Chiropractor in Kansas City Helps Patients with Foot Pain, Morton's Neuromas, and Plantarfascitis

 I love adjusting feet!  It is one of the most interesting parts of the body to adjust...and there's usually instant gratification for me.  The best part is the smile on the patient's face when they stand up and their feet feel better right away.

I have treated many patients with foot problems with about a 95% rate of success with many different foot conditions.

 Plantarfascitis - a foot condition where the tendons and ligaments underneath the feet shorten and tighten.  Patients usually complain of pain with their first steps in the morning.  That first step irritates the attachment sites on the bottom of the feet starting the inflammation and pain reaction in the body. Adjusting the feet, exercises, stretches, and in some cases therapeutic ultrasound give patients pain relief, reduce inflammation, and increase flexibility in the soft tissue.  Acupuncture has also been known to help this as well.

 Morton's Neuroma - I have also had success in reducing the pain with Morton's Neuromas.  Most of the time adjusting the feet and mobilizing the soft tissue of the feet and ankles will take pressure off the area where the neuroma is forming.  The neuroma is a benign tumor that is actually a thickening of the tissue surrounding the nerve that goes between the toes.  Once the foot is adjusted there is more mobility and less pressure on the nerves, and the pain lessens.  There are instances that patients will still have to undergo surgery, but many times I have seen their pain completely resolve and thus avoid surgery altogether.  I have also had patients who have had surgery and only have temporary relief.  It is critical to look at the biomechanics of the feet and the quality of footwear.

 Foot pain - Ever twist your ankle?  Wear heels? Shoes with poor arch support? Break your foot or ankle and have to wear a cast?  These are some of the most common causes of foot pain that I've seen.  When I adjust the feet I check all of the bones in the feet to determine where there are misalignments and restrictions in motion.  There can also be restrictions in the ankle and knee as well that need to be adjusted along with the feet.  This is especially true in cases of sport injury, prior fracture, patients who wear heels, and patients who cross their legs a lot.  I have helped quite a few runners and track athletes return to competition after adjusting their feet and legs.

If you have foot, ankle, knee or hip pain, I recommend that you be evaluated by a Chiropractor who has a lot of experience with adjusting these areas.  I have so many patients that never knew a Chiropractor could help these types of problems, and now feel so much better!

Better Health is only a phone call away!

Dr. Kristine Baker

Kansas City Chiropractor Helps Patients with Back Pain and Posture

Do you lean to one side in the mirror?  You should check...really.

 Why?  This could be an indication that you have misalignments in your back, or a bulging disc, EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE SYMPTOMS!

 I see so many patients that come in the office and their low back hurts and their upper body is leaning forward or to one side.  This is what we call antalgic posture.  You will HAVE to assume this position to be pain free when you have a disc bulging in your spine, or other major misalignment.  Sometimes long before you have symptoms, your posture starts to change to compensate for a misalignment aka subluxation in the spine.  If you can get adjusted before this becomes symptomatic, then your chances of having severe back pain are much less.  In fact, you may not even have a back pain flare up at all.

 This is part of the reason that I stress regular adjustments as part of your overall wellness plan.  The frequency that your body needs adjusted is different for everyone.  Sometimes at first it is once or twice a week, and then it tapers down to every week, every other week, and then monthly.  I have patients that feel great as long as they get adjusted every 4-8 weeks, and the lucky ones who only need a "tune up a few times a year". 

The patients that need the least amount of maintenance adjustments usually have the following habits:

1. They drink plenty of water

2. They eat minimal sugar and processed foods

3. They exercise - anywhere from regular walks around the block to marathon runners

4. They have good sleeping posture and get plenty of sleep

Why am I stressing the importance of maintenance care? 

Last night I was reminded about the importance of maintenance care on my car.  My engine was starting to run a little hot and then I realized I hadn't checked the fluid in my radiator for way too long.  My car needed fluid in the radiator, and now the problem has resolved!  For the cost of a gallon of radiator fluid (about 5.00!), I saved myself the cost of a new engine (several thousand dollars!).

Just like your car, maintenance care is much less expensive that repairing a big problem that has been ignored.   Sometimes when you keep an eye on the little things, it keeps the big things from happening.  Regular adjustments are an affordable and enjoyable way to have your spine and body checked on a regular basis by a Doctor that is trained to maximize the longevity of your body.  I have found and corrected many little problems with my patient's health long before they were big enough to interfere with work, family, and vacations.  I've even found a few undiagnosed life-threatening problems with patients who were on a maintenance program, and were so grateful for my careful attention to their overall health. 

 Getting adjusted for minor problems or when back pain and neck pain initally starts takes less visits to resolve and is easier to correct and maintain long term.  I invite you to look at yourself in the mirror and look for the following indicators of needing an adjustment:

1. Hips are unlevel

2. Shoulders are uneven

3. Head is tilted to one side

4. The arch of either foot is flat on the ground. (This can cause foot, knee and back problems)

5. Your upper body is leaning to one side or leaning forward.

Great posture contributes to great health!  Maintain your body so that you will be healthy and mobile for decades to come!

 Better Health is only a phone call away!

Dr. Kristine Baker

Kansas City Chiropractor Uses Acupuncture for Patients Wanting Stress Relief

Frazzled? Overtired? Sleep deprived? Worn out? Feeling Disconnected?

I've seen patients feeling this way time and time again.  I take care of many patients who have a high stress job or family life, and they tell me that they can handle stressful situations with more ease after an Acupuncture session.

How does Acupuncture work?

Acupuncture is a system of balancing energy via channels in the body called meridians.  In my office, I use a tool called Acugraph to measure the energy in the Acupuncture meridians.  From that scan I can determine how the body's energy needs to be balanced.  There are certain Acupuncture points that raise energy, lower excessive energy, or balance energy in split meridians.  Split meridians is a term that is used when one side of the body has too much energy and the other side has too little energy.  For example the Lung Meridian may read 25 on the left and 75 on the right side on the patient's Acugraph scan.  The point that is used to treat that will even out the energy between the left and right side readings.  Think of opening the door between a room full of water, and a room with no water.  The water level will be even in both rooms once the door has been opened.

When you balance the energy in the body, the body feels better.  Sleep can improve, alertness increases, and in almost every case patients tell me that they feel more grounded and peaceful.

I have also seen Acupuncture help someone go through the stages of grief after losing a loved one with more ease.  There are points that are known to help depression, anxiety, letting go, worry, and anger.  Each of these emotions is associated with and can impact different meridian systems.  Therefore if you are in a state of guilt and grief which are associated with Lung, you may also have problems with your arms, chest, lungs, taking a full breath, and swelling in the body.  All of these symptoms can be impacted by an energy imbalance in the Lung meridian triggered by grief or guilt.

The Acugraph program that I use in my office is so valuable and allows me to show patients exactly how their meridians are out of balance.  By combining the treatment points recommended on their scan with the classic Acupuncture points used for certain conditions, I am able to get results that have my patients leaving my office happy and at peace.

What more can you ask for really?

Better Health is only a phone call away!

Dr. Kristine Baker

Chiropractor in Kansas City Helps Chronic Pain Post Surgery with Total Body Modification

I witnessed something truly extraordinary this weekend.  A friend of mine who is also a patient had bilateral BK (below knee) amputations 3 months ago and still had excruciating pain in her tibias (shin bone) where the bone had been cut.  She had been absolutely miserable from the pain she had been experiencing, even with pain medication.  Her pain level was so high that she couldn't even wiggle the stumps or amputation sites, and had a lot of pain climbing into her wheelchair and during transfers in and out of her wheelchair.

Several days before I treated her, I instructed her to drink her water requirement of 1 quart per 50 pounds of body weight per day.  I also told her to eat a lot of meat protein and vegetables, so that her body had the fuel that it needed to heal.

During her TBM treatment I thought of a chronic pain correction I had used on another patient with chronic head pain, and used it on her.  In a matter of 30 seconds, she had almost NO pain in her tibia at all!!!  She immediately started to cry because it was almost unbelievable.  She could touch her tibia with no pain! 

After she cried and we celebrated the amazing results, I said "Are you ready for me to work on the other tibia?"  About a minute later, we were so happy again, as now BOTH tibias weren't hurting!

She had avoided wiggling her legs because of the excruiciating pain before the correction, and after the correction she tried wiggling them.  No pain!  It felt so good to her because before her amputation she liked to wiggle her ankles and twist her feet around. 

She called her mom and sister to share the good news!  She said it was her first day as a Happy Amputee. 

It was a moment I'll always remember. 

Better Health is only a phone call away.

Dr. Kristine Baker

Kansas City Chiropractor Educates Patients on the Importance of Proper Hydration in Healing Back and Neck Pain

In my office I see so many patients with recurring back pain and neck pain.  As a holistic Doctor, I ALWAYS ask the question "How much water do you drink a day?"

 A lot of times I hear "not enough" or "I drank 3 glasses of tea with lunch".  Then I ask "How many ounces of water only did you drink today? Yesterday?"

 Time and time again I see the same predictable results.  The patients who follow my recommendation for 1 quart of water per 50 pounds of body weight per day have INCREDIBLE results that last a long time.  Patients that do not meet their water requirement struggle with their progress, can easily get frustrated, and then wonder why they aren't seeing the significant improvement they hoped for.  Dehydration is actually one of the main precursors to a loss of health. 

As their Doctor, it is challenging for me to deliver the care that patients need if they are dehydrated.  Severely dehydrated patients cannot handle as much correction during their visit, and can feel lightheaded during or after their treatment due to dehydration.  I am usually getting glasses of water for the dehydrated patients at the end of their visit.  Their body is demanding water at that point.  After they drink the glass of water, they all feel more alert and feel better overall.

Now I always recommend a quart of water and a high protein meal or snack within 1-2 hours prior to their appointment.  This sets everyone up to maximize their results!

 Why am I writing multiple posts on drinking water?

 I am committed to giving my patients the best possible holistic health care using different techniques like Chiropractic, Acupuncture, CranioSacral Therapy, and Total Body Modification.  Drinking their water requirement is essential for them to have long term wellness and the results they desire for their body.  Many times, if they drink enough water, they do not have frequent relapses or re-injury of their body.

 Hydration is one essential component in your overall wellness plan for your body.

 Finding a Holistic Doctor that is looking out for your well-being from multiple angles including hydration, diet, stress, spinal alignment, workplace ergonomics, and sleep (quality and quantity) is paramount in achieving long lasting wellness.

Better health is only a phone call away!

 Dr. Kristine Baker

This is a question I get in the office on a regular basis.

 With every patient I treat, I give them the following requirement for water intake:

 You must drink 1 quart (32 ounces) of water for every 50 pounds of body weight per day.

 Sometimes I hear "No problem, I already exceed that!"

 But many times their eyes get that REALLY big, and they say "There's no way I can ever do that!"

You know what?  Up until this past weekend, I didn't think I could ever do that too.

I was at a seminar for Total Body Modification (www.tbmseminars.com)  in Chicago and I was wanting the instructor, Dr. Kevin Millet, to work on me to improve my chronic sinus problem.  I've used Total Body Modification (TBM for short) for over 5 years in my practice with phenomenal results!  Several weeks before the seminar I had asked him to work on me at the seminar and he said he would...and to drink my water requirement for the day...which I KNEW was the 1 quart for 50 pounds of body weight.  I had never drank this much water (6 quarts) per day in any day of my life, so I thought it was IMPOSSIBLE.  Fast forward to this past weekend.  Dr. Millet asks me if I had my water requirement for the day before, and I said no.  Then he asked me about the last few weeks, and I said no.  To my surprise and dismay, he said he wouldn't work on me until I drank my water requirement for at least one day.

 I should not have been surprised.  I also knew that he will not work on any patient in his office until they have drank their water for at least 7 days.  If they do not drink their water, he will refuse to treat them and they can't schedule another appointment until they have had their entire water requirement for seven days in a row.  His very logical question was "Why treat the symptoms of dehydration?". 

 So I went back to my hotel room, pouted and was frustrated for about 15 minutes, and then proceeded to drink my water.  My homework from Dr. Millet was not to go to bed until I have drank all SIX quarts.  I went to bed at 12:30am that night, and I DID IT!

 The next morning I had more energy, and I was very excited to tell him that I drank all my water.  He was, of course, thrilled that I had completed my assignment.  He did work on me, and it did improve my sinuses.

I've been drinking my 6 quarts of water every day since last Saturday.

 So here's how you do it.  You drink 1 quart of water for every 50 pounds of body weight per day. 

For example if you weigh:

147 lbs. - 3 quarts

151 lbs - 4 quarts

220 lbs - 5 quarts

 That's right, even if you weigh only 1 pound over the 50 pound mark, you must drink that ENTIRE extra quart of water. (What an incentive to lose those few extra pounds!)  If you struggle to get all the water down, you may need to salt your food.  Sometimes people are low on sodium and your body won't let it get too low, so it will seem like it's impossible to drink that much.  I had to salt my steak last weekend and it really helped me complete my water requirement for the day.

As for peeing all the time...your bladder will stretch and and your urinary frequency will go back down, and the volume excreted will go up.

 Since I have done this, I feel more energetic that I have in a long time.  I am sleeping a little better already, and I can tell my body is working better.

I have known about this water requirement for the body for five years, BUT it took me personally having to have a breakthrough in drinking my water to understand how critical it is for my patients to drink their water (if they want to heal).  Why do you need to drink that much water to heal?  Find out in my next blog post!

Better health is only a phone call away!

Dr. Kristine Baker

I have worked with many pregnant women in my practice, and have learned a lot about helping them stop morning sickness.  Here are the top SIX steps pregnant woman could use to stop morning sickness in its tracks!

1. Eat!  It is so critical that a mom is getting the proper amount of nutrition and at the right frequency.  I always refer my pregnant patients to the Brewer Diet for Pregnancy.  Check out their website for more information: http://www.blueribbonbaby.org/.  Many complications later in pregnancy can be reduced or prevented by following these dietary guidelines.  Many times women with morning sickness (or all day sickness!) are not getting enough nutrition or protein at frequent enough intervals.  Yes, it is possible to NOT have Morning Sickness!

2. Drink plenty of Water - Dehydration is also a key factor in morning sickness.  Moms who have morning sickness tend to have children with more lung and asthma problems.  It makes sense though...if you are dehydrated when the baby's lungs are forming, an organ that needs a lot of moisture, then the lungs may not be as strong as they could be.  How much water?  I recommend a quart for every 50 lbs. of body weight per day. 

3. Acupuncture - I have helped women with morning sickness over and over again!  I use a tool called Acugraph where I can measure the energy in the 12 main acupuncture meridians and see where your energy is out of balance.  I combine the indications of the Acugraph and the points I have learned in traditional Chinese Acupuncture to get great results for my newly pregnant patients.  I've even had cases where the morning sickness was gone by the time they left my office.  As long as they continued with diet and water intake, they only needed a few follow up treatments and they were on their way to a nausea-free pregnancy!

4. Chiropractic Adjustments - If the neck or upper back is out of alignment, that can trigger some people to be nauseous.  Patients who have a history of car accidents, neck trauma, motion sickness, or chronic neck pain can be more likely to have symptoms during their pregnancy.

5. Total Body Modification - Total Body Modification can help balance the gallbladder, hormone levels, and your body's ability to absorb the water you drink...all of which may be out of sync in women with morning sickness. 

6. Get plenty of sleep!  Your body is working hard to grow a baby, and needs plenty of rest to fuel the growth process.  At a bare minimum, you should get 6 hours of sleep a night, but 7-9 hours of sleep is preferred!  Sweet dreams!

Whether you are pregnant or not, having an established relationship with a Holistic Chiropractor is an essential component to a healthy lifestyle.  They can recommend the right combination of treatments and lifestyle changes that are best for you! Better Health is just a phone call away!

Dr. Kristine Baker

Kansas City Chiropractor and Acupuncturist Helps 8 Month Old Girl with Microcephaly and Torticollis

Microcephaly is a condition in which the head circumference is significantly smaller than normal and can lead to developmental delays, reduced life expectancy, and lower than normal brain function.

Torticollis is a condition in which the muscles of the neck, specifically the SCM or sternocleidomastoid muscle is spasmed and the head is tilted and rotated. Usually, the person cannot straighten their neck out at all, and if they can it is usually quite painful. In babies, parents notice the child will only want to nurse on one side, lay on one side, or will not turn their head to one side.

I took care of an 8 month old baby that had both of these issues last week, and I want to share the miraculous improvements she had!

First of all, her mom drove her to see me all the way from Ohio. The mom was told by her Doctors that there was nothing that could be done for her daughters’ microcephaly and that all she could do was pray. She found me online, and was unable to find someone locally that was willing to treat a baby and offered all of treatment options available at my office.

During the initial exam I saw that the baby had torticollis, and the mom said the baby had torticollis since she was a month old, and again wasn’t told of anything that could help.

I used the Acugraph program to see where the Acupuncture meridians were out of balance. Based upon the results of the exam, I used Laser to treat the Acupuncture points that were indicated.

I put the baby down on a blanket to relax before I gave her further treatment, and she rolled onto her shoulder. I didn’t think it was significant, until her mom said she had NEVER rolled on that shoulder before now. She would always roll on to the other side.

I then picked her up and gave her a Chiropractic Adjustment and a CranioSacral Therapy treatment. I held her while I worked on her and after I realigned her mid back between her shoulder blades she reached out and put her hand in my mouth. For an 8 month old, I didn’t think it was anything new. Then the mom said that she had NEVER reached her hand out like that before, and that her daughter had been keeping her arms and hands in very close to her body. WOW!

Her daughter also seemed “out of it” or not very present when I first examined her, but after her first treatment she seemed much more alert and present.

When she returned for her 2^nd visit, the mom said her daughter had improved in the following ways:

-much more alert

-discovering and observing her hands a lot

-she wasn’t holding her hands in a tight fist all the time

-sat up on her own in the swing for the first time

-tracking objects better

 When she returned for her 3^rd visit, the mom said she has

-continued to become more active in hand and leg movements

-even more alert and was making more eye contact, and holding the eye contact for a period of time

-increased the circumference of her head by 0.5 centimeters

The changes in this baby girl were so dramatic. I watched this child go from “spaced out” to alert. When I sat down in my treatment room for the 3^rd visit, the baby immediately looked at me and kept eye contact, and smiled really big! She was much more “squirmy” during her Acugraph exam and didn’t want to be held still. She was able to track toys held in front of her and would follow their movements with ease. Before her treatments at my office, her mom said that unless a toy was lighting up, vibrating, and making noise, her daughter wouldn’t even look at it.

Her mom and uncle had driven her 14 hours to my office and were so pleased.  They plan to follow up with care once a month when I see patients in St. Louis and continue to look for someone locally.

I felt so blessed to be able to help this child, and it was a week in the office I’ll always remember.

Dr. Kristine Baker

Chiropractor in Kansas City Helps Woman with Tailbone Pain (Coccyx Pain/Coccydynia)

Have you ever had a fall, landed on your butt, or sat in a really hard chair and afterward experienced pain in your tailbone (aka coccyx)? 

The pain can range from slightly uncomfortable to excruciating, all of which can affect your ability to sit, ride in a car, and exercise.

Why does my tailbone hurt?

Your tailbone or coccyx has most likely been twisted or jammed and is now misaligned.  The misalignment can cause muscles to spasm or the tailbone area to hurt when sitting or doing certain activities.  Women can also experience coccyx pain during pregnancy, and after childbirth.

I've been using an electric heating pad, why is it getting worse?

Heating pads (the plug in kind) make an area of pain feel better for a little while, but usually after 30 minutes to an hour the pain gets even worse.  Why?  Because the dry heat draws more blood and swelling into an area that is already painful and swollen.  I always recommend that my patients get rid of their electric plug in heating pads. The only "heating pad" I recommend is one filled with rice, cherry pits, flaxseed or other seeds that you can heat up in the microwave.  If there is inflammation or swelling in the area, I recommend ice ONLY.  Ice reduces swelling and inflammation and therefore will reduce pain.

What can I do to get the pain to go away?  I can hardly sit at work.

1. Go see a Chiropractor that has experience in treating patients with tailbone pain, also known as coccyx pain, or coccydynia. It usually takes a series of treatments to properly realign the coccyx.

Just today, I had a patient come back for her second visit to my office, and she said her tailbone and hip pain was 80% better after just ONE ADJUSTMENT!  She can also run for the first time in 3 months, since the fall she had in December that caused her tailbone pain.   She had been in a lot of pain for months, and she was so happy that it had improved so drastically!

2. Ice the affected area as much as needed for 20 minutes of every hour.  Remember to wrap your ice pack with a towel to prevent accidental frostbite!

3. You can put a cushion of some sort on your chair or seat, but that won't correct the problem.  Only correcting the source of the problem will get you lasting results and improvement in your health.

Please call me if you have any questions, and remember, better health is only a phone call away!

Dr. Kristine Baker

816-256-3603

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