Here are some great pointers to remember if you find yourself in an accident.

• Stay as calm as possible.
• Check for injuries. When in doubt, call an ambulance.
• If the accident is minor, move cars to a safe place.
• Turn on your hazard lights.
• Call the police, even if the accident is minor.
• Notify your insurance agent about the accident immediately.
• Don’t sign any document unless it is for the police or your insurance agent.
• Make immediate notes about the accident including damage to all vehicles, info for the other driver, and witness information.
• Don’t tell anyone the accident was your fault, even if you think it was.
• If it’s safe to do so, photograph the accident scene.

We can provide you a list of 3 or 4 attorneys that we trust. You can call and interview them and see which one communicates best with you or we can just recommend one for you.

Click here to locate an attorney.

I’ve neglected this blog for long enough.

The weird thing is just two days ago, I decided to type in some key phrases like active release techniques las vegas, active release techniques henderson, and dr oku into Google. Lo and behold, I was in the #1 and #2 position without doing any promotion for this site in over 2 years. I was taken aback a little bit.

Well, anyhow I’ve just upgraded to WordPress 2.8.4 and in the process of adding some new plugins to make this site more interactive and user friendly.

I’ll be posting new articles, videos, lists, and other useful resources shortly.

-Doc

P.S. I have a new office number: (702) 737-0022

P.S.S. You can find me at: 9355 W. Flamingo Rd, Ste. 2, Las Vegas, NV 89147

The primary goals of care include pain relief, spinal correction, soft tissue manipulation, and rehabilitation. However, a very close secondary goal includes early return to work. It is commonly accepted that patients who return to their normal activities as soon as possible recover quicker than those who remain sedentary.

As a result, our office works closely and cooperatively with both you and your employer to get you back to work. Most patients are able to return to work without complication, others require a work transition beginning with a few restrictions and limited hours. We will remain diligent in our efforts to restore your life to a pre-injury status. If you follow our recommendations concerning home management, keep your appointments, and comply with your initial restrictions, you have a very good chance of returning to work in a very short time.

Our office houses a large database of attorneys throughout the Henderson/Las Vegas region. Generally speaking, attorneys make our list if they demonstrated a high degree of patient satisfaction as reported by our own patients, and/or they demonstrated a willingness to work cooperatively with Chiropractic Physicians.

Remember, it usually doesn’t cost you a dime more to get the best attorney in town than it does the worst. Most attorneys today work on a contingency arrangement, keeping 1/3 of your settlement as their fee. But if you do not obtain an attorney familiar with Chiropractic practice and soft tissue injury, you often adversely affect you ability to properly settle your case. Therefore, we highly suggest you ask this office for a referral before randomly selecting an attorney. We’ll provide several names specific to the type of case, i.e. personal injury versus worker’s compensation.

If you need a referral, feel free to contact our office at 702-737-0022.

We can provide you a list of 3 or 4 attorneys that we trust. You can call and interview them and see which one communicates best with you or we can just recommend one for you. Either way, you are going to get top notch service from these personal injury attorneys.

The attorneys tell me that I needed to add the following statement: “Naturally, we assume no responsibility for the success or failure of your attorney when you chose to consult an attorney on this list. Establishing a relationship with any attorney is strictly voluntary and done so at your own risk.”

One Size Does Not Fit All…

This is especially true in the ergonomics world. Ergonomic injuries are one of the easiest types of injuries to lessen or prevent once you recognize and address problems and/or symptoms early.

Good ergonomics will improve your quality of life, increase productivity, reduce injuries, decrease injury expenses and personal medical bills, reduce absenteeism, lower employee turnover, decrease workers’ compensation claims with preventative measures, and give you more energy at the end of day since you are not expending extra energy to compensate for poor posture while you work in your work space.

So what exactly is ergonomics?

Ergonomics – Also referred to as “biotechnology,” this is the science of how we interact healthfully with the products we use and places we occupy. If you work at a desk all day, you know how the right (or wrong) work space can impact your physical stress level, alertness and productivity. So when designing or arranging your office work area, experts recommend you consider the specifics show here to increase your comfort and well-being, and to reduce fatigue and the risk of injury.

General Set-Up Tips

Pull your chair up to your desk, eyes facing forward to your computer screen, in a way that puts your spine in the proper neutral position: back and shoulders against the backrest of your chair; elbow and forearms resting lightly on the armrests of your chair; shoulders relaxed and slightly drooped (but not hunched forward); knees bent comfortably, with your thighs roughly parallel with the floor (use a footrest for support if your feet don’t rest comfortable on the floor). From this position, construct your work environment so that all other furniture and equipment accomodates this “perfect posture,” with the items you use most frequently placed within a comfortable reach zone.

Your Workstation Set-Up Tips

Desk Height – You should be able to comfortably use your keyboard with your wrists straight and your arms bent at an angle of 90 degrees or more. Adjustable height work surfaces can be helpful.

Corrective Support – If your chair won’t allow for your feet to rest on the floor, a footrest can solve the problem. A footrest also provides additional support for the legs and can reduce pressure on your back.

Keyboard Position – Your keyboard should rest just above your lap, with your wrists straight, not bent up or down. Let your shoulders relax with your forearms being supported by your chair’s armrests. To achieve this position, you might need an adjustable keyboard tray that attaches to the underside of your desk.

Screen Position – Your monitor screen should be centered directly in front of you, roughly an arm’s length away, with the top line of text at or slightly below eye level.

CPU Placement – If your computer has a separate CPU, using it as a base for your computer will the screen position to be too high. Place the CPU on the floor, or invest in a below-the-desk holder.

Notebook Usage – If you use a notebook (or laptop) computer, make sure you use a notebook manager or other device that adjusts the monitor screen properly to avoid “laptop slouch.”

Proper Lighting – Computer Vision Syndrome, or CVS, can cause eyestrain, headaches and neck or back pain. Task lighting at your work station will help combat CVS, since it offers the best direct and adjustable source of light, while helping you eliminate computer screen glare.

Your Office Chair Set-Up Tips

Seat Height – When seated with your feet flat on the floor, your thighs should be roughly parallel to the floor and your hips should be slightly higher than your knees. Always choose a chair with adjustable height.

Seat Pan – There should be an inch or two of space between the front of the seat and the back of your legs. If the seat is too deep, a lumbar support can fill in the gap.

Back Support – Sit back all the way in the chair for maximum spinal support. A lumbar support should fit comfortably in the curve of your lower back.

Armrests – Armrests should comfortably support your elbows at an angle of 90 degrees or more.

Tilt Function – Tilt function gives your back continuous support when leaning into or away from your desk.

Motion – Because periods of motion help increase circulation when you’re seated for a long time, look for a chair that allows comfortable freedom of movement.

Remember, good ergonomics goes far beyond the work place. Take note of how you go about your daily life, meaning your activities of daily living. Take some mental pictures of how you position your body while cooking, cleaning, gardening, watching TV, etc. in relation to the physical environment around you. The simplest fixes can go a long way in keeping you healthy and out of the doctor’s office for some condition that could have been prevented. Remember, prevention is key!

Take Action Today!

Dr. Kintaro Oku can be reached at (702) 737-0022 for your ergonomics consultation.

Generally, when a patient is accepted for care, initial treatment is scheduled for two weeks (obviously case-dependant). At that point we re-evaluate and determine the success or failure of treatment. If the patient is not progressing as well as expected, we either switch treatment approaches and treat for another two weeks, or refer the patient for further diagnostic tests or to another physician for evaluation.

If the patient has progress after two weeks, we schedule them for another two weeks, then re-evaluate again. Eventually the patient either recovers and is released/discharged from care, or withdrawn from care to evaluate the stability of their residual condition.

Most patients enter our office, are treated and released. If you are struggling with a difficult case, or you feel that soft tissue therapy or spinal manipulation would be a favored treatment option for your patient, you may want to consider a referral to the Advanced Chiropractic Specialists office.

Take Action Today!

Dr. Kintaro Oku can be reached at (702) 737-0022.

In some ways, pain is actually a good thing. Pain lets us know that there is something wrong, and that there are problems that need to be addressed.

If your brain and body sense pain and/or injury, you can easily imagine how your body responds with compensatory movements to avoid the injured tissues.

Most repetitive strain injuries, such as tendonitis, are minor, reversible conditions… but only if you have the right information and take the appropriate action before the problem gets worse.

If you ignore the symptoms, you risk starting the invisible cycle of pain and damage that can turn a minor injury into a chronic problem.

Just be aware that the damage can be accumulating for years, before the symptoms get bad enough to make you take action.

Take Action Today!

Dr. Kintaro Oku can be reached at (702) 737-0022.

Are you a medical professional seeking results driven health care for your patients?

I believe in an integrated team approach to healthcare for the benefit of my patients. I work closely with local medical physicians and refer out without reservation when a patient needs a multidisciplinary treatment regimen. I have become a reliable referral source for local medical professionals faced with difficult or challenging neuromusculoskeletal cases. As a result nearly half of our practice comes from referrals from local medical physicians and other medical professionals.

If you are a medical professional visiting my site, I encourage you to browse the various pages, especially the Active Release Techniques section. If you’ve never been in a chiropractic office, I encourage you to contact me anytime for a nickel tour of my clinic and informative consultation. You can experience first hand the soft tissue technique system and technologies utilized in a contemporary chiropractic office.

Upon a referral you can expect:
• Initial and interim reports.
• A referral back to your office during active care and upon completion of care.
• A discharge summary upon completion of care.
• I accept only those patients I truly believe I can help.

If you have any questions about my clinic, or would like to refer a patient, feel free to contact my clinic at 702-737-0022.

Have you ever heard of the Molecular Fitness Lifestyle?

Most likely, you haven’t.

Though I have read many health-related books, newsletters, blogs, research articles, and journals over the years, I am absolutely fascinated by the breakthrough concepts presented by Dr. Tenalian’s research on fitness at the molecular level and the role of the Connexin molecule in relation to disease and wellness. Obviously, we want to reduce the risk of cancer and getting common diseases by eating healthy foods but the key concept in Molecular Fitness is to maintain a certain balance of Connexin-rich foods and pH to improve cell-to-cell communication, prevent disease, promote optimal health, enhance quality of life, and extend duration of our life.

Don’t know what a Connexin molecule is… well, conveniently Dr. Tenalian has provided us brief online tutorials on his website called Connexin College. You can easily launch courses by clicking on the orange buttons on the right and download PDFs as needed.

So what is the Molecular Fitness Lifestyle?

The Molecular Fitness Lifestyle is a science-based preventative and restorative program, the first to address health and wellness at the molecular level. The goal is achieving and maintaining optimal wellness from the inside out.

The focus is on optimizing connexin function.

Connexin molecules are found on every cell in your body and when they are open, they can connect your cells together and enable cell-to-cell communication. Continuous cellular communication helps to promote a stronger, healthier mind and body and may reduce the risk of the following 8 major diseases–Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, Hypothyroid, and Ocular Disease.

Weight loss and weight management is also a key benefit of The Molecular Fitness Lifestyle. By increasing connexin function and reducing low-grade metabolic acidosis (acidity), your body can best metabolize fat. Rather than counting calories, weighing food or restricting your diet, we redirect your caloric intake to optimize your health while increasing your body’s ability to break down fat.

The Molecular Fitness Lifestyle includes the following elements: 1) Education 2) Diet and Nutrition 3) Supplements 4) ConneXercise 5) Monitoring, and 6) Community.

To learn more about the science behind the Connexin molecule and the benefits of disease prevention, click here.

To learn more about Dr. Tanelian’s background and professional experience, click here.

If you want to prevent long-term damage, it is imperative that appropriate treatment begins immediately after an accident. But what constitutes appropriate treatment?

In general, recovery happens in three stages:

1. Relief – use ice to reduce swelling and calm muscle spasm.
2. Correction – restore motion to tight spinal joints and release scar tissue adhesions in soft tissue injuries.
3. Rehabilitation – strengthening and stretching exercises to improve core stability.

Given the stages of recovery, “appropriate” treatment includes the use of ice, soft tissue therapy, spinal manipulation/adjustments and exercise.

Difficult cases may require advanced diagnostics like MRI or CT scan, and a possible referral to family practice physician or appropriate specialist. Our office maintains an extensive list of other medical professionals in case a referral is required.