Taking on pain at Sisters Library

Dr. Robert Jeffrey, chiropractic physician, will speak on "Pain - Treatment and Prevention" on Sunday, February 7 at 1:30 p.m. at the Sisters Library Community Room.

Pain - lower back pain, chronic headaches, or pain radiating down the side of the leg - can prove to be more than just an annoyance. Pain is a messenger indicating that something is wrong in your body. Perhaps you have some new injury and you're not sure if the source of the pain is in a muscle, joint, or nerve. How do you tell the difference and what can you do about it? Do you need heat or ice or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory - and what do those do for your body?

Jeffrey will explore common issues regarding pain as well as discuss basic spine health and the importance of ergonomics: how to properly sit, stand, walk, and lie in bed. He will also explain the role of simple stretches to avoid or alleviate simple aches and pains.

With offices in Sisters and Bend, Dr. Jeffrey has been practicing for 15 years. A native of Southern California, he earned undergraduate degrees in clinical physiology and civil engineering from Boston University and his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa.

Jeffrey has done a number of post-graduate studies including ELDOA, which is a myofascial stretching technique that lengthens the spine. The fascial system helps interconnect muscles and coordinates them within not only a single joint movement but multiple joints as well. It is only within the last five years that the treatment of fascial tissue has gained favor. He teaches ELDOA classes at Sisters Athletic Club two times a week for members and nonmembers.

Jeffrey and his wife, Robine, moved to Oregon from Santa Cruz, California, living for five years in Bend before moving to Sisters six years ago. Robine is a licensed marriage and family therapist and the family, including 11-year-old daughter Marieke and 9-year-old son Lex, run Harmony Farm Sanctuary, a nonprofit rescue facility for farm animals. Their most famous resident is Zoey the pig.

Jeffrey's talk will be the second of four in the annual Diane Jacobson Speaker Series sponsored by Friends of the Sisters Library (FOSL). The event is open to the public and free of charge. Seating is limited.