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Many women suffer from menstrual cramps at some point during their life.  Commercials on TV tell you to just take a Pamprin, or other pain reliever. 

Have you ever wondered why you get cramps?  It's not because you have a PAMPRIN DEFICIENCY!

Common Causes of Menstrual Cramps:

-Tilted Uterus: Total Body Modification has soft tissue corrections that help reverse a tilted uterus.  A tilted uterus is sometimes implicated in women that have been diagnosed with infertility.  I have used the tilted uterus protocol to help MANY women with cramps!

-Dehydration: Just like a marathon runner that gets muscle cramps when they are dehydrated, so does your uterus.  Increase your water intake to 1 quart or liter per 50 pounds of body weight per day to see if increasing your water intake helps your cramps.

-Lack of Minerals:  Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium are minerals that are commonly deficient in women that have menstrual cramps.  I have patients use either a supplement or increase the amount of foods they eat that contain these minerals

-Omega 3 or other Essental Fatty Acid Deficiency:  Omega 3 and Evening Primrose Oil are two supplements that can help with menstrual cramps

-Diet high in fried foods and pro-inflammatory foods: Women that eat a lot of fried foods and starch, as well as other foods that increase inflammation in the body, usually notice increasingly severe cramps.

-Misalignment in the Pelvis or Lower Back:  The nerves that feed the reproductive organs also feed the hips and low back.  It is a two way communication system.  Problems with reproductive organs can cause misalignments in the spine, and misalignments in the spine can cause reproductive problems.  This is also a common problem with women and men that are diagnosed with infertility.  My grandma had 3 miscarriages in 10 years, and was told to have a hysterectomy.  Fortunately, instead my grandpa took her to a Chiropractor.  Shortly after that, she was pregnant, and the baby born nine months later was MY MOM!!!  (That's how my grandpa decided to become a Chiropractor by the way!)

-Energy imbalances in the Acupuncture Meridians:  The Spleen, Kidneys, and Liver Meridians are commonly imbalanced in cases of menstrual cramps.  There could also be other meridians like Heart and Pericardium involved depending on the amount of emotional stress the woman deals with on a regular basis.  I use a tool called Acugraph that measures the energy in the 12 main Acupuncture meridians so that I can digitally and accurately see where the body is out of balance, and create a customized treatment for each patient at each visit.  It's amazing! Check out this link on msnbc about Acupuncture and Menstrual Cramps!

If you have questions about menstrual cramps or other health conditions, please call me at 816-256-3603!

Better Health is only a phone call away!

 

Dr. Kristine Baker 

7 Tips to Help Fibromyalgia from a Kansas City Chiropractor

1. Drink water:  You should drink 1 liter or 1 quart of water per 50 pounds of body weight PER DAY!!!  Only water counts.  Tea, soda, flavored water, fitness water, carbonated water, or any other version that is not pure water doesn't count.  I do recommend that you drink filtered water if at all possible.  Pur is an inexpensive brand that carries a wide assortment of filters and water pitchers.  There are other higher end water filters that remove even more impurities, but for a start, Pur does a great job!

2. Avoid artificial sweeteners:  Any of the colored packets, pink, blue, yellow...aspartame, saccharin, Splenda, and NutraSweet tend to worsen the symptoms of many Fibromyalgia patients.  It may make your food taste sweet, but what else is it doing to your body???  (I even had a Type 2 Diabetic patient report that her blood sugar levels dropped after cutting out diet soda)

3. Become a Label Reader: Look at the labels on the food in your pantry and refrigerator.  Do the ingredients include a laundry list of items that you can barely read, much less pronouce?  That particular item is most likely loaded with chemical food additives and/or preservatives.  Many Fibromyalgia patients are very sensitive to food additives, chemicals, and preservatives.  If you must buy boxed food items, look for ones that have less ingredients total, and labels where you recognize the ingredients.

4. Shop the outside aisle of the supermarket:   That's where all of the whole food, and fresh and raw items tend to be.  The supermarket is loaded with sugary and chemical-laden foods in all those center aisles.  If you are lucky, you can go down the juice aisle and get not-from-concentrate and no sugar added juices.  Again, read your labels!

5. Find a Chiropractor that has experience with Fibromyalgia patients:  I have treated many Fibromyalgia patients, and when they follow my recommendations, they have all seen improvement in their energy levels and decrease in their pain levels.  Chiropractors are trained to detect subluxations or misaligments in the spine.  These misalignments of the spine often contribute to the varying pain levels in a Fibromyalgia patient.  Working with a Chiropractor to keep your spine in alignment is critical to improving your quality of life, even if you don't have Fibromyalgia!

6. Incorporate other forms of natural health care into your lifestyle:  Acupuncture, CranioSacral Therapy, and Total Body Modification are other techniques that I use in addition to Chiropractic that have DRAMATICALLY improved the results I've had with Fibromyalgia.  Also consider getting massage or taking a yoga class. I also recommend incorporating exercise into your routine at least 30 minutes 4 to 5 days a week (please get clearance from your Doctor before starting any exercise program).

7. Create a support system (family, friends, work colleagues, neighbors, etc.) that will help you when you have a bad day, or listen when you need them.  Many Fibromyalgia patients have been through, or are currently experiencing, an extremely stressful period in their lives.  Feeling supported and loved can make a whole world of difference!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me!  Better health is only a phone call away!

Dr. Kristine Baker

Kansas City Chiropractor Helps Patients with Neck Pain from Long Hours on the Computer

Are you reading this at your computer right now and thinking to yourself "Hmm...I have neck pain and I'm on my computer...what's the point?"

The point is long frequent periods of time in front of the computer can cause neck and back pain, as well as eye strain!

How can this happen?

-Poor ergonomic design of your workspace (meaning your computer, mouse, chair, keyboard are not in the optimum position for your body)

-Your monitor is set too high, too low, or off to one side or the other, causing your neck muscles to work overtime to hold your head in place

-If you are on the computer AND squeezing the telephone between your neck and shoulders, you are getting a double whammy of stress on the neck.  You should really get a headset or use speakerphone if at all possible.  The increased stress on your neck and upper back can cause the vertebrae (bones) in your neck to misalign, which can also create muscle spasms and pain.  You may even notice your neck turns better to one side than the other.

-Staying in one position for long periods of time without much body movement.  This causes your body to stiffen in some places, and overwork other muscles.  This is the perfect setup for neck and back pain, as well as weight gain if you are not exercising on a regular basis.

What can you do?

-GET ADJUSTED by a Chiropractor:  Chiropractors are trained to gently detect misalignments aka subluxations in the spine and joints, and then realign those joints, which takes pressure off of nerves and relaxes the muscles.

-Have your workspace evaluated by an ergnomics specialist, or discuss it with your Chiropractor.  During my extensive education in Chiropractic school, we were trained to help patients adjust their workstation to minimize the negative impact on their bodies.

-Eat protein every 2 to 3 hours.  You may combine this with vegetables or sprouted wheat bread to create a healthy snack or meal.  Eating small meals more frequently keeps your blood sugar steady so that your body can handle long days of work and other stressors.

-Drink a quart of water for every 50 pounds of body weight PER DAY.  This is the optimal amount of water for someone to drink and still stay well-hydrated.  If you drink coffee, tea, or soda, add the same amount of water to your total for the day.  A great way to measure your water intake is to use a polycarbonate or metal water bottle that is 1 quart or 1 liter. 

-Exercise 3 to 5 times a week.  At least 30 minutes of physical activity that gets your blood pumping and your body sweating has all kinds of benefits including stress reduction and more physical stamina.

Find a Chiropractor that is well trained in coaching their patients in all aspects of their health, including diet, water intake, and exercise, and you will have a partner that will be there to bring your body to it's maximum potential!

Drinking my water as we speak!

Dr. Kristine Baker