San Leandro Chiropractor

3 New Reasons to Quit Smocking

November 12, 2010 by drburt

A better mood: A study from Disease and Prevention finds that smokers are at a higher risk of being depressed than none smokers. This research is not completely clear whether it is a depression that leads a person to smoke or the puffing that leads to it, or it is a combination of both.

Clean Genes: it is a known fact that people who smoke have a higher cancer risk. A research from the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine proved that exposure to any amount of smoke could cause genetic alterations in lung cells, thus lead to malignancy over time

No scale shock: Any health care practitioners advice against of quit smocking and dieting simultaneously. Research from a journal Addiction proves that combination of both makes those who try successful at both. You can maintain your weight after smocking as the thing of the past.

Here is a very interesting link with a time table of what is happening to a body after one quits smocking – Stop Smocking Recovery Table. Below this table there are many different free download PDF reports that might be helpful to anyone who tries to quit smocking.

Quit Smoking after 30 years of Addiction and the Power of Chiropractic

November 10, 2010 by drburt

This is a true story about my father who was a chain smoker for over thirty years. He came to visit me in California and stayed with me for one month while I was in my last year of Chiropractic College.

The health of my dad was in a very bad shape. He would be taken to a Hospital by an ambulance about 15 times a year because of his blood pressure which at times could jump so high that he could not even see straight. Medical Doctors would prescribed him a large variety of medications for lowering his blood pressure. At one point he had over twenty different bottles on a table. This amount of medications could easily kill a horse if given to one. Even my dad sometimes was wondering why was he given so many different medications for one problem. Why Doctors don’t tell him the cause of the problem. A simple advice for quit smocking and diet could have easily improved his condition. However, it was a chase for a symptom improvement but not the cause.

I had all the necessary tools and enough knowledge about anatomy and physiology of the body to figure out how to fix the problem. After reading PDR (Physician Desk Reference) I could not believe how ignorant his doctors were. All of his prescribed blood pressure medications had serious side effects. During a prolonged period of time taking these numerous blood pressure medications my dad has developed a variety of other problems.

One of the most serious symptoms was failing kidneys. His kidneys were leaking protein into a blood. I am not going to go into the significance of this pathophysiological effect, but the long term outcome was fatal. Yes, my dad was going to die if things would not be stabilized in his system any time soon. The main reason why he stayed with me for the entire month was because he thought it would be our last time together.

I had a huge poster in my room of a human body and how nervous system controls every single organ in our body. I knew that it would be a good starting point of educating my dad how smoking is effecting his health. Every day for thirty days I would take a cigarette from him, bring to the mouth on the poster and explained to him how damaging it is to his health and how each organ is be stressed because of him smocking. I told him that if he continues this way he might not have much time left in this world. Believe it or not he listened to every word that I was telling him. I have ordered special supplements for kidney support for Standard Process (Nutritional Company) and I have also changed his diet. I have also provided chiropractic adjustment to his spine every other day. As you already know a good functioning nervous system makes your system work better.

After about five days of education my dad did not light up the cigarette for the entire day. When I got home from school he told me that it was
the most difficult day in his life. Yes, he had nicotine withdrawals. I have informed him that each day it will get easier if he keeps it up this way. His desire to live life was stronger than the desire to smoke another cigarette. He understood what I was saying to him every single time while he was staying with me in California. When the time came for him fly back home to New York City he felt much better, refreshed, hopeful, happy, and energized with a new hope and a new chapter in his life. He was looking for forward to a new beginning.

I was afraid when he gets back home he will start smocking again. During conversation with my mother I asked her if dad had been
smocking. She informed me that he can not even look at cigarettes and hates when someone smokes around him. Every time I come to visit my parents in NYC I jokingly asked my dad if he wants to smoke. He replies: “I don’t understand how people can hold that disgusting poison in their mouse. It is a slow death.” These words came from a guy who smoked for 30 years.

This event took place over ten years ago. Ever since my dad quit smocking he has not been taken to a hospital E.R at all. The health has normalized and his kidneys function have returned to normal. I could probably say that Chiropractic saved my dad. I am writing this post from NYC from my parents home while I am visiting them. The photo above is the real photo of my dad that was taken from my I Phone about an hour ago.

Question: Do you want to quit smoking? What stops you? How does smoking affect your life?

The First Scoliosis Coil in the Country – East Bay Upright MRI

November 8, 2010 by drburt

The First Scolisos Coil - East Bay MRI — East Bay MRI - Hayward, CA

East Bay Upright MRI has acquired a coil that take a full image of the entire upright spine – it takes only eight minutes to complete this process. This radiation free evaluation can also monitor the success of treatment provided by a Doctor. The only way that evaluation of scoliosis can be accurate is when the patient is in upright position. Conventional, recumbent MRI machines can not deliver necessary results. This radiation-free application can be performed in the same amount of time and at the same cost as diagnosis and monitoring by X-RAY. Coil MRI sees curvature of the vertebrae and the soft tissue as well. There are sagital and axial views of the entire spine – with no radiation exposure whatsoever. The 3 plane visualizations are achieved by 3D acquisition with curved multi planar reconstruction. Both Cobb angles and angular rotation of the vertebrae are measured, including the spinal cord, intervertebral discs, nerve roots and spinal ligaments. The National Cancer Institute reported a study in 2000 of 5466 women that demonstrated with scoliosis experienced a 70% greater risk of developing breast cancer that resulted from their protracted exposure to diagnostic X-RAY.

This is what a practicing neurosurgeon, Dr. Joseph Afertzon, M.D. has to say about this technology: “This technology offers unique advantages in scoliosis imaging. It can show dynamic properties of the scoliotic curve in lateral bending. It is also becoming a unique tool in screening and following pediatric patients with scoliosis. It offers precise three dimensional data preferable to regular x-ray and saves our young patients from significant radiation exposure caused by numerous follow-up X-RAYS.”

Multi positional Technology MRI benefits

Patients are scanned upright in weight-bearing positions, in positions of pain or other symptom, and positions of flexion, extension, lateral bending and rotation. This is made possible by the upright MRU’s unique configuration that includes a spacious vertical gap.
A seat can be attached to the bed so patients can be scanned in an upright seated position.
The bed rotates from upright to horizontal so patients can also be scanned recumbent.
Recumbent-only MRI can underestimate the maximum degree of the pathology and miss its dynamics nature
Large patients can be scanned. The is rated for up to 500 pounds
Patients that can not lie down can be scanned, such a patient wit severe kyphosis.
There is unparallel patient comfort because there is nothing in front of the patient’s face except for a 42-inch flat-screen television

Question: What is your opinion about Upright MRI? Please leave your feedback in a comment section.

Sciatica Pain Relief and Chiropractic Treatment

November 5, 2010 by drburt

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica is not a medical condition in itself but rather a symptom of other medical problems. It refers to the pain, numbness, tingling or weakness felt in the legs as an effect of compression or injury of the sciatic nerve.

The pain is usually felt in the buttocks, lower back or at various parts of the patient’s leg including the foot. The pain is usually severe combined with weakness of the muscles as well as numbness and tingling sensation. This condition is usually felt only on one side of the patient’s body.

Treatment Options

The treatment for the symptoms depends on the problems that cause the symptoms. Sciatica can be caused by spinal disc hernia, spinal stenosis, pregnancy, piriformis syndrome and many other conditions. What’s important is that the patient gets a proper diagnosis of his or her problem in order to get the right treatment.

Treatments for this condition vary from taking pain medications to surgery. Anti-inflammatory medications and paracetamol are taken to relieve the pain experienced by the patient. If this isn’t enough, narcotics can also be used especially if the pain is already severe. Steroid injections provide short-term relief and benefits as well. Acupuncture, physical therapy, massage therapy and chiropractic care are also great treatment for sciatica. Some also benefit from yoga sessions and weight loss to reduce the pressure on the nerve roots of the spine.

Chiropractic treatment

Sciatica is treatable by chiropractic care and most of the time, it responds positively after spinal adjustments on the patient’s lower lumbar vertebrae as well as on the sacroillac joints. Some types of nerve irritation respond much faster while some takes a little while depending on the severity of the case and especially if the symptoms are already chronic.

A type of sciatica that is very difficult to deal with even for a chiropractor is when there is an actual herniation of the patient’s intervebral disc. This causes extreme pain that even taking narcotics and analgesics won’t give enough relief for the patient.

Before considering a chiropractic treatment to aid in your symptoms, you must know that most spinal adjustments done can only provide you with short-term relief to pain. It really depends on what causes the symptoms of nerve irritation and you must consult with your health professional regarding the matter. Your local chiropractor would tell you if your problem that results to sciatica symptoms can be improved through chiropractic care.

The best way to get real pain relief the pain in this condition is to relieve the sciatic nerve of the pressure. Correcting the root of the problem is the best solution in order to completely recover from the injury. If you only want pain relief then it will only be a temporary solution. Finding the real source and correcting it would get rid of the symptoms for a long time. By permanently relieving pressure off the sciatic nerve is the best solution to the problem.

Question: Have you or anyone you know experienced Sciatica? What kind of treatment have you had?