Tag Archive for: aetna

Our Denver Chiropractors are now in network with Cigna and Greatwest.

We are happy to announce that we have added Cigna to the long list of insurures with whom we are in-network. After years of patients sending letters asking that Cigna add us to the network, they listened. For those of you with Cigna policies, we will need to verfiy your coverage the next time you’re in the office. We are also now in-network with Great West.
Here are the other major insurers for whom we are in-network providers:
Anthem / Blue Cross
United Healthcare
Aetna
Federal Employee Benefits Program
Kaiser PPO
Mail Handlers Benefits Program
PHCS
Humana
MedPay for auto injuries and ALL auto insurance policies
Workers’ Compensation (Level 1 Accredited)

Why pay more for out-of-network providers? We do all the paperwork and file insurance claims on your behalf! We will continue to do all that we can to better serve our patients now and in the future in this changing health care world.

Weekly Health Update
Week of: Monday, August 19, 2013

“Healing is a matter of time,
but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.”
~ Hippocrates

Mental Attitude: Optimism and Stress.
A six-year study of 135 older adults (>60 years old) found that pessimistic people have a higher baseline level of stress and have a more difficult time handling stress than their more optimistic peers.
Health Psychology, May 2013

Health Alert: Decrease Your Heart Disease Risk. A 16-year study of nearly 27,000 male health care professionals found that those who skipped breakfast were 27% more likely to suffer from coronary heart disease.
Circulation, May 2013

Diet: Eat More Nuts To Decrease Risk Of Death From Cancer & Cardiovascular Disease.
Individuals who eat more than three servings of nuts a week had a 55% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and a 40% reduced risk of death from cancer. (But, of course, if you’re allergic like my son is, stay away from nuts.)
BMC Medicine, July 2013

Exercise: Moderate-Intensity Walking Timed Correctly May Help Protect Against Diabetes.
A moderate paced fifteen minute walk after each meal appears to help older individuals regulate their blood sugar levels and could reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes Care, June 2013

Chiropractic: Chronic Pain in the Neck Relieved With Chiropractic. Patients with chronic neck pain showed significant improvements in pain levels following spinal manipulation and showed positive changes up to 12 weeks post-treatment.
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, March 2007

Wellness/Prevention: Retire Later In Life To Lower Dementia Risk. A very large study of self-employed people living in France found that individuals who retired at a later age had a lower risk of developing dementia. The study appears to confirm other research that suggests lifelong mental activity and challenge may protect against several forms of dementia.
International Longevity Center-France, July 2013

Video link- How to foam-roll your hips.

Denver Chiropractic Center is proud to be an authorized dealer for the A-Line foot suspension system. Do you have foot, ankle or shin pain?

A-Line foot suspension system is unlike any other insole. It is designed as a foot suspensions system, to balance the foot and let your leg align itself while you move. We are one of the few authorized A-Line dealers in Denver. We offer free fitting and reasonable prices ($100-$110) per pair, and a 30-day money back guarantee.

Foot pain can be both annoying and debilitating. Anything that affects your ability to move around and participate in sports is a problem. Several factors can contribute to foot pain, and in this article, we’ll look at one of the most common…Poor foot, ankle and knee alignment.

Many of you know that the so-called barefoot running movement became incredibly popular in the last few years. And while many of us were willing to go minimal on the shoes and experiment, most of us couldn’t hack it.

The theory seemed sensible – get rid of supportive shoes and your feet will naturally strengthen. But there was a problem- many of us had spent 30 or 40 years in supportive shoes. Or feet were like lifelong welfare recipients – the simply didn’t know how to support themselves.

So the barefoot running experiment failed a lot of people. Here’s why: The human foot does well if you’re out shoes from an early age (like from the time you start crawling). If you stay away from flat surfaces, like sidewalks, streets, floors, etc, varying terrain challenges your feet. This builds strong feet.

Strong feet have arches that function well, and exhibit good alignment between the foot, ankle, and knee. Appropriately strong ligaments and equally strong muscles support this alignment.

The correct this alignment is start with an assessment. Some people have better alignment than others. The use of a dynamic insole like the A-lines that we carry at Denver Chiropractic Center allows the foot to get some supports, while also allowing the arches of the foot to strengthen. Rigid orthotics weaken the feet and further degrade natural alignment.

Specific low-impact strengthening exercises can help as well. An example is standing on one foot while making circles with the other foot. 10 circles in each direction with the “flying” foot circling in from of and behind the working foot works well. Another great exercise is simply trying to stand on one foot for 3 minutes.

At Denver Chiropractic Center, we use Active Release Technique to address the scar tissue that develops in muscles that are overworked in poorly aligned feet. This can include muscles of the foot, shin and calf. Scar tissue further weakens muscles, making alignment worse.

If foot or ankle pain has been bothering you, we can probably help. But it all starts with the initial exam, including a foot-ankle-knee alignment check. Call us today to schedule yours. 303.300.0424. We’re here to help.

How to avoid foot pain, calf pain, and knee pain

Today we’re going to discuss feet. I know, you have better things to do than think about feet but this is important.
 
Weakness in the feet can lead a wide range of problems up the line – shin splints, calf pain, knee pain, hip pain, back pain, etc. Strengthening your feet can reduce these injuries (and prevent them from coming back).
 
Sports like skiing, boarding, running, cycling and snowshoeing require strong feet to maintain good balance. Strengthening your feet will improve your performance in these sports.
 
Most people think that using the tired old calf-raise machine at the gym is all the foot strengthening they need, but that’s wrong. First of all, you’re locked into a machine. Unless there’s an earthquake, you don’t need to do any balancing at all. Secondly, your shoes essentially turn your feet into a block, cheating the your muscles of work. (Yes, there are many, many muscles in your foot).
 
So step one is to lose the shoes. If you’re in a gym I wouldn’t, but at home you can. This home exercise is a simple way to start strengthening your feet and lower legs in the comfort and provacy of your own home. I’ll have more exercises for you in the January paper newsletter coming soon to a mailbox near you, but for now get started with this one.
 
First you’re going to need someting called a balance pad. You can get this one on Amazon.com for about 20 bucks. Just go there and search for “Harbinger Core Trainer” and this will appear. Buy it. It’s inflatable so you can adjust it to your weight.
 
balance pad
 
There’s lots of research that shows that using these balance pads can strengthen your feet and prevent lower leg injuries. I’ve had patients buy these to use in conjunction with the Primary Pattern Rehab Protocols that I’ve developed and they get great results.
 
This exercise is called foot circles. It’s surprisingly simple, but it isn’t easy. And it is very effective. First try this on the ground to make sure that you have the stability to do this on a flat surface. Remember -no shoes!
 
Basically, you stand on one foot (the working foot) and make large sweeping circles with the other foot.
 
foot1
 
Make clockwise circles for 30 seconds and then counter clockwise circles for 30 seconds. If you need to keep tapping the circling foot on the ground to maintain your balance, that’s OK. But try to work up to not needing a foot tap.
 
foot2
 
If you can do this on flat ground, move to the balance trainer. Do 3 sets of one minute with each foot about 3 times each week. You’ll start to notice a difference pretty quickly.
 
Again, this is a great foot / calf strengthening exercise, but it’s also a great rehab exercise. If you or someone you know has foot pain, calf pain, shin splints, knee problems, hip pain or low back pain, I can help. Give us a call at 303.300.0424. Don’t put up with pain.