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Health Matters: Pickleball injuries epidemic

ESCANABA — America is known as a land of sports fanatics. Examine for a moment the attention directed towards sports in this country: from youth sports to the many collegiate athletic events, all the professional competitions, then add in the recent explosion of sports betting, it is a pervasive part of life in this country. If you want numerical evidence of this, simply look at the monies associated with the NFL, the million dollar salaries, the advertising, the pro game is a large part of the American economy. Many claim there is too much attention on sports since, for most of us, ...

Growing pains remain a mystery

ESCANABA — Pain is part of the human experience. As should be predictable, pain is a more frequent companion as we age, the ravages of time taking its toll. Many of us manage to damage some body part or experience a malfunction of a bodily system, and pain is generated as a result. This unpleasant sensation is generally not associated with the vitality of youth, which has not been subjected to the degradation of the years. Children can experience pain, of course, but they relate to it differently than adults. Children will often not be able to verbalize these unpleasant sensations ...

Health Matters: The controversy over plant vs animal protein

ESCANABA — Americans are becoming more knowledgeable about nutrition and its importance….but it’s not enough. Many would proclaim our ignorance is killing us. For example, when the topic of protein and its importance comes up, the typical offering says you need protein to make muscle. Likely this is why many middle-aged citizens assume they don’t need as much if they don’t lift weights. Protein is an essential nutrient, a requirement for life. When foods are consumed, they are broken down into more basic, simpler substances, one of them being amino acids. These are the ...

Health Matters: Arch type important to health and wellbeing

ESCANABA — People like to pigeonhole, it’s something we humans have a tendency to. Are you a Republican or a Democrat? Are you a vegetarian or a carnivore? Some categorization is purely biologic: do you have type A blood or B negative? The same could be said for one’s foot type. Do you have a high or low arched foot? Technically, this is asking if you are a pronator or a supinator: does your arch lower more or is it raised? These terms refer to some important characteristics of the human foot that have a tremendous effect on our musculoskeletal system, even our lives and ...

Health Matters: Many consequences to flatfoot deformity

ESCANABA — Genetics are a funny thing, a veritable role of the dice. Who’s jawline will you inherit? How tall will you be? What is your shoe size? These and many other related questions are primarily a function of genetics. How about the important question of what is your foot type? In many ways, this is asking about the arch of your foot. A minority of the population have a “normal” arch type. This is a foot that will work properly and is less prone to deformity. The other possibilities are to have a higher arched foot type or a lower arched one, with the latter being more ...

Health Matters: Arch type important to health and wellbeing

ESCANABA — People like to pigeonhole, it’s something we humans have a tendency to. Are you a Republican or a Democrat? Are you a vegetarian or a carnivore? Some categorization is purely biologic: do you have type A blood or B negative? The same could be said for one’s foot type. Do you have a high or low arched foot? Technically, this is asking if you are a pronator or a supinator: does your arch lower more or is it raised? These terms refer to some important characteristics of the human foot that have a tremendous effect on our musculoskeletal system, even our lives and ...