Vol. 15 |
No. 8 |
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As directed by the Department of Homeland Security, chiropractors are essential health care workers and we continue to serve patients throughout the pandemic. Our offices are open regular hours both in San Rafael and Petaluma. The San Rafael Medical Center building is instituting protective measures for all public areas. Our offices have been employing protective measures since early March. Specifically, we are doing the following for your protection:
It is important in these high anxiety times to remember that the body has the potential to stay well or heal itself, barring any obstructions or deficiencies. In order to do that, our nervous system needs to be functioning at its best. According to Gray's Anatomy, 29th Edition,"the nervous system controls and co-ordinates all organs and structures of the human body." This also includes the control of our defensive body immune functions. An interference-free nervous system is at the heart of chiropractic philosophy and methods since its inception. Additionally, a healthy plant-based diet plus essential nutrients such as vitamin C, zinc, vitamin D and others would provide support. A more extensive suggested list is at our front desks. Please contact us if we can be of help.
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Newsletter ArchivesThe following previous issues can be accessed by clicking on the title: Vol. 15, No.7: "Strengthening the Immune Function" At a time when the coronavirus is causing unprecedented fear and disruptions worldwide, this update is to assure all current patients that we are meeting this challenge on both a safety level and on a natural therapy preventive level.. Vol. 15, No.6: "Viva La Vagus" Understanding how the vagus nerve plays a key role in protecting our health is similar to winning the jackpot in Las Vegas. The 10th cranial nerve, also called the "wandering nerve," starts in the brain and travels through the chest to the lower abdomen. It is the main nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system which controls relaxation and digestion. Vol. 15, No.5: "Bi-Directional Healing" The human body contains two brains - the one brain inside the skull and another inside the stomach called the abdominal brain. The abdominal brain is home to the microbiome, compromised of the 500 to 1000 bacterial species, of which the average ratio is 85% health-promoting and 15% disease-promoting organisms. Vol. 15, No.4: "Healing the Body Electric" One cannot overstate the importance of good liver function in the ability of the patient to resist disease. Weighing approximately 3.3 pounds, the liver is the largest body gland and houses millions of cells that filter and protect the body from toxins. It discards all unwanted substances before they enter the bloodstream and do damage. Vol. 15, No.3: "Nature's Safety Valve" Many people periodically suffer from mysterious health complaints from which no clear diagnosis can be made. The hidden cause of one such condition is a functional health challenge called the Ileocecal Valve Syndrome. The IC Valve, which looks like two lips, is located at the junction of the small and large intestine near the appendix. Vol. 15, No.2: "Leg Cramp Solutions" One of the most common symptoms people have are leg cramps or spasms. There are three major classifications of leg cramps: waking at night, post exercise, and those which occur while walking. This last instance may be a symptom of a potentially serious problem called Intermittent Claudication. Luckily, this is the least common cause of leg cramps. Vol. 15, No.1: "Healing Mysteries of Bile" Chiropractic Neurovascular Dynamics (NVD) places great emphasis on digestion. The gut is the place where the vital force resides, and the great processes of life – nutrition and elimination – take place in the abdomen. NVD focuses on the 2nd Unit of Digestion in the right upper abdomen, the most metabolically active area in the body, which houses the liver, gall bladder and head of the pancreas. Vol. 14, No.12: "Food Energetics PART I " Nutritional science is an increasingly important field as our society ages and baby boomers seek healing modalities to enhance their quality of life. Science knows the importance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats for health as well as the vital role of vitamins and minerals. However, all the nutrients essential for health are still not known. Vol. 14, No.11: "NVD" In previous newsletters we have outlined the neurological basis of Neurovascular Dynamics. The human organism operates by reflexes or relays, meaning that our organs are networked and support each other in a holistic way. In fact, Gray's Anatomy, 29th edition, states that "the nervous system controls and co-ordinates all organs and structures of the human body." Vol. 14, No.10: "Early Warning Signs" Most of us visit our dentist on a regular basis or make an annual medical visit to have a checkup, but we are not aware that there is an innate body system that can also provide clues long before a health challenge manifests. That system is the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), previously described in the"Awakening the Healing Response" newsletter (Vol 14, No. 8). It is the automatic and unconscious organ system that remains silent in health and produces many alarm signals such as headaches, or back and joint pain, when something is awry internally.. Vol. 14, No.9: "The Gut-Bone Connection" A decade ago few would believe that the human gastrointestinal (GI tract) system would have anything to do with the strength of our bones. Scientific knowledge has now demonstrated that there is indeed an important connection. Vol. 14, No.8: "Awakening the Healing Response" The ability to fight disease and maintain health is a natural power within all beings. It is so automatic and instinctive that it is called the Self Healing Response. Vol. 14, No.7: "Pythagorean Healing" The Pythagorean Academy began approximately 2500 years ago in greater Greece. It was a school dedicated to the development of the full human potential. Vol. 14, No.6: "Healing From The Center" Yoga therapy, now well-known in the West, is commonly associated with postures (asanas) and breathing techniques (pranayama), but there is another independent branch of yoga called Hand or Mudra Yoga. This unique branch sees the human body as a miniature of the larger universe. Vol. 14, No.5: "Hand Yoga" Yoga therapy, now well-known in the West, is commonly associated with postures (asanas) and breathing techniques (pranayama), but there is another independent branch of yoga called Hand or Mudra Yoga. This unique branch sees the human body as a miniature of the larger universe. Vol. 14, No.4: "Hidden Causes of GERD" GERD or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease is a common health condition affecting 25% of the U.S. population. Highly acidic stomach juices should stay in the stomach in order to properly break down food but instead the hydrochloric acid and food moves backwards into the esophagus where they do not belong. The highly acidic irritation causes chest burning, choking, swallowing difficulties, hoarse throat and coughing. These acids can even erode the dental enamel and cause gum disease. Vol. 14, No.3: "THE Microbiome Mania" Hippocrates, father of medicine, taught some 2500 years ago that "all diseases begin in the gut." The worlds of medicine, immunology, microbiology and nutrition are confirming this finding concerning the popular topic of the microbiome. Vol. 14, No.2: "The Magic of Sleep" Sleep is an activity that all humans do automatically and is often underestimated in regards to its healing potential. In fact, restorative sleep is the foundation of physical and mental health. Lack of adequate nighttime rest has been associated with dementia, high blood pressure, increased blood sugar levels, depression, increased cancer risk and obesity. Vol. 14, No.1: "Mystery of Persistent Back Pain" Lower back pain has been a challenge for all professions. In fact, many years ago, the Wall Street Journal reported that lower back pain is more prevalent than the common cold. Medicine, osteopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy and many allied professions have tackled this epidemic malady with varying results. Of these, the chiropractic profession has had the best success record in dealing with this painful condition, although results can depend upon the pain’s cause and point of origin. Vol. 13, No.1: "Emotional Healing & Psycho-Peristalsis" Stress, whether physical, mental or nutritional, is now recognized as the cause of most illness, and its reaction takes place throughout the nervous system including the abdomen, as many people can attest. Vol. 12, No.7: "The Great Mimic" Approximately 50 million Americans suffer from periodic gastrointestinal complaints such as hiatal hernia, esophageal reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers, hemorrhoids, or constipation. In this brief article we will explain what we think is the common denominator for all these digestive maladies and why we call this factor "The Great Mimic." Vol. 12, No.6: "Exhausted? It Might Be Adrenal Stress Disorder" In nature, when an animal is attacked, it can respond with extraordinary feats of strength and endurance. This is accomplished with the mobilization of hormones – specifically, adrenalin. The same response also occurs in humans, but with a very significant difference. Once an emergency has ended, the animal will recover quickly from the galvanizing effects of adrenalin. Humans, however, live with such persistent stress that, all too frequently, we do not have adequate time to rest and re-set the nervous-hormonal system. Vol. 12, No. 5: "Oh, My Aching Head!" All of us experience feelings of sadness, unhappiness or frustration at times, and this is a normal part of human existence. However, when these feelings persist and start to interfere with our normal functioning, we begin to suffer from depression. Vol. 12, No. 4: "Hidden Factors in Depression" All of us experience feelings of sadness, unhappiness or frustration at times, and this is a normal part of human existence. However, when these feelings persist and start to interfere with our normal functioning, we begin to suffer from depression. Vol. 12, No. 3: "Your Aching Sinuses" There is a simple – yet unseen – mechanism in the human body that regulates and restores our health. This “Great Harmonizer” is actually wired in to the human nervous system and needs only to be properly stimulated in order to maintain health. Vol. 12, No. 2: "From Stressed Out to Chilled Out" There is a simple – yet unseen – mechanism in the human body that regulates and restores our health. This “Great Harmonizer” is actually wired in to the human nervous system and needs only to be properly stimulated in order to maintain health. Vol. 12, No. 1: "Surprising Eyes" Heredity can be either blessed or blamed for many of our physical characteristics... from the inheritance of Mom’s curly hair to Dad’s bald head to, unfortunately, Grandpa’s diabetes. In fact, just knowing about or having observed a beloved relative suffer from a hereditary illness can create an aura of ticking time bomb in our own lives. Vol. 11, No. 1: "Natural Immunity" Human beings have always searched for methods to preserve health in the face of aging, infection and disease. One such route to health has increasingly been the promotion of the body’s own self-protective and self-healing mechanisms. These mechanisms, in turn, are dependent upon the strength of the body’s “natural immunity,” its inherent ability to defend itself against infection and degenerative disease. Vol. 10, No. 1: "Reflex Healing" |