When I was thirteen, my two-year-old brother was suffering from a serious case of torticollis, which had been misdiagnosed as possible meningitis. After just one chiropractic treatment, he was virtually cured. At that moment, I knew that my contribution to healthcare would be in the chiropractic field.

Like any idealistic young chiropractic student, I was electrified by the story of Harvey Lillard getting his hearing back after one adjustment from D.D.—the first chiropractic adjustment in history. I expected that kind of result routinely but, too often, the reality didn’t live up to my hopes.

I now know that, in today’s modern world, innate intelligence can be compromised by things other than subluxations. The body’s inherent wisdom has the healing potential to repair anything, but sometimes it doesn’t. The body cannot meet all its challenges successfully without the proper genuine replacement parts in the form of nutritional support. If that realization sounds simple, getting there was anything but easy.

Being a perfectionist, I was continually beating myself up over the patients I wasn’t helping; I went to seminar after seminar in search of new answers, better solutions, and more reliable techniques.

The breakthrough came with learning not to diagnose, but simply to ask the body what was missing, and in what priority. The nutritional technique that I incorporated into my practice is a whole story in itself. Suffice it to say that I found the method I was looking for, and everything else fell into line, except for one thing: there were patients who really didn’t come to be helped, or who had gone down the medical road so long that they were beyond the reach of nutritional help. You have to let those go. When they walk into your office, check them out, and don’t take them on unless you can actually get a win by helping them. You actually help fewer people when your attention is fixated on a case that came to you too late. Don’t be a martyr. That was the advice of my greatest mentor, and I pass it along to anyone else who can relate to this story.

As a result of these breakthroughs in my practice, I was able to accept myself as an effective, valuable contributor to my community.

The majority of my practice consists of the "Supermoms," females in the 35 to 55 age group. They need your help. And, since I am one of them, I know this for a fact. Getting into this profession, I never realized the challenges that would come with it as a female who also chose to have a family. It is one thing for the man to go off to work, but it is an entirely different game when mom goes off to work. Fifty years ago, running a home, taking care of the children and being the caretaker of the man was our full time job.

In today’s society, women are expected to do that "on the side," so there is a real finesse to keeping it all going, not just as a chiropractor mom, but even just as a working mom, in general. When I tell people my life and my schedule, they always ask, "How in the world do you get it all done?"

So, here are the secrets. Number one is keeping myself and my family healthy. And, as I mentioned earlier, though we all get chiropractic adjustments, with the food sources today, it just isn’t enough. The key is what I have found in the nutritional realm. In addition to chiropractic adjustments to keep everyone well, nutrition is the thing that seals the deal. This is what allows me to keep up such a hectic schedule and get it all done. We don’t get sick and, if we do, it is very rarely, because, as we all know in chiropractic, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. To a working mother, it is probably more like a ton. When you are regularly adjusted and are on the correct nutritional program, you can nip this one in the bud for sure.

These women are the ones who have to keep things together at home with the husband and the kids while also working a full-time job, no matter how bad they feel. They need our help and no one is specializing in them and giving them the TLC they need. When you help mom, you have not only helped her but you have also helped the husband and the children. And, before you know it, she is bringing them in for care as well.

Her chief complaints tend to be stress, fatigue, weight issues and depression. But she can come with more symptoms that you can name. I don’t worry about or get caught up in her symptoms, because I don’t treat symptoms. I find the true cause of the dysfunction which, usually, stems from nutritional deficiencies. When these are properly handled, the body will heal itself and miracles will occur.

What is great about handling the true cause is that you can position yourself as the expert of any health problem. By tapping into the innate intelligence of the body, you let it tell you what is wrong and then you can fix it.

 

I have seen true miracles in my practice by making a so-called "incurable" disease process disappear, having bone density restored without drugs—as verified by medical diagnostics. I have resolved the hot flash case without natural or synthetic hormone therapy of any kind. I have resolved the gall bladder attack cases, even after the gall bladder was removed. Most cases have substantial improvement in energy levels in just one week and routinely experience weight loss as a great "side effect" of the program. I routinely resolve the chronic subluxation case that doesn’t budge, despite the fact that they are seeing my colleagues and receiving great adjustments.

Any time I hear of my patient going for chiropractic, physical therapy and/or other related musculo-skeletal treatments more than six visits, I then begin to do my detective work and find out what is really going on. D.D. Palmer, in his original writings, cites examples of serious illnesses completely resolving in three to six visits. I became curious as to how 36 visits became the norm in modern-day chiropractic. I found the answers in Nutrition Response Testing.

A mother brought me her four-year-old boy who presented with severe symptoms of autism. There were so many quirks and functional abnormalities that social workers were working with the boy three days a week. This had gone on without improvement for over two years.

I did a routine analysis. Interestingly enough, the priority of this child was his gall bladder. Based on my findings, I made some nutritional supplement recommendations and a few dietary modifications and within six weeks the child was substantially improved. The social workers told the mom it was a miracle—all of a sudden, their years of working with the little boy were finally paying off. They didn’t know yet that he was under my care.

Within three more weeks, the social workers pronounced him "cured." There had been a complete resolution of all of the autistic symptoms—no more rocking of the body and head, no more flapping of the hands. His behavior was fully rational. The social workers decided the little boy should be considered normal after nine weeks of nutritional care.

I worked with a woman who had been suffering from Crohn’s disease for seven years. None of the medical treatments had done her any good, and she was doing an intense steroid drug therapy just to get through her day. Within three days of following the exact program I recommended, the patient was totally asymptomatic.

One of my most dramatic cases was a man who was on three different psychotropic medications. This poor gentleman was not doing well at all in life and really wasn’t functioning in society. He was 75 pounds overweight, with dark black circles under his eyes. He literally looked like the living dead. After doing the Nutrition Response Testing procedures, a year later he has all of the excess weight off, is off all three of the psychotropic drugs, holds a full time job, and—much to my surprise—is a very handsome and charming man; something that I surely had not seen a year earlier.

I feel very optimistic about the future of health care in this country, because of what I’ve learned and what I can do. This future starts by supporting the "Supermom" who is our most important patient. You just need great products, a great testing methodology, and a patient management system that keeps the practice stress-free. I feel truly blessed to have all three.

Dr. Lori Puskar lives in Clearwater Florida and is a member of the Florida Chiropractic Association. She is also married, the mother of a 5 and 7 year old, and a full time executive for Ulan Nutritional Systems, Inc. Dr. Puskar also delivers Nutrition Response Testing seminars locally and across the country and has spoken to thousands of doctors educating them on the need for real nutrition. She has built a highly successful nutritional cash practice in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, and still oversees the practice till this day. She is a stanch supporter of non-profit nutritional organizations preaching the truth in nutrition such as the Dr. Weston A. Price and Dr. Francis Pottenger Foundations. In addition she is active in groups regarding our children’s future such as fightforkids.org and Citizens Commission on Human Rights.

CASE HISTORY

This 70-year old female lost her balance and stepped off the curb and experienced severe lower thoracic pain.

DIAGNOSIS

Observe the compression fractures of the T7, T8 and T9 vertebral bodies. Note the osteoporosis which contributed to the weakening of the vertebrae allowing these fractures to occur with minimal trauma.

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

Radiographic Signs of Vertebral Compression Fracture. Radiographs of optimum quality are necessary in order to adequately demonstrate these fractures. Lateral radiographs best demonstrate fracture features. Radiographic signs of vertebral compression fracture include a step defect, wedge deformity, linear zone of condensation, displaced endplate, paraspinal edema, and abdominal ileus.

The Step Defect. Since the anterior aspect of the vertebral body is under the greatest stress, the first bony injury to occur is a buckling of the anterior cortex, usually near the superior vertebral endplate. This sign is best seen on the lateral view as a sharp step-off of the anterosuperior vertebral margin along the smooth concave edge of the vertebral body. In subtle compression fractures the "step" defect may be the only radiographic sign of fracture. Anatomically, the actual step-off deformity represents the anteriorly displaced corner of the superior vertebral cortex. As the superior endplate is compressed in flexion, a sliding forward of the vertebral endplate occurs, creating this roentgen sign.

Wedge Deformity. In most compression fractures, an anterior depression of the vertebral body occurs, creating a triangular wedge shape. The posterior vertebral height remains uncompromised, differentiating a traumatic fracture from a pathologic fracture. This wedging may create angular kyphosis in the adjacent area. The superior endplate is far more often involved than the inferior endplate. Up to 30 percent or greater loss in anterior height may be required before the deformity is readily apparent on conventional lateral radiographs of the spine. Normal variant anterior wedging of 10 to 15 percent or 1-3 mm is common throughout the thoracic spine most marked at T11 – L2.

In all compression fractures there should be clear differentiation from an underlying pathology that has produced the fracture. Key features of pathologic fractures may be identified by loss of the posterior body height, pedicle, and other sites of destruction, a paraspinal mass while on MR imaging abnormal marrow can be demonstrated.

Linear White Band of Condensation (Zone of Impaction). Occasionally, a band of radiopacity may be seen just below the vertebral endplate which has been fractured. The radiopaque band represents the early site of bone impaction following a forceful flexion injury where the bones are driven together. Callus formation adds to the density of the radiopaque band later, in the healing stage of the fracture injury. This radiographic sign is striking when present; however, it is an unreliable sign, since it is not present as often as might be expected. Its presence, however, denotes a fracture of recent origin (less than two months’ duration).

Disruption in the Vertebral Endplate. A sharp disruption in the fractured vertebral endplate may be seen with spinal compression fracture. This may be difficult to perceive on plain films and tomography; CT provides the definitive means to identification. The edges of the disruption are often jagged and irregular. The superior endplate is more commonly fractured than the inferior endplate.

Paraspinal Edema. In cases of extensive trauma unilateral or bilateral paraspinal masses may occur which represent hemorrhage. These are best seen in the thoracic spine on the anteroposterior projection but may occur adjacent to the lumbar spine, creating asymmetrical densities or bulges in the psoas margins.

Abdominal Ileus. This may occur with severe spinal trauma and is a warning sign to the observer that the trauma has been severe and the likelihood of fracture is great. Abdominal ileus is seen radiographically as excessive amounts of small or large bowel gas in a slightly distended lumen. It occurs as a result of disturbance to the visceral autonomic nerves or ganglia from pain, paraspinal soft tissue injury, edema or hematoma.

Dr. Terry R. Yochum is a second generation chiropractor and a Cum Laude Graduate of National College of Chiropractic, where he subsequently completed his radiology residency. He is currently Director of the Rocky Mountain Chiropractic Radiological Center in Denver, Colorado, and Adjunct Professor of Radiology at the Southern California University of Health Sciences, as well as an instructor of skeletal radiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO. Dr. Yochum can be reached at 1-303-940-9400 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Dr. Chad J. Maola is a 1990 Magna Cum Laude Graduate of National College of Chiropractic. Dr. Maola is a Chiropractic Orthopedist and is available for post-graduate seminars. He may be reached at 1-303-690-8503 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

REFERENCES

 1.      Yochum TR, Rowe LJ:  Essentials of Skeletal Radiology, 3rd ed., Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, Maryland, p. 513, 2005.