CLARK CHIROPRACTIC & WELLNESS

Brain Based Therapy at Clark Chiropractic & Wellness

2011-12-31T00:27:00.000-06:00

Brain Based Therapy at Clark Chiropractic & Wellness

2011-12-31T00:21:00.000-06:00

What is a Probiotic and why should I Supplement with It?

2011-08-01T07:39:00.001-05:00

This is a question I often get. A probiotic is healthy bacteria that are naturally found in healthy digestive tracts and inside the human body. The level of health is increased with the level of these healthy bacteria. It is found that the healthiest people have the highest level of probiotics. Your body actually contains more bacteria cells than it does human cells, and they are essential for many functions within the body.

Why do we need to supplement? Because, according to research, we only get about one millionth of the probiotics that our ancestors got. This is due to commercial farming techniques, using chemical fertilizers and pesticides which have killed the natural bacteria out of our soil.

How do we get the probiotics in the body? I am often asked if it is enough to eat yogurt. The answer is NO.

Yogurt is pasteurized, therefore killing many, if not all of the probiotics.
It is from a dairy source which is very toxic to the liver and hard to digest.
Iit does not carry all the probiotics that your body needs. It may carry only one or two, whereas your body needs 7 different types, according to research, for healthy function.

Therefore we recommend the Innate Choice® probiotic because it has the 7 bacteria that are found in healthy digestive tracts, and it also is preserved properly in a non dairy source to assure the highest quality probiotic and the most effective for your body and your overall health. Never settle for less than the best; your health is worth it!

Why Supplement with Fish Oil?

2011-07-25T08:10:00.000-05:00

First of all, the most common deficiency found in Americans today is omega-3 fatty acids. The reason for this is that it is depleted out of our diets because of the change in our agriculture and farming techniques. Whereas cattle used to eat grass, they now eat corn, which produces a different type of fat. Not an omega-3 fatty acid but an omega-6, which causes more inflammation and more chronic disease in the body. Therefore, our brain sizes have decreased over the last few hundred years.

The question rises now..is there a difference in the types of fish oil? Absolutely! 80 to 90% of the fish oil that is on the market I would not recommend to my family or to any of my patients. The reason is #1, it may not be purified or it may not be pure, which means that it could be oxidized and rancid. It also may not be in the true natural state. The true natural state of fish oil is in a triglyceride state. Most supplements are not in this state, but are in an ester state which is produced because it is cheaper. However, it is not usable by the body, therefore not beneficial. The reason we recommend the fish oil by Innate Choice® is because it is purified, it is in a natural state, and it is preserved properly without exposure to oxygen. Don’t settle for any less. Your brain and nervous system and overall health are worth it.

Why Supplement?

2011-07-18T07:47:00.002-05:00

Researchers estimate that only about 20% of Americans get the recommended servings of fruit per day, and only 60% get the recommended servings of vegetables. These recommendations are the bare minimum and not nearly what our ancestors ate. The other problem is that the food we are consuming doesn’t have the same vitamin and mineral content that the food did even 50 or 60 years ago. Therefore, with less-healthful food and less of healthful foods, our bodies become depleted of essential minerals and vitamins. "Essential" means that our body cannot produce them, and they must be taken in from our diet. Therefore one of the supplements that we recommend every day for everybody is a multi-vitamin/multi-mineral. This vitamin supplement needs to be made from a whole food source, whereas chemical vitamins are not the same and not used by the body the same as those from a natural source.

That brings up a very important topic—the topic of the word “natural”. The word “natural” means “nothing”. It can mean that it is taken from something natural, but not in its natural state. Therefore, the word you are looking for is “organic” or “in a naturally occurring” which means that it is in the same state as found in nature. Don’t settle for any less in your nutritional supplements. We don’t for our patients, and I don’t for my family at home. Your health is worth it.

Child Neurology and Functional Development, continued

2011-07-11T07:26:00.001-05:00

Not only is the development of the nervous system affected by subluxation in children as discussed last week, but also the spinal development is affected and can cause altered bone growth and alignment. The most common manifestations of these are scoliosis, Osgoode Schlatter’s disease and Scheuermann’s Disease. The reason for this is the stress of the spinal curvatures and abnormal spinal function produce adaptive vertebral subluxations in areas of maximum strain. This also causes an abnormal neural reflex to the muscles and even to the organs which can lead to such conditions as irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, and even Crohn’s Disease. If a patient has developed a subluxation affecting the digestive system, begins to experience the classic symptoms of gas and bloating and cramping, and even blood in the stool, then he or she is treated with traditional medical care, which does not correct the problem and actually can allow the disease to progress. The aim of chiropractic is to correct the interference and allow the normal nerve flow to the digestive system and then allow the body to begin to heal itself. As a chiropractor my goal is not to achieve temporary relief but to correct and remove the interference and allow the body to develop and function at 100% of its God-given potential.

Child Neurology and Functional Development

2011-06-27T08:03:00.002-05:00

Childhood represents a critical period of time when a young child’s nervous system is developing and learning to assimilate and differentiate internal and external stimuli. The nervous system learns postural and movement patterns and acquires future habits by reacting to the repetitive stimuli. Because the nervous system is not always able to distinguish between proper and improper stimuli this can cause problems. This process of neurological learning or programming of the central nervous system with respect to locomotion, posture, proprioception and body kinetics begins within a few short months of birth.

When a subluxation occurs at birth or shortly thereafter, then there is a pathological or abnormal development of the nervous and neuromuscular systems. These subluxations encroach and interfere with the neurological integrity of the spinal nerve roots through the misalignment of the spinal column. This subluxation leads to localized excitement of the nerves, causing abnormal muscular and organ function. Because of the development of the nervous system, this abnormal neurology has a far reaching effect on the health and development of the child.

Whereas 65% of the child’s nervous system develops within the first year of life, this is the most important time to have your children checked for subluxations. More on this subject next week.

Medicine is Finally Catching up with Chiropractic!

2011-06-23T07:33:00.003-05:00

A medical study was done of patients suffering with dermatitis. 120 of these patients received chiropractic adjustments for subluxations in the thoracic spine. Of these 120, 106 showed improvement. The conclusion of the researchers was that the reason the patients’ dermatitis improved from the chiropractic adjustment was because of the nerve supply controlling the adrenal gland. Because of the chronic neuropathy caused from the inter-vertebral narrowing of the hole where the nerve passes through, it caused a decreased immune function and decreased adrenal function. I agree 100% and have seen this for the past 19 years in my office. I am glad to see that the medical profession has finally recognized this also.

Supplements or Drugs?

2011-06-15T10:49:00.001-05:00

There is a lot of confusion concerning supplements. Let’s clarify some of this misconception by defining the difference between a drug and a nutritional supplement. By definition, a drug is a substance that is man made and does not occur normally in the body. This is classified as a toxic substance. By definition, a nutritional supplement is a naturally occurring essential nutrient that is found in the body and has a beneficial contribution to its function. The misconception is that all supplements are beneficial, when in fact, most of the ones in pharmacies and even health food stores are chemically altered segments of the nutrient it is supposed to be and therefore a drug.

Almost all multiple vitamins on the market are synthetic and not representative of how they occur in nature. Therefore, the body cannot use them and they must be processed through the liver. If the label does not say “from whole food” or “food grade”, you need to find one that is. Also, there are many types of expensive juices on the market-- for example, gogi, acai, and many others. These are all pasteurized and therefore their nutritional content has been significantly decreased. You would be better to get the actual fruit and make your own juice.

Misconceptions about Fat

2011-06-06T09:35:00.001-05:00

One common misconception is concerning fat. The misconception is that fat makes you fat and should be avoided at all costs. You may remember the low fat diet was popular in the ‘80’s as a means to lose weight, but in reality the opposite is what happened to people who did this. They gained weight and became very unhealthy. Our body has an outer layer of fat. So eliminating fat makes the cells susceptible to disease, deterioration and at an accelerated rate. Fat is necessary for a healthy nervous system, immune system, hormone production, slowing arthritis and helping transport oxygen. Therefore, the truth is, that a diet of healthy fats is what you’re striving for. So the solution is to eat healthy meats, supplement with pure fish oil, flax oil, use organic cold-pressed olive oil and coconut oil regularly.

The Calcium Myth

2011-05-31T08:29:00.002-05:00

We have been fooled again. For my patients, I recommend a book as a must-read called The Calcium Lie. Dr. Robert Thompson, a medical doctor, has uncovered a number of “lies” as he calls them. Reading his book is an eye opener and dispels many of the things I learned in chiropractic college. I pride myself in being on the cutting edge in my knowledge of health techniques and nutritional advancements. Therefore, I want to share with you some common misconceptions:

1. Calcium builds strong bones. Whenever I tell patients to discontinue drinking milk, they always ask, “Where will I get my calcium?” The fact is you do not need to worry; you already get too much calcium. You do not need to add more. Avoid other calcium enriched foods such as soy, orange juice, baby food cereals, and pasta. Remember bones are made of minerals. There are 78 different minerals the body needs—not just calcium They must all be present in the diet for the body to function properly, biologically, chemically, electrically, physiologically in order to live a longer, healthier life. So where do you get all these 78 minerals? The best source of minerals is from plants. Plants take inorganic minerals from the soil and convert them to organic so the body can use them. The problem is that most soil is depleted of all the essential minerals that we need. As a gardener I can testify to this fact, and I now supplement my soil in my garden with these essential minerals. You can also grow sprouts, and the next best choice (and my favorite) is Celtic sea salt. These are the complete spectrum of our minerals.

2. Too much salt causes high blood pressure. That may be true if you consume regular table salt which is only 2 minerals and not in a natural state. However, if you consume Celtic sea salt, have all that you want, for it is healthy for your body. In fact, low sodium can actually increase heart conditions by slowing down the sodium pump as well as the ability to cope with stress, cause adrenal exhaustion and lack of energy.

Nerves & Electricity

2011-05-23T07:29:00.001-05:00

At the University of Colorado in the school of bio-mechanical research, they took an experimental animal and cut the spinal nerves supplying an organ. Did the organ live or die? Correct-- It died. Then they hooked up the nerve to an electrode and connected it to a monitor and a light bulb. They found a wave pattern on the monitor and the light bulb lit up. What did this prove? Electricity! Not something similar to, but exactly like electricity. An electrical impulse traveling through the nerve generated by the brain. This is not surprising because we’ve been having electrical tests done on nerves for years now. An example would be an EKG or an EEG. So it turns out that the brain is like a huge generator of electricity. However there has to be a way to connect the generator to the body. This is what the nervous system does. Though the point of this experiment was to investigate what happened to these wires or nerves when they had pressure applied to them. So, here’s what they did: they applied 20 mm of pressure to the nerve root. This is about the weight of a dime. They found the electrical energy was reduced by 50%. When they doubled this pressure to 40 mm of mercury of pressure, the light bulb went out. This was an amazing example of what happens to the function of your nervous system when you have a subluxation. The purpose of chiropractic is to correct subluxations and thereby restore your optimal health potential.

The Smoke Alarm Analogy

2011-05-16T06:32:00.002-05:00

What would you do? It’s 3:00 in the morning, and suddenly you’re awakened to the sound of your smoke alarm going off? Now you have a couple of choices. Will you get up, take the battery out of the smoke alarm, and go back to bed as if everything is OK, or will you investigate to see what is causing the smoke alarm to sound off? I suspect you would do the latter, and I would recommend that.

However, with our health, we have been taught that if we have a pain (which is like the smoke alarm, a signal to tell you something is wrong) or if we have another symptom, if we can take a drug and get rid of the symptom, then everything is OK. This is definitely NOT the case.

The fire that started the signal will continue to rage inside your body until it destroys more and more of your “house” (which is your body).

The reason that we have done this for generations now is that when we have a signal we call the good firemen (which is the medical doctor) and he comes over to our house or we go to his fire station, and he removes the battery from our fire alarm. Then he says you can go home and reinsert the fire alarm as if everything is OK.

Of course, we realize how ridiculous this is and we would never call a person who did that a good fireman, but that is what happens with our body under traditional medical care. Therefore, it’s time to find a truly good fireman that can help you find the cause or fire inside your body that is causing the alarm.

And it just so happens that your body is created by God with an amazing ability to heal itself. And this healing happens according to a very exact program. This program is run by your nervous system. Therefore, if we have 100% nerve flow from our brain to our body, we have our best chance to get healthy and stay healthy. This is the ultimate goal of chiropractic.

Subluxation Defined

2011-05-09T08:25:00.002-05:00

Does anybody else besides me like to have a nice beautiful green lawn? I’m sure you do, and I’m sure you probably had to water your lawn to keep it this way. Well, let’s imagine that you’re watering your lawn and your lawn is beautiful and green; and then, unknown to you, someone comes along and puts a kink in your garden hose. Now you turned your water on and you believe that the lawn is still getting the same amount of water, but is it? Of course not! This is similar to what happens to your body when you have a subluxation. A spinal nerve is being interfered with or irritated, therefore decreasing the amount of nerve flow that gets to your body. Now, the question is---is your body as healthy? Of course not! That is the whole purpose of chiropractic, it is to remove the pressure off the nerves so that the nerve energy can flow the way it is designed and created to. Just as the water flows through the water hose to water your lawn.

Stop Craving Sugar

2011-05-02T08:37:00.001-05:00

Many of you have noticed that you have a craving for sugar. Did you know that this is natural? Not sugar in itself, but the craving for sweets is natural. Even breast milk is sweet. However, today, our taste buds have been overdeveloped because of artificial sweeteners, and high content of sugar in our foods. Therefore to curb these cravings in the beginning, it is helpful to take a supplement called chromium. Chromium helps to stop sugar cravings, and as you begin to eat more “real” food, your body will begin to crave those things instead of the sugary snacks which harm your health.

Keeping your Liver Clean and Healthy

2011-04-25T05:57:00.002-05:00

Did you know that your liver has over 500 different functions? The liver is the master filter for your body. Anything that is not completely natural has to be filtered and processed through the liver; therefore, in our current environment and lifestyles, the liver is under continual stress.

Think of the liver as the oil filter on your car. The filter, as it cleans the oil, begins to build up deposits. The liver does the same thing and must be continually taken care of by giving it the proper nutrients to cleanse and detoxify itself. Therefore, I recommend the ABC’s of the liver, which is apple, beets, carrots. If you have these three things every day, you will give the body the nutrients that it needs to keep a healthy liver, which will also decrease your cholesterol by as much as 50%.

“A” represents ½ of a red apple every day. “B” represents ¼ cup of beets every day. “C” represents 4-5 baby carrots per day. I know many of you may not be accustomed to eating beets, but there are several ways you can prepare these: you can juice these along with apples and carrots (which is delicious and healthful), you can also boil them and eat them like a sweet potato with some agave or honey and a little bit of butter or coconut oil. You can also grate them fresh on your salad. You can also bake them with a little balsamic vinaigrette and sea salt (Celtic preferably). Doing this daily will assure having good liver function and better overall health.

Treat ADHD Naturally, part 1 of 3

2011-04-20T08:36:00.000-05:00

The Truth about Cholesterol

2011-04-18T06:07:00.002-05:00

Let’s talk about cholesterol. Cholesterol has been made out to be a dirty word. However, cholesterol is an essential ingredient for optimal health. It is the precursor to many hormones, as well as necessary for healthy nerve function and the conversion of vitamin D from exposure to the sun, which explains why about 50% of all elderly are vitamin D deficient, because most of them are taking cholesterol-lowering drugs. Cholesterol-lowering drugs will virtually guarantee that an older person will have a vitamin D deficiency. One of the hormones that cholesterol is converted to is cortisol. These 2 go together and they are essentially for putting out fires in the body.

We can think of cortisol as the firemen and cholesterol as the fire truck. When cholesterol is elevated, it tells you there is a stress response for “fire” going on inside your body. Instead of trying to remove the fire trucks, what we should be asking is “What’s causing the fire?” In my practice the 3 most common causes of fire or stress response in the body come from the “3 S’s”---Subluxation, stress, and sugar.

Subluxation causes interference in the nervous system which causes the body to go under any physical stress. Emotion stress also causes the body to undergo chemical and physical changes, and lastly, sugar is a chemical stressor to the body. Two other common chemical stressors to the body are trans fats, which is partially hydrogenated oils, and dairy products. These stressors will cause your cholesterol to go up; however this is a totally intelligent response of the body to try to preserve your life. Cholesterol is not the problem. There is another problem that needs to be corrected, and lowering your cholesterol artificially with harmful drugs will not put out the fire.

The Germ "Theory"

2011-04-11T06:12:00.003-05:00

Why do you think they call it the germ “theory”? That’s right, you guessed it. Because it’s a theory. Not fact, not proven, not science. Just like the evolution theory, it is someone’s idea of trying to explain something they cannot understand. The problem is that no one knows everything and everyone can be wrong. The fact is that all people do not respond the same way to viruses and bacteria. For instance, every year when the flu bug comes around, everyone is exposed to it, but not everyone gets the flu. This refutes the germ theory of disease. Do you think germs cause disease or germs take advantage of a lowered resistance? Seems to me to make more sense to focus on the resistance rather than trying to kill all of the germs with antibiotics which cause the resistance of the body to be further lowered, therefore causing you to be more susceptible to a recurring infection.

The Oil Light

2011-04-04T06:06:00.000-05:00

If I were driving down the road and my car oil light went on, what if I said, “Oh, my car is sick!” and stopped at the drug store and bought some tape to cover the light? Would that make sense? No, of course not! What if I took the car home and put it in the garage and just hoped it would be better tomorrow? No, well of course the smart thing to do would be to test the oil level and put the oil in the engine—not where the oil light is, but IN the engine where it is needed. It’s like taking drugs to cover up the pain when pain is often like the oil light in the car and far from what is the cause. Chiropractic care deals with the cause, not just covering up the oil light, but correcting the problem. Of course the difference in this analogy is even if you don’t change the oil, your engine will probably blow up and you will have to buy a new car. But the problem is you can’t buy a new you. This is the only body you will ever get, so it’s your job to care for it properly.

Some Ways the Auto Industry Would Change if it Operated like Drug Companies

2011-03-30T06:17:00.000-05:00

What would happen if you had to buy your car from a company that operated in the same way as the pharmaceutical industries?

Let’s consider the cost. Your car would cost $4.5 million, a 30,000% markup over cost! The same car would be available in Canada or Mexico for less than $5,000.

What about competition? Auto makers would be lobbying Congress to outlaw bicycles and airplanes just as the drug companies try to do with herbs and nutritional supplements. All auto imports would be banned. If you drove a Toyota down from Canada you would be arrested. Car dealers would be bribed with money, free vacations, free food, and free cars by automobile sales representatives to push certain cars.

How would it affect safety? Cars with no seat belts, air bags, or other safety systems would be declared perfectly safe by the FDA which would instead focus on the dangers of bicycles. Drivers Ed programs would be canceled nationwide and people would be encouraged to buy new cars rather than repair damaged ones or avoid accidents in the first place. Safety tests showing that cars were dangerous would be buried, and scientists who produced such results would be prevented from ever conducting car safety tests ever again. After being sued by customers injured in the cars with no safety systems, automakers would further lobby Congress to pass laws protecting car companies against class-action lawsuits. Driving certain cars would cause side effects like loss of sex drive or full-body muscle pain or death.

How about advertising? Car companies would heavily promote new models each year, which would be no different than the ones they were selling 30 years ago. Car companies would invent reasons for you to buy a dozen or more cars. Automobile advertising would be filled with pictures of happy, healthy, energetic drivers, but the cars would break down constantly, fail to perform as promised, and quickly stop working. Cars would be sold to you with extra features like sunroof, air conditioning, or a navigational system, but when the car arrived none of these features would be included, just as drug companies exaggerate the "multiple health benefits" of their products.

Stress Less Workshop part 1 of 3

2011-03-23T10:46:00.001-05:00

Stress Less Workshop part 2 of 3

2011-03-23T10:46:00.000-05:00

Stress Less Workshop part 3 of 3

2011-03-23T10:45:00.000-05:00

Rubber band illustration of Subluxation

2011-03-16T09:48:00.000-05:00

Health Transformation Challenge part 3 of 3

2011-01-13T10:08:00.000-06:00

Health Transformation Challenge, part 2 of 3

2011-01-13T10:07:00.001-06:00

Health Transformation Challenge, part 1 of 3

2011-01-13T10:07:00.000-06:00

Five Pillars of Chronic Illness, part 1 of 5

2010-12-14T10:49:00.000-06:00

This Recipe Will Change your Intermal Thermometer

2010-11-22T06:37:00.001-06:00

This health tip affects everyone, but especially women. If you wake up in the morning feeling like you're in the middle of a steam bath, welcome to the world of night sweats and hot flashes. These are caused by imbalances in your hormones, which also cause irregular menstrual cycles and poor health in general.

We live in an estrogen dominant society. It is everywhere--in the food we eat, the water we drink, and in the grass on which we walk. Synthetic estrogens from plastics, pesticides, and petrochemicals confuse the whole body.

Take the following steps to minimize or eliminate these problems:

1. Use only healthful personal care products, such as lotions and makeup without petrochemicals.

2. Avoid plastic as much as possible. Never eat or drink hot things out of plastic or Styrofoam.

3. Get a shower filter to eliminate the chlorine from the water.

4. Avoid sugar.

5. Take up to 12 milligrams of iodine daily.

6. Take one tablespoon of fish oil per day.

7. Have your spine adjusted regularly to prevent the effects of stress and subluxation on your nervous system.

How Stress Affects Hormone Levels

2010-11-15T06:42:00.001-06:00

Often when a person lives an on-the-go lifestyle, they will choose foods that are low in nutrients and high in toxins such as sugar and trans fats. This, combined with the stress of daily living, causes the adrenal glands to become fatigued. There is a constant over-demand to create hormones to handle every day stressors. Because of this, the adrenal glands will not be able to secrete hormones that are needed for sexual and life requirements because they are only making the hormones to handle the stress.

Because of adrenal gland fatigue you will experience difficulty maintaining optimal hormone levels. With adrenal gland fatigue it will be impossible to now to maintain optimal hormone levels--testosterone and progesterone will go down, and your thyroid will be affected.

A few tips to help your adrenal gland are:

1. Be sure to get a proper amount of sleep. Seven to nine hours is usually required, and it is best if you're in bed by around 10:00 P.M.

2. Include an apple a day in your diet, and include lots of healthy nuts (Raw NOT roasted or salted). This will give you the extra protein and fats you need.

3. Exercise regularly.

4. Be sure that your nervous system is functioning at 100% and that you are not subluxated, especially in the lower back or lower neck areas, which affect the adrenal and thyroid glands.

Three Leading Factors of Poor Health

2010-11-08T06:24:00.000-06:00

Over the next few weeks I would like to talk about three of the leading factors of poor health. These all begin with the letter S, and in combination, they are devastating to your organs and emotional well being. These three leading factors are subluxations, sugar, and stress. All three of these increase as we enter into the holiday season.

Have you ever heard of the term "comfort food"? This is another way to describe massive amounts of carbohydrates. Chocolate is one of the most commonly consumed items, and it can become addictive, causing highs and lows. Combined with stress and other sugars creates chaos in the body.

Many people crave sugar. Stress, subluxations, and the consumption of sugar cause an increase in excretion of minerals causing deficiencies, especially chromium and magnesium.

Rarely do I meet someone who eats enough greens and raw vegetables in their diet. I recommend a green salad daily or at least five apples and beets or greens 4 to 5 times a week.

Lastly, to increase your resistance to the effects of sugar, increase the amount of protein you eat. Remember vegetables do have protein, and also include some good fats, this includes supplementing with fish oil and adding avocados to your salad. Take these steps to prevent these S's from destoying your health. More next week

Tuesday's health tip

2010-11-02T09:40:00.000-05:00

If your spine were on your face, you would take better care of it :-) Scripture of the day---"Whosoever shall confess that ...Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he is in God." I John 4:15

Prescription Drugs Surpass Illegal Drugs as Cause of Death

2010-10-26T06:30:00.001-05:00

A report by the Florida Medical Examiners Commission has concluded that prescription drugs have outstripped illegal drugs as a cause of death. An analysis of 168,900 autopsies conducted in Florida in 2007 found that three times as many people were killed by legal drugs as by cocaine, heroin and all methamphetamines put together. According to state law enforcement officials, this is a sign of a burgeoning prescription drug abuse problem. "The abuse has reached epidemic proportions," said Lisa McElhaney, a sergeant in the pharmaceutical drug diversion unit of the Broward County Sheriff's Office. "It's just explosive."

In 2007, cocaine was responsible for 843 deaths, heroin for 121, methamphetamines for 25 and marijuana for zero, for a total of 989 deaths. In contrast, 2,328 people were killed by opioid painkillers, including Vicodin and Oxycontin, and 743 were killed by drugs containing benzodiazepine, including the depressants Valium and Xanax.

Subluxation and Cheer!

2010-09-09T07:42:00.000-05:00

Subluxation robs the body of focus to think and metabolism to heal.

-----Scripture of the day-----
"Be of good cheer." John 11:33
(Even when seemingly defeated by adversities because victory is absurdly impossible to everyone, except God!)

Health Tip

2010-09-08T11:16:00.001-05:00

Posture is the window to your spine. Bring your family in today for a posture checkup!

-----Scripture of the day-----
“Jesus saith unto them, my meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and finish His work.” Psalm 74:12

Beat Fatigue and Chronic Pain, part 1 of 5

2010-08-31T06:44:00.003-05:00

Beat Fatigue & Chronic Pain, part 2 of 5

2010-08-31T06:44:00.002-05:00

Beat Fatigue & Chronic Pain, part 3 of 5

2010-08-31T06:44:00.001-05:00

Beat Fatigue & Chronic Pain, part 4 of 5

2010-08-31T06:44:00.000-05:00

Beat Fatigue & Chronic Pain, part 5 of 5

2010-08-31T06:38:00.000-05:00

Beat Fatigue and Chronic Pain, part 1 of 5

2010-08-26T10:11:00.000-05:00

On YouTube, you can watch this video as well as the other clips from this week's workshop at Clark Chiropractic.

Thursday's Health TIp

2010-08-26T06:27:00.001-05:00

Recipe for wellness--Eat well, drink well, exercise, and stay adjusted! Our office is closed on Fridays, so remember to get your adjustment today to keep you well through the weekend.

Scripture for today--"In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me." Psalm 56:11

Health Secrets of Centenarians part 1 of 5

2010-08-25T06:49:00.002-05:00

This and the rest of the videos from the workshop are available on YouTube.

Wednesday's Health Tip

2010-08-25T06:07:00.001-05:00

At Clark Chiropractic one of our goals is lifetime family wellness for the whole family.

Scripture for today--"Praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise Him, all ye people. For His merciful kindness is great toward us; and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord!" Psalm 117

Tuesday's Health Tip

2010-08-24T06:11:00.000-05:00

Your spine and nervous system should be properly maintained from birth. Bring your baby to us for a checkup soon!

Scripture thought for today--"By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life." Proverbs 22:4

Monday's Health Tip

2010-08-23T06:22:00.001-05:00

It's not how you're FEELING; it's how you're HEALING that matters! Get adjusted!

Scripture thought for today--"Behold, I am the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me?" Jeremiah 32:27

The Best Way to Avoid Dangerous Birth Procedures---Home Birth

2010-08-19T06:35:00.002-05:00

You are probably thinking; "So what is my alternative then?" Well, I have always been a proponent of Home Birth. Many moms may feel a bit uneasy about having their baby at home – relax you are not alone - nor will you be alone during your delivery. Amazingly knowledgeable and competent midwives will be assisting you.

This headline appeared on Web MD: "Home Births Safe for Most". It reported on a recent study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. In this study, researchers compared the outcomes of 862 planned home births attended by midwives with those of planned hospital births attended by either midwives (571) or physicians (743). The results of the study showed that women who gave birth at home attended by a midwife had fewer procedures during labor compared with women who gave birth in a hospital setting attended by a physician. The study also suggests that home births have a lower incidence of infection and use of drugs for pain. Additionally, women in the home birth group were less likely to have epidural analgesia, have their labor induced, or have an episiotomy.

And as far as the overall safety of home births, the researchers concluded that the number of deaths was similar to that found in other studies and the difference in death rate between the two groups was too small to be statistically important. The conclusions of the researchers as published in the journal were as follows: "There was no increased maternal or neonatal risk associated with planned home birth under the care of a regulated midwife. The rates of some adverse outcomes were too low for us to draw statistical comparisons, and ongoing evaluation of home birth is warranted."

In a commentary article in the same issue, Régis Blais, MD, from the Université de Montréal, agrees that this study "provides valuable information about the safety of home birth that should help expectant parents make their choice of place of birth and caregiver."

Birth Procedures and Chiropractic

2010-08-18T06:08:00.000-05:00

The greatest difficulty we, as chiropractors, have with all these procedures is that they lead to the increased possibility of Vertebral Subluxations in the baby's spine - not a good thing! And because these procedures and rituals are so commonly used, I am adamant about checking your children to make certain their spine is functioning optimally, their nervous system is allowed to control their body as was designed, and they have the best of health. That is my mission. So please, talk to me – let's get your kids checked!

Tomorrow, we'll conclude this discussion with my preferred alternative to these procedures---Home Birth!

Dangers of Pitocin, continued

2010-08-17T07:11:00.000-05:00

You may not be aware of this, but a class action lawsuit was filed in Tennessee a few years ago against the manufacturer of Pitocin.

The lawsuit alleged that it is "dangerously defective" and may be linked to the deaths of several mothers during childbirth and health problems with some babies. One doctor said he was "shocked" at the news of the lawsuit. "I'm sure someone has a legitimate concern, but this is really surprising to me," Dr. Peter Marks said. "All the hospitals, obstetricians and gynecologists use it almost every day. I wouldn't know how to practice without it, it's useful." Marks did say that the drug can sometimes be overused. The lawsuit alleged that the drug itself isn't causing the problems; rather it is a preservative in the mixture called chlorobutanol which is said to cause these dangerous side effects. In addition to possibly causing deaths of mothers during childbirth, some suggest its use may be linked to autism in some babies and low oxygen levels in others. The manufacturer of the drug says there are some health risks for some women given the drug.

I'll bet you are feeling better already.

The Dangers of Pitocin

2010-08-16T06:07:00.001-05:00

And while I'm on the subject of birth, let's talk about Pitocin, the synthetic hormone used in order to stimulate Labor. Are there problems with the use of Pitocin? Yes! How did you know?

Oxytocin, your body's natural hormone used to promote labor, is secreted in bursts. However, when you, as a mom, are given pitocin you are placed on a regulated intravenous pump, to regulate the amount ofpitocin to a steady flow. Therefore, pitocin-induced contractions are entirely different from your body's own natural contractions, in both strength and effect.

With pitocin, the force of the contraction may decrease uterine blood flow (this also occurs during a natural contraction, but not for as long of a period and not as close together) therefore, reducing the oxygen to the baby. You will also receive continuous electronic fetal monitoring while on a pitocin drip. This is because fetal distress is more common with pitocin and needs to be detected as soon as it occurs. I'll bet this makes you feel better already!

Pitocin can be the first domino in the domino effect. The IV, the infusion pump, and the continuous monitoring will confine most moms to bed, decreasing the ability to deal with contractions naturally. And with more painful contractions, a mother is more likely to need pain medication, such as an epidural anaesthesia – I have already discussed this in a previous post.

Pitocin can present other hazards. For mom, these include: turbulent labor and contractions - which may cause early separation of the placenta (placenta previa), rupture of the uterus, lacerations of the cervix or post-birth hemorrhage. Fetal hazards include: fetal asphyxia and neonatal hypoxia (reduced oxygen to the baby) from too frequent and prolonged uterine contractions, physical injury, and premature delivery if the due date is not accurate.

More tomorrow...

More Birth Procedures & Rituals

2010-08-12T05:39:00.000-05:00

Forceps and Vacuum extraction: These procedures can use up to 140 lbs. of force to literally pull the baby "out." These are the main two that cause most of the health problems seen in children and even adults. The forces applied to the head and neck of the baby cannot only cause Vertebral Subluxations, but also can cause nerve and spinal cord injuries as well. These subluxations affect the baby's nervous system and are a great threat to health, not only immediately, but also can affect the health of that child even into adulthood – perhaps even you!

As well, forceps-assisted childbirth significantly boosts a woman's risk of fecal incontinence. Approximately 10% of moms report experiencing fecal incontinence during their first year following childbirth. Those moms whose deliveries involved forceps and who experienced tears in the anal sphincter, were at double the risk of fecal incontinence during the three months following delivery, compared with mothers whose deliveries did not involve forceps. So....the moral of this story is to give this much thought before allowing forceps to be used.

Caesarean sections: These have been increasingly popular with the advent of EFM, Amniocentesis, and Chorionic Villi sampling. It seems to be presented as a very simple procedure – much like a zipper on the abdomen that is opened and the baby is gently taken out. Many parents do not realize that it IS surgery.

As soon as the abdomen is cut, the uterus tends to contract to protect thebaby. This often necessitates the use of steel retractors to open the uterus, then forceps and vacuum extraction to deliver the baby. Of course, the mother is anesthetized so she can't feel pain. Many forget that the anaesthetic that mom is given, also crosses the placenta and affects the baby. Definitely not the birth of choice!

However, C-section seems to be used increasingly by most hospitals as the preferred method of delivery, for it provides a hospital with a definite date and time of delivery - the baby is born at a pre-arranged time. No one is inconvenienced and no golf games are thus interrupted.

What great discovery!

Another tid-bit that I'll share with you is that natural childbirth may prevent a baby from developing Asthma later in life – a recent study followed 1,953 Finnish subjects from their birth in 1966 to their third decade of life in 1997. The 5.3 % of subjects who were delivered via Cesarean section were three times more likely to have developed asthma by age 31, compared with subjects delivered vaginally. Amazing!

Birth Procedures and Rituals (continued)

2010-08-11T06:10:00.003-05:00

Electronic Fetal Monitoring (EFM): This is used by most hospitals although there has been little testing done to determine its efficacy. Latest research does indicate that it increases parent panic and has increased C-sections by 400 percent. Listen....There is nothing more chilling for parents to hear during delivery than the words,"the baby's heart rate is dropping." This is the point where all logic leaves and panic takes over. Most moms do not realize that it is quite normal for the heart rate of the baby to drop during each contraction. THIS IS NORMAL!!! However, parent panic will ensure total compliance by parents to any and all hospital procedures and rituals. Wonderful for the hospital bottom line!

Epidurals:This has been shown to increase labour time and cause fever in the mother, which is then treated with antibiotics for both mom and baby. Brilliant! As well, it does not allow the mother to "feel" her labour, which then necessitates the use of forceps, vacuum extraction, and even C-section to deliver the baby.

The Dangers of Ultrasounds in Pregnancy

2010-08-10T06:31:00.001-05:00

During the 1990s, a number of studies hinted that ultrasound scanning affected unborn babies. Research has suggested that subtle brain damage can cause people who ought genetically to be right-handed, to become left-handed. In addition, these people face a higher risk of conditions ranging from learning difficulties to epilepsy. The findings would mean that ultrasound scans are causing slight brain damage in thousands of babies each year.

Ultrasound scans, which were introduced in the 1960s, have long been regarded as a safe means of checking on the health of an unborn child. It uses high-frequency sound waves to give X-ray-like images of the inside of the womb. And according to Swedish researchers, the human brain undergoes critical development until relatively late in pregnancy, making it more susceptible to damage. In addition, the male brain is especially at risk, as it continues to develop later than the female brain. (OK….I realize I’ve just opened a whole can of worms and I can already visualize the jokes……but this is serious.)

Beverley Beech, Chairwoman of Britain's Association for Improvements in Maternity Services, criticized doctors for insisting, for years, that ultrasound was totally safe. "I am not sure at all that the benefits of ultrasound scans outweigh the downsides," Ms. Beech said. "We should be advising women to think very, very, carefully before they have scans at all."

Of greatest concern, however, is the fact that ultrasound affects the immature eggs of a female baby thus affecting her own children. Because this technology is relatively new, this last effect has not been investigated thoroughly, but parents everywhere should be cautious! I have to tell you one thing that really bothers me: Many couples want to see how their baby is developing and insist that a scan, in color and in 3-D, be done. Hmmm.......

Birth Procedures & Rituals

2010-08-09T06:19:00.002-05:00

A while back, we chatted about Traumatic Birth Syndrome (TBS) as well as In-Uterine Constraint that are the most significant cause of Vertebral Subluxations and nerve transmission damage in infants and children. All chiropractors are well aware of these two culprits.

However, as your doctor, I feel you should also be aware of well-accepted, recognized, and deeply rooted medical procedures and rituals, that may contribute to Traumatic Birth Syndrome, thereby affecting the health of your baby - even for life:

The first of these is Ultrasound. This procedure, many think, seems “safe” and innocuous. Current research, however, tells us that this is not so. First of all, ultrasound tends to cause an error in the way human cells function. Diagnostic ultrasound can cause genetic damage and alterations in cellular growth and function. It can also play havoc with our cell genetic code. This means that it is possible to create errors in the very code that makes your baby a Human Being. That would not be OK with me!

Ultrasound has also been associated with dyslexia, delayed speech, as well as demyelination (Myelin is the covering which protects nerves and prevents ‘short-circuits’) of the brain - not a good thing! This last effect was the result of a study done using rats but I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.

I also want you to know that Swedish scientists have uncovered evidence suggesting that ultrasound scans on pregnant women can cause brain damage in their unborn babies. In the most comprehensive study yet on the effects of scanning, a team of doctors found that men born to mothers who underwent scanning were more likely to show signs of subtle brain damage.

More on Ultrasounds tomorrow...

What One Medical Doctor Says:

2010-08-04T09:28:00.000-05:00

"I was reading when I first felt a dull ache in my lower back. The ache continued on and off for days.

I knew that a car accident in my childhood had caused a severe lordosis or abnormal curvature of the lumbar (LOW BACK) vertebrae, but the injury had never affected me until now.

Being a medical doctor, I followed the typical route of back x-rays and orthopedic surgeons. I was told I could avoid lying down on my back, tolerate the pain or try surgery.

Not one of these appealed to me.

My brother-in-law advised me to visit a chiropractor. After a month of adjustments, I could read without any back pain. After five months of adjustments, I drove 18 hours back to New Jersey without any back pain.

Until then, my limit in a car was 30 minutes.

It's not the rapid recovery from pain that amazes me.

It's my profession. As a medical doctor, I had been an "alleged" non-believer in chiropractic. However, now I obviously believe in it.

The pain in my right sacroiliac joint is gone. My knowledge of anatomy, physiology and biochemistry only strengthen my anticipation of the day when chiropractic is the brother of medicine."

Dr. Harry Llewellyn

More Hair Loss Info

2010-08-03T07:57:00.000-05:00

A couple of thoughts. Stress depletes the body of minerals. Hair is made from minerals and protein. Those of you under stress will tend to have more issues with hair loss. Adrenal gland stress, which is at epidemic proportions today, is one of the main reasons young men have hair loss. You need minerals to process fat; if you do not have enough oil, then you do not have the minerals to compliment hair growth and restoration – you might as well go and purchase your favorite ball team’s cap right now.

Get your Daily Dose of Fish Oil!! It could save your Hair!!

2010-08-02T08:48:00.004-05:00

I like what science does for us humans. They have created and completed scientific studies on laboratory animals wherein they restricted their diets from good oils and added unhealthy replacements; you know, the type of oils you eat every day - fried chicken nuggets, chips, cookies and pastries. The animals on the diet with poor quality oils started losing their hair. HELLO!! This is very important – young men need GOOD oil three times more than young ladies!! The lack of oil consumption is one of the reasons boys have ADHD more that their female counter parts. Gentleman, I would consume at least one teaspoon of fish oil daily. The Innate Choice Fish Oil I recommend has no fish taste or smell because it is ultra pure. Be sure to include other good oil like olive oil, flax seed or flax oil.

More info tomorrow....

French Dressing

2010-07-29T07:03:00.000-05:00

1/2 cup cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Udo's Choice Perfected Oil Blend or flaxseed oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup raw unfiltered honey
1 tbsp. paprika
3/4 cup salt free tomato puree
1 tbsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Celtic Sea Salt to taste (optional)

Blend all ingredients on high for about 30 seconds. Chill in covered container before serving.

Herb Vinaigrette Dressing

2010-07-27T08:05:00.000-05:00

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. dried basil (if using fresh, use twice as much)
1 tsp dried oregano or tarragon
1/4 tsp. Celtic sea salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard (optional)
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, minced
1/2 cup cold pressed sunflower oil or Udo's Choice Perfected Oil Blend
1/2 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled

Combine, in a jar, all ingredients except oils and shake well. Add oils and shake again; discard garlic.

Note: You may also want to add one or more of the following:
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, minced
1 tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves, minced
3 tbsp. fresh thyme

Cabbage Slaw Dressing

2010-07-26T09:08:00.001-05:00

1 cup raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1 cup cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. raw unfiltered honey (more or less to taste)
2 tsp garlic clove, peeled and chopped (important for flavor)
Celtic Sea Salt or vegetable seasoning to taste

Shake together in a bottle and serve. Will keep a long time in the refrigerator and improves with age!!

Kids First--Clark Chiropractic helps another baby with Sleep Problems!

2010-07-22T09:32:00.003-05:00

"My family is very grateful to Dr. Clark and his office for helping my seven month old daughter.

She had never been a great sleeper, but for the past several months it had gotten worse than usual. I tried everything, but nothing worked.

Finally, I had her looked at by Dr. Clark.

Now, only after two adjustments, she has started sleeping eight or nine hours at a time, naps better, and is a happier baby in general.

I am telling everyone I know about how chiropractic has helped my family!"

-Shelly Patton

Kids First---Another Clark Chiropractic Testimonial

2010-07-20T06:42:00.002-05:00

"My twenty-two month old son has been constantly ill since his birth. He has been in the hospital almost as much as he has been out of it.

And not one single time since he was born has he slept though out the night. He usually wakes up every two to three hours after we finally get him to fall asleep.

So I decided to bring him to Dr. Clark. After an exam and x-rays we found he had several subluxations.

Two days later I brought him in for his first adjustment and that night for the first time in his entire life he SLEPT THROUGH OUT THE NIGHT!!! In fact, he slept for a FULL 12 HOURS!

Thank you so very much, Clark Chiropractic, for helping my baby.

Sincerely,
April Anderson"

Our Patients Telling the Truth about Chiropractic!

2010-07-19T06:18:00.003-05:00

Today and for the next few days, we'll be posting written testimonials from patients of Clark Chiropractic.

"My daughter, Kyla, has been receiving adjustments for over a year now, since she was five years old. Each doctor has always made her feel safe and comfortable during each visit.

My daughter has multiple medical conditions and we have learned how essential chiropractic health is to achieving an overall healthy body. During her course of treatment my daughter's body has been healing and staying more healthy.

She has even had a certain adjustment done to relieve a nasty ear infection. We are thankful for the knowledge that has been shared with us and the care we have received at Clark Chiropractic!"---Tammi Howard

Chiropractic and Pregnancy--in Conclusion

2010-07-08T06:04:00.003-05:00

Our goal as a chiropractor is to correct the subluxations in the pelvis to help balance the uterus and allow the baby to get into a better position.

Chiropractic adjustments for a pregnant woman are specific, gentle, and safe.

Besides increasing a pregnant woman's comfort level, an aligned pelvis can result in a quicker, safer, and easier birth. When a baby is in breech or transverse position a cesarean section is almost always performed.

Because they are so common, many people forget that c-section is a major abdominal surgery and can be risky.

Helping the baby to get into a proper head-down position by balancing the pelvis and ligaments helps avoid c-sections due to baby positioning.

Other variations in baby position such as a tilted head or a "sunny side up" baby (face up during delivery) can also be caused by pelvic imbalance and may result in a more difficult, painful, and longer labor and delivery. And don't forget. Once the baby is born, he or she needs to be adjusted!

Clark Chiropractic Helps you Maintain Long-term Health

2010-07-07T08:46:00.000-05:00

Stress Less part 1 of 5

2010-07-07T08:45:00.003-05:00

Stress Less part 2 of 5

2010-07-07T08:45:00.002-05:00

Stress Less part 3 of 5

2010-07-07T08:45:00.001-05:00

Stress Less Part 4 of 5

2010-07-07T08:45:00.000-05:00

Stress Less part 5 of 5

2010-07-07T08:44:00.000-05:00

More about Chiropractic and Pregnancy

2010-07-07T07:57:00.002-05:00

If a woman's low back and pelvis was out of alignment BEFORE her pregnancy, it is even harder for her back and pelvis to adjust. When the pelvis is subluxated (misaligned), it affects her uterus and the position of the growing baby.

The uterus is connected to the pelvis by ligaments. Like a hot air balloon tethered to the ground, these ligaments work to keep the uterus in the proper place in the pelvis and allow support as the uterus grows to accommodate the growing baby. If her pelvis is subluxated, these ligaments can become torqued or twisted.

When the ligaments are affected, they directly affect the position of the uterus which can result in the baby not being in an optimal position. This type of situation may result in a breech baby or a transverse (sideways) baby.

Conclusion tomorrow...

Chiropractic and Pregnancy

2010-07-06T07:32:00.002-05:00

Chiropractic during pregnancy is an important part of pregnancy care.

Unfortunately, not enough women know of the benefits of chiropractic care both for themselves and their unborn baby. A woman's body undergoes an amazing amount of changes during pregnancy.

As her baby grows her musculoskeletal system must adjust accordingly to accommodate and prepare for delivery. Chiropractic care helps her body to stay aligned as these changes occur and also helps to keep the nervous system functioning at its optimal level.

Many pregnant women experience low back pain and hip pain. These discomforts are the result of the stresses put on the body by the "rapid growth" of the baby and changes the body must undergo to accommodate those adjustments. As her belly gets bigger, the woman's center of gravity changes.

The growth is so quick that it is often difficult for her low back and pelvis to adjust to this change. This causes stresses in those areas, resulting in misalignments (or subluxations) which then causes pain and dysfunction.

More tomorrow...

My Favorite Detox Recipe!!----Fresh Blueberries

2010-07-02T10:02:00.004-05:00

1. Go to Moorhead Blueberry Farm http://www.moorheadsblueberryfarm.com/ and spend an hour sweating while picking several pound of blueberries. They're in season right now. My family has picked over 150 lbs. already this year, and there's still plenty left for you!!

Their blueberries are so tasty, and because they use no pesticides, you are free to eat as many as you want while you're picking. Free breakfast, right??!

2. Take the next day or two to do a blueberry only fast---that means eat only blueberries, as many as you want, all day for a day or two. Heads up, there will be INTERESTING looking results. I'll say no more. LOL

3. Repeat for as long as the blueberries are in season. Get them while you can. They'll be out of season before you know it, and you'll have to wait until next year to do it again.

Question: Does the birth process affect spinal health?

2010-07-01T08:40:00.000-05:00

The newborn that knew only the warmth, softness, darkness, quite and comfort of the womb is suddenly exposed to a cold, noisy, hard, harsh, blinding world in today's "modern" hospitals. Separated from mother, often dangled from its heels and struck in on its rear, these procedures can cause permanent physical trauma and emotional scarring. Chiropractors have always recommended birth procedures that are the most natural, least invasive and stress-free for the newborn - respecting the emotional and physical healthy of the baby, and especially the delicate spinal cord and spinal column.

When Does a Baby Need a Spinal Checkup?

2010-06-30T07:56:00.001-05:00

I'm often asked this question. All infants need a healthy spinal column. An unhealthy spine can interfere with the normal function of the nervous system and may case serious health problems in infancy and later in life.

The late Larry Webster, D.C., the father of chiropractic care for children and founder of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, wrote numerous articles on the need of chiropractic for children. He said that there are six times in a baby's first year of life when spinal examinations are especially important:
1. After the birth process.
2. When the baby first holds his/her head up.
3. When the baby sits up.
4. When the baby starts to crawl.
5. When the baby starts to stand.
6. When the baby starts to walk.

With all you do for your newborn child, please ensure his or her spinal health with a a chiropractic spinal checkup.

Keep your Babies and Children Healthy with Chiropractic

2010-06-29T08:53:00.003-05:00

You do so many things to ensure your baby's health: during pregnancy you eat right; you avoid cigarettes, alcohol and all drugs (even aspirin, cold, flu and other over-the counter medications can damage your unborn child). After the baby arrives you breast-feed knowing that is the superior form of nutrition; in short, you do everything you can to make sure your baby is healthy.

But have you had your child's spine checked? An unhealthy spine can affect your child's health for his/her entire life. As a doctor of chiropractic, I am specially trained to check your child's spine for areas of distortion causing nerve damage-the vertebral subluxations complex (subluxations). I not only adjust my own kids, but also have helped hundreds of babies start life well with a healthy nervous system. Bringing in your family for care helps ensure that their bodies function at their best!

"Mommy, Don't you Want us to be Clear too?" COLOR Their Lives with Chiropractic

2010-06-28T06:32:00.001-05:00

"Mommy loves going to the Chiropractor. Ever since she's started, we've seen a huge change in her. She used to get Migraines every day, but now she rarely gets them. Daddy notices that Mommy sleeps through the night more often now and she wakes up in a much happier mood. She's even doing more around the house and spending more time with us reading, playing and just being a great mom. We never see her popping those pills anymore.

Mommy told us when she goes to the Chiropractor they check her for something called a Subluxation...that's what 's been making her sick all these years. They check her spine to see if she needs to get worked on. When she's CLEAR, she doesn't, but when she's not CLEAR they do something called an Adjustment to fix her. Mommy's been CLEAR for months now, and it's the healthiest she's been in a long time. We're all so happy for her and we love having our Mommy back. But we have one question...

With Mommy doing so well, we wonder if going to the Chiropractor could help us too. Daddy's always sore after work and has to take more and more medicine for his high blood pressure. My sister has to take an inhaler every day for her asthma, and I hate having to take stuff for my allergies and ear infections. We all want to be healthy like Mommy, but we don't know where else to turn. Maybe the Chiropractor can help us too, if Mommy would only bring us to get checked..."

Don't your loved ones deserve to live Subluxation Free too? It's our duty and pleasure to"check" them for potential health problems before they become big ones.

A Better Birth Story

2010-06-24T09:17:00.003-05:00

Have you ever seen childbirth? The mother comfortably sitting up in her home, awaiting the perfect God-chosen time for her newborn to come. There is pain, but her position allows her muscles to fully contract and gravity to assist this natural event that has been since the dawn of man. The labor is short. No drugs, no hospital, no cold uncomfortable bed, and no doctor directing the mother's sub-conscious (innate) at what time and how this life will come to be. Finally, the babe is birthed and is immediately given to its mother to continue bonding. Soon after birth , the newborn's spine is checked by a chiropractor to ensure there is no interference that would hinder its ability to thrive when faced with the insult that is life. Every day this child breathes, cries, and views life with 100% nerve flow and nervous function. No chemicals keep this child healthy, only the mother's milk that supplies all of the immunity a subluxation-free baby would need. It IS THE miracle this life lives past infancy.

The cycle continues. As this baby toddles, many insults, including bacteria and viruses we are all exposed to, are introduced. Utilizing its God-given ability to heal, this baby continues to be checked for subluxation on a regular basis before symptoms ever present themselves. The CAUSE is not present that is SUBLUXATION.

A Traditional, "Normal" Birth Story

2010-06-23T09:24:00.003-05:00

Have you ever seen childbirth? The mother taken prematurely to the emergency room as the doctor induces labor precisely on his schedule. There is no pain and labor is long because the mother is drugged to where her body cannot complete the God-given task of childbirth. All of the pulling and twisting to make it "easier" on the mother and more time efficient for the hospital and its staff causes unimaginable stress and strain on the newborn. This is the first subluxation. Soon after birth, this baby is ripped from its mother and bombarded with countless tests to ensure this new life is suitable. Every day, children in America take their first breath, make their first sound, and have their first view of life without 100% nerve flow and nervous function. Even before the child is given a chance to adapt to the insult that is life, doctors prescribe vaccines (poisons) further subluxating these newborn babies. It is a miracle we live past infancy.

The cycle continues. Because this baby is subluxated and cannot utilize its God-given ability to heal, bacteria and viruses we are all exposed to, cause symptoms. These symptoms are then given a name and a drug to make them abate. Never finding the CAUSE that is SUBLUXATION.

Tomorrow, you'll see the birth story God intends all our children should have....

Tips for Lessening the Muscle Soreness when Using Hand-held Devices

2010-06-22T06:28:00.003-05:00

1. Practice good posture when using any hand-held device. Sit in a chair that provides solid back support and keep feet comfortably on the floor.

2. Spend 10 minutes or less with your head tilted down looking at the device, and when possible hold the gadget at eye level.

3. When at home or in the office, connect the device to your keyboard or computer.

4. Take frequent breaks and alternate activities that use different muscle groups.

5. Watch out for warning signs of overuse, such as headaches, fatigue or muscle pain.

If you continue to feel soreness, pain or muscle strain after following these tips, it may be time for a visit to our office and some stretching and light exercises.

Health Maximizer Program Part 1 of 4

2010-06-21T07:03:00.001-05:00

Health Maximizer Program part 2 of 4

2010-06-21T07:03:00.000-05:00

Health Maximizer Program part 3 of 4

2010-06-21T07:02:00.001-05:00

Health Maximizer Program part 4 of 4

2010-06-21T07:02:00.000-05:00

iPods, Blackberries can be a Literal "Pain in the Neck"

2010-06-21T06:31:00.003-05:00

Bet you didn't know that cell phones, Blackberries, I-Pods, and hand-held games have Americans spending a lot of time peering DOWN at their laps.

While these gadgets are a source of entertainment for kids and the cell phones help us to stay connected to friends and coworkers, hand-held devices are also a source of muscle pain and injury.

I have seen a dramatic increase in the number of people complaining of pain as a result of their hand-held devices, and most patients don't realize how much looking down at a gadget can worsen neck, back, and shoulder problems.

When I say to patients, "Hold the device in your hands and then take a look at the way you're holding your body", I can see almost immediately the cause of their pain - poor posture and overused muscles.

SO, if YOU use your cell phone a lot you might want to consider today's topic as a wake up call.

To help lessen muscle soreness caused by popular hand-held devices, I am going to suggest the following: IN TOMORROW'S UPDATE!!! Stay tuned!!

ADHD Helped with Chiropractic Care, A Case Study

2010-06-17T06:59:00.002-05:00

In the October 2004 issue of the peer-reviewed research publication, the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT), comes a case study of a child with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperac

tivity Disorder), who was helped with chiropractic.

The case was of a 5 year old boy who had been diagnosed with ADHD at age 2. The child's pediatrician prescribed methylphenidate (Ritalin), Adderall, and Haldol for the next three years. The combination of drugs was unsuccessful in helping the child.

At age 5, the child was brought to a chiropractor to see if chiropractic care would help. The history taken at that time noted that during the child's birth, there were complications during his delivery process. The results of this trauma and complications resulted in a 4-day stay in the neonatal intensive care unit. The child's mother reported no other incidence of trauma.

The chiropractic examination and x-rays showed noticeable spinal distortion including a reversal of the normal neck curve indicative of subluxations. Chiropractic care was begun and the child's progress was monitored.

According to his mother, positive changes in her son's general behavior were noticed around the twelfth visit. By the 27th visit the patient had experienced considerable improvement.

The child was brought by the mother to the medical doctor for a follow up visit, and she questioned the usage of Ritalin. The medical doctor reviewed and examined the child and based on that assessment and his clinical experience, the MD felt that the young boy was no longer exhibiting symptoms associated with ADHD. He then took the boy off the medications that he had been taking for 3 years.

The conclusion of the author of the JMPT case study noted, "The patient experienced significant reduction in symptoms. Additionally, the medical doctor concluded that the reduction in symptoms was significant enough to discontinue the medication."

Adjustments for Babies are Safe, Gentle,and Effective!

2010-06-16T06:25:00.002-05:00

In this video, Dr. Clark adjusts his own 2 week old granddaughter, showing how gentle an adjustment can be for babies.

Research has Proven Chiropractic Care Can Help Your Colicky Baby

2010-06-16T06:09:00.003-05:00

Research on chiropractic care and colic has shown significant benefits over other treatments such as dietary changes, medication, and infant positioning. A randomized clinical trial published in 1999 in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that "Spinal manipulation is effective in relieving infantile colic." For this study the researchers randomly assigned infants diagnosed with colic into two groups. One group received chiropractic care for two weeks, and the other group was given the anti-gas medication dimethicone for two weeks. The babies in the chiropractic group showed a 67% decrease in crying while the babies on medication showed a 38% decrease in crying.

Another study with 316 children also showed significant improvement in colic in response to chiropractic care. This prospective study used diaries from mothers of colicky babies to track the amount of crying. The three month long study showed a "satisfactory result of spinal manipulative therapy in 94% of the cases". The improvements occurred after an average of only three adjustments within two weeks.

Chiropractic care is a conservative, gentle, and very successful option for treating infants with colic. Chiropractic adjustments for infants are specific, gentle, and safe.

Why Would You Get your Baby Adjusted?

2010-06-15T06:22:00.001-05:00

I've posted information similar to this before, but kids are important. I'm going to discuss colic. Colic is defined as inconsolable crying in an infant for at least three hours a day, at least three days a week, for at least three weeks. I think I forgot this after all my schooling, but I wanted to share this with you, as I feel it's important to all children.

A colicky baby typically presents with a loud piercing cry, flexed legs, tensed abdominal muscles, and clenched fingers. You might want to take your child to a pediatrician if this happens, but what about bringing them in for a checkup for a spinal problem?

Colic typically starts around three weeks of age and lasts until around three months, but sometimes lasts for as long as six months. Approximately 10-20% of babies are affected by colic. That's a lot of colic!! Medical doctors diagnose colic based on the previously mentioned "Rule of 3" and AFTER ruling out other diseases that make a baby cry uncontrollably.

Parents of infants with colicky babies report significantly higher stress levels than parents whose babies don't have colic.

The STRESS and FRUSTRATION of trying to soothe a colicky baby may interfere with mother-baby bonding and can increase the risk of postpartum depression in the mother. In addition, colicky babies are more likely to be the victims of child abuse and shaken baby syndrome. Despite the research done on colic, there is no known cause, which can make treatment difficult. Here's the good part. Chiropractic care has shown some of the best results, with 94% of colicky babies demonstrating improvement with chiropractic adjustments.

More info tomorrow....

The Story of Winifred Gardella

2010-06-14T06:15:00.003-05:00

In the early 1950's, Winifred Gardella was a poster child for the March of Dimes. Her picture was published in the newspapers to raise huge sums of money for the March of Dimes in San Francisco. Nationally, her image raised millions of dollars to help fight the dreaded crippler, POLIO. Her sad, innocent face and her tiny body supported on crutches and leg braces, made many Americans reach into their pockets to donate.

But the March of Dimes couldn't help Winifred. After two and a half years, under their doctor's expert care, her parents were told: "There is no hope."

Despite this dire prediction, her grandparents were determined to find a cure.

They were not about to accept the opinion of so-called "medical experts". They decided to choose their own health care approach and took Winifred to Dr. Lewis Robertson, a chiropractor.

In less than six months of having her nerve interference corrected, Winifred Gardella threw away her crutches and braces and went for a walk with her chiropractor.

She's been walking ever since!

Disease vs. Dis-Ease---Is There a Difference?

2010-06-11T08:09:00.000-05:00

Disease is a term used by medical doctors to describe something that has to do with a diagnosis.

When a doctor of chiropractic uses the word dis-ease it is indicative of your body being MINUS something that your body needs to be at its optimum health. Something needs to be restored, in order to help your body become normal again.

When your body is FREE of dis-ease, it is 100% normal and it has a better well being. This office wants to help restore your body to its optimum health.

Don't forget, if your body is in chronic pain or discomfort, pain that has lasted more than a few days, you most likely have had pressure on your nerves for some time now.

Call 281-354-8330 NOW!!!

Living Life Upside Down--part 2

2010-06-10T17:40:00.000-05:00

The effects of subluxations are not the end of the story. Health problems begin because of subluxations, and symptoms and conditions develop, then the patient starts on medical treatment. This treatment will most likely consist of drugs that only cover the symptoms and have toxic side effects, and cause more health problems. Gary Null, PhD. confirmed this in his article, "Death by Medicine". Studies from Harvard University confirm that each year $282 billion is spent on treating the effects of medical intervention. The same study revealed that over ten years, the deaths that are caused by medical intervention total 7,841,360 As Dr. Null points out, "a definite review of the medical peer review journals confirms that medicine frequently causes more harm than good."

Yet people, unknowing of any other option, continue to do the same things and continue to get the same results. But there is hope, because your body has an amazing ability to heal itself and to recover when there is no interference in the central nervous system. We must continue to take this message of hope to those that are suffering! Lets put things back in order in our universe and in our lives.

Remember the Power that made the body heals the body!! It happens no other way.

"We never know how far reaching something we may think, say or do today will affect the lives of millions tomorrow. Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness. Get the big idea and all else will follow." B.J. Palmer, D.C.

Living Life Upside Down

2010-06-09T06:34:00.002-05:00

"I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth." Ecclesiastes 10:7

There are strange occurrences in our world today. Once upon a time, it was God that decided when children were born. Now, it's a matter to be decided by the doctor or mother and it is based on convenience. There once was a time, when we trusted the God-given wisdom of the body to determine these things.

The consequences of these decisions of convenience are severe for the unsuspecting or unknowing child. Recent study in the journal Birth, September 2006, revealed that three times as many cesarean born children die in the first month of life. Yet cesarean rates continue to increase here in America.

Please allow me to share some insights from my experience and "why" this is true. First of all, birth has now become a procedure, and not a natural process. The more intervention that is involved in a birth, the more chances for problems for the child and for the mother. Ninety percent of children that we see, that were c-section births, have upper cervical (atlas) subluxations. This is the most delicate area of the neck and spinal cord and it causes the most health problems. The incidents of recurring ear infections, allergies, asthma, ADHD, and other childhood disorders increase dramatically with c-section deliveries.

These health problems that come with traumatic births do not stop in childhood. Subluxations are not out-grown, they only get worse and cause more health problems. Over fifty percent of the adult patients that we see have subluxations that date back to birth or early childhood.

More on this subject tomorrow...

A Closer Look at the Diminishing Health of America's Children

2010-06-08T12:23:00.001-05:00

America's children are plagued by chronic diseases. Over the next several days, I will be using statistics to show how the health of children has diminished in less than 30 years.

Yesterday we discussed autism and asthma. Here are a few more:

LEARNING DISABLED

796,000 children were classified as learning disabled in the mid 1970's. According to the U.S. Department of Education, three million learning-disabled children currently attend public schools.

ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD)

The National Center for Health Statistics reported that 1.6 million elementary school children had ADHD in 1997. Today, 4 million three to seventeen year olds are labeled with ADHD.

DIABETES

From 1945-1969, only one in 7,100 six to eighteen year olds were diabetic. Today, one in 400-500 children and adolescents are diabetic and 206,000 Americans under the age of 20 have type I diabetes.

ARTHRITIS

According to the Arthritis Foundation, one in three Americans has arthritis. More than 300,000 of these are children.

Thursday's health tip

2010-06-03T06:04:00.001-05:00

Corrective care returns 100% of nerve supply! Scripture of the day---"Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me?" Jeremiah 32:27

Tuesday's Health Tip

2010-06-01T06:32:00.001-05:00

Tuesday's health tip---If your spine were on your face, you would take better care of it :-) Scripture of the day---"Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he is in God." I John 4:15

Thursday's health tip

2010-05-27T06:07:00.001-05:00

You can't feel subluxation; that's why you should get regular check-ups. Scripture thought of the day---The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. Psalm 145:8

Citrus Spritz Smoothie

2010-05-25T06:34:00.001-05:00

2 frozen bananas
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 golden kiwis
1/2 cup fresh pineapple
1/4 cup almonds

Blend until smooth!

Another Recipe from Rhonda--homemade ice cream

2010-05-19T06:32:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year again----Ice Cream Time!!

You'll need: 1 ice cream maker, rock salt, and ice

Ingredients:

6 cups almond milk
1 vanilla bean, clip off ends
1 cup dates, pitted
1/2 cup raw unheated honey
1/4 cup cold pressed coconut butter or UDO'S CHOICE, Udo's 3.6.9.Oil blend

Blend until smooth. Freeze according to ice cream maker directions.

The above ingredients are how we start all of our ice creams. You can add any sweet fruit in an any amount that your prefer after that. Try carob-mint (raw carob powder and fresh mint herbs)!

CLARK CHIROPRACTIC & WELLNESS

Brain Based Therapy at Clark Chiropractic & Wellness

Brain Based Therapy at Clark Chiropractic & Wellness

What is a Probiotic and why should I Supplement with It?

Why Supplement with Fish Oil?

Why Supplement?

Child Neurology and Functional Development, continued

Child Neurology and Functional Development

Medicine is Finally Catching up with Chiropractic!

Supplements or Drugs?

Misconceptions about Fat

The Calcium Myth

Nerves & Electricity

The Smoke Alarm Analogy

Subluxation Defined

Stop Craving Sugar

Keeping your Liver Clean and Healthy

Treat ADHD Naturally, part 1 of 3

The Truth about Cholesterol

The Germ "Theory"

The Oil Light

Some Ways the Auto Industry Would Change if it Operated like Drug Companies

Stress Less Workshop part 1 of 3

Stress Less Workshop part 2 of 3

Stress Less Workshop part 3 of 3

Rubber band illustration of Subluxation

Health Transformation Challenge part 3 of 3

Health Transformation Challenge, part 2 of 3

Health Transformation Challenge, part 1 of 3

Five Pillars of Chronic Illness, part 1 of 5

This Recipe Will Change your Intermal Thermometer

How Stress Affects Hormone Levels

Three Leading Factors of Poor Health

Tuesday's health tip

If your spine were on your face, you would take better care of it :-) Scripture of the day---"Whosoever shall confess that ...Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he is in God." I John 4:15

Prescription Drugs Surpass Illegal Drugs as Cause of Death

Subluxation and Cheer!

Health Tip

Beat Fatigue and Chronic Pain, part 1 of 5

Beat Fatigue & Chronic Pain, part 2 of 5

Beat Fatigue & Chronic Pain, part 3 of 5

Beat Fatigue & Chronic Pain, part 4 of 5

Beat Fatigue & Chronic Pain, part 5 of 5

Beat Fatigue and Chronic Pain, part 1 of 5

Thursday's Health TIp

Health Secrets of Centenarians part 1 of 5

Wednesday's Health Tip

At Clark Chiropractic one of our goals is lifetime family wellness for the whole family.Scripture for today--"Praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise Him, all ye people. For His merciful kindness is great toward us; and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord!" Psalm 117

Tuesday's Health Tip

Your spine and nervous system should be properly maintained from birth. Bring your baby to us for a checkup soon!Scripture thought for today--"By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life." Proverbs 22:4

Monday's Health Tip

It's not how you're FEELING; it's how you're HEALING that matters! Get adjusted!Scripture thought for today--"Behold, I am the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me?" Jeremiah 32:27

The Best Way to Avoid Dangerous Birth Procedures---Home Birth

Birth Procedures and Chiropractic

Dangers of Pitocin, continued

The Dangers of Pitocin

More Birth Procedures & Rituals

Birth Procedures and Rituals (continued)

The Dangers of Ultrasounds in Pregnancy

Birth Procedures & Rituals

What One Medical Doctor Says:

More Hair Loss Info

Get your Daily Dose of Fish Oil!! It could save your Hair!!

French Dressing

Herb Vinaigrette Dressing

Cabbage Slaw Dressing

Kids First--Clark Chiropractic helps another baby with Sleep Problems!

Kids First---Another Clark Chiropractic Testimonial

Our Patients Telling the Truth about Chiropractic!

Chiropractic and Pregnancy--in Conclusion

Clark Chiropractic Helps you Maintain Long-term Health

Stress Less part 1 of 5

Stress Less part 2 of 5

Stress Less part 3 of 5

Stress Less Part 4 of 5

Stress Less part 5 of 5

More about Chiropractic and Pregnancy

Chiropractic and Pregnancy

My Favorite Detox Recipe!!----Fresh Blueberries

Question: Does the birth process affect spinal health?

At Clark Chiropractic one of our goals is lifetime family wellness for the whole family.

Scripture for today--"Praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise Him, all ye people. For His merciful kindness is great toward us; and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord!" Psalm 117

Your spine and nervous system should be properly maintained from birth. Bring your baby to us for a checkup soon!

Scripture thought for today--"By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life." Proverbs 22:4

It's not how you're FEELING; it's how you're HEALING that matters! Get adjusted!

Scripture thought for today--"Behold, I am the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me?" Jeremiah 32:27