The Spinal Column, Fall 2019
Dear Patients and Friends,
Chiropractic doctors, and most other health professionals as well, focus their full attention on supporting, restoring and enhancing the health and well-being of their patients. For me, that means seeking to relieve and then to prevent pain and stress and improve the function of the body through chiropractic adjustments, along with advice and encouragement regarding important lifestyle factors such as diet, nutritional supplements, exercise, posture and stress management. All of these are crucial to healing and then to maintaining good health.
There is another arena which, while less under our direct control, health professionals and patients must attend to in order to improve and preserve good health, and that is the health of our society, our environment and our world. While that is a tall order, if we ignore it then our efforts to improve the health and quality of life of each individual may be compromised or even completely undermined.
In late June 2019, a widely reported news story was headlined “ 77 Health Organizations Call for Climate Action to Fight Public Health Emergency.” The report stated that these organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, agree that the climate crisis is also a health emergency. As of the end of June, 77 organizations representing nurses, doctors, hospitals, volunteers and public health professionals had signed on to “The Call to Action on Climate, Health and Equity: A Policy Action Agenda,” released on June 24. The agenda urges government, business and community leaders to take a series of actions designed to promote health and fight climate change.
Former Acting Surgeon General and Retired U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Rear Admiral Boris Lushniak stated that “Climate change is already harming the health, safety and wellbeing of every American living today and if it is not addressed, will bring untold harm to all our children and grandchildren.” Actions recommended in the report to preserve the health of patients and all of the public included meeting and ramping up Paris climate agreement commitments, transitioning away from coal, oil and natural gas and towards renewable energy, shifting to zero-carbon transit alternatives, supporting sustainable agriculture and protecting green spaces, and more
I believe that an important part of my job as a healer is to engage in this issue however I can, by staying in touch with elected representatives, supporting politicians who are making climate change a priority, communicating about it with my patients, friend and family, and walking my talk with personal steps like putting solar panels on our home and office, driving an electric car, eating a vegetarian diet, and using public transportation when I can. To the degree that we are concerned with the present and future health of ourselves, our families, our friends and our society, we can all do our best to stay informed and to engage in our own way to make this effort a priority.
Yours for better health, naturally,
Mha Atma S. Khalsa, D.C.
6 Common Causes of Neck Pain (and How Chiropractic Can Help)
Neck pain can be acute (short term) or chronic (recurring or persisting for months and even years), but regardless, when you’re in pain, relief is the first thing on your mind. Just as important as relief, of course, is finding the cause and ensuring you avoid the behavior / action that brought the pain on in the first place. Here are six common causes of neck pain – and why doctors of chiropractic are well-suited to relieve the pain and determine the underlying cause.
\1. Poor Posture: Leaning over a desk all day or slouching in your office chair? You’re bound to develop neck pain eventually, if you haven’t already. Do this quick test: In an upright or seated position, round your shoulders and back (poor posture). Does it impact your neck as well? Exactly!
\2. Monitor Madness: Staring at the computer screen for hours at a time? That’s not good for your health (or sanity), but from a neck pain perspective, it’s madness, particularly if the screen height forces you to crane your neck up (too high) or extend it down (too low).
\3. Sleep Issues: Ideally, we spend a third of our day sleeping, so your sleep habits – for better or worse – can have a dramatic effect on your health. With regard to neck pain, anytime you sleep in an uncomfortable position, particularly one that stresses your neck musculature (think about side-sleeping while grabbing your pillow tightly, sleeping on your stomach with your arms out in front of you, or even sleeping on your back, but with a pillow that doesn’t adequately support your neck), you risk neck pain.
\4. Technology Overload: We may spend a third of our day sleeping, but we increasingly spend the other 16 hours typing, texting, tapping and otherwise interacting with our smartphones, tablets, etc. Bottom line: bad for your neck. One doctor has even coined the phrase, “text neck,” to describe the neck pain that can result from this constant technology interaction.
\5. The Wrong Movement: Twisting, turning, stretching and stressing your neck is an easy way to cause neck pain. While the muscles in the neck are strong, they can be strained, sprained and even torn, just like any other muscle.
\6. Improper diet and insufficient levels of crucial anti-inflammation nutrients: Excess consumption of refined sugar, refined carbohydrates, and processed food causes chronic inflammation that can contribute to neck pain and muscle spasms. Low levels of vitamin D and magnesium can also contribute to inflammation in neck muscles and other areas as well.
It’s important to note that beyond these common causes, various other health issues can also contribute to or directly cause neck pain, including fibromyalgia, cervical arthritis or spondylosis (essentially spinal arthritis), spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal and others. The good news is that a doctor of chiropractic can help identify which of these or the above causes is to blame.
When neck pain strikes, most people turn to a temporary solution first: pain-relieving medication. But that’s not a permanent solution, of course, and it doesn’t address the cause of the pain at all, which could be something relatively minor – or more serious. What’s more, research suggests chiropractic spinal manipulation is actually more effective than over-the-counter and prescription medication for relieving both acute and subacute neck pain. And when you add proper exercise, posture and diet, your chance of lasting relief goes up even more.
Suffering from neck pain? Then give your doctor of chiropractic a call. They’ll help you relieve your pain and determine the cause so it doesn’t return.
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:
Miles Bothwell
Wilbert Samuels
Lisa Nupoff
Jessica Hanson
Manuel Lopez
Hunter Rodriguez
Maurice Marchant
Ariel Barringer
Stacy Gould
Jeanette Godoy
Patty Sikorski
Carr Schilling
Katrina Motola
Aflredo Ruiz Chavez
Claire Denis
Joshua Harper
Claudia Vasquez
Anthony Jones
Ryan Jones
Gail Owsley
Gabriel Sandoval
Debbie McLeod
Brenda Parker
Autumn Torregano
Bindu Madhavan
Julie Monteros
Michelle Schwartz
Etienne Maurice
Elizabeth Martinez
Yoni Kassar
Perry jones
Jaaucklyn Williams
Ben Wade
Hilary Brody
Stephanie Zamora
Raye Dowell
Lisa Miller
Danielle Nash
Fenae Aaron
John Galich
Sherry Burch
Ben Okun
Reid Nakagama
Zelda Barro
Perry Jones
Bita Golban
Carla Vega
John Paul San Pedro
Ira McAliley
Ona Jones
Cortland Silver
Wendy Burg
Bob Burke
Rob Mammana
Crispin Kitto
Govind Armstrong
Hazel Owens
Dominic Alati
Linday Rickel
Mary Pond
Walter Hansen
Krishna Khalsa
Dody Dorn
Cheryl St. Claire
Don Glenn
Arthur Mikaelian
Emmanuel Diaz
Charmaine Felix-Meyer
Merrinell Phillips
Kenny Smith
Gary Manoi
Mariah Dailey
Melanie Tong
Loree Fahy
Jody Talmadge
Max Schorr
Jenny Kow
Robert McMullin
Barrington Smith-Seetachit
Angie Terrell
Elmo Gomez
Rayna Saslove
Jocelyn Casey
Andrea Wright
Doreen Rivera
Jessica Wierzba
Brooke Senior
Giorgio Durley
Tess Kirsch
Har Har Litman
Jose Brooks
Halleluyah Walcott
Bindu Kundamal
David Monroe
Lora King
Dominque Joseph
Sheryl Davis
My Chiropractic Story
Suzana Sanguy
This is a truly wonderful place. I feel blessed for knowing Dr Mha Atma and everyone in his office. His employees are super nice, percipient and kind. I never feel rushed. Dr Mha Atma is such a great chiropractor who knows how to take care of his patients. He is very knowledgeable and explains everything so well. His approach is natural and doesn’t use X-ray which I really appreciate.
Every time when I walk out of his office I feel extremely satisfied. He managed to alleviate my pain after my car accident in a relatively short time and I am very grateful for that. I definitely recommend Khalsa Chiropractic to anyone who wants an honest and unpretentious doctor who can provide great results for extremely reasonable prices.
SATURDAY, April 13, 2019 is
Hope Day!
In exchange for a minimum $10 tax-deductible donation to one of several L.A. charities:
All present and former patients will receive a no-charge chiropractic adjustment and…
All new patients will receive for no charge all services on their first visit, including a complete chiropractic examination, and their first treatment!
Take advantage of this unique opportunity to join us in helping our community while improving your health andintroducing your family and friends to chiropractic.
Go to: http://www.drmhaatma.com/2019\_PAD\_flyer.pdf for more information and to download gift certificates for new patients, then call for a PATIENT APPRECIATION DAY appointment!
Chiropractic Action Alert! A newly introduced bipartisan bill in the U.S. Congress would increase Medicare coverage of chiropractic services. Read more about it.
This is important not just for Medicare patients but for their family and friends AND possibly for all Americans if we get “Medicare for all” in the future. To take action (only takes 1 minute) go to our website at drmhaatma.com and click the Action Alert button on bottom of home page. Thanks!
If you can spare another two minutes and want extra credit, CALL your U.S. Congressperson by dailing 202-225-3121 and ask for your congressional rep by name or give the operator your zip code and they’ll connect you. Then tell your Congressperson’s staffer who answers their phone that you live in their district and want them to co=sponsor and support H.R. 3654 to expand what Medicare covers to include all chiropractic services that chiropractic doctors are trained and licensed to provide. Thanks again!!
Plant the seeds of good health:
See your chiropractor regularly!