Also On Wellness
Posts by Dr. Michael L. Hall
Desiccation is a scientific word meaning "dry" and when referring to a spinal intervertebral disc it means that the inside of the disc is drying out. The individual bones that comprise the spine are called vertebrae. Each vertebrae except the top two in the neck are separated by a cushion, an intervertebral disc. The outside of the disc is surrounded by fibrous, ligamentous tissue called the annular...
3/22/2013 2:36:53 PM
Exercise is used to improve health, maintain fitness and is important as a means of physical rehabilitation. Bed rest is the opposite of exercise. The dictionary definition of exercise is any physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive for the purpose of conditioning any part of the body. Certainly this is true, but the fact is that any activity of any kind whatsoever is exercise,...
1/26/2013 11:02:36 AM
To some degree discs lose their flexibility, elasticity, and shock absorbing characteristics as we age as do the other tissues in the body making them susceptible to injury. The back is a complicated structure of bones called vertebrae separated by cartilage-like shock absorbers called discs, held together by ligaments and muscles. It must be flexible enough to provide a wide range of movements and...
1/13/2013 2:26:19 PM
You get started on the road to exercising by walking because walking is the easiest and most convenient way to exercise at all levels of fitness and, thereby, reduce stress and improve your health in a vast number of ways. Part of the magic of walking is that there aren't any rules! True, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends these exercise guidelines: 150 minutes a week of moderate...
12/16/2012 2:11:05 PM
Spinal Decompression Therapy, first approved by the FDA in 2001, has since evolved into a cost-effective treatment for herniated and degenerative spinal discs; one of the major causes of back pain and neck pain. Spinal Decompression Therapy is a non-invasive, non-surgical treatment performed on a special, computer controlled table similar in some ways to an ordinary traction table. A single disc...
12/7/2012 6:13:11 PM
In Part I we discussed that when you exercise you're essentially burning away the bad hormones plus promoting the release of good hormones into the blood stream so you get a double dose of benefit. There is no part of your body that doesn't benefit from moderate exercise. Clearly, there are the physical benefits to the musculo-skeletal system, cardio-vascular system, and respiratory system with which...
11/28/2012 4:32:16 PM
To say that something as simple and as fundamental as walking is the best medicine seems to be a very broad and sweeping statement. Why is it true? What is the secret to good health? Diet and exercise, of course. Not much of a secret if everyone already knows the answer, but how and why do these improve health? We've all heard that the negative effects of stress causes health problems so it sounds...
11/21/2012 5:41:16 PM
Modern medical science has finally developed an effective alternative to endless injections or simply living with the pain - Spinal Decompression Therapy. Epidural steroid injections (ESIs) are a common treatment option for many forms of low back pain especially when accompanied by radicular leg pain, a condition commonly known as sciatica. They have been used routinely for low back problems since...
10/13/2012 3:15:53 PM
I wish we could say that we, as the parents of a 14 year old, 3rd degree black belt, were so very clever and so keenly insightful that we began our Taekwondo experience with the end in mind, but that is not at all how it happened. The truth is that it began as a way to keep the 5 year old little brother occupied between the start of big sister's dance class and the end of her class. Because the front...
9/23/2012 7:24:19 AM
Attempts to counter the effects of gravity to relieve back pain and neck pain is not a new thing. Traction in one form or another has been employed for centuries to achieve just that. As a back specialist I'm asked this question almost weekly, or "right regular" as they say in the country parts of North Carolina, and I'll answer the question directly in just a few moments, but first let me point out...
8/11/2012 2:48:50 PM