As you probably know by now, Mankato’s city council has decreed that masks must be worn inside places of public accommodation.

As a healthcare facility and business that operates by appointment only, we are not considered a place of public accommodation and are exempt from the ordinance.  So how we handle masks will not change.

This has been such a contentious topic that I have honestly been very shy about addressing it directly.  I apologize for that.

Masks are optional for patients in our clinic and will continue to be.  The reason for this is that a lot of people cannot tolerate wearing masks due to health or mental health conditions.  We trust our patients to make the decision that is right for them.

Our appointments are short and we keep people spread out physically and time-wise on the schedule.  We have always run a tight ship and this has helped us during COVID.

Even during our peak busy times, you probably won’t think anybody else is in the clinic.  Your only clue will be the cars in the parking lot, some of which aren’t even our patients.

We are still sanitizing every surface after every patient interaction.  Hand sanitizer is available throughout the clinic.  The reception area has been cleared of all toys and magazines and most chairs.

It’s summer and it’s hot.  Dr. Shawn moves around a lot and is hot-blooded so our HVAC system is almost always on to circulate the air.

If you have a mask on we will have a mask on.  If you are vulnerable or live or work with someone vulnerable we will have a mask on.  We will do whatever makes you most comfortable and keeps you safe.

I hope that clarifies how we handle masks  If not or if you have further questions please reach out to me.  I have spent countless hours digging through the actual literature behind the headlines and recommendations.

Please above all, be kind to each other.  I see so many people assuming the worst about each other.  We need to come together and not assume the worst now more than ever.

Some patients have commented on the fullness of our parking lot and said it made them think twice about coming in because they didn’t want to come into a crowded reception area. Listen to Dr. Shawn explain what is happening.

We are pleased to announce that we are back to normal hours from May 12, 2020, going forward.

Here are some great tips on how to combat stress during these stressful times.

At Andrews Family Chiropractic the needs and safety of our patients, team members,and families has always come first.  That has not changed in the face of the COVID-19 (corona virus) outbreak.

We are taking several actions to maintain the health and safety of our patients, our team members, and our families.  In the office we have stepped up our already stringent cleaning and sanitizing routine to keep our tables and surfaces safe.  Hand sanitizer is readily available for your use as well.

We have also done away with sign in sheets and the signing of credit card reciepts.  They latter is was longer required by credit card processors as of a few months ago but we continuted to collect these signatures.  We will no longer do so.

We are also disconitnuing the availbilty of walk in appointments to better allow us to maintain social distancing inside the clinc.

If you are showing signs of respiratory infection, please reschedule your appointment.  You can see a list of symptoms of COVID-19  here.

I am also advising my patients, family, and team members to follow the same personal care routine that I am following to make sure I am as healthy as I can be to give me the best chance to fight off this and other infections.

This includes:

• Getting plenty of sleep.  Try to get 8 hours a night.
• Get regular exercise.  10 to 15 minutes a day is what I’m doing right now.
• Eat a healthy, well balanced diet and avoid sweets and refined carbs.
• Vitamin D and C supplementation.
• Regular chiropractic adjustments.
• Frequent Hand washing.
• Coughing into one’s elbow.
• Staying home if you are ill.
• Try not to worry and panic about this pandemic.  Worry and panic will only lower your immunity.

As things start to slowly open back up now is the time to get back in to see your chiropractor.  Rest assured we are doing as much as we can to keep everyone healhty.  You need chiropractic now more than ever.

Dr. Shawn

Headaches are something that people don’t realize chiropractic care can help with, and unfortunately, a lot of people just put up with the “normal” headaches. Let’s go over the three main types of headaches that people experience and how chiropractic can help with each one of those.

Tension Headaches

The first and most common type of headaches are tension headaches. A tension headache usually starts back in the back of the neck.  The pain can then follow the course of the suboccipital (SO) nerve (pictured below).  People may feel pain in the back of the head, along the entire course of the SO nerve, or at specific locations along the nerve course, or a mixture of all three.   With tension headaches, there is often neck pain and/or tightness.  This type of headache responds really, really well to chiropractic care.  My patients often remark that they wish they had taken action sooner to get relief because chiropractic care is so effective at giving them relief.

Migraine Headaches

The next type of headaches, which is also very common, are migraine headaches. Migraine headaches usually have a pulsatile or throbbing sensation to them, and they are usually one-sided.  We have lots of success with migraine headaches as well, but often these are trickier to get under control.  There are a lot of things that can trigger a migraine.

Food can be something that triggers migraines. Unfortunately one of the most universally loved foods can cause migraines for some people.  The nitrates that are added to bacon and ham can contribute to the incidence of migraines.

Hormonal changes and some medications can also contribute.  In our office, we always make sure to take a whole-person approach to patient care, especially when it comes to migraines.

Cluster Headaches

The third major type of headache is cluster headaches.  These headaches are rarer.  They respond very well to chiropractic care.

A cluster headache is a very severe type of headache.  Just look at how the pain was portrayed in the above drawing.  Some patients describe the pain as a sharp, searing rod of iron being stabbed through their head.  It is an intense pain that has caused some patients to contemplate suicide.

The pain is one-sided, right above and around the eye, and sometimes feels like the pain is shooting through the skull. On that same side, there will be a runny, watery eye and/or nose.

In my experience cluster headaches respond very, very well to chiropractic care. We don’t quite know what causes cluster headaches, but my theory is that it’s a tension headache gone wild, so to speak. So that’s why I think it responds very well to chiropractic care.

Conclusion

If you have headaches of any kind, we can help you.   We start with a thorough history and exam so we know exactly what we are dealing with.  We always look at the root causes of the headaches and promise to get you the best results as quickly as we can.

If you suffer from headaches, please give us a call at (507)-345-1926.

Bottom Line: The opioid epidemic has led many leading medical groups to emphasize the importance of conservative care for low back and neck pain. The world’s largest medical society, the American College of Physicians, updated its low back treatment guide in 2017 to support conservative options, such as Chiropractic care. The guidelines were published in the prestigious Annals of Internal Medicine and have been adopted by many leading healthcare organizations.

Why it Matters: Medical guidelines are now emphasizing the patients should only move to take Ibuprofen or muscle relaxants if other conservative options aren’t helping. New research has shown that medications such as acetaminophen are not very good at providing relief, and in many cases, aren’t even as effective as a placebo.

– The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality recommended spinal adjustments as the only safe, effective, and drugless initial treatment for back pain.

– A new article in the American Medical Association suggests Chiropractic as the preferred option for people with back pain. – SPINE found nearly 75% of patients had significant improvement in their back pain with chiropractic care, compared to only 17% who had medical care alone.

Next Steps: Now more than ever, medical doctors and Chiropractors are working together to help patients get well and stay well. For over 100 years, Chiropractors have been focused on providing effective, safe, and natural healthcare solutions. Due to the risks and dangers of surgery and medications, the medical community has finally begun to support options such as Chiropractic that take a patient-first approach to care.

Science Source(s): Adding Chiropractic Manipulative Therapy to Standard Medical Care for Patients with Acute Low Back Pain: The Results of a Pragmatic Randomized Comparative Effectiveness Study! SPINE Volume 38, Number 8: 627-634 @2013 Acute Low Back Problems in Adults. Clinical Practice Guideline No.14. AHCPR Publication No. 95-0642 Low Back Pain. JAMA. 2013; 309(16):1738