Showing posts with label Healthcare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Healthcare. Show all posts

Monday, July 16, 2012

The "Check Engine Light" A Case of 3 Mechanics

The check engine light came on in my car. I pondered what to do and where to take it. So here's what I did. 

I took the car to a mechanic. He said that over the course of evolution the check engine light came about, there is no mechanical reason for having one, it has no function, and he recommended taking it out.

I decided on a second opinion. I took the car to another mechanic. He specialized in fuels. He said fuel specialists weren't sure why check engine lights come on, but he had several liquids, and other additives that he wanted me to use on a daily basis. He said that they would make the light dim enough so I would not notice it when it was trying to tell me something.

I decided on a third opinion. This mechanic said my car was intelligently designed and that all things were put there for a specific purpose. The check engine light meant something was wrong. He decided to look for the problem that was actually causing the light to come on, and address it from the source instead of "taking it out" or "treating with other liquids and potions". What he found was a simple electrical short that was easily fixed, and with minor regular maintenance it should run perfectly as it was designed to do.

All too often people are looking for solutions that come from pills, potions, and chemicals or even worse surgery without addressing the root of the problem. There are times when all of the above is needed, but none should be the first line of defense. Don't just cover up the symptoms or have the problem removed, get an accurate diagnosis from someone who understands this and has been trained to look at things from this perspective.

Times and healthcare are changing. As we evolve and get better educated, we are (re-) discovering that there is a balance in all things and cutting things out, or masking the symptoms is in most cases not the best answer as it was thought years ago. Chiropractors are being included in the FRONT line treatment at VA hospitals, on EVERY major sports team, placed on Hospital staff, and some insurance carriers are mandating that Chiropractic and physiotherapy be tried FIRST before back surgery is performed. If you or someone you love has an "engine light" going off, I urge you to seek Chiropractic care first and have the problem properly diagnosed.

At MAGNA Chiropractic Dr. Hawley and Dr. Rogers do full physical evaluations and help educate the patient on what/where their problem is coming from. They offer many forms of treatment and in many cases work in conjunction with your Medical Doctor.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Forward Head Posture











In the poster on the left, the first sketch (top-left) represents “perfect” head posture. A line dropped from the center of the external auditory meatus (EAM) would land directly in the center of the shoulder (the tip of the acromion process). The graphic on the right demonstrates the progression of forward head posture (occasionally referred to as “anterior head translation”).


According to Kapandji (Physiology of the Joints, Volume III), for every inch your head moves forwards, it gains 10 pounds in weight, as far as the muscles in your upper back and neck are concerned, because they have to work that much harder to keep the head (chin) from dropping onto your chest. This also forces the suboccipital muscles (they raise the chin) to remain in constant contraction, putting pressure on the 3 Suboccipital nerves. This nerve compression may cause headaches at the base of the skull. Pressure on the suboccipital nerves can also mimic sinus (frontal) headaches.


Rene Cailliet M.D., famous medical author and former director of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Southern California states:


“Head in forward posture can add up to thirty pounds of abnormal leverage on the cervical spine. This can pull the entire spine out of alignment. Forward head posture (FHP) may result in the loss of 30% of vital lung capacity. These breath-related effects are primarily due to the loss of the cervical lordosis, which blocks the action of the hyoid muscles, especially the inferior hyoid responsible for helping lift the first rib during inhalation.”


Persistent forward head posture (a.k.a “hyperkyphotic posture”) puts compressive loads upon the upper thoracic vertebra, and is also associated with the development of Upper Thoracic Hump, which can devolve into Dowager Hump when the vertebra develop compression fractures (anterior wedging). A recent study found this hyperkyphotic posture was associated with a 1.44 greater rate of mortality.


It's not uncommon to observe 2" of anterior head placement in new patients. Would you be surprised that your neck and shoulders hurt if you had a 20-pound watermelon hanging around your neck? That's what forward head posture can do to you. Left uncorrected, FHP will continue to decline. Chiropractic can be very corrective, especially in the hands of a chiropractic rehabilitationist. Our specialty is in reversing the joint fixations (what we refer to as “subluxations”) and in re-invigorating the muscles that normally retract the head.


Complete article found here