Note:
If you are keen and have queries, please contact Coach Rameshon at 9100 4369 or you can email him at m.rameshon@gmail.com or swift.rameshon@gmail.com. Please refer to website http://flexifitness.com.sg (for more information on him and his programmes)
By Rameshon
Bsc (Hons) Degree in Physical Education, Loughborough University (1992-1994)
Masters in Education (University of Western Australia, 2005-2008)
How to run faster - Better late than never.
This is the last of the three part series of Dr Kelvin Ng's answers to my interview questions on posture and body alignment in helping one's gait and technique for one to run faster. In future, I believe that he will be able to contribute to this blog on his expert chiropractic practices in order to help runners do well in running and for those who want to stay fit and exercise for life.
I have asked Dr Kelvin Ng on frozen shoulder plus relevant questions like at what age should one see a chiropractor. I asked on geriatric condition as well. At the same time, I have asked on pre-empting an injury which is about to set in. This knowledge, I believe, will definitely benefit us, one and all. All the best to those who want to excel in running.
After this interview, I will share on other blogposts on factors that will expedite the process of running faster.
Picture 1 - Ashley Liew was able to avoid injury for a long period of time by seeing Dr Kelvin Ng
An Interview With Dr Kelvin Ng
5. How about a frozen shoulder that my friend is having, can
chiropractors help these people to come out of this situation?
Frozen shoulder is a term used to describe a shoulder that has
lost its normal range of motion. There are many causes, such as degeneration in
the cartilage in the shoulder joint, a nerve impingement arising from a
misalignment in the neck, scar tissue formation due to an old injury such as
dislocation or fracture, or a misalignment in the shoulder joint itself.
The focus of chiropractic care is the spine, as most problems
start from the spine. We have seen many “frozen shoulder” cases stemming from a
neck issue and responding very well to our chiropractic treatment.
Most chiropractors are also trained to treat the shoulder joints,
and are usually rendered to the shoulder after the spine has been treated and
the shoulder still remains frozen. For cases where the frozen shoulder is due
to other issues that are not within our scope of practice, we will refer them
out to other healthcare providers such as physiotherapists or orthopedic
surgeons.
6. What is your suggestion on the age that one should see the
chiropractor to align the body/improve posture.
As the saying goes “As the twig bends, so grows the tree”. We
are seeing more and more parents understanding the importance of laying a
strong foundation for their kids’ spine by bringing them as early as a few
weeks old. As one of the few chiropractors in Singapore who is trained to
provide pediatric chiropractic care, I see patients ranging from 4 days old up
to ninety-one years of age.
It is actually very easy to understand the importance of
chiropractic care for a spine. When you grow a plant, it is easier for you to
nurture the plant from young, making sure that it grows straight and tall. If
you leave the plant to grow into a tree without much guidance and it slants to
one side during its formative years, there is little one can do to the tree to
straighten it 100% when it is fully-grown. It works the same way for the spine.
The earlier chiropractic care is introduced to the spine, the better the spinal
health will be.
It is fundamental for a spine to be kept in good shape and
alignment from young. After all, the spine houses the lifeline of a human
being, which is the spinal cord and nerves. At each level of the vertebrae of
the spine, there are nerves sending signals to different parts of the body,
including muscles, ligaments and organs. A well-aligned spine will allow all
these structures to grow to its optimal capability.
A research was done by a medical doctor, Dr Gutmann in 1990, revealed
that a baby has about 95% chance of having the first misalignment of their life
during birth and this happens in the first bone in the neck or C1. The
probability skyrockets if medical interventions such as forceps or suction cups
are used or the baby’s neck is pulled or tugged in the process, regardless
whether natural or through C-section.
Misalignment does not end here. In fact, it just started.
Learning to walk and falling, carrying heavy bags, exercising the wrong way,
sitting in the wrong posture (for long hours in the office or school), wearing
wrong footwear such as heels or wrong fitting of sports shoes, are just some examples
of the many day to day activities that stresses the spine and add on to the
misalignments that a person already has. You can imagine, by the time one
becomes an adult, how misaligned can a spine get. This can be proportionally
higher if one exercises very intensively with a misaligned spine.
7. What about old people, do they need to see a chiropractor for
bone pain or joint pain?
Spines in the older population can become quite degenerated by
the time they reach that age due to the misalignments they have picked up
through their life. This is especially so if the spine has not received any
chiropractic care previously.
It can and will be very beneficial for old people to receive
chiropractic care as further degeneration can be prevented. Imagine how
relieving it can be for a nerve that has been impinged for years or a joint that
has been stuck for years, when these get freed up through the chiropractic
adjustment.
It is never too late (no age limit) for one to see a
chiropractor. You never know how much difference a minor reduction in the pains
that one has been suffering or resigned to feeling for years can make to a
person in their remaining years.
While chiropractic is very beneficial to the older population, it
is not uncommon for older folks to take longer time to see results than the
young ones, since their spines have already been misaligned for a long time.
The older the misalignment, the longer it will take to treat.
This often serves a reminder to many younger people that they
should not wait to feel worse before they see a chiropractor.
8. What is your suggestions to runners on pre-empting an injury
which is about to set in?
One should be protective and sensitive to our own body. If during the workout, a runner feels discomfort, he or she should stop. The
discomfort is the body’s way to tell you that something is wrong, akin to a
fire alarm telling you that there is a fire somewhere. So, stop everything you do
and look for the fire. If this discomfort (even if it feels just like a muscle
pain) persists for more than 72 hours, the runner should seek help. A chiropractor
would be a good first step since most of such problems stem from the
misalignments of the spine.
If one has not seen a chiropractor before, this is a perfect
time to get started with chiropractic care. But go to one who is ethical and
has a sound reputation.
9. Usually how long does it take a person to a postural problem
or alignment that has gone wrong? How many sessions should one attend? (Please
can you give an essay on this for the benefit of the readers)
I would say almost everyone walking around us has a misaligned
spine and has an uneven leg length. While this is common, it is not a healthy
sign from the spine perspective. As we discussed earlier, the first misalignment
for a person could have started on the day he or she is born and it just
accumulates as a person grows. One misalignment alone in the spine is
sufficient to cause many health problems, uneven hips, pain, etc, let alone
numerous misalignments that most people have.
It is almost impossible to gauge one’s alignment by how one feels,
as the initial phase of misalignment usually does not produce pain. It can
take days, weeks, months or even years for the pain to be felt. So, it makes sense
to get your spine checked for misalignments even if you are feeling fine. A
chiropractor can tell whether or not you need chiropractic care.
Chiropractic care is quite similar to dental care in some ways.
When a person has a gum problem or toothache, he or she goes to a dentist. The
dentist does intensive work for a period of time, then puts the person on
maintenance care, like once every 3-6 months. This is necessary because every day we continue to eat and that can cause decay in our teeth.
Chiropractic care works in a similar way. When a person comes
in, the spine usually already has been misaligned for years. It does take time
to undo these misalignments and re-train and re-educate the muscles before it
stabilizes. In most cases, we see spines stabilizing in 4-8 sessions.
Thereafter, we recommend maintenance care, which can range from once every few
weeks to 1-2 months. This is necessary because every day we subject our spines
to a lot of stresses and these can cause misalignments. Only a chiropractor can
tell whether a spine is misaligned. Serious runners should definitely be under
regular care since the load on their spines can be quite tremendous.
The BIG difference between dental and spine care is that teeth
can be replaced, but spine can’t!
We encourage people to consider chiropractic as a life long
healthcare option, much like dental care. Our patients are encouraged to be under
chiropractic care for as long as they want to be healthy and injury-free.
www.runningcoachsg.com
Note:
By Narayanan
Rameshon has taught in Hwa Chong Institution, plus several schools, and Republic Polytechnic as well. He has won many accolades and he was awarded Merit Award for 1991 marathon performance in breaking the national record of Singapore, at that time. He has made 22 male athletes do a marathon in sub-3hrs. He has made 7 female runners do sub-4 hours for the marathon, as well. He was inducted to the ‘Roll of Honour’ by the then College of Physical Education, organised by Singapore Olympic Academy, in 1998, for breaking the National record repeatedly 4 times, till he did 2hr 24min 22sec).
He also has a Coaching group and he trains them on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7pm at Botanic Gardens. Those interested can call him at 91004369 for coaching assistance, to improve performance. There is also personal training that he does for many in a week. You can e-mail him at swift.rameshon@gmail.com.
