[originally published in KCN, Febuary 2003]
“I really did something to my back — but I think it’s just a muscle.”
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard patients tell me this. Yes, the muscle might be spasmed and painful, but the truth is the problem is rarely just a muscle — no more than is it just a bone or just a nerve. It’s a bit more complicated. More often there are multiple factors at play.
[originally published in KCN, August 2013]
Twinkies are now back on supermarket shelves, and their new owner (who also owns Pabst Blue Ribbon beer) is banking that you’ll come flocking back to stock up on the iconic snack food. And while I’m sure the new company will reap a return on their investment, my vantage point as a chiropractor is not convinced they’ll see the return they’re hoping for.
Lately we’ve been witnessing a slow, groundswell “shift” in how our country views —and does — health, and the story of the Twinkie illustrates the point beautifully. (more…)
[originally published in KCN, April 2013]
While I’ll be the first to agree that the advent of Web 2.0 and its ensuing social media revolution is chock full of pitfalls and traps, it does have some definite advantages. One in particular is its ability to create strong communities of people united by a common interest that could never have come together otherwise, let alone meet. Such is the case with social networking platforms, such as Facebook, and the principally-grounded chiropractor. We chiropractors tend to be isolated islands, busy taking care of the people that seek us out as we proclaim an outlook on health that counters the vast sea that surrounds us. It’s easy to get beat down at times. And this is precisely how avenues such as Facebook can become a virtual life raft for practitioners like myself. This outlet has enabled me to connect with hundreds of like-mined chiropractors around the globe — allowing iron to sharpen iron, so to speak, even if it is through cyberspace.
The other day, I read a posting from California chiropractor Steve Tullius. Dr. Tullius has been on my internet radio program (SpinalColumnRadio.com) a number of times and has invested more than his fair share of blood, sweat, and tears into preserving the purity of our profession. (more…)
[originally published in KCN, October 2008]
With a headline of almost tabloid proportions — I must admit, I treaded lightly at first when I viewed the Iowa TV 9 news broadcast on YouTube.com
[originally published in KCN, May 2008]
The word “Plastic” means different things to different people. We all probably relate to the countless plastic products and materials that we have come to rely on. Everything from drinking cups to dashboards — rain gear to baby toys — traffic cones to sunglasses. Still others might reach for their wallets to show off their “plastic.” And sometimes plastic is the perfect word to describe something that is fake or artificial. But ask a scientist, engineer, or artist to define the word plastic, and you just might be in for an answer that you have never heard before. For these professional fields have definitions of plastic that revolve around a material’s ability to change in shape — much like plastic does when it is heated. Specifically however, when “plastic” is used in the biological sciences it refers to an organism’s ability to “exhibit adaptability to change or variety in the environment.”
[originally published in KCN, January 2008]
In our ever changing healthcare environment, doctors are constantly learning — so much so, that the treatments they hold fast to today, may be surpassed by another, more effective means tomorrow. To not recognize this would be like freezing a physician in a time capsule with his dated professional diploma. In an effort to stay abreast of the latest research regarding effective treatments for the myriad of conditions out there, doctors will often turn to the latest published practice guideline to assist them in their decision making process. Why am I telling you all this? Because a fresh set of guidelines just crossed my desk for Low Back Pain. And chiropractic — as it has in guidelines past — has managed to find itself a comfortable spot in this set of recommendations, even if it was written for doctors of internal medicine.
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