[originally published in KCN, January 2001]
Ever wonder what’s in my medicine cabinet? One LARGE bottle.
It’s something I know that the pharmaceutical companies would love to capture and call their own. Let me share the label with you…. (more…)
Posted tagged ‘lower back pain’
The New Wonder Drug
December 4, 2009Up in Smoke
August 21, 2009[originally published in KCN, March 2000]
I wonder what Joe Camel’s spinal X-rays look like. Not very pretty in my estimation. In fact, I’m even starting to question whether he really is a camel after researching the impact cigarettes can have on the spine. Perhaps under his cool camel persona lies a spinal deformed horse with a bad nose job. If so, kudos to the ladies and gentlemen in Joe’s marketing department for fooling us all for so long.
So what’s up with smoking and spinal health anyway? Is there a link? Will the courts order tobacco companies to provide lifetime chiropractic care for their puffing patrons? Probably not. After all, the bad habit hasn’t been “conclusively” linked to poor spinal health. Hmmm. Nevertheless, the physiology of the spine and pharmacology of the potent chemicals in cigarettes suggests that a connection is very plausible. (more…)
Cost-Effective Strategies When Your Employee is on L and I
August 1, 2009[originally published in GKCCC Newsletter, May 2009, and then in KCN, August 2009]
Ironically, the biggest driver of costs associated with work injury claims often is not the actual health care rendered to the injured worker, but rather the amount of time-loss wages paid to the worker themselves. And, for us employers, this usually translates to the ever-dreaded premium hike. So what’s a cash-strapped employer to do when one of his workers is stricken with a debilitating work injury?
(more…)
Back Attack on a Plate
July 17, 2009[originally published in KCN, September 1999]
When I was in elementary school, I remember a poster that hung on the back wall of the school cafeteria. It read “You Are What You Eat.” A simple, but wise, phrase, and one that I’ve come to appreciate with the passing years. However, despite my chiropractic education, and the nutritional courses within it, the idea of sitting down to a nice, piping hot plate of back pain has never crossed my mind. Well, according to the research in Dr. Neal Barnard’s book Foods That Fight Pain, the idea might not be as far-fetched as it sounds. (more…)
Back Belts: My Two Cents
July 10, 2009[originally published in KCN, November 1999]
Every time I visit one of those “warehouse super-mega stores” I cringe when I see the employees outfitted with back belts as part of their official garb. Not because I’m judging it as some sort of fashion faux pas, but because I know the employer’s purpose of wanting to keep their work comp claims to a minimum, by preventing lower back injuries with these belts, is unfounded. As a matter of fact, these well meaning employers might actually be doing their employees’ backs more harm than good. (more…)
Backpack Safety
June 19, 2009[originally published in KCN, September 1999]
As we approach the beginning of yet another school year, I’m reminded of a growing concern that is circulating throughout our health care community. The concern I’m speaking of is that we are simply putting too much weight on our children’s shoulders. And while those in the various mental health professions would certainly support this statement, I’m looking at this problem more literally. The “weight “ I’m referring to is physical, and it comes from the overstuffed backpacks that our children lug to and from school everyday. Our children are becoming virtual pack mules, if you will, placing undue stress on their developing spines and thus giving birth to a whole host of future, and sometimes immediate, spinal and muscle related problems, including the obvious — back pain. (more…)
On-the-Job Back Injuries and Chronic Disability
May 29, 2009[originally published in KCN, June 2009]
While it goes without saying that no employer relishes the thought of having one of his employees on L&I due to a work injury, having that same work injury blossom into a long-term, chronic disability is enough to make any boss lose his lunch.
And while most work injuries do not turn into chronic disabilities, that fact is, some do. As employers (or employees for that matter), is there any way we can see this coming? Are there any risk factors to watch for, and if so, are there ways we can reduce these risks?
The “Psychotic Nerve”
May 15, 2009
[originally published in KCN, May 1999]
No, you won’t find this in any anatomy book, and the treatment of mentally deranged nerves was never brought up during my years in chiropractic college. However, ask anyone who has had the unfortunate displeasure of suffering from the intense leg pain that this “nerve” generates, and they will emphatically stand by this tongue-and-cheek, layman’s designation. (more…)
SpinalColumnBlog 