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860.644.2437 WWW.FUNCTIONFORLIFE.COM Sciatica Struggles COLUMN MARCH/APRIL 2019 Understanding What That Pain in Your Lower Body Could Mean
P ain is powerful. It’s not uncommon for someone in pain to cancel plans with friends andmake the heating pad, ice packs, and the couch their new friends. Daily routines become impossible. Chores are even more miserable. Over-the-counter pain pills are popped like Tic Tacs as sufferers search for some formof relief. I completely understand this level of exasperation. I live with lower back pain, and it affects my driving, sleeping, and ability to sit still. Luckily, icing treatments have helped, andmy expertise on the spine gives me immense knowledge on how to treat my pain. Unfortunately, not everyone is a chiropractor, and far too often, I see patients living with a common pain problem for far too long: sciatica. Different than lower back pain, sciatica stems from the pinching of your sciatic nerve or a series of nerves in your lower back. Lower back pain can be a symptomof this condition, along with hip, buttock, and leg pain. Additionally, patients often report numbness in their legs and feet when struggling through sciatica pain. Though nearly unbearable, sciatic pain is a great teaching tool for chiropractors. While we frequently adjust andmanipulate your spine back into its normal, healthy position, we also influence every part of your body. Your spine is a superhighway that connects the rest of your body, and the sciatic nerve is just one part of that. This little nerve runs throughout your whole body. That’s why you feel pain all over when it is pinched. (See
Page 3 of this newsletter for more information on what you can expect in chiropractic treatments for sciatica!)
Sadly, far toomany people fail to understand that their leg, hip, buttocks, feet, and lower back pain are all connected. I often don’t see patients until they are 6–8 months into their sciatica pain, and by then, they’ve tried it all. They’ve visited the doctor and adhered to physical therapy appointments. They’ve tried shots, pills, stretches, and evenmassage therapy. But still, the pain persists. When they finally do come in to SouthWindsor Neck & Back, they see that relief is possible. Through gradual appointments, their sciatica begins to finally feel relieved, and they often express regret for not coming in sooner. It’s important to point out that chiropractic care is not the be-all and end-all of medical treatments. It can work wonders, and for some patients, pairing it withmassage therapy and physical therapy can be wonderful. But chiropractic care is designed to target the nerves and open your body so it can function at its highest level. Through a series of appointments, I work with patients to untwist and unlock their nerves in a way only chiropractic care can. They finally learn that relief is possible, and suddenly nights spent in pain on the couch become a distant memory. -Dr. Chris Colby
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“Relief today ... function for life!”
Breakfast Table Keep This Off Your Sugary Cereals Are No Better Than Candy
It’s no secret that most breakfast cereals are loaded with sugar and carbs. Starting your day with a hefty bowl will inevitably give you a sugar high that crashes into a haze of fatigue not long after. What’s worse, however, is that some cereals are even more unhealthy than you might realize. Do you remember the old Reese’s Puffs slogan: “Candy?! For breakfast?” Reality isn’t far off. Kellogg’s Honey Smacks and Post Golden Crisp are two of the biggest offenders when it comes to sugar content. By weight, Honey Smacks and Golden Crisp are more than 50 percent sugar. That’s more sugar than your average cake or cookie. And there isn’t much more nutritional value to make up for the excess sugar. These puffed rice cereals contain less than two grams of protein and one gram of fiber per serving, which is remarkably low. For reference, Honey Smacks lists 1 1/4 cups as a serving, while Golden Crisp considers 3/4 cup a serving. That said, most people don’t measure out food based on the recommended serving size. With these two cereals, the combination of puffed rice and a lack of protein means you won’t feel full until you’ve overindulged. By eating twice the recommended serving (about two cups), you’ve consumed the same amount of sugar found in one can of soda. SUCCESS STORY “Years ago, I began having vascular cluster migraines and [chiropractic care] helped me a lot … Then, I started having back troubles, and I believe in chiropractic care. You know, wellness starts at the spine, so I started coming to this location. I’ve been very happy and healthy since. In terms of wellness, I feel holistically whole and healthier with my back issues. Dr. Colby is always one to take care of me and my spine. I never feel like I’m rushed out of here. He knows exactly what the problem is and how it affects the rest of your body, because it is all connected, as they say. I’ve told many friends over the years to go to chiropractic first. Don’t mask the symptoms with medicine; take care of the root of the problem with chiropractic care. “ –Keith Check out what one of our wonderful clients has to say!
Honey Smacks is the worst of the two because it contains hydrogenated vegetable oil — one of the unhealthiest food-based oils you can consume. This type of oil keeps the cereal shelf-stable for longer, but the American Heart Association points to it as a major dietary cause of heart disease. Many other cereals are just as bad, including Kellogg’s Froot Loops and General Mills Trix. These two cereals hide behind the guise of “fruit,”which many people associate with better nutrition. But you won’t find balanced nutrition in either of these cereals. Froot Loops is just under 50 percent sugar by weight, and Trix is just under 40 percent. Both cereals also contain artificial food dyes and flavorings. Trix also contains corn syrup, which has been linked to the rising rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes. When you eat 10 grams of sugar in any form—which is in just one cup of Trix — or more, depending on the cereal, you can expect a spike in blood sugar. A blood sugar spike early in the morning can often translate to low energy later in the day. Over time, a diet high in sugar can lead to insulin resistance, which can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes.
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860.644.2437
“Relief today ... function for life!”
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How a Chiropractor Can Relieve Your Sciatica
Nerve Neuroses
When you live with sciatica, it can feel like your life is being dictated by your pain. Lower back and leg pain confiscate your focus while your family and friends continue with their plans and activities. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to find relief for sciatica: chiropractic adjustments. During your initial meeting with a chiropractor, you will participate in a health and wellness evaluation to help your chiropractor develop a treatment plan. They will then identify the subluxations, or misalignments, in your spine that are pinching your nerves. Correcting these will provide relief to your sciatic nerve and will soothe your leg and lower back pain. Think of this treatment plan like unwinding a pinched hose. When the hose is pinched, water barely trickles out; forceful pressure builds throughout the hose. When the kink is worked out, though, water flows through the hose with ease. The same concept applies to your nerve. Subluxations produce inflammation and irritation in nerve root endings, shooting pain through your body and affecting the nerve’s ability to properly communicate. Chiropractic care can stimulate the proper motion of your vertebrae to relax and unlock these misalignments, opening the nerve pathway.
It’s important to remember that sciatica treatment plans will not produce an immediate fix. It will take some time to unlock the nerve from the tight, pinching position that it has been locked in to, and sometimes this will require weeks or months of treatment. But the results prove the science behind the treatment. Patients who have sought chiropractic treatment for their sciatica have reported greater pain relief, fewer days in pain, and a quicker return to work and daily activities. A recent study also found that chiropractic adjustments for sciatica offered the same amount of relief as surgery. The only difference is that chiropractic care is more affordable, less invasive, and safer. However, surgery and medication can be beneficial for some patients. It’s best to consult your chiropractor about these options, as they will be able to accurately assess when more intervention is needed. Don’t let sciatica decide any longer how you live. Find out how SouthWindsor Neck & Back can help you find relief by calling 860.644.2437 or visiting FunctionForLife.com.
Swedish Colby’s Kitchen
Meatballs
Ingredients
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2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
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1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
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1 cup fresh bread crumbs, dried out
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1 1/2 cups chicken broth
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1 handful fresh dill, chopped
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3/4 cup milk
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3/4 cup sour cream
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1 pound ground beef
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6 tablespoons unsalted butter
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1/4 cup lingonberry or red currant jam, extra for serving
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1 pound ground pork
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4 shallots, minced
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1 large egg
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2 garlic cloves, minced
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Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
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1 teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted and ground
Directions
in broth and stir. Simmer and stir until the liquids are reduced and a sauce starts to form; season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat and stir in sour cream. Add meatballs to sauce and stir in 1/4 cup of lingonberry jam until combined. Simmer until the sauce thickens, about 15–20 minutes.
well. Pinch off about 1/2 cup’s worth of the meat mixture and roll in your hands to shape it into a cue ball-sized meatball. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. When foam starts to subside, add meatballs. Sauté meatballs until well- browned. Discard most of the fat from skillet and return to heat. Add remaining tablespoon of butter and swirl it around to coat the pan. Sprinkle in the flour; stir to dissolve into fat. Pour
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In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and milk; stir and soak for 5 minutes. Put 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, and caraway seeds; season with salt and pepper. Sauté until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Mix sweated shallot mixture, parsley, dill, beef, pork, and egg; season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the milk out of the bread crumbs, add the bread to the meat mixture, and mix
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Top with chopped parsley and serve.
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www.functionforlife.com
“Relief today ... function for life!”
860.644.2437
860.644.2437
1330 Sullivan Avenue South Windsor, Connecticut 06074 www.functionforlife.com
Inside This Issue
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Struggling Through Sciatica?
Candy? For Breakfast?
Success Story
Using Chiropractic Adjustments to Relieve Nerve Pain Colby’s Kitchen: Swedish Meatballs Why Charities Hate Spring-Cleaning
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Spring is in the air, and it’s time to celebrate with another round of spring-cleaning. Banish the clutter andmake room in your life for something new! Many charities see a sharp increase in donations as spring-cleaning season starts. Donating your used books, kids’toys, and gently worn clothing allows your old items to have a second life. However, when filling that donation box, make sure you’re donating each item because it can do good and not just because you feel bad about throwing it away. Charities have a big problemwith well-meaning citizens dropping off items that are better left in the trash. There are many items charities simply cannot handle. Most charities will have lists of items they can and cannot accept on their websites. Some items that you should not donate include: Donate With Care
THE RIGHT WAY TO DONATE AFTER SPRING-CLEANING
• Mattresses • Carpets • Tangled cords or phone chargers • Any broken, damaged, or dirty items
These items may be unsafe to sell, costly to ship, or impossible to refurbish effectively. When a charity regularly receives items they cannot use, they have to spend hours of manpower sorting through things that end up in the trash anyway. This process can be expensive for organizations with already-strained resources. Some local charities spend over $1,000 a year on dumpster and trash removal fees for unusable donations. While charities will have no choice but to throw unusable donations in the trash, there are services you can use tomake your spring-cleaning eco-friendly, even for items you can’t donate. For example, if you have torn or stained blue jeans, reach out to Blue Jeans Go Green. This program keeps denimout of landfills by turning it into insulation. And while Goodwill can’t take your batteries or old flip phone, you can check out Call2Recycle.org to learn how to safely recycle your e-waste.
• Expiredmedications • OldTVs • Cribs • Loose remote controls • Personal care items, like soap, shampoo, or makeup
Your donations can be a big help to local charities. Just don’t“donate”your garbage.
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860.644.2437
“Relief today ... function for life!”
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