June 21, 2010
“Deviations in the body’s center of gravity caused poor posture, which resulted in intestinal problems, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, osteoporosis, hip and foot deformities, poor health, decreased quality of life, and a shortened life span.”
Freeman JT., Posture in the Aging and Aged Body, JAMA 1957; 165(7),pp 843-846 JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association)
June 11, 2010
Parents look at your kids – is their head forward, are their shoulder back and strong or rounded and also forward? There is a direct correlation between poor posture and putting the body in a state of disease.
“For every inch of Forward Head Posture, it can increase the weight of the head on the spine by an additional 10 pounds.” Kapandji, Physiology of Joints, Vol.
“Loss of cervical curve stretches the spinal cord 5 to 7 cm and produces pathological tension, putting the body in a state of disease.” Alf Breig, M.D.
Please take a moment and stand your child up and take a good look at their posture. If you don’t know what good posture should look like think of a champion ballroom dancer. Perfect posture is central to the sport. See if their ankles, hips, shoulders and ears are in line with each other. If not there are stretches and exercises they should be doing your local chiropractor could show you. The best news is it’s easier to fix youngster than adults. Remember a ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Give the gift of health to your kids by getting them straight to a Chiropractor. A simple x-ray can confirm whether their neck has lost it’s curve or not. If it has only a chiropractor can improve it.
“Forward Head Posture LEADS to long term Muscle strain, disc herniations, arthritis and pinched nerves.” Mayo Clinic, Nov. 3rd, 2000
Thanks for listening and I hope I see you soon;
Doctor Keith M. Castilloux – Chiropractor
June 11, 2010
The first step to getting rid of headaches is to find out what is causing them. You can try to do this on your own or with the help of your chiropractor.
Dehydration is a common cause for headaches. Make sure you are drinking enough plain water. I recommend half of your body weight in ounces daily.
Food allergies are a common cause for headaches. Do your headaches come on each time after you each certain foods? There is a long list of foods that are known to cause migraine headaches. Try omitting these from your diet.
Are you getting enough sleep? Six to eight hours per night is recommended for adults, but everyone is different in the amount of sleep their body requires. Make sure you wake up feeling rested.
Are you stressed? Many people hold their stress in their neck and upper backs. If this is you, try to find calming activities to participate in daily and visit your chiropractor. With stress comes muscle tension. When muscles are tight they don’t allow the joints to move properly which, in combination, you get nerve irritation or a “pinched” nerve. The nerves that exit the spinal cord at the neck travel down the arms and into the head causing headaches and/or arm pain when irritated. Chiropractic treatment is highly effective in relaxing the muscles, correcting joint dysfunction, and removing nerve irritation. Typically with chiropractic treatment headaches will first reduce in frequency, severity, and duration, then become absent. If you would like to learn more about headache treatment options feel free to post questions or call to set up a free in office consultation.
June 8, 2010
Eighty percent of all Americans at some point will experience a back pain episode in which they will need health care to correct.
Having a regular spinal check up is a great way to prevent back pain episodes. If dysfunction is found within the musculoskeletal system your chiropractor can correct it with treatment and prescribe home exercises to help keep you in the lucky 20% that will not experience back pain.
If you are in the 80% who needs care for a bout of back pain, you will be happy to have already established a relationship with your chiropractor. Being treated by a chiropractor that already knows you has several advantages. You will have already developed trust in that practitioner and will likely be more comfortable. The chiropractor will already know you and your body. Knowing what is normal for your body and already having an idea of your health history and normal activities makes the treatment quicker and more thorough.
I recommend everyone find a good chiropractor that they trust. Maintaining spinal health and preventing injury is a critical