Polypharmacy

Literally, this means “the simultaneous use of multiple drugs by a single patient for one or more conditions.”

There are now patients coming into my office who are taking upward of eleven or twelve different medications. Often their meds are prescribed by different doctors, and there may be no one doctor who is overseeing or coordinating the mix. Potential harmful drug interactions are not being monitored, and the patient is subject to a myriad of side effects of the various drugs.

Sometimes the pharmacist who fills the patient’s prescriptions may be serving as overseer or monitor, but this is not always the case.

For patients on multiple medications, I advise them to talk with their primary care physician about making sure some caregiver is fulfilling this role.

Numbness, Tingling in Arm or Hand

Nerve impingement of the brachial plexus, the nerves exiting the spine in the neck, can be the cause of numbness or tingling in the arm and / or hand. If the alteration of sensation is diffuse throughout the upper extremity, all or most of the nerves in the brachial plexus may be affected, sometimes due to impingement between the clavicle and the first rib, or in passage between the scalene muscles at the sides of the neck. However, if only parts of the arm or hand are affected, it may be possible to pinpoint the specific spinal nerves that are being impinged. This can guide the specific Activator Chiropractic adjustment which can help alleviate the problem.

From Ribs to No Ribs: Transition Areas of the Spine

     There are two areas of transition in our spine, one at the base of our rib cage and one at the top of it. They are called “transition” areas because they are where attachment of the ribs begin at the lower and upper borders of the rib cage. 

     These are often trouble spots because they are “transitions” from regions of comparatively less mobility to ones of comparatively more mobility. For example, in the low back, the lumbar region, where no ribs attach, is comparatively more mobile than the thoracic region, where, from T12 and up, ribs attach on each side at each vertebral level. 

     Similarly, where ribs cease to attach in the upper back, around T2 & T1, there is a transition to the cervical, comparatively more mobile, region. 

     These transition areas are more vulnerable to biomechanical stresses, and can be recurring trouble spots for some people.

Let's Hear It For Purple Foods!

     Did you know that color of most vegetables is a clue to the kind(s) & how many nutrients they contain?

     Purple vegetables often carry more nutritional “punch.” For example, purple carrots have more powerful antioxidants than the beta carotene in orange carrots. Deep purple beets are more nutritious than yellow or multicolored beets, such as Chiaogia. 

     Purple sweet potatoes, though sometimes hard to find, are richer in antioxidants than other sweet potatoes.

     Intensely purple cauliflower, which existed before the white kind we most often see today, has 2 & 1/2 more times antioxidants than the white. Purple cabbage is very nutritious, and packs 6 times more antioxidants than green cabbage! 

What Causes Scoliosis?

     Abnormal spinal curves develop for reasons that are largely unknown. Although there are several theories, about 80% of scoliosis is considered idiopathic (of unknown cause). 

     Statistically, about 4 adolescent girls in 1000 may develop it, and about 1 in 2500 boys. Roughly 2% of the adult population has some degree of it. 

     In my practice, I have found, in working with several adolescent girls, that a combination of stabilizing the pelvis & focused exercises can reverse or halt the progress of scoliotic curvatures.