Though many suffer with chronic year-round sinus + allergy problems, we often see a peak of problem during the next few months.  Approximately 35 million American children and adults suffer with sinus problems, and it is often the cause or large contributing factor to many other problems including chronic cough (post-nasal drip), headaches, snoring, ear infections, partial hearing loss, and hallitosis to name a few.  Within the last year, the famous Dr OZ endorsed the same idea on his show.  This is certainly not a new idea, and has actually has been used in the thousands of chiropractic practices across the country for over 80 years.  As I was researching to write this post, I came across an excellent article on the topic, which does an excellent job reviewing nasal irrigation.  I recommend and personally use the NeilMed SinusRinse simply because it does not require you to bend your head backwards or to the side.

The standard medical approach relies heavily on antibiotics and nasal sprays.  You probably have some idea about the dangers of over-prescribed antibiotics, and the fact that they do not solve the underlying causative factor(s).  As for the steroid-based sprays, these work locally to decrease inflammation of the nasal passages and sinuses (Flonase, Nasonex, etc) forcing these tissues to do the opposite of what they were meant to do–drainage!  There are consequences of going this medical route for too long or too often, as many have discovered.  There is a better approach!  And I will describe it in my next post.

Last weekend, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was the keynote speaker at a chiropractic health care fitness event in Columbus, Ohio.  Did you know that the Governor has personally endorsed the chiropractic profession for at least 40 years and has been speaking at the International Chiropractors Association symposium since 1993?

Here are a few quotes from this year’s symposium:  “What I love about chiropractors, is that you say, OK, we can fix you up when you have an injury and we can help you when you’re sick, we can help you with all kinds of different things.  But what you are really saying is in your profession is, look, why don’t you come to us before you get sick, before you have a problem with your back, before you have a problem with your shoulders or elbows.” He continued, “Prevention, it’s all about prevention.”

The California Governor noted, “If you don’t have prevention as a big-big part of the health care reform, you have nothing, you have absolutely nothing!” He continued by pointing out that incentives for healthy living and preventative health care must be included in health care reform, “This is why I say that prevention is the answer.”

He once again linked the chiropractic profession to health and preventative care when he concluded remarks by saying, “We know it (prevention) works. And we know that you (chiropractors) are in the right profession. Because you are really in a profession that saves people money, and it brings the health care costs down. This is what I love about your profession. You are the most incredible profession, you always help people.”

Many in the chiropractic profession personally oppose legislation because there is little in the way of adding preventative services–especially the type of prevention that chiropractic patients KNOW and LOVE.  How about you?  Have you experienced the fantastic benefits of chiropractic health care?  Thank you for reading this blog, and I certainly appreciate all of those that would take the time to comment and add their own thoughts.

I was reading an article about health and thought it relevant to the ongoing reason that I’m investing in this blog.  Knowing how to care VERY IMPORTANT!  I trust you feel the same way about it.

It always thrills my soul when a patient finally gets “the big picture.” Recently, I had such an experience with a local executive that has been receiving chiropractic care for about a year. She had been referred by her husband, two brothers and a father.  All were receiving great results in the office.  She came to us primarily for neck and shoulder issues,  but what she discovered was that her usual cold/sinus problems that plagued her throughout the winter months for most of her adult life had almost completely resolved. Even so, until last week she was still a bit skeptical of the connection to her chiropractic care. She developed the first sinus congestion in a long time, and after looking at her calendar, realized that her 3 week interval had just passed, as I had recommended a 4 trial week interval for the first time. The next week, when we checked her objective indicators, I found indeed that she was overdue. For her, this was the moment of truth and helped her to see that chiropractic is indeed about living life with better health–not primarily intervening to solve health problems.

Do you believe in chiropractic? Your answer may be yes or no, but it does not change those that KNOW.  No, chiropractic can not help 100% of health problems for 100% of people.  But it is vastly underutilized when it comes to true health prevention.  Those that have utilized chiropractic care KNOW what chiropractic health care has done for them and what it will do to preserve their future health.

So, I will ask you this….tell me what you KNOW about chiropractic–not what you believe.  I welcome your comments, and appreciate taking your time to read my blog.  I trust it is providing with some good benefits.  Again, please post comments.

Spring is in the air, and many are planning for the upcoming gardening and lawncare season.

This morning, I came across an article on the ACA website entitled “Pull Your Weeds. Not Your Back, When Gardening.” You can find the article here:

I assume most gardeners would find this article helpful as a reference for stretches. However, I believe that it is somewhat diasppointing that “pulling your back” and “feeling muscle aches and pains” are listed as reasons to consider chiropractic care.

Confused? Let me explain. If you are experiencing pain and discomfort or pull a muscle, you undoubtedlyh have a problem with how your spine is able to function. The vast majority of people have chronic spinal problems because of long-term abuse and neglect. Gardening has just brought out the worst in it, and doing some stretches alone will make little impact. To solve the problem, we must take a step back to find the root cause of the problem, and proceed to get it corrected. Muscles “pull” and pain ensues just like tooth discomfort erupts when you bite down “wrong” on the apple.

Yes, chiropractic care is often the answer for solving the root cause of a problem. However, the key is prevention. A chiropractic checkup is in order BEFORE you get sidelined with an injury. Just like my mom used to say, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This is the best and most effective way to use chiropractic care. Only then can you implement stretching most effectively, and have confidence in your daily activiities including using that “green thumb.”

In consultation with new patients, I will quite often hear the phrase, “Oh doc, I’ve learned to live with….” And my response is almost always the same, “I’m sorry to hear that!”

Such was the case several weeks ago in the office. A sprightly young 81 year old lady in consultation asked me, “If this is just due to my age, I’ll will accept that. But, if there’s anything you can do, that would be great.” The thought of gardening in the spring and continuing to walk regularly at the mall seemed impossible. Well, it turned out that she had both knees replaced a few years back, and her spine had suffered damage as a result. This was a straight forward chiropractic problem, and within 1 month, her concern of continued disability has turned to bright hope of future health. YES. Her spine was majorly imbalanced, and the result was that she could no longer stand for more than a few minutes. However, after a few weeks of corrective care, and a simple heel lift, she is indeed walking/standing 50% better ALREADY.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of well-meaning doctors still advise that a certain amount of pain is just a “normal” part of life, and that the best approach is to mask the symptoms with medications or attempt to surgically alter the symptoms. When those approaches fail, it’s back to the wastebasket diagnosis and advice of, “You’ve got arthritis. This is due to your age. Here’s your narcotic refill, and it’d be best if you would just learn to live with it.”

Well, folks there’s a better way. Many of you, as patients reading my blog, can attest to this fact. So, I welcome your comments and suggestions for your blog entries

“You’re not sick; you’re thirsty. Don’t treat thirst with medication.” –Dr. F. Batmanghelidj

The most important nutrient for the human body is water. An average person can live for about forty days without food but only three to five days without water. Approximately two-thirds of a person’s body weight is water–our blood is 82 percent water and both our brain and muscles, are 75 percent water. The major ingredient of all fluids in the body is water, including saliva, gastric juice, bile, pancreatic juices, and intestinal secretions. Water is necessary for practically every bodily function. It helps carry essential nutrients to all our cells, aids in circulation and digestion, and helps carry away the metabolic waste products (the “garbage”)

The average-sized person requires 2 to 3 quarts of water a day (that’s 64 to 96 ounces). A good rule to go by is to take your body weight, divide it by two, and that’s the number of ounces of water you should be drinking daily. If you are eating adequate amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables daily, then you’re getting about one quart of water already. But stay away from drinks with caffeine, such as coffee, tea, and sodas. Caffeine is a diuretic and actually causes you to lose water, so it does more harm than good.

Patients who drink adequate amounts of water can expect improvements in blood pressure, as well as a reduction in headaches, arthritis, and general spinal pain. In general, patients with chronic illnesses have fewer symptoms and better overall health as they increase their water intake.

What’s the best time to drink water? I believe at different intervals throughout the day. Here’s a good guideline: drink at least one 8-ounce glass of water about thirty minutes before each meal and then another 8-ounce glass about two and a half hours after each meal. Before your largest meal of the day, drink another 8 ounces of water. By drinking water before meals, you will decrease your appetite and greatly help your digestion.

Ground water supply and streams are sometimes contaminated with pesticides, insecticides, and other chemicals, so you should certainly filter your water. There are three basic types of filters you can purchase. Carbon filters are the most common and least expensive. Life of a filter varies from three to one year depending on quality and type. You must change the filter regularly in order to avoid contamination (more harm then good).

Another type of water filter is a water distiller. I recommend you get the kind that performs double distillation and has a carbon filter on top. This will ensure that volatile chemicals and the majority of pesticides are removed.

The third type of filter is a reverse osmosis system with a carbon filter. I believe this is one of the best water filters on the market. It removes bacteria, parasites, chemicals, heavy metals, chlorine, fluoride, uranium, radium, strontium 90, and most pesticides. And having the carbon filter with the reverse osmosis filter will make sure that nitrates and trihalomethanes are also removed from your water.

What about bottled water? Did you know the standard for bottled water is that it only has to be as safe as tap water? It’s fine for convenience occasionally, but not cost-effective nor better than another.

Better hydration may be associated with a number of benefits, including increased energy, a stronger constitution, and overall improved health. So drink plenty of pure water–it’s one of vital needs of your good health!

More information available @ www.watercure.com

This is the last post in a series of Back-to-School Health and Wellness Tips. And it’s a LONG one. But, please read it because it is very important information!

Have you ever wondered if there is a way to improve your child’s memory and concentration at school? Well, I have some good news. You can make a difference in your child’s cognition because diet and nutrition most certainly play a role.

In this post, we will focus on the most common nutrient insufficiency among school-aged children. Estimated at 85% of the population in a state of insufficiency, essential fatty acids most certainly do not get enough attention! Given that approximately 20% of the dry weight of the brain is made up of fatty acids, it should come as no surpirse that that inadequate intake of omega-3 fatty acids will have neuropsychiatric consequences.

Most are under the impression that fat is to be generally avoided, and that consuming fat will make you fat. However, there are good fats and there are bad fats. Artificially-produced trans-fatty acids in any amount are harmful and saturated fats from animal products should be somewhat limited.

So what is essential fatts acids (EFAs)? EFAs are a group on fat-soluble nutrients that are “essential” or vital. This means that you must inget the nutrient to stay alive. EFAs are grouped into two families: omega-6 EFAs and omega-3 EFAs. Seemingly minor differences in the biochemical structure make the two EFA families act very differently in the body. While the metabolic products of omega-6 acids promote inflammation, blood clotting, and tumor growth, the omega-3 acids act entirely opposite. Though we do need both omega-3s and omega-6s, it is clear that an excess of omega-6 fatty acids can have dire consequences.

A massive change in dietary habits over the last few centuries has changed the Omega6:Omega3 ratio from approximately 1:1 to 15:1 or even 20:1. With much research, a 2:1 ratio has been established as the ideal. A little math will tell us that the quickest way to change this ratio is to decrease the Omega-6 fats that are consumed while ALSO increasing the Omega-3 fats.

The main source of omega-6 are vegetable oils such as corn/safflower/peanut/soy oil that contain a high proportion of linoleic acid. By contrast, the richest omega-3 sources are found in flaxseed oil, walnut oil, marine plankton and fatty fish. The main component of flaxseed and walnut oils is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) while the predominant fatty acids found in fatty fish and fish oils are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

The most beneficial and active of these fatty acids are EPA and DHA. ALA is capable of conversion; however, this is quite inefficient in a percentage of the population (mostly the elderly, but also some genetic tendency in others including children).

Scientists were first alerted to the many benefits of EPA and DHA in the early 1970s when Danish physicians observed that Greenland Eskimos had an exceptionally low incidence of heart disease and arthritis despite the fact that they consumed a high-fat diet (remember, good fats/bad fats). Intensive research soon discovered that two of the fats (oils) they consumed in large quantities, EPA and DHA, were actually highly beneficial. More recent research has established that fish oils (EPA and DHA) also play a crucial role in the prevention of atherosclerosis, heart attack, depression, cancer, and effective in managing rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, ulcerative colitis, and Raynaud’s disease.

Turning to memory, cognition and the student’s brain: The human brain is one of the largest “consumers” of DHA. A normal adult human brain contains more than 20 grams of DHA. Low DHA levels have been linked to low brain serotonin levels which again are connected to an increased tendency to depression, suicide, schizophrenia and violence.

The processing and packaging of the fish oil are crucial in determining its quality. Low quality oils may be quite unstable and contain significant amounts of mercury, pesticides, and undesirable oxidation products. High quality oils are stabilized with adequate amounts of vitamin E and are packaged in individual foil pouches or other packaging impervious to light and oxygen. Recent research carried out at the University of Minnesota found that emulsified fish oils are much better absorbed than the straight oils in gelatin capsules. However, when choosing a fish oil supplement, be aware that cod liver oils and fish oils are not the same. Cod liver oil is extracted from cod liver and is an excellent source of fat-soluble vitamins A and D. Fish oils are extracted from the tissues (flesh) of fatty fish like salmon and herring and are good sources of EPA and DHA, yet are low in vitamins A and D. Consult with a doctor or nutritionist on the amounts of vitamins A, D, and E in your student’s diet to determine the right fish oil supplement for you. Supplementing with fish oils has been found to be entirely safe even for periods as long as 7 years and no significant adverse effects have been reported in hundreds of clinical trials using as much as 18,000 mg/day of fish oils.

Welcome to all of my email newsletter readers! I trust you have taken the time to read through some or all of the posts below, and that this will site will help make a big difference in your future health.

This is the fourth tip in a series for families starting back to school. And today, I want to focus on “screen time.” Screen time is the amount of time that a person watches television or a monitor. Whether it be video games, television, videos or the computer (non-academic use), excessive amounts of time in front of the screen may lead to obesity, high blood pressure, and sleeping problems to name a few. This is a good time to make a decision on the amount of time that will be allowed per day during the school week as well as on the weekend.

Below are recommendations from www.truceteachers.org. Stay tuned for further tips for back-to-school
•Help children develop thoughtful and responsible media viewing habits.
?Limit screen time. Decide together how much is okay each day or week. (With young children, start with the least amount that can work with your schedule and your child’s).
?Set guidelines about what is appropriate viewing in your family. Apply guidelines to all media: TV, cartoons, videos, movies, video games, magazines and comic books. Help children select programs within your family’s guidelines.
?Protect children from exposure to inappropriate media as much as possible. Be aware of what you are watching when your child is able to hear or see it.
?Teach your child to ask to watch television before being allowed to turn it on.
?Get TVs, video game systems and computers out of children’s bedrooms.
?Make a chart (with simple picture illustrations for non-readers) of shows which your children want to watch and which you can agree are good choices. Check the chart regularly to help you discuss how things are going.
?Watch TV and movies with your children and talk together about what you see. [See box next page]. Aim for a give-and-take discussion rather than a lecture where you give the answers. Listen carefully, find out their ideas and fears, clear up misconceptions and share your ideas and concerns.
?Use media to spark your child’s imagination and creativity. You can ask questions like: if you wrote the story, how would you change the ending? Would you add new characters? What would they look or act like?
•Encourage and support children’s interests and skills beyond electronic media.
?Balance electronic media with playtime – encourage your kids to go outside and be active.
?Promote creative and imaginative play which children control, instead of play that looks like they are imitating what they see on the screen.
?Encourage children’s play as a way to help them work out their own ideas and develop a sense of mastery. [Use the TRUCE Toy Action Guide available at www.truceteachers.org].
?Help children resist marketing; choose toys carefully.
?Provide play materials that can be used in man
?Limit the number of highly realistic toys and other products (such as lunch boxes, tee shirts and breakfast cereals) that are linked to TV programs.
?Avoid media-linked toys, especially those connected to media rated for older children or adults.
?Find appealing non-TV activities for your family.
?Read to your child and go to the library. It’s the best way you can build their literacy skills and help them establish a love of books.
?Have art supplies readily available and accessible for your children to use.
?Play age-appropriate board games

This is the third in a series of timely tips for the upcoming start of school year. In the last post, I focused on eating breakfast with your students every school day. In this post, I will focus on your child’s most important nutrient: water! Yes, there are many changes that should be fostered in the “Standard American Diet.” (SAD). For most, it is wise to start making changes ONE THING AT A TIME. It’s impossible to focus on everything…that’s a contradiction. It also is well-known that it takes a minimum of 21 days to form a good habit. Replacing sugary drinks at breakfast. Though, orange juice can be nourishing it contains twice as much sugar in an 8 oz serving (24g) then a glass of rice or cow’s milk. It is far better to eat an entire orange because the pulp and fiber help slow the absorption of sugar. A small amount of diluted juice or water and a piece of fruit is a better breakfast meal plan. Sending along a water bottle instead of a juicebox or soda is also good. How about a healthy after-school snack with a big glass of water? Here is a good way to look at sugar content of different beverages Over time, your children will form this important habit of drinking more water, and I trust that parents will catch on, too.

This is the second tip in a series for families preparing to starting the new school year. TIP: Have a sit-down breakfast with your students every school morning. This is a routine that can be started anytime, but there’s no time like the present. Yes, family meal time is a very important way to limit stressors and to regularly connect with your family as well as start the day right. And most agree that the way a day starts is the way that it will go! Most of us live a busy lifestyle with little time for family togetherness or healthy meals. Breakfast IS the most important meal of the day. Some doubt this traditional statement. However, there is a proven strong correlation between eating breakfast and weight control. Obesity is a major health problem for many adults. However, for children it is even more problematic. Over the last 20 years, the rate of childhood obesity has tripled! As parents, we are forming our children’s eating habits by example as well as by habit and routine. One study tracked 3,000 people (mostly adult women), who had lost at least 30 pounds (avg 70 pounds) and kept the weight off for 1+ years. 78% of the participants had breakfast 7 days a week and an additional 11% had breakfast 5+ days per week! Stay tuned the next tip for the new schoolyear.