Back Pain Causes

Posted on April 15, 2013 by drmichone Leave a comment

So what causes lower back pain? Is it a herniated disc? A pinched nerve? How about arthritis? And why is it I never had a problem until my mid 30’s or 40’s? Well the truth is; is that the problem really doesn’t begin at middle age. It’s just that the symptoms often don’t manifest until then. Most back problems, be a disc, nerve, or arthritis, begin at a very young age as a result of some sort of trauma. It may be an acute trauma such as a fall or an accident or a repetitive trauma such as playing baseball or practicing gymnastics. These traumas may result in a slight misalignment between the vertebrae, which over time puts stress upon the spinal joints and discs and over time result in degenerative changes and even arthritis. In fact, MRI’s have shown that degenerative changes to the spine may begin as young as 10. As you know, kids usually just take falls and bumps in stride with seemingly little or no ramifications. However, just because there is no pain does not mean that there isn’t a problem.  Over time, more traumas and even typical, daily activities may accumulate and continue to place stress upon the spine, joints, and discs.

Chiropractors are the first line of defense when it comes to low back issues.  As with most things, the quicker anyone gets checked out after an accident or injury, the faster the problem may be resolved. This is especially true for children.

Back pain

Ear infections-new treatment guidelines

Posted on March 8, 2013 by drmichone Leave a comment
On the wake of drug resistant bacteria showing up in hospitals (1), the AAP, American Academy of Pediatrics, has released new guidelines for the the use of antibiotics on children with ear infections. The new guidelines say specifically when NOT to prescribe antibiotics (2). Here is a summary of the information:
  • the guideles are for children who do not have recurrent ear infections
  • the guideliens apply to children over 6 months old
      • if both ears are infected and or there is a temperature of over 102.2, and/or the child in in severe pain, and/or drainage of blood or puss from the ear, antibiotics are prescribed.

       

      • if only one ear is affected antibiotics are an option AS IS observation for 72 hours if the problems worsen then antibiotics are prescribed.

      The bottom line is that antibiotics will be used with greater caution.

1. http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/06/health/super-bug-bacteria-spreading/index.html?hpt=he_c2

2. http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/25/antibiotics-less-likely-to-be-prescribed-for-kids-ear-aches/?hpt=he_bn6

ear infection

Eating “Myth” that Holds True

Posted on January 31, 2013 by drmichone Leave a comment

We have often heard that you shouldn’t eat late at night. If you aim is to lose weight this turns out to certainly be true.

In a small study involving 11 women, it was determined that those that snacked after 11 pm, eating 210 calories, experienced decreased fat oxidation (the rate at which fat is metabolized into energy and not stored as excess fat) and increased total and LDL (bad) cholesterol.

In another slightly larger study involving 52 individuals it was determined at that snacking in the evening or before sleeping, led to weight gain, simply because they consumed more calories. I think we can all attest to this, after all when we snack at night we don’t snack on carrot sticks; we typically turn to chips, popcorn, ice cream and cookies!

So, as a rule of thumb stop eating after dinner. This may be difficult at first, put try sipping on some herbal, caffeine-free tea to placate the hunger pangs and stay hydrated.

 

eating

The Juice of Life

Posted on January 9, 2013 by drmichone Leave a comment
It’s January 2013 and many of us are committed to making some healthy changes. Eliminating some bad habits and integrating some healthy ones. One healthy habit you may want to consider is juicing.
Here are a few tips on proper juicing:
First of all be aware of what you’re putting into your juicer.  Your juicing should be primarily vegetables. Using too many fruits will have a high glycemic index and sugar content. Also, clean your vegetables thoroughly and when possible use organic. Especially when juicing spinach, kale, carrots, lettuce and cucumber (although peeling the cucumber may be enough.)
Pay attention to how you feel. If your stomach is gurgling, then you’ve put something in there that doesn’t agree with your stomach.
Drink your juice right away, it is very, very perishable and will last 24 hours only with meticulous storage techniques such as using glass jars and a vacuum pump to get all of the air out.
Some super nutritious ingredients that you can add to your juice are: broccoli, cranberries, beets (both the roots and the greens,) ginger, cilantro, any leafy green, tomatoes and carrots.
It’s also a great way to get to veggies in that you normally wouldn’t eat such as cauliflower and brussel sprouts. Play around with it. Do your own research and taste testing and find out what works best for you.
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