by Greenville Spine Institute | Sep 12, 2023 | Back Pain, Chiropractic Care, Health and Wellness, Pain Relief
Mom of four kids, Ashli, was taking care of her baby one morning, bent over, and heard something in her neck crack. She was in a lot of pain and remembered seeing something about a chiropractor in her church’s bulletin so thought, why not, I’ll call him.
That decision was the turning point in getting her body back to doing what it was supposed to do so she could enjoy life with children.
The Prognosis
Like all new patients, Ashli had an extensive intake with Dr. Lewis, which included x-rays and a consultation on the findings of the (painless) tests.
It turned out that Ashli had 7 subluxations (these cause inflammation) in her spine and her hips were completely misaligned, which made the rest of her body overcompensate for the imbalance.
“I wasn’t having a lot of pain because I had lived with it for so long and my body had compensated for the imbalances for years,” she said.
That had led to Ashli not being able to do a squat without falling over. Additionally, she has scoliosis, which had hindered her spine health for years. She knew most of this going in to see Dr. Lewis, except the information about the subluxations, but like many women, just had dealt with the pain and aches for years.
The Greenville Spine Institute Difference
The way that Dr. Lewis and his team at Greenville Spine handle new patients and the beginning of Chiropractic Care treatment made a world of difference to Ashli. She had been to another chiropractor in the Greenville area who had helped her with some pregnancy pain but did not have a long term plan in place for her to reach the goals she had.
“Dr Lewis’ treatment plan wasn’t just a snap-you-up-and-send-you-home kind of thing,” said Ashli.
Ashli majored in biology at Clemson University so her appreciation for Dr. Lewis’ extensive knowledge and explanation of the functions of the body and what he was planning to do was immensely helpful.
“What got me about Dr. Lewis was the way he explained things to me,” said Ashli. “I loved that he spoke in terms I understood, that he used scientific language to tell me what was going on in my body and was pragmatic. I also really liked the physical therapy part of the treatment – the exercises at home and the ice bed at the office.”
When it came to discussing treatment options, she appreciated Dr. Lewis’ individualized plan for her. She knew she would also have to put in the work and wasn’t afraid to do her part to make the plan a success.
The Results of Chiropractic Care a Year Later
In the course of only a few months, from August – November, Ashli went from 7 subluxations down to just 1. Today, it’s been a year since she first walked into Dr. Lewis’ office and her life has totally changed.
Ashli said she has so much more range of motion in her neck, back, shoulders, and hips. And one side effect she wasn’t expecting even happened.
“My clothes even fit better because my hips were rotated and one hip was higher than the other,” said Ashli. “The same thing was happening with my shoulders.”
Since her spine was aligned, the way she holds her head was also drastically different, as she stood straighter and put less pressure on her neck and shoulders.
But the biggest difference she has noticed is that now she’s able to play with her kids, to run around with them at the park, to go to the gym and get in a good workout and not fall over trying to do squats.
“I can do all the things I haven’t been able to do since college,” Ashli said. “Dr. Lewis has changed my life.”
Ready for your Chiropractic Care transformation story?
If you’re ready to take that next step in addressing long term back pain, healing your immediate aches and pains, or just maintaining your overall health, give us a call at Greenville Spine. We would be more than happy to sit down with you and discuss treatment options. Call us at (864) 631-1420 and let’s get you started on accomplishing all your health goals.
by Greenville Spine Institute | Aug 15, 2023 | Back Pain, Health and Wellness, Inflammation
“You are what you eat”. Have you heard that? It’s an oft-repeated cliche because it’s true. It is incredibly important when it comes to your overall health when working with a chiropractor because certain foods you eat can contribute to inflammation, which is detrimental to the healing process your body needs.
You can read more about how your diet affects your back in a previous post but here, we’ll be talking about foods and meals that can specifically lessen inflammation to ease back pain.
How your diet affects your back
Foods that fight inflammation will have a positive effect on how your back, neck, and shoulders feel. Subluxations (misalignment of the vertebrae) often cause inflammation, pain and swelling around the joint, loss of range of motion, and limited mobility. The muscles of the lower back and abdomen are meant to work together to keep your spine aligned and healthy. When they are strained by extra weight and/or are inflamed, aches and pains develop. This can last for a long time and get worse if not properly addressed.
At Greenville Spine, we work to reduce those subluxations through regular adjustments but patients can also work to reduce the pain they cause through their diets. It will be from your refrigerator, not your medicine cabinet, where relief comes from.
Top anti-inflammatory foods
Unprocessed foods are key to maintaining a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet. These are some of the foods that are excellent for keeping inflammation down:
- Fruits like strawberries, oranges, blueberries, and cherries
- Kale, collards, spinach and other green, leafy vegetables
- Whole grains like bran, oats, quinoa, barley
- Olive oil
- Nuts such as walnuts and almonds
- Tomatoes
- Fish like mackerel, tuna, sardines, and salmon
- Flaxseeds, pumpkin and sesame seeds
Eating an anti-inflammatory diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet, which focuses a lot on healthy fats, whole grains, fruits, and leafy greens.
To reduce inflammation, stay away from soda, sugar-sweetened drinks and foods, red meat, and fast food. These foods are the most unhelpful when trying to maintain a diet to ease back pain from inflammation.
Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plans
Sure, it’s a great idea to include anti-inflammatory foods into your diet, but making meal plans and sticking to them can be the tough part. Here are several ideas to help you to work efficiently with your chiropractor through your diet to improve function and reduce back pain. You will find below suggestions for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.
Breakfast
- Really Green Smoothie – this includes almond milk, a banana, avocado, kale, chia seeds, and honey.
- Steel Cut Oats with Berries & Kefir – this filling breakfast is high in fiber and tastes delicious.
- Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes – these gluten-free pancakes are delicious and you can even double the recipe and freeze half for another day.
- Scrambled Eggs with Tumeric – some studies1 have suggested that turmeric specifically aids in inflammation reduction so adding it to scrambled eggs really kicks up the anti-inflammatory properties of this breakfast dish.
Lunch
Snacks
- Walnuts
- Whole fruits like apples, pears, or peaches. Look for whatever is in season where you live as it will be the freshest.
- Dry-roasted almonds
Dinner
Start your journey to a healthier back
If you need help getting started on living a pain-free life and learning more about how your diet affects back pain, we are more than happy to help! The benefits of working with us at Greenville Spine are extensive due to the holistic and individualized treatment options. If you’ve been experiencing pain and don’t know where to turn, give us a call at Greenville Spine. We would be more than happy to sit down with you and discuss treatment options. Give us a call at (864) 631-1420 and let’s get you started on accomplishing all your health goals.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5664031/
by Greenville Spine Institute | Jul 12, 2023 | Back Pain
Tedra Coakley, 36, suffers from slight scoliosis in her back, but it wasn’t bothering her a lot and even though she experienced a significant amount of lower back pain, she didn’t seek any kind of extended treatment. Her story is one that many people will be able to relate to as she lived with regular back pain and eventually wanted to do something about it. It was through her treatment with Greenville Spine and Dr. Kevin Lewis that put her on the right track for her spine health and ultimately changed her outlook about taking care of her body with the right chiropractor.
Lower Back Pain
Tedra suffered from lower back pain for years and it eventually started to hinder her everyday life.
“Just standing up and walking around for an extended period of time, I’d have pain in my lower back,” Tedra recalls.
She ended up learning about the Greenville Spine Institute at a vendor event a few years ago and was impressed by what she learned so she made an appointment with Dr. Kevin Lewis for an initial consultation.
“Sometimes just sitting for too long would contribute to the pain. I wanted to see if anything else was going on,” she said.
Initial Consultation: “Cause for concern”
At the initial consultation appointment, Tedra had x-rays done, a multi-point exam, and sat with Dr. Lewis to discuss what was happening with her pain. After reviewing the x-rays, Dr. Lewis confirmed that Tedra had 18 subluxations and her L1 vertebrae (this is located in the mid-back) was functioning at 0%.
“Well, that was cause for concern,” she said.
Subluxations cause inflammation and pain in the body. The majority of patients at Greenville Spine often come into that initial appointment with multiple subluxations. Lower back pain is also a common complaint and after treatment, the vast majority of patients see significant improvement. Spoiler alert: that’s exactly what happened for Tedra.
Pursuing Treatment Options
Dr. Lewis put together a customized treatment plan to pinpoint adjustments for the subluxations and the L1 vertebrae. She went three times a week for four months straight and did the exercises at home that Dr. Lewis and his team suggested for her.
“Throughout those four months, every time I’d go I would feel better and better,” Tedra said.
Two weeks after she started treatment with Dr. Lewis, she started working in a job where she would be on her feet for hours at a time. At first, she said she experienced initial soreness because she wasn’t used to that type of work but then the pain subsided as treatment continued and she works pain-free now.
Results + Unexpected Benefits
After those initial four months of treatment with Dr. Lewis, she went from 18 subluxations down to three and her L1 was functioning at 100%. Her appointments now have been reduced to every other week.
While Tedra felt amazing, she came away with more than a healthy back. She’s learned that Dr. Lewis can do a lot more than just fix her initial concern of lower back pain. During her treatment, she had experienced a knee injury in her daily life and thought to bring it up during her regular chiropractor appointment.
“I wondered if Dr. Lewis could adjust my knee and sure enough, yeah, he could,” she said. “If I ever had any issues, whether it’s my knee or my back, and couldn’t wait till my next appointment, I just called to see if they have any openings and they could always fit me in.”
Tedra was already an advocate of massage therapy but now recommends adding chiropractic care into self-care routines.
“I’ve had a great experience with Dr. Lewis and I recommend everyone go to a chiropractor,” Tedra said. “If someone has neck pain or has a headache or any type of ache or pain, I always ask them if they are seeing a chiropractor. I tell everyone because it has been such a tremendous help for me. The benefits are amazing.”
And maybe the best benefit of all is that after two years of treatment, Tedra feels younger than her age.
“When I started going to Dr. Lewis, I was 34 years old but I felt like I was in my 40s. It’s not fun when your body feels broken all the time,” she said. “I’m 36 and I actually feel my age if not younger.”
Ready for your transformation story?
If you’re ready to take that next step in addressing long term back pain, healing your immediate aches and pains, or just maintaining your overall health, give us a call at Greenville Spine. We would be more than happy to sit down with you and discuss treatment options. Call us at (864) 631-1420 and let’s get you started on accomplishing all your health goals.
by Greenville Spine Institute | Jun 12, 2023 | Chiropractic Care
When Andrew and Nicole moved from the heat of city life in Arizona to the small town charm of Greenville in the summer of 2021, it wasn’t just the move they had to recover from. Nicole had just given birth to their third child and Andrew was passing a decade of working hunched over a computer.
This couple ended up under the care of Dr. Kevin Lewis and happier and healthier than they had ever been before. But how it happened – and why they are now living their best life – is all part of their pretty incredible journey.
Old Injuries + No Consistency
Both Andrew and Nicole saw a chiropractor when they lived in Arizona but not on a consistent basis. They went when something hurt, got in line to get adjusted and went home. Andrew has been seeing chiropractors since he was in high school and dislocated his knee but neither his wife nor himself were consistent in going to their chiropractor, who never addressed any long term goals or previous injuries.
“I came out [to Greenville] just hurting,” said Nicole. “I woke up every day in pain – my upper back, my lower back, shoulders. I was constantly holding my big baby and it was taking a toll on my body.”
Additionally, Nicole had a series of unaddressed old injuries from her time playing sports and riding horses as a teenager and young adult. None of those injuries were ever addressed and the pain only compounded once she started having children.
Both her and Andrew also had multiple fender benders while living in a big city in Arizona and Andrew had even gotten hit while on his bike. Add in long hours hunched over a computer and both of their bodies and spinal health were suffering.
Finding Dr. Lewis
Soon after the big move to Greenville, Nicole was six months postpartum and not feeling great. Something had to change. She started researching chiropractors and came across a video on social media that a girl made about the Gonstead chiropractic method. She didn’t know there were multiple chiropractic methods and this video piqued her interest in learning more about the Gonstead method, which takes a holistic and methodical approach to addressing spinal health.
She called that particular Gonstead chiropractor that was in this girl’s video to see if he had any recommendations for someone in Greenville as he was located a few hours away. It turns out he did! He recommended Dr. Lewis and Nicole immediately made an appointment for an initial consultation.
Nicole was x-rayed and then saw Dr. Lewis to go over the results of testing. She was shocked at just how much the years of wear and tear on her body had done to her spine. It was eye-opening and after Dr. Lewis went through treatment options, she chose to pursue care under the practice.
It wasn’t until a year later that Andrew got into Greenville Spine for his consultation. The reason? He saw how much Dr. Lewis had helped his wife and he knew he also had some serious issues to address.
“My posture was bad,” said Andrew. “I always slouched over working from home and I knew I could get better. I thought I should just go in and get x-rayed.”
So he did. The results were more than surprising.
“My back was operating at 20%,” he said.
He started treatment with Dr. Lewis in the fall of 2022 and by late winter, his back was operating at 80%. His adjustments were holding really well and he did his exercises that Dr. Lewis recommended and continued to workout.
Looking at the Long-Term Picture
It can certainly be shocking to see the damage done over the years to your body, as Nicole and Andrew saw firsthand. But it can also be overwhelming to learn about the treatment options. Fixing spinal issues cannot happen overnight or with just a few adjustments here and there.
“Dr. Lewis’ model is going to be very different from people who are used to going into a chiropractor when they are feeling uncomfortable,” said Nicole. “When we first saw the protocol, it was overwhelming but we had never addressed old injuries. Other chiropractic experiences have felt like band-aids on immediate concerns. I feel like, with Dr. Lewis, we are actually addressing our spine health and old injuries. There is a lot of peace.”
For Andrew, it was easier to see the long-term picture of taking care of issues now versus later on down the road when they were much, much worse.
“I think sometimes people see sticker shock because they are used to getting a band-aid or just handling issues when it comes up,” said Andrew. “What they don’t realize is that when they get to be older, they have to adjust everything they didn’t adjust earlier. It’s cheaper, easier, and less painful to do it now. Breaking it down to the cost of each adjustment, that number doesn’t look as daunting.”
Nicole has had fantastic results with Dr. Lewis. She says that she feels so much stronger, even now after her third baby than after her first.
“I can say this is the best I’ve ever felt as a mom,” she says.
Due to the success that Andrew and Nicole have had with Dr. Lewis, they’ve brought their three children in for treatment also. Two of them are just on maintenance programs and Dr. Lewis is working with the third child for ankle issues and recurrent ear infections.
Working with the Staff at Greenville Spine
Both Nicole and Andrew said that they love the staff at Greenville Spine and everyone has been so accommodating. As sometimes happens in the lives of busy families, people get unexpectedly hurt.
“Our youngest child one morning woke up with kind of a limp so we got her into Dr. Lewis and he was really great and got her in a couple times and we saw a huge improvement. He’s always been super accommodating,” said Nicole.
And Andrew was helping a friend move when he hurt his back. Even though Dr. Lewis had a packed schedule, he was able to get in twice that week and back to working out in no time.
“Dr. Lewis listens a lot to what you’re saying,” said Andrew. “His method pairs well with what I want my lifestyle to be.”
Ready for your transformation story?
If you’re ready to take that next step in fixing old injuries, healing your immediate aches and pains, or just maintaining your overall health, give us a call at Greenville Spine. We would be more than happy to sit down with you and discuss treatment options. Call us at (864) 631-1420 and let’s get you started on accomplishing all your health goals.
by Greenville Spine Institute | May 15, 2023 | Back Pain, Health and Wellness
Why are we talking about food on a chiropractor website? Not only because what you eat matters to your overall health but because it also matters a great deal when it comes specifically to pain management. Your diet can affect your back. The food you eat can cause back pain. There are certain foods that cause inflammation, which is a huge factor in chiropractic care and something that adjustments seek to lessen because inflammation often causes joint pain. There are also foods that fight inflammation.
Food Matters
“You are what you eat” – it’s a cliche because it’s true. What you put into your body matters a great deal. An unbalanced diet that mostly consists of foods high in fat and sugar and processed foods increases the risk of obesity, which puts an incredible strain on the spine and abdominal muscles. This diet can affect your back and other elements of your health. On the contrary, eating a diet of healthy foods can fight inflammation and reduce pain.
Eating a balanced diet is no easy task, especially in today’s busy world where fast food is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to eat on the go. But that fast food is often so processed that most nutritional value has been removed and all that’s left is nothing but junk. One estimate from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System states that 75% of Americans aren’t getting the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables. If you are feeling like you aren’t eating a balanced diet, you’re not alone.
How a Healthy Diet Affects Your Back
Foods that fight inflammation will have a positive effect on how your back, neck, and shoulders feel. Subluxations (misalignment of the vertebrae) often cause inflammation, pain and swelling around the joint, loss of range of motion, and limited mobility. The muscles of the lower back and abdomen are meant to work together to keep your spine aligned and healthy. When they are strained by extra weight and/or are inflamed, aches and pains develop. This can last for a long time and get worse if not properly addressed.
At Greenville Spine, we work to reduce those subluxations through regular adjustments but patients can also work to reduce the pain they cause through their diets.
Eating unprocessed foods with no added sugar is believed to help reduce inflammation. There are also “anti-inflammation” diets to follow if you want to dive more deeply into this kind of healthy, balanced eating. But the basic rule is to stay away from processed foods and instead eat more of these:
- Fruits like strawberries, oranges, blueberries, and cherries
- Kale, collards, spinach and other green, leafy vegetables
- Whole grains like bran, oats, quinoa, barley
- Olive oil
- Nuts such as walnuts and almonds
- Tomatoes
- Fish like mackerel, tuna, sardines, and salmon
- Flaxseeds, pumpkin and sesame seeds
Foods That Cause Inflammation
Saving your back doesn’t come from a pharmacy but rather from your fridge. Harming your back comes from a kitchen also – usually a fast food one – and the snack and freezer aisles at the grocery store.
Foods that cause inflammation, increase your risk of obesity, and strain your strain and joints are things like:
- Potatoes – french fries, chips, any kind of baked or fried potatoes
- Soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks
- Sugar-sweetened fruit juices
- Processed meats like bacon, salami, ham, and sausage
- Red meat like pork, lamb, or beef
- White bread, white rice, white pasta
- Sweets
- Fast food
It’s not necessarily bad to eat these once in a while but they are a main part of your diet, they could very well be causing inflammation in pain in your back.
Holistic Diets
The chiropractic practice is generally one that looks at the whole person and comes to conclusions about how best to treat an individual based on their entire lifestyle and personal challenges. At Greenville Spine, we look at each of our patients individually, what they like to do, how they exercise and enjoy leisure, what their work backgrounds are like, what their normal diet consists of, and what their particular challenges and obstacles are.
Through evaluating patients individually and as a whole person, we are able to manage their treatment to accomplish their goals as individuals. All of our treatments are holistic: we don’t use any drugs and if we do recommend supplements, they are natural.
The same holistic concept can be applied to diets as well. A well-rounded diet that focuses more on foods that reduce inflammation can positively affect all aspects of a patient: their sleep, their pain, their alertness, their endurance. Everything in the body works best when obstacles – like subluxations – are removed and the body can effectively work as it’s supposed to.
Changing Habits
Changing any kind of bad habit can be very difficult but in the end, if you’re able to run around with your kids or grandkids, get back to your job, sleep better at night, and wean off expensive medications through utilizing both a healthy eating plan and regular chiropractic care, that is life-changing.
Living a Pain-Free Life
If you need help getting started on living a pain-free life and learning more about how your diet affects back pain, we are more than happy to help! The benefits of working with us at Greenville Spine are extensive due to the holistic and individualized treatment options. If you’ve been experiencing pain and don’t know where to turn, give us a call at Greenville Spine. We would be more than happy to sit down with you and discuss treatment options. Give us a call at (864) 631-1420 and let’s get you started on accomplishing all your health goals.
