Are Your Bunions Related To Back Pain And Spinal Degeneration?
Can understanding bunions, save your spine? Do you have bunions? Do you have back problems? Bunions form when the bones that make up the MTP joint move out of alignment: the long metatarsal bone shifts toward the inside of the foot, and the phalanx bones of the big toe angle toward the second toe. The MTP joint gets larger and protrudes from the inside of the forefoot. The enlarged joint is often inflamed. (source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) Back pain, degeneration, and dysfunction are very often caused by bones of the spine being out of alignment. Just like a bunion, the spine is made up of weight-bearing joints. They absorb stress. Stress on misaligned joints leads to faster than normal degeneration, inflammation, and dysfunction. Sometimes debilitating pain ensues. Degeneration is considered irreversible. People with bunions are very aware of the implications of joint degeneration. Where your toe can be easily shaved down and reconstructed, this is much more complicated and dangerous in the spine. When joints of the spine degenerate, you lose mobility, you lose strength, and you can even lose nerve control over the organs, tissues, and other body parts the affected nerves control. That’s not good. ...
read moreHow To Think Like A Healthy Person: Principle 1
Thinking like a healthy person requires….well, thinking. Principle 1: Just because you feel good, does not mean that you are healthy and without risk. How we feel, and how we are functioning, are two different things. People have cancer before they feel the symptom that leads to the doctor appointment and final diagnosis. Research has shown that many people with herniated discs in their spine, don’t have symptoms. For many people with severe heart disease, the first symptom is a heart attack. They felt fine otherwise. Just because your back doesn’t hurt, doesn’t mean you don’t have degeneration or disc problems. You see, it’s the problems that lurk beneath the pain threshold, that create risk for real bad symptoms or catastrophe. Understanding the facts that follow, will help you protect and educate your family from potentially life-threatening mistakes. Ignoring an underlying problem: Doesn’t make it go away. Doesn’t lower risk of injury or flare up. Doesn’t cost less, in fact, it will end up costing you more. Doesn’t save time. The longer you wait to act, normally, the longer it takes to fix. INCREASES the likelihood of chronic disease. INCREASES the depth to which the problem sinks it’s claws into you (severity). INCREASES the...
read moreTravel Pain On Your Vacation. Everything You Need For Pain Free Travel!
How To Avoid Travel Pain Traveling is filled with risks for back and other types of pain. Understanding the risk factors will allow you to prepare for those you can’t avoid, and avoid those you can. Most healthy minded people like you and I, don’t want to break a healthy routine, or drug free lifestyle, just because we are traveling. Any time you set out on a journey with pre-existing issues, your risk of problems is greater. Planning ahead is key. Even if you don’t already have injuries, issues or vulnerabilities that you know of, it’s still a great idea to plan. Factors to Consider What will you be driving, flying in or traveling by? Will the seats be good and with enough leg room? Will you carrying much? Does your suitcase have wheels or will you be carrying it? Will you be driving on bumpy roads or other surfaces that could be pain triggers? On what kind of bed or surface will you be sleeping on once you arrive? Will your accommodations involve unusual or steep steps? Will you be taking the pillow you are most used to, or will you be using what you find on the...
read moreWhy Does Dr. Lou Cook For Patients At his Portland, Maine Chiropractic Office?
Why Do I Cook For My Patients? ~Dr. Lou I’d say on average, I cook about 15-20 hours a week, mostly on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I cook for my family, my friends, people I care about. Food really brings happiness to peoples lives. It’s a great way to continue caring for people on the weekend, after a week of caring for people in the office. My mum used to care for us by preparing food. My mother in-law does the same thing. I do the same thing. After 2 years and 65 cooking videos on Youtube, patients often ask when I am going to “cook for us at the office.” The Truth. I can’t cook at the office, but I do want to share my food with those I care about. I spend nearly 50 hours a week at the office. The community of people who come to us for care are people with whom I could easily spend time with outside of the office. We have a uniquely wonderful group of people coming to us each day. Cool people, creative, friendly and compassionate people. I have patients who bring me eggs, who bring me beer, who bring...
read moreBack pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, headaches, migraines, sciatica and Your Maine summer.
The Top 7 Reasons People Call Our Office For Help During A Maine Summer. When you live in Maine, and summers last for only a couple months, the last thing you want to do is miss it. Most people we know don’t leave the state between June and September, in an effort to make the most of our warm weather months. Pain and disability prevent us from doing the things that we love. Golf, swimming, sewing, gaming, biking, running, sailing…all compromised. For many the worst thing is not being able to play with their kids and spend time with friends and family. Whatever you love to do in the summer, if you can’t do it, it’s a real bummer. If the average lifespan is 78 years of age and you miss 1-3 Maine summers because of back pain, that’s a huge loss. That’s over 4% of your summers spent hurting! If, like many Mainers, you have guests visiting, and they have disabling pain issues, that may ruin your Maine summer too! Disability by association. Having neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, headache, migraine or sciatica will ruing your summer in any combination. As the truth about medications...
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