She will give a short presentation on Core Training followed by a group exercise training session.

This workshop is free and open to the public. And all participants are welcome to a 20% off discount on all Sports Basement merchandise redeemable after the talk! So join in the fun and bring your family and friends!

Call Marcia at 408-737-0330 for more details.

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You see, that “six pack” you get from doing crunches comes from developing the rectus abdominis, or superficial abdominal muscle. But real back support comes from the deeper transversus abdominis, or “core” musculature.

Try this exercise instead.
The Plank: Gently pull your belly button in toward your spine and keep it there while continuing to breath. Assume a push-up position, with your weight supported on hands and toes, and hold for 30 seconds. You should be able to draw a straight line from your shoulders to your toes. Don’t allow your belly to sag or your bottom to stick up in the air!

Too difficult? Try a hands and knees position. Too easy? Try supporting on your elbows instead of your hands. Or try a plank with your feet on a stability ball. Now that’s fun!

Most of our patients are surprised at how difficult The Plank is. Yet it is safer and more effective than crunches for preventing back injuries.

Let us help you build a stronger core. Call for your exercise training session today - 408-337-0330!

Dr. Pamela Wells is a Chiropractor serving the Sunnyvale California and the surrounding area including Cupertino, Mountain View and Santa Clara.

Or “Why does my back hurt?” In most cases, the notion that you have a “pinched nerve,” or a “bone pressing on a nerve,” is simply not true. Recent studies have helped us to better understand exactly why you have pain.

Your joint tissues (tendons and ligaments) are filled with different types of receptors or “sensors” that are responsible for sending and receiving information via your nerves or “wires” about muscle tone, joint position and injury, to your spinal cord and brain.

When there is an abnormality in structure or function of your vertebrae (Subluxation), sensors in your muscles cause them to tighten in order to protect the injured joint, while sensors in the joint send incorrect information about joint and body position. Other sensors send pain signals to your brain. Pain is good! Pain is like the warning light in your car! But if you ignore the warning light, you not only continue to experience pain, but your body develops abnormal movement patterns and your muscles become stiff and weak.

“Oh, what to do?”  The beauty of the chiropractic adjustment is that it inhibits the pain signals, thus relieving your pain, and it “resets the program” so that your muscles and joints resume sending and receiving correct information. And when you follow your adjustment with exercises (especially those involving balance), you retrain normal movement patterns, improve balance and coordination and regain lost strength and flexibility. Sounds like a winner!

Dr. Pamela Wells is a Chiropractor in Sunnyvale California who is committed to your health and well being. Schedule an appointment today - call us at: 408-737-0330.

A newly released Canadian study found that there is no increased risk related to chiropractic neck adjustment in triggering a stroke. In the study, researchers observed that patients were no more likely to suffer a stroke following a visit to a doctor of chiropractic than they would after visiting their family doctor.

Although researchers found an increased association between stroke and both chiropractic and medical care, they said the association is likely due to patients with an undiagnosed vertebral artery dissection  seeking care for neck pain and headache before their stroke. (Cassidy JD, et al. Spine. Vol. 33, Feb. 2008)
Get the facts. Chiropractic care is safe!

Dr. Pamela Wells is a Chiropractor in Sunnyvale, CA.

(pro”pre-o-sep’shun)  perception mediated by sensory nerve endings which give information concerning movement and position of the body and are important in balance and coordination.

Dr. Pamela Wells is a Chiropractor in Sunnyvale, California.

From the newest exercise equipment (“You too can have 6 pack abs!”) to the juice of a berry that grows only in some remote corner of the globe (“Rich in antioxidants! Reverses aging!”), these product’s claims are certainly enticing. Yet they leave you wondering if it’s almost too good to be true. What’s a reasonable person to think?

Well, there is no magic bullet. That is myth. Healing is a natural process and you can not cheat it with chemicals or other interventions. The real miracle is the human body’s innate capacity to heal itself!

…a product primer

To assist you in sorting out the fact from the fiction in product claims, Dr. Wells has put together this list of recommendations…

1. Keep it simple. Choose exercise equipment that is inexpensive, low tech, and easily accessible, such as any unstable surface (stability ball or foam pad) and resistance bands or dumbbells.
2. Nutritional supplements are meant to supplement a healthy diet. If you’re eating garbage, a pill won’t fix your problems! Eat real food, then supplement with nutrients to target a specific problem or condition.
3. Rely on quality research findings along with a healthy dose of common sense. We’ve chosen Karuna and Metagenics for our supplement needs. Their product formulas are based on independent human clinical research trials, and their product content and quality is verified by independent labs.

Dr. Pamela Wells is a Chiropractor Serving Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Mountain View and the Silicon Valley.

The authors of the study found overwhelming evidence that chiropractic treatment is effective and safe. And, despite the lack of scientific evidence for how or why chiropractic worked, they went on to recommend that chiropractic be included and reimbursed in New Zealand’s health care system.

I’m happy to report that, 22 years later, there is a large body of research describing the precise mechanisms by which chiropractic works. And while chiropractic today is gaining acceptance as an effective treatment for musculoskeletal pain and injuries, we are also starting to see evidence that chiropractic treatment may influence somato-visceral (musculo-skeletal- organ) connections and may be effective in treating many more conditions than previously considered.

It is an exciting time indeed to be a chiropractor!

Dr. Pamela Wells is a Chiropractor based in Sunnyvale California.

While patients in all treatment groups demonstrated improvement over the standard care, spinal manipulation followed by exercise classes was found to be the most effective.
British Medical Journal 2004; 329 (Dec 11): 1377

A pilot study of patients with Stage 1 Hypertension by the Department of Preventive Medicine at Rush University, Chicago was the first to demonstrate sustained lowering of blood pressure following spinal manipulation of the first cervical vertebra (atlas).

The improvement in blood pressure was similar to that seen by giving 2 different antihypertensive drugs simultaneously. Furthermore, the reduction persisted at 8 weeks post-treatment.
Journal of Human Hypertension 2007. March 2: 1-6

Dr. Pamela Wells is a Chiropractor in Sunnyvale, California.

Wouldn’t it be great if exercise could be that much fun again? Maybe it can be (almost)! When I look into our new Fitness Room, with its large red, blue, green and yellow balls, I’m transported right back to kindergarten and feel a sudden urge to go play!

In creating our Fitness Room I strove to keep it simple, fun and inexpensive, as well as something that could be easily duplicated at home. My goals are to provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to get healthy and stay healthy…for life. Through our fitness assessments and individualized exercise programs we can help you to prepare for whatever you want to be able to do.

As for me…I want stronger arms for river paddling, stronger legs for backpacking and better endurance so I can continue to beat my kids in tennis!

What do you want? Get out there and play!

The Exercise Programs:

Traditional exercise equipment helps to target or isolate specific muscles or muscle groups for strengthening. The problem is that you rarely use muscles in isolation at work, in sports or even in every day activities. And contrary to popular belief, the ability to crank out 100 abdominal crunches does little to protect your back from injury during lifting.

We teach primarily functional exercises, which train your muscles to work together as part of a larger functional unit. When you can use your lumbar extensors, your lateral stabilizers and your abdominal muscles in a coordinated manner, you’re far less likely to injure your back.

The Equipment:

Stability Balls are the “back bone” (excuse the pun) of most of our exercise programs. They are great for developing core strength, flexibility, balance and coordination. Additionally, they promote proper posture, can challenge the elderly individual or the competitive athlete, and they are fun!

Unstable surfaces (stability trainers, wobble boards etc.) can be used in the same way as stability balls but in standing postures.

Resistive Bands are generally superior to dumbbell or weight machines for the rehabilitation of injuries because the variable resistance allows for maximal loading of the muscle throughout the entire pain-free range of motion. Additionally, bands can be used alone or with other equipment in functional exercises to improve your ability to perform a specific task, such as to improve your golf swing.

Exercise Mats Provide cushioning for stretching, floor exercises, yoga and Pilates.

All of our equipment is available for purchase. Our equipment is high quality, low tech, inexpensive, and fits in your living room!

Scheduling Your Exercise Training

Before you begin an exercise program, you need to schedule a functional assessment with Dr. Wells to determine your specific limitations (in strength and flexibility) as well as your fitness goals.

Next, schedule a training session with either Dr. Wells or Jill Haff. Exercise will be targeted specifically to address your needs and goals as established in the functional assessment.

Dr. Pamela Wells is a Chiropractor in Sunnyvale, California.

So why is it so difficult to “straighten up”? Simply put, because we’ve forgotten how! From the time we’re in Kindergarten, we spend much of our time sitting in chairs. We lean over desks to write or type at computers and when we’re not sitting at work, we’re sitting in a car or in front of the T.V.

Our hip flexors and chest muscles shorten, our back muscles weaken, our breathing becomes shallow and we lose that brain to core neurologic connection so that we have difficulty engaging those muscles when we try.

Fortunately the health care and fitness industries are starting to catch up with what our ancestors inherently knew. The emphasis is shifting away from “6 pack abs,” to maintaining neutral spine and strengthening the core, as well as integrating this knowledge into every day activities.

Posture Training 101

It all starts with Neutral Spine. “Neutral” is the position of the spine that supports your body with the least amount of effort and stress. It looks something like an elongated “S”.

We look at your current posture to determine which muscles are chronically shortened and which are weak, as well as how your posture might be contributing to your current pain. Then we teach you simple exercises to lengthen the short muscles and strengthen the weak ones.

We teach you how to find your neutral spine position and how to engage your deep core muscles to support you in that position, whether you’re standing, sitting, sleeping, walking, bending or lifting.

Straighten up and make your mother proud - schedule your posture training today!

Dr. Pamela Wells is a Chiropractor based in Sunnyvale California.