“I was having pain between my shoulder blades and neck stiffness. I was referred to the office by a friend. So far the treatment is going well. The stiffness in my neck is gone and so far I have not experienced the shoulder pain either.”~29 year-old male
Couldn’t Walk
“Couldn’t walk. Back problems and neck pain. Doctors could not help. Medication did not help either. After two treatments alot better and in 3 weeks or so pain was completely gone.”~63 year-old female
Back and Leg Pain
“I started coming to Dr. Burgoon in 1999 I think! I had terrible back pain that shot down my left leg and my neck hurt everytime I moved it. I was taking 3 muscle relaxers and three 800 mg of motrin a day just to be able to go to work. I asked my GP doctor if he thought a chiropractor could help me and I was sent to see Dr. Burgoon. I think I responded pretty quickly to treatment. We started out with 3 treatments a week, then 2, then 1 and so on. In about 3 months time I was pain free. I was taking no pain pills and starting to feel human again! I come now about once a month or so and continjue to feel good. Thank you Dr. Burgoon and Monica. You guys are the greatest!”~ 59 year-old female
Migraines for years
“I suffered from migraines for years. I came on a Friday with a headache that I had for 3 days. After the first treatment I could tell a difference. My head stopped hurting and I could turn my head. After three visits I could tell the biggest difference. My head hasn’t really hurt since.” ~29 year-old female
Nasal Neti Pot Rinse
THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF A WATER-BORNE AMOEBA KILLING 2 PEOPLE IN ALABAMA WHO HAD USED THE NETI POT. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE PURIFIED WATER WHEN MAKING THE SALT WATER SOLUTION. PURIFIED MEANS FILTERED, REVERSE OSMOSIS OR DISTILLED WATER.
The nasal passages benefit greatly when rinsed with saline solution daily. Allergies, sinus congestion, chronic coughs, and colds/sore throats all decrease with regular use of the neti pot. Neti pots are available in health food stores and some drug stores. We have convinced many of our patients to try it for allergies and congestion. Once they experience the open, clean feeling after nasal rinsing, they’re sold on the idea. All you need is the neti pot and sea salt. Be sure to follow the directions that come with the neti pot.
Marinated Sweet Potatoes
The roots of good health thrive or die in the kitchen. It’s not a matter of time spent preparing meals–health promoting meals can easily be made with basic kitchen equipment. No need to be a gourmet cook spending hours in a fancy kitchen! Understanding the principles of healthy eating and then organizing yourself are the keys. We will be posting easy recipes with comments that are meant to educate and inspire.
Marinated Sweet Potatoes with Zip
This is a perfect summer snack food or addition to a salad. The potatoes are not cooked so they contribute to the 50% raw foods (by weight) that we recommend for diet. It is a time saver because once made, they store well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Because they are marinated in olive oil there is no need to use salad dressing when they are added to a salad. Apple cider vinegar can be substituted for the hot pepper sauce if you don’t like spicey foods.
- 2 medium-size sweet potatoes, organically grown if possible, peeled and cut in half lenghwise and then into 1/8 inch slices.
- 1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup hot pepper sauce
- 2 Tbsp. chopped chives or 1 tsp. dried chives
- salt and pepper to taste
Mix the oil and hot pepper sauce in a glass bowl. Add the potato slices, chives, salt and pepper. Stir and cover. Keep refrigerated. Allow to marinate for 6 hours before serving.
Headaches are a pain in your neck
Medical research shows that 90% of all headaches are cervicogenic. That’s a fancy way of saying almost all headaches start with problems in the neck. It is rare that I see a fully functioning neck in the many patients I’ve examined and x-rayed. Problems in the cervical spine directly affect the nerves, muscles, and vascular system (blood vessels) to the head and to other parts of the body. Sometimes, the brain signals us that something is wrong by providing pain. This is why using medications to alleviate the pain and not finding out the cause of the pain is going against the wisdom of the body.
Americans consume 15 tons of aspirin per day, 19 billion tablets per year, causing 2000 deaths per year. This is the leading cause of kidney disease. How much medication do you consume to simply decrease the pain? Our goal is to stop the pain by finding the cause.
Headaches significantly affect a person’s ability to function normally, whether getting through another day at work, taking care of family, or trying to enjoy some free time alone. We have treated individuals as young as four years old with headaches. We have also seen individuals who “toughed their headaches out” for years despite the poor quality of life they endured. And then there are those who were receiving regular injections of the most potent headache medications that medical doctors prescribe. It is not uncommon for symptoms of chronic headaches to reduce 50 to 100% in two weeks time with chiropractic treatment.
Here at Towers Family Chiropractic the patient has an examination and if necessary radiographs to localize and evaluate the causes of headaches.
To schedule a consultation, call Towers Family Chiropractic at 343-6636. To save time you can print and fill out the New Patient Forms located on the homepage and mail them or bring them with you for your appointment.
Scoliosis and Chiropractic Treatment
Dr. Burgoon has completed over 200 hours of post-graduate study on scoliosis. At Towers Chiropractic we work with many individuals who have been diagnosed with scoliosis. When curvature of the spine is less than 30 degrees at the initial examination, significant decreases in the curvature of the spine is possible with treatment. The symptoms related to the scoliosis usually decrease significantly within the first two to three weeks of care. For patients who choose treatment in order to decrease the curvature, a 15 to 20% decrease in the curvature after 90- 120 days of treatment is not unusual. We base the percent decrease of curvature on x-rays taken both before and after the treatment period. Our treatment includes chiropractic adjustments, a graduated exercise program and a nutritional program.
Proactive Treatment of Scoliosis
We do not have a “wait and see” attitude -we are proactive when it comes to scoliosis. The more time the body has to adapt and compensate for abnormal spinal function the more difficult it is to correct the problems. We have treated people with scoliosis ranging in age from 12 to 92 years of age. Obviously the goals and expectations differ with the age of the patient. However, regardless of the age we are constantly amazed at the healing capacity of the body. It is not uncommon to see patients who have had scoliosis for greater than 40 years with varying pain patterns be pain-free in a couple of months.
Want to know more about scoliosis?
- Scoliosis is a lateral curvature of greater than 10 degrees as viewed on an anterior to posterior x-ray.
- The bones that make up the spine and the ribs are distorted in three dimensions in the x,y,z planes.
- Scoliosis is a multifaceted disease process causing psychological, osseous, neurological, digestive, and hormonal imbalances.
- According to the International Scoliosis Society “one out of every nine females have some signs of scoliosis”.
- Scoliosis can be caused by spinal deformities, trauma, and unknown causes (Idiopathic).. The most common form of scoliosis is called idiopathic adolescent scoliosis. This begins most often during adolescence in young females. The most common early changes indicating this type of scoliosis are postural distortions and growing pains.
Remember that the nervous system controls and coordinates all functions of the human body. Distortion of the spine, the structure protecting the nervous system, can affect body functions extensively.
To schedule a consultation, call Towers Family Chiropractic in Roanoke, Va. at (540)343-6636. To save time print and fill out the New Patient Forms and mail them to our office or bring them with you for your appointment.
Suggested Reading on Scoliosis
- Idiopathic Scoliosis: Natural History. Spine, 11, 1986, Whenstein.
- Correction of Spinal Curvatures by Transcutaneous Electrical Muscle Stimulation. Spine, 8, 1983, Reuber, Schultz, Spencer.
- Morphology of Scoliosis: Three Dimensional Evolution. Orthopedics, 10, 1987, Vidal, Perdiolle.
- Long-term Follow-up of Patients with Untreated Scoliosis. Spine, 17, #9 1992, Pehresson.
- Long-term Effects on Personality Development in Patients with Idiopathic Scoliosis, Spine, 11, # 5, 1986, Fallstrom, Cochran.
- Postural and Ocular Motor Control in the Idiopathic Scoliosis. Pathogenesis of Idiopathic Scoliosis. 1984, Herman
Children with back pain
Children suffer injuries that lead to misalignments just as adults do. Children generally respond very well and quickly to gentle chiropractic adjustments.
A case in point is that of a 5 year-old boy who complained of back pain to his parents for a couple of years. His pediatrician took x-rays and said the pain was due to his above-average size. His mother was hesitant to see a chiropractor but felt as though she had no other options. The boy’s response to care was quick.
According to the boy’s mother: “After the first treatment, I could tell a difference in how his back was feeling. The complaints and constant requests for heating pads and back rubs began to decrease. My only regret is that I didn’t make his appointment much sooner!”
This child had spinal misalignments that created a lot of discomfort for him. It is important for parents to recognize that chiropractic is a valid treatment for not only adults but children of all ages as well.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Many of our patients have been diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Remember this: the nervous system controls and coordinates all functions in the human body. We have seen quite a few people cancel their scheduled carpal tunnel surgeries following chiropractic treatments.
We correct the misalignments (subluxations) in the spine, shoulder, elbow or hand. To help you understand this, visualize an electrical system in a house. The breaker box divides electrical current to all the different areas in your house. If there is dysfunction at the breaker box or anywhere along the wires that take the current to its final destination, there will be dysfunction at the final destination. At each segment of the spine, a spinal nerve exits the spinal column to deliver its vital life force to its designated areas of nerve supply. In your body the nerves that send sensory and motor information to the hand exit the spine at the neck and then pass under the collarbone, through the shoulder and elbow, then on to your hand and fingers. The function of all the joints along this nerve path need to be checked by a chiropractor before any surgery is done.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome according to Dorland’s Medical Dictionary is “a complex of symptoms resulting from compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel, with pain and burning or tingling parathesias (sensations) in the fingers and hand, sometimes extending to the elbow.”
An important note to this definition is that the symptoms occur primarily in the area of the thumb and pointer finger. Therefore, if you are having abnormal sensations, pain or change in strength in the ring finger or smallest finger it is a problem with a completely different nerve, and is not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
