Your San Diego Chiropractor Wants You to Know That Those Extra Few Pounds Can Make a Big Difference Over Time
As a San Diego Chiropractor, 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. Have you been trying to persuade yourself that just a few extra pounds don’t matter? As we age, they can add up to a surprising number of health issues from heart and pulmonary diseases and diabetes to back challenges and joint degeneration. Extra pounds put excessive stress on organs, like the heart, and on joints in the low back, hips, and knees. Over half (62%) of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, according to recent studies. That is a very significant figure and a sizable dilemma (no pun intended).
It is likely no surprise to you to learn that the human body has not evolved to schlepp around a surfeit of weight in the form of body fat. Just an additional 20 or 30 pounds can literally overload and encumber the joints and muscles of the body. Excess weight in the tummy, for example, makes it necessary for the body to compensate (counterbalance the weight) by tilting the pelvis forward. This angle puts pressure on the joints of the low back. Joint compression restricts nerve activity and causes painful inflammation. A larger percentage of people that have a heavy midsectionexperience low back pain as the result of a pinched sciatic nerve or spinal misalignments that constrict nerves as a consequence of weight-bearing stresses. If not addresses, misaligned vertebra as a rule create new arthritic changes in the spine over time, as well as persist in irritating the degenerative changes that have already taken place.
Here are the ways in which chiropractic treatment can help. To begin with the obvious, a “normal” body weight is necessary in order for the musculoskeletal system to perform in the way it is designed to. That said, in addition, chiropractic adjustments relieve nerve impingements in the spine and assist in getting mobility back into the joints of the musculoskeletal system, particularly in the low back, hips, and knees. And, obviously exercise and physical activity are a lot easier, and healthier for the body, when the spine is in alignment and the joints have good movement. Not only will exercise help with weight reduction, but it can actually reduce degenerative changes as over the years.
healthcare professionals, like your chiropractor, can advise you regarding your diet and exercise choices. In addition to caring for people suffering from back pain and joint inflammation, chiropractors can provide proficient advice on the kinds of lifestyle modifications that can help you to stay healthier, more vital, and more active through the years. arthritis and immobility due to aging don’t have to be compulsory. The human body was created for a lifetime of pain-free movement.
So, if those extra pounds have been sneaking up on you, and they’ve turned into a surprising load of pain, as your San Diego chiropractor and someone who understands, I can help. Make an appointment today!
Poor Posture Can Lead to Poor Health
Source: T. Moses Public Relations and Consulting, http://tmosespublicrelations.com
Chronic Health Conditions On the Rise in U.S. Children
As a chiropractor I treat many children who have suffered an injury due to an accident or as the result of a sport or other play activity. However, what might surprise you is that I also have begun seeing children in my clinic who have weight-related musculoskeletal problems (conditions that in the past usually didn’t occur until adulthood), and more children who suffer from asthma and/or ADHD. Though chiropractic treatment can be very effective in reducing some of these problems, I find the fact that I am seeing more and more cases very disturbing. And, I’m not the only one noticing an increase in children’s health problems. A recent study by U.S. researchers has found that chronic health conditions, such as obesity and asthma, are indeed rising among children. Dr. Jeanne Van Cleave of Massachusetts General Hospital for Children in Boston, who worked on the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, used data from a government survey of three groups of children — each group with about 1,000 or more children — aged 2 through 8 between 1988 and 2006.
Van Cleave and her group found that the rate of chronic health conditions, such as obesity, asthma and learning problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD, had doubled to 26.6 percent in 2006 from 12.8 percent in 1994. The study also found that for about half of these kids, their conditions will go away over time. “The trick,” Van Cleave said , “is finding out why conditions go away so that more children may be helped.”
However, Dr. Geetha Raghuveer of Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, who was not involved with the study, said that while it was heartening that chronic conditions went away in several children, it was worrying that such a large percentage of children had a chronic health problem at some point. These problems “will need prevention strategies geared toward larger environments such as families, schools, communities,” and laws that make nutritious foods more accessible and affordable.”
I am in agreement with Dr. Raghuveer. Children (and parents) need education regarding the importance of good nutrition and regular exercise, and children also need environments that encourage both. Even though some of the health issues went away over time in half of the children in the study, the fact remains that the number of children experiencing such health problems is on the rise. Therefore, the number of children in “the other half,” the children who continued to experience chronic health conditions, is growing ever larger each year.
Proper Pre-Season Training Should Be a No-Brainer
As a chiropractor, I treat plenty of teenagers (as well as adults) who’ve sustained sports injuries. When it comes to the “weekend warrior” syndrome, it seems that teenagers don’t realize, anymore than their parents and other adults who indulge in sport activities do, just how important getting in shape prior to getting fully involved can be. So I was happy to read the following article and recommendations for high school pitchers and I want to pass it along to you.
High School Pitchers Need To Train Properly Before Season To Avoid Serious Injuries
High school pitchers who go full-speed the first day or week of spring training may be headed down the road to serious injury. “A large number of high school athletes take the winter off and just go out and start throwing as hard as they can,” said Matt Holland, a physical therapist with The Methodist Center for Sports Medicine in Houston. “The problem is that their arms are not in baseball shape and they open themselves up to serious shoulder and elbow injuries.” The rotator cuff is a group of muscles that act to stabilize the shoulder especially during the throwing motion. An inflamed rotator cuff (tendonitis) can cause pain when lifting your arm and will most likely dramatically affect a player’s performance on the field. Problems with the rotator cuff can not only damage the rest of the shoulder, but may also lead to elbow and other arm problems that shorten the careers of many pitchers. To read more, go to medicalnewstoday.Blind From Birth, a Woman Is Able to See After Chiropractic Treatment
When Laura was born, she was completely blind. The doctors told her parents there was no hope that her eyesight would ever develop. Her problem was called congenital nystagmus, a condition where the eye experiences involuntary shaking and causes severe vision loss.
This situation did not stop Laura from working to achieve in life. As a child her vision did improve somewhat, but she was still unable to play or read like normal children. “When I was a child, I would look in an adult textbook and all I could see were dots,” Laura said. “I thought, ‘Wow, grown-ups are really special to be able to look at dots and get words out of that!’”
By the time Laura turned 16, her vision had improved some more, but she was still legally blind. Doctors continued to tell her there was no hope for her condition. Additionally, she began suffering from severe stomach ulcers.
However, Laura did not let that stop her. She decided to enter a teen beauty pageant, and
she won. That event changed her life and opened doors that would have otherwise remained closed. “That was the best thing about my teenage years,” she said.
Sometime later, Laura’s life was about to take another amazing turn!
When Laura entered college, she took a part time job in a Chiropractic office in Delmar,
Delaware. The doctor, Donald Hattier, suggested that he give her an adjustment. This is when her life turned on a dime. In fact, after her first adjustment, her ulcers disappeared and her vision began to improve. It happened that fast.
As the story continues, Laura went on through school and got to the point where she submitted her official resignation at the chiropractic office. It was at this time that Dr. Donald asked her out on a date. The happy story continues with the two of them now married and the parents of four children.
At age 39, Laura is living the life she never thought possible. Her vision has improved to
20/50. She is able to take care of her family and run daily errands. “I can pick my kids up from school, I can drive my kids to church and I can go to the grocery store for my family,” she said. “I am truly thankful for that.”
No Evidence that Chiropractic Causes Stroke According to Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation
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.Posted via email from chiropracticnews’s posterous