Chiropractic First in Cases of Work Injuries

It always amazes me that readily available data is ignored. We’ve known for decades that:

1. Back pain is the number one reason for missed time at work.
2. Chiropractic care is the fastest and most successful treatment option at returning patients to work.
3. Choosing chiropractic first costs less both initially and over the long term; yet…
4. Employers and insurers continue to ignore these facts.

In most states, Worker’s Compensation claims must follow a certain order of progression. First, the employer admits the condition may be work-related. Then, the employer tells the employee where to go for evaluation and treatment.

Most employers really do care about their employees. They know what keeps their business running. The employer just wants their employee healthy and back on the job, so what do they do? They ask their insurance company where to send the employee. Here’s where the disconnect comes in… The insurance company DOESN’T CARE ABOUT THE PATIENT and doesn’t want to PAY ANY CLAIMS. Therefore, they recommend a contracted office who is rewarded for minimizing the claim.

The patient/employee gets minimal care and is returned to daily life without addressing the underlying cause of the condition with which they presented. This leads to further injury or a worsening of the condition… often when the patient is not at work. The employer thinks and the insurance company claims that the condition is no longer work-related, therefore they are not responsible. Ultimately, the patient is saddled with increased expenses, increased time off work, decreased productivity, and declining health.

What’s the answer? Employers must realize that THEY HAVE THE POWER AND CONTROL at the beginning of the case, and can make a more appropriate referral to a chiropractor first. Their unemployment insurance is still responsible and will cover their employee’s expenses… and they will have a healthier, safer, and more productive worker back on the job sooner and with less expense.

Back To SANITY!

Click Here For Details!!!

Back to school this… back to school that… go here… go there… buy these supplies… need new shoes… pants are too short this year… you want me to bring HOW MANY boxes of kleenex this year?… these markers are okay, those aren’t… of course, last year’s backpack just won’t do… AAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Sound familiar? Well, everybody else can help you with your mandatory “back to school” duties… we’re going to help in another way:

BACK TO SANITY! Now that the kids are in school, the shopping is (hopefully) done, and you can take a deep breath… it’s finally MOM TIME! Dads, too! Grandma & Grandpa count! In fact, we’re all included. Summer vacation has come to a close. Everyone is getting back in the groove, and it’s time to reward yourself for surviving another hectic year. From now through the end of September, purchase one massage and you can get  the second one of equal or lesser value for HALF PRICE! Get them for yourself, your loved ones, and co-workers… you deserve it! This applies to gift certificates, as well.

See you soon!

– Dr. Gray

Why Didn’t I Try This Sooner? – Testimonial

Man, I love what I do! Check this out:

Dear Dr. Gray,

     My dad had never been to a chiropractor before. After retiring from decades as a heavy equipment operator, his back pain was getting so bad that he moved in with my husband and I. After seeing the relief my husband (who had previously refused to go to a chiropractor) was getting, we were able to talk him in to coming to meet you. After beginning treatment with you, he began to have relief for the first time in years. He swore from that point on that he would not miss an appointment with you. He knew he was getting relief from the pain he had suffered with for so long, and he knew where that relief was coming from. So you see, I’m so grateful to have had a doctor that could help out… They both really loved you, Dr. Gray.

Thanks again, – name withheld for privacy

How can you not be excited to go to work when you get things like this? I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to help so many people. I absolutely love getting testimonials like this.

You want to hear the best part? I received the above unsolicited testimonial a few years after the men she was referencing had passed. There are so many times we go through the motions of our daily lives without fanfare. Without accolades. Without thanks. Without reward. Often, we place too much focus on how our actions are benefiting ourselves… when our true focus should be on how our actions are benefiting others. There is no better reward than finding out years later how you were a positive influence on someone else without even knowing.

Influence can go both ways… positive or negative. Treat every moment, every day, every interaction as if it were the most important thing you can do. You never know who you’re influencing, and you darn sure don’t want to miss an opportunity to make the right impression!

– Dr. Gray

Back To School…

August/September… Summer is winding down… We’re getting the kids back to school. We can learn a lot from our children…

They go through their summer, sleeping in until noon, only waking to grab the phone to see who’s text messages they’ve missed. Once they’ve replied and made potential plans for the coming evening of blissful lack of responsibility, they grab a bite to eat and flip on the tube or Facebook and “check in.” However, once school starts back up (perhaps with a little coaxing), they’re up at 6:00 AM fixing their hair, organizing the backpack, grabbing a bowl of cereal, and catching the bus or driving themselves to school. In short, once they recognize that it’s time to get the job done; once they are expected to be responsible; once they know there is no alternative… they just do it. They may not be happy about it. They may complain and rebel. They may resist… but, in large part, they do it. Decision made, this is what has to be done, let’s go.

Now… as an adult… who are you responsible to? Let’s put this in perspective.

How many of you know and acknowledge that “It’s time to quit smoking?” … “It’s time to start exercising?” … “It’s time to start taking care of myself?” But who is there to kick your lazy butt into gear? The answer is: YOU. We teach our kids that we all have responsibilities, and when it needs to be done, you just do it. We EXPECT them to honor their responsibilities and do their chores. There are consequences if they don’t… but, do we hold ourselves to the same level of accountability? If you demand that your student get up and go to school, but continue with habits that you KNOW you shouldn’t be doing, then you’re a hypocrite. How can you expect to hold their respect, if you won’t practice what you preach? What kind of lesson are you teaching them; or, example are you setting if you tell them one thing then do another?

Let’s take this time to show our children what it really means to be responsible. Let’s make the decision that the time is now to “get it done.” No more “New Year’s Resolutions…” no more, I’ll quit ____ once I turn 40… 50… etc.” Do it now.

We’re here to help. At Gray Chiropractic, we have three doctors and a massage therapist on staff to help you achieve your health care goals. Combined, all of our doctors have over 30 years of experience in dealing with sports injuries, addictions, painful conditions due to years of hard work, acute injuries, chronic pains, tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, lower back pain, etc. We have helped patients from the grandmother struggling with duties at church to the infant with a bad case of colic. We’ve helped people quit smoking. We’ve helped people lose weight. We’ve relieved years of pain. Traditional chiropractic care, acupuncture, supplementation, nutritional counseling, strength and conditioning, rehabilitation, … you name it, and we can help you achieve your goals.

So… get off your ass and make an appointment with us today. Whether it’s a simple, tune-up adjustment, or a full nutritional work-up, you know it’s time to start leading by example. If you want your children to make smart health decisions, then you must show them how it’s done. Lead by example. Hold yourself accountable. Make the decision that there is no alternative… there are consequences if you don’t… and, get it done. Do the right thing.

– Dr. Gray

Can Stress or Emotions Cause Pain?

I received a great question from a patient recently: She had read somewhere that stress and emotions were the cause of back pain, and wondered if I agreed or if it was true. Here is the majority of my answer.

While not the only cause of pain, the relationship between mental/emotional complaints or stress and how they lead to various physical conditions has long been known. The technical term for it is “psychosomatic,” or “psychogenic,” and refers to physical complaints being caused by mental/emotional problems. As our world has gotten busier and busier, and we have gotten away from stress-reducing activities in our daily life, these psychosomatic conditions have become much more widespread. Unfortunately, addressing psychosomatic conditions is difficult for several reasons.

First, psychosomatic complaints can be varied in their expression. Some people experience headaches when stressed, while others will develop back pain. Still others will suffer from indigestion… or high blood pressure… or neuropathy… or constipation… panic attacks… etc. Because of this highly variable presentation, it is difficult to determine exactly when our conditions are psychogenic in nature or when there is a true underlying disease process. In addition, there are no real tests that can be performed or evaluated to definitively diagnose psychosomatic conditions. Therefore, we are often in a position where we must run a multitude of tests and evaluations to rule out more serious complications or underlying disease processes. When these tests, inevitably, show no evidence of other causes, by exclusion the only plausible remaining diagnosis is “psychosomatic.” However, the very process of so many tests, the costs associated with these tests, and the continual disappointment of another test without an answer… only adds to the stress that is ultimately the underlying cause!

Second, when we have confirmed that stress is either the primary underlying cause or just a complicating factor, it is extremely difficult to get patients to comply with our recommendations on how to reduce that stress. Regardless of whether a physician is involved or not, a person who recognizes that stress is the culprit will often be unwilling (or unable) to take the necessary steps to correct their situation. How many of us can change occupations at will? Which of us can rapidly make money problems disappear? Who among us chooses when to deal with a dying parent? Which of us set our own work hours? And on and on… However, there are a great many things that we can do, but are often unwilling. For example: How many of us turn the television off and read a book in the evening? How many of us go to bed early with some soft, soothing music? How many of us choose nutritious snacks instead of sugary, carbohydrate-rich junk? Who do you know that closes their eyes and rests for fifteen minutes at lunch instead of checking in on Facebook? How many of us go for a walk in the evening instead of watching American Idol? Stress is largely a direct effect of the choices we make, our response to the consequences of those choices, and our willingness or ability to change those choices.

Third, our traditional Western medical system is not designed to properly address or correct psychosomatic conditions. If you look at the above complaints we noted above, think about how those conditions are primarily treated. Headache? Take Excedrin. Back pain? Take Alleve. Indigestion? Take Prevacid. High blood pressure? Take Toprol. Neuropathy? Take Gabapentin. Constipation? Take Maalox. Panic attacks? Take Prozac. Are you seeing the pattern here? And don’t blame this entirely on doctors or the pharmaceutical companies… Nearly every one of the conditions I’ve listed are lifestyle-related. In other words, choices the patient has made have led to the conditions with which they are suffering. By extension, patients demand and choose a treatment alternative that allows them to go on making the same ill-fated choices. Unfortunately, our Western medical system is largely geared towards symptom control… not dysfunction correction.

So, can mental or emotional stress cause pain? Absolutely. It can cause a great many things other than just pain, so it is important to make stress-reduction a regular part of your daily life.

How Many Chiropractors Does It Take To Change A Lightbulb?

So… how many chiropractors does it take to change a lightbulb? Just one… but it’ll take you 40 visits! Although comical, jokes like this come from a general basis of some perceived negative. Does it really take forty visits anytime you need chiropractic treatment? Of course not. However, there is another perception about chiropractic that contributes to the above joke: Once you start going to a chiropractor, you have to go forever.

Is that true? Do you have to go forever if you begin seeing a chiropractor? The answer, again, is of course not. I’ll be the first to admit that I understand the frustration with the concept of multiple visits associated with chiropractic treatment. The fact remains, though, that we can’t fix twenty years of abuse and neglect with one adjustment. The number of treatment visits that will be required for each individual case is dependent on many factors. An individual’s history of injuries, surgeries, sports, genetics, occupation, exercise, weight, diet, hobbies, etc. all play a role in the amount of treatment necessary. The length of time that a particular condition has been developing is also extremely important when trying to design a treatment plan. Every aspect plays a role in determining reasonable expectations for the amount of care necessary to optimize outcomes.

Perhaps more, but at least as, important than the above factors is: What are the patient’s goals? If all the patient wants is to “feel better,” then a couple appointments may be all that is necessary. But, keep in mind that how things feel is not always a good indicator of how things really are. Did you know that the most common first symptom of heart disease is… death? There are tons of people walking around with severe heart disease or cancer who have no symptoms and think they’re fine. In the same sense, your spine and nervous system has an inborn ability to adapt and compensate for dysfunction in an effort to decrease symptoms. Think about it… from the time we learn to walk, our parents teach us how to ignore pain. “Shake it off… be tough… work it out…” From nearly day one, we are taught to ignore our symptoms! The end result is that we ignore the warning signs that would allow us to fix a problem while it is small and easy. Ultimately, by the time the body has lost its ability to compensate any further, the patient enters my office and says, “I’ve only had this pain for three days.” Well, actually, you’ve had this dysfunction for much longer, but your body finally gave up three days ago.

If the patient’s goal is resolution or long-term improved health, then physical pain or symptoms are only a small part of our rationale for care. Obviously, our first goal of treatment will be to minimize and/or get rid of the pain. After that, we dig a little deeper to determine what led to the dysfunction in the first place. While continuing care and retraining the body to work and function differently than it has adapted to, we begin planning out any rehabilitative care or lifestyle changes that may be necessary. This could include regular stretching and/or exercise at home, dietary restrictions, supplements, physical therapy, ergonomic changes at work or home, etc. Beyond that, again, it depends on the patient’s goals. If you wish to keep your teeth and keep them healthy, you regularly brush, floss, use a mouth rinse, and visit the dentist a couple times per year regardless of symptoms. These visits are primarily check-ups so that the dentist can discover potential problems before they become big problems. A little cleaning, a good check-up, some advice on home care, and they can usually send you on your way. However, if you’ve not been taking care of your teeth, whether by the lack of maintenance or by abusing them with sugary foods, then the dentist may have some work to do. If you’re seeing him a couple times per year, then he can catch these problems early and there is much less treatment and cost involved. On the other hand, if you’ve neglected these problems for some time, the damage may be much worse, increasing the amount of treatment and cost involved with your dental care.

In the same fashion, if you wish to remain physically active with a healthy and strong body, you must regularly exercise, eat properly, reduce stress, get plenty of rest, and visit the chiropractor once in a while regardless of symptoms. The same examples from our dental analogy above apply here. If you’ve taken care of yourself, there is often very little for the chiropractor to do, but this gives an opportunity to catch problems before they escalate. If you’ve abused or neglected yourself, there is a good chance that your problems will involve more treatment and costs associated with your care. Either way, dental or chiropractic, you’re going to need us sooner or later. You can either take care of yourself and see the dentist regularly… or you can wait for your teeth to fall out. In the same sense, you can either take care of yourself and see the chiropractor regularly… or you can wait until you need surgery. – Dr. Gray

Symptoms… Or Structure? Are You The Leaning Tower?

Take your shirt off… Relax… and stand in front of a large mirror. Are your ears level? Does your head stand straight up and down? Are your shoulders level? Do your ribs stick out further on one side? Are your hips level? Now, do the same thing on your children, spouse, or significant other. If you can answer “No” to any of these questions, you may be looking at a clear sign of problems to come… or the underlying cause of some of your current problems.

Biomechanically, our bodies are built like a skyscraper. We are a very tall, narrow structure that depends on a stable foundation with balance and support throughout from the bottom up. Anytime the pieces aren’t working together, or individual parts are weaker than they need to be, dysfunction shows up. The Leaning Tower of Pisa was built upon a sandy foundation. As they built it taller, they began to notice that it was leaning to one side. Instead of correcting the foundation, they treated the symptom… they built the next level taller on one side to shift the weight back the other way. As expected, the building first righted itself, but then began to fall the other way. Again, they just built the next level out of balance to shift the weight back in the other direction. This continued for nearly 200 years until they arrived at the structure you see today. What many of us don’t know is that the only reason the tower still stands is because of the internal and external “surgery” they eventually had to perform to hold the building up. There are metal bands, support beams, lead weights, and traction devices that have been installed and are constantly monitored and adjusted in order to keep the building upright.

In the same fashion, structural dysfunction in our body will lead to imbalances that force it to adapt and lean this way or that in order to continue to support us. The changes or adaptations our bodies make may allow us to remain upright, but they will also lead to other symptoms. Symptoms are nothing more than our body’s attempt to warn us that something is wrong. In our example, the symptom of the leaning tower was an indication that the foundation wasn’t strong enough to hold the weight of the building. In our body, the symptom could be achy, muscle spasms. How many of us decide to take a muscle relaxer or anti-inflammatory instead of asking ourselves why the pain and spasm developed in the first place? If your symptoms involve interference in the nervous system… which then leads to symptoms wherever those nerves travel… what will happen if you choose to treat the symptoms only?

Go back to our analogy: As the builders continued to treat the symptom of the leaning tower, this only led to other symptoms and perpetuated the instability and dysfunction of the structure. Ultimately, this has led to permanent structural imbalance (the lean), surgical repair (the banding and beams), and constant monitoring of balance (the lead weights and soil removal). Following this logic, if you choose to treat the symptoms only, you will develop permanent structural imbalance (have you seen how some older people stand?), increasing aggressiveness of treatment (how many knee and hip replacements have you heard of lately?), and constant monitoring and treatment (know anyone taking meds for one thing… then meds for the side effects… then meds for another… OR… needs continual or repetitive treatment just to maintain their current state?). Sounds pretty familiar, huh?

Chiropractic is uniquely situated and qualified to deal with the underlying structure of how our bodies work. Most people think of low back pain when they hear “chiropractic.” However, chiropractors don’t treat low back pain. We don’t treat headaches… neck pain… indigestion or heartburn… carpal tunnel syndrome… intervertebral disks, herniated disks, bulging disks… We treat the underlying CAUSE that leads to those SYMPTOMS. We seek to optimize the body’s function, therefore the symptoms resolve themselves. If a “symptom” is just a warning sign given by our body to warn us of dysfunction, then correcting the underlying dysfunction will cause the symptom to stop.

Is chiropractic a cure-all? No. Of course not. There are conditions or diseases that are related to external forces (such as infection, trauma, or chemical poisoning) that need external assistance. Your medical doctor plays an integral role in helping to address these issues, and to help point you in the right direction. However, your chiropractor should play an equal role in helping you manage the function of your body. Ultimately, you are responsible to create and build your own foundation upon which you build your structure. When we are young, we rely on the foundation begun by our parents, but as an adult, will you continue to treat the symptoms? Will you treat only the symptoms, or will you correct the underlying structure?

– Dr. James C. Gray

Acupuncture… Does It Work?

Found a great article in the Wall Street journal from March 2010. In it, the journalist gives an account of her experience with acupuncture, and details some of the new scientific evidence proving the effective results associated with this form of treatment. For me, this was a great and timely article. I am often asked, “How does acupuncture work?” Well, you all know that I am often honest to a fault, therefore, my answer usually begins with, “We don’t exactly know!” Wow… now if that doesn’t inspire confidence, I don’t know what will! (obvious sarcasm)

A technique that has been around for 5000 years or so has got to have some validity to it, right? So why are there so few scientific studies and such little research done on the subject? The answer to that question is two-fold:

First, I believe that we do not yet fully understand how to evaluate and quantify the effects of the biomagnetic and bioelectric fields that surround and travel through us. Physics can measure, predict, and detail very accurately the electric and magnetic fields created by the interaction of positive and negative charges when we pass electricity through a copper wire. On a very basic, simplified, and cellular level, the interaction between nerves, cells, and other tissues in our body is not that different from passing electrons through a wire. In nearly all functions of the body, there are positive and negative charges being exchanged, transferred, or retained in and between our cells. Individually, this interaction between two cells may be extremely small. However, collectively, these interactions could theoretically develop significantly large biomagnetic and bioelectric fields due to the interaction of positive and negative charges. This model could explain why many seemingly strange techniques work; such as: acupuncture, applied kinesiology, contact reflex analysis, muscle testing, etc. Many of these techniques involve weird and unexplained responses from the manipulation or interference with these fields; such as holding a particular food item causing the strengthening or weakening of a muscle. At this point in time, we just don’t know how to measure or evaluate these responses. Most of these techniques also suffer from interexaminer deficiencies… which means, different practitioners may do an examination on the same patient yet interpret the results differently. Here’s the strange part… even though different results are obtained from examination, and different acupoints may be chosen for treatment, positive outcomes from treatment are still realized… and outperform placebo!

The second reason that research and documentation is scant on acupuncture and energy-based medicine is… say it with me folks… Follow the money!!! That’s right, boys and girls. There’s no money in it for the pharmaceutical, insurance, or medical corporations. Acupuncture, chiropractic, kinesiology, and other energy-based techniques are largely practitioner-based. Face it; if they can’t bottle it and sell it, they’re not going to support it. Who do you think pays for all those research papers in JAMA, NEJM, or any other “peer-reviewed” research journal? And why do they pay for or support these research articles? Because they expect a return on their investment. I don’t have a problem with it… that’s the way the free market works, and I’d rather have it that way than have some moron in Washington deciding what’s good or not (besides… who do you think is paying that guy?). All I’m saying is that the lack of big-money research doesn’t necessarily mean that something doesn’t work. Like I’ve told you before, in anything you read or hear (including this blog!), consider the source and motivation behind what you’re hearing. The pharmaceutical industry is a trillion dollar per year industry… why would they finance, support, and publish any research that encourages a medical treatment option that renders their products unnecessary? Not gonna happen.

That said, there were a couple good videos included with the Wall Street Journal article linked above. Having trouble embedding them here, so follow the link and watch them there. I’ll update this page if I figure out how to embed the video here. If you want to go directly to the videos: here’s the first one… and, here’s the second one.

– Dr. James C. Gray

My Interview For “Living With Back Pain”

I was recently asked to do an interview for the website “Living with Back Pain.” This informative site has many pages devoted to living and dealing with chronic pain. I enjoyed doing the interview and am satisfied that I was able to provide some good info that will be beneficial to anyone dealing with painful conditions. I’ll post the entire article below, but be sure to check it out on their site, too. While you’re there, I encourage you to look around Dave’s site. Click here to open the interview in a new window. Here’s the text of the interview:

WORDS OF WISDOM

Dr James Gray

Dr James Gray from Gray Chiropractic and Natural Health Care in Independence, Missouri has agreed to share some of his knowledge about natural health treatments with us.

He is active in his community where he has established a relationship with many medical doctors, who refer patients to him for his natural health treatments, because they have seen the results that he has been able to achieve.

Dr Gray, Welcome.Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to share your experience and expertise about chiropractic care with us.

I found your website graychiropractic.com when researching chiropractors, and I was very impressed by how professional and informative your website and your practice seem to be.

Please tell us briefly about yourself and your involvement with chiropractic care and health care in general, the services you have to offer, and the web blog that you write.

Thanks, Dave, for the opportunity to participate and add to your discussion in relieving chronic pain. For the past 15 years, I’ve been a chiropractor in the Eastern suburbs of Kansas City, MO. While attending chiropractic school, although I’ve always been skeptic of unproven treatment methods, I vowed to keep an open mind and research as many health care ideas as I could. I would often attend seminars with a notion that I would be gaining the knowledge I would need to warn my patients about the dangers of fringe treatments. Often, I came away with that very outcome. However, I was surprised at how many times I came away with more answers than I had expected, and a sincere desire to learn more about a particular technique.

Today, Gray Chiropractic offers a wide variety of natural health care alternatives to traditional medicine. The majority of cases we deal with involve traditional, evidence-based chiropractic care, but I think the secret to our success is in the integration of multiple treatment methods and techniques. In addition to chiropractic care, we utilize and provide in our office both passive and active adjunctive physiotherapy, traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, dietary and nutritional counseling, massage therapy, and sports care. One aspect of our office that may differ from your readers’ past experiences is our emphasis and desire to communicate and coordinate care with our patients’ medical doctors. I vowed after leaving school that I was not going to participate in the partisan bickering between our professions that doesn’t benefit our patients and equates to nothing more than a turf war. It is only by communication, cooperation, and the integration of the vast array of health care choices that we can achieve optimum results.

I tell all of my patients that the original definition for the Latin word for doctor meant “teacher.” As physicians, it is our responsibility to evaluate a patient’s body as a whole and give them all of the information they need to make an informed decision. Contrary to popular belief, neither I nor any other doctor can make you partake in any treatment recommendations. Nor can we insure that you will continue to follow our recommendations once you are not under active and regular care. Ultimately, it is the patient that is responsible for their health… for better or worse. Therefore, it is imperative that we teach our patients about the many choices they have, and the consequences associated with each. In my blog, I try to discuss the health care issues that face us all in a blunt and clear manner. There is so much misinformation out there; it’s hard for patients to get a clear and unbiased message. I try to write about a wide variety of issues from a natural health care perspective, but leave out the fluff and sales-influenced propaganda.

1. Dr Gray, after reading some of your blogs I get the impression that you have some pretty strong feelings about medical care in the United States.

I do have very strong feelings about medical care in our country. However, I hope I’ve not given the impression that my feelings are anti-medicine. I write some pretty scathing rebukes when necessary, but I don’t care what profession the bull comes from… if it’s crap, it’s crap. I think what I get most upset about is sales propaganda disguised as health care authority or advice. This comes from all directions and all professions, and I’ve got no problem pointing it out when I can.

What first led you to get involved in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine?

While in chiropractic school, I had a friend invite me to attend a weekend seminar to fulfill some of our elective credit requirements. I had always thought acupuncture was going to be one of those techniques that I would debunk and warn my patients about. “I mean seriously… you’re going to tell me that you can stick a needle in a woman’s ankle and relieve her menstrual cramps? Gimme a break!” However, by the end of that one weekend, I was fascinated. I couldn’t wait to learn more. I immersed myself in reading new and old material alike, and immediately signed up for the full post-doctoral program. Since then, I have continued to study and learn about acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. I read several books and attend continuing education seminars multiple times every year. I never fail to come away with something I didn’t know before. Acupuncture is an art that takes years to learn and a lifetime to master.

Does it work for everyone? Of course not. It is no more a “cure-all” than chiropractic or pharmaceuticals are. Acupuncture is merely one more treatment choice and method that we have in our arsenal to fight disease and discomfort.

2. In your practice at Gray Chiropractic you use axial traction and intersegmental traction to distract the spine and open up the vertebral spaces. How does this compare to treatment with the DRX9000 that some practices are promoting?

The DRX9000 (or the VAX-D, Lordex, DRS, etc.) are computerized axial traction devices. Although I don’t have any problem with the tables or techniques themselves, I do object to some of the questionable marketing practices used by some to sell these treatments. I found an article from the journal Chiropractic & Osteopathy titled “Non-surgical spinal decompression therapy: does the scientific literature support efficacy claims made in the advertising media?” published in May 2007. The article examines this “heavily marketed” version of traction therapy that “can cost over $100,000.” The authors extensively search all the major medical and scientific literature databases to find every scientific research article published on nonsurgical spinal decompression. It turns out; there was only 1 randomized controlled trial, 1 clinical trial, 1 case series and 7 other papers. Each was reviewed individually. The authors concluded that “In general the quality of these studies is questionable.” And that there was “only limited evidence…available to warrant the routine use of non-surgical spinal decompression, particularly when many other well investigated, less expensive alternatives are available.”

I would have to agree with the conclusions of the authors. Spinal decompression does work as designed, but I’ve not seen evidence that it is any more effective than other treatment methods that are readily available and much less expensive. There are relatively few cases that will respond only to this form of treatment, yet will not also obtain comparable results from flexion-distraction, chiropractic with exercise, axial traction, or a simple inversion table.

3. You offer Nutrition Response Testing and Designed Clinical Nutrition in your chiropractic practice. I read the explanation on your website and found it very interesting, but I didn’t quite understand how it was developed or where it originated. It seems to be related to traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture treated with modern dietary supplements. Can you tell us how it was developed and how it made its way into your practice?

Nutrition Response Testing is a technique that has developed through the conglomeration of numerous techniques over the years. Founded and developed by a pair of doctors in New York, their research was originally was based on the work of the “Founding Fathers of Modern Nutrition:” Dr. Royal Lee, Dr. Francis M. Pottenger, Dr. Melvin E. Page and Dr. Weston A. Price, and a modification of Contact Reflex Analysis. These techniques involve muscle testing and energy work that is not well understood, however, I can’t argue with results. My primary complaint lies with the subjective nature of the muscle testing, and inter-examiner reliability. That said; the muscle testing and reflex points designed to illicit response follow closely along historical reflex points from traditional Chinese philosophy and acupuncture meridians.

In practice, I had begun to see a pattern of declining health of the general population that traditional methods (chiropractic or medical) were not addressing as completely as they used to. By process of elimination, I found that dietary weakness and malnutrition was playing a role in the failing health of our society. Deep down, this is something that we all know, but due to the diarrhetic glut of information available about this vitamin for that and that vitamin for this, we don’t know where to start! I was determined to increase my ability to teach my patients how to eat better, and how to choose only those supplements that will benefit each individual situation. Everyone, and every case, is different. I needed a way to evaluate my patients to determine where the underlying dysfunction or weaknesses were, and how to individually tailor our response to those problems.

In addition to the basic NRT muscle testing, we add computerized heart rate variability tests, and a full-body systems questionnaire to evaluate the function and efficiency of the autonomic nervous system. It would be pointless to recommend certain supplements if the body can’t respond properly or use it once it’s in there. As in traditional Chinese medicine, the goal is to have all of the body’s systems functioning optimally, in balance and harmony.

Although we won’t be able to be as specific as an office visit, we are currently working on a way to put the full-body symptom questionnaire online so patients can complete and submit it for review. Once submitted, we will review the results and develop a comprehensive report that details the primary underlying systemic weaknesses that will allow us to formulate an individual supplementation plan. If we can get this up and running soon, we will be able to offer patients throughout the continental U.S. the opportunity to get a detailed and individualized plan which will take the guess work out of choosing which supplements will be most beneficial to take. If the patient chooses, they could then order and have their supplements shipped directly to them.

4. Chiropractic treatments kind of have a reputation as being for little old people with arthritic spines, but I see that you are doing much more. As a team chiropractor for the Missouri Mavericks hockey team you work with athletes in a very rough sport. What can chiropractic do for regular people who don’t play contact sports?

Wow… After a hundred fifteen years of research, treatment, and results, I hope the majority of people don’t still think of chiropractic as “being for little old people with arthritic spines.” But, perhaps you’re right in that most people don’t really know what we do, or the philosophy of chiropractic.

In short, chiropractic is a science and art within the health care field that focuses on the neuromusculoskeletal system and how it affects the entire body. The underlying tenets would have to include the fact that the body is designed to heal itself and operate at homeostasis, or balance. The nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves, controls and coordinates all of the body’s systems and is in charge of making sure the left hand knows what the right is doing. Disruption or interference within the nervous system can lead to pain, dysfunction, and disease. Instead of treating the symptoms of a condition, chiropractic attempts to treat the underlying dysfunction that is leading to the symptoms… thus facilitating the body to heal itself.

As with the medical field, there are emerging several specialties within the chiropractic community. There are chiropractic internists, radiologists, sports physicians, pediatricians, etc. The major difference between a DC and an MD is primarily that we don’t prescribe pharmaceuticals, and we don’t perform surgeries. If a patient would prefer a natural approach to health, the chiropractor is an essential part of their health care team. I have many patients who consider me their “primary care physician,” and we just refer them on in those cases where pharmaceuticals are necessary.

As for my role with the Mavs, most every professional sports team has a chiropractor on staff or associated. The reason is that optimal function of the neuromusculoskeletal system leads to optimal performance on the ice, on the gridiron, on the diamond, on the court, etc. With optimal function, you also minimize the risk of injury and optimize recovery. I’ve had the pleasure of working with the Mavs since their inception and have seen some pretty crazy injuries. However, when it gets right down to it, there are many professions that are as hard on the body as hockey. For example, framing carpenters lift, carry, climb, walk on uneven surfaces, hammer, nail, etc. all day every day. The difference is, the carpenter doesn’t consider the athleticism of their occupation so they don’t focus on stretching before and after working, and they don’t tailor their diet to maximize their abilities to perform and recover. This leads to excess wear and tear on the body and results in premature degeneration. Most every profession has its own inherent stresses and strains. If optimal function benefits athletes by allowing them optimal performance, risk, and recovery… then why would the rest of us be any different? Everyone can benefit from optimal performance, minimal risk, and optimal recovery.

5. You certainly appear to be in excellent physical condition and you promote good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle in your practice at Gray Chiropractic. What do you do to keep yourself in top shape and how do you educate your patients about the importance of exercise and physical training as a part of healthy living?

I exercise several times per week, but not in a traditional manner. I’ve never been one who has been satisfied with sitting in the gym lifting weights. Frankly, it bores me. Therefore, I mix it up. Tennis, golf, hockey, running on the elliptical trainer, some weights, chasing the kids, walking the dogs, you name it. Most of the time, it’s not important how long or how hard you exercise… just that you do it! As for diet, I’m not a fanatic. I’m just realistic. I understand that the produce in our grocery stores has approximately 35-40% of the nutritional content of the same produce from 40 years ago. Therefore, I practice what I preach and take individualized supplements specific to my current state.

For my patients, my biggest obstacle is convincing them that living healthy is not as hard they may think. It’s not hard to drink more water, limit sugar and sweeteners, eat more raw or steamed veggies… and put the fork down. Reasonable portions and a little activity is a great start to improving health. I try to lead by example and give ideas to some. Some just need a motivating force or someone to be responsible to. Others, for one reason or the other, are not receptive. That’s okay, too… so long as the patient understands that he/she is the only one responsible for the consequences.

6. Many of our visitors don’t have gym memberships and don’t have access to exercise equipment. Can you suggest any exercises that they can do at home to strengthen their back and protect against back pain?

You bet! Strengthening the back and protecting against back pain starts with stabilizing the abdominal core muscles. Anyone can do a daily range-of-motion stretch in the lower back and torso. Add in abdominal planks to strengthen abs without aggravating the lower back like crunches sometimes do. Leg raises (front, back, and to side). You’d be amazed at how beneficial a good walk is for the back and core. An exercise ball ($18-20) makes for a cheap item that can incorporate and facilitate a ton of exercises. In the absence of even an exercise ball, look around and be creative. Fill a gallon milk jug with water and you’ve got a six pound dumbbell. You’ve probably got a ton of things in your kitchen that will tell you right on the package how much it weighs. You don’t need memberships or home gyms to get exercise… you just need motivation and to quit making excuses.

7. I read on your website that you have four daughters and that you are active in coaching and sponsoring their sports teams and other activities. It is very admirable that you find time in your busy schedule to be involved in their lives, and I am sure it is very rewarding as well.

What kind of advice do you have for your daughters and other young people, about protecting and caring for their backs now, to prevent back pain and other problems as they grow into their 30’s and 40’s and beyond? (And, how do you get them to listen?)

The old adage of “an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure,” is one of the most basic truths that too many of us forget to respect. Whether it’s my daughters, my patients, my neighbors, or anyone else, the only way to encourage prevention and healthy choices is to increase and enforce personal accountability. Regardless of whether it is related to school, health, sports, work, etc., my girls know and understand that they are in control of and determine their own destiny. I can guide, teach, show, and assist as much as I can, but it’s up to them determine their outcome. Actions lead to consequences… good or bad… period.

The same applies to health care. Unfortunately, our society has become too politically correct, and too often refuses to place blame where it belongs. It’s become “uncouth” to tell someone that 90% of their back pain is because they’re 50 pounds overweight. It’s “not cool” to tell someone their “depression” is because they won’t get off their ass and go outside. You want to improve health care in this country? Put the patient back in the equation. The patient should be in control, and should be responsible for all aspects of their personal health care choices. Once that happens, patients will take ownership of their bodies again. They will consider how Choice A vs. Choice B is going to affect their health, their pocketbook, and their reputation. My advice to young people is to take responsibility now for the consequences of your actions. Start thinking about what you want to do and where you want to be in ten years. Twenty years. Then take the actions that will get you there. Quit waiting on someone else to make the decision for you because they won’t be there when it’s time to pay the toll.

As for getting them to listen… if you ever figure out how to get a teenager to listen, please let me know!!!

Dr. Gray we certainly appreciate your direct approach and telling people the truth. Whenever you are teaching people about their health, the bottom line really is personal responsibility.

We want to thank Dr. Gray for taking the time to share his knowledge and expertise with us. As always with Dr. Gray, he cuts through the fog, and puts the truth right in front of you. How refreshing.

You can get more straight talk from Dr. Gray by visiting him at Gray Chiropractic in Independence, MO., and reading his blog posts. Also, don’t forget to keep an eye on his website for the new online nutrition evaluation that he is developing.

Time For A Spinal Tune-Up

When you care about your car, you take it to the shop for the tuneups it needs – oil changes, tire rotations, new brakes, etc. Your spine is no different. It needs a regular “tuneup” as well, complete with chiropractic adjustments. Chiropractic tuneups can serve three purposes:

1. Evaluate the state of your body, even if you have no pain. Even people who feel fine have areas of their spine or extremities that are out of normal alignment. When we adjust those bones back into place, people feel better in some way. If we waited until we felt pain, we would all wait until we needed root canals or crowns before going to the dentist!
2. Address major or minor pains you currently have, but haven’t been too worried about. Have you had any nagging discomforts or pains coming from your spine or extremities? Do these discomforts prevent you from doing the activities you enjoy? Instead of wondering if the pain will continue to get worse or stay that way for the rest of your life, give chiropractic a try. You don’t have to live with pain.
3. Prevent future problems that can and likely will arise from your joints being out of alignment and not functioning at 100 percent. Our society is moving toward preventative health care. Chiropractic has been at the forefront of this concept since the chiropractic profession was founded in 1895. Arthritis, overuse injuries (like carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow), rotator cuff injuries and knee problems are just some examples of conditions that may be prevented with chiropractic care.

The most prevalent causes of death in this country are heart disease, cancer, and stroke. What is the first symptom most of those people that die of those diseases experience? … Death! Unfortunately, that’s true. Many that die of those diseases never know they’re sick until it’s too late. Think about it… how many people are walking around feeling fine, yet have a stage 3 cancer growing inside? We see cases on a daily basis where a lower back pain began with a simple movement, like getting in the car, or picking up a pencil, or mowing the lawn. Only after further investigation do we discover that they’ve had degenerative joint disease developing inside for several years.

Scheduling chiropractic tuneups allows you to take care of your body so that your machine functions as well as it possibly can. Please remember to make time to care for yourself; you are worth every penny. Call your chiropractor today.