Because I honor the inborn potential of everyone to be truly healthy.

Because I desire to help the newborn, the aged, and those without hope.

Because I choose to care for the patient with the disease, not the disease.

Because I wish to assist rather than intrude; to free rather than control.

Because I know doctors do not heal, only the body can heal itself.

Because I have been called to serve others.

Because I want to make a difference.

Because Everyday I get to witness miracles.

BECAUSE I KNOW IT IS RIGHT

cAN Distraction tHERAPY hELP mY pAIN?   - Back to Top

Though each patient is different and no doctor can guarantee success, the clinical results of this type of therapy have been effective in over 75% of patients treated. The common cause of many back conditions includes damaged discs and poor spinal muscle control. Our treatment program addresses both of these core problems. Distraction therapy creates a controlled unloading of the vertebra to decrease disc pressure thus increasing blood and nutrient exchange. This exchange of fluids is something the damaged disc desperately needs to help it heal from the inside out. Muscle strength, control and endurance can all be improved with other facets of Distraction Therapy that include specific controlled exercises.

How long will my treatment program be?

It depends on the complexity and extent of the rehabilitation needed, however we typically treat 3 times a week for 1 month, transitioning from passive to active treatments as you respond. The treatment is administered over a reasonable time frame and your response is continually evaluated. Further treatments may be necessary or a reduced frequency may be recommended at this time. The rehabilitative phase may include additional Distraction Therapy treatments, with spinal adjustments to enhance the results. Most patients are released from treatments after 8 weeks.

Pleasant Hill Chiropractic

Corey Piva, D.C.

Fall Health   - Back to Top

The fall season brings to my office more athletes, hunters and those who work outside complaining of muscular aches, pains, strains and sprains. Why do our muscles ache, spasm, strain and tear? The primary reason in my opinion is a lack of proper conditioning and flexibility. If your muscles are overloaded and pushed to their perceived limit they will spasm to protect them from tearing. This is an oversimplification but a sound one. If your muscles are well hydrated, flexible and balanced they well be better able to carry out all the contracting when running, jumping, quick starting and stopping and even relaxing that they must do every day. The purpose of this article is to explain what you can do to prevent tears, spasms, and strains and if you are past prevention and into an injury I will explain what I can do to help you.

For the athlete and/or anyone engaged in a job that requires strong muscular exertions you need to make a habit out of heating/warming up then stretching your muscles every day.. If you brush your teeth twice/day make the time to spend 10 minutes twice a day warming up your muscles and doing a full body stretching regiment. Compliment your stretching by exercising your muscles with resistance in a controlled manner (weight training) so that when you are forced to contract your muscles in uncontrolled situations such as quick starts and stops in sports such as football and basketball or maintaining your balance or lifting drywall at a work site, your muscles have the conditioning not to spasm and the flexibility not to tear.

The following is brief outline of what my prevention recommendations entail.

1. Warm your muscles. It would be preferable to use exercise as the warm-up ( walking, treadmill, bike for 10 min and or a few light sets with resistance with respect to the muscle group you intend to exert. If exercise is not an option use moist heat on the muscles you expect to exert.

2. Stretch the muscle and hold the stretch for at least 10 seconds rest and repeat. Each muscle should be stretched at least three times. Remember not to bounce the stretch. Proper technique is important. If you need specific stretches please feel free to come by the office and we well provide you with examples of stretches.

3. Use resistance to train your muscle to be able to withstand exertions. In my experience most muscular strains and tears and spasms occur when the muscle must decelerate ( slow down to a stop before being exerted aging). Deceleration cause the muscle fibers to contract more than when they accelerate. Two ways to train the deceleration fibers of the muscle is eccentric training (pushing/contracting the muscle against an immovable object) and two incorporating “negatives” into your resistance programs. Negatives is fighting the relaxation phase of the muscle contraction ( i.e.; if you were to do a leg extension, the positive part of the movement is upward movement and the negative part is the downward movement, 2 seconds for the positive and 5 seconds to resist the negative). I would recommend that you do some type of eccentric and negative workout for each muscle group at least once a month.

4. Diet. Drink plenty of water to keep your muscles well hydrated. Consume foods rich in magnesium, calcium, and potassium.

Fibromyalgia   - Back to Top

Fibromyalgia, a complex syndrome with no known cause or cure. The purpose of this lecture is to educate and empower you with knowledge of nutrition and lifestyle changes that may help you and/or someone you know deal with their pain. Natural alternatives of chiropractic therapy and acupuncture will also be addressed.

Who is afflicted; predominantly white females between the ages of 20 and 50 suffering from pain every day all over their bodies--plus fatigue, insomnia and depression.

Signs and symptoms; pain in fibrous tissues, muscles, tendons, and ligaments.. Trigger points or tender points (as seen in the picture above) are used in the diagnosis of fibromyalgia (a patient would usually have 11 of 18 points positive).

Nutrition; My suggestion would be to use an alkaline diet using fresh fruits and vegetables combined with lean sources of protein and slow burning carbohydrates such as beans, whole grains and vegetables. Remove processed foods, refined carbohydrates, polyunsaturated vegetable oils, trans-fatty acids such as margarine and hydrogenated oils from the diet. Drink more water to flush out toxins. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and sugar as these substances increase fatigue, muscle pain and can interfere with sleep patterns.

Supplementation; Omega-3 fatty acids and flaxseed oil have been shown to help reduce joint pain. Magnesium has been shown to aid in muscle repair and muscle relaxation and counter balances calcium in the cells. Ginger Root for inflammation reduction.. CoQ10 to supply energy to muscles to combat fatigue. Turmeric, Grape seed extract, Echinacea to improve the immune system. Vitamins B for stress reduction , Vitamin C and E for better immune function. Valerian to help reduce pain and nervous tension.. When ever adding supplements to your diet it is imperative that you first check with your doctor and pharmacist to insure that there would be know contraindications with respect to any medications you are taking.

Exercise; Although people suffering with fibromyalgia may not want to exercise due to pain, a moderate exercise plan would help to improve muscle fitness and blood circulation within the muscles which can help reduce muscular pain and tenderness..

Chiropractic Adjustments; Can be useful in opening joints and relaxing taught and tender musculature.

Acupuncture: Traditionally used with respect to spleen and kidney meridians to relax muscles and reduce stress. Can be used at individual trigger-points to draw blood into the muscle to allow muscle fibers to relax. Can also use an acupuncture cupping technique without needles to stimulate blood flow into areas of pain.

For more information and to schedule an appointment call Dr Piva at 816-540-8932

The following can help improve your performance and reduce your risks for injury. As different sports place different demands on your body it is important for you to ask questions and tailor your nutrition, stretching and workouts to your specific sport.

Nutrition

Nutrition is probably the most important aspect in your athletic performance. The old adage "You are what you eat", is true. Without proper nutrition muscles can cramp, endurance suffers and the body will slowly break down. The key is prevention - - eating properly and maintaining hydration. Within our diets we need the vitamins, minerals, amino acids, protein, fat and carbohydrates that are obtained by food. For those that are not competitive athletes I recommend a high fiber moderate protein diet comprising of vegetables, fruit, grains, and lean sources of protein. However, for athletes, especially endurance athletes I recommend carbohydrate loading before high intensity activity and a quick high glycemic food source within 20 minutes of a high intensity activity, especially under tournament conditions.

Muscles usually store small amounts of glycogen, (energy source within a muscle to help with continuous contractions and relaxations) which is not a problem but when you start exercising at high intensity, such as running or swimming and this is continued for 60 to 90 minutes, your muscles run out of glycogen. As a result, stamina and performance diminish.

What To Do? - - Carbohydrate Loading

CARB - LOADING

● Taper the amount of exercise before a high endurance activity
● Eat significantly more carbohydrates leading up to the activity and practices
● Choose high glycemic foods, e.g., grains, potatoes, rice, fruits
● No refined sugars or refined flour foods – they burn up quickly
THE 20 MINUTE WINDOW – Eating within the 20 – minute window following intense activity will quickly replace glycogen stores and prepare you for another game in a few hours or the next day. Choices could be a bagel with honey and peanut butter or a granola bar. This will help prevent that dragging feeling.

H2O

Drinking water is key. I suggest 40-60 oz/day at the minimum for the average person. For the competitive athlete who is constantly perspiring, fluid must be replaced continuously. I suggest room temperature water during competition as this helps to prevent cramping. I do believe sports drinks during high intensity sports events, especially in high temperatures, are fine as they contain water and electrolytes which are lost during these sporting events.

Sports Injuries and Chiropractic   - Back to Top

Athletes are some of the most motivated people around. A competitive athlete is an individual with drive and determination to be the best they can be whether they are part of a team or in an individual sport. The athletes in Pleasant Hill that come into my office are looking to heal their injuries promptly and thoroughly. I understand what they are going through and how an injury can affect their future plans. As a chiropractor I help my patients in large with muscle and joint pains, sprains and strains. My experience with athletes comes from being a competitive hockey player in Canada, certified with the Canadian Fitness Council, a personal trainer, coaching high school hockey, being the chiropractic physician for a local university hockey team and two of the local semi-pro football clubs and currently treating numerous tri-athletes and marathoners. What does this mean? It means that in our office it is understood that an athlete needs to be treated quickly, promptly and correctly to get them back onto the field, track, floor, or ice as soon as possible.. The athlete needs to understand their injury, how it happened, estimated duration of their injury, what they need to do on their own and how to prevent the injury from happening again.

Education is key. No two athletes are the same. Nutrition, training, stretching and treatment have to be individualized to each athlete. In conjunction with their coaches and trainers the athletes in Pleasant Hill have a wealth of knowledge to learn from to improve both mentally and physically.

At Pleasant Hill Chiropractic we offer therapies to aid in the repair of soft tissue injuries.. Using ultra-sound and acupuncture has been very successful in helping with strained muscles and sprained tendons and ligaments. Knowledge of ecentric and negative muscle training techniques is used to educate the athletes on prevention of sports injuries.

Education of nutrition and supplementation is used to educate the athlete on what to eat to aid in tissue repair and what to eat and when to prepare their muscles for competition, especially in tournament conditions.

Chiropractic manipulations helps in improving joint mobility and integrity of numerous joint complexes that get abused during competition. Massage and Acupuncture have a profound effect on relaxing spasms in taught and tender muscles.

Pleasant Hill Chiropractic is dedicated to getting all our patients back to service as quickly as possible and with respect to our athletic patients back to peak performance.

Dr. Corey Piva, DC is located at Pleasant Hill Chiropractic at 1001 Cedar St. and can be reached at (816) 540-8932.

General Athletic Nutrition for Compeition   - Back to Top

Develop a preventative philosophy with respect to your nutrition. A balanced diet using a combination of nutrient rich foods and liquids will enhance your health, growth and performance.

Carbohydrates both complex and simple are the main source of energy during a game and practice. Athletes should get 65% of there daily caloric intake from complex carbs such as grains, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruits and vegetables. No more than 10% of your caloric intake should come from simple carbs such as refined sugars and candy. Hockey players need complex carbs with a high glycemic index (glycogen is stored in the muscle for energy) within 20 minutes following a game or practice. This is a window where the muscle is most receptive to taking carbs and storing them as muscle energy (glycogen). Foods to concentrate on during this window are honey, bagels, bread, raisins, potatoes, grapes, oranges, pasta, oatmeal and rice. Sport drinks are fine during the game for sustained energy especially in the third period. Pre-game meals should be consumed 5-6 hours prior to the game rich in complex carbs 60%, protein 30% and fat 10%. Before a game hunger should be combated with light foods such as a banana, yogurt or liquid sport shake.

Fat, it is needed! Fat helps to provide energy for substantial activity and protection for the body during impact. Fat also aids in digestion, cell health and vitamin transfer and utilization. Remember that too many carbohydrates not used for energy will be stored as fat. The key is to find a healthy balance between what is needed and what is not. Fat intake is recommended to be no more than 25% of an athletes dietary intake.

Protein is used for the repair and building of muscles tissue. For an athlete protein intake can be 15-20% daily. For an athlete pick food choices such as split peas, lentils, kidney beans, and skim milk as choices rich in carbs and protein and low in fat. Other good protein choices should include chicken, turkey, fish, very lean meats and egg whites.

If you eat a balanced diet you should get all the vitamins and minerals you need from your food not to mention anti-oxidants,

Water
Hydration is extremely important especially in hockey. Keep your fluids in check throughout the day. Cold water is easier to absorb during the day and post-game. During the game water should be as close to room temperature as possible so as not to cause cramping. As mentioned before sport drinks are fine during the game or practice, should be consumed in conjunction with water. My suggestion would be to keep in mind that for every sip of sport drink you should have 3 sips of water. Basically don’t just drink sports drinks during games and practices.

The ideas expressed in this article are suggestions on proper nutrition for hockey and can be found in Complete Conditioning for Ice Hockey by Peter Twist. If you have specific questions please contact me personally at 816-540-8932

In Good Health,

Dr. Corey S. Piva