Pain Free Travel Tips

   

Heavy bags can aggravate back pain by straining muscles and joints. Use a light suitcase with wheels and a handle for rolling it. And be sure to exercise care when lifting luggage. Go slowly and lift by bending your knees. If you're carrying a shoulder bag, switch sides to avoid stressing one side.

Practice good posture by making sure your back is aligned against the back of your seat in a sitting position and that your headrest is supporting the middle of your head. Keep the shoulders straight and avoid hunching forward. Make sure both feet are firmly resting on the floor or a footrest.

Bring your own pillows to provide support. A lumbar pillow to support your lower back and a neck pillow to avoid neck strain. Proper support for your lower back also requires bottom-up leverage from your feet. Place your feet on a firm surface while sitting. And if you're driving, take advantage of cruise control to stretch/rest your right foot.

The spine is designed to move so get up and stretch and move around frequently - every 20 to 30 minutes if possible - to move your core body muscles.

Treating Endometriosis with Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that each life force has an innate energy flowing throughout its form. This is called "qi" and qi is also believed to move the blood.   It is the liver's job to maintain the free flow of qi. In Chinese medicine, the uterus and the liver are closely related as the liver, spleen, and kidney channels run through the pelvis and all can effect menstruation. Stagnant qi is associated with liver depression, which is intimately associated with the menstrual cycle and almost always manifests as some menstrual-related problem.  In TCM, the body comprises points located on pathways at which the qi, traveling through them can be manipulated and therapeutically adjusted. This is how acupuncture can treat endometriosis symptoms along with Chinese herbal medicine.  It has been shown that acupuncture treatment may specifically be of benefit in people with endometriosis by: providing pain relief  reducing inflammation regulating levels of prostaglandins  combining acupuncture with Chinese herbal medicine for endometriosis has been shown to provide benefits In a NIH study published in 2011, Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine provided:  the total effective rate ('cured', 'significantly effective' or 'effective') for auricular acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine was 91.9% and 60%, respectively. Hopefully this information demonstrates that Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine treat effectively: painful menstruation, menstruation irregularities, amenorrhea, PMS, lower abdominal pain, any endometriosis symptoms and infertility.  If you want to learn more about how Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine can help you, please contact us to book your appointment with Dr. Monica to take advantage of this month's special offer. Sources and helpful links: National Institute of Health Acupuncture.com British Acupuncture Council

March Special: Your First Acupuncture Visit

March 2015 Special: Your First Acupuncture Visit Just $79 ($125 value)

Chiropractic Care & Immunity

 

Today researchers know there is a critical link between the nervous system and the immune system.

Chiropractic adjustments help regulate the autonomic nervous system.  Your nervous system (brain, spinal cord, and nerves) controls pretty much everything, communicating with endocrine and immune tissue to modulate chemical reactions that keep you healthy.  Other documented happy side effects of this autonomic regulation include lowering blood pressure, relieving anxiety, and reducing inflammatory cytokines and pain.

Our immune system plays such an enormous role in the overall health of literally every cell and tissue in the body.  Not only is it the immune systems job to protect from coughs and colds but also it helps fight against cancer; repair damaged joints and slow down the aging process.

 Patients who come in with colds, sore throats, sinus congestion and stomach viruses often remark that their recovery seems to be accelerated by the chiropractic adjustment. Researchers in New York found that people under chiropractic care demonstrated 200% greater immune function than those who were not receiving Chiropractic adjustments (1). 

6 Studies Show Chiropractic Benefits On The Immune System

1) Pero R. "Medical Researcher Excited By CBSRF Project Results." The Chiropractic Journal, August 1989; 32

Want to know more?  Ask Drs. Heidi or Neha how Chiropractic can improve your health!

Men's Health & Pain

This month our focus is on Men's Health.  As the majority of our readers are female, we are hoping to bring our ladies to a deeper understanding of men and their health.  First of all, I want to talk about the differences between the way men and women experience pain.  A 2003 study in the journal Gastroenterology found that areas of male and female brains reacted differently to pain.  When pain is induced, the female brain shows greater activity in the emotion-based centers called the limbic regions, and the male brains shows greater activity in the analytic or cognitive centers.  This difference makes women to 'tend and befriend' and creates a 'fight or flight' reaction in men.  This interesting article explains why men experience fear and anxiety when they are in pain and are much less likely to seek help.  The fight or flight reaction triggers a man to want to be alone.  He is more likely to become angry and experience high levels of stress when he is in pain.  This is a neurological response and for us ladies, as well as caretakers, it should be met with compassion and understanding when our men are in pain. 

Second, I want to talk about why the body creates a pain response.  That is simple.  It is an indicator that a much larger problem is happening and the body wants to alert us to it.  A headache for example can be a sign of dehydration, hormone imbalance, nerve pressure, too much stress, etc. etc. All of which disrupt the bodies natural ability to heal itself.  Without enough water, the body cannot process sugar, release toxins, lubricate joints.  And even small amounts of pressure on a spinal nerve disrupts immune & organ function in areas that nerve supplies.

So ladies, if your man is complaining of pain.  If he is grumpy and stressed.  Find a way to get him to our office!  We can accommodate both of you at the same time with any of our treatments.  And with the Father's Day Specials we are featuring this month, the timing couldn't be better!  I hope to see ALL your men in the office this month!  Until our next adjustment...

  

Yours in Health,

Dr. Heidi & The InnerMovement Wellness Team

CNN Op Ed Piece on "Holistic Ways to Fight Pain, and Win" --- Dr. Heidi weighs in

I'm sure that many of you saw an article on CNN.com entitled, "Holistic ways to fight pain, and win" written by Summer Suleiman, Special to CNN, published on Friday, January 10, 2014. (http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/10/health/secrets-pain-free-life/index.html?hpt=hp_bn13)

I'm so happy to hear that Ms. Suleiman has found a way out of her pain.  And even better, that she has found solutions that will not harm her in any way and was so inspired to share her experience on CNN.com.  As a doctor of Chiropractic and Wholistic Health Professional, I stand by my oath of "First Do No Harm" into every aspect of my practice and as part of core objectives for patient offerings at InnerMovement Chiropractic & Wellness.  Our entire team works to provide patients with health and wellness solutions that have little-to-no side effects and work to harmonize the body, not simply mask symptoms.   

In reading Ms. Suleiman's post, I felt the same level of excitement that I do each time my patients declare they are pain-free and feeling better than they thought possible after dealing with chronic pain or illness for decades.  This is truly rewarding through and through!  In my experience, working almost exclusively with pain over the past 10 years, inflammation has proven to be a TOP culprit!  Sometimes the cause is autoimmune or injury related but MOSTLY increased inflammation is due to sedentary lifestyle, stress & the Standard American Diet.  I second Dr. Ghorbani and Ms. Suleiman's recommendations to increase exercise, hours of rest and to decrease stress and eat pro-inflammatory foods.  I also would add that participating in a thorough medically managed detoxification program is extremely helpful in down-regulating pain and inflammation. 

To manage and reduce stress, I have found that both NeuroEmotional Technique (NET) and Acupuncture technique to be very helpful.  NET is a brilliant technique that allows a practitioner to locate the most prominent stressor as well as locate the organ weakness caused by that stressor.  Stress really will make a person sick and is documented clearly in the research as a trigger for pain and inflammation. NET is cutting edge, and I have found it to be very effective in helping patients manage stress.  

Acupuncture has accumulated a lot of scientific research on its benefits in helping with anxiety and depression.  I also recommend Acupuncture for patients with inflammation caused by stress and patients with fibromyalgia or extreme systemic inflammation.  It is remarkably beneficial.  And if exercise is difficult for patients who suffer from joint pain and muscle weakness, I employ structural balancing techniques like Chiropractic Care and Massage Therapy to restore integrity to the musculoskeletal system and get them moving.

It's encouraging to see that more people are turning towards holistic means to improve their health and thus, their quality of life. I feel blessed to be chosen by my patients to provide solutions for their health concerns and be part of the wellness community.  

If you or someone you know is suffering from pain or simply wants to optimize their health, please feel free to contact InnerMovement Chiropractic & Wellness as we'd love to be part of your success story!

Heidi Fennell, D.C., FICPA

Owner and Team Leader at InnerMovement Chiropractic & Wellness

http://www.innermovement.net/

818/549-1300

ICE or HEAT FOR PAIN?

The rule to follow is if an area is red, swollen, inflamed, or if it's an acute injury, meaning an injury that just occurred, we want to cool the area down with an ICE PACK to prevent any inflammation. 

NOTE:  to avoid an ice burn, do not apply ice directly onto the skin.  Instead run a tea towel or washcloth under the tap, wring it out, and wrap the icepack (or bag of frozen peas) before applying to the skin.

 

HEAT will generally be used to prepare a body part or a portion of your arm or leg for exercise. It helps in increasing blood flow or circulation, increasing tissue elasticity or flexibility, and it will just help warm up or prepare the body part to accept the exercise or the stretching that the therapist will be doing to the area. 

If you have more questions, please feel free to inquire with one of our Massage Therapists or Chiropractors. 

Independence from Pain

Greetings! Dr. Heidi In honor of the 4th of July Holiday celebrated this month, I would like each of us to declare our Independence from Pain. This does not mean that by simply making a conscious declaration we can be free from ALL pain. That would be naïve. But what we can do is commit to being proactive with our current state of health with the intent to be as pain free as we possibly can. And we can commit to preventive measures in the form of a healthy lifestyle to avoid pain that could be in our future. Attached you will find a Declaration For A Pain-Free Life (click HERE). Print it out and place it on your refrigerator or near your desk so that you see it daily and are reminded of your ongoing commitment to good health.    Until our next adjustment....  Yours in health,     Dr. Heidi & The InnerMovement Wellness Team