Blog | Chandler Collins, DC

Am I Sick, or Just Freaking Out?

It’s kind of like a tornado just came through, isn’t it?

There’s a debris field of mayhem in its wake, and we’re looking around trying to figure out what the “new normal” is, what damage has been done, and what we need to worry about next.

In the case of this pandemic, the wreckage behind the storm is made up of our uncertainty and unanswered questions. In short, it produces a lot of anxiety.

And that anxiety drives a lot of internal questions. You know the questions I’m talking about…

What if I get sick?

What if someone I love gets sick?

Am I getting sick now?

Should I be worried about getting sick?

Can I get sick just from worrying about getting sick?

I’m guessing some form of these questions are floating around for all of us. But, so what? Is there anything we can do about it?

I think there is.

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Coronavirus: things that help…

by Dr. Collins on 26 Mar 2020
in Diet and Nutrition / Fighting Infection / Health Care / Herbs / Vitamins

Alright, we’ve got work to do. Coronavirus is in town, so it’s time we make sure we’ve got our bodies prepared for a good fight.

I know we’re all inundated with the regular admonitions about how to combat this bug — washing hands, social distancing, etc. — so I’m not going to repeat them.

What I am going to do is talk about things you can do, in addition to the regular stuff, to keep yourself in the low-risk camp, or as close to it as possible.

Many of you had questions about supplements and herbs you could use to help, should you get an infection, or to prepare yourself ahead of time. And there are a handful of these that I keep around in what I call my “Anti-Bug First Aid Kit”. (ABFAK – it’s not a real medical thing unless it has an acronym.)

I’m going to focus on those that are particularly good at fighting (or preparing your body to fight) viral infections, or that have shown promise in supporting your immune system generally.

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The Power of Regular Work

by Dr. Collins on 15 Dec 2016
in Health Care / Stress / Video

We get regular work done on our cars, but not our bodies. Why is that? And what happens when we devote that kind of regular effort to maintaining and improving our well-being?

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What you may not know about Vitamin D

by Dr. Collins on 27 Oct 2016
in Back Pain / Diet and Nutrition / Health Care / Video / Vitamins

Deficiency in Vitamin D is almost epidemic, even in the sunny South. But why?

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A Dose of Reality From Mauro Pilates

by Dr. Collins on 23 Nov 2015
in Athletic Injuries / Back Pain / Exercise, Training, and Fitness / Health Care / Knee Pain / Neck Pain / Posture and Ergonomics / Stress

It was embarrassing.

I considered myself a reasonably fit guy, but suddenly I was being asked to do things my body just couldn’t figure out. Not only that, but it was happening routinely.

I’m not talking about a bootcamp, crazy calisthenics, or the next breakdancing craze. I’m describing straightforward, well-intentioned Pilates instruction from Liana Mauro of Mauro Pilates.

Sometimes, balance and coordination are key.

I was okay with the basic movements. A leg press on the reformer, or a straight arm pulldown from overhead to my sides (like a lat pulldown, for those familiar) came relatively easy.

But then, Liana took me through exercises that I had apparently swept under my strength-and-fitness rug. Balance on opposing hand and knee on an unstable surface? Simultaneously engage my core and twist through my trunk? Or, god forbid, work the muscles on the side of my pelvis with a leg-lift or hip rotation? Forget it. Not happening.

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Liana Mauro on 10 Ways Pilates Can Help You

by Dr. Collins on 10 Sep 2015
in Athletic Injuries / Back Pain / Exercise, Training, and Fitness / Knee Pain / Neck Pain / Posture and Ergonomics

Let’s get one thing straight: I am not a Pilates expert.

I do know a thing or two about staying healthy and injury-free, however. And I know when I’m out of my league when it comes to knowledge about a particular discipline, especially in the health field.

So, when I wanted to learn more about Pilates, and how it could help both me and my patients, I tracked down Liana Mauro. I’ll be posting a full run-down of my experience with Liana and her staff at Mauro Pilates soon.

For now, know this: Liana is patient, careful, observant, and knowledgable about putting together a Pilates regimen that is effective, fun, and safe. I don’t hand over the reigns of my blog frequently, so trust me when I say that you’re in excellent care with the information presented below.

Be sure and read down to the end of the article, where Liana has included an enticing offer. This wasn’t solicited, and I include it here only because Liana is a practitioner I respect and think should be more widely known.

Welcome Liana Mauro….

10 Ways Pilates Helps Heal and Prevent Injuries

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Choose your exercise wisely

by Dr. Collins on 23 May 2015
in Athletic Injuries / Brain Chemistry / Exercise, Training, and Fitness / Video

We choose our life activities – including exercise – based on what makes us feel good. If it feels good, does that also mean it’s good for us?

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Making Incremental Changes

by Dr. Collins on 26 Apr 2015
in Diet and Nutrition / Health Care / Video

There’s more than one way to put yourself on the road to good health. For some, cold turkey is the easiest. For others, a slower, steadier approach does the most good…

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Staying Injury Free in the Weight Room

by Dr. Collins on 12 Feb 2015
in Athletic Injuries / Exercise, Training, and Fitness

Photo by Vox Efx

Let’s talk about weight. Not the kind you lose, but the kind you lift to get stronger. We’ve got crossfitters, bootcampers, triathletes, marathoners, and just plain old gym rats all moving the heavy stuff around in an attempt to look good and be fit.

Really, we’re talking about any kind of resistance exercise, so this also applies to anyone using only their body weight as a means to build or maintain muscle. Hear that, all you yoga types?

Here’s the thing: as a doctor who sees all types of patients, and particularly working for 7+ years on elite athletes at the University of Texas, I’ve seen injuries in all shapes and sizes, and from any number of places. I have the “privileged” position of seeing exactly how athletes break — long before they reach the point of needing surgery or extensive rehab — more than just about any other kind of doctor out there.

Of all the injuries that I see, resistance exercise is the single most common cause, for any type of athlete.

Do I have your attention now?

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Why exercise and Ego should not go together

by Dr. Collins on 11 Dec 2014
in Athletic Injuries / Exercise, Training, and Fitness / Health Care

Photo by Scott Welch

I went running this morning.

That normally wouldn’t be news to anyone, but for me it was big. I’ve been fighting a foot injury for the better part of 10 years — yes, 10 years — and it has largely kept me off the trails.

As many of you know, I have access to some of the best healthcare practitioners on the planet, and I’ve had all of them, and more, help me with my foot. For a long time no one could figure it out. Then, I had a breakthrough and I’m now able to get back out there — but that’s a topic for another post.

What my run bluntly shoved in my face this morning was the pervasiveness of ego. Yes, ego.

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10 Ways Pilates Helps Heal and Prevent Injuries

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