IS IT OK IF I “CRACK” MY OWN NECK? NO. And, nothing in the body ever “cracks” unless it breaks. When a joint re-aligns (adjusts) there is a release of gas (oxygen and nitrogen) and you hear a noise that sounds like something is “cracking”. By trying to move the vertebrae yourself you will cause micro tears in the muscles and ligaments supporting that area of the spine. This will lead to spinal instability and more complicated problems like early arthritic degeneration. The desire to adjust yourself is your body’s way of telling you that you have a subluxation. Subluxations should only be adjusted by a chiropractor.
Southern California Chiropractic
Headaches can be a pain in the neck
If you suffer with headaches chiropractic may be able to put a smile back on your face. Researchers have discovered how the neck structure can cause headaches. Chiropractic care for the neck could provide relief for more that fifteen million Americans who suffer from persistent recurring headaches with no obvious cause. One of the researches said, “It’s true that chiropractors have been saying this for years. . . They were right about headaches.” Tension headaches are the most common types of headaches. Such headaches are often caused by problems with the bones and tissues of the neck (the cervical spine) that trigger pain sensing nerves in the neck. These nerves transfer or “refer” the pain signals up to the head where you feel the pain as a headache. A recent study found that “Spinal manipulation has a significant positive effect in cases of cervicogenic (originating from the neck) headaches.”
Chiropractic may be able to relieve your headache while at the same time improving your posture and range of motion in your neck. In one case study a man suffering from chronic headaches for over two years tried chiropractic care. By restoring range of motion in his neck and proper neck posture within two weeks his headaches were gone and did not return for the remaining seven months of maintenance care. This is just one case, and it does not show everyone else will respond as well, but there are a number of previous studies showing chiropractic care is effective for headaches, even migraines.
In one study of migraine headaches 74.7% of migraine patients were greatly improved under chiropractic care and the success rate was maintained two years after the care ended. Clearly, chiropractic care is not just for backaches. Instead of covering up your headaches with over the counter drugs, try chiropractic. It may be able to correct the root of the problem and leave you headache free.
Meditation May Produce Significant Structural Changes in Brain.
Meditation has been practiced for centuries as a way of
balancing a person’s physical, mental and emotional states.
Previous studies have shown that meditation can produce
profound alterations in brain activity. Similarly,
experienced meditation practitioners have reported
changes in mental function that continue long after
actual meditation ceases, which implies that the practice has
long-term effects. However, the majority of these studies
have been performed on monks and others for whom meditation is a central focus of their lives. As such, the practice of meditation by the general population may yield different results.
To investigate the theory of whether meditation as it is usually practiced in the United States could produce similar changes in the brain, researches performed magnetic resonance imaging tests on 20 meditation practitioners and compared the results to 15 people who had no experience with meditation or yoga. Members of the meditation group practiced Insight meditation, which focuses on the cultivation of attention and “mindfulness” – a specific, nonjudgmental awareness of present stimuli. Each member had practiced Insight for an average of 9.1 years, and currently practiced approximately six hours per week.
Analysis of the MRI images revealed that certain regions of the brain related to somatosensory, auditory, visual and interoceptive processing, such as the right anterior insula, the right middle and superior frontal fulci, and the left superior temporal gyrus, were significantly thicker in meditators than in control patients. The analysis also showed that differences in cortical thickness were more pronounced in older, more experienced meditation practitioners, which suggested that meditation could reduce age-related thinning of the frontal cortex.
“Our initial results suggest that meditation may be associated with structural changes in areas of the brain that are important for sensory, cognitive and emotional processing,” the scientists concluded. “The data further suggest that meditation may impact age-related declines in cortical structure.”
Being Well Adjusted Can Fight Bad Breath!
Bad Breath: Five Causes
Wondering why your loved ones are giving you more personal space than you’ve asked for? Suspicious about the Altoids left on your desk with dental floss bows? If you’re one of 90 million Americans suffering from chronic bad breath, here are some of the possible causes, as well as remedies to restore your fresh breath-and relationships.
Top Five Causes of Bad Breath
- A dirty mouth. “Ninety percent of mouth odors come from mouth itself-either from the food you eat or bacteria that’s already there,” says Dr. Richard H. Price spokesman for American Dental Association. “Mouth odor is like any other body odor-the result of microbes living in the body giving off byproducts.” In the mouth, this means bacteria that normally live in the mouth interact with food particles, blood, tissue, etc., to create volatile (i.e., stinky) sulfur compounds. If you don’t clean properly, the bacteria build up, and next thing you know-that’s not toothpaste on your tongue.
- A mouth out of balance. Certain mouth conditions can exacerbate bacterial growth and odor, such as gum disease and dry mouth. Gum disease causes bloody gums, creating more elements for those pesky bacteria to putrefy. But it is a dry mouth that is the more common cause of bad breath. Saliva helps flush out the mouth, keeping bacteria moving so they don’t settle down and multiply, while drier mouth is a breeding ground for bacteria. In spring and summer, allergy medications can dry you out; in winter, dry heat tends to be the culprit.
- Stinky foods. If it stinks going in, chances are it’s going to stink coming out. The obvious offenders are onions, garlic, alcohol and tobacco. And foods don’t only create a stench in the mouth. “Plant oils are absorbed and the byproducts enter your bloodstream so you are actually breathing the odors out via your lungs three to four hours later,” says Jeannie Moloo, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
- Not enough carbs. You look great after four weeks on Atkins, so how come you still can’t get a date? High-protein, low carb diets cause your body to burn stored fats for fuel instead of carbs and can lead to a condition called ketosis. “As fat burns, ketones build up in the body, and some are released through breath, “explains Moloo. “Unfortunately ketones don’t smell particulary good.” And bad breath trumps six-pack abs.
- Illness. Occasionally, bad breath can be a sign of a more serious illness. The most common systemic causes of bad breath are diabetes or GERD (or gastro esophageal reflux disease). Diabetes can also cause ketosis, and the resulting bad breath is sometimes one of first symptoms that lead to diagnosis. GERD is a backflow of acid from the stomach to the esophagus. Less common but possible are liver or kidney disease-when toxins from these organs are excreted through the lungs, causing bad breath.
Harbor Family Chiropractic
2200 Harbor Blvd., Ste B-160 Costa Mesa, CA 92627 (949) 515-5170 Fax 9949) 515-5173
Keep your Head on Straight.
Present information on normal placement of the upright spine reveals the importance of head position in relationship to your body. It is of extreme importance that the position of the cervical spine allow for your head to sit back atop of your shoulders.
Sadly, the effects of gravity, poor posture, the weight of the head, or past trauma will cause neck and skull misplacement leading to something called “Forward Head” syndrome, meaning the forward displacement of the head where your chin is out in front of your shoulders and chest that causes pathological tension on the spinal cord and brain stem.
Rene Cailliet, M.D., director of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Southern California, wrote about the effects of forward head syndrome in his book “Rejuvenation Strategy.”
Incorrect head positioning leads to improper spinal function.
- Incorrect head positioning leads to improper spinal function.
- The head in forward posture can add up to 30 pounds of abnormal leverage on the cervical spine.
- Forward head posture results in loss of vital lung capacity. In fact, lung capacity is depleted by as much as 30 percent. Loss of lung capacity leads to heart and blood vascular problems.
- The entire gastrointestinal system is affected, particularly the large intestine. Loss of good bowel peristaltic function and evacuation is a common condition that comes with forward head posture and loss of spinal lordotic curves.
- Forward head posture causes an increase in discomfort and pain. Freedom of motion in the first four cervical vertebrae is a major source of stimuli that causes production of endorphins in production many otherwise non-painful sensations are experienced as pain.
- Forward head posture causes loss of healthy spine-body motion. The entire body becomes rigid as the range of motion lessens. Soon, one becomes hunched.
As the above comments by Dr. Cailliet show, it’s incredibly important to restore the skull and cervical spine back to their normal position, which can be focusing on four areas:
• Correcting the position of the skull
• Adjusting pertinent cervical vertebrae
• Rehabilitating the musculature in the back of the neck and upper shoulders
• Correcting any imbalances in posture i.e.: high shoulder, torso rotation, lateral head flexion or rotation.
Such treatments can only be offered by highly trained Chiropractors. Remember, standard manipulation and physical therapy will not resolve forward head posture, and neither will taking medications or having surgery for the resulting effects of this condition.
Harbor Family Chiropractic.
Dr. Stacey Gillis graduated from Life Chiropractic College West in 2001, after completing her undergraduate studies in biology at University of California, Santa Barbara. Her practice is focused on helping patients, from infants to seniors, achieve optimal health and wellness through natural and painless chiropractic care. Dr. Gillis is frequently featured as a guest speaker for numerous corporations and civic groups lecturing on various health and chiropractic topics. Visit Dr. Gillis in our Costa Mesa Clinic.