5 factors of health

It's November and flu/ebola/crud season is upon us!  What a great time to talk about our health! If you want to know how to get your health back and keep it, then you are in the right place.

So, let's get started by briefly discussing 5 health promoting lifestyle habits. I will go into more detail about each one in the coming weeks.

1. Mindset
Our mindset is basically how we view the world.  Everything gets processed through your perspective on life. That perspective can change based upon how stressed you are, how much sleep you get, or your relationship with others.  A negative perspective will leave you feeling out of sync with yourself and others. 

2. Nerve flow
 Life flows through your nervous system.  Without proper nerve flow, your body will not be able to function at 100%.  Chiropractors are nerve flow specialists. 

3. Nutrition
What we eat is the only fuel our bodies get.  Dietary imbalances such as high carb diets or nutrient deficient diets can cause many health problems, from psychological to physical.

4. Exercise
We all know that exercise is important but do we understand why? Movement is life.  Without movement, we age and die more rapidly. Find an exercise program that both challenges and encourages you.

5. Toxins
In our modern world, it is difficult to avoid exposure to toxins.  They are in the water we drink, the air we breathe, the food we eat.  This daily exposure makes our bodies have to work hard to clean the gunk out and can make us feel run down and tired without even doing anything!  Finding ways to eliminate exposure will great decrease the toxic burden of your body and mind.

How do you maintain a heathy lifestyle? 

6 Ways to Boost Your Immune System This Winter

Well, cold and flu season are upon us once again.  I see ads and signs for flu shots everyday.  It seems you can get a flu shot just about anywhere and for not too much money.  But those shots don't really get your immune system revved up to fight off the bugs over the winter.  Actually it can have the opposite effect.

So, let's talk about some easy things you can do to have the best cold and flu season possible.  By the way, getting a cold or the flu are not the end of the world for most people.  It's simply inconvenient.

1.  Get Adjusted!  I know you saw that one coming!  This is the one thing I do regularly to keep my whole body working at it's best.  It not only relieves aches and pains but frees your nerves up to keep your body at it's peak in every area, whether it be muscles and joints or your stomach and immune system.







2.  Probiotics and prebiotics.  Did you know that 50-90% (depending on what source you read) of your immune system lives in your gut?  That's right! We need bacteria, commonly referred to as germs, in our stomach and intestines to keep our bodies healthy.  So anytime we take antibiotics, the immune system takes a big hit and will not function at it's highest level.  If you have ever taken antibiotics, you should look into probiotics supplements.  A very cost effective way to get probiotics in your system is to make your own fermented foods, kefir, kombucha or yogurt.

3.  Eat Real Food.  Avoid fast food and any boxed pre made foods.  These usually have more preservatives than nutrients, are very cheap, and require little to no work on your part.  It takes time to prepare your meals from real ingredients but the biggest reward is a savings in medical costs.  There are many blogs that will give you tips on meal planning and how to feed you and your family real food everyday without breaking the bank or making you feel like a slave in the kitchen.  There are even meal plans ready made for you with shopping lists and how long you will spend in the kitchen each day.  I subscribe to this one and the recipes have been amazing!  Even the picky eaters in my house have been impressed.

4.  Vitamins and Minerals.  Your body needs a steady supply of vitamins and minerals.  Some of these can only be produced by the bacteria in your gut(see number 2).  When you eat real food, you will be more likely to get the nutrients you need.  Some important immune boosting vitamins are Vitamin D, Vitamin A, B vitamins, Zinc, and Vitamin C.  When you feel some sniffles, supplementing these vitamins will either keep you from getting sick or will at least shorten the time you are sick.

5.  Plenty of rest.  This one is tough for most people.  We live in a society that values productivity above health.  This is certainly seen in our rising healthcare costs.  If more people would listen to their bodies and rest, we would have much better health as a population.  Get enough sleep each night.  When you feel under the weather, don't reach for the symptom suppressors.  Instead go take a nap or go to bed earlier.  I know that's not always possible but you will greatly benefit in the long run if you try for adequate sleep.



6.  Give Hugs.  A 20 second hug stimulates the release of the hormone oxytocin.  This hormone is typically associated with childbirth and breastfeeding but it does so much more!  The release of this hormone helps reduce stress.  The stress hormone, coristol, is the enemy of the immune system.  Because this hormone is part of the fight or flight response, it shuts down the immune system because you do not need that system to run away or fight the "tiger."  So grab a friend or loved one and hug it out for 20 seconds and let some of your stress melt away.

A side note about flu shots:
Flu shots can cause many adverse reactions and I urge you to do research before you line up and let a stranger who is not your primary physician inject you with a toxic substance.  It is safer to have your flu shot recorded in your medical record in case of any adverse reaction.  An adverse reaction can then be linked to the batch your shot came from to help identify if their was a problem with that particular batch. 


What do you do to keep your immune system at its best?

Can you help my Plantar Fasciitis?

First, let's start out with what planter fasciitis is...

Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the thick tissue on the bottom of the foot. This tissue is called the plantar fascia. It connects the heel bone to the toes and creates the arch of the foot.

 

 Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
Plantar...

fasciitis occurs when the thick band of tissue on the bottom of the foot is overstretched or overused. This can be painful and make walking more difficult.

You are more likely to get plantar fasciitis if you have:
• Foot arch problems (both flat feet and high arches)
• Long-distance running, especially running downhill or on uneven surfaces
• Sudden weight gain or obesity
• Tight Achilles tendon (the tendon connecting the calf muscles to the heel)
• Shoes with poor arch support or soft soles

Plantar fasciitis is seen in both men and women. However, it most often affects active men ages 40 - 70. It is one of the most common orthopedic complaints relating to the foot.

Plantar fasciitis is commonly thought of as being caused by a heel spur, but research has found that this is not the case. On x-ray, heel spurs are seen in people with and without plantar fasciitis.
Symptoms

The most common complaint is pain and stiffness in the bottom of the heel. The heel pain may be dull or sharp. The bottom of the foot may also ache or burn.

The pain is usually worse:
• In the morning when you take your first steps
• After standing or sitting for a while
• When climbing stairs
• After intense activity
The pain may develop slowly over time, or suddenly after intense activity.
(original article found here)
1. Wapner KL, Parekh SG. Heel pain. In: DeLee JC, Drez D Jr, Miller MD, eds. DeLee and Drez’s Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2009:section F.
2. Abu-Laban RV, Ho K. Ankle and foot. In: Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, et al, eds. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2009:chap 55.
3. Silverstein JA, Moeller JL, Hutchinson MR.Common issues in orthopedics. In: Rakel RE, ed. Textbook of Family Medicine. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2011:chap 30.

I think everyone has experienced this at some point whether they realized it or not.  I went through it once and didn't realize that my foot pain was actually planter fasciitis. 

So now that we have an idea about what it is and what it feels like, what can a chiropractor do to help?

Obviously the first thing I'm going to do is examine your spine and your foot.  Even though you feel the pain in the foot, the true culprit could be found in your spine.  If I only looked at your foot, we may miss a bigger problem somewhere else.  Many times, the ankle joint is misplaced contributing to the foot pain.

There are also exercises that can help with a fallen arch and reduce foot pain.  Also, look at my post on heel spurs.  Call and make you appointment today!!

Am I dehydrated?

We went on a family vacation to Disneyworld on Labor Day weekend and that was hot and exhausting!

  The first day we did not do a good job drinking water because coke products were more readily

available.  Boy did we all feel crappy!  We were grumpy, had headaches and our legs and feet were hurting.  My hands and feet were swollen from all the walking.  The kids faces were red.  My husband couldn't remember little things which is way weird for him.  It's kinda scary now that I think about it.  We were exhibiting signs of heat exhaustion and possible heat stroke with some dehydrations thrown in.  It's a good thing we would take a break midday to cool down, rest and rehydrate.  The second day we were there, we payed a lot more attention to our water intake and took some breaks in the air conditioned stores an restaurants.



After that experience, I wanted to share with y'all some facts about dehydration.  I know that the weather is turning cooler but we can be dehydrated anytime of year.  More often than not, muscle aches and pains are due to dehydration.

Can Chiropractic help with Heel Spurs/Bone Spurs?

 

 Basic Bone Spur Facts 

 

• A bone spur is a tiny pointed outgrowth of bone.

• Bone spurs are usually caused by local inflammation, such as from degenerative arthritis or tendonitis.
• Bone spurs develop in areas of inflammation or injury of nearby cartilage or tendons.
• Bone spurs may or may not cause symptoms. When they do cause symptoms, the symptoms depend on their location.
• Bone spurs can be associated with pain, numbness, tenderness, and weakness if they are irritating adjacent tissues.
• Bone spurs are detected by radiologic testing, such as with plain X-rays, ultrasound imaging, MRI scan, CT scan, and myelograms.
• Bone spurs are treated only if they are causing symptoms. Initial treatment is directed toward decreasing inflammation and avoiding reinjury when possible.

What causes bone spurs?
Bone spurs are usually caused by local inflammation, such as from degenerative arthritis (osteoarthritis) or tendinitis. This inflammation stimulates the cells that form bone to deposit bone in this area, eventually leading to a bony prominence or spur. For example, inflammation of the ligament that surrounds a degenerating disc between the vertebrae (the bony building blocks of the spine) is a very common cause of bone spurs of the spine. Inflammation of the Achilles tendon can lead to the formation of a bone spur at the back of the heel bone (calcaneus bone). Inflammation of the tissue on the bottom of the foot, plantar fasciitis, can lead to a bone spur at the underside of the heel bone. These bone spurs are sometimes referred to as heel spurs. A bone spur is medically referred to as an osteophyte.
 

Where do bone spurs occur? Bone spurs develop in areas of inflammation or injury in nearby cartilage or tendons. Common locations for bone spurs are in the back, or sole, of the heel bone of the foot, around joints that have degenerated cartilage, and in the spine adjacent to degenerated discs.

What are symptoms of bone spurs? Bone spurs may or may not cause symptoms. When they do cause symptoms, the symptoms depend on their location. Bone spurs can be associated with pain, numbness, and tenderness if they are irritating adjacent tissues, such as skin, fat pads, nerves, or tendons.

Heel spurs cause local foot pain, tenderness, and sometimes swelling. This can lead to difficulty walking due to pain at the bottom of the foot with weight-bearing. Sometimes there is accompanying inflammation of the entire bottom of the foot (plantar fasciitis) when the heel spur occurs in the bottom of the heel bone. Occasionally, bone spurs in this location are a result of inflammatory arthritis, such as from reactive arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, or diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH or Forrestier's disease).

Spurs in the spine can pinch adjacent nerves to cause numbness, tingling, and pain as well as weakness in the area of the body supplied by the affected nerve.
Some bone spurs do not cause symptoms and are incidentally detected by X-ray tests that are performed for other reasons. These spurs may have formed because of past injury to nearby tissues, such as tendons, that caused local inflammation of the bone, leading to the development of the bone spur.

How are bone spurs diagnosed? Bone spurs are detected by radiologic testing, such as with plain X-rays, ultrasound imaging, MRI scan, CT scan, and myelograms.

REFERENCE:Fauci, Anthony S., et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. United States: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2008

 

 

How can a Chiropractor help with Heel Spurs and Bone Spurs?

 

A chiropractor will assess your spine and other joints to see if there is misalignment and interference with nerve function (subluxation).  If a subluxation is present, the doctor will then remove the interference by adjusting the joint.  Once normal function and nerve flow are restored, the pain from the heel spur will reduce or go away completely.  This will most likely take more than one visit. 

At home, it is your job to take steps to reduce inflammation in your body to prevent future bone spur development.  This would include drinking plenty of water (at least 64 oz per day) and also eliminating any dietary causes of inflammation such as excess sugar intake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you believe in germs?

Well, we know germs (bacteria and viruses) exist, but do they cause all disease?  The real question is: Why do some people get sick while other don't?

For example, let's say we have a group exposed to the same salmonella contaminated batch of spinach.  We have some people that die, some that get diarrhea, some that vomit, and some that experience no problems at all.

Why do they each experience different things?  What is the difference between the people that die and those that have no problems?

Typically the people who die from some bacteria or virus have compromised immune systems.  Basically, their bodies aren't working like they are supposed.  While those with no symptoms typically have strong, healthy immune systems.


So I do believe in the existence of germs but not that I will always get sick when exposed to them.  You need fertile soil (your body) for the seed (germ) to be able to flourish.

This week both Dr. Gomez and I have had colds.  We are commonly asked what we do when we get sick.  First, check in and make sure we have been taking care of our bodies with rest, good food, plenty of water and getting adjusted.  I choose not to take any over the counter medications because they suppress symptoms and keep you feeling crappy longer.  What I will take are some extra vitamins to give my immune system a boost and as much extra rest as I can get! 

What do you do to boost your immune system?

How does a skeleton know when it is raining?

It can feel it in it's bones!! Hahaha!

I love corny jokes.  I love laughing in general.  It's so much more productive to laugh than to cry.  Both laughing and crying use the same physiological mechanism to release tension.  It's just more fun to laugh!  Plus, crying makes your face look all blotchy and not too pretty.

I found an article that gives good details about how laughing helps the body regulate itself.  Be sure to check it out here. 

Here are 10 Reasons why laughing is good for you:


1.  Boosts the immune system
2.  Energizes organs
3.  Reduces aggression
4.  Boost your social skills
5.  Manages Pain
6.  Impacts blood sugar levels
7.   Provides a boost of exercise
8.  Improves blood pressure and blood flow
9.  Helps coping skills
10.  Decreases stress


So whatever makes you laugh that deep, gut-busting, tears-in-your-eyes, can't catch your breath laugh, find it and do it everyday!

What's your favorite corny joke?