Skechers, Adidas and other "toning shoe" makers to target athletes, kids and boomers- Toning shoe makers seek to broaden Appeal, Wall Street Journal, 9/8/10
Shoes with unstable soles are being promoted to improve balance and tone legs, in a niche projected to be $1.5 billion in 2010, up from $300 million in 2009. This is despite a recent American Council on Exercise study which found minimal benefit from "rocker bottom shoes" the Wall Street Journal acknowledged the manufacturers argue for the validity of unstable shoes. Another potential issue: ankle/knee injury.
From a postural point of view, challenging the kinetic chain makes sense...but the ACE study is compelling. My personal verdict is not in- would like to hear others opinions- email me if you'd like to share- DrSteven at bodyzone dot com.
DATAPOINT TAKEAWAY: Even tho the science is uncertain, there will be significant revenue realized by companies selling improved balance and motion.
A recent study out of New Zealand, Altered Central Integration of Dual Somatosensory Input After Cervical Spine Manipulation, demonstrates why patients are often able to more effectively perform the StrongPostureTM exercise protocols after a chiropractic adjustment.
While not specifically testing the protocols, the observation that "spinal manipulation alters sensorimotor integration at the cortical level of the CNS" provides neurologic explanation for the frequently observed post-adjustment improvement in performing the multiple actions of a StrongPostureTM exercise ( i.e. tighter upper body stabilization during ArmsUp). Generalizing the findings to the lower body would then also explain improved knee stabilization during the BallSit series.
In other words, adding a spinal manipulation to focused exercise helps retrain a pattern of motion.
After Scott Wilson's victory for the Mass. seat in U.S. Senate, healthcare reform is in flux. However, the demographic/economic tsunami of aging boomers means healthcare economics must change.
DATAPOINT: My home state of Georgia may be about to lead the nation in a major healtcare change. The Georgia Healthcare Leadership Council, an assocation of large corporate employers, will collect, aggregate, correlate and report back to their members on what services their member's employees are using and how much they are paying. WEINIGER'S OBSERVATION: Big employers are going to know how much other big employers are paying for services.
DATAPOINT: 2/24/09 President Obama- " Already, we have done more to advance the cause of health care reform in the last 30 days than we have in the last decade". (in reference to expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). WEINIGER'S OBSERVATION: More children are being covered--at state fixed Medicaid rates.
DATAPOINT: CMS (the people who run Medicare) is projecting a rate reduction of 21.5 percent for 2010. WEINIGER'S OBSERVATION: This will be averted by "heroic last minute efforts". But reimbursements will be reduced to some degree.
WEINIGER'S CONJECTURE: As pricing becomes transparent, one employer will not want to pay more than another. As I learned when negotiating provider contracts with insurance companies ( and when the standard was "Medicare rates + x %") over time there will be a continual push towards lower rates.
MY ADVICE FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS: Balance and blend personal pay and insurance practices.
For musculo-skeletal practices including chiropractors, physical therapists, massage and other professionals, this means using third party pay to build relationships with patients who receive and perceive the value of your care enough so that they are willing to pay for services in the absence of insurance/third party reimbursement.
PROMOTING The Posture Practice Model: Helps restore mobility and relieve pain, and then teaches people to do daily StrongPosture exercise to keep them moving well and valuing what you do.
If you want to be active tomorrow, you want to move well today.
Posture Practice Tip: Ask patients/clients if they take medication to control their lipids. Statins have different names ( pravastatin, Levacor, Zocor, Pravachol, Lipitor, Crestor and more), and can cause sudden or progressively worsening muscle and joint pain. Suggest they check with the prescribing physician about a trial of red yeast rice instead of Lipitor.
The irony: Taking medication to reduce lipids for cardiac health, but causing musculo-skeletal pain which causes them to stop exercising, worsening cardiac and general health.
((Political comment- if Medicare/ObamaCare pays for Levacor and not a red yeast rice,-how many people then also get prescribed and pay for muscle and joint pain medications---regardless of which works better!))
From the study:
"Conclusion- red yeast rice was tolerated as well as pravastatin and achieved a comparable reduction of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in a population previously intolerant to statins."
"The low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level decreased 30% in the red yeast rice group and 27% in the pravastatin group."
