Is Botox toxic? Is it possible for Botox to permanently "freeze" my face? How much research has actually been done on Botox? 

All of these are important questions that you should be asking. However, all of them have very promising answers for those who are considering Botox treatments. Today we're going to be addressing the top 3 most common myths about Botox and outlining why Botox is safe, effective, and well researched.


                                       Myth #1: Botox is Toxic

Just because the sound "tox" is in something, doesn't mean it's deadly and dangerous for humans. We understand the reaction...but it's simply not true. In fact, we're willing to bet that most of the claims that "botox is toxic" simply stems from word association. The general public most likely assumes that because both words contain "tox", they're deadly. Perhaps outlining how Botox got it's name would help ease some of the tension.

The name "Botox" is an abbreviation of the word Botulinum toxin. Botulinum toxins are proteins and, in their natural state, are produced by  a specific type of bacteria. However, please don't believe that scientists are simply extracting this neurotoxin and directly injecting it into patients. From the time Botulinum toxin is extracted, it undergoes a large variety of procedures and preparations to make it safe for human use. The effects of the Botulinum toxin proteins are a micro chasm (much more diluted and weakened version) of their effects in natural environments.

The reality is, the FDA approved Botox for therapeutic use back in 1989 and since then, it has been safely administered to countless patients.


                       Myth #2: Botox Will Prevent Me From Being Able                                                        to Make Facial Expressions. 

Facial expressions are a very important part of communication. We often choose our friends, partners, actors, and comedians off of facial expressions. It's the non-verbal element which actually accounts for 80% of human interaction. We completely understand the fear behind losing the ability to control facial expressions. However, this is not a risk you need to be concerned with.

Botulinum toxin works by blocking nerves in the face that cause muscles to contract which ultimately leads to wrinkle formation. Much like other treatments, the success of the injection comes down to initial dosage, pre-disposition (quantity/severity of wrinkle formation), and how long your injection lasts.

The myth that botox injections could paralyze your face forever is simply not true. Paralysis occurs when your nerve cells die/degenerate and lose their ability to send signals (spinal cord injuries, nerve disorders, etc.). Keep in mind that Botox injections are not altering the function of your nerve cells. That is to say, your nerves are still firing signals at the same rate as before, we haven't altered that ability. We are simply blocking those signals from carrying out the response.

When you shut off a light switch, the room goes dark. But that doesn't mean there's something wrong with the electricity running through out your entire house. You're switching a circuit off so that the room doesn't stay lit. That's the same thing we're doing with Botox. You can always turn the switch back on.


                 Myth #3: Botox is Only Used to "Make People Prettier"
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Contrary to popular belief, Botox was actually first used as a treatment for an ailment called strabismus, which effects the function of eye muscles. It's also used for Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) dysfunction, and neck/back pain. The reason these medical applications are overlooked is they're not "flashy". We often hear about celebrities, models, friends that get Botox for aesthetic purposes (which is their decision to make and should be supported). But let's not let Hollywood to change our perception of Botox and let its other applications get lost in the weeds.


Hopefully this article helps those of you who are considering Botox treatments, but are discouraged by some of the myths you've heard. It's smart to have reservations. It means you actually consider all of the outcomes before you try something and dive head first into a treatment. Just make sure that you're taking in information from all sources, not just the ones with flashy tags. If you have any concerns please consult your primary care physician and make sure you're getting advice from licensed medical professionals!
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Most of us know the general rule of thumb for injuries: if you strain a muscle, you use heat. If you injure a ligament or joint, you use ice. So why is it, that joints hurt MORE when it's cold or rainy out? If cold helps reduce swelling, why does winter weather irritate my joints?

In order to answer this question, we need to quickly highlight the 3 main components of joint pain. Joint function and pain levels are a product of mobility which is controlled by two main factors: 1) flexibility and function of the surrounding muscle groups, and 2) pre-existing injuries and scar tissue.

Mobility

Mobility is defined as the joint's ability to move (surprising right?). However, mobility is a little more complicated than just "can it move, yes or no". For example, the joint needs synovial fluid to lubricate it and allow for motion. Osteoarthritis also impacts the mobility of a joint from a pain standpoint. The body's natural pain response is going to pursue pleasure, and avoid pain.

If a particular joint is experiencing pain during certain movements, the body is going to naturally steer away from those movements over time, which in turn limits the joint's mobility in order to protect it from further injury. However, once the joint is healed, the body must be rehabilitated to give mobility BACK to the joint, otherwise the body will continue to overcompensate with other regions of the body.

Flexibility, Surrounding Muscle Group Function, and Scar Tissue Build Up

Let's imagine that we have left knee pain. We've never had an injury to the left knee, but when it get's cold, the knee has a dull aching and there is a "clicking" noise when we squat down. Why would this be happening? We've never injured it before so how can it be experiencing pain? Using the rules above, knee mobility is a product of flexibility/function of the surrounding muscle groups, and injury history/scar tissue accumulation. 


The knee may not have experienced an acute injury, but all joints wear down over time. Additionally, most of us experience inflexibility in our muscle groups. So imagine the hamstrings, glutes, quads, calves, and hips are incredibly tight and inflexible. Would this put less, or more pressure on the knee joint? 

More. With the surrounding muscle groups not moving properly, the knee joint is asked to carry more of the weight. If a normal knee joint load is 50%, it can increase to 75%  if the surrounding muscle groups are not functioning properly. In turn, this causes more osteoarthritis in the joint, and scar tissue build up as the ligaments (acl, meniscus, patella etc.) are stressed more (which also contributes to the clicking and popping noises).



Why would the cold effect any of this?

Simple answer: The cold causes muscle groups to tighten up, heat allows them to relax. When the cold fall and winter temperatures come around, it causes muscle groups to flex as a means of retaining heat within the body (this is why we "shiver" when we're cold). Since the muscles are tightening to keep in heat, it means they are not as mobile. As we outlined above, tightness of the muscles and inflexibility is directly correlated to joint mobility and overall function.

So, even though we typically ice injuries to reduce pain and swelling in the joint, joint pain in cold temperatures can be more prevalent because of the effect that cold weather has on muscle tightness, flexibility, and mobility.

If you are experiencing joint pain of any kind, please be sure to consult your licensed medical professional before pursuing any treatment.

There are over 200 types of hormones in the body that control and regulate a wide variety of functions. While most of us are familiar with the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen, there are many others that control processes like our metabolism, digestion, moods, and muscle recovery. Since these other hormones are not "front and center", it's often easy to overlook their importance, and therefore, what environmental factors could be affecting their performance. 

One of the factors that gets most overlooked regarding hormone performance is medication. It is anticipated that the average American citizen is taking 3-4 medications per year. Additionally, more than 131 million Americans are taking at least 1 medication per year. That's almost 40% of the American population!

Whether that's because the American health system is the #1 spender in the world on pharmaceuticals, or because the United States leads the world in diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes that require medications, the results speak very loudly. Medications are prevalent all over the country. From the lens of hormone production and efficiency, these medications may be impacting your function.

Here are examples of 3 prescribed medication types that could be impacting your hormone levels and limiting your overall production:

1) Analgesics (pain management medications).

Analgesics typically work by binding to/blocking pain receptors in the body. In the case of opioids, they are very likely to be habit-forming because the body develops tolerance to them, which ultimately requires you to take more to have the same pain-relieving effects. However, in addition to being habit-forming, opioids can also suppress the production of very important hormones resulting in hypogonadism in males AND females. Even with short term use, opioids are linked to increased cortisol (the "stress" hormone) production.

2) Steroids 

Keep in mind that "steroids" are not to be confused with "anabolic steroids" (although anabolic steroids also have an effect on hormone levels. A steroid in this case, is a medication that reduces inflammation. For examples, if you have a sinus infection/ear infection, you may be prescribed a steroid to reduce the swelling in your sinus passages/inner ear to allow for proper draining.

However, when steroids are taken chronically (defined by 15 consecutive days of 1+ doses) it ultimately leads to increased cortisol production (stress hormone) which elicits a negative cortisol feedback loop that affects moods, energy, and overall production.

3) Contraceptives (birth control)

As expected, any time we are taking a medication that interrupts or alters our reproductive cycles, we can expect that our hormone levels/hormone production will be altered as well.

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Please be advised:

If you are taking any of these medications above, WE ARE NOT ADVISING YOU TO STOP. We must trust the physician that prescribed these medications. They have your best interest and health in mind. The purpose of this article is only to inform you about their impact on hormone production and funciton.

With this information, you can ask your primary care physician if you should be considering hormone therapy as a supplement to their overall treatment plan since you know your levels could be altered by the medication you've been prescribed.

Hormones play an essential role in regulating body processes such as sexual reproduction, muscle and soft tissue repair, joint inflammation, libido, and protein synthesis and conversion of macromolecules. Sometimes we associate the term "hormones" with puberty and sexual activity. But the reality is, hormones levels are absolutely essential to some of the body's most important processes. Here are 5 reasons why you should consider monitoring your hormone levels.
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1) Hormone levels are affected by more than just age.

In addition to sexual activity/puberty, the average individual associates the term "hormones" with age. The incorrect assumption is that "low hormone levels are only for old people". This is NOT true. Testosterone and Estsrogen levels are impacted by a large variety of factors outside of age. Some of these factors include: diet, physical activity, stress, medication side effects, and sleeping habits.

Because there are a lot of factors that can impact hormone levels it's important to monitor them so you have all of the information available to make lifestyle changes for your health.


2) Hormone imbalances are more prevalent than we realize.

The average individual will experience 2-3 hormone imbalances at different periods in their life. Some individuals experience the average 2-3 imbalances and THEN some, with symptoms developing chronically. We may be surprised by the amount of "inexplicable" symptoms we experience daily that are attributed to hormone imbalances.


3) Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy has proven effective at addressing the symptoms of hormone imbalance.

Hormone Imbalance (from the standpoint of Testosterone and Estrogen) can cause any of the following symptoms:
-weight gain
-loss of libido
-mood swings
-hair loss
-irritability
-lack of motivation/depression
-interrupted sleeping patterns or trouble sleeping.

Therefore, if there is a way where we can alleviate some of the symptoms, would it not benefit us to try it?

Keep in mind that testosterone and estrogen are not the only hormones in the body. There are over 50 hormones essential to body function. Due to the complexity of these fascinating molecules, it's important to consult your physician so they can analyze your symptoms and recommend the best treatment options.

First things first...hormones are very complicated. There are a lot of environmental factors that play in to the amount of testosterone and estrogen our bodies produce. We know what you're thinking...no one is calling you old. 

In fact, most of the environmental factors that affect hormone production and activity are NOT age related. Factors such as diet/nutrition, sleep, stress levels (measured by cortisol), lack of exercise, and medication side effects all have an equal(if not greater) impact on hormone balance in the body. Now, assuming that all of the environmental factors are being address ( you're eating properly, exercising, sleeping well, maintaining stress etc.)... is it possible that hormone levels can be affected by the changing of seasons? 

According to this study: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2003926118, female and male dominant hormone levels tend to be higher in January and August, while secondary hormones tend to be highest in April. In other words, males exhibited their highest testosterone levels in January and August, but their highest estrogen levels in April. Conversely, females typically exhibited their highest estrogen levels in January and August, while yielding their highest testosterone levels in April.

According to the data, the hormone levels are constantly experiencing mini "peaks and valleys", which are magnified by the environmental factors we talked about earlier. However, there are distinctive "peaks" at particular times of the year. Professor Alon (who conducted the study) even claims:

“It is not so surprising that our hormones have seasonal cycles. “Many animals living in temperate climates have strong cycles, for example, all giving birth in the same season. We think that our hormonal systems have ‘set points’ that produce peaks, for example, in stress or reproductive hormones, and these may be adaptations that evolved to help us cope with seasonal changes in our surrounding environment.”

So if our hormone levels are constantly ebbing and flowing, would it not make sense to have an option to help level them out when the swings are at their greatest? If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, or notice that you experience them more at certain times of the year, it may be time to have your levels drawn and consider Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT):

-chronic fatigue
-loss of sex drive (libido)
-inexplicable weight gain
-mood swings
-trouble falling and staying asleep
-hair loss

Make sure you consult a licensed medical professional when considering BHRT. 

If you're looking for more information on the BHRT process, you can check out our article on the treatment here:

outlining-bio-identical-hormone-replacement-therapy.html

​Think of your body's natural healing process like you're cooking an egg. Would you rather use a match, or an open flame? Most of us would agree, that the second option is monumentally more effective than the first. When your healing processes are not working properly, it's like trying to cook an egg with a match. We know fire can get the job done, therefore the question isn't "is fire effective?". Instead, the question becomes "How can I get more of it?". The same dynamic exists within your body's natural healing process. Your body's natural healing processes are present, we just need to give it a little spark.

Platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, is a staple in the regenerative medicine field. Essentially, the patient’s blood is drawn, and placed into a centrifuge which spins the sample for 20 minutes and separates it into the platelet-rich component, and the platelet-poor component. Instead of using potentially harmful steroids or other chemicals, PRP is a perfectly natural and patient-friendly alternative to surgery.
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PRP injections work by using the following mechanisms (all of which are more patient-friendly than surgery):

-Regulating Inflammation
-Recruiting Stem Cells to the Afflicted Area
-Manufacturing New Tissue
-Stimulating New Member Blood Flow
-Preventing Healthy Cell Degeneration
-Creating a Matrix that Supports New Cell Growth (growth factors)
 
However, as safe as PRP is for the patient, there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding the procedure that we would like to address in this article.

Misconception 1 - RP Procedures are Dangerous
The fact is that PRP is an exceptionally risk-free procedure. First, your PRP treatment is autologous (made from your own blood). As a result, you do not need to stress over adverse reactions or side effects as your body’s immune system will not reject your own platelets.

Clinical experts consider PRP to be risk-free for 2 crucial reasons: 1) its autologous nature and 2) the reality that PRP has been performed in multiple settings with no evidence of major complications or side effects.

In March 2018, the Journal of Back Surgery released the results of a clinical study in which patients obtained PRP for reduced back pain triggered by disc degeneration and osteoarthritis. In addition to yielding improved symptoms for joint degeneration, the study also found that the procedure did not yield any cases of auto-immune rejection or sustained inflammation.

Misconception 2 - PRP is Only Used for Aesthetics
The public typically believes that PRP is only used for aesthetic procedures such as facial renewal and hair growth. However, the same science scientific principles that apply to hair loss and facial feature deterioration also apply to diagnoses such as disc degeneration and osteoarthritis, ligament and tendon damage, and chronic pain in the back, hip, knee, neck, shoulder, and elbow joints. Simply put, when the body’s natural healing processes are not performing properly, sometimes they just need a little “jumpstart”.
 
PRP is often used as precursor to regenerative cell therapy (sometimes referred to as stem cell injections) because of its ability to reduce inflammation and reduce stubborn scar tissue.

Misconception 3 -PRP Therapy is Associated with Surgical Treatment
If a particular condition/diagnosis requires surgery, PRP may be used post operation to reduce swelling/inflammation and promote natural healing. However, this does not mean that PRP is only designed to be used in conjuncture with surgery.
 
Contrarily, many physicians recommend PRP as an alternative to surgery given that the patient’s condition has not progressed past a certain threshold. Depending on their principles, some offices will try everything they can outside of surgery, and PRP is a staple in that regard.
 
Misconception 4 - PRP is Only Effective at Addressing Pain and Discomfort
While PRP is incredibly effective at alleviating chronic back, neck, knee, elbow, shoulder, and hip pain, that is not the primary goal of the procedure. Pain and inflammation are symptoms are indicators of a loss of neurological/structural function in the body. For example, back pain is a symptom of collapsed disc space and degeneration of vertebral joint space. Rather than solely targeting and alleviating the back pain, the PRP procedure is designed to address that degeneration and osteoarthritis (loss of function) and back pain (the symptom) is alleviated as a secondary result.
 
Misconception 5 - PRP is a Brand-New Treatment
PRP injections have an extensive and well documented history dating back to the 1970s, when it was produced by hematologists as a treatment for a blood disorder called thrombocytopenia (low platelet levels in the blood). It was used in maxillofacial surgical procedures in the 1980s. Today, it is used to treat severe osteoarthritis, disc degeneration, partial ligament or tendon tears, alleviate scar tissue, and provide a patient-friendly alternative to invasive surgeries that can often have long-term financial and physiological complications.

What does "Bio-Identical" mean?

The term "Bio-Identical" refers to the chemical structure of the hormones used in the treatment. Essentially, it means that the molecular structure of the hormones used in BHRT contains the same compounds as Hormone Replacement Therapy, and therefore, elicit similar results.

While the molecular structure of these two treatment options is identical, the manner in which they are produced is different. Typically, Hormone Replacement Therapy utilizes hormones that have been synthesized in a lab, while Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy only uses compounds that exist naturally in plants or animals. It is important to distinguish that even Bio-Identical Hormones are typically compounded in pharmacies for specific dosages that fit a patient's needs. However, this does not mean that they are being synthesized. It simply means that pharmacies are taking naturally occurring hormones and "packaging" them into dosages that yield optimum results. These dosages can be compounded into two main forms: pellets and creams.

How can BHRT be administered?

Pellets are administered subcutaneously using a procedure called a BHRT insert. Essentially, a very small incision (comparable to the width of the tip of a pencil, and about 2-3 inches in length) is made on either the left or right buttock. Once the pellets are inserted, the incision is sterilized and bandage for 2-3 days. Over the next 7-10 days, your body will begin to metabolize the pellets and your symptoms will begin to improve. Typically, pellet inserts are done every 6-9 weeks for males, and every 10-12 weeks for females.

Creams are compounded by a pharmacy, and self applied 2-3 times per day on each of the arms. Typically the creams are prescribed in 60 day increments so the provider can track the overall progress of the patient and how they respond to the prescribed dose. 


What can I expect the pellet insertion process to be like?

Our bodies, male and female, require a specific balance between 3 primary hormones: testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone. This balance can be interrupted by a wide variety of factors and demographics including age, stress level, diet, metabolic range, and physical activity.

When our testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone levels begin to deviate from our optimum levels, we begin to exhibit symptoms such as extreme fatigue, libido, mood swings, sleeping trouble, chronic headaches, and even inexplicable fluctuations in weight. Modern Concepts provides Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy to address these symptoms at their source.

In today's world, we have to be incredibly aware of what we put in our body. Whether it's the foods we eat, the beverages we drink, or the medications we take for other health concerns, it has become increasingly difficult to avoid exposing ourselves to synthetic substances. Using the Bio-Identical approach to Hormone Therapy, Modern Concepts avoids synthetic hormones and uses a more patient-friendly alternative.

The term "bio-identical" refers to naturally existing versions of testosterone and estrogen that share 98% of their structure with the hormones humans produce naturally. Ultimately, this leads to a much smoother and less-invasive process which provides a better overall experience for our patients.

Another benefit of the Bio-Identical approach is in the longevity and gradual process of the therapy. Not only are synthetic hormones more invasive and potentially harmful, but they also leave the patient vulnerable to "crashes" and a rapid return of symptoms. One day you're on top of the world, the next all of your symptoms have returned with out a warning.

Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy gives your body a reserve of testosterone and estrogen to gradually pull from over the course of 8-12 weeks. Males typically require pellet inserts every 6-8 weeks while females typically require inserts every 10-12 weeks. The patient-friendly hormones are sent to our practice in the form of "pellets" which are inserted in to the glute using a very safe a non-invasive procedure. 

After the procedure, it typically takes 7-10 days for the patient to experience a noticeable change in mood, energy levels, sex drive, and ability to sleep. Once your body has metabolized the pellets over the course of 8-12 weeks, the original symptoms will return in a very safe and gradual manner which means: it's time for another insert!

For your convenience, we have uploaded our Hormone Therapy Symptom Questionnaire below so you can see what symptoms are consistent with hormone imbalances. Please feel free to contact us and schedule your free consultation with our Nurse Practitioner and Registered Nurse to find out if Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy might be right for you!


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By this point, most of us have heard of Botox. Even if someone doesn't know exactly what Botox does or how it functions, they at least recognize the name. While Botox is easily the most recognizable, it's actually not the only anti-aging injection option on the market. In fact, there's another equally effective anti-aging treatment called Jeuveau, that is reporting very strong results across the country.

                                     What is the Difference Between Botox and Jeuveau?

The primary difference between these two anti-aging treatments, is the foundational ingredients used for the treatment. Botox another name for an ingredient called anabotulinumtoxinA. Jeuveau is the ingredient prabotulinumtoxinA-xvfs.

As you can see, both of these ingredients have the term "botulinumtoxinA" in them, so they are fairly similar. However, these ingredients differ in their purification processes, types and structure of proteins involved, molecular weight, how the increments are measured. However they are both derived from botulinumtoxin.


                                                What is Botulinumtoxin, and Is It Safe?


Botulinumtoxin is a neurotoxin produced by the bacteria C. botulinum. 

Don't be alarmed by the term "neurotoxin"! Botulinumtoxin is derived from the neurotoxin, meaning it is processed, attenuated, and developed into ingredients that are completely safe to use for human beings.


                                                          How Does Jeaveau Work?

Since Jeaveau is a Botulinumtoxin, it will behave very similarly to Botox.

Jevaveau works by diminishing and blocking nerve signals that initiate muscle contractions in the face. Once these muscle contractions are relaxed, it diminishes undesired wrinkles such as crow's feet, forehead wrinkles, and marionette lines.


                                                  Which is Better...Botox or Jeaveau?

This is a very tricky question to answer as of right now. The short answer is that both Jeaveau and Botox yield positive results, and that each injection is a better "fit" for certain patients.

Jeaveau is becoming increasingly regarded as the main competitor with Botox. Patients all over the country are reporting very positive results and outcomes. You may find a lot of articles and reviews of patients saying they've made the switch from Botox to Jeaveau. 

However, this may be simply because Jeaveau is "newer" to the market than Botox. We're all somewhat guilty of wanting the latest and greatest. It may be possible that some of these positive reports are simply excitement about having the received the latest and greatest anti-aging treatment. It may also be that Jeaveau really is better for some people, than Botox and vice versa. Clinical data will continue to develop to measure the statistical benefits of Jeaveau relative to Botox.

As we continue to collect data on Jeaveau and Botox, one thing is for certain: the best way to choose between the two options will always be consulting a licensed medical professional and seeing which option is best for you. Keep in mind, there are also ways we can improve the overall effectiveness of our Jeaveau and Botox injections such as massaging the injected area (at least 24 hours after the injection), and exercising the facial muscles associated with your injection site.

Long story short, consult a licensed medical professional to help you decide if Jeaveau or Botox is better for you, and to get the most out of your anti-aging treatments!

As is the case with anything else, every training style has benefits and obstacles. Today we're going to be talking about specific types of training regiments, their goals, and their impact on overall joint health.

When it comes to performance, strength, conditioning, and overall function, we can evaluate the body's capacity in several key ways: 1) overall strength (measure by how much weight you can handle), flexibility, range of motion with joints, and cardiovascular health. Depending your fitness goals, your workout regiment will be targeted towards specific rep counts, target heart rates, duration of workout, and intensity. We're going to separate these regiments based on very general parameters and briefly outline their benefits and impact on spinal and joint health.

*Be advised that this article does NOT contain recommendations on diet, nutrition, tracking macros etc. nor is it a specific recommendation for how you should be exercising. We are viewing these regiments solely from a spinal and joint health perspective*

1) Strength Building Workouts. 

Some of us want to build muscle! In order to build lean muscle mass, we generally want to keep our exercises in the 12-15rep range, with 50-60% of our max heart rate, with moderate intensity. Studies have shown that lifting weights is very effective at burning fat in additional to building muscle.

Caution: as we get stronger and stronger, we're going to want to go up in weight. However, strong muscle and mobile joints are not the same thing. In fact, while stronger muscles are capable of providing more support to joints, we often over look mobility in the process of building muscle. We also have to make sure we throw in unilateral movements to correct any muscle imbalances.

For example, let's imagine we did a shoulder workout 2x per week for 4 weeks. We're going to show a lot of progress and pack on lean muscle in the traps, anterior delts, and rear delts. However, this doesn't necessarily mean your shoulder is mobile and healthy. We must also work on our rotator cuffs, labrum, and mobility of the shoulder joint. 

If we're going to build lean muscle, we have to make sure we're accounting for ligament and joint health as well so we don't become more susceptible to injury!

2) Flexibility-Based Workouts

Let's use yoga since this is the most relatable example. The benefits of yoga are well documented. From the standpoint of flexibility, joint health, blood pressure, and all of it's benefits on serotonin production and mental health, yoga is a very viable exercise option. This would by far be the healthiest exercise regiment for your joint health.

Really the only caution towards this exercise grouping would be towards your expectation. When performed properly and consistently, yoga can actually be quiet effective in building muscle and burning fat. However, when compared to workouts like weight lifting, cardio, high intensity interval training etc. you may disappointed from a "calorie burning" standpoint.

3) High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

HIIT Training has become very popular over the last 10 years. The pitch is that it "burns more calories in a shorter amount of time". This is true! But just like everything else, there's more to the story than just calorie counting. When we burn a lot of calories at 80-90% of our max heart rate, we're not only burning fats. We're also burning carbs and losing weight in the form of electrolytes and water weight. In very extreme cases, we may actually be losing muscle mass, especially if our nutrition plan doesn't account for enough calories, or proteins.

That being said, cardiovascular fitness is the number 1 indicator of an individuals overall health. HIIT will absolutely get your heart rate pumping and help you meet this requirement which is an AWESOME benefit. However, since we're doing a high volume of exercise in a shorter amount of time (less rest between sets and higher rep counts), we have to keep an eye on inflammation and stress in the joints.

Joints "oil" themselves for function with a substance called synovial fluid. When the joints are lubricated properly, they are functioning at their best and allowing us to move pain free. However, when we exercise at high intensity levels 5-6 days per week, we require more and more synovial fluid to allow for motion. Additionally, the joints are more likely to become inflamed with HIIT training than other training regiments.

Caution: HIIT Training is a great tool for developing cardiovascular health. However, we must match the intensity with recovery, primarily for the joints. If we're going to participate in HIIT, we must also participate in appropriate rest, yoga, and supplementation/diet to support joint health.


Chiropractic and Rehab can benefit all 3 of the training styles above!

Whether you're participating in HIIT, strength building, or yoga, chiropractors can help keep everything in line and functioning properly. Professional athletes all over the world have been seeing chiropractors for years to allow their bodies to function at the highest level. It's time you considered this too!

It's inevitable. You're going to sit at some point during the day. Whether it's at a desk for your job, long road trips in the car, or just lounging at home after a long day, sitting for long periods of time can have lasting effects on the body and your overall health. Today we're going to outline a couple of negative effects of sitting, and some simple fixes you can do to prevent long term complications.

1) Sitting for long periods can increase your chance for clots in the lower extremities. When you shit down, it's very difficult for blood to be pumped back towards your heart. Your heart pumps out oxygenated blood to the rest of the body through your arteries. It also receives de-oxygenated blood back through your veins. When you sit down, it puts pressures on veins that normally would carry blood back to the heart. This results in the pooling of de-oxygenated and slow moving blood in the legs.

Now, other than the obvious threat of a smaller amount of blood getting back to the heart, we also need to highlight that the slower blood moves, the more likely it is to clot. Pooling of blood in the legs, creates slower moving blood in the legs, which means the legs are more susceptible to clot.

Solution:  Get Up and Move Frequently! Contrary to popular belief, just because you exercise after work, doesn't mean you won't be affected by the negative effects of sitting. Of course exercise is great for us, but it doesn't do anything in the moment, as blood is pooling in our legs when we sit. This is why, it is important to move for about 10-15 minutes every hour so kick start your circulation and keep your blood flowing back to the heart.

2) Sitting Can Negatively Impact Your Blood Pressure. Let's use a visual for this one. Imagine you're holding two garden hoses in each hand. Both hoses are being fed the same amount of water. With your right hand, you hold the hose with a light grip. With your left hand, you squeeze the hose as hard as you can.

What would happen? Of course, the water would flow more efficiently out the hose with the relaxed grip. But what happens internally to the water in the hose being gripped tightly? The harder the grip, the more pressure that the water is under, and the harder the water has to work to reach the open end of the hose.

Veins and arteries are the exact same way. When we're standing and moving around, the "hoses" are not kinked which allows for the easy flow of blood around the body. When we kink our "hoses", i.e add pressure to them through sitting, the blood flow has to work harder to navigate the body. Can you imagine what happens to your blood pressure when you remain sitting for 4-5 hours at a time? Not even exercise can undo that.

Solution: Get up and move! 10-15 minutes every hour on the hour. You may say "I just have too much going on!". To which I would say, take your next phone call on your cell phone, and walk around as you talk. Your health is important.

3) This is our most important one: Sitting Can Wreak Havoc on Your Spine Health and Communication Pathways.

When you sit down, are your core and back muscles performing normally or abnormally? When you hunch over a keyboard, is that a natural position for your head and neck to be in? When you rest one of your elbows on a tabletop for hours at a time, is that healthy for your back? Get the picture?

"What's the big deal? It's just the spine..." 

The big deal IS. That your spine is the highway that connects all of your body's functions to your brain. When you're aligned properly, communication pathways remain open which allows for efficient communication head to toe. When you're misaligned, your neurological pathways become jammed and you start losing your ability to function efficiently. Sometimes, it even leads to complete disruptions of function called neurological interference.

An example...

You spend a lot of time on your phone. On average, your neck and head are in a fixed position, bent forward over a screen. Over time, your neck is going to become sore after being held in a position that it normally isn't designed to be in. After a while, your muscles will ache, you'll start feeling pain/stiffness in the vertebrae, and you may even get a headache or "pinching" across your trap muscles. 

Would you consider headaches to be normal? I wouldn't... In other words, because your cervical (neck) spine is misaligned, it's becoming inflamed from the additional pressure. The inflammation is now pinching off nerves that control sensation, which ultimately causes the headaches.

Symptoms due to neurological interference are much more pertinent than you think.

Solution: Get to Your Nearest Chiropractor!
Chiropractors specialize in spine alignment and can relieve pain and inflammation from neurological pathways so your body is functioning at it's best.


These 3 ailments/conditions are just the tip of the iceberg. Make sure you start applying some of these changes to your life today! Otherwise you'll find out first hand why "sitting, is the new smoking".

Combine your massage therapy with chiropractic adjustments. 

Look, we get it. There are a lot of benefits of massage therapy outside of the functional ones. The solidarity, the peace and quiet, the babbling brooks and Zen music playing, and the concept of "treating ourselves". It all makes sense to us! Taking care of your mental and emotional health is just as important as your physical health. In no way are we discrediting massage therapy. However, from a functional standpoint, your massages would be a lot more effective if you recognize that muscle tightness is a symptom of a greater loss of function.

There's an adage in the chiropractic field that says "muscle tightness is the fever of subluxation". Never heard of that one? We figured as much :).

Look at it this way, when you get sick it often comes with a fever and chills. Sometimes you don't even know you're sick until you get a fever and chills. These are symptoms that alert you that something is wrong. However, medical professionals treat loss of function, not symptoms. While the fever and chills are the symptoms, the loss of function when you're sick lies with your immune system.

Imagine if every time we got sick, we just took a bunch of Tylenol to control the fever and chills without ever addressing the bacteria/virus that's making us ill. Or if when your car stopped driving properly and was making a strange noise, the mechanic just fixed the noise but the car still didn't drive. Would you still pay an auto shop if they fixed the noise, but the car didn't drive?

Muscle tightness is the fever of subluxation (misalignment of the spine). Your spine is responsible for facilitating communication from the brain to the rest of the body. Your vertebrae form a protective column surrounding your spinal cord which communicate with every inch of the body through neurological pathways. Pain, sensation, reflex, automatic function, movement, and even immune response coordination are a product of neurological communication. When the spine is misaligned, the body is not functioning at its full capacity and communication pathways get jammed.

Your body will do everything in its power to keep your spine in the correct alignment and avoid pain as a survival instinct. With regards to muscle function, your muscle groups will work hard to either pull your spine back into optimal alignment, or protect you from experiencing pain.

For example, about 60% of the population experiences stress or tightness in their neck. We tend to imagine our muscles as the problem because it is the most tangible symptom that we can point to. It's the one causing the pain, so we view it as the solution to our problem: if the pain just stops I'll be fine. Now imagine that the real reason your neck is always hurting is because your cervical spine is out of alignment and your muscles are working "overtime" trying to prevent you from injury. The average human head weighs about 10 pounds, and if your cervical spine is functioning properly the neck muscles have to pick up the slack. Could you hold a 10 pound dumbbell out in front of you for 24 hours? What about 7 days a week?

Real improvement occurs when we address the loss of function and the symptoms improve as a byproduct. Using our neck example above where our neck muscles are working too hard because of misalignment of the cervical spine: what if we simply realigned the cervical spine? Your neck is functioning at its best when it has a lordotic curve. Think of this natural shape as a lower case "j" with the dot being your head. As the head comes forward, it straightens out your neck which puts more pressure on the spinal cord and vertebrae, which then causes surrounding muscles to tighten and resist etc. 

It's simple cause and effect. If my spine is misaligned, it will cause neurological interference and muscle tightness. Therefore, if I realign the spine, the neurological interference and muscle tightness will resolve.

In conclusion, no one is saying you don't deserve that 90 min Swedish Massage with the hot stones. Treat yourself! But, if you want that massage to be effective, combine it with chiropractic adjustments so the muscle soreness/tightness STAYS away longer than for just a couple of days. Remember, you wouldn't pay a mechanic to fix the noise your car is making if you still can't drive the car. That's exactly what you're doing when you pay for a massage without fixing the loss of function.

Estrogen, Testosterone, and Progesterone play important roles in the body. Aside from sexual activity, these hormones also regulate essential functions like sleep cycles, muscle recovery after physical activity, joint health, digestions, and moods.

It's also important to acknowledge, that the values of these hormones are not absolute. That is to say, it's not as simple as having the "right amount" of estrogen, or exactly "x mg of testosterone". We also have to consider the balance between these hormones aka their values relative to those of the other hormone levels. 

Hormone imbalance can be caused by a variety of conditions other than age such as stress level, poor nutrition, lack of exercise, lack of vitamin d, poor sleep cycles, blood sugar, and even changes in medication. It's important to recognize symptoms of hormone imbalance. If you're experiencing any of the following symptoms, it may be time to consult a physician and have your hormone levels checked:

-chronic fatigue
-mood swings
-loss of appetite
-sudden weight gain
-irritability
-increased joint pain
-hair loss
-libido
-headaches
-depression and anxiety

Remember, all of these symptoms above can have other causes. Therefore, any decisions made regarding your health should be made after consulting a medical professional. 

Stay tuned to the Modern Concepts blog for more health and wellness tips!

One of the oldest adages in the health care profession is "the first sign of a heart attack is usually a heart attack". This is not true of course, but it does personify our tendency to ignore warning signs until they've reached a level that cannot be ignored. A heart attack is not the first sign, but it's the first sign that was significant to warrant our attention and elicit a lifestyle change. In reality, there were most likely plenty of signs before this occurred like breathing heavily after walking up a flight of stairs, low energy, sleep trouble, unmanageable stress at work, poor diet, and lack of exercise. 

What's the point? Our warning signs are typically not hard to find, but the courage to acknowledge these warning signs can be elusive.


The health of your spine behaves the exact same way. The reality is: most of us wait until our back pain has reached a threshold of pain that we can't manage before we seek out help or make our alignment a priority. However, similar to the heart attack example above, there are many warning signs along the way that indicate our spinal health could eventually take a turn for the worst. Today we're going to outline some of the warning signs that your back and neck pain may be about to get serious.

1) Muscular tightness, spasming, or collection of "knots".  The skeletal and muscular systems work in unison with each other. When they're both firing on all cylinders, the human body is an extremely efficient and capable machine. However, if one of these systems is "out of whack", it puts more stress on the complimenting system to perform. 

For example, let's say you spend a lot of time sitting at a desk and don't exercise your core or lower back muscles. As these muscles atrophy (lose their strength due to inactivity), it places more stress on the low back to support your weight, which in term causes your low back vertebrae to wear down faster and lose their mobility. Conversely, if the spine is out of alignment, then your muscular system will overcompensate in certain areas to prevent pain/loss of function.

If you have particular spots in your back where it feels like the muscles are tighter than others, it's probably happening for a reason. These "knots" or tight spots could be indicating that your body is "over recruiting" muscles to offset a misalignment of your skeletal system in that area.

2) Numbness, tingling, or burning sensations. In addition to irregular muscle activity, the quality of our pain can tell us a lot about our spinal health. When the vertebrae are misaligned, it can cause a symptom called neurological interference. This essentially means that inflammation, and structural changes are impacting a nerves ability to perform is regular function. For example, if you have a change in alignment in your lower neck vertebrae, you may experience numbness/tingling down one of your arms. This is because the nerve is normally responsible for sensation and function of your arm. However, due to inflammation and the alignment of the surrounding vertebrae, the nerve is being "pressed" or "kinked" like a garden hose which is cutting off the flow of information. The function is limited/changed as a result.

3) Inexplicable fatigue. This symptom is often overlooked as a product of misalignment. Energy levels can be a product of inflammation and swelling in the spine. Think about it. Our spinal cord runs from our brain stem, down to our tailbone and is responsible for all communication throughout the body. Obvious responses like movement and reflexes, as well as  not so obvious ones like immune system coordination and breathing, are all controlled by neurological pathways from the spine. Therefore, if this "communication highway" is misaligned, or very inflamed due to stress, these communication pathways get jammed and the body functions at a much lower level. In a sense, we have to work much harder to elicit the response which causes fatigue.


If you are experiencing any of these symptoms above it may be time to consult a licensed physician near you to see what the cause is. Licensed chiropractors specialize in the mechanics of the body, joints, and holistic relief from neck, back, knee, hip, shoulder, and ankle pain! It may be time that you capitalized on their expertise!

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As we're all aware, it's much more difficult to build strong habits than it is to break them. Routines and patterns can be great things, but they can also be the opposite. With the weather getting warmer, vacations, and work life slowing down (hopefully), here are some changes that will benefit you and help you feel like your best self this summer.

1) Drink enough water.

​This may be the most obvious, yet overlooked routine for a majority of the population. We've all heard that drinking 8-10 glasses a day is the recommended amount. However, it's not always that simple. For starters, we all have different levels of activity, different diets, different body compositions, and even different glass sizes! Therefore, we need to dive a little deeper.

A better metric for how much water you should drink is to start by drinking .75-1 fl oz per lb of body weight. For example, if you are a 180 lb individual, you should start by drinking 135-180 fluid oz of water per day. This is the equivalent of about 20 x 8 oz glasses of water, which is significantly higher than the recommended 8-10 glasses per day. Something else to consider is that simply drinking 135 fluid oz of water all at once is not the same as spacing your water intake throughout the day. An excessive amount of water just catalyzes the excretory system to get rid of the water faster. Theoretically, someone who drinks all their water early in the day, like 8am, can still be dehydrated by 8pm that day if they don't drink any water the rest of the day.

Finally, your diet plays an important role in hydration as well. If we spend our day eating nutritious foods then our water intake will "go a lot further". However, if our diets are full of salts, fats, and complex sugars, we have to increase our water intake accordingly.


2) Sufficient exposure to sunlight and Vitamin D.

Spending time in the sun is great for you with moderation. We all want to work on our tans after a long winter. But there are other benefits of exposure to sunlight below the surface.

Sunlight exposure is important because it is the most natural source of Vitamin D. Vitamin D is absorbed by the skin through sunlight, and taken up through diet, then converted into a hormone called calcitriol. Calcitriol is responsible for regulating the amount of calcium the digestive tract can uptake. 

Therefore, we can make the inference that if we don't get enough sunlight, it decreases our vitamin d levels, which negatively impacts our ability to uptake calcium, which can lead to decreased strength of bones and increased probability of bone-related disease.

Get that sunlight in!

3) Addressing hormone imbalance through a sugar-regulated diet.

This is a tricky one. It's going to be nearly impossible to cut carbs out completely from a diet. Quite frankly, carbs play an important role in a large variety of functions. Cutting them out completely may cause significant issues in the other direction.

Perhaps the most important distinction to make with sugary foods is the impact they have on insulin levels. Insulin is a hormone that regulates the amount of sugar in the blood, but it also has an impact on other hormone levels in the body. When we ingest sugary foods, we create insulin spikes that raise the level of insulin the blood (secreted by the pancreas) to convert the high concentration of sugars in the blood stream. As this happens, other hormone process that are regulated by insulin are affected. Therefore, aside from the obvious concerns of ingesting too many sugary foods, it's important to regulate the amount of sugars we're ingesting.