Recently I have seen more patients with kidney stones. So I have decided to give you the data as to why the stones are formed. Here it is: Eating more Carbohydrates (Sugar) and less protein causes your stomach to become less acidic which makes it less likely that minerals such as calcium will be fully digested and absorbed. The problem is made worse by using calcium carbonate supplements like One-A-Day and Centrum or taking antacids with calcium carbonate like TUMS (Do not take TUMS!). When you have low acid in your stomach calcium will end up as kidney stones. Many of you with these stones will also have some kind of digestive issue like acid reflux.

There are basically two types of stones in the Kidneys: Carbonate Stones and Urate Stones. Carbonate stones are easier to get rid of. Urate stones are tougher and harder to get rid of. Here are some diet recommendations:

1. Drink at least 10 full glasses of distilled water daily with one quarter of a fresh squeezed lemon in each glass. Do this for one month.
2. Eliminate all refined carbohydrates (sugar) and fried foods.
3. Limit alcohol and caffeine containing foods (colas, tea, chocolate, coffee)
4. Limit dairy products and grains (except rice).
5. Limit juice intake especially when fortified with calcium.
6. Please talk to me ASAP. I will discuss a nutritional supplement program for you.

Flexibility of the muscles of your body is one of the largest issues I have to contend with as I am getting a patient through a treatment program. For senior citizens this is very evident especially with the muscles of the front of the thigh.

This group of muscles is called the Quadriceps (Quads for short). One of the many things that I have noticed over the years is that when senior citizens come into my office for care the primary muscle that I have problems improving the flexibility of is the Quadriceps group of muscles. When these muscles tighten it becomes very difficult to improve the lower back.

With many of you I will have you face down on the table and then pull your thigh up off of the table to stretch this muscle. It can be very painful but by doing this stretch it will become much easier to adjust the back plus the adjustment will last longer. If I have not given you any stretches for your thigh please see me and ask for some stretches!

A few weeks ago I was doing an adjustment on Elizabeth K. While treating her she had mentioned to me that she had a ‘Crink’ in her neck.

I immediately said, “What? Did you say ‘Crink’”? She said ‘yes’ I then said I think it is a new word.

So, fast forward to July 10, 2009 at which time I was thinking of the word ‘Crink’ again and another patient, Joyce P. said “It feels like the ‘Crink’ in my neck was gone.” I immediately said “What? Did you say ‘crink’?” I knew at that point I had to introduce this word into the English language.

So here it is: Crink is derived from two words, crick and kink. A crick is defined as a painful cramp or muscle spasm, as in the neck or back. A kink is defined as a tight twirl, twist or bend, as well as a painful muscle spasm, as in the neck. These definitions are from The American Heritage College Dictionary, Third Edition. So add this word to your vocabulary and if you or somebody that you know has a ‘Crink’ in the neck give me a call!

Thimerosal was approved by the FDA over 60 years ago, to be used as a preservative. The danger associated with thimerosal is that it contains 49.5% ethyl mercury by weight; mercury has long been the source of many health problems.

Mercury is especially toxic to the developing fetus and infant brain. It is poisonous at any level of exposure.

According to the FDA, "Infants who receive thimerosal-containing vaccines at several visits may be exposed to mercury in amounts higher than recommended by Federal guidelines for total lifetime exposure."

If an infant follows the Center of Disease Control and Prevention Vaccine Schedule, they would be exposed to 187.5 mcg of ethyl mercury, depending on the manufacturer. The total amount through 18 months could reach 237.5 mcg.

If an average infant (5 kg) received all thimerosal-containing vaccines at his 2 months visit, the exposure just for that day would be 62.5 mcg - an exposure 125 above the EPA's (Environmental Protection Agency) guidelines. The dose the EPA allows is .1 mcg, per kilogram, per day.

Source: Vitamin Research News, May 2001, Vol. 15, No. 5, pp. 1, 10-12

Headache statistics in our country are astronomical. According to the American Headache Society:

• Every 10 seconds, someone in the United States goes to the emergency room with a headache or migraine.
• More than $1 billion is spent on over-the-counter medications to treat headaches and migraines.
• The lost work due to migraine headaches costs more than $13 billion every year in the U.S.

You may wonder why a solution to the problems associated with migraines and the common headache has not been found when technology exists that puts humans on the moon and cameras on Mars.

Throughout history hundreds of theories and ideas have been proposed to explain the causes of migraines. Treatments included everything from the somewhat reasonable to downright ludicrous in an attempt to alleviate the pain. For example, in the Medieval Ages migraines were recognized as a discrete medical disorder with treatment ranging from hot irons to blood letting and even witchcraft. Thankfully we don't have to go to such extremes today!

New medications are constantly introduced claiming to prevent and cure the pain and frequency of headaches, but statistics continue to show that they are not working.

Could it be possible that the solution lies not in the hands of giant pharmaceutical companies, but someplace you can actually visit, and perhaps in a building that isn't too far from you? Could the solution be so simple that it can be found at Dr. Dustan Mattingly's Chiropractic Office?

Poor posture and spinal injuries are major causes of headaches, and by simply taking the pressure off of irritated nerves and/or relaxing the muscles attached to the skull, the intensity and recurrence rate of headaches and migraines can drastically be improved.

That may sound rather far fetched to some people (especially if they are among the millions who have tried every pill available and found no relief) but after a session or two with Dr. Mattingly they are often amazed at the results they get. We regularly treat patients who suffer from headaches and migraines and have had a lot of success in relieving their pain.

"I came to see Dr. Mattingly for migraines that I had suffered from all my life. With the doctor’s help I was able to pinpoint what the source of my headaches was, and prevent them from being so bad. I have been migraine-free for at least six months. I highly recommend chiropractic care and Dr. Mattingly to everyone." - P.C.

So if you suffer from migraines or headaches make an appointment today by calling 314-963-9050 and see what the miracle of chiropractic can do for you!