Irvine Spine & Wellness Center

That’s a point for the girls!! Everything is working in this move to stabilize the torso while shifting from 4 points of contact to 3. Note the maintenance of the neutral spine throughout the move. This is not an easy move but our lovely girl killed it!

This weeks podcast topic: American Medical Association Conspiracy an Interview with Howard Wolinsky Conspiracy theories are pretty hot these days but listen to this podcast to see this conspiracy proven true. Howard Wolinsky worked for the Chicago Sun-Times and was twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the American Medical Association that led two AMA CEOs and seven other top executives being fired for various ethical and financial breaches. Listen now for all the details at the link below.

Forget the clam shell exercises and give this a try! The points of contact are the elbow to forearm and the outside of the knee to the shin and foot. This exercise stabilizes the torso and challenges the stabilizing muscles of the pelvis to perform in action. A lot of people are weak here from too much sitting.... It’s important that these muscles in the pelvis can perform simultaneously with stabilization of the torso including the shoulder joints. Everything in an ideal position and posture. See more

Are your shoulders rolled forward? Do you have pain between the shoulder blades? Do you want to sit up straight without having to think about it? A lot of questions, I know, but if you answered yes to any of them give this exercise a try. Be careful not to compress your lower back by lifting your legs up. Hope this helps! If you have any questions, comment below or send us a message!

Should we trust that the FDA is doing an honest job? Learn the truth about the Dairy industry and the fight against raw milk on this weeks episode on Life and Health Matters with Dr.Shakib. Listen now at the link below or find us on Spotify, Google and Apple podcasts.

It sure makes my day when patients go out of their way to share their experience at the clinic- Dr. S "Finally a doctor who speaks my language and was more than happy to jump on my team of healing and recovery. I’d recommend everyone see her first ! She’s more than an amazing doctor she is a joyful angel who truly cares about your well-being."... - Christi B

Can hyperactive abdominal muscles affect your posture and cause issues? Absolutely! Common in many athletes we see the hyperactive rectus abdominus (6 pack muscle) and although it’s hardly very explored as the source it does indeed contribute to a lot of musculoskeletal issues including pathological breathing, lower back pain and poor stabilization. Visit my website to learn and feel free to send a message with any questions.

Where your eyes go, your head and neck want to follow. So if you’re watching tv in a recliner chair with your neck supported but your eyes are fixed in a different direction this actually strains your neck muscles. If you’re going to be looking at the tv you should be upright and facing the screen. Same goes if you’re in a meeting or talking to someone. Instead of just turning your head or glancing with your eyes, which strains your neck muscles, turn your whole body and face the person. The little things can make a big difference. Hope this helps

It’s harder than it looks! This is a great move to bring awareness of an equal contraction between the muscles on the outside and inside of the thigh. The tendency is for either the knees to want to squeeze inward or push outward, but if functioning properly the knees remain in line with the ankle joint. This a great conditioning for your quads and this equal muscle activity is required for healthy knee and hip joints.

It’s one thing to maintain stabilization while supine (face up), and a whole other challenge to stabilize in this bear position. Notice there is very little change the patients rectangle (shoulders to pelvis) which is what we like to see in this position. If you pay attention you can see the slight difference between the right and left sides. There is more movement in the pelvis with left hip extension, which means there is either a stability issue there or a restrict...ion within the joint that results in the unnecessary shift of the pelvis. We can do some tests to identify any soft tissue contributors and use some Active Release Technique as we continue to work through this functional movement. See more

Tune in to this weeks podcast as we discuss medicinal herbs, specifically Sow Thistle on my show, Life and Health Matters with Dr.Shakib. It is fascinating to discover that the 'ordinary' weed growing along the roads and in our backyards actually has a medicinal effect. It can even up your salsa recipe! Listen now at the link below to find out how.

You can have the six pack, but that doesn’t mean you have a strong core. Having a strong core is the ability to stabilize your torso throughout different forms of movement. In this DNS movement we want to have the spine laying nicely against the floor with the rib cage in a neutral position while the extremities move within the sockets. The pathological tendency will be for the rib cage to lift up, especially for those with tight pec muscles. Another tendency will be for the lower back to arch.

Having a strong core is not having a six pack! A strong core is the ability to stabilize your torso while moving the extremities. In this position that means the spine stays in contact with the floor. The pelvis does not go into an anterior tilt and the rib cage does not flare. The arms and legs can move freely within the stabilized joint.

Why you should be eating beets this season! Listen in to this weeks podcast episode on Life and Health Matters with Dr.Shakib for the answer. Winter is just around the corner and the veggie of the season is Beet. Learn how nitrate in processed meat is damaging but it saves lives in Beet. Listen now at the link below or find us on Spotify, Google and Apple Podcasts.

Do you get neck pain or pain between the shoulder blades? Give this exercise a try! Positive Neuroplasticity is stimulating your brain in a positive way. This is something that our society is missing in our day to day. Sitting behind a desk for so many hours a day actually stimulates your brain negatively. This is called Negative Neuroplasticity. This is why it’s so important to take micro breaks and change your position from seated to standing every hour or so. So let’s get the positive where we can!

It is not fun to live with pain and it is worse when you think you are stuck with the pain for the rest of your life, but that doesn't have to be the case with stenosis! Check out my new blog at the link below to learn what stenosis is, what causes stenosis, how to get pain relief and the best treatment for stenosis!

This is one of the most common signs of a weak stabilizing system and failed posture. Most peoples muscles cannot properly support their own body weight against gravity but they are so eager to get in the gym and lift weights. That’s how we get injured! These kinds of weaknesses in stabilization need to be better identified and addressed. See the second photo for some improvement. Visit our website to learn more!... See more