Hi Robert.

Nice name. So, it hurts in the morning and is difficult to stand up right away and only lasts for a couple of days if you put heat on it. Not much fun to walk around bent over for a couple of days. You did not mention if you were taking any medication as well. So basically you are displaying some common signs of degenerative disease. This is brought on by loss of stability of the spine and subsequent abnormal forces placed on the spine which begin to damage it. You did not mention how long it has been going on? But the occurrence of every 6 months indicates that there is a moderate amount of instability. There may have been injuries in the past, even minor that have contributed to this problem. This is generally what I see in my patients…there isn’t one big injury but many small ones over time that continue to reduce the stability of the spine. Then there are all of the structures that rely on the spine for stability themselves. Yes, they too are impeded and have to make changes to accommodate the less stable spine. So can you just stretch out or put heat on it or go to the gym or have your friends walk on your back or take medicine or just wait to have surgery to correct the problem. Well, no! Spinal stability is reduced with stretching, increased force being applied as in going to the gym or walking on it, medication (there is no medicine that can make a spine stable, period!) and surgery is a very poor tool to promote stability since cutting the structure of the spine makes it less stable. And of course, heat seems not to work either. That is why I evaluate my patients to find all of the contributing factors including spinal instability, weakness and muscle firing patterns. I have developed very specific rehabilitative programs to address of these problems and more. That is why my patients get better faster and stay better longer in a short period of time.

Remember, if your body is sending you signals, pay close attention and call our office. We have the tools to help you feel better and stay stronger for a lifetime.

Thanks,
 
Dr Bob
Expert Health and Rehabilitation
Goaskdrbob.com

Hi Karissa.

Many of my patients are those who work in offices. You might think that people with spinal pain are those who lift heavy objects or are those who are very old. This is just not the case. In fact, a majority of my patients are those who live ordinary lives and lift the things that all of us lift on a daily basis. The key is that a stable spine can withstand over a thousand pounds of force but an unstable spine can be damaged with as little as five pounds. Many of the first time patients to my office indicated that their back started to hurt after bending over to pick up even small items such as clothing or their children’s’ toys.
So you must understand that most spinal pain is from small injuries that accumulate over time and not really from the one heavy object. In fact, most people don’t hear or feel a pop but just annoying back pain that mysteriously goes away but returns when moving certain ways or just picking up routine objects. I just can’t stress enough that these are warning signals that should alert you to the fact that spinal instability is to the point of needing proper chiropractic care. In not just talking about adjustments that are given over and over the same way. You know what I mean; traditional chiropractic cracking and twisting of your spine done over and over because you are told that this will treat your condition and prevent further problems that are unique to you. Yet you notice that the treatment is the same as everyone else and just seems to continue over and over. You must understand that I’m not a traditional chiropractor.
Our patients are treated for the problems that they have and no two patients get the same adjustments. This just makes sense in that your problems are unique to you and how these problems have progressed in your life. We also don’t advocate that you MUST continue to get “treatments” several time a week to ensure that the problem doesn’t return while being told that this is only means of stopping the “silent Killer” subluxation only to be told that when your back pain returns that you must simply get treated more often because it is a consequence of you lifestyle.
In our office, we not only treat our patients specifically for their unique problems but we also treat the reasons that caused the problems to begin with. In fact, we teach you how to avoid these issues and strengthen your ability to continue to live your life without experiencing spinal pain. This is KEY to know because I take the best of chiropractic care and marry it with the best of other alternative care methods including Functional Medicine and my medical experience as a Registered Nurse. We are also a certified Lab facility and treat many other areas of health including Female health issues such as Hormone imbalances, gastrointestinal issues, digestive issues, weight loss issues, fertility issues, cardiovascular issues, male health issues as well as family health issues including childhood problems!
I am not saying that I take the place of you medical doctor but I offer over 17 years of specialized experience so that I can formulate treatment of your unique problems without the use of drugs or surgery.

We all know that there is just too much emphasis on drugs as treatment and that even our children are taking too many drugs whether they are prescribed or over the counter.
So yes, we offer an alternative to the “same old routines” that you are told will give you better health. We also give you the tools to prevent and strengthen you body so that you can live healthier and happier including your loved ones.
So here are some of our secrets of stabilizing your back while sitting at work.
1)Get a task chair so that you can sit all the way against the back support. Don’t sit on the edge of the chair.
2)Mildly tighten up your abdomen while sitting; like you are pushing your belly button toward the back support.
3)Sit up straight and don’t be temped to lean toward the computer with rounded shoulders.
4)Keep your shoulders down with your chest slightly pushed out.
5)Make sure your monitor is at eye level and no more that 20 inches from your head position.
6)Make sure your monitor and general work area is directly in front of you. Don’t work twisted.
7)Use a foot stool to keep you ankles at 90 degrees.
8)Place your chair height so that your hip is just above your knees.
9)Place your desk height so that your wrists are just below your elbows.
10)Don’t use an under the desk key board.So Karissa, this should get you started on a very good ergonomic routine that your coworkers will envy and your boss will not notice.

Dr Bob.

Hi Anita.

Great question. So here goes. Flat feet is a condition that is also known as pronation. This means that your foot is falling into the arch and you are now placing a great amount of force on the medial aspect of your foot. This causes problems of foot mechanics while you are standing, walking and running. But lets not forget what happens to the ankle, knee, pelvis and spine when the foot pronates. As the foot pronates, the ankle drops, the let rotates inward, the pelvis drops and the spine moves laterally and rotates slightly. This is the reason that people with flat feet have so much back problems. Of course the spine is an organ that functions in its entirety. This means that the spine is really an organ that is self regulating and is affected by other organs and itself affects other organs. Just as organs function in their entirety (example of the heart pumps using the whole heart not just half) the spine is fully functioning as well. So what does that mean? If there is a change in the lower spine because of a pronated foot, there will be changes in the whole spine so there actually can be head aches due to flat feet. That is why I evaluate a patient’s entire structural profile. Only looking at the spine will miss causative factors such as flat feet. In fact, I cast orthotics for many of my patients that have pronation problems. I know that sticking your feet in the casting material feels weird, but I can then have a proper orthotic make that will give years of foot correction that supports proper ankle, knee, hip and spine mechanics.
You can go to our web site anytime or just call for a fee consultation. That way you can feel comfortable and get the best care available.

Remember to step correctly so you can have a lifetime of getting around without pain.

Thanks,
 
Dr Bob
Expert Health and Rehabilitation
Goaskdrbob.com

This is actually a surprising question although good.

Well, my patients have good backs. However, they didn’t come to me that way. Although, I assume that you have been hearing of the wide spread epidemic of low back pain. So wondering if anyone has a good back is like saying, “does anyone have good teeth”. Well, if you don’t take care of your teeth, no one will have good teeth. I want to point out that dentistry was once not accepted as valid or necessary. We all know now that just isn’t the case. And just as dentistry is accepted as a normal healthy process, so too is chiropractic. Just because you can’t “see” your spine, doesn’t mean that you should neglect it. Now I want to point out that low back pain is only one part of the spine and conditions that can arise from lack of proper care. So if you have been watching the news, low back pain accounts for over 90 billion dollars spent in health care! WOW! That is just on one aspect of the spine. I want to point out specifically that these dollars are primarily for medical care NOT chiropractic care. This is important because study after study have shown that proper chiropractic care such as I practice, can save about 40% over medical care. In addition, proper chiropractic care is preventative as well. Medical care is not. Secondly, proper chiropractic care promotes health thereby improving wellness. Medical care is only for the sick…you can’t take a medication or have surgery if you are healthy and achieve a higher state of wellness. I practice functional medicine whereas I diagnose problems that are traditionally taken to the medical doctor’s office. I use proper testing, laboratory results, and my medical background to find solutions to problems without drugs or surgery so that you get better and become healthier!
So to answer your question, yes I help people achieve strong spinal control so that they can do whatever they do without injury. I also address other conditions such as gastric reflux, fibroids as well as a host of other. The key is that I find resolutions to these conditions without drugs or surgery. I treat you based on your physiology and not the drug company’s chemistry.
Remember that a good back is easy to find in our patients but bad backs are becoming an epidemic.

Dr Bob