A Chiropractic Story

April 17, 2009 at 10:16 am · Filed under Chiropractic

A Chiropractic Story

The first chiropractic miracle occured before the term “Chiropractic” was coined. A Canadian, by the name of DD Palmer, who proclaimed himself a “magnetic” healer, set up shop in downtown Davenport, Iowa. In 1895 a hearing impaired gentleman, Harvey Lillard, injured his back and so he sought DD’s help. DD examined Mr. Lillard’s back and found a protruding vertebrae along his spine. It appeared this vertebrae was far more prominent than the others and it lacked alignment in relation to the rest of his vertbral column. In an attempt to reposition it DD applied gentle force to the vertebrae, thus aligning it with the rest of the spine. Both DD and his patient were astounded when the vertebrae released but even more dumbfounded when, over the next few days, the patient’s hearing began to improve. The outcome of this patient’s case led DD to further research the anatomy of the spine and the assocation between spinal misalignments, neural compromise, and bodily dysfunction. What DD discovered and built upon became the basis behind the Science, Art and Philosophy of Chiropractic care.

My friend and colleague, Dr. Josie Buttice, practices Chiropractic in Montreal, Canada. A miracle recently occured in Dr. Josie’s clinic. Here is her story:

Karen, a woman in her late thirties, came to see me a year ago for severe back pain. A couple of times a month Karen’s back siezed and each time the spasms would last for five or more days. As well, her history indcated lifelong problems with TMJ (jaw click), painful periods, and, from birth, Karen had no vision in her left eye in spite of an operation at the age of ten to correct the condition. The conclusion, based on the surgery, was that her retina was so small nothing further could be done. It was also noted Karen’s vision in her right eye was gradually deteriorating and as a result she was forced to stop working. Further notes disclosed a traumatic event that occured eight years ago when, due to a fire in her apartment building, she was forced to jump from a second story window in order to save herself. Finally, last but by no means least, Karen has a sixteen year old special needs child who suffers from epiliptic seizures. Needless to say, this woman has suffered unimaginable physical and emotional stress.

Upon completion of the evaluation Karen asked the question so many people ask: “Dr. Josie, can you help me?” I told Karen I would be adjusting the vertebral subluxaions, thus allowing her nervous system to function better. I told her this treatment will increase life force throughout her body and it will allow healing to take place. Once the nervous system is free of interference and the body is allowed to heal, there is no question that the patient will start to feel better! I told Karen I couldn’t guarantee the percentage of improvement or exatly what will happen, but I assured her that changes will most certainly occur. So I started adjusting Karen three times a week.

At her first appointment Karen experienced severe discomfort during the cervical adjustment and after the treatent reported feeling dizzy and “strange”. During the treatment she had a lot of stimulation so I suggested she rest for a few minutes and take water. When she left the office she was feeling better, the dizziness and strange feeling had disappeared, and she was quite calm. After the next few visits Karen reported the clicking in her jaw was no longer noticeable, and much to her relief her migraines were much less frequent and the severity of the migraines was much diminshed. Her low back pain was still evident, however the most astounding observation was that vision in Karen’s right eye seemed to be improving! Some changes were definitely taking place!

Throughout the first year I saw Karen three times a week for the first few months, then twice a week, and finally her visits were cut down to just once a week. Karen’s tears went from tears of pain, to tears of emotional release, to a total absence of tears and finally, to happy smiles! Karen’s jaw remained “click” free, pain from menstrual cramps decreased, migraines became almost non-existent and the right eye showed enough improvement that Karen was able to resume her place in the work force. One day I performed the usual adjustments on Karen using the same pattern as in previous adjustments and she had her customary reaction, that feeling of “strangeness” she experienced from the very first adjustment. As usual I had her relax and take water. As I was watching over her she was laughing as she described the euphoric “high” she was experiencing. She said several times she was okay, she just needed to rest, but as I watched her I noticed her face was twitching in a strange way and she was covering her eye wth her hand. I thought she was in pain so I urged her to tell me what was wrong. She finally shouted . . . I can see!”. I looked at her and said, “but Karen, that’s your LEFT eye!” She replied, “Yes Dr. Josie, I know”. Karen, who at birth was declared blind in her left eye, could now see! She grabbed her daughter’s notebook and started reading from it! She was squawking, giggling, and yelling that she could see and that her eyeglasses were dirty! What a wonderful, amazing experience, watching this woman who has been through so much mental anguish and physical pain, to see for the first time in her life from an eye, that from birth, had no vision. Truly a miracle!

This “miracle” is simply the work of Chiropractic adjustments that overtime restore adequate motion to the spine, allowing the body and brain to communicate by removing interference to the nervous system. The nervous system travels through the spinal column and shoots off spinal nerves at each vertebral level, thus allowing the body to function at it’s maximum potential. This phenomena releases the patient’s innate ability to heal. Most Chirorpractic miracles go unnoticed because we are so focused on the secondary results of pain relief for which Chiropractic care is recognized today.

How many of you have noticed pain relief, improved concentration, better mood and sense of wellbeing, and increased energy after starting your Chiropractic care? These are not coincidences nor are they miracles. The human body is the true miracle, possessing, with the proper care and respect, a truly amazing ablity to heal itself while constantly striving to improve it’s function.

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Change Your Mind for a Great 2009: Create the Abundance Mindset

March 12, 2009 at 3:44 pm · Filed under Wellness

What will it take to turn our economy around? Many are finding it hard to focus on the positive right now. It’s very difficult to avoid being sucked into the negativity of downtrodden media, plummeting stock market statistics, and stories about the tragic numbers of hardworking people who have lost jobs. It’s likely that you, or one of your loved ones, have been affected, in some way, by our current economic situation. How much longer should we allow this to consume us? We don’t have to. We have the choice to take actions to either rise above or sink.

This is a great article found on mercola.com for those who are ready to turn this situation around and focus on projecting positivity.

How can you creat the abundance mindset? Give away whatever you’ve got. Some people are always running out of time. They’re always in a panic to get things done. If you’re always out of time, then do the sensible thing; give your time away. Some people don’t give away their time because they don’t think there is “enough time” to give. That’s a signal that you’re coming from lack. It’s that lack that keeps you stuck in the scarcity mindset.

Maybe you’re one of those people who holds onto every penny you’ve got. There’s nothing wrong with being frugal, but holding onto your money doesn’t bring more of it to you. Hoarding your money is evidence that you don’t think you have enough.

How do we break this pattern? How do we eliminate this scarcity mindset and create an abundance mindset?

To create the abundance mindset, you have to be willing to give

Here are 6 ways to create the abundance mindset:

1.) Cash Shortage? Give some away. Consider giving money to a friend or family member to help them out. Givers gain.

2.) Are you Short on Time? You can give your time too. Find the balance between giving and recieving.

3.) Lacking Love? You’ve got to give some before you get some. Go out right now and give 5 people you know a big hug.

4.) Stuck With a Problem? Help others first. Think of someone you know that is having a similar problem. Think of a way that you could help them. When you help others wholeheartedly, help will always come back to you.

5.) Lacking Confidence? Give it away. Find someone you know who is lacking in self-confidence and give them a boost.

6.) Short on Creative Ideas? Give them away! Give others creative ways to increase profits to their business. Find a new stimulating career or improve their health.

Be willing to give what you have from where you are and abundance will flow into your life. You will create the abundance mindset.

Sources:
Lifehack February 2, 2009

Related Sources:
Using EFT for Money, Abundance, and Success
The Penny Milli

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Ever Wonder What Is In The Flu Vaccine?

March 5, 2009 at 2:19 pm · Filed under Videos

Eye On the FluShot

This is a comical, yet surprisingly accurate, video on flu vaccine contents.

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Motivational Video

February 12, 2009 at 4:34 pm · Filed under Videos

Motivational Video

Ever need a little inspiration?

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Rocky Balboa's Inspirational Speech

January 22, 2009 at 8:51 pm · Filed under Videos

Rockys Inspirational Speech

Whether you like it or not, Rocky seemed to find a way to inspire us time and time again. Check out this video. Rocky and his son discuss lifes punches and how to block and overcome them.

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Lifetime Wellness Chiropractic Newsletter

December 11, 2008 at 6:27 pm · Filed under Chiropractic, Exercise, Nutrition, Posture, Wellness

Subscribe to our E-Newsletter or check out our archive homepage to view all past newsletter publications!

Follow this link to our archived E-Newsletter homepage.

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The Last Lecture

December 11, 2008 at 5:02 pm · Filed under Wellness

The Last Lecture

A fantastic video by Randy Pausch, now deceased after battling Pancreatic cancer. Pausch talks about achieving your childhood dreams and living life to your fullest potential.

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Importance of Core Strength

December 4, 2008 at 3:13 pm · Filed under Exercise ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

For too long we focused on improving the appearance of our body’s musculature physique. We dieted to look thin. Lifted weights to improve arm and leg tone. Pounded out thousands of crunches and situps to develop our abs, and spent countless hours on cardio equipment and in exercise classes, all to appear and feel strong.

Fitness equipment became more advanced as the years progressed. We went from hand held free weights and flimsy looking universal gyms, to Nautilus, Hammer Strength machines, and other lines of weight loaded equipment. Through all of the fitness buzz and fancy equipment it is very possible that we may have been missing out on an essential workout component to strengthen a portion of our body that is absolutely crucial for improving overall agility, stability, and strength as well as for preventing injuries to the spine and extremities.

Often overlooked because it is buried beneath all of that hard earned, toned physique, the missing link is the core muscle group. A strong core provides a powerful and supportive infrastructure for the body. The core is capable of predicting and interpreting information from the external environment and stabilizing the body to prevent slips and falls. The core is also the foundation for providing the initial explosion behind a kick or punch. A weak core will lead to an overall decrease in functional movement ability and will lead to more susceptability to injury.

Dancers, Yogis, and Pilates practitioners have always had the right idea. They have always embraced core development as the center of their practice. Over the years, health and fitness communities have also caught on. “Core strength” has now become a common buzz word. New core strengthening fitness equipment such as stability balls, medicine balls, Bosu balls, and balance boards have become great additions to gyms. Some people have even incorporated core strengthening programs while at work and utilized their fitness balls in place of office chairs.

We know the word “Core strength” but what exactly is “the core”? How do we know that we are doing the necessary exercises to properly isolate and strengthen those muscles? Which pieces of core building fitness equipment are good purchases?

Anatomically, the core is the body minus the legs and arms. The primary core muscle groups are located in the abdominal region, mid back, and low back. Secondary core muscle groups are located in the hips, surrounding the pelvis, and deep inside the pelvic cavity. Building and maintaining a strong core is essential for maintaining proper posture, stabilizing the entire body (in particular the hips, pelvis, and low back), maintaining spinal, rib, and pelvic alignment, interpreting nervous system information for coordinated movements of extremities, and maintaining balance.

Core weakness can be the result of a sedentary lifestyle, weight gain, poor posture, previous injury, pregnancy, and lack of flexibility. An underdeveloped core leads to instability in the pelvic region, hips, and low back. A weak core can lead to discomfort when standing or sitting for long periods, bending, twisting, and lifting, and will inevitably lead to injury. Low back pain and injury is the most obvious, however, core weakness will quietly disrupt proper posture by altering the normal curvature of the low back, and can lead to poor balance.

The core distributes the stress of weight bearing activities, such as running, jumping, and lifting weight. Besides providing stabilization, a powerful core is at the center of all movement. All explosive movements originate from the center of the body (the core) and move outwards to power all active limb movements. The more stable and powerful the core is, the more powerful the force of the extremities.

Now that we know what the core is and have established that a developed core is the foundation for coordinated movements, stabilization, balance, agility, and posture, we need to know how to strengthen it. A core exercise should target all core muscles to be most effective. The workout should optimally be performed at a frequency of at least three times per weeks. Check out the Mayo clinic website for safe and effective core workouts. Look for instructions on performing basic planks, side planks, crunches, bridges, and other core exercises. Go to a Pilates Reformer or mat class. If you work out at home purchase the Core Secrets video featuring Gunner Peterson. To mix up your workout, throw in medicine balls, stability ball exercises, or balancing on wobble boards or Bosu Balls. If you are new to working out or have sustained a past injury, seek out a qualified personal trainer or other trained individual who can help you to safely and effectively utilize the equipment.

Be ready to feel stronger and more agile. Core strength comes more quickly and is far more important then sought after washboard abs and chiseled arms.

Sarah Deam, DC

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Food Allergies

October 17, 2008 at 8:00 am · Filed under Nutrition ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

Human diets have changed substantially over the decades. Unfortunately, many of the changes have been to our demise. Todays diets are high in saturated fat, loaded with preservatives, are often super-sized portions, and contain poor produce quality to name a few. Each has played a part in increasing rates of obesity, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, chronic pain, inflammatory diseases, chronic headaches, among many other health issues. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence that supports how significantly poor food choices can have an adverse effect on our health and well being. Simply put, we are in charge of our diets. We can make the choices to consume foods that will be beneficial to our body’s physiology and our good health. What happens when we think we’re making the appropriate food selections but we continue to experience symptoms such as poor digestive, chronic pain, head fog, and neurological issues such as depression and anxiety. It is possible that you may be suffering from a food sensitivity.

Food sensitivities and allergies are more common than we are aware of. A food sensitivity can occur when the immune system perceives a certain protein in food as being a threat to the body. The immune system responds by releasing inflammatory chemicals to “fight off” the invador. Normally, this response is what keeps us safe from illness and infection. Unfortunatly, repetitive consumption of the food’s allergenic properties enable this process to occur again and again, with no chance for the body to recover. Inflammation throughout the body leads to a variety of symptoms and illnesses. You may have symptoms of food sensitivities that you are unaware of, or that you have come to accept as “just a part of your immune system dysfunction”. The following are common conditions that can be associated with a food sensitivity or allergy:

Acid reflux
Constipation
Diarrhea
Chronic headaches
Migraines
Sinus problems
Arthritis
Eczema
Asthma

Irritable Bowel Disease
Chronic Fatigue
Hypothyroidism
ADD/ADHD
Type 1 Diabetes
Gallbladder problems
Osteoporosis
Dementia
Multiple Sclerosis

Gluten, dairy, and eggs are some of the most common foods that people can be sensitive to. Unfortunatly, these ingredients are abundant in our diets.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, spelt, kamut, barley, and rye. Immune systems of those who have a gluten sensitivity perceive gluten antigens as a foreign invader and activate an inflammatory immune response. This response causes destruction of the intestinal wall and leads to an inability to adequately absorb nutrients from food. This can lead to malnutrition issues such as anemia and osteoporosis. Worse yet, gluten is everywhere in our food supply! Baking powder, pasta, cottage cheese, soy sauce, beer, marshmallows, even stamp adhesives and envelopes. You can view lists of gluten containing foods at www.celiac.com. For more information on gluten sensitivity, visit www.celiac.nih.gov.

Symptoms associated with gluten sensitivity:

Gas
Recurrent abdominal pain and bloating
Chronic diarrhea
Nausea with or without vomiting
Acid reflux
Weight loss or weight gain
Fatigue
Unexplained anemia
Bone or joint pain
Osteoporosis/Osteopenia
Behavioral changes
Tingling or numbness in the legs (from nerve damage)
Muscle cramps
Seizures
Missed menstrual periods (from malnutrition)
Infertility or recent miscarriage
Delayed growth
Failure to thrive in infants
Pale sores inside the mouth (Apothous Ulcers)
Tooth discoloration or loss of enamel

Dairy is a common sensitivity. We are the only species who, for years, have consumed the milk of another species. Human milk and cow’s milk have an entirely different chemical makeup and because humans were never intended to ingest cow’s milk, we lack the proper enzymes to properly digest dairy products. Worse yet, cow’s milk is known to possess 30 antigenic primary properties. Despite all of this information, dairy has become known and is advertised as the “elixer of health” for strong bones and muscles. Many of us began consuming dairy products at a very early age. In addition to the symptoms of lactose intolerance (inability to digest lactose) there are a multitude of other adverse reactions that have been linked to dairy consumption.

Symptoms associated with dairy sensitivities:

Gas
Abdominal bloating/pain
Diarrhea
Constipation
Gastrointestinal bleeding
Anemia
Nausea and vomiting
Acid reflux
Chronic headaches/migraines
Joint pain/arthritis
Rhinitis
Ear infections
Hay fever
Asthma
Eczema
Depression and mood swings
ADHD
Bed wetting in children

Eggs have long been known to be an allergen in children. Most sources recommend that eggs not be introduced into the diet until the age of 2 years. The proteins in the eggs are the culprit of allergic responses. Unfortunately, eggs are in most processed foods in our diets, pastries, pastas, processed meats, some margarines, candy, ect, but can also be hidden ingredients in lotions, shampoos, vaccines, and medications. You may find eggs referenced as Albumin, Globulin, Livetin, Lysozyme, and Lecithin.

Symptoms associated with egg sensitivity:

Abdominal bloating and pain
Diarrhea
Constipation
Nausea and vomiting
Chronic headaches
Migraines
Rhinitis
Asthma
Dermatitis
Eczema
Hives
Itching of the mouth and tongue
Wheezing

Sensitivities to all or even one of these foods may seem overwhelming. The though of illiminating these foods may seem impossible. No so! Todays grocery stores, like Whole Foods, PCC, and Fred Meyer provide many options for gluten, dairy, and egg free diets. Some of the information contained in this article was extracted from the second edition of The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre. This book is an excellent source of information on food sensitivities and is loaded with recipes to help your quest to eliminate your food sensitivity related health issues.

Sarah Deam, DC

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Change

October 8, 2008 at 12:54 pm · Filed under Wellness

By Heather Denniston, DC

Sometimes I live in a box. Not a cardboard throw-away that used to house somebody’s new big screen TV. I mean that figurative box that you snuggle up inside when your life is coasting along and things are safe and familiar. That box comes in many shapes and sizes and goes by a plethora of aliases; the comfort zone, the status quo, net neutral existance. You look around and say, “Life isn’t exceptional but it is pretty darn good.” Then you notice that it’s quiet…too quiet. That kind of quiet when clouds roll over your head and you say to yourself, “Huh, I wonder what that rumbling noise is?” Then with a crackle and snap your world as you know it opens up and the ground falls out from your firmly planted feet. It still goes by the same name. Change is a sudden loss of a job. Change is a poor report from the doctor. Change is scary. Change is hard.

In the book, Tuesdays With Morrie, Morrie is a wise professor suffering from the terminal repercussions of ALS. He speaks of his situation and says that he allows five minutes in the morning to feel sorry for himself and then he mentally moves past it and onto what he needs to do and experience to get the most out of his final days. I appreciated his insight because his philosophy relates to change as well. When faced with a big, scary, unanticipated changed, allowing a few minutes to say, “why me” and reflect what you’re losing is okay and a natural part of the process of moving forward. However, you then must pull yourself out of the mire and put one foot in front of the other to create the forward motion needed to navigate the eye of the storm. This forward motion is the only means by which you can emerge on the other side and look back to say, “I understand what I was supposed to learn,” or “I had no idea I was this strong,” and if you’re lucky, “I see why this all had to happen this way and what good things were a result.”

When change hit my life, like the death of my father, or the loss of a valuable friendship, did I say, “Hey, I would like my life to be thrown into upheavel so that I can learn some new things?” No, I am human. I like comfortable, not crazy. But because of the changes in my life, am I more clearer, am I stronger, and am I more prepared for the next snowball that life intends to throw in my face? Yes. Would those character strengthening transformations have happened if the thunder hadn’t rolled and the ground hadn’t opened up? Definitly not.

Change is the obstacle course that we must navigate to achieve wisdom. It is our learning playground. Change forces us outside our metaphorical box into the unknown where are senses are heightened and we can be open to learn new things. Change will ask you what you’re made of and allow you to prove to yourself that you are stronger than you ever imagined.

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