wisechiropractic

Hot Stuff! Brand New Cranial Laser Reflex Technique Case Study Video!

2010-03-11T06:38:00.000-08:00

Here is a new video of a patient that came in yesterday for the first time. She was referred by another chiropractor in town who sent her for evaluation and a Cranial Laser Reflex Technique treatment for spasms after a stroke 2.5 years ago. She has also been under the care of several MD's, PT's, neurologists, etc during this time. (Luckily she was very agreeable to me videoing the session, and luckily I had an extern handy to hold my iPhone.)

The total visit lasted about 25 minutes, but the video is edited to 10 minutes long as per the youtube limits. Most of what I cut was me talking, and repeating some of the same treatments again.

I start off with lasering the Cranial Reflex Pathways for the biceps and forearm muscles with a 200mW 650nm red laser (on half battery power, probably). This immediately reduced the tone of these muscles that had been in spasm for 2.5 years. I then perform some general cranial adjustments, both with my hands and with light taps from the Impulse adjusting instrument. I then release the traps, pecs, and rhomboids, etc with more CLRT.

Then I bust out the Resonant Frequency Wand and run the normalizing frequencies for biceps, forearm flexors, etc. The change was immediately apparent. The biceps frequency elongated that muscle and allowed me to straighten her arm, and the freq for pronator teres was especially helpful at untwisting her foream and wrist. After a few minutes of this, I was able to fully extend her arm, waaay farther than it had been for years. She reported that she felt a tingling in her arm as I was working on her head, and that the treatment felt "awesome."

The difficulty with a case like this lies in the fact that she has been stuck in rigid flexion so long and these muscles have shortened considerably, and she will have to un-learn all the coping strategies she has had to create along the way. But overall, her response after a single treatment makes me think she'll do very well if we keep this up.

There's no limit to the capacity of the human body to heal itself... if one is open to the possibilities.

Pretty cool stuff...Watch.

2010-01-20T23:16:00.000-08:00

I've been looking at loads of Xrays and MRI's since I've been here in India, and yesterday I saw an interesting case... actually, I saw about 10 cases yesterday that would qualify as highly unusual, but this one stood out.

I first met Mr. S in 2005 on my first trip to India. He is the best friend of my partner here, so I have spent a lot of time with him in my 3 trips here. Mr. S is the quintessential businessman: a bonafide real estate mogul, builder of highrises, and owner of 3 factories which employ over 3000 people. His cel phone never stops ringing and it is hardly away from his right ear for more than 2 minutes at a time. He is the most serious, business minded, and some might say...humorless... people I have ever met. I called him Mr. Spock once... joke didn't translate too well. Swell guy though.

Mr. S had a stroke 2 years ago from a big clot that got stuck in a cerebral artery on the right side, and this was clearly visible on the MRI of his brain that he got right afterwards. The left-sided paralysis he had is gone, and he has improved very much with chiropractic care. Before I adjusted him this time, I sent him for a follow-up MRI of the brain (costs about 42 USD!) to see if the clot was still there. Thankfully the new films showed it was totally gone, but with some scar tissue left.

But what struck me was this... his left hemisphere was at least 20% larger than his right.

I checked all the films, old and new, and it was like this on all of them, so it wasn't atrophy from after the stroke. On the radiologist's report, they called it age-related atrophy... he's 60... but it was clearly not from a normal aging process...

These are the questions I had...

The left brain typically controls logical, linear thinking while the right brain handles creative expression. Knowing Mr. S's tendencies for 100% focus on business and finances, I wondered if this was from decades of exercising the left hemisphere and neglect of the emotional side?

Or the other chilling thought was that it was from the constant celphone use? ( I asked, and he always holds it to his right ear. ) If anyone could cook his cortex with a celphone, he'd be a top contender for sure. He'll take a business call even while his guru/living god is talking. For real.

I know this is pure speculation here, but this is what I wrote down on a prescription pad for him before he left.

"Drink lots more panni (water.)

More art, music, dancing and poetry.

Less celphone.

Live long and prosper."

Can't hurt...

Bonafide Chiropractic Miracle

2010-01-18T20:11:00.001-08:00

It doesn't get any more amazing than this... I had the honor of treating this girl in the photo. Her name is Kinjal, and she is 18 years old. What's amazing about her is that for 17+ years of her life, she was totally paralyzed: she couldn't speak, turn her head, feed herself or walk. She was sent to Dr. Patel by her guru, Dada Bagwan, about 6 months ago for a
Chiropractic treatment.

Immediately after her first adjustment, she showed amazing improvement, turning her head, speaking for the first time in her life... And Today she walks, speaks, and her smile lights up the room. After I adjusted her today, she walked up and down the office, with her mother on one side, and me on the other, barely holding on to her at all.

This is pretty good stuff, what we do...

Chiropractic in India

2010-01-16T22:57:00.000-08:00

The word is definitely getting out... Every day more and more people are showing up at the now famous Re-Life Chiropractic Centre, the first state of the art chiro clinic in all of India. Located on the 7th floor of the Shree Krishna Business Center in an upscale area of Ahmedabad, this clinic is truly a sight to behold. Having only been open for 3 weeks, every day more new patients are showing up-- usually referred by current patients who have been helped tremendously by this "new" treatment. We have 4 zenith hi-lo tables with full drops, 3 spinalators, one automatic flexion-distraction table, and an x-ray machine here, but its not set up yet, so everyone comes in with their films from a nearby imaging center. (I looked at the price list for the images so I don't think there's any rush to get it set up... it costs 175 rupees--about 4 dollars-- for a set of digital xrays, and get this...2200 rupees-- about 50 bucks-- for an MRI! I think I'll have every part of me scanned just for the helluvit just because it such a bargain.)

Dr. Carter and I jumped right in and started seeing patients... close to 30 on our first day in town... and everyone is waggling their heads in satisfaction. We have already seen some bizarre cases that would be very rare to see in the US, and Carter already restored a woman's hearing with a cervical adjustment. Way to go, Chris!

Well, I gotta go, as here come more patients... yes it's Sunday and we're here for the internet, but people are showing up anyway. More later.
dr. nick

Mind-Body Connection Alert!

2009-10-08T05:25:00.000-07:00

There's loads of studies that show how your posture affects how others think about you, but here's a new twist...this study connects POSTURE to how strongly you believe thoughts about yourself...

From the study:

"Sitting up straight in your chair isn't just good for your posture - it also gives you more confidence in your own thoughts, according to a new study.

Researchers found that people who were told to sit up straight were more likely to believe thoughts they wrote down while in that posture concerning whether they were qualified for a job.

On the other hand, those who were slumped over their desks were less likely to accept these written-down feelings about their own qualifications.

The results show how our body posture can affect not only what others think about us, but also how we think about ourselves, said Richard Petty, co-author of the study and professor of psychology at Ohio State University.

"Most of us were taught that sitting up straight gives a good impression to other people," Petty said. "But it turns out that our posture can also affect how we think about ourselves. If you sit up straight, you end up convincing yourself by the posture you're in."

Read the complete article here:

http://www.brainmysteries.com/research/Study_Body_posture_affects_confidence_in_your_own_thoughts.asp

At Wise Chiropractic and Wellness in Spartanburg, we are relentless at improving the quality of your life!

To improve your posture and your mind-body connection, Call us at Wise Chiropractic at (864) 585-5558 Pronto!

Wise Chiropractic Represented at the MS Biketober Ride!

2009-10-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, our resident fitness and exercise guru, Dr. Todd Riddle headed out to Greenville to volunteer his services to the riders of this important charity event.

Todd is still exhausted, after working with over 100 grateful riders during this 2-day, 150 mile ride.

Here he is after adjusting the whole Blue Cross Blue Shield Bike Team. And no, he wasn't trying to get special treatment for us down with the home office in Columbia.

Or was he..... :)

Depression Can Lead To Back Pain

2009-09-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

(Feb. 27, 2004) — It is well documented that physical pain can lead to feelings of depression, but a new study from the University of Alberta shows the reverse can be true, as well.

Dr. Linda Carroll, a professor in the U of A Department of Public Health Sciences, led the study that shows depression is a risk factor for onset of severe neck and low back pain. The study is published in the journal Pain. Carroll and her colleagues followed a random sample of nearly 800 adults without neck and low back pain and found that people who suffer from depression are four times as likely to develop intense or disabling neck and low back pain than those who are not depressed.

"We've known for a long time that pain can lead to depression, and now we're finding that each is a risk for the other," Carroll said. "Both conditions are recurrent, that is, they can both come and go; and both are very common--in fact, only 20 per cent of the population has not experienced any neck or low back pain in the past six months--so it's important to try to deal with these conditions before they become troublesome and lead to a vicious cycle."

There are two broad ways people can cope with pain, Carroll said. One is to be passive, which entails such things as withdrawing from activities because of the pain or wishing for better pain medication. The other is to be active, which entails getting exercise and staying busy, for example.

"We're wondering if depression leads people to cope passively when they experience the kinds of mild pain episodes that most of us are periodically subject to. This in turn may increase the likelihood that pain will become a problem in someone's life."

Dr Nick here... this makes perfect sense, doesn't it? There is no separation at all between the health of your mind and body, so of course a problem in either can manifest in either. But one thing we know, passive coping with pain and/or depression is usually not the best route. Ask your doctor (of chiropractic) to help you design the best ACTIVE care for you. Both mind and body will get better faster...

Good Vibrations: Aging Bones May Benefit From A Good Shaking

2009-09-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

Since we offer Whole Body Vibration Exercise at Wise Chiropractic, here's an article I found about some of the benefits...

ScienceDaily (Feb. 20, 2007) — While running and jumping are some of the best ways to maintain or improve bone strength and help prevent fractures, they aren't the safest activities for the frail, elderly or physically impaired.

Dr Belinda Beck, senior lecturer at Griffith University's School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, said there was some evidence that low intensity loading performed at a sufficiently high frequency may also improve bone mass.

She has recently received funding to test the effects of a whole body vibration device -- a platform that participants stand on while it vibrates at up to 30 cycles per second. "Bone generally responds to exercise that is high intensity but older people can't do that without the risk of hurting themselves. We need a stimulus that is effective on bone but does not cause damage."

Dr Beck said the device was originally designed to enhance muscle strength in athletes as the vibration forces muscles to contract more. It was also likely to help improve balance.

"Whole body vibration offers an opportunity to improve bone strength, muscle strength and balance -- three of the known risk factors for hip fractures in the elderly." The vibration device will be installed in a retirement village on the Gold Coast, providing easy access for women over 65 years of age who choose to participate in the study.

Osteoporosis-related fractures are most common in older women, particularly those with other risk factors such as low body weight, a history of low calcium intake, and little or no physical activity.

"This is a simple, low intensity alternative that is perfect for people who can't do more strenuous physical activity," Dr Beck said.

Somewhere Bruce Lipton is laughing...and/or crying

2009-09-02T06:14:00.000-07:00

Or maybe a combination of hysterical laughing/crying...

Here is an article, released today, that essentially says what cellular biologist Bruce Lipton has been saying for years: our genes are not the primary controllers of our destiny, but are themselves controlled by signals from the environment: i.e. what we eat, what we think, how we move, etc... But OF COURSE they HAVE to mention the great new drug therapies they can come up with to exploit this research, blah blah blah. Yes, it makes perfect sense in one sentence to say that our genes are controlled by "what we eat or how active we are", and in the next sentence to say that this can possibly be the basis for a revolutionary new drug treatment...

Dynamic Changes In DNA Linked To Human Diabetes

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901122627.htm

ScienceDaily (2009-09-02) -- New research may give new meaning to the adage "You are what you eat." The DNA isolated from the muscles of people with diabetes bears chemical marks not found in those who respond normally to rising blood sugar levels, according to the study. The epigenetic marks in question are specifically found on a gene that controls the amount of fuel, in the form of glucose or lipids, that cells burn.

Select quotes from article (italics added):

--"Those changes rapidly reprogram the gene's activity without altering the underlying DNA sequence at all. They suggest a way that environmental factors—what we eat or how active we are—may perhaps influence our genes, for better or for worse."

{Wow! What does this mean for the billions spent on the human genome project?}

--"It's a much more dynamic process than we thought," Zierath said. "The genetic causes of diabetes are important, but this shows us that epigenetic changes, which take place on top of our genes, can alter our physiology in critical ways."

{Yay! Keep going!}

----"The researchers say they don't yet know whether these epigenetic changes are reversible, but they do have evidence that they might be prevented."

{Prevention? Really?}

--"In a broader sense, the discovery shows that we are not "victims of our genes," she adds. "It's exciting because there may be ways for us to lower disease risk if physical activity or other lifestyle factors can positively influence our epigenome and improve metabolism."

{ How brave to admit this in public! Tell us more!}

--"There's room for this in terms of drug discovery," Zierath said.

{Doh!}

Um... why not focus on changing the "signals from the environment?"

Just a thought...

From Dr. Todd

2009-07-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I am truly excited about being on board at Wise Chiropractic and Wellness. Aside from the great care that is already being given, I am hoping to add a few more tricks to our "bag". With my background in sports and rehab, we are going full speed ahead with implementing a sports chiropractic component, therapeutic rehabilitation, and even fitness and nutrition. Our hope is to serve our present patients even better, while attracting new ones with the new services! Imagine, a one-stop shop for wellness....

I look forward to seeing you!

Dr. Todd Riddle

Mid Summer at Wise Chiro

2009-06-24T18:59:00.000-07:00

Hey folks.

As you have seen, things around the office have changed a bit in the last few weeks! The painting is finally done-- well most of it anyway-- and the spa room is almost completely set up now, so we're all excited to have massage back in-office again. Hooray! And, of course, one of the biggest changes is the presence of a Dr. Todd Riddle... You know, the big guy who's been hanging around for the last 6 months? Well, it's official-- he's on board and the newest crew member. Be gentle on him.

Will keep you updated on new services, new hours and everything else exciting that's happening soon.

Yours in health,

Dr. Nick