My 2 Bits

Did you know that more than 4 million baby boomers are unemployed? Yep, that’s right, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  That’s a whole lot of stress on aging bodies, especially on bodies that are not generally healthy to begin with!  And, the “double whammy” for stressed-out, unemployed baby boomers is that no job, more often than not, means no health insurance. Who would argue that the healthcare crisis is an economic crisis and vice versa?

We used to think that the “good news” was that our generation was living longer, well into our eighties, far exceeding the median longevity of our predecessors. But, doesn’t it always seem that good news comes with a codicil containing “bad news”? In this case, the wording of the bad news is exactly like the languaging of the good, with one exception. It goes on to ask the question: Who will care for a generation of mostly ailing bodies that have many more years to live?

By the time all baby boomers are 65, the senior population will have grown from 40 million now to about 72 million. Who will pay their medical bills? It would appear the answer is “no one.” As a society we have been complacent, like grasshoppers fiddling away, our attention focused on our next bigger, better, and more exclusive purchase or extreme experience, and giving no thought to our ailing health care industry. Now that winter is setting in, the forecast is bleak with the number of retirees about to zoom upwards just the way the number of teenagers did in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s.  Remember the good ole days when everything we touched turned to gold and every time we marched, we made a difference? Who was interested in taking care of our body, or to rally for a health care system that could one day. Instead, we just held onto our cherished belief that the future would inevitably continue to go our way because, what the heck, that’s the way things had always gone for our generation in the past.

What’s the answer? The sated folks on Capital Hill, with their good salaries and excellent health insurance, don’t seem to be able to pull their hyper-focus away from their personal ideologies in order to reach a compromise on healthcare reform, be they ideologically right or left. Affordable health insurance may never material. And, as the fight goes on, fixing the economy and getting people back to work (whatever their age) sits on the back burner.

As they say, the best defense is a good offense. Perhaps the best we can do for ourselves is to get healthy, boomers, and then stay that way. So, if you’ve been waiting for the right moment to begin that healthy lifestyle you’ve been considering for years, that time is now. Because if things keep going in the direction they seem to be headed, no one is going to be able to take care of your medical bills…including you!

Technorati Tags: baby boomers, economy, health, healthcare costs

Physicist Max Born said, “For the belief in a single truth is the root cause for all evil in the world.” Today, the world vibrates with thousands of differing points views, many are warring political or religious factions, but not all of them. In fact, I just heard an interview with a book author who is at war with “positive thinking,” which would seem the penultimate in just looking for a fight! Anyway,  I’m a chiropractor who absolutely believes in the efficacy of chiropractic treatment, but I also know, as do all chiropractors,  that there isn’t “one thing” that works for everyone, not even chiropractic. If a patient doesn’t respond to chiropractic care, I refer them to someone else who may be able to help them.

Certainly there are plenty of people in the world who are tolerant, and even respectful, of other points of view. That’s why it sometimes surprises me when those otherwise open-minded, balanced folks who are convinced that there is no “single truth” are still looking for some discovery in nature, a supplement, or a drug, or gene therapy that will be THE THING that has the power to prevent or reduce every known cause of mortality.

We are dynamic, biological beings, not “machines,” and just as there isn’t one religion or political ideology that is a one-size-fits-all, there isn’t going to be the same health answer for everyone. We are far more than the sum total of our parts. Our central integrative states differ and, therefore, internal incitement factors and external, environmental influences cause us to react in different ways. Case in point, there are a few individuals who can smoke cigarettes and live to be ninety without any obvious ill effects. Yet, as a habit for most, it is definitely detrimental.

We make conscious choices everyday that have to do with the health of our individual body. We personally decide what we’ll put into our body, and how much activity and rest we’ll get. Not all the decisions we make are beneficial for our health and longevity, even though we “know,” by the way our individual body responds, what if “right” for us.

When we choose an unhealthy lifestyle, our naturally homeostatic system becomes “off balance.” Over time, the imbalances we’ve created by not making healthy choices, result in diseases. We can hope, we can even pray, that one day researchers may uncover a “the single truth” in nature that has the power to reverse all of the excessive and unhealthy things we do to our body on a regular basis. But, a better solution would be for each us to follow our own natural, individual path to health. If we do, we’ll be live longer, healthier lives.

Technorati Tags: chiropractic, chiropractor, healthy lifestyle, tolerance

Why are there people who still don’t go to a chiropractor for care? Well, it could be that there is so many misconceptions out there, especially online, about chiropractic that it keeps some people from getting the conservative, effective treatment they need. So, I’m going to give my two bits in the hop of clearing up a few things right now!

Are chiropractors “real” doctors? You bet! Chiropractic education is very similar to medical and dental education that demands three to four years of undergraduate studies and an additional four years of post-graduate education. Chiropractic coursework includes anatomy, physiology, orthopedics, neurology, x-ray, nutrition, and philosophy. In the sector of x-ray study, chiropractors , as a matter of fact, have quite a few more hours of education than medical doctors. Chiropractic studies in x-ray consist of x-ray safety, techniques, factors, positioning, and interpretation. In addition, chiropractors have more hours of study in nutrition than students in medical school receive. Chiropractors are sanctioned in all fifty states as doctors.

Is chiropractic safe? Yes, far more safe than surgery and drugs combined. In fact, chiropractic adjustments are considered to be one of the safest therapies for the neck and back. It is not only safe for adults, but for children and even infants. Spinal manipulation is encouraged by many medical doctors prior to a patient being recommended to undergo surgery. It is a natural, drug-free alternative to strong drugs like steroids and painkillers.

Does chiropractic hurt? Pain is subjective of course, but most patients feel immediate pain relief after an adjustment and increasingly more relaxed and comfortable over time. Adults and children, alike, often look forward to their chiropractic treatments.

Hope that this clears up a few misconceptions. If you are suffering from back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, knee pain, foot pain, or headaches and migraines, you don’t need to suffer any longer. Chiropractic can help. Call a chiropractor today!

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I have to say, as a chiropractor who’s been “preaching” a healthy lifestyle to my patients for years, I was thrilled when I read last year about New York’s becoming the first U.S. city to mandate that fast food restaurants post calorie counts in large type on menu boards. I figured it wouldn’t be long before other cities would follow suit and that eventually I could take down the posters in my chiropractic clinic that remind my patients that “you are what you eat.” In fact, the system has since become a model for similar rules intended to combat obesity and promote good nutrition being implemented in California, other parts of New York state, the cities of Seattle and Portland, and elsewhere.

But, a new study by researchers at New York University and Yale University that analyzed fast-food purchases by 1,156 adults at Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald’s and Wendy’s immediately before and after the rule went into effect has shown that perhaps simply shedding light on the high calorie content of fast food may not be enough to dissuade the majority of fast food consumers, especially in low-income neighborhoods.  The percentage of people aware of the calorie information increased from 16 percent to 54 percent, but the number of calories purchased was slightly higher than before the rule was implemented, researchers found.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the study may have been done too soon after the rule went into effect and before all fast food restaurants were in compliance. But, I think that much more education is necessary to let people know exactly how those particular calories will affect their health and longevity. And, there needs to be more healthy options for lower income families,

Technorati Tags: calories, fast food, health, longevity

In addition to “Chiropractic News” in my e-mail “news alerts” I receive “Science” news alerts. As a chiropractor I am often more interested in breaking scientific discovery when it comes to health issues than in medical news. The Science article I found most interesting was indeed about health, human and otherwise, because it was about a serious new finding relating to environmental health.  Scientists are saying (and I believe it’s what they’ve been saying all along) that climate change is turning Antarctica’s ice into one of the biggest risks for coming centuries because even a tiny melt could drive up sea levels, affecting cities from New York to Beijing, or nations from Bangladesh to the Cook Islands.

The scientists are trying to design ever more high tech experiments, using satellite radars, lasers, robot submarines, or even deep drilling through perhaps 3 kilometers of ice in order to “fill in the gaps” in understanding the risks. “If you’re going to have even a few metres it will change the geography of the planet,” Rajendra Pachauri, head of the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said of the more extreme scenarios of fast ocean rise.

I’m just wondering if it wouldn’t be more beneficial to design “ever more high tech experiments” that would actually do something to reduce global warming? At this point, we know that we have a limited amount of time to solve critical environmental issues like global warming. It just seems to me that getting into the small minutia and filling in “the gaps” in understanding the risks is a lot like spending a whole bunch of time and money on a really cool, high tech barn door after the horse has escaped.

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Did you know that there is database of the National Board of Certification in Headache Management that you can use to find members of the NBCHM in your area? Did you know that you can also find members of the American Headache Society using their “Find a Healthcare Professional” feature on their website? If not, that’s okay, because did you know that you don’t actually need a “headache specialist” to treat your migraines? As a chiropractor, I know from experience (which, in theory, is worth more than “two bits”) that chiropractic care can go along way in relieving and eliminating both tension headaches and migraines. Here’s why:

We’d all agree that life can be a pain, on occasion, and turn into a tension headache. Most of us have experienced more than one. If you’ve had a tension headache, then you probably experience it as a dull, aching head pain that is commonly accompanied by a feeling of tightness or pressure across your forehead or on the sides and back of your head. Occasionally, you might feel a tenderness of your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles, and periodically you may experience a loss of appetite.

Tension headaches are usually defined as mild to moderately intense. The severity of the pain varies from one headache to another in the same person, as well as from one individual to another Tension headaches can occur infrequently or you may have them regularly. Your headaches are considered chronic if they occur fifteen or more days a month for at least three months. If tension headaches are interrupting your life, chiropractic treatment may be the remedy. Give your chiropractor a call.

Migraine headaches are different from the common tension-related headache. For instance, migraines more often than not take place on one side of the head only, according to the National Headache Foundation. The throbbing or pulsating pain is accompanied by nausea or vomiting. Auras, visual manifestions an hour before a migraine attack, and features such as pulsating light, lines or dots, are experienced by one-fifth of migraine sufferers.

Do you experience the painful symptoms of migraines? If you do, you know the upsetting, incapacitating effects that this kind of affliction can have on your life. The pain of a migraine headache can sideline you for hours, for days, for a lifetime, and conventional over-the-counter medications are not only ineffective but, like prescription drugs, they generally have alarming side effects. It’s time to really do something about the pain and get your life back! Chiropractic care has proved to be highly effective in relieving and eliminating migraine headaches. Get in touch with your chiropractor today!

Technorati Tags: chiropractic, chiropractor, headaches, migraines, tension

No one would argue (even those who love to argue!) that the world is noisier these days than it has ever been and, in some cities and countries reaching nearly intolerable decibels.  Wars, bombs, and explosions have increased around the world. Antagonistic political and religious fanatics shout at each other until all that remains is a cacophony of inarticulate noise. Faster, noisier, and more “extreme” seems to be the consumer demand. What doesn’t annoy our ears, affronts our eyes. Once simply unsightly billboards are now digital and light the night with advertisements. Uninvited ads sail across our computer monitors like phantoms, and then stop, concealing our ability to read more relevant words underneath them. And, frequently, what is seen, is obscene. Acts of violence and catastrophic events that have caused pain and suffering are shown over and over again, in full color, on the news. Where can we go to find peace? How can we get there from here?

Peace can be found within each of us, at the still, quiet core of our being. And we get there through meditation.

By closing our eyes we turn away from the world, and by turning within, we find that what seemed only moments before to be impossible and elusive, was there all the time…peace. As we slow the pace of our breathing and allow our body to relax… we find peace. Through the slowing of the excessive activity of our thoughts, until they gently drift, like falling leaves, and settle into quietness…we find peace.

This type of meditation clarifies every cell, fiber, and tissue of our being. Therefore, this type of meditation can be healing. The jabber of our mind momentarily stops with the type of meditation. Therefore, this type of meditation can be revealing.

The distresses of body and mind depart when we meditate in this way, and they frequently do not return when we open our eyes and move out into the world again. The peace that we have recognized within assumes the form of our actions in the world.

It is, perhaps, more vital than ever for every one of us to meditate — to bring forth peace in ourselves and, therefore, bring peace to the world.

Technorati Tags: healing, inner peace, meditate, meditation, peace

There is No “Magic Potion” When It Comes to Health and Longevity
by Guest Contributor Jamie G. Phillips, DC

It certainly seems to me that recently the media has bombarded us with exorbitant numbers of featured articles praising research on the heart benefits of red wine (resveratrol), the memory loss benefits of coffee (caffeine), and the amazing benefits of a monumental amount of exotic supplements that remarkably promise to reduce or prevent every known cause of mortality. In deed, if the reports and tabloid ads are a meter of human interests, our search for longevity has taken a back seat to a craving for immortality.

Let me clarify, first of all, that I believe in taking supplements and take them, myself. Secondly, I would like to be candid and say that I am one who enjoys a glass of red wine. So, the suggestion that it might genuinely be good for my health, especially my heart, simply adds to my enjoyment. And, if something as simple as drinking coffee could actually eliminate the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, then I’d be tempted to close up my practice and open a Starbucks.

But, let’s stop and ponder the prudence of aimlessly adding an extra cuppa to your breakfast routine, drinking another glass of red wine with dinner, or plunking down a pile of money on high-priced minerals and herbs that guarantee near-immortality.

For instance, let us think about the fact that we, humans, are dynamic, biological beings, free to enthusiastically interact with life. We have not been detained in a cage, and none of us has been “propagated” to artificially develop the age-related debilitation and disease that lab animals are bred to do, conditions that are then “reversed” by resveratrol, caffeine, or some exotic herb.

Moreover, our being dynamic and biological is another way of saying that we, humans, are not ” mechanistic automatons.” In other words, we aren’t all precisely alike. Due to the fact that our central integrative states are not exactly the same, internal provocation factors and external irritation influences affect us in different ways. For example, though smoking cigarettes is commonly harmful to most people, there are a few individuals who can smoke cigarettes and still achieve longevity without any related ill effects.

Scientific studies isolate certain variables in order to achieve particular outcomes. That’s scientific inquiry! But, because the results occur through such isolation, and due to the fact that they are generally done on animals, when it comes to translating such results to humans, it can be said that what may work for some of the people all of the time, won’t work for all of the people all of the time, and sometimes won’t work at all (to paraphrase Abraham Lincoln!).

Everyday you make considerable choices that affect both your health and longevity. Decisions such as what you’ll eat and how much exercise and rest you’ll get will either be good for you, or not so good. Obviously, your unhealthy choices are not beneficial for your long-term health. And, even though you know, by the way your individual body responds to certain things, you may often ignore these important health messages.

Then you, like many others, may enthusiastically jump on the bandwagon of the latest report that announces that researchers have uncovered THE VERY THING that has the potency to reverse all of the excessive and unhealthy things you have been doing to your body on a routine basis! Talk about wishful thinking!

The elegantly balanced system of your body (homeostasis) is highly responsive and intricate. This delicate system becomes “off balance” when you live an unhealthy lifestyle. Eventually, the imbalances nurtured through poor health choices, result in diseases.

As a chiropractor, I advise that you supplement if you need it. Pour that added cup of coffee if it feels right. And, have a little more red wine if it genuinely feels beneficial for your individual system. But all the while remember, the only truly reliable way that we, humans, can avoid or reverse age-related health issues is by changing our unhealthy lifestyle. Good health has nothing do with luck. And, there is no “magic potion” when it comes to health and longevity.

Jamie Phillips, DC, a Santa Barbara Chiropractor, has been a practicing chiropractor for 24 years. She is also a consultant for Bloczone Marketing, a chiropractic internet marketing company specializing in chiropractic websites that attract new patients. She can be reached at (805) 882-1956.

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If you are experiencing back pain looking to a conventional healing method may not automatically be the answer for you.  As a matter of fact, some natural approaches might possibly be able to aid you in overcoming the pain, even when medical science is helpless to do so.  One of the reasons why is because natural methods tend to seek a cure for the genuine cause of the affliction whereas medical approaches treat only the symptoms.  If you’re curious about natural approaches that have proved to help back pain and many other difficulties, you need look no further than chiropractic and acupuncture.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been performed in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.  It is earning popularity in other parts of the world and for a splendid reason: Many people have undergone relief from their back pain and quite a few other health challenges by coming in to see an acupuncturist on a systematic basis.  According to traditional Chinese acupuncture therapy, small needles are introduced into the body at specific points that are believed to affect multifarious areas of the body.  In traditional therapy, only the needles are used, though sometimes and particularly in recent years, small electrical currents are passed through the needles into the body.  Despite the fact that it may seem as if it would be painful, it seldom ever is and, actually, many people experience relaxation and pleasurable sensations while undergoing acupuncture treatments.

Chiropractic

A Honolulu chiropractor, also called a doctor of chiropractic, has been helping men, women, and even children suffering from back pain and other problems for over a hundred years. A chiropractor cares for those who are suffering from musculoskeletal and nervous system dysfunctions. Chiropractic medicine attends to the misalignments of the vertebral column that impede the capacity of the nervous system. These misaligned vertebra can reduce resistance and immunity, thus producing new health challenges. An effective chiropractor has excellent observational and diagnostic skills that help in detecting physical abnormalities and joint problems. Many chiropractors employ neurological tests and orthopedic tests. Some will analyze the posture of someone as a tool for identifying postural irregularities, and in addition may study an individuals gait to determine faulty movement patterns. Chiropractic management non-surgical, drug-free treatment and in addition will offer advice and provide education concerning the advantages of individual lifestyle changes, such as in exercise and nutrition.

So, if you are experiencing back pain, headaches, neck pain, hip pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, balance challenges, or arthritis, and you’ve tried a number of other things and they haven’t worked, chiropractic and acupuncture may be able to help.  The only way that you’re going to be able to tell is to visit a good chiropractor or acupuncturist, and to permit them to tell you precisely what they can do for you.  It’s very possible that you will experience some relief from your pain even after only one visit.  With successive visits, you will continue to make improvements, and it is likely that you will find that these natural treatments work best for your back pain.

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Santa Barbara Chiropractor: 10 Most Frequent Questions

Controlling and preserving body position while staying still orin motion is the principal function of good balance. Good balance helps an individual to walk without wobbling, arise from a sitting position without falling, and to climb stairs without slipping.

Nearly 9 percent of adults, age 65 and older, disclose having difficulties with balance. Good balance is necessary in helping an older person to stay independent, and to carry out daily chores and activities. Many older individuals, however, undergo dizziness, “wooziness,” and challenges with balance.

The experience by some people that they, themselves, or their environment is spinning is known as “vertigo.” About 40 percent of people nationwide will experience dizziness that is severe enough to go to a doctor. And, among older adults, falls are the leading cause of severe injury and deaths.

Balance and Inner Ear Conditions

Three types of balance disorders that are most prevalent are benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, labyrinthitis, and Meniere’s disease, though there are quite a few other classes of balance disorders. Of these three, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is the most common. It takes place as a brief, intense feeling of vertigo when someone changes head position. It can likewise be noticed when rolling over to the left or right in bed, upon arising in the morning, or when looking up for an object on a high shelf. This condition is more probable in persons 60 and older, although it can also take place in younger individuals.

There are an assortment of basis for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Inner ear infection, head injury, or simply aging can cause the problem. Many times times a simple Epleys procedure can correct the problem, though it can be linked to other disease processes. Your Santa Barbara Chiropractor has many years of experience in this procedure.

Labyrinthitis is an infection or iirritation of the inner ear that cause dizziness and loss of balance. It affects adults of any age and the cause is unknown.

Ménière’s disease is a balance disorder that creates vertigo, hearing loss that comes and goes, tinnitus (ringing or roaring in the ears), and a “full feeling” in the ear.

Although people who are older are more likely to experience balance disorders, age is not the only cause for why these problems occur. Depending on the reason for the balance disorder, care will vary. Many times, there’s a simple resolution to balance challenges, such as simple exercises for vestibular rehab. A chiropractor is highly skilled in assessing and treating a number of balance disorders. Make an appointment with a health care professional, such as your Santa Barbara Chiropractor, if you have encountered, or are currently experiencing, dizziness, vertigo, or other problems with balance.

Whereas some balance disorders are produced by problems in the inner ear, other disorders may be associated with another region of the body, such as the brain or the heart. Other components, besides aging and ear infection, may include head injury, certain medicines, challenges with blood circulation, upper respiratory infections, viral infections, stress, fatigue, smoking, alcohol use, stroke, high or low blood pressure, and heart disease.

Balance disorders produced by high blood pressure can normally be managed by less sodium intake,sustaining a healthy weight, and exercise. To assist in making the symptoms of dizziness less intense, frequently eating low-salt or salt-free foods, and avoiding caffeine and alcohol, will help.

Balance disorders are serious. It is the number one cause of falls and fall-related injuries in older people. It is crucial to have a possible balance disorder analysed and treated as soon as possible.

If you can answer “yes” to any of the questions listed below, you should discuss the symptom(s) with your chiropractor:

• Do you have the feeling of being “unsteady?”

• Does the room seem to spin around you?

• Is there ever a time when you feel as if you are moving when you know you are standing still?

• Do you lose your balance and/or fall?

• Do you feel as if you are falling?

• Does your vision ever become “blurred?”

• Do you ever feel disoriented, or lose a sense of time, place or identify?

Don’t wait until it’s too late! Call your chiropractor today.

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