Category:

Chiropractic- The Fountain of Youth?

10/2/2013

We do our best to try and look young on the outside, but these secrets are what help us feel younger on the inside.

Everyone knows that the real “fountain of youth” is only a legend, but just because it doesn’t exist doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways for us to stay young and feel our best. If you’re looking for a quick fix, you’re out of luck; it takes consistent exercise, healthy eating, plenty of water and adequate rest. Those that add the extra mile of receiving regular chiropractic adjustments will see much better results.

It’s no secret that healthy diet and exercise habits lead to living longer. Individuals with lower body fat percentages have a lower risk of diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Regular chiropractic visits relieve aches and pains, permitting us to continue exercising and maximizing the effectiveness of these healthy habits. Additionally, chiropractic adjustments help to improve posture and flexibility. When we feel stiff and inflexible…we feel old!

As chiropractors we cannot promise that you will live longer nor can we promise to cure diseases. We do, however, have the ability to correct vertebral subluxations in the spine, leading to a more productive and healthier lifestyle. Chiropractic care works by optimizing the function of the nervous system.  The vertebral column houses and protects the spinal cord which sends messages to other parts of the body.   When areas of your spine known as subluxations are misaligned and not working properly, then these messages cannot run freely back and forth along your nerves. Chiropractic adjustments remove these subluxations that cause nerve interference, thus improving organ function and achieving overall wellness and balance.

Furthermore, chiropractic helps improve both physical and mental stress, which are both known to depress the nervous system.  Until recently, little was known about how chiropractic care affected the body physiologically at a cellular level.
According to a study published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, there is promising scientific evidence that linked chiropractic wellness care with other surprising health benefits.  Patients that received long-term chiropractic care had higher levels of mean serum thiol levels, which are primary antioxidants important in decreasing
oxidative stresses and affecting DNA repair, both which correlate with lifespan and aging.

0 Comments

Back to School Tips for Eliminating Back Pain

8/15/2013

0 Comments

Kids, parents and college students alike are all preparing to return to school, and with the increased course load come stresses that can lead to neck and back pain. Proper ergonomics are the key of eliminating these strains, which in turn lead to optimal health. The following are some common influences that can attribute to poor posture and pain in young spines.

Backpacks:

Carrying heavy textbooks in poorly designed backpacks is the number one cause of chronic back conditions in young children. The American Chiropractic Association recommends that the backpack’s weight should be no more than 5-10 percent of the child’s body weight. (For a 50 lbs. child, nothing more than 5 lbs.) Anything heavier will cause the child to bend forward in attempt to support the weight, causing them to slouch and support the weight on the back, rather than on the shoulders by the straps. Here are some additional recommendations by the ACA for preventing back pain caused by backpack misuse:

Consider purchasing a backpack with wheels and a handle.
Both shoulder straps should be worn. A backpack slung over one shoulder places the weight disproportionately over the body causing not only neck and muscle spasms, but also low back pain.
The shoulder straps should also be adjustable so the backpack can be properly fitted to the body. Straps that are too loose can cause the backpack to dangle uncomfortably and cause spinal misalignments and pain.
Wide, padded straps are very important and more comfortable.
Bigger is not necessarily better- the more room there is in a backpack, the more your child will carry and the heavier the backpack will be. If the backpack is still too heavy, consider talking to your child’s teacher to see if the child can leave the heaviest books at school, and bring home only lighter hand-out materials or workbooks.

Poor Sitting Posture:

Students sit for long periods of time while in school, and often in uncomfortable chairs and desks. This can lead to poor posture as well as unwanted muscle tension in the neck, shoulders and lower back. Although this factor is often unavoidable, speak to your child or teen about maintaining proper posture or consider bringing them to the chiropractor for a spinal check-up. Regular chiropractic adjustments can improve their posture and eliminate spinal stress.

Homework and After-School Activities:

Spending too much time at the computer or looking at any screen, from the iPad to video games, can lead to neck pain and headaches in kids and teens. As it is, most children do not get enough exercise in their day, and living a sedentary lifestyle leads to other health problems such as diabetes and obesity. Children who learn healthy habits early in life tend to keep them throughout adulthood. (If you think that your child or teen is not getting enough exercise, check out the following link on how to encourage them to get physically active from the American Academy of Pediatricians.) Even those who participate in organized after-school sports are at risk for lower back pain as well as other injuries. Misalignments in the spine caused by any of these activities, often go undetected in children and teens because they might not experience symptoms as adults do. With regular spinal check-ups by a chiropractor, these areas can be detected and eliminated, thus preventing any pain or injury to develop in the future. Furthermore, here is some additional information by the ACA for keeping your young athlete healthy.

0 Comments

What You Need to Know About Children and Chiropractic

3/28/2012

0 Comments

For many parents, it’s a common question to ask why their child should see a chiropractor especially if they are not suffering from any pain, injury, or condition. While the majority of children do not experience obvious symptoms, read below how your child may benefit from a chiropractic evaluation.

From the time that a baby takes its first breath, newborns are subjected to misalignments in the spine during the normal birth process, known as subluxations. Even smooth uncomplicated births can be physically traumatic especially as the baby’s head passes through the birth canal. Additionally, births needing forceps or vacuum devices can place even more force onto the delicate
spine and the developing nervous system. These subluxations, if prolonged, can cause nerve irritation and may further lead to the following childhood conditions starting from one month to years after a baby’s birth.

-Colic
-Sleeping difficulties
-Recurrent middle ear infections
-Asthma
-Allergies
-Difficulties feeding
-Torticollis
-Irritability, hyperactivity

As the infant learns to crawl and walk, spinal misalignments in the lower spine and pelvis can also occur.  Innocent falls and bumps on the head, if left unnoticed, can lead to further complications. Unless the child has an obvious spinal problem, most parents, and even pediatricians, will not be able to recognize that the child has subluxations. Chiropractors are the only trained specialists that are able to detect these subtle signs.

In today’s technological society, more and more children are leading sedentary lives.  Whether using the computer or playing video games, sustaining poor postures for long periods of time may lead to spinal misalignments in children and young adults. Moreover, sports-related injuries may cause spinal stress which either goes undetected, or may result in mild neck or back pain.  In addition to treating obvious pain symptoms similarly felt in adults, correcting spinal subluxations in children may also help with the following conditions:

-Headaches
-Bedwetting
-ADD/ADHD
-Autism Disorders
-Scoliosis
-Seizures

With this in mind, “it is important to understand that the Doctor of Chiropractic does not treat conditions or diseases. The expertise of the chiropractor is in checking the child’s spine for misalignments that impair nervous system function therefore affecting overall
body function. The bones of the spine, the vertebrae, house and protect the spinal cord. The spinal cord is an extension of the brain and carries information from the brain to the body parts and back to the brain again. Subluxations interfere with the nerves’ability to transmit this vital information.

The nerve system controls and coordinates the function of all the systems in the body: circulatory, respiratory, digestive, hormonal, eliminative and immune system. Any aspect of health may be impaired by nerve interference. The chiropractic adjustment restores nerve system function allowing the body the ability to express a greater state of health and well-being.2”

Further Thoughts:

Adjusting kids is completely safe! Adjusting an adult is not the same as adjusting a child or newborn. Very minimal force (as much as a fingertip of pressure) is needed to perform an adjustment on a young infant.  While adjusting adults usually results in a crack or “pop”, this is not always the case with children.  Regardless of age, the complications resulting in chiropractic manipulation is extremely rare.

Teach your children healthy habits now! Give your child a head start to a healthy life and a properly functioning spine. You would bring your child to a dentist for a check-up to prevent any cavities…why not get your child a spinal check-up to prevent any future spinal problems?  Teach your child to learn how to take care of their body now instead of waiting for a problem to arise.

References:
1.      Merkle, D.C., Van D. “Ear Infections.”ICOA Children Wellness Articles.  Issue 16, December 1, 2007.  http://icpa4kids.org/Wellness-Articles/ear-infections.html
2.      Ohm, D.C., Jeanne. “Why Should Children Have Chiropractic Care?”ICPA Children Wellness Articles.  Issue 5, March 1, 2005. http://icpa4kids.org/Wellness-Articles/why-should-children-have-chiropractic-care.html
3.      Parks, D.C., William. “Are Your Children Being Unnecessarily Medicated?”?” ICPA Children Wellness.  October, 7 2008. http://icpa4kids.org/Wellness-Articles/are-your-children-being-unnecessarily-medicated.html

0 Comments

We all know sugar is addicting, but is it toxic? The real truth about sugar.

2/13/2012

0 Comments

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and along with it comes all the chocolates and candy. For many of us, we crave the sweet stuff when we are under stress. But do you really know why??

Sugar: Is it an addictive substance?
Sugar intake triggers the release of the mood-elevating hormone, serotonin; This makes us feel an overall sense of comfort or happiness. Eating sweets creates a sudden spike in blood sugar, giving us that “sugar high”, but hours later when our blood sugar normalizes, we end up feeling exhausted, moody, and wanting more (Pivco).

Surprising research suggests that sugary foods create similar brain activity in animals as addictive drugs. Neuroscientists have shown that changes in dopamine levels (a chemical in the body related to the “reward center” in the brain) are similar to those changes seen in animals on cocaine. One particular 2010 study performed by Scripps Research Institute showed that lab rats with daily access to sugary foods, started binge-eating and consuming less of the readily available nutritious foods. In a similar study, psychologists at Princeton University studied lab rats that were given a 10% solution of sugar water, the same amount of sugar present in most soft drinks. There were no significant results for the rats that were allowed the occasional drink, however, those that were allowed to drink the sugar water everyday also showed patterns of addiction. Additionally, the animals experienced withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, shakes, and tremors when the effects of the sugar were blocked by a drug (Langreth and Stanford).

Is Sugar so Toxic it Needs Regulation?
Recently, controversy began after an article in the current journal issue of Nature suggested that sugar be regulated by the government, as strictly as alcohol and tobacco due to its “toxic” and addicting properties. The researchers suggest that the regulations should go as far as placing an age limit on purchasing products with added sugar as well as banning the sales of those items in and around schools (Wanjek).

Even though this idea might seem far-fetched, the researchers cited many studies and statistics that support that sugar is detrimental to our health. Added sugar found in sugary drinks and other foods, including those with high-fructose corn syrup, is the leading cause of obesity in this country as well as other chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, and type II diabetes. In the U.S. alone, one third of adults and 17% of children are obese, and those numbers are only increasing. For years, people knew that cigarette smoking was harmful, but it wasn’t until later that the government placed restrictions on nicotine and companies’ marketing campaigns (Wanjek).

Additional Sugar Truths
With this information, it is very important to be more conscious of what we are eating.  It’s alright to splurge once in a while and indulge in that chocolate birthday cake, but on a daily basis it can affect your health. According to Nancy Appleton, PhD author of “Lick the Sugar Habit”, sugar can affect our health in the following ways, other than just weight gain (Pivco).

-Suppresses the immune system, making the body more susceptible to infection
-Increases the risk of blood clots and stroke
-Contributes to hyperactivity, depression, anxiety and difficulty concentrating
-Helps speed up the aging process, including wrinkles and grey hair

References:
1.     Langreth, Robert and Duane D. Stanford. “Fatty Foods as Addictive as Cocaine in Growing Body of Science.”
November 2, 2011. Bloomberg.com http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-02/fatty-foods-addictive-as-cocaine-in-growing-body-of-science.html
2.   Pivco, Debra. “Sugar Addiction Detox 101.” http://www.teambeachbody.com/about/newsletters/-/nli/253#150954335
3.   Wanjek, Christopher. “Sugar Should be Regulated as Toxin, Researchers Say.” February 2, 2012. http://news.yahoo.com/sugar-regulated-toxin-researchers-180605186.html

0 Comments

Reducing Physical Stress in the Workplace

1/18/2012

0 Comments

Continuing with our last topic “The Effects of Stress on the Body and Chiropractic”, I wanted to share with you some additional recommendations that may help decrease physical stress in the workplace.

The majority of patients that we see in our office complaining of neck, mid-back, and low back pain, spend hours a day at their job sitting at a desk or computer. Sustaining any position for long periods of time places excess stress and tension on the muscles of the neck and back. Furthermore, if the ergonomics of our workplace is unfavorable, then additional strain is placed on our bodies, leading to a variety of musculoskeletal problems.

Ergonomics, “the science of designing user interaction with equipment and workplaces to fit the user”1 is a growing field because employers realize the importance it has on employees’ health and productivity. Proper ergonomic design leads to a decrease in repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel and tendonitis; over time this can lead to long-term disability. Click here to read my summary of how to improve the ergonomics at your workstation.

In addition to changing your work environment, I emphasized in the article above the importance of taking frequent breaks to stretch throughout the day. Being a newfound lover of yoga, I recommend many of my patients to incorporate yoga into their daily routine. Because of the stretching, core strengthening, and mediation that are involved, yoga is a great way to decrease both physical and emotional stress. For many people, it is difficult to find time in their day to fit in exercise or time to meditate and reflect.

Recently, I received an email from fitnessmagazine.com with various ways to sneak in exercise throughout the day. One particular article grabbed my attention: “5 Minute Yoga at Your Desk”. A series of short videos, this link shows you how to stretch and perform modified “yoga moves” right at your workstation, including a version of “downward dog”. I found this routine to be extremely useful for my patients that are experiencing pain associated with sitting long periods at their desk. Performing this short routine allows you to take a break from your workday to stretch the arms, legs, and spine, as well as give you some time to refresh and clear your mind of any stress. You can view the videos online here.

References:
Ergonomics. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergonomics

0 Comments

5 “Super Foods” to Help Prevent Breast Cancer

10/6/2011

0 Comments

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and over the course of the last year there have been several research studies targeting prevention. According to Rachael Stolzenberg-Solomon, PhD, MPH, RD, a researcher at the National Cancer Institute, “the easiest, least-expensive way to reduce your risk for cancer is just by eating a healthy diet” (Heubeck). An overall diet abundant in fruits and
vegetables is not only ideal for staying healthy, but is vital in preventing chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.  In addition to a predominantly plant-based diet, below are some “super foods” that show promise in preventing cancer.

1. Broccoli
A “super food” for many reasons, cruciferous veggies such as cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower contain phytochemicals which produce enzymes called sulforaphanethat help rid the body of harmful molecules known as free-radicals. Broccoli is also high in vitamin C (nearly twice the amount in orange juice) which also acts as an antioxidant.

2. Red Grapes
For centuries red grapes have been associated with health and homeopathic remedies. More recently, laboratory studies suggest that the chemicals found in red grapes, including proanthocyanidins, may help to reduce the body’s production of estrogen, affecting hormone-related tumors such as breast cancer. Studies have also shown that red grapes contain the chemical resveratrol,
which appears to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and possibly antiestrogenic properties to help prevent against cancer.

3. Garlic
The “power house” of the allium family (which also including onions, scallions and chives), garlic contains sulfur compounds that may stop cancer-causing substances from forming in your body. These compounds are also thought to accelerate DNA repair and kill cancer cells. To get the most benefit from garlic, it is best to cook with fresh cloves as opposed to the dietary supplement.

4. Brazil Nuts
Nuts, especially brazil nuts are high in the mineral selenium. Important in activating the antioxidant enzyme, glutathionine
peroxidase, there is strong research that suggests that selenium may decrease the risk of cancer, as well as slow down the progression and spread of cancerous tumors to other areas of the body.

5. Tea
Like all plant-based foods, green and black tea contains flavanoids, known for their antioxidant effects. There are several research studies that have been conducted to correlate the relationship of tea drinkers with their risk of developing cancer. In one study, it was shown that postmenopausal women who consumed more flavanoids were 46 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than those who consumed the least. Just another reason to get more fruits and vegetables in your diet…

Though there is not just one food that can completely stop cancer in its tracks, scientists do agree on the particular foods we should avoid. See below for some additional diet recommendations:

·Diet low in saturated fat
·Avoid foods with nitrates and nitrites which are commonly found in lunchmeats, pickled and smoked foods
·Diet high in fiber (recommended 25g per day for women and 38g per day for men)
·Avoid obesity and excess body weight
·Consume alcohol in moderation, if at all
·Limit the intake of red meat, especially meat cooked well-done or charred

References:
American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org
Heubeck,Elizabeth.WebMD via FoxNews.com. “Six Foods that Fight Cancer”. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,193441,00.html#ixzz1ZlBS9mET
Lee, Elizabeth. WebMD. “Seven (Easy to Find) Foods That May Help Prevent Cancer”
http://www.webmd.com/cancer/features/seven-easy-to-find-foods-that-may-help-fight-cancer

0 Comments

Chiropractic- The Fountain of Youth?

Back to School Tips for Eliminating Back Pain

What You Need to Know About Children and Chiropractic

We all know sugar is addicting, but is it toxic? The real truth about sugar.

Reducing Physical Stress in the Workplace

5 “Super Foods” to Help Prevent Breast Cancer

Author

Archives

Categories