Is your commute helping you lose weight?

August 21st, 2010

via Integrative Nutrition Blog by Integrative Nutrition on 8/2/10

Do you use public transportation to get around your city or town?  If you do, a new study suggests that the extra bit of walking to and from your rail or bus stop will help you lose weight. 

John M. MacDonald, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who studied the effects of a new light-rail line in Charlotte, N.C says that using the subway or bus increased the physical activity, and therefore the body-mass index, of people who started using it.The New York Times reported that those Charlotte residents surveyed who began to walk to the light rail instead of driving to work walked on average 1.2 miles total on their commutes to and from work.  The average weight reduction found was 1.18 B.M.I. point.

If you commute by public transportation, you can increase your daily physical activity by getting off a stop earlier.  Everyone else can incorporate more exercise into their daily routine by using the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator, walking or biking short distances instead of using the car, or parking far away from the entrance of a store where you are shopping.

What are other ways to incorporate more movement into your life?

Posted via email from chiropractornews’s posterous

Posted in health | No Comments »

Oak Lawn Chiropractor Discusses Tension Headaches

July 21st, 2010

Are you suffering from painful tension headaches? Dr. Gerald Helwig, the best Oak Lawn Chiropractor, knows that life can be a pain from time to time. Sometimes that pain is caused by an accident or injury. Sometimes it can be the result of the cumulative effects of bad posture and poor gait. Pain can also occur from the degenerative effects of aging. But, sometimes pain, especially headache pain, can be caused by everyday stress.

Are you sidelined by tension headaches? Do they cause you to be absent from work or ineffective while you’re there? Do they interfere with your family and social life? Most people have experienced more than one tension headache in their life. If you are someone who’s had a tension headache, then you know that the pain usually feels like an intense, but dull ache in your head. Such pain is commonly accompanied by a sensation of tightness or pressure along the forehead or on the sides and back of the head. Sometimes, you might feel a tenderness of your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles, and periodically you may experience a loss of appetite or even nausea.

Most tension headaches are defined as mild to moderately intense, but the severity of the pain varies from one person to another, and can vary from one headache to another in the same person. Would you describe your tension headaches as occurring frequently? Did you know that if your headaches take place fifteen or more days a month for a minimum of three months, they’re viewed by healthcare professionals as chronic?

The good news is that if tension headaches are interfering with your life, once in a while or chronically, chiropractic treatment can help. For over twenty years Dr. Helwig has been helping the Oak Lawn Community to get out of pain, whether an individual is suffering from back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, knee pain, foot pain, and headaches. That right! Chiropractors don’t just treat back pain. They address the entire musculoskeletal system!

So, if you are suffering from tension headaches that have kept you from living your life fully, call Dr. Helwig. He’s your Chiropractor in Oak Lawn. Get your life back!

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Posted in headaches | No Comments »

Regulatory Protection is Needed for Student-Athletes

June 15th, 2010

I believe that exercise, often in the form of sports activities, keeps the body healthy and strong. But, as a chiropractor I see a lot of sports related injuries, not just the weekend warriors, but young student-athletes. Sports activities seem to inevitably lead to sports injuries, and some are far more serious than others. That’s why I am happy to see that there is currently a focus on concussions, especially repeated concussions, among young athletes who participate in school sports. The question people are asking is: Are schools doing enough to protect their student-athletes? Do you, as a parent, feel that your child is safe when participating in sports at school?  Many parents worry that their young athletes are at risk for serious sports injuries, especially concussions. In fact, the latest C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health found that nearly two-thirds of parents of young athletes between the ages 12 – 17 worry that their children will get a concussion while playing school sports.

To make matters worse, researchers have found that youth athletes are more likely to sustain concussions and to take longer to recover from concussions than adults. Furthermore, if a second concussion occurs before a child’s brain recovers from the first, there is a possibility of long-term neurologic conditions.

When surveyed, most parents indicated that they would strongly support school requirements, such as:

    * If a student-athlete sustained a concussion, he or she would need to be evaluated and cleared by a doctor before returning to sports – 84 percent

    * Coaches should to receive education about the risks of concussions

    * After a concussion there should be a mandatory period of non-participation in sports

    * A certified trainer should be on-site for practices and games

High school athletic organizations, injury prevention groups and professional sports leagues have become increasingly active in promoting policies to minimize the risks of repeat concussions among young athletes. But, let’s face it, parents are in a unique position to recognize concussion signs and symptoms that occur outside of school, and to work with coaches, trainers, and other health care personnel to ensure that their child is appropriately monitored throughout his or her recovery and return to play.

Source: University of Michigan Health System

Posted via email from chiropractornews’s posterous

Posted in health | No Comments »

Chiropractor In Santa Barbara Explains The Cause Of Spine Osteoarthritis

May 20th, 2010

Santa Barbara Chiropractor

You know what they say, When you consider the alternative, getting old isn’t so bad.” But, if the aging process is creating pain in your body, you are painfully aware that aging is no joke! As a chiropractor in Santa Barbara, I see quite a few patients suffering from age-related challenges that might not have taken place if the original cause had been treated earlier in life, especially when it comes to musculoskeletal breakdowns. Pain in the back, neck, hips, knees, and even the feet are frequently the result of needless stresses due to poor posture, improper gait, and repetitive overuse. If we only aware years ago how our aging body would feel now, eh? But, as they say, “hindsight is 20-20.”

As you can see from the list areas of pain above, there are plenty of musculoskeletal challenges that can, and often do, develop as we get older, but painful back problems are one of the most prevalent. Back pain that is age-related is most often the result of a degenerative disorder known as Spondylosis (spine osteoarthritis).

Spondylosis is caused by prolonged erosion and weight-bearing pressure on the spine that, over the years, does harm to the discs, joints, and surrounding ligaments. The area of the body and rate of the degenerative process of spondylosis varies from person to person. It might affect the cervical (neck), thoracic (mid-back), or lumbar (low back) areas of the spine. Depending on the severity of degeneration, Spondylosis symptoms vary from person-to-person as well, and can run a spectrum from low-amplitude pain and numbness to extensive sensory loss and muscular atrophy.

Repetitive stresses adversely affect the cartilage surrounding the joints and can encourage calcium to deposit in the tissues around the vertebrae. Adjacent nerves, blood vessels, and soft tissue can be constricted by these calcific deposits, also called bone spurs. This kind of compression is at the root of Spondylosis.

Regular chiropractic adjustments and overall chiropractic management has been shown to significantly slow age-related degeneration of the spine whether or not you are suffering from spondylosis. No, “you can’t un-ring a bell” or “turn back the hands of time,” but it’s never too late to give your spine the attention it deserves. When it comes to treating the spine, chiropractors are experts! See your Santa Barbara Chiropractor today, for the health of your spine.

Technorati Tags: , , ,

Posted in back pain | No Comments »

If You Suffer From Hip Pain, Your Corona Chiropractor Offers Chiropractic Management That Can Help You Get Out Of Pain Now!

May 19th, 2010

Corona Chiropractor

Your Corona Chiropractor offers a potent non-surgical, drug-free approach to relieving hip pain and frequently eliminating it altogether. Hopefully, it goes without saying that surgery should be a last resort whenever possible. So, before you decide on hip surgery, consider the following questions: Does hip pain wake you up in the night and make it impossible for you to get a good night’s sleep? When you arise in the morning, and/or when you get out of your car, are you stiff and do you find it initially hard to move your legs? Do you feel pain in one or both hips when you cross your legs or rotate or twist your hips? If you’ve answered “yes” to any or all of these questions you probably have imbalances and alignment problems in your lower extremities that, in addition to causing your hip pain, can eventually lead to osteoarthritis in your hips if not treated. The good news is that whether or not degenerative changes have already taken place, chiropractic treatment can help!

It may be true that you’re getting older and your hip joints just aren’t what they used to be. Even so, did you know that your hip pain and related problems, which are thought to be age-related degenerative conditions, may not actually be caused by osteoarthritis? That’s right. In fact, as opposed to being the original source of your problem, osteoarthritis of the hip joint is more often than not the outgrowth of a past injury (or injuries) to your hips.

Hip problems frequently have to do with asymmetry or imbalance when you are in motion, as in the case of walking. If you “pronate” when you walk, like a duck, with your toes pointing away from your body, sooner or later you will feel pain in your hips due to the asymmetrical stress on your hip joints as your body attempts to compensate. Fortunately, you can make changes in your gait pattern at any age, and your chiropractor in Corona can help you to do it.

In addition, you may have undergone gait changes due to an ankle sprain or knee strain, and since “the knee bone’s connected to the hip bone,” these biomechanical accommodations create hip pain. Naturally, if not corrected, your hip joints will suffer further consequences, i.e, wear and tear that creates degenerative changes.

Other circumstances that can frequently adversely affect the hip joints are starting a new job or beginning a new sport that requires you to move your body in uncommon ways. Also, transporting a child (or grandchild) on one hip can cause hip pain. Even the way you sit or driving for prolonged periods of time on a routine basis can cause hip injury and pain.

Isn’t it good to know that not every pain is caused by “old age,” even though we may suffer from more pain as a consequence of the progressive capacity of untreated injuries.

As part of the chiropractic management of your hip problem, along with your adjustments, your Corona Chiropractor will suggest individualized rehabilitative exercises that include gentle muscle stretching and strengthening, and will also study your gait and may offer simple pattern changes.

Your hip pain won’t vanish on its own. Hip pain is a symptom informing you that there’s an injury that needs treatment. If ignored, it is very likely that at some point you will require that hip replacement surgery. So, don’t wait until it’s too late. Your chiropractor in Corona can get you out of pain, get your body back into balance, and help you get to back to enjoying your life again!

Technorati Tags: , , ,

Posted in hip pain | No Comments »

Vegetables Rule, Oxidants Drool

May 18th, 2010

Who cared more about our health and well-being growing up than our mothers? No doubt, we all remember her command at every meal, “Each your vegetables!” And, though we often had to “gag through it,” we usually did as we were told. Most vegetables, it seems, are an acquired taste. Not only does something like a spear of asparagus suddenly take on interesting new flavor nuances as we get older, but as adults we come to understand the importance of learning to eat vegetables for the many ways they sustain our health. But, if you need one more reason to pile on the veggies and hold the beef, a new Korean study has shown that switching to a vegetarian diet for five days a week can significantly reduce the amount of two environmental chemicals, antibiotics and phthalates, in your body.

At this point you may be asking: “Why are ‘antibiotics’ bad if they’re so good at fighting infections? And, what the heck are phthalates!?” Antibiotics are destructive to micro-organisms, and that’s why they are used in the treatment of infectious diseases, i.e., they destroy bacteria. But, since their very nature is the destruction of life or the prevention of the inception or continuance of life, it’s not good to have them roaming around in your body looking for something to destroy when you don’t have an infection, especially if you are pregnant. Antibiotics are widely used in industrial farming to maintain production levels and tend to move on up the food chain.  Phthalates, on the other hand, are colorless, crystalline, slightly water-soluble solids used as solvents, additives and plasticizers in everything from nail polish, dyes, perfumes, and shampoo to raincoats and garden hoses. But, obviously should not be an additive in a biological system, like the human body!

Back to the study: Participants stayed at a Buddhist temple for five days and ate a strictly vegetarian diet. The researchers analyzed urine samples before and after the stay, and found that levels of both antibiotics and phthalates had dropped dramatically by the end of the experiment. In addition, the researchers had measured the diets of the participants before the start of the study and found that what the participants had eaten 48 hours prior to the study had an effect on the amounts of chemicals found in their urine.

So, once again your mom was way ahead of the times! Vegetables, in addition to all their other benefits to our body, are excellent antioxidants. So, eat your vegetables! They will help your body to eliminate the harmful pollutants of the twenty-first century.

Source: The journal Environmental Research.

Technorati Tags: , , ,

Posted in health and longevity | No Comments »

Chiropractic Internet Marketing Strategy: Do it Yourself or Outsource?

May 16th, 2010

Here’s an interesting question for you to consider: Do you want to keep your chiropractic internet marketing in-house or do you want to hire a professional? There are pros and cons to both, and the answer lies in your particular situation. Let’s check out the advantages and  disadvantages of both.

Advantages of in-house chiropractic internet marketing

  1. There is a lower monthly cost involved in using someone already employed by you.
  2. The staff knows your practice intimately.  Your staff has a good understanding of your clinic’s particular services and, therefore, is able to describe your specialties easier than those who don’t know the specifics of your particular practice.
  3. You can communicate anytime. Being in-house it is easier to set up times to have meetings or just to chat about situations on the fly.

Disadvantages of in-house chiropractic website marketing

  1. The staff may not be fully aware of what SEO (search engine optimization) is, let alone how to accomplish it. In that case, a lot of education and training will be needed to make sure SEO gets done right.
  2. The staff may be overworked. Sometimes the time it takes to do SEO can be underestimated. It is an ongoing process that can actually be a full-time job.  If a marketing manager has been told to do SEO as well as his or her full time job, obviously that person will be overworked and feel overwhelmed.
  3. Attention needs to be paid to detail. This goes together with Point #2. If the staff is overworked, they have no time to check out search engine news and keep up-to-date on how the search engines have changed the game each week and what needs to be done to implement those changes to keep your clinic internet presence up in the rankings.

Advantages of using an outside professional

  1. Chiropractic marketing companies are specialists in the field.  They have experience in working on numerous clinics and their websites and optimizing them for SEO.  They know, first hand, what works effectively and what doesn’t.
  2. There is a dedicated team at the company who will be working on your site and can give it the attention it requires.
  3. The company has a specific plan and won’t be just jumping around, going from short term tactic to short term tactic with no organized strategy and no clear way to reach your desired goals. In other words, they have an “integrated” internet marketing strategy.

Disadvantages of a chiropractic internet marketing company

  1. Let’s face it, it can get expensive, but costs vary widely from company to company. Some companies out there are charging $600-$700 a month for their services. It is definitely worth your while to shop around and research before you buy.
  2. There is usually a commitment. Most chiropractic internet marketing companies will want you to sign up for at least six months to a year.
  3. Account management can be a problem. With high turnover rates at many companies, especially the big ones, there may be a chance that you’ll get handed from account manager to account manager just when you were building a relationship of trust. You may have to start over again, maybe even have to redesign and reiterate your strategy with the new manager.

Now that you’ve taken a moment to look at the pros and cons of both keeping your internet marketing in-house or hiring a professional, the solution to SEO and your internet marketing strategy will depend on the size of your practice, the time and staffing you can devote to it, and your overall long-term goals.

Now, of course, we are a chiropractic internet marketing company that specializes in helping chiropractors with their internet presence. So, I will admit that I am a bit biased on the side of your hiring an expert to do it right. If you are thinking of hiring a company to develop and implement your internet marketing strategy, it is tremendously important for you to hire one that specializes in chiropractic clinics. Why? Because we understand the chiropractic profession intimately. Therefore, in the long run it will save you both time and money not having to explain what chiropractic is about to some general SEO company. There are several of us out there.

If you are going to go with an outside company, be sure to read the fine print. Look at the bottom of their page for a disclaimer. If they have one, read about their “typical” results. You don’t want to be fooled by outrageous claims even though such hype can be enticing. Remember, your internet marketing strategy is just one stream of new patient leads. Even though chiropractic internet marketing is fast becoming a great source for new patient leads, and even though internet marketing gets more important with every passing day,  and even though it is a crucial area in which to generate new patient leads, it is still not the only source of marketing you will need to succeed in your practice.

Whether you choose to keep your internet marketing in-house or to hire a professional, you want to be sure that the time and money you spend on SEO gets you where you want to go. A member of your staff that does your internet marketing for “free,” while squeezing those efforts in-between other tasks, may “cost” you in the long run. A professional whose sole focus is internet marketing, won’t lose sight of your goals. Internet marketing is essential to your practice, so choose your chiropractic internet path wisely.

Technorati Tags: , ,

Posted in chiropractic marketing | No Comments »

“Peace Out” for Your Heart’s Sake

May 9th, 2010

We all learned from an early age that our angry outbursts and tantrums usually got us into more trouble than they actually got us what we wanted, right? But unfortunately, many of us didn’t learn how to deal with our angry feelings in a healthy way. Instead, the alternative to getting in trouble seemed to be for us to just stuff it.  Not showing our anger, however, is not the answer because even though those around us may not suffer from our angry outbursts (and that’s a very good thing), and even though we may not put our fist through the wall or throw something (another plus), our angry feelings are still doing damage…to us. Suppressed anger is not only bad for our health, it’s a killer! Anger can strangle blood flow in the heart and lead abnormal heart rhythms that increase the risk of heart disease.  In fact, a new study found that heart disease patients who suppressed their anger had nearly triple the risk of having a heart attack or dying over the next 5 to 10 years.

One in five people are stressed out, tense, and angry these days, and with those who have heart disease, the percentage increases to one in three.  That’s a lot of suppresses anger waiting to attack the heart! So, should angry people explode with anger rather than suppress it? No, of course not. Feelings of anger need to be dissipated in a healthy, non-destructive way.

If you are someone who “steams quickly” and often, it’s important to learn how to diffuse your angry feelings.  When you start to feel angry, learning to literally “take a breather,” through deep, slow, meditative breathing can go a long way to blowing out your short fuse. Or, as in the poem, “If,” you “can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds’ worth of distance run.” Exercise, especially running has been shown to cool down anger. And, if you find that you can’t get there alone, there are plenty of anger management programs available to help you.

Technorati Tags: , ,

Posted in health | No Comments »

Helpful Practices That May Help You Avoid Hip Fractures From Falls

May 8th, 2010

It isn’t news to anyone that elderly people are more prone to bone fractures, especially of the hip. Fortunately, there are a number of preventative measures that older adults can take to help avoid bone fractures, especially from falls. As a chiropractor, I recommend a number of preventative measures to my older patients, not the least of which is for them to have regular chiropractic treatment to help to improve and maintain balance and to keep their body in good alignment. As far as I’m concerned, in addition to balance challenges and poor muscle strength, an aging body that is out of alignment is a hip condition waiting to fracture.

According to a new study by Dr. Marian Hannan, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical school and co-director of the Musculoskeletal Research Program at the Institute for Aging Research, elderly people who eat more protein are less likely to suffer hip fractures. Why? Because consuming proteins such as meat, eggs, fish or cheese helps to build stronger muscles in the legs, which, in turn can reduce an older individual’s chances of falling.  In addition to helping to build stronger muscles, other studies have shown that protein intake can increase bone density.

For more on protein study go to: dailymail.co.uk

Posted via email from healthandfitnessnews’s posterous

Technorati Tags: , ,

Posted in health | No Comments »

Of Like Mind?

May 6th, 2010

We, chiropractors, are known to be humorous and even facetious at times. So, with that in mind, I will ask the question: Could Alzheimer’s disease be contagious? As baby boomers age, more and more health research is being done on preventing and treating age-related conditions. There have been numerous studies done, for instance, on what causes Alzheimer’s disease. The usual suspects, genes and lifestyle, have both been under the microscope as the likely culprits. But, recently, researchers have linked caring for a spouse who has Alzheimer’s disease with developing Alzheimer’s oneself. In fact, such care-giving put elderly women at four times the risk for developing dementia and men at almost twelve times the risk. As the investigation included 1,221 married couples residing in Cashe County, Utah, I’m not sure if being married or living in Cashe County, Utah, were considered as co-morbid.

Anyone who has ever been a long-term caregiver to someone who has a terminal condition knows that it is a very stressful situation. And, there’s no doubt that chronic stress causes a number of health problems. Many studies have found both physical and psychological repercussions in the health of those caring for chronically ill loved ones over an extended time. When we are stressed for any reason our body releases an abundance of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol increases insulin levels, and there is evidence that excess circulating insulin in the brain may contribute to or even cause Alzheimer’s disease.

The answer, of course, is not that you should give up caring for your loved one. The important thing is for you, as a caregiver, to understand (and accept) that you, too, require care along the way — no matter what your age, but especially if you are in your later years. It is important for you to continue to maintain a healthy diet (even though you may not feel like eating), get daily exercise (preferably outdoors), and  engage socially (with friends and through church or other social gatherings). And, when you are feeling “down,” it is critical for you to talk to a trusted friend or professional before your natural feelings of sadness turn into depression, and depression turns into poor health, and the combination turns into Alzheimer’s disease.

Technorati Tags: , ,

Posted in health | No Comments »

« Previous Entries
Theme by Safranbolu for Sigarayi birakmak - Haber yorumla - Paris - Prague