Koch Chiropractic and Wellness – 18500 US Highway 441, Mount Dora, FL 32757 for appointment call (352)729-2678

Who Needs a Chiropractor?

Whether or not you are or have been a chiropractic patient, you may have wondered, “Who needs a chiropractor?” Or, “How do I know when I need to see a chiropractor?” And the answer may surprise you.

If you were to sit in my reception room and ask my patients why they were there, you would probably be surprised by the wide variety of conditions they have.

Most people associate chiropractic only with back and neck pain, pinched nerves, herniated discs and whiplash injuries. This is a natural and correct association. But it is not the entire story.

In speaking to a typical cross-section of chiropractic patients, you would find that they were being helped with headaches, asthma, allergies, carpal tunnel syndrome, circulation problems, female problems, constipation, sciatica, fibromyalgia, and TMJ problems, just to name a few.

To understand why such a wide variety of conditions is responsive to chiropractic you need more information.

You probably already know that chiropractors work with the spine, or backbone. That is why most people think of chiropractors as back doctors. But an improperly aligned spine does not just cause back and neck pain. It can also make you sick in ways you might not realize.

Think about what you already know about the spine. You know that a broken neck can kill or paralyze. Perhaps you remember the late actor Christopher Reeves. He played Superman in a series of movies. He was young, strong, handsome and famous, with a beautiful wife and family. One day he was Superman and the next, crippled and in a wheelchair. He fell off a horse and was completely paralyzed by a broken neck. Yet he was lucky. That same fall could have just as easily killed him. Many people are killed every year by similar accidents, and every day many others severely disabled are partially paralyzed by fractures or injuries of the neck or other parts of the spine.

So, if a broken neck or back can kill or paralyze, doesn’t it make perfect sense that a misaligned or injured spine can cause pain, physical dysfunction or illness?

The reason a misaligned or damaged spine can cause a wide variety of human ills is that it affects the nervous system in much the same way that “short circuits” affect electrical systems. Misalignments cause disruptions of the power, energy and communications networks of the body, potentially affecting all the organs and systems of the body.

Often when a patient comes to me, he or she may say that they simply “do not feel well,” or that they just don’t feel “right.” Sometimes they are even embarrassed to “waste the doctor’s time” on a condition that they can’t fully describe.

As a Chiropractic Physician I always take such generalized complaints seriously. Although the patient may or may not have a specific, readily diagnosable disease, he or she is definitely in a state of “dis-ease.” This means that the delicately balanced state which we call health has been disturbed.

When a patient comes to me with a health problem, whether it is a headache, a herniated disc in the lower back, or any other pain, sickness, or vague “bad feelings,” I take a complete medical history, ask questions about diet and lifestyle, and examine him for evidence of spinal misalignment.

During my 50 years of experience, I have found that when I discover and correct spinal misalignments in people who are sick and in pain, most of them get better.

In addition to making the spinal corrections, I often have to recommend changes in diet or some aspect of the patient’s lifestyle, which may have contributed to their condition. In many cases I also recommend nutritional supplements when I find the patient has a deficiency. In other cases, rehabilitative exercises are given to strengthen weak, injured or unstable joints. I believe in a holistic approach to health care, which means treating the “whole” person.

I do not believe in the band aid approach to health care, or just treating symptoms. It is of the utmost importance that the cause of a patient’s problems be determined and corrected. If chiropractic methods alone cannot do this, then I refer the patient to other professionals. Frequently I work with other physicians and surgeons from whom I receive referrals and to whom I make referrals.

There are many people in every community who are sick or in pain and who do not know that they can be helped by chiropractic.

If you are in pain or suffering from ill health, you owe it to yourself to investigate Chiropractic care. If yours is indeed a Chiropractic case, then only a Chiropractor can help you.

Body and Mind — Guest post by Gary A. Scott

We have all heard about the mind/body connection, but there is an important reverse consequence we really need to know.

Negative thinking can create stress and ruin our health. Poor health in turn induces negative thinking and we can head down, down down into a black hole of hesitation and uncertainty.

The reverse is also true. The body can affect the mind, a lot. An imbalanced body can be the cause of the negativism that starts a cycle of doubt.

For sure, there is plenty that can put us on an emotional roller coaster right now. As stock markets crash and the mass media runs through its cycle of negativity, it is easy to be withdrawn and distressed. To withstand such a dark onslaught, we need the mental and emotion strength to stick with a logical good value investing strategy and stand still or even advance, while the thundering herd stampedes past us.

We also need our body to be strong, well balanced and fit.

When I feel doubt and fear, the first question I ask, is “What have I done to my body?” Second, I call one of my important health care advisers and friend, Dr. Bill Koch. Bill is a chiropractor who for years ran his practice from his yacht. Fortunately (for us!), after visiting us some years ago he and his wife Kiana moved from the Bahamas here to Mount Dora.

He recently fixed a problem I had. You may have this imbalance too. Much of the population has. This common, easily correct imbalanced can create negative health implications, but can have a bad effect on our wealth as well! Bill helped me so much, I asked him if he would write about this so I could share it with you.

A link to Bill’s (and my) story is below.

You can see Gary’s website at garyascott.com http://us1.campaign-archive2.com

My article that he refers to is below in yesterday’s blog.

Low Back and Pelvic Pain — Is There a Connection to Emotional Stress?

Every day chiropractors hear patients tell a story that sound something like this:

“Hey, Doc, all I did was bend over to brush my teeth and it felt like I got kicked by a mule. Now I can’t straighten up, can hardly move, it hurts like heck. And on top of that, I feel like the world is caving in on me and I am all out of control and can’t do anything about anything! I mean, I can usually take it. I’m not a wimp, I can take pain. But I can’t figure out why this thing has me so upset I can hardly think straight, I am an emotional wreck. What’s going on with me?”

When one of my patients tells me some variation of this scenario, I know that the most important thing I can do is to spend a few minutes with them and explain what has happened and why they are having such a surprising emotional reaction. This is especially important if it happens to be a big macho guy who is embarrassed to death because of the tears in his eyes.

I explain that the low back and pelvis is the foundation of your body. Your strength and ability to walk, run, work and defend yourself is dependent upon the strength of that foundation.

If it is knocked out from under you or even knocked out of balance it can make you emotionally out of balance too. Here’s why:

On a subconscious primitive survival level, when our basic physical foundational support fails us it can cause us to feel weak, helpless and frightened. That translates into anxiety and even depression if it goes on for very long.

When we feel weakened, vulnerable and fearful, it is natural for us to be withdrawn and contracted. We tend to shy away from many of the things we normally can do easily, and totally reject taking on anything new or challenging.

These are common emotional reactions to injury and pain especially of the lower back and pelvis (sacro iliac). There are many great examples I could tell you about to further illustrate this point, but since this is being published in Gary Scott’s newsletter, he suggested that I write about his recent experience.

As you all know, Gary is a financial expert, writer and teacher. Although he is physically strong and in good shape, his profession and lifestyle has not required him to do a lot of strenuous physical work. That is until recently, when he and Merri bought several houses in Mount Dora, Florida, which they plan to keep as rentals.

Since several of the houses needed some sprucing up, Gary pitched in to help his property manager Derek with all kinds of handyman chores, including moving heavy furniture.

Being unused to a steady diet of this kind of work caused Gary to sprain and strain his sacroiliac joints and throw his whole lower back and pelvis out of balance. The pain made him uncomfortable, but it was not terrible. What he did not expect nor did he at first understand was how it affected his emotions.

Gary went from being expansive, enthusiastic and optimistic to withdrawn, pensive and pessimistic. Merri was of course the first to see this change in his personality, followed by Derek who had been working side by side with him.

After putting up with the pain for a few days hoping it would go away, Gary called asking me to see him for an adjustment in my new office in Mount Dora.

I was able to quickly diagnose the problem and make a correction to fix it, but Gary did not mention to me how emotionally down he had been feeling. It wasn’t until the next day when Merri called to tell me how much better Gary was feeling that I found out he had been suffering emotional contraction with his sacroiliac slippage and pelvic imbalance. Merri reported that Gary’s back and hip pain was gone. No big surprise, they expected me to take care of that. What they didn’t anticipate was the complete turn about that occurred in his emotional picture. Merri told me that after his session with me Gary went from being fearful, depressed and wanting to withdraw the offers he had made on two more houses, right back to being his normal positive “can do” self! Both Merri and Derek saw the immediate change in him. Derek even commented on it to Merri, calling her attention to Gary happily whistling as he painted in the next room.

Gary, who has a very popular Investment Newsletter and Seminar business, was so enthusiastic about the results that he asked me to write about it for his subscribers. You may read what Gary said on his blog at garyascott.com http://us1.campaign-archive2.com

So, what happened? They wanted to know. They found it all very curious and mysterious.

I explained it to them this way:

There is a correlation between pelvic imbalance resulting from sprain/strain injury and emotional distress. Specifically, when the sacroiliac joint is sprained and strained, there is alteration of the weight bearing ability of that joint and consequently of the overall body balance and stability. The severity of this condition ranges from mildly to severely painful. In its early stage it may only involve the sacroiliac joint, but with time and increased severity it can extend to all seven pelvic joints, causing widespread low back, pelvic and hip and leg pain.

Since the pelvis is the weight bearing foundation of the whole body, any imbalance or failure of this complex joint system will result in an overall loss of strength and stability of the entire musculoskeletal system.

On a primal emotional level this condition is subconsciously perceived as weakness, vulnerability, and an inability to defend and provide for ourselves and those who depend upon us. When this, our most basic support is taken from us, It causes stress on a deep emotional level. If this lasts for too long it can lead to anxiety and depression. Our ability to survive and thrive, in either a primitive or modern environment, is dependent on our strength and mobility.

On a neuro-physiological level, the pain and weakness associated with sacroiliac/pelvic injuries can cause a shift from our normal autonomic “rest and digest” state to the emergency “fight/flight” mode. This is a very uncomfortable state to be in for even a short period of time. But when it is prolonged it produces a severely stressful conflict between our need to protect ourselves and our ability to do so.

The physical pain associated with a sprain/strain injury to the pelvis can be excruciating, sometimes even greater than the pain of a herniated disc. The good news is that when the proper and precise chiropractic correction of the pelvis is made, this condition can be resolved quickly and efficiently.

It is always gratifying to see how quickly a patient can feel better with a renewed sense of wellbeing when pelvic function is restored. The speed with which this can happen cannot be explained by the reduction of pain alone, but by a shift out of the “fight/flight” mode back to our normal, relaxed, “rest and digest” state where we can look at our world more objectively.

While on this subject, I should point out that this is a two way street. What I have just described is known as a somato psychic reaction in which our physical state affects our emotional state. Conversely, our emotional state can also have a powerful physical affect known as a psycho somatic reaction.

Psycho somatic reactions are often mistakenly thought to be a form of neurotic behavior. It is frequently dismissed as being “All in your head.” But, psycho somatic reactions are very real and should not have a negative connotation.

Here is my favorite example of the power that emotions can exert over the physical body:

One summer afternoon in my Hamptons practice, I got a call from Mrs. G. one of my very wealthy patients. She asked me to make a house call to her ocean front estate to see her children’s Nanny who was incapacitated with severe back pain.

Mrs. G was very unhappy when I told her that I would not be able to get there until about 7:00 that evening when I finished seeing patients at my office.

When I arrived at the 10,000 sq. ft. summer cottage, I was greeted at the door by Mrs. G. who quickly escorted me to the children’s wing of the house where the Nanny’s bedroom was located.

I learned from Mrs. G. that the Nanny whose name was Ava, was 26 years old and had worked for her for about nine months and was a very good employee and loved by her children.

I found Ava lying in her bed and in obvious distress. When I tried to obtain the usual health history about medical conditions, medications, surgery or injuries, she was vague and provided little information as to what might have caused her back pain.

As soon as I began my examination, Ava began to convulse violently. Her eyes rolled back in her head she began sweating profusely as her body shook and her right arm contracted tightly against her body as her hand contracted into a tight fist. She appeared to be having a seizure or possibly worse yet a stroke.

I asked to speak with Mrs. G in the next room explaining that if she could not provide me with a good reason for Ava’s reaction, I would be forced to contact the EMTs and have her taken to the emergency room.

What Mrs. G. told me came right out of left field. She said that on the previous day Ava had returned from her vacation which she spent with her two year old daughter and estranged husband who lived in Israel. She went on to tell me that Ava’s husband is a terrorist living in a very dangerous part of Israel, but in spite of this, he has custody of their child. Ava of course was worried about her daughter and horribly distressed about being separated from her.

I went back to Ava’s bedside and told her that I knew about her daughter and that I understood why she was in such pain and distress. “What can we do to help you feel better?” I asked.

“I want to talk to my baby,” Ava replied in a barely audible whisper.

I then asked Mrs. G if she knew the husbands phone number. “Yes,” she said, “but I’m not waking up a terrorist. It’s the middle of the night in Israel,” she said. I told her “Don’t worry. I will speak with him first.”

I made the call and woke him up. To my surprise he proved to be a very nice terrorist. Very understanding of the situation and concerned about his wife. “The baby is asleep,” he said. “Let me speak to Ava.”

I gave the phone to Ava and held her hand as they spoke. Soon her tight fist and contracted arm relaxed. Within another few minutes she smiled and was obviously comforted by their conversation.

I was then able to proceed with examining and successfully treating Ava. The next day I visited her again and found her much better. The following day she was able to come to my office for a final treatment, and to wrap up what was one of my most bizarre cases ever.

What I had witnessed was the immobilizing effect of an extreme fight flight reaction triggered by what was for Ava, the overwhelming stress of her fear for her daughter’s safety and her detachment anxiety.

Had I not recognized what was really going on, Ava would have been hospitalized and subjected to a barrage of unnecessary tests and CAT scans which would have shown nothing, but would surely have exacerbated her condition.

Dr. William H. Koch 2016

Stand Taller – Look Better – Live Longer: Exercise with Dr. Koch

Stand Taller, Look Better and Live Longer: Exercise with Dr. Koch. Improve Posture, Flexibility, Core Strength, Upper Body Strength and Aerobic Capacity with Unique Exercise Program developed by Dr. William H. Koch.

Exercise with Dr. Koch every Monday during the month of November at the Parks and Recreation Building at the park on Donnely and 5th in downtown Mount Dora.

Stand Taller – Look Better – Live Longer

Posture: There’s More to It Than Meets the Eye

In this four class series offered through the Mount Dora Parks and Recreation Department, Dr. Koch will discuss the importance of good posture and how to achieve it. He will teach how you can use posture exercises as part of a daily exercise and fitness routine – so that you can Stand Taller and Live Longer!

Level one is designed to prepare the spine and body structure for more advanced exercise. The objective is to increase body flexibility and resiliency and to prevent injuries that so often accompany more advanced exercise programs. It is suitable for seniors and people with existing back problems.

Level two is a bit more challenging, but all exercises are done lying down to protect and support the spine.

The Koch Spinal Exercises and Multi- Plane Coupled Motion Exercises were designed to address several of the most important aspects of fitness: Posture, Core Strength, Upper body Strength, Aerobic Capacity, and Flexibility.

Classes will be every Monday in November beginning November 2
1pm to 2pm at the Donnelly Park Building.
Fee for the class is $10 for Drop-in or $40 for the month.
You will need:
An Exercise Mat
2 Hand Weights (3 to 5 pounds depending on your strength level)
Pool noodle rolls will be provided by Dr. Koch

Best Chiropractor for You

Originally Posted on January 14, 2015 by Bill Koch

I am working on the finishing touches to my new book, How to Find the Best Chiropractor for You, and would like to share some excerpts from it with you.

Please give me some feedback. Your comments and questions will be greatly appreciated. I want to make this the best book I can and am eager to address the most important issues and questions people have about finding the right chiropractor.

How to Find the Best Chiropractor for You-Introduction

Choosing the right chiropractor is not as simple as looking in the yellow pages for the one who is nearest you. Certainly, you could do it that way, but the chances are good that it will not work out that well for you. The fact is that picking any professional out of the yellow pages is not a good idea.

I have for many years made a habit of checking out the yellow page ads of chiropractors when I am traveling. I do this for two reasons: I like to see if there is anyone I know in the area, and I like to see what other doctors say about themselves and their practices.

But it is certainly not the best way to select a chiropractor or, for that matter, any doctor. While the phone book or a Google search may show you which doctors are in your area, it will not tell you the most important things you need to know about them. To find one that is right for you will require a bit more digging.

Your main concern should be that the doctor you choose is right for you. One who will meet your needs on all levels.

My purpose in writing this book is to assist you in your search for the right chiropractor because I want you to have the best possible experience with my colleagues and profession. I know that the right chiropractor can be a tremendous asset to you and your family, a partner who will work with you to help you attain your optimal level of wellness.

Chiropractic is not just a treatment for neck and back pain, so I don’t want anyone to get stuck on that idea. You will gain a greater appreciation of the broad range of conditions your chiropractor will be able to help you with later in the book. I will show you by example that chiropractors can take care of many conditions you may not have considered.

Modern chiropractic training prepares chiropractic physicians to take care of many of your primary healthcare needs. Contemporary chiropractors are highly trained specialists in the field of natural, noninvasive healthcare. Chiropractors focus on health and all of the factors that support it. We know that health and self healing are normal for a body that is working properly. Sickness and disease are aberrations and are the result of a deficiency of one or more of the things or conditions the body needs to be healthy.

It is important to understand the true meaning of health. Health is a state of optimal physical, mental and social well being, not just the absence of disease or symptoms. It is a state of wholeness in which all parts of the body are working properly and together for the benefit of the whole. The word health comes from the Greek word hale which means whole. This is also where we get the term holistic health care.

The key to attaining and maintaining good health is to provide all the elements the body needs to function properly, resist disease, heal itself and carry on the lifelong process of constantly rebuilding itself.

Most of us, however, need a little help to achieve this. We need guidance and coaching. Chiropractors are the healthcare providers who are best equipped by education, technical training and philosophical orientation to help you achieve optimum functioning for health and vitality.

Chiropractic treatment helps people to get out of pain and function more comfortably, of course, but beyond that it can help you achieve the good structural and neurological balance which is vital to health and healing.

And if you want to go beyond getting structural care, a good chiropractor can help to educate, guide and coach you in all aspects of nutrition and fitness to help you achieve a healthier lifestyle and a better you.

The fact that you are reading this book suggests that you understand the importance of finding the right chiropractor for you and your needs. My role is to give you all of the information you need to help you find the right one. I will give you the criteria you should look for to find the right match.

Easy Weight Loss & More

I recently had the distinct pleasure to learn that my good friend, Gary Scott (garyascott.com) had featured one of my exercise routines in his daily newsletter. I showed him some simple exercises to improve his posture, relieve tension, back and neck pain and improve mental alertness while working long hours on the computer. He found that these exercises also helped curb his appetite for easy weight loss & more. Here is an excerpt from that newsletter:

“I was delighted when Merri’s and my longtime friend, Dr. Bill Koch, moved from the Bahamas to Mount Dora. Bill has been a practicing chiropractor for 44 years. He and his wife Kiana are on a mission to change people’s lives for the better by helping them reduce pain, improve their hormonal imbalances, and overcome metabolic, digestive and weight problems. Bill helps me deal with back and neck problems I suffer from time to time, the result of a car accident in my youth. This injury is exacerbated by the work related stress that comes from sitting in front of a computer too many hours a day. Previously I enjoyed his help infrequently, catch as catch can, when our paths crossed in Ecuador or the Bahamas. Now that we live near each other Bill is focusing on regularly helping me with my health.

“After a recent treatment he taught me this simple exercise to help overcome my back and neck pain.

“I breathe in as I move my shoulders back and take a deep breath (position 1, left). Picture pinning something in the middle of your back with your shoulder blades. Then breathe out and slowly move your head down, chin to chest and bring your shoulders forward (position 2, right).”

“Luckily I started this exercise around the first of the year. I do not do this as a New Year resolution. Keeping my weight in check is a year round struggle for me. The battle of the bulge is always raging.

“Once I started doing this exercise, for my back, I noticed something different with my eating. Previously, at 10:30 and 3:30 especially, I simply had to eat. No matter what I told my self. No matter what I thought or did, my brain simply took over. My will power was out of control.

“I do this slowly, gently with deep, slow breaths. If I feel even a touch of pain I am doing it too forcefully.

“Does the exercise seem too simple to you? This is the simplest, easiest, most convenient exercise I have ever tried and this is why it is so profound. Simple works. Complex usually does not. Utterly simple works extremely well. This exercise helps move fresh, glucose rich CSF to the brain and stops the brain from panicking because it’s not getting enough glucose.

“Now when I start to feel the hunger, I do this exercise. “Breathe in as I move my shoulders back and take a deep breath.”

Read the full article…

Dr. Bill

The Testosterone Switch

Interview with Dr Kyl Smith about The Testosterone Switch

The hot topic for men these days seems to be Low Testosterone. In the men’s health magazines, on the radio, on TV, in the news and the commercials, everybody is talking about “Low T.” They are either advertising a product to treat “low T” — or soliciting those injured by side effects of the drug treatments to participate in class action law suits.

There is no doubt that low testosterone is a very real condition affecting more and more men these days. It is an important quality of life issue.

It became personal when, as I got into my late sixties I began noticing changes in my strength, endurance, moods and muscle mass. I had my hormone levels checked and decided it was indeed an issue for me.

The question was what to do about it. Treating “low T” with a synthetic hormone replacement is proving to be as ill advised as synthetic hormone replacement for women. The dangerous side effects far outweigh the benefits.

I decided to explore natural ways of boosting my own testosterone levels and discovered the book, The Testosterone Switch, by Dr. Kyl Smith. His book is clear, easy to read and exhaustively documented with scientific references. I began his three step program and after a month noticed a significant difference in how I was feeling, especially with my mood, endurance and lean muscle mass.

I was pleased, impressed and decided I wanted to write about this. I like to share things that are natural, safe and work. Dr. Kyl’s program satisfies all three of those requirements. All doctors should know the information in this book and be able to share it with their patients.

Dr. Kyl Smith DC is a 1993 Parker graduate and recipient of the James W. Parker Award. He is a noted researcher, patented inventor and the creator of “America’s #1 Best-selling brain health supplement.” He has appeared on radio and television programs across the country; is author of the acclaimed Brighter Mind® book series; and filed a “Health Claim Petition” for the brain nutrient Phosphatidylserine, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration. He is now Director of Education for Progressive Laboratories.

In his most recent book, The Testosterone Switch, Dr. Smith, or “Dr. Kyl” as his colleagues call him, applies his expertise as a researcher and scientist to the problem of low testosterone, a problem, which beginning about age 30 affects one in four men and increases in incidence and severity as men age. This causes serious “quality of life” and major health issues.

In The Testosterone Switch, Dr. Kyl presents his three step program to raise testosterone levels by stimulating the natural production. He gives compelling scientific evidence to show how optimal, healthy testosterone levels can be achieved using a combination of nutrition, exercise and natural supplements.

KOCH: Dr. Kyl, what got you started on the path that led to your discovery of the Testosterone Switch?

SMITH: My own personal need. My quest for answers was borne out of personal necessity. At age 45 my testosterone was extraordinarily low at 195 ng/dL. Keep in mind that the “normal” healthy testosterone level for 30 year olds is about 700 ng/dL. This means I was at about 27% of the healthy testosterone level of a 30 year old man – and let me tell you – I felt like it!

I really didn’t like the idea of using any outside source of testosterone with all the possible side effects. As you can imagine, with a 20+ year background in nutritional research and a passion for exercise physiology, I had to ask the question; “Is there any science-based natural way to increase my own testosterone levels?”

KOCH: You certainly answered your own question. The Testosterone Switch is one of the most exhaustively referenced books I have ever read; and the results of the program you developed seem phenomenal. In the book you said that using the three step program that you developed, you raised your own testosterone levels from 195 to 750ng/Dl.

SMITH: Yes. And I have sustained 700+ for six years. By combining a low-glycemic diet, daily intense exercise and the targeted nutritional supplements I discuss in the book, my total testosterone quadrupled, I gained rock hard skeletal muscle and lost 25 pounds of fat.

KOCH: And you have evidence that this has worked consistently with others as well?

SMITH: That’s right , Bill, It has been proven time and again that we can quickly and predictably raise testosterone levels, even in older men with severe deficiency, back to healthy levels.

As an example, there was a 61 year old man who had a beginning testosterone level of 136. After only 30 days on the program it went up to 812 and he lost 36 pounds!

Another man who began with a testosterone level of 303 went up to 584 and lost 30 pounds.

KOCH: Very impressive — and with surprisingly fast results. I usually think of changes in the endocrine system as taking much longer.

SMITH: You’re right. I myself have been amazed at how quickly things can turn around if you give the body the right stimulus and nutrition.

KOCH: And you achieved these results through a program of low glycemic diet, burst training and a targeted combination of nutritional supplements. You have found a good solution to the low testosterone problem. No drugs, no side effects. Congratulations.

But I want us to get back to how big and important this problem is. Low testosterone has a serious negative impact on a man’s quality of life. And this is not just a problem of “old men” or even of men middle aged and above. It affects much younger men as well. At least 1 in 4 men over 30 have “low testosterone” levels.

SMITH: That’s right, Bill. This is an epidemic in DC’s practices. Many men fall below 550 and anything under 550 increases risk to heart attack and stroke.

KOCH: As a practicing chiropractor and a man who suffers from a great deal of chronic pain, I found it very interesting that low testosterone – even “low normal” levels — cause an increased nociception response. That equals a greater experience of and reaction to pain. When I read this my mind started automatically reviewing my personal experience as well as a long list of my patients who seem to be very “pain sensitive,” or experience a greater sensation of pain than one would expect given their particular conditions.

SMITH: Yes. And low normal serum testosterone increases the risk for increased levels of systemic inflammation. The experience of chronic pain is very debilitating and depressing.

KOCH: Low “T” is normally associated with reduced male sexual desire, function, performance and potency, and that is certainly true. But there are many other symptoms associated with low testosterone. Would you briefly list some of those?

SMITH: For a more exhaustive accounting of the science based health risks associated with even “low normal” testosterone your readers should consider the detail in my book. Briefly, low normal testosterone is associated with reduced energy, motivation, initiative, self-confidence, concentration and memory, sleep quality, muscle bulk and strength, depressed mood or clinical depression and increased body fat. Even more however, low testosterone over time can have deadly consequences. Low serum testosterone levels increase the risk for premature death from all causes – and specifically the risk for death from any cancer or from cardiovascular disease and stroke.

KOCH: So, Dr. Kyl, what are the main causes of low testosterone? And what is The Testosterone Switch?

SMITH: There are many factors that contribute to low testosterone levels. But in my opinion, stress and the negative effects of cortisol are the major players. The higher the stress hormone cortisol, the lower the testosterone production. And when cortisol goes up, insulin goes up and so does insulin resistance. The higher the insulin levels, the lower the testosterone.

In fact, cortisol is the “testosterone switch” in a man’s body. Too much cortisol causes a dramatic decline in “T” levels. Controlling excess cortisol, however, literally flips the switch back in the right direction, allowing testosterone to be turned on and be generated in healthy abundance again. A low glycemic diet, consistent high intensity “burst” training exercise and the targeted supplements I list in the book combine to flip that testosterone switch back to where we want it to be.

KOCH: Thank you Dr. Kyl for this great information. As I said, I am on The Testosterone Switch program and I am very happy with the results. Your book should be on every doctor’s shelf and in his/her reception room. Thank you for your service to our profession and the male population.

The Testosterone Switch is currently available from Progressive Labs 1-800-527-9512. Ask for Nancy Craig and tell her Dr. Koch referred you. Use the code 35093 for a 10% discount.

Low T, ED & the Cardiovascular Connection

In my last blog, Testosterone: The Low-T Solution, I discussed many of the problems related to low testosterone, as well as a natural approach for helping the body to restore more youthful levels.

In this article, I want to focus on the connection between Low T, ED & the Cardiovascular Connection. It is important for men to know that ED and the “lack of blood flow” to the penis can be an important warning sign of an unhealthy cardiovascular system in need of attention.

In recent years, the male erection has gone from a subject only spoken about in private conversations or whispered about in public, to the much talked about focus of magazine articles and TV advertisements for over the counter and prescription drugs to treat what is now commonly known as erectile dysfunction or “ED.” While Erectile Dysfunction is a very important issue in and of itself, it is important to note that Erectile Function is more than “just a matter of blood flow” as so many of the ads for popular drugs to treat ED suggest.

Erectile Function is a complex mechanism involving a combination of hormonal, cardiovascular, neurovascular and neuro-emotional components.

While it certainly is a matter of blood flow, there is more to it than that. The erection is the end result of a complex process. Treating it as simply a matter of blood flow to the penis with a drug designed to treat just that symptom is a glaring example of the poor medical practice of treating symptoms without investigating and correcting the underlying cause.

The prudent physician who takes a functional approach to healthcare knows that ED can be an indicator of more serious problems. The inability to get or sustain an erection could be symptomatic of several more serious medical issues such as cardiovascular disease, hormonal imbalance, neuro-emotional or other physiological stressors.

I believe that artificially inducing an erection with drugs is a questionable and potentially dangerous practice. I also believe that it is ultimately a disservice to men to artificially induce erections with drugs when they could be experiencing natural erections if they were diagnosed and treated functionally.

The good news is that there are natural solutions to each of the key underlying causes of ED.

In his book, The Testosterone Switch™, Dr. Kyl Smith clearly outlines his science based, three part strategy to naturally raise a man’s testosterone to a healthy level using a combination of a low glycemic/ high anti-oxidant diet, high intensity exercise and a particular combination of nutraceuticals that have been scientifically proven to help balance the hormones and reduce the effects of stress by supporting brain and endocrine health. [This book is currently only available from Progressive Labs 1-800-527-9512. Ask for Nancy Craig and tell her Dr. Koch referred you. Use the code 35093 for a 10% discount.]

As the subtitle to his book indicates, following this program to turn on the “Testosterone Switch™” will lead to improved “lean muscle mass, physical stamina, endurance, vitality, motivation, mental performance, speed of reaction, sexual functions, libido and capability.”

In other words, this is a program for good health. And good health is a pre-requisite for good sexual function.

In another great book, The Hardness Factor, author, Dr. Steven Lamm points out the link between strong sexual function and good health. He affirms that maintaining a healthy weight, normal testosterone production and the ability to engage in vigorous physical activity are requisite factors and good indicators of a man’s ability to maintain a rock hard erection and have a healthy sex life. In other words, good health and hard erections are synonymous.

Dr. Lamm says, “When a man’s blood vessels are healthy and elastic, his heart and brain are functioning well — and his erections are rock hard. When his neural connections are firing and nitric oxide is being released in great abundance throughout his body, his cognition is high – and his erections are rock hard.”

There are many natural supplements that increase nitric oxide production. Increased Nitric Oxide (NO) levels support erectile function, cardiovascular health, blood pressure, blood flow, arterial function and exercise performance.

These natural products can safely improve overall health and male performance, for true vitality, providing an alternative to prescription drugs that artificially boost erectile function without addressing the underlying functional faults.

In addition to diet, exercise and supplements, there are advanced chiropractic techniques that have been proven to be effective in restoring structural and neurological balance, which is also necessary for good health, vitality and strong sexual function.

In my book, Conversations with Chiropractic Technique Masters, I discuss a number of these advanced techniques. One of them, Quantum Neurology® Cranial Nerve Rehabilitation, is of special importance for its ability to re-establish the parasympathetic-sympathetic balance of the autonomic nervous system.

When the autonomic nervous system becomes sympathetic dominate due to prolonged stress, normal erectile function is impossible. This is because erectile function is a strictly parasympathetic event, and sympathetic dominance shuts off the erectile response.

When we restore the autonomic nervous system balance necessary for erectile function, we also re-establish the neurological, hormonal, metabolic and cardiovascular environment necessary for overall health and well being.

Dr. Bill Koch

Testosterone: The Low-T Solution

The hot topic for men these days seems to be low testosterone. In the men’s health magazines, on the radio, on TV, in the news and the commercials, everybody is talking about “low-T.” They are either advertising a product to treat low-T – or soliciting those injured by side effects of the drug treatments to participate in class action law suits.

There is no doubt that low testosterone is a very real condition affecting more and more men these days. It is an important quality of life issue.

Lower than normal healthy testosterone levels are a serious health concern affecting millions of American men, young and old. While lower testosterone levels are expected as men enter old age, it is not something we should be seeing in 30 or 40 year olds. But this is becoming common.

Healthy men should have testosterone levels greater than 550mg/dl through middle age and beyond. Yet 25% of men over 30 have blood testosterone below this level.

When I read Dr. Kyl Smith’s book, The Testosterone Switch,^™ I realized that a low-T problem was more than just an uncomfortable cause of looking and feeling older. Low testosterone, even low-normal levels of testosterone can have some very serious negative health implications, including increased risk of death from a variety of causes.

Below is an excerpt from Dr. Kyl Smith’s book which is an amazing list of science-based, low testosterone facts:

Low-normal total testosterone concentrations are associated with reductions in energy, motivation, initiative, self-confidence, concentration and memory, sleep quality, muscle bulk and strength, diminished physical or work performance, feeling sad or blue, depressed mood, mild anemia, and increased body fat and body mass index.

Male sexual performance and function are dependent upon testosterone adequacy. The strength, duration and quality of erections as well as the frequency of successful intercourse are proportional to serum free testosterone concentration, and successful erectile function is facilitated by testosterone.

Low-normal serum testosterone concentrations increase the risk for premature death from any cause.

Low-normal serum testosterone concentrations increase the risk for death from any cancer.

Low-normal serum testosterone concentrations increase the risk for death from cardiovascular disease.

Low-normal serum testosterone concentrations increase the combined risk for suffering a first stroke or first transient ischemic attack.

Low-normal serum testosterone concentrations are associated with reduced male sexual desire, function, performance and potency.

Low-normal serum testosterone concentrations increase the risk for memory loss.

Low-normal serum testosterone concentrations increase the risk for developing clinical depression.

Low-normal serum testosterone concentrations increase the risk for an increased level of systemic inflammation.

That should be enough to make any man want to get his testosterone checked and then do something to get it up to healthy levels.

The question was what to do about it.

Treating “low T” in men with a synthetic hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is proving to be as ill advised as synthetic HRT for women. Potentially deadly side effects of Testosterone HRT include heart attack, stroke, blood clots and a possible increase in prostate cancer risk. The risk of such dangerous side effects far outweigh the benefits.

If you are concerned about your health, energy levels or think you might have lower than optimal healthy testosterone levels, please read The Testosterone Switch, and consider starting Dr. Smith’s 3 Step Plan toward a better you.

Those of you who follow my blog at www.DrWilliamHKoch.com will be familiar with Dr. Kyl and know I have recommended this book before. It is such an important issue, and I have been so pleased with my own personal results as I work the plan, that I just had to recommend it again.

It is currently only available through Progressive Laboratories 1-800-527-9512. Ask for Nancy Craig and be sure to tell them Dr. William Koch recommended you call. If you prefer you can email Nancy Craig at [email protected] and tell her I referred you and you want a copy of the book, The Testosterone Switch.

In my next blog I will be further discussing issues of low testosterone, erectile dysfunction, cardiovascular dysfunction and how they are interrelated and connected.

In the meantime I encourage your questions and comments. You may email me at [email protected].

Lose Weight and Get in Shape

First Posted on January 4, 2015 by Bill Koch

The perennial New Year’s Resolution number one is lose weight and get in shape. Unfortunately, 88% of these resolutions are forgotten or abandoned by mid February.

This happens for a number of reasons. Injuries are at the top of the list. People frequently injure themselves because they begin an exercise program that is much too vigorous for their level of strength and flexibility.

The way to avoid injury is to “Get in shape to get in shape.” That means achieving a preliminary level of strength and flexibility before undertaking a more ambitious exercise program.

Once the preliminary level of conditioning is reached, it is important to proceed cautiously. You must resist the temptation to do too much too soon.

The connective tissues of the body gain slowly in strength and flexibility. Just because you can do a certain exercise a few times does not mean that you should immediately increase the number of repetitions or increase the amount of resistance or weight too soon. Increasing weight and/or repetitions too rapidly is the next most common cause of exercise related injury.

Slower is better because gaining stamina is as important a goal as increasing strength. This takes time, but it is time well spent.

There is a tendency for people to think that they must always challenge themselves with more intense workouts. More weight, more repetition, walking or running farther and faster. This leads to turning exercise into a test of endurance instead of a stimulating release of physical and emotional tension and stress.

Once the idea of having an exercise session becomes drudgery, the mind will create endless excuses to avoid it. That is because avoidance of discomfort or pain will always override seeking pleasure.

The answer lies in adopting an exercise program that you enjoy, feels good and does not cause undue stress on the body.

The right exercise program is one that you can easily incorporate into a healthy lifestyle and that you will be willing and able to do over the long haul.