This is a positive thing for patients and chiropractor’s alike in that patients have less reason to be afraid of getting their neck adjusted by a skilled chiropractor. While there are risks of any medical procedure including getting adjusted by a chiropractor the risk of neck adjustments causing adverse reactions is less than the risk of taking Advil for neck pain.

But it is important that we take advantage of this research and be more aware. I know I will be more diligent about screening San Francisco patient’s and referring them to the ER if they describe the pain as different from their usual headaches. This is not an absolute rule though which is why you need to see a profession, such as myself when you have a headache.

Murphy; Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2010

There are a number of important points in regards to VADS according to the study:

1. VADS is a rare but potentially serious disorder.

2. Some of the initial symptoms of this disorder can mimic more common and relatively benign neck and headache problems.

3. Because of this, diagnosis can be difficult, so some individuals and their health care providers are not aware that they are experiencing VADS.

4. However there often can be subtle signs and symptoms that may alert a health provider to the possibility of the presence of VADS

5. If you experience any of these signs and symptoms inform your health care provider immediately or call your local emergency service.

I try to remain up-to-date on the most recent research which may help me treat you more effectively or in the case of stroke and VADS refer you out for proper care after a brief neurological exam.

Your head weighs 14-18lbs.  So it makes sense that when your head is more forward than midline there will be problems. But these problems are much bigger than you may have expected:

Fast Facts: The Consequences of Forward Head Posture

• Long-term forward neck posture leads to “long-term muscle strain, disc herniations and pinched nerves.” (Mayo Clinic Health Letter, March 2000)
• In regard to respiratory dysfunction in chronic neck pain patients, a recent study “demonstrated a strong association between an increased forward head posture and decreased respiratory muscle strength in neck patients.” (Cephalgia, February 2009)
• “For every inch of forward head posture, it can increase the weight of the head on the spine by an additional 10 pounds.” (Kapandji, Physiology of the Joints, Volume 3)
• “Loss of the cervical curve stretches the spinal cord 5-7 cm and causes disease.” (Dr. Alf Breig, neurosurgeon and Nobel Prize recipient)
• “90% of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by the movement of the spine,” says Dr. Roger Sperry, Nobel Prize recipient for brain research. Dr. Sperry demonstrated that 90 percent of the energy output of the brain is used in relating the physical body to gravity. Only 10 percent has to do with thinking, metabolism, and healing, so when you have forward head posture, your brain will rob energy from your thinking, metabolism, and immune function to deal with abnormal gravity/posture relationships and processing.
• According to Rene Cailliet MD, director of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Southern California, forward head posture can add up to 30 pounds of abnormal leverage on the cervical spine. This can pull the entire spine out of alignment. FHP results in loss of vital capacity of the lungs by as much as 30 percent. This shortness of breath can lead to heart and blood vascular disease. The entire gastrointestinal system is affected; particularly the large intestine. Loss of good bowel peristaltic function and evacuation is a common effect of FHP. It causes an increase in discomfort and pain because proprioceptive signals from the first four cervical vertebrae are a major source of the stimuli which create the body’s pain controlling chemicals (endorphins). With inadequate endorphin production, many otherwise non-painful sensations are experienced as pain. FHP dramatically reduces endorphin production.
• FHP has been shown to flatten the normal neck curve, resulting in disc compression, damage and early arthritis. (Roentgenographic findings of the cervical spine in asymptomatic people. (Spine, 1986;6:591-694)

http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=54612

Step One–Breakfast Ideas:
· Have a glass of water as soon as you wake up- you sweat and lost water by breathing while you were a sleep. No coffee, juice, and soda do no count as water.
· Eat breakfast within 30 minutes of being awake.
· Avoid processed foods- for example cereal, donuts, bagels, or danish. If you’re reading the ingredients and there are things you don’t know in it –skip that. By the way most cereals are junk.
· Have some protein-eggs, rice and beans, nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc)
· Try having some veggies, it may seem strange at first but you’ll like it once you realize how good you feel after.

Easy options:
· Eggs-fried, scrambled, poached, or hard-boiled with whole grain toast; or you can make a veggie omelet:1 or 2 eggs will provide you with a great protein source to begin your day and the whole grain toast gives you the carbohydrates for energy.

· Almond/Rice Milk shake-combine a cup of Almond or Rice milk (or use cow’s milk if you prefer) or even water in a blender with ½ banana, 2 ice cubes and blend. Add 1 scoop of  whey protein powder. (Optional: add 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed). Also, I like a scoop of powdered green supplement in my shake which you can pick up at most grocery stories but I carry one that I really love called Nanogreens. If you start your day off by drinking this shake, you should notice an improvement in how you feel and function throughout the day.

· Oatmeal with chopped nuts and raisins, a sliced banana, or strawberries. For extra protein, add a scoop of peanut butter to the oatmeal plus it tastes good.

· Calcium fortified orange juice (not orange drink meaning the ingredients are oranges not sugar and water and orange flavors and color)-drink this before your breakfast or along with it to get the added calcium and vitamin C.

· Fresh fruit-it’s great to start your day with fresh fruit whenever possible-an apple, orange, pear, strawberries, banana, watermelon, peaches, blueberries-combine your favorite fruit with a container of yogurt (I really like Greek yogurt because it has higher protein and healthy fats) you can add some granola if you’d like.

· Whole grain toast or bagel with peanut butter (real peanut butter-which only has peanuts and possibly salt as the ingredients) -the peanut butter should give you the protein you need to sustain your energy throughout the morning.

References:
- Healthy Eating Tips for Teens by Lisa Margolin, J.D., M.S.; http://www.betterhealthusa.com/public/268.cfm

Today I was adjustinging a patient’s midback to restore proper rib movement. As I explained the purpose of the adjustment, he was reminded of Thomas Jones, the Kansas City Chief who’s health and football career were saved through chiropractic care. Although all NFL teams have a chiropractor on staff, Jones spent inordinate amounts of time and money consulting doctors and specialists for a breathing issue that was ultimately resolved with a simple rib adjustment. The story posted below, originally published in the New York Times, is an amazing testimony to the power of chiropractic.

“… Jones said he considered quitting when he was in Arizona. Yet it was that stint, from 2000 to 2002, which he describes as “sheer misery,” that ended up prolonging his career. It began with a mystery in 2000 when, in the middle of his rookie season, Jones had trouble breathing. He saw team doctors, outside specialists and visited the Cleveland Clinic. Doctors performed a biopsy on his stomach and stuck cameras down his throat. The diagnoses included walking pneumonia, asthma and anxiety.

After Jones spent about $20,000, a chiropractor realigned his ribs, and his breathing returned to normal. More important, Jones began to examine the team doctors more closely, and he started to assemble a team of health specialists.”

Needless to say, a chiropractor has become a key member of his health team since then. Shouldn’t you have one on your team?

photo link



It’s true.

One of the disadvantages of being an Applied Kinesiologist and Chiropractor is that I get used to immediate positive feedback.

You have to understand: 90% of the time, my patients feel a significant improvement during their first treatment.

On the rare occasion that I don’t get that “WOW! I feel so much better!” at the end of the visit, I am unhappy, disappointed and frustrated. What do I not know? What could I learn so I don’t have to feel this way?  It’s the 10% that gets me thinking and forces me to keep learning.

This desire to help everyone in one visit makes me spend, on average, two weekends a month in seminars and post-doc training and to get 10x more continuing education than the state of California requires.  Although it means I miss out on great hikes with my wife, my friends and my puppy, it’s good news for you!

ABC News Reports:

In the past decade, prescriptions for Ritalin, a stimulant medication commonly used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), increased five-fold, with 90 percent of all prescriptions worldwide consumed in the United States. As many parents grow leery of the traditional medical approach to ADHD, doctors of chiropractic are offering promising results with non-drug treatments that focus on postural muscles, nutrition and lifestyle changes that affect brain activity.

Some children may simply have difficulty learning certain subjects, but the current system—in a sense—prompts school officials to encourage their parents to have the children diagnosed with ADHD, says Dr. Scott Bautch, past president of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) Council on Occupational Health. “The higher the number of disabled kids in the school, the more funding the school can apply for,” says Dr. Bautch.

Some teachers might also have difficulty with students who have a different style of learning, according to Dr. Bautch. If the child is a visual learner—and the teacher is not—perhaps the child is not being taught in a way he or she can learn. Before diagnosing the child with ADHD, Dr. Bautch recommends doctors talk to the child and the parents: “Is the child too active? Bored? Has dyslexia or a different learning pattern? It can be a behavior problem, problems at home, or frustrations with the teacher’s style,” explains Dr. Bautch. “If we went to a conference where the speakers taught in a way we can’t learn, we would be frustrated and would misbehave—we’d get up and leave or chat to the person sitting next to us.”

The traditional medical model, however, seems to follow the cookie-cutter principle. The diagnosis of ADHD is based on a questionnaire. But this is not enough, says Dr. Robert Melillo, a chiropractic neurologist. “True ADHD patients have other signs — tics, tremors, balance or postural problems, or unusual sensitivity to touch, movement, sights, or sounds.” Unfortunately, although medications can keep ADHD under control, they don’t cure it. Eighty percent of patients have ADHD features in adolescence, and up to 65 percent maintain them in adulthood.

Doctors of chiropractic and chiropractic neurologists offer a non-drug and non-invasive treatment alternative for ADHD patients that targets the underlying problems, not just symptoms. “Motor activity—especially development of the postural muscles—is the baseline function of brain activity. Anything affecting postural muscles will influence brain development. Musculoskeletal imbalance will create imbalance of brain activity, and one part of the brain will develop faster than the other, and that’s what’s happening in ADHD patients,” says Dr. Melillo.

Chiropractic neurologists are trained to identify the underfunctioning part of the brain and find treatments to correct the problem, to help that hemisphere grow. “On every patient, we perform a brain function exam,” says Dr. Frederick Carrick, president of the ACA Council on Neurology. “We test visual and auditory reflexes through, for example, flashing light in the eye, or asking patients to listen to music in one or the other ear.”

When the problem is identified, patients are placed on a treatment program—and most of the therapies can be done at home. “Patients are asked to smell certain things several times a day … or wear special glasses,” says Dr. Mark S. Smith, a chiropractic neurologist. “We also focus on their individual problems. Some children, for example, have difficulty with planning, organization, and coordination—so they benefit from timing therapies. They learn to clap or tap to the metronome, perform spinning and balancing exercises.”

Although currently no studies comparing chiropractic neurological and medical treatment for ADHD are available, chiropractic neurologists are compiling the data. “We test children before they start the treatment and then every three months,” says Dr. Melillo. “Within the first three months, the children get a two-grade-level increase on average—which is pretty dramatic. With children on medications, the improvement in academic performance is short term and lasts only as long as they take the medication. Our programs change the brain function and the improvement doesn’t go away.”

While chiropractic neurologists have found success in treating ADHD and learning disabilities by providing the necessary brain stimulation, they also recommend nutrition and lifestyle changes that may help correct or prevent biochemical imbalances that cause ADHD. Parents are encouraged to:

• Remove as many food dyes, sugar, preservatives, and additives from the diet as possible.
• Focus on natural, mostly organic foods with as few pesticides or herbicides as possible.
• Determine if there is an allergy—usually starting with dairy and gluten and try elimination diets.
• Stop using pesticide sprays in the house.
• Avoid taking medications, nicotine, alcohol, and other drugs in pregnancy that may harm the fetus.
• Find ways to relax during pregnancy. Stress on the job may affect the unborn baby’s health, as well.
• Breastfeed. The first months and years of a child’s life are critical to physical and psychological development. Breastfeeding mothers’ diets are important as well.

Chiropractic Care Can Help…
If you or your loved one is diagnosed with ADHD or has the symptoms, ask your doctor of chiropractic if he or she has experience treating patients with the condition. Doctors of chiropractic are trained to identify neurological problems and find individual non-invasive treatment modalities. They can also assess your nutritional status and help you find the diet that will help you manage your condition.
-Taken from ACA Consumer Health Tips

A new peer-reviewed study published this month, June 2010,  studied ADHD patients under chiropractic care and further supports the suggestion to add chiropractic.

Using the Friedman test to compare observations repeated on the same subjects, our findings found improvement in ADHD symptoms (ie, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattentiveness, as well as behavioral, social, or emotional difficulties) and provide supporting evidence on the effectiveness of chiropractic in the treatment of children with ADHD.

This provides supporting evidence on the benefits of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy.