Dorothy of Oz

Dorothy’s “ruby slippers” are as much a part of my childhood imagery as the yellow brick road. But, did you know that Dorothy’s ruby slippers in the movie were originally going to be silver, just as they were in the book by L. Frank Baum? Technicolor was new in the movie industry at that time, however, and all of the scenes in Oz were filmed in Technicolor (Kansas was filmed in black and white.) So, obviously, ruby slippers would be much more stunning than silver, especially since the slippers would have appeared to be silver, whatever their color, if the Oz scenes had been filmed in black and white. I felt a bit let down when I read that bit of trivia, as if my childhood memories had been momentarily tampered with. And, now I feel a bit like a “myth buster” passing along this tidbit to you. But, I’m used to it. As a chiropractor I have to bust people’s myths all the time, especially when it comes to their physical body as they age.

One particular myth that I often have to bust is that “an unhealthy lifestyle won’t eventually show up as a chiropractic problem,” especially when poor eating and bad nutrition lead to excess weight and obesity. Although obesity presents many, many help problems as we age, one of them is back pain. Yep, fat in the front generally means pain in the back. In fact, the majority of people who are overweight suffer from moderate to severe back pain.

The spine is not designed to carry excess weight. As a person puts on additional pounds, the spine becomes unduly stressed and starts to compress, causing a lot of pain and discomfort.  It can also have an effect on the pelvis, tilting it forward and possibly compelling it to pinch the sciatic nerve. This is a primary reason why those who are overweight tend to have problems with their lower back. The pain is due to either sciatica or the distorting of the spinal column.

So, sorry to bust the myth, but junk food, overeating, not getting enough exercise, all lead to excess weight or obesity, which then leads to back pain and a host of other problems, especially as we age.

Oh, and did you know that Shirley Temple was the first choice for Dorothy. She was part of a trade with Fox for Clark Gable and Jean Harlow. But Harlow died and Garland got the nod. (Oops, sorry, there I go again.)

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