At Lakewood chiropractic we specialize in treating patients with comprehensive solutions using the most advanced chiropractic techniques and treatments, including Laser Therapy, massage therapy, VAX-D, acupuncture and functional nutrition to help patients quickly and effectively relieve their pain without the need for surgery or prescription drugs. We focus on the underlying causes rather than just your symptoms. And, most importantly, we treat you like family.
| This is turning out to be a pretty tough century. Or at least so far. The recent earthquake-like shocks in the economy have impacted everyone, and most people's stress levels are sky-high. Jobs have been lost, retirement savings have shrunk drastically, and energy prices are rising again. Economic stress leads to real physical stress. Stress is more than just a state of mind. Stress has real physical components, including tight muscles, headaches, difficulty falling asleep and restless sleep, abdominal pain, allergies and asthma, inflammation, and high blood pressure. Some results of stress may have long-term consequences. Prolonged high blood pressure, for example, may lead to heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Long-term inflammation may lead to weight gain, diabetes, and even kidney disease. Of course, we could have stress because we have stress. We're stressed, and now we begin worrying about all the things that could go wrong because we are under stress. Not a good plan. A better plan would involve being proactive and beginning to take action steps that support our health and well-being. The action steps include the usual suspects - exercise and good nutrition. Everyone knows they "should" be doing regular exercise and "should" be eating good food every day, the difficulty is that no one wants to do what they "should".3 The way to reducing one's stress levels is in choosing to take action. We choose healthy behaviors because we want to, not because we think we "should." The concept of personal choice is powerful and may lead to shifts toward behaviors that are healthy. From an information point of view, both exercise and good nutrition have potent effects on a person's health.1,2,3 Both reduce inflammation. Both neutralize circulating free radicals, reducing a number of health risks, and both provide new energy resources, making us healthier and happier. Choosing good health improves our lives in countless ways. By choosing, we take back the power of good health. Everyone in our lives benefits from our renewed energy, creativity, productivity, and love for life. Beginning a program of chiropractic care is another positive choice we may make. Chiropractic adjustments help our bodies work more efficiently and effectively, directly reducing physiologic stress and indirectly improving our ability to effectively manage the stress in our daily lives. Your chiropractor is an expert in health, wellness, and well-being and will be glad to help you design exercises and food plans that will work for you. Remember - being healthy is a choice! Dr. Dave Edenfield, "Your Jacksonville Chiropractor", and Lakewood Chiropractic offers 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. Now accepting VA patients. For more information visit: Lakewood Chiropractic Jacksonville, Florida 32217 904-733-7020 lakewoodchiropracticjax Visit our facebook page! Follow us on Twitter! 1Appel LJ, et al.: Effects of comprehensive lifestyle modification on blood pressure control: main results of the PREMIER clinical trial. JAMA 289(16):2083-2093, 2003 2Elmer PJ, et al.: Effects of comprehensive lifestyle modification on diet, weight, physical fitness, and blood pressure control: 18-month results of a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med 144(7):485-495, 2006 3Viera AJ, et al.: Lifestyle modifications to lower or control high blood pressure: is advice associated with action? The behavioral risk factor surveillance survey. J Clin Hypertens 10(2):105-111, 2008 | 
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| You
may remember the public health slogan, "Vitamin D helps build strong
bones". This message could be seen on colorful school posters and heard
on radio and television programs as early as the1950s. Getting enough
Vitamin D was a major health issue, primarily for its role in preventing
childhood rickets - "softening of the bones".1 More recently, and quite dramatically, vitamin D has been strongly associated with reduced cancer risks, preventing autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, preventing cardiovascular disease, and even helping to prevent diabetes.2 Vitamin D seems to be a one-stop shop for helping combat many serious chronic diseases, and yet vitamin D deficiency is common in the United States.3 Very few foods are natural sources of vitamin D. The primary source of vitamin D for humans is sunlight - sunlight causes cells in the skin to produce vitamin D. But most of us don't spend enough time outside to get sufficient sunlight to provide us with our normal daily requirement of vitamin D. Supplementation is needed, in the form of fortified foods such as milk and in vitamin/mineral tablets. Interestingly, meeting our vitamin D and calcium daily requirements is only one step on the road to healthy, strong bones. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium from the intestinal tract. Also, vitamin D helps bone cells utilize calcium to build new bone. But - in adults, new bone will only be built if there's a need for it. Mechanical stress causes the body to produce new bone - and the best source for this kind of bone-building mechanical stress is exercise. Yes, the E word. It's not enough to passively swallow a bunch of supplements every day. We need to exercise regularly to get the most out of the nutrition we're providing our bodies. When we exercise - particularly when we do strength training and other gravity-resisting activities such as running, walking, and bicycling - our bodies react not only by building new muscle but by building new bone as well. This response follows a physiologic principle known as Wolff's Law - bone remodels along lines of physiologic stress. In other words, bone responds to mechanical challenges by building more bone. The result is more dense, stronger bones. Such bones are significantly less likely to fracture. And. logically, exercise helps prevent loss of bone mass, a primary cause of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and older adults. Chiropractic health care helps provide assistance to these metabolic processes. All of our metabolic activities are directed by signals from the nerve system. Our nerve impulses tell our cells when to start and when to stop these complicated biochemical processes. Chiropractic care helps ensure proper flow of information throughout the nervous system, helping us maintain optimal physical health and well-being. Your chiropractor is an expert in nutritional health and will be able to recommend a program and plan that will be right for you. Dr. Dave Edenfield, "Your Jacksonville Chiropractor", and Lakewood Chiropractic offers 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. Now accepting VA patients. For more information visit: Lakewood Chiropractic Jacksonville, Florida 32217 904-733-7020 Visit lakewoodchiropracticjax.com! Visit our facebook page! Follow us on Twitter! 1Lins P: Vitamin D physiology. Prog Biophys Mol Biol 92)1:4-8, 2006 2Cavalier E, et al:Vitamin D: current status and perspectives.Clin Chem Lab Med 47:1, 2009 3Holick Me, Chen TC: Vitamin D deficiency: a worldwide problem with health consequences. Am J Clin Nutr 87(4):10805-10865, 2008 | 
Osteoporosis
Developing
osteoporosis is a frightening prospect for many older people. If a
person with osteoporosis falls and fractures a hip, the recovery may be
slow and prolonged and the person may never be the same. Also, hip
fractures in the older population may often be fatal, the person dying
from a blood clot that made its way to the lungs or a major blood vessel
in the brain.So, there are many very important reasons for treating osteoporosis. And of course, preventing osteoporosis in the first place is even more important. The very good news is that prevention is easy. It just requires some work, attention, and discipline. Osteoporosis - loss of bone mass - is prevented in large part by daily vitamin D and calcium supplementation and by regular exercise. When is the right time to begin such a program? Right now. It's never too early in life to begin regular exercise and begin regular vitamin and mineral supplementation. Even if you're an older person who hasn't exercised in many years, today is the right time to begin. Make sure to check with your chiropractor to learn about the types of exercise that are b |
We all know that 30 minutes per day of strenuous exercise will provide many health benefits. Recent Federal guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services1 have even made this official. The real question for most of us is how to find the time to exercise regularly and consistently. All we have is 24 hours each day to get done all the things we need to get done. Exercising often takes a back seat to work, shopping, cooking, cleaning, getting the kids ready for school and ready for bed, and all the other million-and-one little details that demand our attention every day.
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| Healthy Lifestyles |
| Heart disease, diabetes, and obesity - a formidable triad. These chronic disorders are interrelated, and the presence of one will often lead over time to development of one or both of the others. The good news is that, for the most part, these three entities occur as a result of lifestyle choices. This means we can greatly reduce the likelihood of developing one or all of these conditions. For example, at present more than one-third of American children are overweight or obese. These kids are very likely to develop diabetes and, later on, heart disease. So, if you're overweight or obese as a child, you can look forward to a lifetime of health problems. Why do American kids have these problems? The answer is simple - they don't exercise, and they eat large amounts of junk food. The solutions are obvious and just as simple. Developing lifelong habits of regular exercise and good nutrition begins at home. Parents who exercise regularly and provide healthy, balanced meals for their kids help their kids develop the habit of making healthful lifestyle choices, habits that will last a lifetime. |
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| Ensuring Restful Sleep - Positive Self-Talk |
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A great way to establish the habit of restful sleep is to quietly talk to yourself a little before falling asleep. In essence you're talking directly to your subconscious mind, and the instructions you give your subconscious can go far toward ensuring a good night's sleep and a successful day tomorrow. Positive self-talk has been championed by renowned plastic surgeon Maxwell Maltz in his world-famous book, Psycho-Cybernetics, and by many leaders in the field of human peak performance, including Earl Nightingale, Napoleon Hill, and Norman Vincent Peale. You can say things like:
You'll notice, after a few nights of brief, quiet positive self-talk, that you're falling asleep quicker and that your days are becoming much easier, much more enjoyable. Things are flowing your way. It's quite remarkable. |
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| Complex Carbohydrates |
| Sugar is sugar, right? From a physiological viewpoint, blood glucose is blood glucose, right? Wrong. The source of the glucose is what counts and has everything to do with your ability to use food for energy. Complex carbohydrates - found in fruits and whole-grain cereals - are digested and broken-down into glucose - the body's usable form of sugar. This process of digestion takes time and the glucose produced is slowly released into the bloodstream, where it is transported to cells for use as an energy source. When you eat simple sugars - a teaspoon of sugar in your coffee or a sticky bun with icing - you're ingesting ready-made glucose. No digestion is necessary - the glucose is already in its simplest form and goes directly into the bloodstream. Such rapidly available glucose is probably not immediately needed for energy and therefore is stored as fat. Also, the rapid surge of blood glucose stimulates the pancreas to release insulin, setting off a whole cascade of responses. Bottom line - consuming a lot of simple sugars causes your body to store fat and ultimately impairs the functioning of the pancreas, possibly leading to diabetes. Consuming complex carbohydrates provides glucose for energy and is part of the natural pathway to good health. |
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| Chiropractic Care Promotes Flexibility, Balance, and Coordination |
Flexibility, balance, and coordination are innate human functions. These abilities add beauty to the forms of our physical actions. We instinctively admire the grace and skill of professional athletes, men, and women who have achieved very high levels of flexibility, balance, and coordination. Many of us have permanent mental images of stunning sports moments we've witnessed, when human beings have performed extraordinary feats using these inborn, yet highly trained abilities.
Not all of can become professional athletes, yet we all can function at the peak of our own capabilities. Chiropractic care helps us do this. By ensuring that our central mechanism of flexibility, balance, and coordination - our spinal column and core musculature - is functioning at maximum efficiency, chiropractic care helps us achieve high performance. Overall health, creativity, and physical abilities are all enhanced by chiropractic care.
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| Breakfast - Meal of Champions |
| "Eat
a good breakfast!" We've heard this advice all our lives. Most of us
completely ignore this ancient recommendation, rushing out the door
every morning to try to avoid being late yet again for school or work. Others, feeling guilty because they know they "should" be eating better, grab a frozen pastry or gulp a glass of orange juice as they desperately try to find where they tossed their keys last night. In fact, eating a "good breakfast" is a sound nutritional policy. Eating breakfast restores badly needed energy to your depleted systems. Without breakfast, the needle on your internal gas tank is on "empty". you're literally "running on fumes". Breakfast renews your resources. You have available energy to do the things that need to get done. And, it's easy to put together a good breakfast. Two pieces of whole wheat toast spread with peanut butter. Or a cup of yogurt mixed with a half-cup of cottage cheese. Or a hard-boiled egg, a stick of string cheese, and a banana. It's so simple to eat a healthy breakfast. It takes five minutes, tops. You derive the benefits all day long. |
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| Super-Charged Carrot Muffins |
| These delicious muffins are highly nutritious and packed with energy. They combine plenty of protein and carbohydrate and - with a glass of milk - make a complete small meal. This recipe makes 12 muffins. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a no-stick 12-muffin tin. 1 cup oat flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 3/4 cup wheat germ 1/2 cup brown sugar 9 TBSP plain or vanilla protein powder 3/4 TSP salt 1 1/2 TSP cinnamon 2 TSP baking soda Sift together the oat flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Combine in a bowl with the wheat germ, salt, brown sugar, and protein powder. Mix well, combining all ingredients. 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 4 large egg whites (or 1/2 cup egg substitute) 3/4 cup 1% or 2% milk 2 cups carrots, shredded In a separate bowl, combine the egg whites, milk, and applesauce. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients mixture. Stir well, moistening all ingredients. Gently fold in the shredded carrots. Mix well. Fill all 12 muffin cups. Bake 18-20 minutes until golden. Insert a toothpick and make sure it comes out clean. Enjoy these marvelous muffins! |
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| CORE Exercises |
| Exercises specifically designed to strengthen your body's "core" have a remarkable range of benefits. Balance, strength, flexibility and coordination are all improved by these essential exercises. The main muscle trained is the transversus abdominis, a full band of muscle encircling the abdomen and lower back. This muscle has been called the body's built-in weight belt. Core training and core strengthening provide the cornerstones on which all your fitness activities are based. Yet until about five years ago, core training was a well-kept secret known only to dancers and gymnasts, who were totally unaware the routines they'd been doing all their lives were about to go mainstream. Core muscles are just that - the core of your body. And like a nuclear core reactor, these muscles are the power plant that drives the activities of everything else your body is doing. Core muscles - when trained and strong - provide a firm platform, a solid internal foundation, from which all movements and action can flow gracefully and purposefully. Three basic core exercises are torso twists (done lying on your back), the plank, and pelvic bridges. |
 Stroke Volume |
| Stroke volume is not about improving your golf score. At least, not directly. :-)
Physiologically, stroke volume is the amount of blood your heart pumps every time it beats. The more blood pumped per heartbeat, the less times your heart has to contract to provide the needed amount of blood. Our heart's efficiency is directly related to stroke volume. Increased stroke volume means less work for the heart. As you do more and better aerobic exercise, you are training your heart to be more efficient. Stroke volume increases over time as a result of this exercise, and you notice a number of things. First, it's much easier to walk up hills and other inclines. Stairclimbing requires no extra effort. If you're a swimmer, you can go longer between breaths and you can stay underwater longer. And, you notice your heart rate goes down. A good resting pulse is 60 beats or less per minute. Most people who aren't exercising have resting heart rates of 70 or greater, even 80 or greater. Less heartbeats per minute means less work for your heart. Aerobic exercise, done correctly, makes a person much healthier overall, positively impacting many body systems. |
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| Keeping Your Nerve System Healthy |
| B-complex vitamins are necessary for normal functioning of the nerve system. B vitamins include thiamine(B1), riboflavin(B2), niacin B3), and pyridoxine (B6). Thiamine is necessary to prevent beriberi (causing weight loss, impaired sensation, and pain and weakness in the arms and legs). Riboflavin deficiency causes sensitivity to sunlight, glossitis (inflammation of the tongue), and swelling of the throat. Niacin deficiency causes insomnia, weakness, aggression, and mental confusion. Pyridoxine deficiency causes depression, anemia, and high blood pressure. The B vitamins work together to promote health. Good sources of B vitamins include bananas, turkey, tuna, potatoes, and beer. Vitamin-and-mineral supplements are also good sources of the daily B-vitamin requirement. |
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Take a Break!
Pop quiz - how long have you been sitting in that chair? Half-an-hour? An hour? Two hours? More?!!!Or, basically, how long have you been working at the same task without taking a break? Most likely, the answer is "too long"! Everybody's in the same boat. There's so much to do and so little time. That may not be the real reality, but it certainly is our experience. We drive ahead, force ourselves to keep going, and forget to "stop and smell the roses". But "smelling the roses" is critical to our health and well-being. Taking a break, relaxing for just five minutes every hour, makes all the difference. |
| Kids and Fitness |
| It's never too early to get your kids into a fitness routine. This is a habit that will last a lifetime. Without regularly scheduled exercise and sports activities, children will automatically default to watching television, playing on the computer, and playing video games. These pastimes are great for stimulating creativity and developing hand-eye coordination, but contribute nothing to a child's level of fitness. One out of three American children are overweight, obese, or at risk for being overweight. This appalling public health information indicates a much greater risk of diabetes and heart disease as the child becomes a young adult. Regular exercise and good nutrition will help a child maintain an appropriate weight and will promote long-lasting health benefits. |
