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How Long Does It Take to Fix a Bad Back?

          Everybody wants to know... because of costs and duration of care until a patient will feel better. It is a reasonable question.

                             But it’s a loaded question at best…

 Insurance company people are very smart. They already know the answer.

Most insurance carriers will tell you that you can have 5 – 8 treatments… yep – that should do it!

 So, Doc – How long does it really take to fix a bad back?

 Back in 1995 that would have been a more difficult question to answer because it immediately raises several other questions, (that your insurance isn't at all interetsed in), that would be need to be answered first.

These questions are concerned with the patient, not how the care was to be paid for. Some of these questions, though not all-inclusive are: How did the injury occur? How old is the patient? How long has she had the back problem?  How many episodes of back pain has she had? What else has she done for it so far?  Is she over-weight? Is she a smoker? Does she exercise regularly? Is her job sedentary? What are her sedentary postural habits? Does she sleep on her side or in a semi-crawl position?  

 From these questions one could only, at best, “guestimate” how long to until the problem is resolved.

“Guestimate” because there are so many, many variables that affect the outcome, it is very difficult to come up with a really definite and honest answer.

 Anyone who gave a 100% definite answer was doing so to market his practice.

 Now-a-days, it is much easier to answer that question. With Blue Cross, MVP, Empire Plan, Magna Care, Empire Plan, United and all of the others in the “managed care arena” limiting the care you can have under your policy,  coupled with off-the-page co-payments (set, of course, by your insurance), that the average person cannot afford to pay – the question: How Long Does It Take To Fix a Bad Back?" becomes much easier to answer:

              It can’t be done.

That’s right - As long as your insurance company is determining how much care you can have – your back problem is very likely not going to ever be resolved and you will keep having back problems which will continue to get worse over time.

 And, you thought that President Obama’s health plan would throw everyone under the bus?

Look again – your insurance already did that!

What Can You Do Today to Make Your Back Feel a Little Better?

So - you got up this morning and your back was feeling stiff and achy ...as usual 

Oh - that again!

                             So what's new?

You have probably heard this expression before - If you keep doing the same things - you'll keep getting the same result.

So try something different:

Think of all of the postural habits you have developed over the years.

You have a favorite chair, a way you always sit when you're watching TV, you sleep on the right side of the bed, your desk chair is a certain height...

Change all of these things today. 

Do these things differently for a few days and see the difference in how you feel.

Now take a big step: first write down how you're feeling right now. Write one sentence and give a number to how you feel - using the 0 -10 scale where "0" I feel fine and "10" is off the page, horrible pain. You MUST write it down.

Now do five (5) minutes of exercise, jumping jacks, marching in place, fake jumping rope, etc. keep moving for 5 minutes and then stop. Wait 5 minutes and "re-rate" how you feel - again - you must write it down.

How did you do?

I bet you feel better.

Do this everyday but differently...everyday and work on breaking all of your posture habits

 

 

 

Why Do I Hurt More When I Am Stressed Out?

Neck and back pain can easily come from being stressed.

Stress and back pain are inter-related.

Whether it’s from fatigue, mental, emotional strain, physical pain, or any other cause,

stress starts a chain of events in the nervous system that, when prolonged, leads to pain and,then more stress because pain itself is a stress.

Most cases of back pain are due to joints in the spine that are stuck or cannot move freely.

 When joints are “stuck” or don’t move properly, this is a “stress”. Motion-sensing nerves inside the joint tell an area of the brain that the joint is stuck and under stress. This stress causes a release of the stress hormone called cortisol.

 Contant exposure to cortisol causes a number of changes that soon result in more pain.

First – it tightens blood vessels and your muscles get very tight. Muscles that are too tight and don’t get enough oxygen from constricted blood vessels - will hurt and… they also restrict the movement of joints…causing the problem to keep going.

 Cortisol also causes the brain to stop making another hormone called serotonin. 

Serotonin affects your perception of pain as well as your alertness, your sleep / wake cycles, your moods, emotions, ability to relax, and ability to heal.       

Without Serotonin – you feel more pain and you feel more stressed.   

Taking pain medication won’t solve the problem. The problem is due to joints not moving. 

Pain Meds don’t make joints move any better.

Many have found that chiropractic care is very effective care for stress and back pain because the chiropractic adjustment is specifically directed at restoring the movement of spinal joints.  With the return of normal joint movement the pain stops… and cortisol production (which was causing the tight joints), drops off and the serotonin levels return to normal allowing you to feel better again. 

Pain and stress form their own vicious cycle.

To break the cycle you must get the non-moving joint(s) in the spine moving.

  

Is Your Health Insurance Making You Sick?

Research reveals more and more that our health problems are caused by our lifestyle.

 High-stress is known to cause increased blood pressure which causes irritation, inflammation and subsequent deterioration of the artery walls in the heart …leading to heart disease and heart attacks and strokes.

 Not new – it was learned way back in World War II that the wrong diet leads to increased risk of Type II Diabetes.

Also, not new – cigarettes causes cancer, heart disease and muscle & ligament destruction (including spinal discs which are ligaments) 

There are lots of other lifestyle causes from too little exercise, too much sun exposure, too little sleep, to household cleaners, food dyes & additives and simply not taking care of oneself when something might be going wrong.

                    Think about that -  

 Did you ever think that maybe your health insurance could be making you sicker and more unhealthy also?

 Suppose you had a health problem and you didn’t know what it was. You know you should go to have it checked and find out what it is, catch it early. Like you used to do back in the day.

 But, now you have the illustrious MVP health insurance and your deductible or co-pay is like another mortgage payment, so…you know that ridiclous waste of money insurance isn't going to pay for $^!>...

 Is it possible you might just put it off and “wait and see” … “Maybe it will go away”?

 Do you remember when health insurance didn’t cost an arm and a leg each month and your co-pay was 20% with a cap on it?

Is it any wonder more people are sicker now than in 1985?

  Actually, fewer people are taking care of themselves simply because of the money.

 For sure, it was recently in the New York Times that health insurance companies are boasting record profits and claiming that “fewer people are going to the doctor now”. What a surprise!

That is due in large part to the fact that the insurance is denying authorization for your care to... cut costs, but - saying your doctor hasn't demonstrated / documented the need for your care.  

And, of course, fewer are going simply because they can’t afford it - they thought that was why they bought insurance. 

 Your insurance has taken your money and thrown you under the bus.

 Your insurance is quickly becoming a leading “life-style” cause of health problems because they outright deny care or it is simply discouraging many from seeking care by making the patient pay the lion's share of the bill.

Can Depression be Caused by Back Pain?

Most cases of back pain are due to one or more joints in the spine  not moving properly.

When joints don’t move properly, motion-sensing nerves within the joint send a message or signal to an area of the brain that causes a release of a hormone called cortisol.

All painful and (non)painful) joint problems cause some degree of stress in the body.

                            All stress causes a release of Cortisol.

 Continuous, prolonged exposure to cortisol causes damage to the area of the brain that makes serotonin, so less serotonin is released.

 Serotonin is very important - It controls your alertness, your sleep / wake cycles, your moods, emotions, attention and ability to focus, and other feelings.     

                  Without enough Serotonin - people often develop depression.

 It is not only the back pain that causes the cortisol release, but more so - it is the loss of normal movement in the injured joint that (is the stress), that causes the release of cortisol.

 - That is why taking pain medication alone won’t solve the problem – Pain Meds don’t make joints move any better.

 You just get addicted to pain meds AND depression meds…

-          This is also why repetitive motion exercise, such as running helps improve depression, mood swings, attention and insomnia problems.

             It is joint movement that helps the problem – not pills

When you understand that it is not the back pain but what is causing the back pain… that is also making you depressed - it becomes clear that neither pain medication nor depression medication will solve the problem.

 One answer for a depressed person is to use chiropractic care to resolve the cause of the back pain problem.  This will relieve the physical stress that is preventing you from making serotonin and this, in turn, will reduce your depression.

Earth Day

Imagine devoting a day to the Earth – where we live, work and play

 The Native Americans refer to the Earth as Mother

                         It's no wonder as it gives us life.

 It gives us everything we need to live.

 On this day we should do something to commemorate that to acknowledge it, pay it back by doing something constructive to protect it as oppposed to all of the polluting that is so common-place.

Even our health-care is a form of pollution - we put so many dangerous drugs and chemicals in our bodies under the guise and pretense of doing it some good and like our external environment around us...we're surprised when it is no better off, no healthier than it was before.

                      It hasn't worked and it isn't going to work. Why are chiropractic offices full of medical failures?

                   – Why not do something different today? - Try a new approach.

                                One thing you could do would be to actually do something to improve your own health and well-being without having to take something from the environment, or do something that results in more waste put back into the environment.

                        That way it would be a win / win

Looking for an idea?

Come get a chiropractic adjustment.

Your MD and the drug companies will never tell you this quite simply because it hurts their bottom line but...did you know that Chiropractic adjustments improve your health, make you feel & look younger, more flexible, more vibrant, full of energy, help you lose weight and just simply makes you feel better over-all.

…and it neither adds to nor takes away from the environment. 

Incidentally, did you know that 67% of the people in this country who are over 100 years old  see a chiropractor Regularly. Do you think they might know something?

                             You could call it “green care”

Try it. Try us - You 'll be pleasantly surprised by what you see... 

 Call today – 845-297-6688

 We’re in Wappingers by the Credit Union, the DMV and Dutchess Community College South

"Beautiful young people are accidents of nature. Beautiful old people are works of art" 

Obama Care

 People frequently ask me my opinion about “Obama Care” and how it’s going to limit our health care in general.

 If you think the new plan is going to restrict care – look at what Blue Cross / Blue Shield and MVP does now.

 What difference does it make if the government does it to you or the big corporation does it to you - You’re still getting screwed.

 All insurance companies have increased their premiums on the pretense that they have to pay their doctors more. That’s a flat out lie. They haven’t raised doctors’ fees in 15 years.

               And they’ve made it plain they have no intention of doing so.

They’re raising their premiums to make more money - because they can and they know                  

                            you’ll still buy it anyway.

It’s just like gas prices.

 Imagine going to the store and buying your groceries, paying for them but not being able to take them home with you.

 That is what your health insurance is doing to you right now.

They take your premium but what do you get?

                         Zip!

They tell you what doctor to go to and how much care you can have.

 So, if you think Obama’s plan will be throwing you under the bus when it comes to care…

 Your wonderful managed care /  HMO plan already did that.  And it wasn’t Obama’s plan that gave us this mess, but… other prior governments that were bought and paid for by the wealthy insurance lobby in Washington.

 It is time we re-introduced free market thinking into our economy.

 Stop buying from people who rip you off and they’ll soon stop or have to go out of business.

  Blue Cross, Magna Care, MVP, CDPHP, Empire Plan, and the rest of their kind are NOT out for your benefit. They serve their stock-holders. So, hit them where it hurts.

 I’ll end this with a quote:

 “If people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take – their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny”.       By  Thomas Jefferson: (obviously, some things never change…)

Chiropractic and Womens’ Health

 I have written before about how regular chiropractic care can be beneficial for a variety of health problems, but one area where you might not think there’s a connection is in fertility.

 If it can be demonstrated that the nervous system (including the part inside your spine), is involved in a stomach problem, thyroid problems or in carpal tunnel problems…why should it be any different for fertility problems?  

I frequently get asked “Why should I go to a chiropractor? …my back feels fine…”

 This may be a stretch for those who expect / require something to be in pain if there’s something wrong with it, but -

 Lots of things hurt that don’t have a serious problem – Did you ever hit your thumb with a hammer?  Come–on really! What did you really do anyway? Grow up and stop your whining – It’s just a banged finger!

And then – Lots of very real, serious problems don’t hurt at all…

Does a diabetic say: “Ouch… my pancreas is really hurting today”  ?

Does the heart patient say: My “blood pressure is really acting up and making my blood vessels hurt a lot today” ?

Of course not – no-one feels these problems.

 Now, here’s the really interesting stuff: If your low back is out of alignment it (also) might not actually be in pain. But, even though it is not hurting you – the nerves at the subluxated / stuck / or poorly functioning joint will still send a signal to the brain indicating there’s a problem which always, and  un-avoidably  initiates a return signal that will most certainly be sent back from the brain to the site of the problem. (That is one of the bigger functions of the brain). This return signal will then, very likely, affect and interfere with the way the rest of the nerves in that whole area of the body are working / not working.

Of course it will affect it – this is the basis for a majority of illnesses and organ failures.

 Bottom line here is actually a question:

                     What are the rest of those nerves supposed to be controlling?

 If those nerves control the way the ovaries and uterus do what ovaries and uteruses do…do you think it’s possible that the ovaries and the uterus might not work exactly the way they’re supposed to do?

 Do you think it might affect whether or not a woman can conceive and carry a child to term?

Do you think it might be a good idea to get the back checked for joint problems (even non-painful ones if you’re trying to get pregnant?  

 Do you need to go re-read paragraph 10?

Faster, Improved Healing With Chiropractic Adjustments…

 

We are so duped by the media and the drug companies trying to get us to use their products.

 One class of drugs that is particularly dangerous and that is actually habit forming because it does provide so much short term relief is the NSAIDs.  (Non-Steroidal Anti- Inflamatory Drugs)

The more common ones include Mortin, Alleve, Advil, Ibuprofen.

 You can’t say enough about how well these drugs will stop your pain – they work great!

 You may think your back is hurting and you feel it, experience it - in your back and point to it in your back, but you really feel it and INTERPRET it as pain….up in your brain.

  The brain is like the mother board of your computer – your mouse or keyboard doesn’t do the computing / interpreting. 

 If you unplug your keyboard you’ll notice that nothing you type gets to the computer.

 NSAIDs work by interupting (unplugging), the pain nerve pathways into the brain.

    No signal = no message sent – you don’t feel it. Period. 

 If that’s all they did, It would be a good deal –

                           You should know what else they do for you.

 The brain doesn’t only interpret that your back is “hurting”.

 It also knows / interprets WHY or what else is going on down there that is making it hurt. Let’s say you tore a disc or other ligament so it is now bleeding inside, swollen and inflamed.

            Your brain KNOWS that from the signals it receives.

 That information is sent to your brain by the same nerve pathways that say “pain”.

 The brain can NOW take proper steps to attempt to start fixing things. 

    Big Surprise: Yes - the brain is the part that directs the healing – Not the Motrin

 The Motrin actually interrupts the signal so that the brain doesn’t even KNOW there is a problem in the first place.         Its only purpose is to chemically unplug /  interrupt a signal.

 And worse…And this is BIG: It also interrupts messages from the brain to the site of the injury. 

 NSAIDS are not specific - they interrupt all of the signals – the pain signal, the inflamation signal and any possible healing signal.

 So you get rid of the pain and the inflammation but the brain doesn’t start the healing process and fix the problem causing the bleeding, inflamation and the pain because it doesn’t know there is one…

 Six months… a year later, you still have the same problem and are still taking Motrin because it never healed and still hurts…because you never allowed your brain to find out about the injury.  

 A better and more effective alternative that someone selling drugs will never tell you is that chiropractic adjustments do not interrupt or “unplug” your nerve pathways but   stimulates them to send a better, cleaner signal – up and down the spine. 

 Bottom line: Pain medication interrupts the healing. Healing is always faster with Chiropractic adjustments.

The Secret to Playing Better Golf

There is an old expression or answer in response to the question:

         “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?”:                       

                             Practice, Practice, Practice…

 I am sure that the same must hold true for golf – I mean face it – how do you possibly hit a tiny little white ball hundreds of yards and get it in that tiny little cup? …Come on!  Be serious - You must really have to practice a LOT.

 I admit I am intrigued by the sport, but I find it very interesting from a different perspective than most golfers.

 What I find amusing is how much people talk about it and how so many people have the magic answer to how to play better golf…"Just buy my DVD and learn the one secret no other golfer ever knew…” So many people have “the answer” and yet…so many people are really, really bad at it.

Why is that?

          "Hold the club this way…or you’ll slice"

                   “No, no, no buy this club… you’ll hit straight every time”       

               “You should stand this way…”

“Don’t hold your shoulder that way…”

           “Don’t bend your wrist….”

                         “Bend your wrist like this …”

          "Pick your head up at this point…"

 You can do all of those things, however confusing it all may sound, and you can practice it 8 hours per day but I’ll bet you still won’t consistently improve your score any significant amount if your hips and lower spine are out of alignment. 

       I am sure the added practice would have to make a difference but…

You’d play much, much better golf if your hips and spine were in alignment.

              Why? –

If your right hip is twisted / rolled backwards – you will have a greater back swing than follow-through. – You will then subconsciously try to compensate and the result will be that more often than not – you will slice. If your left hip is twisted or rolled backwards your follow-through will be greater than your backswing and your subconscious compensation with make you hook.  

               Sometimes you will get it right but your game will not be consistent.

                          Sooner or later the law of averages will give you a break…

          How can you tell if your hip is twisted back on one side?

It’s easy to tell once you know what to look for: When not concentrating on it – as when you’re standing while talking on the phone for example, you will tend to bear more of your weight on the “short leg” side with the long leg jutting out at an angle to the side. The short leg is the side that the hip is rolled back on. Look at yourself in the mirror -Your belt line will be lower on the short leg side. Your shoulder will appear to be elevated slightly on the long leg side. Lay on your back and look at your feet – The long leg is typically flared outward more then the short leg.

 These imbalances and misalignments are easily corrected and your game will improve over night –without spending hundreds of bucks in lessons.

If you’re frustrated with your scores and you want help – call us and we’ll show you how simple it is to drastically improve your game… and you don’t have to buy a DVD to do it.