Lateral Ankle Pain

  Pain on the outside (lateral side) of the ankle can be due to a misaligned lower fibula. 

The lower end of the fibula, the smaller bone in the lower leg, forms the “bump” on the outside of the ankle. It is attached to the lower end of the larger bone, the tibia, by ligaments. Even a mild sprain of these ligaments can bring on pain.

Aside from a ligamentous sprain, however, the lower fibula may become stressed, or misaligned, in multiple directions, which results in pain, An inferior misalignment is quite common, as is a posterior misalignment. 

I correct these misalignments with the Activator instrument, precisely and comfortably for the patient, bringing relief.

Tension Headache

  Possibly the most common type of headache, tension headache, manifests as dull, aching pain and feelings of tension, tightness, and / or pressure in the head.

The sufferer may also have tender spots on their scalp and in the muscles of their neck, upper back, and shoulders.

With patients presenting in my office with this type of headache, I frequently find hypertonicity (abnormal tightness) or spasms in the suboccipital muscles at the base of the skull, in the muscles of the jaw, and in the muscles of the neck, upper back, and shoulders.

Sound familiar?

My treatment includes adjustments with the Activator to correct misalignments in the neck and upper body, and I use the Activator to relieve the hypertonicity in affected muscles.

Since these headaches are often posture - related, I counsel the patient about stressful postures which may be causing them, teach patients how to avoid these tension-producing postures, and give the patients stretches for the involved muscles.   

The Power of Purple

  Which fruits and vegetables pack the most powerful nutrition punch? The answer = the most intensely colorful ones, especially if they are purple, red, or reddish-brown. 

These colored foods are richer in phytonutrients called anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants. They make blueberries blue and strawberries red.

Anthocyanins “show great promise in fighting cancer, lowering blood pressure, slowing age-related memory loss,” etc.

What foods can we begin to add more of in our diets? 

Think purple!---purple onions, purple cabbage, purple potatoes, purple carrots, purple broccoli, purple cauliflower, purple peas & beans, artichokes, and asparagus come to mind.

To learn more, see Jo Robinson’s 2013 book, Eating on the Wild Side:  The MIssing Link to Optimum Health

Yes--Medicare Covers Chiropractic!

  Attention Seniors:  Medicare covers Chiropractic. Although it only pays for spine care (not extremities), Medicare does reimburse for Chiropractic care.

Medicare patients are welcome in my practice. My focused Chiropractic care is excellent support for seniors’ health, wellness and vitality, and a solution to pain and discomfort. My Activator Chiropractic method is low-force and gentle; my goal is to help you feel better and recover fullness of activity and function.

  I am happy to discuss how this works, always pleased to help seniors, and to report to Medicare about my senior patients’ diagnoses and treatment.

One Hip Higher

  Patients frequently tell me that one of their hips feels “higher” than the other, or that someone has told them that one hip looks higher. They are usually, but not always, having discomfort in their pelvis or low back.

The person’s perception is exactly right---one hip IS higher in the most common pattern of pelvic distortion. 

This distortion pattern consists of one side of the pelvis, the ilium, being posterior-inferior, and the opposite ilium being anterior-superior. It’s as if the pelvis becomes twisted. The anterior-superior side is the side of the “higher hip.”

Distortion of this kind puts undue stress on the sacrioiliac ligaments, results in an unlevel pelvis, often affects the sacrum, and can cause spasms in the gluteal muscles, resulting in pain, and sometimes gait disturbances.

Checking and balancing the pelvis is a critical part of my care for every patient, because a balanced pelvis creates a stable foundation for the spine. I check the pelvis whether or not the patient is having discomfort, gently and comfortably correcting any distortion.

Pain at the End of the Collarbone

The outer end of the collarbone, near the front and top of the shoulder, articulates (makes a joint) with a bony projection from the shoulderblade. The bony projection is called the acromion process.

The clavicular part meets the acromion part, forming the “acromioclavicular, or AC, joint.

Curiously, these bones butt together with little efficient “fitting” surfaces, and are held together by ligaments surrounding and “cementing” their connection. 

On the plus side, this joint, one of several in the shoulder complex, contributes to the range of motion of the shoulder. But on the downside, this joint is particularly vulnerable to injury, including partial misalignment or complete dislocation. 

In my practice, patients with shoulder pain often have AC joint problems. The joint may be jammed, or exhibiting separation stress. I make gentle, precise adjustments with the Activator instrument to bring relief.

Grass-Fed & Finished, or Grain-Fed?

  Grains, soy, and corn are not natural food for cows---grass is their natural food. 

Even though all calves spend the first part of their lives on pasture, feeding on mother’s milk and grass, at around 7 months old, many of them will be transferred to industrial feedlots, to be quickly fattened with corn or soy. And given growth hormones & antibiotics to maximize profitability.

The corn / soy feeds are often supplemented with cheap filler products---stale candy, soda crackers, fish meal, peanut butter, breakfast cereal, ice cream sprinkles, cookies, hot chocolate mix, etc.---to reduce costs & accelerate fattening the animals.   https://money.cnn.com/2012/10/10/news/economy/farmers-cows-candy-feed/

Meat from these animals is high in inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids and lacking in nutrient value and quality. 

Grass-fed & grass-finished cows eat a natural diet; their meat is more nutritious, higher in healthy omega-3’s and lower in inflammatory omega-6‘s, and doesn’t have the toxic chemical by-products (hormones, antibiotics) found in industrially-raised meat.

The grass-finished designation is critically important. If not specified as grass-finished, although initially fed on grass, the cows may have been soy-corn-filler-feedlot-fattened for a period before processing.  

Learn more at:  https://www.drperlmutter.com/differences-between-grass-fed-grass-finished-and-grain-fed-beef/

Patella-Femoral Joint

      The patella-femoral joint is the connection between the patella, or kneecap (which is embedded in the tendon of the quadriceps muscle) and the femur (the thigh bone). This joint is largely dependent on soft tissues (muscles and tendon) for stability. 

      On the back side of the patella are articulating surfaces that contact the matching surfaces (the femoral "groove") on the femur. As you move from full extension (your leg straightened) to flexion (the knee bending) the patella will contact / slide against the femur. Proper alignment for this movement is critical to maintaining a full, pain-free range of motion. 

     If the alignment of the movement is off, there will be abnormal wear and tear. Uncorrected, this can start to be painful, and a "crunching" or "grinding" may be audible when the knee is bent or straightened. This is the development of Patella-femoral Syndrome (pain during knee range of motion), or Chondromalacia Patella (an arthritic condition under the kneecap). 

     In my office, I assess the knee through ranges of motion, and make precise adjustments with the Activator instrument to correctly align the patella. I show the patient specific exercises to do at home to maintain alignment of the kneecap and prevent this condition.