Mark L. Bushee, D.C.

Low back pain (LBP) can strike at any time or place, often when we least expect it. There are “self-help” approaches that can be of great benefit, but many of these approaches can fail, or worse, irritate the condition. Here are some “do’s and don’ts” when self-managing low back pain! Ice vs. Heat? Typically, people [..]

Anheuser-Busch is the world’s leading brewing company. One of their wholesalers, Brewers Distributing, is located in Peoria, IL. Many of their employees spend most of their time moving around heavy cases and kegs of beer. “Having noticed a large number of workers compensation cases due to lifting-related injuries, the company decided to introduce several workplace [..]

Chiropractic is often sought after for managing conditions associated with the nerves, muscles, bones, and joints (or the “neuromusculoskeletal system”), and typically NOT for conditions associated with blood sugar (which is also called dysinsulinism, since insulin controls our blood sugar levels). Insulin controls the level of our blood sugar and is secreted by the endocrine [..]

Whiplash—or “whiplash associated disorders” (WAD)—is a relatively common injury usually linked with a motor vehicle collision (MVC) during which the head is whipped forwards and backwards (when rear-ended) or sideways (if T-boned). Let’s look at some facts: 1) WAD is often ignored or mistreated due to a lack of understanding about the condition. 2) WAD [..]

Fibromyalgia (FM) causes widespread pain to an estimated 5.8 million Americans. FM is considered a “musculoskeletal disorder,” even though many of the symptoms include other body systems, especially the gastrointestinal system, as conditions such as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) often co-exist with FM. It is thought that FM is a disorder that amplifies the manner [..]

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) results in pain, numbness, tingling, grip strength weakness, interrupted sleep, and can interfere with work, social family, and recreational activities. Symptoms can radiate up the forearm and down into the fingers making tasks that require intricate finger movements very difficult. Many of us know someone who has had carpal tunnel surgery, [..]

Last Month, we covered the first two of four primary goals when it comes to the chiropractic management of neck pain (#1 - Pain Management and #2 - Structural realignment). This month, we will conclude this discussion with #3 - Functional Restoration and #4 - Prevention. 3) FUNCTIONAL RESTORATION: Restoring function basically allows the patient [..]

Low back pain (LBP) is the most common complaint for which patients seek chiropractic care. X-rays are a common diagnostic tool utilized by most healthcare providers. Let’s take a look at the role of x-rays and how they are used by both medical practitioners and chiropractors. X-rays are a form of radiation (similar to light [..]

DEFINITIONSScientific research articles use words that have important meanings in interpreting the value of a study. Such important words include:Correlation / AssociationCausationReverse CausationWe will use the words correlation and association as being synonymous, or as being the same.Correlation (association) (1):There is a relationship between two or more variables.Correlations can be positive or negative. In a positive correlation, as one variable [..]

Chiropractic care focuses on treating the whole person and realigning the spine to maximize function and health. This month’s focus is on the feet and how they can have a tremendous effect on the whole body. Let’s take a look!Did you know that the foot consists of 26 bones, 33 joints (20 of which are [..]

Because the spinal cord is housed by the spine and the exiting nerve roots communicate with the autonomic nerves that basically run our organ function, maintaining alignment of the spine and pelvis is very important to minimize nerve irritation and subsequent health-related problems. The focus of this article is on leg length, its effect on [..]

When discussing the topic of whiplash injury recovery, prompt assessment, treatment, education, reassurance, and advice can be VERY EFFECTIVE in helping the injured crash victim improve during the acute stage of the injury (the first three months). But after three months, when the condition becomes more chronic, which interventions are the most beneficial? More specifically, [..]