Advanced Chiropractic

Act As If

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Dr. Jeffry Vendsel

1 in every 2 Americans die each year from Heart Disease, and 1 in every 3 die of Cancer! These statistics are 5-20 times higher than the rest of the world, or even in this country 30 years ago.

There are many many lifestyle choices that make these diseases so prevalent. High cholesterol, stress, lack of exercise, eating a diet high in saturated fat, and many other factors place you in pole position in the race to an early death.

Cancer also has similar risk factors that can be avoided altogether. Hormone replacement therapy increase the risk of cervical cancer, eating smoked meats and nitrates increase risk of stomach cancer, smoking leads to lung and mouth cancer, high fat diets lead to colon cancer, aspartame causes brain tumors, saccharine causes bladder cancer, and on and on…

If you knew that something would kill you, would you willingly do it, or consume it? Me neither! The point is, ACT AS IF you are going to get cancer or heart disease. Eat organically, exercise at least 3 three times per week, stop smoking, or don’t start altogether, cut the fat in your diet, no more artificial sweeteners, use natural cleaning products.

God gave you a great perfect body, so take care of it! Make your decisions wisely. You only live once, and at some point, you won’t be able to get your health back. Ask any bed-ridden millionaire and he or she would gladly give it all up to be healthy.

Dr. Jeffry T. Vendsel, Advanced Chiropractic, holds an Advanced Certification of Competency Whiplash and Brain Traumatology Certificate from the Spine Research Institute of San Diego as well as being recognized as a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician by the American Board of Chiropractic Sports Physicians.

Posted in Wellness | Tagged diet, exercise, nutrition, wellness | Leave a comment

What are we doing that is killing us on the inside?

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Dr. Jeffry Vendsel

A man jumps off a high rise building and as he passes each window he looks inside, waves, and says, “I feel great and am doing fine so far!”

(Of course the problem starts with the quick stop at the end!)

The real Problem begins with believing that how we FEEL is a good measure of how healthy we are!

What are we doing that is killing us on the inside?

Think about this for a moment, really think about it. The next time you wake up in the morning feeling yucky, with a fever or a runny nose, or you vomit, think about why! Next time you have a hangover or a headache think about the cause. And the very next time someone passes away because of cancer or has a “sudden” heart attack, think about how they were feeling 2 or 3 years ago. Your body is extremely intelligent, are you?

FEVERs are a very important immune function. They are a safe way that the body can kill viruses or bacteria that have attacked your health. To take Aspirin to lower this function is to allow an infection a better chance to attack your body!

A RUNNY NOSE is merely a defense from allergens, bacteria, and viruses outside the body. Mucus keeps these things from entering your lungs, thus the body. To take an antihistamine is to rob the body of its defense system, lowering your immunity, and allows viruses, bacteria and allergens a great chance to enter your body!

VOMITTING allows your body to rid itself contents which are harmful, and would do more damage to you if digested further. Your internal protection!

These are just 3 examples of feeling horrible despite a healthy reaction!

HANGOVER’S & HEADACHES are not due to a lack of a pain killer. Sometimes it is because you are dehydrated! Drink water! And other headaches can be from subluxation, low blood sugar, or withdrawal from caffeine. Fix the problem, not the symptom! Your body tells you when you are doing something wrong!

Listen!

The AMA tells us that 5 of 6 people will die from Heart Disease or Cancer! These are diseases that rarely exhibit symptoms until it is too late. This means the disease grows within us while we are “feeling fine” for years before it finally kills us. The worst thing is that these are diseases that we give ourselves.

Health is not something you are given or that just happens, you have to earn it. Just because you feel Great doesn’t mean you are healthy! Just because you feel bad doesn’t mean you need a drug! Give your body a chance to heal itself, it is very intelligent!

Choose Health!

Posted in Lifestyle, Wellness | Tagged symptoms, wellness | Leave a comment

A Little Is Okay, Right?

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Dr. Jeffry Vendsel

Today we are hearing more and more about the side effects of the additives in the foods we eat. These are the same additives that the Food and Drug Administration has easily deemed “safe” for us, the American public at large, to ingest.

Safe is defined by Congress as “reasonable certainty that no harm will result from use of an additive.” The list is 700 items long and includes the most common artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame, Splenda, NutraSweet, and Equal. It also contains hydrogenated oils and artificial colorings as well. All of these additives are human made and the FDA has either Okayed them in full or is limiting their use. But even this limitation is by only allowing 1/100^th of what is considered to be dangerous into any one portion of food. Which may have been okay, but much of the damage that comes from these additives is cumulative. That means it builds up with each and every exposure!

So you say, “How does this affect me?” Well do you ever read the labels of candy, ice cream, protein bars or any other pre-packaged foods? Most of them not only have preservatives for a long shelf life, but have colorings to make you think the food is pretty and artificial sweeteners which are many times sweeter than sugar!

Did you know that the long term side effects of such additives have been linked to different cancers?

And short term side effects include the following;

hearing impairment, vision distortion, tinnitus, headaches, dizziness, sleepiness, depression, irritability, inability to maintain focus, breathing difficulty, bloating, aggression, diarrhea, decreased fetal body and placental weights and brain development, etc. The list does not end there.

So if the list does not end there for the short term, meaning you could experience any one of these things with one use, and the long term gives way to a possibility of having a deadly disease, what amount is worth it all?

Is a little okay?

Remember the real damage is accumulative. So how much is okay?

Well the FDA knows many of these additives are not healthy, hence the limitation of their use in single portions. But is the FDA going to tell you how many portions over your lifetime that you can have? Are they going to govern what you actually eat?

Just take one portion that you may eat on a basis of 3 times a week. Multiply it by 52 weeks in a year and you have eaten 156% of the amount that is considered to be dangerous, in just one year with just one food item of your diet!

Just think the average American drinks 55 gallons of soft drinks per year. Soft drinks are also the biggest culprits of osteoporosis. Do you think this is a little amount?

You have to look at the big long term picture on a daily basis!

And you have to be the one to decide what is safe for you to eat! Don’t leave it up to the FDA.

Posted in Nutrition and Diet | Tagged food additives, nutrition | Leave a comment

Diabetes and Obesity

Posted on March 25, 2011 by Dr. Jeffry Vendsel

Like Scylla and Charybdis, the twin sea monsters of Greek mythology, diabetes and obesity are the twin medical monsters confronting America’s children. Diabetes and obesity have even been featured as the story line in a recent episode of Law & Order, a show well-known for focusing on issues that matter.

What’s going on? Diabetes and obesity are twin raging epidemics endangering the health and welfare of our nation’s young people. In New York City, by the age of 4, there is a one in three chance that the child will be obese. More than 40% of children are at an unhealthy weight at ages 2 and 3.¹ National statistics are similar.

Type II diabetes, long known as “adult-onset diabetes”, is now being recognized as a significant juvenile disorder. Up to 45% of the children diagnosed with diabetes have the type II form.² And the numbers keep increasing.

Type II diabetes and obesity are closely related – being overweight is one of the two major risk factors for developing type II diabetes. The other major risk factor, not surprisingly, is lack of exercise – not being physically active.

Why be concerned? Both diabetes and obesity contribute to additional severe health issues. Obesity is the leading cause of pediatric high blood pressure and increases the risk of coronary heart disease. Uncontrolled diabetes, over time, can lead to heart disease, kidney disease, neurologic disorders, and blindness.

So we are very concerned for our children’s well-being. The good news – and it is very good news – is both conditions are lifestyle-related. Bad diet and lack of exercise cause both conditions. This is well-known. It is also well-known that maintaining a healthy diet and getting regular exercise prevents obesity and prevents or delays type II diabetes.^3,4

As parents, it’s up to us to set the standards. If we’re eating healthy, balanced meals, our kids will do the same. If we exercise regularly and keep ourselves fit and trim, our kids will exercise regularly, too.

Posted in Children's Health, Nutrition and Diet | Tagged diabetes, juvenile diabetes, obesity | Leave a comment

When Bad Things Happen to Good Exercisers

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Dr. Jeffry Vendsel

“There I am,” a very fit patient is saying, “out on my five-mile run, motoring my way up a steep incline. Suddenly, I feel a throbbing pain in the middle of my right shin. Oh, no, I think, not again.”

As things turned out, the patient recovered from the shin splints¹ quickly, but he knew he’d dodged a bullet. “Why did I get hurt?” he wanted to know. “I wasn’t doing anything wrong.…What can I do to make sure this doesn’t happen again?”
All very good questions. One answer is – basically ? we need a plan for exercise. A powerful strategy that helps us train smart and train safe. When you’re working this way ? training smart and safe ? then you can also train hard.

Training safe and smart means paying attention to what’s happening in your body as you do your workout. “Paying attention” is a learned skill. It requires focus and repetition. Visualization is an important part of focus ? and, if you’re working on visualization, you’re definitely paying attention!

You can visualize when you’re running, too.
•   Visualize an erect, fluid spine and strong abdominal muscles.
•   Your head is upright, you’re looking forward and slightly down, and your chest is open.
•   Your arms are active yet relaxed, and your shoulders sit comfortably on your rib cage.
•   Visualize a long stride, a soft landing, and a strong pushoff, with your leg kicking straight behind you.

Training smart means trusting your instincts, rather than listening to your ego. This is a tough one. At the time, it seems so important to do that last rep. Now, you can do that last rep if you maintain your form. Form is everything. If you have to sacrifice form in order to do those last few reps, you may get an unexpected, unwelcome result.

Likewise in running. When your form breaks down, that’s a signal to slow down and recover your good mechanics. If your training is done with attention to proper, effective form, you’ll be more likely, when the time comes, to run a good race at a good pace.

And, of course, we want to do these things to be healthy and well. The American College of Sports Medicine² states, “Resistance training, particularly when incorporated into a comprehensive fitness program, reduces the risk factors associated with coronary heart disease and non–insulin-dependent diabetes, prevents osteoporosis, promotes weight loss and maintenance, improves dynamic stability and preserves functional capacity, and fosters psychological well-being.”

Posted in Sports Injury | Tagged exercise, sports injury, visualization | Leave a comment

Neck Pain: Chiropractic Can Help

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Dr. Jeffry Vendsel

Who hasn’t had neck pain at one time or another? What’s more, many of us have experienced on-going neck troubles at some point during our lives. Looking at human anatomy, it’s no wonder pain strikes us so often in this vulnerable area. While the neck structure gives us an amazing range of movement with which to see our environment, it also leaves us prone to injury of the muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints. But by making regular visits to the chiropractor, paying attention to posture and doing regular stretching and strengthening exercises, our necks can be pain-free.

Frequent chiropractic adjustments help prevent neck pain from occurring in the first place, but some everyday activities such as poor posture during watching TV, using a computer, reading a book or talking on the phone can easily trigger neck pain. Here are a few tips for avoiding neck pain throughout your day:

Pay attention to your posture. Check with your chiropractor for guidelines to help improve your everyday posture.
Do not read hunched over a desk or table. Prop reading material at eye level.
If you spend long periods on the phone at work or home, consider using a headset rather than cradling the phone between your head and shoulder.
Don’t crane your neck to see a poorly placed computer monitor. Place the monitor at eye level, square to your shoulders if possible.
Ask your chiropractor to show you neck exercises to strengthen weak areas or relax tight muscles.

Neck pain that won’t go away or keeps coming back can signal a more serious underlying problem such as a subluxation or degeneration in the joints (such as what occurs with arthritis). If you experience neck pain that doesn’t abate within 24 hours, seek the advice of your chiropractor for diagnosis and treatment.

Posted in Wellness | Tagged neck pain, subluxation | Leave a comment

Sleep Apnea and Weight Gain

Posted on March 11, 2011 by Dr. Jeffry Vendsel

Is a lack of sleep thwarting your best weight loss efforts? There is much evidence to suggest that a lack of sleep goes hand-in-hand with weight gain. But first, it is important to address why you aren’t sleeping well. Is your stress level or caffeine intake to blame? Or is your sleeplessness due to a common but very serious condition called sleep apnea? Sleep apnea can affect weight loss, hunger and hormone activity in a number of ways, thwarting your best efforts to maintain a healthy weight.

Simply put, sleep apnea happens when breathing is obstructed or ceases altogether while sleeping. Symptoms of the condition range from light snoring to waking up several times during the night, gasping for air. The most common form of sleep apnea – obstructive sleep apnea – affects approximately six percent of the population. But this number is expected to rise along with the increasing rate of obesity, because obesity is a chief cause of obstructive sleep apnea.

To make matters worse, those who are already overweight may gain weight more easily if they aren’t getting adequate sleep, fueling a vicious cycle. Several theories attempt to explain why a lack of sleep may encourage us to pack on the pounds. Some say that a sleep-deprived person simply doesn’t have the energy to be active during the day. They’re too tired to get to the gym or even take the stairs, burning far fewer calories than a well-rested individual would. Others believe the sleep-deprived attempt to make up for a lack of energy by consuming a greater number of calories. Additional evidence surrounding sleep deprivation and weight gain suggests the problem may be hormonal.

Hormone function is largely responsible for the way in which fat cells respond to the food we eat. Cortisol is a hormone that is usually released in response to emotional and physical stress. When we don’t get enough sleep, cortisol is released at an increased rate, making us feel hungry even if we’ve eaten enough.

And just because sleep apnea is most common among adults, do not assume that children are exempt from the problem. It’s no secret that the number of obese children is rising steadily; and it’s no stretch to imagine that some of these children will develop sleep apnea.

If you’re having trouble sleeping on a regular basis, you may be suffering from sleep apnea. Otherwise, a few simple tips and tricks just might help get you back on a regular sleep schedule. If you are already obese and suffering from sleep apnea, your chiropractor can discuss a sensible dieting plan with you, helping you return to a healthy weight and enjoy more restful, unobstructed sleep. And of course, never underestimate the importance of exercise. Exercising three to four times per week is crucial for restful sleep. And getting your workout in long before bedtime is helpful, leaving ample time for your heart rate and hormone levels to return to a resting state. Make sure your room is dark and the temperature of the room will remain comfortable throughout the night. If you’re one of those people trying to squeeze extra tasks and activities into your day, leave more for tomorrow and get some sleep. Adequate sleep will increase your productivity during waking hours.

Posted in Wellness | Tagged losing weight, sleep apnea, weight gain, weight loss | Leave a comment

Weight Loss That Stays Lost

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Dr. Jeffry Vendsel

Protein and Carbohydrate Food Combining – The Secret to Weight-Loss Success

We want a food plan that will work in the real world. We want to be healthy (and lose weight if necessary), and we want to feel free-and-easy about the food we eat.
Severely restrictive diets – high protein/low carbohydrate, very low fat, or dairy-free – just don’t cut it. Whatever weight you lose on the diet you put right back on once you’ve quit the unrealistically limiting “program”.
Combining portions of carbohydrate and protein in six small meals each day is the healthy benchmark of food plans that work. Insulin control is achieved by protein-carbohydrate combining. Insulin helps muscle cells absorb glucose, improving your metabolic efficiency and, ultimately, helping burn more fat.
“Portions” of protein are about the size and thickness of your palm - this translates to approximately 3 oz. of protein for women and 4 oz. of protein for men per serving. Portions of carbohydrate are about the size of your fist.
It’s a pretty simple system, and once you’ve gotten into the rhythm of eating six small meals each day, it all becomes effortless and joyful.

America’s weight problems are now so well-known they’re even fair game for jokes at the Oscars. “Americans really know how to fill up a seat,” jibes Ellen DeGeneres, host of the 2007 Academy Awards.

The statistics are alarming. Sixty-five percent of Americans – 130 million in 2001 – are overweight. Fifteen percent of American children are overweight (up from four percent only 20 years ago). Healthcare costs related to overweight Americans has ballooned to $117 billion (that’s billion) in 2003. And the numbers keep going up. The scales don’t lie.

And yet, diet and weight-loss books fill our nation’s bookstores. Low-carb diets. High-protein diets. The cabbage soup diet. The grapefruit diet. The raw foods diet. Most people we know have tried one or more of these. The new diet works for a while, then we can’t take the deprivation any longer and break the diet. Then, horrifyingly, all the weight we lost comes right back, and we’re right back where we started. Or possibly even a few pounds heavier.
The very good news is that a real, long-lasting solution exists. The basics of this healthy approach to long-term weight loss have been known for decades. This solution is not a diet. It doesn’t have a catchy name. There are, though, a few “magic” secrets to this food plan that works.

“Secret” Number 1 – eat six small meals throughout each day, separated by 2.5 to 3 hours
“Secret” Number 2 – combine protein and carbohydrates in each meal
“Secret” Number 3 – drink plenty of water (eight to ten glasses) throughout the day
“Secret” Number 4 – eat two portions of vegetables each day
“Secret” Number 5 – take one day off each week (a “free” day) and eat whatever you want, whenever you want

Why combine protein and carbohydrate at each meal? This critical combination feeds our muscles by providing the amino acids (from protein) necessary to build and maintain muscle tissue, and the carbohydrate needed to shuttle the amino acids into the cells. If the carbs aren’t there the protein doesn’t get used. There’s also a human performance benefit – eating balanced meals enables better cognitive/mental function. So we’re not only getting healthier on this food plan, we’re getting smarter!¹

Why eat six times a day? Studies have shown this approach results in a faster metabolic rate, a lower percentage of body fat, and reduced “bad” cholesterol levels, all while maintaining lean muscle mass.^2,3 Each meal contains approximately 300 calories (proteins and carbohydrates in each meal are in “portion” sizes). That’s it! This sensible, easy approach to food allows you to eat everything – there are no restrictions. And, on your free day you can indulge, or not, letting your natural instincts guide you.

Posted in Lifestyle, Nutrition and Diet | Tagged diet, nutrition, weight loss | Leave a comment

Backpacks and Back Pain

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Dr. Jeffry Vendsel

Chiropractic gets two thumbs up!

According to data taken from a nationwide telephone survey of more than 400 randomly selected respondents – all of whom had undergone chiropractic treatment – an overwhelming percentage were either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with chiropractic care.

53.5 % of those surveyed were “very satisfied” with their care

29.5 % of those surveyed were “satisfied” with their care

Tell your friends and family members about the benefits you’ve experienced from quality chiropractic care!

Source: Gaumer G. “Factors associated with patient satisfaction with chiropractic care” JMPT 2006;29:455-462.

Backpacks are the tote of choice for most school-aged children with two books per class to lug around. In fact, it is reported that between 92% and 94% of schoolchildren carry backpacks. And it appears these contraptions are evolving somewhat with sturdier-looking designs, heavily padded straps and about a thousand small pockets for pencils, house keys and other knick-knacks. But even though the sturdiest backpacks can withstand the pressure, how are the kids

On average, children load their backpacks to between 10% and 22% of their own body weight. During a study conducted in 2005, researchers set out to quantify the pressure and pain incurred when backpacks are loaded so heavily. For the study, 10 children wore backpacks loaded to 0%, 10%, 20% or 30% of their body weight for 30 seconds to determine the amount of pressure under the backpack’s shoulder straps. While wearing the backpacks, the children were also asked to report whether they felt any pain and, if so, the severity of that pain.

According to the results, pressure beneath the shoulder straps was “significantly increased” when the backpack was loaded at only 10% of the child’s body weight – on the low end of the reported average. Increased pressure also was associated with an increase in pain, and interestingly the pressure was always greater on the right shoulder than the left shoulder. Over the long term, the researchers noted that uneven backpack loads could alter the curvature of a child’s spine and produce back pain.
The authors of this study compiled their results and offered a few suggestions for parents of school-aged children and their parents:

Backpacks should be positioned high on the back.
Backpack straps should be worn over both shoulders.
Weight in the backpacks should be minimized.
Backpacks should have wide shoulder straps.

It is important to remember that 3 out of every 100 people have some degree of scoliosis – an abnormal curvature of the spine – that begins in childhood and has the potential to worsen over time. Having your child evaluated by a chiropractor is the best way to determine whether he or she has some degree of scoliosis. Chiropractic care can manage any problems related to scoliosis, and a lightened load on their back can have long-term benefits as well!

Posted in Children's Health, Wellness | Tagged back problems, backpacks, childrens health | Leave a comment

Avoiding Painful Leg Cramps

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Dr. Jeffry Vendsel

Your mind has finally stopped racing and you’ve just nodded off, only to be rudely awakened by a deep knot of sudden pain in your thigh, calf or in the arch of your foot. Athletes and high heel wearers alike are often awakened from sleep by the infamous nocturnal leg cramp or “charley horse.” And though these occasional cramps usually are not serious, they are undeniably painful and downright annoying.

Check your H20 levels

The exact cause of leg cramps is not known, however, they are most often associated with dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. That said, and you’ve heard it before, drinking the optimal amount of water – 7 to 8 eight-ounce glasses of water per day – is the first line of defense against “charley.” Staying hydrated is also important for overall health, so the water speech bears repeating!

Stretch those stems

Also, simple stretches before bed can stave off cramps. Try this simple stretch before you hop into bed each night:

Stand facing the wall, 30 inches away.
While keeping your heels on the floor, lean forward, put your palms on the wall, and slowly move your hands up the wall as far as you can reach comfortably.
Hold the stretched position for 30 seconds. Release.
Repeat steps 1 through 3 two more times.

Just remember, when stretching, to take it slowly. Jolting right into a deep stretch and quick bouncing motions through the stretch are mistakes that can cause injury.

Supplement your regimen

If you’re still bothered by occasional cramping, your diet may need slight supplementation. According to Charles Kuntzleman, EdD, associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, taking a daily supplement of 400 IU of Vitamin E is usually very helpful. If the cramps persist, your body may be experiencing a lack of calcium and magnesium, found in dark green, leafy vegetables such as kale and broccoli. Dr. Kuntzleman suggests supplementing with daily dosages of up to 1,000 milligrams of magnesium and 500 to 1,000 milligrams of calcium.

How can chiropractic help?

Circulation is crucial for rushing nutrients from food and supplements to the areas of the body that need healing most. Chiropractic adjustments can improve circulation and greatly reduce healing time. Remember to inform your chiropractor if you’re experiencing muscle cramps.

Posted in Sports Injury, Wellness | Tagged leg cramps, wellness | Leave a comment