The Body’s Foundation

At its very foundation chiropractic helps improve nervous system function by making adjustments to the spine. Over time, more and more studies are proving that it is extremely effective and as a result many health conditions are improved and even healed completely.

Function of the Nervous System

The nervous system is a complex network of nerves, spinal cord, and brain that reach and affect every part of the body. The core of the nervous system is the spinal cord which receives and transmits information in the body.

It is responsible for organ function, movement, and experiencing the senses sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. The brain receives the information that is carried by the nervous system. It processes the information and helps the body react appropriately.

When you look at a cat, the image is transmitted through the nervous system, processed in the brain, and translated to the image of a cat as you understand it. It happens so quickly; there is no pause or lapse of time in a healthy nervous system. The transmission of the message is instantaneous.

How Chiropractic Helps Improve the Nervous System

When the spine is not aligned or the body is out of balance it can impact the function of the nervous system, causing chronic pain, difficulty in mobility, and a wide range of health conditions. Chiropractic adjustments open the pathways of the nervous system allowing the information to flow unobstructed.

It goes far beyond just the spine though. The chiropractor may adjust the arms, legs, neck, and hips in addition to the spine which all work together to provide a healthy, functioning nervous system. Regular chiropractic care can help keep the nervous system unimpeded and working as it should.

Improved Nervous System Means Improved Immune and Endocrine Systems

The nervous system, immune system, and endocrine system are inextricably linked so when one is impacted, the others are impacted as well. This occurs because all three systems share certain molecules that carry message between them, allowing them to communicate or work together. It is this connection that makes chiropractic an effective treatment for immunity.

While the immune system protects the body from disease, the endocrine system is responsible for producing certain hormones. These hormones are responsible for regulating tissue function, sleep, metabolism, sexual function, mood, growth and development, as well as other vital functions.

This is why chiropractic care can often help with depression and insomnia; it is even an effective with infertility. When you look at the nervous system from this perspective it is easy to see how far reaching it is and how much it impacts the entire body.

Benefits of an Improved Nervous System

There are many chronic and even degenerative health conditions that are impacted by the nervous system. Studies have shown that chiropractic is a very effective for numerous neurological conditions including:

• Vertigo
• Cerebral palsy
• Ataxia
• Multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson’s
• Epilepsy
• Tourette’s Syndrome
• Autism

This makes chiropractic more global care in many cases. A patient may seek treatment for pain or limited mobility but will often experience many other benefits due to the positive effects that the chiropractic has on the nervous system.

When there is a communication breakdown between the brain and the body’s tissues, organs, and cells it can lead to a variety of health problems. Chiropractic provides a safe, effective treatment for improved nervous system function.

In some cases, a patient may need regular chiropractic adjustments that may be once a week or several times a week. The type, frequency, and intensity of the adjustments is dependent upon the patient and their condition. Chiropractic adjustments positively affects the nervous system and as a result, positively affects the entire body.

I hope you found this article helpful and gained some new knowledge from it. Please, leave a comment or feel free to ask questions. Also, Let your Friends and Family know about the article by sharing it on Facebook.

In Health,
Dr Jim Lopez

Obesity on the rise

Childhood obesity is on the rise in America. Even if you don’t want fries with that kids’ meal, chances are your fast food restaurant wants to give you some. Chains like McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Burger King offer unhealthy sides and drinks 84 percent of the time, in lieu of their more nutritious offerings like apple slices, yogurt, and juice. That’s among the findings of a new analysis released by researchers at Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, which examined fast food marketing and nutrition trends.

The fast food industry has stepped up efforts to reach children and teens. Last year, preschoolers saw 56 percent more ads for Subway, 21 percent more ads for McDonald’s, and 9 percent more ads for Burger King than they did in 2007. Often, they’re bombarded with images of snacks and desserts—
children see more than two advertisements each day promoting unhealthy menu items.

How Chiropractic Can Help

You may not think of your chiropractor as being helpful with obesity problems, but they can be your best ally with weight problems. Obviously, the traditional medical field does not have the answer, or we would not have an increasing childhood obesity problem in America.

Except for obesity conditions caused by extremely rare glandular problems, children and adults become obese for one reason and one reason only—consuming more calories than they burn. To lose weight you just need to consume less calories than you burn. 
That’s it—it’s that simple. Either eat less, exercise more, or do both.

There are many reasons we are overeating:

• Stress
• Boredom
• Food/Comfort Issues
• Malnutrition

If low, or no energy, is the reason for not exercising, the chiropractor will examine the possible causes for this. It may be a nutritional deficiency, lack of sleep, stress, or other physical problem. The chiropractor will be able to find the cause and eliminate or treat the cause. With more energy, it will easier to get out and exercise, allowing the body to burn more calories.

When people attempt to lose weight by eating less, they may become even more deficient in nutrients. Which increases their hunger sensation. We tend to eat more when our bodies are nutrient deficient. When we eat more we than we should, we put on weight.

Once the body has sufficient amounts of all nutrients, then the hunger center shuts down, and there is no longer a feeling of hunger. When the hunger is under control, people can much more easily control the amount of food that they eat, and they can begin to lose weight.

Other Factors

The other factor in the equation for losing weight is exercising more to burn more calories than are consumed. Here, again, your chiropractor can help make this easier. If kids and adults are not exercising because of pain, the chiropractor can help with both of these problems. Chiropractors are the experts at eliminating the causes of pain, not just masking the pain with drugs. Through chiropractic adjustments, the body will be restored to normal alignment. Thus reducing the physical causes of spinal stress and return it to normal function.

The bottom line is that obesity problems can be addressed. Take the first step and want to do something about the problem. Together, your chiropractor and you can solve the problem.

Natural ear pain relief

Ear pain is the number one reason for children to visit the chiropractor. There is a strong link between the birthing process and recurrent ear infection, also known as otitis media. During the birthing process, cervical vertebrae can become misaligned, disrupting nerve function, which can affect the eustachian tube. This may lead to fluid buildup in the middle ear and cause Otitis Media.

Reduced trips to the pediatrician

Ear infections accounts for over 35% of all pediatrician visits in the United States. Antibiotics, the usual treatment, are not always effective and may even lead to a recurrence of ear infections. Overuse of antibiotics creates a cycle of repeat ear infections. This Creates a need for more pediatric visits, more antibiotics, and subsequent antibiotic use during the first two years of a child’s life. In the U.S., the cost of the medical and surgical treatment of Otitis is estimated to be between three and four billion dollars annually.

Adjustments maintain healthy ears

Studies show that ear and other upper respiratory infections respond favorably to chiropractic adjustments. One promising study published in the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics indicates that there is a strong correlation between chiropractic adjustments and the resolution of ear infections. Over 3oo children with chronic ear infections participated in the study.

In this study, each child, ranging in age from 0 to 5 years, was given a series of chiropractic adjustments. The results show that close to 80% of the children did not experience another ear infection within the six-month period following their initial visits.

The six-month period included maintenance treatments every four to six weeks. Joan M. Fallon, D.C., is the author, and the chiropractor who treated the children in the study. This pilot study serves as a starting point from which the chiropractic profession can examine its role in the treatment of children with chronic ear infections.

Learn more by following UWS on Facebook. Or scheduling an appointment with one of our chiropractors.