Brain Health

I thought that this was a great topic.  As I get older (39 now again!) I want to be sure my brain stays in as good a condition as possible.  Senility is not for me!  So here are 10 ways to keep your brain in top shape.

1.  Learn or continue playing a musical instrument.  Multiple areas of the brain are stimulated and it even improves your math skills.

2.  Listen to music.  Particularly, harmonius music elevates memory and emotion.  It also helps focus, social skills, and concentration.

3.  Learn something new.  Like number 1 above, it stimulates brain function much more than our routine daily activities.  It has even been shown to reduce the chances of Alzheimer's disease.

4.  Stay social.  There are a lot of advantages to this but specifically a good social network has been shown to enhance neurological fitness.  Facebook can be helpful but face-to-face communication is the best.

5.  Get enough sleep.  Studies have shown that lack of sleep reduces regeneration of the brain.  It also appears to increase stress hormones.

6.  Stay (or get) active.  We all know about the physical benefits of activity but it helps your brain too.  Keeping all that blood and oxygen flowing freely to the brain cleans out toxins, brings in fresh nutrients and as mentioned above reduces stress hormones.  A recent study showed that inactive people increase their risk of Alzheimer's by 250%!

7.  Eat brain food.  While an overall healthy diet low in white flour and white sugar and high in fruits and vegetables is very important, the brain needs fat too.  The best fats contain lots of Omega 3 fatty acids.  This is found easily in fish oil supplements and in fish such as our abundant Northwest salmon, tuna, and sardines. 

8.  Pray or meditate.  People who engage in regular spiritual activities have been shown to have lower stress levels and are less likely to develop depression and anxiety.

9.  Watch less TV.  Studies have linked excess TV time to many diseases.  It has also been shown that the single worst thing a parent can do that would impede their students learning is to put a TV in their bedroom. 

10.  Get regular chiropractic adjustments.  You might have wondered if I would get to this.  Once you understand the effects of subluxation (especially impeded nerve and blood flow) it is easy to see how staying well adjusted would help your overall health as well as brain health. 

I hope that these ideas are useful.  If they seem a little overwhelming, at least try to do two or three of them.  As I've said in prior posts, take your next step to better health, don't worry about taking all the steps at once.  Just get started!

New Research on the Benefits of Chiropractic

There is on-going research into the benefits and effectiveness of chiropractic.  Here are some studies that we have been talking about at the office lately.

How long lasting are the effects of chiropractic adjustments on colicky babies.  A study from last fall surveyed 200 sets of parents with colicky babies.  Half were treated with chiropractic care several years prior.  The results showed that the untreated infants were still twice as likely to display disturbed behavior and sleep problems than those who did receive chiropractic care.  This suggests that chiropractic care has not only short-term but long-term as well.

Another study from 2009 desired to determine what proportion of pre-adolescent children report having recurring neck pain and/or headaches.  She also wanted to discover if those who suffered these problems had neck subluxations.  They found about 40% of the children reported having recurring neck pain and/or headaches.  Of those with symptoms, only one of the factors from the physical exam could be significantly tied to the students pain: neck subluxations.  This shows that from an early age subluxations can negatively affect a person's quality of life.

Finally, a study from this year wanted to find out whether the pop heard during the manual type of chiropractic adjustment really makes any difference to the level of pain relief perceived by the patient versus when no noise was heard during the adjustment.  40 asymptomatic patients were tested for heat sensitivity on their legs and lower backs.  Then they underwent a lumbar adjustment.  For some there was a popping sound for others not.  The subjects were then retested.  Researchers found that there was a significant reduction in thermal pain sensitivity after the lumbar adjustment, whether or not a sound was heard during the maneuver!  So, you don't need to hear a pop to know that the chiropractic adjustment is helping you.  Especially here at Nelson Chiropractic since we use the Activator Method.

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure affects 80 million people in North America.  Even though it's the most common cardiovascular disease it's called the silent killer.  Many people are completely unaware that they have it and it can cause significant damage without producing any symptoms.  (This is just like subluxation.) It is linked to a higher risk of heart attack, kidney damage, and stroke.

Many factors increase your risk of high blood pressure.  Smoking, lack of exercise, being overweight, and eating a lot of salt and fat can all raise blood pressure.  But so can age, race, and genetics.  So be sure to have your blood pressure checked at least annually but much more often if you are in a high risk category. 

Here's a few more ideas on things you can do to reduce your risk.  Eat 1500 milligrams or less of sodium per day.  Avoid packaged, prepared foods that are often high in fat and sodium.  Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables raw or only lightly cooked.  Eat foods high in potassium such as bananas and tofu to help balance your sodium intake.  Choose low-fat dairy products and limit meat to two meals per day with smaller servings than is common in America. 

Get more exercise.  Cardiovascular exercise of at least 30 minutes three times per week helps a lot.  Weight lifting is also very helpful in balancing appetite and blood sugar.   Take a fish oil supplement high in omega 3 fatty acids.  Not only does this appear to help blood pressure but it has numerous benefits for many organs and tissues including your brain. 

Be proactive, don't wait until you have been diagnosed.  If you notice, many of the suggestions I have given are simply good healthy living.  Make a decision to improve your diet and lifestyle today.  Even 1 or 2 steps can be helpful.  Think in terms of your next right step so you are not overwhelmed by trying to change everything all at once.  Best wishes for a healthier life!

Chiropractic is for more than the spine

Chiropractic affects joints, muscles, nerves, ligaments, and tendons.  But most people think that only relates to the spine.  Actually chiropractors can help with extremities as well.  Ankle and knee problems are quite common and both respond well to chiropractic adjustments.  We also work with orthotics as needed to help balance these areas and the effect they have on the spine.

Wrist and shoulder problems are also quite common in people who work at desks.  Of course proper posture and ergonomics are important.  But if you already have an injury in these areas, chiropractic may be quite helpful.  You can also have problems in your neck that can either mimic arm problems or contribute to them.  Chiropractic evaluation will help sort that out.

Chiropractors seek to return these joints to proper function.  Then we can give you ergonomic tips and exercises to help keep them that way!