Last Saturday, October 29,2011, I was reading an article in the New York Times National newspaper when I came an article,”Sports medicine Said to Overuse a Popular Scan.” The article was about the use, or overuse of MRIs on injured athletes and casual exercisers like runners, golfer, tennis players, and bicyclists. Dr Andrews tested his suspicion of the MRI on 31 healthy professional baseball pitchers. All of these pitchers had no injuries and no pain in their pitching shoulder. After he scanned each of the pitchers, the MRI’s showed 90% of them had abnormal shoulder cartilage and 87% had abnormal rotator cuff tendons. How many of us have had MRI’s and was told we needed surgery, when possibly we didn’t. Dr Andrews says,”If you want an excuse to operate on a pitcher’s throwing shoulder, just get an MRI.”
I don’t want to discount MRI’s totally as they are very helpful in finding tumors and distinguishing between competing diagnosis. However, many sports injury related patients expect the scan to the point of disbelief if not used and the doctors who own their own machine can find it very lucrative.
The danger is if a doctor doesn’t understand what he/she is looking at on the scan, a healthy person can be misdiagnosed and given a harmful treatment based on the misdiagnosis.
I am not against scans and tests if they are helpful in the diagnosis. However if these tests are only used to make additional money, protect the doctors from possible lawsuits, or just make the patient feel better then we have some fundamental changes that need to occur.
As a patient, your body will hurt from time to time. If you injure yourself no one can safely stop the pain immediately without some side effects because your body needs the time to heal. The first a patient must take is responsibility for your own health. Watch your weight, exercise regularly, and stay mentally postive will go a long way in reducing your healthcare costs. We need to change our practices as we are praticing medicine the most expensive way.

I was reading the other day that Americans had over 300,000 knees replaced last year. This same author said that the predictions for knee replacements would be 3.4 million by 2030. He believed the reason for such a dramatic increase was all about the technology. Knee and hip replacement have become routine. In fact they are so routine that many people I speak with have just accepted that they will have at least one knee replaced in theirr lifetime. Why? I believe it is because doctors have made it sound so easy to replace the knee instead of rehabbing the knee. So people have decided to not correct things in their life to rehab the nknee back and just wait until it completly goes out, then replace it. This is the most expensive way to practice medicine in the world. It is easier for the doctors, hospitals, and the patients because it requires no effort from the patient and has become a routine surgery for the healthcare staff.
Let’s first take a look at why joints are failing. First, more than 60% of Americans are listed as obese. Our joints were not designed to carry that musch weight. Second, Americans are more sedentary than ever in our history. Third, the Americans who are working out are usually working out wrong. And fourth, our diets are atrocious!
As a perons who has lost 105 ilbs in 18 months, I am well aware of the work it takes to bring your body back. I can tell you that exercise alone will not do it. Diets alone will not do it. Yoga alone will not do it! For you to be successful at losing weight and keeping it off, you must do all 4 steps to better health. Here they are:

1- Strength training- This does not mean go to a gym and kill yourself to have bulging muscles. You want to lift a weight that works your muscles to gain endurance and help your bones. Less weight and more repetitions.
2- Stretching- Don’t run and join a yoga class if you haven’t stretched in years. Try Active Isolated Stretching to lengthen those short muscles, then join any class you want.
3- Massage- I am not talking about a relaxing swedish massage. You will need a deep tissue massage that will probably hurt at first. Your muscles are clogged up from years of little activity.
4- Nutrition- garbage in, garbage out. Eat locally grown foods as mother nature has desigend foods from moru regions that best suits our needs. In other words, if you live in Florida, you cannot eat like you would in Chicago. You will get fat. You need more watery vegetables instead of meat and potatoes.

If you lose weight to where you need to be and exercise your body the way it should be, your pain nwill likely stop on its own. However, if you think new joints are the way to go, talk to people who have had them down and look at how much improvement they have had in their lifestyles.

Therapist Recommends Practical Tips to Prevent Injuries While Improving Your Health

SARASOTA, Florida, December 31, 2010 — Every New Years Day millions of Americans resolve to improve their health and fitness, then they usually fail, or worse yet create a horrible injury. Butch Phelps from The Muscle Repair Shop offers some suggestions to help you keep your resolutions and prevent needless injuries that may slow you down. “The Muscle Repair Shop specializes in Active Isolated Stretching, Deep Tissue Massage, and Personal Training. We educate our clients to integrate the most efficient exercise with the best stretching technique to get the most from your body and improve your quality of life. It doesn’t matter your age. We then, educate our clients about the importance of deep tissue massage to keep your muscles working at an optimal level. Use the following suggestions to really succeed at improving your health and remember, You Can Do This! Always check with your physician about your exertion level before beginning any workout program.”
• Strength Training Exercises are a must for everyone. 30 minutes of good strength training exercises, 3 times per week, will be enough for the average person to maintain their strength to do their day to day activities. The older you are the important it becomes to have a regular strength training program that continues to make you stronger. Many seniors I have worked with suffer more from lack of strength than anything else. If you having a hard time getting out of a chair, that is more strength related than age related
• Cardio workouts are the real energy booster. Taking a brisk walk everyday for 30 minute to one hour will help you develop a stronger heart and increased energy to live your life to its fullest. I am not talking about walking and smelling the roses, but an all out walk that will create a sweat. Biking is a great alternative as it is low impact on your joints. Cardio machines can work, but most who ride them like to read or watch TV while riding the machine. This will not work! You must be focused on your health. NO MULTI-TASKING PLEASE!
• Stretching allows you to show off your new strength. Most people, including professionals, still use the old stretching techniques we learned back in high school. Holding a stretch for 20-30 seconds will not fully stretch your muscles and using a stretchy band is a big no-no. Once you hold a stretch for more than 2-3 seconds you engage your muscles stretch reflex which was put there to prevent overstretching your muscle. Once the stretch reflex engages, the muscle starts to contract ending your stretching for that muscle. We suggest you hold the stretch for 2-3 seconds, then repeat 10 times. Use an 8’ rope or yoga strap to assist you. A stretchy band is used for strength training. Stretching all of your muscles every other day will improve your joint functions, take pressure off of your nerves and blood vessels, and improve the health of your discs.
• Deep Tissue Massage should be included in every program. Feel good, relaxing massages are great for stress, but after your workouts your muscles will be filled with lactic acid causing you tenderness and soreness. The only way to clean them out is with a deep tissue massage. By allowing your blood to flow through your muscles, your body can work at a high level.
When you are assessing your body’s fitness, look at your body as an engineer, not as a scientist. For every pain there is a cause and effect. For instance, if your low back hurts when you stand too long, chances are the front of your thighs could be tight, thus pulling you over and increasing the pressure on your low back. Your body is like a tower that is held up by wires. There must be proper tension on each wire to insure the tower stands straight. Your body is no different. Your muscles are your wires to hold you up straight. With the right information everyone can have improved health.
About Butch Phelps
Butch Phelps is a Public Speaker, Licensed Massage therapist, Certified Personal Training, and Certified in Active Isolated Stretching and he has over 6 years experience helping many people to improve their health. Butch lost over 100lbs in 18 months by following the suggestions he has shared above. Butch has published many articles and videos of the stretches that can be seen at www.musclerepairshop.com. The Muscle Repair Shop offers a membership to clients that includes a monthly newsletter, blog, and products to assist in your quest to improve your health. Butch has given speeches to many local organizations about ways to take control of your own health and motivate his audience to follow through.

Are you suffering from a pinched nerve, a bulging disc or even a herniated disc? Have you been told you may need surgery or injections? Are you seeing a chiropractor several times a week, with slow improvement? Do you understand what is actually causing your pain?
Most people do not really understand the cause of a pinched nerve, a bulging disc, or even a herniated disc. Usually our vertebrae are blamed for the distress in our body. What we fail to understand is our bones cannot pinch anything without our muscles. In fact if you were to remove your muscles, your bones would just collapse. So how can your bones be the cause of your pain?
Let’s take a look at your back and neck, where most pinched nerves and disc problems occur. On each side of your spine lay 2 muscles that run from the base of your skull to the top of your pelvis. From the moment you stood up on 2 feet, you disc started to degenerate as the pressure grew from your body growing. Just picture a stack of blocks with rubber spacers between them. On the outside of the blocks there are 2 rubber bands connected to the top and the bottom of the blocks. As I shorten the rubber bands the blocks will come closer together, squeezing on the rubber spacers, literally flattening them out. If I tighten one side more than the other, the stack will lean. This will cause pressure on one side to be greater than the pressure on the other.
What you are visualizing is your back moving each day of your life. The only thing that will take that pressure off is to stretch your back muscles with Active Isolated Stretching. I am not talking about traditional stretching like you see in the gym, it just doesn’t work.
Traditional stretching requires you to hold a stretch for more than 2-3 seconds. This engages your stretch reflex in your muscle causing it to contract to protect itself. It becomes more of a isometric strength training exercise which actually shortens the muscle. Active Isolated Stretching(AIS), only requires you to hold the stretch for 2-3 seconds then repeat 10 times.
Now back to your back! Once you open up the muscles in your hips and shoulders, you will start to take pressure off your spine. This will relieve pressure on a pinched nerve stopping the pain. For a bulging disc, the pressure will be relieved and blood flow will return to the disc allowing it re-lubricate. Now it will slide back into place. This will stop the pain. Herniated discs are discs that have been cut by the pressure applied to the vertebrae. Once you take that pressure off, the disc can heal and go back to its job.
Many people use inversion tables or tables that stretch out their back. These work momentarily until you stand back up. Yes you did take the pressure off the spine, but you did not lengthen the hip muscles or the shoulder muscles, so once you stand back up the pressure is re-applied.
Go find a therapist who teaches Active Isolated Stretching today and learn how to heal your own body. Do not accept any other gadget or treatment until you at least try Active Isolated Stretching. Good luck and Good health.

What do natural seeds, Ireland, Greenpeace,Health Freedon USA, the rest of this list and many more reputable organizations, authors, and foundations have in common?

They all say NO TO GMOs.

They all say NO to Monsanto.

Today I want to share with you the obvious, the horrendous, the unbelievable. The corporate agenda of greed, control and disregard for the humans on this planet.

I attended a dietetics convention and visited the Monsanto exhibit. I asked the RD if she understood the impact that Monsanto was having on the world’s farmers. Monsanto bought all the seed companies and was now forcing farmers to buy seeds, their seeds, every year. “we are feeding the world” was the reply.

Tell that to the farmer in Canada that was sued by Monsanto for harvesting seeds to sell. Tell that to the farmer in Africa who was turned in by his neighbor for saving seeds from a previous crop. That farmer was paid by Monsanto with a leather jacket.

GMO = A Genetically Modified Organism is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques that involves the insertion or deletion of genes.

GM crops on the market incorporate essentially just two “traits”
- herbicide tolerance and/or insect resistance. They are used for animal feed, biofuels, or highly processed food products in rich countries.
Most commercial GM crops are grown by Brazil, Argentina and the US.

The real beneficiaries of the GM system are biotech
companies which profit from patents, expensive GM seeds,
and increased pesticide sales. Poor farmers in contrast are
squeezed by escalating costs.

There is a smattering of the economic impact that GMOs have on the global farming community.

Let’s take a look at the political scene:
A key component of the U.S./Monsanto plan to dominate world agriculture with genetically modified seeds is the absence of labeling of genetically engineered foods.
- the Food & Drug Administration (FDA,
- the. Department of Agriculture (USDA),
- and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) — have ruled that genetically- modified foods deserve an exception: they can be sold without being labeled “genetically modified.”
Here’s where CODEX Alimentarius enters the scene.
With the help of the present and past 5 presidencies, Codex Alimentarius, which sets standards for the international trade of food, permits genetically modified foods and makes no effort to limit, control or eliminate them. In fact, the US has been trying for years to prevent the labeling of GM foods and seed in international trade to emulate its domestic policy which I just spoke of.
What impact does this biotechnology have on human health?

Did you know… since 1996 Americans have been eating genetically modified (GM) ingredients in most processed foods.
Did you know… GM plants, such as soybean, corn, cottonseed, and canola, and sugar beets have had foreign genes forced into their DNA which have never been in the human food supply. Then consider the increased amounts of herbacides that are used because the weeds become tolerant…that is ingested with the plant.
Did you know… The American Academy of Environmental Medicine asked physicians to advise patients to avoid GM foods.
Here’s where Greenpeace involvement enters.

The data for a study that revealed liver problems in rats as well as reproductive problems was only obtained after a successful court case in France in which Greenpeace led initiative sued to gain access to the data presented to the European Commission that resulted in its subsequent approval. ? The credibility of the current authorization system for GMO products is in serious question.
Here’s another piece of information, maybe best left out for the squeamish. Check out Morgellons Disease. Unknown etiology, over 2000 cases currently. Some suspect the fibrous material that erupts from the skin after causing excruciating itching and crawling feeling is actually a result of the ingestion of GM foods. Why?

No one could figure it out until biochemist Vitaly Citovsky discovered that the fibers contain a substance called “Agrobacterium,” which, according to New Scientist, is “used commercially to produce genetically-modified plants.” Could GM plants be “causing a new human disease?”
What’s a person to do?
Go to http://salsa.democracyinaction.org to tell your senators and congress people that you want CHOICE for Health Freedom.
GMOs do not meet the Precautionary Principle because they are administratively, not scientifically, deemed to be equivalent to unmodified organisms while excellent science substantiates that they pose special high level dangers for consumers, farmers and the environment.
JOIN THE CAMPAIGN TO BAN GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOOD
Visit http://www.greenpeace.org/internationa…

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/Home/index.cfm

Shop GMO free. follow the four quidelines:
1. Buy Organic
2. Look for No GMO labels
3. Avoid At-risk ingredients including corn, soybeans, canola, cottonseed
4. Buy Products listed in the shopping guide at http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com and www.MuscleRepairShop.com for more tips and info about “Fueling Up” with First Choices for Organic foods. Read “Organic Smorganic”

“SMORGANIC?”
Is that a word? It was in my house before repeated discussion and comparison changed Butch’s and Tabby’s mind. I think it was the difference in the taste of fresh organic produce that eventually convinced them that not only was organic food better for the human body but it was also good for the planet.

The crew at The Muscle Repair Shop know that the right fuel is essential for a smooth running body. Along with the need for Align Up, Tune Up, and Lube Up
The Fuel Up section is so important. How can a body run well on unhealthy fuel?

Organic farming is sustainable and redirects the energy consumption away from the food chain reducing the use of petroleum products and eventually reducing the cost of organic food to make it affordable and available. Consumer demand will drive the market.

So, shop organic using the guidelines below.

These foods are First Choice foods – These fruits & vegetables are either protected from pesticide contamination by their outer protective skin or they are hearty growers that are naturally pest resistant and therefore require less chemicals to produce good tasting healthy produce. Whether you peel them or not it’s always best to wash/rinse before you peel them.

Pineapple – Tough skin
Mango – Thick skin
Kiwis – Protective peel
Watermelon – Barrier rind
Papaya – Impenetrable peel

Avocado – Thick skins
Asparagus – Natural resilience
Sweet Corn – Natural protection
Onions – Naturally pest resilient
Sweet Peas – Pod protection
Cabbage – Naturally clean
Eggplant – Tough skin
Sweet Potatoes – Naturally clean
Tomatoes – Recently redeemed from the Dirty Dozen list
Broccoli – Fewer pest threats = less spraying

These foods are at the top of the First Choice Organic list.

Spend your organic dollar wisely. Some of the foods on this list are my favorites. Don’t get discouraged. Just make the choices that make sense.

Meat – Hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides store in the fat so, if not organic then at least make it lean. Also consider the portion size. The protein portion on your plate should take up only ¼ of the plate, if that.

Milk – Hormone, antibiotic, and pesticide levels in children pose a health risk. This is a very serious consideration for kids since many provide milk as a staple of a child’s diet.

Peaches – Thin skin lots of pesticides show in testing.
Strawberries – Imported are grown with more pesticides, but even domestic are one of the hardest fruits to grow commercially without regular treatment with chemicals.
Apple – Many fungi and insects are problems so multiple chemicals are used and can’t be washed off or peeled away.
Peaches – 32 types of pesticides found on nectarines
Cherries – 42 pesticides found by government testing

Blueberries – 52 pesticides !!!! This was a shocker. My absolute favorite fruit. I have not found an organic source that is affordable yet. I have a freezer full of blueberries that I use for smoothies. I am struggling with whether to consider that there are few sources of chemicals in my diet and therefore use them occasionally or toss them. Finding a balance is key.

Celery – No protective skin
Bell Peppers – Thin skin barrier so sprayed heavily
Spinach – 48 different pesticides
Kale – High amounts of residue
White potatoes – 37 different pesticides.

Coffee- Grown in countries with no regulations to limit use of chemicals or enforcement FOR Fair trade.

There is so much information about how to grow organic, shop organic and cook organic. Check out http://www.thedailygreen.com, www.greenpeace.com or just google organic for answers to just about any question you might have. You are also invited to comment on our blog and ask questions.

In our healthcare today everyone seems to be blaming everyone for the failures that seem to occur on a daily basis. The doctors are to blame because they are evil and only want money. I don’t believe that! The insurance companies are only out there for profit and they don’t care. Well, they are there for profit as they are a profit driven business with stockholders to please. Their major concern is to make a profit, I don’t believe they live their lives trying to make you miserable. The pharmaceutical companies only care about profit and getting everyone hooked on drugs. We have painted them to be these evil monsters who are sitting around big conference tables conjuring up concoctions to drug us to death. Well they too, are profit driven companies that have stockholders to please as well. These large companies, not unlike every company large or small, is in existence because there was a need and they filled it. We don’t want to hurt at all, so they invent a drug to do that on a temporary basis and we buy them perpetually to not hurt. They never promised to cure us. We assumed that was their intention and you know what happens when we assume anything. It’s no different than McDonalds or Wal-Mart. Every body complains and bad mouths them, but we want food fast and cheap, McDonalds supplied it. We wanted clothes and stuff cheap and readily available, Walmart supplied it. Now we are mad as hell because they did. We pine for the old days, yet we have made all the richest companies in the world. Why? Because they did exactly what we ask them to do. It is up to you and me to take a moment to figure out what we are doing wrong in our choices. Let me hear your feelings on this as I really want to know how you feel.

So many people have said repeatedly that you cannot be healthier until you decide to be. This has never been truer than today. More and more people are dealing with obesity, heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Unfortunately, the people, you and me, are making the decisions to suffer from these problems. I am not trying to be mean, but honest with myself and hopefully honest in a positive way to you. If you are overweight, it is because you are choosing the wrong foods and the wrong lifestyle. I know you may not know what to do. Get on the internet and research to figure it out. There are many people, including some doctors, nutritionists, trainers, and therapists online just dying to help you. Heart disease is the result of someone eating badly and not exercising like they are suppose to. Cancer is showing up more and more as a result of the types of foods you may be eating. I know what you are saying! You are screaming at me that it is in your genes and there is nothing you can do about it, but that is where you are wrong! Your genes are telling you that you have a higher risk of getting these diseases, but it is not hopeless. The way to look at your genes in this situation is to use it like a warning light. Since you have the genes, learning about which foods may affect you more and what is the importance of exercise to preventing these diseases. The doctors are overwhelmed and the people are refusing to look at preventative measures to prevent these diseases in the first place.
As humans we are responsible for putting our bodies in a position to stay healthy. The doctor’s role is to be there in the case of emergency like a broken bone or torn ligaments, or the odd case of someone living healthy and still getting a disease. We will never see this until we stop relying on others to take care of us and stop buying foods that make us sick. It is up to you to decide how sick you want t be!

Over the past few weeks I have met several people who are in pain daily, been to many doctors , even multiple surgeries, yet they are still in pain. How can that be?
I believe, as a society, we believe that muscles have no affect on your body unless you pull one. The fact is, your muscles can create total chaos in your body, making you believe that your pain is caused by something else.
For instance, I get people with bulging discs regularly. They have been to their doctors, who referred them to a surgeon, to either remove the disc, drain it, or fuse the spine. No one really talks about why the disc bulged in the first place! The disc is treated as if it went bad for no apparent reason. This is bad reasoning.
Your spine is supported by two major muscles, Erector Spinae, on each side of your spine. Over the years these muscles will get tight, shorter if you will, putting pressure on the vertebrae which pinches the discs in between them. The pinching of the discs causes the discs to lose their lubrication and literally start to dry out. Usually a fall, nothing major, or you turn too quickly in an awkward position, then BAM!, all of sudden you have a bulging disc. It can create numbness or tingling down your arms or legs. The focus, unfortunately, is on the disc, however the problem is not the disc, but your spine is out of alignment. This misalignment is due to your muscles pulling on one side of your spine more than the other. Not your disc. The bulging disc is the effect. The tight spinal muscles are the cause. Once you lengthen these spinal muscles and have your spine re-aligned, the disc can go back into place relieving the tingling and numbness.
Think about this, take a stack of wooden cubes and make a stack 12 high. Attach a string, of equal length, to 2 sides of the cubes to support them. As long as you attach the strings at exactly the same spot on each side, these strings will keep the cubes in place. In your body this is a good spine, free of problems.
Now take this same stack of cubes and attach the strings, except have one string 2 inches shorter. What happens? As you hold the strings, the stack shifts to one side. This is exactly what happens to your back.
Keep in mind, your back did not get in this position overnight. It took many years of straining from pushing and pulling objects. Do you realize that just standing on your two feet causes your spine to shorten? How you sit in your chair can create problems for your back.
The use of Active Isolated Stretching will help to eliminate problems with back injuries as well as prevent new ones. Keeping your back stretched out and strong will allow you to enjoy your life without chronic back pain.

Recently I was interviewed on a radio program called Sports Injury Prevention Inner Circle. To listen to the audio recording, click the link below.

Listen to Radio Interview