The Surfer with the Man Bun

Dr. Nick Athens, a well-known chiropractor in the profession, discussed a case during a podcast. Dr. Athens was one of the first chiropractors to work with professional baseball and football players in California. He is passionate about teaching and empowering patients to lead healthier lives with diet, exercise, receiving chiropractic care regularly and modifying activities of daily life to improve outcomes.

One example of modifying a patient’s activity is the case that he presented of a surfer who had neck pain. The surfer told Dr. Athens that his neck always felt good with Chiropractic care and then it would go out of alignment and hurt again. Dr. Athens looked at his patient and mentioned his man bun, asking if he wore his hair in a bun while surfing. The patient said no as it would fall when he would surf. Dr. Athens then asked if when his hair was wet while surfing, would he flick his head back-and-forth or up and down to get the hair out of his face. The patient said yes and Dr. Athens said that’s part of his neck problem.

Dr. Athens suggested that his patient wear his hair up again in the man bun or get a bathing cap while surfing to help stop doing those movements as frequently. This way his neck would stay in better alignment. Dr. Athens then said that this is the same thing that he has found with some patients who blow their hair dry with their head forward and then flip their head back. That putting their head in so many different repetitive movements can cause their neck to kink.

Pointing out lifestyle habits to patients and guiding them to modifications leads to better outcomes from the chiropractic adjustment. There are many lifestyle changes that might be beneficial. If one feels more pain when they wake up perhaps a new pillow is needed. If discomfort occurs more throughout the day perhaps a more supportive work chair is needed or a stand for the phone or other device should be used to keep one’s posture upright. It’s a matter of being aware of repetitive habits and talking to one’s health professional to find out what changes end up being helpful.

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor, in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She incorporates Chiropractic care with a variety of modalities to help patients reach their full potential

A Cat’s Response to Laser Therapy

The October 2026 issue of The American Chiropractor featured an article by Dr. Kirk Gair. He had been combining laser therapy with chiropractic adjustments for years in his practice. This led to speedier recoveries, decreased pain and better sports performance, yet Dr. Gair had not looked at other ways that lasers could make a difference. That changed when his Maine Coon cat Poopsie was found unresponsive on the living room floor with his eyes rolling back.

A trip to the emergency vet revealed necrotizing pancreatitis, and that Poopsie’s immune system had attacked and destroyed 80% of his pancreas. The vet recommended euthanasia as the only option, but Dr. Gair couldn’t accept that. He took Poopsie home that Saturday night and out of desperation began to laser his cat’s pancreas. He continued to do so 10 minutes twice a day as he had nothing to lose. By Wednesday Poopsie had a voracious appetite and was looking better. He brought the cat back one week later and the vet was astonished as the ultrasound showed that his pancreas had regenerated by 80%, something that the vet had never witnessed before.

Poopsie was 11 and the vet told Dr. Gair that although his pancreas had regenerated, lab tests showed that he had diabetes, would need 4 units of insulin twice a day and would most likely live one or two years until the insulin stopped working. Dr. Gair decided to keep lasering Poopsie’s pancreas and put him on a kitty paleo diet. This allowed his insulin dose to decrease to only ¾ of a unit when his blood sugar tested high. Poopsie lived to the age of 17, which was six years beyond the vet’s prediction. When Dr. Gair explained how he used the laser over the cat’s pancreas, the veterinarian immediately implemented class 2 lasers into his practice and said that it revolutionized his care.

Dr. Gair realized that what happened with Poopsie was anecdotal and curious if any literature supported these outcomes. He was stunned to see that the Russians had been using lasers to regenerate liver tissue and many other “off label” treatments since the 1970’s. That within the last decade a study followed Hashimoto’s hypothyroid patients for 6 six years and that the laser therapy regenerated thyroid tissue and decreased the need for medication. How studies using lasers showed benefits for blood glucose levels. 

The article goes into more detail about other studies and researchers looking to see how laser therapy may help the body far beyond pain management for patients. Lasers certainly are another example of how our bodies can be helped in ways that we never would have imagined.

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor, in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She incorporates Chiropractic care with a variety of modalities to help patients reach their full potential. 

The Human Brain is Two Separate Organs

Findings from researchers at Stanford University, published in Nature Neuroscience September 2026, have revealed that the brain is two distinct organs, which are derived from two different biological cells. 

The front and mid part of the skull contain brain tissue that originates from one type of biological cell. This expresses a gene called Otx2 and allows this part of the brain to handle higher-level thinking, language, consciousness and abstract reasoning. 

The back of the skull contains the hindbrain and comes from a different biological cell. This expresses a gene called Gbx2 and is often called the brain stem. This controls automatic functions that keep us alive, from breathing, sleeping, and regulating our heartbeat and hunger urges. The neurons of the hindbrain also control the muscles of the face, tongue and throat, which affect speech and swallowing.

Researchers can now grow certain cells in a petri dish to study these devastating diseases that affect the brain stem. This includes spinal muscular atrophy, a leading genetic cause of death in children under 1 year of age, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is often diagnosed between the ages of 40 and 70. 

Sadly, In both disorders, certain hindbrain neurons gradually cease to function, and the patient loses the ability to swallow. This can cause pneumonia when food or liquid is inhaled into the lungs and eventually, patients lose the ability to breathe. Hopefully being able to study these specific cells of the brain can lead to an ability to help these patients in the future.

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor, in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She incorporates Chiropractic care with a variety of modalities to help patients reach their full potential. 

Looking to Improve Your Quality of Life?

Perhaps Chiropractic can help. A newly published observational study containing 1419 adult chiropractic patients, evaluated changes in quality of life before and after a course of care. Patients were assessed with two questionnaires. One had the participants rate meaningfulness in their life and how well they manage challenges. The other evaluated fatigue, pain, depressive symptoms, anxiety, sleep disturbances and the ability to participate in social roles.

The study noticed improvements in the patient’s quality of life. Not only did pain improve but so did depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and social participation. Similar positive findings occurred in a previous study of nearly 2,000 chiropractic patients including those with chronic low back and neck pain, those who were pregnant and those in the military.

According to researcher and publisher, Dr. Matthew McCoy: “Chiropractic is often viewed only through the lens of back or neck pain, but this research encourages us to look at the whole person. How people sleep, function, participate in daily life and adapt to stress are all important parts of health. This study helps move the conversation beyond simply asking whether pain improved. We should also be asking whether people are functioning better, adapting better and experiencing a better quality of life.”

Every chiropractor has their unique style of adjusting and implementing other modalities. Each of these factors can play a role in the positive life changes that one may notice as they follow their course of care. It’s a blessing for me to witness this with my patients. 

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor, in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She incorporates Chiropractic care with a variety of modalities to help patients reach their full potential. 

Information Overload

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with all the information that is at your fingertips? I understand as for myself I take notice of whether I get excited and feel empowered or does something inside of me shut down with that information? I wait a while afterwards, create deeper calm inside and then see if the hype dissipated or if I am still compelled. Patients often ask my perspective about an expert’s opinion regarding an exercise, stretch, pillow, chair, herb, vitamin etc. I ask them to be aware of how their body reacts and to let that be the determinant. That just because an expert touted it, doesn’t mean our body agrees. I advise them to get in touch with their own inner knowing to guide them. 

We all have that inner knowing from the moment that we are born. That intelligence has been quietly guiding us since our heart began to beat. Instinctively knowing upon birth to make our way to the breast and to feed. To cry when hungry or soiled. So many of our instincts get squashed with schedules, cultural demands and a nervous system that becomes over stressed. Our inner knowing still exists, even if we do not trust ourselves and continually give our power to others. 

How can one get back in touch with that inner knowing and feel more confident when bombarded by so much advice? I suggest finding things daily that help your brain and nervous system get into a deeper state of calm. This allows one to be more aware if a decision is coming from that intuitive place and trusting oneself or if from a state of stress, being reactionary or feeling pressured. A few ideas to create calm are: Take 10 second breaks during the day of pure quiet, without a phone or other device. Spend time in nature. Use a Vagus Nerve Stimulator. Listen to relaxing music. Watch funny movies or videos to laugh more. Spend time with prayer, meditation, stretching, or lighting a nice smelling candle. Receive massages, acupuncture, chiropractic or anything else that you notice helps calm your nervous system. 

It takes dedication to learn to trust oneself in this journey called life. Be kind to yourself if you feel overwhelmed and do whatever it takes to get back into states of calmness to make more empowering choices. Allow knowingness to break through and to trust the expert inside of you. This way you’re in control of the information overload that seems to be all around us.

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor, in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She incorporates Chiropractic care with a variety of modalities to help patients reach their full potential. 

Life Changing Concussion Recovery

In 2008 a college student in Canada suffered a major concussion while playing lacrosse. He got hit in the head, which completely wiped out his short-term memory. He had so much brain fog that he literally couldn’t remember anything. He also couldn’t be around bright light, exercise or do other activities. He had to stop college during his final year. There was no improvement in his condition for months and the medical specialists told him to wait it out. At a certain point he started to wonder if this was going to be how the rest of his life would look like. Would he ever be able to graduate or have a family or get a job? He started to lose hope and then a friend suggested that he see a chiropractor. 

He decided to give it a chance and on his first visit the chiropractor explained how the brain and the spine are directly connected. That if there are misalignments in the spine or other areas of the body, this disrupts the important communication needed between the brain and nervous system. How adjustments reduce this interference, which improves signals in the brain for the mind and body to work better in many ways. He loved that explanation and wondered why his medical doctors never told him this concept, which made so much sense. He received his first Chiropractic adjustment; however, nothing happened, not a single thing changed. He didn’t give up and went to another chiropractor, as he felt there was something to this. 

Thankfully he did as that first adjustment changed his entire life. Within a couple of days, the brain fog was completely gone. He continued getting adjusted and within a couple of weeks his short-term memory returned. Then within a few months he noticed that he was making better choices for himself. He changed his diet, got in really good shape, was able to play lacrosse again and finish his last year of college. He became clearer in so many ways, including what he wanted to do with his life, become a chiropractor. 

He then attended Chiropractic School and remained hyper focused while in practice on the beneficial effects that chiropractic has on the brain. This led him to create a device that measures electrical brain waves that track brain progress during care. This robotics device has a 16-channel brain scanner with 2 Heart Rate Variability sensors to check for stress, recovery and adaptability. It is placed over the head and does not require placing leads or gel on the head. A laptop receives the data and then the doctor and patient can see immediate changes during and after an adjustment. This helps determine if the technique needs to be modified based on how the brain responds and what type of care the patient requires.

This seems to be quite an innovative tool, that I learned about while listening to this chiropractor speak during a podcast interview. What a gift for him to have had such a life changing recovery, become a chiropractor and create this revolutionary scanning device. One never knows where Chiropractic will lead us. 

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor, in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She incorporates Chiropractic care with a variety of modalities to help patients reach their full potential

Saline, Silicone or Fat?

Did you know that there is a fat transfer breast augmentation available for women who don’t want to receive saline or silicone implants? I did not until I listened to the Rational Wellness podcast, hosted by Dr. Ben Weitz. He recently featured Dr. Robert Whitfield, a board-certified plastic surgeon who does this type of augmentation. He places the fat from the abdomen of a woman into their chest region for breast augmentation. This is only available for those who have had children, as their breast tissue is more pliable for this type of procedure. 

Dr. Whitfield also developed the SHARP Method, which is a Strategic Holistic Accelerated Recovery Program for those with symptoms after they’ve received breast augmentation surgery. Whether it’s silicone or saline, this is a foreign substance to the body, which will form a capsule around the implant as a natural defense mechanism. A certain percentage of patients may experience brain fog, chronic fatigue, joint pain and autoimmune responses after augmentation. These symptoms are often dismissed by health professionals, not acknowledging that implants could be the culprit.

Dr. Whitfield is aware of the peer reviewed data that 29% of tested implant capsules contain bacterial contamination found with PCR testing, not detected through standard culture. Dr. Whitfield developed the SHARP Method to help these patients. Before extracting the implants, he does genetic tests to determine the state of the patient’s detoxification pathways. He also tests hormone and microbiome imbalances along with the PCR test to determine if there is a bacterial overgrowth. The results allow him to create a protocol that prepares the patient a few months before the extraction surgery. 

Afterwords, Dr. Whitfield’s method includes regular follow ups and testing to ensure surgical recovery and improvements in their original symptoms. This individual approach to each patient’s genetic chemical makeup is important as no two people are alike. If you know something is wrong but aren’t getting any answers, be persistent, perhaps a health professional who thinks outside the box can help.

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor, in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She incorporates Chiropractic care with a variety of modalities to help patients reach their full potential. 

Leg Amputation Prevented

Dr. Kirk Gair presented a complex case in the August 2026, The American Chiropractor, of a 16-year-old girl who entered his office with crutches. She couldn’t put any weight on her leg. Her pants were cut from the thigh down as fabric against her skin felt like razor blades, including the bed sheet at night. Her leg was cold to the touch and purplish red from the middle of the calf down to the foot. 

She had rolled her ankle eight months earlier at a homecoming event. Medical doctors confirmed that she had a sprain, gave her crutches, told her to rest, ice and compress and that she’d be fine in 4 to 6 weeks. Eight months later she was still on crutches and in constant pain. She went to Children’s Hospital, and the doctors had no idea what she had. They said that the lack of blood flow gave her a risk of serious infection and tissue death, so they recommended amputation at her mid-thigh. 

Instead, she and her mother went to Dr. Gair to see what he could do. He told them that he would try to help but made no promises. Dr. Gair felt that the sprain had triggered something that transforms a brief injury into a nightmare that can last for years. Dr. Gair coined this as NeuroRecalibration territory. For when a nervous system loses the ability to stand down, locked in protective patterns that outlast the original injury. The nervous system keeps firing and pouring inflammatory signals into the area constricting circulation, and amplifying pain response. This medical condition is called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

To change these patterns Dr. Gair used a multi-pronged approach. Red and violet lasers were applied over her head, spine and leg. He also adjusted her, included other modalities and the mirror box therapy technique. Within three weeks of this intensive protocol the temperature in this patient’s leg was normal. The color was normal. The blood flow was normal and the exquisite sensitivity that had made a bed sheet unbearable was gone. This 16-year-old girl could now walk without crutches and put full weight on her foot. She had her life back and even went to prom. 

Dr. Gair didn’t chase symptoms, instead his protocol helped to reset the patient’s system, preventing her leg from being amputated. This case occurred decades ago and spurred the continued use of his NeuroRecalibration approach with patients. He also lectures and is currently writing up cases for peer review. 

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor, in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She incorporates Chiropractic care with a variety of modalities to help patients reach their full potential. 

Have You Heard of MRKH Syndrome?

MRKH or Mayer‑Rokitansky‑Küster‑Hauser syndrome, is a medical condition associated with being born without a uterus, known as Müllerian agenesis. This occurs in one out of every 4,500-5000 female births. I found out about this after watching an interview of a woman, who had not gotten her period as a teenager. After a series of blood tests and an ultrasound they discovered that she did not have a uterus. She did, however, have her fallopian tubes and ovaries. 

This diagnosis caused her deep concern, as in her religious upbringing she intended on meeting a man, getting married and starting a family in a few years. The doctors gave her a few options for having children: adoption, use a surrogate or receive a Uterine Transplant, which she wasn’t aware was possible. A few years later she met the man that would become her husband and very early on informed him of her syndrome along with their options for having children. He was completely onboard, which created a deep sense of calm for her. 

After they got married, they began looking for clinics that performed uterine transplants and were accepted into a clinic a few states away. They decided to move there to make the whole process easier. The organ donor would be deceased and that person’s family would need to give their permission for this transplant to occur. Once this woman received the call that a donor uterus was available, she underwent the surgical transplant procedure, and it was successful. 

She had to go on many medications due to the rejection that occurs with transplants. Not long afterwards the doctors used her eggs and her husband’s sperm to do in-vitro fertilization. It took and her healthy baby girl was born 9 months later. She will attempt another pregnancy and hopefully have a second child. After that the doctors will take out the uterus as they want her off all the medications to live a healthy life.

I was moved by the experience that this woman had. Quite the testament of how amazing our bodies are and what is possible beyond our wildest dreams. 

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor, in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She incorporates Chiropractic care with a variety of modalities to help patients reach their full potential. 

Improved Disc Height

A newly published study in the 2026 Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research examined 38 patients using The Blair Upper Cervical Technique. In this study they used X-rays to measure the disc heights of the vertebral bones in the neck, as well as the degree of the neck curve and forward head translation. Radiographs were taken at the beginning of care, then again after three months, six months, and finally twelve months. 

Investigators found a 42% statistical improvement in the heights of the discs in the neck even when initially there was not a significant change in the curve or in the reduction in the forward head posture. As treatment progressed, the relationships among disc height, neck curvature, and head position became increasingly integrated, supporting the hypothesis that the spine of the neck was functioning as a more cohesive biomechanical system over time.

Discs serve as the spine’s primary shock absorbers. They distribute compressive forces, preserve spacing between vertebrae, maintain the openings through which spinal nerves exit, and contribute to overall spinal stability. As discs lose height through degeneration, the mechanical loading patterns change, stresses on surrounding joints increase, and the risk of degenerative changes throughout the spine of the neck rises. The ability to maintain or restore disc height has therefore been considered an important indicator of spinal health.

“This study is potentially groundbreaking because it demonstrates that chiropractic care may influence one of the spine’s most important structural tissues, the intervertebral disc,” said Matthew McCoy, DC, MPH, Editor of the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research. This study expands the scientific conversation beyond symptom relief and toward understanding how chiropractic care may influence spinal structure and biomechanics over time. 

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor, in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She incorporates Chiropractic care with a variety of modalities to help patients reach their full potential.