Headaches

28 million Americans suffer from migraines.

Of these people, 4.5 million have more than one attack per month. A quarter of the female population is affected and about eight in every hundred men.

Most children who get migraines, have at least one close family member who suffers from migraines too. If a child has one parent who suffers from migraines, they have a 50% chance of getting them too, if both are sufferers, this rises to 75%.

Most headaches are uncomfortable and sometimes disabling, and for the most part they are not dangerous. Most of them can be helped by regular chiropractic care.

Fasting may cause headaches, as a fasting person is likely to have very low blood sugar. But other factors, such as STRESS, pollution, noise, smoke, flashing lights and “certain types of food” may also cause headaches.

Lifestyle plays an important part in preventing headaches. If you don't smoke, don't drink excessively, get regular sleep, eat a healthy diet and get daily exercise, you are unlikely to SUFFER from headaches frequently, unless you have a CHIROPRACTIC problem.

Tension headaches can affect anyone and is the most common from of headache. Tension headaches are often the result of neck and shoulder muscles going into spasm, and YOUR neck being misaligned which can sometimes last for days, sometimes longer.

More men than women suffer from ‘cluster’ headaches. These are intense headaches that often occur at the same time every day or every few days. People who are heavy smokers or drinkers often suffer from cluster headaches. More women than men suffer from ‘migraines’.

Ice cream headaches are no myth – you really can get them from eating this frozen dessert. This is caused by blood vessel spasms, which are caused by the intense cold from the ice cream. The spasms interrupt the blood flow and cause the vessels to swell.

Even children get headaches, some well before the age of ten. Before puberty, headaches are more common in boys. Adult women get headaches four times more often than men do, and these are linked to hormonal fluctuations. In both men and women, the severity and frequency of headaches decline with advancing years. Make sure you’re checked by the doctor if you have any type of tension or headaches. They can be helped with regular chiropractic care.

Dr. Stephanie Janiak, 2551 River Park Plz Ste 200, Fort Worth, TX 76116 (817)423-2600

Sciatica?

You’ve probably heard that name before, even if you’ve never had lower back PAIN. Well let me just shed some light on that term and what it means to you.

Several pairs (thousands and thousands) of nerves exit your spine to form the large sciatic nerves.

How do you know if you have sciatica?

• You’ll have pain in the buttocks or leg that worsens when sitting
• You can have burning or tingling down one or both legs
• Weakness, numbness or difficulty using your leg or foot
• A shooting pain that makes standing or getting up from the sitting position difficult

If these symptoms sound familiar, you’re likely in your 40’s or 50’s and have pain when coughing, sneezing or any kind of movement. You most likely have sciatica.

Like a large river created by lots and lots of smaller streams, four or five pairs of nerves exit the spine in the lower back to form the two large sciatic nerves.

The ‘soft pulpy’ disc between ‘each’ spinal bone is often involved. Not let me just clarify something. A disc in your back can’t “slip.” Imagine a water balloon. It can bulge, herniate or even rupture. That’s what happens to your disc. This bulging can put direct pressure on your super sensitive nerves that are nearby.

The RESULT? You’ll have some painful swelling. You’ll get some inflammation which is very painful. You’ll be very uncomfortable. Depending on where the sciatic nerve is affected, the pain may also radiate down to your foot or toes.

“While sciatica can be distracting, if corrected promptly it rarely produces permanent nerve damage.”

The only challenge seems to an impatient patient who expects instant, overnight results. Unlike artificial solutions such as drugs or the more drastic surgery, the intent of chiropractic care is to help restore the proper relationships between bones, discs and nerves. In other words, correct the problem and not COVER it up. This natural approach, relying on the healing ability of your own body, moves at its own pace. Do you know someone who could be helped? If you do, give them this flyer. You can help.

Dr. Janiak, 2551 River Park Plz Ste 200, Fort Worth, TX. 76116 (817)423-2600 www.wingspanchiro.com

What Exactly IS Carpal Tunnel?

F
irst of all, “Carpal” simply means WRIST. The Carpal Tunnel is a small tunnel or canal inside your wrist. The top part is formed by the carpal (wrist) bones. The bottom part is made up of ligament—a tough band of connective tissue called the Flexor Retinaculum.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Comes From Compression of the Median Nerve Within the Carpal Tunnel. TRUE!

What’s absolutely critical to understand… is that the Median Nerve originates in their NECK and travels between your collarbone and shoulder blade, over the 1st rib and underneath one of the major muscles of the shoulder and is a major “crush site” for the median nerve as well as several other nerves that have to travel through this area to get to the arm, forearm, and hand – then down the center of your forearm and through the carpal tunnel to the hand muscles.
Why is this SO important to YOU?
Because There Are 8 Possible Areas Where Your Nerve Can Be Compressed!
Consider some of the symptoms of MEDIAN NERVE Compression (not necessarily Carpal Tunnel Syndrome): Pain in the Wrist… Numbness in the fingers… Tingling or other abnormal hand sensations…Weakness of hands… Neck Pain… Swelling
These are ALL symptoms commonly misdiagnosed as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome…when in fact…they are caused by Median Nerve compression in ANY or ALL of the 8 areas!!
“How Does The Median Nerve Become Compressed?”
The Median Nerve does not fall from the sky into your hand!! It does not travel up your leg to your hand. . . It comes straight out between the bones of your neck! So, if your doctor does NOT properly examine your neck, as well as all possible “crush sites” he/she is missing the boat!
This means that a problem anywhere from the NECK to the actual carpal tunnel can cause nerve compression. Misaligned bones in the neck, bulging discs, tight neck muscles, an extra rib at the neck (some people are born with them), shoulder or elbow injuries, inflamed tendons, and misaligned wrist bones can ALL compress the Median Nerve, resulting in the EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS! And since most doctors are trained to treat symptoms…doesn’t it seem obvious why they might MISS the neck and the other zones when treating “carpal tunnel syndrome?”
Treatment for “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome” and other sources of Median Nerve Compression:
The most common treatments we do in our office are chiropractic analysis and proper adjustment of the misaligned vertebra in your neck. However, as always, the proper treatment is determined through proper diagnosis, which only comes through a detailed health history and examination. X-rays may also be necessary.
Here’s the cool thing; almost all of our carpal tunnel patients respond very quickly to chiropractic care which means that you can get back to living your life without the limitations imposed by carpal tunnel syndrome.
www.wingspanchiro.com
Dr. Stephanie Janiak, 2551 River Park Plz Ste 200, Fort Worth, TX 76116 (817) 423-2600
www.wingspanchiro.com

The Icebergs Of Your Health

WHAT DOES THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC HAVE TO DO WITH YOUR HEALTH? THE CONNECTION IS THE NATURE OF THE ICEBERG!

The Titanic has made the iceberg a common topic since it’s sinking years ago. These amazing structures bulging out of the sea are something to behold. The part below the surface is even more breathtaking. The size above the surface is small in comparison to the portion which is lying unseen, underneath the sea.

Symptoms are like icebergs. The top is only an indication of the real problem below. Pain is only the tip of the iceberg.

Dr. Erich focuses on the cause of your pain. An imbalance in your body can cause pain, but masking the pain will not return your body to a state of balance.

Do the following experiment to better understand this point:
1.) Twist a rubber band around your index finger.
2.) Leave it on your finger for at least 10 minutes.

What happens to your finger? Most likely it will turn red and start to hurt. Even go numb. You can choose from several options to deal with your pain:

1.) Ignore it and hope it gets better.
2.) Wiggle your finder to temporarily relieve the pain.
3.) Take a lot of aspirin or Tylenol to mask the pain.
4.) Cut your finger off!
5.) Massage it, hoping to get more circulation.
6.) Ask Dr. Erich to help you by removing the cause (rubber band).

www.wingspanchiro.com
Dr. Stephanie Janiak, 2551 River Park Plz Ste 200, Fort Worth, TX, 76116 (817) 423-2600

Ronald Reagan & His Chiropractic Years

Radio was so new that many Midwestern towns still didn't have a commercial station, but he knew of two or three in the tri-cities area in Davenport, Iowa. He started with stations on the Illinois side of the Mississippi but struck out, then crossed the river into Iowa. His first stop was station W.O.C. (Wonders Of Chiropractic) in Davenport.

One of his first assignments was to present a half-hour program of organ music from a local mortuary; the mortuary provided the organist in exchange for a discreet plug identifying it as the source of the music. His job was given to a young teacher, and the station asked him to help break him in. While he was doing it, he mentioned how he'd been hired and then fired.
The teacher quit the next day and the station manager asked Ronald Reagan to stay until they could find someone else.
He agreed to stay on one condition: They had to assign someone to help him improve his on-the-air delivery. Pete and other friends of his went to work on him and gave him a crash course on radio announcing, and he began reading over the commercials before airtime and practicing his delivery to get the right rhythm and cadence and give his words more emotion. Whatever he did during those few days worked: After another week or two, the talk at WOC about replacing him stopped. Then, enter another break for Dutch Reagan. W.H.O., their sister station in Des Moines needed someone to broadcast the Drake Relays, one of the top track meets in the country. He got the assignment. A few weeks later, the Palmer Company received a permit for a 50,000-watt clear channel station in Des Moines.
Overnight, WHO became one of the most powerful NBC stations in the country, and because he'd gotten good marks for his reporting on the Drake Relays, Ronald Reagan was offered the post of sports announcer. He spent four years at station WHO in Des Moines and they were among the most pleasant of his life as he tells the story. At twenty-two he'd achieved his dream: he was a sports announcer. If he had stopped there, he believed he would have been happy the rest of his life. He says he accomplished his goal and enjoyed every minute of it. Before long, during the depths of the Depression, he was earning seventy-five dollars a week and gaining the kind of fame in the Midwest that brought in invitations for speaking engagements that provided him extra income he could use to help out his parents.
Ronald Reagan was a chiropractic patient and worked for B.J. Palmer, of Palmer College of Chiropractic fame. There are a number of people in Hollywood and in all professions that enjoy Chiropractic and what it does for their health.
www.wingspanchiro.com
Dr. Stephanie Janiak, 2551 River Park Plz Ste 200, Fort Worth, TX 76116, (817) 423-2600

Mattress Basics And What To Look For.

Here’s what you want to look for in a mattress. I’m a posture freak. Good posture means being able to look at someone from the side and see that their ear, shoulder, hip and ankle are all in a straight line to each other. Good sleeping posture is exactly the same thing. Find a mattress that can put those four points in a straight line when you’re laying on it and you’re there.

Posturepedic mattresses are usually good, and they’re very affordable. They’re one of the more popular ones I would recommend. I would also advise you to try out the ‘sleep number beds’ with the air mattresses.

I like the sleep numbers. I also like the idea of side by side support, because chances are, you and your spouse don’t have the exact same spines, and trying to cram both of you onto one mattress will not be beneficial to either one of you. So if you have a bed where she can adjust her side and you can adjust your side to the desired comfort levels, then that’s a great thing. That’s the advantage of the sleep number beds.

I would also advise you to try out the Tempurpedic beds as well. I like the Tempurpedic beds because rather than be on a boxspring, the mattress is on a firm base, and that memory foam reduces pressure points drastically. I think the most you’ll get out of any mattress is about 10 years, and quite frankly, if you get that many you’re doing well.

Now, keep in mind, and this is strictly my opinion, that when it comes to mattresses, there is just no universal gold standard. In other words, what’s good for the goose isn’t always good for the gander. If your neighbor, family member, friend, or co-worker has found a mattress that they like and that gives them a good night’s sleep, that’s great, but that same style mattress might not be as good for you. After all, people come in all shapes, sizes, and builds and therefore have different needs from a mattress. By the way, here’s an excellent article from Consumer Search Reports that describes exactly what I’m talking about: http://www.consumersearch.com/www/house_and_home/mattress-reviews/review.html

The one mattress that I have seen that incorporates the best of the inner coil mattresses, the sleep number beds and the Tempurpedic mattresses is the Sleep Adjustment Bed by Isleep. Check it out: http://www.isleep.com/showroom/beds.asp

Now this mattress, quite frankly, is expensive. But, keep in mind that our beds are where we spend 1/3 to 1/4 of our entire lives, so don’t get too tight-fisted when you’re buying one. You know the old saying: Pennywise, Pound foolish. Ask yourself, how much is a good night’s sleep worth?

Considering that good sleep can boost immune function, increase overall health and wellness, help burn fat, help boost memory and mental function, help repair worn out tissues and increase your life span, it seems that a good night’s sleep is virtually priceless, so consider this an investment!!!

And no matter what you do, make sure that if you’re going to make a significant investment of your money, your time, and your spine (hey, you got to sleep on the thing, right?), that you get a 30 or 60 day money back guarantee if you’re not happy with the mattress.

You absolutely cannot tell how a mattress is going to do if you sleep on it for just 5 minutes in a store. You have to give it a few nights to a few weeks to really know how it’s going to treat your body. How can you tell how it’s doing? You’ll know if you: toss and turn a whole bunch at night, feel extra sleepy or fatigued in the morning, wake up extra stiff or sore in the morning, especially in your lower back.

These are all good signs that your mattress just isn’t happening for you. Take it back and try again. Personally, the best night’s sleep I have ever had in my life was on a limited-motion waterbed that had a heater to make the bed warm when you climbed in at night.

Years later, I found out from the American Sleep Research Institute (www.ASRI.net ) that one of things that helps put you in a deep sleep and then keep you there is when your extremities have a higher temperature than the core of your body.

Then, to stay in a deep sleep, there should not be a lot of temperature changes when you shift in your sleep. Have you ever gotten out of that nice warm spot and been amazed to find out how cold other spots on the mattress are? Just that small temperature change can rouse you from deep sleep even if it doesn’t necessarily wake you up.

So I think one thing a mattress should have is a constant surface temperature of around 85 degrees. The Sleep Adjustment bed has this feature. If you are not rushing right out to buy a new mattress, keep your hands and feet warm when going to bed to induce a deeper sleep more quickly. Light mittens and socks may help improve the quality of your sleep.

Finally, it’s not just the mattress that will help with the support of your back at night. It’s your pillow, too. You may or may not know that I sell custom fitted pillows.

But this pillow won’t be as good unless you’re sleeping on the right mattress, and vice versa, sleeping on a good mattress with a bad pillow will make the mattress seem not quite as comfortable.

So get the pillow situation right too!!
www.wingspanchiro.com
Dr Stephanie Janiak, 2551 River Park Plz Ste 200, Fort Worth, TX 76116 (817) 423-2600

The Intervertebral Disc

Disc disease, degenerated discs, slipped discs, herniated discs are common terms often related to back pain, both in your lower back and neck. Most people in the medical profession use these terms with patients, so I want to explain them to you.

What do these terms mean? How do these things happen? What can one do to help or prevent these painful events from occurring? These questions and many others will be discussed in this article.

First some anatomy to get you on the same page: Your spinal column is made up of 24 bones called vertebrae. Each vertebra in your back has six joints; four at the back of the bone that allow and control spinal movement. These are called ‘facet’ joints. The other two joints are at the top and bottom of the vertebrae themselves. These two remaining joints in your back are weight-bearing in function. These bones protect your spinal cord.

Between each pair of the vertebrae is a intervertebral disc, except between the top two in your neck. Your discs become progressively smaller as you go up your spine. They also change shape as they go up, simply because the bones also change shape.

The most problematic discs are the lower back ones. The typical lumbar disc is almost circular in shape, but looks more like a flat car tire or mushroom head. It's flat across the back when you look down from the top.

A disc is made up of two things: the soft central area is called the nucleus, and the tough outer cartilage margins are called the annulus. The nucleus is made of a toothpaste-like material.

The nucleus works like a ball bearing, allowing the bones to flex and extend around its shape. One of the things that builds the most pressure in your disc is when you SIT, especially in poorly supportive furniture, or when you slouch. Surprisingly, the pressure in the nucleus is three times greater in the sitting position than in the standing position. Doesn't that speak volumes when you think of today's lifestyle?

The annulus (outer layer) is wrapped in layers around the nucleus to contain its pressure. These layers are somewhat like the layers of an onion. These layers have to be ‘tough and non-yielding’; otherwise the soft nucleus would lose its shape and spill all over the place.

In fact this is indeed what does happen if your tough outer layer called the annulus breaks down. This incident is known variously as a ‘slipped disc, a herniated disc, a disc protrusion, a rupture, or a disc bulge’.

These terms often depend on the degree of movement, which depend on how your cartilage may break down. If you want more information, please let me know.

www.wingspanchiro.com
Dr. Stephanie Janiak,2551 River Park Plz Ste 200,Fort Worth, TX 76116 (817)423-2600