During this holiday season many of my colleagues are offering incentives to current and new patients that, in exchange for chiropractic adjustments, will help to provide money for local food banks or food items for charitable organizations to distribute directly to those in need.

And, as Thanksgiving approaches, I want to offer my gratitude to all of my loyal patients who, as they move from the limitations of health challenges and into the freedom optimal health, give me hundreds of reasons to continue to do what I do. And, my appreciation goes out to my chiropractic colleagues, as well, who believe deeply in the efficacy of chiropractic treatment and through their dedicated work make such a great contribution, and big difference, to the people in their communities.

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It is estimated 24.3 million people worldwide suffer from dementia. In the new study, researchers at Boston University School of Medicine examined the medical records of 733 people with an average age of 60 years. (Note: Nearly 70 percent were women.) The study found that increasing levels of body-mass index in middle-aged individuals corresponded with lower brain volumes when they are older, i.e., lost mental capacity, especially when the excess fat was in the middle.

So, there you have it. You have one more good reason to get rid of those extra pounds, especially around your midsection. Lose the weight, lose your back pain, and avoid losing your mind!

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The same is true when you go to see a chiropractor. Most of the time, individuals go to see a chiropractor because they’re in pain (not feeling well). After the chiropractor has treated them and gotten them out of pain (a ‘prescription,’ so to speak, for a temporary condition), the chiropractor will probably suggest maintenance care (a general checkup even when you’re feeling okay). The only difference is that a chiropractor will likely suggest that you come in monthly. Why? Because chiropractors are all about preventative care whenever possible. Maintenance care is like a “tune up” that not only helps your body to maintain the “crisis” treatment you received when you were in pain and keeps you healthier and stronger so that you can avoid future injuries, but during your maintenance visit your chiropractor can make sure that you don’t have a “temporary condition” that needs to be corrected before it becomes “crisis” treatment.

Cumulative effects of awkward sitting posture, bad work habits, incorrect lifting, lack of regular exercise, and other unhealthy lifestyle-related influences can produce pain, often excruciating pain, in your back, neck, shoulders, hips, knees, etc. Getting “checked out” and “readjusted” on a regular basis keeps small conditions from becoming big problems.

So, to the question “If I start doing to a chiropractor, will I need to go “forever”? The answer is “No, but you may want to, for your health’s sake!”

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It might be interesting for you to have some understanding, ahead of time, about the different chiropractic treatment plans Dr. Hoewisch will probably recommend.

Relief Care is a type of chiropractic treatment plan proposed to individuals who are experiencing any kind of pain or physical distress, regardless of the cause of the condition. The aim of this therapy is to give a sufferer fast pain relief. The length of the treatment time frame is likely to vary as it depends solely on the scope of the injury or dysfunction suffered by the individual and how fast it can be remedied.

Corrective Care is often a “more advanced” form of chiropractic treatment. It is for those who have suffered from spinal issues over an extended period of time, i.e., for individuals who have a chronic problem that has evolved into a more complex issue as a consequence of not pursuing proper care in the first place. Restorative treatment often stretches over a longer time frame. How long care is necessary is based on the extent of the progressive impairment and how rapidly the individual responds to the treatment.

Maintenance Care, as the name indicates, is intended to maintain or support any type of therapy already administered to a patient. Oftentimes, chiropractic treatment is extended only after the initial treatments have proven to be efficacious. The goal of this type of chiropractic care is to reduce the potential of the initial dysfunction coming back and to prevent degenerative changes in the future.

Wellness Care is available to those that are not challenged by severe discomfort, but are looking to strengthen their overall health. Periodic chiropractic treatment enhances the movement of blood and oxygen in the body, improves muscle flexibility, helps prevent work and play injuries, and boosts an individual’s all round sense of well-being.

Regardless if you are presently in pain or you would like to enhance your overall health, chiropractic care can help. Call Dr. Hoewisch, your Chiropractor in Santa Clara, today!

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Let’s face it, wherever there is a musculoskeletal system, for instance within the human body, there is the possibility of musculoskeletal disorders such as low back pain and neck pain, pain in the shoulder, elbow, hip and knee joints, and ankle and foot pain. No one is immune from misalignment of the spine and joint inflammation, even though a wide range of troubles are often the result of sports injuries, accidents, and the aging process. Irrespective of the reason, though, any type of motion on a traumatized area of the body can not merely lead to more pain or suffering, but incapacity. And, obviously, certain musculoskeletal conditions, if left untreated, can result in irreversible disability.

It has been said of chiropractic treatment that its “pros exceed” just remedying a particular condition. In actual fact, a patient who comes in to see a chiropractor for low back pain, for example, not only benefits from pain relief, but also improved circulation, a lowering or elimination of lactic acid, easier travel of oxygen and nutrients within the body, more flexibility, much less everyday pain and tenderness, better recuperation time, a more stress-free experience, and the deterrence of future harm! Is it any mystery why chiropractic care has become the treatment of choice for so many people?

In combination with offering skilled musculoskeletal treatment, chiropractors also promote education and assistance when it comes to improving your overall health and wellness. Chiropractors recognize that in order for you to get healthy and stay that way, it is important for you to decide on a healthy approach to life, e.g., consuming a sensible amount of water to keep the body hydrated, following a nutritiousl diet program, and developing a daily stretching and exercise routine.

Chiropractic treatment doesn’t quite work “miracles, ” however it can come fairly close in numerous areas that may well surprise you. For example, chiropractic treatment helps women that are pregnant give birth more easily. It can improve the developmental abilities of babies, particularly improved motor skills, and can often protect against scoliosis. Chiropractic adjustments for kids may help eliminate bronchial asthma discomforts, ear infections, and bed-wetting. In addition to the health benefits just mentioned, routine chiropractic management can help adults to feel more vital and stay more active, which in turn makes them more productive. And, as a final point, for maturing baby boomers and the growing senior population, not only can chiropractic treatment help to reduce age-related troubles and keep a person more active in later years,  chiropractic treatment can reduce the balance problems that all too often end up in critical injury from falls.

If you are currently seeing a chiropractor, that’s great! You’ve no doubt already experienced many of the plus points mentioned above. And, in that case, have you thought to tell a friend about chiropractic? Don’t let a person you care about fall victim to the kind of misinformation about chiropractic care that can keep them from experiencing their day more completely. Tell a friend or loved one to give Dr. Hoewisch, your chiropractor in Santa Clara, a call. He can help!

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Okay, I know that all of us are secretly looking for a “silver bullet” that will guard against everything from cardiovascular disease and cancer to bone fractures and sagging skin. But, the truth is that there will likely never be just one thing to “fix” any one problem, much less one thing to fix all the problems at once! As a case in point, I offer the results of a recent study about a wonderful vitamin, Vitamin D, and calcium, both of which shouldn’t be neglected, but aren’t “the answer” either.

Vitamin D Plus Calcium Guards Against Fractures
But the vitamin alone doesn’t offer significant protection, researchers say

(HealthDay News) — Daily supplements of calcium and vitamin D reduce the risk of fractures in women and men of all ages, even if they’ve suffered previous fractures, but vitamin D supplements alone don’t offer significant protection, a new study has found.

Researchers analyzed data from 68,517 people, average age 70, who took part in seven studies that looked at the effect vitamin D or vitamin D plus calcium had on reducing fractures.

The analysis revealed that vitamin D given alone in doses of 10 micrograms to 20 micrograms per day doesn’t prevent fractures. However, calcium and vitamin D given together reduce the risk of hip fractures, total fractures and possibly vertebral fractures.

The study, published online Jan. 12 in BMJ, called for additional studies of vitamin D, especially vitamin D given at higher doses without calcium.

There’s a growing consensus that a combination of calcium and vitamin D is more effective than vitamin D alone in preventing nonvertebral fractures, Opinder Sahota, of Queen’s Medical Center in Nottingham, England, wrote in an accompanying editorial.

Further research is need to determine the most effective dose, treatment duration and method of taking the calcium/vitamin D combination, Sahota said.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases has more about calcium and vitamin D.

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Atlanta, GA, January 07, 2010 –(PR.com)– According to the Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation there is no human experimental evidence that chiropractic adjustments or neck manipulations are causally related to strokes.

“While plaintiff’s attorneys and expert witness make claims and statements contending that such a causative link exists, the fact remains that these are based largely on anecdotes, case reports, and case controlled studies and cannot be used to prove causation” stated Foundation President Christopher Kent DC, JD a chiropractic researcher and attorney.

According to researchers and the scientific method itself there are all sorts of biases and distortions that effect conclusions drawn from such studies and other criteria must be used to determine whether such a link exists.

“What this boils down to is a simple lack of understanding of biostatistics and epidemiology” stated Foundation Vice President Matthew McCoy DC, MPH, a chiropractic researcher and public health expert. “Words like ‘association’ and ‘causation’ and ‘risk’ have very specific meanings when it comes to their use in epidemiology and it’s clear that laypersons involved in this debate are using these terms inappropriately.”

While the experience of a stroke can be devastating and no one would suggest ignoring the concerns of those who have suffered one, the reality is that when it comes to the contention that chiropractic causes strokes – the evidence just isn’t there. And while the strokes these people have experienced are indeed real, McCoy suggests there are often other issues involved and offered an example. “Millions of people visit a dentist every year and a certain number of those same people get into car accidents on their way home. If we were to run the stats on it we might find that there is a statistical association between visiting a dentist and getting into a car accident on the way home. But no one would even consider suggesting that the dentists are causing the car accidents.”

Self described chiropractic stroke victims say there is a risk and that people should be advised about it prior to undergoing chiropractic care. The majority of chiropractors would agree that patients should be informed of the risks, benefits and alternatives of any health care intervention, but according to Dr. Kent “Such informed consent must be based on appropriate information and since there is no scientific evidence that chiropractic adjustments or neck manipulations actually cause strokes, it is inappropriate to require a doctor to suggest that such a risk exists.”

Dr. McCoy added another often overlooked issue “Chiropractors utilize a number of techniques to address joint dysfunction and vertebral subluxation and in fact there are over 300 named chiropractic techniques and many do not employ the type of manipulation that has been alleged to be a factor in vertebrobasilar accidents. This adds to the inappropriate nature of such a disclosure.”

In the end, chiropractic has an impressive safety record compared to traditional medical care with estimates are that anywhere from 100,000 (Institute of medicine) to 750,000 (Null et al) people die every year from medical care. In comparison, other than some minor soreness following chiropractic treatment, research has shown chiropractic to be very safe.

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2.  Reduce caffeine; have your higher caffeinated drinks earlier in the day and don’t have any 7-8 hours before bed.

3.  Give yourself a bedtime.  If you know what time you have to rise, set the clock 8 hours before that and give yourself no more than 30 minutes to get in bed.

4.  Take a hot shower or bath and use essential oils like lavender that help induce sleep.

5.  Figure out if exercise energizes you or makes you tired and decide when you should  incorporate your routine into your day.

6.  Try Dr. Andrew Weil’s breathing exercises.  Calming the mind to reduce the internal chatter will do amazing things for your bedtime routine.

How are you sleeping at night?  Do you have any tips for the chronic insomniacs?  Please share your comments at Integrative Nutrition.

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NSAIDs are recommended for use after an injury to reduce swelling or pain. Studies have found that many elite athletes, however, take these over-the-counter drugs — and often several different kinds — before contests and challenging workouts because they think they will reduce anticipated inflammation and soreness that could occur after the event. Read more…

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Keeping a first aid kit around the home and carrying one around during outdoor excursions such as camping and hiking is a smart idea. While many over-the-counter conventional remedies are standard in a first aid kit, you should not discount adding a few natural herbal products as well. In some instances, the natural herbal remedies actually speed healing and reduce infection risk.

Natural Herbal Products in your First Aid Kit

Your first aid kit will always carry the basics such as sterile gauze, adhesive bandages, sterile needles, tweezers, scissors, thermometer, sterile water and even hot and cold packs. However, your medicines for scrapes, cleaning wounds and bruise treatments can easily be treated with natural herbal remedies. Here are some handy products to consider:

• Lavender Oil – Lavender has antiseptic properties. If you have minor cuts, scrapes or even bug bites, applying lavender oil to the affected areas can help them heal, sometimes twice as fast as treating them with a conventional method.
• Honey – Honey has antimicrobial as well as anti-inflammatory properties. After rinsing a minor wound or burn with water, you can apply honey directly onto the affected area and cover with a bandage.
• Tea Tree Oil – Tea tree oil is a powerhouse herbal remedy because it has antifungal, antibiotic and antiseptic properties. You can treat a wound, rash and insect bite with tea tree oil.
• Cayenne Pepper – This spicy pepper not only opens nasal passageways and lower blood pressure if consumed, it also has the power to stop bleeding and reduce pain in a wound such as a cut, abrasion or scrape. Sprinkling the cayenne pepper straight onto the affected area may sound strange, but the throbbing pain will lessen and bleeding stops quickly.
• Calendula – Tincture made from calendula oil can be effective and safe for skin rashes, cuts and abrasions. It helps alleviate the pain, swelling and stinging sensations of a wound.
• Comfrey –A powdered form of comfrey can be mixed with distilled water to form a paste which could be applied directly to wounds. Comfrey contains a compound called allantoin which speeds the healing process as well as reduce swelling and inflammation. This herbal concoction has both antifungal and antibacterial properties.
• Vinegar – Containing natural antiseptic properties, vinegar can be used to cleanse wounds by mixing it with water. Vinegar also soothes rashes and insect bites. Sunburns are also soothed by a rag or bandage soaked in vinegar and then applied to the affected area.
• Yarrow – Powdered yarrow leaves can be mixed with a little distilled water to form a paste which can be applied to cuts and other minor wounds. The yarrow stops bleeding and even disinfects the affected area.

If you use an herbal essential oil for your first aid kit, be sure to pack a carrier oil such as almond oil, olive oil or coconut oil. You typically have to mix a few drops of essential oil with the carrier oil to prevent skin irritation. With the basics along with some or all of these natural herbal products, you have a solid first aid kit that can handle virtually any minor emergency.

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