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

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.

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

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.

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

Are You Out Of Control?

Does your life feel like's it out of control sometimes?

Did you ever say to yourself, "Why does this always happen to me?"

The decisions we make every minute of the day sometimes come back to us later and we're not always happy with the results.

But an important secret to success s to accept responsibility for every decision we make, not just the good ones.

When you take responsibility for your own actions, positive things start happening in your life.

I don't know what the reason is for that, but as soon as you accept the responsibility for where you are and what you are and what you've done suddenly you are in control of your life.
You realize that all the blame is on you. You are where you are in life because of CHOICES you've made... no one else.

No one else is to blame for your situation. Only you are to blame.

Once you realize that and accept that, you're in control. And once you're in control you can change your situation - if you want.

Does your life feel "out of control" sometimes (all the time?). This is the reason why.


I want you to get this planted firmly in your mind:

"I am responsible for my own actions. I am responsible for the situation I'm in right now. No one else is to blame for it. It's my mess and I'm going to do something to clean it up starting today."

The question you need to ask yourself continually is:

"What am I going to do to change my life right now, for the better?"

Now if you're one of those individuals who has always accepted responsibility for your own actions, then bless you.

You are to be congratulated- you are also rare.

I guarantee you though that re-affirming "you are responsible for you own actions" will be good to remember once in a while.

Start taking control of your life instead of being lead by your fears, insecurities, phobias, hate or other people.

It starts by accepting responsibility for yourself and your actions.


David J Vallieres

Bad Sleep Habits And Headaches

Sleeping on your stomach or with your pillow bunched up is a sure way to a headache. What happens is that your neck becomes twisted for long periods of time as you sleep, putting pressure on the nerves, blood vessels and vertebrae in your cervical (upper) spine. That pressure sends messages to the brain that there’s something that needs to be addressed, and a pain signal is sent to your head. Presto! You have a headache and your neck hurts as well.

 

The solution is sleeping on your back with a pillow that supports your neck fully. You may also sleep on your side, but check with us at the office about the proper sleeping position that won’t create headaches. If you bring in your pillow to our office, I’ll check it to see if it’s part of the reason you have headaches. For example, a pillow that is too thin or too fluffy will contribute to headaches because it doesn’t support the cervical curve in your neck. The cervical curve is a natural S-shaped curve in your neck. If the pillow is too flat, that pillow flattens your cervical curve. If the pillow is too fluffy, it exaggerates your cervical curve.

 

In the past 20 years, chiropractic physicians have used a complete range of cervical pillows to fit the necks of those who are young and old.

 

More on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Good News about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

 

When you have carpal tunnel syndrome, it may seem that life has come to a standstill. You may found it difficult to wash your hair in the shower, button your buttons and zip up your parka, type on the computer keyboard, do simple household chores, sleep and even drive a car without pain. With constant pain, it’s easy to think about giving up!

 

The good news is that a chiropractor can definitely make a difference in your life. The road to recovery will take awhile, but with treatments and proper home care, you will soon discover that you can gain much control over the pain that accompanies this musculoskeletal disorder.

 

As your chiropractor, I’ve already done everything to insure that your carpal tunnel syndrome is not the result of serious disease. I have set up a treatment plan for you that I am confident will help us address the causes of this disorder once and for all. My goal is for you to be free of carpal tunnel syndrome within six months. Many of my patients begin their carpal tunnel syndrome-free life a lot earlier than that and they do it because they continue treatment and follow my home care recommendations.

Scoliosis Part I

During the early school years, most children are given a scoliosis exam.  The doctor or nurse conducting the exam is checking to make sure the spine is within normal range.  Scoliosis is an excessive twisting or bending of the spine.  

The cause of scoliosis is pretty much a mystery.  A small portion of about 10% can be connected to tumors, disc problems, infections, and birth deformity. 

Scoliosis is not a terminal condition.  Most people live normal lives, and some don’t even know they have scoliosis.  In a few cases when the spine is twisted or bent 30°-40° there is a possibility of acquiring complications to the heart and lungs.  This is brought on by an interference between the spinal cord and the targeted organ.