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Thursday, September 16, 2010 – Daily News – 5A FEATURES Kyphosis will ease as teen stops growing DEAR DR. GOTT: My grand- son, who is 15, was just diagnosed with type II Scheuer- mann disease of the spine. This was dis- covered when he had X-rays follow- ing a minor moped accident. His doctor has prescribed a muscle relaxant and an anti-inflammatory, along with having him go to phys- ical therapy. What can you tell me about this disease? Will he need to be on med- ication the rest of his life? Is there a cure for it? What is the cause, and is it heredi- tary? His mother has a Har- rington’s rod on her spine for scoliosis. Thank you for any information you can provide. DEAR READER: Scheuermann’s disorder of the spine is more common- ly known as adolescent kyphosis, a humplike curva- ture caused by the wedging together of several vertebra in a row, commonly between the T7 and T9 lev- els of the spine. This can occur when the front of the upper spine fails to grow at the same rate as the back of the spine. Normal thoracic curvature is between 20 and 50 degrees. Scheuermann kyphosis is diagnosed if three or more adjacent ver- tebrae have wedged at least 5 degrees. While rare at birth, it can occur at any age. When it occurs in adults, it can be the result of a fracture, the slipping of one vertebra forward on another, specific connective tissue disorders, endocrine disease, Paget’s disease, tumors, spina bifida and several other causes. Diagnosis can be made through examination by a physician and X-rays of the spine. When a tumor or neurological symptoms are present, a physician may choose to order an MRI for confirmation. Treatment depends on the specific reason for the disorder. If a tumor or infec- tion is involved, surgery may be recommended. If pain and pronounced curva- ture is involved, a brace and physical therapy might be appropriate. Congenital forms might require correc- tive surgery at a young age. If degenerative joint disease is involved or if there are numerous compression fractures, surgery may be necessary to reduce the level of pain and correct the deformity. There is no one specific treatment recom- mended. Scheuermann’s Dr. Peter Gott isn’t a disease, nor is it contagious. The good news is that the disorder ceases when an adolescent stops growing. My guess is that his doctor is well informed and is pro- viding appropriate care. To send you additional information, I am forward- ing a copy of my Health Report “Managing Chronic Pain.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 US check or money order to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092-0167. Be sure to mention the title or print out an order form from my website www.AskDr- GottMD.com. DEAR DR. GOTT: Regarding SLS-free tooth- paste, the Tom’s of Maine I recently bought does con- tain this substance. My chief complaint is dry lips. This means I’m constantly using lip gloss. Biotene toothpaste is the only one I have found to be SLS free that solves my dry lip prob- lem. DEAR READER: SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) is a highly effective chemical found in industrial products used to remove oil stains and residue. In lower degrees of intensity, it is found in toothpaste, sham- poos, conditioners and other products. The Biotene to which you refer, and Tom’s Spearmint Paste, are SLS free. Biotene contains aloe leaf juice, which might help your dry lips, but Tom’s contains glycerin as a moistener. Because SLS can cause mouth irritation, some man- ufacturers offer alternatives, but it isn’t a necessary com- ponent. Dr. Peter H. Gott is a retired physician and the author of several books, including “Live Longer, Live Better,” “Dr.Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet” and “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook,” which are available at most bookstores or online. His website is www.AskDrGottMD.com Oh Snap! The Daily News wants your photos: Cute kids, Adorable pets, Inspirational sights, Any shot you think readers would enjoy You might just see it in the Daily News Send pictures to editor@redbluffdailynews.com or drop off at 545 Diamond Ave. in Red Bluff. Include a caption. The Electric Man For all your electrical needs • New Outlets / 220 • Fans / Fixtures • Pools / Spas • Code Corrections • Troubleshooting • Panel Upgrade • Telephone Wiring $10.00 Customer Discount FREE Estimates License# 826543 347-4441 Barber Shop $ Cheers 600 Open 6 days 570-2304 259 S. Main St. Tractor Supply Center Senior Cuts Pushy prisoner plundering paychecks Dear Annie: I’ve been married for five years. We’ve been very happy until recently. Last year, my husband spent three days in jail due to a misunderstanding that got out of control. While there, he befriended a fel- low inmate, and they exchanged contact infor- mation. The inmate has four more years to serve. The problem is, my hus- band keeps sending him money and care packages. So far, he has spent almost $1,600 on this guy. The inmate once asked for some pricey things from an inmate supply company, which my hus- band quickly bought. One day, he called and I answered the phone. I told him it was quite nervy of him to order the most expensive items available. He said that he and my husband had an understanding. When I questioned my husband, he claimed he was only helping a ‘‘true’’ friend. I expressed my dis- approval rather emphatically, and he replied that he works hard for his money and will spend it as he likes. Annie, he makes decent money, but not enough to be this inmate’s sponsor. I told him it was causing undue stress on me and that this guy was taking advantage of his generosity, but he doesn’t seem to care. I blocked all calls from the prison, but this guy got ahold of a cell phone and informed my hus- band, who became upset with me. He removed the block and said, The following defen- dants were sentenced in Tehama County Superi- or Court, according to the Tehama County Dis- trict Attorney’s Office: —————— Recent State Prison Commitments: • Juana Esquivel- Pena and Oscar Esquiv- el-Pena were sentenced to 12 years in state prison for Juana Esquiv- el-Pena and two years in state prison for Oscar Esquivel-Pena for pos- session for sale of a controlled substance, special allegation-pun- ishment by quantity; possession for sale of a controlled substance. An officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehi- cle occupied by both defendants. The officer used his K-9 to conduct a search of the vehicle and located 25 bags of heroin totaling approxi- mately 40 pounds. • Jayson James Wal- drop was sentenced to two years in state prison for non-sufficient fund checks. Waldrop was origi- nally granted formal probation. He violated his probation when he failed to pay the full amount of restitution as ordered. Recent County Jail Commitments: • Antoninette Augerlavoie was sen- Mark's Fitness -Private Personal Training Affordable Packages ! -Public Fitness Classes • Spin Class: M-W-F 6 PM Inquire about FREE Spin • Boot Camp call for times WANTED: Certified Fitness Instructors Call: (530) 941-2832 821 Walnut St. China Buffet CHINESE RESTAURANT Open 7 Days A Week Sunday Buffet Special $ 9.99 COUPON China Buffet Lunch Dinner $9.99 $6.99 Monday - Saturday 343 S. Main St. Red Bluff 530-529-5888 (No Checks) 10 % off COUPON on dinner only (everyday) Expires 9-30-10 COUPON also Toddler program Recently expanded and moved near Bidwell Elementary License # 525405817 (530) My qualifications include: B.A. in Elementary Education and experience teaching grades K-8. Accepting state pay programs & cash pay, etc. 209-8743 Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar ‘‘How dare you undermine me?’’ This is causing us to fight a lot. I love my hus- band, but it’s ridiculous for him to think I would be OK with this. What should I do? — Headed for the Poorhouse in San Pedro Dear San Pedro: It’s possible this inmate protect- ed your husband during his short stint in jail and now Hubby feels indebted. This does not mean the inmate isn’t being manipulative and taking advantage. You can contact the warden at the correctional facility, although you risk angering your husband. We recommend you start putting aside money that your husband can’t get to and make arrangements to protect yourself when this inmate is released. He could be a danger to you. Dear Annie: I’m 16 years old, and my parents just celebrated their 20th anniversary. But they con- stantly fight. My dad sometimes doesn’t think before he speaks and says really mean things. He claims he loves my mom to death, but I hate seeing him treat her the way he parents me. His favorite phrase is, ‘‘Don’t disrespect me like that.’’ But he can sometimes disrespect my mother. I hate it. Is this normal in a mar- riage? Some really close friends of mine have parents who are divorced, and I don’t want to be one of them. How do I talk to my father about this? — Troubled Teen Dear Teen: Not every couple that fights is headed for divorce. Sometimes people simply become tenced to 180 days in Tehama County Jail for possession of a con- trolled substance. Augerlavoie was originally granted for- mal probation. She vio- lated her probation when she left a treat- ment facility without permission and failed to keep her probation offi- cer informed of her con- tact information. • Cynthia Rios was sentenced to 90 days in Tehama County Jail for presentation of fraudu- lent claim. Rios was employed as a health care provider and submitted falsified time sheets. Rios received a total over- payment of $1,102.30 • Janice Christine Lavelle aka: Janice Christine Benchasky was sentenced to 30 days in Tehama County Jail for two counts of sale of marijuana. Agents from the drug task force used a confi- dential informant to purchase marijuana from Lavelle on three separate occasions. Recent Proposition 36 Commitments: Note: All cases wherein a defendant is sentenced per the terms of Proposition 36 are not at the request of the Tehama County District Attorney’s Office. ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● accustomed to a pattern of behav- ior. It might help if you talk calm- ly to both your parents about how much their angry words bother you and see if you can make them more aware of how they sound to others. Dear Annie: I think you were off base when you suggested to ‘‘Ohio’’ that she take the sweet lit- tle girl (with the scary parents) into her home for a play date. With those parents, I would be con- cerned about a setup. What if they claimed ‘‘Ohio’’ had abused their daughter in some way? What a predicament. I wouldn’t put myself in that situation. Too many truly weird people are out there, and we are an extremely litigious society. — Protecting My Own Interests Dear Protecting: How terribly sad that children cannot play together without someone worry- ing that one of their parents will make outrageous accusations. Such a thing is possible but not likely, and all such accusations would be investigated. We feel sorry for that little girl, who not only has difficult parents, but now, apparently, has no one willing to play with her. Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. COURT ROUND-UP Proposition 36, a defen- dant who possesses drugs cannot be sen- tenced to confinement time in jail or prison. Instead, the court must place defendant on pro- bation and require drug treatment alone. Per the requirements of Propo- sition 36, only upon a third drug related proba- tion violation may the court impose confine- ment time. In the event the defendant violates a non-drug related term of probation the court may then elect to sentence defendant to jail or prison. The Tehama County District Attorney’s Office contends that each criminal case is unique and that in cer- tain, specific, cases a defendant should be sentenced to a combina- tion of drug treatment and jail time. We fur- ther contend that in other specific cases where a defendant has an extensive criminal record and/or a history of non-compliance with either previous grants of probation or previous grants of drug treat- ment, a state prison sen- tence should properly be imposed. • Billy Joe Elder was sentenced to Prop. 36 probation for trans- portation of a controlled substance-special alle- gation-prior strike. An officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehi- cle driven by Elder. During a search of the vehicle the officer locat- ed live marijuana plants, grow lights, metham- phetamine and a hypo- dermic syringe. Per the requirements of We now serve beer & wine