Non-surgical management of Scoliosis is undoubtedly one of the most difficult conditions which we see at our clinic. Because this condition is so very difficult to manage, when treatment is successful, it is very rewarding. Dr. Betz has always been fascinated by the complexity of the scoliotic spine. He has been invited to be one of two instructors for a Scoliotic Deformities Seminar in London, England where doctors come from across Europe to improve their understanding of scoliosis in general, and develop their skills for effectively managing this disorder, in particular.

Management of scoliosis in both adolescents and adults has been something that we have emphasized when designing our clinic over the years. we have 8 different advanced traction systems that can be used to apply spinal traction for the patient with scoliosis.

Ideal Health Scoliosis Rehabilitation Area

WHY CBP CARE FOR SCOLIOSIS?

CBP spine care focuses on correcting structural scoliosis and other structural abnormalities of the spine through a combination of spinal adjustments, corrective scoliosis exercises and corrective scoliosis traction. At Ideal Health we start by taking precise X-rays. Most doctors, including orthopedists and the X-ray technicians they have take their films, do not take into consideration the 3-dimensional nature of the scoliosis when positioning the patient for the X-ray. This results in inaccurate films that do not report valid measurements of the size of the scoliosis. Using knowledge from mechanical engineering principles about how a 3-D spine projects onto a 2-D X-ray film, we take great effort to produce the most precise images possible. Being “rushed” in and out of an overly busy imaging clinic at a hospital or orthopedic center is not in the best interest of the patient. Great caution must be taken to accurately visualize and measure the scoliosis…it is after all, the primary basis of all clinical decisions.

After initial films are taken, at CBP of Idaho we use state-of-the-art X-ray digitization software called PostureRay to most accurately measure abnormal alignment of the spine.

Next, using analysis unique to CBP doctors, “stress” films are taken to try to determine the most effective means of improving the scoliosis using CBP traction, exercises and spinal adjusting.

In Figure A in the patient standing in a comfortable, neutral posture. Figure B shows movement 1 followed by movement 2, and Figure C shows movement 2 followed by movement 1. The order of the movements made the most improvement in Figure C, so this order is following when applying CBP exercises, adjustments and traction.

You can call our office today at (208) 321-8484 and schedule a consultation to see if CBP care is right for you. If you do not live in the Boise, Idaho area, you may be able to find a Certified CBP doctor near you by searching HERE.

Being a postural based chiropractor, I am cursed with “people watching” as a hobby. I actually enjoy people watching, not to see the clothes they wear to or how they behave, but rather to observe their posture. Being what I consider to be a professional people watcher, something has struck me as being potentially catastrophic for peoples health…the ever-increasing frequency of “texting”. Watching people sending text messages on their phones makes my neck hurt. They are sitting in this flexed forward posture with their heads bent chin-to-chest thumbing away at their phone at a dizzying pace. I have discussed previously about how abnormal posture affects overall health.

Research has shown that the loads on the little muscles of the thumbs as they are whizzing through the 40 character messages are under a significant amount or mechanical stress. Hopefully you are not suffering from “Blackberry thumb”!

But looking at their overall posture in the “texting position” I have to ask myself “How do their necks stand this activity”? Being research oriented I decided to investigate whether there were any reports in the scientific literature regarding texting and neck pain. It turns out there is some preliminary data suggesting a direct relationship between these two variables. Judith Gold, an assistant professor of Epidemiology at the College of Health Professions and Social Work, presented preliminary research at last year’s annual meeting of the American Public Health Association which suggested that among college students, the more they texted, the more pain they had in their neck and shoulders. This isn’t earthshaking information…it is about as much a surprise to me that when you drop a rock it will hit the ground, but what is surprising is the fact that parents allow their children “unlimited” texting where they are sending and receiving upwards of 20,000 text messages per month. WARNING!!!! You and your teenagers are ruining their spines with abnormal texting ergonomics!

I suggest placing a limit on text messages through a limited texting plan. Make your teenager pay for the overage charges. That will keep them communicating the old fashion way…with their voices.

If you or someone you know if suffering from neck pain whether it is associated with “texting tendonitis” or not, we can help. Call our Boise office today to schedule an appointment. 321-8484.

OSCILLATORY WHOLE BODY VIBRATION BENEFITS:

IDEAL BONE STRENGTHENING

By increasing the gravitational loading in a functional manner, oscillatory WBV has been proven to stimulate bone growth. The T-Zone can be useful for stress fractures, bone healing, osteopenia, osteoporosis and bone pain. By strengthening muscles this creates a greater pull on the bone again assisting with bone strengthening. The increase in bone density is thought to occur through one or more mechanisms. First, the vibration signals transmit and amplify into bone tissue, directly activating mechanorceptors in bone cells. Other studies have demonstrated that vibration increases the anabolic (bone building) activity of bone tissue and increases bone density. And yet another hypothesis suggests that whole-body vibration, like other weight-bearing exercise, improves muscle strength and power by increasing neuromuscular activation. Combining the T-Zone therapy with a complete nutritional supplementation program you can rest assured that you are doing all that you can to restore and protect the strength of your bones.

IDEAL BALANCE THERAPY

At low frequency the body has to react to the tilting action of the T-Zone and hence work hard as one leg goes up while the other goes down, as in walking. Uses include falls prevention, balance retraining in sport specific positions and in rehabilitation after knee and ankle injury or surgery. Combined with Postural Rehabilitation using CBP® chiropractic methods, this is the “Ideal” protocol to help restore balance.

IDEAL WEIGHT LOSS

The way we look, feel, and function all relies on strong muscles. Even at rest of muscles burn calories at a rate based on our metabolism. The more lean muscle mass we have-the more calories we burn! Vibration Training can give a sluggish metabolism just the boost it needs…up to an 18% increase from 10 minute sessions, just 3 times a week over 6 weeks. (Bonner Physical Therapy, 2003). So even when relaxing , you’ll be burning through considerably more calories with Vibration Training! Combined with Ideal Protein and a light cardio routine you have the complete package – firming and toning and optimum weight loss!

IDEAL FIRMING AND TONING

Lost a lot of weight? Then you’ll know how difficult it is to maintain muscle tone. The fact is…weight loss does not discriminate between fat and muscle. So if you lose 10lbs/kgs of fat you may lose 1lb/kg of muscle-and lean muscle is very hard to replace. The only way to preserve muscle is through resistance exercise. And with WBV, this can be accomplished far more efficiently than conventional weight training in the gym.

IDEAL MASSAGE EFFECTS

More than just an exercise and rehabilitation machine, WBV technology offers the luxury of whole body massage and relaxation. Massage also benefits overall health and has been shown to improve physical performance, prevent and eliminate injuries, and reduce stress.

IDEAL REHABILITATION

WBV may prevent injuries, but just as important, it can also help in the rehabilitation and healing process. Professional sports teams, physiotherapists and chiropractors around the world have found WBV to be an invaluable tool to strengthen muscles without the usual strain on joints and ligaments. Incorporated into rehab, this really is “Ideal” rehabilitation.

IDEAL ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE AND TRAINING

Flexibility and strength…it’s what every golfer must possess to achieve greatness! WBV delivers these benefits. As it stimulates muscles, there is a dramatic increase in explosive strength, motor learning, muscular endurance and overall agility. When using the T-Zone the patient’s muscles are stimulated to work by the stretch reflex. This is the same as the patella reflex, which we see when the doctor taps the patella tendon below the kneecap and the lower leg moves upwards without the brain being able to prevent the movement. Because the muscles are activated with the stretch reflex we get a number of benefits not seen with regular exercise. Under normal circumstances we do not use all our muscles for standing or moving. The stretch reflex ensures that all muscle fibers being stimulated are working at one time. For this reason exercising using the T-Zone is much more time efficient than dong normal exercise. The stretch reflex also gives benefits to the user by stimulating a movement without the brain being involved in planning and executing the activity. The brain still receives information about the activity and so can learn from the experience. This can be highly useful when trying to rehabilitate after an injury or to change old movement patterns, which may not be an ideal movement pattern for that person. Because the exercises are all functional and we can move on the plate, it is easy to strengthen through range for activities we do in daily living or in sporting pursuits. Usually sports people have to train using weights in high load non-functional positions and hope for functional carryover resulting from on field practice. Using the T-Zone strengthening can be very sport specific.

These methods employed at our office require critical reasoning and a thorough understanding of the clinical biomechanics of the spine and posture. There is no “cookie-cutter” method for managing scoliosis. Each case is unique and there are many variables to consider when deciding whether CBP care is right for that case. The best thing to do is to have a thorough screening TODAY, before the curve progresses beyond the point where non-surgical care can help. These children with idiopathic scoliosis should be treated aggressively and frequently to assure the greatest correction possible.

Fingure 1.

In the figure on the left, a patient is lying on their side stretching their spine into a corrected position. The exercise in the picture to the right shows the corresponding exercise. Combining traction and exercises can be an effective way to manage certain types of scoliosis.

Figure 1. X-ray of Scoliosis in the Low Back. This is an X-ray taken of the low back from the front. The spine is normally straight in the low back. This 10-year-old girl has a 43 degree scoliosis.

Who gets Scoliosis?

The most common type of scoliosis is detected during adolescence (ages 10-18). However, there are other types that start in adulthood that can result is significant back pain. Many adults can have varying degrees of scoliosis. Whether you have scoliosis as an adult or a teenager, many cases can be improved significantly without surgery.

How is scoliosis detected?

For years school screenings have been used to detect a possible scoliosis. The most common procedure used to evaluate someone for scoliosis in called the Forward Bending Test. When a person with a significant scoliosis bends forward at the wait, the flexion of the spine causes further rotation of he spine resulting in “Humping” of the ribs. This unlevelness is seen in Figure 2. Unfortunately, the most common test used in these screenings misses many cases of scoliosis. X-rays of the spine are the gold standard for measuring scoliosis.

Figure 2. Forward Bending Test. This test is the most common screening procedure used in school screenings. One problem is the scoliosis must be rather large in order for this test to be positive. The other problem is there are many false positive results. In our office we utilize a thorough computerized postural analyisis to help detect those smaller scoliotic curves that the Forward Bending Test often misses.

The Scoliosis Research Society classifies structural scoliosis into three generic categories with respect to initiating causes. These have been listed in Table 1.

1. Congenital- Scoliosis due to a structural abnormality of the spine, such as a hemivertebrae.

2. Neuromuscular- Scoliosis secondary to a known neurologic condition.

3. Idiopathic- If no known cause can be determined from physical examinations and diagnostic imaging; it is conventional that it is of unknown cause(s) or “idiopathic”. This represents the vast majority of scoliosis cases. Idiopathic scoliosis is further described by the age of detection or age of onset. “Infantile” scoliosis is defined as those curves detected from birth to three years of age. “Infantile” scoliosis is further described as those that are progressive versus self-resolving. “Juvenile” idiopathic scoliosis is defined as scoliosis detected between the ages of 3 and 10. “Adolescent” idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is defined as scoliosis that is determined to have begun during adolescence between the age of ten until skeletal maturity. The vast majority of “idiopathic” scoliosis cases begin during adolescence. Therefore, most research has been focused on AIS because it comprises the preponderance of cases seen clinically. There is another form of scoliosis first detected in adulthood referred to as “adult onset scoliosis”, also called “degenerative scoliosis” or “de novo adult onset degenerative scoliosis”. These curves are also, technically, idiopathic in nature because the cause(s) are not agreed upon by experts.

Scoliosis often produces pain, but not always. However patients with scoliosis can have significant impact upon their self-estem. In 2002, Friedel, et al. reported on women with idiopathic scoliosis who completed a Questionnaire for Well-Being. The results from this sample were compared with normal results from the general population. They report, “Compared with the age-matched general population norm, juvenile patients with idiopathic scoliosis were unhappier with their lives (P = 0.001). They reported greater physical complaints (P < 0.001), had lower self-esteem (P = 0.01) and higher depression scores (P = 0.021). Adult patients reported more psychologic (P < 0.001) and physical impairment than in the population norm (P < 0.001). These results were largely independent of age and Cobb angle.”

Scoliosis can have a great impact on a persons life from the production of pain and spinal degeneration later in life to the psychological effects of the deformity. Scoliosis is a mechnaical problem and, as such, requires a mechanical solution.

Figure 3. Examples of exercises and traction for scoliosis correction. With CBP protocols exercises and traction methods are designed for each individual case. This custom tailored treatment plan allows for the greatest improvement in scoliosis versus a “cookie-cutter” care plan.

Here is a testimonial of a patient suffering from both scoliosis related pain, and the psychological effects of the crooked spine and posture:

“I recently had a friend tell me there was a chiropractor in Boise that was able to treat my scoliosis.  I was truly skeptical because it has been a condition I have lived with all my life.  When I agreed to visit Dr. Betz, I was in my late 60?s and totally doubtful that anything could be done.  I had struggled with poor self image all my life and truly worked hard by exercising to hide my deformed spine.  I have visited many orthopedic MD’s during my life and was always told nothing could be done, except surgery.  I didn’t want surgery.  As I agreed to a series of exercises and traction with Dr. Betz and his staff, I was shocked and amazed that there was a remarkable change within the first series of treatment.  The treatment at Chiropractic Biophysics® is truly different from the routine chiropractic visit.  I am now able to do things that I thought I could never do again.  I am on my second round of treatments and I am so encouraged!  My energy level and strength have increased.  I can stoop, bend, lift, turn, and walk with a better balance and get up from a sitting position without any help.  I can visually see the difference in my posture.  It is wonderful to pass by a mirror and say…”lookin good!”  It has required lots of diligence and persistence, but it worked.  My encouragement to you is, “It is never too late!”  Trust Dr. Betz and get started.  The treatment has given me a better quality of life that I never thought could be achieved again.  Sincerley, a forever, grateful patient.”

Shirley M.

If you have questions about scoliosis, you call our office at (208) 321-8484. Or email Dr. Betz at drjoe@liveidealhealth.com.

Chiropractic Medicine

Subject

Anatomy                                      570                               368

Biochemistry                              150                               120

Microbiology                              120                               120

Public Health                                70                                 289

Physiology                                  305                               142

Pathology                                    205                               162

Total Basic Science                  1,420                            1,200

Total Clinical Science **       3,406                            3,467

Total contact Hours       4,826                            4,667

(Basic + Clinical yrs)

** Total Clinical Science hrs Includes:

Chiropractic Science         1,975                            -0-

Clerkships                              1,405                            3,467

Table 1: A comparison of typical curriculum content and hours from accredited four-year programs in chiropractic and medicine. (* source: Center for Studies in Health Policy, Inc, Washington, DC. And unpublished data from Meredith Gonyea, PhD.

Chiropractic Biophysics Technique Education

While in school, a Chiropractic student generally focus on certain areas of clinical study. These areas are called “Techniques”. Some techniques are taught within the school, however most inherently require the student to take post-graduate courses to become efficient in that particular method. Chiropractic BioPhysics^® (CBP^®) is one of these Techniques methods that many students and field doctors study.

Chiropractic BioPhysics technique has been developed over the past 30 years and has become the most researched chiropractic technique in the history of the chiropractic profession. There are two levels of Certification Training offered by Chiropractic BioPhysics Seminars for D.C.’s wishing to master this technique.

“Basic Certification” involves a D.C. attending 6 seminars to learn the fundamentals of CBP and successfully passing a test to demonstrate mastery of the technique methods. These 6 primary Certification courses total a minimum of 76 hours of training.

“Advanced Certification” is achieved through additional training in 6 more specialized seminars. Testing for Advanced Certification includes presenting a patient case study using CBP procedures to peers at a CBP conference (or in written form) and verifying the use of CBP-related spinal rehabilitative equipment in the doctor’s practice. These additional 6 Advanced Certification courses and the case study total a minimum of 88 hours of training. Thus, the D.C. whom achieves Advanced Certification training in CBP Technique has committed a minimum of 164 additional hours of Continuing Education Training!

“Instructor Certification” is only held by a small number (less than a dozen) of advanced certified doctors who are trained to teach CBP methods to other Doctors.

Click here to view the embedded video.

It is very common for symptoms from “whiplash” injuries to take many weeks, months or even years to develop. It is also common for these patients to wait to seek treatment until this pain becomes more obvious.

Approximately 50% of patients initially injured in an automobile crash will never completely recover to pre-injury status. Even after whiplash victims settle their insurance claims, some 45% report they still suffer with symptoms two years later.

A typical soft tissue whiplash injury can be difficult to identify with traditional imaging methods. Soft tissue injuries sometimes don’t show up on normal X-rays, despite the clear fact that the victim is suffering from pain. The insurance company may imply that you are a liar or perhaps experiencing psychogenic causes of the “symptoms”. More advanced imaging methods such as MRI and CT scans can often be useful in some cases.

When no bones are broken and the head doesn’t strike the windshield, typical symptoms are as follows:

• Up to 98% of victims injured report neck pain, which “typically” starts two hours up to two days after the accident. This is often the result of tightened muscles that react to either muscle tears or excessive movement of joints from ligament damage.
• Up to 70% of those suffering from whiplash complain of headaches. These headaches, like the neck pain, are often the result of tightened, tensed muscles trying to keep the head stable and, like tension headaches, they are often felt behind the eyes. Headaches can also be the cause of a concussion from the brain literally slamming around inside the skull.

Shoulder pain and upper back pain may also be present and is often the result of referred pain from injured neck joints.

Muscle tears are often described as burning pain, prickling or tingling. More severe disc damage or facet joint injury may cause sharp pain with certain movements, with or without radiation into the arms, hand and fingers, which could be relieved by holding your hand over your head.

The list below is of the most common whiplash symptoms. If you experience any of these symptoms, play it safe and get a chiropractic check up.

Basic Whiplash Symptoms:

• Neck pain and/or stiffness
• Blurred vision
• Difficulty swallowing
• Irritability
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Pain between the shoulder blades
• Pain in the arms or legs, feet and hands
• Headache
• Low back pain and/or stiffness
• Shoulder pain
• Nausea
• Ringing in the ears
• Vertigo
• Numbness and tingling in the hands or feet
• Pain in the jaw or face

Dr. Betz co-authored a set of Whiplash guidelines that were recently accepted for inclusion at the National Guideline Clearinghouse. This guideline document was written by several well-respected authors on the topic of whiplash in the entire world. This document will prove to be a widely used guidelines in the profession of Chiropractic for the management of Whiplash Associated Disorders.

You can contact Dr. Betz by calling (208) 321-8484.

Non-surgical management of scoliosis is undoubtedly one of the most difficult conditions which we see at our clinic. Because this condition is so very difficult to manage, when treatment is successful, it is very rewarding. Dr. Betz has always been fascinated by the complexity of the scoliotic spine. He has taught at several CBP Scoliotic Deformities Seminars around the world where doctors work to improve their understanding of scoliosis in general, and develop their skills for effectively managing this disorder, in particular.

Management of scoliosis in both adolescents and adults has been something that we have emphasized when designing our clinic over the years. we have 10 different advanced traction systems that can be used to apply spinal traction for the patient with scoliosis.

WHY CBP CARE FOR SCOLIOSIS?

CBP spine care focuses on correcting structural scoliosis and other structural abnormalities of the spine through a combination of spinal adjustments, corrective scoliosis exercises and corrective scoliosis traction. We start by taking precise Xrays. Most doctors, including orthopedists and the X-ray technicians they have take their films, do not take into consideration the 3-dimensional nature of the scoliosis when positioning the patient for the X-ray. This results in inaccurate films that do not report valid measurements of the size of the scoliosis. Using knowledge from mechanical engineering principles about how a 3-D spine projects onto a 2-D X-ray film, we take the most produce the most precise images possible. Being “rushed” in and out of an overly busy imaging clinic at a hospital or orthopedic center is not in the best interest of the patient. Great caution must be taken to accurately visualize and measure the scoliosis…it is after all, the primary basis of all clinical decisions.

After initial films are taken, at Ideal Health we use state-of-the-art X-ray digitization software called PostureRay to most accurately measure abnormal alignment of the spine.

Next, using analysis unique to CBP doctors, “stress” films are taken to try to determine the most effective means of improving the scoliosis using CBP traction, exercises and spinal adjusting.

In Figure A in the patient standing in a comfortable, neutral posture. Figure B shows movemment 1 followed by movement 2, and Figure C shows movement 2 followed by movement 1. The order of the movements made the most improvement in Figure C, so this order is following when applying CBP exercises, adjustments and traction.

You can call our office today at (208) 321-8484 and schedule a consultation to see if CBP care is right for you. If you do not live in the Boise, Idaho area, you may be able to find a Certified CBP doctor near you by searching HERE.

Human posture has been an area of health concern throughout history. dating back to the time of Hippocrates, care of the human frame has been a focus. Many research papers have investigated the effects of abnormal posture on people. Despite these facts, there remains debate on the relationship between postural alignment, pain and general health.

Dont Let Postural Degneration Diminish Your Quality of Life

The cause-effect relationship between postural deformity-abnormality and health disorders has been the subject of numerous investigations and review articles and it has advocates on both sides of the debate.  However, recent high quality research studies have found interesting and significant differences between condition groups vs. control groups and significant correlations between abnormal posture alignment and a number of health disorders including:

• Abnormal middle and low back alignment and back and neck pain in children and adolescents;
• Hyper-kyphosis (round back) and health perceptions and function in adolescents;
• Hyper-kyphosis (round back) and rigid forward head posture and functional impairments in seniors;
• Hyper-kyphosis (round back) and early mortality (death) in seniors;
• Abnormal cervical spine postures in women with chronic pelvic pain;
• Abnormal forward head posture and neck pain, headaches, disability, range of motion, respiratory muscle function, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Doctors certified by Chiropractic Biophysics Seminars, Inc, have extensively studied the effects of poor posture on spinal degeneration, spinal pain and overall health. Through rigorous post-graduate level continuing educational seminars, the “Certified” CBP doctor has learned state-of-the-art techniques that have been shown to be effective at improving/correcting abnormal posture and abnormal spine alignment. Call our Boise office at 321-8484 today to find out if CBP care might be right for you. If you are outside of the Boise area, you can find a CBP Doctor near you by searching HERE.

While it seems cats and dogs can sleep in any position (although not usually together as in the picture above), it is very common for people with spinal problems and pain to have problems sleeping.  Some people also think that their old mattress is “causing” their low back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, etc.  This isn’t the case though. There are many people out there who sleep on old worn out, sagging mattresses that have no problem sleeping at all. You have to have a spinal problem present in the back or neck and the old mattress acts as an “aggravating” factor of the spinal problem.

One of the most common questions I get in my practice is whether getting a new mattress will “fix” their spinal problem. The answer is simply…”NO”.  It will not “fix” the problem. However, getting a new (good) mattress will eliminate that as one of the aggravating factors for your back. So it may feel as though it “fixed” the back problem. The truth is that it just stopped aggravating it.

But don’t take that the wrong way. A proper mattress is essential for maintaining good “posture” while sleeping. Most of us think of “posture” as how we stand. Posture should be considered regardless of the position we are in. If you are sitting, you would have good sitting posture, if you are lying down you should have good lying or sleeping posture. This is what I will teach you now… what is good “sleep posture” or what I refer to as sleep ergonomics?

People should only be sleeping on their sides or their back. Stomach sleeping is not good for you due to several reasons. Keeping with the topic at hand, there is no way to maintain normal posture when you are sleeping on your stomach. You are forced to turn your head to the side to breathe while lying on your stomach. This is not good for you. Stomach sleepers also tend to “extend” their backs by arching backwards somewhat. Mattresses also tend to “sag” under our heaviest body parts, such as our pelvis region. The head and feet will not sag as much, producing that extended position. This leads to low back pain. People with low back pain usually find that they cannot sleep on their stomachs due to this low back extension.

When lying on your back, to maintain normal posture you need to have your ear, shoulder, hip and ankle all line up in a straight line. Picture what a person with “good” posture looks like while standing from the side. This is what you should try look like while lying on your back. This generally means you need to use a smaller, flatter pillow when you lay on your back. Ideally you should have no pillow at all when on your back. This way your head isn’t being pushed forward into a forward shifted and abnormal position. If your mattress sags it will do so under the hips mostly leading to a “hammock” effect. A mattress needs to be quite supportive to keep the hips flat with the rest of the body. “Soft” mattresses, whether they are made of traditional innersprings and pillow top or it is a fancy foam mattress, will not hold up the hips in most adults as well as a more firm, supportive mattress. Ideally a mattress should be designed to “fit” a person’s body type. Such mattresses are available and Dr. Betz can point you in the right direction for what he has found to be the best option.

When lying on your side (the most common position for sleeping), you need to have a pillow that is sufficiently thick enough to support your head in a neutral position. If you pillow if too thin your head will flop down in a bent position, whereas if it is too think it will push your head into a tilted position the other direction. Either way, this will aggravate existing problems in the neck, shoulders and upper back. If your mattress is saggy under the hip region, it would be like lying in a hammock on your side creating pressure in your back. Pain will likely occur if you have an existing spinal problem.

If your mattress is older than 7 years, it likely needs replaced. In my experience, the spring systems in mattresses will wear out regardless of how expensive they are. Memory foam mattresses, while soft and cozy, will not adequately support the heavier body parts, leading to the sagging hammock effect. While a mattress will generally not “cause” a problem, it will aggravate existing spinal problems.

To have your spine checked today, call Dr. Betz at (208) 321-8484 or email at drjoe@liveidealhealth.com.