Why Does Chiropractic Need to Look at Brain Activity?

Chiropractic's primary focus is the nervous system. Insofar as the brain is the central organizing authority, it benefits us to have some objective method of knowing that something is amiss in the Central Nervous System and even more compelling, that our care has improved neurological function. The best researched and simplest method today is via electroencephalograph or EEG studies. B.J. Palmer, developer of Chiropractic, taught that the subluxation (or less energy) is found in the nervous impulse, so what better area to examine than the seat of neural activity. Brain waves are created by cortical activity (outer layer of the brain) and are a very accurate method of revealing normal or abnormal brain activity.

Moving from the cortical function, we next need to look at the matured part of the brain - the limbic system. Within this region we find all the life sustaining activities of the nervous system. The limbic system is the center of the Autonomic Nervous System and it is divided into two parts: the sympathetic which is responsible for getting our other systems up and running and our parasympathetic system which is responsible for slowing everything down. The activity between these two systems allows us to respond to tasks or threats (sympathetic activity) and then to recover (parasympathetic) from the efforts of these high energy demanding situations. Research shows that Chiropractic adjustments improve Autonomic Nervous System function.

While we think, consciously, that we are in control, 84% of our brain activity is subconscious which is why the majority of time we have no idea that our systems are out of balance. We only become aware of a problem once the relationship between the two become so badly out of balance that symptoms appear.

In order to determine real neurological function we must look at the systems under duress and then recovery to see if they can adapt to a stressor and then recover to normal once the stressor is removed. This is the reason we do dynamic and static testing over time and events.

The Limbic System controls other body systems including: heart rate, hand temperature, skin moisture, respiration rate, general muscle tone, and heart rate variability as well as others.

So, now as a truly neurologically based Chiropractor we can see the importance between cortical activity and limbic system response, but how does that relate to our patients? By understanding what the Neuro Infiniti Screening system is measuring and what we are looking at you will see how important it is we evaluate the connection between the brain and the rest of your body.
Autonomic Neurological Function

Heart rate - Ideal 56 to 66 BPM

Why is heart rate important? As cardiac events are the number one killer, knowing what is going on with heart function is self evident. The Neuro Infiniti provides a great deal of cardiac information including simple heart rate and heart rate variability. With the stress/recovery measurements we can objectively see what the heart activity is during emotional stress and physical activity. We can see if the patient has any conscious control on his/her heart rate.

Heart Rate Variability - high bars in the low frequency range

This is a relatively new form of heart function testing and with research now in place, it is important that we use measurement as an evaluation for the effectiveness of Chiropractic care in a clinical setting. There are several instruments available in the market today; however, the Neuro Infiniti is unique in its application and combination. The fact that we use HRV findings in conjunction with measured respiration rates and during stress events and recovery, a great deal more information on all three of these procedures is provided.

Respiration Rate - Ideal 6 to 12 BPM

There are several vital sign measurements used in the health field. Brain activity, heart rate, blood pressure and respiration rate are some of the most common. There is more to respiration than just the rate. Upper respiratory breathing is a sympathetic response to a stressor and involves elevating the upper rib cage rather than using the diaphragm to breathe. Diaphragmatic breathing involves the Vagus nerve (conveys sensory information about the state of the body's organs) and Phrenic nerve (conveys sensory information about the upper abdomen liver and gall bladder) and the parasympathetic nervous system. This system helps the body stop the stress response. Rapid breathing is very detrimental to the body and can create an imbalance with the body chemistry. Damage to the Phrenic nerve can cause abnormal breathing patterns.

Skin Conductivity - Ideal 0.8 to 1.5Su

The study of Skin Conductivity (SC) or Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) has been ongoing over the last 100 years. While SC measures the conductivity of electrical current, GSR measures the resistance. Both reflect the electro-dermal activity of the skin as affected by the sweat glands. There have been many studies over the years which establish the power of the subconscious emotions within the Central Nervous System to control sweat gland activity. With this knowledge and data, we have the opportunity to record the emotional responses to stressors and the ability to neutralize the responses.

Hand Temperature - Ideal 94F to 96F - 34C to 35C

While typical medical practice tends to look at core temperature as a vital sign, there is another area which tells an important story about health response much earlier than at the core. The extremities are very important in reporting on the neurological state of the patient. Given any stress of threat, the typical neurological response is to close down the blood flow to the hands and feet and pool the blood into the central core. This is a typical fight/flight response as blood will be required in the heart and lungs to provide oxygen and nutrition to the major muscles. Long term stress patterns keep the patient in this state and cold hands and feet will be a constant.

Muscle tone (sEMG) - ideal 0.5 to 2.5

Over the years, Chiropractic has been associated with musculoskeletal function. In the last 15 years we have seen the development of instrumentation which recorded static para-spinal muscle activity. What is important here is to look for the way stressors affect muscle tone. The three areas most reactive are the trapezius (shoulder area), the masseter (jaw area) and the temporalis (eye area) muscles. These muscles provide a window into the effects of stressors on general muscle tone.

As you can see, observing and measuring brain activity is crucial and very important to chiropractic and patients which have a desire to maximize their health. It is our job to assess your nervous system and either jump start it or slow it down by means of the chiropractic adjustment. Restoring it to the wonderful and normal state of balance is our intention. In addition, we are able to offer simple retraining methods to augment the power of the chiropractic adjustment.

We welcome your feedback as well as the opportunity to help you and those you care about reach your optimum potential. Ideally, you shouldn't be very off track. Your health is your most valuable asset so please do not wait for symptoms to arise before you take action. Always remember to be proactive about your health, not reactive. The shameful trend reveals that most of our society decides to become proactive when health crisis occurs. Individuals spend a large chunk of money trying to regain their health that was lost as opposed to cherishing it along the course of life. It makes better sense to spend money on ways to enhance your health so you can be enjoying your life throughout your prime years on this planet.

We encourage being aware at the earliest signs possible. The Neuro Infiniti technology provides that opportunity from a neurological systems point of view. Problems can be revealed much earlier and by doing so, the road to recovery is much shorter. Bottom line: determining early what your systems are doing and where we are starting from can save you years and dollars in the future.

Effective Cures By Chiropractors For Neuropathy

There are few medical terms which people can't readily associate common ailments with. Neuropathy is one such term. Due to injury, diseases like diabetes, sedentary lifestyles, and similar everyday reasons, nerves in an area can constrict. This bundling of nerves is associated by extreme pain and stiff limbs.

Neuropathy has few medical cures. As such, mainstream medical cures to neuropathy like allopathic drugs are discouraged because neurotic medicines can have harmful effects on the human body. Weakness of nerves than cause neuropathy is best cured by Chiropractics.

Symptoms of neuropathy depend on whether they are 'negative' or 'positive' symptoms. Negative symptoms are loss of functions like numbness, tremors, gait abnormality, and posture problems. Positive symptoms are gain of functions like twitching, pain, crawling nerves, and hypersensitivity. Either symptoms mean extreme pain and discomfort.

Neuropathy cures in Chiropractics include core methods like blood circulation adjustments and spinal pressure therapy. Associated cures of neuropathy include special pressure clothing, safe infrared light treatment, and exercises. Chiropractics is one of the few proven permanent cures to neuropathy.

In the late 1980s, there was some controversy about the practice of Chiropractics. However, with the popularity among a large number of people who had reaped its benefits, today Chiropractics is highly recommended. Many States of the USA recognize the benefits of Chiropractics and have very strict regulations issuance of permits of practice.

Florida is among the many States of the US that provide a professional Chiropractors' license after careful evaluation. However, there are always a few people spoiling the name of Chiropractics with unethical practices and amateurish cures to neuropathy. Naples in Collier County has a lot of instances of neuropathy completely cured by good Chiropractors.

Chiropractic cure to neuropathy may include involvement of other associated alternative therapies, but rarely ever involves drug medication. Infrared therapy, pressure garments, and various massage techniques quite effectively rid you of neuropathic pain! In fact, in places where good Chiropractors are available, people rarely consult allopathic doctors. However, lack of awareness of the benefits of Chiropractic cures is a reason why only a few people in America try seeking its benefits.

Sciaitca - Causes and How to Get Rid of It

Sciatica is nerve irritation of the sciatic nerve in the low back, causing pain or numbness into one or both legs. It can come from many different origins, but the most common are: mis-aligned vertebra, herniated disc, compressed disc, fractured vertebra, damaged nerve, swollen ligament or tendon, pulled muscle, etc...

Most sciatica problems can be treated and resolved without surgery, if treated immediately. The main symptoms that are serious and should be looked at by your health care provider are inability to urinate or have a bowel movement and foot drop (unable to lift foot). Pain on coughing and sneezing are also serious and should be checked by your doctor if they don't subside with in 48 hours.

Chiropractic can help treat sciatica by reducing inflammation and spasms of muscles, reducing joint fixations, re-aligning and decompressing the spine and reducing nerve swelling. Most chiropractors will take a spinal x-ray before treatments begin. I recommend seeing a chiropractor that uses therapies (heat, ice, ultrasound, e-stim, traction, etc.) in their office to help reduce spasms and swelling. If sciatica symptoms persists for more than 2 weeks after beginning treatments, it is time go get an MRI of the lumbar spine to determine the severity and the origin of the condition.

Stretching regularly will reduce muscle spasms that may be around the sciatic nerve and causing irritation. The sciatic nerve passes through the piriformis muscle, and if it is in spasm the nerve will become irritated and elicit pain. Pregnancy often causes muscle spasms in the piriforms muscle causing sciatica. I recommend specific low back stretches (piriformis, pelvic tilt, pelviic twisting, knee to chest, and cross over stretches) to reduce and prevent sciatica.

With age comes spinal degeneration. The spine is weight bearing and will eventually wear out over time. Degeneration causes stenosis (narrowing of the holes the nerves come out of) and can cause sciatica. This is serious and usually requires surgery or spinal injections.

Proper hydration is important to maintain muscle and disc vitality. Try to drink 1/2 oz. of water per lb. of your body weight per day. If you weigh 200 lbs. try to drink 100 oz. of water a day. Joint supplements are also recommended. I recommend glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, msm, and turmeric daily. These supplements reduce inflammation and also provide nutrients to aid the joint for degeneration. There are many companies that sell these combinations.

Sciatica is not to be taken lightly. It can cause permanent damage to the nerve if it isn't treated immediately. See your medical doctor or a chiropractor if you are unsure.

How Holistic Health Practices Can Help You Stay Healthy

As more people become knowledgeable about holistic health practices, they're turning to things like acupuncture and visiting the chiropractor to help them stay healthy. But what ailments can these holistic health practices help with? Before visiting one of these practitioners, learn more so you can know what kind of relief you can expect.

What Exactly Does Holistic Health Mean?

Holistic health is a term that encompasses a great deal of medical practices. Although many people think of this as non-traditional, the truth is that these practices have deep roots in traditional medicine. A practitioner who focuses on holistic health will try to help patients focus on their whole well-being and want them to adopt healthy habits related to exercise, diet and emotional and spiritual well-being. Instead of simply treating the symptoms or a disease, practitioners want to fix the problem in the first place. It is a more pro-active form of medicine, instead of simply always reacting to concerns. Practitioners include a chiropractor, someone who can perform acupuncture, a massage therapist and more.

Why Visit A Chiropractor?

A chiropractor does more than just help after an injury. A qualified chiropractor can help eliminate assorted body pains. Although many people think of a chiropractor as someone who only assists with back pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, knee pain and neck pain can all be eliminated with a visit to the chiropractor. A chiropractor can also help with allergy symptoms, migraines, arthritis and more.

A chiropractor helps restore normal motion to a body's joints. Proper movement is vital, as joints that can't move properly become stiff with misuse. If you've never been to one before, let them know. A good doctor will be happy to sit down with you and explain what they're going to do and why. They'll also be able to tell you why you're having the problem in the first place, which can help eliminate future pain.

What Can Acupuncture Do For You?

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical practice and people who have acupuncture use it for a number of reasons. Acupuncture has been known to help with women's issues, such as menopause, painful or heavy periods, infertility, fibroids and endometriosis, weight issues, anxiety and depression, pain and even smoking cessation.

Why A Massage?

A massage does more than just relax your muscles. A qualified massage therapist can help with muscle stiffness and pain related to an injury, relieve stress, manage anxiety and depression, control blood pressure, boost immunity. Some qualified therapists can even use massage as a part of cancer treatment. You should always let your doctor know that you're getting regular massages and make sure to let your therapist know about any changes, including pregnancy, severe osteoporosis, open wounds and more.

If you're unsure about the different types of massage, talk with a massage therapist to see which type is best for you. A Swedish massage is probably the most common, but some people may benefit more from a deep tissue massage. Don't be afraid to speak up if the pressure is too strong or too soft. A therapist wants to help you relax and they know that what's right for one patient might not be right for another.

Holistic health practices are more common than ever before and people everywhere are seeing the benefits. Even many insurance companies are understanding that these practices can help with a number of issues, which means it might be possible to have these therapies covered by insurance. If you're interested in learning more, contact a holistic health provider in your area.

Overcoming Your Back Pain Without The Need For Drugs

Individuals that are dealing with serious back pain should have a natural inclination to take painkillers. These painkillers may numb the pain being felt but there will be serious side effects with the use of those drugs. The drugs are not free so you can expect to pay a high fee just to take them. While using painkillers is fine for certain conditions when you take these drugs to treat back pain you could end up doing more damage to your back.

Pain is how your body warns you something is not working properly and if you mask the pain the condition could become much worse. Instead of relying on drugs what you should do is go to a doctor that specializes in treating back pain, the doctor we are referring to is a chiropractor.

If you went online and did a simple search for a "chiropractor" you are going to see all of the different clinics in the area that are providing these chiropractic services. The fact there is such a large number of these clinics proves the point that these medical services work.

Should your back pain render you bedridden there are chiropractor's that will visit your home however the majority of these doctors prefer it if you go to their clinic. Since this is your first time look for a chiropractor you want to find a doctor that has a considerable amount of experience so you are sure to get top results. While reviewing the various doctors make sure they are licensed, there are some clinics that are not licensed and it would not be smart to use their services.

Once you have established which of these clinics you want to go to the next step is to book an appointment, make sure you confirm what forms of payment the clinic accepts. There are some chiropractor's that take insurance but others are strictly cash so it is critical that you clarify that before you proceed with the appointment. During your visit to the clinics the chiropractor is going to have X-rays performed to get a sense of the overall health of your spine. Once the doctor has determined the source of your back pain they will then proceed to use their chiropractic techniques to help rectify the condition. These chiropractic techniques will help alleviate some of the pressure and stimulate the increase of blood flow in the back. When the circulation in your back increases the tissue will begin to heal which leads to an overall reduction in the amount of pain you are feeling.

By going to a chiropractor you are going to have a considerable reduction in the amount of back pain felt and negate the need to take costly painkillers.

What is Networking and Why is it Important in Business?

When I began my networking journey, I attended any and all networking events as time permitted. Every event was fair game! Today I am much more strategic in my networking endeavors. I discovered which events and organizations gave me the best return on my investment of time as well as how to be an effective, caring networker.

In order to know where to begin you must first understand what networking is and why it is important to grow your business. Networking in its purest form is simply talking to people, making connections and developing rapport to grow our circle of influence. Business networking is essentially the same except that our primary objective in business networking is to help us grow our businesses. For most of us, building a network means meeting people we can do business with or who will do business with us, or refer people who will do business with us, are our ultimate goals.

In fact, some of the best networks are those created by people who own and run their own businesses. When you create valuable networking relationships, you build them on a foundation of mutual trust, sharing knowledge, experiences and resources to help one another grow your businesses by either referring one another or doing business directly with one another.

It works like this: If you do a good job, one customer might tell three to five of her colleagues, family and friends about you. Whereas, when you build a network of say 10 to 20 strong advocates, they may each tell only one person about your, however your "exposure" is now more than doubled - With the right network, the ultimate in "word of mouth" marketing takes place. You promote your network, and your network promotes you.

Have you ever attended a BNI or Le Tip or other form of structured networking groups? Perhaps you are already a member of a similar group. If not, you might consider becoming involved in one to the fastest growing business networking concepts around. These groups invite business professionals to join on an exclusive basis. That means, that if you are a chiropractor and become a member of one of these groups, no other chiropractor will be invited or allowed to join.

These groups have regularly scheduled meetings (anywhere from monthly to weekly) with a list of rules and objectives to which you must abide. In some cases, a minimum number of referrals is required to participate. In others, simply doing business with one or more in the network is all that is asked of he members. However, keep in mind that for this type of networking to be worthwhile for all parties, each must make every effort to do business with other members of the group.

If this form of structured networking isn't for you, there are other options for finding potential networking venues and partners. Here are some ideas to help you on your way to networking success.

a. Develop a joiners mentality. By that I mean, don't just sign up to get our name on a roster. REALLY JOIN. Get involved. Participate in discussions, events and BE VISIBLE. The saying "out of sight, is out of mind," holds true when it comes to networking. I have been involved in groups and decided to take a hiatus from attending for 2 to 3 months (and sometimes more) only to have people come up to me and tell me they forgot the name of my business so they had to find someone else either through a friend or through the local phone book. BUMMER!

b. Attend networking functions. These can include Chambers of Commerce meetings, after hours socials, ad hoc committees and special events task forces.

c. Get involved in a community service group such as Kiwanis, Lions, Jaycees, etc.

d. Volunteer with a non-profit organization, whose mission you are passionate about and believe in. People who have similar passions will want to do business with you.

e. Host events - I started an event called Goddess Gatherings more than 2 years ago in my home. It is an intimate gathering of women (8 max.) who share a common interest and/or wish to expand their own circles. I invite women who do not yet know one another although they may be familiar with their names. These women are women in my circle of influence either directly or indirectly (they are either members of the 22 groups I belong to and attend regularly or they are part of a circle within these groups). I might invite a "surprise" guest who can entertain the women - such as a masseuse or tarot card reader- or feature a business such as a jeweler or make-up artist. This helps make for a memorable evening and the women either start their own Gathering or look forward to being invited to another gathering hosted by either myself of one of the women in attendance.

f. Look for ways to cross-promote with businesses that complement yours. For instance, a spa might join with a health food store or restaurant and promote their products and services for staying healthy. A salon might join a florist to promote weddings or proms and a realtor might join with a mortgage broker to promote a "one-stop" experience for home buyers.

g. Interview others. A great way for me to network is to interview women for projects I am working on. Since most people are flattered when you ask their opinion about something or experiences in life, this has been a great means of increasing my own circle for various reasons. I might interview a woman (or even a man) about an article or book I am writing, or a seminar I am developing. People love to share their stories. I tape the interview (with their permission, of course) and give them a copy afterwards. It helps to have a list of questions ready prior to the interview, however, unless they insist, I don't give them the questions ahead of time. I have done these interviews via phone, email as well as in person. Many of the women have since.

h. Join an online business or social networking community such as MeetUp, Ryze, Max-in-Common, Linkd In, Open BC, to name a few,. These groups have subgroups made up of people with a specific focus and similar interests. Or you can join a non-specific group to gain more knowledge, exposure and contacts.

Make a point of attending one new networking event a month just to "check it out." Make a list of the people you know, the organizations you have heard and read about and the companies who currently do business with you. These are all great resources to tap into to find new venues to network. Get the local newspaper and look at the organizations and businesses hosting events to which the public is invited. Attend them.

The best networking begins with planning and taking action. Being strategic in your planning is important to your ultimate success as an effective, caring networker.

If you are interested in sharing your networking success stories, drop me a note to heidi@speakingwithspirit.com. It would be an honor to interview you. Who knows, your story could be the subject of one of my articles, or you could even write your own.. Looking forward to hearing from you. Here's to your success in building your network.

Why Is The Nervous System And Your Chiropractor So Important?

The nervous system is that system that controls everything that happens in the body. It sounds quite simple, but consider this..... You go off to sleep, no instructions to your heart but it keeps on beating, pumping blood to every inch of the body. We just take all this for granted. We eat whatever our hearts desire and never give it a second thought, but our wise bodies directed by the nervous system allow that food to be digested producing energy and other raw materials that are needed for survival.

To truly appreciate the nervous system, which consists of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, let us look at its role in a simple action. You arrive home and open the door of your car, step out, close the door and walk towards your house. Now let's look at these actions more closely. You are about to get out of the car, so a message is sent from the brain to the muscles in the hands and fingers allowing you to apply just enough pressure to grip the lever and move it to the open position, then you push the door open using just enough pressure to make a wide enough space to get out, then you step on to the pavement without jamming your feet because your brain had calculated the distance, and you close the door again without excessive force because your brain had already calculated the amount of force that the muscles of your arm and hand needed to apply to close the door without slamming it.

Many years ago, before I understood this, I used to give a ride to a girl in my French class. Every evening as she got out of the car, she would slam the door so hard that it would cause me to cringe and cover my ears. Could it have been that she had a dysfunction in how messages were being relayed between her brain and muscles? It is possible. You see, as long as we have function, we tend to feel that everything is OK. Very often, I meet people who tell me how healthy they are. Some will relate how they just saw their doctor, did lab work and received a clean bill of health. Yet as I listen more closely I'll hear tales of constipation, digestive problems, numbness in the extremities, difficulty sleeping, weakness, pain, and more.

I just described a simple action that the nervous system is responsible for coordinating, but there are functions that organs and glands in our bodies must carry out every day. All these functions are completed under the direction of the nervous system. Just take a look at your labwork. All these chemicals must be maintained at a certain level to maintain life. This is no easy feat, considering all that we are exposed to. Can you even imagine what could happen when there is a dysfunction of the nervous system? Can you see the relationship between a properly functioning nervous system and health? Let's get more specific. What if the nerve that supplies the heart, or the pancreas, or the kidneys was not functioning at 100%. Can you see what may occur over time?

You Have A Responsibility To Care For Your Own Nervous System.

Everyone knows that if the spinal cord is severed, all function below that level is lost because there is no communication with the brain. However, in the case where there is loss of only some communication, most people accept the resulting loss of function as being normal and often will live with that loss as long as there is no pain or very little pain. In explaining this to patients, I often test the strength of a muscle. I then give a chiropractic adjustment to allow better communication between the brain and muscle, and retest the same muscle to show the difference in strength. They are usually amazed. I say this to explain that most people are functioning at less than 100% because of neural dysfunction that can be easily corrected by a chiropractor, but they learn to live with the decreased function and are often amazed that they can have better.

The nervous system is kept healthy by providing it with adequate nutrition, and by keeping it free of interference. It is like a network of wires that take information around the body at very high speed using neuro-transmitters. The wires must be in good repair, so we need good fats to maintain the sheath that covers the nerve (myelin sheath). Here Omega 3 fatty acids are of importance and can be found in wild salmon, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and walnuts

Proteins are essential to provide the amino acids that make many of the neuro-transmitters, and B complex vitamins are essential in the production and circulation of the neuro transmitters. Dark green leafy vegetables are good sources of the B vitamins. Vitamin B6, B12, and Folic are of particular importance. If the brain, spinal cord, and nerves are healthy but there are interferences in the system, then there will be problems. Chiropractors are the doctors that look for physical interference in the nervous system and remove them. These blocks to proper nerve transmission are caused by spinal misalignments called subluxations. Unfortunately, the majority of the public do not know this because the general knowledge is that chiropractors are back pain doctors.

Consider all the little symptoms that you have learned to live with. Consider even the ones that have been brought to the attention of a health care provider but no answers have been forthcoming. Could it be that you may be experiencing a loss of function because of neural interference? If a symptom is not dramatic, many doctors may just overlook it but you will be the one to pay in the long run, so be in command of your health. I have seen x-rays with blatant misalignments labeled as normal because there are no overt symptoms. You have to be the one to take charge because the system has not yet caught up with the reality of maintaining health. This system is directed towards taking care of you when your body is in a state of failure. It is your body and your responsibility. No one is going to do it for you. You care for your hair, nails, teeth, your car, your garden and your pets. None of these things are essential for maintaining your life. You cannot live without your nervous system, and you live a life of dis-ease and possibly disease when your nervous system is compromised. Take charge and nip minor symptoms in the bud. If you don't, they will go on over time to become big issues and even though hospitals are nice places, I'd rather be in a resort. If you are experiencing headaches, neck and back pain, numbness and tingling in the extremities, sciatica etc. these are all symptoms that may arise from spinal misalignments. If you have children complaining of headaches, they need to be evaluated. Chiropractors are not just back pain doctors, they remove nerve interferences caused by spinal misalignments (subluxations). You should realize by now that subluxations are silent killers.