Buyer Beware

This past weekend news outlets around the world reported on research out of the University of Guelph that found a significant portion of herbal supplements tested either contained or didn't contain the products listed on the label.  A typical sample of these reports was published in the Vancouver Sun, "'CSI'-like DNA study finds herbal products don't always list all contents on the label."  The findings are not a surprise to me.

Patients in our office have often asked us why they can by a certain supplement at a big box store so much cheaper than for what we sell products at our office.  My answer has typically been that I know what is in the products I carry.  I do not know what is or isn't in the supplements carried at the big stores and likely no one at the big store does either.  These companies, and many smaller natural product companies, buy their ingredients from wherever they get the best price and simply put their label on it.  They do not maintain the laboratory facilities to assure quality control.  They accept the assurance of the supplier for the quality of the ingredients.  Sadly many of these suppliers lack quality control facilities as well.  It is thus common for supplements to contain toxins, contaminants, and ingredients that do not have the potency they should have.

On the other hand, I do know that by carrying the professional grade supplements we have in our office I am assured that what is on the label is in the product.  Both Metagenics and Douglas Labs maintain their own research, quality control, and manufacturing facilities.  Their products are produced to pharmacutical standards to assure there are no toxins or contaminents.  They produce many of the raw materials themselves and all ingredients are analyzed for potency.  This assures that the products consistently produce the desired biological effects in the body.

There are significant costs to establishing, staffing and maintaining the facilities necessary to assure high quality products.  Although the products sold in our office are often higher priced, patients usually get better results than when they use discount brands.  Many, many times patients will tell me they have tried a specific supplement with no positive results and then they have gotten great results when using our high quality supplements.  The end result was that the quality product was actually more cost effective because the desired results were obtained.

With supplements, as with anything else we buy, we get what we pay for.  No where is quality more important that dealing with our health.  Beware when buying supplements.  Buy quality if you want consistent results.  

Healthy Lifestyle Really is Anti-Aging

For some time now I've tried to emphasize the importance of living a healthy chiropractic lifestyle.  There are many outward benefits that can be seen in people who live such a lifestyle.  They are able to do the things in life they both need and want to do.  They are resistant to disease and injury.  They feel and look good.  But what is happening on the inside of these people?

True health occurs at the cellular level.  When a person's cells are healthy, they are overall healthy.  A person's age is determined by how well their cells are working.  Recent news reports such as this one from Businessweek, "Veggie-Heavy, Low Stress Regimen Shown to Modify Cell Aging", reveal how a healthy lifestyle improves the health of cells.  Click and read the article.  It explains in a clear, simple manner the complex changes that occur in the telomeres within individual cells when lifestyles are improved.  The improvement is significant enough to be able to label the cells as being younger.  The lead researcher is quoted as saying, “Our studies are showing that simple changes in our lifestyle have powerful impacts in ways that we can measure.” Having younger cells is truly anti-aging at its finest!

The abstract from this study is found at the The Lancet  "Increased telomerase activity and comprehensive lifestyle changes: a pilot study".


Want to live healthier and longer?  Adopt a healthy chiropractic lifestyle.  Eat nutritious food, take nutritional supplements when indicated, get regular exercise, sleep soundly, manage stress, avoid toxins, protect your mental health, and keep your spine and nervous system healthy with regular chiropractic adjustments.  The take-a-way good news is that wherever you are now you can be healthier and younger by improving your lifestyle.

You Have Both a Right and a Left

It came as a bit of a surprise to me when I found out that when practicing, pro golfers will hit a bucket of balls right handed and then a bucket left handed, or vice versa.  This should not have surprised me because from a conditioning and biomechanical stand point, it makes perfect sense.  As humans we tend to be very one handed but using one side predominately can result in a host of problems.  By hitting balls both ways the pros are trying to minimize the possibility of these problems happening and at the same time improve their overall performance.  Given that I really can't hit a golf ball decently right handed, I can only imagine the challenge hitting it left handed.

Human balance can be thought of in two ways.  The first is whether or not a person has equilibrium.  That is whether they can remain upright.  If you lose your balance you fall down.  The second type of balance is whether a person has symmetry.  That implies the body having equal strength and mobility from one side to the other or front to back.  Having equilibrium is probably the most important type of balance, but having symmetry is important to having optimal equilibrium.  The two are related and both are important aspects of health.

The type of balance the golfers are working on when hitting balls both right and left handed is symmetry.  By doing this muscles and joints on both sides of the body are utilized.  Most significantly the "core" of the body is developed in a symmetrical manner.  This is particularly important for proper spinal function.  The nervous system also benefits tremendously when activities are done both right and left handed.

As a chiropractor, I see many spinal problems that are the result of people repetitively doing things one handed or one direction only.  When muscles are more developed on one side of the body, or more on the front or back, the joints of the spine move abnormally.  This results in the development of vertebral subluxations where there is not only a loss of joint function but altered nerve conduction as well.  A whole host of health problems can result.

It's not easy to use the body symmetrically.  Most of us are very one handed and it takes real effort to use the body in a balanced way.  It is particularly important to try to be balanced with the activities we do the most.  That means looking at the way we do our work and recreational activities.  For example I had to make a conscious effort to hold my Activator Adjusting Instrument an equal amount with either hand.  I had to train myself to work from both sides of the adjusting table.  By doing this over time my left hand has become almost as strong and coordinated as my right hand.  It certainly wasn't when I started doing this years ago.  I believe that doing this has not only prevented injuries but is a factor in my overall health.

It's important to also try to achieve symmetry when exercising.  This is particularly significant when rehabilitating injuries.  Stretching and strengthening should be done on both the right and the left.  Of equal importance is balancing the front and the back of the body.  Did you know that walking on the ground provides much more symmetry than walking on a treadmill?  When walking on the ground both flexor and extensor muscles of the lower extremity are used as opposed to the treadmill where the machine does most of the extension for you and the flexor muscles develop more than the extensors.

Take a tip from the pros to improve both your performance and your health by using your body in a balanced manner.  You will have fewer injuries, recover faster, have improved coordination, and better equilibrium.  Balance is part of a healthy chiropractic lifestyle.   It's not easy, but you will be better for it.

I Have Algorithms In My Head

When I'm consulting a patient for the first time I often tell them they are just like a jigsaw puzzle and I'm trying to put the pieces together so they make sense.  All the questions my staff ask and that I ask are designed to reveal glimpses of who this person is and what their condition really is.  Each examination procedure also reveals more pieces to the puzzle.  But just having all the pieces of the jigsaw on the table doesn't show you what the whole picture is.  The pieces have to be put together.  Each piece contains clues.  In a picture puzzle this includes shape, colour and pattern.  Every interconnection reveals more of what the whole will look like.

This is not dissimilar to the way I need to evaluate a patient.  Age, sex, family history, occupation, diet, physical activity, injuries, illnesses, and many other factors need to be probed.  Depending on the answer given to a particular question, it leads to the next question that needs to be asked.  The examination is then formulated from what has been gleaned from the history and consultation.  Each positive or negative finding leads to the test that should follow.

Over the years of evaluating many, many patients, I have developed algorithms that run through my mind to help me quickly and accurately assess what is going on.  An algorithm is defined as a formula or set of steps for solving a particular problem. To be an algorithm, a set of rules must be unambiguous and have a clear stopping point.  For example you can have an algorithm for baking a cake.  It might look like this:

 

Evaluating a patient is certainly more complex than baking a cake and instead of a simple algorithm, algorithms often need to be combined to get valid results.  If a patient has just one simple complaint, say a sprained ankle, there are few steps necessary to make the diagnosis and develop an approach for rehabilitation.  Few people present with such a simple situation.  Although a person may have one complaint, perhaps low back pain, there can be many factors which lead to the condition and usually involve more than just the lower area of the spinal column.  By having a logical sequence to follow, an algorithm, clues don't get missed and the best possible conclusions can be determined.  During both the history and examination of a patient with low back pain, algorithms for evaluating the lumbar spine, pelvis, and hips will likely be combined.  The knees, feet, and even the neck may be added depending on what is revealed.  

Activator Methods, my primary chiropractic technique, is based on a series of algorithms that allows for very efficient and thorough evaluation and adjustment of the spine and extremities.  The Activator Methods basic scan for the lumbar spine looks like this:

This basic algorithm covers most low back conditions.  Should a patient present with a more complicated situation there are advanced algorithms that can be applied to evaluate the lumbar spine more thoroughly.    Following the algorithms leads to effective care of low back conditions.  There is less likelihood of missing pieces to the low back pain puzzle.

Whether I'm work with a new patient or during a routine office visit, I have algorithms constantly going through my mind.  As a result I can quick evaluate the spine and extremities for subluxations and determine the best chiropractic adjustments for a given patient.  By putting the pieces together I know where, when, and when not to adjust.  This is crucial to being an effective chiropractor. 

  

Activator Methods Upgrading

Last weekend I participated in an Activator Methods Seminar.  The technique requires that in order to maintain my Advanced Proficiency status that at least once every year I attend a seminar to assure my competency in using the procedures.  This is something I really appreciate about Activator Methods.  They assure that all the doctors who are rated to use the technique, continue to maintain their competency.  This is important for patients and also for practitioners.

During the weekend our instructor, Dr. Rebecca Fischer, walked us through relevant research and showed us how to apply it in our practices.  Something that is not always easy to do is to take research and make it practical in a clinical setting.  In the rapidly changing health care world this is very valuable.  This year's focus was on osteoarthritis.  I appreciate not only the ongoing research that Activator Methods does but how they utilize research from many, varied sources to continually refine the technique.  There are few techniques that are so diligent.

Probably more important than the research however is the time spent on practical application over the course of the weekend.  Doctors are divided into basic, intermediate and advanced classes depending on their experience using Activator Methods.  In the advanced class with Dr. Fischer that I attended we spent a great deal of time refining our ability to use the technique.  That included hands on workshops, small group case studies, and a review of both old and new advanced procedures.  Nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle issues were integrated into the presentation and workshop.  This year the emphasis was on evaluating and treating the lower extremity.   Dr. Fischer and her helpers evaluated each attendee on their competency in using the Activator analysis.  It is wonderful to have this done every year.  It's amazing how many bad habits a person develops and this seminar always helps to bring back my focus.  There are also those, "Man I totally forgot about that test!" moments.

Not insignificant is the opportunity to connect with other like minded doctors.  This is often the only occasion where I get chance to see these people, may of whom are not from Alberta.  Time is spent sharing good and bad things that happen in our practices.  There is great value in this time of informal exchange.  I come away with a great confidence in many of the doctors I want to refer to and also recognize some I don't want to send patients to.

I commend Activator Methods for maintaining a system of quality control through their annual seminar requirement.  It's good for me as a doctor and also good for my patients.  For me it is not a burden, but a privilege to maintain my proficiency with Activator Methods.

Light and Health

Here in Medicine Hat we have enjoyed an exceptionally mild winter.  The same cannot be said for many of our patients we live to the north and east of the city.   Although the calendar says it is spring looking at the thermometer and the snow on the ground this past week, we know that spring has not yet come to our part of the country.  When the sun does shine however it lifts our spirits with more than just the expectation of warmer weather to come.

Sunshine has a very positive effect on our physical bodies.  After a few cloudy days going out into the April sunshine just seems to energize a person.  The energy does more than just lift our mental spirits.  Did you know that every cell in the human body gets energy from light?  Each cell has receptors that absorb the energy from light and convert that energy into the energy which runs the cell.  So when light shines on the cells of our body, they have more energy to do what they need to do.  They grow better.  They heal better.  When individual cells function better and are healthier, the tissues that are made up of those individual cells are also more functional.  Ultimately the whole person is healthier.

While sunlight is very beneficial it is not always possible to expose tissues needing light stimulation to the sun.  For instance injured joints or an injured spine may not be practically exposed to enough sunlight to have a therapeutic effect, particularly during a Canadian winter.  The full spectrum, scattered waves of sunlight only penetrate a maximum of 1/2 inch into the body.  Most times injured tissues are much deeper.  So although sunlight has a therapeutic benefit, it is very limited.

To practically use light to stimulate healing in the body, requires the light to be focused rather than scattered and of wavelengths that can effectively penetrate deep into the body.  The most effective sources of such light are lasers.  Low level laser therapy (LLLT) has been developed specifically to stimulate the healing of the body.  It uses specific wavelengths and powers that are most effective at energizing the cells of injured tissues.  At the same time LLLT produces no heat and it does not damage any healthy tissues.  Shining laser light on injured tissues is almost like plugging the cells into a power source to get them working.  Once the cells are energized the injured tissues can quickly return to their normal function.

In our office we have found LLLT to be a very valuable adjunct to chiropractic adjustments.  It speeds the healing process significantly.  It reduces the sensitivity of irritated nerves.  It improves circulation.  It reduces inflammation.  It normalizes the function of the body's healing cells.  Chiropractic works with the natural ability of the body to heal and LLLT simple enhances the process. 

Even though going out into the sunshine can have a very positive effect on the body, when it comes to stimulating healing, laser light is far superior.   

What Makes Chiropractic Adjustments So Powerful?

A chiropractic adjustment is a very simple procedure.  The chiropractor analyzes a patient's spine for an area that has lost its proper position and motion.  Then a very quick, light thrust is applied in a specific direction to this area.  This may be done to one or several areas of the spine and the patient's spine has been adjusted.  Both the analysis and the procedure are quick and simple.

Most people visit chiropractors because of pain in the back or neck.  It's easy for them to make the connection between pain in the spine and the benefits of adjusting the spine.  But many of these people, who've come for relief of back and neck pain, find other positive things happen after receiving chiropractic adjustments.  Some examples from my practice over that past few weeks are:

• the child who is no longer constipated
• the man who no longer gets heartburn at every meal 
• the lady who now sleeps comfortably through the night
• the gentleman who no longer has constant hiccups
• the baby who nurses without vomiting everything back up
• the woman who can walk with her friends again without discomfort
• the fellow whose jaw no longer "cracks" so loudly that it annoyed his family
• the boy who no longer has chest pain and shortness of breath when he runs

There are many more examples I could list of positive, unexpected benefits patients in my office have experienced recently.  In each case, the person was analyzed for spinal problems and given simple chiropractic adjustments.

That a chiropractic adjustment can produce such a wide range of positive effects can seem amazing.  The power in the adjustment is not in the technique the chiropractor uses or even in the force that the chiropractor puts into the spine.  The power comes from what the body does with that force.  When areas of the spine have lost their proper position and motion it means that a Vertebral Subluxation is present.  Vertebral Subluxations also involve irritation of the adjacent spinal nerves.  Once the nerves are irritated, all areas of the body that depend on those particular nerves are negatively affected.  A chiropractic adjustment applied to a Vertebral Subluxation restores normal position and motion which then results normalization of the spinal nerves.  Once nerve function returns, truly amazing things can happen in the body.  The body can again function the way it was designed to.  The chiropractic adjustment can be likened to turning on a switch that gets the body working again.  Chiropractic adjustments turn the nerves on.  It's that simple.  That's why chiropractic adjustments are so powerful!