Chiropractor Smyrna GA | Derek Conte DC

07/31/2017

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Is It Really Sciatica? Brightside August, 2017

By Dr. Derek Conte
One of the most common complaints we see from patients is that of sciatic pain. They will say, “I have sciatica!” And when I ask, “How do you know it is sciatica?” they will say that’s what their friend said, or that they went online and did a medical search, or my favorite: that their “regular” doctor told them. So, what is sciatica, what are its symptoms, and what exactly is the sciatic nerve? I’ll tell you that sciatica is one for the most misdiagnosed conditions we see.

The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body and is made up of five nerves which arise from the low back and sacrum. These nerves converge and travel beneath the buttocks and down the outside rear of the thigh to the back of the knee, where they divide. The tibial nerve goes straight down the back of the calf around the inside of the ankle and on to the underside of the foot. The two peroneal nerves cover the rest of the lower leg and top of the foot (see chart).

Sciatica is the irritation of the sciatic nerve and can be caused in several ways. First, compression of the nerve must be present or there would be no pain. Beginning centrally and going out from the spinal cord the causes may be 1) Central canal stenosis which squeezes the entire cord and produces bilateral symptoms. 2) A subluxation (malposition of vertebrae) compresses nerves at the spine. 3) A bulging disc or osteophyte (bony spur) causing stenosis of intervertebral foramen, or a dramatic loss of disc height can also leave too little room for the nerves to exit the spine. 4) A tight piriformis muscle (a deep muscle in the buttock) can cause compression of the sciatic nerve located beneath it resulting in piriformis syndrome.

True sciatic symptoms are very specific and are described as an electrical “bolting”, or “branching” pain, very sensitive to the patient’s position, becoming worse, even “explosive” with muscle spasms down the buttocks and leg. It is also described as intense burning pain, with tingling, numbness, weakness and loss of function. An example is “foot drop”, where the patient loses the ability to elevate the foot, dragging the toe on the ground when walking. This leads to a pronounced compensatory limp. Finally, atrophy sets in. This is the loss of muscle mass from disuse and a sign the nerve is dying from lack of nutrition from unrelenting compression. Thus, sciatica must be intercepted long before this stage.

Given all these clues, why should there be any confusion about having sciatica? That is because there is a great mimicker that affects the same areas as sciatica but is very different in description and origin. Scleratogenous pain is a deep, dull, aching pain, difficult for the patient to easily localize, and not positionally sensitive. It is worse when standing, sitting or laying still. Paradoxically, it is relieved by movement. Though the initial movement after stillness is painful it resolves with continued movement.

This type of pain does not come from irritation of the nerves but rather problems with certain embryologically-related structures like bone, discs, and joints. This is the type of pain seen in osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) and fixated joints badly in need of the motion a chiropractic adjustment provides.

It is possible for scleratogenous pain patterns to be virtually identical to and mistaken for sciatic pain and only distinguishable in the type, timing and nature of the pain, and the patient’s responses to specific orthopedic and neurological tests. It is essential that the patient be interviewed and examined by a doctor in this way to determine the exact cause to implement the correct care. In either case, the care is simple and the success rate extremely high.

The best and least invasive initial care for sciatica, piriformis syndrome, or scleratogenous pain would be specific chiropractic adjustments, specific stretches, neuromuscular massage and acupuncture. A basic yoga class could be added as part of a maintenance program.

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Dr. Derek Conte is co-founder of Chiropractic Specialists at 1154 Concord Road in Smyrna, GA. For questions call 404-784-6008. For more info, articles, photos, etc. visit drderekconte.com

07/19/2017

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Brightside July, 2017

Chiropractic Is For Everyone

By Dr. Derek Conte
Who should receive chiropractic care? The short answer is: Everyone. From infancy to old age, proper chiropractic care will help your body function at its best and bring you to the health the Creator intended.

Why is that? If you have been following this column for the last 12 years and enjoyed the case studies presented, you will recall how many people have been helped and healed…..even those who had suffered long and greatly, finding no solution elsewhere.

Why should chiropractic help people when other health disciplines could only reduce their problem or have no effect at all? It is because chiropractors are doctors of the nervous system…..not the bones. And it is the nervous system that controls all other systems in our bodies. The bones are merely the levers used to correct the miscommunication between the brain and our every muscle, organ and gland.

The strategy of how vertebrate anatomy is worked out is ingenious. Every structure in the body is wired to the brain via millions of sensors and nerves. As the environment changes, the nerves update the brain about the change in status. The brain then quickly, often instantaneously, evaluates the changes and bounces new commands back to the body which then as quickly adapts. Your chiropractor knows this anatomy and physiology very well because it is his primary training.

This means EVERY environmental change and response we experience in our lifetimes ranging from our skin getting taut in cold weather, to seeing a baseball and hitting it, to the release of digestive enzymes upon the eating of our food, to something as subtle as our heartbeat rising after being upset emotionally. Every change in our environment REQUIRES a neurological response. The problems begin when the nervous system begins to lose its sensitivity and can’t measure the change, reducing the accuracy and speed of its response. If the nervous system is sluggish or is inaccurate in its messages we are not functioning as designed and are more likely to fall ill.

Why would someone not think of seeing a chiropractor with something other than back pain? Well, we don’t grow up with chiropractic commercials on TV bombarding us around the clock with reminders of: “ask you chiropractor”. Rather, the commercial conditioning we’ve seen for decades has been: “Here’s a new disease we’ve just discovered. If you have these symptoms or think you have this disorder, here’s a new drug that can help. Ask your doctor.”

Now, while there are medications that can improve or save lives in some cases, I remind you that you already have a gigantic drug store in your body. It’s located in your brain and in the glands and it’s designed to last a lifetime, provide every chemical you’ll ever need, in exactly the correct amounts, directed to exactly the right destination, and have exactly the appropriate action…..WITH NO SIDE-EFFECTS. They just need to be awakened from dormancy.

Over and over again, millions of times a year, across the country and around the world, chiropractic is making lives much, much better by restoring normal body function, bringing true health, and reducing or eliminating the need for medications. How else would one proceed if this is firmly understood?

Dr. Derek Conte is co-founder of Chiropractic Specialists at 1154 Concord Road in Smyrna. For questions, call: 404-784-6008. For more info, articles, photos and directions, go to: drderek57@msn.com

06/04/2017

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Artificial Intelligence is Coming, part II
Brightside June, 2017

By Dr. Derek Conte
The podcast I heard and shared last month covering the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, has covered more fascinating Ai news. This is my report on the new podcast, with comment, on the Internet of Things (IoT) conference, May 16-17 in Santa Clara, California. The words of the hosts and speakers will be in italics:

Banners hung everywhere with the phrase, “let’s connect EVERYTHING”. This means connecting to the internet not just through devices but connecting people themselves to the internet, biologically.

(We are undergoing a 4th industrial revolution and it is already upon us though most don’t know it)

The 4 tiers of industrial revolutions were described as:
1) Non- livestock generator power – mechanical engines, turbines, generators, motors via steam, electricity and gasoline. (Before this, animals, men, gravity, wind and water power provided the motive force to do work. This change occurred in the 1830’s)

2) Communication over distance – the telegraph wire, telephone, radio (wireless), TV. (This change occurred in the 1880’s, including vacuum tubes)

3) Electronic data storage and processing–computers and devices. (This began in the 1950’s with the transistor, IBM computers and has accelerated since the mid-1970’s with the microchip and PCs)

4) IoT (the Internet of Things) – billions of sensors will be installed in everyday items (the “things”) , however seemingly insignificant, which collect the data of your life. (In reality the number will be more like trillions or quadrillions. Think of toothbrushes, coins, insects, jewelry, tools…..)

The 4th Industrial Revolution they point out will 1) not involve humans as the principals, 2) will lean heavily on robots, sensors, unimaginable internet speeds and, 3) change your perception of how society, borders and nations work.
What is the difference between a “smart device”, a “connected device” and the devices of “Internet of Things”? These new devices will be able to make decisions about their own operation and actually learn.

An oft-used term in almost every presentation was: the “Outcome Based Economy”. In agriculture, for example, a farmer would no longer buy his own tractor to work the land. He will lease computerized equipment from a manufacturer and pay them a royalty based on the yield-per-acre those machines delivered. This would be tracked by many sensors on the machine connected to “the cloud”. (This reminds one of how we now pay for our metered utilities) This tracking model will be extended to the actual seeds as well. Ultimately, the farmer will not “own” anything and the manufacturer will become a partner in the farm. The hosts then noted this was a new type of feudalism; and that eventually, the farmer could easily be replaced by the predicted explosion of robots (mentioned in last month’s article).

Here are some of my personal thoughts shared by the hosts: As machines get smarter and smarter and more efficient, able to reason, think and learn, the need for humans to operate, program, oversee the workings of the world will diminish. Robots will fill more and more historically human-only roles.
We’re not talking floor sweeping robots here. More than one man has actually chosen a robot as his bride with rings, gowns, tuxes, wedding ceremonies, guests and all. When does this legally qualify robots as citizens with civil rights? What if the husband tires of his wife, outgrows her, or wants a newer model --- or a human instead? Is a divorce necessary? Will it be a crime if he chose to throw her away, abandon, abuse or destroy his robot? This will be a very deep reordering of our ancient human system of operation.

You may be wondering why this article appears in a traditionally health-oriented column. It is in this respect: the changes we are undergoing seem to have no historical equivalent in terms of their velocity, magnitude or requirement for social recalibration. Humans are biologically unique creatures with deeply-rooted cultural and genetically inherited programs, full of feelings, flaws, fears, loves, virtues, territoriality and violence. The changes we face will shake our sense of who and what we are fundamentally, and force us to question our rightful place in this world. As often discussed in this column, our health is bound tightly to our moods, beliefs and perceptions. Buckle up, world! This is a fascinating time to be alive.

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Dr. Derek Conte is co-founder of Chiropractic Specialists at 1154 Concord Road in Smyrna. For questions. Call: 404-784-6008. For more info, articles and photos, go to: drderekconte.com

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05/02/2017

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Artificial Intelligence is Coming Fast

Brightside, May, 2017
By Dr. Derek Conte

I recently listened to an interesting podcast about the rapid progress of artificial intelligence and the plan to introduce 5G-speed internet globally as announced at the Mobile World Congress for the telephone industry held in Barcelona, Spain on Feb 27-Mar 3, 2017. The host of the podcast was in attendance as well as 100,000 others.

I am not a tech expert in any way, but as a person who will be impacted (as we all will be) by these coming changes, I am very interested. Many of the words and phrases that follow are not my own but from the host and his guests, so I have put what follows in quotes. It is an encapsulation of the podcast I heard:

“’The Global Brain’ was the opening subject of the symposium. Most people have no idea what is coming. In India, the prime minister, Narendra Modi, used holograms of himself to campaign in remote places without having to actually be there. Also in India, they project a robot police force by 2030, and the first robot police will be on the streets in 2017.

Many things of great significance were said and predicted during the conference. For example, there will be more robots than humans in 30 years. Singularity (the point where robots will be as smart as humans) is coming. Ai computers will soon have IQ’s of 10,000. An average human IQ is counted at 100.

Cars are driving themselves now. As this trend grows will there be less need for mechanics, car washes? Will the next car you buy be the last car you own? With ostensibly fewer accidents, what will be the effect on organ donation? Many jobs will become obsolete. Even doctors may be replaced. We already have remote robotic surgery and toilet bowls are being produced right now that can actually diagnose some diseases and bracelets are uploading to the cloud information on peoples’ heart rates, blood pressure, activity characteristics and, of course our locations at all times via our cell phones.

The mobile telephone industry will be used to create the infrastructure in the 5G, which is far beyond a mere ‘next generation improvement’ over 4G. It is a ‘quantum leap’ into data transfer at unimaginable speeds with virtually no delays. 5G will be tested in some cities in 2017. This will extend the ‘internet of things’ (IOT) like smart TV’s and home security systems to the ‘internet of everything’ (IOE), to include humans and animals as a part of the projected network. Thousands of orbiting satellites are being rapidly manufactured to cover every square inch of the globe to facilitate the ‘new world neural network’. One can now see the deeper value in the collection of ‘metadata’ by Google, Amazon, Facebook and the rest of the giants?

3rd world countries will have the same web connectivity and speed as developed countries virtually overnight. While at first look this seems like a wonderful happening, can these simple societies handle such a massive tech jump without first adapting to the gradual steps developed countries struggled through over hundreds of years? 2030 was the first target date for this tech deployment, but the prediction has been sped up to 2025.

The host also speculates that ‘Virtual Reality’ tech will be so sense-filling, emotionally enveloping and profound, that people might mistake this experience for a true spiritual revelation. Will this lead some to found new virtual churches? And what will the implications be?

Also mentioned at the symposium were terms like ‘Augmented Reality’ or ‘Mediated Reality’(as distinct from Virtual Reality), which will alter, by enhancing or detracting from, how we view the real world, and the idea of a ‘Distributed Mind’ or ‘Mind-Plex” will allow the collection of all the thoughts of all the people on the globe, simultaneously, and bounce back commands to all, via ‘Ubiquitous Connectivity’ in order to ‘raise consciousness and cooperation of all people’.

5G tech is the vital link necessary to achieve this new world-encompassing technology, a seamless real-time network with no informational delays. Like a beehive, will everyone know everything about everything else in the present moment?
Verizon and AT+T will roll out 5G in 13 cities in 2017, Atlanta being one of the cities chosen. In fact, AT+T has sold all their cell towers. ‘Because the towers are technological dinosaurs and are no longer needed’.

Dr. Derek Conte is co-founder of Chiropractic Specialists at 1154 Concord Road in Smyrna. For questions, call 404-784-6008. Also visit: drderekconte.com for more articles, photos, info.

03/04/2017

Please enjoy my latest article:

Anxiety Quieted Brightside March, 2017

By Dr. Derek Conte

Tom, a slender, fortyish family man, entered the office on referral with severe upper back and mid-scapular pain. He said he had been experiencing it for years but that it had become almost unbearable in the last month. He looked flushed in the face and a bit jittery. I decided to take his blood pressure and found it to be abnormally high.

Upon physical examination we discovered unequal leg lengths, postural distortion, and significant weight imbalances taken on bilateral scales. There was great restriction of the upper and middle spine, with several of the vertebrae significantly rotated alternately right and left. The latter is not common but not unheard of either. The same region of the spine was exquisitely sensitive to even mild pressure. I had seen this before and asked him, “Tom, have you ever gotten flustered and felt your chest pounding and became sweaty and nervous and short of breath for no apparent reason?”

“Yes”, he said, “How could you know that?” I asked a further question.

“Tom, how much stress are you dealing with, at home and at work?” He said, “Some, but it is manageable”.

I then explained some anatomy to him, to help him understand how the stiffness and misalignments in his upper back could be causing such symptoms even though his heart might be perfectly healthy: You see, the upper spine (from T1 to T4 typically) is responsible for relaying messages to the heart and lungs for how fast the heart should beat and how deeply he would breathe. Those messages start in the brain and come through the nerves in the upper back in the form of adrenaline.

Adrenaline aka Epinephrine (used in inhalers for asthma or in the case of cardiac arrest) is a powerful, short-acting hormone which makes the heart beat faster and harder, boosting the blood pressure. In the lungs, it speeds up and deepens the breathing as it opens the airway. It also makes certain vessels constrict which boosts the blood pressure even more. Too much adrenaline, for too long, can even cause the heart to beat unevenly and bring a sensation of fear.

I told Tom If this area of the spine was sharply misaligned, and irritated the nerves to deliver too much adrenaline, there was a chance the pain and anxiety he had been experiencing could be helped by making corrective adjustments to that specific area. He understood, he agreed, and we adjusted him, very specifically. We cleared out the leg length and weight distribution inequalities, and rectified the posture with the first adjustment.

Tom didn’t have his second visit until a month later as he was tied up with work and family matters, but he looked like a different guy. Much more relaxed now than before. He happily reported he hadn’t had any pain or a single anxiety attack since his first adjustment. He now has a much better understanding of how his body works. That is something we all should strive for. Sometimes, scary things are not so scary after all.

Dr. Derek Conte is co-founder of Chiropractic Specialists at 1154 Concord Road in Smyrna. For questions, call 404-784-6008. For more articles, photos, info, go to: drderekconte.com

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02/05/2017

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Staying the Course
Brightside, February, 2017
By Dr. Derek Conte

Patients seek a chiropractor’s help for a range of reasons. Some seek help because of an immediate need like sudden pain and injury. Some because they just been nagged by something or haven’t felt so well recently. Some because the pain or dysfunction they have ignored for so many years have finally compromised their lives to the extent that they are having little enjoyment anymore. Some are young and otherwise healthy who have simple complaints. Finally, we have the erratic but well-meaning patient who has great success early and, before their case is stabilized, go away for months or even years and return in the shape that first brought them into the office. They simply will never follow to the doctor’s recommendations!

These are very broad categories and certainly do not cover every scenario, but they account for the vast majority of cases. These different types of cases are sometimes best approached differently.

The first group would be considered emergencies and require care as soon as possible and as often as needed, sometimes every day for days, as is the case with automobile injuries or recreational injuries. This type of care is called “acute care”. The care is weighted much more to the front-end in order to correct and stabilize the patient. As the patient progresses, the frequency of the care tapers off and finally a smooth transition into maintenance care can be made. It is important for post-injury patients to maintain a minimal course of scheduled care to prevent “breaking down” into the original injury pattern.

The next group have been recently nagged by a complaint that doesn’t overwhelm them usually responds well within a week or two and easily settles into a maintenance schedule with no flare-ups.
The group who have suffered long with multiple complaints are usually older. Over time, the body has assumed a disadvantageous structure and the bones of the skeleton have actually changed their shape due to the tremendous movement restrictions they have endured for so many years without care. In cases like these the care is best when it is not too frequent in the beginning but is sustained for a longer period of time.

What would be better for them? Giving them 20 adjustments in 2 months or 20 adjustments in one year? To this writer, it is much better to bring that person along gradually and steadily over a long period of time so their bodies have ample time to adapt to the changes made. It took perhaps decades for them to arrive in the condition they are in. Isn’t it logical that it will take a while for real lasting improvement to come? It is better to change the direction of this person’s health status gradually.

“The young and the otherwise healthy” group tend to respond very quickly and require only one or two adjustments to be clear of any problems and can transition quickly into maintenance care.
Finally, we have the “wild hair” patient, who just cannot stick with any steady plan for their health. They are free birds who do things spontaneously and at the last minute. They wait and wait until the burden on them is so great that they need to dump it…..right into the doctor’s lap!!! “Please fix me!” they say. These patients need our skills and our love just as much as any other and we never turn them away.

Dr. Derek Conte is co-founder of Chiropractic Specialists at 1154 Concord Road in Smyrna. For questions call 404-784-6008. For more information, articles, photos, etc. visit: drderekconte.com

01/01/2017

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A Pain in the Foot Brightside January, 2017

By Dr. Derek Conte

One of the most important parts of the body, and possibly the most ignored, are our feet. Maybe it is because the feet are usually out of view or because they are not considered “vital organs” that we don’t properly care for them. By care I don’t mean merely clipping and painting the nails or even shaving down calluses and moisturizing. These things are fine for superficial care, but the feet are much more than skin and nails. In the Marine Corps, we were always told to take care of our feet. To keep them clean, warm and dry, so as to avoid “trench foot”, “frostbite” and infection, any of which can stop a person’s effectiveness dramatically. I saw this first hand during long, rainy maneuvers in young recruits who did not heed the warning of foot care. Trench foot is an ugly and painful thing.

Each foot is complex with 26 bones, numerous muscles, tendons, ligaments, arteries, veins, lymphatic vessels and a very misunderstood type of connective tissue called fascia.
The plantar fascia is a very tough membrane that surrounds cushions and protects the muscles at the bottom of the feet and runs from the bottom of the heel to the base of the toes just deep to the soles of the feet. This area is particularly vulnerable to neglect and the pounding of daily activities and can form adhesions (tiny areas of scar tissue) causing tightness and great pain. This condition is known as “plantar fasciitis”, and affects millions of people. It may be difficult to walk even short distances without cramping or even stand upright in the morning on bathroom tile when brushing your teeth.

The typical medical treatments may include anti-inflammatory pills, cortisone shots, high-energy ultrasonic blasts or even a surgical “release” of the plantar fascia by cutting a small diamond-shaped opening in the fascia to allow it to lengthen, reducing the stress. But there is a less invasive approach to reduce pain and restore natural suppleness to the feet.

The simplest do-it-yourself way of breaking up adhesions in the feet is to roll a tennis ball under the feet and gently working out the tight and painful areas, eventually graduating to a smaller, firmer type of ball. Rolling a frozen water bottle under foot can help on days when the pain it too much and can be done before the balls are used. Better still would be to seek help from a good massage therapist who will be able to detect problem areas and manually release the foot.

Seeking a chiropractor’s advice would be very valuable and he or she would be able to adjust the body and coordinate the entire treatment. The results are usually excellent and drugs or surgery may be avoided. Once the pain is gone, a regimen stretching, massage and adjustment of the feet should keep the pain away for good and provide a better foundation for all your activities.

Dr. Derek Conte is co-founder of Chiropractic Specialists at 1154 Concord Road in Smyrna. For questions call: 404-784-6008. For more info, articles, photos, visit: drderekconte.com

12/04/2016

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A Patient Comes From Paris Brightside December, 2016

By Dr. Derek Conte

Anne Marie lives in a Paris suburb and is related to a family here in Smyrna we have served for years. The relative called me and asked if we could help Anne Marie with her intractable neck pain and headaches. She told me the doctors in France felt there was nothing short of surgery that could help and that there was a high risk of permanent paralysis if surgery were done due to the location of the problem. In short, no one would touch her and suggested dealing with the symptoms through medication.

The relative sent me a file with MRI’s and medical reports. I reviewed them and saw disc bulges at multiple levels of the cervical spine exerting pressure directly on the spinal cord, but no striking structural abnormalities. I told her it was a long way to travel and only a direct exam by me in the office would reveal further risks or complications that would preclude successful care but I felt that, based on what I saw so far, we could help Anne Marie.

The official diagnosis was “nevralgie d’Arnold chronique resistainte au traitement medicale” --- in English, “chronic, treatment-resistant Arnold’s neuralgia”. Also known as Occipital Neuralgia, Arnold’s Neuralgia affects the greater occipital nerve, arising from the C-2 nerve root, which exits the spine rearward between the 1st and 2nd cervical vertebrae and provides sensation for the entire back of the head from the base to the top and across from ear-to-ear. The C-2 nerve also brings proproiceptive (positional) information, from the sternocleidomastoideus and trapezius muscles, to the brain. This nerve also shares a nucleus in the spinal cord with the 5th cranial nerve (CN-5), which distributes itself to the lips, tongue, teeth, jaw, cheeks, eyes and forehead to the top and controls the chewing muscles as well.

The symptoms can be very harsh and the pain exquisite along the areas described above, including jaw pain, eye pain, ear pain and hyperacusis (abnormally sensitive hearing). Even very small movements of the head can be excruciating for the patient. The ability to concentrate or even sleep can be impossible.

So, arriving from Paris, Anne Marie came in and we examined her thoroughly. She had almost no range of motion in her neck and the muscles there were extremely tight as a result of all the guarding against her pain. The pain and fear were so great she was unable to get on the adjusting table without holding her head and without some assistance. The leg lengths were more than 1” unequal. This is an indication of the unevenness of neural firings to the postural muscles from the brain. As expected, the upper cervical area from the base of the head to C-1 and C-2 were the principal involvements. In a case like this extra time must be taken to relax the patient and release the muscles before an adjustment can be done.

We began with gentle CranioSacral Therapy and, after a time, her breathing slowed and the muscles relaxed. We then moved on to some specific adjustments to C-1, C-2 and C-3. We repeated this protocol for three visits over six days. On the fourth visit four days later, Anne Marie had balanced legs, much greater range of motion and was able to get up and down off the table without holding her head and did not require any assistance. She reported significant improvement in her symptoms. Her family commented on her new-found “fluidity of movement” and the large psychological benefit she received from knowing there was help out there and she was not condemned to be miserable for the rest of her life. Anne Marie is seeking chiropractic and CranioSacral care in Paris.

Dr. Derek Conte is co-founder of Chiropractic Specialists at 1154 Concord Road in Smyrna. For questions call: 404-784-6008. For more info, articles, photos, etc. Or go to: drderekconte.com.