Since having kids, I’ve had to reinvent myself again – working out has been redefined – a 30 minute run is now sometimes a long run, interval training is a sprint after kids on bikes with dog in tow. But being pregnant and having kids has given me another level of respect for chiropractic – I want to support women through their pregnancies and firmly believe that chiropractic care throughout pregnancy can have a positive effect on birth.
Archives for 2015
An Athlete
I’ve always had a passion for sports and athleticism and fell in love with cycling, running and triathlon in my twenties. I was enamoured with the training and the racing, as well as the inclusiveness of the competition. I loved having confidence that my body was strong – not only for sport, but for life. Chiropractic helped me through a lot in my (sometimes over-) training for marathons and Ironmans (including the unbelievable experience of Hawaii Ironman in 2004).
In turn, I’ve been able to help a lot of athletes of all abilities succeed in their training goals – from unwilling couch potatoes to weekend warriors to competitive athletes in various sports.
A Chiropractor
When I was younger, I knew I wanted to be in health care. When it came time to decide what schools I should apply to, I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by a group of people who had overwhelmingly positive experiences with chiropractic. I decided to check out this ‘chiropractic thing’ and applied to the college in Toronto – the idea of a profession that could help people realize their potential without the use of drugs was appealing to me. After I got into Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, I started to really understand what chiropractic is and there’s been no looking back ever since.
My goal is to help people maximize or re-gain their potential by taking care of the spine and surrounding joints and tissues. I encourage people to recognize that their normal doesn’t have to be – it can be so much more!
Who Cares About Pelvic Alignment?
As runners, we tend to be aware of our muscles when things start to go wrong – that familiar tweak in the IT band, the pain in the butt associated with Piriformis syndrome, the list goes on. The question is: Why do we get these problems? Often it is our body’s way of compensating for a misaligned pelvis.
What is a misaligned pelvis? To understand this, we need a basic background in anatomy. In its simplest form, the pelvis is comprised of the sacrum, ilium, ischium and pubis (the three bones are fused and commonly known as the “hip bone”). The major muscles that act around the pelvis are the glutes (maximus, medius and minimus), hip flexors (iliacus and psoas), piriformis, hamstrings and low back muscles (including the quadratus lumborum).
The sacrum and the ilium form the sacroiliac joint. If this joint is stuck or misaligned, it will not be able to move in its normal pattern. This will create pull on the muscles that act around it. Some muscles will compensate by becoming overactive. For example, the piriformis will start to contract or be overworked trying to help the joint. This will be felt as a pain in the hip or butt. The piriformis muscle is not alone in compensating for lack of movement of the sacroiliac joint. Any of the muscles that attach through the pelvis can be affected:
The hamstrings may become chronically tight
The adductors may get strained
The hip flexors may become chronically tight
The low back may become tight and sore.
The problems will also continue down the biomechanical chain: if the glute medius can’t function properly because the pelvis is misaligned, it will not be able to stabilize the hip. When heel strike occurs, the knee will now rotate excessively because the hip is unstable – leading to medial knee pain.
If you ever notice that you stretch and stretch and stretch but can’t seem to get a muscle to relax, chances are you have a misalignment. If the bones that the muscles attach to aren’t in the proper position, there is no way the muscles can relax – they will be overactive. Once proper pelvic mechanics are restored (often through chiropractic adjustments), the muscles can relax and be stretched effectively. Injuries are minimized and function is maximized.
It is incredible what a dynamic biomechanical machine our bodies are. With every step we place, our bodies go through a series of coordinated movements – the foot plants, the muscles in the foot and lower leg help stabilize contact with the ground, the muscles in the thigh help stabilize the knee joint, the muscles in the butt help stabilize the hip, the discs in the spine help absorb shock transmitted from the ground – you get the idea. Although the pelvis is only one link in this chain, it is a link that we as runners should not forget.