The Basler Blog

Mar 11
0

Control Your Spring Allergies

By | Benefits of Chiropractic | No Comments

Control Your Spring Allergies, Don’t Let Them Control You

As the snow melts, and the season changes, we are often greeted with greener grass, blossoming of flowers. But, as beautiful as spring is, sneezing, irritated eyes, runny nose, and congestion can make it difficult to enjoy your day. Normally when we talk about allergies we think of pollen if it’s seasonal, but did you know that a weak immune system, increased stressors and poor respiratory functions can be a major factor? So here are some tips to control your spring allergies before they control you.

Support your immune system through a healthy diet

Eating a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables offers a variety of natural antihistamines, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory nutrients necessary to strengthen your immune system. Vitamin C is a good example of natural antihistamines and antioxidants, and vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits, spinach, and kiwi. Probiotics is also another one of those we don’t think about, but it has immune system strengthening properties.

Staying Hydrated

Drinking enough water can be beneficial for flushing out allergens. It is beneficial to help thin mucous out when it is thick, and proper hydration throughout the day can strengthen your immune system and decrease the severity of your allergies. Did you know that the best method to monitor hydration of your body is by monitoring urine color? If it’s clear then you are well hydrated. The recommendations for water intake we see online such as “8 cups a day” is not for everyone, because people come in different body types or needs with water.

Chiropractic Care

Spinal subluxations play a crucial role in allergies as well. Misalignments (subluxation) in the spine can cause a disruption in communication between the brain and body, thus, weakening the immune system. A well-functioning immune system is less likely to react to allergens or not as severe.

Don’t wait for spring to creep up on our bodies, take note of some of these tips and get your spine checked.

-Dr. Tyler Chan

Balon JW, Mior SA. Chiropractic care in asthma and allergy. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2004 Aug;93(2 Suppl 1):S55-60. doi: 10.1016/s1081-1206(10)61487-1. PMID: 15330012.

Poncet P, Sénéchal H, Charpin D. Update on pollen-food allergy syndrome. Expert Rev Clin Immunol. 2020 Jun;16(6):561-578. doi: 10.1080/1744666X.2020.1774366. PMID: 32691654.

Haas A, Chung J, Kent C, Mills B, McCoy M. Vertebral Subluxation and Systems Biology: An Integrative Review Exploring the Salutogenic Influence of Chiropractic Care on the Neuroendocrine-Immune System. Cureus. 2024 Mar 15;16(3):e56223. doi: 10.7759/cureus.56223. PMID: 38618450; PMCID: PMC11016242.

Feb 23
0

Blessed, Not Stressed

By | Benefits of Chiropractic | No Comments

Blessed, Not Stressed  

“The natural healing force within each of us is the greatest force in getting well” -Hippocrates

Stress. Everyone experiences it, and it isn’t always a bad thing. However, is it ruling your life and mind? Society has programmed our thoughts to believe stress is bad, and yes, like most things, too much of anything can become a bad thing. Stress is one of the many unique designs created by the body as a response mechanism to maintain homeostasis, but when a constant overflow of stress occurs, our body can get stuck in a constant state of fight-or-flight.

This is better known as a response by your sympathetic nervous system. When your body is stuck in this sympathetic response, it can no longer adapt to the best of its ability. This lack of adaptability can manifest in a variety of different ways throughout the body. In relation to stress, symptoms like a lacking immune system, sweating, shortness of breath, and many others can occur.

These responses are controlled by a part of your brain called the hypothalamus, which acts as a command center in the brain and sends signals to release epinephrine. Epinephrine initiates sympathetic nervous system activation that in turn controls those symptoms. There are a variety of ways to get this over run stress response in check. First and foremost, get your spine checked! Your spine houses your spinal cord which is made up of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. By adjusting SPECIFIC segments tailored to your spine and symptoms, interference of the nerve communication to the rest of the body can be removed.

This in turn helps your body return to its natural state of homeostasis, and function properly to adapt to the stress being induced. Tools like mindfulness techniques, breathing exercises, getting outside, and exercise should be used in conjunction to regular adjustments to help your nervous system properly adapt. If you feel like chronic stress is overrunning your life, consider the role chiropractic care can have as a natural solution to facilitating a positive change in how your body handles stress.

Welch A, Boone R. Sympathetic and parasympathetic responses to specific diversified adjustments to chiropractic vertebral subluxations of the cervical and thoracic spine. J Chiropr Med. 2008 Sep;7(3):86-93. doi: 10.1016/j.jcm.2008.04.001. PMID: 19646369; PMCID: PMC2686395.

Understanding the stress response. Harvard Health. (2024, April 3). https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response 

Feb 14
0

Valentine’s Day …. or Vitamin’s Day?

By | athletes, Benefits of Chiropractic, Ear Infections, emotions, energy, fibromyalgia | No Comments

Valentine’s Day….or Vitamin’s Day?

In the present day many of us spend majority of our time indoors whether that is working, being on screens or hiding from the frigid weather. For many people, especially in Montana with long winters, we tend to forget about an important aspect of health, vitamin D intake.

Vitamin D plays a crucial role in the body maintaining strong bones and overall health. It’s known for its role in absorbing calcium, maintaining bone density and supporting the immune system. Additionally, vitamin D affects mood regulation, muscular functions and can even reduce the risk of chronic conditions such as osteoporosis or autoimmune diseases. Something unique about our body is that we can produce it naturally when exposed to sunlight because UV rays trigger production of vitamin D in our skin. The good news is that most people are not deficient in Vitamin D, instead, they are deprived of it for various reasons such as low light environments, long workdays inside.

Although chiropractic care does not directly impact vitamin D in our bodies, it supports overall health and wellness as you manage your vitamin D intake. In people who suffer from Vitamin D deficiency they may become more susceptible to pain and fractures, chiropractic care can improve the function and mobility of the spine and joints, which can reduce musculoskeletal discomfort.

Your body’s immune system relies on adequate Vitamin D levels, and low levels can leave you more susceptible to sickness and infections. Chiropractic care helps to optimize the function of the nervous system which is responsible for coordinating your body’s immune response. By adjusting the spine, and relieving nervous system interference, we improve the body’s ability to strengthen our immune system.

One of the many forms of love is SELF LOVE. Treat your body right by investing in all aspects of health, like taking your vitamins and getting spinal check ups!

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) (2022). “Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.”

Haas, M., & Nugent, F. (2010). “The chiropractic profession’s approach to pain and dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system.” Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 33(1), 31-45.

Holick, M. F. (2007). “Vitamin D deficiency.” The New England Journal of Medicine, 357(3), 266-281.

Mior, S., & Lee, J. (2015). “Chiropractic care for musculoskeletal conditions.” The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, 45(4), 254-264.

Weaver, C. M., & Heaney, R. P. (2006). “Calcium and vitamin D in bone health.” The Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 25(2), 110-121.

Feb 07
0

“Believe it or not…”

By | Asthma, athletes, Benefits of Chiropractic, gonstead chiropractic, High Blood Pressure, immune system | No Comments

“Believe it or not…”

“Have you more faith in a spoonful of medicine than in the power that animates the living world?”

  • B.J. Palmer, the “developer” of chiropractic (1882-1961)

Ever heard someone say, “I believe in Chiropractic”? What about pills? Xrays? Do you believe in them? Is belief in gravity necessary for it to work? Do you believe in the effects of exercise or a healthy diet? What changes might you see immediately with starting a new regimen? How about after six months of healthy eating and physical activity?

Chiropractic isn’t a religion that you have to “believe in” for it to work. Children and animals get adjusted, and they don’t know enough to be able to “believe in” chiropractic any more than most of us are able to deeply understand the law of gravity. It just exists, and we see its effects every day. An ideological debate isn’t necessary or helpful because the effects tell the story.

The human body is designed and given intelligence (“power” according to B.J. Palmer) to function and maintain itself with great complexity. When the nervous system is functioning at its peak potential, we are able to adapt to internal and external changes in environment. Chiropractic is the philosophy, science and art of removing interference to enable that peak potential. Modern scientific research is slowly catching up with what the founders of chiropractic knew over a century ago, even though they were considered quacks for “practicing medicine without a license.” And patients all over the world are gaining an understanding and respect for what chiropractic has to offer in long term, natural health care. We don’t have to “believe in” chiropractic to receive the scientifically valid healing and improved quality of life. Chiropractic provides a viable alternative to drugs and surgery – a healing that flows from an intelligent nervous system that is fully-functioning. This quiet confidence frees the mind to explore other ideas and experiences in LIFE.

No, you don’t have to “believe in” chiropractic. Faith and trust in the unknown should be a part of all our lives, but chiropractic exists and the results speak for themselves.

Jan 27
0

It’s Cold and I Have a Cold

By | Benefits of Chiropractic | No Comments

It’s Cold and I Have a Cold

Here in Montana, we are used to different seasons. Spring, summer, fall and winter, the only season we are not used to is cold and flu season. When cold and flu season hits, many of us turn to over-the-counter remedies and stay home to rest. But did you know this is the best time to get a check-up? Chiropractic care is great when flu season arrives, those stuffy nose and clogged sinuses, let us take care of that.

Chiropractic care focuses on subluxations of the spine, particularly the relationship between the spine and the nervous system. Chiropractic treatment is effective for colds and flu because spinal misalignments, or subluxations, can interfere with nerve function, directly affecting the nervous system. By correcting these misalignments, we can help optimize the body’s ability to fight off infections.

Several studies have explored the connection between spinal adjustments and immune function. For example, a 2011 study published in Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that chiropractic adjustments led to improved immune system function by increasing the number of white blood cells, which are crucial in fighting infection. Another study indicated that spinal manipulation enhances the body’s response to viral infections, playing a role in reducing both the duration and intensity of symptoms.

Although chiropractic care may not directly cure the cold or flu, many patients report experiencing fewer symptoms or shorter illness durations after receiving adjustments. Additionally, regular chiropractic treatments help strengthen the immune system over time, reducing the frequency of infections.

Additionally, to getting checked-up, here is a recipe with immune boosting properties. Using fresh sliced ginger, we can boil it in water and honey to make a ginger and honey bomb. Ginger has some of the best anti-inflammatory and immune properties and so does honey.

“Healthy Spine, Healthy Mind”

-Dr. Tyler

https://www.clinicalkey.com/#!/browse/journal/01614754/latest
Jan 20
0

Inflammation The Body’s Silent Alarm

By | Allergies, athletes, Benefits of Chiropractic, gonstead chiropractic, gut problems, High Blood Pressure, immune system | No Comments

Inflammation The Body’s Silent Alarm

Understanding Inflammation and How Chiropractic Care Can Help

Inflammation is a natural response by your body to injury or infection: When it becomes chronic, it can lead to pain, discomfort, and other health issues. Whether it’s from an injury, repetitive stress, or even poor posture, inflammation can cause the body to react in ways that affect your overall well-being. As chiropractors, we focus on helping the body restore its natural balance, and understanding inflammation is key to that process.

Inflammation is characterized by redness, heat, swelling, pain, and sometimes loss of function. While acute inflammation is a protective mechanism, chronic inflammation, when it lasts for weeks, months, or even longer, can contribute to a variety of health conditions such as arthritis, digestive issues, cardiovascular diseases, and more.

Chronic Inflammation and Its Effects

When inflammation lingers, it can lead to long-term pain, stiffness, and dysfunction in the body. For example, if you have misaligned joints, nerves may become irritated, which can trigger inflammation and exacerbate symptoms like back pain, headaches, or sciatica. Over time, this can create a cycle, where the body is in constant stress, making it harder to heal.

How Chiropractic Care Can Help

Chiropractic care offers a natural approach to managing inflammation. Through spinal adjustments, chiropractors can help reduce nerve irritation, improve joint mobility, and promote healing. By restoring proper alignment, we can reduce the inflammation that often causes pain and discomfort. In addition, chiropractic care helps improve circulation, which supports the body’s natural ability to heal and reduce inflammation.

If you’re struggling with chronic inflammation or pain, now is the time to see a chiropractor to help address the root causes and start your journey towards a healthy body.

“Healthy spine, healthy mind”

-Dr. Tyler

Gevers-Montoro, C., Provencher, B., Descarreaux, M., Ortega de Mues, A., & Piché, M. (2021). Clinical Effectiveness and Efficacy of Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation for Spine Pain. Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland), 2, 765921. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpain.2021.765921

Jan 08
0

New Beginnings

By | Benefits of Chiropractic | No Comments

 New Beginnings

“The brain is a far more open system than we ever imagined, and nature has gone very far to help us perceive and take in the world around us. It has given us a brain that survives in a changing world by changing itself.”

― Norman Doidge, The Brain that Changes Itself

Happy New Year!

New day, new week, new month, new year…Our brains and bodies are constantly changing throughout life. None of us is the same today as we were yesterday. Through a complex set of processes, the brain and indeed the entire nervous system have an ability called neural plasticity – the potential to change itself and adapt to changes around it. The “catch” is that these changes can either be positive or negative, depending on what is happening in and around the body.

Did you know that chiropractic adjustments to your spine cause changes in your brain? The brain produces certain electrical signals when touch is stimulated to the body. Researchers have studied these signals and used magnetic stimulation to the brain to learn how the nervous system alters with chiropractic care. They have found that after a chiropractic adjustment, neuroplastic changes occur in brain areas that process incoming information about how the body moves, arrange details for balance and coordination, and plan for performance of future movements. These locations of the brain work hard for us all day as we move our eyes, brush our teeth, cross the street, or do a cartwheel. Adaptations in these areas help explain clinical outcomes like faster reflexes, changes in pain processing, improved organization of sensory input and better proprioception (the body’s ability to understand where it’s parts are located relative to each other –what allows you to touch your finger to your nose with your eyes closed). Spinal subluxations (“misalignments”) give the brain an altered perception of reality. But with adjustments and a clear connection between the brain and body, the brain can better sense reality in the world around it and respond appropriately.

So chiropractic not only changes the brain and body, it has the ability to help improve future outcomes through this neural plasticity. Adjustments obviously work on the body, but they really are all about influencing the brain. Since none of us will be the same tomorrow as we are today, chiropractic is a beautiful way to help ensure those adaptations are positive!

Reference:

Haavik H, Niazi IK, Amjad I, Kumari N, Ghani U, Ashfaque M, Rashid U, Navid MS, Kamavuako EN, Pujari AN, et al. Neuroplastic Responses to Chiropractic Care: Broad Impacts on Pain, Mood, Sleep, and Quality of Life. Brain Sciences. 2024; 14(11):1124. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14111124

Dec 23
0

Under the Weather…Under Your Hat

By | Benefits of Chiropractic | No Comments

“Every organ in the body is connected to the one under your hat.” – B.J. Palmer

It’s HERE, in all it’s glory! Yes, cold and flu “season” has arrived. What can we do to stay healthy and active this winter? Are you curious about chiropractic care and a high-functioning immune system? What’s the link?

Chiropractors and their patients and families have experienced for years the positive impact of vertebral (spinal) adjustments on the immune system. Science is still catching up to answer the question of why this happens and what the results are, clinically. An area of active research, immune regulation is a complex topic involving communications between the autonomic nervous system, the immune system, and the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis which regulates stress response. It’s a two-way street of neuro-immune interactions. These systems are regulated by the prefrontal cortex of the brain and are significantly affected by physical, chemical or emotional stresses – also the main causes of subluxations (spinal misalignments). The connection makes sense.

A 2021 review of eighteen different research papers explored the impact of chiropractic vertebral thrusts on neuro-immune markers, showing that adjustments can influence the levels of immune compounds in the body, including neuropeptides, inflammatory and endocrine chemicals. The reasons are most likely due to changes that occur in how the central nervous system – especially the prefrontal cortex – processes incoming information from the body after a chiropractic adjustment. These post-adjustment brain changes include processing and regulating new patterns of spinal movement, monitoring inflammation, and complex alterations in the type and intensity of pain and other incoming signals. Changes also include updated planning in the brain for outgoing communications back to the body. In short, we know a chiropractic adjustment causes changes in your brain, your body, AND your immune system at the same time.

Get your next spinal checkup to keep your nervous and immune systems connected and functioning at their best!

Haavik H, Niazi IK, Kumari N, Amjad I, Duehr J, Holt K. The Potential Mechanisms of High-Velocity, Low-Amplitude, Controlled Vertebral Thrusts on Neuroimmune Function: A Narrative Review. Medicina (Kaunas). 2021 May 27;57(6):536. doi: 10.3390/medicina57060536. PMID: 34071880; PMCID: PMC8226758.

Nov 25
0

Montana Heartbeats

By | Benefits of Chiropractic, chiropractic adjustment, Chiropractic Myths, gonstead chiropractic, inflammation | No Comments

Montana Heartbeats

Have you ever wondered why we use the HRV scan and what it’s all about? What does putting fingers into a device for 3 minutes have to do with chiropractic?

Heart rate variability (HRV) is the precise measure of micro-changes in the amount of time between heartbeats, measured in fractions of a second. Different from pathologic “arrhythmias” with large differences in the rhythm, this healthy variability in the heart’s sinus (normal) rhythm is vital to our capacity to adapt to our external and internal environment. Assessing heart rate variability gives us an overall picture of the health and balance of the autonomic nervous system. (1).

The autonomic nervous system controls unconscious functions such as breathing rate, blood pressure and flow, skin temperature, digestion, stress hormones, and of course heart rate. It’s divided into two branches: sympathetic (“fight or flight”) and parasympathetic (“rest and digest”). Ideally, they work in perfect combination, like two children riding on a see-saw, enabling our bodies to quickly and quietly adapt to physical, chemical and emotional stresses in our environment. This concept of adaptation is fundamental. Biologically speaking, one of the seven characteristics true to all life is the ability to be responsive to the environment. Without adaptation, life cannot exist.

Not only does an HRV scan provide a helpful baseline of the body’s stress-response reserve, it can also show differences in adaptability over time. A highly micro-variable heart rate is evidence that our body is equipped to more effectively adapt to changes and be less stressed and feel happier. Low heart rate variability demonstrates lack of resilience and that our nervous system may struggle to respond in challenging situations.

Research shows that HRV scores can change with chiropractic care (2). High and low frequency HRV readings represent how both the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system can be influenced by chiropractic adjustments. (2) One small study found that “Patients receiving continuous chiropractic care to correct vertebral subluxation demonstrated a sustained improvement in HRV. This novel finding objectively demonstrates long-term change consistent with improved neurophysiological regulation, adaptability and resilience in patients undergoing chiropractic care, and suggests the utility of chiropractic care for outcomes greater than only musculoskeletal improvements.” (3) The benefits of chiropractic care include much more than back and neck pain!

Get checked, and keep the Montana heartbeat adapting!

References:

1) Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21773-heart-rate-variability-hrv

2) Effect of chiropractic care on heart rate variability and pain in a multisite clinical study

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16690380/

3) Sustained Improvement of Heart Rate Variability in Patients Undergoing a Program of Chiropractic Care: A Retrospective Case Series. (2017) Chiropractic Journal of Australia

www.researchgate.net/publication/323934481_Sustained_improvement_of_heart_rate_variability_in_patients_undergoing_a_program_of_chiropractic_care_A_retrospective_case_series