Sunday, November 27, 2011

HO! HO! HO!

FREE PHOTO with SANTA!

Donate a gift and get a free photo with Santa!

  We collect gifts (new & unwrapped) or monetary donations to spread cheer amongst the ones that need it most. Priority Health believes in giving back to our community and taking care of those in need.

Mark your calendar and share with your friends.

  • WHEN: DECEMBER 10th
  • WHERE:  Children’s Village- just East from the clinic. 3500 SE 196th, Camas WA.
  • TIME: 10am- 2pm

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Can’t make it, but would still like to donate a gift or monetary donation?  Feel free to drop it off at the clinic.  

Ho Ho Ho!!!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Exercise of the Week–Childs Pose


Child’s pose with forward reach – lumbar flexion


Difficulty: Easy
(Consult your chiropractor before engaging in this or any other exercise.)
Start: On hands and knees. Be aware of position of spine – start
with a neutral spine or a flat back.

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Exercise: Allow hips to lower toward heels, and reach arms out in front. Try to achieve a fully rounded lower back. Hold for
10-30 seconds.

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Sunday, November 13, 2011

The Top 5 Reasons to get Adjusted by your Chiropractor

For over a hundred years, chiropractic patients have been
heralding the benefits of chiropractic adjustments for all who would listen. In this issue of the Wellness Express™, we are presenting five of the most popular reasons why people choose
chiropractic.
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1. TO BE MORE HEALTHY!


Since its inception, chiropractic has first and foremost been based on the principle that the body has the innate ability to heal itself. Because of the negative effects of stress in one’s environment, the body’s natural abilities for wellness and healing can be interrupted. More specifically, when the nervous system is irritated by spinal misalignment (vertebral subluxations),
the regulatory capacity of the brain
relative to the rest of the body is compromised. Chiropractors seek to restore a more natural state in the body by using specific chiropractic adjustments to correct these imperfections. Chiropractors know that when the nervous system works better, ALL systems in the body have the potential to work better! Chiropractic is the only health care profession that abides by this principle. Chiropractors have been perfecting the art, philosophy and science of this wonderful profession for over a century!

2. TO DECREASE PAIN


The spine is an important physical structure that contains many pain-sensitive tissues: Most notably, joints, muscles, nerves, discs and ligaments. If there are any abnormal alignment patterns in the spinal column, this can place an abnormal amount of stress and strain on any one of these tissues. In a recent article reviewing the effectiveness of spinal manipulation, chiropractic adjustments were consistently better than other medical options in reducing the intensity of acute low back pain, plus restoring normal function, both for short-term and long-term effects

3. TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCEchiro2

Many athletes swear by the positive effects of chiropractic when talking about their personal successes. Notable names like Lance Armstrong, Barry Bonds, Dan O’Brien and Arnold Schwarzenegger, to name a few, swear by their chiropractors. Athletic performance is affected by a combination of strength, flexibility, speed and coordination. When the spine exhibits imperfections in movement and/or alignment, the resulting vertebral subluxations can create focal areas of irritation in the nervous system, which subsequently interfere with the optimum functions of all other systems. As a result, athletic performance suffers. When athletes are adjusted regularly, they will often attribute their success (at least in part) to their chiropractic care.

4. TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE


We all like to look our best and put our best feet forward. In order to do this, we need to stand confidently vertical, with our head held up high.
Spinal curves are absolutely paramount to good posture. In the normal spine, there should be a gentle curvature of the spine inward in the neck and lower back, with a balanced outward curve in the mid-upper back. One of the most common postural faults (head forward, shoulders rounded forward) occurs when the lumbar (low back) curve is too flat, or the thoracic (mid-upper
back) is too rounded. If this abnormal body position is not corrected, this can place a lot of pressure on the spine where the neck meets the shoulders, causing stress and strain.

Your chiropractor works hard to ensure that your spine has every opportunity to assume perfect posture, by optimizing the movement and position of each and every vertebra. As
far as your posture is concerned, the rest is up to you – consistent awareness of your posture, plus a commitment to regular postural exercises are the best ways to maintain a healthy upright
spine.

5. TO INCREASE BODY AWARENESS


Most people do not know this, but joint position is one of the most
important ‘senses’ used to detect body position in 3-dimensional space (only surpassed by vision in terms of importance). Without this joint information, for example, you would be severely uncoordinated in the dark, most likely unable to walk without falling. This ‘sense’ provided by the joints of your body is called
proprioception. Chiropractic adjustments help to restore proper position and movement of your body’s joints so proprioception (body awareness) is optimized. When you are more aware of your body in space, your improved balance and coordination will help you by preventing accidents and injuries!
Chiropractic care is not only for back pain – it is a natural, healthy choice for optimum performance and beautiful posture, plus an essential component of mind-body communication, ensuring your body functions the way it was originally intended!

Friday, November 4, 2011

Exercise of the Week


Lumbar extension – “lazy cow”


Difficulty: Beginner to Moderate (Consult your chiropractor before engaging in this or any other exercise.)

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Start: On hands and knees. Be aware of position of spine – start
with a neutral spine or a flat back.

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Exercise: Allow spine to sag toward floor, bringing lumbar spine into full extension. Also extend neck by bringing chin up
toward the ceiling. Hold for 10-15 seconds.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Winter Activities – a likely cause for acute low back pain?

As summer turns into fall, and fall into winter, chiropractors prepare themselves to receive a healthy number of new patients – related to some of the more common winter activities and
their contribution to a greater incidence of acute lower back pain.

As the calendar pages are turned to the fall months, people put their bathing suits and beach towels away as they anticipate the first snowfall of the year. As they dig into their closets however, reaching for their skis, skates, snow shovels and sleds most don’t
think of how often these fun-filled activities can lead to debilitating lower back pain.


A few of the most notable causes for injury in the winter months include:
1. Slips and falls – with icy conditions.
2. Snow shoveling – a strenuous winter-related activity.
3. Dangerous winter sports.

Slips and falls:

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When the temperature starts to drop below the freezing point, chiropractors warm up their adjusting muscles. With
snow and ice covering walkways and other surfaces, people are more likely to slip and fall, adding to the list of reasons they visit their chiropractor.
Acute injuries resulting from slips and falls can range from a slightly bruised ego, to subluxations and dislocations of the pelvis, or even fractures in the tailbone or wrist.
One of the first things you should do if you experience a fall this winter is to check in with your chiropractor. The jarring effects of a fall can easily subluxate your sacroiliac joints or lumbar spine and lead to more chronic issues if these subluxations are not
corrected right away.


Snow shoveling:

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Winter snow looks so soft and fluffy as it floats down to the earth, but when we attempt to clear our sidewalks of the frozen white stuff one shovel-full at a time, what we discover is that it’s not as easy as we first imagined. Snow gets easily packed and dense, and sometimes when the temperatures hover around the freezing point, the wetness of the snow can make it much heavier than it looks.
Shoveling snow is a physically demanding exercise that puts a great demand on the heart (thus putting us at greater risk for heart attacks). And, it can easily lead to sprains and strains of the lower back, wrists, elbows and shoulders. If you find yourself a painful victim of ‘shovelitis’ (a term used here to describe the acute lower back pain and inflammation following an afternoon of moving snow), your next step should be to make an appointment with your chiropractor.

If you’re looking to prevent that next bout of ‘shovelitis’, follow these helpful tips this winter:


1. Warm up before heading out into the cold – by stretching those tight muscles before using them.
2. Don’t over-load your shovel with snow – one shovel full of wet snow can weigh up to 25 pounds!


3. Always lift with your legs – be sure to bend your knees, not your back, when lifting loads of snow.


4. Don’t bend and twist – the worst combination for disc injuries. Avoid throwing snow over your shoulder!


5. Take a break! Taking regular breaks can help prevent getting over-tired, which is when you are most likely to injure yourself.


Winter sports:

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Common winter sports – like skiing,
snow-boarding, hockey and tobogganing – not only involve many falls and spills, but also various activity-specific injuries.
Skiers and snowboarders often suffer knee and back injuries because of all the twisting motions involved in those sports – plus, thumb and wrist injuries are common.

Tobogganers have to watch out for injuries to the head and lower limbs caused by collisions with stationary objects and other people.

Hockey players need to be particularly aware of the dangers of their sport: Because it is a contact sport involving high speeds, sprains and subluxations are the number one injury in hockey, followed by contusions and lacerations. Of course, fans of NHL player Sidney Crosby will also be acutely aware of the ever-present potential for concussions in hockey – a devastating and serious problem in this sport.

We all know that winter sports can be fun, but we also need to be aware of the risks!

Luckily, your Doctor of Chiropractic knows how to safely and effectively take care of all those winter back pains. According to a recent article in the journal Spine, chiropractic treatment of acute low back pain is one of the most effective options and it is accomplished with minimal, if any, side-effects. Symptoms related to pain reduce more quickly and the effects of the
chiropractic adjustment last longer than other treatments (like medications, exercise, etc.) compared to chiropractic!
Whatever activities you are planning to participate in this year, be sure to schedule a chiropractic appointment afterwards, just in case!

Disclaimer: Information contained in the Wellness ExpressTM newsletter is for educational and general purposes only and is designed to assist you in making informed decisions about your health. Any information contained herein is not intended to substitute advice from your physician or other healthcare professional.