Noble Chiropractic

The case of a snoring 10 week old infant

2011-09-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

This is why my passion is so high for chiropractic. Last week a patient brought her 10 week old infant in for a checkup. He had been snoring since birth...albeit very cute, not normal. His mom also noted he was gassy and bloating after eating, and that she was "not able to get a lot done because he always wants to be held"....often a sign of discomfort. It was also noted that his head was tilted to the left which was very noticeable while in his car seat.

Examination of the spine revealed...subluxations (often a person's first trauma is done at birth resulting in subluxations) in his spine most noted in the upper neck and low back. We proceeded to adjust these areas (infant adjustments are very light touch). After 2 treatments his mom noted his snoring subsided (yep, gone!), he was not gassy and bloated like he had been, his desire to be held much of the time was "definitely" less...meaning he was likely to be more comfortable, and his head tilt to the left was no longer present. Wow! How cool is that?! A 3rd visit indicated a barely detectable subluxation in the upper neck. Infant subluxations will often clear very fast and now I will not see him for another month.

Two adjustments cleared out his snoring, head tilt, and the need to be constantly held. The gas and bloating are subsiding as the body has to do a bit of healing. Super positive changes. Very cool to say the least! Fast changes when one gets the nervous operating interference free. Simply stated developing without nerve interference is key to attaining optimum health as all functions in the body are controlled and coordinated by the nervous system.

This is why I got into the profession!

Development Of A Child's Nervous System

2011-09-21T17:56:00.000-07:00

When you were just an embryo at about 3 weeks after conception your nervous system started to form. This was your first system and all others came after that because the nervous system is your foundation. And your nervous system, consisting of your brain, spinal cord, and nerves controls and coordinates ALL functions of your body. So let's say you are suddenly roused out of your relaxed environment of your mother's womb with what feels like a squeezing or pushing sensation. "What is happening to me? Why am I being forced out of this comfortable, chill place? And where am I going? And what's the rush?" After what seems like hours of being pushed and squeezed you finally go through an opening where these enormous hands (or if you are really unlucky...forceps) greet you and start pulling. As the doctors hands pulls from your head sometimes twisting to get those shoulders to come out you just try to hang on and suddenly...your new life begins. "Whoa!" you might say to yourself. "That was a bit violent don't you think? My neck hurts!"

The reality of the birth process resulting in subluxations (see previous blog for definition) is very likely in much of the population. Subluxations at birth can cause lifelong issues. Remember the nervous system controls and coordinates ALL functions of the body. Growing and developing with subluxations can sometimes have devastating effects leaving a parent to wonder why their child is developing slowly.

"90% of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by movement of the spine. This would be analogous to a windmill generating electricity." Whoa! Do you get that? So movement of the spine is needed to stimulate and get nutrition to the brain! That is huge! If your spinal segments are not moving (subluxated) you are not generating the electricity at the capacity you are capable of producing. By the way, a really smart person figured this out and won the Nobel Prize for it in 1981.

So what do you think will happen to an infant who is subluxated from birth and has areas of his or her spine not moving? For one, their brain may not develop in an optimum state which may lead to speech delays and learning disability. What else? In one of my patients who is 8 years old they came in with the inability to balance on one leg along with learning issues. After just 4 adjustments to his upper neck he was able to start balancing. After another 4 adjustments he was able to balance on one leg in a steady fashion. We removed the subluxation and his body's nervous system started operate more optimally. Both his brain's balance centers are getting the stimulation and nutrition they need to operate and the muscles that are needed to be strong for balance are also receiving that stimulation. He's elated with the results so far. Other issues that may occur are ear infections, colic, gas, burping, bloating, constipation, etc.

Do your child a favor and get their spine checked by a chiropractor today. If there is nothing there you only spent an hour of your time. Should there be a subluxation you can either head off a potential problem or allow the healing process to begin on a known current issue. Infants and children respond fast to care. For all of my patients I screen their children for free. Detecting and correcting subluxations when they are young can have a very significant impact on there quality of life.

Thanks for reading.
Steve Noble, DC

The POWER Of The Chiropractic Adjustment

2011-09-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

Imagine going through all of your teen age years with acne covering your entire face. Those kids did not fair too well in the dating circles back when I was in high school. Imagine having acne that actually caused your face to swell and have pain associated with it. And now imagine looking at yourself daily in the mirror, seeing acne where some are the size of a quarter staring back at you as you apply another hopeful treatment to rid your face of those red mounds filled with puss. This was a 19 year old patient who came into my clinic about four months ago.

Three months after having come in his acne was all but gone. I'm a chiropractor, so naturally I did not treat his acne. What happened though?

Contrary to what we are often told and have learned your body will actually self-heal and self-regulate. Your body is actually really smart, much smarter than most will give it credit. The nervous system is the first system to start development when we are just an embryo. This is because the nervous system controls and coordinates ALL functions of your body: thoughts, movements, digestion, bowel movements, etc. To build a house we do not start with the refrigerator we start with a foundation (your nervous system) and go up from there and if that crumbles so goes the house (your body). The brain, spinal cord and nerves make up your nervous system. If your nervous system shuts off so goes your body...i.e. quadriplegic. For your body to function at 100% optimum health it must be free of nerve interference (subluxation). Nerve interference is similar to static on a cell phone. "What? I can't hear you?" If the signal becomes too weak the line goes dead. If the nerve impulse slated for the organ or muscle is not at 100% the organ or muscle also will not be operating at 100%. This is what was happening to my patient with acne. They had nerve interference (subluxation) (unbeknownst to them because unless there is pain associated with the subluxation we will not always know it is there...which is the case probably 97% of the time) causing an organ to not operate as it was intended. The result was a toxicity of sorts that was most likely responsible for their acne.

As the brain sends signals down the spinal cord to its final destination of an organ or a muscle it must pass through the spinal column (vertebra). If there is a section not moving or moving in a manner not designed to do a nerve interference will be result. Meaning the nerve flow is interrupted or compromised creating static in the line. The magic for my patient was this...once we got the area of the spine associated with the intestines (ileocecal valve or ICV to be exact) moving and doing so in a proper way their acne started to clear. Once we restored movement, the static was no longer there and their ICV started to work again. After three months not only was their acne cleared by 95%, but their confidence and outlook on life had improved a great deal as you might imagine it would.

We did not treat the acne but we did remove the nerve interference that was inhibiting nerve flow to their ICV which was creating the toxicity. All the creams, pills, food elimination, supplements they tried could not do what adjusting their spine did...remove the nerve interference or subluxation and allow the body to self-heal and work as it was designed. Now imagine how their life would be had they been adjusted and had proper chiropractic care as a child. Yep. Seemingly no acne. Probably would have been a different high school experience.

Thanks for reading.
Steve Noble, DC, CCSP

Next blog: what CAUSES the subluxation of nerve interference.

Aging Athletes...Have No Fear

2011-01-04T22:19:00.000-08:00

Ned Overend prior to winning another National Championship

Remember the movie that Sylvester Stallone put out in 2006 named Rocky Balboa? If you grew up in the 70s and 80s and you were not living off the grid in some far off place you remember all the Rocky movies and were probably more than a little stunned, shocked, "serious Stallone?", when he released "Rocky Balboa" 30 years after he first took to the ring. A "mid-fifties" boxer stepping back into the ring against the heavyweight champ...seems a bit far-fetched. But maybe not that far-fetched according to this study/survey which found that living a sedentary lifestyle was the biggest reason for physical decline in athletic performance not aging as many of us would (like?) to believe.

So could Rocky Balboa really have been able to compete in the boxing ring against a much younger opponent? Many will remember George Foreman reclaiming the Heavyweight boxing title 20 years later at the age of 45 against a 26 year old opponent. At 42 years old Baseball Pitcher Nolan Ryan found himself on the American League All-Star Team and play in the major leagues until he was 46 years old. Ned Overend, mountain biking legend, in 2010 at the age of 55 won the US National Single Speed Championships....that is a mountain bike with only one gear. Finally, there is Ed Whitlock who at the age of 72 ran a sub 3 hour marathon; 2:59:10. Amazing! And then at 74 ran a 2:58:40...lowering his time. Perhaps Rocky could have reentered the boxing ring against a much younger opponent and not get beaten senseless.

Aging does appear to favor the endurance athlete as opposed to the power athlete. The study mentioned above which focused on marathon runners, reports there is no significant age-related decline in performance before age of 55 and after that only moderate decline. They also reported 25% of the 65-69 year old runners were faster than 50% of the 20 to 54 year olds. Nice! This study showed there is a faster decline in strength. It does not give age breakdowns other than to say the age group was between 30s and 90s and that a decline is seen faster in weight lifting as opposed to endurance and sprinting events.

Those athlete in their 40s and 50s can hopefully rejoice at the prospect of being able to remain competitive with the younger generation for years to come. Decline is natural but that decline is something that we have more control over than we tend to think possible. This is really exciting! The human body adapts and want to exercise and move. The "Godfather of fitness" Jack Lalanne is living proof of what an aging body can do. This man at the age of 96 stills shows up at the gym for 30 minutes of cardiovascular work and 90 minutes of lifting weights. In his 60s he did feats of strength and endurance that surely anyone can appreciate such as swimming across open water pulling boats while handcuffed. And I would bet at 96 he can still outdo a great deal of the population in number of pull ups and push ups.

Thanks for reading.

A scar is a scar right?

2010-11-23T22:10:00.000-08:00

"He with the most scars wins." Scar tissue distorts the body. But what does that mean, "distorts the body?" And should we be concerned? In short, yes. No one can achieve top performance with scars on the body, or rather scar tissue in the body. The physical appearance of a scar is one thing what is occurring underneath is altogether different. It pushes, pulls, distort cells and the extracellular matrix (myofascia...that thin layer you clean off the chicken breast.) thereby distorting the body and biomechanics. Donald Ingber, Phd, MD studies what this all means and writes about it in this paper titled Mechanobiology and Diseases of Mechanotransduction (a mouthful I know but do not shut down the browser yet). Here, the winner with the most scars is not the winner.

"The global shape of the cell determines it's behavior (e.g.growth versus differentiation (from simple to complex) or apoptosis (cell death)), and these effects are mediated through tension dependent changes in cytoskeletal (cell skeleton) structure and mechanics." Whew! OK, what does this mean? "The global shape of the cell determines its behavior..." means a cell that has changed shape by means of something such as scar tissue which pushes, pulls or crowds its way in will alter the function of the cell. Not good! Scar tissue from surgical procedures or traumas will therefore alter the function of cells. A scar becomes a stress point because the scarred tissue is not able to move fluidly thus causing a pull onto surrounding tissue, or cells. What happens next is loss of range of motion, altered biomechanics and altered cell function. Right sided ACL surgery? I consistently see tighter shoulders and hips. Hysterectomy, c-section and appendectomy scars...yikes...often low back pain, tight shoulders, tight hips, etc. The scar tissue is not able to move as freely as healthy tissue which puts stress on surrounding tissue and distorts at the cellular level. Distortion of the tissue or cells is what will lead to disease often local to the area of injury

Communication is also altered at the cellular level. Remember that myofascia I mentioned above? Well that is a matrix (Alfred Pischinger's research explains this nicely) where communication signals are relayed to call for an action such as neurological function, hormone control, and circulation. Restoring this communication is paramount toward relieving that distortion...it is like a black hole otherwise. Once communication is restored and the adhesions removed the body's response can be nothing short of shocking. I have seen major gains (up to 40 degrees of range of motion) in hip movement from the release of both knee surgery scars and scars such as those from c-sections. Strength in muscle that have been tight and weak will suddenly start to fire and feel relaxed and strong again. This unwinding of the body allows for less distortion and better biomechanics. It also allows for better cellular function and less chance for disease. These are very profound changes and it is the reason I ALWAYS impress the need to release scars and do so within the first 2 visits for my new patients. It is a fundamental piece of restoring optimum health.

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me. Thanks for reading.

Ibuprofen Is Good Right?

2010-11-15T14:21:00.000-08:00

Ibuprofen? Good? Not quite. Naturally there are "side effects" to pharmaceutical drugs such as Ibuprofen or NSAIDs (Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drug). Side effects are unintended consequences of an action where the good of the intention is typically offset by the bad of the side effect...sometimes there are good side effects but NSAIDs or Ibuprofen do not fall into this category.

Three populations typically use NSAIDs. The first is the patient in chronic pain typically from arthritis where they take say 800 mg.day. The second is a patient who got injured today. They will load up over the next few days trying to decrease that pain and reduce swelling. The third user is the athlete who often times is using them prophylactically to prevent soreness afterward running or whatever they participate in.

Inflammation occurs through a cascade of events in the body and NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen inhibit a step in the cascading process preventing or reducing inflammation. The side effects of Ibuprofen us are rather nasty in my humble opinion. In this abstract the author ponders whether "The ever-emerging anti-inflammatories. Have there been any real advances?" and in the first statement says "Gastrointestinal (GI) (the stomach and intestines) Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) from the NSAIDs are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in arthritic patients taking these drugs." Not a good side I am certain we can all agree. Another known side effect are stomach ulcers for the "long term user." NSAIDs block a pathway that produces the protective mucous lining of the stomach causing ulcers (HOLES!) in long term users. Again, when the stomach goes south so goes the body. The need to protect the GI tract cannot be overstated. Damage to the GI tract will result in a compromised nutrient absorption. And this, of course, leads to stress onto the entire body.

Cardiovascular health can also be compromised from NSAID use. The author of this abstract cautions against the use of NSAIDS for patients with musculoskeletal (muscle and joint pain) pain for patients with known cardiovascular and gastrointestinal issues. This abstract gives warning against those with gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, liver disease, platelet issue, asthma, and children overdose to name some of them. The NSAID creates stress on the body and for those bodies already under stress it can be quite bad.

Finally, I found these two studies which were quite telling of Ibuprofen use in the athletic population. These studies were done on athletes who ran the Western State 100 Mile Endurance Run. The first study concluded that athletes who used Ibuprofen prophylactically did not experience a decrease in post race muscle soreness versus those who did not but did see "elevated indicators of endotoxemia and inflammation." Yikes! What is "endotoxemia?" It is bacteria present in the blood and the danger is stated in the following statement: "The presence of endotoxins in the blood, which, if derived from gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria, may cause hemorrhages, necrosis of the kidneys, and shock." Again, we can all agree this is not a good outcome I am certain. Here is the kicker though the user group saw an INCREASE in inflammation! The very thing they were trying to prevent was increased! Ibuprofen CAUSED inflammation in this population. Furthermore this study saw an increase in oxidative stress among the Ibuprofen users. Oxidative stress means an increase in free radicals...free radical stress causes all sorts of damage not the least premature aging. Hence the anti-oxidant craze.

So what to do when one is inflamed? Fortunately, there are great alternatives to this stomach destroying product. Proteolytic enzymes work great, actually promote healing and I can't find anything on Pubmed where they damage the stomach...or any side effects. This study shows the power output of a muscle to be higher post exercise by those treated with Bromelaine, a proteolytic enzyme, than those left untreated. Herbs such as Curcumin, Capsaicin (essentially cayenne pepper), and Tumeric also play powerful roles in anti inflammation and protection of the GI tract....not too mention cancer preventive!

Using supplements with an array of these properties will often deliver a very powerful anti-inflammatory effect with no side effects. Any healthy store that sells quality supplements...not Costco, Safeway, etc....will have supplements of this nature. If you have any questions feel free to drop me a line. Thanks for reading!

Splenda: A Poor Sugar Substitute

2010-11-06T18:44:00.000-07:00

I was inspired to write this blog because I was in the grocery store today and found a book about cooking with Splenda, the ARTIFICIAL sweetener. Serious?! I went to Amazon.com and...wow, there are a lot of cookbooks out there promoting Splenda as a great alternative to sugar (super low calories yet still sweet), some by supposed "health experts" (I make it a rule to never trust "the experts.") Splenda, also known as sucralose (well this is actually the main component of Splenda), is found in diet drinks, ice cream, protein bars, vitamins, toothpaste to name ONLY a few. Look at your gum, over-the-counter drugs (those sweetened so swallowing them tastes a bit better), salad dressings and on the restaurant tables in those little yellow packets where real sugar used to sit.

So what is the big deal right? Well...here is the big deal. One can suffer from any number of conditions such as sluggishness, fatigue, legs feeling like lead weights, mood swings, severe cramps in females, joint pain, painful bowel movements, bloating, dizziness, confusion, depression, headaches, and nausea as well as reproductive and immune problems.* In this study using rats "the numbers of total anaerobes, bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, Bacteroides, clostridia, and total aerobic bacteria were significantly decreased" in the gut as examined through a stool analysis. Meaning the pH had gone up (away from acidic or toward a more basic state) and the gut flora was now out of balance or decreased. The problem with a higher pH is not only breaking down of food but also the gut losing the ability to break down microbes (i.e. bad bacteria) compromising the immune system. And as I stated back on the post Why Use Probiotics? altered flora result in poor absorption of minerals. This malabsorption can then lead to any of the conditions listed above. The body loses its ability to detox and obviously a high toxicity will not serve your body well. We can all agree with that. Pretty big deal right?

If you are experiencing these conditions and use Splenda (or are not experiencing and using Splenda) STOP all Splenda products immediately, meaning do not eat them...hopefully it's obvious I would suggest that...and "Flush Your System." For two month use probiotics, mulit vitamin and MINERALS (I suggest multi-vitamin/mineral daily for your entire life), and undenatured whey to rebuild and detox your body.

You can find studies out there where they will report Splenda to be a safe product. Here is what I tell my patients though, "Serious?! You want to put artificial food into your one and only body? Keep it simple and eat nothing processed." Inevitably these artificial foods turn out to have damaging effects. And now don't even get me started on High Fructose Corn Syrup or Aspartame. Thanks for reading and if you have any questions call the office, send me an email or get a hold of us on Facebook.

*Splenda: Is it Safe of Not? by Janet Starr Hull, phD., Pickle Press, 2005
*FIRST, "A Magazine For Women On The Go" Article titled "Tired All The Time?" June 26, 2006 pp 25-26

The Stick - Inflammation, Adhesion, Toxin Remover

2010-10-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

Each new patient (athlete and non athlete alike) gets The Stick after the first visit. Why? When used daily it removes pockets of inflammation, mild adhesions, and toxins often resulting in a rapid decrease in pain. Inflammation distorts the cell by crowding its way and decreasing the room for proper cell function. And proper cell function is EVERYTHING with regards to the body. Cells that are not functioning correctly cause stress on the body, leading to a less than optimized state for (athletic) performance and recovery. Mild adhesions also distort cells by tensioning the myofascia. In effect the adhesion is pinning down the myofascia not allowing it to move thus distorting cell and altering cell function. Removal of toxins that have accumulated in the myofascia allow the bodies electrical signals to move more efficiently resulting in better performance and recovery. As The Stick rolls over the muscles an electric charge is created breaking the bonds between the toxins and myofascia. The toxins will move into the lymphatic system and go out of the body as waste.

Using The Stick correctly is key and very simple. The Stick is to be used lightly (i.e. light pressure...not bending The Stick) on relaxed muscle that are not contracted. Do every evening and after workouts on the muscles below the waste at a minimum. Do 20 sweeps each on the lateral (IT band side), anterior (quads), medial (adductor side), and posterior (hamstrings) thigh, and the posterior (calf muscles) and anterior lower leg. After doing both legs stand up and do the gluteus muscles (buttocks). Feel free to do upper body as well.

For athletic training I recommend 2-3 times per day: morning, evening and after training. The recovery advantages are huge. Good luck and feel free to ask me any questions.

Why Use Probiotics?

2010-04-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

"The intestinal tract can thus be considered the most extensive disturbance field for the regulatory system. As such it stresses the matrix system through toxins and mineral deficiencies, since it is in the abdomen that this tissue is most abundant and in its purest form."* Antibiotics, environmental toxins, processed food, gluten intolerance all contribute to damaging or destroying the intestinal flora that resides in the small and large intestine. Even small disturbances to the flora causes stress to the entire body. This stress shows up in damage to immune system, hormone system, neurological system, enzyme production and in tissue healing rates. Vitamins, trace elements (especially zinc and iron) and minerals start absorbing at a lower rates causing these systems to break down. As zinc levels fall the body loses its ability to detoxify heavy metals (i.e. mercury). Iron levels fall causing decreased hematocit levels and any endurance athlete knows the meaning of that, less oxygen available for muscles and decrease in performance.

It is paramount to preserve or restore the flora of the intestine if one is to not only attain optimum performance but also optimum health. Using probiotics will restore this balance and coupling with a quality mutivitamin/multimineral will ease the stress put onto the body.

*The Extracellular Matrix and Ground Regulation. Basis for Holistic and Biological Medicine. Alfred Pischinger, 2004 pp162.

Why Whey? For Better Performance and Faster Recovery!

2010-03-22T21:32:00.000-07:00

I am often asked "what protein powder should I use?" Personal preferences aside whey powder is certainly a great choice. Whey powder has the ability to reduce recovery time by stimulating muscle protein synthesis, provide amino acid building blocks, has anti-inflammatory effects (which I am ALWAYS looking for ways to reduce inflammation), boosts the immune system and reduces toxins. Wow, this stuff is pretty good! Taking it to the next level though occurs when using UNDENATURED Whey.

Undenatured Whey has all the benefits of denatured whey but with addition of raising the levels of glutathione in the body. Glutathione is the most powerful anti-oxidant known in the body. During training and exercise through oxidative processes cell-damaging free radicals are increasing in the body. Raising glutathione levels in the body can have the following effects:

Reduce the free radicals that lead to muscle inflammation and damage
Reduce muscle fatigue/delayed onset muscle soreness
Decrease recovery time from training
Increase strength and endurance
Improve ability to endure exhaustive exercise
Increase peak power and work capacity
Shift metabolism from fat production to muscular development
Maintain white blood cell counts that normally fall during intense training sessions
Prevent over training symptoms
Improve performance
Increase resistance to illness
Detoxify foreign substances

That is an impressive list to say the least and are the reasons I have been recommending Undenatured Whey to those who do not have a whey sensitivity.

Here is a simple recipe to follow.
1 cup filtered water
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
3/4 cup whole oats
Blend then add 1 scoop of Undenatured Whey and stir in until it is homogenized. Important: do not blend in Undenatured Whey with blender this will potentially denature the whey.

Let me know how this works out and if there is anything I can add or answer for you.

Information from Nutri-Notes/ ed. Dr. Lynn Toohey. Vol 10, #4

Energy Bar Recipe

2010-03-13T15:59:00.000-08:00

So for the last couple of months I have been experimenting with energy bar recipes. The ingredients are focused around keeping inflammation down. I use pastured eggs which are high in Omega 3. Hens fed a grain diet produce eggs which are high in Omega 6 and too much Omega 6 in the diet produced inflammation. I use Sea Salt to get trace minerals which are perfect for your adrenals among other functions...like keeping the muscles from cramping. I use Coconut Oil because it is a medium chain triglyceride which absorbs rather quickly for a fat. Nuts are a good option but I have a small allergy to them so in keeping the inflammation down I don't use nuts. I get the protein from the eggs.

Cook 2 cups of Sweet Brown Rice in 4 cups of water.
When rice is finished cooking preheat oven to 375 F.
In a bowl mix 6 eggs
6-9 Figs diced
1 cup raisins
3 Tablespoons Molasses
1 Tablespoon Sea Salt
6 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
nuts are optional...or whatever else you want

Now mix cooked rice into egg mixture then pour into a 9x13 pan and bake for about 40-45 mins uncovered until top starts to brown. After cooling for 30 minutes they are ready to eat. Let cool COMPLETELY prior to putting into refrigerator.

Cut them into approx. 2x2 inch squares and wrap in parchment paper then place into plastic bag to put into your jersey or wherever you carry your food.

Experiment and if you trip onto something better send me a note so I can try it.

Interesting takes from various studies

2010-02-01T12:12:00.000-08:00

Dr. Dan Murphy put together this review from various studies. Some fascinating information in this review.

Spinal stiffness was linked to visceral pathology with nearly 100% accuracy based upon sympathetic innervation.
(Medical Times, 1921)

1,000 capsules of Tylenol in a lifetime doubles the risk of end stage renal disease. (New England Journal of Medicine, 1994)

The average time for a whiplash-injured patient to achieve maximum improvement is 7 months 1 week. (Spine, 1994)

93% of patients with chronic whiplash pain who have failed medical and physical therapy care improve with chiropractic adjustments. (Injury, 1996)

Taking the correct drug for the correct diagnoses in the correct dose will kill about 106,000 Americans per year, making it the 4th most common cause of death in the US. (Journal of the American Medical Association, 1998)

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for rheumatoid and/or osteoarthritis conservatively cause 16,500 Americans to bleed to death each year, making that the 15th most common cause of death in the US. (New England Journal of Medicine, 1999)

Glutamate and aspartame can cause chronic pain sensitization, and removing them from the diet for 4 consecutive months can eliminate all chronic pain symptoms. (Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 2002)

Chiropractic spinal adjusting has been shown to be better than 5 times more effective than the NSAIDs pain drugs Celebrex and Vioxx in the treatment of chronic neck and low back pain. (Spine, 2003)

In patients suffering from chronic pain subsequent to degenerative spinal disease, 59% can eliminate the need for pain drugs by consuming adequate levels of omega-3 essential fatty acids. (Surgical Neurology, 2006)

Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to significantly lower blood pressure. (Journal of Human Hypertension, 2007)
The estimated incidence of chronic pain from whiplash trauma is 15-40%. (Jour of the Am Academy of Ortho Surg, 2007)

Meniere’s Disease has been linked to a disorder of the upper cervical spine facet joints. (International Tinnitus Jour, 2007)

Supplementing with vitamin D3 has the potential to reduce cancer deaths in America by 75%. (Ann of Epidemiology, 2009)

Potentially, the largest exposure of Americans to the neurotoxin mercury is through the consumption of products containing High Fructose Corn Syrup. (Environmental Health, 2009)

Those who consumed the highest amounts of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain drugs increased their risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s dementia, by 66%. (Neurology, 2009)

The newest estimate for the incidence of autism is 1 in 91 US children. (Pediatrics, 2009)

Sponsorship of the Fanatik Bike Team

2010-01-21T17:39:00.000-08:00

2010 is starting off really well. At the end 2009 I got the opportunity to join forces with the Fanatik Bike Team and I could not be more excited. As some of you know I am a huge fan of the bike and cycling has been a life long passion...both racing and riding. Just after signing on with Fanatik, Stewart Bowmer went to the Bare Bones Track race in Canada taking 1st in the Keirin, 2nd in the Match Sprints and top 10 overall for the series meeting his goals for the season. Congratulations! Here is to more success for the riders on the Fanatik Bike Team for the 2010 season.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-06T16:45:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010! I am really excited about the new year and am anticipating it being a great one. I recently got signed on with the Hagens Berman Elite Cycling Team out of Seattle to work with these up and coming riders. I will be travelling with the team to some of the big National Racing Calendar races to support the guys and give treatments to keep them racing at their optimum level. Super excited about this opportunity as I believe it will help take my treatments to another level as I constantly try to find the edge to help the rider reach a higher level.

I am also working 2 professional riders from the United Healthcare Professional Cycling Team. This occurred over the last 2 months. It will be exciting to see these 2 riders reach another level in their game. I am confident that treating their weaknesses and keeping the body towards a more optimized state will result in bigger results this season for them. I will keep you posted.

Finally a congratulations goes out to Steve Fisher. He is a rider I have been working with for the last 3 months. He rides for the WWU Cycling Team, Rad Racing and Hagens Berman. He just got back from European Cyclocross Camp in Belgium where he did 8 races over 17 days racing against the best in the world. He achieved his goals and remained 100% healthy the entire time...tough to do in a foreign country while sharing a house with 15-20 other guys.

Exciting year ahead for the Western Washington University Cycling Team. This is my fourth season working with the team and this season's road team on the Men's side looks to be super strong and they will undoubtedly be challenging for the National Championship again. The strength of the women's team is unknown but there is a good group of ladies who I am sure will rise to the challenge and perform nicely.

I hope everyone had a great holiday. Good luck in 2010!

Vitamin D3 Health Benefits

2009-11-11T18:50:00.000-08:00

This information was obtained from Dr. Dan Murphy.

Epidemiology and Infection October 2007, Vol 135, No. 7, pp. 1095-1098 "There is an epidemic of vitamin D insufficiency in the United States, the public health impact on this observation could be great." "Over a 3 year period, taking 800 IU (per day) of vitamin D3 reduced the incidence of colds and flus by 70%. Taking 2000 IU (per day)of vitamin D3 reduced the incidence of colds and flus to nearly zero (only one case out of 104 users)."

Vitamin D Supplementation and Total Mortality A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Archives of Internal Medicine September 10, 2007;167:1730-173 "Low Vitamin D status could be associated with higher mortality from life-threatening conditions including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes mellitus that account for 60% to 70% of total mortality in high-income countries." "Vitamin D influences both incidence and survival of cancer."

Vitamin D intake and incidence of multiple sclerosis NEUROLOGY, January 13, 2004;62:60-65 "Taking vitamin D supplements for more than 10 years lowered the risk of developing MS by 59%." Vitamin D supplements in the first year of life reduces the risk of Type-1 Diabetes." "Vitamin D has strong immunoregulatory effects." "There is no reduced risk of MS with increased Vitamin D intake from food. It had to be in the form of supplements."

And Finally...Vitamin D for Cancer Prevention: Global Perspective Annals of Epidemiology Volume 19, Issue 7, July 2009, pp 468-483 "Vitamin D3 serum levels of 40 to 60 ng/mL would prevent three fourths of deaths from breast and colorectal cancer in the US and Canada." "Raising Vitamin D3 level 40 to 60 ng/ml would require supplementation with about 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day. "There is no reasonable risks from intake of 2,000 IU per day of vitamin D3.""

Vitamin D3 is a must take supplement. The positive effects on the immune system are nothing short of stunning. Vitamin D2 is not the same as Vitamin D3 so be sure you are purchasing Vitamin D3.

Better Performance, Faster Recovery, Greater Longevity

2009-06-25T22:14:00.000-07:00

The title states what we all want both athletes and non athletes. In practice I strive to deliver on these ideas. On the athlete side my patients have been reporting better performance and faster recovery. Why is this? One reason is the lending of nutritional support to the adrenal glands. Many athletes (and non athletes alike) are in a state of adrenal fatigue. These glands work to regulate stress in the body. When these become weakened of fatigue the body goes into a state of weakness. Being in a state of weakness is not a good place to be for an athlete who is attempting to perform at their best and recover quickly for the next event...or for work the next day. Once we start to support the adrenals nutritionally we start to see better performances and faster recovery times. It is like magic. Couple this with supporting the gastrointestinal tract through the use of enzymes to aid in digestion and real magic begins to occur. New PRs have been set and for one of my patients a National Championship back in May.

Supporting the system as a whole through adjustments, laser, nutrition, etc. can create in the body an optimization not realized by many patients ever. I have been a competitive athlete much of my life and my own performance has improved and I recover much faster than I ever thought possible. It really is amazing what the body can do when it is given the environment to perform at its peak. Having my patients consistently report they are performing better and recovering faster is more than enough reason to love what I am doing. It really is an amazing time in health care.

Dr. John Brimhall San Diego Seminar

2009-06-01T08:03:00.001-07:00

Spent this past weekend down in San Diego attending a Dr. John Brimhall seminar....while Bellingham was enjoying the best weather in probably over 2 years while San Diego was under a gray sky the entire time we were there. We did not see the sun for one minute. Sigh!

I picked up some great treatment protocols especially using the laser. Dr. Brimhall treated 2 frozen shoulders of 8 months and 5 years duration. After a 5 minutes treatment with laser the 8 month frozen shoulder saw a range of motion increase to about 80% normal while the 5 year saw a 100% return. Pretty awesome.

Looking forward to being home on weekends for the next month. I have the Test of Metal mountain bike race coming up on June 20th up in Squamish. The following weekend heading to Seattle for another seminar on nutrition.

Finally, I have to give a congrats to my team at Ski to Sea for placing 28th overall. Nicely done!

A MUST read for anyone concerned with their health!

2009-05-20T13:35:00.000-07:00

This is too important not to get the word out. This is from Dr. Jeff Spencer's blog. He reviewed the following paper:

Mechanobiology and Diseases of Mechanotransduction
Donald Ingber, Phd, MD Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School

Annals of Medicine of Medicine 2003; 35 (8), pp. 564-77

This is exactly what I have been writing about in previous blogs with respect to needing to remove scar tissue from the body not too mention the removal of toxins and weaknesses...now I understand why. This is nothing short of HUGE in terms of health care. Enjoy the reading.

"What does the title of Inger’s study, Mechanobiology and Diseases of Mechanotransduction have to do with musculoskeletal care? Absolutely everything. And, here’s why.
Our current health care system focuses on disease but ignores the fact that many of the phenomena leading to pain and disease are secondary to changes in tissue structure and mechanics. Pretty interesting I’d say as this implies that as a person loses physical capacity, posture, and control of movement their risk of disease increases.
As clinicians this means that everything we do to restore a patients physical capacity increases their chances of having a more productive and gratifying life with less risk of organic disease. Giving a patient those benefits is about as high you can go on the scale of doing good for a better world as far as I’m concerned.
Let’s look at several important points made by Ingber in his publication:
1. “The global shape of the cell determines it’s behavior (eg growth versus differentiation or apoptosis), and these effect are mediated through tension-dependent changes in cyctoskeletal structure and mechanics.”
This statement is profound as the take home is that anything that changes the shape of the cell needs to be removed so the body can function as it’s designed to.
So, what are those things that could change the shape of cells that fall into our domain as practitioners? Well, just thinking off the tope of my head, here’s a short list of items: tight muscles, scar tissue, hypertonic muscles, fascial tension, inflammatory pockets, muscle incoordination, skeletal asymmetry, handedness, movement pattern distortion, emotions, toxicity, metabolic debris,… and the list goes on.
Considering this list and what it means in terms of cell behavior and illness, not to mention loss of energy and stress on structure from cell distortion, it’s obvious that we need to have clinical strategies for removing all of these interferences to normal cell function so the body can get and keep itself well.
2. “Local changes in tissue structure also may explain why genetic diseases, including cancer, often present locally.”
One of my mentors, Harold Kristal, DDS, was one of the most incredible humans I’ve ever met. Harold was a passionate tennis player. One day while playing tennis he was hit on the anterior surface of his lower leg and developed a large hematoma. The hematoma went away and a few years later he developed osteosarcoma at the original site of injury and died. I always wondered about the connection between previous trauma and subsequent vulnerability to health complications. Having read Ingber’s article I now understand the why: the shape of the cell determines its behavior. And, why, we as clinicians, must do everything possible to unwind our patients bodies to remove as much cell distortion as possible.
It’s important, as mentioned in other parts of my blog, that distortions have numerous origins and can reside, often silently, as locations distant from symptomatic complaints.
3. “When the shape of the a molecule is altered, it’s biophysical properties change, and hence biochemistry (eg chemical reaction rates) will be altered.”
This statement appears to say that biochemistry is subservient to tissue structure. If that’s true it further reinforces the important role that body posture and movement symmetry play in how well a person performs in daily life, how fast they age, and the quality of life they will have.
It’s obvious from this statement by Ingber that a patients willingness to do the correct restorative and wellness exercise is paramount in creating a vital and productive life. And, if purposeful movement isn’t done in sufficient quantity and quality a certain percentage of life quality will be compromised.
4. “Understanding of the relation between structure and function in living tissues and of fundamental mechanisms of cellular mechotransduction may therefore lead to entirely new modes of therapeutic intervention.”
This is music to my ears as it validates everything we do as practitioners dedicated to restoring and maintain the physical body’s form and, therefore, function. Just think about that. This means that every time we help restore form back to the body its function improves and life becomes just a little bit better. Now, this is a concept we can hang our professional hat on with confidence. And, we should feel a true sense of empowerment from this as puts our practice purpose at a much higher level than just chasing symptoms and hoping something positive with happen with the patients health. In essence, it’s helping give them there life back.
5. “Because our bodies are hierarchical structures, mechanical deformation of any tissues results in structural rearrangements in many tissues.”
There it is folks; just as we’ve discussed. When anything is changed in the body the whole body is affected. That’s why when you address a patient’s symptomatic complaint condition the body must be evaluated as a holistic single entity, not just a collection of random cells floating around in salt water (which happens not to be the case which we’ll discuss at another time).
This all’s begs the question of treating a diagnosis. If all we do is address our treatment towards the diagnostic complaint we most often miss critical “causes” of why the complaint is there because the important key factors are most often elsewhere in the body a locations that may no rational reason for being there other than they’re part of the single system body. And, if these key factors in complaint generation aren’t addressed and their interference removed then it makes complete resolution of a patients condition less likely, and in my experience impossible.
Summary
To me Ingber’s paper gives me incredible optimism because it creates a level of cause and effect that allows us to create a clinical model that addresses a known cause and major contributing factor to increased morbidity, disease, and life compromise.
"

Dr. Jeff Spencer

2009-05-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

I spent Saturday at a seminar put on by Erchonia (the laser company) and Dr. Jeff Spencer. He taught us more gems on using the laser and gave us some insight into what he did to keep Lance Armstrong and the rest of the team healthy during LA's 7 wins and then Alberto Contador's win (In 8 TDFs the team only lost a total of 3 riders...that I imagine is unprecedented). I left with a greater understanding of how the body works. Dr. Spencer is at the forefront of the profession and it was great to be able to get some of that knowledge. For me, since using the laser my way of treating has been flipped upside down as the "old model" of adjusting and some soft tissue treatment and giving exercises seems like a lifetime ago. The "new model" focuses a great deal in getting the nervous system "turned on" and getting the organs reset nutritionally. Thanks Dr. Spencer for sharing your insight and for your passion for the profession. Never stop learning and applying!

WWU Cycling Team

2009-05-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

A week overdue. I was out in Ft. Collins, CO a week ago with the WWU Cycling Team for the Collegiate National Cycling Championships. I have been working with the team for 3 seasons now and it has been nothing but a pleasure to watch the riders grow as cyclists not too mention as people. The team this year consisted of Daisy Phillips and Kristen Stouder for the women's team and for the men's team we had Phil Elsasser, Steve Fisher, Ben Ranthkamp, and Tim Woods. The road race saw Ben get into a break early on and stayed out there for 40-50 miles before he was finished. As a team neither the women nor the men saw a good result in the road race. The following was a completely different story. Daisy Phillips turned in an outstanding performance pulling off a 2nd place in the criterium. The men's race saw us climb a step higher as Phil Elsasser put a great show by winning the men's race thus becoming National Criterium Champion! It still gives me chills thinking of him coming across the finish line with arms raised and a smile from ear to ear. Congrats to both Daisy and Phil and their teammates for supporting them. Without a women's team time trial team WWU still managed to finish 3rd in the Team Omnium for the weekend. Again, congrats to the team for a great showing at Nationals!

A case of scar tissue release at the knee resulting in decrease shoulder pain

2009-05-15T21:26:00.000-07:00

Tuesday this past week I had a patient come in complaining of shoulder pain with cramping occurring to the pectoralis minor. A brief assessment his shoulder indicated some tight muscles but nothing more. I followed up with the question, "have you had any surgeries?" His reply was "yes, 10 years ago on my right knee." The same side as his shoulder pain. After muscle testing to determine the scars were still active I started with the percussor on each of five scars. After percussing I muscle tested to determine if they were cleared or not and none of them were but each were testing stronger than prior to percussor. Using the laser I released three scars in the first treatment and the other two in a follow up treatment. After the first treatment the patient had no shoulder pain. I performed no treatment to his shoulder or neck and only treated the knee. Once the myofascia was released from the knee it allowed the shoulder to attain full range of motion by allowing the myofascia to flow freer.

I have seen this repeatedly now. I predicted before treating the scars that after treatment he would have a dramatic increase in range of motion in his shoulder not to mention his hips which was exactly the outcome. Untreated surgical scars can be career ending injuries of athletes and can limit the non-athlete in simple activities of daily living. These need to be cleared if a patient is to attain health.

Laser Therapy and Brain Balancing

2009-04-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

Why Brain Balance and what is it?

Brain balancing can significantly help a patient who has been injured and has favored a side while healing. It can also help someone as severe as a patient who has had a stroke.

Brain Balancing is achieved by determining which cortex is weaker and which cerebellum. Determining the cortex weakness can usually be determined using muscle response testing while having the patient count or hum. The testing muscle will usually weaken either while counting or humming indicating a weakened cortex. To determine the cerebellum weakness the patient can simply close their eyes while they stand with feet touching and hands at side. The side the patient sways to determines the weaker cerebellum. We can also have the patient walk heel to toe with eyes closed to determine cerebellar weakness.

Once weaknesses have been established treatment with laser into the cortex and cerebellum can bring balance and healing into those weakened areas of the brain. The change in balance will most likely be seen during the first treatment and will be felt by the patient and seen by any observers. I observed an increase in balance in my own balance and in my patients as well.

Laser Therapy

2009-04-22T16:32:00.002-07:00

Why am I so excited about Laser Therapy? As another doctor stated, "it is as close to a magic bullet as I have." In the 6 weeks I have been using the Erchonia Laser my dependence on it for a treatment tool has grown so great because of the results I have started to see. About 3 weeks ago a patient presented to my clinic with a acromioclavicular joint sprain due to a crash on his bike. Prior to treatment he was able to raise his arm about 90 degrees from the side, about 10 degrees bringing his arm across his body and about 20 degrees reaching back. After just one treatment with the laser coupled with the percussor and adjusting (with Erchonia's Adjustor) we saw an increase to about 140 degrees he was able to raise his arm from the side, about 20 degrees bringing the arm in front and 30 degrees reaching back. He was also able to bear weight on the injured should after the treatment where he was not able to do so prior to being treated. After the third treatment he was back to riding and training and after 4 treatments he was racing and sprinting on the bike again. After seven treatments he is nearly pain free and has regained all of his range of motion.

Surgical Scar Tissue Release

2009-04-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

Surgical scars limit range of motion to a greater degree than I ever imagined. I have recently been releasing scar tissue from as small as mole removal scars to appendectomy and c-section scars and the global range of motion seen in areas of the shoulders and hips has been nothing short of astounding.

Myofascia is a thin sheath that runs continuously throughout the body, never having an end or a beginning. It wraps around individual muscles, organs, vessels in one continuous manner. So if you have a surgical procedure such as a c-section or a mole removal the myofascia will become adhered to the surrounding tissues and will not move in that area unless it is released. In a sense a stress riser occurs. Movement will cease at that point restricting global range of motion.

Releasing these adhesive areas takes less than 30 seconds for each area typically and most often is noted by a dramatic range of motion increase. No matter the age of the scar or how long the surgical procedure was done one can and will see a range of motion increase if those area have not been previously released. Two weeks ago I released a 29 year old c-section scar and the patient was amazed to see how her range of motion increased by approximately 20 degrees in the hips and and she noted her arms as feeling much looser.

Talk to your chiropractor about getting those released and watch the miracle unfold before your eyes. It really is amazing.

Organic, Free Range Food: Reasons Consider It

2008-10-08T15:38:00.000-07:00

1. Better for the health of the farm worker

2. Higher nutritional value

3. No pesticides

4. No growth hormone

5. No antibiotics

6. Leaner meat - the animal has to graze for the grass(grain fed is high in Omega-6, a pro inflammatory)

7. Better taste

8. Better support for the immune system

9. Decrease health care costs

10. Better for the environment

Nutrition and Inflammation

2008-10-03T15:54:00.000-07:00

Inflammation is the process by which the body's white blood cells and chemicals attempt to protect us. When we sprain an ankle and tear soft tissue inflammation occurs to set in motion the healing process and clean up the debris. To reduce inflammation right away we ice it as the body tends to overreact and inflames too much. Diet plays a key role in this inflammation. A diet rich in processed foods, sugar, grains, grain fed meats, and dairy cause the inflammation process to react at a much higher degree than diets high in vegetable, fruits, and omega-3 rich foods. Eating a diet high in vegetables, fruits, and omega-3 will reduce healing time as the amount and duration of inflammation will be decreased not too mention the pain process will be diminished. Omega-3 for anti-inflammation can be found in both plant and animal based forms such as flaxseed for the former and cold water fish for the latter. Eating a diet high in omega-3 will reduce inflammation thoughtout the body and reduce pain associated with inflammation. For those patients with chronic inflammation and pain it is imperative to increase the omega-3 in the diet and reduce foods that cause inflammation as mentioned above. For the athlete (anyone who is active in any sport) it is also recommended eating a diet low in the foods that promote inflammation and high in those that reduce inflammation. Injuries occur and it is best to have the environment set up before hand to be able to deal with the injury in the most efficient manner.

Gym Ball as a Desk Chair

2008-10-03T15:15:00.000-07:00

The "passive" core exercise as I like to call it. When sitting in a standard chair the muscles of the low back and core are not being challenged. We sit down, we slump, round the back, and literally hang on the spine. While sitting on the ball we are challenged to...well...sit on the ball. Muscles supporting the low back (in particular a group named the Multifidi) and core (in particular the Transverse Abdominus) will have to work meaning these muscles are contracting and relaxing to stabilize and keep you on the ball. Often in low back pain patients the multifidi and transverse abdominus are not functioning correctly (i.e. not responding in a coordinated manner or not responding at all) and are unable to respond to movements such as reaching over to simply pick up a piece of paper off the floor. "I was just reaching for _______ and my back went out and I had to lie down on the floor." Conditioning these muscles can be begin by simply switching out the chair at your computer for a gym ball. Try it and you may be surprised how much stronger your core over time becomes by doing this "passive" core exercise.

General Ball Sizing

Under 5'4" use a 55 cm ball.

Between 5'4" and 6'1" use a 65 cm ball.

Over 6'1" use a 75 cm ball.