A few weeks ago, I shared my unfortunate experience with a driver who was texting while driving. In that post, I also encouraged all my readers to help me spread the word and discourage others from engaging in such a dangerous practice. Since then, I have received many good wishes and kind words. Today, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to each and everyone who has offered support or joined in this effort. One of my employees brought a You-Tube video to my attention, which demonstrates the danger associated with this risky, but increasingly common practice. Please be aware that the content is quite graphic. However, I think that it sends a strong message and will especially resonate with teens. Click here to watch.
According to a recent study conducted by Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, texting while driving increases your risk of an accident by more than 23 times! Since these results were publicized, attention to this phenomenon has increased significantly, prompting legislative action and social response. The reported findings resonated with me, since I had recently been a victim of this careless practice.
On May 27th at approximately 6:45am, while on my way to work, I came to a complete stop, observing the red traffic signal. In an instant, I was knocked unconscious for a few seconds and later awoke, experiencing terrible pain and electric shock down my arms. I had been rear ended by a truck that was pulling a trailer. The driver of the vehicle did not see me because he was texting. I presumed that he was distracted because he almost ran me off the road a few minutes before the accident.
Through this unfortunate experience, I now have first-hand knowledge of the dangers involved in texting while driving. As a result of the accident, I have been experiencing neck and arm pain. In addition to the physical impact, I have a badly damaged car that will not be repaired until the end of August, at best, had to supplement the cost of repairing my vehicle and incur the cost of a rental vehicle after the 30 days covered by insurance.
After this horrible experience, I am championing the cause against this unsafe practice. If you are texting while driving, I urge you to desist immediately, join me in discouraging others from doing so and help raise awareness to the associated danger. Visit our Facebook page, post comments and repost the link to your friends and family. Thanks in advance for your support!
Click here to read the complete article.
Click here to visit LSI's Facebook page.
On May 27th at approximately 6:45am, while on my way to work, I came to a complete stop, observing the red traffic signal. In an instant, I was knocked unconscious for a few seconds and later awoke, experiencing terrible pain and electric shock down my arms. I had been rear ended by a truck that was pulling a trailer. The driver of the vehicle did not see me because he was texting. I presumed that he was distracted because he almost ran me off the road a few minutes before the accident.
Through this unfortunate experience, I now have first-hand knowledge of the dangers involved in texting while driving. As a result of the accident, I have been experiencing neck and arm pain. In addition to the physical impact, I have a badly damaged car that will not be repaired until the end of August, at best, had to supplement the cost of repairing my vehicle and incur the cost of a rental vehicle after the 30 days covered by insurance.
After this horrible experience, I am championing the cause against this unsafe practice. If you are texting while driving, I urge you to desist immediately, join me in discouraging others from doing so and help raise awareness to the associated danger. Visit our Facebook page, post comments and repost the link to your friends and family. Thanks in advance for your support!
Click here to read the complete article.
Click here to visit LSI's Facebook page.
In my last post, I shared protection and prevention tips from our Functional Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy Director, Irene Rademeyer. Some individuals may not have been aware of the effects of sporting activities on the spine or how to minimize risk and damage to this vital body structure. As such, I hope that you found our tips helpful and informative.
Some persons may have read that post and thought, oh well, if only I had known or it's too late for me now. If you are one of those folks, don't despair because you may be able to return to the things you love! Laser Spine Institute has successfully treated several athletes, helping them to get back in the game. One such individual is Captain Norm Isaacs, host of Fox Sports Network's Big Game Fishing the World.
Captain Isaac's story was featured in June's issue of our newsletter, The Spinal Column. I chose to share his success today to encourage others who may be deprived of an active lifestyle, due to debilitating back or neck pain. Enjoy!
Back to Big Game Fishing
It is hard to describe a man like Captain Norm Isaacs. If you were to meet him, you would quickly realize that a life with back pain was not an option for Norm. He has lived an exciting life from signing a contract with the New York Yankees right out of high school to working as a flight instructor to becoming a professional big game fisherman.
Since 1986, Norm has dedicated his life to his career of professional big game fishing and shows on Fox Sports Network such as Big Game Fishing the World, Big Game Bites and Inside Big Game Fishing. Big game fishing involves tremendous physical strength and balance hooking up fish like 800 pound marlin which would be a difficult task for anyone to accomplish.
Living an active lifestyle for many years, Norm experienced low back pain and pinched nerves down his right leg that worsened over time. He was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, bulging disc, foraminal & spinal stenosis and facet hypertrophy. Between fishing excursions, Norm tried several different forms of conservative treatment, such as chiropractic, physical therapy and acupuncture to relieve the aggravating pain.
He was apprehensive at the thought of spine surgery and concerned that it would affect his career and true passion for fishing. Norm knew that after failing conservative treatment, this was the best option. Once he came to LSI, he was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere, caring staff and five-star service he received throughout his outpatient treatment.
In September 2008, Dr. James St. Louis performed a laminotomy & foraminotomy and a few days later, Norm was amazed at the difference. He commented, "You don't realize how much you missed feeling good - until you feel good!"
Ten months after his surgery, Norm stressed that his back is no longer bothered by bending down and picking up fish or spending days on the boat. He mentions that Laser Spine Institute is "nothing short of a miracle." Excited about his life after the surgery, he commented on his experience saying, "Absolutely a life changing experience. I'm back on the boats. I'm back to doing the things I normally do. I'm back to playing golf and I'm not hurting."
You can catch Captain Isaacs in action on Fox Sports Network, Sundays at 10:30 AM EST pain free and doing what he loves or click here to visit his website.
Some persons may have read that post and thought, oh well, if only I had known or it's too late for me now. If you are one of those folks, don't despair because you may be able to return to the things you love! Laser Spine Institute has successfully treated several athletes, helping them to get back in the game. One such individual is Captain Norm Isaacs, host of Fox Sports Network's Big Game Fishing the World.
Captain Isaac's story was featured in June's issue of our newsletter, The Spinal Column. I chose to share his success today to encourage others who may be deprived of an active lifestyle, due to debilitating back or neck pain. Enjoy!
Back to Big Game Fishing
It is hard to describe a man like Captain Norm Isaacs. If you were to meet him, you would quickly realize that a life with back pain was not an option for Norm. He has lived an exciting life from signing a contract with the New York Yankees right out of high school to working as a flight instructor to becoming a professional big game fisherman.
Since 1986, Norm has dedicated his life to his career of professional big game fishing and shows on Fox Sports Network such as Big Game Fishing the World, Big Game Bites and Inside Big Game Fishing. Big game fishing involves tremendous physical strength and balance hooking up fish like 800 pound marlin which would be a difficult task for anyone to accomplish.Living an active lifestyle for many years, Norm experienced low back pain and pinched nerves down his right leg that worsened over time. He was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, bulging disc, foraminal & spinal stenosis and facet hypertrophy. Between fishing excursions, Norm tried several different forms of conservative treatment, such as chiropractic, physical therapy and acupuncture to relieve the aggravating pain.
He was apprehensive at the thought of spine surgery and concerned that it would affect his career and true passion for fishing. Norm knew that after failing conservative treatment, this was the best option. Once he came to LSI, he was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere, caring staff and five-star service he received throughout his outpatient treatment.
In September 2008, Dr. James St. Louis performed a laminotomy & foraminotomy and a few days later, Norm was amazed at the difference. He commented, "You don't realize how much you missed feeling good - until you feel good!"
Ten months after his surgery, Norm stressed that his back is no longer bothered by bending down and picking up fish or spending days on the boat. He mentions that Laser Spine Institute is "nothing short of a miracle." Excited about his life after the surgery, he commented on his experience saying, "Absolutely a life changing experience. I'm back on the boats. I'm back to doing the things I normally do. I'm back to playing golf and I'm not hurting."You can catch Captain Isaacs in action on Fox Sports Network, Sundays at 10:30 AM EST pain free and doing what he loves or click here to visit his website.
In August's issue of our newsletter, The Spinal Column, LSI's Director of Functional Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy, Irene Rademeyer discusses the impact of sporting activities on the spine and provides helpful injury prevention tips. As a former athlete, I know the toll that sporting activities take on one's spine all too well, but I also know that with adequate care, one can participate in their favorite sport while maintaining a healthy spine. So, whether you tackle, swing, hit, dribble, or pitch, it is imperative that you practice, prevent and protect!
Be a Good Sport - Tips for Protecting your Spine
Professional athletes are known to have rigorous routines before and after competition, in order to prevent injuries and stay ahead of the competition. If you live an active lifestyle, it is important for you to follow this practice.
Here are some simple tips provided by the Laser Spine Institute's Functional Rehabilitation Department:
1. Complete a stretching and warm-up routine before playing. It is a good idea to do spinal stretches lying down. For example, perform flexion, rotation and extension stretches. We can achieve better muscle and ligament stretching of the spinal joints if we do them in this unloaded position. Include the specific body stretches and warm -ups recommended for your specific sport.
2. Following a sports activity, it is good to ice your spine to reduce any inflammation or swelling and prevent muscle spasm and nerve irritation. All sports place some strain on our spine and icing is good aftercare. Cycling keeps the spine in a prolonged flexion posture, running results in spinal joint pounding, tennis creates joint compression etc.
3. Professional athletes usually leave the competition if they have an injury. It is highly recommended not to play through pain or spasm. Recognize that painful symptoms typically indicate a more serious injury. Continuing to play may result in permanent or more serious injury to the spine.
4. Avoid over-playing, such as several days in a row, because spinal muscles and joints need a recovery period after strenuous exercise. If you continue to play with fatigued muscles, there is a much greater likelihood of sustaining joint and nerve injury.
5. Build some rest days into your training and sports activities to allow your body to heal and muscles to repair.
6. Consider cross-training to stay balanced and healthy. Keeping muscles conditioned will provide extra support to the spine.
7. Swimming and pool exercises provide excellent aerobics and overall muscle strengthening having support of the water allows less strain on the body. Remember with all our training programs - our muscles are often stronger and capable of heavier exercise than our joints. If your spine is stiff and uncomfortable 24 hours after your training or sports activity, that is often a sign of swelling and inflammation in the spinal joints or nerve tissue. Decrease the intensity of your training, give yourself more rest days and restructure your sport, so that this does not persist.
Your goal is to play your sport well and successfully, but avoid permanent spinal injury that can affect the rest of your life.
Click here to subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
Be a Good Sport - Tips for Protecting your Spine
Professional athletes are known to have rigorous routines before and after competition, in order to prevent injuries and stay ahead of the competition. If you live an active lifestyle, it is important for you to follow this practice.
Here are some simple tips provided by the Laser Spine Institute's Functional Rehabilitation Department:
1. Complete a stretching and warm-up routine before playing. It is a good idea to do spinal stretches lying down. For example, perform flexion, rotation and extension stretches. We can achieve better muscle and ligament stretching of the spinal joints if we do them in this unloaded position. Include the specific body stretches and warm -ups recommended for your specific sport.
2. Following a sports activity, it is good to ice your spine to reduce any inflammation or swelling and prevent muscle spasm and nerve irritation. All sports place some strain on our spine and icing is good aftercare. Cycling keeps the spine in a prolonged flexion posture, running results in spinal joint pounding, tennis creates joint compression etc.
3. Professional athletes usually leave the competition if they have an injury. It is highly recommended not to play through pain or spasm. Recognize that painful symptoms typically indicate a more serious injury. Continuing to play may result in permanent or more serious injury to the spine.
4. Avoid over-playing, such as several days in a row, because spinal muscles and joints need a recovery period after strenuous exercise. If you continue to play with fatigued muscles, there is a much greater likelihood of sustaining joint and nerve injury.
5. Build some rest days into your training and sports activities to allow your body to heal and muscles to repair.
6. Consider cross-training to stay balanced and healthy. Keeping muscles conditioned will provide extra support to the spine.
7. Swimming and pool exercises provide excellent aerobics and overall muscle strengthening having support of the water allows less strain on the body. Remember with all our training programs - our muscles are often stronger and capable of heavier exercise than our joints. If your spine is stiff and uncomfortable 24 hours after your training or sports activity, that is often a sign of swelling and inflammation in the spinal joints or nerve tissue. Decrease the intensity of your training, give yourself more rest days and restructure your sport, so that this does not persist.
Your goal is to play your sport well and successfully, but avoid permanent spinal injury that can affect the rest of your life.
Click here to subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
The Laser Spine Institute provides minimally invasive procedures to combat spinal and nerve conditions, which often times cause neck and back pain.
