The Best Things in Life Are Not Only Free, But Healthy!
Posted by Santa Clara Chiropractor in Santa Clara Chiropractor on January 18th, 2010
Obesity, Health Concerns Rise As Parks And Recreation Programs Decline
One way to help address the epidemic of obesity in the United States is improved access to pleasant hiking trails and an ambitious parks and recreation program, a recent study suggests, but programs such as this are increasingly being reduced in many states due to budget shortfalls.
The analysis, done by researchers in Oregon, found that some of the health issues that plague overweight and obese people can be aided by a stronger commitment to recreational opportunities. Cutting such programs to save money may be counterproductive to community health, scientists said. "Research is now showing there's a close correlation between public health and recreational opportunities, both close to home and in state parks," said Randy Rosenberger, an associate professor in the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society at Oregon State University. "And it's not just about losing weight. It's been found that active obese individuals have lower morbidity and mortality than normal weight individuals who are sedentary."(Read more…)Santa Clara Chiropractor Explains The Many Reasons for You to Choose Chiropractic Care
Posted by admin in Santa Clara Chiropractor on January 15th, 2010
Did you know that chiropractic therapy has been increasing in popularity for a long time and that it’s continuing to increase annually as the favored healthcare option for many people? It’s true and as a Santa Clara Chiropractor I can confidently state that individuals are making a choice on chiropractic treatment because of the many positive aspects that such care offers. No other medical practice is less invasive to the body and, at the same time, is able to stimulate the body’s organic facility to heal itself instead of masking symptoms with medicines.
Let’s face it, where there’s a musculoskeletal structure, like as part of human body, there is the chance of musculoskeletal dysfunction such as low back pain and neck pain, pain in the shoulder, elbow, hip and knee joints, and ankle and foot pain. No one is immune from misalignment of the spine and joint inflammation, though a large number of problems can be the consequence of sports injuries, accidents, and the aging process. Regardless of the cause, any type of motion on a traumatized part of the body doesn’t simply result in pain or suffering, but consequent in inactivity. And, certainly, specific musculoskeletal challenges, if left untreated, can lead to irreversible incapacitation.
It has been claimed of chiropractic treatment that its “many benefits exceed” eliminating a specific challenge. In actual fact, someone who comes in to see a chiropractor for lower back pain, for instance, not only profits from pain alleviation, but also increased circulation, a reduction or elimination of lactic acid, smoother travel of oxygen and nutrients within the body, more flexibility, less everyday pain and soreness, quicker recuperation time, a more comfortable sensation, and the deterrence of future harm! Is it any wonder why chiropractic care has become the treatment of preference for so many people?
Besides providing specialized musculoskeletal care, chiropractors also include education and guidelines as it pertains to strengthening your complete health and wellness. Chiropractors are well aware that in order for an individual to get healthier and remain that way, it is important to decide on a natural health-oriented lifestyle, e.g., drinking enough water to keep the body hydrated, following a nutritional diet program, and developing a basic stretching and exercise routine.
Chiropractic treatment doesn’t exactly work “miracles, ” but it can come fairly close in a considerable number of areas that may perhaps surprise you. For example, chiropractic treatment can help pregnant women deliver more easily. It can strengthen developmental abilities of babies, like increasing motor skills, and often it can eliminate scoliosis. Chiropractic adjustments for kids may help relieve asthma complaints, ear infections, and bed-wetting. Along with the positive aspects just mentioned, routine chiropractic management can help adults to feel more vital and dynamic, which consequently improves productivity and life enjoyment. And, finally, for maturing baby boomers and the growing senior population, not only can chiropractic therapy aide in reducing age-related problems and keep seniors more active in later years, it can reduce the balance problems that all too often end up in critical injury from falls.
If you’re already visiting a chiropractor, good for you! You have no doubt already experienced any number of the plus points referred to above. If so, have you thought to enlighten an associate, family member, or friend about chiropractic? Don’t let someone you care about fall victim to the sort of misinformation regarding chiropractic care that could keep them from living their life more actively. If someone you know is in pain, tell them about your chiropractor in Santa Clara. He can help!
The Dangers of Ignoring Headaches
Posted by Santa Clara Chiropractor in Santa Clara Chiropractor on January 13th, 2010
Headaches can be thought of as internal alarm bells, ringing only when something is going on inside of the body. Most of us live a life so full of external distractions that our own physical problems get easily over looked.
Headaches that are Warning: “There is Something up Ahead” -
Nearly 70% of women between 20-35 years of age start to develop a “menstrual migraine”. At first this migraine is easily categorized with normal migraines, but then begins to stand out because of its consistency.
The menstrual migraine will usually show up every month, 2 days before menstruation. As with other premenstrual symptoms, having advanced knowledge of what to expect can make the occurrence less painful by being prepared.
Your Body’s Natural Volcanic System -
A common phrase that children hear from their mothers is, “You must be sleepy.” It’s amusing to watch as the child tries to first deny the accusation and then question what brought on such a declaration.
Unfortunately, when a person reaches adulthood there’s no one around to tell you when you should sleep and when you should relax. Suddenly, the responsibility of knowing what’s best is all yours.
When a body is pushed hard daily and given little to no opportunity of relaxation, something begins to happen. One of those things that happens is a head pain that feels painfully tight around the circumference of the head. The very sight of light can become discomforting, as well as noises both soft and loud.
This is a signal your body has sent with almost volcanic violence. To avoid repeated episodes that can develop to more severe levels, seek a chiropractic doctor.
Talking to a chiropractor about your tension headache is not the same as just going to visit a masseuse, because these doctors will do a thorough examination to find all the root causes of your headache.
The treatment you may receive will definitely be therapeutic, but it will have the added benefit of being preventive as well. The number one goal of these facilities is to not just get rid of pain, but help you continue living a pain free life.
The Weight of Headache Pain -
A scary thing about weight gain is that there doesn’t seem to be any real internal trigger that extra pounds are being added on. Usually it’s not until after all the external evidence is before one that they notice their weight gain.
Studies are starting to reveal that overweight people begin having headaches more often and more severely than those that are of a healthy weight. It’s still unclear as to how the body is triggering this effect, but it is evident in recent researches.
Even when headaches seem to be a part of your life’s package, it’s good to make sure that they’re not coming on for other serious reasons.
Waiting until you reach your breaking point before you get the rest you need is as dangerous as drunk driving. So taking a moment out of your day to visit a local doctor’s office, or chiropractic health practice shouldn’t be delayed, especially since most of us don’t just want the pain to go away, we want it to stay away.
Source: HealthSource
No Evidence that Chiropractic Causes Stroke According to Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation
Posted by Santa Clara Chiropractor in Santa Clara Chiropractor on January 8th, 2010
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.Do You Have the Sugar Blues?
Posted by Santa Clara Chiropractor in Santa Clara Chiropractor on January 6th, 2010
from Integrative Nutrition Blog
Do you have cravings for sweets that you see as treats? Do you think indulging in a pint of ice cream is your reward for making it through the day? Are you looking for something sweet to overcome that 3pm slump? For some, sugar is just as addicting as caffeine, tobacco or alcohol and it keeps us from losing the pounds we long to shed.
The United States is the largest consumer of sweeteners and one of the largest global sugar importers. We started in 1689 when the first sugar refinery was built in New York City. Colonists soon began to sweeten their breakfast porridge with refined sugar, and within 10 years, individual consumption had reached 4 pounds a year. The average American now consumes more than 100 pounds of sugar and sweeteners per year. The USDA recommends we get no more than 10 teaspoons per day, yet most Americans eat about 30 teaspoons per day—that’s three times the liberal recommended daily value.
Humans love sweet things. Even before we started refining sugar, we sought out foods with sweet tastes. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that occurs naturally in foods such as grains, beans, vegetables and fruit. When unprocessed, sugar contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and proteins. When brown rice or other whole grains are cooked, chewed and digested, the natural carbohydrates break down uniformly into separate glucose molecules. These molecules enter the bloodstream, where they are burned smoothly and evenly, allowing your body to absorb all the good stuff. Read more…
Santa Clara Chiropractor Explains How Chiropractic Treatment Can Frequently Relieve Vertigo
Posted by admin in balance problems on December 18th, 2009
What is vertigo? Vertigo is a term for the dizzy feeling that a person suffers within a stationary environment. The feeling is as if the surroundings are tilting or spinning. This sensation can be sudden and short-lived or chronic. However, in either case, the origin of the vertigo should be addressed and the appropriate treatment undertaken.
There are a number of causes for the symptoms of Vertigo. An inner ear condition, known as Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, can occasionally occur as the aftermath of a head injury or severe cold. In addition this particular vertigo can be age related. But, most often, the cause is unknown. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo is a wordy diagnosis, but it delineates perfectly this non-progressive condition that is generated by, as its name implies, a sudden change in head position. The symptoms are normally unforeseen and unpredictable.
To understand what causes the frequently incapacitating symptoms of this type of vertigo, it is useful to look at the function of the inner ear. The brain senses movement and maintains balance by means of the fluid contained in the inner ear. Also in the inner ear are small calcium carbonate crystals, known as otoconia. When these crystals are dislodged, they then float in the inner ear fluid. The symptoms of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo are caused by the crystals striking against the sensitive nerve endings in the inner ear.
The good news is that chiropractic treatment can get rid of the symptoms of BPPV very quickly and effectively using a technique known as the Epley maneuver. Using this technique, a chiropractor rotates the head of a BPPV sufferer into a variety of positions, and gravity moves the calcium carbonate crystals into an area of the inner ear that is away from the nerve endings where they cannot product further dizziness.
Your Santa Clara chiropractor has treated hundreds of individuals for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo using the Epley Maneuver technique and the majority of patients are no longer dizzy after with just one treatment. Make an appointment with your chiropractor today!
Physical Activity Reduces Disease-Related Fatigue And Depression By Increasing Self-Efficacy Or Mastery
Posted by Santa Clara Chiropractor in Santa Clara Chiropractor on December 16th, 2009
Researchers in the US studying people with chronic diseases found that physical activity may reduce depression and fatigue by increasing self-efficacy, or the belief that one can master physical goals and attain a sense of accomplishment from applying oneself.
These were the findings of a study by lead author Dr Edward McAuley, a professor of kinesiology and community health at the University of Illinois in Champaign, and colleagues, and appears in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine. A person’s self-efficacy is the belief they can attain a certain goal: an example of my self-efficacy would be that I believe I can climb several flights of stairs or jog around the block without stopping. While there is lots of evidence that physical activity influences well-being, the reason why is less well understood. Read more…What is Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Posted by Santa Clara Chiropractor in exercise on December 12th, 2009
What is kinesiology and exercise science? The study of movement is kinesiology and the science of exercise is the exploration of specific movements in relation to fitness and health. The kinesthetic aspect of the program relates to motion as it realates to health and mental functioning.
Movement, Mental Processing and Mood
Many studies suggest that activity has a direct effect on mental functioning and mood. A sedentary person is more likely to develop depression, inattention, and the inability to focus. Kinesiology is related to language development and communication skills as well.
The motor theory of language suggests that all language is rooted in neurological motor systems based in movement. Fundamentally, all communication arises out of motion. Mental processes, though appearing to be sedentary are based in activity and motion.
Kinesiology
Kinesiology explores movement in regards to intellect with the combination of motion. The field looks at various populations including the elderly, children, athletes, and people with physical challenges due to disabilities or health disease. The approach explore motion in the following realms:
* Life skills
* Exercise
* Physical fitness
* Dancing
* Playing
* Working
* Engaging in sports
The study of human movement is a field that brings together a number of different elements. When you explore motion, you naturally touch upon the following topics, especially in regards to alternative and complementary medicine.
* Psychology
* Physical fitness
* Biochemistry
* Biology
* Neurology
This topic is applicable to health as well as various treatment modalities, including forms of alternative and complementary medicine. The better that an individual understands the science of human motion, the better able he or she is to adopt health practices that are most effective.
What is Exercise Science?
What is exercise science? Not everyone makes the connection between science and exercise, but the two are deeply connected. Every movement, even the most seemingly simplistic motion involves complicated neurological and physical components that work together to make the motion possible. In addition, each movement has ramifications on the mind, body and spirit.
Exercise science explores everything about movement from nutrition to injury and illness. This field of study helps us understand how the body functions from the fundamental origins of movement, including biological, chemical and nutritional realms.
Kinesiology and Exercise Medicine
Kinesiology and exercise medicine relate to more than fitness and workouts. The fields of study look at the inner workings of motion and exercise as well as their impact on the body in various realms. The comprehensive perspective on motion offers new insight into the importance of activity and health
Each approach looks at the body as a machine that drives the mind and emotions through motion. Thought, emotional processing and motion are each interconnected and those who explore the fundamentals of the connection between the body and the mind may want to consider the motor theory of language, kinesiology and exercise medicine.
Music of Mozart Soothes the Preemie Baby
Posted by Santa Clara Chiropractor in Santa Clara Chiropractor on December 8th, 2009
Repetitive melodies encourage less energy use, more growth, study finds
By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter
(HealthDay News) — Could the music of the 18th century classical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart help tiny infants born today?
Yes, suggests an Israeli study that found that listening for just 30 minutes a day helped premature babies use less energy, which may help them grow faster.
“Within 10 minutes of listening to Mozart music, healthy infants [born prematurely] had a 10 percent to 13 percent reduction of their resting energy expenditure,” the study authors wrote. “We speculate that this effect of music on resting energy expenditure might explain, in part, the improved weight gain that results from this Mozart effect.”
The findings were published online Monday in Pediatrics, and are slated to appear in the January print issue of the journal. Read more…
Santa Clara Chiropractor: Are Extra Pounds Putting Your Joints on Overload?
What’s a few extra pounds? Over time, just a few pounds can add up to a number of health problems from heart and pulmonary diseases and diabetes to back trouble and joint breakdown. Surplus poundage puts extra stress on organs, like the heart, and on joints in the low back, hips, and knees. Recent studies have revealed that more than half of the adults in the U.S. (62 percent) are overweight or obese. That is a very significant number and an enormous problem (no pun intended).
The human body was not designed to carry around extraneous weight in the form of body fat. Only an additional 20 or 30 pounds can put the musculoskeletal system literally on overload. Weight in the belly, for example, requires that the body compensate (counterbalance the weight) by tilting the pelvis forward. This causes joints in the low back to compress. Joint compression inhibits nerve activity and produces painful inflammation. Most individuals who are overweight suffer from low back pain caused by a pinched sciatic nerve or misalignments of the spinal column that impinge nerves due to weight-bearing stresses. Misaligned vertebra can not only create new arthritic changes in the spine, but can continue to irritate the degenerative changes that have already taken place in the past.
How can chiropractic help? First of all, to be clear, a healthy body weight is requisite in order for the musculoskeletal system to function optimally. That said, in addition, chiropractic treatment relieves nerve restrictions in the spine and helps to get motion back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, such as in the low back, hips, and knees. A spine in alignment and joints that have healthy mobility make exercise and physical activity a lot easier. Not only will exercise help with weight loss, but it can actually decelerate degenerative changes as a person ages.
It is always a good plan to visit a healthcare professional, like your chiropractor, to discuss diet and exercise. Chiropractors not only help men and women get pain relief from back challenges and joint inflammation due to arthritis, but in addition they offer highly knowledgeable advice on the kind of lifestyle changes that can aid a person in staying healthier and more active through the years. Arthritis and immobility do not have to be a necessary and unavoidable part of aging. The human body was meant to move, to walk, even to dance, without pain, for a lifetime.
So, if extraneous weight has put your system on overload, your chiropractor can help to take some of the load off. Make an appointment today!