All posts tagged: headaches

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot

On Fridays I like to share some of the experiences I’ve had during the week with patients and in my personal life that I’ve found significant in some way.  I like to share them in hopes that you might find value in them and have something resonate with you in your life. 

Something that really inspired me.  The oldest and most prestigious ultra-marathon in the world is the Western States 100, run in California each July.  The race has a 30-hour cutoff time so to receive a belt buckle that recognizes you as an official finisher (the best runners usually finish under 24 hours) you must finish in under that time.  This race ends on a high school track and between hour 29 and 30 is considered the “golden hour” – where approximately 60-70 back of the pack runners will finish in front of a full stadium of people.  These runners are not the fastest by any stretch, but if you’re looking to be inspired, they won’t disappoint.  Many of these runners have trained for months and are battling down to the second in order to say they made it.

I watched a video of this “golden hour”, and it inspired me tremendously.  Not just because I’m a runner but because it was a spectacle of regular people doing uncommon things.  My favorite was a very ordinary looking woman who came around the track being led in excitedly by a group of 12 or so runners whom she’d likely never met cheering her on and trying to get her to that line before that 30-hour mark.  The crowd was going crazy, and this woman kept going with everything she had and made it with only seconds to spare.  Her finishing was like a victory for everyone there, it was so cool! 

I was so proud of her for completing that goal because I know what goes into it myself.  Most importantly though, I know that if that woman made an impression on me, then there was someone else that saw her that she likely motivated to do something special in their own life.  Maybe it was one of her children, maybe it was a stranger in the crowd or someone that saw that video.  I guarantee you though, someone saw that woman finish that race and it became the catalyst for them making a huge change in their own life somehow.  I love this type of inspiration!

Something I really enjoyed.  On the 4^th of July I ran carrying the American flag as I do on the patriotic holidays.  As I do this I always enjoy interacting with other runners, cyclists, people in their yards and cars driving by.  It’s awesome that people get so excited to see that someone is proudly showing off the flag.  Afterwards, I was asked to be in the Highlands Ranch parade which I enjoyed as well.  I got to hold my youngest son and watch him waving his flag and waving to a sea of people wearing red, white and blue.  It was a special moment that I will remember for a long time!

A helpful tip I’ve been using.  When we sit, we tend to let our stomachs spill forward which is bad for our posture.  As the stomach is allowed to do this, the spinal muscles relax, the spine starts to come forward with our shoulders and before we know it, we’re slouching badly.  Repeated time and again, this will have a negative impact on our musculoskeletal systems. 

A simple tip to help correct this is to focus on drawing the stomach back.  Mentally picture yourself trying to bring the belly button back toward your spine.  As you do this, the core muscles will engage, and the lower back and abdominal areas will tighten.  This helps to protect our spine and muscles as well as avoid pain syndromes and other issues that come from poor posture.  Start doing this and you’ll notice a big difference in how things feel, especially as you’re sitting. 

Something important to understand about your health.  Many people like to blame anything and everything about their level of health on circumstances, genetics, and/or bad luck.  Are these components of our health?  Of course, and in some cases, people can be dealt a bad hand in one of these areas.  However, most of the time, we have the power to control the majority of our own health destinies.  How?  By watching what goes into our bodies, controlling what we do to/for our bodies and doing our best to keep ourselves mentally fit.  Regardless of your genetics, circumstances, or fortunes; you always have the power to impact your own health if you make positive nutritional, physical and mental changes. 

Some quotes I love.

“The code of the West:  Live each day with courage.  Take pride in your work.  Always finish what you start.  Do what has to be done.  Be tough but fair.  When you make a promise, keep it.  Ride for the brand.  Talk less and say more.  Remember some things aren’t for sale.  Know where to draw the line.” 

“Emergencies have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have eroded.” – F.A. Hayek

Want more?

• Don’t forget to follow Dr. Kenney on Instagram @Coloradochiropractor
• To see previous Friday 5 Spots, visit www.newbodychiro.com and go to “blog”
• Check us out on Facebook under New Body Chiropractic

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot

On Fridays I like to share some of the experiences I’ve had during the week with patients and in my personal life that I’ve found significant in some way.  I like to share them in hopes that you might find value in them and have something resonate with you in your life. 

“If you need to come back more than once doesn’t that mean chiropractic doesn’t work?”  A patient mentioned to me that her husband told her that if you need to go back to a chiropractor more than once, that was proof it didn’t work.  She did not agree but asked for my thoughts.

What I told her was that if that criterion was true of chiropractic than it was also true of dentistry, physical therapy, acupuncture, massage therapy, personal training, and many other examples.  In general, the things that are best for your health and body are not meant to be done once – exercise, stretching, brushing your teeth, showering, you name it.  Even allopathic treatments such as taking medications or chemotherapy for example are not meant to be done once. 

Best parenting tip?  With Father’s Day having just passed, I was asked by a friend what my number one parenting tip would be.  My answer is that my number 1 goal is to raise my children to have confidence in themselves.  How I achieve that varies from child to child but in general factors like maintaining positivity, pointing out strengths, assisting with weaknesses, being honest, communicating well, and setting a good example with my own actions are all crucial. 

The goal is to raise children so that they believe in themselves enough to make good decisions.  I did not grow up confident in myself and every poor decision I made in my younger years can be traced back to that in some way.  Confident children are more likely to become leaders, avoid peer pressure, seek bigger goals, achieve more, be less likely to depend on drugs or alcohol, and so much more.  It’s not always easy to get kids to be confident but it will be worth it.

Something I often notice.  Time and again I notice that some of the most stressed people I encounter are some of the least organized and have no routine.  Stress comes at us from many directions, and some is out of our control.  What is under our control though is how we structure our days and time.  “Winging it” for people that tend to be anxious is a recipe for more worry.  Building a routine that addresses an efficient way of accomplishing what needs to get done each day will create “wins” as things are done rather than stress as they’re not.  You are also likely to notice that you carve out much more time for yourself as things get completed faster.  If you’re stressed, look at your routine and how it’s affecting you. 

Something cool.  I’ve been running a few miles each morning before work pushing my daughter in a jogging stroller.  I’ve been using some of the same routes and I began to see the same group of 4 African American women probably in their early 70’s each day.  I started saying hello to them and joking with them which they liked.  Now I see them on almost every run and these young ladies cheer for me (and my daughter) like I’m finishing an Olympic marathon.  They always make me smile and it makes my day every time I see them!

Some quotes I love.

“You can’t win when you’re surrounded by losers.  You can’t lose when you’re surrounded by winners.” – Ian Smith

“I trained 4 years to run 9 seconds and people give up when they don’t see results in 2 months.” – Usain Bolt

“A son who is loved by his father becomes a father who loves his son.”

“Almost all bitterness is wanting someone else to fulfill something for you that you can only now give to yourself:  forgiveness, integrity, compassion, action.” – Brendon Burchard

Want more?

• Don’t forget to follow Dr. Kenney on Instagram @Coloradochiropractor
• To see previous Friday 5 Spots, visit www.newbodychiro.com and go to “blog”
• Check us out on Facebook under New Body Chiropractic

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot

On Fridays I like to share some of the experiences I’ve had during the week with patients and in my personal life that I’ve found significant in some way.  I like to share them in hopes that you might find value in them and have something resonate with you in your life. 

Something important I read up on this week.  I was reading some orthopedic journal articles and one I found significant was the effect of weight on your knees.  Common sense tells us that if our body is meant to support a certain range of weight and we go past that amount, it will apply intense pressure to our foundation – in this case knees.  What I found interesting was that for each pound lost, 4 pounds of pressure would be alleviated off the knees.  Therefore, a 10-pound weight loss would be a reduction of 40 pounds of pressure on your knees.  This article really drove home to me how important it is to our joints for us to maintain a healthy weight. 

An interesting experience.  My family and I went to a food truck event last weekend and had a lot of fun.  At one point, my youngest was bouncing in a jump house with probably 10-15 other kids and somehow the air compressor disconnected.  This caused the bounce house to immediately lose air and start collapsing inward.  Some of the kids were scared, some were fine.

What made it interesting was the response of some of the parents. One dad immediately began holding up the entrance and calmly told the kids to move one at a time and come through to exit.  Another mom reassured the kids that everything was fine and helped relax them.  Both responses were perfect.  Conversely, one woman hovered at the entrance and panicked which began to freak out some of the children inside.  As my son came through the exit, she continued to do this and even began crushing him as she tried to get to her child who was in no distress or danger.  I had to yell at this woman and (gently) move her to snap her out of this and get her off my son because she was in such a stressed state, she didn’t realize she was trampling my son and another child.  This was a great reminder to me of how to behave in a stressful situation.  Staying calm is the best way to keep others relaxed and focused on a resolution.  Freaking out takes a bad situation and makes it go nuclear.  As someone I look up to likes to say, “take a breath, look around and make a call (decision).”

Is it bad to self-adjust your spine?  I get this question all the time.  If your spine pops during regular stretching or when performing basic ranges of motion (like rotating the head for example) then it’s generally fine and a sign that your spine is de-stressing itself.  If you’re bending over furniture or forcefully putting pressure into your own spine to get it to “pop” then it’s possible the noise you’re hearing is your spine going into a good position but it’s as equally possible it’s also going into a poor position and becoming misaligned.  Therefore, it’s best to avoid this type of thing.  If you feel the need to pop your spine it’s likely a sign that something is misaligned and you’re in need of an adjustment.    

A concept I love.  My oldest is training 4 days a week with his high school teammates for football and he and I work out together on his off days as well.  He’s got an amazing work ethic and I’ve noticed that as his enthusiasm and intensity go up, so do mine.  I push harder when he’s there and then when he isn’t. 

This is a something I believe in wholeheartedly – associating with people that make you better.  When you can get around people that are passionate, successful or just doing something well; it drives you to do the same.  Conversely, when you get around people who are average, unmotivated, lazy, etc. then you tend to become that way yourself.  Everyone in your life does not have to be amazing, but the people you spend the most amount of time around really should be if you want to keep getting better.

Some quotes I love.

“Fear is a habit, so is self-pity, defeat, anxiety, despair, hopelessness and resignation.  You can eliminate all of these negative habits with two simple resolves: “I can” and “I will.”” – Napoleon Hill

“Success is both very personal and relative, depending on where you would like to be in your own life.” – Les Brown

“If you need a pass to prove you are free, you are not.”

“The less pain we tolerate, the more average we become.” – Jack Butcher

” Doctors don’t make you healthy.  Teachers don’t make you learn.  Trainers don’t make you fit.  Coaches don’t make you rich.  At some point you have to understand that life is 100% your responsibility.”

“Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” – Henry Ford

Want more?

• Don’t forget to follow Dr. Kenney on Instagram @Coloradochiropractor
• To see previous Friday 5 Spots, visit www.newbodychiro.com and go to “blog”
• Check us out on Facebook under New Body Chiropractic

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot

On Fridays I like to share some of the experiences I’ve had during the week with patients and in my personal life that I’ve found significant in some way.  I like to share them in hopes that you might find value in them and have something resonate with you in your life. 

Something I struggle with.  This past weekend I finished coaching a group of boys I’ve had since age 6-7.  Both of my oldest sons are also moving up into different leagues/schools and leaving teammates behind as a result.  They both expressed to me how hard this is for them and I told them I understood.

When I coach a team or train for (and then run) a big race, I put everything I have into it.  When I’m amid this, it’s amazing – I enjoy the camaraderie, the structure, the planning, everything.  But when it’s over?  I’m sad.  It leaves me kind of depressed and it feels like a part of me is missing. 

So how do I handle it?  First, I remember to have gratitude for whatever I’m missing.  I try to think of what I’ve learned and gained because of the experience and focus on the good times.  I woke up Monday morning to a Facebook post a mom wrote about me and what I meant to her son, how I understood him and helped him as a player and a man.  How can I not be grateful for things like that?  Second, I begin the process of looking for the next adventure.  The goal is not to replace what’s lost but to find something else fulfilling.  Finally, I find solace in guiding others toward the types of experiences that have been so good to me.  For example, when I hear someone talking about wanting to coach, I love to share my experiences and encourage them to do it as well.  The highs of the things I invest so much time in is incredible, the struggle for me has been learning to deal with the inevitable lows that come when it’s over.  Thankfully, that has happened with experience and time. 

What does is mean if you have arthritis?  I can tell you after 16 years in practice that what people believe arthritis to be is often wildly inaccurate.  The most basic and common type of arthritis is known as osteoarthritis or degenerative disc (or joint) disease.  This is a gradual wearing down of the joints.  It is caused by lack of motion, misalignments, injuries and can be accelerated through many lifestyle factors physically and nutritionally. 

In terms what arthritis looks like – on an x-ray or MRI you would see a loss of disc space between 2 vertebrae (or joints), altering of the shape of the vertebrae/joint and the formation of calcium deposits that often look like hooks called osteophytes (bone spurs).  These changes can be mild to incredibly severe.  Arthritic changes cause lack of mobility, pain, and other nerve related symptoms to be more common due to less room for the nerves to operate.  The good news is that this type of arthritis is not genetic, can be prevented and can be treated (but not reversed). 

Other types of arthritis include rheumatoid and psoriatic, but these are less common and are often genetic because they are an autoimmune reaction.  If you want to avoid or help arthritis I recommend moving more (exercise), spinal care (adjustments, stretching, etc.) and eating less sugar and inflammatory foods.

Do you know how old you’ll be when your daughter is in college?  As most of you know, I have 4 children.  My older two (11 and 14) are from my first marriage and my younger two are with my wife now (9 months and almost 3).  Since I am 45 years old, quite often people ask me if I know how old I’ll be when my daughter graduates from high school, college, etc.  Naturally, I am aware of this math and quite honestly when my wife was pregnant with our little ones it was something that bothered me a bit. 

However, I began to realize I was focusing unnecessarily on arbitrary numbers and my viewpoint was wrong.  Instead of doing that, I always focus on the quality of time I spend with all my children and being present when I’m with them.  In addition, I do things each day to strengthen myself physically, mentally, spiritually, financially, as a leader and more.  The reason I do this is to make sure I set a great example for them while also giving myself the best opportunity to maximize the number of years I have with them (by maintaining great health).  This is how I honor my family, by seeking more time with them not only now but many years from now.  That’s the only math that concerns me now.

Something beautiful I saw recently.  A couple weeks back, I’d just finished coaching my team and my son and I were watching his older brother play.  Suddenly, we heard louder than normal cheering coming from the field next to us.  We looked over to see a young man in a wheelchair with a football in his hand being pushed by his teammates toward and into the endzone while the other team made a nice show of trying to “tackle” him.  After the score, he was wheeled around the field and the look on his face was priceless.  He was so proud and slapping high fives with everyone he went by.  The cheering went on for probably 5 minutes and my son looked up at me smiling and knowing this would get me emotional. Sometimes it takes a moment like this for you to appreciate the human spirit and to be truly grateful for all you have.

Some quotes I love.

“There is timing in the whole life of a warrior, in his thriving and declining, in his harmony and discord.” – Musashi Miyamoto

“At the end of all our exploring we will arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” – T.S. Elliot. Four Quartets

“Many people will panic to find a charger before their phone dies.  But won’t panic to find a plan before their dream dies.” – Elon Musk

“Your beliefs don’t make you a good person…your behavior does!” – Inky Johnson

“Fear is not a virtue.”

Want more?

• Don’t forget to follow Dr. Kenney on Instagram @Coloradochiropractor
• To see previous Friday 5 Spots, visit www.newbodychiro.com and go to “blog”
• Check us out on Facebook under New Body Chiropractic