Smell The Roses

I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose
husband unexpectedly died of a heart attack. About a week after
his death, she shared some of her insight with a classroom of
students. As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in
through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, she
moved a few things aside on the edge of her desk and sat down
there.
With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and
said, “Before class is over, I would like to share with all of
you a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I feel is
very important. Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share,
love, appreciate and give of ourselves…and none of us knows
when this fantastic experience will end. It can be taken away at
any moment. Perhaps this is God’s way of telling us that we must
make the most out of every single day.”
Her eyes beginning to water, she went on, “So I would like you
all to make me a promise… from now on, on your way to school,
or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice. It
doesn’t have to be something you see — it could be a scent –
perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of someone’s house, or
it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves
in the trees, or the way the morning light catches one autumn
leaf as it falls gently to the ground. Please, look for these
things, and cherish them. For, although it may sound trite to
some, these things are the “stuff” of life. The little things we
are put here on earth to enjoy. The things we often take for
granted. We must make it important to notice them, for at any
time… it can all be taken away.”
The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and
filed out of the room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more
things on my way home from school than I had that whole semester.
Every once in a while, I think of that teacher and remember what
an impression she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate all
of those things that sometimes we all overlook.
Take notice of something special you see on your lunch hour
today. Go barefoot. Or walk on the beach at sunset. Stop off on
the way home tonight to get a double-dip ice cream cone. For as
we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret,
but the things we didn’t do.
– Author Unknown

Carpenters........

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-
contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and
live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended
family.
He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could
get by.The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and
asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor.
The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his
heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and
used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his
career.
When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to
inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to
the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.”
What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was
building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.
Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.
So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way,
reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the
best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort.
Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and
find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had
realized that we would have done it differently.
Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each
day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build
wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live
it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived
graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, “Life
is a do-it-yourself project.” Your life tomorrow will be the
result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.
– Author Unknown

Breakfast Anyone?

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, and 3) and have recently
completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was
Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the
qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with.
Her last project of the term was called “Smile.” The class was
asked to go out and smile at three people and document their
reactions. I am a very friendly person and always smile at
everyone and say hello anyway, so, I thought this would be a
piece of cake, literally.
Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest
son, and I went out to McDonald’s one crisp March morning. It was
just our way of sharing special playtime with our son. We were
standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden
everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband
did. I did not move an inch. An overwhelming feeling of panic
welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved.
As I turned around I smelled a horrible “dirty body” smell, and
there standing behind me were two poor homeless men. As I looked
down at the short gentleman close to me, he was “smiling”. His
beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God’s Light as he searched
for acceptance. He said, “Good day,” as he counted the few coins
he had been clutching.
The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his
friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged, and
the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation. I held my tears as I
stood there with them.
The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He
said, “Coffee is all Miss” because that was all they could
afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up,
they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).
Then I really felt it – the compulsion was so great I almost
reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes. That
is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me,
judging my every action. I smiled and asked the young lady behind
the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate
tray.
I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had
chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my
hand on the blue-eyed gentleman’s cold hand. He looked up at me,
with tears in his eyes, and said, “Thank you.” I leaned over,
began to pat his hand and said, “I did not do this for you. God
is here working through me to give you hope.”
I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son.
When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, “That is why
God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope.” We held hands for a
moment, and at that time, we knew that it was only because of the
Grace we had been given that we were able to give. We are
believers.
That day showed me the pure Light of God’s sweet love. I returned
to college on the last evening of class with this story in hand.
I turned in “my project” and the instructor read it. Then she
looked up at me and said, “Can I share this?” I slowly nodded as
she got the attention of the class.
She began to read, and that is when I knew that we as human
beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and
to be healed. In my own way, I had touched the people at
McDonald’s, my husband, son, instructor, and every soul that
shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college
student. I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever
learn: UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.
- Author Unknown

Ultimate Happiness

Leaders exist in all walks of life. More importantly, everyone has the potential of acting in a leadership position. We can all be more successful by establishing a positive attitude and also by having an attitude of gratitude. Leadership includes vitality, charm, being flexible and also having a good sense of humor. It also includes a knowingness that things will work out. By choosing or intending to operate from the position of being positive is the first thing we can do to improve whatever situation we are encountering or approaching.
Even as children we were groomed to be leaders. We may not fully realize that we have learned tremendous amounts of leadership skills on the play field, perhaps in Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts, and most certainly in classrooms throughout the country. As children, we may have earned very high grade levels or participated in extra curriculum activities, that without our realizing, has helped us to develop incredible leadership abilities. Our working and also participating in activities such as music, arts, and sports has also provided us with amazing leadership abilities. These activities taught us how to work with others. We learned valuable time management skills, and also gained visual or other creative outlets. Our participation in these activities may have also included our working within a teamed environment or perhaps working independently. And as we progressed through school and achieved higher levels of academic success our participation also resulted in our confidence levels increasing.
Confidence is an extraordinary gift that allows us to assess a situation and make appropriate decisions. In being confident allows us also to take on more responsibilities and also be able to delegate tasks to others. Our confidence also allows us to accept credit for doing a good job and furthermore allows us to be able to extend credit to others for their good work and participation. It may also include communicating effectively. Dependability allows us to follow through with projects in a timely manner and also helps keep the project moving in a constructive and forward manner. Good judgment is a by-product of being positive as it provides us with an ability to make rational decisions – especially in times of stress. Creativity includes utilizing a visual or inner knowing that may also be expressive in an original way of thinking — similar to the way musicians and artists use to create songs or other works of art.
When we are calm and use or rely on our own inner gifts and talents, we are capable of making wiser decisions. When we are happy to be included in a project and also enjoy the work that we are doing, we are certainly much more inclined to be flexible, responsible, and determined to participate and accomplish the tasks that we are overseeing or are responsible to complete. Leadership is about making worthwhile contributions and also learning from past mistakes. Learning when to listen or perhaps assessing when it is necessary to assert ourselves. Our being an advocate for the project and perhaps for the staff assigned to working with us also helps us to be a part of creating something worthwhile.
Each time we interact with ourselves or others in a positive manner helps to ensure the success of our projects. Each time we clarify details and expectations related to our projects also helps the projects to be even more successful. These simple recommendations are mostly common sense. Leadership is about moving forward within one project, and then on to another, and another. Leadership is also about continuing to develop skills that will keep us aligned in the direction of our business, completing our projects, and accomplishing our short and long termed goals. However, if we are spinning, we are not acting in a manner that is conducive to positive team building or completion of our current projects or tasks. Achieving positive results, in a timely manner, is always necessary and included on some level within any goal. And if by chance, we or members of our teams are not achieving positive results in a timely manner, we need to determine what is out of alignment and quickly make constructive changes. Sometimes what may be out of alignment are our expectations. We may expect ourselves or others to perform in a manner that is unrealistic. We may be short-handed, limited in resources or perhaps unmotivated. We may also be relying on others who are also challenged in similar ways. Continuing to work in these manners realistically prevents us from achieving our goals.
So how do we keep ourselves and others motivated to continue moving forward? As effective leaders, we have to come from a position of acceptance and love. It is helpful to be in gratitude. It is also helpful for us to keep track of gains of progress in order to remind ourselves and our team members of how much that we have accomplished. Keeping success logs or files that includes positive quotes or articles is also helpful and encouraging. All of our skills come into play when we are engaging in leadership activities. A good sense of humor helps keep the atmosphere and our role aligned with being in the state of enjoyment. Remaining optimistic and present helps to motivate and incent ourselves and others that we can achieve our goals. The most important leadership skill that we possess is holding in mind what we would like to achieve. Stay focused and be certain to get feedback so you know that you are on target.
Be certain to always have a positive intention for each level of your project. Comments like, “Everything will work out Ok!” Or “It’s all good!” Or perhaps something like, “Our team members are highly qualified and always do a wonderful job!” These types of intentions always help us to achieve even better results. By focusing on being positive and seeing our projects as completed exactly the way we would like, is helping us to move forward in an effortless manner. This mindset helps us to be even more effective leaders.
The Release Technique, L. Crane

Chiropractic and Work Related-Sciatica

Work-related sciatica is clinically challenging and an expensive problem for our health care systems. One recent study found that workers with sciatica are significantly more likely to be prescribed opioids for their condition.¹ Another study found that workers with low back pain and sciatica showed the highest level of disability of all back pain patients.²
With these issues in mind, the orthopedic medicine department of a hospital in Norway has examined the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment with patients with severe sciatic pain. This new study³ looked at 44 workers who presented at the hospital with severe sciatic pain that required hospitalization. “The patients underwent clinical, neurologic, and radiological examinations as well as laboratory screening, including urine specimens, parameters of infection, and system diseases.”
The hospital chiropractor then performed a chiropractic examination on each patient that included an analysis of posture and gait, passive and active range of motion, and palpation of the lumbar spine. “The main treatment consisted of joint adjustment techniques of the lumbopelvic fixations, usually performed in a side posture position...Joint adjustments in other parts of the spine and limbs were usually necessary as a result of the compensatory dysfunction.” Ice treatment was applied after the adjustment, since there was soft-tissue soreness experienced by the patients.
“Patients were treated daily while they were in the hospital; they were treated for 3 days a week for the first 2 weeks while they were in the clinic. Depending on need, some patients received follow-up treatment once or twice a week for some time. Following Norwegianpublic health regulations, cost refunding is limited to 14 treatments; therefore, the total number of treatments rarely exceeded this number.”
The authors found the following:

• All of the patients had experienced three or more weeks of pain before hospitalization.
• 35 patients underwent MRI and 7 had CT scans; there were no structural changes on any of the imaging tests.
• After the treatment, 40 patients (91%) returned to work full-time within an average of 21.1 days.
• Two patients returned at reduced work levels: one at 80% and another at 50%.

“The positive effects of cooperation between orthopedic surgeons and chiropractors may be measured in the reduced duration of sick leaves.” The study refers to Norwegian public health records that show that the average patient with sciatica is disabled for 72 days; in this study, the time to return-to-work was just 21 days—a 70% reduction.
The authors point to how chiropractic can improve functioning in the spine:
Stimulation of “muscle spindles caused by sprain strain has been shown to be capable of starting a long-lasting train of action potentials in the motor neuron (i.e., long-lasting muscle contraction in the motor unit in question). Similarly, a brief inhibitory impulse, such as that from antagonistic muscles, may stop the signal train in the motor neuron. Chiropractic joint adjustment probably provides a similar inhibitory impulse. The chiropractic joint adjustments must cross the barrier of passive joint motion range to stimulate muscle spindle receptors.”

1. Stover BD, Turner JA, Franklin G, et al. Factors associated with early opioid prescription among workers with low back injuries. Journal of Pain 2006;7(10):718-25.
2. Arana E, Marti-Bonmati L, Vega M, et al. Relationship between low back pain, disability, MR imaging findings and health care provider. Skeletal Radiology 2006;35(9):641-7.
3. Orlin JR, Didriksen A. Results of chiropractic treatment of lumbopelvic fixation in 44 patients admitted to an orthopedic department. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2007;30:135-139

Chiropractic Information

Chiropractic More Effective Than Physical Therapy for Back Pain

Numerous studies have shown that chiropractic can be an effective treatment for patients with low back pain. Now a new report¹ has looked further into the effectiveness of chiropractic by comparing it to physical therapy treatment, and, more significantly, studying the long-term benefits of chiropractic as measured by the annual number of office visits.
Most studies that look at long-term effects of treatment simply look at self-reported outcomes: level of pain and disability. This study took a different approach. By examining how much care patients sought after the initial study period, they could determine the effect each treatment method had on future health care consumption:
“Care seeking behavior by patients with low back pain is most commonly associated with increased pain and disability, meaning more care is sought when worse symptoms are experienced. The amount of health care utilized may therefore be used as a measure of patient health status, and thus may be compared between groups of patients to determine effectiveness of certain therapies.”
“Proctor et al.² determined that about 25% of patients with chronic, disabling, work-related musculoskeletal disorders pursue new health care services after completing a course of treatment, and among those who sought additional health care from a new provider, a subgroup of <15 a="a" accounted="accounted" an="an" and="and" care="care" chronic="chronic" dimension="dimension" disabling="disabling" disorders="disorders" disproportionate="disproportionate" disputes.="disputes." financial="financial" for="for" from="from" further="further" health="health" important="important" in="in" is="is" lost="lost" more="more" musculoskeletal="musculoskeletal" new="new" of="of" ongoing="ongoing" outcome="outcome" p="p" patients="patients" post-treatment="post-treatment" procedures="procedures" productivity="productivity" provider="provider" share="share" stated="stated" surgical="surgical" that="that" they="they" utilization="utilization" with="with" work-related="work-related" worker="worker">The authors started with 191 patients with low back pain. 107 patients received chiropractic care (flexion/distraction treatment, or FD) and 84 patients received active exercise therapy (EP) from physical therapists. All patients received treatment 2 to 4 times per week for four weeks. The study subjects were then followed for one year to assess outcomes. The authors found:

• 38% of the FD patients and 54% of the EP patients sought care for their back pain during the one-year follow-up.
• FD patients had an average of 2.2 visits to a health care provider after the treatment period, while EP patients had an average of 6 visits.

“We hypothesized that there would be no group difference in the average number of visits to any health care provider. The results demonstrated that actually there were significant group differences during the year after trial participation, with a higher number of visits to any health care provider and to a general practitioner in the EP group.”
The authors conclude:
“Based on one-year follow-up data imputed for complete analysis, participants who received physical therapy (exercise program) during a clinical trial attended a higher number of visits to any health care provider and to general practitioners during the year after care when compared to participants who received chiropractic care (flexion distraction) within the trial.”

1. Cambron JA, Gudavalli MR, McGregor M, et al. Amount of health care and self-care following a randomized clinical trial comparing flexion-distraction with exercise program for chronic low back pain. Chiropractic and Osteopathy 2006:14:19.
2. Proctor TJ, Mayer TG, Gatchel RJ, McGreary DD: Unremitting health care utilization outcomes of tertiary rehabilitation of patients with chronic musculoskeletal disorders. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery 2004, 86A:62-69.

Chiropractic Safe And Effective For Back Pain During Pregnancy

Low back pain can be a serious problem during pregnancy: studies show that over half of women report back pain at some point during pregnancy. Furthermore, as a new study1 explains, many women experience their first episode of back pain during pregnancy:
“The incidence of low back pain with an onset during pregnancy has been reported to be 61%. It has been shown that among women with low back pain of pregnancy, 75% reported no low back pain before pregnancy. In a study of women with chronic low back pain, up to 28% stated that their first episode of back pain occurred during a pregnancy.”
In this report, the authors studied 17 women with low back pain lasting an average of 21.7 days. The intensity of the back pain was 5.9 on a 1-10 scale, and the onset of pain occurred at 20.6 weeks into the pregnancy.
Each study participant was treated according to the particular symptoms that the patient was experiencing. The authors reported the following:

• About half of the women were self-referred, and the other half were referred by their obstetrician.
• The average time to reach clinically significant pain relief was 4.5 days, while the range was from 0 to 13 days after the initial treatment.
• The average number of treatments necessary to reach clinically relevant pain relief was 1.8.
• The pain levels decreased from the 5.9 at the beginning of the study to 1.5 at the end.
• The patients received between 3 to 15 treatments, with the average being 5.6.
• One patient did not experience clinically significant pain reduction.
• There were no adverse reactions reported by any of the patients.

Low back pain during pregnancy may not seem like a serious problem, but it can have adverse affects on the woman’s health, as the authors explain:
“In most instances, the average pain level is moderate, but severe pain has been reported in 15% of cases. Pain intensity often increases with duration and can result in significant disability. Sleep disturbances have been reported by 49% to 58% of women and impaired daily living by 57% in women with low back pain of pregnancy.
“Despite the apparent impact it has on women, many cases of low back pain of pregnancy go unreported to prenatal providers and/or untreated. Wang et al. found that just 32% of women reported their low back pain of pregnancy to their prenatal providers, and just 25% of these providers recommended a treatment. Skaggs et al. found that among women with low back pain of pregnancy, 80% thought that their providers had not offered treatment for their back pain.”
This study shows that chiropractic effectively reduced pain from low back pain during pregnancy, without any adverse effects.
Lisi AJ. Chiropractic spinal manipulation for low back pain of pregnancy: a retrospective case series. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health 2006;51:e7-e10.

Chiropractic and Osteoarthritis

Numerous studies have shown that chiropractic can be an effective treatment for lumbar spinal pain. A new study1 describes the previously reported benefits of chiropractic:
“Giles and Muller compared the outcomes of acupuncture, medication, and spinal manipulation on spinal pain syndromes. Only spinal manipulation led to significant improvement. Rao et al. reported that 73% of the patients who sought pain relief treatment from both a rheumatologist and an alternative form of medicine found chiropractic care to be helpful. It may be reasonably concluded that chiropractic care is a successful treatment for lower back pain.” ¹
No previous study, however, has examined the effectiveness of chiropractic for back pain symptoms in patients with osteoarthritis. This current report set out to do just that, by comparing chiropractic treatment to moist heat treatment. Previous studies² have shown that application of heat to the affected area is an effective self-management tool for arthritis symptoms.
The authors of this study recruited 252 patients with osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine; subjects were excluded if they were currently receiving chiropractic care, physical therapy, or were using anti-inflammatory medications.
The patients were divided into two groups: the treatment group received 20 chiropractic treatments with 15 minutes of moist heat; the control group received only the moist heat treatments. The subjects were evaluated at 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 weeks for pain levels, activities of daily living (ADL), and range of motion.
The study found significant improvements in the patients who were given the chiropractic/moist heat treatments, as illustrated by the following graph that shows average extension of the spine measured at each evaluation point:

Here is a summary of the other findings:

• Chiropractic was significantly more effective in reducing pain than moist heat alone, even though both treatments reduced pain to some degree.
• The study examined right and left lateral flexion, average flexion, and average extension. “Chiropractic care plus moist heat is more effective than moist heat alone for improving ROM, as measured by these particular tests.”
• Chiropractic care was also more effective in improving daily activities, while moist heat alone did not improve ADL.

The authors conclude:
“There are no studies in the literature that evaluate the effectiveness of chiropractic care in the treatment of OA. We found that chiropractic care was significantly better than moist heat alone for the treatment of OA. Although moist heat did improve low back pain, there is a more rapid and greater decline in pain under the treatment condition than with moist heat alone. The chiropractic treatment group also showed a more rapid and greater increase in range and flexion scores. With the exception of standing, sleeping, and sexual activity, chiropractic treatment participants reported a statistically significant improvement in their ADL.”

1. Beyerman KL, Palmerino MB, Zohn LE, Kane GM, Foster KA. Efficacy of treating low back pain and dysfunction secondary to osteoarthritis: chiropractic care compared with moist heat alone. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2006;29:107-114.
2. Veitiene D, Tamulaitiene M. Comparison of self-management methods for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 2005;(37)1:58-60.

Neck and Back Pain in Children... The Role of Backpacks

Public health experts have recognized for many years that excessively heavy backpacks can cause back and neck pain in children. Three new studies have recently been published on this issue, and they shed some light on prevention of back pain in children.

Physical and Psychological Factors in Children with Back Pain

This British study¹ was designed to examine ergonomic and other factors that might account for back and neck pain in schoolchildren.
The authors gave questionnaires to 697 children aged 11-14. Of these students, 27% reported having neck pain, 18% reported having upper back pain, and 22% reported having low back pain.
After analysis of the collected data, the authors found the following:

• Neck pain was linked to school furniture, emotional and conduct problems, family history of low back pain and previous treatment for musculoskeletal disorders.
• Upper back pain was associated with backpack weight, school furniture, emotional problems, and previous treatment of musculoskeletal pain.
• Low back pain complaints were associated with school furniture, emotional issues, and “family history and previous injury or accident.”

Effects of Backpack Weight on Posture

This Italian study² looked at 43 students with an average age of 12.5 years. The authors tested each of the children with an 8-kg and 12-kg backpack, and they had the children wear them over one shoulder and two shoulders. Posture was evaluated on the children while they did a 7-minute treadmill walk.
The authors found that the posture of the children was substantially altered under load. Not surprisingly, asymmetrical loading (carrying the backpack on one shoulder rather than both), resulted in the most complex postural changes.
“Our results suggest that a 12 kg load, fairly common in this population (carried at least once a week), seems to push the postural system to its physiological limits.” ²
They found that the postural changes were corrected once the load was removed, but the long-term consequences of these excessive weights are unknown.
Limit Backpack Weight to 10% of Child’s Body Weight

In the third report,³ the researchers interviewed 531 children from 5th to 12th grade and weighed the backpack of each student. The found that:

• “Younger students and females are more at risk due to relatively lower body weight...”
• Female students carried heavier backpacks than did male students.
• “Greater relative backpack weight is associated with upper– and mid–back pain reports but not neck or lower back pain; it is also associated with lost school time, lost school sports time, and greater chiropractic utilization.”

The authors of this study recommend that backpacks weigh no more than 10% of the child’s body weight, which is lower than the current recommendation of 15%. Previous studies have found that students often carry between 17-22% of their body weight. ²
From these studies, it’s clear that a significant number of children suffer from neck and back pain. Because a substantial portion of these complaints may originate in backpack usage, it is critical when dealing with children with neck and back pain to ask about backpack usage. Musculoskeletal pain in children is especially a concern since it has been associated with pain in adulthood.

1. Murphy S, Buckle P, Stubbs D. A cross-sectional study of self-reported back and neck pain among English schoolchildren and associated physical and psychological risk factors. Applied Ergonomics 2007;38(6):797-804.
2. Negrini S, Negrini A. Postural effects of symmetrical and asymmetrical loads on the spines of schoolchildren. Scoliosis 2007;2(1):8.
3. Moore MJ, White GL, Moore DL. Association of Relative Backpack Weight With Reported Pain, Pain Sites, Medical Utilization, and Lost School Time in Children and Adolescents. Journal of School Health 2007;77(5):232-239.

Chiropractic and Spinal Stenosis

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a serious health problem, especially among the elderly. “Spinal stenosis has been defined as any narrowing of the spinal canal or the various tunnels through which nerves and other structures communicate with that canal.” 1 The most common symptoms of LSS are:

• Pain and numbness in the low back.
• Pain and numbness in the legs and buttocks.
• Symptoms are usually worse after walking or extension of the lumbar spine.
• Symptoms improve with flexion of the lower back.

The authors of a new study2 discuss the problem of LSS:
“LSS is one of the most common reasons for spine surgery in older people, although little is known about the efficacy of surgical management of patients with LSS, particularly compared to non-surgical management. It is generally felt that most patients with LSS should be managed non-surgically before considering surgical intervention, but little is also known about what non-surgical approaches are most efficacious.”
The researchers set out to determine if chiropractic is beneficial for these patients. They studied 55 patients with LSS diagnosed by MRI or CT scans. Each patient was given questionnaires to determine disability and pain intensity before treatment and at a 16-month follow-up. In addition, the subjects were questioned regarding improvement every 3 to 4 weeks during treatment.
The patients were treated with the following techniques:

• Distraction Manipulation (DM) – a technique where the patient lies prone on a table that “allows for distraction of the spine through inferiorforward and flexion movement of the lower body.”
• Neural Mobilization (NM) – “a manual and exercise oriented method that is theorized to mobilize nerve roots that are suspected to be the source of nerve root pain.”

Patients were given individual treatment plans, but generally were seen 2-3 times per week for three weeks, then one or two times a week after that. The average number of treatments was 13.3.
The authors reported the following findings at the completion of treatment:

• The average patient-rated improvement was 65.1% from baseline to the end of treatment.
• The average patient improvement in disability was 5.1 points on the Roland Morris Back Pain and Disability (RM) questionnaire.
• There were also significant improvements in “worst pain.”

At the 16 month follow-up:

• The average patient-rated improvement was 75.6%.
• The average improvement in disability was 5.2 points on the RM.
• “Clinically meaningful improvement in disability was seen in 73.2% of patients.”
• The average improvement in “on average pain” was 3.0 points on the RM.
• The average improvement in “at worst pain” was 4.2 points on the RM.
• Only two patients needed surgery by the 16 month follow-up.

Other studies have looked at the natural course of LSS with conservative treatment, and it appears from this study that chiropractic may be more effective than other treatments. A 1996 study3 found that “non-surgical” treatment resulted in improvement of only 1.6 points on the RM after one year.
The authors conclude:
“The combination of DM and NM may be a safe and effective approach for patients with LSS. Because the sample size is relatively small and there is no control group, firm conclusions regarding this cannot be drawn. The outcome of this approach compares favorably with other non-surgical treatments, and treatment with DM and NM may be a viable non-surgical option before considering surgery for LSS.”

1. Nowakowski P, Delitto A, Erhard RE. Lumbar spinal stenosis. Physical Therapy 1996;76:187-190.
2. Murphy DR, Hurwitz EL, Gregory AA, Clary R. A non-surgical approach to the management of lumbar spinal stenosis: a prospective observational cohort study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2006;7:16.
3. Atlas SJ, Deyo RA, Keller RB, et al. The Maine Lumbar Spine Study. Part III. 1-year outcomes of surgical and nonsurgical management of lumbar spinal stenosis. Spine 1996;21:1787-1795.

Chiropractic For Disc Herniation

Over the last few years, it has been recognized in the medical literature that conservative treatment works best for many cases of lumbar disk herniation. For patients with far-lateral, or extreme lateral herniation, however, the effectiveness of conservative care is less certain. This recent case study looked at the outcomes of nonsurgical management of a client with far-lateral disc herniation.
The 60-year-old male client was physically active, and had been seen at a Spine Specialty Center previously for treatment for lower back pain, which resolved. 15 months later, he presented at the Center again with severe back pain (present for 3 weeks), with pain radiating to his right buttock and calf.
Presenting Symptoms:

• Score of 73 (out of 100) on the Oswestry Low Back Questionnaire, and Numerical Pain Ratings of 6 (best) to 10 (worst) on a 1-10 scale.
• Difficulty transitioning from sitting to standing
• Altered gait
• Inability to assume erect position
• Lateral list to left
• Asymmetric static pelvic landmarks (right iliac crest 4 degrees high posteriorly, 2 degrees high anteriorly with standing).
• Pain on right side with lateral and backward bends

Initial treatment included manipulation, traction, and passive movements. This was followed up by instruction in self-correction exercises to be followed at home.
Follow-up consisted of:
2 days later: More traction/passive movement and gradual increase in weight bearing, and the patient was fitted with a back brace.
6 days later: manipulation was performed and the patient returned to work part-time. A MRI and surgical consult were also requested during this fourth visit.
The lumbar MRI showed a lateral L5, S1 disc rupture with L5 nerve impingement; due to patient improvement, surgery was deferred. The patient was at work full-time, with his primary complaint sitting intolerance. With consultation, 1 week later a CT-guided transforaminal lumbar epidural and nerve root steroid injection were performed. Three days later, leg pain was reduced and the patient was sleeping better, was working full-time, and was driving.
The patient was then referred to physical therapy for further rehabilitation.
By the end of 4 weeks of physical therapy—8 weeks after being seen initially for the herniation—the patient had achieved scores of 0 on the Numeric Pain Scale, and of 2 (out of 100) on the Oswestry Low Back Pain Questionnaire.
During 2 follow-up visits at 14 weeks and 20 weeks after the initial complaint, all scores were 0. The patient was exercising by running or alternatively using a stair climbing machine with no pain, and continuing his stabilization exercises. He was asymptomatic 1 year later at follow-up.
The study authors also note that this patient responded well to nonsurgical intervention, but was very fit, motivated, and compliant with treatment. The case study did demonstrate the fact that a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment seems most effective: from manipulation and passive motion/traction, to epidural steroid injection once the effectiveness of these first interventions had plateaued, followed up by physical therapy and ongoing exercises.
Erhard RE, Welch WC, Liu B, Vignovi M. Far-lateral disk herniation: case report, review of the literature, and a description of nonsurgical management. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2004;27:e3.

Chiropractic and Pain Relief

Low back pain is a very common condition, and one that is very expensive for our health care system. Experts estimate that chronic back pain costs the US about $100 billion each year in direct and indirect costs. As the authors of a new study write:
“One factor explaining these enormous costs is the high rate of recurrence and chronic disability related to low-back disorders…It has been suggested that only 10% of LBP patients generate more than 80% of the total costs related to LBP.”
Because of the enormous costs of treating chronic back pain, prevention is an important goal. This current study set out to examine the role of chiropractic in treating chronic low back pain. The authors studied 30 patients who had back pain for at least six months. All patients were subjected to a one-month control period that consisted of no treatment. This was included so that the researchers could observe the natural course of the back pain symptoms.
After this baseline period, half of the patients (Group 1) received intensive chiropractic treatment consisting of 12 treatments in one month, then no treatments for nine months. The other half of the patients (Group 2) received the same intensive treatment, but also received maintenance chiropractic treatments every 3 weeks for nine months. At the end of the nine-month period, both groups were again examined.
After analyzing the results, the authors found the following:

• Pain levels were reduced in both groups of patients. The intensive month of chiropractic adjustments reduced pain, even without follow-up care.
• Disability levels, however, showed a different response. For the patients with no continuing treatment, the disability levels returned to their pretreatment levels on the Oswestry. The Group 2 patients – who received maintenance care – continued to see improvement in disability scores over the whole nine months.

The following graph illustrates the differences between the two groups on disability levels:

The authors conclude:
“This study appears to confirm previous reports showing that LBP and disability scores are reduced after spinal manipulation. It also shows the positive effects of preventive chiropractic treatment in maintaining functional capacities and reducing the number and intensity of pain episodes after an acute phase of treatment. Maintenance chiropractic care involving spinal manipulation combined with other treatment modalities (exercises, pain management program) should be investigated. Such combined interventions may have a critical influence on pain, disability, and return to work.”
Descarreaux M, Blouin JS, Drolet M, Papadimitriou S, Teasdale N. Efficacy of preventive spinal manipulation for chronic low-back pain and related disabilities: a preliminary study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2004;27:509-514.

Chiropractic for Health

According to Dr. Bob Moulas of Orange, CA, up to 80% of Americans will suffer from some form of back pain in their lives. Whether it’s low, mid, or upper back pain, all of these back problems share a common bond, which is pain.

A chiropractor can put diagnosis and treatment into perspective for the back-pain sufferer. They can take x-rays of the back and find out what is causing the back pain. It may even be an injury that the person never knew existed. When x-rays are done, they can help chiropractors pinpoint the cause for back pain and people will understand what they can do to help alleviate their back pain.

Ice Cream

Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son

asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said: "God

is good. God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even

thank you more if mom gets us ice cream for dessert,and Liberty

and justice for all! Amen."

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard

a woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids

today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice-cream! Why,

I never!"

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it

wrong? Is God mad at me?" As I held him and assured him that he

had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an

elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and

said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great

prayer." "Really?" my son asked. "Cross my heart." Then in a

theatrical whisper he added (indicating the woman whose remark

had started this whole thing), "Too bad she never asks God for

ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."

Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My

son stared at his for a moment and then did something I will

remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and,

without saying a word, walked over and placed it in front of the

woman that made the remark. With a big smile he told her, "Here,

this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes, and my

soul is good already."

-- Author Unknown

Chiropractic Care: A safe way to heal the body

There are a lot of misconceptions about chiropractic. Forget the rumors you’ve heard about chiropractors, and learn the facts about this safe and effective path to wellness.
Chiropractic care is not new.
Spinal adjustments aren’t a new-age fad. The Greeks and Chinese were writing about chiropractic manipulations as far back as 2700 BCE. Even the Greek doctor Hippocrates wrote about the importance of spinal manipulations.
The practice began to take formal shape in the late 1800s. Today, chiropractic has become an important part of the health-care landscape. Medicare, Medicaid, and other government health care programs recognize and cover chiropractic care.
Chiropractors are trained health care professionals.
Chiropractic students attend schools with curricula just as demanding as those of medical students. Courses include instruction in anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. Each candidate completes a residency program under the supervision of experienced chiropractic doctors. After successfully completing a program, the student receives a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, or D.C.
All chiropractors must pass a minimum of four tests that are administered by a national board. To maintain their licenses, these health care professionals must also take a specific number of continuing education credits each year, and a chiropractor must meet licensing requirements for the state in which he or she practices. This rigorous training ensures that a licensed chiropractor is qualified to help you achieve the wellness you’re looking for.
Chiropractic methods are safe.
Conventional medical therapies can have many hazards. Even a treatment as commonplace as taking Tylenol for a headache can carry risks: In 2005, the American Journal of Gastroenterology published a study showing that more than one-third of acute liver failures are linked to acetaminophen misuse. Surgical procedures carry their own perils, including pain, infection, and even death.
In contrast, spinal adjustments are drug-free and non-invasive. Numerous studies published in peer-reviewed journals have found chiropractic care to be a safe treatment for a variety of conditions. According to one study that looked into the incidence of stroke in chiropractic patients, there is a higher risk of getting into a car accident on the way to the appointment than having a serious reaction to spinal adjustments.
If you’re looking for a low-risk, drug- and scalpel-free way to treat aches and pains and improve overall wellness, make an appointment to see a qualified chiropractor.

References
Haldeman S, Carey P, Townsend M, Papadopoulos C. Arterial dissections following cervical manipulation: the chiropractic experience. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 2001 Oct 2;165(7):905-6.
Lanas A, et al. A nationwide study of mortality associated with hospital admission due to severe gastrointestinal events and those associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2005;100:1685–1693.
Lauretti W. The Comparative Safety of Chiropractic. In Daniel Redwood, ed., Contemporary Chiropractic. New York: Churchill Livingstone, 1997, p. 230-8.

Traditional Health vs. Chiropractic Wellness

No fever. No nausea. No problem? Even the doctor says you’re fine, so why do you feel so cruddy? Perhaps you’ve been seeking health instead of wellness. This guide will explain how health is not the same as wellness, and how a chiropractor can help you achieve the wellness you deserve.

Health and standard medical treatment
Conventional medicine defines health as the absence of disease. When you have a problem, standard medical care focuses on treating the symptoms. For example, if you live with back pain, a physician might prescribe medications, which can have side effects, or recommend painful, pricey surgery. Some of these treatments are the equivalent of slapping a bandage on a bleeding wound—it might stop the bleeding, but it won’t do a thing to cure what caused the bleeding in the first place.

Wellness and chiropractic care
Wellness is a state in which the entire body works as it is designed to do. This means that you’ll feel well, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally.

Chiropractic care can help you achieve a state of wellness by looking for internal disturbances or misalignments, called vertebral subluxations, that have the potential to trigger a host of chronic conditions, from headaches to carpal tunnel syndrome. When the chiropractor finds one, he or she will manipulate the body back into a position that allows it to function properly. These adjustments are typically made with the hands, although sometimes the chiropractor will use special tools.

Because your chiropractor is concerned with wellness rather than applying a temporary fix to aches or pains, he or she may also recommend stretching or strengthening exercises that you can continue to do at home to keep your body in working order.

Be aware that there are conditions that require conventional medical treatments or procedures. However, if you are looking for a way to improve your quality of life and allow your body to heal itself in a healthy and natural way, it’s time to make a chiropractic care appointment.

Fat Burning

There's not a day that goes by where someone doesn't come to me asking for diet advice confused as to why they're NOT losing weight even though they don't eat "a lot"...and even if they're eating "healthy". The truth is that while "quanity" does matter, it's possible to still overconsume calories if choosing the wrong foods.

Some foods, even though they're considered very healthy, carry loads of calories in a very small amount of food. We call these calorically dense foods and if your diet is comprised of a bunch of them, you can easily gain weight even without eating "a lot" of food.

Here are some "healthy" examples of calorically dense foods:

1. Granola - granola, especially the varieties mixed with nuts can pack as many as 500 cals per cup!

2. Pasta - a moderate 1 and 1/2 cups of most pastas yield more than 60 grams of carbs and almost 350 calories

3. Avocado - avocado is awesome and a great source of monounsaturated fat, but one single avocado is over 300 calories and 30 grams of fat

4. Nuts and Nut Butters - nuts are super healthy, but one of the most calorically dense foods around. A few ounces could mean 400+ calories

5. Fruit Juice and Smoothies - all fruit juices are loaded with sugar and so are most "smoothie" shop smoothies (make your own with whole fruit)

6. Dried Fruit - dried fruits remove the water content which dramatically decreases volume...what's left is high in sugar and very calorically dense

7. "Whole Wheat" Breads - even the 100% whole wheat variety can pack a mean calorie punch if you're eating a lot of grains as part of your diet

8. Whole Grain Bagels - a large "deli" bagel is loaded with carbs and calories, many times over 400 cals in a single bagel

While some of the foods above are only "thought" to be healthy (fruit juice, whole grain bagels, etc), stuff like nuts, nut butters, and avocado are foods that I'd recommend in just about everyone's diet and they are indeed great choices.

That said, these calorically dense foods require that you monitor your intake of them closely. A few ounces of nuts, a couple tablespoons of nut butter, and an avocado is NOT a lot of food, but if you ate all of these every day, you'd be getting close to 1000 calories just right there.

Source: Bio Trust Nutrition

Tension Headaches

Manual therapy
People with tension-type headache often use chiropractic, manual therapy, spinal manipulation, soft tissue therapy, and myofascial trigger point treatment. A 2006 systematic review found no rigorous evidence supporting manual therapies for tension headache.^[15] A 2005 structured review found that the evidence was weak for effectiveness of chiropractic manipulation for tension headache, and that it was probably more effective for tension headache than for migraine.^[16] A 2004 Cochrane review found that spinal manipulation may be effective for migraine and tension headache, and that spinal manipulation and neck exercises may be effective for cervicogenic headache.^[17] Two other systematic reviews published between 2000 and May 2005 did not find conclusive evidence in favor of spinal manipulation.^[18]

 Prognosis

Tension headaches that do not occur as a symptom of another condition may be painful, but are not harmful. It is usually possible to receive relief through treatment. Tension headaches that occur as a symptom of another condition are usually relieved when the underlying condition is treated. Frequent use of pain medications in patients with tension-type headache may lead to the development of medication overuse headache or rebound headache.

Source: Wikipedia

Migraine Heagaches

Migraine is a chronic disorder characterized by recurrent moderate to severe headaches often in association with a number of autonomic nervous system symptoms. The word derives from the Greek ἡμικρανία (hemikrania), "pain on one side of the head",^[1] from ἡμι- (hemi-), "half", and κρανίον (kranion), "skull".^[2]
Typically the headache is unilateral (affecting one half of the head) and pulsating in nature, lasting from 2 to 72 hours. Associated symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, photophobia (increased sensitivity to light), phonophobia (increased sensitivity to sound) and the pain is generally aggravated by physical activity.^[3] Up to one-third of people with migraine headaches perceive an aura: a transient visual, sensory, language, or motor disturbance which signals that the headache will soon occur.^[3]
Migraines are believed to be due to a mixture of environmental and genetic factors.^[4] About two-thirds of cases run in families.^[5] Fluctuating hormone levels may also play a role: migraine affects slightly more boys than girls before puberty, but about two to three times more women than men.^[6][7] Propensity for migraines usually decreases during pregnancy.^[6] The exact mechanisms of migraines are not known. It is, however, believed to be a neurovascular disorder.^[5] The primary theory is related to increased excitability of the cerebral cortex and abnormal control of pain neurons in the trigeminal nucleus of the brainstem.^[8]
Initial recommended management is with simple analgesics such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen for the headache, an antiemetic for the nausea, and the avoidance of triggers. Specific agents such as triptans or ergotamines may be used by those for whom simple analgesics are not effective. Globally, more than 10% of the population is affected by migraine at some point in life.

Source: Wikipedia

Gift Of Love

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford

Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liza who was

suffering from a disease and needed a blood transfusion from her

five-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same

disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the

illness.

The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and

asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his

sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep

breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liza."

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister

and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her

cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.

He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice,

"Will I start to die right away?" Being young, the boy had

misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give

her all his blood.

-- Author Unknown

A Quiet Voice........

This little story reminds us to listen to that small quiet voice

from within -- you never know where it will lead you.

As a teacher of origami (the ancient Japanese art of paper

folding) at the LaFarge Lifelong Learning Institute in Milwaukee,

Wisconsin, Art Beaudry was asked to represent the school at an

exhibit at a large mall in Milwaukee. He decided to take along a

couple hundred folded paper cranes to pass out to people who

stopped at his booth.

Before that day, something strange happened -- a voice told him

to find a piece of gold foil paper and make a gold origami crane.

The voice was so insistent that Art actually found himself

rummaging through his collection of origami papers at home until

he found one flat, shiny piece of gold foil.

"Why am I doing this?" he asked himself. Art had never worked

with the shiny gold paper; it didn't fold as easily or neatly as

the crisp multicolored papers. But that little voice kept

nudging. Art tried to ignore the voice. "Why gold foil anyway?

Paper is much easier to work with," he grumbled.

The voice continued. "Do it! And give it to a special person." By

now Art was getting a little cranky. "What special person?" he

asked the voice. "You'll know which one," the voice said.

That evening Art carefully folded and shaped the unforgiving gold

foil until it became as graceful and delicate as a real crane

about to take flight. He packed the exquisite crane in the box

along with about 200 other colorful paper cranes he'd made over

the previous few weeks.

The next day at the mall, dozens upon dozens of people stopped by

Art's booth to ask questions about origami. He demonstrated the

art. He folded, unfolded and refolded. He explained the intricate

details, the need for sharp creases.

Then, suddenly, there was a woman standing in front of Art. Was

this that special person? Art had never seen her before, and she

hadn't said a word as she watched him carefully fold a pink piece

of paper into a crane with pointed, graceful wings.

Art glanced up at her face, and before he realized it, he found

himself reaching for the "gold-foil crane" he'd labored over the

night before. Carefully he picked up the gold crane, and gently

placed it in the woman's hand.

Art said: "I don't know why, but a voice told me to give you that

golden crane. The crane is the ancient symbol of peace," Art

said

simply.

The woman didn't say a word as she slowly cupped her hand around

the fragile bird as if it were alive. When Art looked at her

face, he saw tears filling her eyes.

Finally, the woman took a deep breath and said, "My husband died

three weeks ago. This is the first time I've been out. Today...."

She wiped her eyes with her free hand, still gently cradling the

golden crane with the other. Then she said very quietly, as

tears

streamed down her face. "Today would have been our 'golden'

wedding anniversary."

Then the lady said in a clear voice, "Thank you so much for this

beautiful gift. Now I know that my husband is at peace.

Don't you see? The voice you heard, it was the voice of God, and

this beautiful crane is a gift from Him. It's the most wonderful

50th wedding anniversary gift I could have received. Thank you

for listening to Holy Spirit within your heart."

And that's how Art learned to listen very carefully, when the

Holy Spirit speaks to him within, and tells him to do things he

may not understand -- now or even later.

Are you listening, my friend? God may be speaking to you.

-- Author Unknown

Removing Rocks..........................

A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his
sandbox. He had with him his box of cars and trucks, his plastic
pail, and a shiny, red plastic shovel. In the process of creating
roads and tunnels in the soft sand, he discovered a large rock in
the middle of the sandbox.
The boy dug around the rock, managing to dislodge it from the
dirt. With a little bit of struggle, he pushed and nudged the
rock across the sandbox by using his feet. (He was a very small
boy, and the rock was very large.) When the boy got the rock to
the edge of the sandbox however, he found that he couldn't roll
it up and over the little wall.
Determined, the little boy shoved, pushed, and pried, but every
time he thought he had made some progress, the rock tipped and
then fell back into the sandbox. The little boy grunted,
struggled, pushed, & shoved; but his only reward was to have the
rock roll back, smashing his chubby fingers.
Finally he burst into tears of frustration. All this time the
boy's father watched from his living room window as the drama
unfolded. At the moment the tears fell, a large shadow fell
across the boy and the sandbox. It was the boy's father. Gently
but firmly he said,
"Son, why didn't you use all the strength that you had
available?"
Defeated, the boy sobbed back,
"But I did, Daddy, I did! I used all the strength that I had!"
"No, son," corrected the father kindly.
"You didn't use all the strength you had. You didn't ask me."
With that the father reached down, picked up the rock and removed
it from the sandbox.
Do you have "rocks" in your life that need to be removed? Are you
discovering that you don't have what it takes to lift them? There
is One who is always available to us and willing to give us the
strength we need. Isn't it funny how we try so hard to do things
ourselves.
-- Author Unknown

The Wallet

As I walked home one freezing day, I stumbled on a wallet someone
had lost in the street. I picked it up and looked inside to find
some identification so I could call the owner. But the wallet
contained only three dollars and a crumpled letter that looked as
if it had been in there for years.
The envelope was worn and the only thing that was legible on it
was the return address. I started to open the letter, hoping to
find some clue. Then I saw the dateline--1924. The letter had
been written almost sixty years ago.
It was written in a beautiful feminine handwriting on powder blue
stationery with a little flower in the left-hand corner. It was a
"Dear John" letter that told the recipient, whose name appeared
to be Michael, that the writer could not see him any more because
her mother forbade it. Even so, she wrote that she would always
love him.
It was signed, Hannah.
It was a beautiful letter, but there was no way except for the
name Michael, that the owner could be identified. Maybe if I
called information, the operator could find a phone listing for
the address on the envelope.
"Operator," I began, "this is an unusual request. I'm trying to
find the owner of a wallet that I found. Is there anyway you can
tell me if there is a phone number for an address that was on an
envelope in the wallet?"
She suggested I speak with her supervisor, who hesitated for a
moment then said, "Well, there is a phone listing at that
address, but I can't give you the number." She said, as a
courtesy, she would call that number, explain my story and would
ask them if they wanted her to connect me. I waited a few minutes
and then she was back on the line. "I have a party who will speak
with you."
I asked the woman on the other end of the line if she knew anyone
by the name of Hannah. She gasped, "Oh! We bought this house from
a family who had a daughter named Hannah. But that was 30 years
ago!"
"Would you know where that family could be located now?" I asked.
"I remember that Hannah had to place her mother in a nursing home
some years ago," the woman said. "Maybe if you got in touch with
them they might be able to track down the daughter."
She gave me the name of the nursing home and I called the number.
They told me the old lady had passed away some years ago but they
did have a phone number for where they thought the daughter might
be living.
I thanked them and phoned. The woman who answered explained that
Hannah herself was now living in a nursing home.
This whole thing was stupid, I thought to myself. Why was I
making such a big deal over finding the owner of a wallet that
had only three dollars and a letter that was almost 60 years old?
Nevertheless, I called the nursing home in which Hannah was
supposed to be living and the man who answered the phone told me,
"Yes, Hannah is staying with us."
Even though it was already 10 p.m., I asked if I could come by to
see her. "Well," he said hesitatingly, "if you want to take a
chance, she might be in the day room watching television."
I thanked him and drove over to the nursing home. The night nurse
and a guard greeted me at the door. We went up to the third floor
of the large building. In the day room, the nurse introduced me
to Hannah.
She was a sweet, silver-haired old timer with a warm smile and a
twinkle in her eye.
I told her about finding the wallet and showed her the letter.
The second she saw the powder blue envelope with that little
flower on the left, she took a deep breath and said, "Young man,
this letter was the last contact I ever had with Michael."
She looked away for a moment deep in thought and then said
Softly, "I loved him very much. But I was only 16 at the time and
my mother felt I was too young. Oh, he was so handsome. He looked
like Sean Connery, the actor."
"Yes," she continued. "Michael Goldstein was a wonderful person.
If you should find him, tell him I think of him often. And," she
hesitated for a moment, almost biting her lip, "tell him I still
love him. You know," she said smiling as tears began to well up
in her eyes, "I never did marry. I guess no one ever matched up
to Michael..."
I thanked Hannah and said good-bye. I took the elevator to the
first floor and as I stood by the door, the guard there asked,
"Was the old lady able to help you?"
I told him she had given me a lead. "At least I have a last name.
But I think I'll let it go for a while. I spent almost the whole
day trying to find the owner of this wallet."
I had taken out the wallet, which was a simple brown leather case
with red lacing on the side. When the guard saw it, he said,
"Hey, wait a minute! That's Mr. Goldstein's wallet. I'd know it
anywhere with that right red lacing. He's always losing that
wallet. I must have found it in the halls at least three times."
"Who's Mr. Goldstein?" I asked as my hand began to shake.
"He's one of the old timers on the 8th floor. That's Mike
Goldstein's wallet for sure. He must have lost it on one of his
walks."
I thanked the guard and quickly ran back to the nurse's office. I
told her what the guard had said. We went back to the elevator
and got on. I prayed that Mr. Goldstein would be up.
On the eighth floor, the floor nurse said, "I think he's still in
the day room. He likes to read at night. He's a darling old man."
We went to the only room that had any lights on and there was a
man reading a book. The nurse went over to him and asked if he
had lost his wallet. Mr. Goldstein looked up with surprise, put
his hand in his back pocket and said, "Oh, it is missing!"
"This kind gentleman found a wallet and we wondered if it could
be yours?"
I handed Mr. Goldstein the wallet and the second he saw it, he
smiled with relief and said, "Yes, that's it! It must have
dropped out of my pocket this afternoon. I want to give you a
reward."
"No, thank you," I said. "But I have to tell you something. I
read the letter in the hope of finding out who owned the wallet."
The smile on his face suddenly disappeared. "You read that
letter?"
"Not only did I read it, I think I know where Hannah is."
He suddenly grew pale. "Hannah? You know where she is? How is
she? Is she still as pretty as she was? Please, please tell me,"
he begged.
"She's fine...just as pretty as when you knew her." I said
softly.
The old man smiled with anticipation and asked, "Could you tell
me where she is? I want to call her tomorrow." He grabbed my hand
and said, "You know something, mister, I was so in love with that
girl that when that letter came, my life literally ended. I never
married. I guess I've always loved her. "
"Mr. Goldstein," I said, "come with me."
We took the elevator down to the third floor. The hallways were
darkened and only one or two little night-lights lit our way to
the day room where Hannah was sitting alone watching the
television. The nurse walked over to her.
"Hannah," she said softly, pointing to Michael, who was waiting
with me in the doorway. "Do you know this man?"
She adjusted her glasses, looked for a moment, but didn't say a
word. Michael said softly, almost in a whisper, "Hannah, it's
Michael. Do you remember me?"
She gasped, "Michael! I don't believe it! Michael! It's you! My
Michael!"
He walked slowly towards her and they embraced. The nurse and I
left with tears streaming down our faces.
"See," I said. "See how the Good Lord works! If it's meant to be,
it will be."
About three weeks later I got a call at my office from the
nursing home. "Can you break away on Sunday to attend a wedding?
Michael and Hannah are going to tie the knot!"
It was a beautiful wedding with all the people at the nursing
home dressed up to join in the celebration. Hannah wore a light
beige dress and looked beautiful. Michael wore a dark blue suit
and stood tall. They made me their best man.
The hospital gave them their own room and if you ever wanted to
see a 76-year-old bride and a 79-year-old groom acting like two
teenagers, you had to see this couple.
A perfect ending for a love affair that had lasted nearly 60
years.
-- Author Unknown

Be Happy

The essence of happiness is found in your brain. Particular hormones released in your brain make you feel happy.
You can release those hormones with your choices. You don't need to wait for someone or something else to make you happy. You can just choose it.
Happiness is like a treasure box in your brain. All you have to do is open it.
The keys to opening the treasure box of happiness are breathing and meditation. By controlling your breathing, you can release happiness hormones in your brain. With a steady meditation practice, you can overcome the habit of unhappiness. And when you act according to your conscience, true happiness is naturally produced.
I. Lee

To Be 6 Again

To Whom It May Concern:

I hereby officially tender my resignation as an adult. I have

decided I would like to accept the responsibilities of a 6 year

old again.

I want to go to McDonald's and think that it's a four star

restaurant. I want to sail sticks across a fresh mud puddle and

make ripples with rocks. I want to think M&Ms are better than

money, because you can eat them. I want to play kickball during

recess and paint with watercolors in art. I want to lie under a

big Oak tree and run a lemonade stand with my friends on a hot

summers' day.

I want to return to a time when life was simple. When all you

knew were colors, addition tables and simple nursery rhymes, but

that didn't bother you, because you didn't know what you didn't

know and you didn't care. When all you knew was to be happy

because you didn't know allthe things that should make you

worried and upset. I want to think thatthe world is fair. That

everyone in it is honest and good. I want to believe that

anything is possible.

Somewhere in my youth... I matured and I learned too much. I

learned of nuclear weapons, war, prejudice, starvation and abused

children. I learned of lies, unhappy marriages, suffering,

illness, pain and death. I learned of a world where men left

their families to go and fight for our country, and returned only

to end up living on the streets... begging for their next meal. I

learned of a world where children knew how to kill... and did!!

What happened to the time when we thought that everyone would

live forever, because we didn't grasp the concept of death? When

we thought the worst thing in the world was if someone took the

jump rope from you or picked you last for kickball? I want to be

oblivious to the complexity of life and be overly excited by

little things once again. I want to return to the days when

reading was fun and music was clean.

When television was used to report the news or for family

entertainment and not to promote sex, violence and deceit. I

remember being naive and thinking that everyone was happy because

I was. I would walk on the beach and only think of the sand

between my toes and the prettiest seashell I could find. I would

spend my afternoons climbing trees and riding my bike. I didn't

worry about time, bills or where I was going to find the money to

fix my car. I used to wonder what I was going to do or be when I

grew up, not worry about what I'll do if this doesn't work out.

I want to live simple again. I don't want my day to consist of

computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to

survive more days in the month than there is money in the bank,

doctor bills, gossip, illness and loss of loved ones. I want to

believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth,

justice, peace, dreams, the imagination, mankind and making

angels in the snow. I want to be 6 again.

-- Author Unknown