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...

It’s that time again. Either after four weeks of treatment or ten visits our patients are scheduled for a re-examination with the doctor. Why you ask? To make you fill out more paperwork? To add more time to your appointment? Well, not exactly.

Every new patient completes a consultation and initial examination on their first visit.  Both aspects are extremely important.

Consultation/Subjective Findings: This is where you tell the doctors about your condition.  Types of questions the doctors may ask include: when did it start, symptoms you notice, pain/discomfort intensity, type of discomfort and most importantly how these symptoms are affecting your daily life.  Not all conditions we see can answer the same questions such as anxiety or insomnia vs. pain.  The consultation is all in your words.

Examination: The examination includes objective findings that can be measured and should be able to be replicated.  In our office this includes, but is...

Why Should You Use a Foam Roller?

This is one of the many questions we get asked during our rehab time with patients. Many people do not know what a foam roller is and how it will even help them. They think it is just another one of our torture devices we use on people.

Self-myofascial release is a fancy term for self-massage to release muscle tightness or trigger points. This is something you can do at home without having to come into the office. This method can be performed with a foam roller, lacrosse ball, Theracane, or your own hands. By applying pressure to specific points on your body you are able to aid in the recovery of muscles and assist in returning them to normal function. Normal function means your muscles are elastic, healthy, and ready to perform at a moment’s notice.

This can have a wide range of benefits for the everyday gym-goer or someone who who works out at home. Benefits of using the foam roller will be increased blood flow throughout the body,...

Chia seeds are a magical food that need their time in the spot light!  I’ve been using chia in my protein shakes for awhile now, knowing they were a super food, but never knowing ALL the benefits they possess.

Chia seeds originated in Mexico where they were viewed with such admiration they were even used as currency.  The Aztecs used chia to sustain their energy while running long distances or during battle.  They would say a spoonful would give them enough endurance for 24 hours.  This all makes sense since In the Mayan language, chia means “strength”.

Chia seeds are filled with everything from Omega 3’s, protein, fiber , vitamins, minerals AND antioxidants.  Due to their content, they have a vast array of health benefits.

Health Benefits of Chia Seeds

• Digestive Health – Due to the high amount of fiber alone, chia seeds will help with digestion.  The appropriate amount of fiber will help with regular bowel...

What are these knots in my back and neck?? Are these normal? How do I get rid of them? This is a very popular question that we get asked here in the office at North Shore Pro-Active Health. Before we answer the question above let us talk about how muscle fibers work. Within skeletal muscle there are three types of fiber. Type one (I), type two A (IIa) and type two B (IIb). Each fiber types has different qualities in the way they perform and how quickly they fatigue.

Types of Trigger Points

Type I fibers are also known as slow twitch fibers. They are red in color due to the presence of large volumes of myoglobin (iron-oxygen binding protein) and high numbers of Mitochondria (power house of the cell). They are very resistant to fatigue and are capable of producing repeated low-level contractions by producing large amounts of ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) through an aerobic metabolic cycle. The muscles containing mainly type I fibers are often postural muscles such as...

An optimist will tell you the glass is half-full; the pessimist, half-empty; and the engineer will tell you the glass is twice the size it needs to be – Anonymous

It might be helpful if we were all engineers when it came to our food.  We are exposed to supersized and packaged foods that are often double, triple or even quadruple the size we should be eating!  It is no wonder that according to the CDC, over one-third of the adult U.S. population is obese and the obesity rate in children has tripled since 1980!

When it comes to food, we need to remember we are fueling our bodies, not just feeding them.  Most cravings are learned, meaning you aren’t born to crave sugar or fast food.  When you cut down on these items, the cravings for them will lessen.

 Let’s take a closer look on serving sizes and how to make it easier to determine how much to eat!