“OH, MY ACHING BACK!” -

By: Dr. Steven Riess

Dysfunction in the lumbar joints (low back) and the sacrolilaic joints (located in the pelvis) are a major cause of low back pain and sciatica (leg pain). In the past medical doctors and chiropractors have been at odds but recently see eye to eye on the best option for back pain. Recently JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, now recommends chiropractic as a first means of treating low back pain!  This recommendation comes on the heels of a recent study out of the medical journal Spine where sufferers of lower back pain all received standard medical care (SMC) and half of the participants received additional chiropractic care. The researchers found that in the SMC plus chiropractic care, 73% reported that their pain was completely gone or much better after treatment compared to 17% of the SMC group. This only reinforces and supports what the American Chiropractic Association teaches patients as well. Chiropractic should be the first line of defense against musculoskeletal pain!

The lower back is comprised of bones, nerves, and soft tissue such as muscles, ligaments and tendons. If there is any distortion or misalignment in the structural system it will cause nerve stress. Chiropractors call this a subluxation. Depending on how the nerve is irritated and where the nerve is irritated it could easily lead to back, neck or leg pains and/or muscle spasms. If nerve stress is in the mid back, it may lead to mid –back pain and breathing problems. If nerve stress is in the neck it may commonly cause neck pain, headaches, numbness and/or tingling down your arm.

Chiropractors are neuro-musculoskeletal experts! They will locate areas of nerve stress and perform a gentle and specific adjustment to remove nerve stress, restore the body’s balance, get to the cause of the symptoms, and allow your body to start healing naturally!

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Dr. Steven Riess is dedicated to providing natural pain relief treatments and education about how to stay out of pain.  His practice is located in Plainview, NY where he provides a full array of services to help you achieve optimal health.  For more information or to get acquainted with Dr. Riess, visit:www.drstevenriess.com

HOW TO HANDLE ON-THE-JOB INJURIES AND MINIMIZE HEALTH RISKS

Written by: Robert Bard, MD Work related injuries take a toll on the employees as well as the company. With reduced productivity and health insurance payments, the company can suffer heavy financial setbacks. This is why most companies have realized the importance of increasing awareness when it comes to the workplace. Injuries at the workplace are more common than ever. Although manual handling is the most common cause of workplace injuries, sedentary jobs may also put employees at risk of Repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) and lung issues. Awareness When it comes to sedentary jobs, posture and height may be doing most of the damage. Educate employees of the best posture and height of their chair in order to minimize the strain and reduce chances of an injury (Cornelio, 2010). Policy Creation The very first thing that employers need to do is create a health and safety policy. This policy should be included and presented to employees along with all other contracts and policies in the workplace. This will let your employees know that safety and health are a primary objective. Health and Safety Program The health and safety of employees is the responsibility of the employer. A health and safety program is mandatory for any company employing more than 20 individuals (CDC, n.d.) Control Hazards Many hazards may be unavoidable depending on the nature of work and the product being created. Some occupations entail more risks than others. If an employee is putting themselves at risk, then it is the employer’s responsibility to identify all hazards and minimize the risks. Safety Equipment Safety equipment may be very little and very large. In sedentary jobs, employers need to worry about the provision of ergonomic chairs and keyboards whereas in manufacturing industries they need to worry about safety helmets, jackets, and other similar equipment. Document Incidents Accident history may help identify the problems that caused injuries in the workplace. Small details such as correctly fitting equipment may be the cause of an accident. Once the causes of injury are identified, employers can work towards their rectification (WCB, n.d.) Training Sessions Train employees and increase awareness about practices which may help minimize workplace injury. Motivate them to keep safety a personal priority, and encourage them to be on a lookout for safety hazards in the company. Report Procedure While avoiding injuries would be ideal, we are not living in a perfect world. Notify employees of the protocol that needs to be followed in case of an injury. Who will the employee report to? Is there an in-house clinic that they have access to? How will the severity of damage be assessed? (WSIB, 2014) Maintaining a safe and healthy workplace is the responsibility of the employer. Safety should be the primary goal of the company and is not only beneficial for employees but also employers. Once employees are aware of the hazards that they face and the measures that can be taken to prevent them, they can work towards its minimization. This would mean less days of work as a result of injury and increased employee productivity.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- References CDC, n.d. Benefits of Health Promotion Programs. Retrieved from <http://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/businesscase/benefits/ > Cornelio, D., 2010. Preventing Workplace Injuries And Illnesses. Worker Occupational Safety & Health Training and Education Program (WOSHTEP). California, USA. Retrieved from <http://www.dir.ca.gov/chswc/WOSHTEP/Awareness/AwarenessModuleEnglish.pdf> WCB, n.d. Preventing Workplace Injuries. Retrieved from <http://www.wcb.ns.ca/wcbns/index_e.aspx?CategoryID=274> WSIB, 2014. What workers should know...about reporting workplace injuries and illnesses. Retrieved from <http://www.wsib.on.ca/en/community...> ................................................................................................................................................................................ ROBERT L. BARD, MD  (Diagnostic Imaging Specialist) Having paved the way for the study of various cancers both clinically and academically, Dr. Robert Bard co-founded the 9/11 CancerScan program to bring additional diagnostic support to all first responders from Ground Zero. His main practice in midtown, NYC (Bard Diagnostic Imaging- www.CancerScan.com) uses the latest in digital Imaging technology has been also used to help guide biopsies and in many cases, even replicate much of the same reports of a clinical invasive biopsy. His most recent program is dedicated to the reporting of mental health diagnostic and innovative solutions including the use of modern neuromagnetic technologies and protocols in his MEDTECH REVIEWS program.

PAIN PATIENTS ‘ARMED’ WITH WEB RESEARCH FOR NON-SURGICAL HEALING TRENDS

By: Johnny “Double Pain” Graziano

According to the American Academy of Pain Medicine, 76.2M Americans suffer from pain each year and a nationwide cost of $50 Billion/year on lower back pain treatment.  PAIN comes with the daily use-and-abuse of our mortal parts and from the natural aging process.  Looking at extreme cases such as athletes, sports are known to abuse  joints, cartilage and muscles beyond safety and beyond average use-- making pain and functional erosion an accepted part of the daily competitive equation.

Thanks to the advanced information era fulfilled by the free internet age, high speed education brings us world-wide access to ALL options available to improving our lives.  It expands our ability to make better choices from an expansive set of solutions at the click of a mouse button. Key searching in Google for "NEW PAIN SOLUTIONS" totals 4.5 million search results and growing daily- listing every available result for just about any pain solution from over-the-counter topical creams and supplements, YouTube videos on daily yoga stretches, eastern & western medicine to your local acupuncturist and chiropractor.  Deeper searches for more modern sciences result in some amazing innovations such as non-invasive sound wave surgery, advancements in neuro-laser surgeries, clinical immunotherapy and stem cell therapies.  Such info access can only empower any patient from a one-track option and expand your power to choose. Global access to the healing arts continues to grow as  more modalities and methods enter the arena (from the ‘alternative’ realm) as part of the INTEGRATIVE movement.  “Through my insurance, I have about 4 specialists that I see”, says Steve R. (59, Elwood, NY). “...the web helped me learn what’s new and what’s out there-- I’m battling chronic back pain and several auto-immune disorders working with other experts that have literally saved my life… docs that I could never find in my insurance plan.”

The World Wide Web continues to deliver us the “who’s who” in the pain industry and what works for our needs.  A simple google search can change our lives and finding the answer to any of our many ailments can also help explain WHY we have them and what we can do about it.  We are blessed the the power of research and choice for new options to take on the road to better living.

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JOHN GRAZIANO is a health & fitness columnist for Modern Pain Journal, RejuvenateSolutions.com and is also the host of MPR-TV.  He is an accomplished athlete, a recognized ambassador of weight loss (PJohnnyX.com), the President of Wildwood Warriors (Long Island based triathlon team) and is a dedicated researcher for all pain relief products, services and professional modalities.  John  has dedicated a life of research and education in the fields of fitness and pain relief due to the many physical issues his body has accrued during the many years of training and competition.  He translated this mission into a public crusade to promote and identify the (seemingly) endless array of pain relief solutions available in the healthcare market.