New Book Reveals Mystery Link Between Arthritis Pain And Diet....FREE Download!

        Message From Dr. Schaier

Greetings from all of us at planet Happy Back! First and foremost I would like to personally say thank you for choosing The Happy Back Center for your arthritis and lower back pain needs. Please feel free to download this fascinating new book that draws back the curtain to boldly reveal the relationship between arthritis pain and what's on your dinner plate! Like a calm in the tumultuous healthcare storm, our site prides itself in offering up a practical, common sense approach to understanding arthritis and lower back pain, while maintaining a relaxed, “down to earth” feel. So relax, kick off your worry shoes and make yourself at home…. you are among friends… welcome!

Dedicated To getting Your Happy Back,

Dr. Schaier

                                            Heed Our Creed!

          If normal movement causes pain...

                        you are inflamed!

    Our philosophy is simple…our message, extraordinary. Understanding inflammation (and it’s damaging effects) is core to our mission at The Happy Back Center. Since the majority of folks who come to us for arthritis and lower back pain are suffering form either acute or chronic inflammation we take an interest in educating our patients to this fact. By understanding how and why inflammation proliferates in the body our patients are better equipped to deal with this problem, and as a result, are frequently able to overcome their pain and suffering. Please, find a quiet place, poor yourself a cup of tea and empower yourself with knowledge, as you learn about The Happy Back BIG 3 rules for reducing pain and inflammation.

INTRODUCING...

A New Paradigm...A New Way Of Thinking About Arthritis & Lower Back Pain 

         WARNING: This Information May Challenge Everything You Thought You Knew About Arthritis And Lower Back Pain...Proceed With An Open Mind! 

          Happy Back BIG Rule #1:  

 Sugar Goes To Your Hips...And Knees, Shoulders , Back, Neck, Hands, Etc.

Go to any Barnes and Nobles book store and meander over to the section on diet and fitness.What becomes evident is that there are many different opinions and options on how and what one should eat. Most people associate healthy eating with weight loss and others have various health goals and objectives they wish to achieve (i.e. reducing blood pressure or blood sugar levels) through dieting.

  …Your Search Is Over!

What most people fail to understand is that the tendency towards slow healing back pain and chronic arthritis is often a bi-product of poor diet. It’s true! One of the reasons your back is always stiff (and not getting better) may be due to sugar and other assorted villains such as bread,cereal,oatmeal,milk,cheese, etc...the very foods we were told was good for us as kids.

 Not Another Fad Diet

Sounds crazy? Listen, when I was down for the count with chronic back pain (and not getting better) I stumbled across some fascinating information on pain and inflammation and how it relates to diet. This led me to endless hours of on line searches and investigation. What I learned was this; certain foods are pro-inflammatory and some are anti inflammatory. Some food groups tend to feed pain cycles and others help break relentless pain patterns.The more I learned, the more it just made sense. Then I did the hard part…I started strictly reducing what I was consuming.

 A New Way Of Thinking

I said good bye to spaghetti and garlic bread and hello to raisins and nuts.I substituted pineapple for pie and brocolli for French fries. Was it hard? Not only was it hard, it still is. But guess what? If you said my back pain went away you’re right. But not just my back pain…my chronic stiffness went away too! (Theses days I am able to rise from bed effortlessly without a trace of stiffness).I feel so strongly about eating properly to rid yourself of lower back pain and arthritis I make this statement…”Eating an anti-inflammatory diet may be the single most important thing you do to maintain not just a healthy spine (and joints), but essential for a quality life”.

 A New Way Of Living

So how do you eat to eliminate the inflammation of arthritis and back pain through diet? You’ve probably heard it a thousand times, increase your intake of fruits and vegetables and stop eating sugar. Is there more to it than that? Yes. It is important to eat small portions of protein (fish,chicken and beef) and eliminate grains and dairy products.

Note: If you would like a copy of the guidelines I used to rid myself of chronic inflammation email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and I’ll send you the link to find them… FREE.

 Not For The Masses

Want to know a secret? Sadly, I know most folks, (despite reading this), will continue to suffer with lower back pain and arthritis. I know because I talk with patients everyday about adopting an anti inflammatory diet and only a handful of them are actually willing to change their dietary behavior. Food is a strong psychological addiction and the discussion of food can be very emotional. But I am confident when I say eating an anti-inflammatory diet may just change your life and may be exactly what you need to do. Why not give it a try and see how it works for you!

 Happy Back Survival tip # 1

As I have mentioned, getting people to change their diet is often difficult. I believe the reason it’s so hard is that most folks take an all or nothing approach. How about trying the following; Try sticking to a strict anti-inflammatory diet Monday through Friday and give yourself the week-ends off. During the week avoid all processed foods, sugar, grains and dairy and then come the week-end, eat what you like. Doing it this way you will be eating well 74% of the time and will make great strides towards reducing the proliferation of inflammation in your body. My feeling is you will notice a vast improvement not only in your back pain but your overall health.

 Happy Back Survival Tip #2

Don’t binge eat on the week-ends. Yes, you can go off your diet on the week-ends but I don’t advise eating so much sugar, grains and processed foods you negate your progress.

So as is with everything, the key is moderation. (Note: you’ll be surprised how sensitive your body becomes to eating inflammatory foods once you’ve really cut back. Not only is binge eating not advisable, it also may make you to feel sluggish and bloated. It can also cause headaches and digestive complaints…so again, don’t binge.).  

 Happy Back Survival Tip # 3

There are many good books written about this subject and a whole lot of good, free information on the internet. Emerse yourself in this information. I believe you’ll find it’s easy to follow and easier than you think to implement. The nice thing about researching this information on your own is you can become very knowledgable, very fast.Also, it helps re-enforce your healthy eating habits when you study. Remember, knowledge is power!

Happy Back BIG rule # 2

Don’t Stress Me Man!

 The second rule of Our Philosophy for reducing lower back pain and arthritis suggests that stress is a common cause of inflammation. While to some this idea may seem foreign, others who have experienced a low back episode or flare up of arthritc pain following a stressful event know it to be true. Have you ever heard someone say “relax, you’ll have a heart attack!”? In the past we weren’t quite sure why stress would cause someone to have a heart attack but now there is enough evidence that substantiates the cause to be…you guessed it… inflammation…the same inflammation to blame for lower back and arthritis pain.

So how exactly does stress cause inflammation in the body? When an individual is under chronic or ongoing stress there is a tendency for the body to produce cortisol. What is cortisol? Cortisol is is a corticosteroid hormone produced by the adrenal gland.It is often referred to as the "stress hormone" as it is involved in response to stress. It increases blood pressure and blood sugar, and reduces immune responses.Cortisol influences inflammation therefore can predispose an individual to pain and disease. It is through this process that stress may (and often does) cause unwanted chronic inflammation to proliferate in the body

“But I’m not stressed!” the red faced, overweight, exhausted man shouted! 

     O.K…deep breath…shhhh…you see, most folks don’t realize they’re under stress. I’d like to introduce you to a concept called total load:

 Total load = the sum of all stressors on the body.

Imagine for a moment you’re at a family barbecue and in front of you is a delicious spread with all the fixins'. Excited, you grab a paper plate and pile on a couple of burgers,a hot dog, some corn, some beans, a little potato salad and what the heck, let’s throw in a pickle. Satisfied you have filled your plate sufficiently you're heading back to your seat when you pass grandma’s macaroni salad. Not sure how you will even fit it , you plop a spoonful on top and in one cohesive, gloppy, ball, your creation crashes to the ground. Common sense says your eyes were too big for your stomach and certainly too big for your plate. This is the same concept behind total load. Your body “gives out” (or should we say “cries out”) after it can no longer handle all that’s being demanded of it and ultimately breaks down. 

 What are some examples of stressors that add to total load? While the list is long, here are a few to ponder:

       1-Environment (city dwelling, toxic chemicals, carbon monoxide exposure, molds, allergens, etc.)

       2- Emotional (financial burdens, relationship troubles, family issues, work issues,etc.)

       3- physical (excessive standing, lifting or bending, not enough rest, difficulty sleeping, generalized fatigue, over stimulation, etc.)

          4- Chemical (cigarettes, alcohol, sugar, caffine, medicines, etc.)

These are just a few areas to consider when discussing total load. Please remember that stress (which predisposes many to inflammation) comes in many forms and is rarely from one single source.

         O.K. ...But How Do You Get Rid Of Stress?

   As you probably already know, getting rid of stress can be difficult if not (at times) impossible. However, in recognition comes half the cure. According to John Sarno,M.D. author of several books on the mind/body connection, believing your pain is stress related is key to winning the battle.Many times lifestyle change is the answer. Often counting our blessings or being thankful can help to decrease stress.Sometimes it requires talking with someone (friend, loved one, professional, clergy,etc.).In my own case, when I was suffering with lower back and arthric pain I literally sat down and identified my “ideal” life. I wrote down on a piece of paper what the perfect day would look like and since then I have been working towards that goal.

   Happy Back Tip # 4

Since controlling stress can be daunting and sometimes out of our hands it is of utmost important to control the things you can….like diet! Think about it. If stress raises cortisol (which creates inflammation which causes pain) then by eating properly you will help to lessen the influence stress has on your inflammation levels

 Happy Back BIG Rule #3

The Knee Bone’s Connected To Your Back Bone?

Well, not really...but sort of...let me explain. Just as the front end alignment on your automoblie can cause wear and tear on your tires, so it goes with your body. Any joint that is not is not in it's proper position can cause functional problems elsewhere.An example of this would be what may occur if the arches in your feet are not supported. When the arches in your feet drop (Commonly referred to as 'flat footed') your knees typically will turn inward. When your knees turn inward,many times rotational stress to your hips is the result. When your hips are rotated, this causes lower back problems leading to disc degeneration and so on. So, what started as fallen arches in the feet has turned into mechanical issues of the lower back and spine.

Mechanical Dysfunction= Pain (Inflammation)    

Small print.... You see, as a chiropractor, I highly recommend spinal adjustments when experiencing pain of the spine or skeleton because proper mobility and alignment is essential for reducing inflammation!  

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