Why Does My Back Hurt? (Part 2)

12 Nov

Last month, we discussed common causes of back pain including mattresses, shoes, diet, exercise, and posture. Here are some additional considerations…

 

6. OFFICE CHAIR: Because of vast differences between people’s height, weight, body type, and preference, it’s difficult — if not impossible — to find a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to office chairs! In the ideal world, the option to sit, stand, walk, and stretch as needed would be perfect but this simply is not reality! Low back pain (LBP) from sitting is common due to the excess pressure it places on the joints and disks (the “shock-absorbers” of the spine). Here are some remedies: 1) Find a chair that FITS YOU. 2) Get up and move at least once every hour (set the timer on your smartphone as a reminder). 3) Place the computer monitor directly in front of you and keyboard/mouse so the elbows bend only 90°. 4) Keep your feet on the floor at your desk (use an upside down box if you have short legs). 5) Perform “in the chair” stretches when your timer goes off!

7. BODY TYPE: We’ve discussed obesity as an obvious cause of back pain, but other factors are important as well. A very common cause of back pain for women is breast size. Here, the topic of a supportive bra is important, as carrying more weight in front of you adds additional stress on the back and shoulders.

8. SHOULDER BAGS: Back pain can be caused and/or perpetuated by a heavy purse, bag, briefcase, and even a thick wallet in the back pocket! To keep your eyes level, your body has to compensate and assume a less-than-ideal posture that may place unnecessary stress on your back! So before leaving the house today, CLEAN OUT that bag and/or put your wallet in a front pocket and lessen the load on your spine!

9. SMOKING: Smoking can reduce the amount of oxygen that reaches your cells, which can cause them to function at a less than optimal state. You’ve perhaps heard that a conscientious back surgeon will NEVER operate on a smokers’ back due to both the prolonged healing time and subsequent bad outcomes. So in addition to giving your heart, lungs, and those around you a break, if you want your lower back to heal, STOP SMOKING! Studies also show smokers are TWICE as likely to develop LBP compared with non-smokers, so quit. Better yet, DON’T START in the first place!

10. STRESS & DEPRESSION: Remember, “health” is a balance between structure, chemistry, and mental factors. Stress increases muscle tightness and alters posture in a way that can lead to or exacerbate existing LBP. Exercise, meditate, eat smart, and resolve your differences with family members and friends to minimize this problem! When needed, your doctor of chiropractic can refer you for counseling!

11. ERGONOMICS: How we “fit” into our job, lifting properly, workstation set up, work pace, and work stressors ALL play into LBP management. Have an assessment to see what can be fixed!

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

Half of Adults in the US Have Type 2 Diabetes or Prediabetes. Here’s What You Can Do to Help Protect Yourself…

10 Nov

Diabetes is a big problem.  If you have already been diagnosed, then you already know this to be true.  The dangerous thing is most people with diabetes or pre-diabetes have no idea they have it, and it is silently killing them.  People with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely as those without diabetes to have heart disease, and heart disease is the leading cause of death and complications for people with type 2 diabetes.  It appears that diabetes can affect the structure and function of the left ventricle (the heart’s main pump) before any heart disease symptoms are obvious.   Despite the importance of the heart, there are few treatment options to improve its structure and function.

According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, in 2011-2012, the estimated prevalence of diabetes among adults in the United States (US) was 12-14%, and the prevalence of pre-diabetes was 37-38%, indicating that about half of the US adult population has either diabetes or pre-diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is out of control, and in most cases, it can be avoided through proper diet and exercise.  The first step is eliminating processed foods and sugar.  Just doing that can have a dramatic impact on the disease.

Besides that, exercise is a natural enemy of type 2 diabetes.  In fact, a new study in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association of the Study of Diabetes) is the first to show that high-intensity intermittent exercise training improves heart structure and benefits diabetes control in patients with type 2 diabetes.  The authors write, “This study demonstrates, for the first time, that exercise can begin to reverse some of the early cardiac changes that are commonly found in people with type 2 diabetes.  Interestingly, the data also suggests that this type of high intensity intermittent exercise benefits both the heart and diabetes control, but the benefits appear to be greatest in the heart.  The strong positive effect of exercise on the heart is, although completely logical, a message that needs to be communicated to people with type 2 diabetes more clearly.”

They conclude, “The data reinforces how important a physically active lifestyle is for people with type 2 diabetes.  Our findings also suggest that exercise does not have to be 30 minutes of continuous exercise – repeated short bouts of higher intensity exercise gives strong benefits to the heart.  Getting more physically active is, quite literally, at the heart of good diabetes control.” 

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

Six Tips to Improve Your Mental and Emotional Well-Being!

9 Nov

Healthy living involves more than physical health, it also includes emotional or mental health.  The following are some ways people can support their mental health and well-being:

  • Get enough sleep daily: 12-18 hours from birth to 2 months; 14-15 hours from 3-11 months of age; 12-18 hours for 1-3 years of age; 11-13 hours for 3-5 years of age; 10-11 hours for 5-10 years of age; 8-1/2 -9-1/2 hours for 10-17 years of age; and those 18 and above need 7-9 hours of sleep.  Elderly people need about 7-9 hours but do not sleep as deeply and may awaken at night or wake early, so naps may be needed to accumulate the total of 7-9 hours needed.
  • Take a walk and reflect on what you see and hear at least several times each week.  Try something new and often (eat a new food or try a different route to work).
  • Exercise your mind by reading or solving a puzzle.  Try to focus intensely on the activity for one to several hours, then take a break and do something relaxing (walk, exercise, or take short nap).
  • Try to make some leisure time to do some things that interest you every week.
  • Have fun. Go on a trip with someone you love, go shopping, or go fishing. Do not let vacation time slip away.
  • Have a network of friends. Those with strong social support systems lead healthier lives.

How a Story Can Dramatically Change Your Life

5 Nov

A man who has helped many people recently died.  His name was Wayne Dyer.    If you don’t know who Wayne was, you might want to do a quick YouTube search after you read this.  Wayne was a self-help author and motivational speaker.  His first book, Your Erroneous Zones (1976), is one of the best-selling books of all time with an estimated 35 million copies sold to date.  He started out as a high school guidance counselor and later had a private therapy practice.

Many people loved Wayne’s content and message but others did not.  Just like anything else, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  In fact, Wayne was sued for plagiarism in 2010.  That’s why the first sentence said, “A person who has helped many people recently died,” not “A perfect person who has helped many people…”

One thing is for sure, Wayne was an incredible speaker whose message helped countless people.

A great example is a story Wayne told many times.  This story is very emotional, and Wayne once said he had a hard time not tearing up every time he told it.  There are several videos on YouTube of Wayne telling this particular story.  One of the most impressive things are all the comments underneath those videos saying how hearing Wayne tell this story made them cry and/or changed their life.

It was The Shaya Story… and here is the shortened version…

Shaya was a student at a school for disabled children. Shaya’s father was very upset and questioned many things about life after seeing his son not be able to do the common things other children could.

One day, Shaya and his father walked past a park where some boys Shaya knew were playing baseball.  Shaya’s father asked the boys if his son could play with them.  One boy said his team was losing by six runs and it was already the eighth inning.  He said he would take Shaya on his team and try to let him bat in the 9th.  Shaya’s team scored several runs, and in the 9th inning, the bases were loaded with the winning run on base.  Surprisingly, they gave Shaya a bat. He did not even know how to hold it.

He stepped up to the plate and the pitcher lobbed one in, obviously trying to be nice.  It did not help, Shaya missed badly.  One of Shaya’s teammates ran in and stepped up to the plate with Shaya.  Here is how the story ended:

“The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shaya.  As the pitch came in, Shaya and his teammate swung the bat and together they hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher.  The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman.  Shaya would have been out and that would have ended the game.  Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first baseman.  Everyone started yelling, ‘Shaya, run to first.  Run to first.’ Never in his life had Shaya run so fast.  He scampered down the baseline wide-eyed and startled.  By the time he reached first base, the right-fielder had the ball.  He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman who could tag Shaya out, who was still running.

“But the right-fielder understood what the pitcher’s intentions were, so he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head.  Everyone yelled, ‘Run to second.  Run to second.’  Shaya ran towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home.  As Shaya reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran to him, turned him in the direction of third base and shouted, ‘Run to third.’  As Shaya rounded third, the boys from both teams ran behind him screaming, ‘Shaya run home.’  Shaya ran home, stepped on home plate and all 18 boys lifted him on their shoulders and made him the hero, as he had just hit a ‘grand slam’ and won the game for his team.”

Wayne said this story was true.  If it is true or not, it does not really matter.  What matters is the effect the message has on people – maybe even you.

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!

Study Offers New Hope for Depression Sufferers…Research Shows Depression Linked to Inflammation!

3 Nov

If you suffer with depression  or know someone who does, then what you’re about to read may seem like it was written just for you.  But first…

Have you heard of Stephen Hawking?  He is widely regarded as the top mind in theoretical physics and possibly the best mind in any field.  In fact, it’s reported that his IQ score is around 160.  (Anything over 140 is considered “genius.”)

While IQ tests are great for measuring some parts on intelligence – like memory, mathematical ability, verbal reasoning, and logic – an IQ score only describes one part of the big picture.  In other words, someone with a high IQ may be smart, but it doesn’t necessarily make them wise.

But we’re going to go out on a limb and say that not only does Stephen Hawking have a genius-level IQ, he’s also extremely wise because he offers advice like this:

“However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. While there’s life, there is hope.”

While there is life, there is hope.  These are not hollow words from Hawking.  Here is why…      Hawking suffers from a rare early-onset, slow-progressing form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Hawking was diagnosed with ALS at the age of 21 and was not expected to live beyond age 25.  Most people diagnosed with ALS are over 50 years old and die within five years.

Hawking is still alive today at the age of 73. The disease has gradually paralyzed him, and he lost the ability to speak in the 80s.  In 1985, he began speaking through a computer system he could operate with subtle facial movements. Despite his physical limitations, Hawking spent 30 years as the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge (the same position held by Isaac Newton), and he is currently the Director of Research at the school’s Center for Theoretical Cosmology.

While There Is Life, There Is Hope.

Here is a great example of why hope should never be lost.  According to an article in FEELGUIDE, “New research is revealing that many cases of depression are caused by an allergic reaction to inflammation.  Tim de Chant of NOVA writes: ‘Inflammation is our immune system’s natural response to injuries, infections, or foreign compounds.  When triggered, the body pumps various cells and proteins to the site through the blood stream, including cytokines, a class of proteins that facilitate intercellular communication.  It also happens that people suffering from depression are loaded with cytokines.’

“Inflammation is caused by obesity, high sugar diets, high quantities of trans fats, unhealthy diets in general, and other causes.”

Caroline Williams of The Guardian writes: “The good news is that the few clinical trials done so far have found that adding anti-inflammatory medicines to antidepressants not only improves symptoms, it also increases the proportion of people who respond to treatment, although more trials will be needed to confirm this.  There is also some evidence that omega 3 and curcumin, an extract of the spice turmeric, might have similar effects.  Both are available over the counter and might be worth a try, although as an add-on to any prescribed treatment – there’s definitely not enough evidence to use them as a replacement.”

Some people even believe this finding may eventually lead to a possible cure for depression. Maybe, maybe not. But…

Is There Anything You Can Do Right Now?

At the very least, start eliminating as many of the things that cause inflammation in your body as possible like processed foods, sugar, trans fats, etc.  Just eliminating processed foods can go a long way in helping you reduce inflammation in the body (not to mention you’ll probably also lose weight in the process).

It’s amazing that most health problems are self-inflicted.  For example, a new study recently published in the journal The Lancet showed poor diet and high blood pressure are now the top risk factors for early death.

A huge 25-year international study of global causes of death showed that child and maternal malnutrition, unsafe water, poor sanitation, and lack of hand washing were the leading risks for death in 1990, but these have been replaced by dietary risks and high blood pressure.

Now it turns out inflammation caused by a poor diet may be a major player in depression as well.  It’s amazing how simply eating a healthy diet has the potential to dramatically improve your wellbeing and quality of life, not to mention the length of your life…

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.

Don’t Spend the Holidays Sick, Tired or Flat on Your Back!

2 Nov

Dear Patients and Friends,

Every year, it’s the same old song and dance.

Your fall schedule is busy.  Between work and activities, you don’t have a minute for yourself.  You’re running around like a chicken with your head cut off trying to get everything done and please everyone else… and…

BAM!

Your back goes out, or your neck, or you get the nastiest cold of the season.  No matter which one it is, you get laid out.  You’re either stuck in bed – or at the very least – it’s impossible to keep up.

That’s why this letter is so important, because an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  It’s about time you took a little “me time” and recharged your batteries before one of the terrible things above actually happen to you.

It can be as simple as taking a little time each day to simply be alone, close your eyes, and relax.  Let go of all the stress… even if just for a few minutes.

Pay attention to what you’re eating and how much sleep you get.  Little things add up to big problems over time.  Get an extra hour of sleep tonight and take the time to eat right.

Don’t forget to give us a call and get a spinal check-up so we can help you stay in tip-top shape for the holidays.  Take care of it now before things get really hectic and it’s too late.

Just give us a call and we will find a time that fits into your busy schedule.

Take a little “me time” and see how much better the Holiday season goes for you.

Sincerely,

Dr. Binder

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