High cost of medical care
Of the adults surveyed, 27% described themselves as having “had a serious illness, medical condition, injury or disability requiring a lot of medical care or who had been hospitalized overnight in the past 12 months.” Close to half of the sick Americans polled said that the cost of medical care during that time has caused a “very serious” (20%) or “somewhat serious” (23%) financial problem for them or their family, even though most of those surveyed have health insurance. Nine in ten sick Americans consider health care costs as a “very serious” (73%) or a “somewhat serious” (16%) problem for the nation, and more than two-thirds (70%) say cost of care has gotten worse over the last five years.

The poll also looked at sick Americans’ perception of health care costs and their thoughts on why they were rising. One of the top reasons included excessive charges by drug companies (85%), hospitals (78%) and insurance companies (75%), while another top reason held that sick people were not taking good care of their own health (70%).

Preventative care
While all of the above concerns must be addressed, the latter point—taking good care of one’s own health—is something everyone can start addressing today. Prevention entails getting regular check-ups, eating nutritiously and exercising regularly. There are many health practitioners who practice preventative care (chiropractors among them) to help patients maintain good health. If you find yourself struggling with a health problem, it’s important not to wait to see someone. While it’s understandable to worry about the cost of care, early intervention is the key to health and may also help your finances in the long run, while waiting to seek care can sometimes put your health at risk and lead to more costly treatment in the future.

Be healthy, naturally,

Dr. Kerry O’Neill & Backfire Chiropractic

Backfire Chiropractic provides natural, effective health care services in a comfortable, relaxing environment. Whether you’re coming in to see our expert chiropractors, licensed massage therapists or professional acupuncturist, our goal is to make you feel right at home.

The study, which was published in the April 17 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine and written about in an April 27, 2012 article in The New York Times blog, Well, followed the treatments of 84 adults with back pain of less than six months that were given two injections, two weeks apart, and assessed for pain after one month. All three groups experienced decreased leg and back pain, with no significant differences among them. The researchers concluded that the improvement across all patient groups was mainly due to the body’s normal healing.

While studies like this one are helping in the search for better alternatives to treating pain than the extreme choices of surgery or side-effect-causing medications, an effective—and natural—approach to back pain relief is currently available: chiropractic. Chiropractors focus on administering spinal adjustments to eliminate subluxations, realign the body and allow the body to heal itself. Their goal is to prevent or minimize existing disc damage and return the body to health and mobility. If you are suffering from back or leg pain, you may want to try chiropractic before you decide on a more extreme approach with potentially damaging side effects. Because the body’s natural ability to heal itself is a powerful thing, as this study, and countless others, have proved.

Be healthy, naturally,

Dr. Kerry O’Neill & Backfire Chiropractic

Backfire Chiropractic provides natural, effective health care services in a comfortable, relaxing environment. Whether you’re coming in to see our expert chiropractors, licensed massage therapists or professional acupuncturist, our goal is to make you feel right at home.

The NPR article draws from an Associated Press report (“Soaring Painkiller Sales Fuel Fears Of Addiction”) that shows a dramatic rise in the distribution of oxycodone (used in OxyContin, Percocet and Percodanthe) between 2000 and 2010. The numbers for 2010 are startling:

Nationwide, pharmacies received and ultimately dispensed the equivalent of 69 tons of pure oxycodone and 42 tons of pure hydrocodone in 2010, the last year for which statistics are available. That’s enough to give 40 5-mg Percocets and 24 5-mg Vicodins to every person in the United States.

While Washington State has not seen the same level of increased use as other parts of the country (for example, Oxcodone sales in Florida, New York and Tennessee have jumped 500%, according to an interactive map on NPR’s website), it’s still a problem that demands widespread attention.

At Backfire Chiropractic, we’re doing our part to promote natural approaches to pain relief. We use a number of highly-effective chiropractic adjusting techniques to help improve spinal biomechanics and reduce nervous system interference, and we rely on complementary practices like massage therapy and acupuncture to help our patients find relief from pain, achieve improved mobility, and enable their bodies to heal themselves.

We understand that when people are in pain, they want immediate relief, and pharmaceutical drugs can be enticing in that regard. Our approach is to offer an alternative to painkillers that avoids the risks of side effects and the dangers of addiction. And given the increasing use of powerful painkillers in the U.S., it’s even more important that alternative methods like ours are available in the future.

Be healthy, naturally,

Dr. Kerry O’Neill & Backfire Chiropractic

Backfire Chiropractic provides natural, effective health care services in a comfortable, relaxing environment. Whether you’re coming in to see our expert chiropractors, licensed massage therapists or professional acupuncturist, our goal is to make you feel right at home.

The study, “Sitting Time and All-Cause Mortality Risk in 222,497 Australian Adults” (March 26, 2012) finds that people who spend 11 or more hours a day sitting may be up to 40% more likely to die from any cause compared to people who spend less than four hours per day sitting. People who spend at least 8 hours a day sitting may be up to 15% more likely to die.

The study tracked a large sample of Australian adults for 2.8 years and compared people’s odds of dying (“all-cause mortality risk”) with how much time they spent sitting.
While it’s not surprising to learn that long stretches of inactivity may have a negative effect on the human body—which is designed for movement—what’s interesting is that the researchers in their results found prolonged sitting to be a factor independent of physical activity:

The association between sitting and all-cause mortality appeared consistent across the sexes, age groups, body mass index categories, and physical activity levels and across healthy participants compared with participants with preexisting cardiovascular disease or diabetes mellitus.

The study suggests that even people who are regularly active may want to avoid sitting for long periods of time. Of course, studies like this one are based on correlative—not causal–evidence, which is rather difficult to interpret.

Scott Kahan, MD, MPH, director of the National Center for Weight and Wellness in Washington, D.C., voices such concern in a March 26, 2012 WebMD Health News article that cites the study: “It is hard to say whether someone is fairly sedentary because they are inactive or if they are inactive because of other things, such as an unhealthy lifestyle that includes smoking.”

In any case, the study presents a valuable reminder to put the iPad down and get up already. Of course, it’s not just longevity that may depend on it, but also quality of life and basic comfort. A sedentary lifestyle—or even just sitting in one position for long periods of time—can cause subluxations that can irritate spinal nerves. Backfire Chiropractic is focused on helping relieve patients’ pain and improving mobility through chiropractic and complementary services like massage therapy and acupuncture. But maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle is crucial to overall good health.

If you do have a job that keeps you at your desk for long stretches, here are 5 simple ways to break up your sitting time:

1. Try standing during meetings instead of sitting.
2. Conduct one-on-one meetings while walking around the office or outside.
3. Integrate standing and stretching exercises every hour, ideally for a few minutes.
4. Take a walk during your lunch break…
5. …or drop by your local chiropractor for a quick adjustment. You’ll feel renewed and more able to take on the next session at your computer.

Be healthy, naturally,

Dr. Kerry O’Neill & Backfire Chiropractic

Backfire Chiropractic provides natural, effective health care services in a comfortable, relaxing environment. Whether you’re coming in to see our expert chiropractors, licensed massage therapists or professional acupuncturist, our goal is to make you feel right at home.

References:

Hidde P. van der Ploeg, PhD; Tien Chey, MAppStats; Rosemary J. Korda, PhD; et al. “Sitting Time and All-Cause Mortality Risk in 222 497 Australian Adults.” Arch Intern Med. 2012; 172(6):494-500. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2011.2174

Denise Mann, “Sitting Too Much May Boost Odds of Dying: People Who Spend a Lot of Time Sitting May Be Up to 40% More Likely to Die From Any Cause, Study Finds.” WebMD Health News, March 26, 2012: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20120326/sitting-too-much-may-boost-odds-of-dying?ecd=soc_tw_032612-pm_news_sittingdeath

The Seattle Score is one of close to 40 teams in the Emerald City Softball Association (ECSA), an organization made up of GLBT and non-GLBT members and dedicated to creating “a unique community of excellence, sportsmanship & acceptance for playing softball.”

Every year, the top teams in all divisions of the ECSA win entry to the NAGAAA Gay Softball World Series. The North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) is the largest annual predominantly gay sporting event in the world. Since its founding in 1977, this nonprofit international sports organization has promoted organized softball competition for the gay and lesbian community.

Backfire Chiropractic and another Capitol Hill business, The Lookout, are proud co-sponsors of the Seattle Score.

Be sure to check back in upcoming weeks for blog updates about the Seattle Score.

Be healthy, naturally,

Dr. Kerry O’Neill & Backfire Chiropractic

Backfire Chiropractic provides natural, effective health care services in a comfortable, relaxing environment. Whether you’re coming in to see our expert chiropractors, licensed massage therapists or professional acupuncturist, our goal is to make you feel right at home.

Study: Spinal Manipulation, Medication, or Home Exercise With Advice for Acute and Subacute Neck Pain

Funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (January 3, 2012), the controlled study randomly assigned either spinal manipulation therapy, medication, or home exercise instruction to 272 participants, aged 18 to 65 years, who had nonspecific neck pain for 2 to 12 weeks.

The trial showed that both spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) and “home exercise with advice” (HEA) led to greater pain relief than medication for up to 1 year after treatment. Also, in both the short and long term, SMT was determined to be more effective than medication for treating acute and subacute neck pain.

Other findings of the study pinpointed the time at which these two therapies surpassed medication for pain relief: “SMT had a statistically significant advantage over medication after 8, 12, 26, and 52 weeks (P _ 0.010), and HEA was superior to medication at 26 weeks (P _ 0.02).”

Considering that neck pain is a common condition affecting an estimated 70% of persons at some point in their lives, this study offers much-needed insight to help identify preferred therapies for treating acute and subacute neck pain.

At Backfire Chiropractic, we understand that patients come to our chiropractic clinic seeking the best, most effective way to relieve their pain, and we are pleased, though not surprised, that this recent study confirms what we’ve always known and practiced: spinal manipulation is an effective, natural way to relieve pain.

Be healthy, naturally,

Dr. Kerry O’Neill & Backfire Chiropractic

Backfire Chiropractic provides natural, effective health care services in a comfortable, relaxing environment. Whether you’re coming in to see our expert chiropractors, licensed massage therapists or professional acupuncturist, our goal is to make you feel right at home.

Reference:

Bronfort G, Evans R, Anderson AV, et al. Spinal manipulation, medication, or home exercise with advice for acute and subacute neck pain. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2012;156(1):1–10.

Sugar spike got you (up and) down? Here are a few ways to ease yourself off the insulin roller coaster without giving up all the foods you love, as recommended by Dr. Robert Thompson in a February 16 article (“Block sugar from your body in 7 easy ways, ” Health on Today) and adapted from his recent book.* 

We thought that a spotlight on sugar and how to break sugar “addiction” would be a good follow-up to our recent blog on inhalable caffeine and avoiding caffeine dependency. At Backfire Chiropractic, we believe that good nutrition, coupled with chiropractic care and immune system support, is the best way to optimal health.

The Sugar Spike

When you consume sugar, both refined sugar and sugar derived from carbohydrates, you get a rush of energy when it enters your bloodstream. Your pancreas produces insulin to push sugar out of the blood and into cells to be used as fuel.  But too much sugar can take a toll on your body, and extremely high levels of blood sugar (glucose) can contribute to major health problems, such as type-2 diabetes and heart disease, in some people.

But through simple changes in diet, you can reduce blood sugar peaks and valleys without eliminating all the carbohydrates and starches you may like to eat.

“You can blunt the blood sugar-raising effects by taking advantage of natural substances in foods that slow carbohydrate digestion and entry into the bloodstream. No matter what kind of sugar blocker you use, your waistline (and health) will win in the end,” writes Thompson.

Here are our 5 favorite sugar-blocking tips from Thompson:

Sugar Blocker 1: Have a fatty snack 10 to 30 minutes before your meals.
Reason: You remain fuller longer.

Sugar Blocker 2: Start your meal with a salad.
Reason: It soaks up starch and sugar.

Sugar Blocker 3: Have some vinegar.
Reason: It slows the breakdown of starch into sugar.

Sugar Blocker 4: Include protein with your meal.
Reason: You won’t secrete as much insulin.

Sugar Blocker 5: Eat lightly cooked vegetables.
Reason: You digest them more slowly.

Enjoy your healthy day,

Dr. Kerry O’Neill & Backfire Chiropractic

Backfire Chiropractic provides natural, effective health care services in a comfortable, relaxing environment. Whether you’re coming in to see our expert chiropractors, licensed massage therapists or professional acupuncturist, our goal is to make you feel right at home.

*Reference:

Thompson, Rob. The Sugar Blockers Diet: Eat Great, Lose Weight – A Doctor’s 3-Step Plan to Lose Weight, Lower Blood Sugar, and Beat Diabetes – While Eating the Carbs You Love.  (Rodale, 2012).

According to a February 9, 2012 article in the Huffington Post,* the new product is raising some concerns in the U.S. Senate, where Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, fearing that it will be abused as a “club drug,” is asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to review AeroShot.

One problem voiced by critics like Schumer and Dr. Lisa Ganijh, a gastroenterologist and internal medicine doctor at New York-based St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, is the ease in which one can ingest massive amounts of caffeine in a single setting—even the equivalent of 10 cups of coffee: “…so you just puff away and you could be getting all of that within the hour,” said Ganjhu.

Perhaps the question for the health-conscious among us should not be whether this product is likely to be abused, but whether there’s a better, natural alternative to boosting one’s energy. Do people with active lifestyles really need a “caffeine fix,” or is there something keeping their bodies from functioning optimally and maintaining a healthy energy level?

At Backfire Chiropractic, we believe that while there’s nothing wrong with a cup of coffee in the morning, caffeine dependency shouldn’t take the place of a natural approach to boosting energy—one that helps the body heal itself and supports proper nervous system function. The chiropractic method of spinal manipulation focuses on eliminating subluxations that can block the communication between the brain and vital organs, as well as helping to restore the musculoskeletal systems of the body. Along with chiropractic, massage therapy can help reduce stress and pain, as well as improve circulation and increase range of motion, all of which can lead you to feel more energized.

Chiropractic therapy and massage therapy offer natural ways to help your body sustain a healthy energy level, without the adrenaline rush of a so-called caffeine “high,” which inevitably brings your body down to a “low.”

Of course, you can always shoot a puff of caffeinated lemon-lime powder into your mouth, as the makers of AeroShots suggest. But we think we’ll pass on that one.

Be healthy, naturally,

Dr. Kerry O’Neill & Backfire Chiropractic

Backfire Chiropractic provides natural, effective health care services in a comfortable, relaxing environment. Whether you’re coming in to see our expert chiropractors, licensed massage therapists or professional acupuncturist, our goal is to make you feel right at home.

*Reference:

Ngowi, Rodrique. ”AeroShots: Inhalable Caffeine Lets You Bypass Coffee, Red Bull With Bitter Powder.” Huff Post Food, Huffington Post, 9 February 2012. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/08/aeroshots-inhalable-caffeine_n_1262544.html>

At Backfire Chiropractic, we think that Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to celebrate health and well-being–what’s not to love about that?

Here are 6 ideas for celebrating a healthy Valentine’s Day in Seattle:

1. Give (or receive) the gift of a relaxing massage.

Say goodbye to stress and sore muscles, and hello (finally!) to relaxation. With three amazing in-house massage therapists, Backfire Chiropractic knows how great the gift of massage can be.

2. Take a friend or loved one to yoga class (or try partner yoga).

If you love your yoga class, why not invite a loved one or friend to join you this week? Or try out a partner yoga workshop, such as the one being offered at 8 Limbs Phinney Ridge this Sunday, February 12, 2 – 4:00pm.

3. Sign up for a cooking class.

Put a little love into your food, and share it with others. A cooking class is a fun way to bond with your favorite people. Hipcooks in Seattle offers “A Romantic Dinner for 2″ class on Sunday, February 12, 1-4pm. Or  sign up for one of their other cuisine-themed classes, from the likes of “Ragin’ Cajun” to “Dim Sum and Then Some.”

4. Join the Valentine Day’s Dash (5K run or walk).

Bring love to the streets of Seattle. The fourth-annual Valentine’s Day Dash through Green Lake Park will get your heart racing and your legs pumping. The race starts at the Green Lake Crew House on Saturday, February 11, 9:30am.

5. For the more adventurous runners: Cupid’s Undie Run.

It may be too late to sign up for 1.5-mile Cupid’s Undie Run through the heart of Seattle’s Fremont district (since the race has already sold out), but it’s sure to be a thrilling spectacle. And, more importantly, it benefits the Children’s Tumor Foundation. The run begins at 2pm, with pre- and post-run festivities held at the Ballroom.

6. And for overall balance and good health…

…a spinal adjustment by your neighborhood chiropractor is always a great way to love your body.

Have a fun, healthy Valentine’s Day!

Dr. Kerry O’Neill & Backfire Chiropractic

Backfire Chiropractic provides natural, effective health care services in a comfortable, relaxing environment. Whether you’re coming in to see our expert chiropractors, licensed massage therapists or professional acupuncturist, our goal is to make you feel right at home.

One of my dear friends is an avid triathlete who continually loves to push herself to that next level.  If you know much about triathletes then you may have a few preconceived thoughts that come to mind about these individuals.

1. My goodness, how on earth do they subject themselves to such torture
2. Definitely need to give some respect for the dedication it takes to train and perform day in and day out
3. These athletes are relatively intelligent

The first two statements are commonplace, but intelligence??  It takes extensive effort and research to train and perform effectively for success.  Tenths of seconds seperate you and the other opponents at the finish line.  So when they train, the following must be considered: oxygen consumption through proper breathing, swimming/ biking/ running techniques must be broken down and refined, equipment should be state of the art, training schedules must be able to break down progress, and books must be read to utilize the proven and up-and-coming techniques to keep you ahead of the rest of the pack .  I mean, not too many people can jump out of bed and say “I’m going to do a 3.8 km swim, 180 km ride, and a 42.2 km run today”.  And actually do it, forget about competing!!

About half a year ago, Kate sprained her right ankle.  She sidelined herself for more than 6 months.  Obviously, much longer rest than what a grade 2 sprain should be.  Her training fell to the wayside, her family and friend relationships weren’t going so great, and her home business started to falter a bit as well.  I met for a full bodied coffee at our favorite local shop and she described how she couldn’t understand what was going on.  ”The Law of Inertia” I said.  She looked at me puzzled for a second.  When we allow ourselves to slow down, our bodies control center adapts and slows as well, but if we keep moving steadily forward, then our bodies inevitably do the same.  Kate decided to jump back to her previous mind set of being proactive.  She began training again, with more dedication than ever.  After 2 months of treatment, our office discharged her.

I met her again a few months later.  Job was on fire, found an amazing partner, and has never performed better for her triathlons then she does now.  You know what she said to me with a funny smirk.. “Law of Inertia”!

Our bodies feed on healthy living.  Being aligned for full body optimal functioning , eating well, thinking positively, having a great support around you, and exercising- All these factors play a vital role in us being that object that stays in motion.  Help yourself to stay in motion today!!