Drivers Education

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We all know someone who has suffered a serious driving-related injury that had nothing to do with being involved in a motor vehicle accident. For example, turning your head suddenly and swiftly for a last minute check of your "blind spot" before changing lanes on the interstate could result in a painful neck sprain. Getting out your car in a crowded shopping center parking lot can often be awkward and may even result in a low back injury. Bending over to lift a grocery bag out of your back seat or trunk can even cause a herniated lumbar disc with very painful consequences. Thus, driving can be dangerous, even without taking account of your innumerable fellow drivers who are talking on their cell phones, texting, combing their hair, putting on makeup, or even shaving when they should be 100% focused on  the road. Even if you're a highly skilled, appropriately defensive driver, doing driving-related things can cause real physical injury.

Why do such injuries happen? The cause is the same as for the person who, while getting dressed in the morning, bends over to put on his or her socks, stockings, or tights and experiences a sudden, sharp pain in the low back. Later on, that pain may worsen and radiate down one leg, and a likely diagnosis of a herniated disc may ensue. "But I wasn't doing anything wrong," the person exclaims to his chiropractor. "All I was doing was putting on my socks." But the chiropractor knows that the movement that apparently caused the injury was merely the last physical insult in a long chain of musculoskeletal and biomechanical deficiencies.¹

As with the person who injures his or her neck or back at home while engaged in innocuous activities of daily living such as housecleaning or taking out the trash, driving-related injuries that are not the result of an actual accident are caused by being deconditioned or out-of-shape. If your neck and back muscles, ligaments, and joints are not used to doing physical work while engaged in a full range of motion, suddenly putting them in mechanically stressful situations will very likely lead to injury. For such persons, the primary missing fitness factor involves the core muscles, the body's group of central, deep, sheath-like muscles that provide the base for almost all movement and motion.²

Lack of core fitness is the culprit for most neck and back injuries that happen when you "weren't doing anything". The good news is that core training is readily available.³ You are training your core muscles whenever you do strength training or yoga. You are doing core training when you walk, run, bike, or swim, provided you are doing these activities effectively and efficiently. You don't need special equipment. All that is required is the willingness and persistence to engage in regular vigorous exercise. The many benefits are broad and longlasting, including getting more enjoyment out of the time you spend in your car.

¹Rietveld AB: Dancers' and musicians' injuries. Clin Rheumatol 32(4):425-434, 2013

²Micheo W, et al: Basic principles regarding strength, flexibility, and stability exercises. PM R 4(11):805-811, 2012

³Steele J, et al: A review of the specificity of exercises designed for conditioning the lumbar extensors. Br J Sports Med October 2013: doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2013-092197. [Epub ahead of print]

Why More People Need Chiropractic Care?

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     Last week, a patient shared this story with me: "Doc, I have a friend. He'd been a friend of mine for years. Well he's the same age as I am. He ate pretty much the same thing I did. Thing is, he was always SICK. Yes, sick. I don't know why, but his immune system never really worked that good. He wasn't like me from the beginning. He wasn't adjusted regularly, he took a lot of medicine for his asthma, and now he is suffering from something called COPD. He can't even run like we used to, he can't talk as fast as he used to, and if we go somewhere and we have to go up a flight of stairs, he can hardly make it."

So the simple truth of Chiropractic is this.

*Chiropractic is Safe. Chiropractic care is so safe, even newborns can get adjusted to correct the spinal trauma from the birth process!

*There's No Side Effects To Your Adjustments. Any "side-effects" tend to be positive effects. You can experience a better balance, more energy increased vitality and improved coordination, just to name a few.

*Chiropractic is the Smart Choice. It makes sense to correct the underlying cause rather than food the body by covering up your pain with drugs. If you know someone you think we can help, send him or her our way.

*Chiropractic is Effective. As you know, your nervous system controls your entire body, and chiropractic care helps restore nervous system integrity, and chiropractic care had been known to HELP a variety of health issues.

*Chiropractic is All Natural. Simply put, chiropractic care doesn't add chemicals to your body. And it doesn't remove parts. Instead it seeks to restore proper control and regulation of your body so your health can return, in a natural way.

Chiropractic Care for Short-Term and Long-Term Health

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Chiropractic care is the one form of health care that keeps on giving. Chiropractic care certainly helps people to recover from short-term health problems, but this powerful method of healing also helps people stay well and assists in preventing new problems from developing.

Your chiropractor treats a wide variety of musculoskeletal problems. Neck pain, back pain, pain that travels from the neck to the arm and hand, pain that travels from the back to the leg and foot, headaches, and muscle spasms are conditions commonly treated by chiropractic care. Your chiropractor also treats many types of exercise- and sports-related injuries, such as rotator cuff injuries, tennis elbow, wrist sprains, knee injuries, ankle sprains, and shin splints. Repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome are also treated by chiropractic care. Also, chiropractic care may be a valuable addition to treatment for sleep disorders, digestive problems, menstrual cramps, asthma, and various allergies. Chiropractic care may also be of great assistance during pregnancy, in helping to relieve neck pain and back pain and to ease the process of delivery.

Chiropractic care can be beneficial for so many health problems owing to the fact that chiropractic care directly affects the functioning of your nerve system. Your nerve system, consisting of your brain, spinal cord, and nerves that branch out to the rest of your body, is your master physiologic system. Your nerve system, by sending signals to every cell, tissue, and organ in your body, controls all the other systems. Your heart relies on the nerve system so that it can pump blood at the right time and in the right amount.¹ Your small intestine relies on the nerve system so that it can complete the digestion of food and transmit usable nutrients to the bloodstream.² Your white blood cells and other immune system agents rely on the nerve system so that they can quickly identify and destroy foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses.³

But your nerve system can break down, in a sense, if spinal nerve interference is present. Such nerve interference, caused by irritation and inflammation of spinal nerves, is caused by loss of full mobility of spinal vertebras. Limited spinal motion irritates the muscles that move the spinal bones and the ligaments that hold those bones together. Inflamed spinal muscles and spinal ligaments cause spinal nerve inflammation. The immediate result is distortion in the quality and flow of information sent from the brain to the rest of the body. Too much or too little information is sent to the cells, tissues, and organs. The messages they receive are the wrong messages, or the messages arrive at the wrong time. The outcome is decreased functioning and/or inappropriate functioning of many other physiologic systems. Thus, spinal nerve interference is one of the primary causes of the many problems that may bring a person to his or her chiropractor's office.

Chiropractic care helps reduce and remove nerve interference by restoring increased functioning of your spinal column. The direct result is improved overall functioning of the rest of your body. By directly focusing on your spine and nerve system, your chiropractor can help restore quality of life and overall health and well-being.

¹Muller MD, et al: Mental stress elicits sustained and reproducible increases in skin sympathetic nerve activity. Physiol Rep  2013 Mar 1(1). pii: e00002.
²Zhou G, et al: White-matter microstructural changes in functional dyspepsia: a diffusion tensor imaging study. Am J Gastroenterol 108(2):260-269, 2013
³Straub RH, et al: Role of neuroendocrine and neuroimmune mechanisms in chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases-The 10-year update. Semin Arthritis Rheum 2013 May 31 doi: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2013.04.008 [Epub ahead of print]

Do You Hate Germs?

If you're like me, germs aren't something you really like to talk about, but today, let's just talk about them so there is no misunderstanding about which ones are good and which ones are bad. 

Avoid Pills! Visit your Orange County Chiropractor! 

Did you know that germs by themselves are NOT always bad for your body? Now, I am not saying germs are always good for you either.

Most people have been raised to believe that germs will make you sick, but that's only partially true. There are many "good types" of germs, or (good) bacteria, that can do things that benefit your body.

For instance, that lactobacillus acidophilus in your yogurt is a good "gut" germ that aids your body with digestion.

Now don't get me wrong. There are other germs that are harmful, but they need a hospitable host to allow them to "thrive", "grow" and cause disease and illness. When our bodies are weak - due to poor nutrition, lack of sleep or nervous system interference, they are the perfect breeding ground for germs that cause colds. flus and a variety of other ills.

So here's the solution most people never think about. Regular chiropractic care, along with our advice on healthy eating, exercise and stress-free living, can help you and your family to build a strong defense against the BAD, unwanted germs.

I've learned one thing. Taking a proactive approach to your health means that "bad" germs won't thrive, but you will!

 

Taking Care of Older Joints (and Younger Joints, Too)

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Many people experience increasing musculoskeletal joint stiffness as they get older. Shoulders, knees, and ankles don't seem to be as flexible as they once were. It seems more difficult to bend over and pick up a dropped object. It may be uncomfortable to turn your head around to see the car in the next lane that's right in the center of your driver's blind spot. The bad news is that, left unattended, your joints do get stiffer as you get older. Left on their own, your joints will likely lose full mobility. The good news is there's plenty you can do about it. You can regain and retain much of your youthful flexibility if you are willing to be proactive.

First, some basic physiology. Joints such as the shoulder, knee, and ankle are lubricated by synovial fluid. Synovial fluid keeps joints moist, provides oxygen and nutrition, and washes away toxic end-products of normal metabolic processes. The joints in your spine are also lubricated and maintained in this way. But aging reduces the amount of available synovial fluid. Also, normal aging processes increase the viscosity of the remaining synovial fluid. You have less available lubricant and the lubricant that you do have is thicker. The result is stiffer joints, pretty much from top to bottom.

The specific countermeasure to such physiologic aging is to keep active. This is a pretty challenging prescription in a world in which most of our time is spent seated. Our bodies were designed for hard, physical work. But as we've transformed from an agrarian to an industrial society, and more recently from an industrial to a service-based society, the nature of our work has changed dramatically. The vast majority of our work is now done seated at a desk. When we're not typing on a computer keyboard or reading a spreadsheet, we're at home watching TV, playing games on our computing devices, or very rarely, reading. None of these activities involves active motion. If we want to take care of our bodies, we're going to have to be proactive about creating the time to do so.

We're going to be creating time for exercise. Almost any type of exercise causes synovial fluid to be more available, pumping synovial fluid into joint spaces and helping to lubricate joints.^1,2Exercise increases your internal core temperature, which in turn decreases the viscosity of synovial fluid. The overall result is increased joint flexibility. This benefit is often experienced immediately. The benefit will be long-lasting provided that you continue to exercise regularly.

Thirty minutes of exercise per day, 5 days per week, will assist most of us in maintaining as much joint flexibility as possible. Alternating a cardiovascular exercise day with a strength training day is an optimal program.³ Yoga provides a total body workout which incorporates cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and flexibility. Ultimately, the types of exercise you do are less important than the long-term consistency. Regular, vigorous exercise, done over months and years, will provide great benefit, not only in terms of improved joint flexibility, but also in terms of overall health and well-being.

¹Seco J, et al: A long-term physical activity training program increases strength and flexibility, and improves balance in older adults. Rehabil Nurs 38(1):37-47, 2013
²Garber CE, et al: American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc 43(7):1334-1359, 2011
³Micheo W, et al: Basic principles regarding strength, flexibility, and stability exercises. PM R 4(11):805-811, 2012

Chiropractic Care Is Part of Your Exercise Program

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     We all want to be healthy and well. Achieving this goal requires some time and effort, but the payoff is well worth it. Regular exercise helps lower blood pressure, helps slow your heart rate, and helps you sleep better at night. Regular exercise often helps people lose weight and puts a spring in their step. Regular exercise puts color in your cheeks and gives your skin that certain glow. Exercise is a very good thing.

     Chiropractic care helps us get the most out of our exercise by making hidden reserves available for peak performance. Regular chiropractic care removes nerve interference and keeps the joints of our spine moving freely, eliminating roadblocks to full mobility and full function. By helping optimize our nerve systems and musculoskeletal systems, regular chiropractic care helps get our bodies in shape so that we can do the exercises needed to keep our bodies in shape.

Chiropractic Care and the Benefits of Nutrition

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     As with regular, vigorous exercise, consistent habits of good nutrition are substantially supported by regular chiropractic care. Good nutrition provides the necessary raw materials for a healthy physiology. But in order to properly utilize these nutritional building blocks, the physiological processes themselves must be functioning effectively. This is where regular chiropractic care comes in.

     In order to put your dietary greens, berries, nuts, citrus fruits, root vegetables, grains, and proteins to good use, a complex array of networks needs to be working in harmony. Organs, tissues, and cells of your digestive, circulatory, and hormonal systems all need to exchange information smoothly and effectively. Your nervous system is the master system coordinating all this activity, and regular chiropractic care helps ensure that your nervous system is functioning at its best. Thus, regular chiropractic care helps you get the most out of your good nutritional choices and helps ensure the overall health and well-being of you and your family.

Chiropractic Care and Stress Reduction

This bunny wants you to see your Chiropractor!

        Regular chiropractic care is a necessary component of any program designed to help a person reduce the effects of stress in his or her life. Chiropractic care provides the direct action required to intervene in the vicious circle of stress-musculoskeletal aches and pains-more stress.

       By helping restore balance within your spinal column and your nerve system, regular chiropractic care helps remove mechanical causes of stress within muscles and joints throughout your body. Life's daily stresses now encounter a body that is healthier and more resilient. The result is greater tolerance for the stresses of the day and an overall enhanced and improved outlook. Your chiropractor is an experienced in stress management and can help you create a stress-reduction program that will work for you.

      Come visit your Orange County Chiropractor and we will get you back to health! 

Rules For Being

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1. You will receive a body. You may or may not like it. It will however be the only one you receive...for this experience.

2. You will be enrolled in a full-time school. It's called--life. You will be taught many lessons. You may or may not understand them. They will however all be important.

3. You must know that there are no failures in schoolhouse earth--only lessons. Growth is a continual process of change. Change is growth and growth is change.

4. Your lessons will never end. All lessons are repeated until learned.

5. There is no good or bad--just is. "There" is no better than "here". When your "there" has become a "here", you simply have new "there."

6. Others will only be a reflection of yourself. And you will only see in others what ou first recognize about yourself.

7. What you make out of life, will depend on you. Because life always supplies what you ask.

8. Since all of life's answers are within, in order to learn the wisdom of the ages, all you have to do is stop long enough in order to listen.

9. Always remember this simple rule for being: Since the answer is always yes...what do you want?
                                                                                         -Varenycuiz