Highlands Ranch Open House a Hit!

Wow! Over 200 people helped us celebrate our "Grand Opening, Open House and Health Fair" at our Highlands Ranch clinic in the Town Center off Highlands Ranch Parkway and Lucent. Those in attendance were treated to complementary chair massage, pulsed magnetic field therapy treatments, pH screening exams, orthotics screenings, acupuncture tongue and pulse diagnosis, and consultations with our Naturopath, Dr. Jason Barker. It was a GREAT event, and our CSP & Wellness staff did a great job. We ran out of food -- and the pics say is all!

We (still) do pain...

Here's a sad epidemic in Denver and surrounding areas: it often takes MONTHS (or longer) for people in pain to get to the bottom of their pain, and get past it. Or worse, you're told you have to LIVE WITH IT without ever being given the suggestion or advice -- or "permission" -- to try something alternative.
Here's our appraisal of the current (and we believe COSTLY and usually UNWARRANTED) cascade of spine pain management:
1. Medications: Can be rapidly effective for intractable pain (especially heavy-hitting narcotics or oral steroids) but they are rarely effective over the long term for mechanical back pain or disc herniations.
2. Physical therapy: Good option for many patients if you're fortunate enough to get a truly skilled therapist. Some therapists begin exercise therapy too aggressively and the pain gets worse. Generally speaking, exercise can improve strength, endurance, flexibility, coordination, power, and similar attributes of the locomotor system. In most cases it does not have a direct on pain; or alternatively, the patient in pain is unable to exercise sufficiently to reach a threshold where such an attenuation of pain can be achieved (e.g., through beta-endorphin release).
3. When medications and physical therapy fail, the next step is crucially erroneous, and it is important for the reader to understand the HUGE LOSS in therapeutic opportunity represented by this step. This next over-reaching step is REFERRAL TO A SURGEON. The motive is honorable, of course, and by-and-large, the referring doctor does not know what else to do. In the face of spine pain that is unresponsive to drugs and P.T., the next stop is to the surgeon's clinic where a definitive diagnosis can be sought, and surgery must be considered. You the patient, still in pain, now in a considerable amount of FEAR because the pain is not going away, succumb to the suggestion without blinking, and without wondering why some more conservative, intermediary step is not suggested.

Here is the list of things you didn't get to discuss, consider, have recommended or advised (unless your doctor is most exceptional): referral to see a chiropractor, acupuncturist, interventional pain specialist, massage therapist (although you probably tried this on your own, but didn't know the specific kind of massage therapist to look for), naturopath, reflex therapist, or energy medicine specialist.

Again, the motive for the surgical referral is pure and good and right. "Let's get a definitive diagnosis, and let's get it now," is the sentence running through your doctor's mind. But then specialty doctors -- in this case the spine surgeon -- pretty much does what they know how to do. They look to see if you have an operable condition. If so, they suggest an operation. If not, it's off to a myriad maze, depending on who's in the surgeon's circle of friends at the moment.

HERE'S A THOUGHT: Why not START with a definitive diagnosis in the first place? Why not START knowing exactly what's wrong, and exactly what to do next, in which sequence? THAT'S THE MODEL we propose and practice each day at The Center for Spine Pain & Wellness! Before the drugs, the well-intentioned PT -- before everything -- see a NON-SURGICAL SPECIALIST: one of the Doctors of Chiropractic at our Clinics.

Here's the advantages: You'll save time. If we can help, we'll help fast. If we can't help, we'll refer to sooner than later. Using our approach you won't spend weeks or months in the back pain maze. We're competent, confident, decisive, and correct. Bypass the slow road. Get to the right place now, so you can get back to your life!

A final note: This is not a bash-the-surgeon blog. If you need a surgeon right away, we'll tell you, AND we'll tell you who we've observed in Denver (over 23 years now) doing consistently the best job at it in our neighborhood. If you need a spinal injection, same thing. And if not, you'll be offered whatever treatment or combination of treatments we believe will produce the fastest results at the lowest cost to you.

A new, better, common-sense approach. Visit our website to learn more (see the link above and to the right!)

NEW SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR HEALTH AND WELLNESS!

February through May have been filled with tremendous amounts of activity at The Center for Spine Pain & Wellness. (Note the name change -- it's important!)

Through the continuing use of Electrointerstitial Body Fluid scanning (EIS) we are starting to see radical changes produced by nutrition, dietary and exercise counseling, and the regular chiropractic, massage and acupuncture care we provide to our patients. We base our approach on a reliable and accurate measure of the pH (or hydrogen ion concentration) of almost every internal organ, including the brain, thyroid, inner ear, liver, heart, lungs, coronary arteries, carotids, bladder, prostate -- you name it. And with this information we are armed and ready to change your life, your health and your future. WE ARE ABLE TO DIRECTLY MEASURE WHETHER THE VITAMINS AND SUPPLEMENTS YOU ARE TAKING ARE MAKING ANY DIFFERENCE IN YOUR BODY. We are able to measure the changes in your body to other therapies you're using also. This is powerful stuff!

Secondly, it's been a pleasure to begin working with our new Doctor of Naturopathy, Jason Barker, ND. He practices medicine (naturally and without pharmaceuticals) in a way that is PREVENTIVE. And that's a big idea that has thrived in chiropractic medicine for a long time. If you can stay well using an expanded knowledge of how to use food as medicine (that is, shopping with a whole new perspective at the grocery story and eating with a whole new understanding of what food can do) you can SPEND FAR LESS in the long run on drugs and surgery.

Ask your parents or grandparents what they spend per month on the 5 or 10 medications they take. Then ask them if they think Medicare will be there for the next generation. Answer: "No." Who'll be able to afford a knee replacement, 3 cardiac stints, a by-pass and a new hip too? It'll be hard-earned cash out-of-pocket someday... and it'll make us or break us.

That's why NOW is the perfect time to shop smart, eat smart, lose weight, get healthy, start exercising and de-stress. Massage and acupuncture will help a bunch. We've just added Julie Johnson, L.Ac., Dipl.O.M. to our Highlands Ranch office. She's a highly skilled acupuncturist who can get the stress out, help with hormones, allergies, and of course, pain of all types!

Naturopathy? Come in and meet the man -- Dr. Barker will give you a free brief consultation and explain the powerful things he can do for you and your family.

Also for stress -- the MRS 2000. Our secret weapon for insomnia, chronic pain, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue!

Who do you know with calcifications in their breast or prostate? I came across powerful new therapies to get rid of the symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy and prostatis. Working with your medical physician we can help you feel better. Benign lumps in the breast are walled off areas of inflammation. Our treatment rids the body of that inflammation safely and inexpensively. More to come on this in our website. In the meantime -- call for an appointment and I'll consult with you about sodium dicalcium EDTA chelation therapy.

Food is medicine -- or poison -- depending on your knowledge and practices. The time to start new habits is NOW. My wife did and her EIS scan is beautiful to behold. I did and lost the little floppy fat handles and 13 pounds. I now weight what I weighed in high school. Played tennis today for 2.5 hours (Happy Mother's Day!) and I FEEL GREAT!

Make the change and your heart will thank you, your joints will thank you, your muscles and mind will thank you, and your family members and loved ones will thank you!! (I want to dance at my grandchildren's wedding(s) someday!

Lots of news. Lots of new therapies. A few new providers. A whole host of HELP to those seeking the best possible health as well as rapid pain relief!

For your health,

Dr. Joel Carmichael, DC, DACBSP
The Center for Spine Pain & Wellness

We'll be out of the office March 21...

Easter is early this year. It's been our tradition, at The Center for Spine Pain, to take the day off in observance of Good Friday ~ we've done so for years. We are, of course, available for emergencies. In addition, I have added clinic hours Thursday morning. Our remaining providers and staff will be in full force to serve you well!

Abraham Heschl, a great Hebrew theologian, said that we Americans have lost the capacity for awe. By taking time out of the office Friday, March 21 there is opportunity to exercise that capacity afresh over these holidays. "Awe" is not lost -- just dormant and/or atrophying a little. This may be a good time to break away. To pause and wonder. To be amazed.

On behalf of the entire staff at The Center for Spine Pain I wish you time for high quality renewal and reflection this Easter season.

~Joel Carmichael, DC, DACBSP
President, The Center for Spine Pain

March ... in like a lion

March at The Center for Spine Pain's Greenwood Village office will see some changes. Our very own Dr. Craig Kozak, DC, DABCO will begin practicing full time in Fraser, Colorado the first week in April. You'll find him at Arapaho Chiropractic Center. Dr. Kozak leaves very large shoes to fill in our rehabilitation department. We have exciting plans to maintain high quality, personalized spine and sports rehabilitation right here under our roof at our Greenwood Village office. Many of our patients will miss his kindness, his creative use of his vast knowledge base, and his very personalized rehabilitative instruction. I'll miss him too. He's been here for several years, and I've seen the results (FASTER results, I might add) that come from GREAT rehabilitation combined with GREAT chiropractic care. We're committed to maintaining this.

Our clinical focus for March-April is chronic pain. Many of our patients who have pain they thought they'd have to live with continue to marvel at the effects of the MRS 2000 on their bodies. Others are, like Todd (name changed), can't believe he's got his life back. He had his upper cervical spine fused and he's been in pain pretty much ever since. We're doing some specialized techniques and he's back to riding bikes with his son, planning trips and activities -- he's a CHANGED man! This is what it's all about.

Please check out our 6 PAGE NEWSLETTER on Chronic Pain. You'll find in-depth articles on chronic osteoarthritis pain, chronic daily headache, and chronic Achilles / ankle / foot pain. (Did you know we design state-of-the-art orthotics?)

Our Clinic website is always changing, so make sure you check out our HOME PAGE. There you'll meet Dr. Jason Barker, our naturopath, who is already creating quite a buzz among our patients!

To Dr. Kozak: You are gifted and a highly valued colleague. Thanks for your years of service, my friend. I'll miss you! ~JPC

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...         :-)