There is a lot of discussion about why StemWave is referred to as the “stem cell machine”. StemWave and SoftWave are amazing technological advancements that been allowed for use by the FDA for pain and inflammation reduction and more. However, do the electrohydraulic shockwaves produced by StemWave and SoftWave influence stem cell function to aid in regenerating tissue? It’s not enough to simply say it does. As doctors, we owe it to our patients to understand and educate how to best understand how this technology works. Continue Reading →
30
Jan 2024
2
16
Aug 2022
SoftWaves for Plantar Fasciitis Work!
Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) is cleared by the FDA for use on a few conditions, one being plantar fasciitis. This is very exciting as plantar fasciitis is the most common form of heel pain and it can be quite debilitating condition. Podiatrist, orthopedists, PTs, and sports chiropractors all work with patients who suffer from plantar fasciitis, and we are always looking for more and better ways to help these patients. When a proper diagnosis is made (and this means being quite sure to R/O calcaneal stress reaction), the faster we can address a problem and the faster we can fix it. Continue Reading →
15
Oct 2021
Regenerative Medicine Step 1: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Please note that you do NOT need to be a patient to benefit from Hbot. You can simply call and set up an appointment to experience the benefits of Hbot. This also applies to NormaTec and SoftWave.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, or Hbot, is healthy for us in many ways. We usually consider the greatest effects to be for those who have inflammation/swelling following trauma or for those wish to use it for a recovery tool after strenuous exercise. It is also used to aid those who get altitude sickness as enriching the blood with oxygen helps to reduce the effects of reduced oxygen at high elevations.
A new study, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases telomere length and decreases immunosenescence in isolated blood cells : a prospective trial , published by Hacho, et. al. in 2020, has shown that Hbot goes further than common uses in that it actually has direct, anti-aging, and regenerative effects. These effects are due to its ability to elongate telomeres.
Telomeres are nucleotides that are found at the end of chromosomes. They serve to maintain DNA stability. Telomeres shorten during replication (mitosis) as well as due to disease processes, lack of physical activity, obesity, cortical thinning of the brain, diabetes, stress, smoking, inflammation, vitamin deficiency, and oxidative stress (think free radicals). Being most of us are not functioning at optimal health, it’s easy to see that our telomeres tend to shorten far faster than they should and this process leads to an earlier death. Telomeres are measured in kilobases, and they tend to be 4-15 kilobases in length. We lose 20-40 bases per year just due to aging. However, the aforementioned conditions drastically decay the telomere length. When telomeres reach a ‘critical length’, cell replication cannot occur and this leads to further cell death. Studies have shown that adults with shorter telomere lengths have increased mortality rates. Simply put: the faster your telomeres shorten, the sooner your death. Continue Reading →
24
Jul 2017
The Official Word on Sports Nutrition Regarding Diets and Body Composition…Discussion Over!
Let’s end this debate now. The puzzle is now complete. We have the data and we know what works. We know the ‘too much protein is bad for your kidneys’ talk that some doctors and others tout is wrong. There is simply no data to validate this unless you have pre-existing, unrelated, kidney disease. We know that fasting/cleansing is good for you, not bad. For those who say ‘your body is always cleansing…that’s what the kidneys and liver are for,’ we can reply by showing them the research that far more can be done. For those who say that ‘protein is protein, ‘ we can clearly demonstrate that this is not the case…not even close. Many say ‘I’ve tried everything and nothing works.’ Maybe that person has tried other programs, but they most certainly have not incorporated caloric restriction and intermittent fasting. If they had, they would’ve achieved the results they were looking for. Being 80% of health and how we look is due to nutrition, whereas only 20% is due to exercise, it’s quite important to have a lifestyle system that addresses the 80% part. By taking care of the 80% part, you will perform and recover better with the exercise part. They are not mutually exclusive. Lapses in nutrition will only get you more injuries. I see this all too often.
You get the point. It’s time to do what we know works instead of looking for excuses when it comes to diets and body modification. This is about YOU and how you can feel, function, and look better. Continue Reading →
07
Nov 2016
Introducing the InBody 570 Body Composition Analyzer Part 3
The 3rd and final part of our discussion about the incredible InBody 570 covers 3 more studies that further validate its accuracy. I know blogs that discuss studies aren’t always the most ‘fun’ to read, but it is important to have evidence readily available to show others that your InBody 570 bioelectrical impedance analyzer assessment is vital to your health and should be part of your medical health history. It can be used to help your primary care doctor (PCP) figure out ways to help you…hopefully many times through dietary intervention (like caloric restriction and intermittent fasting) vs. just administering drugs. Continue Reading →
01
Jun 2016
Do You Want Your Brain To Function Better?
As a sports chiropractor, my training involves learning how to best treat the body to effect changes in many ways for dysfunctional joints, muscles, ligaments, cartilage, fascia, and more. We know that chiropractic adjustments alter neurological pathways that change joint mechanics and alter muscle tone and tension, allowing for a change in biomechanics at local and more global regions. This is great and it works well, but what about all the ‘holistic’ training we receive? Chiropractors are supposed to take care of the whole body, inside and out, but most of us do not do that when we only treat the body from the outside. This approach is not complete and it does not allow us to fully help our patients. Continue Reading →
17
Mar 2016
How To Overcome Your ‘Set Point’ To Maximize Body Composition Change
Whenever we engage in any type of weight loss/body modification plan, we have to be realistic with our goals. The trendy ‘lose 30 in 30’ programs rarely yield results that last because the programs are quite abusive to your body and not many people have the will to continue on such a tough voyage.
Before I go any further, I will touch on the difference between weight loss and body modification. Weight loss is just that: losing weight. You will lose fat and muscle weight. This is not a good thing. We want to be lean and muscular, not lean and soft. Most all programs on the market can only address total weight loss and this is not what you want. Body modification is achieved through losing fat weight while maintaining or gaining muscle percentage/weight. This should be the goal of all diet programs but virtually none on the market can achieve this goal because they do not employ the proper system. Dieting is not about cutting calories. It’s about working with your body to get it leaner and stronger and using validated science to achieve this. Going forward, I will only refer to dieting programs as body modification as this is really the goal of anyone who is trying to get leaner and healthier.
The key to any successful body modification program is sustainability. In other words, can you continue this program into the future or will you eventually fall off the tracks and go back to your old ways? In the overwhelming number of cases, people try a program for a while and then back off of it as it is too hard to maintain. They end up where they were before they started. This time, though, they tend to be more frustrated and their bodies are more resistant to future change. We should not have to endure these failures. Continue Reading →
27
Jan 2016
All Proteins Are Not Created Equal
Yes, it’s true. All proteins are not created equal. But before we can go further, we need to understand that our diet consists of macronutrients and micronutrients. Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats are our macronutrients and micronutrients are what we ingest in smaller quantities, like our vitamins and minerals.
When we eat food, it does not declare itself as simply a carbohydrate, protein, or fat. Most foods have a variety of macronutrient components and our bodies do an amazing job at breaking down each ingredient into particles that can then be utilized. This is why eating high quality food without lots of chemicals is preferred. Our body has enough to do without the need of bombarding it with toxins and unnecessary compounds.
There are basic components that make up proteins. They are called amino acids and there are 20 of them. Of these, 9 are considered ‘essential‘, because we cannot create them from other foods we eat. This means you have to consume them in the protein sources you are eating. By definition, a complete protein is one that contains at minimum, all 9 of the essential amino acids. There are also 3 amino acids in the essential amino acid family that are called Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs). These 3, leucine, isoleucine, and valine, are important for muscle function and many medical treatments. In the fitness community, we want to ingest a lot of foods that contain BCAAs. Luckily, most animal proteins contain BCAAs and all the other essential amino acids. Vegetarians and vegans can acquire BCAAs and essential amino acids, but many times this involves food combining, and food combining is not the most efficient way to achieve the objective. Continue Reading →
06
Jul 2015
Dry Needling Support Models (4 of 4): Central Model and Studies That Prove the Efficacy of Dry Needling
We have covered a lot of information about Dry Needling in our last 3 blogs. We discussed the Radiculopathy Model, the Trigger Point Model, and the Spinal Segemental Sensitization and Pentad Model. Already, we can clearly see how Dry Needling can help to break down myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) and reduce pain. The fourth model will discuss another reason as to why Dry Needling can help you.
Central Model
Our final model, the Central Model, covers information about how Dry Needling and other physical interventions (including manipulation, massage, mobilization, etc…) affect the spinal cord and brain. This is a rather basic but powerful model. The premise is that input stimuli will affect tracks in the spinal cord that will carry that information up to the brain. The deeper the treatment, the more information that will be conveyed. The hypothalamus will then take the stimuli and communicate with the pituitary gland and affect other endocrine functions.
In regards to the hypothalamus, it has three primary functions: 1. It supplies input to the brainstem, thus affecting autonomic regulation, 2. It controls endocrine function, and 3. It exerts influence on posture and locomotion.
With the Central Model, MTrPs along the spine will likely cause more autonomic issues (please click to read more about autonomic issues on the Trigger Point Blog). Dry Needling causes an anti-inflammatory response that emanates from the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. This is deep stuff!
If we assume that the hypothalamus is directly or indirectly adversely affected by MTrPs, then we can conclude that such MTrPs create autonomic and endocrine problems in addition to postural and movement issues (this means it affects the way you work inside and outside). Certainly, we would want to rid our bodies of such noxious stimuli, and since Dry Needling can eliminate such MTrPs, then this makes it a great option for restoring proper function of not only the musculoskeletal system, but also the autonomic and endocrine functions that are affected by an improperly functioning musculoskeletal system.
Any way you slice it, Dry Needling can help you to function better. From simple pain and dysfunction to autonomic concomitants, Dry Needling offers a viable option for the treatment of trigger points and pain due to musculoskeletal causes.
Let’s take a look at some studies supporting the application of Dry Needling…there are a few here but many more in print:
We will start with the grand-daddy of them all…the landmark study performed by Karl Lewit, MD published in 1979. This study broke down the effects of trigger point injections to determine if the analgesic/steroid that was the agent that helped the patient, or was it the needle alone that contained all the magic! Please read study, and if you would like the full study (versus just the abstract), please let us know.
The Needle Effect In The Relief of Myofascial Pain
And the other studies…
Dry Needling Having Anti-Nociceptive (anti-pain) Effects
Probable Mechanisms of Needling Therapies for Myofascial Pain Control
The Influence of Dry Needling of The Trapezius Muscle on Muscle Blood Flow and Oxygenation
Dry Needling and Exercise for Chronic Whiplash – A Randomized Controlled Trial
Management of Shoulder Injuries Using Dry Needling in Elite Volleyball Players
04
Jun 2015
Dry Needling Support Models (3 of 4): Spinal Segmental Sensitization (SSS) and Pentad Model
In our last two blogs, we went over models that help explain how Dry Needling works. These two were the Radiculopathy and the Trigger Point Models. The topic of this blog will involve the third model, or the Spinal Segmental Sensitization and Pentad Model. As we have with the last two discussions, we will try to explain any difficult terminology or ideas.
Spinal Segmental Sensitization and Pentad Model
The Spinal Segmental Sensitization (SSS) and Pentad Model was proposed by the late Andrew Fischer, M.D. (Physiatrist…pain management and rehabilitation medical doctor). This is a good time to discuss this model as it really incorporates both of the first two models. Dr. Fischer proposed that the SSS is a ‘hyperactive’ state of the dorsal horn of the spinal cord that is caused by damaged tissue sending nociceptive (pain) input into the spinal cord. This information then causes the over-sensitivity of the associated spinal level dermatome (skin), pain sensitivity of the associated spinal level sclerotome (bone, ligaments, joints), and Myofascial Trigger Points (MTrPs) in the associated spinal level muscles. All this occurs because the nerve coming from the spine is over sensitized, and by being in this pathological state, it stimulates these changes listed above. In effect, we have a pretty vicious cycle of pain and dysfunction. Continue Reading →
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