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March/April 2009
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Volume 2, Issue 2
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Finding Hidden Health Solutions - Part 1 |
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 Why does it seem that you can go from doctor to doctor trying to find a solution to your health problem without it ever really getting handled? In this and the next few newsletters I’m going to provide you with some valuable information to help you understand why this occurs and why the approach that I take with you is unique and can find those “hidden” solutions.I’m going to start by first providing information to help you understand some things about how your body works that some doctors either don’t understand or choose to ignore, so that you can have more knowledge of what is needed to find real solutions to health problems. Then I’m going to cover a case history of a patient to help you see how this applies in the real world to people like you. Since the most common problem that people seek chiropractic care for is back pain, I figured that we would start there since many of you can relate to this. Back pain can come from various sources including the spine being misaligned causing nerve irritation, muscle tension, muscle weakness, spinal disc disorders, poor posture, and referred pain coming from internal organs. Whether the pain started after an injury, sleeping wrong, lifting something heavy, sitting too long, eating something, or for no apparent reason, it is definitely not fun to have and can be life-changing to say the least. Like many other health conditions, finding the cause of back pain can be a daunting task that only Sherlock Holmes would be able to handle! However, I enjoy this challenge and tailor my exams to seek and discover the true causes of back pain including those mentioned in the previous paragraph. Here’s a case history of a patient with back pain that I was able to help recently. In accordance with privacy laws, the name of this patient has been kept confidential. This gentleman was in obvious distress as he walked into my office slowly with his right hand supporting his right lower back. His pain started a couple weeks before seeing me after he lifted a heavy object and gradually got worse until he could barely move the day before he first came in. The pain was worse when he would sit or stand. When I examined him I noticed that his whole body was leaning to the left and forward because this allowed him to lean away from the pain. His lower back muscles were in spasm and bending to the right and backwards made the pain worse. He had several lower back and hip muscles that were weak when they were strength tested. He also incidentally had fallen arches in his feet. Using the cold laser I was able to help restore nerve power and communication to the weak lower back muscles first. By strengthening weak muscles, tight muscles will automatically calm down because the main reason that they are tight in the first place is to compensate for the weak muscles to provide stability to the area. After that I stretched him on our traction table to further release the muscle tightness and begin to restore normal movement to the stuck lower back joints. I then delivered a gentle chiropractic adjustment to his lower back which freed his fixated back up even more. He was given homework which included taking Epsom salt baths and supplementing with magnesium to reduce muscle tension, specific back stretches and exercises to strengthen the weak muscles, avoiding bending at the waist and instead squatting down to pick up or lift anything, ordering arch supports to handle his flat feet which may have contributed to his back problem, and utilizing a foam stress wedge for back support and to improve posture while sitting. He left feeling significantly better and was excited that he could take active responsibility in overcoming his condition. When he returned for his follow-up visit he was markedly improved and after 2 weeks of care he was pain-free and able to sit, stand and work with no difficulties or complaints!  Back to Newsletter Library
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