Well everyone, today is Tuesday, November 22, 2011 and what we all just witnessed last night was the electrifying return of Sidney Crosby. After what I witnessed last night I had to write this as a follow up to a post I originally wrote on October 4 of this year. In that post I wrote about Sidney's recovery from a concussion and how he had decided to seek treatment from a Chiropractor after it appeared his progress with conventional medicine had stalled.
What Sidney Crosby did last night will be remembered for a very long time. Arguably the best player in all of hockey right now had been sidelined from the game for about 11 months after suffering a devastating concussion. Now up until last night, literally everyone, hockey and non-hockey fans alike has been wondering, ".....how is he? will he ever be the same?". Well, for anyone watching last night, it only took minutes before Sidney Crosby answered those questions with a resounding, YES!. Now because it was his first game back, Crosby was played sparingly, only logging about 16 minutes of ice time. But boy oh boy, did he ever make those minutes count! Crosby ended the game with an astonishing 2 goals and 2 assists. A total of 4 points in the first game back after taking the last 11 months off to recover from a concussion!
Now for those that are still unsure about the benefits and effectiveness of Chiropractic treatment, let's just briefly review some of the facts. Since early 2011 when Crosby first suffered his concussion, his team of medical doctors and specialists have been adhering to the 'gold standard' of concussion treatment promoted in conventional medicine.(A lot of 'wait and see' and rest involved in this approach).
Let's just say that his progress in the better part of a year following was less than stellar. Then in mid-August, Sidney Crosby starts to also see a Chiropractor and his progress is quickly put on the fast track. Several weeks later, Crosby is cleared for contact drills and eventually allowed to play in his first 'real' game last night.
I came across an interesting article in Maclean's about 'rebuilding Sidney Crosby's brain' and here are some interesting excerpts;
"By the time they met in Georgia, the reality of what Crosby could lose if he didn’t get better soon was abundantly and uncomfortably clear: his career, his endorsements, the adoration of an entire nation. Yet in many ways, the NHL’s golden boy was just like many people stuck in a concussion vacuum where conventional medicine can’t readily cure the injury, leagues can’t easily curb it from happening and patients and their families can’t know how long symptoms will last and what life will be like once they’re gone, if they ever do go"
"However strange and sickening that first day of treatment was for Crosby, it proved encouraging enough that he continued seeing Carrick for the whole next week. They’d meet as early as seven in the morning, and they’d go as late as six at night, says Carrick, running through a circuit of high-tech equipment and low-tech exercises in the lab and at the local hockey rink. By the time Crosby travelled back to Pittsburgh, Carrick says, “he was better than, you know, super-normal.” The Penguins’ medical team, who have been overseeing Crosby’s recovery, also saw an improvement: they ran computerized tests called IMPACT to compare his current neurocognitive abilities with what they were before the concussion. The results: not quite “super-normal,” but “the best we’ve seen” since Crosby got hurt, as Collins said at the press conference."
“Carrick had a very prominent role in Sidney’s current recovery status,” Brisson, Crosby’s agent, told Maclean’s. “He progressed extremely well under Carrick.” Just 10 days after the press conference, Crosby joined his teammates on the ice for the first day of training camp. Three-and-a-half weeks after that, Crosby was cleared for contact—the final step before returning to play. Now, after nearly a year of nagging symptoms that have included fogginess, light-headedness and nausea so paralyzing Crosby couldn’t drive or watch TV, and after a slew of setbacks each time he pushed too hard while exercising or skating, the greatest hockey player of this generation is verging on a comeback "
The article in it's entirety is a pretty interesting read. If you'd like to read it for yourself, CLICK HERE!
If you've been wondering about how Chiropractic can help you, whether it be for back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches, foot pain etc. why not get in touch with the clinic? If you are the type of person that needs reassurance, then just look at Sidney Crosby! I'm not sure if there ever was a better example of a Chiropractic success story!
If you're in the Commercial Drive neighborhood of East Vancouver, come visit the clinic, or visit my website here; COMMERCIAL DRIVE - EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC!!!!
Today's post is written to elaborate on a recent article I came across.
The article titled;"How Mainstream Medicine Is Opening Up To Integrative Health" discusses the growing interest in natural and complementary medicine. (Click here to read the full article!) The article also goes into detail about how more and more medical schools are also teaching CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine). CAM used to be on the 'fringe' of western medicine. Relegated to those who were seen as the 'tree-hugger' types. However, due to CAM's persistence, results and society's desire to find more natural alternatives, it's popularity is only increasing over time.
The desire of everyday people to explore these therapies and an underlying sense that using drugs and surgery to treat health problems may not always be the best way is making the medical community take notice. I believe that especially with the availability of information via the internet, people are becoming better informed about their healthcare options. I know from speaking to my medical colleagues that they are seeing more patients who are asking them about; Chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, yoga etc.
Let's take a step back for a moment and explore what CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) really entails. CAM is really a group of health options and therapies that may not fit into the traditional definition of western medicine. In this group such things as; Natural products (vitamins/supplements), deep breathing, meditation, massage, yoga, tai chi, homeopathy, naturopathy and Chiropractic are included. In fact according to the National Institutes of Health, Chiropractic is among the most recognized and common types of CAM. Chiropractic actually trails only; natural products, deep breathing, and meditation as the most popular forms of complementary therapies. (For a full list of the top 10 most common CAM therapies, click here!)
This is actually great news for people because not only does it mean they have growing access to natural and alternative forms of healthcare but it signals the changing tide of traditional medicine. Western medicine was once seen as the only option for healthcare and health advice. However, I believe with western medicine's reliance on pharmaceutical drugs, surgery and the well documented side effects of both, people are exploring their options. But not only are they exploring, they are finding solutions! People are realizing that natural healthcare like Chiropractic can offer a very effective and safe alternative to drugs.
As the article states; "According to the most recent data from the National Institute of Health's National Institute for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, some 38 percent of Americans used some form of alternative medicine in 2007 -- up from 36 percent in 2002. Experts say such figures explain why a growing number of medical schools have embraced what critics deride as "woo-medicine," but proponents of the techniques say integrative medicine represents the future of health care."
If you're in the Commercial Drive neighborhood of East Vancouver, stop by my office or visit my website here; COMMERCIAL DRIVE - EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC!!!!
This is a cause of back pain that I see on almost a weekly basis. Typically, this patient will be male, slightly overweight, may or may not participate in regular exercise and is over the age of 30.....but thinks he's still in his twenties! Ok, well all joking aside, this generalization isn't too far off from reality. Sure from time to time this patient is female, but just about everything else stays the same.
The problem is that these sufferers of back pain are sedentary for far too long and then feel as though they can engage in strenuous activity without problems. This actually can be a harmful way to think.
"If you take on something tough after being relatively sedentary, you can seriously hurt yourself," explains Arya Nick Shamie, M.D., a spokesperson for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and an associate professor of spine surgery at the University of California - Los Angeles.
In order to participate in strenuous activities like sports and races on the weekends, your body needs to be prepared. The muscles, especially around your core, need to be strong to withstand the pressures and strain that you will put on it.
"If you are doing high-impact sports without cross-training first to strengthen your core, your spine won't have strong enough muscles to support the impact," says Robert S. Bray, M.D.
The consequences can be very painful. Muscular strains and ligaments sprains are very common injuries seen in my clinic. The common factor is that both of these injuries can cause your joints to become dysfunctional. This will likely manifest with the patient feeling pain with movement, stiffness, inflammation and unable to perform even the simplest of everyday activities, like tying your shoes.
So the moral of this story is; if you are planning on strenuous activity this weekend, do yourself and back a favour and prepare yourself! Start with some regular exercise and stretching to prepare and strengthen your core muscles. In fact, just 15 minutes of core stretches and exercises three times a week, may be enough to prevent severe back pain!
If you want to know more, visit my clinic in the Commercial Drive neighborhood of East Vancouver or visit my website;COMMERCIAL DRIVE - EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR; DR. DOMINIC CHAN DC!!!!
I'm sure this cause of back pain may be familiar to some people and to others, not so much. But here I'd like to explore the rationale behind the "why" this could be a source of back pain. Let me tell you right now, it has all to do with your body's physiology!
As many people know, your body is made up of mainly water. Some famously say approximately 70%. But did you know that some of that water goes to your spine? Yes indeed. The intervertebral discs or the soft tissue structures that act as 'spacers' and shock absorbers for your spine need water to be healthy. I've included an image of an actual spine. In the image you can clearly see the vertebrae (bone) in red. They're red because they are infused with blood and blood vessels. What you see in white is a disc. Now pay close attention to the disc because what you'll notice is that in the middle, there is section that looks more like liquid and watery. Well your eyes don't deceive you. That is what's called the; Nucleus Pulposus and it is in fact, more fluid than the surrounding disc material.
