Costa Mesa Chiropractic

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Archive for May, 2009

Chiropractic Costa Mesa Warns: Chemicals From Fast Food Wrappers Could Be In Your Blood

May 25

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chiropractic Costa Mesa cares about your health and wellness, and warns that health risks can often be unexpected: Are you ready for this? For years (and years) chiropractors like me, plus nutritionists and other health-conscious professionals have been advising men, women, and children to lay off the fast foods. Everyone is aware already of the artery-clogging, fat-producing effects of a fast food diet. So, tell you something you don’t know, right? Well, here it is: It’s not just the fast food, itself, that can shorten your life span, but the wrapper it comes in that is a risk to your health and longevity, as well!

Add to the growing list of chemicals showing up in human blood, chemicals called diPAPs. They’re found in the compounds that make food wrappers grease-proof. These chemicals are fairly new and scientists don’t know yet if they are harmful to human health. But diPAPs break down into another worrisome chemical, called PFOA (perfuorooctanoic acid), which is in a class of compounds called perflurochemicals, and may be carcinogenic.

PFOA and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate, another perflurochemical) are resistant to oil and water, which makes them perfect for use as fast food wrappers, and as liners on nonstick pans, microwave popcorn bags, and pizza boxes, not to mention carpets clothes, and electronics among many other applications. The problem is that these compounds end up in the environment, our food and our bodies.

“The take-home message is that some chemicals that make our lives easier, better and more satisfying end up in our bloodstream with unknown toxicological consequences,” said Scott Mabury, a chemist at the University of Toronto. “We should be smart enough to design chemicals that do what we want them to do without causing a chemical pollution problem.” Imagine that — designing chemicals that wouldn’t harm our bodies or pollute the environment. I wonder why no one has thought about that until now?

For the complete article, go tohttp://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/05/15/food-wrapper-chemical.html?campaign=w01-101-ae-0001

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Costa Mesa Chiropractor Warns: A Minor Auto Accident Could Add Up to a Major Injury

May 21

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Your Costa Mesa Chiropractor treats plenty of individuals for whiplash who’ve only been in a “minor” car accident. If you drive a big car and you’re in an accident if your car looks “uninjured,” it’s easy to think that you are not hurt, either. After all, isn’t that why you’re driving a big vehicle? It’s for protection, right? Well, research has revealed that occupants of vehicles, both large and compact, can be hurt a lot more than might be predicted from a minor auto accident. In reality, as far as your body is concerned, there’s truly no such thing as a “minor fender bender.”

Let’s face it. There are going to be consequences when your body is forced to stop abruptly and without warning. An emergency room attendant may hand you a clean bill of health because you haven’t sustained any broken bones, and you may be given a prescription for drugs to relax the muscle spasms that you are doubtless experiencing as a result of the structural changes in your neck or lower back that you experienced from the impact. But, unless you’re actually treated for the bodily trauma you’ve sustained, your condition can go from bad to much, much worse. In fact, many people undergo problems years after an auto accident as the consequence of their not getting the help they required in the first place.

Your Costa Mesa Chiropractor absolutely understands what your body undergoes during an auto accident. Chiropractic techniques include treatment for soft tissue injuries and spinal bio-mechanics dysfunction. And when it comes to rehabilitation strategies, your chiropractor is an expert

If you’ve encountered a minor auto accident, even if your car may not require much repair, no doubt, you do. Neck and back traumas are not only painful in the places in which they happen, but they can also produce pain, tingling, and numbness in your arms and hands and cause headaches days, weeks, even months after an accident occurs.

chiropractic care offers a drug-free, natural road back to feeling good again.  It will go a long way in putting the trauma of your accident where it belongs – behind you. In addition, because your chiropractor has experience working with insurance companies and lawyers, not only will you undergo less physical stress, but less emotional stress, too!

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Don't Let Your Size Stop You From Practicing Yoga

May 17

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Hello, your Costa Mesa Chiropractor here. I just read a great article about yoga for plus-size people. What a wonderful concept. I tell all my patients that “health begins right where you are today. You can’t wait for more time or less body weight.” However, up until now, yoga studios have not usually been purlieus for people of size. Striking a yoga pose has seemed to be an exclusive option for lithe, limber bodies. But, not anymore! Yoga classes for heavier people have been sprouting up all over the country with names like Buddha Body Yoga, MegaYoga, HeavyWeight Yoga, and Yoga for Round Bodies.

The ancient practice of yoga might be based on a philosophy of self-acceptance and non-competitiveness, but plus-size people usually feel too self-conscious to even try a yoga pose, much less try on a yoga philosophy. In addition, most yoga classes, even beginner courses, don’t address the needs of big bodies, says Michael Hayes, the owner of Buddha Body Yoga in New York. Poses considered standard for those who are fit or slim are often difficult or even impossible for heavier students.

So, if your body weight has been holding you back, and if you’ve been waiting for just the right moment to start getting healthy and fit, it looks like that moment has arrived. Check to see if there’s a yoga class for plus-size people in town. If not, maybe you can start one!

For the complete article go to http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/health/nutrition/14fitness.html?_r=1&em

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Chiropractic Costa Mesa: No Pain, No Gain? Not When It Comes to Your Feet

May 15

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chiropractic Costa Mesa wants you to know about the causes of foot pain: I just read a great article in the New York Times about foot pain. Did you know that a huge number of people develop foot pain in their 60s? If you have foot pain and you’re 60 or over, you may already be painfully aware of this fact. But, the problem can actually start as early as the 20s and 30s.

Age related factors such as diabetes and circulation problems can contribute to foot pain. But, excessive weight, improper footwear, and a sedentary lifestyle can also be contributing factors, as well, and at any age. Obviously, proper footwear and regular exercise, then, can play a crucial role in preventing foot problems.

Amazingly, the average person walks the equivalent of three times around the Earth in a lifetime. So, it’s not surprising that in a recent survey for the American Podiatric Medical Association, 53 percent of respondents reported foot pain so severe that it hampered their daily function.

Being farthest from the heart, the feet can often be the first part of the body to manifest complications like poor circulation and loss of feeling, both of which can lead to poor wound healing and amputation. In addition, the most common foot conditions that occur with age are arthritic joints, thinning of the fat pads cushioning the soles, plantar fascitis (inflammation of the fibrous tissue along the sole), bunions (enlargement of the joint at the base of the big toe), poor circulation and fungal nails.

Excess weight simply adds to these problems. The force on your feet is about 120 percent of your weight. “Obesity puts a great amount of stress on all the supporting structures of the foot,” said Dr. Bart Gastwirth, a podiatrist at the University of Chicago.

“A lot of people think foot pain is part of the aging process and accept it, and function and walk with pain,” said Dr. Andrew Shapiro, a podiatrist in Valley Stream, N.Y. Though some foot problems are inevitable, their progress can be slowed. If you’d liked slow the progress down, here are a few questions and conditions that are important for you to address: 1) Do you have poor circulation? 2) Do your parents complain about their feet? 3) Do you have flat feet or high arches? Either puts feet at risk. 4) If you can bend back your thumb to touch your lower arm, the ligaments in your feet are probably stretchy, too, Dr. Gastwirth said. 5) Do your shoes fit? In the podiatric association’s survey, more than 34 percent of men said they could not remember the last time their feet were measured. 6) Do you wear high heels? “The high heel concentrates the force on the heel and the forefoot,” Dr. Gastwirth said. 7) Do your feet ever see the light of day? 8 ) Have you seen a podiatrist?

Believe it not, however, putting more mileage on your feet is the best way to exercise the muscles and keep them healthy. So, it’s important to lighten up, weight-wise, and wear shoes that are supportive and fit properly. And, if you’re experiencing foot pain, visit an experienced health care professional and find out why…before you walk too many more miles.

To view the original article, go to http://health.nytimes.com/ref/health/healthguide/esn-footpain-ess.html

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Costa Mesa Chiropractor Offers Expert Care For Your Low Back Pain

May 11

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Your Costa Mesa Chiropractor knows a lot about your spine and offers expert help for back pain relief. You’re not alone if you’re experiencing low back pain. Low back pain plagues a large number of people, an astonishing 80% in fact, making it second only to the common cold in its prevalence. But, in contrast to the common cold, waiting for your back pain to “run its course,” and taking prescription or over-the-counter remedies while you wait, is not the solution. The majority of back pain won’t go away by itself. More often than not, if your pain decreases, it is usually because your body has compensated for the problem, thus generating new problems. Low back pain is nothing to sneeze at! It is important for you to consult a back pain specialist, like your chiropractor, if you intend to defeat your back pain permanently!

Back pain is frequently a mystery to many of the people who are afflicted by it, and chiropractors are proficient at solving the puzzle. Why is it that most back pain sufferers have not undergone any trauma, accidents, or major injuries before the onset of their pain? The answer is that the cumulative effects of awkward sitting posture, poor work habits, improper lifting, lack of regular exercise, and other unhealthy lifestyle-related factors produce most back pain. These factors add up over time and produce stresses and imbalances on the spine producing subluxations that can lead to serious back problems. The process is not unlike the front end of your car being out of alignment. When you persist in driving anyway, there is unbalanced wear and tear on your tires. If you ignore the problem, the situation could worsen until a tire “blows.” The stability of the spine is threatened when your spine is misaligned. It’s not only a problem waiting to happen, so to speak, it’s a problem waiting to get worse. And then, something as effortless as bending over to pick up a piece of paper can be the “final factor” that causes back injury. The surrounding back muscles go into spasm when thisoccurs to stabilize the stressed or injured tissues of the back.

When it comes to problems of the spine, chiropractors have more education, training, and experience than medical doctors. They provide highly qualified diagnosis and effective treatment for all muscular-skeletal abnormalities. In addition to offering welcomed relief to those suffering from back pain, but they know what will help you to avoid further back pain. Your chiropractor not only will provide you with effectual adjustments and other productive chiropractic therapies but, in addition, will give you a personal exercise strategy and give advice about other beneficial lifestyle changes that will help to keep you well-adjust and pain-free in the future.

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