Back Clinic Chronic Back Pain Team. Chronic back pain has a far-reaching effect on many physiological processes. Dr. Jimenez reveals topics and issues affecting his patients. Understanding the pain is critical to its treatment. So here we begin the process for our patients in the journey of recovery.
Just about everyone feels pain from time to time. When you cut your finger or pull a muscle, pain is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. Once the injury heals, you stop hurting.
Chronic pain is different. Your body keeps hurting weeks, months, or even years after the injury. Doctors often define chronic pain as any pain that lasts for 3 to 6 months or more.
Chronic back pain can have real effects on your day-to-day life and your mental health. But you and your doctor can work together to treat it.
Do call upon us to help you. We do understand the problem that should never be taken lightly.
Spinal decompression therapy involves the stretching of the spine, using a traction table or similar device, with the objective of relieving back pain and/or leg pain.
What is spinal decompression therapy?
This process is known as nonsurgical, spinal decompression therapy (as opposed to surgical spinal decompression like laminectomy and microdiscectomy). This article offers an overview of nonsurgical spinal decompression therapy and its role in treatment of lower back pain and neck pain.
Theory of Spinal Decompression Therapy
Spinal decompression devices use the exact fundamental principle of spinal traction that’s been provided by chiropractors, osteopaths, and other appropriately trained health professionals for many decades. Both traction and decompression therapies are applied together with the aims of relieving pain and promoting the best healing environment for bulging, degenerating, or herniated discs.
Spinal decompression is a type of traction treatment applied to the spine in an attempt to result in several theoretical benefits such as to create a negative intradiscal pressure to promote retraction or repositioning of the herniated or bulging disc material and to produce a reduce pressure in the disc that will cause an influx of recovery nutrients and other substances into the disk.
Clinical Evidence
While the fundamental concept of spinal decompression is broadly accepted as legitimate, there’s a shortage of evidence supporting decompression therapy as being efficacious. There are a number of dangers.
Though some studies that don’t include control groups conclude that decompression treatment is effective, the few that do normally conclude that mechanized spinal decompression is not any greater than sham decompression. Thus, there’s insufficient evidence that spinal decompression therapy is as effective, or even more effective, compared to less expensive manual approaches in treating back pain or injured herniated discs.
An overview of medical literature so far suggests that most clinical trials assessing the effectiveness of spinal decompression therapy or traction were lacking in a couple of regions, such as inadequate numbers of topics to create a statistically valid conclusion, lack of blinding (the individual or provider knows the therapy given), no regard to a placebo group (known as a sham controlled study), or absence of comparison to a treatment substitute. At the time of this report, few clinical studies of spinal decompression therapy have been published in peer reviewed journals.
How Spinal Decompression Works
In nonsurgical spinal decompression therapy, the spine is relaxed and stretched intermittently in a controlled way. The concept is that this process creates a negative intradiscal pressure (pressure inside the disc itself), which is thought to have two possible benefits: pull the herniated or bulging disc material back into the disk; and promote the passage of healing nutrients, into the disc and fosters a better recovery environment.
Spinal Decompression Session
During spinal decompression treatment for the lower spine (lumbar spine), patients stay clothed and lie on a motorized table, the lower half of that which can move. First, a�harness is placed round the hips and can be connected to the lower table close to the toes. The top region of the table then remains in a fixed position while the lower part, where the individual is harnessed, slides back and forth to offer the traction and relaxation.
One difference between different decompression therapies is the patient’s place on the table:
Some devices place the patient in the prone position on the desk, lying down face (e.g. VAX-D)
Some devices have the patient lying supine, face up (e.g. DRX9000)
The patient shouldn’t feel pain during or after the decompression therapy although they should feel stretch in the spine.
Treatment Collection and Costs
While spinal decompression therapy could be advocated as a potential treatment for a number of lower back pain conditions, just like all lower back pain remedies, it’s the patient’s decision whether or not to have the therapy. Although the risk is reduced, the benefit of these treatments isn’t established.
Decompression therapy generally consists of a series of 15 to 30 treatments, lasting 30 to 45 minutes per day, within a four to four six-week period. Sessions are conducted at the practitioner’s office. The price of each session generally ranges from $30 to $200, meaning that a recommended series of remedies will generally cost from $450 to $6,000. Although insurers may cover grip, decompression therapy isn’t usually allowed although they are almost the same.
Sessions may include additional treatment modalities, such as electric stimulation, ultrasound, and cold and/or heat treatment applied during or after the process. Recommendations may also incorporate drinking up to some half-gallon of water per day, remainder, utilizing nutritional supplements, or performing exercises at home to boost strength and mobility. Research and find chiropractors in your area that could help relieve your back and neck discomfort.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
Chiropractic is a healthcare profession devoted to the nonsurgical treatment of ailments of the nervous system and/or musculoskeletal system. Chiropractors keep a focus on therapy and manipulation of surrounding structures.
What can chiropractic care treat?
Many studies have concluded that massage therapies widely used by chiropractors are effective for treating lower back pain, in addition to for therapy of lumbar herniated disk for radiculopathy and neck pain, among other ailments.
In fact, when patients using non-specific chronic low back pain have been treated by physicians, the long-term result is enhanced by obtaining maintenance spinal manipulation following the initial intensive manipulative treatment.
Core Chiropractic Treatment Plan
The center of chiropractic usually involves treatment of common lower back pain conditions through manual therapy:
Spinal manipulation and manual manipulation. This type of manual manipulation identifies a short lever arm push that is applied to vertebra. It is also commonly called “chiropractic adjustment”.
There is firm literature support for chiropractic treatment of lower back pain. Many of the guidelines that are published urge manipulation to be contained in the therapy strategy in the maintenance of back pain.
Mobilization. Mobilization describes velocity manipulation, motion and stretching of the muscles and joints, with the goal of increasing the assortment of movement.
What Does a Chiropractic Treatment Plan Consist Of?
Most chiropractors start treatment throughout the patient’s first visit, although some might wait until the next appointment of the practice. Chiropractic therapy goals and recommendations can include some or all of the following:
Adjustments to key joint dysfunctions
Modalities to enhance soft tissue healing and pain management, such as ultrasound, electric stimulation, and grip
Strengthening and/or stretching exercises to improve muscle balance, strength, and coordination
Patient instruction to improve posture and motor controller, as well as potentially reduce anxiety
Other treatments like massage, heat/cold application, and education on ergonomics and nourishment.
Goals of Chiropractic Care
The chiropractor will establish Certain goals for a patient’s individual plan for therapy:
Short-term goals typically include reducing pain and restoring normal joint function and muscle balance
Long-term targets include assigning functional independence and tolerance to normal activities of daily living.
To accomplish these goals, a particular number of chiropractic visits will be recommended.
For most kinds of lower back pain, a treatment recommendation of 1 to 3 chiropractic visits per week for 2 to 4 weeks will be prescribed, followed closely by a re-examination from the chiropractor.
Chiropractic Evaluation of the Treatment
In the re-evaluation, the chiropractic physician will Assess the response to treatment and decide whether to:
Continue chiropractic treatment, if appropriate
Release the Individual from chiropractic care, if treatment goals have been met
Refer the patient to another health care specialist if treatment goals have not been fulfilled.
Chiropractic adjustment (also referred to as spinal manipulation) is a popular and recognized pain relief therapy for many types of lower back pain, sciatica, and neck pain. Knowing what to anticipate from the first visit might help an individual get the maximal benefit from treatment.
Since this profession has an unusually large selection of practice philosophies and chiropractic methods, people should feel comfortable asking all of the questions necessary to comprehend the chiropractic examination, diagnosis, and therapy plan.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
Over the past five decades, many experienced and holistically experienced professionals have embraced “functional medicine” treatment concepts in dealing with the management of many commonly encountered chronic illnesses, including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis.
What are the functional medicine concepts for treatment?
This guide is an attempt to introduce, simplify, and summarize many of these seemingly complicated concepts for professionals who have just begun to use these notions, and for those professionals who have been hearing about this radical strategy and have been considering integrating these therapeutic approaches into their practices.
Integrating Functional Medicine Treatment Concepts
The medicine approach to the treatment of chronic disease is one that is based not on a single agent or modality as the solution that is palliative or curative. It’s holistically centered upon the principle that restoration of proper cell metabolism, through decreasing accumulative toxic load and oxidative stress to your system, enables normalization of mitochodrial respiration, cellular energy production, and ultimately causing a decrease in the signs and symptoms of chronic illness. More severe cases often require a broader functional approach, while many nutritionally-oriented physicians realize that supplements alone are beneficial for cases of chronic disease.
This functional medication philosophy and approach was initially developed for clinical use in chronic fatigue patients with excellent outcomes, and because of the commonality observed in many chronic conditions, it’s been used through the past few years in other disorders with great success, such as fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, along with auto-immune disorders. The seminal work of many in treating chronic fatigue syndrome has served as a template that is successful, and this method is currently utilized in the treatment of a broad range of chronic diseases.
Functional Medicine Treatment Explained
The functional medicine philosophy relies on the premise that a breakdown of the intestinal mucosa by the chronic intake of meals and lactic acid, and the usage of common over-the-counter and prescription drugs (such as antibiotics and NSAIDS), can result in dysbiosis and also a hyperpermeable intestinal mucosa, or leaky gut syndrome.
This hyperpermeablility can lead to the mucosa neglecting to act as a barrier, resulting in the crossing of radicals and partly digested food proteins through the intestinal mucosa and in the systemic blood source. The result is a rise in increased toxic loading and food allergies. This increased toxic load can lead to greater strain on the liver and its ability to adequately detoxify these substances. This may result in systemic tissue degeneration.
Greater tissue toxicity is thought to be a major cause for thyroid dysfunction, which results in a breakdown of the body’s cells, including the muscle cells, to dependant pathways. This accounts for the vast majority of ATP production. Reduced cellular ATP production may account for many (if not all) of the symptoms and signs associated with many chronic disease conditions, such as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FMS).
Increased intestinal permeability can result in partially digested substances entering the blood supply and behaving as antigens. The consequent antigen-antibody complexes seem to have an affinity for the synovium of articulations, This results in an inflammatory reaction in the joint linings commonly found in arthritidies like rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The main therapeutic agents used initially by standard medical physicians in the treatment of RA are (ironically) NSAIDs. NSAIDs, according to the PDR, result in increased intestinal permeability. Might it be possible that the traditional treatment for arthritidies has led to palliating the patient’s symptoms, while exacerbating the illness?
Focus of Functional Medicine Treatment Concepts
The functional medicine therapeutic approach is centered around correcting any intestinal dysbiosis fixing the mucosa, providing chemicals to the body reducing stress, and boosting a return of normal metabolism. Assessment begins by discovering intestinal health and also the functional reserve of the liver and its detoxification abilities.
This is commonly done with the help of individual symptom studies, like the a metabolic screening questionnaire and practical laboratory studies, such as the lactulose/mannitol challenge for assessing intestinal permeability, along with the entire digestive stool analysis (CDSA) for detecting markers of digestion, absorption, and colonic flora. Detoxification ability of the liver can be assessed through caffeine clearance and conjugation metabolite challenge test.. Conventional laboratories don’t perform these evaluations, but are available through specialized labs who offer functional testing.
Once the information is collected, a treatment system is chosen, which may consist of specific nutrients to fix any intestinal hyperpermeability (leaky gut syndrome). Individual nutrients like inulin, refined hypoallergenic rice proteins, pantothenic acid, and antioxidants can be utilized as a formulary medicinal food, which is usually much simpler and more practical to utilize scientifically. Digestion and absorption difficulties suggested on the CDSA can be treated together with all the temporary use of pancreatic enzymes and HCL (if indicated) in patients without gastritis or ulcers. Dysbiosis, a phrase used to describe an imbalance of colonic flora, can be addressed by the management of lactobacillus acidophilus and probiotics such as fructooligosaccharides (FOS).
In conclusion, any pathogenic bacteria, yeast, or parasites discovered on the CDSA should be treated with the prescription (or organic) agents suggested by the sensitivity tests on the CDSA. These could include nonprescription substances like garlic, citrus seed extract, berberine, artemisia, uva ursi, and others. Functional medicine approaches strive to holistically improve an individual’s overall health and wellness, which is why these treatment modalities have been applied to modern medical practices. Consult a professional regarding the best form of treatment for you.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
It’s a frequent occurrence: You twist or tilt your head to the side and your neck cracks. You could be asking yourself why your neck does that but more importantly, is it something to be concerned about?
Rest assured that, typically, neck-cracking is nothing to worry about. However, there are a few exceptions when popping in the neck may be an indication of a more serious issue. It’s worth learning about the signs of unhealthy neck cracking.
Crepitus: Benign Joint Cracking
Whenever a joint in the body creates a cracking, popping, or grinding sound or feeling, this is referred to as crepitus. Experts think that crepitus is caused by gas bubbles in the synovial fluid of the joint being formed or bursting. Crepitus is considered benign, and studies haven’t shown any signs that it may cause joint damage or raise risk for arthritis.
A surefire indication that a neck crack is the end result of crepitus would be to repeat the motion that caused it and see if it happens again. Otherwise, the crack was probably crepitus. It requires about 20 minutes to the gas bubbles to reform.
When Neck Cracking Becomes a Concern
Generally speaking, neck cracking probably does not indicate a problem. However, a doctor ought to be consulted if neck cracking communicates some of the following symptoms:
Pain or swelling. Neck crepitus with pain or swelling could indicate osteoarthritis or some other kind of process .
Recent accident or injury. If the neck is creating new cracking or grinding sounds after trauma following a car crash or a fall, then that may signal a structural change which may need proper care.
Frequent or constant. If the neck crepitus is continuous, the joint is moved, then that could signal an issue in function, especially when accompanied by pain.
Recent surgery. Sometimes the neck develops crepitus after surgery in the cervical spinal column. While they could be normal and nothing to worry about, hey need to be mentioned to the surgeon in case.
Could Neck Cracking Cause More Serious Issues?
Some individuals regularly crack their neck on purpose, either due to a nervous habit or perhaps to bring some therapeutic relief from neck tightness. As such, it’s typical for people to wonder if by cracking the neck, the joints can be worn down and lead to arthritis.
The medical literature indicates that repeatedly cracking the neck, or some of the synovial joints throughout the body, doesn’t increase an individual’s risk for developing arthritis at those joints. Some studies suggest negative effects, such as loosened ligaments, could potentially result from this, however.
While quite infrequent, there are reports of vertebral artery dissection leading to a stroke following specific forms of manipulation of the cervical spine. This is likely to happen if the patient seeks treatment from a health care professional who doesn’t practice spinal manipulation. As a normal precaution, anyone experiencing concerning symptoms like nausea, nausea, lightheadedness, numbness, tingling, or other troubling symptoms not listed here, should consult with a qualified medical professional immediately.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
You slouch in your chair as you finish a report while at the office. When you get home, you want to unwind, so you spend a couple of hours weeding your garden with your back hunched forward. Then, at the end of the day, you end up experiencing back pain. Why? As it turns out, your posture may be contributing to back pain.
How does bad posture provoke back pain?
You may not feel any ill-effects after sitting with poor posture for a few hours, but over time the stress that poor posture puts in your spine can result in anatomical changes to the structure of your spine. This in turn can provoke back pain through the constriction of nerves and your blood vessels. In addition, the pressure from poor posture can lead to back pain by inducing issues with the intervertebral discs, your muscles, and joints.
Back pain caused by poor posture may have some of the following characteristics:
Back pain that worsens at certain times of the day
Pain that starts in your neck and goes down to your upper and lower back
Pain that subsides after shifting positions while sitting or standing
Sudden back pain which coincides with a new job, a new office chair, or even a new automobile
Maintaining Proper Posture
If poor posture can result in back pain, then it logically follows that proper posture can help you avoid back pain. Here is how to keep a good posture while lifting, sitting, and walking:
Walk Tall
It’s easy to forget about your posture when you’re working out or running errands, but your posture is no less important once you’re walking than when you’re sitting. While walking, it’s very important to look straight before you and to keep your head balanced straight above your backbone. In addition, remain tall (avoid drooping your shoulders) while you are walking, and make sure to land on your heel and then gently roll forward to push off the front of your foot.
Sit with Support
If you’re like most people, you sit for at least eight hours daily. With this much of your daily life spent sitting down, it’s very important that you sit with proper posture. One common posture mistake lots of men and women make is the “office seat hunch,” in which a person sits at the front of the seat and hunches ahead to reach their computer screen.
Rather than hunching forward, here is the way to sit with proper posture in your office:
Keep your back flush from the seat with your shoulders tall along with your mind level over your backbone.
When sitting at a desk, then keep your arms bent at a 75 to 90 degree angle at the elbows.
Keep your knees level with your hips or sit with your knees slightly over your buttocks if seated at a desk.
Keep your feet flat on the floor. If you are unable to reach the floor, you can utilize a footrest.
Lift Carefully
Improper lifting techniques may lead to injury on the joints, tendons, and disks in your back. To assist you when avoiding back pain, here are three simple guidelines for lifting both heavy and light objects:
Keep your chest forward. To ensure you keep your spine straight while lifting, bend your hips, not your back, and keep your chest out.
Lead with your hips. Lead with your hips to prevent putting additional strain on your back, when changing directions while lifting.
Keep weight near your body. Keep the object you are lifting close to your body.
These techniques can help prevent event ease symptoms of back pain associated with poor posture. However, if back pain becomes chronic or persistent, an underlying injury or condition may be causing the symptoms. Make sure to seek proper medical attention from a back pain specialist, including chiropractic care.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
Dietitians at Integrative and Functional Medicine (DIFM) is a specialty clinic group of nutrition professionals whose center philosophy centers around a holistic, personalized approach to healing and health. Members incorporate many different nutrition remedies such as brain/body modalities in clinical practice supplements and whole foods.
How is nutrition a part of integrative and functional medicine?
Integrative medicine is the practice of medicine that reaffirms the value of the connection between professional and patient, focuses on the entire individual, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic approaches, healthcare professionals, and areas to achieve optimal health and healing.
Functional medicine addresses the underlying causes of illness utilizing a systems-oriented approach and engaging both practitioner and patient at a healing partnership. Functional medicine involves understanding complex, chronic disease’s origins, prevention, and therapy. Hallmarks of a functional medicine approach include:
Patient-centered care. The focus of functional medicine is on care boosting health beyond the absence of illness; as a positive energy. By listening to the patient and studying his or her narrative, the practitioner tailors treatments that address the unique needs of the individual and brings the individual relief.
An integrative, science-based health care strategy. Functional medicine professionals seem “upstream” to think about the intricate web of interactions in the individual’s history, physiology, and lifestyle that can cause disease. The distinctive genetic makeup of each individual is considered, combined with both internal (brain, body, and soul) and external (physical and social environment) variables that affect overall functioning.
Integrating best medical clinics. Functional medicine integrates traditional Western medical practices with what is sometimes regarded as “choice” or “integrative” medicine, creating a focus on prevention through nutrition, diet, and exercise; use of the latest diagnostic techniques; and prescribed combinations of drugs and/or botanical medicines, supplements, therapeutic diets, detoxification programs, or stress-management practices.
Functional Medicine and Nutrition
Functional medication has, for years, been the promoters and teachers of using food as medicine. According to the Institute for Functional Medicine, “functional nutrition highlights the value of top quality meals and phytonutrient diversity to deal with clinical imbalances and move people toward the maximum expression of health. Advanced nutrition evaluation and a comprehensive functional medicine based history leads to a personalized therapeutic intervention made to promote optimal health and protect against diet- and lifestyle-related disease.”
Integrative and functional medicine nutritionists have been uniquely trained and have many years of experience incorporating the art and science of integrative and functional nutrition treatment. They understand that giving you a standard diet plan based on a diagnosis is just not enough to foster optimum recovery. After all, one size does not fit all and they strive to provide the maximum quality of individualized nutrition care to all of our patients.
Practice-Based Evidence for Nutrition
Practice-based evidence promotes the worth of their wisdom and evidence gained by the professional’s clinical observations and experiences. The Dietitians in the Integrative and Functional Medicine (DIFM) practice group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has developed Standards of Practice (SOP) and Standards of Professional Performance (SOPP) in Integrative and Functional Medicine. The SOP addresses the Nutrition Care Process (NCP) and actions related to person-centered care. The SOPP are statements that describe a level of behaviour in the role.
The Integrative and Functional Medicine Nutrition Therapy (IFMNT) Radial was established within an integrated conceptual framework to assist in IFMNT practice. The structure of this IFMNT Radial allows for the analysis of interrelationships and interactions. The Radial depicts that food is still a source of information that affects, and is influenced by, the five areas also as a factor in disease and health.
The five key areas include: lifestyle, systems (signs and symptoms), heart imbalances, metabolic pathways, and biomarkers. Surrounding the Radial are currently precipitating. The SOP, at the June 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, is along with the IFMNT Radial.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will teach his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease”. These wise words were uttered by Thomas Edison more than a hundred years back at the start of the 20th century, the century which could become the conventional system’s expansion we know today regarding alternative treatment options and functional medicine.
What is the future of health care?
The past century has been in many ways an entire departure from Edison’s words. Away from looking at the foods we eat and prevention and toward the Big Pharma, sick care system: diagnose a disease and match it with a corresponding drug. Despite spending more on healthcare than the next 10 top-spending nations combined, the U.S. has the most persistent illness cases and shortest life span of all industrialized nations.
In accordance with a comprehensive study by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, American men rated last in life expectancy, and women were ranked second to last. When it comes to the health of a pregnant mother or her child, the U.S. has the maximum mortality rate among all developed countries. The U.S. also has the third-worst mortality rate from nutritional deficiencies, and also the greatest total age-adjusted mortality rate among all developed nations.
Despite the wonderful progress in life saving surgeries and emergency care, when it comes to chronic health ailments and longevity, we are doing something abysmally wrong. Seeing the shadow surrounding the medical care system, functional medicine has been attempting to supply a solution to this issue.
Yet even today, a lot of people don’t fully comprehend what functional medicine is, or why they need to try it. Well, here are six compelling reasons to give functional medicine a try.
Functional Medicine Interprets Results Differently
On your labs there is typically a reference range that tells you what’s considered “normal.” Anything out of this reference array is typically labeled as “high” or “low” in bold font. A statistical bell curve typical of that specific lab’s populace determines that reference range.
If your laboratory is one number away from being out of the benchmark range, you’re still categorized as “normal.” But disease doesn’t start as soon as you’re out of that diagnostic range. Unfortunately, this means you’re either, trending toward disorder, outside of the benchmark array, or you’re trending toward health.
There are a whole lot of people who go to a healthcare professiona, only to discover why they are struggling with health issues, and their labs return “normal.” They leave without any answers or remedies and’re told there is not anything wrong with them. A medication lab analysis sheds light on unanswered health concerns that fall through the cracks of the standard model of maintenance.
Functional Medicine Provides More Diagnostics
In addition to interpreting the labs that mainstream medical professionals run, functional medicine goes past the label of this disease to check out the full extent of a patient’s physiology. So that it can be paired with a pharmaceutical drug, typically a disease is diagnosed by the labs at the standard model of care. They’re very incomplete from a functional medicine perspective, although the labs your doctor runs are adequate if he is prescribing medications.
Comprehensive labs to examine underlying deficiencies, imbalances, infections and dysfunctions, give excellent insight into these frequently overlooked portions of your health issues.
Functional Medicine Customizes Healthcare
As soon as you’re tagged with a disorder in mainstream medicine, you are given the very same medications everyone else with this disease is given. This cookie cutter strategy works occasionally, but more often than not, it fails miserably. Medication takes into account that we designed a bit differently, so what works for one person may not always be right for you. A detailed health plan that is tailored addresses that you are seeing results.
Functional Medicine and Patients
Mainstream medicine is really bogged down with symptom care. That is why every six months you wait an hour at your physician’s office for a regular visit. This system is failing millions of Americans suffering from chronic health conditions.
In terms of crisis care, emergencies and surgeries, we have among the very best health care systems in the world, but in regards to chronic healthcare, the U.S. is still one of the worst industrialized health care systems in the world.
Functional Medicine and Addressing Dysfunctions
While mainstream medicine is structured to manage symptoms, functional medicine is primarily concerned with addressing the underlying dysfunctions of the body that give rise to symptoms. If someone has high blood sugar, he’s typically medicines that stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin, which attracts down the blood sugar.
Functional medication asks why a patient has high blood glucose in the first place. Very rarely is somebody sick from a medication deficiency. They may have cellular insulin resistance, brain-adrenal axis dysfunctions causing cortisol along with a gut disease leading to their own blood sugar dis-balance.
In this example there is nothing actually wrong with the pancreas, therefore while the medicine will make their blood sugar numbers seem nicer on a laboratory, it does not address the reasons they’re high in the first place. So functional medicine may be the missing link to getting healthy and getting off drugs and medications.
Remedies Are Essential in Functional Medicine
Functional medicine is not anti-medication, however, practitioners may ask what the individual’s most effective alternative is, and that which causes the fewest side effects. It’s maybe the smartest choice, if a drug fits that criteria. However, it often is not.
Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, said tens of thousands of years back, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine thy food,” and practical medication agrees. Food is used as medicine in a state specific manner. Herbal and micronutrient medicines are used to address the dysfunctions found on the labs to encourage healthy function.
It’s important to not forget, though, that even with natural choices and foods, what works for one person might not work for the next. We need to tailor the program for the individual instead of being the alternative model of mainstream medicine, using its magical pills and “one-size-fits-all” approach.
This new era of evidence-based all-natural health care is providing hope for all. As a result of new technologies, webcam consultations with people give the exceptional opportunity to share functional medicine. Edison’s words are coming true. Let the future begin.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Wellness
Overall health and wellness are essential towards maintaining the proper mental and physical balance in the body. From eating a balanced nutrition as well as exercising and participating in physical activities, to sleeping a healthy amount of time on a regular basis, following the best health and wellness tips can ultimately help maintain overall well-being. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can go a long way towards helping people become healthy.
IFM's Find A Practitioner tool is the largest referral network in Functional Medicine, created to help patients locate Functional Medicine practitioners anywhere in the world. IFM Certified Practitioners are listed first in the search results, given their extensive education in Functional Medicine
