Heels: Not Food for The Sole

By | Benefits of Chiropractic, gonstead chiropractic, posture, pregnancy, stress, texting | No Comments

“Do the best you can until you know better – then when you know better, do better.”

“Beauty is pain” has been a saying among the female population for a long time but does it have to be? An individual does not have to experience a traumatic event to cause back issues. Spinal issues can be caused simply by wearing poor daily footwear such as heels, flip flops, and flat shoes. The Spinal Health Institute reports that 72% of women wear heels.  When it comes to heels, the human foot is not equipped with the right biomechanics to wear heels consistently that are over an inch high, and it is a frequent cause of back pain in women as well as causing issues in the knees and hips.

Wearing heels causes one’s weight to shift to the balls of their feet initiating unnecessary pressure in the foot joints not allowing proper motion in the foot. Our joints are meant to be mobile and lubricated so when they are in a fixed position, let alone an unnatural fixed position, issues will begin to occur in the foot. When wearing heels, the pelvis can be tilted forward applying stress in the calves, quadriceps, and glute muscles as well as increasing the curvature of the lower spine which decreases proper biomechanics of those spinal joints leading to pain and discomfort down the road. There’s a time and a place for heels but wearing heels less often to allow the body to operate how it is supposed to would be beneficial in

Flat shoes are no stranger to causing issues as well. Since there’s no arch support in flat shoes, the plantar fascia which contributes to arch support can lead to plantar fasciitis. If flat shoes are worn often enough, the knee joints can become affected and lead to arthritis. Flat shoes as well as flip flops can cause internal rotation of the legs which creates misalignment of the hips.

Know better, DO BETTER!! Get checked and stay healthy!

https://www.avogel.co.uk/health/muscles-joints/back-pain/why-shoes-could-be-responsible-for-your-back-pain/
https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/best-worst-shoes-back-pain/

Disc Disc Disc, The Importance Of The Disc Within The Spine

By | Benefits of Chiropractic, Chiropractic Myths, inflammation, stress | No Comments

Disc Disc Disc, The Importance Of The Disc Within The Spine

Let’s talk about disc spacing and why it often gets left out when discussing spinal hygiene.  A disc acts as a cushion between each single vertebra and is your shock absorber for every action that you encounter in life.  Think gravity!  Not only does it function as a shock absorber, it allows proper spacing between each spinal bone to form a canal in which the spinal nerve exits through.  This canal provides protection and open communication for the spinal nerve to be a two way communicator from the brain to the body and the body to the brain.  This makes it vitally important to your overall health.

Understanding the disc space comes from utilizing x-ray analysis.  As a Gonstead chiropractor we study and analyze the x-ray films to calculate and adjust “through” the disc space.  It is the analysis of the disc and the changes it undergoes that gives the most reliable information for locating the subluxation.  To judge the level and condition of the subluxation is to access the surrounding disc space.  When a subluxation occurs it creates a displacement within the spinal column which will place stress upon the disc.  As a result the disc will produce undo stress upon the spinal nerve exiting through the canal.  This in turn will create health problems.

Subluxations that remain uncorrected will cause calcium deposits and bone spurs to occur.  Nerve and soft tissue damage will ensue.  The subluxated vertebrae will become rough and uneven on the surfaces compressing the disc and resulting in the loss of its natural cushioning.  The process accelerates causing the disc to collapse and fusion begins.  The final stage of disc degeneration from an uncorrected subluxation is when the bones are fused together creating immobility and even more severe health problems.  Keep the disc space alive and mobile with specific adjustments and you keep the channel open for the nerve to express your life through.  Happy disc = happy nerve = healthy you.

Tackling Gut Problems From Within The Body

By | Benefits of Chiropractic, chiropractic adjustment, gut problems, inflammation | No Comments

Tackling Gut Problems From Within The Body

The Gut!  Tackling gut problems from within the body is focused on decreasing internal inflammation that is causing symptoms to appear in people who have “gut problems.”  What kind of gut problems?  IBS, constipation, diverticulitis, reflux, etc etc.  The list goes on and on when it comes to gut problems.  More people become concerned with the symptom that they have and attempt to cover -up the signs they are producing besides addressing the actual concern.  The brain – body connection is dysfunctional.

Remember that the central nervous system coordinates, controls, and makes everything in your entire body.  The CNS does this via a network of cables called nerves.  When a nerve becomes irritated in the spinal column due to instability from a subluxation, the nerve is not in normal ‘tone’.  As a direct result of the nerve being irritated in the spinal column, the organs, cells, tissues, and glands that the nerve coordinates will become dysfunctional as well.  How so?  The spine is a direct extension from the brain.  When a nerve is not in normal ‘tone’ and not sending the proper messages, the body in return will show symptoms from that subluxation. Think of it like a super highway that is under construction.  Who honestly likes construction on a super highway?  No one!

A study from the 2016 Gastroenterology journal suggests that the vagus nerve is extremely precious not only for homeostasis of a variety of organ systems, but also for the regulation of appetite, mood, and inflammation.  Common gut conditions can be greatly influenced by the function of the vagus nerve.  It’s all about the brain – body connection.  Research confirms the importance of a well adjusted spine on the function of the vagus nerve.  Optimal function begins and ends from within the body.  Don’t treat symptoms. Chiropractic can get your digestive system working by focusing on the cause.  A healthy lifestyle not only changes your body, it changes your attitude and your mood.

Myth: Chiropractic Is Addictive.

By | Benefits of Chiropractic, stress | No Comments

Myth:  Chiropractic Is Addictive

You have probably heard people say that once you start seeing a chiropractor you have to keep coming back. Or that chiropractic is addictive.  While these statements are not factual, they do have some merit when in the proper context. When you understand how the body operates and was designed, being healthy becomes simple.

Being Healthy Is Addictive

Chiropractic is addictive or being healthy is addictive?  One is in the same.  Chiropractic is the study of life and what continues to make man live and be HEALTHY.  So, let’s break chiropractic down into general principles.  Chiropractic does not remove anything from your body (surgery), it does not add anything to your body (pills), it does not perform external interventions (lasers, lotions, potions, etc.).  After eliminating all extraneous “stuff”, chiropractic sounds pretty basic in this day and age of health trends.  Where does the addiction come from?  It comes from choice.

Adapting Is Addictive

When you understand that the human body is designed to adapt and heal itself, health becomes addictive. Why would you want to take, consume, or limit your body from what it actually needs?  Where does adapting come from? It comes from within your body, or it is innately given.  Innate intelligence – the mission of innate intelligence is to maintain the material of the body of a “living thing” in active organization – Chiropractic Text Book.

Living Through The Inside

The inside for this matter is the brain and spinal cord (collectively called the central nerve system, or CNS).  What is the importance of the CNS?  It made every organ, cell, tissue, and material of your body.  Every second the CNS is maintaining your life.  When the CNS has stress placed on it, the body begins to mal-adapt and become dysfunctional.  Regular check-ups via your chiropractor ensure that you have proper connection flowing through your CNS.  A healthy lifestyle begins from taking care of your CNS.  Being healthy is addictive.

 

Why Do You Have Butterflies In Your Stomach?

By | Benefits of Chiropractic | No Comments

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!

By | depression, emotions, stress | No Comments

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

 

 

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

Pediatric Chiropractic Care – The Establishment Of Health

By | Benefits of Chiropractic | No Comments

Pediatric Chiropractic Care – The Establishment of Health

The First Trauma That Goes Unrecognized

When establishing health, always look towards the spine first.  Why?  The brain was the first “thing” that was made in utero. The brain then made the spinal cord and a protective coat of armor called the spine / spinal bones / vertebrae.  By accessing the health of the spine, we are accessing the entire health of the body.  The first trauma that your spine endures is the birth process.  This is often neglected and forgotten about because of the euphoric feeling that happens after a new born is brought into the world.  Early labor, active labor, delivery and the overall birth itself is stressful on a newborn.  We cannot stress enough the importance of pediatric chiropractic following birth.

Pediatric Chiropractic Care

If you want the best for your child, get them checked immediately after the birth process and continue from there.  A subluxation is an irritated nerve fiber that places undo stress upon the central nerve system.  A subluxation can be created through the birth process.  The only way to know is to get checked following birth.  Your spine is literally the backbone of your body’s ability to function properly. The focus of chiropractic care is to remove any physiological blocks to the proper expression of the body’s innate wisdom.  Pediatric chiropractic adjustments are gentle and noninvasive on your child.

The Numbers Are Not In Our Favor

Check out these statistics about the United States and the growing epidemics in our children.  These numbers are silent in nature and only hit home when it is our child that is affected.  Birth traumas that went uncorrected and neglected increased risk of autism five-fold.

  • Autism 1 in 45 children
  • Attention Deficit 1 in 10 children
  • Asthma 1 in 10 children
  • Allergies 1 in 4 children
  • Diabetes 1 in 4 children
  • Obesity 1 in 3 children
  • Major Depression 1 in 2 children

We are not saying that birth trauma causes these numbers or does not cause these numbers.  You have two choices…Stress Vulnerability or Stress Resiliency.  In our office and the community we are reaching, we are committed to Stress Resiliency Care in our office.  Pediatric chiropractic care is the foundation to health.

Follow The Flow Chart To Unhealthiness …Why To Be Specific

By | Benefits of Chiropractic, Ear Infections

Follow The Flow Chart To Unhealthiness…Why To Be Specific

Be Specific Or Be Nothing

Flow charts and their lack of specificity is nothing new.  A sequence of actions or things involved in a complex system or activity is what is described as a flow chart.  In reality while a flow chart works for cars, machine, putting a construction set together, and other integrative processing of components, they are unique towards that item.  The flow chart is specific towards that entity for what it is designed for, simple.  For your health and overall well-being flow charts fail to produce.  Why?  Specificity is key.  Your body is the complete opposite of everyone else.  So be specific towards you.

I Want What They Had

With chiropractic and your health specificity  is no different.  Some people think that all chiropractor’s “do the same thing” and “adjust the same way.”  It just cannot be so.  Gonstead chiropractic is a full spine approach that focus on your spine specifically, it is one of the most advanced and scientifically sound methods of chiropractic.  With Gonstead chiropractic you do not “get” what the other person “gets”.  Speficic adjusting procedures are unique and personalized to your spine to correct your subluxations in your spine.  Thus creating a healthier version of you, and the best part is that no flow chart is required.

My Own Flow Chart

When focusing on someone’s health and well-being you must look towards the spine first.  ​”All drugs in the world cannot adjust a subluxated vertebrae.” B.J. Palmer, D.C., Ph.C.  Specific Gonstead chiropractic care creates your own, and unique version of a flow chart.  Specific spinal motion for you is like your brain’s energy generator.  It will give you more clarity and more energy.​  The key to understanding where your spine needs motion comes from understanding you.  Our job is to keep you expressing life in a healthy and substantial manner. 

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