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Our Health Care Philosophy

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We believe that everyone deserves to be healthy and express their full potential from the time they are born through their last breath of life. This includes you!

This is the Health Care Philosophy of The 100 Year Lifestyle:

1. Innate Intelligence
You have within you an innate intelligence. Present from the moment you were conceived, this intelligence guides the processes in your body that turn food into cells, eliminates waste products, coordinates muscle contraction and communicates with or without your conscious thought to every cell, tissue and organ of your body via your nervous system.

As long as there is no interference to this system, you have the capability to heal, feel great, be healthy and function well for a lifetime.

Nurture this intelligence for the development of your human potential and you will set personal records in all areas of your life.

2. Interference
There can be interference to the communication and expression of this intelligence.This interference causes dis-ease,disharmony, weakness, and imbalances within your nervous system that can cause all types of immediate health problems. Sometimes, this interference can lie dormant and asymptomatic for decades leading to severe health conditions, chronic pain, deterioration and disease down the road.

Nerve interference can occur in the brain or the spine which can be caused by vertebral subluxation.

Lifestyle interference is a result of poor health habits such as overeating, poor nutrition, excessive drinking, taking prescription or non-prescription drugs, or sitting too much.

Environmental interference is caused by toxicity from air, food, water, or chemicals, as well as accidents or natural disasters. All three types of interference can cause interference within your spine and nervous system and affect your health on every level.

3. Adjustments
Remove the interference from your body through adjustments to your environment, lifestyle, spine and nervous system so that your body can heal itself and function at optimum health and peak performance levels for a lifetime.

Our office specializes in removing interference to your spine and nervous system while providing you with information to optimize your health and quality of life.

Copyright 2017 The Family Practice, Inc., Dr. Eric Plasker and The 100 Year Lifestyle. All Rights Reserved.

Pilates, Balance and Chiropractic

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The health of your brain, body and mood is dependent on the health of your spine! Neurology and structure are the bookends of fitness, allowing for optimal endurance, strength and flexibility.1

Alignment and Overall Health

Certified PMA Pilates Instructor and owner, Deb Mandeville-Bowen, of Bend Pilates in Bend, Oregon says, “Pilates increases flexibility, strength, balance, lung capacity, endurance, bone density and energy while developing body awareness.” A research study on Pilates also found that a 60 minute Pilates exercise program improved mood in sedentary women and improved their psychological health after only ten weeks of exercise.2

Core Strength and Alignment

Lifestyle chiropractic care and Pilates enhance the benefits of each. Chiropractic adjustments optimize your neurology and help balance your structure. Regular and consistent lifestyle chiropractic care will accelerate your overall body results from your Pilates routine.

Strengthening and lengthening your core muscles with a regular Pilates routine provides postural support and reduces stress on the spine and weight bearing joints. With a strong and balanced support to your frame, your entire body moves better and maintains alignment longer. Pilates exercises work deeply in the body and mind through concentration, breathing and controlled movement. This allows energetic alignment between the mind, body, and breathing patterns.

Conditioning and Core Strength

Pilates was developed by Joseph Pilates in the 1920s and focuses on the development of core musculature, including the abdominal muscles, the low back, inner and outer thigh and gluteal muscles.3 A personalized Pilates workout engages smooth, integrated movement patterns and increases strength and flexibility.

A research study was performed on active middle-aged men and women engaged for just a few weeks in a Pilates exercise. The results were increased abdominal endurance, hamstring flexibility, and upper-body muscular endurance.4 Muscle strength is imperative to the natural aging process through improvements in everyday body movement, gait, balance and posture.5

Chiropractic adjustments align the spine, improve range of motion, posture, and work deep in your neurology to allow proper communication between the brain and the entire body. Roger Sperry, a Nobel prize winner on brain research, found that 90% of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by movement of the spine. Misalignments and restricted motion in the spine, called vertebral subluxations, cause interference in the nervous system and increase stress hormones in your body, leading to a variety of dysfunctions, including decreased immunity, digestion problems infertility, lack of focus, and low energy.6

Chiropractic adjustments restore your body to its natural rhythm in so it is better able to adapt to stress and maintain health. Research has revealed that chiropractic adjustments increase plasticity, or re-wiring, in the brain which allows your brain to adapt to the experiences of life at any age. Get your structure checked today to optimize your fitness routine and overall health!

References:
1. Plasker E. The 100 Year Lifestyle. 1st ed. Avon, Mass.: Adams Media; 2007.
2. Tolnai N, Szabo Z, Koteles F, Szabo A. Physical and psychological benefits of once-a-week Pilates exercises in young sedentary women: A 10-week longitudinal study. Physiology & behavior. 2016 Sep 1; 163:211-8
3. Pilates J, Van Heuit-Robbins L, Robbins J. Pilates Evolution: The 21st Century. Ashland, Or.: Presentation Dynamics Llc; 2012.
4. Kloubec JA. Pilates for improvement of muscle endurance, flexibility, balance, and posture. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 2010 Mar 1;24(3):661-7.
5. Gleberzon BJ, Annis RS. The necessity of strength training for the older patient. The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association. 2000 Jun;44(2):98.
6. Korr IM. The spinal cord as organizer of disease processes. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 1976 Sep;76(1):35-45.

Contributed by Dr. Sarah Powers

Stop Blaming Old

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When you awoke this morning did you feel groggy or did you feel rested? Do your clothes fit the way they did when you bought them? Do you dread a flight of stairs? Maybe it is your knees, ankles, low back or memory reminding you that you are not a teenager anymore. Before you decide your age is to blame consider the following:

Feeling out of breathe is not because of old age.

Struggling to find clothes in your closet that fit is not because of old age.

Forgetting appointments or where you left your keys is not because of old age.

Waking up with stiff and sore joints is not because of old age.

A chronically sore back is not because of old age.

Taking medications daily is not because of old age.

In a recent issue of Psychology Today, Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D wrote “Blame is an excellent defense mechanism. Whether you call it projection, denial, or displacement, blame helps you preserve your sense of self-esteem by avoiding awareness of your own flaws or failings.” It is not a flaw to be tired, weak, in pain or forgetful. It is a failing to deny one’s personal duty to acquire physical and mental strength and stability, and avoid damaging activities, foods and drugs.

Cicero wrote, “The foolish lay their own vices and their own faults to the charge of old age.” Since no one wants to be thought of as a fool, it’s time to stop blaming “old age” and begin to take responsibility for the way you feel, think and live, and make your health a priority.

Your body is capable of adapting in a healthy way to positive changes in your lifestyle. These changes include the way you take care of your spine and nervous system every day.

Unfortunately, injuries and interference to the function of your nervous system can cause many of the conditions that make people feel old. They can be caused by falls, accidents and injuries as well as chronic stress or exposure to toxins to name a few.

Most of these nervous system imbalances can be improved, corrected and reversed so it is not necessary to live with them for the rest of your life and get old before your time.

If you are feeling old, Chiropractic care can help restore the function of your nervous system to get you feeling young again and Lifestyle Care can keep you feeling that way before problems arise.

Combined with movement, nutrition and good habits you and your loved ones will be able to enjoy a greater possibility of both quality and quantity years as you age.

Stop blaming “old” and start building your awareness of ways to defend yourself from potential or ongoing chronic issues through healthy choices that will afford your mind and body what it needs for today and in your future.

Remember:

Regardless of your age…

“If you want to perform at the top of your game
Eat healthy foods and take care of your frame.

The choices you make will direct your Innate
To a life of decay or an optimum state

Take care of your body, your mind and your spine
Make healthy choices that keep you in line

You’ve got to have nerve to adjust to it all
Your 100 is coming, you make the call.”

Maggots Kill Elephants

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Breaking News: Maggots Kill Elephants

“We now have conclusive evidence that maggots kill elephants. After 10 years of extensive study and evaluating the carcasses of dead elephants in Africa and India, we have found that maggots are the number one killer of elephants.

Researchers have accumulated over 1,000 images showing tiny maggots covering dead elephant bodies, eating their once gigantic structure down to the bone. We must, in all good conscience, eliminate maggots or elephants will disappear from the planet forever.

Our strategy is to spray toxic chemicals into the environment over all the elephant dense population areas. These chemicals paralyze maggots by destroying the integrity of their nervous systems. This will surely kill a significant number of adult maggots and cause their offspring to reproduce with faulty genetics that will keep them from growing strong enough to destroy our beloved, gentle giants.

The side effects of spraying these neurotoxins will be minimal because compared to maggots, elephants are big and strong and so are the other surrounding animals and plants. Therefore, the maggots will die while the elephants will live and be preserved.

We have tested this neurotoxin over a one year period and found that the maggot population has been significantly reduced and there are no significant side effects to the elephants or other living things in the environment. If we spray consistently over the next 10 years we are sure to eliminate maggots and ensure the longevity of one of earths most glorious creatures.”

Of course, this is a ridiculous statement and it is not true. Yet this is how we treat bacteria, viruses and even cholesterol in our current healthcare system.

We know for certain that the overutilization of antibiotics is compromising the immune systems of millions of people and has even led to a new generation of superbugs that kill up to 23,000 people every year, driving up healthcare costs by more than $20 billion dollars annually.

Statin drugs, which are being used to lower cholesterol, were not tested for long term use and research shows no evidence of their effectiveness increasing life expectancy or preventing heart attacks. The side effects are becoming more well-known and devastating as time goes on.

Cholesterol is an extremely important chemical that your body makes and needs to function normally and the role of cholesterol as a cause of heart disease has been debunked in the current research. The price that families and individuals are paying, as a result of these side effects, is heart wrenching while the profits for the drug companies are absurd!

Much of our current healthcare system is based on faulty premises, poor science and Big Pharma’s drive for profit. We need real healthcare reform that takes into account the Innate healing capabilities of the body, addresses lifestyle choices and individual responsibility, while eliminating toxins from food and the environment.

Real reform starts with you, your choices and how you think about your health, healthcare and longevity.

Einstein said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.” As defined in The 100 Year Lifestyle 2nd Edition, now is the time for “real, lasting personal and cultural change”.

Spread this vital message, make healthy choices and make the health of your spine and nervous system your top priority!

Copyright 2017. The Family Practice, Inc., Dr. Eric Plasker and The 100 Year Lifestyle. All Rights Reserved.

Sick, Fit People

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We have all seen them in the gym, in the yoga studio or in cycling clubs. The person who looks fit: has toned arms, shredded legs and probably has a 6-pack under their gym clothes. That same person, although they look like a specimen of health on the outside, carries a package of tissues, a bottle of nasal spray, emergency Vitamin C packets, chewable antacids and over the counter NSAIDs in their gym bag because they are constantly sick. Sadly, many gyms and fitness studios are filled with sick, fit people.

Think of the examples of people who, on the outside look healthy, but inside are sick and suffering. Patrick Swayze, James Fixx, Bob Harper and countless others – people living what most of us would consider healthy lifestyles, have suffered heart attacks, been plagued with cancer and died too young, regardless of what their bodies looked like or how they felt.

What makes these stars different than someone like “The Godfather of Fitness”, Jack LaLanne, who lived a happy, healthy life until the age of 97 years old? LaLanne understood how important his nervous system was as to a long, healthy lifestyle.

For your body to heal properly and fight infection, you must have an optimally functioning nervous system. The central nervous system, brain and spinal cord, control every function of your body. When you exercise, your nervous system coordinates the growth and efficiency of your muscles and bones to build them stronger.

When you eat a healthy diet, your nervous system coordinates the digestion and absorption of nutrients into your blood stream, building every cell in your body healthy and strong. This is essential so that these nutrients are available for better workouts and sustain your immune system to guard you from germs, bacteria, viruses and other stressors.

Optimizing your body’s nervous system with Chiropractic Lifestyle Care at the core of your healthy lifestyle so you can be fit and healthy rather than fit and sick, especially if you want to enjoy being fit over a lifetime.

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to leave the medicine chest out of your gym bag?

If you are considering a new fitness routine or want to get back in shape, getting your spine and nervous system checked before you begin can start you off on the right track, prevent injuries and optimize your fitness results. A healthy nervous system benefits every level of fitness. It helps to keep you feeling your best on the inside and enables you to continue looking great on the outside.

Whether you like it or not, want to or not, you will probably live longer than you ever thought. Why not get there in style with health and vitality, fit and healthy, so you and your loved ones can enjoy the ideal 100 Year Lifestyle you deserve?

Contributed by Daniel Kimbley, B.S.

Posture, Growth and Healthy Emotions

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Your spine is the structural support system of your body. At any age – child, teenager, adult or senior – how your spine supports you can be seen in your posture.

Posture reveals weaknesses that can progressively worsen under the stresses of daily life as you grow and age. Because your structure, spine and nervous system are the lifeline of health and energy to all the vital organs of your body, it is important to pay attention to your posture before pursuing prescription medications or over the counter remedies for physical and emotional health problems or imbalances. Many of these medications have serious side effects and do not get to the cause of the instability affecting you.

Postural distortions may look very slight on the outside or they may be obvious. They can cause rapid degeneration of your metabolism and immune system on the inside or take years to manifest. Both systems are crucial for your overall health and vitality. Falls, car accidents, sports injuries, trauma and even the birth process can accelerate degeneration of the spine, leading to disability and a shorter life span.

People that have spinal injuries or vertebral subluxation may have it and not feel it. Uncorrected, it can cause degenerative changes and nerve interference. Someone with a subluxation may not function as well in everyday life and may not enjoy the same quality of life as people with a healthy structure, spine, and nervous system.

Regardless of the condition of your spine and nervous system today, there is potential within you for better health and happiness tomorrow and as you mature physically and emotionally and as your body heals.

Postural and structural weakness can cause someone to experience chronic or disabling pain, a weakened immune system, lower energy, fatigue, digestive difficulties, less satisfaction with personal relationships, and a shorter life. Dr. Freeman published findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association stating, “Aging in the spinal discs caused postural deviations leading to intestinal diverticula, hemorrhoids, varicosities of the legs, osteoporosis, hip and foot deformities, overall poor quality of health and life and a shortened life span.”

Postural distortions and a weaker spinal structure can have a major effect on a person’s overall strength and health, which can even have an effect on their earning potential when in the workforce. Later, these distortions can cause accelerated aging and may make you feel older than your chronological age because there is interference in nerve supply to your organs, muscles and joints.

A simple Posture Self-Test can determine if you or a loved one, children included, have underlying conditions that can lead to anxiety, chronic pain, disability and accelerated aging. A chiropractic examination and regular adjustments can help relieve pressure on the nervous system so messages delivered to and from the brain can be delivered.

Make your posture a priority. Have your children checked so all of you can enjoy the good health and happiness that comes with living your ideal 100 Year Lifestyle today, tomorrow and for a lifetime.

References

Freeman JT; Posture in the Aging and Aged Body. JAMA 1957; 165(7)

Takahashi T. Osteoporosis Int. 2005; 16 273-279