Archive for May, 2009

Allergies, ADHD, and the Chiropractic Connection

Friday, May 29th, 2009

You may have heard that chiropractors treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Well, that’s not totally accurate. Even though chiropractic care can definitely help children, and adults too, who suffer from it, chiropractors don’t really “treat” ADHD. The reason that chiropractic treatment is effectual is because ADHD is a neurological disorder. Chiropractic manipulations not only effective in reducing nervous system disruptions in general, but an adjustment can be specifically directed to stimulate under-active areas of the brain and calm over-active areas as well. Many parents are choosing chiropractic care over the conventional medical practice of giving children Class 2 psychotropic drugs that often have extreme side effects including personality changes and permanent alterations in the brain. The chiropractic approach to ADHD is natural and drug-free. Nearly all of parents who’ve opted for chiropractic treatment for their children have observed marvelous behavioral changes as a result.

Due to the differences between the ways in which boys and girls use the left and right hemispheres of their brain, ADHD appears to afflict more boys than girls and, in addition, is frequently more apparent and easily recognizable in the behavior of boys as opposed to of girls. Prominent symptoms include difficulty concentrating and sitting still, inability to control impulsive thoughts and behaviors, easily distracted by noises and activities, incessant movement of fingers, hands, arms, feet, or legs.

Quite a few children who exhibit ADHD symptoms are hypersensitive to certain foods, such as dairy or gluten products, and sugars and artificial sweeteners. Furthermore, they routinely have a hypersensitive response to additives in foods, herbicides and pesticides used to grow non-organic fruits and vegetables, and laundry products such as detergents, fabric softeners, and other chemicals. As a general rules, the elimination of these environmental agencies can do a lot to lessen ADHD symptoms.

Your Ventura Chiropractor will give your child a comprehensive chiropractic examination, determining if there are spinal anomalies and analyzing particular responses to specific neurological tests.

You may be able to help your child to get his or her life back in balance through natural, safe chiropractic care. If your child exhibits the symptoms of ADHD, before taking drastic pharmaceutical measures, call your chiropractor to make an appointment for a complete evaluation. For a healthier, happier, more well-adjusted child, call today!

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Are You Eating Your Fast Food Wrappers?

Monday, May 25th, 2009

Are you ready for this? For years (and years) chiropractors like me, plus nutritionists and other health-conscious professionals have been advising men, women, and children to lay off the fast foods. Everyone is aware already of the artery-clogging, fat-producing effects of a fast food diet. So, tell you something you don’t know, right? Well, here it is: It’s not just the fast food, itself, that can shorten your life span, but the wrapper it comes in that is a risk to your health and longevity, as well!

Add to the growing list of chemicals showing up in human blood, chemicals called diPAPs. They’re found in the compounds that make food wrappers grease-proof. These chemicals are fairly new and scientists don’t know yet if they are harmful to human health. But diPAPs break down into another worrisome chemical, called PFOA (perfuorooctanoic acid), which is in a class of compounds called perflurochemicals, and may be carcinogenic.

PFOA and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate, another perflurochemical) are resistant to oil and water, which makes them perfect for use as fast food wrappers, and as liners on nonstick pans, microwave popcorn bags, and pizza boxes, not to mention carpets clothes, and electronics among many other applications. The problem is that these compounds end up in the environment, our food and our bodies.

“The take-home message is that some chemicals that make our lives easier, better and more satisfying end up in our bloodstream with unknown toxicological consequences,” said Scott Mabury, a chemist at the University of Toronto. “We should be smart enough to design chemicals that do what we want them to do without causing a chemical pollution problem.” Imagine that — designing chemicals that wouldn’t harm our bodies or pollute the environment. I wonder why no one has thought about that until now?

For the complete article, go tohttp://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/05/15/food-wrapper-chemical.html?campaign=w01-101-ae-0001

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Minor Car Accidents Can Make a Big Impact on Your Health

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

If you drive a big car and you’re in an accident if your car looks “uninjured,” it’s easy to presume that you are uninjured, too. After all, isn’t that the purpose of driving a big vehicle? It’s for security, right? Then you might be surprised to learn that research has revealed that occupants of vehicles, both large and compact, can be hurt considerably more than might be predicted from a minor auto accident. In fact, as far as your body goes, there’s truly no such thing as a “minor fender bender.”

Let’s face it. There are going to be consequences when your body is compelled to stop abruptly and without warning. You might be handed a clean bill of health by an emergency room attendant if you haven’t sustained any broken bones, and you may be given a prescription for medication to reduce the muscle spasms that you are surely experiencing due to the structural changes in your neck or lower back that you experienced from the impact. But, unless you’re actually treated for the injuries you’ve received, your condition can go from bad to far worse. In fact, many people encounter problems years after an auto accident due to the fact that they didn’t get the help they needed in the first place.

Your Ventura Chiropractor truly understands what your body undergoes during an auto accident. Chiropractic care includes treatment for soft tissue injuries and spinal bio-mechanics dysfunction. And

If you’ve been in a minor auto accident, you no doubt will need more repair than your car. Neck and back traumas are not only painful in the places in which they take place, but they can also generate pain, tingling, and numbness in your arms and hands and create headaches days, weeks, even months after an accident occurs.

You can get back on the road to feeling good again with drug-free, natural chiropractic care.  It will help to put the trauma of your accident where it belongs – in the past. Moreover, because your chiropractor has experience working with insurance companies and lawyers, not only will you experience less physical stress, but less emotional stress, too!

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Not Lithe and Plus-Size? A Yoga Practice May Still Be for You!

Sunday, May 17th, 2009

I just read a great article about yoga for plus-size people. What a wonderful concept. I tell all my patients that “health begins right where you are today. You can’t wait for more time or less body weight.” However, up until now, yoga studios have not usually been purlieus for people of size. Striking a yoga pose has seemed to be an exclusive option for lithe, limber bodies. But, not anymore! Yoga classes for heavier people have been sprouting up all over the country with names like Buddha Body Yoga, MegaYoga, HeavyWeight Yoga, and Yoga for Round Bodies.

The ancient practice of yoga might be based on a philosophy of self-acceptance and non-competitiveness, but plus-size people usually feel too self-conscious to even try a yoga pose, much less try on a yoga philosophy. In addition, most yoga classes, even beginner courses, don’t address the needs of big bodies, says Michael Hayes, the owner of Buddha Body Yoga in New York. Poses considered standard for those who are fit or slim are often difficult or even impossible for heavier students.

So, if your body weight has been holding you back, and if you’ve been waiting for just the right moment to start getting healthy and fit, it looks like that moment has arrived. Check to see if there’s a yoga class for plus-size people in town. If not, maybe you can start one!

For the complete article go to http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/health/nutrition/14fitness.html?_r=1&em

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No Pain, No Gain? Not When It Comes to Your Feet

Friday, May 15th, 2009

I just read an interesting article in the New York Times about foot pain. Did you know that a huge number of people develop foot pain in their 60s? If you have foot pain and you’re 60 or over, you may already be painfully aware of this fact. But, the problem can actually start as early as the 20s and 30s.

Age related factors such as diabetes and circulation problems can contribute to foot pain. But, excessive weight, improper footwear, and a sedentary lifestyle can also be contributing factors, as well, and at any age. Obviously, proper footwear and regular exercise, then, can play a crucial role in preventing foot problems.

Amazingly, the average person walks the equivalent of three times around the Earth in a lifetime. So, it’s not surprising that in a recent survey for the American Podiatric Medical Association, 53 percent of respondents reported foot pain so severe that it hampered their daily function.

Being farthest from the heart, the feet can often be the first part of the body to manifest complications like poor circulation and loss of feeling, both of which can lead to poor wound healing and amputation. In addition, the most common foot conditions that occur with age are arthritic joints, thinning of the fat pads cushioning the soles, plantar fascitis (inflammation of the fibrous tissue along the sole), bunions (enlargement of the joint at the base of the big toe), poor circulation and fungal nails.

Excess weight simply adds to these problems. The force on your feet is about 120 percent of your weight. “Obesity puts a great amount of stress on all the supporting structures of the foot,” said Dr. Bart Gastwirth, a podiatrist at the University of Chicago.

“A lot of people think foot pain is part of the aging process and accept it, and function and walk with pain,” said Dr. Andrew Shapiro, a podiatrist in Valley Stream, N.Y. Though some foot problems are inevitable, their progress can be slowed. If you’d liked slow the progress down, here are a few questions and conditions that are important for you to address: 1) Do you have poor circulation? 2) Do your parents complain about their feet? 3) Do you have flat feet or high arches? Either puts feet at risk. 4) If you can bend back your thumb to touch your lower arm, the ligaments in your feet are probably stretchy, too, Dr. Gastwirth said. 5) Do your shoes fit? In the podiatric association’s survey, more than 34 percent of men said they could not remember the last time their feet were measured. 6) Do you wear high heels? “The high heel concentrates the force on the heel and the forefoot,” Dr. Gastwirth said. 7) Do your feet ever see the light of day? 8 ) Have you seen a podiatrist?

Believe it not, however, putting more mileage on your feet is the best way to exercise the muscles and keep them healthy. So, it’s important to lighten up, weight-wise, and wear shoes that are supportive and fit properly. And, if you’re experiencing foot pain, visit an experienced health care professional and find out why…before you walk too many more miles.

To view the original article, go to http://health.nytimes.com/ref/health/healthguide/esn-footpain-ess.html
 

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Low Back Pain is Nothing to Sneeze At!

Monday, May 11th, 2009

You’re not alone if you’re feeling low back pain. Low back pain afflicts many people, a surprising 80% in fact, making it second only to the common cold in its pervasiveness. However, unlike the common cold, waiting for your back pain to “run its course,” and taking prescription or over-the-counter remedies while you wait, is not the answer. The majority of back pain won’t go away by itself. Frequently, if your pain goes away, it is often due to the fact that your body has compensated for the problem, thus producing new conditions. Low back pain is nothing to sneeze at! You need to seek the advice of a back pain expert, like your chiropractor, if you’d like to defeat your back pain permanently!

Oftentimes back pain is a mystery to most people who suffer from it, and chiropractors are skilled in solving that mystery. Sufferers want to know why it is that they have not had any trauma, accidents, or major injuries prior to the onset of their condition? The answer is that the cumulative effects of unsuitable sitting posture, poor work habits, improper lifting, lack of regular exercise, and other unhealthy lifestyle-related factors create most back pain. These factors eventually add up and create stresses and imbalances on the spine creating subluxations that can become serious back problems. The process is similar to the front end of your car being out of alignment. When you persist in driving anyway, there is disproportionate wear and tear on your tires. If you choose not to get the problem fixed, the situation could worsen until a tire “blows.” When the spine is misaligned, the health of the spine is put at risk. It’s not only a problem waiting to happen, so to speak, it’s a problem waiting to get worse. And then, something as simple as bending over to pick up a piece of paper can be the “final factor” that produces back injury. The surrounding back muscles go into spasm when thistakes place to protect the stressed or injured tissues of the back.

When it comes to dysfunctions of the spine, chiropractors have more education, training, and experience than medical doctors. They provide highly qualified diagnosis and experienced treatment for all muscular-skeletal dysfunctions. In addition to offering welcomed relief to individuals suffering from back pain, but they are aware of what will help you to avoid further back pain. As an adjunct to effectual adjustments and other productive chiropractic therapies, your chiropractor will provide you with a personal exercise plan and recommend additional healthy lifestyle changes that will keep you well-adjusted and pain-free in the future.

 

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