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Chiropractic Earns “Essential” Breakthrough – Celebrates 125 Years

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The Chiropractic industry is celebrating 125 years and has earned “essential” recognition and public relations breakthroughs. During the pandemic of 2020, the Department of Homeland Security officially labeled chiropractors as Essential Service Providers, a distinction that has been a long time coming.

Our profession’s patients, practice members, and friends have known this for over 100 years as personal referrals have been driving our industry growth. Federal courts have made judgments in our profession’s favor and more people than ever are lining up to utilize chiropractic care, not just for back pain or neck pain, but as a holistic solution for living a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.

As the prehistoric stigmas from chiropractic’s early years completely die off, millions of individuals appreciate the essential nature of chiropractic care as their primary mode of health care. Many companies have embraced Chiropractic care by including chiropractic services for reimbursement and companies like Google, Standard Process, and others provide on-site services for their employees. Professional, Olympic, college, and youth sports teams have chiropractors as key members of their healthcare teams.

It is very common to see chiropractic offices filled with generations of individuals and families. Some people “limp in and leap out” while many others come for weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly Lifestyle Care adjustments to help them stay well and function at a high level.

The Rocky Road to Essential

Getting to the point of Essential has been an interesting journey. Politically, the Chiropractic industry chose not to become a part of the mainstream medical, allopathic, umbrella which resulted in vicious, unfounded attacks against the profession. The chiropractic industry had to overcome…

  • Political battles to achieve licensure in the early to mid-1900s
  • Arrests for “practicing without a license”
  • Smear campaigns by the AMA and pharmaceutical industry
  • Reimbursement inequalities in the 90s to the present day
  • Political infighting between its holistic and allopathic branches

And we did!

Chiropractic Wins in Federal Court – Obliterating the Lies

In 1987, United States District Judge Susan Getzendanner found the American Medical Association (AMA) and its constituents guilty and in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act, on the grounds that they intended to obliterate the chiropractic profession. The AMA took insidious action to contain and eliminate the chiropractic profession with accusations of being unethical and unscientific, and to position the medical agenda at the forefront of healthcare.

During this famous Chester C. A. Wilk et al. v. AMA et al. case, records revealed that medical doctors were encouraged by the AMA to exploit chiropractors and accuse them of wrongdoings. The plan outlined the “containment of the chiropractic profession” that “will result in the decline of chiropractic,” detailed with action steps. From denying them from being in hospitals to opposing insurance coverage for their care, to even comparing them to dogs.

This epic 11-year battle and chiropractic victory opened the door to new opportunities for holistic healing and drug-free health care led by the chiropractic industry. Now, it is common for chiropractors and medical colleagues to openly refer to each other with chiropractors often taking the lead on the care.

Science is Catching Up to What Patients and Doctors Already Know

Gravity existed long before the apple fell on Isaac Newton’s head! This same concept is true for the healing principles of the human body and its relationship to chiropractic care.

There have been exciting breakthroughs in Neuroscience, quantum mechanics, biology, and the immune system that have given the chiropractic profession a boost within the scientific community. The principle of neuroplasticity, the connection between the nerve system and immune system, the understanding of arthritic changes as they relate to poor posture, and many other findings, have helped give confidence to the public and change their reasons for consulting doctors of chiropractic.

Essential Innervation, Essential Chiropractic

It is now well documented scientifically that healthy nerve supply is essential for a healthy life. This is true for babies, toddlers, kids, teens, college students, pregnant moms, working people, fitness buffs, parents, senior citizens, and everyone else with a spine and nervous system, regardless of their age.

Opportunities Abound in Chiropractic

Opportunities abound with 68,000 chiropractors compared to 1.1 million medical doctors in the United States alone. Chiropractors are graduating at a rate less than the world needs to replenish those chiropractors that have retired or passed away.

Outside of the US, the need is even more dramatic. With only 12 chiropractic schools in the entirety of Europe, many countries do not have a school at all. As an example, the European Union has 700 million people and less than 5,000 chiropractors. The demand is growing and it needs to be filled.

The Largest and Safest Drugless, Non-Surgical Health and Healing Profession

The effectiveness of chiropractic care is exciting and it is also less expensive than allopathic, surgical based protocols. It is also much safer as exemplified by malpractice costs that chiropractors versus other practitioners have to pay to insurance carriers! Like all other medical professionals, chiropractors are required to have comprehensive insurance coverage that prevents them from absorbing liability.

The average cost of medical malpractice insurance is $7,500 annually; for medical personnel, between $4,000 and 12,000 a year. Surgeons pay between $30,000 and $50,000 a year.9 With high levels of risk comes higher premiums on policies.

Chiropractors pay a median premium of about $40 per month, or $500 per year, for a business owner’s policy that protects chiropractors against patient injuries, property damage, and damage to their business property. Non-business owners pay as little as $370 per year.8 With low levels of risk comes lower premiums on policies, and is based on the overall amount of claims against the profession. This is especially important for the public to understand, that chiropractic care is not only effective but significantly safer.

What Everybody Ought To Know About Chiropractic

Chiropractic is modern, chic, and copacetic. It’s a non-invasive, drugless, and non-surgical, very hip way to take control over your own health. You will come to understand and know the power of the chiropractic adjustment and care. When should you start getting checked by a chiropractor?

At birth. Here’s why.

When babies come through the birth canal, there are about 40 pounds of pressure being exuded onto that baby’s neck during delivery. It takes 60 pounds of pressure to completely decapitate a newborn. In nearly 100% of SIDS cases, the infant dies of a torqued atlas. The atlas is the highest bone in the vertebral column and the one that supports the head. When the atlas is out of alignment, it can compress the brain stem which is where the autonomic function is housed.

Not only are chiropractic adjustments essential for babies to grow properly through the lifecycle stages, but it’s also one of the most powerful epigenetic lifestyle activities that has the power to eliminate dis-ease. This is our goal with the generational care and lifestyle care that we provide for the entire family.

Don’t wait for a crisis to force you to act and come in for a chiropractic check-up. Make an appointment for yourself and your family. Keep yourself aligned and balanced as a lifestyle. You will appreciate the care and find it, ESSENTIAL.

Schedule An Appointment Today!

Mastering Your Emotional Brain

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Emotions can be disorienting, detrimental, and downright challenging. One moment our life can be peaceful and easy, the next chaos! As we all have experienced, in the blink of an eye, everything can change. 

Whether it be pandemics, political unrest, challenging transitions, the passing of loved ones, or a stuck emotional pattern, our Nervous System is taxed with the responsibility of helping us process what is happening in our life. If we are clear and connected, emotions can become a guiding compass for us understanding ourselves on a deeper level and thriving regardless of the circumstances around us.

Processing

We love seeing many of the people in our chiropractic practice, as their nervous system becomes healthier, find clarity through all sorts of life’s crazy challenges. Processing and learning from our emotions is a journey. As you continue to make decisions with your Ideal 100 Year Lifestyle in mind, it may be beneficial to consider the possibility that your emotions hold more value than you think, and the individual parts of your emotional brain are interconnected!

The Limbic System

Our emotional brain is essential for our body’s ability to process. It is called the “Limbic System.” It is a complex compilation of different nerve groupings. Each with a specialized function. Here is a quick guide to understanding the key aspects of your brain’s Limbic System:

Amygdala: This tiny almond-shaped structure is known for helping the Nervous System evaluate potential threats. It can trigger the “fight or flight” response. And is also responsible for conditional learning (based on reward or punishment).

Hippocampus: Memory formation and storage. 

Thalamus: This is the “Amazon Prime” of the brain. The Thalamus delivers messages coming up from the body to the appropriate processing centers. It plays an essential role in connecting the rest of the Limbic System to other aspects of the Nervous System. 

Hypothalamus: This is the key regulatory center. The Hypothalamus is constantly taking in physiologic messages. Such as breathing rate and metabolism. This is the part of your brain that triggers you into “hanger” when your blood sugar levels have dropped.

Cingulate Gyrus: Associates sights and smells with pleasant memories of previous emotions. It also plays a role in processing our conscious emotional experience. 

Basal Ganglia: Think of this as the “dimmer switch” for the brain’s motor output. It’s capable of inhibiting certain behaviors such as talking out of turn. 

Crucial Role

All of these parts of the Limbic System play a crucial role in directing our Nervous System. We want to respond with the appropriate “fight or flight” response should a big grizzly bear appear during a hike. Sometimes, it is necessary to use this adrenaline-boosting response. But not always. How often is our body stuck in this type of stress pattern when there is no emergency?

When there is interference to the Nervous System, its ability to respond appropriately is distorted. With this distorted signaling, our emotional response may become unregulated and downright dramatic. We may become overly aggressive or act out in a way we later regret. Maybe, we find ourselves in a recurrent emotional loop. And we replay the same pattern again and again. 

A Clear Nervous System

When our Nervous System is clear and connected, it is much easier to step outside of the recurrent loop. With healthy decisions such as receiving Chiropractic Lifestyle Care, our brain and body have a leg up in processing emotions. When the Nervous System is balanced out, the brain and body can work together. They provide clarity and depth to the wisdom our emotions hold. Once we make healthy decisions and take responsibility for our emotions, we truly learn from them. 

Perhaps most importantly, we need community. Reach out to family, friends, and other supportive roles in your life. By reaching out you are taking the first step towards forming a more healthy relationship with your emotions. Also known as vulnerability. This act of bravery goes a long way and can lead us to brilliant discoveries and experiences. When we make vulnerability a regular occurrence in our life, emotions become healthy opportunities to learn about ourselves and move through life challenges.

Create communities that support your 100 Year Lifestyle.

Become a Least Vulnerable Person and Family

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You and your family can take steps right now and become ‘Least Vulnerable People’. Here are 15 things you can stop doing and start doing that will make a difference.

Becoming A ‘Least Vulnerable Person’

There is growing concern about COVID-19, the flu, and other infectious diseases affecting the most vulnerable people. Who are these most vulnerable people and what choices can you make for yourself and your family to become a Least Vulnerable Person. Fortunately, most of these options are under your control!

Who Are The Most Vulnerable People

Seniors

Elderly people are the most at-risk population for infection and serious complications due to COVID-19 or any other virus. The reason is not just because of their age. In fact, there was a recent report of a 102-year-old woman who recovered from the COVID-19 virus. What makes them most vulnerable is that many of them are living lifestyles that include all of the additional factors listed below.

Underlying Health Conditions

People with underlying health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other conditions, are more vulnerable as well. Their immune systems are already stressed and challenged, which makes them less able to ward off other types of infections.

https://youtu.be/1EXplnxo0Wo

PolyPharmacy

Polypharmacy is a term used for people who take multiple medications. This can alter blood and brain chemistry causing immunosuppression, hindering the body’s innate ability to fight infections.

Marlo Sollitto, author of Polypharmacy in the Elderly, states that “Being on too many medications can lead to potentially dangerous drug interactions and exposure to many side effects at once. Keep in mind that this applies not to just prescriptions, but also over-the-counter medications… The average adult takes four or more prescription drugs each day.”

Obesity

According to the National Institute of Health, obesity, and overweight together are the second leading cause of preventable death in the US, close behind tobacco usage. An estimated 300,000 deaths per year are due to the obesity epidemic.

Poor Posture

Chiropractors have been labeled Essential Service Providers by the US Department of Homeland Security, which is why we are open, taking the proper precautions, and serving our community.

Poor posture can make you more vulnerable by increasing stress, reducing lung capacity, straining muscles, causing fatigue and contributing to many other factors that affect your immune system.  A recent Harvard study showed that people who sat with good posture showed a 25% decrease in Cortisol, the stress hormone.

Sedentary

On average, Americans sit for about 11 hours per day. Sedentary lifestyles are a contributing factor to every lifestyle disease and a risk factor including cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Erin Michos, the associate director of preventive cardiology at the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease explains “A large review of studies published in 2015 in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that even after adjusting for physical activity, sitting for long periods was associated with worse health outcomes including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Sedentary behavior can also increase your risk of dying, either from heart disease or other medical problems.”

Smokers

Smoking is known to compromise the immune system. This increases the risk for many immune and autoimmune disorders, conditions that occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s healthy cells and tissues.

Becoming a ‘Least Vulnerable Person’

Here are some important lifestyle changes you can make to help you and your loved ones become ‘Less Vulnerable People’.

Positive Psychology

Positive psychology can improve your health and immune system function. According to Johns Hopkins expert, Lisa Yanek, people with a family history of heart disease who had a positive outlook were one-third less likely to have a heart attack or cardiovascular event within 5-25 years compared to those with a negative outlook.

Another study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology compared optimistic vs. pessimistic first-year law students regarding their performance in the upcoming school year. The study showed better functioning immune cells in the optimistic students versus the pessimistic students.

Physical Activity

Physical activity and movement is a keystone in maintaining optimal health. A study published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science illustrated the following:

  • Acute exercise is an immune system adjuvant
  • A clear inverse relationship was found between moderate exercise training and illness risk
  • Habitual exercise improves immune regulation, delaying the onset of age-related dysfunction

Reduce Stress and Get Plenty of Sleep

Stress is not an outside thing, it’s an inside thing. You have the opportunity to choose how you react to any situation. It is true that chronic stress reduces the capabilities of your immune system and makes you more vulnerable to disease. According to Bruce Lipton, Ph.D and author of the Biology of Belief, your body cannot be in positive production mode and defense mode at the same time. He explains this concept in detail in this video.

Quality sleep is important. Minimize your stress so that you sleep well. This will certainly make you reduce your vulnerability.

Improve the Function of Your Nervous System

Your nervous system is your body’s main communication highway, relaying nerve signals to every single, cell, tissue and organ in the entire body, allowing the body to perform all vital functions in order to sustain life. It is ESSENTIAL to maintain the integrity of this communication highway in order to live a healthy lifestyle. More importantly, the nervous system supplies communication to the thymus, spleen, adrenal glands, and lymph glands, all of which play pivotal roles in the function of your immune system.

Chiropractic care improves posture which can improve the health of your nervous system In addition, correcting spinal imbalances can influence basic physiological processes affecting oxidative stress and DNA repair. Reducing oxidative stress is an important factor in immune function.

In a study by Ronald Pero Ph.D, subjects under chiropractic care demonstrated higher mean serum thiol levels than patients with active disease and produced some values that were higher than normal wellness values.

Social Interaction

Community equals immunity. The NCBI states that Social relationships-both quantity and quality- affect mental health, health behavior, physical health, and mortality risk…..Social isolation of otherwise healthy, well-functioning individuals eventually results in psychological and physical disintegration, and even death.

Good nutrition

Make good nutrition your new lifestyle by choosing QCs over ECs, quality calories over empty calories, every time you’re faced with a food choice. A proper nutritional regimen consisting of lean proteins, organic green leafy vegetables, whole grains, healthy sources of monounsaturated fats such as avocados, nuts and seeds are important to help provide your body what it needs to be healthy, and strong.

  • Choose Quality Calories over Empty Calories
  • Supplement Your Diet
  • Avoid Processed Foods
  • Avoid Canned Foods
  • Avoid White Rice, Sugar, Flour and Pasta
  • Avoid Regular and Diet Soda
  • Minimize Caffeine and Alcohol

Technology

Limiting technology use can improve your health dramatically. Diagnoses of ADHD, autism, coordination disorder, developmental delays, unintelligible speech, learning difficulties, sensory processing disorder, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders are associated with technology overuse, and are increasing at an alarming rate.”1

Raise a Least Vulnerable Family

Apply these principles to raising your family and everyone you love will be healthier for it, becoming less vulnerable to infections and experiencing better health now and for a lifetime.

The Hips Don’t Lie

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The NFL’s 100th season ended with a spectacular Super Bowl game, a celebration of 100-year-old WWll veterans and a spectacular halftime show. Shakira and J Lo delivered an exciting performance that had everyone talking!

Hips Don’t Lie

From a chiropractic perspective, Shakira’s hit song “Hips Don’t Lie” brought much of the symbolism together as the athletes, dancers and 100-year-old heroes moved uniquely on the field. The health and alignment of their hips and pelvic area were centerstage and they will play a vital role in your ability to move, function and enjoy your life.

Your pelvic area and hips are the foundation of your spine. When healthy, your ability to move at any age can be almost limitless. Unfortunately, almost everyone experiences trauma to this area resulting in unbalanced hips and structural compensations that lead to nerve pressure and accelerated deterioration.

Pregnancy, childbirth, learning to walk, childhood falls, slips and excess sitting are just a few of the ways that your hips can become unbalanced. While symptoms are not always present right away, a simple posture test can give you an early detection wake up call so that you proactively address the issue.

When the hips are subluxated, stuck and misaligned, the surrounding muscles, ligaments, and intervertebral discs are forced to pick up the slack from faulty movement patterns causing more damage over time. These compensations can cause problems throughout the entire body including the head, neck and all the nerves supplied by these regions. And, in fact, problems in the upper neck can also impact the hips.

Pelvic Nerves Become Compromised

The areas of the nervous system located in the pelvic region supply your reproductive organs, genitourinary system, and lower digestive tract as well as the muscles and blood supply to the hips, legs, feet, and ankles.

Athletes who play soccer, tennis, basketball and all other sports tend to feel these imbalances sooner than others because they place greater demands on their bodies. Unfortunately, these subluxations can lie dormant and asymptomatic for decades which can lead to more serious problems as you age. Weight gains and weight losses can exacerbate these underlying problems, ultimately compromising the nervous system.

Poor digestion, sexual dysfunction, chronic infections as well as postural deformities are only a small portion of the issues that Chiropractors worldwide are naturally resolving by balancing the hips, eliminating nerve pressure and getting the energy flowing throughout the body.

Chiropractic examinations should be performed during every stage of growth and development to catch and correct them early and keep your spine functioning optimally.

If you’ve ever seen an older person who was suffering from a lack of mobility, this is an indication of what happens when you allow small pelvic problems to become chronic.

Don’t wait for the inconvenient crisis and decay that these subluxations can cause. Prioritize the integrity of your spine and nervous system with Chiropractic examination and transition to Lifestyle Care.

Your hips are not lying to you! Schedule an appointment to get your spine and nervous system checked today!

Pediatric Chiropractic Trusted Choice for Families

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Chiropractic is a safe, holistic, drugless practice that is helping millions improve their health, including kids. Pediatric chiropractic care focuses primarily on restoring health to a child’s spine, brain, and nervous system, and keeping it healthy through every stage of growth and development. This principle is important for adults and children alike.

Pediatric chiropractic is a safe and life-changing practice that helps children heal naturally from all types of conditions and supports good posture to counterbalance technology, spectrum challenges, sitting too much and childhood falls. It helps kids develop with a healthier nervous system which is can improve every aspect of their lives.

How Is It Done?

Performing chiropractic techniques on children is much gentler than it is for adults. Children’s bodies are still in the development process, so chiropractors are trained to take extra care with newborns using extremely light touch or instrument techniques that are specific and effective. Chiropractors will answer every question, engage the child and say what they are about to do next to keep both children and parents at ease. Most children and parents love receiving chiropractic care as they love and enjoy the experience and more importantly the results.

Can Chiropractic Really Help Children?

Chiropractic care has been shown to help kids with conditions such as ear infections, ADHD, autism, cerebral palsy, and more. Parents report that their children become calmer, more focused, sleep better, heal quicker when their child is well adjusted. Pediatric chiropractic care is taught in many of the chiropractic colleges as well as through post-graduate seminars and certification programs. The goal is that kids live and grow healthy, and up to their full potential, 100% for 100 years.

Why Parents Keep Bringing Their Kids in to Get Chiropractic Adjustments

The birth process can be very traumatic to a child’s spine and nervous system. Learning to walk, childhood falls, sports injuries can all cause problems in the spine and nervous system that lead to developmental challenges as children grow, even affecting their immune system. Parents appreciate chiropractic care because of the drug-free approach to health care as more kids than ever are developing dependencies on drugs. As kids continue to age, this dependency has the potential to grow stronger, leading to a drug-addicted life.

Chiropractic’s drug-free protocols can prevent this from happening as seen in the recent reports related to a 50% reduction in Opioids used with chiropractic care.

Pediatric chiropractic helps kids live healthy, drug-free lives. Discover how pediatric chiropractic can be the holistic, whole life answer for you and your family.

Your Personal 2020 Vision of Health

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Happy New Year and here’s to you accomplishing your personal 2020 vision, especially as it relates to your health. You deserve it!

For many people, making healthier choices can make the difference between a successful, happy year and a challenging one. Our office is ready to help you make your health a priority so this is your best year ever!

Starting with the principle that health comes from within, making healthier choices that are aligned with your body functioning at its highest level, increasing your resistance naturally and providing yourself with good nutrition and fitness can make all the difference!

The health of your spine and your nervous system must be your number one priority! Your nervous system includes your brain, spinal cord and the 45 miles of nerves that go to every cell, tissue, and organ in your body. This includes your special senses, your gut, your muscles, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, stomach, skin and every other cell – all quadrillions of them!

The Lifestyle Care Continuum – Crisis Care to Lifestyle Care

Crisis Care

If you really want to make lasting changes to your health, you’ve got to stop living from crisis to crisis. “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” was the motto of many elders who defined broke as serious, life-threatening disease or severe excruciating pain. They used the personal crisis as their primary motivator to action.

This mindset and strategy can lead to a lifetime of suffering and deterioration as individuals age and these issues become chronic. Don’t wait for this inevitable reality to permanently hinder your life. Act now and let 2020 be the year you make Critical Transition to Lifestyle Care.

Children in Crisis

Birth trauma, spectrum challenges, food, and environmental sensitivities can make a child and parent’s life more challenging. Addressing the neurological component of these issues with chiropractic care is vital to immediate and long-term solutions and your child reaching their potential in life.

The Critical Transition

Crisis Care gives relief and hope as it takes the edge off a health problem. The Critical Transition gets will get you off the roller coaster. Stay committed to your care and healthier lifestyle, regardless of how you feel so your body can change.

Keeping your spine, brain and nervous system healthy enables your body to adapt in a healthy way and change for the better. Kids usually don’t require this phase of care because their conditions, subluxations, are not as chronic. If there has been birth trauma, the longer you wait (this includes adults) the more care that will likely be required.

Lifestyle Care

The intensity of your Lifestyle Care will depend on the intensity of your lifestyle and the underlying condition of your spine and nervous system. Keeping your brain, spine and nervous system healthy as a part of your lifestyle will keep you engaged in life and enable you to perform at higher levels in all areas including work, parenting, athletics and more.

Ask us what this specifically means for you and for your family members.

Primary Care

Millions of individuals and families are utilizing chiropractic care as one of their primary resources. It is holistic, drug-free and helps keep your body balanced and functioning better.

The longevity factor is becoming a reality for more people as they see their family members getting older before their very eyes. They are realizing they have to live differently if they don’t want to be a burden or suffer as they age.

Follow the path of the Lifestyle Care Continuum. Make these 100 Year Lifestyle choices today and as a result, you will more likely enjoy a sensational century.

Schedule your next appointment.