Archive for the ‘chiropractic’ Category
Proud Walnut Creek Chiropractor Wants You To Know The Powerful Results Of Chiropractic Treatment
No brag, just fact, chiropractors like me, your Walnut Creek chiropractor, have an exemplary reputation when it comes to relieving back pain. After all, chiropractors are spine authorities. In fact, the word “chiropractor” and “spine” are almost synonymous! Anyone who’s ever suffered from back pain — be it mild, moderate, or severe — who has chosen chiropractic treatment — whether from a chiropractor in Walnut Creek or anywhere else in the world where chiropractic treatment is available — has discovered the power of this superior non-invasive, drug-free method for back pain relief. It goes without saying that, in addition, since chiropractors are also experts when it comes to addressing the rest of the musculoskeletal system, chiropractic care can frequently eliminate neck pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain, hip pain, knee pain, and ankle pain. It can also give relief from conditions such as stress headaches, migraines, carpal tunnel, and plantar fascitis. The healing capabilities of chiropractic are numerous!
There are moments, even for chiropractors, the efficacy of chiropractic treatment and its ability in helping people get out of pain and get their life back again can seem, well, almost miraculous. I feel gratified when I read the variety of testimonials given by chiropractic patients who have not only gotten rid of their pain through chiropractic treatment, but also experienced more energy and vitality, stress reduction and peace of mind, and a greater ability to get a good night’s sleep.
Still, sometimes I come across something, like this particular research article I read in the scientific periodical, Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health, and I am moved to a new level of admiration for my profession. The research detailed the case of a severely disabled sixteen year old girl experiencing spasticity and sleep disturbances due to Cerebral Palsy. It was her inability to sleep through the night that caused her family the most distress. To compound the young girl’s condition,when she was seven years old, surgeons fused metal rods in her spine, from neck to base.
The mother of the girl hoped that chiropractic treatment could correct her daughter’s spinal subluxations and help to decrease her all too frequent abhorrent pain. One can only imagine that the examination was difficult. However the chiropractor was able to ascertain that there were several subluxations that could be safely corrected. The chiropractor treated the girl twice per week. The girl was sleeping through the night after just six adjustments. By her ninth visit she showed an improvement in her muscle spasticity as measured by specific instruments.
Yet, even though full recovery was not expected, the authors of the research article noted that “the patient and her family were able to return to a normal sleep schedule as well as enjoy improved quality of life.”
“Improved quality of life.” Can anyone ask for more from treatment? No one! But, let me tell you, more chiropractors experience just that with their patients than medical doctors do.
Why Can’t the Chicken Cross the Road?
Crack! The egg bursts onto the pan and shines like the sunrise. A familiar visual for many, eggs are an integral part of the American diet, but many of us don’t think twice about what kind of hens those eggs come from. In a recent New York Times article, and across the media, the discussion of caged hens has become an important debate.
Farmers with large egg farms (farms that house 4 million hens, yielding 3 million eggs per day) believe that caged chickens are just as functional as hens kept outside of cages. However, “extreme caging methods” are being banned in California and are up for review in Ohio, calling into question the factory farming methods that are used.
Many animal rights advocates believe that the lives of these caged chickens are subpar. They can hardly move, let alone roam free as they would in their natural habitat.
The debate is contentious, especially because eggs create a large portion of school lunches and 90% of eggs consumed by the American population come from these large farms. Is there a way to feed our population while still respecting the animals that provide for us? What do you think?
Obesity: A National Epidemic That Needs to be Eradicated
As a chiropractor and healthcare provider, I cannot say enough about the crucial issue of excess weight and how it adversely affects every system of the human body. I “preach” to my overweight patients and hammer away on the subject in my blogs because in addition to the cardio-vascular diseases caused by obesity, much of the back pain, hip pain, and knee pain that people experience is influenced by the undue stress excess weight puts on the joints of the body. And, though it may not surprise you, an expert panel in a report out just today said that people in this country must slash their calories and increase physical activity because the obesity epidemic is “the single greatest threat to public health in this century.”
We all know that dieting isn’t easy, but the advisory committee for the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans gave this clear-cut advice: “People in this country need to cut the calories they consume from added sugars and solid fats (butter, marbled meats) and start eating a more nutrient-rich, plant-based diet.”
The report called for many changes in the food environment. To read more, go to: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2010-06-15-
Help Your Young Baseball Player to Avoid Injury
Okay, as a chiropractor I continue to advise my patients, young and old alike, that routine exercise is a vital component to good health. And, since one in three children in the US is either overweight or obese, it’s apparent that getting enough exercise is becoming a national crisis. That said, exercise, especially when it involves sports activities, should be engaged in with the utmost caution. And, not just for the middle-aged “weekend warrior,” but for children as well. In fact, here’s a shocking statistic regarding kids and the “great American pastime”: According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, in 2008, nearly 200,000 children aged 14 and younger, were treated in hospitals, doctor’s offices and emergency rooms for baseball-related injuries.
- Always take time to warm up and stretch before and after play. Research studies have shown that cold muscles are more prone to injury, specifically:
- If a child is pitching, he should concentrate on stretching his arm, shoulder and back muscles.
- If a child is catching, the focus should be on the legs and back.
- Children should not be encouraged to play through pain. It is important that they take breaks.
- Limit the number of teams on which your child is playing in one season. Kids who play on more than one team are especially at risk for overuse injuries.
- Wear a batting helmet at the plate, in the “on deck” circle waiting for your turn at bat, and during base running.
- Coaches must teach and allow practice of proper sliding techniques before using a bag, including breakaway bases. Players younger than 10 should not be taught to slide.
Exercising Can Make You Both Healthy and Wise
“Motion is Life.” That is my mission statement as a chiropractor, and my goal is to get as many of my patients as possible moving into pain-free daily exercise routines. There’s just no getting around it, our bodies are meant to move, and when we don’t let them (or in some cases “make them”), every system in our body suffers. Exercising is crucial to our overall well-being, and not just for physical health and strength, but mental “power” as well. In fact, a new study, led by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, has found evidence that regular exercise speeds learning and improves blood flow to the brain.
I’m sure that if you already exercise you are aware that your thinking tends to become more clear and sharp after a good workout and cool down, even though you may have been unaware that by exercising you were actually increasing the volume of blood flowing to your motor cortex. The point is, exercise is clearly a “smart” thing to do. So, keep it up if already exercise, and if you don’t, GET MOVING. But, see your chiropractor first to be sure you’re well-adjusted! The findings are available in the journal Neuroscience.
You Can’t Afford to Injure Your Joints
I just read an interesting article in the health section of newyorktimes.com about the “financial” benefits of protecting your joints. As a chiropractor, when it comes to the health of the joints of the musculoskeletal system, protecting the joints from injury and unnecessary wear and tear are key to preventing painful and often debilitating problems as our body ages. As I mentioned in past articles, degenerative arthritis can be appreciably decreased and even avoided with proper education, exercise, and treatment. However, I have found that, unfortunately, it’s hard for people to “get motivated” now to do something about potential problems. But, adding a financial incentive may just do the trick!
Did you know that more than 400,000 people a year have one or more hips or knees replaced? And, did you know that the cost for a new hip or knee is $30,000 to $40,000? Even if you have insurance, your out-of-pocket expenses can still be quite substantial, especially when you include the cost of days off from work. The article offered several “preventative measures” that might help your joints to stay healthy longer. And, with the exception of its suggestion that glucosamine and chondroitin “probably are of limited benefit,” I am in agreement with the article’s joint protection suggestions.- control your weight
- stay active in “low impact” exercise and sports
- try to avoid injury
- get fit
- be skeptical*
The article in its entirety is well worth the read (and implementation), even if your current motivation is a only financial one. Click on the link for more information.
* I have witnessed the highly beneficial results of glucosamine ahd chondroitin supplementation.
Spring Is In The Air!
Aah, Springtime! The fragrance of daffodils, lilacs, and hyacinth fills the air. However, for some people it's "Achoo!" Springtime because, unfortunately, along with the lovely fragrance of spring blooms comes pollen and other materials that ride on the sweet air currents as well! Seasonal allergies can make your everyday life miserable. Rather than relaxation, a walk in the park can produce itchy eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, or even a skin rash.
Fortunately, if you're one of those people whose immune system virtually "freaks out" when spring is in the air, chiropractic treatment may help to relieve your allergy symptoms. How?
Well, even though chiropractic care doesn't actually treat allergies, per se, chiropractic manipulation affects the entire nervous system, including the autoimmune system, which is the source of your allergic responses. When the detritus of spring floats your way, your autoimmune system, whose task it is to help you to adapt and respond appropriately to your environment, becomes overactive. Since chiropractic adjustments can lessen or even completely eliminate disturbances in the nervous system and bring back balance and harmony to the whole body, along with a variety of healthy corrections, chiropractic adjustments provide homeostasis to the autoimmune system as well. A healthy immune system responds appropriately to so-called allergens in the environment, including pollen.
So, if you want to get back into harmony with birds and the bees and the flowers and trees, give your chiropractor a call. Springtime should be nothing to sneeze at!
Drugs…Just in Case?
Chiropractic Masters Blog Talk Radio
A Lot More Than You May Think Depends On Your Health
ENJOY A MORE SATISFYING SEX LIFE! Okay, now that I’ve gotten your attention, let’s talk about your health. As a chiropractor I advise my patients everyday about the need to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle, especially as they age. An individual’s “invincible” 20s give way to a few health challenges in their 30s, and then almost exponentially an unhealthy lifestyle starts showing up frequently in the organ and musculoskeletal systems of the body. But, even given an armful of reasons to get and stay healthy, a lot of people still continue along the slippery slope of bad health choices. So, here’s a reason that will, no doubt, be put on the top of the heap, for getting and staying healthy: A new study making “breaking news” today shows that people who are in good health are nearly twice as likely to be interested in sex in middle and older age and also more likely to report having a busy and satisfying sex life.
Sexual activity has long been associated with health benefits and longevity, but these reseachers say that this is the first study to look at how general health affects the quality of sex as people age and to calculate what they call a person’s “sexually-active life expectancy.”
The researchers gathered information from more than 6,000 men and women in midlife and later life. The researchers estimated that at age 55, the average sexually active life expectancy is 15 years for men and 10.6 years for women. But, here’s the kicker. Researcher Stacy Tessler Lindau, an associate professor at the University of Chicago wrote in the journal BMJ, “Although the period is longer for men, they lose more years of sexually-active life as a result of poor health than women.”
The study found both men and women in very good health were 1.5 to 1.8 times more likely to report an interest in sex than those in poorer health. And, among those who were sexually active, good health was not only associated with more frequent sex (once or more weekly) in men, but with a good-quality sex life in men and women.
So, if you haven’t been interested in developing a healthy lifestyle, but you’re still interested in a healthy sex life, you may want to reevaluate your current diet, increase the amount of exercise you get on a regular basis, learn to deal effectively with your life stresses, and start drinking plenty of water every day. Because now you have one more good reason to get healthy and stay that way.