Our Newsletter! Phone: (715) 877 2880 Dr. Steve: Mon, Wed, Fri Dr. Cindy: Mon, Tues, Thurs Dr. Tim: Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri 8:00am-12:00pm 2:00pm-6:00pm (715) 877-2880 Massage Therapist Amanda Miller By appointment: (715) 877-2880 Fall Creek Chiropractic Steven A. Mickelson, D.C. Cynthia G. Mickelson, D.C. Timothy M. Gunderson, D.C. 301 W. Lincoln Avenue Fall Creek, WI 54742 www.fcchiro.com Phone: (715) 877-2880 Fax: (715) 877-3451 “To Provide the Best Chiropractic Care Services Offered: Chiropractic Care Auto Accident Cases Personal Injury Worker’s Compensation Cases Family Care Pediatrics Therapy Massage Therapy Electrical Muscle Stimulation Ultrasound Trigger Point Therapy Presentations Health, Wellness, and Chiropractic Experiences in Santa Cruz A Successful Detoxification Diet Energizing Your Inner Eco System with Herbal Therapies and Botanicals Ergonomic Techniques: Protecting your spine in the workplace Supplements Available: The Doctors at Fall Creek Chiropractic are pleased to offer a wide variety of vitamins, supplements, and diet aides to their patients to help with natural healing. We also offer nutritional consultations to those interested. Please call 715-877-2880 if you are interested in a consultation! Also available: Exercise balls, knee and back braces, cervical traction units, and exercise rehab consultations. Again, please call 715-877-2880 if you are interested in these services and products. Meet the Doctors: Dr. Steven A. Mickelson, D.C. Dr. Steve has 33 years of experience in the Chiropractic profession. He was born and raised in Eau Claire. After graduating from Memorial High School, he attended the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire and Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport Iowa. He also attended 360 hours of Chiropractic Neurology which was taught at Northwestern College of Chiropractic in Bloomington Minnesota, and attained Board Eligibility in Chiropractic Neurology. During that course he wrote a chapter for the book "The Chiropractic Neurological Examination." His post graduate courses over the past 30 years have included hundreds of hours of continuing education in various subjects including, X-ray, spinal adjusting, extremities, orthopedics, chiropractic pediatrics, business management, and many others. Dr. Cynthia G. Mickelson, D.C. Directly after graduating from Shikellamy High School in Sunbury Pennsylvania, Dr. Cindy entered Palmer Jr. College and Palmer College of Chiropractic. It was there that she met and married Dr. Steven Mickelson. Upon graduating with her Doctor of Chiropractic degree, Dr. Cindy finished up her Wisconsin credits at the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire, became licensed in 1980 and practices in Fall Creek, WI. Since being licensed as a Chiropractor, she has done continuing education on a broad spectrum of Chiropractic related areas. These include pediatrics, understanding the dynamics of whiplash, x-ray, sports injury, rehabilitation, business management, nutrition, various adjusting technique seminars, and many others. Dr. Timothy M. Gunderson, D.C. A native of Fall Creek, WI, Dr. Tim Gunderson attended undergraduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire for 3 years and then earned his bachelor of human biology and his doctorate of chiropractic from Northwestern College of Chiropractic in Bloomington, MN in 2006. He began working at Fall Creek Chiropractic in December of 2007. He centers his patient care around making improvements in all areas of health by addressing physical, mental, and nutritional stress on the body. He especially enjoys speaking on issues related to children’s health and development, nutrition, and living a wellness lifestyle. He has been married to his wife Amanda, a Spanish Teacher, since 2005. Dr. Tim is an avid sports player and fan. His burning desire is to improve the lives of as many people as possible in our community by improving the quality of their health. Meet the Staff: Amanda Miller: Amanda is our state certified X-ray technician, therapist, and massage practitioner. Clare Spencer: Clare is our front desk receptionist and helps out with marketing and events. Jennifer Hohlfelder: Jen is our newest staff member, and helps out with the front desk. Some Definitions: What is Chiropractic Care? Chiropractic care is a form of natural health care which deals primarily with the structural integrity of the nerve system as it relates to the spine and vertebra. The elimination of the vertebral subluxation complex is the main goal of the chiropractor. Chiropractors that are trained in complimentary fields such as nutrition inform and educate patients on the importance of a wellness based lifestyle. What is Family Care? Family Chiropractic care involves care for the whole family. We are experienced in caring for the very young, the very old, and everyone in between. Care will most likely include examination of the spine and related structures, and may include x-rays, adjustments, muscle stim, ultra sound, nutritional counseling, massage therapy, and wellness advice. Worker’s Compensation Cases Even careful professionals get hurt at work sometimes. When this happens, it is imperative to come in right away before the problem compounds itself. X-rays, adjustments, electrical muscle stimulation, ultrasounds, and trigger point therapy are all available to get you back on your feet and back at work as soon as possible. Auto Accidents Auto accidents are unplanned, unexpected, and one of the leading causes of whip-lash in the United States. Even at speeds as low as 5 mph damage can be done to bone, cartilage, and the soft tissue in your neck, upper back, and lower back. It is important to visit a chiropractor to receive care for your whip-lash. If not seen to immediately, the damage may become permanent. Kid’s Day Friday, January 25th How important is your child’s health? It is certainly more important than that of your automobile! When was the last time you had your car in for a 10-point check up: tire pressure, radiator fluid, fuel filter, etc? And when was the last time you had your child’s spine checked for problems? The doctors at Fall Creek Chiropractic are doing a kids’ check-up day. Just like adults, kids’ spines have stresses and trauma also. We’ll do a complete spinal exam including range of motion and fixations of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. We also check for scoliosis and other common childhood spinal problems. On Friday, January 25th any and all children (16 and under) are invited to come in with a parent for a no-charge check-up. Scheduling ahead is encouraged but not necessary. Balloon animals and healthy treats will be available for all. How important is your child’s health? More important than your car? The Doctors and Staff Fall Creek Chiropractic Kids & Chiropractic You may have wondered why many babies and children have their spines checked and adjusted by chiropractors. The reason is that a large percentage of children have vertebral subluxations - a condition of the spine that disrupts not only normal movement of the spinal bones, but also disturbs normal function of the nervous system. Kids & Chiropractic cont. Little spines need adjusting too! Babies’ spines may become subluxated both before and during the birth process. Plenty of pressure goes on the head and neck during contractions and when the baby passes down the birth canal. Assisted deliveries such as forceps or ventouse are especially hard on a baby’s spine. Even caesarean deliveries place a lot of stress on a delicate spine. As a baby grows into a toddler they begin to learn to stand and walk, usually having many falls and crashes in the process. They get knocked over, fall off bikes, carry heavy school bags… all sorts of insults and trauma to the skeletal and nervous systems. Subluxations may or may not cause obvious symptoms. There are some signs that may indicate subluxations such as a baby that is unsettled, colicky, only feeds off one breast or has digestive issues. Children may often suffer from low immunity or get lots of ear infections. As only some subluxations give obvious symptoms all children should be checked thoroughly by a chiropractor to ensure correct spinal function. Subluxations are usually easily correctable at a young age. Chiropractic methods for checking and adjusting babies and children are very gentle and safe. Adjustments are often made by hand with light pressure or by a gentle adjusting instrument to help ease the vertebra back into place. All children benefit greatly from having regular chiropractic checks as they grow and develop. Reducing nerve interference keeps children healthier as they grow and develop. Children are our future; as parents the decision is yours but the benefits are theirs. Mickelson - Christmas 2005 Happy New Year! Dear Patients and Friends, Most of us have started this year with plans for getting in shape, losing weight, simplifying our lives, or other ‘resolutions’. It is good that we have set goals to do these things even though we may fail to accomplish all we would like. At least in setting goals for improvements we see a need and begin to do something about it. Often our attempts at eating better, exercising, simplifying, etc. get us headed back in the right direction. If you are digging yourself into a rut, the first thing you must do is quit digging. If the holidays have left you out of shape and overweight, then consider coming to one of our free Wellness talks. We’ll motivate you to get back into shape, with information based on new research and some just plain common sense. Have a great start to the New Year! The Doctors and Staff at Fall Creek Chiropractic Chiropractic Care vs. Medical Care Children under chiropractic care are healthier than those under medical care… In a random survey, 200 pediatricians and 200 chiropractors were selected and surveyed to determine what, if any, differences were between the healths of the doctors’ children raised under different healthcare models. •43% of medical kids suffered from tonsillitis vs. only 27% of chiropractic kids. •69% of chiropractic kids were free of ear infections vs. 20% of the medical kids Overall chiropractic kids have less antibiotic use and less sickness. “Comparative Study of Health Status of Children Raised Under the Health Care Models of Chiropractic and Allopathic Medicine” Journal of Chiropractic Research - 1989 Chiropractic has a significant effect on maximizing immunity via maintenance of a healthy nervous system. A child under regular chiropractic care (defined as more than 7 visits per year) has increased resistance to common childhood diseases. It’s far better to grow healthy children than repair damaged adults! Isaiah 9:6 Unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Dear Friends and Family, Please excuse the politically incorrect opening to our ‘holiday’ letter, but we are taking the chance of offending some of you by beginning with the words of a Jewish prophet, Isaiah, written some 2400 years ago, foretelling of the birth of a child who was to be the Savior of the world. The birth of that child, Jesus, is the reason for the season. We realize that this version may differ slightly from what you may have heard on the Simpsons, South Park, or the evening news. Last year we got rushed and didn’t send out a letter, thanks to all of you that sent us one anyway. It has been an interesting year in Lake Wobegone... oops I mean Fall Creek. Heather is home from Bolivia and has been back home with us since December 15. We are planning on enjoying her compay for the next 6 months before she goes back to Santa Cruz. This summer we spent 10 days in Santa Cruz, Bolivia with Heather visiting orphanages and providing Chiropractic care with her. At a street home for girls called El Jordon, Cindy spent several days teaching some quilting techniques and connecting with the young ladies who came there to learn life skills. Cindy is busy in the office and at home holding true to the saying, a women’s work is never done. She is very much appreciated by her husband and children and patients. Steve is also busy in the office (and helping out at home occasionally) and with his other hobbies: Golf, flying, and his latest foray, deer hunting (with Todd). Kayleen, our senior in high school, is active in school (a stellar student and leader) and deciding on a college to attend next year. Lindsey, our freshmen in high school, is continuing with voice lessons, was in a musical, and is excited about Heather being home. She is still totally into country music. We also have a foreign exchange student living with us named Mariam. She is from Sucre, Bolivia. She is learning English (and Japanese) and is getting used to the snow and cold, which she had never experienced. Todd and Nicole and the twins, Teagan, and Madeline, 18 months, are all doing well. The little girls are so much fun and growing and learning so fast. They have started a new adventure as Todd is now selling real estate for ReMax in Chetek. We took the enclosed picture the day Heather got home from Bolivia. Lutefisk, our cute little Dachshund, is up against Lindsey’s black sweater. Love to all of you and have a Merry Christmas, The Mickelsons Dr. Steve speaks with students at job fair in Augusta. Students from Fall Creek, Altoona, Osseo, and Augusta attended a job fair at the Augusta Community Center on Thursday December 1, 2005. Many of them stopped by the Fall Creek Chiropractic booth and visited with Dr. Steve. Dr. Steve was impressed with the good questions and interest shown by all students. Many of those attending got funny pens with wobble heads and suction cups. Unfortunately the supply ran out. If you were a student who didn't get one, stop by the office in Fall Creek or Email us at DrSteve@fcchiro.com and we will send you one. Thanks to all for stopping by. 30 Years of Service It seems like Yesterday that we opened our little office in Fall Creek. But now it has been 30 years. We have grown to love this small community and think of it as our home. We have made so many wonderful friends and seen so many wonderful patients over the years. The exciting part is that we feel like we are just getting warmed up. We have learned so much in the last couple of years that we are excited to be able to help more and more people with new, more efficient chirorpactic techniques.. Guess who showed up on halloween at our office. Chiropractic Helps Child With Seizures - A Case Study In the Volume 6, No. 3, 2005 issue of the peer reviewed Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics is a scientifically reported case study of an infant suffering from seizures who was helped by chiropractic. The child in this case study was a 5 month old boy who, according to his parents, cried continuously, slept minimally, and experienced up to 8 seizures per day. Additionally, the child recently had surgery to close sutures on the left side of his head. The mother also noted that her son had a constant head tilt to the left and could not rotate his head and neck to the right. The chiropractic examination on the child was difficult as it was noted that the infant was in severe distress and cried during the entire procedure. However, it was determined that there were problems (subluxations) in various areas of the neck, mid back and lower spine. Regular chiropractic adjustments were started and continued for several weeks, followed by periodic follow ups. The outcome of the care was immediately positive as the number of seizures started decreasing after the first adjustment. Several weeks into the care the child seemed to have a regression for one day as he experienced five seizures in that day. However, following this episode he was seizure free for the next week. This was the first week of his life that he was seizure free. By the sixth week of care the child`s life had been drastically changed for the better. He was having no seizures between adjustments, he was sleeping all night and he was eating properly for a child his age. The case study noted that these improvements represented a significant improvement to the child`s quality of life. The author of the study, Nancy Brown, D.C., notes that each year approximately 150,000 children and adolescents have a seizure. She points out that seizures are a sudden onset of abnormal electrical discharges within the brain. She further points out that the medical approach is to medicate in order to suppress the abnormal electrical impulses. However, she points out that there is no way to suppress the abnormal impulses without suppressing the normal ones which would be needed for normal function and development. She states, "A chiropractic approach may therefore be of more benefit as it will correct the abnormal impulses not just suppress them." Recent Study Names Chiropractic Care As Being Most Effective In a study published recently, June 2005,in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Patients suffering from severe neurological diseases and experiencing pain in the back, leg, shoulder, neck, buttock and hip, feet, arms, and hands reported the most significant relief with Chiropractic treatment. Quoting the article, no treatment appeared to be effective for all participants, and some of the treatments reported as most effective, for example, chiropractic care, was not utilized by as many in the group”. Chiropractic is a valuable treatment for severe and chronic pain. All of the other treatments utilized, drugs, nerve blocks, muscle relaxants, all have serious and potentially deadly side effects on top of the fact that they are not as effective. An experience Chiropractor with a background in neurology can be your best source for care in chronic conditions. However, even more important, is the aspect of Chiropractic care to prevent and maintain your current good health. Dr. Steven Mickelson is a Board Eligible Chiropractic Neurologist with 30 years of experience in the practice of Chiropractic. Chiropractic neurology marries the biomechanic/orthopedic aspect of chiropractic care with the latest techniques of assessment and rehabilitation of the central nervous system. The result is a model of diagnosis and care that incorporates all of the patient’s symptoms into one complete treatment plan. This is accomplished via an intimate knowledge of clinical/physiologic neurology as well as pathologic neurology and how the different systems (visual, olfactory, proprioception, etc.) can afferentate (stimulate) the central nervous system specifically (for rehabilitation purposes) and how the central nervous system can affect function of any or all of these systems in turn. Introducing Generation Rx (As seen in our newsleter) by Donald M. Petersen Jr., BS, HCD (hc), FICC (h) An annual national study of teen drug abuse commissioned by The Partnership for a Drug-Free America reports the disturbing move by U.S. teens toward prescription drugs as their choice for drug abuse.1,2 The 25-page report (available at www.drugfree.org3) reveals that Vicodin, OxyContin, Ritalin/Adderall, and cough medicine are tried more often by teens abusing drugs than cocaine, ecstasy, LSD, heroin and most other street drugs. Only marijuana and inhalants have been tried more often than this list of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. The numbers are a bit frightening. Almost one out of every five teenagers has used a prescription painkiller to get "high." Approximately one in 11 has used an OTC medication such as cough syrup. According to the survey, this is what our youth are taking: • Vicodin - 18% of those polled said they have abused this drug at least once. Vicodin is one of several opioids or narcotics used to treat pain. They give the abuser a rush similar to heroin. • OxyContin - 10% of teens have abused this drug. OxyContin is another opiod painkiller. • Ritalin/Adderall - 10% of teens have abused these drugs, which are stimulants used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). • OTC cough medicines - 9% of teens have abused cough medications, many of which contain the drug dextromethorphan or "DXM." When taken in larger-than-recommended doses, DXM causes a range of hallucinogenic effects. One reason America's teens are turning to the prescription drugs is their assumed safety. If their medical doctor readily prescribes them, how harmful can they be? Another reason has to be accessibility. Buying drugs off the street from someone you don't know has some pretty obvious risks. Raiding your mother's medicine cabinet has the appearance of greater safety. But at the end of the day, drug abuse is still drug abuse. Only these days, it isn't a Columbian cartel or an underground meth lab. The people producing the drugs our children are abusing are the same drug manufacturers that spend billions of dollars each year, convincing consumers that their drugs are the answer to any and all ailments. Take another look at the numbers. If you have five teenage patients, chances are at least one of them is abusing prescription or OTC drugs. If you have five parents of teenagers, the problems may be going on right under their noses. The parents (or their children) may be "misplacing" medications, and the parents might not even realize what is happening. The chiropractic profession has stood alone against the drug industries and the why cope, take dope attitudes that is so prevalent in our country. We need to stand up and let our voices be heard when it comes to over medicating and over prescribing drugs that can be easily abused. We owe it to our children and their children to make this a safer world by changing the perception that our problems can be solve by more and more expensive drugs. There is a natural, drug free way to health that more and more people are using . It is called chiropractic and it works! References 1. The Partnership Attitude Tracking Survey (PATS): Teens 2004. Released April 21, 2005. Conducted by Roper Public Affairs and Media for the Partnership for a Drug-Free America; a survey of adolescents in grades 7 through 12. Total sample: 7,314 teenagers nationwide. 2. Generation Rx: National Study Reveals New Category of Substance Abuse Emerging: Teens Abusing Rx and OTC Medications Intentionally to Get High. Synopsis of findings from the PATS 2004 Study. 3. The survey and the synopsis of findings (references 1 and 2, respectively) are available on the Partnership for a Drug-Free America Web site (www.drugfree.org).