I am extremely grateful that my work as a Doctor of Chiropractic has enabled me to help many people overcome pain and disease. I know that my life’s work is helping people lead healthier, happier lives.

The work we’re doing in our Monmouth County office takes this objective a step further.
In addition to helping patients with their pain, we focus on postural correction to provide optimal structural alignment for the patients we treat. Ensuring correct posture and spinal alignment will guarantee a longer life.

Around the time I was born in 1970, the average number of years a man could expect to live was 70.8. Since that time, the population has become better educated on a number of fronts; we understand more about proper diet and fewer people smoke. Today, life expectancy in the United States is 77.7 years. Of course, this number varies between gender (women live longer than men) and across socioeconomic classes.

I know that we can do better.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society* has confirmed what many of us have known all along—that posture is directly related to longevity. The study followed 1,353 patients for an average of 4.2 years. It confirmed, at least theoretically, what many chiropractors have been saying for years: poor posture, including forward head posture, slumped shoulders, and excessive kyphosis in the mid-back, is a major cause of decreased lifespan.

When viewed from the side, the neck should have a c-shaped curve. Poor posture, which can be caused by a variety of factors, leads to a loss or even a reversal in the normal curvature of the neck. Often, it results in a forward head position. Additionally, poor posture can lead to something call hyperkyphosis or increased forward bend in the torso. This position overtime will lead to degeneration of one’s health by means of several physiological processes such as organ compression, nerve compression, and arthritis just to name a few.

Hyperkyphosis is a ubiquitous problem in geriatric populations. It comes as no surprise that this forward slumping posture is more common in men than women (it is found in 44% and 22%, respectively), since we already know that women live longer than men.

The study results showed that patients with hyperkyphosis had a greater rate of mortality than those without this postural issue (1.44 times greater). It was also discovered that the worse the hyperkyphosis, the likelier the patient would suffer from an early death.

Basically, hyperkyphotic posture predicts increased mortality because the problem increases the rate of physiological aging. People are dying earlier deaths because of a problem that can be corrected!

Proper Posture for Longer Life at Monmouth Spine and Rehabilitation
Our practice is dedicated to correcting posture and ensuring proper spinal alignment so that our patients can live the longest, healthiest lives possible. Our facility emphasizes the importance of correcting postural distortion by remodeling the spine to a normal position through the use of Chiropractic Biophysics (CBP). CBP corrects whole spinal misalignments and posture in order to achieve better overall well-being and extended life.

Based on biomechanics and physics, CBP surpasses the goal of reducing the symptoms of hyperkyphosis. The purpose of this treatment is to restore the spine to structural normalcy in order for the body to function properly in every way.

Treatment for hyperkyphosis and all postural concerns at Monmouth Spine and Rehabilitation is one of our primary commitments. Please contact our facility to learn more about our full range of services.

*Hyperkyphotic Posture Predicts Mortality in Older Community-Dwelling Men and Women: A Prospective Study
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
From: Volume 52 Issue 10, October 2004, Page 1662
Deborah M. Kado, MD; Ms. Mei-Hua Huang; DrPH; Arun S. Karlamangla, MD, PhD; Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, MD and Gail A. Greendale, MD.

In my years of practice, I have seen patients with a wide array of health problems. From back pain to migraine headaches, the one constant indicator of successful treatment is the desire for success. My philosophy about living the healthiest life, free of pain and disease, resolves around one simple concept: the commitment to make a change.

One of the most frustrating health issues for me to witness is the addiction to cigarettes. Most smokers make an effort to hide their smoking habit—especially when they are near me or any other health practitioner—by covering up the lingering smell with breath mints or by washing their hands. But the deleterious effects of smoking on appearance are not quite so easy to hide.

Did you know that the term ‘smoker’s face’ is actual medical terminology? First published in the British Medical Journal, ‘smoker’s face’ involves lines and wrinkles on the face; gauntness of facial features; and a grey appearance of the skin.

Smoking is the main cause of preventable death and causes one in every five deaths; most smokers already know this. But I’ve found addiction to be a stubborn and interesting condition; the craving for nicotine makes it easy to push aside all of these statistics and continue to smoke.

It’s not quite so easy to avoid looking in the mirror.

Skin, Teeth, and Nails

Let’s take a look at the truth about smoking and appearance. We know that smoking can cause stained and discolored teeth; premature aging and skin wrinkling; yellow and discolored fingernails; bad breath; and hair loss and thinning.

Smoking cigarettes impairs the ability of the skin to regenerate itself by causing a narrowing of the blood vessels, reducing blood supply to the skin. Without this blood supply, the skin is deprived of oxygen, which is necessary for all living cells. When the skin is denied the necessary environment for regeneration, collagen levels are reduced (keep in mind that collagen is the principal structural protein holding the skin together) and the healing process is thwarted.

Then, of course, there is the battle of good versus evil— anti-oxidant versus free radical—that takes place every time you inhale. Organisms age because cells accumulate free radical damage over time. Every drag on a cigarette results in more than a trillion free radicals!

Quitting Smoking Naturally through Acupuncture

I know that the vast majority of smokers want to quit, but just don’t know how. In my years as a holistic physician, I have sought out the best possible cessation treatments, and have found acupuncture to be extremely helpful to those who have made the commitment to quit smoking. In fact, the success rate at Monmouth Spine and Rehabilitation Center is approximately 75%. Recently, we successfully treated a patient who informed me during her consultation that she smoked four packs per day. I questioned her asking how she found the time to smoke 80 cigarettes per day. She informed me that it completely consumed her time and that she woke up every night between two and three A.M. just to smoke a couple of cigarettes before returning to sleep. After three acupuncture treatments she was sleeping through the night and her cigarette intake was down 50%!

Acupuncture is successful because it helps with the withdrawal symptoms of smoking cessation, including headaches, irritability, and restless sleep. Overall, acupuncture helps your body return to a natural balance by speeding up the detoxification process and helping to reduce cravings.

The Quit Smoking Now program at Monmouth Spine and Rehabilitation recommends that patients go “cold turkey” after the first acupuncture treatment. The treatment plan usually includes five treatments over a several weeks, but each patient is evaluated and treated according to his or her individual needs.

Please contact Monmouth Spine and Rehabilitation Center now for a complimentary consultation to determine whether you are a candidate for our Quit Smoking Now program.

Bill allows New Jersey’s chiropractors to enhance the way they treat and manage patients.

On January 18, 2010, former New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine signed new scope-of-practice legislation that will benefit not only the chiropractic profession in New Jersey but, more importantly, the state’s chiropractic patients.

This legislation updates a practice statute that was outdated and overly restrictive. The signing marks the first time New Jersey’s scope-of-practice regulations have been amended since 1953.

Dr. Steven Clarke, president of the Association of New Jersey Chiropractors (ANJC), says, “We are very proud of our efforts on behalf of this bill and the impact it will have not just for the chiropractic profession, but, most importantly, the one million patients we treat statewide each year that benefit from chiropractic care.”

Key points of the new scope-of-practice stipulations:

• Makes it unlawful for any person, other than a N.J. licensed chiropractor, to render a utilization management decision that limits, restricts, or curtails a course of chiropractic care.
• Consistent with chiropractic practice, allows chiropractors to provide a full complement of diagnostic and analytical tests similar to other physicians.
• Permits chiropractors to provide dietary/nutritional counseling, and the ability to dispense nutritional supplements.
• The term chiropractic subluxation is written into the statute for the first time.
• Permits chiropractors to diagnose, analyze, and treat all joints and soft tissues of the body independent of spinal subluxation.
• Splinting and bracing will be put into law so that collars, braces, and sports taping are forever adjuncts to chiropractic care.
• Requires chiropractors to maintain malpractice liability insurance.
• Requires chiropractors to complete 30 credits for continuing education every two years.
• Permits chiropractors to administer physical modalities and therapeutic, rehabilitative, and strengthening exercises.
• Chiropractors can sign or certify temporary or permanent impairments and other certifications consistent with a chiropractic practice, such as pre-employment screenings.

The ability to provide dietary and nutritional counseling is particularly noteworthy. Despite the fact that nutrition is a basic element of chiropractic training, New Jersey had been the only state in the nation whose chiropractors were unable to provide this crucial service to patients.

At Monmouth Spine and Rehabilitation Center, we provide nutritional education and support through consultation, and look forward to guiding you down the path to total wellness and nutritional health.

There is one stipulation, however, that will not affect our practice: the requirement for continued education. While there are many chiropractors in New Jersey, there are few as dedicated to continued education as the team of practitioners at Monmouth Spine and Rehabilitation Center.

Study finds acupuncture to be more effective than standard medical treatments.

It has been estimated that up to 80% of the population will suffer from back pain at some point, with the lower back as the most prevalent location of pain. The most common origin of this condition is injury to the muscles, ligaments, and joints, but it can also result from osteoarthritis, a herniated disc, or a myriad of other disorders. Lower back pain is also a problem that worsens exponentially, as sufferers are more likely to walk or move in ways to avoid pain, thereby causing soreness in areas that were not previously affected.

With so many people turning to alternative therapies for medical conditions these days, it’s no wonder that many with lower back pain are investigating the ancient technique of acupuncture as a possible treatment option. Acupuncture is the procedure of inserting and manipulating filiform needles into various areas of the body to relieve pain or for therapeutic purposes. In recent years, acupuncture has been gaining in popularity as an alternative to traditional medical intervention. It is most often used in those with chronic pain conditions, including (but not limited to) arthritis; back, neck, knee, and shoulder pain; carpal tunnel syndrome; and sciatica.

The benefits and effectiveness of acupuncture are becoming more widely understood, and the practice is gaining acceptance on numerous fronts—from patients themselves to the traditional medical community. Last year, the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society released a joint statement endorsing acupuncture as a nondrug option for clinicians to recommend when standard treatments for lower back pain do not work.

However, a recent study has shown that acupuncture is actually more effective than standard medical treatments. This study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, found that a seven-week course of acupuncture helped many patients ease the pain of chronic lower back pain.*

The patients who volunteered for the study all ranked their chronic low back pain as at least a three on a scale of zero to 10. Researchers divided the patients into several groups. Some received the usual care for their back pain: medicine and checkups at their doctors. Other groups got acupuncture.

While only 40% of the usual care group saw improvements, around 60% of the acupuncture group improved. As researcher Dan Cherkin, a senior investigator at Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle, explains, “The people who got acupuncture were more likely to do better.”

Furthermore, those in the acupunture groups were also more likely than usual care patients to have improvements in their condition after a year of treatment (65% as opposed to 50%, respectively).

If you have been suffering with lower back pain, consider Monmouth Spine and Rehabilitation Center for Acupuncture. Our facility provides skilled New Jersey Certified Acupuncturists with years of experience and knowledge to get you started with acupuncture therapy.

*This study is published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

As Monmouth County braces itself for yet another snowstorm, it’s time to learn how to remove snow properly and avoid back pain and injuries.

Meteorologists have sent out the warning—a snow storm is making its way to New Jersey. This possible blizzard is likely to hit our state late on Friday night and continue through Saturday, with an accumulation of up to a foot of snow.

For some, this weather forecast predicts more than just precipitation—it may also foretell the common injuries and back pain associated with shoveling. Last December, we blogged on this subject after that month’s massive snow storm filled our office with patients complaining of back pain.

The most common injury associated with shoveling snow is a disc herniation, an injury to the lumbar discs (cushions between the vertebrae and nerves). Bending and twisting while carrying large loads of snow can cause these disc injuries. Furthermore, slips and falls on snow and ice can cause muscle pain, bruises, and even damage to the spine.

Monmouth Spine and Rehabilitation recommends a spinal adjustment following snow shoveling regardless of whether or not you are experiencing pain. Shoveling snow may cause injury to your back despite a lack of symptoms.

This month, before the snow hits, we’d like to remind you of the following tips for avoiding injury, and for choosing the right shovel for the job:

Tips for preventing back pain and injury:

• Get warmed up! Cold muscles are easily injured; it’s a good idea to warm up before you start heavy lifting and shoveling.
• Snow is lighter when it is fresh. Try to clear the snow as it comes, rather than attempting to remove it once it has become dense and compacted on the ground.
• Choose an ergonomic shovel (learn more about choosing the correct shovel below).
• Create traction. Use sand and or salt to avoid slips, trips, and falls.
• Remember to lift with your legs and not your back. Bend at the knees and maintain good posture while shoveling.
• Push, don’t lift. If it’s possible, pushing heavy snow will always be easier than trying to lift it.
• When lifting a load of snow, avoid bending, twisting, or throwing snow over your shoulder.
• Take your time and do not try to lift too much.

Tips for choosing a shovel:

• Consider ergonomics: A shovel with a curved handle may help you keep your back straighter and reduce spinal stress.
• Choose a plastic shovel—isn’t the snow heavy enough?
• While you may not be able to shovel as much snow in every load, choosing a shovel with smaller blades can ensure each load will weigh less and therefore put less strain on your back.
• Choose a shovel that was expressly designed for pushing snow. It’s much easier to push snow than to lift it!
Do not hesitate to call our office and schedule an appointment if you have back pain or have been injured. Monmouth Spine and Rehabilitation is prepared with multiple strategies—including (but not limited to) laser therapy, electrotherapy, massage therapy, chiropractic adjustments, ultrasound, and acupuncture to treat the types of injuries associated with shoveling snow.
In the meantime, enjoy watching the snow fall and stay safe during the snowstorm!

For those who are tired, out of breath, or suffering from neck, shoulder, or back pain—your posture may be to blame.

Some things your mother told you aren’t necessarily true. For example, it isn’t essential to wait an hour between eating and swimming. But on one important point, your mother was right—you really do need to stand up straight!

On a mental level, poor posture projects an image of low self-esteem, depression, and fatigue. From a physiological perspective, a misaligned postural pattern can do some pretty serious damage to your overall health.

Let’s take a look at how incorrect posture can affect three key areas of health: energy, breathing, and pain in the neck, shoulders, and back. It’s important to keep in mind that all of these factors are working in harmony (or, in some cases, disharmony) with each other.

• Energy: The link between posture and energy levels is not immediately intuitive; it’s hard to see just how poor posture could possibly affect something so seemingly unrelated. But think about it- if your head weighs ten pounds, the load on your spinal tissues is ten pounds, right? However, if your head has moved forward due to incorrect posture, that load is increased by a factor of ten with each additional inch. So, if you are carrying your head just two inches forward from its proper position, your head is loading 30 pounds to the supporting tissues, 40 pounds if your head is three inches forward, and so on. This additional pressure is being stressed through your neck and shoulders. It’s pretty obvious that someone carrying even ten pounds of additional weight will have less energy, and that fatigue can become a serious problem.

• Breathing: Did you know that the muscles that assist in good posture also function in the act of breathing? Neither your ribs nor your lungs can draw in a single breath without help. The chest is powered by the muscles sandwiched between the ribs in partnership with the diaphragm, which stretches along the bottom of the ribcage. Effective posture produces the largest intake of oxygen for each breath while investing the least amount of energy. Without correct posture, the muscles across the front of the chest grow short and tight while the muscles across the back become overstretched and useless; eventually, this leads to a wearing-down of spinal discs and vertebrae. What begins as a bad habit involving the muscles eventually becomes a crisis for the bones and joints.

According to Roger Sperry, who won the Nobel Prize for Brain Research in 1980, “The more mechanically distorted a person is, the less energy is available for thinking, metabolism, and healing.”

• Pain in the neck, shoulders, and back: As previously stated, incorrect posture can lead to excessive pressure on the spine in the act of supporting the head. Other issues involve neck pain that is caused by pressure on the nerves which, in turn, creates inflammation in that area. In the neck, it is ideal to have a well defined neck C-curve. Ideally, this curve should be the shape of an arc or part of a circle. This enables the spinal cord and nerves to function properly. When there is any loss of that normal curvature in the neck, there will be pressure on the nervous system. This pressure can cause pain in the neck and shoulders and, over time, this pressure will degenerate your health.

Back pain can also be caused by poor posture. When the spine is not in proper alignment, the muscles, ligaments, and spinal joints are all under additional stress. Additionally, the cushioning, shock absorbing discs that are between the vertebrae can become overly stressed and subject to injury.

To make matters worse, poor posture can eventually lead to degeneration and arthritis in the spine. Arthritis can be defined as inflammation and swelling in the joints of the skeletal system. This low grade inflammation of the joints can cause degeneration of the joint space and can break down the integrity of the bone around the joint. The result is often pain and limited activity.

Let’s take a look at some statistics surrounding arthritis*:

• An estimated 46 million adults in the U.S. are affected by arthritis. This painful condition is the nation’s most common cause of disability.

• In 2003 alone, the total cost of arthritis was $128 billion, including $81 billion in direct medical costs and $47 billion in lost earnings.

• Each year, arthritis results in 992,100 hospitalizations and 44 million outpatient visits.

• Decreased activity may result in other medical conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Every day, our highly trained team of licensed New Jersey Rehabilitation professionals treats postural issues and the many forms of arthritis caused by such issues. Structural rehabilitation, including advanced chiropractic techniques and functional rehabilitation through physical therapy, are used collaboratively to design a program to treat or prevent the various problems associated with incorrect posture and arthritis.

Contact us immediately if you are interested in a complimentary consultation to see whether we can help you with your posture.

*Statistics taken from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Arthritis. Meeting the Challenge: At A Glance 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/AAG/arthritis.htm

Shoveling Snow is one of the Worst Things you can do to Your Back

Monmouth County was recently battered with the massive snow storm which blanketed the area with almost two feet of snow.  Our office has been filled with individuals complaining of back pain caused from shoveling.  Most realized when shoveling snow that what they were doing could cause them harm.  However, I believe most do not realize just how much harm shoveling snow can cause to your back.

Back Pain Caused from Shoveling Snow

Consider for a moment what you are doing to yourself when you shovel snow.  You twist your body.  You bend. You extend forward.  You lift. You throw the snow back behind you or worse, you throw it forward.  These are all actions that create a significant amount of stress and potential injury to your back. The upside to shoveling snow is that you have a clear path.  The downside is that you risk permanent back injury including a significant increased risk of injuring your lumbar discs (cushions between the vertebrae and nerves).   This injury is called a disc herniation.   Actually, shoveling snow causes injury to your back whether you feel it or not.  If you are a little sore following shoveling, in most cases this indicates back injury.  If you have back pain following shoveling snow, this clearing indicates back injury.

It’s Not only Your Back that You have to Worry About

Shoveling snow also increases your risk of having a heart attack (1). Researchers have found an increase risk in the number of fatal heart attacks by those individuals that have shoveled snow during heavy snowfalls.

This rise may be due to the sudden demand that shoveling places on an individual’s heart. Snow shoveling may cause a quick increase in heart rate and blood pressure. One study found that after a short time shoveling, one’s heart rate increased to rates higher than those achieved during aerobic exercise.  (2)  This is equivalent to waking up in the morning, rolling out of bed and then sprinting as fast as you can out your front door and down the street five blocks.  This is not healthy for the heart.  The additional stress caused to the heart increases the risk of heart failure.

Tips to Avoid Injury

•    Cold muscles are easily injured so warm up before you start heavy lifting and shoveling.
•    Choose an ergonomic shovel.
•    Use sand and or salt to avoid slips, trips and falls.
•    Remember to lift with your legs not your back, bend at the knees and maintain good posture while shoveling.
•    If possible push the snow rather than trying to lift it.
•    When lifting a load of snow avoid bending, twisting, and throwing over the shoulder.
•    Take your time and do not try to lift too much.

If you have back pain or have been injured in any way, do not hesitate to call the office and schedule an appointment.  Lying in bed or on the couch and taking pain killers is not a recommended treatment.  Because Monmouth Spine and Rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary facility, there are many ways to go about treating these types of injuries such as laser therapy, electrotherapy, massage therapy, chiropractic adjustments, ultrasound, acupuncture, and more. If you have any questions or would like any additional information please feel free to contact us at 732.345.1377. Have a healthy holiday season and a great 2010.

(1)    Franklin, B.A., Hogan, P., Bonzheim, K., Bokalyar, D., Terien, E., Gordon, S., Timmis, G. “Cardiac Demands on Heavy Snow Shoveling.” Journal of the American Medical Association, 244, 1799-1801: 1995.
(2)    Strand, B., Terbizan, D., Isrow, D. “The Effects of Shoveling Snow on Heart Rate Intensities of Young Adults.” North Dakota Journal of Human Services, 2(3), 20-24: 1999.

Even at low speeds, automobile accidents can cause injuries to the neck and back.  Headaches are common after automobile accidents with speeds as little as 5mph.  How?  It is a matter of basic math and physics.  It goes something like this: You take an object such as an SUV weighing 5000 lbs.  You take another object such as a car weighing 4000 lbs.  The two vehicles have a collision at a speed of 8 mph.  Any objects inside of the vehicles accelerate far greater than the speed of the vehicle at impact.  So if the vehicle is moving at 8 mph, an individual inside the vehicle may accelerate after impact to approximately 15 mph and the neck of that individual may accelerate to approximately 25 mph.

The body’s reflexes respond to this acceleration by tightening the muscles in the neck in an attempt to stabilize and protect the muscles, the nerves and the spinal cord in the neck.  This creates a whiplash effect which can cause significant injury in both low and high speed auto accidents (1).

Often times you will come away from an auto accident feeling stunned and a little sore, but will not have significant pain.  The next day you may feel some neck and/or back pain.  Then a few days later the headaches may begin.  This is called Delayed Onset of Symptoms.  There is an abundant amount of medical literature describing Delayed Onset of Symptoms (2).  This type of presentation of symptoms is very common, very insidious, and needs to be treated in a timely manner.

These delayed symptoms need to be taken seriously and may indicate a significant injury.  Many of my patients are taken to the emergency room following a motor vehicle accident where Xrays are taken.  Most of the time, the Xrays do not show any broken bones.  The ER diagnosis typically is Sprain/Strain and the patient is released with pain and muscle relaxer medications.

The emergency room is designed to treat emergencies.  Once they establish that you are not in a critical or intensive state, you are released.  By no means does this mean you are well.  A follow up with your doctor or with a doctor that specializes in motor vehicle accident injuries is important.

At Monmouth Spine and Rehabilitation Center, our team of doctors are highly trained to treat New Jersey auto accident injuries.  We treat auto accidents on a regular basis and have since 1998.    We are a primary care facility located in Red Bank New Jersey and you do not need a referral to make an appointment.  If you or someone you know has been injured in an automobile accident, do not hesitate to contact us for a complimentary consultation.

References
1 – A Distinct Pattern of Myofascial Findings in Patients After Whiplash Injury
Archives of Physical Medicine and  Rehabilitation
Volume 89, Issue 7, July 2008, p 1290-1293

2 – Delayed-onset post-traumatic headache after a motor vehicle collision: a case report
Maja Stupar, BSc, DC and Peter SY Kim, BSc, DC, FCCS(C)*
* Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, Division of Clinical Education, 6100 Leslie Street, Toronto, ON M2H 3J1
Corresponding Author: Maja Stupar BSc, DC, 115–140 Leeward Glenway, Toronto, ON M3C 2Y9 Tel: (416) 587-4740.

During my last blog I discussed the commitment it takes to make a change.  I think that quitting smoking is an appropriate follow up to that article especially considering that smoking is a health issue that directly or indirectly affects all Americans.  Most people are aware that smoking causes disease.  Most smokers would like to quit.   In order to quit smoking, one’s commitment must be great enough to overcome the physical and mental cravings associated with cigarette smoking.  This is a great challenge.  Even the President of the United States has not successfully committed to overcoming this addiction.

Recent statistics suggest that cigarette smoking and the use of other tobacco products cause approximately 500,000 American deaths each year.  Almost 50,000 of those deaths are caused indirectly from second hand smoke.  From this amazing statistic it is fair to say that if you are a smoker, you will die from your habit.  And again, statistics show that most smokers want to quit.  However, the statistics do not quantify or measure one’s desire to quit.  In order to quit, your “want” or commitment to quit has to be stronger than the physical and mental addiction.

I began to be aware of how strong the smoking addiction was as a child.  My mother was a smoker.  Have you ever driven down the road and noticed someone smoking in the car next to you?  You then see three children securely fastened in their car seats in the back.  The front window is opened slightly to allow the smoke to exit the vehicle.  Do you question, how much smoke is really getting out of the car and how much is going into those children’s lungs?  Will those children be a part of the 50,000 to die from second hand smoke?  Will those children become smokers and consequently one of the 500,000 to die each year?  Do you wonder if it would be safer to hang those children from the roof of the car rather than be exposed to the insidious effects of toxic, cancer causing cigarette smoke?  Well, like many of you reading, I was one of those children in the back seat.   And my mother was at the time in the 1970s ignorant to the deleterious effects of smoking.  Once she learned that smoking caused harm, she quit immediately – cold turkey.  How did she quit? In her case, the emotional guilt associated with causing harm to her children was stronger than her mental and physical addictions.

I also had an experience with a patient that profoundly shaped my understanding of how strong the smoking addiction is.  A few years ago I was treating her for upper back pain.  She reported that she was a smoker and had been for thirty years.  I took X-rays and those X-rays revealed no disease.  Her back pain resolved, but not completely.  She discontinued treatment and then returned a year later with more pain.  She was losing weight and did not know why.  I suggested she get some blood work analyzed.  It turned out that a grapefruit-sized malignant tumor had grown in one of her lungs.  She had it successfully removed.  She continued to work with me through the process for supportive wellness care.  I provided her with a massage type treatment and gentle chiropractic care to help her with the pain.  During one of her treatments with me, with fresh scars on her chest and back, I could smell smoke on her.  I asked her how the smoking cravings were, assuming that she quit but now questioning my assumption.  She looked at me and said: “Doc, I am ashamed to say it, but I am still smoking. I can’t quit. It is disgusting and I know it’s bad, but I can’t stop.”

At that moment, I fully realized how incredibly strong the smoking addiction and craving can be.  I made the commitment at that time to do what I could as a holistic physician to help people quit smoking naturally by changing the cravings and addictions.  I found acupuncture to be a very successful modality to help people quit smoking.

Monmouth Spine and Rehabilitation Center has been treating smoking cessation very successfully with acupuncture.  Our success rate is approximately 75%.  And this statistic factors in all of our cases.  We recently had success with a person that smoked three to four packs daily.  This included waking up a few times each night out of her sleep to smoke.  She cut down 90% in just two treatments and is now sleeping through the night.

Acupuncture helps with the withdrawal symptoms of headaches, irritability and restless sleep.  Acupuncture helps curb cravings and helps your body detoxify more quickly.  Overall, acupuncture helps your body return to a natural balance.

Our Quit Smoking Now program includes the recommendation of going “cold turkey” after the first treatment.  The recommended treatment plan is built on an individual basis but typically includes five treatments over a period of two to three weeks.
By the way, do not be afraid of the needles.  They are so thin that most people do not even feel them and they do not cause you to bleed.

Please contact Monmouth Spine and Rehabilitation Center now for a complimentary consultation to determine whether you are a candidate for the Quit Smoking Now Program we offer.

All of the patients that I see here at Monmouth Spine and Rehabilitation are looking for health solutions.  Many have pain.  Most want to feel better, they want to make a change, and they want a better life.  During my private consultation with my patients, I often discuss this “want” factor and how important it really is.  I feel out my patient.  I may ask, “Are you willing to do what it takes to get the results you are looking for?”

After several thousands of these consultations during a period of more than twelve years I have found one common denominator that leads to the success in over 99% of the cases that I treat.  This common denominator is the individual’s commitment to getting better.  I may want to help the patient. However, if they are not committed to getting well, then breakdowns will occur.

I have found a direct correlation between one’s willingness to commit to doing what it takes to get well and the results they realize.  When someone looks me directly in the eyes and tells me they want to get well and that they are willing to do what it takes to get there, then amazing things begin to happen.  These are the patients that most commonly feel better very quickly.  More importantly, these are the patients that get better and realize complete health.  During the course of treatment, these are the patients that do not miss appointments, they are always on time, and they participate attentively in their treatment plan.

On the other hand, there are those patients that come to me with the same level of pain, but perhaps not the same level of commitment.  During the consultation when I ask them what they are looking for they may start talking about how their significant other insisted that they see me or that they have had this chronic pain condition for twenty years but, “It’s really nothing doc.”

In both of the preceding examples of the different types of patients, the important point to understand is that they both presented with the same level of pain or the same condition.  One is clearly looking to get better.  The other patient is not quite clear with what they want.

I found this to be an interesting phenomenon and I investigated further.  Most research in rehabilitative medicine suggests that the best results are obtained when the patient is compliant with their doctor’s recommended care plan.  Let’s look at the example of back pain and neck pain.  If the back pain or neck pain is caused by a problem with a spinal disc or nerve then a standard rehabilitation program to correct this problem takes a minimum of two months.  This two month program is relatively standard involving a combination of various modalities which may include chiropractic, physical therapy, acupuncture, and involve the use of decompression traction or other corrective tools.  Treatments last about an hour and the patient is required to be treated a minimum of three times per week.

There is not a great deal of wiggle room with the rehabilitative protocols that are established in the scientific literature.   The program is determined by the scientific research in the field of rehabilitation.  If the research defines a treatment plan for a specific condition and determines that this plan is the necessary protocol to correct a specific problem, in this example a spinal problem, then it is this protocol that will be followed to accomplish the task.

At this point in my career I will typically know during the initial consultation and examination whether or not a patient will get results.  I will consult with them, exam them and review with them their MRIs, X-rays, and any other diagnostic reports they bring to me.   I may take new X-rays and perhaps perform a diagnostic test.   I will determine at that point whether or not they are a candidate for care in my office.

In most cases, after I have completed my analysis, I will determine that the patient has a condition that I can help them with.  However, this does not automatically qualify them for treatment in my rehabilitation center.  In order for me to be confident that they will get results and that neither the patient nor I will be wasting our time, I need to know that they are committed to getting well.  I need to know that they want to get better.  Otherwise, there will be upset.  If the patient is not committed, then they may begin missing appointments and then question me or other practitioners about why they do not feel better.

When I first became a licensed physician, I assumed that everyone that came to see me for pain wanted to get out of pain.  What I realize now is that some people are not ready to get out of pain.  They have not committed to getting well within themselves.  Experience has taught me to not only establish whether or not I can help the patient with the condition they present with, but also to establish that the patient is really committed to getting well.  Something I like to share with my patients, particularly those that are struggling with a difficult condition is this: there is always a solution to your problem; you simply have to want to find it.

• The following quotation by W.H. Murray during the Scottish Himalayan Expedition during the mid 20th century has always inspired me:

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.

Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans – that the moment one definitely commits oneself, the Providence moves too.

All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred.  A whole stream of events issues from the decision raising in one’s favor, all manner of unforeseen incidents, and meetings, and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.”