Orinda Chiropractic Blog

I Have Moved My Blog

2012-01-06T21:26:00.000-08:00

I have been very appreciative to Blogspot for the last two years for hosting my blog. I have now attached my blog to my website at www.orindachiropractic.com to make it easier to find. You can log onto my website and click on the "blog" tab to go straight to it.

You can also reach it by copying and pasting this link in your browser window: http://orindachiropractic.com/blog/blog.html

I will still leave my old blog posts up for reference.

My new post: Children and Chiropractic: Why Do They Need It? is waiting for you on my new blog site.

Thank you for reading.

Oh My Aching Head!

2011-10-01T17:43:00.000-07:00

Every day I go to work in my Chiropractic clinic, I have multiple patients who come in with headaches. A few of you might be wondering, "what can a Chiroprator do for headaches". Even though I am good at educating my patients, many people still don't understand how effective Chiropractic can be for helping the pain and suffering that headaches bring.

You are probably aware that there are different types of headaches. In fact, many of you experience the various types. Two of the most common ones are migraine and tension. In general, headaches are more common in women than men. They are responsible for thousands of hours of lost productivity translating to millions of dollar per year.

The traditional medical treatment for headaches includes various prescription medications. Some of you have tried these medications which can be taken orally or injected into the neck. It is staggering the number of people who suffer from headaches and how debilitating they are. Everyone know someone who suffers from headaches. It might even be you!

So how can Chiropractic help headaches?

1. There is a relationship between the neck bones(cervical vertebrae), the nerves and the blood circulation that goes up to the brain. When one has a headache, the neck bones are almost always off of their normal position or alignment with one another. This allows muscles connecting to those bones to become very tight and spasm. Tight muscles will further restrict blood flow, making things worse.

2. Gently moving these neck vertebrae will allow the muscles to relax and stop spasming. This in turn helps stimulate blood flow up into the neck and head.

3. The jaw is almost always involved. Did you know your temporo-mandibular joint or TMJ is another name for the jaw? I find that when someone opens their jaw, the movement is not even or symmetrical between both the right and left sides. Some people's jaws not only shift to one side, but they might have popping, clicking or pain as well.

I have found that successful treatment for headaches involve not only gentle, effective adjustments of the neck bones, but light work on the jaw joint. I know this might seem strange, but the jaw movements really have a lot of influence on the stress in the upper neck. It's important to have it looked at.

I hope you have found this information useful. I am always open for questions. Just email me and let me know what you think.

It's More than "Just Muscular"

2011-09-05T07:40:00.000-07:00

As a Chiropractor, I spend my day dealing with a variety of ailments that patients will come in with. The ailments almost always involved pain which can be located in almost any body part. The more common ones Chiropractors are known to deal with are the neck and the back. But we are also skilled at helping people with pain in places like shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and feet.

In today’s health care, many of you are realizing that traditional Medical Doctors don’t always have the answers. You have been looking for ways to help yourself when the drugs, options for surgery, or just simply being told to wait for a period of time to see if the pain “goes away” are not working for you. Chiropractors have been on the forefront of natural health since 1895 when our profession began.

I want to explain to you one of the fallacies of modern health care. It is something I hear on a daily basis and after so many years of practice, I grow weary of the lack of knowledge pertaining to it.

Let’s take a simple and very common example: you are outside working on your garden and you are in various positions from bending down on the ground to reaching high branches. Your body has gone through some physical stress and you likely have a typical “strain” of the muscles. To make this even more understandable for you, the cause of your “strain” could be playing football, cleaning your house, making beds, sitting in the car or at your desk for too long. The list is endless.

When this type of thing happens, many of us immediately pick up the phone and march right into the Allopathic Physician (Medical Doctor). M.D.’s are play a vital role in our health care system but when it comes to muscular or skeletal issues, Chiropractors can step in and help the M.D.’s out quite a lot.

Often once a patient has gone to the M.D. and explained their predicament, they will get an answer along the lines of “It’s just a muscular strain and it will go away with rest”. Often, some medication is prescribed to help with the pain or spasm. In our society, many of us have been taught that : “no pain = I am fine”.

I have spent the better part of 15 years dealing with pain like this in patients and let me tell you from the very depths of my soul: A muscle in pain is rarely an isolated muscle strain or spasm. The muscle almost always has effects on other parts of your body.

Basic anatomy explains that muscles move bones. Bones do not move themselves. Muscles attach to bones. Two bones make up a joint in between them. You can’t have a muscle spasm or strain that tightens up or goes into spasm without having an effect on the joints around them. The nearby joints almost always move out of place ranging from a little (in millimeters) to a lot (joint dislocations). Once your M.D. has identified that you don’t have any serious conditions occurring, then the Chiropractor can take it from there.

In Chiropractic, we call these bones and joints moving out of place, subluxations or mis-alignments. They are the heart of what we look for in all of our patients.
If we don’t fix these misalignments of the bones for you, the bones will remain out of place. Muscles that attach to these “out of place” bones will therefore stay in a constant “tight” state. A tight or spasming muscle is not as strong and will not work for you as efficiently. This will also limit your ability to move, your strength and coordination.

It is true that eventually, most pain does calm down in, no matter how severe it is initially. The problem is thinking you are “all better now”. If you do not take care of the bones that are out of alignment due to the muscle spasm, you more easily hurt yourself next time you put them under stress. Have you ever heard of people getting chronic lower back pain? What about chronic ankle sprains? Or chronic neck injuries?
Chiropractors use their hands to gently move the bones of the body back into their proper, healthy positions. This allows the muscles to relax naturally, your movement patterns to improve and reduce your pain. Correcting the positions of your bones can also keep you from hurting yourself again in the future.

I urge you to break free of the old way of thinking. Pain is not something you should ever just live with or wait out. Understanding your body allows you to take control of your health.

If you want to know more, please contact me and I can explain further. This is such an important and prevalent topic that I want you to be educated on it. Remember: It is rarely just muscular!

Thank you for reading and I hope you got some value from it.

Kevin M. Wong, B.S., D.C.

Change Your Thinking and Take Control of Your Health!

2011-08-27T23:04:00.000-07:00

The human body is a pretty amazing organism. We are capable of so much adversity in our lives. We can endure emotional trauma, physical injury and even subject ourselves to body positions or activities each day that can wear our bodies down.

In our society, we are trained from youth of the idea that as we begin to age or get older, our bodies should expect a certain amount of pain. Unfortunately, this type of mindset also prevents many of us from seeking help early when we do feel pain begin. We say things like "it will just go away" or "I should expect pain at this point of my life".

When we apply this mode of thinking to even younger people, the gravity of the situation can be worse. Let's take an example of an athlete who hurts themselves while playing their sport. Most of the time, especially in younger people, unless the problem is deemed serious enough to warrant a trip to the doctor, people are just dealing with the pain. Some refer to it as "taking one for the team", but staying in pain can lead to further injuries down the road.

We still find many people out there who will deal with pain for so many years, it becomes part of who they are. They walk around with it like a badge of courage or as a symbol of martyrdom. It is a mindset that is dangerous for the person involved.

Most of us have grown up in a traditional, allopathic medicine type of health model. In other words, we go to the medical doctor when we are "sick". This pervasive viewpoint on how to deal with not feeling well has been echoed throughout time in the United States since our country was very young.

The problem is, the traditional medical model does not deal with the actual cause of the pain. Often, the pain is being covered up. It has been documented that large numbers of patients die in hospitals each year while receiving surgeries that may or may not have been necessary.

Please do not misunderstand me, we need the Medical Specialists of the world as they have an important place in health care. The point is this: We must be willing to change our mindset and look for other health care options that offer ways of feeling better. This may include Chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, naturopathy and others.
The only way to do this is educating patients and teaching them what else is out there.

The shift patients are making now to being more open minded to alternative or natural health remedies has been slow and at times painful. Even as I write this article in modern day, 2011, there are misconceptions: Chiropractors are quacks, "massage" is a bit shady and Acupuncturists just stick needles all over the body like it's a voodoo doll. Many people don't even know that a Naturopath is a Doctor.

Alternative health care is a powerful force to be reckoned with now. The amount of healing we provide is astounding. I want to take Chiropractic as an example.
Chiropractic has been proven to not only help patients heal faster for a variety of ailments, but save insurance companies and patients money in the long run. Yet we are treating less than 10% of the population.

So I say to you, health care consumer of 2011, think about how you are truly feeling these days. Do you have any type of pain or health condition you have been experiencing that you have not done anything about? Have you been putting off getting any treatment for pain or symptoms? For those of you who have been going the traditional Medical Route, is it time for a change?

Changing of our minds takes time and for some it will never come. But there are so many great options for getting help these days, there is no true excuse to not explore them. "I don't have time", " I don't have the money", "I don't have the ......." We all make time for things we feel are important. We all use excuses for what we don't want to do.

Open your mind, empower yourself, take control of your health and take that pain away!

If you have any questions on these types of health care providers I mentioned above, just ask me. Thank you for reading!

What You Don't Know About Your Feet Can Hurt You!

2011-08-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

Hello and Good Day,

I hope you can take a few moments to check out my new YouTube video on how important your feet are to the rest of your body.

http://youtu.be/hRpZzEOk1g4

Thank you for watching and let me know what you think.

Sprained Ankles: Who Hasn't had one?

2011-08-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

This is my article that came out in this week's issue of "The Chiropractic Times". If you want to subscribe, then click the link: http://www.chiropractictimes.net.
Hope you like the article.

Sprained Ankles: Who Hasn't Had One?

A sprained ankle is something that almost everyone you know has had happen to them at least once in your life. We have all heard a variety of stories of how they happen. Playing sports, stepping off off the sidewalk awkwardly, tripping and so on and so on. People all have their stories and sprained ankles are so common, we don't even pay them any mind.

I want you to take a moment and do the headwork with me as we reason through how some people can be predisposed to sprained ankles more than others. I want you to not just dismiss that the ankle sprain happened, but think about WHY the ankle sprain happened?

In past articles I have written, I have described to you a phenomenon that occurs in over 80% of our patients: the over-pronated or flattened foot. You might recall that the reasons for flat feet can include genetic predisposition, weight bearing activities, poor shoes, height, weight and many others.

Now recall what happens to the ankle when the feet are in an over-pronated foot position. As the three arches of the foot fall (lateral then transverse then medial), this causes the foot to drop towards the floor. The foot begins to flatten out. The flatter the foot becomes, the more it starts touching the ground. As the foot moves closer to the ground, the foot also begins to flare or turn outwards. This allows the foot to move forward during gait.

The dropped arches and foot flare put more pressure on the tibia bone causing it to medially rotate. You can see this quite nicely on many of your patients when you see them with their shoes off. Medial ankle stress is so common in our patients, especially women, you are sure to find it in your practice.

I am not at all discounting injuries from sports, falls or other reasons as the mechanisms of injury for ankle sprains. But why does one soccer player turn their ankle by stepping into a hole on the field but their team mate doesn't. All I am asking you to do is think about this for a minute. Don't just dismiss these injuries without checking the feet and ankles.

Feel the Power! Thank you for reading.

Source: Dr. Kevin M. Wong, B.S.,D.C. Specializing in the feet, extremities and the spine, Foot Levelers Instructor/Speaker

Sketcher Shape Ups: A Cautionary Tale!

2011-08-06T07:36:00.000-07:00

Hello My Friends,

An incident occurred recently where one of my long time patients came in and told me a story about her experience with her Sketcher Shoes. She bought a pair of Sketcher Shape Ups at a local shoe store as they were on sale for half price.

She put them on to go walking around her neighborhood that has flat, concrete streets. She had planned to walk an hour as she normally does, but by 20 minutes she began to have pain in her lower back and right hip. By the time she got to thirty minutes, she stopped, had to sit down on the grass and was not sure she could get back up again. She did manage to get up, walked another 5 minutes and the pain got so bad, she sat down again.

How did she get home? She took off the Sketcher shoes and walked barefoot, slowly for another 30 minutes until she made it back to her house. It took her three days to get over that pain so that she could drive down to my office to fix her. Even though I suggested she could break them in slowly, she is done with ever wearing them and she is very upset she ever put them on.

Her story is not unlike many I have heard countless times in my office ever since these shoes came out 6-7 years ago.

I have felt for years now that Sketcher shoes were not great shoes for us human beings. In my own Chiropractic experience of treating the feet as my primary specialty, I have found how wearing the Sketcher shoes made people more prone to flattened or pronated arches and higher chance of sprained ankles. The chance of getting lower back pain and hip pain has also been higher in folks who wear these shoes as well.

My wife, Isabel, whom many of you know, bought a pair of these shoes 3 years ago. She wore them 3 times but they put so much pressure on her ankles and inner arch, she stopped. To this day, they are sitting in our garage collecting dust.

I am not saying you CAN NOT wear these shoes. I am telling you to just be careful and pay attention to how your body feels. Do you have ankle pain or stress? Do you knees hurt?

I have found these shoes to be problematic for many people. I just want you to be careful because these shoes can do some damage as well. If you are not wearing any arch supports under your feet, the Sketcher Shape ups can make your foot very unstable. Please feel free to talk to me about these shoes if you have them or are thinking about getting them.

It seems that the trend for popularity of these shoes is winding down. I see them on sale a lot more than I used to.

One more thing: if you are not wearing any type of three arch, softer, custom orthotic in your shoes, please contact me and we can talk. I will glady give you information and help you find someone in your geographic area who can help stabilize your feet so you can wear just about any type of shoe safely. I am on a mission to take care of all of you

Thank you for reading.

Dr. Kevin M. Wong, D.C.

An Article on Barefoot Support for Children

2011-08-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

The magazine, Lower Extremity Review, just came out with a great article on how barefoot or soft support for Children's Shoes is not supported by some Doctors. I think it is a great article and is good reading if you have children, treat children or just want to stay in the know.

Here is the link. You might have to copy and paste it into your browser window.

http://www.lowerextremityreview.com/issues/july-2011/not-all-practitioners-embrace-soft-soles-for-novice-walkers

Thank you for reading.

Dr. Kevin M. Wong

Why I Love Being a Teacher!

2011-08-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

I get asked a lot "Why do you teach so much", "Do you Enjoy it?". The answer is a very easy "yes". For those of you who think you know me from our time together in the office or on the road when I teach with you, read on...

Teaching has been a passion for me since the days I was in college at U.C. Davis. I initially thought I would get my teaching credential, but my career took me down a different path towards health care. This desire for teaching was solidified once I was at Palmer West going to Chiropractic school. I loved running study groups and tutoring. It is there I knew that teaching would be part of my life eventually.

After graduating, I taught at the Chiropractic school for 4 years while I practiced part time. I then found my way into teaching seminars and have been teaching them for almost 11 years.

We have all seen the effects of teachers who were so great at what they did, you remember them forever. Think in your mind for a moment of the teachers who made the most impact on your life that you still remember today. I will bet you can count them on one hand. Not too many. It is not because all of your previous teachers were bad ones. It's just that they did not make an impact on you. It was either their attitude, teaching style or perhaps the course material.

An effective teacher will be able to take a group of students various backgrounds or skill level and INSPIRE them to want to learn! A teacher needs to harness the power of learning and present it to each individual in a way that they can absorb and use it for their benefit. The key here is to understand and learn information, not just memorize it.

Now that I have given you that preamble, here are my reasons why I am a teacher:

1. I love explaining information to people in a way that allows them to learn and understand it. Sound boring? It's not. Each of you learns in one, or a combination of three ways, visual (sight), auditory (hearing) and kinesthetic (hands on). The art to teaching is presenting information in all three ways so people don't forget as easily.

2. Teaching makes me a better Doctor! Explaining everything from anatomy, diagnosis, evaluation and treatment procedures keeps me on my toes. I have to stay up on what is new and cutting edge in our field and my patients enjoy that.

3. Sharing knowledge with my peers and then my patients puts good energy out in the universe and fosters goodwill and team work. You all know that helping people is always a good thing. I have a genuine desire to help Chiropractors succeed in

My passion for teaching spills over into practice where I have the honor of working with my patients. Each patient has to be taught what is going on with their bodies. I will keep explaining until they understand. This makes our treatment plan make much more sense.

Teaching has been good to me as I now expanded past our good old USA into international territories. Next year, It is South Africa!

I appreciate you reading. I hope you found it interesting.

4 Tips for Exercising and Staying Healthy This Summer!

2011-07-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

Every summer, I find that patients will get themselves into quite a mess when it comes to enjoying the great outdoor. The weather is warmer so we are out playing and engaging in activities that we might not be prepared for. Pain can sneak up on you so I have prepared a short list of things you can do to take care of yourself and stay healthy.

1. Stretch! You have heard it a thousand times but stretching is key! Stretching will help warm up muscles and make them ready for physical activity. A cold muscle is not as flexible as one that is warmed up. A cold muscle when exposed to stress or physical activity can become injured or get "pulled". A pulled muscle hurts as I am sure you have experienced before. If you have questions about stretches, just log onto my website and I have a whole bunch with videos on how to do them.

2. Be Cautious! If you want to go hike Half Dome, great! If you have not been hiking for awhile or get out much to walk or exercise, you might want to be careful! I am not saying to scrap the idea, but you might want to realistically take a shorter or less intense hike and work your way up to it. You can still get great exercise by taking smaller hikes or walks to build up your endurance.

3. If you feel discomfort while exercising, please listen to your body and slow down or take a break. Remember that pain is the body's way of telling you something is not right. It is your first defense to protecting your body and it's parts from damage. When people "work through the pain" that is a great way of getting injured. I have a whole office full of patients that can attest to this. It is a mistake most people only make once. I don't want you straining or worse, tearing, any of your muscles and ligaments.

4. Drink plenty of water! I don't care how many time you have heard this, most of you still don't drink enough. I don't expect you to drink 8 glasses a day like they tell us to, but you should be hydrated enough so that you are still going to the bathroom regularly. In other words, even if it is hot out, you should drink enough to feel like emptying your bladder regularly through the day. Drinking water is not only good for the blood and organs, it's great for your skin and many other things.

I hope you all have fun out there and enjoy the weather. Let me know if you have any questions about what I have talked about. If you still want to check out the stretching exercises for various parts of the body, just log on to my website at http://www.orindachiropractic.com

Thank you for reading and tell a friend!

Kevin M. Wong, D.C.

Barefoot Running: The Vibram FiveFinger Shoe

2011-07-07T08:11:00.001-07:00

I have been away on vacation so sorry for the delay in the since my last post in June. I hope you have had some time to think about the barefoot running information that I have been discussing so far in my past blogs. I am trying to bring this relevant information up to you so you can understand this craze that is quite popular right now.

I am going to talk about the vibram FiveFinger shoes and what their idea is behind running in them. The following are the reasons why Vibram feels you should wear their shoes. This comes right off of their website.

5 Reasons to Wear Vibram FiveFingers:

1. Strengthens Muscles in the Feet and Lower Legs—Wearing Vibram FiveFingers will stimulate and strengthen muscles in the feet and lower legs, improving general foot health and reducing the risk of injury.

2. Improves Range of Motion in Ankles, Feet and Toes—No longer 'cast' in a shoe, the foot and toes move more naturally.

3. Stimulates Neural Function Important to Balance and Agility—When wearing Vibram FiveFingers, thousands of neurological receptors in the feet send valuable information to the brain, improving balance and agility.

4. Eliminate Heel Lift to Align the Spine and Improve Posture—By lowering the heel, your bodyweight becomes evenly distributed across the footbed, promoting proper posture and spinal alignment.

5. Allow the Foot and Body to Move Naturally—Which just FEELS GOOD.

Remember that each of these types of minimalist running shoes (i.e Nike Free, Vibram, Fila Skeletoes, etc.) has their own take on how they make you run in a healthier manner.

According to Vibram, they feel that there has been ample medical research done to support the barefoot running. They indicate that you can run faster with fewer injuries.

"It allows you to land on your forefoot, directly below your center of gravity, resulting in optimum balance, increased stability, less impact and greater propulsion. Running in FiveFingers delivers sensory feedback that improves agility and equilibrium and allows immediate form correction. In addition it stimulates and strengthens muscles in the feet and lower legs".

In these times, our society is very susceptible to claims made by any company on the internet. Vibram has a very nice website with great pictures. I do not doubt that these shoes can change the way you run as they have described above.

The moral of the barefoot running story as it has been developing is that understanding the basics of how we run and walk is very important. If you or someone you know is wearing the vibrams, you must monitor how your body is reacting and adapting to these shoes.

You must also remember that the muscles of the feet do NOT support the three arches. The arches are supported by the plantar fascia. That does not mean I do not advocate strengthening the arches with exercises or wearing these shoes. It means that wearing these shoes alone will not bring the arches back. It also means that as you change the running pressure from the heel to the rest of the foot, you can develop problems in the other areas of the foot that don't come with traditional running shoes.

There was an article that came out recently about how the U.S. Army has banned these shoes and their personnel are not allowed to wear them. http://www.podiatry.com/etalk/US-Army-Bans-Vibram-Five-Fingers-t3646.html#-1 It is a very interesting article.

In Vibram's defense, their shoes might not be an optimal choice for the army due to the physical demands placed on their bodies.

I would love to hear from any of you that have Vibram FiveFinger shoes. Let's hear your success stories or your frustrations. I am very interested in you following the blog and keeping up on dialogue so we can all learn together.

Thank you for reading.

Minimalist Running Shoes: They Change How You Run

2011-06-16T06:10:00.000-07:00

I have been blogging about the minimalist running or barefoot running trend in an attempt to help you understand it better.

One of the major things you need to understand is that the minimalist running shoe changes the way your foot hits the ground during your running or walking stride. Instead of striking or touching the ground with your heel, you strike with the ball of your foot. The idea is to mimic running on grass or sand.

This avoids all the pressure to the heels and with it many of the problems that we see with traditional running. Things like plantar fascitis, achillies tendonitis, shin splints, ankle and knee problems are all supposedly helped by wearing these types of shoes.

Generally, claims have been made that the shoes change the stress in the body so that muscles are built up in the legs and thighs making the feet and body stronger.
My main concern has always been that with increased pressure to the forefoot or the transverse (metatarsal)arch, people can wear this arch down and create problems like bunions, corns, callouses, neuromas and a collapsed arch in that area. We will continue to develop our understanding of the minimalist running shoes.

I am still fascinated by these shoes. I have been wearing my Nike Free Run 5.0's for the last few weeks now and with my custom molded stabilizing orthotics, they feel great. I have tried to wear them daily at least at home or at the offfice while I work treating patients.

It is time to talk about information directly from these manufacturer's about their shoes. The most popular ones are the Nike Free, Vibram Five Finger and the Fila Skeletoes.

My next few blog posts will talk about these shoes a bit more in depth so we can specifically understand them. This can help you make a decision if you are going to buy a pair.

Talk to you in a few days! The next blog topic: The Vibram Five Finger

U.S. Army bans Vibram Five Finger Shoes

2011-06-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

I thought I would give you someone else's article to read during this post. The Vibram Five Finger Shoe is another type of minimalist running shoe. It looks like a "Foot Glove". I have found problems with this type of shoe as well. It appears that the U.s. Army has taken up a position of finding them problematic as well.

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.podiatry.com/etalk/US-Army-Bans-Vibram-Five-Fingers-t3646.html#-1

Happy Reading and talk to you on my next post. I will continue discussing how the feet can be put at a disadvantage by wearing the minimalist type running shoes.

Barefoot Running and the Feet: You Can't Bring the Arches Back!

2011-06-09T10:21:00.000-07:00

This is my 5th post on the barefoot running concept and I hope you are enjoying the information thus far. I want to be very clear that I am not against the concept of barefoot running, but one must be cautious. In this post, we start delving into the foot more and explain why the minimalist running shoe can be good and bad.

I, myself, have been wearing my Nike Free Run barefoot running shoes now for almost two weeks. I have learned a lot by wearing them and will explain that later.

If you recall from my last blog post, I explained how the feet are the foundation f our body. We have three arches and it is a common belief that the muscles of the foot support those arches. This is a wrong assumption. Remember that muscles are designed to move bones, not support them. That does not mean that muscles cannot provide some stability but primarily, muscles move bones and joints.

Did you know that it takes 400lbs. of pressure applied to the foot before the muscles actually engage to support the arches? That does not happen very often. So how does the foot get its' support. Well, reach down

The plantar fascia ligament is the thick ligament under your foot and that is actually the main structure that supports the three arches. Think of your plantar fascia is a nice, springy rubber band. When it is healthy, the rubber band will return to its' shape after being stretched. The rubber band or plantar fascia is what keeps your foot feeling and looking great.

This concept is important to understand because there are shoe companies, off the shelf orthotic companies, some health care professionals and sports trainers that will tell you that the arches of the foot can be brought back by exercises.

No research has ever supported the claims that one can bring back their arches through exercises or arch supports. In fact, one major chain store that sells pre-made, semi-custom orthotics claims that they can bring your arches back. This is not true. Because your plantar fascia ligament stretches over time with repeated standing, jumping or other weight bearing activities, it changes from being a rubber band to a plastic bag. Have you ever tried stretching a plastic bag? It does not really maintain any kind of shape except being stretched out?

That is what allows many of us, almost 8 out of 10 of us in the world, to have collapsed arches or flat or pronated feet. Flat feet cause problems for the ankles, knees, hips, lower back and up the rest of the spine. Of course there are those who have high arches or supinators as we call them. But they are less than 10% of the population.

Now the final question some of you are asking? Can exercises help bring back anyone's arches? Yes, but in a very select population: children or very young adults who have minimal or no arch collapse. Exercises can help support and sometimes bring back arches in these people.

So please understand that buying a minimalist or barefoot running shoe will not help a majority of people who have flat feet. Even if they do strengthen the muscles, those muscles do not support your arches, so the arches will still be flatter.

In the next blog post, we will talk about how barefoot running shoes change the way you run and how this affects the bones and muscles of the lower body.

Barefoot Running: Understand the Normal Foot/Arch Anatomy

2011-06-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

The idea of barefoot or natural running focuses on the idea that the human foot was meant to strike the ground differently than it does when we wear the typical running shoes. Natural runners believe that by landing on the ball of the foot or the forefoot, much of the stress on the heel can be reduced or avoided while strengthening the foot muscles.

Picking up from my last post, remember that we have 26 bones of each foot and there are various muscles that help stabilize the feet. It is a very common fallacy or un-truth that by exercising the muscles, you can make the foot arches come back.

The foot and the arches are supported mainly by a very thick ligament called the "plantar fascia". Some of you have had plantar fascitis before. That is when you feel pain or burning under your feet almost like they are on fire. This usually happens due to too much running or other weight bearing activities.

When the arches are working well, the foot is supported nicely and you have good spring or elasticity in your steps. This springiness also helps your body above with shock absorption and support.

Most shoes on the market that we buy do not have enough support for the three arches. In fact, most shoes support one arch or none at all. If you walk, run or do any weight bearing activities in shoes that do not support all arches of the foot, then your feet will eventually become so stressed that the arches will fall.

Proper three arch support that is preferably custom made is the way to support your feet and make sure you are protected against problems that can come in the future.

Bunions, hammer toes, sprained ankles, achilles tendon problems, knee pain, Anterior cruciate ligament injuries, hip and lower back pain are just some of the painful conditions that can arise from lack of arch support.

In the next blog post, I will discuss the relationship betwen the barefoot running shoes and the human feet and the problems that can arise.

Thank you for reading and being a follower of my blog.

Dr. Kevin M. Wong. D.C.

Does Barefoot Running Really Work? You Must Understand the Feet First

2011-06-03T05:26:00.001-07:00

This is my third blog post on the concept of Barefoot Running. for those of you just tuning in, the concept involves wearing "minimalist" shoes. This means the shoes have very little material under your feet so that it simulates running or walking on sand or grass.

The idea of the shoes like the Nike Free and the Vibram Five Finger is that as you run, the pressure stops hitting the heels. The pressure will and shifts towards the ball of your foot so you end up walking or running differently. The companies that make the shoes also claim that over time, usage of the shoes will strengthen the muscles of the foot and help to stabilize and strengthen it.

When we look for claims that any type of product makes, it is important to understand the structures involved so you have a good frame of reference.

The anatomy of the foot consists of 26 bones that all have joints and connections to the bones surrounding them. The picture above shows you the bones of the foot and how they all fit together. You can see that the bones each have a specific place and when they work in unison, the foot can enjoy smooth, effortless movement. For the most part, you never ever know your feet are there when they are working well.

What the picture cannot show you are the three arches of the foot. The three arches of the foot are located at the instep, the outer edge of the underside of the foot and across the ball of the foot. The arches give the foot the support it needs to allow you to stand, walk, run, jump and do anything weight bearing.

Do you think the arches can become problematic for just about all of us? Yes they can and I will explain to you about how the fallen arches play a role in pain in our feet, ankles, knees, hips and lower back in the next post.

My goal is to make you experts on the anatomy of the feet, how they effect the rest of the body and how the barefoot running is affected by all of these factors.

Thank you for reading and please become a follower of my blog.

Barefoot Running and the Nike Free Shoe: My Experience Part II

2011-06-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

It has been three solid days now of wearing the Nike Free Running shoe and I have lots of good information to report to you.

In my last blog, I talked about the different kinds of Nike Free shoes and explained the differences between them. In this post, I want to start out by talking about the theory and belief system behind the shoes. According to Nike:

Nike Sports Research Lab (NSRL) spent years studying the biomechanics of athletes running barefoot on grass and learned that in comparison to running in an athletic shoe, running barefoot on grass provides the following benefits:

- Produces an even landing (similar to an airplane) that distributes pressure over a greater area.

- Reduces stress on the legs.

- Allows a greater range of motion and increased muscle activity.

- Athlete’s toes flex and extend more freely for better propulsion.

- The body is encouraged to align more correctly.

- The signature look of footwear with Nike Free technology is the unique siping (or flex grooves) in the midsole/outsole. These deep grooves align along the length and width of the shoe, allowing the foot to move naturally, as it would without a shoe for greater range of motion and increased muscle activity through all phases of footstrike.

Now there you have Nike's explanation for why they make this type of running shoe. I can tell you that I have been wearing my Nike Free 5.0 runners for three days. Two of the days have been heavy work days at the office where I was on my feet for 10+ hours.

I put the shoes on the first and second days by 7 a.m. I did NOT wear my custom molded foot orthotics because I wanted to experience what my body would feel like. By 10 a.m. on both days, I had developed left hip pain. By lunch time, I had developed lower back pain on both sides. I was able to get through the first two days without my orthotics, but by the end of the second day, my back was really hurting.

Today, I wore my Foot Levelers custom molded spinal pelvic stabilizers (orthotics) in my Nike Free shoes and it was heaven. The shoe's light weight coupled with my orthotics felt amazing.

Now I know that Nike and other barefoot runners tell people that they have to get accustomed to running in these shoes over time. I believe that. I will continue to wear mine daily and report my results to you.

By the way, my receptionist also just got a pair of the Nike Women's Free Run +2 (7.0) running shoes and she has begun wearing them all day as well. I will keep you apprised of how her feet and body feel as well so you can get a woman's perspective.

In my next blog, I will talk to you about the anatomy and biomechanics of the feet and explain how the barefoot running shoes affect them.

Thank you for reading and tell a friend!

Dr. Kevin M. Wong

The Nike Free Running Shoe: My Firsthand Experience with Barefoot Running

2011-05-30T08:58:00.001-07:00

I have been wondering about this whole barefoot running craze for months now. Many doctors have been asking me when I teach seminars about the many types of Barefoot running shoes available. Patients are also asking me about it as well.

I decided to begin trying this first hand so yesterday, I purchased a pair of Nike Free Run+ shoes. They have different styles and types.

For men, there are three levels of the Nike Free Shoe:

The first was the 7.0. It is going to have the thickest free sole so it will provide the most cushioning of all them, the 7.0 has been discontinued and are not available.

The next level is the Free run +/5.0 the free run + and the 5.0 have the same thickness for the free sole, they are your moderate level free shoe, the only difference between them is the looks of the upper and the free run + is Nike + ready so you can put the Nike+ sensor in your shoe.

The last option is the free 3.0 it has the thinnest sole of all three and will provide the closest to barefoot experience of them all. The 3.0 is currently only available in the Free run+2 iD platform.

For women, Free run+ and the 3.0 are the two options.

There are a ton of crazy colors and the shoes remind me of giant rubber slippers. In fact, you can bend them quite easily.

First impressions:

It fits very comfortably and snugly on the foot. The design of the shoe makes it so that you are running on on the ball of your foot and not so much the heels. I am purposely not using my custom molded foot orthotics in these shoes so I can really experience and comment on how it makes your body feel.

It is my impression that so far, my usual over-pronation that I feel in most other tennis is shoes is still present, but I am walking and running differently. I do feel the balls of my feet and calf muscles working differently.

In future blogs, I am going to discuss the biomechanics of how the shoe makes you run as well as the effects it has on your body. More to come so stay tuned!

By the way, I welcome comments by you joggers, barefoot runners and those of you trying these shoes out or thinking about it.

Thank you for reading, Dr. Kevin M. Wong, D.C.

Be a Healthy Desk Jockey!

2011-05-26T16:59:00.000-07:00

This blog post will hopefully speak to those of you who spend any amount of time in front of a computer screen during the day. I get asked all the time "How should I be sitting at my desk?" Even though some of you have access to ergonomic evaluations for your workstation, many people are still sitting with incorrect posture.

Here are a few tips to make your work station a bit safer:

1. When you sit in your ergonomic chair, your feet should touch the ground or rest on something solid. Phone books work as do stools.

2. The chair itself should be fully adjustable from the arm rests, the seat height, the back rest and the tilt angle of the seat. Most expensive chairs have all these features, but not all chairs will. Do your best in trying to adjust these areas.

3. The top of the monitor should be at the level of your eyes. This way, when you are looking down, the full monitor is in your view. This allows your head to stay in a neutral position, not looking too far down or up.

4. Put your arms comfortably at your sides. When you bend your elbows and have your arms/forearms at 90 degrees or perfectly horizontal, that is the level your desk should be at. That is also the level where your mouse should be as well.

5. Do not perch on the edge of the chair! Make sure you sit all the way to the back of the seat so that your back feels the back rest. Perching on the edge really stresses out the lower and mid back.

There is a lot of information in these 5 suggestions so make sure you read them over and implement them at your desk at home and at work.

If you don't understand something I have talked about, then email or call me at 925-254-4040 and we can talk about it.

Thank you for reading and be safe out there!

I Am Now An Official "RockTape Doctor"

2011-05-08T19:15:00.000-07:00

What the heck is a "RockTape" Doctor, you ask? You know all that really neat, colored sports tape you see some atheletes wearing while playing sports? Have you ever wondered what that stuff is and what that stuff does? Well you no longer have to wonder, because I am officially certified to apply it on your body. As a "Rock Doc", it means I have been trained on how to put this tape on in a very skilled manner.

RockTape is a type of elastic sports tape that is considered quite state of the art. Cloth sports tape has been around for over 30 years, but RockTape is different. Think of the RockTape as an updated, modern, improved version of what the traditional cloth tape used to be. Some of you have heard of Kinesiotape or K-tape. RockTape is much different and quite frankly, much better.

The tape is applied to your body in specific areas and in specific ways. We might be trying to stabilize your shoulder, your knee, your ankle or even your back. The tape is phenomenal at bringing you stability to not only reduce pain, but improve posture and functional usage of your body parts. You will notice that I can use tape all over your body when it is appropriate. It will help you feel better faster.

For atheletes, the use of the RockTape is truly amazing. We can analyze the way you are doing your specific sport and apply the tape to help to increase your performance. For instance, take a baseball pitcher. I can analyze the pitcher's movements and at any point during the setup, windup or release when we think his shoulder or body are unstable or weak, we can apply tape to help stabilize the area. By providing more support and smoothing out the mechanics of the pitching motion, we help the pitcher stay more fluid and efficient. That results in decreased stress on their joints, better biomechanics, less fatigue and less potential pain.

RockTape has already proven in the last 2 years that it has enhanced the performance of just about every sport. Cycling, football, baseball, tennis, volleyball, swimming and running are just a few of these. You name the sport you are doing, we can watch you and find out how we should RockTape you so your performance can be improved. Proper RockTaping will allow you to feel more stable, more efficient and less pain and fatigue.

Using RockTape has shown atheletes and regular people that they can go longer and stronger about their activities. This amazing sports tape is found at my office and I can talk to you about how to best use it for your lifestyle.

I hope you are excited about talking to me about the RockTape. It has already done amazing things for my patients. I hope you give me a chance to help you next!

Call my Orinda Chiropractic Center office at 925-254-4040 today. If you are not already a patient, we will schedule a new patient visit which will include a consultation, an examination and discussion for treatment options which can include Chiropratic care, home exercises, Rocktaping and other ideas.

You can also visit my webpage for more information about insurance coverage, office hours and more information about myself. http://www.orindachiropratic.com

End of the Year Events!

2010-12-19T16:09:00.000-08:00

Season's Greetings to All of You,

As we come to the end of the year, it is amazing to look back to see how fast 2010 has gone. As usual, we are grateful for you as our wonderful patients and it remains our pleasure to be part of your lives.
The end of the year has been busy for us and you know I like to make sure you are all taken care of before I leave town.

As you know, we always head back to Philadelphia for Christmas and we leave on Wednesday, Dec. 22. Below I have listed the office hours for this short week of Christmas and the few days at the end of the month once we have returned:

Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 20, 21: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m
Wednesday, Dec. 22 - Tuesday, Dec. 28: CLOSED
Wednesday, Dec. 29: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 30: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 31 (New Year's Eve): 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Saturday, January 1 (New Year's Day): CLOSED

Many of you have already taken advantage of the sale from Foot Levelers that ends on Dec. 31. The special is $240.00 for a new pair of orthotics and $235.00 for re-orders. That is a savings of $90.00 off of the normal price of the orthotics.

Do any of you have HSA or Managed spending account money still left from your company this year? The custom molded foot orthotics, pillows, braces, nutritional supplements and other items we have int the office can qualify for that. Massage therapy is also covered at the office under your HSA, all I need to do is write a letter of medical necessity. Let us know if you are interested in any of those products and the staff will assist you.

Thank you for looking at your schedules and planning ahead if you need to book any appointments with me for care. The holidays are busy for all of us and my schedule fills quickly. I continue to be very grateful and thankful to you all for your referrals of new patients into the office. I am so glad to be so busy because of all of you. Taking care of you is truly an honor and a pleasure.

Happy New Year from myself, Isabel, Venus and Traci!

Kevin M. Wong, D.C.

Happy November!

2010-11-17T06:20:00.000-08:00

I hope all has been well for you this November. I have not posted for awhile because I have been on the road quite a lot. When I am home, it is all about the kids. Life is amazingly busy these days.

I am encouraging you all to consider signing up for The Turkey Trot sponsored by Walnut Creek Sports and Fitness. They have a 5K and 10K run/walk that occurs in the morning. There is child care and kids races after the adult races are finished. It takes place in downtown Walnut Creek on the morning of Thanksgiving. It will be our 4th year doing it and should be lots of fun. Proceeds benefit the Walnut Creek Educational Fund.

As many of you know, I am out of the office this Saturday, Nov. 20. I am teaching in Sacramento. I will be here Wednesday and Friday of this week as well as most of Thanksgiving week. See my website for office hours if you have questions.

Get outside and exercise and enjoy this beautiful weather!

Kevin M. Wong, D.C.

Your feet and Your Health

2010-10-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy October!

I just had another article published in "To Your Health Magazine" about your feet and why they are so important to you. I hope you take a few minutes to look at the link and read the article.

My prime referral into the office are patients with foot related complaints. Often, there is pain in their body that is caused by the feet and they don't even realize it. It is always interesting to help people with problems in the feet because they learn a lot about themselves in the process.

Let me know what you think. I am always interested in feedback.

http://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=1351

Have a wonderful week!

Kevin M. Wong, D.C.
www.orindachiropractic.com
925-254-4040

Don't Take Things for Granted!

2010-09-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

It is a daily occurrance that I speak to patients about preventative health. In all honesty, you either believe in this concept or you don't. Many of us would like to believe in it and see the wisdom in it, but have trouble committing to it.

One of our close friends is going through some health issues with their young daughter. This hits me close to home because my little Gabrielle is the same age. We go through a range of emotions when close friends go through crises because we know that could very well be us next. This little girl is only 4 years old. She is too young to have to deal with health problems. Her only worry should be who she is going to play with next.

My message is simple: Take care of yourself now while you have your health. Don't take it for granted. Whether you are recieving regular Chiropractic care with me, going to the gym, making your check ups at the Doctor, Dentist or Eye Doctor, stay on top of things.

I hear so often patients say, "I felt this pain come on some time ago, but I thought it would go away" The longer a pain is there, the longer it takes for me to get it to go away. Stay on top of how you feel and let me or someone help before it gets out of hand.

I wish you all a very healthy rest of September. Be well and take charge of your health.

Get the Big Idea!

2010-08-28T19:23:00.000-07:00

I just got finished having a fun afternoon teaching a seminar in Nashville, Tennessee. Sure, it was to a great group of over 200
chiropractors, but the information I shared with them is very similar to what I share with all of you in the office.

Your feet and the three arches that support them are vitally important to the health of your body. I know a lot of you out there have or continue to suffer from ankle, knee or lower back pain. Don't forget that the stability, balance and healthy movement of the whole body is traced back to the feet.

Tha tis why I try and check your feet when you come to see me with pain in any of these areas. The pain can tracheal up into the lower back, mid back and neck.

Since most adults have fallen arches and they don't even know it, it becomes important for us to not only find out how your feet are doing, but how they could be affecting your body. Otherwise, your joints won't move as smoothly as they should and you will be experiencing pain as well.

Talk to me if you have any questions so I can help support your body from the ground up.

Get a Good Night's Sleep

2010-08-11T22:25:00.000-07:00

This is an article that I wrote for "To Your Health Magazine" that was published this month. Read it and let me know what you think.

Have you ever woken up from a long night of slumber with a sore neck and wondered what happened? Have you ever heard the alarm clock go off in the morning and realized you didn't sleep more than a couple of hours the entire night? Do you wake up every hour and get frustrated at why it is so late (and how tired you are) and yet you can't seem to stay asleep?

It is amazing how many millions of people lie down at night with the hopes of getting some restful sleep, but never seem to be able to. Of course, there are some genuine health reasons why people may have trouble sleeping, such as sleep apnea, side effects of prescription medications, and pain from debilitating medical problems. Those are just a few of the many causes that might prevent someone from sleeping well. For the average person, however, better sleep can be attained simply by taking some steps that are completely under your control.

It's important to understand that sleeping is as individual an event as exercising, eating right or deciding what to wear every day. Our society makes you think that if you have any old mattress and a pillow, and time to sleep, everything will take care of itself. Not true. Here are a few suggestions on how to make your sleep more individualized and restful.

Your Mattress

Most people buy a new mattress when their old one "wears out," meaning it's tattered, torn, excessively stained and/or otherwise unappealing to sleep on. Generally, it is not a good idea to keep a mattress longer than 10-15 years due to the wear and tear you put it through. Depending on the quality, it may last longer or shorter. Going to a store and lying on a mattress for a few minutes is not enough time to make a decision on something you will have to lie on for years to come. You need to test it out in a real sleep environment to make sure you can experience deep, rejuvenating sleep for years. After all, why pay good money to end up tossing and turning every night?

Choose a mattress that has a trial period so that if you do not like it, you can return it and get another. Most good mattresses come with trial periods of anywhere from 90 days to up to five years, depending on where you buy them. Do not buy a mattress if you have no ability to return it. They cost far too much money to have buyer's remorse later.

Again, in terms of which specific mattress type/style to choose, it really boils down to how it makes you feel/sleep. Some people prefer a firm mattress, while others like a softer mattress. As long as it adequately supports your head, neck and back during sleep (meaning you don't sink into it excessively or don't hurt the next day from lying on something that feels like your hard floor), it's what makes you sleep well that matters most.

Sleeping Position

OK, so you've picked out your "perfect" mattress; now how do you sleep on it? From a health perspective, the best position for sleep is on your back with a pillow under your knees. The pillow should be comfortable for you and help take pressure off the small of your back. The second-best position is on your side with a pillow between your knees. The pillow between the knees must be thick enough to keep your thighs hip-width apart. On your side also means you need a supportive pillow (I'll explain what kind of pillow in just a minute).

The most undesirable position for sleeping is on your stomach. This is because you need to turn your head to either side in order to breathe and this can cause neck pain. Often I notice that people who sleep on their stomachs also throw one or both arms over their head, which can lead to pain in the shoulders as well. Please try to avoid this position, as it is not healthy for your body.

I know you sometimes think it's the most relaxing position, but it doesn't last and can do more damage than good. Many times your body tells you if it is in an uncomfortable position. It wakes you up and makes you move. I know this is a hard one for many of you because your favorite position to sleep goes all the way back to when you were a baby. Try to make sure you make the appropriate changes because they will help you.

Your Pillow

Think about how you like to sleep before you choose your pillow. People who sleep on their back need a thinner pillow than those who sleep on their side. There are so many pillows to choose from, but my best advice to you is to take your current pillow to your chiropractor and let them analyze it for you.

When my patients bring their pillows to me, I have them lie flat on their back and check the angle of their head. Your head should not be lifted too high so that it cranes your neck. While on your side, your pillow should cradle your neck so that your spine forms a 90 degree angle with a line through the shoulders.

Don't be fooled! Just because you have an orthopedic or fancy memory foam pillow doesn't mean it is right for you. In fact, it could be one of the causes of your sleep problems. Again, let your doctor evaluate your pillow and discuss the best option to maximize your sleep.

A Few Other Ideas to Help Ensure Peaceful Sleep

No distractions in your bedroom. Watching TV, typing on the laptop or listening to your iPod before bed gets your metabolism going and disrupts the body's relaxation mechanisms for getting sleepy. Try to turn off the TV or handheld device at least 30 minutes before bed so you can have quiet time to prepare for sleep.

No drinking alcohol or exercising within a couple of hours of bedtime. These activities affect your metabolism and will delay the onset of sleep.

Keep a consistent bedtime and wake time (even on weekends). This helps to keep your body's clock ("circadian rhythm") regulated. Your body does well on a schedule; if you disrupt that schedule, the body has trouble adjusting. You may get eight hours of sleep if you go to bed at 9:00 a few nights a week and midnight a few others, but the difference in quality of sleep will probably be noticeable. Try to stick to a consistent schedule whenever possible.

Biomechanics of Sleep

You can tell so far that we have been talking about setting up your sleep conditions so that you have the best chances of not only falling asleep, but getting great rest. Now I really want you to stop for a moment and go through your ritual of getting ready for bed, going to bed, sleeping and then waking up the next morning. If you find that you are having trouble getting to sleep, waking up repeatedly in the night or having trouble waking up because you are so groggy or unrested, it's time to sit down and consider how some of the above variables (mattress, pillow, sleep position) may be playing a role.

Another big key to all of this is making sure you are adjusted regularly by your chiropractor. Having your neck, shoulders, back and hips adjusted regularly will not only help to keep them healthy biomechanically, but help keep stress off the joints when you are sleeping. Less stress means less injury and pain.

Talking about sleep and sleep habits with my patients is one of the most important parts of my treatment plan. How you sleep can negatively affect the way your chiropractic adjustments hold and can prolong pain and healing time. Sleep is something we take for granted ... until you don't get enough of it. If you're experiencing sleep problems, talk to your doctor and evaluate whether your mattress, pillow and sleep position are to blame.

Don't Skimp on Sleep

Who's got time to sleep? Among other culprits, we can blame technology. Consider that before the introduction of cell phones, blogging, text messaging, social media sites, video games and even cable television, people generally went to bed earlier, and for several reasons. First, without those technological "distractions" to occupy countless hours of late-night time, there was nothing to keep you from lying down and dozing off. Second, those distractions overstimulate your brain, make it more difficult to sleep once you decide it's time for bed.

No big deal, right? That's the world we live in. Consider the some of the potential short- and long-term health consequences of poor sleep, courtesy of WebMD:

Short-Term Consequences

Worse performance: Anyone who's had a late night and then rushed to work the next morning knows that it's a little harder to focus and stay sharp, particularly as the day wears on.
Worse memory: Your ability to think and process information declines in the absence of quality sleep.
Higher injury risk: Excessive sleepiness contributes to higher risk of occupational injuries, not to mention automobile accidents.
Long-Term Consequences

High blood pressure
Heart attack
Stroke
Obesity
Attention deficit disorder
Depression
Poor quality of life
Remember, poor sleep, particularly if it becomes chronic, could be a sign of an underlying medical condition, so talk to your doctor if you're having trouble sleeping so they can help determine what's causing it and then do something about it!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kevin M. Wong, DC, a 1996 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic West in San Jose, Calif., practices full-time in Orinda, Calif. He is also an instructor for Foot Levelers, Inc.

Article In USA Today in Sketcher Shape Ups!

2010-06-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

I get asked about Sketcher Shape Ups along with the MBT Pelvic Rocker shoe. We can always discuss how this pertains to your specific case since everyone is different. If you have ever thought about getting a pair of these shoes or have a pair already, be very aware of your body as you use them. What is important here are the long term effects for your body, not just the short term.

Read this article just published in todays's edition of USA today and see what you think. http://usat.me?39080010

I am always happy when you find foot wear that you enjoy and like wearing, I just want to make sure your shoes are safe for you. Let me know how I can help look specifically at your feet or shoes. Enjoy your summer.

Kevin M Wong, DC

Wearing Flip Flops This Summer!

2010-06-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

A lot of you or people you know will be wearing flip flops this summer. Many people enjoy wearing this type of shoe because of how cool it keeps their feet. It is also very common for many women, ranging from middle school age through adulthood, to wear flip flops almost daily.

I am not going to write this blog to lecture you about how un-supportive they are, but instead I will tell you how to help yourself while wearing them. Please remember that any shoes you wear need to have all three arches supported. Almost every shoe out there, flip flops especially, do not have arch supports for all three arches. Check out the link to this article on Yahoo that talked about flip flops.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/the-right-kind-of-flip-flops-to-wear-this-summer-1635481/

I know better than to have battles with patients about their flip flops. I just want to make sure you have all of the facts and know what we can do for your feet when you wear them. I always love teaching patients about their feet and how they relate to the rest of their body.

Please feel free to talk to me, bring in your flip flops in and we can talk about hoes to make them work better for you. I can let you feel how putting in a very comfortable pair of custom molded insoles in your sandals and flip flops will help.

Be well,

Dr. Kevin won

I am teaching in Reno, NV this weekend

2010-06-08T16:37:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone!

I will be in Reno, NV at a Chiropractic convention this Friday, Saturday and Sunday (June 11-13). That means I won't be in for my normal office hours this coming weekend.

To accommodate those who need to get in to see me before I leave, I will be open on Wednesday, June 9 from 8:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursday, June 10, from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. I will be back in the office on Monday, June 14 for normal office hours that week.

I hope all of you are well and look forward to taking care of you if you need me.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Dr. Kevin M. Wong
Orinda Chiropractic Center
89 Moraga Way, Suite A
Orinda, Ca 94563
925-254-4040
www.orindachiropractic.com

Time For Me To Start Teaching Again!

2010-06-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy June!

I hope you are all looking forward to the start of summer. It looks like the weather is finally perking up for all of us to enjoy. I wanted to keep you up to date about what is going with my office hours as I will be in Reno, NV teaching next weekend.

I will be in Reno from Friday, June 11 through Sunday June 13. This means that I will NOT be in the office on Saturday, June 12. So if you are someone who loves to see me on Saturdays, please plan ahead and get on the schedule for this coming Saturday, June 4. I will of course be here the following Saturday, June 15.

I will also be expanding my schedule on Thursday, June 10 for most of the day to accommodate some of you who may have needed to see me on Friday or Saturday as well. I appreciate you helping me by planning ahead and scheduling early because times always book up on the weeks that I will be traveling.

For the month of June, Foot Levelers custom molded stabilizers are being offered for $270.00 for new orders. This is a savings of $60.00 from their normal cost of $330.00. If any of you have had your stabilizers for over 2-3 years or they have been wearing out and you need to replace them, the cost is $250.00. Give us a call or ask us about it the next time you are in for your visit and we'll be happy to help you.

Many of you have experienced the Infrared laser I have in the office and have been telling your friends about it. The laser has done a wonderful job helping patients with pain, swelling, inflammation and tissue healing. If you have any questions about it, log onto the website and check it out. The first visit is always complimentary if you have never used the laser before.

I continue to be grateful and excited by the referrals you send to my office of your friends, family and co-workers. Thank you very much for all of your continued support and confidence.

Have an amazing month of June and I will talk to you the next time you need my help!

Warm Regards,

Kevin M. Wong, D.C.

Do you really need that Heel Lift?

2010-04-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

There have been quite a few people lately that have come in wearing heel lifts under one of their feet inside their shoes. What is a heel lift you might ask? It is a little rubber or plastic insert that a Podiatrist, Medical doctor or another type of health care provider can put under your feet if they think one leg is shorter than the other.

The idea is to gap the distance of the short leg so that the legs can be more even and you will theoretically be more balanced. This idea works wonderfully if one of the legs is physically shorter than the other. Sometimes people are born that way or sometimes, due to injuries like broken leg bones, one bone becomes shorter than the other.

The problem is most people out there that have a short leg is because their pelvis or hips are twisted due to the dropped arches of their feet. The dropped arches sets up a situation where the foot flattens out and falls towards the ground. This in turn puts pressure on the inner ankles, the inner knees, the outer hips and makes the pelvis and hips rotate or twist in a way where one of the legs shortens up. We call this a "functional short leg".

In plain terms, there are many people out there who are wearing heel lifts who actually do not need them. Once I look at them and analyze the pattern of twisting that their pelvis and hips are in, I can often re-align or adjust these bones back into their natural position and even their legs out. Once the legs even out, the body tells us that it does not need any heel lift. In fact, wearing a heel lift can do more damage or cause pain in many joints of the body.

One of my recent patients had a 7 mm heel lift that she did not need under her right foot. No wonder why she had right hip pain that moved into her lower back.

Most people out there in the world do not need a heel lift. If you or someone you know is wearing one, call me and let me talk to you about it. I'll bet that if we take a quick look at your body and identify your patterns in the hips and pelvis, you may be very surprised to know whether you really need that heel lift or not.

Be Well!

Arizona Bound!

2010-04-01T20:54:00.001-07:00

As some of you know, Isabel and I worked pretty hard on the Parkmead Elementary School Fundraising Auction that was held during the last weekend in March. It was a lot of fun but a lot of work. We are glad it is over and we are still recovering.

It's time to get my wife out of town for a few days so we are going to Sedona, AZ on Saturday, April 3. I will be back in the office on Wednesday, April 7 for regular office hours. I will not have office hours on Saturday, April 3, due to being out of town. Venus and Traci will be in and out of the office checking messages if you need to call in and schedule or ask questions. I will also be available by cell phone and check my e-mail daily if you need to get a message to me.

You can e-mail me at drkevinwong@orindachiropractic.com

I won't be gone long and look forward to being refreshed and relaxed when I get back on Wednesday.

I hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend and get some time to enjoy the sun.

Warm Regards,

Dr. Kevin M. Wong, D.C.
Orinda Chiropractic Center
www.orindachiropractic.com
925-254-4040 W
925-285-9301 C

The Past, Present and Future!

2010-02-14T20:50:00.001-08:00

It is amazing to think that this is the start of my 14th year of practicing Chiropractic. Many of you have been with me since my early days of working in Lafayette. A lot has changed over that time: getting married, having kids and improving as a practitioner and a teacher.

I absolutely love my job and I owe that to all of you who continue to support my practice with your unwavering belief in my ability to help your friends, family and co-workers. Every day I am thankful to have all of you in my life and I hope I can continue to be of service to you in the coming years.

Many of you have told me that I still continue to work long hours and you are totally right. Through the years of building my practice, I have worked at times, six days per week and 60 hour work weeks. Over the last two years, I have been slowly tweaking my schedule. Now the final piece of the puzzle of balancing my work/personal life will fall into place.

As of this coming week, I am taking Tuesday afternoons off. This change, coupled with my thursdays that I already take off, will level out my work week. As I have come to personally know many of you through the years and watched you grow and mature as people, I am glad to know that I can do the same. The time off from work will help re-energize me so that I can continue to be excited and at the top of my game in helping you in the office.

My new schedule is as follows:

Monday: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday: Closed
Friday: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday: 7 a.m. to noon

I will still be available early in the morning 4 days per week and I will still be available late in the office three days per week. I am also still maintaining my Saturday hours for those of you who have trouble getting in during the week. You may want to start planning your appointments in advance to get those time slots or days of the week you really want.

Thank you for being a patient and making my practice life so enjoyable. If you are a potential patient, I look forward to making you part of our practice family. I learn something from every one of you about how to make my life just a bit more special.

If you have any more questions, give us a call at Orinda Chiropractic Center at 925-254-4040.

Warm Regards,

Kevin M. Wong, D.C.

A Short Work Week for Dr. Kevin

2010-02-07T18:07:00.000-08:00

It seems like February is just flying by! I am really happy that thanks to all of your referrals for my Chiropractic work and the cold laser therapy, we have been busy. Thank you for all of your continued referrals and I really appreciate it.

This is a short work week for me because my kids have off of school by Thursday, February 11. I will work a full day Monday (Feb. 8), Tuesday, (Feb. 9), and Wednesday (Feb. 10) to get all of you on the schedule and taken care of.

I will be gone from Thursday through Sunday in North Lake Tahoe with my family. I will be back in the office on Monday, February 15, for normal office hours.

I hope you all enjoy President's Weekend and see you when you need me next.

Kevin M. Wong, D.C.

Should I still get adjusted when I am sick?

2010-02-03T06:29:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy February!

Should I still come in for an adjustment when I am sick with a cold or flu? Yes! When we get sick, our body becomes very sore and tight all over. The upper neck bones, skull and jaw can get out of alignment which restricts our immune system and blood flow. Coughing can cause your ribs and upper/mid back to move out of alignment and that creates more muscle spasm and pain. When you get adjusted, you will feel better faster! Many patients come down and get treated when they first feel a sore throat. So no matter what age you are, young or mature, let the power of Chiropractic help you!

The new, upgraded, fully robotic cold laser that I have in my office is the first of its kind anywhere in California. It has been helping a lot of patients in the office with pain, swelling and edema all over the body. I am even helping patients with sinus problems, acne rosacea and toenail fungus. You can go to the website (www.orindachiropractic.com) and read about it or call us at the office for more information.

Isabel and I are taking the kids to Lake Tahoe from Thursday, February 11 through Sunday, February 14. I return Monday, February 15, for regular hours (7 a.m. to 6 p.m.). That means I WILL be in the office this coming Saturday, February 6, from 6:30 a.m. to noon, but I will NOT be in the office on Saturday February 13.

Thank you always for referring in your friends, families and co-workers for care in our office. We continue to be successful because of your belief in our abilities to help people. All of you make my job fun!

Here’s to a happy, healthy 2010!

Dr. Kevin Wong
Orinda Chiropractic Center
89 Moraga Way, Suite A
Orinda, CA 94563

Willl you please follow my blog?

2010-02-02T21:19:00.000-08:00

I am trying to get more followers to my Orinda Chiropractic Center blog.

On this blog, I try to put up interesting articles about health or announcements about products, services or devices that really help people to feel better.

Most of the information is in more depth on my actual website, but the blog will help to showcase things in a little bit of detail to see how it can benefit you, your families and friends.

I would appreciate it if you would click "follow" off to the right hand side of the page. Thank you for your support.

Dr. Kevin M. Wong,D.C.

2010-01-31T08:18:00.000-08:00

"Colic Calm" is a new formula for something called "Gripewater". Traditionally it has been given to children who are very irritable, crying alot and don't seem to sleep. It is also good for adults who have gastrointestinal or abdominal upset. Read on for the information given directly by the company that makes the product:

Our breakthrough formula contains nine carefully selected, side-effect-free homeopathic remedies (how do homeopathics differ from herbal oils and extracts found in other gripe waters?)

Colic Calm works instantly! It need only be given once symptoms of infant discomfort become evident. There is no regular dosing required, and unlike other formulas, there is certainly no waiting around impatiently hoping for relief to set in.

It's no wonder our product comes so highly recommended by pediatricians, doulas, midwives and pharmacists. Parents and babies everywhere can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Our all natural, allergen-free formula has proven time and time again the absolute best solution...even in the toughest cases (see what parents are saying). Indeed, our gentle formula provides the safest and most effective relief of colic and gas pain available anywhere...and babies just happen to love the taste!

Good day . . . Good night . . . Guaranteed!

Although originally designed to treat infant colic and gas, many parents have also reported great success in alleviating acid reflux. Unlike prescription drugs that are commonly prescribed these days, Colic Calm does not alter the balance of babies' delicate digestive systems. In fact, the homeopathics in Colic Calm stimulate the body's self-healing properties.

Colic Calm gripewater also helps baby's digestive system adjust to new foods, relieves hiccups and soothes stomach upset that often results from increased saliva production during teething.

Important Notice:
Please be assured that ColicCalm is a homeopathic medicine, not one of the dietary supplement gripe waters which have been subject to recent recall due to potential health risks. ColicCalm alone is FDA regulated and registered to ensure utmost quality and purity for your precious infants.

If you have any questions, log onto coliccalm.com for testimonials and more product information.

Just give us a call at Orinda Chiropractic Center at 925-254-4040. if you want to purchase the product. A bottle is $20.00 and is well worth it. You will see yourself very quickly.

2010-01-13T06:21:00.000-08:00

I am at my Orinda Chiropractic Center Office today, Wednesday, January 13, from 8:45 a.m to 6 p.m. and then I am off tomorrow to a seminar in Las Vegas, NV.

Our office will be closed from Thursday, January 14 through Sunday, January 17. We re-open for normal office hours next week on Monday, January 18 at 7 a.m.

I will be done teaching for awhile after this week and won't have another seminar until March. Life should return to normal at the office by Monday.

Thank you for calling 925-254-4040 as early as you can so we can accommodate your scheduling needs today. The last day before I leave is usually quite busy as I prepare to go out of town.

Have a nice day and a wonderful start to your New Year!

Dr. Kevin M. Wong

Office hours for the week of January 4-9, 2010

2010-01-03T08:24:00.000-08:00

Dr. Kevin will be teaching in Orlando, Florida on Tuesday, January 5, 2010. Please see below for special office hours for the week.

Special Office Hours for the Week of January 4-6:

Monday, January 4, from 6:30 a.m. to 12 noon

Tuesday, January 5, Closed

Wednesday, Janaury 6, from 1 p.m to 6 p.m.

Thursday, January 7, from 7 a.m. to 12 noon

Friday, January 8, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday, January 9, from 7 a.m. to 12 noon

Please give us a call at Orinda Chiropractic Center for scheduling or to attend to your needs. Dr. Kevin Wong thanks you for all of your continued referrals of your friends, family and co-workers to our office. We love taking care of people who matter to you!

Office Hours for Christmas and New Year's

2009-12-23T19:58:00.001-08:00

I will be leaving for Philadelphia on December 24, 2009 (Christmas Eve) .

Here are my remaining office hours for 2009:

Christmas Eve - Closed
Christmas Day - Closed
December 26 - December 28 (Monday) - On vacation in Philadelphia/New Jersey
Tuesday, Wednesday - December 29, 30, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday, December 31, from 7 a.m to 1 p.m.
New Year's Day - Closed
Saturday - January 2, from 7 a.m. to noon

Enjoy the rest of your holidays and I thank you for being wonderful patients of Orinda Chiropractic Center. Your referrals of your family, friends and co-workers have been appreciated and always welcome.

Happy New Year to all!

Orinda Chiropractic's Office Hours for Thanksgiving Week

2009-11-21T08:58:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Iowa. As you know, I am teaching in Iowa this weekend but I want to keep you informed about my office hours for the week of Thanksgiving. I am only closed on Thanksgiving Day.

Here they are:

Monday, November 23: 7 am to 6 pm
Tuesday, November 24, 7 am to 6 pm
Wednesday, November 25, 7 am to 6 pm
Thursday, Thanksgiving: Closed
Friday, November 27, 7 am to noon
Saturday, November 28, 7 am to noon

give us a call at Orinda Chiropractic Center at 925-254-4040 if you need any help.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Gobble Gobble!

Dr. Kevin Wong

I am off to teach in Davenport, IA this weekend

2009-11-15T15:06:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow Bloggers!

I hope you are well. I am off to teach a 12 hour seminar at Palmer College in Davenport, IA this weekend. I thought I would share my office hours with you so you can plan ahead if you like.

Office hours for the week of November 15-21:

Monday(Nov. 16) and Tuesday (Nov.17) 7 a.m to 6 p.m.;
Wednesday(Nov.18) 8:45 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday(Nov 19) WE ARE OPEN IN THE AFTERNOON from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday(Nov.20) 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Closed Friday afternoon and Saturday (Nov. 21)

I will be back in the office by Monday, November 22 through the weekend of Thanksgiving. Even though I am closed Thanksgiving Day, I will be around all week.

If you need to schedule and appointment or have questions, feel free to call Orinda Chiropracic Center at 925-254-4040. We are on the web at www.orindachiropractic.com

Orinda Chiropractic Center is Open Veteran's Day!

2009-11-11T06:27:00.001-08:00

Happy Veteran's Day to All of You!

We are open regular office hours today. Dr. Kevin is in the office from 8:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. Our Massage Therapist, Dave Roter, is also in today for body work.

Hopefully those of you who are off of work today can take advantage of this and get in for a tune up or to address some concerns you have had that you just have not had time for.

Enjoy your day off and if you need us give us a call at Orinda Chiropractic Center, 925-254-4040.

Dr. Kevin
www.orindachiropractic.com

How To Stay Healthy This November/December

2009-11-08T16:54:00.001-08:00

I hope you all have recovered from the Halloween festivities. We are still digging out from all of the candy that Kyle and Gabby brought home. As we begin moving into the holiday season, I hope you are all staying healthy and happy.

I will be going to Davenport, Iowa on Friday, November 20 through Sunday, November 22
to teach at Palmer College for 12 hours. I will NOT be in the office on Saturday,
November 21. I will be in this coming Saturday, November 14 so please plan accordingly. For you planners out there, I will be in the office for half a day on November 20.

Lots of people are sick right now as I am sure you have noticed. Whether it is your child's school, your workplace or even going to the supermarket, people seem to be sneezing and coughing. With all of the scare of the regular flu, the swine flu and seasonal colds going around, I want to remind of you a simple way of helping your immune system stay strong: come in and get yourself adjusted.

Much of your immune system functions are regulated by the spine and the nerves flowing through them. Whether you are an adult or a child, starting to feel sick or are in the middle of it, receiving adjustments to your spine, especially your upper neck, will allow your immune and lymphatic systems to function at their fullest potential. Plus, you body will feel more relaxed and not as achy and sore.

Kyle and Gabby have been getting adjusted when they begin to feel sick since they were babies. Chiropractic has helped them stay healthy and rarely do they get sick. I have articles that I have written about Chiropractic and children on our website at
www.orindachiropractic.com. Just look under the "articles" section if you are interested.

I also have my family and many other patients on a natural liquid silver product by a
company called Nature's Sunshine. This "Silver Shield" is a natural killer of bacteria and viruses. It is safe and one dosage is a teaspoon. If you want more information, go to naturessunshine.com and look for Silver Shield. We sell the 4 fl. oz. bottles for $32.00.

Thank you all for your continued referrals of your friends, family and co-workers. You helped make our month of October a record month for new patients even though I was in Brazil for almost 10 days. I always appreciate you and you can bet I am very grateful as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday.

Take care and see you when you need us next!

Kevin M. Wong, D.C.

Oh My Aching Head!

2009-10-31T23:12:00.000-07:00

Here is my latest article that I wrote for a Chiropractic magazine. It is all about headaches. Let me know if you find it helpful or pass it along to a friend.

Oh, My Aching Head!

By Kevin M. Wong, DC

Do you or someone you love struggle with frequent headaches? You can probably hold up both hands and still not have enough fingers to count everyone you know who has some type of headache. We all seem to have that friend or co-worker who struggles with migraines. It could even be you! Did you know that headache disorders are on the list of the top 10 most disabling conditions for human beings? They are very common and interestingly enough, women are affected by headaches more frequently than men.

Headache is defined as pain in the head or upper neck. It is one of the most common locations of pain in the body and has many causes. Typical types of headaches include migraine, tension, and cluster headaches. There are also a variety of less common types of headaches, and we’ll spend a few moments on some of these too.

Tension headaches are the most common type of headache, and yet their causes aren't well understood. A tension headache is generally a diffuse, mild to moderate pain that many people describe as feeling as if there's a tight band around their head . As many as 90 percent of adults have had or will have tension headaches. Tension headaches are more common among women than men.

Migraine headaches are the second most common type of headache. An estimated 28 million people in the United States (about 12 percent of the population) will experience migraine headaches at some point in their life. Migraine headaches affect children as well as adults. Before puberty, boys and girls are affected equally by migraine headaches, but after puberty, more women than men are affected. An estimated 6 percent of men and up to 18 percent of women will experience a migraine headache during their lifetime.

Cluster headaches are so named because the attacks come in groups. The pain arrives with little, if any, warning, and it has been described as the most severe and intense of any headache type. It generally lasts from 30 to 45 minutes, although it might persist for several hours before it disappears. Unfortunately, it can reoccur later in the day. Most sufferers experience one to four headaches a day during a cluster period.

Cluster headaches frequently surface during the morning or late at night; the cluster cycle can last weeks or months and then can disappear for months or years. It is estimated that less than one percent of the population are victims of cluster headaches. More men (about five to one) than women suffer from cluster headaches .
There is no doubt that headaches affect quality of life. Some people have occasional headaches that resolve quickly, while others are debilitated. Tension, migraine, and cluster headaches are not life-threatening. Due to the quality and intensity of the pain, people often have trouble concentrating and their work and home life suffer. In many cases, you hear of people having to go to sleep in order to make the headache disappear.

Globally, the percentages of the adult population with an active headache disorder are 46 percent for headache in general, 11 percent for migraine, 42 percent for tension-type headache and 1-3 percent for cluster headache.

Headache Treatments
Most people with headaches treat themselves with over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications. The following are the most popular: aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), acetaminophen (Tylenol) and naproxen (Aleve). If these fail, other supportive treatments are available. It is important to remember that OTC medications may have side effects and potential interactions with prescription medications. This can lead to a whole host of problems that come about from using the medications.

In our modern times, people are always looking for other alternatives to drugs for relief from their headaches. So what are your non-medication options? Let’s discuss some of the important ones.

Chiropractic: I have never seen a headache patient who did not have some type of misalignment of the bones of the neck (cervical spine). It is amazing how much muscle spasm and tension misaligned bones can cause a human being. When the bones are out of alignment, the muscles attached to them become stressed, so they become tight. The tight muscles also restrict the flow of information through the nerves and the circulation through the blood vessels. This sets up all sorts of problems, including headaches and neck pain.
Having the chiropractor adjust those spinal bones back into their normal alignment will reset your system. The joints will have better movement, the muscles can begin to relax on their own and the circulation and nervous systems can start to flow again. The spine and the bones of the extremities really do hold a key to feeling good for the long term.

Massage Therapy: A good therapeutic massage by a certified massage therapist can relax muscle tissue, improve circulation, and clear out the toxins that are trying to drain (lymphatic system). It is astonishing how much muscle tension accompanies any type of headache in the body. The muscles of the neck and upper back are among the most powerful in the body. After all, they have to hold up the head which weighs as much as a bowling ball.

When chiropractic and massage work together, patients will respond especially well to care. I suggest to my patients that they should have their massage and chiropractic treatments within 36 hours of each other. This way, the adjustments and the muscle relaxation can be present to work together.

Acupuncture: The use of acupuncture needles and natural herbs are also another powerful method of helping people with headaches. Acupuncture works with the energy, or Chi, of the body, as it flows through all of the organs and parts of the body. When energy becomes trapped or blocked, it can contribute to a whole host of painful conditions or situations in the body, including headaches.

An acupuncturist can expertly insert thin needles into specific spots of your body to release the trapped energy, allow it to flow better and contribute further to relaxing muscle, improving circulation and nervous system flow.

Ergonomics: Examining someone’s daily habits and body positions is extremely important. I have found the number one problem for people with any type of headache is to look at their pillow. Ask your chiropractor for guidance in this area for your specific needs. In general, sleeping on your back is best with a pillow under your neck and head. If you are going to sleep on your side, the pillow needs to be wide enough to span the distance between your shoulders and neck. Custom-made pillows are now available to help give you the proper support you need.

Your computer desk or workstation and telephone setup also need to be examined. Improper keyboard and monitor placement can cause eye strain and make you crane your neck to be able to see. A chair that is not adjusted properly or fit to your body type can cause stress on the entire body, including the neck. All these factors can contribute to headaches.

Exercise: It can enhance your life, but must be done safely. Make sure that the exercises you are performing do not strain any of your neck and upper back muscles. I often recommend my patients who are starting a fitness routine for the first time to consult a personal trainer or physical therapist for at least 3-5 sessions to learn the proper techniques for exercises. For those of you already exercising, consult your chiropractor about the exercises you are doing to make sure they are not stressing your body too much and creating further problems.

Headaches are quite a pervasive problem in modern society. Once the type is identified, there are a variety of treatment avenues one can go down. In the end, taking a natural approach is not only extremely effective, but you can really learn about your body and how you can keep yourself feeling good without medications or drugs.

Chiropractic Care and Treating Mesothelioma

2009-10-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

http://orindachiropracticcenter.blogspot.com/

Chiropractic Care As a Part of Mesothelioma Treatment

Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer primarily caused by asbestos exposure. The symptoms of have an unusually long latency period and can take anywhere from 20 to 50 years to become noticeable. Unfortunately, mesothelioma treatment options are usually limited as the cancer is typically diagnosed in later stages.
Chiropractic care has become a more regularly used type of treatment by cancer patients over the years. Chiropractic care is used to treat and prevent pain and disorders regarding the musculoskeletal system that controls the body’s movement, including the spine.

Mesothelioma patients may choose to visit a chiropractor as part of their treatment routine. According to the American Chiropractic Association, chiropractic doctors “have a deep respect for the human body's ability to heal itself without the use of surgery or medication. These doctors devote careful attention to the biomechanics, structure and function of the spine, its effects on the musculoskeletal and neurological systems, and the role played by the proper function of these systems in the preservation and restoration of health. A doctor of chiropractic is one who is involved in the treatment and prevention of disease, as well as the promotion of public health, and a wellness approach to patient healthcare.”

In order to help control pain and relieve headaches, tension and stress, many cancer patients have incorporated chiropractic care into their course of treatment. Patients interested in alternative treatment, who strongly believe in the body’s capability to heal itself, may find chiropractic care appealing. Alleviating severe headaches and movement pains during cancer treatment may make the treatment process more comfortable for cancer patients, including those battling mesothelioma.

A study was published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics that examined a 54-year-old man diagnosed with lung cancer (a cancer often related to asbestos exposure). The man began seeing a chiropractor after experiencing very little pain relief one year after he underwent surgery to combat his cancer. The man experienced pain relief immediately after beginning chiropractic care and stopped using all of his pain medications after two visits to his chiropractor. The Journal noted, “These clinical examples offer two specific instances of how chiropractic may improve the quality of a cancer patient’s life.”

Breaking News About Chiropractic Care!

2009-10-22T13:52:00.001-07:00

A new study has just been released from the Foundation 4 Chiropractic Progress

Do Chiropractic Services for Low Back and Neck Pain Improve the Value of Health Benefits Plans? - An Evidence-Based Assessment of Incremental Impact on Population Health and Total Health Care Spending.

Esteemed authors Niteesh Choudhry, MD, PhD, Harvard Medical School and Arnold Milstein, MD, Mercer Health and Benefits, San Francisco, CA, developed this authoritative report which reviews the existing peer reviewed literature and arrives at the following conclusions:

* Chiropractic care is widely used with almost half of all patients with persistent back pain seeking out this form of treatment.

* "Chiropractic care for the treatment for low back and neck pain is highly cost effective, represents a good value in comparison to medical physician care and to widely accepted cost effectiveness thresholds."

* "The addition of chiropractic coverage for the treatment of low back and neck pain...will likely increase value-for-dollar by improving clinical outcomes..."

* "We project that insurance coverage for chiropractic physician care...is likely to drive improved cost effectiveness of US care."

* "Our findings support the value of health insurance coverage of chiropractic care for low back and neck pain at average fees currently payable by US commercial insurers."

It is quite an amazing study for our profession. For complete article details, please log on to http://www.f4cp.com/MercerReport.htm.

It's Good to Take Time Off Once in Awhile

2009-10-08T13:56:00.001-07:00

The time out in Brazil over the past week has been amazing and wonderful. My wife and I have had time to reconnect and spend time alone. We remember what life was like before children. The people and the culture out in South America are incredibly different than home. I am looking forward to leaving soon and coming back to see my children and my patients.

As I have been out of my home environment for almost a week, it gives me the opportunity to think about how grateful I am to have such a wonderful life. My family, friends and patients all help make my life fun and enjoyable. I am glad to have the opportunity to be a Doctor, an Educator, a Husband, a Father and a Friend.

Tomorrow, I have the opportunity to teach to a group of excited Doctors who have formed a very young Brazilian Chiropractic Association. It will be a lot of fun teaching people in another country other than the United States. It is even more enjoyable to have Isabel with me to share all this with.

I hope your week is going great. I will post again once I am home.

Take Care

Greetings from Rio De Janeiro

2009-10-04T15:44:00.000-07:00

A few of you have been asking for me to keep you updated on our Rio trip. We could not have timed our visit better as Rio was just awarded the Summer Olympic Games for 2016. It is now a giant party out here! Everyone is excited and running around with Olympic sympbols on them.

People are also wearing a lot of Speedo swimsuits out here. I mean almost everyone wears them. It is amazing how warm and humid it is out here and it is only the beginning of their spring.

It really is as beautiful as they say it is out here. The poverty level is also amazing in certain parts of the city. It makes us very thankful for what we have.

Tomorrow is our tour of the surrounding area. Stay tuned for more information and thank you for reading.

Office Hours Until I Leave For Brazil!

2009-09-23T06:17:00.000-07:00

Isabel and I are leaving to go to Brazil on Friday, October 2. I have sent out an e-mail to all of our current patients who we have addresses for. If you are not getting e-mails from our office, please let us know so we can add your address.

My office hours until we leave for Brazil are as follows:

Wednesday, September 23: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday, September 24: Closed (as usual)
Friday, September 25: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, September 26: 7 a.m. to noon
Monday, September 28: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m
Tuesday, September, 29: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday, September 30: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday, October 1: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

I will be back in the office after Brazil on Monday, October 12 for normal business hours.

Thank you for planning ahead and booking your appointments in the office as soon as you know your schedule. We are usually very busy the week I leave for vacation.

If you need to schedule or have questions for Dr. Kevin Wong, call him at Orinda Chiropractic Center at 925-254-4040.

Why On Earth Would My Child Go To The Chiropractor?

2009-09-20T19:05:00.000-07:00

As parents and grandparents, we spend a lot of time making sure our kids stay out of harms way. We try to teach them what is right and wrong and help them make decisions that will impact their lives in a positive way.

In my 13 years of practice, a week never passes by when a child, who is either a current patient or a new patient, does not injure himself or herself. Whether it be from various sports injuries, falling down in their driveway or getting a cold or flu, it is important to consider your options in how to care for them.

I grew up in a traditional medical (allopathic) household. When we got sick, we went to the M.D. If your child gets sick, you may do the same. I have learned from experience that we have taken Kyle and Gabrielle to the Doctor less and less as they get older. As a parent, you just get more comfortable with knowing how to care for certain ailments on your own.

When it comes to problems, injuries or pain that children get, the options presented by the M.D.'s are not much different than those presented to adults. Most of the time it is what type of medication do they want your child to take? Do they need a shot? Do they just need to rest?

As I remind all of my patients who have children, when kids get hurt and it has to do with their muscles and their skeletal bones, bringing them into our office will often yield quicker results with no foreign chemicals or substances being put into their bodies. When your child sprains an ankle, has fall, feels pain in their shoulder or many other types of problems, there is almost always a muscle/bone component.

After dealing with injuries for kids for so many years, it is very apparent to me how much kids benefit from being adjusted. Their bones move just like ours but they heal quicker. Many times, the way I adjust children is much gentler than how I adjust adults.

The most important thing I need to impress upon you is that if you are willing to consider Chiropractic care for yourself, why wouldn't you suggest it for your kids if and when they need it? I adjust my kids once a week because of all of the rough and tumble play they engage in. I am happy to say that they are very healthy!

If you have any questions for me about adjusting children, helping them with injuries or keeping them healthy, contact me at Orinda Chiropractic Center at 925-254-4040.

If you have Chiropractic benefits through PERS, read this!

2009-09-13T15:46:00.000-07:00

If you have your Chiropractic Benefits through PERS (Public Employees Retirement Service), whether it be Kaiser, Blue Shield, etc., then please read this.

I have been made aware that PERS is going to eliminate Chiropractic benefits for their patients as of the 2010 calendar year. It is another example of how your premiums will likely stay the same or go up but you are losing services. It is particularly unfortunate because some of you with PERS have had Chiropractic coverage for many years now.

The first thing to do is get on the phone to your Human Resources Dept. or the person who is in charge of your benefits at work and ask them if you do indeed have your Chiro. insurance through PERS. If it is, are you affected? If you are affected (i.e. losing your chiro. benefits next year), the consider the following:

a. Find out when your open enrollment is and look into switching into a new health plan that will cover the Chiropractic and the other services you use. It is always nice to know about open enrollment before it is too late and you are stuck with the plan you have.

b. If you have no other plans to choose from, or the cost of the new plan is simply too much, then look into a health savings account (HSA) or a Flexible spending account (FSA) or some kind of plan offered by work where you can put pre-tax dollars in for health care costs not covered by your insurance.

By signing up for the HSA or FSA plans, you can use this money to come in and get your Chiropractic visits and related medical items covered. I will be able to furnish you with receipts or statements showing you came into the office for services.

c. If you have no other choice but to stay with your current insurance plan, and you do not have an HSA or FSA option, then call me up and we can talk about it. The health of you and your family and maintaining your access to care in my office is important to me.

Please do not be REactive on this, be PROactive! Health care is steamrolling all of us and we need to stay on top of things for the sake of our family and ourselves.

If you have any other questions, feel free to call us at Orinda Chiropractic Center at 925-254-4040 or e-mail me at drkevinwong@orindachiropractic.com.

So what is so neat about this new Laser you have?

2009-09-09T06:11:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I have now established "Lamorinda Laser Therapy Center" inside of our Chiropractic clinic. For over 4 months now, I have had a new toy to play with in the office. This toy is a cutting edge, brand new therapy laser. Lasers have been used in surgery and various other medical fields for over 30 years in Europe. Many of you know Lasik, which is a type of laser used on the eyes.

The type I have is a therapeutic laser that helps many types of conditions for many types of people. By now, I have used the therapy laser on just about every body part. The common uses for it are for patients with: disc bulges, herniations or injuries; soft tissue injuries, muscle strains and tears, joint and muscle pain, arthritis and degenerative joint disease, inflammation/swelling, and fluid buildup (edema).

I have also began to use it for acne rosacea, toenail fungus (sorry if that is a little gross) and more.

The machine is safe and there are no side effects. Right now, I am having a 90% success rate with helping patients reduce their painful symptoms. I am excited that it is working so well for the patients.

For more details on the laser, log onto www.lamorindalasertherapy.com or look at the webpage on the official orindachiropractic.com website titled "Cutting Edge Laser Therapy". You can also call us at Orinda Chiropractic Center at 925-254-4040. Talk to you soon

We are open for 3 hours on Labor Day!

2009-09-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to remind all of you that we are open on Labor Day, Monday, Sept 7, from 7 a.m to 10 a.m. This way, I can get in and see some of you while you are off of work and still get home to the family. Please call us as early as possible. If you get a chance to read this on Sunday evening, you may even want to call and leave a message for us about getting in.

Call Dr. Kevin at Orinda Chiropractic Center, 925-254-4040. Have a great Labor Day!

Children and Sports Injuries

2009-09-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

Many of you have children that have begun school again. I know mine have. This year, I am on a campaign to make sure all of you protect your kids from injuries. Every year, I treat kids in the office for various injuries: sprained ankles; shoulder, knee, foot pain, lower back and neck pain. The list goes on and on. Children are smaller versions of adults and they get hurt just like we do.

Please, please remember: If your child hurts himself while playing sports try to identify immediately what is going on. It is not very often that any of the children I see in the office actually need to go to the M.D. first. Most injuries sustained are muscular and skeletal in nature. Most parents don't want their kids taking prescription medication or even over the counter medication unless it is absolutely necessary.

Especially if you have taken your injured child to the M.D. first and there are no broken bones or anything life threatening, give me a call so we can at least talk on the phone. If we deal with the injuries quickly, we can minimize swelling, pain and range of motion problems that can come about if you wait.

Most injuries children sustain can be corrected with gentle, simple adjustments performed by me in the office. It is amazing how fast kids heal when they are under care.

If you look at my website, www.orindachiropractic.com, under the section marked "Kids love Chiropractic", there are examples of articles I have written on how well Chiropractic works for children.

I hope your child stays healthy through their sports season. If they get into trouble, you always have me to help. Call us at Orinda Chiropractic Center at 925-254-4040.

Can you believe we will be open on Labor Day!

2009-09-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

A lot of you have asked me over the years why I don't take more time off? Many of you have noticed that I now take Thursdays off to be with the family. With Labor Day coming and the Bay Bridge being closed, I thought that a few of you may want to get in on Monday morning to get adjusted. If I can be open a little bit in the morning, it might help some of you.

We will have limited office hours from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., but it is long enough for some of you to roll out of bed and come on down if you need me. That way it will get me back home in time to go hang out with Isabel and the kids.

Have a wonderful Labor Day and enjoy the Fall!

If you want to schedule, then give us a call at Orinda Chiropractic Center at 925-254-4040.