Chiropractic Care is a Great Investment in your Health

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Do you worry about the cost of your healthcare?

Research shows that chiropractic care is a great option to help you feel your best without breaking the bank. 1,2

The cost effectiveness of chiropractic care

Cost can be a big factor when we make decisions about our healthcare. Researchers have been looking at what the most cost-effective healthcare options are for people with back and neck pain. Keep reading to find out what research says.

Chiropractic care can save you money and help you get back to work faster

For patients with neck or back pain, chiropractic care is a very cost-effective option and costs less in the long term than medical care or physical therapy. 1,3

What does the research show?

Researchers reviewed 9 years of claims data from an insurance scheme in North Carolina that included about 660,000 people and over 6 million back and neck pain claims. 1 2

They took into account things like the patient’s age, gender, and health history, and then looked at how much each claim cost based on whether the care provider was a medical doctor, physical therapist, or a chiropractor. They also looked at the cost of the claim if all they did was offer the patients advice, hoping that they’d just get better by themselves and not need any healthcare.

What they found in these studies was that the claims for the patients who were seen by a chiropractor cost significantly less than the patients managed by another healthcare provider. In fact, by the final year of this 9-year study the cost of a claim was from 2 to 5 times more expensive when a chiropractor was not one of the care providers.

And the claims managed by a chiropractor cost even less than the claims for patients who were given advice alone, because it would appear that those people ended up taking more time off work than the people who saw a chiropractor.

Disclaimer and References

Disclaimer and References This information is provided for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be professional advice of any kind. Haavik Research Ltd encourages you to make your own health care decisions based on your own research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

Neck Pain in North Carolina, 2000 to 2009: A Statewide Claims’ Data Analysis. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2016;39(4):240-51. doi: 10.1016/j. jmpt.2016.02.007 [published Online First: 2016/05/12] 2. Hurwitz EL, Li D, Guillen J, et al. Variations in Patterns of Utilization and Charges for the Care of Low Back Pain in North Carolina, 2000 to 2009: A Statewide Claims’ Data Analysis. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2016;39(4):252-62. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2016.02.006 [published Online First: 2016/05/12] 3. Jarvis KB, Phillips RB, Morris EK. Cost per case comparison of back injury claims of chiropractic versus medical management for conditions with identical diagnostic codes. Journal of occupational medicine : official publication of the Industrial Medical Association 1991;33(8):847-52. [published Online First: 1991/08/01] © Haavik Research Limited 2021

• Dr. Heidi Haavik BSc(Physiol) BSc(Chiro) PhD • Dr. Kelly Holt BSc, BSc(Chiro), PGDipHSc, PhD • Dr. Jenna Duehr BChiro, BHSC (Nursing), MHSc chiroshub.com

Why Do You Have Butterflies In Your Stomach?

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Why do you Have Butterflies in Your Stomach?

Have You Swallowed Butterflies?

A good majority of people have probably experienced an episode of butterflies in their stomach.  You may have felt this sensation before a public speaking event, asking a lady on a date or feeling embarrassed for some reason.   Butterflies in your stomach is technically not a sensation, but more of a reaction.  This reaction is brought on by your innate ability to protect yourself.

Butterflies In Your Stomach Protect You!

A branch of nerves called the sympathetic nerve system is also known as your fight or flight response.  When your internal monologue enters into survival mode, you automatically trigger the fight or flight response.  The Brain-Gut connection comes into fruition with this reaction to stressors.  The brain has a tendency to “overreact” and send more electrical messages to the gut when our body is responding to stress.  Basically, it’s the muscles in your stomach freaking out.

Balancing the Stressors

The central nerve system (CNS) goes to every organ, gland, tissue, muscle and cell of the body.  Chiropractic’s focus is to allow the CNS to function without interference or to remove the subluxation.  The subluxation is a “blown fuse” and your body reacts by expressing itself outwardly via symptoms.  Chiropractic adjustments do not “cure” the butterflies in your stomach; instead they balance your stress response by releasing ‘feel good’ factors in the body.  After an adjustment, your body becomes ENHANCED and begins adapting, particularity the pre-frontal cortex in the brain which controls your thoughts, emotions, and cognitive behavior.

Watch Out For Butterflies in Your Stomach

What can we learn from this?  As we teach patients about their health and well-being, we stress the importance of knowing us before you need us.   The best time to get checked and adjusted is before your event.  You want to make sure your body is firing on all cylinders and this begins with your CNS.  Your brain controls every cell in your body, even the butterflies in your stomach.  Keep your spine aligned and the connection flowing with chiropractic.

 

 

 

 

How You “Think” Doesn’t Impact My Health…Think Again!

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Thinking Doesn’t Impact My Health…Think Again!

Think About What You Think About

Most people would suspect that physical trauma is the number one reason why people seek Chiropractic care.  But in actuality, the number one reason why people seek care is due to how they think, or emotional stress.  How you think directly impacts your health.  Early Chiropractic philosophy stated that “Auto-Suggestions” was one reason why people would seek care.  It was their inability to adapt to their own auto-suggestions.  Today we supplement the phrase auto-suggestions with stress.  Stress is what brings people into the office.  Our thinking process either creates positive affirmations or emotional stress.

The Chemical Break-Down of Thinking

When your body begins to become bombarded with obligations such as bills, taxes, and daily routines, internal changes occur that alter your thought process.  Chemically, your internal monolog will increase adrenalin, blood glucose, cortisol, and even cholesterol levels.  Serotonin will be the one chemical that actually decreases as a result of stress.  Serotonin, commonly known as the “happiness chemical”, is a huge factor in your mood and getting quality sleep to rest your body.

The Physiological Response to Thinking

The chemicals in the previous paragraph will begin to alter your brain activity and how your body responds.  So, how you think now will begin to impact your health in a way you can understand…in a way that you actually feel. Your quality of sleep is severely depleted, your immune system is compromised, heart rate will spike, and your blood pressure will begin to rise.  Along with these noticeable symptoms, you will also feel increased muscle tension and knots along the spine.  All of this as a result of your thinking!

Chiropractic Can Change How You Think

When the spine is properly aligned and free of interference, your thought process is limited in its negative abilities.  After receiving a specific chiropractic adjustment, there is a 99% correlation that your pre-frontal cortex becomes enhanced.  What does this mean?  The pre-frontal cortex of your brain controls planning, complex cognitive behavior, personality, expression, decision making, and moderating social behavior.  In simple terms, it controls how you think.  Specific chiropractic adjustments help the positive thought process.  Stay adjusted, stay positive!

#getchecked

 

 

How To Ditch The Junk And Create Health

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Ditch the Junk and Create Health

Is It Healthcare or Sick-care?

It’s the end of January and the New Year started with a BANG.  Either you have set the stage to create health and are continuing on your journey, or maybe you just need a little push.  The “healthcare” industry thrives on the New Year and people looking for a fresh start.  Wikipedia put the definition of “Healthcare Industry” as such: The healthcare industry is an aggregation and integration of sectors within the economic system that provides goods and services to treat patients with curative, preventive, rehabilitative, and palliative care.  The healthcare industry is ranked 4th of all industries in the United States.  When measuring the US healthcare compared to others, study after study continuously ranked the US in the bottom half.  What exactly does that mean?  Despite high spending on health care, the U.S. population has poor health.

Create Health by Eliminating Junk

To create health, you need to eliminate the junk that you have been exposed to.  Gimmicks, trends, health fads and the newest and latest PILLS.  It’s literally junk.  Here’s a nice tid-bit of information for you.  The FDA stated that 70% of all supplement companies violate agency rules.  This means there is no filter for what they can create, produce and SAY to get you thinking that you will benefit from one of their potions. This is not even talking about medicine and the pills they produce, this is just the supplement industry itself.  Just think, if their efficacy has such low standards, what other rules are they manipulating?  They will say anything to make you think that they can “cure, heal, or fix” you.

Create Health with the Foundation First

A healthy inside creates a healthy outside.  The inside we are referring to is the central nerve system (CNS).  The CNS made every organ, tissue, and cell in your body.  If you want to be healthy make sure your spine, which protects the CNS, is completely free of interference. It’s no secret, trend, or new fad that creating a healthy you begins with the inside first.  Specific Chiropractic care does not sell you anything.  Chiropractic care only enables your body to do what it is supposed to do…be healthy.  #getchecked

Know Us Before You Need Us…The Misconception About Chiropractic

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Know Us Before You Need Us…The Misconception About Chiropractic

The First Truths

Blurred lines create the biggest misconceptions of what Chiropractic actually is.  To set the record straight the very first recorded adjustment in 1895 in Davenport, Iowa was not for lower back pain or a headache.  The first recorded adjustment in fact enabled a deaf individual to restore his hearing.  Thus Chiropractic was born.  Looking toward the spine for all disease in the body was NOT something new.  Hippocrates, The Father Of Medicine, stated, “Look Well To The Spine For The Cause Of Disease.”  Even American Indian hieroglyphics demonstrated ‘back-walking’.  The sick would lie down and have their spines manipulated by the feet of others.

Blurred Lines Create The Misconception

The age of insurance creates and sets new demands.  With the age of insurance beginning in the mid 1990’s there became an alarming rate of what they called “musculoskeletal pain.”  One might say this was due to the changing lifestyle of desk jobs, diet, or just an accumulation of not taking care of ourselves.  Either way, insurance companies started dictating what was necessary for the patient rather than the patient deciding for themselves.  When pain would occur, Chiropractors had great results in helping patients; the insurance companies recognized this and did not like it.  They would rather you get out of pain as fast as possible and never let you HEAL or ADAPT.  The “quick fix” was a growing trend that was not dealing with overall health and well-being.

Education Is The Foundation To Correct The Misconception

Keep in mind that in the mid 1990’s pharmaceutical companies did not have the power they now assume.  A pain reliever drug such as Tylenol was not even invented until the 1950’s and it started out just like all drugs as a prescription first.  There was no such thing as walking to the gas station and buying a pain reliever over the counter.  Regardless, if you use your Chiropractor as an expensive Tylenol, then you will only get Tylenol like results, aka temporary.  Chiropractic is the study, art, and science of getting the sick better and keeping the healthy well.  #getchecked

 

5 Questions To Ask Your Chiropractor

By | ADHD, Benefits of Chiropractic, Ear Infections

5 Questions To Ask Your Chiropractor

Simple Truths Of Chiropractic

With the ever changing “Health World” it often becomes hard to keep things in perspective of what health really is.  Many times we go around and around chasing different tactics of what someone thinks health is.  Even chiropractors have been known to blur the lines of what we should actually be doing for patients.  Chiropractic care is health care.  Why?  Chiropractors are trained experts in the detection and correction of subluxations of the spine.  That’s it.  A subluxation is the physical representation of all dis-ease in the body.  A subluxation will create dysfunction within every part of the body, thus destroying one’s optimum potential.  To learn more, ask your chiropractor!  When looking for a chiropractor, start with 5 basic questions to make sure there are no blurred lines with your health care.

Question # 1: Do You Take X-Rays?

X-rays provide a clear image of what to actually adjust, and more importantly what not to do for a patient.  It’s the 90/10 rule.  They provide specificity of 90% of what does not need to happen and 10% of what does need to happen.  X-rays allow chiropractors to not guess when dealing with your health.  To heal, your body requires what your body needs and not somebody else’s.  X-rays are unique towards you and your body’s needs.  Taking x-rays is not new.  In 1910 the chiropractic profession implemented x-rays as mandatory before even touching somebody’s spine (aside from pregnant mothers, babies, and other unique situations).  So, let’s not guess with your health when dealing with the most important part of your body, the spine.

Question # 2:   Do You Get Spinal Listings Off The X-Rays?

Spinal listings are what subluxations are called after a chiropractor does an analysis on x-rays.  Spinal listings are the equivalent to a blue-print of the foundation and how something was built.  X-ray analysis is essential to understanding how you are different from everyone else.  Understanding the x-ray component when finding a subluxation enables your care to be on point for what you would expect from a specific chiropractor.   The focus of the adjustment is to be as specific, precise and accurate as possible, addressing only the problem areas (areas of subluxation).   This is only directed with use of spinal listings.

Question # 3 Is Your Goal To Restore Normal Function?

Function Vs Feeling.  As a chiropractor our top responsibility is to make sure that your body is functioning at optimum potential by adapting to the stress that brings you into our office.  Feeling good just comes with functioning well.  Make sure you are seeking chiropractic care for function.  Going to the chiropractor only when you’re in pain is like robbing a bank and only stealing the lollipops.  It doesn’t make sense and chiropractic is not designed as an expensive Advil.  Our goal is to enable your body to do whatever you desire without LIMITS.  The sensory component (pain part) of a nerve is an immensely small portion of the central nervous system.  Nerve tension exists through subluxations without any feeling of pain.  Pain will often be the final straw that breaks the camel’s back.  Normal function enables your body to be healthy from the inside out.

Question #4 Do You Take Post X-Rays To Document Structural Change?

Of course!  This thought process is equivalent to an orthodontist who puts braces on a pair of teeth.  Not only do you visit your orthodontist for check-ups while the braces are on but eventually you see teeth that are straightened out.  Then, after the braces are removed, you have to retain the straightening.  The same is done for chiropractic.  If you have regular check-ups for your spinal health, your body will adapt and heal.  When specific subluxations have been addressed and adjusted specifically for a period of time, the body changes.  Your adjustments will change based on your body adapting.  Post X-rays will allow your chiropractor to show you changes in your spine and how your body is adapting to care.

Question # 5 Do You Work With Pediatric And Elderly?

Chiropractic care is not just for athletes and middle class men who have back aches.  The overall care and well-being of the spine should begin from the day you are born to the day you are put to rest.  Everyone needs regular spinal check-ups to make sure that your body is working at optimum potential.  Attending a pediatric chiropractor allows your child’s nervous system to continue to grow and overcome many forms of trauma as they learn to walk and crawl, play, and become involved in sporting activities.  Many of these actions may result in subluxations which can be detected and adjusted to restore normal development.  The only way to find out if you have subluxations is to get checked.

 

 

 

3 Reasons Tight Muscles Deplete Your Energy

By | ADHD, Benefits of Chiropractic, Ear Infections

3 Reasons Tight Muscles Deplete Your Energy

#1 Tight Tight Tight

The first and most obvious reason that tight muscles deplete your energy is because you just got done working out.  This is stating the obvious, yet sometimes is often misunderstood.  Any form of physical fitness is great for the body.  When performing exercise your muscles require energy; it’s give and take.  Just like fueling your car for a long road-trip.  This cause and effect of exercising is to be expected.  With this being said, let’s explore the unknown reasons of tight muscles.

# 2 Spinal Misalignment = Tight Muscles

Spinal misalignments, also called subluxations, exist unknowingly.  This is the same notion as a cavity in your mouth going unnoticed for years.  Subluxations place undue stress on the spinal nerves.  Stress…Who likes to have to stress in their lives?  Just about nobody.  So, imagine a nerve that is supposed to supply your cells with abundance of life happens to be stressed.  This will result in your body working unnecessarily harder and faster in the organs, glands, tissues, and muscles that it supplies.  Working harder uses fuel faster than it should.  Subluxations will deplete energy stores without notice.

# 3 Fighting Gravity Requires Energy

Gravity exists whether you believe it or not.  Newton’s law of universal gravitation acts on our bodies every single day.  The spine is designed primarily to protect the central nervous system (Brain & Spinal Cord) and secondly to keep us upright.  The spine is supposed to be completely straight when visualizing it from face to face with somebody. When a subluxation is present in the spine it places constant stress on the nerves. A healthy spine, free of subluxations, alleviates the stress on the nervous system, which in turn limits your total energy expenditure.  By maintaining your spinal hygiene you are maintaining your overall health and energy at the same time.

 

 

 

Age Is Not A Disease – Why Chiropractic Works

By | ADHD, Benefits of Chiropractic, Ear Infections

Age Is Not A Disease – Why Chiropractic Works

Age is not a disease.  Many new patients that begin chiropractic care and happen to be older present with numerous health problems.  The first response that is given to why this has happened is because they are “getting older.”  Our society deems that after a certain time of living everything is just completely lost.  Time for social security, AARP, pill consumption, and hospital visits.  This does not have to be the case.  Starting with a healthy body begins and ends with the inside.

The Age Of Research

It was also great to discover that after 12 weeks of chiropractic care the participants physical component of health-related quality of life had improved significantly (The Reality Check).  One of the biggest challenges we face as we age is using all of our senses together.  All your senses coordinate specific actions that the brain has to process and utilize to allow you to function.  As we age we understand that our processing is just a “little” slower than it was when we were in our twenties.  Now, it does not mean that our processing is not there though.  Multi-sensory processing is allowing the brain to coordinate proper function through specific movement of the spine.  The spine provides all nourishment to the brain to allow proper expression of health.

Age Is Beauty

Aging does not have to feared and loathed that health problems are right around the corner. Often health challenges comes with neglect that we perceive we are healthy because we “look” good on the outside.  So, age gracefully and plan on chiropractic to keep you going.  By adjusting a specific subluxation within the spine, the brain has complete awareness of what is going on.  A subluxation puts the blindfold over the brain.  Better to have awareness than to let the body guess on your health.

 

 

 

 

The Spine – Protecting Your Bodies Body Armor

By | ADHD, Benefits of Chiropractic, Ear Infections

The Spine – Protecting Your Bodies Body Armor

The very first entity that is developed in the embryonic stage is the central nerve system (CNS).  This is the brain, spinal cord, and surrounding nerves.  The most important system within the entire body is the central nerve system.  For it builds, develops, and CREATES all other systems within the developing body.  Does this seem important to you?  You better believe it.  This is simply due to the fact that life would simply not exist without the CNS.  With the importance of the CNS it needs to be protected.  Enter the spine.  The spine has important roles to play.  The most obvious and distinct is to protect and provide body armor for your CNS.

The Spine Is “Outta Whack”

This verbiage is often utilized to describe something that is not really happening.  If the spine was really “outta whack” you would not be alive.  It’s just words that we like to describe some sort of pain or discomfort felt in the back region.  So, what really happens when the spine is neglected?  Subluxations occur.  Subluxations are what chiropractors are trained to locate and adjust specifically.  A subluxation creates a disconnect with the brain – body connection.  Think of the brain as the all seeing eye.  When a spinal bone/disc irritate a specific nerve fiber it creates dysfunction with what that nerve is supposed to be performing.  What is the nerve supposed to be doing?  Remember that nerve built, developed, and created all the other system in the body.  So, now it has to keep them operational.

Can I Get A New Spine

One subluxation will create havoc on the entire spine.  As a result of a subluxation the spine will create abnormal movement patterns to compensate.  Your spine needs to be freely movable and free of limitations.  Life is motion and motion is life.  Specific motion into a subluxation allows the brain – body connection to once again be established.  You only have one spine, so take care of it.  For taking care of your spine is ensuring your taking care of your health.

 

Quick tid-bits on the spine. Click Me

What Is The Chiropractic Adjustment

By | ADHD, Benefits of Chiropractic

What is The Chiropractic Adjustment

What exactly is the chiropractic adjustment?  Many times new patients will ask this question about what exactly we are trying to achieve.  They think that we are going to snap, pop, crack, thump, explode or do something that involves loud noises to their spine.  When in fact a chiropractic adjustment is none of those.  Let’s face it, in reality if a chiropractor really “cracked” your neck…come on now.

Specificity Is Key With A Chiropractic Adjustment

Specificity is key when understanding the adjustment.  If there is no specificity to an adjustment being delivered, then it’s basically like a pill.  Everyone gets the same dose and you have to take it 2x a day.  What?  If chiropractic is not specific, it is nothing at all.  Start with x-ray analysis.  In order to truly “see” what is going on with someones health, utilize the x-ray.  What about children and pregnant mothers?  Obviously x-ray analysis is not performed in these situations.

What Do Chiropractors Even Adjust?

Subluxation’s.  A subluxation is when a spinal nerve has chronic irritation that becomes dysfunctional and changes the messages that the brain receives.  This is due to your bodies inability to adapt to a stress placed on it.   A subluxation inhibits the way the brain acts and interprets incoming and outgoing data.  The rest of the body as a result will be in an altered state as well to compensate.

Reconnecting After A Chiropractic Adjustment

When a specific subluxation is located, the adjustment must be precise.  The speed of the adjustment must be 200 milliseconds to deliver accurate results.  Just think of starting up an engine.  You do not crank nice and slow and hope for something to happen.  FAST!  With intent!  An adjustment is felt by the para-spinal muscles (muscles attached to the spine) which are connected via nerves.  After a specific adjustment the muscle spindles feed proper information back to the brain (via happy nerves).  Thus, reestablishing proper movement in the spine.  With proper movement, and adjusting a subluxation the spinal nerves restore natural patterns of input back to the brain.  Healing…adapting.

 

then it does deserve the title “Adjustment” then it’s called a