Posts Tagged ‘chiropractic’

Since mid-Fall TV commercials have been trumpeting the horrors of the “flu season”. “It’s never too soon to begin fighting this year’s bug” they blare. Public health announcements urge us to get our “yearly flu shot”, as if this is something we’ve got permanently scheduled in our Blackberries. All the leading over-the-counter pain medications offer special seasonal “flu” mixtures, and their ads deluge daytime and prime-time broadcasting.

For the health consumer it seems as if this annual “war on the flu” is received wisdom. We’re just defenseless human beings at the mercy of the all-powerful flu virus.

Whats wrong with this picture?

What is never mentioned in the “flu warning” marketing is the versatility and adaptability of our remarkable immune system. We’re the lucky owners of a built-in state-of-the-art biowarfare system, on-the-job 24/7 to combat microscopic foreign invaders of our health and well-being. Once our immune system has detected a foreign protein it mounts an immediate defense, attacking and destroying the alien molecules. And, the memory of that particular invader is permanent, enabling a future immune response to be swift and effective.1

The big issue with influenza is that new strains appear each year. We’ve never encountered these germs before. But, the whole basis and strength of our immune system is flexibility. It is specially designed to respond quickly to new attackers. And, for the most part, it does this very well.

Of course, no one wants their dinner companion to sneeze in their plate of pasta, as Elaine did on an infamous episode of “Seinfeld”. Through a typical cascade of unfortunate events, Jerry’s and George’s comedy pilot was almost scuttled because the network executive was Elaine’s date, and he got violently ill by being on the receiving end of her blast of micro-bugs.

In the real world, our immune systems can be weakened due to life habits, circumstances, and stress. Stress is a notorious compromiser of immune defenses.2 Of course, being human, there’s plenty of stress from dawn to dusk. If worry and anxiety pile on top of not-enough-sleep or sub-optimal nutrition, getting sick is a pretty likely outcome. So, developing and maintaining healthy habits of living and successful strategies for managing stress is really the key.3

If you do the simple things that keep you healthy and well, in the winter months you can pretty much “let the flu go around you”. You can be confident, knowing you’ve done the work to fight off the latest flu threat. Someone else’s germs are their germs, not yours. If your immune system is on the job, you’re far less likely to “catch” something.

And, even if you do succumb, you’ve got a much better chance of getting well again quickly.

1Sompayrac L: How the Immune System Works, 2nd ed. Blackwell, 2002. 2Wein H:Stress and disease – new perspectives. NIH Word on Health, October 2000. 3The Truth About Your Immune System – What You Need To Know. Harvard Health Publications, 2007.

For additional information on health feel free to contact Dr. FowlerDr. Jason Fowler at www.lakestlouisdc.comwww.lakestlouisdc.com

According to Dorlands Medical Dictionary, health is a state of optimum physical, mental, and social well being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. What does that even mean? Well, the basic concept is that even when we feel good, it doesnt necessarily mean that we are healthy. Conversely, when we feel bad or sick, it doesnt necessarily mean that we are unhealthy either.

There are actually four aspects to achieving optimum health. These four topics are: a properly functioning nervous system, exercise, proper diet, and increased sleep and decreased stress. Of course, a properly functioning nervous system is what allows everything else function properly, but today, we are going to talk more about other aspects of your life that you can improve in order to achieve optimum health.

The second topic, exercise, is important for every man, woman, and child to have as a part of their lifestyle. Whether you are 1 or 120, it is never too early or too late to get up and move. The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of continuous exercise five times a week in order to improve and sustain cardiovascular health. One of the leading causes of death in the United States is heart disease. If we each took the initiative to at least take a 30 minute walk five days a week, we would be doing ourselves a lot of good. The most important thing is to get up and MOVE!

The third topic is a proper diet. Food is the fuel for our bodies. We require it in order to function. Most of the time, unfortunately, we view food as a pleasure item as opposed to a requirement. Just like a car that takes in poor fuel and eventually breaks down over time, if we continuously feed our bodies poor fuel, it will break down as well. We should strive to make the right choices at the grocery store and not even allow the poor choices to enter our home. This way, we can avoid the temptation at home.

If its not there, then you cant eat it. We should try and buy natural, organic, and local products. This includes produce and animal products. Chicken should be free range and beef should be grass fed. Try to avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup and Partially Hydrogenated Oils (Trans Fats). Try to minimize the amount of saturated fat you take in to less than 5 grams a day. All of these tasks do take effort and a little more time at the grocery store reading labels. A little extra time at the store can lead to a longer and healthier life.

Finally, decreased stress and increases sleep. If we can make sure that the first three are a part of our lives, we can help reduce the amount of physical and emotional stress in our lives greatly. Also, with less stress, it allows us to sleep better. Sleep is very important. During sleep, we regenerate cells and heal ourselves, so the right amount is imperative. We should be getting at least 6-8 hours of sleep a night. If we can consistently get this much sleep, our health can show great improvement.

Make the right choices on a daily basis and you will be doing yourself as well as your loved ones a huge favor. If you are looking to live a life of optimum health, call me, Dr. Kevin Kean, at Core Chiropractic and get your spinal function checked today!

Dr. Kevin Kean is a Chiropractor in Houston, practicing in the Galleria area. More information can be found on his website by visiting http://www.drkevinkean.com.

Time stands still when your back is hurting. Sitting, standing and even lying down become difficult and walking or running is out of the question. Clocking in 8 or 9 hour at your job sounds like an eternity. And if the pain is really severe, every aspect of your life can be affected.

So back pain is not a good thing. However, there are plenty of things you can do to strength your back, ease pain and even eliminate pain completely in come cases.

Kyle Reilly, a contributing editor for the “Reno Chiropractic” newsletter, suggests there are few ailments that regular exercise can’t help with. And an ailing back in no exception. However, if you are suffering, it’s important not to do exercises that are too strenuous, and could end up jolting or straining your back. Low impact movements are good – like walking, swimming or rebounding. Not only will they improve your general health, but being more fit should help alleviate a lot of you aches and pains, including back pain. Focus on core-strengthening exercises are also a great idea.

Staff at the Reno Chiropractic Clinic recommends losing a few extra pounds can also be very beneficial in easing back pain. Extra pounds can put added stress and strain on your joints and muscles, including your back muscles. Shedding the weight by exercising regularly and reducing caloric intake can often produce dramatic pain reductions.

Was your grandma or teacher always after you to sit up straight? And sure enough, they knew what they were talking about. One of easiest, most effective ways to reduce the stress on your back is to sit straight and stand tall. Pay attention to your posture a few times a day and you can quickly find yourself feeling a lot better.

One of the most common causes of back pain is improper lifting, especially when lifting something heavy. The key is to lift with your legs. Let your legs do most of the heavy lifting. Bend at the knees and simply carry the object up in your arms. Don’t use your back to make the lift. And, if you have to lift something really heavy, don’t try to do it alone. Get as many extra people as you need to carry the object comfortably. Plus, not only will asking for help save your back, it can also prevent accidents – like dropping and damaging the item that needs to be moved.

When it comes to relieving or avoiding back pain, making some simple lifestyle changes, and taking a few preventative measures, can make all of the difference.

Stop by our Reno Chiropractic web site for more reports and information about how to prevent back pain.