What Ironman Taught me About the Body

As many of you are already aware that I, Dr. Matt, recently completed my first full Ironman in Lake Placid. For those unfamiliar, an “Ironman” is a long distance triathlon race that spans 140.6 miles, breaking down to a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and a 26.2-mile marathon run. This is a LONG race, which required a LONG training block to prepare! With a lot of time on course and a lot of time in training, you learn A LOT about your body and what you are capable of. Below are a few of the key takeaways that are applicable to everyone as we strive for optimal health and wellness.

Your body is a result of the stimuli you put in:

Our bodies are like machines, change the inputs, and the output will follow. When I first began this journey I quickly recognized that some outputs are hard to change, while other outputs may come a little easier. But regardless of the task, change took time, dedication, and repeated stimuli. TRUE change is not a one-and-done, whether you’re training for a race or making chiropractic progress, lasting results are from sustained inputs over time. A single stimulus, like one adjustment or one workout, will not resolve the root of any issue. It may feel good temporarily, but real change comes from dedication.

Recovery is necessary for stimuli to be absorbed

We are not designed to be in “go go go!” mode all the time. Our bodies become fatigued, our bodies struggle with pain, and our bodies struggle with injury if we do not listen to its signals enough. We require deliberate recovery to make substantial gains and change. After each intense workout, I took extra time to stretch, address areas of concern in my body, and to take in some nutrition to replenish what I had lost. Our spines are the same when it comes to chiropractic. Adjustments are a fantastic stimuli, but just as a long bike ride or long run, they need proper recovery to be best absorbed by the body. This can include basic and gentle stretching, addressing areas of symptomatology with ice as needed, getting a proper night’s rest (7-8 hours), and even proper nutrition and hydration!

Mentality is 99% of the battle

When doing difficult endurance events the training and your fitness are obviously of the utmost importance. We must focus on keeping our body healthy and feeling fresh to optimize our inputs. However, regardless of your best efforts, many days your body just isn’t at 100%! Some days you feel like you are at 75%, 50%, or even 5% strength. But guess what? This is an expected part of the training cycle. Our bodies seemingly have a mind of their own and it’s important to acknowledge that while continuing to press forward. Much like our journey towards optimal health, there will be days that feel like a step backwards, or even a stagnation in progress. But this doesn’t mean you're failing or something you are doing is ineffective! What matters most is maintaining a healthy mindset, keeping the bigger picture in focus, and showing up each day with your best effort. Whether it is training for an Ironman, walking your first 5k, or just achieving better overall health and wellness, it’s the perseverance through each up and down that makes the finish line all the sweeter.

Whether it is a tough race, a new life challenge, or the continual pursuit of health, I hope that you can employ them in your own journey. You've got what it takes, it starts with one step, one day at a time.

In Good Health,

Drs. Mark, Matt & Tami
(www.mifflintownchiro.com)

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References:

1: De Geer CM. Intervertebral Disk Nutrients and Transport Mechanisms in Relation to Disk Degeneration: A Narrative Literature Review. J Chiropr Med. 2018 Jun;17(2):97-105. doi: 10.1016/j.jcm.2017.11.006. Epub 2018 Jun 14. PMID: 30166966; PMCID: PMC6112070.

Newsletter Articles
August 2025

• Chiropractic Care Helps Patients of All Ages According to Study
• Woman Struck by a Car as a Child Helped by Chiropractic
• Chiropractic Increased Competitive Swimming Performance and Reduced Back and Joint Pain
• Child Suffering with Encopresis Helped by Chiropractic

Chiropractic Care Helps Patients of All Ages According to Study

On July 31, 2025, the journal Chiropractic & Manual Therapies published a study with the title, “Differences in demographics and clinical outcomes in older, middle-aged, and younger adults with LBP (low back pain) receiving chiropractic care.” The goal of this study was to determine the differences in patient symptoms and results of chiropractic care between older, middle-aged and younger patients with lower back pain who underwent chiropractic care.

The study begins by pointing out that older adults with LBP experience more severe pain that has a greater impact on their daily lives and activities as compared with younger patients. They also point out that older adults usually have additional health conditions that they are being treated for. Older adults also take longer to recover from LBP than their younger counterparts.

In this study, 2,777 participants were included who had experienced new LBP. All participants were asked to fill out online electronic questionnaires. There were 1,066 participants under the age of 40 who were categorized into the young group, 1,270 participants between the ages 40 and 59 years were considered the middle-aged group, and 441 who were at or above 60 years of age were classified as the older group. Women comprised 41.3% of the total participants.

As expected, the older group had a higher number of non-musculoskeletal problems and a higher usage rate of medications including pain medications. Younger patients in this study had higher levels of depression and anxiety when compared to older and middle-aged study participants.

Chiropractic care was shown to help all three ages groups. The disability scores were shown to decrease regardless of age group, although older patients did show slightly higher scores overall. The disability scores were improved at the same rate for both the younger and middle-aged patients after chiropractic care.

One unexpected finding was that younger patients more frequently reported additional musculoskeletal (MSK) than the older group. They also found that younger patients also exhibited higher levels of depression and anxiety compared to their older counterparts. The researchers found that self-perceived health and not age was the largest determining factor in how well patients responded to care.

In their conclusion, the authors summed up their findings by saying, “This study found that while older chiropractic patients with LBP had slightly higher disability scores and a higher prevalence of non-MSK comorbidities, age was not the strongest factor associated with disability outcomes. Instead, baseline disability, depression, self-perceived general health, and MSK comorbidities were more consistently linked to higher disability scores across all follow-up time points. These findings suggest that age should not be viewed as an isolated risk factor for prolonged disability, but rather as one part of a broader biopsychosocial framework.”

Woman Struck by a Car as a Child Helped by Chiropractic

On May 13, 2025, the Journal of Contemporary Chiropractic published the results of a case of a woman who was suffering with a variety of physical and functional health issues stemming from being hit by a car years earlier when she was a child.

The study begins by point out that pedestrians being hit by cars is a growing issue. They state, “Traffic-related pedestrian injuries are a growing public health threat worldwide. In 2024, the global economic burden of pedestrian and motor vehicle collisions involving both fatal and non-fatal crash injuries was estimated to approximate USD$1.8 trillion.”

The authors also point out that this problem is increasing in the United States. “In the United States, children aged 0-15 years experience the highest rate of non-fatal injuries.” They note that children 15 years or younger, “…account for 30% of all pedestrian injuries and 8% of all pedestrian deaths.”

In this case, a 26-yr-old woman was referred by her co-worker to the chiropractor. The woman was suffering with left leg dysfunction resulting in an impairment to the way she walked. Because of her left leg issue, the woman was wearing a left leg brace that ran from the back of her knee to her foot.

Additionally, she was also suffering with urinary incontinence. The woman explained that she felt like she needed to urinate every 12-15 minutes both day and night. She noted that to avoid wearing adult diapers, her activities were very limited to areas where she had quick access to a bathroom.

The woman’s history revealed that at age 4, she was running across a street when she was hit by a motor vehicle. She recalled having been dragged approximately one block with the car tires rolling over her legs and lower body. As a result, she was comatose for 8 days having suffered multiple head injuries. Following her initial hospitalization, she received ongoing physical therapy at a local Children’s Hospital. At age 18, she was told that she would have to deal with these issues for the rest of her life.

A chiropractic examination and x-rays revealed significant pelvic misalignment with the conclusion of subluxation of her pelvis and adjacent structures. Specific forms of chiropractic adjustments were then started. To evaluate the change after the first adjustments, the woman was instructed to stand on her feet and walk a few steps. The woman’s gait had immediately changed, and she could walk more normally. Seeing these changes, the woman became emotional and began to cry.

After her first chiropractic visit, the woman no longer needed to use her leg brace. Two weeks after starting chiropractic, the woman also reported that her urinary problems had improved. She now only needed to go to the restroom every 2-3 hours. Because her walking and urinary issues were both dramatically improved, the woman reported an improved quality of life.

Chiropractic Increased Competitive Swimming Performance and Reduced Back and Joint Pain

The Asian Pacific Chiropractic Journal published a case study in their 2025 third quarter issue that documents the reduction in back and joint pain along with an increase in performance for a child competitive swimmer.

The authors of this study begin by noting that chiropractic care goes well beyond just pain care. “Chiropractic care beyond musculoskeletal pain remains arguably the most promising area of emerging research. Adjusting and correcting the vertebral subluxation has led to discoveries regarding the brain and how it drives muscles.” They also describe several additional studies showing that chiropractic care improves brain function and human performance.

In this case study, a 10-year-old boy was brought in for chiropractic care for the first time. His primary complaints were lower back pain, right shoulder pain and some ankle pain. The boy was a competitive swimmer and was hoping to make the State Swim Team if he could improve his swim times. He was currently training five days per week.

A comprehensive chiropractic examination was performed which included a variety of postural analyses showing asymmetries in multiple areas. The result of the examination was the determination that multiple areas of vertebral subluxation were present in the boy’s spine. According to the study, “The agreed aims of care were to improve swimming times by enhancing the function of the nervous system.”

Chiropractic care was started with one regular adjustment visit every other week. Additionally, the boy would also receive extra adjustments after swimming competitions. A reevaluation was performed every 12 visits where the results of the exam findings were compared to the initial visit findings. The boy’s swim times were also tracked to determine if there was an increase in his swimming performance.

The results of the study showed that as the boy’s subluxations improved, there was a significant decrease in his shoulder, ankle and low back pains. Additionally, the study recorded a dramatic improvement in the boy’s swimming times. The study notes that after chiropractic care, the boy was able to achieve a nearly 10% reduction off his original 200m freestyle time, improving it by 29.2 seconds. He was also able to improve his 200m breaststroke time by 12.7 seconds. As a result of his performances, the boy was able to qualify for the State Swim Team.

Since there was no change in the boy’s training schedule, the authors of this study attribute the boy’s increased swimming performance to his chiropractic care. They stated, “We, as Chiropractors, know that the potential of a person can be impacted by the presence of vertebral subluxations. The child’s swimming times are a clear demonstration of the potential that can be achieved by having no interference on the nervous system.”

Child Suffering with Encopresis Helped by Chiropractic

The 2025 third quarter issue of the Asian Pacific Chiropractic Journal published a case study documenting the immediate resolution of encopresis in a child after the child started chiropractic care.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine’s National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) describes encopresis as “Encopresis or fecal incontinence is defined as the involuntary passing of stool into inappropriate places such as the underwear in children older than four years of age.” The NCBI further goes on to explain that this condition, “…represents severe psychological distress on children and their families.”

This study’s author points out that this condition is not uncommon and affects about 1% to 4% of children, with boys being more frequently diagnosed with the problem than girls. The study also notes that common treatment for this problem many times involves medications or psychological counseling. Psychological issues either contribute to this problem or are created by this problem.

In this case, a 7-year-old boy was brought to the chiropractor by his grandmother because she was concerned that her grandson’s social, emotional, and psychological well-being were being negatively affected by his ‘accidents’ which often happened at school, on the soccer field, or in front of his friends. Because of his condition, the boy would regularly pack a backup set of underwear and clothes to change into while he was at school.

According to the boy’s family, his accidents had been happening since early childhood. There was no history of trauma or accidents before his problem started. The boy had been prescribed antibiotics 3 or 4 times in his lifetime for various illnesses. The family reported that the boy did have a history of learning difficulties.

A chiropractic evaluation revealed postural asymmetry in the boy’s pelvis with one hip being higher than the other as well as a pelvic rotation. Additional postural irregularities were observed in the boy’s shoulders and the position of his head. Neurological testing revealed some additional positive findings.

With family permission, specific forms of chiropractic care were started on the boy. The boy was brought back two weeks later for a follow-up visit to see what type of progress had been made. At that visit, the boy’s mother reported that her son had not had a single accident since his first chiropractic visit. This represented the longest period of time the boy had ever gone without an accident. She also reported that her son was fully participating in school and at soccer. From that point, the study reports no further incidents of the boy suffering from accidents.