Chiropractor And Physiotherapist Differences

Because Chiropractors and Physiotherapists both work with patients to improve the patient's ability to move and function many people get the two professionals confused. The truth is that the two fields are not the same at all. The skill set a Chiropractor must develop is not the same skill set that a Physiotherapist must have though there are a few similarities. Here are some of the differences between Chiropractors and Physiotherapists.

Educational Requirements

Physiotherapists are required to complete at least four years of undergraduate school as well as a two year masters program. Physiotherapists must also be trained in quite a few different types of physical therapy in order to obtain a license and practice professionally. A Physiotherapists license is required to be renewed regularly for as long as they want to continue practicing. This renewal requirement ensures that Physiotherapists keep their techniques and research up to date.

Chiropractors are required to complete at least four years of school though schooling usually involves five to seven years of class and field work in the United Kingdom before a professional license can be obtained. Chiropractors, like Physiologists are also required to keep their licenses current in order legally practice chiropractics without supervision.

Relieving Pain

Chiropractors work to relieve their patients' pain by using a number of pain relief therapies. These techniques can either be taught to the patient to do at home or therapies that will require the patient to continue visiting the Chiropractor in order to maintain his alignment and stay pain free.

A Physiotherapist offers his patients through a variety of methods. These methods aim to increase the patient's range of motion. Treatment offered by a Physiotherapist can involve teaching the patient how to do a variety of exercises and stretches so that the patient can continue his or her treatment at home. As the patient's pain subsides and his or her range of motion improves, the visits required become fewer and farther between until the patient is pronounced healthy enough to no longer need physiotherapy.

System of Beliefs

A Chiropractor believes that everything can be related to the spine. Problems with the respitory system or endocrine system, in a Chiropractor's mind, are problems that can be corrected with proper alignment of the spine.

Physiologists do not centre their beliefs on a single part of the body though they do spend quite a bit of time focusing on the spine. Physiologists devote their time to treating a specific injury and helping a patient heal while doing their best to reduce the patient's pain.

The truth is that there are quite a few similarities between the two. Both work with the spine. The differences lie in how an illness is addressed. Physiotherapy ends at some point. Chiropractic care is ongoing.

Joint Pain Shouldn't Become a Hurdle

Be it due to an injury, excess work, an accident, genetics, or any other cause, joint pain plagues most people at some point in time. Some of this pain is short lived. Other times, however, there is pain that cannot seem to be controlled. For some people, this pain can control their lives and dictate what can and can't be done. Far too many people have had to give up on their favorite activities because their joint pain was too much to bear. For example, there are gardeners who can't show off their green thumb because standing and kneeling is too painful. Pianists no longer tickle the ivories due to pain in their hands and arms. Runners with knee, hip, and ankle pain have to sit on the sidelines since their joint pain prevents them from moving much at all. While it is true that some of these problems may be in the join themselves, there are many issues with joint pain that can be controlled or even alleviated altogether with the help of chiropractic services.

The nervous system can be credited for nearly everything that happens with our bodies. Everything that is felt, heard, seen, smelled, etc. goes through the nervous system. Therefore, since it is such a pivotal part of the body, it makes sense that when something is awry with it, other areas will suffer as well.

This is exactly the concept that chiropractors thrive on. They believe that most problems with the body can be attributed to a malfunction with the nervous system. There are two main parts to the nervous system: the brain and the spinal cord. The brain serves as the control unit for everything. It interprets all of the signals that are being sent from the spinal cord. Therefore, the spinal cord is the one that gathers information from the nerves in the body and sends them to the brain.

However, when there is a problem with the nerves, then the brain may be receiving the wrong signals and hence, interpreting them in the wrong way. Chiropractors attribute misalignment of the spine to be a primary cause of these abnormal signals. Their main concern is to realign the spine so that the nerves are not sending any signals that may be misinterpreted.

In this regard, it is believed that simple spinal alignments can help to alleviate joint pain. This is done through a few different ways. Chiropractors specialize in soft tissue treatments so that the vertebrae and the disks that set between them can be manipulated with ease. This is done with techniques such as deep tissue massage and thrusts that can move the vertebrae back into their proper position.

There does not necessarily have to be back pain that is experienced in order to be the cause of joint pain. However, since a misaligned spine may be the ultimate cause of joint pain, it can be determined through a visit to the chiropractor. Sufferers of joint pain may finally be able to find relief through techniques that do not require medications or surgeries.

Chiropractic Care Common Myths and Mistakes!

When it comes to personal health, most people are very skeptical about trying alternative treatments. There are so many myths that surround alternative care. These myths ultimately result in the fear of trying anything outside of traditional medical care.

The top 7 myths about chiropractic treatment are: It is painful, it is too expensive, it is not scientific, once you start it is a life-long commitment, chiropractors are not "real doctors", it is dangerous, and chiropractic care only treats back pain. Let us take a closer look into the validity of these myths.

1. "Chiropractic treatment is a painful process". Spinal and joint adjustments are virtually painless. Most patients experience immediate pain relief after the first session. There are some cases where patients will experience some pain and stiffness at the site of the adjustment, headaches, fatigue, and/or muscle spasms. It all depends on the patient's health and physical conditions/injuries, but most do not experience any pain during or after the session.

2. "Chiropractic care is too expensive". When you break down the cost of traditional methods of care, chiropractic treatment is only a fraction of the cost. A study done by the state of Florida's workman's comp. board did a research in 1988 which showed that the average cost per patient for chiropractic treatment is $558 compared to $1,100 per patient for traditional medical care.

3. "Chiropractic care is not based on scientific evidence". There are numerous studies, which can be found online, that confirm the validity of chiropractic treatment as a viable alternative to traditional methods of medical care. Chiropractic care is physically and mentally beneficial, has very few side effects, and is far more cost effective when compared to traditional medical treatment.

4. "Once a patient receives their first chiropractic session, they will have to go for the rest of their life". Everyone goes to the doctor for a yearly physical or the dentist for their routine cleaning. With chiropractic care, once the immediate issue is resolved/under control, routine check-ups are recommended but not required. This is due to the fact that your spine and joints are compressed by every day activities. It is recommended that you get periodical adjustments as a preventative measure against misalignments, but it is not a requirement. Some people only make an appointment when something hurts or doesn't feel right, and then discontinue the treatment when the issue is resolved. Others believe that being proactive by getting regular chiropractic treatment is more beneficial to their health and overall well being.

5. "Chiropractors are not real doctors". To become a chiropractor, several things must take place before and just after graduation. First, they must complete 2 to 4 years of pre-med schooling. After that, they must complete 4 to 5 years at a chiropractic college. Just before or right after graduation from the chiropractic college, they must log in several hundred clinical hours. This is a hands-on experience with real patients. Once that has been completed, the last step is passing the state and national board test(s). The curriculum is very close and almost as rigorous as those attending medical school.

6. "Chiropractic adjustments are dangerous". If adjustments are made by a licensed and highly qualified/skilled/experienced chiropractor, the risk of spinal injury is extremely rare. More physicians are recommending spinal adjustments before a patient decides to pursue traditional methods of treatment such as medications and surgery. The risks are much greater with all of the side effects from medication and the possible complications of surgery. Chiropractic care is virtually painless and is a much safer choice.

7. "Chiropractic care only treats back pain". Chiropractic care can treat or help lessen the symptoms of numerous conditions such as soft tissue disorders/conditions, migraine headaches, Fibromyalgia, ear infections in children, ADHD/ADD, Autism, and depression. Yes, the treatments can be effective for back, spine, neck pain along with a plethora of other disorders and conditions.

Now that you are aware of the myths and the truth about chiropractic care, you can make your appointment with a chiropractor licensed in your state to begin your journey to living a better and healthier life.

Suggested Careers For Myers Briggs Test Personality Types

During times of a major economic downturn many people decide to change their career. Usually a major career change will require that you go back to school. Going back to school can be a tough decision especially if you have already started your career. To help decide which career type you should follow we have created a list of careers that are best suited for each of the 16 Myers Briggs personality types.

ESTJ
Military, business administrators, managers, police/detective work, judges, financial officers, teachers, sales representatives, government workers, insurance agents, underwriters, nursing administrators, trade and technical teachers, mafia dons. Natural leaders, they work best when they are in charge and enforcing the rules.

ISTJ
Business executives, administrators and managers, accountants, police, detectives, judges, lawyers, medical doctors, dentists, computer programmers, systems analysts, computer specialists, auditors, electricians, math teachers, mechanical engineers, steelworkers, technicians, militia members. Similar to the ESTJ, they have a knack for detail and memorization, but work more behind the scenes instead of up front as a leader.

ESFJ
Home economics, nursing, teaching, administrators, child care, family practice physician, clergy, office managers, counselers, social workers, bookkeeping, accounting, secretaries, organization
leaders, dental assistants, homemakers, radiological technologists, receptionists, religious educators, speech pathologists.. They do best in jobs where they can apply their natural warmth at building relationships with other people.

ISFJ
Interior decorators, designers, nurses, administrators, managers, secretaries, child care/early childhood development, social work, counselors, paralegals, clergy, office managers, shopkeepers,
bookkeepers, homemakers, gardeners, clerical supervisors, curators, family practice physicians, health service workers, librarians, medical technologists, typists. Tradition-oriented and down-to-earth, they do best in jobs where they can help people achieve their goals, or where structure is needed.

ESTP
Sales representatives, marketers, police, detectives, paramedics, medical technicians, computer technicians, computer technical support, entrepreneurs, comedians, agents, race car drivers,
firefighters, military, loan sharks, con men, auditors, carpenters, craft workers, farmers, laborers, service workers, transportation operatives. They have a gift for reacting to and solving immediate problems, and persuading other people.

ISTP
Police, detectives, forensic pathologists, computer programmers, system analysts, computer specialists, engineers, carpenters, mechanics, pilots, drivers, athletes, entrepreneurs, firefighters,
paramedics, construction workers, dental hygienists, electrical engineers, farmers, military, probation officers, steelworkers, transportation operatives, hit men. With the ability to stay calm
under pressure, they excel in any job which requires immediate action.

ESFP
Actors, painters, comedians, adult entertainers, sales representatives, teachers, counselors, social workers, child care, fashion designers, interior decorators, consultants, photographers,
musicians, human resources managers, clerical supervisors, coaches, factory supervisors, food service workers, receptionists, recreation workers, religious educators, respiratory therapists.. Optimistic and fun-loving, their enthusiasm is great for motivating others.

ISFP
Artists, musicians, composers, designers, child care workers, social workers, counselers, teachers, veterinarians, forest rangers, naturalists, bookkeepers, carpenters, personal service workers,
clerical supervisors, secretaries, dental and medical staffers, waiters and waitresses, chefs, nurses, mechanics, physical therapists, x-ray technicians. They tend to do well in the arts, as well as helping others and working with people.

ENFJ
Teachers, consultants, psychiatrists, social workers, counselers, clergy, sales representative, human resources, managers, events coordinators, politicians, diplomats, writers, actors, designers,
homemakers, musicians, religious workers, writers. They have a gift of encouraging others actualize themselves, and provide excellent leadership.

INFJ
Counselers, clergy, missionaries, teachers, medical doctors, dentists, chiropractors, psychologists, psychiatrists, writers, musicians, artists, psychics, photographers, child care workers, education consultants, librarians, marketeers, scientists, social workers.. Blessed with an idealistic vision, they do best when they seek to make that vision a reality.

ENFP
Actors, journalists, writers, musicians, painters, consultants, psychologists, psychiatrists, entrepreneurs, teachers, counselors, politicians, diplomats, television reporters, marketers,
scientists, sales representatives, artists, clergy, public relations, social scientists, social workers.. Very creative and fun-loving, they excel at careers which allow them to express their ideas and spontaneity.

INFP
Writers, artists, counselors, social workers, English teachers, fine arts teachers, child care workers, clergy, missionaries, psychologists, psychiatrists, scientists, political activists, editors, education consultants, journalists, religious educators, social scientists.. Driven by a strong sense of personal values, they are also highly creative and can offer support from behind the scenes.

ENTJ
Business executives, CEOs, organization founders, business administrators, managers, entrepreneurs, judges, lawyers, computer consultants, university professors, politicians, credit investigators, labor relations worker, marketing department manager, mortgage banker, systems analysts, scientists. They are born to lead and can steer the organization towards their vision, using their excellent organizing and understanding of what needs to get done.

INTJ -
Scientists, engineers, professors, teachers, medical doctors, dentists, corporate strategists, organization founders, business administrators, managers, military, lawyers, judges, computer
programmers, system analysts, computer specialists, psychologists, photographers, research department managers, researchers, university instructors, chess players. They have a particular skill at grasping difficult, complex concepts and building strategies.

ENTP
Entrepreneurs, lawyers, psychologists, photographers, consultants, sales representatives, actors, engineers, scientists, inventors, marketers, computer programmers, comedians, computer analysts,
credit investigators, journalists, psychiatrists, public relations, designers, writers, artists, musicians, politicians. Very freedom-oriented, they need a career which allows them to act independent and express their creativity and insight.

INTP
Physicists, chemists, biologists, photographers, strategic planners, mathematicians, university professors, computer programmers, computer animators, technical writers, engineers, lawyers, forensic researchers, writers, artists, psychologists, social scientists, systems analysts, researchers, surveyors. Highly analytical, they can discover connections between two seemingly unrelated things, and work best when allowed to use their imagination and critical thinking.

What To Expect On Your First Visit To A Chiropractor

With a new trend toward natural alleviation of symptoms of various medical conditions, more and more people are turning their interest toward chiropractic care. A chiropractor can provide care for a plethora of different ailments and conditions, while the main principles of the care are the same. Chiropractors are trained to treat the following conditions:

Acute and chronic back pain
Acute and chronic neck pain
Pain in the extremities
Dysfunction in the extremities
Repetitive-use injuries
Herniated disc injuries
Headaches
Sports injuries
Pinched nerves
Pain in the joints

Your First Chiropractic Visit

The job of your chiropractor is to identify the cause behind your pain and to devise a plan that will allow you to alleviate or recover from your condition as soon as possible. Chiropractic treatment can include adjustments and manipulations, soft tissue treatment, and physical stabilization or rehab exercises.

At the core of your Suffolk chiropractor's treatment will likely be the chiropractic adjustment. These on-hands manipulations are applied to joints that have been identified as having poor range of motion or being "fixated". Specific force is applied to the joint to allow for the joint to move like it should, which allows you to become more functional while experiencing a reduced level of pain.

Manual therapy in the form of soft tissue treatment is also aimed at assisting your ligaments and muscles in working properly so that they can adapt to your appropriately functioning joints after an adjustment. Ultrasound, trigger point therapy, traction, and electrical stimulation are all often used as soft tissue treatment in the chiropractor's office.

Stabilization and rehabilitative exercises are often required in order to help a recuperating patient to maintain the effects of a successful chiropractic manipulation or adjustment and related soft tissue therapy. With these exercises, your chiropractor's aim is to have you rely on yourself once your treatment is completed. These exercises are based on your individual needs and the goals that you and the chiropractor establish for your treatment, and are very similar to physical therapy that you might experience in any traditional medical setting.

When initially visiting a chiropractor, you will need to bring along:

Your x-rays or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans
Your medical records (if you haven't already requested them to be sent to the chiropractor)
A referral from your primary care physician (if it is required by your health insurance company)
Your current health insurance I.D. cards

Plan to spend more time at your first chiropractic visit than you will at following visits. Your chiropractor will want to review your medical history with you and go over the x-ray films or scans that you bring with you. He will also likely perform an adjustment and soft tissue therapy at the first consultative visit. During your initial visit, your chiropractor will discuss his suggestions for treatment and draw up a treatment plan based on your individual needs.

My Skirmish With Cancer - A Tale Of Dumb Luck, Manly Stupidity, And The Lessons That I Learned

First of all, calling my ordeal a "fight" with cancer would be giving me too much credit. I know a whole bunch of people who have full-blown, knock-down, drag-out slugfests with cancer. They're the toughest people you'll ever meet. Comparing my situation with theirs would be an insult to them. But, if you like that sort of fighting metaphor, I guess you could summarize my skirmish with cancer like this:

Cancer and I got in the ring and put up our dukes. Then, when cancer wasn't quite ready, I kicked it really hard in the crotch and ran away.

Still the whole thing was scary, and I truly did get lucky. I could easily have died if this cancer had spread. In a heroic display of manly stupidity, I let a malignant lump sit unidentified on top of my tailbone for almost 9 years.

What makes it even worse is that I scared the hell out of my wife who was pregnant with our son (born May 27, 2005 & named Andrew Harris) while I was busy having surgeries, MRI's, Bone Scans, biopsies, and more.

Well, here's a little trip back in time to explain the whole thing. Before you start, I want you to really grasp something: I'm fine. As I sit here writing this, I appear to be 100% cancer free. Of course, having cancer is like being an alcoholic: you are never officially in the clear. Lifelong follow-up is the standard. But so far, so good...

In Minnesota, sometime in 1996...

I notice a small lump on my tailbone; right in the middle. Since I was still in chiropractic school, still young and dumb, I had one of the faculty chiropractors take a look at it. He said, "Oh, that's no big deal. It's an Epi-sacral Lipoma. It's a lump of fat on your butt."

Sounded good to me. I forgot about it, other than the fact that it looked silly.

Fast forward to Colorado, early September, 2004...

A second red line appears within the indicator window of the EPT home pregnancy test that my wife, Meredith just took. The second line means she's pregnant. A few days later, a follow-up blood test confirms that we are 9 months away from becoming parents.

Mid-September, 2004...

Meredith starts nagging me to get a physical. I haven't had one in about 15 years. Of course, as a jaded know-it-all chiropractor, I suspect that any medical doctor who gets a hold of me will immediately find some reason to make me take drugs. I resist. She persists.

She plays the, "what-if-we-have-this-baby-and-then-you-die" card. Finally, I agree to get a physical just so I don't have to hear about it any more.

Mid-October 2004...

Our 6-week ultrasound. I'm surprised to see that little embryo Hyman, despite the fact that he looks like a shrimp, has a heartbeat. For the first time, it really hits me that I'm going to be a father. Meredith is right, I don't want to become a father and then croak while the kid is young.

Late-October 2004...

I have my first physical with Ian Levenson, DO. He expresses surprise at the size of the lump on my tailbone. He suggests that we remove it. Frankly, the lump had gotten fairly large over the last 9 years. I figured that since it was made of fat, it grabbed a little bit of every pizza, every burger, and every scoop of ice cream that I'd thrown down my throat over the last 9 years.

Seriously, the lump was huge and looked ridiculous. It was time to remove it.

November 24, 2004...

The day before Thanksgiving, I had a simple outpatient procedure at Dr. Levenson's surgical center. As soon as he opened it up, he said, "I don't know what this is, but it is NOT a Lipoma." I told him, "If you feel comfortable proceeding, then just remove the damn thing."

Over the next few days, my wife and I joked that the lump was my un-developed twin, Herschel. (That really is a thing. You may recall the scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding when Toula's aunt describes hers to Ian's parents.)

December 1, 2004...

Back in Dr. Levenson's office to get my stitches out, we got the shocking news. He walked right in, looked me right in the eye and told me. "Swedish Hospital's pathology lab couldn't identify that thing, so they sent a sample to an expert at Emory University in Atlanta. It looks like is was a sarcoma - a cancer. You have to go see an oncologist."

You know, some people spend a lot of money in therapy so they can stop living in denial about various things. In this instance, denial was a good thing. I immediately jumped head first into denial. My official reaction can be summarized like this:

"If this were an aggressive cancer, I would have died 6 years ago. I'm fine."

While that seems easy enough to believe, when you're awake worrying in the middle of the night, denial sounds an awful lot like bullsh*t.

December 2, 2004...

At Meredith's 16-week ultrasound, we find out that the baby is a boy.

As you might imagine, this was a strange couple of days. I find out that the lump on my butt was cancer, and find out we're having a boy.

December 3, 2004...

I show up at Sky Ridge Hospital's Cancer Center. The waiting room is full of people fighting various kinds of cancer, and the reality of what's going on finally hits me. This cancer may have spread, and it could kill me. I've done my research on the internet (something I don't suggest), so I know that sarcomas kill people. I'm scared.

My oncologist was Iona Hinshaw, head of the department. She spends about 20 minutes with me, tells me that I have to get an MRI, a CT scan, a bone scan, and then a have another surgery to remove a wider radius of tissue. She tells me if it spread to my lung, they'll have to remove parts of my lung. She asks if I cough a lot.

I say "No, I do not cough a lot." This must be good.

For some reason, Meredith objects and insists that I do cough a lot. We argue in front of the head of oncology at Sky Ridge. I have to say things like, "I'm a mouth breather at night and therefore have phlegm in the mornings" to convince the doctor that I in fact do not cough a lot. (I guess frequent coughing is a sign that cancer is in the lungs.)

December 15, 2004...

I have my MRI. They want to scan everything from my neck to my thighs to look for any indication that the cancer has spread. This is crunch time. 90 minutes in the tube. Nothing to do but think and breathe. And yes, spending 90 minutes wide awake in an MRI tube was a form of torture, to say the least.

I get to take a copy of the scans with me. I run home and read them. There are thousands of pictures, but I can pretty much tell that no unusual masses are there. The lungs look great. I start to feel like I'm going to make it.

December 16, 2004...

I get a CT scan. To this day, I still don't know why they did both an MRI and a CT, but they did. Again I took the films with me, and again I saw nothing unusual. 2 days later, the radiologist's report agreed with me.

December 21, 2004...

I go to see Dr. Cynthia Kelley at Colorado Limb Consultants. She is an expert orthopedic surgeon who specializes in rare cancers and limb preservation. If I were cancer, I'd be afraid of her. She tells me that my first surgery was not a true cancer surgery, and I will therefore need a second surgery. (After I get my bone scan, of course.)

December 27, 2004...

I have my bone scan. It's normal, and kind of cool, actually. Surgery will go ahead on the 29th.

December 29, 2004...

I have surgery at PSL Hospital. Dr. Kelly performs a wide excision around my tailbone, removing some of the Gluteus Maximus muscle, a lot of sacral fascia, and the fat pad that protects the bone. All of these things will be biopsied.

I have over 100 stitches inside and out. Despite the doctor's instructions, I refuse to stay over night in the hospital. There was just no way that I was going to let my pregnant wife go home alone and worry about me. In fact, I also refused to be wheeled out of the hospital in a wheelchair. Four hours after surgery, I walked to the back seat of my own car and tried not to throw up from the anesthesia.

New Year's Eve was subdued to say the least. A few days later I got word from the oncologist that the biopsies were clean. That also meant no chemotherapy and no radiation. So after two surgeries, various MRI's, CT's, bone scans, biopsies, and 6 weeks of worry, I was fine. Except for the giant crater in my lower back.

I went on to have the external stitches remove and start rehabbing myself, with the assistance of some of my Russian Kettlebell friends. I'm still not completely 100% recovered, but all things considered, I've got no complaints.

And now, the rest of the story.

May 26, 2005...

Meredith checks in to Rose Hospital to have the baby. Because her blood pressure has been high throughout the pregnancy, the doctor has scheduled her for induction.

May 27, 2005...

After 17 hours of labor, the doctor decides that Meredith needs a C-section. At 4:43 AM, Andrew Harris Hyman greets the world with a scream and immediately pees all over the scale. He weighs 7 pounds, 9 ounces.

We spend a few days in the hospital, and take him home. As of this writing, he and Meredith are doing very nicely.

So what can you learn from this?

First of all, get a physical every year with a doctor that you trust. Quite frankly, if Dr. Levenson hadn't removed that cancer from me, it would still be there. If it's been over a year since your last physical, call you doctor and get one. Many problems can be picked up at the early stage. Dr. Levenson can be reached at 303.221.5400.

Second, get any lumps thoroughly evaluated by qualified providers. A chiropractor at my school's clinic dismissed my cancer as a "harmless Lipoma." He clearly was not qualified to make that diagnosis, and it could very easily have killed me.

Third, a lot of people get cancer. While the experts still don't agree why that is, there is much they do agree on. The prevailing theory these days is that all of us are constantly fighting malignant changes to cells in our bodies. Usually, your immune system can keep up and kill off cells that are turning bad.

You should minimize exposure to carcinogens, eat quality foods, work to reduce stress, and get sleep. I'll have much more to say about this in the future. Once you get a cancer, you have to be checked for the rest of your life to see if it's coming back. I plan to make sure it does not.

Finally, when I was in that MRI tube worrying if my cancer had spread, I spent most of my time thinking about family, health, stuff I enjoy, my unborn child, etc. Your family and your health are the two most important things you have. Make sure you take care of both of them FIRST. They're more important than your work, they're more important than your money, they're more important than the crap on TV, etc. Do what you can to make sure that they know it.

The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only. Do not use this information for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. Have any symptoms evaluated by a licensed doctor in your state. Dr. Hyman DOES NOT offer treatment for cancer. He just wanted to share his story.

How to Choose a Chiropractor

Are people nervous to go to the chiropractor? Yes, most people are nervous. Why, because most people have no idea what to expect. First and foremost, in most cases there is nothing to be nervous about. If you are one of those people who are afraid to hear the "crack" of joints, you have to understand that this is most likely the best thing for you, if you are looking for a chiropractor already. If you are nervous, a chiropractor should make you feel as comfortable as possible before proceeding with any adjusting procedures.

This brings me to the title of this article, "How to Choose a Chiropractor." Not every chiropractor is created equal. With this being said the first thing to do is your homework. Find out a little bit about the doctor first. Did he/she go to a reputable school? What is he/she's background? Is their technique suitable for your case? Is this a likable person? An important question, because if you have waited too long to get treatment you might see this person a few times a week for the next month, so make sure you like the guy.

OK, you have selected a doctor and now it's time to call and make the appointment. Does the receptionist sound friendly? Does she do anything she can to try to help? You will most likely be seeing this person a lot so she should become a friendly, helpful face to you. You have an appointment and you arrive at the office. Does the office look clean? Does it look professional both inside and out. Does the receptionist/chiropractic assistant greet you with a smile? The office should be an extension of the doctor/s.

You should be prepared to spend around an hour or more in the office for your first visit. The appropriate consultation should be done to find out exactly what you are in the office for, history of the chief complaint, etc. Once the consultation is done the doctor will most likely do an exam. At this time he/she should put you in various positions and motions to try to aggravate your pain and find where it is coming from. Appropriate neurological tests should be performed as well depending on your case.

At this point the doctor could choose from a few options. The doctor may decide x-rays are in order for your case or he/she could give you a report of findings (ROF) or the doctor could wait until the next appointment for this. If the doctor decides to do it on the first visit, they are most likely wanting to start treatment right away. After the doc explains to you what he/she thinks is wrong with you and gives you the best treatment options, you should have a chance to think about it and accept or decline treatment at that time.

Another option the doctor has is to make another appointment, most likely for the next day to give you your ROF. After this the doctor will start treatment with your permission. If the doctor is unsure of your condition or does not think he/she can help you, proper arrangements should be made to make a referral to another health care professional that could help you. In summary, make sure the entire office promotes a friendly, professional atmosphere. Most likely, you are there in pain and want to feel as comfortable as possible. Also the doctor should be likable because you might be seeing a lot of them.

Physiotherapy - Good Or Bad Career Choice?

I've been a physiotherapist for 6 years in Australia. In Australia, physiotherapy is very difficult to get into through a university. For instance, the TER score (score after you finish your high school certificate) was 93 in 2000. That was the third highest score to apply for through university. Now, you may think that the higher the difficulty to apply, the higher the prestige, income and satisfaction the job will be. You think so right? Wrong!

Let me tell you, physiotherapy or physical therapist as a career choice is not what you think. I came to think when doing the course I expect a high income and high levels of satisfaction, but from my experience and others this is totally wrong. I have friends who have been doing physiotherapy for more than 5 years who have changed careers because they thought physiotherapy will get them nowhere. I've been told by one of the board members of the physiotherapy association that there is no physiotherapist working full time in a private practice above 45. So it seems many physiotherapists are not satisfied with their career.

So why is it that many physiotherapists aren't satisfied with their careers? I can give you three good reasons.

First is the income. Our income is around $60-70k year on average, but the ceiling for physiotherapist to get is around $100-110k a year (which is rare) if working for someone or in the public sector. Now in the private sector (working in your own practice) you can make considerably more, about $100k or greater. But setting up and working in the private sector cost money and it is very expensive. You have to pay rent, equipment, labor and many other expenses. So in the end, you might not make much because of all the expenses.

Second is the level of satisfaction. You may think helping people get better makes you happier, it does. But there are many more people who don't get better. Also, the job that you do in physiotherapy is very monotonous it's either doing assessment, electrotherapy, exercises or hands on work (which I basically call massage). People who work as a physiotherapist will most likely have hand, wrist or back pain because the job requires you to do repetitive movements or awkward postures most of the time. For instance bending down to treat a patient on a bed,

Third is security. If you do extra courses or have masters degree to specialize in physiotherapy, most likely that won't guarantee you extra income or status. There is a lack of differentiation between an experienced physiotherapist or an inexperienced physiotherapist in terms of pay. Also, the future of physiotherapy as a profession is overtaken by other health professionals such as chiropractors and even nurses.

This is due to incompetence of the physiotherapy board and association of pushing our status in government and general public opinion into insignificance. It seems that the physiotherapy association has no lobbyist in the government or insurance industry thereby cutting our status as a health professional. For instance, insurances are cutting physiotherapist rates and services (for example HBA in the UK) as they see physiotherapy as not important. In the long term, physiotherapy as a profession will die out and overtaken by other health professionals.

So is physiotherapy a good or bad career choice? I say most definitely not a good career choice. But this is my opinion. If you want to get another person's opinion, see your physiotherapist or a person who is working in your career.

Managing the Chiropractic Associate - The Contract

I am often surprised at how many associate type arrangements that I come in contact with, either through a chiropractic friend, though a client or in a story about a chiropractic business owner where there essentially is an employer/employee or at least an owner/independent contractor (IC) relationship, and there is absolutely zero contract in place.

Now I will admit, early in my career I too operated without a 'written' contract. My assumption at the time was that if the doctor I had the arrangement with didn't want one, then I would be better off not being 'locked in' either. Well, in that situation it all worked out well, but since then I am constantly witness to so many associate/partnership arrangements gone bad. Truly, the minor work involved in setting up a chiropractic associate contract will almost always save a ton of trouble and money down the road. And, it benefits both sides to know exactly what the arrangement and expectations are.

So, suffice it to say, there should never be a work type arrangement between a clinic and an incoming doctor that is not laid down on paper. Granted, there is such a thing as a 'verbal contract' but the facts within those 'contracts' always become clouded, and then it is essentially your word verses mine. At the minimum the exchange of emails can solidify at least the outline of an arrangement and can be considered legal. But, nothing will stand up as well as an actual attorney prepared chiropractic associate contract. (I should mention too that you do not need an attorney to write up the agreement, you can prepare a document yourself and it can be just as binding, however, almost always I have found that a good attorney will bring to light issues that you have overlooked, and will word things in the way as to be of much greater protection. Therefore, I always use an attorney or attorneys to prepare the final draft of my contracts).

However, either way you need to be able to put together the basics of what will be included in that chiropractic associate contract. If you leave it up to the attorney completely I guarantee that he will miss issues that are very important to you and to the arrangement because they are industry specific, and it is doubtful that he will have prepared a large number of this specific type of contract to have that knowledge.
So, let's get started on what your considerations should be.

The first consideration is whether to hire this new associate as an employee or bring him on board as an independent contractor. This is a VERY important distinction, from a variety of standpoints. I will go over the basics concerning the pros and cons and let you decide for yourself which legal distinction will work for you.

From an expense standpoint, both the owner and the associate chiropractor (if he is an astute businessman) would benefit more having the arrangement be that of an IC. Reason being, the owner will save a lot of money on employment taxes, which are.765% of the gross salary. If you pay an associate 80K in salary and bonuses (other benefits aside) you are in reality paying $86,000+. This also benefits the owner who would not be expected to pay any other benefits either, i.e., health insurance, sick days, vacation days, retirement, and so on.

Initially the average associate chiropractic employee might be under the assumption that this will cost him more because they will be responsible at the end of the year for withholding all their own taxes. In actuality this is a very beneficial situation because if the doctor sets himself up in the proper legal entity and then arranges his pay as business income and therefore pays expenses out of these funds and pays himself a combination of salary and bonus, he will come out much better in the end.*

Now, from the standpoint of security, the IC arrangement might not be as good of a situation for the owner. Reason being, if an associate is an IC, then by virtue of what that means he would also be able to work elsewhere at the same time if he wants (think, for example, hiring a plumber). And even though you will have non-compete language in your contract, this might be much harder to enforce if your associate is an IC.

As well, from the owner's point of view there is another risk when it comes to hiring an associate chiropractor as an IC. The IRS actually has very strict language as to who can qualify as an IC and who cannot because they don't want people realizing those tax advantages described above. Therefore, in reality, as an associate chiropractor it is pretty hard (but not impossible) to comply with the IRS rules. Here is an article that will better lay out the aspects that the IRS considers when deciding whether or not the worker in question is an IC or an employee: (IRS link provided at the bottom of this article). Now, all that being said, most people in the IC situation may forever operate under this IRS radar, enjoy the tax savings, and still maintain a viable non-compete in their contract. However, I have witnessed more than a few instances where the hired IC associate chiropractor became disgruntled and then reported the owner to the IRS, saying that they were actually an employee and not an IC. If the IRS determines that this is true, that they were actually an employee and not an IC (and it takes them really nothing to make this determination) then you not only become liable for all your back taxes on that 'employee' but also that employee's share of those taxes too. So, it is worth the risk? Only you can decide that.

As you can tell, this is a very in depth topic and I am not a lawyer. I just wanted to provide you some basics so you can discuss these issues with your accounting and legal counsel. The language you use in your chiropractic associate contract will differ significantly depending on whether you chose to hire your new associate chiropractor as an IC or an employee. This is further reasoning behind enlisting the assistance of a business attorney.

The aspects of the chiropractic associate contract I want to discuss next will comprise the 'bulk' of the document. These are the common issues as related to everything and NOT specific to the deal you worked out with your chiropractic associate. For example, pay, bonuses, time off, etc., will not be in this section. As well, following this list I will delve more into the topic of the non-disclosure agreement, as I believe this is one of the greatest concerns a hiring owner has. However, this more general section I will basically outline below is more generic in nature (which is nice so that you can use it in future employment situations as well). The individualized chiropractic associate contract aspects will be placed at the end, in an addendum or an exhibit.

So, without going into extreme detail regarding all these core aspects, I will just list them so you will be sure not to miss them in your legal document:

1) Recitals: corporate name(s), owner's name(s), associate's name.
2) Agreements: incorporation of recitals, term, representations and warrantees of provider (services administered, licensure issues, disciplinary past, compliance with state laws, rules, participation in insurance plans, etc.)
3) Duties of Provider: hours, duties, records
4) Relationship: IC or employee and the ramifications of those
5) Office Space, Personnel and Admin Support
6) Assignment of Fees; Billing and Collection: agreement of assignment of collections in their name to the corporation
7) Consideration for Services: referring to Exhibit or Amendment attached at end.
8) Insurance: who is to pay for
9) Control of Work: Warranties: (more for the IC relationship)
10) Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure/Non-Solicitation: (covered in more detail following this list)
11) Termination: reasons the employee can be let go immediately, as well as the notice that has to be given, on both sides, for ending the relationship.
12) Effects of Termination: how things like the books, records, personal items, etc., will be handled upon termination.
13) Miscellaneous: Assignment, Incurring Financial Obligations, No Third Party Beneficiary, Binding Nature, Governing Law, Entire Agreement, Notices, Waiver, Counterparts, Severability, Additional Documents.

Now, of greatest concern is usually the non-compete language. This is usually what concerns the hiring doctor the most, and for good reason. No one wants the nightmare of hiring an associate chiropractor, training him and letting him get close to your patients, to then leave one day and open up just down the street, draining you of everything you have built over the years. It is sad, but believe me, this happens.

The first thing for you to know, and something you would not voluntarily reveal to your chiropractic associate, is that the main reason for non-compete language is to create a defensive deterrent. That is to say, you want the associate to always be aware that should they leave that they have agreed that they will leave and comply with these tenants of the non-compete agreement, or suffer these _______ repercussions.

The unfortunate truth about non-compete agreements are that, legally, they hard to enforce (unless of course your attorney has done an excellent job drafting the language just right). Now, even if the language is good you will also have the issue regarding cost. Granted, once we are taken advantage of by someone we placed trust in often times in the search for justice we will make an emotional decision to pay whatever it takes to correct this wrong. But, what we really need to do is take a minute, look at the situation subjectively and answer this one question: "If it is going to cost me $10,000 (for example) to go after this person, have they or will they actually cause me much more than 10K worth of damage?" I had a chiropractic associate one time leave and a few months later go to work for another doctor essentially right across the street. We were infuriated; however, after careful consideration (and the prospect of spending 10K) we realize that her being there was actually zero cost threat to us. In this situation the patients were not fans of her treatment and loved our new doctor, so she was not going to take any business from us.

If, on the other hand, things had been slightly different and she actively marketed to our patients and, over time, our numbers suffered substantially I promise you that legal action would have been taken.

Now, that being said, let me mention the main considerations when it comes to a non-complete: time and distance. See, any judge or mediator given the job of evaluating the situation is going to first decide if the contracted arrangement is reasonable (given the business) and if it is not too over-reaching in that it would limit the leaving doctors ability to make a living. Therefore, the terms of the non-compete need to be laid out wherein the doctor is not allowed to practice within so many miles radius for so much time. However, that needs to be followed up with language such as:

(i) Notwithstanding the foregoing subparagraph 11(b), if 2 years is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be overly broad, then the period shall be equivalent to 18 months;
(ii) Notwithstanding the foregoing subparagraph (i), if 18 months is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be overly broad, then the period shall be equivalent to 1 year;
(iii) And so on

By adding language such as this you allow the judge or mediator the option of picking something that he or she considers reasonable. Is this ideal? No, but it does offer some protection.

Following this, your attorney would need to add language related to this such as Liquidated Damages, Injunctive Relief; Legal Fees, Severability and Scope.

Now, equally important is to also include the very same type language as it relates to Confidentiality, Non-Disclosure and Non-Solicitation. Essentially, this means they will not take what is private to you and how you operate your business and make use of it elsewhere - like for a competitor. This includes anything related to your business methods, patient files, patient lists, and your employees (like trying to hire them from you).

Now, the individualized part, the part everyone often thinks will be the hardest is often the easiest part. That is the part that deals with pay. Now that the overall framework is set down, a page at the end of the chiropractic associate contract is attached that just says it like it is, either as an exhibit or an addendum. They will get paid X amount on X dates. The bonus structure will be X per every X and so on. Usually this page has no more than 1 or 2 short paragraphs on it. You can make it as simple or as complicated as you want.

As you can tell, this is a pretty extensive topic and I know I have only touched upon it, but I think you can definitely see how enlisting a professional in this realm is essential. However, now you should at least have a good framework to make sure your attorney covers the bases. As well, a good consulting group or chiropractic placement agency should be able to provide very good versions of the 2 types of chiropractic associate contracts for you to use directly which will save you hundreds of dollars by giving your attorney a framework by which to alter slightly for your own particular needs.
-Dr. Troy Counselman

IRS Link: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=99921,00.html

Types of Spinal Cord Injuries Resulting From Falls, Accidents, and Collisions

Although most types of back pain are caused by repeated lifts of light or medium heavy loads or by prolonged postures which overload the failure threshold of spinal tissues, a number of injuries are caused by traumatic falls or collisions. There are more than 10,000 spinal cord injuries in the country every year, with a large number of these occurring in automobile accidents. A significant number are also a result of violent encounters, falls, sports injuries, or incidents that happen at work.

Thus, a huge number of people are at risk of injuring their back, either through sub-failure loads placed on the connective tissues of the spine or by a traumatic injury. Fortunately, the large trauma injuries are the least common, but they can also be the most serious, leading to total or complete paralysis and related dysfunctions. A single fall or penetration wound impacting the spinal cord can cause numerous problems to the bones, ligaments, nerves, and discs that make up the back and neck.

Bone injuries are often related to dislocations of the spinal vertebrae or outright fractures. A subluxation may occur if the ligaments in one part of the spine become twisted, strained, or overly stretched, causing a misalignment in the bones. (Subluxations are the disorder that chiropractors treat through their chiropractic adjustments, which are meant to restore the proper alignment of the vertebrae.) If a dislocation or fracture affects vertebrae in the neck region, a person may experience symptoms similar to a stroke if arteries are damaged.

There are four main types of traumatic injuries affecting the spinal cord. Each one can have a different effect on the nerves, bones, and ligaments. The first is flexion injuries, which may cause fractures, dislocations, or subluxations. Second, rotational injuries can lead to dislocation. The third type, extension injuries, may cause fractures. And the fourth type of back trauma, called compression injuries, may fracture the vertebrae. A final related trauma, called cauda equina injury, involves the lower end of the spinal cord where the vertebrae meet the pelvis, but is not typically characterized as a spinal cord injury.

Depending on what has happened to the bone or connective tissues, doctors may be able to better understand the event that caused the injury to begin with. For example, if a person has a fall but can not remember what happened upon impact, different types of fractures or dislocations may point to a flexion injury or spinal compression. The type of damage that is manifested in the body may point to how the injury occurred, and each type may have different recovery paths available to the patient.

The good news is that a relatively small number of people will suffer from traumatic back damage every year. More people die in automobile accidents than suffer from spinal cord injuries on a yearly basis. But for people who do experience a fall, violent accident, or sports collision, injury to the spine and related tissues can be extremely debilitating and take a long time to recover from. A future article will discuss various symptoms that result from spinal cord damage.

How Chiropractic Marketing Can Improve the Business of a Chiropractic Practitioner

The practitioners of chiropractic art-whether new or a veteran-have forever been searching for methods and strategies to boost their business. Business development strategies will surely go a long way in improving the bottom line of the chiropractic practitioners, but these may or may not require a lot of investment.

There are a lot simple and yet very effective strategies to boost your business and telephone marketing have for long been one of them. Chiropractic marketing can be easily done over the telephone and this strategy is among the very few of free chiropractic marketing ideas that are mighty effective.

Let us take a look at how chiropractic marketing can improve the business of a chiropractic practitioner.

First, when you are making a call to a potential customer, decide the objective of the call.

Second, prepare an elaborate script that contains all the possibilities of what the possible client may say and what you will say in reply. Prepare for all possibilities. However, do not memorize the lines as that might make you more mechanical than natural. Have guidelines on how to respond to a query that a potential client may pose to you.

Third, you may appoint an assistant who will do this job and arrange for chiropractic assistant training.

Fourth, you may consider the option of recording a few conversations which will enable you to evaluate the mistakes you might have made and ensure that the mistakes do not recur.

Fifth, a very good principle of Chiropractic marketing is to have contact management software that will record all the calls and will schedule all required follow ups with the client in the future. This will enable you to make things more systematic.

Sixth, you can impart Chiropractic coaching to the assistant you employ so that the assistant can answer the questions, if required.

Seventh, consider having an auto dialer that will enable you to increase the number of calls dramatically. An auto dialer automatically dials another number and contacts another potential customer after a call has been terminated already.

Eighth, given the number of calls you have to make, you may have a plan from the telephone operator that enables you to make unlimited calls at a limited cost.

Ninth, stay abreast with the current happenings in the Chiropractor's world and learn how they have been leveraging the power of the phone to improve their business. You can also subscribe to newsletters that give a lot of free chiropractic marketing strategies.

In addition to robust Chiropractic marketing, you will need to do a lot to retain a customer by providing the right solutions to their problems which are cost effective too. Customer retention, too, is important.

Asthma Has Become a National Epidemic - A Review of Asthma

Asthma literally takes your breath away. It can be caused by a quick change of temperatures or other factors. One of the greatest factors precipitating an attack is an allergic substance entering the breathing tubes. It can seriously cripple a person and even cause death to occur.

There are a number of over the counter and prescription items to help a person with asthma overcome the symptoms. None are permanent and although some help restore breathing very quickly, they can lead to further lung damage over the long run. If you are not getting oxygen, then you have to do something and you have to do it NOW.

There is at least one natural product which I know has helped a number of asthmatic patients. For example, one of the true stories I got from a friend of mine who is a famous chiropractor who has been a featured speaker worldwide is of an elderly woman who could barely move from one chair to another in her home. Someone had to bring her mail to her from the mailbox which was about a city block from her farmhouse.

The good chiropractor became her doctor and had her begin using pycnogenol a the recommended ratio as well as other nutrients. There was dramatic improvement. In a few weeks she had developed the ability not only to move around in her home as freely as anyone else, but also could walk to her mail box to get her mail. Plenty of people offered to keep bringing her mail to her, but she refused the help. She was so happy to be able to get around again that she wanted to get her own mail. It took her a while because she would walk half way, sit for a spell, walk to the mailbox, sit down for a spell before beginning the return trip - again resting half way.

I have another friend who goes into asthmatic spasms when he goes from one temperature to one much colder. It can cause hm to almost stop breathing. He uses pycnogenol to control these attacks. His asthma has not gone away, but it is much better and he recovers from extreme temperature changes much more quickly than before. Pycnogenol has been a great bonus in overcoming these spasms, but is not a cure. There are no side effects and no further damage is done to the lungs which is the case with most of the medicines.

The Ironman Triathlon - My Life in a Nutshell

The Iron Man triathlon has been described as perhaps the most grueling and challenging endurance exercise event in the world. It consists of 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride and finishes with a 26.2 mile marathon run. Each individual faces extreme challenges in training for and in completing this demanding and punishing experience. To become an official "Iron Man" and receive an official time, each competitor must cross the finish line in a maximum of 17 hours. But, why would anybody want to become an Iron Man?

A few days after completing my 2nd Subaru Iron Man Canada race on August 24, 2008, the answer suddenly came to me. During the entire journey, I felt totally connected to my 2300 fellow competitors and the absolutely magnificent 4500 volunteers. I feel so fortunate to be a member of the incredible Iron Man community.

In my very humble opinion, the Iron Man is all the experiences in my life condensed into a single day. It is my life in 12 - 15 hours. It is my life in a nutshell. On this day, I felt every single emotion possible and I felt each emotion very intensely. After battling a fierce head wind on the bike I felt thoroughly defeated, despondent and beaten up. For the 1st time in my life I wanted to quit. After convincing myself to keep going one step at a time, something magical happened. I was eight miles into the run and I felt like a new man. I was laughing, joking and glowing with hope and gratitude. If I could hold on to this pace, I would be finished in no time. However, I found out that few people find the finish line easily. My internal voice nattered incessantly only to be drowned out by the unrelenting throbbing in my legs and the cramping in my guts. I had heard from some veteran Iron Man athletes that you really learn about yourself on race day. At times, I felt totally peaceful and serene and at other times I hated myself, felt like a total loser and questioned my sanity. On this day, I learned that there is no faking it. I had to face myself. On this day I really found who I was and what was important to me in life. At the very least, my 2nd Iron Man experience was scary, surprising, exciting and rewarding. The Iron Man triathlon is the best and the worst of everything that has ever happened to me.

Here are the 5 top reasons why I consider the Iron Man as my life in a "nutshell."

1. All memorable experiences are preceded by fear and excitement.

I have noticed that the most memorable events in life have been marked with tremendous excitement coinciding with tremendous fear. In many cases I have had much to gain but also much to lose. In 1987, I distinctly remember writing my board exams to become a doctor of chiropractic. My classmates and I had studied and toiled for years to achieve our goal. I can remember in specific detail, the morning that I got the letter from the licensing board. The sound of the letter being dropped into the mail box was followed by the huge knot in my stomach as I opened the letter. This is the identical feeling I had as I stood in the water at the start line of the Iron Man. I was so excited but my stomach let me know that I was also more than a bit nervous. As I put my face into the chilly water and began to swim easily, my breathing relaxed and I embraced the beginning of my journey. Taking the 1st few strokes of the Iron Man swim felt exactly the same as opening the letter containing my board exam results more than 2 decades ago. I did not know what the result would be, but I was determined to find out. This déjà vu experience was very scary, exciting and humbling.

2. There are lots of ways to get to the finish line.

I have often viewed recovery from a serious injury or life threatening illness much the same as crossing the finish line of a race. As long as you keep moving toward the finish line, you are a winner.

As a health professional, I have experienced the joy of patients who have regained their health after suffering tremendous pain and disability. Each person recovers in mind, body and spirit but each individual's path is always a little different. If you are recovering from a severe injury or a life threatening illness there are many health care choices. However, even the staunchest proponents of each healing profession would agree that they cannot cure each and every person. Therefore, it is up to each individual to choose the method or methods that will work for them. Medicine, chiropractic, surgery, naturopathy, spiritual healing and a host of other options are available. I have noticed that progressive health professionals encourage a multi-disciplinary approach to healing. They recognize that they are experts in their field but they may also consider alternate and complimentary treatment options. Both doctor and patient must work together and do whatever it takes to recover. In other words, there are many road maps to get you to your destination. It is simply a matter of finding out what works for you.

The same principles apply to an athlete embarking upon an Iron Man journey. If you truly desire to get to the finish line, you will do whatever it takes to succeed.

If you are training for the Iron Man you have many choices. Who will be your coach? How many times a week will you train? What type of bike and running shoes will you use? What type of wet suit will work best? What type of nutrition plan will you use? How will you balance rigorous training with your career and your family?

Just as there are countless methods, permutations and combinations involved in healing, there are countless ways to prepare for reaching the finish line. In the final analysis it just does not matter! As long as you keep moving forward towards the finish line, you are a winner.

3. Life is About Overcoming Adversity

Life is about adaptation and overcoming adversity. If you have lived long enough on this planet, you or your loved ones have probably overcome some type of adversity. On the Iron Man application form, there is a very important question for all athletes to answer. "What type of challenges and adversity have you overcome to be able to race in this event?"

At the pre-race athletes' dinner, I was privileged to sit with two very remarkable athletes. Each of us had overcome adversity to be at this race. The man sitting across from me and myself had been successfully recovering from alcoholism for the last nine years. The woman next to me had spent three years recuperating from a horrific bicycle accident. She was recovering from two fractured cervical (neck) vertebrae, a fractured scapula, a torn rotator cuff and severe knee ligament damage. Yet, we were very humbled to discover what tremendous adversity the other incredible athletes had overcome. There were several athletes who had been obese and lost over 100 pounds. There was a man doing his 15th Iron Man who had successfully recovered from an aortic aneurysm. There were numerous athletes racing who had recovered from cancer. Finally, there was a man who would make history if he successfully crossed the finish line. He would be the 1st person ever to complete an Iron Man triathlon after receiving a heart transplant.

Now I fully understand one of the signs I saw near the top of one of the nasty hills. It said, "Suck it up princess." My dad was right. There is always somebody worse off than you are son."

Life is about overcoming adversity.

4. Life is about what is possible.

The biggest hero for me and many of my fellow competitors is Sister Madonna Buder. Sister Madonna is a 78 years old Roman Catholic nun from Spokane Washington. She is well known in the triathlon world for her achievements in age group triathlon races. She began running at age 49, when a priest encouraged her and her fellow nuns to start running. He told them it would harmonize their mind, body and soul and this appealed to Sister Buder. In 2006 she became the oldest person to ever complete the Iron Man triathlon in Hawaii. The loudest and longest applause at this year's 2008 awards banquet was once again for Sister Madonna.

Not only is Sister Buder the oldest female finisher of Ironman Canada, she is the oldest ever to have completed it male or female. She also holds four age group records in this Ironman race which no one in Ironman history has ever done. At an awards' banquet a few years ago Sister Buder received a five minute long standing ovation. The long and loud ovation left Sister Buder speechless and overwhelmed and her eyes filled with tears. The crowd asked for a speech and she told the crowd "I am humbled at your show of enthusiasm but I don't really see what the big deal is!"

Her attitude of gratitude and spiritual energy is an inspiration to us all. She always has an upbeat attitude and claims that her success comes from "training religiously." Her words of advice for the two eighteen year old competitors were to take it 1 step at a time. This race is about "what is possible." Sister Madonna has certainly thrown all the rules about limitations out the window.
Never mind about limitations. Life is about what is possible.

5. Love is the most important thing.

As I mentioned earlier, the Iron Man triathlon is a day filled with every emotion possible. However, at the end of the day, there is one emotion that trumps all others. That emotion is love. There has to be meaning in all of our blood, sweat and tears. Life would be a hollow and sterile existence if we did not have loved ones to share our happiness, sadness, joy and grief. In the longest and darkest hours of my life, I had an extreme burning desire to be with my loved ones. In the happiest and joyful occasions, I always wanted to share them with my family.

It is no surprise than, that I had the support of my family and friends on this day. I can also confidently state that so did my 2300 fellow competitors. During this year's Iron Man, my family and friends were with me in spirit for the entire race. As I struggled up the final summit to Yellow Lake, I was so distraught that I actually thought about quitting after I finished the bike. I was so sick and tired of hearing, "on your left, Larry" before being passed by yet another biker. It was in these profound, gloomy moments that I heard the voice of my Dad say, "c'mon, you can do it!" Dad has always been there for me in good and bad times and I felt him with me as I finally cleared the summit.

As I passed through one of the aid stations on Main Street, a lovely female volunteer walked and talked with me as she passed me some Gatorade. I immediately thought of my Mom and knew that she was there with me even though she still believes after 40 years that "sports are going to kill me."

I also felt the presence of my sister who was afraid throughout my training and preparation that I was going to have an accident on my bike. She said a special prayer for me at her Sunday mass. Perhaps her prayer helped the heroic volunteers detect and remove the 6 miles of tacks that had been dumped on the bike route by some malicious and cowardly lame brained idiots.

Finally, there was the very heart warming feeling of love I felt for my girlfriend Laurie. She would be waiting for me near the finish line. I wore her watch so she would be with me for the entire race. (The only problem was that the numbers on the watch were so small I couldn't really tell how fast I was going.)

I survived the draining and lonely dark run along Main Street with my legs cramping and my gas tank near zero. I could hear the noise and the feel the excitement of the finish line. It was then that I recognized Laurie in a bright orange jacket with about a mile to go in the race. We held hands for a split second and my physical pain seemed to vanish. I have never felt so connected and in love with Laurie as I did in that moment. I had passed through the lonely, dark and depressing anguish into a magical kingdom of love and light. Without a doubt, it was love that kept me moving forward in the deepest and darkest moments of this day.

Without a doubt, I can honestly and adamantly state that the Iron Man triathlon is my life in a nutshell. And on this incredible journey, I found my holy grail.

The inscription read, "Love is the most important thing."

Top 10 Tips and Advice for Easing Pregnancy for Scoliosis Sufferers

Back pain during pregnancy is not a new concept, but for people who suffer from scoliosis require a second thought to be given before, they plan to go through the process of pregnancy. Scoliosis is the disease of the spine in which the posture of the spine is deviated to form S or C shaped curvature, which can turn to be quite painful during pregnancy. However, this is not a reason that why you should postpone your pregnancy, as you can still go through pregnancy by using proper pain management techniques.

Back pain during pregnancy is a normal phenomenon that requires no fear. All the discomforts that you will be facing during pregnancy are because of the pressure that your little one inside your tummy is going to cause. Moreover, if you are a scoliosis patient then the chances of increased back pain is higher than what you would normally expect leaving you with a question of whether the back pain is owing to scoliosis or pregnancy. On the other hand, you will find pregnancy stabilizes scoliosis because of the transition that your body will be going through as a result of the hormonal fluctuations. If only you can follow these top ten tips to manage your back pain during pregnancy, and care should be taken with your scoliosis prescription, which may occasionally cause birth defects.

However, the discussion on back pain management tips will help to alleviate the problem of scoliosis. But before that there are three types of back pain - acute if the back pain does not last longer than three months, recurrent if the back pain occurs repeatedly and chronic back pain, which lasts longer than three months.

The kind of back pain that you will be facing during pregnancy and scoliosis is low back pain, which is found to occur in three different locations. Lumbar pain that may or may not spread down to your legs, sacroiliac pain occurs in the distal and lateral regions of the spine and nocturnal pain are the ones that occurs in the lumbar regions only during night. As mentioned elsewhere, the culprit for the pain could not be abruptly blamed on scoliosis or pregnancy for the possibility could be due to both of them.

1. Practice good posture:

You will find that the center of gravity shifts with the development of your baby and may force you to fall forwards. This could cause a strain on your spine with scoliosis increasing the curvature and the pain. There are some simple things that you can do to help you to alleviate the symptoms of back pain like:

• Stand up straight and tall
• Hold your chest high
• Keep your shoulders relaxed and at the back, do not lean forward.
• Stop locking your knees.
• Sit on a chair that will support your back or use a pillow.

2. Wear the correct clothes and accessories:

What you wear also matters while you are pregnant and is a victim of scoliosis. Some of the clothes that can help you in alleviating the back pain during pregnancy when you are a scoliosis sufferer are the use of maternity pants and supportive waistbands. This is also advisable to wear low-heeled flat shoes to remove the strain that high-heeled shoes can cause on both your spine, back and neck.

3. Lift properly:

Whether you have scoliosis or not you are always asked to lift objects as per the size and weight of the objects in a proper manner to prevent not only back pain, but also to be gentle on your delicate spine. And if you have scoliosis, and on top of that if you are pregnant, see that you lift objects appropriately, for example, lift heavy objects by sitting to the level of the object and then stand up slowly and steadily. If you did ask what to do, I will ask for a second or a third hand too!

4. Sleep properly:

The good thing while you sleep is to have a deep sleep but conscious by developing the habit of sleeping on one side. The doctor will advise you which side to sleep depending on the posture of the baby. This is also advisable to keep your knees bent while you sleep, and place pillows between them (there is no point in giving heed to cultural taboos, just ignore them even if you are hurt), and use another pillow under the abdomen to bear the whole weight and/or use a full length pillow.

5. Try heat or cold or massage therapy:

I will strongly recommend this to anyone suffering from pain for this helped me when I was suffering from severe neck pain. A good hot mat under the area of pain relieves not only the pain but also the fear of catching cold when you use a cold mat. In contrast, the cold massage therapies are also equivalently good and choose the one that works the best for you. Alternatively, you could also ask someone to massage a balm or pain relieving ointments, but only after consult a doctor, for the doctor may suggest a professional massage therapy if required. Listen to your gynecologist and chiropractic, and see that you link both of them.

6. Follow a gentle exercise regime:

These days people become pregnant in their thirties and forties, that they get pregnant pass through their age and are therefore vital that you regularly check with your gynecologist. Besides, if you are suffering from scoliosis, the chances of the back pain becoming severe are higher, despite the established fact that there is no relationship between scoliosis and pregnancy. This is good that you take advice of your gynec to schedule some gentle exercise, which not only helps in making delivery much easier, but might also have a positive effect on your scoliosis condition, alleviating the curvature. Some of the gentle exercises recommended are walking and/or swimming, lower back stretching exercise and other stretching exercises as recommended by the physician.

7. Alternative therapies:

The option of choosing an alternative therapy has to be done only after consulting your chiropractic and gynec. One of the main alternative therapies that have been believed to be of some use in relieving pain is acupuncture therapy. This therapy involves the use of needles to prick at energy points, which in turn somehow happens to activate the natural pain relief system. You will be expecting to be pricked with needles, which will have the pain of a pinprick, and may or may not require several visits to get complete relief from the pain, at least until you deliver the baby to the outside world. Sounds awful, but many who have undergone this therapy recommend and prefer this better than medicines that might have side effects.

8. Yoga:

Prenatal yoga has been described and prescribed by many as one of the best way to tone parts of the body that will be affected by performing yoga. They have found out that the position that is attained during the yoga practice promotes the relaxation of back muscles and relieves the strain of carrying the little one in its bag.

9. Chiropractic care:

The chiropractor could be of immense help, especially if you are already aware of your condition, scoliosis, then this will do good for you to discuss frankly with your physician about your idea of having a baby. This is also best to go to the gynecologist directed by him/her, who will understand the treatment being given and will be helping in giving you a holistic approach to handle the back pain efficiently. While the chiropractor will help in relieving the stress on the nerves, which adds to the already existing woes of scoliosis, and since he knows you before the pregnancy, during the pregnancy and after the pregnancy, stick on to the same chiropractor.

10. A Balanced Nutrition and a Holistic approach:

Whatever you do there is nothing like being healed naturally by boosting your body's immune system and recuperative power. This is the procedure that has been described in detail by a chiropractor, Dr. Kevin Lau, who overcame scoliosis following a strict and disciplined diet based on his body metabolic requirements. However, when this comes to pregnancy, he has been using the same holistic approach of combining the western medicine and the traditional treatment methods of scoliosis with simple pregnancy exercises and appropriate food, which you will be able to formulate only by frankly discussing with your doctor.

Now is that you have ten important and best tips that anyone else can give you to relieve your back pain. As you would have noticed all these tips only tell you what you can do and where you can find some relief from your back pain. Try some of the simple tips like heat or cold pad to relieve the back pain initially, and if these does not help you, never ever venture into something new without consulting your doctor.

Chiropractors Use Adjustments to Alleviate Head and Neck Pain

Headaches and neck pain can be the result of poor posture, stress, or accidents that jar the spinal column out of alignment. If you've been in a car accident in particular, it's likely that you've experienced or are still suffering from the physical trauma of being violently jarred during the accident. A chiropractor has the training and knowledge needed to help bring your head, neck and back into proper alignment again.

A headache may be related to stressful situations going on in your life or to something as simple as poor posture. However, headaches can be a result of an auto accident that has wrenched the victim's neck out of its proper position. A patient may have a headache, known as referred pain, along with pain in the neck. In these cases, the head hurts when the neck is turned in certain ways, or the victim may experience muscle spasms. This type of pain may be the result of whiplash caused by an auto accident. Whiplash is commonly defined as injury to the neck when the head and neck column are suddenly and violently thrust backward and then forward. The neck discs and ligaments are injured when they move well beyond their usual range of motion.

Chiropractors offer chiropractic adjustments that can help the cervical spine, or neck, return as much as possible to its condition before the auto accident. A chiropractic adjustment gently moves the cervical spine in the direction of the injury, either by using a short thrust or gentle movement in the direction of the injury. In addition, muscle relaxation or stimulation can be gently but repeatedly stretched to help the muscle that is unusually tight or tense due to injury. A chiropractor can also provide focused pressure on trigger points to help relieve the pain related to the injury.

Whiplash can become a debilitating chronic condition if it's not treated promptly and properly. A chiropractor will first treat the pain resulting from the severe trauma to the neck and spinal column. Once the pain has been alleviated, the chiropractor can begin focusing on helping the patient regain the movement and range of motion needed for a normal lifestyle. Through manipulation, stress relief and encouragement, the patient who may feel he'll never return to the activities he enjoyed before the accident can gradually add them back to his daily life.

If you or someone you know has been in a car accident and are experiencing some of the symptoms listed above, you should go see a chiropractor and with the use of X-rays determine if you have a larger underlying problem that needs to be addressed.

Penis Enlargement Biofeedback - Enlarging Your Penis Is Easier Than You Think - Learn From the Pros

(Note to the reader: This is a serious article aimed at serious men who are serious about penis enlargement. The information supplied in this article can be used as a valuable tool for penile-size enhancement, if men choose to learn and apply this information. If you are interested in using pills, patches, and creams to enlarge your penis, this article will not be able to help you, as this information is based on natural-exercise methods that actually help men develop and increase the size of their main sexual organ. Thank you.)

Biofeedback is a mechanism in which we monitor certain physiological functions with medical instruments. By examining how our bodies respond under certain circumstances and situations, paired with our mental awareness of such changes - with knowledge of altering these physiological changes - this can allow us to improve ourselves.

This means that if we have a way of measuring how something affects our body's responsive processes, let's say a headache, then through using our mind to try and alter the symptoms of the headache through alterations in mental thought, that we can thus find ways in which to decrease the intensity and pain of the headache.

Enlarging your manhood works in the same way. However, the best way to utilize biofeedback, as a method of increasing your penis size, is through natural penile exercising. Again, pills, creams, and all that other junk you can throw in the garbage, because they won't help you with this. This information is for men who are truly interested in enhancing the size of their penises, not for men who are looking for a bottle of pills in the hope that it will do the work for them.

I knew a chiropractor that could feel a single human hair through two inches of a telephone book. I kid you not. He explained to me how it worked: Chiropractors use their fingers to "sense" and to feel things. This is important because they have to feel bones that are out of place in a person's spine. One of the keys to becoming a "good" chiropractor is to increase the sensory perception ("feeling") of their fingers.

What they do to develop this is to place a single human hair under one page of the inside of a phone book. They close their eyes and feel with their fingers until they locate the hair. Once they find it, they go to two pages. Then three, four, etc. By practicing and developing the fine tactile sensation in their fingers, a good chiropractor can feel the temperature of an object, just from the air that is above the object - without even touching the object.

It's not unlike a blind person developing incredible hearing abilities to compensate for loss of vision. Any part of your body's sensory apparati can be developed if you give it a chance.

Back to penis enlargement: When you are exercising your penis you want things calm and quiet. No phones ringing, no door-bells ringing, no noises, no tv, and no music. You want it to be absolutely quiet.

The reason for this is so you can get feedback from your penis during your enhancement exercises. Your penis will speak to you, I can guarantee you that. But you have to listen. You have to feel it. You will feel it in your sexual organs, your pelvis, your solar plexus, and with your hands.

This is why you don't want anything to disturb you during your enhancement sessions. You do not want to be distracted by anything. You want to focus and feel and listen to what is happening in your penis. You can only do this through concentration and with a total lack of distraction.

Biofeedback uses electronic measuring devices to measure temperature, electrical impulses, breathing, heart rate, and all sorts of other things. When using biofeedback for penile enlargement, I imagine these measuring devices would be very, very useful. However, you do not need them if you concentrate and focus on what you are doing; and by learning how to feel with your hands what you are doing.

Also note that once people become used to their traditional biofeedback treatments, the need for monitoring and measuring through secondary electronic devices is halted. The reason for this is that such devices are no longer needed, as the patient becomes "in tune" with their physiological processes and no longer needs the machine(s) to measure and share this information with them. This should clearly imply to you that such devices are useful, but not necessary, even from the outset of treatment.

What can we learn from getting in touch with our penis? Have you ever noticed the closer you get to orgasm that your heart rate rapidly increases? Have you noticed that your erection gets harder and bigger at this time?

Most men never notice such things. Start to notice these things. (By the way, your heart rate increases, as does the size of your penis, because your body wants to increase the blood pressure to your penis and make it bigger and harder. This is because your body wants your penis to be as deeply nestled in the vagina as possible to better deposit your seminal fluid so that it will have a better chance of fertilizing the egg. Your sensory pleasure receptors also get supercharged and this is what makes your penis more sensitive. This is because the receptors are going berserk, trying to send as much sexual stimulation to your brain as possible to further heighten the orgasmic experience about to erupt.)

When one begins to focus on such things, it is amazing what a man can feel. You can feel your glands priming up for ejaculation, special muscles pre-contracting for that ultimate contraction, other muscles relaxing as specialized muscles contract. Heck, if you really focus on the process of just creating and maintaining an erection, you can feel the valves closing off in your penis. You can feel your heart beating in your penis. The things you can experience are mind-blowing if you take the time to "feel" them.

Back to biofeedback: By focusing and concentrating on your exercises, you will begin to feel the processes of the enlargement process going on. You will know when to work harder and when to back off. You will "instinctively" know what work-outs you need to perform the most. You will be so connected to your manhood and the enlargement process that the entire process will seem to take on a personality and temperament of its own; but one that you are clearly connected to and in complete synchronization with.

This can only be done through receiving this feedback through your own body, and especially, through your own two hands. Your own two hands are the best feedback response mechanism that you have. You just have to develop this sense. To do this, again, you need concentration and a lack of distraction. What is the one thing that men always mention when they have had positive results through enlarging their penises? They always make a point of stating that they did it with their own two hands. Always. These men were able to get connected to their own feedback response, without even realizing it.

Receiving and "feeling" this feedback is essential to the man who wants to enlarge his penis. By understanding where and how your penis responds to the enlargement processes, this is the key to truly enlarging yourself. Time will then be spent on exercises that will provide the best results; and exercises that aren't achieving results will be tossed aside. Only through this form of "feedback" can we produce the largest gains in growth in the shortest amount of time.

What's even better is that utilizing this information will allow a man to concentrate on the techniques that will take a man past his enlargement plateau when he reaches a point where he is no longer making any progress. Another hint worth mentioning is that men who get truly connected to their enhancement programs are less likely to see their increase in size diminish if they stop exercising.

If you want to get bigger, start paying attention to what your penis is telling you through Feedback. I promise it will help you more than you can ever imagine.

Sincerely,

Georg von Neumann

What is Subluxation & Treatment for Back Pain

What is Subluxation?

If you're asking this question, odds are you've been to a chiropractor or spinal specialist and have been diagnosed with a complicated condition. A vertebral subluxation, also simply called a 'subluxation' is a vertebra out of its normal zone of motion, causing interference to the proper function of the nervous system at that level.

Because a subluxation interferes with a primary pathway of your body's internal intelligence, serious health issues can result if they are ignored for prolonged periods. Chronic pain is often the first clue indicating the onset of a subluxation, but subluxations are often present without any related pain, and pain itself is only present after a subluxation has been in place for years.

Much like a cavity will rarely show pain until it has seriously decayed, a subluxation can wreak havoc on your nervous system, causing diseases in the organs the affected nerves innervate unless the subluxation is detected and corrected. Conditions from constipation to asthma can be associated with an underlying dysfunction of the nervous system associated with a spinal subluxation.

For this reason, it is highly recommended a person seek out a full spinal exam, possibly including x-rays, by a chiropractic doctor annually, beginning in early childhood but most certainly before the age of nine (the age at which scoliosis most commonly begins). It's an excellent method of preventative medicine guaranteeing against the onset of severe health issues due to undetected physical blockages of the central nervous system.

Treatment for Back Pain

We all suffer from back pain at one time or another in our lives. In fact, back pain is said to be the single most expensive illness on the planet, draining our economy and our lives more than any other single illness! Unless you've been taught the secrets to proper spinal hygiene, the solution to back pain can seem elusive.

We've taken pills and tried therapy, but back pain tends to return on a regular basis in our lives once we've had that first bout. Often, unless we discover what does work, minor back pain episodes will develop into debilitating, paralyzing episodes of nerve compression and immobility. In fact, there is no drug and no single therapy that can guarantee a constant guard against the progress of back pain in your life. The absolute secret to beating back pain is in restoring flexibility and balance to the entrapped spinal region.

Flexibility guarantees restoration of the proper function of the region. Cartilage will not decay, and nerves, veins, and organs will not become compressed in a balanced, flexible body. In other words, a flexible spine will be less likely to experience pain, and will be more resilient against future injury and degeneration. Degenerative arthritis, spinal decay, degenerative disc disease, and nearly every condition related as the cause of chronic back pain has some association with the loss of flexibility in the area.

Your most powerful weapon against recurring back pain and its eventual onset of more serious degenerative conditions is in discovering a home program that will outline the keys to restoring your spinal strength and flexibility. The added good news is, a proper flexibility program will bring more weight burning energy and personal power to your life than any other physical fitness program, and can take as little as a few minutes per day.

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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - 3 Secrets You Can Start Using Now to Help Ease Your Pain

Carpal tunnel syndrome is such a painful and debilitating hand condition. Sadly, it affects millions of people.

Do you have pain, tingling, numbness and burning sensations in your thumb and first three fingers? Do you ever lose your ability to grip; pick things up, move objects and control motions that require fine detail. Carpal tunnel syndrome can cost people their jobs, hobbies, peace of mind and quality of daily living, not to mention hundreds and even thousands of dollars on treatments and lost wages.

If you have been diagnosed or suffer from one or more of these symptoms, or if you simply want to do everything you can do to protect your hands from injuries...you will find my tips very helpful. Here are the 3 simple secrets you can start using immediately to help ease your pain and prevent further injury.

1. Keep Both Hands In a Neutral Position When Performing Tasks

Neutral positioning is when the wrist is kept as straight as possible, not deviating more than a small degree into any particular angle. Here is an example of how this secret can be applied...

If you are pushing a door open, you do not want to use a flat hand on the door and push through. This action causes the wrist to be in full extension and then a considerable amount of pressure is applied to the bent wrist causing a narrowing of the carpal tunnel and weakening of the wrist. When the carpal tunnel is narrowed the nerve gets pinched which can cause the pain, tingling or numbness to flare up. Instead you should either use a fist with your knuckles gently contacting the door and your wrist perfectly straight, or place your entire forearm against the door as you push the door open.

One specific industry in which I have observed a lot of wrist and hand problems develop was in food service. Servers carrying heavy trays overhead tended to bend their wrists into extreme extension causing a great potential for hand injuries. As an alternative you can hold the tray using your fingertips instead of a flat hand. This will help protect your wrist and carpal tunnel from enduring such a high level of stress.

These changes can take time to get used to. Your fingers will get stronger and your wrists will become more stable as you begin to add these modifications to your lifestyle. Other activities which you should attempt to position your wrists more neutrally include... floor exercises such as push ups or planks. Instead of using a flat hand against the floor, do them using your fists with the knuckles pointing downward into the floor.

Another common activity that causes added stress is using your hands to push yourself up from a seated position. As opposed to using your hands in a bent back position, rather practice using your fists with your knuckles pointing downward into the seat or onto the arms of the chair.

Also be particularly careful when you use a keyboard or mouse while you are working at the computer. Be mindful of proper support and positioning of your forearms. Do not allow your arms to hang off of the workstation, because this causes extreme bending at the wrists. Likewise if your workstation is too high or low you will notice that your wrists bend into extreme ranges of flexion or extension which leads to fatigue and potential problems.

2. Give Your Hands Periods of Rest When Doing Constant Repetitive Motions

Most carpal tunnel cases are caused by repetitive motions. Doing the same action over and over without a break can cause your hands to fatigue which leads to injury if ignored. Just take a couple of minutes every hour to allow your hands to rest. Without proper rest your muscles, tendons and ligaments begin to fatigue and cannot adequately support the joints and bones of your wrists and hands. When the support wears down the structure begins to lose its integrity and the bones begin to migrate out of normal alignment causing nerves to be pinched and irritated. At this point the bones must be properly realigned by a board certified chiropractor that has been through specific hand technique training.

3. Always Include Proper Hand Stretching and Warm Up Before Any Prolonged Activities

If you observe any good athlete they will always stretch their muscles and joints before practice or a game. This is because they know that a good warm up will greatly enhance their performance and flexibility as well as reduce the potential for injuries. In much the same way, when you stretch your hands and wrists before any prolonged or strenuous activity it increases nerve and blood supply to the muscles and ligaments providing you with much better endurance. You do not have to take an hour to warm up; rather just a minute or two will do the job giving you flexibility and strength. During your periodic breaks and at the end of the day it is also a good idea to repeat your stretching routine to refresh your hands.