Raleigh, NC

Low Back and Weight Loss? My Top 21 Ways To Loose The Weight

 Losing weight Raleigh NC Chiropractors Top 4 Things You Can Do At home To Heal Your Back Pain can dramatically reduce Low back pain (LBP). Let’s look at easy ways to lose weight without the need for fancy, hard to follow diets. 

1. Eat smaller meals thoughout the day.  This can give your body the feeling of fullness and help curb those craving that can be so intense the first weeks of a weight loss plan.
2. Get your sleep. Research has shown getting proper sleep can help with weight loss. This also helps balance your cortisol levels which has been linked to excessive weight gain. These are your stress hormones that get released when your body lacks sleep or is under excessive stress.
3. Eat your fruits and vegetables! The fiber contained in fruits and vegetables makes your stomach feel full while the healthy vitamins and minerals jump start your metabolism.
4. Eat soup. Soup is loaded with vegetables and can make you feel full when you’re hungry without weighing you down. A little trick I like to give is to add some hot sauce to your soup. This health kick can help speed up your metabolism.
5. Cut out the refined sugars, white flours and carbohydrates. Switch over to slow burning carbs which help your body release insulin slowly over time. Brown rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and whole wheats are better to help you feel full and lose weight. They’re also more anti-inflammatory and better for your overall health.
6. Use visualization to help. Picture what you would look like without the extra weight. What clothes would you wear? Imagine the compliments he would be getting. What would your friends and family say? Visualization is a powerful tool to use with any goals.
7. Cut out the fatty meats and cheeses. Pepperoni, Bacon, processed cheeses all are very high in calories and can weigh you down as you try to lose weight.
8. Switch over to healthy oils. Oils like coconut oil, olive oil and grape seed oil are best. While they contained fat have been clinically proven to not cause weight gain. These are heart healthy fats they give you many long-term health benefits besides weight loss.
9. Cut out the soda and sugary drinks. You’re adding extra calories and sugars which have been shown to drastically cause an increase in overall body weight and obesity. Go for that unsweet tea or ice water with lemon. This adds up over the years and can drastically impact your weight loss.

10. Get moving. There’s little explanation needed here. The more you exercise the more calories  you burn and the better you feel. Move it and lose it!!

11. Watch your alcohol intake.  These are extra calories that overtime add up big time. You’re also much more likely, while drinking to reach for those potato chips, nuts , unhealthy snacks and foods

12. Add green tea tea to your diet. Green tea has been shown to speed up your metabolism. Check with your doctor before hand because it contains caffeine.
13.  Start yoga or Pilates. Group classes help with your commitment and being around others with similar goals helps you stay committed. Studies have shown that yoga and pilates aid in weight loss.  Another added benefit is is relaxation which also helps lower your cortisol levels.
14.  Opt for cooking at home instead of eating out. Restaurants add extra oils, butters, frying..which taste great but don’t end up helping with your weight loss goals   
15.  Drink water throughout the day. This can help give you that natural metabolism boost while tricking your stomach that it is full.
16.  Eat smaller portions. Overtime your body will require less food to feel full. This diet has been shown to be very effective in weight loss throughout the years.
17.  Don’t be afraid to eat. You’re losing weight not starving yourself!!! The key here is it is what you eat and how much you eat. Remember you never want to starve yourself it’s just not healthy.   
18.  Use vitamin and a mineral supplementation. Like a well oiled machine you want your body firing on all eight cylinders. A good multivitamin is always recommended along with minerals like magnesium, zinc and potassium.
19.  Supplement creamy sauces with red sauces. Cream is high in calories and fat. Red sauces are high in antioxidants low in fat and high in fiber. Always be thinking this when losing weight. What is is low in fat? High in antioxidants? And high in fiber?
20.  Go for lean meats. Lean chicken breasts, lean turkey, salmon, seafood and fish have less fat then higher fat meats like bacon, hamburger, steaks. This is a great way to shed those extra pounds!!!
21.  Exercise, exercise, exercise! The more you move the more you lose it’s a win-win.   

CELEBRATE! Once you’ve successfully Lost the weight take yourself out for a cheat day at your favorite restaurant or binge on that pizza you’ve been craving 

Weight loss can be easy with a little help, some hard work and some fun invigorating healthy exercise!  

 

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE IN RALEIGH FOR NECK PAIN!  FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION, CONTACT US HERE OR CALL (919) 809-7839    

 

In health…your Raleigh NC Chiropractor,

 

Dr. Jeffrey Gerdes, D.C.      

Raleigh NC,​​

 

Does Neck Surgery Improve Long-Term Outcomes?​​

How many times have you heard, “I have a pinched nerve in my neck and have to have surgery.” Though there certainly are cases where surgical intervention is required, surgery should ONLY be considered after ALL non-surgical treatment approaches have been tried first (and failed).

It is alarming how many cases of cervical radiculopathy (i.e., “pinched nerve”) end up being surgically treated with NO trial of non-surgical care. Hence, the focus of this month’s article will look at research (“MEDICAL EVIDENCE”) that clearly states neck surgery DOES NOT improve the long term outcomes of patients with chronic neck pain.

Chronic neck pain (CNP) is, by definition, neck pain that has been present for a minimum of three months. This category of neck pain is very well represented, as many neck pain sufferers have had neck pain, “…for years” or, at least longer than three months. Depending on the intensity of pain and it’s effect on daily function, many patients with CNP often ask their primary care provider, “…is there anything surgically that can be done?”

The desire for a “quick fix” is often the focus of those suffering with neck pain. Unfortunately, according to recent studies, there may not be a “quick fix” or, at least surgery is NOT the answer.

The December 2012 issue of The European Spine Journal reports that spine surgery did NOT improve outcomes for patients with CNP. Moreover, they pointed to other studies that showed some VERY STRONG REASONS NOT to have spine surgery unless everything else has failed. One of the reasons was a higher hospital readmission rate after spine surgery.

Another reported that most studies on surgical vs. conservative [non-surgical] care showed a high risk of bias, suggesting the research on surgical intervention was biased in the research approach used. They further reported, “The benefit of surgery over conservative care is not clearly demonstrated.”

It is important to point out that the research analyzed studies that included patients with and without radiculopathy (radiating arm pain from a pinched nerve), and myelopathy (those with pinching of the spinal cord creating pain, numbness, weakness in the legs, and/or bowel / bladder dysfunction).

In February of 2008, the Neck Pain Task Force published overwhelming evidence that research supports the use of cervical spinal manipulation in the treatment of both acute and chronic neck pain with or without radiculopathy. Bronfort published similar findings in 2010 in a large UK based study that looked at the published evidence supporting different types of treatment for various conditions.

They found cervical spine manipulation was effective for neck pain of ANY duration (acute or chronic). Chiropractic utilizes manipulation, manual traction, mobilization, muscle release techniques, home cervical traction, exercise, as well as a multitude of physiotherapy modalities when managing patients with CNP.

Given the overwhelming research evidence that surgical intervention for CNP is NOT any better than non-surgical care, the greater amount of negative side-effects, and the obviously long recovery time post-surgically, chiropractic treatment of anyone suffering from CNP should be tried FIRST.

Ok I Have Neck Pain…But When Should I Come In For Chiropractic Care?

A few good rules of thumb I recommend are:

– If the pain is worsening and not feeling better each day.  This could be a sign that intervention is required to get the neck pain to go away.

– If the pain is radiating into the arms, hands or down this spine.  This may indicate that there could be nerve irritation in the neck that should be examined as soon as possible.

– The pain is affecting your sleep or work.

– Your are experiencing dizziness, head pain or feeling faint.  These could be underlying signs that something much more significant should be examined and ruled out.

– Your neck pain was due to whiplash following a car accident or sports injury.  Studied show that early treatment and management has an impact on the long term outcomes of these type of injuries.

– Your neck pain is causing headaches.  The headaches may run the risk of becoming chronic.  We know now that when headaches are “tension headaches” that chemicals get released into the body from the irritated neck joints that trigger headaches.  In some instances this can lead to a viciouse cyle of headacahes for many years.  Make sure to get this looked at if your headacahes seem to be related to your neck pain. 

Many patients wait too long to address their neck pain and end up making the treatment to relieve it take longer and often times more expensive.

 

In Health…Your Raleigh NC Chiropractor,

 

Dr. Jeffrey Gerdes, D.C.

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE IN RALEIGH FOR NECK PAIN!  FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION, CONTACT US HERE OR CALL (919) 809-7839

Raleigh, NC

Low Back & Chiropractic Manipulation – How Does it Work?

Low back pain (LBP) MY TOP 3 CAUSES OF LOW BACK PAIN….THAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT is such a common problem that if you haven’t suffered from it yet, you probably will eventually. Here are a few facts to consider: 

1) LBP affects men and women equally; 2) It is most common between ages 30-50; 3) Sedentary (non-active) lifestyles contribute a lot to causation; 4) Too much or too little exercise can result in LBP; 5) A BMI around 25 is “ideal” for weight management, which helps prevent LBP; 6) Causes of LBP include lifestyle (activity level), genetics – including, but not limited to, weight and osteoarthritis; 7) Occupation; 8) Exercise habits, and the list can go on and on.

Let’s next look at how an adjustment is done…see the video below!

When spinal manipulation is performed in the low-back region, the patient is often placed in a side lying position with the upper leg flexed towards the chest and the bottom leg kept straight. The bottom shoulder is pulled forwards and the upper shoulder is rotated backwards at the same time the low back area receives that the manipulation is rotated forwards. I put a full video demonstration of this procedure in the video at the bottom of this page.

This produces a twisting type of motion that is well within the normal range of joint motion. When the adjustment is made, a “high velocity” (or quick), “low amplitude” (a short distance of movement) thrust is delivered often resulting in “cavitation” (the crack or, release of gases).  Chiropractors are trained in this procedure and can speak with you more about this as a treatment option if you are experiencing low back pain in Raleigh.

What is the popping and cracking? Your spine is a series of moveable joints. Those spinal joints can move, lock and fixate out of their normal position. When this happens, pressure and gas builds up in the spine causing pain, headaches, back pain, muscle tightness, stiffness, spasm and sometimes some nerve irritation.

Chiropractors remobilize these spinal joints and realign them. When that happens, often times, there will be an audible pop or a cracking sound. Quite simply what that sound is, is gas being released from the joints. It’s a combination of oxygen and CO2, and the joints sliding back into their normal position. I wrote I prior blog post explaining the “cracking sounds” What Is The Cracking?

So, WHY do we do this?

 Most studies show that when there is back pain, there is inflammation. In fact, inflammation is found in most disease processes that occur both within and outside the musculoskeletal system. We know that when we control inflammation, pain usually subsides. That is why the use of “PRICE” (Protect, Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate) works well for most muscle/joint painful conditions.

We have also learned it is possible that IF we can avoid cortisone and non-steroidal drugs (like aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, etc.), tissues may heal quicker and better.

But what does spinal manipulation DO in reference to inflammation?

 Different things occur physiologically during a spinal adjustment or manipulation. We know that the mechanical receptors located in muscles, muscle tendons, ligaments, and joint capsules are stimulated and this results in muscle relaxation (reduced spasm or tightness), increased measurable range of motion, and a decrease in pain. A recent study also reported that inflammatory markers (CRP and interleukin-6) measured in a blood test, NORMALIZED after a series of nine chiropractic low back manipulations! So, NOT ONLY do spinal adjustments give immediate improvements in pain, flexibility, and muscle relaxation, they also REDUCE INFLAMMATION!

So, let’s review what manipulation does for your low back pain: 1) Pain reduction; 2) Improved flexibility – now you can put on your socks with less pain and strain; 3) Improved functions and activities of daily living like sitting more comfortably, getting in or out of your car, bending over to feed the cat, etc.; 4) Improved sleep quality; and 5) Faster healing time by actually reducing the inflammatory markers in the blood! If you have LBP, PLEASE don’t delay – make that appointment TODAY!

Please enjoy the video vlog below.

 In health…your Raleigh Chiropractor,

 

Dr. Jeffrey Gerdes, D.C.

 

 

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL (919) 809-7839

 

 

Raleigh, NC

I wanted to include a vlog as part of this blog post.  The video (see below) was a chiropractic exam and treatment on a patient in Raleigh experiencing neck and back pain after a recent car accident.  She had symptoms associated with whiplash and sought treatment from a car accident doctor in Raleigh, NC.

Let’s discuss whiplash, neck pain and back pain and how chiropractic care can help.

Common Whiplash Myths

Whiplash is most commonly associated with the rapid, uncontrolled movement of the head as it whips back and forth during a motor vehicle collision. Though different types of injuries are associated with rear vs. front vs. side collisions, the net result is similar: the neck hurts! This month, we will look at several “myths” or untruths associated with the cause of whiplash or WAD, whiplash associated disorders.

MYTH #1: MEN ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO INJURY BECAUSE OF THEIR GREATER NECK MUSCLE MASS: FACT: This is exactly the opposite! Women are more vulnerable because they have LESS muscle mass, and hence, less tissue stopping the neck from going through a greater range of motion during the “crack the whip” process. Woman with long, slender necks are especially more vulnerable. They also take longer to recover and are more likely to suffer permanent residual problems long after their case settles.

MYTH #2: YOU CAN’T HAVE A CONCUSSION UNLESS YOU HIT YOUR HEAD: This seems logical as most concussions occur from direct head trauma. However, during the whiplash process the brain, which is suspended by ligament-like structures inside the skull, bathed in a liquid, can literally smash into the inside wall of the skull resulting in concussion just from the whipping action, without hitting anything. Permanent residuals such as memory problems, articulating thoughts, staying on task, and more can result. This is often called “post-concussive syndrome” or “mild traumatic brain injury.”

MYTH #3: NEGATIVE X-RAYS MEANS NO INJURY: Often, in the ER after a motor vehicle collision, x-rays are taken and read by the radiologist as “…essentially normal.” This can be confused as meaning, “…then there was no injury.” X-rays only show the bones in the neck and head region, not the muscles, tendons, ligaments or nerves. MRI (magnetic resonant imaging) shows more of these “soft tissues,” not just bone. But, due to the high costs of MRI, x-rays are performed first, and only later, if symptoms warrant it, is an MRI ordered. Soft tissue injury to the ligaments (the tissues that strongly hold bone to bone) can be assessed when we take flexion / extension (or bending forwards & backwards) x-rays, but many times these are not ordered in the ER.

MYTH #4: REST AND TIME ALONE WILL HEAL WHIPLASH: Though time for healing plays a role in recovery following all injuries, many patients find this approach fails and their pain persists. In fact, studies suggest that mobilization and manipulation performed as soon as possible after a whiplash injury yields significantly better outcomes than wearing a cervical collar and not moving the neck. Whiplash injuries, when not properly treated, often results in permanent loss of motion, pain, headache, and more. The days of rest and time only should be replaced by the sports medicine model of hot/cold packs, modalities such as interferential, pulsed magnetic stimulation, light or laser therapy, manipulation, massage, traction and guided exercise. Not, “…wait and watch.”

The patient was also experiencing low back pain. This raiser a greater question…

Low Back Pain – Is it on the Rise in Raleigh?

As stated last month, the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) is REALLY high! In fact, it’s the second most common cause of disability among adults in the United States (US) and a very common reason for lost days at work. The total cost of back pain in the US, including treatment and lost productivity, ranges between $100 billion to $200 billion a year! Is low back pain on the rise, staying the same, or lessening? Let’s take a look!

 In the past two decades, the use of health care services for chronic LBP (that means LBP > 3 months) has substantially increased. When reviewing studies reporting insurance claims information, researchers note a significant increase in the use of spinal injections, surgery, and narcotic prescriptions. There has been an increase in the use of spinal manipulation by chiropractors as well, along with increased physical therapy services and primary care physician driven non-narcotic prescriptions. In general, LBP sufferers who are chronic (vs. acute) are the group using most of these services and incurring the majority of costs.

The reported utilization of the above mentioned services was only 3.9% in 1992 compared to 10.2% in 2006, just 11 years later. The question now becomes, why is this? Possible reasons for this increase health care use in chronic LBP sufferers may be: 1) There are simply more people suffering from chronic LBP; 2) More chronic LBP patients are deciding to seek care or treatment where previously they “just accepted and lived with it” and didn’t pursue treatment; or, 3) A combination of these factors. Regardless of which of the above three is most accurate, the most important issue is, what can we do to help chronic back pain sufferers?

Chiropractic Care For Back Pain…

As we’ve discussed in the past, an anti-inflammatory diet, exercise within YOUR personal tolerance level, not smoking, getting enough sleep, and obtaining chiropractic adjustments every two weeks are well documented methods of “controlling” chronic LBP (as there really ISN’T a “cure” in many cases). You may be surprised to hear that maintenance care has good literature support for controlling chronic LBP. In the 8/15/11 issue of SPINE (Vol. 36, No. 18, pp1427-1437), two Medical Doctors (MDs) penned the article, “Does Maintained Spinal Manipulation Therapy for Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain Result in Better Long-Term Outcomes?”

Here, they took 60 patients with chronic LBP (cLBP) and randomly assigned them into one of three groups: 1) 12 treatments of sham (fake) SMT (spinal manipulation) have over a one month period; 2) 12 treatments, over a one month period but no treatment for the following nine months; or 3) 12 treatments for one month AND then SMT every two weeks for the following nine months. To measure the differences between the three groups, they measured pain, disability, generic health status, and back-specific patient satisfaction at baseline, 1-, 4-, 7-, and 10-month time intervals.

They found only the patients in the second and third groups experienced significantly lower pain and disability scores vs. the first group after the first month of treatments (at three times a week). BUT, only the third group showed more improvement at the 10-month evaluation. Also, by the tenth month, the pain and disability scores returned back to nearly the initial baseline/initial level in group two. The authors concluded that, “To obtain long-term benefit, this study suggests maintenance SM after the initial intensive manipulative therapy.” Other studies have reported fewer medical tests, lower costs, fewer doctor visits, less work absenteeism, and a higher quality of life when maintenance chiropractic visits are utilized. The question is, WHEN will insurance companies and general practitioners start RECOMMENDING chiropractic maintenance care for chronic LBP patients?

Please enjoy the video vlog beloew.

 

In health…your Raleigh Chiropractor,

 

Dr. Jeffrey Gerdes, D.C.

 

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL (919) 809-7839

 

 

Raleigh, NC

 

The relationship between neck pain and our pillow is more important than most of us realize! Though we all may have at one time or another slept on a variety of surfaces, and used any number of pillows (flat, medium, bulky) made of different materials (foam, feather, air, water, or memory foam), it’s usually not until neck pain and/or headaches start to become an issue that we start to think, “…how important is my pillow?” Thankfully, the question has been addressed in a randomized peer-reviewed study.

 

So, what did they find out?

 

The goal of a pillow is to support the neck more so than the head. In a study headed by Dr. Liselott Persson, MD, of the department of neurosurgery at the University of Lund in Sweden, researchers tested whether specific neck pillows have any effect on neck pain, headache and sleep quality in people suffering with chronic (>3months), non-specific neck pain. They also researched whether there was an optimum or “best” type of pillow that was preferred by their 52 patient group.

 

They used 4 different pillows, 1 “normal” pillow and 3 of which were specially designed, each having a different shape and consistency. Over a 4-10 week time frame, the pillows were randomly distributed to the neck pain group who then graded them according to comfort, the effects on neck pain, sleep quality and headache using a questionnaire, and also described the characteristics of an “ideal pillow.” Researchers and participants concluded the “ideal pillow” (for reducing neck pain and headaches and improving quality of sleep) includes a soft pillow with good support under the neck’s curve (lordosis).

 

There are many styles of contoured cervical or neck pillows that vary considerably. This study supports the use of a specially designed style over a normal pillow.  In conjunction with your chiroprctic care at Carolina ChiroCare and Rehab there are some additonal things to consider when choosing the right pillow to decrease neck and spine pain.

 

So what are some of the things to look for?

 

First, consider your neck’s length and girth.  When you look in a mirror, do you have a neck that is short vs. long or, narrow vs. wide?

 

This will direct you to a pillow that has a larger “hump” for your neck to be cradled in if it’s a long neck and, the height of the hump – taller for the slender neck or, shorter for the wide neck. Some pillows have 2 options of “hump” sizes (located on the long edges of the pillow) – one short and flat and the other side taller and wider.

 

Others recommend lying in the middle of the pillow if you’re a back sleeper vs. lying on the edge of pillow when sleeping on your sides.

 

A measurement taken from the neck to the point of the shoulder determines if the pillow should be a small, medium, or large. Water filled and/or air filled pillows can be varied by the amount of water or air added. The bottom line of which is “best” is based on comfort and support.

 

Regardless of which you choose, it can take several days to get used to the new pillow, so I recommend using the pillow for at least 1 week. By then, you’ll know if you chose the right style. 

 

 

 

In health…Your Raleigh Chiropractor,

 

 

Dr. Jeffrey Gerdes, D.C. 

 

P.S. Don’t forget to read my prior blog posts on managing neck pain at home:

 

My Top 5 Ways To Decrease Neck Pain Fast…read more here

 

 

YOU MAY BE A CANDIDATE FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL (919) 809-7839