FREE COLD LASER THERAPY SESSION in June 2011

The staff at Austin Family Chiropractic is pleased to announce the 1-year anniversary of the purchase of their newest Cold Laser Therapy machine, the TQ Solo. They are excited to offer this type of state-of-the-art therapy to the residents of Virden, Girard and the surrounding communities.

The staff at Austin Family Chiropractic in Virden, IL believes that Cold Laser Therapy can produce amazing results. They should know, since their clinic has been serving North Macoupin County with Cold Laser Therapy services since July of 2005 when the clinic purchased it’s first three Cold Laser Therapy machines. This month they are offering ONE FREE LASER THERAPY SESSION to anyone with an indicated condition.

Dr. Austin found out about the TQ Solo at a seminar at Logan College of Chiropractic in St. Louis, MO one year ago this month. It turns out that this machine is the very same laser device that the Chicago Blackhawks team trainers use. It’s actually the same laser that helped Jonathan Toews lead the Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup championship in 49 years (in 2010) and earn himself the Conn Smythe trophy as the playoff MVP on June 9, 2010.



You see, Toews was struggling with a shoulder injury before the 2010 playoffs began. Thanks to this highly portable Cold Laser Therapy device which was always able to make road trips with the team, Toews not only played in all 22 playoff games, but excelled as well with 7 goals and 22 assists for a total of 29 points! Dr. Austin then realized that he needed to add this TQ Solo laser to his clinic’s arsenal of Cold Laser Therapy machines. Austin Family Chiropractic’s TQ Solo arrived during the last week of June 2010.

How does Laser Therapy work? Cold Laser Therapy increases circulation within minutes. It increases range of motion and quickly decreases inflammation too. It inhibits bad prostaglandins, which cause inflammation. It increases serotonin, which decreases pain. In addition, it increases endorphins which make us feel good. And the thing that Dr. Todd Austin gets most excited about is the fact that Cold Laser Therapy actually causes cellular regeneration, which speeds up the healing process.

What are the indicated conditions or applications for Laser Therapy? Laser therapy has a wide spectrum of indicated conditions, to include such things as: Arthritis, Intervertebral Disc Disease (to include a herniated disc in the back or neck), Sprains or Strains, Tendonitis, Bursitis, wound healing, burns, bruises, both pre and post operative, post-fracture repair and post-orthopedic surgery rehabilitation. They have seen excellent response to Cold Laser Therapy in tendonitis (shoulders, elbows), bursitis (shoulders, hips), herniated disc disease in necks and backs, and lots of foot, ankle and knee complaints already in the 1 year that they’ve had their new TQ Solo laser machine.

Laser therapy has shown significant benefit in both acute and chronic conditions, so if you hurt for any reason, we highly recommend you try Cold Laser Therapy.
More importantly, Cold Laser Therapy provides relief and the potential to reduce the use of anti-inflammatory pain medications. This is extremely important for people who have kidney or liver problems and offers an alternative therapy that may allow you to live a longer and more pain free life.




The staff at Austin Family Chiropractic knows that Cold Laser Therapy can produce amazing results. Therefore, this month they are offering ONE FREE LASER THERAPY SESSION to anyone with an indicated condition that Dr. Austin believes it could benefit. If you like the results of the Cold Laser Therapy and feel you can benefit from this therapy, then you can purchase a package of six sessions and they will give you an extra session for free. To qualify, this purchase must be made within three business days of your initial free therapy session.

To facilitate this promotion, they have reserved slots in their appointment schedule just for you. Please call Dr. Todd or Eugena today at (217) 965-3100 to schedule your FREE LASER THERAPY SESSION. Your body will thank you!

Austin Family Chiropractic appreciates your continued business. We wish you a happy, healthy and fun summer.
217-965-3100
www.AFCvirden.com

Helping 'Statin' Sufferers!

As a holistic-minded Chiropractic Physician, part of my job in the year 2011 is also to be a better detective than many Medical Doctors are. This also entails cleaning up some of the drug-induced messes that they create. Take STATIN drugs for example.

We had a patient several months back who had been on a statin (per his M.D.) for 5 weeks. This fellow was a once per month chiropractic maintenance patient in great musculoskeletal health. I should know since I've been caring for his spine for over a decade. So he now presented to my office with his right arm being almost totally useless. In fact, this muscular guy in his early 40's who normally chops firewood and hand delivers calves for fun, and who had no recent traumas could not even use his right arm to drive home from his workplace! My exam revealed nothing out of the ordinary. No musculoskeletal pain or tenderness at all! Hmmmm?

When I found out that he was taking a statin, I told him all of the things his M.D. hadn't told him. I then recommended he take CoQ10, a special kind of Vitamin E & Omega 3 fatty acids. He called the office less than 48 hours later to report that he had followed through on all of my suggestions & his arm was now 80% better.

Score: Nutrition 1, Statins 0

Then 2 months ago, a long-time chiropractic maintenance patient in his 50's told me about a new complaint, which was in the area of left elbow tendonitis. Once again, a lack of pain or tenderness on exam led me to suspect his statin drug, which he had now been on for years. I gave him my same exact recommendations (see above). 1 month ago, his elbow was just as painful. It's a good thing that he stuck with my recommendations though, because when I last saw him, he reported that after 6 weeks of saying bye-bye to his statin drug along with taking Omega 3, Vit E & CoQ10 his left elbow was now 80% improved.

Score: Nutrition 2, Statins 0

I could go on & on, but you're probably getting the idea by now. Statins do usually lower cholesterol by up to 50 points within a 6-month period. Other than that, in my professional opinion they are totally worthless to you as a patient. Of course they are definitely not worthless to Big Medicine & Big Pharma, since they make billions per year for these industries and are responsible for building entirely new cardiac wings on many a hospital.

We carry a book at Austin Family Chiropractic by Dr. Rodger Murphree. It's called "Heart Disease: What Your Doctor Won't Tell You". It's a $15.00 Must Read if you are one of those unfortunate souls who now finds yourself taking a daily statin drug.

BTW, all of the nutritional supplements that I mentioned are available at Austin Family Chiropractic in Virden, IL.

Yours in health,

Dr. Todd

Many thanks to other area D.C.'s for allowing us to help your patients too (with lasers & auriculotherapy).

At Austin Family Chiropractic, we are very appreciative of the many wonderful patients that we've met & served over the years who were referred to our clinic by other area Doctors of Chiropractic. Yes, you did read the previous sentence correctly!

The truth is that it's fairly common these days for us to get referrals from other area D.C.'s from Carlinville to Springfield for the purpose of Cold Laser Therapy (for tough shoulder & knee cases) and Auriculotherapy (ie, our quit smoking program) as well.

I know that some more closed-minded D.C.'s would never refer to other D.C.'s due to the 'competition factor'. But rest assured that if your D.C. refers you to our office for either laser treatments or to quit smoking, we will do our best to assist him in his efforts to restore your health. We will then gladly refer you back to your primary D.C. for your regular chiropractic care.

This is because many D.C.'s don't have cold lasers like Austin Family Chiropractic does. And most of those that do only have one laser device. Please see my previous blog entry about 'all lasers not being created equal' for more info here. We've spent a lot of time (doing our homework) and money (thousands of dollars purchasing our clinic's full arsenal of laser therapy devices) dating back to the spring of 2005. Treating tough cases with low level laser therapy (LLLT) is truly a passion of ours, and is thus an ongoing process.

The same can be said of our quit smoking program, which for $100/person, currently boasts a 72% success rate. Dr. Todd has studied under 18 auriculotherapy pioneers from 5 different countries dating back to 2006. Helping folks to quit the nicotine habit is also a labor of love for us here at Austin Family Chiropractic in Virden, IL.

The truth is that all Doctors of Chiropractic are here to serve their patients and to improve the health of their respective communities. Collectively, it is our goal to make the world a better place through optimizing the health of our patients, one treatment at a time.

Austin Family Chiropractic now offering Cold Laser Therapy.

*The following article is being reprinted from page 7 of the 8-3-2005 issue of the Virden Recorder.

Laser therapy, which has been around since the 1960's in Europe, is used for all aspects of physical medicine, wound healing and rehabilitation. It has become a locker room staple for European sports teams and during the past five years has slowly been working its way into chiropractic offices in the United States, mainly on the east and west coasts. A Macoupin County Chiropractic Physician, Dr. Todd Austin of Virden, IL is now using this amazing technology in his office. Some of the results are quite staggering!

Austin was first introduced to this laser technology in the summer of 2004 at a chiropractic seminar. He then attended a weekend seminar devoted entirely to laser therapy in March 2005. "I was especially intrigued by the extent of serious shoulder injuries (rotator cuff, frozen shoulder, bursitis, etc.) that I witnessed responding to laser therapy at that seminar." says Austin. "I decided to devote the next few months to learn all that I could about lasers, to find the right laser equipment for my practice, and to save up the money to purchase this technology." And now Dr. Austin has done just that.

His laser equipment which arrived on July 16, 2005, actually consists of three individual laser devices. The first is suited for relaxing any kind of soft tissue injury, as well as promoting lymphatic drainage, while the second is specific for hard tissue problems like bones, joints and nerves (including conditions like sciatica and carpal tunnel syndrome). The third laser device is used for relaxing muscles as well as performing trigger point therapy and can also be used to perform acupuncture without needles.

Austin has been practicing needle acupuncture since 1993 and sees this 3rd laser as quite a breakthrough. "I love acupuncture, and have performed it for a variety of conditions. But I limit myself to doing three needle acupuncture treatments per day, since it is so time intensive. With laser acupuncture, I can treat each point (usually about 10 acu-points per patient) for just 30 seconds at each acu-point and get the same results."

And here's the kicker... most insurance companies won't pay for needle acupuncture which they consider "experimental", but will cover laser acupuncture which is usually included under the patient's therapy benefits.

"I see this as an awesome opportunity to introduce the benefits of acupuncture to more people throughout central Illinois," Austin explains, "and they won't even have to get stuck with needles."

The lasers that Austin uses are commonly called "cold lasers" or low-level laser therapy (LLLT) because they do not increase the temperature of the tissues that they contact, as compared to much more powerful "hot lasers" which are used for surgical applications in which the objective is to cut or cauterize tissue.



Photo caption: Dr. Todd Austin gave a laser demonstration speech at a local Toastmasters meeting. The speech was called "Lighting up Macoupin County".

Cold laser therapy directs a specialized beam of light to the injury site. On a cellular level this increases local circulation, improves tissue oxygenation and stimulates the production of ATP (the cell's energy blocks), allowing tissue to be more responsive and to heal faster. On a larger scale, cold laser therapy quickly decreases pain, increases range of motion and increases the tissue's ability to heal and handle stress.

Cold laser therapy is exciting for the results it delivers to both doctors and patients. These benefits include:

*Easy to use. Simply turn the laser on and move it over the area of complaint. Research has shown that this protocol alone increases healing time by up to 30 percent, although there are much more advanced protocols for conditions like shoulder injuries.

*Time saving. Patients often feel better within 30 seconds to 3 minutes.

*'Body saver'. The laser prepares the patient for the chiropractic adjustment. It quickly softens tissue and increases range of motion, so the Chiropractic Physician doesn't need to work as hard.



Photo caption: Dr. Todd Austin performing cold laser therapy on a patient.

"In the two short weeks we've been using the lasers so far at our clinic, we have treated over two dozen patients with this technology" said Austin. "Most patients are quite impressed with the results. We've had several patients who are low back pain sufferers who reported that when they got up off the treatment table after their laser treatment, their pain was totally gone."

The first lady that used Dr. Austin's lasers for a chronic shoulder problem hadn't had normal right shoulder range of motion in over a year. She reported that her shoulder was pain-free when she got off the treatment table. Two days later, just before her second laser treatment, she informed the doctor that her range of motion not only had returned to normal, but that she had abused her shoulder at work all day with no ill effects whatsoever!

Lasers speak for themselves -- through patients who have experienced their healing effects. For more info on cold laser therapy or to schedule an appointment call Dr. Austin's office at (217) 965-3100 or send e-mail to draustin@royell.net .

For more information from an independent resource on cold laser therapy, including more than 200 research abstracts, go to http://www.laser.nu , the Web site sponsored by the Swedish Medical Society. More information can also be found on Dr. Austin's website at: http"//www.AFCvirden.com .

Dr. Todd Austin speaks about "Healthy Sleep" on December 2010 LifePath DVD.

Dr. Todd Austin from Austin Family Chiropractic in Virden, IL was the first of five featured experts on the December 2010's monthly LifePath DVD. Dr. Austin, who has been serving the health and wellness needs of North Macoupin County, IL residents since 1996, spoke about "Healthy Sleep".

"Did you know that the position that you sleep in can determine not only how rested you feel in the morning, but can affect your overall health as well?" states Dr. Austin.

In his segment, Austin covered both proper and improper sleeping positions along with a few other tips as well.



Other featured speakers on the December LifePath DVD were Shihan Nico about a breathing technique known as "Centering"; Dr. Dan Pompa, D.C. speaking on "Flu Facts"; Dr. Harlan Sparer, D.C. showing that although nuts are a wonderful snack, they are much healthier when soaked first; and Dr. Jennifer Buonano, D.C. giving some great holiday shopping tips.

LifePath Productions is a chiropractic-friendly video production company from Carefree, Arizona. They produce monthly DVD's that hundreds of Doctors of Chiropractic now show to patients in their waiting rooms. Many D.C.'s also purchase extra DVD's every month to give out to patients and prospective patients, sort of like a video business card. LifePath Productions can be contacted at 1-888-787-8808.



Dr. Austin will be showing the December LifePath DVD off and on during normal business hours this month in Austin Family Chiropractic's reception room. The clinic also has extra copies to give to patients. For more information, Dr. Austin can be contacted at (217) 965-3100.

Dr. Austin to be featured on December 2010 LifePath DVD.

Photo caption: (From Left) Vera Almann, Dr. Todd Austin and Robert Smith.

Back in June 2010, at the Logan College of Chiropractic 75th annual homecoming seminar, I met Robert Smith & Vera Almann who are the co-owners of a chiropractic-friendly production company called "LifePath Productions". They produce professional-quality reception room DVD's for Doctors of Chiropractic. This made perfect sense to me, so I immediately signed up for their service.



I also bounced some ideas off of Bob & Vera, regarding some of the things that I'm truly passionate about, as it pertains to helping myself, my family and my patients to lead healthier and more productive lives. And as a veteran member of Toastmasters, I even completed an Advanced Toastmasters Communication manual a few years ago that was called "Communicating on TV".



Then in mid-September 2010 Bob contacted me, as they were planning to be in my neck of the woods in early October 2010 to film some chiropractic-related segments at Austin Family Chiropractic in Virden, IL.

I thought this was very cool, since they came all the way from Carefree, Arizona!



From my plethora of passionate chiropractic-related interests, Robert narrowed it down to "Proper Sleeping Habits to Maximize your Spinal Health" and "Holistic Tips for Sinus Health". So we shot those two 8 to 10 minute segments when they showed up at my office in North Macoupin County on Thursday October 7, 2010.

Each monthly DVD that LifePath Productions produces for Chiropractic Physicians and their patients consists of five 8 to 10 minute segments as follows:
- three relate to chiropractic
- one relates to some form of stretching or exercise
- one relates to healthy eating




Starting with November 2010, I now purchase extra LifePath DVD's to give out to my patients. Many patients have told me that they enjoy watching them and have already learned alot about different recipes, stretching, yoga, etc.



I just found out 2 days ago that I will be one of the five featured speakers on the December 2010 LifePath DVD. Woo Hoo! For a free copy of the DVD, please contact me at (217) 965-3100 or at draustin@royell.net .

Very truly yours in health,

Todd W. Austin, D.C.

OMG! I think the folks at Foot Levelers have lost their minds!!!

Yes, our friends at FOOT LEVELERS are offering a rock-bottom sweetheart of a deal for the entire month of OCTOBER 2010.

It's true ... I just got off of the phone with Roger at FOOT LEVELERS. ALL custom orthotics are on sale this month! NO exclusions!!! The folks at Foot Levelers must have lost all their marbles. I'm excited to get to pass on a great deal to my patients.

Our patients that have not ordered before can save up to $73. Even if you aren't a patient of ours, you can get in on the same deal.

Those of you who HAVE ordered FOOT LEVELERS before, within the past 24 months can save up to a whopping $90.

Either stop in, call, e-mail, tweet or facebook message us for more details.

These custom orthotics (actually called SPINAL PELVIC STABILIZERS) by FOOT LEVELERS are the best in the industry. They allow your chiropractic adjustments (of the low back, pelvis, knees, ankles, heels & feet) to hold longer & better.

Yours in health,

Todd W. Austin, D.C.
(217) 965-3100
AFCvirden on Twitter
draustin@royell.net
www.facebook.com/AustinFamilyChiro.AFCvirden