Shelton Washington Chiropractic Center - Dr. Damon Ernst

This newsletter is dedicated to your good health. Please accept our personal invitation to explore its contents and forward it to others you care about!!!

From the April issue of the New York Daily News comes a story with a headline that reads, "The Conventional Alternative Once on the fringe, chiropractic joins the medical mainstream." The story in essence reports that chiropractic care is gaining mainstream acceptance even in the medical community. The story reports on several individuals who tout the benefits they have received from chiropractic care.

One such proponent is New York-based opera singer Frederick Burchinal who can spend entire evenings bent over in the role of a hunchback. He expands upon his problems by saying, "They are aches and problems that, if let alone, could escalate into other kinds of illness, in the sinus! flu! stomach problems!" He continues, "I am much healthier now. Sometimes I go away for two or three months, for work, and I notice I start to feel not at peak performance. Then I have one or two sessions with my chiropractor, and I am right back in form."

The article also hears from Dr. James Dillard M.D.head of Oxford Health Plans' alternative medicine program. He says, "There has been a shift." For a long time, the medical establishment "wanted chiropractic to go away." "Now, the demand is so loud that HMOs and PPOs and other convoluted arrangements under managed care are recognizing that they must provide coverage." In fact, says Dillard, "States with insurance equality [laws] actually require third-party payers not to discriminate against chiropractors."

The article suggests that it is the patient responses that have actually gotten the medical and insurance community to be more responsive to chiropractic. The article also suggests that one of the reasons is, "Chiropractors seem more caring, as a group, than many traditional, time-pressed doctors." Additionally the article reports that among a group of workers with back-related injuries, those who saw chiropractors paid about a tenth as much and lost a tenth of the workdays as those who went to medical doctors. They also reported on other published studies that showed chiropractic helps tension and migraine headaches and ear infections. In a Minnesota study, children with asthma had fewer severe attacks after regular adjustments. The results are that 30 million people seek some form of chiropractic care each year.

Chiropractic is even finding its way into hospital programs. John Weeks, a complementary medicine expert who works with insurance companies says, "These days, chiropractic is key - the backbone, in fact - to many of the 125 hospital-based integrative medicine programs up and running. Finding a way to successfully integrate chiropractic" into hospital programs like Beth Israel's is "critical" in making them work financially."

Meet The Staff

Dr. Ernst, Chiropractor and Clinic director for Shelton and Hoodsport Chiropractic. Dr. Ernst enjoys helping the patient reach their potential health and well being through chiropractic. Dr. Ernst and Shannon have 4 children and one grandchild.

Dr. Morson is our token Canadian chiropractor, contributing to the multicultural feel of the office- not really eh! He is a 2002 graduate of the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic, and has been practicing chiropractic in the South Sound since 2003. He lives in Shelton with his wife and 4 young children, and enjoys aviation in his free time.

Dr. Norton graduated cum laude from Western States Chiropractic College in 1996. He and his wife Hati have 3 children and 2 grandchildren. Dr. Norton practices full time at Hoodsport Chiropractic and part time at Shelton Chiropractic Center. Dr. Norton loves to help people with their health and get them feeling better. He looks forward to helping you.

Shannon Ernst is our Office Manager and the better half of Dr. Ernst!! :) We have been in Shelton since 1998, We enjoy the beauty of this area and the small community. We have a great staff at Shelton Chiropractic and Hoodsport Chiropractic, and we are here to help you!

My name is Carolyn.. I've been at Shelton Chiropractic Center since 1999. My position here is Chiropractic Assistant. I can help you with all of your insurance questions and much more. If I can't figure it out, I'll have Shannon do it. :) I am the mother of 2, stepmother of 2, mother-in-law of 3 and grandma to 1!

Erika, Chiropractic Assistant. My Husband Curtis and I moved from North Bend to Shelton in 2005. Including Shelton Chiropractic I have eight years experience working with chiropractic. When I'm not at work you will most likely find me knitting on some project. Look forward to seeing you soon at Shelton Chiropractic Center.

Carolyne W. Chiropractic Assistant started at Shelton Chiropractic July 2007 she is learning the ropes and is eager to help you.

Kristin, massage therapist, joined Shelton Chiropractic in 2000. She specializes in deep tissue and personal injury work. Kristin also works part time as our office manager/massage therapist in our Hoodsport office.

Sara, massage therapist, joined Shelton Chiropractic this year. She lives in Shelton with her husband and two children. Sara employs several therapeutic techniques including hot stone massage.

Jennifer, massage therapist, graduated from Massage School in August of 2000 and has worked at Shelton Chiropractic since April of 2005. She lives here in Shelton with her husband, step daughter and new baby girl born on January 4th! She will be back on March 18th.

Did you know Chiropractic care was for aminals also? Please consider the following health facts.

From the May issues of the Daily Racing Forum and the Johnson County Sun, comes a story of how a top level race horse, "Ten Most Wanted" was helped by chiropractic. The story reports that the day after the Kentucky Derby, he had been bumped sharply leaving the gate, putting his back out of alignment. "He wouldn't jog," his trainer, Wally Dollase, remembered. "He had displaced his back about a half an inch."

Dr. Herb Warren, a veterinarian who worked on Ten Most Wanted said, "There was severe pressure on his spinal cord. His back was out of whack. He didn't want to move behind." This is where the chiropractor Dr. Dave Hand came in. Dr. Hand is a former trainer who for more than a decade has been sought out by some of the top trainers to work on their horses. During the week leading up to the Derby, Hand did adjustments on four horses - Atswhatimtalknbout, Scrimshaw, Ten Cents a Shine, and Ten Most Wanted. Hand worked on Touch Gold prior to his victory in the Belmont Stakes, but his most consistent client has been Dollase, for whom Hand has treated the likes of Grade 1 stakes winners Deputy Commander, Jewel Princess, and Windsharp.

"He's good at what he does," trainer Wally Dollase said. "I call him in if I think a horse needs him. He puts a horse back in place with his own arms. He adjusts the back to where it's normal." According to Dollase, "He is moving fine now, and Ten Most Wanted is scheduled to run in the Belmont Stakes. One of the reasons he will be there is the long-term care he has received from an equine chiropractor"

The Daily Racing Forum article was written before the running of the Belmont stakes. The chiropractic care that Ten Most Wanted received must have been effective as the horse finished second in the Belmont Stakes.

A case study published in the July issue of the peer-reviewed, scientific publication, the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics (JCCP) documented the effects of chiropractic care on a nine month old infant girl with a history of disturbed sleep. The study article starts off by noting that the average 9 month old should sleep approximately 14 hours per day. In this case study a nine month old infant girl was presented for chiropractic care with a history of severely disrupted sleep and fussiness. Additionally, the infant was refusing to breastfeed on one side and exhibited, what was called a generally unsettled behavior. It was also noted that the child would not turn her head to the left. These problems had been occurring since birth.

The examination confirmed a reduced range of neck motion to the left and significant muscle tension in the left and upper neck. Upon touching the neck the child exhibited signs of being in pain by crying and moving away. It was determined that subluxations were present, and an appropriate course of adjustments was initiated.

The results in this case were very impressive. The study noted that on the afternoon after the infants first adjustment the baby girl fell asleep for 5 hours. This was followed by nighttime sleep of 2 periods of 6 hours each. Over the next three weeks of care the daytime sleep got shorter, but the nighttime sleep remained between 6 and 8 hours.

In addition to the dramatic sleep improvement, the child also improved her range of neck motion and was able to turn her head to the left in response to sound on the left side. Additionally the infant began to feed freely and comfortably.

In their conclusion, the authors of the case study noted that the dramatic improvements after just one adjustment indicated that the vertebral subluxation found in this case was at least in part responsible for the disrupted sleep pattern.

The dental profession has done an excellent job educating people to clean their teeth every day to decrease the likelihood of tooth decay. We know that we should brush and floss every day to maintain good dental health, even if we don't have a toothache, or a cavity.

When it comes to our spines, we don't do very much until we have a problem. For most people, no pain = no problem. We wait for a huge explosion of symptoms before we consider giving our structure any attention. Even then, we usually draw a circle around the pain and ask what we can do to treat the area symptomatically, often masking symptoms with medication. Unfortunately, structural weakness or imbalance can exist long before the pain threshold is crossed and symptoms become apparent.

As chiropractors, we want to give people the same opportunity to preserve their structures as they have been given to preserve their teeth. We know that structural weaknesses and imbalances not only cause discomfort but accelerate degenerative change (spinal decay.)

Chiropractic care improves joint mobility, muscle flexibility and overall structural balance. By improving these, we decrease the likelihood of premature breakdown in the future.

During the month of May all new patients can use the below health pass for their first visit.

Friends and loved ones you feel could benefit from Chiropractic, will receive their First visit for $25. Including Consultation, Exam, and X-rays if needed. (Normally $260.)

If you have a family member, friend or loved one, that you feel could benefit from Chiropractic care, we would be proud to consult and examine them as a personal favor to you using this special program. (You may also use this for yourself if you have not recently been into the office.)

The greatest gift we can give to someone else is the gift of drugless health. Please call our office for your appointment today.

We want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for referring your family and friends to us!! We are honored by your confidence in us and we thank you for your generosity and your loving concern for others.



1635 Olympic Hwy North \| Shelton WA. 98584 \| 360-426-8060	The Office \| The Doctors \| The Staff