Before you consider spinal surgery…
Before You Consider Spinal Surgery:
Your nervous system is the most important asset to your health. Your health is a direct reflection of how your nerves flow energy throughout your entire musculoskeletal and visceral organ systems (Heart, Lungs, Intestines, etc). Your nervous system is the only system in your body that is completely encapsulated and protected by bone. Your spine/back bone houses the nervous system with 26 vertebrae shielding them from any damage. Thus it is extremely important to make sure your spine is extremely stable.
A disc herniation, a bulging disc, compressed disc, or a ruptured disc are all terms that describe irritation of the nerves. This is due to the rupture of a less elastic disc which creates a bulge out from between vertebrae. This process puts a lot of pressure on the spinal nerves as well as the spinal cord and can cause severe pain in the area.
Electric Shock Pain:
Pressure on the nerve can cause abnormal sensations, commonly described as electric shock pains. When compression occurs, a lot of patients will feel shooting pain down their arms/hands or legs.
Tingling and Numbness
Patients often experience tingling, numbness, or pins and needles sensation in the innervated areas (usually in the upper or lower extremities).
Muscle Weakness
When the nerves exit the spine, each will innervate a specific group of muscles, and is responsible for their strength, sensation, and general function. In a case of nerve irritation, signals from the brain may be interrupted causing muscle weakness, loss of reflexes, as well as lack of or decreased sensation.
Bowel or Bladder problems:
The exiting nerves from the spine will also innervate and control your organ systems such as bladder, lower digestive organs, and reproductive organs. In more severe cases of a disc herniation, patients will experience constipation, irregular bladder function, infertility or sexual dysfunction.
Four non-invasive therapy methods before you consider surgery:
1. Spinal Decompression Therapy
Non-surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy is your best bet if you are suffering from a herniated disc. I have personally treated hundreds of patients with this form of therapy with great results, but you have to understand that not everyone with a disc bulge is a candidate for this treatment. Please consult your chiropractic doctor to see if you are a good candidate.
2. Chiropractic Manipulations, and Manual Therapy
Chiropractic management of a herniated disc has shown to be effective when combined with other methods. Therapy may include pelvic traction, myofascial release, cryotheray, ultrasound, electrical muscle stimulation, and stretching exercises.
3. Yoga and Specific Exercise Programs
In some patients, the pain response may limit their flexibility. Prescribed stretching exercises that are monitored by a health care professional can help widen the space that the bulge is protruding out of and alleviate pain. These exercises can help maintain the spine’s natural lordotic curve, but must be under supervision of your physician in order to prevent any additional damage to your spine.
4. Natural Anti-inflammatories
Typical prescribed drugs for an acute disc may include muscle relaxants, narcotics, steroid, and anti-depressants. If you are choosing the natural way, you should try Omega 3/Fish oil to reduce inflammation. Staying away from red meat and dairy products can also reduce the inflammation in and around the disc. Drinking a lot of water will also hydrate your discs and helps with replenishment. Icing your lower back (even though the pain may be in your buttock or legs), and icing your neck will also help reduce the pain.
5. Prolotherapy
The most invasive procedure before surgery is prolotherapy. If you are choosing this, you have exhausted all your other non-invasive methods. This treatment consists of the injection of a proliferant solution into the area of pain. The solution will cause controlled inflammation at the site of injury and your ‘repairing cells’ will show up at the area to rebuild the ligaments and tendons. As with many treatments, prolotherapy is not without risks and side effects.
In summary, a combination of these non-invasive treatments would be ideal and can manage your pain and help reduce the disc bulge. Consult with your physician to best benefit from this information. If you reside in Orange County, give us a call for a complimentary consultation @ 949-387-1333
Pillow Talk
We tend to apply ergonomics when it comes to waking activities or sitting at a desk; utilizing the correct sleep posture is just as important as your waking posture as you spend 5-8 hours in that position every night. Our sleep posture often doesn’t get the attention it deserves and it is extremely important to pay more attention to our bodies when they’re not in motion. Whether you have felt every bone complaining or whether you are curious to see if you could be getting better sleep, make sure you know the correct sleeping posture.
The key to understanding sleeping posture is to think about where your body curves are. The two major ones that need to be supported throughout sleep are your neck and lower back.
What is the best position for sleeping?
The best lying or sleeping position may vary, depending on your symptoms or structure of your spine. No matter what position you lie in, the pillow should be under your head, but not your shoulders, and should be a thickness that allows your head to be in a normal position.
1. Try to sleep in a position which helps you maintain the curves in your neck and back. Sleeping on your back is the most ergonomically correct sleeping position, as long as you are using the right type of pillow. If you sleep on your back, you’ve won half the battle. Make sure to use a thinner but supportive pillow. If you use a think pillow or multiple pillows, they can stretch and strain your neck muscles. Your head needs to be in a neutral position for the 8 hours that you sleep, and multiple pillows under your head only bring your head forward and can cause a variety of problems.
2. If you are a side sleeper having a hard time switching to sleep on your back, all you have to do is use a few pillows to modify your sleeping posture for better and restful sleep, less aches, and more energy during the day. Use a thinker pillow for your head; since you sleep on your side, you want to create the most neutral position for your head with a thicker pillow to support your neck and head. Also add another pillow in between your knees to create symmetry and a better posture. This will help take any pressure off your lower back and hip
3. If you sleep on your stomach, do everything in your power not to. This is the worse sleeping posture and there’s not much to modify here. Keep in mind, it may take months to train your body to change and or modify your sleeping posture, but it is doable.
4. Finally, when standing up from the lying position, turn on your side, draw up both knees and swing your legs on the side of the bed. Sit up by pushing yourself up with your hands. Avoid bending forward at your waist.
Overcome your sinusitis today!
Forty million Americans suffer from sinusitis. You may have experienced acute sinusitis in which the nasal cavities of the nasal passages become inflamed, mucus is built up and it blocks drainage. This maybe following a cold, and you have symptoms such as painful pressure behind cheekbones, headaches, nasal congestion etc… For some people this is not a temporary problem. If you have chronic sinusitis, you spend majority of each year experiencing symptoms such as fatigue, facial pain, headaches, mucus secretion, bad breath, post nasal drip, and etc.
1. Get steamy
Take a hot shower or better yet try steam treatment to help rid you of the inflamed mucus. The steam you breathe can be enhanced with sinus-clearing essential oils. Try adding Eucalyptus, lavender, oregano or peppermint to a large bowl of steaming-hot water. Drape a towel over your head and the bowl, and breathe deeply for 10 minutes. You’ll feel relief within that time.
If you are short on time, apply a warm wash cloth over your eyes and cheekbones for relief.
1. Get fit
Aerobic exercises at least three times a week can help drain sinuses naturally, which then reduces inflammation and risk of an infection. Physical activity helps cleansing you of toxins and relieve accumulated stress. Dawn’s info or link?
1. Flush the sinuses
Make sure you use a saline solution that does not contain preservatives; they can impair your nasal function. To make your own preservative-free saline solution, add one table spoon of non-iodized salt to one pint of distilled water and rinse your sinuses, and nasal passages with it daily.
1. What to eat
Eating lots of fruits and vegetables and staying away from sugar, dairy products, wheat, alcohol, and foods that can increase mucus inflammation is key in staying healthy, and avoiding those sinusitis episodes all together. Take your natural anti-inflammatory (e.g. fish oil). Try adding garlic, onions, horseradish, hot pepper and ginger added to any soup broth to open up the sinuses. Drink lots of hot herbal tea.
1. Killer immune system
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you exercise, eat right and your nervous system is functioning properly, you shouldn’t be suffering from any aches, pains, tiredness etc…
Your brain controls everything and it communicates with all of your organs through the nervous system/spine. If you have an abnormal neck curve, you have a low resistance immune system which in majority of cases does not cause any symptoms. So get your immune system checked before it’s too late. Also check out this post about Immune System!
Is your sinusitis life-threatening?
In addition to being painful, a chronic sinusitis can be dangerous and in rare cases causes blindness or even death. You may have tried anti-biotics for your sinus infection; unfortunately antibiotics kill the helpful bacteria in your gastro-intestinal system and can cause a variety of other problems if taken frequently. Before your sinusitis becomes more than just a head and face pain, prevent it.
Call 949.387.1333 in order to avoid sinusitis being a detrement to your health! We serve Orange County, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, or Irvine.
How can Chiropractic Help with Blood Pressure?
Most people come to chiropractors in hopes of getting rid of the aches in their back and neck. In my office however, we educate patients on all other benefits of chiropractic. Your posture is a representative of your spine and your spine is extremely important; it holds and protects your nervous system. Your nervous system is THE MOST important organ system in your body because it controls EVERYTHING! one of the most VITAL things it controls is your heart. Sometimes due to the stresses that we have in our lives, some sudden, and some overtime, the spine will shift out of place and shuts down the nerve into a specific organ or musculoskeletal unit. Irregular heart beat, high blood pressure, or difficulty breathing often times are caused by these shifts in the spine. Most postural dysfunctions are asymptomatic, but often times patients who come in with high blood pressure with have an abnormal posture or misaligned spine in their neck and mid back area. Chiropractic care can help regulate blood pressure the natural way and without ANY medication! Check this video about natural ways of controlling blood pressure, and once you are ready to put your health first and help yourself to natural ways of lowering your blood pressure, give us a call at 949.387.1333 for a consultation.
6 natural ways to beat allergies
Here are top 6 ways to beat your allergies this spring:
1. Correct your ‘allergy posture’
Your brain communicates to every cell in your body through your nervous system. The information gets sent down into your neck and then the rest of your body. If you have a misalignment in your neck that is blocking life and energy into the rest of your body, the communication is stopped. The goal of chiropractic care is to located these blocks that are causing major stress on your body and thus enable the immune system to communicate more effectively with the nervous system.
2. Eat allergy-fighting food
Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids help fight inflammation and can be found in cold-water fish, walnuts and flaxseed oil. Garlic, onions, ginger, turmeric, citrus fruits like lemon and oranges also contain natural anti-histamines.
3. Aqua therapy
This natural allergy remedy simply involves drinking lots of liquids to help flush out mucus. However, when you hydrate, you also need minerals to hold onto the water.
Hot liquids can help rid your of congestion. Mint and Green tea work well and contain lots of anti-oxidants that will keep you young as a ‘side-effect’ too. Stay away from black tea, coffee, milk, alcohol and anything with preservatives and additives in it.
4. Beneficial Bugs
Healthy gut flora is essential for wellness of the immune system. Probiotics are the natural and beneficial bacteria in your gut that contribute to your overall health. Disturbed flora can deplete your gut of normal flow of good bacteria. Probiotics can replenenish your source of good bacteria in your gut, and stimulate your immune system in order to prevent you from developing allergies and treating them.
5. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar contains many healing properties and is often used to ease the symptoms of sinus infection as well as to treat allergies developed from exposure to pets, foods, and various environmental agents. In addition to being rich in vitamins E, A, B1, B2 and B6, apple cider vinegar contains potassium, calcium, and magnesium. It reduces the amount of mucus in the sinus cavities, soothes sore throats, and will shorten the duration of colds.
6. Raw local honey
There are reports that eating honeycomb that comes from the area where you live can relieve symptoms of allergy. The theory is that by chewing a little honeycomb made by local bees you can desensitize yourself to local pollens. Try it daily before allergy season starts so that you build resistance against it. A spoonful a day will keep allergies away!
Call us if you have any questions 949.387.1333
Allergies and Immune System
Allergies are ‘abnormal’ responses of your immune system to substances that are typically harmless. Now why would your brain and nervous system send wrong information regarding these harmless substances to your immune system and most likely the rest of your body? The answer is miscommunication and interference with your nervous system.
Think of the immune system as a well-trained and disciplined bio-weapon that protects the body from harmful substances, with the help of a two-way communication from the brain/nervous system, it identifies and destroys foreign and trouble invaders. If your brain and nervous system are having a hiccup communicating which substances are harmful and which are not, you end up sneezing, coughing, and getting teary eyed every time a harmless substance enters your body.
There are many reasons why your immune system would not be functioning at its best. The main one is having a nervous system that is not functioning correcting. Your spine holds and protects your nervous system; thus make sure your spine is alligned and your immune system is communicating well with the rest of your body! At Wellness Choice Center, our Newport Beach office, we can determine if there is a lack of communication between your nervous system and immune system; and this is one of many ways we help patients with allergies on daily basis. Call us at 949.387.1333 if you have any questions.
Heart of a woman
Heart disease now has a new face – it’s young, fit and female. Journal of American College of Cardiology reports that deaths caused by heart disease in women under 45 years old have been increasing by 1.3 percent each year since 1997.
The typical cardiac patient has historically been a middle-aged or older male; females have been left out of heart disease research studies, which have led to the perception that it does not pertain to women. Female-oriented vascular conditions such as microvascular disease and pregnancy-related heart troubles are less understood than coronary-artery disease which triggers heart attacks in men. Meanwhile 4 in 10 women do not recognize heart disease’s most life threatening sign until it is too late – a heart attack!
The number of young women (under 45) who die from coronary heart disease each year is roughly comparable to the number of women who die of breast cancer, yet there are numerous breast cancer awareness organizations and little in the way of heart disease education. Thus this month’s article will investigate and educate women on risk factors and screening steps.
Doctors are not making the connection between suspicious symptoms and a significant cardiac event in female patients. A recent study presented 800 physicians with patient profiles in which the heart risk levels were identical, but the genders differed. Even when a woman’s risk was the same as a man’s, doctors were more likely to classify her case as low risk.
Women develop different type of heart disease than men and the symptoms and complexity is yet to be researched. Heart disease in women strikes multiple smaller arteries while men more commonly develop a single large plaque that clearly blocks a single artery.
Another reason women with heart disease are being inadequately examined and tested may have to do with the under-recognized connection between the reproductive organs and heart health. Irregular menstrual cycle and hormonal imbalances play a role in coronary vessels tightening and thus making you more susceptible to heart disease and heart attacks.
Pregnancy and pregnancy-related complications such as pre-eclampsia, eclampsia and gestational diabetes can trigger heart disease by increasing blood clotting and risks of high blood pressure. New moms are often told that these conditions are pregnancy-specific and are resolved after birth of their child. New research now shows that they can have an impact years after the pregnancy.
3 steps to prevention:
1. Know your numbers
By age 30 get your blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar levels checked annually.
2. Know your risks
Abnormal cholesterol levels
High blood pressure
Drug or tobacco use
Diabetes
Family history
Obesity
Pregnancy
Birth control pills
Poor diet and lack of exercise
3. Get Checked
Based on your numbers, many doctors will use online tools to assess your risk level and determine what tests you need. Ask your doctor about female-focused Reynalds Risk Score (reynoldsriskscore.org) which accounts for all the risks as well as factors that can be particularly troubling in women, such as certain cholesterol types and inflammatory markers specific to females.
Signs, symptoms, and risk factors for heart disease can be subtle or seemingly harmless and prevention is extremely valuable. Educate yourself on risks, take care of your body, and ask your doctor for a checkup. Call us for a free consultation or to check your blood pressure at 949.387.1333
3 reasons why you’re not losing weight
Can’t lose weight? Jump start 2009 with a detoxification program!
If you are having trouble losing weight and it’s become more and more difficult to lose weight, you are not alone. Many people try few days or weeks of dieting without being able to keep the weight off, and or speeding up their metabolism. Each year by not taking the right steps, you gain a few pounds, and each year it becomes more difficult to lose the pounds; thus your body stays in a toxic-overload state. Here are 3 most common reasons why you are having trouble losing weight or keeping it off.
1. Eating Habits:
Obesity in America is no longer surprising news. Most of the food we buy and even fruits and vegetables that we consume are extremely overloaded with chemical toxins, dangerous artificial sweeteners, cancer-causing preservatives, and lots of unhealthy substances. If you’re not getting rid of this waste in your body, your cravings won’t go away; you will not be able to lose this extra weight. When you have a toxic system, you are fatigued day after day, can’t sleep properly, you have a low metabolism and therefore you can’t motivate yourself to exercise, all of which contributes to excess weight year after year. A toxic system is your worst enemy and cleansing yourself of the toxins can be the only solution to optimal health. Call 949.387.1333 to schedule a free consultation and see if a detoxification program can help you get your optimal health back.
2. Your Workouts:
If you eat super healthy, do a detoxification once a year, workout somewhat regularly and still difficult for you to lose weight, it is likely that you have hit a plateau. It’s not about going to the gym every day it is about the right kinds of cardio and strength training for your body and specific to your goals. Try www.WorkingYourBody.com
3. A Misaligned Spine:
Is your neck tight and does your upper back carry tension and stress most of the time? What you may not know is that not only your back muscles but also your nerves in that area are affected. The nerves in your neck control metabolism, immune system, thyroid, sleeping patterns, and a healthy brain. If you feel that you are not at your optimal health, it may have to do with a stretched spinal cord. Insomnia, stress, thyroid malfunction, and low metabolism all lead to over eating, lack of motivation for exercise, and thus weight gain and an accelerated aging process. Call us at 949.387.1333 for a consultation to check your nervous system for any interference.
It is my goal to make 2009 the healthiest year for all of my patients and the individuals I come across with.
Recovery and Rejuvenation Post-holidays
Recovery and Rejuvenation Post-holidays…
Holidays can be a heavy burden on anyone’s body. Average individuals can gain anywhere from 2-6 pounds and they begin to feel the effects of large consumption of food, alcohol, rich sweets, lack of exercise, and dehydration. The good news is you’re not alone in the overindulgence during the holidays.
A detoxification or cleansing program can not only be a great start to the New Year, but also help you rid yourself of all the toxins you have collected throughout the year and during the holidays. To keep all of your organs functioning at their best, an annual internal cleansing is beneficial. The food we consume contains a range of harmful toxin substances that can cause fatigue, headaches, indigestion, musculoskeletal pain, inflammation, skin breakouts, bloating and last but definitely not least weight gain. Are you suffering from these symptoms? Are you at your 100% optimal health? Could you use a little push? Are you feeling sluggish, irritable, or unable to focus? Have you gained a few pounds over the holidays and would like to get healthy again?
If you are ready to make the commitment for better health and optimal wellness…
Your body is overwhelmed with all the toxins, having to unload the toxins, and boost your immune system at the same time; it can get weak and tired. Personally I have gone through multiple cleanses within the past few years and have had amazing results. Just recently through my research I came across a company that offers cleansing of all 8 major organ systems in the same 21 day purification program. Many of my patients have started cleansing beginning of 2009 and more are joining. If you are interested in the program, have questions or more importantly want your optimal health back, give us a call at 949.387.1333 or visit my website.
In the mean time…
Hydrate:
Drink a ton of water, and non-caffeinated herbal teas.
The recommended amount is no longer eight glasses a day. It is your body weight divided by 2 in oz. of water. For example, if you weigh 100 lbs/2=50 oz of water.
To make it a fun experience, add a slice of cucumber or strawberry to your water.
Exercise:
There is no substitution for an active life style. Make it your goal in 2009 to get fit, lose weight, become healthy and strong. Learn to love moving your body. Play outside. Need help? Visit www.workingyourbody.com
Fiber, Fruits and Veggies:
Eat plenty of fiber found in brown rice, fresh fruits and vegetables. Eat foods that are naturally detoxifying such as beets, radishes, artichokes, cabbage, broccoli, and seaweed.
Keep it simple:
Lower your intake of dairy products, red meat, sugar, complex carbohydrates, processed food, and diet drinks. Going for smaller portions is a great start to a healthy purification without starvation.
Relax:
Enjoy a nice walk outside, take a long bath, try a yoga pose, and breathe!
Good luck with your New Year Resolutions, and Detoxification Programs and Happy 2009!
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is associated with tingling, numbness and or pain the hand, fingers, or wrist. Compression of the median nerve inside the carpal tunnel can cause these symptoms. The Carpal Tunnel itself is a small tunnel that is formed by the alignment of eight carpal bones in the wrist. A group of tendons, ligaments, and the median nerve run through this tunnel. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is associated with pressure of the median nerve and it is most commonly seen in individuals who perform repetitive tasks, such as computer work. Pressure on the median nerve can be caused by three ways:
1. Bad diet: American diet is typically high on fat, red meat, salt, and lots of other inflammatory substances. An inflammatory diet will promote water retention all over from internal organs to the lining of ligaments and tendons. An inflammatory diet can cause water retention in the Carpal Tunnel, and thus put pressure on the median nerve. This is also known to be the cause of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in pregnant women due to their higher water retention throughout pregnancy.
2. Overuse: each of the eight carpal bones in your hand can become subluxated or misaligned relative to each other due to overuse, or repetitive work. Ligaments become overstreched, and muscles in the forearm become tight.
3. Trauma: it is often the cause of misalignment of the carpal bones or the attachment of forearm and hands. Falls that involve hyperextension or hyperflexion of the wrist can cause symptoms associated with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
The medical approach may include a splint, anti-inflammatory drugs, diuretics, and in extreme cases injection of corticosteroids for temporary relief. Surgery is the last resort, and recovery can take months with no guarantee that you have rid yourself of the symptoms.
Chiropractic approach is less invasive, and involves finding the source of symptoms, as well as addressing them. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions. Nerve entrapments that cause the same symptoms in hands and lower arms can happen in the neck region. Nerves that branch out of the upper part of spine go into arms, hands and fingers; thus involvement of the nerves in the neck is not uncommon. After a complete examination, neurological and orthopedic tests, and x-rays, I can determine the actual cause and place of nerve entrapment, and relieve pressure accordingly. To make your visit wholesome and more effective, I recommend life style and dietary changes, as well as stretches, strengthening exercises, and other physical modalities to be done at home. Chiropractic approach, is a complete and excellent choice for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and should be considered before more invasive treatments.
Please call us at 949.387.1333 if you are suffering from symptoms associated with Carpal Tunnel to see if you qualify for a free consultation.
