An optimist will tell you the glass is half-full; the pessimist, half-empty; and the engineer will tell you the glass is twice the size it needs to be – Anonymous

It might be helpful if we were all engineers when it came to our food.  We are exposed to supersized and packaged foods that are often double, triple or even quadruple the size we should be eating!  It is no wonder that according to the CDC, over one-third of the adult U.S. population is obese and the obesity rate in children has tripled since 1980!

When it comes to food, we need to remember we are fueling our bodies, not just feeding them.  Most cravings are learned, meaning you aren’t born to crave sugar or fast food.  When you cut down on these items, the cravings for them will lessen.

 Let’s take a closer look on serving sizes and how to make it easier to determine how much to eat!

Health care fraud is a key driver of rising health care costs. About 3% of all health care spending — or $68 billion each year — is lost to health care fraud. There are a few types of health care fraud including:

• Medical Identity Theft. This is the misuse of a person’s medical identity to obtain health care goods, services or funds.  This can include fraudulent prescriptions, billing for services that were never provided or referring patients for unnecessary services.
• Upcoding. This is when the provider bills for a service of higher complexity than the service that was provided or documented.  For example, a supplier may bill for motorized scooters, but supply manual wheelchairs.
• Billing for Services not Furnished
• Others can be found here

Here are some things you can do to help prevent health care fraud and abuse.

• Review your health care charges. Look over your Explanation of Benefits from your insurer and receipts from your doctor or pharmacist to make sure the right dates
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We often get questions regarding what exactly is an athletic trainer, and how they differ from a personal trainer or a physical therapist.  We have two Certified Athletic Trainers at our office that perform your daily rehab exercises including, but not limited to manual therapy, graston therapy and exercises.  Below we have broken down information regarding an Athletic Trainer vs. a Personal Trainer.

ATHLETIC TRAINER

An athletic trainer is an expert at recognizing, treating and preventing musculoskeletal injuries. ATs meets qualifications set by the Board of Certification, Inc., and adhere to the requirements of a state licensing board. ATs practice under the direction of a physician and are members of a health care profession recognized by the American Medical Association.

Requirements:

• Must obtain, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree in athletic training
• Must pass a comprehensive exam to earn the ATC credential
• Must keep their knowledge and skills current by participating in cont
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When most people think of meditation they think of praying or religion.  Mediation in fact is a form of alternative medicine that teaches you to focus your attention.  There are many different types of meditation, and most started from Eastern religious or spiritual traditions.  They have been used by numerous cultures throughout the world for thousands of years.

Some forms instruct you (the practitioner) to be mindful of feelings, thoughts and sensations.  In addition, you are to be extremely nonjudgmental.  This is the only way you achieve a state of physical relaxation and balance.

Regardless of the type of meditation, most have the following four things in common:

• Quiet Location.  You want to have limited distractions, in a quiet place.
• Comfortable posture.  Each type if meditation is different, but you can be sitting, laying down, standing, etc.
• Focus of attention. You may focus on an object, breathing, or a mantra.  Regardless you want all your attention on that thing.
• An Ope...

Of all work related injuries, Carpal Tunnel is by far the most expensive! A Carpal Tunnel patient will lose approximately $30,000 when combining time away from work and medical bills. Carpal Tunnel is most common in women, and frequently found in manufacturing, sewing, fishing and cleaning industries. 

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when there is compression or entrapment of the median nerve within the wrist. It can occur due to injury, repetitive use of the wrist and hand, arthritis and even diabetes and hypothyroidism. Any condition that increases inflammation of the body or joints can cause carpal tunnel symptoms. 

Symptoms can vary for every person, but the most common being tingling, numbness, burning and/or itching in the palm, thumb or fingers. Pending on how severe, carpal tunnel may cause a weakened grip or atrophy in the muscles of the thumb.

It is important if you think you have carpal tunnel you get properly diagnosed. Your doctor or chiropractor should fully examine the ...

Non-invasive body sculpting or contouring as it is often called is gaining heavy traction in the marketplace. There are multiple options from cold laser to freezing the fat to radio waves. We’ve done our best to scour the internet to get you details on some current options. This list highlights the top contenders but we recommend that you still research what is best for you. It’s always recommended to complete a complimentary consultation so that you can determine the best treatment for your specific needs and goals. You should always be assessed by a physician to see if you are a candidate for any body sculpting procedure. 

When researching body sculpting options we found it best to compare pricing, side effects and results. Being from a conservative background, side effects and possible complications are rated very highly in my book. We’ve had personal encounters with individuals with irreversible damage to their body from certain techniques so please do your research. Make sure you...

Arthritis is a very common diagnosis these days and the most important thing to remember is it’s not a death sentence.  I think people are very scared of the term arthritis, when it can be a very manageable condition.  By definition, arthritis means joint inflammation.  It refers to a group of more than 100 rheumatic diseases and other conditions that cause joint swelling and pain.

Some cases of arthritis can be helped by your chiropractor or massage therapist. Maintaining proper motion of a joint can prevent the damage caused by abnormal wear and tear.  Other cases of arthritis can be improved with diet changes and the addition of supplements.  Let us discuss a few types of arthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA)

This is the most common form and results from excessive wear and tear.  Most often OA affects the large weight-bearing joints of the body such as hips, knees and spine.  Repetitive stress, obesity and trauma can increase your risk for OA.  Regular visits to your chiropractor can...

Back pain is one of the most common reasons pregnant women come into our office.  Although getting adjusted may help alleviate low back pain in soon to be mom’s, there are far greater benefits to beginning chiropractic care as early as you can!

One of the most important aspects of caring for a pregnant woman is the ability to keep her stress levels down and her nervous system functioning at 100%.  Regardless of the types of stress, they all have major implications to the fetus.  The increase in adrenaline while under stress can cause an increase in fetal heart rate and a DECREASE in fetal oxygen supply.  Getting adjusted will help restore balance within the nervous system and decrease the effects that stress has on the body.

While the fetus grows, the mother’s body is going through numerous musculoskeletal changes.  Over 30 years ago, Dr. Larry Webster developed a technique to help reduce the effects of sacral subluxation on the pregnant woman.  This technique involves specific chiro...

One of the greatest aspects of Facebook is the ability for articles and blog posts to go viral very quickly.  Just the other day a friend from Chiropractic School posted a link to a blog that discussed common chiropractic myths.  It was such a great article I thought I would take a couple of those to share here.

The only way to advance a profession that I am extremely passionate about is to increase awareness and education.  Stay tuned for a future post on even MORE myth’s debunked!

Chiropractic Myth #1: Chiropractors are not REAL doctors.  Not only is this myth not true, but it is extremely offensive.  Even chiropractic patients are guilty of saying “I need to talk to my real or regular doctor”.  A chiropractic college grants a D.C. or Doctorate of chChiropractic degree. Chiropractors are licensed as health care providers in every U.S. state and dozens of countries around the world. The chiropractic and medical school curricula are extremely rigorous and virtually identical.  Chirop...

We have all heard the symptoms of a concussion in young athletes; loss of consciousness, confusion, dizziness, nausea, and so on. But did you know a Second Impact concussion could cause devastating and permanent injury?

Second Impact Syndrome is when a second concussion occurs before a first concussion has properly healed. This causes rapid and severe brain swelling and often catastrophic results. Second Impact Syndrome can result from even a very mild concussion that occurs days or weeks after the initial concussion.

Many young athletes are eager to return to their sport but it is imperative to allow their developing bodies adequate time to heal. Respiratory failure, permanent brain injury and even death are a reality if athletes don’t fully recover from a concussion before incurring another.

It is imperative following a concussion that you avoid all external stimulation from touchscreen phones, computers, ipads and televisions.  You must report to your doctor any changes in nausea...