Last night was the last game for my eight-year-old son's soccer
team. It was the final quarter. The score was two to one, my
son's team in the lead. Parents shouted encouragement from the
sidelines as the boys clashed on the field. With less than ten
seconds remaining, the ball rolled in front of my son's teammate,
one Mikey O'Donnel. With shouts of "Kick it!" echoing across the
field, Mikey reared back and gave it everything he had.
All around me the crowd fell silent as the ball flew into the
goal. Mikey O'Donnel had scored!
Mikey had scored all right, but in the wrong goal, ending the
game in a tie. For a moment there was total silence. You see
Mikey has Down's Syndrome and for him there is no such thing as a
wrong goal. All goals were celebrated by a joyous hug from Mikey.
He had even been known to hug the opposing players when they
scored.
The silence was finally broken when Mikey, his face filled with
joy, grabbed my son, hugged him and yelled, "I scored! I scored.
Everybody won! Everybody won!"
For a moment I held my breath, not sure how my son would react. I
need not have worried. I watched, through tears, as my son threw
up his hand in the classic high-five salute and started chanting,
"Way to go Mikey! Way to go Mikey!"
Within moments, both teams surrounded Mikey, joining in the chant
and congratulating him on his goal. Later that night, when my
daughter asked who had won, my son smiled and replied, "It was a
tie. Everybody won!"
Author Unknown
Showing posts with label carpal tunnel syndrome. Show all posts
Showing posts with label carpal tunnel syndrome. Show all posts
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
What Two Days Can Do
Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of
Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented
the upstairs rooms to out patients at the clinic. One summer evening
as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to
see a truly awful looking man. “Why, he’s hardly taller than my eight
year old,” I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But
the appalling thing was his face – lopsided from swelling, red and
raw. Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, “Good evening. I’ve come
to see if you’ve a room for just one night. I came for a treatment
this morning from the eastern shore, and there’s no bus ’til
morning.” He told me he’d been hunting for a room since noon but with
no success, no one seemed to have a room. “I guess it’s my face…I
know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more
treatments…”
For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: “I could
sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the
morning.” I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the
porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready,
I asked the old man if he would join us. “No thank you. I have
plenty.” And he held up a brown paper bag.
When I finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him
a few minutes. It didn’t take a long time to see that this old man
had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he
fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and
her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury. He
didn’t tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was
preface with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no
pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin
cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going. At
bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children’s room for him. When I got
up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little
man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just before he
left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said
“Could I please come back and stay next time I have a treatment? I
won’t put you out a bit, I can sleep fine in a chair.” He paused a
moment and then added, “Your children made me feel at home. Grown-ups
are bothered by my face, but children don’t seem to mind.” I told him
he was welcome to come again.
On his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As
a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I
had ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he
left so that they’d be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 am
and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.
In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time
that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his
garden. Other times we received packages in the mail, always by
special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young
spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must
walk three miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had
made the gifts doubly precious. When I received these little
remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor
made after he left that first morning. “Did you keep that awful
looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by
putting up such people!”
Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But oh! If only they could
have know him, perhaps their illness’ would have been easier to bear.
I know our family will always be grateful to have know him; from him
we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the
good with gratitude to God.
Recently I was visiting a friend who has a greenhouse. As she showed
me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden
chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my surprise, it was
growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, “If this
were my plant, I’d put it in the loveliest container I had!”
My friend changed my mind. “I ran short of pots,” she explained,
“and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn’t
mind starting out in this old pail. It’s just for a little while,
till I can put it out in the garden.”
She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was
imagining just such a scene in heaven. “Here’s an especially
beautiful one,” God might have said when he came to the soul of the
seet old fisherman. “He won’t mind starting in this small body.” All
this happened long ago and now, in God’s garden, how tall this lovely
soul must stand.
The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.
Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
– Author Unknown
Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented
the upstairs rooms to out patients at the clinic. One summer evening
as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to
see a truly awful looking man. “Why, he’s hardly taller than my eight
year old,” I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But
the appalling thing was his face – lopsided from swelling, red and
raw. Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, “Good evening. I’ve come
to see if you’ve a room for just one night. I came for a treatment
this morning from the eastern shore, and there’s no bus ’til
morning.” He told me he’d been hunting for a room since noon but with
no success, no one seemed to have a room. “I guess it’s my face…I
know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more
treatments…”
For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: “I could
sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the
morning.” I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the
porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready,
I asked the old man if he would join us. “No thank you. I have
plenty.” And he held up a brown paper bag.
When I finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him
a few minutes. It didn’t take a long time to see that this old man
had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he
fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and
her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury. He
didn’t tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was
preface with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no
pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin
cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going. At
bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children’s room for him. When I got
up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little
man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just before he
left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said
“Could I please come back and stay next time I have a treatment? I
won’t put you out a bit, I can sleep fine in a chair.” He paused a
moment and then added, “Your children made me feel at home. Grown-ups
are bothered by my face, but children don’t seem to mind.” I told him
he was welcome to come again.
On his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As
a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I
had ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he
left so that they’d be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 am
and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.
In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time
that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his
garden. Other times we received packages in the mail, always by
special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young
spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must
walk three miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had
made the gifts doubly precious. When I received these little
remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor
made after he left that first morning. “Did you keep that awful
looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by
putting up such people!”
Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But oh! If only they could
have know him, perhaps their illness’ would have been easier to bear.
I know our family will always be grateful to have know him; from him
we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the
good with gratitude to God.
Recently I was visiting a friend who has a greenhouse. As she showed
me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden
chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my surprise, it was
growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, “If this
were my plant, I’d put it in the loveliest container I had!”
My friend changed my mind. “I ran short of pots,” she explained,
“and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn’t
mind starting out in this old pail. It’s just for a little while,
till I can put it out in the garden.”
She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was
imagining just such a scene in heaven. “Here’s an especially
beautiful one,” God might have said when he came to the soul of the
seet old fisherman. “He won’t mind starting in this small body.” All
this happened long ago and now, in God’s garden, how tall this lovely
soul must stand.
The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.
Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
– Author Unknown
Monday, October 15, 2012
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:
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.
“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.
“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.
Friday, October 5, 2012
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
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
Friday, September 21, 2012
Ask the Doc
Causes of Fibromyalgia?
Q: Dr. Moulas, what is the true cause of fibromyalgia?
A: Fibromyalgia is a disease that has multiple causes. In
the research studies that have been completed on fibromyalgia patients, several
major theories have come to light.
The first is that there has been an injury to the neck or
upper spine, which triggers fibromyalgia by affecting the central nervous
system. Another is that psychological stress is the cause. It’s even possible
that disturbed sleep patterns for long periods of time can trigger the disorder.
If your true cause is any of these, we can start making a difference in small
increments right now, today!
Physicians don’t have a method of determining what is YOUR
true cause of fibromyalgia, so we’re waiting for technology to come up with
some valid tests. In the meantime, we already have solutions for injury to the
neck or upper spine: chiropractic and healing the body from within. We already
have solutions for reducing psychological stress. And we already have solutions
for disturbed sleep patterns. Some of these solutions are in this report. All
you have to do is embrace them! Get going on using them and your body will get
going with the healing!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Health Bulletin On Scoliosis
Scoliosis is an aggravating condition that can change your life.
There's stiffness, pain and often times a deformed posture.
Many scoliosis patients have been told they only have three choices -- to do nothing, bracing, or surgery.
Scoliosis surgery involves implanting metal rods and screws to straighten the spine.
However, numerous studies have shown that multiple complications, including rusting and corrosion, bending, or breaking completely, prove this method dangerous.
Many sufferers who had the rods implanted, end uplater undergoing surgery to have them removed.
In addition, thousands of post-surgery scoliosis patients are legally declared permanently disabled every year. Follow up x-rays on other cases have shown that scoliosis can return years after operation procedures have been performed.
Dr. Bob Moulas
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Benefits of Vitamin C
Vitamin C has been helping people stay healthy for many decades.
1. Vitamin C can slow
the aging process, and delays chronic degenerative disease.
2. Research has
proven that C increases the immune system’s ability to attack invaders.
3. Vitamin C can also
decrease the risk of heart attacks.
4. Studies have shown
that C can help lower cholesterol levels.
Vitamin C can be
found in oranges, cantaloupe, broccoli, pineapple, strawberries and raw
vegetables.
Recommended daily
dosage is 500 milligrams.
-
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Mental Golf
A prerequisite to improving your golf game will be goal setting. This is where you tell your brain which direction it is going. You must set goals that will push your mind and body beyond its normal limits. You can accomplish whatever you really desire. Do not listen to those little voices of doubt in the back of your mind.
Decide where you want your golf game to improve. This is the time to get passionate! Let yourself dream of already accomplishing your goal.
Most people fail to goal set because they are afraid of failure. They want to avoid pain. Some are afraid of success. Learn to associate pleasure with goal setting, and link massive pain to not reaching your goal. Don’t let life pass you by. Nobody ever won on a sure bet. When you have a goal that excites you, every cell in your body becomes turbo charged! You will become obsessed, and nothing will be able to steer you from achieving your goal.
Make a picture of your goal in your mind. See every detail unfolding as if it were a motion picture. What will you see? What will you hear? What will you feel? What will you smell? Who will be present? It is imperative that your goals are stated in a positive format. An example of this would be: I want to win the company golf tournament, and set a new course record.
As opposed to: I don’t want to finish second place an out of the money.
Try to insure that all your goal outcomes are in your control. Do not become to dependent on others to reach your goal. Encouragement is good, but never let anyone interfere with unleashing all your untapped energy toward your goal.
Next, set a time and place where your goal will be accomplished. Don not let anything side track you from sticking to this time frame.
If possible, try to visualize any barriers that may stand in the way of you reaching your goal. Be prepared for the worst even though it probably won’t happen. Be very honest with yourself. If you run into a barrier, plow through it. Remember – link massive pain to not working through a barrier.
Decide where you are at the present time. What will be needed in the way of mentors, equipment, etc? Start to chart a road map that will lead you to success. Chart short, medium, and long-term goals to keep you on track. Know what needs to be done on a daily basis. Don’t waste time, because it is a precious commodity. Always stay focused!
Create a 15 Second Goal Mission Statement to help you stay focused on your goal. Include as much detail as possible about achieving your goal. Commit this statement to memory, and repeat it upon wakening and before retiring to sleep.
Try to feel as if you were actually achieving your goal. An example of a Goal Mission Statement would be: I’m at Augusta National on the 18th hole. I am putting for a birdie that will insure me a victory at the Masters Tournament. I feel very confident and energized. After repeating your Goal Mission Statement, you should feel flooded with energy, and excitement. If you don’t maybe you have picked the wrong goal. Take your time with goal setting, because it will allow you to build a powerful mental foundation for life.
Auto-Diagramming
Golfers are capable of exhibiting multiple emotions. These emotions can be positive, or they may be negative in nature. Learning to communicate such feelings with your inner, (subconscious) mind will be quite helpful in reaching your goals.
Diagramming will uncover many facets of your life. It can show you that your future goals can be effected by past coaches, books, sports, people, etc.
This type of goal setting is not only productive, but is fun to perform. One thing will lead you to another. Some things will not appear to make sense immediately. Relax, and move your mind to another area of the diagram. Do not become critical of yourself. You can do no wrong here. Let the inner you take over.
Now go to a quite place where you will not be disturbed for the next 20 to 30 minutes. You will need a pencil, and a piece of paper. It’s time to construct your Auto-Diagramming Blueprint.
Diagramming Your Goal
1.Bring to mind a goal you would like to accomplish in the next 6 weeks. Make sure it is goal that really excites you.
2.Write your goal in the center of the paper and put a circle around it.
3.Now close your eyes, and relax for a few moments. Ask your inner mind to give you suggestions on how to reach this goal. This may seem a bit esoteric, but the answer you receive will amaze you.
4.Now open your eyes, and write down the first thing that comes to your mind. Put a circle around it and draw a line connecting it to your goal.
5.Please look at diagram 1-1. This person’s goal was to break 80 over 18 holes. Notice the many facets they have blended together. They equate breaking “80” as being fun, in control, and very enjoyable. Some of the things you will diagram will have a direct effect on your physical training, but keep in mind that our main goal here is developing mental toughness.
Past experience has shown us that the more clearly we can define our goals the more chance they will have of becoming a reality. Our will to win will be strengthened. This will directly influence our strength, coordination, balance, and endurance.
It takes about 2-3 seconds to swing a golf club, but keep in mind that your body and mind will process over 90 bits of information during this time.
After completing your Auto-Diagramming Blueprint. Put it in a place where you will be able to see it on a daily basis. The more you review your goal – the deeper it sinks into your inner mind. Make a habit of reading your Goal Blueprint upon wakening, and again at bedtime.
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