Dr Jamie Dougall Chiropractic and Beyond

LOVETT BROTHERS Some of the most interesting conditions in my profession are conditions that are caused by areas in the spine in which the pain is not felt. Although each segment of the spine moves independently in and of itself, it also has a segment at the opposite end of the spine that moves in concert with it, and exerts a force upon it. This segment is said to be the "Lovett Brother", or "Lovett Reactor". I will provide a brief explanation: During walking (gait), one l...eg swings forward, and as it does the pelvis on the same side moves forward with it, thus rotating the lower lumbars on that side anteriorly. The shoulder girdle (and upper thoracics) on the same side likewise moves posteriorly, leaving the cervical spine to counter-rotate anteriorly on the same side in order to keep the head looking forwards. It is a little more complicated than that, but hopefully you get the idea. Joint dysfunction conditions that do not resolve via adjusting the segment at the site of pain can often times be resolved by adjusting the Lovett Brother. In any case. it is always good practice to at least check the Lovett, and in certain cases it is only by adjusting the Lovett Brother segment that we can find resolution of pain and/or dysfunction at or near the other segment. It is always interesting to see a patient's look of disbelief when a neck condition resolves by adjusting the low back, or upper rib pain is resolved by adjusting the pelvis. If you believe this condition may apply to you or someone you know, I suggest making an appointment at my office by clicking on the link at the top of the page.

SEROTONIN SYNTHESIS Serotonin is a neurotransmitter found in the central nervous system that provides a sense of happiness and well being. When serotonin levels are not sufficient, a range of symptoms including (but not limited to) depression, anxiety, mood swings and apathy can result. The good news however, is that you can boost your serotonin levels with a proper diet that reaches the recommended dietary allowance in all markers. Serotonin is produced from the amino acid... tryptophan. Tryptophan is found abundantly in foods like lamb, turkey, and chicken. But simply consuming these foods is not enough, as the conversion to serotonin from tryptophan is catalyzed by vitamin B6, as well as zinc. Deficiency in any of these 4 nutrients can result in an overall decrease in serotonin levels, and an increase in symptoms. It looks like this: tryptophan=======(B6 + Zinc)=========>>>>serotonin Whole-food sources of vitamin B6 are found in many foods--most abundantly in tuna, avocado and salmon. Many people choose not to eat tuna because of high mercury content, but a 3oz piece of sockeye salmon (about the size of a check-book) can provide roughly 100% of B6 and 50% of daily vitamin D requirements for the average sized adult. Great sources of zinc are found in red meat, pumpkin seeds and cashews. The above food source lists are by no means complete; there are many other foods that have suitable levels of the above mentioned nutrients that may also be more pleasing to your palate--and you can check/track them here (for free!) at cronometer.com . It is also worth noting that serotonin is synthesized and released in part by the gastro-intestinal tract; B6 is converted to its active form there as well. All the more reason to eat a balanced diet and maintain a healthy digestive system. And of course, it benefits one to ensure sufficient levels in all dietary markers on a year round basis as well. More to follow...

EXCESS DURAL TENSION--A MAJOR UNDERLYING FACTOR In today's world of computers, cell phones, and an increasing trend towards desk work, excess dural tension is perhaps the condition I see most often in my chiropractic office. However, it often underlies more prominent symptoms and is less recognizable given it's wide-ranging effects. The dura is our deepest layer of connective tissue, and surrounds the brain, spinal cord and our cerebro-spinal fluid. It lines the inside of t...he cranium, the spinal canal of cervical vertebrae C1 to C3, and also attaches to the tailbone (coccyx). Some muscles of the jaw also impact dural tension as they attach to the sphenoid bone which is lined by the dura inside the cranium. As you can see the dura subtly interfaces with several body structures. When certain muscles become too tight, or the cranial bones are not moving properly (with respiration), then dural tension increases. Falling on the tailbone may also cause a compaction injury (see earlier post) and increase tension by not allowing the tailbone to move correctly. All of our cranial and peripheral nerves pass through it; and therefore it can cause blurry vision, dizziness, balance issues, tinnitus (ringing in the ears)--as well as muscle weakness almost anywhere in the body. Additionally, one muscle in the spine attaches directly to it and is a little known yet major cause of headaches. Insidious pelvic and low back issues can also result as the body tries to twist into a better position to reduce dural tension. Treatment can be very difficult if one does not understand the condition or know how to test for it, but once properly identified is easily resolved over a few sessions. If you live in the Greater Vancouver area and have been frustrated by ongoing symptoms that never fully resolve, I suggest making an appointment via my website www.drjamiedougall.com. I have also posted more summaries regarding other difficult structural health issues for your convenience.

HIDDEN CERVICAL DISC Of the many structural conditions that affect the cervical spine (neck), one of the most difficult for any practitioner to recognize is the Hidden Cervical Disc. In this condition one or more of the cervical vertebrae is/are displaced anteriorly, resulting in a bulging of the cervical disc that causes either excess pressure on the motor nerve root of the brachial plexus or increased pressure on the spinal cord, or both. Additionally, there may be no chan...ge in symptoms until the head is either flexed (chin to chest) or rotated away from the affected side. Tell tale signs of a hidden cervical disc include weakness of the arm, possible weakness of one side of the body, anterior head carriage (head and neck out in front of thorax), tenderness of the affected vertebral segment, and massive hyper-tonicity of the neck. Athletes with this condition will see an sudden dramatic decrease in performance. The most common cause of this condition is sleeping face down, but any activity requiring excessive cervical rotation may also contribute. If you live in the Greater Vancouver area and you believe this description may align with your current symptoms, please consider an evaluation at my office. www.drjamiedougall.com

COMPACTION INJURIES A compaction injury is a condition that often flies under the radar in many chiropractic/physical therapy offices, which is problematic because it is so common. In a compaction injury, two bones are driven together by some type of high load impact, be it a car crash, a slip on the ice, or a fall down the stairs. As a result, our nervous system will down-regulate all muscles that cross that joint, except for one. This muscle is called the "primary muscle...". In addition, all muscles that cross that joint will be excessively tight as well. Compaction can be somewhat tricky to identify since the patient may not remember the initial trauma, as it may be far more subtle than a crash or a fall, or may have occurred decades prior!! Also, compaction injury symptoms often wax and wane, and can feel vastly different from day to day. You may get some type of physical therapy, and for a while it feels better, but unless properly treated, it will return a short time later. Proper course of treatment is typically very short, 1-2 visits to clear up the nervous system issues, and just a short time after that to resolve muscle tightness due to compensation patterns that may have developed. If you feel you or someone you know may have this condition, please see my website at www.drjamiedougall.com to book an appointment.