What is Chiropractic? – Part 1

In our medically oriented society there is confusion about what chiropractic care is intended to accomplish and why. In the next two posts I will attempt to clarify our understanding of the purpose of chiropractic care. Much of this information was distilled from Essential Principles of Chiropractic by Virgil V. Strang, D.C., H.C.D. (Hon.), and Chiropractic Philosophy classes taught by Dr. Strang at Palmer College of Chiropractic, Davenport, IA.

Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary defines ‘health’ as “a state of optimal physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity” (underline emphasis added). The medical model teaches that disease is caused by ‘germs’ which must be actively attacked by the doctor, placing the patient in the role of passive victim. While this approach has some effectiveness, even casual observation reveals that a person cured of illness is not necessarily healthy.

A large percentage of the population believes (encouraged by the medical profession) that medical doctors are the only scientific healthcare providers. Allopathy (medicine), as chiropractic, is not a pure, but rather an applied, science. This science is clinical in nature, meaning that decisions are made based on statistical analyses of scientific data.

To define chiropractic properly, it is first necessary to understand the meaning of certain terms:

LAWS - Proven facts of science, or often the principles of science.

THEORIES - The generally accepted knowledge of science with data tending toward proof, none seriously challenging.

HYPOTHESES - A statement made, presumed leading to a conclusion; often called the working tools of science, or questions in a data-gathering mode. A hypothesis cannot be agreed or disagreed with, it can only be investigated.

PREMISES or CONJECTURES - A statement made from qualification regarding an occurrence in nature. In other words, an educated guess by one who is qualified to make it.

In the next post, I will explain how chiropractic care assists our bodies in being as healthy, and pain-free, as they can be.

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

Chiropractic Has Trade-Offs Too – Part 2 (Continued Use Pain vs. Faster Healing)

I keep running into a particular situation in my office and it involves a trade-off – I call it Grandparents’ Syndrome.

Men and women come to me with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, lower-back pain, upper-back pain, neck pain, etc. I ask, “What are you doing to cause this?” They reply, “It hurts when I crochet/work in my woodshop/pick up the baby.” I say, “You need to stop doing that for a while.” The response, “NO!”

I explain that if they are constantly re-injuring the area with activities that are aggravating, the problem will not heal, but continue to get worse. “I HAVE to crochet ten afghans, OR finish building these presents, for the grandchildren.” “I HAVE to pick up the baby.”

I now clarify that if they want to get well as quickly as possible, these activities will have to be temporarily dropped. I can still help it to heal, but the process will be much slower and take longer if they continue. I ask, “Is it worth it to have your hands so numb that you have to be looking at them to continue to crochet? Is it worth back pain and spasms so bad that you can’t sleep at night to finish those woodworking projects. Do you HAVE to pick up the baby?” The answer, “YES!” (Usually, the best concession I can get on picking up the baby is that the children will be taught that Grandma only picks them up when she is sitting down.)

So I tell them that they will be coming to me very often for treatments until the projects are completed, and that the rate of improvement and pain relief will be much slower, but that they can expect to get some relief of their symptoms with each visit to Val Vista Chiropractic.

Imagine:  Patients trading their health and well-being to make their grandchildren happy! There are ALWAYS trade-offs.

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

Chiropractic Has Trade-Offs Too – Part 1 (Example: Cortisone - Patients Must Choose Their Consequences)

Most things in life have trade-offs. While I don’t want to be perceived as slamming the medical profession, the fact remains that medical care has some of the biggest trade-offs in the world, but many times they aren’t pointed out to us.

Cortisone shots can seem to provide miraculous healing, but the trade-offs are rarely mentioned. Sometimes the trade-offs are worth the risks, but THE PATIENTS should be the ones making the decision, not the doctors. Most medical providers appear to start with the premise that the effects of drugs and surgery are so inconsequential that they are ALWAYS worth the risks.

The first thing that you probably have not been told about cortisone is that the body builds a tolerance to it. Every time you are exposed to cortisone, it is less likely that your body will mount the hoped-for response of decreased inflammation and pain. It appears that the 50% rule applies: 50% of the people will have no response the first time they receive an injection, of the ones who did, 50% will have no response the second time, and so on. We are able to purchase cortisone creams over the counter, and this exposure alone may be sufficient to trigger the tolerance and the body’s resistance to even the first injection.

The importance of this information is that if you have only one or two chances to enjoy a major decrease in pain, you might prefer to save them for a time when you believe there is no other solution. Studies show that when people are told of the risks of painkillers and then allowed to determine their own schedule for receiving them, the necessity for the painkillers is markedly reduced. Many times our pains are not as bad as we first thought.

The second item you may not have heard about is that repeated cortisone exposure causes joint surface deterioration and tendon ruptures. The very joints that we are treating experience a more rapid erosion of the joint surfaces, and tendons in the area become weakened, with an increased likelihood for ruptures and tears, resulting in circumstances worse than those for which we were injected. Interestingly, since cortisone also causes atrophy or loss of the fat pads, someone being injected for plantar fasciitis may actually experience MORE pain when walking due to the decreased cushion.

Thirdly, Prednisone, the long-term version of cortisone, usually in pill form, often causes dramatic weight-gain, generally uncontrollable by standard means.

I recognize that none of these are absolute, and that life-threatening circumstances, or unbearable pain must be alleviated whenever possible. But, all of this knowledge should be shared, and then the patient allowed to make an informed decision regarding the risks he is willing to take.

Cortisone is only one example of the trade-offs made under medical care. In the next post I will talk about a common trade-off that is made under chiropractic care.

Getting rid of your pain,
Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor
Val Vista Chiropractic

Chiropractic Care is Necessary ASAP After an Auto Accident!

I just had it happen again, and everyone needs to hear this.

An existing patient stopped into the office, obviously in pain, and wanted to ask me some questions. She told me she had been in an auto accident five weeks previously, and had left on vacation shortly after.  While she was out of town her neck and back began to hurt and the pain had increased to the point where it was constant, and bad enough to make it hard to sleep.

She said she had been the passenger in a vehicle which had been T-boned and totaled, and asked if I would be able to help her. I told her that we are very successful in assisting people to recover from whiplash-type injuries. She told me that she would pay for it, and I informed her that we either accept Medical Payments coverage, or would wait until the case was settled, since the accident was not her fault. She said her cousin (the driver) told her she had no Med-Pay, and that she couldn’t be treated by me until she saw her medical doctor and had x-rays and an MRI.

I said that her cousin was incorrect: she did not have to see her medical doctor first, and that any physician that ordered an MRI without first seeing the x-rays was, at the least, incompetent. I further stated that it had been my experience that if you went to the medical doctor first, most would do everything they could to dissuade you from coming to see a chiropractor, and would instead prescribe muscle relaxers and painkillers, and possibly physiotherapy, and tell you to be patient because it would just take time.

She told me that she had already been to the medical doctor once, and he had said that it would be fine for her to see a chiropractor, after he had determined that it was necessary. While I am NOT antagonistic toward most medical doctors, my training did not qualify me to perform brain surgery, and their training certainly did not qualify them to evaluate the benefits of chiropractic care. She said she would be calling me within a week to set up the appointments, and start being treated.

Here it is, more than TWO weeks later, and I haven’t heard from her yet. This is a patient who has already been helped by me for another condition, but she apparently has been convinced to avoid seeking chiropractic care for her injuries.

Please take note and understand, NOBODY can tell you what care you have to get – not a relative, not the insurance company, not your attorney, and certainly not your medical doctor. Research has shown chiropractic care to be the most effective treatment for whiplash-type injuries. Chiropractic care can be augmented, but not replaced, by certain types of physical therapy treatments. Muscle relaxers, painkillers, and anti-inflammatories cover, but do nothing to heal, the injuries.

Friends, PLEASE don’t allow yourself to be suckered or strong-armed into NOT getting the chiropractic care you NEED. Untreated whiplash injury symptoms get worse as the years go by (why do you think the insurance companies are so eager to settle as quickly as possible and be released from liability?), and our Arizona state laws allow two years after the accident to file a claim. See a chiropractor immediately and start getting better right away. It will be the best decision you ever made.

Getting rid of your pain,
Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor
Val Vista Chiropractic

Daily Inspiration From Your Chiropractor

Today's inspirational quote:

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

-- John Quincy Adams

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

Stretches Can Be Hard on the Spine

I recently attended a continuing education seminar conducted by Dr. Charles Annunziata, a chiropractor from the east coast, on “Spinal Disorders from Diagnosis to Treatment”. One of the first things they talked about were stretching exercises. It has been known for many years that the standard stretching exercises provided by most healthcare providers are of no clinical benefit in reducing back and neck pain. More recently the research shows that, when applied in the most common manner, these stretches actually cause disc problems, particularly long-term.

At night, when we are lying down and gravity is not pushing down on our spine, the discs are re-absorbing moisture and ‘pumping’ back up to full capacity. Everyone gains between three-quarters of an inch and two inches in height while sleeping. When we first wake up the discs are stretched and straining from the internal pressure, and anything that increases external pressure causes micro-tears and ruptures of the disc structures.

There are three things that most people do upon awakening that injure their backs every morning:

1. Stretching before getting out of bed. I’m not referring to the ‘yawn and stretch’ before hopping up and heading to the bathroom – I mean pulling both knees up to the chest as hard as possible and holding it for 30 seconds or more before moving on to other similar stretches.
2. Going to the exercise room and doing calisthenics or lifting weights, or going right to work and immediately begin heavy (and usually awkward) lifting with concurrent bending and stooping required by the job.
3. Sitting in a lousy chair with poor posture reading, eating breakfast, or watching TV.

Instead we should be standing and walking, minimizing the above-mentioned activities as much as possible. The research shows that when we are upright, with gravity doing its thing, it takes between one and two hours for our discs to deflate sufficiently for the risk of injury to become minimal. If you still absolutely must do these particular stretches, do them as a cool-down after exercising, or after climbing into bed before going to sleep.

If you want more information, e-mail me and I will send you the references cited by Dr. Annunziata. As always, when the spine is out of place, all of these problems will be magnified. Chiropractors can help you sustain less injury, get rid of pain, and be more healthy – call and give us a chance to show you how!

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

A Perfect Diet – the Proper Weight is Better for Our Spine

I have spent the past week looking for the article which I am about to quote. I’ve taken way too long, and so I am surrendering and quoting (and embellishing) from memory. This is taken from a column by Lendon H. Smith, M.D. in Dynamic Chiropractic, around 1989. I will write as I remember Dr. Smith’s comments:

Our bodies are not designed to eat three large meals per day. This is a concession to requirements of a working society. Our digestive system functions best with a continual, but limited flow of a variety of different foods. To take full advantage of this, we should be eating twelve meals per day.

Before you surf on to the next website in disgust, peruse the details of this diet. This diet is not easy although it is not particularly expensive. You must begin with a careful planning of each day’s meals. If you are trying to lose weight on this diet, your daily intake should be between 1000-1200 calories. If you are trying to maintain a satisfactory weight, intake should be between 1500-1800 calories.

Divide the meals by food types:  one meal might consist of 100-300 calories of cheese, another 100-400 calories of chicken or fish, several meals would consist of all you can eat of celery or carrot sticks. Occasional deep fried items, or salad dressings would supply the oils needed by the body. Just follow an all-around healthy diet that is a little heavy on the vegetables and light on the fats (staying within the caloric guidelines, of course).

Prepare the foods by cutting them up into bite-sized pieces which can be eaten with a toothpick – cubes are a nice shape. Get twelve sealable containers (can be Ziploc bags) labeled 1-12 and fill them with your meals, randomly arranged so that you are not eating the same thing twice in a row. Drink mostly water – if you are going to have milk it must be figured into the caloric count – and no soft drinks, particularly diet sodas.

Establish a time each hour between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm to take five minutes and eat your meal. The meals you will need during work hours are generally easily transportable. Snacks shouldn’t be needed since every meal is a snack. Chewing each bite thoroughly helps the food digest better and allows your body to feel satisfied sooner.

This diet is not for the faint-of-heart, but it is an excellent diet:  healthy and successful. If you are in the mood for a lifestyle change to help you lose weight, you might enjoy this one. Don’t forget that regular, vigorous exercise is also a necessary part of a successful diet. And, as always, everything goes better with chiropractic care. Come on in and find out for yourself.

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

Daily Inspiration From Your Chiropractor

Today's Inspirational Quote:

“There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it ill behaves any of us to find fault with the rest of us.”

-- John Truslow Adams

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

Daily Inspiration From Your Chiropractor

Today's Inspirational Quote:

“The conventional definition of management is getting work done through people, but real management is developing people through work.”

-- Agha Hasan Abedi

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

Weight and Spinal Health

Today we will touch briefly on a sore subject – weight. The majority of Americans today are overweight, or worse, and most of us recognize that, even if we have a hard time admitting it.

Our weight increases when the body decides it is necessary to store extra energy. Existing fat cells expand and fill up, and in many circumstances, the body creates additional storage cells. These cells require blood flow in order to live and function, and many miles of additional blood vessels are created.

In order to force the blood through these new networks, the heart pumps harder and faster, increasing the blood pressure, which increases the likelihood of strokes. An increase in fat storage is often accompanied by an increase in the bad type of cholesterol with an attendant greater risk of blockages and blood clots. If a clot lodges in the arteries of the heart, lungs or brain, things obviously get even worse.

Depressed yet? These are the things we are reminded about on a daily basis. In addition to the stresses on the heart, the skeletal system is also affected. All of the weight-bearing joints have to deal with the increased load which leads to degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis. Joint replacements are discouraged because of the greater likelihood of early hardware failure.

From the chiropractic perspective, the worst problem is the effect of additional weight on the spine. Fat is seldom distributed in a balanced pattern, and this affects our posture and movement. Any woman who has ever been pregnant knows that one or more bowling balls hanging from the front of your waist causes low-back pain.

As mentioned in previous posts, the body contains other nerves in addition to those which report pain, and they are all affected in a similar manner. Organs malfunction, making it increasingly difficult for the body to take care of itself, heal injuries of all kinds, and stay healthy.

Getting chiropractic treatments when overweight becomes necessary merely to maintain the status quo, although amazingly enough, many times the body still exhibits the capability to slowly improve its circumstances. Because of this, chiropractic adjustments increase body movement and coordination while relieving pain, and often even assist in the weight-management process.

Most chiropractor’s offices have equipment such as tables which lay the patient down and raise them back to their feet again, addressing a variety of different patient needs, making the treatment process as easy as possible. Even if weight-control is a problem, at Val Vista Chiropractic, we are ready to help you maintain the maximum health and functionality which your body can achieve.

In the next post, I will share information I found about a ‘perfect’ diet.

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

Daily Inspiration From Your Chiropractor

Today's Inspirational Quote:

“I think that the good and the great are only separated by the willingness to sacrifice.”

-- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

How Many Chiropractic Visits Will It Take to Heal Me?

When people find out that I’m a chiropractor the most frequent comment I hear is, “Chiropractors keep you coming back forever.” I respond, “I only encourage you to keep coming in as long as you want to feel good and not hurt.”

Chiropractic is based on the philosophy that health is not an absence of disease, but a state of optimal performance by all the body structures. If you maintain your health properly, pain is a rare exception, rather than a normal problem (please note the oxymoron).

Nowadays, however, even though many people pay lip-service to wanting to be healthy, they really only want to get rid of the pain they are feeling as quickly as possible. Most patients don’t care about the next pain they will get until they get it.

As a profession, chiropractic has always been about helping minimize future pain by staying as healthy as possible. It is galling to most of us to try and compete with aspirin and other painkillers. In spite of that, many chiropractors are giving their patients the choice of getting rid of the pain using a natural approach, discontinuing the care, and then returning to get more treatment when a new round of pain occurs.

Keeping in mind that natural approaches generally have a slower response curve than chemicals which force an almost instantaneous change, chiropractic patients still experience their share of rapid improvments. One should also remember that the medical doctor often provides as many treatments as I do, I just can’t bottle my treatments and send them home with you.

Some of my patients see major improvement in three to five treatments. Many, however, have actually had the base problems for a long time (sometimes for many years), and the body has to sift through layers of repairs in order to accomplish the desired pain reduction. All healing can only progress to the limits of the body’s maximum healing capabilities – no drug or surgical procedure extends it any further. Every healing art follows their own philosophy to assist the body in its efforts.

If you want to be healthy and have a better life, we at Val Vista Chiropractic can help you with that. If you want to just get rid of your pain, and then get on with your life, we will do our best to assist you with that. The choice is yours.

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

Daily Inspiration From Your Chiropractor

Today's Inspirational Quote:

“Everyone is your best friend when you are successful. Make sure that the people that you surround yourself with are also the people that you are not afraid of failing with.”

-- Paula Abdul

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

Daily Inspiration From Your Chiropractor

Today's Inspirational Quote:

“'Patience is passion tamed.'”

-- Lyman Abbott

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

Three Causes of Subluxation – Why We Need Chiropractors – Part 2

In the previous post I explained what conditions are necessary for the vertebrae to move out of their correct position (subluxate). In this post we will discuss the three things which cause them to move out of place.

1. Mechanical – This is anything which physically forces the vertebrae out of place:  getting hit with a baseball bat, falling off the roof and landing on your head, an auto accident, or repetitive stress injuries where you do the same movement over and over again, day in and day out, until the soft tissues finally give way and let the vertebrae move.
2. Chemical – Anytime we are exposed to chemicals we have the possibility of what has been labeled an allergic reaction. Those we are most familiar with are that our breathing becomes difficult, or that we develop a rash. Both of these have a muscular component. For some reason that I am not aware of, we have muscle tissue in our bronchial tubes which is capable of completely stopping the flow of air to our lungs. Exposure to certain chemicals cause these muscles to tighten sufficiently in some people until they have difficulty getting oxygen sufficient for their needs. We also have muscle tissue in the arteries and other blood vessels which allows the body to shunt blood to other areas as needed. Again, chemical exposure causes these to tighten in a manner that fluid is forced into the surrounding tissues, causing a rash. (I realize that there are also other mechanisms in play with each of these examples)  It stands to reason that if some muscle groups react to chemical exposure, others would as well. Spinal muscles tighten unevenly which makes it easier for vertebrae to move out of their correct position.
3. Stress – this used to be labeled ‘Psychological’ but everything lumps together pretty well under the heading of ‘Stress’. When I list this one, many people say, “But I don’t have any stress!”  My reply, “Did you get here today by driving on a road? Then you have been stressed!” We learn to ignore most of the stresses we experience, but they are still there working on us. I have heard so many people say, “I carry my stress in my upper-back,” or “in my neck.” Spinal muscles tighten up and cause pain and discomfort, and make it easier for vertebrae to move out of their correct position.

We have little control over most of these. Chemicals are in the water, food, and air, and the only way to avoid them is to stop eating, drinking, and breathing. While we can avoid some stresses, and learn to decrease, somewhat, their effect on us, overall, stress is here to stay. We do have the option to avoid doing stupid things, but many of our injuries are either due to accidents (which means that they weren’t planned), or necessity – most people don’t have the luxury to move to a different line of work because it hurts their back, and most parents will choose to risk serious injury in order to protect a child, and so, many of the mechanical causes can’t be avoided either.

New traumas are more likely to re-injure the previously damaged areas than the healthy ones, and with the muscles tightened unevenly, normal movement will work the vertebrae gradually out of place which causes the nerve irritation to begin again, causing a reoccurrence of the symptoms. Depending on the circumstances the problems may be corrected in one treatment, and other times may require a series of treatments. This is why you will find that most people will return periodically for treatment – they want to feel better again and stay healthy. At Val Vista Chiropractic, that is our goal and our function.

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

Daily Inspiration From Your Chiropractor

Today's Inspirational Quote:

“'How do you know so much about everything?' was asked of a very wise and intelligent man; and the answer was 'By never being afraid or ashamed to ask questions as to anything of which I was ignorant.'”

-- John Abbott

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

Daily Inspiration From Your Chiropractor

Today's Inspirational Quote:

“I'm dense when it comes to discouragement.”

-- Lynn Abbey

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

Three Causes of Subluxation – Why We Need Chiropractors – Part 1

Chiropractors treat and correct vertebral subluxations. These are vertebrae which have moved out of the correct position and are now causing nerve irritation. I am regularly asked, “What causes the vertebrae to go out of place?” to which the only reply is, “An injury to the spine.”

When most people picture a spinal injury, they imagine fractured (cracked or broken) bones. In reality, probably 95% or more of spinal damage involves no fracture, and the majority of those are of the non-dangerous and unfixable, but extremely painful, sort. The adult spine is made of 26 individual and moveable segments which are held in position by what are labeled soft (non-bone) tissues:  muscles, tendons, ligaments, discs and other cartilages, and various connective tissues. A trauma sufficient to stretch and tear these structures, or what is currently referred to as a ‘Repetitive Stress Injury’, causes enough damage to allow the vertebrae to shift out of their correct position and makes it almost impossible for the body to bring them back to their correct position without outside assistance.

In a variety of ways, many of which we have yet to discover, this position change (usually measured in fractions of a millimeter) causes irritation to nerves in the area, particularly the nerve roots exiting the spinal cord at that level. When the nerves are irritated they behave differently, and the messages they carry throughout the body become garbled, causing the body to malfunction in many different ways. The damage to the soft tissues alone causes plenty of pain, but any pain-signal nerves which are irritated will also report pain (for the area the nerve endings are located in) to the brain, even if that area has sustained no injury.

Soft tissues do not heal at 100%, even though with all the right care they can sometimes get close, and so after the initial damage has healed, there is always some degree of weakness and less flexibility which makes that area more vulnerable to re-injury than was the original structure; the less proper care rendered at the proper time, the more instability at those locations. Obviously, part of the “right care” is provided here at Val Vista Chiropractic – we help get rid of the subluxations with the associated pain and other symptoms they can cause.

In the next post we will examine the three things which cause the vertebrae to go back out of place again.

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

It’s a Gut Feeling: Chiropractic Care with Constipation and Diarrhea

We had some excitement at our office earlier this week and I had no opportunity to do a Monday post. My apologies! Hopefully you will find this interesting.

Our bodies are made up of so many different parts that I love sharing with you some of the fascinating things which I have learned over the years. Today let’s talk about the ileocecal valve.

The ileocecal valve is where the ileum (small intestine) connects to the cecum (large intestine) and is located in the lower-right abdomen. The small intestine absorbs the majority of the proteins, fats and carbohydrates contained in the food we eat, and the large intestine absorbs the excess water which keeps the food liquid enough to pass through the intestines. Many vitamins and chemicals which are water-soluble get absorbed at the same time.

A valve is located at this junction and is normally closed. The act of swallowing solid foods causes the valve to open momentarily and the liquid waste held behind the valve squirts into the large intestine for water removal and expulsion. This is why a healthy person often has a bowel movement shortly after a meal. When the ileocecal valve sticks closed, the person often experiences constipation; when the valve sticks open – diarrhea.

I would love to say that a chiropractor discovered how to treat ileocecal valve problems, but I was told that it was probably originally an osteopathic treatment. It involves deep tissue massage of the valve and you can find some chiropractors and some massage therapists who know how to perform it. I would be surprised to find any osteopaths still utilizing the various massage treatments they pioneered. Naturally, a chiropractic treatment administered concurrently would help the body to heal the valve and minimize future recurrences.

Your chiropractor can help with a variety of complaints and ailments. If you want to get rid of pain, or just feel better, consult with a chiropractor. I know that you will be pleased with the results.

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

Daily Inspiration From Your Chiropractor

Today's inspirational quote:

"May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.  May your mountains rise into and above the clouds."

-- Edward Abbey


Getting rid of your pain,
Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor
Val Vista Chiropractic

Daily Inspiration From Your Chiropractor

Something new!

On the days that I don't have a regular posting, I have decided to post a quote that lifts my spirits and helps me to stay focused.  I hope that they will benefit you as well.

Today's inspirational quote:

"My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging."

-- Hank Aaron


Getting rid of your pain,
Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor
Val Vista Chiropractic

Quick Stretches Help to Make Your Day

If you are in the majority of the population whose daily routine consists of sitting at a desk or standing in one spot most of the time, may I recommend a few quick stretches to loosen you up. Our bodies need a break from this type of schedule every two hours or so to avoid stiffening of muscles with other attendant problems.

• Place hands shoulder-width apart on wall, stand with feet directly below hips and bend knees, lower head between arms and hold stretch for 10-15 seconds
• Stand and place hands just above the back of the hip bones with the elbows back, gently press forward and slightly lift breastbone upward while holding the stretch, hold for 10-15 seconds
• Stand with feet pointed straight ahead – a little more than shoulder-width apart, bend right knee slightly and move left hip downward toward right knee, hold stretch for 10-15 seconds, repeat on the other side while holding onto a chair or other solid support if necessary
• Stand up straight with feet, hips and shoulders in a straight line, stretch hands high above the head while raising up on tiptoes and try to reach the ceiling

Above information from Getting in Shape by Bob Anderson, Ed Burke and Bill Pearl – if you would like a copy of their complete recommendation for ‘On the Job’ exercising, e-mail us at requests@drstevenray.net with “On the Job Exercises” in the Subject line.

It’s never too late to start getting in better shape, so start today with stretching at work – I’m doing it, too!

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

I Can’t Be Adjusted Because . . .

I constantly have friends, relatives, casual acquaintances, person behind the counter, who tell me, “I can’t/won’t go to a chiropractor because . . .” and then proceed to give some creative excuse which, to someone familiar with chiropractic, is almost always meaningless. Aside from the few truthful ones who say they can’t afford it, and the ones who are afraid of being hurt (which has been addressed in a previous post), most people simply display their lack of knowledge on the subject of health and chiropractic care. Here are some of the justifications I have heard:

1. I am too fat/thin to be adjusted.  People often ask me, “How can you feel the spine of a fat person?” Interestingly, very seldom does body fat obscure the spine – usually the spine of an obese person is as palpable as that of someone of normal weight. I have had two patients who weighed 600+ pounds, and while my table struggled to raise them back up to a standing position, I had no difficulty in palpating or adjusting them. In 28 years I can’t recall more than a handful of patients whose spine was difficult to feel because of their padding. As far as being too thin to be treated:  I adjust children and painfully thin adults on a regular basis with no adverse effects – it all depends on the skill of the doctor.
2. I can manipulate myself. People regularly boast that all they have to do is lock their legs around a stationary object and twist their body by grabbing something behind them, or lay backward over a chair back, or grab their head with both hands and give a sharp jerk, or just give a big stretch, and everything all goes back into place and they feel fine. Vertebrae that need to be adjusted are locked up and not moving freely, and surrounding vertebrae become hypermobile in order to compensate for the limited movement. Someone manipulating themselves almost always moves only the hypermobile joints while having minimal effect on the fixated ones. Additionally, most people who are honestly paying attention admit that somewhere along the way this self-manipulation they are doing no longer gives any relief but has become merely a habit.
3. There’s nothing wrong with me. Spinal injuries almost never involve fractured bones. Instead the soft, supporting structures are damaged which causes the nearby nerves to be irritated. Since only around half of the nerves in the body transmit pain signals, it is quite common for spinal misalignments to exhibit minimal pain. Instead we may notice numbness and tingling, muscle weakness, loss of coordination, and various illnesses due to organ malfunctions. Injuries can be of the fall off the roof and land on your head variety, or of the very common repetitive stress type, which are very subtle. Anyone who claims to have never had any accidents or injuries in the first 25 years of their life is either lying, or, more likely, having difficulty recalling details. Therefore, almost everyone has a number of things wrong with them which would benefit from improved spinal health.

These are just some of the reasons people utilize to avoid feeling and functioning better, getting rid of pain, and living healthier, more productive lives. At Val Vista Chiropractic we help people to feel better and achieve more of their potential. What’s your excuse?

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

Mandatory Insurance and Health Care Has Failed!

The Australian Research Council issued a news release September 27, 2012 regarding obesity in the Baby Boomer population. The initial findings show that Baby Boomers, those born between the end of the Second World War and the mid-1960’s, have the highest levels of obesity of any age group in the country.

In fact, obesity rates among baby boomers are more than double that of their parents at the same age. They also have twice the rate of asthma and hearing loss; triple the rate of diabetes and almost double the cholesterol levels of their parents (age group 53-62). The proportion of baby boomers with three or more chronic conditions is 700% greater than the previous generation.

The reason this information caught my attention is not just the findings, but more importantly, the deeper implications, and conclusions which should be drawn from it.

Australia has had a nationalized, mandatory healthcare system for many years. We have been told, for at least the more than 50 years that I have been alive, that increased availability, and enforced use of, various medical services is what has caused each generation to be more healthy than the previous one. This study shows that claim to be absolutely false. No generation has had more marvelous medical technology available, nor access to it, than the current generation, and yet, our level of health is going down.

I can already hear the counter-arguments:  We are obese because people choose to eat unhealthy foods and refuse to get the proper amount of exercise. I happen to agree that that is true. So, do we now follow our current, as well as a former, First Lady’s recommendations and pass laws mandating how we must eat and how much exercise we must perform each day?

Additionally, obesity was only ONE of the issues. Asthma, hearing loss, and other chronic conditions, are much more tenuously linked to diet and exercise. Why hasn’t our marvelous health care system eliminated them from the earth’s population, as it supposedly has smallpox, polio, and other conditions routinely vaccinated for (this is fodder for a future blog post).

I am NOT advocating getting rid of our healthcare system (remember, I’m part of it, too). My concern is that we now have proof that mandatory healthcare alone does not improve our health. It is time to reconsider, and then remove the mandatory components from health insurance and from healthcare providers, and definitely get the government out of the healthcare industry. This will allow true healthcare reform to occur.

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

Stop Pussyfooting Around! Plantar Fasciitis, Heel Spurs and Chiropractic Care

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a patient mention seeing another doctor for foot pain, I tell them that I have very good success with that condition, and treat them, and when they are feeling better they say, “I never knew chiropractors worked on feet!” As I’ve said before:  if your condition is not immediately life-threatening, at least ASK me – most of the time you will be pleasantly surprised at what can be accomplished with chiropractic care.

The foot has 26 bones:  seven make up the heel/ankle/arch, five are the actual ‘foot’ bones, and the remaining fourteen are in the toes. Each arch provides extremely strong support for half of the body’s weight upon a small surface as well as stability for the foot.

When the foot is injured in one of its myriad possibilities, the ligaments and muscles which sustain the arch often will stretch and tear in a manner that allows one or more of the bones to slip down slightly out of position. While this is seldom in the category of “flat feet” or “fallen arches”, it still causes instability of the surrounding joints and irritation of the local nerves, along with the pain from the injury itself.  When the pain continues beyond any obvious injury, the painful inflammation and swelling of the fascia (all soft tissues including muscles and ligaments) in the plantar (foot) area is labeled “Plantar fasciitis” (foot pain).

There is a small ligament which connects the heel bone with one of the bones in the front of the arch which assists in maintaining the integrity of the arch. Sometimes, particularly after injury or aggravation to the heel area, this ligament begins to calcify, and on an x-ray appears as a hook-shaped bone beneath the heel which is commonly referred to as a “heel spur”. This condition is often quite uncomfortable during standing and walking.

At Val Vista Chiropractic, chiropractic treatments supplemented by the ‘cold’ laser – particularly of the arch area – for foot problems are quite successful. Many times plantar fasciitis and heel spur pain can be calmed simply by returning the arch bones closer to their correct arrangement, and allowing the injured areas to heal. Inserting a rigid plastic arch support is often of minimal value in creating, or restoring, the arch, and cortisone injections to treat heel spurs is a much more invasive approach which often does not keep the pain at bay for very long. If you are having foot problems, I encourage you to ask first what your chiropractor can do for you.

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

What We Can Learn From “American Gigolo” – Inversion Tables (Conclusion)

Inversion tables are designed with a flat surface which serves as the bed. The victim person lies down on their back, their lower-body is secured in some manner, and then the bed pivots at the center point, allowing the person to smoothly and easily achieve an upside-down position. I recall that one or two designs over the years did secure the person by a strap or harness which surrounded the pelvis. All the others I have seen merely strap the ankles to the bottom of the bed; no better than the Anti-Gravity Boots that they are supposedly replacing.

I have seen two inversion machines designed by chiropractors (one is still available) that solve this problem with a specially designed pelvic-support piece in place of a bed. The person sits on it, gets properly braced, and then climb their hands down the frame, pulling themselves into an inverted position – no traction is experienced at the ankles or knees, and only minimally at the hip sockets.

The same amount of weight tractions each of the discs and spinal joints whether the person is suspended by the ankles, knees, or the ilia (hip/pelvic bones) above the hip sockets. This being true, an inversion unit which eliminates traction of the ankles, knees, and hips is the only logical choice. Look for one similar to the illustration above, or one that only secures around the hips. New products are being introduced all the time and you will probably be able to find several satisfactory selections. Men – get your own inversion unit and start looking like Richard Gere today!

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

What We Can Learn From “American Gigolo” – Inversion Tables (Intro)

Periodically patients will ask me about inversion tables. The concept is that traction of the spine utilizing only the body’s own weight is a safe and efficient system. If implemented properly, this is correct; improperly – disastrous.

At the risk of giving away my age again, you may remember a little film which launched Richard Gere into stardom called “American Gigolo”. While I have never seen the whole movie, anyone with cable could hardly miss seeing pieces of it while channel-surfing during the 500 times it was aired in a month. The scenes running behind the opening credits showed an extremely buff Gere, clad only in underwear resembling a Speedo, utilizing a new product called “Anti-Gravity Boots” while doing his weight training – women drooled, and men shriveled up and turned green with envy.

“Anti-Gravity Boots” are specially designed cuffs which buckle tightly around the ankles, and which have a large hook on the front. A strong rod is wedged tightly into a door frame, near the top, and then the person does a pull-up, flips himself upside down, clips the ankle hooks over the rod, and then hangs upside down from his feet. Gere upped the ante by then using a pair of dumbbells and going through a workout.

Some time after this film was consigned to the dusty shelves of obscurity, there was a sharp rise in the number of ankle, knee, and hip problems wending their way to orthopedic surgeons. These joints are perfectly designed to support large amounts of weight in a standing position. They are easily damaged when weight is hanging from them.

Enter inversion tables. Manufacturers realized that only a small percentage of the population was capable of hanging themselves upside down in a doorway and wanted to create a product to allow the majority to enjoy the same experience. Tune in to my next post for a discussion of inversion tables, what to look for and what to avoid, and alternatives.

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

No Pain, No Gain? Chiropractic Adjustments Don't Have to Hurt to be Effective

Another in the “Drive Your Chiropractor Nuts!” series.

I had a patient who lives in a retirement community come in one day and relate an experience she had had. I thought she was joking at first, but she convinced me that it was true.

Most of these communities have a club house with a common room filled with tables and chairs for holding meetings. She was sitting at one of the tables reading, or waiting for someone, and couldn’t help overhearing the conversation at the next table. A group of six or seven people were arguing over which of their chiropractors was the meanest. “My chiropractor hurts me so bad I have to crawl out of his office!” She said it sounded like they were comparing war wounds. I asked her if she had weighed in on the topic and she said, “They didn’t need my help!”

Over the years people have gotten chiropractic treatments and muscle building confused. The only way that a person can build up muscle bulk is to mildly injure the muscles through over-exercising. This obviously is going to cause discomfort for the body-builder – thus the phrase “No Pain, No Gain.”

On the other hand, many chiropractic adjustments are completely painless, particularly those administered in another manner than by manual means. Even more of the patients experience only a brief instant of discomfort during the movement of the vertebrae. While it is difficult to pull it down to this level in a patient who is experiencing excruciating pain and muscle spasms, I still question whether it was necessary for two different women to ask me if I had graduated from the “de Sade School of Chiropractic.”

I can guarantee that any competent chiropractor is delighted when he can provide a treatment for someone who then says, “that’s feeling better already!” Different therapies including hot packs, muscle stimulation, ultrasound, and massage are provided in many chiropractic offices, prior to the treatment, with the intent of decreasing the level of discomfort experienced by their patients. In our office we make available an intersegmental traction table, and advise our patients that icing the painful area prior to coming for care, increase the likelihood of a pleasant adjustment experience.

If you have never been to a chiropractor before, don’t let the unlikely possibility of an uncomfortable experience keep you from receiving the help you need. Many people go through much worse in other venues hoping to feel better. Chiropractic is the natural way to address the cause of your problems and get rid of the pain as quickly as your body is able.

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

Give Your Body a Chance! Rest and Walking Help Adjustments Hold

Chiropractic care is the natural way for you to be healthy with less pain, and is probably the best single approach available. Other treatment protocols augment what your chiropractor does for you, including cryotherapy, physical therapy, ‘cold’ laser, massage therapy, acupuncture, etc. But did you know that there are things you can do to make your adjustment more effective and long-lasting? They are so simple that most people won’t even give them a try.

The first is to walk for ten minutes prior to making any unusual moves, doing any lifting, or even climbing into your car to drive home. That’s right, immediately after your chiropractic adjustment everything is extra mobile and is trying to settle into the correct position. It has been my observation that as much as 50% of what I do for a patient is lost with a two-minute drive home.  This is usually because of the car seat – which I will address in a future posting. But other movements which our body normally can do with no problem can cause issues for a short period following the treatment.

Second is to rest for 15-30 minutes after the adjustment. In the 1930’s – 40’s a chiropractor would usually have a room set aside in which the light was kept dim, and in which there were a number of cots. After their treatment, the patients would be directed to this room and instructed to lie and rest for a while. During this era the results from chiropractic care seemed to be especially dramatic, and this is probably one of the reasons why. The cost of office space has skyrocketed, privacy issues have blossomed, and patients today barely have the three to ten minutes necessary for a treatment, let alone time to actually REST afterward, so you’re unlikely to see this useful practice anywhere today.

However, if you want the most out of your time and money in our office – walk around after your adjustment, and then get home and rest for a while – give your body a chance!

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic

Chiropractic Care Can Help Children and Babies So Much!

I’ve got another miracle story for you. One of my patients brought her first child, a four-month old boy, to see me on Monday.  She said that he was bending sideways in the back and the neck, which was quite apparent to anyone who looked at him, but didn’t seem to be in any particular pain and had no other obvious symptoms. Her mother and grandmother are both patients, as well, and they said, “Take him to Dr. Ray.”

When I laid him on my lap to examine and treat him, he began quite enthusiastically to let us know that he didn’t like being there.  His mother apologized and said that he hates to lie on his stomach, and that he was teething, which made him more grumpy. I found several areas to work on in his back, and one in his neck, while he continued to complain. I explained that if she still felt like something wasn’t right after two or three days, to call and bring him back again.

On Wednesday, they returned and the mother reported that he was doing much better. She explained that he had reached the point where he would not even look at or play with toys on his right side, but since the treatment he was interested in both sides again. Also since the adjustment, she was delighted to tell me, he had had no teething pains. I explained that parents often are surprised by that type of response to chiropractic care. His chiropractic adjustment was much quieter on this occasion – he smiled the whole time, and didn’t squirm nearly as much.

This is what the baby's mother posted on our Facebook page (Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor) on 9/12/12:  "Thanks for helping out my baby boy! His head had always been tilting to one side, but is now able to hold it up straight - AND his teething isn't bothering him as much! Thanks so much!"

When the spine is aligned correctly the nervous system functions optimally, and the body recovers and maintains health. Children are no different than adults, except that they respond much quicker to my ministrations. Your children deserve to grow up healthy and happy. If they have any condition which concerns you, whether you have been to the pediatrician or not, take them to a chiropractor and see if the natural approach is right for them.

Getting rid of your pain,

Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor

Val Vista Chiropractic