North Dallas Chiropractic Blog – All Injury Rehab

Since our last update, Senate Bill 8 went to a Conference Committee to iron out some last-minute details. The committee’s report was approved by the Senate.

In the House, however, due to a lengthy discussion about another health care issue that had been amended to SB 8. Time ran out of the regular session. This stopped ALL legislative action, which caught many bills, including SB 8, which did not finally pass. We will report more details as everything becomes more clear.

In the meantime, from the entire profession “Thank You” to those of you who are responsible for the thousands of emails and phone calls to legislators in Austin. You are truly making your voice heard.

Governor Perry has called the Legislature back for a Special Session that began today. We will keep you apprised of any actions that may affect the profession as they occur.

————– Original article —————

TCA successfully amended Senate Bill 8 … May 25, 2011, adding insurance equality language that will insure that Chiropractors are paid the same amount for the same service if it is within their scope of practice.

Two-thirds of the members of the house who were present and voting had to vote to amend the Senate bill. The vote was 94 to 33.

John Zerwas M.D. of Fort Bend County (an anesthelogist) and Charles Schwertner M.D. of Williamson County (an orthopedic surgeon) led the debate against the amendment. The house sponsor of SB 8, Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham was against adding the amendment.

There were a great number of House Members in favor of our amendment and lined up to speak in support. Representative Warren Chisum of Pampa was the house sponsor of SB 1001 and shepherded this amendment masterfully onto SB 8. He is owed a debt of GREAT gratitude!

Visit us at All Injury Rehab for more information and to set up an
appointment.

I felt that this comment, in response to one of my blog postings, by http://www.downtownseattlechiropractic.com/ needed to be reposted.

Patients are turning to alternative providers for a good reason -the western medical system has played a large role in undermining the health of Americans. According to several research studies in the last decade, a total of 225,000 Americans per year have died as a result of their medical treatments:
• 12,000 deaths per year due to unnecessary surgery
• 7000 deaths per year due to medication errors in hospitals
• 20,000 deaths per year due to other errors in hospitals
• 80,000 deaths per year due to infections in hospitals
• 106,000 deaths per year due to negative effects of drugs
Thus, America’s healthcare-system-induced deaths are the third leading cause of the death in the U.S., after heart disease and cancer.

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To Your Health

February, 2009 (Vol. 03, Issue 02) Share |

Perfecting Your Posture

By Brian Jensen, DC

If you don’t have good posture, what do you have? Poor posture can lead to a variety of health problems over time, and yet too many people have bad postural habits. It’s time to understand the fundamentals of proper posture and how you can stay healthy from head to toe.

Sit up straight! Stop slouching! Don’t stare at the floor when you walk! These are the classic phrases children hear from their well-intentioned parents regarding posture. As children, we learn early on that posture is important, but generally never fully understand its role in our health, what causes poor posture or how to positively influence it. Let’s start with a simple definition from the Merriam-Webster dictionary, which defines posture as “the position or bearing of the body whether characteristic or assumed for a special purpose.” Want to know more? Read on…

Ideal Posture

Let’s focus for just a moment on the characteristic aspect of posture, the basic form we take while standing or walking. The human body is designed to stand with the eyes level with the horizontal plane of the Earth. Viewed from the front, the shoulders and hips are level and the spine is vertical. From the side view, the ear is over the shoulder, the shoulder is over the hip and the hip is over the knee, which is over the ankle.

Think of it like the foundation of a house. The foundation can settle, creating structural stress that can crack the plaster on the walls or ceiling. The same is true for our bodies. Unequal support in the foundation of our body, our feet,can create stress in our structure that can show up as poor posture. This poor posture can lead to tight muscles, stiffness and ultimately contribute to joint degeneration in the knees, hips and spine. Basically, small imbalances over time can lead to big problems for our bodies.

Common Postural Problems

The most common signs of postural stress are one ear being higher than the other and unlevel shoulders or hips. You can also detect postural stress from the side if the ear looks as if it has moved forward of the tip of the shoulder or if the hips appear to have moved forward.

The first thing to do is find out where your postural stress is coming from. Certain jobs require you to sit, stand, twist or bend in repeating patterns, which can create postural stress. If you sit at a computer for long periods of time, that can have a tendency to create a forward head positioning, causing stress in the neck and upper back. Bending and twisting motions can cause an overdevelopment of muscles on one side of the body compared to the other side, which can also be a source of postural stress.

The foundation of posture is actually the feet. It is very common for there to be slight differences in the arches of the feet, which create a slight imbalance. This imbalance can cause a chain reaction all the way up the spine, affecting postural balance. One sign of foot imbalances is when one foot flares out more than the other. Both feet should point forward with only the slightest outward flare when you walk.

Flat feet, a condition also known as excessive pronation, can produce slight twisting movements in the knees and hips, causing one hip to be higher than the other. This is usually more pronounced on one side and is not typically painful, but it explains why one knee or hip can develop soreness or stiffness more than the other one.

A Few Things You Can Do

Get checked – If your posture is breaking down as a result of improper foot balance, it is important to have your feet examined to determine if a custom-made, flexible shoe orthotic will be beneficial. Orthotics create a solid foundation for your pelvis and spine by limiting excessive motion in the feet. Having a stable foundation helps to improve your posture. Your doctor can provide you with more information.

Improve flexibility – This is important because postural stress causes some muscles to work harder than others, creating tension and stiffness. Mirror image exercises are stretching and strengthening exercises designed to restore muscle balance by stretching in the direction away from the postural imbalance. If you are looking in a mirror and one shoulder is higher than the other, you will want to stretch and strengthen in the direction that makes the shoulders level. The same concept works for the lower back. (Note: For a list of easy stretching exercises to help keep the entire body flexible, read “You’ve Got to Be Flexible” in the January issue of TYH.)

Work with your chiropractor – Be sure to work closely with your chiropractor in developing a plan of action, and then check your progress with a postural analysis. It is important to remember that the body works best when it is in balance, so that should be the goal of all of your stretching and strengthening exercises

Good posture does a whole lot more than just allow you to stand and walk tall. It’s a full-body improvement that benefits you from head to toe.

Benefits of Good Posture:

Joint mobility

Injury prevention

Improved balance

Overall wellness

Consequences of Poor Posture:

Muscle tension

Pain

Fatigue

Degenerative arthritis

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Brian Jensen, DC, is a graduate of the University of Nebraska and Palmer College of Chiropractic. He specializes in structural biomechanics and has been in practice for 17 years.

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Source: http://www.baylorhealth.com/PhysiciansLocations/Plano/About/BaylorPlanoHealthBriefs/Pages/Nap.aspx

When you were a kid, you probably didn’t want to take a nap for fear you’d miss out on valuable playtime. Now, when 2 p.m. rolls along, a nap doesn’t sound half-bad! But is it really a good idea?

Jeff Taylor, M.D., a pulmonologist on the medical staff of Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano, offers a few thoughts on daytime resting. Ask yourself these questions:

1.Do you struggle to sleep at night? Before lying down for some afternoon shut-eye, consider the possible repercussions later tonight. “If you suffer from nighttime sleep problems like insomnia, a nap could actually make it worse,” Dr. Taylor says. If you don’t have trouble sleeping at night, however, a 30- or 45-minute nap could help you get through a tough day (as long as your boss doesn’t mind!).
2.What time is it? Even for people with normal sleep habits, naps too close to bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep at night. Naps lasting longer than two hours can have the same effect.
3.Is there something more going on? “If you fall asleep with ease every night and you’re feeling tired during the day even after getting a full night’s rest, you could have sleep apnea,” Dr. Taylor says. “Talk to your doctor about a sleep study to get an accurate diagnosis, because in this case, naps won’t help.”

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Got the flu, got a cough, well here is a helpful article for curbing that cough naturally.

Source (http://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=1400&no_paginate=true&no_b=true)

While we’re mired in the thick of another cold and flu season, it’s time to remind parents of two important points: First, the Food and Drug Administration says cough and cold medications are not appropriate for children ages 6 and younger and may actually be dangerous; and second, research suggests honey may be the best treatment of all for helping children suffering from cough and related symptoms.

Let’s deal with the safety issue first. Over the past several years, the FDA has progressively investigated over-the-counter cough and cold medications, many either with dosing instructions for adults and children or for children only, depending on the type/brand. With little research done involving children only (after all, what parent would want their child to be the guinea pig in one of those studies?), the general protocol was for dosing recommendations to be extrapolated from adults to children. In other words, there was little to no hard data providing any sort of a basis for how much of a given cough/cold medicine should be administered to children – or if it should be administered at all.

Eventually, the FDA figured this out and ruled that cough and cold medicines were inappropriate for children under the age of 2, then extended the ban to children under age 6 (and is considering a ban up to age 11, if not older).

In the past year or so, even the medications still considered appropriate for the 6-plus age group (at least for now) have come under fire, with more than a few product recalls for quality-control issues that resulted in a number of products (cough and cold, allergy, fever) made by several drug manufacturers being removed from the shelves for several months in 2010.

Wouldn’t it be great if our kids had something natural to help them get rid of those nasty coughs, or at least minimize their duration? Well, perhaps they do: honey. For example, in a 2007 Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine study involving 105 children ages 2-18 with upper respiratory infections, children who were given buckwheat honey (between 1/2 and 2 teaspoons prior to bedtime, depending on age) coughed less and slept better than children who did not receive any honey or who received honey-flavored dextromethorphan (the primary active ingredient in many cough and cold medications).

Talk to your doctor for more information, and keep in mind that honey is not recommended for children in their first year because it may contain botulism spores, which can be harmful to young children’s underdeveloped immune systems.

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I know that this isn’t a usual topic, but here it goes.
To Your Health
December, 2009 (Vol. 03, Issue 12)

Snow-Shoveling Safety Tips
By Dr. Douglas R. Briggs

If you live in an area of the country that sees snow during the winter months, or even if you’ve only visited a part of the country that does, you know fresh snow is one of the most beautiful and peaceful things to witness. However, you probably also know that with snow comes the need to remove it from driveways, walkways, and other traffic areas. That’s often where you – the snow-shoveler – come in.

Anyone who has shoveled snow before knows how good a workout it can be. When you consider that the average shovelful of snow weighs 5-10 pounds, the average driveway or walkway may hold hundreds of pounds of snow. But despite the benefits, shoveling snow can also be physically stressful; bending, lifting, and twisting, combined with the exposure to freezing weather conditions, can take a serious toll on the body.

Typically, the arms, shoulders and back get sore and may occasionally feel pain. The cold air invigorates most people into action; however, the same cold air can numb the sensations of pain and fatigue. Unfortunately, pain is a sign that an injury has already occurred or that mechanically you are doing something incorrect in shoveling the snow. In short, there is a right way and a wrong way to shovel snow, and paying attention to your technique can make a big difference in how you feel the next day. As with any project, the prep work is the most important. The following are some quick tips on how to shovel snow smarter:

Be prepared. Spray your shovel with Teflon so the snow won’t stick to it. The more snow that stays on the shovel, the heavier it gets and the more chance for injury – and frustration.

Do a warm-up first. A tight, stiff body is asking for injury. A few minutes of stretching can save you a lot of pain later. When you are shoveling, don’t forget to breathe. Holding your breath makes you tight and stiff.

Layer your clothing. Layered clothing will keep your muscles warm and flexible. You can shed a layer if you get too hot. Make sure you wear gloves that cover your wrists; if your wrists get cold, your fingers, hands and arms will be cold, too.

Wear the right shoes. Choose shoes with plenty of cushioning in the soles to absorb the impact of walking on hard, frozen ground.

Use the right size shovel. Your shovel should be about chest high on you, allowing you to keep your back straight when lifting. A shovel with a short staff forces you to bend more to lift the load; a too-tall shovel makes the weight heavier at the end. (Note: Save your money – don’t buy a fancy ergonomic shovel; studies have shown that in some models, the hook end is too deep. Twisting to unload a shovelful of snow with this tool may hurt your wrists.) Also keep one hand close to the base of the shovel to balance weight and lessen the strain on your back.

Timing is everything. Listen to weather forecasts so you can shovel in ideal conditions. If possible, wait until the afternoon to shovel. Many spinal disc injuries occur in the morning when there is increased fluid pressure in the disc because your body has been at rest all night.

Drink lots of water. Drinking water frequently throughout the day helps to keep muscles and body hydrated. Be careful with hot drinks like coffee or hot chocolate. Coffee contains caffeine, which has a dehydrating effect and adds even more stress to the body.

Use proper posture. When you do shovel, bend your knees and keep your back straight while lifting with your legs. Push the snow straight ahead; don’t try to throw it. Walk it to the snow bank. Try to shovel forward to avoid sudden twists of the torso and reduce strain on the back. The American Chiropractic Association recommends using the “scissors stance,” in which you work with your right foot forward for a few minutes and then shift to the front foot.

Take your time. Working too hard, too fast is an easy way to strain muscles. Take frequent breaks. Shovel for about five minutes at a time and then rest for two minutes.

See your chiropractor. Gentle spinal manipulation will help keep your back flexible and minimize the chance for injury. If you do overdo it, your chiropractor can help you feel better and prevent more injury.
So enjoy the snow this year, but remember that when it comes to shoveling snow, stay safe. Taking heed of these simple tips could make the difference between spending your day enjoying the new snowfall or lying in bed with a sore back, sprained ankle or other injury that could have been easily avoided. Talk to your doctor for additional information.

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Douglas R. Briggs, DC, Dipl. Ac., DAAPM, practices chiropractic, acupuncture and pain management in Wilmington, Del.

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3 Steps to More Energy (source http://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=1389)

Rise & Shine

If you aren’t an early riser and think the best way to increase energy is to stay in bed until noon or so, you’re missing out. Try rising with the sun on a more consistent basis and see how much more you accomplish (and how much energy you have doing it). Start the day with a brisk walk followed by a balanced meal, and your body and mind will be energized for the rest of the day.

Great Escape

There are countless energy sappers in life, but the way to fend them all off and retain energy throughout the day is to escape. Get away from the stress of your workload, the noise of the television, the constant demands of the kids. How do you possibly do that? Schedule time, whether it’s a five-minute escape from your desk every few hours or an hour of mandated quiet time at home.

Wind Down

No matter how much energy you start with and how well you replenish it, by day’s end, most people are exhausted. And mental and physical exhaustion can actually cause poor sleep, inadequate sleep or no sleep at all. The solution: wind down every night with a good book, your favorite music, a soothing bath, or even a calm review of the day with your significant other (or yourself).

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Source: ThirdAge.com

It’s not uncommon for people to complain about sore joints in cold weather, although the “why” of it is still a mystery to experts.

Rhodes recommended wearing an extra layer of clothing, as well as wearing gloves outdoors in the cold weather.

“The hands seem to be the thing that bother people the most,” Rhodes said.

Rhodes said the heated pool at the OMHS HealthPark helps, too, because activity generates heat in the joints, and that improves pain and stiffness.

“Our natural defense to cold weather is to protect the core of the body (which) will actually shunt blood from the extremities to the inside of your body,” he said. “You don’t have a lot of blood going to the exterior portion of your limbs because it wants to conserve the heat that you have.

“Unfortunately, that makes it even worse when you are arthritic because now there’s even less blood flow to your hands, legs, arms and shoulders. People need to wrap up really well.”

Last week’s snow was fluffy and measured only a couple of inches, so it wasn’t hard clearing sidewalks and stairs, but if and when the heavier wet snow arrives, shovelers should take care not to overexert themselves.

“You should try not to do too much, particularly people with heart conditions,” Rhodes said. “They’re the most at-risk. It’s a fairly strenuous activity if you’re doing a lot of snow removal with a shovel.

“Go at a measured pace, take breaks, go in and warm up. It’s going to be there for a while, so take your time and get it done. Don’t try to do it all at once.”

Extreme cold has long been associated with conditions such as arthritis and joint pain, affecting hips, knees, elbows, shoulders and hands.

“People with good joints don’t have pain related to weather, but those who have any kind of trauma to their joints or some arthritis, it’s very common to have them tell you it’s worse when the weather changes, or even when the barometric pressure changes,” said Dr. Gayle Rhodes, the director for Owensboro Medical Health System’s WorkHealth division.

Researchers haven’t solved the puzzle of cold weather relating to soreness, but apparently joints contain sensory nerves that respond to changes in atmospheric pressure. It’s believed that cold weather causes the joint lining to constrict, perhaps causing the discomfort.

“That’s been a theory that’s been promoted, but I’m not sure why that causes pain in your joints, or why you’d have a mechanism like that in the joints to detect barometric pressure in a normal person,” Rhodes said.

The solution, however, is easy — keep warm.

“People with sore joints tend to want to set the thermostat up a little bit higher, and that’s prudent,” Rhodes said. “If you set it too low to conserve energy, you’re going to wake up and have sore joints all day long.”

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Please take the time to view a snippet about us:

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When patients come into our clinic, and we ask what the pain is on a scale of 1-10, the answers vary. Explaining pain is hard for most. This post puts the pain in perspective with a new pain scale:

Boyfriend Doesn’t Have Ebola. Probably. (From http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/)

I took Boyfriend to the Emergency Room last night because he was vomiting up vast quantities of what I thought was blood but actually it was just Craisins. You guys, if you feel like you may become violently ill in the near future, stay away from red food. Failure to do so may create an atmosphere of unnecessary panic and chaos.

Anyway, the doctor wanted to make sure that Boyfriend didn’t have SARS or stomach AIDS or something, so he had to poke him a lot. While he was doing this to Boyfriend, he pointed to a little reference chart on the wall and asked Boyfriend to rate his pain::

You’ve probably seen some version of that chart before. You may also have noticed how inadequate it is at helping you. Based on the faces, this is my interpretation of the chart:

0: Haha! I’m not wearing any pants!

2: Awesome! Someone just offered me a free hot dog!

4: Huh. I never knew that about giraffes.

6: I’m sorry about your cat, but can we talk about something else now? I’m bored.

8: The ice cream I bought barely has any cookie dough chunks in it. This is not what I expected and I am disappointed.

10:You hurt my feelings and now I’m crying!

None of that is medically useful and it doesn’t even have all the numbers, so I made a better one with all the numbers:

0: Hi. I am not experiencing any pain at all. I don’t know why I’m even here.

1: I am completely unsure whether I am experiencing pain or itching or maybe I just have a bad taste in my mouth.

2: I probably just need a Band Aid.

3: This is distressing. I don’t want this to be happening to me at all.

4: My pain is not f*****g around.

5: Why is this happening to me??

6: Ow. Okay, my pain is super legit now.

7: I see Jesus coming for me and I’m scared.

8: I am experiencing a disturbing amount of pain. I might actually be dying. Please help.

9: I am almost definitely dying.

10: I am actively being mauled by a bear.

11: Blood is going to explode out of my face at any moment.

Too Serious For Numbers: You probably have ebola. It appears that you may also be suffering from Stigmata and/or pinkeye.

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