Taking Control of Your Health – The Stern Chiropractic Newsletter

Featured Topic: TOO BUSY FOR YOUR OWN GOOD

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: David Weiner, Sheryl Rudy, Vicki Baker, The Folks at My Gym, Jeff Wilk and Meredith Baker-Rush.

Charity Corner:
Stern Chiropractic is collecting donations for Lambs Farm. A matching contribution will be made by Stern Chiropractic (certain restrictions apply). Please join me in supporting this wonderful cause.

Topic of the Month : TOO BUSY FOR YOUR OWN GOOD

Are you always running around making sure others are taken care of? Do your family, work and other obligations optimize all of your time? Do you ever carve out a piece of your day just for yourself? IF YOU DO NOT START TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF, YOU WILL NOT BE AROUND TO HELP THOSE THAT YOU LOVE!

We all have responsibilities and wear many hats (parent, caregiver, spouse/partner, business person, chauffeur, maid, cook, team coach …) but what about you? You not only deserve good health, you owe it to those you love and care for. If you are not functioning optimally, you will not be able to fully be there for others. Remember, Health is defined as “Optimal physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

I know, there are so many things going on and it is so hectic, who has time to worry about themselves? The reality is, you can run on OVERDRIVE for only so long. Then, you crash and burn (you get sick, injured or just completely burned-out) and are forced to take a break. This overdrive mechanism is the “Fight or Flight” response, a Sympathetic Nervous System response, which was designed by nature to be used in short spurts, i.e. running away from the tiger in the jungle. When the sympathetic nervous system remains turned on “24/7”, all day, every day, it has many negative affects on your body, such as reduced immune function, increased susceptibility to chronic and acute diseases, increased risk of cancer, etc … In addition to always being on the run, things such as high stress, poor nutrition and lack of exercise and sleep, all contribute to wearing down your already diminished resources to the point that, things that never made you sick before, are now causing severe illness.

As much as we would all like to think, “It will never happen to me,” the reality is that it very possibly could, and the less we do to prevent it, the more probable it is. “Like death and taxes,” lack of care for yourself will always catch-up with you at some point. Being a small business owner, father and spouse myself, I know first-hand how hard it is to find time to take care of one’s self. But, my training and clinical experience has proven to me that it’s well-worth the time and effort. Time and time again, I see patients that put off taking care of themselves and are now forced to put everything else in their lives on hold because they have ended up with a significant illness or injury. I have found it to be an absolute truth that it is CHEAPER, EASIER and LESS TIME CONSUMING to do little things regularly to take care of yourself than it is to wait until the symptoms arise and then go for acute care. This type of regular care for yourself will help you:

1. Feel good on a daily basis

2. Avoid Pain

3. Reduce daily stress

4. Save money on expensive and intensive acute care.

5. Reduce time taken off work and away from your family due to being sick or injured.

And much more …

It’s all about priorities. Unless you take care of yourself, you will not be able to continue being there for others.

Taking care of yourself is not easy and many times does not even seem possible. When you make health a priority, it gets done. Here are some things that are well worth making time for:

1. Get yourself adjusted! Chiropractic Care will provide for optimal functioning of your nervous system by removing subluxation (mechanical interference in your nervous system caused by restrictions in spinal joints). Proper nervous system function will allow for reduced “fight or flight” response, decreased stress and enhanced health. Regular chiropractic care will keep you going longer and stronger!

2. Exercise regularly! Exercise is a wonderful stress-buster, increases your energy level and will enhance your overall health.

3. Make the time to eat right!

– Make sure to include fresh fruits and vegetables into your daily diet. Your body needs these nutrients to stay healthy.

– Drink water! There is no replacement and your body suffers tremendously without enough of it.

– Reduce saturated fats and increase omega 3 fats in your diet.

4. Get Some Rest – sleep rejuvenates your body and provides time for the body to heal.

5. Reduce Your Stress – change your paradigms, do relaxation & visualization exercises, meditate, do Tai Chi, Yoga or make time for a massage.

6. Get Away – To keep your sanity and a good attitude, get away from the every day things: Go on vacation with your spouse, friends or by yourself, arrange a date night with your spouse, get out with the boy/girls. Do something to give yourself a mental break. It will rejuvenate you.

These suggestions are not one-time things. Make time on a regular basis to incorporate these things into your life. YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Products of the Month : Massage

Massage is a wonderful therapeutic and relaxation therapy that is good for people of all ages. Alleviation of muscle tension and stress, reduction of heart rate, lowering of blood pressure, enhancement of joint flexibility, improvement of range of motion and circulation are just a few of the wonderful benefits of massage. Do something special for yourself or someone you love. Buy them the gift of massage. Stern Chiropractic offers massage gift certificates and discounted gift certificate booklets.

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