Lordex Spine Institute's Back Page

Business EXPO - May 14, 2008

Dr. Brandt L. Spies, DC — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:21:59 +0000

We are offering a Free Spinal Screening at this event.

Visit the 21st Annual Greater Clear Lake Area Chamber Business EXPO and see the best of our local businesses. Admission is FREE to the public! Lunch available for purchase from 12-2pm from the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Cook Team “The Holy Smokers.”

When: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 11am-6pm

Where: Gloria Dei Lutheran Church-Life Center

1822 Upper Bay Rd., Nassau Bay

Ask the Doc

Dr. Brandt L. Spies, DC — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:05:28 +0000

Post any questions you may have and I will post the answers.

-Dr. Brandt L. Spies, D.C.

Meet the Doctor

Dr. Brandt L. Spies, DC — Fri, 09 May 2008 14:42:56 +0000

Dr. Brandt L. Spies earned his Doctorate of Chiropractic at Texas Chiropractic College as well as a Bachelor of Public Health and Human Biology. Dr. Spies is a member of the American Chiropractic Association, Texas Chiropractic Association, active member of The Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and The League City Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Spies served in the United States Army, 1st Cavalry Division, before beginning his education.
Dr. Spies has lived in the Houston area for 22 years and has lived in the Clear Lake area for over 4 years with his wife Crystal. He and his wife are eager to start a family and are delighted to find the perfect place to raise children.

Contact Us

Dr. Brandt L. Spies, DC — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:41:52 +0000

Lordex Spine Institute

Dr. Brandt L. Spies, D. C.

3027 Marina Bay Drive, Ste. 103

League City, Texas 77573

281.535.5673

Fax: 281.535.3475

e-mail: brandt.spies@LordexSpineInstitute.com

www.lordexspineinstitute.com

Lordex Spine Institute

Dr. Brandt L. Spies, DC — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:23:01 +0000

Lordex Spine Institute solves patients’ back, neck, leg, and arm pain without surgery. Our licensed chiropractic clinicians use a series of non-surgical techniques, including the Lordex Lumbar Spine System to reduce or eliminate your pain. Our programs combine physical therapy and strengthening exercises to give you the pain-free life you deserve.

Dr. Brandt L. Spies earned his Doctorate of Chiropractic at Texas Chiropractic College as well as a Bachelor of Public Health and Human Biology. Dr. Spies is a member of the American Chiropractic Association, Texas Chiropractic Association, active member of The Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and The League City Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Spies served in the United States Army, 1st Cavalry Division, before beginning his education.
Dr. Spies has lived in the Houston area for 22 years and has lived in the Clear Lake area for over 3 years with his wife Crystal. He and his wife are expecting and are delighted to find the perfect place to raise children.

www.LordexSpineInstitute.com

What does Lordex mean?

“Lord” for the Lordosis region of the spine. “Ex” for exercise. The proprietary equipment developed by Lordex took 15 years of research to become what is now known in doctors’ offices across the country as the Lordex Lumbar Spine System. The system is comprised of the Lordex Decompression Unit, the RX1 Lordex Strength Restoration machine, and the therapist-assisted Lordex Stretch-Flex program.

Decompression Explained

Decompression relieves pressure that builds up on the discs and nerves. The task of relieving pain comes about as a result of drawing areas of herniated disc back into place. Decompression achieves this by creating negative pressure within the disc, referred to as negative intra-discal pressure. This creates essentially a vacuum to draw the bulging and herniated disc material back into the disc space and relieve pressure. As the ligaments that hold disc material in place become stretched or torn due to bulging and herniation, decompression strengthens the ligament bands that hold the disc material in place to heal & prevent future recurrence. In most cases the healing process requires only a few weeks of treatment on an out-patient basis. We have committed to undergo expert training in the delivery of decompression and dedicate a large portion of our practice to the relief of severe and chronic low back pain. Patients come to us to return to a normal, pain free life.
How does Lordex work

Lordex targets the lumbar muscles to reintroduce kinetic activity. The Lordex Decompression Unit then comfortably tractions the spinal joint, decompressing the disk and reducing pain. Unlike conventional traction that stretches the back only, the Lordex Decompression procedure aids in reconstitution and disc healing, allowing increased circulation to the damaged area. The therapy is gentle, yet effective. Each Lordex session is administered by a member of our clinical staff. The complete program requires 20-30 hours over a four to six week period. Our guests find the experience relaxing and painless. The technology is advanced and recognized. Lordex guests have been able to enjoy a clinical success rate of 86% for favorable treatment, greatly enhancing their overall quality of life. The Lordex System is leading care in the field of non-operative spine medicine. Following each procedure, patients generally undergo a stretch and flex program designed to improve lower extremity flexibility and range of motion. It has been clinically observed that the best long-term results occur when individuals take an active part in prevention. Once a patient concludes 20-30 hours of Lordex procedures, normally spanning a four to six week period, they are prescribed a continuous home care package, including our video guide on proper use of strengthening equipment.

What is Chiropractic?

According to The Association of Chiropractic Colleges, “Chiropractic is a health care discipline which emphasizes the inherent

recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs and surgery. The practice of chiropractic focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health.”

The Goal of Chiropractic

Because chiropractic treatments are primarily applied to the spinal region, many individuals incorrectly assume that chiropractors treat only back and neck ailments. While we do quickly and effectively eliminate back and neck pain, it’s not the only goal. The objective is to restore and optimize human health. In fact, according to a statement from The Association of Chiropractic Colleges, “The purpose of chiropractic is to optimize health.”

How Chiropractic Works

You may be wondering… how can the same chiropractic treatment which effectively treats my back pain also optimize my health? The answer can be found by looking into the relationship between the spine and the nervous system.As you may already know, the nervous system is the master controller of all living cells, tissues and organs; orchestrating and coordinating all cellular functions. The spinal column encases the nervous system (spinal cord and nerve roots) and is responsible for its protection.

Because of this intimate relationship, biomechanical and structural problems in the spinal column can irritate parts of the enclosed nervous system. This irritation can result from noxious inflammatory biochemicals released during tissue injury or may result from direct mechanical pressure. In either case, the functioning of the nervous system is negatively influenced as is the functioning of the cells, tissues and organs which are supplied by the affected nerve(s).

The resulting ailment(s) depends on the cells, tissues and organs affected as well as the extent of nervous system compromise.

In short, because the body’s innate recuperative powers are affected by and integrated through the nervous system, correcting spinal abnormalities which irritate the nervous system can lead to a number of favorable results in patients suffering from various, seemingly non-spinal health conditions.

What Chiropractors Do

Practically speaking, chiropractors are primarily concerned with locating and treating vertebral subluxations.

A vertebral subluxation is a complex of functional and/or structural and/or pathological articular (joint) changes that compromise neural integrity and may influence organ system function and general health.

Using a number of unique and highly refined skills, the chiropractor checks the patient’s spine for any misalignments, fixations or other abnormalities (vertebral subluxations). If subluxations or other abnormalities are detected, the chiropractor will generally apply a gentle force in a corrective manner to the affected spinal area.

Chiropractors use many specialized techniques to identify and treat these spinal abnormalities and optimize overall health. In addition to spinal adjustive techniques, soft tissue techniques such as massage, dietary and nutritional counseling, physical therapies, and lifestyle modification programs are commonly employed.

How Chiropractic Differs

There is a significant and very important difference between the way chiropractors and medical doctors approach health ailments.

When evaluating and treating patients, chiropractors take a holistic approach which includes identifying and correcting the cause(s) of the patient’s health ailment. In contrast, the medical approach tends to focus more on the treating the symptoms of a condition rather than focusing primarily on the actual cause(s).

Chiropractors believe that correcting the cause of the problem provides significant long-term benefits over only treating the symptoms.

Please contact our office if you have any additional questions.

Lordex Spine Institute

Dr. Brandt L. Spies, D. C.

3027 Marina Bay Drive, Ste. 103

League City, Texas 77573

281.535.5673

Fax: 281.535.3475

e-mail: brandt.spies@LordexSpineInstitute.com

www.lordexspineinstitute.com

Degenerative Disc Disease

Dr. Brandt L. Spies, DC — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:45:06 +0000

Degenerative Disc Disease - Topic Overview

What is degenerative disc disease?

Degenerative disc disease is not really a disease but a term used to describe the normal changes in your spinal discs as you age. Spinal discs are soft, compressible discs that separate the interlocking bones (vertebrae) that make up the spine. The discs act as shock absorbers for the spine, allowing it to flex, bend, and twist. Degenerative disc disease can take place throughout the spine, but it most often occurs in the discs in the lower back (lumbar region) and the neck (cervical region).

See an illustration of the spine and the discs in your spine .

The changes in the discs can result in back or neck pain, as well as:

Osteoarthritis, the breakdown of the tissue (cartilage) that protects and cushions joints.
Herniated disc, an abnormal bulge or breaking open of a spinal disc.
Spinal stenosis, the narrowing of the spinal canal , the open space in the spine that holds the spinal cord .

These conditions may put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, leading to pain and possibly affecting nerve function.

What causes degenerative disc disease?

As we age, our spinal discs break down, or degenerate, which may result in degenerative disc disease in some people. These age-related changes include:

The loss of fluid in your discs. This reduces the ability of the discs to act as shock absorbers and makes them less flexible. Loss of fluid also makes the disc thinner and narrows the distance between the vertebrae.
Tiny tears or cracks in the outer layer (annulus or capsule) of the disc. The jellylike material inside the disc (nucleus) may be forced out through the tears or cracks in the capsule, which causes the disc to bulge, break open (rupture), or break into fragments.

These changes are more likely to occur in people who smoke cigarettes and those who do heavy physical work (such as repeated heavy lifting). People who are obese are also more likely to have symptoms of degenerative disc disease.

A sudden (acute) injury leading to a herniated disc (such as a fall) may also begin the degeneration process.

As the space between the vertebrae gets smaller, there is less padding between them, and the spine becomes less stable. The body reacts to this by constructing bony growths called bone spurs (osteophytes). Bone spurs can put pressure on the spinal nerve roots or spinal cord, resulting in pain and affecting nerve function.

What are the symptoms?

Degenerative disc disease may result in back or neck pain, but this varies from person to person. Many people have no pain, while others with the same amount of disc damage have severe pain that limits their activities. Where the pain occurs depends on the location of the affected disc. An affected disc in the neck area may result in neck or arm pain, while an affected disc in the lower back may result in pain in the back, buttocks, or leg. The pain often gets worse with movements such as bending over, reaching up, or twisting.

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise