Most recently a parent presented her 6 month old due to not having a bowel movement in three days. Mom was torn between taking her to the pediatrician or Dr Di vagno. Without hesitation she brought her child in for treatment. Before leaving the parking lot her daughter soiled her diaper!At two weeks of age the same child was seen for torticolis.

A 68 year old male presented for low back pain. The patient had no prior history. Examination revealed he had slipped a disc mearly raised up from the toilet. He could not straighten and needed assistance from his wife. The wife who is a patient called immediately and brought her husband in. After his third treatment he could bend and put his socks on without assitance!

A family of seven was recently in a head-on collision injuring all seven occupants ranging in age from 4 years old to 62. All are responding very favorably with the 4 year old already being discharged.

These are typical cases we see on a daily and weekly basis. So if you or a loved one is suffering call and make an appoinment today?

 * Make sure your child's backpack weighs no more than 10% of his or hers body weight. A heavier backpack will cause your child to bend forward in an attempt to support the weight on his or her back, rather than the shoulders, by the straps.

*The backpack should never hang more than four inches below the waistline.

*A backpack with individualized compartments helps in postioning the the contents most effectively. Make sure that pointy or bulky objects are packed away from the area that will rest on your child's back.

*Bigger is not necessarily better. The more room there is in a backpack, the more your child will carry and the heavier the backpack will be. Always position the heavier items closest to the body.

*Urge your child to wear both straps. Lugging the backpack around by one strap can cause the disapportiment shift of weight to one side, leading to neck and back muscle spasms, as well as low back pain.

*The shoulder straps should be adjusted so the backpack can be fitted to your child's body. Straps that are too loose can cause the backpack to dangle incorrectly and can cause spinal problems (subluxations).

*If the backpack is still too heavy, talk to your child's teacher. Ask if your child could leave the heaviest books at school and bring home only lighter hand-out materials or workbooks.

*For more information about proper use of backpacks call Dr. Jay Di Vagno at 678.879.4242 or call the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) at 800.986.4636, or visit its web site at www.acatoday.com.

GET YOUR ACCIDENT MEDICAL BILLS PAID. Did you know there is a portion of your automobile policy that not only allows you to go to any doctor you want regardless of your health insurance but pays your bills? Your car insurance protects your car, not the people inside of it. �Medical Payments� (often called Med Pay) or �Personal Injury Protection� (PIP) covers the medical cost of all passengers in your vehicle including you if they are injured in an accident. Med Pay will cover the medical cost resulting from an accident regardless of who was at fault. Only injuries caused directly by the accident will be covered by Med Pay. Keep in mind Med Pay is purchased on a �by vehicle� basis. This means if you have two cars you must purchase Med Pay for both if you wish to be covered in either car. It�s also very important to point out that Med Pay is not a replacement for health insurance. Med Pay coverage is strictly limited to injuries that occur during auto accidents and almost always has a limit (We suggest a minimum of $10,000 in coverage). Your health insurance can also cover your injuries if you�re in a car accident: the difference is that Med Pay will cover the other people in the car. Additionally, Med Pay or PIP covers your medical cost from an accident at 100%, usually without deductibles and co-payments. If you use your health insurance to cover your accident-related medical expenses you may be subject to plan restrictions, high deductible, co-payments and re-payment. What does all that mean for you? It means that at the end of your accident related treatment you may not have any outstanding doctor bills to pay and so have decreased your liability. This low cost insurance can be an effective way to pay for your treatment bills. Check your automobile declaration page or call your insurance agent to find out your specific coverage�s. Most insurance agents do not recommended it. It is an optional coverage and you must request it.  Contact your insurance agent to find the right coverage to fit your individual needs. If you or anyone you know has been involved in an automobile accident the key to recover is early evaluation and treatment. Don�t wait to see if it goes away, call our office immediately.

An often overlooked treatment that is highly successful for slipped or herniated disc is available in our office. This is a non-surgical alternative procedure for relieving low back, neck, arm and leg (sciatica) pain.

Treatment is directed towards relieving pressure on structures such as nerves and disc that may be a major source of pain. It can relieve the pain associated with bulging, herniated and degenerative disc. If you or someone you know have any one of these conditions have them call and schedule an appointment to see if they are a candidate for spinal decompression. Chiropractic first, Drugs second and Surgery last!

"Doctor, why do I need an adjustment once a month? I'm feeling fine!" For an answer, let's start with an examination of the human body, which is composed of several hundred trillion tiny cells.

Some of these cells are joined into groups which makes up organs. Some make up bones, some hair and so forth. These systems may work independently of each other or they may work in conjunction with each other. They work, however, only when ordered by the central nervous system.

Your body, like an electronic computer, does what it is told to do by either internal or external stimuli.

As an electronic computer must have an air conditioning system to filter the air in which it works, so must your body. Your built in air conditioning sytem is geared to maintain your normal temperature of 98.6 degrees day and night.

More interesting facts: Your body contains approximately 100,000 miles of blodd vessels, some trillion red blood cells and 232 million nerve fibers. Your heart pumps about 3,000 gallons of blood every 24 hours.

I think that after marveling at these facts performed by your body, you will decide that it makes sense to maintain the central nervous system which controlls all the other systems. We see to it that our car has regular oil changes, grease jobs and tune-ups. Why not do the same for your irreplaceable body? Remember, we can install new parts for a damaged car or simply relegate it to the junk yard. But the body has no trade-in! Let us help keep yours in mint condition with a monthly adjustment. It pays to maintain good health.

People with chronic back pain sometimes consider lumbar fusion surgery to reduce their dependence on pain medications, particularly opioids. But a new study has found that more than three-quarters of spinal fusion patients continue taking opioids for pain post-surgery. Spinal fusion surgery corrects issues with the spinal vertebrae by fusing painful or damaged vertebrae into one solid bone — in a process similar to welding the bones together. Many patients choose this invasive procedure because they believe it will relieve their need to take opioids for pain. However, a study published in the journal PAIN, discovered that 14 percent of patients who underwent spinal fusion still used opioids for occasional pain and a significant 77 percent continued to use them long-term. Only 9 percent of spinal fusion patients were able to discontinue their use of opioids completely. Dr. Richard Deyo of Oregon Health and Science and his colleagues used Oregon’s program for monitoring prescription drugs to determine the opioid dosages used by patients before and after the surgery.  Interestingly, of the patients who were prescribed opioids pre-surgery, only 34 percent of them were able to lower their dosage afterwards. Forty-five percent actually received a higher dose after undergoing spinal fusion.  After studying the data, Dr. Devo concluded that the higher the dosage of opioids before surgery, the more likely the patient would continue to use them afterward. Before considering an invasive treatment like spinal fusion, see a chiropractor for effective, drug-free pain management options.

Most are aware of the negative effects that excess bodyweight has on the cardiovascular system, increasing the risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes. However according to the WHO (World Health Organization), obesity and excessive weight are also responsible for half a million cancer cases annually. In North America, the number of diagnosed obesity-related cancers for 2012 was estimated at approximately 111,000. Cancers associated with increased bodyweight or BMI over 25 (body mass index) affect the esophagus, colon, rectum, kidney, pancreas, gallbladder, postmenopausal breast, ovary and endometrium. Fortunately the majority of us have control over our bodyweight with the decisions we make daily in regards to physical activity and dietary habits and choices.  Committing to regular and ongoing physical activity coupled with a healthy diet is the answer. Get up, get out, move around, watch what you eat and when you eat, and get and stay healthy!


Skipping breakfast can lead to a reduced athletic performance later in the day according to U.K. researchers. In a group of 10 males, researchers compared performance later in the day when eating breakfast as well as when skipping breakfast. In this particular group of individuals, when breakfast was skipped, even though more calories tended to be consumed during lunch (an average of approximately 200 additional calories), their later day performance was still reduced. More studies will need to be performed but if you're an athlete with an athletic performance later it the day, making a decision to skip breakfast may reduce your overall performance, even if more calories are consumed later in the day.