10733 Big Bend Rd., Ste. 100, Kirkwood, MO 63122



St. Louis chiropractic blog & videos by Dr. Jeffrey S. O'Guin

Chiropractic Treatment for Neck Pain

Neck pain is becoming increasingly more common and has an estimated lifetime prevalence of approximately 70%. Probably the most common culprit is work related physical and psychological demands. What this means is that poor postures due to hovering behind computers as well as stress can be big contributors to neck pain. Neck pain complaints are associated with substantial health care costs and work absenteeism. Unfortunately many people do not know what to do for their neck pain. Some turn to the medical community, only to be told to take some pain medications or muscle relaxers. This approach sometimes gives temporary relief, but it absolutely will not address the underlying issue. Chiropractic treatment is becoming increasingly popular as a treatment choice for neck pain. Until recently we didn’t know exactly how a chiropractors manipulation worked, we just knew that patients got better. It had always just been explained that the spine needed...


Chiropractic Approach for Dr. O’Guin

As a chiropractor my main interest is in treating the muscles, joints, and other soft tissues of the body.  As you will see shortly my approach differs from the current healthcare model.  The following are some of the flaws of our current healthcare system: 1) waiting to long until there is enough damage to actually be detected by imaging. 2) only focusing on the site of the break or pain. 3) Having the primary goal of only removing pain. This model of waiting for major injury to occur is exponentially more expensive that simply taking the necessary steps to keep the body aligned the way it is intended to be.  For example joint replacement surgery has doubled between 2000 and 2006.  Osteoarthritis known as the wear and tear disease is predicted to have costs rise by 40% by 2030. My approach is similar to the old saying of an ounce of...


Importance of Correcting Improper Breathing Patterns

To most people the act of breathing is considered to be a very basic task, it happens without us even having to think about it. However, because breathing is rarely thought about, it is often a pattern that  becomes dysfunctional and needs to be corrected. Most of us understand that respiration is responsible for getting oxygen into every cell in our bodies. What we should also be aware of is that the quality of our breathing is also important for better posture, as well as maintaining a healthier body. Unfortunately, most people do not breathe in a way that gives them optimum functioning of their bodies. In a society where stress and bad posture is the norm, it is common to accumulate tension in the neck and upper back. This stress and tension make it very difficult to fully utilize the diaphragm muscle. As a result, there becomes a cycle...

What is Joint Centration?

Joint centration is a common term used to describe the proper alignment of joints. This is the most beneficial or optimal position for a joint to properly support the body, as well as to allow for the most desirable movement. In short, joint centration allows for the best possible distribution of loads at the articular surfaces. Traditionally, chiropractors have talked about “subluxations” and bones being out of place. I believe the joint centration model to be more accurate in describing the benefits that chiropractic treatments provide. In this article, I would like to briefly describe the importance of joint centration in dealing with musculoskeletal pain, and what is involved in achieving joint centration. Primarily joint dysfunctions are the result of muscular imbalance, although traumatic injuries can surely play a role. There are many patterns of muscular imbalance, as well as mechanisms for how they develop. The take-home message is essentially that...


Is Your Back Your Handicap?

Low back pain is the most common complaint of the more than 17 million golfers in the United States. In this issue you will learn about the incredible forces placed on the low back during a golf swing. I will also talk about the importance of maintaining proper balance in the muscular skeletal system so that the body can better accommodate those forces. It has been found that compressive loads of up to 1,704 lbs. of force are placed on the low back during a typical golf swing. In comparison a division 1-A college lineman creates a force of 1,951 lbs. of force in the low back when hitting a blocking sled. The most common cause of disc herniation in a healthy low back is bending combined with compression and twisting, all of which are signiﬁcant components of the golf swing. Because of the incredibly high forces created on the low back...


Understanding Core Stability

Core stability is gaining a lot of attention these days and for good reason. The Core involves all of the muscles in our hips, pelvis, and low back.  It is where our center of gravity is located and it is the foundation from which all body movements occur.  It has been found that people who do not have good coordination and stability of their core have poor body mechanics which leads to excessive wear and tear of joints and soft tissues. This is a common cause of pain as well as increases the risk for injury. There is much confusion and often faulty information regarding core stability.  For example many people begin their workout routines focusing on strengthening exercises for individual muscles.  This is partly because in our society it is considered desirable to have a ripped physique. An example would be doing sit ups or crunches which are actually very...