Pain Relief & Wellness - Winter 2019

Health Report! Your Monthly

724-458-1100 www.DrKenVinton.com

WINTER 2019

THE 2 TYPES OF PAIN

AND WHAT REGENERATIVE MEDICINE CAN DO FOR YOU

“Although the initial pain is peripheral, we’ve discovered that some patients also experience heightened centralized pain that results from the constant barrage of painful inputs,” notes Dr. Bolash. “It has been demonstrated that patients who have high pain intensity before knee replacement and low pain thresholds are more likely to report constant, ongoing pain after knee replacement.” This suggests an opportunity to address centralized pain by using a comprehensive treatment strategy that not only targets the peripheral inflammation but also the central sensitization. So, if you’ve lived for years with spine pain, knee pain, headaches, arthritic pain, or persistent pain after a successful surgery, see a holistic pain specialist. You may need help for centralized pain. “It’s often the missing piece,” says Dr. Bolash. Visit our website DrKenVinton.com, and click the “A missing ingredient for lasting pain relief” tab to learn more and watch a video of how this works. Make sure to visit the “biofeedback and neurofeedback” link as well. The great thing about practicing regenerative medicine is that we recognize the body’s inborn ability to heal and repair. We work with nature by removing interferences and giving the body the necessary building blocks to heal. • VAX-D helps degenerated, dried out, bulging, or herniated discs restore their normal pumping action to restore fluid and other nutrients back into the discs, allowing them to heal. • PEMF and low-level laser therapy help cell and nerve tissue soothe and heal. • Neurofeedback and other therapies directly target and improve brain and spinal cord function. There is nothing your brain doesn’t impact, and improving it benefits your whole life: your pain, your ability to heal, your intelligence, your emotions, and your quality of life. This helps pain, ADHD, depression, anxiety, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and many other conditions because our brain is involved in every facet of our well-being. • Stem cells help cells and tissue heal, repair, and regenerate.

Hello! We are so excited to write to you and your family again. We have so much to share, and it’s hard to believe the year has gone by so quickly. So let’s get right into centralized pain management with some information from the Cleveland Clinic. Imagine that your painful knee arthritis (or back pain or neuropathy) has hobbled you. Then, you had a knee replacement (or back surgery or prescription pills or chiropractic care). Why are you still in pain? Blame it on your brain. “Your brain gets used to prolonged exposure to pain signals and adjusts to them,” explains pain management specialist Robert Bolash, MD. “It’s like adjusting to the weather when you move from Ohio to Florida,” he says. “When you first arrive, you’re hit by the heat and humidity. But over a long period of time, your body acclimates, and you can enjoy the weather.” In contrast, when your brain gets used to pain signals — a problem called central sensitization — you gain little benefit from it. 2 TYPES OF PAIN Peripheral pain is the sharp or aching pain you feel locally, like when bone rubs against bone in your knee. But what if the pain still persists after the local tissues have healed? Centralized pain is a more complicated type of pain facilitated by the brain and spinal cord. “We’re realizing more and more that addressing only peripheral pain is not enough for patients who also have centralized pain,” says Dr. Bolash. Traditionally, doctors thought centralized pain only occurred with nerve injuries like a spinal cord injury or stroke. “But the more we learn about centralized pain, the more we see it with other conditions,” says Dr. Bolash. These other conditions include arthritis, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic lower back pain, neck pain or whiplash, chronic headaches, chronic pelvic pain due to endometriosis, persistent pain after surgery, chronic fatigue syndrome, and many other chronic pain conditions.

Continued on Page 2 ...

(724) 458-1100 | www.DrKenVinton.com | 1

KIDS AND CHIROPRACTIC CARE BENEFITS FOR ALL AGES

effects. The moment you stop taking them, you are right back where you started, if not worse. On the other hand, regenerative neurofeedback and other brain-focused approaches have zero adverse effects and work by addressing the underlying issue. IN CLOSING We would like to welcome Dr. Joanna to our practice. She is a medical doctor specialized in neurology. She is from Romania and is licensed to practice in Europe. While she is studying for her license in the U.S., she is able to work in our brain health department. We would like to thank our medical director, Dr. Erik, for another great year. He has 35 years of experience in both degenerative and regenerative medical practice. Personally, I have entered my 31st year of practice this year and have had the awesome pleasure of studying and teaching around the globe. In the past few months combined, we have studied in Denver, Atlanta, Columbus, Reno, Dallas, and Vietnam to learn cutting edge methods our practice can use to help you, your family, and your friends. PAIN REDUCTION Many children suffer from pain that’s unique to their age. Growing pains manifest as throbbing aches in arms and legs as the result of physical activity. The stress of this pain can settle in the spine, meaning a chiropractor can help relieve the pressure. Young children commonly experience ear infections, but spine and vestibular adjustments are effective for treating earaches resulting from infection. And because 95% of headaches are caused by muscle tension in the neck or back, spinal manipulations can also ease head pain. stomach aches may also benefit from chiropractic treatment. Certain areas of the spine are directly connected to digestion, and if these areas are out of alignment, they can lead to poor digestion. When the body’s ability to properly digest food is hindered, it can wreak havoc. Nerve function is critical to ensuring the digestion process runs smoothly, and a chiropractor will know exactly which parts of the body to pinpoint in order to achieve healthy results. Chiropractic care is a promising alternative to many harsh methods for treating debilitating symptoms in children. It has quickly become as useful to their growing bodies as it is for adults. BETTER DIGESTION Children who experience frequent constipation, acid reflux, or

Chiropractic treatment is a natural approach that doesn’t involve medication or surgery, so many parents are turning to it for their children. It can be especially beneficial for children with chronic health conditions or behavioral issues that arise from stress. CALMING EFFECTS It’s important for growing children to get a full night’s sleep, but nearly 30% experience sleep disorders. Gentle massage and spinal adjustments are ideal treatments for aiding relaxation, which contributes to healthier sleep. For infants who cry excessively, gentle chiropractic care can also calm them down. Because the connection between the spine and the nervous system is so strong, children who suffer from heightened anxiety or sensory integration can also benefit from chiropractic services.

... continued from Cover

• Nutrition and lifestyle medicine help stop metabolic issues, such as heart disease, cancer, rheumatoid

arthritis, and inflammation, at their root cause. Did you know that 80% of your brain chemistry comes from your gut? Do you think what you eat makes a difference? It does —a big difference. Hint : the more fruits and vegetable, the better. Regenerative medicine has a completely different approach than degenerative medicine, which ignores the underlying cause of a disorder and merely medicates the symptoms, allowing problems to worsen over time, even if things feel better in the moment. Modern medicine is the best it’s ever been when it comes to acute crisis issues (roughly 10% of medical issues). But it is dreadful at chronic, centralized, or lifestyle-induced issues (the other 90%). Degenerative medical treatments like opioids don’t address centralized pain, and medications like Lyrica (pregabalin) and Neurontin (gabapentin) address the brain but have significant adverse

Merry Christmas,

-Dr. Vinton

2 | 724-458-1100 | Pain Relief and Wellness Center

HAVE YOU TRIED ‘FIRE CIDER’? WHAT THIS ZESTY OXYMEL CAN DO FOR YOUR HEALTH “Fire cider” might sound suspiciously like the base of a craft cocktail, but, in fact, it’s a spicy, warming version of oxymel, the classic vinegar-honey mixture that herbalists have used to treat ailments and improve health since ancient times. According to Nourish Shakti, oxymel — literally translated as “acid honey” — dates back to ancient Greece and Persia. It was used to treat all kinds of problems, including indigestion, fevers, and sore throats. Today, when you stir raw honey into your tea with the belief it will help ward off illness, you’re unconsciously following in the footsteps of that ancient practice. Fire cider is a specific type of oxymel, made by adding plants and spices like garlic, peppers, turmeric, ginger, and onions to a base of one part honey and one part vinegar. Nourish Shaki reports that Rosemary Gladstar, the “Godmother of American Herbalism” and founder of the California School of Herbal Studies, coined the term for “a panacea-like folk remedy specifically used for building immunity and aiding during flu season.” Now that cold weather is officially upon us, fire cider is the perfect addition to your holistic repertoire. The Wondersmith, an herbalist and artist based in the Pacific Northwest, mixes up a version of fire cider to aid digestion and reduce inflammation that she says is “equally at home mixed into a zesty salad dressing, stirred into roasted vegetables, drizzled over hearty meats, or added to rich stews.” The floral take on tradition includes nasturtium flowers and greens, goldenrod flowers, grated ginger, grated turmeric, bee pollen, apple cider vinegar, and honey, all infused in a cool, dark place for a month, then supplemented with orange slices a week before straining. The finished result, The Wondersmith says, can be drizzled over food or taken alone as a tonic. To read the full recipe and learn how to add a bottle of fire cider to your pantry, visit TheWondersmith.com/Blog/2019-oxymel.

V egan B iscuits W ith M aple ‘B utter ’

Inspired by The New York Times

ingredients For the Biscuits • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface • 1 tbsp baking powder • 3/4 tsp salt • 1/2 cup vegan margarine, plus extra for brushing

• 1/2 cup nondairy milk,

ideally soy, almond, or rice

For the “Butter” • 1 cup vegan margarine, room temperature • 1/4 cup maple syrup

directions

1. Heat oven to 425 F. 2. In a bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. 3. Cut in margarine until you achieve a mealy texture with a few large margarine clumps. 4. Add milk and stir until just barely combined. 5. Spread out on cutting board and cut dough into rings. 6. Place on baking sheet, coat with margarine, and bake for 10–12 minutes. 7. For butter, fold together margarine and maple syrup. 8. Serve biscuits alongside butter.

SCRAMBLE YOUR BRAIN

724-458-1100 | www.DrKenVinton.com | 3

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

ANSWER KEY:

190 GEORGE JUNIOR RD. GROVE CITY, PA 16127

INSIDE 2 Types of Pain PAGE 1 Chiropractic Care for Children PAGE 2 Vegan Biscuits With Maple ‘Butter’ PAGE 3 Have You Tried ‘Fire Cider’? PAGE 3 Color Me Happy PAGE 4

THE NEW ART OF MEDITATION ADULTS CAN DE-STRESS WITH COLORING BOOKS

While adult coloring books aren’t necessarily an alternative to art therapy, which is more calculated in its methods, they do take adults back to simpler, less stressful times. In an interview with HuffPost, psychologist Antoni Martínez suggests coloring is more of a “relaxation technique.” It helps people unwind, relieve the stress on their mental health, and refocus their energy on important tasks. If you’re in the market for something new to help disconnect from a long day, try one of these best-sellers.

• “Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book” by Johanna Basford

For some kids, there’s no better way to spend an afternoon than with a bright box of crayons and pages of outlined pictures just begging to be filled in. Coloring allows for total creative freedom. Unfortunately, kids grow up, and that coveted 64-pack of crayons is often reduced to a black pen and a notepad, digital or otherwise. However, in recent years, the coloring book has made a comeback, and it’s no longer geared solely toward children. According to psychologists, coloring in adulthood is a low-impact method for creative expression. Free of chunky lines and silly cartoon characters, these “adult” coloring books are designed with sophisticated images and patterns, and the intricate details have a profoundly relaxing effect on stressed-out adults.

• “Enchanted Forest: An Inky Quest and Coloring Book” by Johanna Basford

• “Balance: Angie’s Extreme Stress Menders Volume 1” by Angie Grace

• “Animal Kingdom: Color Me, Draw Me” by Millie Marotta

• “The Mindfulness Coloring Book” by Emma Farrarons

4 | 724-458-1100 | Pain Relief and Wellness Center

PUBLISHED BY THE NEWSLETTER PRO • WWW.THENEWSLETTERPRO.COM

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

Made with FlippingBook Publishing Software