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Exploring Class IV Laser Pain Relief
The condition known as Sciatica is one of the most common conditions that we treat at Align Healing Center. Some of the common symptoms of Sciatica are sharp pain in the low-back and/or buttocks accompanied by numbness, tingling, and aching or burning in the back of the legs. In severe circumstances, weakness in the legs may also be seen.

The Sciatic Nerve is large and travels down the back of the leg to the foot. The nerve is buried deep within the muscles of the buttock and leg making it difficult to treat with common physical therapy methods. The Sciatic Nerve is composed of several smaller nerves and originates from the low back. It passes under the piriformis muscle (underneath the main buttock muscles) on its way down the leg. Irritation of the Sciatic Nerve at any point along its path is commonly known as “Sciatica”.

Understanding Sciatica
Let’s talk about nerves for a moment. Nerves are the electrical wiring of the human body. They carry the signals that allow us to move, feel, digest, detoxify, respond to our environment, and so much more. Plain and simple, if the nerves do not work the body will not work. That being said, it is important to understand that unlike other tissues, the primary blood supply to nerve tissue is actually located WITHIN the nerve itself. So, if a nerve becomes impinged or compromised, so does the blood supply to the nerve. Without proper blood supply, the nerve does not receive the energy and nutrition that are needed for the nerve to heal itself. Over time neural impingement leads to a painful chronic condition called Neuropathy. The definition of neuropathy is a disease or injury affecting nerve cells. The common symptoms of Neuropathy include sharp pain, burning, muscular weakness, numbness or tingling either at the site of the nerve injury or wherever the nerve travels. The condition known as Sciatica is a form of Neuropathy that specifically affects the Sciatic Nerve.

How can Class IV laser help my Sciatica?
For the past eleven years Align Healing Center has been offering many different modalities to reverse Sciatic Neuropathy. In 2009 we began using Class IV Laser Therapy and the results have been outstanding! Class IV Laser Therapy allows the practitioner to stimulate healing within the nerve tissue by delivering the necessary energy directly to the injured area. During each painless treatment laser energy increases circulation, drawing water, oxygen, and nutrients to the damaged area. Laser therapy is a photochemical process that is able to bypass the arterial “highway” that was damaged as a result of the initial injury. During Laser Therapy the infrared laser light interacts with tissues at the cellular level and metabolic activity increases within the cell, improving the transport of nutrients across the cell membrane. This initiates the production of cellular energy (ATP) that leads to a cascade of beneficial effects, increasing cellular function and health. This creates an optimal healing environment that reduces inflammation, swelling, muscle spasms, stiffness and pain.

Dr. Niele Maimone, DC of Align Healing Center in Danville, CA has been active in natural health & wellness since 1999. For more information or to set up a consult call 925.362.8283 or visit www.alignhealingcenter.com.

Fine dining is a multi-sensory experience. New Patrick David’s Restaurant and Catering owners Al Sisto, Gary Mingle and Dana Dornsife understand that and have taken several steps to revitalize the restaurant and make it a choice destination for regulars and first-time visitors.

Sisto, Mingle and Dornsife have invested in restaurants in the past, and they understood what Patrick David’s was and what it could be when they took over operation of the restaurant and catering business on April first of this year. “First and foremost, we have retained Patrick David himself, one of the preeminent chefs in all of California, and someone’s whose vision and creativity in the kitchen are all but unmatched in the region as our Executive Chef,” Sisto said. “We also worked to retain the excellent staff at the restaurant and catering business, moving most of the employees to fulltime status and improving their benefit package.

Sisto, Mingle and Dornsife immediately capitalized on their assets by updated the physical plant and modernizing the kitchen. The result is an inviting dining room and bar served by employees with regular schedules upon whom visitors can count on seeing whenever they return. “One of our goals is to turn Patrick David’s into the Cheers of Danville,” Sisto said. “Guests like it when they come on their regular day and see the same server and the same bar staff. It’s also a great way for us to come to know and understand what the guest likes and have it ready for them when we know they plan to visit.” A special events calendar is part of the lure, including live music on Fridays, Sunday Brunch, and expert-led Tuesday wine tastings.

Sisto says the results have been gratifying. “Our wine business, for example, is up about 70 per cent, in large part because our servers are trained to help guests pair the wines to maximize the enjoyment of their meal. We use only the freshest ingredients in our food, which helps the wine accent the flavors as both the chef and the sommelier intend. That combination creates a more memorable experience and makes it more likely that guests become regulars.”

Along with the restaurant, the partnership also acquired Patrick David’s catering business. “One of the first things we did was to eliminate the old event center,” Mingle said. “That gives us more freedom to work with venue coordinators and other event planners to help achieve their vision at their location.

“Now, there are no limits to what we can do. Patrick’s creativity transfers seamlessly to the catering business and we’ve found that we can prepare and serve any food in any setting and make the timing work perfectly.”

Those interested in visiting the new restaurant at 416 Sycamore Valley Rd next to Coldstone Ice Cream in the Danville Livery can call 925-838-7611. Potential catering clients and event planners can get started by calling 925-855-4688. More information is also available at www.patrickdavids.com.