News | Rook Torres

Jun 22 0

Car Accident Injury (Part III of III): Long-Term Health Affects of Whiplash

Posted by Rook Torres

Perhaps the most scary thing about a common car accident injury, whiplash, is that it can cause serious negative long-term health affects. A study recently published out of Canada looked at data correlating a history of neck injury from motor vehicle crashes with chronic neck pain. This list of health problems is terrifying and should absolutely change your actions when it comes to treating yourself and those you love after a car accident.

The study is entitled Long-Term Consequences of Whiplash: Allergy; Breathing, Digestive and Cardiovascular Disorders; Hypertension and Low Back Pain. Just the title alone nearly says it all. The authors inquired about neck pain, headache, and depression as well.

One of the most important aspects of this study was the association of various health problems with history of neck injury from car accidents. The authors looked at allergies, breathing disorders, hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, digestive disorders, and low back pain. They found higher incidence in all categories except hypertension; in many cases, the reported complaints were close to twice that seen in those with no history of neck injury.

Unfortunately, the authors did not inquire about thyroid or other endocrine disorders. In previous studies there has been found a possible link between thyroid disease and neck injury, as documented in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. In that study, a possible link between hypothyroidism and exposure to whiplash trauma was made.

The bottom line here is if you have had neck trauma, and don’t seek proper neurological and spinal care for recovery and healing, your chances of many undesirable health problems can increase by 200 percent! That’s a risk I’m nobody needs to take when there’s expert care that’s so easy to access.

Remember, there are tons of car accidents so they’re widely studied and highly scrutinized. People are followed and the health affects widely studied.

You don’t need a referral to see a chiropractor. So scheduling an appointment at my office is easy and fast! The chiropractic care I provide is detailed, and as safe as any other treatment in healthcare (as proven by nearly the lowest malpractice insurance rates in all of healthcare among professionals).

When you come to my Boise office you get a detailed spinal motion and neurological exam designed to find the affects of whiplash.

Did you know that X-ray is the standard diagnostic test for car accident injury across all of healthcare? We have on site X-ray, so your results are fast and you save tons of time not having to go elsewhere to have proper diagnostic testing.

After a detailed exam and diagnostic tests you get to see your own X-rays and get an explanation of exactly what the problem is and what it will take to help you heal. I even give you an accurate estimate of how long it will take to recover and what the process will look and feel like. Costs usually aren’t a problem because insurance can cover most or all of the expense. If not, we’ll work with you. Due to my extensive experience and intricate analysis system that tells me exactly what treatment you need at that moment visits in my office are extremely thorough and fast, really fast! So you don’t have to interrupt your day and worry about how you can fit it all in.

Give my office a call or email right now! Now that you know how much your future health depends on it, and how easy it is, there’s no reason not to.

Feb 10 0

Car Accident Injuries (Part II of III): Low Impact Accidents and Children

Posted by Rook Torres

Can you be injured, seriously or otherwise, in an accident where speeds are under 10 miles per hour? For some perspective, people can run 10 mph with ease, with a top speed of around 25 mph for elite sprinters. So, can a 10 mph car accident really injure you? From 1994 to 1999 the Florida Dept. of Highway Safety recorded over 333,000 low-speed crashes (under 10 mph not involving bicycles or pedestrians reported by law enforcement agencies), and over 280,000 injuries. If that doesn’t surprise you then this will shock you: In all of those crashes the FDHS also recorded 1910 fatalities in those accidents. Those numbers apply directly to Boise people!

What’s really scary is how long pain can last after a seemingly gentle accident. One study found that 60% of the people had neck pain lasting longer than 3 months after injury. Another study performed by Folksam Research in Stockholm, Sweden found that velocity and long-term neck injury consequences do not correlate. This was confirmed by the Spine Research Institute of San Diego and the Center for Research into Automotive Safety and Health, Spring Valley, California.

Crash tests indicate a change of vehicle velocity of 2.5 mph may produce occupant symptoms. Vehicle damage may not occur until 8.7 mph. Occupant soft tissue and joint injuries resulting from low speed vehicle collisions respond positively to joint stimulation and alignment. That’s exactly what chiropractic care does!

What does this mean for you? If you’re in a car accident, no matter how gentle it seems to be or how injured you think you are, get checked out to see if you’ll benefit from some treatment. Left untreated these minor sprains, whiplash, and spinal joint injuries become huge problems! I’ve treated thousands of car accident victims over the last 15 years, many of them decades after the crash who are now experiencing sever pain, arthritis and degeneration which could all have been prevented by getting care immediately after the accident.

This is no different for children. Even more important to get them checked out and treated if necessary. They have years of development ahead of them that can, and will, be negatively affected by untreated damage from a car accident. If it takes a few days to get over the soreness from an accident for a child or an adult then you’ve got to get proper care to ensure your long-term health and developmental health of a child.

Why chiropractic vs. any other form of treatment? It’s simple. Chiropractic care is the only form of spinal treatment that focuses on what really matters: health and safety of the spinal cord and nerves, and healthy spinal movement (biomechanincs). Other forms of treatment may manipulate the joints or work on the muscles only which chiropractic care often includes. Only chiropractic uses specific analysis to determine if there is nerve pressure and then adjusts the spine to improve nerve function. This is the core difference between a chiropractic adjustment and any manipulation.

I use specific and high tech analysis, like x-ray, nerve reflex testing, digital range of motion, etc., to determine how much damage the accident caused, where the damage is and exactly the course of care you’ll need to feel better and prevent long term suffering years down the road. Don’t wait, it’s never too late to slow or stop damage from progressing!

Feb 10 0

Car Accident Injury in Boise (Part I of III): Neck Injury and Whiplash

Posted by Rook Torres

When is the last time you were in a car accident in Boise or anywhere? The fear, the rush, the relief…and OH, the stress!!! The stress that goes on for weeks or months after. What a huge inconvenience! After all that, that’s the good news! Ultimately what matters is that everyone is safe. If you were injured, you know exactly what I mean.

What you may not know is that car accident injuries are studied extensively by medical and insurance industries. Injuries related to car accidents have very specific protocols and rehabilitation needs. This is very important for you to understand and why I’m putting together this 3 part series on car accident injuries for you.

Part I will teach you about neck injury and whiplash and what to expect and watch out for. Part II will discuss, low impact collisions and children. Finally, Part III will long term damage and disease. For your benefit, all the parts will discuss the importance of proper care, my clinical experience, and the best ways you can avoid serious long-term health problems related to the injuries.

Neck Injury and Whiplash

The neck injury commonly known as whiplash has been studied extensively due to the nature of how severe and diverse the long-term affects can be. Whiplash is actually a series of multiple ligament sprains and muscle strains in the neck. These tissues are actually designed to stretch and tear under extreme conditions to save the spinal cord from damage. If they’re damaged that means they did their job and saved you from a life threatening spinal cord injury!

Ligament sprains, or whiplash, in the spine follow the same American Medical Association healing guidelines as any other joint ligament. Healing time is typically 6-12 weeks if unimpeded and stressed. Healing can take longer due to the moving parts of the spine and isn’t easily braced to limit motion. Spinal alignment and motion, or biomechanics, is critical to protecting the spinal cord and preserving the life of the spinal bones. Bad biomechanics in the spine leads to arthritis, bone spurs, disc decay and eventually joint fusion, any of which could require surgery and years of suffering. These conditions develop slowly over decades.

When the joints heal and ligaments tighten back up, think how critical it is that the alignment and biomechanics are as perfect as possible! This is where chiropractic care becomes critical. No other specialty helps ensure proper spinal biomechanics, nerve protection, reduce pain and speed healing time like chiropractic. An experienced chiropractor will follow established protocols, perform expert diagnostic testing and create a care plan that gets you back to pre injury status as soon as possible.

After 15 years I’ve taken care of thousands of people with whiplash in Boise. I specialize in care of the neck to ensure fast, complete healing, and perform a very thorough intake, including functional testing, neurological diagnostics and x-ray. Matter of fact I regularly receive requests from other doctors to help with difficult neck cases. I deliver gentle care you can trust with the best technology. I even have attorney’s and surgeons who refer patients to me for this very reason.

If you’ve been in a car accident call my office right away. I have had literally thousands of patients who never got proper treatment after an accident come to me for care decades later with horrible decay, disc degeneration and bone fusions that could have all been easily prevented by proper care immediately after the accident.

Jan 28 0

Some People in Boise Get Back Pain or Sickness, Other Don’t: Your GAP is Why

Posted by Rook Torres

Why is it that some people get sick or back pain while others don’t? Ever notice that some people get colds every winter, or some kids miss school a lot while others never do? Some people blow out their back every few months, others don’t. This is all related to an individual’s General Adaptive Potential.

Some of Chiropractic’s 33 principles focus on a concept known as “The Limitations of Matter”. This refers to the conditions necessary for a living system to survive or thrive. Living like us! I guess an extreme example of this would be that even a very healthy person would die if they were left naked outside in sub-zero temperatures for long enough. There is a limit to what we can adapt to. This is the “Limitation of Matter.”

In life, the experience isn’t usually so extreme. We all experience some degree of negative stress. These stresses usually aren’t so overwhelming that they result in instant death. Many times the negative stress adds up and reduces our experience and expression of life, thus our health, causing us back pain or sickness.

The good news is, you can improve your GAP and thereby increase the ability of your body to manage negative stress. Chiropractic care is simply one of the best ways to accomplish resolving back and neck pain and improve overall health.

The beautiful thing is that your body is more than a machine—it has life that flows through it, it can re-create itself! And that is exactly what we want to partner with you in doing through chiropractic care with me at my office.

Feb 10 0

Life Principles You Can’t Live Without

Posted by Rook Torres

The first thing I want you to understand is that you are born to develop, heal, adapt and thrive. You don’t need drugs to do it. You don’t need surgery to do it. You have a life force that directs the whole process. This principle forms the major premise of chiropractic which states “There is a Universal Intelligence in all matter, constantly giving to it its properties and actions, thereby maintaining it in existence.”

It is also important to understand that life is conditional. This means that if the conditions of life are not properly met, its expression will be limited, and if the condition contains enough severe negative stress, life will cease.

Now, if we look to apply these concepts, it makes sense that we make our best efforts to work with these principles—and that is exactly what chiropractic care at my office in Boise does.

We take positive action on the things that we know support and enhance life, and we act to eliminate things that take life away. This is no easy task, and I salute you for making this incredible commitment to calling my office, a commitment that I can help you continue as a lifestyle for your lifetime!

Action Step

What I want you to do is pay close attention to what you do, and add chiropractic to enhance the health giving quality of your life’s practices. Now that you have a better understanding of the principles of life, you will begin making better decisions for you and the ones you love.

Jan 27 0

Learn a Secret to Change

Posted by Rook Torres

Change is never one-dimensional. Unfortunately, when most people seek to change, they attempt to approach it in one dimension and as a result they typically fail. Adaptability is the key…but it’s as powerful subconsciously and it is when you put your mind to it.

People who have tried to drop weight by just dieting, or create better endurance by just exercising, or create a positive mental attitude by just psychologically affirming, have often been disappointed with the results. It is not that any of these things are bad ideas; it is that they are all inter-related and need integrating.

As I wrote in my book series change in life exists in 3 key dimensions:  Neuro-Spiritual: Your mental and emotional states. Physical: Your physical states and functions. Bio-Chemical: Your biology and chemical functions.

Psychological change is typically the genesis of all other change. It entails your mind-set, self-perception and world view. I want you to know  that you CAN change your mind set, which will in turn change your actions, which will in turn change your life. Even if you have tried some form of self-improvement in the past and failed, renew your hope. I am here to help you transcend old boundaries.

Taking action in the psychological dimension to use your will to create a positive attitude, while simultaneously improving your bio-chemical dimension and physical dimension, will translate into huge results in all dimensions.

Here’s the secret: Chiropractic treatment and care, like I provide in my office in Boise, has been shown to improve adaptability. If you’ve been stuck and want to unlock your mind and body’s potential now’s the time to call my office! What if you have subluxations, or blockages in nerve communication? Those are the signals that run your body, it’s your life force, your vital energy. Let me repeat, if your life force is diminished in any way then you aren’t capable of adapting to your environment and being as healthy as possible. The more adaptable you are, the healthier you’ll be and the longer you will live. Your brain and nerve system are what adapt your body to the environment.

Action Step

Try chiropractic care at 100% and start experiencing the miracle of change in your life.

I applaud you for your commitment. Most people dream of improvement, but very few take real action—so congratulations!

Jan 27 0

Ear Infections: Boise Chiropractor Has Researched Answers

Posted by Rook Torres

Ear Infections: Boise Chiropractor Has Researched Answers

This research (abstract below) published in the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health discusses a case of a 4 year old who had invasive surgery to put tubes in his little ears to help prevent repeat ear infections. Millions of people have learned over the last 120 years that chiropractic treatment, like the care I provide here in Boise, has a dramatic affect on the how a young body handles and heals itself from ear infections.

Chiropractic care specifically removes subluxations, which are nerve signal restrictions (think of it as similar to a clogging artery restricting blood flow although it happens differently of course). When you understand this, then you understand chiropractic treatment improves your body’s internal healing ability and adaptability. That allowed this young boy’s body to begin to drain the ears properly and stop having ear infections.

Don’t have surgery. Try chiropractic first. It’s natural, safe, costs way less, and feels way better!

Objective: To describe the chiropractic care of a child with a history of failed tympanostomy tube surgery and recurrent ear infections.

Clinical Features: A four-year old male presented for care with a history of failed tympanostomy tube surgery. The child was scheduled for repeat tympanostomy surgery. Vertebral subluxations were found and adjusted in the cervical and thoracic spine.

Intervention and Outcome: The patient’s subluxations were adjusted using the Activator hand held adjusting instrument. On the third visit, the patient’s mother opted out of her son’s scheduled surgery. The patient attended care with the recommended frequency at 2-3 times for the first two weeks, followed by once a week for eight weeks, for a duration of 12 weeks.

Conclusion: The successful chiropractic care of an infant with chronic ear infections is described. This study provides supporting evidence that infants with similar complaints may benefit from chiropractic care.

Jan 07 0

Chiropractic Treatment in Boise: The Power of Touch

Posted by Rook Torres

This week I want to share with you a fascinating article that was reviewed in a scientific publication, The Explorer. In two separate experiments at the University of Connecticut’s Medical Center, 98 mice were injected with 200,000 cells of Methylcholanthrene (which is a cancer causing toxin), double the defined lethal dosage.

These experimenters took a “healer”, who works by laying his hands on people, and had him use his talents on the mice. Not only did the tumors show regression on the mice the healer put his hands on, but further, other mice in the vicinity that also had tumors were helped, and he never physically touched them! What does this all mean?

Years ago, most serious scientists would denounce such findings or these types of experiments in general. Today, we see this type of research all the time, specifically in regards to chiropractic treatment right here in Boise, Idaho, home to one of chiropractic’s largest research centers. Historically, the human body was viewed as pure matter, a  bag of bones if you will, and therefore all strategies for helping it were based on this incomplete view. In the last century however, with the rise of the study of quantum physics, these energies started becoming widely accepted. As a result, we started looking at the body and mind and the role of energy in health (like chiropractic treatment), healing, and the expression of life in general. We still, to a large degree, can only speculate as to why a person can lay his hands on someone and tumors can heal, but we do know it happens.

Chiropractic, as a profession, was way ahead of its time in this respect. Since 1895, chiropractic treatment has used the healing power of touch as a part of our procedure to promote healing. Chiropractic knew that the connection between the mind and body was the nervous system, and that in order for health to be fully expressed, the nervous system must be free of interference. In fact, as part of your assessment in my office I specifically measure the energy and adaptability of your nervous system to determine the chiropractic treatment needed.

This nerve energy communication process can be hampered by the negative stress of everyday living, and that is why chiropractic treatment from my office in Boise is so important. Together, utilizing this powerful mind and body connection, you and I help eliminate negative stress so that you can realize the best of your potential.

The moral of this story, don’t underestimate the healing power of   loving touch.

Dec 11 0

Cold Remedies and Flu Remedies: A Controversy Boise Wants Answers To

Posted by Rook Torres

Isn’t this supposed to be the season to be jolly? Instead, a number of colds, flu’s and a variety of illnesses are upon us. Boise people want cold remedies and need to know the astonishing controversial news about flu shots.

The first thing we can do is to recognize the intimate connection between what they call “this cold and flu season” and what’s going on in our lives during this season. Most people have the misperception that it’s the bugs, the viruses, and the germs that are out there during this cold and flu season that make us sick.

The reality is, it’s our own immune systems that have become depressed due to the holiday stresses that allow us to succumb to the variety of germs that are out there.

My evidence for this is to look at your household or look at people at work. You will see that some people get sick within your house or at work, however other people don’t. Everybody’s exposed to the same germs, however some people don’t have a problem dealing with the germs, while some do.

So what can you do for cold remedies and flu remedies? I don’t think the flu shot is the answer…and I’m not the only one. In September, Johns Hopkins scientist Peter Doshi issued a scathing report on flu vaccines in the British Medical Journal. Dr. Doshi, charges that although the vaccines are being pushed on the public in unprecedented numbers, they are less effective and cause more side effects than alleged by the Centers for Disease Control. Dr. Russell Blaylock, a neurosurgeon echoes these concerns over the safety and efficacy of the flu vaccine. “Not only is the vaccine not safe,” he tells Newsmax Health, “it doesn’t even work.”

What I want you to recognize is that there are things that you can do from a lifestyle perspective that can help strengthen your immune system and are the best kind of cold remedies and flu prevention.

Let’s recognize that, for many people, the holiday season is a time of stress, not just a time of joy. However, it doesn’t have to be, and I believe that great planning going into the holiday season will help.

Try these preventive cold remedies Boise:

Plan your life a little bit better through the holiday season.
Keep on your exercise routines.
Following your meal plan.
Take nutritional supplements like a great multivitamin, fish oil and antioxidant superfoods.
Get adjusted to keep your nerve system and immune system strong.

This will help keep stress reduced and you will thereby have the greatest gift for the holiday season, your health and well being.

Oct 22 0

Car Accident Injuries Can Cause This Long Term…

Posted by Rook Torres

Auto Accidents: This Strategy Will Ensure Healing that Really Gives You…

Peace of mind. Ultimately that’s what you really want after all of the hassle of a car accident. You’re okay, so are your loved ones and now you want to make sure you’re not only okay now but that you’re as healed as possible and feeling great for a lifetime.

You probably didn’t know that research shows that 5 mph, low impact car accidents can increase future risk of pain and neurological conditions such as chronic headaches, fibromyalgia, and even severe conditions like MS. That’s a scary prospect and one that’s easily avoided!

Whiplash associated disorders consist of many painful soft tissue problems including sprained ligaments, strained muscles and scar tissue formation. These tissue changes create laxity in the spinal joints allowing them to easily misalign. This puts the spinal nerves and cord in danger and creates neurological problems and chronic pain over time.

With 15 years experience, the best/latest technology, and an extremely comfortable environment, you’ll love your care with Dr. Torres at Northside Chiropractic. The first goal with motor vehicle accident care is pain relief. Strategies that help you feel better as fast as possible are implemented day one! First, we take a detailed history of what happened to you in the accident. The exam process includes x-rays which are extremely valuable to rule out serious injuries like torn ligaments or broken bones. A neurological, reflex, and physical exam tell us exactly what kind of care to apply to get you healed and feeling better ASAP. These therapies include spinal adjustments to keep alignment and ensure proper healing while the ligaments can tighten back up. Muscle work, massage, and mobilizing traction to keep spasm down, reduce inflammation and keep you out of pain.

Our billing experts work directly with your insurance company and even have relationships with attorney’s who will consult with you at no charge to make sure you’re protected and at peace through the stressful process of putting things back together, including your body.

All this is creates a successful and rapid recovery with long lasting health benefits that are vital to a long comfortable life. If you’re in an accident, call us today, we’re here to help—with the best care possible.