West Valley Family Clinic Blog

Allergies are reactions, by the body, to substances which are typically harmless. These reactions can range in severity from full on watery eyes, runny nose, and sneazing to mild reactions which do not produce any “noticable” symptoms. Usually known as a sensativity these milder reactions are very dangerous because they can cause degenerative processes which are unnoticed until marked damage has occured. Leaky gut syndrome, a condition in which the lining of the intestine allows the passage of large molecules into the blood stream is believed to be one of the causes of allergies. These larger molecules can become attached to “self” tissue, and fool the body into recognizing that “self” tissue as a pathogen. The body then builds an immunity to that tissue, and begins an assault on it. This tissue could be the joint linings, causing an arthritic condition. This is why many arthritic conditions are known as “auto-immune” diseases. People with conditions such as arthritis, psoriasis, and intestinal disorders should be checked for allergies. If you have any questions, please address them to drmarksnow@westvalleyfamilyclinic.com.

Insulin grabs glucose(sugar) in the blood, and carries it to the cells. The surfaces of the cells have receptor sites on them to allow the insulin to attach, and unload it’s glucose into the cells to be used. In our society, we eat foods that are high in fats and simple sugars, and most of us do not get enough exercise. This lack of exercise causes a reduction in the amount of recepter sites for insulin. This reduces the amount of glucose (sugar) that can be removed from the blood. We wind up with elevated sugar levels in the blood, and starving cells. A regular exercise program is essential to the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. We also need to supplement our diet with products that cause our body to better metabolize the sugars that we eat. If you have any questions, feel free to email them to me at drmarksnow@westvalleyfamilyclinic.com.

It is amazing how many people come in to my office in terrible pain, and when asked what started it they say something like, “I just bent over to pick up a piece of paper.” Nothing ever happens all of a sudden in the body. This is characteristic of a classic case of subluxation degeneration. A problem has existed for months or even years without symptoms, and finally when they bent over that was just enough to put the weakened system over the limit.

Thinking that something like this happens all of a sudden is like waking with a tooth ache, and going to the dentist. The dentist finds a cavity, and you think it developed over night while you slept.

The problem has been there for a while without pain, and once care begins it will still be there even though the pain subsides. This is another reason that proper examination and x-rays are critical. These are objective ways to monitor progress. Follow up x-rays should be taken between 30 and 90 days after beginning care.

Once the problem is properly taken care of, then maintenance care is critical to prevent further problems from developing. If you would like to ask me any questions, feel free to email me at drmarksnow@westvalleyfamilyclinic.com. To listen to my recorded messages, go to http://www.westvalleyfamilyclinic.com/media.

Scoliosis is the abnormal sideways bending of the spine. It shows up usually between the ages of 8 and 18, and effect girls more than boys. It is often identified by postural changes that may occur, but these can be missed, or even not present at first due to the body’s adaptive capabilities. This is why X-ray is the definitive diagnostic procedure for scoliosis. Scoliosis can progressively worsen, and can if left unchecked become crippling, and even life threatening due to interference with heart and lung function.

The medical approach to scoliosis is to try bracing the spine, and then watching and waiting to see if the curve gets worse. At some point, usually 25 degrees of curvature in an immature spine, they will recommend surgical implants of rods along the spine.

This is a highly invasive action, and will lead to rapid and progressive degeneration of the non-brace spinal joints. For this reason, this should be the last resort.

In most cases this can be avoided. Chiropractic has had great success in preventing the progression of the curve, and in many cases even reducing the angle of the curve.