

Sciatica
Let's talk Sciatica. Sciatica is more of an umbrella term used to describe the symptom of pain along the sciatic nerve pathway. Typical symptoms include pain traveling down the leg from the low back, numbness and tingling, weakness in leg and shoot/ shock-like pain. While roughly 90% of true sciatic pain is due to a herniated disc impinging on the nerve root, there are other potential 'pseudo-sciatica' causes with similar symptoms: Piriformis syndrome due to the sciatic nerve


Diet & Health
Here's a great study! A study published in the Lancet (link below) estimated the impact poor diet has on the risk of death from heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Poor diet and malnutrition is the leading risk factor for death -- larger than tobacco use and high blood pressure. Malnutrition comes in two forms: eating too much (obesity) and not eating enough (hunger). Annually, malnutrition worldwide costs an estimated $3.5 Trillion (with a T!) in healthcare costs! W


The Physiological Effects of Napping!
I'm a big fan of naps; pre-game naps, post game naps, midday naps, morning naps, lazy Sunday naps....you name it! A study presented by the American College of Cardiology (link below) found that midday naps can reduce blood pressure by as much as 3-5 mm Hg (or points on a blood pressure reading). Why is this important? Even a 2 mm Hg drop in blood pressure can reduce the event of a heart attack by 10%! "We obviously don't want to encourage people to sleep for hours on end duri


Resistance Training & Type 2 Diabetes
About 1 in 10 Americans have Diabetes. 90-95% of those cases have Type 2 Diabetes. Insulin is a hormone used by our body to regulate our blood sugar levels. In Type 2 Diabetes your body does not use insulin properly. When this occurs, blood sugar (glucose) builds up in the blood and can cause heart, kidney, nerve (neuropathy) and vision issues. The best ways to combat Type 2 Diabetes are through lifestyle modifications (diet, exercise, weight loss) and if necessary, medicatio