Healthy Family Living

Your body was wonderfully created to be healthy and have the ability heal and protect itself if needed. Part of this protection is called your immune system. This is the part of your body that if working properly is able to identify foreign objects/matter in or on your body and determine what to do with it. When the object is identified and a response to deal with it is created your body has the inherent ability to get rid of the foreign object without any help of something being added. The immune system is directly controlled by your nervous system and if these two systems of your body are not in constant perfect communication, the immune system response may be slowed or decreased. When the immune system is slowed or not working at a normal level, the body is more susceptible to virus or bacteria and can have a harder time getting rid of them. The disruption in communication between the two systems occurs when a nerve is pinched. The nerve is the line or route of communication between the nervous system and immune system. It acts much like a power-line that connects your house to a power-plant. If the line is hanging normally from pole to pole all the way to your house the lights will turn on when you flip the switches and the tv and radio will work when you turn them on. If at some point along the line from the power plant to your house the wire is cut or maybe a tree fell on the line the electricity may not be getting passed through to your house. This would result in no lights, tv, or radio since your house has no electricity.

A pinched nerve, much like a tree branch on a power-line, slows or stops the communication between the nervous system and immune system. This will slow or reduce your body’s response time to a foreign bacteria or virus and may slow the process of healing or getting rid of the foreign matter. A chiropractor is trained to detect and treat the areas of your spine where spinal nerves may be pinched.

A Gonstead trained chiropractor has the ability to find the exact location where a specific nerve is pinched by doing a thorough spinal exam, full spine x-rays, nervo-scope readings, and motion/static palpation. Then using his/her hands remove the pressure with a gentle and safe adjustment. With no pressure on the nerve and communication restored between the immune system and nervous system the body can respond normally to stresses placed on it from the environment.

A normal and healthy response that the body would have to a foreign bacteria/virus would be a fever. When the body raises its core temperature it is in response to the immune system identifying that a foreign object is present. Common bacteria/viruses can only live at certain temperatures within the body and if that temperature is raised it cooks or kills the bacteria/virus. When the immune system and nervous system are healthy, the body’s temperature will be safely raised to a temperature that will not allow the virus/bacteria to flourish. If the body’s temperature is brought down with the aid of medication it can slow the body’s response and healing time as well as weaken the immune system making it easier for that specific bacteria/virus to do more damage the next time the body is in contact with it.

Your body is not like a car that needs oil and liquids added to it to keep it running. Your body was created with everything it needs to be healthy and to thrive in the face of all stresses put on it. Adding foreign stuff to the body can slow or decrease the immune systems response time as well as its ability to recognize and create a defense the next time it comes in contact with the same or similar bacteria/virus. Keeping your nervous system free of pinched nerves and healthy will keep your immune system strong and able to better react to a bacteria/virus.

The fuel your body needs consist of healthy foods that are rich in vitamins and nutrients. These foods will be in there most natural state and include items such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and meats. Stay away from highly processed foods that are full of chemicals and toxins added to increase their shelf life. Our bodies are not able to breakdown or get rid of these chemicals and may store them in our tissues creating an unhealthy body. The better we can eat and fill our body with good nutrients and vitamins the more likely it will be healthy and respond better to infections or foreign bacteria/virus.

Chiropractic Care and Pregnancy

Most expectant mothers understand the importance of proper nutrition, exercise, and supplements during pregnancy, as well as avoiding alcohol, smoking and certain medications. However, many pregnant mothers may be unaware of the benefits chiropractic care can provide before, during and after pregnancy.

Chiropractic Care and Pregnancy

Before:

When trying to conceive, it is important to keep all the organs working properly, especially those pertaining to reproduction. Dads-to-be can benefit from chiropractic for this reason as well. Obviously maintaining a healthy diet and, if necessary, taking appropriate supplements are important when trying to conceive. But if any nerves leading to the reproductive organs are pinched at all, fertility will be negatively affected. (Read more in this post about how and why this works.) In this way chiropractic can help improve fertility and chances of becoming pregnant.

Chiropractic also helps prepare the mother's body for carrying a growing baby. A woman's body goes through myriad changes during pregnancy. Chiropractic care will keep her at optimum health by keeping her spine in alignment, and a healthy mother means a healthy baby.

During:

Chiropractic will correct vertebral subluxations (out-of-place vertebrae) that often occur during pregnancy. This happens when the mother's lower back will get pulled forward as her abdomen grows. To compensate, the mid-back and shoulders pull back, and the neck and head tilt forward. All of this can mean backaches and headaches for the mother-to-be. Chiropractic care keeps the spine in place, relieving the mother of many aches and pains.

Regular adjustments can help decrease morning sickness, back pain associated with a growing belly, and keep mother and baby healthier. A healthy spine allows the immune system to function at its best, which means the baby's immune system (intimately connected with the mother's) will be stronger as well.

Chiropractic also often shortens labor time and can decrease amount of labor pain, since a pelvis which is properly aligned makes enough room for baby to grow and be delivered more easily.

Chiropractic care is so safe that it can continue up till the day of delivery, and the mother may choose to be adjusted during labor, according to the discretion of her doctor and chiropractor.

After:

As the mother's belly returns to a normal position, chiropractic helps her spine return to its normal position. Adjustments can help curb back pain from nursing, carrying baby, and normal wear-and-tear from the work of caring for a newborn.

Keep baby healthy and make sure he or she gets adjusted too, as soon as possible after birth (see our post on Kids and Chiropractic).

Chiropractic care is for everyone, and that includes expectant mothers! If you received chiropractic care during pregnancy, please comment below with your experience. We'd love to hear your story!

Source:

French, Matt D.C. (2007). The Gonstead Difference: Pregnancy (pamphlet). Chirodesign, LLC.

Irregular Menses: A Chiropractic Approach

Irregular menses may be caused by the nerve supply to the ovaries being restricted. This would indicate that there is a subluxation or nerve pressure in the mid to low back region. The nerves that exit the spine in these regions supply and communicate with the ovaries. Once the nerve pressure is removed the lines of communication can be restored allowing proper function of the ovaries.

An absence of menses or amenorrhea may be due to several factors. If a female allows herself to become very lean and reduces her body fat to a bare minimum amenorrhea can occur, naturally, due to a decreased amount of hormones. The area of focus for a chiropractor would be the upper neck region which supplies or communicates with the pituitary gland or the mid to low back region which supplies the adrenal glands that regulate reproductive hormone levels. Once the pressure on the nerves in these areas is removed, the body can begin to regulate its hormone levels. With proper hormone levels and time the body can start to cycle as it should.

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Call the office to make an appointment to visit with one of our doctors, if you experience any of these issues.  They are effectively and healthfully treated without the use of chemical or invasive medical interventions, by many of our patients.  When you call, ask about patient testimonials that share their success in overcoming this problem.  Make a choice for lifelong health by increasing your knowledge and understanding of spinal health.  We're excited to show you how!

Gastric And Peptic Ulcers: A Chiropractic Approach

Peptic ulcers can be felt 15-30 minutes after eating and may be caused by too little mucus being secreted by the cells of the stomach.  Chiropractors relate this problem to a subluxation or nerve pressure in the mid- to upper-neck region.  This area is involved with the parasympathetic nervous system.  By removing the pressure on the nerves, it will restore mucus production to the cells of the stomach.

Gastric ulcers may subside 20 minutes after eating and may be aggravated by an increase in hydrochloric acid in the stomach.  Chiropractors look for nerve pressure in the middle of the back and, if no response is seen, they will look in the upper neck region. Once the pressure is removed and the nerve function is restored the stomach can function normally.   Also recommended is eliminating certain foods such as coffee and sugar from the diet.  Niacinamide found in corn and pork will help aid in stomach tissue regeneration as well as vitamin A and/or Gastrex Capsules, both products in the Standard Process supplement line.   Increasing water consumption has also been shown to help with digestive tract problems as many people are dehydrated and don’t realize that they are.

Sinus Headaches: A Chiropractic Approach

A build up of pressure within the sinus cavities can become painful and cause pressure in the head, creating a sinus headache.  The pain or pressure is felt in the forehead or eyes and is typically caused by a buildup of pressure within the sinus cavity due to the inability of the sinuses to drain.  There are other factors that contribute to sinus headaches such as cervicogenic components or problems arising from the neck region due to misaligned vertebrae creating nerve pressure.

Chiropractors work on reducing the nerve pressure by restoring proper spinal alignment to the neck through a series of specific adjustments to the subluxated or misaligned vertebrae.  Once the pressure is removed from the nerve and it begins to heal, the sinuses will have the ability to drain properly.   Specific chiropractic care to the area of the neck can reduce the tension of the soft palate and or muscles of the throat, reduce swelling around the openings of the sinuses, and restore alignment of the neck.  These will all allow the sinuses to drain normally and prevent future problems with sinus pressure.  All of these can be achieved without harmful side effects and are safe for people of every age.

Headaches and Chiropractic

Caffeine, low blood sugar, muscle spasm, stress, lack of sleep, dehydration, nerve irritation and noises -- what do they all have in common?  They're all triggers or causes of headaches and migraines.

Each week, throughout March, we will be talking about and discussing headaches. We will talk about the different types and triggers, of each, as well as what chiropractic can do to help. The types of headaches we will cover include:

• tension headaches
• cluster headaches
• migraine headaches
• sinus headaches
• organic headaches.

According to the American Chiropractic Association, nine out of ten people have suffered from a headache at some point in time.  Headaches can be categorized into several different groups such as tension, cluster, or migraine.  These three types constitute ninety-five percent of all headaches.  However, it isn't the group that is important, but rather, the cause.  A majority of these headaches are caused by tension in the neck.  When people spend a large quantity of time in fixed positions or postures, such as sitting at a computer desk, joint irritation and muscle tension are common.  Other triggers of headaches include nerve irritation and improper nutrition.

Ten percent of all patients, seeing a chiropractor, suffer from headaches.  Fortunately, ninety-five percent of the time, headaches will respond favorably to chiropractic adjustments.  A report released by the Duke University Evidence-based Practice Center, in Durham, NC, found that chiropractic adjustments resulted in immediate improvement of headaches that originated from the neck; and had significantly fewer side effects, with longer-lasting relief than when using prescription medications.  The American Chiropractic Association recommends taking a break and stretching, every thirty minutes, if you spend a lot of time in one position.  Also recommended, is drinking eight glasses of water each day, low impact exercise and avoiding teeth clenching, to reduce the incidence of headaches.

What can chiropractic do for someone who is suffering from headaches and migraines?  First and foremost, a chiropractor can relieve and reduce nerve irritation and allow proper spinal function, reducing the amount of stress on the body.  They achieve this by performing a specific adjustment to areas of the spine that show evidence of inflammation and/or subluxation.

Chiropractors can also advise you about proper ergonomics and posture, stretching techniques and nutritional information.  With extensive training, specializing in the human anatomy and physiology of the nervous system, chiropractors have all the tools needed to help.  Don't be in the ten percent of Americans who needlessly suffers from headaches and migraines.  Call our office, today, for a consultation appointment with one of our doctors.

Healing Ear Infections, Naturally, with Chiropractic

Ear infections, or otitis media, account for more than 35% of visits to the pediatrician each year.  According to the American Chiropractic Association, almost half of all children will have at least one middle ear infection before they're one-year-old; and two thirds of them will have an ear infection by age three.

So, what is an ear infection and what are some signs your child may display?  The National Institute of Health (NIH) defines an ear infection as an inflammation of the middle ear and a buildup of fluid behind the eardrum.  Common signs that your child may be experiencing an ear infection include:

• tugging or pulling at the ears
• crying
• trouble sleeping
• fever
• problems with balance
• trouble hearing

Because of the structure of a child's ear, they are more susceptible to ear infections.  Despite the routine use of antibiotics, incidence of ear infections (otitis media) with fluid (effusion), in the United States, has increased by 250% from 1975 to 1990.  Is there a better solution?  Yes!

With a chiropractic adjustment, the nerves affecting the ear can be freed from interference, allowing the ear to drain off any fluid and function properly.  Chronic infections can lead to permanent hearing damage or loss as well as developmental delays.  Don't wait to have your child checked by a chiropractor!