“If you don’t have the [guts] to brake late, that’s your problem.”
-Lewis Hamilton, current reigning and 3 time Formula 1 World Drivers Champion
Mr. Hamilton’s Mercedes AMG W-06, considered by many to be the most advanced and powerful (by weight) racing car in the world can stop from 60mph to 0 in less than 50 feet. I drive a full size, super crew Ford truck, it takes 129 feet to stop from 60mph and Dr. Lam (our other Bel Air Chiropractor) drives some sort of highly engineered Subaru which stops much sooner, but still not that fast. Of course all this also depends on maintenance, tires, weather etc. In other words, nothing stops on a literal dime. Once you hit the brakes, you keep going; nothing happens instantaneously. This is also true for your body. Once you go on a diet, you don’t instantly lose weight, and once you start treatment, you aren’t instantly healed.
What do we mean by “healed”?
Many people believe being healed is to be become pain-free. Not true. Pain is not a disease, it’s a symptom. A sign if you will; if you have pain, you’ve got a problem. Healed is when that problem is fixed or at least stabilized. As per the AMA (American Medical Association) that means:
- Perceived Activities of Daily Living Disability less than 4%. Basically, can you perform everyday tasks with little to no pain or interference? This is one of the forms we ask you to fill out.
- Full functional range of motion measurements. Do your joints move as far as they should?
- Proper muscle strength ratios, extensors (muscles that open a joint) should be a specific percent stronger than flexors (muscles that close a joint).
- Resolving of functional limitations. You can physically do everything you did before.
Unless the above are resolved, the joint’s not fixed. The problems just fester and ferment until they boil over and strike again; be that days, weeks, months or even years later.
In cars, braking times vary depending on make model and level of maintenance; your body is the same. Healing times vary with age, genetics and lifestyle. Healing may take weeks to months. It involves reducing inflammation, rehabbing muscles, tendons and ligaments; restoring motion to the joints, hydration to the discs and proprioception.
This may often involve combining care with all our providers. For example, as the TMJ specialist in Bel Air, not only will we prescribe chiropractic, but also massage, acupuncture and physical therapy to restore the joint to its proper working order, as well as ease the pain in your jaw.
What’s in a Name?
What’s in a name? That which we call a slipped disc by any other name would hurt just the same. Despite the commonality of the term, discs don’t slip out; they bulge, herniate, protrude and extrude. But Smith or Montague, rose or tulip; what we name a disc disorder doesn’t really matter all that much in the end.
Discs, aka spinal discs aka intervertebral discs are the cartilaginous spacers and shock absorbers located between the bones of the spine. There’s 2 parts to a disc, the annulus fibers and nucleus pulposus. The annulus is made up of over 60% water and maintains hydration through movement of the spinal joints–like squeezing a sponge; and the nucleus is the gelatinous core. Just like branches of a tree, healthy and hydrated sticks bend but don’t break; but dry ones will crack and break. Over time and stress (physical, chemical and emotional) joints stop working as well as they should, they stop squeezing the sponge and the discs begin to dry out and weaken. Well, then you cough, sneeze, lift, twist or just breathe and your disc blows like a jelly doughnut and you go down just as fast.
The named designations are to describe how far out the jelly is pushed. It has no real bearing on the symptoms or severity. Sufficeth to say, they all hurt. There’s a massive amount of inflammation associated with disc disorders. This leads to local pain and muscle spasms and often pinched nerves.
The best treatments are the ones that take pressure off the disc, the nerve; reduce inflammation and restore motion. Decompression is such a treatment that combines all those into one, painless, gentle modality. And you guessed it, not only do we offer decompression, Dr. Lee and Dr. Lam are experts in decompression.
Our Doors are Open!
As many of you know, I grew up in Texas. Many of those years were spent right on the Gulf Coast. Galveston Bay is awash in blue crabs. Most of them are boxed up and shipped to Maryland. The ones that remain are used as bait for red fish, or get cut up and boiled; yes, you read that right, boiled. No surprise then when Texas based Joe’s Crab Shack didn’t make it here in Bel Air. Yet, they are famous for their phrase: “Love All, Serve All.”
Next Monday is Martin Luther King Jr Day. Despite this being a Federal Holiday, we will be open. Why? When I first moved to Maryland I was an associate doctor for the very first, and longest running Chiropractic clinic in Baltimore. It started in the 1920’s during segregation. I was told stories of how the office had separate entrances, hours and days for not only different races, but for Hasidic patients as well. Even more, one of the first patients I ever treated; his grandmother was born a slave.
I’ve had the unfortunate privilege of dissecting multiple anatomy cadavers. Everyone’s herniated disc looks the same. White, black, gay, straight, Christian, Jew; headaches are headaches, TMJ is TMJ, rotator cuff injuries are rotator cuff injuries.
On Monday, and everyday, all are welcome. Even Steeler’s fans.
Two Lessons Learned, Again.
While we were traveling a few weeks ago, my computer bag slipped off my shoulder and I caught it on my arm right below my elbow. No big deal -my arm was a little sore. I chose to ignore the small injury and went on with my life. I didn’t think anything of it. Last week I noticed that my wrist is a little sore. But again a little soreness isn’t much, so I didn’t do anything about it. Now a few days later my wrist is really sore! It hurts to rotate my arm, it hurts to type and use the mouse and I have no strength to hold anything in my hand.
Don’t Ignore Small Injuries
Thanks for the dry needling Dr. Lee!
Lesson #1: Don’t ignore small injuries; they usually snow ball into something bigger. Ignoring slight pain is like putting a post-it note over the check engine light on your car. Ignoring the light doesn’t make it go away nor does it fix the engine; it just makes it worse.
Lesson #2: The location of the pain or symptom is not always the location of the injury or cause. Pain and injuries can be like earthquakes in that there’s an epicenter, but the shocks can be felt miles and miles away. There is no actual injury to my wrist, but the wrist and hand are connected to the elbow by muscles, tendons and ligaments – and pain usually travels down.
I’ve been taught this and lived this before, but I’ve yet to really learn my lesson. (Don’t tell Dr Lee, it’ll go to his head.) So today I am rocking the kt-tape, which my daughter decorated for me. I am getting my wrist and elbow adjusted, following icing directions; using Bio Freeze, having Dr Lam do muscle work and not ignoring the signs that something is wrong.
Whether it’s an old injury that you have been ignoring, or a new one, we can help! Make an appointment for a consultation today.
All in Good Time – What It Means to Be Healed
“If you don’t have the [guts] to brake late, that’s your problem.”
-Lewis Hamilton, current reigning and 3 time Formula 1 World Drivers Champion
What do we mean by “healed”?
Many people believe being healed is to be become pain-free. Not true. Pain is not a disease, it’s a symptom. A sign if you will; if you have pain, you’ve got a problem. Healed is when that problem is fixed or at least stabilized. As per the AMA (American Medical Association) that means:
Unless the above are resolved, the joint’s not fixed. The problems just fester and ferment until they boil over and strike again; be that days, weeks, months or even years later.
In cars, braking times vary depending on make model and level of maintenance; your body is the same. Healing times vary with age, genetics and lifestyle. Healing may take weeks to months. It involves reducing inflammation, rehabbing muscles, tendons and ligaments; restoring motion to the joints, hydration to the discs and proprioception.
This may often involve combining care with all our providers. For example, as the TMJ specialist in Bel Air, not only will we prescribe chiropractic, but also massage, acupuncture and physical therapy to restore the joint to its proper working order, as well as ease the pain in your jaw.
From the Surgeon General of the United States: An Opioid Epidemic
From the Surgeon General of the United States:
Dear Colleague,
I am asking for your help to solve an urgent health crisis facing America: the opioid epidemic. Everywhere I travel, I see communities devastated by opioid overdoses. I meet families too ashamed to seek treatment for addiction. And I will never forget my own patient whose opioid use disorder began with a course of morphine after a routine procedure. It is important to recognize that we arrived at this place on a path paved with good intentions. Nearly two decades ago, we were encouraged to be more aggressive about treating pain, often without enough training and support to do so safely. This coincided with heavy marketing of opioids to doctors. Many of us were even taught – incorrectly – that opioids are not addictive when prescribed for legitimate pain. The results have been devastating. Since 1999, opioid overdose deaths have quadrupled and opioid prescriptions have increased markedly – almost enough for every adult in America to have a bottle of pills. Yet the amount of pain reported by Americans has not changed. Now, nearly two million people in America have a prescription opioid use disorder, contributing to increased heroin use and the spread of HIV and hepatitis C. I know solving this problem will not be easy. We often struggle to balance reducing our patients’ pain with increasing their risk of opioid addiction…
Help Stop the Opioid Epidemic
Opioids are medications such as hydrocodone, OxyContin, Percocet, etc… With 54% of patients prescribed opioids are done so for musculoskeletal complaints (muscle pain). The National Safety Council has stated that these drugs are not ideal for dealing with these conditions. What is ideal for treatment? Chiropractors are the highest rated healthcare practitioners for musculoskeletal treatments above physical therapists, specialist physicians (i.e., neurosurgeons, neurologists, orthopedic surgeons), and primary care physicians (family or internal medicine).
Most studies suggest spinal manipulation (the chiropractic adjustment) achieves equal or superior improvement in pain and function when compared with other commonly used interventions. Chiropractic, Acupuncture and Massage are suggested for short, intermediate, and long-term follow-up; still ranking above traditional medical care.
Many people believe chiropractic to be scary; I blame Steven Segal movies. In truth Chiropractic, Massage and Acupuncture have statistically 1/10th of 1% chance of side effects and/or adverse reactions. Sure, it’s a little odd and even freaky. It might seem unnatural and even smarts a little in the beginning; but problems associated with pain killers, both over the counter and Rx number in the upper 6 digits, bordering on 7 a year in the US alone.
Over 80% of Americans suffer from some sort of back pain, add in head, shoulders, knees & toes and it’s over 99%; but only 14% turn to Chiropractic.
What stupid thing(s) did you do this summer?
We are all getting back into the daily grind. It’s time to undo all the stupid things you did this summer. Here are mine. (Obviously this edition is brought to you not by Dr. Lee, because he doesn’t do anything stupid…)
#1 I rode roller coasters.
When you are a child this is meant to be fun and in the case of my children they ride them over and over… But as adult, while roller coasters may still be fun they can have repercussions. A roller coaster is nothing more than a semi-controlled car accident. It sounds shocking, but if you actually watch a roller coaster and see what happens to your body, you’ll understand. In my case I have a mini case of whiplash. So I am on a modified treatment plan designed by Dr Lam. He recommends adjustments 2-3 times per week for the next 2-3 weeks to “whip” my neck back in shape. Now you are asking was I in pain? No, but my neck was tight and I did not have full range of motion when I moved to look over my shoulder it was “uncomfortable;” what many would call a ‘small injury’. However, like Laundry Mountains, small injuries if ignored have a way of growing to where they can get out of control. Like laundry, if we’d just do it then, it wouldn’t take long at all; but if we wait, it takes a while to get it under control.
#2 I ate way too much yummy stuff!
Over the summer my diet of 90% lean meats and vegetables 10% discretionary flipped the other way. I know not a great plan but I had a yummy summer. But now I need to get back on track; however I am really craving brownies right now! My solution is I will do a NovoLife cleanse. I have done these before, but it great to repeat them when you have done something dumb like me and eaten your way through the summer. Once my cleanse is complete, I will really watch what I eat and supplement with protein shakes until I have shed those unwanted pounds. Then I will go back to eating good foods 90% of the time.
#3 I stopped exercising.
Easy to do but I was really lazy most of the summer. Spent a lot of time at the pool turning pages, but nary a lap was swum. Now that kids are back at school and in rec, I am back on track 3-4 times per week. I even signed up for a 5k to motivate me.
So if you are like me and have done some stupid things this summer or just had way too much fun, please give us a call. We can help with major injuries, small pains, and a few extra pounds.
NO MORE PAIN
A note from one of our many happy clients:
“When I came to Susquehanna Spine & Rehab I was very skeptical. I was diagnosed with a herniated disc in my neck in Aug 2016 and after four years of sleep problems, lower back pain, and many different procedures I didn’t really think this place was going to do anything for me. After only 2 weeks at Susquehanna Spine and Rehab the severe pain in my neck, shoulder and arm had greatly improved … NO MORE PAIN! I can now sleep through the night without waking up in pain! THANK YOU SUSQUEHANNA SPINE & REHAB!!!” -T.M., age 63
There are only 8 more Wednesday appointments till the next blizzard
Time is a cruel mistress that waits for no man, nor his vertebrae (ladies, you’re not exempt either).
There are only 8 more Wednesday appointments till the next blizzard. That may not be right, but it’s as good a guess as any meteorologist. Do you know what I am right about? That nagging pain in your back, neck, jaw, shoulder, knee, foot, etc…. that you have been ignoring for months won’t be any better by then. So unless you can get the kids to put down the Ipad and go shovel while you sit inside drinking Irish coffee, you’ll be out there; hurting.
Spines aren’t made of fine wine and whiskey; they don’t get better with time. They are more like milk. If your kids are anything like mine were; there is now or at one time was a sippy cup left under the back seat. There was one hot July day I nearly thought it better to burn the car right there in the Dutch Wonderland parking lot and just walk home. Now is the time to come in and get it fixed. Like spilt milk it’s easier to clean up the earlier you catch it. Much like you visit a dentist to prevent cavities you can see a chiropractor to prevent a back injury.
Calling all Truck Drivers
Dr. Lee is a NRCME examiner. That might not mean that much to you, unless you or someone you know drives a large truck or commercial vehicle. DOT cards expire at midnight on the date of expiration. There is no grace period. Can’t tell you how many people have called our office from their impounded vehicle on the side of the road, while the trooper is just ticketing away wanting the first available DOT medical exam appointment. Save yourself a few C notes and check that date now, then call us.
Sporting K-tape Like an Olympic Athlete
Over the course of the Olympics, you may have noticed some of the athletes were wearing tape. You may have asked yourself, “What is that? What does it do?” It is called Kinesiology tape. There are 3 main brands of Kinesiology tape: KT Tape, RockTape, and Spider Tech Tape. We use RockTape in our office because of its durability. It was originally designed for triathletes, and is waterproof. It can be worn up to 5 days at a time, and can be worn while swimming or in the shower.
Now how does it work? There are 2 main ways that RockTape can help.
In short taping will increases your healing, and decreases your pain.
Can I just buy some tape and stick it on?
In theory yes, but you may damage tissue, irritate the skin, or it may not have any benefit at all. Best practice is to have a trained professional apply tape to the affected area. There’s an entire science to how and where the tape is applied. If you have any questions about how RockTape can help you, give us a call at 443-512-0025.