News Article as seen on MSNBC 7/6/10

Scottsdale Chiropractor, Dr. Wendy Weisflog, Provides Relief for Weekend Warriors
SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Today the recreational athlete has access to quality sports care and rehabilitation. With a foundation of chiropractic, the prevention and maintenance of sports related injuries is moving to higher levels. Practitioners offer a variety of techniques to assist the individual as a complete physical system, rather than trying to fix an isolated condition.

Dr. Wendy Weisflog, D.C., C.C.S.P., chosen as a "Top Doctor of 2009" by Phoenix Magazine, operates the Arizona Sports & Rehabilitation Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. She takes an advanced approach by introducing a variety of treatment options. "We don't stop with the traditional chiropractic approach," claims Dr. Wendy Weisflog. "We work with the complete individual, providing the right combination of treatments and focused lifestyle guidance. We help our patients not only deal with nagging physical problems, but set them up for long-term success."

Chiropractic deals with the structure of the body, with an emphasis on the spine. Manipulation or "adjustment" of the spine and skeletal structure is used to realign and relieve nerve interference or other malfunction. Spinal and joint alignment is the essential building block of resolving chronic injury.

Chiropractic is accepted as a viable approach, especially in sports medicine. In a 2002 study, 31% of NFL teams use chiropractors in an official capacity as part of their staffs, with trainer referrals to chiropractors approaching 77%.

Following chiropractic treatment, a prescribed course of activity allows the body to return to normal movement without causing further damage. Various forms of massage relax muscles and soft-tissue, allowing skeletal adjustments to be sustained. Length of treatment depends on severity of the injury and the patient's condition. At the appropriate time, exercise and strength training may be introduced to help the individual return to normal activity.

At Arizona Sports & Rehabilitation Center, the patient is encouraged to make lifestyle changes to avoid continuing aggravation. The recreational athlete benefits from the professionals that treat them, because the pros demand the best. Dr. Wendy Weisflog states, "We use a variety of programs depending on the attitude, commitment and needs of our clients. Some find acupuncture helpful, while others respond to E-Stim therapy, which involves mild electrical stimulation. Also, we give them a maintenance program which usually involves stretching and age-appropriate exercise, so they won't need a long-term rehabilitation period."

Today's amateur athlete has a wide range of top level options, all geared to getting back in the game, quickly and easily.

Sports Health Articles
authored by Dr. Wendy Weisflog
Published in Arizona Golf Magazine

FLEXIBILITY FIRST!

Are you tired of spending hundreds of dollars on golf lessons only to hear from your instructor “you are coming out of your swing” or “ you are coming over the top” and that is why you are slicing the ball! 

What can you do next if lessons can’t help with everything you need?  This is when you need to take a look into the “physical’ cause of the problem. If you do not take a look at this factor you most likely will continue to have the same golf swing problem. In order to correct the problem you have to know why it is happening.

There could be many factors contributing to the problem, but one of the most popular reasons that I will focus on  in this issue (and one of the most common that I find in my office)and on the course is TIGHT Hamstrings (located in the back of the legs). Those tight hamstrings also go hand in hand with low back problems  which are ever so common in the game today.

Golf flexibility is scientifically proven that “over-tightening” the muscles at the wrong time during the swing is one of the major causes of  bad golf shots.  Flexibility for golf will contribute greatly to improving distance, range of motion, power and accuracy.

I want you to try to do a swing once, and concentrate on what is going on with the back of your legs, if you feel any sort of uncomfortable pulling or the tightness in the hamstrings, that means  you need some flexibility training for sure!

One  stretch I can recommend to you to begin with to stretch your hamstrings, start out slowly, while standing, by bending over forward at your waist and have your legs straight, with a slight bend, and feet together, attempt to touch your toes, (he key word is attempt is meaning only as the DIRECTION to bend), it is not NECESSARY to touch your toes, but merely to feel a stretch in the back of the hamstrings, and hold it for about 20 seconds without moving, and repeat again.   

I like to treat tight hamstrings with a series of stretches, combined with neuromuscular (working with the muscle and the nerves ) treatment to lengthen these muscles out instead of being tight and contracted.  Specific treatment is performed on all of the muscles individually in the back of the leg, which is the key, since the hamstrings are made up of 3 main long muscles, each one is specifically targeted and treated so the  physical cause which may be  inhibiting your game can be diminished and get your game to come out on top and not “coming over the top:”

HINDER YOUR HEADACHE HAZARD!

I know some of you out there may leave the course with a headache after a sub-par performance on that given day. But, many of today’s golfers are in the Rough their whole game by battling that constant headache which can have a negative impact on each and every swing.

The most important aspect of trying to treat a headache is trying to figure out what type of headache it is and where it is coming from and why? Is it related to neck pain, the way you may sleep at night, or muscular-related?

Neck Pain
Most people report that their headaches start at the base of the neck, move up the neck, behind the eyes, into the temples, and into the head. Migraine sufferers know that pain on one side in the base of the neck may be the beginning of a migraine headache. The most common cause for pain radiating from the neck to the arm and the pins and needles sensation may be due to a pinched nerve in the neck.

TMJ-Syndrome
A commonly forgotten area in regards to headache the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the physical connection where the jaw meets the skull. The TMJ needed to keep the jaw in proper alignment, especially when talking and eating. A painful and clicking called Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJS).

Musclular-Contraction Pain
The most common form of headache is the muscle-contraction type. It is described as an achy or tight sensation, pressure, or constriction, especially in the back of the neck which often causes headaches in the back of the head and the temple region. The neck and head pain is increased with tension and stress and often occurs daily. There is a high association of TMJ Syndrome with this type of headache. Often times massage therapy is helpful for this condition.

Migraine Headache
This is very commonly misdiagnosed today, the Migraine has specific characteristics which diagnose it as such. Migraine headaches are also called vascular headaches, due to its throbbing or pulsatile characteristic. Often times, an aura precede the headache telling when it is coming on. The symptoms that occur before the migraine vary: They may involve symptoms of flushing or pounding, numbness, tingling, and even temporary paralysis on one side of the body, and the muscular system. It is often one-sided and typically resides behind the eye. For some, the best treatment is to be alone in a room and hope the migraine headache goes away in a short time. Normally this is not the case and the headaches last for several hours. Migraines can be elicited, provoked, or aggravated by changes in the patient's environment, such as menstruation, emotional stress, significant weather changes. Alcoholic beverages are also incriminated, as are processed foods containing nitrates, monosodium glutamate, hard cheeses, nuts, herring, chocolate, and caffeine. Allergic foods are also a common culprit.

These are just a few of the headache causes that I felt were most important to touch on. More often than not there is severe neck pain and tightness linked to the headache sufferer. I have not found a case yet that does not have tightness and is in serious need of stretches for the neck region. The TMJ is often overlooked, due to the stresses of today, It is necessary to release these muscles in this region because it is related to grinding and clenching during the night which causes tightness and muscle spasms relating to headaches

The most common relief for headaches, which we perform in our office, is done through a series of neck stretches, and muscular release concentrating on the the trigger points and spasms to rid the neck of its tightness in areas along the side and back of the neck, under the skull, and even along the TMJ Joint. The relief is immediate that the headache disappears! So I urge you to come on in and stop living with this constant hazard in your game, with this proper treatment you will definitely get your headache out of the rough!

HELP YOUR HIP HANDICAP!

Have you been on the course lately and at the top of your swing, you feel a stabbing pain within your hip? Your hips are a primary component with an accurate and powerful golf swing, since they tend to produces rotational force within that region.

Take a practice swing and try to concentrate how much you feel the need for your  hips rotate out and then in within that region, and now you will understand the need to free up that area from any  muscular tension and tightness and increase the range of motion of your hip region!  

With all of the emphasis today with the importance of a stable lower body, and proper rotation and weight transfer, healthy hips are required to have a low handicap!

Your hip region is made up of a “ball and socket” joint.  The ball is at the top of the thigh bone which fits into the pelvis and then is able to move around in that area.  The key to this area is all of the muscles which attach to the top of the thigh bone. They control every move your hip region takes, including your swing!  

The first basic step which should be evaluated when there is hip pain is the muscular component relating to the issue. Most likely the pain can be alleviated from proper muscular evaluation and treatment. In these cases, proper stretching and proper muscular treatment to the hip region can relieve the majority of the pain. After these techniques help the pain, proper strengthening exercises are given.  In some cases this is most likely diagnosed as a  possible “strain.”  This method is also used to treat some mild osteoarthritis cases before any alternative actions may be taken, if necessary.
    
Some common stretches you can do at home to stretch out the hip region is to lie on your back and pull your knee to your chest and then take it across the body to the opposite shoulder and you will feel a noticeable stretch within that hip socket.  Beginning some of these exercises along with a proper stretching guideline and a guided muscular flexibility treatment will lower you hip handicap for sure!!

FLAG YOUR FIBROMYALGIA

Fibromyalgia syndrome is a widespread muscular pain and extreme fatigue disorder.  Medical Doctor’s still do not know the exact cause, but one thing is for sure it is definitely widely diagnosed today, even in cases which it may not necessarily be Fibromyalgia.  I have seen  several patient’s  which have been “diagnosed” with this syndrome, and have seen how much the symptoms which make up the syndrome,  can have a negative affect on your golf game.

One of the most common complaints which I see, is being achy and sore all over.  Some may describe the pain as throbbing, shooting, stabbing and burning. Fatigue is usually present, the type in which people are totally drained of energy also the lack of  being able to concentrate goes along with this. More times than not the Patient suffers from a sleep disorder in which deep sleep was not achieved enough or was constantly interrupted.

Those of you which may suffer from this syndrome know how hard it is to concentrate on your game with being in pain all the time, or just not having a good night sleep!  And those of you that just have the pain without being diagnosed  need to pay attention to the warning signs so you can curb the symptoms from happening to you!

Since this symptom affects your achy muscles, there are some things which you can do about your pain instead of just trying to live with it or taking medication to try to decrease the pain for the mere moment.

These achy muscles usually have what is called  “Trigger Points” lying with in them. There are numerous spots of spasmed muscle tissue injury causing the pain throughout the body.  It is necessary to get these sore muscles worked out and get rid of these tiny knots, which only make the aches and pains worse.
                                                 
And even to you that have not been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, you know what I am talking about, those nagging little knots within your neck, upper back and low back that get in the way of you playing your best!  This article even applies to you.

Medications will not cure the symptoms, they will help to numb the feeling for a while.  The only way to feel better is to get the proper care, which consists of getting massages regularly, proper stretching, and have a trained Neuromuscular Dr work out the specific areas which are effected. 

These trigger points are a lot of little knots all “balled’ up within the muscle, and they need to be worked out to get rid of them for good and get you back to playing your best Fibromyalgia and pain  FREE!