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Prenatal Chiropractic Care

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Pregnancy is a time of constant and exciting change in a woman’s physiology and overall life as her body prepares for the athletic event of birth. It is important for expecting moms to assemble a birth team to help guide them through these changes and optimize their experience.

In addition to choosing their birth provider, doula, lactation consultant and birth preparation classes, many women are realizing the importance of prenatal chiropractic care. Prenatal chiropractic care addresses the neuro-biomechanics of your pregnancy, which is essential for your body to be able to organically adapt to the physical and functional changes during every stage of this beautiful and natural process.

What does this mean for you?

Chiropractic checkups and adjustments, when necessary, can…

  • Balance the body and soft tissues of the pelvis, preparing your pelvis for an easier birth.
  • Align your pelvis to ensure that it is moving properly.
  • Reduce torsion and tension on the uterus and its supporting ligaments.
  • Allow for the pelvis to open wider during birth.
  • Ensure optimum nerve function.

Your nervous system controls the function of every cell in your body, including your uterus and pelvic muscles – the main muscles of labor.

Chiropractic care during pregnancy can also benefit your baby. The nervous system is the first system that forms in your baby during the 3rd week after conception. Since your nervous system communicates with your baby’s nervous system, proper function can contribute to better development. Balancing your pelvis also allows your baby the chance to have the most room to develop without physical restrictions to the growth of their cranium, spine and other skeletal structures. Also, this can help the baby move into the best possible birth position when it is their time to arrive.

All of these factors can contribute to a more natural birth as well as a significant decrease in dystocia and birth trauma caused by interventions.

Chiropractic care can help make your pregnancy and birth experience healthier and more enjoyable while helping to minimize the risk. No wonder millions of women include chiropractors as a vital member of their birth team.

Schedule an appointment for your family today.

Contributed by Dr. Emily Plasker, 100 Year Lifestyle Affiliate Chiropractor in Bend, Oregon

Longevity and Performance

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One of the biggest stories during the Super Bowl is the longevity and performance of Tom Brady. He is redefining what is possible for athletes over forty. His nutrition and fitness routines along with his utilization of chiropractic care are well documented and vital to his success.

While healthy eating and fitness seem like common sense, so is the importance of a healthy spine and nervous system. This is the reason why so many players from the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles will be receiving chiropractic care all season and of course leading up to the big game.

Chiropractic care helps athletes in every sport heal quickly and optimize performance.

Many of the greatest of all time have set this precedent. Current Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice are huge chiropractic advocates. Emmitt Smith is the leading rusher in NFL history, a perennial Pro Bowler and three -time Super Bowl Champion. When he retired with over 18,000 yards, Smith said, “I thank God, my family and my chiropractor.” Chiropractic care helped speed his recovery time and function at the top of his game. His career lasted nearly six times longer than the average NFL running back.

Jerry Rice is considered the greatest receiver in the history of the NFL. His durability and work ethic are legendary. He initially sought chiropractic care following an injury on the field. After learning about the benefits of chiropractic care from his teammates he made chiropractic care a regular part of his training routine and lifestyle. He is a three-time Super Bowl Champion and today he is an official spokesperson for the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress. His high-level career also lasted six times longer than the average receiver.

Another chiropractic advocate, 2012 Hall of Fame Semi-finalist Roger Craig, was a pioneer in the NFL. He is the only player to ever make the Pro Bowl as a fullback and a halfback, the first player to rush and receive for over 1,000 yards in a single season -a feat that took 14 years to be duplicated, and he is the only running back in NFL history to ever lead the league in receptions. He is a three-time Super Bowl Champion and is the only NFL player to make the playoffs for eleven straight years.

Like many children, Roger began receiving chiropractic care at an early age and today, like the others, still receives chiropractic Lifestyle Care. In fact, Roger endorsed the #1 bestselling fitness book, The 100 Year Lifestyle Workout, which he recommends for athletes, young and old, because it stresses the importance of a healthy structure, spine and nervous system with chiropractic care as a core part of the training. This helps you maximize your performance, prevent injuries and support your longevity.

We’ve all seen videos of old time professional athletes who pounded their bodies into submission and became cripples when their career was over. This is not true for these three athletic superstars and it is no longer the norm as many professional, Olympic and youth sports programs have chosen to make chiropractic care a core part of their programs and many of the leaders of the Olympic sports medicine team today are chiropractors.

All three of these athletes took a tremendous beating over their careers which began in Little League and continued into the pros. Chiropractic care as a part of their lifestyle, training and overcoming injuries has helped show us all that you can play high-level sports and retain your health after you retire. We may even see you competing on Dancing With the Stars!

Don’t wait for an injury. If you’re an athlete or participate in an exercise program, be like these Hall of Fame and Super Bowl Champions. Make Chiropractic Lifestyle Care your top priority.

Live Longer and Stronger

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The US Census Bureau estimates that there over 80,000 centenarians living in the United States today. Statistics show that women usually live longer than men. The truth is, your body has the genetic potential to live to 100 and beyond. Being prepared to age gracefully, healthfully and successfully has never been more important than now. Every day we are faced with choices that contribute to our quality of life both now and in the future. One of the most important steps you can take to begin to live longer and stronger is to. . .

Stop Killing Yourself!
Heart disease, cancer and stroke are the three leading causes of death among women. Interestingly enough, they are also preventable by healthy lifestyle choices and routine checkups. Mark your calendar so you won’t forget mammograms, chiropractic visits, and other annual exams. Many women are more likely to be familiar with their family history. Let your doctor know what diseases and conditions are on your family tree. Being aware of this health history will help you and your health-care team build a plan to incorporate healthy habits in your life and the lives of your children.

Make Your Self-Care a Priority
When reviewing disaster plans of action, flight attendants on airplanes always instruct parents to fit themselves with oxygen masks first before helping their children. The lesson is simple. You can’t take care of others unless you take care of yourself first, at least in matters of health.

Today women are busier today than ever before. Demands are placed on them from every direction. More women are working and raising families, a dual role that invites incredible stress. These overbooked schedules tempt women to set aside self-care to handle other priorities such as families, careers, relatives, and communities.

Taking care of yourself will ensure that you will be strong enough to take care of others. Eating a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables and low fat foods along with a moderate exercise schedule will help you maintain your weight and keep your mind and your muscles strong. Schedule regular chiropractic visits, make time for massages, take hot baths (with the door locked and the phone turned off), and consider a vacation getaway with only yourself. Make time to be healthy.

Lifelong Learning is Key
Studies show that maintaining an active lifestyle increases health and quality of life. People in their seventies are earning college degrees, publishing books, and starting companies. Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who at 122 was the oldest person ever documented, fenced, cycled, and rapped! It’s never too late to pick up a yoga mat, violin or paintbrush.

Starting today, make self-care and health-care choices that will ensure that each day will be your best, and encourage your family to do the same. After all, 100 years of healthy living is achieved one day at a time.

The 100 Year Old Woman Who Died at 82

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This is an interesting story of a 100-year-old woman who died at 82. When she was conceived, just like you, 23 chromosomes from her mother and 23 chromosomes from her father united to make her a unique human being with the innate potential to live an active, healthy, quality life to 100 years of age and beyond.

Unfortunately, she was injured during the birth process. Pulling and twisting on her neck and spine caused a vertebral subluxation, placing pressure on her spinal cord and nerves. Since there was no bruising that was visible on the outside of her body, the injury went unnoticed and the newborn went home from the hospital on time.

Underneath her skin, this injury caused a disruption of the nerve supply between the brain and the body and her internal communication signals became distorted. Her stomach became sensitive to foods, and her first year of life was filled with numerous colds and ear infections that her parents and the pediatrician considered “normal”. She was given multiple doses of antibiotics and her symptoms came and went. Over the course of this first year, her underlying spinal injury caused her bones to develop unevenly, her nerve supply to be compromised, and her innate healing capacity to be altered.

During her toddler years, she fell a lot through playing and exploring her environment. This repetitive trauma caused additional areas in her spine to become imbalanced, causing more pressure on her nerves. While they were not enough to cause her a “backache”, the pressure was enough to cause her body to function abnormally. After all, research shows that nerve root compression can exist without pain and mild pressure can reduce nerve transmission. Deterioration can begin within two weeks.

As a teenager, she began to experience hormonal changes in her body which for unexplainable reasons were causing difficult menstrual cycles and severe acne.

Her caregivers labeled her as anemic since she was prone to overall weakness and dizziness. Her parents didn’t even think about removing the pressure from the spine and restoring the normal nerve supply to her body. Instead, they were scared into giving their child monthly treatments used for birth control. This symptomatic treatment approach seemed to work for a while, but each time she went off the hormones, their daughter’s symptoms became worse. Eventually, in her early 30’s, she suffered several miscarriages, was diagnosed with clinical depression and began taking an anti-depressant. As her symptoms and conditions multiplied, so did her medications. Even more significant, the pressure on the nerves had been there for decades of two weeks.

To make a long story short, what could have been a long healthy life, ended as a shorter, sicker one. This pattern of treating symptoms rather than eliminating the cause continued throughout her lifetime. Her body could never get centered. Her spine and nervous system were never balanced. Rather than thriving and enjoying good health, her body deteriorated over time.

The last decade of her life, she was unable to appreciate her family or travel far from home. Her savings dwindled while the cost of her medications and treatments rose. She spent the last five years dying a painful, deteriorating death in a nursing home instead of experiencing the quality of life that her body’s Innate Potential could have provided.

This woman’s story should not have started or ended like this. An immediate spinal examination after her birth and throughout her lifetime may have contributed to a much different life. How many two weeks will you wait? Whether your destiny is to live to 82 or 100 years and beyond, make them quality years and enjoy good health every day along the way with Chiropractic Lifestyle Care. Regardless of your age, Chiropractic Care will help you keep your spine and nerve system healthy and your body expressing its full potential.

The 100 Year Lifestyle Defined

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Centenarians, people who are living to 100 or more, are one of the world’s fastest growing age groups. Living to 80, 90 and above has become the norm. Will knowing that you may live a century or more lend urgency to your desire to change the way you approach your lifestyle? Will you choose a 60 or 70 year lifestyle and suffer the consequences along the way or will live your ideal 100 Year Lifestyle and make the most of every day along the way?

The 100 Year Lifestyle Defined

WHAT IT IS…

  • Living a healthy, passionate, prosperous life, every day of your life, for 100 years and beyond
  • Great relationships with multiple generations and multiple circles of people
  • Lifelong learning, activity and adventure
  • Keeping your nervous system functioning without interference so you can adapt to your environment and function at your full potential
  • Financial freedom, abundance and independence
  • The perfect balance of exploration, play time and fun combined with meaningful work
  • Maximizing your innate capabilities and making the most of your time, energy and talents
  • Keeping your spine and nervous system working without interference so you can adapt to your environment and function at your full potential,
  • Keeping your body functioning at full capacity and keeping your mind sharp
  • Accepting challenges, embracing change and adapting to the unexpected
  • Balancing the need for immediate gratification and a secure future
  • Trusting yourself. Yours to customize.

WHAT IT IS NOT…(The 60-70 year lifestyle)

  • Rotting away as a human preservative in a nursing home
  • Abusing your body, masking symptoms with drugs, and then continuing to abuse yourself until one organ after the other has to be removed or replaced
  • All work and no play
  • Abusive relationships or isolation
  • Financial survival for 35 years and then barely squeaking by on Social Security and Medicare
  • Insignificant retirement where you become a meaningless number in a long line of an outdated system
  • Wearing out your body in the first 50 years and then suffering the consequences during the second 50 years
  • Accumulating wealth in the first 50 years and destroying relationships along the way, leaving you nobody to share it with
  • Creating wealth at the price of your health
  • Denying yourself the good things in life

Everyone deserves to be healthy and express their full potential from the time they are born through their last breath of life. Having a healthy spine and nervous system is crucial to living your ideal 100 Year Lifestyle. We are proud to provide this for you.

Make the changes you know you need to make today, and make them your new lifestyle.

Your Minimum is Not Your Maximum

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What is your minimum life expectancy? Your maximum? How about for your children? What will your quality of life be like along the way? These quick calculations and facts can be a real wake up call for you and your loved ones.

Calculate Your M-PYR™ [Pronounced “empire”]
M-PYR stands for Minimum Potential Years Remaining. It takes into account what you know about your personal family history and compares this to your current age to determine the minimum number of years that you have left.

Calculate Your M-PYR NOW:
1. What’s the age of your oldest grandparent ever [living or deceased]: ______
2. Your current age: ______
3. Your M-PYR [2 – 1]: ______

So what’s your M-PYR? If your oldest grandparent ever was 90, and you are currently 45, then you have an M-PYR of 45. This is your MINIMUM potential years remaining. If your oldest grandparent ever was 82 and you are 77, then your M-PYR is 5. If your oldest grandparent ever was 102 and you are 32, then you have an M-PYR of 70.

If your M-PYR is longer than you thought, look at your choices and evaluate their long term benefit to you. If you don’t do this, you may be setting yourself up for a sick and deteriorating future, even though you may feel fine today. If you are a procrastinator who is already suffering from an unhealthy lifestyle, a long M-PYR can be very motivating. After all, there’s only one thing worse than suffering, and that’s suffering for another 25, 50, or 75 years.

Committing to healthier lifestyle choices, including taking care of your spine and nervous system with chiropractic care, can ensure that your remaining years are good ones and not years of sickness, poverty and loneliness. Healthy choices now will improve your life now, and as you age.

If your M-PYR is short, than you will surely feel a sense of urgency to get your act together. Waiting for a heart attack to eat healthy and exercise is a bad idea.Waiting for a diagnosis of cancer to eat healthy, exercise and strengthen your immune system is not a good idea.

Just because society is crisis motivated, doesn’t mean that this is the way that you should be. I love seeing people who embrace chiropractic care and their ideal 100 Year Lifestyle, and regardless of their age, they feel younger and healthier than ever. But why wait for a crisis.

Look at family photos of your parents and grandparents. Do you like the way they have aged? Do you think that if they knew they were going to live as long as they are, or did, that they would have made different choices? You are getting the advance notice that they never received. What will you do with this information?

Your M-PYR is not your MAX-PYR™
Your M-PYR is not your MAX-PYR, or maximum potential years remaining. Who knows what your number could be? If you ate healthy, exercised, took care of your spine and nervous system, had good relationships and a sense of purpose, what would be the limits of your longevity?

New research in the Lancet found that more than 50% of babies can expect to live to 100. Some scientists even say that we can live to 1,000. I don’t know about that, but I do know that if you make healthy choices you are much more likely to enjoy a quality life for your entire lifetime.

Recently there was a gentleman whose M-PYR was -1. He had already outlived the oldest relative in his family, and he was really happy about it. He was healthy and functioning at a very high level. He had a great perspective on his life and he was very glad to be here.

Your M-PYR is not your MAX-PYR. Make healthy choices. Embrace Chiropractic Lifestyle Care, and you and your loved ones will enjoy the quality of life you deserve.