Low Level Laser Therapy

Have you ever heard of Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)? This is a treatment technique that we use at Rivertown Chiropractic. 

Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) has been researched more over the last couple of decades than ever before and is now being recognized as a great treatment for all sorts of illnesses. It can bring relief to conditions ranging from musculoskeletal disorders such as neck and low back pain to different brain disorders such as ADHD.

So what is LLLT and how can it help a wide variety of ailments? This form of therapy uses light that has a specific frequency between approximately 400 nm to 600 nm, this is the visible light spectrum. The light emitted from the laser activates the mitochondria within our cells. We all learned in high school that the mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell. The mitochondria are what produce energy for our cells in the form of a molecule called ATP. This ATP is essential for all functions of our cells, including healing. The increased energy coming from this boost in ATP production allows our cells to heal and recover quicker than they would have without the extra energy.

For more information on LLLT and our PL Touch Laser, feel free to talk to either Dr. Tyler or Dr. Geoff the next time that you’re in the office.

Cervical Proprioception & It's Link to Neck Pain

Last week we learned that proprioception is the ability of your body to determine its position and movements in open space. This week we are going to continue with the topic of proprioception and how it can affect your neck pain. Studies have shown a link between decreased proprioception and increased neck pain.

There are a large number of proprioceptive sensors in the muscles and joints of the cervical spine. According to a research article published in 2019, “cervical proprioception is critical in the maintenance of posture and movements”. ¹ The study took 132 people with cervical spondylosis, which is degeneration of the joints, and 132 people without cervical degeneration and they compared their proprioception by using a joint position error (JPE) test. This JPE test measures how accurately a person can re-center their head on their shoulders after rotation of their body. The study then compared the results of the JPE test with neck pain.

The results showed that cervical proprioception was largely decreased in people with cervical degeneration, and that people with decreased cervical proprioception have a greater amount of neck pain.

To avoid cervical degeneration and decreased proprioception it is important to do three things. Eat well, move well, and think well. Eating well keeps our bodies fueled and running properly as well as giving our bodies what they need to heal. Moving well keeps our bones, joints and muscles healthy and strong. Thinking well keeps the stress away and allows our bodies to focus on healing and proper function instead. And don’t forget to get your chiropractic adjustments to keep your spine and nervous system functioning properly.

 

Reference

1. Reddy RS, Tedla JS, Dixit S, Abohashrh M. Cervical proprioception and its relationship with neck pain intensity in subjects with cervical spondylosis. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2019;20(1). Accessed December 14, 2020. http://search.ebscohost.com.palmer.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eoah&AN=51530089&site=ehost-live

Proprioception

Close your eyes and stick both of your arms out in front of you. Now, with your left index finger touch the tip of your nose, and now with the right finger. Easy enough, but how is it so easy even with your eyes closed? The answer is proprioception. Proprioception is a constant cycle of messages being sent from the body to the brain allowing the brain to know where our body parts are in space and what those body parts are doing. The process starts with movement of our skin, muscles, and joints. Sensors in these areas detect movement and send a signal to the brain relaying that message. This allows our bodies to coordinate movements and to move freely throughout space.

            A good example of proprioception working to our benefit is when we stumble and catch ourselves before falling to the ground. When we slip our body, using proprioception, recognizes that we are slipping and the body responds by trying to correct our feet and sticking out our arms to catch ourselves.

            Someone with decreased proprioception may experience balance issues with frequent slips and falls, uncoordinated movements, poor posture and general clumsiness. This person may also avoid certain activities that require coordination such as climbing up and down stairs, or walking on uneven ground.

That Time Again

Every year around this time I send out this reminder of the importance of Vitamin D.  Ideally, the essential vitamin is released into the blood from the skin with exposure to the sun.  Because of this, people in this part of the country around this time of the year often are deficient.  However, numerous recent studies have led experts to believe that many more are deficient in this nutrient than previously anticipated and supplementation may be necessary year-round.

Symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency include bone pain and muscle weakness, kidney and lung problems, psoriasis, gum disease, and frequent flu symptoms.  Low energy levels, weight gain, and depression are also implicated with deficiency.  Chronic deficiencies have been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cognitive problems, asthma, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, 17 different cancers and even multiple sclerosis.

Outside of sun exposure, you can get some Vitamin D from fish oils, egg yolks and beef liver.  Unfortunately, it is very difficult to get enough D from diet alone as you would need to eat two servings of mackerel every day to get the recommended dosage.  Couple this with low sun exposure and Vitamin D supplementation is often a good idea.  The only question is how often and how much are you supposed to take.

While it is impossible to get too much D from the sun, since Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin when you’re taking it orally as a supplement, you can get toxic levels over time.  Typically, as long as you’re taking under 5000 I.U.s per day, you will be o.k.  The only accurate way to know if you’re deficient or to know when you have enough is through periodic blood testing.  Fortunately, many doctors have recently become aware of the importance of the vitamin and are recommending regular testing to their clients.  If you should find that you are deficient and decide take a D vitamin, make certain you’re supplementing with D3.  Learn more about the importance of this vitamin and talk to your doctor about blood testing.

DNA & Positive Thinking

For those of you who are regular followers of this article, I hope that you’ve grasped the concept that health exists on a continuum and that everything you do; everything you eat, drink, or breath are all either moving you toward health and away from dis-ease or moving you toward dis-ease and away from health.  I found an outstanding article that suggests that one of the biggest factors on this continuum is our own thoughts.

The article identified several research studies that show how we think can actually change the behavior of our DNA.  In one study performed by the military, DNA from white blood cells was taken from people, placed in a vial and moved to be monitored in another room.  The people were subjected to different emotional stimuli while their DNA was monitored.  As the donors were stimulated, they found that their DNA exhibited similar electrical responses at precisely the same time in the other room.

In a similar study done by the Institute of Heartmath, 28 scientists took DNA from other people and were taught to generate strong emotions in the presence of the DNA samples.  When the scientists generated feelings of joy, love, and gratitude, the DNA relaxed, unwound, and lengthened.  While they generated feelings of anger, fear, and frustration, the DNA tightened, shortened and shut off many of its codes.  The researchers applied this discovery to HIV-positive patients and discovered that when the AIDS patients generated feelings of joy, love, and gratitude their immune systems became 300,000 times more resistant to the virus than when they were not feeling this way.  Put simply, our thoughts affect our physiology and can have as great an impact on our health and wellness as any other factor.  Think about what you think about!

Curious About Supplements?

In our office, we recommend numerous different supplements to help balance body chemistry and physiology based on the need of the individual.  But since this column is about promoting wellness, what supplements could we all benefit from to enhance overall health?  Most sources I’ve encountered agree on a fairly short list. 

Unless you’re always eating the 5-13 servings of fresh fruits/vegetables recommended daily, a quality multivitamin is in order.  Everyone could benefit from an Omega 3 source such as fish oil.  A probiotic to normalize the healthy bacteria in the digestive tract and boost the immune system is a good idea.  And Vitamin D should be supplemented at least in the winter months when sun exposure is low.  We regularly stock all of these CORE 4 supplements from Metagenics in our office.

I recently came across an article reminding me about a supplement that I used to take and need to add back to my regimen.  Chlorella comes from green algae and is known for its ability to detoxify heavy metals, including mercury, from your system.  Heavy metal toxicity is not found in standard lab tests but is thought to be a contributing factor to everything from allergies, to Alzheimer’s and M.S., to cancer.  Exposure to these toxic metals comes from many different environmental sources including the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink. 

In addition to eliminating these toxins, Chlorella is known to repair nerves, enhance immune function, reduce cancer risk, improve digestion, reduce acidity, increase energy and concentration and it can even help normalize blood pressure and blood sugar.   For the best results, look for a Chlorella that has “broken cell walls” and is combined with another green algae known as Spirulina.  Research for a quality brand and try this supplement for a month and let me know how you do!

 

Dealing with Depression

In the past, I’ve discussed two neurotransmitters (hormones) in the brain that are related to addiction and depression.  These hormones are dopamine which is associated with our sense of reward and pleasure and serotonin which is associated with general happiness and feeling good.  I also referenced that depression and its traditional treatment is associated with maintaining higher levels of serotonin but I made mention of the Toronto study that determined the deepest levels of depression are linked to very low levels of dopamine.  This week, I’d like to add to the discussion and cover treatment options for these difficult and potentially devastating conditions.

The standard modern treatment for depression has been the prescription of what are called SSRIs or serotonin inhibitors.  These drugs function to block the reabsorption of serotonin in an attempt to keep the levels of this “happy hormone” high in the brain tissue.  This method makes sense and in some instances can be very effective.  This has been the accepted approach to depression since the early 1980’s.  However, with more aggressive marketing and wider usage, the drugs came under scrutiny in the year 2000 as medical research and case studies made a link between the use of SSRIs with aggression, suicidal tendencies, and violent behavior especially in children and teens.  In fact, in 2003, the British government banned the use of several of the drugs in citizens under the age of 18.  The FDA followed in 2004 by placing a black-box warning on the drugs alerting parents to watch for any signs of these behaviors.  Over the years they’ve expanded these warnings to include side effects of increased risk of bone fractures, sexual dysfunction, panic attacks, mania, cognitive disorders and loss of contact with reality, and increased feelings of depression and anxiety!  I remember when all of this was coming out in the medical literature and I’ve always wondered what the mechanism was that could make the drugs helpful to some people but dangerously harmful to others.  In researching this article, the aforementioned Toronto study of 2005 provided my answer.  Because our brains and chemistry are all different, some of the SSRI drugs on some of the people result in a deficit of dopamine some of the time.  The study showed in the bad reactions the drugs seemed to “hijack” the dopamine transporters causing levels to plummet.  As I mentioned in past posts, everything we do is tied to dopamine and this lack is the major cause of addictive behavior and the deepest depression. 

One of the best seminar courses I ever attended was about the stress response and how it related to brain chemistry including these two potent neurotransmitters.  As it turns out, we are supposed to maintain normal levels of serotonin and dopamine through healthy lifestyle habits such as adequate sleep, physical exercise, loving relationships, positive thoughts and even the vitamins and minerals we receive from fruits and vegetables.  So if you’re looking to prevent depression and addiction this is your best strategy – place your focus on health and happiness.  However, if you’re already dealing with these conditions, I still recommend the lifestyle approach, but I recognize that it may take more as the subconscious and hormonal patterns are already established.  If you’re using the SSRIs, just be aware of the side effects and don’t settle until you find one that is agreeable as there are several different options.  I also need to mention that you should not try to go off these on your own – have your doctor or pharmacist help you wean off them safely.  Even though it’s not as popular as it used to be, a qualified counselor can help you work through these problems and eventually uncover the underlying cause of your depression or anxiety which the drugs will never do.

Reducing Rust

In the past, I’ve discussed oxidative stress and the accepted theory that the free radicals generated by this oxidative stress are what cause us to age and develop disease.  I like to teach people that oxidative stress is very comparable to rust on metal.  After all, rust is oxidation.  This oxidation in the body is directly linked to arthritis, skin wrinkling, plaque in the arteries, and even damage to DNA that causes cells to age more rapidly.  There are many strategies to try to limit oxidative stress and free radical damage such as diets high in fruits and vegetables, exercise, and stress reduction.  There’s also one strategy that may come as a surprise.   I know improved aging is not what people normally think of with chiropractic care, but I wanted to share a research study that showed how regular chiropractic adjustments were found to reduce oxidative stress while enhancing cellular and DNA repair.

In a landmark study in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, researchers from the University of Lund in Sweden looked to see if chiropractic care could enhance health by reducing the effects of oxidative stress.  The researchers looked at serum thiol levels to measure overall health studies of the subjects being tested.  Serum thiols are primary antioxidants found in the blood that reduce free radical damage and help repair DNA and are widely accepted as markers to correlate with increased lifespan versus accelerated aging.  The goal was to look at the thiol levels of three groups: those under long-term chiropractic care, those under short-term care, and those with no history of chiropractic.  Quite simply, those under long-term care consistently demonstrated higher levels of serum thiol than the other two groups being studied.  The reason for this is because chiropractic adjustments, when delivered to reduce the interference placed on the nervous system from spinal misalignment, minimize the effects of physical, chemical, and emotional stressors on the body.  By enhancing the performance of the nervous system, we enhance our ability to heal and adapt to stress in general.  This stress reduction is associated with decreased oxidative stress on the entire body and specifically in the DNA of our cells.

While chiropractic care is accepted as an effective treatment for back pain and headaches, any chiropractor in the country will tell you that there’s much more to the story.  When spinal alignment is restored and pressure from the nervous system is reduced, we see numerous symptoms and conditions improve.  However, the important thing to focus on is not necessarily the symptoms but that the body is functioning better because the nervous system is working more efficiently and coordinating normal physiology and healing.  This is one of the main reasons why we consider chiropractic care a foundation for any program to enhance overall health and wellness.

What Makes This Oil So Special?

I’ve discussed the importance of fish oil in the past.  Fish oil is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids that have been proven to do all the following: improve the heart, normalize cholesterol and blood sugar levels, improve memory and concentration while decreasing mood swings and depression, reduce arthritis and joint pain, improve brain and liver function, and support immune function and decrease general aging.  Sounds like pretty great stuff!  You should know that not all fish oils are created equal.  Some lower quality oils are tainted with PCB’s, mercury and other heavy metals.  The biggest complaint of taking some lower quality oils is the “fishy burps.”  While these are unpleasant for the victim (and all those around him), they also are a sign of a rancid oil.  Fish oil does have the tendency to perish and oxidize quickly.  Rancid oil will give off free radicals which are very damaging to the body and undermine the benefits of taking the product in the first place.

What about skipping the oil and just eating more fish?  While this strategy used to be sound, today most fish is tainted with mercury and other toxins.  Unless you’re getting isolated sources of wild Alaskan salmon, many say it’s not even safe to eat fish more than 2 times per week.  Most other fish sources are farm-raised unnaturally and fed on grains.  These sources still contain the toxins and lack much of the omega 3 content that you’re wanting from fish to begin with. 

These omega 3 fatty acids are truly essential because they cannot be produced in the body and must come from outside sources.  Other dietary sources include flax seed, walnuts, most green vegetables, some beans and seeds and other meat sources that were raised “free-range” on grasses.  While it can be accomplished with diet, this is one situation where I find it easier to simply take the pill!

Immunity

If you’ve followed this column for any length of time, you’ve known me to discuss the importance of a healthy immune system in regard to every aspect of health.  Likewise, you should know many of the strategies for maintaining a healthy immune system such as reducing sugar and trans fats from the diet, getting at least 7 hours of sleep per night, eating raw fruits and vegetables with every meal, using exercise, massage, and/or chiropractic to reduce structural stresses from the nervous system, and supplementing with fish oil, vitamin D, and probiotics.  You should also understand how excessive amounts of physical, chemical, and emotional stresses greater than the body’s ability to adapt will ultimately weaken nervous system and immune function and it is at this time when our immunity is down that we can fall susceptible to all the germs we are routinely exposed to, but our trained defense system keeps at bay. Right? 

But sometimes stress happens and despite our best efforts, we can become susceptible to infection.  What happens then?  From our first breath of air as a newborn, our immune system is actively programming T-lymphocytes (white blood cells) whose job is to recognize specific pathogens (germs).  Once programmed, these cells function to eliminate any unwanteds that we should contact on future exposures.  This type of programmed immunity is life-long.  I recently learned that on the unfortunate times that we fall to an infection, when the infection is an agent we’ve come in contact before, it takes up to three days for the appropriate T-lymphocyte to mobilize and fight off the invaders.  On the occasion that we are infected by a new/unrecognizable germ, it takes up to seven days to program the appropriate lymphocytes and fight off the invader.  Speaking as someone who hasn’t taken an antibiotic in many years, this timeline only strengthens my conviction of the body’s ability to heal itself and my willingness to let my body fight it off.  On the flip side however, infections can be at best unpleasant and at worst very dangerous.  Knowing this timeline should help you to decide if and when you need to take more aggressive measures.  I hope this information helps.

In addition, we are highlighting the following immune boosting supplements in our office this month.

Vitamin D for daily use

            Vitamin D is best known for supporting the health of our bones. However, there is also accumulating research showing that vitamin D strengthens the muscle cells within the heart and the vascular system. By strengthening these muscle cells, optimal levels of vitamin D have the ability to maintain healthy blood pressure levels. Another benefit of vitamin D is that it has been shown to boost production of natural compounds within the body that protect us against harmful pathogens.

MitoCore for daily use

            We have all been taught that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of our cells. Mitocore gives our mitochondria the nutrients that they need to produce energy. It includes key micronutrients that protect the mitochondria from wear and tear. It also has ingredients that have been shown to support the immune system such as broccoli seed extract and green tea.

Viracid for immediate immune support/daily use

Viracid is designed to be used as both an immediate immune support for someone suffering from an acute illness such as a cold or the flu, but it can also be used as a daily immune support for a limited time. Viracid contains vitamins A and C, along with botanical extracts that have been traditionally used for their immune boosting properties such as astragalus, echinacea, black elderberry and andrographis. Viracid should not be used as a daily support for more than a few months as it can eventually lessen the natural immune response within the body.  

Lauricidin for daily use

Lauricidin® is a naturally occurring fat that is derived from coconut oil. It works by breaking down the protective outer coating of bacteria, viruses and fungi which can then be targeted and removed from the body easier through the immune system. This makes lauricidin a safe and effective supplement with antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties.

Immune Active for daily use

Immune Active® is a supplement designed for the cold and flu season. It’s ingredients including EGCG from green tea, zinc, quercetin, and vitamin C have been shown to support proper immune function. Zinc also has the ability to shorten the duration of upper respiratory infections by modulating the production of inflammatory cytokines. Another important ingredient is N-Acetylcysteine which supports and protects our mitochondria. This support and protection allows our mitochondria to maintain proper energy levels within our cells allowing them to fight off viruses and foreign bacteria. 

 

 

Tea it Up

I hear many people complain that they feel like they can’t do or eat anything as it seems that everything in this world is bad for their health.  In writing these articles it’s easy to fall into that same trap and report on all the things that detract from health.  So when I come across something that actually promotes health and longevity, I try to take notice and bring it to your attention.  One of those things is Green Tea!

I hope that by now, you’ve heard that green tea can be effective at reducing the risk of numerous forms of cancer.  Studies vary, but on average drinking five cups daily of the antioxidant extract can reduce general cancer risk by around 50%.  You may have even heard that drinking green tea can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.  And with diabetes being the fastest growing form of chronic disease, you may want to take note that green tea helps with insulin resistance which is the very mechanism of type II diabetes.  For me, that alone is enough to seek out the stuff and drink it down.  However, recent research has discovered that green tea also has the potential to prevent and possibly even reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.  Alzheimer’s occurs as the result of your brain cells being impaired and killed from something called amyloid plaques.  Like every other degenerative process in the body, these plaques are the result of oxidative stress and free radical damage that are directly related to inflammatory diet, stress, and lack of exercise.  Before this study, the only proven method of preventing Alzheimer’s was physical exercise and consuming excessive fruits and vegetables for their antioxidant benefits.  There are only five drugs that treat the disease, but they only partially treat some of the symptoms temporarily for about half the patients who take them.  Scientist have found that green tea not only prevents the formation of amyloid plaques but can actually break down existing plaques in early development and can even promote the production of new nerve cells in the brain (which was thought to be impossible not too long ago).  These new cells were noticed in the part of the brain known as the hippocampus which is known to convert short-term information into long-term memory.  Through the use of functional MRI, the scientists of a European study were able to see changes in the brain cells with just a single dose of green tea or with just one week of green tea supplements!

I would like to clarify that the green tea we’re talking about here is not the stuff you buy at the gas station that is loaded with high fructose corn syrup.  You need to get the real thing.  In researching this, the types that consistently came up with the highest level of anti-oxidants were brands of Lonjing or Dragon Well teas.  However, I did find results from a UCLA study that claimed even the Celestial Seasonings and Lipton green teas were considered high in these same anti-oxidant levels.  In my search, I was unable to determine which brand is the best for sure, but one thing I know is that I’m going to start drinking some form of Dragon Well tea right away!

Fight the Fire

If there were one thing that every person could do to promote health and prevent all forms of disease it would be to “deflame”.  Nearly all experts agree that the common denominator of every disease is inflammation in the body.  Chronic inflammation will cause everything from pain and arthritis to cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s.  Knowing strategies to decrease general inflammation can make all the difference

While there are several strategies to get the job done, reducing inflammation should start with diet.  Stated simply, we need to increase the foods that decrease inflammation and decrease the foods that promote inflammation.  One surprising food that promotes inflammation is grains.  Grains contain two ingredients that are the source of the problem.  Gluten is a protein found in most grains that will often cause a type of allergic reaction in the body that begins in the bowel.  Grains also contain a substance called phytic acid that will reduce the absorption of calcium, magnesium and zinc.  This phytic acid will cause the pH of our body to become more acidic which is known to cause inflammation.  Sugar has a similar effect in the body.  Excessive amounts of protein can also increase inflammation because in digestion, protein gets broken down to amino acids that must be neutralized.

Strategies for reducing inflammation through diet are much simpler.  We must ingest the minerals that neutralize our internal pH and bring us back to a slightly alkaline state.  Minerals come from the earth and are found in foods that grow in the ground.  This means virtually every fruit and vegetable will normalize pH and act as nature’s anti-inflammatory.  Commit to fruits and vegetables every day or ideally every meal.

Increasing exercise and minimizing the stress response are also critical for fighting inflammation, but if the diet is still out of skew, these strategies won’t get you as far.

Hard Habits

I once attended a wellness seminar where the presenter made an argument that we are all dopamine addicts.  Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that gives us a feeling of pleasure.  The problem is that dopamine doesn’t accumulate and it doesn’t last very long.  For this reason we are always seeking out our next dose of dopamine from anything that can provide to us that feeling of pleasure.

One of the ways we gain pleasure is through food.  This is what makes changing eating habits a tremendous challenge to many people.  From an early age we are conditioned to associate unhealthy food with reward.  This could be in the form of a birthday cake, a piece of candy for a good deed, or going out for pizza for good grades.  Unfortunately, this behavior often carries on into adulthood and many of our bad eating habits are based on so-called “comfort” foods for a quick dopamine fix.  Once this connection is made in the brain, it’s very difficult to disconnect the association which is precisely what makes old habits hard to break.

While it may be true that disconnecting a feeling of pleasure can be difficult, you can always make a new association.  The same speaker who taught about dopamine shared with me a strategy that he uses with clients to make this new association.  You merely need to take your favorite self-sabotaging “comfort” food and eat it in front of a mirror while watching yourself.  Oh . . . and you will want to do this naked!  That’s right, totally nude.  How many servings of Rocky Road in the buff do you believe it would take to make you lose some pleasure in the tasty treat?  This may sound like a bizarre tactic, but it is based in science and basic brain chemistry.  Give it a try and I would love to know your results (rivertownchriowellness@gmail.com).

Social Significance

I’ve attempted in this column to cover numerous aspects of physical, chemical, and emotional well-being and how they relate to better health and wellness.  However, a journal article published in Nature Neuroscience reminded me that I’ve neglected the social aspect of health and its role in longevity.

The topic of social health became more significant in 1947 when the World Health Organization included it in its formal definition of health.  Increasing evidence has shown that those who are well integrated into their communities tend to live longer and heal better from disease while those who do not feel as connected are more prone to illness.  Numerous times, it has been proven that married people tend to live longer than individuals who do not marry.  In his book, Healthy at 100, John Robbins, M.D. documents the critical significance of a strong community network in all four of the cultures he studied where people often lived over 100 years with extraordinary health.  This recent research study set out to determine the neurological mechanism that makes these outcomes possible.  The conclusion of the study ties into a subject I’ve discussed numerous times in the past – stress physiology.  The researchers believe that a lack of community or even threats to social connection may tap into the same neural and physiological alarm system that responds to critical survival threats.  Having a strong social network appears to tap into basic reward related mechanisms in the brain.  What they are saying is that a good social support network shuts off the stress response and a poor social structure actually feeds the stress response.  Any perceived stress leads to what I have often called “stress physiology” which should be viewed as the predictable cascade of increased hormones that affect nearly all aspects of our physiology and over time can be linked to virtually every disease known to man.

The lesson to take home from this material is to work on your relationships.  Resist the temptation to go home and tune out.  Instead, spend time building meaningful bonds with your family and friends.  Join a club or group, or get involved in your church.  The more strong and meaningful relationships you maintain will not only make you feel better, but they will actually help you to live longer with less risk of disease and illness.

More Than a Luxury

When our patients begin their chiropractic treatment, I often recommend massage as part of a treatment plan. This seems to trouble some patients and they are reluctant to schedule massages. My only explanation for this is that people fail to see the health and wellness connection of massage therapy as they think of it merely as a spa experience or what I like to refer to as a Jacuzzi effect.  This is something that provides some benefit while you’re doing it, but by the next day, life remains relatively unchanged.  What I’ve come to see is that the people who undergo regular massage even for just once per week for a couple months learn the truth and experience the real benefits.

I did a quick review of the research on massage therapy and while there is too much to report, I made a laundry list of the broader benefits of this age-old procedure.  By increasing blood flow and circulation, research shows that massage often can reduce heart rate and blood pressure.  Similarly, by increasing the flow of lymphatic fluid, massage reduces swelling and strengthens the immune system.  By reducing muscle spasm, tension patterns, and adhesions, massage improves range of motion and flexibility while enhancing athletic performance and helping to prevent sports injuries.  Massage also releases the body’s natural painkillers endorphins, thereby reducing acute or even chronic pain.  It is well documented that massage will increase serotonin levels to help reduce stress and prevent depression.  There are research studies to show that massage can help with more specific conditions such as fibromyalgia, plantar fascitis, carpal tunnel, migraines, arthritis and even asthma and bronchitis.  A study that I kept coming across was one that showed premature infants who received massage gained weight much faster than those who did not.

The point is that massage is much more than a luxury.  Even amateur massage feels good and relaxing while it’s being done, and I’m not certain I’ve heard anyone complain about a “bad massage.”  However, in my experience, the good ones are ones where even after the first couple sessions, you know that something has changed and the results begin to become long-lasting.  There are numerous licensed massage therapists in the area.  If you haven’t tried massage in the past, call for a couple appointments to experience the health benefits of this safe and painless therapeutic approach.

Heart Health

I was attracted to an article titled “The Real Cause of Heart Disease” written by a heart surgeon of 25 years experience.  His article was more of a retraction letter apologizing for the bad advice he had promoted over the years.  He stated that the standard advice of cholesterol lowering medications and a low-fat diet are no longer scientifically or morally defensible.  25% of the population is taking cholesterol drugs, yet more Americans are dying of heart disease every year and 75 million Americans are currently suffering with some level of heart disease.

This surgeon sited recent research proving that inflammation in the artery wall is the real cause of heart and all cardiovascular disease.  Without this inflammation, cholesterol wouldn’t accumulate in the vessel lining to begin with.  It’s the inflammation that traps cholesterol in the internal lining of the arteries.  From this point-of-view, cholesterol in the arteries is not the cause of heart disease, but merely another symptom.  Inflammation from diet and stress is the real cause and also the solution.  What causes this inflammation?  It’s the processed carbohydrates such as sugar and flour products as well as the omega-6 corn, vegetable, soybean and sunflower oils.

To solve the heart disease epidemic we must begin to choose more natural and complex carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables over the processed grains and sugars.  Likewise, we don’t need to avoid fat because that strategy has not worked either.  Rather we need omega-3 fats found in fish oils, organically raised.

Today's mainstream American diet has produced an extreme imbalance of these two fats. The ratio of imbalance ranges from 15:1 to as high as 30:1 in favor of omega-6. That's a tremendous amount of cytokines causing inflammation. In today's food environment, a 3:1 ratio would be optimal and healthy. Eating a balance of healthy fats improves overall health leading to less heart disease. 

Belly Fat

O.K.  I don’t believe there’s anyone out there that is particularly fond of belly fat or as it is often referred to -- the “muffin top.”  In the past, I’ve discussed that the excess around the girth starts producing its own hormones including estrogen.  In that article, I shared how this abdominal fat is a primary predictor of not only cardiovascular disease, but also of diabetes and cancer.  These are 3 of the 4 top killers in our society.  So obviously eliminating the belly fat is a big deal, but for anyone who has tried, it can be a challenge.  One of the reasons losing belly fat is so difficult is that it’s not there only as a result of poor diet and lack of exercise.  Chronic stress will also contribute to the spare tire.

When you have any perceived stress, your body releases certain "fight-flight" hormones including cortisol, norepinephrine and epinephrine.  This is a normal healthy response to any threat or perceived stress. Typically, these hormones will go up and down throughout the day with stress. The problem is that when you are chronically stressed your cortisol levels go up and stay up. These elevated cortisol levels cause the body to resist weight loss because your body thinks times are hard and you might starve.  So it hoards the fat you eat and takes fat from healthier areas and moves it to your abdomen causing increased inflammation and insulin resistance in the body. This belly fat then leads to more cortisol because it has higher concentrations of an enzyme that converts inactive cortisone to active cortisol.  This increased cortisol retains more abdominal fat and the cycle continues.

So what can be done?  To lose the weight in this area you must reverse the cortisol and fight-flight reaction.  Fortunately, as long as you can find a form of exercise that you don’t resent and get more stressed over; all exercises will at least temporarily inhibit the stress and cortisol response.  Secondly, stress is most often a perception – we are not truly in a life-threatening situation.  Thus, you need to practice shifting your mind and your thoughts from what is wrong in life (stress) to what is right (gratitude).  Meditation to quiet your mind is also critical.  This change in the brain will change the hormones released.  Finally, your fuel sources need to be appropriate.  Caffeine, nicotine, sugar, flour and processed grains all act as stimulants that stimulate stress.  Lean protein, healthy fats (omega 3’s) and the minerals found in raw fruits and vegetables help to shut off the stress response.  In essence, if you eat, think, and exercise appropriately, you can reverse this deadly epidemic to our health and society.

We also have an exciting new laser in our office that will help with belly fat and overall fat loss. The Zerona Z6 Fat Loss Laser flushes toxins from the fat cells, resulting in lost inches, weight and fat. If you are interested in learning more, join us for our open house on July 21st. Register on Eventbrite or by calling the office at 812-273-4325 to save a seat.  

Brain Boost

One of the very first articles I wrote for this column was about the benefits of physical exercise for improving memory and preventing disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.  The good news is that nearly four years later, this information is still true.  In fact, some newer research reported in a recent book titled, The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain shows that exercise is absolutely vital for memory and proper brain function.

It wasn’t that long ago that the physiology books and med-school instructors taught that loss of brain cells was permanent and irreversible.  Fortunately, this was simply not true.  In the past, I’ve shared the research that emotional stress will shrink the cells of the hippocampus (considered to be the memory center of the brain).  One recent study proved that regular exercise will actually enlarge this memory center by 1-2% per year throughout life!  If you’re wondering how exercise can do all of this, the experts believe it’s because of the increased blood flow to the brain.  They also believe that physical exertion develops new nerves and increase nerve-protecting compounds.  Finally, numerous studies have shown that exercise alters the damaging proteins in the brain that are directly linked to Alzheimer’s.  Researchers also believe that you don’t have to dedicate large amounts of time to get a brain boost – as little as 20 minute workouts can improve long-term memory.  In one study of elementary students, they found that 40 minutes of exercise every day increased IQ by nearly four points on average and the fittest students scored 30% higher on IQ testing than average students.  In adult studies, employees who exercise regularly are about 15% more efficient at their jobs.

In most of these studies, it appears that the type of exercise doesn’t really matter as long as you’re getting appropriate exertion to get the heart pumping and increase blood flow to the brain.  Studies involving weight training, walking, running, and other forms all generated similar results.  The key is to know your target heart rate and get up to 90-100% of your target several times throughout the workout.  The only catch to all of these studies is that if you are looking to improve the brain, the exercise needs to be regular and routine.  In a recent rat study, they found that stopping exercise for just three weeks duration resulted in the nerve cells of the brain to begin to decrease and memory to suffer.  In a second similar study where the rats had only been exercising for a short time (10 weeks) followed by three weeks of inactivity, they determined that the benefits of the exercise were lost and the memory and nerve development was the same as those rats that had always been inactive.  The moral of the story is that exercise needs to be done and it needs to be done regularly!  But if you’re worried about aging gracefully and preventing the emotional hardship that goes with losing memory and dealing with diseases such as Alzheimer’s, this information is still great news and should give you hope and motivation.

A Three-legged Stool

When it comes to health challenges and even wellness goals, I find that people often put all their eggs in one basket.  What I mean is, we try just one thing and if that doesn’t work, then we try another one thing.  Unfortunately, most people neglect their health until they get sick and then their one treatment consists of drugs without regard to the side effects or what lifestyle factors ultimately caused them to get sick in the first place.  This is true even though the New England Journal of Medicine has determined that 80% of our health problems should have been prevented through proper lifestyle.   I even find the same phenomenon with people seeking chiropractic care – they simply want to get adjusted without concern of what caused their problems or what else they can do on their own to improve their outcomes.  But there is a much better way.

Chiropractors deal with misalignments of the spine called subluxations that place pressure and tension on the nervous system.  Just like other health problems, subluxation is caused by excessive amounts of physical, chemical, and emotional levels of stress beyond what the body can adapt.  In fact, for a bone to become misaligned, there must be an imbalance of the muscles that are designed to keep the bones aligned, and at least five ligaments of the spinal joints will have been compromised as well.  The number one complaint about chiropractic care is that people respond and do well while they’re under active care, but when care is reduced the problems begin to come back.  Realize, this is not a chiropractic problem; this is either a stability or lifestyle problem.  In terms of stability, most people have imbalanced or weak muscles from sitting too much or doing the same activities over and over causing some muscles to be over-developed and others to be under-developed.  This phenomenon creates inherent stress on a joint and makes it very difficult for people to “hold their adjustments.”  In physical therapy, they would rehab those muscles to stabilize that joint.  My concern with this is what if the joint was imbalanced to begin with and we’re strengthening an improper structure?  In the past, as a chiropractor, I used to believe that all I had to do is restore the alignment and movement of the joint and the body would take care of the rest.  I have learned this is not true when that joint is supported by weak or imbalanced muscles.  When you restore alignment and strengthen at the same time, it’s a win-win.  In terms of lifestyle, I hope it’s only common sense that if I go back to the same faulty lifestyles that caused my problems to begin with, of course my symptoms will return.  This is why the physical, chemical, and emotional components must all be addressed.  When people address their physical stressors and begin to exercise, when they clean up their inflammatory diets, and when they work at reducing stress in their life through exercise, meditation, or other techniques, this is when health is truly restored.

We need to look at health as a three-legged stool where physical, chemical, and emotional well-being makes up the foundation.  When any one leg is compromised, the whole thing suffers.  We live in a world of numerous demands and stressors that complicate healing.  Whether we’re talking about a chiropractic problem or any health problem, you need to look at healing as a multi-dimensional process where you will likely need to make changes on more than one level to achieve real results.

It’s a Brain Thing

Even after 120 years, there are still a lot of people confused about chiropractic adjustments because they don’t want to get their “bones cracked, or popped.”  They believe that the adjustment “pops” a bone that is out of place back into place like snapping Legos into position.  Some of this is the fault of the chiropractor as we have allowed this simplified interpretation to be perpetuated over the years rather than tell the whole truth which is a little more complicated.  The truth is that the adjustment is more about the brain than it is about the bones.

Chiropractors detect and correct something called a subluxation.  Subluxations are indeed minor misalignments of the spine that can create pressure and swelling on the nerves causing interference with the nerve signals thereby adversely affecting everything under the control of that nerve.  The problem with this is that bones don’t just go out of place on their own – they are controlled by the muscles.  There are approximately 108 muscles of the spine whose job is to keep the bones of the spine in proper alignment.  That’s great, except for the fact that muscles don’t do anything on their own.  In truth, muscles do only one of two things – they turn on to contract, and they turn off to relax much like a light bulb.  However, just like the light bulb, the muscle requires an electrical stimulus from the wiring system of the body or the nerves.  And when it comes to maintaining the alignment of the bones through the muscular system, the nerves that coordinate all of this are controlled largely by the coordination center of the brain known as the cerebellum.  This part of the brain requires constant incoming information from all the joints and muscles of the body to coordinate balance and movement and maintain normal posture and proper structure.  So you see, a misalignment of the spine or subluxation is really a coordination problem.  There has to be some kind of disconnect between the bones, muscles, nerves and cerebellum that would allow a bone to stop moving correctly and become misaligned.  Therefore, you cannot truly “pop” a bone back into place.  Even if you could, the imbalanced muscles would pull it right back out of place.  Rather, the chiropractic adjustment moves the bone enough in the right direction to fire off the nerve endings in the joint that report to the coordination center of the brain (cerebellum).  This stimulus from the joint gives the cerebellum the information needed to begin re-coordinating the imbalanced muscles so that the body can begin to move the bone back into proper position and heal on its own.  I like to think of this like resetting the circuit breaker.  Because the muscles and the nervous system itself are very habit-forming this process usually requires repetition to retrain this complex system and ultimately correct the misalignment or subluxation.  So even though most people go to chiropractors for various pains, the process really is not about reducing pain, but rather about improving the function of this brain/body communication.  When this is accomplished, higher function not only leads to less pain, but better performance and ultimately better health because the brain is communicating with the body more efficiently through the nervous system as it was designed to do.  I share this perspective with you because many people are suffering unnecessarily due to commonly held misconceptions about how chiropractic and the chiropractic adjustment work.

Fake Fats

I haven’t picked on trans-fats in a while.  While it’s been well recognized that these fake, unnatural fats have been linked to heart disease for some time, research from the American Heart Association shows a link between trans-fats and advanced dementia or Alzheimer’s as well.

For decades it was the saturated animal fats that were thought to be culprits to chronic disease.  So for years, fats were reduced and removed from foods while things like butter and lard were replaced with margarine and vegetable oil.  This strategy simply has not worked and it’s contributed to millions of early deaths.  The reason why this didn’t work and what you really need to know about trans-fats is that they are synthetic and they prevent the production of a chemical in your body known as prostacyclin which is necessary to keep blood flowing.  As a result, trans-fats cause clogging of the artery walls.  Likewise these oils including vegetable, soybean, corn, and sunflower oils when heated oxidize (or break down).  This reaction causes clotting and hardening of the arteries.  It is this same oxidation that is thought to contribute to the plaques in the brain that are related to Alzheimer’s.  In order to avoid trans-fats, you need to avoid any foods containing or cooked in hydrogenated vegetable oil.  This means avoiding all fried foods such as french fries and many other highly processed foods including chips, cookies, crackers, and cereals.  Even though these pseudo-foods have become the staple of the American diet, the good news is that the body can eliminate trans-fats in about a month when we quit putting them in our pie holes.  This makes eating out very difficult and fast-food almost impossible.  The best strategy is cooking natural whole foods at home.

Please understand that I am not advocating going fat-free.  Your body needs fat for brain function and hormone production!  You just want to reduce and eliminate these toxic fats and replace them with natural fats such as organic butter, avocados, fish oil, coconut and coconut oil, raw nuts (almonds, pecans, and macadamia) and seeds.  And even organic egg yolks and grass-fed meats are on the healthy list.  Another factor to be aware of is that statin drugs for cholesterol also increase the risk of dementia/Alzheimer’s because they deplete the brain of essential fatty acids and coenzyme Q10.  However, when you replace the trans-fats with healthy fats, cut sugar, and add in some exercise and stress reduction, most (if not all) people would not have a need for statin drugs to begin with.  So if you’re looking for a simple way to embrace a healthier lifestyle, consider going no trans-fats for a month and see what happens.

Posture Problems

In the first chapter of every physiology book you’ll find the phrase, “Anatomy dictates physiology.”  In other words, our structure dictates our function or how well things work.  This is certainly true in your neck.  A normal neck has a 35-45 degree curve as measured on x-ray.  Think of this like the bow in a dam or a bridge.  The curve provides flexibility and strength amongst numerous other functions.  When the curve is lost or especially reversed, problems can arise with our physiology.  These include chronic aches and pains, but also bigger problems with overall health.

The normal curve (lordosis) of our neck develops as an infant when we begin to hold our head up and crawl.  As mentioned, this curve reduces stress on the soft tissues of the neck and provides flexibility – think of it like a spring or shock absorber for the weight of the head.  This normal curve keeps the vertical pressure and weight of the head on the backs of the vertebrae rather than the fronts where the discs are.  Likewise, the curve allows the numerous little muscles on the back side of the neck to stay relaxed.  Poor posture from driving or sitting at a desk or especially looking down at a phone, tablet, or laptop for hours will change the muscle balance of the neck; stretching the muscles of the back side while shortening those in the front.  Some studies have shown that this phenomenon will happen 80% of the time after a whiplash accident from a car wreck or other injury.  In previous articles, we called this “upper-crossed syndrome.”  This syndrome results in a straightening of the neck or sometimes even a reversal of the curve.  Either way, when the curve is lost, you lose the functional advantages mentioned above and forces are shifted to the front of the vertebrae and onto the discs.  The result will be chronic tightness of the muscles in the back of the neck, chronic neck pain and stiffness, tension headaches, shoulder tension, and loss of normal range of motion in the neck.  Over time this imbalanced pressure creates excessive wear-and-tear that causes degenerative changes such as arthritis of the spine and breakdown of the discs.  Worse than this, as the head starts to drift forward from these changes of the neck, our shoulders won’t move the same.  Also, breathing will become more difficult.  You can try this on your own – just push your head forward and attempt to rotate your shoulders like you were swimming or take deep breaths.  A landmark 2004 study looking at thousands of subjects found that the loss of curve in the neck will increase tension in the spinal cord and stretch the cord up to 5-7 centimeters.  The study found that people that had this loss of curve on average lived two years less than those who retained the normal curve in their neck.

The good news is that all of this can be prevented and many times reversed.  Obviously, focusing on normal posture is critical.  But even when the curve is lost, there are neck and shoulder exercises that work to undo the damage.  Contoured cervical pillows help prevent the problem, but only if you sleep on your back.  When the curve is already lost, in most cases, you will need to practice some form of neck traction/extension regularly over a period of 6-12 months and there are various products that are designed for this retraining of the neck.