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Archive for Children

Stress Management Tips

by DrGroz
May 2nd, 2012

Let’s face it: we live in a stress filled world. There’s not a whole lot we can do about that. But there is a lot we can do to deal with and manage that stress. Did you know that chronic stress is at least a contributing factor, if not THE primary cause, of over 90% of all illnesses and diseases? It is also the cause of vertebral subluxations, which interfere with the proper function of the nervous system. When the messages coming from the brain get scrambled going to the body, all kinds of negative effects can happen, from pain, numbness and muscle weakness to heart disease, digestive issues, and cancer. Stress truly is a killer. So what can we do about this killer? Here are some simple tips that you can do every day to help manage your stress level…

1. Take a few deep breaths. Oxygen getting into the body is an immediate stress reducer.

2. Smile!!! Robert Cooper, Ph.D., author of The Power of 5, says that “smiling transmits nerve impulses from the facial muscles to the limbic system, a key emotional center in the brain, tilting the neurochemical balance toward calm.” Not a fake smile, either, but a genuine smile. Plus, smiles are contagious. If you smile at someone, they will, more than likely, smile back, thus reducing their stress level as well. Win Win!

3. Make sure you’re getting adequate rest! Seven hours of sleep minimum at night is essential for good health and stress management.

4. Drink plenty of water! A good rule of thumb is to drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of pure, filtered water each day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should be drinking at least 75 ounces of water a day. More if you are exercising or if it’s hot outside. Water nourishes the body and calms it down.

5. Avoid violent TV, internet, news or books, especially before bed. Those violent, negative thoughts and images add stress to our bodies and minds. Negativity breeds more stress.

6. Homeopathic remedies, especially Rescue Remedy by Bach’s, help reduce stress. I use it whenever I feel stressed.

7. Aromatherapy. Many essential oils help reduce stress. These include anise, basil, bay, chamomile, eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint, rose and thyme. Place some rock salt into a small vial. Add a few drops of oil and take a whiff a few times during the day. The rock salt absorbs the oil, so there’s no chance of spilling.

8. Put fun time in your schedule every week. The old adage, All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, holds true. Also makes Jack totally stressed! Do something that you find fun every week! Go for a hike, get outdoors, have a game night. Whatever you find fun. Your body needs to be recharged at regular intervals to manage the day to day stress that we throw at it.

Hope this gets you started. Next time, I’ll have more. Make it a great day!

Categories Back Pain, Children, Chiropractic Referral, Diseases, Fitness, Special Offers, Spine Health, Stress Management, Wellness
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Five Pillars of Health

by DrGroz
February 28th, 2012

Health – “A state of complete mental, physical and social well being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” (World Health Organization)

Carefully read that definition again. It’s a different way of looking at health than what we are normally taught in society. It says that there is much more to being healthy than just “feeling good.” Drug companies, however, would have us believe that if we are feeling good, then everything is OK; meanwhile, we are chronically stressed, tired, out of shape and stuffing ourselves with all kinds of processed food.

There are actually 5 pillars to health; these are 5 main areas that are intermingled to such a degree that if any one of these is below optimal, it affects the other four. The 5 pillars of health are:

1 Proper nutrition

2 Adequate rest

3 Good, consistent exercise

4 Positive mental attitude

5 An optimally functioning nervous system

Did you notice that there is nothing in that list that takes care of how you “feel”? And there’s no mention of drugs or surgery! So why does our “health” care system put so much emphasis on them?

 

 

 

Categories Back Pain, Children, Diseases, Fitness, Spine Health, Stress Management, Wellness
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Drugging Our Children?

by DrGroz
August 10th, 2011

Are we drugging our children? We always hear “Just Say No” to drugs, but are our actions overruling our words? Look at this scenario:  A child has chronic ear infections as a baby/toddler and he is given antibiotics to feel better…  As the child becomes an adolescent, he acts out in school or can’t stay still and is given ADHD drugs to act better… This child becomes a teenager and is depressed or sad, so he takes antidepressants to feel better.  Now… what happens when this child, now in middle or high school, hears from a classmate, “Hey, feeling blue? Take this and you will feel better.” If that child has been conditioned his entire life to take something to feel better, what is the difference to a teenage mind? I’m not saying that taking medicine as a child always leads to drug abuse.  Not at all!  This is just something to ponder…

Here are some staggering statistics about prescriptions or refills dispensed to children and teens in the U.S. in 2009:

Asthma drugs: 45.388 million

ADHD drugs: 24.357 million

Antidepressants: 9.614 million

Antipsychotics: 6.546 million

Antihypertensives (high blood pressure treatment): 5.224 million

Non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes: 424,000

Sleep aids: 307,000

Statins (treatment for high cholesterol): 94,000

Most of these conditions are not normally associated with children. Chiropractic, especially if started at an early age, removes interference to the nervous system, allowing the body to function at its maximum potential, reducing the need for medications, especially those that need to be taken long term.  It’s safe, effective, and there are no side-effects. Kids need chiropractic too…

 

Categories Children, Diseases, Spine Health, Wellness
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Another Possible Downside to Antibiotics for Children

by DrGroz
August 3rd, 2011

I’m the first to admit that, in some instances, antibiotics can be life-saving.  I’m also here to say that the majority of prescriptions written for antibiotics, especially for children, are completely unnecessary.  Children today are given more antibiotics than at any other time in history, many times for viral infections, like colds, flu, sore throat (unless strep), and even bronchitis.  Antibiotics for ear infections have shown to cause an increase in recurrence of those ear infections.  Taking many doses of antibiotics, in essence, can destroy the digestive system.  Antibiotics are not bacteria-specific.  Not only do they kill the “bad” bacteria, but they also kill the healthy bacteria that populate the digestive system, possibly leading to, as a recent study suggests, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) later in life.  While there is not a clear cause and effect relationship, this study did notice that children diagnosed with IBD were more likely to have taken antibiotics (one or more courses) in their first year of life compared to children without IBD.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease, if you aren’t familiar, consists of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.  It’s a chronic disease that causes inflammation of the intestines and symptoms almost too painful to mention – painful ulcers in the lining or inner wall of the intestines that cause bleeding, diarrhea, abdominal cramping, weight loss, and anemia.  There is no known cure for IBD.  It’s a lifelong disease. My daughter was recently suspected of having IBD. She has been having digestive issues for over a year now. So I’ve been doing a lot of research on this disease.  Fortunately, it was determined that she did not have it, at least we’re pretty sure. There’s still a bit more testing that still needs to be done before we know for certain.  But let me just say  that it would be bad enough for a child to develop IBD; worse still if antibiotics were to blame.

As parents, we don’t want our children to suffer, and it’s very easy to just ask the doctor to give them something when they are sick.  But viruses go away on their own and there are many natural remedies to help speed that along or at least ease the discomfort.  Chiropractic care can also strengthen the immune system so children (and adults too) are less susceptible to infections altogether.  But I’m asking you to do your research first and make sure that an antibiotic is worth taking and always make sure that you take probiotics along with the antibiotics and for at least 2 weeks after finishing a course, if not taking them every day for the health benefits.

Categories Children, Diseases, Wellness
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