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Healthy Choices Can Save You a Lot of Money

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Success in any field in this world most often comes to those who constantly seek to better themselves. This betterment can take many forms, from physical fitness to continuing education. Any efforts at self-improvement represent a positive mindset and a pursuit toward a more fulfilling and successful life. Many people, however, fail to realize that all the varied aspects of our lives are completely interconnected. While most recognize this to some extent, the depth and breadth of this interconnectedness can be incredibly subtle. Seemingly unrelated decisions frequently impact our lives in ways we never thought possible.

Exercise, for example, connects to physical health, mental health, and emotional health. Countless studies prove all three conclusively, and most people know this already. Less well known, your physical fitness can impact your financial health as well, sometimes by as much as tens of thousands of dollars per year. This may seem odd, but plenty of direct and indirect costs and benefits to physical health stand as evidence of this fact.

Obesity has become a nationwide epidemic. A number of factors contribute to this, including the quality of food readily available, the frequency of exercise, and the dramatic increase in eating out over the past several decades. As a culture, we constantly push the unrealistic model-standard beauty image, while simultaneously bombarding one another with messages encouraging eating out, indulging in junk, perpetuating laziness, the list goes on.

The resulting obesity causes and correlates with dozens of life-threatening conditions, causing increased annual medical expenses. Less directly, it can also increase life insurance premiums, increase grocery expenses to accommodate the higher caloric daily intake, and higher annual costs for eating out more frequently. Over the course of a year, this can end up costing thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars.

Many of our small, daily health decisions end up costing a great deal over the long term. Taking good care of your body is one of the best investments a person can make for themselves, often in many broader-reaching ways than we would ever assume at first glance.

Take a look at this infographic from InvestmentZen and see some of the top health choices that end up costing a lot of money over time.

Improving your gait with the Zeno Forceplate

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At KIMA we are proud to possess several cutting edge technologies that allow us to supplement our clinical examinations with greater detail and provide patients with the best possible treatment. One of our most powerful tools is the Protokinetics Zeno; a 20 foot long forceplate that generates key insights into how you walk, run, even jump and cut.

How it works

As you walk the length of the forceplate, Zeno collects metrics including the speed, step & stride length of your gait in addition to finer measurements like toe widths and outward angles. Ultimately, Zeno reveals how weight is transferred across your foot, how your foot strikes the surface, and how your body’s center of mass moves from foot to foot.

How it helps

Improved Walking

By comparing the results of your Zeno analysis against established normative walking data, your specialist can provide higher-quality feedback and treatment to optimize your walking gait and its relationship to your general physical well-being.

For sufferers of chronic lower limb pain, the gait data provided by Zeno is a major component of the assessment for Apos Therapy. Through gait analysis one of KIMA’s certified Apos Therapists will be able to redirect the ground reaction forces traveling up and compressing painful joints, decreasing the muscle bracing or co-contraction around arthritic joints and de-loading painful areas. By restoring alignment and improving gait patterns, Apos Therapy is very effective with chronic conditions like osteoarthritis of the knee. KIMA is one of the few centers worldwide offering this cutting edge, personalized treatment for conditions like knee and hip osteoarthritis.

Improved Running

In conjunction with treadmill video and real-time 3D motion analysis, Zeno completes our three-tiered custom tailored running assessment. This assessment is often used specifically for return-to-running programs (following injury), but is extraordinarily useful in general diagnostic workups – how running contributes to your overall biomechanical well-being.

“Why does my back pain keep coming back?”

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Low Back Pain and the Role of the Multifidus Muscle in Rehab

Low back pain (LBP) is often a recurrent condition.  Most people understand on some level the importance of strengthening the low back to help alleviate chronic low back pain. Traditional strengthening exercises will focus on the larger back muscles but more recent studies have shown it is actually the small deep muscles that run closest to the spine, specifically the multifidi that are the most important posterior stabilizers of the lower back. Dysfunction in these muscles is strongly associated with LBP.

The individual multifidus muscles attach from vertebra to vertebra. All together they run the entire length of our spine. The multifidi control segmental movement of one vertebra on another. They also have an attachments on the joint capsules of the spine so that when the muscle contracts, it helps to pull the capsule out of the way so that it won’t get pinched. This could explain why a simple movement will sometimes cause sudden back pain. The muscle is innervated by only one nerve whereas the other back muscles have two or three that supply them. So if there is compression of that nerve from say a disc herniation, or spinal stenosis the multifidus muscle at that level will lose its ability to contract.

Research shows that the multifidi activate before any action is carried out. When we do activities such as lifting grocery bags, or even bending over to pick up a sock, our back needs to stiffen to protect the joints, discs and ligaments from being overloaded. A back that has good stability has the ability to keep its vertebrae, joints, and discs aligned and be able to control its motion well. A back that has poor stability is unable to control motion well and therefore is set up for possible injury. In a healthy back the first action that should occur, in our lifting bags example, is that the multifidus should contract first to stiffen the spine, and then our arm moves to grab the bag. In people that have poor motor control of their spine the contraction of these muscles is delayed, or does not happen at all, which leaves our back unprotected and vulnerable to injury.

When we injure our back, the multifidus muscle is shut off through a reflex reaction that is initiated by the joint that that multifidus is in control of. This shutdown occurs to protect the joint, because any further contraction would compress the joint and cause more injury to the joint. A key finding of research is that once the back has recovered from the injury episode, the multifidus muscle is not automatically turned back on. Over a short period of time it will begin to atrophy and in chronic low back pain it can become quite atrophic and the muscle is replaced by fat. So as we continue to live our lives and move, bend, or twist, our back is not protected because this muscle is turned off. This is the reason why the recurrence rate is so high for back pain sufferers. It can be taught to be reactivated or turned back on and with consistent training it can be brought back to its original level of strength and endurance. Muscle training directed at teaching patients to activate their mulifidus should be an important part of any rehab protocol for the patient with an acute or chronic history of low back pain. The exercises to retrain the multifidus are very simple and can be easily taught.

As with any exercise program that has the intention of building strength and/or endurance, the key is consistency. These exercises require that they are done daily. After 3 months’ time of consistently working out the multifidus muscle, it will have reached a level of strength and endurance that should keep you pain free. One thing to remember is that since these exercises are for motor retraining it is more effective to perform several sessions of short duration throughout the day rather than one long session.

Here is one simple multifidus retraining exercise:

Step 1: Locate the multifidus muscle: Lie on your side with your knees bent. Roll slightly forward.  Use your thumb or fingers to apply gentle pressure over the muscle bulk on the side of your back pain. You will find that the area of the multifidus atrophy will feel spongy or flat compared to the other side

Step 2: Activate the multifidus: the easiest way is to use your breath and imagery. Imagine a wire that runs from the back of the pubic bone to your spine. On your exhale find that connection and feel a slow swelling or bulging of the multifidus under your thumb/fingers. Another helpful cue for some people is to lift the muscles of the pelvic floor up and in on your exhale and again feel for multifidus swelling. Remember the multifidus is a small, deep muscle do not force a strong contraction.

Once you are able to isolate and contract your multifidus, you can practice it in many different positions, such as in sitting, standing or bending. You can also progress with arm movements like raising one arm forward and upward while maintaining the multifidus activation.

GLOBAL WELLNESS SUMMIT 2016

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ctober 2016 Kitzbühel, Austria :Tracey Vincel and Patricia Ladis co-founders of KIMA Center for Physiotherapy and Wellness join 500 delegates from 45 different countries to participate in the 10th anniversary Global Wellness Summit. “Back to the Future“ was the theme, and the Tyrolean Alps the backdrop for this historic event.

It was an inspiring 3 days of connecting and collaborating with senior executives, owners of wellness businesses, physicians from around the world and others recognized as distinguished leaders in their fields. The Summit agenda featured high-profile speakers and addressed the timeliest issues such as Medical Wellness, Happiness and Wellbeing, Sustainability, Architecture on the cutting edge, Industry Research, Neuroscience and Beauty, and the Future of Integrative Medicine. The GWS certainly offered the vibrancy and relevancy that has become its trademark. Here are a few highlights:

WELLNESS AT IT WAS MEANT TO BE: Dr. Franz Linser, CEO, Linser Hospitality GmbH Austria. http://www.globalwellnesssummit.com/wellness/wellness-as-it-was-meant-to-be/

With a theme of “Back to the Future” Franz Linser spoke about the visionary doctors of the 1960’s like Dr Halbert L. Dunn, Dr Jack Travis and Don Ardell who described Wellness as active health promotion through lifestyle change, embracing life as a whole…. not pampering and beauty. They defined health as proactive, connecting, living naturally healthy, living in natural rhythm, living in healthy surrounding, cherishing the gift of life and being grateful. They understood that the happiest people were surrounded by family and friends and lose themselves in daily activities. Franz suggests that we need to “go back to where we were” – back to the future. Obesity has doubled since 1980, birth rates are decreasing, and we have an epidemic of depression.. Are we living or surviving? Life expectancy has risen and in the FUTURE we need to live the vision of the founders correctly and transform for our world. We need to create an authentic wellness ambiance, transform “doing to BEING” and create biomes in which sensitive human beings can grow.

THE ECONOMY OF WELLNESS:Katherine Johnston and Ophelia Yeung, Senior Research Fellows at the Global Wellness Institute present on the 3.7 trillion Wellness Economy. http://www.globalwellnesssummit.com/research/two-researchers-with-a-lot-of-balls/

The https://www.globalwellnessinstitute.org is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization with a mission to empower wellness worldwide by educating public and private sectors about preventative health and wellness. Through its four pillars, research, initiatives, roundtable discussions, and wellnessevidence.com, the GWI serves as a “hub” that informs and connects key stakeholders capable of impacting the overall wellbeing of our planet’s citizens. Wellness is a verb about action….the active pursuit of activities, choices and lifestyles that lead to the state of holistic health.

 

The largest wellness economy is Beauty and Anti-Aging at $999 billion followed by Healthy Eating Nutrition and Weight loss at $648 billion, Fitness and Mind-Body at $542 billion, Preventive and Personalized medicine and Public Health at $534 billion, Complimentary and Alternatives Medicine at $199 billion, Wellness Lifestyle Real Estate at $119 billion, Spa at $99 billion,Thermal /Mineral Springs at $51 billion and Workplace Wellness at $43 billion. Why is wellness growing? 3 reasons: 1. Economic – more people who have money to spend 2. Health chronic disease is increasing 3. Shift in our collective consciousness

BACK TO THE ROOTS TO MANAGE THE FUTURE: Dr. Harald Stossier, Medical Director, VIVAMAYR Medical Clinic, Austria spoke about Salutogenesis which means to do whatever is necessary to remain healthy and about Dr F.X. Mayr (1875-1965) and his medical diagnosis system which spoke of a diagnosis of health not just disease. http://www.globalwellnesssummit.com/preventive-personalized-medicine/back-to-the-roots-to-manage-the-future/

Dr. Mayr succinctly posits “the intestines are to man what the roots are to the plant. Only when these roots are kept in an optimal condition of nourishment and cleanliness, will the plant (man) itself thrive and remain in optimum health”

Thus Dr. Mayr counts among the few medically-trained nutrition experts who acknowledge that the human body is never built on what it ingests but solely on what it digests and absorbs. In fact, Dr. F.X. Mayr made it a lifelong study to investigate and map in intricate detail the intimate relationship between intestinal health and cleanliness and overall health as well as beauty, and here particularly the beauty and smoothness of the skin. Dr. F.X. Mayr’s research results are all related to wrong food choices and dietary habits such as too much food for the body’s energetic requirements, food that is not properly (insufficiently) chewed and thus not pre-digested, food that is hard to digest, unwholesome processed, or food consumed at the wrong times (such as late at night). Each of the above can or will lead to intestinal and consequently/eventually bodily toxicity.

THE FUTURE OF INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE Panel with Dr. Elke Benedetto-Reisch, Medical Director, Lanserhof Group, Austria, Dr. Harry F. König, Head of Medical Care, Brenners Park Hotel & Spa, Germany,Dr. Imke König, Spa Director, Schloss Elmau Luxury Spa & Cultural Hideaway, Germany and Dr. Christine Stossier, Assistant Medical Director, VIVAMAYR Medical Clinic, Austria http://www.globalwellnesssummit.com/preventive-personalized-medicine/integrative-medicine-is-this-the-future/

What is integrative medicine? Integrative medicine is an approach to care that puts the patient at the center and addresses the full range of physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual and environmental influences that affect a person’s health. Integrative medicine is grounded in the definition of health. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity

Dr Imke Konig spoke specifically on happiness and positivity. She studies neuroscience and how the brain works and how happiness happens and explains that “Emotion” is lacking in western medicine where the patient is divided into physical or psychological. As a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine she teaches that “the emotions are one of the biggest and most dangerous pathogens”. We are in a world where “ I must do this or I must do that but do you have to do that or WANT to do that?” Consider doing sport to stay healthy? What you like to do? So important that you like what you are doing – to stay happy. Many patients battle with diet and are told to eliminate lot so foods but we need to consider “not just what food we eat, but are we enjoying food?” We are going against nature – we need to consider what we want to do to become happy? HOW do we do this? Think about what you LIKE to do and consider what you HAVE to do because of what others EXPECT you to do? Especially woman running a household, what we call meditation or flow is what we concentrate on one thing. Imagine if there were no expectations?

Dr. Elke Benedetto-Reisch addresses the “power of the mind”. The mind influences every cell of the body. The medical and science approach is merging with mindfulness – body and mind are deeply connected. The field of Psychoneuroimmunology bridges psych aspects of life endocrine and immunological data and shows evidence for deep impact for mindfulness on our health.

The Panel also touched on the idea of wellness only being available to those that can afford it. What do you really need? Do you really need luxury? The most important things are things like fresh air, walking in the forest, being kind and compassionate to others… things that doesn’t cost anything.

TIME CAPSULE CREATED: http://www.globalwellnesssummit.com/wellness/introduction-to-the-time-capsule/ To commemorate this historic 10th Anniversary Summit, delegates were asked to contribute their predictions for the future of the wellness industry, which will be sealed in a “10th Anniversary Time Capsule” in a ceremony on the final day of the conference, to be opened at the Summit in 2026.

NEW TECH COMES TO KIMA [PART2]

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THE CAPNOTRAINER AND CAPNOPLUS

This is part 2 in our four part series on how KIMA is using the latest technology to further improve the quality of our care and enhance outcomes for our clientele. Today we’re talking about how an individual’s breathing can affect symptoms, and that how learning to recognize dysfunctional breathing habits and retraining them can help to manage and control those symptoms.

The past decade has seen an explosion of knowledge in our understanding of pain and how it affects the body. Some of the most powerful discoveries have been in the realm of chronic pain, and how pain may linger even though the original injury may have resolved. This is attributed to the brain laying down a pattern of connections known as a Neurotag, which functions in a similar way to when it lays down a series of instructions for performing complex movements. Or, put another way, it’s like a macro on your computer.

Anything that triggers the Neurotag will end up causing pain experienced somewhere in the body. We know that damage in the tissues doesn’t have to be present for someone to feel pain, since the pain experience is generated by the brain, and that one of the things that can trigger the pain neurotag is changes in breathing and body chemistry. Sound interesting? Read on.

Meet the CapnoTrainer.

In addition to getting oxygen into your body and getting carbon dioxide out, breathing also serves an important role in regulating your body chemistry. Things like pH levels, electrolyte balance and hemoglobin chemistry are all impacted directly by the concentration of carbon dioxide. To maintain a stable chemical axis, CO2 levels at the end of the exhale should be maintained consistently between 35-45mmHg.

Changes in breathing patterns (for example, aborting your exhale) are a learned behavior that can be triggered by a stressful situation, particular person or even a thought and can exacerbate, perpetuate, or cause a wide variety of symptoms, including chronic pain, muscle tension and headaches.

The CapnoTrainer is a cutting-edge technology tool, now available at KIMA, that can record and display, in real time, exhaled carbon dioxide levels for learning and teaching new breathing behaviors. In so doing a patient can learn about their breathing patterns, facilitate optimal respiration and observe its effect on the body’s chemistry and potentially symptoms. Clients discover how they have learned to breathe, how their breathing affects them, and how to effectively self-regulate breathing behavior based on learning rather than a prescriptive exercise.

The CapnoPlus

We have also taken delivery of the CapnoPlus, a complimentary biofeedback technology that allows live monitoring of heart rate variability and EMG activity (monitoring the path of the electrical pulse across the heart). This information, when used in tandem with the CapnoTrainer, provides us with a system for measuring, monitoring & retraining some of the known triggers for chronic pain.

About Heart Rate Variability: Under normal, healthy circumstances, there is a certain and desirable level of variability in the timing of your heart beats. Your heart is not totally metronomic, and the variations between beats are small, but nevertheless measurable. Of note is that this variability DECREASES under conditions of stress, anxiety or emotional strain. It reduces when you are worried. The CapnoPlus can detect this, and when used with the CapnoTrainer, allow us to get snapshot of the chemical and physiological environment you are in when these things occur, and provide a valuable training tool when learning how to prevent it.

In addition to a comprehensive physical examination, use of the CapnoTrainer & the CapnoPlus gives us the opportunity to delve a little deeper into one of the lesser-appreciated factors affecting or contributing to the chronic pain experience.

By Derek Mansfield
KIMA
Sports Physical Therapist

Derek is an Australian-trained Sports Physiotherapist with more than 17 years’ experience. He completed his undergraduate training at the University of Melbourne in 1995, and his Masters of Sports Physiotherapy at Latrobe University in 2012. Derek has worked with elite & recreational athletes in sports as diverse as cycling, rugby union, fencing, tennis, diving & basketball. Check out his full bio here.

Book your appointment with Derek at KIMA today.

Catherine Parrish | Raising Self Awareness and increasing personal productivity…

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Committed to Healing | HEALING SUMMIT 2015 | Berlin Germany March 3, 2015

“Creating a paradigm shift through a holistic lifestyle”…was last year’s theme

This year our theme is “Committed to Healing” Today is a call to action!

As part of our Commitment to Healing we would like to highlight a few of the speakers from the recent Healing Summit 2015. This one day conference considered how to encourage people to live life in all its full richness, caring for others to nurture greater well being and empowerment for all.

Raising Self Awareness and increasing personal productivity.

For years, Catherine served as a chief executive and leader in the world of Not-For-Profit and humanitarian organizations. Her work to help improve the quality of life for people living in conditions of poverty has taken her to Africa and India, as well as Latin America, Eastern Europe, and throughout the United States. Catherine founded NextLevel Leadership, in response to requests from friends and acquaintances in the world of business. She began doing consulting projects in executive and leadership development, productivity enhancement, communication and teambuilding.

Raising Self Awareness and Increasing Personal Productivity – Leading from the inside out

Today I want to talk about anthological leadership – human beingness not human doingness –  the design and plan for the business are essential but what about the beingness and what relationship does it have to leadership. I hope you are the leader of your life; and I hope you are providing your own uniqueness in your own business that is your job; provide this unique gift to the recipe of life!

Here are hints for leadership:

Starting with the man in the mirror – we as leaders are an ENVIRONMENT and we invite others in; we have a VIBRATION we create warmth and connectivity and as leaders we create environments that matter very much. The people who work for you are looking to you to be free and express themselves freely.

Consider the inner state that you project to your family and for your organization and answer these 4 questions:

  1. What is your mission?
  2. How do you measure its fulfillment?
  3. What are your resources?
  4. Who do you have to be to be the fulfillment of that mission?

When you understand your mission and derive your strength by connecting to your mission …than even your presence can be healing.