Adjacent Segment Disease (ASD), sometimes called Accelerated Adjacent Segment Degeneration, occurs after a spinal fusion surgery. Due to the fusion of multiple vertebrae, there are bio-mechanical changes to the way the spine functions; the area that is fused loses its ability to move properly. When this occurs, the vertebrae and their joints, immediately above and below the fusion will degenerate at an accelerated rate due to an increase in stress on the joints and spinal discs. So let's back up for a minute. Common causes for spinal fusion surgery included degenerative, bulging, or herniated discs which creates stenosis of the spine and puts pressure on nerves causing nerve pain, numbness/tingling, and loss of function in the extremities. Usually, these types of disc issues are caused by excessive stress on the spinal discs and joints over a long period of time which slowly weakens the discs until they collapse. So once a spinal fusion has been done to "correct" the
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It is estimated that up to 85% of Americans will suffer from low back pain at least once in their life. Often, the problem will go away with treatments such as stretching and exercise, chiropractic care, or ice and heat. But what do you do if the problem is not going away with common treatments and the symptoms have gotten so severe that normal activities such as walking, driving, or occupational duties are nearly impossible? At this point, it is common for people to seek treatments like spinal injections, heavy doses of pain medications, or exploring the possibility of spinal surgery. Although these treatments are common, they can be invasive, have long term side effects, and do not always have great long-term outcomes because they do not address the root cause of the problem. For these reasons, people are often in search of effective options without the use of invasive procedures, drugs, or surgeries. This is where Non-surgical Spinal Decompression Therapy (often called Spinal Dec
Cell phones have basically take over our lives and as society we spend a lot of time on our phones. Research conducted by British psychologist estimate that young adults spend up to 5 hours a day on their phone. With the dramatic increase in our cell phone use, doctors are now starting to see more and more cell phone related injuries and conditions. Here are three common conditions that are caused by spending too much time on your phone. 1. Blackberry Thumb Blackberry Thumb is a repetitive stress injury that is caused by over use of the thumb when typing on your phone or playing games. (Since Blackberries are no longer made, maybe Ithumb would be a better name). The actual condition could be called a couple different names including De Quervain syndrome, Tenosynovitis, or just tendonitis of the thumb. The general symptoms include pain, swelling, or tenderness in the thumb and/or wrist. Because this is an over use injury, it usually heals on its own if you give your thumb enough tim
"The wisdom of the body is responsible for 90% of the hope of patients to recover. The body has a super wisdom that is in favor of life, rather than death. This is the power that we depend on for life. All doctors are responsible for letting their patients know of this great force working within them." - Dr. Richard Cabot, Harvard Medical School Why do our bodies heal? Why is it that when you get a cut on the arm, without giving any thought to it, it heals. Or why do you get a fever when you're sick and then your body returns to normal temperature? I remember one of the very first concepts I learned in Anatomy and Physiology was the concept of homeostasis which is defined as the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes. Basically, when something goes awry in the body, it will always try to return it back to a normal state and the symptoms that we associate with sicknes
Back pain is one of the most common reasons for a person to seek help from a doctor, but who you decide to go to first can make a huge difference in the outcome. A prospective study done on 1,885 individuals in the state of Washington found that approximately 42.7% of workers who first saw a surgeon ended up having surgery. In contrast, only 1.5% of those who saw a chiropractor ended up getting surgery. So what does this mean for patients? The first point to make about this study is chiropractic works. If chiropractic wasn't effective, the number of people receiving surgery after chiropractic care would be much higher, but as the numbers show, there is a stark contrast. The second point is less money spent. With deductibles skyrocketing many people are paying upwards to $10,000 out of pocket before their insurance coverage will start. Compare this with average cost of chiropractic care in the neighborhood of $500-$1500. That is a pretty substantial amount for a patient t
A 5–year-old male with a history of asthma for 3–1/2 years sought chiropractic care for his asthma symptoms, which included tightness of the chest, shortness of breath, nasal congestion, and nonproductive cough that were not responding to allopathic treatment. He was adjusted based on location of his subluxations (intersegmental joint dysfunction). His treatment consisted of chiropractic adjustment to the cervical and thoracic region. He observed a quick and drastic reduction in his symptoms and he has been able to reduce all of his medication over the next few months with the exception of a rescue inhaler of albuterol, which he needs only infrequently. Thomas Brozovich D.C., Chiropractic J Australia 2017; 45: 138–143
The word "detox" has become a buzz word in the area of nutrition and health, but the truth of the matter is whether you are on a “detox program” or not, your body is detoxing itself every second of everyday. Detoxification is simply the body eliminating and expelling toxins after neutralizing them. When it comes to detoxification of the body, it is important to remember that no matter what type of diet you go on or what supplement you take, the body is actually responsible for executing the detox. Can different programs or supplements help? Absolutely. I am always in favor of aiding the body by giving it what it needs to function properly, and after reading this you will have a better grasp of how your body detoxifies and what happens when you engage in a detox program. So what are these toxins, and where do they come from? To put it simply, a toxin is a poison. It can come from outside the body or be produced by different mechanisms within the body. Toxins can have det
The whole spectrum of healthcare is changing, and one thing that seems to be evident is more people are having to pay more money out of their own pockets for their healthcare. This means finding effective and affordable options are a must. As a Chiropractor, I am obviously biased that people should be incorporating regular chiropractic care into their lives. Although I definitely could, I am not going to go on and on about how amazing Chiropractic is, or tell of the many patients I've seen over come all sorts of different health obstacles. Instead, I would like to show you how Chiropractic actually puts money and time back in your hands. Here are fifteen research articles that show Chiropractic is effective and cost saving when it comes to spine related issues. Studies that show the cost benefit of utilizing Chiropractic Total treatment costs for back-related injuries averaged $775.30 per case when treated by a chiropractor; $1,665.43 when injured workers received
Over the past couple years, I have seen posts on social media mocking people who avoid gluten even though they do not have Celiac Disease, claiming that these people are basically idiots because there is ZERO scientific evidence that people should avoid gluten unless they have Celiac Disease. It really frustrates me because I personally know many people, including family members, who suffer from what is known as Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS). Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity is when people who do not have Celiac disease or a wheat allergy, experience gastrointestinal issues or non-gastrointestinal issues (like headaches) or both, after ingesting gluten containing food. As more research is done on NCGS, the data strongly suggests that it is indeed its own disease/condition. Although there are many studies that have been published about NCGS, I thought I would share a literature review that I found quite compelling. The review is based on international literature that was fo
Over the past couple years, there have been more and more studies linking antibiotic use in babies and children to serious health issues later on in life. Research is showing us that children who take antibiotics early in life, have an increased chance of having serious health issues such as obesity, eczema, food allergies, arthritis, irritable bowel, and cardiovascular disease. In our gut, there are more bacteria cells than there are cells in our entire body. This is often referred to as our gut fora or microbiome. How these bacteria impact the way our body functions and our health has really come to light over the past decade as more and more studies have revealed that a proper balance of good bacteria in our guts play a huge role in how our brain functions, immune strength, metabolism, heart function, and hormone balance. When an antibiotic is taken, it does what it is designed to do, which is to kill bacteria in the body. The problem is along with bad bacteria, it kills good ba
Back pain has become an epidemic in the United States with Americans spending around 240 BILLION dollars each year on medical cost related to their back pain. There are many factors that can lead to back pain, but the leading culprit is often lifestyle. Here are five easy ways to dramatically increase the health and longevity of your spine. 1. Wallets and purses have to go! Okay, so maybe you don’t have to throw them all away, but carrying around a wallet or purse incorrectly could be wreaking havoc on your spine. If you sit at your desk all day long with a wallet in your back pocket, you are basically placing a wedge under your pelvis. Even though it may not seem like much, even the thinnest wallet in a back pocket can lead to an imbalanced pelvis. Since the pelvis is the foundation the spine sits on, it can lead to major problems down the road if it is sat on day after day for year after year. It will slowly place excessive stress in the muscle tissues and joints creating inflamma
What makes us fat? Well, contrary to popular belief it's not as simple as too many calories. In fact, there are many factors that can cause us to gain weight, and one of the major factors is the hormonal and physiological affect certain foods and substances create when they enter our bodies regardless of calorie content. Do they cause a spike in insulin? Do they alter thyroid function? Do they alter gene expression? Do they create a stress response? Do they make you feel lethargic? There are even certain substances, when ingested that actually cause disruption in hormonal processes and metabolism. So what is a hormone? Well, a hormone is simply a compound that is released into the blood that is designed to interact with another organ, tissue, or cell; organs that secrete hormones are called endocrine glands. Some examples of endocrine glands in the body are the hypothalamus that helps to create the brain body connection, the thyroid gland that helps to regulate metabolism