By Dr. Alyssa Musgrove

The shoulder is the most complex joint in the human body. Studies show nearly 90 percent of the population will tear or damage their rotator cuff, labrum and/or shoulder capsule at some point in their lives. Most of us are unaware how important the shoulder is until we injure it.

Shoulder pain of any sort can make daily activities like combing your hair, brushing your teeth, sleeping and getting dressed complicated and painful. The reason for the high prevalence of shoulder injury is due to the anatomy and structure of the shoulder. The human shoulder is made up of a complicated system of bones, joints, connective tissue and muscles. The shoulder’s ball and socket joint allows for excellent mobility, but unfortunately a joint cannot be both highly stable and highly mobile. In the case of the
shoulder, mobility comes at the expense of stability.

There are many ways we can injure the shoulder, such as falling, throwing, lifting, painting, cleaning, swinging a tennis racket or golf club. Problems can also occur from natural wear and tear over time. One of the biggest challenges in managing shoulder pain is finding the origin.

Shoulder pain can be musculoskeletal in nature, it can be referred pain from a visceral organ, it can result from overuse (as in the cases of bursitis or tendonitis), there can be tears in the connective tissue, bone spurs or muscle imbalance. What’s more, the shoulder is slow to recover from injury. Some research shows only about half
of all new shoulder pain episodes achieve complete recovery within six months. Factor in aging, chronic health conditions that slow healing (like diabetes), and hobbies or jobs that are repetitive in nature and increase the risk of re-injury, and it is easy to see why many don’t make a full recovery.

Chiropractors, physical therapists, acupuncturists and orthopedists are just a few specialists who can help ease shoulder pain. The use of manipulation, mobilization, magnetic field therapy, TENS unit and modalities like cold lasers can help tremendously, but some shoulder injuries do require surgery. If your shoulder pain has not resolved on its own by resting 1 to 2 weeks, you should check with your doctor. However, that does NOT mean you should wait two weeks before seeing someone about your shoulder. Some people ignore nagging pain for weeks or even months, but the sooner you see a doctor the quicker you can begin treatment and resolve the issue before surgery becomes the only option.

When it comes to keeping our shoulders healthy, an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure. Here are a few ways to protect your shoulders on a daily basis:

1. When working with your arms overhead, take small breaks to let the shoulder recover.

2. Do not reach in the back seat and lift a heavy purse, bag or briefcase at an awkward
angle in order to get it to the front seat.

3. If you are facing a challenging task, request a helping hand. Do not feel insecure about
asking for help. It is better to be safe than sorry!

4. Follow an exercise program that maintains strength in your shoulders and contains
opposition exercises to keep the shoulder muscles balanced. For example, if you are going to do push-ups, make sure you also do pull-ups. In this way, both sides of the body
are strengthened for optimal balance and pain-free function.

Pathways to Healing specializes in holistic chiropractic care. Dr. Alyssa Musgrove draws on a variety of techniques, including chiropractic, kinesiology, nutrition, food allergy testing and lifestyle counseling to assist clients in achieving optimal health and wellness in one setting. Pathways to Healing is located at 1022 Founders Row, Lake Oconee Village, Greensboro. The office can be reached at 706-454-2040.

By: Dr. Alyssa Musgrove
For many parents, back to school means back to packing lunches and snacks. While it’s
easy to grab packaged, processed foods to fill those lunch boxes, healthier options will
always provide bigger benefits. Not only do healthier food choices deliver a significantly
higher nutritional punch, they also can help support life-long healthy eating habits and
prevent costly chronic disease — like diabetes, heart disease, obesity, high blood
pressure and even cancer.

The good news is that healthy options don’t have to take a lot of time or energy. Below
are some quick and easy snacks the kids will actually enjoy seeing in their lunch box.

5-Ingredient Almond Coconut Bars
Makes 12 bars in 10 minutes
A great high-protein snack that will keep kids full longer. You can add any other nuts or
dried fruits of your choice. These bars are also great to pack on-the-go, add to lunch
boxes for school or as a sweet treat.
-1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
-1 cup raw almonds
-1 cup raw cashews
-1/4 cup almond butter
-3 TBS maple syrup
-2-3 TBS water
Line a 9X5 inch loaf baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Place all the ingredients (except the water) in a food processor or high-power blender.
Pulse. If the mixture doesn't come together, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time pulsing
the food processor in between. If needed, add more water until the mixture comes
together. Place the mixture in the prepared baking pan. Press with a spatula until it is
uniform on all sides. Place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Cut into squares and keep
leftovers covered in the refrigerator.

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Chickpeas
-2 15.5-oz cans organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained
-2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp minced garlic
-1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Lay chickpeas to dry for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a mixing bowl, and the chickpeas, salt, garlic and
parmesan and toss to coat the chickpeas. Add cayenne and curry powder if desired. Stir
to coat. Spread the chickpeas on a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the extra

TBS of melted coconut oil and bake chickpeas for 20 minutes. Stir, and continue to bake
and stir for up to an hour until crispy.

Curried Avocado Egg Salad
-4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
-1/2 large avocado, cubed
-1/2 Tablespoon dijon mustard
-2 teaspoons relish or chopped pickles
-2 teaspoons green onions, chopped
-1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
-1 teaspoon curry powder
– Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
– Optional add-ins: fresh dill, chopped celery, raisins
Add all ingredients to a bowl and mash together with a fork. Taste and season with
additional salt and pepper. Use egg salad on salads, sandwiches or wraps.

Sunflower Seed Backpack Kisses
-1/2 cup rolled oats
-1 tablespoon flaxseed
-1 tablespoon hemp seeds
-2 Tablespoon raisins
-2 Tablespoons dairy-free mini chocolate chips
-pinch of sea salt
-1/2 cup sunflower seed butter (my favorite is Trader Joe’s brand)
-1 Tablespoon maple syrup
In a large bowl, mix together oats, hemp seeds, flaxseed, raisins, chocolate chips and
sea salt. Add sunflower seed butter and maple syrup and mix together. Using your
hands, knead mixture thoroughly and roll into small balls. You should be able to make
around 10-11. Wrap each ball in a square of aluminum foil, twisting the top to seal and
create a “kiss.” You can also store them unwrapped in an airtight container. Store in the
fridge for up to two weeks or in the freezer for up to a month.

Pathways to Healing specializes in holistic chiropractic care. Dr. Alyssa Musgrove draws on a variety of
techniques, including chiropractic, kinesiology, nutrition, food allergy testing and lifestyle counseling to
assist clients in achieving optimal health and wellness in one setting. Pathways to Healing is located at
1022 Founders Row, Lake Oconee Village, Greensboro. The office can be reached at 706-454-2040.

By: Dr. Alyssa Musgrove

Some of the most common obstacles for fitting regular exercise into our daily lives are
time, money, and energy. But what if I told you it was possible to invest in your health
without having to go to a gym, buy fancy equipment or spend a lot of money?
Bodyweight exercises are a convenient and free way to improve your health and energy
level.

Bodyweight exercises are strength training exercises that do not require free weights.
Rather, an individual’s own body weight provides the resistance for the movement.
Multiple health goals can be achieved using bodyweight exercises, including weight loss,
muscle gain, and increased range of motion.

Our skeleton’s job is to hold and support the entire weight of the body, but if you don’t
move, the bone is sent the message that it doesn’t have to maintain as much density.
Bodyweight exercises can help prevent osteoporosis by boosting the bone-building forces
and improving bone density. Simply stressing your bones by the force of your own body
weight stimulates more bone growth to protect your skeletal frame. Bodyweight exercises
also increase muscle mass, meaning you rely less on your joints to move because your
muscles are stronger. Additional benefits include improved heart health and circulation,
reduced risk for diabetes, reduced stress and increased energy levels.

Bodyweight exercises work numerous muscle groups simultaneously and can be
modified, which allows you to customize the exercises to your level of ability. They are
simple enough to perform without supervision and have a low risk for injury. All you
need is your own body and enough space to jump around a bit – and, of course, water is
highly encouraged.

Push-ups are a great bodyweight exercise that strengthens the chest, shoulders and arms.
(Be sure to stabilize your core by pulling your belly button in toward your spine.) They
can be performed with various hand placements to isolate different muscle groups. Also,
push-ups can be done at different levels of incline or decline. For example, beginners can
start by pushing off of a wall or kitchen counter, progress to the floor on their knees, and
eventually to their toes using full bodyweight.

Squats help build leg muscles and also help make daily life activities easier. You can
begin squats against a wall and progress to air squats, but make sure your knees never
bend past your toes. Other bodyweight exercises include bicycle crunches, reverse flies,
tricep dips, planks, leg-raises, flutter kicks, bridges, donkey kicks, burpees, mountain
climbers, lunges, sit-ups, reverse crunches, and step-ups.

You can customize your own workout by combining five to 10 different bodyweight
exercises that target opposing muscle groups to create a circuit. Aim for 10 to 20 reps of
each exercise. For best results do not rest much in between exercises in order to get – and
keep — your heart rate up.

If you are not accustomed to physical activity, start with a few exercises and, after you
become stronger and more adapted, add more exercises to your routine. Increase the
number of circuits and repetitions of each exercise as you become more physically fit.
After completing bodyweight workouts, it is important to stretch to increase range of
motion, flexibility, prevent injury, and decrease recovery time. Aim to perform your
bodyweight circuit two to three times per week.

Whether you’re a weekend warrior, a mom who chases after a toddler, or a mature adult
trying to reduce your risk of falls, strength training helps build strong muscles and bones
to make the activities of daily living easier! While high intensity workouts, cardio, and
strength training have their benefits, bodyweight exercises are the most convenient and
least expensive workouts for those lacking time and money.

Pathways to Healing specializes in holistic chiropractic care. Dr. Alyssa Musgrove
draws on a variety of techniques, including chiropractic, kinesiology, nutrition, food
allergy testing and lifestyle counseling to assist clients in achieving optimal health and
wellness in one setting. Pathways to Healing is located at 1022 Founders Row, Lake
Oconee Village, Greensboro. The office can be reached at 706-454-2040.

By: Dr. Alyssa Musgrove

Known as the “Immortal Health Elixir” by the Chinese, kombucha (kom-bu-cha)
originated in Asia over 2,000 years ago. The fact that this beverage is still consumed
today is a strong testimonial to the health benefits kombucha continues to bring to
millions of people. In the 1990s, kombucha was found mostly in health food stores
and hippie kitchens. These days, however, kombucha has grown in popularity and
is now commercially available in most grocery stores.

Kombucha is a fermented beverage, made with tea, sugar and the SCOBY (Symbiotic
Colony of Bacteria and Yeast) also known as the “mother.” The SCOBY is responsible
for initiating the fermentation process, using the sugar for food. Once the beverage
becomes fermented, it becomes carbonated and contains a high concentration of b-
vitamins, enzymes, probiotics, glucosamines and antioxidants. That makes
kombucha a powerful detoxifier that can help improve immunity, reduce arthritis
and joint pain, assist with weight loss, and improve energy. The high levels of
probiotics and beneficial acids aid in the prevention of leaky gut, stomach ulcers,
candida overgrowth and GERD.

The taste of kombucha is best described as “carbonated apple cider.” Commercial
komubcha can be high in sugar and quite expensive, but kombucha can be made
inexpensively, and with less sugar, at home. When brewing at home, be sure to use
sterile equipment, a clean workspace and high-quality ingredients.

Kombucha:

Makes 8 cups
Needed:
1 large, wide-mouthed glass jar*
Paper towels to cover the top
1 SCOBY disk (can be purchased at a health food store, online or gotten from a
friend who is already brewing)
8 cups of spring or distilled water
½ cup of organic cane sugar or raw honey**
5 organic black, green or white tea bags (no herbal tea)
1 cup pre-made kombucha (from the store or a friend who is already brewing)
A wooden spoon
*You want to avoid using a plastic jar because the chemicals in the plastic can leak
into the kombucha during fermentation process and can be hazardous to your health.
** Most of the sugar is “eaten” by the yeast during the fermentation process so by the
time you consume it, there is little sugar left.

Directions:
Bring the eight cups of water to a boil in a big pot. Once it comes to a boil, remove
the pot from the heat and add the sugar, stirring until it dissolves. Next, place the

teabags in the water and steep for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and discard the tea
bags, and let the mixture cool to room temperature (usually takes about one hour).
Once the mixture has cooled, pour it into your big glass jar, drop in your SCOBY and
one cup of pre-made kombucha.

Cover your jar with the paper towel, and secure with a rubber band. Stir daily with a
wooden spoon and allow the kombucha to sit for 10 to 14 days, depending on the
flavor you are looking for. The longer the batch sits, the stronger the taste. Check
every couple days to see if it has reached the right taste and desired level of
carbonation. Once you are happy with the taste, pour your kombucha into smaller
glass bottles with air-tight lids and leave on the counter for a day or two to finish
fermentation process. If desired, you can add fresh-squeezed lemon, lime, berries,
ginger, or turmeric root before refrigerating. Once refrigerated, it is ready to drink!
Each time you brew a batch, the SCOBY grows a new layer below the first one. You
can use the newly-formed layer to create a new batch, store it or throw it away.

Start by drinking a small amount in moderation in order to see if you have any
negative reactions, like an upset stomach. Eventually, you can work your way up to
eight ounces a day. Groups who should limit their kombucha consumption include
pregnant and nursing women, or those with a compromised immune system.

Pathways to Healing specializes in holistic chiropractic care. Dr. Alyssa Musgrove
draws on a variety of techniques, including chiropractic, kinesiology, nutrition, food
allergy testing and lifestyle counseling to assist clients in achieving optimal health and
wellness in one setting. Pathways to Healing is located at 1022 Founders Row, Lake
Oconee Village, Greensboro. The office can be reached at 706-454-2040.