60 Day Turnaround

HUGS!  Today, we will work (yep this is work) to give some hugs out to you.  But the real labor of today, is to see if we can get you to share something with us.  If you are an online reader only, then please use the link:

HealthSprout Team

DrEric

DrLevi 

These links will open up your email editor so you can send an email to us.  What should it say?  Whatever it needs to.  If you are in the office, grab a pen and write on the back bottom of this sheet of paper, and turn it in to us.

“I am struggling with…”  And we will try to help you.  Regardless of what it is.  We will pray, we will connect you with others, we will give you advice if it is health information you are after.  This is our time to lift you up.  I have been so useless to my practice in the way that I have established my value over the years (adjusting), that it has given me a greater chance to serve the purpose that I believe I was truly called to (educating and writing).

You see, even though some of you think only my adjustments work for you, you are actually mistaken.  Corrective care is the opposite of heart disease.  Let me tell you what I mean.  Heart disease slowly kills you, and you cannot feel a thing.  It just takes you down more and more each day, silently stripping you of life.  Subluxation does this too.  Therefore corrective chiropractic care does the opposite.

It slowly, and silently restores normal function to your body.  Notice the word silently.  So why do some of you prefer one chiropractor’s adjustments over the other?  Because you are measuring the not so silent.  You believe, because you feel more change in the moment, that it must be better for you.  That is silly.  Don’t get me wrong, I understand where you are coming from.  But do you really think you can feel healing, when you can’t feel heart disease or cancer?  Nope.  You cannot feel greater health, you can only feel symptom improvement… which is not the same.

Do you realize how important symptom improvement is compared to real functional improvement?  It has no importance at all.  I got in a very loud discussion with a patient a few weeks ago (loud because I needed to make a big impact, we weren’t arguing) about my job.  I asked him what my job was, was it to make him feel better?  He said “yes” to that.  I yelled “NO”!  My job is NOT to make you feel better so you can go out into the world and DIE, my job is to help you function better so you can go out and LIVE!  Feeling can be altered by the right concoction of chemicals way better than anything else, and yet they will only be killing you.

As corrective chiropractors, we have a process involving mixing, fixing and setting.  Pre-adjustment exercises, the adjustment, and post adjustment exercises.  This builds spinal change and permanent correction.  I think you need to be learning why it works, so that any hiatus of any practitioner, will never leave you wanting for HEALTH.  Maybe for how you feel in the moment, but surely not for health!  Be Well, Let’s HUG!  Dr. E

I am so non-functional. This shoulder thing is a serious thorn. Add my right bicep tendinitis from overuse, and I am pretty useless at times. I think I am getting closer, but it has been a long road.

The pinnacle of my non-functionality was not when my wife repeatedly took the heavy bags for me (thou that can be hard to swallow), I think back to Bush Gardens eight weeks ago, and how she carried the kids for me then… Still not the worst of my non functionality. Nope. That came this week.

I was up in Cashiers NC at the High Hampton Inn. Some of you remember Faith who worked for me for awhile. Now she runs the Spa at this resort in the mountains, and I was the guest speaker for bunch of women who came in from Texas, for a wellness retreat (more on that later). So I had some free time between workshops, and at one point we ran off to Lake Glenville and rented a boat. Our goal was to see a couple of the three waterfalls that directly feed this lake, and to pull the kids around on a tube, battering their spines enough to require some adjustments and to thoroughly tire them out!

The lake is beautiful, make it a point to go up to this region and see this lake at some point in your life. So we were at a waterfall, and the girls wanted to get on the tube. Fearful for how cold the water might be, I decided to jump in first and test the water, then have them get in and get used to it. It was freezing, but became enjoyable after a few minutes, despite the sub 70 degree mountain air temp. After ten minutes I was ready to get out and Ansley was ready to tube.

This is where the fun starts. See, the ladder at the back of the boat was broken, there was no other rear platform, so the lowest place to climb on the boat was the side door on the front platform, over a pontoon. I looked up and thought “no big deal, I can do one armed pull ups with no buoyancy, this should be easy. I launched up and grabbed the rail, started to pull, then a stab of excruciating pain through my bicep. Splash.

I regrouped, considered how I could get a leg up, then pull with my arm and leg. Sadly, the space was too narrow for me to get my leg up while holding the rail. As I sat contemplating my next move, Laura finished getting the tube ready, came over and smirked at me… “so you’re stuck, aren’t you?” “Yep.” She had to pull me up by grabbing my life jacket, and hauling me up, while I pretty much did nothing.

My wife could be heard laughing at me as I laid in a pile of useless flesh.  Hardly able to push myself up to standing after this episode.  

This is the opposite of function. I have commented in the past how I would insure my family survive any home fire, as I have the strength and skill to carry them down the outside of my house to safety. Right now, not so.

I am so functionless it is ridiculous. Function. The ability to do what life demands of you with no incapacity. This is my best definition of function. If you are absent any function in any area, the best advice is to work on it. Simple.

I need to rest my bicep and shoulder until function returns. Without it, there is not much opportunity in life.  With it, you have opportunity to live this life to the fullest.  Our efforts are based around the idea of function.  Function of your organs, your muscles, your skeleton, your mind.  All of our efforts are driven towards function.  Take the time to draw near to us, as we work to draw you closer to the function that God has ordained for you.  Be well and blessed… more love coming next week!

Dr. E

The article and VIDEO can be seen here: http://blogs.mercola.com/sites/vitalvotes/archive/2007/05/30/Do-Your-Family-Members-Not-Believe-You-About-Health.aspx

Dr. Mercola here. In today’s video, I’ll be sharing an interesting story with you about my own family. A few weeks ago, I went to a birthday party for my niece. I hadn’t seen my family for a while, and it was a nice opportunity to get together with them.

As I was sitting next to my small niece, I found it really interesting that she was having some dessert, some really great strawberries, and she was dipping them in piles of Equal, or NutraSweet. It was a real challenge for me to watch her do that. This is my brother’s daughter. I love my brother dearly, but he and his wife don’t really understand the dangers of NutraSweet. But I just bit my tongue and let my niece continue to consume Nutrasweet-coated strawberries.

Now, in case you are unaware of the dangers of NutraSweet, you may want to read my book called, Sweet Deception. It’s a phenomenal book that really goes into specific details, primarily about sucralose, but also about all of the artificial sweeteners. NutraSweet is clearly something that’s been well documented to have significant adverse effects, and has a variety of chemicals that rapidly break down, often causing significant problems, especially when used regularly over time, and specifically in young children.

It can produce problems such as seizures, headaches, migraines and even brain tumors in some cases. So, it’s certainly something you’ll want to avoid, and not even limit, but simply avoid altogether.

My brother-in-law, (under 50 years of age) who was also at the birthday party, had suffered a heart attack a few weeks ago, and had to have open bypass surgery. Thankfully, he’s doing quite well following that. But his physicians who are monitoring him actually suggested that he avoid all red meat and to stop using salt.

Again, I had to bite my tongue because, avoiding red meat, though it may be a wonderful move for some people (some should never eat red meat, primarily those who are carb nutritional types) if in fact you’re a strong protein type, that would be the worst thing you could do. If you’re a protein type, eating red meat and dark meat regularly will help the extra purine proteins, and the fat will actually help lower your cholesterol and normalize your physiology, helping to reduce the risk of heart disease.

It’s very difficult to give a broad nutritional recommendation for everyone, unless of course, it’s simple basics, like avoiding sugar. As we know, sugar isn’t good for anyone, no matter what their nutritional type is.

I thought it was interesting though. I’ve written two New York Times best-selling health books, have a website with a million subscribers and many people are interested in what I have to say about health and the years of research I’ve done. But my own family has really chosen not to believe what I was suggesting might be helpful to them.

My guess is that you are also going to encounter similar challenges in your own families, and I just want to mention that it’s to be expected.

Fortunately, I have other family members, such as my parents and one of my sisters, who actually adopt most everything I suggest, and have had enormous improvements in their health. My dad specifically almost died from complications of diabetes before I made a diagnosis of iron overload and got him on a good program which controls his diabetes. My mom is doing great too.

So most likely, it will be similar with your own family. Some will believe you, and some will not. We feel the tendency to continue to preach to them on a soapbox and explain things to them. But it’s just like with someone who is smoking. They have to be self-motivated.

So, my advice to you is, if they ask your advice, clearly, share it with them. But if they don’t, you’re just going to have to bite your tongue and just hope for the best for them. Everyone has freedom of choice in life, and even if it’s your own family members, frequently, you’re not going to be able to influence them.

This of course doesn’t mean you should abdicate your responsibility to understand critical health information. Ultimately, we’re our own physicians, and we don’t want to completely abdicate this responsibility to physicians or other family members. You’ll really want to take control of your health.

I would.  I’d love to take everyone of you on the journey of health that I go on everyday.  It is interesting living in my shoes to say the least.  I don’t purport to know more, or stay more committed than everyone when it comes to health, but I do know my efforts go beyond most.  So what.

Really, so what.  Does it matter that much?  I am sitting here writing this sprout Monday morning at home, I am going to be a little late to work today, because of this, and my daughter waking up early and hanging out with me.  This information is material, because even this is a health pursuit.  I am not stressed, I am happy and joyful, and I would pray the same for you.  Everyday, to start this way.

So where would I take you?  To a place of peace and love first and foremost.  To a place with little stress if any, and to a place where you can rest comfortably in your life.  Stress is such an enemy of your health.  The deleterious effects of stress or so significant that peer review published medical research (and lots of it) have put stress as the LEADING cause of disease in the world.

www.hsproutjuiceplus.com

One of the negative effects of stress is the obvious destruction of your nervous system.  It directly effects the brain, directly effecting your brains ability to control your body, directly effecting organ function, and DIRECTLY effecting your healing capacity which includes cancer.  This is the same reason why spinal function is so important, it acts just like stress, but instead of on the brain, on the pathway for the brain.

I am such a HUGE fan of eating antioxidant rich foods that are low glycemic (low in total sugar) because these foods have a “buffering” effect, by helping to “stay” the damage of stress on your whole body.  I would prefer that you eat 10-13 servings of fruits and vegetables a day (mostly veges as they have less sugar, and the sugar is damaging too).  The reason, is that research has shown that you diminish returns significantly when you get to this number.  But UP TO this number, you have nothing but gains.  Pretty cool knowledge.

Low stress is a MAJOR KEY, then eating lots of varying vegetables is another.  Of course, working to perfect your spine as much as possible is the crux of the health pursuit, as your brain is IT, the number one creation on the planet, the coolest of the cool, the most awesome thing under heaven.  And it becomes much less valuable if it cannot communicate to your body.  Keep your spine well!

You know I recommend juice plus.  I recommend it over other green powders, or super greens for a few reasons.  1.  I have found that every other green powder that I have seen keeps carbohydrate and or fiber in the formula.  You might think it doesn’t seem so bad.  But if you were to take a full leaf of kale at home, dehydrate that leaf and grind it, and without removing anything from it (all the fiber is in and the carb), how much space would that single leaf occupy?  Probably an entire capsule… how potent is that?  But that is what most super greens do.  2. I have RARELY seen a green powder  that says “LOW TEMPERATURE” dehydration on it.  Which is what Juice Plus does.  Why?  To preserve enzymes.  This is really important if we want to get the whole food advantage that we are going for… low temp to retain the functionality of the components in the food.

One more thing about stress.  It effects us for many reasons, and I know one of them is financial.  I have never spoken of this in a Daily Sprout before, but Juice Plus is an opportunity.  I am looking for three serious individuals to help our team, and to be helped by our team.  If you are interested in adding some security to your home finances over the next year, let me know.  I am serious about taking these three people to a level of income that is significant, and impactful on your life.

I hope that each of you will strive to find less stress, in some way shape or form.  This is the time, stress doesn’t rest, it kills silently all the time.  We love you. Be Well – Dr. E

I thought I would chime in. Take the time to read the article below on heart health, that was written by a medical doctor. Not once did she mention taking drugs to make your heart risk go down. Not once did she focus on the contents of the blood and the medication to reduce them. Not once did she mention genetics and cardiovascular screening. She said on word…”Love”. Dr. Levi

We have a lot planned for the summer.  And it all starts with you.

Before we really get into you however, I just want to take a second to talk about those who have served us, and those who have died in service, or because of their service.  To me that is love.  Even if it wasn’t done out of love, it is still love.  Christ’s greatest commandments, love God and one another.  To go into battle willingly, where you know that death is very possible, is love.

I like Memorial Day for that reason.  It makes me think about that sacrifice, just long enough to wonder about myself, and to be reminded that I give so little.  I used to work on Memorial Day, I didn’t have kids, or a kids schedule to work around, so I could take trips anytime I liked.  Then, when the kids schedule changed, we used this as a regular trip to the pan handle.  But it wasn’t until a couple years after that started, that I decided that Memorial Day was a required holiday for me, to show reverance to the fallen ones.

So this whole Summer of Love thing… what is it?  For those of you who visit my web site regularly, you have seen this image on the front page of the site, and accordingly have asked me what it is all about.  Most of you I am sure, do not visit my site, or you go straight to the Daily Sprout page.  You are wondering what I am talking about right now!  Either way, you might want to know what this is all about.

And I can’t tell you.

I will say that I have some plans for you, different jobs for myself and my staff over the course of the next two months, to show you love.  To make sure that if there is one piece of your health that you get, it is that you are greatly valued.  I’ll probably hug you a bit, maybe even lay one on you (I am really not too shy about my affection, and I do love all of you).

My first request for you, in this quest of love for us, is that you would begin to prepare yourself to share something that you would like us to help you with either through prayer, or  through a meeting, or something.  I realize that I am probably going to still be nursing my shoulder, with adjusting mixed with resting, for another few weeks, so why not take the time to help you a little bit more.  We are seriously behind on our work, because the interns can’t get it done because they are adjusting, and I can’t get it done because I need to come up and adjust every few people (limited, but nonetheless effective).  So we’ll figure that out, I’ll stop trying so hard to get caught up, and see who needs me to help them in other ways.

Yep, we love you.

Be Blessed!  Dr. E

There are people who believe that medical progress will save the day.  You might recall the article that we reviewed in a Daily Sprout about 4 years ago (I know, most of you weren’t around our office, and those who were did not necessarily pay attention to everything we wrote, I get it)… but if you did, you’ll remember.

The article was on genetic manipulation, and the author of the article was preaching about a future where you could manipulate the genetic code of a person pre conception by altering the phenotype of an egg.  Or to reduce the heart disease risk by literally introducing a genetic code into a person either through an injection, or as he said, a port that could be added to a person to introduce into the nervous system (think Neo… Matrix).

Part of it sounds cool, the ability to reduce health risks through a simple squeeze of a finger.  What a blessing!  Or is it?  I am reminded of the tower of Babel.  People pushing to be more than they are meant to be, and the ultimate outcome of destruction.  In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, I cannot say that the test tube babies really excite me too much.  Though the “clean freak” syndromes that he describes are surely upon us.  But I wonder as I ponder these things, how many people are caught up in the scientific wonder, the seemingly amazing possibilities, that they don’t consider the natural order?

If you don’t believe in a God, you still must wonder.  If it is true that evolution occurred over millions of years, then how would nature respond to altering components of the body that are designed to evolve over many years, in a single moment?  If you believe in creation, then surely you would agree that too much tampering with the Masters work would be foolish.  I tend to apply a God lens over everything that I do (well, when it comes to long term health decisions, I am a passionate fly off the handle kind of guy at times, so don’t fault me for making those other mistakes); which makes me think SIMPLE is good.  Simple being the least amount of deviation from nature.

I went from being a guy who thought a lot of supplements were good (about six years ago), to deciding that a simple diet of healthy food, with some fruit and vege supplementation, fish oil perhaps, and occasional vitamin D and C made the most sense.  Simplicity.  I find chiropractic the most simplistic approach to health there is, which is partly why I fell in love with it 16 years ago, and heavily why I consider it the most important aspect of health today.  Simplicity.

Let me explain that one.  You have an incredibly strong bony framework around two of your organs, your brain and your spinal cord.  That would suggest that those two are the most important, otherwise your other organs would be equally protected.  Simple.  Next, if we go into the lives of people who DO not live in chronic sedentary postures (so NOT people working at a desk or in a drivers seat), we will see their spines mimic that of the ideal spine according to physics laws.  In other words, GOOD POSTURE MAKES SENSE.  It is simple.  Not to mention the fact that we all innately have a desire for better posture, and we see it in others.  Show me a person with good posture, and I will show you someone who has a more commanding stature, and who more readily gains respect.  It is amazing, and SIMPLE.

Simple exercise.  Man has put together a MACHINE for everything in a gym.  And we have been wowed into thinking they make more sense, or that they are safer!  Do you realize how crazy this is?  So the very functions that you were created to do are more dangerous than the odd ones that don’t mimic anything in nature that man has created a machine for you to attempt?  Is anyone else following me here?  Crazy.

So why the rant?  Well, in a time where science can be really exciting, it is easy to get caught up in so many wild ideas.  I am not a fan of a ton of specialized approaches to health problems, and the simple reason why, is that you have an effective healing machine in your nervous system.  You often look beyond it, when you should be staring right at it.  Stay a course towards health, and health will be your by-product.  They have been adjusting people since Moses’ time (Egyptian Hieroglyphics have shown this), Christ healed people by laying hands on them in most cases (I take this as being material to the point of his healing, not as a need, otherwise the Roman centurion would not have happened).  There is a healing side to the soft touch of a hug or a caress from a mother to a child.  All of these impacting the nervous system in some fashion, improving neurological function, and bringing about a shift in healing capacity.

Acts 4:20 – We will not stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.

This is me.  I have seen great things, and those things have shored up the truth.  If you are subluxated, you don’t need a DNA injection. You need an adjustment.

Be well, and Blessed!  – Dr. E

According to a new study, eating Organic Food can make you mean.  I wonder if it is something about reduced chemicals causing you to express your real feelings towards the lie that has been sold to you about the food quality up to this point?  Maybe its the taste.  We are so used to chemically increased flavor, MSG is not a thing of the past, and has simply been hidden as an ingredient in “flavor, artificial flavor, and even NATURAL flavor”; so perhaps this is why we get mean.

Actually, THE STUDY which comes out of the Journal of Social Psychology and Personality Science  says that the meanness comes from a self-righteous behavior that begins to emerge as part of new found focus on well-being, and positive steps towards healthy behaviors.  I get this, and believe it.  I have been around this world of health pursuit, which is entirely on the opposite side of culture, for about 16 years.  Before that I was active, worked out, wanted to be fit, etc.  But inside of cultural views at the time.  In this 16 year period, I have seen first hand, and been in it myself, the feeling of being better than others.  It is sad.

Fortunately, once I started my practice, it became clear how to lovingly share wise decision, and smart living.  Now, I say this, and I still know full well I have offended some of you with a comment about a drug, or a vaccine, or a birthing process, or a food choice, or an infant formula, or a car seat style, or a parenting technique for diet choices, or…  Do you get my point?  I have been mean, and perhaps even snobby while knowing deep in me that sensitivity to choices past, are the fast track to ruining my practice, and my influence with you.  Some of you have never come to a diet talk, simply because I have already ruined my influence with you by sharing my choices in a Daily Sprout.

You figure, “why would I go listen to him tell me things that I won’t ever do, there is no way that I would want to follow those choices, even if they would be healthier, how could I live that way”.  I will say this, I understand.  However, altering choices is not as hard as you might think, and not as detrimental to your current lifestyle as you think.  I like it to the person who doesn’t want to learn more about following Christ because they don’t want to give up the fun.  They simply don’t realize how much fun is on the other side of the coin.  We’re talking about following the one who made fun.

So even though organic choices are surely wiser than conventional choices, they don’t give us the right to be jerks.  Man how I wish that organic was cheap enough to make it a simple choice at the store, and not a choice at every other store, or one that affects your other areas of budgeting.  But the truth is, buying cleaner food, eating healthier food, will cost you more in the short run.  However, the biggest difference, is that it will save you money in the long run, and though that might change case by case, for about 80% of us, it will hold true, that if we invest more in our health now, we will save significantly in the long run.  The other 10%, well, we might get hit with a serious accident still, or be part of that small portion that cannot escape our genetic destiny (most of us will re-write our genetic destiny based on choices, check out EPIGENITICS for more on that).

Consider this passage written by Paul in the New Testament, I think this has some relative relationship to this very question.

Phillipians 3:1-11

1 Finally, my brothers,^[a] rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

^2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.^3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God^[b] and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— ^4  though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: ^5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; ^6  as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law,^[c] blameless. ^7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ^8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth ofknowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ^9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— ^10  that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,^11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

What Paul is saying through the first six verses, is basically that you should watch out for those who are self righteous, those who base their value on their actions and deeds.  He gives account of many things that he has done, or that are “about him”, that would be of great value to his stature in society.  But he warns against it, and teaches that it is nothing compared to what is gained through knowing Christ.

I don’t care what you believe, or where your faith is for this discussion.  The reality is that you know what I am talking about, the self-righteous nature that we get from doing the right thing, being good, etc.  It can be so easy to judge someone, and we all do it.  I know you do, that in a moment of weakness you will see someone for what they do, and if you do it “better”, there is a judgement.  Not all the time, man you are some of the most loving people I have ever met, but I know those times come.

I want you all to follow my lead on health, I want you to follow my lead on your diet, and your spine, and your exercise.  I really do, but I don’t want you to feel like I think I am better than you because I like my plan, and I don’t want you to feel better than anyone else if you follow it.  My point is, I absolutely believe that eating Organic can make you mean, but only if you put any value in your choices beyond the fact that they are simply, choices!

Be well, eat organic, and be as humble as you can, it has been a battle for me, and I know that I am so much happier the more that I can control my heart, and just love!  Be Blessed!  – Dr. E

The workout of the week is more about the when and where, than it is about the what.  I hope that made you a little concerned.  I am asking you, all of you, to do a short workout at work… during work.  And more specifically, during a time at work that you feel tired, when you really shouldn’t.

So all I want is a 4 round Burst.  30 seconds on, 30 seconds off, for 4 minutes (really its like 3 1/2 minutes).  And I will let you pick the exercise.  You have ONE week to try this, don’t be shy, be crazy!  Do it at work!  Or in a public place, at school, I don’t know, somewhere where you need to be awakened and alive when you feel dead tired!

These are your exercise options:

1. Squats – should width stance, squat with your butt low, below your knees, and your butt needs to be back too, not forward pushing your knees way out over your toes, they need to be back.
2. Walking lunges – yep, a little more obvious to the world, so you might be more embarrassed to try this in front of someone, but don’t be shy!  Every step, the trailing knee should touch the floor, or as close as possible.
3. Push-ups – on the ground from your toes or your knees, or if those are too hard, leaning against a sofa or the wall.
4. Virtual Jump Rope – one of my new favorites!  Hold your arms out as if holding a jump rope, and jump, timing the spin of your wrists to the jump.

OK, now you are equipped, but you probably don’t know why?  Why do this?  Well, I want you to learn what a small burst of high intense exercise will do for you.  For your fitness, but very importantly, for your energy systems.  In that short burst (30 seconds you work real hard, rest for 30 seconds, work hard the next 30, back to rest, until you have done four sessions of work), you will release so much free fatty acid into your blood stream, you will utilize this for energy, and in the process you will burn many calories in your recovery phase.

Your energy will be boost, and your fitness will increase.  How awesome is that for 120 seconds of work?  I would love for everyone to try it, and to post here on our web site your thoughts before and after!  Thanks for playing, God Bless!

Dr. E

I wanted to give an update on the shoulder and a better understanding of the injury.  This will probably benefit you some in the understanding of the shoulder joint, ligamentous healing time, and of course my current course.

The shoulder is pretty complex, yet my injury is not.  There are two types of “dislocation” injuries of the shoulder.  A dislocation, which is the gleno-humeral joint.  This means that the humerus (arm) has somehow dislocated from the glenoid cavity.  This weakens ligaments and tears them to some extent from the significant amount of stretch.  I have never had one of these.

A separation involves the other joint of the shoulder, the acromio-clavicular joint (A/C).  This involves the acromion proess of the shoulder blade (scapula) and the clavicle (collar bone).  This singular articulation, is the only joint that holds the entire shoulder girdle onto the skeleton of the body.  The rest of what holds it on, is muscle, which is why damage to this joint is usually accompanied by secondary muscle injury as well.  This is my injury, and it is the eighth.  I last separated my left shoulder about 20 years ago.  My right one was about 13 years ago, and it was enough to completely separate it (grade III), which means all ligaments of the joint were torn completely.  My right arm has hung off my body with no skeletal connection ever since.

So this one was a Grade I separation.  The most mild, it was enough damage to mean – don’t push it for 3-4 weeks, and all will be healed.  So I pushed it after two weeks of rest, and by the third day of adjusting, I pushed on a few people too many, and re-diagnosed myself as a Grade II the next day.  This diagnosis comes from visually seeing that the joint (A/C) is more separated, and the bump of the clavicle is more pronounced.  Grade II means that there is a significant amount of ligamentous tearing and stretching of the remaning tissue.  My concern, justified, is that at this level the possibility of permanent disfigurement goes up, as well as permanent weakness (surgery is not the most functional for this type of problem).

As you might be able to guess, that step backwards hit me pretty hard.  I didn’t think for a minute that I was in a place so susceptible that I could actually get worse from adjusting.  Since that day, I have gone nearly three weeks without adjusting with my left arm at all.  Then I began to add it in for some very minor support this last few days.  My plan has been since the re-injury that I would not use my left arm for any pushing (adjusting the mid – upper back) or pulling (adjusting the lower back) for a total of six weeks.

Well, I have decided to re-assess once again, as my shoulder was throbbing Saturday afternoon after using my left arm for some mild assistance in the adjustments on Friday and Saturday, and I would say that the “bump” of my clavicle has once again grown.  So, I am back to the plan of no use for six total weeks, but I mean no use.  I need to be really wise about this.  The reason is that ligaments do not heal like muscles.  Muscles can heal under usage, as that keeps them from scarring.  Ligaments are not supposed to stretch, ever.  You want them to hold fast, and scar tissue is not of much concern as it is in muscle tissue.  So every time I strrtch the ligament, I cause it to creep a bit further, thus weakening my joint.

This same principle of healing would apply to you, and any ligament injury that you might incur.  Most commonly, ligamentous injuries happen to the foot/ankle or the hand/wrist.  A simple sprain of either is a ligamentous injury, and I know many of you are very used to a loose, floppy foot or hand, where popping and crunching in the joint is common.  These injuries are manageable in most cases, but if they get too loose, forget it.

So, here on out, I am going to continue adjusting wherever I can, but I probably will stay away from the necks as that seemed to be the “silent” damage.  Not giving me any sign that I was hurting myself, but likely caused the throbbing and visual change.  I will use the activator, drops, and single hand adjustments, as well as some side posture with my right hand while leveraging you with me left shoulder.

I need to say this – your adjustment is not about how you feel.  You might think it is, but that is so wrong.  I have told you forever, my job is not to make you feel good so you can go out into the world and die, my job is to make you function well, which has nothing to do with a “crack”.  It is all about the adjustment, which is simply the pressure.  If it pops or doesn’t, it does not make a difference to your health, only to that moment.  If you are getting adjusted to walk away feeling different, then you look at chiropractic as glorified massage.  The two are completely different.

Do not stay away because you don’t want an activator adjustment or an intern to be doing your adjusting.  The interns are great, my activator is great, your nervous system health is an urgent concern.  In addition, your cellular health is an urgent concern.  Tuesday night is all about urgency, as I will be teaching a workshop that is so valuable to you as part of your long term neurological health comes from your pH.  We never preach pH, and now we will… don’t miss this chance.

God Bless you all, I appreciate your patience for my return to full health, but don’t be patient with your spine, every single adjustment matters.  Missing 1 visit out of 3 in a week, is 30% of your care, which is huge.  Missing a visit every other week out of a weekly plan, is 50%.  We need your commitment so that we can be committed to you!  Thank you!

With all my love – Dr. E