With Gratitude

To all my patients and the Central Coast community,

After 30 years in practice as an Advanced Proficiency Rated Activator Chiropractor, I have retired. It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve my patients and community.

Elizabeth Quinn, M.S., D.C.

Osteoarthritis: What can ACTIVATOR Chiropractic do to help?

Osteoarthritis: What can ACTIVATOR Chiropractic do to help? Yesterday I treated a patient with it. I balanced his entire body, relieving joint fixations and correcting misalignments that were causing abnormal joint stresses. Getting those arthritic joints normally positioned and moving better helps relieve pain. And he'll benefit more now from daily exercise. I LOVE what I do!

Five Keys to Healthy Sitting

Keys to healthy sitting include:
--- Both feet flat on the floor,
--- Knees slightly lower than the level of the hips,
--- Back resting comfortably against your chair,
--- Keep your head in line with center of gravity of your body (avoid head-forward postures).
--- One of the most important features of whatever chair you use is that you can change the height of the seat.

Could It Be Shingles?

Back pain or headache that is severe, often "burning" or "searing," that doesn't get better with chiropractic treatment or good home care may, unfortunately, turn out to be shingles. If you've had chicken pox, you are vulnerable to getting shingles. The virus from chicken pox sequesters in the nerve ganglia alongside your spine, where it stays with you for life. Stress, getting overheated (hyperthermia), and ingestion of foods containing a high arginine / low lysine ratio (peanuts, chocolate, etc.) can stimulate an outbreak of the virus. This is shingles. The pain presents along a dermatome, the section of skin supplied with feeling by a spinal nerve. It may run in a line from your spine across & under your arm, or across part of the head or face. Soon, painful blisters appear along the pain line. See your M.D. or Doctor of Chiropractic if you think this is happening to you.

5 Things to Know About Fender Benders

1. The visual damage to your car is not necessarily an indicator of the impact on your body.
2. Feeling confused, "fuzzy," disoriented, and irritable often follow.
3. Symptoms may have delayed onset; you may "feel fine" for the first few days, or even longer.
4. The sooner you come in to see me and get your whole body checked & balanced, the better, and your chances for a speedy recovery are improved.
5. If you don't have Medpay on your auto policy, get it. If you have it, and you're in an accident, your own insurance will cover your care, so you or your doctor won't have to wait for the other party's insurance to pay. It's insurance that's really worthwhile.

Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs)

Genetically modified foods may be associated with allergies, immune problems, faulty insulin regulation, and other health problems---the bottom line is, we don't really know for sure. The long term effects aren't fully understood. In addition, many GMO crops are designed to resist herbicides and pests, so they are loaded with toxic residues. Wouldn't you like to know whether a food contains GMOs, so you make a choice of whether to eat it or not? 

Total Body Balancing

I am a Total Body, Low Force chiropractor, and have been in practice in Santa Cruz for 30 years. I use Activator Method, the most widely used method of low force adjusting in the world. ACTIVATOR is comfortable, precise, and thorough. The patient's total body gets balanced at every visit, and I do craniosacral each visit, as well. I'm happy to answer questions; give me a call. 831-476-2168.

Neck Pain and Tension

Neck pain and tension can be a difficult cycle to break. My Chiropractic approach is to adjust misalignments, release fixations, and share home care advice: ergonomics, posture (including sleep), etc., tools patients can use on their own to get relief.

Pelvic Distortion

What is pelvic distortion? Why does it matter? If your pelvis gets distorted, it becomes unlevel. This makes an unstable foundation for your spine. It's uncomfortable, and may lead to problems above, in your neck or shoulders. As an Activator Chiropractor, I can correct this with a gentle, comfortable full-body balancing.

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The Truth About Palm Oil

Have you noticed Palm Oil appearing in our supermarkets & food stores? Perhaps you've noticed it being touted as new & improved, healthy, and budget friendly? Hmmm.......truth is, Palm Oil is highly processed (extracted and treated with heat and / or chemicals). If solvents are used in extraction, the oil may contain chemical residues. Although it is low in unsaturated fatty acids & thus  less prone to oxidation, its oxidized portions are highly inflammatory in the body. Worst of all, it is very environmentally costly. In Indonesia, thousands of acres of forests are being clear cut and burned to plant palms for production of palm oil, creating pollution, reducing forests' carbon sequestration, and destroying native rain forest habitats. 

Chiropractic: How Long, How Often?

Patients commonly want to know: "How often do I have to come in, and for how long?" In my chiropractic practice, each patient's Treatment Plan is tailored to the individual. Some patients come in for their initial treatment and one follow-up, and they're done. Some people need more. It depends on the person's problem, their general health, whether they've been injured, whether they follow Home Care Instructions, etc. As soon as each patient is sufficiently improved and able to continue healing on their own, I release them. I am always available to support them, should they need me again. 

Four secrets to a strong immune system

Four secrets to a strong immune system: 

(1) Avoid sugar---the amount of sugar in one soft drink suppresses immune function for up to 12 hours. 

(2) Support the health of your intestinal tract by taking a good probiotic---up 70% to 80% of our immune system is in our intestinal tract. 

(3) Get plenty of sleep. 

(4) Find effective ways to manage your stress.

29 Problems, 29 Solutions

As an Advanced Proficiency Rated Activator Chiropractor, I have 29 adjustments for the knee. 

 In-other-words, in Activator, the Advanced doctors, who are the most highly trained, have 29 tests for misalignment or aberrance of the structures of the knee. This includes the osseous components (the bones) as well as soft tissue (muscles and their tendons which act on the knee). We even have new adjustments for the medial and lateral meniscus, which, in my practice, I am finding very helpful for my chronic knee patients.

Can Chiropractors Opt Out of Medicare?

 

No. Medical doctors can choose to opt out, but Chiropractors cannot.

If a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic sees a patient who has Medicare, the Chiropractor must, by law, report it to Medicare. Medicare covers Chiropractic treatment to the spine, and patients with Medicare insurance have the right to have their Medicare pay for their spinal treatment. 

If your Chiropractor sees Medicare patients but does not accept assignment (accept payment from Medicare), you must pay at the time of service, your Chiropractor then sends the report of her / his services and charges to Medicare, and you will be reimbursed directly from Medicare. 

Medicare will process the statement of services and charges received from your Chiropractor, and then send the statement on to your secondary or supplemental carrier. Whatever amount your supplemental insurance will pay, they will also send the reimbursement directly to you.