Tag: Adjustment

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Your Body’s Circuit Panel

Your Body's Circuit Panel

Think of the electrical system in your home. When a power surge stresses the system, a circuit breaker trips to prevent the house from burning down. Now, what if the circuit that was tripped powered the refrigerator? The food inside would start to spoil unless you could get the power turned on before it was too late. As you can see – the problem is not the refrigerator, but the power to the refrigerator.

The tripped circuit breaker OBSTRUCTS the refrigerator’s power source preventing the refrigerator from operating efficiently. In regard to your body, when a structural shift is present, your nervous system is underpowered.

Why is this important? Your nervous system connects to every system in your body. From your muscles and bones, down to your organs like your heart and stomach. It even controls things like your immune system. In many ways, it’s like the electrical system of your house with your brain stem acting as the power source.

When our body has stress beyond our ability to adapt properly (like too many Christmas light strands plugged into a circuit), then the breaker will keep tripping (a recurring shift in the spine and associated secondary conditions).

Make sure your electrical system is working by getting all the necessary structural corrections, at True Health Chiropractic.

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6 Ways To Get More Movement Into Your Day

time-to-move

As a society, we need to stop thinking of exercise as something that requires a change of clothes and a warm-up – after all, you wouldn’t do either of those things in an emergency. Life is busy, and fitting in exercise can be tough – but it doesn’t have to be that hard. By making a few simple changes to your life, you’ll be in better shape in weeks. It’s worth the effort – as well as making you happier, there’s evidence that regular physical activity can protect you from everything from obesity to Alzheimer’s. To help, here are 6 ways to move more every day:

1. Always Take the Stairs

Simple, and yet so easy to avoid. It’s easy to rationalize taking the easy way – elevator, escalator, that cool motorized walkway thing at airports – because you’ve had a long day, or you’ve got a heavy bag, or because it barely burns any calories anyway, right? But that misses the point. There’s evidence that even minimal amounts of resistance exercise can increase your body’s levels of a substance called GLUT4, which encourages calories from food to be stored in muscle cells rather than as body fat – so even a single flight of stairs helps.

2. Walk More

You’ve heard this one before, but it’s worth looking at the numbers to get the full picture. According to a 2012 study, participants who ran one mile burned 112 calories, but those walking a mile still burned 88. While running means preparation, getting changed, finding a shower and – depending on how fast you go – a level of unpleasantness that can be tough to get psyched up for. Walking is just walking. Get off the bus a stop earlier, or park a little farther away and enjoy your exercise – without any need for equipment.

3. Break Up Your Sitting

We’ve addressed this over on over on this blog. Sitting down puts your body in neutral – it constricts circulation, slows your metabolism, shuts off muscles and tightens your connective tissues (fascia). Even exercising for an hour a day can’t do much to compensate for the 10 hours you spend slumping in a variety of chairs. But fortunately there’s a solution: just stand up. Take small breaks as frequently as possible. Go to the bathroom. Use a smaller water cup so you have to refill it more often. Do a lap around the office. Ask for a stand-up desk. Step outside for a minute to get some fresh air. Stand while you’re talking on the phone.

4. Sit on the Floor at Home

Yes, like a child. Here’s why: modern sofa technology has advanced to the point where you can remain essentially motionless through an entire Netflix streaming session, but if you sit on the floor for exactly the same amount of time  you’ll be squirming, stretching, essentially changing position the entire time. If you’re feeling really motivated, this would also be an ideal opportunity to foam-roll away some of the aches and pains of everyday life – there’s a brief guide to that here.

5. Do the 10-minute Squat Every Day

In most countries, the deep squat is still part of everyday life – it’s just how you sit, relax, or go to the toilet. For many Americans, user of chairs and western toilets –  – we probably haven’t done one in years. But you should – it’ll help enormously with your hip and ankle mobility, as well as providing you with a jolt of isometric exercise. Mobility expert Kelly Starrett suggests that you should be able to hold the position for 10 minutes, but if you can’t, just start with a minute at a time – it all counts, and it all adds up.

6. Get a Pull-up Bar

If you’re doing a lot of sitting – as in hunching over your desk or driving in a car all day – you should be doing pull-ups. They’ll counteract the computer-hunch, improve the health of your spine, build your arms and work your core muscles better than weighted crunches. Get a bar that clips over your door frame and aim to do one or two reps each time you pass through it during the day. Can’t do a pull-up? Try this: “Jump” to the top position, then lower yourself as slowly as you can – just for a rep or two. You’ll get there eventually.

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Your Best Year Ever

power of potential
Our brains contain over 100 billion neurons each may have the ability to connect with 5,000 to 20,000 other neurons. The possibilities are endless…

No matter what’s going on, no matter what your past experience has been, this new year is packed with POTENTIAL.

There is every reason to feel good about the coming of any new year. After all, we are designed to be extraordinary. Every cell in your body is hardwired to be healthy. So don’t let cynicism about abandoned resolutions, broken promises, and “it’s never worked in the past” get in the way of what promises to be the starting point of something amazing.

Create an environment where you can be encouraged to be your best. Reactive health care is failing and we are seeing more degenerative disease (cancer, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis) than ever before. We must be pro-active and optimize our health so that we too don’t follow that path. Research tells us that genetics accounts for only about one-third of how long and well we live – the rest is under our control. In other words, our state of health is a result of how much we do to be healthy. Drugs and surgery aren’t designed for health. They are for sickness and disease. Health is built by lifestyle choices – day in and day out.

At True Health Family Chiropractic, we choose to focus on the untapped potential for health and vitality available for your body – we will walk you down the path to your best life. It is only getting better and better.

Launch 2015 proactively. The only one who can make this a great year is you.

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What To Look For In A Chiropractor

look for

It’s a wonderful thing that this blog reaches a wide range of people all across the globe every day. With that being said, I often receive an email or phone call asking for a recommendation for a Chiropractor in a certain area of the country.

As with any profession, some chiropractors may be more skilled and experienced than others and as you will come to realize there are numerous techniques and approaches, with some chiropractor using manual or traditional chiropractic, while others use instruments. Quality of training, specificity of approach, and facility all play a part in the outcome you might have. For example, if looking for a specialized field (pediatrics, pregnancy, athletes) be sure that the doctor has advanced training in those areas.

As a general guideline, it’s probably best to consider a chiropractor who focuses on being GREAT at one thing instead of giving advice and utilizing procedures that are outside of their scope. Ask your chiropractor what he or she does before becoming a patient.  As a structural chiropractor, my responsibility is to detect and correct underlying structural abnormalities of the spine, provide specific structural corrective adjustments, counsel patients on nutrition, exercise and injury prevention without the use of drugs or surgery.

To further assist those looking to begin chiropractic care, I’ve complied a list of what to look for when doing your research:

They Focus on CHIROPRACTIC.

Although chiropractic school taught me how to utilize physical therapy modalities I can honestly tell you that I don’t even remember how to operate one. Furthermore, I respect the physical therapy profession enough that I’d be stepping on their toes by providing physiotherapy services that I can’t even perform well. Instead, I like to focus on what I know – structural correction.

In addition, while we may occasionally recommend a nutritional supplement to get you the best results in the quickest amount of time – be wary of an office that “pushes” products on you – especially ones that utilizes multi-level marketing and/or want you to sign up with their company.

They Use Objective Findings.

An initial history and examination are great, and will help the doctor to form an understanding of what is going on, but it doesn’t allow you to see everything. Objective tests help monitor your care and specifically identify areas of concern. These can include spinal analysis, postural assessment, digital neuromyographic scan, and structural radiographs. These tests allow your chiropractor to identify any damage, the degree of damage, and any underlying structural changes that need addressing.

You Receive a Customized Care Plan.

While a cookie cutter approach is great for making cookies, it doesn’t necessarily translate to other pursuits (like your HEALTH). You should receive customized chiropractic care based on YOUR individual needs. This way, you have a direction where you are going, a time frame to achieve your results, and all the costs associated with your care.

Everyone is unique and has different issues affecting their care, which is why a cookie cutter approach doesn’t work. Sometimes people respond right away or may be longer depending on how long the cause has been there. Every patient does not need a 1 year care plan, nor do they all need to be seen 3x/week, then 2x/week, etc..

They Care About YOU as a Patient.

Are you a number or a patient? It doesn’t take long to figure this one out. Are you rushed through your appointment without the time to address questions or concerns? Your chiropractor should routinely monitor your progress and ask for feedback. Progress assessments give the doctor feedback as to how you are progressing and allow the doctor to adapt your care plan to how you are responding.

They Willingly Collaborate with Other Practitioners.

Working collaboratively with other healthcare providers for the benefit of the patient is enriching for both the patient as well as practitioners. My own work is often done in concert with physicians, midwives, surgeons and physical therapists. This team approach offers patients an opportunity to get a second opinion as well as provide a different set of eyes in case there are other structural problems that need to be addressed.

You Begin to HOLD Your Adjustment.

The best thing about someone with Normal Structure is that it allows their spine to be stable. When the structural alignment of someone’s spine goes back to normal and it is stable, they are in a position of “Holding” their correction. When someone is holding their correction, then they are in a great place called neurologically clear and there is no reason to adjust. An adjustment is such a powerful procedure when done correctly, but can delay someone’s healing if not done properly or is done too often. The body is strong enough and intelligent enough to maintain a proper Structural Alignment – that’s why the goal that I have for each and every person that begins care with me is to get them to the point where they don’t need an adjustment.
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5 Reasons to See a Chiropractor During Pregnancy

Chiropractic-Care-During-Pregnancy

Did you know that structural shifts in the spine can happen during pregnancy? When the pelvis is shifted it affects the uterus and the position of the growing baby. However, a well functioning nervous system enables a mother to easily combat many of the hurdles of pregnancy. Often women learn to just accept pregnancy discomforts such as nausea, heartburn, constipation, pubic pain etc, when in fact they don’t need to.

Chiropractic care is extremely important before, during and after pregnancy. Studies show that having your spine checked regularly may result in a less stressful pregnancy and a less uncomfortable delivery. To shed more light on this subject, here are 5 reasons to receive chiropractic care during your pregnancy:

1. Shorter Labor Time

First time moms who received regular chiropractic care experienced on average, a 25% shorter labor time. As for seasoned moms who received chiropractic care; labor time was on average, 31% shorter. Vaginal delivery is strongly dependent on the alignment and relationship between the mother’s pelvis and baby. If there are misalignments, it can interfere with effective labor and delivery, thus prolonging it.

2.  Enhance Fetal Positioning

The Webster Technique  is a technique that is used to correct structural shifts in the sacrum to allow the baby to get into the best possible position for birth. A Webster Certified Chiropractor has advanced training in prenatal chiropractic care. It balances the pelvis, eliminating undue tension to muscles and ligaments and enhances optimal fetal positioning.

This highly effective technique is safe and gentle and should be a first approach before considering more invasive methods. As a Webster Certified Doctor, I have seen countless situations where a baby has changed position and a mother was able to avoid a C-section or medical intervention.

3. Less Painful Labor

In a hospital study that incorporated chiropractic adjustments during the patient’s pregnancy, the results indicated that there was a 50% decrease in the need for painkillers during delivery, attributable to pre-delivery adjustments.

4. Better Chance of a Natural Birth

Establishing pelvic balance and alignment is another reason to obtain chiropractic care during pregnancy. A misaligned pelvis may make it difficult for the baby to get into the best possible position for delivery. This can affect the mother’s ability to have a natural, non-invasive birth. Better positioning and proper nerve system function improve the mother’s ability to birth naturally.

5. Better Recovery After Delivery

Often after birth, whether vaginally or via c-section, the mother’s pelvic biomechanics change – these changes can bring discomfort with walking, nursing and sleeping. Receiving regular chiropractic care during your pregnancy gives you a better chance at recovering faster after delivery. After all, specific adjustments can eliminate the cause of stress in the spine and pelvis – and improve your body’s ability to function naturally.