Do you have a hump? A hump? Where? In many people a hump or rounded protrusion develops where the neck meets your thoracic spine (upper back). Is it important? Yes, it could be very important.  In the illustration on the left the woman's head sits evenly over her shoulders; this is "normal" posture. In the illustration on the right her head is slightly in front of (anterior to) her shoulders. The shoulder and trapezius muscles tighten as they try to pull the head back. The tightness may go down the body and cause low back and hip pain however the off-centered head position may create a hump. Over time the hump may develop fatty tissue to protect the "exposed" area. The vertebrae making up the hump are often out of position, irritating the nerves that go to the heart, lungs and thyroid which may affect the functioning of these vital organs. Got a hump? Get a chiropractic adjustment. Chiropractic may help remove your hump by realigning the vertebrae and letting you regain your normal flexibility. Also, with your head properly balanced over your shoulders you'll have less tension, more energy and a sense of improved overall well-being.

Chiropractic improves athletic performance Athletes often notice that chiropractic makes your body work more efficiently so you get more performance with no more effort. In a study showing chiropractic's effectiveness, competitive cyclists (4 men and 2 women) were able to measurably improve their performance after just one to two weeks of chiropractic care. The study subjects reported that they could ride longer before fatiguing because their legs were working the pedals more efficiently. Five of the cyclists reported a lower perceived effort of how hard they were working, experiencing improved biomechanical efficiency, pedaling "rounder" or in a smoother motion (as measured by computer analysis).(1)  A little "ding" on the field is no little thing A "ding" may be more serious than expected. After a "ding" on the field, the shook up athlete may sit on the sidelines for a little while and if they look OK, they often go back (or are sent back) in the game. That may be a bad idea. In a recent study, 43 male and female high school athletes who had a mild head concussion were tested for attention, memory, reaction time and information-processing speed within a week of injury. Researchers were shocked when they found a dramatic decrease in memory and an increase in symptoms 36 hours after injury. Quite significantly, those athletes who had on-the-field symptoms lasting longer than 5 minutes had a 500% drop in memory performance. (2)  Anyone who suffers a sports injury, no matter how "mild," needs a chiropractic checkup to ensure that they aren't carrying unresolved damage in their body. Chiropractic questions and answers Question: Is it bad to "crack" your neck or back a lot? Answer: This question is often asked of chiropractors because people associate the cracking or popping of one's neck with a chiropractic adjustment. The two are not the same thing. If a person has a desire to pop his neck or back it's usually because a part of his spine is fixated or jammed causing another part to move too much and "pop" a lot. It's the jammed or fixated part that must be properly adjusted by a chiropractor so that the spine will stop being so movable and noisy. When you "crack" your neck you may relieve tension for a little while, but you are not giving yourself an adjustment. After a while the urge to "crack" returns because the cause of the spinal tension, the "jammed" vertebrae, hasn't been corrected. Old wives' tales say popping or cracking your joints causes arthritis. There isn't any research supporting that, but if tension keeps building up in the joints because of spinal stress it may not be the popping or cracking that's so bad for you, but the spinal stress and imbalance causing it. Words of wisdom "Everything can be taken away from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." - Victor Frankl, Holocaust survivor and author "Anyone who puts whole-hearted effort into anything can perform miracles." - Anne Fadiman   Chiropractic and spinal research Remember, all people can benefit from chiropractic care no matter what condition they may have. If you have any specific questions please feel free to contact us. Autism and otitis media. A 3-year-old autistic girl also suffering from serous otitis media and hearing difficulty was diagnosed as 9 to12 month level of development. An ENT specialist suggested surgical insertion of tubes in the ears. The parents first decided to try chiropractic. Within 3 weeks of her first chiropractic adjustment, there was complete resolution of her otitis media. It was noticed that her tantrums increased after drinking milk therefore a gluten and casein-free diet was implemented and this brought about "terrific" cognitive and emotional improvement, social skills, language and reasoning skills. (3)  Multiple sclerosis. After a series of chiropractic adjustments all four MS patients in this study reported improvement in functional health status and quality of life. Three of the four patients reported a significant trauma to the spine that preceded their development of MS symptoms. (4)   More parents refusing to get children vaccinated  As a result of increased studies indicating that vaccines are responsible for brain damage, paralysis, autism, diabetes, immune system disorders, and learning and neurological disorders, more parents are refusing to give their child some or all vaccines. In a recent study 93% of pediatricians and 60% of family physicians said at least one parent had refused a vaccine for their child in 2003. Within this year, 69% of the physicians said that the number of concerns from parents had increased significantly. (5)   What's in the chicken pox (Varivax) vaccine? Each dose contains 1,350 units of varicella virus, 25 mg sucrose, 12.5 mg hydrolyzed gelatin, 3.2 mg sodium chloride, .5 mg monosodium L-glutamate, .45 mg sodium phosphate dibasic, .08 mg potassium phosphate monobasic, .08 mg potassium chloride, residual components of cloned, aborted fetus cells including guinea pig DNA and protein, trace quantities of sodium phosphate monobasic, EDTA, neomycin and fetal bovine serum. Varivax has not been evaluated for its carcinogenic (cancer-causing) or mutagenic potential, or if it could damage the child's reproductive system and impair fertility.   The latest cancer information A great resource for accurate cancer information is available from THE MOSS REPORTS, a free weekly e-mail newsletter by Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D. In newsletter #127 (4/4/04) Moss writes: "More than thirty years have elapsed since the war on cancer was officially declared by President Nixon. Yet despite the enormous effort expended in terms of manpower, resources and money, we are no closer to winning the war than we were on the day it was declared. New drugs are constantly being approved, but while it is true many of them can cause a temporary shrinkage in tumor size, very few will eradicate any kind of cancer permanently. When the temporary shrinkage of tumors without any prospect of real prolongation of life can generate so much profit for drug companies there is little incentive for them to investigate different, less toxic approaches that may offer a real chance of influencing the outcome in many cancers." Humor An English professor wrote the words, "Woman without her man is nothing," on the blackboard and directed the students to punctuate it correctly. The men wrote: "Woman, without her man, is nothing." The women wrote: "Woman! Without her, man is nothing."   The following statements about the Bible were written by children. They have not been retouched nor corrected - incorrect spelling has been left in. In the first book of the bible, Guinessis. God got tired of creating the world so he took the sabbath off. Adam and Eve were created from an Apple tree. Noah's wife was called Joan of Ark. Noah built an ark and the animals cam on in pears. Lots wife was a pillar of salt during the day, but a ball of fire during the night. The Jews were a proud people and throughout history they had trouble with unsympathetic Genitals. Sampson was a strongman who let himself be led astray by a Jezebel like Delilah. Samson slayed the Philistines with the axe of the Apostles. Moses led the Jews to the Red sea where they made unleavened bread which is bread without any ingredients. The Egyptians were all drowned in the dessert. Afterwards, Moses went up to Mount Cyanide to get the ten amendments. The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple. The seventh Commandment is thou shalt not admit adultery. Moses dies before he ever reached Canada. Then Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol. The greatest miracle in the bible is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him. References 1. Vector. 1999;2(4). 2. Lovell MR, Collins MW, Iverson GL, Johnston KM, Bradley JP. Grade 1 or "ding" concussions in high school athletes. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2004;32:47-54. 3. Khorshid K. Case report: autism, otitis media. ICA Review. Fall 2001. 4. Killinger LZ, Azad A. Multiple sclerosis patients under chiropractic care: a retrospective study. Palmer Journal of Research. 1997;2:96-100. 5. Freed GL, Clark SJ, Hibbs BF. Parental vaccine safety concerns. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2004:26(1):11-14. www.ajpm-online.net/article/PIIS0749379703002794/abstract cited in American Medical News February 9, 2004.