Why does this happen to so many people? And why does back pain come on so suddenly? Actually, something else is going on. What appears to be a sudden episode is actually a culmination of many minor spinal stresses which were barely noticed – and were building up – until the final action that brought on the really bad pain. You see, you’ve been injuring your spine over time but only now, after much build up, is your body letting you know about it!

   What are the warning signs? The body has been trying to tell you that it’s likely time to get evaluated. You just haven’t been listening! This comes in the form of:

• Muscle tightness or strain… sometimes in your legs and lower back, or abdomen
• Lower back pain from sitting to standing, or when rolling over on your bed
• Soreness after a long day at work, in the lower back
• Needing to put your legs up to feel comfortable
• Impaired back or shoulder flexibility
• Neck, mid-back, and low back spinal stiffness
• Headaches
• Numbness, coldness or tingling in your extremities
• Dull, generalized muscle aches
• Feelings of being restless

   What to do when you feel these symptoms: Be pro-active and listen to your body, and you can avoid those sudden instant” back pain episodes.  Come in and get evaluated so that we can seek out the root cause of your problem.  If you have questions, please contact us, we’re here to help!

 Rick Duenas, DC, NASM-CPT

Thank you for reading my first blog. May this be the first of many that you read, enjoy, and learn from.  My goal is that my readers…including friends, patients, comrades…all part of my extended family as I see it,  get the straight talk that everyone of us needs at some point or other, particularly when faced with those pesky life challenging situations that seem to come along when we least expect them or are least prepared. In this case, the straight talk is in reference to a topic that should be very near and dear to our hearts, our HEALTH.

As you may already know, the health status of our nation is appalling and yearly becoming worse.  Despite our nation being one of the wealthiest in the world, our lifestyle habits are not commensurate to promoting good, even slightly adequate, health. Just look at the following well-known statistics:

66% of U.S. adults are overweight. Almost a third of our young children are obese.  Of both groups combined, less than 10% participate in regular exercise.  Of those that begin an exercise program, 50% drop out in the first 6 months, while the sedentary lifestyle continues to gain popularity. Chronic diseases rates are on a rise.  Cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, auto-immune conditions, migraines, depression, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, medically and drug-related deaths, thyroid problems, and other common ailments continue to increase at rates of epidemic proportion which would have been considered unthinkable in the past.

Yet somehow we’ve sadly become immune to these statistics.  Despite the information galore that is available about the dangers of a lifestyle focused on inactivity and one that is heavily dependent on processed foods, we remain stubborn in our ways. We are a society that is overfed and undernourished, no doubt! Even worse, most believe that the answer to their ailing health comes in the form of a medication, a pill….or as is typically seen, a whole bag of pills! This belief is incredibly pervasive despite the clear evidence in the medical literature of its shortfall. Add all of the above factors together and you have the perfect recipe for a society ridden with progressively declining health.

SO, WHAT ARE WE TO DO?

First and foremost, each and every one of us must DECIDE! Decide to not be part of these statistics. Decide that you will make better health choices this year for the sake of yourself, your children, your family, your friends, and your community. Decide to extend your healthy years in life for sharing with others and for charitable service. Decide that you WILL get educated on the basic matters of health through a proactive approach by reading, attending classes, and doing your own research.  Most of us know that “diet and exercise” are important, but few of us truly really know what this means and how to effectively apply it. Decide to master your own body!

Let us not be men or women as described in the following quote from James Allen, author of As a Man Thinketh, “Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves.  They therefore remain bound”.

Only by making a decision and taking action can you move forward. Have a total and unwavering commitment that this year your health will be treated as a priority.  Be disciplined.  Be consistent.  Exercise. Eat well. Educate yourself.  Peruse my recommended reading list on this site and pick a few books to read.

Following are a few of my favorite picks to get you going.  To inspire you on the intimate relationship between nutrition and longevity read The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner or Healthy at 100 by John Robbins.  To learn the incredible benefits of increasing plant-based products in your diet, read The China Study by T. Colin Campbell.  Lastly, to learn more about why drugs are not the answer to our nationwide dilemma, read What the Drug Companies Won’t Tell You and Your Doctor Doesn’t Know, by Michael T. Murray.

Yours In Health Always,

Dr. D.