[originally published in KCN, May 2011]
In the 1950’s the islanders of Borneo, specifically the Dayak people, were stricken with a major malaria problem. Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is mostly part of Indonesia. In their efforts to help, the World Health Organization came up with a solution that was simple, straightforward, and, in hindsight, stupid: (more…)
Just as the dip stick tells us when it's time to add oil, so too the spinal check tells us when its time to adjust. Of course, in both cases we always have the option of forgoing these proactive checks and waiting for breakdown!
[originally published in KCN, February 2011]
If you are waiting for pain to dictate how often you should see your chiropractor —or whether or not to see one in the first place — you’re waiting too long. Because without a spinal check from a chiropractor, you simply don’t know if your spine needs to be adjusted — as there is no reliable way to truly know. Spinal misalignments often crop up and cause little to no pain. And while this might not seem like a big deal, it is when you realize that these off-kilter vertebrae are slowly sapping the health of the body by robbing its effectiveness to function correctly. (more…)
[originally published in KCN, June 2010]
There I sat in the dental waiting room, flipping through a magazine as my toe kept time to the Muzak. Suddenly, the young dentist poked his head out from behind the door and called my name. He looked worried. And to tell you the truth, I began to feel the same way — because I wasn’t there to be seen. It was my wife’s turn in the chair, and I was only waiting.
[originally published in KCN, March 2010]
Torticollis. While it might sound like a strange Italian dish, it’s not. Imagine waking up one morning with your ear pressed to your shoulder as if cradling a telephone receiver. The only problem is, there is no telephone to be found — only an unrelenting, painful neck spasm with absolutely no ability to bring your head back to any semblance of socially accepted posture. Most would agree, it’s a pretty disturbing situation to find yourself in. Thankfully, in most cases, the “fix” for torticollis can be as simple as a visit to your local chiropractor. (more…)
[originally published in KCN, December 2009]
Ever so often I will spot someone wearing a brace around their neck. To be clear, I’m not talking about the rigid neck braces that EMT’s and paramedics employ to stabilize a suspected neck injury when they arrive on an accident scene. I’m talking about the soft, usually white, neck-supporting collars that are worn by people who are suffering from neck pain. These devices are often prescribed by well-meaning doctors, or are purchased by patients themselves at local pharmacies as a form of self-care for neckache. And while they look official, the irony is that they don’t do a bit of good. In fact, according to most research, they actually do more harm than good!
Listen to Interview with the “Bear Chiropractor!”
[originally published in KCN, September 2000]
Now I’ve heard that neck pain can be a bear —but can a bear have neck pain? Apparently so. Just ask Fred. Fred, by the way, is a long-time resident of Montana’s Grizzly Discovery Center — that’s right, Fred is a grizzly bear.
Dr. Gale Ford, veterinarian and executive director of the center, told Dynamic Chiropractic (one of our popular trade publications) that Fred’s neck was most likely injured rough housing with one or more of his playmates. Much to Fred’s frustration, Dr. Ford’s initial treatment, which consisted mainly of antibiotics, offered no relief for his aching neck. Not giving up on her 700 pound, hairy patient, Dr. Ford did what she considered to be the next “logical” step — she called a chiropractor.
(more…)
[originally published in KCN, May 2000]
Back in the “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” days people suffering from neck pain following train accidents would likely have been diagnosed, or “labeled” I should say, with the downgrading term “railway spine.” You see, railway spine was a condition that garnered a lot of suspicion, as the genuineness of the suffering patients exhibited was questionable to some. Unlike other possible aches and pains a person of this era may have experienced, like falling off his horse, this condition was different, in that it involved a liable party — the railroad company — putting the patient in a position of gaining some extra gold nuggets for his pouch.
Fast forward to Y2K. Ironically, not a lot has changed — except we don’t use gold as common currency, and the term railway spine no longer exists. It was retired a long time ago — upgraded to a term most of us are more familiar with: “whiplash.” Perhaps this change in verbiage was prompted by the fact that automobiles have replaced trains as our primary method of transportation. With 6 million injuries per year due to automobile accidents — 50% resulting in whiplash-type injuries — it is a rare day when a patient walks into the doctor’s office with whiplash following an Amtrak incident. (more…)
[originally published in KCN, February 2009]
It’s not uncommon — when I query someone who has come to my office, if they have any neck pain, headaches, or lower back pain —for them to say, “Yes but….”
“Yes, but… my neck pain is because I have a bad pillow.”
“Yes, but… my headaches are brought on by stress.”
“Yes, but… my lower back pain is because I drive a lot.”
And my response is, “That may be so, but….” (more…)
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