Back To Health

Why I am a Chiropractor

2011-06-27T12:08:00.001-04:00

Because I honor the inborn potential of everyone to be truly healthy. Because I desire to help the newborn, the aged, and those without hope. Because I choose to care for the patient with the dis-ease, not the disease. Because I wish to assist rather than intrude; to free rather than control. Because I seek to correct the cause, not it's effect. Because I know doctors do not heal, only the body can heal itself. Because I have been called to serve others. Because I want to make a difference. Because everyday I get to witness miracles.

Because I know it's right.

I found this on the Internet and now it is on the wall of our rehab/therapy room. I thought I would post this today because it shows what Back To Health is all about. We are here to assist the body in it's healing process. We don't want to just put a band aid on the problem and wait for the next thing to fall apart. We want to get to the root of the problem and remove any interference thus allowing the body to work as it was created to do so.

In Good Health
Dr. Tonya

In our office this week!

2011-06-21T11:42:00.001-04:00

Good things are happening in our office everyday but I would like to tell you about a specific patient that presented to our office today. A patient that had not been into the office for a couple of months because he thought he was doing alright finally re-appeared in a less than desired condition. This man that is in his 50’s and has worked hard most of his life, which means he has abused it on a daily basis, could hardly apply any pressure on his leg due to the extreme pain that SHOT from waist to foot. It took him minutes to stand from the chair in the waiting room and he hobbled down the hallway to a treatment room. He stated that the pain had started approximately two hours prior while he was crawling around in an attic working on something. He felt a pop and immediate pain. He stretched a little but completed his work thinking it would just go away. Looking back, he says that it had been getting progressively tighter in the days leading up to this event and every night before he went to bed he would tell his wife he really needed to get back into our office. As we were reviewing these events, he stated that he has almost passed out from the pain in the last 2 hours a couple of times and his wife had to drive him over. We got him on the table and adjusted him, and then put him on our Triton DTS decompression table to help open up the disc space and relieve some of the pressure on the sciatic nerve. After the completion of our visit, he was not completely out of pain, he did still hobble down the hallway but there was some significant change. We arranged for him to get back in later that evening to double check him.
This is where it gets good folks….I walked up to the front of the office later in the evening and this patient who could barely walk less than 5 hours earlier literally jumped out of the chair and did a jig. I had tears in my eyes. Chiropractic had changed this man’s life today and I got to be a part of it. This is what I LOVE about my job!

Weekend Seminar

2011-06-06T14:00:00.001-04:00

Dr. Melissa and I had the honor of attending a seminar this weekend to learn more about the Erchonia Cold Laser that we recently added to our office. These classes were taught by Dr. Jeff Spencer, who is a past Olympic cyclist, team doctor for 8 consecutive Tour De France victories, and was the 2004 ICA Chiropractor of the Year. To say the least, this guy oozes knowledge, experience, and success with some of the greatest athletes, professionals and entertainers of the world. We were so excited to learn from him, and learn we did. We have learned and become proficient at several quick testing tools to see if the cold laser is for you and if it will facilitate your healing process. The great thing is that, prior to this seminar we have been using the cold laser and having some really great results, so now that we have these tools in our belt, we expect for those responses to only get better.
So what is cold laser you ask? This is a technology that has been utilized for over 40 years to relieve pain, heal wounds, and regenerate nerves. And Erchonia, the laser that we chose for our office, is the first company to have received 6 FDA clearances and have 4 more pending. So, what does that mean to you? All the research shows, this is a completely SAFE and effective therapy that can be incorporated into your health care plan to speed up your healing process.
Cold laser works at a cellular level. Human cells produce a chemical known as ATP to run the body and heal tissue. All of our body’s activities result from the use of ATP, it is like gasoline to a car. The cold laser stimulates mitochondria to produce higher amounts of ATP, thus helping tissues heal faster.
Who can Cold laser help? Any patient that shows an imbalance can be helped by cold laser, but more specifically different conditions that we work with include: acute and chronic pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, neuropathy, sciatica, neck and back pain, sports injuries, headaches, migraines, fibromyalgia, and scar tissue.
We look forward to speaking with you about how chiropractic can help you achieve the health you are looking for and whether or not cold laser should be a part of that healing.
Live Well, Be Well…
Dr. Tonya

Welcome To Our New Office

2011-06-02T10:52:00.002-04:00

From all of us at Back To Health we would like to welcome you to our new office! We are so excited to share with you what our new office means to you, our valued patients. We have worked very hard to create an environment that is warm and inviting for our patients, their families and friends. This can be seen from our warm adjusting rooms, spacious reception area, relaxing massage wing, comfortable rehab zone and our amazing jungle themed family adjusting room, because chiropractic is not just for the old and broken!

With this new space, we have added several new technologies allowing you to receive the BEST chiropractic care. This starts with when you check in, you have the opportunity to enter your health concerns on a touch screen computer. This is a great way you can communicate with the doctors as well as input necessary information for your insurance carrier. Our Insight computer scan, is another amazing tool that we use in office. With the Insight, we can scan your spine for muscle imbalance, improper nerve communication, decreased ranges of motion, amount of pressure needed to illicit pain and heart rate variability. This information, in addition to the doctors examination and x-rays help provide a great deal of information so your doctor can get to the root of what brought you into our office. Digital x-rays have also been added to our office as a way to ensure that we will get the best quality picture of your spine, determining whether you are a chiropractic candidate or not.

In addition to the state of the art technology, we have finally been able to add several chiropractic supportive therapies. I want to stress here that the adjustment is still our major focus in this office but sometimes we need additional therapies to achieve the ultimate health goals of our patients. These therapies range from massage, decompression, cold laser, rehabilitative exercises, ultrasound and electrical muscle stimulation. We also have individual and corporate wellness programs to assist in achieving everyone personal health goals.

Stayed tuned for more information of these individual therapies and other exciting things that are going on in our office. We look forward to speaking with you soon!

Dr. Tonya

Statins Reduce Immune System Function

2010-08-23T10:02:00.001-04:00

Statins are a class of drugs that inhibit the production of cholesterol by the liver by blocking the enzyme (HMG-CoA reductase) in the liver that is responsible for making cholesterol. Cholesterol is necessary to sustain life of every cell of the body, but too much can cause plaque buildup, which leads to clots that can cause heart attack or stroke.

New medical research looked into the function of macrophages, which are important members of your immune system. Some were treated with Zocor, a statin, at a relevant dose, and others were not. Te macrophages were then exposed to a common bacterial infection. The macrophages that were treated with Zocor generated inappropriate inflammatory signals, which were traced back to the statin blocking proper protein prenylation within the macrophage.

What does this mean for you? If you take Zocor or any other statin, you may be putting your health at risk. The adverse effect on human immunity may cause more severe infections in humans or allow low-grade infections to gain a hold within the human body and wreak havoc on health.
The buildup of cholesterol can be prevented without medication simply by leading a healthy life. Smoking can damage artery walls and make it easier for plaque to build up. Poor diets that are high in fat and cholesterol can increase the amount of cholesterol in the body. Exercise can lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and fat content in the blood.

Dangers of ADHD Medication

2010-07-06T13:46:00.000-04:00

Many Children are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD if they seem to be hyperactive. Medical doctors are quick to prescribe medication such as Ritalin, which is a class III controlled substance. There are many side effects from ADD/ADHD medication, such as anxiety, chest pain, irregular heartbeat, unusual bleeding or bruising, headaches, and upset stomach. ADD medication can be deadly in some cases, as it causes small vessel damage in the heart after long term use.

Children with ADHD have a lower amount of brain wave patterns. The amounts of theta waves, brain waves that cause a “spacey” state, are higher in a child who is affected by ADHD. The brain tries to “push” itself back up to beta states, where most of our brains are throughout the day, in times of concentration. There is a constant fall and rise of theta and beta states in the child’s brain. ADHD medication keeps the brain in the beta state, which is desired, but has many side effects, such as anxiety and high blood pressure. In some cases, ADHD medications can lead to death.

Chiropractic naturally adjusts the subluxation in the spine that is causing this constant rise and fall of beta and theta states. Chiropractic has no negative side effects, unlike medication.

Ear Infections and Chiropractic

2010-06-22T16:44:00.002-04:00

Next to the common cold, ear infections are the most diagnosed childhood illness in the United States. Ear infections are caused by a virus or bacteria growing in mucus blockage of the Eustachian Tube, which connects the middle ear to the back of the throat. The Eustachian Tube equalizes air pressure and allows for drainage of mucus from the middle ear to the throat. When one has a cold or allergy affecting the nasal passages, the Eustachian tube can become blocked by mucus within the tube. The blockage allows fluid to build up within the middle ear. Bacteria or viruses that have entered the middle ear through the Eustachian tube can get trapped, breed, and lead to an ear infection.

Children develop ear infections more frequently in the first 2-4 years for several reasons:
-Their Eustachian tubes are shorter and more horizontal than those of adults, which allow bacteria and viruses to find their way into the middle ear more easily. Their tubes are also narrower and softer, which makes them more prone to blockage.
-The adenoids, gland-like structures located in the back of the upper throat near the Eustachian tubes, are large in children and can interfere with the opening of the Eustachian tubes.

It is believed that the birthing process and recurrent ear infections are linked. In the birth canal, neck vertebrae can become misaligned, disrupting nerve function, which can affect the Eustachian tube. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics indicates that there is a strong correlation between chiropractic adjustments and the resolution of ear infections. Out of 332 children with chronic ear infections that were treated with chiropractic adjustments, 80% did not develop another ear infection in the six-month period following their initial visits with an adjustment every four to six weeks.

Symptoms of ear infections:
Ear pain
Tugging of ear in younger children
Irritable cry of young children
Decrease of eating
Trouble sleeping
Drainage of fluid from ear
Fever
Nausea
Vomiting
Dizziness

The Danger With "Life-Saving" Vitamin K Shots

2010-06-14T10:55:00.006-04:00

Part of the midwife’s or doctor's to-do-list when your baby is born is an injection of Vitamin K. Vitamin K is used in order to help with blood clotting abilities. This mostly pertains to prevent the very rare incidence of bleeding in the brain (risk 1 in every 10,000 live births). This seems pretty reasonable, right? This shot prevents a deadly thing from happening, but is it really safe?

The Vitamin K that is in these shots is not natural, like the kind found in leafy greens, but is synthetic, with the generic name phytonadione. Synthetic vitamins should be avoided, as they cause imbalances in the body. For example, synthetic Vitamin A causes birth defects that natural Vitamin A prevents!

How much Vitamin K is actually in the shot? The recommended dosage for infants is 10-20 micrograms per day, but the amount of Vitamin K administered to the infants is 0.5 to 1.0 mg, the national standard mandated by most states for US hospitals is over 100 times the infant’s RDA of this nutrient. Studies have also linked large amounts of Vitamin K with childhood cancers and leukemia.

The medical sciences do not understand the metabolic fate of Vitamin K. Little to no traces of Vitamin K show in urine or bile. Since Vitamin K is fat soluble, it has the ability to accumulate in body tissues. A newborn’s liver is not fully developed until 3-4 days after birth, so the child cannot metabolize Vitamin K along with the following chemicals that are in the injection:

-Phenol (carbolic acid-derived from coal tar)
-Benzyl Alcohol (preservative)
-Propylene Glycol (better known as antifreeze)
-Acetic Acid (astringent, antimicrobial agent)
-Hydrochloric Acid
-Lecithin
-Castor Oil

Instead of injecting your children with a potentially harmful cocktail of chemicals, take a natural Vitamin K supplement and make sure to eat lots of food rich in Vitamin K, like spinach, parsley, and kale, especially before giving birth. A liquid supplement administered orally to the child consistently after birth is a great alternative, as well.

Meniere's Disease

2010-06-11T16:05:00.001-04:00

Meniere’s disease was first identified as a specific ailment back in 1891 by Prosper Meniere, a 19th century French doctor who served as chief physician at an institute for deaf-mutes. His studies there led to his specialization in diseases of the ear.
Meniere’s disease, or MD, is thought to affect one in 1,000 people, or about one-tenth of one percent of the world’s population. Both sexes are affected equally, but the white race seems to be affected more than any other. MD’s onset usually occurs between the ages of 20 and 50. Symptoms of Meniere’s disease involve abnormal sensory perceptions, such as dizziness (vertigo) and hearing loss or pressure in one ear (tinnitus).

In this particular case study of a 40-year-old female, the patient had been diagnosed with MD and had a 3-month history of vertigo, or dizziness, and a 16-month history of tinnitus in her left ear. She also showed a low frequency of hearing loss. According to the case study report, which was published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, The patient underwent a course of chiropractic [care] consisting of spinal manipulative therapy in the cervical and thoracic spine, soft-tissue trigger-point therapy, home ice therapy (as needed), and cervical spine rehabilitation exercises. The patient’s initial course of chiropractic care consisted of three visits per week for two weeks. After just two weeks, her tinnitus was resolved and her vertigo was much improved.

The patient continued with chiropractic care on a less frequent maintenance program, and her MD continued to remain under control. This case study represents a very preliminary level of findings, and much more research is needed, but the results should offer some encouragement for people suffering with the symptoms of Meniere’s Disease.

It's Headache Awareness Week!

2010-06-08T12:02:00.001-04:00

Headaches are one of the most common health complaints – after all, almost everybody has had headaches at times in their lives. More than 45 million Americans (about 1 in 6) suffer from chronic headaches each year. Twenty-eight million Americans – 13 percent of the population – suffer from migraines, headaches characterized by throbbing head pain often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. What you might not know is that your doctor of chiropractic could help you make that pain go away.

According to the National Headache Foundation (NHF), time lost from work and resulting medical expenses due to headaches are estimated to cost American businesses approximately $50 billion per year. Migraine sufferers alone account for more than 157 million workdays lost. In an effort to educate the public about the impact and severity of headache, the NHF has declared June 6-12, 2010, National Headache Awareness Week.

There’s a conception that chiropractic is just for a bad back, but nothing could be further from the truth. I personally have treated many patients suffering from headache pain with great success. Numerous scientific studies also show chiropractic care to be an extremely effective, drug-free way to relieve the pain from chronic headaches.

The Duke [University] Headache Evidence Report found that chiropractic was shown to produce “markedly superior results” over amitriptyline (one of the most commonly prescribed medications for headaches) in the treatment of tension-type headaches. The study also noted that chiropractic produced “sustained improvement in headache frequency and severity” in the treatment of cervicogenic headache (headaches where the primary contributing structural source of the headache is the cervical spine).

“Americans are becoming less and less active, spending more and more time in one fixed position or posture, such as at a desk in front of a computer,” said Dr. Westerbeke. “This can increase joint irritation and muscle tension in the neck and upper back, causing the head to ache. Spinal manipulation improves spinal function, alleviating stress on the neuromusculoskeletal system and, in the process, greatly reducing or possibly even eliminating headache pain.”

How Can Headaches Be Prevented?
Muscle-tension headaches can often be avoided by maintaining proper posture and neck movements while performing your normal activities. Dr. Westerbeke, the Michigan Association of Chiropractors, and the American Chiropractic Association recommend the following:
-Avoid slouching
-Avoid reading with your neck bent forward
-Keep your computer monitor at eye level
-Take frequent breaks from reading and working on the computer
-Try a low-fat, high complex carbohydrate diet. A recent study demonstrated that such a diet can dramatically lower the frequency, intensity, and duration of migraine headaches.

Avoid the following food “triggers:”
-Caffeine. Foods such as chocolate, coffee, sodas, and cocoa contain high levels of the stimulant.
-High salt or sugar content. These foods may cause migraines, resulting to sensitivity to light, noise, or abrupt movements.
-Alcohol. Alcoholic beverages can dehydrate you and cause headache pain.
-High-protein foods, dairy products, red meat, and salty foods can all contribute to headache pain.
-Low-impact exercise may help relieve the pain associated with primary headaches. However, avoid heavy exercise if you are prone to dull, throbbing headaches. Engage in walking and low-impact aerobics instead.
-Avoid clenching your teeth.

Probiotics Ease Cold and Flu-Like Symptoms in Children

2010-05-04T18:32:00.002-04:00

A recent article in the Journal of Clinical Chiropracic Pediatrics reported on a study involving 326 children, ages 3 to 5, who participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled test of the effects of probiotics on cold and flu-like symptoms.

I follow health and wellness issues closely in professional journals and publications. I tend to notice that people often think of chiropractors in terms of treating neck and back pain, but many of my colleagues, and I, myself, are involved in all aspects of our patients' health and well-being, including proper nutrition and illness-preventative measures, such as those explored in this study.

In this study, children in the study group were assigned at random to get one of three planned dosages. One group received just a placebo, or common sugar pill with no theraputic value. A second group got a single probiotic dosage, and the third got a combination probiotic dosage.

The study participants received their allocated dosage twice a day for six months. They were then analyzed to determine both the incidence of cold and flu-like symptoms during the test period, as well as the duration of such symptoms.

In comparison to the placebo group, the children who had taken the single-strain probiotic and 53% reduction in fevers, a 41.4% reduction in coughing, and a 28.3% reduction in runny nose. The study also measured the duration of cold and flu-like symptoms in the sudy group, and, once again, there was a marked improvement for those children using some form of probiotics over the placebo group. The single-strain probiotics usage resulted in a lesser duration of symptoms by 32%; the combination-strain usage caused a 48% reduction in the duration of the symptoms. The study also concluded that children getting some form of probiotics had less need to take antibiotics during the test period and also were absent much less from school.

This is just one study and more studies are needed before any absolute conclusions can be drawn, but it does show that probiotics have a profound effect on reducing flu-like symptoms in children.