Back Packs Cause Back Strain in Children

Recent research shows that heavy backpacks can cause disc degeneration and increase curve in the lumbar spine.  MRI’s of children’s spines showed the postural changes that carrying these heavy loads causes.  These postural changes lead to back pain, muscle strain and permanent changes in the health of the spinal bones and discs.

It is recommended that no more than 10-15% of the child’s body weight be carried in the backpack.  Special backpacks that reduce strain on the back are available, but most kids are carrying way too much weight on their backs and will pay for it later in their lives with pain, discomfort and premature aging of the spine and discs.

Dear Mr. President…

Dear Mr. President,

I think you are doing a great job, and you are right to put a great emphasis on our broken health care system.

I have been a chiropractor since 1982 and have a small practice in a small town in northern Vermont. About 1/3 of my patients have Medicare, 1/3 have Medicaid and the rest are a mix of insurance ( Blue Cross, MVP/Landmark & CIGNA) and cash.

The cash patients either do not have insurance for financial reasons or because they don’t want it. You read that right, about 15% of my patients do not have health insurance because they do not want it. Why?

Because insurance does not cover the type of practitioners they like to see, or has some severe restrictions on how often they can go to their chosen doctor. Or because they have to see a series of doctors to get a referral to the one they really want to see. Some because they are sensitive or allergic to many medications, and so the medical system has nothing left to offer them. Some would rather try going to a nutritionist or try acupuncture, foot reflexology, massage, herbal remedies, Reiki or a naturopath or homeopath.

A growing number of Baby Boomers especially are more interested than ever in natural healing, but the closest their insurance coverage can come up with is Ibuprofen, rest and physical therapy. Nothing wrong with PT, but it can’t solve every problem.

All of my patients are worried about what would be covered with their new insurance after the health care coverage revolution gets worked out. Many of them think it is too late to save the insurance/health care industry.

As much as insurance companies are now pushing prevention, because they think that is what everyone wants to hear, they would rather put you on insulin in 20 years than pay for a nutritional consultation or a gym membership today. And one company recently sent it’s subscribers a “Do you really need to see the chiropractor?” letter. (This same company, when you call about a claim you speak to someone in India.)

Also, many of us worry about what type of insurance they will be forced to buy or else face a penalty when they pay their taxes. In Vermont we have fought very hard for our insurance equality laws, and all that did was make a lot of insurers leave our state so now we have even less choices.

My patients are worried that they will have to pay money they can ill afford to cover medical care they will not use, except in emergencies. They complain that when they did have insurance they never got to use it because they could never ever meet their high deductible.

Our family has owned small businesses for many years. We had to drop our own health insurance several years ago. In 2009 we paid about $200 to medical doctors for a family of four (that was for one visit). This yearly visit is only necessary because one family member has asthma & needs an inhaler prescription. The inhaler prescription is paid for in cash, about 4-6x per year at $120 per.

Why would we want to pay even $100 a month for any kind of health care when we spend less than $1000 on potentially covered medical expenses per year? We do have accident coverage for about $70 per month with no deductible and $25 copay.

What worries me too, is that no one I have spoken to, not one patient, friend or acquaintance knew what the new health care bill would be like if it did pass. The citizens are the ones who should be voting on this issue, because it is our dollars, our health and our lives that are at stake.

Sincerely,

Nancy Fuller, D.C.

Stop with the germs already

So  tired of hearing about germs on the news, everyone obsessed with being germ free, hand sanitizers, grocery cart sanitizers.

Let’s start with definitions.  Germ is defined in Merriam-Webster as:

”1a. a small mass of living substance capable of developing into an organism or one of its parts”

In other words, an embryo or embryonic tissue that will develop into an organ.

“1b. the embryo with the scutellum of a cereal grain that is usu. separated from the starchy endosperm during milling.”

This is not my area of expertise but frankly that business about the scutellum in the cereal grains is a little scary, I looked it up and that is way too much botany to get into here.  And don’t even get me started on the “endosperm” issue.

But still, not what newscasters mean when they talk about “the germiest part of your house.”

2. “something that initiates development or serves as an origin.”  As in, the germ of an idea.

3. “a microorganism causing disease.”

More accurately, they are bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc. that people are afraid of because they “cause disease.”  But these disease causing microbes are not necessarily the same ones that congregate on your sponge, counter or shopping cart.

Quite frankly, all our fears of disease are being preyed upon by the makers of hand-sanitzers, disinfecting soaps, shopping cart wipes, etc.  Do they kill “germs” any better than the soap and hot water your great grandmother used?

Consider also the fact that microorganisms can only flourish and cause disease when the body’s natural immunities are not working at 100%.  Microbes do not flourish in healthy tissue.  And if you persist in killing all the “germs” in your environment, your body has no way to build its immune system.

The immune system, like the wings on a butterfly larva, gets stronger by fighting to grow, the butterfly fights the cocoon, our immune systems fight “germs and disease.”

I have no proof of this, but what if you are weakening your own immune system by killing all the “germs” in your environment?

The Truth =”{:\ (bones, pt.1)

My cat Cosmo thought up the latter half of that title all by himself. He has a burning desire to express himself on the computer keyboard.

My working title had been “The Truth About Bones” but I like this version better because it adds an air of mystery, which is appropriate when talking about bones.

When we see bones they are on our plates our in our dogs mouths, in a supermarket meat case perhaps. They appear as inanimate objects, which is the furthest thing from the truth when you consider our bones, living bones, not dry hard objects, but living things that respond to all the stresses placed upon them.

Bones have a blood supply, a nerve supply, they change and grow, they need nutrients.  Over a lifetime they change shape, sometimes get compressed or change their alignment within a joint.

Bones misalign, due to trauma, repetitive motion (job duties, driving, chores, computer) ,nutritional deficiencies,or effects of toxins on their nerve input.  This causes imbalance of the effects of gravity.  If there is more pressure on one side of a joint, the bones can respond by compressing or by building up supportive bone spurs called osteophytes.

This process is called degenerative joint disease (DJD) referred to simply as “arthritis” by many doctors and sufferers.  It is not the same as rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Proper alignment and balance are essential to normal bone growth and health, this is the purpose of chiropractic exams and adjustments to the joints of the spine and extremities.

Is Biofreeze Better Than Ice?

The short answer is yes. Robert Topp, PhD, RN, from the University of Louisville compared the effects of Biofreeze topical analgesic and ice on blood flow, pain and muscle performance in the upper extremity.

The most significant finding in this study was a “significant gain in muscle function” between 20-25 minutes after using Biofreeze, while ice resulted in no change in muscle function.

I know Biofreeze has helped a lot of my patients with pain, but frankly, this surprised me. I would have thought the effects were about equal. Guess I will be recommending Biofreeze more if it really works better, also takes less time to apply.

Chiropractic & Stress Management Pt. 2

Another condition commonly associated with stress is adrenal insufficiency and it’s symptoms: fatigue, intolerance to cold, joint aches & pains, poor circulation and lowered resistance to infection.
Structural or nutritional imbalances, if left uncorrected, can eventually weaken the adrenals.
Spinal alignment, lifestyle changes and proper nutritional supplementation can enhance overall metabolism, eliminate toxins and help rebuild the adrenal glands.

National Business Women’s Week

Each year, the third full week of October is National Business Women’s Week to recognize and honor the contributions of working women and employers who support working women and their families.
Women are a significant force in the national economy. Women-owned businesses generate about the $3 trillion in revenue and employ 16 percent of the workforce in the US, according to the Washington Post. (10/03/09)

For profiles of local business women in Franklin County, Vermont, see this weeks St. Albans Messenger.

Chiropractic and Stress Management

Anxiety and stress cause muscle tension that attacks the weak spots of the spine, causing headaches, migraines, sciatica, neck and back pain, dizziness and a host of other symptoms.  The tighter the muscles become, the more pressure on your nerves, which interferes with proper nerve transmission.

The pain aggravates the stress and anxiety.  Chiropractic treatment is aimed at relieving any physical complaints which will in turn help with mental stess and irritability that come with chronic pain and muscle tension.