Cervical Degeneration and Cervical Vertigo

Ask the Docs

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December 31, 2019

Cervical Degeneration and Cervical Vertigo

By Dr. Jonathon Chung

Cervical vertigo is a controversial entity in the world of balance and vestibular disorders. It has generally been a diagnosis of exclusion when a patient is feeling dizzy but has no diagnosable pathology in the inner ear or brain.

The reality is that problems in the cervical spine are commonly linked to feelings of imbalance and disequilibrium. Cervical spine problems are rarely tied to the spinning rotational vertigo of someone having inner ear pathology. Most people with cervical “vertigo” really have which can include feelings of being really off balance, shaky, or a tilt like feeling of motion.

A 2018 study looked at how a degenerative problem in the neck can be associated with a diagnosis of cervical vertigo:

Mechanoreceptors in Diseased Cervical Intervertebral Disc and Vertigo

The study looked at patients with neck and arm pain related to cervical disc problems presenting for surgery. The patients were divided into patients with and without a complaint of vertigo. The patients with vertigo were examined to rule out other causes of vertigo like vestibular neuritis, benign positional vertigo, or stroke.

The research team examined the discs from patients with vertigo, without vertigo, and a control group of cadavers with no disc degeneration. The findings were really interesting.

In patients with vertigo, there are large increases in mechanical receptors in the degenerated discs compared to the patients without vertigo, and to the control group. These Ruffini Corpuscles help detect movement and position from your joints and muscles to help tell your brain what your joint is doing in space. Free nerve fibers are responsible for transmission of stimuli usually associated with pain. You can see the distribution below:

Patients with vertigo had significantly more Ruffini Corpuscles in their degenerated discs than the non-vertigo and control group. What does this mean for dizzy patients?

The data from the above chart in bar graph form showing increased receptors in the vertigo patients.

As expected, the patients with neck pain only, and neck pain with vertigo have a similar increases of free nerve fibers compared to controls. That’s probably why their neck is hurting.

However, a big reason why this study is interesting is because many people in the world of rehab and manual medicine would usually associate dizziness with a decrease in mechanical receptors in their spine, not an increase.

So what gives?

We don’t know exactly what this means, but it’s possible that increased density of these receptors may be transmitting excessive or erroneous information to the brain about the joint position.

The same group did a follow up study after they had performed disc surgeries on these patients. You can see the link to the study below:

Cervical Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Contributes to Dizziness: A Clinical and Immunohistochemical Study

During the study, they performed surgery on 50+ patients and 25 patients refused the surgery and received basic physical therapy and cervical collar recommendations. You can see the results below:

Comparison of patients with cervical dizziness and neck pain getting surgery vs routine physical therapy and neck bracing.

You can see that the patients who had the neck surgery showed clear and long lasting improvements in both neck pain and dizziness compared to the conservative group which implied that the degenerated disc was the probable source of bad sensory information to the brain.

So Is Surgery the Right Answer for Cervical Dizziness?

Maybe for some cases. If you have radiating arm pain with weakness tied to a badly herniated disc, then surgery might be able to help resolve both complaints, but there’s still a lot of research that needs to be done. Surgery is a BIG deal, and generally reserve that for really bad herniation cases with clear signs of neurological deficit like weakness, loss of reflexes, and atrophy of muscle.

The good news is there are a lot of ways to address cervical dizziness beyond routine physical therapy, and they have really great outcomes. One method is by improving the curve in the neck. A randomized trial of curve based rehab compared to routine physical therapy showed significant improvements in neck pain and dizziness at 1 year.

You can read some more about cervical curves and dizziness at this link:

Working on your curves: Long term outcomes from fixing military necks

Read on . . .

January, 2020 – AW in Pictures

Around Wellington in Pictures

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December 31, 2019

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January, 2020 – AW in Pictures

Equestrian Georgina Bloomberg. Photo by Nancy DV Miller

The Wellington High School Wrestling Team

Wycliffe Golf & Country Club gets an 18.2 million dollar renovation in 2019.

The FAU Owls won 10 of their last 11 games to finish the season at 11-3. Photo by Alan Fabricant.

Country song writer Emily Brooke heads up the 2019 Holiday Parade along Forest Hill Boulevard in Wellington. Photo by Carol Porter.

The Sweethearts go to London

Yummy Treats

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December 31, 2019

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Watch the short vlog of our married Dessert Reviewers (THE SWEETHEARTS) in London at DOMINIQUE ANSEL BAKERY demolishing pastries over tea(of course) with an invited lovely guest as well as an uninvited not-so-lovely guest.

LONDON BAKERY WEBSITE: https://dominiqueansellondon.com/

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE SWEETHEARTS (who just won BEST WEB COMEDY SERIES from THE PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL MINI FILM FESTIVAL at THE NORTON MUSEUM) at their YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQsDgrTayu4H-RLeGMwqT8g?view_as=subscriber

“Skinny Fat”

Health & Fitness

Cheryl Alker

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December 31, 2019

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EVER HEARD OF THE TERM “SKINNY FAT?” DOES IT APPLY TO YOU?

By Cheryl Alker

Whether we like it or not, the truth of the matter is that most people turn to exercise to maintain or reduce weight. The argument for that is of course, it doesn’t matter what the motivation is, as long as you exercise regularly. Who actually cares what got you there in the first place?

We all know, as it is certainly well documented, that regular exercise is essential for overall wellbeing.

So what if you were naturally thin? Do you think the motivation to exercise might be as strong? What about the motivation to eat healthy nutritious food?

Does the bathroom scale tell the full story?

The “perfect” number on the bathroom scale doesn’t guarantee perfect health. In fact most people automatically think that just because someone is thin then they are automatically healthy. However, the opposite can be true, as despite an ideal weight on the scale their lifestyle and nutrition can be far from ideal.

Unfortunately all too often, we look at the number in between our toes, and we use it to make conclusions about our health.

The truth of the matter is that “thin” individuals can be as dangerously out of shape and unhealthy as an someone who is overweight. In fact it can often be worse, as the motivation to make healthy lifestyle changes are drastically reduced due to the “healthy” number on the scale.

Dr. Mark Hyman from the Institute for Functional Medicine reports that 23 percent of healthy-weight adults and 37 percent of healthy-weight children are “metabolically obese but normal weight” (MONW). He calls this “skinny fat”. Those who are skinny fat are at risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, some cancers and every other disease that overweight individuals are at risk for due to their poor eating habits, lack of physical activity and sedentary lifestyle.

Unfortunately, what will often happen, is that a doctor will obviously speak to an overweight individual about healthy choices and risks associated with obesity. However someone presenting themselves with a Body Mass Index (BMI) that fits the “healthy’’ criteria will not delve into their lifestyle. Even they presume the patient is healthy if there are no other symptoms to suggest otherwise.

Does this apply to you? Do you have excess fat in the abdominal region? Do you get sugar cravings? Do you suffer with high blood pressure? Are you “skinny fat?”

If you believe this is the case it’s time to make a change. Eating whole foods including plenty of fruit and vegetables and drinking water regularly is vital. Don’t forget the exercise either. Include all the components of physical fitness:

Cardio – a brisk walk, hiking, cycling, swimming etc.
Muscular strength and endurance – a moderate weight training program, whether with weights or your own body weight.
Flexibility – don’t forget to stretch it increases range of movement at the joints and improves functionality.

So whether you’re “skinny fat” or overweight, healthy lifestyle habits apply to us all, no matter what the scales are telling us.

A Catseye View

Cat Talk

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December 30, 2019

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A Catseye View

By Jon Frangipane

“Look, Berkel, there’s a pretty little bird sitting out there on our seagrape tree. What do you say that we buy a nice pretty little bird who can sing pretty little songs to us all day.”

“I’d say I’m pretty sure that you’re pretty nuts to want a pretty little bird that sings pretty little songs all day. And besides, I eat birds; especially those that sing pretty little songs all day.”

“I realize that normal cats are predators, but I was so lucky to adopt you, Berkel, a cat who, despite a pea-size brain, and through some quirk of nature, happens to be able store a great amount of information, thus being quite cerebral, but knows that in order to live and breathe properly, one must be able to eat food, therefore be able to listen to and obey his master, who is, in case you haven’t noticed, in complete control, at all times.”

“Apparently you forgot that I asked you to get me a lady friend a few months ago. You know, that cute little pussy Mrs. O’Malley was giving away and you refused me with the excuse that the litter box ‘couldn’t handle anymore messy do-do,’ as you put it. And now I’m supposed to welcome some loony bird into this house with open arms. You are pretty nuts!”

“That may be all well and good, but let me tell you a true story.”

“Don’t tell me, it’s about a pretty little bird who sings all day long.”

“You are such a brilliant pussy cat, Berkel. And if you’re as smart as I think you are, you’ll clam up and listen!”

“I can’t wait. I’m all ears! And this better be good!”

“It was before you were born, about eight years ago, and I was cleaning up the patio when something yellow streaked into my living room through the open patio door.”

Berkel yawned. “If I fall asleep, just give me a nudge.”

“As I was saying, this yellow streak that flew into my living room turned out to be a love bird. A sweet, precious, tiny, lovable yellow love bird.”

“You never called me lovable,” declared Berkel.

“As I was saying, this sweet, precious, tiny, lovable yellow love bird flew into the kitchen, around the front loft, back into the dining room, sat on the piano and to my amazement began to sing Elvis Presley’s Love Me Tender. We’ll, I sat down at the piano and began to accompany the little yellow bird and we spent the entire afternoon singing and playing Elvis Presley songs.”

“But you hate Elvis Presley songs!”

“Yes, but this was different. This was a very special bird that even had some of Elvis’s moves. Ya know, how he moved his hips?”

“Hold it! Stop the train, I want to get off.”

“What train, Berkel?”

“This train loaded with horse manure, that’s what train!”

“So, you don’t believe my story?”

“Other than the fact that birds have no hips, I really do believe that you think this actually happened, but then I also happen to know you live in a fantasy world. Case in point: that day we had a party on the patio and you were about to take a bite out of your hamburger when a fly landed on it and you thought you heard the fly call out to his friends, saying ‘Hey, guys, the party’s over here!’ Remember? Then none of your friends would eat because you went a little crazy and sprayed all the food with Raid, and we had to order pizza out. Remember?”

“Of course I remember. But I also remember that my lovable lovebird tweeted love songs that warmed the cockles of my heart.”

“Well, I can’t tweet, and I may never warm the cockles of your heart, but who else in this world do you think would endure such a huge amount of pain and torture I have experienced in our short relationship?”

“Why, there’s, what’s-her-name. Her name escapes me for the moment.”

“Hey, get back to me later, it’s time for my nap!”

***

Jon Frangipane is a pianist and composer and former editor/publisher of the Lighthouse Point Magazine. He also co-facilitated the Fort Lauderdale Writers’ Group with writer/publisher Krista Martinelli. Also he owns a tennis racket.

Wellington Wrestling Team Finishes with a Perfect Score

Press Releases

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December 29, 2019

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Wellington Wrestling Team Finishes with a Perfect Score

The Wellington High School wrestling team captured the South Beach Duals tournament championship today finishing a perfect 8-0 for the two day event improving their season record to 22-3.

Sophomore 126 pounder James Marvel led the way being the lone undefeated wrestler for the Wolverines.

It was a fantastic turn around for us from last year at this tournament, when we finished 2-5 and lost to Palmetto Ridge 66-9. We got a rematch with Palmetto Ridge this year in the finals, so that was a great win to end on!

(Left to right): Elijah Green, Justin Henry, Mason Powell, Jesse Weinberg, Preston Morrow, Lukas Forehand, Dakota Gray, Jared Portu, Patrick Jones, Ryan King, Sean Mauermann, Jorge Garcia, Ethan Howard, James Marvel, Juan Quintero, Cameron Howard, Aaron Sandlofer, and Seth Rhodes.

Day 1 – Round Robin Pool Play

Wellington 38 Barron Collier 33

Wellington 71 Taravella 12

Wellington 60 Coral Springs Charter 18

Wellington 70 St. Thomas Aquinas 12

Wellington 58 Belton-Honea Path 18

Quarterfinals

Wellington 33 Cardinal Gibbons 28

Semi-Finals

Wellington 41 Cypress Bay 33

Finals

Wellington 43 Palmetto Ridge 27

An Ounce of Prevention

Living Green

Jathy Garcia

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December 29, 2019

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An Ounce of Prevention

Prevent returning home to a watery catastrophe

Too many times I hear distressed customers calling in about water leaks & the enormous damage this causes to a home or business. Not only do you feel anxious, desperate and frustrated but now you have to deal with the hassle of water restoration, mold remediation and out of pocket expenses. If only your home would be smart enough to at a moment’s notice shut off the water source if it detects a leak… well now it is.

As we enter into 2020, more and more people are finding home automation devices that can be easy to use right from the palm of our hand… or should I say mobile device. Well this little doozy does just that while saving you from a high water bill and thousands of dollars on possible water damage. This product made by Moen, one of the most reputable brands in the plumbing industry, has now introduced us to the smart capable water conserving system called Flo.

Flo by Moen detects and stop leaks whether it’s from your toilet, shower even the pipes in your foundation and behind the wall. It’s like a smart security system for your water source.

Here’s some pointers of what it does:

Automatically shuts down your home’s main water supply in the event of a catastrophic leak.
Proactively alerts you to potential water leaks and the overuse of water.
Alerts you to anomalies in water pressure, flow rate, and water temperature that can indicate problems with your freshwater plumbing.

Now you may ask, how is this installed into a home or business application? We recommend you hire a trained specialist, such as your local Hi-Tech pros, to properly install this into your existing water lines. The work will take approximately one full day and our specialists even show you how to download the app & set it up on your mobile device. So you’re in full control whether or not you have your mobile device, Flo is smart enough to shut the water off automatically if it senses the need. This prevents returning home to a catastrophic mess.

Flo by Moen is installed on the main water supply line to the home. Because it’s installed in-line, this allows the smart water valve to monitor all water going into the home. The smart water valve has three sensors that actively monitor water flow, pressure, and temperature.

Courtesy of https://www.moen.com/flo/how-it-works

In the New

Poem of the Month

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December 29, 2019

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In the New

By Denise Marsh

Revise Renew Rethink

It is time to look with new eyes.

A year in review

The tears,

The smiles,

The fears

A time to start anew.

Your heart is full

Your smile remembers the pain

And the blues

Cleansed by the rain.

Promises made Resolutions

written with care

Time to restart.

Live life with more flair

And choose “love” as your new trade.

***

Denise is a Writer and an Elementary School teacher in Palm Beach County. She has found writing to be a major catharsis in her life. You can hear her poetry at Open Mic night at Village Music in Wellington every Wednesday night.

2020: As Unpredictable as…Trading Sardines

Cultural Corner

LoriB

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December 28, 2019

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2020: As unpredictable as…

Trading Sardines

By

Lori Hope Baumel

Linda Raschke’s new book, Trading Sardines, is a lesson in perseverance with a capital “P.”

“There’s no better satisfaction than playing a piece well,

whether the instrument is a piano or the markets.”

– Linda Bradford Raschke, from The New Market Wizards by J.D. Schwager

Welcome to the new decade! Has it been 20 years since we all worried about Y2K destroying our computers? When the Baumel family brought in the new millennium it was an event to remember. We celebrated with great food and lots of live music. Amongst the musicians I jammed with was our friend Linda Bradford Raschke, an accomplished and talented musician. But, let’s back up in time a little bit…

In 1997, I was notified of an open house at New Horizons Elementary School. The night before the event, my daughter Rachel’s 3rd grade teacher, Karen Haligas, gave me a call to say there was a new family in the neighborhood. She said, “You both have so much in common. Linda is a musician and Rachel would be a nice new friend for her daughter, Erika.” Karen introduced us the next day. From the moment they met, a sweet friendship between Rachel and Erika was born. I also learned that Linda was an accomplished equestrian.

Although I was more interested in Linda’s musicianship, my husband Eric pointed out that Linda was featured in a book entitled The New Market Wizards by Jack D. Schwager. The subtitle of the chapter was Reading the Music of the Markets. Over time, Eric got to know Linda as a trader by attending seminars, while I enjoyed jamming with her on the piano, drums and guitar when we hosted parties and recitals.

Erika and Rachel were in school together from grades 3-8. Of course, as the years flew by, we watched our daughters perform in concerts and recitals. They enjoyed birthday parties, sleepovers and studied with the same voice teachers. The girls co-emceed the Bak Middle School of the Arts talent show and Rachel used to love visiting “Erika’s barn” to pet her beautiful horses.

New Year’s Eve 2000: fun at the piano with Erika, Rachel, Linda, Lori & Friends.

So here we are… it’s 2020 and no one knows what the future has in store for us. Let me correct that. I DO know one person who has spent four decades developing a plethora of formulas of what, at least, the short-term financial future may hold: Linda Bradford Raschke. But it’s taken her a lifetime of monitoring the markets and developing methodical techniques to get to this point.

Linda has outlined her practices in her new book, Trading Sardines. Raschke states, “In the markets, it is essential to stay in the game mentally. Sometimes it feels like running a marathon.” She emphasizes:

1) We are limited in our ability to forecast the future.

2) Following a process systematically is essential.

One data point at a time.

Trading Sardines is a sharp, witty CT scan of Linda’s fascinating life. You don’t have to be a stock trader to appreciate her writing. Just ride with it. You will definitely learn something along the way. The book balances both her professional and personal life in a manner that proves to be a real page turner. Trading Sardines is perfect for the reader who is intrigued by markets, formulas and theories. Yet, it doesn’t sit on the numbers and charts too long before it segues into Linda’s autobiographical stories from childhood to the present. She attributes her early music studies, with its scores containing symbols and patterns, to her ability to perceive patterns in the market.

If I didn’t know Linda for over 20 years, I’d say her stories are unbelievable. Yet, they are absolutely true. Due to Linda’s intense work life, travel schedule and dedication to her craft, I was vaguely familiar with her own private story. Trading Sardines filled in all the gaps. Not only does it cover years of trading, it discusses those who influenced and shaped her. The book leaves us with so much more. It teaches us methods of stress management, the importance of getting a good night’s sleep, the power of positive thinking and contains many musical metaphors – which kept me extremely engaged. Wellington residents will read fondly of her professional relationship with fitness trainer known to all as “Mr. Bill.” He helped her develop sound body/sound mind skills. Yes, at one point she entered a South Florida bodybuilding competition and won!

I asked Linda some questions for our readers. Here are her replies:

Lori Hope Baumel: What advice would you give someone who aspires to become a full-time professional trader?

Linda Bradford Raschke: People underestimate the learning curve in this business. But it is no different than wanting to be a professional athlete or musician – or even a doctor. It will take a minimum of 3 years – probably more like 5 of full-time trading and study before any consistent profitability is achieved. There is an old saying – the markets are an expensive place to learn about yourself and that is a big part of the learning curve as well. To trade well is more of a statistics game, but it is a challenge for newer market participants to keep the emotions out of the game. Make sure you have sufficient capital set aside to pay the bills and then treat the field as if you are getting a 4-year university degree. Even then, there is often an 1-2-year internship that follows before one has achieved competency and consistency in their chosen field. As you can see in my book, immersion in your chosen field, be it music, equestrian activities or trading, is really a lifestyle. But, the markets and technical analysis can be a wonderful hobby as well!

LHB: Equestrian sports are one of the only sports that men and women compete equally. Did that give you confidence in a male-dominated field?

LBR: I started trading well before I owned a horse or even competed. I never thought about any sport, activity or profession in terms of male or female.

LHB: What do you love about Wellington?

LBR: I spend five months of the year in Chicago because that’s where my husband Damon and his family are based. If I had to pick one place to live year-round it would definitely be Wellington. The winding streets of a planned, bedroom community… the tropical vegetation, very down to earth folks who live here year-round. And, of course, I can walk into the supermarket wearing riding britches and feel right at home!

LHB: How can we order a copy of your book?

LBR: The book is only available on my website, but they can read the first chapter there! www.Lindaraschke.net

Upon finishing Trading Sardines, I learned that Linda Bradford Raschke typifies persistence through adversity. The ups and downs in the market paralleled the ups and downs in her life, and our little town of Wellington is where she finds true happiness.

Live… Go… Do!

Duke’s Seafood

On the Move with Mike

Mike May

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December 28, 2019

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DUKE’S SEAFOOD: SEATTLE’S DYNAMIC (& DANDY)

DINING DESTINATION

By Mike May

Seattle is filled with many brands which are universally known and respected such as Amazon, Starbuck’s, Boeing, and Microsoft. One more Seattle brand which you can add to the list — which is not universally known, yet, but it has a rock-solid reputation among Seattle residents and those living in the Pacific Northwest – is a restaurant, Duke’s Seafood.

“I personally guarantee that you’ll enjoy your meal, or you don’t pay,” stated Duke Moscrip, owner, Duke’s Seafood, Seattle, Washington.

Can a business owner give you a better guarantee than that? I don’t think so!

And, when you have eight restaurants in the greater Seattle metropolitan area, that’s a powerful promise to make.

The geographic diversity of Duke’s Seafood’s eight restaurant locations and Moscrip’s guarantee make it an attractive choice for local residents and visiting tourists.

“We believe in food with incredible flavor,” noted Moscrip. “We believe in healthy, nutritious food with no chemicals, no additives, no junk.”

At Duke’s Seafood, since high quality is a given, excellence is the expectation and perfection is the goal, Moscrip’s guarantee is one which he is happy to make – every day of the year.

When you visit Duke’s, there’s an attitude of excellence that exudes from the menu which starts with appetizers, which are called ‘appeteasers,’ and concludes with desserts, which are referred to as ‘sweet treats.’

Two of the best ‘appeteasers’ are the Dungeness crab drip and the bodacious Brussel sprouts.

The names of three of the more creatively named desserts are Brookie Betty Boop, “I Want You So Bad” Marionberry Pie, and What’s Her Name’s Carrot Cake. The carrot cake may well be “the best carrot cake on the planet.” Moscrip guarantees that claim, too. And, if you don’t agree, Moscrip will pick up the tab.

When it comes to entrees, you can enjoy a wide variety of seafood which includes chowders, fish tacos, seafood salads, fish & chips, wild shellfish, heavenly halibut, and six Copper River salmon dishes. Those salmon dishes are Moscrip’s favorites.

“If I had one thing to eat in this world, it would be wild Alaska salmon,” admitted Moscrip.

As great as the salmon dishes are, the two halibut dishes on the menu – Dungeness Crab Stuffed Just For The Halibut and Holy Halibut Macadamia – are second-to-none.

For those who don’t want to venture out-to-sea for lunch or dinner, there are delicious cheeseburgers, which are served with Walla Walla (Washington) onions and local hydroponically grown Bibb lettuce. One of the favorites is the BBQ Bacon Bleu Cheeseburger where the bacon is nitrate-free, the BBQ sauce is homemade, the bleu cheese is crumbled, and the “Nothing But Blue Sky” bleu cheese dressing is served on the side.

“We have sourced, arguably, the best burger in the world,” added Moscrip. “Our beef is all grass-fed from Australia and the brioche-style bun was perfected by the bakers at The Essential Baking Company. Trust us, one bite and you will be saying….it’s so good.”

It’s worth noting that Duke’s also caters to vegetarians and vegans by serving a vegan veggie stew, wild child mixed greens, a vegan veggie sandwich & salad, a goat cheese & pesto quesadilla, and a vegan veggie taco.

As for beverages, Duke’s specializes in cocktails which are affectionately referred to as ‘Duketails.’ These handcrafted alcoholic concoctions are served shaken, stirred, straight up, muddled, or on the rocks. The wines sold and served at Duke’s are a wide variety of red and white wines which are served by the glass or by the bottle. These wines come from wineries in Washington’s Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley, Red Mountain, and Columbia Gorge. The bottled wines come from small batch and boutique wineries in Washington state. If you like bourbon, Duke’s has a unique ‘Bourbon & Brown’ section which focuses on classic style recipes which are made with their own personally selected bourbons – Woodford Reserve, Hudson Baby Bourbon, and Woodinville Whiskey Company.

Beer lovers will enjoy the craft beers which vary throughout the year. Two of the more popular draft beers are Manny’s Pale Ale and Mac & Jack’s African Amber.

After eating at Duke’s, you’ll agree that this restaurant is one of Seattle’s dynamic (& dandy) dining destinations and a rising world-class brand.

Here is the tagline

Here is the tagline