What Chair Should I Get?

A patient of mine always felt better after seeing me and his acupuncturist but felt frustrated that his back pain would always return. On this visit he mentioned feeling pretty good the entire weekend after his chiropractic visit, however on Monday, as the day went on, the discomfort in his back increased tremendously. I asked him about his office chair, and he said it was old and probably not very good.

I had him sit in mine, which he felt was comfortable, but since I’m 5’2”, it was too low for him. He asked me what chair he should get, and I told him that he needed to sit in many different kinds until he found one that fit like a glove. How we each are built differently and there is no one right chair for each person. He wanted a chair that was able to move up and down for his height and that was the right fit for his torso. We also discussed the placement of his keyboard and computer screen for proper biomechanics.

He took my advice and a couple of weeks later reached out to let me know that he had bought a new chair and that it had been making all the difference. He couldn’t believe that a chair could cause so much pain. He chose one that was a bit overboard on the cost, but worth it, as he felt so much better.

If you notice that your symptoms are worse after sitting, then perhaps a new chair is needed or placing a support pillow behind the back or other modifications that will make a difference. Keep investigating to see what will 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.

Have You Heard of Spinal Concussion?

Dr. Ken Murkowski was recently interviewed about this very subject and has firsthand knowledge of Spinal Concussions, due to his playing football in high school, college and in the NFL as a linebacker. His spine was severely injured in the NFL, and for three months he was unable to walk or run. He saw neurologists and orthopedists, who could not find anything wrong with him, yet his symptoms persisted. They suggested exploratory spinal surgery without knowing what was going to happen and without any guarantee, so he declined.

He then saw a chiropractor and received an extensive exam along with x-rays. This workup was unlike what the medical doctors did. The Chiropractic x-rays looked for Concussions of the Spine by assessing spinal axial rotation and the vertebral subluxation complex. This is very different than looking for fractures, dislocations or pathologies like the medical doctors look for.

The chiropractor located the subluxations, adjusted them daily and then 72 hours later, Dr. Murkowski was walking and running again, which he had not done in three months.

This led Dr. Murkowski to drop out of the NFL and become a chiropractor, understanding Spinal Concussion and how to help people through chiropractic. He also found out that in 1882 a British surgeon, Dr. John Eric Erichsen, wrote a book called Concussions of the Spine. Then In 1928 Dr. Harold Kroll, from Brussels, did a presentation in San Francisco to the Western Orthopedics Association about Spinal Concussions. How in the 1950’s NASA started looking at Spinal Concussions because of the G-force during the lift offs and landings and what that did to the spine and how it affected the body.

Those doctors were pioneers and understood that the head, neck and spine are one contiguous unit, which can get concussed with repeated microtraumas from sports, accidents, falls, injuries and even during the birth process on an infant’s spine. The accumulation of everyday activities at work, school, driving, slouching, crafting, playing instruments, factory jobs and a host of other activities also can create subluxations of the spine. These are often the root cause of pain, dysfunction, breathing problems, sinus issues, immune problems and many other health concerns that chiropractors are specialists looking for.

Dr. Murkowski suggested that one should do exercises that are opposite of one’s daily life. For example, if a patient golfs, then do a few strokes in the other direction to recalibrate the body after each hole on the golf course. Find specific movements that counterbalance what one does daily to lessen the load on microtraumas. The body will benefit greatly by combining those types of movements with consistent chiropractic care.

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.

Could Your Bra Effect You Negatively?

During a recent interview, Bree McKeen, who used to work in Silicon Valley, mentioned that she used to have tension headaches, pain in her neck and shoulders, grinding of her teeth and the feeling of having rocks on her shoulders by 3pm daily. She also said that there were indentations in her upper traps from her bra straps, even when she woke up in the morning.

To address this, Bree went to the chiropractor regularly and did six months of core exercises, which improved her posture and alignment. Unfortunately, if she stood up straight, she still felt two pressure points right in the center of her rib cage, from the steel wire of her bra. The chiropractor said that was a neuromuscular feedback loop. That if the bra hurt it would cause slouching and contribute to her ailments. He suggested finding a bra that felt great when standing straight.

From years of searching Bree knew that bra didn’t exist. She also knew that there was incredible technology out there from working in Silicon Valley. She understood that the body had to have good alignment, posture and function to work optimally. Bree looked at load engineering and wanted to create a different system as the first underwire bra was patented in 1932 and hadn’t changed at all since then.

She understood that the bra straps sitting at the trapezius muscle, might have to handle loads anywhere from 3 pounds to 20 pounds or more. How those straps impede lymphatic flow, which is important for overall breast health. That strap pressure also causes shortening of the trapezius muscle, which can affect the head, neck and shoulder area, create fatigue, poor posture, pain and other symptoms. She also found out that one could absorb up to 22 times the safe amount of BPA by wearing a bra for one day.

With the help of an investor, Bree founded Evelyn and Bobby, which she told the interviewer, is the first structural alternative to the underwire bra to hit the market. It’s BPA free, antimicrobial, women step into it to pull it up and it molds to fit the many ranges of body sizes. She mentioned receiving love letters from women who now feel comfortable all day, stand up taller, feel their shoulders falling away from their ears, aren’t in pain and are getting great support.

This is another example of doing whatever it takes to find a solution to one’s problems, which also helps others.

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 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.