Precision Chiropractic


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Want to Change Your Health? Change Your Perspective

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Do you want to change your health? It all starts with changing your perspective.

No, I’m not going to give you mantras or affirmations, nor am I going to tell you just think positive.

What I will do is point out something that guides how we make decisions about our health that is right in front of us but is something we don’t stop and critically evaluate.

Right now the conventional thought about health is pathogenic. In other words, it’s about the factors that cause disease. This method has very distinct characteristics and principles.

In a pathogenic mindset, you are either healthy or sick. The attention is directed toward the specific diagnosis of the specific disease of the patient. The focus is also aimed at the risk factors for the disease being considered.

The starting point is the disease or problem.

Now let’s try a new mindset.

The Salutogenic mindset. The word Salutogenic comes from the Latin salus (meaning health) and the Greek genesis (meaning origin).

A Salutogenic approach to health focuses on what makes us healthy instead of what causes disease. In this approach you are not either healthy or sick, you’re on a continuum in which you are moving towards health or towards being sick.

The attention is focused on the overall state of the health/illness of a person. Instead of just looking at the risk factors of the particular disease, the focus is on where the patient is on the health spectrum.

The starting point in this approach is the health potential of each patient instead of the patient’s disease or problem.

A pathogenic approach is reactionary. Decisions are made in response to signs and symptoms of the disease.

By definition, a Salutogenic approach is a proactive approach. Decisions are made to enhance each patient’s overall well-being.

Exercise, eating well, and taking supplements are all examples of a Salutogenic approach. Another familiar example is brushing your teeth and seeing your dentist regularly. Taking care of your spine and nervous system would be a less familiar example but can be essential in helping you realize your fullest health potential.

The next time you make any decision about your health, ask yourself, am I being reactive or proactive?

Am I focused on the disease? Or am I focused on creating health?

This change in your mindset can make all the difference.

Why Feeling Dizzy, Wobbly, or Woozy Can Be a Spinal Problem

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Your balance and equilibrium is a complicated, intricate dance between three sensory systems – the vestibular, the visual, and the proprioceptive systems. The information is aggregated from these systems in your central nervous system where it is used to control the muscles in your spine and body to maintain balance.

Good information allows your body to make good adaptations to keep you feeling level and balanced. Bad information can leave you feeling wobbly, dizzy, and off-balance. Have you heard of the term garbage in, garbage out? Your body is constantly receiving information about your surrounding environment and it is important that these three sensory systems are working optimally so that the output is as good as the input.

The vestibular system is centered around your inner ear and it gives your brain information about head position. The visual system is centered around your eyes and it gives information about your body in relation to its environment. Proprioception is a sense dictated by movement detected by your skin, muscles, and joints. Have you ever wondered how you can close your eyes and touch your nose with your fingertip? (If you can’t please give us a call!) or how you can walk to the bathroom in the middle of the night in the complete dark? These things are possible because there are sensors in your skin and joints telling your brain where it is in space all of the time.

Abnormal shifts in the spine at the very top of your neck can disrupt all three of these sensory systems. This is why we use our 3-D structural analysis to detect any abnormal swaying that can indicate a problem in these areas. The very top of your neck houses important neurological connections to your eyes and ears and serves as a gateway for all of the nerves that bring proprioceptive information to the brain.

Finding solid footing means making sure your nerves are communicating properly. At Precision Chiropractic we have the technology to detect and correct abnormal shifts in your spine that cause neurological disturbances to your sensory systems.

 

Got Electrolytes? 3 Great Ways to Stay Hydrated this Summer

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Summer is in full swing and it’s hot out there!  Whether you’re going for a short walk or running a half-marathon when your body sweats it loses more than just water.  Your sweat also contains electrolytes, which are charged metallic ions that keep the pressure in our cells and the pH balance of our blood within their normal range.  The 7 major electrolytes are:

  • Sodium
  • Chloride
  • Potassium
  • Magnesium
  • Calcium
  • Phosphate
  • Bicarbonate

These electrolytes are not only important for good hydration, they keep our bodies functioning by creating a perfectly balanced environment to conduct nerve signals.  If your body’s automatic operating system (aOS) fails to work properly, it can result in the development of many health conditions.  Electrolyte imbalance can lead to muscle spasm, weakness, joint pain, anxiety, headaches, digestive issues, dizziness, heart irregularities and more.

How Do I Choose a Good Electrolyte Drink?

When it comes to choosing a drink to replenish electrolytes, the options can be overwhelming.  It’s usually best to stay away with sugar-filled and dye-laden gas station options like Gatorade or Powerade.

  1. Nuun – these easy to use and transport electrolyte tablets are made with very little sugar and simple ingredients, Nuun tablets are great to bring along and drop in a water bottle when it starts getting hot.
  2. Skratch Labs – these powdered drink mixes are great to mix into a shake or sports drink and are naturally flavored with real fruit.
  3. Make your own!  If you need to rehydrate from a day on the ball field or from feeling under the weather, this simple homemade electrolyte drink will do the trick.  Plus, it tastes great!
      • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
      • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
      • 2 cups of filtered or purified water
      • 2 T organic raw honey or maple syrup
      • 1/8 t Himalayan pink sea salt
      • Place all ingredients in a blender, blend well, and enjoy!

Staying well hydrated in the heat of the summer is important for our overall wellbeing.  These three options make it simple to get the minerals we need to keep our bodies running optimally.  Have any other favorite ways to hydrate after a fun day in the sun?  Leave us a comment below!

6 Easy & Natural Ways to Power Up Your Brain

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Having a POWERFUL brain has the ability to influence your mood, motivation, memory, and energy levels. In this article, we will talk about how to naturally improve the power of the brain by making sure you have the proper amount of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that acts as a powerful stimulator in the brain. The euphoric feeling of falling in love for the first time? That’s dopamine! The major dopamine pathways start at the base of the brain, near the brainstem. Therefore, the base of the brain is what drives and powers the rest of the brain.

Here are 6 ways you can increase your dopamine production:

  1. Increase your vitamin D levels – Vitamin D activates the release of dopamine. Find the time to play outside in the sun with your bare skin exposed (well.. not TOO Much bare skin!) Sunlight is way more effective than any vitamin D supplement.
  2. Moderate amounts of caffeine – coffee lovers rejoice!
  3. Exercise – Specifically, the kind of exercise that builds muscle. For the purposes of creating more dopamine, cardio on its own is not as effective.
  4. Cold showers – This might be the easiest way to get a jolt of dopamine, but also one where you really have to hype yourself up!
  5. Watch your sugars – Common culprits include white flour and sugar. Sneakier sources include too much fruit and fruit juices. Sugar increases insulin which suppresses dopamine.
  6. Vagal activation – The more your vagus nerve is activated, the more you will stimulate dopamine release. The vagus nerve is the control center of the autonomic nervous system, which controls your body’s automatic and life-sustaining functions. Here are a few ways to promote vagal activation:
    • Is your head on straight? Improper head and neck alignment can disturb the blood and cerebrospinal fluid flow around the base of the brain. This can lead to a decreased amount of dopamine activation. This is what we take care of in our office.
    • Deep and controlled breathing
    • Gargling water for 15-20 seconds

Do these six things to POWER-UP your brain! If you have any questions email us at [email protected] or give us a call at 970.663.1617

Spring Cleaning for your Body!

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It’s spring! Traditionally, springtime is a great opportunity to do a deep cleaning of your house, clean out your closet, or maybe apply a fresh coat of paint. Perhaps for you, it’s time to plant a new garden. But what about your body? What can you do to freshen up? Today we will talk about two things you can do this spring to detoxify your body (and maybe lose a few pounds along the way if that’s a goal of yours).

First up: Fasting

There are different ways to fast effectively.

You can do a cleansing fast where you create a drink made with water, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper for 2-3 days (Google “master cleanse” for more details). This will flush food and other toxins out your colon.

If that seems too hardcore, you can try intermittent fasting. With intermittent fasting, you can select an 8-hour window of time during the day when you can eat – for example, 10am to 6pm. Make sure to eat small meals and snack during this period of time. For most people, this can be incorporated into a daily routine.

Check out this infographic of all the benefits of intermittent fasting!

Finally: Watch what you eat (when you’re not fasting, of course)!

More greens! Vegetables such as kale, broccoli, artichokes, and avocados have certain acids, nutrients, vitamins and they lack soluble fiber, all of which help your body cleanse your gut.

But you knew that already didn’t you?

Here is something that you might not know – you might have food sensitivities (not food allergies, that’s something different – read here for more info).

A food sensitivity is a delayed reaction to food. Reactions can occur up to 72 hours after the food has been ingested making it difficult to pinpoint which food is the culprit.

Do you have any of the following symptoms of delayed reaction food sensitivity after you eat?

  •    Fatigue
  •    Gastrointestinal problems, including bloating and gas
  •    Itchy skin and skin rashes like eczema
  •    Brain fog
  •    Muscle or joint aches
  •    Headache
  •    Sleeplessness and sleep disorders
  •    Chronic rhinitis (runny nose), congestion, and post-nasal drip

If you do, please consider getting an IgG food sensitivity test. You can pinpoint the specific foods you need to eliminate from your diet. This will help keep your gut healthy and help prevent inflammation in your body.

Incorporating these two strategies into your lifestyle can help you feel like a brand new you!

You’re Not Going Crazy! (And yes, something is ACTUALLY wrong, so let’s fix it!)

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When you are sick or hurting, things can easily feel very bleak and frustrating. Intervention after intervention, one diagnosis followed by another. No one seems to have the answers and it feels like you’re not making any progress towards getting better.

It can be disorienting, and it’s understandable if you start to lose hope of ever feeling well again. Every day you have a cloud hanging over you. I call this the Eeyore condition. The hobbies that you enjoyed before seem impossible. The work that fulfilled you seems too difficult to even start. Your body has become your greatest enemy.

But this isn’t even the worst part. The doctors and your loved ones around you don’t seem to understand what is happening to you. They don’t get why you are so tired and not yourself. Eventually, you start wondering if everything is just in your head and that you might be going crazy.

This is a scenario that I see and hear all the time in my office. Eventually, when all the medicines and interventions fail, the patient is left with the sense that they are beyond hope, or even worse, that somehow their condition is just a product of their imagination. I’m here to say, YOU’RE NOT GOING CRAZY.

You’re not losing your mind, you just need to find an answer.

Most approaches to healthcare are geared towards pain and symptom management, which is understandable in the short term when you have to show up to work or take care of your family. But what if your condition becomes chronic? What if the interventions that are meant for the short term fail to give you long a term solution?

This is why when we look at spine we look for the underlying structural abnormality that is causing the problem. If we can identify, correct, and stabilize this underlying structural abnormality then there can be optimism for long-term improvement.

Trekking through the healthcare system can beat you up and cause emotional distress, but don’t despair. Find doctors that look beyond just your symptoms. Find doctors that can provide a blueprint to help solve your problem.

Flu-Proofing Your Body

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Do you ever wonder why there is a flu SEASON? Isn’t the flu virus around all year? Why is it more prevalent during certain months of the year than others?

Here are the four main reasons:

  1. We get less ultraviolet B (UVB) rays from the sun during the fall and winter which means you don’t create as much Vitamin D when the sun is out. Low vitamin D levels will make you more susceptible to developing infections.
  2. The air during winter and fall is usually drier. Lower levels of humidity allow cold and flu viruses to survive longer outside of the body which increases the likelihood of infection.
  3. Cold weather makes it difficult for your white blood cells to reach the lining of your respiratory tract which decreases your immune system’s potency to fight against invading viruses and bacteria.
  4. During the fall is when our stress increases the most.  From Halloween to Thanksgiving and into Christmas season, we have months of traveling, shopping, and other activities that are not typical during the rest of the year.

Here is the good news – you don’t have to resign yourself to accepting the cold and flu as an inevitability. It all depends on the health of your immune system. There are FLU-proof ways to protect your body.

  1. What to eat: Fill up on nutrient-dense foods, protein, and good healthy fats. Raw vegetables and fruits will provide Vitamin C and other immune boosting nutrients while protein and healthy fats will help you fend off sugar cravings. Sugar and foods that get digested into sugar such as grains, cereals, and starches can disturb the microorganisms in your gut. The gut is really the heart of your immune system. A healthy gut flora = a healthy immune system. Sugar fertilizes the bad bacteria in your stomach such as Candida. When these bad bacteria dominate your gut, the lining of your stomach will allow bad things into your bloodstream while good nutrients and vitamins leak out. PROTECT YOUR GUT!
  2. Supplements: Selenium, Vitamin C, and  Vitamin D. Selenium is a trace mineral that is important for many cellular processes in your body including the stimulation of antibodies that help you fight off viral, bacterial, and other foreign invaders. Vitamin C is a powerful anti-oxidant. There has been research that shows vitamin C deficiency results in reduced resistance to pathogens. Vitamin D is known for its role in bone health but it’s becoming more apparent in the latest research that it plays an important role in modulating the immune system. Studies show that people with low Vitamin D have a higher chance for autoimmune diseases.
  3. Stress Management and sleep: Sometimes you just have to hit the easy button. Take the time to rest and allow your body to recuperate. When we are swamped and overwhelmed, so are our bodies.  When that happens our immune system is weakened and we become vulnerable to the flu and to getting sick. 7-9 hours of sleep per night is recommended. Only spend your energy and time on things within your control!

Breaking Free: Rewiring Your Brain For Change

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Last week, we talked about why change can be so hard.  It’s difficult because it’s actually hard-wired into our neurology.

Does that mean we should give up on bettering ourselves?  Abandon our goals shy of meeting them because it doesn’t seem like success is possible?

OF COURSE NOT!  We are not prisoners of our habits.

Just because change is hard and most definitely uncomfortable, there are a few things you can do to make it a bit easier on yourself.  Once you understand that neuroscience is behind the formation of habits, then it becomes possible to “hack” the system to create your desired outcome.

  • Use your prefrontal cortex – the prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that plays a large part in planning, organizing, impulse control and personality development.  It is the last portion of the brain to fully develop, which is the reason why children aren’t able to make the same complex plans and decisions that adults can.  Changing habits starts with acknowledging the mindlessness of them; many of our habits are responses that have become automatic.  We have the power to choose a different response by putting our prefrontal cortex to work and becoming hyper-aware of our habits.
  • Focus on what you ARE going to do – when we set goals, we usually tell ourselves what we’re NOT going to do.  “I’m not going to eat sweets”, “I’m not going to spend so much time checking e-mail”, and so on.  The brain’s habit-learning system doesn’t respond to NOT, but it will begin to change when you tell it what you ARE going to do.
  • Control the environment – changing the environment around you to make undesirable habits harder and desirable ones easier can help you to succeed.  Keeping a jar of cookies on your counter when you’re trying to kick a sugar habit doesn’t make you a bigger hero when you have the willpower to resist.  Just get rid of the cookies.
  • Celebrate your wins, even the little ones – rewarding yourself for progress helps to reinforce the changes you are working to make.  Rewards don’t need to be complicated or extravagant.  Oftentimes the best rewards are natural results of your efforts: better health, more happiness and increased energy.
  • Most importantly, have a manageable plan – in order to rewire your brain, consistency is key.  If you’ve never run before, a marathon is not the first logical step.  Starting small while keeping the big picture in mind will create a doable action plan that will help you create the change you’re looking to make.

We all have habits we hope to change.  We can start by becoming aware of them, consciously deciding to make a different choice about what we’ll do instead.  Removing obstacles that make us stray off course and rewarding ourselves appropriately for our progress will help us stay focused on our goals.  It’s not about making one huge leap, it’s a process of small, steady steps that will rewire our brains to change.

Why Is Change So Hard?

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Why is change so hard?

Have you ever tried shed an old bad habit and failed? Maybe made a New Year’s resolution that you couldn’t keep?

Well, it’s your brains fault.

Everything we do, feel or think is built into our neurology. Neurons in our brain communicate with each other via neurotransmitters and synapses that form an intricate network of trillions of synaptic connections. The connections form the circuits that literally hardwire habits in our brain.

The more often we think of something, or do something, or feel something, the connections get stronger. The adage, “ if you don’t use it you lose it” is true here but in reverse. When we do something over and over again, the stronger the neural connections. The busier regions of the brain will get more blood flow, the neural layers will thicken, and more neurons will grow.

“Neurons that fire together, wire together.”  -Donald Hebb

Like a busy path in the woods, the ground is worn from repetitive use. What happens when that path is forgotten? The path is covered and eventually returned to the forest.

This at first glance can be very sobering, but in this case, the obstacle is the way.

The same adaptability of the brain to develop these bad habits are the keys to unlocking the path to developing new connections and habits.

Next week we will talk about how to take the steps to reprogram our brains!

Garbage In, Garbage Out: A Model For Your Neurology

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Your health depends on the ability of your nervous system to interpret information from inside your body as well as the external environment, and to react/adapt properly. For instance, when you eat a donut and the sugar floods your blood stream, the nervous system interprets that information and directs the appropriate response, taking that sugar and storing it into our fat cells. This is something that is happening constantly within our bodies – as we sleep, as we play, and as we work. When this system is working well, it is like a symphony – all the different sections play their part to create a wonderful, coordinated, and efficient concert. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Abnormal Structural Shifts within the spine obstruct the nervous system. The conductor has one hand tied behind his back and the symphony breaks down into disarray.

When this breakdown happens, the information from the joints and muscles around the spine is flawed and when it is interpreted, the response is equally flawed and broken. In computer programming, this is called Garbage IN, Garbage OUT. In our bodies, the abnormal information from our nerves causes secondary postural distortions, pain, stiffness, and degeneration of the disks and joints in the spine. Without proper information, the body fails to accurately interpret itself and the surrounding environment. It’s like a game of telephone gone awry – the original message was not received as it was intended.

NeuroStructural Chiropractic is designed to help your body with this problem by removing abnormal Structural Shifts in the spine that are causing garbage data or input. We know that the human body is the most amazing model/system, all it needs is good input for good health. Get checked to make sure you don’t have any abnormal shifts disrupting your system!

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Precision Chiropractic

4880 Thompson Pkwy
Suite 120
Loveland, CO 80534
Phone: 970.663.1617
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