also known as "runner's knee," is a fairly common knee condition that is treated in chiropractic offices. Treatments can consist of many different therapies from taping, mobilization, active stretching, or strengthening programs. Too many times, the treatment focuses mainly on the knee area, but in order to treat this condition most effectively, we have to consider the rest of the body as well. Instead of only focusing on local areas, you must look distal (away) from the site of injury... particularly the hips. That is where the focus of this article will be...

There are so many different causes of patellofemoral syndrome, the most common one being weakness in the leg muscles (i.e. hamstring, quadriceps, or TFL [Tensor Fascia Latae]). Recently, there has been a general shift in focus toward looking at hip muscles and joints, specifically the TFL. By adding strengthening of these muscles, we can not only decrease the pain associated with "runner's knee", but also increase mobility in the body during day-to-day tasks. "Hey Cassie! Tell me how!" Gladly... :)

Initial treatments should consist of mild to moderate stretching of these tight muscles as well as regular adjustments to the lumbar spine (low back). To the patient's tolerance, light exercises can be added into the treatment. Side-lying clam exercises should be initiated to address the TFL and gluteus muscles. The patient should be positioned in a side-lying position with their feet together and knees at 45 degree flexion. Then instruct them to lift the top thigh up and back.

Next, you can progress to weight-bearing exercises involving both limbs, such as squats. Throughout the duration of treatment, hamstring flexibility should be watched. If the length of the hamstring is reduced it can increase pain during these exercises.

The next phase of rehab can include single-leg weight-bearing exercises. These can be in the form of single-limb sit to stand, step-downs, squats, deadlifts, and eventually lunges. Lunges should be done with a long stride instead of a short step. Why? Short step produces more compression on the knee joint. The longer lunge puts more emphasis on the glutes.
*** Side note: When doing treadmill exercise, remember to lengthen your stride in relation to the above mentioned information. ALSO, make sure that the treadmill is not bringing your foot back on the stride. You should be pushing the foot backwards as if you were walking on a stationary surface. Why? Allowing the treadmill to do the work for you will cause over strengthening of the frontal leg muscles, but an overall weakening of the glutes and backs of the legs.

SO! LOOOOONG story short, though the hip joint is one of the most over-looked areas in the treatment and rehabilitation of "runner's knee", by addressing the TFL and hip joint with appropriate stretching, exercises, and adjustments, we can provide a much more effective rehab program.

Stay hip... and stay loose... :)