I believe giving the patient the best possible care with the best results and doing this all within one convenient location is truly integrated care.  We strive for this model of care in our clinic at Affinity Medical Group with the use of medical, chiropractic, acupuncture, physical rehabilitation, massage, and nutrition.  I foresee health care moving toward this model in the future if we are to give patients what they want and need.

Many people can have nerve irritation from arthritis or degenerative discs in their neck that can compress spinal nerves as they exit the spinal cord in that area.  Pain and numbness can travel all the way from the neck into the hand and fingers in this situation.  Tight muscles in the shoulder or forearm can also cause carpal tunnel-like symptoms when the median nerve is compressed.  If the main cause of your symptoms stems from your neck or forearm, getting carpal tunnel surgery will likely not provide long-term relief of your discomfort.  Chiropractic care is a great conservative option for treating spinal and shoulder conditions that may be the real cause of your carpal tunnel symptoms before you go under the knife.

Chiropractic care is truly preventative health care in children by helping their bodies’ function as close to their human potential as possible while identifying and treating small problems early before they develop in to larger ones as the child ages.  Do you and your child a favor and get them an evaluation to see how chiropractic can help them stay active and healthy during the best years of their life… just being a kid.

I don’t know about you, but the negative aspects of consuming diet sodas seems to outweigh the small amount of pleasure you receive from drinking them.  If you are concerned enough about your diet to drink something with zero calories, I suggest doing was is best for you and drinking a large glass of water instead.

Considering the risks and costs associated with spinal surgery, chiropractic seems to make sense as the first option for care in many cases of disc degeneration with sciatica symptoms.  About 200,000 such surgeries happen in the U.S. each year at an average cost of $25,000.  That’s $5 billion each year!  Even if a chiropractic patient received 30 treatments in a year at $100 per visit, that would only cost $600 million vs. $5 billion at a savings of $4.4 billion per year.  This is only ONE study.  Want to help solve America’s health care crisis?  Looks like chiropractic care is a step in the right direction in keeping people healthier and more active while keeping our costs down.

Just like when our bodies convert sunlight and the sun’s energy into making Vitamin D, cold laser stimulates ATP production, which is the energy that cells run on.  This increased energy or metabolism allows cells to bring in nutrients and dispose of waste products more efficiently.  The result is faster healing and decreased pain and inflammation.  Many acute injuries and chronic pain conditions can be treated safely and effectively with low-level laser therapy.

Vitamin D plays a very important role in calcium absorption to maintain strong healthy bones and promotes a healthy immune system for fighting off illnesses.  There is also research that points to Vitamin D’s importance in preventing certain types of cancers like colon and breast cancer.  Vitamin D makes my list of one of the top 5 vitamins that everyone should consider taking.

With our American style diet, we do not get enough quality nutrients for our bodies to function properly.  Even those people who eat well with organic foods and well-rounded diets may not be getting enough nutrients due to our current soils, cooking, and food processing techniques.  As we age, our digestive systems also tend to have difficulty breaking down nutrients from foods or low-quality supplements.

Eating well is by far the best way to give your body what it needs, but most of us have a hard time accomplishing this goal.  Taking a high quality multi-vitamin can act as an insurance policy for those nutrients that our body is lacking from our normal everyday diet.

1. Dissolves minerals and nutrients and makes them accessible to your body for use.
2. Helps carry nutrients and oxygen to the cells in your body.
3. Flushes out waste products and toxins that can build up in tissues.
4. Lubricates joints such as knees, vertebral discs, shoulder, and hips.
5. Regulates body temperature

The standard recommendation for water intake per day is about 2 liters or 8 glasses of fluid.  Water intake can vary depending on your health challenges or activity level.  Water can come from a multitude of beverages, but the best source is good old-fashioned H2O.  Get yourself a large stainless steel water bottle and carry it with you everywhere.  You’ll thank yourself later.