Written by Joseph M. Zappala D.C | 31 August 2010

Exercises to strengthen your butt muscles will help you look good in your jeans. This blog post is for those of you that read,"look good in jeans" and are wondering what exercises can I do to accomplish this? We need to start with an assessment first to see what level of strength you currently have in your hip muscles.  I would like you to take the following self tests to help determine where you need to start with your glute strengthening.

Written by Joseph M. Zappala D.C | 25 August 2010

Coordination testing is a critical element in helping a golfer improve. This is accomplished here with the help of state of the art 3D technology called Zenolink. This technology allows us to capture your golf swing and convert you into an avatar in the computer. The avatar is analyzed by Chris Welch, the founder of Zenolink who is a biomechanical engineer.. The analysis helps us create protocols called Progressive Skills Training or P.S.T.  These        

These PST's will improve the golfers coordination which is the reason most golfers never get better. Call today to schedule your Zenolink evaluation. 949-631- 5226 ext 10

 Golf Fitness Training starts with a proper functional assessment of the players motion. We evaluate each players ability to perform a battery of tests and movements to determine where there are concerns with flexibility, balance and strength. Once we have isolated the functional deficiencies, we then design a custom set of exercises to correct the functional problems with the athlete.  

Some of the tests include the following:

Overhead Squat Test,

Lunge Test

Static and Functional Balance Test 

Lumbar Rotation Test

Written by Joseph M. Zappala D.C | 22 August 2010

As a chiropractor, patients often ask me, what is the best position to sleep in? The answer is simple, sleep in a position that allows your spine to rest in its natural position. The  natural position of the spine can be different for some people, especially those that suffer from scoliosis. For most people, your spine has natural curves in it when viewed from the side and appears straight when viewed from behind. The curves of the spine need to be supported properly when sleeping. Lets address the posture of the neck first. When lying on your back, your pillow should be primarily under your neck with only a little under your head. The idea here is to maintain the natural c-shaped curve in your cervical spine. If the bulk of the pillow is under your head then the curve is straightened or reduced. This causes the muscles in the neck that attach to the back of the head to contract all night and can lead to headaches. Lying on your side requires that there is enough support under your head and neck to allow the neck to stay lined up with the rest of the spine. In a situation where the pillow is too large in the side lying position the muscle on the pillow side of the neck will be under constant stretch and the muscles on the opposite side will be in a contracted or shortened state. This can cause chronic tension in the neck that is usually worse in the morning, inability to move your neck easily in all directions, headaches and neck pain. The lower back must be well supported at night as well in order to not wake up feeling stiff and inflexible. If you choose to lie on your back, placing a wedge under your knees will keep your lower back in a more neutral position. If you are a side sleeper, I recommend using a body pillow. This accomplishes two things, first it allows you to keep the pillow between your knees which prevents your low back from being twisted or rotated at night. Secondly, the body pillow is long enough to provide a comfortable place to rest your arm and shoulder as well. This helps maintain the proper alignment of the upper back and takes pressure of of your shoulders. For more information on sleeping posture or to get custom fitted for a pillow contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Written by Joseph M. Zappala D.C | 17 August 2010

South West Health  fights neck pain in Costa Mesa

How many times have you woken up with a stiff neck in the morning and it went away by itself? What about the time you fell asleep on the couch and couldn't move your neck the next morning? Proper support for your neck is the key to avoiding these situations. If this sounds like you, read on. This morning alone we saw three separate cases of that very thing.

Written by Joseph M. Zappala D.C | 14 August 2010

Olive Oil Active May Protect Brain Cells

You may know that I am an Italian, more specifically Sicilian. Our family grew up with the Mediterranean diet. There were several ingredients in our food that were very prominent such as garlic, olive oil, fish etc. The following explains why your diet should include extra virgin olive oil.

Written by Joseph M. Zappala D.C | 10 August 2010

A patients frustration with repetitive calf injuries was traced back to an old ankle injury. This week a patient presented to us complaining of multiple calf tears as well as chronic calf tightness. The patients examination revealed significant loss of dorsiflexion at the right ankle. (pulling your toes back to your shin) The calf was full of knots and scar tissue from the old injuries. Upon further questioning, the patient stated that he badly injured his ankle when he was younger. (34 years ago) That explained the marked loss of range of motion in the right ankle. The treatment involved adjusting the right ankle and then using a Graston tool to break up the scar tissue, followed by fascia stretching to increase the length in the tissue in the calf. The patient has since returned to playing soccer and no longer suffers from chronic calf tightness and noted improved mobility and balance. This is a classic case of getting to the root cause of the problem.

Written by Joseph M. Zappala D.C | 03 August 2010

Do you wake up in the morning with pain in your feet? Do you limp for the first few steps until your legs stretch out? You may be suffering from a condition called plantar fasciitis. To find out how Dr. Z can help you correctly diagnose and treat this condition, read on.

One of the first areas to inspect on the examination is the heel. The center of your heel is where the plantar tendon attaches to the calcaneous.(heel) If there is significant tenderness at this point, it can suggest a heel spur is present. We then take a lateral x-ray of your foot to determine if their is in fact a spur present. Spurs are basically calcium that gets laid down in the tendon from repetitive stress to the attachment. The treatment centers around assessing the functional alignment of the ankle and foot joints. If there are misalignments in the ankle or foot, these can cause abnormal stress on the foot contributing to a fallen arch. The fallen arches can adversely affect your balance. The treatment would involve adjusting the ankle and possibly fitting you for orthotics to help support the arch. Supporting the arch takes stress of the tendon so that is can heal. Exercises are also prescribed to strengthen the arch.

Home care involves stretching your calves prior to going to bed and getting out of bed  Controlling the inflammation is also key in resolving the pain.. We recommend freezing a 16 oz water bottle and rolling your foot over it to ice the arch. Avoid direct contact with heel as this can irritate the spur. Alternatively, ice massage is also helpful. In addition, make sure to wear shoes with good arch supports at all times. Walking barefoot will only make the problem worse.

Ankle problems can lead to knee, hip and low back problems, so if you are experiencing pain in your feet or ankles, call and schedule an evaluation today. (949) 631-5226

Written by Joseph M. Zappala D.C | 28 July 2010

One of the more common causes of low back pain is SI (sacroiliac joint) dysfunction.

Written by Joseph M. Zappala D.C | 24 July 2010

We see so many people in our office that suffer from headaches. In my experience I have found that misaligned ribs can be headache triggers. Watch this video for more information.

Written by Joseph M. Zappala D.C | 22 July 2010

Are you tired of not being able to get your first serve in? The problem may not be your tennis skills or lack thereof. It could be your body. I often find that my tennis athletes suffer from anterior glenohumeral migration or shoulder subluxation. In English, this means your shoulder and or posterior ribcage are out of alignment.