Low back pain can be caused by a number of factors. It could be a simple muscle strain, or it could be coming from the joints, or from the disc itself. The tricky thing is that you usually cannot tell the difference.
In 1969 the American Medical Association was found guilty, in a court of law, of conspiracy for trying to wipe out the Chiropractic profession. The conspiracy continues today.
Chiropractic began as a cash for service type of business. Insurance companies would not recognize chiropractic as a viable health care profession. Chiropractors did very well in this business model however. People got results, and they were willing to pay for it. The number of people seeing chiropractors sky rocketed. This of course cut into the pockets of the medical profession, hence the conspiracy.
In the late 1970’s, and early 1980’s the medically owned and operated insurance companies started to allow chiropractors to panel with their companies. After their admission into the private insurance sector, the chiropractic profession was quickly and easily made into insurance junkies. Claims were paid quickly, and generously. Patients also began to rely on their insurance companies to pay for their chiropractic care. Again, the number of visits to chiropractors grew, and people loved it. They got great care, great results, and at no additional cost.
In the mid 1990’s, things began to change. First, insurance companies began to restrict what codes chiropractors could use, herding them into a tight coral. Then they began reducing reimbursement on those codes and continuing to eliminate codes narrowing the options. They also started to increase deductibles, and co-pay amounts making it more expensive for the consumer.
People were not used to paying for their chiropractic care anymore. They had become acclimated, and it was foreign and uncomfortable to have to start laying out the cash for their chiropractic care. Consequently, people stopped going to the chiropractor, and because the chiropractic profession as a whole had become so dependant on the insurance companies, this reduction in payments caused thousands of chiropractors to go belly up.
Today, it is necessary for chiropractors to return to somewhat of a cash basis for practice in order to survive. Many chiropractors refuse to become panelled with insurance companies, but are willing to bill the insurance for whatever out of network benefits the patient might have. The balance of the care is paid for in cash by the patient.
Medicare has paid for chiropractic for years, however it has not been on even keel with the medical profession. At first, medicare would require X-rays to be taken in order to diagnose a subluxation, which is what chiropractors treat. The problem is that medicare will not pay for a chiropractor to perform an examination or X-rays. Chiropractors practice physical medicine, which means that they typically use modalities such as electrical stimulation, ultrasound, traction, etc. Medicare will not pay a chiropractor for these services. Medicare greatly limits the amount that a chiropractor can charge for the services that they do cover, which is only an adjustment. Because medicare is a federally funded program, it is difficult for chiropractors to treat any patient who is on medicare on even a cash basis and be profitable.
If socialized medicine is introduced into this country, it will most likely follow the medicare model. This will be a mortal blow to the chiropractic profession. The medical profession is still trying to wipe out the chiropractic profession by covertly limiting the chiropractor’s ability to make a living.
What is the difference between food based supplements and synthetic supplements? Most supplements that you can buy in the grocery store are synthetic vitamins. What that means is that they have been made in a laboratory. They have been able to look at the chemical structure of a nutrient like vitamin C, and then they mix those chemicals together in a lab and call it “Vitamin C”. In fact, it is not a complete vitamin C, but is only ascorbic acid.
The complete vitamin C complex has many more factors to it such as bioflavinoids, quercitin, rutin, K and J factors as well as other substances, which we are unable to replicate in a laboratory. So what is wrong with taking supplements which are made in a laboratory?
The problem is that our bodies are the ultimate laboratories. If we take into our body a “partial” supplement, then the body will recognize the deficiency, and it will add the missing substances to make the vitamin whole and usable. This will lead to a deficiency in the body. Whole food based supplements are not made in a laboratory, but are concentrated from whole foods known to have a high concentration of the needed nutrient.
For instance, Optimal 2 vitamin mineral antioxidant formula from Optimal Health Systems contains acerola cherry, which is a rich source of vitamin C. Remember that these are concentrated, so for you to get the same amount of vitamin C by eating the cherries, you would be eating constantly. Because whole food based supplements are complete, they require a lower dose to be even more effective than the higher doses of synthetic vitamins.
Now a word about enzymes. Enzymes are the body’s chemists. They re the guys that make all of the essential chemical reactions in the body happen. Our bodies have a store of enzymes. Most of our diets are deficient in enzymes, and therefore the body’s store of enzymes is many times drained, and we are unable to utilize the nutrients that we take into our bodies. Whole food based supplements are complete with enzymes that not only help to utilize the supplement, but also other nutrients that we take in in the way of food. The more processed our foods are the more that we need to supplement our enzymes.
Several studies have linked abnormal curvature of the neck to chronic headache pain. As I have discussed in the passed, the neck should have a forward curve to it. This curve actually forms in the womb, at about 9.5 weeks. Therefore, it should be present throughout life, and the only thing that can cause it to not be present is trauma. This trauma can occur at birth. Studies done on computerized mannequins showed that the average amount of pressure applied to the baby’s neck during delivery was 120Lbs. This can cause trauma to the spine. Abnormal curvature of the neck, can leed to degenerative changes in the spine. People with chronic headaches, should have their spine checked by a chiropractor who uses X-ray, as this is the only way to properly diagnose an abnormal curvature of the neck, and a chiropractor is the only doctor properly trained to treat this condition. If you have any questions, feel free to write to me @ drmarksnow@westvalleyfamilyclinic.com.
One of my “Ask The Doctor” clients wrote to me yesterday asking about a natural analgesic known as Arnica Montana. He is an avid runner, and was looking for something to deal with the aches and pains associated with a long run.
Arnica is a wild flower that grows in high elevations. It is in the sunflower family. In the United States, it is found in the mountains of the Northwest. This plant works well as a natural anti-inflammatory. It is best used topically. In the field, one can poor boiling water over the flowering head, remove the excess water, and then apply the flowering head hot to the injured area. Leave it in place until it cools, and then repeat 2 to 3 times.
This herb can also be taken orally, however there are some risks. overdosing with this herb can lead to vomitting, diarrhea, and mucos membrane hemorrhage.
It also acts as a cardiac muscle stimulant, and therefore can be an effective treatment for cardiac insufficiency. Again, it is necessary to be careful with this as overdosing can lead to cardiac muscle palsy following overstimulation.
Other names of this herb are, Mountain Tobacco, Leopard’s Bane, Wolfsbane, Arnica Flowers, and Arnica Root.
If you have any questions, you can write them to me at drmarksnow@westvalleyfamilyclinic.com.
I cannot believe the number of patients that I have seen in my office following a motor vehicle crash who have been checked at the emergency room and sent away being told that they are “OK”.
I am not bad mouthing the emergency room doctors; I am just trying to educate people. Emergency room doctors are trained to and do handle emergencies very well. When a patient goes into the emergency room following a motor vehicle crash, the doctors are going to look for three things. First, they are going to make sure that the patient is breathing, and that there is nothing that will threaten their ability to breathe in the near future. Second, they will check to see if there are any fractures, or grossly dislocated joints. This may or may not include the use of X-ray or other imaging modalities depending on the severity of the crash, and outward signs of these types of injuries like swelling and discoloration. Third, they will check for any bleeding both externally and internally. In the absence of these conditions, they are not an “emergency.” The patient will usually be given a prescription for anti-inflammatories, or pain pills or both and told to rest for a day or two.
Now let me be very clear, if any of the above conditions exist, broken bones, compromised airway, or bleeding then the emergency room is exactly where I would want to be. However, most car crashes are low speed crashes.
This means that they happen at 10 miles per hour or less. These types of crashes do not usually produce broken bones, or internal bleeding. What they do cause is severe soft tissue injuries. These are injuries to the ligaments and tendons, and capsules around joints. The joints of the spine are the most vulnerable. The sad thing is that these types of injuries are not looked for and the patient is told that they are “OK.”
These types of injuries if left untreated will lead to premature degeneration in the spine, as well as impaired mobility and function. Eventually, due to the misalignments of the joints and the degeneration, vital nerves are compromised, and the function of vital organs is impaired.
A patient who has this type of injury, will probably get by on pain medication for a while, and may even reach a point where they are symptom free. It may be 18 months later that they start to notice problems like headaches on a frequent basis, or shoulder pain. Sometimes they take the pain pills for a few months, and realize that they are not getting any better.
I had a patient just yesterday who was involved in a car crash two months ago. The emergency room doctor told her that she was “ok”, and gave her some pills and sent her on her way. She has been having migraine like headaches now for one month, and her X-rays show that her neck is curved backwards.
So here is what you need to do. See a chiropractor. Not just any chiropractor, but one who specializes in treating auto accident injuries. Call and ask if they need to take X-rays. If they say “no”, don’t go to them. If they say they don’t know until they see you, or that they do need X-rays, then you are probably ok to see them. Ask them if they will treat you on a medical lien if you max out your insurance coverage. If they will not, then keep looking. There is a good chance (depending on the severity of your injuries) that you will go over the insurance max. If they will only treat you until the insurance is maxed, then you may be left hanging with injuries that are not completely healed.
Chiropractic is not a “miracle cure”. There is and has been for years a sort of mysticism associated with chiropractic. It’s almost as though some people think that it is faith healing. This is why we get statements from people like, “Oh I don’t believe in chiropractic.” That is like saying, I don’t believe in gravity. I will try with this message to de-mystify chiropractic. Hopefully this will help you to understand what chiropractors do, and why it is important for everyone.
Let me begin with a story. This is a true story of one of my patients. His name is Tom. It was July 4th 2006; I was out of town with my family for the holiday. I received a call on my cell phone from a woman whose husband was on the floor and couldn’t move. His back was hurting so badly that he could not get up. I suggested that she call an ambulance, and get him to the emergency room. If he was unable to get up to come into the office, there is nothing that I can do for him.
However, if he could get some temporary pain relief, that would allow him to come into my office then I could assess him. On July 6th, two days later, this man came slowly shuffling into my office. He was hunched over, and could hardly even turn his head without excruciating pain in his low back. He had tingling sensations in both legs also. I performed an examination and X-rays on Tom and found that he had a loss of the normal curve of the low back, and that the discs in between the second, third, and fourth lumbar vertebrae were in a phase two degenerative state. I also found that the first, second, and third vertebrae in his low back were tilted to the left.
So what does all of this mean? Doctors of chiropractic treat one thing and one thing only. That one thing is called “vertebral subluxation.” The spine is made up of 24 movable vertebrae (bones). These bones form joints with one another, which allow us to bend and twist and move the way we do. Between each pair of bones is a disc, which acts as a shock absorber, and also increases the mobility of the spine. When each pair of bones is properly aligned, then there is proper movement. A “vertebral subluxation”, is when one or more pairs of these bones get out of alignment. This is not a complete dislocation. The joint surfaces remain in contact; however, they are not lined up properly. There are a couple of things that this will lead to.
First let’s talk about the disc. Imagine that you are looking down on a doughnut. In the hole you place a blob of jelly. Now this doughnut with its blob of jelly represents the disc between two vertebrae. The outer (doughnut) part is a tough fibrous material made up of concentric rings of fibers running in a diagonal direction perpendicular to the fibers in the adjacent ring. The inner (jelly) part is a capsule of jelly like material, which moves according to pressure. If you push on the front of the doughnut, the center will move back, and so forth. This disc is intricately connected to the bone above it and below it. It is impossible for this disc to “slip.” What it can and does do however is to become desiccated (dried out) and shrink, and rupture. The disc has the ability to absorb fluid, and when we lay down and take pressure off of the disc it does just that. Through movement, the disc has fluid pumped in and out of it, and this is how it gets rid of old fluid and receives new healthy fluid and nutrients. Misalignments in the joints of the bones above and below a disc cause a lack of or improper movement. This will prevent the movement of fluids in and out of the disc, and even when lying down, due to the locked nature of a subluxated joint, the disc cannot absorb as much fluid. This will cause the rings that make up the outer part of the disc to weaken, and eventually tear. As they tear the middle or jelly part begins to push through those tears. The outer rings of the disc will start to bulge out and often will put pressure on adjacent nerves causing pain and tingling. If the outer rings of the disc also tear, then the jell will ooze out. The disc is tightly connected to the bone above it and below it, so if it shrinks, then it pulls on the bone where it connects to it. This pulling will cause the body to add calcium to the bone to strengthen it, and you start to form bony ridges along the rims of the vertebrae called “bone spurs.” Now, in the back part of the bones, are two other joints called facet joints, one on each side. So if you are looking at two vertebrae, you will see that they have three joints, or areas where they connect with each other. The one is the body, or where the disc is, and the other two are the facet joints in the back and to the sides. These facet joints are like other joints in the body, they have a lining, and are enclosed in a capsule. They also have a lot of nerve endings in them. There are two types of nerve endings. Those that sense movement, and those that sense pain. If the nerve endings that sense movement are firing, then the nerve endings that sense pain are blocked. If we have a joint that is subluxated (miss-aligned), then there will not be proper movement in that joint and the nerve endings that sense pain will fire. Between the disc and the facet joints, there is an opening through which passes the nerve roots. These nerve roots come off of the spinal cord, and carry information to and from all parts of the body and the brain. This is how your body functions. If there is pressure on these nerves, then the information is interfered with. When there is a subluxation, it puts pressure on these nerves. Not all nerves sense pain so even though there is pressure on these nerves you may not feel anything. The danger is in the fact that the organs and tissues that those nerves go to are not getting the proper information, and will not function, as they should. This may not be manifested with any type of symptoms for a while however.
This is how chiropractic is able to help people with so many different health problems. A chiropractic adjustment properly applied to a subluxated joint will re-align that joint and take pressure off of the nerves. When the organs and tissues that nerve goes to are receiving the proper nerve impulses, they can heal and begin to function properly. Because the body has memory, and connective tissues change shape over time, it takes repeated adjustments to get a joint to stay in proper alignment. This is also why it is important to receive regular (monthly) chiropractic check ups. This will prevent the body from holding any subluxations long enough to cause degeneration, and a change in the connective tissues that would maintain that subluxation.
So getting back to Tom, he said that he had originally injured his back in 2002 lifting some heavy equipment. He had seen his family medical doctor, who gave him some Lortab and told him to take it easy for a while. After that didn’t help, he went to a chiropractor that didn’t take any X-rays, or the time to properly diagnose the condition. He treated him for about a month and then told him he was on his own. (Dangerous Doctors) On July 4th 2006 he bent over to pick up a drill, and couldn’t get up. That is when I got the call from his wife. Because he had subluxations that were not properly diagnosed and treated in 2002, and because he didn’t maintain any correction that might have occurred through regular chiropractic visits and specific exercises, the subluxations caused degeneration. This is what Tom said about his experience here. “On July 4, 2006 I had an episode which put me flat on my back for two days. Finally I was able to get into the office to see Dr. Snow. Dr. Snow took the time to properly diagnose my problem and explain it to me. He also let me know that there was hope. This eased my mind considerably, as I was very scared. Now it is August 17, 2006 and I am pain free. I have tremendous mobility, and I have my life back. I am doing exercises that Dr. Snow taught me to strengthen my low back to prevent this from happening again.”
If you would like more information about chiropractic, or would like to know if chiropractic could help you, check out my website at westvalleyfamilyclinic.com. Or you can write to me at drsnow@westvalleyfamilyclinic.com. You can listen to this as a podcast at www.westvalleyfamilyclinic.com/audio/faithhealingpodcast.mp3
Is acid reflux disease a musculoskeletal problem? Let’s look at a recent patient that came into my office for a headache. She stated that she had the headache constantly for six weeks. She also suffers with pain in her low back, and stated that she has frequent urinary tract infections. She had been to her medical doctor for the pain in her low back, and he had diagnosed her with osteoporosis, and given her a prescription for Celebrex. This patient also had a history of acid reflux.
Her family physician has been treating her acid reflux for a few years now with Nexium. Recently he ordered an endocsope of her esophagus, which showed a hiatal hernia and a condition known as Beret’s Esophagus. This is a condition, which occurs due to prolonged irritation of the esophageal lining, which actually represents the beginning of cellular change, and is a pre-cancerous condition. This patient is postmenopausal, and is taking hormone replacement therapy. Now let’s look at what is going on with this patient a bit closer. She is taking Nexium for the acid reflux, and has been for a number of years. This will effectively lower the acidity of her stomach. Lowering the acidity of the stomach diminishes her ability to absorb calcium, which is needed for healthy bone mass. A lower acidity also promotes the growth of bacteria in the urinary tract.
Taking the Nexium does not address the hiatal hernia, which is a protrusion of the stomach through the hiatal valve. This valve is normally closed, and only opens to the pressure of food swallowed, to allow it to enter the stomach. One must ask the question, “Why is this valve stuck open?” This patient was prescribed Celebrex for the pain in her back, which is well known to cause gastrointestinal disorders. When this patient came to me, she was a nervous wreck. She couldn’t sleep, she was in constant pain and she was always crying. She thought that she was dyeing.
We found that she had several structural problems with her spine. She had lost the normal curvature of her cervical spine, and was developing bone spurs on her cervical vertebrae (bones in her neck). Her spine in her low back, curved to the left. She had miss-alignments (subluxations) in several areas, C2, C3, C4, C5, effecting the nerve supply to the diaphragm. This is the large muscle that we use to breathe, and through which the esophagus passes to get to the stomach. She was also misaligned at T4 effecting the nerve supply to the heart, lungs, and gallbladder, and also at T12 and L1 effecting the nerve supply to the bladder and kidneys. She stopped taking all of her medication. We had her start taking some digestive enzymes as well as some other nutritional supplements to help build healthy bone mass.
She began a series of adjustments to re-align her vertebrae, and take pressure off of the nerves. After 10 treatments, she is smiling, she is without pain, and she is sleeping through the night, and wants to go dancing with her husband. She stated that she is improved 60%. Is acid reflux a biomechanical problem? It was in this case. So getting back to my last article about dangerous doctors. What were all those drugs treating? Just the symptoms. Nothing was done to find out why she had a hiatal hernia, why she was losing bone mass, why she was getting frequent urinary tract infections, why she had pain in her back.
I heard a commercial on Television this morning for Advair. This is a prescription drug designed to treat asthma. The ad said that it treats to two common causes of asthma, “inflammation, and bronchial constriction”. These are not the “causes” of asthma, but are part of the symptoms of asthma. These are what cause the wheezing and breathing difficulties of asthma, but what is causing the inflammation and bronchial constriction? Many studies have shown that misalignment of the bones in the neck, and upper back have been associated with asthma, and re-alignment of those structures have had a dramatic effect on that condition in many people. The cause is not always subluxation, but shouldn’t it be looked at before dangerous drug intervention or even worse surgical intervention? Please feel free to comment, and you can also listen to this as a podcast at www.westvalleyfamilyclinic.com/audio/refluxpodcast.mp3.
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