Ice or Heat?

The age old question; “Should I use ice or heat on this?”

As a rule of thumb:

• Ice is for injuries
• Heat is for chronic pain

Generally, you can’t do much harm with ice, so if in doubt, use ice.

Lets break down what effect each of these therapies has on the body:

1. Ice
   • Constricts blood vessels to decrease or prevent blood flow to applied area (vasoconstriction).
2. Heat
   • Widens blood vessels to increase or promote blood flow to applied area (vasodilation).

These 2 examples will demonstrate the proper way to use ice and heat

1. A soccer player rolls his ankle during a game. It is assessed and is presumed to be a mild sprain. His ankle is painful, swollen, red, and tender.
   • ICE
   • Use off and on in 20 minute time intervals until comfortable
2. An office worker has long days sitting and working in front of a computer screen and has tension in the neck and upper back across the shoulders that is consistent day to day.
   • HEAT

KEY NOTE: If the soccer player were to heat his injury, it would promote more swelling, likely making his pain worse.

What does the research say?

• Long term use of ice on an injury will delay the healing process. If ice prevents blood flow, and that blood flow is necessary for the body to deliver healing properties to the injured area, you wouldn’t want to prevent it for long. Localized icing should only be used short term, for pain control purposes.
• Some new research has shown contrasting therapy to speed the healing process. This is performed by using 20 minutes of heat and 20 minutes of ice on the effected area. It works by creating a pump cycle of blood to and from the area, thus leading to faster recovery time.
• Moist heat is deeper penetrating and shown to be more effective than dry heat. Moist heat sources could be hot water packs, bottles, towel wraps, etc. Dry heat sources, for example, are plug in heating pads.

As you can see, ice and heat can promote positive outcomes, utilized in the right way. If you have questions, you should ask your chiropractor.

Yours in health,

Dr. Glenn Ezell

Backpack Safety 101

Does your child ever complain of neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, or headaches? Does your child have trouble keeping his or her posture upright? Does your child have uneven shoulders or hips? Does your child ever complain about the weight of their backpack? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes”, please read on to backpack safety 101. These tips are valuable in addressing key problems that can save your children from years of back and neck problems!

• Make sure their backpack is not more than 5-10% of their body weight. Any more and this will cause your child to hunch forward to compensate for the heavy backpack.

• Purchase a back pack that has wide padded straps. Thin straps can become irritable and can put more pressure on the shoulders.

• Adjust the straps so that the bag is no more than 4 inches below the waistline. Any lower and this will cause your child to lean again in compensation.

• Use both shoulders! Yes it looks cool on one shoulder, no it’s not good for your spine! This could lead to abnormal spinal curvatures and uneven shoulders (Moms with purses check this out)

• Carry only what’s needed at the time. Use lockers to switch in and out books so that your load isn’t too heavy at one given time.

• When lifting the backpack from the ground, use your knees and hinge at the waist to lessen the pressure on your lower back.

There you have it, the most effective and ergonomic ways to utilize a backpack. As always, chiropractors are trained to treat back and neck problems that may be associated with students. Schedule and appointment with Dr. Ezell if you would like to have your child checked.

Yours in health,

Dr. Glenn Ezell

Could Your Child Have Scoliosis?

• Studies have shown that scoliosis occurs in 3% of the US population and has an average onset from 10-20 years of age. Utilizing my clinical expertise and time in private practice, I believe that many more people actually have un-diagnosed scoliotic curvatures of the spine.

• An x-ray is necessary to measure the degree of any curvature in the spine and pain is not often associated with early onset of scoliosis in children and adolescents. Back pain often happens later in life and gets written off as “old age”, “arthritis”, and more. But what if you could fix this problem when it starts or prevent it from getting worse in the future? And how about without bracing or surgery?

• What is scoliosis? Scoliosis is defined as a curvature in the spine greater than 10 degrees in the frontal plane. So as you look at a person from behind, either a left or a right bend in the spine. Many articles and research states that scoliosis is caused by genetic factors, neuromuscular problems, spinal deformities, leg length discrepancies, and environmental factors. The environmental factors are the ones that I like to emphasize because they make up the majority. These include birth traumas/birth stress, posture, slips/falls, sports, car accidents, sleeping positions, and more.

How can you check your child at home?

1. Forward bend test: Stand behind the person you are checking and have the person bend forward at the waist. You are looking for asymmetry at the shoulder blade region. If one side appears to be higher, has a “rib hump” appearance, or has more muscular tone to it, that is a positive sign for scoliosis. This is best visualized without baggy clothing.
2. Shoulder and hip elevation: Standing behind again, visually check to see if both shoulders are completely level and look to see if both hips seem to line up horizontally. If not, this is a positive sign.
3. Pant leg/shoe check: Look to see if this person has one pant leg that drags the floor or is becoming more worn and frayed. Also, look at the bottoms of this person’s shoes, ideally you should see an even wear pattern on both shoes, if not equal, you may notice more wear on the outside, inside, front, or back of the shoe. These are both positive signs.
4. Walk test: Visualize the way your child walks. It should be smooth from foot strike to foot strike. What to watch for is a limp, and it might not be like if someone were in pain, but a slight favoring of one side. Look for a sway in the body with each step to one side. This would be a positive sign.

• What risks are associated with untreated scoliosis? Children with early onset scoliosis will tend to “grow into” a larger degree curve. This can lead to back pain, neck pain, decreased performance, and unequal muscle development. In serious cases it can affect lung, heart, and intestinal function. Cases left untreated for a longer period of time will develop premature arthritis and degeneration. Just as your car’s alignment can cause unequal wear on it’s tires, the spine functions the same way and will wear down and weaken over a period of time creating irreversible damage.

Dr. Ezell has had great success in treating curvatures of the spine using corrective chiropractic care. If you suspect that you or a loved one may have scoliosis, please call to set up an examination so that we can find the best course of action to take in your case.

Yours in optimal health,

Dr. Glenn Ezell

Are You Deficient in Vitamin D?

• Recent statistics show that up to 90% of U.S. adults are deficient in vitamin D.

• So what is vitamin D? Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin along with A, E, and K. What makes vitamin D different is that we primarily make it on our own, rather than relying on food sources. Vitamin D is stored in the liver and in fatty tissues.

• The way that our body makes vitamin D is by converting sunshine into D3. D3 is made as the sunshine is converted by the cholesterol in our skin. Vitamin D becomes a hormone in the body. It impacts our skeletal structure, blood pressure, immunity, mood, brain function and ability to protect ourselves from cancer.

• So what is the best way to get enough vitamin D? About 15 minutes-1 hour of unexposed direct sunlight on your skin. The UVB rays are what end up starting the vitamin D absorption process. This will differ from person to person depending on factors like the time of day, skin tone, proximity to the equator, and others. The darker your skin tone, the harder it is for your body to make vitamin D from sunlight. Also, sunscreen will limit the amount of vitamin D that your body can make. Some research is showing that SPF8 can limit your body’s ability by 90% and SPF30 by about 99%.

• Most people believe (or have heard) that the best way to get vitamin D is by drinking milk, eating fish, eggs, or taking supplements like cod liver oil. While these foods do have some vitamin D, the best way is still by direct sunlight exposure. There are 2 types of supplemental vitamin D: D2 and D3. The type that our bodies make naturally is called cholecalciferol which is the D3 version. D3 is readily absorbed and up to 4 times more effective. D2 is only partly absorbed. D2 is made from vegetarian sources while D3 is animal based. Unfortunately, most products fortified with vitamin D (milk, etc) contain the D2 type and therefore are less absorbable and convertible.

What are some symptoms of vitamin D deficiency? Recent studies have shown links to the following symptoms:

• weakness
• chronic fatigue
• depression
• trouble sleeping
• anxiety
• weak or broken bones
• weakened immune system
• inflammation and swelling

Studies and research has also shown links to the following health problems:

• osteoporosis
• heart disease
• high blood pressure
• cancer
• autoimmune diseases
• depression
• insomnia
• arthritis
• diabetes
• asthma
• multiple sclerosis
• chronic pain
• psoriasis
• fibromyalgia
• autism

• Though there is little risk of over supplementing of vitamin D the only way to absolutely know if you are deficient is to have a blood test performed.

How much vitamin D should you be getting daily? 

• Adult patients shoot for 5,000 IU daily (pregnant women included)
• Children younger than age 5 need 35 IU daily
• Ages 5-10 need 2,500 IU daily.

• In the midwest here like Missouri, you’d need close to 45 minutes to 1 hour of full sun on arms, legs, and face to get this amount for an average adult. One of the major reasons why more people get sick in the winter time is due to the lack of sun exposure and therefore the lack of vitamin D, causing weakened immune system function. This is why it is extremely important to take a vitamin D supplement in the winter months.

Proper nutrition is part of a whole body wellness lifestyle. Chiropractic adjustments are another part of a well body. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Ezell today if you’d like more information on how to keep up on your health and wellness.

Yours in optimal health,

Dr. Glenn Ezell

5 Steps to Take After A Car Accident

• There are about 10 million car accidents that happen every year according to the National Safety Council. 2 million people are injured each year in car accidents. If you got your license at age 16, statistically you should have some kind of crash before the age of 34 and a total of about 3-4 throughout your driving lifetime.

• Injuries are very common with crash victims. Research shows that crashes as slow as 5-10 miles per hour are enough to cause damage to the spine. These are often referred to as “fender benders” and should be treated with the same level of caution as faster moving crashes.

• What do most victims feel following a car accident? Most people feel nothing to only mild symptoms directly following the accident. Some people don’t feel symptoms until weeks and sometimes months after a car crash. The typical progression of symptoms following injuries sustained after an accident will start with these mild symptoms and then develop into neck pain, tightness, muscle soreness, headaches, back pain, reduced range of motion, and in some severe cases, burning, tingling, numbness, shooting sensations, and instability.

Now let’s get into the 5 steps to take after a car accident:

1. Call the police
   • Do not discuss fault
   • Have the officer file a report
   • Get a copy of the report
2. Exchange information
   • Driver’s name
   • Address
   • Phone number
   • Plate number
   • Insurance provider and policy number
3. Document
   • Take pictures of damage to your car and theirs
   • Did airbags deploy?
   • Was there any witnesses?
   • Take pictures of any cuts, scrapes, bruises, burns or other injuries that are visible
   • File a claim with the liable party’s insurance company
4. Seek medical attention 
   • Get checked by a trained crash specialist like a chiropractor
   • Bring claim numbers and police report
   • Could include x-rays or other tests
5. Hire an experienced personal injury attorney
   • Will make sure that your case is handled properly
   • Fights for fair compensation for your injuries and well being

• Finding a chiropractor that knows how to properly work a personal injury case and treat crash injuries appropriately can be challenging. Dr. Ezell is a chiropractor in St. Charles, MO that specializes in treating crash injuries and provides a thorough consultation and examination including x-rays, if necessary. These detailed results will allow the doctor to completely understand the complexity of your injuries and to develop an appropriate treatment program to correctly heal damaged areas.

• We are trained to work with insurance companies and attorneys to make the process simple for you and allow you to get the maximal amount of attention you need to get back to proper health.

Consultations are always free to discuss your case, our office staff can often let you know when scheduling exactly what to expect and what to prepare for before we see you for the first time.

Yours in optimal health,

Dr. Glenn Ezell

Change This One Thing For Better Posture

Ladies, have you ever went through your purse or handbag and thought to yourself, “How did I end up with so much stuff in here?”. The more and more things that accumulate, the heavier and heavier that bag gets. Nowadays, it’s common to see bags that are large enough to carry your laptop, notebooks, wallet, phone, makeup, keys, AND your Starbucks.  This can take a toll on your posture, but overall will add to the amount of spinal stress you get daily.

Let’s talk about the mechanics here. A purse is typically worn unilaterally, meaning it has to be worn only on one side of the body. This causes one side of the shoulder muscles to work overtime to “hike” that side up, causing an imbalance that can lead to chronic muscle tightness in the upper trapezius and the levator scapulae. Eventually this will lead to a postural distortion that can affect your spinal alignment causing neck and back pain and speeding up the degenerative process, like arthritis. Other symptoms that can arise are headaches and numbness/tingling down the arm.

What can you do to lessen the stress?

1. Lessen the load by removing unnecessary items
2. Try a smaller bag
3. Use a cross body bag
4. Switch shoulders often
5. Opt for a wider strap
6. Bring back the fanny pack

These tips can help tremendously in correction of posture and relieving symptoms associated with this disorder. If this resonated with you in some way, please share this with someone else who this may help. In some cases, damage may be too severe for self correction. In that circumstance, get evaluated by a chiropractor. X-rays and other tests may further help to evaluate the extent of your problems.

Yours in optimal health,

Dr. Glenn Ezell

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