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Luke Chiropractic March 2013 Newsletter
03/12/2013
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The days are getting longer and that lovely sun is coming closer towards us. Now is the time to start ramping up our health and wellness so that we are ready-to-go for the Spring and Summer activities!
This month I would like to discuss chiropractic and healthy living, and their effect on our immune systems. Many of you may have heard that this year's flu shot was quite ineffective and that seniors in particular fared poorly, with less than 10% immunity gained for the most common and virulent flu strain. A main reason given for this poor showing among seniors was that they generally had poor immune systems to begin with. It is surprising to me that with our growing dependency on pills to do our fighting for us, we do not consider doing healthful activities that enhance our natural immunity. This is like observing that a diet pill is less effective for people that don't exercise and eat donuts for breakfast!
One of my favorite speakers I have heard at chiropractic conventions is Bruce Lipton, himself not a chiropractor but a research cell biologist that used to teach at medical colleges. He has recently written a book "The Biology of Belief", which contrasts two competing theories in health care. A mechanistic orientation is a somewhat deterministic one which envisions our bodies as being very machine-like, governed by outside forces such as genetics and chemical processes. A vitalistic orientation is one in which recognizes an innate vital force within each of us which heals from within.
When it comes to the immune system we are not simply at the mercy of germs and dependent on medical concoctions to save us. There are effective things that we can do to shore up our immune forces and tilt the odds in our favor. It has been shown that healthy eating, regular exercise, getting enough rest, giving up smoking, doing a detox, etc. all strengthen our immune system and these are things WE CAN DO without the help of outside agents like antibiotics, vaccines and pharmaceuticals. In addition, simply paying attention to hygiene and avoiding exposure in the first place should be on the front-line of our defenses.
When it comes to chiropractic, spinal adjustments can do a lot to boost our immunity by regulating the sympathetic nervous system. In one study, research done by Dr. Ronald Pero, Chief of Cancer Prevention at New York's Preventative Medicine Institute, found that patients that received regular chiropractic adjustments had 200% greater immune competence than unadjusted individuals, and that the immunity enhancement did not diminish with age! In another study published in the Chiropractic Research Journal, looking at immunity depressed individuals with HIV, there was a 46% increase in immune function when adjustments were given vs. a steady decrease in immune function in an unadjusted group.
In summary, though medicines have their place, we are not victims of outside forces when it comes to our health and have the power to make choices that will help us be healthy and happy without pills.
Product of the Month
Congratulations to those of you who completed our detox program last month! There's nothing quite like that "clean" feeling that you have coming off of a cleanse.
This month our product of the month is our Omega 3 fatty acids. Our typical American diet provides an over abundance of Omega 6 EFA's due to processed and fried foods, often creating nearly a 20:1 ratio of bad fats to good. Omega 3 EFA's support cardiovascular health, brain function, healthy mood, healthy skin, immunity strength, and joint health. Our Omega 3 EFA's do not taste or smell like fish- so cats won't follow you down the street! They are also made from wild fish farther down on the food chain that they do not concentrate toxins.
So, have a great March and get yourself ready for that string of lovely summer days. And remember that the steering wheel to your health is in your own hands!
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Luke Chiropractic February 2013 Newsletter
02/06/2013
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Using Chiropractic to Treat Whiplash
I hope you have been coping well with the dead of winter and know that those spring flowers are just around the corner!
This month I would like to discuss whiplash injuries and motor vehicle accidents. Today the largest single contributor to chronic neck pain and overall spine pain is motor vehicle accidents. Whiplash has ramifications that extend way beyond the head and neck and include dizziness, thoracic outlet syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome and fibromyalgia.
As many as 25% of diagnosed fibromyalgia cases are attributed to a prior trauma, the number one being whiplash injury. In a 1999 article in the Journal of Orthopedic Medicine it was stated that the only proven effective treatment for chronic whiplash is chiropractic care. To take care of whiplash injuries today is to prevent potential problems tomorrow.
Not all chiropractors are created equal when it comes to treating whiplash injuries. I am one of just several chiropractors in the Twin Ports who has earned a special certification in spinal trauma. In addition to being very experienced in dealing with these unique injuries from a healing standpoint, I have training to deal with the medical-legal aspects of them as well. Many chiropractors have difficulty handling the special hurdles that can come up in this regard and are thus not well-positioned to do the most for their patients.
In my experience, the sooner one gets treatment after a motor vehicle crash, the better. With the recent deluge of accidents due to wintery conditions, I urge you to send any individuals that you know who are hurt in an accident to my office as soon as possible. And drive carefully! The very best way to mitigate a whiplash injury is to not have one in the first place!
February Specials
20% off!
This month our products of the month is our detox kits and our sickness treatment supplements- Sinuplex, Inflavanoid, zinc lozenges and Vitamin C. There is nothing better than to maintain a healthy system to avoid getting sick and a yearly/ bi-yearly detox can really bolster your system. When you do get sick, you can enhance your immune system naturally without the side effects of pharmaceuticals.
So, hang in there and enjoy our last weeks of winter. By maintaining and honoring your health today, you will be ready to go full force once those spring days are upon us!
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Chiropractic Study
02/06/2013
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Chiropractors Serving as Primary Care Providers Decrease Costs - Study Shows
When Chiropractors serve as Primary Providers in health plans, these plans save significant amounts of money. This according to a new study published in the May 2007 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. The study, also reported on in the June 7, 2007 Earthtimes.org could have profound implications as the US presidential campaigns seem to be dealing more with the issues related to health care and ways to make a system of universal health care affordable.
Researchers compared the costs and clinical utilization of members enrolled in a traditional health maintenance organization (HMO). The researchers reviewed data from those HMO members who had an integrative CAM Independent Physicians Association (IPA) and compared them with members who had a conventional medical IPA. In essence they look at the costs of those programs where the primary care physicians (PCPs) were exclusively doctors of chiropractic. The research, led by Richard Sarnat, MD, not only compared costs but also looked at patient satisfaction.
The results showed that over a seven year period, patients who utilized chiropractors and other CAM-oriented primary care physicians had a 60.2% decrease in-hospital admissions, 59.0% decrease in hospital days, 62.0% less outpatient surgeries and procedures, and an 85% decrease in pharmaceutical costs when compared with the total network HMO utilization rates and costs where medical physicians were the primary physicians.
Coauthor James Winterstein, DC commented on the results by saying, "Our most recent analysis supports earlier findings that patients visiting CAM (Complimentary and Alternative Medicine)-orientated primary care physicians (PCP) -- primarily chiropractors -- experienced fewer hospitalizations, underwent fewer surgeries and used considerably fewer pharmaceuticals than HMO patients who received traditional medical care."
In addition to costs savings those enrollees who utilized chiropractic consistently reported a higher satisfaction rating with their HMO than those who did not have chiropractic. The study showed that the rates of patient satisfaction ranged between 89% and 100% and that patients consistently rated their experiences more positively than did members enrolled within the HMO's offering only conventional medical care.
Dr. Winterstein summed up the results and their impact by stating, "This study confirms that integration of allopathic, chiropractic and other complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers can positively impact patient quality of care while limiting overall costs. This approach to patient care has great potential to improve the U.S. healthcare system."
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April 2012 Newsletter
02/06/2013
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Pregnancy, Birth, and Newborns
We just finished running a booth at the Birth and Baby Fair, and it was so great to see so many pregnant women and the little ones that have already arrived. During this very important time of life, both for the infant and for the mother, Chiropractic can do wonders.
During pregnancy the hormone Relaxin loosens up all the muscles and ligaments, allowing joints to more easily misalign. In addition, the sudden weight gain and uneven distribution of weight leading to increased spinal curves create a situation which is ripe for back pain. In dcdoctor.com , three interesting studies are cited. One shows that 7 out of 10 pregnant women were significantly helped with back pain. Another found that labor time was reduced by 25-33% in women that had chiropractic care during pregnancy. Finally, chiropractic patients had a 75% reduction in postpartum back pain.
After delivery, a woman's body goes through even more changes. Weight distribution is reversed, with the low-bearing weight of pregnancy suddenly switching to upper body weight in the breasts and with holding her baby. As the relaxin hormone diminishes, the ligaments and muscles tighten back up again and can "lock" faulty patterns into the spine.
Finally, birth can be hard on baby as well. I encourage all my mothers to bring in their newborns for a check-up. Early subluxations in the spine can lead to colic, reflux, ear infections or just a failure to thrive at full potential. Chiropractic can do wonders to help us achieve maximum wellness in all stages of life, but at no time is this more essential than around the magical time of new birth- for both mother and child.
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Headaches
02/06/2013
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Headaches
Few things can take the wind out of our sails more than a headache. When we have a headache, we are simply not at our best; we can’t think clearly, we are irritable and life just loses some of its luster. It amazes me how many of my new patients list headaches as a secondary complaint, and the negative influence that they have on their lives.
Headaches are like the tip of an iceberg, popping to the surface with ominous regularity. Most people control headaches with pills, pushing them back below the surface. While this can bring temporary relief, it does absolutely nothing for the root-cause of the headaches. In fact, beating back the headaches with pills encourages us to ignore their source, allowing it to grow and fester. There is also a dark-side to those pills- just read the side-effect lists!
Most headaches are neck related and stem from factors such as muscle tension, pinched nerves, forward head-carriage, degenerative arthritis, poor postural habits, etc. A chiropractor can look below the surface and address your unique factors directly, breaking up that ugly iceberg causing you all the grief.
In a recent article in the Spine Journal (Feb 2009), headache patients were given either 8 or 16 treatments and compared to a control group. Both chiropractic groups improved markedly, with the 16-treatment group showing the most profound change. Often it takes a long time to build up the factors causing headaches, so it takes some persistence to root them out. In our pursuit of vibrant health, don’t let headache pills take you down a blind alley.
Put the wind back in your sails with chiropractic!
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Testimonials
"I have had several chiropractors over my life but have never before experienced such a team of professionals as the ones at Luke Chiropractic. I consult with Dr. Luke for any medical situation and then go to my doctor. I trust him completely. I moved here from the Twin Cities and they were some of the first people I met in town. I now consider them to be friends."
- Peggy - Duluth ,MN
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