CHICAGO, April 14, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Dr. Jeff Winternheimer of the Illinois Back Institute has developed a revolutionary non-surgical procedure to alleviate back pain. Both professional athletes and everyday back and neck pain sufferers have been flocking to his four Chicago area clinics to see for themselves.

When a disc begins to degenerate it loses all of its interior fluid and becomes dehydrated, causing extreme pain. Up until now it has been impossible to mend or rehydrate the discs in your back and return them to their normal state, but Dr.

Jeff has found a painless, surgery-freeway to make it happen.

Functional Disc Rehydration is an innovative procedure that reverses disc degeneration and makes your back healthier and stronger. It relieves the pressure on the disc and allows nutrients to flow back in, simultaneously strengthening and reactivating the supporting muscles of your back. This makes your back and spine stable once again and alleviates all of your pain. Patients receive treatment that takes the pressure off their discs while they are walking, sitting and lying down. The Illinois Back Institute provides additional therapies to maintain good posture and strong muscles.

The results were proven in a recent formal research study formulated by a biomechanics scientist at a PAC-10 university, patients aged 39-83 participated to see just how effective Functional Disc Rehydration could be, and the results were remarkable. After just one treatment all patients experienced disc rehydration of at least 18%, and long-term results of 10 weeks showed 80% rehydration.

Dr. Jeff, a Chicago based chiropractor and founder of the Illinois Back Institute, faced years of research to put an end to his own excruciating back pain (which stemmed from a frivolous college stunt in 1988), and has helped thousands of people avoid spinal surgery and live pain free by reversing the effects of Sciatica, Stenosis, herniated discs, bulging discs and degenerative disc disease. This treatment has proven so successful that Coach Mike Ditka’s Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund has teamed up to offer Dr. Jeff’s treatment to retired NFL legends facing some of the most complex of back and neck injuries.

If you have questions for Dr. Jeff regarding back health, or would like more information please visit www.illinoisbackpain.com, or call 866-693-0955 to schedule a consultation.

As the Chairman of the Board for the GGAF, Mike Ditka says the organization’s mission is to assist retired NFL players in dire need of medical services for a variety of reasons, including inadequate disability coverage and pension benefits. “Our mission has been and will continue to be to help those former players and their families going through difficult times. The need is great. We welcome and are blessed to add Dr. Jeff and the Illinois Back Institute to our family of providers, as they have four extraordinary facilities in the Chicago area.”

The Illinois Back Institute joins a growing portfolio of facilities offering pro bono medical services to GGAF members in need of a number of procedures such as chronic back and neck pain treatment and physical therapy for past injuries. Some of the former NFL players receiving assistance were pioneers of the sport — yet unable to financially support their medical needs due to the high costs of necessary treatment and inadequate private and public funding. By enlisting the support of partners Dr. Jeff Winternheimer, GGAF is able to provide no-cost, quality healthcare to hundreds of clients annually, for services ranging from everyday pain management therapy to breakthrough treatments like Dr. Jeff’s  Functional Disc Rehydration protocol that rid NFL Hall of Fame legend Dan Hampton  of chronic back pain, and NCAA Hall of Famer and Super Bowl Champion Steve “Mongo” McMichael’s debilitating neck injuries.

President of the GGAF, Shannon Jordan believes the work the Illinois Back Institute is doing says a lot about the institution, the doctors and their team. “They are willing to step up and help us fill this unquestionable need. We are truly grateful. These are remarkable people helping remarkable people who have slipped in society. Our collective goal is to get these great men and their families back on their feet.”

Committed to providing retired NFL players with the basic human services they need, GGAF offers a broad range of services including medical, pharmaceutical, housing, food, and clothing. To support its programs, the organization relies solely on corporate and private donations generated through sponsorship, special events, sports memorabilia auctions, autograph sessions, and public drives.

About Dr. Jeff and the Illinois Back Institute
Dr. Jeff Winternheimer is a nationally recognized leader in back and neck pain and the founder of the Illinois Back Institute. After years of research to put an end to his own excruciating back pain (which stemmed from a frivolous college stunt in 1988), he has developed an innovative, non-surgical, natural treatment that rehydrates the discs and has proven 100% successful. Called Functional Disc Rehydration, Dr. Jeff has helped thousands of people, including celebrities, athletes, and everyday back and neck pain sufferers avoid spinal surgery and live pain free by reversing the effects of Sciatica, Stenosis, herniated discs, bulging discs and degenerative disc disease.

If you have questions for Dr. Jeff regarding back health, or would like more information about his ground-breaking discovery, please visit www.illinoisbackpain.com, or call 866-693-0955 to schedule a consultation. Dr. Jeff is available for speaking engagements.

About The GGAF
The Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund provides hands-on assistance and financial aid to help retired NFL players deal with some of the hardships they may encounter after football. Many of these players lack funds, disability coverage or pension benefits. Thus the GGAF focuses on the humanitarian side of these players, treating them with dignity, and addressing the post-football related issues in their lives. http://www.gridirongreats.org

Dr. Jeff and Stella Winternheimer donate their holiday spirit to local families of critically ill children

Wheaton, IL (December 15th, 2010) Dr. Jeff and Stella Winternheimer, the founders of the Illinois Back Institute, are sharing their holiday spirit with many local families this year. Not only did Dr. Jeff and Stella sponsor forty families of critically ill children with complete dinners in November, but through the process adopted a Wheaton family for Christmas. The Illinois Back Institute has teamed up with Normal Moments, a 501c3 non-profit organization based in Naperville, to share the gift of hope and family celebration throughout the holiday season.  “Coming from a strong family background I always remember the positive impact sitting down and sharing the family holiday celebrations had on me,” said Dr. Jeff.

The Winterheimer’s and the Illinois Back Institute supplied fully prepared family meals complete with a turkey and all the trimmings this Thanksgiving. “I am so thankful to have shared this gift with the families of Normal Moments. Our family  had the opportunity to deliver one of the meals to a local Wheaton family and it had a profound impact on our lives,” said Stella.

The Winternheimer’s teamed up again with Normal Moments to buy Christmas gifts for the Wheaton family members, including four young children. Additionally, Dr. Jeff, Stella, and the Illinois Back Institute are donating gifts to other Normal Moments families including a decked out IPad for a 2 year old that had a stroke prior to birth. The IPad’s software and games have proven to be the easiest method of interaction at this stage of the child’s life. Also another family will be surprised with a pull behind wagon with additional support to help a critically ill child enjoy the pleasures of outdoor travel in a fun way with less restriction.

Patricia Fragen, President and Founder of Normal Moments stated “Our families have been honored by the support of Dr. Jeff, Stella, and the Illinois Back Institute and all of those who look out for the day to day needs of parents dealing with the long-term battles of critical illness and/or medically complex children.” For more information on Normal Moments visit www.NormalMoments.org.

Dr. Jeff Winternheimer is a nationally recognized leader in back and neck pain and the founder of the Illinois Back Institute. After years of research to put an end to his own excruciating back pain (which stemmed from a frivolous college stunt in 1988), he has developed an innovative, non-surgical, natural treatment that rehydrates the discs and has proven 100% successful. Called Functional Disc Rehydration, Dr. Jeff has helped thousands of people, including celebrities, athletes, and everyday pain and neck pain sufferers avoid spinal surgery and live pain free by reversing the effects of Sciatica, Stenosis, herniated discs, bulging discs and degenerative disc disease.

If you have questions for Dr. Jeff regarding back health, or would like more information about his ground-breaking discovery, please visit www.illinoisbackpain.com, or call 866-693-0955 to schedule a consultation. Dr. Jeff is available for speaking engagements.

“People need to be very careful when shoveling snow,” explains Dr. Jeff Winternheimer, founder of the Illinois Back Institute with 4 locations throughout Chicagoland (Wheaton, Countryside, Berwyn and Orland Park). “While most people recognize the tremendous stress that shoveling snow can place on the heart, what they may not realize is the amount of stress and strain that it can cause to the back,” he adds.

“It’s not surprising that thousands of people injure their backs each and every year while shoveling snow,” he continues. “During the winter season, I’ve seen everything from basic muscle fatigue and low back strain to vertebral disc damage and even spinal fractures,” he says. “But, with proper preparation and a few easy tips, shoveling snow can be a very healthy, fun, and safe form of winter exercise.”

The following suggestions from Dr. Jeff are sure to help.

Dress for Success

Make sure you are dressed appropriately for the weather with layered clothing that is non-restricting and easy to move in. Also, consider wearing a hat. A great deal of body heat is lost through the head, so a hat is a must. If it’s icy cold, breathing through a scarf will help. And, don’t forget the importance of proper boots, which are not only essential for keeping your feet warm and dry, but the soles provide good traction, which will help with your balance.

Don’t Forget the Gloves

Not only do you need to wear gloves to keep your hands warm, but gloves with vinyl or leather on the palms and fingers will help you form a tighter grip on the shovel’s handle so it doesn’t slip. Thick gloves will also help protect your hands from calluses and blisters while shoveling.

Warm-Up

Like any exercise, it’s important to warm up. Before digging into the snow, try a few jumping jacks. Or, take a few minutes to jog or march in place to get the blood flowing and the muscles warm. As we all know, warm relaxed muscles work much more efficiently than cold tight ones; and are less likely to be injured.

Shovel Sense

Using the right shovel can save your back from injury or pain. Be sure that your shovel is lightweight and has a curved handle (like the new ergonomic ones), which allows you to keep your back straighter when shoveling. Also, make sure that it’s not too tall (resulting in an awkward grip) or too small (causing you to bend over). I believe that a smaller blade is better than a larger blade. Although a small blade can’t shovel as much snow, it avoids the risk of trying to pick up too heavy a load with a larger one.

Take Breaks

When shoveling, you need to take frequent breaks and pace yourself. Stand up straight, stretch your back and roll your shoulders a few times to release the tension. Pace yourself. There’s no need to shovel the entire driveway and sidewalk at one time.

Drink Up

Be sure to drink plenty of fluids before, during and after shoveling snow. Like jogging, riding a bike, or a work-out in the gym, snow shoveling is exercise, so staying hydrated is important. Avoid caffeinated drinks, as they cause dehydration, which will make you more likely to experience aches, pains and other discomfort after shoveling.

Use Your Legs

When shoveling, make sure you are lowering yourself with your legs and not bending forward towad the snow with your back. Doing so will help avoid added pressure on your spine.

Alternate Sides

Any repetitive motion for a long period of time is sure to cause soreness. To lessen the chance of experiencing back pain while shoveling, alternate between tossing the snow to your right and tossing it to your left. Also, try changing hand grips so that if the shovel is to your right, leading with the left arm; change it to the left side, leading with your right arm.

Speaking of Grip

Speaking of grip, don’t place your hands too close to one another. Create some distance between your hands (about 12 inches or so), which gives you more leverage and makes it easier to lift the snow.

Lift Correctly

Whenever possible remember to push the snow instead of lifting it. Pushing puts far less strain on the spine than lifting. But, if you must lift, protect your back from injury by doing so correctly. Begin by standing with your feet about hip width for balance and keeping the shovel close to your body. Bend from the knees (not the back) and tighten your stomach muscles as you lift the snow, avoiding any twisting movements.

Toss Correctly

Once you have picked up the snow, turn your whole body and face the direction you want to toss the snow. By doing so, you are tossing the snow in a straight forward way, completely taking out the torso rotation and saving your back. NEVER twist to throw the snow to the side, and never throw it over your shoulder! It’s very important to walk to where you want to dump the snow. Holding a shovelful of snow with your arms outstretched puts too much pressure on the spine.

Listen to Your Body

Stop IMMEDIATELY when you feel any sort of pain or shortness of breath. With snow shoveling, especially, you’ve got to listen to your body and know your limitations.

Take a Hot Shower

When you’re done shoveling, take a hot shower and stretch while under the hot water. Doing so will help relax the muscles and it will lessen the chance of any aches and pains later on.

About Dr. Jeff

Dr. Jeff Winternheimer is a local chiropractor and founder of the Illinois Back Institute. After years of research to put an end to his own excruciating back pain (which stemmed from a frivolous college stunt in 1988), he has developed an innovative, non-surgical, natural treatment that rehydrates the discs and has proven 100% successful. Called Functional Disc Rehydration, Dr. Jeff has helped thousands of people avoid spinal surgery and live pain free by reversing the effects of Sciatica, Stenosis, herniated discs, bulging discs and degenerative disc disease.

If you have questions for Dr. Jeff regarding back health, or would like more information about his ground-breaking discovery, please visit www.illinoisbackpain.com, or call 866-693-0955 to schedule a consultation. Dr. Jeff is available for speaking engagements

An easy way to reduce back strain while you’re at work is to simply get up and move. Take a two minute break every half hour of sitting at your office chair to stretch. If you can’t get up that often, try stretching in your chair. Just changing your bodies positioning can do a lot for your back. One of the easiest ways to prevent back pain caused by poor posture is to know the warning signs.

Being able to pin point when the back pain begins, is a good way to figure out if it is the result of poor posture or a more serious condition such as degenerative disc disease, DDD. If your back pain does not improve it is important to seek out other more aggressive treatment options such as, Progressive Disc Rejuvenation.

Life style changes do not have to be daunting tasks, and new healthier habits can replace old patterns of behavior without much effort. Psychological studies have shown that through merely keeping your posture in mind for as little as two weeks you can significantly improve your overall health and peace of mind.

The first tip is to make sure the back pack you select is designed with the spine in mind. Backpacks with wheels are always a good bet. Also, when shopping look for one that has padded adjustable shoulder straps, and an adjustable belt strap. The belt, waist, or hip strap helps to redistribute some of the load away from the back making it easier to carry. Furthermore, keep in mind the material of the backpack. You will want to choose one that is made from lightweight material, because the less weight that your child is lugging around the better. Also, limiting your child’s load to 5-10% of their body weight is a great precaution to take.

Another great way to ensure that your kid’s spine is not being harmed by their backpack is to teach your child how to properly wear and load their backpack. Heaviest objects should go on the bottom, and compartments should be packed with the lighter stuff. You should also take care to make sure that the stuff in the compartments is evenly distributed by weight.

Advocate to your children to only carry the necessary books with them, make frequent trips to their locker if possible, and to immediately remove and reduce the load of their back pack if it starts causing them pain.

Lastly, get involved, attend PTA meetings, and bring the issue of backpacks safety up. It is important that kids have the ability to get to their lockers and unload unnecessary books and materials as often as possible.
There are more tips on the way!

1.       Know how to hit a golf ball.  (The Obvious one)

2.       A very high level of function.

There are many ways to learn to hit a golf ball. The easiest is to pay for it. Pay to take lessons from a good teacher and practice. When Tiger Woods is asked how he got so good at golf, here was his answer. This is very important, so pay attention he said”PRACTICE”. He didn’t just say practice he said “Practice, practice, practice, and then practice some more!” Makes pretty good sense, but that is not the only factor to be a better golfer. It turns out there are hidden factors. These are the ones that we don’t always hear about. It is probably because it is a little harder to understand.

Most professional golfers function at a very high level. What does this mean?

A pro golfer can hit the ball 30% further than a recreational golfer; this is not just because of practice. It is often a result of better function.  An important factor in golfing is your body’s ability to function the way it was designed. A good example of poor function is; like driving your car with 2 flat tires. It is not functioning at its highest level.  With 2 flat tires you would want to take you care on the highway and go 60 miles per hour. This is because cars need air in the tires, and to function at the highest level tiers need an exact amount of air.

Every golfer, including myself, works hard to perfect their form in order to hit the ball further and straighter. We take the lessons and go to the driving range but we don’t always get the results we want or worse yet the more we practice the more pain we develop. Half of all recreational golfers have back pain, and one third of all professional golfers have back pain! This is a direct result of decreased function. When the parts are not working together we lack function. There many reasons why we don’t have proper function, all of which are related.

The main reason we lack function, is from faulty movement patterns. This often is from old injuries that have healed wrong and we compensated.   We also will develop changes in our movement patterns from tight or weak muscles. When you have a faulty movement pattern, you are less effective and less efficient. Just like your car with 2 flat tires…. less effective and less efficient. The key to good golf that is pain free is to be functioning at your highest level.

I have treated over 3000 patients with back pain and I have also had back pain that was so severe I could hardly live. I know what it takes and I understand function. When we treat golfers with bad back not only do they fell better (pain is gone), but they play the best golf of their lives. The key to good backs and better golf is improved function. I am putting together 10 tips for golfers to achieve better function. These tips will be released soon. I will be submitting more articles to help people become better golfers and live pain free. Remember we all need function! If your tires are flat please fill them up. You will be happier you did.

Dr Jeff Winternheimer

I have seen Tiger play live on several occasions over the last couple of years. Most recently I saw him playing on Sunday at Bay Hill. I have spent the last 15 years of my life observing movement patterns, and I noticed Tiger was still limping a bit. (it is very subtle) I also noticed that on several occasions on the greens when he was waiting for Zach Johnson and Sean O’Hair to putt, he was doing a lot of twisting trying to loosen up his back. This behavior is definitely something that I had not noticed in the past. He was stretching similar to what Fred Couples does when he is trying to loosen up his notoriously bad back.

The one thing about Tiger is with or without a severe problem, he is going to win. Does he have back pain? I don’t think it matters. He is still Tiger. I don’t know if he has Back pain but I do know that his surgery to his knee pre disposes him to immediate and future possibilities of back pain. The important lesson here is that if you have had problems with your knees in the past or in the present, there is a good chance it will affect your back. Have it checked out so you can prevent future problems that may have a dramatic effect on your life. Although I do know he is in good hands I have worked professionally with some of his Physical Therapist. They know what they are doing so if he does have back pain it shouldn’t last too long.

We stood on the side of the 18 fairway on that Sunday with the sun slowly setting and watched one of the greatest sports moments I have attended. I was a very surreal event as he hit that putt and the crowd exploded. Tiger is at his best with or without back pain!

A large portion of all chronic back pain (pain that last more than 3 months), comes from a break down in the disc. We call this disc degeneration. There are several variables that will lead to disc degeneration. The one that I want to talk about in this article is what we call muscle imbalance. This problem is very common and probably the least understood. So I will do my best to explain it.

Muscle imbalances develop often as a result of simple activities. It has a lot to do with the control mechanisms in the nervous system for our muscles, and our daily activities.  You can very often have muscles get too tight, let’s say from sitting too long, and a as a consequence of the tight muscles other muscles can get weaker. This results in muscles going out of balance. It indirectly related to what is called the neuromuscular system. The technical medial term I am talking about is called reciprocal inhibition.   For the sake of simplicity all you really need to know is when muscle go out of balance (reciprocal inhibition) the effect is an increase in load on the disc. The muscle imbalance leads to  more pressure on one side of the disc relative to the other side. This really can be side to side or front to back. The uneven pressure on the disc will lead to a breakdown in the disc we call this disc degeneration, and this can lead to back pain.

The goal of this article is to help you understand back pain and help you identify that there are thing you can do to make yourself better. Now to fix the problems with the muscle imbalance, what you need to do is get the muscle back in balance. I have spent the last 18 years of my life helping people get out of pain and assist in the process of getting muscle back in balance.   To get the muscle back in balance is a 4 part process. This article is about the first part, this is known as the Inhibitory techniques. This is a process that is used to release tension, and/or decrease activity of the overactive neuro myofascial (muscle) tissues in the body. To accomplish this we use a foam roll. This roll is about 3 feet long and 6 inched in diameter. It is like a long foam cylinder. They are soft and have some give to them, they are foam!

This process is designed to do 2 very important things. Number one, to eliminate the effect trigger points will have on the muscles and the body. A trigger point is a portion of the muscle that will get real tight as a result of activities of your life, very often they will be the source of some low level pain. Number two; influence the effect the nerves and nervous system has on the muscles. Part of why you have muscles out of balance is because of the effect the nervous system has on the body.   If you are interested in performing this at home what you would need to do is order a foam roll the cost is roughly $20-30 USD. And start to roll up and down your spine. You want to position the roll at about your mid back. You would position the roll so that the end of the roll is at either elbow. You want to be able t roll up and down. You would be positioned on your back with the roll between your shoulder blades and start to roll up a few inches and down a few inches. If it hurts too much stop doing it.   Do this one time per day for 30-40 seconds gradually going higher and lower this will start to break up some of the trigger points and start to loosen up the muscles allowing the nervous system also to relax the hold it has on the muscles. Again if you have pain you need to see a Dr.

I have released on my website the top ten tips for back pain so if you find this information helpful you will find the top ten tips very helpful.  Yours in spinal health; Dr Jeff Winternheimer.