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Health & Wellness Strategies-October 2008 

AHA LogoSciatica: Exploring Cutting Edge Treatments and Addressing Misconceptions
 
A shocking 80 % of all Americans will experience low back pain at some point in their life.  Its epidemic status continues to grow and sufferers seek the most cutting edge approaches to not only ensuring relief but also restoring function.  Quite often individuals may also develop associated thigh or lower leg pain termed sciatica.  The clinical term sciatica requires clarification.  Sciatica simply means "pain in the leg".  It does not mean that the sciatic nerve has been "pinched".  In fact, the sciatic nerve is not involved in most cases of thigh or gluteal pain because it does not supply sensation from this area. 
 
What Is The Cause Of Sciatica?
Sciatica can be caused by irritation or trauma to nerve roots within the spinal canal or to peripheral nerves outside of the canal anywhere from the pelvis to the lower leg.  Space occupying lesions within the spinal canal such as a bone spur, disc herniation, congenitally narrow canal, infection, metastasis, or mass can be the causative agent.  Outside of the canal we find the instigators to be a femur head fracture, incorrectly placed intra-muscular injection, fixation of the sacroiliac joint, and primary bone cancer of the pelvis. 
The two most common and least diagnosed causes are facet joint syndrome and piriformis contracture.  Facet joints help to guide motion of the spine letting us bend forward and back and side to side. They also relieve some of the weight bearing burden of the rest of the spine.  Quite often they are irritated due to an injury, arthritis, or misalignment.  This irritation produces referred pain into the gluteal region and back of the thigh.
Piriformis contracture occurs when the piriformis muscle tightens and shortens for a prolonged period of time compressing peripheral nerves that provide sensation from the gluteal region and thigh.  The tightening can occur due to repetitive use such as is seen in runners and tennis players, injury, and misalignment of the pelvis.  The pain pattern is typically represented as severe buttock pain and mild thigh pain.
 
How Is It Diagnosed?
            A comprehensive neurological and orthopedic examination should be performed checking reflexes, strength, sensation, posture, gait, muscle tone, and evaluating pain production from different positions.  X-rays help to narrow down the diagnosis.  Further imaging studies such as MRI and CT should only be necessary after a lack of improvement from conservative treatment or a progression of symptoms. 
 
Cutting Edge, Conservative Treatments

            The treatment of sciatica is aimed at removing the cause and restoring proper function to the area.  Cutting edge maneuvers such as eccentric fast stretching and cross cord inhibition focus on reducing tension in tightened and shortened muscle and joint capsules.  Chiropractic manipulations focus on removing the irritation and restoring proper motion in the facet joints.  Flexion-distraction therapy helps to reposition some of the herniated material and increase the overall health of the disc.  Neurophysiologic rehabilitation of the part of the brain that directly controls the tone of the deep spinal muscles helps to create stability in the spine.  Lastly, a proper nutritional assessment should be made to promote an anti-inflammatory diet.

Please Join Us for Our Patient Health & Wellness Class

On Wednesday, October 15th at 7:00pm, we will be offering an evening of education for our patients here at The Conde Center.  Dr. Conde will be speaking on a number of topics including: optimum brain and body nutrition, how to increase your brain power, ergonomic postures for sleeping and working, orthopedic devices and core body strengthening.  Please feel free to bring a friend who is new to the world of chiropractic neurology.  Space is limited so reserve your seats now!  We hope to see you there!
Exercise of the Month: Superman 
 
The core includes 29 muscles that make up your abdominals, pelvis, hips and back. A strong core generates better balance, precise movement and body stability. The Superman core exercise targets the lower back portion of your core and is an ideal exercise for everyone, regardless of fitness level.
 
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1. Lie face down on a mat with your arms stretched above your head (like superman)
2. Raise your left arm and right leg about 5-6 inches off the ground (or as far as you comfortably can).
3. Hold for 3 seconds and relax.
4. Repeat with the opposite arm and leg.
5. Do three sets of fifteen alternations once or twice a day. 
 
Brain Exercise of the Month: Multi-Sensory Stimulation
 
Stimulate both sides of your brain with multi-sensory stimulation.  Combining two of your five senses makes for a simple, yet powerful brain-based exercise.  The following are just a few suggestions to get started; get creative and come up with your own! AHA Logo
 
1. Smell a bouquet of fresh flowers or essential oils while listening to "classical" music like Mozart, Chopin or Beethoven.
2. Head down to the beach in the early evening, gaze at the waves and play with the sand and seashells without looking at them.
3. Enjoy a tart fruit such as grapefruit, cranberries or currants while listening to be-bop jazz like Miles Davis or Dizzy Gillespie.

 
Delicious Dinner: Super Quick Tomato Basil Cream Pasta
Serves Two
 Tomato & Basil Pasta
Garlic is one of the oldest known medicinal plants, and it's been credited with fighting heart disease, lowering blood pressure and helping to fight off colds.  The therapeutic qualities of garlic are nothing new. Sanskrit records reveal that garlic remedies were pressed into service in India 5,000 years ago, while Chinese medicine has recognized garlic's powers for over 3,000 years. So, what is it about garlic that makes it such a boon to our health? When cloves are chewed, crushed or cut, they release a sulfur-bearing compound called allicin - the chemical that gives garlic its pungent taste and smell. And it's the allicin that scientists have discovered is the magic ingredient thought to be responsible for garlic's therapeutic qualities. 

1 Large, ripe tomato (2 cups roughly chopped, 1 1/2 cups blended)
OR 1-14.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 Cup Raw Cashews
1 Tbs Tomato Paste
1/4 Cup Water
2 Tbs Olive Oil
2-4 Cloves Fresh Garlic, minced
6 Ounces Whole Wheat Spaghetti
1 tsp Salt
2-3 Tbs Wine or Water, optional
1-2 tsp Freshly Cracked, Coarse Black Pepper
1 Large Handful Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped

 

* Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
* Core the tomato, and then roughly chop it. Add it to your blender, seeds, skin and all. Add cashews, tomato paste, and water. Blend until very smooth.
* Add olive oil to a large saut� pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saut� until golden, being careful not to burn. Once water is boiling, add pasta. Pour sauce from the blender into the saut� pan and bring to a simmer. Add salt and let cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
* If desired add wine/water to thin out the sauce. Taste and season more if necessary. Let simmer until pasta is finished cooking. Once pasta is cooked, drain. Add pasta to the saut� pan with black pepper and freshly chopped basil leaves. Toss to coat. Serve immediately, garnishing with more pepper and basil.
--recipe from veganyumyum.com 
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DID YOU KNOW?: Fun Facts About Florida 

  • No matter where you are in Florida, you are never more than 65 miles away from the ocean.
  • The Everglades are the only place in the world where alligators & crocodiles co-exist.
  • There are more than 800 islands that make up the Florida Keys.  Many are teeny-tiny and the island chain stretches for 180 miles out into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Palm Beach County has more golf courses than any other county in the U.S.
  • Boca Raton comes from the Spanish for "boca de ratones", meaning rat's mouth, a term used by seamen to describe a hidden rock a ship's cable might rub against.
  • During WWII, The Breakers hotel was used as a military hospital.

Combat everyday stress with nature's calming neurotransmitter, GABA!

AHA LogoStress is a normal part of life.  Job pressures, family contention, financial insecurity, traffic and time management are just a few of the stressors we are faced with on a daily basis.  For some people, the effects can be overwhelming, leading to feelings of nervousness, anxiety and insomnia.  In addition, chronic stress can exert detrimental physiological effects on the cardiovascular, immune and neuroendorcrine systems.  
 
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a major neurotransmitter widely distributed throughout the central nervous system.  Because too much excitation can lead to irritability, restlessness, insomnia, seizures, and movement disorders, it must be balanced with inhibition.  GABA-the most important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain-provides this inhibition, acting like a "brake" during times of runaway stress.  Medications for anxiety, such as benzodiazepines, stimulate GABA receptors and induce relaxation.  Either low GABA levels or decreased GABA function in the brain is associated with several psychiatric and neurological disorders, including anxiety, depression, insomnia, and epilepsy.  Studies indicate GABA can improve relaxation and enhance sleep. 
 
PharmaGABA-PRO
We are proud to offer Thorne's formulation of PharmaGABA-PRO.  The natural GABA in PharmaGABA-PRO is produced via a fermentation process that utilizes Lactobacillus hilgardii-the bacteria used to ferment vegetables in the preparation of the traditional Korean dish known as kimchi.  Clinical studies have shown that natural PharmaGABA increases the production of brain alpha-waves, creating a profound sense of physical relaxation while maintaining mental focus.  In contrast, stress-related beta-waves are decreased.  Contact us for more information about this great product or be sure to ask about PharmaGABA-PRO during your next visit!
 
This product is not intended to prevent, treat, diagnose or cure any disease.  Information about PharmaGABA-PRO provided by Thorne, maker of this product.

Happy Halloween

 Have a Safe and Happy Halloween!
Contact Us  
 
Dr. John Conde is a Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist.  He holds diplomate status through the American Chiropractic Neurology Board.  His office is located at the Atlantic Grove in Delray Beach, Florida.  For more information, or to make an appointment, please contact 561-330-6096 or [email protected].