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Aug 8 2009

Plantar Fasciitis - Natural Treatment in Boise, ID

Plantar fasciitis is a common condition affecting the sole of your foot.  The pain is typically located on the bottom of your heel bone, towards your arch.  This is the site of attachment for the plantar fascia, which is a long band of fibrous tissue along the bottom of your foot.  Both chronic irritation and acute trauma can lead to inflammation of this fascia (i.e. plantar fasciitis).

Those who have recently had a major change in activity, a change in footwear, or injury to the foot are susceptible to plantar fasciitis.  The pain may start as just a mild discomfort in the foot and slowly progress to something more severe.

The pain associated with plantar fasciitis can be severe, and it is usually worse first thing in the morning.  When you go to take that first step out of bed and noticed a sharp pain on the bottom of your foot, you should suspect plantar fasciitis.  The earlier you can catch this condition, the better the outcomes of our treatment will be.  Our goal is to decrease the inflammation, and to break up any fibrous adhesions that have accumulated from chronic stress to that area.

We use many therapies to help plantar fasciitis in our Boise chiropractic clinic - ultrasound, Graston technique (instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization), stretching, chiropractic extremity adjustments, cold laser, and more.  We may also recommend some activity modifications and home stretches and exercises.  In some cases, we may even recommend taping or bracing the area.

If you suffer from the symptoms of plantar fasciitis, and live in the Treasure Valley (Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Eagle, Kuna), please feel free to call Boise Integrated Chiropractic at 208-672-0100 to see if we can help you.
Dr. Noah Edvalson 27 August 2009
Aug 8 2009

Heartburn - Reflux - GERD - Alternative treatment in Boise, ID

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can present as a sensation of heartburn, irritation in the throat, gas, belching, or bad breath.  This is a very important subject for a couple of reasons. First of all, reflux prescriptions are the only class of drugs that had two labels in the top 10 most profitable prescriptions in the United States in 2007 (Nexium and Prevacid).  This not only tells us there is a huge financial incentive to keep you on these, but it also helps us see the prevalence of this condition.

Unfortunately, these prescription treatments can be detrimental to your digestive system and can make recovery very difficult.  You should first understand what is happening when you take these kinds of drugs.  When you go to your doctor and complain about having symptoms of heartburn, they give you an acid blocker to keep any stomach acid from coming back up and irritating your esophagus (throat).  The problem with this is that many people are already low in stomach acid in the first place.  If you don't have enough stomach acid, your food will not be digested properly.  As a result, the food can stay in your stomach longer and putrefy - which is also irritating to your gastrointestinal tract.  By blocking acid, you are going to cause the food to sit undigested even longer. To make matters worse, the next organs in line (the pancreas and small intestine) will not be triggered to release their necessary digestive enzymes.  The end result is putrefied food that you are getting little nutritional value from and that is not being broken down.  These larger food particles can then trigger food allergies and another list of symptoms.

Instead of masking another symptom by shutting down the natural processes in your body, I recommend supporting the functions of your gastrointestinal system.  If you can increase the acid and digestive enzymes, your food will pass through your system faster, and you will absorb more of the nutrients.  You may notice that you don't feel as full after a meal, and you certainly won't be waking up in the middle of the night with heartburn from the undigested food that is still sitting in your stomach and can now reach your throat because you are lying down.

I would also recommend a couple of lifestyle changes.  Try to eat smaller meals, and try to stay upright after eating.  You may also want to decrease the amount of liquid you consume with your meals - especially if you are drinking ice cold beverages, as these can slow down the digestive process.

If you have been dealing with heartburn or reflux, I strongly urge you to set up a consultation with me.  I will be happy to discuss your options and help you rule out other possibilities like gut infections, hernias, or Barrett's esophagus that may be lending to your symptoms.  Call Dr. Noah of Boise Integrated Chiropractic today at 208-672-0100.

Jun 23 2009

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most common complaints of the rest today. It also accounts for much lost time at work, workers compensation costs, and inability to perform certain tasks. Carpal tunnel surgery may be necessary for the rare individual, but most respond well to conservative treatments. The key is to catch it early, before too much inflammation has occurred.

True carpal tunnel syndrome means that the origin of the pain is coming from lack of space or inflammation within the carpal tunnel itself. However, most patients have other areas of nerve entrapment involved. A thorough examination by your Boise chiropractor can help you determine where those sites on entrapment are. We often find that hypertonic muscles in the forearm or neck can account for numbness or tingling in the hands.  The reason for this is that the median nerve, which causes the pain often associated with carpal tunnel syndrome, comes from your neck and continues down your arm and into your hand. 

We have been quite successful in helping many patients decreased their symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. If our treatments are not successful after a couple weeks, we are glad to refer you out to someone else who might be able to help.
Dr. Noah Edvalson
Aug 8 2009

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) - Natural treatment in Boise, Idaho

Irritable bowel syndrome is just that - a "syndrome".  The only thing this diagnosis really tells you is that something in your gastrointestinal tract is not functioning properly.  Our goal is to find out what aspect is not functioning as it is supposed to.

Irritable bowel syndrome is often defined as varying bouts of diarrhea and constipation that seem to be made worse with stress or anxiety.  Some patients get other symptoms as well - bloating, gas, heartburn, and other signs of gastrointestinal distress.  Please be aware that the symptoms associated with IBS are trying to tell your body something is wrong.  If you continue to let it go, you will likely experience further degenerative and chronic diseases in the future.  The majority of your immune system is in your gut, so if it is constantly under attack, your entire immune system will be compromised.

With the Standard American Diet (SAD) and all of our genetically modified food, it is no wonder that we have so many gut issues in our nation.  In your initial consultation with us, we will discuss your diet and how it might impact your digestion.  We will also consider any possible infections that might be chronically affecting your gut.  Those with a long history of gastrointestinal complaints may require a stool analysis. This lab test will tell us which good and bad bacteria live in your gut, and what treatments the bad guys are sensitive to.  It can also tell us if you have signs of leaky gut syndrome (intestinal permeability).

For many patients, we prescribe the 4R program for digestive health.

1) Remove - we start by removing the bad guys.  If this step is skipped, then the microbes in your gut will continue to cause problems down the road.  If you don't get rid of the cause, you can't expect optimal results.

2) Replace - if the insult to your gut has been present for a decent amount of time, we will need to replace some of the helpful digestive cofactors.  This includes enzymes, bile salts, and acids.

3) Reinoculate - in this step we will attempt to restore the amount of healthy flora (bacteria) in your gut.  These guys help with proper digestion and keep the harmful microbes in check.  A quality probiotic that is targeted to your condition usually works great for this step.

4) Repair - if you have had a chronic gut infection or food sensitivity, it is likely that you have developed some intestinal permeability (leaky gut syndrome).  In order to repair the lining of your gut, we need to provide it with the necessary precursors and cofactors for cellular growth.

Irritable bowel syndrome can be a tricky beast, but we have had wonderful success in treating it. If you live in the Boise area, and are interested in improving the health of your gut and eliminating symptoms of IBS, please call Dr. Noah today 208-672-0100.
Dr. Noah Edvalson 27 August 2009
Jun 6 2009

Digestive Issues

It is my opinion that digestion is one of the most important aspects of your health.  That is why what you take into your body really affects how you feel, act, and look.  This organ system is ironically one of the most neglected in our everyday talk about health.  We run to the doctor when we have a sniffly nose, but we think nothing of a chronic case of constipation.  In fact, some doctors will tell you that it's okay if you only have a bowel movement every four or five days.

It might help to understand some of the functions of your gut.  Your digestive tract is said to have more nerve endings than your brain!  It is also where the majority of your immune system is located.  To top it off, it is the place where we absorb nutrients and vitamins that are vital to our health.  Without a properly functioning digestive tract, you will not be able to achieve optimal health.  Your symptoms will manifest any many forms - food sensitivities, bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, reflux, heartburn, fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, and even atherosclerosis in your arteries.

Conventional western medicine has very little to offer people with digestion problems. Most drugs actually make digestion worse by decreasing cell function, turning off receptor sites, or hampering your acid-alkaline balance. This interferes with the biochemistry of your gut and the enzymes necessary for digestion. Does this approach make sense to you?

The only way to improve digestion is to first understand what's causing your symptoms. We can then eliminate that and focus on restoring the function of your digestive cells and supporting the affected organs by following a 4-step Gut Health Plan - Remove, Replace, Reinoculate (Restore), Repair. This must be done in a stepwise manner, and should be guided by a properly trained physician.

If you suffer from constipation, diarrhea, bloating, gas, belching, foul breath, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), heartburn, or any other digestive issue, please call for a consultation with Dr. Noah today.  208-672-0100

Dr. Noah Edvalson 27 August 2009

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