It’s Holiday Season – More Stress!

Enjoying a relaxed meal with family and friends is more in keeping with the holiday spirit than creating a fancy
production that leaves you stressed and irritable.

The holidays are often a time for celebration with family and friends. But for many, especially busy working moms, the holidays result in only one thing – more stress! When you add all those holiday-related tasks to a daily routine that’s already hectic – you have all the makings of a major holiday meltdown!

And then… there are the expectations of holiday fun and frivolity with family members near and far. For many, these family get-togethers quickly dissolve into bickering, bantering and out-and-out hostility!

So… what can you do to limit that stress and really enjoy the holidays?

• If finances are a problem this year – you are not alone. Give hand-made gifts or bake some holiday treats. Budget a set amount for gifts and stick to it! Agree with friends and family members that this a good time for everyone to “take a year off.” Or better yet… give the gift of a memory – plan a special outing with those on your gift list!

• Don’t over-indulge in drinking, eating, spending or late nights. You’ll pay for these over-indulgences and could pay dearly in terms of your health.

• Start a new family tradition of giving to others. Participate in your church’s “Giving Tree.” Give a “Toys for Tots” gift. Give an anonymous gift to a family in your community who may have fallen on hard times or lost a family member. Help fill up a food bank – or volunteer at one! Giving of yourself is the best gift – for you and others too.

• Exercise – 30 minutes is all it takes to help you de-stress. And… it’s great for releasing endorphins – those incredible “feel good” brain chemicals!

• Keep it simple – no need to go “over-the-top” and elaborate. Your friends and family would rather have you relax with them instead of rushing around or obsessing over your menu in the kitchen!

• Relax. No one and nothing is perfect. You’re human. You’re one person. Resolve to try not to be all things to all people and to take care of you this holiday season!

One way to take care of you is to recognize that the three types of stress – emotional, physical and chemical – are at an all-time high during the holidays. It’s important to have your spine checked to correct subluxations so you can have a healthy nervous system that easily “shakes off” that extra holiday stress. We’ll be looking for you!

Avoid Holiday Stress!

Plan ahead so the pressure of the holidays doesn't make you blow your top!

It's not too early to plan ahead if you want stress-free holidays this year! For many people, holidays aren't relaxing at all and mean lots of extra things to do which creates lots of extra S-T-R-E-S-S! Here are some suggestions to help you manage stress around the end-of-the-year celebrations and relax so that you, and those around you, can enjoy festivities:

1. Set realistic expectations: Don't expect that this will be the year that everyone comes together and gets along if it hasn't happened in the past 10 years! We tend to imagine the holiday we long for, and forget that may be an unachievable dream.

2. Accept your limitations: You cannot be all things to all people so stop trying. Know when to say "no."

3. Take extra special care of yourself: Maintain balance in your eating, sleeping, drinking, and exercise habits. Do something you like, just for you!

4. Find some time to help others: Volunteer in a nursing home, food pantry or hospital and bring some holiday cheer to someone less fortunate. Brighten someone's day when they least expect it with a "random act of kindness."

5. Create healthy traditions for your family: Read a new book, go caroling, see a new holiday movie, anything that involves spending quality time with your loved ones.

6. Focus on the spiritual, rather than material: Remember the reason why we celebrate the holidays in the first place and focus less on all the glitz and the trappings.

7. Stay out of family arguments: Or better yet, try to be the peacemaker and listen without being judgmental. Practice effective communication—listening.

8. Watch frivolous spending: Don't try to outdo other family members with expensive gifts that you will have to pay for later. Better yet – make a gift that comes from your heart!

9. Remember you cannot change other people: You are the only person you can change. If you don't like what someone is doing, create space between you and that person.

10. Have fun: It can be affirming to be surrounded by family. Enjoy it.

How To Catch a Cold

Want to catch a cold? Follow these easy steps!

Some people seem to expect a bout with a cold or the flu each year. If you haven't had your quota yet, here are some things you can do:

1. Eat a poor diet. If you want to catch a cold, make sure your body lacks the vitamins and minerals it needs to keep itself in good repair. Eat lots of processed foods, stripped of their nutritional value. Avoid fresh vegetables and ingest lots of high-fat snack foods.

2. Avoid adequate rest. After neglecting the quality of the raw materials your body needs to repair itself, deprive yourself of adequate rest. Stay up late and reduce the time you sleep as much as possible. Use tobacco, coffee and other stimulants to fool yourself into thinking you have plenty of energy.

3. Stop exercising. To catch a cold, make sure you reduce the effectiveness of your immune and lymphatic systems. Unlike the circulatory system with its pump (the heart), your lymphatic system depends upon exercise and physical movement to circulate these valuable fluids with their germ-fighting abilities.

4. Rarely wash your hands. Increase your chances of catching a cold by compromising your personal hygiene. Remember to use your dirty hands and fingers to rub your eyes, pick your nose or wipe your lips.

5. Think negative thoughts. Look for opportunities to imagine having a cold. Pay attention to news reports about outbreaks of the flu and pay close attention to TV commercials from drug companies that sell products designed for cold sufferers.

6. Invite stress. Stress yourself physically by experiencing extreme temperature and humidity changes. Stress yourself mentally with constant worry or fear. Stress yourself socially by encountering as many ill people as possible.

7. Become dehydrated. Avoid drinking enough water. Reduce the effectiveness of your immune system and other bodily functions by drinking water-removing diuretics such as caffienated beverages, coffee, tea and alcohol.

8. Forget your chiropractic appointments. Ignore the role of a properly operating nervous system, the master control of your immune system. Avoid all preventive strategies and shun our suggestions of periodic visits to help you stay well.

Of course we're joking! The only way to catch a cold or the flu is to make yourself a hospitable host to the millions of cold and flu germs around you every day. Include regular chiropractic care to keep you working at your very best so cold and flu germs aren't made to feel welcome in your body!

Allergic to Stress

There's a good chance the pollen isn't to blame for your allergies.

We often think that stress affects us only in a psychological or emotional sense, so much so that we overlook the physical effects of stress that can be both progressive and debilitating. But stress can trigger headaches, hair loss, irregular heartbeat, sleep troubles, neck and back pain, asthma and even allergies.

Many recent studies have confirmed what researchers have long believed, that psychological stresses can aggravate allergy symptoms. Gailen D. Marshall, MD, PhD, Director of the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston, and his colleagues conducted a study that concluded that stress increased the occurrence of asthma and allergies in a group of subjects who were taking their medical school exams.

Your nervous system constantly filters data and decides how your body should react to stressors. In response, your body produces different hormones and neurotransmitters, such as adrenalin, that affect the immune system. When your body is constantly reacting to stress, it creates an imbalance in your body. If it persists, it can have detrimental effects that cause or aggravate certain conditions, including allergies.

This is why regular nervous system checkups are so important. When your spine is working correctly, your central nervous system and immune system operate the way they were designed, improving your ability to withstand stress.

Remember, it’s not the pollen. It’s not the pet dander. And it’s not “allergy season.” It’s about how your body responds to these potential allergens. Antihistamines dampen your body’s response. Chiropractic care increases your body’s ability to accommodate the stress.

Which approach makes more sense to you?

Stress and Back Pain

We live in very stressful times. A world-wide economic crisis, declining home values, job losses, financial insecurities, an uncertain future… these and other “real life” events cause a lot of people a lot of stress. And that stress is responsible for all types of health problems, including high blood pressure, strokes, insomnia and an increase in the number of people experiencing back pain.

Chronic stress (emotional, physical and chemical) can affect your nervous system’s ability to function correctly, leading to an increased risk for illness and pain. And… when you’re under stress, your muscles get tense and tighten, especially the muscles in your neck and back.

So what can you do about stress-related back pain?

• Learn how to relax muscles through stretching, take “stretch” breaks at work, walk around your building during break or lunch

• Exercise to release stress and endorphins, those “feel good” brain chemicals – brisk walking, cycling, swimming – anything that increases your heart rate and gets you moving is beneficial

• Eat healthy meals – avoid empty calories, sugary snacks and comfort foods that pack on the weight and offer little in terms of nutrition

• Write down your thoughts or talk to a professional counselor – getting the stress out, on paper or in person, helps to relieve stress

• Treat yourself to a massage to ease tense muscles

• Learn to say “no” to anything that will further complicate your life, causing additional stress

• Get plenty of rest – it’s hard to deal with the stress that causes chronic back pain when you’re not well rested

And by all means, make sure you’re staying up to date with your chiropractic adjustments. Chiropractic care helps to “reset” the nervous system so you are better able to fight the negative effects of stress. We certainly see an increase in stress-related back pain as a result of these uncertain times. We want to help you to weather these times, feeling healthy and pain free, so you can deal with whatever comes your way.

More Aspirin, Anyone?

Aspirin, like other NSAIDS, only temporarily masks painful symptoms!

They can be found in just about every medicine cabinet. Millions take them without a second thought. One a day is being recommended to prevent heart attacks! What are they? They are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

You may know these drugs, available without a prescription, by many different names. As a practice interested in natural health care solutions, we see two concerns that some of our patients overlook.

The first danger is from the adverse reactions to these drugs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that about 75,000 people each year in the U.S. visit hospitals due to adverse reactions to these convenient, over-the-counter drugs. About 10% of those die. That may seem like a small danger for the convenient relief NSAIDs offer, unless you or a family member become a statistic!

We think an even greater danger is the philosophical implication of taking these drugs. Aches or pains that prompt their use are warning signs. Like flashing lights that we see when driving, warning signs are to be taken seriously. They protect us. They serve a purpose. Popping a couple of pills to silence our body's cry for change shows a profound disrespect for this miraculous, self-healing body we live in!

Worse, using NSAIDs often reflects the belief that being healthy is about how you feel. But numbing the "alarm bells" your body is sending doesn't make you healthy. You may fool your body but you're not fooling your children. What do you teach them when you take drugs to "feel better" or to make the pain of everyday living go away? How will you explain the difference between a "good" drug and a "bad" drug?

NSAIDs may be convenient. They may save time. They may even allow you to ignore your body for awhile. But there is a price to be paid. Maybe not with stomach bleeding, liver damage or some other side effect. But a price, nonetheless.

Instead of reaching into the medicine cabinet, reach for the phone and call us:(423) 954-9591. Let us find the underlying cause and reduce it with a program of safe and natural chiropractic adjustments that honor the wisdom of your body.

Healthy Habits

Use these 16 suggestions to not only help you get well, but stay well:

1. Ask Questions – understand your health problem and get better results...

2. Keep Your Appointments – each visit builds on the ones before...

3. Get Moving – exercise as you are able; you’re designed to move...

4. Therapeutic Massage – Massage and chiropractic work well together.

5. Better Nutrition – You’ll heal better with the right raw materials.

6. Drink More Water – You’re mostly water. Make sure you get enough.

7. Restful Sleep – Get plenty of sleep so your body can make repairs.

8. Less Coffee – Caffeine, like other drugs, affects your nervous system.

9. Stop Smoking – The health risks are clear. It’s never too late to quit.

10. Moderate Alcohol – Drink in moderation and enjoy the health benefits.

11. Give Up Softdrink – It’s a common culprit linked to many health problems.

12. Proper Weight – Slim down to the correct weight for your height.

13. Limit Media Use – Television watching is unhealthy on many levels.

14. Reduce Stress – Emotional stress underlies many health problems.

15. Spiritual Health – True healing occurs by connecting to a higher power.

16. Remain Hopeful – It takes time. We’re optimistic. You should be too.

Why Fix it if it's Not Broken?

Many health problems fester without serious symptoms, making correction more difficult later.

This is the “Let sleeping dogs lie” approach to health care! I feel fine. Why do I need to see a doctor?

That’s the problem with the lifestyle-induced health problems facing our culture. They quietly fester in the background, slowly worsening, often without any obvious symptom. Arterial plaque builds up. Blood pressure rises. Certain foods now cause heartburn. Every morning you get out of bed a little bit slower and stiffer. You hardly notice the incremental change.

Ironically, these are often the same folks who religiously change their oil and do other preventive maintenance to lengthen the life, appearance and performance of their car!

If you like being your very best, you’ll love visiting our practice. No shots. No yucky medicine. No “healthier-than-thou” attitude. No preaching.

The Case of the Missing Minerals!

We all know about the importance of minimum daily requirements for vitamins in our diets, but what about minerals? Do you know that minerals are actually more important to maintaining a properly functioning body? And are you also aware that more than 80% of us suffer a mineral deficiency in our diets?


Minerals are necessary for many of the body’s processes, such as energy production, bone, teeth and blood formation, the transmission of nerve impulses and enzyme production. Some minerals are more essential than others, and there are some about which little is known concerning daily-recommended intake. Known as trace minerals, or trace elements, deficiencies in these minerals have been linked to specific diseases. (Many believe cancer is related to a selenium deficiency.)


Much of the food we eat is grown in soil that has been stripped of its mineral content. Although trace minerals are naturally found in topsoil, flooding and over-irrigation, along with poor crop rotation, have eroded topsoil, affecting the mineral content of our foods.


The overuse of prescription drugs is another cause of mineral deficiency. Many antibiotics and over-the-counter pain preparations interfere with mineral absorption. Diuretics rid the body of potassium and magnesium. Sleeping pills lower the levels of calcium and magnesium in the blood. Since minerals are vital for normal immune system functioning, the use of mineral-depleting drugs has a direct affect on your health and your body’s ability to fight disease.


Aside from making sure you’re getting an adequate supply of minerals, either through the foods you eat or through supplements, obtaining regular chiropractic care can help you to stay healthy by ensuring that every system of your body (controlled by your nervous system) is functioning at its optimal level.

What is Wellness? Seven Aspects of Wellness

What is Wellness?

Simply put, we experience life through our nervous system. That’s why optimizing our spine and nervous system is the key to becoming all that we can be. Chiropractic care and other healthy habits create new possibilities (click on the image to download your free wellness wheel).








The Wellness Wheel

Print this document to use as your worksheet to take a “snapshot” of your health and well-being.

Seven aspects of Wellness:

Physical - The health of your body

Financial - Stewardship of your resources

Family - Harmony in your home

Social - Ease in social situations

Career - Fulfilling and purposeful work

Spiritual - Connection with a higher power

Mental - Emotional and intellectual development

Common Headache Triggers

Whether you’re a frequent sufferer or not, do you know what might trigger your headaches? If you’re a migraine sufferer you might have some idea, but most people really don’t know at all. They just reach for the medicine cabinet whenever one strikes instead of trying to avoid it in the first place!




Common headache triggers include:

• Stress – Hectic lives and daily work and family pressures often result in tension and migraine headaches. Try to take a break once a day just for you – to relax and unwind, stress-free!

• Sleep – Either too much or too little can trigger headaches in some people. Try to keep a regular schedule of going to bed and getting up at the same time every day – even on your days off!

• Diet – Most migraine sufferers know that certain foods, such as red wine, chocolate, MSG, aged cheese, caffeine and processed foods can bring on a headache. Keep in mind that not eating can also cause headaches – especially in women!

• Smells – Strong odors, such as nail polish, smoke, paint, perfume, and cleaning products, can cause headaches in certain people. If you can identify the odors that trigger your headaches you may be able to avoid some of those offenders.

• Eye strain – If you stare at a computer monitor all day or you squint constantly because you need glasses, you might experience frequent headaches. Take a break from staring at the computer screen every 20 minutes or so and be sure to have your eyes checked!

• Poor posture – If you walk around with hunched shoulders or hold a phone between your shoulder and chin or sit in a chair all day without proper back support – you might get frequent tension headaches.

Try keeping a headache diary that answers these types of questions:

• “What did I eat or drink right before getting the headache?”

• “Did I sleep too little/too much last night?”

• “Am I under a lot of stress in my job?”

• “Am I staring at a computer monitor for too long without taking a break?”

Chiropractic care has shown impressive results in helping patients who have frequent headaches. Please let us know if you’re having this problem so that we can offer you the help you might need! www.docross.com

 

A Real Pain in the Neck

Plenty of things in life are a pain in the neck - why live with something that doesn't　haveto be?


It's a condition called　torticollis, but it's also known as wry neck or stiff neck. It may be present at birth or may develop later, in children as well as in adults. With torticollis, the head is tilted to one side, toward the shoulder, and their chin rotates outward toward the other shoulder. Trying to straighten the head results in pain.

Congenital torticollis　affects babies and it is believed to be caused by birth trauma, a breech birth position, the use of forceps during delivery or position in the womb. Although congenital torticollis isn't painful in an infant, it can cause facial deformity if it's not corrected during the baby's first year.

Generally, a medical doctor will prescribe physical therapy to start with, along with gentle stretching exercises. If these don't work to correct the child's condition, surgery to lengthen the　sternomastoid　muscle, the muscle responsible for causing the head tilt, may be advised.

Acquired torticollis　affects older children and adults. Symptoms include muscle spasms, the head tilt and pain. Causes may include injury to the head or neck, a genetic defect, damage to the nervous system, arthritis and the use of certain medications. Women are at greater risk for the condition than men and typical onset is between the ages of 30 - 60.

In older children and adults, medical doctors may prescribe physical therapy, prescription medications (muscle relaxers, pain killers, and anti-inflammatory drugs) and ultimately surgery, if the condition doesn't resolve itself after a few weeks. Others will say, "Give it time, it will pass."

But why wait? And what if it doesn't just go away? Why should you be in pain when torticollis is a musculoskeletal condition that is caused by muscle spasms and cervical (neck) subluxation (nerve interference)? Who takes care of musculoskeletal conditions best? Chiropractors, who are specifically trained to address musculoskeletal issues, such as torticollis.

In fact, both types of torticollis respond extremely well to chiropractic adjustments. Many patients see a noticeable change in the degree of head tilt and pain after only 4 - 6 visits and complete resolution within six months.

If you or anyone you know is bothered by painful muscle spasms, the inability to turn your head or a head tilt that keeps you from holding your head normally, give us a call to schedule a thorough examination.

 

Regular Visits

Like building a muscle, repetition is the key. It's the same with your chiropractic adjustments.
After the investment of time needed for the first and second visits, many patients become concerned that every visit will be of equal length.

In a word: no. A typical office visit is shorter.

But don’t think a shorter visit lessens its value! With the groundwork laid, we can quickly size up what is happening in your spine and nervous system, adjust you and get you on your way.

Like a regular workout at the gym, each visit builds on the ones before. Miss a visit and we can lose the momentum necessary to make the desired changes.

We recognize your time is valuable. We do everything possible to run on time and minimize any imposition on your busy life

Hot or Cold?

Don't make an injury worse by making the wrong choice!

When should you apply heat? When should you use ice? Confusion abounds about these simple, yet helpful, procedures. Use heat in the wrong circumstances and you can make the problem worse. Here’s what to do and when to do it:

Think back to high school chemistry. How do you slow down a reaction? You make it cool. So, if you’re trying to reduce the inflammation resulting from a new injury, use ice. Ice constricts blood vessels, helping to avoid muscle spasms and reduce swelling. It can also slow nerve transmission of painful symptoms. Ice, when used properly, becomes a natural pain reliever. Apply an ice pack for short periods of time (15 to 20 minutes). Allow an equal amount of time between applications of ice so you don't compound the problem by risking frostbite!

On the other hand, if you want to speed up a reaction, add heat. Topical (or tropical!) heat can help increase blood circulation and help improve flexibility. If you have a history of chronic, long-standing joint and muscle stiffness, it can show temporary improvement with the application of moist heat or a hot bath. Just avoid the dry heat of a heating pad.

I Need a Massage!

Massage + chiropractic = an awesome combination!

You went to the gym, and now every muscle in your body hurts and you’re just aching to get a massage, but it seems like such an extravagance in terms of money and time. Yet, many different activities make up a good wellness routine and massage is just one of those elements in addition to nutrition, exercise and chiropractic care. So there's no need to feel guilty when you call to schedule that massage!
Physical, mental and emotional health benefits of massage:

• Massage improves the circulation of oxygen-carrying blood to the extremities and helps eliminate wastes from the body
• Massage relaxes you, relieves stress and anxiety, and supports feelings of general well-being
• Massage works with your chiropractic care to retrain muscles that support your spine
• Massage helps in managing the pain associated with certain physical conditions, such as arthritis and sciatica
• Massage serves to either stimulate or relax the nervous system, depending on the type of massage being administered

Just keep in mind that a massage is not a substitute for chiropractic care! Although the two may work in conjunction with one another, massage provides “feel good” therapy while chiropractic adjustments keep your nervous system functioning properly. That’s far more important than a temporary “feel good” luxury!

What Kind of Headache?

 

 

Any headache is too many!

You feel a pounding headache coming on, but what kind of headache is it? Are you aware that there are many different types, each with a unique set of causes and symptoms? The most common types of headaches include:

Tension-type Headaches

There are two types, episodic and chronic. Someone with chronic headaches often wakes up and goes to sleep with a headache and feels a constant tightness or ache in the head and neck areas.

Migraine Headaches

A vascular-type headache, migraines are debilitating and often are accompanied by nausea/vomiting and acute sensitivity to sound and light. Women suffer more from migraines than men, possibly due to frequent hormonal changes.

Cluster Headaches

Occurring more often in men, cluster headaches may actually be the most severe of all headaches. They usually only last 30-60 minutes, however, they may recur several times throughout the day. Chronic smoking and alcohol use often contribute to the onset of cluster headaches.

Hormone Headaches

More frequent among women, hormone headaches usually occur in conjunction with PMS and menstruation. Women who take birth control pills may also experience hormone headaches with greater frequency. Symptoms are similar to those associated with a migraine – a one-sided, throbbing headache that includes light/noise sensitivity.

Rebound Headaches

Caused by the over use/abuse of over-the-counter and prescribed headache remedies that often contain caffeine. Headache sufferers tend to use the medications in higher dosages or more frequently than prescribed, causing a headache “rebound effect.”

Do you know someone who complains frequently of headaches? Based on the success our practice enjoys with all types of headaches, improperly moving bones of the upper neck are common culprits.

An Ear Infection ... AGAIN?

 

Children's Health Issues image

Another visit to the doctor for yet another ear infection… There’s got to be a better solution!

You wake up in the middle of the night to that piercing cry… again. It can’t be… but it is… your child has another ear infection. And while it’s heartbreaking to see any child in pain, when it’s your own and it’s the middle of the night, you feel helpless, knowing that there’s little you can do but wait until morning. 

Ear infections account for more visits to a medical practitioner's office than any other illness or condition. About 50% of all children will have their first ear infection before their first birthday, while two-thirds will have had one or more by the age of three. 

Ear infections can be either bacterial or viral in nature. Fever, cold or other upper respiratory symptoms may also be present along with ear pain. Although antibiotics are frequently prescribed, if the infection is viral, these are of no use at all. 

Unfortunately for some children ear infections keep reoccurring, bringing yet another round of antibiotics, which encourages the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. At some point in this cycle, ear tube surgery may be recommended.

Many parents have found that the number and frequency of ear infections in their children decreased following chiropractic adjustments. And although chiropractors don’t treat ear infections, many young patients experience increased immunity that helps their bodies fight all types of infection.

In one study, 80% of the children who received chiropractic adjustments were ear infection-free for at least six months following their first visit. They also received maintenance adjustments every four to six weeks.

Chiropractic adjustments correct misalignments in the spine that can irritate nerves and interfere with the body’s ability to function properly. These misalignments can occur as the result of a fall, an injury, or even the birth process because of the amount of force that’s exerted on an infant’s neck and spine.

By adjusting your child’s neck with gentle, low force pressure the misalignment can be corrected and normal function can return. Your child’s body is then able to heal on its own, without drugs and surgery.

If you have a child who experiences frequent ear infections, please call our practice so that we may arrange a spinal examination for your child – so that maybe everyone can get a better night’s sleep.