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Hi!

Here is a magazine that we will be listed on:

A 2 Z of Health and Beauty

Its an online magazine on health and beauty, nutrition, fitness, skin care, weight loss and more.

Thank you! 

"Low back pain is one of the most common ailments that people will visit their doctor for.  Studies show that 85% of Americans will suffer from disabling low back pain at some point in their life.   The cost to our already strained health care system is estimated to top 50 billion dollars!  Does it sound like we have a good handle on this problem?  After over a decade of successfully treating people with this condition, I have come to realize that there are some major problems with the way our health care system is managing low back pain.

What have most doctors been doing (that is not working)?  Most doctors are stuck in an outdated model of treating the SYMPTOMS (pain) without finding the CAUSE of the problem.  The only way we can ever achieve a good long-term result when treating low back pain, is to truly find the cause of the problem and CORRECT it.  Thousands of dollars will be spent on taking x-rays, MRI exams, CT scans, and then prescribing countless drugs and injections to numb the pain.  Sadly, all of this will RARELY find and correct the true cause of low back pain!  You might ask, “doesn’t an MRI always show you the cause of the problem?”  The surprising answer for NYC low back pain that research has discovered is a resounding no.  Study after study has confirmed that there is little correlation between findings on an x-ray or MRI and what the person actually feels.  In other words, many people who do not have ANY low back pain have abnormal MRI or x-rays.  Also, many people who have TONS of low back pain have perfectly normal x-rays and MRI’s.  This is not to say that these tests are useless.  They can be life saving if they discover a tumor or a fracture that needs surgery.  However, too many doctors are over-relying on these tests and missing the real problem.

So, just what is causing the majority of low back pain cases and why are MRI’s and x-rays missing it?  Firstly, it is not about how the bones and muscles LOOK, rather it is all about the way the bones and muscles MOVE.  Secondly, the pain is RARELY where the problem is, it is just where the person FEELS it.  The spine is made up of 24 movable segments called vertebrae.  When one or more of these vertebrae get “stuck” and lose their ability to move freely, it is called a vertebral subluxation complex. 

A “stuck” vertebrae will build up inflammation and become painful over time.  Just like walking around with a shoe that fits too tight on your foot would cause your foot to become painful and swollen.  Now, if you are still wondering why an MRI would not detect this problem, think about what position you are in when taking that exam.  An MRI is done with the patient lying on their back NOT MOVING.  An x-ray is also taken with the patient standing or lying still.  So, how can these tests discover a movement problem when you are NOT moving?

Chiropractors do things differently.  A Chiropractor spends 4 years in school training their hands to locate movement problems in the spine.  I personally use a technique called “motion palpation” to locate misalignments in the spine.  A very gentle pressure (similar to a massage) is applied to each segment of the spine in order to test how it moves.  Each segment should move freely.  It is the segment that does NOT move freely which is the problem.  This segment is corrected by applying a slightly stronger pressure to restore the proper movement.  This is called a chiropractic adjustment. It works also for NYC headaches.

If your low back pain is being caused by a movement problem in your spine and you are treating it by taking medications, it will never be corrected and will WORSEN as you age.  I would suggest having a good Chiropractor check your spine for misalignments or vertebral subluxations.  This is simple and painless test done and takes just minutes.  Many chiropractors, including myself, will do this as part of a complimentary initial health screening as a service to the community.  However, as I mentioned earlier, it is not just the area where you are feeling the pain that needs to get checked.  The entire body needs to be checked to locate the true “source” of the problem.  For example, a collapsed arch in the foot could cause low back pain or a knee that is not tracking properly.  The possibilities are endless so it must ALL be checked.  Your body is made up of moving parts that are all CONNECTED so everything affects everything else!!  So, lets get your spine checked and locate that problem and FIX it so you can ENJOY your life!

For more information on low back pain treatment in Body in Balance Chiropractic, give our office a call at (212) 371-5788. We would be happy to set you up with an initial appointment for a consultation.

Have you ever arrived to work full of pep and energy, ready to take on the day, only to slowly sink into a slump after a few hours?   You love your job, the project you're working on, and even the people you work with, but that mid day slump hits like a rock and lunch break couldn't come fast enough.  It's a common workplace complaint.  Some people say they feel better after getting some fresh air.  But then they settle in after lunch and start feeling that way all over again.  It's usually blamed on the food.  But food is meant to energize, and if your lunch is good for your body, your body shouldn't feel so slumpy.  So what's causing this daily burn out?  It could be a number of things, but this week, we're taking a good look at Electro Magnetic Fields.

Otherwise known simply as "EMF's", these Electro Magnetic Fields come from a variety of different places.  At work though, you're usually surrounded by them.  You sit in front of them, under them and even hold them in your hand.  EMFs can cause a range of symptoms, most commonly fatigue and anxiety.  When I started feeling fatigued at work, despite a healthy lifestyle, I began questioning my environment.  Sitting in front of a computer is surprisingly low in EMF exposure.  Ranking highest on the list, fluorescent lighting, which most of, myself included, sit under all day long.

As I kept reading the research done on EMF exposure, especially from fluorescent lighting, the first thing I wanted to do was replace the lighting in our office.  For most people that's not always an option.  We ordered floor lamps right away.  These EMF's are proven to cause biological stress.  Evidence links prolonged exposure to a higher risk of cancer.   In fact, a 250% increased risk of skin cancer from fluorescent lighting alone! 

 So besides being scared, or quitting your job to work in a National Park, what can you do?  Well, you can limit your exposure at home so that you aren't bombarding yourself with them all day, everyday.  You can put some plants in your work place.  The best ones for removing toxins are Bamboo Palm, Spider Plant, English Ivy and Peace Lily.  Full spectrum lighting is known to give an energy boost.  Keeping a lamp on your desk with a full spectrum bulb will do wonders to perk you up.  Perhaps the best thing you can do though, to combat EMF's, or any other toxins in your environment, is to lead a healthy lifestyle.  Proper nutrition, exercise, spinal care, detoxification, and supplementing as needed all play a part in combating the things you have no control over.

A walk through the supermarket can be like sensory overload.  Bright colors grab our attention.  Big, bold letters make us stop and read the catchy phrases that potentially make us want to buy these beautifully packaged treasures.  But are they really treasures?  Is it really even food wrapped up so geniously?  How about beverages?  We know soda and sugary drinks are no good.  But what about water?  And on these hot summer days, can you even get your kids to drink water?   It sure would be more tempting for kids to drink it if it was packaged like some of the other things on the shelf.  And that is exactly what kraft foods has realized as well.  Sitting on the supermarket shelf, in a brightly colored bottle, with a funky design, is what's being marketed as a "water enhancer."  It goes by the catchy name of Mio. 

So what could possibly be in this Mio that makes it so bad?  For starters, a little chemical called propylene glycol.  Propylene glycol is also used as anti freeze.  Along with artificial coloring and preservatives, that's pretty much what you get out of the little dropper.  Kraft says their target market is men and women, ages 18-39.  Unfortunately, the market that seems to love it is under 18.  Propylene glycol was approved by the FDA for adults in very small doses.  There was never an amout set as approved for children.  And it appears that these children aren't just squeezing droplets of this Mio into their water, they are squeezing large amounts into their mouths!  They're squeezing small doses of antifreeze mixed with artificial coloring and preservatives right into their growing bodies.  The real kicker in all this is that the FDA banned the electronic cigarette because if the propylene glycol in it.  Interesting.

The moral of all of this is to check your ingredients.  Even if you only shop the perimeter of the store, you'd be amazed to see what's in some of the yogurt on the shelf.  So when you are getting lured in by the pretty packaging, stop and see what's in it.  If you aren't sure, it's probably a safe bet it doesn't belong in your body.