THERE IS HOPE FOR A BETTER LIFE!

We must all be prepared for a crisis should one arise.  Having a well trained crisis care team of health care specialists you can trust is important for a quick recovery.  I would like to share with you a testimonial I received from a patient a few months ago.  Gene experienced the ultimate crisis.  He was involved in a severe truck accident that resulted in his neck being broken in 2 places. Even though his surgeries were warranted due to the severity of his crisis, Gene still lead a poor quality of life experiencing severe pain every day.  Without giving up hope for a better life, Gene continued to search for a solution to his chronic pain. This perseverance lead him to chiropractic care and my wellness clinic.

“In February of 1999 my doctors decided to do surgery on my neck.  The surgery turned out to be a failure when one of the screws implanted in my neck became loose causing me severe neck and spinal pain.  I lived with this pain for 5 years and in May of 2004 a spinal reconstruction surgeon went back into my neck to repair the damage.  The surgeon replaced the loose titanium screws with 2 rods, 8 screws, a clamp through the back of my neck, and a metal plate along the front of my neck.  I was on six different prescriptions due to the pain.  After the two major surgeries and years of therapy I still was not getting better.  A year and a half ago I found OC Back & Body Doctors and Dr. Edlund.  Since beginning treatment, I am completely off prescription medication! With my weekly adjustments I am now able to enjoy my life thanks to Dr. Edlund and her staff.  Without Chiropractic care I would still be in severe pain.  In my opinion, OC Back & Body Doctors saved my life!”

- Gene T.

Research shows the spine is our lifeline.  The spine and nervous system control all function and healing.  Maximum nerve supply is my chief objective when I am establishing real health with my patients.  It was evident that my patient Gene, had an interruption to his central nervous system due to his trauma and surgeries.

When I first evaluated Gene’s spine on x-ray, he had a significant amount of forward head posture (his head was positioned in front of his shoulders).  Additionally, his spinal bones in his neck were tilted and rotated (subluxations) causing abnormal pressure on his spinal nerves.  The chronic irritation of his nerves and forward head posture were causing his severe pain.

Gene’s chiropractic program focused on gentle spinal adjustments to the levels above and below his surgical fusion in addition to a rehabilitation program which focused on strengthening and stabilizing his postural muscles.  Within a few months, Gene’s forward head posture improved and he achieved better spinal and nerve health.  His symptoms disappeared and currently he is living a better quality of life!

As Dr. C Norman Shealy from the Shealy Institute states… “Posture affects and moderates every physical and mental function in the body.  Spinal pain, blood pressure, headaches, pulse, lung capacity, and mood are only a small portion of the body’s functions that are most easily influenced by posture”

What causes forward head posture??  Vertebral subluxations and accompanying poor posture as found on posture evaluation and/or x-ray are caused by many sources.  These include sports injuries,  auto accidents, falls, repetitive poor posture (computer work, positions at work, long distance driving, etc), lack of exercise, and any physical, mental or chemical stress (processed food, alcohol, medications and environmental toxins).

Over the past 11 years in practice I have seen a large increase in forward head posture patients – mainly due to the poor postures we are prone to on a daily basis.  The weight of your 10 pound head in front of your shoulders causes a tremendous amount of pressure on the spinal cord.  This will limit your optimal function or “wellness”.  If your nervous system is being compromised by forward head posture, you cannot become completely healthy by simply exercising or eating right.  Although these two factors are important, any abnormal position of the spine and nervous system will impede your ability to live at a “normal” or optimal condition of wellness.

I have seen many young children with forward head posture caused by heavy backpacks and small computer games.  Forward head posture is also a major cause of spinal degeneration (arthritis) in all ages.  I have treated hundreds of patients in their early 20’s with spinal degeneration and bone spurs caused by poor posture.

In his book “Rejuvenation Strategy” Dr. Rene Cailliet (director of the Dept. of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Southern California) writes about the repercussions of deadly forward-head posture:

1. Incorrect head position leads to improper spinal function.  It is a major and complex form of vertebral subluxation.
2. The head in forward posture can add up to thirty pounds of abnormal leverage on the cervical spine.
3. Forward head posture results in loss of lung capacity as much as 30 percent.  This can lead to heard and blood vascular problems.
4. The entire gastrointestinal system is affected.  Loss of good bowel peristaltic function and evacuation is common to forward head posture and loss of spinal curve.
5. Forward head posture causes an increase in discomfort and pain.
6. Forward head posture causes loss of health spine-body motion.  The entire body becomes rigid as the range of motion becomes diminished; the person’s body becomes hunched.

Subluxations and poor posture interfere with the central nervous system and can be a severe restriction to overall health and wellness.  It can interrupt the brain-body connection and throw the entire body out of balance.

The good news is chiropractic can help reduce and sometimes reverse forward head posture!  The earlier it is taken care of, the better the chances of correcting the problem.  Everyone should get their posture evaluated by a chiropractor.  Due to the large occurrence of mental, physical and chemical stress we encounter on a daily basis, plus the high level of inactivity at most work places, the presence of spinal misalignment (subluxations) and forward head posture is epidemic!

Remember, statistics show that most of us are going to live to 100 years of age.  The question is…Do you want to live these years healthy or unhealthy?  The choice is yours.  At some point in your life you are going to have to make this choice.  The secret is to make it because you want to, and not because you have no choice.  If you approach your health proactively, you will experience the quality of life you deserve.

A balanced spine and nervous system + healthy lifestyle choices = TRUE WELLNESS!

“Look well to the spine as the cause of disease”

Hippocrates

The Father of Medicine