When a person comes into the office as either a new patient or as a wellness visit, I usually ask if they perform any type of exercise at home. Some answer no because they are too busy or do not have the equipment at home. Others will say that they go to the gym and the rest will say they try and work on exercising at home. My next question is if they know what a pelvic tilt is. If the person takes a yoga class or has had some sort of physical therapy in the past this is familiar to them. Some will go into a bridge position and rest give me a blank stare. This lead me to start thinking how many people are doing a bridge instead of a pelvic tilt.

So what is a pelvic tilt? A pelvic tilt is an exercise comprised of very subtle spinal movements that strengthen the support muscles around the low back, particularly the abdominals. They are a good preliminary exercise for those seeking low back pain relief or to help improve your posture. They can be done lying...

This weeks blog comes to us from guest contributor, Jan Leasure.  Currently Jan is a Senior Loan Officer in Libertyville, but previously was a teacher and nationally syndicated columnist for over 20 years.

Why was November chosen as “National Gratitude Month”? The obvious reason is because Thanksgiving happens in November and that gives everyone a reason to stop for a moment and visualize the things for which they are grateful.

When I was an English teacher, one of the things that I had my students do was keep a Gratitude Journal. Many students had a lot of ups and downs in their lives so sometimes writing down one thing was a struggle.  What we all learned from this exercise is that there were a lot of intangible things to be grateful for; love, friendship, a sunny day, trading lunches with your bestie, or the fact that Mrs. Leasure did not read your love note over the intercom!  What was the purpose of this exercise? We learned that although there...

We all know as soon as the weather is no longer below freezing you will start to see people running outside all bundled up. As the spring and summer months approach everyone seems to be out versus being in the gym. It’s important to protect yourself all year round if you plan to be getting your sweat on outdoors!

1. Eat Something

No matter if you workout first thing in the morning or after work it should not be on an empty stomach. Food is our fuel and if we do not have anything in our system then we are going to fatigue quickly and not be at our full potential. It can be a simple protein shake, RX bar, banana, or even a healthy nut mix. Something that can be taken easily around wherever you go.  If people push themselves too much they can become dizzy and even faint. It does not matter if the weather is 90 degrees out with sun or 53 degrees and overcast. Food is your friend!!

2. Sunscreen

According to the American Cancer Society, “Melanoma accounts for only about...

When I started this blog and typed in probiotics into Google, I was overwhelmed with how much information there was about probiotics. From the top 10 brands to warnings about probiotics. With all of that information out there how do you know what is right? Does it really matter which brand to get?

As a matter of fact; yes it does matter where you buy your probiotics. You can refer to a previous blog regarding tiers of vitamins as that applies to probiotics as well.  It is imperative that your probiotics along with any vitamins you take come not only from reputable sources, but that the manufacturers are at a bare minimum cGMP compliant.  At our office, we will only recommend physician grade supplements because they are the most highly regulated on the market.  The manufacturers that we utilize test every batch for quality, safety and effectiveness.  Not only that, but they are free of fillers and binders.  

The question we get asked the most often...

Massage therapy is therapeutic in many ways. Massage increases blood and lymph flow which aids in healing and decreases the stress hormone called cortisol. In most circumstances massage can help to improve your health. However, there are times that massage is not recommended.  Below is a list of reasons massage may be contraindicated. If anything on this list pertains to you, please talk to your massage therapist before booking a massage.

• Fever
• Contagious illness or disease (including a cold or flu)
• If you are taking any pain medication
• Recent operations or acute injuries
• Skin diseases
• First trimester of pregnancy

Only when cleared by your physician:

• High blood pressure or cardio-vascular conditions
• Edema
• Osteoporosis
• Cancer
• Epilepsy
• Diabetes
• Bell’s palsy

For more questions on anything on or not on this list, please contact our office and we will be happy to assist if scheduling a massage is appropriate for you.

As an office that promotes health, happiness, and well-being, we understand that your time is valuable.We try to make sure that every patient receives as efficient care as possible, and schedule accordingly. We understand that situations may come up and you will have to cancel your appointment, that’s just life! We simply ask that you try to be mindful that when you miss an appointment, since another patient could have been receiving care at that time. Therefore, If you are aware that you will not be able to make it to an appointment, please give proper notice so we can have someone else come in during that time. We have the utmost respect for you and your time, we hope that you will extend the same courtesy to us and our other patients!

Now that we’ve politely and kindly reminded you why you should never miss your appointment, go over to your schedule and make sure that you’ve penciled us in! Haven’t been in to see us yet? Call 847.362.4476 to schedule...

Being a doctor in a small office I’ve had the opportunity to work and learn numerous aspects of running things.  Insurance is the primary aspect I hear questions about on a daily basis.  It seems as though each day insurance policies are changing. Regardless if you have a brand new policy midyear, or have maintained your current policy, there are a handful of terms you should understand.

All medical offices have a fee schedule.  A fee schedule is a list of services and the amount billed to an insurance company.  These fee schedules are determined based on location and other aspects which as a patient you could care less about. On a very basic level, paying for insurance gives you the privilege of paying that companies rates.

Medical office rate for exam: $100
Blue Cross Blue Shield Rate for same exam: $80

If you have BCBS insurance, you can only pay up to $80 for that exam.  You get the $20 discount.

Here are a list of other terms you should...

Supplement of the Month: Vitamin B12

One of the typical questions we get asked is, “I went to my doctor and they said from my blood tests that my B12 is low. How do I fix this?” Vitamin B12 goes by many names and one we have in the office is called Methylcobalamin. By sitting down with Dr. Jordan or Dr. Jade they can discuss what the course of treatment can be to get you on track

How do we become deficient in B12?

Your body does not make vitamin B12, so you have to get it from animal-based foods or from supplements. You should do that on a regular basis, because your body doesn’t store vitamin B12 in the liver for a long time. With age, it can become harder to absorb this vitamin. There are a few ways of being deficient:

1. Not enough intake of B12.  Vegans and vegetarians are at a greater risk due to eliminating certain foods from their diet.
2. Impaired B12 absorption can be caused by a number of underlying issues, all requiring different treatments....

I’m not sure about you, but about 3:30 pm every single day my brain decides to turn off and stop working. I tend to get tired and antsy at the same time, which leads to some seriously shameful unproductiveness. Seeing as the boss (as most bosses do), frowns upon dilly dallying till 5 pm, I decided that I needed to find some ways to boost my energy levels. Here’s a few simple ideas that I’ve found help keep you going till the very last second.

1.Get Moving!

Yes, I know it sounds cliche, but seriously. Get up and go to the bathroom, empty your shred pile, or just take a lap around the office! Your body needs occasional movement to change channels and get oxygen flowing. You don’t need to be away from your desk for an hour but little breaks to stretch your legs here or there won’t hurt.Keeping your body warmed up will prepare you for whatever tasks your boss might throw at you.

2. Eat Well.

I’ll admit that snacking is my weakness. I’ve found...

The trapezius is one of the major muscles of the back and is responsible for moving, rotating, and stabilizing the scapula (shoulder blade) and extending the head at the neck. It is a wide, flat, superficial muscle that covers most of the upper back and the posterior of the neck. Like most other muscles, there are two trapezius muscles – a left and a right trapezius – that are symmetrical and meet at the vertebral column

The trapezius starts at the occipital bone and the spinous processes of the cervical and thoracic vertebrae. Then extends across the neck and back to insert via tendons on the clavicle, acromion, and spine of the scapula. The name trapezius is given to this muscle due to its roughly trapezoidal shape. The trapezius can be divided into three bands of muscle fibers that have distinct structures and functions within the muscle:

Upper Trapezius, Middle Trapezius and Lower Trapezius

 Upper Trapezius

This portion helps with elevating (shrugging) the...