Ventura Spinal Care Center » pediatric chiropractic

It's Not Too Late to Hydrate!

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:39:19 +0000

Chiropractors, like Dr. Alff, are determined to educate their patients about the importance of drinking plenty of water each day. The positive repetitive stress is on “Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!” For humans to survive, they must have air and water (in that order). An astonishing 75 percent of individuals in this country are mildly and chronically dehydrated, even though drinking enough water would appear to be as visceral as breathing in a healthy amount of air. (Most people aren’t getting enough oxygen either, but that topic is for another time.) Water is absolutely crucial for good health. Drinking plenty of water assists every cell, tissue, and organ in the human body and keeps all its systems functioning. Your saliva, and the fluids surrounding your joints, are essentially water. Water regulates the temperature and metabolism of the body, and keeps the blood circulating. The improvement of nutrient absorption and toxin removal, as well as the reduction of heartburn, hypertension, exhaustion, headaches, and even backaches have been attributed to staying well-hydrated.

Athletes are particularly at risk when it comes to conditions caused by dehydration. Researcher, Susan Yeargin, assistant professor of athletic training in Indiana State’s College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services, said of athletes,”Physiologically, their core body temperature could be higher than it should have been if they were hydrated. Their heart rate will be higher, and they’re going to perceive that they’re working harder than they actually are.” According to researchers at Indiana State University, a high percentage of collegiate and professional athletes begin the season dehydrated, putting their health at risk even before they begin strenuous workouts. In fact, Pre-season physical examinations, in fact, found that 80 percent of football players presented with.

Just how much water is enough water might be a little confusing. Chiropractors, like the majority of other health care professionals, suggest no less than eight, 8-ounce glasses of water daily for most patients, though for our athletic patients, or for those who are overweight or exercise or work in a hot environment, we advise even more. There is a fairly uncomplicated way for you to be sure that you’re drinking an adequate amount of water. The color of your urine is a good guide. If it is a light, pale yellow, it’s evidence that you’re well-hydrated!

Technorati Tags: backaches, chiropractors, drinking enough water, exhaustion, headaches, heartburn, hydration, hypertension

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Chiropractic Ventura: Banking Takes on a Whole New Meaning When It Comes to Five-Year-Olds

admin — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:16:44 +0000

Attempting to keep up with an active five-year-old can be draining from time to time. If you have an active child of this age, or if you’ve ever been around one for any length of time, you may have found yourself wishing that the kid would just sit still for a minute or two. But, new research is recognizing the long-term health benefits of this whirlwind of activity. In fact, according to a new University of Iowa study, rather than attempting to slow these little ones down, five-year-olds ought be aided in being as active as possible. Why? “Because it pays off as they grow older,” said Kathleen Janz, lead author of the study and professor of health and sport studies in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Even if kids don’t continue to be as active later in childhood, being active at age five helps them to stay lean as they get older. “We call this effect ‘banking’ because the kids benefit later on, similar to having a savings account at a bank. The protective effect is independent of what happens in between,” Janz went on to say.

Using a special scanner that accurately measures bone, fat, and muscle tissue, and an accelerometer that measures movment every minute, the UI team tested the body fat and activity level of 333 kis at ages five, eight, and eleven. Rather than depending on kids or parents to track minutes of exercise, the kids wore accelerometers to record their activity level for up to five days.

Even when controlling for their accumulated level of activity, the study (published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine) indicated that kids who are active at age five end up with less fat at age eight and eleven. The average five-year-old in the study got thirty minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per day. For every ten minutes on top of that, kids had one-third of a pound less fat tissue at ages eight and eleven.

Although further investigation is required to determine what happens to the bodies of the active kids that keeps them in better shape down the road, Janz said that it could be that the active 5-year-olds didn’t develop as many fat cells, improved their insulin response, or that something happened metabolically that offered some protection even as they became less active.

Weight moderation, however, isn’t the only benefit of early exercise. As a chiropractor I have noticed over the years that active kids have fewer ordinary childhood health issues, such as catching colds and the flu. Chiropractic care is, without a doubt, extraordinarily beneficial in helping kids to stay healthier. But, in addition, the stimulation to the brain that occurs during activities, especially those that require “cross pattern” motor movements of the larger muscles, i.e., right hand/left leg and left hand/right leg, such as crawling, running, climbing, and skipping, also boosts the autoimmune system and keeps kids healthier.

Too many children today are overweight and unhealthy. Though part of the problem is an inappropriate diet, inactivity is also a major contributing factor. If you have a five-year-old who chooses to watch television or play video games rather than to participate in more active play, help your child to get up and get moving into healthier activities. Moderate to vigorous exercise will not only benefit your child now, but will assist in building a healthier future. You can bank on it!

Technorati Tags: childrens health, chiropractic, chiropractor

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Do Chiropractors Treat ADHD?

admin — Fri, 29 May 2009 23:07:59 +0000

You may have been told that chiropractors treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Well, that’s just not true. Although chiropractic care can definitely help children, and adults too, who suffer from it, chiropractors don’t actually “treat” ADHD. The reason that chiropractic treatment is helpful is that ADHD is a neurological disorder. Chiropractic adjustments not only effective in reducing nervous system disruptions in general, but an adjustment can be specifically directed to stimulate under-active areas of the brain and calm over-active areas as well. Many parents are choosing chiropractic care over the conventional medical approach of giving children Class 2 psychotropic drugs that in many instances have dramatically negative side effects such as personality changes and permanent alterations in the brain. The chiropractic approach to ADHD is natural and drug-free. Nearly all of parents who’ve opted for chiropractic treatment for their children have noted marvelous behavioral changes as a result.

Because of the differences between the manner in which boys and girls employ the two hemispheres of their brain, ADHD seems to afflict more boys than girls and, additionally, is often more obvious and easily observable in the behavior of boys rather than of girls. Some of the symptoms that are most notable include a hard time concentrating and sitting still, inability to control impulsive thoughts and behaviors, easily distracted by noises and activities, chronic movement of fingers, hands, arms, feet, or legs.

Quite a few children who display ADHD symptoms are hypersensitive to particular foods, such as dairy or gluten products, and sugars and artificial sweeteners. In addition, they commonly have a hypersensitive reaction to additives in foods, herbicides and pesticides used to grow non-organic fruits and vegetables, and laundry products such as detergents, fabric softeners, and other chemicals. As a general rules, the elimination of these environmental factors can do quite a bit to reduce ADHD symptoms.

Determining the presence of spinal anomalies and certain responses to specific neurological tests are part of the comprehensive examination given by your Ventura Chiropractor.

You may be able to assist your child in getting his or her life back in balance through natural, safe chiropractic care. If your child displays the symptoms of ADHD, before taking drastic pharmaceutical measures, call your chiropractor to make an appointment for a complete evaluation. Call today for the health of your child!

Technorati Tags: ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, chiropractic, chiropractor, drug-free, natural

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