Spinal Stenosis: There is Help and Treatment Without Surgery

Definition: Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of one or more areas in your spine — most often in your upper or lower back. This narrowing can put pressure on your spinal cord or on the nerves that branch out from the compressed areas. Spinal stenosis can cause cramping, pain or numbness in your legs, back, neck, shoulders or arms; a loss of sensation in your extremities; and sometimes problems with bladder or bowel function. Spinal stenosis is most commonly caused by osteoarthritis-related bone damage.

A diagnosis of stenosis can be very frustrating. There are only a few treatment protocols in the medical arena. Most begin with medication to decrease pain and symptoms then injections to decrease pain and symptoms and finally surgery. 

What most patients don’t know is that Chiropractic treatment can help with stenosis and its symptomatology.  There are simple, pain-free and safe treatments to return your life to normal.  The frequency of treatments at the start of your protocol, are often. However, to see the benefits of this technique and to adapt the years of muscle incapacities takes time to adjust. Most patients see a difference within two weeks of consistent and regular care. Some of the symptoms that are seen to improve are; decrease leg pain, improve balance, decrease back pain, walking further distances and the ability to stand from a sitting position improves.

The technique does not take long. It’s the patient’s commitment that is needed to accomplish the goals of each unique individual.

Medicare and most insurance covers these treatments and we do have affordable payments for those who do not have insurance.

For more information go to www.srqchiro.com.

Sarasota Physical Medicine: Turkey Golf

Sarasota Physical Medicine: Turkey Golf

Turkey Golf

Over this wonderful family weekend, I was able to hit a bucket of golf balls. It has been at least 7 years, since I hit a golf ball. I was getting tips on my swing and my stance. I noticed when I hit the ball the best, is when I put my back into it. Afterward, my back did not hurt, but I did notice something. My left sacroilliac or  left pelvis was "out of wack."  When I walked it was somewhat shifted. I did a lot of walking this weekend and I kept noticing the stiffness in the left pelvis, since I was swinging righty. Finally, I got adjusted and put that problem to rest. I don't know how someone, can put all that pressure on their body, 3 to 4 times a week and not get adjusted.
Well, it fixed my problem, we hope you will share this with your family and friends.

Drinking Soda: Like eating a tablespoon of toxic chemicals in every glass!

Most people feel they need to avoid sugar at all costs and turn to diet sodas as a substitute. They think they'll get the sweet taste without the calories. Turns out the calories in sugar are probably better than the chemicals in aspartame.

We're not saying drink sugar filled soda instead. In fact, you shouldn't drink soda at all. There are all kinds of chemical additives in sodas that are bad for you. As a general rule, you probably shouldn't eat or drink things that contain ingredients that you can't pronounce without looking in your high school chemistry text book. Let's take a look at exactly what's on the ingredients list for Coke Zero:

"Carbonated water, caramel color, phosphoric acid, aspartame, potassium benzoate (to protect taste), natural flavors, potassium citrate, acesulfame potassium, caffeine."

The FDA approved acesulfame potassium for use in 1998. Before that, research indicated that there may be a link between the chemical and cancer. Phosphoric acid is actually more acidic than lemon juice or vinegar and it is commonly used for rust removal. Imagine what it does to your teeth! Caramel color sounds pretty harmless, right. But it's not the caramel you think of in candies and chocolates. To get this "caramel color" soda makers have to mix sugar with ammonia sulfite to create the dark brownish black color you expect from a cola.

If someone asked you to eat a spoonful of phosphoric acid, you'd say "no way!" So why is it okay to consume these chemicals in a glass of pop? Sodas are nutritionally bankrupt foods that don't add anything to improve your health or your life. You don't need to understand chemistry to know that drinking soda of any kind is unhealthy and dangerous. Don't be fooled by the bubbly sweetness!

Diet Soda: It's Not a Diet if Drinking it Makes You Fat and Diabetic

Shocking news for dieters!  Artificial sweeteners in sodas could be making you fat instead of skinny.  Two studies presented this week at the American Diabetes Association's Scientific Sessions offer evidence that diet sodas could expand your waistline and lead to diabetes.

Aspartame is the common factor in both studies.  It's what you put in your body every time you sip a diet soft drink.  Most dieters turn to these drinks looking for the sweet taste without the calories.  Turns out the calories aren't the only problem after all.

In the first study, researchers compared the waist size of diet soda drinkers to non-diet soda drinkers.  Surprise surprise! They discovered that the waistlines of the diet soda group grew 70% more than the non-diet group!  That's an incredible amount of weight gain for a group of people who you could call "dieters."

The second study focused on the relationship to aspartame and diabetes.  The researchers found that a group of mice fed aspartame laced food pellets had a higher glucose levels and lower levels of insulin production than the group of mice fed only plain food pellets.  The aspartame mice were well on their way to becoming diabetic mice.

An easier way to cut out calories from soda, is to just stop drinking it.  Don't buy it.  Don't have it in the house.  Don't order it at a restaurant.  Try doing this for just one week.  Once you've kicked the soda habit, you'll be free from the toxic dangers. It may only be a coincidence that the first three letters of the phrase diet soda are "die," but why chance it?

For more information on how you can lead a healthier life, go to the Sarasota Physical Medicine website.

ARE WE BECOMING A HORDE OF PILL POPPING ZOMBIES?

Don't Be A Zombie When It Comes To Your Health!

When doctors tell patients about research that shows how bad aspartame is for you, the patients often nod their heads in agreement.  People know that artificial sweeteners are horrible for their health.  People will even say they find the research compelling and interesting.  But what do they do next?  They pop open a can of diet soda and drink themselves into a slow death. 

I recently heard a story about a woman diagnosed with breast cancer.  You would think this disease would challenge her to change her lifestyle, yet she continues to put more toxins in her body by drinking diet cola with aspartame.  It’s as if we’ve become walking zombies.  We’re all popping pills and chugging poison hoping that it’ll make us feel better, when the poison is the problem in the first place.   What will it take to get through to people who are making bad choices?  Would it make a difference if God himself parted the heavens and sent a message to his flocks about living a healthier lifestyle?  Probably not.

The problem is that for so many bad choices, the consequences are too far in the future.  Drinking soda today seems harmless, but in 5 or 10 years, you’ll pay the price for consuming that fizzy can of fake sugar.  It would be easier if everyone had an instant reaction to what's bad for them, like nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting.  That immediate feedback would tell us everything we need to know about what we’re putting into our bodies.   But instead, we choose to die a slow death, incrementally adding to the buildup of poison in our systems until something goes horribly wrong. 

We say we want the best for our kids, but so often we’re not willing to give up our junk food, sodas and fast paced way of life.   The whole time we send mixed messages:  Do what I say but not what I do.   

• We tell our kids that soda is bad for them, but we drink it ourselves right in front of them, sending the message that “its okay for me to do it, but not for you.”
• We wonder why our kids are hyperactive when we finally do let them drink sugared sodas and fake juices filled with corn syrup.  
• We feed them McDonalds because it’s faster to drive through instead of waiting in line at Subway for a sandwich with fresh vegetables on it.
• We open up a can of Chef Boyardee noodles filled with preservatives instead of cooking fresh, healthy pasta for our children.
• We reward our children’s successes with candy, cupcakes, and cookies, then wonder how they became addicted to junk food.

 It’s so much easier to complain about what’s wrong with our kids and our lives than to do something meaningful to fix it.  We blame our problems on bad genes.  We make important decisions based on what’s convenient instead of what’s healthy.  We label our children “special” and give them drugs to calm them down or wake them up.  We depend on science and technology to fix everything.  That’s how we’re turning into a horde of pill popping zombie junkies looking for some quick rush to relieve our pain.  Guess what.  The pain only goes away when you make hard choices.  Let’s stop blaming the world and look inside ourselves for the solution. 

The secret to a long healthy life isn’t a secret at all.  It’s a series of simple healthy choices.  Start making better decisions today, because you are NOT a zombie.  You have a choice.  

Go to Sarasota Physical Medicine's website for more information about a healthy lifestyle.  Or call (941) 922-9312 for an appointment.

Hurt in a Car Accident? You're More Likely to be in Pain Longer Than Other Types of Accidents

Of all the "accidents" you can have, the one that leaves you in pain for the longest is a car accident.  That's according to a new study from the university of Aberdeen School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Car Accident Victims In Pain Longer

The link between long term pain and car accidents may seem obvious since it's a physically traumatic experience, but it's a really important correlation. Often car accident victims suddenly experience pain weeks or months after the crash but they don't put the two events together.

Physical therapists see this happen all the time.  A patient has what they consider a minor accident, they don't have any immediate pain, but sometime later on their body responds to the trauma.  The time between the accident and the pain can be misleading.

The accident may be over and your auto insurance has probably covered all the costs of fixing your car, but the long term effects on your body may be just beginning.

For more information on how physical therapy can help you recover from a car accident injury, contact our office at (941) 922-9312 or you can visit the Sarasota Physical Medicine website for more information.

A Fender Bender for Your Car can be a Major Injury for Your Body

Let's say you're in a car accident.  Someone rear ends you at a stoplight.  When you look at the damage to your car's back end, it's pretty minor.  A pushed in bumper, maybe some dings and paint scrapes.  "Great news," says your insurance agent.  "That means you weren't badly hurt either!"  Wrong.

Don't assume there's a relationship between vehicle damage and bodily injury in an accident.  A car is built out of solid materials. It absorbs the energy of an impact in a different way than your body.  You may have serious head and neck injuries even though your car only shows a dented fender.  It really doesn't matter which way you hit a car.  The damage you can expect is pretty much based on physics.  But when you're sitting in the car and moving about, the position of your head, the direction of the impact, the forces on your spine all affect how badly you'll be hurt.    

Don't underestimate your injuries in a car accident.  Often people in fender benders refuse medical treatment because they feel fine in the minutes after a crash.  That feeling often goes away as the hours count down and the pain sets in.  Never ever assume that you can predict how badly you're hurt from how badly your car is damaged.

For more information on the impact of vehicle accidents on your body and how physical therapy can help you recover faster, contact Sarasota Physical Medicine or call us at (941) 922-9312.

Looking for a Simple Way to Get Into Shape? Start Walking!

How many steps does it take to start living a healthier lifestyle?  Only one step at a time.  On April 6th everyone across the US is invited to take that first step by being part of the National Start! Walking Day.  Take 30 minutes for yourself.  Get out from behind that desk, or up from that couch, and get out for your health.  Walking is one of the easiest fitness routines you can start.  It doesn't require special gear or fancy shoes.  All you need is a little bit of motivation.  Find a buddy, make a date, make yourself a promise--to get out and get walking.  Call our office at Sarasota Physical Medicine (922-9312) if you need a pep talk or some moral support.  We want to help you live a longer healthier life, one step at a time!

Why You Should Worry More About Everyday Exposure to Radiation and Less About Japan's Nuclear Crisis. & Iodine.

How Iodine Protects from Radiation

Recent non-stop news of the Japanese nuclear accident can cause even the most sensible people to react irrationally when it comes to their health.  Worries about nuclear fallout and radiation poisoning make most of us think "what would we do if it happened here?"  Well guess what.  You're exposed to radiation every day.  Here's what you should know about it. 

Radiation is a naturally occurring thing.  We take in doses of radiation every day from the sun, the soil, the water we drink, the food we eat and the electronics we use.  In most cases, our bodies process and handle these low doses pretty well, but the one area of our body most susceptible to radiation is the thyroid.  This gland can be more susceptible to cancers because of how it regulates metabolic rates.  Exposure to high levels of radiation causes this glad to go haywire.  But there's a natural supplement that can help:  Iodine.

Your thyroid needs natural iodine to create hormones. When you're exposed to high levels of radioactive iodine, that's when you have a problem.  One treatment is to supplement your body with stable, non-radioactive iodine.  When your thyroid has high levels of this good iodine, it doesn't store any of the radioactive iodine, basically letting it pass through your body.  So once again, nature provides our bodies with something to help sustain and regulate our systems and fight off harmful toxins.   In fact many doctors recommend patients take iodine supplements to keep your thyroid healthy. 

So as you watch the news reports about radiation contamination in Japan, be rational about what's really a threat to your health.  Make sensible decisions and live a life of peace with the things you do everyday. You’ll be way ahead of the people who react irrationally out of fear.

Go to the Sarasota Physical Medicine for more information and videos about how we can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.