"Knock Knees"

Remember when you were a kid and some other kid you knew had knees that “bent in,” or “bumped” each other? 

Sometimes this was somewhat insensitively referred to as “knock knees.”

This condition, professionally called “genu valgum,” can be due to a rotation of the femoral head in the ball-and-socket hip joint, or to pronation of the foot, both of which result in an abnormal “Q angle” relating to the knee.

Foot pronation, or the falling inward of the medial side at the plantar arch, is the most easily correctable. Appropriate orthotics, often over-the-counter if properly fit, will help.

Orthotics should be consistently worn; going barefoot should be avoided.

As an Advanced Proficiency Rated Activator Chiropractor, I precisely evaluate and adjust the bones of the pelvis, hip, knee, foot, and entire involved lower extremities for this condition.

Prepare for Summer Fun

As summer approaches, patients begin to come in with sequelae of warm weather activities, one of which is water skiing.

Having fun water skiing without appropriate preparation of one’s musculature, especially the muscles of the low back, can lead to unpleasant consequences.

Simple strengthening exercises that prepare the muscles for summer activities can prevent a lot of unnecessary discomfort.

Pain That "Caps" the Shoulder

When there is pain in the deltoid area, around the upper area of the arm at the shoulder, or at the insertion point of the deltoid muscle on the outer upper arm, it often is not due to a problem in the shoulder itself.

Rather, the origin of the pain is in the neck.

Misalignments or degenerative changes in the spine in the lower cervical region, at C6 - C7, can cause this pain that presents this way in the upper shoulder.

No-Till Farming

Want a vibrant, healthy garden that produces nutrient-rich vegetables, herbs, fruits, etc. while sequestering carbon by increasing soil organic matter (SOM)?

Disturb the soil as little as possible.

At Singing Frogs Farm north of San Francisco, a “No Till No Kill” system is an example. 

They cover their planting beds with mulch and compost instead of plowing or using herbicides. New plants are inserted directly into the compost; they use a high biodiversity of cash & cover crops which are continuously rotated to break weed, disease and pest cycles.

This system retains more water, requiring less irrigation, & produces high crop yields. 

It has increased SOM by 400% in under six years, sequestering significantly more carbon.

        The Singing Frogs system is applicable to more than 80% of farms around the world---the majority of farms are under 5 acres.  https://regenerationinternational.org/2021/03/08/best-practices-how-regenerative-organic-agriculture-and-land-use-can-reverse-global-warming/

Listen to a podcast by owners of Singing Frogs Farm at https://www.resilience.org/stories/2015-05-27/paul-elizabeth-kaiser-sustainable-farming-2-0/  

"Noisy" Knees

  If you hear a “crunching” or “grinding” noise in your knee when you bend it, this is a sign of an arthritic, or degenerative, condition called Chondromalacia Patella.

For various reasons, the patella, or kneecap, may begin tracking abnormally as it slides up and down in a groove on the front of the femur with bending of the knee, resulting in abnormal “wear & tear” in the articulation.

If not corrected with the proper treatment plan, the condition can advance to painful and debilitating arthritis.

The patella should be adjusted by vectoring the ACTIVATOR instrument appropriately to correct its tracking. I also give the patient exercises to prevent recurrence.

Nerve "Maps"

      Areas of our skin receive sensory innervation from particular spinal nerves. 

      These sensory areas, called “dermatomes,” are predictable from person to person, and can be “mapped” on a model of the human body.

      An a an example, if a patient presents with pain, or with numbness & tingling, in a specific area of the arm or hand, the doctor can identify the involved spinal nerve(s) based on the dermatome map of the upper extremity.

      As an Advanced Proficiency Rated Activator Chiropractor, once the involved nerve(s) is / are identified, I can make precise, gentle adjustments accordingly to relieve nerve impingement & help relieve the patient’s symptoms.

Gardening With Native Plants to Attract Birds

Have you ever considered that garden plants native to your area have advantages for birds and for you as well?

A landscape of drought-tolerant natives will use less water in your garden, can be more resistant to native pests, and natives provide food suited for area birds.

Find out why “yards with non-native plants create ‘food deserts’ for bugs and birds,” find the best plants for your area, and learn how to create your native plant garden at: 

https://www.audubon.org/PLANTSFORBIRDS?emci=c10dc46c-ff2b-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&emdi=2b6388a5-d02d-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&ceid=721242

"Craning the Neck"

Have you ever heard the expression, “don’t crane your neck?” It’s really good advice---”craning,” or straining, the neck, such as to better see a computer screen, or when accommodating to bifocal lenses, sets one up for neck pain and headaches.

These postures cause abnormal cervical stresses, and one of the common results is a superior misalignment of the posterior arch of the 2nd cervical vertebra, C2.

In my practice, about 80% of my headache patients have this misalignment.

It is corrected by precise, gentle adjustment with the Activator instrument.

Got Cranial Rhythms?

    We all do. 

The bones in our head have very subtle, normal, rhythmical, motions. 

These motions are not synchronized with our heartbeat or breath. They are characteristic to the cranium, and are thought to be related to the circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord. 

Abnormalities in the rhythms can be associated with headaches or vertigo, or just feeling "out of sorts." 

I find that balancing the cranial rhythms often relieves a patient’s headaches, and can be effective for vertigo as well. 

Balancing patients' cranial rhythms is part of my focus on overall, full-body balancing.

More "Bang" for Your Exercise "Buck"

An exercise routine can be great, but if performed when the body is in dis-equalibrium, aka a state of imbalance, it will not be maximally effective.

For example, strengthening the muscles that support the low back, including the abdominals, is an essential part of relieving low back pain, protecting the low back and keeping it healthy.  However, when your underlying framework---the bones and joints of your pelvis and spine---is skewed, or out of alignment, your exercises won’t work, or hold, as well.

I can help; as an Advanced Proficiency Activator Chiropractor, my focus is on restoring balance and equilibrium to your body, which supports & enhances your exercise regimen.

GERD

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD, is a common and uncomfortable condition caused by dysfunction of the circular muscle (sphincter) at the lower end of the esophagus.

This allows stomach acid to seep back up into the lower esophagus, resulting in irritation, inflammation, and burning pain (“heartburn”). 

It is important for this condition to be addressed by a medical doctor, because chronic, untreated GERD can lead to more serious consequences.

In the meantime, I have an adjustment, done with the Activator instrument, that often brings temporary relief.

Persistent Tendonitis

When bicipital tendonitis, which is inflammation of the tendon that attaches the biceps muscle in the upper arm to the shoulder, is not resolving with a full-component treatment plan, as an Advanced Proficiency Rated ACTIVATOR Chiropractor, I look for what may be keeping the patient’s healing from progressing.

Culprit #1 is biomechanical. Specifically, the humerus, the bone in the upper arm, can be rotated, causing stress on the bicipital tendon as it “rides” in a grove on the front of the humerus. The rotation can be medial or lateral. Both cause stress on the inflammed tendon. The solution is a precise, directional adjustment with the ACTIVATOR instrument to correct the rotation. The adjustment may need repeating over the course of several office visits.

The #2, and critically important, culprit is the patient’s nutrition. If (s)he is eating foods that cause inflammation, such a sugar, damaged fats, etc., this will significantly slow or even block healing.

Medicare and Maintenance Care

Medicare guidelines state that it will only pay for chiropractic treatment that is Medically Reasonable or Necessary (defined as treatment that yields a significant improvement in clinical findings and patient functionality). 

To you, and in the clinical judgement of your chiropractor, your treatment may be CLINICALLY APPROPRIATE:  it may enhance your life, relieve your symptoms, support your health and well-being, or prevent the deterioration of a chronic condition. 

But treatment that is CLINICALLY APPROPRIATE may not fit Medicare’s definition of MEDICALLY NECESSARY. 

Your chiropractor, by law. must inform Medicare when your care becomes maintenance care, thus clarifying to Medicare that this care is not reimbursable, and you will be responsible for payment.

Muscle Cramps

Those painful muscle cramps that awaken you at night will often be alleviated by magnesium (Mg). 

If you aren’t getting an absorbable form of magnesium----Mg citrate or Mg glycinate are good--- in your supplement regimen, and there are no contraindications, consider trying it.

The target dose is 400 mg / day, and it’s best to start with 100 mg / day, gradually increasing to  the target level. Slowly building to the target dose will help avoid diarrhea.