newportbeachindy . com JULY 5 , 2024 7
LOCAL FOCUS
When the Spine is Fine You Probably Are Too
By Richard Simon | NB Indy “ Sit Up Straight !” As a parent , you ’ ve probably said that to your children — more than once .
And if those children were to have listened , Newport Beach Chiropractor Dr . Lisa Parissi most certainly would be far less busy than she is now .
Even had her more youthful patients paid attention , all that discipline may have gone out the proverbial window thanks to the inventors and marketers of smart phones , tablets and other devices whose continual and constant use have created what is widely termed “ tech neck ,” a condition caused by looking down at the hand-held screen for hours on end .
One could argue that Johann Gutenberg , inventor of moveable type and printer of the famous Gutenberg Bible in 1450 , might have been responsible for early tech neck ( Print Posture ?), but , Parissi opines , readers most always look up , put their books and magazines down , then move about , thereby giving muscles and ligaments a needed break .
Today , seldom do you see someone reading a book as they amble down the street , while seemingly everybody walks , drives or rides their bikes while looking down at the smart phone screens — all potential Parissi patients . if not from tech neck then from sprains , strains and spinal misalignment .
Chiropractic is much more than crack-a-back treatment for body aches .
“ The function of chiropractic is to remove interference and blockages that prevent the nervous system from working properly ,” Parissi shared .
Parissi is among the one percent of chiropractors who practice “ chiropractic physics ,” which , she explains , is engineering of the spine .
“ We look at optimal angles of the spines . Years of research have shown that anything outside of those angles will cause dysfunction of organs and muscles , often causing pain ,” explained Parissi .
The beauty of chiropractic , she says , is that “ We don ’ t chase pain , we don ’ t treat systems … we treat structure , fix the posture allowing functions to improve . We remold the spine into better posture to allow the biomechanics to function .” Proper posture is the goal , she emphasized .
Beyond smart phones , posture can be affected by poor sleeping positions , or slouching at one ’ s desk at the workplace for too many hours (“ Desk Ergonomics ”). The obvious solution : quit going to work !
When the head droops and the chin nears contact with one ’ s chest , Parissi informs that oxygen to the brain is reduced by 300 percent . Merely looking down ( hello , smart phones ), the
Newport Beach Chiropractor Dr . Lisa Parissi working on a patient .
lungs receive 40 percent less oxygen . The result is “ oxygen starvation ” to the organs , and to the immune system … just a “ heads-up ” warning from the chiropractor .
Fortunately , this article is not a scientific paper , but we can share a weighty anatomical fact .
“ When the head leans forward in front of the gravity line , 10 pounds
CHARITY SPOTLIGHT
25th Annual Eric Marienthal & Friends Concert in Newport Beach on July 14 Raises Funds for High Hopes
By Christopher Trela | NB Indy A musical milestone comes to Newport Beach this month to raise funds for a nonprofit organization that is changing lives .
The 25th anniversary Eric Marienthal & Friends Concert at the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach
Lee Ritenour and Eric Marienthal at the High Hopes concert in 2023 . Photo by Jim Collins .
on Sunday , July 14 is a fundraising benefit for High Hopes Brain Injury Program , a local nonprofit organization celebrating its 50th anniversary that works with people who have suffered traumatic head injuries .
CONCERT Page 8
of apparent head weight is added ,” Parissi said . She cites the recent case of a 90-year-old male patient who was literally warped ( not a medical term ) forward , down and sideways , virtually unable to stand without aids . His head was so bent forward that he could not look up ; his leaned-over head weight measured 86.4 pounds . After six months of weekly treatments to “ reform the ligaments ,” the gentleman now stands nearly vertically and on his own ; and his head has a reduced weight of 54 pounds predicated on the angle to the ground .
When positioned atop the neck correctly in line with the ideal curve of the spine , the average adult head ( not counting IQ ) will weigh between 11 and 12 pounds . If one ’ s head sits significantly forward a minuscule three inches , the forces acting on the neck increase significantly , as if the head weighed 41 pounds . The tension on the neck and shoulder muscles appreciates accordingly , pain being one side effect .
Being round-shouldered also can lead to a shorter life span , Parissi observes , because nerves become compressed , resulting in diminished lung and heart performance and thereby causing a measurable reduction of oxygen to all the vital organs .
Parissi admits that she can ’ t take all of the credit for her patients ’ improvements , for “ 75 percent of healing is patient caused ,” she said . “ One of my goals is to empower patients to take control of their health rather than having to visit a doctor .”
“ A patient should feel at least a modicum of relief after the first treatment , showing that we ’ re on the right track ,” Parissi claims .
Researchers in Chiropractic Biophysics over the years have concluded that 36 to 72 visits are the magic numbers in the chiropractic-aiding process , providing that the patient follows prescribed self-help regiment . In Newport Beach , she observes that most individuals are proactive in their pain management , with many coming to the office for “ evaluation ” rather than emergencies .
So what does a preemptive evaluation include ? This aged feature writer went in to find out .
First , wear your specs , for the multipage health review is very complete — but in tiny type . It asks about current ailments , pains , site of the pain , and past and present major health issues . Parissi explains that this helps her to correlate pain ( if there is any ) in relation to possible organ dysfunction , which again relates to posture .
Next comes a 360-degree series of posture photos of the patient standing in front of a wall grid . The photos , when presented on a computer screen , show the patient with a green line descending from head to toe , juxtaposed to a red line indicating how the patient should be ideally standing . In my case … well , it revealed a life of contact sports , multiple bike accidents , gymnastic face plants , falling off a New Guinea jungle trail to collide with a boulder 20-yards down , 49-years of sea kayaking and slouchy TV viewing . Oh , if I could only go back to my original back .
Then come the X-rays . Those weren ’ t pretty , either , revealing a scoliotic spine whose misaligned vertebrae and compressed discs clearly showed from where some of my aches emanate .
Finally comes the education : enlightening . Then it ’ s decision time : stay as you are , consider treatment , or limp and shuffle on your merry way out .
Certainly , good health in large part begins with proper posture ( and fewer accidents ). In other words … listen to mommy , be careful and SIT UP STRAIGHT !
Dr . Parissi can be reached at ( 949 ) 387-1333 , or via her website at wellnesschoice . com