Prevent Hiking Injuries with WD-40!
Are you a hiking accident waiting to happen? USE WD-40! In his book, “Injuries in Outdoor Recreation” Gary N. Guten, MD discusses causes, understanding, prevention, and treatment of common recreational activity injuries. Maine is a summer wonderland of recreational adventure, and as such, is also a hotbed of injuries. “A sports injury can be a prolonged, frustrating problem. Your first step is to listen to your body and then seek help.” ~Gary Guten, MD This sounds boring unless you have an injury or fear injury. In that case, understanding healing and prevention could save your life. Hiking is wonderful. Maine summers are beautiful and so are our mountains and trails. Most of us are fair-weather hikers and don’t hit the mountains in the winter. This makes us more of the summer warrior type. The majority of the year we are not incorporating hiking into our regimen, which makes us more vulnerable when we jump right in during the spring, summer, or fall. Common injuries of hiking include: Fractured bones Sprained ankles Spinal compression Back pain Shoulder pain or strain Hip pain Sciatica Piriformis syndrome Shin splints Plantar fasciitis, and a host of other combinations of injuries that could really...
read moreCar accidents and Lyme disease. True Story.
You are not alone. Sometimes results are just as meaningful to your loved ones as they are to you. Your health impacts the lives of others. Here is a true story… Car Accidents and Lyme Disease. “I have been bringing my fiancé to this practice for almost two years. I can’t say enough positive things about it. We started coming here together after another driver on the road hit my fiancé’s car at an intersection and caused her many issues. Because of the nature of her injuries along with her underlying condition of having Lyme disease, she was in a great deal of discomfort and almost constant pain. After only a couple of months, Dr. Lou got her back in good shape. A few months later, disaster struck again in nearly the same type of situation with a driver running a red light and striking my fiancé’s vehicle and causing her further injury. We came to Lou again and within a matter of mere months, he got her back to even better shape than she was in before the first accident! Coming to the office for an extended amount of time and so often, the entire staff became like...
read moreWhat Is Spinal Degeneration?
If you could only have one car for your entire life, would you take better care of it? You only have one spine, one brain, one set of nerves. Make them last. What Is Spinal Degeneration? If you have arthritis in your spine, you have spinal degeneration. Spinal degeneration (osteoarthritis) of the discs, joints, and bones of the spine occurs in most people due to stress. Physical stress and chemical stress are most likely to lead to degeneration. Physical stress could be a fall, a sport, a desk job, or sleeping on your stomach. Chemical stress could be a calcium deficiency, drugs, medications, bad diet, or chemical changes brought on by mental stress. What are the stages of spinal degeneration? Degeneration of the spine occurs in stages. Stage 1-3, with 3 being the worst. The reason there is a grading system is that degeneration predictably gets worse with time and no intervention. Should I fear spinal degeneration? Even with intervention like chiropractic care, or more extreme measures like surgery, it may be that the best one gets, is a slowed process of degeneration. Slow is better than fast when it comes to degeneration of the spine. Once degeneration is severe,...
read moreNURSES. The True Heroes Of Healthcare In Maine.
Maine nurses are the superglue of Maine’s healthcare system. I am forever grateful for all that you do. I want to care for you the same way you care for your patients. With love, empathy, experience, strategy, and the attention that you deserve. In 2010 and 2011, I lost my mum to Inflammatory Breast Cancer, then my father to Leukemia. When my parents were hospitalized at the end of their lives, I’ll never, ever, forget the attention, compassion, and professionalism the nurses that cared for them displayed. I value the work that nurses do at the very top of the healthcare food chain. Out of appreciation for Maine nurses, and to honor my mum’s love of cooking, our office will be doubling down on our welcome jar gift of my marinara sauce. All nurses who become new patients between now and July 31, will receive 2 jars of my spicy marinara sauce at their first visit. Twice as much sauce for 100x more stress and hard working conditions they’ve been exposed to the past few months (and always). Nurses are the hearts, minds, and muscles of the hospitals. They deserve our respect and support. They deserve to eat well...
read moreAcupuncture for knee pain.
What Should You Expect From Acupuncture For Knee Pain? Knee pain is a very common problem, with a large number of common causes. Foot and hip problems, ankle injuries, degeneration in the knees, meniscus tears, ACL issues are all very common. When getting help for knee pain, you should expect the following from acupuncture and from the practitioner: A thorough examination of the knees and other structures commonly associated with causing knee pain. A thorough discussion about your history and current activities that are stressful on not only the knees, but structures and other joints commonly implicated in knee pain. Scanning, testing and evaluation of your feet and ankles. These structures have a direct impact on knee alignment, structure, wear and tear, and integrity. Tools and techniques should be given to you to reduce inflammation and stress in and around your knees. An anti-inflammatory diet and supplement protocol should be implemented and directed by your doctor. Structural issues that impact knees, like ankle, hip, pelvis and back problems should be addressed with structural alignment (adjustment) techniques. Acupuncture for knee pain should be directed at your knees from a “western medical acupuncture” approach, as well as a traditional Chinese medicine...
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