Mar 08.qxd - Connection Magazine
Mar 08.qxd - Connection Magazine
Mar 08.qxd - Connection Magazine
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What’s in a Short Leg?<br />
&We offer ...<br />
Chiropracticwith Cranio-Sacral Technique<br />
and Hendrickson's Orthopedic Massage<br />
Therapeutic Massage<br />
with Hendrickson's Orthopedic<br />
Massage, Swedish Massage, Biodynamic<br />
Cranio-Sacral Therapy, and Rolfing<br />
Dana Gorath, C.M.T., Sylvia Skefich, D.C., Kelly Stoll, Certified Rolfer.<br />
Picture yourself in the best hands to uncover and release<br />
the root of your muskulo-skeletal problems.<br />
(831)475-1995<br />
920 41st Av., Ste G, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 ● www.vital-you.com<br />
The Office of Sylvia Skefich, D.C.<br />
9 years of chiropractic experience/13 years of cranio-sacral experience<br />
by Sylvia Skefi ch, D.C.<br />
Many of you have been to<br />
a chiropractor who finds<br />
a “short leg,” and then<br />
corrects it during the course of your<br />
visit. The “functional short leg” is a<br />
phenomena of muscle tension that<br />
draws up one leg making it appear<br />
short (by measure at the heels) with<br />
the patient lying down.<br />
What causes it? You might imagine<br />
someone on a starting line getting<br />
ready to take off; this is the fi ght-orfl<br />
ight pose. We are in some state of<br />
readiness due to our thoughts, emotions<br />
and environment most of the<br />
time. The chiropractor is trained to<br />
identify the signs of this windup (the<br />
functional short leg being one). There<br />
are numerous styles and techniques<br />
within chiropractic that bring the body<br />
and the nervous system into a more<br />
relaxed state of being.<br />
There’s another kind of “short<br />
leg,” called an “anatomical,” or “true”<br />
by Dr. Dar Bertsch<br />
Many people regard getting<br />
older with memory loss<br />
and deteriorating cognition.<br />
Studies are predicting 1 in 10 will have<br />
Alzheimer-like symptoms even sooner<br />
than what our parents have been experiencing.<br />
The wonderful news is that<br />
this doesn’t need to happen. It does,<br />
however, depend how we take care<br />
of ourselves emotionally,spiritually<br />
and physically.<br />
Dorland’s Medical<br />
dictionary defi nes<br />
health as “ a state<br />
of optimal physical,<br />
mental and<br />
social wellbeing,<br />
and not merely the<br />
absence of disease<br />
Page 5<br />
This method<br />
of treatment involves<br />
palpation of<br />
the extremities, the<br />
abdomen and other<br />
key areas that determine<br />
which organ<br />
system is the<br />
most defi cient. Relying<br />
more on the<br />
perception of body<br />
signals eliminates<br />
the often-mixed<br />
messages in-depth<br />
questioning can<br />
lead to. Once a<br />
deficient pattern<br />
is identified, the<br />
treatment is targeted<br />
to strengthen<br />
that organ system<br />
▲<br />
short leg. This refers to a boney difference<br />
in the leg lengths. There are<br />
orthopedic tests that give an indication<br />
of this difference, however they are<br />
not entirely accurate. A chiropractic<br />
diagnostic of the anatomical short leg<br />
should include these considerations:<br />
orthopedic tests, pelvis and spine<br />
evaluation, assessment of the feet, and<br />
lumbo pelvic x-rays. Before a heel lift<br />
is prescribed and utilized, you want<br />
to be absolutely sure that you have a<br />
true short leg.<br />
The pelvic and spine evaluation<br />
is useful in determining if there are<br />
fi ndings that many people with a short<br />
leg have in common. One of those<br />
fi ndings is a scoliotic-“S” curvature<br />
in the spine…. If the foundation of<br />
the pelvis is off-level, then the spine<br />
has to compensate to right itself. Other<br />
fi ndings include: locked-up sacro-iliac<br />
joint(s), and a pelvis that is misaligned<br />
in a side-rotation which is far less common<br />
than other pelvic rotations.<br />
The feet also compensate when<br />
there is an anatomical short leg.<br />
Frequently one foot will be larger, or<br />
will be noticeably supinated (cocked<br />
inward at the ankle). The lumbo-pelvic<br />
x-rays must be taken standing up. They<br />
and weakness”<br />
In Functional Medicine, the<br />
approach is to evaluate the body’s<br />
biological requirements and detect<br />
insuffi ciencies and/or toxicity’s.<br />
This is not the same as testing for<br />
the traditional pathological fi ndings.<br />
Practicing Natural medicine<br />
through Chiropractic looks at the other<br />
major system that runs the body – the<br />
nervous system. This ‘hard wiring’ in<br />
the body controls every cellular function:<br />
organs, blood supply, muscle,<br />
sensory, bones, proprioception and<br />
can affect our emotional state.<br />
Current studies on brain function<br />
have produced some fascinating<br />
results, especially when looking at<br />
Alzheimer patients. Almost all diseases<br />
have an infl ammatory process<br />
occurring in the body. Infl ammation<br />
to raise the level of its vital qi.<br />
The treatment consists of using<br />
a pure silver needle to contact the skin<br />
at chosen points while using one’s<br />
focused intention to support organ<br />
vitality and its leading pathway. It is a<br />
painless method since there is no insertion<br />
of the acupuncture needle. Often<br />
the points chosen are on the back and<br />
not necessarily where the tenderness<br />
had been elicited.<br />
In my medical practice, I have<br />
found if the vital qi or core vitality<br />
is treated consistently, the rest of the<br />
medical interventions are more effective<br />
and maintain longer results. I like<br />
to describe this technique as repolarizing<br />
or realigning our cells and organs.<br />
Likewise, if we were to refer to our<br />
computers, it would be like the process<br />
of defragmenting our fi les, which creates<br />
more contiguous data, a smoother<br />
Page 6 ▲ The <strong>Connection</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> ▲ www.theConnect.com ▲ <strong>Mar</strong>ch — April 2, 2008<br />
may reveal height difference at the<br />
top of the ball-and-socket joints. The<br />
x-rays may show a tilted sacrum bone.<br />
Also, lumbar spine curvature is usually<br />
visible. Like many conditions, a proper<br />
diagnosis of the anatomical short leg<br />
requires a consideration of many signs<br />
that, as a whole, point toward the same<br />
conclusion.<br />
Why be concerned? Most people<br />
to whom I prescribe a heel lift have a<br />
chronic, recurring pain that never fully<br />
responds to treatment as expected.<br />
The pain is commonly at the front hip<br />
crease, on the rear sacro-iliac joint,<br />
or in the shoulder region, but can<br />
be anywhere on the body. The pain<br />
worsens with upright activities. The<br />
pain frequently does not occur until the<br />
person is in their thirties or forties, but<br />
can be experienced at any age. People<br />
who have the skeletal compensations<br />
of an anatomical short leg are prone to<br />
osteoarthritis as they age due to structural<br />
strain. The heel lift can alleviate<br />
the progression of degeneration.<br />
Sylvia Skefich is a Doctor of<br />
Chiropractic. She is located at 920 41 st<br />
Ave. Ste. G, Santa Cruz 95062, (831)<br />
475-1995, www.vital-you.com.<br />
travelling to your heart<br />
from an infl ammatory gut<br />
produces cardiovascular<br />
imbalances and diseases.<br />
In the brain, we are<br />
seeing infl ammatory processes creating<br />
amyloid plaques that stop cellular<br />
communication from occurring in the<br />
synaptic pathways. Neuronal impairment<br />
and oxidative stress are key factors<br />
contributing to memory loss and<br />
impaired cognition. New studies are<br />
showing some remarkable promises<br />
with proline-rich polypeptides that are<br />
protecting brain cells and promoting<br />
healthy brain aging.<br />
Dr. Bertsch is a Chiropractor<br />
and a Clinical Nutritionist who has<br />
offi ces in Santa Cruz and San Jose.<br />
She can be reached at (831) 251-1625.<br />
Find out about her 28 day program<br />
for cleansing and detoxifying. Tell<br />
her you saw her Ad and read her<br />
Article in The <strong>Connection</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong>.<br />
Thank you!!<br />
running system, and is considered<br />
good preventive maintenance.<br />
In these winter months we don’t<br />
have to resort to a common belief<br />
that getting a few colds each season<br />
is normal and acceptable. Supporting<br />
the immune system throughout the<br />
year with targeted nutrition, and paying<br />
closer attention to the level of our<br />
core vitality can be the key to keeping<br />
us productive and prosperous during<br />
rain or shine.<br />
Dr Cindy Quattro is a Physician<br />
Assistant and a Doctor of Acupuncture<br />
and Oriental Medicine. She<br />
specializes in Traditional Japanese<br />
Acupuncture, Nutritional Consulting<br />
and Mind Body Wellness. She has been<br />
an associate with Dr. Randy Baker<br />
for 13 years at the Pacifi c Center for<br />
Integral Health. She blends the best of<br />
eastern and western medicine treating<br />
chronic diseases, women’s health and<br />
children at 2955 Park Ave, Soquel,<br />
CA 95073, (831) 427-5311 Email:<br />
quattrodoc@gmail.com.