Truths & Myths of MRI for Low Back Pain

14 Dec

Low back pain is a very common complaint. In fact, it’s the #1 reason for doctor visits in the United States! The economic burden of LBP on the working class is astronomical. Most people can’t afford to be off work for one day, much less a week, month, or more! Because of the popularity of hospital-based TV dramas over the past two decades, many people think getting an MRI of their back can help their doctor fix their lower back problem. Is this a good idea? Let’s take a look!

Patients will often bring in a CD that has an MRI of their lower back to a doctor of chiropractic and ask the ultimate question, “….can you fix me?” Or, worse, “…I think I need surgery.” Sure, it’s quite amazing how an MRI can “slice” through the spine and show bone, soft tissues, disks, muscles, nerves, the spinal cord, and more! Since the low back bears approximately 2/3 of our body’s weight, you can frequently find MANY ABNORMALITIES in a person over 40-50 years old. In fact, it would be quite odd NOT to see things like disk degeneration, disk bulges, joint arthritis, spur formation, etc.!

Hence, the “downside” of having ALL this information is the struggle to determine which finding on the MRI has clinical significance. In other words, where is the LBP coming from? Is it that degenerative disk, bulged disk, herniated disk, or the narrowed canal where the nerve travels? Interestingly, in a recent review of more than 3,200 cases of acute low back pain, those who had an MRI scan performed earlier in their care had a WORSE outcome, more surgery, and higher costs compared with those who didn’t succumb to the temptation of requesting an MRI!

This is not to say MRI, CT scans, and x-rays are not important, as they effectively show conditions like subtle fractures and dangerous conditions like cancer. But for LBP, MRI is often misleading. This is because the primary cause of LBP is “functional” NOT “structural,” so it’s EASY to get railroaded into thinking whatever shows up on that MRI has to be the problem.

Here is how we know this, when we take 1,000 people WITHOUT low back pain between ages 30 and 60 (male or female) and perform an MRI on their lower back, we will find up to 53% will have PAINLESS disk bulges in one or more lumbar disks. Moreover, we will find up to 30% will have partial disk herniations, and up to 18% will have an extruded disk (one that has herniated ALL the way out). Yet, these people are PAIN FREE and never knew they had disk “derangement” (since they have no LBP). When combining all of these possible disk problems together, several studies report that between 57% and 64% of the general population has some type of disk problem without ANY BACK PAIN!

Hence, when a patient with a simple sprain/strain and localized LBP presents with an MRI showing a disk problem, it usually ONLY CONFUSES the patient (and frequently the doctor), as that disk problem is usually not the problem causing the pain! So DON’T have an MRI UNLESS a surgical treatment decision depends on its findings. That is weakness, numbness, and non-resolving LBP in spite of 4-6 weeks of non-surgical care or unless there is weakness in bowel or bladder control. Remember, the majority of back pain sufferers DO NOT need surgery!

We realize you have a choice in whom you consider for your health care provision and we sincerely appreciate your trust in choosing our service for those needs. If you, a friend, or family member requires care for back pain, we would be honored to render our services.

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR LOW BACK PAIN! FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 717-697-1888

Do You Want to Be More Productive and Successful?

10 Dec

A new study conducted by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the ONE THING you do NOT want to do if you want to be as productive and successful as possible. The study reports employers in the United States (US) lost $77 billion in 2010 thanks to workers’ impaired productivity due to excessive alcohol abuse – a number that jumps to almost $90 billion once other drinking-induced factors such as absenteeism are added to the mix.

According to an article published by Bloomberg, “The study came up with an even more dire number for alcohol abuse’s effect on the US economy overall that same year: $249 billion, a number that includes not only the lost-productivity toll, but also spending on healthcare, crime, car crashes, and alcohol-caused deaths. That headache seems to be getting worse. Back in 2006, the same cost to the U.S. economy was $224 billion, outpacing inflation…”

Study author Dr. Robert Brewer adds, “The increase in the costs of excessive drinking from 2006 to 2010 is concerning, particularly given the severe economic recession that occurred during these years.”

Clearly, excessive alcohol consumption is one of the best ways to destroy your career and health. Even if your career is not negatively impacted to the point that you lose your job, you may never be as successful as you could be. The same is true when it comes to your health. The damage from excessive drinking often takes YEARS to rear its ugly head and show symptoms.

Remember, we’re always here to help your body heal and maintain the pain free body you deserve.

Three Ways to Boost Your Memory

8 Dec

Did you know that parts of your brain actually shrink as you grow older? It’s true. But it’s not as bad as it seems. There are ways you can slow down this process and possibly even improve your brain power as you age. It is commonly known that puzzles and crossword puzzles help retain memory power, but here are three other things you can do that you may like better.

The first thing you can do is go for a walk. Research shows that going for a 40-minute walk three times a week helps to increase the size of the hippocampus, the part of your brain responsible for memory formation.

Laugh! Studies show that laughing for approximately 20 minutes will boost your short-term memory. Spend more time with the people who make you happy doing the things you love. That’s what life is really about, anyway.

Listen to music! But wait, not just any music. Researchers found that listening to classical music increased the brain wave activity linked to memory retention and enhances your ability to concentrate and perform cognitive tasks.

When in doubt, stay active and remain positive. There is little doubt that stress harms your body and brain in countless ways, and there is some truth to the old saying, “laughter is the best medicine.” There are many things in life we cannot control. Stop worrying about them and concentrate on the things you can control. Being happy—in most cases—is a choice.

Woman with Incurable Disease Blinks Over 1 Million Times to Write Her Book!

7 Dec

It’s everywhere you look.  “Life is hard.”  “Life is a grind.”  “Life is a struggle.”  “Mondays are brutal.”  “I barely made it through the day.”  And on… and on… and on.

Here’s something you need to know:  No, it’s not.  Life is not a never-ending, difficult struggle unless you think of it that way.  On the contrary, life can be a never-ending source of happiness and fulfillment — if you make the choice to see it through a different lens.

Here’s a great example…

According to an article published by Central European News Agency (CEN), Mrs. Gong Xunhui, of Chengdu, China, was diagnosed with ALS in 2003 and has needed the aid of a wheelchair since 2006.  With the help of her husband, Xunhui completed her 150,000-word book by blinking more than one million times to spell out phonetic sounds to form Chinese characters.

She writes, “I want to use my personal experience to tell other ALS patients that, although we suffer from this incurable disease, there is still much we can do to enrich our lives.”

Much of Xunhui’s book is about her struggles as a child dealing with her debilitating disease.  She published 5,000 copies of the book, and the Chinese government published another 1,800.  Xunhui’s goal is to make enough to buy six breathing machines to help other ALS sufferers.

It’s amazing how many people break down at the thought of another Monday while Xunhui was blinking her way to finishing her book and becoming a published author.

But she is not the only ALS success story.  Last month, we briefly discussed the story of Stephen Hawking. He is thought by many to be the best mind in physics who has ever lived, and all of Hawking’s most famous work came after he was diagnosed with ALS and confined to a wheelchair without the ability to speak.

In fact, when doctors diagnosed Hawking with ALS, he was just 21 and had started work on his PhD in physics. Even though he was given just two years to live, he didn’t call it a life and roll over and quit. Instead, when his doctor told him his disease would take away muscle control, he asked, “What about my brain?”

The doctor told him his brain would be fine but he would not have any way to communicate what he was thinking.

Hawking began working feverishly to get as much work done on his theories as possible.  He completed his PhD and wrote several books — A Brief History of Time being his most popular.

Hawking is now 73 years old and has been typing with the movement of a cheek muscle for quite some time.  (It looks like he beat the prognosis of two years.)

He once wrote the perfect advice for anyone who thinks they have it tough and thinks they are struggling… “However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at.  While there’s life, there is hope.”

 

We love helping our patients and their friends and relatives through their tough times and getting them feeling better! We are here to help you stay feeling better and looking younger! Don’t be a stranger. You really can afford Chiropractic care! Don’t wait until you can no longer move!

Is This the Next “Superfood” Everyone Will Be Talking About?

3 Dec

In just a moment, you are going to read about a “superfood” you might want to add to your diet.  There is some pretty good research supporting this food’s benefits, benefits you probably are NOT getting right now.

But first, do you want to live longer, feel better, be stronger, and eliminate all the pain in your life?

If you do, then you are not alone.  Everyone seems to want those things.

That’s one big reason why “superfoods” are all the rage.

You’ve probably heard of various superfoods touted with all kinds of huge promises and claims like they supposedly boost energy, increase libido, and can even cure chronic disease.
What Is a Superfood?

The reality is “superfood” is not a scientific term. It’s a marketing term used to promote foods that have health benefits. That’s it.

Here is something very important to understand: all foods are chemical compounds the body breaks down and uses for whatever it needs.

Some foods have more usable nutrients than others, but your body is the real magician here.  For example, if you eat a pre-packaged piece of cake you purchased from a gas station convenience store, your body will break it down and use it for energy or to make hormones or whatever it can given what nutrients it can extract from the cake.

But if you eat fresh fruits and vegetables, there are a whole lot more readily available nutrients for your body to use.

So, the big idea to understand here is that you should eat the foods that give your body the best sources of the nutrients it needs.  Your body will create whatever you need from those building blocks.

That’s why you may want to think of superfoods as just foods that have certain great nutrients your body can easily use.  If you predominantly eat foods that are full of nutrients, you will be much healthier than if you did not.

Clearly, you are much better off eating fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and healthy fats than processed junk and fast food.

One Food You Should Seriously Consider Adding to Your Diet…

Beets.  Yes, research has shown these little red roots are packed with nutrients that can produce several great health benefits.

According to an article on Science Daily posted way back in 2008: “Researchers at Barts and The London School of Medicine have discovered that drinking just 500 ml of beetroot juice a day can significantly reduce blood pressure.  The study could have major implications for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

“Led by Professor Amrita Ahluwalia of the William Harvey Research Institute at Barts and The London School of Medicine, and Professor Ben Benjamin of Peninsula Medical School, the research reveals that it is the ingestion of dietary nitrate contained within beetroot juice — and similarly in green, leafy vegetables — which results ultimately in decreased blood pressure.  Previously, the protective effects of vegetable-rich diets had been attributed to their antioxidant vitamin content.”

Then in 2010, researchers from Wake Forest showed that drinking beet juice can increase blood flow to the brain in older adults — a finding that could hold great potential for combating the progression of dementia.

Fast forward to 2015… Scientists from Penn State recently published an article titled “To Beet or Not to Beet?” The article discusses a study that found the arteries of athletes who consumed nitrate-rich beet juice prior to exercise were less stiff under resting conditions, potentially easing the heart’s workload.
More Proof…

In a study published in the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, healthy male subjects who drank beet juice for 15 days had lower blood pressure and more dilated blood vessels both at rest and during exercise.

The blood vessels of those who drank beet juice also dilated more easily and the heart consumed less oxygen during exercise.

According to the researchers, the findings suggest that beet juice can be used as a dietary nutraceutical supplement to enhance oxygen delivery to the muscles and reduce the work the heart does during exercise.  They add, “[Exercise can be] performed at a given workload for a longer period of time before the onset of fatigue.”

In September 2015, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found drinking concentrated beet juice increased muscle power in patients with heart failure.  This study also showed that spinach makes you stronger, but it is the nitrates in spinach that are responsible, not the iron as previously thought.

Nitrates Seem to Be Key

Here’s how it works, when you eat beets, the bacteria in your tongue converts those nitrates into nitritines, and once in your gut, those nitritines are converted into nitric oxide.  Nitric oxide is a molecule deeply tied to cardiovascular health, a molecule that expands and dilates your arteries, and increases the flow of blood all around the body.

So, are beets a “superfood?”  Maybe – it depends what you consider a superfood.  What is clear is that beets are a great natural source of nitrates that your body can use for energy, strength, and all kinds of other potential health benefits.  Eating, juicing, or blending raw beets looks like it can be very beneficial to many people.

Don’t forget, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your health, talk to us. Contact us with your questions. We’re here to help and don’t enjoy anything more than participating in providing you natural pain relief.

Something About Walt Disney You May Not Know…

1 Dec

I’m sure you have heard of Walt Disney.  Just about everyone has.  He is famous for his theme parks, cartoon characters, and movies.

But here is something you probably didn’t know about Walt…

Back in the late 1940s, Walt Disney Productions was struggling.  Due to World War II cutting off 60% of the international movie market, now-classic animated films like Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Bambi underperformed at the box office.

Yes, when those animated films were released, they didn’t cause trucks full of money to appear on Disney’s doorstep. In fact, they didn’t become successful until they were re-released again and again over the years both in movie theatres and eventually on home video.  But Disney almost didn’t last long enough to do that…

Walt wanted to make Cinderella, but he ran into massive opposition from the rest of the company.  Everyone thought it was going to be another disaster.  At the time, the company was $4 million in debt, which was quite a bit of money in the late 40s.  In 1950, the price to go to a movie was 25 cents!

But Walt believed in the movie… and himself.  He pushed to have it made, and after its release on February 15, 1950, it became the greatest critical and commercial hit for the studio since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), and helped reverse the studio’s fortunes.  It is considered one of the best American animated films ever made, as selected by the American Film Institute.  It received three Academy Award nominations, including Best Music and Original Song for “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo”.

I bet you didn’t know Walt Disney struggled and had MASSIVE failures.  I bet you didn’t know people at his own company had serious doubts about what he was doing.

Most people think success is luck, and successful people get there easily.  The truth of the matter is, behind every success there are usually years and years of set backs.

The only difference between the successful and unsuccessful is often the simple fact that the successful people do not quit.

Best,

Dr. Binder

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →