March 6th, 2010 | 
Author: As a Chiropractor in San Diego, I counsel many individuals who come to my clinic who want to lose weight. I know how hard it can be, and I also know how important it is to lose those extra pounds. What’s the harm in being just a few pounds overweight? Over time, they can add up to a large number of health issues from heart and pulmonary diseases and diabetes to back challenges and joint degeneration. Surplus poundage puts undue stress on organs, like the heart, as well as on joints in the low back, hips, and knees. Over half (62%) of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, according to recent studies. That is a very significant number and an enormous dilemma (no pun intended).
It is likely no surprise to you to learn that the human body was not intended to schlepp around surplus weight in the form of body fat. A mere excess of 20 or 30 pounds can literally overload and encumber the joints and muscles of the body. Extra weight in the abdominal region, for example, makes it necessary for the body to compensate (counterbalance the weight) by tilting the pelvis forward. The tilt creates compression in the joints of the low back. Joint compression inhibits nerve activity and causes painful inflammation. A larger percentage of people who are overweightexperience low back pain generated by an impingement of the sciatic nerve or spinal misalignments that restrict nerves due to weight-bearing stresses. If left untreated, misaligned vertebra in most cases develop into new arthritic changes in the spine over time, as well as continue to irritate the degenerative changes that have already taken place.
How can chiropractic help? Perhaps, it should go without saying that a “normal” body weight is essential in order for the musculoskeletal system to act and respond in the way it is built to. Chiropractic treatment can not only ease the pain generated by excess weight compensation, but it can aid in weight reduction. Here’s how. Chiropractic adjustments relieve nerve impingements in the spine and assist in getting motion back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, particularly in the low back, hips, and knees. And, obviously exercise and physical activity is a lot easier, and more beneficial for the body, when the the joints have good mobility and the spine is aligned. The added benefit of exercise the, in addition to helping with weight reduction, it can actually slow the potential for degenerative changes as over the years.
It is always best to discuss diet and exercise alternatives with a healthcare professional, like your chiropractor. In addition to helping men and women suffering from back pain and joint inflammation, chiropractors can provide trained advice on the particular lifestyle corrections that can help an individual to stay healthier, more vital, and more active through the years. It isn’t a foregone conclusion that arthritis and immobility an inescapable part of the aging process. The human body was created for a lifetime of pain-free movement.
So, if those extra few pounds have started to add up to a lot of pain, as your chiropractor in San Diego and someone who cares deeply about your overall health, I can help. Make an appointment today!
Posted in weight loss | 
Tags: arthritis, back pain, chiropractic, chiropractor, excess weight, joint inflammation, weight loss | 
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Source: T. Moses Public Relations and Consulting, http://tmosespublicrelations.com
As a chiropractor I treat many children who have suffered an injury due to an accident or as the result of a sport or other play activity. However, what might surprise you is that I also have begun seeing children in my clinic who have weight-related musculoskeletal problems (conditions that in the past usually didn’t occur until adulthood), and more children who suffer from asthma and/or ADHD. Though chiropractic treatment can be very effective in reducing some of these problems, I find the fact that I am seeing more and more cases very disturbing. And, I’m not the only one noticing an increase in children’s health problems. A recent study by U.S. researchers has found that chronic health conditions, such as obesity and asthma, are indeed rising among children. Dr. Jeanne Van Cleave of Massachusetts General Hospital for Children in Boston, who worked on the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, used data from a government survey of three groups of children — each group with about 1,000 or more children — aged 2 through 8 between 1988 and 2006.
Van Cleave and her group found that the rate of chronic health conditions, such as obesity, asthma and learning problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD, had doubled to 26.6 percent in 2006 from 12.8 percent in 1994. The study also found that for about half of these kids, their conditions will go away over time. “The trick,” Van Cleave said , “is finding out why conditions go away so that more children may be helped.”
However, Dr. Geetha Raghuveer of Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, who was not involved with the study, said that while it was heartening that chronic conditions went away in several children, it was worrying that such a large percentage of children had a chronic health problem at some point. These problems “will need prevention strategies geared toward larger environments such as families, schools, communities,” and laws that make nutritious foods more accessible and affordable.”
I am in agreement with Dr. Raghuveer. Children (and parents) need education regarding the importance of good nutrition and regular exercise, and children also need environments that encourage both. Even though some of the health issues went away over time in half of the children in the study, the fact remains that the number of children experiencing such health problems is on the rise. Therefore, the number of children in “the other half,” the children who continued to experience chronic health conditions, is growing ever larger each year.
As a chiropractor, I treat plenty of teenagers (as well as adults) who’ve sustained sports injuries. When it comes to the “weekend warrior” syndrome, it seems that teenagers don’t realize, anymore than their parents and other adults who indulge in sport activities do, just how important getting in shape prior to getting fully involved can be. So I was happy to read the following article and recommendations for high school pitchers and I want to pass it along to you.
High School Pitchers Need To Train Properly Before Season To Avoid Serious Injuries
High school pitchers who go full-speed the first day or week of spring training may be headed down the road to serious injury. “A large number of high school athletes take the winter off and just go out and start throwing as hard as they can,” said Matt Holland, a physical therapist with The Methodist Center for Sports Medicine in Houston. “The problem is that their arms are not in baseball shape and they open themselves up to serious shoulder and elbow injuries.” The rotator cuff is a group of muscles that act to stabilize the shoulder especially during the throwing motion. An inflamed rotator cuff (tendonitis) can cause pain when lifting your arm and will most likely dramatically affect a player’s performance on the field. Problems with the rotator cuff can not only damage the rest of the shoulder, but may also lead to elbow and other arm problems that shorten the careers of many pitchers. To read more, go to medicalnewstoday.When it comes to back pain as well as pain in other parts of the body due to arthritic changes, there is a variety of treatment options from which to choose, including going to a San Jose chiropractor However, many individuals who are experiencing painful arthritis and back pain still suppose that they ought to go to a medical doctor as the only way to find a cure for their affliction. But, you might be surprised to learn that very few medical doctors are able to help individuals reduce the problem of back pain due to arthritis. Rather than being accustomed to finding and treating the origin of the pain you are experiencing, medical doctors regularly treat only your symptoms, and as a rule, through medication. And, even though particular medications may soothe the symptoms of arthritis, there is plenty more that you can do not simply for pain relief, but to truly slow down arthritic changes in your body.
Visiting a San Jose chiropractor is truly one of the most beneficial things that you can do to gain relief from your arthritis and back pain. Chiropractors are doctors who practice entirely in treating the muscular and skeletal system, and arthritis is a joint condition. Chiropractic care has helped many people to slow the process of arthritis by getting their joints moving. Movement is very important for joint health. A good chiropractor is extremely skilled in treating back pain, even when it is caused by arthritis
If you have never gone to a chiropractor before, you might be a bit concerned about what is going to occur once you are in the office. It might help to give a quick overview about what you can expect. You will be asked about your medical history, which will conceivably include a family history of arthritis. The chiropractor will want to know about your current lifestyle and may offer specific modifications that will be beneficial for lessening the inflammation produced by arthritis. And, finally, you will receive a complete examination. After the examination is complete, the chiropractor will let you know if chiropractic management can help your back pain, as well as relieve your painful arthritic symptoms. After that you will be told about the specific treatment you will require.
A chiropractic adjustment relieves pain gently and naturally, and it is a painless process. And, the most wonderful aspect of going to a chiropractor for your back pain and arthritis is that you can feel certain that the cause of your pain is being addressed, and that the relief you experience is not masking the symptom of pain, but genuinely treating the origin of your affliction.
Your Ventura Chiropractor is well aware that everyday life can be miserable if you suffer from allergies. A walk in the garden, a play date with Kitty, a shellfish stew, or even something as small as a nut can cause such unwelcome symptoms as itchy eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, or a skin rash.
To make things worse, for some individuals, and perhaps you’re one of them allergic reactions can progress from just plain irritating to dangerous and life-threatening as the air passageway begins to close and breathing becomes a problem. This evolution of symptoms can frequently generate a state of panic.
In fact, if you are one of the many individuals who have allergies, it may even seem to you that, from time to time, your environment is a very antagonistic place and that the world around you is, in deed, out to get you!
You may question why it is that other individuals seem so unaffected by the environment, while your body reacts, or rather overreacts, to it. It’s a valid question. The answer is because some individuals, like you, have a hyperactive immune system that literally “freaks out” when you are confronted with everyday substances such as pollen, dander, shellfish, or nuts.
Can your Ventura Chiropractor help with your allergy symptoms? The answer may surprise you. Even though chiropractic care doesn’t treat allergies, many men, women, and children notice that they experience freedom from their allergy symptoms after getting chiropractic adjustments.
The reason for this is because chiropractic adjustments affect the entire nervous system, including the autoimmune system. When there’s a disruption in the nervous system, in addition to other problems, the autoimmune system, whose responsibility it is to assist you in adapting and responding appropriately to your environment, can become under-active or overactive. In the case of your allergies, the breakdown is the latter (it becomes overactive).
Since chiropractic manipulations decrease or take away disturbances in the nervous system and bring the body back into balance and harmony, the adjustments bring that same balance and harmony to the auto-immune system as well. A healthy immune system reacts appropriately to so-called allergens in the environment.
So, as mentioned above, your chiropractor doesn’t actually treat allergies. You could say, rather, that relief from your allergies is merely the by-product of a well-adjusted nervous system. Make an appointment, today, to see your Ventura Chiropractor and get back into harmony with your environment.
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Tags: allergic reactions, allergies, chiropractic, chiropractor |
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When Laura was born, she was completely blind. The doctors told her parents there was no hope that her eyesight would ever develop. Her problem was called congenital nystagmus, a condition where the eye experiences involuntary shaking and causes severe vision loss.
This situation did not stop Laura from working to achieve in life. As a child her vision did improve somewhat, but she was still unable to play or read like normal children. “When I was a child, I would look in an adult textbook and all I could see were dots,” Laura said. “I thought, ‘Wow, grown-ups are really special to be able to look at dots and get words out of that!’”
By the time Laura turned 16, her vision had improved some more, but she was still legally blind. Doctors continued to tell her there was no hope for her condition. Additionally, she began suffering from severe stomach ulcers.
However, Laura did not let that stop her. She decided to enter a teen beauty pageant, and
she won. That event changed her life and opened doors that would have otherwise remained closed. “That was the best thing about my teenage years,” she said.
Sometime later, Laura’s life was about to take another amazing turn!
When Laura entered college, she took a part time job in a Chiropractic office in Delmar,
Delaware. The doctor, Donald Hattier, suggested that he give her an adjustment. This is when her life turned on a dime. In fact, after her first adjustment, her ulcers disappeared and her vision began to improve. It happened that fast.
As the story continues, Laura went on through school and got to the point where she submitted her official resignation at the Chiropractic office. It was at this time that Dr. Donald asked her out on a date. The happy story continues with the two of them now married and the parents of four children.
At age 39, Laura is living the life she never thought possible. Her vision has improved to
20/50. She is able to take care of her family and run daily errands. “I can pick my kids up from school, I can drive my kids to church and I can go to the grocery store for my family,” she said. “I am truly thankful for that.”
Amidst a great deal of emotion and rhetoric coming out of Connecticut this week regarding the stroke issue The Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation has just released a very clear position statement on the issue of chiropractic and strokes.
Atlanta, GA, January 07, 2010 –(PR.com)– According to the Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation there is no human experimental evidence that chiropractic adjustments or neck manipulations are causally related to strokes. “While plaintiff’s attorneys and expert witness make claims and statements contending that such a causative link exists, the fact remains that these are based largely on anecdotes, case reports, and case controlled studies and cannot be used to prove causation” stated Foundation President Christopher Kent DC, JD a chiropractic researcher and attorney. According to researchers and the scientific method itself there are all sorts of biases and distortions that effect conclusions drawn from such studies and other criteria must be used to determine whether such a link exists. “What this boils down to is a simple lack of understanding of biostatistics and epidemiology” stated Foundation Vice President Matthew McCoy DC, MPH, a chiropractic researcher and public health expert. “Words like ‘association’ and ‘causation’ and ‘risk’ have very specific meanings when it comes to their use in epidemiology and it’s clear that laypersons involved in this debate are using these terms inappropriately.” While the experience of a stroke can be devastating and no one would suggest ignoring the concerns of those who have suffered one, the reality is that when it comes to the contention that chiropractic causes strokes – the evidence just isn’t there. And while the strokes these people have experienced are indeed real, McCoy suggests there are often other issues involved and offered an example. “Millions of people visit a dentist every year and a certain number of those same people get into car accidents on their way home. If we were to run the stats on it we might find that there is a statistical association between visiting a dentist and getting into a car accident on the way home. But no one would even consider suggesting that the dentists are causing the car accidents.” Self described chiropractic stroke victims say there is a risk and that people should be advised about it prior to undergoing chiropractic care. The majority of chiropractors would agree that patients should be informed of the risks, benefits and alternatives of any health care intervention, but according to Dr. Kent “Such informed consent must be based on appropriate information and since there is no scientific evidence that chiropractic adjustments or neck manipulations actually cause strokes, it is inappropriate to require a doctor to suggest that such a risk exists.” Dr. McCoy added another often overlooked issue “Chiropractors utilize a number of techniques to address joint dysfunction and vertebral subluxation and in fact there are over 300 named chiropractic techniques and many do not employ the type of manipulation that has been alleged to be a factor in vertebrobasilar accidents. This adds to the inappropriate nature of such a disclosure.” In the end, chiropractic has an impressive safety record compared to traditional medical care with estimates are that anywhere from 100,000 (Institute of medicine) to 750,000 (Null et al) people die every year from medical care. In comparison, other than some minor soreness following chiropractic treatment, research has shown chiropractic to be very safe.Though movement can often be painful if you have arthritis, achy knees and joints are not reason enough to stop exercising. In fact, not exercising can make the symptoms of arthritis much worse. Regular, modest exercise improves joint stability and strengthens muscles, according to the December issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource. In addition, exercise improves mood, sleep, energy levels and day-to-day functioning. People with arthritis who exercise regularly actually report less pain.That’s right. Exercise can actually relieve the aches and pains of arthritis.
Why is this so? When a person avoids exercise, joints become even less mobile and the surrounding muscles shrink, causing increased fatigue and pain. Read more…ScienceDaily — Laboratory experiments suggest that the resin of certain trees of the Middle East, known commonly as the “myrrh” of the Christmas story, may have cholesterol-lowering properties. Research published in the International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health discusses the hypocholesterolemic effects of myrrh and other plant products.
Myrrh is a rust-coloured resin obtained from several species of Commiphora and Balsamodendron tree, native to the Middle East and Ethiopia. It is perhaps best known as one of the gifts of the Magi offered to the infant Jesus, along with gold and frankincense. At the time, myrrh was revered as an embalming ointment and is also an ingredient in incense.
Nadia Saleh Al-Amoudi of the Department of Nutrition and Food Science, at the King Abd Al-Aziz University, in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, explains that myrrh is known to have medicinal properties, including antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. Read more…