Leading Cause of Death in the USA and a SOLUTION

Today a patient asked me, “So Doc…what’s the biggest health killer in the US now?”

The CDC STATS:

1. Heart disease: 599,413
2. Cancer: 567,628
3. Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 137,353
4. Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 128,842

 According to Dr. Ray Strand, “The medical literature has shown us that over 100,000 deaths annually are due to properly prescribed and properly administered prescription drugs. When you combine these numbers with the 80,000 deaths due to improperly prescribed or administered medicines, you have a total of 180,000 deaths each and every year due to adverse drug reactions.”

It is therefore easily seen that PRESCRIBED/IMPROPERLY PRESCRIBED DRUGS is the third cause of death in the US, totaling 180,000 people.

The end of the answer - the beginning of the solution:

In his article, Frank M. Painter, D.C. states:  “Careful analysis will demonstrate that the leading killers are all lifestyle–related, and are preventable. Chronic diseases comprise the three leading causes of death in the United States –– heart disease, cancer, and cerebrovascular disease –– and they account for nearly two thirds of all deaths. Multiple behavioral risk factors such as smoking, poor diet, and lack of exercise often become habitual during youth or early adulthood, and contribute to the development of these chronic diseases over long periods of time.”

In an article written by WebMD, titled, "Are Americans Exercising Less?" they state: 

"The Percentage of Americans Getting Regular Exercise Declines, Survey Finds."

"In addition to the 49.6% of Americans who reported that they exercised for at least 30 minutes three days per week, 18.5% said they exercised one or two days per week, and 31.3% reported they did not exercise on any day in the given week."  "The percentage of Americans saying they exercised for at least 30 minutes at least one day per week decreased from an average of 69.1% in 2008 to 68.1% in 2009."

 

Another survey shows exercise is even LESS according to STATISTIC BRAIN.  However, most recently, exercise in the American population shows an increase in 2010 according to GallupWellbeing, which I am encouraged by.

As a chiropractor, however, I tell my patients, that the most unspoken, PREVENTABLE option of daily lifestyle left out is “Postural Improvement”. 
Kenneth O. Logan B.S.,D.C.

Yes, in the past 34 years of practice, posture is behind most every pain and problem that comes through my door. I believe it is because of the increases in computer usage, improper ergonomics of the workstations at work and at home, long texting on the cellular phone (particularly in the developmental stages of the children from 15-25 years of age), computer gaming, lack of exercise and stretching in reverse extension on a balance ball.  Of course, the chiropractic treatment of just PAIN instead of the "Peak Performance" or "Spinal Hygiene". 

The lack of regular chiropractic care is a BIG FACTOR, because we only care for about ten percent of the population.

Let us get down to the "Nitty-Gritty", of this claim.

The most common postural problem is the forward translation of the head.  This results in an increase of the normal kyphosis in the thoracic spine. As illustrated below, it is easily seen that this increase decreases the lung capacity and strains the respiratory system to do proper function leading to chronic inflammatory problems within the lung tissues. 

 This is a lateral x-ray view of the cervical (neck) spine, notice that the chin is lower because the muscles of the neck can't support the head which can cause headaches from the back of the head to the front of the head.

According to Kapandji (Physiology of the Joints, Volume III), for every inch your head moves forwards, it gains 10 pounds in weight, as far as the muscles in your upper back and neck are concerned, because they have to work that much harder to keep the head (chin) from dropping onto your chest.   This also forces the suboccipital muscles (they raise the chin) to remain in constant contraction, putting pressure on the 3 Suboccipital nerves.   This nerve compression may cause headaches at the base of the skull. Pressure on the suboccipital nerves can also mimic sinus (frontal) headaches. 

 

Thanks to AZFamily.com and Erik Dalton, Ph.D. for the use of these pictures!

 

To make matters worse, the lung cavity is pressing around the heart... causing more pressure and strain to the cardiac muscle.  This leads to increased blood pressure to accommodate for the reduced tidal air volume in the lungs and blood oxygen levels needed to support normal muscle activity.

A chest X-ray is a picture of your heart, lungs, and chest bones that's made by using a very small amount radiation. Chest X-rays can be used to look for heart and lung abnormalities. In this image, the bulge seen on the right side is an enlarged left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber.

Rene Cailliet M.D., famous medical author and former director of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Southern California states:

“Head in forward posture can add up to thirty pounds of abnormal leverage on the cervical spine. This can pull the entire spine out of alignment. Forward head posture (FHP) may result in the loss of 30% of vital lung capacity. These breath-related effects are primarily due to the loss of the cervical lordosis, which blocks the action of the hyoid muscles, especially the inferior hyoid responsible for helping lift the first rib during inhalation.”

Frank M. Painter, D.C.  further states:  "Persistent forward head posture (a.k.a “hyperkyphotic posture”) puts compressive loads upon the upper thoracic vertebra, and is also associated with the development of Upper Thoracic Hump, which can devolve into Dowager Hump when the vertebra develop compression fractures (anterior wedging).   A recent study found this hyperkyphotic posture was associated with a 1.44 greater rate of mortality"

This is how they teach this Swiss Ball Back Extension Exercise:

This exercise is for strengthening the back.

HOWEVER…THIS IS NOT WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT.

We don't want to strengthen the forward translation now, do we?

That would be the third stage of correction. 

Second stage of correction is the production of new tissues to remodel the kyphotic spine. 

What is needed is spinal "Remodeling" or reversing the forward translation of the head and resulting abnormally increased kyphosis of the middle back.
 
 I teach my patients how to sit on the ball and roll down in the horizontal position, so the ball is in the center of the back and stretching backwards with the arms stretched straight out from the shoulders. If this is not possible to do, then placing the ball in the corner of a room and extending backwards over the ball backwards reaching towards the wall with the legs spread shoulder width apart, is a good starter point.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CHIROPRACTIC CARE during this remodeling procedure: 

By the time this is measurable, there is usually pain, stiffness and other associated problems that the patient presents themselves with when they come in for evaluation.  I CONTINUALLY state to my patients that chiropractors don't put vertebrae in "Place", they gently RELEASE  them to "Motion". This is called, "finding the subluxation in the spine and correcting it". A subluxation is where the vertebra is out of alignment with the segment above it, below it or BOTH causing pressure to the nerve root, spinal cord and surrounding supportive muscles and ligaments. This process usually causes damage to tissues, compression and contraction to these muscles and ligaments reducing the motion necessary for the spine to move normally.

While you can do the above stretches to try to not get worse, without movement and balance in the spine, extremities and associated structures you will only get so far before a plateau is reached. Or worse, AGGRAVATE THE THORACIC KYPHOSIS AND NECK MUSCLES.

Correction of balance and motion usually takes 6-8 weeks of chiropractic adjustments for new tissue production, and 4-6 months for strengthening to occur. 

So, how long have YOU been suffering with or diagnosed with these problems...years, maybe decades? If there was an AFFORDABLE and EFFECTIVE WAY to change your condition in 6 months to a year, would you be willing to try?  The answer lies within you.  My patients are glad they came in to me for a solution to their problem, not just the management of the pain associated WITH the problem.  Check out our Facebook page where patients are commenting on how happy and satisfied they are with the care we provide.  LOGAN CHIROPRACTIC LIFE CENTER OF MARIETTA, GA USA

Yours in Life and Health,

drken 

So, Doc... what is that popping and cracking, when I get adjusted?  Answer:

When the swollen or "stuck" joint gets released, it causes cavitation.  This is the gas released when you experience the popping sound. The fluid contains the gases oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. When you pop or crack a joint, you stretch the joint capsule. Gas is rapidly released, which forms bubbles. Here is a detailed but easy explanation of the joint capsule. When the joint is extended (opened up) gently or gapped,  the gas is released and you hear a distinctive popping sound. This process of release is much the same as opening a bottle of wine, or champagne...and the after effects of the adjustment, are just as pleasant. 

Most people who have had a joint stuck know what this feels like and how it causes the surrounding muscles to contract in protection therefore not be able to move very well with a stiff feeling. Following an adjustment there is relief. Of course how immediate the relief is depends on how acute or inflamed the joint is, and how long the subluxation has been aggravating the joint.


 Pop, crack, and rice-krispies (for the children) are all words I like to have the patient substitute with the actual experience of a "RELEASE" when they are explaining their adjustment to someone who has never been adjusted.  Think about it. If I drop a coffee cup and it CRACKS into pieces it's not very pleasant.  If I CRACK an egg open, I can't put it back like it was. If I POP a balloon it's finished. If I CRACK a stick or board in half, it can't be restored.  But, how about if I RELEASE you from jail.  Or RELEASE you from behind a locked door?  Or RELEASE you from harm's way.  That would be good wouldn't it?

I have, in the past 34 years of practice had people time and time again wait months before they could get up enough courage to have a chiropractic adjustment on their neck or back, for fear that the "cracking" would be unbearable.  It was because their referring friend explained their experience of getting their back "cracked" and how much better they felt and how quick the relief was.

So, I am Mr. Word Police in the clinic when they say or make reference to "crack" or "popping" from the adjustment.  What they really are feeling is the IMMEDIATE relief from the "RELEASE" of the immobile joint causing discomfort.

It's just as simple as that!

Yours in Life and Health,

drken

A patient asked me today,  
"I refer people to you, but they don't call you to go in."

 

ANSWER:

 

1. THE PATIENT DOESN'T THINK IT IS SAFE OR EFFECTIVE:
I tell them to ask themselves why most professional athletics go to the chiropractor for "Peak Performance", not pain. They know that their game is enhanced when their body is balanced and has no interference to the function. Besides, if they are benched for too long they know they are off the team and loose their amazing salary.  Madonna goes to the chiropractor, has bodyguards to protect her and a team of people making sure she is safe.  The Prince Charles gets adjusted and supports the  Chiropractic Colleges there, and has an entire entourage keeping him safe.  Barbara Streisand has a chiropractic room in her mansion and a personal chiropractor comes regularly to keep her "tuned" up. She also has a team of professionals that keep her safe.  The Olympics has a team of chiropractors on had to support the needs of the participants.  Recently the Super-Bowl had a team of chiropractors on had for the needs of the football players.  THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN IF CHIROPRACTORS WERE NOT SAFE!

2.  THE PATIENT DOESN'T THINK IT WILL HELP THEM:
Prospective new chiropractic patients think that it won't work for them, based on their lack of knowledge, things they've heard from other people, and fear.  Like, "My aunt Susie's grandmothers brother went one time and felt worse after his adjustment".  Like, going to the gym won't make you sore after the first few workouts that CHANGE the muscles and ligaments from ill use.  It's called DOMS. Delayed Onset Muscle Syndrome, very common when you first start to exercise. Or, after you pull weeds and cut the grass and rake on a Saturday afternoon and you're sore as HE-double-hockey-sticks over the next few days. I blame the chiropractor for not warning the patient that he has to change the structure to start the healing process, and assure them that it is a gentle procedure...then MAKE IT SO.

3. THE PATIENT THINKS THAT ONCE YOU START, YOU HAVE TO GO FOREVER:
This is probably the biggest misconception of them all.  There are three stages to tissue healing. The first stage is to reduce the inflammation by gently decompressing the areas that are "stuck". this takes one-two weeks.  The second stage the production of new tissue to replaced the damaged and inflamed tissues, and that takes six-eight weeks. (think about it...how long is a person in a cast after they've broken a bone?)  The third stage is the strengthening of that new tissue and that takes two-four months.  However our GOAL is to educate the new chiropractic "client" to have a "wellness regime" which is smart and effective and we hope that they see the inherent need to get checked on a regular basis which I call "Spinal Hygiene". Of course, good nutrition, rest, meditation/relaxation and exercise is part of that ongoing package.

4. THE PATIENT THINKS IT WILL COST TOO MUCH:

IT DOESN'T....it pays!  Remember, it is much easier to keep a body HEALTHY and functioning properly than to get a SICK AND DISEASED body well and maintain health!

 Our clinic has family plans, monthly plans, prepay plans and we offer a buyers group called PCD (Preferred Chiropractic Doctor) which allows for SUBSTANTIAL reduction in the fees associated with the patients care.

So why does the patient need to see a chiropractor during this time? Think of it logically. If you have pain, you have tissue damage.  If you have tissue damage you have an inherent loss of strength and stamina to hold the adjustment (that zone of flexibility the vertebra must have to move and function properly).

This is where physical therapy misses it.  They jump right to the strengthening phase and skip the tissue production phase. So, in effect they are strengthening the problem. And while that causes temporary pain relief, the patient has lost the opportunity to replace damaged contracted tissue with healthier LONG STRETCH TISSUE FIBERS.  Research has proven that physical therapy and chiropractic are equally effective in the first thirty days, however the chiropractic patient that continues on with periodic care and ongoing spinal hygiene has better more lasting resolve in their problems

The chiropractor locates the subluxation in the vertebral column, restores the motion, takes the pressure of the nerve roots and aids the patient in producing new stretch tissues by specific movements that retrain the tissues.  The genetics of how the brain produces a specific tissue is initiated by the language of movement that the brain must produce to support the new action in the damaged area.

And THAT....is another topic that I will expand on soon.

Be well, think great thoughts and smile at yourself after you brush your teeth every morning. LOL

drken

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Misconceptions Concerning Modern Chiropractic Care

 

This article is an explanation of the misconceptions concerning the nature of chiropractic, and how it is represented. As a practicing chiropractor for 34 years, I have seen many changes in our profession, some good and some not so good. In the past 15 years, however, the predominant shift I have observed is the growing lack of emphasis placed on the proactive wellness and peak performance aspects of chiropractic “health” care, and the preeminence given to the treatment of symptoms.

Let me first explain briefly the tenets of the practice of medicine. By nature, it is the practice of ascertaining the chemistry of the patient’s body, and then adding chemistry in the form of (mostly synthetic) pharmaceutical drugs to try to help the body stabilize. In a state of extreme emergency, I am in agreement with this practice because it does save lives. However, case studies have proven that hundreds of thousands of people in the United States alone are “correctly” diagnosed and yet die from the treatment, while many more are mis-diagnosed and meet the same end. This result is understandable, because the practice of medicine is by and large “evidence based,” meaning a symptom must be identified before treatment can be administered. 

Medical doctors have long argued that chiropractic “wellness,” or the adjustment of the human frame even when it exhibits no symptoms, is not scientifically based. However, this view is changing. Chiropractors have been employed for decades during the Olympics, and, more recently, at events like the Superbowl. While it is true that injuries do occur during these competitions, most of the athletes will admit they like to get checked while they are playing as a preventative measure to maintain peak performance. Life University in Marietta, Georgia is conducting ongoing research to determine this very thing. Primarily, do regular chiropractic adjustments to the spinal column and extremities contribute significantly to peak performance in athletes, in contrast to the prevalent practice of seeing the chiropractor only to treat symptoms  for the removal of joint and muscle pain.

Chiropractic care is now accepted as equally effective for neck and back pain as the leading painkillers. But while this is a milestone, it does not get to the heart of chiropractic. The basis of painkillers is mostly to change the perception of pain by the brain. Painkillers are not a solution to the “cause” of the pain. Pain means damage to tissues, which by definition means that the associated tissues have lost their strength and stamina and have usually become contracted in defense. The human spine is made up of five layers of muscles and nine common ligaments, all of which allow the movement and functionality of the spinal column. Electromagnetic impulses generated in the brain travel down the spinal cord, out the spinal nerve roots, and down the peripheral nerve to their final destination. Pressure at the nerve root can cause the impulse to travel more slowly or quickly, changing both the signals being sent to the body part, and the signals being sent back to the brain.

Without interference to these impulses, the body is able to regulate homeostasis and balance, which leads to the regeneration of damaged tissues. Any harm to those structures causes muscle contraction and the inevitability of loss of motion and damaged tissue. When this pressure affects the nerve it is called a subluxation of the vertebral complex.

It is the subluxation that chiropractors are trained to detect and correct. However, herein lies the misconception. Should treatment be limited only to the presentation of spinal symptomatology, or should the final emphasis be on the functionality of the spine, not just at that area of pain but globally, taking the whole frame of the body and its extremities into account?

Thirty-four years of helping patients has put me firmly in the latter camp. I call this approach spinal hygiene. We have been lectured for decades about the importance of good oral hygiene and regular professional care, as opposed to seeing the dentist only when we have tooth and gum pain. Chiropractic spinal hygiene is similar. It takes three things - regular chiropractic care, diet and exercise - to continually signal the brain to recreate tissues to sustain flexibility and movement. This is the basis of bodybuilding, and body transformation. Chiropractors locate and correct these areas of lack of motion (which causes nerve impulses to change) and return the spinal column to its supple state, restoring motion.

Do chiropractors put the vertebra back “in place,” or do they restore motion? Chiropractors restore motion. 

What is the characteristic state of the associated muscles and ligaments, which support this condition? The answer is mobility and the removal of compression and the resultant lack of mobility between segments. Therefore, maintaining strength and stamina in the associated tissues is critical. Reduction of pain, even though it is produced “naturally,” is insufficient, does not contribute to full healing, and does not produce the lasting results every patient is seeking.