Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Resist Temptation?
How do you defeat the impulse to gratify desire and stick to your long-term goals of slimness or sobriety? Just say, "no thanks" and move on. Don't stop and think about it. The presence of temptation twists your cognitive abilities in ways that promote impulsive behavior.
Psychological Science, Oct 2011

Health Alert: Prescription Painkiller Abuse Epidemic!
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, overdoses involving prescription painkillers have tripled in the past 10 years and now kill more Americans than heroin and cocaine combined. A significant proportion of deaths are from people who obtain prescription painkillers without a prescription and use them for recreational use.
CDC Vital Signs, Oct 2011

Diet: The Skinny On Coffee.
The more coffee an adult drinks, the lower the risk seems to be for developing basal cell carcinoma (BCC), a common type of skin cancer. Women who had at least 3 cups of coffee daily had a 20% lower chance of developing BCC, compared to those who consumed less than one cup per month. Men who consumed at least three cups of coffee per day had a 9% lower risk of BCC.
Harvard Medical School, Oct 2011

Exercise: Good Reasons.
Exercise gives you more energy to meet the demands of daily life, and provides you with a reserve to meet the demands of unexpected emergencies.
Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health, 1996

Chiropractic: Posture and Health.
Posture and normal physiology are interrelated. Posture affects and moderates every physiological function from breathing to hormonal production. Abnormal posture is evident in patients with chronic and stress related illnesses. Observe people over 50 and you will see that people with bad posture look unhealthy.
American Journal of Pain Management, 1994

Wellness/Prevention: Preventable Strokes.
One in six people will suffer a stroke and someone dies from a stroke every 6 seconds. 85% of these people have risk factors that can prevent a stroke, if identified. 6 steps to reduce stroke risk: 1) Learn the warning signs of a stroke: sudden numbness, in particular if it only affects one side of the body, loss of balance or sudden vertigo, sudden difficulty in speaking or seeing, and severe headaches with no apparent cause. 2) Check your personal risk factors: high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and diabetes. 3) Exercise regularly and keep physically active. 4) Eat a healthy diet and avoid becoming obese. 5) Avoid cigarette smoke and seek help to stop if you are a smoker. 6) Restrict your alcohol consumption.
World Stroke Organization, Oct 2011

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: A Long, Happy Life.
Older people have a 35% lower chance of dying if they are content, excited or happy during their typical day. This was true even after taking into account such factors as a person's financial situation, physical health, mental health, chronic disease, physical activity, alcohol intake, depression and age.
Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, Oct 2011

Health Alert: For The Young.
The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), the world's largest non-governmental organization working in sexual and reproductive health, is calling to renew the focus on young people's reproductive health. Currently, 16 million adolescent girls become mothers every year and almost 40% of the 6,800 new HIV infections each day are among young people.
International Planned Parenthood Federation, Oct 2011

Diet: Alcohol, Good Or Bad?
Red wine has been shown in many studies to benefit the immune system and cardiovascular system, but women who drink even moderately (as few as three drinks a week) increase their risk of breast cancer. Women who abstain from all alcohol may find that a potential benefit of lower breast cancer is more than offset by the increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Harvard Medical School, Oct 2011

Exercise: Obesity Gene's Effect Reduced By Exercise.
With exercise and a physically active lifestyle, the genetic predisposition to obesity caused by the 'fat mass and obesity associated' (FTO) gene can be significantly reduced. The effect of the FTO gene on obesity risk is 27% weaker among physically active adults, compared to those who are physically inactive. These findings challenge the common excuse that "obesity is in my genes."
PLoS Medicine, Oct 2011

Chiropractic: A Benefit For The Elderly.
Elderly patients suffering from dizziness experienced significant clinical improvement after just one month of Chiropractic care.
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 2009

Wellness/Prevention: Remember Your Fluids.
Drinking plenty of fluids may provide men with protection against bladder cancer as the fluids may flush out potential carcinogens before they have the opportunity to cause tissue damage that could lead to the cancer. High total fluid intake (more than 2,531 milliliters per day) was associated with a 24% reduced risk for bladder cancer among men.
Cancer Prevention Research, Oct 2011

Alert: With the New Year, your insurance benefits may be changing!

A majority of our patient's insurance coverage changes at the beginning of the New Year. If you have changed your insurance or know of any plan changes, please bring us your insurance card so that we can re-verify your benefits for you. If you are not sure, we can re-verify your benefits as well. Also, many insurance companies refresh the number of visits allowed each year at the beginning of the year.

In addition, we just wanted to remind you that the referral give-away is winding down. You still have 4 more days to refer your loved ones in for your chance to win a $500 Visa gift card just in time for the holidays!

As always,
The Staff at Oakland Spine and Rehab

Our Same Day Guarantee

We have made yet another policy change in our ever growing desire to SHATTER the model of a doctor's office visit. It's called our "Same Day Guarantee." More on this in a minute.

First I want to talk you about how we Re-Invented the notion of WAITING at a doctor's office. In most cases, when I speak to patients or people I know the overwhelming complaint about doctors is the WAIT. There is nothing more aggravating and one I experienced first hand.

About a year ago my son, Zack, broke his shoulder blade (ouch!) during football practice. When I knew I couldn't help him I called an orthopedic office I trust. When we arrived we had to wait an hour and a half - AND THIS IS A DOCTOR I KNOW AND REFER TO!! I was so outraged that I immediately went back to my office and told my entire staff, "We will never do that to a patient. We are going to create a NO-WAITING, NO-KIDDING policy". And so it has been for over a year to the delight of our patients. Simply stated - if you are an active patient you will never wait more then 5 minutes to be seen. If you wait - we give you a gift.

Now for our NEW GUARANTEE.

Guess what the SECOND most common complaint we hear about doctors offices is? You guessed it - GETTING AN APPOINTMENT. Well, I am announcing our newest guarantee which I would LOVE for you to share with those you care about and refer to our office. It's our "SAME DAY GUARANTEE". Simply stated, if a new patient needs to be seen on our normal days of operation - we guarantee we will see them that day! All they have to do is call us during the morning hours. You will see this very soon in all of our marketing efforts - our billboard, our newspaper ads, our mailings and on TV.

So now you have one more amazing advantage here at O.S.R. to tell your friends and family about.

As always,
Dr. Brad

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Brain Games.
Researchers have found risk/reward scenarios (such as playing games) stimulate nearly all areas of the brain. Since the brain's primary purpose is to maximize our chance of survival and reproduction, it makes sense reward should be important for all cognitive functions, and thus most brain regions.
Neuron, Oct 2010

Health Alert: Antibiotics.
After 70 years, antibiotics are still the primary treatment for bacterial infections. The prevalence of antibiotic resistance is now outpacing the rate of new drug discovery and approval. The economic costs and health threats of antibiotic resistance have become so serious that the World Health Organization dedicated World Health Day to call global attention to the issue. Antibiotics are routinely sprayed on crops and fed to livestock, which helps cause antibiotic resistant bacteria to develop. That antibiotic resistance is then transferred to humans when they eat the food containing the antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is resistant to a broad range of antibiotics, causes infections in people with compromised immune systems, such as HIV and cancer patients. It's also responsible for hospital-related infections such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia and infections from burns. The fatality rate is about 50%. Hospital-acquired urinary tract infections by P. aeruginosa alone cost more than $3.5 billion a year in the US.
WHO, Oct 2011

Diet: A Slice Of Watermelon!
Watermelon reduces atherosclerosis in animals. The study involved mice with diet-induced high cholesterol. By week 8, animals given watermelon juice had lower body weight, due to decreased fat mass. They experienced no decrease in lean mass. Plasma cholesterol concentrations were significantly lower, with modestly reduced intermediate and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations.
University of Kentucky, Oct 2011

Exercise: Reduces Productivity?
Exercise may reduce work productivity in employees with high stress jobs. The study's authors recommend employees with more stressful jobs utilize other techniques to manage stress.
Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Oct 2011

Chiropractic: Yoga & Low Back Pain.
A 12-week yoga program for adults with chronic or recurrent low back pain improved back function better than back pain education booklets.
Annals Of Internal Medicine, Nov 2011

Wellness/Prevention: Stop Smoking!
Smokers are twice as likely to have strokes, and on average, they have them 10 years earlier than non-smokers.
Heart and Stroke Foundation, Oct 2011

If I Go To A Chiropractor, Do I Have To Keep Going For The Rest Of My Life?

That's a common question you hear over and over, and it keeps a lot of people from experiencing all of the wonderful benefits Chiropractic care has to offer. The answer, of course, is ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

Going to a Chiropractor is a lot like going to the Dentist. You will have less dental problems if you brush and floss your teeth and go for check-ups and cleanings than if you didn't go. If you wait until your tooth hurts, you most likely need more dental work than if you didn't wait so long. Once you get the toothache fixed, you can choose to brush, floss and get routine check-ups...or not.

Most Chiropractic patients start care because they have a symptom...usually pain. Some get a handful of treatments, feel better...and don't come back until they have pain again. Others get out of pain and come for maintenance visits in an effort to keep the pain from coming back.

The bottom line is: It's all up to you. At our practice, you are free to choose whatever type of care you want, without lecturing or questioning from us. You can come for one visit then call us in two years and we will be happy to see you again. It's your body and you are 100% in charge. We will give you what we feel are the best possible recommendations, but we will not get upset if you choose another path. That's why we don't insist anyone committing to long-term care plans. We want you to give us a try and see if you like it, and if you do... take it from there.

So please, spread the word to all your family and friends who think that if you go to a Chiropractor once, you have to keep going for the rest of your life. If you know someone who has been locked into a long-term care plan they didn't like, please tell them we are different. Or don't... that's up to you, too.

Call us if you need anything, we are always here to help.

Sincerely,
Dr. Brad Butler

MORE Whiplash Facts

Last month, we discussed 10 facts about whiplash in attempt to dispel the myths about this topic. Due to the amount of information available, we couldn't cover them all. So, here are 10 more interesting facts about whiplash:

1. Much has been published on the association between ongoing whiplash symptoms and litigation. There is now plenty of evidence that ongoing whiplash injury related symptoms occur regardless of the presence or absence of litigation.
2. The concept of a delay in symptoms means minimal injury is dispelled. In fact, it's considered "the norm" that symptoms are delayed.
3. Mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) or post-concussive syndrome can occur as a result of whiplash trauma. The good news is that, in most cases, recovery occurs within the first 3 months.
4. In the European Spine Journal, a recent study reported that between 1 and 2 years after a whiplash injury, 22% of patients' conditions worsened. Condition deterioration at the 2 year mark has also been reported in other studies.
5. More detailed studies that followed whiplash patients through time, reported that 45% remain symptomatic at 12 weeks (3 months) and 25% at 6 months. Others reported the recovery time in most "minor cases" is 8 weeks (2 months), time to stabilization (not recovery) in the more severe cases was 17 weeks (4 months), and in the most severe category, 20.5 weeks (5 months). Hence, the concept that whiplash, like all other injuries heal in 6-12 weeks is challenged (note, there is little support for this common myth).
6. Each year, approximately 1.99 million Americans are injured in motor vehicle collisions.
7. Since 1990, a mean of 40% of a pool of whiplash patients from all vectors of collision (that is, rear, front or side impacts) were still symptomatic at a 2 year follow up. 59% of ONLY rear-end collision patients remained symptomatic at a 2 year follow-up.
8. Although these estimates vary, approximately 10% of WAD (whiplash associated disorders) injured subjects become disabled to a point of not being able to continue working.
9. Children who sustain whiplash injuries display sleep disturbances, nightmares, difficulty talking to parents and friends (brain injury), mood changes, poor academic performance and fears of participating in higher impact sports. Moreover, children tend to be overlooked in the evaluation and treatment process since they tend to complain less.
10. If the size of the 2 impacting vehicles is the same, an 8 MPH impact produces 2 times the force of gravity. When the bullet vehicle is larger than the target vehicle, the difference increases dramatically.

We realize you have a choice in where you choose your healthcare services. If you, a friend or family member requires care for whiplash, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

Do Chronic Sinus Problems Cause Headaches?

Many of us have had sinus related headaches, right? You know, these are the headaches that hurt over the sinuses (above the eyes or in the cheek bones next to your nose) and, when you blow your nose, it's not pretty! Sinus infections often lead to sinus headaches - wouldn't you say that's a true statement?

A recent November 2011 study begs to differ. Researchers took 58 patients with a diagnosis of "sinus headache" made by their primary care physician and asked them the following questions:

1. Have you had a previous diagnosis of migraine or tension-type headache?
2. Is their clinical evidence of a sinus infection during the past 6 months?
3. Is there the presence of "mucopurulent secretions" (that's the "not so pretty stuff" when we blow our nose)?

All 58 patients clearly seemed to have chronic sinusitis with an acute flair up and were given complete thorough examinations by a neurologist and an ears, nose, throat specialist (otolaryngologist) on a monthly basis for 6 months during treatment. The surprising results showed that final diagnosis in these 58 cases were 68%, 27% and 5% of the patients really had migraine, tension-type headache and chronic sinusitis with recurrent acute episodes, respectively. Treatment during the 6 months included antibiotic therapy in 73% of the patients with tension-type headache and 66% with migraine. Sinus endoscopy (taking a look up the sinuses with a scope - ouch!) was performed in 26% of the patients, and therapeutic nasal septoplasty (surgery!) was performed in 16% of the migraine patients and 13% of patients with tension-type headache (a pretty BIG mistake, wouldn't you say?). The conclusion was that many patients with self-described or primary car e physician diagnosed "sinus headaches" have no sinonasal abnormalities but instead, met the criteria for migraine or tension-type headache.

So, what does this mean? Well, for one thing, too many antibiotics are prescribed for tension-type or migraine headaches and have no place in the treatment process of these two common headache categories. Side effects of antibiotics include (but are not limited to): stomach and intestinal irritation, nausea, and if one is allergic to the antibiotic, a potentially life-threatening condition call anaphylactic shock. Let's not forget to mention that sinus surgery was performed in 29% of the cases where the sinuses were NOT causing the headaches and we all know the risks of undergoing anesthesia and surgery can include death and infections, among other problems.

Chiropractic was reported to be a wise choice in the treatment of headaches by several publications, one of which provided a large review of the literature on the "Effectiveness of manual therapies: the UK evidence report," released in 2010 (http://chiromt.com/content/18/1/3). In this report, both migraine and cervicogenic-type (headaches that start in the neck) headaches were found to have strong research support for manipulation or, chiropractic adjustments. In this day and age, you can be very confident that choosing chiropractic services for headache treatment is a wise, safe, and very cost-effective approach for a very disabling condition.

We realize that you have a choice in where you choose your healthcare services. If you, a friend or family member requires care for neck pain, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

How Can You Stay Healthier with All of the Holiday Stress?

For years I have heard my patients' concerns about getting sick during the holidays, and I have observed something which will benefit you greatly. Around the holidays, more people get sick then during most other times of the year. Why is that? The answer is simpler then you think....

Our bodies follow certain principles - we all get excited about "new discoveries and treatments", but the truth is that in order to stay healthy our body must function as close to 100% as possible. There are THREE areas of health that need attention - they are the Physical, Chemical and Emotional components to our lives. All three of them, if out of BALANCE, can effect the function of the other two. It's very common for one of these areas to not be working right during the year for different reasons.... maybe you have a lot of stress in a relationship or at work (Emotional) or your job requires you to not move very much or move too much or you've had a trauma (Physical), or your eating habits have gotten way out of control or your on a lot of medication (Chemical). See there are lots of things that affect the function of our bodies.

During the Holidays - WHAT WE SEE IS THAT THERE IS AN ASSAULT ON ALL THREE. Think about it - Stress is everywhere. More demands on your time, more obligations, more financial stress, all the eating out, alcohol and deserts. It overwhelms our bodies.

So how do you beat the Holiday Blues?? The answer may be simpler then you think - GET MORE ADJUSTMENTS!! Adjustments to your spine take pressure off of the nerves and muscles, and allow your nervous system to function at a much higher level. Plus, it's your nervous system that controls the function of your immune system.

Watching your back for the Holidays,
Dr. Brad
201-651-9100

Weekly Health Update

Mental Attitude: Commuting To Work Is Bad For Your Health!
Spending hours each day behind the wheel or crammed in a public train or bus, commuting to and from work is bad for your health. Those who commuted reported more everyday stress, exhaustion, missed work days and generally poorer health. Those with longer commutes reported even worse health.
Duke University, Oct 2011

Health Alert: Under Construction!
Nearly all construction workers will experience one or more work-related injuries or illnesses over a lifetime, plus a greater risk of premature death. Over a 45-year career, a construction worker has a 75% chance of a disabling injury, and a one in 200 chance of being fatally injured on the job. An individual who begins construction work at the age of 20 has a 15% chance of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and an 11% chance of developing dust-related parenchymal chest X-ray changes.
Center for Construction Research and Training, Oct 2011

Diet: Strawberries & Stomach Ulcers.
Scientists discovered strawberry consumption might help reduce and or slow the formation of stomach ulcers caused by alcohol consumption, viral infections and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, like aspirin and ibuprofen.
Plos One, Oct 2011

Exercise: Good Reasons.
Exercise helps speed recovery from chemotherapy treatments, increases the ability to supply blood to the skin for cooling and increases the thickness of the cartilage in your joints.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Oct 2011

Chiropractic: Wound Healing & Mechanical Stress.
Exerting mechanical forces on an injury site immediately after healing begins significantly inhibits vascular growth into the bone defect region. However, after healing is underway, introducing mechanical forces on the injury site can lead to a more robust vascular network.
Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health, 1996

Wellness/Prevention: Cranberry Juice vs. Cranberry Extracts.
Cranberries have been recognized for their health benefits for years, especially in preventing urinary tract infections. However, it was found that drinking actual cranberry juice is much more effective in preventing a Urinary Tract Infection than simply consuming cranberry extracts.
Food Science and Biotechnology, Oct 2011

Fibromyalgia: A Detailed Patient Description

Fibromyalgia (FM) is surrounded by much controversy in what establishes a diagnosis, what are the consistent historical features, and most importantly, what can be done about it - the treatment strategies. Doctors seem polarized, either they "believe in it" or don't. The result is a frustrated patient because after multiple attempts, they can't get a straight answer from their health care provider. Consequently, the patient doesn't know where to turn. A very important article, published in September 2011, discusses from the patient's point of view, their experience in living with this condition.

The study consisted of 6 female patients diagnosed at a university hospital with FM, which by the way, means all other conditions that create similar symptoms have to be "ruled out" or, considered first. Therefore, many tests are typically run to make sure there isn't some other serious underlying condition hiding behind the symptoms associated with FM. As a background, the authors describe FM as "...a chronic syndrome with no cure." Because of this, they state, "...a thorough understanding of the illness experience is therefore key in the palliative care of patients..." They acknowledge that care givers of FM patients often include chiropractors and other manual therapists and knowledge of the "...meaning and reality of living with this condition" is reported as being ESSENTIAL for all health care providers who manage FM patients. The focus of the study was to carefully look at the personal, occupational, and social impact of the condition on pat ients' lives and their views about the future. Structured interviews with each participant were analyzed.

Results showed that FM impacted all aspects of life with 4 main themes arising from the data: 1) Personal life impact; 2. Occupational life impact; 3. The forecasted impact on future life; 4. Social interaction impact. Specifically, most of the participants had stopped working and felt useless. Leisure activities were greatly affected, as many described opting to not participate in various leisure oriented activities (such as going for walks, shopping, attending social events). FM was described as altering family bonds with some being made stronger while others were destroyed, resulting in separation and/or divorce. FM patients were reported to be "relieved" when a diagnosis was "finally" made, as it marked an end to a period of uncertainty. The participants were often ambivalent to interaction and despite some positive points, frustration prevailed from "perceived incomprehension" or, not really understanding why they feel the way they do. At times, thi s made it hard to discuss their symptoms and personal experiences. This study reveals the negative impact of FM and how complex and individual that is.

What is important about this study is that it alerts those of us who treat FM that we need a more efficient diagnostic process and we need to be better educated so that we can provide a multifaceted treatment option approach as each FM patient's needs vary because of how each patient "deals with" the condition. We need to really listen to the patient to determine what treatment goals they are interested in and we must create treatment plans that center around those needs and desires, possibly including checklists so everyone stays on task as it's quite easy to become distracted by the symptoms of FM. We are sharing this information with you so that you can feel comfortable approaching us with the many concerns and issues that surround FM.

If you, a friend or family member requires care for FM, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services!

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: What is it Again?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a condition that results from pressure applied to the median nerve on the palm side of the wrist that causes numbness, tingling, weakness, and/or muscle damage affecting the thumb side of the hand and fingers, including the thumb, index, 3rd and thumb side of the 4th finger. There is literally a tunnel through which 9 tendons and their sheaths, some blood vessels, and most importantly, the median nerve travel through to get to the thumb and fingers. As these tendons slide back and forth in their sheaths, friction can build up, leading to swelling when fast, repetitive finger related work is performed, especially for prolonged time frames. The "syndrome" starts when the swelling occurs and the numbness/tingling/weakness complaints begin.

There are many causes of CTS. Most commonly, CTS occurs in people whom perform fast, repetitive motions including (but not limited to): typing on a computer keyboard, using a computer mouse, sewing, driving, assembly line work, painting, writing, use of hand tools, sports such as racquetball or handball, and playing musical instruments. Many of these tasks involve bending or twisting of the wrists (think of a violin or flute player and you get the picture). CTS most often occurs in people 30-60 years old, affects women more than men and, can be either caused or contributed by other conditions such as fracture/trauma to the wrist or hand, arthritis of the wrist, diabetes, alcoholism, hypothyroid, kidney failure and dialysis, menopause, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and pregnancy, infections, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, SLE, and others.

Symptoms most commonly include numbness or tingling in the thumb-side palm, thumb, 2nd, 3rd, and thumb half of the 4th fingers. The symptoms can extend to the elbow or higher to the neck or shoulder, can affect both hands (but one is usually worse than the other), and can interfere with daily activities such as buttoning shirts, opening jars, holding onto the steering wheel, riding a bike, working with the hands, etc.

During an initial examination, a Doctor of Chiropractic exam will often check your sensation with a sharp pointed object, percuss over the palm-side wrist, ask you to hold your hands back to back and palm to palm while counting the seconds to numbness, test grip strength, and also check the neck, shoulder and elbow as these areas refer pain back and forth. Sometimes, he or she will order an EMG to test the nerve's damage. Conservative chiropractic treatment is highly effective and DEFINITELY should be done FIRST, before injections, medications, or surgery!

We realize you have a choice in who you consider for your health care provision and we sincerely appreciate your trust in choosing our service for those needs. If you, a friend or family member require care for CTS, we would be honored to render our services.

Low Back Pain & Patient Education

Patient education is a very important aspect of caring for our patients. In fact, it can be one of the most important aspects of care. For example, when patients present with a brand new injury and pain levels are off the map, it's quite common for that acute suffering patient to inappropriately think that, "I'm going to die... this hurts so much!" Hence, one of the very first things we do as chiropractors is to determine what structures are generating the pain so we can tell you!

Once you have an understanding of where the pain is coming from and why it hurts so bad, then you can be reassured that it's not life threatening or dangerous. Also, at this acute point of time, the patient often unknowingly puts heat on the back, often for hours. This is the WORST thing you can do as the area is already swollen and putting heat on a swollen area draws more blood and fluids into the area. It's literally like throwing gas on a fire. So, receiving proper information from us such as, put ice on the area for 15-20 minutes on and off several times in a row to "PUMP" the swelling out of the area will make complete sense.

Also, did you know that 2/3rds of our body's weight is above the waist? That means, when a 150# person bends over, they are "lifting" 100#! That's one of several reasons why bending over can be so dangerous. To "fix" that, squat by bending the knees keeping the back straight and keep objects that you might be lifting close to your body as that weight literally weighs 10x more when your arms are straight and you're lifting. When you can't squat and have to bend over, bend the knees, arch your back (literally "stick your butt out"), and bend over at your hip joints - DON'T use your back. You'll need to practice that one a few times before it's fully understood.

As your back pain improves, we will review these important self-help approaches and add new "tricks of the trade" like certain stretches, some strengthening and perhaps some balance exercises. Did you know that your thigh muscles shrink just by sleeping overnight? It's true! When you wake up in the morning, your thigh muscles are smaller than when you went to bed. Well, this same muscle shrinkage (technically called "atrophy") occurs in the lower back and hips, so strengthening exercises are REALLY IMPORTANT! Just think, if your muscles shrink overnight just from laying in bed, what about when you might have been told to use bed rest for several days or more? There potentially is a lot of muscle shrinkage and weakness that can occur in a relatively short amount of time and therefore, strengthening exercises also need to be taught in order to regain your strength so you can more safely do your activities.

Now what about back pain prevention? What methods to you think will help us NOT get low back pain? That's right - managing weight! If your BMI (body mass index or, the ratio between your height and weight) is >25, you need to trim down a bit (or more). Go on line and SEARCH BMI, and pick one of many "BMI Calculators" to figure out your BMI. So, what do chiropractors know about weight loss? Did you know the chiropractic college curriculum includes more nutritional courses than most medical schools? We will help you find a way to lose weight - whether its calorie restriction, a special diet like no/low salt, gluten-free, or a diabetes-specific diet. Another prevention trick for the low back (actually, whole body!) is to STAY FIT! Make aerobic exercise and even a light weight lifting program part or your daily ritual. Other methods help too, so come in and let us guide you in this journey to better health!

We realize you have a choice in who you choose to provide your healthcare services. If you, a friend or family member requires care for low back pain, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.

Do You Suffer With Migraines? What Research Says About Chiropractic Versus Popular Drug Treatments...

Although most headaches are not life threatening, they can negatively affect your quality of life. In severe cases, a headache is debilitating. Headaches have a wide range of causes, including infection, hangovers from alcohol consumption, fasting, and even serious conditions, such as brain tumors and strokes.

The most common headaches include tension and migraine, which are associated with nervous system disorders. More than 90% of the U.S. population will experience some type of headache. 28 million Americans, including 1 in 5 women and 1 in 20 men, experience migraine headaches. In a migraine headache, the artery on the outside of the skull under the skin of the temple (temporal artery) enlarges. As this process occurs, nerves that surround the artery stretch and release chemicals that cause inflammation and pain. The larger the artery gets, the greater the pain.

Most people know Chiropractic care can be beneficial for tension/cervicogenic headaches. But, can Chiropractic care help migraines too? Here's what research dating all the way back to 1998 says... The study, published in the Journal Of Manipulative And Physiological Therapeutics, compared amitriptyline (a medication), spinal manipulation, and the combination of both therapies. There was a 4 week baseline period, followed by 8 weeks of treatment and then 4 weeks of follow-up on a total of 218 patients diagnosed with migraine headaches.

RESULTS: "Clinically important improvement was observed in both primary and secondary outcomes in all three study groups over time. The reduction in headache index scores during treatment compared with baseline was 49% for amitriptyline, 40% for spinal manipulation, and 41% for the combined group. During the post-treatment follow-up period, the reduction from baseline was 24% for amitriptyline, 42% for spinal manipulation, and 25% for the combined group."

CONCLUSION: "There was no advantage to combining amitriptyline and spinal manipulation for the treatment of migraine headaches. Spinal manipulation seemed to be as effective as a well-established and efficacious treatment (amitriptyline). And on the basis of a benign side effects profile, it should be considered a treatment option for patients with frequent migraine headaches."

"Text Neck": What Is It And How To Avoid It

The older you get, the more you realize there are pros and cons to everything. Even all the amazing new technology we have these days is no exception. For example, there is a new condition called "text neck" and it is said to be on the rise due to the amount of time people spend hunched over their cell phones, tablets and computer screens.

Experts say cases of this repetitive strain injury are on the rise as smart phones and tablet computers (such as the iPad) become increasingly popular. In severe cases, the muscles can eventually adapt to fit the flexed position, making it painful to straighten the neck out properly. This can be serious because long-term effects of such postural changes are believed to cause neck pain, headaches, shoulder pain and even arthritis, later in life.

"Imagine sitting on your ankle sideways for 10 minutes. It would feel stiff and sore when you returned it to its natural position. That is exactly what people are doing with their necks. If people continue to put their necks in these positions, the body will gradually adapt to the stresses," added one Chiropractor who sees text neck patients regularly. One of the best ways to avoid "text neck" is to simply move. Don't stay in any one position too long. Tuck your chin and bend your neck to the back and to the front, then side-to-side and circles, as long as this does not cause any pain.

And don't forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health talk to us. Contact us with your questions. We're here to help and don't enjoy anything more than participating in your lifelong good health.