Chiropractic For Hypertension
Do you or someone you know suffer from high blood pressure, aka hypertension? It’s a common condition where the long-term force of the blood against your artery walls is high enough that it could cause health problems such as heart disease or stroke. Typically, people use pills to lower their blood pressure, but for those who want to avoid medications, there’s chiropractic care for reducing hypertension.
Chiropractic adjustments made to the thoracic spine with the assistance of instruments can help change a person’s pulse rate. In a study with 290 adult participants, those who had instrument-assisted spinal adjustments made to their upper thoracic region experienced a decrease in both their systolic and diastolic blood pressure of about 7 percent.
Indeed, chiropractic care helps people’s musculoskeletal system and can be good for the heart, too. So often people immediately think they need a pill to “fix” their problem, but there are natural ways for the body to heal and improve itself, such as chiropractic care.
If you want to avoid the costly reliance on medication that may or may not work for reducing your high blood pressure, consider chiropractic care at Lakewoods as an alternative. Furthermore, as a person adjusts their diet, eating healthier, and exercising more, good things happen with their blood pressure. A chiropractor can encourage you to “get on the right track” with those things. It’s not unusual for a chiropractor to offer some nutritional counseling and show patients good exercises to do at home in order to feel better all over!
Want to kickstart the lowering of your blood pressure today? Then it’s time to get rid of a diet high in salt, fat and/or cholesterol. All those things contribute to hypertension. With the help of your chiropractor, who can be your cheerleader and guide in making some adjustments in your life, you can feel much better and avoid problems associated with chronic high blood pressure.
Tired of having hypertension? Want a drug-free solution? Make an appointment at Lakewoods Chiropractic in Forest Lake, MN. Lakewoods Chiropractic is located at 255 Highway 97 (#2A) in Forest Lake. Please call 651-464-0800 or email [email protected] for more info.
The GutOBrain Axis
How’s your brain connected to your gut? Well, did you know you’ve got a “little brain” in your gut? Scientists call it the “enteric nervous system (ENS)” and it contains some 100 million nerve cells lining your gastrointestinal tract. It goes from your esophagus to your rectum!
Unlike the brain in your head, the ENS controls digestion. It’s in charge of things like swallowing and breaking down food. Meanwhile, it communicates with the brain in your head. It can send out signals to your central nervous system to help trigger mood changes.
Do you or someone you know suffer from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)? For those who do, it means constipation, diarrhea, upset stomach, bloating and pain… all things that interfere with normal everyday life. Those with IBS tend to also suffer from depression and anxiety. Perhaps this is due to the link between the ENS and the brain in the head. Because a person’s bowel isn’t working well, the brain tells the body to feel depressed or anxious. It’s an interesting theory, right?
While some people choose pills (antidepressants) to deal with their IBS, there’s an alternative: chiropractic care. A chiropractor manipulates the spine and other parts of a person’s nervous system in order to remove nerve interferences and make sure “everything’s lined up as it should be.” Imagine your insides as being a series of highways. Sometimes there are traffic jams or roadblocks, and you feel pain… A chiropractor uses his or her hands or an instrument to reset those highways so messages can get where they need to go without problems.
So, if you want to improve the communications between the brain in your head and the brain in your gut to help relieve symptoms of IBS and other digestive issues, consider making an appointment at Lakewoods Chiropractic in Forest Lake, MN. Lakewoods Chiropractic is located at 255 Highway 97 (#2A) in Forest Lake. Please call 651-464-0800 or email [email protected] for more info.
Is Fear Taking Over Your Life?
For some people, they’re naturally nervous, fearful or anxious. And, thankfully, they can find ways to calm down. Some choose to play sports like tennis or golf. Others get lost in their hobbies like putting puzzles together, HO train layouts, or collecting dolls or Matchbox cars. Still, with the coronavirus pandemic having overtaken the media, and the world, this year, more and more people are living in fear on a daily basis.
Have you not gone out of your house in months? Have you had to have groceries delivered? Do you worry about touching things without sanitizing your hands? Did you decide to give up handshakes and hugs?
This pandemic is the pits! It’s making even confident people question what’s going on, how long this will last, and what will happen in the future. Indeed, not knowing the outcome of “all this” makes many people have sleepless nights. Are we, as a society, more miserable than a few months ago? Definitely! We can’t travel like we used to. We can’t go to certain places because they’re closed. And we may know people who have died from the virus. It’s awful.
That said, are you letting fear take over your life? If so, that’s not good for your health. When your body is consistently in a state of fear and anxiety, your brain releases stress hormones on a regular basis. This can result in headaches, dizziness and depression. When your body responds to a threat it releases adrenaline and cortisol– and if it’s doing that a lot, lately, then you’re likely to gain weight. You’re also likely to experience heart palpitations and chest pain as well as nausea, diarrhea and other digestive issues. Being worried all the time can also mess up your immune system and respiratory system as well.
Social isolation is not good. Have you been feeling depressed lately? Do you have frequent headaches and muscle tension? Chances are that fear and anxiety are overwhelming you, not only mentally but physically, too. Therefore, consider getting some help. If you need to relax, make an appointment at Lakewoods Chiropractic in Forest Lake, MN. The chiropractor can find places in your body where there’s tension and help release it, taking some of your pain away. Chiropractors help the body heal itself. And it’s always good to talk to someone about the fear and stress you’re experiencing– sometimes just verbally sharing what’s going on with you can help calm your nerves.
Lakewoods Chiropractic is located at 255 Highway 97 (#2A) in Forest Lake. Please call 651-464-0800 or email [email protected] for more info.
Losing Weight May Prevent Back Pain
If you’re like most people, last New Year’s Eve you vowed to lose weight this year. How’s that going? Most people are seemingly heavier than before, especially thanks to the coronavirus pandemic which has caused much of the U.S. population to stay indoors, in their homes, holed up for months.
Sheltering in place has led to weight gain of up to 16 pounds for 76 percent of Americans, according to a study commissioned by Nutrisystem. It has been harder to stay physically active and maintain a “normal” meal schedule thanks to the bad news people keep getting via their smartphones, computers and TVs. Everyday it seems like something else is wrong with the world, and it’s causing people to eat to cope with all the fear and anxiety the world has these days.
Did you know that according to a CDC Adult Obesity Facts page, 42 percent of Americans are obese? When a person’s weight is higher than what’s considered healthy for their given height then they’re overweight or obese. “Body Mass Index,” or BMI, is used to screen for this… and, for example, an adult who is 5’9” and weighs 169 to 202 pounds with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight. If he or she weighs 203 pounds or more with a BMI over 30, that’s considered obese.
Does obesity correlate with musculoskeletal pain, and, more specifically, back pain? It sure does! By having a “belly” or “tummy” that sticks out you’re adding strain to your muscles and ligaments in the back– they have to work overtime to support the fat in the front. When a person is obese, the body has to compensate for the weight whereas the spine can become titled and stressed unevenly. It’s not unusual for overweight/obese people to have back pain because their spine isn’t supporting them like it should– and there could be an unnatural curvature of the spine thanks to the added weight.
Excess weight tends to pull the pelvis forward; It strains the lower back. It can also lead to a herniated disc and sciatica. Excess weight can also exacerbate arthritic pain.
So what can be done about this? If you’re overweight/obese and have a high BMI, it’s time to lose some weight. As you lose weight around your midsection, you should have less back pain. How do you know if you need to lose weight? If you’re a woman with a waist measurement of more than 35 inches or a man with a waist measurement of more than 40 inches, it makes sense to think about losing weight. Chiropractic care can help your body “right itself,” aligning your spine and accelerating weight loss thanks to the accountability of checking in with your doctor regularly.
Need help losing weight and getting rid of your back pain? Make an appointment at Lakewoods Chiropractic in Forest Lake, MN. Call 651-464-0800 or email [email protected] today.
Spine-friendly Tips For New Moms
If you’re a new mom you can’t avoid baby lifting and feeding. Over the course of the first year your child could end up weighing 30 pounds, and then you have to worry about diaper bags, car seats, strollers and other supplies. That’s a heavy load to bear!
That said, here are some spine-friendly tips to prevent back pain, sciatica and herniated discs…
When lifting a baby remember to use your knees in the process. Bend them so you’re squatting rather than bending from the waist. You should ideally keep your back straight and your feet hip-width apart while holding the baby close to your body. Use your legs to stand up rather than your back.
When feeding a baby, choose a chair that has back support so you can sit up straight rather than slouch. Bring the baby to your breast rather than bending over to the baby. If you use a feeding tray/high chair, remove the feeding tray before putting the baby in or out of the chair to make it easier on your back.
Instead of always carrying your baby in your arms without any additional support, you can get a baby carrier. Buy one that has wide and padded shoulder straps and a belt that goes around your hips to help distribute the weight. While some moms try carrying their child on their hip, that can overload their back muscles and cause pain. If you must do this, alternate between both sides to even out the load bearing.
What about car seats? Sit next to the car seat with your baby in your lap. Rotate your body to the side to put the baby in the seat. This is better than reaching into the car from a standing position at the door.
Finally, keep in mind that muscle strengthening exercises and proper posture will help prevent back pain. New moms should exercise when they get a chance. Perhaps there’s a moms’ club or group to join, locally, where women get together to exercise and/or talk about their issues. As a new mom, having some emotional support from other moms can really help.
Consider regular chiropractic care before and after your baby is born. Make an appointment at Lakewoods Chiropractic in Forest Lake. Call 651-464-0800 or email [email protected].
Choose Local Produce For Optimum Health
Do you look for fresh foods at your local market? If so, you’re doing yourself a favor because local produce is good for a person’s health. When produce is grown locally, that means it was grown within a couple miles from the store or market where you’re shopping– rather than grown several time zones away in distant lands, perhaps across continents. Food coming from far away could easily get contaminated as it travels many, many miles.
Fruits and veggies lose their optimal nutritional value as soon as they are picked. The vitamins in them begin to decrease as they’re exposed to air, artificial lights and temperature changes. Oftentimes, food picked in a faraway country, such as Colombia or China, can “sit” for days before it’s delivered by boat, truck or other form of transport to the place where you buy it. Thus, you get the food when it’s not at its peak state. Local farms, however, are “just down the road,” so they can pick their crops one morning and have their produce to you later that afternoon– you can’t get much fresher than that!
Local produce doesn’t need to be artificially ripened using gases. It doesn’t need to travel thousands of miles to get to you, turning bland in the process. Instead, local produce has a high nutritional value and typically tastes delicious.
When you “buy local,” that’s better for the environment because the carbon footprint to get the food to you is much less than if it were flown from overseas. Furthermore, local produce helps preserve green space and farmland in your area. When it’s local, you’re supporting your local economy, too.
Looking for local produce near Forest Lake, MN? Try this site: https://www.localharvest.org/forest-lake-MN
Iliotibial Band Syndrome
Do you run for exercise? Do you play sports? If so, you might end up with a sports-related injury known as Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS). It’s an overuse injury of the connective tissues located on the outer part of the thigh and knee. When you have pain and tenderness in this area, especially just above the knee, you might have ITBS. It’s a common cause of pain for runners and bicyclists.
If you were to look under your skin, you’d find the iliotibial band begins in the pelvis, runs down the outside part of the thigh, and then crosses the knee to attach into the top part of the shinbone. It’s a thick band of tissue that’s meant to stabilize the outside part of the knee through its range of motion. When it’s good, you don’t notice it; when it’s bad, you’re in pain!
Normally, when you flex your knee you don’t have pain. But if your iliotibial band experiences inflammation then pain can occur, typically along the outer aspect of your knee joint. If you don’t do anything about this, you’ll likely develop decreasing knee range of motion. If you can’t move your knee like you want to, then you can’t do the physical things you’re used to doing, and that decreases your quality of life.
Ever hear of a high school football player whose season is cut short because of knee issues? Or a runner who wishes he or she could run but the pain is just too much to bear near the knee? ITBS is no joke; It’s painful. That said, chiropractic care can help decrease the inflammation in order to decrease the pain. With good chiropractic care, ITBS can be dealt with so people can get back to doing the sports they love, like cycling and football.
If you’ve got pain near your knee, why not make an appointment at Lakewoods Chiropractic in Forest Lake? Call 651-464-0800 or email [email protected].
Pet Ownership Boosts Health
When’s the last time you hugged someone or held someone’s hand? How about snuggling? Touch is one of the basic needs we have as humans, but with the Covid-19 pandemic, touch is in short supply. Now, more than ever, people are avoiding one another for fear of getting sick. Thankfully, though, there are pets! A pet dog or cat can be a real help to a lonely person who longs to snuggle, hug, and/or touch another living being…
Pet ownership boosts health. Indeed, having a pet dog or cat in the house not only gives a person purpose, since they have to care for their pet, but also companionship, someone to talk to, and a warm, furry snuggle partner when the world seems cold and scary.
How does petting a pet help a person? Well, studies performed by the University of Miami’s Touch Research Institute found that touch helps lessen pain, slows the heart rate, and lowers both blood glucose and blood pressure. Furthermore, touch enhances a person’s alertness and their performance. It also improves a person’s pulmonary and immune functions.
Taking care of a pet can help relieve a person’s pain and depression. If you’ve ever seen how Seniors light up when a dog or cat is brought into a nursing home, you’ll know that pets have the unique ability to elevate people’s moods. There’s a theory that pets boost people’s oxytocin levels. Oxytocin makes people feel good!
Studies of dog owners in Sweden found that those who owned a dog had a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Maybe it’s because dog owners get good exercise walking their dogs.
Studies of cats found that newborns who live with cats in the house have a lower risk of childhood asthma, pneumonia and bronchiolitis.
If you do a Google search about pets and their health benefits, you’ll find even more information regarding the health benefits of pet ownership.
Chiropractic Care For “Growing Pains”
Mention the term “Growing Pains,” and you might think of the classic 1980s sitcom starring Alan Thicke and Joanna Kerns about a mom, dad and their kids growing up in middle-class America. Or you might think of the literal, physical pains associated with growing up!
So what are growing pains? They’ve been described as an ache or throb in the legs. Often found in the front of the thighs, the calves or behind the knees, growing pains tend to occur at night in children as their young bodies literally grow, getting bigger and bigger. Are they actual pains? There’s no evidence that these pains actually hurt, but… they can wake a child from their sleep and they can be noticeable. Sometimes parents might be asked to put a heating pad on their child’s muscles and/or to massage them.
Growing pains, while typically associated with the legs, can also include abdominal pain/issues and/or headaches that “come and go.” There could be swelling, tenderness, weakness and/or other issues, especially located in the joints. Sometimes growing pains interfere with a child’s normal, everyday activities.
It has been suggested that growing pains could be caused or exacerbated by the overuse of muscles… So, perhaps a child runs, jumps and climbs so much that their musculoskeletal system gets overworked and some pain ensues. Perhaps growing pains are caused by emotional problems. It has also been suggested that discomfort from growing pains can be caused by injury to the spine. Does your child have back pain?
Would it make sense to take your preschooler or school-age child to a chiropractor for chiropractic care at such a young age? Yes. Chiropractic care can help provide some relief for their growing pains.
In the Forest Lake, MN, area, Lakewoods Chiropractic has patients of all ages, including young children. Please call the office at 651-464-0800 to make an appointment for you and your child, especially if their “growing pains” have been an issue that needs some attention.
Manage Pain With Mind-Body Healing
Do you ever wonder why some people seem super successful and others aren’t? If you ask successful people how they “got there,” they usually mention that they visualized their success long before it became a reality. In other words, they thought about where they want to be in life, and those thoughts seemingly helped make their dreams come true!
Now what about people who are in pain? Could a person feeling pain in a certain body part such as their lower back or neck utilize their brain to feel better? Research shows there’s a connection between how your brain thinks and the way your body feels. So, it makes sense that you could conceivably manage pain using mind-body healing techniques. Chiropractic care often teaches patients how to do this, as chiropractic is a holistic, drug-free approach to helping people be pain-free.
The mind-body healing connection involves changing the way a person thinks to become more positive about their situation. You have to have a healthy mindset in order to have a healthy body. If you’re going into chiropractic treatment with the expectation that “it’s going to help me, it’s going to work,” that helps facilitate your healing. It has been said that sometimes belief that treatments will work can be even more effective than the treatments themselves!
What are some things you can do to improve your mind so your body heals better/faster? Try writing a gratitude journal, listing 5 positive things you’re thankful for each day. Try figuring out what gives your life purpose so you’ll feel fulfilled. For some, that comes in the form of volunteering time to help others. Try meditation to give your mind and body some relief from stress each day– slow down and breathe, chant or pray. Try working out your muscles by lifting weights. Try watching funny videos in order to laugh more each day. All of these things can improve your life.
If you take a mind-body healing approach to your life, you can expect to feel better. Your problems such as insomnia and anxiety may lessen or disappear. It’s a good idea to consult with your chiropractor about your diet, as the foods/drinks you take in may be helping you or hurting you. Also, a chiropractor can help your body heal itself naturally thanks to spinal adjustments and such.
When you feel better, you can do more with your life. Think about it: if you’re feeling depressed and achy, are you going to want to get out of bed and meet up with people and volunteer at the local dog shelter? Probably not. If it hurts just to walk, life’s difficult! But if you’re able to improve your mind and your body and work toward healing the pains that bother you, then you can move forward in your life and lead a more fulfilling one!
Want some help to feel better? Call the Lakewoods Chiropractic office at 651-464-0800 to make an appointment on your way to wellness.
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