Winter Survival Tips- January-February 2003

Taking Control of Your Health – The Stern Chiropractic Newsletter

WINTER SURVIVAL TIPS

Referral Corner:
The Greatest Compliment my Patients Can Give is the Referral of Their Friends and Loved Ones. Thank You For Your Trust. This month, I would like to thank the following people for their trust: Debbie Stern, Dr. David Kanarek, Dr. Michael Perper, The Fliehman Family, Iris Makower, Heidi Stern, Michael Kupperman & Roska Deli.

Charity Corner:
Stern Chiropractic is collecting donations for The Village of Buffalo Grove Scholarship Program. A matching contribution will be made by Stern Chiropractic (certain restrictions apply). Please join me in helping young minds grow.

Topic of the Month : WINTER SURVIVAL TIPS

Better safe than sorry. When the snow, ice and frigid weather blast into town, be careful! Winter recreational activities and chores can pose problems for the outdoor enthusiast whose body is not in condition but weekend warriors are not the only people at risk. People with lung and heart disease must take special care during the winter and everybody must walk more carefully to avoid slip and fall injuries.

1. Clothing – When you go outside, make sure to wear layers of warm clothes. Layers of clothing helps trap the heat in and keep you warm.

2. Frostbite – When the temperatures get extreme, don’t stay outside to long. In order to conserve the body’s heat, the blood supply to the arms and legs is reduced thereby making your hands and feet more susceptible to frostbite.

3. Heart Disease – Winter weather can cause a tremendous stress on your heart. If you suffer from heart disease or have some type of heart problem, DON’T OVER-DO-IT in the cold weather. The results could be deadly. Make sure to get instructions from your doctor on the specific Do’s and Don’ts for you.

4. Lung Disease – The cold weather can be very hard on those with chronic lung disease. As with those with heart conditions, please be careful and get specific information from your doctor on what you can and can’t do.

5. Seniors – Broken hips are a major cause of death in the elderly. Please be careful when walking and if necessary have someone with you to make sure you don’t fall.

6. Shoveling – If you must shovel, be careful.

· Listen to the weather forecast so you can rise early and have time to shovel before work.

· Layer clothing to keep your muscles warm and flexible.

· Shoveling can strain “de-conditioned” muscles between your shoulders, in your upper back, lower back, buttocks and legs. So, do some warm-up stretching before your grab that shovel.

· When you do shovel, push the snow straight ahead; don’t try to throw it. Walk it to the snow bank, Avoid sudden twisting and turning motions.

· Bend your knees to lift when shoveling. Do not bend forward at the waist. Let the muscles of your legs and arms do the work, not your back.

· Take frequent rest breaks to take the strain off your muscles. A fatigued body asks for injury.

· Stop if you feel chest pain, or get really tired or have shortness of breath. You may need immediate medical care.

7. Winter Sports – Get plenty of rest; keep hydrated (water) and stretch. Stretching should be sport specific but many of the outdoor activities should focus on the low back, hamstrings and calf muscles.

8. Simple everyday walking from your car to were you are going and back – make sure that you are wearing good winter shoes that have traction, provide support for your ankles and that keep your feet warm and dry. Watch the ground ahead of you for patches of ice and avoid trying to carry too much in one trip.

9. Nutrition and Hydration – The winter time can be very stressful on you body so make sure to eat your vegetables and fruit, take a good multi vitamin and drink water (rule of thumb: drink at least the number of ounces of water equivalent to half your body weight).

10. Exercise – Just because it is winter does not mean that you don’t have to exercise. Winter sports can be some of the best cardiovascular, low-impact exercises around. For example, cross country skiing and ice skating are wonderful cardiovascular exercises that can be easier on the joints.

11. Chiropractic and Acupuncture Care – Chiropractic care can keep your nervous system performing at its highest possible level and help boost your immune system. Acupuncture can provide for proper flow of your Qi and thereby boost your immune system and enhance your health. Wellness care can help you stay healthier this winter and possibly reduce the extent of injury you experience if in-fact you do get injured. Also, if you do fall, get into an accident or get hurt, feel free to call me and I will let you know if your condition would be benefited by chiropractic or acupuncture care.

 

Products of the Month : ESBERITOX, SAVENTARO (for those with Autoimmune problems) and, ECHINACEA

Esberitox is a combination of 3 very powerful herbs (Echinacea, White Cedar and Wild Indigo). This product is extremely effective in boosting the body’s immune system and helping to ward off as well as shorten the length and intensity of the common cold and flu. Saventaro is the sister product to esberitox for those of you with autoimmune diseases. Both of these products work wonders for boosting the appropriate mechanisms of your immune system to fight off these viral infections. I would be remiss if I did not offer Echinacea. This natural herbal supplement is well known for its immune boosting affects.

Save 15% on the products of the month when you mention this newsletter.

I hope this information helps you take control of your health and your life! If you have any questions, feedback or have any suggestions for future topics, please call or email me.

If you know someone who would be interested in receiving this newsletter, if you would like to receive this newsletter via email, or if you would prefer to no longer receive this newsletter, please let me know.

Don’t forget the importance of maintaining your health with regular chiropractic and acupuncture care.

Sincerely,

Gregg Stern, D.C., FICPA