Photo by Debbie C.

Did you know that headaches are one of the top three reasons people seek chiropractic care? According to the American Chiropractic Association, nine out of 10 Americans experience headaches, and anyone who has suffered through chronic headaches can tell you that there’s no such thing as “just” a headache. Headaches can severely impact quality of life, limiting your enjoyment of daily activities and sapping your energy. Painkillers – both prescription and over-the-counter – have unwanted side effects, so patients are often faced with a choice of dealing with the pain or dealing with a drug-induced fog. Drugs can also lead to “rebound” headaches.

Chiropractic care is a natural remedy to help you deal with the root causes of headaches. Many headaches are caused by muscle tension, joint irritation and vascular constriction – all conditions that can be managed by your chiropractor.

Here are a few tips to help you avoid triggering a headache:

1. Get up from the computer to stretch every hour, if not more frequently. Sitting in a fixed position stresses your body.
2. Make exercise a daily habit to help relieve stress that may contribute to tension headaches.
3. See your chiropractor to alleviate subluxation.
4. Steer clear of known headache triggers like bright light, strong fragrances and red wine, if you know that they affect you.
5. Stay hydrated! Drink at least eight glasses of water each day; more if you are exercising or consume caffeinated beverages or alcohol.

Don’t suffer – let us help! To learn more about how we can help free you from headaches, all Kristina at 408-979-9999.

Have you had a chance to enjoy a massage by our wonderful massage therapist Dionne? If not, what are you waiting for? As our holiday gift to you were are offering 30-40% off of 1 hour massages. You can’t beat that!
This offer expires December 23rd, so don’t wait. Purchase yours now!

Massage

Massage X1 $45.50 USD Massage X2 $91.00 USD Massage X3 $136.50 USD Massage X4 $182.00 USD Massage X5 $195.00 USD Massage X6 $234.00 USD Massage X7 $273.00 USD Massage X8 $312.00 USD Massage X9 $351.00 USD Massage X10 $390.00 USD

You will receive 30% off for an hour of massage. That is $45.50 each for up to 4 massages. When you purchase 5 or more you receive 40% off!!! That makes each massage only $39!!!
These are transferable and make great gifts for the holidays! Let us know if you want us to mail you the certificates or if you would prefer to pick them up at the office.

The fine print:
Certificates expire June 23rd, 2012
Must be used at 4620-B Meridian Ave, San Jose, CA, 95124
May purchase a maximum of 10 certificates
Transferable

Photo Credit: e-MagineArt.com

The most common question that individuals ask before they ever take a prescription drug is, “What are the side effects?” Before you pop another pill, you must understand how medications’ side effects directly affect your body today and in years to come.

Medications are tested in a laboratory until the chemical reaction that they are designed to achieve is reproducible. The direct effects of this lab testing must be consistent before these chemicals are ever tested on animals or people. Once human testing begins, scientists measure the impact of these medications to see if they cause the same direct effects that were induced in a laboratory. If these effects are reproducible, the testing continues to see if any other effects occur.  These are called “Side Effects” because they were not present in the laboratory setting and their impact on humans was outside of their intended effect. In actuality, these side effects are direct effects of these drugs on the body. Because we are all unique in our body chemistry, direct effects, labeled side effects, impact people differently, and they are much more common than people think.

The direct effects of Lipitor, for example, are constipation, gas, headaches, stomach pain, weakness, rash, hives, itching, difficulty breathing, chest pain, swelling of the mouth or face, bone, joint or tendon pain, change in urination, fever, chills, sore throat, flu-like symptoms, joint pain, muscle pain, tenderness, weakness, bowel changes, skin changes, swelling of the hands or feet, yellowing of the eyes or skin. This “incomplete” list, according to drugs.com, shows that while Lipitor may affect cholesterol levels in the body, there can be dozens of other direct effects that impact you in an unhealthy way.

Drug companies prepare a list of side effects for the consumer, while also listing additional side effects that doctors should be aware of. If you go to drugs.com and type in any drug, then select “side effects,” you will notice that the side effects to the consumer take up half a page while the side effects/direct effects for the physician to be aware of might be up to a dozen pages.  Most people are unaware of all the effects that medications can cause, and often treat these symptoms with other drugs.  This is dangerous because the interactions between drugs can cause even more severe direct effects. Too many people unknowingly go down this road until their body chemistry and health is completely screwed up.

Additionally, as in the case of Lipitor, there are twelve different listings of side effects/direct effects showing adverse reactions in greater than 2% of the cases. When you add the numbers of each direct effect, you will notice that nearly 60% of cases are experiencing at least one of these effects.

The direct effects of these medications, combined with the reality of our extended life spans to 80, 90, 100 years and beyond, and knowing that drugs only need to be tested for about 8 years before they are brought to market, makes it obvious that living a lifestyle that keeps you independently healthy and free from the need for medications is your best long-term option.

Thomas Edison saw this coming over 100 years ago stating, “The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.” The future is now. Our office will help you and your loved ones adjust your lifestyle so that you enjoy good health for a lifetime.

Reprinted with permission from The Family Practice.

What is your life expectancy? Do you know your M-PYR? How about your MAX-PYR? Watch to see how to figure our yours. Did you know that lifestyle chiropractic care can add quality years to your expectancy?

Photo Credit: bark

Here’s the bad news: Stress is all around us and is not going away anytime soon. But there’s good news, too: You have control over how you respond to stress!

The Bad News
It’s true that high levels of stress can contribute to heart disease and cancer. It’s also been shown to contribute to or cause headaches, ulcers, digestion problems, backaches and much, much more.

Stress is how your nervous system prepares your body for an emergency; your brain sends a signal to every cell in your body through your spinal cord. Although this can be helpful when there truly is danger (such as a dangerous animal attacking), the constant reaction can cause pain, sickness and disease.

The places in which subluxation builds up often determine how stress affects the body. If you have a lot of subluxation in the upper part of your neck, chances are you feel have headaches, allergies and/or a stiff neck. Subluxation in the lower back can lead to backaches, leg problems and ovary, prostate, bladder or bowel dysfunction.

So how do you control the way you respond to stress?

The Good News
Removing the subluxation from your body and keeping it out of your life can help you take control of the stress in your life. In addition to regular chiropractic care, here are 6 tips to stress less and live more:

1. Drink plenty of water and eat well. What you put in your body will affect how you feel, so keep putting in things that are good for it so it keeps running smoothly. Remember to avoid stimulants and sugar, too!
2. Take a quick break. The 50/10 rule is a good one. After sitting for 50 minutes, standing up and walking around for 10 minutes to help you clear your mind and get back to work with renewed focus, in addition to give your body a break from sitting.
3. Breathe deeply. It’s common for stressed people to take shallow breaths, so practice breathing deeply – 5 counts in and 5 counts out. Slowing down and paying attention to every breath forces our nervous system into a relaxed state.
4. Laugh. Laughing increases oxygenation to our entire body – there is even research that suggests it activates parts of our immune system as well! Hang out with people who make you laugh, rent some funny movies and laugh out loud!
5. Get some exercise. Exercise, as a part of a lifestyle, reduces stress, strengthens your heart and muscles and has been shown to reduce the risk of nearly every disease.
6. Be grateful. Thank someone instead of getting annoyed. Optimistic thinking has been shown to keep people motivated to make healthy lifestyle choices regardless of their circumstances, and you’ll feel a whole lot happier.

What additional ways do you like to keep the stress down? Take our poll on Facebook or let us know in the comments!

Kathy got such great results by being consistent and we love serving her! How can we help YOU?

Ever wonder how we know where to focus efforts to decrease subluxation? Beyond the specialized training, our office has a very handy tool that makes the job even more accurate: The Insight Subluxation Station (certified by a branch of NASA). This state-of-the-art technology detects the source of problem areas so we can alleviate pain effectively.

With our Space-Certified Insight Subluxation Station, we’re able to establish a reliable, scientifically valid, quantitative, multidimensional representation of a patient’s condition – something never before possible. This insight enables us to:

• Analyze a patient’s condition more accurately.
• Communicate findings more effectively.
• Track the effectiveness of treatment more precisely.

As one of the few offices in the Bay Area utilizing this technology, we see the value in taking advantage of available technology to serve Silicon Valley as effectively as possible.

For more info about additional techniques and tools we use, feel free to call our office at (408) 979-9999.

Is it possible that pain can be your friend? That may sound a little crazy because pain obviously hurts. No one likes this uncomfortable feeling yet upon further examination, you will realize that pain can be your best friend, indicating that something is not right in your body and that you should do something about it before it becomes tomorrow’s deterioration, arthritis, ulcer, heart attack or cancer.

We have been trained to mask pain and keep on going. Over the counter sales of pain killing medications such as aspirin, acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and many others run in the billions of dollars. Unfortunately, these temporary symptom relieving pills can make you feel better in the moment while setting the stage for more serious long term health problems down the road, especially if they keep you from addressing the cause of your pain.

Next time you or a loved one experiences pain, don’t just cover it up. Get to the cause with a chiropractic check up. Better yet, be proactive. Check your balance before you “feel” like you need it.  Ask our staff for a simple self test to see if you and your loved ones can benefit from a chiropractic check up.

Courtesy of   The 100 Year Lifestyle

Accidents happen and they can really be a pain, both physically and mentally. Here are some ways to prevent the sting before one happens to you!

1. Have Medical Payments on your auto policy.   Adding the Medical Payments clause on your policy is very affordable and will cover your bills regardless of who is at fault.

2. Get checked out immediately!  Even minor fender benders (speeds of 5 m.p.h. or less!) can cause injuries. The faster you get checked out by a chiropractor, the sooner you will be able to get back to your life!  If insurance is covering your care, they look at how long it took you to seek out help as an indicator of how injured you are.

3. Have a journal to write any changes in your body and mental state.  Mental changes like fogginess, memory challenges, and mood changes can all be signs of a head trauma. It’s important to document this as it is happening so you can have an accurate picture.

4. Develop a relationship with a mechanic/auto body shop that you trust so you can sleep easily and not worry. We have used Sturken Auto Body and Repair in the past and endorse their work. They have proven to be reliable, and easy to work with!

If you missed parts 1 and 2 read them first….

Here is the one of the biggest reasons why you and your family need to include chiropractic care as a part of your healthy, 100 year lifestyle!

5. An Early Unnecessary Demise: In 1994 Dr. Lee authored a lengthy article that postulates that the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) is involved in all disease processes and explains that causes and cures of all diseases are mediated by our central nervous system. Everyone must be checked on a routine basis for neurological interference caused by subluxations at a lifestyle chiropractic office if they desire to stay healthy.  Another study reveals that subluxations negatively effect the visceral (organ) input centers and output centers in your brain stem. This indicates that almost any subluxation at any level may result in almost any kind of health challenge.  Finally, the autopsies performed by Dr. Windsor M.D. correlated that nearly 100% of diseases these animals suffered from were related to a curvature in the spine or a spinal problem that damaged the nerve that supplied that specific organ.

Is this different from what you thought chiropractic care was all about??

How can we help you achieve the life you deserve??