Growth...

One of my best friends, Dr. Gary Oliver, says: "If a relationship is not growing, it's dying." He should know. He's Executive Director of The Center for Relationship Enrichment at John Brown University, and visiting associate professor of marriage and family counseling at Denver Seminary. Living things grow. When growth stops health crests and starts to decline; "life quotient" begins to ebb.

I think the same is true for most other aspects of life, including professional life. If I'm not growing professionally I am, in a very real sense, dying. In order to grow, I need to continue to learn. In fact, the "acquired habit of learning" is a lifelong habit that must be cultivated, fed, nurtured and exercised. Living beings learn. Learning is a vital sign of growth.

Where are you in life? It's never to late to learn. It's never time to stop growing in an area that interests you. If something has lost interest for you, rekindle your interest or move on.

My professional interest was definitely fanned into a hot flame when last Friday/Saturday my colleagues from The Center for Spine Pain (CSP) (6 of us in all) and I attended a spine conference in Breckenridge, Colorado. Always a small, intimate group with an incredible, high level of professional exchange, this conference has been a great way for us to grow relationally as CSP providers and grow professionally in our pursuit of excellence in conservative spine care.

Presenting at this conference were the current and 2 past presidents of the North American Spine Society, neurosurgeons, orthopedic spine surgeons, anesthesiologists, physiatrists, we chiropractors, and our acupuncturist. A very gracious group of people all trying to get a little better at what we do than we were last year. Sharpening one another. Challenging one another. Pretty neat stuff.

Then today Dr. Nguyen, Dr. Seeman and I attended a great event at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Remember Bob Beamon? He's the guy who jumped 29 feet 2.5 inches in Mexico City in 1968, shattering the world record by several feet (former record was 26 feet and some inches.) Bob's talk was inspiring because his feat embodied what the Olympic Spirit is all about -- striving for excellence in human achievement. Pushing farther, jumping higher (or in his case longer) and running faster. How good can we be, and how much better than we are now? How far can we reach? What are the limits? Bob said this: "Everyone in this room will jump 29 feet some day." He was speaking metaphorically, of course, about our own spheres of expertise and influence.

So, what are you reaching for? Are you growing? Do you have "the acquired habit of learning?" Not every week can be as incredible as this past one has been for me and my colleagues at CSP. Some weeks are average -- and some are downright below average. And that's OK. Even in the midst of a down rhythm of life, every week -- and every day -- can be marked by GROWTH.

~Dr. Joel Carmichael

We're not in Feb 22 ... here's why

Each year the Doctors of Chiropractic and our acupuncturist, Sara Pavone attend a national spine conference in Breckenridge, Colorado.  It's a great way for us to learn, ski hard, learn, eat, learn, ski hard, eat, and sleep.  Along the way we sharpen our expertise.  Whoever heard of an acupuncturist who knows how to read MRI's?  Well, Sara is a pretty sharp cookie -- I'd put her up against, well, lots of people -- in the MRI department.  And she's pretty good with a needle too!  

Our goal as a provider group is to be the best-in-the-world at just one thing. Read "Good to Great" by Jim Collins and you'll get the picture.  That one thing?  Non-operative care of spine pain.  That's why we call ourselves The Center for Spine Pain.  

Have we arrived?  Heck no!  Are we the best in the world?  Some would say so -- but we think we can do better (in some cases, lots better.)  Will we ever arrive?  Nope -- perfection is a relentless pursuit.  BUT -- we ARE on the journey together, and we are striving for better.  

That's why were out...         :-)

More on low back pain from our new Naturopath!

We're excited! We've added a Doctor of Naturopathy to our practice! "What's that?" you ask. A Doctor of Naturopathy practices general medicine from a diagnostic point of view (normal examinations, standard laboratory tests, familiar "diagnoses") but differs in that he prescribes NATURAL medicines, supplements and remedies rather than pharmaceuticals. Dr. Jason Barker, our Naturopath, has some recommendations for you (and others you would like to share these with) for low back pain. Glean what you need! ~ JPC

Naturopathic Treatment of Back Pain

Back pain can have many causes. Most often, back pain is caused by an imbalance between the bones and muscles, to put it very simply. If the muscles of the back (or even the pelvis and legs) are stressed, this can lead to pain and inflammation.

There are several natural medicines that can be used to address back pain that is caused by strained muscles. The following are just a few examples of some natural medicines for back pain.

Magnesium

Magnesium is a highly important mineral used in many ways in the human body. It is essential for normal bone structure and plays an essential role in over 300 cellular reactions! It is critical for maintaining nerve and muscle functions, and it works in the body as a mild muscle relaxant. Magnesium works especially well in people who always have some sort of muscle spasm or tightness, as it relaxes the muscles and lessens pain.
One of the often-mentioned ‘electrolytes’, magnesium needs to be replaced often. Unfortunately, magnesium is rather scarce in our diets, so supplementation may be necessary. Magnesium, like all nutrients, must be taken with caution – excess amounts can cause side effects. Therefore, magnesium supplementation should not take place until one can consult with a nutritionally oriented physician. Dietary sources of magnesium include legumes, whole grains, vegetables (especially broccoli, squash and green leafy vegetables), animal proteins, seeds, and nuts.

Plant Enzymes

Enzymes are a type of nutrient that the body uses for chemical reactions. Taken with food, plant enzymes assist with digestion. Taken away from food, enzymes work to decrease the production of pain-producing chemicals in the body. There are many sources of enzymes; the right combination can be quite effective in reducing pain caused by inflammation and spasm in the back. It is important to use a quality source and correct amount of enzymes when dealing with low back pain. Popular enzymes include bromelain, derived from pineapple and papain derived from papaya.

Herbal Medicines

Herbs are plants with medicinal properties. There are a handful of herbs with pain-relieving qualities. In fact, many of the strong pain relieving drugs are derived from this group of herbs. However, prescription drugs come with a lot of side effects, while pain-relieving herbs work much more gently, yet can be quite effective for pain as well.

February 2008 ... Back pain freedom month

Since it is still snowing, at times, and since the slopes are still open and black ice is giving rise to slips and falls we thought we'd give you a chance to help yourself, your friends, neighbors, and loved ones. The docs at CSP have dedicated some of their valuable clinic time to offer complimentary spine consultations to new individuals referred to our practice during the month of February. Historically, it's a rough month for people. So here's Tip #1: Drink LOTS of water! Most people shovel snow having slept all night long without so much as a sip of water before they pull on their boots and hit the garage door opener to be braced by the cold blast hovering over their snow-laden driveway. Take time to drink 10 ounces of water 10 minutes before you get out there. Coffee and juice don''t count. It's gotta be WATER. An ounce of prevention? In this case, 10 ounces!

Tell your friends we'll have a look at their back -- a really good look that's worth their time -- at no charge. Just click the FREEDOM FOR YOUR BACK link up and to the right on your screen. You'll be doing them a favor and they'll love you for it! Just tell 'em up front we'll fix 'em and kick 'em out -- we won't keep 'em coming back unnecessarily. February -- Brrrrr!

The CSP Blog is born...

Welcome to the Official CSP Blog! It's time to start the conversation. The CSP Blog is a forum where WE LISTEN to our patients, to the blogging community and all others interested in, or passionate about, what we do. Our goal is simply this: to be the finest integrated pain, health and wellness practice you can find, anywhere. In order to achieve a worthy (if not lofty) ideal such as this, we need to be in touch with the communities we serve.

Got a question about your health? A comment about how we could make our website better? Have an innovative idea about how we could improve any of our chiropractic, rehabilitation, acupuncture, massage, naturopathic medicine or energy medicine services? POST AWAY!