One of the most common problems I deal with as a chiropractic is the herniated disc. These discs are the cushions between vertebrae. They are made of cartilage, like your ears or the bottom part of your nose. The disc has two parts, the annulus fibrosis and the nucleus pulposus. The annulus surrounds the nucleus and, when healthy, contains the nucleus where it belongs. Picture a jelly doughnut. With a lot of trauma accidents, the nucleus with break through the annulus and stick out into the spinal canal. This is not good. The spinal canal contains your spinal cord which is full of nerve fibers. The broken disc can hit the nerves where they come out of the spinal cord, called the nerve root, causing pain to shoot into the arms or legs. This is commonly known as a "pinched nerve".

When I explain to patients their problem, I tell them that medically and legally this is a permanent injury. That herniation will not likely migrate back into the disc due to the pressure inside that disc. I help them mostly with traction therapy, ice or heat, electric stimulation, rehab exercises, and sometimes massage therapy. I tell the patient that they are likely to experience 6 to 9 months of a fair level of pain, followed by good days and bad days.

This week was filled with many good days. Rachelle and I picked a house to buy and our offer was accepted. There are still many steps before its official, but it appears we are moving to Langhorn, PA. I feel like we got a pretty good deal on a big house and even though its going to be daily projects for the next couple of years, I am really excited. We even have a pool, which is a great dream right now as a watch the snow fall down outside my window.

Dr. Dan had his loptop stolen at work along with his brand new kindel. He called the guy and got it back. Go Dan !

I don't have to work today.

Hopefully this trend continues.

Tropic of Cancer

I finished Tropic of Cancer last week, probably on Tuesday. Good, not great. Why did he start so erratically, I mean, he didn't keep this method of a free flow form throughout the entire book. Was it just to grab my attention? Sorry Henry Miller, but I've read worse than the word "cunt" before. I suppose this was a big deal back in 1930, but we have progressed way past most of the shocking thing this book talks about. The exception would be the general acceptance of bed begs and STDs. These things still were able to gross me out a little, much more then the profanity.

The story is about Henry Miller living the free life in Paris. It follows his daily adventures of trying to find food and getting laid by prostitutes. He tells many very funny stories about his friends, my favorite was the Gandhi follower who goes to the whore house. Very hysterical. The book also leaves you with that taste for a want of freedom, to live day by day with no cares (much like "On the Road" did). This philosophy sounds fun until that scary period of days without a meal reality hits you. Starving is not fun.

I had a great 30th birthday weekend. Rachelle got me a new guitar! She's a Martin and she's beautiful. I need to figure out how to get pictures up, or maybe video. On Friday we went to dinner at our favorite Tai restaurant in Conshohocken with our good friends the Crookers. They got me Lego Star Wars for Wii. I still haven't been able to be Han Solo yet. Saturday I got a massage up in Yardly, then started looking at house to purchase. Today my parents came over and we went to the Pub, which sucked. Not going back there anymore. Overall it was a fantastic weekend and I can't wait to play some more guitar.

I pray my 30s are in line with my 20s and hope for another decade of growth and happiness.