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.

Pregnancy and Postpartum

A hormone called “relaxin” is generated in a woman’s body when she is pregnant. It has a loosening effect on her joints, partly to prepare the pelvic joints for passage of the baby through the birth canal, but it affects all the joints in her body. Because of this, her joints become more vulnerable to misalignments or distortions.

It is especially beneficial for expectant moms to come in for periodic full-body balancing. My Activator Chiropractic method is gentle, comfortable, precise, and especially suited for women in pregnancy.

After the birth, relaxin slowly dissipates, but for a while the mother’s joints remain susceptible. So continuing to get checked and balanced, while the body returns to pre-pregnancy status, is a good idea.

Ribs---Like a Bucket Handle

Think of each of your ribs as being like a bucket handle:  on our right side, each rib is attached in our back at a thoracic vertebra, and curves around under our arm and across our chest, where it attaches in the front to our sternum. Ditto each rib on our left side at the matching spinal levels.

With inhalations, our chest expands. With deeper breaths, the ribs move up / out from their front & back attachments, in the same way that a bucket handle moves from its attachments on either side of a bucket.

An impact on a rib in the back can affect its attachment in the front of the body, and vice versa. Impacts on side(s) of rib(s) can disturb their attachment(s) in front and / or back. Careful assessment of the rib cage is part of my full-body balancing with Activator Chiropractic.

5 Secrets of Neck Pain Relief

 

5 SECRETS OF NECK PAIN RELIEF

WATCH OUT FOR HEAD-FORWARD POSTURES,

     which strain the muscles in your neck.

USE YOUR HEADREST,

    especially when you're a passenger. with someone else driving.

SLEEP ON THE RIGHT PILLOW,

    one that adequately supports your cervical spine.

BE KIND TO YOUR NECK,

    guard against sudden extreme movements, or repetitive motions 

    of your head.

GET YOUR SPINE CHECKED

    for underlying problems by your Activator Chiropractor---ME! 

Reversal of Cervical Curve

Often after an injury such as whiplash, there is a reversal, or “straightening” of the normally forward-facing curve in the neck. Sometimes this happens in absence of injury, and is unexplained. The altered curve changes biomechanical function, posture, and may result in chronic discomfort. The cervical vertebrae should be gently and precisely aligned, and appropriate exercises and stretches prescribed. Traction is often part of my treatment plan for this.

 

Scoliosis--An Unwelcome Spinal Curve

Our spines have normal front-to-back curves:  forward-facing curves in the neck & low back, and a backward-facing upper back curve.

But “sideways” curves in the spine, called scoliotic curves, aka "scoliosis," those that you would see if the person has their back to you, are abnormal and can cause trouble. They have the effect of weakening the stability of the spine, which affects the attached and related soft tissue, including muscles and organs. 

Severe or advanced scoliosis can impair the lungs & breathing, as well as the functioning of other essential internal organs, and may require surgical stabilization. 

In my practice, I have worked with scoliosis patients who have successfully chosen to avoid surgery, and instead relied on consistent, regular, specific exercises and regular chiropractic care to manage the effects of their abnormal spinal curve(s).