Chiropractic Health & Wellness Blog

Stop by Lyn Lake Chiropractic's booth this weekend at the Health & Expo. We'll have our doctors working the expo. We'll be providing massage and Kinesio - Taping for any athlete that needs a little support to help you get to the finish line.

We have professional photographer at the marathon taking pictures of anyone wearing our Lyn Lake Chiropractic shirts. Checkout our website next week, or stop by the clinic for more photo's of your race!

Lyn Lake Chiropractic is the Official Chiropractors of the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. Runners treating Runners!!!

Health & Fitness Expo - October 1 - 2, 2010


HEALTH & FITNESS EXPO
Friday, October 1 12:00 - 8:00 p.m. and
Saturday, October 2 10 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Saint Paul RiverCentre, 175 West Kellogg Boulevard, St. Paul

Along with race number and packet pick-up, you’ll find hands-on health and fitness exhibits, great bargains on running and fitness gear, Quick read more or view full article free sampling, free massages, information on equipment, nutrition and other races. Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon merchandise will be available for sale including posters, kids’ and adults’ apparel, novelty items, and more. The Health & Fitness Expo is free and open to the public. Read Less

Children and Chiropractic

A Study in Adverse Effects By:

Mark Studin DC, FASBE (C), DAAPM, DAAMLP


For over 100 years parents have been taking their children for chiropractic care for various reasons. Clinically, chiropractic has been effectively treating numerous childhood ailments from asthma to scoliosis to attention deficit disorder to sports related injuries as well as other symptoms, conditions and diagnosis. This article is not about the efficacy of chiropractic caring for those types of disorders. It will be limited to the single topic; the safety of the chiropractic adjustment for children.

Having cared for children for 30 years in clinical practice for various diagnoses and wellness care, the safety of the adjustment has been the most asked question by parents and the answer has always been my personal clinical experience of "yes." As with medicine and any other healing discipline, the results have to be verified with science over time to prove Quick read more or view full article that assertion to be true.

Miller and Benfield, in 2008 conducted a study of children younger than 3 years old to determine the adverse effects of chiropractic care in that age group, arguably the most susceptible to injury based upon the fragility of that age group. The study was based upon 5,242 chiropractic adjustments and the adverse reaction rate was found to be consistent in 1 out of every 1300 chiropractic adjustments. The only adverse reaction found was increased crying time and there were no (ZERO) serious complications resulting from chiropractic manipulation in this group of children of this age range.

The "Practical Application" reported by Miller and Benfield was that chiropractic adjustments were safe for young children and adolescents.

In clinical practice, having successfully cared for children with scoliosis, attention deficit disorders, hearing loss, bedwetting, ear infections, eczema, headaches, cerebral palsy, whiplash, low back pain, neck pain and many other conditions, I cannot recall one instance that a child had an adverse reaction. It is also of importance to note that approximately 100% of the patients had visited their pediatrician or other medical subspecialists prior to seeking chiropractic care as their "last alternative" to get help. These weren't patients who needed convincing on a philosophy or religious beliefs; they were desperate for help. This is not an indictment against medicine and pediatrics; it is an endorsement for having the right care available when the correct diagnosis is rendered. Often chiropractic should be the first choice and not the last, after expensive and sometimes, dangerous testing and treatment is performed.

These studies along with many others conclude that a drug-free approach of chiropractic care is one of the best solutions for parents seeking safe care for their children.

Lyn Lake Chiropractic treats children and have great results. Any questions please feel free to call our clinic and speak to our chiropractors. Make a Free Consultation and get a one on one with the chiropractors about any issues to may have with your child. 612-879-8000


References:

Miller, J.E., Benfield k, (July 2008). Adverse Effects of Spinal Manipulative Therapy in Children Younger Than 3 Years: A Retrospective Study in a Chiropractic Teaching Clinic, Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 31(6), 419-423. Read Less

LinkedIn Recommendations

John Moore has endorsed your work as Owner at Lyn Lake Chiropractic.

Dear Dr. Kevin,
I've written this recommendation of your work to share with other LinkedIn users.

Details of the Recommendation: "Dr. Kevin has fostered an energetic, caring practice. I have always enjoyed working with Dr. Kevin because he thinks about what will be best for his patients first and formost when making a business decision. The doctors that have trained in his practice have all gone on to have successful practices themselves, which is a real testiment to Dr. Kevin. I highly recommend him for health care, conducting business, or just being a good friend."

LinkedIn Recommendations

John Moore has endorsed your work as Owner at Lyn Lake Chiropractic.

Dear Dr. Kevin,
I've written this recommendation of your work to share with other LinkedIn users.

Details of the Recommendation: "Dr. Kevin has fostered an energetic, caring practice. I have always enjoyed working with Dr. Kevin because he thinks about what will be best for his patients first and formost when making a business decision. The doctors that have trained in his practice have all gone on to have successful practices themselves, which is a real testiment to Dr. Kevin. I highly recommend him for health care, conducting business, or just being a good friend."

LinkedIn Recommendations

John Moore has endorsed your work as Owner at Lyn Lake Chiropractic.

Dear Dr. Kevin,
I've written this recommendation of your work to share with other LinkedIn users.

Details of the Recommendation: "Dr. Kevin has fostered an energetic, caring practice. I have always enjoyed working with Dr. Kevin because he thinks about what will be best for his patients first and formost when making a business decision. The doctors that have trained in his practice have all gone on to have successful practices themselves, which is a real testiment to Dr. Kevin. I highly recommend him for health care, conducting business, or just being a good friend."

Early treatment leads to better outcomes:

If you've suffered from low back pain over the past few days, or if you get back pain sometime in the future, the tendency will be to wait it out and see if it gets better. Sometimes we even decide to take time off and lie in bed, hoping we will eventually be feeling better and back to our usual activities or work. However, more and more research shows that lying in bed or waiting it out is the worst thing you can do for yourself. Remember, only 10 percent of people develop chronic low back pain, but those cases account for an estimated $100 billion a year in health care and other costs. It's a safe bet that most of them have taken this incorrect "wait and see" approach.

Research suggests that when it comes to back pain, early intervention is best. There are many Quick read more or view full article reasons for this concept, but here is a basic summary of what current guidelines are saying:

Low back pain can sometimes be due to something more serious than a simple sprain. That's why it's important to see your chiropractor right away so they can evaluate you for anything more serious.

Spinal manipulation is one of the only treatments that is consistently being recommended for those with acute low back pain - and yet far too many people don't visit a chiropractor and choose to pop over-the- counter pain medication instead.

Avoid bed rest as much as possible. Yes, I know that it feels good and frankly, when I had an episode of low back pain once, I was tempted to lie in bed all day, too. On a basic level, it's the most "rational" thing to do. However, bed rest actually wastes away your muscles, and this effect lasts even for the lucky ones who improve with their low back pain.

For those who are pain free, the bad news is that the muscles still waste away. ?What does this mean? It means that although you may be lucky enough to be out of pain, your muscles will have put you in a position where you will most likely suffer back pain again.

That's why trying to stay as active as possible in the early stages can go a long way not only to get over the back pain, but also to help prevent future back pain episodes from happening. ??Early exercise will help ensure that your muscles and bones will continue to move to prevent stiffness and pain. I often have patients tell me that they have Googled an exercise program for their back pain and are using it. Unfortunately, there is no-one-size-fits-all exercise program for low back pain.

The type of exercises you do for a disc herniation can be totally different than the ones you do for a simple strain or sprain caused by playing a sport or lifting something at work. In fact, some exercises that you may see posted on the Internet may actually cause further damage or prolong your back pain. That's why it's so important to see your health professional to get an expert opinion on which exercises will be beneficial for your condition.

There are ways to predict if acute pain will end up developing into chronic pain. One of the most frustrating things health professionals face is the fact that although some patients may have undergone treatments, they still develop chronic low back pain. The good news is that there are certain predictors that can identify someone who may end up developing chronic back pain.

When you look at these, it becomes more apparent that seeking treatment and following all the above points is crucial to getting better. One of the biggest predictors is called "pain avoidance behavior." Quite simply, it means once you get the pain, you will do everything you can to avoid anything that will cause pain.

What happens next? You guessed it. This type of person lies in bed as much as possible. This type of person will try to avoid any exercise that may cause the slightest discomfort. Essentially, they will avoid everything that could be helpful to their condition.

That's why I always take time with my patients to stress the importance of not letting the pain overtake their lives. Continue doing what you did before, no matter how small of an effort you put in. The back pain feels like your back is going to break in two. However, with proper supervision and the right recommendations for treatment, you will not be able to damage your back any more than the situation it is in.

So, the next time you experience back pain and feel like you can't do anything, always remember that any movement or activity or treatment that keeps you moving is crucial for your recovery. Another factor is that you may be deconditioned and not fit enough.

With back pain, you can become even more deconditioned. That's why starting to move and then progressing to an exercise program is crucial to ensure not only that you get better, but also that you don't get future bouts of low back pain. Read Less

The Sunshine Vitamin


We all know that Vitamin D is a critically important component in building strong bones and strong teeth. It turns out that Vitamin D has a vast number of additional functions.

For example, recent research shows that low Vitamin D levels is related to increased risk for diabetes as well as cardiovascular disease.1 Insufficient Vitamin D during pregnancy can lead to gestational diabetes as well as pre-eclampsia2 (pregnancy-induced hypertension), which may be life-threatening. Links between low Vitamin D levels and development of cancer have been studied for many years.3
Vitamin D insufficiency has been associated with mild depression, Alzheimer's disease, and stroke, as well as with peripheral neuropathy, lupus, and fibromyalgia. It seems that Vitamin D has a huge impact on almost every aspect of our physical health. It makes sense for everyone to ensure they are getting enough Vitamin D on a daily basis.

How to get enough Vitamin D? Quick read more or view full article The best source of this powerful vitamin is sunlight. The sun's rays stimulate skin cells to produce the activated form of Vitamin D, cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3). Activated Vitamin D helps regulate levels of calcium and phosphate in the blood stream, helps maintain normal bone mineralization, and helps regulate nerve function, the immune response, and genes responsible for cell growth, differentation, and cell death. These genetic regulatory functions are associated with Vitamin D's role in cancer prevention.

Back in the day, people were outdoors much more than they are in the 21st century. There were no text messages, no multiplayer games, no social networking sites (people actually "networked" by meeting each other in physical space), and definitely no computers that occupied less than entire room's worth of square feet.
Our modern lifestyle causes us to stay indoors, far away from the healthful rays of the sun. Oh wait - the sun's rays aren't that healthful anymore because of pollution and radical degradation of the ozone layer by excessive accumulations of free radicals in the atmosphere. The resulting increased exposure to ultraviolet-B radiation from the sun can cause skin cancer in those who are susceptible and do not protect themselves with sunscreens.

To balance the daily requirement for Vitamin D with the opposing need to avoid undue exposure, most studies recommend getting 15 to 30 minutes of unprotected sunlight several times per week (two to four such expeditions each week are sufficient). Importantly, studies demonstrate that three out of four Americans have Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency affects more than one billion people worldwide.

Vitamin D supplementation may also be recommended, particularly for those who live in sun-deprived climates and for most people in winter. Two thousand IU of Vitamin D3 is typical daily dose.


1Swales HH, Wang TJ: Vitamin D and cardiovascular disease risk: emerging evidence. Curr Opin Cardiol July 7, 2010 (Epub ahead of print)
2Lapillonne A: Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy may impair maternal and fetal outcomes. Med Hypotheses 74(1):71-75, 2010
3Edlich R, et al: Scientific documentation of the relationship of vitamin D deficiency and the development of cancer. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol 28(2):133-141, 2009 Read Less

The Sunshine Vitamin


We all know that Vitamin D is a critically important component in building strong bones and strong teeth. It turns out that Vitamin D has a vast number of additional functions.

For example, recent research shows that low Vitamin D levels is related to increased risk for diabetes as well as cardiovascular disease.1 Insufficient Vitamin D during pregnancy can lead to gestational diabetes as well as pre-eclampsia2 (pregnancy-induced hypertension), which may be life-threatening. Links between low Vitamin D levels and development of cancer have been studied for many years.3
Vitamin D insufficiency has been associated with mild depression, Alzheimer's disease, and stroke, as well as with peripheral neuropathy, lupus, and fibromyalgia. It seems that Vitamin D has a huge impact on almost every aspect of our physical health. It makes sense for everyone to ensure they are getting enough Vitamin D on a daily basis.

How to get enough Vitamin D? Quick read more or view full article The best source of this powerful vitamin is sunlight. The sun's rays stimulate skin cells to produce the activated form of Vitamin D, cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3). Activated Vitamin D helps regulate levels of calcium and phosphate in the blood stream, helps maintain normal bone mineralization, and helps regulate nerve function, the immune response, and genes responsible for cell growth, differentation, and cell death. These genetic regulatory functions are associated with Vitamin D's role in cancer prevention.

Back in the day, people were outdoors much more than they are in the 21st century. There were no text messages, no multiplayer games, no social networking sites (people actually "networked" by meeting each other in physical space), and definitely no computers that occupied less than entire room's worth of square feet.
Our modern lifestyle causes us to stay indoors, far away from the healthful rays of the sun. Oh wait - the sun's rays aren't that healthful anymore because of pollution and radical degradation of the ozone layer by excessive accumulations of free radicals in the atmosphere. The resulting increased exposure to ultraviolet-B radiation from the sun can cause skin cancer in those who are susceptible and do not protect themselves with sunscreens.

To balance the daily requirement for Vitamin D with the opposing need to avoid undue exposure, most studies recommend getting 15 to 30 minutes of unprotected sunlight several times per week (two to four such expeditions each week are sufficient). Importantly, studies demonstrate that three out of four Americans have Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency affects more than one billion people worldwide.

Vitamin D supplementation may also be recommended, particularly for those who live in sun-deprived climates and for most people in winter. Two thousand IU of Vitamin D3 is typical daily dose.


1Swales HH, Wang TJ: Vitamin D and cardiovascular disease risk: emerging evidence. Curr Opin Cardiol July 7, 2010 (Epub ahead of print)
2Lapillonne A: Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy may impair maternal and fetal outcomes. Med Hypotheses 74(1):71-75, 2010
3Edlich R, et al: Scientific documentation of the relationship of vitamin D deficiency and the development of cancer. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol 28(2):133-141, 2009 Read Less