Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression: How Does It Work?

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression (NSSD) is indicated in conditions like herniated or bulged disc, stenosis, arthritis, degenerative joint disease and sciatica. Decompression can help to relieve back, neck, leg or arm pain in many patients who had little success with surgery. It may even allow some patients to avoid back surgery altogether. Symptom improvement can be immediate or within 4 to 6 weeks. In this post I’ll describe 3 theories of how NSSD reduces symptoms caused by injured discs.




Segmental Traction: The pull, or traction, that NSSD exerts on a specific spinal segment reduces, and can even reverse, the pressure on a disc. By removing the compressive forces on the disc it is possible to decrease the size of the disc bulge.


Disc Hydration: In adults, discs receive nutrients through diffusion. Diffusion—and not blood supply provides the nutrition needed to keep discs healthy. Gentle pulls on the affected vertebrae result in hydration of the disc that allows the nutrients necessary for healing to reach the affected area.


Neuroplasticity: Think of your brain as a muscle that can be strengthened or rehabilitated. This characteristic of the brain is called neural plasticity. The gentle pulling of NSSD activates nerve receptors in spinal joints, muscles and tendons that are linked to the cerebellum, the part of your brain responsible for coordinating movement, controlling posture and greatly influencing muscle tone. In this way, NSSD promotes neural plasticity that, in turn, improves muscle tone and decreases pain.


At Better Body Solutions we have a “Brain-Based Therapy” room where we exercise the brain to help with spinal or chronic back pain, as well as leg or arm pain, vertigo/dizziness, balance disorders, fibromyalgia and peripheral neuropathy. To learn more, contact us here.

Losing Fat With The Zerona Laser: Who Makes A Good Candidate?

The Zerona Laser is a new technology that sounds almost too good to be true. There are no side effects, scarring or downtime. You can have the procedure at lunch and return to work, or lie down under the laser lights after work and go to the gym or dancing later. We’ve treated a couple hundred patients so far and after two weeks of just 6 treatments, the average patient loses 4.61 inches.

Our patients tell us their clothes fit better, they feel lighter, and they are more energized. It may be easy to forget but losing fat actually feels good.

Although the laser is not recommended for women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, virtually anyone else with at least an inch they can pinch is a candidate. Since we began treating patients with the laser almost a year ago we’ve learned a lot about who makes the best candidate and who may not get the results they want. The good news is that we can improve a poor candidate’s chances of getting great results through Functional Medicine, which combines the science of medicine with well-researched nutritional therapies. For example, Our Body Lite Treatment using the Zerona laser includes an optional nutritional and life style consultation. I’ll discuss Functional Medicine a lot in upcoming posts but for now let’s look at what makes a good versus a poor Zerona laser candidate.

1. Ability to lose weight through diet and exercise. Ask yourself: If you really put your mind to it and restrict some calories and exercise can your body lose weight? If you answer yes, that’s a good indication that you’ll lose fat with the Zerona laser. If you diet and exercise and still can’t lose weight, or if you gain weight, there is an underlying problem that should be corrected prior to the laser treatments.

2. Regularity of bowel movements. If you can poop every day you can more easily excrete the excess fat liberated by the laser. If you don’t move your bowels daily some of that liberated fat may be resorbed into your circulation. This should be corrected prior to the laser therapy.

3. Reasonable expectations. People who want to lose 30-plus pounds and anyone with an eating disorder should consider other treatment options like liposuction or gastric bypass.

Why Your Doctor's Not REALLY Treating Your Hashimoto's Thyroid

Fifth in our thyroid series.

Most cases of hypothyroidism in the U.S. are due to an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. If you are suffering from this disease you may be surprised to find out that your doctor isn’t treating it at all. In fact your M.D. may be ignoring it completely.

In Hashimoto’s, your body (specifically, your immune system) attacks your thyroid gland. No medical treatment exists for Hashimoto’s. There are, however, treatments for other types of autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis, lupus erythematosus and Crohn’s disease. Treatments for autoimmunity include strong anti-inflammatory drugs like cortisone shots, and immunosuppressants. These can have serious side effects and aren’t effective in Hashimoto’s so they’re not used.

What is done about Hashimoto’s? Not much. Hashimoto’s gradually destroys the thyroid gland so a blood test may look normal even though many patients have all the symptoms of hypothyroidism: fatigue, weight gain, constipation, depression, etc. The well-intentioned (but uninformed) doctor says, “Well, it’s not your thyroid. I’ll put you on an anti-depressant and you should start to exercise.”

When hypothyroidism becomes present, patients with Hashimoto’s are treated the same as other hypothyroid patients: They are given thyroid hormone in one form or another and that’s it. The immune system is totally overlooked. Thyroid hormone alone is a one-size-fits-all type of therapy that is really only indicated for cases of uncomplicated primary hypothyroidism (PH). PH is one of over 20 patterns of thyroid dysfunction and it’s not the most common, by far. In previous posts about the thyroid, I’ve described some of these patterns and written about the many chemical reactions that need to take place for your body to properly manufacturer, activate, transport and utilize thyroid hormone. See the links below.

The bottom line here is that if you have Hashimoto’s you need to work with a doctor who practices Functional Medicine and appreciates the underlying biochemistry of the immune system and thyroid metabolism. A functional medicine doctor will perform comprehensive diagnostic testing, help you make lifestyle changes to promote better health, and provide you with nutrutional supplements that support normal thyroid function.

With a complete diagnosis, healthy lifestyle guidance, and nutritional supplements you’ll have more manageable symptoms including more energy, easier weight loss and better skin.

Thyroid Links:

Hashimoto: The Missed Thyroid Diagnosis
Is Your Thyroid Hormone Activated?
What Your Doctor May Not Know About Your Thyroid
How Estrogen Hijacked The Thyroid Cab

Zerona: Before & After Pics

Most people interested in the Zerona Laser want to see before and after pictures. Getting patients to allow their pictures to be published is entirely different matter! In this post however you can see some before and after photographs of a Zerona Laser patient and you can see that the results are striking.

She was treated with the recommended frequency of 3 times per week for 2 weeks.
She lost 4" and dropped a dress size from an 8 to a 6.

The 4" is slightly less than our average patient (4.61") but still enough to make a noticeable change.


As seen in Harper's Bazaar.

4 Step Approach To Diagnosing & Treating H. Pylori Infection In The Stomach

In this post, I’m going to help you recognize the symptoms caused by Helicobacter Pylori infections of the stomach. H. Pylori is a bacteria that can injure the stomach lining and if not detected it can cause a host of serious problems.

Years ago, ulcers and stomach indigestion were thought to be caused by “stress”. In the 1990’s, it became widely known that a bacteria can also cause these symptoms. Helicobacter Pylori is the nasty bacteria in question and it is prevalent in our food supply. Poultry and eggs can contain H. Pylori and some people become infected when they eat these products. H. Pylori can inhabit the stomach cell lining known as the “mucosa.” It thrives in a low acid environment and many people have abnormally low stomach acid. Additionally, H. Pylori functions to cause inflammation, injuring parietal cells which make stomach acid (hydrochloric acid). This becomes a viscous cycle as the bacteria contributes to low stomach acid levels.

Depending on the severity and location of H. Pylori infection can play a role in causing:

- Heartburn
- Reflux
- Burping, bloating, stomach pain

If left untreated it can cause:

- Ulcer of the stomach and small intestine
- Certain cancers
- Heart disease

In our clinic, when a patient complains of any of the first three symptoms we might try a course of hydrochloric acid therapy. If this reduces or eliminates all symptoms, we will continue for about four weeks with the supplement. If the symptoms return upon stopping the hydrochloric acid supplementation we’ll consider testing for H. Pylori.

The test that we utilize is called the “Urea Breath Test” and is easy to administer, causes no side effects and is fairly inexpensive (approximately $100).

To perform the Urea Breath Test, the patients submits a baseline breath sample by taking a deep breath and blowing into a specially designed plastic bag. Then the patient drinks a very sweet solution, and after a few minutes takes another deep breath and blows into a second bag. The bags are sent to a lab where carbon dioxide levels are contrasted between the two bags. An increase of carbon dioxide in the testing sample indicates the presence of H. Pylori.

The organism can be eradicated by an antibiotic or by using nutritional compounds designed to kill the bug and heal the stomach.

4 Step Approach to Detecting & Correcting H. Pylori Infections:

If you have any of the symptoms listed above

1. Try taking small doses of hydrochloric (stomach) acid. This is available at any health food store. Click here for a warning and tips regarding how to supplement with hydrochloric acid. Note: do not take it if you have an ulcer!

2. If the hydrochloric acid helps, stay on it for a month and then discontinue use.

3. If your symptoms do not return, you probably don’t have H. Pylori. If they reappear, contact a provider who can help you get the Urea Breath Test.

4. If the test is positive use antibiotics or products from your local health food store designed to eradicate this bacteria. Some of the nutritional compounds to consider are:

Golden Seal root extract
Oregano Oil extract
Barberry extract
Oregon Grape root extract
Berberis Aristata extract
Coptis Chinensis extract
Yerba Mansa extract
Bismuth

If you follow these steps, many of you will cure your stomach problems. Once H. Pylori is accurately diagnosed, it is usually not too hard to treat successfully.

Good luck and keep me posted on your experiences!

Dr. Ungaro

Proper Posture Reduces Stress On The Spine

In a prior post I wrote about the cerebellum and its effect on body posture. I’ve been using modern chiropractic and neurological techniques since about 1995 and I can tell you it can be the make-or-break factor in successfully treating many pain syndromes including herniated or bulged disc, arthritis, stenosis and carpal tunnel syndrome. Clinically, we have seen dramatic gains when we improve posture and that is why we perform a computerized postural analysis on virtually every patient. We use the results of this test as a reference point to measure improvement after applying manual therapy.

Ergonomics also plays a huge role in affecting posture. For example, our posture changes as we alternate between sitting, standing and lying down. The structure of a chair, shoe and bed can stabilize or induce abnormal forces on the spine. Therefore, it’s quite possible to have adequate support in one position and not another. I’ll discuss Ergonomics in an upcoming post but the takeaway is that postural correction can be very important to significantly reduce—and prevent--pain.

The information below from the prestigious Cleveland Clinic highlights some of the benefits of proper posture.

From The Cleveland Clinic:What is good posture?

Posture is the position in which you hold your body upright against gravity while standing, sitting or lying down. Good posture involves training your body to stand, walk, sit and lie in positions where the least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments during movement or weight-bearing activities. Proper posture:

• Keeps bones and joints in the correct alignment so that muscles are being used properly.
• Helps decrease the abnormal wearing of joint surfaces that could result in arthritis.
• Decreases the stress on the ligaments holding the joints of the spine together.
• Prevents the spine from becoming fixed in abnormal positions.
• Prevents fatigue because muscles are being used more efficiently, allowing the body to use less energy.
• Prevents strain or overuse problems.
• Prevents backache and muscular pain.
• Contributes to a good appearance.



Zerona Laser Question: "Does The Fat Come Back?"

One of the most common questions that I’m asked during a Zerona laser consultation is whether the fat comes back. Let’s take a minute and review the biological purpose of fat and discuss how the laser works before answering the question. Read on for details...

Biologically speaking, fat is extra energy stored for use during lean times when food is not readily available. Generally speaking, when you eat more calories than you burn through metabolism your body converts the extra caloric energy into fat. The fat is stored in fat cells and released when fuel is necessary to run the body’s cellular machinery.

The Zerona laser emits a low-level, non-thermal light that penetrates the skin and superficial fat cells. The beam of light is stopped by the muscular layer below the superficial fat layer and will not affect the deeper, visceral fat. As you may know, the Zerona laser causes an enzymatic reaction that produces a temporary pore in superficial fat cells. The laser light liquefies the fat. The fat can then leak out into the spaces between the cells where it is carried off by the lymphatic system. The number of total inches lost varies because some people are more efficient at eliminating the liberated fat than others. We use the Body Lite Laser Protocol consisting of a number of treatment enhancing factors to produce optimal results.

As fat is removed from the superficial fat cells, the fat cells look as if they’ve been deflated. It’s kind of like a grape skin with the grape pulp removed. To the fat cell, it’s no different than if you exercised the fat away. When you exercise or use the laser you do not remove fat cells, only fat. To the extent that the fat cells have virtually collapsed, you’ll lose inches because the fat is gone. This is a particularly attractive notion when you’ve lost fat in hard to manage areas.

One might ask, “What would make the fat come back?” To prevent weight gain, we recommend that you follow-up with a healthy diet and an exercise program. The Body Lite Treatment using the Zerona laser is best used as a kick start to a healthy lifestyle. However, if you were maintaining your weight prior to the laser, there is no reason to think you’d gain weight after the laser.

Occassionally, a patient comes in with metabolic problems and they complain that they are gaining weight despite a healthy lifestyle. If a patient has been exercising and eating well and is still gaining weight, then there might be a larger issue at hand. In case of metabolic problems, we approach these by first consulting with the patient and oftentimes we run blood chemistries and hormonal panels to determine the cause of the weight gain.

So, to sum up, if your body is working normally and you haven’t been gaining fat recently (or know all to well why you have), the fat that you lose through the Body Lite Treatment is maintainable.