While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a man on a bench near a playground.
"That's my son over there," she said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding
down the slide.
"He's a fine looking boy," the man said. "That's my son on the swing in the blue sweater." Then,
looking at his watch, he called to his son. "What do you say we go, Todd?"
Todd pleaded, "Just five more minutes, Dad. Please? Just five more minutes." The man nodded
and Todd continued to swing to his heart's content.
Minutes passed and the father stood and called again to his son. "Time to go now?"
Again Todd pleaded, "Five more minutes, Dad. Just five more minutes." Th e man smiled and
said, ""Okay."
"My, you certainly are a patient father," the woman responded.
The man smiled and then said, My older son Tommy was killed by a drunk driver last year
while he was riding his bike near here. I never spent much time with Tommy and now I'd give
anything for just five more minutes with him. I've vowed not to make the same mistake with
Todd.
"He thinks he has five more minutes to swing.
The truth is... I get five more minutes to watch him play."
-- Author Unknown
Showing posts with label carpal tunnel syndrome chiropractor in orange county. Show all posts
Showing posts with label carpal tunnel syndrome chiropractor in orange county. Show all posts
Friday, April 5, 2013
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
A Special Teacher
Jean Thompson stood in front of her fifth-grade class on the very
first day of school in the fall and told the children a lie. Like most
teachers, she looked at her pupils and said that she loved them all
the same, that she would treat them all alike. And that was impossible
because there in front of her, slumped in his seat on the third row,
was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.
Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed he didn't
play well with the other children, that his clothes were unkept and
that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy was unpleasant.
It got to the point during the first few months that she would
actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen,
making bold X's and then marking the F at the top of the paper biggest
of all. Because Teddy was a sullen little boy, no one else seemed to
enjoy him, either.
At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review
each child's records and put Teddy's off until last. When she opened
his file, she was in for a surprise. His first-grade teacher wrote,
"Teddy is a bright, inquisitive child with a ready laugh." "He does
his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy to be around."
His second-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student well-
liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a
terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."
His third-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy continues to work hard but his
mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his
father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect
him if some steps aren't taken."
Teddy's fourth-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't
show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and
sometimes sleeps in class. He is tardy and could become a problem."
By now Mrs. Thompson realized the problem, but Christmas was coming
fast. It was all she could do, with the school play and all, until the
day before the holidays began and she was suddenly forced to focus on
Teddy Stoddard.
Her children brought her presents, all in beautiful ribbon and bright
paper, except for Teddy's, which was clumsily wrapped in the heavy,
brown paper of a scissored grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to
open it in the middle of the other presents.
Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone
bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-
quarter full of cologne. She stifled the children's laughter when she
exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some
of the perfume behind the other wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed behind
just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like
my mom used to."
After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very
day, she quit teaching reading, writing, and speaking. Instead, she
began to teach children. Jean Thompson paid particular attention to
one they all called "Teddy."
As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she
encouraged him, the faster he responded. On days where there would be
an important test, Mrs. Thompson would remember that cologne. By the
end of the year he had become one of the smartest children in the
class and...well, he had also become the "pet" of the teacher who had
once vowed to love all of her children exactly the same.
A year later she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her
that of all the teachers he'd had in elementary school, she was his
favorite. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy.
He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class,
and she was still his favorite teacher of all time.
Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while
things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with
it, and would graduate from college with the highest of honors. He
assured Mrs. Thompson she was still his favorite teacher.
Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he
explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a
little further. The letter explained that she was still his favorite
teacher, but that now his name was a little longer. The letter was
signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D.
The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter
that Spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was to be married. He
explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was
wondering...well, if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the pew
usually reserved for the mother of the groom. And guess what, she wore
that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And I bet on
that special day, Jean Thompson smelled just like...well, just like
the way Teddy remembered his mother smelling on their last Christmas
together.
-- Author Unknown
first day of school in the fall and told the children a lie. Like most
teachers, she looked at her pupils and said that she loved them all
the same, that she would treat them all alike. And that was impossible
because there in front of her, slumped in his seat on the third row,
was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.
Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed he didn't
play well with the other children, that his clothes were unkept and
that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy was unpleasant.
It got to the point during the first few months that she would
actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen,
making bold X's and then marking the F at the top of the paper biggest
of all. Because Teddy was a sullen little boy, no one else seemed to
enjoy him, either.
At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review
each child's records and put Teddy's off until last. When she opened
his file, she was in for a surprise. His first-grade teacher wrote,
"Teddy is a bright, inquisitive child with a ready laugh." "He does
his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy to be around."
His second-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student well-
liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a
terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."
His third-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy continues to work hard but his
mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his
father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect
him if some steps aren't taken."
Teddy's fourth-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't
show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and
sometimes sleeps in class. He is tardy and could become a problem."
By now Mrs. Thompson realized the problem, but Christmas was coming
fast. It was all she could do, with the school play and all, until the
day before the holidays began and she was suddenly forced to focus on
Teddy Stoddard.
Her children brought her presents, all in beautiful ribbon and bright
paper, except for Teddy's, which was clumsily wrapped in the heavy,
brown paper of a scissored grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to
open it in the middle of the other presents.
Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone
bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-
quarter full of cologne. She stifled the children's laughter when she
exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some
of the perfume behind the other wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed behind
just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like
my mom used to."
After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very
day, she quit teaching reading, writing, and speaking. Instead, she
began to teach children. Jean Thompson paid particular attention to
one they all called "Teddy."
As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she
encouraged him, the faster he responded. On days where there would be
an important test, Mrs. Thompson would remember that cologne. By the
end of the year he had become one of the smartest children in the
class and...well, he had also become the "pet" of the teacher who had
once vowed to love all of her children exactly the same.
A year later she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her
that of all the teachers he'd had in elementary school, she was his
favorite. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy.
He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class,
and she was still his favorite teacher of all time.
Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while
things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with
it, and would graduate from college with the highest of honors. He
assured Mrs. Thompson she was still his favorite teacher.
Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he
explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a
little further. The letter explained that she was still his favorite
teacher, but that now his name was a little longer. The letter was
signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D.
The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter
that Spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was to be married. He
explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was
wondering...well, if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the pew
usually reserved for the mother of the groom. And guess what, she wore
that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And I bet on
that special day, Jean Thompson smelled just like...well, just like
the way Teddy remembered his mother smelling on their last Christmas
together.
-- Author Unknown
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
The Fat Burning Hormone
You may have heard that eating before bed is a big-time "no no" for those looking to lose weight. In fact, you've probably even heard that eating late at night will undoubtedly cause you to GAIN weight...even worse!
Well, there's good news, and that good news is that not every food that you eat past 7PM will be automatically deposited to your butt, thighs, and love handles.
In fact, there are certain foods that you can eat as a late-night snack that can actually INCREASE your fatloss results! The key is knowing which foods to eat, and which to avoid, as the evening progresses.
Here's a good rule of thumb: Avoid carbs before bed in favor of slow-digesting high-quality protein.
Carbohydrate consumption causes significant rise in the storage hormone insulin, which also puts the breaks on fat-burning. That's a recipe for disaster in the late evening hours as your metabolism is winding down, but fortunately, slow-digesting protein isn't.
Instead, slow digesting proteins provide your body with a steady flow of amino acids throughout the night to help you recover from exercise and maintain your calorie-burning lean muscle as you lose fat.
Here are some of my top pre-bedtime choices:
1. Animal and Marine Protein (not red meat) - Animal and marine protein sources such as chicken, turkey, and fish are great pre-bed meal choices because they digest slowly and have a very low insulin release. These sources also promote the release of another hormone, glucagon, that assists the body with breaking down stored carbs and fat within your body to be burned for energy...a double win! Red meat has a significantly higher insulin response so it's best to avoid in the evening.
2. Cottage Cheese - Cottage cheese is very slow digesting and coats the stomach to be assimilated by the body over many hours. As a protein, it also stimulates glucagon release; a solid pre-bedtime choice. Just make sure you're using plain cottage cheese, not the flavored varieties with added sugars.
3. Green Vegetables - While these aren't considered a protein, they contain virtually no calories, are high in fiber, and they're very filling. Often times when I get a late night craving I eat a big bowl of green veggies and it completely kills my craving...a diet savior!
4. A Slow-digesting, Low-carb Protein Shake - I use a slow-digesting protein shake before bed literally every day. It's become somewhat of a ritual and great, tasty way to end my day. The vast majority of my clients have grown to love the habit as well...who doesn't love dessert before bed? :) I normally blend the shake with almond butter to get some healthy fats in there, and man, it tastes good with the right protein powder.
WARNING: Avoid taking a simple whey protein powder before bed...research has show
that it causes more of an insulin release than white bread! Instead, you need a time-releasesd blend that includes a blend of slow-digesting, high-quality proteins.
Source: Biotrust Nutrition
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Chush
In New York, Chush is a school that caters to learning-disabled
children. Some children remain in Chush for their entire school
career, while others can be main-streamed into conventional
schools. At a Chush fund-raising dinner, the father of a Chush
child delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who
attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he
cried out, "Where is the perfection in my son Shaya? Everything
God does is done with perfection. But my child cannot understand
things as other children do. My child cannot remember facts and
figures as other children do. Where is God's perfection?"
The audience was shocked by the question, pained by the father's
anguish and stilled by the piercing query. "I believe," the
father answered, "that when God brings a child like this into the
world, the perfection that He seeks is in the way people react to
this child."
He then told the following story about his son Shaya: One
afternoon Shaya and his father walked past a park where some boys
Shaya knew were playing baseball. Shaya asked, "Do you think they
will let me play?" Shaya's father knew that his son was not at
all athletic and that most boys would not want him on their team.
But Shaya's father understood that if his son was chosen to play
it would give him a comfortable sense of belonging.
Shaya's father approached one of the boys in the field and asked
if Shaya could play. The boy looked around for guidance from his
team-mates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and
said, "We are losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth
inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him up
to bat in the ninth inning."
Shaya's father was ecstatic as Shaya smiled broadly. Shaya was
told to put on a glove and go out to play short center field. In
the bottom of the eighth inning, Shaya's team scored a few runs
but was still behind by three. In the bottom of the ninth inning,
Shaya's team scored again and now with two outs and the bases
loaded with the potential winning run on base, Shaya was
scheduled to be up.
Would the team actually let Shaya bat at this juncture and give
away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shaya was given
the bat. Everyone knew that it was all but impossible because
Shaya didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, let alone
hit with it. However, as Shaya stepped up to the plate, the
pitcher moved a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shaya
should at least be able to make contact. The first pitch came in
and Shaya swung clumsily and missed. One of Shaya's team-mates
came up to Shaya and together they held the bat and faced the
pitcher waiting for the next pitch. The pitcher again took a few
steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shaya.
As the pitch came in, Shaya and his team-mate swung the bat and
together they hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher. The pitcher
picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball
to the first baseman. Shaya would have been out and that would
have ended the game. Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw
it on a high arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first
baseman. Everyone started yelling, "Shaya, run to first. Run to
first!" Never in his life had Shaya run to first. He scampered
down the baseline wide eyed and startled. By the time he reached
first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown
the ball to the second baseman who would tag out Shaya, who was
still running. But the right fielder understood what the
pitcher's intentions were, so he threw the ball high and far over
the third baseman's head. Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to
second." Shaya ran towards second base as the runners ahead of
him deliriously circled the bases towards home. As Shaya reached
second base, the opposing short stop ran to him, turned him in
the direction of third base and shouted, "Run to third."
As Shaya rounded third, the boys from both teams ran behind him
screaming, "Shaya run home!" Shaya ran home, stepped on home
plate and all 18 boys lifted him on their shoulders and made him
the hero, as he had just hit a "grand slam" and won the game for
his team.
"That day," said the father softly with tears now rolling down
his face, "those 18 boys reached their level of God's
perfection."
- Author Unknown
children. Some children remain in Chush for their entire school
career, while others can be main-streamed into conventional
schools. At a Chush fund-raising dinner, the father of a Chush
child delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who
attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he
cried out, "Where is the perfection in my son Shaya? Everything
God does is done with perfection. But my child cannot understand
things as other children do. My child cannot remember facts and
figures as other children do. Where is God's perfection?"
The audience was shocked by the question, pained by the father's
anguish and stilled by the piercing query. "I believe," the
father answered, "that when God brings a child like this into the
world, the perfection that He seeks is in the way people react to
this child."
He then told the following story about his son Shaya: One
afternoon Shaya and his father walked past a park where some boys
Shaya knew were playing baseball. Shaya asked, "Do you think they
will let me play?" Shaya's father knew that his son was not at
all athletic and that most boys would not want him on their team.
But Shaya's father understood that if his son was chosen to play
it would give him a comfortable sense of belonging.
Shaya's father approached one of the boys in the field and asked
if Shaya could play. The boy looked around for guidance from his
team-mates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and
said, "We are losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth
inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him up
to bat in the ninth inning."
Shaya's father was ecstatic as Shaya smiled broadly. Shaya was
told to put on a glove and go out to play short center field. In
the bottom of the eighth inning, Shaya's team scored a few runs
but was still behind by three. In the bottom of the ninth inning,
Shaya's team scored again and now with two outs and the bases
loaded with the potential winning run on base, Shaya was
scheduled to be up.
Would the team actually let Shaya bat at this juncture and give
away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shaya was given
the bat. Everyone knew that it was all but impossible because
Shaya didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, let alone
hit with it. However, as Shaya stepped up to the plate, the
pitcher moved a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shaya
should at least be able to make contact. The first pitch came in
and Shaya swung clumsily and missed. One of Shaya's team-mates
came up to Shaya and together they held the bat and faced the
pitcher waiting for the next pitch. The pitcher again took a few
steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shaya.
As the pitch came in, Shaya and his team-mate swung the bat and
together they hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher. The pitcher
picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball
to the first baseman. Shaya would have been out and that would
have ended the game. Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw
it on a high arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first
baseman. Everyone started yelling, "Shaya, run to first. Run to
first!" Never in his life had Shaya run to first. He scampered
down the baseline wide eyed and startled. By the time he reached
first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown
the ball to the second baseman who would tag out Shaya, who was
still running. But the right fielder understood what the
pitcher's intentions were, so he threw the ball high and far over
the third baseman's head. Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to
second." Shaya ran towards second base as the runners ahead of
him deliriously circled the bases towards home. As Shaya reached
second base, the opposing short stop ran to him, turned him in
the direction of third base and shouted, "Run to third."
As Shaya rounded third, the boys from both teams ran behind him
screaming, "Shaya run home!" Shaya ran home, stepped on home
plate and all 18 boys lifted him on their shoulders and made him
the hero, as he had just hit a "grand slam" and won the game for
his team.
"That day," said the father softly with tears now rolling down
his face, "those 18 boys reached their level of God's
perfection."
- Author Unknown
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Spiders Web
A young soldier found himself in a terrible and hopeless battle.
The enemy was soundly defeating this young man's army. He and his
comrades found themselves hastily retreating from the battle
field in defeat, running away in fear for their very lives. The
enemy gave chase. This young man ran hard and fast, full of fear
and desperation, but soon found himself cut off from his comrades
in arms.
He eventually came upon a rocky ledge containing a cave. Knowing
the enemy was close behind, and that he was exhausted from the
chase, he chose to hide there. After he crawled into the cave, he
fell to his face in the darkness, desperately crying to God to
save him and protect him from his enemies. He also made a bargain
with God, one which I (and perhaps you too?) have made before. He
promised that if God saved him, he would serve Him for the
remainder of his days.
When he looked up from his despairing plea for help, he saw a
spider beginning to weave its web at the entrance of the cave. As
he watched the delicate threads being slowly drawn across the
mouth of the cave, the young soldier pondered its irony. He
thought, "I asked God for protection and deliverance, and he sent
me a spider instead. How can a spider save me?"
His heart was hardened, knowing the enemy would soon discover his
hiding place and kill him. And soon he did hear the sound of his
enemies, who were now scouring the area looking for those in
hiding. One soldier with a gun slowly walked up to the cave's
entrance. As the young man crouched in the darkness, hoping to
surprise the enemy in a last-minute desperate attempt to save his
own life, he felt his heart pounding wildly out of control.
As the enemy cautiously moved forward to enter the cave, he came
upon the spider's web, which by now was completely strung across
the opening. He backed away and called out to a comrade, "There
can't be anyone in here. They would have had to break this
spider's web to enter the cave. Let's move on."
Years later, this young man, who made good his promise by
becoming a preacher and evangelist, wrote about that ordeal. What
he observed has stood by me in times of trouble, especially
during those times when everything seemed impossible.
He wrote: "Where God is, a spider's web is as a stone wall. Where
God is not, a stone wall is as a spider's web."
-- Author unknown
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Pearls
Jenny was a bright-eyed, pretty five-year-old girl. One day when
she and her mother were checking out at the grocery store, Jenny
saw a plastic pearl necklace priced at $2.50. How she wanted that
necklace, and when she asked her mother if she would buy it for
her, her mother said, "Well, it is a pretty necklace, but it
costs an awful lot of money. I'll tell you what. I'll buy you the
necklace, and when we get home we can make up a list of chores
that you can do to pay for the necklace. And don't forget that
for your birthday Grandma just might give you a whole dollar
bill, too. Okay?"
Jenny agreed, and her mother bought the pearl necklace for her.
Jenny worked on her chores very hard every day, and sure enough,
her grandma gave her a brand new dollar bill for her birthday.
Soon Jenny had paid off the pearls.
How Jenny loved those pearls. She wore them everywhere-to
kindergarten, bed and when she went out with her mother to run
errands. The only time she didn't wear them was in the shower-her
mother had told her that they would turn her neck green!
Now Jenny had a very loving daddy. When Jenny went to bed, he
would get up from his favorite chair every night and read Jenny
her favorite story.
One night when he finished the story, he said, "Jenny, do you
love me?"
"Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you," the little girl said.
"Well, then, give me your pearls."
"Oh! Daddy, not my pearls!" Jenny said. "But you can have Rosie,
my favorite doll. Remember her? You gave her to me last year for
my birthday. And you can have her tea party outfit, too. Okay?"
"Oh no, darling, that's okay." Her father brushed her cheek with
a kiss. "Good night, little one."
A week later, her father once again asked Jenny after her story,
"Do you love me?"
"Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you."
"Well, then, give me your pearls."
"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls! But you can have Ribbons, my toy
horse. Do you remember her? She's my favorite. Her hair is so
soft, and you can play with it and braid it and everything. You
can have Ribbons if you want her, Daddy," the little girl said to
her father.
"No, that's okay," her father said and brushed her cheek again
with a kiss. "God bless you, little one. Sweet dreams."
Several days later, when Jenny's father came in to read her a
story, Jenny was sitting on her bed and her lip was trembling.
"Here, Daddy," she said, and held out her hand. She opened it and
her beloved pearl necklace was inside. She let it slip into her
father's hand.
With one hand her father held the plastic pearls and with the
other he pulled out of his pocket a blue velvet box. Inside of
the box were real, genuine, beautiful pearls.
He had them all along. He was waiting for Jenny to give up the
cheap stuff so he could give her the real thing.
So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give
up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful
treasure.
Are you holding onto things which Lord wants you to let go of?
Are you holding on to harmful or unnecessary partners,
relationships, habits and activities which you have come so
attached to that it seems impossible to let go? Sometimes, it is
so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe this one
thing....
The Lord will never take away something without giving you
something better in its place.
-- Author unknown
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Barnyard Duck
One day, Wally, one of the wild ducks in the formation, spotted
something on the ground that caught his eye. It was a barnyard
with a flock of tame ducks who lived on the farm. They were
waddling around on the ground, quacking merrily and eating corn
that was thrown on the ground for them every day. Wally liked
what he saw. "It sure would be nice to have some of that corn,"
he thought to himself. "And all this flying is very tiring. I'd
like to just waddle around for a while."
So after thinking it over a while, Wally left the formation of
wild ducks, made a sharp dive to the left, and headed for the
barnyard. He landed among the tame ducks, and began to waddle
around and quack merrily. He also started eating corn. The
formation of wild ducks continued their journey South, but Wally
didn't care. "I'll rejoin them when they come back North in a few
months, he said to himself.
Several months went by and sure enough, Wally looked up and
spotted the flock of wild ducks in formation, heading north. They
looked beautiful up there. And Wally was tired of the barnyard.
It was muddy and everywhere he waddled, nothing but duck doo.
"It's time to leave," said Wally.
So Wally flapped his wings furiously and tried to get airborne.
But he had gained some weight from all his corn-eating, and he
hadn't exercised his wings much either. He finally got off the
ground, but he was flying too low and slammed into the side of
the barn. He fell to the ground with a thud and said to himself,
"Oh, well, I'll just wait until they fly south in a few months.
Then I'll rejoin them and become a wild duck again."
But when the flock flew overhead once more, Wally again tried to
lift himself out of the barnyard. He simply didn't have the
strength. Every winter and every spring, he saw his wild duck
friends flying overhead, and they would call out to him. But his
attempts to leave were all in vain.
Eventually Wally no longer paid any attention to the wild ducks
flying overhead. He hardly even noticed them. He had, after all,
become a barnyard duck.
Sometimes we get tired of being the kind of ducks we should be --
followers of Jesus Christ. It's not always easy to be obedient to
God and to discipline ourselves to hang in there for the long
haul. When we are feeling that way, that's when Satan tempts us
to "fall out of formation" and to join the barnyard ducks -- the
worldly ways of life.
But look what happened to Wally. He thought he would just "check-
it-out" for awhile and then leave when he wanted to. But he
couldn't do it. Sin is like that. Sin is a trap, and it has a way
of changing us into people we don't even want to become.
Eventually we lose touch with who we really are -- the sons and
daughters of the Most High. We become barnyard ducks.
-- Author Unknown
something on the ground that caught his eye. It was a barnyard
with a flock of tame ducks who lived on the farm. They were
waddling around on the ground, quacking merrily and eating corn
that was thrown on the ground for them every day. Wally liked
what he saw. "It sure would be nice to have some of that corn,"
he thought to himself. "And all this flying is very tiring. I'd
like to just waddle around for a while."
So after thinking it over a while, Wally left the formation of
wild ducks, made a sharp dive to the left, and headed for the
barnyard. He landed among the tame ducks, and began to waddle
around and quack merrily. He also started eating corn. The
formation of wild ducks continued their journey South, but Wally
didn't care. "I'll rejoin them when they come back North in a few
months, he said to himself.
Several months went by and sure enough, Wally looked up and
spotted the flock of wild ducks in formation, heading north. They
looked beautiful up there. And Wally was tired of the barnyard.
It was muddy and everywhere he waddled, nothing but duck doo.
"It's time to leave," said Wally.
So Wally flapped his wings furiously and tried to get airborne.
But he had gained some weight from all his corn-eating, and he
hadn't exercised his wings much either. He finally got off the
ground, but he was flying too low and slammed into the side of
the barn. He fell to the ground with a thud and said to himself,
"Oh, well, I'll just wait until they fly south in a few months.
Then I'll rejoin them and become a wild duck again."
But when the flock flew overhead once more, Wally again tried to
lift himself out of the barnyard. He simply didn't have the
strength. Every winter and every spring, he saw his wild duck
friends flying overhead, and they would call out to him. But his
attempts to leave were all in vain.
Eventually Wally no longer paid any attention to the wild ducks
flying overhead. He hardly even noticed them. He had, after all,
become a barnyard duck.
Sometimes we get tired of being the kind of ducks we should be --
followers of Jesus Christ. It's not always easy to be obedient to
God and to discipline ourselves to hang in there for the long
haul. When we are feeling that way, that's when Satan tempts us
to "fall out of formation" and to join the barnyard ducks -- the
worldly ways of life.
But look what happened to Wally. He thought he would just "check-
it-out" for awhile and then leave when he wanted to. But he
couldn't do it. Sin is like that. Sin is a trap, and it has a way
of changing us into people we don't even want to become.
Eventually we lose touch with who we really are -- the sons and
daughters of the Most High. We become barnyard ducks.
-- Author Unknown
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Guess What????
The American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal
Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.
Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The
American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and
asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied, "Only a little while."
The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and
catch more fish?"
The Mexican said, "With this I have more than enough to support
my family's needs."
The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of
your time?"
The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play
with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into
the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my
amigos, I have a full and busy life."
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You
should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a
bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy
several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing
boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would
sell directly to the processor; eventually opening your own
cannery. You would control the product, processing and
distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing
village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually
New York where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"
To which the American replied, "15 to 20 years."
"But what then?" asked the Mexican.
The American laughed and said that's the best part. "When the
time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company
stock to the public and become very rich, you would make
millions."
"Millions?...Then what?"
The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small
coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a
little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll
to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play
your guitar with your amigos."
-- Author Unknown
Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.
Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The
American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and
asked how long it took to catch them.
The Mexican replied, "Only a little while."
The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and
catch more fish?"
The Mexican said, "With this I have more than enough to support
my family's needs."
The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of
your time?"
The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play
with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into
the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my
amigos, I have a full and busy life."
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You
should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a
bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy
several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing
boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would
sell directly to the processor; eventually opening your own
cannery. You would control the product, processing and
distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing
village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually
New York where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"
To which the American replied, "15 to 20 years."
"But what then?" asked the Mexican.
The American laughed and said that's the best part. "When the
time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company
stock to the public and become very rich, you would make
millions."
"Millions?...Then what?"
The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small
coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a
little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll
to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play
your guitar with your amigos."
-- Author Unknown
Saturday, October 27, 2012
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
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
Saturday, October 20, 2012
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:
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.”
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.
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.”
- 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.
- 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.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
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.
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:
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:
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.
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.”
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.
- 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.
- Negrini S, Negrini A. Postural effects of symmetrical and asymmetrical loads on the spines of schoolchildren. Scoliosis 2007;2(1):8.
- 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:
“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:
The authors reported the following findings at the completion of treatment:
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.”
- 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.
“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.”
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.”
- 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.
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.”
- Nowakowski P, Delitto A, Erhard RE. Lumbar spinal stenosis. Physical Therapy 1996;76:187-190.
- 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.
- 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.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
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:
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.
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
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.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
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
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
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
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
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
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Old West Justice
A man in the Old West was being tried for stealing a horse.
You need to remember that stealing a horse in the Old West was a
very grave and serious offense. A person could be hanged if found
guilty of such a deed.
It so happened that the man whose horse had been stolen had
always made it a point to get the best of any person with whom he
had any dealings. He had never tried to do anything good for
anyone other than himself. Consequently, the man whose horse had
been stolen didn't have a single friend in the entire town. The
case was tried and presented to the jury.
The evidence against the accused man was pretty strong. After
about thirty minutes of deliberation, the jury returned to the
court chambers.
"Gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict?" the judge
asked.
The chairman of the jury stood up. "Yes we have, your honor," he
replied.
"What is your verdict?" inquired the judge.
There were a few moments of silence and then the chairman spoke.
"We find the defendant not guilty if he will return the horse."
After the judge had silenced the laughter in the courtroom, he
admonished the jury. "I cannot accept that verdict. You will have
to retire until you reach another verdict," said the judge. The
jury went back into their room to deliberate toward another
verdict. No member of the jury had any particular liking for the
man whose horse had been stolen. At one time or another he had
gotten the best of each of them. About an hour passed before the
jury could reach another verdict. They re-entered the courtroom.
They took their place in the jury box and the courtroom grew
silent.
"Gentlemen of the jury," began the judge, "have you reached a
verdict?" The chairman of the jury stood up.
"Yes we have, your honor," he replied. "What is your verdict?"
asked the judge.
The courtroom was totally silent. You could have heard a pin
drop. Everyone eagerly awaited the verdict. The chairman read the
decision reached by the twelve good men, tried and true.
"We find the defendant NOT guilty, and he can KEEP the horse!"
The courtroom burst into laughter! Moral of the story: If you
spend your life trying to take advantage of others, never caring
about them in any way except what you can get from them or what
they can do for you, you will end up a loser, like the man who
lost his horse.
If you desire a friend, then be a friend. If you desire for other
people to help you, then help other people. If you desire justice
at the hands of others, then practice justice toward them.
Regardless of what you may think, the old Biblical admonition is
true. We do reap what we sow.
-- Author Unknown
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Low Blood Sugar
Carbohydrate foods are foods such as breads, pasta, cakes,
cookies, candy, muffins, rice, beans, whole grains, tacos and tortillas.
Starchy vegetables such as peas, corn, potatoes, acorn squash, and other winter
squashes also contain high levels of carbohydrates. Milk products are another
good source.
It’s okay to have carbohydrate foods in your diet, but limit
them to a maximum of three or four servings per meal. Some people must limit
them to one or two to become headache-free. Watching your diet for the number
of carbohydrates eaten in any one meal can be a big revelation into why you
have headaches. Too many carbohydrates cause headaches by raising insulin
levels that lower blood sugar too fast and also increase inflammation in the
body.
Here’s an example of too many carbohydrates in a meal:
Oatmeal with raisins, orange juice, a muffin, and an apple.
You may think that the oatmeal meal is a healthy meal but it
contains too many carbohydrates. The headache-free breakfast would be oatmeal
with milk and an apple. You could even add an egg to this new meal.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Chemicals and Headaches
Very clever researchers discovered that certain chemicals,
especially MSG added to Chinese food is a strong headache trigger in many
people.
Foods that contain MSG might not necessarily list “MSG” or
“monosodium glutamate” on the label. Instead, you’ll see: hydrolyzed vegetable
protein, natural flavorings, sodium caseinate, yeast extract, hydrolyzed yeast,
autolyzed yeast, hydolized oat flour, calcium caseinate, hydrolyzed plant
protein, hydrolyzed protein. Protein isolates of any type may contain MSG, even
soy protein. If you eat processed foods, it will be rare for you to see a label
without one of these! Every fast food chain uses it in their food ingredients!
You may lose to gain. What I mean by this is that you may
lose your present life in the meal department to gain a headache-free life.
What you gain is learning how to cook and prepare foods from scratch. You gain
the freedom to do things you couldn’t do before and you can do them without
restriction. You gain the affection lost by family members who didn’t
understand your headaches.
In a few months, you will have adapted so much to your new
diet, that your family and friends will want to come over to see what you’re
cooking that tastes so good! Natural foods cooking is different than what it
was like a decade ago. It’s easier to find cookbooks, share recipes, and find
near ready-made alternatives at the health food stores and whole food superstores.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and the Brain
Your Body is Miraculous!
You may already know that researchers and doctors have
discovered that every part of your body can be healed. In 2008, medical doctors
announced that even the brain was capable of regenerating itself! A few years
ago, they announced that the liver could regenerate itself. In alternative
healing, we have known this for decades. Chiropractors have seen seemingly
impossible cases of healing occur when the nervous system to the body part that
is ailing is restored. And the beauty of the body healing itself is that it
happens again and again.
So if your brain can heal itself and your liver can heal
itself, why couldn’t the tissues in your hand and wrist? There’s no reason at
all! Keep your Nervous System in a high state of health, and you will have unlimited potential.
Good luck,
Dr. Bob Moulas
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
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.
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