Where is your wallet?

• Many people go years sitting on a wallet in their back pockets without knowing that this may be causing significant spinal and pelvic stress. Sitting on a wallet while at your desk, at home, in the car or other places will cause the pelvis to tilt and eventually cause the spine to compensate and bend as a result!

• Lets talk about the anatomy here. The pelvis connects itself to the sacrum (tailbone) by way of two large joints which creates the foundation of your entire spine. When visualized from the front view, this surface should be completely level. By adding a wedge to one side (like a wallet) it will elevate it and created a tilted surface. Over time, the spine will compensate for this unlevel base and create a curvature, like the leaning tower of Pisa.

• Not only does this change the position of the bones, it can put direct pressure on tissues like the gluteal muscles and the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is a large nerve that travels down the back of the buttocks, back of the thigh, and eventually makes it’s way to the toes. Direct compression on this nerve can lead to pain, tingling, and numbness down the leg.

• So what’s the moral of the story here? Take your wallet out of your back pocket when you are seated. You can either move it to the front, or just take it out all-together.

If you think you may have problems associated with this like back pain, sciatica, tilted hips, or short leg syndrome, come in to the office for a check up.

Yours in health,

Dr. Glenn Ezell

Top 5 FAQ From My Chiropractic Patients

(and most common answers)

1. What position should I be sleeping in and what kind of pillow should I use?

• On your back is the best
• Side sleeping is ok, but you should have a pillow between your knees
• Stomach sleeping is always a NO!
• The best pillow will cradle your neck and head when on your back, supporting the curve of the neck and has raised sides to keep the spine neutral when side sleeping (buy in our office)
• If you don’t use a cervical support pillow, you should be concerned with the size of the pillow. A pillow too large or using more than one, will put your neck into too much flexion when on your back and will tilt your neck too far up when on your side. Usually, the smaller the better.

2. What is the best way to sit at my desk?

• Feet flat on the floor
• Thighs at or slightly below 90 degrees
• Back rest at 90 degrees
• Use a lumbar support (I’ve not had a patient yet that couldn’t benefit from one)
• Keep computer monitor at eye level (this has to be precise, you shouldn’t tilt your neck down at all)
• Have mouse and keyboard at or below the angle of which your forearm is at 90 degrees

3. What exercises should I avoid at the gym?

• The back extension machine
• The ab flexion machine
• Traditional crunches
• Heavy upright rows
• Shrugs (accompanied with neck or upper back pain)

4. What is the best way to prevent sickness/flu/cold, etc?

• Chiropractic adjustments
• Vitamin D (unless you are getting adequate amounts from the sun, most people don’t)
• Wash your hands
• Eat real food
• Avoid sugar
• Exercise
• Colloidal silver at the onset of symptoms
• Probiotics
• Essential oils

5. Why would a baby/child need an adjustment or other chiropractic treatment?

• The birth process is a very physically demanding process
• The typical birthing process can place 60-90 lbs of force on the infant’s head and neck
• Children will fall an average of 1,500 times in the first 2 years of life
• My experience with children who get adjusted often nurse better, are more comfortable, have regular bowel movements, sleep better, and have a stronger immune system

What happens when you crack your own back or neck?

You’ve seen people do it, maybe you even do it yourself. It may be a habit that you have done since you were a child. Bending yourself over the back of a chair or twisting your own neck. All of these may help you feel better, but ask the majority of people who do this and they will tell you that it feels like it needs to “pop” again within a short period of time. This is likely the case because the joints that are actually making the popping noise are the ones above and below the main restriction, which are what we call “hyper” mobile joints. They are actually moving too much in order to compensate for the restricted joint in between. It may feel good temporarily but will not last long.

The chiropractic adjustment is aimed specifically at the restricted and misaligned area, releasing it from the tension, allowing for the segment to be completely restored of motion. Given years and years of self adjusting like this, you can create ligamentous instability which is something that can make your spine highly unstable and susceptible to many more injuries.

If you would like to know if chiropractic care is the best option for your back or neck pain, please call us to set up an exam.

Yours in health,

Dr. Glenn Ezell

Holistic Home Care Comes to St. Louis

Our seniors are rarely exposed to alternative forms of therapy. In long-term care facilities, there is no such thing as one-on-one care. When a senior feels anxious, upset, or angry, it is easier for the overworked care staff to administer the as-needed psychotropic drugs rather than sit down with the individual and address the problem. These drugs are known to have potentially serious side effects, to which older adults are more vulnerable. This is why society typically visualized nursing homes as a place where the elderly sit in wheel chairs, pushed in front of the TV in a catatonic state.

Sadly, our elderly in long-term care rarely receive the naturally human need of touch. When was the last time someone held their hand or hugged them? Even though research cannot prove exactly how touch positively affects us, it has shown that those who are physically touched on a regular basis experience higher levels of the hormone oxytocin. According to the National Institutes of Health, oxytocin lowers stress levels and plays a part in lowering blood pressure, maintaining good moods and increasing pain tolerances.

Qualicare Family HomeCare provides nurse-managed, holistic home care for our St. Louis seniors. Whether it’s in a home or a senior living community, we provide a caregiver who will dedicate their time to addressing your loved one’s emotional needs in a healthy, natural way. Our program is proven to wane individuals off of harsh psychotropic medications that could be potential harmful. Activities like chair yoga, guided meditation, aromatherapy, and hand massage can be extremely effective in addressing negative emotions.

Aging can be a joyful, peaceful experience when you have the right care and providers to help with daily tasks along with support and encouragement. We at Qualicare St. Louis, believe graceful aging with dignity and respect is a direct result of taking a holistic approach to senior home care.

Amber Campbell- Director Of Marketing

Qualicare Family HomeCare

acampbell@qualicare.com

http://www.qualicare.com/kirkwood-chesterfield/

If there is a time that you’re feeling a little blue and you can’t seem to snap out of it; check your posture. Are you sitting hunched over with your head down, which also leads to headaches and sore neck muscles? If you are, you can help change your mood by simply changing your physical stance.

The interesting concept about the mind/body connection is that is goes both ways. Our mind controls our body, and our body controls our mind. This philosophy is known as embodied cognition. Standing tall for just two minutes with your shoulders rolled back and your chin tilted upward along with other power poses can increase your testosterone levels, which is the hormone attributed with dominance, and decrease your cortisol hormone levels, which is the hormone attributed to stress.

Power poses are postures that open up your body. Such as sitting with your arm on the chair next to you or standing with your feet apart or with your hands on your hips. Anything that opens up your body sends a positive message to your brain.

According to psychology professor, Richard Petty, from Ohio State University, the brain has an area that reflects confidence. He states that a shift in posture can trigger this area and you’ll begin feeling more positive and confident. The function of your body posture tells your brain that you are powerful, which in turn, affects your attitude. Do you smile when you’re happy, or do you smile to feel happy?

The truly exciting aspect about creating positive moods and confidence with the help of your posture is that you can do it ‘on demand’ anytime you need it. It doesn’t cost anything, and you can do it anywhere. You’ll also find that the more you practice being happy and confident, the more happy and confident you’ll naturally become. Fake it until you become it.

Michele Burghardt
Consulting Hypnotherapist
Best Hypnosis STL
www.BestHypnosis-STL.com
314.566.1418

Best Exercises For Your Spine

There are a specific set of exercises that can be extremely beneficial to your spinal health. Used regularly they can help to increase mobility, decrease pain and tightness, and improve posture. All should be performed at least daily, some multiple times during the day.

1. Bruegger’s Posture: For improvements to posture in the upper back and neck. Helps to decrease tension in the middle back. Sit or stand with your palms facing in front of you. Bring your shoulders down and pinch your lower shoulder blades together while bringing your neck back for a 10 second squeeze. Repeat 3 times for a set.

2. Cat/Camel: Helps mobilize lower back and mid-lower back areas. Start on your hands and knees, making sure that your knees area in line with the hips and the hands are in line with the shoulders. Breathe out as you create a dip in the lower back moving your belly button straight down towards the floor. Your butt will come up in the air. Do not bend your elbows to assist. hold this position for about 3 seconds and breathe in taking your back in the opposite direction (cat) rounding at the top and tightening your abdominals to get there. Hold for 3 seconds, breathe out as you sink back into the camel position. One up and one down is one repetition. Perform 3-5 repetitions for a set.

3. Neck Stretches: Loosens up tight musculature surrounding the upper shoulders and neck. Hold one arm behind you and even grab hold of the bottom of a chair or similar to get a better stretch. Take the opposite hand and pull your head, rotating your chin towards the same side armpit that the hand is back, hold for 5 seconds and release. Now pull your head so that your chin points towards the opposite armpit, hold for 5 seconds and release. Repeat this 2 more times for the right side of the neck and then switch to stretch the left side of the neck. Make sure that you are not feeling this stretch directly on the side of your neck or you area bringing your ear down too close to your shoulder, you need to bring the chin to the chest more.

Good luck! Should you have questions, or need to have your spine evaluated, call the office to schedule an appointment. 636.486.7044.

Yours in health,

Dr. Glenn Ezell

5 Health Tips to Jump Start the New Year

 1. Stop drinking soda and juice products. These are riddled with sugar and chemicals. In my opinion this is the best place to start when considering a diet change because of the simplicity and positive outcomes. Like any change, start slow, replacing 1-2 of these types of beverages daily with water. If you’re having trouble, try squeezing a lemon in with your water. Within a month you can be completely independent of these drinks.

2. Do your workout in the morning. By exercising in the morning, you set the tone for your day, giving yourself a mental boost and also revving your metabolism.

3. Develop better sleeping patterns. Sleeping on your back is the best position, followed by on your side which should only be done with a pillow between your knees. Stomach sleepers beware, this is the worst position to sleep in and you are compromising your spine, change it immediately. Try to keep consistent sleep times and use sleep cycle techniques for proper waking. Sleep cycles are based upon our normal rhythm and one of the reasons we feel groggy when waking is because we were awoken from deep sleep. Apps like Sleep Cycle in the Apple App Store track your phases of sleep using the accelerometer in your phone and will wake you at your lightest sleep, leaving you refreshed!

4. Be concious of improper breathing. If you find yourself constantly in  stress, it’s likely that when you breathe you are using your upper back and shoulder muscles to inspire rather than your diaphragm. This faulty pattern can result in a variety of health issues, furthering along toxic stress. A simple test is to put one hand on your belly and one hand on your upper chest, below the neck. Take a deep breath in. If you find that the hand on your upper chest moves first, this would be considered an improper pattern.

5. Optimize your vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is one of the major players in a proper functioning immune system. This is actually one of the main reasons why many people get sick during the wintertime. The ideal way to get vitamin D is by obtaining appropriate levels of sun exposure. You don’t have to worry about toxicity this way because the body has the ability to self regulate in this pathway and only take what it needs. During the winter, we are less likely to be outside when it’s cold and we become deficient in vitamin D. Supplementation is recommended throughout this time.

Make this your best year yet!

Yours in health,

Dr. Ezell

What is whiplash?

Whiplash is an injury that occurs to the neck, caused by a severe jerk to the head, typically following a motor vehicle accident. Whiplash can also result from a sporting related incident, physical abuse, or other type of trauma, such as a slip or fall.

What is the mechanism of injury?

Whiplash associated disorders are caused mostly because of the hyper-extension and hyper-flexion that occurs. When the spine is subjected to this extreme force, it can create tears, sprains, strains, and significant damage to other structures in the neck. In addition, it can cause vertebral shifting which can lead to many ill effects, if not corrected in the early stages.

What are the symptoms of whiplash?

Symptoms of whiplash will typically have a delayed effect. Symptoms will typically arise hours to days following the accident that progressively get worse. Symptoms include:

• Pain in any portion of the neck
• Stiffness
• Tight muscles/muscle spasms
• Decreased range of motion
• Headaches that can radiate to the temples or forehead
• Shoulder pain and tightness
• Dizziness
• Arm pain
• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)

How is whiplash diagnosed?

Whiplash is diagnosed by skilled and trained physicians. Doctors of chiropractic are specialists in detecting the complexities associated with whiplash. A consultation will be conducted to gather information about the accident. Following the consultation, a complete examination will be conducted. Tests will be utilized to evaluate the integrity of the spine and surrounding structures. X-Rays are typically taken to further investigate the damage occurred.

How is whiplash treated?

Whiplash is typically treated by using manual treatment methods to restore joint movement, muscle balance, vertebral position, and nerve function. Adjustments, traction, decompression, stretching, and soft tissue manipulation are among the many ways to accomplish this.

Among your first steps following a car accident should be scheduling a visit to your chiropractor. Treatment is usually covered by car insurance whether you are at fault or not. If you are not at fault, it will also be a good idea to get an attorney involved to help navigate your case.

Call today and don’t wait to schedule and appointment with Dr. Ezell. Mention this post and recieve a free consultation.

636-486-7044