July 2006

Dear Patient and Friend,

In these modern times, the entire world seems to be more and more dependent on drugs.  Drugs in war and drugs in peace, drugs to kill insects, drugs to wake you up and drugs to make you sleepy, drugs to speed you up and drugs to slow you down, drugs to relieve pain, drugs for every phase of life, young and old alike. Does this make any sense to you? It makes no sense to me!

More and more, the medical profession is questioning the misuse and overuse of prescribed drugs and are showing serious concern about the side effects of these drugs as well as the potential risk of addiction to them. We can’t listen to the radio, watch television or read a magazine advertisement without being alarmed by excessive urging for us to take drugs or give them to our children for every type of disorder.

Take a moment and notice just how this advertising directly affects you and your family. Look in your medicine cabinet at home or your purse and your desk drawer at work. What form of medication do you rely upon? Is it any wonder people suffer needlessly  from stress, nervous tension, digestive disorders, headaches and chronic pain?

I ask you to STOP and research how you can escape from this medicine trap.

Doctors of Chiropractic do not prescribe drugs. For over 110 years, chiropractors have empowered people to understand that every function of the body is controlled and  directed through the nerve system. Health comes from within. When the nerve system is clear from any interference and the communication from the brain to organs and tissues is 100%, the function of the body will be normal, and normal function brings health.

Doctors of Chiropractic focus on the significance of the spinal column as the key to health. The spinal column is the strength and support of the body. It serves as the means of articulation for the larger bones and the attachment of major muscles. And most important, the spinal column houses the spinal cord and contains openings between the vertebrae for nerves to exit and provide direct communication between the brain and the body.  Thus, the spine is the master control center for the entire nerve system and the key to health!

During our busy everyday lives we experience different forms of stress such as physical stress (accidents, falls, lifting heavy objects, etc.), emotional stress (children, work, divorce, etc.), and chemical stress (processed foods, drugs, water pollution, etc.) These forms of stress can cause misalignment of the spinal bones resulting in interruption of  nerve flow and proper communication from the brain to the rest of the body. This is called a vertebral subluxation and results in diminished body function, lowered immune resistance and ultimately dis-eases.

Chiropractic care is a health care approach based upon the body’s natural ability to heal itself and is a very important step in a commitment to optimal health.  Optimal health is one of our most valuable possessions. We should value ourselves enough to strive for the highest level of health. When we take responsibility for the choices we make regarding health, we give ourselves the best opportunity to achieve all of our health goals.  Chiropractic care can help give us the natural health we deserve when we commit to learning more about our body and take all of the necessary steps to stay well.

Possibility That Chiropractic Care May Reduce Anxiety Symptoms

A recent study, published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research (JVSR — http://www.jvsr.com), describes a 19-year old female diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) who suffered from somatic and psychiatric symptoms for two years.  After a four-month course of chiropractic care, the young woman reported an 80% reduction in her anxiety symptoms, including a 90% decrease in her headaches. The patient was able to resume a normal lifestyle without resorting to prescription or over-the-counter drugs.

The patient’s previous medical treatment had included multiple emergency room visits, private specialists and a rotation of drug therapies including Paxil dosage, Xanax, and Celexa — which all failed to manage her symptoms.

The research was co-authored by Dr. Madeline Behrendt, Associate Editor of JVSR, and Dr. Nathan Olsen, a chiropractor in private practice in Boise, Idaho. The patient’s history included at least three motor vehicle accidents between 1995 and 1997; in one, her head shattered the windshield. The initial chiropractic evaluation detected the presence of spinal distortions, referred to as vertebral subluxations, which can result from trauma. Subluxations may interfere with the integrity of the nerve system and affect mental health.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety is the most common mental health illness, affecting more than 19 million Americans ages 18-54. These patients make three to five times more visits to doctors’ offices and emergency rooms and the Anxiety Disorders Association of America reports that direct healthcare costs and lost productivity of these conditions cost more than $42 billion per year.

The drug therapies commonly used in treatment for mental health disorders have recently come under closer scrutiny because of their poor rate of effectiveness and potentially deadly side effects, including increased suicidal tendencies in young people.

Despite this, most consumers are not given information on non-drug options and remain unaware of the benefits and cost savings that chiropractic care may offer.

This young woman spent two years in crisis, going from emergency room to private specialist, spending thousands of dollars for tests and drug therapy, without any resolution of her problems. A simple, non-invasive spinal screening ultimately provided the findings that made the difference: her spine was subluxated, impinging on nerves, and altering the proper function of her nerve system. How many other people are suffering unnecessarily because they are missing the proper screening?

A chiropractic adjustment is the quickest and most effective way to release stress and anxiety in your nerve system. Removing interference and anxiety in your nerve system gives your body the ability to heal and regulate at its optimal level. Prevent anxiety by getting adjusted regularly and by living a healthier lifestyle.

Meditation For Moppets

Stressed-out kids are finding relief in relaxation techniques such as meditation.

Business Week-March 29, 2004

Every morning and evening, 12 year-old Haig Monokian sits in his room, closes his eyes, and focuses on his mantra. This straight-A student believes meditation helps him to calmly handle days packed with school, music lessons, basketball, karate and the pressures of preteen life. “If I am stressed out about something, meditation makes me feel better. I don’t lose my cool that easily.”

Researchers are finding that even in children, this technique of deep relaxation can reduce anxiety and improve everything from blood pressure to creativity and self-esteem. Meditation has been shown to improve “executive functions” such as planning, organizing, regulating emotion, and keeping to a task. “If meditation quiets the mind and improves brain function, wouldn’t it be particularly helpful to those with learning disabilities and ADHD?” asks William Stixrud, a clinical neuropsychologist.

It has been found that students who meditate rated themselves as more alert, happier, and less frustrated than those who did not meditate.

Children experience stress and anxiety just as adults do. Their days are jam packed with school work, sports activities, music, chiropractic appointments, religious lessons, spending time with friends and peer pressure. Don’t be fooled. Kid’s stress is just as real as adult’s stress. Just as in adults, stress can cause unhappiness and anxiety as well as common childhood illnesses such as ear infections, headaches, acne, asthma and the common cold.

Meditation in addition to regular chiropractic adjustments helps to unwind a child’s nerve system and allows their inner wisdom to express itself and heal their bodies from the inside out. This winning combination insures the best possible healthy and stress free futures.

:: Chiropractic: Bringing Out The Best In You

 Pregnancy…The Chiropractic Approach

So many women who receive chiropractic care during pregnancy say to us, “How in the world do other women get through pregnancy without chiropractic adjustments?” A pregnant woman needs to have her body as healthy and strong as possible in order to handle the rigors of pregnancy and childbirth.

Let me share with you some frequently asked questions regarding chiropractic care and pregnancy…

Is chiropractic care safe in pregnancy?

YES. It is very safe for both mother and baby. Chiropractors spend many hours training to adjust the spines of pregnant women and many chiropractic adjusting tables have special
modifications for pregnant women.

How late in pregnancy is it possible to get an adjustment?

Patients can receive adjustments even during labor. In fact, it is common for me to be asked to come to the hospital to adjust both mother and newborn.

Do I have to have a problem in pregnancy to see a chiropractor?

Not at all. Periodic spinal checkups during pregnancy should be as common as periodic weight checkups. Chiropractic should be utilized as preventative care for pregnant women.

Can chiropractic care help postpartum depression?

Chiropractic care has extraordinarily beneficial effects on emotional stress. Postpartum depression is a rarity in new moms receiving chiropractic care.

Can my baby receive chiropractic care?

I am frequently asked by my pregnant patients to give the infant a spinal checkup immediately after birth. This is because the birthing process can be traumatic for the infant and can cause very serious misalignments (subluxations) to the spine.

I frequently find that chiropractic care helps maintain pregnancy, control vomiting during pregnancy, deliver full-term infants with ease and produce healthier infants. Chiropractic care during pregnancy has demonstrated success with breach presentation, back pain,
premature contractions and back labor.

If you are pregnant, one of the best things you can do for yourself and your baby is see a Doctor of Chiropractic. Chiropractic care provides so many things a pregnant body needs: a flexible and balanced spine, hips and pelvis, internal organs without postural stress and free from nerve stress—all essential for a healthy pregnancy and delivery. Along with a proper diet, exercise and avoiding drugs, alcohol and cigarettes, Chiropractic care should be an essential part of a pregnant woman’s health care regimen.

Fascinating Facts To Think About

Did You Know?

• New research shows it is more important to avoid negative thinking than to just think positively. Researchers at Ohio State University studied middle aged and older adults, half of whom were caregivers for a relative with Alzheimer’s disease. At one-year intervals in this three-year study, participants reported their degree of optimism and pessimism, negative life events, depression, stress, anxiety and other issues. Individuals who reported the least amount of negative thinking turned out to be the healthiest of the study participants.
• Love those grains!  Whole grains lower the chance of stroke say researchers at Harvard  University. Women who replaced one serving a day of refined grains with whole grains had a 30-40 percent lower stroke risk compared with those who didn’t. Add a slice of whole wheat bread to your diet.
• Too much nasal spray can be harmful. Using decongestant sprays too frequently and for too long can cause “rebound” congestion that is often worse than the original problem, says Margaret Reilly, clinical pharmacist at Orlando Regional Medical Center. If severe enough, this rebound effect can lead to addictive use.
• New research suggests antibiotics often don’t help acute sinusitis in kids.  So why prescribe them and raise the risk of creating antibiotic-resistant bacteria? Ask your child’s doctor about alternatives. Source: Health, July/August 2001.
• Women whose diets are high in calories and saturated fat have twice the risk of developing multiple sclerosis as those who eat more moderate amounts, shows a study at the University of Montreal. Getting enough protein and fiber from plant sources like legumes can reduce your risk.

I first began to experience lower back pain in 1989 when I hurt my back lifting weights.  I felt both numbness and tingling in my legs.  It hurt to stand up and it hurt to sit down.  I started seeing a chiropractor shortly after that and my back felt much better after a short amount of time.  I have maintained chiropractic care ever since as a sort of preventative measure.  I moved to Buffalo Grove in 1999 and out of loyalty traveled to the south suburbs for chiropractic care until that office closed down.  After that I was referred to Dr. Stern by a mutual friend.

Dr. Stern sees me once every 3-4 weeks for routine maintenance.  My back feels good and my overall health is better do to my relationship with chiropractic care.  (I rarely get sick or even get colds).  In addition to Dr. Stern’s adjustments, I regularly perform my exercises that Dr. Stern prescribed for me.

My job involves a lot of stress.  I am a trial lawyer and when I’m on trial, the stress seems to go up to my neck and shoulders causing some pain and tightness.  My regular monthly adjustments along with the exercises greatly relive the pain and tightness caused by stress.

I will continue chiropractic care throughout my life because I feel healthier as a result.  I would recommend chiropractic care for anybody who has stress related back pain and/or
headaches, or pain caused by lifting weights.

– David Weiner

–     Closing Thoughts …

How To Put A Wow In Every Tomorrow

Develop An Attitude Of Gratitude…

Even when you are experiencing tough times, remember the blessings in your life. Always be grateful for the people, love and abundant treasures in your life. It’s like sprinkling sunshine on a cloudy day.

Encourage Others…

When someone has a goal, most people point out the obstacles. You be the one to point out the possibilities. Tell them you have faith in them and that you’ll support them in any way.

Give Sincere Compliments…

We all like to be remembered for our best moments.  Acknowledge the good in people and make them feel better about themselves.

Keep Growing…

Life is about constant growth. There is always another level of growth. Walk a different path than you are accustomed to. Take a class. Read an inspiring book. Listen to motivational tapes. And then, share your growth with others.

Give The Gift Of Forgiveness…

Forgiveness is a blessing for the one who forgives as well as for the one who is forgiven.

Take Care Of Yourself…

Exercise, eat a healthy diet, reduce stress, get a good night sleep. Taking care of yourself may also include singing, dancing a little bit every day, and having love in your life.

Perform Random Acts Of Kindness…

Do kind things for others for no other reason than to make them feel good. Don’t expect anything in return. The most fun is when the other person doesn’t know who did it.

Treasure Relationships…

Create valuable relationships in your life and treasure them. Eat meals together, take walks, listen to each other. Share laughter and tears. Create memories. Don’t forget to tell the other person how much you care for them.

Share Your Faith…

You can wish someone joy and peace and happy things. However, when you share your faith, you’ve wished them everything.

Take time to appreciate life. Spend time with those you love and let them know how much you appreciate them. Life is a journey with many lessons along the way. Learn from each lesson and know that it is truly a gift.