Mattresses: How Important Is The Mattress You Use When It Comes To Back Problems?

I’m proud to say that because our patients at Back To Action get “educated” on how to keep back pain at bay, that many of them lift carefully… they exercise… and most visit either Dr. Dreessen or Dr. Gilmore regularly. Yet for some they discover that their mattress is a frequent culprit in triggering back pain. You might be thinking, “what next doc??!”

Why Your Mattress Can Have a Negative Impact on Back Health:

No, I do not own stock in a mattress company! But I’ve seen how a 20-year old mattress can wreak havoc on a person’s back. If you think about it, we spend 8 hours a day on our mattress. You can imagine the negative impact of a truly inferior mattress and how it can make you feel!

Let me tell you about a case history: I have a patient who I’d gotten to know quite well. Working together we’ve made great progress and he is pain-free most of the time… but… a while ago he told me his back had started to bother him again. The culprit? By a process of elimination we discovered it was…
His Mattress!

He had purchased his mattress more than 15 years earlier. As he describes it, “He was poor as a church mouse at that time.” Translation: He bought an inexpensive bed. For many years Paul’s bed served him fine but at a certain point it developed a sway in the middle and when he sat on the edge he slid off. Time for a new bed!

The trick is to find a quality mattress and box spring that molds to the spine. Fortunately, there are more choices than ever and many companies manufacture bedding expressly designed for people with bad backs. Shop around and sample as many beds as you can. Check the phone book for local companies that manufacture custom bedding. It may be worth the investment. Or ask our opinion and we can direct you to an effective mattress!

Chiropractic care is safe & effective. A healthy spine allows you to be and do your best by protecting the vital nervous systems link between your brain and your body! If you’ve been experiencing pain for 48 hours or longer, I suggest calling us to schedule an appointment immediately so we can take a look at your changed condition.

Dr. Jerry Dreessen and Dr. Jason Gilmore

Nutrition: How to Stop the "Dine-n-Dash" Approach to Eating!

“Here’s one way to have a healthier 2009…”

How to Stop the “Dine-n-Dash Approach” to Eating!

An article in Cooking Light recently got me to thinking about a bad habit many us, including me, have developed in recent years. I believe it has something to do with the hurry sickness that everyone in America seems to have today and our habit of skipping meals or eating wrong when time is tight. You know what I am talking about—the hurry we’re all in everyday that sometimes precludes eating properly. For many the first thing to suffer is eating right.

According to a survey by the
National Restaurant Association…

“40 percent of full-time employees usually don’t take a full lunch break
and 27.3 percent spend their time doing something other than eating.”

As unassuming as this sounds, think about the nutritional impacts. If you’re not taking time to eat regularly or eat right one or two meals a day then you could be missing out on many of the vitamins and minerals essential to a healthy body. Cooking Light offers these suggestions designed to encourage better eating and taking the time to eat right:

1) Eat with others. Make taking time to eat properly fun.
2) Eat what you like. Choose food you like, but that’s good for you,
and truly enjoy, not just something to fill you up till later.
3) Make good choices. A BLT v. PB&J may seem like a no-brainer, but
the BLT is chock-full of saturated fat—not good.

With the New Year upon us, make taking time to eat and eat right a priority. Look at breakfast and lunch as a time to practice a little downtime, savor a few moments to yourself or just relax. You may enjoy it so much you’ll never miss a meal again!

Have any questions about this article? Give Back To Action a call, we’re here to help. Our phone number is (425) 670-2600.

Dr. Jerry Dreessen and Dr. Jason Gilmore

Low Back Pain: What Can I Do To Actively Prevent Low Back Pain In 2009?

Answer: Minimizing the potential for back pain requires a little retraining in how we approach our everyday tasks. The two most effective means to keeping your back in optimal working order are exercise and learning how to safeguard your back as you go about your daily work - at home, on the job and on the road.

Keep these simple “chiropractic breakthroughs” in mind as you go about your daily duties:

• Making your bed. Bend at the knees and not at the waist—a simple but effective way to stay pain-free.
• Keeping your closet organized. I bet most folks with backaches never give any thought to how they keep their closet. Minimize reaching high or low for items. Store shoes in a shoe bag on the door to save bending and stooping.
• Washing dishes. Leaning over the sink can be painful. Stand close to the sink to minimize reaching. Shift your weight from one foot to the other. Stand on a foam or rubber mat to reduce strain.
• Vacuuming. Shop for a vacuum that you can push with minimal exertion. Old vacuums frequently weigh a ton and that can strain.
• Raking leaves. Use a leaf blower; beats a hand rake any day! A light-weight leaf blower might save you more than a few calluses.

And… consider the power of chiropractic care at Back To Action to keep you pain free in 2009. (You knew that was coming.) In the same way your car needs regular oil change, so too does a back require an adjustment to keep to running healthy.

Be aware that if you or someone you love has been feeling pain for more than 48 hours, please seek Dr. Dreessen or Dr. Gilmore immediately. We’re only a phone a call away at (425) 670-2600 or click here to schedule an appointment.

Joint Pain: What should I do if I experience joint pain?

Answer: Did you know that one-third of Americans suffer with joint pain? The Doctors of Back To Action recently learned that the leading cause of disability in the U.S. is arthritis and arthritis related joint pain. We expect to see this problem get worse. Currently arthritis pain affects over 70 million Americans! What is interesting about joint pain is that very few people realize that chiropractic is an effective treatment for easing / helping / aiding the pain of joint pain. Most understand why chiropractic is effective treating back pain. But few understand it can be used for treating joint pain.
George Bivins, a father of an M.D. in Jacksonville, and a D.C. in Thomasville, was recently diagnosed by an M.D. as having an arthritic knee. He sent George to an orthopedic surgeon who recommended knee replacement. With a heavy heart he went to his son, a chiropractor. What were the results? Within three months, George was walking without a cane. He had no arthritis. He had misaligned hips. Today, George has no knee pain.
Hey, sometimes surgery is needed, no doubt. But Drs. Jerry Dreessen and Dr. Jason Gilmore have a belief that before you engage in an invasive, potentially unsafe procedure like surgery… you should first exhaust all the NON-invasive options first. And based on our experiences working with patients at Back To Action, who come to me with “arthritis”, we have found that the problem can often be corrected without surgery. Without expensive medications. The natural way. Again, not always, but in many instances. Note: Chiropractic treatment is about 90% less expensive than surgery.
As you can see, with joint pain affecting 70 million American’s, this is a big problem. If you or someone you love has experienced joint pain for more than 48 hours, you should schedule an appointment immediately. And if you’re reading this and have been suffering with arthritis or join pain, it’s possible that chiropractic could successfully address some of your problems. That’s great news, for over 70 million Americans!

Back To Action Chiropractic

Dr. Jerry Dreessen, D.C. and Dr. Jason Gilmore, D.C

Scoliosis: Chiropractic can help with this condition...

Scoliosis: Every sufferer should see a chiropractor

Your spine is made up of 24 bones called vertebrae that stack up one on top of the other to form a straight line when viewed from front to back. Spines are not perfectly straight and that’s normal; but when the spine curves or twists excessively it can be abnormal and it is called scoliosis (Greek for “crooked”).

What Causes Scoliosis? – In most cases of scoliosis the cause is unknown; the vertebrae and spinal structures – discs, ligaments, tendons and muscles – appear normal. In the rest of the cases the scoliosis is caused by conditions such as a tumor, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, a birth deformity or disc problems.

Further deepening the mystery of scoliosis is the fact that no one knows why some minor curves get worse whereas about 90% do not. However, it is not true, as commonly thought, that poor posture is a cause of scoliosis or that women with scoliosis have more problems carrying babies to term. In fact, most people with scoliosis can lead normal lives, never even knowing that they have the condition.

The Chiropractic Approach – Chiropractic is not a treatment for individual diseases, scoliosis included. Its purpose is to correct the vertebral subluxation complex – a condition that interferes with the proper functioning of the nervous system and the body as a whole.

Only doctors of chiropractic, such as Dr. Jerry Dreessen and Dr. Jason Gilmore of Back To Action, are specially trained to locate and correct vertebral subluxations – spinal abnormalities that can affect not only the spine, but also the entire body.

Every scoliosis sufferer should be under chiropractic care.

Call Back To Action today for your scoliosis check-up at (425) 670-2600.

Back To Action
Dr. Jerry Dreessen, D.C. and Dr. Jason Gilmore, D.C.

Why are you "last on the list" when it comes to finding time for health and fitness?

When it comes to taking care of yourself chances are you’re last on the list…after spouses, children, parents, jobs and even pets. In today’s time-pressed work-a-day world patients often come to our office, Back To Action, with aches and pains that manifest their stress. Smart patients know the value of investing in themselves and by that we mean a WELLNESS APPROACH to care:
- Fitness
- Diet and nutrition
- Chiropractic Maintenance
- Perhaps massage or other alternative therapies and treatments, as applicable.

Frankly, over the years the definition of health care has changed to include chiropractic and massage therapies. The whole concept of fitness has evolved to include more than exercise and embrace alternative therapies
How important is nutrition? Two-thirds of the causes of death in America can be directly linked to a failure of diet. This is why we encourage patients to combine chiropractic care with a good nutrition program, to attain maximum health.
An estimated 80% of chiropractic patients are clinically obsess and could immediately benefits from a weight loss program. Studies indicate that most weight loss programs begun without doctor supervision will fail. Studies also show that weight loss programs that involve a primary doctor have a much higher success rate. Isn’t it time to make 2008 the year you and your family place a primary emphasis on health? Without good health, no amount of time or money in the world matters. Right?
Now is the perfect time to begin!

If you’d like to learn more about proper nutrition, please call us at (425) 670-2600!

Back To Action Chiropractic

Dr. Jerry Dreessen and Dr. Jason Gilmore

How Chiropractic Can Help With The Flu

The medical community is in unanimous agreement that the secret to fighting the flu is a healthy immune system. Unfortunately you can’t buy a healthy immune system and you can’t pop a pill and get a healthy immune system. A healthy immune system comes about as a result of having a fully functioning nervous system & body.

When Will Flu Season Strike?

The flu season begins in November and is at its height between December and March. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 out of every 5 Americans will get the flu this year. Are you prepared for the flu season?

Chiropractic care at Back To Action may be your answer to a clean bill of health this season. Chiropractic can give your immune system a boost with a spinal adjustment. Let me give you the facts and a recent study about chiropractic and the flu: A study shown in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research in 1997 showed chiropractic care to be effective in treating the flu. Over 2,800 individuals received regular chiropractic care and the result was an average 15% decrease in the incidence of colds and the flu.

According to the World Chiropractic Alliance, spinal adjustments can help your immune system function better. An adjustment by the Doctors of Back To Action corrects what are called vertebral subluxations which can cause interference of the nervous system. When an adjustment is performed, it releases pressure on the nerves and allows more efficient interaction between your body’s nervous system and immune system. When your immune system is healthy it is better prepared to prevent or combat the flu.

Regular chiropractic care is beneficial to the body. Preventing the flu is just one of the many positive side effects of regular chiropractic maintenance. Do you really need a flu shot? Or could great flu-fighting benefits accrue from taking a healthier and more natural approach to fighting the flu? And of course eating right, exercising, and having a healthy body are all important issues in combating the flu as well. If you would like to learn more about utilizing chiropractic to combat the flu during the upcoming flu seasons, please give Back To Action a call. We’re here to help! Also, family plans are available to save you money.

Back To Action Chiropractic

Dr. Jerry Dreessen and Dr. Jason Gilmore