What if there were a simple long term solution?  Everything in the body is regulated by the nervous system and the nervous system begins in the brain. Signals then travel down the spinal cord and out along the spinal nerves to every single muscle, organ, and cell in the body. When these nerves have interference then the muscles, organs and cells receive broken and mixed signals. It is like trying to get directions while talking on a cell phone that is getting a bad signal. Either the message has to be repeated or you end up in the wrong place.

When muscles get a bad signal they tend to tighten up which is their default setting. The stomach relies on signals from the brain which trigger the production and release of acid and other digestive enzymes. When that signal is impaired then it tends to release too much or too little acid both of which can cause acid reflux.

The nerves that control the stomach leave the spine between the shoulder blades. When this area is adjusted chiropractically and the nerve interference (subluxation) is removed, full signal is restored and the stomach often begins to function properly.

Wellness begins

So where does wellness in Spokane begin. It begins with me, making choices to make myself well, and it begins with you making choices to be healthy and then we all spread that health and wellness to others.

2. Diagnostics: Another patient came into to me with chronic lower back pain and a recent acute flare-up include sharp pain which radiated down his leg to the knee. She had just moved and had been seeing a chiropractor in her previous town sporadically for quite some time. When I asked her the last time she had any x-rays taken she could not remember. Upon taking x-rays of her lower back I discovered significant osteoarthritis. When I explained that the best way to deal with osteoarthritis was to restore proper motion she quickly signed on for regular care. If the other doctor had only taken x-rays years earlier this woman may have prevented some serious degeneration.

3. Honesty: One thing that we all hate is when people are not up front about what they provide, the results expected and how much it will cost. Patients usually come to my office with some variation of the following four questions: what is wrong with me, can you help, how long will it take and how much will it cost. What I have found works best is to try and answer these questions before they are asked. That way the patient never has to feel uncomfortable asking the question.

There are lots of chiropractors out there who make promises about being able to provide miracle cure or that his/her technique will get you better results faster than anybody else. Do not listen to those people. Sometimes, they are right and sometimes they are wrong. The reality is that chiropractic works for a great many things. My only promise to my patients is that I will do my best and will do what I have to in order to get them feeling better, even if that means sending them to someone else.
So, next time you are looking for a chiropractor keep those three things in mind. Make sure they are willing to explain and educate you as to what is going on. They should also be thorough in their exam and diagnoses, taking x-rays, or sending out for an MRI if necessary. Above all else they should be up front and honest with you.

Anterior Head Syndrome is a serious primary condition affecting millions of people in varying degrees. Anterior Head Syndrome, or AHS for short, is a structural condition in the human body where the head has moved anterior or forward compared to the upper back and shoulders. From the side view of the human in the upright stance, the head should be centered directly over the shoulder. Because the ear is fairly centered on the side of the head, a good visual landmark for normal head position is the ear being centered over the middle of the shoulder.

Drew Barrymore displaying anterior head carriage

Because AHS is a primary structural condition in the body, it doesn’t necessarily cause pain and symptoms. However, regardless of symptoms, AHS is not normal and will cause permanent damage if not addressed.
AHS causes underlying problems such as Dowager’s Hump (“Granny Hump”), muscular tension/spasm, nerve impingement syndrome, compressed (degenerated) spinal disc, and damaged (degenerated) vertebra. These underlying problems can cause a host of secondary conditions (aka symptoms) such as: arm pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, digestive conditions (including reflux), dizziness (vertigo), fibromyalgia, headaches of all types, low back pain, neck pain, numbness and tingling, posture related issues (including poor appearance), sinus conditions, TMJ, and vision and hearing problems…to name a few.
Several things happen to the body when the head is forward compared to the shoulder. For starters, the average adult human head weighs between 12 and 14 pounds and it takes virtually zero muscle effort to hold the head upright when it is centered over the shoulders. For every inch forward of AHS, the apparent weight of the head increases by at least 10 pounds, and the muscle effort needed to sustain that position skyrockets. This may be why you feel so sore and tired even after an “easy” day. Just imagine holding a bowling ball above your head with one arm and then holding that ball in front of you with one arm… you will definitively feel the muscle effort difference when the ball is not centered with the body.
Secondly, when the head goes forward, the normal cervical (neck) curve gets disrupted. This disruption strains the spinal cord and nerves and also puts abnormal stress on an area of the base of the brain called the brainstem. Just imagine your fingers inside a Chinese Finger Puzzle that tightens when you pull it apart. This stress on the brainstem alters brain chemistry and tension. Altered brain chemistry has been shown to cause issues like chronic pain, depression, weight gain, psychological issues, etc. Altered brain chemistry is not normal and can cause serious conditions.

Example of increases load caused by anterior head carriage

Many prestigious medical journals and health clinics have already proven that AHS causes spinal decay, disc herniation, pinched nerves, sympathetic nerve issues, and many more issues. If the problem of AHS isn’t addressed, permanent remodeling damage will occur in the spine (arthritis).
When AHS gets reduced, brain chemistry alterations start to normalize. When there is a decrease in AHS muscle effort reduces, the body functions better, and the nervous system has much less stress on it. Think of how much additional energy you would have if your body didn’t have to exert all that extra muscle effort just to hold the head in an upright position. It’s similar to removing bad programs from your hard-drive so the CPU has less stress.
Aside from the anatomical and physiological issues associated with AHS, there are many societal aspects of having “poor posture”. “Sit up straight, don’t slouch, get your head up….” These are all phrases that we can associate with; they’ve been drummed into our brains by anyone and everyone. Subconsciously, when we see someone for the first time, or at a distance, our brain is picking up on several factors about that person. One of the biggest factors is their posture and body positioning. When we see someone with their shoulders back and their head held high we might be thinking: confident, on top of the world, healthy, etc. When we see someone who is slumped and the head is forward we will have different subconscious thoughts and feelings. As much as we say that those things don’t matter to us when we see someone, it can’t be helped; our brain is hard-wired in to making generalizations on first impressions.
So whether you’re concerned about developing the “Granny Hump” posture or concerned about negative brain chemistry, Anterior Head Syndrome is a serious condition that needs to be addressed in today’s population.

Extreme case of long term anterior heada carriage

Treating AHS is not an easy task and only a few therapies actually address the issues of reducing the forwardness of the head with any predictable degree of success. Traditional chiropractic manipulative style treatments usually do very little to address the issue. Most physical therapy and massage style muscle treatments usually do very little to affect the nervous system and neck curve aspect of AHS. Finding a provider that focuses on structural correction of the spine and rehabilitation of the nervous system, and one who works on AHS every day, is a crucial step in improving you health.

Posted by Dr. Joe Haak at 6:58 AM

Some of you may think that sounds kind of weird or out there, but trust me and let me explain. Each day we wake up with a “destiny” or “purpose” and each day we have the opportunity reach that purpose or at least reach for it. For some that may be making it to work on time, performing their job well and coming home to be there for their family. Others have to make decisions regarding people lives, national security, etc. Neither purpose is greater or lesser than the other, they are just different. The point is that regardless of what you wake up to do you want to be able to do that to the best of your ability.
Imagine then, waking up every morning fatigued, or with lower back pain or suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. You would have a more difficult task accomplishing what it was you got up for that morning. Imagine now, waking up, pain free and full of energy. You would be much better equipped to make your world, and consequently other people’s worlds a better place. Wouldn’t you want to live that way.
Most of us do want to live that way, but each day we make choices about what we think, what we do, what we eat, how we talk, who we spend time with and countless other that push us either closer or further away from our purpose. Some people, like those in developing countries and with certain handicaps, have less capacity to make those choices, but there are always choices to make.

So here it goes.
Wellness: making the choices that effect our bodies, minds and spirits and drives us closer to our purpose each and every day.
For some that may not help you much. What it does is put the ball in each of our courts, making wellness a personal daily decision. For each of us that looks a little different, but there are still some universal principles which we must all abide under. I have discussed and will continue to discuss those principles in future postings.

Businesses will tell you that wellness means that the employees miss less work time and are more productive when working. They may have exercise equipment available on the job or provide health snack options in the cafeteria. Recommendations for regular check-ups with your doctor will be made and good attitudes and healthy relationships promoted.
Dr. Oz make many different recommendations regarding wellness, including eating right, regular exercise, finding natural remedies for common ailments and monitoring your own health as closely as possible. Dr. Weil recommends anti-inflammatory diets and the like.


Your doctor’s version of wellness may include regular check-ups, prostate exams, colonoscopies or mammograms. They may even occasionally recommend a few natural products instead of pharmaceuticals.
The point of all of this is something that we all talk about but no one really knows what someone else means when they say it. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was some kind of universal definition? Tune in a few days from now for my attempt to do such a thing.