By: Mike Staszak, PT

Recent research shows that an unhealthy digestive system (gut) is linked to several different disease states.  Maintaining a healthy gut is one of the best ways to stay healthier and can potentially help people to live longer. A healthy diet is important to maintaining a good functioning gut, but getting daily probiotics through certain foods and supplementation is also very important. Below are some common questions and answers that many people have when it comes to Probiotics and gut health. 

What causes so many people to have an unhealthy digestive system?
First, having a poor diet is the biggest culprit to an unhealthy digestive system. Overeating, a diet high in sugar and grains, preservatives, alcohol, processed foods, inadequate fiber, and overcompensation of animal-based protein, especially hard processed like lunch meats all contribute to bad gut health. Antibiotics can also cause our digestive system to weaken. We take antibiotics to kill infections, but it also kills the good bacteria in our gut. Finally, Cancer treatment therapies such as radiation and chemotherapy can lead to an unhealthy digestive system.

What are some of the signs of having a poor functioning digestive system?
Excessive gas, constipation, diarrhea, the infrequency of bowel movements (everyone should poop at least one time per day), and a frequent upset stomach.
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What does having a poorly functioning digestive system do to us?
A poorly functioning digestive system can cause the leaky gut syndrome. This is where the intestinal lining develops perforations and causes toxins to leak out of your intestines into your body.

Other diseases that are linked to a poor functioning gut are, Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Multiple Sclerosis, general body inflammation as well as obesity.
 
What can we do to improve our gut health?
Over the past several years there has been a significant amount of research done on the digestive system and the positive effects of probiotics. The results of this research are definitive and clearly show that probiotics are more likely to act to produce substances that inhibit the bad bacteria that contribute to diseases. Probiotics have been shown to enhance GI mobility and function, strengthen your immune system, help digestion and nutrient absorption, help with cellular signaling (function), reduce Ulcerative Colitis and IBS, prevention of infection, reduce or eliminate atopic eczema, some liver disease, help assist in the reduction of cholesterol and improve behavior in individuals with Autism.

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​By: Mike Staszak, PT


Fasting and intermittent fasting (IF) have been around for a long time for weight loss and have been shown to aid in lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and improvement in blood glucose and insulin levels. Studies in humans, almost across the board, have shown that IF is safe and incredibly effective. However, many people find it difficult to fast. A growing body of research suggests that the timing of the fast is key, and can make IF a more realistic, sustainable, and effective approach for weight loss, as well as a number of other health-related benefits.


Extensive research has been done on animals so far with a more limited amount of human trials, but all of the resulting information points to definite health benefits. Human trials show definitive weight loss, with a loss of body fat, but no loss of lean body mass. Preliminary studies show a reduction of inflammatory markers, leading to a general decrease in inflammation and a reduction in digestive inflammation, equating to improved digestive health and a stronger immune system.


It has also been shown to help with reduced fatigue, improved focus, increased stress resistance, type 2 diabetes, and potentially with autoimmune disorders and even preventing cancer.

So how do we make something that seems so extreme work in our lives?


There are several different types of fasting protocols, from long-duration fasts, fasting for 24 hours every other day to reducing the hours of eating on a daily basis. I recommend a type of IF called time-restricted eating. This involves basically increasing your nightly fasting period, eliminating nighttime snacks, and eating your dinner earlier. Eating dinner by 5:00 p.m. will make it easy to go 12-14 hours without eating. Another positive aspect of this that recent research has revealed is that if you do this five days per week there is no reduction in the positive benefits, allowing us to have two days per week that we can shorten the fasting period.
Additionally, animal research shows another potential positive effect of IF is living longer. Mice that have gone through time-restricted eating protocols have lived 15% longer, but we have not yet done human trials long enough to quantify these types of results for us.  The preliminary research, however, is encouraging.


The health benefits of the time-restricted eating are unmistakable if you can make it work in your life. One of the big concerns of a lot of people is being hungry, but once you start, it will only take a couple of days before you will not have those hunger cravings later in the evening.
 
Remember, even when committing to an eating program like this you still need to make healthy food choices. Oh yeah, and don’t forget about adequate hydration. Drinking lots of water is imperative to a healthy lifestyle and while intermittent fasting.

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About Mike Staszak
Michael Staszak has been an outpatient orthopedic physical therapist for the past 27 years. He is the owner of Staszak Physical Therapy & Wellness Center in Eugene. He and his staff believe that the more people understand about how their bodies work and learn proper body mechanics, the less likely they are to become injured again. With this commitment to patient education, Michael provides wellness articles and presentations for businesses and community members. He also has a passion for nutrition and how it affects our physical health.


Image from CHSbuffalo.org

By: Mike Staszak 

It seems like there is always a new diet trending that claims to be the best, whether it be vegetarian or vegan, keto, paleo, and whole foods. The bottom line is there is no one diet or formula that works for everyone. The diet that works best for me simply will not work the same for very many other people. Not only that, as our bodies change over the years often or dietary needs adjust as well. So, once we think we have it all figured out, we need to make further adjustments. 

One of the big questions for a lot of people is should I eat meat or should I be on the vegetarian side? As I stated above, this varies between individuals, some people’s bodies do extremely well with healthy meats incorporated into their diet, other people’s bodies respond better with primarily a plant-based diet. Problems start to arise when somebody’s body does better when consuming meat products regularly and they have other philosophical reasons for their dietary choices and vice versa for non-meat eaters.

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By: Michael Staszak, PT


Over the past decade, an increasing percentage of people have transitioned into more sedentary work situations, sitting for up to 40 or 50 hours per week either at a desk or in front of a computer. With the pandemic forcing many people to move from the workplace to work from home, in addition to several social restrictions, this has caused the fastest transformation and decrease in activity level in history. It is critical to make movement throughout the day a priority to avoid the many health risks that come from sitting for too long. ​

Sitting for long periods of time is bad for our bodies as we are designed to move on a regular basis throughout the day. Research shows that people who sit for long periods of time are linked to a higher rate of developing heart disease, having a stroke, getting diabetes, and having high blood pressure. Sitting also can cause neck and back pain which can lead to long-term degenerative joint disease. ​

It is important to get yourself moving as much as possible outside of a long workday to ensure you do not develop any health problems related to sitting too long. Some easy examples of this include a short active stretching routine first thing in the morning, getting away from your desk several times throughout the workday, and a walk on your lunch break. More examples include an exercise class after work in the evening and an after-work walk with your friends, partner, or dog. The key is to get into the routine of moving consistently throughout your workday as relying on only moving on the weekend is not enough. ​

​The days are longer and the weather is nicer, so this is the perfect time of year to start moving more to develop lasting healthy habits. The more you move and exercise the better you will feel, the more energy you will have, and the healthier you will become.


About the Author:
Michael Staszak has been an outpatient orthopedic physical therapist for the past 27 years and is the owner of Staszak Physical Therapy & Wellness Center in Eugene. He and his staff believe that the more people understand how their bodies work and learn proper body mechanics, the less likely they are to become injured again. With this commitment to patient education, Michael provides wellness articles and presentations for businesses and community members.


Photos from istockphoto.com
https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/dont-just-sit-there-move-more#:~:text=In%20recent%20years%2C%20research%20has,linked%20to%20heart%20disease%20risk.

By Michael Staszak, PT

Working long hours in the office can wreak havoc on your body if you don’t maintain good posture. Everyone has heard this and as a result, several ergonomic ‘solutions’ have been marketed to help alleviate back and body aches. Everything from yoga balls, kneeling chairs, standing desks, and more have been touted as the better options from sitting all day. But, are these alternatives really better for you? Let’s take a look at two of the most popular ergonomic options people consider — standing desks vs. traditional office chairs.

Before we begin to address which option is better, it is important to understand what the correct posture looks like in both scenarios.


​Sitting
Sitting for long periods becomes especially bad for your back and spine when done incorrectly. For example, sitting in a perched position where you are forward on your seat with your back hyperextended, or with your body slumped forward such that the natural curves are no longer present and your neck is stretched forward are both common and incorrect sitting postures. When your back is rounder (slumped), for example, you are placing three to four times more pressure on your spinal discs which can lead to long-term disc degeneration, muscle tightness, and compression in your neck.  


The Correct Way to Sit
The ‘how to’ for sitting may seem fundamental however plenty of people sit incorrectly every day. To
​sit correctly means your back is straight with your shoulders back, your buttocks touching the back of the chair, and all three normal back cures should be present. Body weight should be distributed evenly on both hips, and your knees should be bent and even with the height of your hips.

 ​Standing
Standing for long periods can be equally problematic as sitting, but in different ways. Most people have a weak core and lack the physical endurance needed to keep any one standing position for a length of time. As a result, shifts are made in how you stand resulting in compression on your feet and other joints, hyperextension of the lower back and legs, and misaligned hips or spine.


The Correct Way to Stand
Proper standing posture is not just standing upright. In fact, there is a bit more to it which might surprise you. Standing properly includes the following steps: bearing your weight evenly distributed on the front and back of your feet, keeping your knees slightly bent and feet shoulder-width apart, letting your arms hang down naturally on the sides of your body, standing straight and tall with your shoulders pulled backward, and keeping your abdominals gently engaged. 

​To correctly sit or stand requires having adequate core strength and endurance, however most people have a weak core and lack the physical endurance needed to keep any one position for a length of time. As a result, compensations are used to make sitting or standing seem more comfortable, such as extending your legs and placing your feet up on a stool or coffee table, or putting more weight on one leg than the other when standing.


If both sitting and standing can cause issues for your body, which is the better choice? Despite fairly effective marketing campaigns, sitting is the better option. Key to this choice, however, is that you are sitting in an ergonomically designed chair rated for the typical number of hours you sit during your workday. The primary reason sitting is the better choice is that the vast majority of people do not have the necessary core strength or the ability to maintain the proper standing posture for hours on end. And, no, a ball chair is not better as this requires even more core strength and stability from your body. Eventually, your body gets fatigued and your posture changes. A well designed chair provides your body support, even when you are feeling tired.


But if your workplace has the means to provide an even better solution, it would be for you to have a workstation that can adjust in height from a sitting to a standing position. The variation in height provides your body the right mix of positions to minimize the negative impacts of sitting or standing too long. Engage both standing and sitting positions throughout your workday and your body will thank you.


About the Author:
Michael Staszak has been an outpatient orthopedic physical therapist for the past 27 years and is the owner of Staszak Physical Therapy & Wellness Center in Eugene. He and his staff believe that the more people understand how their bodies work and learn proper body mechanics, the less likely they are to become injured again. With this commitment to patient education, Michael provides wellness articles and presentations for businesses and community members.


Photos from istockphoto.com

Emily relocated to Eugene in 2013 from Minnesota to pursue her Physical Therapist Assistant degree at Lane Community College. She is currently working towards a specialization in Pelvic Health and looks forward to future opportunities to continue to learn and grow with the great team here at Staszak Physical Therapy and Wellness Center.
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She is passionate about helping others, providing a hands-on approach to her treatment, as well as finding creative solutions to help patients meet their goals. Prior to becoming a PTA Emily has worked in healthcare as a CNA and Home Health Provider for approximately 10 years in a variety of settings. She has built off the knowledge and experience she gained with patient care to provide a welcoming and open space for patients to improve their health and continue to pursue their passions.

In her free time, she enjoys traveling, exploring the PNW especially camping, backpacking, and hiking. At least once a year she tries to head back to Minnesota to see her friends, family, and bake some cookies with her Grandma. She also enjoys gardening, pickling, canning and spending time outdoors with her husband and 2 cats.

My massage therapy background has been anchored in functional wellness clinics from the start in the year 2000. My technique, referred to as “CPR for the muscles,” is intuitive, informed and pulsatory, with a firm contact.

Working with the fascia, releasing myofascial trigger points and following through with active isolated stretching and traction will dilate constricted blood vessels, release muscular adhesions, and soften scar tissue.

Working with the energy body, connecting to breath, and grounding and centering will help with feeling centered, supported and liberated. I am also skilled in using a variety of bodywork tools, such as cups, percussive massagers and guasha tools.

Creating treatment plans with physical therapists, personal trainers, chiropractors, acupuncturists and a variety of other therapists has taught me to focus and gain results quickly.

My specialties include: sports massage, deep tissue massage, trigger point release, fascial release, active isolated stretching, bio-energetics, chakra healing, and I am a Reiki Master.

Most people seeking physical therapy intervention need to build motor control, muscular strength, or muscular endurance to alleviate their pain and help them do the things they want to do. Most likely, they need to build some combination of the three. It is important, however, to build motor control before increasing exercise intensity so that the muscles are  trained correctly. 

Motor control is the ability to recruit the right muscles at the right time to carry out a specific movement. Good motor control is sometimes referred to as "muscle memory." For example, playing a song on guitar requires motor control to play the right chords and coordinate the fret hand with the strumming hand. As practice continues, the player learns to move the fingers without moving the whole arm so the movement becomes faster and more efficient. Eventually, if practice continues, the player will be able to play chords even without looking at their fingers. That's motor control, baby! Practice it enough times and the body knows what to do. 

​The brain-to-muscle interaction can be imagined like this: 

The first time through a new movement many muscles are recruited even when they aren't needed. As the body learns what is expected, it becomes more efficient at recruiting only the necessary muscles to move, making the movement faster and more energy efficient.

Now take someone with a forward head position and chronic neck pain exacerbated with picking up objects from the floor (groceries, their wiggly pug, their 20 lb. grandchild). This movement also requires motor control. The right muscles must be recruited at the right time to stabilize the neck on top of the shoulders and make the movement happen! When picking up that heavy object/precious child, the neck needs to be stabilized FIRST and then the big, powerful glutes and quads can do the lifting instead of the smaller back muscles and instead of adding torque to the neck. Neck stabilization can be practiced over and over doing really simple exercises, even while lying down, to build motor control to the neck stabilizers before any actual weight needs to be added to the training. 

Motor control is practiced in many different ways, but the key is simple, consistent practice until the movement comes naturally. Once the motor pattern is established, the movements can become more complex and resistance added to increase strength. 

Consistency is key when it comes to control. Short, frequent practice sessions are important; practice 5 min/day 5 days/week is better than one 25 minute practice session per week. That's because the body learns a little during each session and there should be carry-over from day-to-day; the exercise becomes easier to execute and requires less concentration. Less thought is required as the "muscle memory" develops and strengthens. Motor control is the base on which strength and endurance are built for safe and effective body movement. 

Jennifer Dunn, DPT
Staszak Physical Therapy & Wellness Center