Saturday, June 6, 2009

West Des Moines Chiropractic Newsletter June



Compass Chiropractic June, 2009 E-Newsletter

Break the Cycle!


The image above shows how the comprehensive conservative care offered at Compass Chiropractic is often able to resolve conditions that have not responded well to individual treatments of chiropractic, massage, or physical therapy. The image highlights that patients are often responsible for at least one third of their results through changing the stressors in their life and performing condition-resolving exercises and stretches!

A Special Fundraiser – May 1 through July 31, 2009

Through July 31, we’ll be doing a fundraiser for Special Olympics Iowa. During the fundraiser any new patient who donates $50 or more to Special Olympics Iowa will receive a complementary first visit (exam and any needed spinal X-rays up to $300 value).

We raised over $1300 during this event last year! We’ve raised about $500 so far so we have a ways to go to reach our goal of over $2,500 for Special Olympics Iowa this year. Help us spread the word on this great opportunity for Special Olympics and people putting up with problems we have the solution for.

Call (515) 309-1217 to schedule an appointment!

Runner’s Lounge Podcast

Dr. Krohse was recently interviewed for Runner’s Lounge. He explains Active Release Techniques and how it can help a variety of conditions that plague runners such as hip pain, knee pain, IT Band syndrome, shin splints, Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, numbness and tingling, and low back pain.

Click here to listen

Visit the Runner’s Lounge Blog Posting

Condition of the Month – Headaches

Headaches are one of the most common conditions relieved with chiropractic care. In fact, headaches are what first changed my family’s opinion about chiropractic.

The year was 1985. My mother was a nurse and had never considered going to a chiropractor for any health problem. On a trip to visit our grandparents in South Dakota, our Subaru was hit from the side by a UPS truck as we traveled at highway speed. I came out of the impact with just a few scratches, but my brother, Joshua, had been slammed violently into the side of the car. His head was split open from above his eye to the crown of his head. He was air-lifted to Wichita, Kansas and thankfully the surgeons were able to stitch him up and stabilize his condition in the following days.

When we finally returned home Joshua’s life was not in jeopardy, but it certainly wasn’t the same carefree life he had before the accident. He was plagued with frequent, severe headaches. When a child is in agony, the whole family feels the pain. My parents took him to the neurosurgeon for multiple follow-ups, desperate for a solution to return their son to normal. Medications weren’t working, so the neurosurgeon referred him to a pediatric neurologist. The pediatric neurologist looked at X-rays of Joshua’s head and neck and came up with a single recommendation, “You should try chiropractic. It looks like the problem is in his neck.”

Though my parents were skeptical, they took my brother to a chiropractor. Progress was quick to come, and Joshua was soon living without headaches. He is currently a youth pastor at Northbrook Baptist Church in Cedar Rapids with a wife and three wonderful children of his own. My mother was so impressed with the results of chiropractic care that she asked about the whiplash symptoms she had been experiencing since the accident: neck pain and headaches. When she started care, she also experienced rapid, positive results.

Growing up, my family chose to try safe and effective chiropractic first whenever an ache, pain, or numbness condition wouldn’t go away with simple home solutions. Invariably, our chiropractor would get to the bottom of the problem and solve it naturally or send us on to the right health professional for more aggressive treatments. My parents both currently go to the clinic of Dr. David Johnson, father of golfer Zach Johnson, when they can’t make it here from Cedar Rapids to see me.

If you know someone who has been putting up with headaches, please share this story with them. Other stories of chiropractic helping patients with headaches are on the testimonials page of the Compass Chiropractic website. Directions to see if your headaches are caused by neck dysfunction below.

-Dr. Krohse

Check Yourself – Are your headaches coming from your neck?

Check the Three P’s of Neck-Related Headaches to find out if your headaches are related to dysfunction in your upper neck:

1) Posture – Your ear should be lined up with the tip of your shoulder when viewed from the side. Have someone check your standing posture. If your ear is far in front of the tip of your shoulder, your neck muscles are working harder than they should be all the time. If headaches get worse after driving or working in front of the computer, posture is probably a factor.

2) Position – When you have a headache, bend your head forward and backward slowly. Rotate your head to the right and left slowly. Bend your head side to side slowly. Increased headache pain on slow movement or at the end of the range of motion indicates that neck joint or muscle dysfunction is affecting your head.

3) Painful Points – When you have a headache, poke around your upper neck with your fingers. Are there tender areas that make your headache worse when you press on them? These painful points indicate that neck dysfunction is related to the pain in your head.

At Compass Chiropractic, we will take a comprehensive history and perform a thorough examination to determine the source of your pain. A plan will be formed specifically for you which may include spinal adjustments, ART on tight muscles in the neck and at the base of the head, and exercises and stretches to restore neck muscle function and posture. You may be custom fitted for a pillow if it is determined that improper neck support while sleeping is a source of your pain.

Interesting and Informative Links

Back Problems are the Main Cause of Disability for Americans

Chiropractic is a recommended treatment according to AARP MagazineTop 10 Wierdest Prescription Drug Side Effects
The links above emphasize a few important points: Spinal problems are the most likely thing to make you disabled! There is no good replacement or surgery to repair a damaged spine. Drugs as a treatment option always bring along some side effects and risks.

Doesn’t it make sense to start taking better care of your spine. If you’ve never been to a chiropractor, consider a checkup to find out what condition your spine is in and whether there might be some issues progressing that you may not be aware of. Tooth decay happens long before the pain of an exposed nerve. In the same way, spinal problems begin to take place long before they result in debilitating spinal conditions.

Calendar

1st Tues each Month – Kid's Day – Children under 13 receive ANY needed services (exams, adjustments, ART) at no charge

2nd Tues each Month – Athletes Day – Athletes any age bring a team picture or action picture and receive 1st day services (exam and any needed X-rays) at no charge