The Unstable Pelvis

Posted March 26, 2010 by drlamar
Categories: adjustment, chronic
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[originally published in KCN, April 2010]

Every chiropractor who has been in practice for some time has had a population of patients that did not respond as he would have expected.  Oh sure, many of them got relief from the chiropractic care provided, but it only lasted for a few hours — a day, tops.  And mind you, we’re not talking about the first few visits, but, rather, a well-established pattern.  Or the patient did well with the adjustments, only to have the back misalign again from a trivial event.  It’s been my experience that not every patient falls into the typical “restore-motion-to-stuck-spinal-joint-and-watch-patient-get-better” category.  Sometimes we chiropractors need to acknowledge that not every case of mechanical back pain is due to spinal joints being” stuck” or “locked” — instead, sometimes it’s just the opposite: the joints are too loose.

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Do You Believe in Chiropractic?

Posted March 19, 2010 by drlamar
Categories: chiropractic 101, germs, healthy living
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[originally published in KCN, August 2001 / cartoon provided by TomLamarCartoon.com]

Do you believe in chiropractic?

I don’t.

Oftentimes I’ll encounter a new patient who will cut me short of my explanation on chiropractic by interjecting, “Don’t worry Doc.  No need to explain.  I believe in chiropractic.”

Believe in chiropractic? The idea of having to believe in chiropractic just doesn’t sit right with me.  Nobody ever talks about believing in medicine.  Chiropractic is not a belief system that you have to subscribe to or take stock in for it to work, nor is it akin to the rank and file of the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, or Leprechaun.  No, chiropractic works just fine on its own, ruby slippers or not.  I don’t believe in chiropractic, I know in it.

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How ‘bout that weather?

Posted March 12, 2010 by drlamar
Categories: adjustment, arthritis, chronic, subluxation
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[originally published in KCN, October 2001]

One thing I’ve come to learn about Northwest weather is that it definitely is not predictable.  And turning to the T.V. weathermen for guidance is, well, not predictable.  But for some, tracking the weather patterns can be quite predictable.  As a matter of fact it comes naturally, whether they like it or not.  No Hi-Tech weather equipment.  No degree in meteorology.  Just one or more arthritic joints is all that is needed for the perfect weather station.

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Hiccups

Posted March 5, 2010 by drlamar
Categories: adjustment, subluxation
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[originally published in KCN, July 2001]

Hiccups.  Who hasn’t had them?  And who hasn’t heard of at least a dozen ways to cure them?  Perhaps you are accustomed to the popular home remedies of sudden fright, holding the breath, breathing into a paper bag, inducing sneezing with pepper, or drinking water with baking soda from the wrong side of the cup while the ears are covered tightly.  Or if you are well versed in the various medical treatments available, you’ll know that amongst the accepted procedures there are an assortment of medications, the inhalation of ether through the nose, the popular digital rectal massage, tongue traction, uvula stroking, and surgical excision of the phrenic nerve (which isn’t always a wise idea as this procedure literally paralyzes the diaphragm).   Well, I’ve got a new one to add to your list, and it’s one that a New York woman will be forever grateful for:  chiropractic.

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Torticollis

Posted February 26, 2010 by drlamar
Categories: adjustment, children, infants, neck pain, subluxation, whiplash
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Spinal Column Radio Torticollis Podcast[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. Read the rest of this post »

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10% Dead

Posted February 19, 2010 by drlamar
Categories: chiropractic 101, chronic, healthy living, maintenance care, subluxation, whole body health
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[originally published in KCN, May 2001]

Ten percent dead?  What?  Now before you stop reading, hear me out.  It’s interesting if you stop to think about it:  dead or alive.  Pretty much an all or none proposition.  Right?  Well, maybe not.  What about instead of being completely alive, you were partially dead?  What would that feel like?  What might some of your symptoms be? While we all can understand the concept of being alive, and  all have a firm grasp on the concept of being dead, the notion of  being somewhere in between might be a new one for us.

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Oh What a Headache it’s Been!

Posted February 12, 2010 by drlamar
Categories: chiropractic history, headache, TomLamarCartoon
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[originally published in KCN, May 2001 / cartoon provided by TomLamarCartoon.com]

Did you know that chiropractic can be extremely effective at treating headaches?  Not a lot of people do, and from the looks of things, that’s just fine with some.  However, a much anticipated headache evidence report released by Duke University earlier this year might help to reverse this troubling trend.  Ironically though, with the events that led up to this point, I don’t think we as a chiropractic profession were expecting to contend with a headache of our own.

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A Letter to My Competitor…

Posted February 5, 2010 by drlamar
Categories: chiropractic 101, myths
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[originally published in KCN, April 2001]

Ever wonder who my biggest competitor is?  No, it’s not the chiropractor across town or the ones in our neighboring cities.  And it’s not even the medical doctor next door or the physical therapist across the way.  No, my biggest competitor is you!  Well, not you personally, but the chiropractic “baggage,” if you will, that you have managed to stuff in your cranium.  We all have a lifetime of attitudes, perceptions, and opinions about our health and how we must take care of ourselves, and unless we have resided on some tropical island for most of our lives, we probably have a pretty attractive set of chiropractic “luggage” stored between our ears as well.  The question you need to ask yourself, is who helped you pack your bags?

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