Helen Lee, DC

Experts estimate that more about 80% of Americans will experience low back pain sometime in their life. It is one of the most common reasons for missed work! For those who have had acute back pain, you know that it can stop you in your tracks for days, weeks and sometimes months if not resolved properly. Following are some common myths and facts concerning back pain.

1. One sneeze/sleeping in wrong position/bending over, etc. causes “my back to go out”. FALSE. The facts are that we have an incredible orchestration of muscles that support the back and the core structure of our bodies. So we have an amazing ability to compensate meaning different muscles will work harder if there are other muscles that are stressed at one time or another. Therefore, it is only when there is an accumulation of stress—physical, mental, chemical & emotional—that has built up over a period of time at which point any additional stress such as sleeping in a funny position or sneezing will push the body over its threshold of compensation. At that point the body can no longer compensate and now “gives out on you!”

2. Pain and other NSAID medications get rid of back pain.
FALSE. The facts are that pain and other over the counter medications can decrease inflammation or the perception of pain however it does not necessarily heal the back. Pain medications such as Vioxx, Darvocet & Darvon have been found to create more potential problems such as heart attack & stroke. The false sense of security in being more pain free may also cause one to do more which may create deeper injury to the body.

3. I have back pain so I will need back surgery.
FALSE. Only a small percentage of all those that deal with back pain will ever undergo surgery. Of those are the medical emergencies such as a broken back and those who experience compromise to nerve function such as severe numbness, compromise to organ function (bowels & bladder). The far majority of others will resolve with rest/relaxation, Chiropractic &/or other alternative therapies, & stretching.

4. Once I have back problems, I will always have a weak back.
FALSE. The back supports us in all ways—while we sit, stand, &/or move and is an intricate system of muscles, ligaments and fascia. The best way to take care of oneself is to be proactive in creating habits that keeps the back balanced and strong. So whether you already have had back issues or not, take simple steps to help support a healthy back.

Back Basics: Sit up straight with feet flat, get up frequently to move and exercise your whole body, drink plenty of water to keep all your muscles hydrated, practice abdominal (belly) breathing to keep you more relaxed through the day & oxygen flowing, stretch your body whenever you can, keep active with exercise or walking, practice balance & core exercises which support the lower back.

References:

• ACA Today 
• Medicine Net 
• Back and Neck- About 

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Martha H.Howard, MD

Going Christmas shopping? Visiting the family? Lifting heavy shopping bags and carrying heavy luggage, or practicing 100 tennis serves for your vacation game can be risky for your shoulders.

First of all, see a doctor immediately if there is heat, swelling in your shoulder, if there is numbness or extreme pain, if you can’t lift your arm out to the side, or if you have a fever.

Most shoulder pain is not that much of a crisis—it usually comes from inflamed tendons around the rotator cuff, caused by overuse. These tendons can also be inflamed by injury, but that is not as common. Muscle strain from the shoulder to the neck, is the next most common type of shoulder pain.
 

Risk factors are overuse, weak or fatigued muscles, and aging.

The most common trigger for rotator cuff problems and pain is repeated overhead arm movements. If you are practicing tennis serves for those winter games, haven’t played all summer, and haven’t kept up your strengthening exercises, look out!

Lifting your suitcase up into the overhead bin on an airplane can injure your rotator cuff and take a lot of the fun out of your holiday before you even get where you are going.
And when you are out of the plane and into the car, or just shopping, or even still working, avoid repeatedly lifting heavy bags, briefcases, or luggage out of the back seat of a car by turning around and hauling them up to the front seat. Do yourself a favor, get out of the car, and lift them from the back seat.

Other preventive tips:

• Keep your shoulders strong. Ease into some resistance exercises, weight lifting or push-ups, and keep them up. This gets more important as you get older! If need be, start with a trainer.
• Warm up before any sports, like tennis, baseball, basketball, volleyball or swimming that use overhead arm movements.
• Don’t jump into an old or a new sport all of a sudden. If you are going back to playing racquetball or tennis, swimming or throwing sports (even Frisbee golf!) you need to build up your muscles, and get into it gradually.
• If you are doing an activity that requires you to repeat overhead movements with your arms, (maybe not even a sport but, say, helping a friend move) take breaks. Fatigued muscles lose their power to keep your shoulder stabilized

Enjoy the holiday!

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Your medical doctor would have you believe that arthritis is genetic, or the result of aging, but it is not. Like every other part of your body, your joints are made of living tissues, which need certain raw materials to maintain their integrity, strength and health. When you run out of the raw materials that your joints need, they start to break down. When you put the raw materials back, the joints repair themselves – 100%.

By the way, it is impossible to secure the nutrients necessary to keep your joints healthy just by eating a balanced diet. You must supplement your diet with vitamins, minerals, sulphur-rich molecules, and essential fatty acids in order to keep your joints healthy. Because nobody does this, everybody’s joints eventually fail – and your medical doctor blames it all on some mysterious and unidentified bad gene! This complete lack of understanding of how the body works is medically reprehensible, but par for the course in the world of modern medicine. Does it surprise you that your surgeon recommends surgery? Does it surprise you that your surgeon refers to clinical nutrition as quackery? It shouldn’t, because if everybody in the USA repaired their joints through the use of medical nutrition, guess who would be out of a job – the orthopedic surgeon.

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Many people are not sure when to use heat and when to use ice in the self-treatment of pain and injuries. As a rule, any treatment should be individualized to the unique needs of the patient. That said, the advice that follows will serve as useful general guidelines on the proper use of heat & ice. This advice is given with the recommendation that you also seek out care from your chiropractor or other qualified health care provider.


If you are having pain as the result of an identifiable injury (from a fall, or a blow, or a sprain, strain, sports injury, car accident, etc.) then it is usually best to use an ice pack for the first 24-48 hours. Apply the ice pack for 10-20 minutes (not longer), and repeat at least three times per day, or up to once every hour if pain is severe. The ice will reduce pain, muscle spasm, inflammation and decrease tissue damage.


If your pain is not the direct result of an actual injury, or if the pain has persisted for more than 48 hours, it is usually best to alternate heat and ice. The best way to do this is to apply moist heat for 5 minutes, followed by an ice pack for 1 minute. Just one single repetition of this therapy (6 minutes total), performed 1-3 times per day (depending upon the severity of your symptoms) is usually all you need to do. The heat needs to be moist – not dry. You should never use a dry heating pad. Moist heat can be applied by letting the hot water from a hot shower directly heat the affected area for 5 full uninterrupted minutes, or by soaking in a bath, or by applying a hot moist pack that stays hot. Note that a hot wet towel will not retain the heat long enough to be effective. You should also never apply heat without following it with ice. Applying dry heat, or heat not followed by ice will result in temporary pain relief, but at the expense of decreased circulation which will lead to increased pain and swelling minutes or hours later. However, when used correctly, the combination of heat & ice recommended above will increase circulation, thereby reducing pain and inflammation, and relaxing tight muscles, as well as dramatically accelerating tissue repair and recovery.

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We all suffer from back pain at some point in our life. Back pain can occur because of a specific injury or it could be ongoing, requiring changes in our lifestyle. Treatment depends on what caused the pain.


Before attempting any exercises, you must rule out that the source of your pain requires immediate medical attention.


Call your doctor if:

Back pain stemming from an injury

Try to remember what caused your back pain. Was is shoveling snow, lifting heavy furniture or just leaning down the wrong way to tie your shoes? When we reach down without bending our knees, we put tremendous pressure on our lower spine and surrounding muscles. This inherent weakness stems from the time man stopped walking on all fours and became upright. Ideally, we should be using the thigh (quadriceps) muscles in our legs to provide lifting power instead of those in our lower back.


In the 2-3 days following a back injury, you should rest in order to relax the muscle spasm causing your back strain.

Perform these exercises to ease your back pain when you are feeling better:

Self-acupressure using tennis balls

Chronic back pain

Ongoing back pain has many causes, but much of it is due to one of three factors:

There is a wealth of information on the Internet and in libraries about how to change your lifestyle habits. For back pain specific guidelines, visit www.spine-health.com or www.FamilyDoctor.org.

Strengthening your back and other muscles to relieve back pain


Our back muscles do not work in isolation. We have to stretch and strengthen all our muscles and joints in order to relieve back pain. In addition to doing exercises stretching our hamstrings, neck, shoulders and spine every day, we should routinely do other low-impact exercises such as:

There are no guarantees that you will never have back pain. By exercising regularly, bending your knees every time you bend down and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, however, you can minimize the chances of injuring your back and suffering chronic back pain.

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Millions of people go to the dentist every week. For many I’m glad to say this is a relatively pleasant experience. However for many going to the dentist or, for that matter, thinking about going to the dentist is a frightful and anxiety provoking experience. If this is true for you, take heart for you can change this state of mind and make your trip to the dentist a positive one.


There are 2 main reasons people have painful and unpleasant experiences at the dentist.
1. The dentist did not do enough to put the patient at ease, avoid aggravating and/or not anesthetizing painful areas to be treated.

2. The patient has an excessive amount of apprehension, anxiety, ongoing or worsening pain and/or has a history of painfully unpleasant dental experiences.


People fear going to the dentist because they remember some traumatic experience/s, consciously or unconsciously, that are associated with dentistry (though it doesn’t have to have been at the dentist). These memories activate the defense mechanisms in our brain i.e. the fight or flight response, and the adrenal glands produce their stress hormones (cortisol, epinephrine etc.) and we get those anxious, queasy or downright scared feelings. Unfortunately, instead of getting prepared for your dental experience constructively, we are in worse shape and thinking of ways to avoid it. If we are in this state of high anxiety, while dentistry is being done, we become far more sensitive to anything. This will actually increase our pain and cause us to over react to the mildest of pain signals.

What can be done?
1. Find a dentist that will be sensitive to your special needs, phobias and fears.

2. Find out what the dentist offers you to put you at ease i.e. nitrous oxide analgesia, tranquilizing medication, or alternative non drug techniques that can reduce and eliminate your excessive anxiety and pain such as (acupuncture, homeopathy, breath techniques, hypnosis, herbs, and therapeutic energy treatments and therapy).

3. Have an introductory appointment to get a sense that you and he can work together to solve your special problems.

4. Make sure the dentist has had positive results with his methods and is willing to take the extra time needed to deal with special needs.

5. Take some positive personal steps for yourself. For example
TRY THIS: Focus on breathing with your belly in a steady continuous manner during an appointment. This will ground you and greatly help you to regain control of your fear reactions like it has for my patients.

6. Sometimes a professional is needed such as psychologist or therapist trained in energetic techniques to support you and lower your anxiety. The energy system is a major player and controller of pain and anxiety.


There are many effective ways to overcome or eliminate pain and even extreme anxiety. Don’t let fear stop you from getting your needed dentistry.

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The management of pain is turning into a big business in the America and across the globe. In the United States, acute and chronic pain syndrome rank right behind disease and cancer as the third most common healthcare problem. The cost of lost work days, hospital stays, pain reducing drugs and disability payments total over $100 billion annually. Pain is the body’s warning alarm according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Nothing in the human body can function independently. The pain alerts the person to the fact that something is wrong somewhere. Long lasting pain often creates a chronic pain cycle. The pain leads to reduced exercise, limited physical activity, fatigue, stress, muscle tension, tightness, cramping, and nerve sensitivity. Patients who suffer the symptoms of this cycle often feel that the quality of their entire life changes completely due to their chronic pain condition.The alternatives of pain are narrow down to little as one Nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs for pain such as Tylenol, advil, ibuprofen, among other drugs that can cost adverse reactions chiefly involved the GI tract, particular erosion to the gastric mucosa. The most common symptom are abdominal pain, dyspnea, epigastric distress, heartburn, and nausea. CNS and skin reaction also occur may occur. Flank pain with other evidence of nephrootoxicity occurs occasionally. Fluid retention may aggravate hypertension or heart failure.Clinical studies have shown that acupuncture can be an effective treatment for all types of pain conditions. Conditions like migraines, neck/back pain, herniated disk, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel, tendonitis, ,a href=”http://chicagohealers.com/arthritis/”>arthritis, and even cancer pain have been helped with acupuncture. Researchers have increase endorphin production, which help to reduce pain.


The ancient Chinese discover acupuncture a ancient modality that is been around for around 3500 years, according to TCM all human body functions are dependent of the life force known as Qi (energy). Both Qi and blood flow through the body to nourish and protect tissues and help them to maintain functions. If Qi and blood are blocked in some fashion, areas affected by the reduced flow will not get the needed oxygen, nutrition and energy and will begin to break down with the body functioning and less well. An acupuncturist recognizes pain in a join or organ as the warning that helps to locate the cause in a particular area of the body. He will not usually focus so much on the local pain as much as working to re-balance and harmonize the whole body. Generally speaking, by relieved blood and Qi stagnation, the acupuncturist works to nourish tissues, increase circulation, increase oxygen and rebuild deficiencies in the organs. There is a saying in TCM — there are blockages, there is pain. Otherwise, there is no pain.

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The U.S. Center for Disease Control has declared that obesity is an epidemic. One in three Americans are obese, twice as many as in the 1970’s. Soon, being overweight will surpass smoking as the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. The accelerating increase in obesity among children is also alarming. It is attributed to less activity and more sedentary behavior (computer and video games, TV) and eating more high-calorie snack and fast foods. Ironically, the world now has almost as many over-nourished as under-nourished people.


Obesity is the primary factor in nearly all preventable diseases, including:

High blood pressure
Atherosclerosis
Stroke

Diabetes, type 2
Endometrial, breast and colorectal cancer
Bone and joint disorders, herniated disks and knee problems
Chronic back pain
Varicose veins
Osteoarthritis
Osteoporosis
And many more.


In addition, obesity can lead to psychological conditions:

Anxiety
Chronic depression
Poor self image, reclusiveness


These many physical and psychological problems result in pain. It appears that obesity may actually increase our sensitivity to pain. There is a relationship between obesity and self reported pain: the more obese you are, the more pain you have.


How can those who are obese reduce their pain? Unfortunately, there are no easy or revolutionary answers. Aside from using prescription pain medication, the three most effective ways of reducing pain resulting from obesity are:

- Weight loss
- Exercise
- Massage


It’s a simple case of “energy balance”. If you consume more calories than you burn through exercise and other activities, you will gain weight. Over 25% of the American population is classified as “completely sedentary”, not engaging in any physical activity on a daily basis. As a nation, we are consuming more processed carbohydrates and sugars, resulting in higher calorie intake. The consumption of an extra 300 calories a day—whether from fruit or a soda—will result in weight gain. Americans are eating more vegetables than in past decades, but they are iceberg lettuce, french fries and potato chips—not fiber and nutrient rich choices like carrots or broccoli.

As obesity rates continue to climb worldwide, the pain and diseases associated with obesity will become the world’s responsibility. It is in our communal best interest to alter eating habits and advocate for the increase of daily activity among people of all ages. Only then will we take the first step in becoming a healthier, pain free society.

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Researchers are linking inflammation to an ever-wider array of chronic illnesses such as hay fever, heart disease, depression, diabetes and colon cancer, reports Newsweek’s Anne Underwood. Suddenly medical puzzles seem to be fitting together, such as why hypertension puts patients at increased risk of Alzheimer’s, or why rheumatoid-arthritis sufferers have higher rates of sudden cardiac death. They’re all connected on some fundamental level.


Each year, use of NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), account for an estimated 7,600 deaths and 76,000 hospitalizations in the United States. (NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, ketoprofen, and tiaprofenic acid.) (1) Although promoted as safe, when taken for long term basis, they been show to cause damage to the digestive track, kidneys, liver and other vital organs(2) (Robyn Tamblyn, PhD). Many individuals are looking for natural alternatives to reduce pain and inflammation without the damaging effects of these drugs. These drugs just treat symptoms and ignore the causes of pain and inflammation. To truly improve ones health above ones symptoms, you must first find the cause and build your treatment from there.

Inflammation is a natural response of the body but if you are in a chronic state of inflammation it can cause pain in your joints and tissues. Inflammation can also cause many physical and neurological diseases, including heart disease. One of the biggest factors that causes inflammation is diet. Depending on what you eat you may be contributing to increased inflammation in your body.


Most everyone utilizes a kitchen whether they cook elaborate meals, grab something to go or heat something up in the Microwave. But could your kitchen be setting you up for pain and sickness?


Foods that cause inflammation in the body are
1 Hydrogenated or Trans Fats
2 Processed foods
3 Caffeine
4 Red Meat
5 Sugar
6 Soda
7 Alcohol


Instead, fill your kitchen with fruits, vegetables and lean meats which can decrease inflammation and help ease pain. Incorporate apples and blueberries, which are packed full of nutrients and are anti-inflammatories. Make a side dish of Kale, which features over 80 nutrients per serving. One of the most powerful anti-inflammatory foods is fish – it contains the heart healthy and anti-inflammatory Omega-3 fatty acids. Choose cod, salmon, tilapia instead of the fatty deep water bottom dweller fish such as shrimp, catfish.etc. Wild is much better for getting the Omega-3 fatty acids than farm raised fish. (3)


Cooking using anti-inflammatory ingredients can be easy too. Ginger aids in digestion. Garlic has many benefits including lowering hypertension and cholesterol. Basil, parsley, rosemary, turmeric, thyme, chili peppers and cinnamon are also all proven to have anti-inflammatory properties. If you want to use oil, use cold pressed extra virgin olive oil to aid in decreasing inflammation. (4)


By eliminating the inflammatory foods and adding these anti-inflammatory foods to your diet you will be on your way to decreasing the inflammation of your body and riding yourself of sickness and pain.


References:
(1) Robyn Tamblyn, PhD; Laeora Berkson, MD, MHPE, FRCPC; W. Dale Jauphinee, MD, FRCPC; David Gayton, MD, PhD, FRCPC; Roland Grad, MD, MSc; Allen Huang, MD, FRCPC; Lisa Isaac, PhD; Peter McLeod, MD, FRCPC; and Linda Snell, MD, MHPE, FRCPC, “Unnecessary Prescribing of NSAIDs and the Management of NSAID-Related Gastropathy in Medical Practice,” Annals of Internal Medicine (Washington, DC: American College of Physicians, 1997), September 15, 1997, 127:429-438, from the web at , last accessed Feb. 14, 2001, citing Fries, JF, “Assessing and understanding patient risk,” Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology Supplement, 1992;92:21-4.

(2) Renal Effects of nonselective NSAIDs and Coxibs, Mathew R. Weir, MD, Cleveland Clinic Journal Of Medicine.

(3) eating.health.com/go


(4) nutrition.about.com/go

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Today we are going to address one of the most common complaints that our office sees on a daily basis: knee joint pain. The knee is a complex joint and it affects a broad spectrum of the population from young athletes to the elderly. When it comes to finding cause or contributing factors for your knee pain, some questions need to be addressed initially. Specifically where on your knee do you feel pain? What activities do you do on a daily basis? Are you involved in sports? Do you run or jog daily? What type of job do you do, and does it involve pressure to your knees? Do you have an old injury that involved your knee? Does the knee hurt going up or down stairs? Have you had prior surgeries or repairs to your knee? Is it swollen or feel hot? Did the pain come on gradually or suddenly? Do you remember the action that triggered the pain? All these questions help point clinicians in the right direction to start finding the reasons that may have triggered the pain. In general, after ruling out more serious knee problems by physical exam, a diagnosis is usually given and treatment may initially consist of over the counter anti-inflammatories, then perhaps physical therapy and if that does not help maybe a steroid injection in the joint is prescribed. This may help for a short while, or even longer but it may not be addressing the entire problem. Then it becomes important to start looking elsewhere for what may be contributing to your knee pain.


I find that most knee pain we see can be addressed and pain reduced significantly by our “medical acupuncture” techniques and homeopathic injections. Why? Because most knee pain is myofascial in origin. The term “myofascial” refers to the muscles and their thin outer membranes. Medical acupuncture, which focuses on releasing contracted muscles has a direct effect on the myofascia, thereby relaxing the muscles. To explain this we need to understand some key muscles that surround and dynamically affect the knee.


There are many specific muscles that affect the knee joint and its mobility, but we will only address one of the larger muscles groups as to explain the type of treatment we do. The quadriceps muscle, which is named for its “four-heads” originates in four separate areas and extends down within these separate divisions to eventually come together to form the powerful quadriceps tendon, which attaches to your shin just below the kneecap where you may feel a prominent bump. When it comes to knee pain, if these four muscles are contracted or shortened, they have a unique pain pattern that can affect the knee causing pain. Sometimes using the term “muscle spasm” may help you understand better what is happening to cause these muscles to tighten or loose their flexibility and elasticity. If you understand this relationship between the knee and the muscles that attach to it, you will start to understand how they can cause problems. When these muscles are in spasm or shortened, they will pull on what they are attached to which in the majority of the time is your kneecap and areas surrounding the joint. As an example, when your kneecap becomes gradually misaligned due to shortened muscles that are attached to it, it will cause an irritation and subsequent inflammation to the knee and its surrounding ligaments and tendons. This is sometimes called a Patellar Tracking Disorder, yet where did the problem start? In the muscles; so as you see, knee pain can ultimately be more of a muscle problem than a knee problem.


When examining the quadriceps muscles it is immediately evident per clinician and patient where these shortened muscle “spots” are due to their tenderness felt with palpation. These hyperirritable spots within a contracted muscle are what we refer to as trigger points. With our medical acupuncture treatment and homeopathic injections we release these trigger points and this releases the contracted muscle, decreases inflammation, and therefore pain in the knee. After these muscles are adequately released, the strain that was once pulling on the kneecap and other structures surrounding the knee are gone, balance in and around the joint can be restored and pain subsides.


Although it is difficult to sometimes avoid the unexpected jolts and traumas to our knees, it is always best to try and avoid them when possible. To avoid knee problems and potential painful situations there are few important tips to be aware of. Stay strong. This means stretching and strengthening your quadriceps muscles (as well as all the other muscles in your legs and body). This includes warming up properly before exercising as well as exercising regularly. Vary the exercises you do. Cross training will implement a variety of activities to strengthen the muscles of the leg. (However add activities and new exercises cautiously.) Be sure movements are gentle on the knee and proper techniques are followed. Avoid risky activities, especially if you have any prior knee injuries or surgery. Wear good quality shoes. Walking and running shoes should be changed after 500 miles of use, or in six to nine months. Lose weight. Excess weight accelerates existing problems due to extra pressure on the knees. Example: If you lose just two pounds, the knee senses less force and “thinks” you have lost ten pounds!

If you have knee pain and have tried multiple approaches to resolve it with minimal or no success, why not look into trying medical acupuncture and our other approaches as the potential answer for knee pain relief.

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Millions of Americans experience the pain of chronic headache, joint pain, backache and more! Whether at work, home, or play, the pain can range from a dull ache to somewhat disabling…and what is one to do?

How about popping a pill? As a pharmacology instructor for over 30 years, I assure you that the pill is NOT the panacea it might seem. It is a short-lived band aid effect and it might actually mask something more serious. The goal should be not to mask the pain, but to identify the root cause and eliminate it so that the discomfort does not return. If you are willing to look beyond the four walls of your physician’s office, relief might be just a step away. Consider these alternative modalities for pain relief:

Acupuncture
If the thought of having needles poked into you like a voodoo doll is frightening, especially at this time of year, I understand. For years, as an interventional nurse, I prided myself on my ability to stick large needles into patients with an unsurpassed skill. Acupuncture is different because the needle is so thin in diameter. The pain is nominal and even nonexistent for many patients. This age-old healing method, which in recent years has crossed over to Western medicine, works on headaches by loosening muscles and unpinching nerves in the back of the head.

Acupuncture is an ancient form of Chinese medicine dating back over 5,000 years. It is based upon the concept that the body has specific channels (meridians) through which energy (Chi) flows. While this energy or Chi is flowing smoothly there will be no pain or disease; the natural energy is in balance. Once this flow is disrupted by mental stress, excess physical demands, or adverse environmental conditions, pain, fatigue or illness will result. Stimulating appropriate points on the meridians causes blocked energy to be released and the natural balance of energy is then restored.

Chiropractic
Headache sufferers may also turn to chiropractors to stop their pain. You have seen adjustments in the media and in advertisements; explore your options and choose wisely. Headaches often originate from problems in the first and second vertebrae in the neck. Over time, vertebrae become misaligned or even fuse together, causing headaches or a host of other problems. For some people, the challenge may be the result of trauma…for others; it is a problem of time’s toll on the human body.

The Wellness Environment
Specializing in individual and corporate wellness solutions to enhance performance and rejuvenation, lifestyle and the environment, Core Wellness International can meet your total needs.

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? If your answer is yes, wellness is within your reach.

The wellness environment helps you to lead a balanced life, and a life in balance means good water, clean air, and the time to relax and allow your body to do what it does so well – look after itself.

Healthy living doesn’t happen at our physician’s office. The road to better health is paved with the small decisions we make every day. And those decisions are simplified when wellness is a part of the picture. Our bodies represent the ultimate biosphere. When all of its systems are in balance with one another – all is good! But, when one key area such as the endocrine, immune, or metabolic system is not working at full speed, we must take action. We recommend the concept of a wellness home to those seeking balance in life and in health. Working in consort with other licensed healthcare professionals, we are able to visualize the inner workings of the body and make recommendations to clients and colleagues that integrate the best of East and West. The model is based on the concept that the human body is coping with the environment on a daily basis – and that the environment may be, and is, dangerous to one’s health.

A crisis exists today. Millions of people are unwell, suffering from the stresses that are part of modern living: lack of sleep, poor nutrition (and obesity), exposure to dangerous pollutants, no exercise, time pressures and pain that will not go away! And people — millions of people — are looking for solutions.

Acupuncture, chiropractic and total wellness…these are the ideal solutions for a pain-free world! We have solutions and we are quickly closing the gap. Pain, pain…go away – and stay away!

For more information, contact:

Sharon M. Weinstein, MS, RN, CRNI, FACW, FAAN
Certified Physical and Environmental Wellness Specialist
Core Consulting Group and Core Wellness International
13 Eagle Ridge Dr., Suite G
Hawthorn Woods, IL 60047
1.847.550.8474 (office)
1.847.550.8487 (fax)
1.847.274.2946 (mobile)
Email Sharon

Visit us online at…
www.corelimited.com
www.nikken.com/corewellness

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Texting has replaced calling and emailing as the primary form of communication for teenagers and young adults. As a result, texters are experiencing the same repetitive motion injuries and nerve compression as career typists and keyboarders. They are feeling discomfort not only in their thumbs, but also pain in their forearms, neck and shoulders.


Mobile phones and PDA’s are not ergonomically designed for excessive texting. People tend to hunch over the small screens, putting strain on their neck and upper back muscles. The common habit of using only one thumb to text, instead of several fingers, focuses the strain and pain on one side of the body. The muscles in our forearm control the thumb, and they go into spasm.


The long term consequences of texting are not known, since it is a recent phenomenon and repetitive stress injuries can take years to develop. When we overuse the same muscles repeatedly, they are deprived of oxygen and go into spasm. The pain caused by muscle spasm can be treated with:

What steps can you take to minimize strain or permanent injury due to texting?

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Back pain myths and facts – by Dr. Helen Lee, DC
Save your shoulders – enjoy your holidays! – by Martha H. Howard, MD
Arthritis: How to Stop the Pain – by Dr Peter Glidden
Texting: The Key to Neck and Shoulder Pain – by Mark Sobor, M.D.
Pain… Pain… Go Away – by Sharon M Weinstein, MS, RN
Knee Pain and Myofacial Treatment – by Dr Mark Sobor, M.D.
Tennis Elbow or “lateral epicondylitis” – by Dr Mark Sobor, M.D.
Decreasing Pain and Inflammation without killing yourself – by Dr Steven Arculeo, DC
How Obesity Causes Pain – by Dr Mark G Sobor MD
Pain Management – by by Georgina Salgado Chavez ND, LAc.
How to Get a Pain-Free Experience at the Dentist – by Raymond G. Hatland, DDS
Pain Management For Children – by Dr Mark Sobor, M.D.
Exercises for Back Pain Relief – by Mark Sobor, M.D.
Self-Treatment Advice on the Proper Use of Heat and Ice – by Dr. Richard Ezgur

Children feel pain, just as adults do, but have a hard time explaining what hurts. Their pain can result from either physical or emotional reasons. It’s up to parents to do a little detective work to see what is causing the pain.


The most common causes of pain in children are often related to trauma. By their nature, children are extremely active. Injuries that occur while bicycling, rollerblading, running or even rough housing are familiar to all parents.


The most important thing for a parent, as the primary caregiver, is to obtain a good history of the injury. It may be difficult to find out exactly what happened to cause the pain, because children cannot verbalize or are simply unaware of how they got hurt.


One day, when our daughter was 10 years old, she began to complain of pain in her right hip. As the day progressed, she actually started limping. As my wife and I reviewed what activities she’d done that day, I remembered that our daughter and her 15 year old brother had been playing soccer in the backyard with an oversized exercise ball. When I examined her, the thigh muscles were extremely tense. Our treatment plan was to stop kicking the big ball, gently massage the muscles, take a warm bath, perform an acupuncture treatment and stretch.


As children return to school, it is important to remember that the most common cause of headaches and shoulder, neck and lower back pain among students is an improperly fitted or overweight backpack. A good rule of thumb for maximum backpack weight is to keep it at less than 10% of a child’s weight. An 80 pound child’s backpack, for example, should weigh up to 8 pounds. Although messenger bags and various shoulder book bags may be “cooler”, they may result in strained and overused muscles. I’ve found that wheeled backpacks are the most sensible solution.


Some parents may be averse to giving their children Tylenol and other over the counter medications for pain. There are alternative pain treatments available. A good source of information is The Family Guide to Homeopathy: Symptoms and Natural Solutions by Andrew Locke. Remember never to give a child under 17 years old aspirin, because of the possibility of Reyes Syndrome.


Children can also have physical pain caused by emotional reasons. Stress and anxiety caused by difficulty in school, bullying, divorce, moving and changes in routine can result in everything from constipation to headaches and restless sleep. As parents, we have to listen to our children and deduce what is affecting them. Most children like routine and knowing what to expect. Here are some simple things you can introduce to your routine which will result in a healthier, pain free child:

- Regular daily exercise
- Set meal times and healthy meals & snacks
- Regular bedtimes, bath/shower times and quiet time/music before sleep
- Limiting electronics (TV, computer, handheld games & iPods)
- Positive reinforcement—showing support through listening and affection

- Finally, children mirror their parents in how they react to stress and pain. What example are you setting? Incorporating some of these tips may also help you in your life.

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Tennis Elbow or “lateral epicondylitis” is defined as pain or inflammation of the outside part or (lateral side) of the elbow. It’s often times associated with people who play tennis, hence its name. Yet as a repetitive use injury it is also associated with many working professions where individuals use their wrists and forearms, so therefore almost anyone can acquire this condition.


Most sources will say the cause of tennis elbow is unknown and treatment ranges from avoiding the use of the arm (i.e. stop playing tennis), steroid injections and possibly surgery. These treatments do not always fix the root of the problem, which most likely lie with the muscles.


It has been my experience that tennis elbow’s origin is due to muscle spasms in and around forearm, muscles that are referred to as “supinators” and “extensors.” If you take your hand and turn in out as you would hold a bowl of soup; this best represents in layman’s terms on the action of the supinator muscles of the forearm. The action of the extensor muscles of the forearm can be represented as a backhanded hit in tennis.


Using these muscles when they are not properly stretched, strengthened, or warmed up, as well as poor technique in sports, i.e. tennis will cause muscles to go into spasm. When muscles are in spasm they become tight, less mobile and will pull and cause constant tension on their respective tendons, eventually causing inflammation, and then pain.


Preventing tennis elbow is multifaceted. Primarily making sure your forearm and shoulder muscles are conditioned properly before use, whether it is tennis you are playing or simple sweeping the floor. When it comes to tennis particularly the technique is important by not overstraining those muscles when hitting the ball. This entails stretching and strengthening the arm regularly before and after playing. There are many exercises and stretches available that you may find on the Internet to give an individual an idea of how they can prepare their shoulder and forearm before a repetitive use injury starts such as tennis elbow.


One example is with your arm straight out in front of you and palm facing downward, take the opposite hand and push down on your fingers and apply pressure until your fingers are pointing back towards the ground. Apply gentle tension until the fingers are pointing back towards you. Also, soft tissue release or simply massage can help reduce the muscular tightness and reduce the tension on the tendons.


If you find yourself battling tennis elbow, often times acupuncture can relieve the chronically spasmed mucles, as well as other areas of pain around the arm. And as stated before, when you release the spasm in an area where there is pain, you fix the problem.

We have had success using more alternative modalities to help many tennis elbow suffers. Our specific acupuncture techniques locate key trigger points in and around the forearm, which successfully release muscles spasms, and instead of steroids we use homeopathic injections to inflamed tendons and muscle spasms that decrease the pain and inflammation in tissues and joints.

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