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Learning From Symptoms

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There’s a lot we can learn from symptoms. If you have been suffering from symptoms for any length of time, I’m sure you are tired of the learning process. However, the more you learn about them, the better you are able to make choices that get your body functioning at a higher level of health.

Lesson 1: Symptoms don’t always mean your body is broken. If you have ever had food poisoning for example, you know that the symptoms are extremely unpleasant and can cause incredible discomfort. When your body is working properly, it responds by violently eliminating the toxins as quickly as possible through the symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting. This is an example of symptoms that occur in a person whose body is working properly.

Fever is another example. The ideal temperature that bacteria enjoy is 98.6 degrees, which we all know is the normal body temperature. However, when we are under a lot of stress, over exposed to toxins in the environment or bacteria, the body will cause the symptom of raising its temperature to fight off the infection. This is another sign that the body is working the way it is supposed to.

Lesson 2: Symptoms can notify you of an area of your body that’s been injured. Injuries can occur in an area of the body that can cause you to feel it differently than normal. Pain in your back, neck, arm or leg can indicate that you have been injured. If the injury is not related to an underlying condition, like a cut or a bruise, the body’s self-healing, Innate Intelligence goes to work and within a few days or weeks, the symptoms usually disappear.

Lesson 3: Symptoms can notify you of an underlying condition, but not always. Waiting for symptoms to present before taking care of yourself is not a good idea. Underlying conditions can range in severity and variety, and absolutely must be addressed whether there are symptoms present or not.

Lesson 4: Treating symptoms with drugs can make you feel better while worsening the underlying cause. This is often true with people who take pain medication on an ongoing basis without addressing the cause of the pain. It’s also true for people who take ulcer medicine to alleviate their stomach pain while not addressing the ulcer’s cause. Athletes who take shots so they can feel better for the game run the risk of doing more severe damage to their body. People who get adjustments often feel better quickly, which may be great for today but the underlying subluxation still needs to be addressed.

Lesson 5: True health care is not about treating symptoms. Webster’s defines health as “the condition of an organism with respect to the performance of its vital functions.” To be truly healthy, your focus should be primarily on how your body is functioning rather than just how it feels. When you understand this approach, the health of your nervous system becomes your top priority.

The purpose of your nervous system is to control and coordinate the function of every cell, tissue and organ of your body, and adapt you to your environment.

Chiropractic examinations are essential to a healthy nervous system. They can reveal underlying problems in your spine that can lead to all types of health problems. Additionally, having good posture, getting plenty of rest, eating nourishing foods and exercising can also keep your nervous system healthy.

Don’t wait until you feel symptoms to get checked. Make Chiropractic Lifestyle Care a part of your “Lessons Learned” and enjoy a great quality of life to 80, 90, 100 years and beyond.

Discipline & A Healthy Life

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Live More

“Discipline is getting yourself to do something you don’t necessarily want to do to achieve a result you really want to get.” – Andy Andrews

Most people want to be healthy, want to feel good, want to function well and live a long life. This does not happen by accident. The healthiest and happiest people on the outside have usually done a lot of work on the inside or in private to achieve this goal.

The discipline it takes to be healthy requires healthy choices done consistently for a long time. If you are currently unhealthy or have bad habits many of these choices are not easy at first. Discipline requires that we develop habits, good habits, which we rely on to give us the best opportunity to have a healthy state of being.

If we can discipline ourselves and take responsibility for our lives and we practice this discipline with healthy choices, good habits will become our lifestyle, freeing us to live unencumbered by illness or injury where we enjoy the quality of life we deserve.

In regards to our physical health, we should all become disciplined in the areas of exercise, nutrition, rest and protecting our spine and nervous system through Chiropractic Lifestyle Care.

How are your habits? Are your disciplines healthy? Good habits require discipline that, when put in place, are easy to live with. Bad habits develop when you are not conscious, not responsible and do not discipline yourself. Bad habits may seem easy but they are very hard to live with.

When you are in a health crisis and suffering from a situation that requires your utmost attention, you are likely to be motivated to reclaim your health. You will usually do whatever is required and are more likely to be disciplined to get the result you want. However, as you become stable and relief has been achieved, do you make the critical transition to change your lifestyle? Do you continue on the path to achieve optimum health and peak performance levels?

Exercise, nutrition, rest, good posture and having your spine checked for nerve interference and proper function are the disciplines of many top performers in sports, entertainment and in the board room as well. Top performers are disciplined and make chiropractic care part of the health disciplines they practice regularly so their nervous system can function properly, which is vital to good health.

As it says in The 100 Year Lifestyle, “Learn to love the things that are good for you.” By being disciplined today and every day you are more likely to enjoy a longer, healthier life. See you at your next appointment.

Contributed by Dr. Dennis Buckley
The 100 Year Lifestyle Licensed Affiliate Chiropractor in Pasadena, CA

Vital Vacation Tips

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Summer Time is vacation time for many of us. The kids are out of school and family trips are planned. In the world of The 100 Year Lifestyle, we call vacations Play Time.

Play Time has many benefits and may help prevent forced time off that is caused by a health crisis. When someone makes the transition from Crisis Care to Lifestyle Care with their chiropractic adjustments, they often experience higher levels of health. The same is true with people who plan for and build vacations into their lifestyle.

Here’s why:

Vacations may help you live longer – A study by the State University of New York at Oswego that surveyed 12,000 men between ages 35 and 57, found that men who go on vacation every year reduce their overall risk of death by 20percent.

The Framington Heart Study indicates women who regularly take time off have a 50percent lower risk for heart attack.

Vacations can raise energy levels – Experts from the University of Pittsburgh and Radboud University both said that people had more energy and felt more satisfied with life while on vacation.

Vacations free your mind – Robert Kriegel, author of “How To Succeed In Business” believes many workers get their best ideas away from work and Los Angeles psychologist, Robert Butterworth told ABC, “The break will allow you to refresh your brain cells.”

Vacations can strengthen relationships – A Wisconsin Medical Journal published findings that women who take two or more vacations a year are less likely to be depressed, tired, or unhappy with their marital relationship.

If you believe you can’t take a vacation and there is too much at stake, in one way, you are right. There is too much at stake: The toll on your long term vitality, health and energy. Not taking Play Time can cause a buildup of stress that is unhealthy and can lead to all types of health problems.

Stress affects everyone differently. High levels of stress can contribute to heart disease, cancer, digestive issues and sleep deprivation. Stress can elevate cortisol levels and reduce the strength of your immune system. These are just a few conditions from a long list that can slowly sneak up on you over time or dramatically surprise you with the speed of their impact on your life.

If you use up all your sick days then have to dip into your vacation days, where is the win? You have the choice. Plan and take your vacation.

Leading up to your vacation, make sure you schedule your spinal checkups to determine if you need to get adjusted. Going on a vacation with a healthy spine and nervous system can make your trip more enjoyable while also improving your health and well-being.

Go ahead, adjust your lifestyle and take a vacation. You will be glad you did.

References from www.businessinsider.com and from www.prevention.com

The Interference Principle

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Much of our health care system has been based on the Germ Theory, which simply speaking says that germs cause disease and if we kill the bad germs we will get healthy. We now know that this theory is flawed. Our attempt to wipe out “bugs” has created an assault on our immune systems, leads to a minimum of 10,000 deaths per year, according to The Telegraph and has created a generation of dangerous “Superbugs” that threaten the well-being of society.

The Interference Principle brings a different and realistic perspective to health, sickness and dis-ease and affirms 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!

Understanding The Interference Principle will help you maximize your ability to heal from injuries and health problems and achieve optimum health and peak performance levels. The Interference Principle is comprised of the following scientific and philosophical premises that should be applied to the health care and lifestyle of you and your loved ones.

1. Innate Intelligence

You have within you an Innate Intelligence. Present from the moment you were conceived, this intelligence grew you from 1 cell into over 80 quadrillion cells that were organized and specialized to keep you healthy and functioning at your highest level throughout your lifetime. This Innate Intelligence guides the processes in your body that turn food into cells, eliminate waste products, coordinate muscle contraction and communicate 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

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

Nerve Interference in the spine is called a 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 pressure in your spine and nervous system and affect your health on every level.

3. Adjustments to Remove Interference

Adjustments to remove interference from your spine, nervous system and lifestyle can improve your health and quality of life dramatically. A chiropractic examination can determine if you, or your loved ones, have interference in your spine and nervous system – whether symptoms are present or not. Keeping your body free from interference as a part of your lifestyle can help it heal quickly, stabilize, regenerate and achieve optimum health and peak performance levels for a lifetime.

Children and Chiropractic Check Ups

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Recent research has shown that chiropractic care is extremely safe for babies and children. As a result, more children and families are having their spine and nervous system examined by chiropractors.

The Journal of Science and Healing reported on a study of 577 children under the age of 18 receiving chiropractic care. The study showed that parents reported a high rate of improvement in their children presenting with health issues with the most common symptoms of muscular conditions, ear, nose, throat, respiratory and digestive issues. They also reported better sleeping patterns, improvements in behavior, and stronger immune systems while under chiropractic care.

While there are many conditions that respond to chiropractic care as indicated in this research, chiropractic care does not treat these conditions. The conditions respond because of the increase in the body’s ability to fight infection, resist dis-ease and heal itself when the spine is aligned and the nerves are working properly.

At the same time many parents who used to give prescription and over the counter drugs routinely to their children are stopping to think twice before doing it again. Why? Here are a few reasons to consider.

Children’s bodies process medication differently than do adults. During debate and discussion about off-label prescribing, which is the practice of prescribing medications to children and extrapolating from an adult does to a pediatric dose, The Director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Pediatric Therapeutics stated, “We found out that you can’t predict how kids are going to handle things.” The Government Accountability Office concluded that only about one-third of the drugs prescribed have been studied and labeled for pediatric use. This is a very dangerous practice.

According to a CDC Report in November 2013, “Every year as many as 10 million U.S. children risk side effects from antibiotic prescriptions that are unlikely to help their upper respiratory conditions. Many people have a misconception that, since antibiotics are commonly used, they are harmless. Taking antibiotics when you have virus can do more harm than good.”

The families that are choosing chiropractic care and opting for alternatives to medication as a first response to symptoms and conditions are enjoying both short term and long term perks of their positive choices. Regardless of who in the family is seeking relief from conditions, everyone in the family benefits from improved immune systems, better digestion and restful nights. Lifestyle Care can make a huge difference.

Our office offers Chiropractic Care to people of all ages and sizes including infants and children. We are trained to provide you and your family with great, quality care. The adjustments are specific to the individual. The adjustments given to a newborn are not the same as the ones given to a 4 year old sibling and the adjustment for a 12 year old will differ from the one the parent just received.

Everyone in your family could benefit from a chiropractic check-up. Through your examination, we will determine if you are a candidate for care and if your spine and nervous system has been compromised. Contact us today to schedule your appointment.

Get Your Kids Back on Track

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School is about to begin which means that families are gearing up for busy schedules, homework, after school activities and the hectic pace of our 21st century lifestyles. To insure that your child has a healthy and successful year, it will be important to have their back aligned, balanced and on track.

Every activity affects the spine. Contact sports, playing an instrument, sitting, studying, and paying attention in class are all important for a successful school year and they all require a healthy spine and nervous system. When your child is sitting in class listening to a teacher, they listen through their ears, process the information in their brain, and a signal is sent down their spine to their fingers so that they can write their notes which they will later study. If a child is playing an instrument, the instructor often tells them to sit up straight. A healthy spine with good alignment and nerve supply is essential to performance in the classroom and activities.

When we watch our kids participating in sports, we often cringe at the intense beating that their spines take when they are hit by another person or twisted through their activities. Keeping their spine aligned and balanced is crucial for them to be able to enjoy a healthy and successful year and have a healthy spine for a lifetime.

Children make 775,000 visits to the emergency room each year because of sports-related injuries. Every 2 and a half minutes a child is injured on a playground. 150,000 kids are treated in the emergency room for football injuries. These injuries are often accompanied by trauma to the child’s developing spine and nervous system. More than 40 Million students carry school backpacks. Backpacks that are too heavy or worn incorrectly can injure your child’s back, neck and shoulders, which can lead to other health problems.

Heavy backpacks, playground and sports injuries can cause non-structural or functional scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine that typically appears in early adolescence. This type of scoliosis develops as a result of misalignment and pressure on the spine and nerve system. Functional scoliosis can often be corrected by addressing the underlying condition through chiropractic care. Kids can injure their spine and remain symptom free until later on in life when the damage becomes more permanent. This, too, can be avoided with regular chiropractic care.

British medical researchers have found through MRI technology that nearly 10% of children show signs of disc degeneration before reaching puberty.

Disc degeneration is a condition in which a damaged spinal disc wears down unevenly causing pressure on the nerves and limiting activity levels, stamina, and quality of life as we age. We tend to think of disc degeneration as a sign that we are getting older but this is not true. It is a sign that the spine has been injured which can happen at any age.

There are so many things to do to prepare for the upcoming school year. As you make your list remember to make an appointment for a “School’s Back” Spinal Exam. This simple examination can determine if your child’s spine is on track or off track. Chiropractic care can keep your child’s spine and nerve system healthy and insure your best school year ever. Get them started on the right track today!