Make a New Year's Resolution to Try Chiropractic Care

This is a repost from the Millar Chiropractic Clinic website.

Make a New Year's Resolution to Try Chiropractic Care

Choosing a Chiropractic Physician

Depending upon the size of your community, there may be an abundance of choices for every profession. Physicians of various specialties, podiatrists, optometrists, accountants, business consultants, psychologists, and attorneys occupy the office space in professional buildings. How can  make sure you choose the one who's right for you? The best option is often to ask friends and family for a recommendation.  With a personal recommendation, you have real-world information - you have it on good authority from people you trust that the specialist is skilled and competent - you're not flying blind. When meeting a new professional, you should expect to be treated with respect and your time should be valued. The office itself should be pleasant and comfortable. The office staff should be friendly, professional and eager to help you as you adjust to a new environment. And most importantly, your chiropractic physician should be willing to take the time to answer all your questions. When you're with the chiropractor who's right for you, as with any other professional, you'll have the experience that you're in the right place.

It's New Years again already, and perhaps you're determined that this will be the year that you actually follow through with your New Year's resolutions. This is finally going to be the year that you make your self and your health a priority.  You'll eat better, exercise regularly, lose weight, and you're finally going to find our whether chiropractic care can make a positive difference in your life.

If you're like most people, you've probably been thinking about doing more to improve your health for many years. Perhaps you even have family and friends who have been recommending chiropractic health care to you for a very long time. You decide you're ready to take action and you make an appointment to see your local chiropractic physician.

Chiropractic health care is more important now than ever before. Today, many Americans are lacking health insurance or are underinsured.  Deductibles, premiums and copayments seem to keep rising while most household incomes have been stagnant.  Because Chiropractic treatment is both corrective and preventative in nature, it tends to be a very cost effective choice and can play a large part in solving our current health care crisis.

In contrast to most medical care, Chiropractic care is low-cost while providing high value. Chiropractic treatment  focuses on the musculoskeletal system - bones, muscles, and joints - but first and foremost, it addresses and optimizes the functioning of the nerve system.  Simply put, chiropractic care makes your nerve system more efficient. And an efficiently functioning nervous system is crucial for optimal functioning of all other critical body systems - your cardiovascular, respiratory, immune, endocrine and digestive  systems.

Chiropractic care utilizes a hands-on approach, and you'll notice that your visits with your chiropractor provide real, personal interactions between you and your doctor. Your chiropractic physician is highly trained in a variety of disciplines - including nutritional evaluation and restorative exercise - and he or she will make recommendations that are specially designed for your particular needs.

Chiropractic care itself - called spinal adjustments - is gentle and relaxing. Immediate results often include decreased pain and muscular tension, and a noticeable increase in mobility of the neck, back, hips, and shoulders.  For patients with back-related pain, improvement is often noted within 24 or 48 hours.  People also often report sensations of increased alertness and increased focus after chiropractic adjustments, and an increased feeling of relaxation, ease and general well-being.

Additional profound benefits of chiropractic care derive from its direct effect on nerve system functioning.¹ Although chiropractic health care is not specifically a treatment for headaches, menstrual cramps, asthma, allergies or digestive problems, improvement in one's health may occur across the board as an indirect result of chiropractic therapy.

So, chiropractic care provides a tremendous amount of "bang for your buck" - a lot of health benefit for your health care dollar. And at your chiropractor's office, you not only receive the benefit of treatment but also the benefit of your doctor's vast health-care knowledge - you learn about how your body works and how to best take care of it naturally. The original meaning of the word doctor was teacher, and your chiropractor is an educator as well as a health-care provider, interested in all aspects of your health and well-being.<sup>2



1</sup>Bronfort G, et al: Efficacy of spinal manipulation and mobilization for low back pain and neck pain: a systematic review and best evidence synthesis. Spine J 4(3):335-356, 2004
²Johnson C, et al: Chiropractic and public health: current state and future vision.
J Manipulative Physiol Ther 31(6):397-410, 2008

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Using Breathing Exercises To Reduce Asthma

This is a repost from the Millar Chiropractic Clinic website.

Using Breathing Exercises To Reduce Asthma

Tips to Help Minimize Asthma Symptoms

Make sure you change your furnace filters regularly, and choose filters that remove dust mites, mold spores, pollen and other allergens. Avoid all chemical fragrances including perfumes, and fragranced personal care products such as shampoo, conditioner, lotion and deodorant.  Ask your family and friends to use fragrance free products. Use fragrance free laundry detergents and dryer sheets to avoid toxic fragrances that can trigger severe asthma attacks. Use an air purifier to help clean the air in your home. Use special mattress and pillow barrier covers that block dust mites. Eat foods with omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, or take a good fish oil or krill oil supplement. Supplement with vitamin C (ideally in a natural form such as Rose Hips, and including bioflavonoids), which can help to reduce allergies and wheezing. Make sure you receive regular chiropractic treatment. Chiropractic adjustments, especially to the thorax spine, are extremely important in the treatment of chronic asthma.

Approximately 20 million Americans have been diagnosed with asthma; and almost half of them are children. Over the years, corticosteroid inhalers have been the most commonly prescribed treatment for Asthma.

A recent study found that special breathing techniques can reduce the necessity of using these reliever inhalers by more than 80% and reduce the dose of preventer inhaler that is needed in mild asthma by half, according to this research.

This study, which was published in the journal Thorax¹, compared the effect of two different breathing techniques on the use of medication, symptoms, lung function, and quality of life among 57 adults with mild asthma.

One technique had the participants focus on shallow, nasal breathing with slow exhalations.  The other technique relied upon relaxation and general upper body exercises.

To qualify for the study, subjects required the use of a preventer inhaler and also needed reliever inhaler at least four times a week.  These participants were then randomly assigned one of these two breathing techniques.

Over a period of 30 weeks, the subjects were required to practice their assigned breathing exercises two times a day for approximately 25 minutes. They were further encouraged to use an abbreviated version of their exercises instead of their reliever inhaler, and to only rely on the reliever inhaler if the exercises failed to halt the asthma attack.

Researcher Professor Christine Jenkins, of the the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, found that the use of reliever medication fell by 86% in both exercise groups.  This drastic improvement began within weeks of starting the exercises, and was maintained over eight months.  She writes: "Breathing techniques may be useful in the management of patients with mild asthma symptoms who use a reliever frequently."

By the end of the study, the participants dropped from using around three puffs of their reliever inhaler each day to approximately one puff every third day.  Preventer dose requirements were also cut in half.

Another promising treatment for bronchial asthma is the natural anti-inflammatory Boswellia, which we often recommend to patients to reduce musculoskeletal inflammation and pain.  In a 1998 study,² asthmatic patients given the gum resin of Boswellia serrata resulted in 70% improvement evidenced by disappearance of symptoms, versus only 27% of the control group who showed improvement. 



¹ Thorax 2006;61:651-656 doi:10.1136/thx.2005.054767
² Eur J Med Res. 1998 Nov 17;3(11):511-4

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Pregnancy and Parenting - Avoiding Lower Back Pain

This is a repost from the Millar Chiropractic Clinic website.

Pregnancy and Parenting - Avoiding Lower Back Pain

The Best Way to Pick Up Your Kids

We're not referring to an S.U.V. or a car pool here.  Parents spend plenty of time bending and lifting their little ones. It is important to do this correctly to minimize the risk of injury. First, make sure you are as close to your child as possible.  It is best to have your arms right next to your body, rather than extended out in front of you.  Next, make sure to always bend your knees instead of bending at the waist with your legs straight. Now contract your stomach muscles, which will help to limit the potential strain to the muscles of the low back.  It is crucial to engage your abdominal muscles, which are designed to support the weight. The last step is to straighten your legs, while you hold your child close to your body and continue to keep your abdominal muscles engaged. After just a short amount of practice, this safer lifting technique will have become a habit.

You're pregnant! What a wonderful blessing! Your body is now going through incredible changes. One unfortunate and unwelcome change, however, may be increasingly chronic pain in your lower back. Recent studies suggest that two-thirds of pregnant women experience lower back pain.¹

This is not surprising when you consider the increasing weight of the growing baby, amniotic fluid and placenta, creating an unbalanced load in front of the lower back. This can easily strain and irritate the spinal muscles, tendons and ligaments, which causes pain, decreased mobility and muscle spasm.

Of course it is important to rule out other causes of pregnancy-related back pain, such as pregnancy-associated osteoporosis, septic arthritis, and inflammatory arthritis.²

The vast majority of cases of back pain in pregnancy, however, are mechanical in origin.

Your Millar chiropractic physician will perform a complete examination in order to determine the appropriate course of treatment. Once your low back pain has diminished, you will likely be able to add a safe, gentle routine of stretches and exercises to help prevent your low back pain from reoccurring. The goal is to minimize the detrimental mechanical effects of pregnancy by strengthening your lower back.

It is easier to prevent or minimize low back pain in the first place by being as fit as possible. (It is ideal to "train for pregnancy" by beginning your fitness program in advance, if you are trying to become pregnant.) This includes following a healthy diet, regular exercise, and gaining an appropriate amount of weight during your pregnancy. Your obstetrician will likely recommend vitamin and mineral supplements and will monitor your weight. The average healthy woman gains between 25 and 35 pounds during the course of her pregnancy.³

Let us now look a couple years into the future - to when your newborn baby is now a toddler. You often have to bend and lift, not just your child, but also other items such as a bulky car seat and stroller. There is a lot of bending, lifting, and twisting involved in caring for a toddler.

So how do you keep yourself from injuring your back?  The answer lies in regular exercise. You will probably be saying to yourself, "But how can I possibly have the time to exercise, when I already don't have enough hours in the day to accomplish everything I need to do?"

That is certainly a difficult question, but if you truly understand the vast benefits of regular exercise, you will know that it is worth the time and effort.  Even a thirty minute workout several times a week will make a big difference. And, when you have fully established the habit of regular exercise, you will be amazed to find how much easier it is to bend over and pick your child up, and how much easier it is to carry them. The reason it is easier is because you're now stronger, healthier and more fit than you were before. It also makes being with your children a lot more fun when you have increased energy, strength and stamina.




¹Pennick VE, Young G: Interventions for preventing and treating pelvic and back pain in pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 18(2):CD001139, 2007.
²Sax TW, Rosenbaum RB: Neuromuscular disorders in pregnancy. Muscle Nerve 34(5):559-571, 2006.
³Jain NJ, et al: Maternal obesity: can pregnancy weight gain modify risk of selected adverse pregnancy outcomes? Am J Perinatol 24(5):291-298, 2007. 

 

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Do You Tend to be Proactive or Reactive?

This is a repost from the Millar Chiropractic Clinic website.

Do You Tend to be Proactive or Reactive?

Be Proactive by Taking Action

Being proactive means taking action before you start to experience negative effects (before you are forced to be in reaction mode.) When you're reactive, you're always playing catch up.  Instead of making positive choices, you're stuck responding to something negative that has already happened. When you're proactive, you can lead the way with your positive choices. You get to decide how things are going to go.  In health related matters it is best to be proactive, rather than reactive, as much as possible. Instead of allowing our kids to sit around all day watching television or playing video games for hours at a time, we can be proactive and encourage them to participate in sports and other fun physical activities for at least an hour each day. Most people feel like they don't have enough time each day to do everything they'd like to do. But we can be proactive and decide what really is the best use of our time. Planning is essential to living a healthy life style and making healthy food choices.  We can plan ahead for our weekly trip to the grocery store, to make sure that we purchase a variety of health promoting whole foods.  We are being proactive by taking the time to prepare nutritious meals for our families, helping to ensure our health and the health of our family members.

In many circumstances in our daily lives, we have the opportunity to either take action and be proactive or to be reactive instead.  If there is someone in your life who treats you with disrespect, you can react by getting angry or taking your frustrations out on someone else.  Another way you can react is by taking some deep breaths while you count to ten and release your anger and tension.  The way you react to stressful people and situations is always a choice.  You can also choose to be proactive which in this case may be to calmly speak to this person and explain how you feel, or take steps to limit interactions with this person if all else fails.  Being reactive or proactive is a personal choice, and can produce different outcomes.  This is also true with regard to the way we approach managing aspects of our health.

Increasing numbers of Americans are affected by chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.  One third of all Americans have a chronic disease, and the majority have more than one. It's also common knowledge that two out of three American adults are either overweight or obese. The majority of these disorders are the result of people being reactive when it comes to their health.

For example, the majority of cancers are preventable.¹ Eating the typical American diet of junk food, fast food, and empty calories is a choice many people make. These choices stress the body organs and glands causing increased body fat and chronic diseases over time.  It may even lead to a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.  This is typically a wake up call for people, who react to this news by becoming determined to reduce or eliminate junk food, lose weight, and finally get serious about exercise. They are now in reaction mode.

There are consequences to being reactive rather than proactive when it comes to your health. Type 2 diabetes is associated with increased risk of developing cancer ² as well as cardiovascular disease.  Once you have a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes it's certainly important to be reactive, but a proactive lifestyle approach could easily have prevented these long-term consequences.  It is the same with cardiovascular disease. You may have never felt you needed to watch your weight, but over the years you've gradually gained weight and now you're becoming concerned.  Perhaps you've been informed that your cholesterol levels and blood pressure are both much too high and advised to make several lifestyle changes. Now you're in reactive mode as you hope to reverse the negative effects of your long-standing bad habits.

Once again there are consequences to being reactive. Elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure are important risk factors for heart attack and stroke. ³Engaging in healthful actions in the first place helps to reduce these risks.

Regular chiropractic care is an important component of a healthy lifestyle. Chiropractic care can be reactive, helping you to recover from an injury to your back or neck. Chiropractic care can be of even greater benefit from a proactive perspective. Chiropractic treatment can help to ensure that all of your body systems are working in harmony as efficiently as possible. Receiving regular chiropractic care will help you to maximize the benefits that come from being proactive about your health - making healthy food choices, exercising regularly, and making sure you get sufficient rest.





¹ American Cancer Society: Cancer Prevention and Early Detection. Facts and Figures. Atlanta, GA, ACS, 2008

² Currie CJ, et al: The influence of glucose-lowering therapies on cancer risk in type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia 52(9):1766-1777, 2009

³Robinson JG, et al: Atherosclerosis profile and incidence of cardiovascular events. A population-based survey. BMC Cardiovasc Disord 9(1):46, 2009

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Avoiding the Flu

This is a repost from the Millar Chiropractic Clinic website.

Avoiding the Flu

Fortify Your Immune System

If you make an effort to take good care of yourself, you will probably find that your immune system performs incredibly well.  Being healthy and practicing good health-promoting habits helps you to remain healthy. Of course even with a good diet of whole and healthy foods, it is beneficial to allow yourself occasional treats and even small binges.  As long as you don't make it a regular thing.   If you try to be too strict with yourself, chances are you will abandon your healthy diet all together. It is the same with exercise.  Try to be consistent as possible, but if something interferes with your workout for a few days, that is okay too.  As long as you make sure to get back to following your workout plan as soon as you can. Here are some additional tips to help you bolster your immune system: Get at least seven or eight hours of sleep each night. Make sure you stay well-hydrated Eat a few servings of vegetables and fresh fruit each day Make sure your vitamin D levels are optimal Try to get some exercise each day. Practice simple meditation techniques to help release stress and quiet your mind.

You have probably noticed the annual media blitz promoting a  "yearly flu shot", as if it is something we have perpetually scheduled on our calendars.  For many of us, this annual "war on the flu" is unquestioned wisdom, and we succumb to the idea that we are just  defenseless humans at the mercy of the all-powerful flu virus.

Is that really the case?

What most of the so-called "experts" fail to mention in their relentless marketing campaigns is the adaptability and versatility of our amazing immune system. We're the lucky owners of a state-of-the-art built-in biowarfare system, that works 24/7 to battle microscopic foreign invaders of our health and well-being. Once our remarkable immune system has detected a foreign protein it immediately begins attacking and destroying the alien molecules. And, the memory of that particular invader is permanent, enabling a future immune response to be swift and effective.¹

The main issue with influenza is that we are faced with new strains each year which we have never encountered.  Fortunately our immune system is extremely flexible - its inherent design allows it to respond quickly to new foreign invaders - and most of the time it is incredibly successful.

Two simple things you can do to lower your chances of getting the flu is to avoid touching your eyes and nose, and wash your hands often.  It's not necessary to use antibacterial soap however, which can create antibiotic resistant superbugs and cause problems in the water supply.  Any natural and nontoxic soap will work just fine.

It is also crucial to make sure your vitamin D levels are optimal.  You can check with your doctor and have it tested if you suspect you may be deficient.

Sometimes our immune systems can be weakened due to various circumstances, bad habits, and stress. Stress is  well-known for compromising a body's immune defenses.² And, unfortunately, many of us have plenty of stress these days.  If you're not getting enough sleep, eating poorly and not exercising regularly, and then add a good dose of worry and anxiety to that... getting sick becomes much more likely.  So the key is to develop and maintain healthy living habits and successful strategies for managing stress.³

If you do the simple things that keep you healthy and well, in the winter months you will hopefully just let the flu pass you by, knowing you've done everything you can to keep your immune system in top shape.  If your immune system is functioning properly, you're far less likely to "catch" something.

And, even if you do succumb, you've got a much better chance of getting well again quickly.

¹Sompayrac L: How the Immune System Works, 2nd ed. Blackwell, 2002.
²Wein H:Stress and disease - new perspectives. NIH Word on Health, October 2000.
³The Truth About Your Immune System - What You Need To Know. Harvard Health Publications, 2007.

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Getting Ready for the Holidays

This is a repost from the Millar Chiropractic Clinic website.

Getting Ready for the Holidays

When Holiday Shopping Becomes a Marathon

Wear comfortable shoes that are suitable for a long day of walking. Make sure you drink enough water to remain properly hydrated. Have a balanced snack to keep your blood sugar level balanced. Stick to your regular exercise program and make sure you take the time to stretch and relax your muscles. If your mall has lockers available, take advantage of that feature to make your shopping day more comfortable.  Otherwise, take trips to your car to drop off packages.  Your arms and shoulders will thank you. Lighten up your purse or leave it at home in favor of a fanny pack.  If you must wear a purse, opt for a small, lightweight version with a long strap and wear it across your body.  Switch it to the other shoulder throughout the day.

The day after Thanksgiving kicks off the busiest shopping season of the year in the United States, and a time filled with parties and other celebrations that for most of us doesn't let up until January.

The holiday season can be a wonderful time of celebration and the joy of spending time with loved ones.  It can also be one of the most stressful times of the year for many of us.  It is important to do whatever we can to minimize the negative effects of these chaotic times. Making wise food choices, staying hydrated, getting adjusted, and taking time to exercise, stretch and reflect on the blessings in your life will help you enjoy the holidays and greet the new year with renewed vigor.

Taking the Time to Exercise:

Make it a habit to exercise first thing in the morning.  This will ensure that you receive the greatest benefits from your efforts, and will make it easier to remain consistent over time.  Your fitness routine will become an enjoyable part of your morning routine, and you will get it out of the way before daily life has a chance to distract you from it.  If you wait until later in the day, you will be more likely to find excuses to skip your workout - especially during the busy holiday season. 

Effective exercise doesn't require a lot of time either.  Even a short workout in the morning is beneficial and will help you to feel more positive and enthusiastic throughout your day.  If you are having trouble finding the motivation to get started, tell yourself you can stop after ten minutes if you don't feel like continuing.  Most of the time you will feel so great that you will choose to keep going a little while longer.  Even if you choose to stop after ten minutes some mornings, your body will still receive some benefits even from these abbreviated sessions.  The greatest benefit though comes from being consistent and making exercise a regular habit that you don't even have to think about.

Maintain a Healthy Diet:




Holidays are generally not the best time to begin a new diet, but you can still avoid the typical holiday weight gain by making wise food choices.  Make sure to include a lot of vegetables and salads in your diet, along with sufficient protein and healthy fats like pastured butter, olive oil and coconut oil.  Minimize grains, starches and sugary drinks. Take small bites, chew your food well and eat slowly to avoid overeating.

Decide whether there are any special holiday treats you would like to indulge in, and go for quality over quantity.   Avoid the temptation to just mindlessly munch on whatever is in front of you, especially at holiday get-togethers.  Save your calories for a treat you really love and then give it your full attention when you eat it, fully savoring each bite to satisfy your craving.  This will usually help prevent any feelings of deprivation while you're being mindful of your health.

Avoid the Holiday Blues:

It is not uncommon to feel somewhat depressed during the holiday season.  Regular exercise is very effective in preventing and alleviating depression.  But if you still find yourself feeling down, one of the best things you can do is write in a Gratitude Journal each day.  You don't even need a special journal.  Simply write down five or ten things you are thankful for before going to bed each night.  This will help you to recognize and focus on all the blessings in your life.

Another tried and true way to lift your spirits is to help others.  Find a cause that inspires you, or visit VolunteerMatch.org to see what help is needed in your community.   Or perhaps you have a neighbor, friend or family member who is lonely or could use some assistance.  "Helping others" regularly tops the list of what makes people happy, and is a good way to combat the holiday blues.

Millar Chiropractic Clinic is again participating in the Christmas Angel program, which has become a wonderful annual tradition.  Each clinic has a number of local children in need that are sponsored, and many of our generous staff and patients experience the joy of playing Santa for a child whose family is unable to afford Christmas gifts.  Ask our staff for more details if you're interested in becoming a Christmas Angel.

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Living in Stressful Times

This is a repost from the Millar Chiropractic Clinic website.

Living in Stressful Times

In the midst of a global recession and daily life that seems increasingly complicated, most people would agree that these are particularly stressful times. Good job opportunities have become scarce, retirement nest eggs have diminished, and energy prices have set record highs. In addition to these financial troubles, there always seems to be a disaster looming, such as Hurricane Sandy or the local tornado outbreak in 2011, or other environmental catastrophes like the Gulf oil spill and the Fukushima disaster.   It is not difficult to see how these and other stresses can create actual physical stress on the body. Some of the common physical effects of stress are chronic muscle tension, insomnia and other sleep difficulties, frequent headaches, digestive problems and abdominal pain, asthma, allergies, depression, high blood pressure, and chronic inflammation. Prolonged stress can lead to long-term consequences. Chronic hypertension, for example, may lead to heart disease, stroke or heart attack. Long-term inflammation can result in diabetes, weight gain, and even kidney disease. One thing we can do to reduce stress is to be proactive and take action steps that support our health and well-being. Topping the list of action steps are the usual suspects - good nutrition and regular exercise.  Of course, we all know we "should" be eating good food each day and participating in regular physical activity, but the struggle for most of us is that we really don't want to do what we "should" be doing.1 We can reduce our chronic stress levels by deciding to take action. It helps to choose healthy behaviors because we want to, not just because we think we "should". The concept of personal choice is very powerful and liberating, and it can often lead to more permanent shifts toward healthier behaviors. Good nutrition and regular exercise have been proven to have many positive effects on a person's health - neutralizing damaging free radicals, reducing inflammation, reducing a number of health risks such as high blood pressure,1,2 and helping us feel healthier, happier and more energetic. Making a conscious choice to improve our health also improves our lives in countless ways. By choosing, we become active participants in manifesting good health. Everyone in our lives benefits by our renewed energy, increased productivity, creativity, and zest for life. Choosing a program of chiropractic care is another positive choice we can make. Chiropractic treatment helps our bodies work more efficiently and effectively, directly reducing physiologic stress and indirectly improving our ability to  manage the stress in our daily lives. Your Millar chiropractic physician is an expert in health and wellness, and he or she will be happy to assist you as you design food plans and exercise choices that will work best for you. Don't forget that being healthy is a choice! 1Viera AJ, et al: Lifestyle modifications to lower or control high blood pressure: is advice associated with action? The behavioral risk factor surveillance survey. J Clin Hypertens 10(2):105-111, 2008 2Elmer PJ, et al: Effects of comprehensive lifestyle modification on diet, weight, physical fitness, and blood pressure control: 18-month results of a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med 144(7):485-495, 2006

Neutralize Stress with Meditation Meditation can be a wonderful way to reduce the negative effects of stress.  And it doesn't require you to sit cross-legged on the floor, or chant or burn incense to receive the positive mental and physical benefits of meditation.  In fact, you can receive these benefits in as little as ten minutes a day, with a simple meditation practice that you can perform in any position that is most comfortable for you. The objective is not to stop all thought or to concentrate on one thing such as a mantra.  Instead, allow your thoughts go wherever they may.  Just notice your thoughts, and then return to a quiet place. One popular way to meditate encourages you to focus on your breathing. You don't have to change it - just breathe normally and pay attention to your breath.  As your thoughts naturally wonder, notice them and then gently bring your mind's focus back to your breathing. That's all it takes to mediate and receive all of the wonderful benefits. Try it now while sitting comfortably in your chair, or on a yoga mat if you prefer. Meditate for about ten minutes as you focus on your breathing.  It becomes more natural and enjoyable with practice.  As this becomes a daily habit, you may even decide to add an additional ten-minute session to your day. Soon, you'll notice your sense of well-being increasing as your stress levels diminish.

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Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D? - Minimize Your Risk of Osteoporosis

This is a repost from the Millar Chiropractic Clinic website.

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?

Vitamin D has been in the news a lot recently.  This important vitamin has been strongly associated with preventing cardiovascular disease, preventing autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, lowering cancer risks, and helping to prevent diabetes.1 Vitamin D seems to be a miracle nutrient for helping to fight many serious diseases, and yet vitamin D deficiency is common in the United States.2  One reason may be because it is difficult to get vitamin D from your diet. Very few foods are natural sources of vitamin D. The main source of vitamin D for humans is sunlight. Mid-day sun exposure causes cells in the skin to produce vitamin D. Unfortunately, most Americans don't spend enough time outside, sans sunscreen, to get sufficient sunlight on their skin to satisfy their normal daily requirement of vitamin D. It is usually necessary to supplement this crucial nutrient by taking vitamin D3 capsules or by consuming things that are fortified with Vitamin D, such as milk, yogurt, and other foods.  For strong, healthy bones Vitamin D can assist the absorption of the mineral calcium in the intestinal tract.  Vitamin D also assists bone cells in utilizing calcium to create new bone. In adults, new bone is only built when it is needed, such as when the body is exposed to mechanical stress. Exercise is the best kind of mechanical stress to stimulate this bone-building mechanism. It takes more than just taking a bunch of supplements each day to experience the greatest benefits. It is also important to make exercise a regular part of our lifestyle to truly get the most out of the nutrition we provide our bodies. When we perform weight-bearing exercise such as walking, bicycling, sprinting, and strength training - our bodies respond by creating new muscle tissue, but also new bone as well. This is a commonly known physiologic principle called Wolff's Law, which dictates that bone will remodel along the lines of physiologic stress. In other words, bone responds to mechanical challenges by building more bone. The result is bones with increased density and strength.  Bones that are stronger and more dense are significantly less likely to fracture.  Exercise is very important when striving to prevent the typical loss of bone mass that causes osteoporosis in so many postmenopausal women and seniors. Chiropractic care helps to assist these metabolic processes. All of our metabolic processes are controlled by signals from the nerve system. These nerve impulses help our cells to know when to begin and end these complex biochemical processes. Chiropractic care can help to make sure your nervous system is free of interference so that your cells receive the proper signals they need for optimal health and well-being. Your Millar chiropractic physician is experienced in nutritional health and wellness, and he or she can help develop a nutrition plan that is suited to you. 1 Cavalier E, et al:Vitamin D: current status and perspectives.Clin Chem Lab Med 47:1, 2009 2 Holick Me, Chen TC: Vitamin D deficiency: a worldwide problem with health consequences. Am J Clin Nutr 87(4):10805-10865, 2008

Minimize Your Risk of Osteoporosis It is a common fear in many seniors that they will develop osteoporosis. When someone with osteoporosis falls and breaks their hip, it usually takes longer for them to recover, and they may never be as fully-functional as they were previously. Hip fractures in the elderly may even be fatal at times, if the  person ends up with a blood clot making its way to a major blood vessel in the brain or to the lungs. So it is worthwhile to make an effort to prevent osteoporosis. The excellent news is that prevention is not difficult, though it does necessitate a certain amount of attention, work, and discipline. The most important things you can do to minimize your risk of osteoporosis is to make sure you get enough vitamin D and calcium, and to exercise regularly. Even if you're an older person who hasn't exercised in many years, now is the time to make the effort . Make sure to get your medical doctor's approval, especially if you've been sedentary or have any health issues.  Also see your chiropractic physician for guidance regarding the exercises that are best for you.

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Treating Whiplash Naturally

This is a repost from the Millar Chiropractic Clinic website.

Treating Whiplash Naturally

Strengthening Your Core

Having a strong core helps reduce the impact of any whiplash injury.  The muscles of your core are the deepest layer of muscles in your body.  These muscles include the tiny muscles connecting each pair of vertebras, the thin sheets of muscle connecting groups of vertebras, the four muscle groups that make up the abdominal muscle group, and the small muscles that help to stabilize the floor of the pelvis. Core muscles are usually worked in typical strength-training routines. That is because these muscles are normally engaged when you work any of the major large muscle groups, providing stabilization during these large movements. Pilates and yoga are two types of exercise which focus on strengthening the core muscles. Even aerobic exercise such as running, swimming, and biking include a side benefit of helping to train the body's core. When the core musculature is appropriately toned and strengthened, the ability to withstand unusual physical forces is significantly increased. A strong core will help a person better tolerate the forces involved in a whiplash injury, reducing the degree of injury.

You could be driving home from the grocery store, stopped at a red light when - bam! - your car suddenly and without warning jolts forward and then backward.  You've been hit from behind by another car.  Probably by someone who was texting or chatting away on their mobile phone. Or perhaps you're a passenger in a vehicle when the driver suddenly and violently slams on the brakes causing your head to rock forcefully forward and backward.

Or maybe you enjoy an adrenaline rush and decide you would like to try bungee jumping. You jump off the platform, enjoying the exhilaration as you dive into space, tethered by an elastic cord which eventually jerks your body, traumatizing your muscles and joints with significant physical forces while you helplessly bounce back and forth.


Within several days, most likely later the same day or following morning, you begin to experience neck pain. You might also have headache, back pain, shoulder pain, dizziness, nausea, and pain or numbness radiating down one or both arms. You have whiplash - a traumatic injury to the muscles, ligaments, and spinal joints of your neck and upper back.^1,2

If you're fortunate you'll feel better in a few days. If the trauma was moderate to severe, the various complaints will linger and may even worsen. As is the wise course of action with any illness or injury, if you're not getting significantly better right away it's important for you to see your doctor.  In the case of an injury to your head and neck, it is advisable to see your doctor as soon as possible, even if you think the injury is mild.

Your chiropractic physician is an excellent choice for the examination, evaluation and treatment of injuries due to whiplash. Millar Chiropractic Clinic has a branch that specializes in the evaluation and treatment of auto accident injuries and other less common types of personal injury.  Your experienced Millar chiropractic physician will be able to determine the nature and extent of the damage to your ligaments, muscles, and skeletal system. 

A series of x-ray is critical in the evaluation of whiplash, because even seemingly modest forces can cause the fracture of one or more vertebras in your neck. The proper evaluation of nerve function, including both the cranial and spinal nerves, is also extremely important. Pain and/or numbness radiating into one or both arms suggests injury to a cervical nerve root and requires a thorough assessment.

If no fractures have been identified, chiropractic treatment can begin immediately. Over time, chiropractic treatment will help to reduce the inflammation of injured ligaments and muscles, restoring the normal ranges of motion to your neck. With this powerful form of natural healing you'll begin to make incremental, steady progress, recovering the ability to participate in all your daily activities with reduced levels of pain and discomfort.

Chiropractic treatment provides optimal therapy for whiplash injuries, allowing your body to recover and return to normal by utilizing its own restorative powers.



¹Kasch H, et al: Clinical assessment of prognostic factors for long-term pain and handicap after whiplash injury: a 1-year prospective study. Eur J Neurol 15(11):1222-1230, 2008
² Chen HB, et al: Biomechanics of whiplash injury. Chin J Traumatol 12(5):305-314, 2009

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Don't Forget to Eat Your Vegetables!

This is a repost from the Millar Chiropractic Clinic website.

Don't Forget to Eat Your Vegetables!

The Benefits of Fruit

The familiar saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is actually quite accurate. Red Delicious, Gaia and Granny Smith apples all have high concentrations of flavonoids - phytochemicals that are powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants protects against free radical damage thereby assisting in the fight against aging, heart disease, atherosclerosis, inflammation and cancer. Other enticing sources of flavonoids are red grapes, raisins, oranges, figs, plums, and berries such as blueberries, blackberries, cranberries and raspberries.  Flavonoids are even found in avocados and walnuts, which are also high in healthy fats. Try adding some organic berries to some whole milk organic yogurt for a delicious snack or light meal. The phytochemicals provided by vegetables and fruits can enhance your health and longevity.

Most kids are not very fond of vegetables. Some will go through the motions, pushing broccoli spears and lima beans around their plate a few times, while very little actually makes it into their mouth.

And yet, we would love to have our children eat their vegetables on a regular basis. The best way to accomplish this is to prepare fresh veggies each day, and to set a good example by eating the veggies on our own plates!

Why is making this a priority worth your time and effort?  Mainly because vegetables contain a plethora of very powerful ingredients that help keep us healthy and help us ward off a wide range of serious illnesses.^1,2 These amazing substances that we call phytochemicals give vegetables and fruits their big nutritional kick!  Brightly colored vegetables and fruits contain both the most nutrients and the most phytochemicals.

Some of the phytochemicals you may have heard of include the flavonoids, found in colorful fruits such as cranberries and blueberries,³ and lycopene which is found in tomatoes. Phytochemicals can have many varied effects - some are powerful antioxidants, while others may stimulate enzyme activity or produce a positive hormonal reaction. What they all have in common however is the ability to promote health and well-being and to enhance the performance of those who regularly consume these powerful ingredients.

Why are antioxidants so important?  They protect the cells of your body from the free radicals that are a byproduct of normal metabolic activities. Eating a well-balanced diet with plenty of colorful vegetables and fruits can provide the necessary antioxidants to neutralize destructive free radicals.

If we fail to consume our daily requirement of vegetables and fruits, our antioxidant reserves eventually become depleted, leaving free radicals to damage cells and cause disease. Certain types of cancer, for example, are linked to free radical damage.

It is important to realize that vegetables, like those broccoli spears your Mom used to make you eat, are much more than meets the eye. (Or taste bud in this case.)  Broccoli is in fact a superfood which is loaded with antioxidants and cancer-fighting phytochemicals.

Carrots are another superfood with health-enhancing effects. They contain beta-carotene which is another important antioxidant. A portion of the beta-carotene you consume is converted by your body into into Vitamin A, which  can bolster your immune system and help to protect your digestive tract.

Tomatoes are another top super-vegetable. They contain abundant lycopene which is a very powerful antioxidant that is responsible for their bright red color. Lycopene offers proven health benefits in the areas of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and cancer.

Consuming vegetables each day provides tremendous benefit for people of all ages.  For optimal nutrition, make an effort to enjoy five to nine portions of vegetables and fruits each day.  The most ideal ratio would be to eat slightly more veggies than fruits, if you can.

Your Millar Chiropractic physician has had extensive training in nutrition and will be happy to assist you in designing food plans that will work for you and your entire family.


¹Hayes JD, et al: The cancer chemopreventive actions of phytochemicals derived from glucosinolates. Eur J Nutr 47(Suppl 2):73-88, 2008
²Nair S, et al: Natural dietary anti-cancer chemopreventive compounds: redox-mediated differential signaling mechanisms in cytoprotection of normal cells versus cytotoxicity in tumor cells. Acta Pharmacol Sin 28(4):459-472, 2007
³Vinson JA, et al: Cranberries and cranberry products: Powerful in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo sources of antioxidants. J Agric Food Chem June 2008 (in press)

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Help Your Child Excel in School

This is a repost from the Millar Chiropractic Clinic website.

Help Your Child Excel in School

Each year it seems that American kids are subject to increasing pressure to perform well on more and more standardized tests, and each year they appear to fall further behind children around the world, especially in math and science. It takes more to excel academically than just showing up to classes and managing to stay awake throughout the school day. Children have a natural propensity toward learning, but unfortunately this innate desire to acquire new knowledge and experiences is diminished in many kids at an early age.  Teachers are frustrated as they feel forced to "teach to the test" - spending the bulk of their time preparing students to do well on standardized tests rather than engaging their students' natural curiosity and encouraging their love of learning. Many teachers complain that they no longer have the time help their students expand their horizons with creative thought or explore new territory.  The smartest kids are often the ones who become bored the easiest and remain bored if they're not appropriately challenged. So how can we help our kids excel when the educational system is not always able to engage even the best and brightest children?  It may seem simple, but making sure our children are healthy, with a strong sense of well-being, is a good place to start. One interesting development in cognitive science (the study of how people learn) in the last decade is the importance of physical activity in relation to human performance. 1,2 The results are conclusive - research proves that physical activity is highly correlated to learning and academic achievement. Active kids are explorers. They are more alert and interested in the world around them compared to their more sedentary counterparts. Active children have an innate impulse to develop and grow. What kind of exercise is best for our children? The good news is that the type of exercise doesn't really matter. It's all beneficial for cognitive development, whether your child is running track, playing tag, roller skating, playing soccer, or biking around the neighborhood. It's the amount and frequency that matters most, not the specific type of the exercise.  It is recommended that every child get at least an hour of some type of physical activity every day. It doesn't have to be an hour all at once though.  Spreading it out throughout the day works just as well, perhaps even better if your child has a tendency to be overly sedentary the rest of time. The most important aspect though is that your child is consistently active. Chiropractic care can play a significant role in a child's development. Regular chiropractic checkups and treatment can improve the functioning of a child's musculoskeletal system, thereby helping to improve their physical performance.  It can also help a child recover quickly from any injuries that may result from sporting or other activities. By enabling a child to continue with the fun and rewarding physical activities they enjoy, chiropractic care also helps them improve their academic performance. The result is a much more well-rounded young person - a child whose interests may extend not only to the sports field, but also to the science lab, math club or music room.

Chiropractic for Kids - Pays a Lifetime of Dividends   Children are usually more in touch with their natural rhythms and innate healing abilities. For the most part, if a child has had a busy day, filled with physical activities, he'll most likely fall asleep the moment his head touches the pillow. For adults, it is usually a very different story. After a busy day, an adult will often find it difficult to fall asleep.  Instead they may lie in bed reviewing things that happened, repeating conversations in their minds, and perhaps imagining how they could have had a more positive outcome. Children tend to live much more in the present moment, and they're able to get their needed rest more easily and efficiently. Children also naturally recover from injuries more quickly than adults. They can fall down hard and bounce right back up. If a child breaks a bone, it will usually heal in a few weeks rather than the six weeks it will often take for an adult to heal a fracture. A child's natural healing abilities are enhanced even more with chiropractic care.  Because their healing powers are so much stronger, kids' bodies absorb the many benefits of chiropractic treatment and immediately put them to good use. If they were feeling unwell, their return to good health is usually very quick, and if they were already feeling great, their little bodies will be even more optimized. Chiropractic care helps kids maximize the joys of being kids!

¹Hillman CH, et al: The effect of acute treadmill walking on cognitive control and academic achievement in preadolescent chiildren. Neuroscience 159(3):1044-1054, 2009
² Ploughman M: Exercise is brain food. The effects of physical activity on cognitive function. Dev Neurorehabil 11(3):236-240, 2008

 

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Decompressing Your Spine

This is a repost from the Millar Chiropractic Clinic website.

Decompressing Your Spine

Chiropractic Care Can Help Improve Your Coordination, Balance and Flexibility

Coordination, balance and flexibility are innate human functions which give grace and beauty to our physical actions. Even if you are not a professional athlete, you can still enjoy functioning at the peak of your own individual capabilities. Chiropractic can help you achieve this by making sure that your central mechanism of coordination balance and flexibility (your spinal column and related musculature) is functioning at maximum efficiency. Chiropractic care can help you achieve your best performance - improving your overall health, enhancing your creativity and optimizing your physical abilities.

Your spinal column has intervertebral discs (IVDs) that make up a quarter of this segmented structure's entire length. That works out to a total combined height, of all your spinal discs, that is about six or seven inches. As time goes on, the IVDs start to lose more of their water content, causing the discs to shrink. This is usually one of the reasons people lose some height as they age.

The majority of jobs today require an abundance of sitting. For many jobs, workers sit virtually all day long, five days a week. When you're sitting or standing in an unchanging position, gravity bears down on your spine at a constant rate of 32 ft/s².  Over time, this unrelenting force will compress the spine making each disc thinner.

It is important to do what we can to reverse the trend of disc compression and expand our discs back up instead - restoring our spinal discs, improving our posture, and regaining any lost stature.  We can do this by engaging in activities that decompress the spine and help restore fluids to our IVDs.

Yoga is one such activity that can provide a multitude of health benefits, which also includes decompressing the spine.^1,2,  When done correctly, all yoga postures create a lengthening effect in the spine, particularly when you make each posture active - focusing on lengthening the muscles of your core during each pose.

 

Even taking a yoga class just once each week can result in noticeable benefits, which often includes a sense of being taller. The spinal decompression that results from regular yoga practice will help increase your coordination, balance, and flexibility.  Yoga can also be done easily in your own home.  You will only need a small amount of space and a rubber mat to get started.  Many people enjoy following along to specially produced yoga workouts on DVD.  If you're just starting out, choose one that is designed for beginners, and be careful not to overdo it.  Beginners will especially benefit from taking at least a few classes with a good teacher though, because they can correct your form and help you to learn how each posture is supposed to feel.  Regular, long-term yoga practice can be very beneficial, especially to your spine.

As wonderful as yoga practice can be though, it is not for everyone.  If you already have a significant amount of disc compression and are having any neck or back pain, or pain radiating into any of your extremities, it is vital to have a full chiropractic evaluation first.  If you have a herniated disc or other significant spinal problems, your doctor may recommend a sequence of decompression traction, which is very effective in helping to restore the compressed and herniated discs in many cases.

¹Jeng CM, et al: Yoga and disc degenerative disease in cervical and lumbar spine: an MR imaging-based case control study. Eur J Spine 20(3):408-413, 2011

²Williams K, et al: Evaluation of the effectiveness and efficacy of Iyengar yoga therapy on chronic low back pain. Spine 34(19):2066-2076, 2009

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Repetitive Stress or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

This is a repost from Millar Chiropractic Clinic website.

Repetitive Stress or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

What You Can Do For Repetitive Stress Syndrome:

Resting the affected extremity will give your overused tendons and muscles the opportunity to heal.  Additionally, it is important to notice your posture and to perform exercises which are designed to strengthen your wrists, forearms and shoulders. To improve your posture, pay attention to the position of your shoulders.  Many people tend to raise them up toward their ears as they become more stressed.  Gently remind yourself to relax those tight neck and shoulder muscles, allowing the shoulders drop down to a lower and more relaxed position.  It can be helpful to shrug your shoulders up first, holding them briefly as high as you can lift them, and then letting them drop even lower as you release the shoulder shrug.  Repeat this several times throughout the day. You can also roll your shoulders forward, and then back, to help reduce shoulder tension even more. Also remember to take a break from the computer every 30 to 60 minutes, and get up to stretch or walk around.  It is well worth the effort to train your non-dominant hand to control your mouse or track-pad.  Switching back and forth from one hand to the other will effectively reduce your repetitive stress in half.

Like many Americans, you've probably been spending a lot of time on your computer - researching topics, reading reviews and comparing products, shopping, reading articles, blogs and forums, watching videos, typing, and most of all dragging and clicking your mouse repeatedly. You may have begun to notice a chronic dull ache in the wrist you use with your mouse. There may also be a tingling sensation in your thumb, and pain in your forearm when you move your fingers.  You may assume that you have carpal tunnel syndrome.

It's actually quite a bit more likely that you've developed something we refer to as repetitive stress syndrome, which usually responds well to chiropractic treatment.

It is not unusual for internists, family physicians, and even many orthopedists to misdiagnose repetitive stress syndrome as carpal tunnel syndrome.  When a patient presents with wrist and thumb pain, many physicians jump to the conclusion that it is carpal tunnel syndrome. This unfortunately results in unnecessary neurologic testing, needless medication, and unwarranted surgeries.

True carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is relatively uncommon.  It is usually associated with pregnancy, rheumatoid arthritis, or decreased thyroid activity.^1,2 Another indicator for CTS is that the pain is increased at night, and decreases with activity.  Here is a simple test for CTS that you can try at home: place the tips of your thumb and index finger together, forming a circle, and hold this position while another person attempts to pull your fingers apart. If your fingers are strong and can keep the circle closed, you probably don't have CTS.

The forearm, wrist and tendon pain that is common after prolonged use of a computer is due to RSS, which stands for repetitive stress syndrome. What exactly is RSS and what causes it?  Basically, it's the result of repeating the same activity too frequently and over too long a period of time.  The pain caused by RSS can be extremely uncomfortable and cause a significant amount of frustration and limitation.

If you are suffering from RSS, it is important to rest the effected areas of the body and avoid the irritating activities.  If you are experiencing computer-related repetitive stress on your dominant side, it is very helpful to  begin using your mouse with your opposite hand. It can be a bit challenging at first, but it's a highly effective way to alleviate your RSS symptoms.  Eventually, when your dominant hand/wrist is feeling better, you can continue to use your non-dominant hand, or switch back and forth throughout the day to lessen your risk of RSS re-occurrence.

Chiropractic treatment may also be helpful in treating RSS.  There are various musculoskeletal problems - most notably tight neck and shoulder muscles - that may contribute to RSS.  Your chiropractic physician will perform a complete evaluation to determine the source of the problem.

Treatment often includes gentle chiropractic adjustments to improve the mobility of your neck and to reduce stress and tension in your neck and shoulders. Trigger point therapy will also help to relax the tight muscles in your shoulders, wrist and forearm, and will help to alleviate the physical discomfort that accompanies RSS.

Chiropractic treatment, rehabilitative exercises, and resting the affected areas will often result in rapid improvement - decreased pain, greater mobility, and the ability to focus on the work you want to get done, rather than the pain that is getting in your way!


¹Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/carpal_tunnel/detail_carpal_tunnel.htm.
²Piazzini DB, et al. A systematic review of conservative treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Clin Rehabil 21(4):299-314, 2007.

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Aging Parents

This is a repost from Millar Chiropractic Clinic website.

Aging Parents

Essential Nutrients for Baby Boomers

It is important to ensure we are getting all the nutrients necessary for optimal health and wellness, especially as the years advance.  Some of the common concerns of Baby Boomers include maintaining strong bones, an agile mind, a strong immune system and good nerve function throughout the body.            Various vitamins and minerals can help to support these goals. Vitamins C and D helps to strengthen the immune system, protecting against colds and flu. Vitamins C and E are powerful antioxidants, which help to protect against a variety of serious diseases and disorders, including heart disease and cancer. Another nutrient - Astaxanthin - is one of the most powerful antioxidants available.  It's not a vitamin though.  Astaxanthin is the natural carotenoid that gives salmon its pink color.  It is a free-radical scavenger that can help protect your skin, joints, muscles, brain and nervous system. B-complex vitamins are important to support nerve system function. B-vitamin deficiencies can lead to memory problems and other neurological disorders. Calcium and vitamin D are important for strong, healthy bones. In combination with regular weight-bearing exercise, these vitamins and minerals can help prevent or minimize decreased bone mass. For optimal health and nutrition, choose healthy, whole foods (organic as much as possible) and make sure you are getting the nutrients you need.

The average age of Americans has been increasing each year.  There were approximately 77 million live births between the years of 1946 and 1964 in the United States - the generation referred to as the "baby boomers". In 2012, the oldest baby boomers will turn 66, with an average lifespan of 83. Many will live well into their 90s.¹ Typically, people continue the habits throughout their lives that they developed in their youth. Unfotunately, for the majority of Americans, this includes a sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition, and a lack of regular exercise.

As we age, our bad habits seem to catch up with us.  The sugar, simple carbohydrates and fast foods we regularly indulged in as teenagers and young adults now seem to add additional pounds with each passing year. The lack of regular exercise which seemed inconsequential, now predisposes us to heart disease, high blood pressure and weakened immune systems. 

Mature adults who resist the importance of regular exercise and proper nutrition are also missing the joy of having a vibrantly healthy body and the positive mental and emotional states that result. It's never too late to start. Even older adults can become wonderfully fit, or at least acheive a significant improvement, perhaps feeling more youthful than they have in decades.

If you are a younger adult with aging parents, consider setting a good example for fitness. Helping your parents become more fit is one of the greatest gifts you can give them.

Regular exercise is the first example and probably the most important. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends 30 minutes of exercise five times per week.  Sadly, the majority of American adults do not exercise at all. Help your parents get into a routine of regular exercise by inviting them to go for walks or show them a few basic exercises that can be done at home. 

Exercise DVDs produced specifically for seniors can be a good option to get older adults exercising.  It is always wise to get a doctor's approval before beginning an exercise program.  This is especially true when one has been very sedentary and hasn't exercised in a long time, or if there are any health problems involved.  But if they have been given the greenlight and have an interest in working out in the privacy of their own home, here are some exercise DVDs for seniors which may be a good way to get them started.

Getting started is key.  Encourage your parents by helping them to see how it will add fun and joy to their lives.  It's best to present it an enjoyable choice they might like to make, rather than nagging them about what they "should" be doing.

You can also set a good example with nutrition. Invite your parents over for a healthy dinner, or take them out to a healthy place.   You can talk to them about eating smaller portions, and avoiding fried and processed foods.  Restaurant portions are usually at least twice the size of appropriate servings.  If your parents tend to overeat, set an example by boxing up half of your entree at the start of your meal, or by sharing an entree with your spouse.

One of the easiest changes to make is to stop drinking sodas and other sweet drinks - including artificially sweetened drinks which are even worse than sugar-laden choices.  Sweet drinks are filled with empty calories which can wreak havoc with your blood sugar and add extra pounds each year. 

As a person ages, they typically produce smaller amounts of the enzymes needed for digestion.  To compensate, it is usually helpful to avoid drinking liquids during meals as much as possible to prevent diluting the digestive enzymes.  Instead, try drinking a glass of water 20 to 30 minutes before a meal and avoiding drinking anything at meal time, except perhaps a small glass of red wine which offers some health benefits and doesn't interfere with digestion.

For most people, changing their eating habits late in life can be especially challenging.  Help your parents learn how to take small steps in the direction of improved nutritional habits, rather than attempting to change everything at once. As with exercise, try to make better eating habits a positive choice.

It helps if we actually walk the talk rather than just tell other people about what they should be doing differently.  Hopefully our loved ones will mimic the positive changes they see us making. We can enjoy making health-promoting choices, with the awareness that we're giving our extended family a good example to follow. 

Your Millar chiropractor is an expert in using nutrition and exercise as a means of acheiving and maintaining good health. They will be happy to provide valuable information on both of these topics for you and your whole family.



¹MetLife Demographic Profile. MetLife Mature Market Institute, New York, NY, 2006

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Clinical Depression

This is a repost from the Millar Chiropractic Clinic website.

Clinical Depression 

Chiropractic Care Can Help

Chiropractic care focuses on the nerve system of the body and improving the biomechanics of the musculoskeletal system. It is very common for chiropractic patients to notice improved functioning, and to experience a significant reduction in chronic pain.  This reduction of chronic pain is frequently of tremendous benefit to those suffering from clinical depression. Optimizing the nerve function with chiropractic care is an important prerequisite for acheiving optimal well-being and vibrant health. By focusing on optimizing your nerve function and biomechanics, your chiropractic physician assists your body's self-healing mechanism across various systems. As the patient's chronic pain begins to reduce and resolve, significant stresses are removed from their brain and other components of their nerve system. The associated psychological stress may also begin to be diminished as a result of the reduction in pain and the improved biomechanics, often resulting in chronic depression beginning to be lifted.

Historically, depression was usually treated as a psychological problem with treatment that sought to unravel the life circumstances and experiences which were considered the cause of a person's depression. Over the last couple decades however, we have become increasingly aware that depression can be the result of various physical disorders.  Seeking to discover and treat the physical causes of depression can be a tremendous relief to those who have failed to progress under more traditional treatments.

 People who suffer from depression often experience both psychological and physical pain. It is not surprising that a person who suffers from significant and chronic physical pain will often become depressed.  Conversely, depressive states can also cause physical pain. A person may become trapped in a feedback loop when they experience chronic physical pain that makes them depressed, and this depression then makes the physical pain worse.  It becomes a vicious circle, especially when physical pain discourages the person from taking physical action that would help alleviate the depression.

Additionally, changes in brain physiology, specifically its electrical activity, may cause a person to be depressed.  Research suggests that abnormal electrical activity in a person's brain can result in a depressive state. The brain's electrical activity is evaluated by a method known as quantitative EEG (QEEG).¹ For individuals who suffer from clinical depression, the QEEG often demonstrates too much slow-wave activity in the left front brain (prefrontal cortex) and too much fast-wave activity in the right prefrontal cortex.

Depressed people lose interest in activities they may have previously found enjoyable. Depression can interfere with the individual's work and/or school activities, social life, family life, and have a negative impact on their overall health. They may become despondent, with a noticeable lack of energy.  A decreased appetite is also quite common among depressed individuals, and they also tend to lose any interest in (and the motivation to perform) any exercise.

That last point is particularly unfortunate, because regular exercise is one of the most effective ways to lessen or prevent depression.  Although beginning any kind of exercise program may seem impossible to a depressed person with a profound lack of energy, it really can be key to alleviating depression.  Even a short daily walk may be enough to start a positive feedback loop that may encourage even more increased activity and a greater interest in life.

Because chiropractic care can help relieve chronic pain and improve the functioning of the musculoskeletal system, it may also be of great benefit for people who suffer from clinical depression.  Reducing the chronic pain which often accompanies depression can be a great relief, improving the person's mood and making it easier for them to engage in the physical activity they require for a healthy body and mind.

 

¹Hargrove JB, et al: Quantitative electroencephalographic abnormalities in fibromyalgia patients. Clin EEG Neurosci 41(3):132-139, 2010

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