Chiropractic - The Gift That Keeps On Giving

By Dr. Dave Edenfield

Tis the season to be jolly.  What could be jollier than giving yourself or someone you love the gift of better health?  We as a nation spend more on healthcare than just about any other country on the planet.  And like it or not, this amount goes up every year.  This is due in part to the fact that Americans are paying more out of pocket for healthcare than ever before.

In fact, the latest New York Times poll reported that just 5 percent of all Americans stated that their cost for health care has moderated.  Half of the respondents claimed that their costs have been rising at a faster rate than ever before.

“The percentage of Americans enrolled in a health plan with a deductible of at least $1,000 has climbed to 38 percent in 2013 from 18 percent in 2008, according to a recent survey by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. And over the same period, the average deductible has increased to $1,097 from $735.” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/19/us/growth-in-us-health-care-spending-slows-but-out-of-pocket-costs-rise.html?_r=0

This is one reason that so many in this country are shifting the way they think about health care.  Instead of going to the doctor only when they are sick, more Americans are spending both time and money in health maintenance.  Indeed, everything from structured diets and workout classes are for the taking.  The problem is that too many Americans are still overweight and out of shape.  How can this be?

Quote from the Huffington Post, “If you added up the cost of your gym membership, equipment and the additional cost of classes, you may be losing a lot more money than pounds.”

That is not to say that exercise and workout routines are not important in the effort to lose weight and stay fit. It’s just that all the enthusiasm in the world won’t work unless you continue to use the memberships and attend the classes.  One of the reasons that many people drop out of most workout regimens is due to either routine aches and pains or injuries.  The mantra of “No pain, no gain,” is all well and good for athletes and young people who bounce back quickly from stress to the system.  It’s another matter altogether when you are beyond your fortieth birthday.  Due to the fact that most people well into middle age or beyond lead less active lifestyles and are more prone to injury, it isn’t at all unusual for them to take a once bitten, twice shy attitude toward resuming regimented workouts after an injury.

Instead of throwing in the towel, what I recommend to many baby boomers is that the best thing they can do before they sign up for a membership is to consult their chiropractor.  After all, chiropractors are trained in everything from exercise to nutrition.  They also realize that there is no on-size-fits-all when it comes to working out.  What may work for one person could be dangerous for another.  Plus, if you haven’t worked out in a while, then you would be wise to get familiar with stretching routines and simple isometric exercises before you jump into a gym and start pumping iron. 

If you are looking to lose weight and/or become more serious about exercise or sports, your chiropractor can also provide guidance into the foods and supplements that can help you accomplish your goals without overtaxing your body.  They can also recommend treatments that can make your workouts less likely to overstress your joints, muscles and soft tissue.  (There’s nothing better than a massage after you finish a workout.)

Best of all, by availing yourself of chiropractic care you will also achieve a number of other benefits, such as improved immune response, increased vitality, better sleep cycles, lower blood pressure and reduced stress.  Add to this the fact that if you do sustain an injury, your chiropractor offers a number of treatments that can reduce discomfort, speed recovery and get you back on track to maintaining peak performance.

So if you are looking give yourself a way to better control the high cost of healthcare while improving your lifestyle, give chiropractic care a try.  It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Dr. Dave Edenfield is part of the team of doctors and therapists at http://lakewoodchiropracticjax.com who are dedicated to helping you and your family lead a healthier, happier and pain-free life.

Crossfit and Chiro

By Dr. Dave Edenfield

CrossFit is the sport discipline that is designed to train the body to function optimally. Chiropractic is the medical discipline that is designed to optimize the functioning of the spinal column along with its interrelated nerves, muscles, and soft tissues.  Together these two disciplines can revolutionize the way in which people approach fitness.

Not Just for Jocks

Athletes know the value of daily workouts as well as how to maximize their use of various forms of fitness equipment.  Many non-athletes sign up for gyms and other physical fitness programs.  Unlike athletes, most of these people have limited experience with workout routines and equipment.   As a result, the dropout rate for people who enroll in gyms and other fitness membership programs is high.

According to theexaminer.com – “Of the 50.2 million people who belong to a health club in the U.S., about 62% visited fewer than 100 times a year, according to data compiled in January 2011 by the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), a Boston-based trade group that represents nearly 9,000 clubs. Last January, approximately 30% of total gym members were new; this suggests that initial strong attendance is followed by health club truancy and cancelled memberships. Research has found that these dropouts often come in with unrealistic expectations and get discouraged because they do not know how to use the equipment or just get bored.”

What makes crossfit unique is that workouts are completely supervised.  Add to this the fact that it isn’t centered exclusively on the use of weight training and other forms of workout equipment.  In crossfit, your body is the workout equipment.  A typical session starts with a warm up followed by highly focused skill sessions that are usually last only a few minutes.  The remainder of the class is dedicated to a number of other routines that are designed to work out various parts of the body.  This philosophy not only keeps participants from becoming bored, but it also works out the entire body in as little as 30 minutes.

 You’ve done more in 10 to 25 minutes in CrossFit than three hours in the gym doing circuits. I’ve done that. It’s nothing like this,” said Jason Umberger, deputy chief of police, Swatara Township.

  http://www.pennlive.com/bodyandmind/index.ssf/2011/01/a_typical_crossfit_workout.html

No Pain No Gain

Just like seasoned athletes, crossfit training doesn’t come without a certain amount of soreness as an 

after effect.  Especially to those new to the training regimen, your muscles will feel it on the following day.  This is where chiropractic care comes in.  When it comes to taking the hurt away without resorting to pain killers nothing beats chiropractic.  Offering everything from manual adjustments to massage, ultrasound, laser treatment and other deep tissue treatments, chiropractic is used and recommended by a number of top athletes including Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods.

Face it, hard workouts put a number of stresses on the body.  Checking in with your chiropractor after a workout will not only help you overcome any aches or pains, but it will also ensure that your spine is properly aligned, your frame is balanced and your nerves are better able to communicate.  This means quicker recovery times between workouts and better overall results.

You Are what You Eat

Another benefit of both crossfit and chiro is that both disciplines stress nutrition.    When it comes to maintaining peek fitness, diet plays a big part.  While crossfit is an excellent way to lose fat and tone muscles, it also requires proper nutrition to maximize results and increase muscle mass.  Food such as leafy greens, garden vegetables, nuts and seeds, along with lean meats and fish are good.  Starchy foods and sugars, including bread, rice, candy, potatoes, sodas and candy should be kept to a minimum.  Vitamins and other nutrients are also vital to peek performance.  Both your trainer and your chiropractor can help you answer any nutrition-related questions. 

If you are looking to improve your health, shed pounds and improve your muscle tone and cardiovascular condition, crossfit and chiropractic fit together like two peas in a pod.  If you are thinking about starting a workout or crossfit program, consult your chiropractor today.  Your body will thank you.

Dr. Dave Edenfield  and Dr. Steven Warfield are part of the team of doctors and therapists at http://chiropractor-jacksonville-fl.com and http://endyourpain.orgwho are dedicated to helping you and your family lead  healthier, happier and pain-free lives.  

The Ghost of Christmas Diets Past

By Dr. Steven Warfield

We’ve all tried them at one time or another.  Sometimes they work in the short term only to come back with a vengeance a month or so down the road.  And sometimes they don’t seem to work at all.  What I am referring to are Christmas diets.  These are begun with the best of intentions around Thanksgiving only to be tossed out as most people’s first New Year’s resolution.  The reasons that Christmas diets are almost always doomed to failure has more to do with the essence of the diet plan than it has to do with the myriad of holiday treats that abound during this time of the year. 

Forget Fad Diets

Doing a quick sweep of the web I found a number of fad diets being touted in 2013.  Everything from juice fasts and Baby Food Diets to Hot Yoga Workouts, body wraps and Alkaline Diets are making the rounds trying to entice you to give them a whirl.  The problem with most of these regimens is that they are just that: Regimented.  Unless you can strictly adhere to their many rules chances are that the only thing you are likely to shed with these diets is up to $75 per day in fees. 

Worst of all is the fact that while some fad diets will help you lose a few pounds in the short run, their long term prognosis is that you will put the weight back on once you stop dieting.  Some of these diets can be downright dangerous since they tend to adversely influence blood chemistry.  (People with diabetes, compromised livers or those taking heart or cholesterol medications should consult their physician before starting a diet.)  Restricting food intake also disrupts your metabolism, which convinces the body that famine conditions have been encountered.  This means that once you cease dieting your body has now calibrated the digestive tract to squeeze every ounce of nutrition out of the food that you eat.  This is the prime reason that most diets are doomed to failure.

If your diet urges you to forego certain kinds of food, then this can also result in nutritional deficits that can have a negative impact on your overall health.  Typical low carb or low fat diets can cause lethargy and/or mood swings that can take a toll on you as well as those around you.  Immune response can also be adversely affected by poor nutrition resulting in an increased risk of catching a seasonal cold or the flu.  Everything from reduced muscle tone to hair loss can be attributed to less than optimal nutrition.

Besides, not all fats are bad for you.  Beneficial fats such as omega-3fatty acids that are contained in Salmon, flax seeds, walnuts and shrimp are vital to your health.  They are known to reduce inflammation, fight cancer, maintain cell vitality, decrease the risk of blood clots and fight hardening of the arteries.  People suffering from medical conditions such as depression, Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular disease or joint pain need to consume foods rich in omega-3 as part of their treatment. 

A blog entitled The World’s Healthiest Foods states that, “Research indicates that omega-3s may be better absorbed from food than supplements. Norwegian researchers compared 71 volunteers' absorption of omega-3s (EPA and DHA) from salmon, smoked salmon, cod (14 ounces of fish per week) or cod liver oil (3 teaspoons per day). Cooked salmon provided 1.2 grams of omega-3s daily, while cod liver oil provided more than twice as much: 3 grams of omega-3s per day.”

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=84

Other nutrients found in food such as Vitamin C and D are also vital to your health and well being.  Even those who do not diet find it hard to maintain a sufficient level of Vitamin D during the winter months.  It is a fact that health care professionals such see a significant uptick in the incidence of health-related problems during the fall and winter months.  This includes everything from colds to higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels, autoimmune issues, depression and even heart attacks.  Since the Sun is responsible for the production of Vitamin D, during the times of year when people’s exposure to sunlight is reduced this is the prime reason for Vitamin D deficiency.  The other is due to avoiding food that contains Vitamin D.

Foods Highest in Vitamin D

1.      Fish Oil and Cod Liver Oil

2.      Salmon, Catfish, Mackerel, Sardines, Halibut, Tuna and Herring

3.      Oysters and Shrimp

4.      Milk, Soy Milk

5.      Orange Juice

6.      Cereal and Oatmeal

What’s the Correct Way to Diet?

The reason that most diets fail has to do with the feast and famine repertoire to which dieters subject themselves.  Particularly during this time of year when everything from Christmas cookies to pumpkin pie beckons, the urge to splurge is nearly as irresistible as gravity.  So if you are looking for a way to avoid the roller coaster effects of dieting, here are a few items to stick in your Christmas stocking.

·         Eat More Often – While this tip sounds counterintuitive, the reason you put on weight is due to the fact that when you burn less calories than that contained in the food you consume then weight gain is inevitable.  Therefore the secret to shedding pounds is to divide your calorie intake into smaller and more frequent packets.  This way you will avoid the risk of having hunger pains that can lead to binging.  Studies have shown that people who eat four to five small meals per day are better able to control both their appetite and their weight.

·         Keep Treats at Arm’s Length – Trying to go cold turkey is one of the worst ways to curb any habit. (Ask any smoker who’s tried to quit this way.)  The problem with total denial is that it leads to binging.  Instead of a complete ban on goodies, allow yourself an occasional treat.  Better yet, have a treat when you are out and about.  For instance when you are shopping at the mall you could buy a cookie then go about your shopping, which will enable you to walk off some of those calories.  Portion control and exercise are the keys to handling holiday treats.

·         Protein is Your Friend – Diets high in protein and moderate in carbs not only 

      help you shed pounds, it can also help you preserve muscle mass and encourage the body to burn fat.  So the next time you need a snack, reach for nuts, cheese or yogurt instead of chips or cookies.  Your bathroom scale will thank you.

·         Exercise is Key to Weight Loss – Exercise can spell the difference between taking the weight off and keeping the weight off.  Now I realized that a lot of people have an aversion to exercise.  Just remember that exercise is not a four-letter word.  It also doesn’t necessarily equate with a visit to the gym or the hiring of a personal fitness trainer.  Everything from daily walks to bike rides around the neighborhood can help burn calories and fat.  The trick is to find an activity that you enjoy.  This way you won’t throw in the towel after a couple of days.

The single most important piece of advice I can give to anyone who really wants to lose weight is not to go it alone.   Also don’t fall for the next magazine article or TV spot touting the latest, greatest diet ever.  What you need in order to formulate a diet that really works is to speak to people who truly understand the big picture when it comes to dieting.  What you don’t need is to listen to a pitchman or someone trying to sell more magazine subscriptions.

If you are looking to lose weight over the long haul then your local chiropractor can help steer you in the right direction.  Not only does he or she have years of training and experience in nutrition and exercise, but they can also tailor a plan to your individual wants and needs.  This way when the season of giving rolls around in years to come you won’t be forced to wrestle with the Ghost of Christmas Diets Past.

Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies.  For more information visit http://endyourpain.org or http://chiropractor-jacksonville-fl.com

Full of Hot Air

By Dr. Steven Warfield

Today I would like to share with you some information regarding airbags.  While airbags without a doubt save lives in auto accidents, they can also be a hazard if they are not used properly.  Statistics show us that airbags prevent hundreds of fatalities year in and year out in the US.  However, what most people do not realize is that they are also responsible for a number of injuries and  deaths every year, due to passengers either riding with their seat belt unfastened, or people (particularly women and children) who are seated incorrectly.

Airbags can deploy at speeds of 100-200 mph.  (The sound of a deploying air bag is like that of a gunshot.) They are designed to spring into action at the speed necessary to keep those in the vehicle from impacting with fixed objects such as the steering wheel or dashboard, as well as from being bodily ejected.  While the main airbags are located in the steering wheel and dashboard, most vehicles have a number of supplemental airbags which may be located above the doors (side curtain airbags), in or next to both the front and back seats (side air bags) and even below the dashboard (knee airbags). 

Designed to protect the occupants of a vehicle, due to the lightning fast inflation of these devices, airbags have been known to cause injuries to the head, neck, chest or arms when they have deployed to drivers and/or passengers who sat too close to the deploying device.    Drivers are advised to sit at least ten inches from the steering wheel.  Drivers that are below five foot four inches tall are advised to tilt the steering wheel down and raise the seat up.  Children are particularly vulnerable to being injured by airbags, particularly if they are not properly seated and secured.  When in doubt consult the vehicle’s owner’s manual to determine how to safely seat children.

Even adults who are seated correctly with their seat belts fastened can be injured by airbags, particularly drivers.  When we were taught how to drive most of us were told to keep our hands on the steering wheel at the ten o’clock and two o’clock positions.  The problem was that many of us went through driver’s ed before the advent of the air bag. Since then this concept has been altered, since it was discovered that people who drove this way had a high risk of having their wrists broken when the air bags deployed.  Many experts today advise drivers to place their hands at the nine o’clock and three o’clock position to avoid the risk of air bag injury.

A study conducted by the The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated, “When we look at the random sample of all accidents, we find that airbags are associated with increased risk of death in low-speed crashes where air bags were deployed and seatbelts were not fastened. However, if we limit the dataset to include only collisions in which a fatality occurred, we get a significantly reduced risk of death due to airbags.”

Injuries to the face and eyes are also a real possibility in accidents where air bags are deployed.  Everything from facial laceration to fractured cheekbones have been known to occur, along with corneal abrasion or detached retina injuries.  Since air bags also disburse sodium hydroxide upon deployment, this can result in chemical burns to the face and/or eyes. People who have undergone LASIK surgery or radial keratotomy are at risk for corneal rupture should they be involved in an accident that causes the air bags to deploy. 

When researchers from the Helsinki University Eye Hospital studied 300 eye-injury cases resulting from air-bag deployment, they concluded that drivers and passengers have a 2.5 percent chance of having an eye injury if an air bag deploys. The study also revealed that wearing glasses didn’t increase injury and actually helped protect the eyes from airbag chemicals. (Optician).

If you or any of your family is involved in a motor-vehicle accident where the air bags deploy, you should schedule an appointment with your chiropractor right away.  The trauma associated with a crash even if not immediately evident can result in a number of subtle injuries that can later manifest themselves in a variety of symptoms.  These can include headaches, backaches, loss of mobility to the neck and even ear infections.  If not diagnosed and treated early these conditions can lead to complications down the road that may or may not be covered after the fact by your insurance.

Preflight Checklist

Driver - Sit no closer than 10 inches away from the steering wheel.

             Position hands at “nine o’clock” and “three o’clock”

Everyone - Wear their seat belts at all times.

Kids - Never allow children less than four feet tall to ride in the front seat.

           Don’t place rear-facing infant or child seats in the front passenger seat.

            Consult the owner’s manual to determine the best way to seat children.

Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies.  For more information visit http://endyourpain.org or http://chiropractor-jacksonville-fl.com