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Chiropractor helps West Bend man get back on track

It's been over 6 years since Larry Krubsack sold his manufacturing company, but the West Bend man isn't any closer to experiencing a rocking chair retirement. Between February and November of 2006, he and his wife Judith traveled over 26,000 miles throughout England and the U.S., including a long road trip to Florida and the Smoky Mountains. At 60 years old, active and in good health, Larry was feeling great. Then the headaches began...

"About 15 years ago, I was treated by a chiropractor for neck stiffness and tightness in my upper back," he explains. "I was given some exercises to do at home and that's been effective for me for all these years. Recently, however, the exercises were no longer working as well as they used to, and I started getting headaches along with a recurrence of my back problem."

Larry mentioned the symptoms to his primary care physician at the Aurora Health Center in Hartford, Michael Tye, MD, who suggested he see one of the chiropractors on-site. Larry walked down the hallway and made an appointment with Thomas Siegel, DC.

"Larry's accumulation of problems was primarily due to arthritic changes in the back and neck," says Dr. Siegel. "This is a very common condition in today's society that essentially comes from wear and tear of the joints. The disc material between the vertebrae and the bones of the spine start to wear out, which produces more stress and strain on the spine."

While arthritis is the root of the problem, he says, long hours spent driving, sitting at a desk, working on a computer, reading and talking on a phone cradled in your neck can lead to a flare-up of symptoms such as neck and back pain, tight muscles, stiffness and headaches.

"Arthritis can't be cured, but it can be treated to reduce the symptoms and help slow the progression of the disease," says Dr. Siegel. "Chiropractic care can help improve the mobility of the joints of the spine, therefore allowing the body to be in a more natural state. In turn, that helps decrease stress and strain on the nerves, muscles and on the joints of the spine."

"I felt immediate relief from the first visit," says Larry. "The headaches disappeared, and after about 4 adjustments, I was able to resume my normal exercise routine. Before I went to see Dr. Siegel," he explains, "I couldn't turn my head left or right to look over my shoulders. Dr. Siegel has a very nice touch. He really relieved the hot spots and tightness I was experiencing."

In total, Larry saw Dr. Siegel 7 times over the course of about 2 weeks.

"That's a typical plan with Aurora chiropractic care," notes Dr. Siegel. "After 2 weeks, we revaluate how the patient is doing with their range of motion and pain, and if they've experienced functional correction and pain relief, we release them with a plan of home care to maintain the benefit that we've achieved. If there hasn't been an improvement, we take advantage of the great team approach to care we have here at Aurora. I'll consult with an orthopedic specialist on-site, for example, or refer the patient to our excellent rehabilitation center for physical therapy. We also can get a more detailed diagnosis with the advanced technologies we have here like CT and MRI scanning.

"I don't think there is another health care organization out there that has this collaborative relationship of complementary medicine and mainstream medicine under one roof," he continues. "It's unique for the area, and our patients are the ones that really benefit. Working as a team, we are able to focus on what helps our patients best, in the most cost-effective way, and with the quickest results."

Common reasons people seek chiropractic care include back pain, arthritis, disc conditions, headaches, knee or ankle pain, neck pain, pinched nerves, sciatica, shoulder or arm pain and spinal stenosis. If you would like to explore chiropractic care as a treatment option for your condition, please schedule an appointment with Dr. Siegel or Dr. Kirk at the Aurora Health Center in Hartford, (262) 670-4000.