Chiropractor Specials
A Spinal Health and Movement Center is offering a $40 Special for the first Chiropractic Treatment for a limited time. *does not reflect personal injury prices
This is an unbelievable deal for a Chiropractic adjustments which include soft tissue prep to area of complaint, interferential therapy, and moist heat to the area of pain or tension prior to adjustment.
We thought that this is a great way for the growing Albuquerque Community that has not seen us to get to know us, and a great way for us to give back to the city that has been good to us.. So for a limited time offer we are offering new patients an introductory price of $40 so you can get to know us, as others have, and experience for yourself if what we have to offer.
We look forward to seeing you in our Nob Hill Area location at:
316 Adams SE in the Highland Loft Building.
Find us at Albuquerque-Chiropractors.com
Thank you, Albuquerque.
Dr. Ramirez
505-247-2373
Albuqeurque-Chiropractors.com
Find a Chiropractor near me!
February 25, 2015
Siri…Find a Chiropractor near me.
If you are like many people these days, you are using your iPhone for location of business and products. Technology has really come a long way and now google and Siri have changed the way we look up services. But what should you really be asking when searching for a Chiropractor near you? What are the questions to ask? And should you go to someone down the block without trying several places out first?
It used to be people would ask a friend or family member who they liked and what results they are getting. But individual needs and differences vary, and so the Chiropractor you see will need to vary as well. But the truth is that people are really asking the question “who can I trust!”
$40 First Visit!
There are all kinds of apples in the healthcare barrel, and we Chiropractors have our share of good and bad, just like all professions. And to be sure, I’ve met some really talented and committed Chiropractic professionals out there, some of which are affordable, others which are prohibitively priced, and not easy to seek regular care for many people, especially those without insurance. Therefore, we strive for the highest quality and professionalism and are committed to provide this care at an easy, affordable price.
We are so committed to do our part to meet peoples needs, and earn your Trust, we offer a $40 first visit so you can try us out for yourself and let us earn your trust.
We believe that we offer so much during our treatments and we want to make it easy for you to try us out with a very low commitment on your first visit. Our regular office visits are only $40 per treatment, and even less if you are on a membership plan. (only about $25 per treatment for wellness care). *does not reflect personal injury prices
At A Spinal Health and Movement Center, we are committed to offering high quality chiropractic care… so during your treatment, in addition to a highly skilled adjustment, you will receive a heat treatment, interferential stimulation, and local soft tissue massage to relax areas of stress and pain. Our approach is to relax the mind and body, so we have a spa like office with relaxing music that helps calm your nervous system and allow you to relax during the treatments.
We never have high pressure sales, high cost, or expensive difficult to get out of contracts, and we will never use fear to make you come in for treatments. We respect you and value your health too much to use those approaches. We make it easy, affordable, and accessible for you to receive your Chiropractic care.
Dr. Ramirez
A Spinal Health and Movement Center.
316 Adams SE
Albuquerque, NM 87108
505-247-2373
Exercise to feel better, not to lose weight
May 1, 2014
Lose Weight, Feel Better.
Many people are motivated to lose weight in order to look better so as a chiropractor at A Spinal Health and Movement Center, I am often asked “What exercise is the best for losing weight?” The question seems backward to me, I don’t like the idea of recommending strenuous exercise to lose weight.
For successful weight loss, I suggest healthy nutrition and smart food combinations (avoid simple refined carbohydrates, sugary drinks, and fast food) and include fruits and vegetables as much as possible. This is usually a good start, and many people will lose weight this way, and keep it off long term. So rather than focusing on hours of strenuous exercise that will leave you frustrated, fatigued, and possibly predispose you to injury if done too quickly without allowing the body to adjust to the new demands and forces on the joints…focus on exercise as a part of your lifestyle and weight management, not weight loss.
Of course, it doesn’t mean you should not exercise, in fact, exercise is so much more important than just having the “right” body image. Exercise, when done consistently, no matter whether it’s biking, swimming, hiking, running, dancing, or yoga is so much more beneficial to the mind and body, than seeking the image people want. Alternatively, some people diet without exercise, which I think is a mistake- because you will likely gain the weight back if it is done for the wrong reasons and without thought to the benefits of proper and routine exercise.
I was reminded of this today as I read an article in todays in Shape Magazine stating the many benefits of exercise such as reduction in anxiety, boost in immunity, reducing disease (heart disease, diabetes), helping sleep and improving overall mental health.
I totally agree that these reasons alone are sufficient motivation to get moving.
Use it Or Lose It!
In my opinion and experience, when people are trying to exercise to lose weight or to get the “right” body image, their brain is really subconsciously trying to get them back to a time and place when they were more fit, had more time, and possibly better mental health. To be sure; stress, pain, and disease take a toll on a person, and the mind seeks a place and homeostatic set point (sort of speak) of another time when the body was better able to move and function.
In fact, when one is in chronic pain, the brains neurons will decrease dendritic connections and will actually result in a reduction in the body image of the limb or body part that is in pain, missing, or immobile. This is a kind of phantom pain syndrome on a functional level and our somatic blind spots will only increase if our bodies are not moving, and we are not aware of the area that is not being used. And as far as the brain is concerned, a part that it is not aware of is the same as a part that doesn’t exist.
Use it or lose it applies to neurons as well as muscles.
Warning Signals!
Our minds tell us stories in order to think we want to look better when we are actually seeking more movement, and attention to our bodies, and possibly time to enjoy the things we used to. Advertisers and Marketing Corporations are aware of this and will feed into and exploit this real biologic warning signal that comes from a bottom up unconscious awareness of body neglect.
Our brain’s neurons will fire signals much like a car will signal when tire is low or engine maintenance signals. Only we have difficulty seeing them as signals. We misread what the brain is alerting us to do. Our ego’s filter neuronal information and we misread what the brain is saying.
We need to reassess our thinking from time to time and have the courage to make the changes needed to improve movement, attend to our bodies, and make real lasting changes in our lives daily in order to stay healthy, and truly alive.
This is the vibrancy that we remember from our youth that our brains subconsciously whisper to our conscious mind but our ego mis-interprets.
Dr. Ramirez
A Spinal Health and Movement Center
Right short leg, or left brain dominant?
April 21, 2014
When I was in Chiropractic School we were taught that a right short leg indicated a posterior pelvic ilium, or PI as we called it. This short leg lead to a host of aberrant kinetic chain difficulties including a pelvic unleveling and subluxations of L4/5 vertebrae leading to lower back pain and disc disorders if left untreated. Sounds logical, and there is merit to this kinetic chain biomechanical model. However, as I started checking people, it seemed to me there are an aweful lot of people with right short legs, and not everyone has back pain? Some of them had shoulder and neck pain.
Well, they would tell me, the kinetic chain if untreated, will subuxate all the way up the spine to the neck. Wow! I thought. Seems a simplified explanation but ok. I accepted the teaching. As I began to speak to people I realized that biomechanics are not the only thing affecting pain syndromes. What if the problem was not coming from the pelvis, or the short leg, but instead was an indication of what was going on in the brain?
It seems that stress, daily emotional and mental demands and the act of living in a left brain dominant society leave the right brain lacking stimulation. Maybe the right brain is understimulated, or afferentated as we say in chiro neuro circles. It would cause an increase of tone in posterior musculature on the ipsilateral side, in this case, causing a right short leg.
The biomechanics are important but the body is more complex than simple biomechanics. The brain is the driver of tone and balance. Remember the right hemisphere is the side that loves to be out in nature, whether the mountains or the beach. Wherever it is that you feel connected and filled. It loves to move slow and linger in space. It loves creativity, music, and does not have a time agenda or schedule.
See us at A Spinal Health and Movement Center for the biomechanics, but remember if you balance your brain, and your body will follow.
Chiropractic and Movement
April 15, 2014
Pasion and hobbies are enrich our lives, and while I have a strong commitment to chiropractic, I must admit that I am passionate about dance and movement. I really is an extension of the work we do as chiropractors. The body must move after all and as chiropractors we help facilitate optimal movement. Recently I posted a narrative on my facebook page of A Spinal Health and Movement Center to a friend of mine who is a professional flamenco dancer. It is as follows:
Positive effects on flamenco dance patterns are important in learning and memory as it stimulates receptors which afferent neuronal activity in the cerebellum, an important part of the brain that is key in learning and motor activity. Flamenco dance also stimulates receptors which afferent the hippocampus, which is responsible for short-term memory which will relay to long -term storage areas of the cortex. It may also have an stimulating effect and an increase of neurons in the amygdala which is the area of anger and aggression, where a decrease in neurons are usually present in brains of post traumatic individuals and the area of the brain (along with the hippocampus) most affected by trauma and neglect.
The timing and rhythm of flamenco footwork and learning of “Palmas” timing helps to regulate the timing and rhythm of hemispheric integration of left and right hemispheres by incorporating the left hemispheres math numeric qualities and the right hemispheres body awareness and art/tone and substance quality. The integration of both hemispheres via the corpus callosum can be a powerful modality in brain stimulation and afferentation of the brain.
The “Cante” of flamenco is a stimulation modality that is lost in much of today’s sensory experience and will effect both the practitioner and observer in the stimulation of mirror neurons which effect changes in limbic emotional centers and frontal lobe areas to change the affect of both the listener and singer.
A powerful approach would be in early childhood development to have classes of “Cante” where women could sing to their children during pregnancy as the effects of the sound of the mothers voice would impact the child’s neurodevelopment by effecting the mother’s glucocorticoid levels (lowering them) and impacting a positive health effect in the mother while simultaneously improving the neuronal development of the child globally which will have a powerful neurologic impact for the life of the child.
Additionally, a positive social environment and the impact of community may lower stress hormones (gluccocorticoid) levels of an individual thereby improving the immune system and health.
To find out more find us at www.Albuquerque-Chiropractors.com
David vs. Goliath
April 9, 2014
I was recently speaking to my SEO advisor on how to get better Google placement. It seems the large franchises and corporate run Chiropractic companies dominate SEO ranking. He compared my struggle with David vs. Goliath. Except that Goliath has lot’s of money and I don’t. So we changed a few things and offered a super online deal and I’m so excited, I just had someone call me on our $19 internet special that we are having this month at A Spinal Health and Movement Center. Internet marketing is very expensive, and google adwords really help but for someone that does not have the advertising budget that large companies and corporations have, it can be cost prohibitive. So having placement on Albuquerque-Chiropractors.com really helps people see where we are and how to find us. We have been fortunate to have a referral based practice all these many years, and I feel we offer top quality Chiropractic care at an amazingly affordable price, so the only thing missing was how to get more people to see we are here and to come in.
This is a little out of my comfort zone…but no risk, no reward. I have to be able to compete with the franchises and corporate owned chiropractic centers and this may help give us some exposure. So stay tuned and watch this little David grow!!!
Can Massage and Chiropractic help reduce stress?
April 8, 2014
I have always like to be adjusted on a regular basis, and I always recommend my patients come in once a month or twice a month for adjustments if possible. At A Spinal Health and Movement Center, I believe in regular maintenance spinal care so much that I work really hard at keeping prices low and affordable. $35 for a drop in visit including modalities (spinal manipulation, myofascial stretch, electric stimulation) or $49 twice a month including modalities.
Recently we added Massage Therapy to our Chiropractic Practice because although I like to use myofasical stretches and soft tissue release prior to adjustments on my patients, I feel that a longer spa-like experience is needed for some of our patients to de-stress and relax either prior to or post adjustment. It is a individual preference when one likes to get adjusted, for me, I like to get adjusted regularly (2x a month) and have a massage once a month as a health and stress coping strategy. I know that this can be expensive for most people to afford, so my mission has been to bring affordable chiropractic and massage wellness programs to my area. Our massage prices vary from $35 for 1/2 hour to $60 for the full hour and it’s worth the price as our setting is spa like and therapeutic. However, keeping prices low is a challenge for sure, but I’m passionate about making this program accessible to as many people as possible because just as I work hard for a living, I see so many others working hard trying to make it in this economy and putting themselves last on the list because it’s expensive to get Massage and Chiropractic these days in most places. I’ll keep doing my part for my community for as long as I can.
Here is a study I recently read about the benefits of Massage on Health. There are many others but it’s a good reminder to take time out whenever possible to care for our health and body.
Another study this year examined 8 women with high blood pressure who’d had an hourlong massage each week for four weeks. At the end of that period, their blood pressure fell by 12 mm Hg systolic (top number) and measurements in the blood reflecting inflammation (specifically VCAM-1 if you like science) fell significantly. A control group just rested for the same amount of time and had smaller improvements in the same measurements. The drop in markers of inflammation is intriguing and suggests massage therapy may have a body-wide healing effect.
Another study this year examined 8 women with high blood pressure who’d had an hourlong massage each week for four weeks. At the end of that period, their blood pressure fell by 12 mm Hg systolic (top number) and measurements in the blood reflecting inflammation (specifically VCAM-1 if you like science) fell significantly. A control group just rested for the same amount of time and had smaller improvements in the same measurements. The drop in markers of inflammation is intriguing and suggests massage therapy may have a body-wide healing effect.
Can exercise really prevent back pain?
April 5, 2014
Can exercise really prevent back pain?
This is an article that I read some time ago on the different types of exercises that may improve back pain. It is an interesting article and I hope to post more in the future but the The bottom line is it doesn’t matter what you do to exercise as long as you move!
At A Spinal health and Movement Center we are fortunate to have a Gyrotonic studio in our Movement Center are that is owned and operated by Rich O’Connor of GyrotonicAlbq. that is very helpful in rehabilitation but the important point is that the body needs to move and exercise.
How Exercise “Really” Prevents Low Back Pain (Probably)
Posted on May 29, 2012 by Tony Ingram • 15 Comments
It probably won’t surprise you that research generally supports the idea that exercising and being fit can help prevent lower back problems.
But what might surprise you are the reasons why it seems to help.
It’s not what you think!
Yes, exercise prevents back problems.
In 2009, an article was published in The Spine Journal that reviewed research on the prevention of back problems 1. After a comprehensive review, only 20 out of 185 articles fulfilled their criteria as relevant, high-quality research. So what did they find?
The only thing that consistently prevented low back problems was exercise.
– Effect sizes huh? were moderate, which is actually pretty good.
What wasn’t effective? Some very popular ideas:
– Education alone.
– Lumbar (back) supports.
– Shoe orthoses (inserts).
– Reduce lifting loads.
Pretty interesting!
Of course, there are limitations to this research. For instance: what do they mean by education? We’ve seen before that learning how pain works can actually prevent and reduce low back pain in some people. Typically, education for preventing back pain involves “how to avoid hurting your back” videos and classes – but not pain science education. Maybe it’s all about what type of education people receive!
Types might be important? Then what about exercise?
That actually brings to the most important point:
Does it matter what type of exercise people do to prevent back problems?
Apparently not – the research studies on exercise used very different protocols. Some included everything from strengthening + endurance + flexibility + education, while one study simply consisted of “passive extension”. No matter what type of exercise was performed, it generally helped prevent back problems.
The authors of the 2009 review conclude in the final line of their abstract:
“The varied successful exercise approaches suggest possible benefits beyond their intended physiologic goals.”
That’s a powerful statement. The “physiologic goals” of exercise (to improve strength, endurance, flexibility, and even coordination) are probably not the same reasons it has an effect on pain – it’s probably due to other benefits!
Exercise isn’t good for preventing or reducing pain because it “strengthens / conditions your core”, or “improves spinal mobility / flexibility / stability”, or even “improves motor control”.
Core stability experts – don’t get mad at me – check the research: when these highly specialized approaches are formally studied, they are never shown to be any better than “general exercise”. 2, 3, 4, 5
These “physiologic goals” might be important for health, physical function, and athletic performance, but they do not ‘prevent’ or ‘treat’ pain.
Then why does exercise help with pain?
You might be asking yourself: so why does exercise help with pain?
Science to the rescue!
A 2012 article has been published in the journal Pain that reviewed pain perception in athletes 6. They looked at how athletes differ from normally active people when it comes to their pain threshold and pain tolerance. So what did they find?
Athletes tend to have higher pain tolerance than normally active people.
However, their pain threshold didn’t appear to be any better.
So it wasn’t that athletes feel less pain – it’s just that they deal with it better. And this was true for a variety of different types of exercise.
It should be noted that we’re not talking about improved pain tolerance during or immediately after exercise (often attributed to increases in adrenaline, endorphins, or endocannabinoids). We’re talking about pain tolerance in general.
So why do athletes tolerate pain better?
There are a lot of potential reasons – and the authors of the study mention the fact that pain tolerance is strongly influenced by “psycho-social factors”. For example, pain acceptance and coping may be improved through exercise. Exercise may also reduce ‘kinesiophobia’ – a fear of movement, perhaps through graded exposure, and teaching people that it’s okay to move when they have pain.
Of course, it’s probably quite a bit more complicated than that, and there are likely many reasons why exercise is good for pain besides just improved tolerance.
Either way, it seems clear that exercise is good for pain because of its complex effects on biochemistry, neurophysiology, and psychology.
Not because it puts you back together like humpty dumpty.
CONCLUSIONS:
Exercise of any sort probably has its effect on pain through psychology, neurophysiology and biochemistry – but not strength, flexibility, alignment, or stability.
Those things may still be important. But pain is complex. It’s not ’caused’ by damage, and it must be treated with many factors in mind. See the ‘Pain Education‘ section of this site.
This is important to understand so that we keep asking the right questions, keep doing good research, and ultimately help people with their pain.
www.albuquerque-chiropractor.com
Dr Ramirez 