Gluten, Gluten and More Gluten ~ What’s a Person To Do?!

There is a huge rise in gluten free foods and this is great news for people who are gluten sensitive, because they now have a variety of options.  But is gluten the real problem or is it Genetically Modified (GMO) wheat? 

Gluten is a mixture of two proteins, gliadin and glutenin.  The gluten proteins are found in the mature seed of wheat, barley and rye.  Close relatives of wheat, such as spelt, triticale, kamut, faro, and einkorn, also contain gluten.  Gluten (from Latin gluten, “glue”) gives elasticity to dough, helping it rise and to keep its shape and often gives the final product a chewy texture.  Well hello ~ that makes sense!  Glue, chewy, stick to your ribs I mean intestines kind of food ~ no wonder we are sensitive to it!

If a product contains wheat or GMO wheat it has gluten in it.  I don’t think we can put the blame on a GMO when it comes to the rise of gluten sensitivities in humans.  I do think we need to take a closer look at all the products that have gluten, added gluten and often hidden gluten in the ingredient list.  Who knew we were ingesting so much gluten!  I was surprised to find gluten in soy sauces, pickles, salad dressings, chicken broths, malt vinegars, canned soups, seasonings and spice mixes.  The bottom line when it comes to gluten is do your part ~ read the label ~ or better yet eat foods that do not require a label such as fresh fruits and vegetables! 

Why Fermented Foods?!

Not only is it a win-win situation ~ it’s a gut thing! 

Fermentation breaks down the hard to digest components of foods and tends to maximize the nutrients.  Kinda like digesting my food a little for me before I even take a bite so that I ingest the best parts.  (vision of a mama bird feeding a baby bird)

Lately I’ve been doing fermented oatmeal.  Leaving the oatmeal to ferment overnight does not give it a sour or tangy taste, that being said when the heat goes up in the house this summer I may have to leave it out a little less time.  There is that old saying “some like it hot, some like it cold, some like it in the pot nine days old”.  I like mine about 1 day old and hot.  (see the recipe at www.likeicancook.blogspot.com )

About a week ago sauerkraut was made in this house with raw milk whey, cabbage, caraway seeds and a lot of packing into a mason jar!  Sauerkraut is easy to absorb nutrients and helps improve the quality of gut bacteria we host by acting like a pre-biotic and pro-biotic all in one.

Homemade Sauerkraut

There are many foods and drinks you can prepare with fermentation.  You’ll have to try something that suits your taste buds and gives you what you are looking for.

Water Kefir infused with apples and cinamon

To Tape or Not To Tape ~ The Sticky Question!

I recently wore Kinesio tape where it could be seen on my neck and I got a lot of questions about it.  Our friend wore it on his legs for a half marathon and other runners questioned him about it.  I saw a facebook post today saying something about “don’t knock it until you try it”.  So I thought I’d take a little time to educate, empower and encourage you about taping!

First what is it?

It’s a type of thin, elastic cotton tape.  It comes in a multitude of colors!  The tape itself is able to stretch.  As a result, if the tape is applied to a patient on a stretch greater than its normal length, it will "recoil" after being applied and therefore create a pulling force on the skin or muscle that it is being applied to. This elastic property allows much greater range of motion compared to traditional white athletic tape and can also be left on for long periods of time before reapplication.

How might it work?

There are several  benefits claimed for the tape. One of those is correcting the alignment of weak muscles as well as facilitating joint motion as a result of the tape's recoiling qualities. The tape is also claimed to lift the skin, increasing the space below it, and increasing blood flow and circulation of lymphatic fluids.

Basically taping is a technique based on the body's own natural healing process. It gives support and stability to a person's joints and muscles without affecting or reducing circulation and range of motion.   

It can also be used as preventive maintenance, to re-align bones and muscles or for patients with edema.

What it did for me…

When I was having problems with my foot (Plantar Fasciitis) the doctor taped my foot on 3 different visits.  It helped lift my arch and relieve some of the pain.

Recently when I had separation of the Sternoclavicular Joint I was adjusted by a chiropractor and taped for 30 days (tape was changed out periodically).  Today I continue to have my shoulder rehabbed and am pleased with the results I am getting from regular adjustments and various other techniques used on my shoulder.

What can it do for you?

I liked this slogan “Taping the world for health…….”  and you can learn more about Kinesio tape at

http://www.kinesiotaping.com

...on a side note:  www.delmarvachiropractic.com has this service available to you!

A little shoulder action.

A multitude of colors!

 

How Heavy Is Your Backpack?!

 

Now some of us can carry a lot more than others.... ;-P 

This chart is a good rule of thumb for those little minions in your life.  

Keep your child safe ~ lighten the load!

Let's go back to school happy and healthy!

STRESS!!

It has been a stressful week for me........how do I handle it you might ask!

There are MANY stress relief options. 

How do I handle it?!

Prayer, that is the first place I go.  Into my prayer closet where I can release my stress and lift it up to HIM because anything over my head is still under HIS feet....besides HE already knows.

I also like to exercise my stress away.  Obviously life has been going to smoothly lately.  LOL
Seriously, a brief walk or bike ride really can be a stress reliever for me.  I can just clear my mind during this time of walking or riding.

Another way I like to relieve stress....go for a ride in the car.  Sometimes I am topless ~ wind blowing in my hair, enjoying fresh air and breathing in the fresh smells of the world!  (sometimes those smells include the chicken coops, oops)  Other times the top is up, I am in the passenger seat and I am just enjoying what HE has made.  How can you live in a place like Salisbury where the city is a little busy and in just a couple of miles you are out of town and in the country?  We are blessed to have the country so near, to be able to stop at farms and buy fresh produce!!

My friend use to just drive over the new bridge in Charleston, SC and this helped clear her mind.

Is this running away from our stress/problems?  I don't think so, I think it is coping with it.

How ever you deal with stress is up to you, these are just a couple of things that help me.  We can not continue to live in the stress of life, we need to release it sometimes, to see a different view, to refresh ourselves.  Life is a journey we take one day at a time.  Live it!!

Plant and Rake Without the Ache ~ Tips from the OCA.

A Word From Doctor Kevin McKamey......

I am happy to post that, today marks my 1 year anniversary at Delmarva Chiropractic. It has been a great time of change and healing. Thank you to Dr's Brown and Lane, Amber, Chris, Julie, Leslie and Michelle for the opportunity and support. Looking forward to the next year; it's gonna be AWESOME.
Thanks to my wonderful wife Julie, for always pushing me to be my best and always being there. We put it behind us baby and came out shining. "We had to go where we've been to get to where we're going......................".
Almost forgot to mention the BEST patients in the world; thanks to y'all too. I wake up in the morning excited to help bring healing and health into the lives of you and your families. Each of you has brought something to my life as well.

10 Things Most People Don’t Know About Chiropractic

First, I totally took this from my husband's facebook posts to Delmarva Chiropractic page....why?!  Because I can.  

Second, I didn't take any of the pictures he used....I'll find my own to add later....some day....

If you don't get adjusted by a doctor at Delmarva Chiropractic here in Salisbury, MD ~ get adjusted SOMEWHERE!!  ;-P



1. Pain is the LAST symptom of dysfunction.

A patient’s back is often restricted or unstable for months or years before it presents as a problem and they show up in a chiropractor’s office. In addition, the absence of pain is not health. While medication may be needed, if you take a pill and the pain goes away, the dysfunction that caused it still persists. Muscle, ligament and joint injuries often occur as a result of long-term biomechanical dysfunction, sometimes from past injuries, making the area more susceptible to future injury.

Somewhat like the tip of an iceberg looming on the horizon is a warning of something deeper and more dangerous, pain is a warning. It is a signal of malfunction of some vital body circuitry; a message that something is wrong. And even though the presence of pain means that something is wrong, we cannot say the opposite, that the absence of pain means that we are necessarily healthy. A person may have no symptoms at all yet be suffering from the first stages of a life threatening disease. Pain is usually the last thing to occur in an unhealthy condition and the first thing to go away when the causes start being corrected.

2. Athletes use chiropractors to stay well and perform better, not just for the occasional injury.

Athletes choose chiropractors because we are movement specialists. Chiropractors were spotted all over the Olympic coverage last year, and top athletes such as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps, Tom Brady, Evander Holyfield, and Arnold Schwarzenegger have all been proud patients of chiropractors. These days it’s far more common than not for major athletes and sports teams to keep chiropractors nearby to help prevent injuries, speed injury recovery, improve balance and coordination, and give them a greater competitive edge.

3. The body does not perform as a cluster of separate mechanisms, but rather a cascade of events that all starts with proper control by the nervous system.

The nerves that travel through and control every function of your body originate at the spinal cord and their transmission may be disrupted if the joints of the surrounding spinal column are not moving properly. This disruption in biomechanical integrity combined with altered physiological function is what chiropractors call a subluxation. Below is a chart that illustrates the relationship of the spinal nerves exiting the vertebra branching off to the various organ systems. You can see why it is not uncommon for a chiropractor to treat a patient with mid-back pain who also suffers from irritable bowel system, a patient with a subluxated sacrum who has been unsuccessfully trying to become pregnant, or a patient with an upper back fixation and acid reflux.



4. Doctors don’t do the healing.

Sorry to disappoint you, but a chiropractor will never fix your back. What we are able to do is restore proper motion in the joints, which relieves tension on the nerves and muscles and allows your body to do the healing that it is inherently made to do. As chiropractors, we believe that the body is a perfect organism in its natural state, and all disease comes from a disruption in the body’s proper transmission of signals by the nerves which affects its ability to heal and to defend against disease-causing agents. We never treat disease. We assess to find which spinal levels are causing the dysfunction, and we adjust it to restore proper nerve flow so the nervous system may work as efficiently and effectively as possible. 

5. Chiropractic is for all ages.

Many seniors aren’t aware of the benefits of chiropractic care which can help them not only with pain relief, but also increase range of motion, balance and coordination, and decrease joint degeneration. There’s no patient too young for chiropractic either! Chiropractors check infants moments after birth for misalignments of the upper vertebrae that may occur as a result of the birth process. In addition to supporting overall health and well-being, parents also take their children to chiropractors to encourage healthy brain and nervous system development, to assist with colic, asthma, allergies, bed-wetting and sleeping problems, and to assist with behavioral disorders.

6. We know about more than your backbone!

This surprises many people who had no idea that chiropractors give advice on nutrition, fitness, ergonomics and lifestyle, screen for conditions unrelated to the musculoskeletal system and refer out to other practitioners when necessary. Chiropractors are also able to complete specialties in other areas such as pediatrics, sports rehabilitation, neurology, clinical nutrition, and addictions and compulsive disorders.

Other than particular specialties and the differences in learning to adjust and learning to prescribe medication, our training hours are not dissimilar from that of medical doctor. The photo shows classroom hours for basic science requirements compiled and averaged following a review of curricula of 18 chiropractic schools and 22 medical schools.

The doctors at Delmarva Chiropractic have some of the finest continuing education available and likely have the most extensive educational background anywhere on the Eastern Shore . For example Dr. Lane and Dr. Brown are both Certified Chiropractic Extremities Practitioners (CCEP) meaning that they have diplomate level training, in adjusting the appendicular skeleton (the 126 bones of the pelvis, lower extremity including the foot, ribs, scapula and upper extremity including the wrist and hand.). Dr. Lane is nearing completion of his diplomate in Chiropractic Neurology. Dr. Brown is in process of acquiring a diplomate as a Chiropractic Sports Physician and Dr. McKamey has obtained a Masters Degree in Sports Science and Rehabilitation, completed certification as a Chiropractic Wellness Specialist, is taking the CCEP courses and will be beginning the Chiropractic Internist Dipolmate program in the Fall.

7. Successful chiropractic patients accept responsibility.

When somebody says that they tried chiropractic and it didn’t help, chiropractors cringe and we get the feeling that they really missed the boat. Of course, there are cases with complicating factors, but when we hear this from people with straightforward chiropractic problems it is very clear what has happened. In most cases, one doesn’t acquire back pain over night, and it’s not going to go away over night. If a weak core from years of sitting at a desk is to blame for the additional stress on your joints, we would expect an adjustment to provide relief, but once the condition is no longer exacerbated, we would most definitely prescribe some exercises for you to do at home. We might also suggest an evaluation your nutrition if an inflammatory diet may be setting you up for pain. Sure, we are always happy to adjust someone and make a living, but if you’ve been given homework and you don’t do it, we don't like to hear you blame chiropractic when you’re hurting again!

My patients often get a speech that goes something like this. "In the first 6 to 12 visits my goal is to drive your discomfort level down and increase your mobility to a point where you can begin to strengthen and rehabilitate your core." "Proximal stability is absolutely necessary for distal mobility and weakness in the pelvic floor and the core muscles that support your spine is the number one reason for low back injury." Reducing the pain and restoring mobility is primarily my responsibility. However, with injury there is always neurologic insult and deconditioning. I tell them that during the rehabilitative phase the responsibility shifts from me to them and "I can tell when patients are not performing their home exercises." Without dedication to stabilization and strengthening the cycle of healing and re-injury is perpetuated.
  
8. Chiropractic may help you get sick less.

Studies have indicated that adjustments consistently reduce the production of pro-inflammatory mediators associated with tissue damage and pain, and may also enhance the production of immunoregulatory complexes important for healthy immune system defense. As far back as the deadly flu pandemic of 1917-1918, chiropractors noticed that their patients seemed to have fewer fatalities than among the general population and were able to publish their work in an osteopathic journal since no scholarly journals were accepting chiropractic data. The estimated death rate among patients of conventional medical care in the U.S. was estimated at 5 to 6 percent while the fatality rate among influenza cases receiving spinal adjustments was estimated at 0.25%.

9. “I’ll have to go forever” is a myth.

Chiropractic joke: Q: How many chiropractor's does it take to change a light bulb? A: Only one, but he comes back to adjust it over and over and over again.

You may want to go to your chiropractor forever once you’ve started because you realize how great getting adjusted is, but your doctor won’t expect you to come for continuous care without symptoms and eventually third party payers like insurance providers, will not pay for visits when there is not a subjective complaint or objective findings. Generally, if you come in with pain, once you’ve been treated for your initial complaint, you’ll be scheduled for a few more appointments to make sure proper motion is being maintained.
At Delmarva Chiropractic our primary goal will be to reduce your pain to a tolerable level then begin a period of rehabilitative protocols to restore functional capacity. It is our position, that it is impossible to rehabilitate tissues which are in a dysfunctional state and tissues in pain are always dysfunctional. We want to restore function so you can return to the activities of daily living your enjoy so much.
Beyond these two phases of care it will be recommended you return occasionally to be checked just like you would go to the dentist to get checked for tartar buildup and cavities. Of course, many people still choose to see their chiropractor weekly or monthly for wellness or maintenance care.

10. Adjustments don’t hurt (well, mostly).

There is no bone snapping or warrior-style pulling heads off spinal columns! The neck adjustment some chiropractors use causes anticipation for many new patients, but is actually much more gentle than they imagined, and involves a quick, direct thrust to a specific spinal bone. The sound an adjustment makes is called a cavitation and is only space being created within the joint causing gasses to be released from the joint capsule, which creates the popping or cracking noise. Also, chiropractic adjustments will not wear out your joints, as some imagine because they have been warned not to “crack their knuckles” for this reason in the past. Adjustments, unlike “knuckle cracking” or having your friend stomp on you while you lay on the carpet, are applied specifically to improve the motion of your joints and limit the small dysfunctions that over time can lead to arthritis. Most people after an adjustment describe the feeling as being “lighter”, having greater ease in moving the body, and being able to stand up taller.
However, while we want you to know that chiropractic is gentle and safe it is important to note that restoration of normal joint function along with the stretching of tendons, muscles and overlying fascia can cause some residual localized soreness that may last 12-24 hours. We are always careful not to adjust "too much" in those critical first several visits in an effort to keep this possibility to a minimum.

Watch this short, fun video by Dr. Nima Rahmany at Westgate Wellness Centre, Maple Ridge, British Colombia.

What REAL Food Does For Ya!

• Real food regulates appetite – so you don’t overeat
• Real food controls blood sugar/insulin – so you can avoid energy swings and diabetes
• Real food provides the best nutrition – so you can remain healthy for life
• Real food has a sane amount of energy – so that you can’t accidentally overeat
• Real food has a longstanding relationship with our body – so that our bodies know what to do with it

Do you know what REAL food is?!   

Dr Kevin McKamey is now at Delmarva Chiropractic!!

Focusing on function with a determination to get to the root of the cause, Dr Kevin L. McKamey brings compassion and attention to detail into practice to get you back to health.

Dr. McKamey is a 2009 graduate of the excellent chiropractic program at Logan College of Chiropractic in Chesterfield, Missouri. He holds a bachelors degree in Human Biology, a Masters in Sport Science and Rehabilitation and a Doctorate in Chiropractic. Additionally, he holds certificates as a Chiropractic Wellness Specialist from the American Chiropractic Association and as an Internal Health Specialist from the Loomis Institute. He has advanced training and has completed research topics in LASER therapeutics and vibration therapies.

He possess a wide variety of life experience, something that lends well to interacting with a diverse patient base. A 10+ year veteran of the United States Navy Submarine Service, he served as a submarine weapons systems technician on USS Benjamin Franklin SSBN 640, USS Woodrow Wilson SSBN 624 and USS Grayling SSN 624. He also served as an enlisted tactics instructor at the Naval Submarine School in New London, CT. Capt. McKamey holds a US Merchant Mariners document as an Able Seaman Unlimited Tonnage and a Masters License (Captain) from the United States Coast Guard allowing him to command passenger and other commercial vessels up to 500 Gross Tons in coastal and near coastal waters. His experience as a husband, father, Captain and member of the Armed Forces has tempered him with patience, compassion and dedication with a keen focus and attention to details.

Dr. McKamey and his wife Julie have 2 sons, Keenan (22) and Brenden (20) and reside in Salisbury. As a family they have always enjoyed the outdoors. Involvement with the boys in Little League baseball piqued Dr. McKamey’s early interest in sports and biomechanics. Not inclined towards watching television to excess the family spent much of their recreational time out of doors enjoying bicycling, swimming, fishing, hiking and exploring. Dr. McKamey relates; “We have visited numerous State and National Parks across the United States and spent countless hours driving through the countryside of this great land. Julie and I continue to enjoy drives along the back roads enjoying everything the area has to offer. Assateauge Beach has become one of our favorite destinations.”

Persuing Diplomate status as a Chiropractic Internist it is his desire to serve the Lower Shore with the most advanced protocols in conservative health care. Chiropractic Internists are trained in modern medical diagnosis, functional medicine, and natural therapeutics. Chiropractic physicians with a DABCI post-doctoral certification utilize conventional medical diagnostics, specialized functional testing, and wholistic medicine diagnostic evaluations. DABCI physicians routinely employ methods such as blood laboratory studies, urinalyses, electrocardiograms, vascular doppler ultrasound, spirometry, DEXA bone density testing, salivary assay hormonal and neurotransmitter tests, IgG food allergy testing, diagnostic imaging to include x-ray, CT, MRI, comprehensive gastrointestinal stool analyses, and many other diagnostic tools. A DABCI uses therapeutic methods which emphasize conservative and minimally invasive approaches and minimize risk to the patient. Diplomates in diagnosis and internal disorders use treatments such as clinical nutrition, dietetics, exercise, vitamin and mineral supplementation, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, acupuncture, natural hormone replacement, and pharmacologic counseling.

Call today for your appointment!!  410-219-5155

Kevin McKamey Chiropractor Salisbury Maryland

Kevin McKamey, DC and wife Julie

Dr Kevin McKamey

                                       **********************************

Compassion, Attention to Details and Experience with a Determination to get to the Root of the CAUSE!

Car accident led me to become a Chiropractor

I was a chiropractic patient long before deciding to leave a career in the maritime industry and enroll in chiropractic college in 2004. I received my first chiropractic adjustment some 25 years earlier in 1985. 

I was a few weeks into my post-operative recovery from rotator cuff surgery to my right shoulder, when I was rear ended by another driver while stopped at a traffic signal. Over the next several days I experienced headaches, neck, mid back and shoulder pain with muscle spasms and stiffness. 

At the suggestion of my father, I sought the care of a Doctor of Chiropractic. Diagnosed with a Whiplash injury to the spine and postsurgical soft tissue trauma to the shoulder I entered into a year long treatment regime which brought about complete restoration of function and range of motion to my spine and shoulder.

Chiropractic treatments kept me from having surgery for a herniated lumbar disc. 

I again referred to chiropractic care when I  herniated a lumbar disc a few years later. After an orthopedic surgical consultation, during which a stabilization procedure was recommended, I decided to elect conservative care. After researching outcomes of lumbar surgery and talking to several people who had undergone invasive procedures, I felt the risks were too great. The outcome was positive in less than half of those who underwent lumbar fusion surgery and I didn’t like those odds. Chiropractic treatments helped me overcome the pain associated with my disc problems and strengthen and restore function of my low back. Twenty years later I remain essentially symptom free with regular chiropractic adjustments and an arsenal of maintenance exercises.

Chiropractic Education and Philosophy

With a desire to help others and an opportunity to make a career change I plotted a new course in life. There had been a long time interest in natural healing and I held a belief that GOD had created us to live a much longer healthier life than most of us do. The idea that “the power that made the body, heals the body” resonated strongly with me. Chiropractic philosophy held that premise as truth and with encouragement from my wife Julie, my chiropractor in Charleston, SC and a host of friends and family I mailed an application and was accepted to Logan College of Chiropractic in Chesterfield, Missouri. I left my job on the Charleston waterfront and in 2004 my family and I moved to Ballwin, MO just minutes from the Logan campus. Logan College happened to offer exactly what I needed, a basic science program leading to a Bachelors Degree and a comprehensive, accredited Doctoral curriculum with an opportunity to complete my Masters degree.

A little bit about me 

I possess a wide variety of life experience, something that lends well to interacting with a diverse patient base. I am  a 10+ year veteran of the United States Navy Submarine Service where I served as a submarine weapons systems technician on USS Benjamin Franklin SSBN 640, USS Woodrow Wilson SSBN 624 and USS Grayling SSN 624. I also served as an enlisted tactics instructor at the Naval Submarine School in New London, CT. I hold a US Merchant Mariners document as an Able Seaman Unlimited Tonnage and a Masters License (Captain) from the United States Coast Guard allowing me to command passenger and other commercial vessels up to 500 Gross Tons in coastal and near coastal waters. My experiences as a husband, father, Captain and member of the Armed Forces have given me patience, compassion and dedication with a keen focus and attention to details.

My family

As a family we have always enjoyed the outdoors. When the boys were young we were deeply involved in Little League baseball. Not inclined towards watching television to excess we spent much of our recreational time out of doors enjoying bicycling, swimming, fishing, hiking and exploring. We have visited numerous State and National Parks across the United States and spent countless hours driving through the countryside of this great land. Julie and I continue to enjoy drives along the back roads enjoying everything the area has to offer. Assateauge Beach has become one of our favorite destinations.

Thank you for taking time to visit this blog!