One of the better book titles I have encountered in recent years, The Audacity of Hope, served as a driving force in opening eyes and minds to the political idealism of Barack Obama. I feel that the title suits the message well, a paradigm shift that became viral as Mr. Obama's Democratic campaign expanded in the past year. As you might be guessing, my point in citing this example will not be found in governmental politics, actually I would like for you to consider the medical/health care political landscape. Specifically, I will draw parallels between the wisdom behind Mr. Obama's book title, message and subsequent move towards critical mass with a subject closer to my own heart, the unique paradigm and clinical application of Precision Cervical Correction.
People living and/or working in the Silicon Valley, for the most part, share a common experience of engaging in a full time battle dealing with the effects of physical, emotional and chemical stress. We also share the common knowledge, whether we choose to attend to it or not, that our bodily energies and resources undergo a progressive drain yielding familiar secondary conditions such as chronic inflammation, pain and mental anguish. As a matter of socially embraced routine, we tend to quickly displace these problems from our real time awareness through an array of chemical cocktails, allopathic and otherwise. Though these "solutions" may be fleeting at best and organically harmful through repetitive usage, we continue, as we always have, enduring our stressors one day at a time by indulging ourselves in whatever means will get us through another day. Meanwhile, our "on board" central processing units, (the Central Nervous System) become increasingly programmed into a constant pattern of over activating our fight or flight mechanisms in spite of the reality that, due to time constraints, many of us are at an all time low for personal physical activity. No fight, no flight, but our physiologies are called upon to mobilize the body's preparation for emergency strenuous activity. Our real time physiologies become so imbalanced with our relatively sedentary environments that we experience an increasing variety of secondary symptomatic conditions affecting breathing, blood flow, digestion and heart rate.....not to mention the creation of large musculoskeletal regions that often scream for oxygen by the end of our day.
Bringing the discussion back to the Audacity of Hope, the application of Precision Cervical Correction offers hope for many patients suffering with the aforementioned stress driven secondary symptoms (secondary to primary structural and neurological changes in our bodies).
The problem is that the mere suggestion that a relatively simple, unique, nonallopathic approach to health care can be beneficial to patients in a way that familiar, mainstream treatments, therapies may not seems, yes, audacious.
I would like to suggest considering this point in the same context as Mr. Obama's book title. If you take iconic procedures representing the status quo that are not only failing many, but witnessing their outcomes going from bad to worse, is it audacious to effect a completely different paradigm for health and wellness? For this reason, I have titled this discussion "The Neurology of Hope" because I believe that forward thinking individuals can empower themselves and find solutions for the problems borne out of our manic lifestyles if they open thier minds to the untapped healing ability within their own nervous systems. Unlike political optomism, you need not indefinitely suspend disbelief; begin Precision Cervical Correction care and proactively witness your body move in 4 weeks from hope to undeniable change.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Upper cervical care receives high profile endorsement from Montel Williams
Those of you familiar with talk show host Montel Williams may know that he has suffered with multiple sclerosis over the past 6 years. Montel has openly discussed the severe degree of pain he experiences regularly in both of his legs and feet, as well as postural balance challenges since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He continued to "soldier" on with his show in spite of these difficulties.
Montel decided to give upper cervical chiropractic care, specifically an instrument adjustment, a try in his quest for relief of any kind. Much to his surprise, Montel describes his experience, "it's the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me!" He experienced a substantial level of relief beginning with his first adjustment. Since he has been under upper cervical chiropractic care, Montel's friends have remarked that even they notice a marked change in his posture and gait. Not only is his pain significantly reduced, but the strength in his legs is returning.
Montel felt so strongly about his chiropractic treatment that he devoted a show segment to describing his experience and even interviewing his chiropractor, Dr. Patrick Kerr, as a guest of the show. The story video can be accessed on YouTube if you query Montel Williams upper cervical chiropractic.
I have seen many patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis throughout my chiropractic career. Though they all presented with unique symptoms and challenges, the common denominator for their Precision Cervical Correction experience was that the reduction in pain and increased level of physical function made their lives better. Like with so many conditions that find help under upper cervical chiropractic care, it is a shame that the only way for people to know that this potential for hope is available would be for stories like this to receive more distribution.
Montel decided to give upper cervical chiropractic care, specifically an instrument adjustment, a try in his quest for relief of any kind. Much to his surprise, Montel describes his experience, "it's the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me!" He experienced a substantial level of relief beginning with his first adjustment. Since he has been under upper cervical chiropractic care, Montel's friends have remarked that even they notice a marked change in his posture and gait. Not only is his pain significantly reduced, but the strength in his legs is returning.
Montel felt so strongly about his chiropractic treatment that he devoted a show segment to describing his experience and even interviewing his chiropractor, Dr. Patrick Kerr, as a guest of the show. The story video can be accessed on YouTube if you query Montel Williams upper cervical chiropractic.
I have seen many patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis throughout my chiropractic career. Though they all presented with unique symptoms and challenges, the common denominator for their Precision Cervical Correction experience was that the reduction in pain and increased level of physical function made their lives better. Like with so many conditions that find help under upper cervical chiropractic care, it is a shame that the only way for people to know that this potential for hope is available would be for stories like this to receive more distribution.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Upper Cervical Care and Blood Pressure: A Pilot Study
Several months ago, a story concerning the results of a pilot study conducted at the University of Chicago was released in numerous chiropractic publications. The study, comprised of a sampling of 50 volunteers, was designed for half the subjects (25) to receive upper cervical adjustments over an 8 week course of care. The other sampling group received sham adjustments performed to mimic a real correction to insure blinding for the study. The purpose of the study was to determine if upper cervical adjustments effected change in lowering blood pressure. The design, data acquisition and assessment was performed by a team led by George Bakris, M.D.; the atlas adjustments were administered by Marshall Dickholtz, D.C., a long time upper cervical specialist. The average age of study participants was 52.7 years old with 70% of subjects being men. All study members, adjustment group and control group, did not use any blood pressure medication during the 8 week study period.
The results of the study demonstrated very positive changes in both systolic and diastolic blood pressures measured at the beginning and end of the study. The adjustment group demonstrated an average drop in systolic blood pressure of 17 mm Hg and a lowered average of 10mm Hg diastolic readings. The control group with sham adjustments showed very slight average changes in their blood pressure readings. These findings led researchers to the conclusion that there was enough suggestive evidence to plan a much larger clinical trial in the near future. Further study will attempt to better understand the mechanism by which a C1 adjustment can create positive changes for patients diagnosed with hypertension because any explanation is theoretical.
More studies of this nature will be funded in the future with, what I hope to be, widely published results. The ultimate beneficiaries will be patients who seek to reclaim their health by less invasive, more conservative means.....not to mention the cost savings. Upper cervical practitioners have seen miraculous results for many conditions in their clinical practices since the inception of chiropractic. Studies such as this particular one serve to illuminate what a very small percentage of people (who have been lucky enough to be referred to an upper cervical chiropractor) know: the accurate analysis and correction of upper cervical problems can change our health dramatically for the better.
The results of the study demonstrated very positive changes in both systolic and diastolic blood pressures measured at the beginning and end of the study. The adjustment group demonstrated an average drop in systolic blood pressure of 17 mm Hg and a lowered average of 10mm Hg diastolic readings. The control group with sham adjustments showed very slight average changes in their blood pressure readings. These findings led researchers to the conclusion that there was enough suggestive evidence to plan a much larger clinical trial in the near future. Further study will attempt to better understand the mechanism by which a C1 adjustment can create positive changes for patients diagnosed with hypertension because any explanation is theoretical.
More studies of this nature will be funded in the future with, what I hope to be, widely published results. The ultimate beneficiaries will be patients who seek to reclaim their health by less invasive, more conservative means.....not to mention the cost savings. Upper cervical practitioners have seen miraculous results for many conditions in their clinical practices since the inception of chiropractic. Studies such as this particular one serve to illuminate what a very small percentage of people (who have been lucky enough to be referred to an upper cervical chiropractor) know: the accurate analysis and correction of upper cervical problems can change our health dramatically for the better.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Booster Seat Considerations for Parents
A well respected authority in the field of motor vehicle accident related spinal research, Dr. Arthur Croft, wrote an excellent article in a chiropractic publication, nearly a year ago, containing information that I feel every parent with young children should be acquainted. The point of the article was to underscore that the differences between the 2 types of commonly used child booster seats, backless and seat bottom/back combination, may not be well understood from information provided by the often referred to (particularly by manufacturers) National Highway Traffic Safety Institute (NHTSA) website. The NHTSA website suggests that the 2 types of booster seats have comparable safety records. A well done, subsequent study (Arbogast et al. "Effectiveness of High Back and Backless Belt Positioning Booster Seats in Side-Impact Crashes." 49th Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine Conference. Massachusetts 2005:201-213) reached significantly different conclusions: high back booster seats provided a significant level of protection, reducing injury incidence by 70%; whereas, backless booster seats provided no more statistical safety than using no booster at all.
Additional benefits to using a well made, high back booster seats are that a high back can serve as a head restraint in rear/front end collisions and if the high back employs lateral support, there is additional protection if a side impact collision were to occur. In spite of children's objections to feeling too old for this type of car seating, there should be no compromise when it comes to their safety. Keep in mind that if a lap belt does not cross at the level of the bony pelvis on a child and instead rests across the soft abdomen, internal organs are placed at risk of a crush type injury. In a higher speed collision, the inappropriate height lap belt provides a mechanism for substantial spinal injury. Another check point for belt position is the shoulder harness, preferably crossing the shoulder about midway on the collar bone. If the harness rests too low, it can ride up dangerously into the neck, potentially injuring both vital vascular structures and the spine itself.
The message from this information seems to be very straight forward: only use high quality, high backed booster seats with good lateral support. Publicly accessible information may confuse this issue, but Dr. Croft, who devotes his professional life to studying this subject is adament in making this point. He also recommends that a child ride in a booster seat until 2 criteria are met: the child reaches 57 inches in height and the child can sit all the way back against the seat back and simultaneously bend his/her knees over the seat edge. Simple guidelines that we as parents can understand and use for the safety of our children.
Additional benefits to using a well made, high back booster seats are that a high back can serve as a head restraint in rear/front end collisions and if the high back employs lateral support, there is additional protection if a side impact collision were to occur. In spite of children's objections to feeling too old for this type of car seating, there should be no compromise when it comes to their safety. Keep in mind that if a lap belt does not cross at the level of the bony pelvis on a child and instead rests across the soft abdomen, internal organs are placed at risk of a crush type injury. In a higher speed collision, the inappropriate height lap belt provides a mechanism for substantial spinal injury. Another check point for belt position is the shoulder harness, preferably crossing the shoulder about midway on the collar bone. If the harness rests too low, it can ride up dangerously into the neck, potentially injuring both vital vascular structures and the spine itself.
The message from this information seems to be very straight forward: only use high quality, high backed booster seats with good lateral support. Publicly accessible information may confuse this issue, but Dr. Croft, who devotes his professional life to studying this subject is adament in making this point. He also recommends that a child ride in a booster seat until 2 criteria are met: the child reaches 57 inches in height and the child can sit all the way back against the seat back and simultaneously bend his/her knees over the seat edge. Simple guidelines that we as parents can understand and use for the safety of our children.
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