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Issue V - January 2006
Welcome to our office's Chiropractic newsletter.
We'd like to entertain you, inform you (and even inspire you a little).
Happy New Year!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
New Year? It depends...
Different cultures celebrate the start of the new year at different times.
The Romans celebrated on March 1st. That is why September, October, November, December are named the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th months.
January 1st was not accepted as New Year's Day until 1600 in Scotland and 1752 in England.
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Resolution for 2006 - Adjust your subluxations
Subluxations? What are they?
Too much stress can cause subluxations in your body - areas of decreased communication or dis-harmony. There are two kinds of stress: macro-stress such as accidents, falls, dental work and intense emotions and micro-stress which are repeated small movements or constant emotional stress that gradually wears down your resistance. You can get a subluxation from a difficult birth or a childhood fall and never feel or function right. Neurological and other health problems have been traced to spinal damage at birth.
Nearly everyone has a subluxation in their body, many are painless, and yet they can quietly undermine your health just as termites can quietly undermine the foundation of your home. By the time the kitchen floor collapses, it's too late to call the exterminator. By the time symptoms appear, a certain amount of subluxation damage may be irreversible. For that reason periodic spinal examinations to locate and correct vertebral subluxations should be a part of every family's health routine.
Chiropractors specialize in locating and correcting or eliminating your subluxations. Correcting silent subluxations today might save you and your family from diseases that, later in life, could not possibly be ignored.
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29 Secrets to a Good Night's Sleep
If you are having sleep problems, whether you are not able to fall asleep, wake up too often, don't feel well-rested when you wake up in the morning, or simply want to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep, try as many of the following techniques below as possible:
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Listen to White Noise or Relaxation CDs. Some people find the sound of white noise or nature sounds, such as the ocean or forest, to be soothing for sleep. An excellent relaxation/meditation option to listen to before bed is the Insight audio CD.
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Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars. This will raise blood sugar and inhibit sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you might wake up and not be able to fall back asleep.
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Sleep in complete darkness or as close as possible. If there is even the tiniest bit of light in the room it can disrupt your circadian rhythm and your pineal gland's production of melatonin and seratonin. There also should be as little light in the bathroom as possible if you get up in the middle of the night. Please whatever you do, keep the light off when you go to the bathroom at night. As soon as you turn on that light you will for that night immediately cease all production of the important sleep aid melatonin.
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No TV right before bed. Even better, get the TV out of the bedroom or even out of the house, completely. It is too stimulating to the brain and it will take longer to fall asleep. Also disruptive of pineal gland function for the same reason as above.
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Wear socks to bed. Due to the fact that they have the poorest circulation, the feet often feel cold before the rest of the body. A study has shown that this reduces night wakings (Click Here).
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Read something spiritual or religious. This will help to relax. Don't read anything stimulating, such as a mystery or suspense novel, as this may have the opposite effect. In addition, if you are really enjoying a suspenseful book, you might wind up unintentionally reading for hours, instead of going to sleep.
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Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on the body to be awoken suddenly. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, they should be unnecessary. I gave up my alarm clock years ago and now use a sun alarm clock. The Sun Alarm™ SA-2002 provides an ideal way to wake up each morning if you can't wake up with the REAL sun. Combining the features of a traditional alarm clock (digital display, AM/FM radio, beeper, snooze button, etc) with a special built-in light that gradually increases in intensity, this amazing clock simulates a natural sunrise. It also includes a sunset feature where the light fades to darkness over time - ideal for anyone who has trouble falling asleep.
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Journaling. If you often lay in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed. Personally, I have been doing this for 15 years, but prefer to do it in the morning when my brain is functioning at its peak and my coritsol levels are high (Click Here)
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Melatonin and its precursors. If behavioral changes do not work, it may be possible to improve sleep by supplementing with the hormone melatonin. However, I would exercise extreme caution in using it, and only as a last resort, as it is a powerful hormone. Ideally it is best to increase levels naturally with exposure to bright sunlight in the daytime (along with full spectrum fluorescent bulbs in the winter) and absolute complete darkness at night. One should get blackout drapes so no light is coming in from the outside. One can also use one of melatonin's precursors, L-tryptophan or 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). L-tryptophan is the safest and my preference, but must be obtained by prescription only. However, don't be afraid or intimidated by its prescription status. It is just a simple amino acid.
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Get to bed as early as possible. Our systems, particularly the adrenals, do a majority of their recharging or recovering during the hours of 11PM and 1AM. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into the liver which then secondarily back up into your entire system and cause further disruption of your health. Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.
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Check your bedroom for electro-magnetic fields (EMFs). These can disrupt the pineal gland and the production of melatonin and seratonin, and may have other negative effects as well. To purchase a gauss meter to measure EMFs try Cutcat at 800-497-9516. They have a model for around $40. One doctor even recommends that people pull their circuit breaker before bed to kill all power in the house (Dr. Herbert Ross, author of "Sleep Disorders").
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Keep the temperature in the bedroom no higher than 70 degrees F. Many people keep their homes and particularly the upstairs bedrooms too hot.
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Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bed. This can provide the L-tryptophan need to produce melatonin and serotonin.
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Also eat a small piece of fruit. This can help the tryptophan cross the blood-brain barrier.
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Reduce or avoid as many drugs as possible. Many medications, both prescription and over-the-counter may have effects on sleep. In most cases, the condition, which caused the drugs to be taken in the first place, can be addressed by following the guidelines elsewhere on this web site.
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Avoid caffeine. A recent study showed that in some people, caffeine is not metabolized efficiently and therefore they can feel the effects long after consuming it. So an afternoon cup of coffee (or even tea) will keep some people from falling asleep. Also, some medications, particularly diet pills contain caffeine.
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Alarm clocks and other electrical devices. If these devices must be used, keep them as far away from the bed as possible, preferably at least 3 feet.
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Avoid alcohol. Although alcohol will make people drowsy, the effect is short lived and people will often wake up several hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol will also keep you from falling into the deeper stages of sleep, where the body does most of its healing.
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Lose weight. Being overweight can increase the risk of sleep apnea, which will prevent a restful nights sleep.
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Avoid foods that you may be sensitive to. This is particularly true for dairy and wheat products, as they may have effect on sleep, such as causing apnea, excess congestion, gastrointestinal upset, and gas, among others.
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Don't drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed. This will reduce the likelihood of needing to get up and go to the bathroom or at least minimize the frequency.
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Take a hot bath, shower or sauna before bed. When body temperature is raised in the late evening, it will fall at bedtime, facilitating sleep.
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Remove the clock from view. It will only add to your worry when constantly staring at it... 2 AM...3 AM... 4:30 AM...
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Keep Your Bed For Sleeping. If you are used to watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and to think of the bed as a place to sleep.
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Have your adrenals checked by a good natural medicine clinician. Scientists have found that Insomnia may be caused by adrenal stress (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, August 2001; 86:3787-3794)
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If you are menopausal or perimenopausal, get checked out by a good natural medicine physician. The hormonal changes at this time may cause problems if not properly addressed.
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Don't Change Your Bedtime. You should go to bed, and wake up, at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning.
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Make certain you are exercising regularly. Exercising for at least 30 minutes everyday can help you fall asleep. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake. Studies show exercising in the morning is the best if you can do it.
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Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). Most people can learn this gentle tapping technique in several minutes. EFT can help balance your body's bioenergy system and resolve some of the emotional stresses that are contributing to the insomnia at a very deep level. The results are typically long lasting and the improvement is remarkably rapid.
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Cleaning Product Alternatives
Baking Soda: Baking soda can be used as a mild abrasive cleaner. It is an alternative to chlorine or silica-based scouring products, which can have harmful effects on humans and animals.
Hydrogen Peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide is used as a general purpose cleaner and bleach. It is considered to be an effective alternative to chlorine-based compounds.
Vinegar: Vinegar is used as a general purpose cleaner, hard surface cleaner and glass cleaner. It's alternative to ammonia based cleaners and other corrosive products.
(We use vinegar regularly in our home. We mix distilled vinegar with water and clean the floors, as well as other surfaces. Add a few drops of orange oil or any other oil you like, to take the vinegar smell out. It cleans wonderfully, is safe for kids on the ground...and it's cheap.)
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Flu vaccine unpopular among pregnant women
It's criminal - doctors are telling pregnant women to decrease the amount of tuna they eat because of mercury in fish and yet at the same time telling women to be injected with a vaccine full of mercury.
Thankfully most pregnant women are refusing this shot that's full of mercury and that's been linked to autism and many other neurological disorders. The CDC reports that 12% of pregnant women were immunized in the 2003-2004 flu season (1). One can only hope that number will decrease to zero for 2005-2006.
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Sex and health
It isn't every day we're told something we enjoy is good for us but research reveals that an active sex life may protect a man's health. In one study 918 men in Wales age 45-59 were followed for 10 years and a statistical analysis of the men who died versus those who did not revealed something quite interesting. The men with the highest frequency of orgasm had half the death rate compared to the men with the lowest frequency. The men in the high frequency group had sex at least twice a week while those in the lowest frequency had sex less than once a month. (2)
What about women, you ask? This may be a shock to you but studies have revealed that women are different from men. Whereas the quantity of sex was important to longevity to men, with women the quality mattered. The enjoyment of sex was what made the difference - those with the most enjoyment lived longer. (3) Men didn't care about quality, just quantity. As one commentator, tongue-in-cheek, has stated, "These studies just go to show you what women have suspected all along - men are pigs."
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Skim milk more fattening than whole milk?
A study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescents followed 12,829 children aged 9 to 14 and found that those who drank skim and 1% milk gained more weight than those who drank full-fat milk. Why? The fat/sugar (lactose) balance was thrown off in the non-low fat milk. Fat does not make you fat, sugar and starch make you fat.
Some holiday eating advice - if you're going to use sugar or milk or eggs, use the real thing, they're much safer and healthier than bizarre food "substitutes" or alternatives. (4, 5)
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Chiropractic and spinal research
Colic and difficulty breast-feeding. A 12-day-old male would not feed on the right breast. Mother reported he seemed "fussy" and had excess gas. The child's occiput had a limited range of motion and the atlas vertebra was found to be fixed. A chiropractic adjustment was performed to the atlas. The mother breastfed the infant at the office immediately following the adjustment with no problems nursing on the right breast. (6)
Disc herniation and chiropractic. A 44-year-old man was diagnosed with a herniated cervical disc by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). He suffered from severe neck pain with constant burning, left arm and shoulder pain and left shoulder pain with nerve pains in the index finger of the left hand. The patient also had diminished grip strength on his left hand. By the 5th week of care the severe neck, shoulder and arm pain were completely resolved. The patient's numbness and grip strength improved consistently during the next 6 months. An MRI 14 months later revealed complete resolution of the herniated cervical disc. (7)
Migraine and chiropractic. 127 migraine sufferers were divided into two groups. One group received chiropractic adjustments while the others were in the control group. Chiropractic patients had significant improvement in migraine frequency, headache duration, disability and medication use and 22% of them reported more than 90% reduction in migraines after 2 months and 50% reported significant improvement in severity of migraine episodes. (8)
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Humor
Thoughts to Ponder
Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.
All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.
Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars and a substantial tax cut saves you thirty cents?
In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.
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Bye – see you next month.
Enough with the humor already. Don't worry, we'll come back in 2006 with more jokes than you can shake a broom at. Some of them might even be funny.
But especially remember to have a joyous and loving new year. Please stop by for a spinal checkup and bring your friends and relatives. Even chiropractors go to chiropractors so we can function at our best when we take care of YOU.
References
1. Flu vaccine unpopular among pregnant women. NH Public Radio. December 7, 2005
2. Smith DS, Frankel S, Yarnell J. Sex and death: are they related? Findings from the Caerphilly cohort study. British Medical Journal. 1997;315:1641-1644.
3. Palmore EB. Predictors of the longevity difference: a 25-year follow-up. Gerontologist. 1982;22(6).
4. Milk fat, dietary calcium and weight gain: a longitudinal study of adolescents. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescents. 2005;159(6):543-550.
5. Low-fat milk causes weight gain, full-fat milk does not. Weston A. Price Foundation Information Alert. 7/9/05.
6. Cuhel JM, Powell M. Chiropractic management of an infant patient experiencing colic and difficulty breast-feeding: a case report. Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics. 1997;2(2):150-154.
7. Robinson K. Reabsorption of a herniated cervical disc following chiropractic treatment utilizing the atlas orthogonal technique: a case report. Abstracts from the 14th annual upper cervical spine conference, November 22-23, 1997, Life University, Marietta, GA. Chiropractic Research Journal. 1998;5(1).
8. Tuchin PJ, Pollard H, Bonello R. A randomized controlled trial of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for migraine. JMPT. 2000;23(2):91-95.
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