We are proud to be a Toys for Tots drop point. Consider sharing some blessings with those children who are less fortunate this Christmas.

The goal of the Toys For Tots Foundation is to help the less fortunate children around the United States experience the joy of Christmas. As members of the community lets help make this goal a reality! If you would like to help, please bring new, unwrapped toys between November 1 thru December 15 to the collection box located in our Fort Myers office. If you have any questions about this project, our number is 239-590-9555

Fort Myers Office 239-590-9555

LaBelle Office 863-675-8900

Who is at risk for breast cancer?

Everyone, man or woman, is at risk for breast cancer. The two most important risk factors are getting older and being female. Most women that have been diagnosed with breast cancer have no other known factors.

What can I do to reduce my risk of getting breast cancer?

There is no known way to avoid breast cancer. But, you can do many things that may improve your overall health. Maintain a healthy weight. Exercise and eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

My mother had breast cancer a few years ago. Does that mean that I will get breast cancer too?

Doctors and scientists don’t know what causes breast cancer. But, most women who get breast cancer have no family history of the disease. If someone in your family has had breast cancer or you are concerned about your risk, talk to your doctor. Learn about your choices and ask when to start getting mammograms.

I am currently taking birth control pills. Do birth control pills increase my chance of developing breast cancer?

If you are currently taking birth control pills, your breast cancer risk is slightly increased. The increased risk from using birth control pills becomes less after you have stopped using them. After about 10 years your risk returns to normal.

Does drinking alcohol increase my chance of breast cancer?

Studies have shown that drinking alcohol can increase your risk for breast cancer.

My breasts feel lumpy and tender at certain times of the month. Does this increase my chance for breast cancer?

Breast lumpiness with tenderness or pain at certain times of the month is called fibrocystic breast changes. These breast changes are common, especially before your period, and do not increase your chance of getting breast cancer. Get to know the way your breasts look and feel. Learn what is normal for you. If you notice any change, see your doctor right away.

For more information or if you have other questions about your breast health or breast cancer, please call our breast care helpline (1-877-465-6636) or visit komen.org.

Health Benefits of Massage

Dr. Rob Watkins is proud to offer massage therapy in Fort Myers at his chiropractic office. He is finding success in massage treatment with his patients. If you’ve never tried massage, learn about the possible health benefits and what to expect during a massage therapy session.

Massage is a therapeutic process that involves the application of various pressure levels to your muscles, skin, tendons and ligaments. Dr. Watkins’ massage therapists typically use their hands and fingers for massage but may also use their forearms and elbows. This treatment ranges from light stroking to deep pressure techniques.

Massage can be helpful for: Stress relief, pain, stiffness, managing anxiety, depression, infant growth, sports related injuries, auto accident injuries, boosting the immune system and many other physical ailments.

Massage is a preventative and frequent therapy that is used not simply as a mere luxury. Physiological and psychological changes often are a result, and when utilized in conjunction with a chiropractor, can have a multiplier effect.

Call Today and Schedule Your Relaxing Massage

A Fort Myers Chiropractor- Dr Rob Watkins

239-590-9555

Do we have an addiction to cell phones? Does this impact our body? Chiropractors are treating more patients with major problems associated with increased use of cell phones. Stemming from neck problems to carpal tunnel issues.

Recently, chiropractors in Ft. Myers and nationwide, have noticed more teenagers complaining of “text neck”. Teens are looking down to text in a slumping position. This prolonged neck position puts a serious kink in their neck. Not to mention how pinning the phone between the neck and shoulder can really put a hurting on you. I had a teen aged patient tell me the other day that she texts 4000 to 5000 messages per month. She can even carry on a conversation with her mom and reply to a message without even glancing at her key pad. Another patient complaining of wrist and thumb pain begged me for medical advice. I told them, simple, start walking a mile or two per day. They asked how walking was going to help their wrist and thumb condition? Simple, if they are walking, they are not sitting idle, playing with their Game Boy or texting.

In addition backpacks weighing more than 15% of the student’s body weight puts added stress on the neck and back. The weight of a student’s back pack is staggering! Literally, staggering!

Proactive and necessary solutions for “text neck” include: standing straight up while texting, reducing the weight in a backpack to less than 15% of the students body weight and having regular checkups with your chiropractor. This allows the chiropractor to help assist the student in correcting poor posture and promoting good spinal alignment and balanced muscles and nervous system for optimal health.

Dr. Rob – A Fort Myers Chiropractor

239-590-9555

We are proud to offer:

• Chiropractic
• Massage
• Physical Therapy
  • Ultrasound
  • Electrical Stimulation
  • Cryo and Heat Therapy
• Rehabilitation
• Decompression
• Nutritional Products
• Back Supports
• Other Health Supplies

We are on many health insurance plans:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield Provider
• Aetna Provider
• Health Options Provider
• Medicare Provider
• Medicaid Provider
• Auto Accidents – All Plans – Allstate State Farm USAA Geico…
• Workman’s Compensation Cases
• School Physicals
• DOT Physicals
• Sports Physicals

Call 574-3533 for an appointment or more info.

Or our main Fort Myers Chiropractic number 239-590-9555

After 12 weeks after initiating care, those receiving the additional manipulative therapy had better outcomes related to shoulder pain, neck pain. At 26 weeks, those receiving the additional manipulative therapy had statistically superior outcomes in shoulder pain, shoulder mobility and mobility of the neck. 

If you’re suffering from extra-spinal problems such as problems with the legs, hips or arms, contact a chiropractic physician to see if safe, natural and effective chiropractic care might be the solution for you!

www.DrRobWatkins.com ]]> http://fortmyerschiropractor.com/chiropractic-adjustments-help-shoulder-injuries/feed 0 http://fortmyerschiropractor.com/chiropractic-is-the-buzz-in-the-colt%e2%80%99s-locker-room-dwight-freeney http://fortmyerschiropractor.com/chiropractic-is-the-buzz-in-the-colt%e2%80%99s-locker-room-dwight-freeney#comments Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:41:26 +0000 Dr Rob http://fortmyerschiropractor.com/?p=193 Information circulating before Super Bowl XLIV was that Indiana Colts Dwight Freeney was using chiropractic care to recover from his ankle injury. He had been seen recently in an ankle boot then soon thereafter walking bare foot on the beach.  The scoop is that he was actually treating with a Chiropractic Physician, Dr. Leon Mellman who was treating his ankle for proper bone alignment and assessing his spine for unwanted side effects from limping on the bad ankle.

Keeping good motion in the ankle joint is a great approach to insure proper healing and function. Keep in mind that the sooner you seek chiropractic care for a sprained ankle or spine… the sooner you will heal and restore proper function. Many problems occur when scar tissue or adhesions develop in the injured tissues that restrict proper function. Use ice, not heat, to reduce swelling and inflammation in the affected area. Apply it multiple times per day for 20 minutes at a time.

A chiropractic physician is the right choice for musculoskeletal injuries like back pain, accident injuries and sports injuries, due to the fact that their medical education exceeds that of other physicians in the area of anatomy and physiology. A chiropractor can diagnose, take x-rays or order MRI studies to successfully treat your injury.

Dr Rob Watkins

Fort Myers/Estero 590-9555

LaBelle 675-8900

Proper office ergonomics can make all the difference in the way you feel at the end of the work day. Reducing little bits of repeated stress from your day equals less stress overall by the end of the day.

The American Chiropractic Association published the following article that gives some great tips on how to reduce stress at work.

By Chris Sorrells

Nearly anyone who has used a computer has experienced discomfort in the neck at some point. The most common cause is overuse of the neck musculature to hold the head up, instead of letting the spine do the job. This occurs when the worker juts the head forward while viewing the screen. People are rarely conscious they are doing this. When a screen is too far away for the eyes to see properly, our heads move closer to the screen to fix the problem. Unfortunately, this creates other problems such as neck strain.

Adjusting the Monitor
In general the screen should be about an arm’s length away; it can be moved within a six-inch range, either way, depending on the worker’s vision. Monitors should always be placed where the user can look straight at them. Constantly looking off to one side to view the screen creates static load in the neck musculature, as well as muscle imbalances that can add up to significant injury. Adjustable monitor arms allow the screen to be placed in front of the worker and then slid out of the way for other tasks.

For users without glasses or for those who use single-vision lenses, the top of the glass screen should be at eye height. This position will let the eyes gaze down on the screen at the preferred angle. Workers who have bifocals will often tilt the head up to view the screen through the lower part of the lenses. The best solution is to discuss single-vision computer glasses with an optometrist. Otherwise, workers should lower the screen a few inches, so they can view the monitor with the head in a straight forward position, without the chin pointing up or down.

Positioning the Chair
A properly adjusted office chair is the most important tool that allows an office worker to work efficiently and safely. If there is insufficient lumbar support, patients can compensate with a back support, rolled towel or small pillow. If the seat is too deep—keeping the workers from being supported—they can use a back support or full-length pillow to take up the extra room.

In addition, educate your patients about how to adjust their chairs:

• Lower the chair until feet are well supported on the ground.  If they are not firmly planted, use a footrest to provide support.
• Adjust the seat depth so there is one-to-three-fingers’ space between the front of the chair and the back of the knee.
• The seat angle and the backrest should allow for approximately a 105-degree angle between the torso and thighs. Sitting too upright increases the pressure in the lumbar intervertebral discs. Leaning too far back will cause the neck to compensate, putting it at risk.
• Adjust the armrests so they are one inch below the forearms. If the patient has any neck issues, bring the armrests up to provide support, without reaching down or up to use them.

Choosing a Keyboard
Design
Most keyboards have a standard design copied from typewriters with a number pad thrown on the right side for increased efficiency. Users typically plop down in front of the computer and center themselves between the side of the keyboard on the left and the mouse on the right.  Now the right arm is externally rotated and reaching to use the mouse and then reaching across the mid-line of the body to type, so it is never in a good position.

The best solutions are to move the mouse to the left or use a keyboard that has the number pad on the left side.  Workers can then center themselves by lining the bellybutton up with the “B” key.

Angle
Due to the variability of people’s shoulder widths and forearm lengths, many workers cannot use a standard keyboard without sustained ulnar deviation at the wrists. This causes static use and overload of the forearm muscles. A keyboard that allows angle and pitch adjustments is the solution to this problem.

Reach
Reaching to use a keyboard that is too high forces the upper traps to fire continuously, creating tension, fatigue and pain. A keyboard tray is the most helpful of the ergonomic tools, as it can fix problems ranging from excessive reach for the keyboard and mouse to improper wrist angles when typing.  Since the proper writing height is several inches higher than the proper typing height, the tray will allow both functions to be performed safely.

Rest Breaks and Task Rotation
To work properly over time, muscles need a break to rid themselves of lactic acid and waste products while delivering oxygen to the tissues to prevent overuse and damage.

Teach patients to take a 15-second micro-break each hour. This is an easy solution for employers to accept, which helps gain compliance. During the micro-breaks, the office workers should shake their arms out or do simple stretches you can provide for them. Computer users should also frequently look away from their screen to focus on something about 20 feet away. This allows a break for the eye muscles. If they can’t seem to remember to take breaks, an egg timer can serve as a reminder. A software program such as RSI Guard can also help workers tailor breaks to the amount of work.

People are always concerned about how it will look if they seem to be taking too many breaks or are unproductive. By spreading tasks, like going to the fax and copier, returning phone calls and meeting with co-workers throughout the day, they can still be productive while giving their body a break from the computer.

Starting with these simple adjustments, your patients who work in an office should feel happier and healthier at their jobs in no time.

Chris Sorrells is the president of www.ErgonomicsSimplified.com, a free online resource for health professionals. He can be reached at Chris@ErgonomicsSimplified.com.

Dr Rob

Fort Myers / Estero – 590-9555

LaBelle – 675-8900

Exciting news about chiropractic that has been known for years but has not always been heard by medical ears…

Esteemed authors Niteesh Choudhry, MD, PhD, Harvard Medical School and Arnold Milstein, MD, Mercer Health and Benefits, San Francisco, CA, developed this authoritative report which reviews the existing peer reviewed literature and arrives at the following conclusions:

* Chiropractic care is widely used with almost half of all patients with persistent back pain seeking out this form of treatment.
* “Chiropractic care for the treatment for low back and neck pain is highly cost effective, represents a good value in comparison to medical physician care and to widely accepted cost effectiveness thresholds.”
* “The addition of chiropractic coverage for the treatment of low back and neck pain…will likely increase value-for-dollar by improving clinical outcomes…”
* “We project that insurance coverage for chiropractic physician care…is likely to drive improved cost effectiveness of US care.”
* “Our findings support the value of health insurance coverage of chiropractic care for low back and neck pain at average fees currently payable by US commercial insurers.”

About the Authors:

Niteesh Choudhry, MD, PhD: Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and Associate Physician in the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics and the Hospitalist Program at Brigham and Women?s Hospital.

Arnold Milstein, M.D, MPH: Medical Director of the Pacific Business Group on Health(PBGH),the largest employer health care purchasing coalition in the US.. He is also Chief Physician at Mercer Health and Benefits, San Francisco, California.

Dr. Rob

Fort Myers 590-9555

LaBelle 675-8900