The Spinal Column, Fall 2018
Dear Patients and Friends,
If someone offered to pay you to give them your left arm, how much would they have to offer you to close the deal? One hundred thousand dollars? A million? Ten million? How much would you take for your right lung? How about your legs?
Our health is truly our greatest wealth. It’s worth more than money can buy. Yet we often take it for granted, and don’t pay much attention to preserving it until it begins to slip away.
Think about the things you most want in life. Whatever is most important, whatever dreams, visions, and goals you cherish, your good health is a prerequisite to fulfilling and achieving them. So think carefully about what you need to do in order to improve and maintain your health. What resources do you need to devote to insuring the long-lasting improvement and preservation of your health, and that of your loved ones? How much time, planning, energy, and money are you willing to spend to improve and protect your health and the health of your family? What is it worth to you?
In which of the following areas is there room for improvement in your health self-care?
Nutrition: Am I eating an anti-inflammation diet and taking anti-inflammatory supplements?
Exercise: Am I spending time (ideally at least 150 minutes weekly) doing aerobic, mobilizing and strengthening exercise?
Emotional: Am I making a point of being kind to myself. Am I making it a priority to connect with others who can support me and whom I can support?
Mental/spiritual: Do I have a practice to keep me connected to my highest aspirations and/or to a healing power greater than myself?
In reading the above list, if there is one that particularly makes you feel confused or squeamish or uncomfortable, that might be a good one to focus on in your renewed commitment to value your health and to spend time and resources to improve and preserve it. Enlisting support from others (a health professional, spiritual counselor, nutritionist, yoga instructor, meditation teacher and/or a close friend) can help you learn and grow and hold yourself accountable to take the steps that will lead to a healthier, happier and more productive life.
It’s very easy to get distracted by the demands and details of daily life from the things that are most important to us. When you make a firm and conscious commitment to decide what is most important to you, and then to devote your attention and abilities to those things, the quality and enjoyment of your life will greatly improve. The investment of time, energy, and money into your physical, mental, and emotional health is the greatest investment you can make.
Yours for better health, naturally,
Mha Atma S. Khalsa, D.C.
Headaches: Causes and Chiropractic
Headaches are one of the very most common health concerns causing people to seek medical care and/or take medication. There are many different types of headaches (tension, migraine and others) and they can range in severity from annoying to debilitating. Sometimes medication can provide at least temporary relief but rarely does it correct underlying causes. The many causes of headaches can range from rare and serious like brain tumor or impending stroke, to very common, like diet, postural strain, stress, poor breathing patterns, and hormone imbalance. One of the most common underlying causes of headaches includes muscle and joint dysfunction in the neck, which is why chiropractic care is often very helpful. When chiropractic treatment includes advice on diet, posture, neck exercise and breathing, it can often be a key to lasting headache relief. Below is a sample of headache research.
Chiropractic and migraine headaches—One hundred and twenty-seven migraine patients (at least one migraine per month) were divided into two groups for comparison. Group 1 received chiropractic adjustments at specific vertebral subluxations determined by the treating practitioner; group 2 served as controls and received inactive treatment (electrical stimulation with no current delivered). Subjects receiving chiropractic adjustments reported substantial improvement in migraine frequency, duration, disability, and medication use following two months of treatment. One in five participants reported a 90% reduction in migraines, and half reported significant improvement in migraine severity. ( Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Feb. 2000)
In 2010, a major scientific review titled Effectiveness of Manual Therapies: The UK Evidence Report, was published in the journal Chiropractic & Osteopathy in February 2010. The distinguished scientific team who put the report together stated that, by the highest current standards of scientific evidence, spinal manipulation (ie chiropractic adjustments) is effective for acute, subacute and chronic low back pain, migraine and cerviogenic (stemming from the neck) headache, cervicogenic dizziness, acute and subacute neck pain, and several extremity joint conditions. They further stated that chiropractic treatment for these conditions was both safe and appropriate. One of the primary authors was Dr. Scott Haldeman, an internationally renowned neuroscientist who has MD, PhD, and DC degrees, and who stated that “There is now little dispute among knowledgeable scientists that manipulation is of value in the management of back pain, neck pain and headaches that make up 90% or more of the patients that seek chiropractic care.”
“The results of this study show that spinal manipulative therapy is an effective treatment for tension headaches. . . Four weeks after cessation of treatment . . . the patients who received spinal manipulative therapy experienced a sustained therapeutic benefit in all major outcomes in contrast to the patients that received amitriptyline therapy, who reverted to baseline values.” ‘ – Boline et al. (1995), Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics
Headache Relief With Regular Chiropractic Care—Researchers investigated the effect of chiropractic treatment on headaches in 20 randomized patients, focusing on the relationship between the number of chiropractic treatments and pain relief. Participants were assigned to one of three treatment groups: Group one received a total of three chiropractic visits (one visit per week), group two received a total of nine office visits (three visits per week), and group three received 12 total visits (four visits per week). Researchers discovered a correlation between the number of chiropractic visits and positive outcome in headache patients. For headache pain, substantial differences were found between participants receiving 1 treatment per week and those receiving either 3 or 4 treatments per week. The researchers indicated that a larger clinical trial testing the relationship of headaches and chiropractic treatment is warranted, and concluded that there are benefits to “9 to 12 chiropractic visits over 3 weeks for the treatment of headaches/neck pain and disability. A larger number of visits than 12 in 3 weeks may be required for maximum relief and durability of outcomes.” Journal of Manipulative and Physiologic Therapeutics 2004.
Study: Opioid Use Less Among Recent Vets Receiving VA Chiropractic Care
A recent study was conducted seeking to examine sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with opioid use among veterans of operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn who received chiropractic care. Nearly one-third of the 14,005 veterans identified receiving VA chiropractic services also received an opioid prescription, yet the frequency of opioid prescriptions was lower after the chiropractic visit than before.
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation May 2018
Effect of Usual Medical Care Plus Chiropractic Care vs Usual Medical Care Alone on Pain and Disability Among US Service Members With Low Back Pain A Comparative Effectiveness Clinical Trial
Christine M. Goertz, DC, PhD 1; Cynthia R. Long, PhD 1; Robert D. Vining, DC 1; et al Katherine A. Pohlman, DC, MS2 ; Joan Walter, JD, PA 3; Ian Coulter, PhD 4
JAMA Network Open. 2018;1(1):e180105. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.0105
Key Points
Question What is the effect of adding chiropractic care to usual medical care for patients with low back pain?
Findings In this comparative effectiveness clinical trial among active-duty US military personnel, patients who received usual medical care plus chiropractic care reported a statistically significant moderate improvement in low back pain intensity and disability at 6 weeks compared with those who received usual care alone.
Meaning This trial supports the inclusion of chiropractic care as a component of multidisciplinary health care for low back pain, as currently recommended in existing guidelines.
Exercising Enough? Probably Not
Exercised lately? A few minutes here and there is better than nothing, but it’s not close to enough, particularly according to official exercise guidelines. While the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends adults ages 18-64 participate in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week, or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise – as well as muscle-strengthening exercise two or more times a week, not many people are doing so. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, just over 77 percent of U.S. adults fail to meet the guidelines.
Believe it or not, HHS’ “Healthy People 2020” initiative established a goal of having at least 20 percent of adults meeting the guidelines by 2020. According to the National Center for Health Statistics report, 22.9 percent have done so. Good news? We guess it could be worse, but when between seven and eight of every 10 Americans aren’t getting enough exercise, there’s definite room for improvement.
So, are you in the 77 percent group or the 23 percent group? Considering the myriad health and wellness benefits consistent aerobic and resistance exercise provide, we hope you’re a proud member of the latter group. If not, that’s OK; this should be your wake-up call to “step it up,” starting by talking to your doctor about the best way to adopt a consistent exercise program that works for you.
Thanks for Helping Us Help Others!
Nearly all our patients first come to our office through the recommendations of our present and past patients. We appreciate each of you who take the time and energy to help another person experience the benefits of chiropractic. We couldn’t do it without you! Our thanks to:
Carr Schilling
Peggy & Ed Tasaka
Jordan Wolfe
Mickey Weil
Matt Nichols
Mark Roeder
Kaya Mello
Kayren Pace
Wendy Guzman
Doug Woods
Pedro Castro
Ali Model
Freddy Curz
Evia Lucas
Firoza Jhabvala
Jessica Jennings
Karla Escalante
Chad Hanna
Brad Ashlock
Dan Cole
Jasy Lezin
Regina Bryant
Robin Kohl
Rita Franciosa
Mark Burton
Uri McMillan
Rachel Merten
Juan Ocampo
Benjamin Amar
Della Davidson
Mariana Perez Novoa
Andrea Dunlop
Lia Nupoff
Helen Clemmons
Linda Friedman
Cirilo Domine
Victor Calderon
Rodney Green
Marina Pervak
Christophe Happillon
Denice Lewis
Sofia Smith
Kim Calvert-Lehman
Vivian Szawarc
Sydney Pettus
Susan Allen
Shon Grady
Derrick Smith
Jeanne Rummans
Sonja Peterson
Krystal Torres
Bonnilee Kaufma
Jackie Redner
Pedro Castro-Hernandez
Sat Pawan Masewicz
Debora Lopez
Dana & Leif Pehrson
Alexis Butler
Charmaine Felix-Meyer
Jackie Kraus
Fran Hughes-Reynolds
Kelli Barrientos
Dave Adelson
Ilona Howay
Michael Lovelady
Joseph Brooke
Deborah smith
Efer Lopez
Lydia Olivier
Peggy Kelly
Ike Worona
Christophe Choo
Camille Waldorf
Crispin Kitto
Syliva Gallini
Eric Walton
Charly Paap
Venkata Pitchai
Sandi Jacoby
Javier Orozco
My Chiropractic Story
Vivian Szawarc
I was diagnosed with a herniated lumbar disk that caused me lots of pain. I had just been diagnosed when I was referred to Khalsa Chiropractic by a neighbor. I wanted to find a solution and Dr. Mha Atma had wonderful reviews so I decided to give it a try. I had never been to a chiropractor before.
I had no clue how chiropractic worked and did not know what to expect. I loved the office from the time I saw the line of herbal teas and tray full of apples. Dr. Mha Atma recommended that I come for regular treatments for a while, do the exercises that he showed me, and be patient.
I slowly improved with continued treatment and eventually was much better. I was able to resume my usual gym schedule along with the normal activities at home such as gardening and dog walking after a full day at the office. I have continued with chiropractic care over the past year because it works! I am able to keep the quality of my life.
Both of my children have become chiropractic patients. They have learned about their body and how to care for it. I talk about chiropractic to everyone who cares to listen. I tell them it’s a non-invasive treatment with almost immediate results. I love it!
This is a wonderful practice. I feel almost pampered!
Chiropractic quotes
“A wise man ought to realize that health is his most valuable possession.”
~Hippocrates
“Bodybuilders and fitness people have been using, very extensively, chiropractors in order to stay healthy and fit. Whenever I had a little problem with my body, I always ran to one of my dear friends [Franco Columbo, D.C.], he was always right there with the adjustments. This is how I found out the best way of going, is to use chiropractors, not only after injuries , but also before injury.” ~Arnold Schwarzenegger actor and former governor of California
“I got a chiropractor to come along to the [Patriot] shoot, because they can actually stick your back together within 15 minutes. He spent a week and worked on the entire crew. All the stunt guys were like, ‘Oh, fix my disc.’ The guy’s amazing. “ ~Mel Gibson
“The spine is the lifeline. A lot of people should go to a chiropractor but they don’t know it.” ~Jack LaLanne
“Regular chiropractic adjustments go hand-in-hand with good health.” ~Peter Fonda
“I rely on regular chiropractic care to keep in shape for my strenuous type of acting and singing.” ~Liza Minelli
“I didn’t know how much I could improve until I started seeing a chiropractor. Since I’ve been in chiropractic, I’ve improved by leaps and bounds, both mentally and physically.”
~Gerald Wilkins, NBA player 1985-1999
Plant the seeds of good health:
See your chiropractor regularly!
“Heal Yourself/Heal L.A.” Saturday,
October 13, 2018