Osteoarthritis And The People Of Maine.     Degenerative Arthritis or Osteoarthritis (OA), is your body’s response to instability and is also associated with a transmission of forces through joints rather than successful absorption of forces through those joints. Ever wonder why we have curves in our spine or legs that are straight and not bent inward? Shock absorption. When your body and brain sense instability in a joint or another it has an innate wisdom that says “these bones need to grow together to create stability”. Bone spurs form and connect to the neighboring joint to become stable. (See picture below).   When joints misalign and no longer absorb shock normally, they often end up transmitting shock through the paths of least resistance. Transmission of shock stimulates osteoblastic (bone cell growth) activity in bone cells. This is the same activity that increases bone density in osteoporotic people except that it’s creating new bone on the edges of the bone and they form bone spurs.   Arthritis is a result of instability and misalignment, wear and tear and your body’s response to it. Many say there is no known cause for OA, but that there are many factors involved...

New Year Resolutions For Maine People   The most common new year resolution in Maine is to lose weight and get into shape. The problem is, only 8% of people actually succeed.  That’s right, 92% of people fail.   My name is Dr. Lou Jacobs and for the past 8 years I have helped hundreds of people lose thousands of pounds.  I help people succeed, becoming one of the 8% who achieve their goals.   My solution to Maine’s #1 resolution? “Dr. Lou’s 2015 (and 8th annual) Weight Loss Challenge”.   Last year’s winner lost 13 lbs and won $800.  Wow.   What is it that Maine people need?  They need inspiration, education and motivation. We provide all three.  Inspired by others who have succeeded in the past and knowing that you are involved with a successful weight loss coach and healthcare provider.  Educational opportunities and private or group coaching opportunities are available. Motivation comes from the money that will be in your pocket if you win the challenge.   It’s also a FITNESS challenge. If you are already in decent shape, you can also win some money. The winner of the “Greatest Transformation” category has the opportunity to win half of the...

Chiropractic Saves The Party!   Make no mistakes, we are not encouraging excessive holiday drinking.  But we recognize that people like to live their lives, have some fun and sometimes things get a little sloppy.  We can often help clean up the mess and even prevent the party from creating too many problems.  We enjoy working within your lives, without having to make dramatic changes to your lifestyle except when absolutely necessary.  Always recommending what’s best but also understanding that life should be fun.     That said, there are many medications that should not be mixed with alcohol.  During the holiday season people like to drink and they often mix medications with alcohol that can lead to great physical, mental or chemical harm. Many of the conditions that people have to sacrifice the alcohol for are conditions that respond very well to chiropractic, acupuncture, massage or a combination of the three.  We hate to see anyone miss out on a party, so consider “CAM” (chiropractic Acupuncture Massage) when making party plans this winter.  While these specialties don’t always allow for more partying, they may.  So ask your medical doctor if NOT taking your medications puts you at risk.  If you are...

 Thanksgiving in Maine Guide To Partying Without Injury   In 2009, an article was published by FORBES that cites Thanksgiving as being the deadliest holiday of the year.  Usually due to cars and alcohol, the death count for Thanksgiving continues to be at the top of the national list. Even though Maine has been cited as one of the top alcohol abusing states, there are other problems with family, too much food, too much drink and a host of other activities that may lead to a really messed up week.   Not all Thanksgiving injuries in Maine are fatal and not all involve an “incident” or accident. If all you are worried about thanksgiving is drunk drivers, read below for a list of common health setbacks that occur at Thanksgiving in Maine.   1. The Headache.  Tension headaches are caused by stress. Pain and tension is often felt creeping up the neck and into the back of the head, up over the ears and into the forehead or behind the eyes.   These headaches are common and sometimes debilitating, even leading to migraine headaches.  The cause of these headaches, stress, is often triggered by family discussions, in-laws, stressed family members and...

     Dr. Lou is an Italian Grandmother!?   Dr. Lou has come to the conclusion that what separates Jacobs Chiropractic Acupuncture in Portland from all other offices in the area is that “JCA” is exactly like an Italian grandmother. Below are some reasons why.   1. We worry. We love our patients and we will worry about you.   2. We may bring you food. Our office often has home made snacks, treats and food for the taking.   3. We are always here for you. Our patients have Dr. Lou’s cell phone number. We are here for you       24/7.   4. Coffee. Come and enjoy a Lavazza espresso.   5. A clean house.  We keep the office organized and running smooth for you.   6. A promise is a promise.  If we say we’ll do something, we will.  We always follow through.   7. Biscotti and chocolate.   8.  Hugs available upon request.   9. Our doors are always open for you and your friends.   10. We understand that when you are full of love in your heart, your body will heal faster.   11. We will send you a birthday card and give...

The Best Chiropractic Video?! Portland, Maine – Bucharest, Romania Dr. Lou’s website is now streaming what may be the greatest chiropractic video under 8 minutes, of all time!  Visit drloujacobs.com and scroll to the bottom of the page.  If after 7 minutes of watching this chiropractic video you don’t have a better idea of what chiropractic is, Dr. Lou will shave his head! The importance of understanding what chiropractic is, what it does, and what it does not do can change the life of you, your family and friends. This chiropractic video will help. Here’s an example from my work in Romania.  A new patient came to me with headaches and back pain.  She had seen me on Prima TV and wanted to see if I could help. After and examination and treatment she was relieved of her headaches and was very interested in learning more. I showed her “The Big Idea” chiropractic video and after learning more, she was able to send two colleagues in one week who also received relief of their issues. Understanding not only leads to better results for you, but also for those you care about.  Watch the chiropractic video and share it with others. It...

Chiropractors Need Nothing.   One of the reasons I became a chiropractor is because it’s old school.  In 1895 when chiropractic as we know it today began, there was no technology. There were just brains and hands. Unlike dentists, surgeons, primary care doctors, pharmacists, even some physical therapists, Chiropractors need no gadgets. All we need is the knowledge to identify subluxation and the skills to correct it.   Today I leave for Romania.  Me and my adjusting table. Yes, I am taking technology – scanning devices and tools that help me help patients but When I was in school we were not allowed to use these in the clinic. We were trained to be old school chiropractors, to use our hands and to think on our feet.  I was always extremely attracted to the idea of being able to be dropped in the middle of the jungle and set up a clinic on a dirt floor with nothing but leaves over my head.  And the beautiful reality of being a chiropractor is that this is possible.  I know of no medical doctor, dentist or other type of healthcare professional that has access to the healing that a chiropractor has...

The Importance Of Body Chemistry. Portland, Maine Dr. Reggie Gold was one of the most influential chiropractors of all time.  Dr. Golds’ ability to explain chiropractic in a clear and understandable way was unparalleled.  Though this video is old, the message remains true today.  Not much has changed in the way of basic understanding of basic neurophysiology and body chemistry.   If you live in Portland, Maine, you need to know that your chiropractor is taking more in to consideration than just your back pain, you need to consider body chemistry.  Sure, back pain is helped by chiropractic but it is just one of many issues that chiropractic can help you with.  Subluxation or misalignment of the spine that interferes with nerve communication from the brain may have much further reaching influence that you know, it can effect your body chemistry.  In fact, subluxation is often present without any pain, leading to a silent decline of one’s regulatory mechanisms and health capacity.  Your entire body chemistry is controlled by the brain through communication through the spinal cord and spinal nerves.   In this video featuring Dr. Gold, you will learn about your body chemistry, how bad chemistry leads to...

Why Should Children Receive Chiropractic Adjustments?   When was the last time you watched a child over the age of one?  Kids fall a lot.  They bump, bruise and crash as they are learning to stand, walk, run and ride.  Each bump is an opportunity to misalign bones of the spine that may result in harmful pressure on nerves.  These spinal lesions called “subluxations” decrease the quality of nerve control that supplies the body with control, regulation and healing messages.  Messages that are interfered with, lead to dis-regulation of body systems which may negatively impact the growth and development of the child.  Removing interference improves function.  In fact, removing interference to anything, improves function.     Spinal adjustments to remove subluxation in children are much different than those adults.  Extremely light touch to the spine in the presence of the parent is the standard.  While there are no guarantees that the child will develop perfectly, one thing is certain.  A child with less nerve interference will function better than that same child would function with interference.  Giving our children the best opportunity to develop into the best version of themselves is one of the greatest gifts we can share...

Fitbit, Sleep and Chiropractic   Many of our patients are now wearing a Fitbit 24/7. Based on online research, the accuracy of the Fitbit flex, it’s accuracy is within about 10.3%.     We have patients seeking help with a wide variety of complaints and conditions. Some patients mention sleep issues at their initial intake examination. Within the past month, we’ve started noticing a trend that appears to be measurable (within 10.3%) that is exciting to our patients. Patients wearing their Fitbit to bed have begun reporting that the device is showing improved sleep patterns since the beginning of their treatment.     Is your Fitbit reporting a lot of movement while you sleep?     Is your Fitbit reporting frequent waking up at night?     Would you consider your sleep to be “restless”?     With the help of your Fitbit and your adjustments, we should be able to track your progress. Because sleep issues are so prevalent and so many would like to sleep better, knowing that your chiropractic treatment is likely improving your sleep will be a powerful tool for you to get drug free help for your sleep issues.     We don’t treat...