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San Diego Chiropractor Asks: Did You Know That Just a Few Extra Pounds Can Put Your Joints on Overload?
As a Chiropractor in San Diego, I counsel many individuals who come to my clinic who want to lose weight. I know how hard it can be, and I also know how important it is to lose those extra pounds. Before you decide to add a little more “stretch” to the fabric in your wardrobe, there are some things that you should know regarding those few seemingly benign extra pounds you may have gained. As we age, extra weight can add up to a surprising number of health issues from heart and pulmonary diseases and diabetes to back challenges and joint degeneration. Surplus poundage puts excessive stress on organs, like the heart, and on joints in the low back, hips, and knees. A shocking 62% of American adults are overweight or obese, according to recent studies. That is an extremely compelling percentage and an enormous problem (no pun intended).
Though we try to pretend otherwise, most of us know that the human body has not evolved to transport a surfeit of weight in the form of body fat. A mere excess of 20 or 30 pounds can veritably overload and overburden the joints and muscles of the body. Extra weight in the abdominal region, for example, makes it necessary for the body to compensate (counterbalance the weight) by tilting the pelvis forward. The tilt creates compression in the joints of the low back. Joint compression impedes nerve activity and causes painful inflammation. Nearly all individuals that have a “spare tire”experience low back pain as the result of a pinched sciatic nerve or spinal misalignments that restrict nerves due to weight-bearing stresses. If ignored, misaligned vertebra not only persist in irritating the degenerative changes that have taken place already, but can develop into new arthritic changes in the spine in the future.
Are you wondering how chiropractic can help? Perhaps, it should go without saying that a moderate body weight is requisite in order for the musculoskeletal system to act and respond in the way it is designed to. That said, in addition, chiropractic adjustments relieve nerve restrictions in the spine and assist in getting motion back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, such as in the low back, hips, and knees. And, naturally exercise and physical activity are a lot easier, and healthier for the body, when the the joints have good movement and the spine is aligned. Not only will exercise help with weight reduction, but it can actually delay degenerative changes as the body ages.
Healthcare professionals, like your chiropractor, can talk to you about your diet and exercise alternatives. In addition to caring for individuals suffering from back pain and joint inflammation, chiropractors can provide expert suggestions on the particular lifestyle modifications that can help you to stay healthier, more vigorous, and more active through the years. Arthritis and immobility due to aging don’t have to be compulsory. The human body was designed for a lifetime of pain-free movement.
So, if you’ve been throwing your weight around and all you’ve been getting in return is back and joint pain,as your San Diego chiropractor and someone who cares about your health, I can help relieve your suffering. Make an appointment today!
Santa Clara Chiropractor Explains The Many Reasons for You to Choose Chiropractic Care
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!
Santa Clara Chiropractor Explains How Chiropractic Treatment Can Frequently Relieve Vertigo
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!
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!
It probably goes without saying that as we age our body doesn’t feel or respond the same way as it did when we were younger. It hardly seems right that our body seems to become less “cooperative,” while our mind appears to improve and become more “inventive.” We’re stiff when we get out of bed; certain activities during the day make us sore in the evening; and, if we’re not truly careful, even something as simple as turning too fast or bending over to pick up a dropped object, can send our back or some other muscle group into spasm. The good news is that there is natural treatment available that is not only beneficial in slowing down the aging process of the body, but can aid us in avoiding some of those problems completely.
Take arthritis for instance. To be sure, with the exception of pharmaceuticals, allopathic medicine does little to take care of this age-related challenge. What is the reason? It is because most medical doctors are only concerned with the symptoms of arthritis. The chiropractic method is to uncover the cause of the problem and relieve the pain at its source. For over a hundred years, chiropractors, like your Santa Clara Chiropractor, have been caring for people suffering from back pain and other challenges created by arthritic changes in the musculoskeletal system.
Arthritic changes take place as your body ages because, over time, degeneration of certain joints takes place as the result of repetitive stresses, and years of incorrect gait, improper posture, and insufficient movement. Chiropractic treatment reestablishes motion in your joints and relieves pain, and it corrects any vertebral misalignment that may be causing irritation and restriction. In addition, did you know that misaligned vertebra, along with causing arthritic changes in the spine and escalating pain, can also weaker your resistance and immunity? It’s true, and this could be one of the reasons why it may seem to you that as you age you experience more health problems and that it frequently takes longer for you to feel better again. Studies have shown that older individuals who are under chiropractic care stay healthier. To put it another way, as you get older, chiropractic care is good for what ails you!
Chiropractors are highly proficient when it comes to the health of the musculoskeletal system, from the small, growing frame of an infant to the full-grown body of a mature adult. Your chiropractor understands the aging process and has singular observational and diagnostic skills that help in locating spinal misalignments and joint degeneration. In fact, a chiropractic examination can often reveal certain age-related changes before they’ve had a chance to create noticeable pain. Moreover, your Santa Clara Chiropractor can assess your posture and check your gait to determine if there are any incorrect patterns that might create further arthritic changes.
So, if you have been feeling your age lately, but you’d like to feel a whole lot better, call your Santa Clara Chiropractor today!
Comparison of plans finds differences in mood despite similar weight loss
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
(HealthDay News) — Both a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet such as the popular Atkins program and a low-fat, high-carb diet appear to help people lose pounds over the course of a year.
But as for mood? Only the low-fat diets will result in long-term improvement in mood, according to a study in the Nov. 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
People on both diets consumed roughly the same number of calories.
"Both an energy-reduced, very low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet and a conventional high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet are equally effective for achieving weight loss in overweight and obese individuals," explained study author Grant D. Brinkworth, a research scientist with the food and nutritional sciences division of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Adelaide, Australia.
Even a slight elevation was linked to coronary artery calcification in study
(HealthDay News) — Elevated blood levels of phosphorus are associated with a higher risk of heart disease, U.S. researchers say.
They studied the link between phosphorus levels and coronary artery calcification (CAC) in nearly 900 healthy adults in the Spokane Heart Study, a long-term investigation of heart disease risk factors. CAC is an early sign of hardening of the arteries.
At the start of the study, 28 percent of participants had CAC. After six years of follow-up, another 33 percent had developed CAC, and the level of CAC increased among those who already had the condition. Read more…
Yummy Wrap
The Almost Gourmet Quickie Veggie Wrap
This is my quickie go-to lunch many days. It comes together in just a few short minutes if you have all of your veggies washed and prepped ahead of time. I like to slice my veggies while I am assembling the wrap, but you could certainly slice them in advance if you are crunched for time, or even make the wrap ahead of time, and store it in plastic wrap. It is extremely filling and nutritious. I also adjust the amount of veggies by my hunger level – adding more if I am starving or less if I am not incredibly hungry.
If you want to add more protein, you can absolutely add some chicken/turkey breast, salmon, tuna, etc.
Ingredients
- Half of a gigantic whole wheat tortilla
- 1 tbsp of garlic and chive chevre (goat cheese)
- Cucumbers, sliced in long thin strips
- Red, green, orange, and yellow peppers sliced in long thin strips
- Carrots, sliced in long thin strips
- Beets, sliced in long thin strips
- Green onion, chopped
- Handful of sprouts
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- Lay tortilla out on a flat surface.
- Spread goat cheese evenly across tortilla.
- Pile on the veggies. I typically organize them from heaviest items on the bottom to lightest on the top, to make it easier to handle.
- Finish with salt and fresh cracked pepper.
- Close wrap and secure with a toothpick if needed.
- Serve.
Study: Those Who Suffer From Knee Osteoarthritis (OA) Find Relief Through Tai Chi Practice
Knee X-ray
A new study conducted by Tufts University School of Medicine has determined that patients 65 years of age and over who’ve been diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis (OA), and who practice Tai Chi, enhanced their physical capability and encountered less pain. Osteoarthritis is a prevalent form of arthritis that causes a wearing away of joint cartilage. Chiropractors provide therapy for many men and women suffering from OA in a number of places in the body, including the knee joints. Second only to spinal problems, knee pain and disability is one of the most prevalent afflictions of the musculoskeletal system. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there are an astounding 4.3 million people in this country over age 60 diagnosed with knee OA, and the CDC predicts that half of the people in America may suffer from symptoms of OA in at least one knee by age 85. Knee osteoarthritis results in pain, mobility limitations, dysfunction and disability, and a reduced quality of life.
Why do so many people develop OA? As with nearly all of the musculoskeletal dysfunctions that we develop as we age, undue stress to a joint over the years is a major element. That is why as people get older they are more susceptible to developing OA in their joints, including the knees. Incorrect function of the knee, poor gait, compensatory foot mechanics as the result of foot pain, and repetitive use of the knee joint all produce undue stress on the knees. Eventually arthritic changes in the knee joint occur. Most chiropractors suggest such natural, drug-free practices as Tai Chi, in combination with their chiropractic care. A traditional style of Chinese martial arts,Tai Chi features slow, rhythmic movements that generate mental relaxation, as well as increased balance, an augmentation of strength, and improved flexibility.
Though in good health otherwise, the 40 adults with confirmed OA that were selected for the Tufts study were, on average, 65 years of age and overweight. Patients were randomly picked to participate in 60-minute “Yang style” Tai Chi sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks. Each session included a 10-minute self-massage and a review of Tai Chi principles, 30 minutes of Tai Chi movement, 10 minutes of breathing technique, and 10 minutes of relaxation.
Tai Chi practice involves the kind of range of motion, flexibility, muscle conditioning, and aerobic workout that is consistent with contemporary exercise recommendations for osteoarthritis. As an added benefit, researchers observed that the “mental feature” of Tai Chi promoted a sense of well-being, life satisfaction, and impressions of health that helped the participants to deal differently with chronic pain. Compared with the control group, the group practicing Tai Chi exhibited a substantial decrease in knee pain.
Full findings of the study are published in the November 2009 issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.
Lose More Weight!
Living With Less TV, More Sweat Boosts Weight Loss
Home environment plays role in effort to drop pounds, experts say
(HealthDay News) — If you want to lose weight, exercise and diet are crucial. But a new study says other factors appear to play a role, too — including the number of TVs in your house and the presence of exercise equipment.
“The home environment really came out as a stronger factor than we would have anticipated,” Suzanne Phelan, assistant professor of kinesiology at California Polytechnic State University and lead author of the new study, said in a news release.
Phelan and colleagues looked at the results of surveys of 167 people who lost a big chunk of their body weight — at least 10 percent — and managed to keep the pounds at bay for five or more years. The researchers compared this group to two other groups of people who were overweight or obese.
The researchers investigated what set the weight-losers apart from the others, and published their findings in the October issue of the Annals of Behavioral Medicine. Read more…
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