Complimentary Consultations

A complimentary consultation is available to anyone who wishes. This is available either face to face, or over the phone. Please click on the "Hand" button below for details.

Alameda Marina Wellness Center

Vitalogy Chiropractic is located within Alameda’s premier wellness center.  Over 35 years of experience between our staff in treating and bringing you the best care possible!

Chiropractic is drug-free. Chiropractic is safe and natural. Chiropractic is backed by research. And chiropractors enjoy one of the highest levels of patient satisfaction in health care!  Chiropractic is the leading profession in caring for our friends and families with drug-free natural methods!

But how do you choose a good chiropractor?

Look for a chiropractor in Alameda who volunteers information. Look for a chiropractor in Alameda that is conveniently located. And look for a chiropractor in Alameda willing to field phone calls and answer questions.

Tour our site and then call our office. See why so many of your health-conscious neighbors already have!

The area known today as the City of Alameda (a Spanish name chosen by popular vote in 1853, meaning "grove of poplar trees") is part of a former Spanish land grant stretching from San Leandro to Berkeley, and given to Luis Peralta in 1818, by the Governor of California. Subsequently, Peralta gave this land to his son, Antonio Peralta.

WW Chipman and Gideon Aughinbaugh, enterprising young men, were the first American settlers to arrive in Alameda. Their pursuits led to the establishment of a large peach orchard signaling the beginning of the area's development. Subsequently, Chipman and Aughinbaugh purchased the Alameda land (then a peninsula) for the sum of $14,000.

On December 27, 1884, the City of Alameda was formally organized and on January 18, 1885, the Official Seal was approved and adopted. Its Latin inscription "Prosperitas terra mari que", freely translates as: "prosperity from the land and sea". The Island of Alameda was created in 1902 when a tidal canal ( the "Estuary") was created joining Oakland's harbor with the San Leandro Bay. With this move, Alameda was put on the map as an important shipping port.

Resplendent Victorian homes grace shade tree-lined streets covering the island's 12.4 square miles. An invigorating climate, manicured parks, historical business districts and numerous recreational opportunities offer Alameda's 72,259 residents (according to the 2000 Census) special living environment.

Chiropractic care can help pregnancy pain and ease delivery

February 26, 2009 — The stress placed on a woman’s body during pregnancy can lead to many complications that, while not life-threatening, cause discomfort or pain. In many cases, chiropractic adjustments can alleviate pregnancy pain, decrease delivery time, and improve the baby’s position in-utero.

Anne Packard-Spicer, DC, a faculty clinician at Northwestern Health Sciences University, says chiropractic adjustments can balance a woman’s spine and pelvis for normal functioning of the muscular and nervous systems. This allows better maternal body function, which will have a benefit to the baby.

According to Packard-Spicer, when a woman’s pelvis is properly aligned, the uterus will be under less nerve and mechanical stress, which causes the baby to be in a more comfortable position during labor. Chiropractic adjustments can begin at any time and can continue all the way up to the day of delivery.

“Many women worry about getting adjusted while they are pregnant, but chiropractic is gentle and very safe throughout pregnancy,” says Packard-Spicer. “There is no evidence that adjustments have ever harmed a pregnant woman or her baby. In my 12 years of experience, it is safe, gentle, and effective.”

Packard-Spicer says that pregnant women who are experiencing little to no pain should seek chiropractic evaluation to assess whether they are experiencing any misalignments. Asymptomatic patients may not need to be adjusted, but should be evaluated on a regular basis during pregnancy. Additionally, women who are considering becoming pregnant should receive chiropractic evaluations three months before conceiving.

Pregnant women who are experiencing back or leg pain should be adjusted two-to-three times a week until their pain is stabilized, says Packard-Spicer. In addition, she says that women who know their babies are going to be born breech should receive chiropractic adjustments.

Packard-Spicer adds that in her experience women who have followed the above regimen have had a much greater chance of turning their babies around under her care.

After delivery, women should seek chiropractic care within the first 12 weeks, adds Packard-Spicer. During pregnancy, the hormone relaxin circulates throughout the body, loosening the joints so that the pelvis can stretch open during delivery. After birth, the joints begin to tighten again. Checking for proper spinal alignment during this time may allow for the correction of chronic problems by allowing the spine to tighten in a normal alignment.

Source: Northwestern Health Sciences University, www.nwhealth.edu/nwtoday/index.html

The Truth about Flu Shots in Pregnancy

Sherri Tenpenny, DO [medical doctor]

October 4, 2009

Recommendations for vaccinating pregnant women are new

1. 12004: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP) of the CDC began recommending vaccination all pregnant women regardless of trimester. Researchers estimated that an average of 1 or 2 hospitalizations could be prevented for every 1,000 pregnant women vaccinated.  REF: MMWR: May 28, 2004 / 53(RR06);1-40.
   

2. 22009: There is insufficient evidence to recommend routine flu shots as the standard of practice for healthy women beginning in early pregnancy.  REF: Skowronski DM, De Serres G. Is routine influenza immunization warranted in early pregnancy? Vaccine. Jul 30;27(35):4754-70. 2009.
   

Pregnant woman are not frequently hospitalized for flu

1. 11998: Hospitalization ranged from 3.1 per 10,000 women-months in the first trimester to 10.5 per 10,000 in the third trimester.  REF: Neuzil KM, et al. Impact of influenza on acute cardiopulmonary hospitalizations in pregnant women. Am J Epidemiol 1998;148:1094-1102.
   

2. 22004: Women in the third trimester were hospitalized at a rate (250/100,000 pregnant women), comparable with that of non-pregnant women who had high-risk medical conditions.  REF: MMWR: May 28, 2004 / 53(RR06);1-40.
   

3. 32009: The numbers of pregnant women hospitalized with pandemic H1N1 infection are small. Pregnant cases represented 34 of 5,469 H1N1 cases diagnosed during a four month study.  REF: Jamieson DJ, et al. H1N1 2009 influenza virus infection during pregnancy in the USA. Lancet. Aug 8;374(9688):451-8. 2009.
   

Vaccinating pregnant women has not reduced hospitalizations

1. 11997-2002: A study of 49,585 pregnant women there was no statistically significant difference in rates of illness among vaccinated vs. unvaccinated women (4.5/10,000 vs.4.4/10,000). There were only two admissions per season for pneumonia.  REF: Black SB, et al. Effectiveness of the influenza vaccine during pregnancy in preventing hospitalizations and outpatient visits for respiratory illness in pregnant women and their infants. Am J Perinatol 21:333-339. 2004.
   

Pregnant women are generally as healthy as non-pregnant women.

1. 11997-2002: A study of 49,585 pregnant women, only 4.7% had outpatient visits for influenza-like illness.  REF: Black SB, et al. Effectiveness of the influenza vaccine during pregnancy in preventing hospitalizations and outpatient visits for respiratory illness in pregnant women and their infants. Am J Perinatol 21:333-339. 2004.
   

2. 22009: Symptoms of H1N1 influenza infection are similar in both pregnant and non-pregnant general population.  REF: Jamieson DJ, et al. H1N1 2009 influenza virus infection during pregnancy in the USA. Lancet. Aug 8;374(9688):451-8. 2009.
   

Careful examination of the numbers used to mass vaccinate pregnant women reveals

1. 1H1N1 occurs infrequently in pregnant women: 34 cases among an estimated 3,392,000 pregnant women in the U.S.
   

2. 2Among the 5,469 confirmed cases in the study, 0.62% were in pregnant women (34/5,469)
   

3. 3Hospital admissions among pregnant women were higher than in the general population (11/34 vs. 229/5,469).
   

4. 4The admission rate for pregnant women was 0.32 per 100, 000 and the estimated admission rate in the general population was 0.076 per 100 000. Hence the statement, “Pregnant women were more than four times more likely to be admitted than was the general population.”  REF: Jamieson DJ, et al. H1N1 2009 influenza virus infection during pregnancy in the USA. Lancet. Aug 8;374(9688):451-8. 2009.
   

Both seasonal flu shots and 2009 H1N1 flu shots are labeled “Pregnancy Category C” drugs, meaning:

1. 1Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted.
   

2. 2It is not known whether influenza vaccines can cause harm to the fetus.
   

3. 3It is not know whether influenza vaccines can affect reproduction capacity.
   

4. 4It is not known whether influenza viruses from vaccines are excreted in human milk.  REF: From a review of all manufacturer package inserts
   

Are anti-viral drugs safe to take while pregnant?

1. 1Both Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir) are classified as "Pregnancy Category C" drugs, meaning, there is insufficient information to assess potential risks to the fetus.
   

2. 2In lactating rats, Tamiflu was excreted in the milk. It is not known whether Tamiflu is excreted in human milk.  REF: From the package inserts
   

www.drtenpenny.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 16, 2010

Study: Starting with Chiropractic Saves 40% on Low Back Pain Care

A new study finds that low back pain care initiated with a doctor of chiropractic (DC) saves 40 percent on health care costs when compared with care initiated through a medical doctor (MD), the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) announced today. The study, featuring data from 85,000 Blue Cross Blue Shield beneficiaries, concludes that insurance companies that restrict access to chiropractic care for low back pain treatment may inadvertently pay more for care than they would if they removed such restrictions.

Low back pain is a significant public health problem. Up to 85 percent of Americans have back pain at some point in their lives. In addition to its negative effects on employee productivity, back pain treatment accounts for about $50 billion annually in health care costs—making it one of the top 10 most costly conditions treated in the United States.

The study, “Cost of Care for Common Back Pain Conditions Initiated With Chiropractic Doctor vs. Medical Doctor/Doctor of Osteopathy as First Physician: Experience of One Tennessee-Based General Health Insurer,” which is available online and will also be published in the December 2010 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, looked at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee’s intermediate and large group fully insured population over a two-year span. The insured study population had open access to MDs and DCs through self-referral, and there were no limits applied to the number of MD/DC visits allowed and no differences in co-pays.
Results show that paid costs for episodes of care initiated by a DC were almost 40 percent less than care initiated through an MD. After risk-adjusting each patient’s costs, researchers still found significant savings in the chiropractic group. They estimated that allowing DC-initiated episodes of care would have led to an annual cost savings of $2.3 million for BCBS of Tennessee.

“As doctors of chiropractic, we know firsthand that our care often helps patients avoid or reduce more costly interventions such as drugs and surgery. This study supports what we see in our practices every day,” said ACA President Rick McMichael, DC. “It also demonstrates the value of chiropractic care at a critical time, when our nation is attempting to reform its health care system and contain runaway costs.”

The American Chiropractic Association, based in Arlington, Va., is the largest professional association in the United States representing doctors of chiropractic. ACA promotes the highest standards of ethics and patient care, contributing to the health and well-being of millions of chiropractic patients.

Study: Antibiotics have little impact on child ear infections

By Miriam Falco, CNN Medical Managing Editor

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

1. •Giving children antibiotics for ear infections does little to speed their recovery
   

2. •Only using antibiotics when it's absolutely necessary may preserve the use of antibiotics
   

3. •The study found that 80 out of 100 children would recover from an acute ear infection within days
   

(CNN) -- Giving children antibiotics for ear infections does little to speed their recovery while raising the risk of some side effects, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study found that 80 out of 100 otherwise healthy children would recover from an acute ear infection within a few days if given medication only to relieve pain or fevers. If all 100 were given antibiotics instead, 92 would be better in the same period, said Dr. Tumaini Coker, the study's lead author.

"But we would also expect three to 10 kids to develop rash and five to 10 to develop diarrhea," said Coker, a pediatrician at Mattel Children's Hospital at the University of California-Los Angeles.

Coker noted that the increased number of children in the study who benefited from treatment with antibiotics was similar to the number that could be expected to get side effects from the antibiotic treatment.

"Clinicians and parents need to know the benefits and side effects on how to manage their child's ear infection," Coker said.

The study was designed to review existing research on the topic for the American Academy of Pediatrics, which is in the process of revising its guidelines for treating uncomplicated acute otitis media -- ear infections that cause pain and fever. The pediatricians' group and the American Academy of Family Physicians have suggested since 2004 that "observation" -- avoiding antibiotics -- is an option for treating ear infections in otherwise healthy children between the ages of 2 and 12.

Of the three basic types of ear infections, acute otitis media may benefit from antibiotics because it is often caused by a bacteria. But it also can be caused by a virus, which won't respond to antibiotics.

Another type of ear infection, otitis media with effusion, causes a buildup of fluid in the middle ear. That is also caused by a viral infection, against which antibiotics are ineffective. But antibiotics usually work for the third type, otitis externa, or "swimmer's ear."

It is the academy's policy to review guidelines every three to five years, according to Dr. Allan Lieberthal, a pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente in the Los Angeles area and chairman of the academy's committee revising the guidelines.

Lieberthal said that while he is not in a position to say what the new guidelines will be, the results of this study, which summarizes a much larger report on existing data, will factor into the new recommendations.

"We're hoping to be finished with the new guidelines by this spring," Lieberthal said.

The study found that it doesn't matter which antibiotic is used to treat an ear infection when antibiotics are warranted. It found older types such as amoxicillin work as well as newer and more expensive antibiotics. Coker said for a child who weighs 44 pounds (20 kilograms), a seven-day course of cefdinir costs about $96, while the same course of amoxicillin costs $34. The cheaper drug was prescribed in 49 percent of cases, according to the research. Lieberthal said newer antibiotics generally produce more side effects because they are more complex drugs.

Using antibiotics only when absolutely necessary may allow continued use of antibiotics for future generations, because overuse of the drugs is contributing to antibiotic resistance, the doctors said.

This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched a campaign called "Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work." Educating parents about ear infections is one of the targets of the campaign, said Lauri Hicks, the campaign's medical director. Hicks said antibiotic resistance "represents a community problem" because every time bacteria get exposed to antibiotics, "they put on a new coat of armor that reduces the effectiveness of antibiotics."

Hicks said she understands parents want their children to feel better, but they can always ask their doctor or pharmacist if there are alternatives to antibiotics.

Find this article at:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/16/antibiotics.ear.infections