Could your feet be causing your back pain?

A lot of our patients complain of back pain. For many of our patients pain in the low back can be a sign of dysfunction in another area such as the feet, knees, hips etc. Interestingly, back pain may be one of the only indicators that there is a problem in another area. For example, there may be no foot pain even though the feet are the root of the problem causing the back pain.

For many patients, even though they experience no actual foot pain, over time the ligaments in the foot may become over-stressed and over-stretched and may become permanently deformed. Once over stretch damage is done to certain types of connective tissue such as ligaments, tendons and fascia, they do not return to their original shape.

What does this mean for feet? Over time the arches that support the foot, and essentially the whole person, sag and may even collapse. This may of course result in foot pain, knee pain, hip pain and or back pain.

The good news is that in addition to treatment by your physical medicine provider, custom orthotics can be used to provide support for an arch that has collapsed or that has started collapsing. Usually wearing custom orthotics 75-80% of the time can be a permanent form of treatment and support. Patients may have custom orthotics to fit every pair of shoes and may even purchase shoes, sandals and flip flops with custom orthotics already built in.

In our office we provide patients with the opportunity to have their feet scanned by our state of the art scanner to see if orthotics are appropriate for them. If orthotics are in fact recommended, we offer the convenience of sourcing them through our office. In some cases, orthotics may be fully or partially covered by patient's insurance plans.

Do you want more information? Call us today to schedule a no obligation consultation to see if your feet could be the root of your pain problem. 

*Please remember that it's impossible for me to diagnose you and treat you just by you reading one of my articles. I'm superwoman it's true, but even that is beyond my capabilities. So before you engage in any health and wellness activities, do consult your health care provider. Please know that we are happy to address your personal concerns, just call us in office to schedule your personal consultation; and thanks ever so much for reading. We appreciate you.

Body Contouring and Fat Loss

• Do you have inches you would like to shed?
• Would you be interested in fat loss that is easy, pain-free, safe and effective?
• Would you like to keep it off? 

The first time I heard about this easy way for patients to lose fat, I have to admit that I was intrigued. If you talk to any doctor out there, from brain surgeons to podiatrists, from allergists to urologists and everyone in between, they will agree that the majority of Americans could see improvement in their overall health by losing abdominal fat. The CDC confirms this by noting on its website that one in every four deaths in the US is as a result of heart disease and that overweight is one of the most important risk factors. We even see the benefits of fat loss in our practice. Most of the patients who come in to see us have headache, neck pain, joint pain or back pain and for many of them a simple weight loss program, in addition to the other treatments that we offer, goes a long way to help reduce their pain.

But I digress; We have been considering this for some time and thought it might be something that our patients would love. Not only will our patients be able to lose fat in specific areas, but the overall health and cardiovascular benefits are outstanding.  The funny thing is that when I started telling patients about our new laser and about how it will help their health, all everyone seemed to care about are the cosmetic benefits of losing inches off the thighs, buttock, stomach, torso and arms. 

Most are excited about the great cosmetic benefits, but if we can in the process significantly improve their overall health, then we will have achieved our objective as their physicians. Our laser works fast, it’s painless and targets body fat without invasive surgery. There is no down time and there are no side effects.  We love talking about our new laser so if you would like to know more, just go to our website: 

www.Power-Transformations.com and register for one of our upcoming workshops, or call us in office at 860-589-1491. We are happy to help.

Attend our Facebook Live Workshop Coming Soon... Register:

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name

Last Name

Goodbye Arthritis

In practice we see a lot of patients who suffer from pain due to arthritic changes. Some patients have back and neck pain as a result of this, while others have pain in the larger joints such as the hips or knees. Interestingly, patients who come in with these kinds of conditions almost always say to me: “I have pain, it’s just a part of getting older I guess.” Well, if you have ever read one of my articles or ever spoken with me, you will know that telling me something is just a part of getting older gets me to launch off into one of my soap box moments. I have so many friends, patients and family members who are older and who are living pain free, quality filled lives and I refuse to subscribe to the “It’s part of getting older,” theory. Now, I know what you are going to say. You are thinking: “As you get older you will see!” And I will reply, “Being completely pain free is possible for a majority of patients in pain.”  Here’s how.

In my many years working in healthcare (over 16 years helping patients,) I’ve found that for patients with

arthritic changes, mobilization and movement is helpful for joint health. There was a study, (you all know how much I love studies!) that was published by the AMA a few years ago that showed that just walking for 30 min per day helped patients with arthritic changes to have less pain. The study did note that at first the pain was increased and that for some patients in the study getting into walking daily was difficult, however over time the benefit to patients was significant. In addition to encouraging our patients to increase their mobility, we also recommend, for patients in pain, specific rehabilitation exercises that strengthen the involved muscles, help with balance and stretch muscles that may be guarded, in spasm or in some way imbalanced. The patients who stick with their rehabilitation / corrective exercise regimens are ALWAYS the ones who do much better and who see resolution much faster.

Of course as a Chiropractor I must explain about how manual medicine modalities help patients with arthritic changes to be pain free. “Manual medicine modalities” is a catch all term that we use to describe the non invasive interventions that we use to help patients with painful musculo-skeletal conditions. Some of my favorites include heat and cold therapies which can help relax muscles and reduce inflammation.  Another favorite is Ultrasound which can significantly reduce inflammation.  Muscle stimulation may help reduce muscle spasm/ guarding, help send a new message to the brain about pain, and depending on the type of muscle stimulation, may help reduce inflammation as well. Soft tissue and joint mobilization help improve mobility and range of motion. Laser therapy stimulates healing and reduces inflammation. For some patients, ergonomic suggestions, orthopedic supports, orthotics and durable medical devices can also be helpful noninvasive additions to treatment. These are just a few of the available modalities and a few of their benefits. The bottom line is this: adding in manual medicine methods to corrective exercises is a winning proposition.

Those of you who have read our column before are expecting me to talk about how nutrition can play a

HUGE role in getting to that pain free status.  I will not disappoint! Many patients with arthritic changes will agree that inflammation is a big contributor to the pain that they experience. Patients often get prescribed steroids, traditional non steroidal anti-inflammatory agents or COX 2 inhibitors, once they are diagnosed with arthritic conditions. These medications target the inflammatory process at different points in an effort to reduce inflammation and influence the patient’s pain level. Well, here’s a little known fact. You can influence the inflammatory pathway by changing the diet and even by adding in certain superfoods and supplements. I’m going to share (with hippa released permission,) the story of a patient who has spinal stenosis. She came in with pain that at times was 10/10 and she could barely do anything at home. The biggest problems for her were vacuuming her carpet, loading her dishwasher and even just bending forward to make her bed or put on her shoes. She was having a hard time, and was not particularly impressed when we suggested that she increase her mobility with the prescribed exercises. She had also never been to see a chiropractor before and may have heard some horrendous things, so you can imagine how much pain she had to be in for her to make her way to see one. When we talked about how nutrition influences inflammation though, she got it. She was determined to be pain free and she was on board for all the dietary recommendations. Within 3 months her pain level was so low that she was able to not only do her house work, but she was also able to help her daughter with her household chores and was also able to help out with grand kids. In 6 months she was completely pain free. She also noted that she felt so much better and healthier in general. She was so happy with her progress that she agreed that we could share her story in the event that it might be helpful to someone else. At the end of the day, what we take into our bodies matters and clinical nutrition therapy targeted at the inflammation process can be outstanding in its ability to reduce overall pain.

Neuromuscular reeducation helps patients in pain by disrupting the pain patterns that have been established especially in patients in chronic pain. Cognitive methods as well as physical medicine methods work together to fill in the final piece of the pain free puzzle.

Even though this sort of non invasive protocol will work wonders for almost all patients, as with anything else there are going to be a couple of patients for whom this approach will not be appropriate. In school when we are training to be physicians, we learn that when treating with patients we go from the least invasive method to the most invasive. For patients who fail non invasive therapy, options such as holistic treatments, medication as well as surgical interventions should not be overlooked and generally those patients are identified early and referred to the appropriate provider that can get them to pain free as soon as possible.

Disclaimer: Please remember that it's impossible for me to diagnose you and treat you just by you reading one of my articles. I'm supermom it’s true, but even that is beyond my capabilities. So before you engage in any health and wellness activities, do consult your healthcare provider. Please know that we are happy to address your personal concerns, just call us in office to schedule your personal consultation; and thanks ever so much for reading. Stay in touch with us on Facebook. We appreciate you.

A longer, healthier, quality-filled life...are you in?

 

Close your eyes, where do you see yourself in 5 years, 10 years, and 20 - even 30 years from today. What is your health like? Are you full of vitality? Can you see in your mind’s eye, “future-you” participating in all the activities of daily living that you might want to? Are you healthy enough to have fun with friends, with kids? Can you play with grandkids? Are you healthy enough to exercise in the way you want to? Do you feel well enough to vacation like a rockstar and take advantage of all the things you have been planning to do on that famous “someday?

Some people think disease conditions are just a part of getting older but evidence shows that indeed it isn’t. And well, for me personally, I refuse to buy into that. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that I give my body the best possible advantage so that in 20, 30 maybe even 50 years from today I’m in my best possible health. What do you think?

There is a quote that I love that could have been from Hippocrates “The Father of Medicine.” I think it was again re-quoted by inventor extraordinaire Thomas Edison. Whatever the attribution, it goes like this: “The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.” Well dear reader, apparently I am the doctor of the future who was prophesied, and it may very well be that the future is NOW. But on a serious note: It is my intention, for every single patient every single time, to live a healthier, pain free life. That’s why in office we are continually focused on sharing with all our patients about clinical nutrition and the role lifestyle plays in overall health and wellness.

For those of you who are regular readers, you know that I am a work in progress and that I tend to share my “aha” moments freely. So here it is: Here is my personal 5 point plan to a healthier quality filled life:

1) Reduce stress
2) Use the “Farmacy”
3) Know our risk
4) Develop our personalized healthy lifestyle plan
5) Implement, implement, implement!


Reduce Stress


“Calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that's very important for good health.” Dalai Lama

When our bodies are exposed to stressful situations, a wonderful thing happens. In order for our bodies to focus on removing the stressor effectively, the hormones cortisol and adrenaline are released. It’s pretty complicated what happens from here on, but the short version of the long story is that cortisol and adrenaline act to shut down the body systems deemed unessential in an emergency, and focuses the body’s resources where it can be used effectively to get you away from the stressful situation. Then once the stressor is past, cortisol and adrenaline should be eliminated from the body and the body can get back to digestion, growth, repair etc. – You know, all the good stuff. But… you guessed it, there’s a big BUT. For many of us, our lives for the most part seem to be stress filled. As such we are in many cases making more stress hormones than we need and are unable to fully flush our stress hormones from our bodies. You can see how that is a big problem. The first step on my 5 point plan to a healthier me (and you…) therefore, has to be stress reduction.


Use “The Farmacy”


“Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments.” Bethenny Frankel

Almost everyone now-a-days has heard of power foods. From TV shows, to magazines, to even this very column - everyone talks a lot about the benefits of eating a varied and plant based diet. The truth is that when you walk into your produce department of your local grocer or when you open up your spice cabinet, a world of amazing health benefits await. I spend a lot of time in workshops and seminars, talking about the potential health benefits of various fruits, vegetables and spices / herbs. And while some foods like your beets, kale and avocadoes deserve special mention, what we do know is that increasing our intake of fruits and vegetables in general, to about 12 servings per day, can go a long way to a healthier me. It sounds like a lot, I know, but keeping in mind how small serving sizes are, it’s actually quite easy. Here’s my typical fruit and veggie day: I have about 4-5 servings of fruits and veggies mixed together in my green smoothie in the morning. I try to have a serving of fruit mid morning but I’m not going to lie, I get busy and that rarely happens. At lunch though, I usually have a big salad: 4 servings of veggies easy, and in the mid afternoon I may have 1-2 servings of veggies to keep me going. At dinner time I like to have a few servings of cooked veggies (about 3) with my meal and that usually takes me over my 12 serving quota for the day. Delicious and doable.


Know Your Risk


“The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.” Thomas Edison

When it comes to our health most of us, including myself, tend to be more reactive than proactive. We try to, in a very general way, “eat right and exercise.” The health care paradigm up to now has been: We wait for symptoms of disease to show up or for something to be abnormal on our lab work to know our potential for long term illness. We are living in reaction mode, waiting for something to actually go wrong and then we hope that at that point it won’t be too late and that we can fix it. Science promised us a day when we would be able to look at our genome, determine our risk and act accordingly. Fortunately, we now have access to safe reasonably inexpensive tools that can give us deep insight into our potential health problems. For many of our patients, a quick DNA cheek swab analyzed by the lab can provide a lot of information. Do I have a gene that suggests that insulin resistance and perhaps diabetes may be a problem for me in the future? Does my DNA show me to be at increased cardiovascular risk? Am I genetically predisposed to have thinning bones? Currently the technology that exists allows us to analyze 48 genes and 61 variations to give us information that can help us lead longer healthier lives.


Develop a personalized plan


“With great power comes great responsibility…” Spiderman’s uncle Ben?

Knowing what my risk is, well that’s great, but now what. So now I know that I have a gene that predisposes me to higher cholesterol even though my lipid profiles to date have been pretty normal… what now. Clearly this seems like a moment to panic, but maybe not. What I do know is that knowledge is power. Now that I know what I know about my genetic makeup, I can work with my doctor to put together a health and wellness plan that will help me be as healthy as possible for as long as possible. Did I mention: Knowledge is power? This knowledge allows me to make decisions for my future based upon cutting edge science.


The Implementation


“Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do...” Lou Holtz

There isn’t really very much to say on this topic. Knowledge is great, developing a plan is outstanding, but the key is in the implementation. Being committed to the lifestyle changes that can lead to the long healthy high quality life that we all desire is the bottom line.



“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” Mahatma Gandhi

In closing, I’ll share a story, with permission, from one of my absolute favorite patients. She and her husband had worked hard over the years and they really put in a serious plan for retirement. They did all the things we are supposed to do and then retirement came. My patient said to me one day: “Dr. Shepherd, money is not our problem. We saved and planned for this retirement. We planned that when we retired we would be able to take all these vacations all over the world, travel to spend time with our grand kids and generally just be healthy. But with [his] health problems and mine it’s really put a damper on our plans.”

I will say again what I said to her: It’s never too late to start being healthier, the healthiest you can be under the circumstances. You don’t have to do this alone or rely on guess work or chance.

The future is now...Will you join us?

You - Clean Lean Machine - 21 Days!

It’s officially spring and some days are beginning to unofficially look like summer. So off come the layers and in we head to swimsuit season, shorts season and summer dress season. If you have been reading these articles for a while, you will know that I tend to over share so please do excuse me while I let you in on what’s really going on with me.

A little over seven years ago, I went from a very strong fitness focused size smallish to a size mediumish/large. After I had my first baby it took quite a while for me to get back into my fitness and eating habits; And as soon as I found I was able to squeeze back into a few of my pre pregnancy clothes, I discovered I was expecting yet again. We are blessed to have our two amazing boys and now it’s time for me to get back to making sure I’m the best possible version of me. My intention is to return to my fitness routine. I will resume eating for one J and of course in the process lose about 15 lbs. I’m using the next 21days to get myself back on track and I’m going to share with you below, my 5 point plan to ensure my success.

1)      Get clear on what has been an obstacle in the past for success in the future

This will be different for everyone. For me, if my exercise is part of my daily routine, it gets done. If I get to it, when I get to it…well you guessed it, with my busy schedule, I may not get to it. I have to work on scheduling in my work out time. For me this has to be a priority. As far as food goes, my nemesis is salty snacks. I could walk past the most gorgeous, delicious buffet of sweets and pastries with no difficulty, but dear reader, when the potato chip company said “you can’t have just one,” I think they may have had me in mind. Our dear friend and health and wellness consultant - Lynn McDonald says that the things that hold us back often are patterns rooted in the brain. Disrupting these unhealthy patterns increases the probability of success.

2)      Focus on food – eat more, eat more often, eat more healthy stuff

This part is going to be the easy part for me I think. I know that there are so many delicious and healthy foods at my disposal. Eating 6 small meals per day will keep me full, focused and will reduce the likelihood of cravings and binges.  It will mean focusing on a plant based diet – I don’t intend to go back to being vegetarian mind you – but just eating more fruits and vegetables. Like at least 12-13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.  Planning my meals and packing my meals daily will take a little doing but once I pack healthy stuff it will be unlikely that I will reach for processed junk food. I also need to keep track of my water intake and take my supplements.

3)      Get professional help

We could all use some professional help. Even though I am a physician and additionally I have a master’s degree in clinical nutrition, Step 3 for me will be sitting with a professional.  Mechael Hamilton our in house Wellness Coach will be my resource for crafting my long term strategy.  Lifetime sustainable eating plans are not “one size fits all.” Almost all patients (including me of course,) have specific health concerns that must be addressed. Professional help ensures the right plan for my needs and ensures long term success.

4)      EveryBody…Move your body, AKA: There is beauty in strength

We all know diet is the key to improving health and wellness but exercise is also important. Once you are cleared by your healthcare provider for exercise, making time for aerobic cardiovascular exercise as well as weight bearing exercises helps build lean strong muscles as well as strong bones.

5)      Don’t stress

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been known to reach for the not so good for you carbs when under stress.  That can be a slippery slope, derailing the whole healthy eating idea. During the next 21 days I will be focusing on keeping my stress levels as low as I possibly can. Exercise, including my yoga class, deep breathing exercises, laughing, journaling, listening to music and meditation have all been cited in the literature as effective means for reducing stress. In the past listening to music and running have been effective stress busters for me.

The key is commitment. One of the number one reasons health and wellness plans fail is that people are just not ready to do what it takes. It wasn’t the right time for me before but I am ready now. The other thing I know for sure is that dieting doesn’t seem to be a sustainable way to get lean and healthy for life. In my experience guiding patients over the years, what I have found is that a change in lifestyle seems to be what works best.

Please do feel free to join me and our patients who have decided to take the 21 day health and wellness challenge. For more information on how to participate in our upcoming workshop, at no cost to you, just call us in office or click here. There is strength in numbers, let’s get strong together.

5 Holistic Interventions for Allergy Season!

35 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies. In our office we have already started seeing patients with allergies, so it is an appropriate time to share a few expert strategies for managing allergies. Always talk to your health care provider before implementing any health care suggestions.

1) Watch the stress!

 A recent study found that stress is as bad as or even more dangerous than smoking 15 cigarettes per day, no exercise, overindulging in alcohol and obesity. For seasonal allergies some studies recommend: Sauna Therapy, Massage Therapy and Essential Oils. A perfect recipe for relaxation: A bath or shower with essential oils such as clary sage, sweet orange, lavender or lemon.

2) Get started with spring cleaning!

 Address the indoor allergens. Wet dusting, air filters and vacuums with HEPA filters all help. Clean curtains and bedding on the highest temperature settings. Reduce house plants and stuffed toys. Reduce humidity in the home.

 3) Keep outdoor allergies out!

 Wash the nose daily with a nasal saline rinse or consider using a Neti Pot, especially after being outside. Wear sunglasses outside to help keep pollen out of the eyes. Consider nasal barrier methods such as Nasal Screens to keep the allergens out.

4) Fix the GUT

70-80% of the immune system resides in the gastrointestinal tract. Treating allergies with nutritional interventions appears appropriate. Reducing fructose in the diet has been found to be helpful for allergy sufferers. An anti-allergy diet tailored to the patient's needs has also been found to be effective. Adding a probiotic and omega 3 fatty acids is usually advantageous for allergy sufferers.

5) Some foods and herbal supplements may help

For allergy season, these foods help keep the respiratory tract healthy.

1) Mucolytics: E.g. onions and radishes.

They soften mucous and help us get rid of it.

2) Emollients or Demulcents: e.g. okra, dates and figs.

These reduce respiratory mucosal inflammation.

3) Antiseptics: E.g. thyme, garlic and propolis.

These reduce harmful bacteria and viruses.

There are many supplements that have been shown to be very effective for treating seasonal allergies. Consider including more foods containing vitamin C and fruits and vegetables containing quercetin. Green Tea may also help with the symptoms of seasonal allergies. Good results have also been seen with condiments such as oregano and olive leaf.

 Allergies affect 1 in 5 Americans.  Living with allergies can be difficult even debilitating, however nutritional interventions exist and have been proven effective. If you or someone you know suffers from allergies, please do speak to your health care provider or call us at 860-589-1491. 

Regards in health,

Dr. Shepherd

5 Health Tips To Ease The Time Change Transition

We have transitioned into daylight savings time! How is that going for you? If you are like me, the time change may still have you feeling a little groggy at best, and full on exhausted at worst.

Spring is coming!
(Chris picking dandelions last spring.)

It seems falling back is always so much easier than the spring ahead for my family and even for many of our patients. Here are a few tips to try to make the transition a little easier: 

Sleep expert Dr. Feinsilver recommends:

- Not eating or exercising very close to bedtime, 

- Not watching TV in bed and avoiding caffeine or alcohol several hours before bed. 

- He also recommends trying to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. 

- Very interestingly, he also suggests establishing a "worry time." Making lists of things worrying you or your to do list for the next day, then setting it aside before going to bed. This one I know I will try!

Another sleep expert, Dr. Joseph Kaplan director of the sleep disorders center at the Mayo Clinic gives the following advice for an easier transition into the time change:

1) Be sure you are exposed to strong morning light after the time change

Spring so far this year!
(Chris making snowballs this spring!!)

2) Reduce stimuli at bed time

3) Keep your bedroom quiet and dark

4) Maintain consistent sleep wake patterns

5) Follow a bedtime routine

One good thing about springing ahead? That means spring is in fact just around the corner just as I promised!

Regards in health,

Dr. Shepherd