Ask Dr. Quiroz Pain and Headaches

Chiropractic and Headaches

2010-04-09T13:59:00.000-07:00

Headaches are common pain events for many people, and they are often recurring. A variety of prescription and over-the-counter medications may control headache pain, but they only mask the pain without addressing the cause. Headache medications may also have side effects, especially with long use. Hoping to find a more natural and holistic solution to chronic headaches, many people turn to chiropractic.

What is a Headache?

A headache may arise from muscular tension, vascular changes, sinus congestion, eyestrain and many other underlying causes. They can start over the eyes, in the back of the head, on the sides or top of the head, or feel centered behind the eyes. The one thing all these headaches have in common is that they hurt, and sometimes they hurt a great deal. The amount of pain associated with a headache may range from a mild ache to a throbbing, nauseating, relentless pain.

It is a common misconception that some types of headaches hurt more than others. It is often said that, for example, migraine headaches are more painful than other headaches. It is also common to call any kind of severe headache a "migraine." In fact, almost any kind of headache can cause a great deal of pain. Three types of headaches are commonly seen in chiropractic offices: tension headaches, migraine headaches, and cervicogenic headaches. Cervicogenic headaches are caused by pain referred to the head from the bony or soft tissues of the neck.

Headaches can be either primary, those that start independently, or secondary, those that begin as a side effect of another disease process. Headaches arising from muscular tension (generally arising from stress) and migraine headaches (vascular headaches) are two of the most common types of headache; both of these headache types are considered primary headaches. A large body of research suggests that chiropractic can effectively treat primary headaches, and many patients have found lasting relief from headache pain through chiropractic care.

Chiropractic and Tension Headaches

Tension headaches are caused by muscular tension and contraction involving the muscles of the shoulders, neck and head. Often this tension is a result of emotional stress, though injuries can also set a pattern of muscle contraction into play. It is normal for muscles to contract when we are threatened, irritated or angry, a reaction known as the fight or flight response. Over time, though, if work or home life creates a constant source of stress from which we can neither fight nor flee, the muscular tension can become chronic. This, in turn, leads to uneven stresses on the skeletal structure of the body, and changes in normal posture and movement to compensate. These misalignments lead to more muscular tension and contraction. This can become a vicious cycle that eventually results in pain, often as headache pain.

Chiropractic adjustments, combined with other therapies such as trigger point therapy and massage, can release muscular tension and realign the skeleton to break the cycle of pain. Often patients with chronic headaches will find relief through chiropractic in just a few treatments, as muscles relax and nerve irritation is reduced.

Chiropractic and Migraine Headaches

Migraine headaches are vascular headaches, arising from sudden dilation of the blood vessels of the head. No one knows exactly what causes migraine headaches, though the basic mechanism, involving both the nervous and vascular systems, is well studied. Migraines can be triggered by hormonal changes, foods, smells, weather changes, stress, and many other triggers. The headaches often begin with symptoms other than pain, such as visual auras, nausea or sensitivity to light and sound. The headache that follows can vary in intensity, but is often severe. Many migraine sufferers have found over-the-counter pain medications to be ineffective, and resign themselves to wait out the migraine event in a dark, quiet room. A variety of pharmaceutical drugs have been developed to treat migraines, but none of them work for everyone, and many have unwanted side effects.

Chiropractic can play an important role in treating migraines. Clinical studies, though still preliminary, suggest that chiropractic may have a measurable role in the prevention of migraines. Through manipulation and adjustments of the spine and neck, migraines can often be reduced or prevented. Nerves control vascular system tension, and chiropractic adjustments reduce irritation of the nervous system beginning with its roots in the spine, also improving vascular flow.

How Will a Doctor of Chiropractic Treat Headaches?

The fundamental technique of chiropractic, spinal manipulation, is used improve spinal alignment, reduce nerve irritation, relax muscle tension and improve vascular flow. Trigger point therapy, massage and other adjunct therapies may also be employed to broaden the treatment plan. Finally, the chiropractor will often recommend exercise, stretching and changes in posture, or teach relaxation techniques.

Forpreventive care, most chiropractors will also provide advice on nutritionalsupplements, vitamins, herbs, and diet toward the development of a long-termwellness plan to prevent future headaches.

Chiropractic care can provide a holistic, comprehensive treatment plan for chronic headaches, giving patients an opportunity to put an end to what can be a very stubborn type of pain and a considerable improvement in quality of life.

(as posted on altmed.com)

A Drug-free Way to Ease Pain Associated with Chronic Headaches

2010-04-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

by Maryellen Cicione

"I wish I had seen a chiropractor sooner." The declaration comes unsolicited from Brett Cimino, a plumber who, for 10 years, has suffered from headaches nearly every day and debilitating migraines two to four times a month. "As soon as I began getting adjusted, I noticed a difference. A year later, I am on a maintenance plan now and to say I have had six headaches (of any kind) in the last year would be an overstatement."

According to Dr. Jeffrey Robitaille of Robitaille Family Chiropractic in Rhode Island, 1 in 6 Americans suffers from chronic headaches. But like Cimino, many people overlook seeing a chiropractor for headache pain. "I waited more than a year before I made an appointment with a chiropractor. I guess I had some misconceptions about what a chiropractor does," says Cimino. "But after seeing the results, I don't know why I waited so long."

Every day, chiropractors hear similar stories from hundreds of people like Cimino who have been suffering for years with pain and are at their wits end because the only thing offered to them by their physicians and specialists are more drugs. As Dr. Robitaille explains, many people think headaches are normal and take over-the-counter or prescription drugs to relieve the pain. "But these drugs only dull the pain," he says, "they don't treat the cause, which is why the headache returns."

In addition to chronic headaches, chiropractic care is also effective in treating tension headaches. A recent study released by the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research finds that individuals undergoing chiropractic therapy showed sustained reduction in headache frequency and severity compared with patients who took the drug amitriptyline, a commonly prescribed medication for tension headaches.

"The conclusion of the study shows that chiropractic is not actually a therapy or treatment, but rather gets to the cause of the problem, thus allowing the body to effect a correction that lasts beyond actual care," says Dr. Robitaille.

While many people associate chiropractic care as a treatment for bad backs, there is growing documentation that chiropractic is also effective in the treatment of cervicogenic headaches, migraines and cluster headaches. In fact, the American Chiropractic Association reports that 14 percent of the public who see chiropractors presently go for headaches.

However, much of the general public continues to use the traditional medical practitioner route for headache treatment, with little success. The problem, says Dr. Robitaille, rests in the six misconceptions about headache relief. They are listed below, followed by his explanation:

1. Over-The-Counter Medication Treat The Cause Of Your Headache.
"Drugs only numb the pain. If these drugs treated the real cause, your headaches would go away permanently. None of us were born with too few Advil in our blood. A lack of drugs is not the cause."

2. Headache Medication Can't Harm You.
"On the contrary, drugs can cause side effects that can be far worse than the headache pain you're trying to relieve."

3. Stress Causes Headaches.
"Although stress is a part of life, it is not the cause of headaches. Rather, it's how your body adapts to stress that affects your health. Chiropractic care can provide ways to help you increase your body's ability to adapt to stress of any kind."

4. Headaches Go Away On Their Own.
"Without treating the cause, or root of the problem, they won't."

5. All Doctors Know How To Treat Headaches.
"If this were true, no one would suffer from headaches. Chiropractors offer natural alternatives that do not involve drugs or invasive treatments."

6. Your Problem Is Always Where Your Pain Is.
"In fact, not all headaches originate in the head. For instance, a person who suffered a neck injury at some point in their life, whether from a car accident, playing sports, or a fall as a child, could suffer head pain later on. These are called cervicogenic headaches because they result from tension of the neck and head muscles."

Can Cayenne Peppers Really Cure a Headache?

2010-04-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

Cayenne pepper, also known as chili pepper, is definitely one of your more multi-functional spices, so if you’re a lover of hot and spicy food, that’s great news. Some of the research into the health benefits of capsaicin (its active ingredient) has found that it may:

Reverse Type 1 diabetes in mice, when injected into the pancreas
Relieve stomach aches, and gas
Help fight cancer, by binding to proteins in cancer cell mitochondria, triggering cellular death without harming healthy cells

When it comes down to it, all this research into the benefits of food products really points out the importance that your diet plays in your overall health – even though they are narrow-mindedly focusing on picking out the active ingredients to be able to patent it and put it in a pill.

Other Natural Treatment Options for Your Headaches

Headaches can generally be divided into two types, tension and migraine. Migraine can be extremely debilitating, and many of the drugs used to treat migraines are effective in relieving this severe pain, offering welcome relief. Unfortunately, they do absolutely nothing to treat the cause and in fact actually contribute to your problem as after a short while they might cause rebound headaches themselves.

Fortunately, many natural treatment options exist that can help treat migraines. These should always be considered first, as drugs to treat migraines can make your problem worse, and often come with other serious side effects.

Natural Solutions Are Your BEST Option

Following my eating plan, which is designed to take your personal biochemistry into account, so that you’re eating the right foods for your nutritional type, seems to reduce headaches and migraines by about 80 percent.

Avoiding wheat, grains, sugar, artificial preservatives, and all fluids but water seem to be particularly effective.

However, your customized eating plan does take some time to work. In the past, I have used intravenous magnesium to relieve the headache pain, but now I find that the Emotional Freedom Technique is incredibly effective. Oftentimes it can remove your pain in as little as a few minutes.

I am sure it won’t work for everyone, but I have yet to find that person. I have found it to be truly amazing. And, as time goes on, more and more people (including some more open-minded medical professionals) will begin to accept the truth about energy medicine, as the facts about the “New Biology” becomes more widespread.

The New Biology is based on the science of epigenetics, which literally means that your mind is in control over your genes – nothing in your medical history is preordained. In essence, your mind is in total control over your physical body, and the ailments you develop. This is not a very popular truth as of yet, as most people are not willing to accept that they carry the responsibility for their health.

But, it may very well explain why energy psychology tools, such as EFT, are so effective, and can be used for such a wide variety of ailments. EFT can also be used to eliminate food cravings, which can help you stick to your eating plan.

One final, simple tip to free yourself from migraine pain -- start an exercise program. This will help to improve your response to stress along with the underlying inflammatory conditions that can trigger migraines.

Remember, your pain typically serves a very useful purpose, signaling that something is not right -- prompting you to resolve your problem at its root level.

Unfortunately, most are brainwashed and resort to a drug model to cover the problem up. So I take the position of embracing and loving pain for the important warning signal it can provide. Once you understand what is causing your pain you can start using natural therapies to address the underlying cause.

as posted on Dr. Mercola

Alternative Treatments for Headaches That Really Work

2010-04-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

By Dr. Leila Marsha Peterson

A headache, like a fever or cold hands or feet is one of the many ways that your body is letting you know that something is wrong with it.

Let's imagine for a moment that your body is a house with a smoke detector. Upon sign of smoke it sounds an alarm giving you a chance to do something before you are engulfed in a full-blown fire.

Removing the batteries from a smoke detector because it alarms when what you are cooking starts to burn is like taking a pain reliever for your headache. It is similar to putting a band-aid on the headache and is not solving the cause of the problem. In time, the causes of the problem get worse and so does the headache.

Headaches may be a result of stress from a chemical, environmental, emotional or physical source or any combination thereof. For instance, headaches that may be due to hormonal fluctuations and changes could be checked out with a saliva test.

A shortage of oxygen or blood to the head, which can be due to poor vertebral alignment, could possibly be another reason and a visit to a chiropractor that had special training in Applied Kinesiology and Cranio-Sacral Therapy may be the answer to your prayers.

Another probable but unlikely cause that needs to be ruled out is a head tumor or any growth inside the head.

One very common reason for headache is tired eyes. "Exercising" your eye muscles by squeezing your eyelids tightly closed for a few seconds, or doing some quick, soft blinks every so often will help relax -stressed-out eyelids according to Jacob Liberman, O.D., Ph.D. author of "Take Off Your Glasses And See". An annual check-up with your eye doctor would also be a wise thing to do.

Some of the possibilities that we need to explore are:

When does the headache come?
Does it coincide with your monthly menstrual cycle?
Or is it always at a regular set time during the day or night?
Do you need to wear dark glasses every time you go out in the sun or else your head would start throbbing?
Could your jaw muscles be the cause of your headaches?
Does eating certain foods like chocolate, red wine, citrus fruits, or monosodium glutamate (MSG) elicit your headache?

Pinpointing the location, character and duration of the headache could offer some insight to the organ system or emotion involved. To check if the jaw muscles are involved, put your little finger inside each ear. Now open and close your mouth slowly.

Next, observe or feel if your jaw (that ends by your ear) both open and closes at the same time, and do so without any clicking or popping sound. Myofascial release combined with polarity therapy might be able to release those tight muscles. It is also a good idea to have your dentist check your "bite" and while you're there, make sure that you do not have amalgam (mercury) fillings.

Did you know that the cells in your body could be in an acidic environment and that could be a playing a huge role in how you feel? Adding Green Plus from Alternative Care Products or alkaline ash producing foods and thoughts may help maintain alkalinity inside your body.

It is also helpful to know your saliva and urine ph. before and after a "threat" to your body. Gargling frequently with warm salt water and massaging your gums and tongue gently with fine sea salt using your fingertips would boost the circulation and change acidity in your mouth according to the Book of Wellbeing published by the Bulfinch Press. (I modify this tip a bit by combining Himalayan sea salt, Epsom salt, and baking soda with a twist of lemon.)

Sometimes, the very candles that we use for meditation and relaxation may trigger a headache. Therefore, it is advisable to use lead free wicks and candles that are made of either soy or bees wax only.

Dr. Cox, an occupational physician suggest that many people using mobile phones have symptoms which may include dizziness, disorientation, nausea, headaches, and transient confusion. These symptoms may be due to the unilateral stimulation of the portion of the nervous system that assists in balance and coordination.

The best thing to do is limit the use of your mobile phones to times of emergency. I can hear you laughing but this is not a joking matter. If you are like me who uses the mobile phone for convenience, then at least use a RF 4 headset and keep the actual phone as far from your head as possible.

Another factor to consider is if the sufferer is "rewarded" for the headache? For example, the "reward" could be any possibilities like being able to get out of a job or responsibility, or getting extra or special attention. Self-hypnosis or hypnotherapy with lights and sounds might be able to help create harmony from within and release the healing powers of the mind. Hypnotherapy is usually very beneficial in "rewarded" cases because it is known to encourage rather than compel change.

According to some metaphysical beliefs, suffering from a headache might indicate an inability to express or receive unconditional love and acceptance, or their opposite, which are hate, anger and rejection. However, Daniel R. Condron, author of Permanent Healing suggests that headaches or migraines could be that the sufferer is feeling pressured by factors that seem out of her control or that there is a pressure on one's self between "right" or "wrong".

Dr. Earl Mindell author of several nutritional and herb "bibles" recommends a cup of peppermint tea or feverfew to ward off a headache. Including digestive enzymes with your meals (if you need them) is often a surprisingly effective antidote for a headache. Squeezing the web between the thumb and the index finger with the thumb and index finger of the other hand to bring instant headache relief for some is an ancient acupressure maneuver.

Another way to ward off an incoming headache is to press the philtrum, (the indented area between the bottom of your nose and your up per lip) with the knuckle of your index finger tenderly and stop when you feel a sense of warmth, perspiration, or clamminess in any part of your body which means that you have "restarted" the energy flow in your body.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), headaches are one of the many conditions that have been shown through controlled trials to be treated effectively by acupuncture. Doing slow, deep-breathing exercises may help liberate the emotion, physical condition, or resistance associated with some tension headaches.

Therapeutic essential oils from Young Living like Idaho Tansy, Roman Chamomile may help enhance the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood and oxygen infusion into the cell according to the Essential Oils Desk Reference as compiled by Essential Science Publishing. In the homeopathic world, headaches from over exposure to the sun may perhaps be helped with Belladonna, while headaches with constipation might be relieved with Bryonia.

There are anecdotal stories that assert that Energy Work like the Hawaiian Healing Technique or Reiki is excellent for migraine.

Remember that maintaining balance and restoring harmony to the body, mind and spirit is the main goal. There are a lot of gentle remedies and time-tested strategies that are available to you.

You are a unique individual. Your fingerprints are yours alone. Wouldn't it make sense to see someone who will treat you as such?

Have you thought of acupuncture to treat your headaches?

2010-04-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

Tension Headaches Cut In Half With Acupuncture

by: Dr. Mercola

A study in the British Medical Journal showed that acupuncture is an effective technique for treating tension headaches. What’s more, “minimal” acupuncture techniques -- needles inserted superficially into the skin at nontraditional points -- work almost as well as the full, traditional version used in China.

Eight-Week Trial

Researchers in Germany divided 270 patients with similar symptoms into three groups for a randomized, controlled trial. Over an eight-week period, one group was treated with full traditional acupuncture, one with minimal acupuncture, and one with neither method.

Headache Rates Cut In Half

Headache rates dropped by almost half among those in the “traditional acupuncture” group. On average, they experienced 7 fewer days of headaches in the four weeks following the trial than they did in the four weeks preceding it.

Those in the “minimal acupuncture group” fared almost as well, with an average drop of 6.6 days with headaches. The third group only saw an average drop of 1.5 days -- just a tenth less than what they had experienced prior to the study.

The researchers concluded that acupuncture works as well or better for tension headaches than treatments already accepted.

Sounds During Sleep Can Boost Your Memory

2010-04-02T14:42:00.000-07:00

by: Dr. Mercola

A new study about a different kind of audio approach during sleep gives insight into how the sleeping brain works, and may eventually come in handy to people studying a language, cramming for a test or memorizing lines in a play.

Scientists at Northwestern University reported that playing specific sounds while people slept helped them remember more of what they had learned before they fell sleep, to the point where memories of individual facts were enhanced.

Researchers taught people to move 50 pictures to their correct locations on a computer screen. Each picture was accompanied by a related sound, like a meow for a cat and whirring for a helicopter.

Then, 12 subjects took a nap, during which 25 of the sounds were played along with white noise. When they awoke, none realized that the sounds had been played or could guess which ones had been used. Yet almost all remembered more precisely the computer locations of the pictures associated with the 25 sounds that had been played while they slept, doing less well placing the other 25 pictures.

The study adds a dimension to a theory that sleep allows the brain to process and consolidate memories.

What are you putting in your body?

2010-04-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

The true test of an arthritis pain relief formula goes beyond pain relief.

If it's to be a health formula worth taking, it will also assist the body in repairing the damage to joints and bone and also to providing nutrients the body can use to maintain healthy joint function and protect against further cartilage degeneration.

So, don't settle for temporary pain relief when you can utilize this special combination of ingredients to help your body repair. Learn about natural arthritis treatments that have research behind them.

12 Ingredients That Can End Your Arthritis Pain and Joint Pain

Glucosamine is a natural sugar produced by the body and found in certain foods. It plays an important role in the production, maintenance, and repair of cartilage. It stimulates the production of glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans, two essential building blocks of cartilage.

Shark Cartilage is a source of Chondroitin Sulfate. It drives the Glucosamine and provide maximum absorption. Also, in many trials it has reduced the possibility of developing cancer. Bovine Trachea can also be used as a source of Chondroitin, however, there is a risk of BSE (Mad Cow Disease).

Chondroitin Sulfate reduces inflammation and assists the Glucosamine in protecting against future cartilage degeneration.

Bromelaine cleans away the debris in the joints restores proper fluid balance. In addition, it helps to inhibit inflammatory compounds and reduces pain and swelling.

Ascorbate (Manganese and ascorbic acid) assists your body with processing the glucosamine. This is a very important ingredient and one that is missing in nearly every glucosamine product on the market today.

Yucca has a long history in treating arthritis and rheumatism. The root is rich in sponins that elevate your body's ability to produce cortisone naturally.

The Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docasahexaenoic acid) are constituents of fish oils that act as anti-inflammatory agents. Usually, these products are sold separately in health food stores as salmon or fish oil.

Boswellin has been used for centuries in the Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine to maintain healthy joints. Boswellic acids improve blood supply to the joints and maintain the integrity of blood vessels. At least one study has indicated that they may open up collateral blood circulation to provide adequate blood supply to the joints. Boswellin has been known to reduce joint swelling, maintain blood supply to inflamed joints and mobility as well as reduce pain due to stiffness in the joints.

Vitamin A (Beta carotene) is essential for growth and repair of body tissues and it aids in bone formation.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) produces a mobilization of your body's self-defense mechanisms, which assists your immune system to overcome disease.

And finally, Vitamin E (Tocopheral) is an antioxidant, which acts to protect red blood cells and unsaturated fatty acids from oxidation damage. It also assists your body in maintaining healthy membrane tissue.

Vitamin A, C, and E all promote general health and protect against the harmful effect of free radicals.

Source:healthynewage.com

Afraid that Chiropractic medicine isn't safe?

2010-03-31T14:38:00.000-07:00

Is chiropractic treatment safe?
Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Although chiropractic has an excellent safety record, no health treatment is completely free of potential adverse effects.

The risks associated with chiropractic, however, are very small. Many patients feel immediate relief following chiropractic treatment, but some may experience mild soreness or aching, just as they do after some forms of exercise. Current literature shows that minor discomfort or soreness following spinal manipulation typically fades within 24 hours.

Neck pain and some types of headaches are treated through precise cervical manipulation. Cervical manipulation, often called a neck adjustment, works to improve joint mobility in the neck, restoring range of motion and reducing muscle spasm, which helps relieve pressure and tension.
Neck manipulation is a remarkably safe procedure. While some reports have associated upper high-velocity neck manipulation with a certain kind of stroke, or vertebral artery dissection, there is not yet a clear understanding of the connection. The occurrence appears to be very rare—1 in 5.85 million manipulations— based on the clinical reports and scientific studies to date. If you are visiting your doctor of chiropractic with upper-neck pain or headache, be very specific about your symptoms. This will help your doctor of chiropractic offer the safest and most effective treatment, even if it involves referral to another health care provider.

It is important for patients to understand the risks associated with some of the most common treatments for musculoskeletal pain -- prescription and over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) -- as these treatments may carry risks significantly greater than those of chiropractic manipulation. According to a study from the American Journal of Gastroenterology, approximately one-third of all hospitalizations and deaths related to gastrointestinal bleeding can be attributed to the use of aspirin or NSAID painkillers like ibuprofen.

source: American Chiropractic Association website

Autism and Chiropractic medicine.

2010-03-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

by Dr. Ashley Ochsner

WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL CONNECTION OF CHIROPRACTIC AND AUTISM

Many people in search of help with a neurodevelopmental disorder find themselves here in this group. In order to get the help you need and deserve, it’s important to understand the processes and procedures involved in seeking treatment.

Phase I: Structural Spinal Neurological Evaluation

This is the starting point for all of our Autistic patients. Why? Because the central nerve system is the controller of all function and healing in the body. This pathway (the spine) must be checked first and foremost. Testing should include digital thermographic imaging, digital posture analysis, as

well as digital structural x-rays (if necessary). If there’s a problem detected, it must be corrected or reduced. Correcting the spine is not a simple procedure. It also isn’t something every chiropractor is qualified to do. Only chiropractors specializing in corrective care can truly correct the spine. Depending upon the age of the patient, their condition, and past similar cases, an appropriate course of care will be recommended. This process must be implemented successfully before moving to Phase II.

Phase II: Nutrient and Toxicity Evaluation (Biomedical Evaluation)

This is the step many of you are very familiar with and can’t wait to get started moving. It is a very important part of the recovery process. It’s vital that this be done AFTER the nerve system is functioning at it’s best from the work done in Phase II. This assures the best results every time. Most of the Chiropractors in this group network are trained and integrate the Defeat Autism Now! approaches. If they don't do this in their offices, they will refer you to the proper professional for help in this phase. A detailed history is always taken as our first step. Once the history is complete, appropriate lab testing will be ordered. Testing options include but aren’t limited to:

Urine Organic Acids
Lyme Disease Testing
Biotoxic Illness
Toxic Metals Testing
Vitamin Panel (Metabolic Profile)
Essential Fatty Acids Test
Food Allergy Panel
Thyroid Study
And many others…

Treatment for each patient is extremely individual and unique, based upon the case. However, one of the foundational parts of this phase of care is diet. Most, if not all patients, will be given dietary guidelines and a program that goes way beyond just gluten and casein free. It is customized for the individual.

Phase III: Referral for Specialized Therapies

If at any time a referral to another professional is indicated, you can be assured that we will get you to the right professional. The Chiropractors in this group work with dozens of professionals in the arena of neurodevelopmental disorders.

How does aging work?

2010-03-29T14:07:00.000-07:00

The human body goes through a variety of changes as it gets older. In general, muscles, blood vessels and other tissues lose their elasticity. The heart becomes less efficient, bones become weaker and the metabolism slows down. Aging affects every part of the body -- check out the Mayo Clinic's summary of how aging affects each of the body's organ systems here.

In spite of the changes to the rest of the body, a lot of people focus primarily on changes to their appearance as they age. Americans spend billions of dollars per year on products to treat the external signs of aging. These include:

Wrinkles: Fibers in the skin called collagen and elastin break down and lose strength as a person gets older. Sun exposure throughout life contributes to this process. Without these fibers, the skin cannot hold its shape as well. Older skin retains less fat, making it look less supple. The pull of gravity also causes the skin to sag.
Dry skin: Older people produce less sweat and oil, causing their skin to be drier. Excessively dry skin can emphasize the appearance of wrinkles.
Age spots: Dark spots on the skin, particularly the arms, hands, face and feet, stem from cumulative exposure to the sun. Most people call these marks liver spots, but they are unrelated to liver function. They actually stem from overproduction of the pigment melanin in areas of the skin that have experienced the most exposure to the sun.

Dermatologists stress that some factors that contribute to aging skin are preventable, including:

Sun exposure: Scientists have proven that ultraviolet light from the sun contributes to skin cancer and cataracts. It also plays a role in the appearance of wrinkles and age spots. In addition to using sunscreens, people can reduce their exposure to the sun by:
- Wearing a hat with a wide brim
- Wearing sunglasses with lenses that block ultraviolet light
- Avoiding sun exposure in the middle of the day, when the sun is strongest
- Avoiding deliberate sun exposure
Smoking: Smokers generally experience more wrinkles than nonsmokers. Doctors and scientists have not yet determined exactly how smoking contributes to wrinkles. They believe it may accelerate the natural aging process of collagen and elastin.

source:health.howstuffworks.com

Chiropractor - Doctor Of Chiropractic (DC)

2010-03-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

Chiropractic care (derived from the Greek, meaning "done by hand") dates back to the 1895. The discipline was developed by Daniel David Palmer, a self-taught healer in Davenport, Iowa. Palmer's objective was to find a cure for disease and illness that did not use drugs. Palmer studied the structure of the spine and the ancient art of manipulation.

Palmer first treated a local janitor who complained of deafness after performing heavy labor in a stooped position. Upon examination, Palmer noted a lump on the janitor's back that he attributed to a displaced vertebra. Shortly after Palmer's manipulation of the janitor's back, his hearing was restored. Later Palmer claimed to successfully treat a man's heart condition using spinal manipulation. Based upon his success with these two cases, Palmer concluded that disease can be the result of spinal misalignment.

As more people began to seek Palmer's care, he refined his theory to state that many ailments were caused by the vertebrae impinging on spinal nerves. Palmer called such interference with normal nerve transmission "subluxations." He believed that after manipulations or adjustments to correct the proper vertebral alignment, normal brain and nerve transmission are restored and the body is able to resume its innate ability to recover from illness.

Today, the majority of practicing providers mix spinal adjustments with other therapies, such as hot or cold treatments, nutrition counseling, and exercise recommendations. They also frequently use new technologies to locate and eliminate subluxations.

Chiropractors take a medical history in the same manner as other health care providers. They then perform an examination focused on detecting muscle strength versus weakness, the range of motion of the complete spine, any structural abnormalities, and the posture assumed by the patient in a variety of positions. Lab values may also be ordered. X-rays and other images may be taken to help make a diagnosis.

The chiropractor's principal method of treatment is through adjustments (spinal manipulations). Two common techniques used are the recoil thrust and the rotational thrust. The recoil thrust requires the patient to lie face down on a special table that moves slightly downward as thrusts are made by the practitioner to accomplish adjustments. The rotational thrust requires the patient to lie with the upper body twisted counter to the pelvis. The chiropractor then applies short, fast thrusts to the spine.

REGULATION OF THE PROFESSION

To become a chiropractor in the U.S., the student typically begins with several years of undergraduate studies focused on biology and science. They then complete a 4-5 year program at a chiropractic college. Some states require that you have a bachelor's degree and a chiropractor degree to practice. Chiropractic colleges are accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

The curriculum at chiropractic colleges includes anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, orthopaedics, neurology, radiology, physical and lab diagnosis, general chiropractic analysis, and adjusting techniques. Students are expected to complete an internship at an outpatient clinic owned and run by the chiropractic college.

Chiropractors are regulated at two different levels:

Board certification is conducted by the National Board of Chiropractor Examiners, thereby creating national standards for chiropractic care.
Licensure takes place at the state level in accordance with specific state laws. Licensure may differ significantly from state to state. Most states require successful completion of the National Chiropractic Board examination prior to licensure. Some states also require passing a practical examination. All states recognize training from chiropractic schools accredited by the Council of Chiropractic Education (CCE).

Most states have requirements for a certain number of continuing education hours to be completed every year, in order to maintain licensure.

source: health.howstuffworks.com

Alternative Medicines for Sinusitis

2010-03-25T14:25:00.000-07:00

by the Editors of Consumer Guide

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane that lines the sinus cavities (located around the nose). What causes it? An infection (resulting from a common cold, tooth abscess, or other ailment), allergies such as hay fever, or an injury to the nose. Once someone has the sinus disorder, it may go away only to return the next time a cold hits.

Unlike conventional medicine, many alternative therapies believe that the symptoms and infectious organisms related to sinusitis are not the primary concern. Instead, these treatments try to uncover the causes of the sinus disorder.

Chiropractic Medicine for Sinusitis

Chiropractic medicine holds a great deal of promise for people with sinusitis. Its treatments can target the bones and mucous membrane that surround the air-filled sinus cavities, as well as the joints and muscles of other parts of the body. Patients of chiropractic have reported improvements in their breathing, their postnasal drainage, their ability to sleep, and their sense of smell, as well as fewer headaches. Several treatment methods may be appropriate:

Chiropractic manipulative therapy -- adjusting joints beyond their normal limitations to correct a misalignment -- allows the body to return to proper function and heal itself.

Nasal-specific technique -- inserting small balloon-like tools into the nasal cavity and gently inflating them -- can expand the sinus openings. (This technique is often practiced by naturopathic physicians.)

Trigger point therapy -- applying pressure to a "trigger point" on the body (somewhere other than the sinus area) -- can eliminate the sinus pain.

Light-force cranial manipulation -- involving adjustments of the skull bones and surrounding fluid -- may also provide relief.

A typical chiropractic treatment for sinusitis may require 15 visits spread out over two months. Only a trained practitioner is qualified to perform spinal manipulation. Chiropractors specialize in treating the spine and other joints. Osteopaths and naturopathic physicians may also employ these techniques, while physical therapists and massage therapists often incorporate elements such as trigger point therapy into their work.

Herbal Medicine for Sinusitis

Herbs can be used to stimulate the immune system and to reduce the production of mucus, dry out the sinuses, and reduce inflammation of the membranes. Both echinacea (also called purple coneflower) and goldenseal may strengthen the immune system, making it harder for future infections to trigger an attack of sinusitis. Goldenseal is also considered an effective reliever of sinusitis symptoms. The herb's root can be taken in capsule or tincture form or diluted with warm water and used as a nasal rinse. Teas made from elderflower, ginger, chamomile, ground ivy, or peppermint can clear out mucus. Other herbs that offer relief of sinusitis include eyebright, goldenrod, and marshmallow.

Acupuncture for Sinusitis

According to acupuncture therapy, sinusitis can have several origins. It may result from a weakness in energy, or qi, in the lungs, which can leave the respiratory system in an unhealthy state. The disorder may also follow a disturbance in the intestines.

In assessing a patient with sinusitis, the acupuncturist looks beyond the symptoms to understand the health of the entire body. The acupuncturist may do a complete physical exam or make a pulse or tongue diagnosis and ask for your personal history. As needed, tiny needles are inserted in certain points on the body to replenish or disperse the energy, bringing it back to its ideal level. These points can also be stimulated with needles, electrical current, pressure, or heat. Herbal remedies and dietary alterations may also be prescribed.

An acupuncturist, a traditional Chinese physician, or a naturopathic physician can perform acupuncture. For your first visit to the practitioner, be prepared to discuss in detail your sinusitis symptoms, as well as your general health, diet, and lifestyle.

Other Sinusitis Therapies

Aromatherapy for Sinusitis -- The essential oils of eucalyptus, pine, or rosemary can be added to a steam inhalation treatment.

Homeopathy for Sinusitis -- Common remedies include allium cepa, kali bichromicum, and sulphur.

Hydrotherapy for Sinusitis -- Alternating hot and cold baths or compresses can be beneficial.

Nutritional Therapy for Sinusitis -- Recommendations include taking vitamins B6 and C and avoiding dairy products and food allergens.

Yoga for Sinusitis -- Poses and breathing exercises can improve breathing, reduce tension and stress, and support the immune system.

Microdermabrasion Effects

2010-03-24T14:17:00.000-07:00

Whether done with a product at home or in a professional setting with a specialized tool, the principle of microdermabrasion is the same. The idea is that if you remove or break up the stratum corneum, the body interprets that as a mild injury and rushes to replace the lost skin cells with new and healthy ones. In the first hour after treatment, this causes mild edema (swelling) and erythema (redness). Depending on the individual, these side effects can last anywhere from an hour to two days.

This process has a few beneficial effects. With the stratum corneum gone, the skin's surface is improved. The healing process brings with it newer skin cells that look and feel smoother. Some of the skin's visible imperfections, like sun damage, blemishes and fine lines, are removed. Also, without the stratum corneum acting as a barrier, medicinal creams and lotions are more effective because more of their active ingredients and moisture can find their way down to the lower layers of skin. As microdermabrasion temporarily removes some moisture from the skin, it is always followed by the application of moisturizing creams.

Early studies suggest that repeated microdermabrasion treatment at regular intervals may influence the way the lower layers of skin grow, as well, removing deeper blemishes over time. Some evidence seems to indicate that the rapid loss of skin moisture may be what triggers the lower skin layers to work overtime in speeding healthy cells up to the surface.

source: health.howstuffworks.com

How Microdermabrasion Works

2010-03-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

Microdermabrasion is one of the more recent skin-care techniques to have crossed over from Hollywood to the mainstream. It's being advanced as an "instant facelift" -- an effective alternative to costlier and more invasive procedures like plastic surgery, chemical peels and Botox injections. Recently, more and more men are trying it, instead of pursuing cosmetic surgery.

So what exactly is microdermabrasion, what does it promise and what effect does it actually have on your face? Do you need a doctor, or is it something you can do yourself? In this article, we'll look at the science behind microdermabrasion, see what a treatment is like and find out what it does to your skin.

The Basics
Microdermabrasion is a general term for the application of tiny rough grains to buff away the surface layer of skin. Many different products and treatments use this method, including medical procedures, salon treatments and creams and scrubs that you apply yourself at home. It's usually done to the face, chest, neck, arms or hands. Before we can understand how microdermabrasion does what it does, it's important to understand how skin works.

Your skin is made up of two main layers, the epidermis and the dermis. The epidermis is the layer closest to the outside world. It's a set of dead skin cells on top of another layer of cells that are in the process of maturing. The topmost layer is called the stratum corneum. The stratum corneum mostly acts as a barrier between the outside world and the lower skin layers. It keeps all but the smallest molecules from getting through.

When you put lotions or creams on your skin, some of the moisture passes through the stratum corneum, but not all of it. This layer is home to many minor skin imperfections like fine wrinkle lines and blemishes.

All of the action in microdermabrasion takes place at the level of the stratum corneum. Since it only really targets the epidermis (and not the dermis), it is more accurate to call it micro-epi-dermabrasion. Affecting deeper layers of skin would be painful and harmful, and it would risk permanently embedding the tiny grains into the skin.

source: health.howstuffworks.com

Innate Intelligence

2010-03-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

You started out as two cells – one from your father, and one from your mother. Those two cells came together and formed the beginning of your life, and over a period of about nine months, you went from one cell to (depending on whom you ask) somewhere between 10 and 100 trillion.

The amazing part, though, is not the simple fact that we multiplied from one cell into trillions, but that they all went off in different directions to do different jobs. Some became part of our kneecaps, some formed a heart, some built an immune system, and so on. In other words, it’s like 100 trillion separate little workers heading off to participate in thousands of complex functions, all conceived, orchestrated and conducted into the most beautiful symphony ever written, and directed by an unseen intelligence.

But here’s the important part: once that Innate Intelligence forms a new baby, it doesn’t go off and make another one – it stays inside of us, and runs every aspect of our lives, every second of every day. If we cut ourselves, if we break a bone, if we have a cold or the flu or any other symptom or disease, it’s our own Innate Intelligence that does the healing. It just knows how to do it.

Medical doctors don’t heal. Medications don’t heal. Operations don’t heal. Chiropractic adjustments don’t heal. All any doctor or pill or procedure or adjustment can do is seek to remove the interference to healing, so that the body’s own innate potential can be expressed. Healing always flows from above down, and from the inside out.

How does the spine effect Innate Intelligence?

The chiropractic principle is almost too simple, which is partly why it’s taking so long for it to be understood and accepted. “What do the bones have to do with Innate Intelligence?” you might reasonably wonder.

As it turns out, our Innate Intelligence expresses itself largely through the nervous system, and that system is stretched over the body’s frame (the bones) like a spider web, or like the strings of a musical instrument.

Science has now confirmed that any distortion or restriction of our human frame can interfere with the nerves by disturbing their “tone” or “vibration,” in much the same way that the notes produced by plucking a guitar string are changed by altering its tension. Too much or too little, and we won’t be happy with the result.

The nervous system controls all of the organs and glands of the body, including the immune system, which determines how well we deal with colds, flu and other infections. Nerve root compression alters gene expression, which affects how likely we are to actually develop the conditions or diseases of our parents. In other words, we aren’t necessarily “doomed” to have the same problems they had – much of our future can be influenced by the choices we make in our own lives, including how we choose to care for our spines.

source: www.yourspine.com

Dermabrasion

2010-03-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

Mechanical resurfacing of the skin has been in use for about 50 years and involves the use of abrasive tools to remove the outer layers of the skin to produce an improved appearance. Dermabrasion has been used for the treatment of photoaging (from sun damage), wrinkles, scarring, acne, precancerous lesions, and perform discoloration (called dyschromia). Superficial and deep techniques are available. There are two layers of the skin; the outer layer is called the epidermis and the inner layer, the dermis. Superficial dermabrasion removes portions of the epidermis and deep dermabrasion removes all of the epidermis and portions of the dermis. Deep methods are the preferred method for treatment of scarring (i.e. from acne or trauma) and other less common skin conditions (i.e. epidermal nevi, rhinophyma, and benign tumors). It has also been used for removal of resistant tattoos. Deep methods are more effective but generally require healing time and carry a higher risk of complications.

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion, also referred to as the “lunch time” procedure, is a popular procedure which is classified as light, or very superficial dermabrasion. This method employs aluminum oxide crystals that are propelled at the skin and immediately sucked up. Although not scientifically proven to improve the appearance of skin, many patients report that their skin feels smoother. It is used to treat acne, dyschromias, and general “rejuvenation”. It is also popular because it is painless and there is no recovery time after the procedure. Newer devices now are crystal-less.

Manual dermasanding abrades the skin with silicone carbide sandpaper. This method is usually considered to be a medium depth procedure and is sometimes used in combination with other methods, such as chemical peels, carbon dioxide lasers, and motorized dermabrasion.

Motorized dermabrasion is a medium-deep or deep procedure and employs the use of a motorized brush or diamond cylinder. These tools are used to remove the outer layers of the skin in a controlled setting. Local anesthesia is used for pain control during the procedure. Dressings usually need to be worn after the procedure and temporary facial swelling and pain are normal. Within 7-10 days, the skin has healed but is often very red. Complete healing may take up to one month and collagen remodeling may continue for months after the procedure. Dermabrasion has been proven to improve the cosmetic appearance of the skin, especially in the treatment of scarring.

Not everyone is a good candidate for dermabrasion. Those with active acne, infections, and other scarring skin conditions may need treatment before undergoing dermabrasion. You and your physician need to decide if dermabrasion is the right procedure for you.

source: www.dermanetwork.org

VelaShape Facts

2010-03-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

VelaShape is a novel FDA approved method of reducing the circumference of the thighs and also helps reduce cellulite. The VelaShape therapy has been reported to contour the body by removing cellulite and improves the aesthetic image of the thighs.

Because cellulite is a common occurrence in more than 80% of females, it is believed that this novel non-surgical procedure will help reduce the thigh and abdominal circumference as well as reduce the cellulite.

VelaShape therapy combines both radiofrequency waves and a mechanically assisted vacuum massage therapy in reducing the body cellulite. Its major effects are on the deeper tissues of the body.

The treatment is non invasive and has no downtime. The treatment is performed as an outpatient in a physicians' office.

The vendors of the therapy claim that most individuals can obtain significant results after as few as 4 sessions.

European studies indicate that the treatment is safe and painless.

There are claims that the treatment can reduce the thigh circumference by at least 2-4 cms in most individuals.

The VelaShape device comes into two sizes. The larger size applicator can be used to treat the thighs and buttocks and the smaller applicator can be used to treat the arms and the hard to reach areas of the body.

VelaShape can be used to:

- reduce the circumference of the thigh and abdomen

- reduce cellulite from any part of the body

- recontour or reshape the body

- in combination with liposuction

- remove the excess fat and cellulite that commonly occurs after a pregnancy

Other related benefits of VelaShape include:

- improved circulation of the blood

- decrease in the muscle aches

- decreased joint pains

- firmer and tighter skin

- improved tone of the body tissues

- better image and enhanced self confidence

VelaShape can be used to reshape and improve the following areas of the body:

- Abdomen

- Thigh

- Waist line (Love handles)

- Buttocks

source: www.dermanetwork.org

VelaShape

2010-03-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

An Overview

VelaShape™ is a body shaping and firming treatment that incorporates advanced elos technology. Elos technology uses a state-of-the-art combination of radio frequency energy and infrared light to stimulate your body’s metabolism. Suction skin rollers are added to smooth skin and help provide for an even dispersal of energy. The effect of VelaShape is like combining the best aspects of inch loss and firming and skin tightening techniques. VelaShape can help contour and shape your body, while providing smoother, tighter skin.

VelaShape treatments are non-invasive, no needles or cutting required. VelaSmooth also works by increasing your body’s natural metabolism to shrink and reduce unwanted fat chambers. VelaShape is FDA approved to help shape your abdomen, love handles, thighs, and buttocks.

How Long Does this Procedure Take?
VelaShape usually takes between 30 and 40 minutes.

VelaShape™ Side Effects:
No major side effects with VelaShape. Mild redness is sometimes reported.

VelaShape™ Recovery Time:
There is no downtime with VelaShape treatments. You can continue your daily activities immediately following treatment.

Typical Minimum Cost:
$200 - $400

Typical Maximum Cost:
$800 - $2000

Can Insurance Cover VelaShape™?
Because of the cosmetic nature of VelaShape, it is not usually covered by insurance.

Will I feel pain or discomfort after treatment?
Some patients describe VelaShape treatments as a mild pinching, but most find it to be relaxing. The VelaShape experience is comparable to a deep tissue massage.

source: www.healthyskinportal.com

Microdermabrasion Frequently Asked Questions

2010-03-16T14:19:00.000-07:00

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does Microdermabrasion Help Even Out Red Marks?

A: By removing the top layer of the skin, microdermabration diminishes or even removes superficial red marks. Deeper red marks require a more invasive procedure, like a deep chemical peel or laser skin resurfacing.

Q: Does Micro Derma Abrasion Help Young Women?

A: Micro derma abrasion is safe for young women (and men) of all skin types but most doctors recommend it for girls aged 14 and older, mainly because they want to make sure that all major hormonal changes are over and the results of the procedure are as good as they can be.

Q: How Can Microderma Make Stretch Marks Improve?

A: Stretch marks appear on your skin as uneven skin tone and texture. By exfoliating the outermost layer of the skin, microdermibration kit evens out skin tone and texture, thus reducing or totally removing stretchmarks.

Q: Can Microbrasion Cause Age Spots?

A: No, microabrasions cannot cause age spots.

Q: Micro Dermabration Is It Good On The Eye Lids?

A: Home microderma tools should not be used on your eye-lids even if it's especially formulated as a face microdermabrasia cream. Using a face microabrasion cream on your eye lids may result in irritation or scarring (the lids are too thin and can easily be damaged). Surgeon-performed microabrasion is not suitable for use on eye lids either.

Q: Does Microdermabasion Make Skin Complexion Less Visible?

A: This procedure exfoliates the top layer of skin which consists of dead skin cells. Microdermabasion set stimulates collagen production, essential to healthy skin and also removes blotchy skin texture and tone.

Q: Who Is The Right Candidate For Microdermbrasion?

A: The right candidate for microdermabrasian is anyone over 14 who wants to get rid of superficial acne scars, blotchy skin, large pores, age or sun spots, fine wrinkles or uneven skin tone and texture. All skin types and colors can be treated with microdermabrasions. But if you are pregnant, nursing or suffering from a chronic skin disease, or have been on Accutane or had laser surgery recently, consult with a specialist before having this treatment.

Q: How Can Microdermal Abrasion Make Hyperpigmentation Fade?

A: Microdermabasion kit works on hyperpigmentation. The micro-crystal flow abrades the top layer of the skin where unevenly pigmented skin cells are stuck. Several office microderm abrasions are required to even out skin tone and get rid of hyperpigmentation.

Q: Is Microdermabration Good?

A: According to thousands of online testimonials, clinic microderm is good on superficial skin imperfections. But like with most non-surgical procedures, the results depend on your medical condition, your body's ability to recover and on who performs the procedure on you. Most patients who have tried micro derma abrasion say the procedure was effective in reducing fine lines, age spots, enlarged pores, acne scars, red marks, stretch marks and dull skin More severe skin imperfections cannot be improved with this non-invasive technique, because it only sandblasts the top layer of the skin, not being able to reach deeper layers of skin.

Q: Does Micro Derm Abrasion Work For Pimple Scars?

A: By removing the top layer of skin, micro abrasion evens out skin texture and helps improve superficial pimple scars. Deeper pimple scarring needs more invasive non-surgical techniques, like deep chemical peeling or laser facial resurfacing.

source: www.skinabrasion.net

Why Choose Microabrasion?

2010-03-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

Why did I choose microderm abrasion? Well, it has no downtime (it's called the "lunchtime procedure"), is similar to a facial massage (so not too aggressive) and the advertised results were good. So, 7 months and $1,200 later, here are the results:

Results After The First Treatment (first year)

After the first professional microdermabrasion treatment (12 abrasions scheduled 2 weeks apart) I noticed an overall improvement in skin complexion while the red spots and scars from my acne were definitely diminished. I followed with a maintenance abrasion 2 months afterwards.

Results After 3 Years

Over the following 2 years I had 2 micro dermabrasion treatments (10 sessions each) with maintenance, followed by 2 long breaks (5 months each) during which I used home microderm abrasion kits weekly for maintenance. In 2007, my microdermabrasion results include:

No more age spots on the face, neck, decolette and arms
Less visible lines around the mouth
Red spots and acne scars on my cheeks, chin and forehead gone (I still have 2-3 deeper scars on my cheeks which are still visible but fading nicely)
No more blemishes
Stretch marks from my pregnancies diminished
I look 5 years younger (or so I'm told)

Basically, microdermabrasion results can do any or all of the following: revitalizes dull skin, reduces enlarged pores, erases fine lines, wrinkles and acne scars, treats hyperpigmentation (mild pigment irregularities), stretch marks and age spots.

Judging from personal experience, thousands of online reviews, discussions with dermatologists and tens of written articles and TV shows, cosmetic microderm abrasion is popular because it's:

The least invasive dermatological procedure
More affordable than surgical skin care treatments
Painless
Available as home micro dermabrasion systems and kits
Has no side effects
Effective on all skin types and colors (including sensitive skin and black skin)
Does not need anesthesia when performed at a beauty salon or physician's office (unlike micro laser peel and dermabrasion)
Gives the skin a healthy-looking glow

source: www.skinabrasion.net

Depression & Bipolar Disorder

2010-03-12T13:53:00.000-08:00

The two key symptoms of depression are a depressed mood and loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed. Besides these two key symptoms, a few other depression symptoms include restlessness and irritability, thoughts of death or suicide, and feelings of hopelessness and pessimism. It is important to keep in mind that people suffering from depression cannot simply "pull themselves together." Symptoms of depression can last for weeks, months, or years.

In certain cases, patients can alternate between periods of depression and mania, also known as bipolar disorder or manic depression. Depression (and the fluctuation between depression and mania) is thought to be caused by alterations in serotonin levels in the brain.
How Chiropractic Care Relates to Depression & Bipolar Disorder

While medical science has not determined the exact cause of altered serotonin levels that are suspected to produce depression and bipolar disorder, recent research has pointed towards a likely trauma-induced origin for certain cases of mood disorders. Evidence supports that trauma (in particular mild concussive injury to the head, neck or upper back) increases the risk of onset of depression. Following the trauma, mood disorders can be triggered immediately or can take months or years to develop.

Chiropractic care may reverse the trauma-induced injury; thereby reducing irritation to the injured nerves in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord).

Numerous research studies have documented improvement in depression and related symptoms as a result of chiropractic adjustments which reduce pressure on the brain stem and spinal cord caused by misaligned vertebrae.

source: yourspine.com

Different Than Medical Care

2010-03-11T13:50:00.000-08:00

If you’re considering visiting a chiropractor for the first time, you’re probably wondering what type of results you can expect. Having realistic expectations is important.

Your chiropractor’s explanation of chiropractic and why it’s being recommended can play an important role in your satisfaction with the care you receive. Your experience will be enhanced by a thorough understanding of the service itself.

Don’t mistake chiropractic care for medical treatment. Chiropractors are not intended to replace medical physicians.

Medicine treats sickness. Chiropractic promotes health.
At first glance, it may seem trivial… but there’s a stark contrast between the two.

The medical objective is: “We don’t want you to be sick.”

The Chiropractic objective is: “We want you to be healthy.”

Not being sick is very different than actually being healthy. The intent behind your chiropractic care is to enhance your health, not simply treat sickness.

What is a Subluxation?
Spinal misalignments or subluxations are typically caused by stress that overwhelms the body's resilience and coping ability. Physical stress can occur as the result of a car accident or slipping on an icy sidewalk, improper posture, occupational trauma, or birth trauma. Emotional stress can be the result of significant emotional trauma or the inability to adapt to a stressful situation. Chemical trauma can result from the misuse of prescription or illicit drugs, inadequate nutrition, or environmental toxins. By interfering with the nervous system, these misalignments interfere with normal function, reducing your body's ability to self-regulate, adapt, and heal.

Chiropractors detect and correct the cause of this interference, allowing your body to properly self-regulate, adapt and heal. The care and maintenance of the spine and nervous system is a necessary component of any natural approach to healthcare.

If you begin chiropractic care with this understanding, you’ll appreciate the experience much more.

source: yourspine.com

Travel Aches and Strains Can Be a Pain In Your Back

2010-03-10T14:12:00.000-08:00

Traveling can be rough on the body. Whether you are traveling alone on business or on your way to a sunny resort with your family, long hours in a car or an airplane can leave you stressed, tired, stiff and sore.

"Prolonged sitting can wreak havoc on your body," says Dr. Scott Bautch, a member of the American Chiropractic Association's (ACA) Council on Occupational Health. "Even if you travel in the most comfortable car or opt to fly first class, certain pressures and forces from awkward positions can result in restricted blood flow. One of the biggest insults to your system from prolonged sitting is the buildup of pressure in the blood vessels in your lower legs. Contracting and relaxing the muscles helps the blood flow properly."

Dr. Bautch and the ACA suggest the following tips and advice to fight the pains and strains of travel before they occur.

Warm Up, Cool Down
Treat travel as an athletic event. Warm up before settling into a car or plane, and cool down once you reach your destination. Take a brisk walk to stretch your hamstring and calf muscles.

In the Car:

Adjust the seat so you are as close to the steering wheel as comfortably possible. Your knees should be slightly higher than your hips. Place four fingers behind the back of your thigh closest to your knee. If you cannot easily slide your fingers in and out of that space, you need to re-adjust your seat.
Consider a back support. Using a support behind your back may reduce the risk of low-back strain, pain or injury. The widest part of the support should be between the bottom of your rib cage and your waistline.
Exercise your legs while driving to reduce the risk of any swelling, fatigue or discomfort. Open your toes as wide as you can, and count to 10. Count to five while you tighten your calf muscles, then your thigh muscles, then your gluteal muscles. Roll your shoulders forward and back, making sure to keep your hands on the steering wheel and your eyes on the road.
To minimize arm and hand tension while driving, hold the steering wheel at approximately 3 o'clock and 7 o'clock, periodically switching to 10 o'clock and 5 o'clock.
Do not grip the steering wheel. Instead, tighten and loosen your grip to improve hand circulation and decrease muscle fatigue in the arms, wrists and hands.
While always being careful to keep your eyes on the road, vary your focal point while driving to reduce the risk of eye fatigue and tension headaches.
Take rest breaks. Never underestimate the potential consequences of fatigue to yourself, your passengers and other drivers.

In an Airplane:

Stand up straight and feel the normal "S" curve of your spine. Then use rolled-up pillows or blankets to maintain that curve when you sit in your seat. Tuck a pillow behind your back and just above the beltline and lay another pillow across the gap between your neck and the headrest. If the seat is hollowed from wear, use folded blankets to raise your buttocks a little.
Check all bags heavier than 5-10 percent of your body weight. Overhead lifting of any significant amount of weight should be avoided to reduce the risk of pain in the lower back or neck. While lifting your bags, stand right in front of the overhead compartment so the spine is not rotated. Do not lift your bags over your head, or turn or twist your head and neck in the process.
When stowing belongings under the seat, do not force the object with an awkward motion using your legs, feet or arms. This may cause muscle strain or spasms in the upper thighs and lower back muscles. Instead, sit in your seat first, and using your hands and feet, gently guide your bags under the seat directly in front of you.
While seated, vary your position occasionally to improve circulation and avoid leg cramps. Massage legs and calves. Bring your legs in, and move your knees up and down. Prop your legs up on a book or a bag under your seat.
Do not sit directly under the air controls. The draft can increase tension in your neck and shoulder muscles.

Safe Travel For Children:

Always use a car seat in a car when traveling with children below the age of 4 and weighing less than 40 pounds.
Ask the airline for their policy on child car seat safety. Car seats for infants and toddlers provide added resistance to turbulent skies, and are safer than the lap of a parent in the event of an unfortunate accident.
Make sure the car seat is appropriate for the age and size of the child. A newborn infant requires a different seat than a 3-year-old toddler.
Car seats for infants should always face the rear. In this position, the forces and impact of a crash will be spread more evenly along the back and shoulders, providing more protection for the neck.
Car seats should always be placed in the back seat of the car-ideally in the center. This is especially important in cars equipped with air bags. If an air bag becomes deployed, the force could seriously injure or kill a child or infant placed in the front seat.
Make sure the car seat is properly secured to the seat of the vehicle and is placed at a 45-degree angle to support the head of the infant or child.

Chiropractic Care Can Help...
"If you follow these simple tips, you can enjoy pain-free, safe travel," says Dr. Bautch. "If you do experience pain and stress on your back, doctors of chiropractic are trained and licensed to diagnose and treat problems of the spine and nervous system."

source: www.acatoday.org

Back pain — How well does chiropractic care stack up against more conventional treatments?

2010-03-09T14:04:00.000-08:00

By Mayo Clinic staff

For many people, low back pain follows a fairly predictable course. Nagging back pain lasts a few weeks — maybe letting up temporarily when you take a pain reliever — and then it goes away.

So where does chiropractic care fit into the picture? That's up to you to decide.

What the research says

Clinical trials indicate that chiropractic care is as safe and effective as conventional treatments — which may include pain medication, rest or exercise. But that may not be saying much. Low back pain typically improves within a matter of weeks, even for people who seek no treatment at all.

Low back pain is often caused by injuries or strains, and there's no magic cure. It simply takes time for your back to heal. But treatment of some type — either chiropractic or conventional — might make you more comfortable as you wait for this healing to occur.

What does a chiropractor do?

Chiropractic treatment is based on the concept that restricted movement in the spine may lead to pain and reduced function. Spinal adjustment (manipulation) is one form of therapy chiropractors use to treat restricted spinal mobility. The goal is to restore spinal movement and, as a result, improve function and decrease back pain.

During an adjustment, chiropractors use their hands to apply a controlled, sudden force to a joint — pushing it beyond its normal range of motion. The joint's movement may be accompanied by a popping or cracking sound.

Chiropractors may also use massage and stretching to relax muscles that are shortened or in spasm. Many use additional treatments as well, such as ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation and exercises.

Is it safe for everyone?

Chiropractic care is generally considered safe, but it's not appropriate for everyone.

Don't seek chiropractic adjustment if you have osteoporosis or signs or symptoms of nerve damage, such as numbness, tingling or loss of strength in an arm or leg.
If you have a history of spinal surgery, check with your surgeon before consulting a chiropractor.
Manipulation of the neck has been associated with having a stroke in rare cases.
If you have back pain accompanied by fever, chills, sweats or unintentional weight loss, see a medical doctor to rule out the possibility of an infection or tumor.

If you're considering chiropractic care

If you'd like to try chiropractic care to treat your low back pain, a little preparation can help you get the most from your treatment.

Consult your doctor. Talk to your doctor about the type of specialist best able to treat your back pain. In addition to chiropractors, many osteopathic physicians and some physical therapists have training in spinal manipulation.
Make it a team approach. As with any medical specialist, select a chiropractor who's willing to work with the other members of your health care team.
Arrange a consultation. Before you make a treatment appointment, arrange a consultation with the practitioner — either in person or by phone — to find out how he or she might address your back pain. Make sure you're comfortable with the recommendations, including how many sessions you'll need. For acute low back pain, four to six sessions are typically enough.
Understand the risks. When limited to the low back, chiropractic adjustment has few risks. However, manipulation of the neck has been associated with injury to the blood vessels supplying the brain. Rarely, neck manipulation may cause a stroke.

Think prevention

A little care and attention can help you keep back pain at bay. Maintain a healthy weight. Exercise regularly. Sit up straight. When you lift something heavy, let your legs do the work. Avoid activities that involve repetitive bending or twisting. If you sit or stand for long periods of time, take frequent breaks to walk around.

Chiropractors and Public Health: Measuring Success One Patient at a Time

2010-03-08T13:57:00.000-08:00

By Scott Darragh, DC

I was watching one of those crazy legal shows the other night, and when the witness put their hand on the Bible and stated they were "going to tell the truth, so help me God," I had a thought.

What if people really knew the truth about the potential impact spinal adjustments have on neurological function and how chiropractic care can help so many people with so many different health concerns?

How many of us have been in conversations with people at a social gathering and thought to ourselves, If they only came in for care, or I wish I could adjust their child in that wheelchair, or I wonder what their upper cervical X-rays look like? or Do you really think taking Oxycontin every day is the answer? I think chiropractors by nature suffer a lot of compassion fatigue (I know I do). I think because of our caring nature we always want to help.

One of the reasons I joined the Chiropractic Health Care section of the American Public Health Association (APHA) was that this organization looks globally. It takes the big view. It seeks to take chiropractic health care to the next level and promotes our conservative care to people of all walks of life. When I walked around this past year's convention in Philadelphia and visited all of the vendors, I took my time to see what aspects of chiropractic care could be applicable and tried to educate and make contacts, but many people looked at me with glazed stares. You can adjust a child? Chiropractors care for pregnant women? What does chiropractic have to do with arthritis? We in the profession know the impact we can have on our population's health, but I believe few DCs would argue that our care is helping all the people who really need it. The majority of the public is still unaware and misinformed, and hardly anyone is educating them.

Whether at a maternal and child health forum, a neuromusculoskeletal organization meeting, or a public health curriculum at a local university, I always try to educate them on what chiropractic does and what it focuses on, as opposed to just limiting our scope of disorders to the lumbagos. If it is true that only 5 percent to 9 percent of the population actually uses our care, then we need to drastically enhance our educational, public-relations and public-health efforts in our own communities. The reports and all the research are pointing in the same positive direction; we need to use it to our advantage to promote and make more people aware of our valuable service. We all know it goes way beyond caring for someone with a bad back.

In my office, vernacular is extremely important. When someone asks me, "Hey Doc, can you crack my neck?" I politely diffuse them by asking, "If your sick child could benefit from our care, would you take them to a doctor who would 'crack' your child?" Of course not! So pay attention to what you are saying to your patients, even when you are just kidding around; it could impact whether the parent brings that child in for care.

Another word I use heavily in conversation is underutilization. When you look at the number of people who rely on pain medication and other things just to get through the day, no one should think twice about how we can positively contribute to the world. Chiropractic health care on a local, national, and global level is so underutilized, to the point that we desperately need to have greater access and improved public perception. If you look at the definition of medical underutilization, it is defined as the failure to provide a health care service that would have produced a favorable outcome and increased potential. Have you ever seen someone suffering needlessly from chiropractic underutilization?

We all know we work hard in our practices. We don't have large advertising and marketing campaigns advocating for our profession like Big Pharma and the hospitals do. Why is it that the majority of practices are not filled with people? Is it because of a relative dearth of DCs? No, it's most likely due to perception. People are either afraid, lack understanding, or no one ever told them so they are not looking to you as the solution or as part of their health care team.

As a Massachusetts state-association board director in charge of public information and education, one of my goals is to build better relationships with third-party payers, get involved in grassroots efforts, and enhance and promote our profession with integrity by telling people the truth about what it is that we do. What does this have to do with public health? Lots. When I get on the phone with a nurse case manager and she asks me why I am caring for a 5-year-old who concomitantly suffers with asthma, I can say that by adjusting this child, I am allowing their body to function better and that as a result, use of a steroid nebulizer was almost eliminated by the first re-exam. That is a public health win, no doubt about it.

So, how do you determine public health successes in chiropractic? We do it every day. We don't have enough time to measure all the successes and translate them into research, although we really need to strive for evidence-based practices. Every person whose health improves, can go about their job a little easier, or doesn't have to rely on pain medication every day - those are truly public health victories. Despite the importance of the CDC tracking the prevalence rates of H1N1, it's when little Jimmy is having trouble breathing, and you adjust his thoracic subluxation to allow his body to function better and then he can breathe easier - that's when public health really matters most. And that is the truth, so help me God.

Chiropractic Care For Children

2010-03-05T14:09:00.000-08:00

Many people ask whether it is appropriate for children to receive chiropractic care. Not only is it appropriate, it is necessary for the proper development of a child's spine. Given the tremendous amounts of falls and mishaps children experience as they grow, there is a great probability of minor injuries occurring. We call them minor injuries, because in most cases, children get the type of injuries that are not causing them significant pain at the time of injury. However, these minor injuries, if left untreated can accumulate over the years until such time that a more significant health issue is evident. Dorland's Medical dictionary describes health in part as not just the absence of pain, but a state of wellness.

Gentle chiropractic adjustments of a child's spine will aid in keeping the spine mobile and in its best possible functional position. This, along with the proper additional support from the child's pediatrician allows for a team approach to healthcare. This is an approach that works well for the child because various different health philosophies and treatment are used for the child's best health interest.

An analogy that seems appropriate at this point of our discussion: It is better to prevent a sapling from growing bent, than to attempt to straighten out an old tree.

In today's world, with the health advances in all professions, it is not necessary for our children to suffer with the same difficulties of past generations.

Sports Injuries

2010-03-04T14:07:00.000-08:00

Whether you are a weekend athlete or a professional, there are a few things that all athletes have in common. They want to have the best possible performance in their chosen sport, and they both can get injured.

Let's take the weekend athlete, or for that matter, anyone who enjoys exercising. Injuries happen, pure and simple. While they can be minimized, they cannot be totally avoided. If a person participates enough in any physical activity, eventually that person will get hurt to some degree. The way in which one treats his injuries determines how fast one recovers and how quickly one can get back to the activity he enjoys.

Athletes may ask themselves why they get injured? They stretch out, and feel like they are in pretty good shape. So, why? Usually there is a very simple formula. In most cases, we play too hard, too long, or too fast. In the case of household duties such as spring cleaning, do any of us warm up before carrying those boxes into the crawl space of our ceilings? This may not seem like a sports injury, but in fact, overuse syndromes or playing full speed before we are really warmed up are the major causes of sports injuries. Simple household chores, while done cold, can mimic a sports injury to some extent.

If an athlete gets hurt, what can be done to get him back on the field? Rest is usually a good thing, but by itself, can take a very long time.

Chiropractic offers a balanced approach to the treatment and the healing of sports injuries. By using the chiropractic adjustment to return spinal segments to their normal mobility and by using physical therapy to help the supportive tissues (muscles, tendons, & ligaments), chiropractic physicians help the injured areas return to normal function. Combined with some rest to help the healing process, athletes will find their way back on the court. Afterward, better strategies for exercise and stretching will be discussed with the athlete to help him stay on the straight and narrow path to better enjoyment of his chosen sport.

Many professional athletes are utilizing chiropractic care more and more because they realize that it helps them maximize athletic performance. Articles continue to appear in major newspapers and magazines citing such stars as Arnold Schwartzeneger, former boxing champ Evander Holyfield, and football stars such as Emmit Smith and Joe Montana proclaiming the benefits that chiropractic has meant for their careers. More and more professional and college teams are utilizing care for that same reason.

If you can remember that the whole premise of chiropractic health care is to restore spinal health so that the body has the best opportunity to maximize proper function, it is not hard to understand why the Pros enjoy what chiropractic has to offer.

Source: www.chiroweb.com

Chiropractic: Who can it help?

2010-03-03T14:04:00.000-08:00

People seek care for four main reasons:

Treatment of a specific symptom.
Preventing the symptom from returning.
Part of a total approach to optimum physical and mental health.
To improve their family's health.

The types of people who seek Chiropractic care can be found below.

People involved in auto accidents.
People injured on the job.
People who slip and fall.
People who have sports-related injuries.
People who have stress.
People who don't exercise as they should.
People who are overweight.
People who have various aches and pains from normal everyday activities.

The common denominator of the people in the above list is that they have either suffered mishaps that caused injury to their bodies, or they have body types that are more prone to having injuries while performing normal, everyday activities.

These categories can further be broken down into the following:

Very young children/infants.
Young adolescents.
Young adults/teenagers
People in their 20's to 30's
People in their 40's to 60's
People over 70

People in each age category have very specific types of conditions that they are more likely to confront. Chiropractic offers a unique treatment method to combat the various health issues that arise.

For example, the very young children and infants are more likely to have postural difficulties due to the various falls taken while learning to walk, run, ride bicycles, etc. They also tend to have more earaches as well due to the early weakness of the neck and muscles surrounding that area. Many of our patients have found that using chiropractic care for children offers another aspect of care that should be used in addition to the standard medical pediatric care already being received.

Younger adolescents and teenagers should be checked for scoliosis by a chiropractic physician. Chiropractic is the only profession that offers conservative treatment of scoliosis at the time of earliest onset.

To use a botanical analogy: It makes more sense to help a sapling grow straight rather than attempt to change a tree that was allowed to grow crooked over many years.

Chiropractic offers a gentle approach to help your child have the best chance of avoiding more severe treatment methods that may become necessary in later years.

It is very common for adolescent age children to have various symptoms that adults deal with as well. In my experience the difference is that many adults tend to contribute these symptoms to growing pains . And, because the children are younger, with optimal recuperative powers, they tend to respond much quicker than adults with the same symptoms. These same mild spinal conditions can become more serious if left unattended, especially for those children who develop into athletes or very active young adults.

As the age groups get older, the conditions become more obvious ones. Lower back problems, neck pain, and headaches are all very common maladies. They can be caused by poor posture, poor lifting and bending procedures, the stress of our jobs, auto accidents, etc. These conditions must be taken seriously because if not, they create more life-long problems. This is very evident when examining the 40-60 and older categories. After reviewing patient histories taken over many years in practice, it is obvious that the majority of these conditions were caused by not fully correcting spinal problems that occurred many years in the past. Perhaps this may have been due to the fact that prior to the 1990's, Chiropractic did not get the acclaim it has gotten recently in helping these structural conditions.

Source: www.chiroweb.com

Shoulder and Arm Pain

2010-03-02T14:02:00.000-08:00

After a few sets of tennis, or an exercise session at the gym, your arm or shoulder suddenly feels stiff. Perhaps a twinge occurs with a specific movement. Maybe you woke up one morning with your head in an odd position. Perhaps the simple task of brushing your hair caused pain.

Does this sound like you? This description is more common than you think. In many cases the cause of these symptoms reside in the neck and upper back regions along with the surrounding muscles. If left untreated, the irritation and inflammation continues to grow, causing the pain to become worse. And, as the pain becomes worse, the arm and shoulder motion becomes less and less.

If a spinal condition is found on examination and xray, gentle chiropractic adjustments may be used to help restore proper alignment for the spine. This alignment takes pressure off the affected nerves, and in many cases, lessens the pain. Physical therapy may also be used to restore proper muscle tone and balance to the surrounding areas. The combination of these two types of treatment has been known to give the patient the best opportunity for improvement while still using a conservative approach to health. Of course, if your chiropractor notices anything unusual a referral will be made to the appropriate health care provider.

Source: www.chiroweb.com

What You Should Know If You Have Been Involved In An Auto Accident

2010-03-01T13:56:00.000-08:00

Did you know that one of the most stressful aspects of living in modern life is dealing with the problems that arise after an auto accident? Were you also aware that some auto accident injuries are hidden and are seldom detected for months or even years? As a result, two things can occur when an injury is not taken care of properly, or the accident victims settle their case with the insurance companies before getting evaluated from a Doctor trained in soft tissue injuries.

... This Could Be A Big Mistake.

Why? Because once you settle your case, you lose the right to have your insurance company pay for treatment if you need it. A good rule of thumb is to be informed of your rights and then make a decision. It is our position that if you were indeed injured, you should get the care you need to get you back to the way you felt and functioned just before the accident.

It is not the responsibility of the insurance company to pay for anything more than that. They are not responsible for pre-existing injuries; only the injuries sustained from the accident. Even if you are just sore, you should get checked out immediately because you may experience pain, numbness, headaches, muscle stiffness, fatigue, and other problems including arthritis many months down the road. Remember, nothing is more important than your health, especially when you start to lose it.

Here's where the problem begins... Most people who suffer from an auto accident have one thing on their mind: their automobile!

Common questions include:
"Who is going to fix my car?"
"What will I drive in the mean time?"
"Will my insurance rates go up?"
"Who is going to pay for it?"
And the last thing on their mind is: "Am I Really O.K.?"
Not only are auto accidents an inconvenience and a hassle, a common redundant complaint of auto accident victims is that they don't feel like their normal selves. You may also be experiencing obvious pains and symptoms like muscle stiffness or spasm, neck pain, headaches, numbness and tingling, back pain, difficulty sleeping, irritability, memory loss, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and many other difficulties. Or worse than that, you may be injured and feel nothing at all.

Either way, did you know that auto accidents can cause post-traumatic osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis can ruin your posture (giving you a slumped or hump back appearance). Osteoarthritis can cause the discs in your spine to degenerate and create scar tissue formation leading to chronic stiffness and the inability to move properly.

As a matter of fact...
Most Doctors Are Not Trained In The Detection Of These Hidden Injuries...
If you have been in an auto accident, you need a doctor who is trained in the biomechanics of the human body; someone who treats these injuries every day. In addition,x-rays can be taken to find out if there has been any structural damage. In our office, we evaluate auto accident victims and make any appropriate referrals to other health care providers if needed.
Our primary responsibility is giving you the care if you need It, and submitting the required medical reports to the insurance company so your rights are protected.

If we can't help you, we will refer you to a doctor or facility that can.
If you have been in an auto accident recently, there are some important decisions you have to make, and if I were you, I'd make these decisions very carefully.
Q: Should I See An Attorney Before I See My Chiropractor?
A: It is important to get checked out by the doctor first. That way the findings from your exam will allow you the information you need in order to decide if an attorney is necessary. If necessary, we can refer you to a reputable and qualified attorney.

Q: What If My Car Sustained Only Minor Damage?
A: Documented studies done by Charles Carroll, M.D., Paul McAtee, M.D. and Lee Riley, M.D. revealed that: "The amount of damage to the automobile bears little relation to the force applied to the cervical spine (neck) of the occupants."

In other words, the damage to the passengers is not necessarily directly related to the damage to the vehicle.

Q: If I Need Treatment For This Injury, Do I Have To Pay For It Myself?
A: No, only in very rare circumstances does the patient pay for his care as he goes. Our office provides care "on credit" when patients are represented by an attorney. Some car insurance policies have what is called "Med Pay." This means that medical bills will be paid at 100% up to a certain limit. My office can assist you in obtaining this information.

Using your medical coverage should not raise your premiums.

Q: The Insurance Company Has Been Calling Me And Wants To Settle,What Should I Do?
A: Do not sign or settle until you have had us evaluate your injury for you. If you settle before your injury is fully resolved, you will be completely on your own and will have to pay out of pocket for your care.

Q: I've Been To The Hospital And My Medical Doctor, Do I Really Need to See a Chiropractor?
A: You need a doctor who focuses in the treatment and diagnosis of auto accident injuries. Usually hospitals will check vital signs, make sure there are no life-threatening conditions and release the patient with pain relief medication. They normally do not treat the underlying improper musculoskeletal biomechanics that can and often do lead to future pain. If you are still having problems, you should get a second opinion.

If your M.D. has given you pills, you must understand that pills do not correct structural or soft tissue damage. There are special therapies designed for that, and we offer these modalities at our office.

Q: Does Your Care Hurt?
A: Absolutely not. The care is very gentle and quite soothing. Most patients can hardly wait to get their care.

Q: Is The Care Safe?
A: Yes, extremely. Particularly when compared to the side effects from medication. I urge you to go to the patient testimonial tab to get a feel for what you can expect.

Source: www.chiroweb.com

If you have been in an accident, do not hesitate to contact us! http://www.hqclinic.com/

The “Spa-ropractor”

2010-02-26T14:17:00.000-08:00

HQ Chiropractic is quickly growing to be one of the most prominent practices in the Permian Basin and we have found that many of our patients are not only looking to feel better but look better too. Thus was born HQ Chiropractic’s spa services which include Velashape, and MicroDerm Abrasion. Please go to the following sites to find out more about both services, and request more info or call us ask our specialist.

Texas MicroDerm

Microdermabrasion is a non-chemical, non-invasive procedure that uses a spray of microcrystals to remove the outermost layer of dry, dead skin cells and reveal younger, healthier-looking skin. Microdermabrasion also encourages the production of a new underlying layer of skin cells with higher levels of collagen and elastin, which further improves your skin’s appearance. Microdermabrasion is much gentler than dermabrasion. Dermabrasion is a more intensive procedure used to treat deeper facial lines, extreme sun damage, and scars.

Texas VelaShape

VelaShape is the 1st FDA-cleared non-invasive medical solution for circumferential reduction* and the 1st FDA class II cleared platform for cellulite reduction. It is estimated that 80% of women over age 20 have cellulite. An industry analyst has projected that the number of body reshaping procedures will grow from 14.4 million treatments in 2005 to 32.5 million treatments in 2010.

Powered by the revolutionary elōs™ Technology, VelaShape treats both the deeper tissue, offering a measurable reduction in fat layers, circumference and the upper layers of the skin, resulting in cellulite reduction. It is an easy non-invasive, no downtime, comfortable deep therapeutic treatment.

For more information about all of our services, please visit the website!
HQ clinic

Overview and History of Chiropractics

2010-02-25T14:14:00.000-08:00

The term "chiropractic" combines the Greek words cheir (hand) and praxis (action) to describe a treatment done by hand. Hands-on therapy—especially adjustment of the spine—is central to chiropractic care. Chiropractic, which in the United States is considered part of complementary and alternative medicineA group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine. Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine, and alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. (CAM), is based on these key concepts:

The body has a powerful self-healing ability.
The body's structure (primarily that of the spine) and its function are closely related, and this relationship affects health.
Therapy aims to normalize this relationship between structure and function and assist the body as it heals.

While some procedures associated with chiropractic care can be traced back to ancient times, the modern profession of chiropractic was founded by Daniel David Palmer in 1895 in Davenport, Iowa. Palmer, a self-taught healer, believed that the body has a natural healing ability. Misalignments of the spine can interfere with the flow of energy needed to support health, Palmer theorized, and the key to health is to normalize the function of the nervous system, especially the spinal cord.

source: http://nccam.nih.gov

When you are ready to stop living in pain, stop by and check us out!

HQ Clinic

Having trouble with your insurance company?

2010-02-24T14:08:00.000-08:00

We can help! We will file all of the necessary paperwork for you, so that you can get back to concentrating on what really matters, your health.

When you are ready, we are here for you. HQ Clinic

What To Expect From Chiropractic Visits

2010-02-23T14:06:00.000-08:00

During the initial visit, chiropractors typically take a health history and perform a physical examination, with a special emphasis on the spine. Other examinations or tests such as x-rays may also be performed. If chiropractic treatment is considered appropriate, a treatment plan will be developed.

During followup visits, practitioners may perform one or more of the many different types of adjustments used in chiropractic care. Given mainly to the spine, a chiropractic adjustment (sometimes referred to as a manipulation) involves using the hands or a device to apply a controlled, sudden force to a joint, moving it beyond its passive range of motion. The goal is to increase the range and quality of motion in the area being treated and to aid in restoring health. Other hands-on therapies such as mobilization (movement of a joint within its usual range of motion) also may be used.

Chiropractors may combine the use of spinal adjustments with several other treatments and approaches such as:

Heat and ice
Electrical stimulation
Rest
Rehabilitative exercise
Counseling about diet, weight loss, and other lifestyle factors
Dietary supplements.

Side Effects and Risks

Side effects and risks depend on the specific type of chiropractic treatment used. For example, side effects from chiropractic adjustments can include temporary headaches, tiredness, or discomfort in parts of the body that were treated. The likelihood of serious complications, such as stroke, appears to be extremely low and related to the type of adjustment performed and the part of the body treated.

If dietary supplements are a part of the chiropractic treatment plan, they may interact with medicines and cause side effects. It is important that people inform their chiropractors of all medicines (whether prescription or over-the-counter) and supplements they are taking.

source: http://nccam.nih.gov

If you need a Spanish speaking Chiropractor, I'm your guy!

2010-02-22T13:51:00.000-08:00

Many times, there are communication problems between the doctor and patient, if you add a language barrier, things can become quite impossible. If you are in need of a Spanish speaking Chiropractor, be sure to stop by and see me! HQ Clinic

Musicians Injuries: Discover The Chiropractic Advantage

2010-02-19T13:30:00.000-08:00

By: Jean Littman

Ouch! Does it seem like every note you play on your guitar or musical instrument results in pain? Maybe it’s a nagging ache in your neck and shoulder. Perhaps you’ve had long rehearsals for that important gig or recital, and now you notice severe pain and loss of strength in your elbow and wrist. Or maybe you are trying to cope with hands that are increasingly numb and clumsy. Well it’s all part of being a serious musician, right? You’ve got to keep practicing - too much depends on it! Sound familiar?

Guitarists and instrumental musicians are a special risk group for repetitive strain injuries, with sizable percentages of them developing physical problems directly related to playing their instruments. In fact, ‘RSI’ or repetitive strain injury in musicians was around centuries before the term was recently coined for computer injuries. Incorrect posture, overuse, stress, insufficient rest, excessive force and incorrect ergonomic technique all contribute to chronic pain and injuries that spell the end to careers. For many musicians, repetitive movement injuries are more feared than stage fright or an unresponsive audience. If they are also heavy computer users (my category of experience!), their risks are further compounded.

Doctors and therapists have long known that musicians are notoriously hard to convince that playing should be reduced or stopped to allow time for injuries to heal. Many guitarists and musicians are afraid to find out they might have a severe injury, and much prefer the head-in-sand approach of ignoring the pain and pushing on. This is a disastrous policy for a musician - if it hurts, it should be checked out!

As a systems accountant consulting to small business, I spend most hours of my working day in front of a computer. Not surprisingly, this has resulted in several serious repetitive motion injuries over the years. In similar fashion to the approach of many guitarists and musicians, I spent a long time trying to ‘ignore the pain and push on’. It is only in recent years that I have discovered the optimum program for managing the injuries and avoiding future repeats, with regular chiropractic care well and truly established at number one on my list of priorities.

WHAT IS CHIROPRACTIC?

Meaning ‘done by hand’, chiropractic is a method of restoring good health through adjustments of the spine. The basic chiropractic premise is that the spine and nervous system control the body completely. Any interference to nerve function by spine misalignments can therefore result in poor organ function, resulting in any number of seemingly unrelated diseases and ailments. Chiropractors generally subscribe to the theory that technically, they don’t ‘cure’ anybody, but simply help the body to heal itself.

In the past, chiropractors traditionally had trouble gaining the respect of medical doctors. Although basic philosophical differences between medicine and chiropractic still exist, chiropractic care is now considered mainstream and is routinely recommended by members of the medical profession.

WHAT TREATMENT DO CHIROPRACTORS GIVE?

Ever wondered what happens at the chiropractor? Perhaps you’ve heard they’re just ‘bonecrackers, not doctors!’. Not so.

In the US and many other countries, the educational program for chiropractors includes training in the basic medical sciences, including anatomy with human dissection, physiology, and biochemistry. Thorough training is also obtained in differential diagnosis, radiology and therapeutic techniques. This means, a doctor of chiropractic can both diagnose and treat patients. (This separates them from non-physician status providers, like physical therapists.)

As with all healthcare practitioners, chiropractors follow a standard routine to secure the information needed for diagnosis and treatment. When the source of pain involves musculoskeletal structures, chiropractors manually manipulate or adjust the spinal column. This typically requires the chiropractor to bend and twist the patient into various positions, which may cause some patients (myself included!) to tense up. Other more gentle methods, such as the activator method, deliver a high-speed, gentle, thrust to the vertebrae via a small rubber tip.

Atlas orthogonal chiropractors focus on the atlas bone (the first bone that the spinal cord passes through). Using x-rays and precision measuring equipment, the atlas bone is gently realigned without using manipulation techniques. I can personally vouch for this chiropractic specialty, which worked like magic on the most recent and severe of my repetitive neck injuries.

Many chiropractors also use water, light, massage, ultrasound, electric, and heat therapy and may apply supports such as straps, taping and braces. They may also counsel patients about wellness concepts such as nutrition, exercise, lifestyle changes, and stress management, but do not prescribe drugs or perform surgery. Some chiropractors also specialise in orthopedics, sports and musician injuries, neurology, nutrition, internal disorders, and/or diagnostic imaging.

HOW CAN MUSICIANS BENEFIT FROM CHIROPRACTIC CARE?

The benefits of chiropractic care for guitarists and musicians are widespread and numerous. Chiropractors can help with relief of specific pain being experienced at the moment, or as part of an overall wellness program, which also includes exercise, proper nutrition and rest. Many musicians understand that the position they assume while playing stresses their body, and are seeking to offset this stress and prevent further problems from developing.

Chiropractors evaluate and analyse the spine with an understanding of physics and how gravity and distorted postures can stress areas of the spine, ribs, neck, shoulders and hips. Specific adjustments are used to offset these distortions.

Chiropractors who specialise in helping musicians repetitive injury problems usually examine the musician patient and the instrument together. By thoroughly analysing their patient’s posture, movement patterns and range of motion with the instrument, the chiropractor can detect areas of dysfunction in and around the spine. They also make recommendations as to what guitarists can do, both while playing and before and after playing, to keep the stress from returning. They teach their musician clients exercises to offset the repetitive stress placed on certain joints while playing a particular instrument.

Chiropractic care is reportedly simple, yet it is profound in its ability to help the body regain and maintain its health. Bob Birch, Elton John’s bass player and background vocalist said his chiropractor showed him pictures and told him ‘muscle stuff’ that no other doctors ever did. Certain things that he had wrong with him, like the extensive pain in the left shoulder blade that shot up the side of his head (which other doctors pooh-poohed) were explained and put right with chiropractic adjustments.

Make no mistake about it, regular chiropractic care for guitarists and musicians is the way to go. If you play an instrument and want to avoid repetitive strain injuries for good, go find a musician-friendly chiropractor now!. Scores of famous musicians agree with me!

Will My Health Insurance Cover Chiropractic Care?

2010-02-18T13:27:00.000-08:00

Will My Health Insurance Cover Chiropractic Care?

"I’m thinking about seeing a chiropractor. Oh, but chiropractic isn’t covered by health insurance, right?" Wrong! I get this question all the time. When someone is making the decision to choose chiropractic to take care of their health issue, they have to go through several decision processes.

First, will chiropractic help my problem? Typically, they are dealing with pain and aren’t getting much help from other methods they’ve tried to resolve it. They may have tried over-the-counter pain medications, maybe even some stronger versions prescribed by their doctor. They may have bought a brace or support, changed their bed, or just tried to rest for awhile. Nothing’s working.

Next they consider the location of the chiropractor. Are they close? Can I get to the office during their office hours? If this all fits, the person will eventually start to realize their is a cost involved and will start considering whether or not their insurance will cover all or at least part of the cost of going to see a chiropractor.

Does insurance cover chiropractic? In most cases, it does. There is not going to be "unlimited treatment for an unlimited time," but there will be some coverage. Most insurance will place two types of limitations on coverage; either they will limit the total dollar amount they will pay, or they will limit the total number of times you can visit the chiropractor in a given year.

Will the amount of insurance coverage be enough for all of your treatment? It really depends on what’s wrong. Most health insurance is not set up to handle "wellness care," that is, treatment when you’re already feeling pretty good. Health insurance is usually there to help in time of crisis. You have a heart attack, you’ve been involved in a car accident, or you back is so painful you can’t get to work. That’s a crisis.

The best way to find out if your insurance covers chiropractic and to find out what limitations are present, is to contact the office you want to go see. Many offices will verify your insurance benefits before you even go into the office. This way, you’ll know what you’re in for before you set foot in the door. Choosing your chiropractor only by your out-of-pocket expense is not usually the best way to find a doctor (or any service for that matter), but it’s helpful to get as much information as possible.

source: chiroblog.com

Do you need a Chiropractor who speaks Spanish? se habla espanol

2010-02-17T13:46:00.000-08:00

I can help with that! HQ Chiropractic

Headaches - How Can Chiropractic Help?

2010-02-16T13:24:00.000-08:00

by Philip Vincent

Headaches. Everyone gets them from time to time, but sometimes they can be so strong as to be utterly debilitating and they may not go away. Medications can address the symptoms but not the cause of these headaches, and simply dull the pain temporarily.

Many of the more severe headache symptoms are slow to respond to chemical treatment, which when made more intense to address the headache, can have long lasting and often negative effects to the body when used over time. This is why many people with chronic head pain look to the more natural (and very often the more effective alternative) solution of chiropractic care.

There Are Different Kinds of Headaches

In order to better treat any problem it is first important to understand what causes it. There are many different kinds of headaches, some which can be treated by chiropractic better than others. Headaches are most commonly caused by

-changes by vascular constriction

-tension in the muscles

-sinus congestion

These headaches can refer or radiate pain all over your head and they can feel like they’re centered in many different locations, but it is most important to realize that chiropractic seems to work best in the types of headaches that are based around muscle tension and changes to vascular flow. Sinus headaches have also had success, but they are likely to have a more complicated cause.

There are three main types of headaches typically found in a chiropractic office:

-migraine headaches

-tension headaches

-cervicogenic headaches

The last type of headache mentioned sounds a bit scary, but it just simply means a headache that is caused by referred pain that originates within the bone, muscles, or nerves of the neck.

Tension Headaches

If we become stressed, scared, or angry, your body will respond with increased muscle tension in the head, neck, and shoulders. This reaction is called the fight or flight response, and it is the normal response to stress. If we are stressed often (as most of us are) and we can neither run or fight, the muscle tension becomes a habit.

This can lead to some imbalances in the way we hold our body, which in turn leads to more muscle tension and pain. Chiropractic treatment can relax these muscles and realign the spine’s structure to put and end to the vicious cycle of pain. Those seeking chiropractic care for tension headaches can often see a marked improvement in just a few treatments as the nerves become less irritated and the muscles begin to relax.

Migraine Headaches

Migraines are brought about by changes in vascular flow, triggered by a variety of factors such as different smells, foods, weather, hormonal changes, and stress. These often very painful headaches do not always start off as pain. They can begin with nausea or the person may experience a halo effect called a visual aura.

Recent studies have shown chiropractic treatment may play a significant role in reducing the number of migraines a person has. By careful manipulation of the neck and spine, chiropractic adjustments may be able to reduce nerve irritation in the spine, thus preventing radiating or referred pain, and improve vascular flow.

Treatment Types

Chiropractic care centers around manipulation of the spine and neck to improve blood flow and posture. To reduce the headaches, the chiropractor will perform spinal adjustments using his hands, but may also include massage, trigger point therapy, or other types of complementary treatments to address the problem. The doctor of chiropractic will probably also include some home care recommendations such as stretching exercises and posture education to help keep things balanced between visits.

Have you been in an auto accident recently?

2010-02-15T14:40:00.000-08:00

We can help! HC Clinic

Low Back Pain - What Increases Your Risk

2010-02-12T13:38:00.000-08:00

Low back pain is often triggered by some combination of overuse, muscle strain, or injury to the muscles and ligaments that support the spine. Less commonly, low back pain is caused by illness or spinal deformity.

A risk factor is something that increases your chances of having back pain. More risk factors means you have a higher chance of having back pain.

Risk factors that you cannot change include:

Being middle-aged (risk drops after age 65).
Being male.
Having a family history of back pain.
Having had a previous back injury.
Being pregnant. A woman's back is significantly stressed by carrying a baby.
Having had compression fractures of the spine.
Having had previous back surgery.
Having spine problems since birth (congenital spine problems).

Risk factors that you can change with lifestyle changes or medical treatment include:

Not getting regular exercise.
Doing a job or other activity that requires long periods of sitting, lifting heavy objects, bending or twisting, repetitive motions, or constant vibration, such as using a jackhammer or driving certain types of heavy equipment.
Smoking. Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to have low back pain.
Being overweight. Excess body weight, especially around the waist, may put strain on your back, although this has not been proven. But being overweight often also means being in poor physical condition, with weaker muscles and less flexibility. These can lead to low back pain.
Having poor posture. Slumping or slouching alone may not cause low back pain, but after the back has been strained or injured, bad posture can make pain worse.
Being under stress. Stress and other emotional factors are believed to play a major role in low back pain, particularly chronic low back pain. Many people unconsciously tighten their back muscles when they are under stress.
Having long periods of depression.
Using medicines long-term that weaken bones, such as corticosteroids.

source: webmd.com

When you are ready to discuss your pain, and start finding out exactly what options are available to you for easing that pain, contact us! www.hqclinic.com

Acupuncture May Ease Chronic Back Pain

2010-02-11T13:34:00.000-08:00

The ancient technique of acupuncture helps relieve chronic back pain better than standard care such as medications or physical therapy, according to a new study.

Even more surprising, all three acupuncture techniques tested -- including a "sham" technique with toothpicks and no skin puncturing -- worked better than the usual care given for the problem.

"Acupuncture-like treatments had a positive effect overall on people's chronic back pain," says study researcher Dan Cherkin, PhD, a senior investigator at Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle. "It didn't matter if you inserted the needle or superficially poked [the skin]."

That finding, Cherkin says, leads to more speculation about how the centuries-old technique actually works.

The study is published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Cherkin and colleagues assigned 638 men and women with chronic low back pain who had never before had acupuncture to one of four groups:

• Individualized acupuncture group. Patients received acupuncture treatment based on a customized prescription for acupuncture points.

• Standardized acupuncture group. Patients received an acupuncture treatment considered effective by experts for chronic low back pain.

• Simulated acupuncture group. Patients received a treatment that mimics needle acupuncture but used a toothpick in a needle guide tube without penetrating the skin.

• Usual care group. Patients continued whatever they were doing, such as taking pain medicine or undergoing physical therapy.

Acupuncture treatments were given two times a week for three weeks, then once a week for four weeks. The researchers measured back pain-related problems and dysfunction at eight weeks, a half year, and one year after the treatments.

Participants in the trial, funded by the National Institutes of Health, were told only that the researchers were comparing three different methods of stimulating acupuncture points.

Acupuncture vs. 'Usual Care'

"The individualized acupuncture did not provide any benefit over the standardized acupuncture," Cherkin tells WebMD. "The simulated acupuncture, which did stimulate the standardized points, also had the same effect. All three did better than usual care."

Those who got any of the acupuncture treatments were more likely than those getting usual care to have a "meaningful" improvement in the dysfunction scale, which reflects the ability to engage in activities of daily living. Overall, 60% of the acupuncture-treated patients, but just 39% of the usual-care group patients, had meaningful improvements in dysfunction, the researchers found.

That translated to those in the acupuncture group being able to do more daily activities, such as going to social functions or performing household tasks, Cherkin tells WebMD.

After a year, those in the acupuncture groups were also more likely than the usual-care group to continue to have improvement in dysfunction, with up to 65% of the acupuncture-treated patients but just 50% of the usual-care patients still reporting improvements. But the improvement waned over time.

The finding that the simulated acupuncture was as good as needle acupuncture is puzzling, Cherkin admits. "What we can say is, it is not essential to achieve a benefit to insert the needle through the skin," he says.

Why this is so is not known, he says. "One possibility is there is a physiological chain of events that occurs when you insert a needle or just stimulate the skin superficially. They may or may not be the same."

Another possibility, he says, is "believing you are getting a treatment that will help your back pain" helps it.

And, he adds, not all participants benefited from the acupuncture, whatever the form. Still, he says, "acupuncture is a reasonable option" for those with low back pain. Americans spend at least $37 billion a year for medical care for back pain, Cherkin notes in his report.

'Acupuncture Can Help'

"Although this study has shed some light [on back pain treatment], it is also confusing, I think," says Arya Nick Shamie, MD, associate professor of spine surgery at the University of California David Geffen School of Medicine and a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

"For the most part, acupuncture is very safe," says Shamie, who has recommended it to his patients with chronic back pain. However, he adds, "this paper has confused the issue even further as to how acupuncture works." Even so, he says, "what it does show is acupuncture can help patients."

The good results with the "toothpick" acupuncture may very well be a placebo effect, Shamie says. "Even going and talking to your doctor could have a strong, positive effect on your health," he says. "When people have chronic illness, they want to feel that someone cares for them, and that basically unloads the mind of the burden of disease."

His caveat: "Chronic back pain should be evaluated by your physician or a specialist," he says, to rule out any serious underlying medical problems.

source: webmd.com

When you are ready to discuss your pain, and start finding out exactly what options are available to you for easing that pain, contact us! www.hqclinic.com

What is degenerative disc disease?

2010-02-10T14:26:00.000-08:00

Degenerative disc disease is not really a disease but a term used to describe the normal changes in your spinal discs as you age. Spinal discs are soft, compressible discs that separate the interlocking bones (vertebrae) that make up the spine. The discs act as shock absorbers for the spine, allowing it to flex, bend, and twist. Degenerative disc disease can take place throughout the spine, but it most often occurs in the discs in the lower back (lumbar region) and the neck (cervical region).

See a picture of the spine and the discs in your spine.

The changes in the discs can result in back or neck pain as well as:

Osteoarthritis, the breakdown of the tissue (cartilage) that protects and cushions joints.
Herniated disc, an abnormal bulge or breaking open of a spinal disc.
Spinal stenosis, the narrowing of the spinal canal, the open space in the spine that holds the spinal cord.

These conditions may put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, leading to pain and possibly affecting nerve function.

What causes degenerative disc disease?

As we age, our spinal discs break down, or degenerate, which may result in degenerative disc disease in some people. These age-related changes include:

The loss of fluid in your discs. This reduces the ability of the discs to act as shock absorbers and makes them less flexible. Loss of fluid also makes the disc thinner and narrows the distance between the vertebrae.
Tiny tears or cracks in the outer layer (annulus or capsule) of the disc. The jellylike material inside the disc (nucleus) may be forced out through the tears or cracks in the capsule, which causes the disc to bulge, break open (rupture), or break into fragments.

These changes are more likely to occur in people who smoke cigarettes and those who do heavy physical work (such as repeated heavy lifting). People who are obese are also more likely to have symptoms of degenerative disc disease.

A sudden (acute) injury leading to a herniated disc (such as a fall) may also begin the degeneration process.

As the space between the vertebrae gets smaller, there is less padding between them, and the spine becomes less stable. The body reacts to this by constructing bony growths called bone spurs (osteophytes). Bone spurs can put pressure on the spinal nerve roots or spinal cord, resulting in pain and affecting nerve function.

What are the symptoms?

Degenerative disc disease may result in back or neck pain, but this varies from person to person. Many people have no pain, while others with the same amount of disc damage have severe pain that limits their activities. Where the pain occurs depends on the location of the affected disc. An affected disc in the neck area may result in neck or arm pain, while an affected disc in the lower back may result in pain in the back, buttocks, or leg. The pain often gets worse with movements such as bending over, reaching up, or twisting.

The pain may start after a major injury (such as from a car accident), a minor injury (such as a fall from a low height), or a normal motion (such as bending over to pick something up). It may also start gradually for no known reason and get worse over time.

In some cases, you may have numbness or tingling in your leg or arm.

How is degenerative disc disease diagnosed?

Degenerative disc disease is diagnosed with a medical history and physical examination. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms, injuries or illnesses, any previous treatment, and habits and activities that may be causing pain in the neck, arms, back, buttocks, or legs. During the physical examination, he or she will:

Check the affected area's range of motion and for pain caused by movement.
Look for areas of tenderness and any nerve-related changes, such as numbness, tingling, or weakness in the affected area, or changes in reflexes.
Check for other conditions, such as fractures, tumors, and infection.

If your initial examination reveals no signs of a serious condition, imaging tests, such as an X-ray, are unlikely to help the diagnosis. Imaging tests may be considered when your symptoms develop after an injury, nerve damage is suspected, or your medical history suggests conditions that could affect your spine, such as bone disease, tumors, or infection.

How is it treated?

To relieve pain, put ice or heat (whichever feels better) on the affected area and use acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including aspirin (such as Bayer), ibuprofen (such as Advil), or naproxen sodium (such as Aleve).Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20 because of the risk of Reye syndrome. Acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) also can help relieve pain. Your doctor can prescribe stronger medicines if necessary.

Further treatment depends on whether the damaged disc has resulted in other conditions, such as osteoarthritis, a herniated disc, or spinal stenosis. Physical therapy and exercises for strengthening and stretching the back are often recommended, and in some cases surgery may be recommended. Surgery for degenerative disc disease usually involves removing the damaged disc. In some cases, the bone is then permanently joined (fused) to protect the spinal cord. Also, artifical discs are sometimes used to replace the disc that is removed.

source: webmd.com

When you are ready to discuss your pain, and start finding out exactly what options are available to you for easing that pain, contact us! www.hqclinic.com

What Is Chiropractic?

2010-02-09T14:15:00.000-08:00

Chiropractors use hands-on spinal manipulation and other alternative treatments, the theory being that proper alignment of the body's musculoskeletal structure, particularly the spine, will enable the body to heal itself without surgery or medication. Manipulation is used to restore mobility to joints restricted by tissue injury caused by a traumatic event, such as falling, or repetitive stress, such as sitting without proper back support.

Chiropractic is primarily used as a pain relief alternative for muscles, joints, bones, and connective tissue, such as cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. It is sometimes used in conjunction with conventional medical treatment.

The initials "DC" identify a chiropractor, whose education typically includes a pre- med undergraduate degree plus four to five years of chiropractic college.

What Does Chiropractic for Back Pain Involve?

A chiropractor first takes a medical history, performs a physical examination, and may use lab tests or diagnostic imaging to determine if treatment is appropriate for your back pain.

The treatment plan may involve one or more manual adjustments in which the doctor manipulates the joints, using a controlled, sudden force to improve range and quality of motion. Many chiropractors also incorporate nutritional counseling and exercise/rehabilitation into the treatment plan. The goals of chiropractic care include the restoration of function and prevention of injury in addition to back pain relief.

What Are the Benefits and Risks of Chiropractic Care?

Spinal manipulation and chiropractic care is considered a safe, effective treatment for acute low back pain, the type of sudden injury that results from moving furniture or getting tackled. Acute back pain, which is more common than chronic pain, lasts no more than six weeks and typically gets better on its own.

Research has also shown chiropractic to be helpful in treating neck pain and headaches. In addition, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia respond to the moderate pressure used both by chiropractors and practitioners of deep tissue massage.

Studies have not confirmed the effectiveness of prolotherapy or sclerotherapy for pain relief, used by some chiropractors, osteopaths, and medical doctors, to treat chronic back pain, the type of pain that may come on suddenly or gradually and lasts more than three months. The therapy involves injections to strengthen loosely connected tendons and ligaments.

People who have osteoporosis, spinal cord compression, or inflammatory arthritis, or who take blood-thinning medications should not undergo spinal manipulation.

All treatment is based on an accurate diagnosis of your back pain. The chiropractor should be well informed regarding your medical history, including ongoing medical conditions, current medications, traumatic/surgical history, and lifestyle factors. Although rare, there have been cases in which treatment worsened a herniated or slipped disc, or neck manipulation resulted in stroke or spinal cord injury. To be safe, always inform your primary health care provider whenever you use chiropractic or other pain relief alternatives.

source: webmd.com

When you are ready to discuss your pain, and start finding out exactly what options are available to you for easing that pain, contact us! www.hqclinic.com

How to Feel Better When You’re Depressed

2010-02-08T14:11:00.000-08:00

Remember, stress can be a leading cause of headaches. In the following article by Donald Latumahina, we explore a few tips on how to avoid stress.

There are times in life when things don’t go as expected. Perhaps an important project of yours ended up in failure. Or you got laid off from your job. Whatever it is, it might make you depressed. But you need to get things back under control. You need to keep moving forward. For that, you need to make yourself feel better so that you can face the situation with a positive attitude.

Here are some tips to make yourself feel better when you’re depressed:

1. Calm down

Before anything else, calm yourself down. Don’t panic. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. You can only apply the tips below if you are calm.

2. Feed your mind with positive thoughts

When you’re depressed, it’s easy to fall into a vicious cycle of negative thoughts. The negative cycle makes things look worse than they actually are. It’s important that you break this cycle so that you don’t become a victim of your own thoughts.

To do that, feed your mind with positive thoughts. You may read spiritual texts, motivational books, or inspiring quotes. You may also listen to positive tapes. Listening works well when you’re overwhelmed with negative thoughts because it doesn’t require your active participation.

3. Remember good things

Our minds tend to focus on the negative and not the positive. But you should direct your mind to the positive. Remember the good things in your life. Remember the good people around you. I’m sure there are many more things that go right in your life than those that go wrong. Looking at the good things balances your perspective so that you don’t dwell in negativity.

4. Look at the big picture

An event that seems bad might not seem that bad if you look at the big picture. Put the event in context. Think of it as one mosaic piece that’s necessary to make your life wonderful.

5. Believe that everything will be all right

What you believe has a big effect on you. If you believe that things will go wrong, that would usually be the case. On the other hand, if you believe that everything will be all right, you will have a winning attitude. And, as said in this article, a winning attitude is everything.

6. Exercise

When you’re depressed, take time to exercise. Study shows that “exercise is related to positive mental health as indicated by relief in symptoms of depression and anxiety.”

7. Forgive

Sometimes one reason you feel bad is because you don’t forgive. Perhaps you had made mistakes in the past and you blamed yourself for it. You need to forgive yourself. Or perhaps someone mistreated you. You need to forgive them. I know it’s easier said than done, but as Mahatma Gandhi said:

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

So let us all be strong.

8. Take action

The only cure for grief is action.
George Henry Lewes

Things won’t get better if you just sit and do nothing. Instead of thinking about how bad things are, think of what you can do to solve the problem and take action.

9. Say something positive

Negative words have devastating effect on your confidence and motivation. So whenever you’re about to say something negative, stop yourself and take a deep breath. Reframe what you’re going to say and make it positive. For example, instead of saying “I will never make it”, say “It won’t be easy, but I know I will make it.”

10. Think about other people

One of the best ways to make yourself feel better is simply by taking the focus away from yourself. The more you think about your problems, the more difficult it would feel. So start thinking about other people and how you can help them. When you do that, your problems will no longer seem so hard.

Myofascial release therapy: Can it relieve back pain?

2010-02-05T14:25:00.000-08:00

What can you tell me about myofascial release therapy as a treatment for back pain? Does it work?

Answer: from Jerry W. Swanson, M.D.

Myofascial release is a form of massage therapy that uses sustained pressure to loosen or release tightness in connective tissues (fascia). It is thought that tightness within the fascia causes restriction of muscle and other tissues, resulting in back pain and loss of motion. Injuries, stress, inflammation, trauma and poor posture supposedly contribute to this tightness.

These myofascial restrictions can't be detected with standard medical imaging studies, such as X-rays or MRIs. In addition, there have been no published trials that have evaluated myofascial release therapy as a treatment for chronic back pain. For these reasons, myofascial release therapy for back pain is not widely accepted in the medical community. However, many physical therapists and massage therapists use such techniques, and anecdotal evidence suggests that myofascial release therapy may relieve back pain in some people. Also, results of a Mayo Clinic study, published in 2008 in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, suggest that myofascial release may be as effective as acupuncture in relieving chronic pain. However, large-scale trials are needed to confirm these findings and to evaluate the potential benefit of myofascial release therapy in treating back pain.

If you've been told that myofascial release therapy may be helpful for your back pain, consult a therapist who has training in such techniques. As with many other treatments for chronic back pain, myofascial release may benefit some people but not all.

Noninvasive treatments for back pain

2010-02-04T14:12:00.000-08:00

The goal of noninvasive treatment for back pain is twofold:

Reduce but not necessarily eliminate your pain
Help you improve your function so that you can resume as closely as possible your normal routine of work and leisure

After talking to you about the particular circumstances involving your back pain, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following common treatment options:

Back brace. Many back braces or corsets (lumbar supports) are available without a prescription at pharmacies and medical supply stories. Or, your doctor may prescribe a specific brace customized for your back. The rationale behind braces is that they may support your abdomen and take some of the load off your lower back, they may restrict motion, and they may improve posture. But there's also concern that use of braces may result in the wasting away (atrophy) of some muscles that support the spine through lack of use. If you use a brace, limit the use to intermittently several hours a day. If you have a labor-intensive job that places stress on your lower back, a back brace or corset can help you when you first return to work after a back injury by avoiding too much strain on your spine.

Back braces and corsets may also make transitional movements — such as from a sitting to a standing position — more comfortable during an episode of back pain. There's insufficient evidence that back braces are more effective at relieving back pain than no treatment at all. The best course of action may be strengthening your trunk muscles to be the primary support for your back.

Pain medications. You can take nonprescription medications, or your doctor may suggest prescription medications to relieve your discomfort until inflammation subsides and your body heals itself. Options include:

Over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics. Analgesics are medications that relieve pain. They include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), counterirritants and topical analgesics. NSAIDs, such as aspirin, naproxen sodium (Aleve) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), can relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Another option is counterirritants, which you apply to your skin as a cream or spray. These nonprescription medications — which include Bengay, Icy Hot and capsaicin (Zostrix) — stimulate your sensory receptors of heat or cold to cover up or counter pain. Counterirritant products may temporarily relieve chronic pain. Topical analgesics, many of which contain salicylates — the main ingredient in aspirin — also can reduce inflammation. NSAIDs appear to provide some relief for acute back pain, but evidence is still lacking regarding effectiveness of NSAIDs in chronic low back pain. In addition, though NSAIDs are widely used for treatment of low back pain, long-term use can have side effects, particularly effects on the gastrointestinal system and the kidneys.
Anticonvulsants. Low doses of drugs more commonly used in the treatment of seizures and epilepsy are sometimes used to help people who have low back pain in conjunction with leg pain. These medications include gabapentin (Neurontin), topiramate (Topamax), clonazepam (Klonopin), carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol) and valproate (Depacon). These drugs aren't usually useful in treating low back pain. Instead, they're sometimes directed at treating the leg pain component in people who primarily have back pain associated with leg pain.
Antidepressants. Some antidepressant medications, taken in lower doses than would be used to treat depression, may help in the treatment of low back pain. Antidepressants may work in a variety of ways. For example, they may result in a higher level in your brain of serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with pain control. Antidepressants may also reduce anxiety and muscle tension.

The evidence on the effectiveness of antidepressant medications in the treatment of low back pain is mixed. Among this group of medications, tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) appear to be the most effective. They include such medications as nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor), amitriptyline, desipramine (Norpramin), doxepin (Sinequan) and imipramine (Tofranil). Medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) don't appear to be as effective as TCAs for back pain.
Opioids. In select cases, doctors may use certain narcotic medications (opioid analgesics) to treat low back pain. Examples of these medications include morphine (MS Contin, Oramorph SR, others), oxycodone (OxyContin), methadone (Dolophine HCL), fentanyl (Duragesic) and levorphanol (Levo-Dromoran). There is debate regarding the use of opioids, and they're not used as a long-term treatment. Among the reasons are side effects, as well as concerns about dependence. The most common side effects that limit their use include nausea and constipation, which can be severe. In addition, other common but less known important side effects include dizziness and sedation. Before your doctor prescribes opioids, have a thorough discussion with him or her about their benefits and drawbacks.

Cold or heat therapy. Using cold and heat therapy may relieve pain and muscle tension in the initial days after back pain begins. Some studies show that heat is an effective approach for acute nonspecific back pain. As for chronic back pain, cold and heat likely won't cause harm and may be helpful, but there isn't scientific evidence at this time to prove that cold and heat are effective treatments for chronic low back pain. Cold or ice applied to your back can reduce inflammation and swelling by constricting blood vessels. The cold also acts to slow nerve impulses and make it less likely that your muscles will contract, in this way reducing pain.

To use cold packs, wrap an ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables in a piece of cloth. Hold it on the sore area for about 15 minutes, several times a day. To avoid frostbite, don't place ice directly on your skin. Heat therapy increases blood circulation, which can aid healing of damaged tissues. Heat also allows tissues to stretch more easily, resulting in less stiffness, greater flexibility and less pain. To use heat therapy, take a warm bath, or use warm packs, a heating pad or a heat lamp for pain relief. Be careful not to burn your skin with extreme heat. If you find that cold provides more relief than heat, you can continue using cold packs, or try a combination of the two methods.

Electrical stimulation. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) delivers a tiny electrical current to key points on a nerve pathway. The current, delivered through electrodes taped to your skin, isn't painful or harmful. It's not known exactly how TENS works, but it may stimulate release of pain-inhibiting molecules (endorphins) or block pain fibers that carry pain impulses. However, it's unclear whether those who benefit from TENS achieve relief by some direct effect on their nervous system or from the belief that they will benefit from the therapy (the so-called placebo effect). Some people with chronic pain use TENS to help them function with less discomfort. But several studies have concluded that TENS has not been proved effective in relieving chronic low back pain.

Exercise and physical therapy. Physical activity plays a strong role in recovering from back pain and particularly in helping to prevent future pain and loss of function. Physical activity can include one or many among a wide range of exercises that you do in the presence of a physical therapist, or exercises that you do on your own at home. An exercise program can include any or all of the following components: flexing, stretching, endurance training, strength building and aerobic.

Supervised programs that include stretching and strengthening exercises, which don't specifically target the back, are more beneficial in relieving chronic low back pain and improving function. Your doctor or physical therapist can tailor an exercise program to meet your individual needs. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Exercise programs are individualized because people have different levels of pain and differing injuries that caused the pain initially.

Exercise doesn't appear to increase your risk of future back injuries and may help prevent back pain at work. Benefits of a physical activity program may include:

Pain reduction
Strengthening of weak muscles
Stretching of contracted muscles
Decreasing mechanical stress on your back
Improving your fitness to prevent injury
Stabilizing your back
Improving your posture
Improving your mobility
Decreasing the rate and severity of recurring back pain
Allowing quicker recovery from future flares of back pain

Some studies suggest that exercise therapy is more effective than are conservative or inactive treatments in people with chronic low back pain. Short-term, modest improvements were seen in such areas as pain, disability, strength and flexibility. Exercise and physical therapy are an important part of your treatment program and should become part of your permanent routine at home. Improving the strength, endurance and function of your back helps minimize the chance of recurrence of back pain. One study showed that people who didn't exercise after an initial episode of acute low back pain were more likely to experience a recurrence of low back pain than were people in the study's exercise group. Mild discomfort that you may feel as you begin an exercise program should gradually ease as your muscles become stronger. The key is to start an exercise program at a low level to ensure your comfort and proper technique, and then progress slowly as your symptoms allow.

Cognitive behavior therapy. This type of talk therapy combines attempts to identify unhealthy, negative beliefs and behaviors and replace them with healthy, positive ones. It's based on the idea that your own thoughts determine how you behave. Even if an unwanted situation hasn't changed, you can change the way you think and behave in a positive way. The therapy may have a role in the case of chronic low back pain for which no specific physical cause is evident.

Your doctor may talk to you about the psychological and social issues surrounding your chronic pain, such as whether you have stress, anxiety or depression, how your family has responded, how the pain has affected your work and other activities, and what you believe causes the pain to continue. You and your doctor may also talk about your readiness to accept that the condition will improve over time without any major medical intervention. Cognitive behavior therapy has been shown to be effective in relieving pain and improving function as one component of back care.

Multidisciplinary treatment programs. A multidisciplinary approach to treating chronic low back pain involves, as the phrase suggests, a variety of therapies. These may include a combination of exercise, physical therapy, education, cognitive behavior therapy, vocational counseling and other strategies. Reviews of studies show long-term effectiveness of multidisciplinary treatment programs in lowering pain, improving function and reducing return to work time.

source: www.mayoclinic.com

Pain management failing as fears of prescription drug abuse rise

2010-02-03T13:40:00.000-08:00

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Millions of Americans with significant or chronic pain associated with their medical problems are being under-treated as physicians increasingly fail to provide comprehensive pain treatment – either due to inadequate training, personal biases or fear of prescription drug abuse.

A pharmaceutical expert in pain management in the College of Pharmacy at Oregon State University says the issue is reaching crisis proportions, and in two new professional publications argues that health consumers must be aware of the problem and in many cases become more informed, persistent advocates for the care they need and deserve.

"We have more sophisticated pain management techniques available now than ever before," said Kathryn Hahn, a pharmacist, affiliate faculty member at OSU and chair of the Oregon Pain Management Commission. "But many doctors are not fully informed about all the options available, and also often turn patients away because they're very concerned about the problems with prescription drug abuse.

"Because of this, many people suffer needlessly with pain that could be treated, and almost 80 percent of visits to community pharmacies involve pain issues," Hahn said. "We're in the middle of a storm here, and have to figure out some way to navigate through it."

Adequate pain treatment has always been a concern, Hahn said, in part because it's not a major part of most physician's medical training. Even though they will often see a stream of patients with pain problems throughout their careers, they may only get a few hours of education on the use of opioids in medical school.

In recent years, the problems have dramatically increased due to concerns about prescription drug abuse, in which drugs such as oxycodone are often stolen from homes or otherwise misused. In a 2006 survey of teenagers, 62 percent said prescription pain relievers were easy to get from their parents' medicine cabinet. One analysis concluded that admissions to federally supported treatment programs for prescription opioid abuse increased 342 percent from 1996 to 2006 – a comprehensive problem that is also estimated to cost insurance companies tens of billions of dollars a year.

Concerns about this within the medical profession are sufficiently high, Hahn said, that many doctors prefer not to even work with patients who have ongoing pain issues. They also fear criticism from other doctors if they have high numbers of pain-related cases or prescribe significant amounts of pain medications, she said.

"I see patients every week who have lost their doctors, don't know what to do and these people are scared," Hahn said. "It's particularly bad with elderly and Medicare patients. Prescription drug abuse is a very real problem, we do have to take necessary steps to address it, but right now the pendulum has swung too far, and legitimate pain problems are not being managed."

Long-term solutions, Hahn said, will take education and responsibility by all parties involved, including consumers, physicians, nurses and pharmacists.

Among the steps that may help:

Doctors and nurses should accept that patients are the final arbiter of determining that something is painful, believe them and work with them on their concerns.
Patients should cooperate with their health care providers on pain relief plans that may include a range of options, including prescription drugs but also alternative approaches such as chiropractic care, exercise, acupuncture, meditation, implantable devices, massage, or physical and occupational therapy.
Even within the umbrella of medications, there are a huge range of opioids, over-the-counter pain relievers, antidepressants and other medications to carefully consider for specific problems.
Consumers must acknowledge the seriousness of the prescription drug abuse issue and lock up their medications securely – literally in a home safe in some circumstances. The unlocked medicine cabinet is the foundation of a cottage industry of drug abuse in America today.
All involved parties should understand that psychological addiction or physical dependence on drugs is rarely a major concern in a properly managed and prescribed pain management program.
Individuals should try to work and communicate patiently with their health care providers, not switch doctors arbitrarily, educate themselves if necessary, but be persistent in having their pain concerns taken seriously.
Physicians must stay up to date on the latest approaches and full spectrum of pain management options, and recognize than pain control and management is a key part of overall health care.

Hahn outlined some of these issues in two new publications, one in the Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy, and the other in The Rx Consultant.

"Surveys show that at least 30 percent of patients with moderate chronic pain and more than 50 percent of those with severe chronic pain fail to achieve adequate pain relief," she wrote in one article. "The economic impact of acute and chronic pain exceeds $100 billion per year in the U.S. alone."

Community pharmacists, she said, are often on the front lines of this issue and constantly see individuals with pain concerns and inadequate pain management by their health care providers. They can often help serve as advocates, improve lines of communication between patients and their doctors, and help patients manage their prescribed drug therapies.

Health insurers also have an important role to play in reducing prescription drug abuse, Hahn said. They can help educate physicians on appropriate use, advocate for universal precautions in use of pain medicines, restrict off-label uses of readily diverted opioids, pay for multidisciplinary pain management programs, and take other steps.

source: www.sciencecodex.com

Can blocking a frown keep bad feelings at bay?

2010-02-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

MADISON -- Your facial expression may tell the world what you are thinking or feeling. But it also affects your ability to understand written language related to emotions, according to research that was presented today to the Society for Personal and Social Psychology in Las Vegas, and will be published in the journal Psychological Science.

The new study reported on 40 people who were treated with botulinum toxin, or Botox. Tiny applications of this powerful nerve poison were used to deactivate muscles in the forehead that cause frowning.

The interactions of facial expression, thoughts and emotions has intrigued scientists for more than a century, says the study's first author, University of Wisconsin-Madison psychology Ph.D. candidate David Havas.

Scientists have found that blocking the ability to move the body causes changes in cognition and emotion, but there were always questions. (One of the test treatments caused widespread, if temporary, paralysis.) In contrast, Havas was studying people after a pinpoint treatment to paralyze a single pair of "corrugator" muscles, which cause brow-wrinkling frowns.

To test how blocking a frown might affect comprehension of language related to emotions, Havas asked the patients to read written statements, before and then two weeks after the Botox treatment. The statements were angry ("The pushy telemarketer won't let you return to your dinner"); sad ("You open your email in-box on your birthday to find no new emails"); or happy ("The water park is refreshing on the hot summer day.")

Havas gauged the ability to understand these sentences according to how quickly the subject pressed a button to indicate they had finished reading it. "We periodically checked that the readers were understanding the sentences, not just pressing the button," says Havas.

The results showed no change in the time needed to understand the happy sentences. But after Botox treatment, the subjects took more time to read the angry and sad sentences. Although the time difference was small, it was significant, he adds. Moreover, the changes in reading time couldn't be attributed to changes in participants' mood.

The use of Botox to test how making facial expressions affect emotional centers in the brain was pioneered by, Andreas Hennenlotter of the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig, Germany.

"There is a long-standing idea in psychology, called the facial feedback hypothesis," says Havas. "Essentially, it says, when you're smiling, the whole world smiles with you. It's an old song, but it's right. Actually, this study suggests the opposite: When you're not frowning, the world seems less angry and less sad."

The Havas study broke new ground by linking the expression of emotion to the ability to understand language, says Havas's advisor, UW-Madison professor emeritus of psychology Arthur Glenberg. "Normally, the brain would be sending signals to the periphery to frown, and the extent of the frown would be sent back to the brain. But here, that loop is disrupted, and the intensity of the emotion, and of our ability to understand it when embodied in language, is disrupted."

Practically, the study "may have profound implications for the cosmetic-surgery," says Glenberg. "Even though it's a small effect, in conversation, people respond to fast, subtle cues about each other's understanding, intention and empathy. If you are slightly slower reacting as I tell you about something made me really angry, that could signal to me that you did not pick up my message."

Such an effect could snowball, Havas says, but the outcome could also be positive: "Maybe if I am not picking up sad, angry cues in the environment, that will make me happier."

In theoretical terms, the finding supports a psychological hypothesis called "embodied cognition," says Glenberg, now a professor of psychology at Arizona State University. "The idea of embodied cognition is that all our cognitive processes, even those that have been thought of as very abstract, are actually rooted in basic bodily processes of perception, action and emotion."

With some roots in evolutionary theory, the embodied cognition hypothesis suggests that our thought processes, like our emotions, are refined through evolution to support survival and reproduction.

Embodied cognition links two seemingly separate mental functions, Glenberg says. "It's been speculated at least since Darwin that the peripheral expression of emotion is a part of the emotion. An important role of emotion is social: it communicates, 'I love' or 'I hate you,' and it makes sense that there would be this very tight connection between peripheral expression and brain mechanism."

"Language has traditionally been seen as a very high level, abstract process that is divorced from more primitive processes like action, perception and emotion," Havas says. "This study shows that far from being divorced from emotion, language understanding can be hindered when those peripheral bodily mechanism are interrupted."

source: www.sciencecodex.com

To Get The Most Out Of Exercise, Eat Fewer Carbs

2010-02-01T13:21:00.000-08:00

Writing in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers say that Many of the health benefits of aerobic exercise are due to the most recent exercise session, and the nature of these benefits can be greatly affected by the food we eat afterwards.

Specifically, the study found that exercise enhanced insulin sensitivity, particularly when meals eaten after the exercise session contained relatively low carbohydrate content. Enhanced insulin sensitivity means that it is easier for the body to take up sugar from the blood stream into tissues like muscles, where it can be stored or used as fuel. Impaired insulin sensitivity (i.e., "insulin resistance") is a hallmark of Type II diabetes, as well as being a major risk factor for other chronic diseases, such as heart disease.

Interestingly, when the research subjects in this study ate relatively low-calorie meals after exercise, this did not improve insulin sensitivity any more than when they ate enough calories to match what they expended during exercise. This suggests that you don't have to starve yourself after exercise to still reap some of the important health benefits.

The study included nine healthy sedentary men, all around 28-30 years old. They spent four separate sessions in the Michigan Clinical Research Unit in the University of Michigan Hospital. Each session lasted for approximately 29 hours. They fasted overnight before attending each session, which began in the morning.

The four hospital visits differed primarily by the meals eaten after exercise. The following describes the four different visits:

They did not exercise and ate meals to match their daily calorie expenditure. This was the control trial.

They exercised for approximately 90 min at moderate intensity, and then ate meals that matched their caloric expenditure. The carbohydrate, fat, and protein content of these meals were also appropriately balanced to match their expenditure.

They exercised for approximately 90 min at moderate intensity and then ate meals with relatively low carbohydrate content, but they ate enough total calories to match their calorie expenditure. This reduced-carbohydrate meal contained about 200 grams of carbohydrate, less than half the carbohydrate content of the balanced meal.

They exercised for approximately 90 min at moderate intensity and then ate relatively low-calorie meals, that is, meals that provided less energy than was expended (about one-third fewer calories than the meals in the other two exercise trials). These meals contained a relatively high carbohydrate content to replace the carbohydrate "burned" during exercise.

The exercise was performed on a stationary bicycle and a treadmill. The order in which the participants did the trials was randomized.

In the three exercise trials, there was a trend for an increase in insulin sensitivity. However, when participants ate less carbohydrate after exercise, this enhanced insulin sensitivity significantly more. Although weight loss is important for improving metabolic health in overweight and obese people, these results suggests that people can still reap some important health benefits from exercise without undereating or losing weight, Dr. Horowitz said.

The study also reinforces the growing body of evidence that each exercise session can affect the body's physiology and also that differences in what you eat after exercise can produce different physiological changes.

"Differences in what you eat after exercise produce different effects on the body's metabolism," said the study's senior author, Jeffrey F. Horowitz of the University of Michigan. This study follows up on several previous studies that demonstrate that many health benefits of exercise are transient: one exercise session produces benefits to the body that taper off, generally within hours or a few days.

"Many of the improvements in metabolic health associated with exercise stem largely from the most recent session of exercise, rather than from an increase in 'fitness' per se," Dr. Horowitz said. "But exercise doesn't occur in a vacuum, and it is very important to look at both the effects of exercise and what you're eating after exercise."

The research team is now performing experiments with obese people, aimed at better identifying the minimum amount of exercise that will still improve insulin sensitivity at least into the next day.

source: www.scientificblogging.com

Yoga for stress relief

2010-01-29T13:32:00.000-08:00

Release the tension

Lee Kennedy

The tensions of daily life have an enormous impact on our emotions. In yogic science, the secretions of the hormonal system are believed to influence the mind and the nervous system. Strong emotions are linked to hormonal imbalances which leave us vulnerable to infection and conditions like insomnia, mental fatigue, irritability and stress.
While all can be triggered to a transient crisis and usually pass with the stress that causes them, they can also be chronic and associated with medical or psychiatric conditions or long-term medication.
Stress can often manifest itself in short bursts of impatience or overreaction to everyday events that one would normally take in one’s stride. Stress itself can be caused by a variety of factors – major life changes, such as separation or bereavement, and by sleep deprivation, work-related anxieties or allergies. Mental fatigue is characterised by forgetfulness, irritability, boredom, confusion, lack of concentration and depression, all of which can cause lack of sleep.
The potential seriousness of these conditions is often underestimated, and they can have grave implications for our health. The following yoga asana works on the endocrine glands and central nervous system to pacify the nerves, reduce the respiratory rate and calm a stressed body and mind. This inverted stretch also brings fresh blood to the heart as well as the lungs, increasing the entire body’s overall energy levels. It also stretches and strengthens the muscles of the shoulders, arms, hamstrings and calves.

Downward Facing Dog pose
> Begin on your hands and knees, with your knees directly below your hips (about hip width apart) and your hands slightly forward of your shoulders.
> Spread your fingers wide apart palms, with your index fingers parallel, and curl your toes under.
> Exhale and lift your knees away from the floor. Firstly, keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis and press it lightly toward the pubis.
> Lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling, and from your inner ankles draw the inner legs up into the groins.
> With an exhalation, push your top thighs back and stretch your heels towards the floor.
> Firm your shoulder blades against your back, then widen them and draw them toward the tailbone.
> Keep your head between your upper arms. If you feel you need it, use a block or folded blanket to support your head.
> Bend your knees to the floor with an exhalation and rest.

Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) should not be practiced if you have diarrhoea, arthritis or a fever. If you have a stiff spine, high blood pressure or prone to recurrent headaches or varicose veins always practice with your head supported on a block.

What Is Acupuncture?

2010-01-28T13:12:00.000-08:00

Acupuncture, simply stated, is a health science which is used to successfully treat both pain and dysfunction in the body.

Acupuncture has its roots deeply planted in China. In fact, authorities agree the science is between 5,000 and 7,000 years old. Its use spread throughout ancient Egypt, the Middle East, the Roman Empire and later into Western Europe as merchants and missionaries to China told of the amazing discoveries the people of the Orient had developed. Acupuncture did not become known on a national level in the US until 1971 when diplomatic relations between China and America were relaxed.

At first glimpse, Acupuncture appears strange, as its primary notoriety is the utilization of needles placed in the skin at various locations to relieve pain or affect a body part.

Early Chinese physicians discovered there is an energy network traversing just below the surface of the skin which communicates from the exterior to the internal organs and structures over 1,000 "Acupoints" on the body. This energy works in harmony with the body's circulatory, nervous, muscular, digestive, genitourinary and all other systems of the body. When this vital energy becomes blocked or weakened, an effect in a body system or anatomic location becomes evident. Stimulation of one or a combination of key "Acupoints" on the body may restore harmony to the affected area.

Historians have stated, "More people have benefited from Acupuncture over the course of 50 centuries than the combined total of all other healing sciences, both ancient and modern."

source: dr.towery.com

Study: Running Shoes Could Cause Joint Strain

2010-01-27T13:05:00.000-08:00

Running shoes, decked out with the latest cushioning, motion control and arch support technologies, may not be as beneficial to your feet and joints as you might think.

A new study finds that running shoes, at least the kind currently on the market, may actually put more of a strain on your joints than if you were to run barefoot or even to walk in high-heeled shoes, and the increased pressure could lead to knee, hip and ankle damage. The scientists don’t recommend ditching your high-tech sneaks, however, as going barefoot on man-made surfaces could also prove harmful,

While exercise is no doubt beneficial for overall health, running and walking put stresses on your joints that may predispose you to getting osteoarthritis in those areas, said Dr. D. Casey Kerrigan, who conducted the study while at the University of Virginia, where she was a professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Osteoarthritis is the breakdown of cartilage in your joints, which can lead to bone rubbing on bone, causing pain, Kerrigan explained. Walkers and runners should try to minimize forces on their joints to prevent this damage, she said.

In pervious work, Kerrigan and colleagues had shown that women's high-heeled shoes cause an increase in pressure on the knee joint, specifically in areas where osteoarthritis typically develops, compared with walking barefoot. Since cushioning in running shoes can also create a slightly elevated heel, Kerrigan decided to investigate whether or not these shoes also increase these potentially damaging forces.

Running on a "bathroom scale"

The study enrolled 37 women and 31 men who ran recreationally, at least 15 miles (24 km) per week. The subjects were then studied in a "gait laboratory," running either barefoot or with a typical running shoe. The subjects had markers on their knees, hips and ankle joints, and as they ran, cameras picked up these markers, allowing the researchers to see how the joints moved.

The subjects ran on a treadmill that contained a forceplate, a device Kerrigan describes as a "glorified bathroom scale." With each step, the forceplate provided measurements of the magnitude of their bodyweight forces on the joints, and the direction of those forces.

They specifically looked at torque, twisting force, which in this case mainly came from the participants’ bodyweight, For example, if you stand on one leg, your bodyweight would put more pressure on the inside part of your knee than on the outside part, causing a torque at the knee, Kerrigan explained.

The researchers found an increase in this torque for the knees, hips and ankles when the participants were wearing running shoes as compared with when they were running barefoot.

Specifically, they saw a 38 percent increase in torque in areas of the knee where osteoarthritis develops, Kerrigan said. Such a large increase was surprising, she said, because it was greater than the increase in knee torque she had observed for women wearing high heels, which was only 20 percent to 26 percent.

Kerrigan noted the study only provides an estimate of the joint forces, and not the exact forces, because the methods used do not directly measure the forces inside the knee and other joints. However, there are other studies to support that these types of estimates do match up fairly well with the actual forces inside the joints.

Is barefoot better?

Should you ditch your running shoes altogether? While the results might seem to suggest that you should go barefoot — a way of running that has recently become popular thanks to the best-selling book "Born to Run," by Christopher McDougall, in which the author argues that barefoot running is better for you — Kerrigan says that’s not the case.

"I'm concerned, I don't think this study should promote running barefoot," she said. "I think people should run in what they feel most comfortable running in ... and whether that's in a pair of running shoes or in a minimum kind of running shoe, that's just fine."

The problem with running sans shoes is that most of the man-made surfaces we run on are not "compliant" — they don't give, or compress, at the right time to absorb the peak forces on your joints, Kerrigan said.

"We've evolved to run on compliant surfaces, not on asphalt or concrete," she said. "You run on something hard, your body has to work that much harder to help absorb those forces, and that can lead to stresses and strain, wear and tear, really throughout the whole body."

Also, while certain aspects of shoes, such as arch support, may not be the best for your knee joints, they do protect the foot itself, and may help prevent other injuries, such as shin splints, Kerrigan said.

Kerrigan does have what she believes is a better running shoe system in mind that she thinks would help to minimize the harmful joint torques. She is currently developing her patented shoe design through JKM Technologies, LLC, a manufacturing and information technology service company of which Kerrigan is chairman.

The results were published in the Dec. 2009 issue of the PM&R, the journal of American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

By Rachael Rettner

What are Growing Pains?

2010-01-26T13:01:00.000-08:00

"Don't worry about it," mothers often tell children complaining of leg aches. "It's just growing pains."

Or is it? Growing pains are interesting, for in one way they are real but in another way, they don’t really exist. Growing pains are minor, unspecified aches and pains (often in the arms or legs) reported by young children.

The pains are real, but they are not caused by the child's growing body. The process of growing is so slow that if there was any physical pain associated with aging, it would be stretched out over the course of months. In short, growing isn’t painful (unless you’re Bruce Banner turning into the Incredible Hulk!). Of course, we are all growing all the time, so strictly speaking growing pains could strike at any age (arthritis could be considered growing pains for the elderly).

Growing pains are typically not dangerous or harmful, but instead a convenient (if somewhat dismissive) "catch-all" folk diagnosis for the minor sprains, muscle exhaustion, and sore muscles that occasionally plauge active kids.

— Benjamin Radford

5 Painful Facts You Need to Know

2010-01-25T14:06:00.000-08:00

By Robert Roy Britt

First off, let's set the record straight: Pain is normal. About 75 million U.S. residents endure chronic or recurrent pain. Migraines plague 25 million of us. One in six suffer arthritis.

The global pain industry peddles more than $50 billion in drugs a year. Yet for chronic pain sufferers, over-the-counter pills are typically little help, while morphine and other narcotics can be addictive sedatives.

An overview study published last month in the Journal of General Internal Medicine looked at multiple studies of pain and found "researchers don't yet know how to determine which [treatment] is best for individual patients." From studies of drugs to surgeries and alternative medicines, "We have found that there are huge gaps in our knowledge base," said Dr. Matthew J. Bair, assistant professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

So what is pain and why do so many suffer so long?

Pain is felt when electrical signals are sent from nerve endings to your brain, which in turn can release painkillers called endorphins and generate reactions that range from instant and physical to long-term and emotional. Beyond that, scientific understanding gets painfully fuzzy. Here's what's known:

1. Scientist don't understand pain

When you're in pain, you know it. But if scientists could fully grasp how pain works and why, they might be able to help you more. The American Academy of Pain Medicine defines pain as "an unpleasant sensation and emotional response to that sensation." Some pain is the result of an obvious injury. Other times, it is caused by damaged nerves that are not so easy to pinpoint. "Pain is complex and defies our ability to establish a clear definition," says Kathryn Weiner, director of the American Academy of Pain Management. "Pain is far more than neural transmission and sensory transduction. Pain is a complex mixture of emotions, culture, experience, spirit and sensation."

2. Chronic pain shrinks brains

If you have chronic pain, you know how demoralizing and debilitating it can be, physically and mentally. It can prevent you from doing things and make you irritable for reasons nobody else understands. But that's only half the story. People with chronic backaches have brains as much as 11 percent smaller than those of non-sufferers, scientists reported in 2004. They don't know why. "It is possible it's just the stress of having to live with the condition," said study leader A. Vania Apkarian of Northwestern University. "The neurons become overactive or tired of the activity."

3. Migraines and sex go together

It may not eliminate the phrase "Not tonight, honey ..." but a 2006 study found that migraine sufferers had levels of sexual desire 20 percent higher than those suffering from tension headaches. The finding suggests sexual desire and migraines might be influenced by the same brain chemical, and getting a better handle on the link could lead to better treatments, at least for the pain portion of the equation.

4. Women feel more pain

Any man who has watched a woman having a baby without using drugs would swear that women can tolerate anything. But the truth is, guys, it hurts more than you can imagine. Women have more nerve receptors than men. As an example, women have 34 nerve fibers per square centimeter of facial skin, while men average just 17. And in a 2005 study, women were found to report more pain throughout their lifetimes and, compared to men, they feel pain in more areas of their body and for longer durations.

5. Some animals don't feel our pain

Animal research could offer clues to eventually relieve human suffering. Take the naked mole rat, a hairless and nearly blind subterranean creature. A study this year found it feels neither the pain of acid nor the sting of chili peppers. If researchers can figure out why, they might be on the road to new sorts of painkilling therapies for humans. In 2006, scientists found a pathway for the transmission of chronic pain in rats that they hope will translate into better understanding of human chronic pain. Lobsters feel no pain, even when boiled, scientists said in a 2005 report that is just one more salvo in a long-running debate.

What you can do

Meanwhile, exercise is a useful remedy for many types of chronic pain.

In an Italian study detailed in the May issue of the journal Cephalalgia, office workers did relaxation and posture exercises every two to three hours. Over an eight-month period, they kept diaries, which were then compared to those of a control group that did not change habits. In the end, the group that exercised reported that headaches and neck and shoulder pain decreased by more than 40 per cent, and their use of painkillers was cut in half.

"Physical activity is actually a natural pain reliever for most people suffering from arthritis," concludes another study published in the Arthritis Care and Research journal in April. "Even minor lifestyle changes like taking a 10-minute walk three times a day can reduce the impact of arthritis on a person's daily activities and help to prevent developing more painful arthritis," said Dr. Patience White, chief public health officer of the Arthritis Foundation. "Physical activity can actually reduce pain naturally and decrease dependence on pain medications."

Chiropractic and Integrative Medicine

2010-01-22T13:44:00.000-08:00

Integrative medicine combines the practices of modern science and ancient healing. The emphasis in integrative medicine is the patient, and cooperation between disciplines. Integrative medicine is holistic, and brings out the best of each therapy toward the goal of improving the body, mind and spirit of patients.

As part of the overall field of complementary and alternative medicine, chiropractic is a well-established and well-studied member of a group of natural therapies. Chiropractic treatment, throughout its history, has mixed well with other therapies, some better than others. Below are a few of the therapies that chiropractic patients often encounter, many of them creating a synergistic effect.

Chiropractic and Acupuncture

Chiropractic and acupuncture work exceedingly well together. In fact, some chiropractors go back to school to learn acupuncture, and many others have acupuncturists working out of their offices. Chiropractic works with the skeletal and nervous system. Skeletal problems are often at the root of many physical complaints, yet an adjustment may not hold if uneven muscle tension or soft tissue inflammation are constantly tugging the bones out of alignment. Acupuncture works with soft tissue and overall balance of body function. By relieving pain while relaxing and balancing muscle and nervous function, acupuncture helps chiropractic adjustments to last longer. Together, these therapies can shorten the overall time required to resolve a musculoskeletal complaint.

Chiropractic and Massage

Many chiropractors have massage therapists working in their offices. For complaints involving a combination of skeletal misalignment and muscle injury or chronic tension, massage therapy is an important ingredient in successful chiropractic treatment. As with acupuncture, the combination of hard and soft tissue therapy leads to fast recovery, and fewer visits to resolve a complaint.

Chiropractic, Homeopathy and Naturopathy

Homeopaths and naturopaths often share patients with chiropractors. All three professions share a dedication to natural therapies and emphasize balance and wellness in treatment. Homeopaths may prescribe homeopathic remedies that will complement chiropractic treatment. This allows a chiropractic treatment of low back pain to combine with the appropriate remedy that will, for example, also treat the depression that often accompanies chronic pain. Naturopaths may prescribe herbal and nutritional supplements, along with herbal baths, sophisticated massage techniques and other natural therapies. These therapies, like homeopathic remedies, can extend chiropractic treatment, either helping to increase effectiveness, or to broaden treatment to include a wider range of symptoms.

Chiropractic and Your Doctor

Though chiropractic has come a long way since the 1960's, many physicians are still cautious about recommending its use. From seeking to ban the practice of chiropractic entirely, physicians are now referring more patients than ever to chiropractors. In a National Institutes of Health study in 2006, 87% of physicians reported that patients had requested a referral to a chiropractor. About 65% of physicians in the study had recommended that patients try chiropractic, largely for neck pain, back pain, unresponsive chronic pain, fibromyalgia and musculoskeletal conditions. Those percentages are an improvement on the past, but they also show that 22% of physicians, when asked for a chiropractic referral, declined to make one.

No matter what your doctor thinks about chiropractic, you should always inform your various healthcare providers about one another. Think of your doctor, your chiropractor and others as a team working toward your health, even if they aren't interested in working with each other.

Chiropractic and Physical Therapy

There are large areas of overlap between chiropractic and physical therapy. Some chiropractors work well with physical therapists in integrative health clinics, but there is also historically some bad blood between these two professions. Each treats similar complaints, though physical therapists are better integrated into mainstream medicine than chiropractors. A 1998 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine compared chiropractic and physical therapy for low back pain, finding that each had similar benefit to the patient.

In general, if you are seeing both a chiropractor and a physical therapist, you should tell these professionals about one another. Both chiropractic and physical therapy can result in sore muscles at times, an effect that would be worsened if the two therapies were performed too close together.

Integrative medicine is the wave of the future in healthcare. Clinics devoted to the concepts of integrative medicine are appearing in most major cities, and it is more common each year to see widely different healthcare professionals working side by side to the patient's benefit. Chiropractic will continue to play a leading role as the concept of integrative medicine develops.

source: www.altmd.com

Want to see what the Microdermabrasion procedure looks like?

2010-01-21T13:32:00.000-08:00

When you are ready to schedule a consultation, or to have the procedure done, please contact us at:
Texas Microderm

Chiropractic for Fibromyalgia

2010-01-20T13:38:00.000-08:00

Fibromyalgia is a mysterious and complex disorder for which there is no cure. Chiropractic treatment has helped many people by reducing fibromyalgia symptoms and improving quality of life.

Fibromyalgia was not recognized by the American Medical Association as a diagnosis until 1987, even though healers have been treating its symptoms since at least the 1600s. Today, because there is no specific test to determine if a person has fibromyalgia, some conventional physicians still deny that the disorder exists. Instead, they attribute symptoms to emotional or psychological causes.

Current research suggests that fibromyalgia is a disorder of the central nervous system. People with fibromyalgia appear to have abnormalities in the chemical compounds (neurotransmitters) that transmit nerve impulses. They also have, on average, four times as much nerve growth factor as people without the disorder. This suggests that fibromyalgia is a problem of central nervous system hypersensitivity. Because chiropractic medicine is based on the theory that an individual's health is controlled by the state of his or her central nervous system, chiropractors, who are experts in this area, are especially well suited to help patients reduce their fibromyalgia symptoms.

How Do Chiropractors Diagnose Fibromyalgia?

The average person with fibromyalgia does not get a correct diagnosis for more than five years after seeking conventional medical treatment, and more than half of all people with the disorder seeing a conventional physician receive a misdiagnosis that may lead to unnecessary and invasive treatment, including unneeded surgeries. Because the symptoms of fibromyalgia affect the entire body in a variety of individual ways, many people find relief through a holistic approach, such as provided by a chiropractor.

Because fibromyalgia produces different symptoms in different individuals, the chiropractor needs to be a good and discerning listener. It is important that patients choose a chiropractor with whom they feel comfortable and have good communication with.

At the initial session, the chiropractor will take a complete health history and perform a physical assessment. The chiropractor will evaluate the patient's spine alignment, palpate muscles, and use the thumb to put pressure on 18 predetermined tender points. In healthy people, the tender points only hurt when enough pressure is put on them to make the base of the thumbnail turn white. In people with fibromyalgia, the tender points will hurt when much less pressure is applied. The chiropractor may also press certain control sites, such as the forehead, where no pain should be felt.

How Do Chiropractors Treat Fibromyalgia?

Based on the general and tender point evaluation, the chiropractor will make adjustments to the neck and spine. Manipulations are done using the hands and consist of a short, sharp thrust that may cause a popping sound (thus the common saying that a chiropractor "cracks" the back). The goal of these adjustments is to correct misalignment of the spine. Once the spine is correctly aligned, pain symptoms in any parts of the body, not just the spine and neck, should be reduced or disappear. When pain is reduced, other problems, such as disrupted sleep, fatigue, and depression, tend to disappear. The chiropractor may also suggest herbal or homeopathic treatments, or changes in diet, lifestyle, and sleep hygiene to improve your health.

Many health insurance policies cover some or all of the costs of chiropractic visits. Patients should check with their insurer before beginning treatment. Patients usually see their chiropractor more frequently at the beginning of the treatment period in order to relieve pain. This is followed by regular but less frequent appointments to maintain gains made in healing. In chronic disorders such as fibromyalgia, treatment may be long term. There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but chiropractic treatment has helped many people by reducing symptoms and improving quality of life.

What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome, and not a specific disease. This means that people who have fibromyalgia exhibit a specific constellation of symptoms. The disorder is diagnosed by elimination when no other explanation can account for the symptoms. To have fibromyalgia, the individual must have widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body that lasts more or less continuously, for at least three months. The patient must also have pain in at least 11 of 18 tender points. A tender point is a pre-designated spot that is painful when 4 kg of pressure (about 9 lb, or enough to make the nail bed of the finger whiten) is applied.

Individuals with fibromyalgia may also experience other symptoms including:

Morning stiffness
Poor sleep or sleep disorders
Chronic headaches
Myofascial pain syndrome
Restless leg syndrome
Menstrual irregularities
Muscle twitches and/or muscle weakness
Fatigue
Depression
Anxiety

Chiropractic Training

There are two types of chiropractors in the United States today. Straight chiropractors treat patients using only spinal manipulations, and they do not use or advocate any other therapies. Mixed chiropractors use spinal manipulations, but also integrate into their practice other alternatives therapies such as massage, nutritional counseling, homeopathic medicine, and herbal remedies. Some mixed chiropractors also work with conventional medical doctors to integrate conventional and alternative therapies. About 85 percent of chiropractors are mixed practitioners. Most chiropractors who treat fibromyalgia are of the mixed type and take a holistic approach to their patient's care.

In the United States, there are 18 chiropractic programs accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education. This body was established in 1974 to standardize educational training for chiropractors and oversee the accreditation process. Admission to an accredited chiropractic program requires a minimum of two years of undergraduate college work with emphasis on the natural sciences. The chiropractic program is four years in length and consists of about 5,000 hours of instruction, of which about 70 percent is hands-on clinical work. Each state has a board that establishes licensing requirements for practicing chiropractors.

source: www.altmd.com

Reader's Choice - Top 5 Cellulite Reduction Procedures

2010-01-19T13:22:00.000-08:00

Cellulite is somewhere near the very top of every woman's most hated list. The skin dimpling affects women at all sizes, even the very small. It is caused by inconsistencies in the texture of the fat under the skin and affects women more often than men. There are creams available that claim to help smooth the skin, but most physicians agree that they aren't very helpful and a more aggressive treatment is needed to truly smooth out those cottage cheese thighs.

1 - VelaShape: VelaShape from Syneron uses a combination of Bi-Polar Radio Frequency and Infrared Light - plus tissue mobilization combined with suction to reduce the appearance of cellulite and re-contour the body. Multiple treatments are needed to achieve optimum results but there is no downtime and treatment generally takes about 30 minutes. It is an FDA approved device and has been shown to also provide circumferential reduction.

2 - Accent Laser: The Accent Laser by Alma Lasers uses radiofrequency to treat cellulite and other fatty deposits. It primarily works in three ways. First, it heats underneath the skin causing fat cells to shrink. Secondly, it improves circulation to the area. And finally, it stimulates collagen production which makes the area look smoother.

3 - VelaSmooth: VelaSmooth is also from Syneron and features their elos(tm) technology. Using a combination of Bi-Polar Frequency, Infrared Light, and tissue mobilization, the VelaSmooth device has shown impressive results in the reduction of cellulite. Studies show VelaSmooth results should last close to 6 months if combined with a balanced diet and regular exercise.

4 - SmoothShapes: SmoothShapes from Eleme Medical offers a painless, non-invasive process through laser and light techniques to improve engorged fat cells and treat cellulite at its source. The technology that Smooth Shapes uses is called Photomology, a trademarked technology that combines laser, light, vacuum, and contoured rollers to attack cellulite directly. The end result? Smoother looking skin that is younger and tighter immediately. Treatments will generally be taken about twice a week for four weeks for a total of eight treatments that last about 20 minutes long each.

5 - Endermologie: Endermologie is a safe and painless procedure designed to reduce the appearance of cellulite and smooth the skin. The Endermologie machine massages the problem areas with a combination of suction and rollers. Circulation can be increased by up to 200 percent, resulting in the stretching of subdermal connective tissue and the natural elimination of body toxins and excess retained water. During the process, a special body suit is worn to keep the rollers from direct contact with the skin.

source: www.americanhealthandbeauty.com

What Is Microdermabrasion?

2010-01-18T13:52:00.000-08:00

By Anitra Brown

Microdermabrasion is mechanical exfoliation that removes the uppermost layer of dead skin cells from the face, chest and hands. For best results, it is recommended you get a series of treatments and use in conjunction with anti-aging skin care products.

The price for a single microdermabrasion treatment usually ranges from $100 - $150. With a series, you might get one free. Microdermabrasion takes about 20-30 minutes and there's no down-time for the skin to recover. That's why it's also sometimes called a "lunchtime peel."

Benefits of Microdermabrasion

* Microdermabrasion leaves skin with a fresher, more glowing look.

* Microdermabrasion diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, enlarged pores, and coarse textured skin.

* Microdermabrasion makes it easy for high-tech skin care products to actually penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin and help build collagen, which gives skin its youthful appearance.

Other Names for Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion is also known as particle resurfacing, power peel, derma-peel or Parisian peel.

How Microdermabrasion Works

Microdermabrasion uses a powerful device to spray microcrystals of aluminum dioxide (corundum powder) across the skin’s surface. The aluminum dioxide is a very fine, very hard, sand-like material that blasts away the uppermost layer of dead skin cells on the skin's epidermis.

Microdermabrasion can be uncomfortable around the sensitive tissue of the mouth and nose, but should not be painful. After the treatment, the technician vacuums away the traces of the corundum powder.

Cautions on Microdermabrasion

*Check on the training of the person who is going to give you the microdermabrasion treatment. Results depend in part on their expertise.

*Make sure all traces of the aluminum dioxide is removed from your skin.

*Apply sunscreen and stay out of the sun after your treatment. Along with the dead skin cells, you have removed some of your protection.

*Microdermabrasion is not recommended for sensitive skin, skin that easily reddens (called couperous), or skin with acne breakouts.

*Aging skin is already thin. Overdoing microdermabrasion treatments can make it even thinner.

For more information, or to schedule a consult, please visit us at Texas Microderm.

ADHD Helped With Chiropractic

2010-01-15T12:48:00.000-08:00

In the peer-reviewed research publication, the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT), comes a case study of a child with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), who was helped with chiropractic.

The case was of a 5 year old boy who had been diagnosed with ADHD at age 2. The child’s pediatrician prescribed methylphenidate (Ritalin), Adderall, and Haldol for the next 3 years. The combination of drugs was unsuccessful in helping the child.

At age 5 the child was brought to a chiropractor to see if chiropractic care would help. The history taken at that time noted that during the child’s birth, there were complications during his delivery process. The results of this trauma and complications resulted in a 4-day stay in the neonatal intensive care unit. The child’s mother reported no other incidence of trauma.

The chiropractic examination and x-rays showed noticeable spinal distortion including a reversal of the normal neck curve indicative of subluxations. Chiropractic care was begun and the child’s progress was monitored.

According to his mother, positive changes in her son's general behavior were noticed around the twelfth visit. By the 27th visit the patient had experienced considerable improvement.

The child was brought by the mother to the medical doctor for a follow up visit and questioned the usage of the Ritalin. The medical doctor reviewed and examined the child and based on that assessment and his clinical experience, the MD felt that the young boy was no longer exhibiting symptoms associated with ADHD. He then took the boy off the medications that he had been taking for 3 years.

The conclusion of the author of the JMPT case study noted, “The patient experienced significant reduction in symptoms. Additionally, the medical doctor concluded that the reduction in symptoms was significant enough to discontinue the medication.”

source: Chiropracticresearch.org

Did you see Velashape on Rachel Ray?

2010-01-14T12:43:00.000-08:00

It's the Cellulite solution that is sweeping the nation! This is a video from the Rachel Ray show...........

When you are ready for your consultation, be sure to contact us! Texas Velashape

Abnormal Sleeping Patterns Helped With Chiropractic - A Case Study

2010-01-13T12:17:00.000-08:00

The Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics (JCCP) documented the effects of chiropractic care on a nine month old infant girl with a history of disturbed sleep. The JCCP is the official publication of the Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics of the International Chiropractors Association.

The study article starts off by noting that the average 9 month old should sleep approximately 14 hours per day. In this case study a nine month old infant girl was presented for chiropractic care with a history of severely disrupted sleep and fussiness. Additionally, the infant was refusing to breastfeed on one side and exhibited, what was called a generally unsettled behavior. It was also noted that the child would not turn her head to the left. These problems had been occurring since birth.

The examination confirmed a reduced range of neck motion to the left and significant muscle tension in the left and upper neck. Upon touching the neck the child exhibited signs of being in pain by crying and moving away. It was determined that subluxations were present, and an appropriate course of adjustments was initiated.

The results in this case were very impressive. The study noted that on the afternoon after the infants first adjustment the baby girl fell asleep for 5 hours. This was followed by nighttime sleep of 2 periods of 6 hours each. Over the next three weeks of care the daytime sleep got shorter, but the nighttime sleep remained between 6 and 8 hours.

In addition to the dramatic sleep improvement, the child also improved her range of neck motion and was able to turn her head to the left in response to sound on the left side. Additionally the infant began to feed freely and comfortably.

In their conclusion, the authors of the case study noted that the dramatic improvements after just one adjustment indicated that the vertebral subluxation found in this case was at least in part responsible for the disrupted sleep pattern.

source: www.chiropracticresearch.org

I know you've heard of Velashape.

2010-01-12T12:05:00.000-08:00

But have you actually seen how it works?

For more information, contact us at: Texas VELASHAPE

Alternative Explanation for Why People Get Fat

2010-01-11T14:21:00.000-08:00

by: Dr. Joseph Mercola

It has been over seven years since Gary Taubes wrote the landmark article What if it’s All Been a Big Fat Lie?. This piece was one of the first to hit the mainstream presses (The New York Times) and speak the truth: that fat is not an evil villain that must be banished from the food supply.
In countries around the world, waistlines are expanding so rapidly that health experts recently coined a term for the epidemic: globesity. One in three of the world’s adults is overweight and one in 10 is obese.
Much of this can be blamed on the simple theory that if you take in more calories than your burn, you will gain weight. But the issue is much more complex than that.

There are several more or less obvious reasons for the dramatic rise in obesity since the 1970s, including:

Increased consumption of highly processed food, especially fructose

Increased portion sizes of restaurant food and grocery products

Increased driving and computer use (sedentary activities)

Increased modernization

Certain medications

Endocrine disorders and genetics

Changing social perceptions of what is "normal" weight

There are also some not so obvious reasons why people are gaining weight at alarming rates. It may be that far more important than the number of calories you consume in a day may be the type of calories you consume.

And if you’re eating a lot of fructose (and there’s a good chance you are considering it’s the number one source of calories in the United States!), it could be programming your body to become fat.

Fructose is Likely Fueling the Obesity Crisis

Too much fructose will pack on the pounds faster than a buffet of French fries and Krispy Cremes.

It isn’t that fructose itself is bad -- it is the MASSIVE DOSES you’re exposed to that make it dangerous.

If you received your fructose only from vegetables and fruits (where it originates) as most people did a century ago, you’d consume about 15 grams per day -- a far cry from the 73 grams per day the typical adolescent gets from sweetened drinks alone. In vegetables and fruits, it’s mixed in with fiber, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and beneficial phytonutrients, all which moderate any negative metabolic effects.

Without getting into the very complex biochemistry of carbohydrate metabolism, it is important to understand some differences about how your body handles glucose versus fructose.

I will be publishing a major article about this in the next couple of months, which will get much more into the details, but for our purpose here, I will just summarize the main points.

Dr. Robert Lustig, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at the University of California, San Francisco, has been a pioneer in decoding sugar metabolism. His work has highlighted some major differences in how different sugars are broken down and used:

After eating fructose, 100 percent of the metabolic burden rests on your liver. But with glucose, your liver has to break down only 20 percent.

Every cell in your body, including your brain, utilizes glucose. Therefore, much of it is “burned up” immediately after you consume it. By contrast, fructose is turned into free fatty acids (FFAs), VLDL (the damaging form of cholesterol), and triglycerides, which get stored as fat.

The fatty acids created during fructose metabolism accumulate as fat droplets in your liver and skeletal muscle tissues, causing insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Insulin resistance progresses to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

Fructose is the most lipophilic carbohydrate. In other words, fructose converts to activated glycerol (g-3-p), which is directly used to turn FFAs into triglycerides. The more g-3-p you have, the more fat you store. Glucose does not do this.

When you eat 120 calories of glucose, less than one calorie is stored as fat. 120 calories of fructose results in 40 calories being stored as fat. Consuming fructose is essentially consuming fat!

The metabolism of fructose by your liver creates a long list of waste products and toxins, including a large amount of uric acid, which drives up blood pressure and causes gout.

Glucose suppresses the hunger hormone ghrelin and stimulates leptin, which suppresses your appetite. Fructose has no effect on ghrelin and interferes with your brain’s communication with leptin, resulting in overeating.

So please do not get caught up in the common mainstream thinking that eating fat is what causes you to get fat. Much more so, it is eating an excess of simple carbs, including fructose, that will lead to a cascade of disastrous metabolic effects in your body.

The bottom line is: fructose leads to increased belly fat, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome -- not to mention the long list of chronic diseases that directly result.

If you want further confirmation, check out this study published in the Journal of Nutrition last year. Researchers found that fructose turned into body fat much more quickly than glucose, and that having it for breakfast changed how the body handled fats at lunch.

Said Dr. Elizabeth Parks, associate professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern Medical Center and lead author of the study in Science Daily:

"Our study shows for the first time the surprising speed with which humans make body fat from fructose … Once you start the process of fat synthesis from fructose, it's hard to slow it down … It's basically sneaking into the rock concert through the fence. It's a less-controlled movement of fructose through these pathways that causes it to contribute to greater triglyceride [i.e. fat] synthesis.”

Ironically, the very products that most people rely on to lose weight -- low-fat diet foods -- are often those that contain the most fructose! Even “natural” diet foods often contain fructose as a sweetener.

Sugar Can Also Interfere With Your Fat Cells’ Messages

Contrary to the popular belief that fat cells should be banished, they are an active and intelligent part of your body, producing hormones that impact your brain, liver, immune system and even your ability to reproduce.

What’s more, the hormones your fat cells produce impact how much you eat and how much fat you burn.

One of these hormones is leptin, which sends signals that reduce hunger, increase fat burning and reduce fat storage.

That is, if your cells are communicating properly and can “hear” this message.

If you eat a diet that is high in sugar and grains, the sugar gets metabolized to fat (and is stored as fat in your fat cells), which in turn releases surges in leptin. Over time, if your body is exposed to too much leptin, it will become resistant to it (just as your body can become resistant to insulin).

And when you become leptin-resistant, your body can no longer hear the messages telling it to stop eating and burn fat -- so it remains hungry and stores more fat.

Leptin-resistance also causes an increase in visceral fat, sending you on a vicious cycle of hunger, fat storage and an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and more.

It’s Time to Cut Out the Fructose

Ideally I recommend that you avoid sugar, in all forms. This is especially important for people who are overweight or have diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

But if you are just starting out and looking to cut out fructose first, the largest contributor is easily soda, for which HFCS is the primary sweetener. But fructose is not only in sugary drinks. It’s in the vast majority of processed foods, even those you wouldn’t think of as sweet, such as ketchup, soup, salad dressing, bread and crackers.

So even if you don’t drink soda, if you eat processed foods you’re likely consuming fructose -- and a lot of it.

Even natural sweeteners like agave syrup should be avoided, as it is a highly processed sap that is almost all fructose!

If you’re looking for the occasional sweet treat, I recommend, in this order:

The herb stevia

Raw, organic honey

Organic cane sugar

Small amounts of whole fruit, which do contain fructose, are not a problem. If you’re healthy, you can enjoy fruit in moderation according to your nutritional type.

The 7 foods experts won't eat

2010-01-08T13:24:00.000-08:00

How healthy (or not) certain foods are—for us, for the environment—is a hotly debated topic among experts and consumers alike, and there are no easy answers. But when Prevention talked to the people at the forefront of food safety and asked them one simple question—“What foods do you avoid?”—we got some pretty interesting answers. Although these foods don’t necessarily make up a "banned” list, as you head into the holidays—and all the grocery shopping that comes with it—their answers are, well, food for thought:

1. Canned Tomatoes

The expert: Fredrick vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A

The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people's body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. "You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that's a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young," says vom Saal. "I won't go near canned tomatoes."

The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe's and Pomi.

2. Corn-Fed Beef

The expert: Joel Salatin, co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming

The problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter. More money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery store) means a lot less nutrition for us. A recent comprehensive study conducted by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found that compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium; lower in inflammatory omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease. "We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure," says Salatin.

The solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers, farmers' markets, and nationally at Whole Foods. It's usually labeled because it demands a premium, but if you don't see it, ask your butcher.

3. Microwave Popcorn

The expert: Olga Naidenko, PhD, a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group,

The problem: Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining of the bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA. In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize—and migrate into your popcorn. "They stay in your body for years and accumulate there," says Naidenko, which is why researchers worry that levels in humans could approach the amounts causing cancers in laboratory animals. DuPont and other manufacturers have promised to phase out PFOA by 2015 under a voluntary EPA plan, but millions of bags of popcorn will be sold between now and then.

The solution: Pop natural kernels the old-fashioned way: in a skillet. For flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed, vegetable flakes, or soup mix.

4. Nonorganic Potatoes

The expert: Jeffrey Moyer, chair of the National Organic Standards Board

The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes—the nation's most popular vegetable—they're treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they're dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. "Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It won't," says Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher of Prevention). "I've talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals."

The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn't good enough if you're trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.

5. Farmed Salmon

The expert: David Carpenter, MD, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany and publisher of a major study in the journal Science on contamination in fish.

The problem: Nature didn't intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT. According to Carpenter, the most contaminated fish come from Northern Europe, which can be found on American menus. "You can only safely eat one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk of cancer," says Carpenter, whose 2004 fish contamination study got broad media attention. "It's that bad." Preliminary science has also linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. There is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals.

The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it's farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon.

6. Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones

The expert: Rick North, project director of the Campaign for Safe Food at the Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and former CEO of the Oregon division of the American Cancer Society

The problem: Milk producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to boost milk production. But rBGH also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk. It also leads to higher levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor in milk. In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to breast, prostate, and colon cancers. "When the government approved rBGH, it was thought that IGF-1 from milk would be broken down in the human digestive tract," says North. As it turns out, the casein in milk protects most of it, according to several independent studies. "There's not 100% proof that this is increasing cancer in humans," admits North. "However, it's banned in most industrialized countries."

The solution: Check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without artificial hormones, or organic milk. These phrases indicate rBGH-free products.

7. Conventional Apples

The expert: Mark Kastel, former executive for agribusiness and codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, a farm-policy research group that supports organic foods

The problem: If fall fruits held a "most doused in pesticides contest," apples would win. Why? They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don't develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that it's just common sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused produce, like apples. "Farm workers have higher rates of many cancers," he says. And increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson's disease.

The solution: Buy organic apples. If you can't afford organic, be sure to wash and peel them first.

How to pay less for organic.

source: Shine

Researchers Find Yoga May Be Effective For Chronic Low Back Pain In Minority Populations

2010-01-07T13:16:00.000-08:00

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center found that yoga may be more effective than standard treatment for reducing chronic low back pain in minority populations. This study appears in the November issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.

Low back pain is common in the United States, resulting in substantial disability and cost to society. Individuals from low-income, minority backgrounds with chronic low back pain (CLBP) may be more affected due to disparities in access to treatment. Although many CLBP patients seek relief from complementary therapies such as yoga, use of these approaches are less common among minorities and individuals with lower incomes or less education.

BUSM researchers recruited adults with CLBP from two community health centers that serve racially diverse, low-income neighborhoods of Boston. They were randomly assigned to either a standardized 12-week series of hatha yoga classes or standard treatment including doctor's visits and medications.

As part of the trial, the researchers asked participants to report their average pain intensity for the previous week, how their function is limited due to back pain, and how much pain medication they are taking. The yoga group participated in 12 weekly 75-minute classes that included postures, breathing techniques, and meditation. Classes were taught by a team of registered yoga teachers and were limited to eight participants. Home practice for 30 minutes daily was strongly encouraged. Participants were provided with an audio CD of the class, a handbook describing and depicting the exercises, a yoga mat, strap, and block.

Pain scores for the yoga participants decreased by one-third compared to the control group, which decreased by only 5 percent. Whereas pain medication use in the control group did not change, yoga participants' use of pain medicines decreased by 80 percent. Improvement in function was also greater for yoga participants but was not statistically significant.

"Few studies of complementary therapies have targeted minority populations with low back pain" explained lead author Robert B. Saper, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of family medicine at BUSM and director of integrative medicine at Boston Medical Center. "Our pilot study showed that yoga is well-received in these communities and may be effective for reducing pain and pain medication use," said Saper.

This study was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

source: ScienceDaily

Ergonomists Find Kids Too Are at Risk From Repetitive Strain Injuries

2010-01-06T13:11:00.000-08:00

Ergonomists say that, even in teens, poor body posture and incorrect positioning of the keyboard, screen, and mouse are contributing to the risk of contracting neck and back pains and even carpal tunnel syndrome. A survey of 500 children found that long hours spent at the computer can result in repetitive strain symptoms usually seen only in adults.

These days, teenagers use computers for hours every day. But over time, all that logging on may be putting the kind of strains on their bodies that used to only be seen in adults. If your teens are on the computer all the time now, these new techniques may keep them pain-free later in life.

Computers are the name of the game for today's tech-savvy teens. Most of them have been logging on since they were pre-K! Experts say many of these surfers spend too much time on the computer every day, so their bodies are paying the price with symptoms like finger pain and neck cramps.

"Kids who use the computers everyday are twice as likely to have symptoms -- the kind of symptoms that when we see them as adults are warning signs of disability," ergonomist Robin Mary Gillespie, tells DBIS.

She says in a survey of 500 people, ages 12 to 18, the most common complaint of daily computer users was neck and shoulder pain. To avoid pain, the mouse needs to be as close to your body as possible. Put a bridge over the number keypad so the mouse is closer to you.

Also, monitors are often too high for kids, causing neck discomfort from looking up. So, lower the monitor to keep your neck straight, or use a chair where you can adjust the height. Gillespie says laptop users should use an external keyboard and mouse to control the distance between the screen and keyboard.

"The final thing that we look at a lot is the bending of the hands," Gillespie says. "This would be the sort of thing that leads to carpal tunnel syndrome." To avoid this, type with your hands as flat as possible. Don't put up the little feet on the keyboard, and take breaks every 20 minutes.

BACKGROUND: A new study on how kids' body position as they use computers can harm their health is the first to demonstrate a direct connection between computer over-use and pain in the upper body. Office workers have been instructed on proper posture for computer use since the late 1980s, but kids are now beginning to develop similar problems: eye strain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and neck stiffness.

WHAT IS ERGONOMICS: This is a branch of science that strives to design the job to fit the worker, rather than the other way around. In the modern office, it most commonly relates to the physical stresses placed on joints, muscles, nerves, tendons, bones, even hearing and eyesight, along with other environmental factors that can adversely affect comfort and health. Ergonomics deals with the interaction of technology and work environments with the human body, and involves anatomy, physiology and psychology in the design of chairs, desks, computer accessories, the design of car controls and instruments -- in short, any kind of product that could help relieve potential repetitive strain from a given job or task.

POTENTIAL FOR INJURY: The most common repetitive strain injury (also known as cumulative trauma disorder) is carpal tunnel syndrome, which affects the hand and wrist. Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome or related repetitive strain include tingling or numbness in the hands and fingers; and loss of strength or coordination in the hands. Tendonitis and many back injuries can also result from repetitive motions.

CONSUMER TIPS: Adults and children need to follow the same basic tips to avoid repetitive stress injuries:

Raise or lower chairs to avoid typing with your wrists at an odd angle. (For children, it might be wise to buy special kid-sized furniture, mice and keyboards, designed for smaller bodies and hands.)
Place your keyboard at a level slightly lower than normal desk height.
Use a footrest to avoid dangling your legs.
While typing, wrists should not be bent up, down or to the side. The knuckle, wrist and top of the forearm should form a straight line.
Elbows should form a 90-degree angle while hanging at the sides from the shoulders, and the shoulders should remain relaxed in a lowered position while typing.
Do not use wrist supports or rests while you are typing, only when pausing to rest.
Adjust computer monitors to avoid glare.
Take frequent breaks from repetitive tasks to give your body a rest.
Use a light touch when typing or holding the mouse.

source: ScienceDaily

Miss Whiplash With Locking Headrest, Study Suggests

2010-01-05T13:39:00.000-08:00

Whiplash neck injuries among drivers and their passengers who have been shunted from behind are a major cause of long-term health problems and, in extreme cases, death. A report in International Journal of Vehicle Systems Modelling and Testing describes a new type of vehicle headrest that can both improve safety and comfort.

The new headrest being developed by Italian engineers can be easily positioned so that it is always at the optimum passenger head distance to avoid whiplash injuries during a rear vehicle collision. However, the headrest almost instantaneously locks in position during a crash and provides the best protection for driver and passengers.

Federico Giorgetta, Massimiliano Gobbi, and Giampiero Mastinu of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, at the Technical University in Milan worked with Renato Ravicino of Italian headrest manufacturer Gestind MB S.p.A., based in Bruzolo, to develop the new system.

Gobbi and colleagues explain their motivation: "Whiplash injuries constitute a growing health problem and economic burden in westernised and motorised nations," and suggest that, "Without significant efforts in crash prevention and improvements in vehicle safety design, especially with more effective seat back and head restraint systems, the ever increasing traffic density will show a rise in this negative trend."

Part of the problem is the drivers and their passengers are unaware of the personal harm a whiplash injury can do and usually fail to adjust their headrest to the optimum height. Moreover, common headrests are often difficult to adjust and are pressed downwards by the head in a collision and so do nothing to save the person from injury. A headrest that can be adjusted without fuss to the optimum safety and comfort level is needed, the team says. The team has studied the biomechanics of whiplash injury, so named because of the way the head moves when involved in a rear-end collision.

They explain that whiplash is an issue of rapid "acceleration-deceleration" with energy transferred to the neck in rear-end or side-impact collisions. A whiplash can cause bone and soft-tissue injuries that may or may not be treated effectively. Such injuries are preventable with better headrest design the team believes.

They have developed full-scale tests and a scaled test-rig for research and development of the new headrest prototype. The new headrest has an automatic locking system that is activated only in a collision, locking the headrest within milliseconds. At other times, the headrest is unrestrained and can be adjusted without difficult manoeuvres involving the depression of various locking buttons.

source: ScienceDaily

Aerobic Exercise No Big Stretch For Older Adults But Helps Elasticity Of Arteries

2010-01-04T14:14:00.000-08:00

ScienceDaily (Dec. 30, 2009) — Just three months of physical activity reaps heart health benefits for older adults with type 2 diabetes by improving the elasticity in their arteries -- reducing risk of heart disease and stroke, Dr. Kenneth Madden told the 2009 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

Dr. Madden studied adults between the ages of 65 to 83 with controlled Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol to see how increased activity might affect stiffness of the arteries.

"The theory is that aerobic activity makes your arteries less stiff and makes artery walls more elastic," says Dr. Madden, a geriatric specialist at the University of British Columbia.

An improvement was seen in the elasticity of the arteries of the group that performed the activity compared to those who didn't exercise. "There was an impressive drop in arterial stiffness after just three months of exercise. In that time we saw a 15 to 20 per cent reduction."

The subjects were divided into two groups to either receive three months of vigorous physical activity (one hour, three times per week) or to get no aerobic exercise at all. Subjects were classified as sedentary at the beginning of the study but gradually increased their fitness levels until they were working at 70 per cent of their maximum heart rate, using treadmills and cycling machines. They were supervised by a certified exercise trainer.

Dr. Beth Abramson, spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, stresses the importance of lifestyle factors on heart health, especially with our aging population. "Almost everyone can benefit from active living," she says. "The Foundation recommends that, like adults of any age, older adults -- with the consent of their physicians − need 30 to 60 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week."

Dr. Madden says that the exercise requirements may be viewed as controversial because of the age of the participants but the exercise level was safe and well tolerated. "There seems to be a knee-jerk reluctance to getting these older adults to exercise yet we used a vigorous level of activity and didn't have any trouble keeping participants in our study. They enjoyed the activity," Dr. Madden says. "People always underestimate what older adults can do."

Dr. Madden notes that realistically, seniors need someone to help them get started. "We need to learn how to do it effectively and how to do it safely," he says. "It could mean visiting your family doctor to find out about provincially funded programs, or joining programs for seniors that are offered at many local community centres."

Dr. Abramson recommends that seniors choose activities they enjoy, such as walking, gardening, golfing, dancing, or joining a yoga or tai chi class. If weather is a barrier, she suggests climbing stairs at home, joining a mall-walking group, or strolling the halls of their apartment building or retirement residence.

In his next project, Dr. Madden wants to find out if there is a less expensive but equally effective way to reduce the stiffness of arteries in older adults. "Our first step was to prove that it was at all possible for older adults to have reduced narrowing in their arteries due to exercise," he says. "Now we want to find out just how rigorous the levels of activity need to be to demonstrate the same results. The next step is to try studying a home-based walking program using pedometers. This is something easy for doctors to prescribe and cheap and easy for participants."

The HeartWalk Workout, a special activity program developed by the Heart and Stroke Foundation to help people with cardiovascular problems get regular, healthy physical activity is available online at heartandstroke.ca. It helps people slowly build up exercise tolerance until they can walk at least 30 minutes, five times a week.

Chiropractic Care - its types

2010-01-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

by Dr. Greg C. Molis

Chiropractic treatment is not just restricted to improving back and the neck pain. Chiropractic care has many different forms. This treatment is concerned with the general well being of the whole body. As a result you can visit a chiropractor as often as you like to keep up your health.

Chiropractic care deals with subluxations (misalignments of vertebrae causing nerve irritation) anywhere along the spinal column, not just in the lower back. Sometimes the vertebrae of the spine become misaligned or lose their range of motion for one reason or another. This misalignment puts pressure on nerves leading to and from the brain. A chiropractor helps put them back in place by using gentle and highly skilled adjustments.

While some chiropractors generally referred to as ~mixers~, also like to indulge in other forms of treatment such as physiotherapy, diet and nutrition while treating their patients. There are those ~straight~ ones who can be considered to be purists and deal only in chiropractic treatment concentrating on location and removal of subluxations. They believe in the ideology that once the subluxation heals, so will the rest of the body. Thus, gradually bringing about, complete rejuvenation of the individual.

You will have to undergo a full medical examination by the chiropractor initially and then a complete analysis of your condition. After which the chiropractor will take in the full case history, information about any other disease that you have and then only will he decide on your line of treatment. Chiropractic care has three basic forms:

Chiropractic Care- Relief
This chiropractic care method is followed to give immediate relief when the patient is in lot of pain and discomfort. The number and frequency of visits may depend on the extent of damage that needs to be corrected.

Corrective Chiropractic Care
As compared to Relief Chiropractic Care the Corrective Chiropractic Care is more of a long term treatment in which the results appear only after a period of time. This kind of treatment is mainly taken for those patients who are suffering from spinal problems that have taken place over a long time. Very often, the patient going for long time without medical attention.

Maintenance Chiropractic Care
This kind of chiropractic care is needed for patients with permanent spinal weakness and need constant check ups. Other patients who have had relief from earlier ailments, but see the chiropractor for regular check ups to ensure their future health and comfort. Usually this kind of treatment requires a visit every 2 to 6 weeks.

Chiropractic care involves the whole health of the body. Treatments involve using the internal healing systems in the body to relieve the spinal problems that can interfere with the nerves and cells. Therefore, receiving chiropractic treatments is a way of ensuring that every part of body is functioning as it should.

Chiropractic care is the most recommended form of alternative medicine. It is based on the belief that certain conditions are caused by impairment of your nervous system due to problems in your joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons and bones. While chiropractors do not use drugs or surgery, they sometimes do refer patients for medical care when they believe it is necessary.

Chiropractic care is safe and natural helping the body to draw upon its own restorative capabilities to heal. It teaches patients how to take control of their own health and avoid chronic pain. It also can help prevent problems before they start or get worse.

What is Cellulite - and How Did I Get It?

2009-12-31T13:14:00.000-08:00

via Velashape.com

Take the test: Which is the leading cause of Cellulite?

a) Heredity
b) Hormones
c) Smoking
d) Lack of exercise
e) Poor diet
f) None of the above
g) All of the above

Answer: g) All of the above.

Cellulite is a very common condition, especially among women. Women are basically genetically and hormonally predisposed to cellulite. Smoking makes it worse. Lack of exercise and poor diet (fatty food and little drinking) may enhance the phenomenon.

What is Cellulite?

Rigid fibers form the fat chambers. When fat cells are enlarged, the rigid fibers push toward the soft tissue of the dermis, causing the rough surface appearance described as "orange peel," "mattress," or "cottage cheese."

The ideal VelaShape patient is someone with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of less than 30 who falls under Cellulite Classification Levels 1 and 2. Ask your doctor to see if you're a candidate for VelaShape treatments.

**The Nurnberger-Muller cellulite classification scale**
Stage 1 - no dimpling while the patient is standing or lying down, but the pinch test reveals the "orange peel" appearance.	Stage 2 - "orange peel" dimpling appears spontaneously when standing up, but not when lying down.	Stage 3 - "orange peel" dimpling appears spontaneously both when standing up and lying down.

Cellulite Treatment

2009-12-30T12:45:00.000-08:00

via Velashape.com

What is Cellulite?

Cellulite is the unsightly lumpy, dimpled skin appearance, also known as the 'cottage cheese' or 'orange peel' appearance. Cellulite consists of fat deposits that appear mainly on the hips, thighs and buttocks.

Cellulite is probably one of the most aesthetically troubling concerns of women - it is estimated 80% of women over the age of 20, regardless of their weight or size are affected by cellulite.

What causes Cellulite?

The skin's connective tissue surrounds fat cells, which are arranged in chambers. The margins of these chambers contain septae. Over time, the fat cells increase in size and number. This phenomenon together with accumulation of localized edema, push the skin's surface between the septae in an upward direction. This is what creates the lumpy and dimpled skin appearance, also known as the 'cottage cheese' appearance, associated with cellulite.

VelaShape™ Cellulite Treatment

VelaShape™ features the unique elōs™ technology combination of Bi-polar Radiofrequency (RF), Infrared Light Energy, plus Vacuum and Mechanical Massage to deploy targeted heat to adipose tissue. The combination of these energies increases the metabolism of stored energy, increases lymphatic drainage and reduces or shrinks the size of the actual fat cells and fat chambers. The net result is gradual smoothening of skin's surface with a noticeable reduction in cellulite.

Visit us online: TEXAS VELASHAPE

Frequently Asked Microdermabrasion Questions

2009-12-29T12:27:00.000-08:00

by skinabrasion.net

Q: How Is Micro Derma Abrasion Different From Glycolic Acid?

A: Glycolic acid is used as a light chemical peel. It removes the uppermost layer of skin. Light chemical peels and Microdermabrasion are both non-invasive procedures that can also be performed at-home with special consumer kits. Neither has any major risks or side-effects and both have limited effectiveness. They can help diminish or even remove superficial scarring and wrinkles, age spots, stretch marks and uneven skin texture. For deeper skin imperfections, you may need a more invasive procedure.

Q: How Safe Is Having Microdermabrasion If I Have Psoriasis?

A: Psoriasis patients should not have Microdermabrasion. This procedures is somewhat invasive to the skin (any skin rejuvenation treatment is to some extent) and can worsen their condition. This applies to home Microdermabrasion as well, despite its mild effect.

Q: Microdermabrasion, Is It Recommended On Blackheads?

A: By exfoliating the top layer of the skin, Microdermabrasion machines clean deep into the pore and removes excess oil and dirt that clog pores - which causes blackheads. Most blackheads are removed while more stubborn blackheads are reduced.

Q: What Are The Results Of Microdermabrasion?

A: According to thousands of online testimonials, spa Microdermabrasion works on fine skin imperfections. But like with most non-surgical techniques, the effects depend on your medical condition, your body's ability to recover and on who does the procedure. Most people who have tried micro abrasion say the procedure was effective in diminishing acne scars, age spots, fine lines, enlarged pores, red marks, stretch marks and dull skin more severe skin imperfections cannot be improved with this non-invasive technique, because it only sandblasts the top layer of the skin, not being able to reach deeper layers of skin.

Q: What Qualifications Do You Need For Microdermabrasion?

A: Microdermabrasion machines can only be operated by people with specific theoretical and practical training. Since this procedure is still relatively new, regulations regarding Microdermabrasion certification vary from state to state. Generally speaking, for a person to perform professional in-office Microdermabrasion, one needs to conclude a supervised 14 to 30 hour training and pass a practical exam with the institution offering the course. This institution can be a large spa, a vocational school, a dermatology clinic, a beauty academy or a device manufacturer.

Q: Does Microdermabrasion Make Surgical Scars Even Themselves Out?

A: Microdermabrasion evens out skin texture and helps remove superficial surgical scars. More severe surgical scarring needs more advanced non-surgical techniques, like a deep chemical peel or laser face rejuvenation.

Q: Is Microdermabrasion Recommended After Accutane (Isotretinoin)?

A: Microdermabrasion is not recommended for patients taking Accutane. This acne treatment works by reducing the amount of oil produced by the skin's sebaceous glands which reduces the skin's ability to recover after body or facial exfoliation. Having microdermabrasions while on Accutane may cause permanent scarring. This applies to self systems and office treatment.

Q: Does Microdermabrasion Help If I Have Asian Skin?

A: Professional Microdermabrasion tool is appropriate for all skin colors (including Asian skin ) because this procedure sandblasts only the outermost skin layer which is made of dead skin cells. There's no damage to live tissue which could cause scarring or severe irritation. The exfoliation process involved in specialist Microdermabrasion helps the skin renew itself quicker and more effectively.

Q: How Can Microdermabrasion Make Tattoos Less Noticeable?

A: Microdermabrasion works by sandblasting the outermost skin layer but cannot abrade deeper skin layers where tattooed skin cells are which is why it cannot remove tattoos. Tattoo removal needs laser or surgical procedures which are invasive enough to reach pigmented skin cells.

For more information, contact us: TEXAS MICRODERMABRASION

Building Better Health by Adapting Your Body

2009-12-24T13:52:00.000-08:00

By Dr. Ben Lerner

Your body will adapt or un-adapt to whatever stresses you do or don't impose on it. Consider these opposing forces.

Law of Adaption

If you run long distances, your muscles, joints, lungs and heart will adapt in a way that allows you to go the distance. This is a good thing, and the reason a marathon runner actually looks like one. And, if you're a sprinter, your body adapts for short distances. That's why sprinters look like and or train like body builders.

So if you want to improve stamina and cardio functioning, you run for a long time and your body adapts in a way to support that. If you want to increase strength and power, you do short sprints and you adapt for that.

If you want big, strong round muscles, you lift really heavy weights over a short period of time -- like a power lifter. If you want a more athletic build -- like a gymnast -- you lift weights or perform activities that create more sustained pressure.

Law of Un-Adaption

So what about the opposite action?

Whatever you're training for, you also "un-train" for. So a marathon runner doesn't make a great sprinter. Their lungs, heart, muscles and tendons are adapted for a completely different type of event. And, sprinters can't typically run a marathon. It would be like trying to ride a bull across country.

Your heart, lungs, circulatory system immune system, muscles and joints adapt to exercise by increasing their efficiency. So your muscles firm up, your joints lube up, the bones get stronger and thicker, your immune system gets cranking, your heartbeat strengthens, and your lungs and circulatory system dramatically improve their ability to take in, store and circulate oxygen.

On the other hand, if you do not exercise, your body un-adapts. Muscles get flabby, bones get soft and brittle, joints get dry, the heartbeat weakens and speeds up and you become oxygen deprived.

Exercise and Reversed Aging

People as old as 100 can dramatically increase their strength, improve their balance, restore bone density, moderate diabetes and diminish joint pain in just a few weeks of weight training. The minute you start sweating and your heart begins pounding, your arteries get more flexible and your blood pressure drops. This lowers your risk of heart disease and stroke too.

For hours after exercise, your body is more sensitive to insulin, keeping your sugar levels in check and reducing your risk of diabetes too.

Being in shape causes your heart and blood vessels to work only a fraction as hard as they do if you are out of shape. A conditioned person will have a heart rate of approximately 60 beats/minute. Someone who is out of shape will have a heart rate of approximately 80 beats/minute. This means if you are out of shape, your heart will have to beat approximately 30,000 more times per day than if you were in shape.

Dying Lighter

The purpose of weight loss is not only to weigh less, but to be healthier. Weight-reduction plans that use unhealthy foods, diet products, weird devices, drugs, supplements or even herbal "speed" to help you lose weight may make you lighter, but not healthier. When people ask me what I think about these plans I always say the same thing: "Sure, you might lose weight. You will die 10 years earlier, but at least you will be lighter."

The reality is, about the only positive thing about losing weight the wrong way is that you will make it easier on your pallbearers.

The fact is, better health does not necessarily come by simply losing weight. To improve the function of the Body By God operating system, there must be less weight and fat. It is not only how much you weigh that causes you to develop disease: It is how much body fat you have compared to how much muscle you have.

The point of exercise is to increase the amount of real muscle and decrease the amount of loosely packed muscle, or what we call "fat." Having too little lean muscle mass compared to body fat contributes to all sorts of conditions and diseases. High body-fat/muscle ratios negatively affect organ function, hormone balances, immune control, brain activity, blood chemistry and generally make you more sensitive to potentially hazardous food elements like sugar and cholesterol.

Diet alone cannot increase muscle mass and decrease fat mass. Only diet combined with exercise will increase your muscle/body-fat ratios. Through the law of adaption, the way the body adapts to exercise is by increasing your muscle-to-fat ratio. This will not only cause you to weigh less, it will cause you to have better health. Again, this will still make it easier on your pallbearers, but they will also have to wait a while before being called into action!

While many people rely on cardio activities alone and some on weights alone, to really get healthy you need both. You need to get your heart and lungs adapting in a healthy way through a regular cardio program and your lean muscle mass up by working out with weights or some kind of resistance.

Massage: It's real medicine

2009-12-23T15:38:00.000-08:00

By Kristyn Kusek Lewis
Health.com

Having your honey rub your back is sweet, but it's tough to compete with the hands of a pro. A good massage therapist can make you feel like a new person. And now research suggests massage can ease insomnia, boost immunity, prevent PMS, and more. Maybe that's why hospitals are making it a standard therapy.

"All of our surgery patients are offered the treatment -- I call it 'service with a smile' -- and it's a mandatory weekly prescription I give myself," says Mehmet C. Oz, M.D., director of the Cardiovascular Institute at New York Presbyterian Hospital--Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and a member of the board at LLuminari, a health-education company.

Our advice: Enjoy your hands-on time with your sweetie, but set aside some time for a real massage, too. Here are some feel-good reasons:

Goodbye, pain

It sounds like a no-brainer, but rubdowns are especially effective for aches like low-back pain. Researchers at the Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle, Washington, found that massage works better than common treatments including chiropractic therapy and acupuncture. It's not clear why, but several studies show massage reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol while boosting the feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine. Those changes slow your heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and block your nervous system's pain receptors. Massage also increases blood flow to the muscles, which may help them heal.

A bonus: Massage also seems to ease distress from migraine, labor pain, and even cancer, as well as the body tenderness seen with fibromyalgia, says Tiffany Field, Ph.D., director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Plus, the benefits may last as long as a year after just a few treatments, says Partap Khalsa, Ph.D., a chiropractor and a program officer at the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, the agency funding many major studies on massage.

Hello, dreams

Fluctuations in several types of brain waves either relax you or wake you up. Massage increases delta waves -- those linked with deep sleep -- according to a study at the Touch Research Institute. That's why it's easy to drift off on the massage table, Field says.

Nice to have you back, brain power

The Touch Research Institute study that connected massage to sleep also found that a 15-minute chair massage boosted alertness. "Subjects reported that it felt like a runner's high," Field says. Tests also show that brain-wave activity stimulated by massage is linked to improved attention.

Take that, colds

Massage helps ward off bugs by boosting your "natural killer cells," the immune system's first line of defense against invading illness. "We know that cortisol destroys natural killer cells," Field says. "Therefore, since massage decreases cortisol, your immune cells get a boost." Massage even seems to boost immunity in those people with severely compromised immune systems, such as breast-cancer patients.

Blues, be gone

Less cortisol and more serotonin and dopamine in your system may also mean less stress, anxiety, and depression. "We know that the right side of the frontal lobe of the brain is more active when we're sad, and the left side's activated when we're happy," Field says. "Our studies have observed that massage decreases activity in the right lobe and increases functioning in the left." The well-being people feel after a massage is a big reason why some hospitals offer it to anxious patients preparing for surgery and cancer patients going through chemo.

Shove off, PMS

A small study of 24 women with severe PMS found that massage reduced symptoms such as pain, water retention, and mood swings. Try it with proven remedies such as exercise (and who-cares-if-they-work solutions like a little dark chocolate).

Sounds During Sleep Can Boost Your Memory

2009-12-22T15:35:00.000-08:00

by: Dr. Mercola

A new study about a different kind of audio approach during sleep gives insight into how the sleeping brain works, and may eventually come in handy to people studying a language, cramming for a test or memorizing lines in a play.

Scientists at Northwestern University reported that playing specific sounds while people slept helped them remember more of what they had learned before they fell sleep, to the point where memories of individual facts were enhanced.

Researchers taught people to move 50 pictures to their correct locations on a computer screen. Each picture was accompanied by a related sound, like a meow for a cat and whirring for a helicopter.

Then, 12 subjects took a nap, during which 25 of the sounds were played along with white noise. When they awoke, none realized that the sounds had been played or could guess which ones had been used. Yet almost all remembered more precisely the computer locations of the pictures associated with the 25 sounds that had been played while they slept, doing less well placing the other 25 pictures.

The study adds a dimension to a theory that sleep allows the brain to process and consolidate memories.

Are you sick of lumpy thighs?

2009-12-21T16:25:00.000-08:00

Cellulite Treatment - Celebrities Love Velashape to Reduce Fat

by Marissa Gold

Looking for a cellulite treatment? Want a quick fix to reduce fat? If you've got a few weeks, a few dollars, and reasonable expectations, Velashape might work for you.

Velashape is a medical device that applies suction and heat to skin, which breaks down fat cells. The results aren't dramatic, but you will eventually notice a smoother, less lumpy appearance to skin.

Another added beauty bonus? It can help with stretch marks, as the heat has a positive effect on skin's collagen.

"Collagen is shaped like a slinky, and the heat makes it uncoil, and then coil back up tighter," says NYC dermatologist Lori Brightman, MD.

"I wish I could tell you some of the celebrities I've done!" she smirks.

A-listers may be tight-lipped about Velashape, but reality stars like Kim Kardashian and Kim Zolciak of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" both received the treatment on their shows.

OC Housewife Gretchen Rossi and New York City Housewife Ramona Singer are also fans.

So what does it feel like? Much of the 20-40 minute treatment simply feels like a warm suction along the area being treated.

However, since the best results are achieved when fat cells are significantly heated (heat tricks fat cells into using up stored energy, which makes them shrink in size, explains Brightman), there are moments where the sensation switches from a tolerable suction to an unpleasant burning.

All in the name of beauty, right?

Will Chiropractic treatment help you?

2009-12-18T14:25:00.000-08:00

Back pain: Will chiropractic treatment help?

Back pain — How well does chiropractic care stack up against more conventional treatments?

By Mayo Clinic staff

For many people, low back pain follows a fairly predictable course. Nagging back pain lasts a few weeks — maybe letting up temporarily when you take a pain reliever — and then it goes away.

So where does chiropractic care fit into the picture? That's up to you to decide.

What the research says

What does a chiropractor do?

Is it safe for everyone?

Chiropractic care is generally considered safe, but it's not appropriate for everyone.

Don't seek chiropractic adjustment if you have osteoporosis or signs or symptoms of nerve damage, such as numbness, tingling or loss of strength in an arm or leg.
If you have a history of spinal surgery, check with your surgeon before consulting a chiropractor.
Manipulation of the neck has been associated with having a stroke in rare cases.
If you have back pain accompanied by fever, chills, sweats or unintentional weight loss, see a medical doctor to rule out the possibility of an infection or tumor.

If you're considering chiropractic care

If you'd like to try chiropractic care to treat your low back pain, a little preparation can help you get the most from your treatment.

Consult your doctor. Talk to your doctor about the type of specialist best able to treat your back pain. In addition to chiropractors, many osteopathic physicians and some physical therapists have training in spinal manipulation.
Make it a team approach. As with any medical specialist, select a chiropractor who's willing to work with the other members of your health care team.
Arrange a consultation. Before you make a treatment appointment, arrange a consultation with the practitioner — either in person or by phone — to find out how he or she might address your back pain. Make sure you're comfortable with the recommendations, including how many sessions you'll need. For acute low back pain, four to six sessions are typically enough.
Understand the risks. When limited to the low back, chiropractic adjustment has few risks. However, manipulation of the neck has been associated with injury to the blood vessels supplying the brain. Rarely, neck manipulation may cause a stroke.

Think prevention

Long time headache sufferer?

2009-12-17T09:16:00.000-08:00

If you are a long time sufferer of headaches, and nothing has seemed to work, it may be time to make an appointment to see your local chiropractor. In the following article from Chiroweb, you will see that it is believed that many headaches are actually caused by damaged structure in the neck. Chiropractic medicine may just be the answer to all of your headache woes.

Chiropractic's Role in Treating Headaches

Cervicogenic Headache Model Gives Credence to Chiropractic

Until recently, the medical understanding of headaches has not taken into account the chiropractic model. The concept that headache pain can emanate from cervical dysfunction is still completely foreign to most of the medical profession. Noted researcher Nikolai Bogduk, MD, PhD, professor of anatomy at Newcastle, Australia, commented:

"The people in control of the headache field seemingly have not, cannot, or will not, recognize this paradox ... that the model for cervicogenic headache is not only the best evolved of all headaches but is testable in vivo, in patients with headache complaints. No other form of headache has that facility."

Several years ago, a Canadian anesthesiologist, Peter Rothbart, MD, FRCPC, came to the same conclusions about cervicogenic headache. Dr. Rothbart made many observations in his own pain management practice which subsequently led to an article in the Toronto Star, the most widely read newspaper in Canada. The Toronto Star article, "A Pain in the Neck," was subtitled: "Chiropractors were right.

Many headaches are caused by damaged structures in the neck -- and scientific evidence proves it." The article explained that years ago, French medical professor Robert Maigne "came to believe that many headaches originated with a structural problem in the neck." He was "thought to be a lunatic," said Dr. Rothbart. But others took up Dr. Maigne's work, including Dr. Nik Bogduk.

In 1995, a team of MDs at Syracuse University established neck problems as the cause of many headaches "with scientific, anatomical proof." Dr. Rothbart termed the Syracuse results "a minor miracle." In the Toronto Star article, Dr. Rothbart made several insightful comments:

"Some brilliant people have put their hearts, souls and minds to this (headache) problem and haven't come up with anything. All we've been able to do is treat people with an array of medicines, one after the other, and hope the side effects won't be too bad."
"We couldn't believe it at first. We've been able to put together a scientific explanation for how neck structure causes headaches -- not all headaches, but a significant number of them."
"It's true that chiropractors have been saying this for years. Unfortunately, many (medical) doctors tend to have a jaundiced view of chiropractors, but they were right about headaches."

Dr. Rothbart's clinical experience and findings have led him to become a founder and president of the North American Cervicogenic Headache Society (NACHS). The NACHS is dedicated to establishing the place of cervicogenic headache in the minds and practices of those health care provider who treat headaches. At the first North American Cervicogenic Headache Conference, held last year, Dr. Rothbart remarked:

"So far as the International Headache Society and the American Association for the Study of Headaches have defined this entity (cervicogenic headache) -- it simply doesn't exist. I'm pleased to say that thanks to the works of Drs. Merskey and Bogduk, cervicogenic headache is recognized in the IASP (International Association for the Study of Pain) taxonomy. This situation creates an enormous problem in addressing the diagnosis and treatment of headaches. Since most of the physicians and headachologists are unfamiliar with the IASP taxonomy, they are unaware of this entity, so diagnosis of cervicogenic headache is rarely made. Thus, there are a large number of chronic headache sufferers who go through life with the wrong diagnosis and hence the wrong treatment for their headache. It was the ongoing ignorance about this clinical entity that motivated the founders of this society to establish a formal organization. One of our goals is for this entity to be accepted into the general headache classification, and until this happens, large numbers of patients will continue to suffer unnecessarily."

The development of the concept of cervicogenic headache has opened a new door for chiropractic. As this concept is developed and adopted, it is expected that a large percentage of headache sufferers will fall into this category. Chiropractic has much to offer as the first line care for cervicogenic headache.

Looking for smoother skin?

2009-12-16T09:05:00.000-08:00

Have you considered having Microdermabrasion treatments done? If you have thought about it, but are confused about the process, I think this article from www.skinabrasion.net will help clear up some confusion. Once you have decided that this is the process for you, be sure to check us out........ TEXAS MICRODERMABRASION

How Microdermabrasion Works

In a nutshell, microdermabrasion is a skin resurfacing treatment that uses tools or products designed for home use, in order to rejuvenate and restore natural glow to the skin. The micro dermabrasion procedure is simple and painless AND (this is the best part) is equally effective to surgical procedures (laser skin resurfacing, dermal abrasion) and chemical peels (for superficial skin imperfections only).

Microdermabrasion machines are made of a compressor and pump that mix gentle abrasion with suction to peel the outer skin layer (10-15 microns of skin, a layer so thin that you can't see it). The entire procedure, unlike dermabrasion or laser skin surgery, doesn't take more than 30-60 minutes. You can have it on the face, neck, chest, back, feet and hands.

One of the things I love most about micro derm abrasion, is that it doesn't hurt at all (I have a low pain threshold so that was an important factor for me). Most people I talked to about microderm abrasion said that, at most, they felt a tingling sensation during treatment and a windburn-like sensation afterwards. The skin does look slightly red in the first 24 hours, but that's where the discomfort ends.

But the best part of microdermabrasion is that while it's equally effective to other, more invasive skin procedures, it allows you to get back to your daily routine immediately afterwards. One hour after treatment and I was back home, doing errands and picking my kids from school. There is a trade-off, though -- you may need between 5 and 12 microdermabrasions, scheduled 1-2 weeks apart for best results.

Think you can't be helped by a Chiropractor?

2009-12-15T16:24:00.000-08:00

I have met many people in my profession, who need a lot of help to regain proper alignment of their spine. Many of these people are afraid, and simply unaware of the possibilities that await them, once they have experienced proper alignment. In the following article from ChiroWeb, we learn of all the reasons a person should visit a skilled Chiropractor.

People seek care for four main reasons:

Treatment of a specific symptom.
Preventing the symptom from returning.
Part of a total approach to optimum physical and mental health.
To improve their family's health.

The types of people who seek Chiropractic care can be found below.

People involved in auto accidents.
People injured on the job.
People who slip and fall.
People who have sports-related injuries.
People who have stress.
People who don't exercise as they should.
People who are overweight.
People who have various aches and pains from normal everyday activities.

The common denominator of the people in the above list is that they have either suffered mishaps that caused injury to their bodies, or they have body types that are more prone to having injuries while performing normal, everyday activities.

These categories can further be broken down into the following:

Very young children/infants.
Young adolescents.
Young adults/teenagers
People in their 20's to 30's
People in their 40's to 60's
People over 70

A Neck Injury Primer

2009-10-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

Why is neck injury so prevalent? Largely because a very minor event can cause a devastating neck injury. Yet, there is no mystery in this. Your neck is slender in comparison to your head, which weighs an average of twelve pounds in an adult. A minor compression or twist can damage the cervical vertebrae, with resulting impingement of the spinal column, causing a devastating neck injury. Your spinal column is only the width of your small finger in the lower neck and controls your entire body. Think about it. Your entire life depends on a jelly-soft electrical cable that is about a half-inch wide. It’s not really a “neck injury,” it’s a spinal cord injury. You could strain you neck muscles all day long and they could be terribly sore, but the spine is what we are really talking about.

Spinal damage due to neck injury disables or incapacitates about ten to twelve thousand Americans every year. About a quarter million live with the result of neck injury. The most likely cause is a sudden, traumatic blow to the head, often in an auto accident. This fractures and dislocates vertebrae - the bones the hold up the spinal column. Bone fragments impact and traumatize the spinal cord, causing swelling and cell death. Blood vessels can rupture. At this point the neck injury causes the spinal cord to swell, cutting off oxygen and further hastening cell death. This is one reason that immediate care is needed after a neck injury. Swelling causes more damage than the initial accident.

After any neck injury it is essential to keep the neck as immobilized as possible. TV shows often have someone slapping an unconscious person to revive them, but given the movement of the spine this causes it’s a really bad idea - fit only for bad TV shows.

After calling for assistance and immobilizing the head as much as possible, cooling the neck with surrounding ice to reduce swelling, should help not arrive soon, is a good idea. The first treatment for neck injury, after any essential surgery, is axial traction using a rigid neck brace.

Neck injury can cause a large number of symptoms. The most commonly recognized, of course, is paralysis of some or all of the body. But there are many others, such as breathing problems and pneumonia, irregular heartbeat and blood clots, muscle spasms, bladder, bowel, and reproductive problems, and not least of all - pain.

Pain is probably the worst problem caused by neck injury, after paralysis, since it is often intractable and difficult to treat. Doctors don’t want to prescribe too many narcotics, and patients should not want to become drug-dependent zombies. So it’s a difficult balancing act for both patient and physician.

Whiplash and its Aftermath

2009-10-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

>Whiplash is not something to take lightly. Too many people are involved in a rear-end collision and laugh off that “pain in the neck.” This is a real mistake. That “pain in the neck” could evolve into a crippling injury somewhere down the line. And at that time, the first thing the insurance company will ask for is records of the diagnosis and treatment. If you don’t have them, you are the one who will pay for treatment, possibly for the rest of your life.

Even if you have records, things may be difficult, so any time you suspect whiplash you should immediately seek professional diagnosis, from a chiropractor or physician.

What is whiplash?

It’s not just from auto accidents. Whiplash can come from any number of activities, such as sports, falls at work, or being physically assaulted. Most often, it results from a sudden jarring motion of the head. It can be caused by a blow, such as a tackle in football or an assault on the street. It can be caused by inertia. When a car stops suddenly and your head does not, whiplash will definitely ensue.

People often overestimate their strength in an auto accident, thinking they can brace themselves. But in a collision of two cars going at fifty miles per hour, the combined speed of impact is a hundred miles an hour. Trying to brace your head, which weighs an average of twelve pounds in an adult, would be impossible for the strongest man on earth. In fact, an impact of even fifteen miles an hour can cause whiplash. So something has to give.

The cause need not even be violent. One cause is repetitive stress injury - simply holding a phone by scrunching up you neck for long periods every day, can cause whiplash.

Shaking children can also cause whiplash. What is a light shaking to a grown adult is actually a traumatic injury to the soft and weak spinal cord of a child. Many people are in prison simply because they did not understand their own strength in comparison to that of a child.

As noted, seek a professional if you suspect whiplash. Seek help if you are involved in any interaction that you suspect has caused it. Also seek help if you have some or all of the following symptoms: persistent neck pain, swelling of the neck, an inability to turn your neck al the way around, persistent headaches, muscle spasms in the side or back of your neck, or a pain that shoots from your neck into your arm or shoulder.

Headaches and Migraines - You can do Something About Them

2009-10-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

Headaches and migraines are, well, a real headache. No one likes to have them, especially at work. Unfortunately, your work may be a major cause.

Headaches and migraines can be triggered by a variety of causes, but some are very common. And the first, of course, can be your boss. “My boss gives me a headache,” may be all too true a statement. And if he gives you a migraine, it’s even worse.

Your job itself can be a problem. Let’s face it, not everyone likes the job they do - stress is often the norm. If your headache or migraine is so intense it interferes with your life, it may be time to consider changing jobs. You may be taking a cut in salary but increasing the quality of your life.

There are now some studies that warm weather can trigger headaches, so if you live in Arizona and suffer from migraines, turn up that air conditioner. It may cost a bit more in electricity, but the anger, sleeplessness, fatigue and depression caused by headaches or migraines and the ensuing pain medications, could cost a lot more.

Strong scents can also cause headaches or migraines, and we’re not just talking ammonia. Some people are very sensitive to smells. (It’s called MCS, or Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.) The headache that a normal person can get from a strong whiff of ammonia can be caused by anything from someone else’s perfume to floor wax. And many people have a mild case of MCS. Actually, since humans evolved without the presence of strong chemicals, sensitivity to them really can’t be called abnormal. We are surrounded by paints, solvents, perfumes, bug sprays, and various petrochemicals all day long. The wonder is that not all of us have migraines and headaches.

Testing for such sensitivity can be arduous and difficult, but just being more aware of smells you find unpleasant can be an indicator. New carpet, with its strong smell of glue and chemicals, can often set off a headache or migraine.

Here are some other causes of migraines and headaches. Tight hairdos that strain the scalp may cause a headache. Exercise or overexertion that increases blood pressure to the head can also cause headaches. Poor posture, especially if it bends or compresses the neck may result in migraines. Smoking, which constricts the blood vessels leading to the brain, may also cause headaches to both the smoker and those around them.

Trauma - Something Best Avoided

2009-10-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

Most traumas are caused by automobile accidents. Oddly, this is something people fear the least. Everyone gets in their car totally oblivious to the fact that driving is the major cause of physical trauma. They even bend over to reach for a cell phone while driving at high speed during busy in-and-out traffic. Then they wonder why they are in the emergency room. So the best way to avoid trauma, statistically, is to drive carefully and always keep your eyes on the road. Let the cell phone wait. The next major cause of trauma in the United States is firearms.

Although you can’t avoid assaults, a very large number of firearm injuries are in the home - either self-inflicted, or because someone forgot to put a gun lock on his gun. And of course, a little common sense and caution may allow you to avoid assaults. Park your vehicle in a lighted place, close to a building, if you work at night. Avoid suspicious characters and places of dubious reputation. Nature put the hairs on the back of your neck for a reason - to help us head off trauma before it happens. If a situation feels bad, it probably is, so don’t walk into it, and don’t talk yourself into walking into it.

After firearms, a major cause of physical trauma is poisoning. No, we’re not talking Lucretia Borgia or secret agents. You probably aren’t James Bond. This is mostly common household poisoning. If you have children, lock up anything they might drink. Even if you don’t have children, your guests might bring some, so keeping household chemicals either high or locked is a good idea. Trauma can also be caused by workplace poisoning. Read the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) and heed it well.

Don’t think you’re a tough guy and that open bottle of per chlorate won’t harm you because it looks harmless and doesn‘t smell bad. If it says inhalation can cause lung damage, that’s just what it means. If gloves or masks are required, use them. There are other causes of trauma, from drowning to lightning strikes, but if you can avoid these three major ones, especially auto accidents, you may lead a long life.

What to do if You are Involved in a Car Accident

2009-10-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

Of course, if the car accident involves serious injury, you may be able to do nothing. You just allow the paramedics to take over. However, if you and others are reasonably uninjured, the first step - always - is to notify the police. you should not move your vehicle. Moving it can not only be dangerous, but ruin your insurance claim. If you have triangle signs, lights, or flares, it’s a good idea to use them, in order to warn other drivers. If you do not have these, raising the trunk and hood and putting on your vehicle flashers is essential. You should, of course, get out of the road or you might cause other vehicles to be involved in your car accident.

Arguing with the other driver, if there was one, is a bad idea. Both parties are bound to claim they were right. It is best to simply stay calm and engage in a minimum of discussion until the police arrive. Simply try to find witnesses or ask if someone who was present will be a witness of your car accident.

If you have a cell phone, it might be a good time to call your insurance agent and report the car accident. Your respective insurers may dispute who was at fault, delaying your claim. The first person to get advice, or give information to their insurer, will help them resolve the dispute with the opposing company more quickly. Barring injury, some of the worst results of an accident can be insurance problems, so getting witnesses, information, a good police report, will keep your car accident a problem, rather than a major disaster.

Regarding the police report, be calm and respectful when talking to officers. Shouting and blaming the other driver, or being a Nervous Nelly, will not be helpful. Give all the information you can, as truthfully and clearly as possible. You can rehearse this in your mind while waiting for the police - it’s much better than arguing with the other driver. Policemen are human - if you make their job pleasant and simple, it may reflect in the car accident report. There is always a “slop factor” in any official report, and it’s best if it goes in your direction. Let the other person bluster and yell if they want to. Everyone respects someone who keeps their head in an emergency.

If you can walk away from a car accident, count your blessings. If you can walk away, knowing you got the facts down as clearly and as much in your favor as possible, you gave yourself a blessing.