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Showing posts from January, 2013

Depression Isn't All in Your Head

  We all experience highs and lows. But when the lows become increasingly often and begin to interfere with the functions of daily living, then it’s a cause for concern. Depression affects twice as many women as men and most people fail to seek the help they need. Those that do, usually receive some type of drug therapy.  Since our mind affects our body, and our body affects our mind, changing your physiology can change your psychology. Get moving! Common symptoms of depression include: Chronic fatigue Sleep problems Overwhelming sadness Hyper-irritability Poor concentration Changes in appetite Withdrawal Chronic physical symptoms Thoughts of suicide Depression is really a whole body condition that affects body, mind, emotions and spirit. It is not something to be ashamed of, nor is it something you can simply wish away. You can’t just “snap out of it” or put on a happy face and think it away. A recent study, conducted by Duke University Medical Cen

Birth Trauma

Consider this…you spend nine months in a perfect environment designed especially for you, feeling safe, secure and loved. Then, you’re squeezed out through a narrow opening into a cold, noisy, brightly lit room. No wonder you cry! Most women give birth lying down, rather than squatting, a position that could use the force of gravity to assist in the birthing process. Drugs used to manage pain during labor hinder the mother’s ability to push. Deliveries using mechanical intervention, such as forceps or vacuum extraction, may cause a newborn’s first vertebral subluxation. The pulling and twisting can create an overlooked injury to the spine. The resulting nerve compromise can disrupt normal communication between the brain and body.   Left undetected, vertebral subluxation may significantly affect the newborn’s ability to adapt to his or her environment, increasing an infant’s susceptibility to infection and illness. Dr. Abraham Towbin, a prominent medical researcher on

Do You Have a Fever Phobia?

Fevers in Children Your child wakes up in the middle of the night crying. You rush into her room and pick her up to soothe her. You start to panic because she literally appears to be on fire with fever. How serious is this and what should you do? Many parents needlessly worry about their children’s fevers. What few realize is that a fever is the body’s natural response to an infection. A fever in and of itself is not a disease; it’s the body’s defense mechanism in response to an illness. A fever lets the immune system know to produce antibodies to fight the infection. Interfering with this process may prevent the immune system from doing its job. Many parents, fearful that a fever can cause seizures, brain damage or worse, over-medicate their children with ibuprofen and acetaminophen products. Seizures are rare in fevers less than 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius). What can a parent do for a child with a fever? Give your child plenty of fluids t

Barking Dog Syndrome

Many new patients ask us why we examine their lower back, when their problem is in their neck and shoulders. Two words: compensation reactions. While it's tempting to think of regional parts of the spine, it must be viewed in its entirety. Your body is constantly adapting to the force of gravity. Just as a house foundation that settles produces ceiling cracks and doors and windows that don’t open and close properly, your spine does the same thing. Problems in the pelvis, knees, ankles and feet can often show up as problems in the neck. But the actual problem occurs with the foundation of the spine. This is based on the principle of equilibrium. If you were to tilt your head to the right, you could only maintain your head this way for a while before your body would curve some other area of your spine to support your head. We refer to this as the barking dog syndrome. If you accidentally step on a dog's tail, it will bark. The symptom (the bark) comes out of its mouth, b