Some Random Thoughts-July 2013

SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS
 July 2013
 
Hi Everybody Dr. Norris Here.

I hope everyone is staying cool.  As I write this we have had 100°+ weather for a week now.  So drink plenty of water and be careful when outside.

This month I want to tell you a few things about my office you may not know.
  Treating Children

Young people respond quite well to chiropractic adjustments. Because they don't have the degenerative changes that older people often have. I have adjusted infants as young as two months old. There are specific techniques I use to treat infants, but most kids can be treated the same as adults. And just like adults they respond with increased mobility, balance and feelings of well-being, as well as decreased pain, muscle tension and stress.

The health of children is so important that if a paying parent brings them in I will treat them for free if they are under the age of 12. So let me know if I can help.
  Rapid Release

Last month I was taking a continuing education class in San Diego. There was a presentation given on a new technology called Rapid Release. The device is a handheld massager which utilizes a high frequency vibration to treat muscle spasm and soft-tissue scarring.  I bought the machine and the results have been amazing. Patients with chronic tight muscles have reported relief for up to several weeks with a single treatment. Inflammation of tendons and fascia also seems to respond well to this modality.
So let me know if I can help.
  Prolonged Postures

With Independence Day earlier this week may of us were watching fireworks. I recall a few years ago looking up watching fireworks high up in the sky. Afterwards my neck was stiff from tilting my head back for a prolonged period of time. So yes I went and saw a chiropractor friend who fixed me. It's not uncommon that prolonged postures produce painful joints and muscles. Sitting at a computer for hours is one of those tasks which causes pain. Working in an awkward position, performing repetitive activities and driving long distances can all cause spine pain. Chiropractic care is very effective in fixing these kinds of problems.
So let me know if I can help. That's what I do... help people get out of pain.
 

“Because nobody has time for pain!”

Sincerely,
Dr. Michael Norris

 

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HEALTH UPDATE
Why does it hurt?
 
Often, tissue fatigue is the answer. Overuse of muscles and soft tissues from repetitive motion can cause small micro-tears. At a certain point, the tissue simply fails.
It is then prone to inflammation and tightness, which causes pain.  
Journal of Chiropractic, Feb 2013.
 

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QUOTE OF THE MONTH
 “Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; 
  nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.”
~ Thomas Jefferson

The Healing Power of Food- June 2013

THE HEALING POWER OF FOOD!

June 2013

Hi Everybody Dr. Norris Here. 

I hope you enjoy this great article by Dr. Fabrizio Mancini.

Something amazing happens when you begin to eat healing foods and give your body a break from junk foods, bad fats, refined flour, and sugar. Your body may shed up to ten pounds of excess water weight, and your energy soars. You get your digestion working properly again, stop feeling so bloated and congested, and maximize your self-healing potential.

The scientific research is loaded with proof of how proper nutrition can heal. There are thousands of studies, for example, showing that a diet heavy in fruits and vegetables protects against heart disease and cancer. Maybe we really don’t need to throw so many pills and drugs at a disease, just more fruits and vegetables!

All whole foods are self-healing, but here are 5 foods that have special powers. All of them fight disease, promote a strong immune system, and provide nutrients you need to feel great. Try to include as many as possible in your diet. Simply put, when you eat well, you feel well.

Add these to your daily diet:

1. Apples- They are high in fiber for a healthy digestive system.  They also reduce the risk of stroke and chances of dying of a heart attack.
2. Artichokes- They protect the liver against toxic build-up. They also reduce levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, because they are rich in antioxidant.
3. Avocados- They are loaded with the powerful antioxidants which helps the body get rid of cancer-causing substances? They also help reduce total cholesterol.
4. Beets- They are loaded with folic acid, an important B vitamin that protects against heart disease and cancer. It also appears to help prevent the formation of LDL cholesterol.
5. Blueberries- They help your brain produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory, coordination, and feelings of well- being. They also may prevent the growth of breast cancer cells.

May you eat well and live long...Bon Appetit!

As always if you or someone you care about is suffering... have them contact me for a consultation... I will do everything I can to get them out of pain fast.

“Because nobody has time for pain!”

Sincerely,

Dr. Michael Norris

HEALTH UPDATE:

The Sunny Side Of Eggs

Despite decades of advise that the cholesterol in eggs is bad, researchers now report eggs may actually reduce high blood pressure. Scientists found egg proteins that, in laboratory simulations, seem to be good as common prescription medication for lowering blood pressure. Journal of Agricultural and food Chemistry, Feb 2009.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

 “By making decisions to alter our diet or make more healthful choices, we have greater potential for self- healing.”  ~Dr. Fabrizio Mancini

How Does Chiropractic Work?-May 2013

HOW DOES CHIROPRACTIC WORK?

May 2013

Hi Everybody Dr. Norris Here. 

In the 35 years I've been treating patients one of the most common questions I hear is "How does chiropractic work?"  The answer can be stated in scientific language which makes it very complicated. The answer that follows is perhaps the best example I have heard yet.  So here goes.

Chiropractic is the art and science of relieving pressure that misaligned bones can cause on soft tissues.  Envision in your mind a hose with a sprinkler which waters a patch of lawn.  As long as there is plenty of water, sunlight and nutrients the lawn stays health and lush.  Now if someone happens to put a large rock on top of the hose... pressure will slow or stop the water flow.  Then the lawn will start to brown.  The home owner can fertilize the lawn, he can mow it, he can keep weeds and pests away... but until he removes the pressure of the rock from the hose the lawn won't get enough water.  Eventually what was once a beautiful lush green lawn will become brown and lifeless.

This is what happens when a misaligned bone puts pressure on a nerve.  This can happen wherever a nerve passes next to a bone... but it especially occurs in the spine where nerves and bones are right next to each other.  The vertebrae bones of our spine (like a rock) can easily misalign and put pressure on a nerve (like a water hose) causing a decreased electrical flow (like water) causing pain, muscle spasm and tingling (like a dry lawn).  If the pressure is left on long enough nerve damage can be permanent (like a dead lawn).

Thankfully there are therapeutic techniques which can remove pressure and restore function to most bones, nerves, muscles and other tissues.  Chiropractic doctors are specialists trained to find and realign misplaced bones, remove nerve pressure and restore function.

So if you or someone you care about is suffering (like a brown lawn)... have them contact me for a consultation... I will do everything I can to get them out of pain fast.

“Because nobody has time for pain!”

Sincerely,

Dr. Michael Norris

HEALTH UPDATE:

Chiropractic First?

There are over 300 bones in the human body; and over 600 muscles and thousands of nerves.  These nerves control and regulate most of our bodily functions including blood flow, digestion and muscle movements.  Guyton Physiology Test

QUOTE OF THE MONTH:

“Of all the self-fulfilling prophecies in our culture, the assumption that aging means poor health is the deadliest.” ~ Marilyn Ferguson (1938-2008), American writer.

The Neck and Headache Connection- April 2013

THE NECK AND HEADACHE CONNECTION

April 2013

Hi Everybody Dr. Norris Here. 

Patients with headaches also commonly complain of neck pain.  This relationship is the rule, not the exception and therefore, treatment for headaches must include treatment of the neck to achieve optimum results.  The term, “cervicogenic headaches” has been an accepted term because of the intimate connection between the neck and head for many years.  There are many anatomical reasons why neck problems result in headaches.  Some of these include:

•   The first 3 nerves exiting the spine in the upper neck go directly into the head.  They penetrate the muscles at the top of the neck near the attachments to the skull and therefore, any excess pressure on these nerves by the muscles or spinal joints will result in irritation and subsequent pain.

•   A nerve in the upper cervical region innervates sensation to the back of the head up to the top.  Therefore, problems located in the upper neck will often result in pain radiating up from the base of the skull over the top of the skull to the eyes and /or face.

•   Another nerve that innervates the upper shoulders and muscles in the front of the neck arises from the top levels in the neck.  Injury anywhere in the neck can result in spasm and pain in these large muscle groups.

•   There are other interconnections between the nerves of the neck and digestive areas.  These can affect taste, tongue and throat movements, and stomach complaints such as nausea.

                                             

When patients seek treatment for their headaches, an examination of the neck, upper back, and cranial nerves is routinely performed for the above reasons.  It is common to find upper cervical movement and vertebral alignment problems present in patients complaining of headaches. Tender points located between the shoulder blades, along the upper shoulders, on the sides of the neck and particularly, at the base of the skull are commonly found.  Pain often radiates from the tender point over the top of the skull when pressure is applied in the upper neck/base of the skull area. Tenderness on the sides of the head, in the temples, over the eyes, and near the jaw joint is also common. Traction or pulling the head to stretch the neck is often quite pain relieving and this is often performed as part of the chiropractic visit.  Chiropractic adjustments applied to the fixated or misaligned vertebra in the upper neck often brings very satisfying relief to the headache sufferer.  Exercises for the neck are also helpful in both reducing headache pain and in preventing occurrences, especially with stress or tension headaches. 

So if you or someone you care about is suffering from headaches have them contact me for a consultation... hopefully I can get them out of pain.

“Because nobody has time for pain!”

Sincerely,

Dr. Michael Norris

A Special Thanks From Dr. Norris...

To:  My Patients

I heard something really interesting a few days ago and wanted to pass it along. It was a speaker talking about how every day we have a lot of negative things happen in our lives.  If you watch the news for only 5 minutes, you're probably going to be depressed for a month!

And here's the really interesting observation this speaker made:  He said that we always seem to react to all the bad stuff.  Whenever something goes wrong in our lives (or just seems to go wrong) we make sure everyone knows about it.  And we dwell on it.

On the contrary... when something good happens... most of the time we seem to not even acknowledge it.  And even worse, we ignore the people that do all the good things in our lives while we are concentrating on all the negative things.

That's why I've written this... to comment on and acknowledge something good.

I have no idea why, but recently, we have been experiencing an unusual flood of new patients that have been referred in from patients like you.  It makes me feel great that so many of my patients have the confidence in our office to send in their family and friends.

So, if you have recently recommended my services to a friend or loved one,

I would like to simply say thank you.

Sincerely,

Dr. Michael Norris

HEALTH UPDATE:

Chiropractic First?

Washington state workers with a back injury claim between June 2002 and April 2004 were significantly more likely to receive spine surgery within three years (42.7%) than workers whose first visit was to a chiropractor (1.5%). Keeney BJ, Fulton-Kehoe D, Turner JA, et al. Early predictors of lumbar spine surgery. Spine, Dec. 12, 2012.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH:

“America's health care system is in crisis precisely because we systematically neglect wellness and prevention.”

~ Senator To Harkin (D-Iowa), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Immune System Part 3- March 2013

How Important Is Your Immune System? 

Part 3 

March 2013

Hello Everybody Dr. Norris Here. 

This is part 3 of my newsletter on your immune system.  If you missed Part 1 or 2 you can go to my website at www.drnorrischiro.com and archive the newsletter page.  In Part 1, I told you about the drug resistant bacteria which is invading America.  Your immune system is the first and only defense against these types of bugs.  Our environment can cause our immunity to illness to be decreased.  Where we go, the people we come in contact with and the pathogens we are exposed to, all affect us.  In Part 2, we discussed the affects of what we ingest; healthy food versus bad food choices.  Smoking, alcohol and drugs have side effects, which can suppress our body's ability to tolerate illness.  So the answer to the question above is... your immune system is VERY IMPORTANT.

The activity we do obviously has impact on your body.  People who exercise are not as likely to get sick; and when they do get sick the symptoms are milder and shorter in duration.  This is because the fit person's body functions at a higher level.  Respiratory and circulatory function is better.  There are typically more white blood cells.  These factors allow us to fight-off microbes more efficiently.  But beware: more is not always better.  There is a point where too much exercise begins to decrease our immune system.  That is why rest and sleep is necessary.  You may have heard of the old saying "Don't burn the candle on both ends."  If we deprive our bodies of rest and sleep we open ourselves up to possibly getting sick.  6 to 8 hours of sleep per night is recommended to stay healthy.

Finally, the last component to keeping your immune system functioning properly is proper nerve function.  Think about this for a second... 90% of the functions that you body performs are controlled and regulated by your nervous system.  Breathing, heartbeat, digestion and brain function are all regulated by nerves.  The organs which support your immune system such as; the spleen, liver, kidneys and your skin are all controlled and regulated by the nervous system.  Therefore, keeping your nerves healthy and free from interference is essential.  The nerves can be irritated, inflamed and pinched by misaligned joints especially in your spine.  Chiropractic doctors are specifically trained to find and release misaligned joints, removing pressure on the nerves, thereby allowing a fully functional nervous system and enhanced immune system function. 

So be proactive, avoid sick people, wash hands, make good choices in what you put into your body, exercise, get adequate rest and periodically see your chiropractor.  All these things give you the best chance for immunity from disease. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Michael Norris

HEALTH UPDATE:

The oldest person to ever run a full 26 mile marathon is 100 year old Fauja Singh.  In 2011 he finished the Toronto Marathon in 8 hours and 25 minutes.  Parade Magazine, 01/ 27/ 2013.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH:

“The gray head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness…” ~Proverbs 16:31 King Solomon