“To swear off making mistakes is very easy. All you have to do is swear off having ideas” ~ Leo Burnett
Monday, February 6, 2012
Exercise of the Week: Pelvic Rotations – Figure 4
Difficulty: Easy
Start: Lie down on back with legs bent to 90 degrees and feet on floor. Place arms out to side, palms up.
Exercise: Take one leg, and cross ankle over opposite knee. Then, let legs roll all the way to side so that foot rests on floor. Hold for 30-60 seconds, and then return to starting position. Switch sides, and repeat 2X per side.
Topic of the Week: Mind, Body and Chiropractic
Have you ever bent over to tie your shoes, but were not able to straighten up afterward?
Have you ever experienced a ‘kink’ in your neck, simply by looking over your shoulder?
Have you ever wondered what causes these kinds back pain?
When intense back or neck pain happens seemingly out of the blue, one of the things you may be experiencing is psychosomatic pain. According to the Heritage Medical Dictionary, this kind of pain is defined as:
• Of, or relating to, a disorder having physical symptoms, but originating from mental or emotional causes
• Relating to, or concerned with, the influence of the mind on the body, especially with respect to disease
In fact, there is a whole field of study in the effects of psychosomatic symptoms known as psychoneuroimmunology.
Books have been written on this subject, based on the premise that the mind and body are intimately connected via the “molecules of emotion”; what happens in the mind is reflected in what appears in the body. If pain is felt in the body – seemingly unrelated to physical stress or trauma - it is likely a reflection of the painful state in one’s mind or emotions. It may sound far-fetched, but it is true.
One of the simplest examples of this phenomenon is to reflect on what happens to your body when you are experiencing a negative emotion, like anger. Imagine yourself getting very upset with someone who has stolen one of your prized possessions. How do you feel? Relaxed, or tense?
More tense than relaxed, every time
With your body more tense, do you think you are more likely, or less likely, to injure yourself? With more tightness in the musculoskeletal system, you are MORE likely to experience sprains and strains, as your normal range of motion is decreased. Everyday activities, like bending over to tie your shoes or turning your head to look over your shoulder, things you do thousands of times without any difficulty, all of a sudden become strenuous physical exercises. Any pre-existing imbalance in your alignment can also become a bigger imbalance with this tension, leaving you even more Chiropractic treatments can help decrease the potential for injury in these cases by maximizing your muscle and joint alignment, thereby reducing the chance that these mood swings will lead to physical bouts of pain.
Another example of mind-body interaction impacts your health is the effects your mood has on the central nervous system. Your central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord, is hard-wired to respond to the environment to ensure your survival. When danger (stress) is detected, the sensitivity (tone) of the central nervous system increases, allowing you to respond more quickly to this potential threat. Nervous system tension leads to musculoskeletal system tension (so you can run away from, or fight off the danger), and just like in the previous scenario, increased muscle tension leaves you more prone to experiencing sprains or strains.
Chiropractic is ideally suited to help deal with these psychosomatic effects, because vertebral subluxations also increase nervous system ‘tone’. Chiropractic adjustments, by removing subluxations from the spine, help to normalize the tone of the central nervous system, thereby reducing the effects of stress on the body.
The third way that the mind can affect the body is via energy disturbances in the body. Caroline Myss, one of the most highly recognized and respected medical intuitives posits that every disease is related to an energetic disturbance in the body, caused by emotionally or mentally traumatic events. In this way, our “biography becomes our biology.” In addition, she sees the spine as the conduit for life-energy, making it one of the most important structures in the body related to the mind-body model of health and wellness.
Chiropractic is the only healing profession dedicated to the healthy alignment of the spine. A spine free of subluxations allows for your life energy to flow unimpeded. If you would like to experience more vitality, a greater sense of ease and relaxation and be less likely to experience the strains and sprains caused by mindbody stress, be sure to maintain a regular schedule of chiropractic adjustments!
Disclaimer: Information contained in the The Wellness ExpressTM newsletter is for educational and general purposes only and is designed to assist you in making informed decisions about your health. Any information contained herein is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or other healthcare professional. Copyright © - The Wellness ExpressTM
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Half-Empty or Half-Full?
(This newsletter issue for February 2012 is brought to you by Life Wellness Center)
What's your worldview? Are you an optimist or a pessimist by nature? Do you always expect good things to happen or are you waiting for the other shoe to drop? Our mental attitude affects how we interact with others and how we respond to events and the comings and goings in our daily lives. Remarkably, our mental attitude also affects our health and well-being. How we feel, not only mentally but also physically, is significantly impacted by what has been termed our "internal guidance mechanism".
Back in the 1960s a plastic surgeon named Maxwell Maltz wrote Psycho-Cybernetics, a groundbreaking book that has been continuously in print for almost 50 years. Psycho-Cybernetics, one of the original self-help books, popularized the idea that the subconscious part of our mind is a goal-seeking mechanism. Maltz famously compared the subconscious to a guided missile, stating that the subconscious would do exactly what it is programmed to do. If you want to achieve a goal, Maltz proposed, visualize its successful completion. Visualize yourself driving that red sports car. Visualize the fun you and your family are having on your trip to Hawaii or Italy. Visualize living in your beautiful home. Provided that the instructions are clear, your subconscious will go to work to cause your goal to manifest in your life.
This wasn't mumbo-jumbo. Maltz was a scientist and made a very strong case for his theory, backed up by decades of interaction with his patients. Since then, of course, hundreds if not thousands of self-help gurus have sprung up, publishing books, giving seminars, and being interviewed in broadcast media. Maltz, Napoleon Hill, Norman Vincent Peale, Emmet Fox, and Ernest Holmes were the originals, the pioneers who promulgated the concepts and precepts of taking charge of your own life.
In terms of health, for example, attitude is critically important.1,2,3 How do you respond, internally, if a nearby co-worker coughs or sneezes throughout the day? Have you noticed that if you think that you, too, are going to get sick, that in fact you do? But others, exposed to the same environment, do not. Is it possible that these others paid no attention to the ill co-worker, that they did not internalize the notion that they were being exposed to contagion? Such a scenario is not necessarily true, but it is possible. The conclusion could be that our thoughts matter. As Earl Nightingale, one of the pioneers of the personal development field, famously stated, "You become what you think about".
So what should we do? Think happy thoughts all day long? Not really. But it is important to remember that attitude counts. If we are more frequently seeing the glass as half-full rather than half-empty, it is possible that we are going to have a more productive, more successful, more fulfilled day. And, unbeknownst to us, our subconscious mind will build on those successes and help to bring us more success, personal growth, happiness, and well-being.
Chiropractic Care Helps Support a Positive Mental Attitude
It's tough to focus on the positive when you have pain. Headaches, neck pain, and back pain can often take the joy out of what had started out as a beautiful day. Even when we have good tools, when we know, for example, how to return to the breath and find our center, physical pain can be insistent and continue to take over our attention.
Chiropractic care can help intervene in a cycle of pain and help restore normal function. By helping spinal joints work more effectively, chiropractic care removes many sources of physical pain. A more normally functioning spinal column leads to more effective function in the nerve system. All body systems improve and overall health and well-being increases. As a result, chiropractic care helps us focus and regain our positive mental attitude.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Quote of the Week:
“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”~ Anne Bradstreet
Topic of the Week: You May Not Have a Cold. You May Have Sinusitis!
It is a costly health problem, but it is also one that can be tricky to diagnose. How can you tell if you have a common cold or sinusitis? In this issue, we look at what defines sinusitis, its causes and treatments.
Sinusitis has symptoms that are similar to those of a common cold or allergies. In fact, you are more likely to develop sinusitis after contracting a cold. If it does not improve after seven days or actually worsens, then your cold may actually be a sinus infection.
Sinusitis is classified as either acute or chronic. An infection in the acute stage lasts up to eight weeks, while chronic is classified as any time beyond eight weeks. Regardless of classification, an infection in the sinuses causes inflammation, pressure and pain in the affected areas and can make daily life miserable.
Symptoms include mucous discharge and blockage, headache, fever, facial and teeth pain, bad taste in the mouth, and coughing to expel mucous. Sinusitis may be the result of a virus, bacteria or fungus, and each may require a different medical treatment.
Although not a frequent occurrence, nasal growths (polyps) or a deviated septum may also increase the risk of sinusitis.
Home Treatment Options
You may help alleviate symptoms by implementing the following:
• Drink plenty of fluids. This will thin the mucous and reduce nasal blockage.
• Breathe steam – to keep nasal passages moist. Take a shower, bath or fill a bowl with hot water and inhale to get sufficient amounts of steam into your sinus cavities.
• Decongestant tablets and sprays can reduce nasal blockage and ease pressure. However, extended use of sprays for more than three days may actually cause rebound congestion. As an alternative, you can try saltwater nose drops to keep your nose clear.
• Over-the-counter pain medications can reduce aches and fever. You can also use a hot, wet towel or warm gel compress and apply to your face over the sinus areas for pain relief and pressure reduction. Leave the compress on the skin for ten minutes, and then repeat several times throughout the day.
Another natural solution to preventing and treating sinusitis is nasal cleansing, also known as nasal irrigation. The practice of cleaning the nasal passages to promote good health has long been a part of India’s ancient ayurvedic medicine system. Cleansing this area of excess mucous not only keeps your nasal airway clear of proinflammatory substances, but it reduces the need for medication. A study on nasal irrigation using saline confirms it helps reduce symptoms and improves quality of life for sinusitis sufferers.
A common way of irrigating the nose is to use a neti pot, which has a long spout that you insert into the nose and let saline solution flow through the area. Neti pots and similar devices are available at many pharmacies and natural health stores.
Concerns About Antibiotics
If home treatments are not effective, you may need antibiotics. However, the use of antibiotics is not without controversy. Many medical experts claim antibiotics are prescribed too often for this condition – possibly because it is difficult to discern if sinusitis is caused by a virus, bacteria or fungus. Viral sinusitis can create conditions that allow bacterial infections to develop. However, antibiotics are effective only against bacteria – not viruses or fungi. The overuse of these drugs can lead to antibiotic resistance and the creation of superbugs.
Some research also questions the value of antibiotics. In a sinusitis study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers noted that antibiotics and a topical steroid were no more effective at treating symptoms than a placebo. They remarked, "Our main conclusions are that among patients with the typical features of acute bacterial sinusitis, neither an antibiotic nor a topical steroid alone or in combination are effective in altering the symptom severity, the duration, or the natural history of the condition.”
Disclaimer: Information contained in this Wellness Express™ newsletter is for educational and general purposes only and is designed to assist you in making informed decisions about your health. Any information contained herein is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or other healthcare professional. Copyright © Wellness Express™
Exercise of the Week: Alternating Oblique Crunches
Difficulty: Moderate
Start: Lie on back with knees and hips bent to 90 degrees and feet elevated. Both hands should be behind head/neck with elbows out to sides.
Exercise: Keeping hands behind neck, curl forward so shoulders are just off floor. Then, bring right elbow across body to touch left knee. As left knee is brought up toward chest, straighten right leg. Pause, then bring left elbow across body to touch right knee, straightening left leg. Alternate sides for 10-15 repetitions per side.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Breakfast of Champions
(This newsletter issue for January 2012 is brought to you by Life Wellness Center)
Everyone knows why a good breakfast is important. First, your gas tank is near empty. If you don't refuel, you'll be running on fumes. Every cell in your body requires high-quality nutrition. Most especially, your brain cells and your muscle cells require plenty of glucose. If you don't have enough energy in your fuel tank, your body feels sluggish and your brain feels as if it's trying to swim upstream against a strong current. Worse, you don't have enough cellular energy to sweep away the metabolic end-products that build up from normal functioning. You can't do maintenance and toxins accumulate. Now you need even more energy to deal with the toxic build-up and a vicious circle develops. You feel run-down, you develop muscle tension and a headache, and your whole day starts to deteriorate. This scenario is typical for many people and it continues day after day. Projecting into the future, the long-term results include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and overweight/obesity. What can be done?
For those of us who recognize a problem and are willing to take action on our own behalf, the first step is to be willing to actually eat a nutritious breakfast. We want food that will help us be healthy, rather than "food" that instead adds to our health-related problems. If we choose to take such action, we can follow several easy guidelines. An energy-filled breakfast could consist of whole-grain cereals, fruit, cheese, eggs, nuts, and even meat. Not all of this, certainly, but enough to make a breakfast consisting of 300 or 400 calories. The prospect seems daunting, particularly when breakfast has been an afterthought for many years. But the process actually becomes easy once you get used to having this meal.
For example, two slices of whole-grain toast plus a tablespoon of peanut butter and a tablespoon of organic jam makes a great breakfast. You've got approximately 300 calories and you're combining protein with complex carbohydrates. Or two scrambled eggs and a side of 1/2 cup of steel-cut oatmeal (that you've prepared overnight) with a tablespoon of honey mixed in. This meal, too, provides approximately 300 calories and an energy-producing combination of protein and complex carbohydrates. You get the idea - a creative, attractive small meal that is composed of complex carbohydrates and protein. You've now consumed an energy source that will be "slow-burning" and provide high-quality fuel for the next three to four hours. You're ready to have a great morning of productive activity.
Being healthy takes work. It doesn't happen by chance. Having a good breakfast, a "breakfast of champions", is a key component of this overall, life-affirming process.
Good Health, Nutrition, and Chiropractic Care
For a lucky few, good health just happens. A fortunate combination of genetics and circumstances allows a small number of persons to enjoy high levels of health without having to expend any effort. But for most of us, good health depends on the things we do to maintain this precious resource.
Getting enough rest, doing regular vigorous exercise, and eating high-quality, nutritious food are the cornerstones of good health. Regular chiropractic care is an important part of the mix. Regular chiropractic care helps keep the body's nerve system healthy. This master system helps keep all the other systems functioning at peak levels, and the result is overall health and well-being. In this way, regular chiropractic care helps support all the other action steps we're taking to ensure top levels of health.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Exercise of the Week: Lumbar stabilization (stage 3)
Difficulty: Moderate
Start: Lie on stomach. Then begin by propping upper body up onto elbows/forearms, with hands together in praying position. Engage inner abdominal muscles by brining belly button inward. Keeping spine steady, lift hips and knees so you are resting on toes, creating a straight line from ankles to shoulders.
Exercise: Keeping spine steady, lift one leg 6-8 inches. Hold this position for 10-20 seconds. (Option 1) If this is relatively easy, try bringing that leg horizontally out as far as you can, keeping torso steady. Hold this position for 10-20 seconds. (Option 2) Switch legs and repeat. Perform 3-5 sets of this exercise per side. Be careful not to strain lower back.
Topic of the Week: VACCINATIONS OR CHIROPRACTIC? WHICH ONE WILL YOU CHOOSE?
According to the germ theory of disease, humans get sick when they are exposed to pathogens like bacteria and viruses - especially if they are allowed to multiply uncontrollably inside them. Fortunately, we have an inborn selfdefense system to take care of this problem which we call the immune system. This system detects and destroys any foreign substances that make their way inside the body, under the direction of the brain and the nervous system.
Whenever a person is weak or vulnerable such as the diseased or the very young or old, they are more susceptible to harboring infections, as their immune system also becomes weak. If these people get infected with bacteria or viruses, the results can be fatal.
HOW CAN WE HELP BOOST OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM?
Medical scientists have observed, once the human body has been exposed to a certain pathogen, it will be ‘primed’ to respond better to that same substance if it encounters it a second time. This is the principle that led to the development of vaccinations: when a person receives a vaccination shot, what they are actually getting is a small dose of the actual pathogen, or parts of its structure that our immune system will react to.
Researchers theorize that if you get a small enough dose, you won’t get sick, but afterwards your immune system will be more ‘ready’ to protect you if exposed to the same bug again later in life. Unfortunately, what researchers did not predict was the negative side-effects of this well intentioned preventative treatment.
First, people who are injected with vaccines can actually get sick from them! There is an entire website dedicated to the adverse effects related to vaccines - which receives approximately 30,000 submissions annually. Some of the more serious reports they receive include: allergic reactions, fevers, seizures, or even death.
Second, there appears to be an increase in a number of other childhood diseases since the inception of national vaccination programs. Reports have linked the use of mercury-laden vaccines with a significant increase in the number of neurodevelopmental disorders like autism.
Other diseases, like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, typically uncommon in people less than ten years of age, appear to be substantially higher in children vaccinated for measles than in un-vaccinated children. Even Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), a devastating and mysterious condition resulting in millions of deaths in North America, has been associated with the DPT vaccination: in one alarming study, two-thirds of those infants who died from SIDS had received their pertussis vaccine, with 26% dying within 3 days after their shots -and 13% within the first 24 hours!
Third, is it really effective? When we look at the death rates from many of the diseases that vaccinations have been developed for, we see that there was already a steady and significant decline before the vaccination was introduced on a massive scale. Also, when we compare numbers in the U.K. between certain diseases (measles) to others that have never been vaccinated for (scurvy), the steady decline is very similar, suggesting that vaccination is not the only reason for the eradication of these diseases, and if an outbreak of measles occurs in highly vaccinated populations, those fully vaccinated children can still contract the disease! In one recent report of an outbreak in the US, there were 9 laboratory confirmed cases of measles, out of which 7 were vaccinated previously for the disease.
HOW CAN CHIROPRATIC HELP INSTEAD?
The immunity-boosting powers of chiropractic have often been demonstrated, with the most impressive of these documented by Walter Rhodes in his account of the influenza epidemic of 1918 in North America.
According to the medical statistics from the era, many people who were treated by chiropractors fared much better than those treated by MDs with respect to the flu. In one impressive account, “In Davenport, Iowa, 50 medical doctors treated 4,953 cases, with 274 deaths. In the same city, 150 chiropractors including students and faculty of the Palmer School of Chiropractic treated 1,635 cases with only one death.”
Chiropractic is an all-natural health care solution that bases its entire philosophy on helping to improve the body’s innate ability to heal itself. Chiropractors accomplish this feat by removing irritation and interference in the nervous system caused by vertebral subluxations - thus allowing for proper regulation and control of all systems in the body, including the immune system.
Vaccinations - the benefits versus the risks - is a difficult subject faced by every parent. We recommend you do your own research, including a more thorough discussion about this topic with your Chiropractor, so that you get all the help you need to decide what is best for your child.
Disclaimer: Information contained in this Wellness Express™ newsletter is for educational and general purposes only and is designed to assist you in making informed decisions about your health. Any information contained herein is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or other healthcare professional. Copyright © Wellness Express™
Monday, January 9, 2012
Exercise of the Week: Lumbar stabilization (stage 3)
Plank Position
Difficulty: Moderate
Start: Lie on stomach. Then begin by propping upper body up onto elbows/forearms, with hands together in praying position. Engage inner abdominal muscles by brining belly button inward. Keeping spine steady, lift hips and knees so you are resting on toes, creating a straight line from ankles to shoulders.
Exercise: Keeping spine steady, lift one leg 6-8 inches. Hold this position for 10-20 seconds. (Option 1) If this is relatively easy, try bringing that leg horizontally out as far as you can, keeping torso steady. Hold this position for 10-20 seconds. (Option 2) Switch legs and repeat. Perform 3-5 sets of this exercise per side. Be careful not to strain lower back.
Topic of the Week: VACCINATIONS OR CHIROPRACTIC? WHICH ONE WILL YOU CHOOSE?
According to the germ theory of disease, humans get sick when they are exposed to pathogens like bacteria and viruses - especially if they are allowed to multiply uncontrollably inside them. Fortunately, we have an inborn selfdefense system to take care of this problem which we call the immune system. This system detects and destroys any foreign substances that make their way inside the body, under the direction of the brain and the nervous system.
Whenever a person is weak or vulnerable such as the diseased or the very young or old, they are more susceptible to harboring infections, as their immune system also becomes weak. If these people get infected with bacteria or viruses, the results can be fatal.
HOW CAN WE HELP BOOST OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM?
Medical scientists have observed, once the human body has been exposed to a certain pathogen, it will be ‘primed’ to respond better to that same substance if it encounters it a second time. This is the principle that led to the development of vaccinations: when a person receives a vaccination shot, what they are actually getting is a small dose of the actual pathogen, or parts of its structure that our immune system will react to.
Researchers theorize that if you get a small enough dose, you won’t get sick, but afterwards your immune system will be more ‘ready’ to protect you if exposed to the same bug again later in life. Unfortunately, what researchers did not predict was the negative side-effects of this well intentioned preventative treatment.
First, people who are injected with vaccines can actually get sick from them! There is an entire website dedicated to the adverse effects related to vaccines - which receives approximately 30,000 submissions annually. Some of the more serious reports they receive include: allergic reactions, fevers, seizures, or even death.
Second, there appears to be an increase in a number of other childhood diseases since the inception of national vaccination programs. Reports have linked the use of mercury-laden vaccines with a significant increase in the number of neurodevelopmental disorders like autism.
Other diseases, like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, typically uncommon in people less than ten years of age, appear to be substantially higher in children vaccinated for measles than in un-vaccinated children. Even Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), a devastating and mysterious condition resulting in millions of deaths in North America, has been associated with the DPT vaccination: in one alarming study, two-thirds of those infants who died from SIDS had received their pertussis vaccine, with 26% dying within 3 days after their shots -and 13% within the first 24 hours!
Third, is it really effective? When we look at the death rates from many of the diseases that vaccinations have been developed for, we see that there was already a steady and significant decline before the vaccination was introduced on a massive scale. Also, when we compare numbers in the U.K. between certain diseases (measles) to others that have never been vaccinated for (scurvy), the steady decline is very similar, suggesting that vaccination is not the only reason for the eradication of these diseases, and if an outbreak of measles occurs in highly vaccinated populations, those fully vaccinated children can still contract the disease! In one recent report of an outbreak in the US, there were 9 laboratory confirmed cases of measles, out of which 7 were vaccinated previously for the disease.
HOW CAN CHIROPRATIC HELP INSTEAD?
The immunity-boosting powers of chiropractic have often been demonstrated, with the most impressive of these documented by Walter Rhodes in his account of the influenza epidemic of 1918 in North America.
According to the medical statistics from the era, many people who were treated by chiropractors fared much better than those treated by MDs with respect to the flu. In one impressive account, “In Davenport, Iowa, 50 medical doctors treated 4,953 cases, with 274 deaths. In the same city, 150 chiropractors including students and faculty of the Palmer School of Chiropractic treated 1,635 cases with only one death.”
Chiropractic is an all-natural health care solution that bases its entire philosophy on helping to improve the body’s innate ability to heal itself. Chiropractors accomplish this feat by removing irritation and interference in the nervous system caused by vertebral subluxations - thus allowing for proper regulation and control of all systems in the body, including the immune system.
Vaccinations - the benefits versus the risks - is a difficult subject faced by every parent. We recommend you do your own research, including a more thorough discussion about this topic with your Chiropractor, so that you get all the help you need to decide what is best for your child.
Disclaimer: Information contained in this Wellness Express™ newsletter is for educational and general purposes only and is designed to assist you in making informed decisions about your health. Any information contained herein is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or other healthcare professional. Copyright © Wellness Express™
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Pushing Back the Clock
Normal aging can include instances of subtle forgetfulness such as having difficulty recalling words, not remembering where you put an important document, or leaving a full milk carton on the kitchen counter overnight. But the memory loss associated with mild cognitive impairment represents an actual condition, i.e., an actual disease entity. Such memory loss is more prominent. People forget important information such as meaningful telephone conversations, recent events that would normally be of interest, and dates and times of appointments.
In the early stages it may be challenging to differentiate mild cognitive impairment from the effects of normal aging. Some suspected cases of impaired mental activity may in fact represent treatable conditions such as depression and an underactive thyroid. People experiencing the significant memory problems associated with mild cognitive impairment may be expected to decline by about 10% each year. Risk factors associated with more rapid decline include a low metabolic rate in regions of the brain associated with memory and processing of information. More rapid decline is also associated with reduced size of the hippocampus, a seahorse-shaped structure located in the center of the brain which is important in memory, spatial memory, and navigation.
The good news is that people can take action on their own behalf to preserve and improve cognitive function. Numerous recent studies have shown that regular exercise provides a significant benefit in people with memory problems.2,3 For example, long-term improvements in cognitive function were obtained by walking for 50 minutes a day, three times per week. People exercising for 150 minutes each week had better delayed recall and they performed better on cognitive tests. Additionally, people doing moderate exercise had lower Clinical Dementia Rating Scores. In one study, a 6-month program of physical activity resulted in improvements which persisted over an 18-month period.
The message is clear. We want to have the opportunity to get older and we also want to live well. There are natural effects of normal aging, but we don't want other potential effects of aging to grind us down. Exercising is an important action step that has a wide range of benefits, including improved cardiovascular and respiratory function. We now know that exercise can also preserve and improve cognitive abilities. It's smart to do regular exercise to help us stay smart.
Cognitive Function and Chiropractic
One of the proposed mechanisms for the benefit of regular exercise on mental functioning involves alterations in the amount of blood reaching the brain. A complementary proposed mechanism involves alterations in the structure and function of the brain's own blood vessels.
The ability of regular exercise to stimulate growth of new blood vessels and strengthen and improve existing blood vessels depends, in part, on a properly functioning nerve system. Your nerve system supports the activity of all other body systems. It needs to be operating at peak levels in order for all other systems to operate at their peak levels.
Regular chiropractic care helps ensure the integrity and proper functioning of your nerve system, including your brain, spinal cord, and spinal nerves. By doing this, chiropractic care helps you get the most out of your exercise.
This newsletter issue for January 2012 is brought to you by Life Wellness Center
Monday, January 2, 2012
Mitten Tree Update -
A BIG 'Thank You' to everyone who helped us raise 85 pair of mittens, gloves and hats for children in need in our community.
Quote of the Week:
“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” ~Steve Jobs
Exercise of the Week: Pelvic Tilt
Start: Lie down on back with legs bent 90 degrees and feet on floor. Place fingertips on abdomen, just inside pointy tips of pelvic bones.
Exercise: Drawing belly button toward spine, try to flatten lower back without letting abdomen bulge outward. Hold for 1-2 counts, then release. Perform 10-15 repetitions.
Topic of the Week: Chiropractic – A Light at the End of the Carpal Tunnel.
This syndrome derives its name from the location where the nerve irritation/compression most often occurs—in the carpal tunnel of the wrist.
Anatomically, the bones of the wrist are positioned in an arch-shaped arrangement that leaves enough space for nerves, tendons and blood vessels to pass to the hand and fingers—this area is called the Carpal Tunnel. If the passageway of this tunnel becomes crowded, the resulting pressure on the median nerve can result in any of the symptoms mentioned above.
One of the most commonly reported causes of CTS symptoms is inflammation of the tendons passing through the carpal tunnel. However, irritation of the median nerve can also be caused by displacement of one of the carpal bones, or irritation of the nerve at other locations—such as the neck, shoulder or near the elbow. Activities known to contribute to this type of syndrome are those associated with repetitive contraction of the small muscles of the hand: like typing, knitting or sewing. However, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, CTS is most common amongst assembly-line workers.
Because chiropractors are accustomed to dealing with problems of the joints, muscles and nerves, many patients with CTS will consult with their chiropractor. This is a good thing, because although medical options can help reduce the intensity of CTS symptoms in the vast majority of cases, surgery can be rather expensive, plus the success rate for complete resolution from carpal tunnel syndrome has been estimated as low as 60%. Not to mention, there are also reported side effects involved with surgery, including other nerve damage and delayed wound healing.
How does chiropractic help?
Whereas traditional medicine tends to focus in the area of the pain, chiropractors will consider the entire kinetic chain. According to experts, dysfunctional neurological patterns in the neck can cause abnormal firing patterns in different muscles, including the ones that lead into the wrist and hand.
Therefore, it is important to consider the mechanics of your neck and upper back. Vertebral subluxations in these areas could be one of the main contributing factors to CTS!
In addition, chiropractors also know how the alignment of the bones in your wrist and elbow could be the cause of your symptoms. When joints are not aligned properly, the resulting inflammation and pain can cause spasm of the muscles in the area of the subluxation, plus irritation of the surrounding soft tissues. This alone could be the cause of the swelling and irritation of the tendons in the carpal tunnel. Sometimes, just a quick and gentle adjustment applied to one of the bones in these areas can help relieve the pressure.
When it comes to carpal tunnel syndrome, like any other maladies in the body, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! You should always...
• Consider the ergonomics of your workstation. Repetitive movements are not the problem—it is repetitive movement when your muscles and joints are at a disadvantage, leading to repetitive strain and pain.
• Take regular breaks when your job requires repetitive tasks. During your break periods, a little bit of stretching (of the tight muscles) can go a long way.
• Seek help when the CTS symptoms are just beginning to show up. The earlier you attend to these aches and pains, the better the chances of coming to a quick resolution of this painful condition.
If you start to feel the symptoms of CTS, let your chiropractor give you a hand. Studies have shown chiropractic care to be an effective tool to reduce the symptoms of CTS. Your chiropractor will conduct special tests to help determine the cause of the problem, and adjustments delivered right away can help prevent it from becoming a very painful, chronic problem.
Disclaimer: Information contained in this Wellness Express™ newsletter is for educational and general purposes only and is designed to assist you in making informed decisions about your health. Any information contained herein is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or other healthcare professional. Copyright © Wellness Express™
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