Help Heal Your Body from the Inside Out

By Guest contributor Tyler Hamel, DC

Edited by Mila McManus, MD

Chiropractors evaluate the spine and nervous system to determine whether issues with these are affecting your health condition. Your neck pain, back pain, sciatica, or migraine headaches may be caused by spine/nerve irritation and, if that’s the case, chiropractic treatment can help.

What is a chiropractic adjustment?

Oftentimes postural stress causes wear and tear on the spinal joints in your neck, mid-back and low back. These joints become compressed which causes irritation, pain and muscle spasm. In the simplest explanation, here is what the chiropractic adjustment does:

Decompresses the spine
Realigns the spine
Takes pressure off of nerves
Restores proper function

Why be open to chiropractic treatment?

It’s very safe and more effective at treating neck and back pain than any other treatment out there, including, e.g., muscle relaxers, pain pills, or surgery.
Chiropractic helps the body heal from the inside out naturally by restoring proper alignment and nerve flow.
It’s affordable. Chiropractic adjustments are a fraction of the cost of long-term use of pain medicine, ongoing cortisone shots, and surgeries.
Everyone can be helped with chiropractic care. Our youngest patient was 7 weeks old, and our most senior patient 99 years old.
You don’t need a referral from a doctor.
We accept insurance, but keep in mind that sometimes insurance co-pays cost more than our cash prices.

Which Chiropractic technique is best for you?

Manual adjusting- you will hear pops and cracks when we release pressure from the spine during a chiropractic adjustment. This is very safe.
Instrument adjusting- we use vibrating adjustment tools that accomplish the same result as manual adjusting.

Why do we offer both?

Some patients do not want their neck or back “popped”, whereas others love the feeling of a manual adjustment.
Depending on the age of the patient, it may be easier and safer to use instrument adjusting. For example, if a patient has osteoporosis, or recently had surgery, instrument adjusting may be preferred.
Having more than one adjusting technique makes it easy for anyone to come and experience the benefits of chiropractic care.

Dr. Hamel cares for patients part time at our TWIHW facility, and part time at his Kingwood office.

By Mila McManus MD|2019-03-21T20:49:59-06:00February 26th, 2019|Articles, General|

“Yippy Skippy Hooray!”

Yippy Skippy Hooray!

This patient had been on our protocols for only a few weeks when we received this email:

“Today is the first day in 1 and a 1/2 years that I have NOT HAD A MIGRAINE! Yippy Skippy Hooray!!! Thank You!”

-L. T.

By Mila McManus MD|2019-07-01T13:42:00-06:00February 21st, 2019|General, Testimonials|

The Doc’s Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

The Doc’s Shaved Brussels Sprouts* Salad

Edited from Chowhound.com

Serves 2

For the salad:

½ bag shaved Brussels sprouts

2 to 3 hearts of palm, sliced

⅓ cup pine nuts

For the dressing: (enough for 2-3 uses)

¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

¾ cup olive oil

½ to 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

½ to 1 shallot, finely chopped or minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Combine the shaved Brussels Sprouts, hearts of palm and pine nuts in a large salad bowl.
2. Combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl or bottle and stir or shake.
3. Pour desired amount of dressing on the salad and toss well. Serve
4. Save the remaining dressing in the refrigerator.

*These little green mini cabbage like balls are named after the city of Brussels in Belgium. Most people call them Brussel Sprouts, but the correct name has the “s” on the end.

By Mila McManus MD|2019-03-04T06:34:11-06:00February 20th, 2019|Articles, General, Recipes|

The Sugar that Never Satisfies

By Nancy Mehlert, MS

You most likely have heard about high fructose corn sugar (a.k.a. HFCS) which is the most processed form of fructose, a simple sugar, and the most damaging to your health. Manufacturers make HFCS with corn starch and add it to many processed foods such as fast foods, soda, ice creams and condiments like ketchup and pickle relish. On labels it may be called high fructose corn sugar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup or fructose.

This is one of the most harmful substances for human health and we encourage you to audit your pantry, refrigerator and grocery cart to ensure you and your family are not consuming it.

Here’s why:

Many scientists are suggesting that this processed fructose is a contributing factor to the obesity epidemic.
Processed fructose feeds pathogenic gut bacteria and disrupts a healthy microbial balance.
Fructose does not stimulate insulin production in the blood stream like other sugars, such as glucose, but goes directly to the liver for handling. As a result, leptin, an appetite suppressing hormone is never released to inform you that you are full. As a result, you remain hungry, craving and unsatisfied.
The output of fructose being processed in the liver is uric acid, known to be a contributor to gout and heart disease.

Step by step, be well and stay well by choosing well.

By Mila McManus MD|2019-03-04T06:30:29-06:00February 20th, 2019|General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Regenerative Orthopedic Options

By Shaun Lehmann, MD
Edited by Mila McManus MD

The body is designed to heal itself. As we age, our bodies start to lose the ability to focus a sustained healing response to musculoskeletal injuries. Injuries can occur from multiple sources including trauma, repetitive stresses, or medications. The body’s healing response can also be diminished due to nutritional deficiencies, hormone deficiencies, and genetic conditions.
The field of Orthopedic Medicine is rapidly changing to now include many regenerative options aimed at improving our ability to heal. We are now learning that some of the traditional ways that we have been treating musculoskeletal pain and injuries may actually be causing problems by negatively affecting the body’s ability to heal itself. Steroid injections, for example, are now showing in research to decrease the local stem cell counts and could actually damage cartilage. NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) also have been shown to accelerate cartilage loss.
Regenerative medicine aims to accelerate our natural ability to heal after injury occurs. The goal of regenerative therapy is to optimize the cellular environment by stimulating growth factors and repair cells.

Some of these treatments include:
Point of Care Therapies (same day procedures)

Nutritional Growth Factor Stimulation

Prolotherapy
Ozone Therapy

Personal Cell Therapy (Autologous)

Platelet Rich Plasma (aka PRP)
Bone Marrow Aspirate
Fat derived Mesenchymal cells – or VSF “vascular stromal fraction:”

Donation cellular therapy (Allogeneic)

Umbilical Allograft Cells
Amniotic growth factors
Placental growth factors

Cultured Cellular Therapies (not a same day procedure… takes weeks to grow)

Nutritional stimulation treatments such as Prolotherapy and Ozone therapy aim to focus the body’s healing energies on the location that needs repaired. They aim to wake up the body’s local healing mechanisms by refocusing and restarting the healing process. These treatments can work well as long as the body is healthy, and the repair mechanisms are in working order.

Personal cellular therapies do the same as above; however, they also bring extra cellular workers to the job site. These treatments are usually deemed stronger than Prolotherapy and Ozone and are deemed relatively safe since the workers are your own cells.

Donation cellular therapies are from a donor person, are more potent than Personal cellular therapies, and are tested for safety (e.g., viruses such as HIV, hepatitis); however, the tissues are not tested for every potential infectious disease, so there may be some theoretical risk.

Cultured Cellular Therapies are not legal to use in the U.S. at this time, but it is legal to process and store these stem cells in the United States. One has to travel to another country to have the stem cells injected or infused. Cultured stem cells can be either Personal (autologous) or Donated (allogeneic).

There is a large body of research done on the efficacy of Prolotherapy and Platelet Rich Plasma, but more is still needed. Stem cells show so much promise that they are said to be “the future of medicine”.

By Mila McManus MD|2019-02-22T08:55:43-06:00January 30th, 2019|Articles, General|

“Superb attention to my progress!”

Superb attention to my progress!

“I was referred here [TWIHW] by a friend. I was looking for the right place to assist me with improving my health and to lose some weight. This was exactly what I needed. Excellent staff! Superb attention to my progress!”

-Tony L.

By Mila McManus MD|2019-02-20T12:06:15-06:00January 17th, 2019|General, Testimonials|

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

From Affordable Paleo Cooking with your Instant Pot, by Jennifer Robins, ©2018

Makes 6 Servings

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

6 cups (1.4 L) chicken broth

1 lb (450 g) chicken breast

12 ounces (340 g) fresh or high quality store bought salsa

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup chopped carrots

1 onion, chopped

Fresh Cilantro (optional)

Sliced Avocado (optional)

Directions:

1. Place all of the ingredients except the cilantro and sliced avocado into the stainless steel bowl of your Instant Pot and secure the lid. Close the pressure valve, press the Manual/Pressure Cook button and adjust the cook time to 15 minutes using your +/- buttons.
2. Allow the cooking cycle to complete and then quick release the pressure valve and remove the lid once safe to do so. Use two forks to shred the chicken.
3. Serve topped with fresh cilantro and sliced avocado if desired.

Compliant with HRP diet (TWIHW), Keto, Low Carb, Paleo and just plain yummy simple!

By Mila McManus MD|2022-10-10T21:54:51-06:00January 17th, 2019|Articles, General, Recipes|

Glass Straws

Who needs one? Everyone who uses plastic straws!

What the heck – REALLY?? Yes, here’s why:

Drinking daily from a plastic straw is daily exposure to toxic plastics on your lips and in your mouth, two very permeable surfaces giving entrance to the rest of your body. The more you use the same straw, wash it, drink different kinds of beverages through it, the more micro-particles of plastic are released as it ages.
Plastic straws are also in the top 10 items found each year as marine debris. During beach cleanups over the last 25 years it is estimated that over 6 million straws and stirrers have been picked up.
It has been said that by the year 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.
Less plastic in our lives means healthier lives and a healthier world.

What’s so great about Glass Straws?

The manufacturer offers a lifetime guarantee. (see manufacturer’s website)
Made from extremely durable glass
Each straw comes with a cleaning brush
Protective carrying case available made from upcycled and/or organic fabrics
Dishwasher safe
Reusable and ecofriendly
Choose from a wide selection of diameters suitable for everything from water to smoothie’s
Choose a plain straw or one with artistic designs for personal expression.
Makes a fun and unique gift item! Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Birthdays, and much more.
Handcrafted with LOVE in the Pacific Northwest (not China!)

Come by and take a look at our selection. Buy one for yourself and another one for a friend. If you purchase a straw, receive 30% off a Glass Straw Sleeve.

By Mila McManus MD|2019-01-17T13:51:27-06:00January 17th, 2019|General|

A Simple Thing, Profound Effects

Nutrition Nugget By Nancy Mehlert, MS

I wanted to remind you about a simple thing with profound effects: harmful oils in our food. In my opinion, it is one of our “big rocks” for reducing inflammation, preventing disease and improving health. Yet you may be surprised how easily they can sneak back into your pantry, cabinets and refrigerator. Strictly avoiding these has huge health benefits and can dramatically improve your lipid profile and reduce many factors for disease. Watch out especially for salad dressings, hummus, mayonnaise, chips and snacks, restaurant food and fast food. Even brands that seem otherwise cleaner or healthier can have these harmful oils. If you see the words expeller pressed in front of the oil, it is slightly less refined.

Here’s why: These oils are highly processed and damaged. Your body has no good use for them. They interfere, obstruct and cause damage. They are often stored as garbage in your fat cells. They are well documented to cause inflammation, oxidative stress, elevation of LDL cholesterol levels, harm to endothelial cells lining your blood vessels, damage to gut bacteria, DNA damage and have glyphosate residues in them which harm your gut lining and increase permeability. [i] You can see why we recommend total avoidance if at all possible.

Here are the oils to avoid:

Soybean oil
Sunflower oil
Safflower oil
Canola oil
Corn oil
Cottonseed oil
Hydrogenated oil
Refined Palm oil

Healthy oils are unrefined or gently refined without harmful chemicals such as hexane. Better choices are olive oil, avocado oil, butter, ghee, beef tallow, duck fat, cocoa butter, macadamia nut oil, coconut oil, almond oil, unrefined palm oil and palm kernel oil. Check out salad dressings and oils made by Primal Kitchen, Spectrum Brands and Chosen Foods as good examples of better choices. Your body knows how to make good use of undamaged, natural oils. There have been controversies and issues in the olive oil industry over the last decade, so our current recommendations are to stick with high quality olive oil made in the United States, Australia or Chile. Cobram Estate and Bragg olive oil are other reputable resources. Mediterranean olive oils have been found to be contaminated and blended with many of the damaged oils listed above.

Coconut Oil and Olive Oil Article

Audit your kitchen and take a simple step with profound effects for the entire family.

[i] https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/07/replace-dangerous-oils-with-healthy-fats.aspx?utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=mail&ut…

By Mila McManus MD|2019-01-17T13:35:31-06:00January 17th, 2019|General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

“Do Yourself A Favor”

Do Yourself A Favor

“I have been a patient at TWIHW for several months now. I love that Dr. McManus treats each patient as an individual – there’s no cookie cutter formula or one-size fits all solution used in her practice. Instead, she’s committed to finding answers to my very complicated, very individual, and very long-standing health issues. Most of the doctors I’ve seen get frustrated and throw their hands up, not knowing what to do next. But, I know Dr. McManus has a variety of ideas about my treatment that we’re trying in a systematic and thoughtful way. After each visit, I get a written summary from Dr. McManus about what we discussed, as well as next steps. I’ve never experienced this level of communication with a health care professional. The staff at TWIHW are top notch as well – incredibly friendly and personable while being professional and compassionate. Tami, Diane, Nancy and Kim make every visit something I look forward to and even enjoy. If you’ve been on the fence about trying all that TWIHW has to offer, do yourself a favor, and take that step toward better health now, so you can start the New Year off on the right foot.”

-LG

By Mila McManus MD|2019-01-17T14:12:16-06:00January 4th, 2019|Testimonials|

About Mila McManus MD