Wakey Wakey, Is Your Neck or Back Achy Achy?

By Dr. Steven Warfield

Environmental stresses that can adversely affect your neck abound in the modern world.  Everything from chairs with poor or no lumbar support, to laptop computer screens that cause your neck to crane forward for hours on end can produce both long term and short term aches and pains that can take a toll on your lifestyle.  But the cruelest rub of all is the fact that many people start off the day with neck strain or pain before the morning commute even begins.  This is caused by pillows and/or mattresses that are anything but form fitting.

Banged Up Before Breakfast

If you routinely wake up with a headache, stiff neck or aching back, chances are either your pillow or mattress is to blame.  When choosing bedding you should take a lesson from Goldilocks.  Avoid mattresses and pillows that are either too hard or too soft and sleep only on the ones that are just right.

Finding Bedding That’s Just Right

Firm Mattress:  The term firm is nebulous, since a firm mattress that is comfortable to one sleeper is  like a bag of bricks to another.  While firmer mattresses are generally preferable in terms of support to ones that are very soft, in the final analysis the decision is up to the individual.  As a rule avoid mattresses labeled as ultra-firm unless otherwise advised by your physician.

When choosing a mattress, the last thing you want to do is climb atop one in a store for all of thirty seconds only to find out later that what seemed like a good fit was really way too stiff for either you or your bedmate to tolerate all night long.  Buying the wrong bed can be detrimental to your relationship.  What I recommend is that you and your partner test drive any bed you are considering by having both parties lie down on it for at least five minutes.  Particularly if you are petite and your spouse is built like King Kong, finding the right mattress could take a bit of trial and error.   

Plush Mattress: Pillow top mattresses are all the rage these days.  But they could prove too soft or even too hot since the topper tends to rise up to engulf your body while the mattress beneath can be either too soft or too hard to take for any extended period of time.  From a chiropractic point of view, plush mattresses as a rule do not offer sufficient support to maintain the ideal back curvature.  As a result, the muscles and soft tissues of the back and neck tend to increase their tension in order to offset this problem, which many times results in back and/or neck pain.

The Best of Both Worlds: Today there are a number of hi-tech mattress materials such as memory foam that are used to provide both support and body-cradling comfort.  This is especially helpful if you like a harder mattress while your partner prefers a stiffer one.  Some beds even allow each bedmate to tailor the hardness or softness on their side of the bed.  Since a mattress is a long-term investment for most people, don’t be in a hurry to buy one until everyone is satisfied with the decision.

Pillow Problems: Even the best bed in the world will not guarantee you a restful night’s sleep if your

 pillow doesn’t provide adequate neck support.  If you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night with your neck contorted into an unnatural position or if your neck is typically stiff or sore as soon as you roll out of bed, then chances are your pillow is to blame.  So what is the best pillow to use?  Just as with bedding, there is no simple answer to this question.  In fact when it comes to pillows, there are many makes and models from which to choose.  Whether a pillow is filled with foam, feathers, goose down or some space age material matters not if it is uncomfortable. 

Next, you want to choose a pillow that positions your neck in a neutral position.  Any pillow that is too high can cause pain upon waking.  On the other hand, a pillow that is too soft can cause the neck to bend toward the pillow and lead to neck strain and pain as well.  The ideal pillow is one that not only offers proper support and comfort when sleeping in one position, but one that can adjust whether you lie on your side or your back.

Different Strokes for Different Folks

Speaking of sleep posture, people who predominantly sleep on their sides typically require a softer mattress than those who sleep mostly on their backs.  Sleeping on your stomach is never a healthy position in which to sleep, since it not only puts added pressure on the neck, but it also makes breathing difficult since it presses on the diaphragm.

This Old Bed

The real culprit for many people is a bed that is simply too old.  While a plush mattress tends to sag when weight is applied, there is a big difference between a mattress that was designed that way and one that is worn out.  One way to tell if it is time to buy a new mattress is to pull back the covers and lay a yardstick across the mattress.  If there is any space beneath the ruler, then it is time to head for the nearest bedding store.  Another test is to sit in the middle of the mattress in order to see if the edges rise.  If the mattress resembles a banana with someone seated in the middle then the inner support system is shot.

Taking the Show on the Road

Another suspect when it comes to back and neck strain, has to do with the quality of hotel mattresses.  Particularly if you are forced to do a lot of travelling for business purposes, I can’t stress enough that choosing lodging that provides top quality bedding is far more important than a free breakfast any day of the week.  So important is this topic that there are actually websites dedicated to hotel bedding, such as http://www.mattress-wiz.com/best-hotel-mattress-reviews.html and http://mattreslo.com/best-hotel-mattresses/.  

While top quality bedding can cost thousands of dollars, it is well worth the investment since it can cost much more to have your aching neck or back put right again. 

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

Can Laser Therapy Help Alleviate Arthritis Pain?

by Dr. Dave Edenfield

Arthritis is a painful, prevalent condition that afflicts millions every year. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), rhematoid and osteoarthritis, in particular, affects nearly 14 percent of adults age 25 and over. Symptoms are wide ranging. Pain associated with resulting limited mobility is often debilitating, as well. Evidence indicates laser therapy may provide significant relief.

What’s the difference?

Although certain types of arthritis manifest very similar symptoms, their underlying causes may be very different. For example, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis both result in painful joint and limb stiffness; one originates from mechanical degenerative causes while the other is an affliction of the autoimmune system, however. Other types such as infectious or hemorrhagic conditions stem from site bacteria or bleeding. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, laser therapy helps reduce pain and improves site flexibility for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Therapeutic lasers did not elicit similar results for osteoarthritis.   Reports do indicate positive effects for patients with milder forms of the condition. <http://www.jrheum.com/abstracts/abstracts00/1961.html>.

How does it work?

When you get hurt or feel pain, celling signaling is partly responsible for telling your brain “what’s what.” Neurotransmitters deliver pain messages. Think of them as a kind of “mailman”; synapses are the roadway the mailman drives along. Laser therapy works <http://www.chiroeco.com/chiropractic/news/14600/1/article/> by exciting these biochemical responses. Of course, your body already does this without laser therapy; processes stunted by injury, however, may not affect cell signaling properly diminishing a person’s ability to heal. Laser treatments give the body an added healing edge, so to speak. Pain from extreme site immobility, for example, is sometimes the result of inflammation; a naturally occurring autoimmune response to illness or injury. In some cases, inflammation can go awry perpetuating further strain or injury and so forth. Arthritic patients often experience perpetuating symptoms under such conditions. Energy emitted from lasers excite mechanisms that drive the metabolism and nervous system that remedy illness. It results in increased hormone, cell and neurotransmitter production.

What’s the “buzz?”

In the future, laser therapy will allow for more personalized, individual attention to specific needs. Rather than a simply randomized effect on problematic tissue, scientists will soon have the ability to isolate or “tweeze” individualistic cells. This will allow practitioners to more effectively deal with a host of rheumatoid disease and subsequent effects.

Dr. Dave Edenfield is part of the team of doctors and therapists athttp://lakewoodchiropracticjax.com who are dedicated to helping you and your family lead a healthier, happier and pain-free life.

Roughing the Public - The Ugly Truth About Sports Injuries

By Dr. Steven Warfield

Have you read the sports page lately?  If you have you will have noticed that a lot of attention has been given to concussions and other sports injuries in the NFL.  In fact, a recent lawsuit brought against the NFL by a number of former players received $765 million in damages for job-related injuries that resulted from the excessive amount of concussions that players in the league were subjected to during the course of their careers.  As a result, the league has changed the rules to try to mitigate these kinds of injuries.  Helmet to helmet hits are now penalized and players who take a blow to the head are often sidelined, or even taken to the locker room to be evaluated for a concussion.  Some pundits have even called for sensors to be installed in helmets that could document the punishment that is inflicted upon players.  While some fans claim that the changes that have been handed down are an impediment to the game, many more, including a number of former players would agree that these safeguards are warranted, since the damage that was done to some retired NFL players were life changing.

While the controversy continues to rage over how and why to handle these kinds of high profile sports injuries, what the majority of the public has failed to realize is the fact that sports injuries aren’t only incurred by professional athletes.  Everyone from weekend warriors to retirees and even school children are susceptible to injuries resulting from sports activities.  As far as the statistics go the relevance and costs associated with sports injuries is on the increase.

Bad News for Boomers

A recent article onactive.com reported that “While many baby boomers people between the ages of 37 and 55 are exercising more, many end up in hospital emergency rooms suffering from sports related injuries, according to Yale orthopedic surgeon, Robert A. Stanton, M.D., who wants to raise awareness about this growing problem and offer preventative strategies. Statistics show that most sports-related injuries affecting this age group come from bicycling, running, skiing and in-line skating. Although the injuries were relatively minor, Stanton said the bruises and sprains added up to nearly 90,000 injuries in one year a 42 percent increase in the past decade.”’

While these statistics might come as a surprise to some adults, they certainly don’t to ER doctors who have to deal with the carnage first hand.  Worse still is the fact that so many of the injuries that are dealt with in ERs across the country are preventable. 

Said Doctor Stanton, clinical instructor of orthopedics at Yale School of Medicine. "By following preventative steps, such as warming up, wearing bike helmets and knee pads, and increasing the rate of activity by only 10 percent per week, baby boomers will have fewer injuries."

Of course, sports injuries are not only relegated to baby boomers.  In fact, the age group with the highest rates of hospitalization and death due to traumatic brain injury are not pro athletes but senior citizens.  Unlike past generations, senior citizens today are more active and mobile than those that came before them.  With the advent of motor vehicles, the incidence of severe trauma many times occur with the start of an engine.  And I don’t just mean the four-wheel kind.

A recent report by AARP cited an explosion in the number of older people riding motorcycles.  “It’s not uncommon for us to see a 65-year-old guy and his 58-year-old wife ricing on the back of a Harley,” reported Dr John Morris, chief of trauma at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

http://www.aarp.org/health/medical-research/info-08-2010/health_discovery_seniors_still_have_game_but_injuries_take_a_toll.html

Sports Injuries are Not Kid Stuff

While the elderly are seeing an explosion in sports injuries, the same holds true at the opposite end of the spectrum.  USA Today reported that 1.45 million kids per year have serious sports injuries.  These include everything from strains and contusions, to fractures and concussions.  These injuries result in costs of nearly a billion dollars per year and involve twenty percent of kids who are taken to the emergency room. 

As you might guess, a number of these injuries are the result of participation in organized sports.”Using data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, the report focused on pediatric sports injuries related to 14 common sports activities, including football, cheerleading, soccer and basketball. More than 46.5 million children played team sports in 2011, says the report.  It finds that in 2012, 12% of all ER visits (163,670) involved a concussion, the equivalent of one every three minutes. Nearly half (47%) were in kids ages 12 to 15.”

While these statistics sound alarming, the truth of the matter is that many of these injuries are preventable.  By doing things like stretching before exercising or participating in sports, by using protection such as pads and helmets when biking or skateboarding and by taking yourself out of the game and seeking treatment when you or someone you know overdoes it on the playing field, we can all reduce the incidence and severity of sports injuries.  The real cost of sports injuries does not only come from the time and money that it costs the public to recover from an injury.  It also costs in terms of time missed from work.  The ugly truth about sports injuries is that they don’t have to sideline your life if you use common sense. 

If you are feeling less than picture perfect after your next golf game, tennis match or other athletic event, consult your local chiropractor.  They are experts in not only mitigating pain and helping patients recover from injury.  They can also offer a wealth of knowledge when it comes to everything from stretching exercises to nutrition. 

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

Chiropractic - The Gift That Keeps On Giving

By Dr. Dave Edenfield

Tis the season to be jolly.  What could be jollier than giving yourself or someone you love the gift of better health?  We as a nation spend more on healthcare than just about any other country on the planet.  And like it or not, this amount goes up every year.  This is due in part to the fact that Americans are paying more out of pocket for healthcare than ever before.

In fact, the latest New York Times poll reported that just 5 percent of all Americans stated that their cost for health care has moderated.  Half of the respondents claimed that their costs have been rising at a faster rate than ever before.

“The percentage of Americans enrolled in a health plan with a deductible of at least $1,000 has climbed to 38 percent in 2013 from 18 percent in 2008, according to a recent survey by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. And over the same period, the average deductible has increased to $1,097 from $735.” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/19/us/growth-in-us-health-care-spending-slows-but-out-of-pocket-costs-rise.html?_r=0

This is one reason that so many in this country are shifting the way they think about health care.  Instead of going to the doctor only when they are sick, more Americans are spending both time and money in health maintenance.  Indeed, everything from structured diets and workout classes are for the taking.  The problem is that too many Americans are still overweight and out of shape.  How can this be?

Quote from the Huffington Post, “If you added up the cost of your gym membership, equipment and the additional cost of classes, you may be losing a lot more money than pounds.”

That is not to say that exercise and workout routines are not important in the effort to lose weight and stay fit. It’s just that all the enthusiasm in the world won’t work unless you continue to use the memberships and attend the classes.  One of the reasons that many people drop out of most workout regimens is due to either routine aches and pains or injuries.  The mantra of “No pain, no gain,” is all well and good for athletes and young people who bounce back quickly from stress to the system.  It’s another matter altogether when you are beyond your fortieth birthday.  Due to the fact that most people well into middle age or beyond lead less active lifestyles and are more prone to injury, it isn’t at all unusual for them to take a once bitten, twice shy attitude toward resuming regimented workouts after an injury.

Instead of throwing in the towel, what I recommend to many baby boomers is that the best thing they can do before they sign up for a membership is to consult their chiropractor.  After all, chiropractors are trained in everything from exercise to nutrition.  They also realize that there is no on-size-fits-all when it comes to working out.  What may work for one person could be dangerous for another.  Plus, if you haven’t worked out in a while, then you would be wise to get familiar with stretching routines and simple isometric exercises before you jump into a gym and start pumping iron. 

If you are looking to lose weight and/or become more serious about exercise or sports, your chiropractor can also provide guidance into the foods and supplements that can help you accomplish your goals without overtaxing your body.  They can also recommend treatments that can make your workouts less likely to overstress your joints, muscles and soft tissue.  (There’s nothing better than a massage after you finish a workout.)

Best of all, by availing yourself of chiropractic care you will also achieve a number of other benefits, such as improved immune response, increased vitality, better sleep cycles, lower blood pressure and reduced stress.  Add to this the fact that if you do sustain an injury, your chiropractor offers a number of treatments that can reduce discomfort, speed recovery and get you back on track to maintaining peak performance.

So if you are looking give yourself a way to better control the high cost of healthcare while improving your lifestyle, give chiropractic care a try.  It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Dr. Dave Edenfield is part of the team of doctors and therapists at http://lakewoodchiropracticjax.com who are dedicated to helping you and your family lead a healthier, happier and pain-free life.

Crossfit and Chiro

By Dr. Dave Edenfield

CrossFit is the sport discipline that is designed to train the body to function optimally. Chiropractic is the medical discipline that is designed to optimize the functioning of the spinal column along with its interrelated nerves, muscles, and soft tissues.  Together these two disciplines can revolutionize the way in which people approach fitness.

Not Just for Jocks

Athletes know the value of daily workouts as well as how to maximize their use of various forms of fitness equipment.  Many non-athletes sign up for gyms and other physical fitness programs.  Unlike athletes, most of these people have limited experience with workout routines and equipment.   As a result, the dropout rate for people who enroll in gyms and other fitness membership programs is high.

According to theexaminer.com – “Of the 50.2 million people who belong to a health club in the U.S., about 62% visited fewer than 100 times a year, according to data compiled in January 2011 by the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), a Boston-based trade group that represents nearly 9,000 clubs. Last January, approximately 30% of total gym members were new; this suggests that initial strong attendance is followed by health club truancy and cancelled memberships. Research has found that these dropouts often come in with unrealistic expectations and get discouraged because they do not know how to use the equipment or just get bored.”

What makes crossfit unique is that workouts are completely supervised.  Add to this the fact that it isn’t centered exclusively on the use of weight training and other forms of workout equipment.  In crossfit, your body is the workout equipment.  A typical session starts with a warm up followed by highly focused skill sessions that are usually last only a few minutes.  The remainder of the class is dedicated to a number of other routines that are designed to work out various parts of the body.  This philosophy not only keeps participants from becoming bored, but it also works out the entire body in as little as 30 minutes.

 You’ve done more in 10 to 25 minutes in CrossFit than three hours in the gym doing circuits. I’ve done that. It’s nothing like this,” said Jason Umberger, deputy chief of police, Swatara Township.

  http://www.pennlive.com/bodyandmind/index.ssf/2011/01/a_typical_crossfit_workout.html

No Pain No Gain

Just like seasoned athletes, crossfit training doesn’t come without a certain amount of soreness as an 

after effect.  Especially to those new to the training regimen, your muscles will feel it on the following day.  This is where chiropractic care comes in.  When it comes to taking the hurt away without resorting to pain killers nothing beats chiropractic.  Offering everything from manual adjustments to massage, ultrasound, laser treatment and other deep tissue treatments, chiropractic is used and recommended by a number of top athletes including Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods.

Face it, hard workouts put a number of stresses on the body.  Checking in with your chiropractor after a workout will not only help you overcome any aches or pains, but it will also ensure that your spine is properly aligned, your frame is balanced and your nerves are better able to communicate.  This means quicker recovery times between workouts and better overall results.

You Are what You Eat

Another benefit of both crossfit and chiro is that both disciplines stress nutrition.    When it comes to maintaining peek fitness, diet plays a big part.  While crossfit is an excellent way to lose fat and tone muscles, it also requires proper nutrition to maximize results and increase muscle mass.  Food such as leafy greens, garden vegetables, nuts and seeds, along with lean meats and fish are good.  Starchy foods and sugars, including bread, rice, candy, potatoes, sodas and candy should be kept to a minimum.  Vitamins and other nutrients are also vital to peek performance.  Both your trainer and your chiropractor can help you answer any nutrition-related questions. 

If you are looking to improve your health, shed pounds and improve your muscle tone and cardiovascular condition, crossfit and chiropractic fit together like two peas in a pod.  If you are thinking about starting a workout or crossfit program, consult your chiropractor today.  Your body will thank you.

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

The Ghost of Christmas Diets Past

By Dr. Steven Warfield

We’ve all tried them at one time or another.  Sometimes they work in the short term only to come back with a vengeance a month or so down the road.  And sometimes they don’t seem to work at all.  What I am referring to are Christmas diets.  These are begun with the best of intentions around Thanksgiving only to be tossed out as most people’s first New Year’s resolution.  The reasons that Christmas diets are almost always doomed to failure has more to do with the essence of the diet plan than it has to do with the myriad of holiday treats that abound during this time of the year. 

Forget Fad Diets

Doing a quick sweep of the web I found a number of fad diets being touted in 2013.  Everything from juice fasts and Baby Food Diets to Hot Yoga Workouts, body wraps and Alkaline Diets are making the rounds trying to entice you to give them a whirl.  The problem with most of these regimens is that they are just that: Regimented.  Unless you can strictly adhere to their many rules chances are that the only thing you are likely to shed with these diets is up to $75 per day in fees. 

Worst of all is the fact that while some fad diets will help you lose a few pounds in the short run, their long term prognosis is that you will put the weight back on once you stop dieting.  Some of these diets can be downright dangerous since they tend to adversely influence blood chemistry.  (People with diabetes, compromised livers or those taking heart or cholesterol medications should consult their physician before starting a diet.)  Restricting food intake also disrupts your metabolism, which convinces the body that famine conditions have been encountered.  This means that once you cease dieting your body has now calibrated the digestive tract to squeeze every ounce of nutrition out of the food that you eat.  This is the prime reason that most diets are doomed to failure.

If your diet urges you to forego certain kinds of food, then this can also result in nutritional deficits that can have a negative impact on your overall health.  Typical low carb or low fat diets can cause lethargy and/or mood swings that can take a toll on you as well as those around you.  Immune response can also be adversely affected by poor nutrition resulting in an increased risk of catching a seasonal cold or the flu.  Everything from reduced muscle tone to hair loss can be attributed to less than optimal nutrition.

Besides, not all fats are bad for you.  Beneficial fats such as omega-3fatty acids that are contained in Salmon, flax seeds, walnuts and shrimp are vital to your health.  They are known to reduce inflammation, fight cancer, maintain cell vitality, decrease the risk of blood clots and fight hardening of the arteries.  People suffering from medical conditions such as depression, Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular disease or joint pain need to consume foods rich in omega-3 as part of their treatment. 

A blog entitled The World’s Healthiest Foods states that, “Research indicates that omega-3s may be better absorbed from food than supplements. Norwegian researchers compared 71 volunteers' absorption of omega-3s (EPA and DHA) from salmon, smoked salmon, cod (14 ounces of fish per week) or cod liver oil (3 teaspoons per day). Cooked salmon provided 1.2 grams of omega-3s daily, while cod liver oil provided more than twice as much: 3 grams of omega-3s per day.”

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=84

Other nutrients found in food such as Vitamin C and D are also vital to your health and well being.  Even those who do not diet find it hard to maintain a sufficient level of Vitamin D during the winter months.  It is a fact that health care professionals such see a significant uptick in the incidence of health-related problems during the fall and winter months.  This includes everything from colds to higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels, autoimmune issues, depression and even heart attacks.  Since the Sun is responsible for the production of Vitamin D, during the times of year when people’s exposure to sunlight is reduced this is the prime reason for Vitamin D deficiency.  The other is due to avoiding food that contains Vitamin D.

Foods Highest in Vitamin D

1.      Fish Oil and Cod Liver Oil

2.      Salmon, Catfish, Mackerel, Sardines, Halibut, Tuna and Herring

3.      Oysters and Shrimp

4.      Milk, Soy Milk

5.      Orange Juice

6.      Cereal and Oatmeal

What’s the Correct Way to Diet?

The reason that most diets fail has to do with the feast and famine repertoire to which dieters subject themselves.  Particularly during this time of year when everything from Christmas cookies to pumpkin pie beckons, the urge to splurge is nearly as irresistible as gravity.  So if you are looking for a way to avoid the roller coaster effects of dieting, here are a few items to stick in your Christmas stocking.

·         Eat More Often – While this tip sounds counterintuitive, the reason you put on weight is due to the fact that when you burn less calories than that contained in the food you consume then weight gain is inevitable.  Therefore the secret to shedding pounds is to divide your calorie intake into smaller and more frequent packets.  This way you will avoid the risk of having hunger pains that can lead to binging.  Studies have shown that people who eat four to five small meals per day are better able to control both their appetite and their weight.

·         Keep Treats at Arm’s Length – Trying to go cold turkey is one of the worst ways to curb any habit. (Ask any smoker who’s tried to quit this way.)  The problem with total denial is that it leads to binging.  Instead of a complete ban on goodies, allow yourself an occasional treat.  Better yet, have a treat when you are out and about.  For instance when you are shopping at the mall you could buy a cookie then go about your shopping, which will enable you to walk off some of those calories.  Portion control and exercise are the keys to handling holiday treats.

·         Protein is Your Friend – Diets high in protein and moderate in carbs not only 

      help you shed pounds, it can also help you preserve muscle mass and encourage the body to burn fat.  So the next time you need a snack, reach for nuts, cheese or yogurt instead of chips or cookies.  Your bathroom scale will thank you.

·         Exercise is Key to Weight Loss – Exercise can spell the difference between taking the weight off and keeping the weight off.  Now I realized that a lot of people have an aversion to exercise.  Just remember that exercise is not a four-letter word.  It also doesn’t necessarily equate with a visit to the gym or the hiring of a personal fitness trainer.  Everything from daily walks to bike rides around the neighborhood can help burn calories and fat.  The trick is to find an activity that you enjoy.  This way you won’t throw in the towel after a couple of days.

The single most important piece of advice I can give to anyone who really wants to lose weight is not to go it alone.   Also don’t fall for the next magazine article or TV spot touting the latest, greatest diet ever.  What you need in order to formulate a diet that really works is to speak to people who truly understand the big picture when it comes to dieting.  What you don’t need is to listen to a pitchman or someone trying to sell more magazine subscriptions.

If you are looking to lose weight over the long haul then your local chiropractor can help steer you in the right direction.  Not only does he or she have years of training and experience in nutrition and exercise, but they can also tailor a plan to your individual wants and needs.  This way when the season of giving rolls around in years to come you won’t be forced to wrestle with the Ghost of Christmas Diets Past.

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

Full of Hot Air

By Dr. Steven Warfield

Today I would like to share with you some information regarding airbags.  While airbags without a doubt save lives in auto accidents, they can also be a hazard if they are not used properly.  Statistics show us that airbags prevent hundreds of fatalities year in and year out in the US.  However, what most people do not realize is that they are also responsible for a number of injuries and  deaths every year, due to passengers either riding with their seat belt unfastened, or people (particularly women and children) who are seated incorrectly.

Airbags can deploy at speeds of 100-200 mph.  (The sound of a deploying air bag is like that of a gunshot.) They are designed to spring into action at the speed necessary to keep those in the vehicle from impacting with fixed objects such as the steering wheel or dashboard, as well as from being bodily ejected.  While the main airbags are located in the steering wheel and dashboard, most vehicles have a number of supplemental airbags which may be located above the doors (side curtain airbags), in or next to both the front and back seats (side air bags) and even below the dashboard (knee airbags). 

Designed to protect the occupants of a vehicle, due to the lightning fast inflation of these devices, airbags have been known to cause injuries to the head, neck, chest or arms when they have deployed to drivers and/or passengers who sat too close to the deploying device.    Drivers are advised to sit at least ten inches from the steering wheel.  Drivers that are below five foot four inches tall are advised to tilt the steering wheel down and raise the seat up.  Children are particularly vulnerable to being injured by airbags, particularly if they are not properly seated and secured.  When in doubt consult the vehicle’s owner’s manual to determine how to safely seat children.

Even adults who are seated correctly with their seat belts fastened can be injured by airbags, particularly drivers.  When we were taught how to drive most of us were told to keep our hands on the steering wheel at the ten o’clock and two o’clock positions.  The problem was that many of us went through driver’s ed before the advent of the air bag. Since then this concept has been altered, since it was discovered that people who drove this way had a high risk of having their wrists broken when the air bags deployed.  Many experts today advise drivers to place their hands at the nine o’clock and three o’clock position to avoid the risk of air bag injury.

A study conducted by the The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated, “When we look at the random sample of all accidents, we find that airbags are associated with increased risk of death in low-speed crashes where air bags were deployed and seatbelts were not fastened. However, if we limit the dataset to include only collisions in which a fatality occurred, we get a significantly reduced risk of death due to airbags.”

Injuries to the face and eyes are also a real possibility in accidents where air bags are deployed.  Everything from facial laceration to fractured cheekbones have been known to occur, along with corneal abrasion or detached retina injuries.  Since air bags also disburse sodium hydroxide upon deployment, this can result in chemical burns to the face and/or eyes. People who have undergone LASIK surgery or radial keratotomy are at risk for corneal rupture should they be involved in an accident that causes the air bags to deploy. 

When researchers from the Helsinki University Eye Hospital studied 300 eye-injury cases resulting from air-bag deployment, they concluded that drivers and passengers have a 2.5 percent chance of having an eye injury if an air bag deploys. The study also revealed that wearing glasses didn’t increase injury and actually helped protect the eyes from airbag chemicals. (Optician).

If you or any of your family is involved in a motor-vehicle accident where the air bags deploy, you should schedule an appointment with your chiropractor right away.  The trauma associated with a crash even if not immediately evident can result in a number of subtle injuries that can later manifest themselves in a variety of symptoms.  These can include headaches, backaches, loss of mobility to the neck and even ear infections.  If not diagnosed and treated early these conditions can lead to complications down the road that may or may not be covered after the fact by your insurance.

Preflight Checklist

Driver - Sit no closer than 10 inches away from the steering wheel.

             Position hands at “nine o’clock” and “three o’clock”

Everyone - Wear their seat belts at all times.

Kids - Never allow children less than four feet tall to ride in the front seat.

           Don’t place rear-facing infant or child seats in the front passenger seat.

            Consult the owner’s manual to determine the best way to seat children.

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