I started out with statistics because they are usually more difficult to argue with, so I said that at one time or another, Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) impacts and estimated 90% of women and nearly 20% of those women afflicted undergo severe to debilitating symptoms.  Then I turned to my brother and told him that his telling Debi that her PMS was a ” mental problem” was not only just plain dangerous, it was also just plain non-factual because in almost all instances, there are physiological reasons for PMS, including one that I suggested might surprise both of them — spinal misalignment. I was right, they were both surprised. My brother responded by saying, “You mean Debi’s back could actually be the culprit?”

I explained that spinal misalignment, expressly in the lower back, can commonly cause a diverse variety of female health problems in addition to Premenstrual Syndrome, such as pelvic pain, sexual dysfunction, incontinence, and even infertility. Chiropractic treatment helps to relieve the symptoms of PMS because it helps to get rid of nerve impedance in the body. I told Debi that every cell, fiber, tissue, organ, and system in her body is instructed and regulated by her nervous system. This included her reproductive system. If her reproductive system isn’t operating properly because of nerve impedance, it can generate an array of symptoms such as those connected with PMS. In fact, she would most likely experience agitation, pain, heavy bleeding, or severe cramping if her reproductive system was overactive, but that missed periods or infertility can often be caused by an under-activity reproductive system.

Fortunately, if nerve impedance was generating Debi’s PMS symptoms, then chiropractic treatment would be able assist because spinal manipulations restore unimpeded activity to the nervous system and, as a result, help it to function more normally. In my practice I have noticed that many women find an improvement in their reproductive health, combined with improved general health, while under chiropractic care.

I suggested to Debi that we go to my clinic where I could give her a proper adjustment.  She was very excited that chiropractic management might be the all natural solution for her PMS that she’d been looking for. I told her that I felt confident that regular chiropractic adjustments could not only help her to escape periodic misery, without medication, but could keep her pain-free and active all month long.

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It does seem, doesn’t it, that no matter where we turn these days, there are news stories and advertisements, alike, promoting the stunning research on a plethora of exotic supplements, not to mention the cutting-edge health proclamations of coffee and red wine that, in one way or another, guarantee to decrease or eliminate all causes of mortality? It would almost seem, in fact, that a quest for immortality has replaced our search for longevity!

To start with, let me make it unquestionably clear that I solidly believe that certain~particular things that we ingest can be beneficial to our health. So, I’m definitely not against taking supplements. Not only do I advocate them for my patients, but I listen to my own advice and take them as well. Secondly, if confession is good for the soul, and red wine is good for the heart, then I’d like to take this opportunity to help both by stating for the record that I enjoy drinking a glass of red wine. The notion that it might have heart-healthy properties, well, that’s like icing on the cake, so to speak. And, lastly, as far as caffeine’s ability to actually reverse or prevent Alzheimer’s disease goes, I believe that if that were commonly true, life would be far less frightening and far more enjoyable for many people and their families.

However, before taking ill-considered action, and indiscriminately adding another cup of coffee to your morning habit, another glass of red wine to your evening ritual, or an extra expenditure of your hard-earned cash on exotic herbs that promise to make you live forever, let’s rationally consider a couple of things.

For example, let us consider the human condition. We are dynamic, biological beings, free to vigorously participate in life. We have not been cooped up in a cage all our life, and we have not been bred to “unnaturally” incur the age-related afflictions that lab animals do, disease and debilitation that is then “eliminated” by resveratrol, caffeine, or some “amazing” supplement.

Moreover, our being dynamic and biological is another way of saying that we, humans, are not ” mechanistic automatons.” In other words, we aren’t all precisely alike. Due to the fact that our central integrative states are not exactly the same, internal provocation factors and external irritation influences affect us in different ways. For example, though smoking cigarettes is commonly harmful to most people, there are a few individuals who can smoke cigarettes and still achieve longevity without any related ill effects.

The outcomes upon which scientific research and testing are based upon the isolation of a particular variable. That is the method that gives scientific study its legitimacy. However, because tests related to human health issues occur through this very method, and are most often done on lab animals, when it comes to human beings, the effects are very likely to be quite different. In fact, to paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, what might benefit some of the people all of the time, most likely won’t work for all of the people all of the time (and sometimes won’t work at all!).

You make choices each day, some that are intentional and others that may be indifferent, that will affect your physical health, now and in the future. You decide what (and how much) you’ll eat and drink, and the amount of physical activity and rest you’ll get. Even though you can “sense” what is healthy for you, by the way your body responds, sometimes, perhaps too often, you may override the feedback. Clearly, when you don’t consciously make healthy choices, you jeopardize your health and longevity.

Then, a study comes along that hails the discovery of THE THING that has the efficacy to reverse all of the immoderate and unhealthy things you may have been doing to your body through unhealthy choices, and you, like many others, may be ready to take double and triples doses of whatever it is! This kind of “hope” is, unfortunately, a subtle illusion.

Your human body is an elegantly complex, homeostatic system. In other words, every operation is interdependent and sensitively balanced. When you choose an unhealthy lifestyle, your fastidiously-responsive system gets “off balance.” Sooner or later, the imbalances created by choosing unhealthily, result in diseases and a shortened lifespan.

As a chiropractor who supplements daily, I suggest that you supplement, too, if they help you to feel vigorously healthy. I agree, as well, that if it feels like the thing to do, an extra cup of coffee might actually be personally beneficial for you. And, if it truly feels healthy, have a little more red wine. Just keep in mind, however, that the only authentic way that you can prevent or reverse age-related health problems is by changing an unhealthy lifestyle. You won’t become healthier or live longer by waiting for the discovery of a “magic potion.”

Dr. Jamie Phillips, is a consultant for Bloczone Marketing, a chiropractic marketing company specializing in chiropractic websites that attract new patients. She also teaches chiropractors in Chicago and across the country how to market their chiropractic practices online. She can be reached at (805) 985-9502

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Do you suffer from painful arthritis? Do you also have a difficult time with your weight?  If you do, it’s conceivable that you’re having back pain not only because of arthritis, but also as a consequence of the strain your weight is putting on your spine.  The body was not intended to carry around additional weight in the form of body fat.  Your spine, which supports your body, is being put under a lot of strain even if you are only carrying a surplus 20 or 30 pounds all the time. This sort of strain can created irregularities of the vertebral column. These misaligned vertebra can cause arthritic changes in the spine and continue to irritate the degenerative changes that have already taken place. Moreover, your body may offset in other ways, like your hips moving forward or tilting to counterbalance the excess pounds.  This can pinch the sciatic nerve, which is extremely painful.

A new survey by the NPD Group, a leading market research company based in Rosemont, Ill., shows that about 62% of adults and 34% of children are overweight or obese. The ubiquitousness of arthritis increases with accumulating weight. Research implies that maintaining a healthy weight decreases the risk of developing arthritis in the first place and may decrease disease progression. A reduction of just 11 pounds can reduce the occurrence (incidence) of new knee osteoarthritis and would be highly beneficial in relieving back pain as well.

A nutritious diet and routine exercise is mandatory for anyone who desires to overcome their back pain, knee pain, and joint pain in other areas of the body.  Although you have likely been hearing this for the better part of your life, it really is the only action for you to take in order to get out of pain and get your life back. 

First of all, we’ll talk about the dieting issue.  Many diets (and there are a large number to choose from) can be temporarily helpful.  Obviously, if you were to lose weight for good, the diet industry would lose a regular customer!  If you’re interested in losing weight efficiently, you are simply going to need to eat a healthy diet and also to cut your calories so that you use more calories than you take in.  Shedding a large amount of weight too quickly is not only ineffectual long-term, but dangerous. Losing about 2 pounds every week will take off the weight and improve your health.

Research has proved that exercise and physical activity not only relieves pain and enhances function, but genuinely delays disability. Make sure you get at least one-half hour of moderate physical activity at least 3 days a week. Even at 10-minute intervals such movement is beneficial.

Chiropractic adjustments are a proved way to get mobility back in the joints of your spine and other regions of, and can be a good first step before starting an exercise program. A spine in alignment makes exercise and physical activity much easier and will slow down arthritic degenerative changes. The Annals of Internal Medicine released the findings of a survey of 232 people who had arthritis and were under a rheumatologist’s care.  Of those people, 63% replied to the survey by stating that they were taking advantage of some form of “complementary care” as named by the study.  Of those individuals, 31% were using chiropractic. Possibly the most notable statistic was that 73% of those using chiropractic found it effective.  Explaining why they’d tried the non-medical chiropractic care, those surveyed gave a number of reasons: 1) to control pain, 2) they’d heard that it helps, 3) they felt assured that it is safe, 4) it had helped someone they knew, and 5) because their prescription medication wasn’t doing the job.

Chiropractors, also called doctors of chiropractic, have been aiding men and women suffering from back pain due to arthritis and other arthritic afflictions for over a hundred years. Not only can arthritic pain and degenerative changes in the spine be caused by the misaligned vertebra that your San Diego chiropractor will fix, if left unchanged misalignments can lower resistance and immunity, which can lead to new health problems.

It is always wise to visit a health care professional to talk about diet and exercise. Your chiropractor is an excellent resource for education about the kind of lifestyle changes that you will require to assist you in managing your arthritis. Moreover, in addition to correcting any misalignments in your spine, your chiropractor will analyze any faulty gait patterns or posture irregularities that may be adding to your arthritic pain.

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Non-trauma knee problems: The most prevalent cause of non-traumatic pain is insufficient mechanics of the knee joint and the associated stress on the soft tissues of the knee. The patella or knee-cap is generally the area affected because often the patella does not move sufficiently on the femur during bending of the knee producing undue stress on the tendons, cartilage and ligaments. This distinct condition is frequently called chondromalacia patella (CMP) or Patella Femoral Syndrome (Knee Cap Pain). The dysfunction most often begins when there are imbalances in the quadriceps muscles of the thigh that join to and move the patella. Imbalances in the muscles related to knee movement often start from lower back dysfunction, expressly in the sacroiliac joint. Pain and dysfunction can also be generated by imbalances in the muscle groups that attach to the knee. For example, the muscles on the inside of the thigh, when strained and tight, can create pain on the medial or inside of the knee.   Mechanical knee pain is also caused by gait deviations such as pronation.

The correspondent pain from overuse is most frequently experienced during activity, particularly stair climbing, running, jumping, and subsequent rising after prolonged sitting. Some women seem to be predisposed to painful overuse conditions for anatomical reasons, although such conditions are many times due to wearing high heels on a regular basis.

It is important to re-establish proper muscle balance, restore appropriate motion to the patella and other knee joints, and to correct any subluxations of the sacroiliac joints and bones of the foot.  In certain cases, a brace is used to aid with the adjustment of the patella or to support the joint. Chiropractors, such as your San Jose chiropractor, are completely trained to render the correct diagnosis and management of these ailments.

Knee problems due to trauma: Traumatic injuries frequently happen during sports that involve running and jumping, such as football, basketball, and skiing. When the knee is extended or bent beyond the strength of the ligaments that hold the joint together, tearing of these tissues can happen producing a sprain. Strains to muscles that move the knee can arise when the muscles are torn during injury. As with a sprain, a muscle strain can range from a slight injury that needs little care to a extreme injury requiring surgery. The knee also has two special “cartilages” – the menisci – between the tibia and the femur that provide for fluid movement and cushioning. These cartilages can also be torn during trauma, and commonly necessitate surgical repair, or even removal if damaged severely.

Traumatic knee injuries can produce serious pain and swelling and need prompt diagnosis and care. In most instances a competent chiropractor, such as your San Jose Chiropractor, can manage these problems, although there are some injuries that do need the dexterity of an orthopedic surgeon. In any event, it is vital to stabilize the injured joint right away and to use ice on the injured area, if possible, until the injury can be examined.

Conditions such as poor mechanics and problems due to overuse, as well as traumatic injuries, need to be corrected at an early stage. If not, the tissues of the knee joint, expressly the cartilage, will begin to erode. If tissue and cartilage erode, the bones will rub together unprotected and changes such as bone spurs can take place. This painful affliction, known as degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis, commonly progresses with age. Common treatment may involve medications such as NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). However, there are natural anti-inflammatory supplements that are highly effectual such as rosemary, glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, bioflavinoids, curcumin. Conservative treatment, such as chiropractic, can be extremely beneficial in relieving the pain. Your San Jose chiropractor is will gladly discuss anti-inflammatory supplements. In addition, sufferers can usually assist themselves by keeping their weight down, doing exercises (especially in the pool), and wearing cushioned shoes or insoles.

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