What's Your Tuba Player?

Your brain and nervous system is the conductor that orchestrates the workings of your entire body. With clear communication, the beautiful music we know as “life” is produced.

But many people have a problem with their tuba player! For some the tuba player could be their thyroid. Or their gall bladder. Or their stomach. Or their lower back. Or whatever.

Their tuba player can’t see the conductor! That causes one of two things. Sometimes the tuba player just sits quietly. Other times, the tuba player goes overboard.

The medical approach would be to surgically remove or chemically suppress the tuba player. The chiropractic approach is to restore the connection between the tuba player and the conductor. Naturally, that involves locating and correcting interference to the controlling commands that travel over the nervous system.

Chiropractic care can bring harmony to your music of life! Call us, and let us help you orchestrate the health and wellness you deserve!

(386) 492-4881 or reach us on the web at www.atlanticchirofl.com or give us a +1 on our Google Plus page!!!

Don't Worry...Be Healthy!

Ever woken up in the middle of the night wondering how you were going to pay the bills? Then you know that a car payment or the electric bill can affect your health!
There are three types of stress: physical, emotional and chemical. Financial worries (and other anxieties) fall into the emotional stress category. And chiropractic can be helpful.



All three types of stress affect your nervous system. Like a chain that breaks at its weakest link, stress tends to show up where we are most vulnerable. Our neck. Our low back. Tightness between our shoulders. Stress can increase the frequency of headaches and compromise our ability to get enough restful sleep.


Chiropractic care, with its purpose of reducing neurological stress, can be helpful. Of course chiropractic care can't eliminate stress, but it can improve your ability to tolerate it. Regular chiropractic care now could be a wise investment for a healthier, happier and financially secure you!

Give us a call, and let us help you take that first step on the road to wellness!!!
 (386) 492-4881
www.atlanticchirofl.com

Yoga May Improve Common Heart Ailment

The University of Kansas Medical Center recently reported that regular yoga classes appeared to decrease occurrences of a common heart condition known as atrial fibrillation in patients, as well as decreasing stress and improving their overall well-being.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a condition in which the heart's upper chambers quiver chaotically instead of contracting normally. The attacks are painful and often prevent the patients from enjoying regular activities. People with AF are often prescribed drugs such as beta blockers to help control their heart rate and rhythm, but the medicines don't alleviate symptoms for all patients. The American Heart Association estimates that about 2.7 million people in the U.S. have the heart condition.

The new study included 49 people who'd had atrial fibrillation for an average of five years. Researchers began by tracking study volunteers' heart symptoms, blood pressure and heart rate, as well as their anxiety, depression and general quality of life. The participants then went to group yoga classes at least twice a week for three months, again reporting on their symptoms and quality of life. All of the patients were on stable medications throughout the study period. The patients reported a 50 percent drop of AF occurrences, which was also confirmed by heart monitors. Anxiety scores declined from an average of 34, on a scale of 20 to 80, to 25 after three months of yoga. Reported depression and general mental health improved as well. The researchers pointed out that the classes may make their arrhythmia "more tolerable" and reduce visits to the emergency room when symptoms flare up. However, the classes were not suggested as an alternative to regular medical care.


Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2013. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2012.11.060
www.atlanticchirofl.com

The Problem With Stress!

We live in stressful times. The economy is tough, global conflicts rage, severe weather events are affecting people in every corner of the globe, and our numerous technological devices don't seem to be making things any easier. Of course, this is nothing new. Every generation thinks theirs is the best of times and the worst of times. But the result is that people everywhere have high levels of stress.






Sometimes stress is a good thing. Mechanical stress, such as exercise, causes your muscles and bones to become stronger and your nerve system to become smarter. Taking on a new assignment at work or taking a challenging class in school may be stressful, but the effort involved in achieving a successful result will cause you to grow and develop in ways that you might not have imagined. After all, the great philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche famously said "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

But chronic, ongoing physical and mental stress, the kind that affects us every day, is not good for us. Chronic stress causes real psychological and physical problems. People undergoing chronic stress may develop anxiety, which if not managed effectively may lead to depression. Chronic stress may lead to a variety of disorders and diseases, including arthritis, inflammatory conditions such as Crohn's disease, gastrointestinal problems such as peptic ulcer, diabetes,¹ high blood pressure,² and even heart attacks and stroke.³ As we are all subject to numerous stresses every day, both personal and work-related, it's very important for us to develop strategies that will be successful in helping us manage ongoing stresses.

The most important method for managing stress is to attempt to focus your point-of-view, your frame of reference, on the present moment. Our minds are constantly in motion, constantly at work creating new thoughts and new scenarios regarding some potentially stressful situation, or rehashing old conversations, old conflicts, and old problems. The result is that we're almost never at peace. When we try to sit down and relax for a bit, it's never too long before our minds start bringing up the exact things we'd like to be able to forget or ignore, at least for a little while. Most of us can't flip a metaphorical switch and shut off our incessant stream of mostly negative self-talk. But we can learn to remind ourselves to return to the present, to come back to this moment, the one that's happening now.

The best way to do this is to ask yourself, "is this [what I'm thinking about] happening right now?" If you can see that what's happening now is that you're sitting in a chair reading the newspaper, you have a good chance of being able to let go of what your mind is talking to you about. Say to yourself, "I'm right here, right now, and none of that other stuff is actually happening right now." This will help you create some distance from your self-talk, and the self-talk may even recede into the background for a while. The feeling of calm you might then experience is one you can build on. The more you practice returning to the moment, the more power you gain in being able to manage the stress in your life.

 

 Our office uses various techniques and methods to restore proper spinal alignment. The direct result is improved functioning of your nerve system, which directly improves the functioning of all your other body systems.

One of the structural problems addressed by chiropractic care is a "facilitated segment." This is a section of your spinal cord that is being bombarded by too many nerve signals. These nerve signals arrive at the wrong times and in too great a quantity. Physical pain and other diseases and disorders can develop as a result of a facilitated segment.

Stress makes facilitated segments (and their effects) worse. By aligning your spine, we can help reduce and resolve these irritated segments of your spinal cord. As a result, the stresses in your life have less physiological impact. You become better able to interact with people and situations, and become better able to manage stress.

Look for our upcoming Wellness Workshop on Stress Management to learn strategies for better dealing with stress.

www.atlanticchirofl.com

¹Bener A, et al: Association between psychological distress and gastrointestinal symptoms in diabetes mellitus. World J Diabetes 3(6):123-129, 2012

²van Dijk, AE, et al: The association between prenatal psychosocial stress and blood pressure in the child at age 5-7 years. PLoS One 7(8):e43548, 2012

³Pereira VH, et al: Stressed brain, diseased heart: A review on the pathophysiologic mechanisms of neurocardiology. Int J Cardiol 2012 Apr 20 [Epub ahead of print]

 

chiropractic, health, wellness, nutrition, stress, pain, alignment, problems, stress management, nerve, spinal cord, spine

Headaches and Chiropractic

If you have a headache, you’re not alone. Nine out of ten Americans suffer from headaches. Some are occasional, some frequent, some are dull and throbbing, and some cause debilitating pain and nausea.

What do you do when you suffer from a pounding headache? Do you grit your teeth and carry on? Lie down? Pop a pill and hope the pain goes away? There is a better alternative.

Research shows that spinal manipulation – the primary form of care provided by doctors of chiropractic – may be an effective treatment option for tension headaches and headaches that originate in the neck.

A report released in 2001 by researchers at the Duke University Evidence-Based Practice Center in Durham, NC, found that spinal manipulation resulted in almost immediate improvement for those headaches that originate in the neck, and had significantly fewer side effects and longer-lasting relief of tension-type headache than a commonly prescribed medication.

Also, a 1995 study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that spinal manipulative therapy is an effective treatment for tension headaches and that those who ceased chiropractic treatment after four weeks experienced a sustained therapeutic benefit in contrast with those patients who received a commonly prescribed medication.

Headache Triggers

Headaches have many causes, or “triggers.” These may include foods, environmental stimuli (noises, lights, stress, etc.) and/or behaviors (insomnia, excessive exercise, blood sugar changes, etc.). About 5 percent of all headaches are warning signals caused by physical problems.

Ninety-five percent of headaches are primary headaches, such as tension, migraine, or cluster headaches. These types of headaches are not caused by disease. The headache itself is the primary concern.

“The greatest majority of primary headaches are associated with muscle tension in the neck,” says Dr. George B. McClelland, a doctor of chiropractic from Christiansburg, VA. “Today, Americans engage in more sedentary activities than they used to, and more hours are spent in one fixed position or posture. This can increase joint irritation and muscle tension in the neck, upper back and scalp, causing your head to ache.”

What Can You Do?

The ACA suggests the following:

• If you spend a large amount of time in one fixed position, such as in front of a computer, on a sewing machine, typing or reading, take a break and stretch every 30 minutes to one hour. The stretches should take your head and neck through a comfortable range of motion.
• Low-impact exercise may help relieve the pain associated with primary headaches. However, if you are prone to dull, throbbing headaches, avoid heavy exercise. Engage in such activities as walking and low-impact aerobics.
• Avoid teeth clenching. The upper teeth should never touch the lowers, except when swallowing. This results in stress at the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) – the two joints that connect your jaw to your skull – leading to TMJ irritation and a form of tension headaches.
• Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day to help avoid dehydration, which can lead to headaches.

What Can a Doctor of Chiropractic Do?

Dr. McClelland says your doctor of chiropractic may do one or more of the following if you suffer from a primary headache:

• Perform spinal manipulation or chiropractic adjustments to improve spinal function and alleviate the stress on your system.
• Provide nutritional advice, recommending a change in diet and perhaps the addition of B complex vitamins.
• Offer advice on posture, ergonomics (work postures), exercises and relaxation techniques. This advice should help to relieve the recurring joint irritation and tension in the muscles of the neck and upper back.

“Doctors of chiropractic undergo extensive training to help their patients in many ways – not just back pain,” says Dr. McClelland. “They know how tension in the spine relates to problems in other parts of the body, and they can take steps to relieve those problems.”

8 Ways To Beat The Holiday Blues!

It's hard to tell when all the joyous merriment of the season tips over into a seemingly undue case of the blues. But the fact is, holiday blues are nearly inevitable. "Remember, holidays are often stressful. Holidays require more of us--more socializing, more shopping, and more running around," says Richard Shadick, PhD, Director of the Counseling Center and Associate Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Pace University.  "All of this can be taxing, so adjust your expectations and you won't be as disappointed if the holidays don't feel like great fun."

The best possible strategy for a happy holiday might surprise you: Experts say it's best to put yourself first. "My basic challenge for people during the holidays seems like the opposite of what we're supposed to do: focus on yourself," says Joshua Klapow, PhD, clinical psychologist and Associate Professor at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. "Even though you will do things for other people, you need to ask yourself if you really want to do it. That works for everything from buying gifts, eating foods, to traveling to seven parties. If you keep asking yourself that, it will help you strike balance." Here, eight ways to keep yourself on track-and out of the path of the blues-for the entire holiday season.

1.  Make a list and check it twice.

Don't channel your inner Santa. Instead, write down a list of everything you think you should do. "Don't leave anything off the list, all the shopping you want to do, cards you want to send, parties you're invited to," says Kaplow. "Now, read that list out loud. Ask yourself, 'Would any reasonable person think that this is an achievable list?' If the answer is 'no,' start crossing things out. If you answer 'yes, I can do all this,' do yourself a favor and cross out a few items anyway." It's way too easy to take on too much during the holidays, so consider this your preventive measure against it.

2. Drink less.

More parties means more celebratory toasts and offers of spiked cider and eggnog. But festive drinking can backfire.  "Liquor is a depressant that can deepen existing emotional problems," says Jay Zimmerman, PhD, a psychologist with the Counseling Center at Ball State University. Finding other ways to be festive will go a long way toward keeping your mood boosted.

3.  Don't go for broke.

"Financial pressures are common during the holidays, particularly given the state of the economy in the past few years," says Shadick. "Don't assume that you are required to give lavishly if you cannot afford to. Complete a budget and stick to it." Find thoughtful ways to reach out to people-whether it's offering to pick up items for a neighbor when you're hitting the grocery for the sixth time in a week, or just texting a friend who's entertaining a houseful to see how she's doing.

4.  Visualize the warm fuzzies.

"It's common for people to picture the party they're attending and worry about conflict with certain family members," says Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT, author of Wired For Love (New Harbinger, 2011). "So, the night before, it's helpful to mentally conjure up all the people you care about and wish them well. And rather than imagining what the event will be like, imagine the end result-everyone saying how nice it was to be together. It will help you approach the party with that outcome in mind."

5.  Get ready for your close-up.

"If you are feeling anxious about seeing a certain person, go over to them first and wish them a happy holiday. And, as you connect with them, focus on studying the lines on their face, their eyes, their nose, the way their cheeks are shaped," says Tatkin. "It's a great trick because our brains love faces, and focusing closely on someone's facial features in motion can trick the 'mind' giving it something interesting on which to [concentrate] on other than the self." Not only will you be in a better mood because of it, but the person you approached will also enjoy the attention.

 6.  Give yourself a breather!
Whether it's a short walk, a bathroom break or even a fake "phone call" that you need to step out to make, plan in advance ways to give yourself some breaks when you know you're going to be with family or friends that may test your nerves, says Tatkin. He suggests dealing with the difficult people quickly and proactively and then moving right along toward the people you enjoy the most at the party. "The main thing about the holidays is to remain connected to people with whom you love…and leave no family event or gathering without making at least one emotionally satisfying connection with another person."

7.  Stick to your healthy eating guns.

If you eat a bunch of junk and don't get sleep because your schedule is jam-packed, your body wears down physically; it does not have the energy and the strength to cope, says Klapow. "People get sick or they have blowout fights all as a result of pushing their dietary and sleep habits to the limit. If you are looking to be joyous, pay attention to you enough that so you don't lose yourself physically in this holiday."  Eat as closely as you can to your normal, healthy diet, with a few switch-ups for favorite treats, and you'll have more stamina for enjoying celebrations.

8.  Feel the burn-a little less, perhaps.

Putting extra pressure on yourself to hit the gym with your usual five-days-a-week frequency may not be the best idea, says Klapow. Count on getting there, say, two days a week during the time period when your schedule will be erratic. And set a date that you'll return to your previous routine. However, it's helpful to find ways to include exercise in your daily routine. "A walk in the sunlight will add energy," says Zimmerman. "And it will help you battle seasonal affective disorder."

Source: health.msn.com