How to Improve Posture

Unlike what you may have been told, posture is the way your body appears when you are relaxed.  It is not how it appears when you are working like heck to hold yourself upright.  Posture cannot be controlled by muscles, exercise, tractioning your body or any other thing except getting the skeletal structure corrected.   In the past, Chiropractors, osteopaths, physical therapists and others have not been able to consistently correct posture problems.   Advanced Biostructural Correction is an innovative technique that can correct posture without bracing or exercise.  You stand the way you are supposed to, without effort.  Take a look at these pre and post treatment photos.

To make an appointment for a Free No Obligation Consultation to see how we might be able to help your posture problem, call Jennifer at 262-251-8306.

Why I Wear Vibram Five Fingers

A few months ago I started wearing Vibram Five Finger shoes after reading the book “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall.

I’ve been an advocate of barefoot training for almost 8 years now and I have been working out in stocking feet or barefoot most of that time.  I started doing it in order to overcome metatarsal fractures to my right foot.

All of the experts told me I needed arch supports, but when I wore them, my feet hurt worse.  In fact, I broke the fifth metatarsal again while in my arch supported shoes.

Then I started working out barefoot and it was the only time my feet didn’t hurt.  In my office, I would wear a dress shoe that I had custom tailored to have no arch support.  It worked better than “off the rack” shoes, but I still had some pain in my feet and in my back after a long day of treating people.

In treating my patients, I and several doctors from around the country, have noticed that people who wear arch supports have bad posture.  This is contrary to what the experts tell you when you buy them.  We have suggested that our patients wear flat shoes with no arches and the results have been excellent.

A few months ago, I bought the Vibram Five Fingers and to break them in, I wore them to the office.  They looked funny with my white coat and tie, but my patients got a kick out of them.  At the end of the day, I was less tired and much less sore.  So I decided to make them a part of my daily wardrobe.  I love them.

It is not a totally easy transition.  I did notice that if I have to maintain good posture or my feet will start to hurt when I walk.  If I stand tall…no problems.

I ran two miles in them the other day and I feel really good.  I’m looking forward to doing some outdoor running this summer when the weather is nicer.

To find out more about how I treat patients with foot problems, log on to www.stopyourfootpain.com

Fibromyalgia and the Spinal Cord

The theories about how the widespread pain of fibromyalgia occurs are numerous.  Far too many to go over in one article.  But the main theory that guides my treatment is a theory called spinal cord hypersensitivity.

To explain it, I have to lay down a little groundwork so you get a better understanding.  You will need to know a little bit about how the nervous system works.  Don’t worry, its not that difficult.

You may have noticed at some time in your life that you walked into a room and it smelled bad.  After being in the room a while, you probably noticed that you don’t smell it any more.  This is a normal function of your nervous system.  It filters out un-necessary information, so you can concentrate on other things.

Your body will also do this with pain, at least to a certain extent.  You cut your finger, it hurts for a while, then it goes away.  Partly because it is healing and partly because your brain realizes it’s just a cut finger and you don’t need to feel it as much anymore.

The filtering function happens in your spinal cord.  In a normal person’s spinal cord, sensations of pain get lessened over time.  In someone with fibromyalgia, the opposite happens, the pain gets worse.  So think about what would happen if you came into a room, it smelled bad, and the longer you sat there, the worse it got.  Well, welcome to the world of fibromyalgia.  The longer you have the pain, the worse it gets.

The phenomenon is called central sensitization and it was written about extensively in the January 2004 edition of the scientific journal, Pain.  The study explored how people with neck injuries and people with fibromyalgia get pain.  They concluded that “sensitization explains, at least in part, pain in the absence of detectable tissue damage, as found in both conditions.”

To treat fibromyalgia successfully, the issue of central (spinal cord) sensitization must be addressed.  In my office, we concentrate on getting rid of any posture problems that may be causing the cord to be stretched and irritated.  I also work on the patient’s diet and lifestyle to get rid of anything they may be eating that would cause the nervous system to be irritated or inflamed.  The treatment is very successful and allows people with fibromyalgia to return to a more normal life.

To learn more about how I treat fibromyalgia, log on to www.stopyourfibronow.com.

Can Fibromyalgia be Caused by an Infection?

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome where patients feel pain in multiple areas of the body.  They can often feel sick, like they have the flu and suffer from chronic fatigue or depression.

One of the interesting studies to come out in the last few years about fibromyalgia found that 100% of the people tested had dysbiosis problems in their small intestine.

What is Dysbiosis ?  Normally your small intestine should have certain bacteria in it that help you to digest your food.  In dysbiosis, bacteria, fungi and parasites that should not be there, are growing in the intestines.  These bad bugs create toxins that get absorbed into your system.  The toxins cause inflammation, pain and a feeling of sickness.

You can find out if you have dysbiosis by running certain lab tests.  Urine tests to look for organic acids that are byproducts of harmful micro-organisms can help pinpoint what problems you are having.  The best test is a comprehensive stool culture that will be able to see exactly what is growing in you intestines.

From there, treatments can be prescribed that will eliminate the harmful micro-organisms and replenish the helpful micro-organisms.  By doing this, you will eliminate many of the toxins floating around in your body that cause pain and fatigue.

In my experience with treating fibromyalgia, solving the dysbiosis problem is not the complete answer to the pain.  However, it is one big step up the ladder to a full recovery.

To find out more about how I treat Fibromyalgia go to www.stopyourfibronow.com.

What Kind of Shoes Should I Wear?

To answer this question properly, I’ll start by telling you what you shouldn’t wear.  The answer is probably going to knock you over.  Are you ready ?!

You should not wear shoes with arch supports. I’ll say it again, you should not wear shoes with arch supports.

I’ve been studying this issue for the last seven years.  I can tell you without a doubt that people who wear arch supports have the worst spines.  I’ve seen it over and over again.  The more expensive and exotic the support, the worse the problems are in the spine.  Especially, if the patient has been told to wear the supports every waking moment.

You see, arch supports rob the feet of their ability to compensate for uneven surfaces.  Instead of the feet doing the compensating, the knees, hips and spine do it.  The spine gets extra wear and tear, and you see many extra problems.

This flies in the face of everything that is currently being taught in chiropractic, orthopedics and podiatry.  And, you might think I’m crazy, but a recent study agrees with me.

In 2008, a research paper published in the British Journal of Sports medicine did a comprehensive review of over 35 years of research on footwear.  They concluded that there is not one published study that shows that shoes with arch supports prevent injury.  The author even contacted the major shoes companies and asked for their research and the companies wouldn’t respond.

Arch supports are one of those things doctors have dreamed up that works good on paper, but doesn’t work in the real world.

What should you wear ? If you are walking or running, you should wear flat shoes.  If you are doing a lot of standing, wear shoes with a small heel.  The heel will help you stand up straighter.  A lot of women’s shoes have about an 1 ½ inch heal and this is perfect for someone who stands in one place a lot.

Change your shoes often and walk barefoot whenever possible.  Barefoot walking will help you strengthen your feet.  If you’ve been in arch supports a long time, you will have to do this gradually because your feet are probably very weak.

For more information on how I treat foot pain, log on to www.stopyourfootpain.com.

Can You Recommend A Detox Product?

Several of my patients have asked about different detox products they have seen on TV or in health food stores.  The product I recommend and use myself is Total Tea.  I use it because it is gentle acting and the herbs in it have multiple benefits, not just in detoxification.  It is not the total answer if you are concerned about toxicity in your body, but it is a great start.

Total Tea contains:

GynoStemma (Gynostemma pentaphyllum)

• Acts as a scavenger in the stomach and intestines to eliminate waste and toxins from the body
• Helps accelerate metabolism by adjusting blood sugar and reducing blood fat
• Contains many beneficial amino acids and vitamins and minerals, including selenium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, manganese, phosphorus and more
• Strengthens the body’s overall health and thought to have a strong anti-fatigue effect

Senna (Cassia angustifolia, Locust Plant)

• A “cleansing herb” that relieves constipation, increases peristalsis, and helps soften stools

Papaya (Carica papaya)

• Contains “papain”, an enzyme chemically related to “pepsin” which helps digest protein in the body and acts as an anti-inflammatory
• A safe and natural digestive aid that helps prevent indigestion

Ginger (Zingiber officinalis)

• Excellent digestive aid that helps reduce stomach acids and contains anti-inflammatory components
• Relieves indigestion, gas pains, irritation to the intestinal walls, diarrhea, and stomach cramping
• Contains therapeutic properties that stimulate blood circulation, toxin removal, and cleansing of the bowels and kidneys

Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

• Soothes and comforts the stomach, promoting healthy digestion
• Stimulates the flow of digestive juice and bile and the expulsion of gas from the GI tract
• Helps with the treatment of ulcerative conditions of the bowel and intestinal colic

Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea)

• Stimulates the immune system to counter both bacterial and viral infections
• An alterative herb that can be used for long periods of time to gradually and gently detoxify the blood stream thus improving digestion, glandular secretion and assimilation
• Contains anti-inflammatory components

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

• Calms and relaxes the entire body; reduces anxiety; supports a healthy nervous system; helps ease digestion, tense muscles, and menstrual pain; relieves irritability; and helps sleep
• Contains anti-inflammatory properties that soothe the digestive tract and help relieve pain, indigestion, acidity, gas, gastritis, bloating, colic, ulcers and other inflammatory conditions of the digestive system

Rosehips (Rosa canina)

• Mild diuretic and laxative that helps soften stools without purging
• Beneficial for constipation, infections, bladder problems and diarrhea
• Excellent nutritional supplement and helps prevent colds

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum)

• Used to combat microorganisms, diarrhea and other GI disorders, and has anti-oxidant properties

Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

• Used to treat constipation
• Possesses anti-inflammatory properties

For more information on Total Tea go to www.totaltea.net.  You can also get it at my office for the same price as online.  If you would like to sample it, ask Jennifer on your next visit and she will make you some.