Chronic Pain Causes Brain Shrinkage–Do Something About It!

First reported in 2004 by Apkarian et al in the Journal of Neuroscience, numerous studies now show that chronic pain affects us in multiple ways. Alarmingly, chronic pain is associated with brain atrophy of up to 11%, equivalent to 10-20 years of normal aging. Other affects include altered brain chemistry, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, immune system suppression, elevated stress hormones, adrenal exhaustion, depression, insomnia, and suicide. It takes...

The Chiropractic Advantage Explained

  There’s a common perception that chiropractic care is only for neck and back pain. If that was the case, I would have named my practice “Chiropractic Back and Neck Center.” Chiropractic is so much more. Who wouldn’t want improved balance and posture? What about improved speed, coordination, and reaction time for sports performance and everyday life? Spinal stress and inflammation can compromise nerve flow to areas like shoulders,...

Rich Roll, Ultra-Marathoner and Ironman, is Plant Strong

I just finished reading a great book by Rich Roll called Finding Ultra. For anyone who participates in athletics or just takes care of the kids and wonders what might happen if they changed to a whole-foods plant based diet rich in superfoods, the answer is in Rich’s book. I recommend this book for two reasons. First, it contains Rich Roll’s inspiring story about overcoming alcoholism and middle-aged lethargy....

Childbirth Epidurals, Headaches and Back Pain

Recently, a nice young woman we’ll call Mrs. X came in to Chiropractic Advantage for some help. She was complaining of severe headaches and back pain. The headaches had started two years earlier, when Mrs. X received an epidural injection during childbirth. Evidently, the procedure did not go off ideally, and there was some leakage of spinal fluid at the injection site. Many of our patients have gone through...

Right Time, Right Place

Something is happening out there that’s got me very excited. For years, I have felt that I’ve been ahead of my time, trying to educate people how to lead a Healthier Lifestyle. (Trust me, it’s been an uphill battle; my advertising budget is about 2.7 billion dollars less than the big pharmaceutical companies’.) What’s got me excited? People like high school senior Phillip Adilukito, who gave a presentation on...

What Does Nancy Run On? Standard Process S.P. Complete Dairy-Free

Here’s to Nancy Yavorsky, who recently stopped into our office to say hello and pick up some S.P. Complete Dairy Free, the shake powder she uses to train for marathon running. S.P. Complete is made from whole foods like organic, raw dried kale and brussel sprouts. So far this year, Nancy’s completed a huge marathon in Texas (look at the size of that medal!) and the Los Angeles Marathon....

Genetically Modified Foods Trigger Belly Pain

Get ready for another pain in the belly. New information released by the Institute for Responsible Technology indicates that genetically modified foods (GM foods) trigger problems like impaired digestion and imbalanced gut flora. In turn, our injured guts may be more likely to become sensitive to gluten, found in foods like wheat. Wheat itself is not genetically modified, although it has been hybridized (bred for certain traits). While originally,...

When Back Pain Lingers

Pain has its purpose at times. We drop a hot pan to prevent a burn. We stop overworking a muscle when it signals us that we’re sore. When the source of injury stops, the body takes over and begins the healing process. It happens to us every day, automatically, as our bodies go about healing and repairing without us giving it much of a thought. But what happens when...

Back Pain Overtreated by M.D.’s

If the brakes on your car were squealing, what would you think of your mechanic if he/she did expensive diagnostic testing on your car, then supplied you with and expensive set of earplugs to cover up the squealing sound? Crazy? Yes, but that’s the approach your medical doctor is likely to take when your back or neck sounds the pain alarm on you! According to researchers at Harvard Medical...

Playing “Chicken” with Chicken

Every day, I talk to people about what they eat. Let me tell you the number one food I wish they would leave alone: chicken. People decide to give up red meat, so that leaves chicken, right? The average American is consuming 83 pounds of it per year. If you knew that today’s chicken is now a top-five source of saturated fat, would you be as enthusiastic about it?...