6 Tips Chiropractic Patients Must Observe If They Are In a Car Crash

6 Tips Chiropractic Patients Must Observe If They Are In a Car Crash

By: Greg Millar DC CCEP; Ken Randolph DC ASBCE (AL Board of Chiropractic); Justin Walbom DC;
Ryan Friel DC; Jessica Davis DC; and Kay Bishop DC.
Millar Chiropractic Clinics - Huntsville, Madison, Jones Valley and Decatur Alabama

Few instances shatter our normal world into pieces more quickly than an automobile accident. Never expected, a wreck causes bodily injury, stress, and, in some cases, ongoing financial litigation issues.

Unfortunately, the vast number of vehicles on the road today, as well as drivers' penchant for distracted driving, dramatically increases an individual's chances of being involved in a crash. If you already suffer from an injury or medical condition, you must do your part to ensure it is not aggravated or exacerbated.

If a car crash happens to you, it's essential to recognize and follow these six tips to keep you safe and your injuries to a minimum.

Immediately take stock of the situation

The way you react seconds after a crash impacts the situation tremendously. First determine if your in a safe place. Is it safe to move or get out of the car? Are you in imminent danger in the vehicle?  Then think about your other occupants. For example, if the automobile is on fire, or you are sinking into a lake, rescue yourself and others as quickly as possible. Otherwise, stay inside your vehicle unless its not in a safe place.

Analyze your injured areas

Then do a simple body survey, where am I injured?  Do I have a red plumbing problem? If YES, Its severity will control your actions. How injured do you appear to be?  Keep in mind you are not a doctor. So, even if you feel fine, your neck or back could still have been impacted. Identify which areas of your body hurts, and the intensity of the pain. Then do the same for other occupants.

Wait for the authorities

Stay calm inside your vehicle and wait for the police and ambulance to arrive. This is imperative if your vehicle has flipped and you are hanging from your seatbelt. Many head and neck injuries result from automobile occupants releasing their seat belts after a crash that has left them upside down.

Inform the emergency technicians

Once help arrives, it's vital to explain to them, if you can, the areas of injury. If you have previously suffered from injury or medical condition to your neck, back, or spine, let them know that, too.

This information helps them formulate the form of extraction and emergency treatment that minimizes the chance of creating further harm. Be calm and specific when you relay the information, using simple language and the 1-10 pain scale to describe your level of discomfort.

Always go to the Hospital and be checked out for life threatening injuries

Again you are not a doctor, So go to the hospital and let the professionals check you out. We can not tell you how many patients we have seen with internal injuries caused by motor vehicle accidents. Of course internal injuries are not normally visible to the untrained eye.  

Visit your chiropractor

If your injuries are deemed not life threatening and you are released by the hospital, be happy and grateful that you were not hurt worse! Then, make an appointment with your chiropractor, and explain the nature of the wreck. Certain injuries take a few days to show up, and the crash could have impacted bones, joints, and ligaments that went undiscovered during the initial after-crash exam. Ask for a complete examination, and talk with your chiropractor about any treatment deemed necessary.

Minimize the chances of another automobile accident

While you cannot control being in a wreck, you can take measures to guard against the occurrence, and give yourself a greater chance to avoid injury. Always wear your seatbelt, avoid distracted driving (this means your cell phone), maintain your vehicle's brakes and tires, and understand the current traffic laws. Commit to driving at a safe speed depending on the weather conditions, and never, ever drive after imbibing alcohol.

Being in an automobile accident is scary business, and we hope it never happens to you. There is increased risk to individuals who already deal with medical conditions or bodily injuries from sports, work, or falls. However, by maintaining a clear head and following these six tips, you can minimize the chance of being seriously injured in many car wreck situations and return to your normal life quickly, putting this awful incident behind you.

If you are in a motor vehicle accident we at Millar Chiropractic Clinics offer a FREE* consultation to talk a one of our doctors about your accident. Please call the appointment center 1-800 462-4476 for appointments at all clinics.

FREE*: this is a free 20-30 min meeting/consultation with the doctor. No x-rays or treatment of any kind will be included. Some persons or insurances not allowed to receive free services if that is your case then this does not apply to you. Cash Value 40.01. Results Vary.

Millar Chiropractic Clinics
303 Williams Ave SW
Huntsville, Alabama 35801
(256) 830-0000

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5 Foods That Fight High Cholesterol

This article reposted from Harvard Medical School publications. Good information. Dr Greg Millar DC CCEP.  5 foods that fight high cholesterol It’s easy to eat your way to an alarmingly high cholesterol level. The reverse is true too — changing what you eat can lower your cholesterol and improve the armada of fats floating through your bloodstream. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and “good fats” are all part of a heart-healthy diet. But some foods are particularly good at helping bring down cholesterol. How? Some cholesterol-lowering foods deliver a good dose of soluble fiber, which binds cholesterol and its precursors in the digestive system and drags them out of the body before they get into circulation. Others provide polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL. And those with plant sterols and stanols keep the body from absorbing cholesterol. Here are 5 of those foods: Oats. An easy way to start lowering cholesterol is to choose oatmeal or a cold oat-based cereal like Cheerios for breakfast. It gives you 1 to 2 grams of soluble fiber. Add a banana or some strawberries for another half-gram. Beans. Beans are especially rich in soluble fiber. They also take a while for the body to digest, meaning you feel full for longer after a meal. That’s one reason beans are a useful food for folks trying to lose weight. With so many choices — from navy and kidney beans to lentils, garbanzos, black-eyed peas, and beyond — and so many ways to prepare them, beans are a very versatile food. Nuts. A bushel of studies shows that eating almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and other nuts is good for the heart. Eating 2 ounces of nuts a day can slightly lower LDL, on the order of 5%. Nuts have additional nutrients that protect the heart in other ways. Foods fortified with sterols and stanols. Sterols and stanols extracted from plants gum up the body’s ability to absorb cholesterol from food. Companies are adding them to foods ranging from margarine and granola bars to orange juice and chocolate. They’re also available as supplements. Getting 2 grams of plant sterols or stanols a day can lower LDL cholesterol by about 10%. Fatty fish. Eating fish two or three times a week can lower LDL in two ways: by replacing meat, which has LDL-boosting saturated fats, and by delivering LDL-lowering omega-3 fats. Omega-3s reduce triglycerides in the bloodstream and also protect the heart by helping prevent the onset of abnormal heart rhythms. But stay away from... As you consider eating more of the foods that can help dial down cholesterol, keep in mind that avoiding certain foods can also improve your results. To keep cholesterol levels where you want them to be, limit intake of: Saturated fats. The saturated fats found in red meat, milk and other dairy foods, and coconut and palm oils directly boost LDL. So one way to lower your LDL is to cut back on saturated fat. Try substituting extra-lean ground beef for regular; low-fat or skim milk for whole milk; olive oil or a vegetable-oil margarine for butter; baked fish or chicken for fried. Trans fats. Trans fats are a byproduct of the chemical reaction that turns liquid vegetable oil into solid margarine or shortening and that prevents liquid vegetable oils from turning rancid. Trans fats boost LDL as much as saturated fats do. They also lower protective HDL, rev up inflammation, and increase the tendency for blood clots to form inside blood vessels. Although trans fats were once ubiquitous in prepared foods, many companies now use trans-free alternatives. Some restaurants and fast-food chains have yet to make the switch.

How Losing Weight Can Help Reduce Back Pain for Chiropractic Patients

How Losing Weight Can Help Reduce Back Pain for Chiropractic Patients
By: Dr. Greg Millar, DC CCEP and Dr. Justin Walbom, DC
Millar Chiropractic Clinics - Huntsville, Madison, Jones Valley, Decatur Alabama

Back pain is one of the most common and most troublesome problems that people experience. Eight out of 10 individuals will struggle with back pain during some point in their life, the US National Library of Medicine reports. Low and chronic back pain can be aggravated by many triggers. Mechanical stress, excessive strain, muscle weakness, poor sleeping position, lack of exercise and excessive weight could all contribute to making the situation worse.

The good news is that chiropractic ranks among the most popular and effective treatment options available today for back pain. Through the chiropractic adjustment, chiropractors not only help ease the pain but also work toward correcting the problem. According to chiropractors, spinal adjustments can deliver even better results when combined with weight loss.
In today’s article, we’ll exam the following:

1. How Obesity and Back Pain are Related
2. How Weight Loss Helps Reduce Back Pain
3. Improving Back Health through Chiropractic

How Obesity and Back Pain are Related

Individuals that are classified as overweight or obese are much more likely to experience back pain than people that aren’t according to the American Obesity Association.
Obesity prevents individuals from engaging in everyday physical activities, as well as healthy exercises. These are essential for strengthening the core muscles. A stronger core can take some of the burden away from the back, thus making back pain less likely.

In addition, the spinal cord becomes excessively burdened in the case of obese individuals. This is because it’s trying to compensate for the additional weight, which can cause tilting and uneven stress. Both of these can contribute to serious and chronic back pain. Thus the reason obesity is one of the most prominent aggravating factors in the case of lower back pain.

How Weight Loss Helps Reduce Back Pain

According to weight loss experts and chiropractors, weight loss can contribute to partial or complete reduction in the back pain symptoms. The research on the connection between weight loss and back pain is still insufficient but numerous practitioners report that they’ve seen cases of patients experiencing serious reduction in pain after losing weight.

Obviously, this occurs because the extra weight is taken off the spine. As a result, the spine doesn’t experience further stress. Especially when a chiropractor realigns the vertebral column through multiple sessions of chiropractic adjustments. According to the American Spine Society, individuals that stay within 10 pounds of their ideal weight are the ones least likely to experience spinal problems, particularly chronic lower back pain.

Improving Back Health through Chiropractic Care and Physical Activity

The combination of exercise and chiropractic care can produce noticeable, long-term improvements in spinal health. Besides aiding in weight loss, exercise is also great for strengthening the core muscles and guaranteeing a proper distribution of the body’s weight throughout the spine. Stronger muscles, less weight and better posture will provide amazing long-term benefits for chiropractic patients that suffer from back pain.

If you need more pointers on how to incorporate weight loss and exercise in your daily routine, speak to your local chiropractor. He or she is more than competent to guide you along the way. If you aren’t currently seeing a chiropractor, give us a call. We’re here to help!

Millar Chiropractic Clinics - Alabama Chiropractors
For Appointments Call the Appointment Center Toll Free 1-800 Go Chiro or (800) 462-4476 locally at (256) 830-0000 OR visit us online at www.millarchiro.com
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Is Your Lifestyle Making You Sick?

This is a repost from the Millar Chiropractic Clinic website.

Is Your Lifestyle Making You Sick?

Make an Appointment for Healthy Living

Have you, like many people, been thinking about making positive lifestyle changes for a long time?  Would you love to lose some weight and to be one of those admirable souls who seem to somehow be able to fit daily exercise into their busy lives?  It's certainly easier for people who have the luxury of making their own schedules with plenty of leisure time to exercise and prepare healthy food. What about the rest of us who work long hours, especially if we are also raising a family?  In this case, it is more challenging to live a healthy lifestyle, but also perhaps even more critical, because a healthy lifestyle will help us combat stress and be there for our loved ones. Whatever your particular circumstances are, it's still up to you to determine how to find the time to do things that are in your long-term interest. To make sure you get regular exercise, try making it a priority and scheduling your workout first thing in the morning.  You may even have to get up a little bit earlier, but the pay-off will be a greater sense of well being and increased energy in the short-term, and knowing that you are doing something very positive for your long-term health and well-being. It gets much easier once it becomes an established habit, and you will eventually feel so much better that you won't want to miss a morning workout.

Does your overall lifestyle promote good health and wellness?  Are the choices you make helping to keep you and your family well and healthy over the long term?

Many people think that some of the most common causes of sickness and death, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer, are all strongly determined by either genetics or just plain luck of the draw.  That's not really the case, however.

For example, only about 10% of cancers are determined by a person's genetics.  Most of the time, cancer is linked to the way we live our lives - from the food we eat, the exercise we get or fail to get, our environment including exposure to toxins, and whether or not we have positive, loving and supportive relationships.

In recent years, research studies have shown a significant correlation between overweight/obesity and a person's likelihood of developing cancer.  The evidence seems to suggest that fat cells are not simply passive storehouses of excess energy in the form of fat. Instead, it appears that fat cells are more like tiny metabolic furnaces that spew out a wide range of chemicals, including various hormones and inflammatory agents that may cause normal cells and tissues to become cancerous.¹ The majority of people and even many physicians are completely unaware of this.

The connection between lifestyle and both type 2 diabetes and heart disease, on the other hand, tends to be much more obvious to many people.^2,3  But cancer, we now know, is also often the result of an unhealthy lifestyle. The great news is that by being willing to make health-enhancing lifestyle choices, we can stack the deck in our favor and create more positive long-term changes in our health and well-being.

 

The best news is that these choices are in your hands. Every day you get to decide for yourself whether or not to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Of course, it can be easier some days than others to consistently make those healthy choices.  If you travel a lot for work, it may be extra challenging to find good, healthy food and to fit exercise into your daily routine.  If that's the case, just do the best you can and remember that living a healthy lifestyle is a lifetime endeavor.  If you manage to eat a nutritious and healthy diet and get regular exercise most of the time, you can take a short break here and there without noticing too much of a negative effect, as long as you get back to your positive, healthy habits as soon as possible.  Thinking long term and making sure you choose a healthy lifestyle most of the time, will usually allow you to get back on track quickly.

Chiropractic care is another very important aspect of healthy living. Chiropractic care helps to make sure that your body is functioning optimally.  It also helps you to get the most benefit from the healthy food you're choosing and the regular, vigorous exercise you're getting. Your Millar chiropractor will be happy to assist you in creating an exercise and nutritional program designed to address your particular needs and concerns.

 

¹Chan AT, Giovannucci EL: Primary prevention of colorectal cancer. Gastroenterology 138(6):2029-2043, 2010

²Shi Y, et al: Cardiovascular determinants of life span. Pflugers Arch 459(2):315-324, 2010

3Ma J, et al: Evaluation of lifestyle interventions to treat elevated cardiometabolic risk in primary care (E-LITE): a randomized controlled trial. BMC Fam Pract 10:71, 2009

 

 

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Back Pain - Are You At Risk?

This is a repost from the Millar Chiropractic Clinic website.

Back Pain - Are You At Risk?

Your Family History

Back injuries are most often caused by various mechanical issues, and the tendency to get such injuries is not inherited. On the other hand, people do have family-related behavioral tendencies, and while these particular behaviors are not literally "inherited", they are often passed down through the generations. These are the various habits of daily living we learned from our families, that can become ingrained and may eventually contribute to back injuries. A lack of interest in sports or exercise, poor posture, and a tendency to be overweight can be some of the behavioral patterns we learned from our family. As adults it's important to become conscious of and evaluate these unhealthful patterns, and to take an active role in developing a new more positive set of behaviors that can increase our health and overall well-being. In addition to these habits we picked up from our family, we may also have various health challenges that include a genetic component which can make us more susceptible to back problems. Your chiropractic physician can help you identify such additional risk factors.

 

Have you ever wondered what the risk factors are for back pain? Why some people suffer from it and some people don't?  What you can do to avoid being one of the millions of Americans who suffer from chronic back pain? Your Millar Chiropractic physician can help answer these very important questions.

One major risk factor is related to exercise.  We have all been admonished by health authorities to either "use it or lose it".  If you fail to get regular exercise, your back muscles can become deconditioned rather quickly.  When that happens, you are more vulnerable to the strains and sprains that can cause or contribute to back pain.

 

When your muscles are required to do work, they become stronger.  Another related benefit is that exercise helps to "train" the tendons and ligaments surrounding your joints.  These are crucial joint-supporting tissues, and regular exercise increases their ability to withstand mechanical stresses and loads without becoming injured. Basically, when you engage in regular vigorous exercise, your body gets "smarter", stronger and more resilient, and you're less likely to suffer from those annoying back problems.¹

Another major risk factor for back pain is weak abdominal muscles. When you were a young kid in gym class, did one of your teachers tell you to "suck in your stomach"?  As it turns out, that's not bad advice. Your abdominal muscles support the muscles of your lower back.  If you commonly let it "all hang out" letting your abdominal muscles droop rather than keeping them activated and engaged, your abdominal muscles can become weak and deconditioned from this continual lack of use.

 

When this happens, your lower back muscles end up having to hold up the weight of your torso, without the normal assistance of your abdominal muscles. Your lower back muscles are not designed to for that.  Their normal job is to help move your spine through its normal ranges of motion.  They're not designed to rigidly support your body weight without the assistance of your abdominal muscles. And if they're left as the sole support for your body weight, they will eventually give way under the continual excessive strain. The result is usually a very painful lower back injury.

Abdominal exercises are easy to do and don't take a lot of time. The key is to make sure that you actually do them several times a week, in addition to your other regular vigorous exercise. It is also very important to make sure to use your abdominal muscles as you go about your daily routine. Imagine these muscles are being pulled in and lifted up.  Think of "activating" your abdominal muscles rather than tightening them. Your body will know what to do, once you've started adding consistent abdominal training to your exercise routine.  You should also notice your posture improving as you get in the habit of keeping your abdominal muscles activated.  Your body will breathe a sigh of relief at finally being properly supported.

There are other back pain risk factors that may also be found in your personal and family medical history.² During your initial chiropractic visit, your doctor will ask you about surgeries and accidents you've experienced, and talk with you about any significant elements in your family history. For example, a surgery to remove your appendix or galllbladder or to repair a hernia may have weakened your abdominal muscles. Accidents involving a motor vehicle or a serious fall may have caused injuries that either healed incompletely or with soft tissue scarring, which can contribute to back pain.

Knowing about potential risk factors and taking appropriate action will help you have a healthier, stronger and more flexible lower back.

 

 

¹Jones MA, et al. Recurrent non-specific low-back pain in adolescents: the role of exercise. Ergonomics 50(10):1680-1688, 2007
²Plouvier S, et al. Biomechanical strains and low back disorders. Occup Environ Med 2007 (in press)

 

 

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Do I Need to Take Vitamins and Minerals?

This is a repost from the Millar Chiropractic Clinic website.

Do I Need to Take Vitamins and Minerals?

Should I Eat According to the Food Pyramid?

The short answer is, probably not.  Not unless you'd like to become fat or obese, that is. The U.S. government's "food pyramid" recommends that the largest percentage of one's daily calories should come from whole grains.  This is despite the fact that there is a tremendous amount of evidence that grains break down into sugar in the body - increasing insulin resistance, encouraging an increase in fat storage, and increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other diseases. According to the highly respected natural health expert, Dr. Joseph Mercola, the reason grains and other unhealthful foods are promoted so heavily is because these are the foods that are subsidized by the U.S. government. Dr. Mercola has developed his own "food pyramid", as an alternative, which is based on nutritional science.  You can see it in the article linked above, or view it here.

People often wonder whether they should be taking any vitamin and mineral supplements. Are they worthwhile? Which supplements would be best for me?  The answer to these questions are yes, and ask your knowledgeable chiropractor for supplement recommendations.

Why should we even bother with vitamin and mineral supplementation? The objective is to make sure you have all your bases covered -- to make sure your body has everything it needs to be healthy. How can you be sure you diet is providing you with all the vitamins, minerals and cofactors your body needs to function properly? Not to mention all the important antioxidants needed to fight free radical formation and the various phyt­onutrients that seem to help slow down the aging process and lower your risk of cancer and other diseases.

Mineral deficiencies are rampant in the United States, largely due to the majority of our food supply being grown in mineral depleted soil.  It is difficult to obtain necessary minerals such as magnesium, iodine, chromium, calcium and selenium from diet alone.

Many people are also deficient in the B vitamins such as folate, B12 (cyanocobalamin), B2 (riboflavin),  B6 (pyridoxine), B1 (thiamin), and B3 (niacin). Taking a good multivitamin or a B vitamin supplement is an easy way to make sure that these requirements are met.

So which supplement brand is the best? There's really no single right answer to that question.  It depends on the individual's needs, and there are often various practical considerations. You can usually tell that a particular brand is the right choice for you if you notice some improvement after taking it regularly for several weeks. Your chiropractic physician can help you by providing expert advice and recommendations.  The important thing to remember is that vitamin and mineral supplementation is often necessary in order to optimize metabolic functioning and promote physical well-being.

What about taking specific supplements for specific health challenges, such as regularly taking a calcium supplement after a bone-density study has revealed a reduction in bone mass (osteoporosis)? Is this an effective therapy? Well, in the postmenopausal setting¹, it is critical to also perform regular weight-bearing exercise in order for your body to be stimulated to actually use the calcium to increase bone density.  If you only take calcium supplements but fail to exercise, the calcium with just be excreted, instead of being used to strengthen the bones.  

What about calcium supplements for younger women?  Once again, exercise is the of utmost importance in helping to prevent or minimize osteoporosis².  Making sure you are getting a sufficient amount of calcium each day is also important. The recommended daily requirement for calcium is 1000-1200 mg.  So, lets assume that a typical vitamin/mineral supplement supplies 500 mg of calcium. A small container of yogurt adds another 250 mg. A glass of milk or a piece of cheese can add another 250 mg. If you're avoiding dairy, other good sources of calcium include turnips, spinach, sardines (including bones), and calcium-fortified orange juice. So, you can get the recommended requirement by combining both a daily supplement and eating a variety of calcium rich foods.

Magnesium deficiency is another very common mineral deficiency in the United States.  Magnesium and calcium balance each other, so if you do supplement, look for a product that ideally contains equal amounts of both.  Having a lot of muscle tension may be a sign that you are low in magnesium.  Appropriate magnesium levels are also important for promoting cardiovascular health, regulating blood pressure and controlling blood sugar.  Spinach, almonds, pumpkin seeds, swiss chard, cashews, and black beans are all very good sources of magnesium.

Vitamin and mineral supplements are an easy way to make sure you are getting the nutritional support your body needs.  By supplementing your diet appropriately, you can make sure you are receiving a consistent and optimal dose of the most important nutrients. Eating a varied diet of healthy whole foods along with getting regular exercise, will help to ensure vibrant and glowing good health³.


1Rosen CJ: Clinical practice. Postmenopausall osteoporosis. N Engl J Med 353(6):595-603, 2005
2Swanenburg J, et al: Effects of exercise and nutrition on postural balance and risk of falling in elderly people. Clin Rehabil 21(6):523-34, 2007
3Speckerr B, Vukovich M: Evidence for an interaction between exercise and nutrition for improved bone health during growth. Med Sport Sci 51:50-63, 2007

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What's Your Vibe?

This is a repost from the Millar Chiropractic Clinic website.

What's Your Vibe?

Being Present

We're not talking about raising your hand when your name is called.  No, we're talking about "being in the moment" as a way of being more centered and getting more joy out of life.  It's something that requires practice in order to make it your default way of being.  Even at that point, being present still requires a certain amount of ongoing attention for most people. And really, that's what "being present" is all about - paying attention to the present moment. After all, the present moment is all we truly have. We may have memories of the past and thoughts of the future, but the past is over and the future is not yet here.  (And will likely never be "here" exactly the way you imagine it.)  If we're not in the present moment, we're nowhere. The present is where your power resides, and when you're present, people around you can feel your energy.  You are more charismatic when you are present in the moment.  People will see you as authentic and a good listener, which is very appealing.  They'll want to spend time with you. There's no time like the present to begin "being present"

In the story of Snow White, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Bashful were precisely that.  The names of the seven dwarves accurately and literally represented their overall vibe. It doesn't usually work that way for us, but we give off plenty of subconscious signals that let people know who we are and how we're feeling.  The look in our eyes, the tone of our voice, our facial expressions and posture are just some of the clues that let other people intuit what's really going on with us. Often, the vibe we're giving off is a more accurate reflection of our inner being than the words we are saying.

Other people can usually tell what's really going on with us, no matter what we say or don't say.  But when we're communicating clearly and interacting meaningfully, we usually feel less stressed-out. The surprising benefit is that our health improves as a result.^1,2

Here's an easy way to determine whether you're sending out a negative or positive overall vibe - when you visit a friend who owns a dog or pass one on the street, does it growl at you or does it wag it's tail?  Do cats tend to hiss at you or do they instead offer a friendly purr? When someone introduces you to a toddler or baby, does he or she start to cry, or do they usually smile at you? These are all pretty reliable signs as to whether your personal vibe is more negative or positive.

Young children and animals are very perceptive and pick up on the subconscious signals people send out.  Who you are being is very clear to them.  Many of us lose this intuitive ability over time, and pay more attention to what people say than to the subtle clues they give off that can tell us more about how they are feeling in general, whether or not they are being honest with us, and how overall trustworthy they are.

Over time, people often get used to being a certain way, and may not even realize that they've become chronically grumpy, angry or pessimistic.   It's like they get stuck in an emotional rut, and may not even realize the way they are coming across to other people.  If animals and young children react negatively to you, it may do you some good to take stock of the vibe you're sending out.  Being chronically "negative" can also have a negative effect on your health.

Negative and positive vibes can "rub off" on you too, especially if you're a sensitive person.  If you spend time with a friend or acquaintance who is always very negative, and find that you end up feeling down, or angry, or depressed as a result, you would probably do well to limit the time you spend with them.

On another note, paying attention to the "vibe" can also be useful in health care interactions. You may wait for hours to see a doctor, and then even though they say nice words, you might sense that he doesn't really care about your well-being and just wants to finish with you and get on to the next patient. You may sense a similar vibe at the front desk - they behave politely, but you can tell that they're super-stressed and can't wait to get out the door themselves.

Most people will notice a significant difference between the vibe in a typical medical office and the vibe in a chiropractic office.  Chiropractors tend to place a high value on the human component of their interactions with patients. Chiropractic offices strive to be a very welcoming environment.  It is not unusual to hear people say that their chiropractor's office "feels just like home" and that the staff "feels like family".

You can tell that your chiropractor is genuinely interested in both your health and your well-being.  Chiropractors know that it's important to take the time to really listen to your concerns and to make sure you're getting the service and attention you need. Chiropractic is a wholistic healing profession which recognizes that the quality of the doctor-patient relationship is an important part of the healing process.


¹Seedat S, et al: Life stress and mental disorders in the South African stress and health study. S Afr Med J 99(5 Pt 2):375-382, 2009
²Koetaka H, et al: Long-term effects of lifestyle on multiple risk factors in male workers. Environ Health Prev Med 14(3):165-172, 2009

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