"Its just Pot, at least i am not smoking Cigs"

By: Dr Terry Weyman

The other statements I hear are "its ORGANIC" or "it helps with the pain" or my favorite, "all my friends smoke it, its not addictive"

Well its been a while since I have written a blog (coming up on a year to be exact). As with anything life got away from me. But with the help of my old friend, Obie 1, I am back. With school back in session and kids trying to fit in, I picked this topic to start it off.

POT, MARIJUNNA, GANJA, MAUI WOWIE, DOOBIE, HASH, HEMP, REEFER, ROACH WEED, ACAPULCO GOLD, MARYJANE not matter what you call it. We all know all about it. Or do we?

I get asked alot in my practice, especially my HighSchool and College kids,"is it bad for you?" From the onset, let's categorically say that pot is bad for you. The answer to the question has nothing to do with being a teen; pot is simply bad for you, period. Also to note, it doesnt matter how the chemical is injested. Whether you smoke it, eat it or inhale through Vapor oil (e-cigs), its the same chemical.

However, when one looks at a teenager you're looking at a growing organism, which includes a growing brain. There is overwhelming evidence that pot interferes with short-term memory and therefore interferes with brain function. The more the brain is changing the more concern one has about any chemicals entering the brain. Pot is fat soluble. The brain is almost all lipid, or fat. Therefore, pot gets into the brain. So at one level there's a great deal of concern about pot affecting brain function.

On a very easy-to-observe level pot will also cause irritation of the bronchial lining. I am always astounded when a patient comes in coughing and does not put two and two together that pot may be the reason for the cough. When I then ask them if we were to take leaves in our backyard and burn then, would our eyes not tear and would we not be coughing, then they understand.

The medicinal use of pot for glaucoma, certain Neurological/Musculoskeletal diseases and nausea is real; it does help, but the only time I have seen pot used in a good way for some patients who hadchemotherapy for cancer and the overwhelming nausea caused by the medication was alleviated by the use of prescribed marijuana. Overall, it's a 
drug to stay away from. Think of it this way. If it alters your state, it probably is not worth it. For Athletes, why would you EVER want to alter your mental state? If you feel the need to alter your state to combat anger or other issues, Why not seek the advise of a professional to help you to fix the cause and not just treat symptoms?

God only gave you one body. Treat it with respect and care and it will take you on amazing journeys! Until next time. Be well!

Dr. Terry Weyman

Sports drinks, are they good for you and do they work?

By Dr. Terry Weyman

In a great article by Dr. Robert Silverman, written in the journal “Dynamic Chiropractic”, Dr. Silverman takes an indepth look at Key components of a performance/recovery drink and to see if you are getting what you desire. In this article I am going to summarize Dr. Silvermans findings, breaking it down so that implementation is easy.

Why use a recovery/performance drink?

When you sweat and work out your body gets depleted of vital nutrients as well the cells in your body begin to dehydrate. Drinking just water provides the necessary hydration but unfortunately, it lacks the key nutrients to aid in performance and recovery. If water is not sufficient, is there a sports drink on the market that will work? Dr. Silverman did an extensive review of the various literature looking at the ingredients and efficiency. Even though the “best” sports drink say they have carbohydrates, electrolytes and numerous other “performance nutrition” do they do the job and are they good for you. A good Sports Drink should not only fuel activity, but also aid in recovery.  

What the drinks should have

Carbohydrates: 

“Carbs are a key component for athletic performance, recovery and health. Dr. Silverman recommends 30-60 grams of carbs per hour for an athletic endeavor. The carbohydrate  amount will prevent immunosupression, which naturally occurs during intensive exercise. In addition, this amount enables athletes to maintain blood glucose levels, and to

maintain blood glucose levels, and optimize glucose uptake and oxidation in performance. 

Electrolytes:

Sports drinks should contain electrolytes such as sodium, potassium magnesium and chloride. Magnesium, a key electrolyte, plays a pivotal role in 300 enzymatic reactions. Bisglycinate has been shown to be the best form of magnesium because it is chelated (bonded) to an amino acid (glycine). Magnesium in the form of bisglycinate ensures increased intestinal absorption and prevents diarrhea. Finding a company that formulate Magnesium in this form is hard, hence why some sport drinks cause intestinal issues.

Other ingredients that are important:

Malic Acid- a critical addition to a sports drink formulation since it reduces muscle tenderness and assists in soft tissue recovery. 

Taurine- is an amino acid that helps regulate the level of water and mineral salts in the blood by keeping potassium and magnesium inside the cell. At the same time, taurine prevents excessive sodium from entering the cell. L-Taurine’s properties have been validated in numerous studies.

L-Carnosine- Also,an amino acid, helps fight muscle fatigue in fast twitch fibers and aids in athletic performance. 

In addition, a complete range of complex B vitamins for energy production should be included in the drink as well. 

Maximum Carb Efficiency

“Research has shown that a combination of diverse sugars maximizes carbohydrate absorption during exercise. Since glucose and fructose are absorbed at different rates, both glucose and fructose polymers should be present to optimize multiple pathways of absorption during exercise. Most commercial brands use only glucose polymers.

Literature reveals that a glucose-fructose combination, versus water or glucose alone, is the best choice for carbohydrates in a sports drink. The glucose-fructose combination results in improved power performance, running time, time to fatigue during cycling, and a perceived higher level of exertion during both strength and endurance exercises.”

Does your sports drink make the cut?

“Of the more popular brands, Powerade contains high-fructose corn syrup as a source of carbohydrates; it lacks electrolytes and any recovery ingredients. Gatorade has no vitamins and contains only sodium and potassium. Both these brands rely solely on glucose as a carbohydrate source and lack fructose. Another popular brand, Vitamin Water, has no sodium or chloride and contains only trace amounts of magnesium.

Coconut water has very high levels of potassium without any sodium content, and low levels of magnesium. Analysis of coconut water reveals that it primarily contains sucrose as a main carbohydrate source, rather than glucose and fructose in an appropriate ratio of 3:1.” 

Its Dr. Silvermans professional opinion, that non of these aforementioned commercial brands contain a proper formulation to aid in athletic performance. Instead, they hinder athletic performance.

What to look for in your “Sports Drink”.

“When looking for a good sports drink do your due diligence. You research what kind of food to eat, now its time to research the best sports drink. Look to companies that provide the powder that you mix your own, found in Cycling and performance shops. Talk to your Sports Medicine practitioners for their opinion on what works best for you. Look for the following ingredients when you are reading your labels.

The drink should contain the 4 electrolytes as ingredients and have the appropriate 3:1 ratio of glucose to fructose. In addition, it should include magnesium in the bisglycinate form, as well as malic acid, taurine, L-Carnosine and complex B vitamins to aid in athletic recovery, states Dr. Silverman”

Read your labels, do your work. You are only given one body and its highly tuned and complex. Treat it with respect and take care of it and your body will perform as it was designed to do.

Dr. Terry Weyman is the Clinic Director of Chiropractic Sports Institute, www.gotcsi.com

Welcome our newest Doctor to CSI! Dr. Heather White

We at CSI would love to welcome our Newest Doctor to join our staff, Dr Heather White. Below is her Professional Summary. If you or someone you love needs a great female Doctor, Dr. Heather is amazing. Come by and meet the newest member of the CSI family.

Professional Summary

I received my Doctor of Chiropractic at Southern California University of Health Sciences in 2005. Licensed in California and in Colorado, I began my practice in Westlake Village at Body Logic Chiropractic and Sports Therapy before moving to Colorado and joining the staff at Lone Tree Chiropractic & Natural Health Center.

I have specialized in sports performance and rehabilitation in addition to family chiropractic care since
graduating in 2005. While in Colorado, I had the opportunity to become certified in Dry Needling Technique
which has been a great asset to the treatment of athletes.

I am excited to announce that I will be returning to the Westlake area in late August and joining Dr Terry
Weyman and the wonderful team at Chiropractic Sports Institute.

Skill Highlights
Sports/Family Chiropractor
Graston Technique Certified
Dry Needling Certified
ART Experience
Functional Rehabilitation
Injury & Pain Management
Sports Performance Care

Accomplishments
Clinical Services:
Dry Needling Certified Level 2
Active Performance System Certified

Professional Experience
Chiropractor
July 2010 to Current
Lone Tree Chiropractic - Lone Tree, CO
I offered the highest level of result-oriented treatment, with my focus on the patients overall health and wellness. Lone Tree Chiropractic was the Official Chiropractic Team for the Denver Broncos
Chiropractor
June 2005 to January 2009
Body Logic Chiropractic and Sports Therapy - Westlake Village, CA
During my time at Body Logic I gained a wealth of knowledge on sports injuries and prevention, in addition to the treatment protocol and rehabilitation needed to get the athlete back to play.

Education and Training
Doctorate of Chiropractic : Chiropractic, 2005
Southern California University of Health Sciences - Whittier, CA, USA
Graduated Summa Cum Laude
Bachelor of Science : Physiology, 2002
UCSB - Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Academic Achievement Award: Dean's List

We again, welcome Dr. Heather White to the team. She is available for appointments starting Sept 2, 2014  for more information contact her at the office at 805-371-0737

I just got hurt, Do I see my Chiropractor or my Medical Doctor? Yes!

Dr. Terry Weyman

 This is a question many people ask all the time. Even some Doctors (both DC and MD) don’t know the answer and some even will argue the point. Why? Both DCs and MDs are on sidelines of Professional Sports teams, share responsibilities at the Olympics and are working in the training rooms of Major Universities working side by side. What do they know that the average person doesn’t? The answer, each Doctor has a DIFFERENT job or responsibility, and when they work together, the Athlete heals faster.

I like analogies, so lets use one of my favorites, The Race Car. Sports Chiropractors are biomechanics experts and look to restore proper joint movement. Since muscles attach to bones, when there is an injury the joint will ALWAYS be affected. Our job is to look at this Kinetic Chain and restore the proper joint movement by “Adjusting” the joints  and opening up the fixations, much like the “Pit mechanic” will work with the car to get the power to the wheels and fine tune the alignment of both the chassis and the motor to make this happen.

Orthopedists are experts in fixing broken parts. When the injury involves a joint that can not be “adjusted” back into place, you need to call in the “repair shop” to fix the broken part. Both Doctors are needed since the “broken” part will affect the entire kinetic chain, much like a damaged wheel can affect the alignment of the entire car. The Sports Chiropractor keeps the alignment working while the MD makes the repairs. This will minimize secondary injuries and allow for a faster recovery.

Internists are experts in the internal workings of the body. Just as if you put bad “gas” in your engine or you got a bug in the motor, your MD/Internist is the expert in finding out the chemical changes and restoring the internal health of your system.

Physical Therapists are experts at balancing the muscles and retraining the body to return to play. Once the joint has been repaired (MD) and the joints have been balanced and the kinetic chain aligned (DC) the proprioception needs to be restored (PT). When the Sports Medicine team works in harmony the Athlete recovers faster and performs better.

Just like there are many members of the ‘Pit Crew” in an Auto race, there should be many members of your “healing” team to provide the care you need to get back to the field. There is a reason you see a “team” of Doctors at major events, it works!

Dr. Terry Weyman is the clinical Director of Chiropractic Sports Institute and is on staff at Pepperdine University. He has also worked at the OTC in Colorado Springs and with the US Olympic Team. Go to  www.gotcsi.com for more information

Summer is here- Learn how to recover and take care of your body so you will be ready!

By Dr. Terry Weyman

So last week a patient of mine came in with a feeling of fatigue, heavy legs from training and soreness in his legs and lower back. He has been working hard to get ready for his summer racing season and was feeling a little discouraged. At first he thought his equipment was getting tired but after spending over a thousand dollars on up grades his scores did not change. I finally had to tell him, "did you look at your body and what you need to do different?" 

So, many Athletes take their body for granted and if they are losing, blame their equipment when they should look within. Have they been eating right, are they seeing their Chiropractor to get the joints loosened up to allow the soft tissue to be more reactive and functioning, are they recovering correctly after their work outs, etc. These are just some of the questions you need to ask when you hit a flat spot in your performance. I have seen Golfers spend thousands of dollars on the newest and greatest club,  to gain 10 extra yards! Yet with one trip to the Chiropractor and some great recovery techniques and they get the same yardage gain for a lot less money. I have seen cyclist have to have the newest carbon bike and will spend a lot of money for a few ounces of wt, yet they will eat like crap and won't recover and they wonder why their engine does not work when they put the "hammer down". 

Lack of Time maybe an issue, but so is putting your body first. Go see your sports Chiropractor (ie your body mechanic) and get tuned up. Eat right, you would never put cheap gas in your race car, and yet your body is worth a heck of a lot more. The best tip of all. BUY A MARC PRO. Its the best recovery tool on the market, use it after EVERY work out, Between EVERY race and the night before any major competition to flush the muscles with fresh fluids. Its the best money you will ever spend! www.marcpro.com promo code:GOTCSI

Its time to put your money into what will really matter at the end, YOU!

Dr. Terry Weyman is the clinic director of CSI  for more information go to www.gotcsi.com

Turf Toe

By Dr. Ciro Errico

In sports like soccer, football, lacrosse, track, and even gymnastics turf toe can be an injury that can occur. Though commonly seen on turf fields it can be seen in a variety of sports due to the mechanism of injury. All these sports include the need to jump, run, ‘cut’ or quickly turn; often times it occurs while the player is on his or her toes. This action causes injuries like turf toe.  

So, what is turf toe?

Turf toe is an injury in which the big toe is hyperextend causing a sprain of the ligaments surrounding the big toe. It is often times caused by jamming the big toe, or repeatedly pushing off the big toe during running or jumping.

What are a few signs and symptoms?

When a player has a possible turf toe injury there will be swelling, pain, and limited range of motion in the big toe. The player will have a hard time placing his or her foot on the floor due to the pain of trying to push off while walking.

What can a player do to help treat turf toe?

To treat turf toe the first thing to do is RICE method which includes: rest, ice, compression of the area, and elevating the foot to help reduce the swelling. Receiving professional care like chiropractic care is beneficial; there are many things that a chiropractor can do. Laser treatments help the cells of the damaged ligaments and tendons to reproduce ATP in the body, and allows for a faster recovery. Myofacial release is beneficial: the injured muscles need treatment to reduce inflammation, and also allows the surrounding muscle to not over compensate and cause more problems. MarcPro helps the muscles to flush out the inflammation, and the allows to bring more blood flow to the damaged area; this process of bringing blood to the area of damage allowing oxygen to get to the muscles and help heal the damaged muscle fibers (www.marcpro.com promo code: GOTCSI). Taping the area of damage allows a reduction of inflammation, and provides support to the tendons and ligaments. Adjustments of the foot, ankle, and the spine allow the body to stay aligned, and continue to provide optimal innate care in body.

How to prevent turf toe?

One of the best ways to prevent turf toe is to wear shoes that do not allow a significant amount of bend in the shoe to prevent excess amount of hyperextension and pushing off with the big toe. Working on gait patterns, and finding optimal foot positioning can help prevent more turf toe injuries. Also, exercises, such as the one on www.gotcsi.com youtube channel for big toe work well in strengthening the joint.

Dr. Ciro was a Doctor at Chiropractic Sports Institute, in Westlake Village, Ca. For more info go to their website: www.gotcsi.com

Are Supplements a waste of Money?

By Dr. Ciro Errico

In a recent study medical doctors have announced supplements are a waste of money. How can that be true? For years doctors of different fields have given patients vitamins and mineral supplements, because it is ‘healthy’ or ‘good nutritional advice’. In my opinion the best nutritional advice any doctor can give is explaining to a patient the importance of eating fresh organic, grass-fed, non-processed, non-GMO foods. The importance of allowing the body to eat clean, and not to allow genetically modified, hormonal, or pesticide infected foods- whether vegetables, meats, or fruits.

But, it seems in the new recent study that doctors are trying to possible promote better eating, and lifestyle- hence, doing away with vitamins forces a person to take control of food, and not rely on supplements. So, here is another view. How many can honestly and truly shop at a Farmers Market daily, prepare and cook meals everyday, exercise- both mentally and physically, do chores, errands, spend time with family, enjoy alone time, and enjoy life?

Supplements are good for people when they know they are lacking a specific vitamin or mineral. A simple example would be Vitamin D and winter. During the winter less people are willing to go outside to sunbathe for twenty minutes to help increase his or her own Vitamin D production- sun light increases the body’s production of Vitamin D naturally- along side taking Vitamin K which allows the uptake of Vitamin D to increase as well. So, what does Vitamin D actually do in the body? Vitamin D helps strengthen bones, allows nerve impulses to travel optimally, and helps the immune system fight off bacteria and viruses. Now, aside from the sunbathing Vitamin D can also be found in beef liver and fatty fishes like salmon- make sure the beef liver is from a grass-fed cow and the salmon is wild caught from USA. Too much to ask for? Not sure of the source of food? Not sure about sunbathing in the winter? These may be a time when a vitamin D (along with Vitamin K) supplement may be helpful and useful until spring or summer. 

A simple and honest way of explaining why supplements should still be taken Is because not many people take the time to research his or her food, have time to prepare and cook meals every day and night, not many people can afford to spend the extra money at the local Farmers Market, and not many people enjoy cooking. Another simple and honest reason is because a person may eat two servings of fruit and four servings of vegetables a day, but is that fruit or vegetable organic or has it been genetically modified in some way? Result: ingesting a fruit or vegetable that has no quality because it may have been modified to produce quantity on an orchard or farm. Ultimately these modified fruits and vegetables contain no proper quality nutrition that can give the body vitamins and minerals it may need.     

Supplements are just that. They SUPPLEMENT the diet when nutrients are missing. How can that be a waste of money?!

Dr. Ciro Errico is the Team Chiropractor for Club Sports at CSUN and is also the Lacrosse Team Chiropractor at CSUCI and Newbury Park HighSchool. He is a treating Physician at CSI. For more info go to www.gotcsi.com