How to Detect Forward Head Posture

FHP (forward head posture) is fairly easy to detect. Have someone look at you from the side.  Look up at the ceiling, down at the floor and straight ahead. Then have the person draw an imaginary line up through the shoulder. The line should extend up through the hole of the ear. Ideally the head should sit on top of the shoulders like a golf  ball sits on a tee. Remember for every inch your head is forward past that imaginary line you are adding approximately10 lbs. of weight to your spine.


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So What's the Fuss About Statins

Well, the good news is statins definitely lower cholesterol; the bad news is there is much evidence showing cholesterol produces up to 300 side effects and is not the culprit doctors and pharmaceutical companies claim it to be regarding heart problems. Some of the more common side effects are damage to the liver and pancreas, anemia, memory loss, depression, increase in insulin resistance leading to development of diabetes and the one I often deal with directly with clients...muscle pain. Let me be clear before I go further.  I AM NOT A DOCTOR...I am not telling you to stop taking your statin medication or any other medication for that matter. I am not at war against doctors. If I'm in a car wreck or need emergency treatment I want the best treatment available which is right here in the good old USA.  However, there is a growing tendency for the medical community to treat problems rather than try and cure them.  The pharmaceutical companies encourage this because it keeps the prescriptions flowing.  What I do suggest is you make lifestyle changes, first and foremost your diet. Supplement with key nutrients and vitamins, exercise and wean yourself off of as many medications as you can as your condition or conditions improve.

You must take responsibility for your own health and not leave it up to the government or your doctor. I will supply you with information and encourage you to read more about your situation, enabling you to make more informed decisions and ask better questions.

Total sales of statins exceed $30 billion a year.  You read right $30 billion! Yet heart disease is still the number one killer and with the new guidelines recently published statin use is expected to increase even more in the U.S.  In Sweden statin use increased 300% from 2008 to 2012 yet heart attack rates remained the same (J Negat results Biomed 11;10:6).  A good metric for illustrating the use of any medical intervention is "the number needed to treat" or NNT.  It tells you how many patients must be treated with a medication, surgery or other medical procedure for the person to benefit.  A perfect NNT is one which would mean the therapy worked for everyone.  The higher the NNT the less beneficial the treatment. If it is above fourty it is a crapshoot. In the one group statins can benefit, patients with serious cardiovascular disease who have already suffered a stroke or heart attack, statins are recommended for secondary prevention.  Even in this high risk group the NNT to save one life over five years is 83.  Statistically that is worthless.

If cholesterol is not causing heart issues what is?  The answer is inflammation and calcification of the arteries which creates an environment for the cholesterol to stick to. Picture splicing a rubber hose and scrubbing the inside with a stiff brush.  Imagine what the lining would look like, all frayed and bumpy.  This is what inflammation does to the inside of your artery wall creating pockets for cholesterol to adhere to. Some of the best things you can do to lower inflammation involve lifestyle changes and diet not medication. Avoid processed meats, fast foods, and commercially baked products (such as breads, pastries and sweets). One of the best changes for your health is to eat a Mediterannean style diet which consists primarily of plant based food sources.  This includes vegetables, nuts, fruits, olive oil, whole grains and limited portions of fish, poultry and even more limited portions of red meat.  It would not hurt to supplement with B-vitamins and whole vitamin-C complex.  Sugar (simple carbohydrates) is a major cause of inflammation As a matter of fact desserts spelled backwards is stressed. Think about that next time you pick up a chocolate doughnut.

Taking Responsibility for our Health

Many clients coming to me for help with physical pains such as neck or back often have a long history of other health issues. These range from diabetes, fibromyalgia, heart and circulation, lung problems and much more. They ask for advice on topics such as exercise, supplements nutrition and diet. I am not a doctor and make no claims as a health expert but I have acquired a certain amount of knowledge over my thirty plus years of pursuing better health. I have attended countless hours of seminars not only on massage but energy medicine and nutrition as well. I subscribe to numerous health publications and newsletters and read voraciously. That is a double edged sword because if you read enough material you will invariably read a great deal of conflicting advice and theories from experts in their fields. It can be exhausting and confusing. Much of what I've learned has been through trial and error of personal experience.

My goal is to share with you in these pages what has worked for me and provide some suggestions on healthy alternatives for conditions you may dealing with. I also want to plant the seed as mentioned in the headline that we need to take responsibility for our own health and not put ourselves at the mercy of the United States healthcare system. We spend two to five times more on healthcare than almost all other civilized countries, an average of $8,608 for every man woman and child. Healthcare spending accounts for almost one sixth of our economy yet our rank compared to other nations continues to fall.

Two examples. On life expectancy we rank 26^th out of the 34 nations studied, down with Poland, Mexico and the Czech Republic. We were 46^th out of 48 nations for healthcare efficiency. The un-affordable health care act is not going to improve that ranking.

Doctors prescribe a pill for every problem and we as patients gladly pop them. I admit a pill at first glance may seem easier than eating whole unprocessed foods, making diet changes, reading labels and avoiding Big Macs and sugar. You will find however that your taste buds will quickly respond to the taste of real food. In the end, relying on pills and advice coming from big pharma rather than making lifestyle changes and healthy choices will simply give us old years rather than golden years. 

Next topic...Statins

News You Can Use - Headaches and Trigger Points

While there are many causes for headaches, one contributing factor is the presence of myofascial trigger points and the referred phenomena they produce. Clients commonly report this referred phenomena as a headache or head pain. (more below)

Headaches and Trigger Points While there are many causes for headaches, one contributing factor is the presence of myofascial trigger points and the referred phenomena they produce. Clients commonly report this referred phenomena as a headache or head pain. The causes for the initial formation of myofascial trigger points and the perpetuating factors that influences them over time varies. Research studies by Drs. Simons and Travel have documented the general region within the tissues where trigger points form and the referral patterns they produce.  Most trigger points can be treated using a combination of sustained pressure for thirty to sixty seconds.  Some very stubborn trigger points may require injections and other forms of treatment, but these are the exception rather than the rule. Upper Trapezius This is the most common trigger point in the body. Trigger points can form from postural stress like a forward head posture and also play a roll on the high shoulder side. Pain is referred from trigger points in the upper fibers of trapezius into the back and side of the neck and into the angle of the mandible, behind the ear, and into the temple. (Fig 2) Figure 2 Sternocleidomastoid. The sternocleidomastoid muscle has two divisions each producing its own unique pain patterns. Trigger points in the clavicular division can produce frontal headaches, earaches and dizziness. (Fig 4) This trigger point can form in the clavicular head of the muscle for example as part of a high shoulder pattern. Figure 4 Fig 5: Trigger points in the sternal division of the sternocleidomastoid can produce pain into the forehead, behind the eye, the anterior cervical region, and can produce throat pain, discomfort or tightness. While trigger points in the sternal division of the sternocleidomastoid refers pain into the forehead, the anterior (front) cervical region, and can produce throat pain, discomfort or tightness. Other referral patterns include: the back of the head, into the cheeks, into the eye and distally (back) into the sternum. (Fig 5) These trigger points may be the result of a rotational pattern in the body that must be addressed to fully eliminate and prevent the trigger points from returning. Figure 5 Suboccipitals. Referral pain from these four suboccipital muscles radiates pain deep into the head from the occiput toward the back of the eye. (Fig 6) These trigger points are commonly caused by forward head posture, sustained upward head tilt or sustained head rotation with tilt. Figure 6 EFT has been in the news a lot lately, and many clients ask me how I use it in my practice.  Below I have provided an easy to use introduction.  Please read, explore, and call if you have any questions. What is EFT? EFT is a powerful self-help method based on research showing that emotional trauma contributes greatly to disease. Clinical trials have shown that EFT is able to rapidly reduce the emotional impact of memories and incidents that trigger emotional distress. Once the distress is reduced or removed, the body can often rebalance itself, and accelerate healing. Here's how you can experience this for yourself: Try EFT yourself by downloading a free starter package which includes starter manual @www.eftuniverse.com,  It gives you all the basics and allows you to test drive EFT on your own issues (although at a beginner's level). If you like what you see and want to learn more or try a session give me a call. You will also find clear and simple instructions in the EFT book series. Caveat: For people who are emotionally or physically frail, qualified health professionals should be consulted before using any health procedure, including EFT. Read some of the many studies and papers on EFT that have been published in peer-reviewed psychology and medical journals, summarized in the EFT Research section. They demonstrate the wide variety of conditions which EFT has been shown to improve, and ranks EFT studies using the "evidence-based" standards of the American Psychological Association's Division 12 (Clinical Psychology) Task Force. Read the exhaustive list of actual cases on the website. These are written by clients, therapists and physicians and allow you to see EFTs possibilities through the eyes of both newcomers and professionals. Note the wide variety of successes. This is why we encourage you to, "Try it on everything."   Just in Time for Mother's Day 25% off a Sixty Minute Massage Mom's always put their family first. This Mother's day celebrate your love for her with an instant message gift. Better yet get one for you and mom! One hour massage regularly $60 now $45. (Limit one per person may buy one additional as a gift) Offer valid until May 13th, 2012 Click here to purchase to your gift certificate(click the services button and choose your Gift Certificate).   Healthy Tidbits the aroma of peppermint has been shown to boost memory, focus and concentration. children whose moms  got plenty of omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy are less likely to have allergies. eating a mediterranean diet halves the risk of Parkinson's. drinking two cups of hibiscus tea daily can help prevent kidney stones. folic acid, 5mg per day, reduces hot flashes in menopausal women. peppermint oil (10% in alcohol) dabbed on the temples and forehead  relieves tension headaches the human brain uses roughly as much energy as a 10 -watt light bulb. Now in Northern KY Monday 10am -7pm Call me for more information 513-324-3211 The Holistic Wellness Center 562 Buttermilk Pike # A Crescent Springs, KY 41017-1674     Refer to the Tapping Chart below to tap on the correct acupuncture points. Just use two fingers and tap lightly on each point for five to seven seconds.