Leading a Well-Balanced Life

By Dr. Steven Warfield

When most of us talk about leading a well-balanced life we are usually referring to a healthy division of work and play.  It’s a remix of the old saw, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”  However, when a chiropractor talks about leading a well-balanced life, he or she is usually being literal in that a person’s sense of balance or lack thereof is vital to their overall health. 

While a sense of balance is something that most of us take for granted, what many people do not realize  is that the body’s ability to balance itself is part hard-wired and part learned.  Watch any infant take their first steps or observe a toddler trying to make its way across the room and you will get some idea of the fact that while all the mechanical elements are in place, the art of bipedal locomotion isn’t something that works right off the bat.  (This in itself seems strange, since many quadrupeds can not only walk, but run within hours of being born.)

Loss of balance many times can also come to those in later years.  Even though they have spent seventy or eighty years walking upright, all of a sudden they find themselves stumbling for no apparent reason, or they begin bumping into things.  If left to their own devices, these balance anomalies can result in tragic falls that can sometimes break bones. What’s even more tragic is the fact that if this loss of balance is reported early then many times more serious consequences can be avoided down the road.

A Balancing Act

To gain an understanding of what causes loss of balance it is important that you understand the fact that balancing on two legs is a complicated process that has many components. 

Wikipedia states that, “Balance is the result of a number of body systems working together: the eyes (visual system), ears (vestibular system) and the body's sense of where it is in space (proprioception) ideally need to be intact. The vestibular system, the region of the inner ear where three semicircular canals converge, works with the visual system to keep objects in focus when the head is moving. This is called the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). The balance system works with the visual and skeletal systems (the muscles and joints and their sensors) to maintain orientation or balance. Visual signals sent to the brain about the body's position in relation to its surroundings are processed by the brain and compared to information from the vestibular, visual and skeletal systems.”

If any one of these elements is impaired then it can affect the body’s ability to successfully navigate 

Vestibular System (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

from Point A to Point B.  Many times the symptoms that appear are subtle.  We’re not talking drunken 

sailors here.  Worse still is the fact that some of these symptoms are indicators of more serious health issues, while others are easily correctable.  While inner ear or vision abnormalities can be the root cause of loss of balance, the spine can also be to at the heart of balance issues. In the first place a healthy spine is the key to balance since all the mechanics of walking are carried via the spinal column.  Anything that interferes with nerve impulses can impede balance.  People with poor posture or low back pain don’t realize how the muscles, tendons, and ligaments control their ability to walk upright until they find themselves having trouble getting out of bed or they take a tumble after missing a step due to their spinal issues.  Any trauma to the lower back or spine can also severely hinder your sense of balance.

Toeing the Line

One of the simplest tests you can perform to see if your sense of balance is impaired is

US Navy 110520-N-ZK021-009 Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Jerry Cotter, left, from Belding, Mich., assigned to base security, performs a mock field sobri (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 to make like a traffic cop carrying out a field sobriety test.  Find a straight line on your carpet or tile floor and walk it, noticing if you start to diverge from the straight and narrow.  Next, stand still and then extend one leg forward and hold this position for a few seconds.  Then extend one leg sideways.  When you do this are you able to easily compensate as far as balance is concerned, or do you almost immediately begin to lose your balance?   If the cop insde you would not let you get back into your car if you were so impaired, then it’s time you admit to yourself that you need to seek professional help before you wind up as a statistic.

In 2002, the National Safety Council cited falling as the leading cause of injury related deaths in older adults. In fact, one third of the people, age 65 years and older, have at least one fall a year. In the United States, there are 35 million older adults, that calculates to more than 10 million falls a year in this country alone. The leading cause of sensory loss in older adults is Peripheral Neuropathy. Called the "silent" epidemic, Peripheral Neuropathy comes on so slowly that many people don't even notice the changes that are happening. Then the symptoms take hold and before you know it, the person takes a fall. http://edmontonchiropractor.com/2011/loss-of-balance/

Symptoms of balance disorders can include:

1.      Vertigo

2.      Sweating

3.      Ringing in the Ears

4.      Nausea

5.      Difficulty Speaking

6.      Bumping into Objects

7.      Disorientation

How Do You Restore Balance?

Currently there is no pill that can cure balance disorders or vertigo.  The only way to correct the problem is to identify the underlying causes.  Chiropractic treatment can help identify and treat many factors that can cause a loss of balance.  Treatment begins with an examination that can detect anomalies and imbalances of the spine.  Even if the root cause of the imbalance does not have its basis in the spinal column, a chiropractor can help pinpoint the problem.  Your chiropractor can also bring a number of treatments to bear including spinal alignments, exercise, diets and supplements that are designed to get to the bottom of your problems and help you reestablish a well-balanced life.

Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies.  For more information visit http://endyourpain.org or http://chiropractic-jacksonville-fl.com

The Lowdown on Lower Back Pain

By Dr. Dave Edenfield

When it comes to the masses, lower back pain doesn’t discriminate.  Common to people of all ages, both sexes and every racial, economic and social strata, more than 95% of the population is forced to deal with this condition at some point in time.   For the fortunate the pain may subside within a day or so.  For others, chronic pain can be something that they will be burdened with for the rest of their lives. 

The costs in the US alone totals close to $50 billion per year when you factor in everything from 

treatment and surgery to pain pills and lost wages.  Studies show that lower back pain is the number one cause of occupational disability worldwide.  It is also regarded as the second most debilitating neurological condition in the US next to headache.

Causes of Lower Back Pain

Since dealing with back pain can be so problematic, the first line of defense is prevention.  Typically lower back pain begins with loss of flexibility leading to a sudden muscle or ligament strain.  Caused by lifting a heavy object improperly, quick movements or twisting of the spine can overtax the tissue’s ability to stretch, ultimately resulting in everything from strain to microscopic tears that then manifest themselves as pain.  This pain can range from mild discomfort or a dull ache to disabling pain depending upon the extent and location of the injury. Injuries that involve either the nerves or the lumbar discs can be particularly debilitating.  The best advice I can give to anyone who experiences lower back pain is to curtail all physically activity immediately.  The last thing you want to do is to make an already bad situation worse.

Diagnosis and Treatment

The architecture of the lower back is much more complicated than most people realize.  Spinal vertebrae along with their associated discs form a framework over which are attached the tendons, muscles and soft tissues.  All of these structures are controlled and monitored by a series of highly sensitive nerves that travel from the lower back down the legs and into the feet.  Damage to any of these structures can cause pain not only in the damaged areas, but this pain can also radiate to other parts of the body. 

While lower back pain can occur at any age, certain types of injuries are more typical with certain age groups.  While the elderly are more susceptible to pain caused  by joint degeneration, younger adults particularly those in the 30-50 range are more likely to experience pain due to ligament or disc injury.  To determine the cause and proper treatment of lower back pain your chiropractor will need to conduct an examination, part of which will involve asking you to describe the location and severity of pain, an orthopedic and neurological exam and X-ray imaging may also be in order.

 As a rule, lower back pain can be broken down into three categories:

1.    Axial lower back pain – Relegated to the lower back only, this pain can become severe enough to preclude normal activities, such as standing or walking.  That’s the bad news.  The good news is that for many patients this kind of pain is typically short lived if treated promptly.  (Typical treatments can take from one to three months.)

2.    Sciatica is the next most common lower back problem.  Caused by compression of the sciatic nerve, this kind of lower back pain is characterized by pain that radiates to the leg, buttock, or foot.

3.    Low back pain with referred pain - Like sciatica this condition involves back pain that radiates to the groin, buttock and/or upper thigh.  But in this case it rarely extends below the knee. 

Making the Pain Go Away

Depending upon the category and severity of the injury, your chiropractor may bring a number of treatment modalities into play in order to make the pain go away, including spinal manipulation, spinal decompression such as Vax-D, and cold laser technology and various other therapeutic treatments. He or she will also prescribe various exercise and stretching routines that can not only speed your recovery but also prevent a relapse. Since lifestyle and environmental factors can also come into play, there are a number of triggers that you can learn to avoid, such as:

•        Weight Gain

•        Poor Posture

•        Sports that produce repetitive stresses

•        Lifting with the back as opposed to the legs

•        Chairs with poor or no lumbar support

•        Wearing high heeled shoes

If you or anyone you know is experiencing back pain, have them talk to a doctor of chiropractic to discuss treatment options.  A number of chiropractic offices such as ours even offer a free initial consultation, examination and x-ray if medically necessary to make it possible for people of all income brackets to seek help, alleviate pain and avoid complications. 

Dr. Dave Edenfield  and Dr. Steven Warfield are part of the team of doctors and therapists at http://chiropractic-jacksonville-fl.com and http://endyourpain.org who are dedicated to helping you and your family lead  healthier, happier and pain-free lives. 

Above the Curve – How the US spends its healthcare dollars on spinal treatment

By Dr. Steven Warfield

While it’s common knowledge that healthcare costs in the US have skyrocketed during the past few years, most people have no idea how these costs break down for care associated with back and neck conditions.  While from 1999 to 2008, the costs of healthcare rose an astounding 95%, annual expenses for chiropractic care when adjusted for inflation were relatively stable.  This is a good thing, since more than 50% of adults will experience a back or neck injury during their lifetime.  In fact back pain is the second most common reason that adults in the US seek medical care.  (Upper respiratory infections top the list.)

While it’s hard to put an exact dollar figure on the costs associated with spinal issues, it is widely accepted that somewhere in the neighborhood of $90 billion will be spent this year alone on the diagnosis and treatment of back and neck pain.  Everything from x-rays and MRIs, from surgery to physical therapy are attributable to back and neck injuries.  Not to mention prescription and over-the-counter pain killers.  (Don’t even get me started there.) However, these costs do not include the $10-$20 billion in earnings that will also be lost due to missed days at work while convalescing.  When you add everything up, this brings the total cost for spinal treatment at well over the $100 billion mark.

While these numbers seem alarming, so is the incidence of spinal injury.  While slip and fall or automobile accidents are responsible for a significant amount of back and neck problems, these are by no means the only culprits.  Everything from overdoing it at the gym, to playing golf, tennis or some other sports-related activity can result in spinal pain.  So too can activities around the home or work.  In fact, one of the most common ways to throw your back out is to simply lift something the wrong way.  Puttering around in the garden is also another way in which to injure your back.

Kid’s Stuff

If you are a parent, caring for young children can present something of a minefield.  Whether it’s tripping over toys, or simply the strain of picking up your child, when it comes to back and neck strain, childcare is not kid’s stuff.  Even during play time, many times adults will overdo it in their zeal to compete with or corral a tot.  Not to mention the fact that toting baby paraphernalia slung over one shoulder is sufficient to cause spinal wear and tear that can ultimately result in a trip to the chiropractor.

Other than covering yourself in bubble wrap and refusing to get off the sofa, what can the average person do to enjoy an active lifestyle while avoiding back and neck strain.  (Let me count the ways.)

1.      Make sure your bedding provides sufficient support for your back and your neck.  This means checking everything from your mattress to your pillows. 

2.      Chair Check – Does your office chair have an adjustable lumbar support and more importantly is it properly adjusted?  If you routinely find yourself slouched behind your desk then it is time to either adjust or replace your chair. 

3.      Your computer is not your friend. Especially if you spend all day sitting in front of one.  Most desktop computers and all laptops and tablets force the user to lean forward to type while viewing the screen.  My advice is to get an external monitor for your laptop and to raise the level of the monitor at least a foot above the desktop.  This will allow you to sit upright and avoid the condition called shoulders forward that is primarily caused by the modern workplace.

4.      Lift with the legs as opposed to the back.  If you must lift something off the ground, the correct way to do so without straining your back is to squat down, grasp the item and then stand straight up. Do NOT lean forward, grasp the item and then straighten your back.  This is the surest way I know to strain your back.

5.      Hire a Coach – If you haven’t been to the gym in ages, or played a round of golf or game of tennis in more than a year, the last thing you want to do is go at it full bore.  Especially if you are over forty.  At least not without supervision.  Today there are scads of professional trainers who make their living by evaluating and supervising sports-minded people.  (Another person to consult regarding exercise would be your chiropractor, since he or she has been trained in everything from stretching routines to nutrition.) 

6.      Don’t let your green thumb turn you into a dead duck.  Aside from the fact that many garden implements can be considered lethal weapons, just the act of digging, pruning and/or planting is a hotbed for back and neck strain.  (So is shoveling snow, although we don’t have that problem here in sunny Florida.)  The secret to getting the most out of your gardening is to take it a little at a time, make sure you stay hydrated and be extra cautious around tasks that involve climbing trees and operating power tools.

While health costs in the US are predicted to do little but rise, that doesn’t mean that with a little common sense you can’t enjoy good health and save yourself an unnecessary trip to the doctor.  That in itself is priceless. (Or failing that I can probably get you a good price on bubble wrap.)

Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies.  For more information visit http://endyourpain.org 

or http://chiropractor-jacksonville-fl.com

VAX D: The Non-Surgical Treatment for Back Pain

By Dt. Steven Warfield

Many people have at one time or another experienced the onset of debilitating back pain.  It could be the result of anything from trying to lift a heavy object to playing with their children.  All of a sudden there is a searing pain and then the body no longer functions as it should.  Trying to stand up or in some cases even walk is all but impossible.  A trip to the doctor’s office for x-rays and then an MRI reveals a herniated disk.  In the past this prognosis most often meant surgical intervention and a long recovery.  But modern advances in medical technology have produced an alternative to going under the knife for many people. 

VAX-D to the Rescue

Called vertical axial decompression therapy, VAX-D treatment begins by having the patient lie face down on a computer controlled table.  The patient, who has donned a pelvic harness, grasps two handgrips.  To begin treatment, the table separates slightly stretching the patients ba

English: Example of a herniated disc at the L5-S1. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

ck. Therapy consists of alternately stretching and relaxing the spine in order to relieve pressure. The handgrips allow the patient to halt treatment at any time by merely releasing the handgrips.  .

Developed by Dr. Allen E. Dyer MD, VAX-D was developed specifically to treat herniated or degenerated disks by lowering spinal pressure to create a partial vacuum that can then retract the disk.  Many times even a large protruding disk can be retracted to where it is supposed to be using this treatment. 

How Effective is VAX-D?

The inventor of VAX-D, Dr. Dyer, recommends that patients only engage in nothing more strenuous than walking during the month following treatment.  He also states that,  “If patients receive this treatment five days a week, for a month, 70% of them will be free of pain. What do they do when it's done? They go skiing. Dumb!" he says. “When the pain is gone, that doesn't mean the fracture is completely healed. Exercise does nothing for an intradisk lesion or a herniated disk. What it does is put stress on a disk that's trying to heal." 

What Makes VAX-D Different?

Mechanical traction has been used for decades to treat herniated disks.  Conventional traction uses two harnesses, one for your chest and the other for your pelvis.  Using a percentage o

Stages of Spinal Disc Herniation (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

f your body weight to pull the bones apart, some treatments use a static pressure while others rely on intermittent pressure.  The problem with traditional traction is that the chest harness is uncomfortable.  Add to this the fact that traditional traction can cause the muscles to tighten in an attempt to resist the stretch.  VAX-D eliminates the chest harness and produces results by creating negative intradiscal pressure that creates a vacuum unattainable by traditional traction or inversion tables.  VAX-D also differs from traditional traction in that the patient lies face down, which helps coax the discs back into place, since disc protrusions are most commonly posterior.  It also utilizes intermittent periods of traction with gradual increases of force.

Typical treatments last anywhere from 20-45 minutes.  The recommended regimen for treatment is 24 sessions over the treatment period, followed by a maintenance program.

Is VAX-D the solution for you?  Ask your chiropractic physician.  But for those who suffer from chronic back pain, this is one non-surgical option where the only thing you have to lose is pain.

Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies. If you or anyone you know suffers from herniated discs, degenerative discs or spinal stenosis, visit http://www.lakewoodchiropracticjax.com/& http://chiropractor-jacksonville-fl.com

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