It's almost Flu Season!

It seems like just about everybody has come into contact with those winter illnesses such as the flu, so we’d thought it’d be a good idea to post some of our favorite home and all natural remedies to get your family on the road to feeling better faster!

1. At first-site of flu-like symptoms, come to the office and get some Congaplex. Congaplex is a natural immune booster, that has fantastic natural properties that stimulate the immune system and reduce inflammation.  Better yet, it doesn't have the side effects that flu medication often presents.

2. For a sore throat, make an old fashioned Lemon Honey Drink. Heat 1-cup water, add 1-Tbsp lemon juice, and 1&1/2-Tbsp honey

3. For an earache, find garlic oil capsules at your local store and pour just a few drops in the ear. Works every time to relieve the ache! To help the earache go away completely- come get your ear adjusted!

4. Remember B.R.A.T. for diarrhea. It stands for- Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast. The combination will get you feeling more regular in no time.

5. Black licorice will cure constipation nine times out of ten! Who knew, right?!

6. For a headache, try these three things first: Drink a large class of water. Rub head/neck making sure to work out the knots. Find the pressure point between your thumb and pointer finger and press.

7. For teething kiddos, take a washcloth, wet the center with a little water, spread on a tablespoon of applesauce, roll it up, then freeze it. Babies love this because it’s sweet, chewy, & cold so it numbs their gums!

8. For an overall immune system booster, chiropractic works! We adjust your spine so that your nervous system can help other systems in your body (like immune system) work better and more efficiently, especially when it comes to the flu!

Can chiropractic help Fibromyalgia?

A better question might be: "Can ANYTHING help fibromyalgia?"

You know, everyone has aches and pains at some point. Everyone gets a little sore. Everyone has trouble sleeping sometimes. But what if these aches and pains ARE your life?

People who suffer from fibromyalgia don't need to be told that it's hard to find relief from the constant joint and muscle pain. There are no solid go-to therapies that are guaranteed to help fibromyalgia patients, and the research literature is iffy at best for just about everything. This means that fibromyalgia is a challenge to treat and to live with.

What is Fibromyalgia?

Chronic and persistent joint pain is officially called Fibromyalgia.  The diagnosis of fibromyalgia is made by a doctor after you have had demonstrated at least three months of demonstrable pain at 11 specific points or joints, and you have no other identifiable disease that could  cause the condition. In other words, the term "fibromyalgia" describes chronic pain that has an unknown cause.

The first and most important task for any doctor is to obtain the correct diagnosis. After all, if a doctor does not know what is wrong, how can he help to fix it? The problem with fibromyalgia is that, essentially, science still does not know what causes it. Some theories have been advanced, such as autoimmune disease or chronic inflammation, but nothing is certain.

We do know that fibromyalgia is sometimes associated with some types of arthritis, but not always. We do know that fibromyalgia usually is diagnosed in women over men, but not always (a 7-to-1 margin). We do know that fibromyalgia usually occurs during mid-life (ages 20 to 50), but not always.

The uncertainty surrounding the cause (or causes) of fibromyalgia makes it a difficult condition to treat. In fact, some women are told that "it's all in your head" because no definitive cause can be found. But fibromyalgia is a very real condition with very real consequences: headaches; stiffness; a loss of mental acuity;  psychological distress from chronic pain; and working adults with fibromyalgia miss 17 days of work per year compared to the average worker, who misses only 6.

How We Can Help Your Fibromyalgia

Your fibromyalgia is unlikely to be exactly the same as anyone else's fibromyalgia. That means personalized, empathetic, individualized health care is what you need. Personal care is especially important since no particular therapy has been proven more effective than any other therapy for the treatment of fibromyalgia. This means that a therapy that may work wonders for one person may not help another. Fibromyalgia demands flexibility in treatment.

Believe it or not, the best research-supported therapy for fibromyalgia relief is exercise! Although exercise may sound painful at first for a person with sore muscles and joints, clinical studies of low-impact exercise have been shown to help nearly a third of fibromyalgia patients.

Since proper motion seems to be essential in the joints of fibromyalgia patients (and, indeed, with everybody), the low-force chiropractic adjustment is an excellent way to restore proper motion to spinal and  extremity joints. The Activator is the most popular low-force adjusting instrument in the world, and for good reason. The soft rubber tip provides as gentle a chiropractic experience as possible.

Dr. Rikki follows the latest research on fibromyalgia and therapies, nutrition, resistance training, and exercise. We are here to help you find the best path towards relief and health! Call us today at 816-229-4949. Don’t live a life of pain- find the relief you need with WholeLife Health.

Chiropractic During Pregnancy

There are many times that I speak with a soon to be mom who has never been to a chiropractor and she seems a little frightened or scared at the prospect of getting adjusted while pregnant.... which in all honestly is COMPLETELY understandable!

Those of us who have been to a chiropractor before, during or after pregnancy may not understand... but think about it- you are embarking on a completely new experience and you have this precious little person growing inside of you, and you are COMPLETELY responsible for their well-being to insure that they are born as healthy as possible. On top of that, there are so many things that we hear about every day of possible pregnancy or birth complications- it can be scary! So the prospect of laying on your tummy (which you are told NOT to do while pregnant) and having someone push around on you after telling them that they are going to move bones... sounds  a little scary if you have never been educated on chiropractic or never been adjusted before.

So, the whole point of this scenario, and this blog today is to put some moms-to-be at ease! Because it IS understandable to be wary or scared. So let's cover a few chiropractic during pregnancy basics.

The first concern most women have is how they will lay to get adjusted. Yes, you lay on your stomach, but any chiropractor that you see during pregnancy should either have a table where a section will drop to accommodate your growing baby or special pregnancy pillows that create a suspended sling or hammock for your belly. I personally use the latter, as it is soft and very comfortable for mom. In fact, most pregnant women LOVE to lay on them, as they have the opportunity to actually be comfortable on their stomach for the first time in months!

The second concern that most women have is the adjustment itself. Regular chiropractic adjustments can be done in several ways, but the most common is a hands on adjustment where a quick force is applied. During pregnancy, this force is not needed due to the hormone relaxin. Relaxin does exactly what its name implies- it relaxes the muscles and ligaments allowing the pelvis to spread as it prepares for birth. So, thanks to this hormone, the force needed to adjust is very minimal. In the pelvic and sacral area I use a gentle and repetitive force. In the low back and mid-back area I use and instrument called an Activator, which delivers a quick low force impact to move the vertebra. Then in the upper back and neck areas I use regular adjustments.

Chiropractic during pregnancy is completely safe as well as comfortable. Most women, especially those who have never been adjusted before, complete their first adjustment and have instant relief and wish they had started adjustments sooner!

Pregnancy brings about a lot of changes in a woman's body. So many in fact that a woman's entire center of gravity shifts. This shift can cause structural changes in the pelvis, sacrum, coccyx and pubic bones- not to mention the spine itself. All of this shifting is a strain to muscles and ligaments and can actually effect the uterus itself. For more information on the changes during pregnancy, please visit my website at http://www.mywholelifehealth.net/pregnancy-chiropractic/ .

Pregnancy is one of the most exciting times in every woman's life. And this exciting time should be pain free, relaxing and joyous- not filled with aches and pains! I have had several patients who have come to me and said that they have round ligament pain, and that they asked their OB or PCP about it and were told that there was nothing that could be done.... that is NOT true! There is something that can be done!! Chiropractic adjustment will allow you to have the pregnancy that you have always dreamed of...plus, it is NATURAL and DRUG-FREE so it is safe for you and baby.

I would recommend speaking to others who have had chiropractic care and get their take on it if you still have concerns, or you can always contact me with more questions at pregnancy@mywlh.net . Also, I always offer a free consultation at my office.

Bottom line is that CHIROPRACTIC=SAFE and on top of that CHIROPRACTIC=Happy Momma and Baby!

Avoiding the Flu

It’s that time of the year... The leaves are gone, the air is chilly and snow flurries are falling. This is my favorite time of year, but unfortunately, it also means that many people are becoming ill with the Flu. Not only that, your local pharmacies, MD’s, and grocery stores are blasting you with “GET THE FLU SHOT!” Do you really want to know what the Flu is and what you can do to protect yourself from it? Here are a few steps you can take to avoid getting sick!

Step 1: Drink lots of water.

Your body requires water for all activities within your body. You need it to digest food, give you energy, but also to detoxify/flush your body. By drinking lots of water, your immune system can attack the virus and cells infected with the virus, and then have it flushed out of your system. How much water should you drink? That differs from person to person. The best rule of thumb is to look at your urine...If you pee and it isn’t coming out clear, you’re not drinking enough water. Drink enough water that it comes out clear. After that, you can ease up.

Step 2: Avoid Inflammatory Foods

Diet has a huge impact on your bodies ability to fight infection. You want to always avoid foods that are pro-inflammatory. The worst culprits are your simple, refined sugars and breads, and that includes your candies, white breads, white pastas, white rice, and all fast food. Avoid ANYTHING that has High Fructose Corn Syrup, as that is VERY inflammatory to your system. It will lower your bodies ability to fight off any infection it encounters. If you know that you’re sensitive to other things, like gluten, milk, or anything else, avoid those. ALWAYS read the ingredients for everything you buy/eat. You want to give your body the BEST chance it has to fight off viruses.

Step 3: Take Vitamins/Antioxidants

You’re immune system is the system that wipes out infection. However, it needs certain tools to do it. It’s best to boost your immune system with the proper Vitamins. Not just Vitamin C, but Vitamin D (in the form of D3), Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Selenium, and Zinc (to name a few). It’s best to get these naturally, but eating fresh, green, leafy veggies, fruits, and getting some sunlight, but some is better than none. If you’re going to take one more than any other, take Vitamin D – it is more effective than anything out there, including the vaccine, in fighting the Flu!

Step 4: Deal with Your Stress

Stress is the number one reducer of your immune system. When you are emotionally or physically stressed, your body adapts to that stressful situation. Your body has a priority system. Survival is the NUMBER ONE priority, Health takes a back seat. When you’re stressed, your body assumes that its survival is threatened, and it secretes hormones that reduce your body’s immune system. Find ways to relieve your stress. Relax, do something fun, take a bubble bath, do yoga, meditate, pray, whatever, just do something to reduce your stress.

Step 5: Get some Sleep

When you sleep regularly, your body secretes growth hormone and regular intervals. Sleeping regularly doesn’t mean sleeping every night. It means sleeping for the same hours at the same times every night. Without sleep, our body doesn’t heal properly at night and it enters into a stressful state. We already went over stress. Get some rest.

Step 6: AVOID the Flu Shot

Why? Because, contrary to popular belief, it does very little to protect you from the Flu. In order for something to be deemed safe and effective, it needs to be tested via “Randomized controlled trials.” No randomized trials show that flu shots reduce mortality from influenza or flu-related pneumonia. Of course, some try to say that they work. A study written in the JAMA (JAMA1994;272:1661—5) said that the vaccine was 50% effective and reducing the Flu. That’s seemingly impressive…until you read the study. It reduced the relative risk by 50%. The incidence of influenza in the unvaccinated people in this study was 3%. In the vaccinated group it was 2%. Relative risk is just one number based off another, while the ABSOLUTE risk is the true statistical find. Flu shots reduced the absolute risk of contracting influenza by a meager 1%. Basically, for every 100 people that have a flu shot, only one will benefit from it. A flu shot provides no benefit for the other 99 people — 2 of them will get influenza anyway — and all 100 risk being harmed by the vaccine.

Another study was conducted by The Lancet. It was a Meta Analysis, which means it compiles research about a topic and reports the findings. Now, this type of analysis does not have to include ALL research on a topic, but only that which fits it’s “criteria.” In other words, only the research that gives the conclusion it wants. But, let’s look at this study. The VERY best that it came up with was that it was 59% effective in adults. You know what that means? It means that the Flu vaccine only works ALMOST HALF THE TIME! What does this all tell us. 50% of the time, the Flu shot will help only 1% of the people who take it, but EVERYONE who takes it will have the negative immunological effects of the vaccine. No thanks! Basic Immunology shows that taking the vaccine, you skew your immune system, impairing its ability to eliminate the virus from your system. Your own cell mediated immunity takes a back seat to the humoral immunity of the vaccine, which we know doesn’t work as well as people say.

STEP 7: Get adjusted

Chiropractic does not just re-align your spine... it also improves your immune system. When your spine is subluxated, or misaligned, there is interference in the nerve flow from your brain to the rest of your body. If that interference is not corrected, it can affect different systems and organs in your body, leading to symptoms and disease or illness. If you go to an MD, they will prescribe something for you to take- a little pill- that will address the symptom- not the problem. Chiropractic is natural and safe... give it a try and you will feel better all over- without any side effects!

Follow these simple rules and you will improve your chance of staying well this Holiday Season. If you do feel like something is coming on, come in or give Dr. Rikki a call. We have a great supplement that will kick your immune system into overdrive-naturally- so that it can do its job! We hope you have a fantastic Christmas!

Chiropractic gives pregnant women pain relief!

Moms-to-be once resigned themselves to nine months of misery. But that does not have to be the case! More women are exploring options and seeking alternatives to ease back pain, headaches, exhaustion and much more. One of the greatest ways to treat these problems is through chiropractic.

During pregnancy many physiological and endocrinological changes take place, all for the purpose of creating an optimal environment for the developing baby. This complex process involves every system of the pregnant woman’s body.

During pregnancy, most women experience a number of neuromuscular and biochemical problems which respond favorably to gentle, safe, noninvasive chiropractic care. These include:

• release of the hormone relaxin causes muscle and ligament relaxation

• allows joints to more easily misalign

• increased weight gain

• increased demand and fatigue on spinal and pelvic muscles

• increased stress on spinal and pelvic ligaments

• increase in lumbar and thoracic spinal curves which further increase the above

• increased joint stress and thus occurrence of vertebral and sacroiliac joint misalignments

• change in weight distribution

The above changes primarily affect the pelvic and spinal ligaments, muscles, joints and other supportive soft tissues. These changes cause sprain/strains of pelvic and spinal structures, as well as alteration of the normal spinal curvatures and spinal biomechanics. The result is an increased stress on the body leading to pain and discomfort.

"As your baby descends into your pelvic cavity, you may feel sharp, stabbing pains at the base of your spine or in the middle of your pelvic bone, making uncomfortable twinges of pins and needles in the cervix itself. Pain may radiate down your back or thighs. The increased pelvic pains are likely due to the relaxation and stretching of your pelvic ligaments in preparation for labor. You can ease these discomforts by changing positions. Exercise gently every day. If you cannot exercise without pain, consult your doctor. He or she may be able to recommend a chiropractor experienced in working on pregnant bodies, who may be able to give you some gentle pelvic adjustments to get your hips back in balance. It is our personal theory that chiropractic care in pregnancy can help to avoid or relieve back pain and also prepare your back and pelvic structures the stresses of labor and birth." (Sears & Sears, 1997)

Pregnant women are not supposed to take any type of drugs during the gestation period, because everything mom ingests goes to baby as well and there can be side effect... so what can a mom to be do? Go to the chiropractor! Find a local chiropractor that specializes in pregnancy chiropractic and get relief!

Back to school means back and neck pain in kids!

The statistics in a recent study in Britain involving school age children and the incidence of backpack related back and neck pain among 11 to 14 year olds noted a direct correspondence between low back pain and excessively heavy backpacks. Of those children involved in the study, 27% stated they had neck pain, 18% stated they suffered from upper back pain, and 22% stated they had low back pain.

With back to school starting this week, it seems important that we revisit these issues involving our children and the potential for serious spinal discomfort or injury due to excessive loads being carried in their backpacks. Throughout the study, upper back pain demonstrated a direct correlation with backpack weight, emotional problems, school furniture and any previous injury or treatment of pediatric musculoskeletal pain.

Additional details of the study reveal that backpack weight can have serious and detrimental effects on posture while carrying loads over 10% of a child’s weight and placing the load asymmetrically (on one side or the other) versus even distribution between the shoulders and spine.

According to the British study, the most common weight of between 8kg and 12kg carried once a week by a child of an average age of 12 years, pushed the physiological limits of the child’s postural system.

In addition to parents limiting the amount their child carries in their backpack to 10% of total body weight (not the current 22% that is typically common), making sure that the load weight is evenly distributed, and that any complaints of pain by your child are dealt with immediately with a visit to a chiropractor, parents can help to minimize or eradicate completely any long term spinal injury effects.

If your child is complaining of back or neck pain, make an appointment for a consultation and evaluation immediately with Dr. Rikki. Or as a preventative measure, bring in your child and their backpack this month and Dr. Rikki will do a FREE backpack analysis- call for an appointment today!

Why does my back always hurt?

Low back pain is a very common problem affecting 80-90% of all of us at some point in our lifetime. Why is that you ask? There are many reasons. One of the biggest reasons is that we are 2-legged animals carrying 2/3rds of our weight above our waist. Studies have shown deterioration or arthritis occurs much sooner in us vs. our 4-legged animal counterparts. A 180 lbs man carries roughly 120 lbs above the waist. This means, every time he bends over, in order to stand upright, he needs to lift 120 lbs PLUS whatever he is lifting. Hence, the argument of, “…but I only bent over to lift a pencil and my back went out,” seems on the surface as impossible but in reality, the man in our example is lifting the pencil plus 120 lbs. Now, let’s add to that the point that a 5 pound weight equals 50 pounds when held out in front with the arms stretched out straight. Now, if that’s not bad enough, now, let’s assume all of this is happening from a bent forward position, with a twist at the waist, with out stretched arms, while lifting a 20 pound object. Get the idea? It’s amazing our back doesn’t get injured every day as we lift 2 bags of groceries into the far end of a car trunk, or, when lifting our 30 pound child in and out of a car seat, height chair, or when they are screaming and pushing away from us as we try to lift them!

In order to further appreciate why the low back is so vulnerable to injury, some basic understanding of anatomy is needed. When we’re born, the back is made up of 33 segments of which 5 fuse by the time we’re about 18 years old to make up the sacrum (bottom of the spine) and 4 fuse to make up the coccyx (tail bone), leaving 5 lumbar (low back), 12 thoracic (mid-back) and 7 cervical (neck) vertebra. These are stacked up on top of each other like building blocks and are connected to each other by a shock absorbing disk in the front and two smaller facet joints in the back, acting like a tripod. In the low back, we’re supposed to bear about 80% of our weight in the front and 20% in the back but, if our abdominal muscles are a bit out of shape and the pelvis rotates forwards, the curve in the low back increases and overloads the back of the vertebra (facets) making them vulnerable to injury. The disk becomes injured when we bend/lift/twist. This can tear the outer tough fibers of the disk, allowing the central more liquid-like material to leak out. If this happens, the leaking or “herniated” disk can put pressure on the nerve that exits the spine and travels down our leg. If the pain pattern includes the back of the leg, it’s commonly referred to as “sciatica.”

OK, enough about anatomy. What can we do to reduce the chances of having periodic low back pain? Obviously, staying in shape is very important. Certain muscles of the body must be tight to keep us upright or standing. These muscles need to be stretched on a regular basis. For example: the hamstring muscle. We’ve all had to perform hurdler types of exercises and remember how tight they feel!

We realize that you have a choice in where you choose for your healthcare services. If you, a friend or family member requires care for low back pain, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our services and look forward in serving you and your family presently and, in the future.