As a Doctor of Chiropractic I hear this question every day. It is a good question, but unfortunately there is not a one prong answer available. My Chiropractic explanation would be long and arduous but I will try to make it easy to understand, and for my Chiropractic patients this is probably a repeat education. It is good to get a refreshment though, and maybe you have forgotten. First of all, in our society we look at pain as being the reason for a problem. This is true to some extent, but most injuries is an accumulation of bad habits we have been involved in over a long period of time. We lift awkwardly, sleep in bad beds, sit in bad couches (as most of my Chiropractic patients know, couches are my mortal enemy, if you want to know why, call my Chiropractic office), drive long distances without breaks, only work in the yard on weekends, don’t exercise, don’t stretch daily, carry things without thinking about biomechanics, I can go on forever. The point though is that we do things every day that is not good for us, and we only experience discomfort for a few days and only low grade pain from what we do, but during these bad habits there are micro traumas occuring in the joints, ligaments, tendons, discs and muscles. When these micro traumas happen our bodies form scar tissue and adhesions that are not flexible and stretchable. This form of tissue is not as strong as the original tissue and therefore tends to tear when stress is put upon it. When the tearing happens there often is pain associated with it, and we start moving awkwardly to avoid the pain, which changes the biomechanics of our joints. This is often when patients first seek Chiropractic care. Unfortunately at this stage it is a little bit harder to fix the problem, and it often takes a little longer to correct the problem. I want you to know though that Chiropractic manual adjustments is the only way to get rid of the problem with the biomechanics, and combined with some other appropriate therapies you will usually recover rather quickly. If you come to my Chiropractic office when you first experience the discomfort and low grade pain it usually only takes a couple of treatments to get you back to normal, and many of the patients that have been coming to my Chiropractic office for a long time knows that the sooner they come in, the quicker they get fixed. Many times it only takes one treatment to correct the problem. So in conclusion, don’t wait to take care of the problem, the discomfort may go away, but the problem keeps on growing. Do your stretching, exercise, lift correctly, eat right, get enough sleep, develop good habits, take breaks while driving, and come in to my Chiropractic office before someone have to carry you in. It’s much easier to take care of you when the problem first occur, and I will teach you good habits. I hope this Chiropractic blog is helpful to you. Thanks for reading it, Your friendly Ventura Chiropractor Dr. Lundstrom.
Low Back Pain – Why does it happen?
Sexual side effects
Why an earth is a Chiropractic blog writing about sexual side effects? Do Chiropractors deal with sex problems? Is your Ventura County Chiropractor going crazy? Explain myself? Ok! I read this research article about two drugs commonly taken by men. Proscar taken for an enlarged prostate, which is very common in men as we grow older, has a side effect of decreased libido! Maybe decreased Testosterone, which also is very common in men as we grow older, doesn’t tell the whole story. There are natural alternatives that I, as a Chiropractor, can recommend for these problems. Next we have Propecia, which is a drug taken for baldness in men, that also can decrease libido combined with other sexual problems. The scary thing about both these drugs is that the side effects can last for a long time after you stop taking the drug. They both can cause infertility, but that problem seemed to go away when you discontinue taking the drug. Who said that your friendly Ventura Chiropractor isn’t looking out for you? As my Chiropractic patients know, I am a firm believer in natural approaches to health problems if possible. That is why I am writing about this problem. Unfortunately we have a tremendously powerful media bombarding us with advertisements about the new drugs that everyone needs to take. This is not true, and as a health conscious person and a practicing Doctor of Chiropractic, I want to spread the idea that you often times do NOT need every drug you see on TV. I am not against drugs if we need them, but if we can avoid them we are better off. That is it for today from your Chiropractor in Ventura, and as always I am humbled that you choose me for your Chiropractic care.
Auto accident related injuries
More good information from your whiplash injuries accredited Doctor of Chiropractic What do you do when you are about to be rear ended in your car? Well, there is a common misnomer that you are injured less if you are relaxed. People stating this always refer to people that are drunk are never hurt in an accident. This is false and not based on research. My Chiropractic opinion is that drunk drivers often get hurt, but when an intoxicated driver does not get injured everyone hears about it. Research over the last 60 years show that people that tighten up their muscles at the impact fare much better than a relaxed occupant of the car. As Chiropractor specializing in these types of injuries I can also tell you from 24 years of practice that the patients that were aware of the coming impact and due to this tightened up their neck and shoulders have a better recovery. The primary reason for this fact is that when your muscles are contracted they receive most of the force from the accident and subsequently the joints and the ligaments connected to the joints are affected less. Muscles have very good blood supply while ligaments have extremely poor blood supply. This means that muscles heal better and faster compared to ligaments and therefore a person suffering from ligamentous injuries will have a poor recovery compared to someone with muscle injuries. This of course is a very generalized statement since these injuries are multifaceted, but your friendly Chiropractor wants you to be informed about this since auto accidents are becoming more common in our society. If you want more information regarding what can happen in an accident, or how to avoid getting injured, just call my Chiropractic office, and we will be happy to give you more information. I have a very informative power point presentation that I continually update and lecture from. If you are ever involved in an accident I will be happy to help you get on the right track to recover maximally through Chiropractic treatment, which have been proven by research to be the most successful approach to dealing with these injuries. Remember though that the Chiropractor treating you should be certified in these kind of injuries. Certified Chiropractic specialists are very uncommon. I believe that one reason for poor outcomes in whiplash injuries is that the injured person was not receiving the correct care from a certified Chiropractic specialist.
Have you been in an automobile accident?
A new interesting blog post from your friendly Chiropractor in Ventura. I have been fascinated by what can happen in an automobile accident ever since I took my first seminar in that area in 1991. It was taught by the foremost expert in the world, a Chiropractor, and ever since then I have decided that as a Chiropractor I am obligated to spread the information about what really can happen when you get hit in your car. You see, the ONLY effective treatment for whiplash injuries is manipulation of the spine by a Chiropractor. You need to know though that these kind of injuries are requiring a very specialized post graduate education. I became certified many years ago and now I see many patients who have been seen by other health care professionals with little or no improvement. One very interesting aspect of these injuries is that many patients suffer from a concussion in the accident, but never loose consciousness. Unless the person handling the patient is aware of this fact he, or she, will give you sub standard care, and may actually create more damage than you had before the treatments started. Concussions can create symptoms that seem to have nothing to do with the accident, and unless you know about them, you may have permanent damage. It seems that your health care professional should know about this, but most of them do NOT. I, as a Chiropractor trained in this field, will continue to write about this field in future blogs to educate you. For now, know that concussions can happen, and often do, in auto accidents, and some of the symptoms may seem completely unassociated with the accident. If you want more education in this area, please contact me at my Chiropractic office. If you have been in an accident, or if a friend or relative have been in one, let them know that Chiropractic is the best treatment for these injuries, but also that it takes specialized education to properly treat these injuries. Call my Chiropractic office for more information or treatment of your injuries. I will write more about auto accidents in future blogs regarding Chiropractic treatments of the injuries. And again, make sure that the health care provider have certification in this very specialized area.
Snoring?
Just a quick note from your Ventura Chiropractor! Lots of Americans snore to the detriment of their spouse and themselves. Many “cures” for snoring has been suggested, but nothing works for certain. As a Chiropractor I definitely suggest that if you have this problem you should take some weight off, do not drink alcohol, but if you do, do not drink it close to bedtime, do not smoke, use a humidifier in your bedroom, sleep on your side. All these help in most instances. As a Chiropractor I read Chiropractic journals of course, but also everything I can about health in general. Today I read something that was new and very interesting. People that snore can decrease, or stop, their snoring by wearing compression stockings! This comes from a new study in Italy, no your friendly Chiropractor does not speak Italian-it was a translation, that showed a tremendous decrease in the snoring in people wearing these stockings both during waking hours and while sleeping. It also increased the quality of sleep for the “snorer”. I think it is worth a try, the stockings are about $20. As a Chiropractor I am always suspicious and all research needs to be evaluated, but try this “trick”, maybe it works for you! If you have any questions about this or other health problems, give my Chiropractic office a call. Your Ventura Chiropractor is always looking out for you! To your health!
Are you sure you want to take these medications?
Let’s start with Tylenol! New England Journal of medicine states that taking Tylenol regularly is THE top cause of liver disease! Taking 1000 capsules of Tylenol in a life time doubles the risk of end stage renal disease! The periodical “Hypertension” states that taking Tylenol doubles the risk of high blood pressure!
Non steroidal anti-inflammatory pain medicines (Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Aleve, and similar drugs) causes 16,500 DEATHS per year in USA according to New England Journal of medicine! Spine states that these drugs cause intestinal toxicity! Surgical Neurology also states that these drugs cause intestinal toxicity! The European Heart Journal states that taking these drugs increases the risk of a heart attack by 40%, and the risk starts when you take the first pill! Neurology states these drugs increases the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s dementia, by 66%!
Traditional pain medicines increases the risk of intestinal bleeding by 138%, and the risk of heart attacks by 47% according to the periodical Drug Safety!
So the question is: Do you really want to take these drugs? OK, so you hurt. There are alternatives! In my Chiropractic practice I offer you lots of choices! Of course, as a Chiropractor I want to deal with the cause of your pain, and often it can be dealt with by adjustments. I also use many physio therapy modalities in my Chiropractic office, and they can also help get rid of your pain. Chiropractors have approached pain with “natural” means for a long time. There are lots of herbs and other nutritional approaches to pain and inflammation, and I am happy to inform you about that aspect in my Chiropractic office. Maybe it’s time for you to try the Chiropractic approach? I have been a Chiropractor for 24 years, and if you want to try my Chiropractic office I would be honored. As you can tell there are safe alternatives to “the drug Approach”. Call me and we will see if Chiropractic can help you! 805-654-1432!
Your neck hurting?
Your Ventura Chiropractor has some great news! I love it when non-Chiropractic journals prove that Chiropractic works! In the January 3, 2012 Annals of Internal Medicine was an article about a research study performed over six years on 272 patients between 18 to 65 years of age. They all had what was considered nonspecific mechanical neck pain of two to 12 weeks duration. The study compared the result from manipulation by Chiropractors with home stretching exercises and medications in form of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The “drug” group was given muscle relaxants and narcotic pain drugs if the anti-inflammatories did not work. The results were monitored four times during 12 weeks of treatments and also at six months and 12 months after initiating the different treatments. The final outcome was that the patients being treated by Chiropractors had significantly better results compared to the ‘drug” group at all retests over the year of testing. Compared to the “home exercise” group the “Chiropractic” group also had better results. The difference was not as large as it was compared to the “drug” group. So what do we learn from this? It seems that when you suffer from neck pain you need to see a Chiropractor! Another important aspect of the Chiropractic treatment was that the adjustments were made with high velocity low amplitude manipulations by the Chiropractor’s hands. No instruments were used! Just old fashioned Chiropractic adjustments that we learned in Chiropractic school. For all of you that do not know what I am talking about, call me! There are different types of Chiropractic treatments! The treatments used in this study was of a certain type, and those are the type of adjustments I use in my Chiropractic practice. I hope you have learned something from this blog, because I love educating my Chiropractic patients as well as the general population. If you or a friend is suffering from neck pain, call me, my treatments are “certified” by the Annals of Internal Medicine, and also from 24 years of practicing Chiropractic. I absolutely love what I do, and when studies like these are coming out that proves that Chiropractic is “the way to go” when you have neck pain I, as a Doctor of Chiropractic, feel sooooo good!
Should you eat peanut butter?
Your Ventura Chiropractor answers this question with a…… probably NOT! First of all, the balance between omega 6 to omega 3 oils in peanuts is not good at all. Too much omega 6! As all my patients know, as a health conscious Chiropractor I am concerned about the terrible ratio in the average American diet. Too much omega 6! Eating peanut butter does not help, but contributes to this problem. Your friendly Chiropractor has more reasons! Secondly, peanut butter is very often contaminated by a toxin called “Aflatoxin”! This toxin is produced by a fungus and is a mold toxin. When peanut butter is produced the manufacturers usually use the moldiest peanuts for some strange reason. Probably financially motivated if you ask your favorite Chiropractor. So what is wrong with Aflatoxin? It is only one of the most potent carcinogens ever discovered! It is also the most potent chemical carcinogen ever discovered! So why isn’t the government jumping on this? You friendly Chiropractor has no idea! I am very concerned though, both as a health conscious Chiropractor and a private citizen who likes peanut butter. In some jars that were purchased in grocery stores the level of Aflatoxin was 300 times the amount judged to be safe in US food! 300 TIMES! Corn is another food that have very high levels of Aflatoxin! As you may know, your Chiropractor has been concerned about corn for a long time due to the fact that it produces inflammation in the human body. Another interesting thing about peanuts, they are really not nuts, they are classified as legumes! Legumes contain lectins and other antinutrients that can affect your health in adverse ways. By now you probably wonder if your Chiropractor is going crazy! No, not really, some of these facts come from the “China study”, which is the most comprehensive epidemiological study ever published on human health and nutrition. I am signing off with the hope that you read labels and do some of your own research. If you need and want more nutritional advice, just contact your health conscious Chiropractor. I am always ready to help in any way I can.
You have to read this blog!
As all the patients that come to Lundstrom Chiropractic know, I love natural approaches to all problems if there is a probability that they work. I am not against pharmaceuticals, as a matter of fact I am very thankful that they are there, if we really need them. Unfortunately all medicines have side effects, and if we can avoid taking medications we are definitely better off. As a Doctor of Chiropractic I am trying to keep up on all research available, but it is impossible to read everything. I came across a study that was truly impressive. One of the biggest problems we have in our society is the scary increase in cancer rates. I, as a health conscious Chiropractor, am always looking for how to avoid developing all diseases, including cancer. It is a tough road, but there are definitely steps to take to decrease our risk of developing health problems. So on to the study! It proved that drinking pure Aloe Vera juice, or receiving Aloe Vera extracts intravenously actually cured people of cancer! The study was done by a medical doctor in Florida, but his clinic was shut down even though he was following the guidelines of the FDA. There has also been research done on AIDS patients, and the result was that the white T cell counts increased tremendously after receiving Aloe Vera extracts! Taking Aloe Vera products obviously can benefit us, but like taking any nutritional products you have to make sure that they are of the best quality. I hope you understand that I as a Chiropractor do not tell you that just because you take Aloe Vera products you will never get any disease, but taking it can maybe help you, based on this research. As a Chiropractor I feel it is my duty to keep you informed and aware of alternatives to our “average” American life style. We are doing so much that is totally wrong, and leads to deteriorating health. I hope you ask me about alternatives when you visit my Chiropractic office. I love when my Chiropractic patients ask me questions because that shows that they are interested in their health. I want to emphasize in conclusion that I am NOT saying that Aloe Vera can cure your cancer or AIDS, what I am saying is that if you take nutritional products you are less likely to get sick and as a result of that your life will have better quality. It kind of is like Chiropractic, getting your joints moving correctly will lead to a more enjoyable life! Your Chiropractor in Ventura is done for today! Hope you are all doing well! If not, call my Chiropractic office to see what we can do to get you back to feeling great!
Effects of bad posture
Your friendly Chiropractor in Ventura read a very interesting study! In 2002 a researcher named Koch studied the effects of bad posture. He found that “tethering” of the spinal cord can result in ischemia, meaning lack of blood flow, to the spinal cord. This can further lead to neurological dysfunction of the central and autonomic nervous systems. “Tethering” have been linked to demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis. OK, so why do one get “tethering”? Well, asymmetries in posture, and abnormal motion of the spinal joints can definitely cause these problems. This fact can be helped by Chiropractic adjustment, and postural exercises. As all my patients know, I love educating my Chiropractic patients in how to live right, and a big part of my Chiropractic practice consists of giving information about proper exercises. The adjustment part is of course also a big part of my Chiropractic practice. This does not mean that I claim to be able to cure demyelinating diseases, but I, as a Chiropractor, absolutely can help you with improving your posture and correcting abnormal movement patterns in your spine. Try a consultation in my Chiropractic office, and see what can be done for you. Maybe a few adjustments can help you with your problems! As you probably know, I do not force you to come in for treatments “for ever”, so give it a shot and try Chiropractic. Yours in health, Doctor Lundstrom