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We consciously or subconsciously calculate risk or cost to reward ratios in a lot of our decision making.  What are the risks?  What are the rewards?  Is it worth the risk?  A common example is when we choose to risk j-walking on the street to get to work on time.  Is it worth the risk?  Depends on the consequences of being late and the value to getting there on time.  Maybe you'll miss a call worth a lot of money?  Maybe I'll be late for a patient who will, in turn, never return due to the doctor's tardiness.  How about the risk/cost to reward ratio of choosing to be an amateur Luger, or Snow Board Aerialist?  High reward: Huge achievements of athletic proficiency, maybe fame, an olympic medal, perhaps.  High risk: Very sad story involving Canadian Sarah Burke who died in a training run when she fell and hit her head on the ground.  My deepest condolences to her family and friends. 

Risk/cost to reward is calculated in a more direct manner as it pertains to our health all of the time.  Is the reward of ordering bacon worth the risk of heart disease today, any day, everyday?  Should I do a certain back strengthening exercise in order to prevent low back pain?  Maybe the exercise will be performed wrong causing back pain?!

The motivation for this blog began the other day when I was discussing long term chiropractic care with a patient.  I was explaining the value of ongoing care: maintaining healthy spinal joint motion, a healthy nervous system, loose muscles and decreased stress.  The risk or cost to reward ratio here seems to focus more on the perceived value of reward compared with the cost to gain such reward. The cost includes a financial and scheduling commitment. The scheduling commitment can be overcome: We are creatures of habit. If we build one early morning, or one lunch-time, or one after-work treatment into our schedule, the reward will be enormous. Regarding the financial cost, I will say this: The cost of maintaining a healthy spine now will be far outweighed by the cost of pain control and arthritis treatment later in life, not to mention the improved quality of life now.

From my perspective, the reward far outweighs the risk or cost.

You are on my mailing list because once upon a time you, or a friend, family member, doctor, other health professional thought it was a good idea to come see me. The majority of you (slightly less than all) were rewarded with a positive outcome. Whether orthotics realigned your gait to help your achy feet or creaky knee, or an adjustment relieved your low back or neck pain, or the laser healed your sprained ankle, you were amongst the many successful patient outcomes I have enjoyed over the years. So, I added you to my list of newsletter subscribers. You are free to unsubscribe (and re-subscribe) anytime. My hope is that the positive intentions you had the first time we met carry forward and inspire you to continue to read my articles pertaining to health and wellness. Through it all, my intentions are to keep you engaged in the pursuit of health and wellness. To that end, I hope to stay in touch with you for years to come, providing you with quality wellness care in the form of chiropractic, physical therapy, laser therapy, orthotics, and appropriate referrals to my allied colleagues.

If you are one of the many who met me in the past and continue to visit me to stay aligned, mobile, and well, I thank you for your loyalty. I also commend you on your continued pursuit of staying well and/or your patience and persistence to get better. If you have not been in to see me since we first met, or in a long time, remember that my door to you never closes. I not only welcome you back to my office to re-engage in the wellness pursuit, but I encourage it.

In a twist of popular thought, the healthiest patients I see are the ones I see on a routine basis. Life is stressful, and the body absorbs all of this stress – whether it be physical (posture, sports injuries), emotional, psychological (work stress), or chemical (smoking, alcohol). To stay well, we must have a body that can rid itself of these stresses. An aligned, mobile, healthy spine will foster an optimum nervous system to deflect these stresses and keep the body functioning at its best.

Make 2012 the year you continue to engage or re-engage in the pursuit of wellness. I look forward to seeing you soon.

With 2012 just around the corner, we at Satori are excited to announce that 2012 is the best and easiest year yet to quit smoking.  Last year we added Laser Acupuncture to our existing successful smoking cessation treatment methods.  This year, we are supporting your efforts to quit smoking by combining three different approaches to giving you your best opportunity to quit smoking for good.

Dr. Berenstein (Laser Acupuncture), Dr. Ivanovics (Naturopathy), and Raymond Elias (Hypnotherapy) are combining their smoking cessation methods to create the ultimate natural approach to permanently quit smoking.  These practitioners will work together on your behalf to craft an individually tailored program that is suited to your lifestyle and needs.

Satori is excited to introduce the most comprehensive natural approach to smoking cessation with the:

SATORI SMOKING CESSATION PACKAGE

Quitting smoking is necessary for good health. However, quitting smoking, like other addictions, can be a difficult and daunting task. 90% of smokers who quit smoking relapse within six months, and for those who have tried to quit smoking in the past, you know that it involves more than just breaking old habits and toughening up your willpower. Once you decide to quit, there is still the hurdle of avoiding temptation and eventual relapse. Fortunately, there are a variety of different techniques and approaches to smoking cessation available to help smokers quit. A combination of different treatments is by far the most effective approach to smoking cessation.

Many individuals experience physical withdrawal symptoms when they attempt to quit, resulting in relapse. Some common and uncomfortable symptoms include increased appetite and weight gain, irritability, impatience, anxiety, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and restlessness. Having a professional support team on hand is critical during this transition period.

The team at Satori Urban Wellness uses several different smoking cessation methods to help you through this challenging transformation:

1. Laser acupuncture therapy: Break the addiction cycle and eliminate the cravings associated with addiction withdrawal with acu-laser therapy. Using the principles of ear acupuncture (auriculotherapy), laser acupuncture targets specific ear points to induce the brain to release neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins – the pleasure chemicals of the brain).
Treatment provided by Dr. Michael Berenstein, DC.

2. Naturopathic medicine: Dr. Suzanna provides you with an individually tailored program to help you quit and to remain nicotine free. Botanical medicine, nutrition, and lifestyle counselling are employed to help reduce cravings, decrease symptoms of withdrawal, and prevent weight gain. Naturopathic doctors recognize people smoke for different reasons. Dr. Suzanna will support you to avoid trigger situations, encourage healthy alternatives, and address any underlying stressors, health concerns that trigger smoking or may have resulted from years of nicotine use.  
Treatment provided by Dr. Suzanna Ivanovics, ND.

3. Hypnotherapy works at the subconscious level, allowing you to discover the causes of the cravings and then shift your focus to positive feelings and associations to eliminate the desire to smoke.  This method provides you with a long-term approach to quitting smoking.
Treatment provided by Raymond Elias, BS. Sc., Certified Hypnotherapist

Is there a similarity between the idea that the most common cause of an ankle sprain is a previous ankle sprain and the fact that the best way to recover from a concussion is to actually "strengthen" the brain?!

I think that's what Dr. Ted Carrick thinks.  Carrick is chiropractor, amongst many other things, who has devoted his life to the field of chiropractic neurology.  Or, functional neurology.  He is one of the doctors looking after Sidney Crosby's concussion recovery.  Carrick and his team are using inventive technology to not only assess the concussed/diseased brain but to stimulate its recovery.  Check out the article in Maclean's magazine, November 14, 2011 edition.  Brilliant read.

I've told you all (most of you, since most of you have had an ankle sprain) that the number one cause of a sprained ankle is a previous sprained ankle!  Why?  Because once the first sprain happens the strength and proprioception of the ankle joint and ligaments and muscles are compromised.  I encounter so many patients who complain of ankle and foot symptoms with no known cause ... until I ask about a previous sprained ankle.  The response is always the same: "Oh yeah, when I was younger I sprained the ankle and it has never been the same!".  If you've sprained your ankle in the past, and been in to see me, I've likely given you a handout full of exercises to strengthen and rehabilitate the ankle joint.  Do them!  If you forget them, come in to see me to discuss.

Same goes for the brain.  Why wouldn't it?  The most common cause of a concussion is a previous concussion?  Maybe.  Probably.  How should we deal with concussions?  Same as an ankle sprain, I think.  Rest it, heal it, and then strengthen it back to 100%, or as close as we can.  This is what Dr. Carrick is doing with Sid, and it's working!  Look for his return to the Pittsburgh Penguins soon. 

Pre-natal musculoskeletal care is very common and necessary.  Pregnancy related back pain hurts just like non-pregnancy back pain, except you also have to deal with being pregnant at the same time which often includes swelling and fatigue.  As a result, massage therapy and chiropractic care often come to the rescue of aching mothers-to-be.  Fortunately, after 40 weeks or so of carrying around your future baby, the swelling goes down, back pain resolves, and fatigue .... well, fatigue stays for quite a while (as I am learning).

Once the baby arrives though, a whole new daily routine sets in:  Regular feedings (breast and/or bottle) every 3-4 hours (maybe more often), diaper changes, baby carrying, and limited sleep.  The increased fatigue combined with the new awkward postural positions to feed and change your baby creates new or aggravates chronic joint and muscle dysfunction.  Stiff joints and tight muscles quickly develop leading to pains and functional limitations.  My new baby boy, Nathan, is just three weeks young, yet, I already feel the locked spinal joints at the base of my neck and upper back coupled with rope-like tension of my scalene muscles (front of the neck).  Thus, postnatal musculoskeletal care is a term I am now using.  My chiropractor is scheduled to treat me tomorrow to unlock my spinal joints, and my massage therapist (Satori's Valerie Wendl) has already worked her magic on my back and neck.

Take home message: If you thought your need for some musculoskeletal treatment was over once your baby was born, think again.  Both mom and dad will need regular care to off-set the rigors of new postural distortions due to breast and bottle feeding, diaper changes, and late night baby-soothing as you carry your little guy back and forth down the halls.  Make friends with your chiropractor and massage therapist; Visit us regularly; Stay physically well; And enjoy your baby!