Buy My Special Pillow…It Will Fix Everything Wrong With You

By | Benefits of Chiropractic | No Comments

Buy My Special Pillow…It Will Fix Everything!

The Analogy Of My Special Pillow

The My Special Pillow analogy has been around in our society for a period of time and will continue to stick around.  Why is the pillow industry always trying to create the “latest and greatest”?  Because they want you to buy it!  Just like anything else, they will try to improve something that is pretty darn simple.  Unfortunately, our society will get you to buy the coolest of the coolest pillow out there because some random sleep study confirmed people actually sleep “better” with it.

My Special Pillow Is Doctor Recommended

The “Doctor Recommended” special pillow…It is simply just another way for someone to make a kick-back and sell you something.  As a Chiropractor, I never learned that the best way to promote my status as a Doctor was to sell “stuff” to the public. This can be said for any type of doctor profession out there.  Remember: My Special Pillow is just an analogy for the health industry as a whole.  This can be said for supplements, oils, laser-beams, exercises, special diets, lotions, etc.  Just because a diet is “Doctor Recommended” does not mean anything at all.  Literally.

The Truth of My Special Pillow

Health is hard-work.  My Special Pillow is trying to sell you the concept that health can be bought.  Being healthy as we know it starts from the inside of your body.  Why the inside?  Remember the first “Thing” made in your body was the brain and then then spinal cord, thus forming the central nerve system (CNS).  The CNS made everything else in your body…everything.  What about the heart…made by the CNS.  What about your left foot…made by the CNS.  And so on and so on.  Make sure that your CNS is free of stress by getting regular chiropractic check-ups.  Two other factors to implement are eating right and exercising.  That’s it.  The My Special Pillow concept will try to lure you away with the latest and greatest.  Just hold fast and stick to the things that survived the test of time. #getchecked

3 Affects Occurring On Your Spine Due To The “I” Hunch

By | posture, texting | No Comments

3 Affects Occurring On Your Spine Due To The “I” Hunch

Your Spine Dislikes Gadgets

Your spine is prone to continual stress every single day.  Your spine is specifically designed for two important functions.  Its top priority is to protect the most important structure within your body… the central nerve system (brain and spinal cord).  Secondly, the spine is designed to withstand stress, such as gravity, that is applied every single day.  In this day and age the TOP stressor that plagues our body is “The Gadgets”.  Cellphones, iPads, Kindle’s, etc.  When we continuously look down at gadgets, our entire spinal structure is under constant stress.

#1 – The Reverse Neck Curve Begins

Postural deviations that start in childhood and are left undetected and uncorrected will generally lead to bigger problems when those children become adults.  The more children are looking down at gadgets from earlier ages, the greater significance of cervical curve changes.  These changes are not for the better.

#2 – Your Spine Is Working Overtime

Having your head in a forward posture can add up to thirty pounds of abnormal leverage on the cervical spine.  This can pull the entire spine out of alignment – Rene Cailliet, M.D.  When we focus on the immediate we only focus on the cervical spine.  When in reality the entire spine will have to work over time.  This means that constant muscle tension, knots, and irritation will be existing all over the spine due to the imbalance in the neck area.

#3 -Your Spine Creates Unnecessary Stress

Constant forward head lean will put automatic stress on the central nerve system (CNS).  When you begin to alter your spinal curvature due to repetitive stress, this will result in a variety of health problems.  Why?  Without proper spinal support, the spinal bones will create tension and stress on your CNS.  Repetitive head lean is equivalent to adding an extra 60lbs of pressure on your spinal column…which means 60lbs of undo stress on your CNS.

Everyone has had poor posture at some point.  It only becomes a problem if you decide not to do anything about it.  Checking your posture and getting your spine checked for subluxations enables your body to adapt to the constant stress.

#getchecked

 

Best Exercise To Help Your Spine

By | Benefits of Chiropractic, Ear Infections

Best Exercise To Help Your Spine

The best exercise to help your spine is very simple.  In fact many of us know it already and have been taught at a very young age what to do.  It’s just so hard to do.  It’s called having GREAT POSTURE.  That’s it?  Yes, very simple at to the point.  The best so called “exercise” that you can accomplish and help your spine is being diligent with your posture.  Do you realize that having good posture is actually hard to do?

Adjustments Make My Posture Better

So, subluxations compromise ones ability to have profound posture.  Subluxations disconnect the brain-body connection.  So, as a direct result your body will work harder and faster than it requires to balance itself.  By getting checked on a regular basis and adjusted if necessary, you allow your body to be at it’s peak potential.  This means your central nerve system is happy, which means your body is happy.  People might say, “I need to focus on my Lats or do stabilizing exercises.”  Great, you can do those.  Or you can stop looking for the latest and greatest and do what has survived the test of time.

My Posture Is My Exercise

Guess what?  Being healthy is hard work.  It can’t be sold, modified, or infringed upon.  Coming and visiting your chiropractor to maintain your health is hard work. Watching and being diligent about your posture is hard work. Or course going and running for miles on end and lifting weights are necessary.  Or just incorporating an active lifestyle is beneficial. Once again it comes back again to hard work.  There is no stretch or exercise that can FIX a subluxation.  You get adjusted and reconnect the brain-body connection.  As a direct result your body will become more at ease.  Which means its easier to have better posture.  Let’s keep health simple.  Get your nerves checked.

Ever Heard Of Health Doctors Before?

By | Benefits of Chiropractic, Ear Infections

Ever Heard Of Health Doctors Before?

The entire concept of the phrase health doctors was initially brought to us by a new patient.  It’s amazing that the general public has a thorough understanding of what health is and what it is not.  This patient stated they conducted research and wanted to HEAL, they were tired of covering ‘things’ up. The biggest tenant that our society is starting to grasp, is that the body is self regulating and self healing.  You get cut, you heal.  You break a bone, it takes time and yet you still heal.  The body does not require anything else.

Who Be These Health Doctors

Well to put it in simplest form, it’s chiropractors.  Chiropractor’s do not take, add, or alter the body in any way .  Chiropractor’s simply remove interference which thus properly establishes proper communication from brain to body.  This interference comes in the form of a subluxation.  A subluxation places undo stress upon a specific nerve rendering your body in a state of fight or flight.  Think of plugging 30 electrical devices into a single outlet (with no surge protector).  Eventually when the outlet can not adapt to the stress placed on it, boom goes the breaker.  Much like a subluxation in the body.

Support Your Health

There is no specific form of healthcare like chiropractic.  While allopathic medicine has a need, much often it is resorted to replacing or covering something up.  When healing takes place you need to be omnipresent with your body and how things work and operate.  Health doctors have been around for a very long time and will continue to be productive in “getting” people better.  Ultimately you get to decide what you want to do for your own health.  There are no limits to what the human body is capable of when everything is connected.  The research is out there and will continue to mount up.

Feeling Good Vs Functioning Good

By | ADHD, Benefits of Chiropractic, Ear Infections

Feeling Good Vs Functioning Good

Feeling versus functioning is a misleading concept that we often get stuck in with regards to our health.  Which is more important to you?  The entire concept of “feel” is very subjective in nature and differs from one person to another.  Functioning on the other hand is ultimately what chiropractor’s are trying to achieve for patients.   I could be feeling really good and yet at the same time have complete loss of function of one arm.  Which is more important to you?

The Feel Good

When you start seeing a chiropractor, when done specifically and correctly you can “get” a patient to feel good.  The reason for this is because the sensory part of the central nerve system is drastically a relatively small component of how your body operates.  Sensory nerves are important, yet compared to your motor and autonomic nerves the sensory is roughly 10% of the entire system together.  What one person might consider as pain the other person wouldn’t even stop to think about it.  Nerve tension exists without pain.

Function Function Function

The spine and nerve system are interrelated and connected to every aspect of our expression of health and wellness.  The central nerve system coordinates, controls, and determines every ascpect of function that we encounter on a daily basis.  Fixing the cause of your problems is addressing the dysfunction present in your body.  If taking medication to numb feelings to allow you to function is your idea of healing you are only making things worse.  Let your body be it’s guide and listen to it.

Comes & Goes

For some people, they can be feeling good one day and then the next feel completely horrible.  Understand that healing takes time, and your body is never going to stop healing.  Feeling good is pretty cool, functioning good is AMAZING!

5 Reasons To Adjust Your Kids Backpack

By | ADHD, Benefits of Chiropractic

5 Reasons To Adjust Your Kids Backpack

Kids going back to school is just upon us.  Usually, the top concerns are associated with new clothes, coloring pencils, books, and other school accessories.  The backpack typically gets put on the back-burner and is either a pass-down from an older child or is from the previous year.  A lot of growth can occur within a year and the backpack is something that can hinder development.  Top 5 reasons to “adjust” your kids backpack.

Shoulder Straps

Backpacks come with two shoulder straps because… you have two shoulders!  So, utilize both shoulder straps to distribute the weight of the pack over a greater surface area.  If waist straps are available you can distribute the weight even more by incorporating the torso.

Packing Order

With all of the books, papers, and other supplies that are utilized in the backpack make sure you are placing things accordingly.  The heaviest books need to be located in the back of the backpack closest to the shoulder blade region.

Choosing The Right One

When choosing which pack is right for your kids, make sure to try it on.  You don’t want the pack to hang past their buttocks, if it does this has a tendency to incorporate negative curvatures withing the spinal column.

Weigh It

Want to see how much their pack really weighs?  Do it!  Put all of their supplies, books, papers and all other materials in the pack and weigh it.  The pack should not be more than 10% of their body weight.  If you need to take unnecessary items out to save them from the stress.

Get Adjusted

Pack’s have a tendency to cause harm if used inappropriately.  Follow some basic fundamentals when using them and no problems will arise.  Regardless of the situation though you should always still have your kids under regular chiropractic care to make sure they are functioning at their optimal potential.  Make sure the spine is free of subluxations and allowing for future development.

Proper Posture The True Story

By | Benefits of Chiropractic, Ear Infections

Proper Posture The True Story

Proper posture: the true story takes us back many many moons ago.  Well, not really.  We just need a good opening line when talking about proper posture and how it is key to your overall health and well-being.  Proper posture is fundamental in maintaining and functioning on a day to day basis without limitations or fallback.  The reason why posture is so crucial is because your spinal column is protecting the most important part of your entire body, the central nerve system.  The one thing that destroys your posture and overall quality of life is a vertebral subluxation.  A vertebral subluxation often goes unnoticed for years leading to signs and symptoms, very much like a cavity.  A vertebral subluxation places undo stress upon your entire central nerve system, not just one nerve, but everything!  This stress, over time, on your spinal column can lead to improper posture thus creating a compensation elsewhere in the spine.  This cycle can also be flipped starting out with poor posture creating muscle strain and improper bio-mechanics, resulting in your body needing to compensate from physical stress thus creating a vertebral subluxation.

Hard work pays off, such as maintaining a proper posture on a daily basis.  Visiting a chiropractor on a regular basis ensures that your body has no other option but to be functioning at your optimal potential.  By allowing your central nerve system to fire on all cylinders without dysfunction you will give your body its best chance against the daily stress of life.  After your body receives a specific chiropractic adjustment, proper posture is the number one variable that will assist your ability to adapt and to heal.  Just think how easy it is to slouch over while sitting down or to slump over while standing for an extended period of time.  The little things in life add up over time, by maintaining your central nerve system your muscles, tissues, ligaments, and even cells have the ability to receive proper communication to enable proper posture.

 

Balancing Act Of Health: Healthy Life

By | Benefits of Chiropractic, Ear Infections

Balancing Act Of Health : Healthy Life

The balancing act of health is a daily activity that cannot be taken for granted.  A man that is too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busty to take care of his tools – Spanish Proverb.  Health does not come in a cookie-cutter box that has specific instructions for what to do.  Health is different and unique to each individual with basic fundamental principles.  Diet, exercise, and a properly functioning nerve system with specific chiropractic care should be your balancing act of health. How to eat clean and regular daily exercise are not things that are new and upcoming.  They have been around for an extended period of time and will continue to be paramount in our daily lives.  Regular specific chiropractic care is also something that is not new and upcoming.  Chiropractic has been around for an extended period of time as well and will continue to be a fundamental principle of health.  Balancing all of these variables together is key, with chiropractic being at the foundation in order to sustain a healthy life.

The balancing act of all three variables is key to a healthy life.  Think of ways we often try and bend the rules with these variables.  You can go to the gym and workout everyday, if your diet is not properly suitable for what you are doing you cannot out-train a bad diet.  The same can be said for eating an amazing diet and not properly exercising.  Imagine if you are doing both of these variables and eating clean and regularly exercising and not involving chiropractic.  Chiropractic keeps your body connected so that you can live your life to your fullest potential.  With a clear and connected nerve system your body has no other option but to function and be at your best.

Respiratory Infections And Chiropractic

By | ADHD, Benefits of Chiropractic, Ear Infections

Respiratory Infections And Chiropractic

Chronic bronchitis, upper respiratory infections, asthma, are just a handful of some of the airway breathing disorders that inhibit our quality of life.  Respiratory disorders vary for each individual and are usually categorized into upper and lower respiratory conditions.  The most common upper respiratory tract infection that we encounter is the common cold, which directly effects the nose, throat and surrounding passages.  Lower respiratory infections that we commonly hear of are pneumonia and bronchitis.  Without going into to much detail, upper and lower infections are still respiratory disorders.  When we encounter a respiratory infection our body is susceptible due to our immune system not properly functioning.  Respiratory infections though distressful at times are a way that your body tells you something is happening.  Respiratory infections should occur for a short period of time and your immune system should be able to prevail and get stronger from it.  Chronic, reoccurring infections is a compromised immune system that is not on the path to healing but rather in a constant state of survival.

When a respiratory infection occurs we often give superficial band-aids that cover up the symptoms we are expressing.  We have a tendency to neglect the immune system and the reason we are susceptible.  Chiropractic enters the picture because it focus on the nerve system that specifically controls and regulates every experience you have in life.  The nerve system is in direct control of your immune system and how it operates.  Chiropractic does not just focus on the upper or lower respiratory tracts specifically, it utilizes a full body approach that begins with the nerve.  Nerve system dysfunction likely plays a role in chronic upper airway inflammatory disease (Otolaryngol Head & Neck Surgery Journal).  Nerve dysfunction is categorized in chiropractic as a subluxation.  A subluxation places undo stress upon a nerve limiting it’s communication to and from the brain, creating an entire central nerve system dysfunction.  Thus chronic and reoccurring respiratory infections.  Specific chiropractic adjustments relieve stress upon the nerve allowing proper function and more importantly immune system function to be re-established.

Computer Posture

By | ADHD, Benefits of Chiropractic

Computer Posture

Computer posture in our society is becoming a struggle as more and more individuals are sitting for an extended period of time at their desk.  Correct computer posture is key for a lifetime of proper spinal alignment and allowing your body to continue to work day in and day out without any problems.  So, here are some basic simple principles when sitting down on the computer for an extended period of time.  When visualizing your monitor it is key that the bottom of the monitor be slightly above your eyes or have the monitor perpendicular to your eyes.  If you are constantly looking down at the monitor you are placing stress upon the neck muscles.  The arms need to be at a neutral position almost in a 90-degree angle when typing on the keyboard.  Computer posture for sitting down should be with a slight curve in your lumbar region.  Make sure the curve is actually in your lumbar spine and not in your pelvis.  The feet need to be flat on the floor periodically moving them.   Limit the amount of leaning forward while looking at the monitor for this adds stress upon the neck muscles yet again.

Correct computer posture is key to longevity in your current profession.  Understand that sitting down on the spine is like sugar to the teeth, it adds up over time if done incorrectly.  Chiropractic allows you to function and enable correct computer posture by allowing your nerve system to function correctly.  Overtime incorrect computer posture will wreak havoc on the muscles.  This is in part due to the amount of strain that is placed on the muscles for having to compensate.  Remember you are always fighting gravity on a daily basis, it is your nerve systems responsibility to send proper messages to the muscles to make sure they are firing appropriately and working correctly.  If you are compensating with poor posture your muscles will be working harder and faster than they should be, which in turn can create nerve system dysfunction.  Regular chiropractic care allows your nerve system to be connected without dysfunction so your muscles work accordingly.  Proper computer posture teamed up with regular chiropractic care is a win-win!