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    A publication for patients and friends of Westford Family Chiropractic

        Westford  Family  Chiropractic's

        Spinal Times of 2012 

Dr. Richard J. Leigh * 288 Littleton Road * Westford, MA 

 (978) 692-4476    www.westfordchiropractic.com

 

To all of Westford Family Chiropractic patients; welcome to our bi-monthly health newsletter!

             

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Every two weeks we will attempt to address two or three areas that will help improve your health.

 

westfordchiropractic@yahoo.com 

Please comment in the BLOG section of the website.

 

February 2012, Edition 5   

 

In addition to the electonic Newsletter,

Westford Family Chiropractic will be providing a

  paper Health Newsletter which will be issued through the mail.

If you wish to receive this Newsletter you can sign up

 in the office, call, or send us an email.

Dr. Leigh

 

 

  I

Ebb and Flow

fibromyalgia_200.jpg
Getting Sinusoidal

Contract. Relax. This is the basic mechanism of muscular action. Problems develop when there's too much of one or the other. In most cases, too much contraction is the culprit.

Persistent muscular contraction in the lower back or neck, for example, leads to a cascade of troublesome effects. Toxic metabolic end-products - including lactic acid - accumulate. These small molecules irritate local nerve endings and cause ongoing pain. Muscle spasm results which narrows local blood vessels. Too little blood reaching the area deprives tissues of oxygen and other important nutrients. Cellular damage results with further build-up of noxious metabolites.

Chiropractic treatment encourages a return to normal sinusoidal balance by restoring normal spinal alignment. Spasmodic muscles are enabled to relax. Blood vessels can now supply appropriate amounts of oxygen and nutrients. Metabolic waste is removed. Vitality is restored and pain resolves. Spinal muscles and spinal joints return to operating in a natural ebb-and-flow rhythm.
Ancient peoples closely observed and interacted with the rhythms of their immediate environment. The sun rose in the East and set in the West. Day followed night, and approximately 12 hours later night followed day. The seasons progressed through a more leisurely, although no less regular, rhythm. A season of rebirth and new growth followed a season of restriction and retrenchment. A season of increasing sunshine, longer days, and bounteous expansion was succeeded by a season of harvest, transformation, and preparation for the next round of seasonal change. The moon waxed and waned. Tides rose and tides fell. The life cycles of all creatures - humans, animals, fish, birds, insects, and plants - were precisely attuned to the natural rhythms of the complex world in which they survived and thrived.

Life flows and life ebbs. The rhythm of life is sinusoidal. Rise to a peak. Rest momentarily. Return to baseline, then descend to a trough. Rest momentarily. Return to baseline, then ascend again to a peak. Breath in, breath out. Heart beats, heart relaxes. Muscles contract, muscles relax. Plough a field. Sow a crop. Reap the harvest. Allow the land to recover. A year or two later, plough the field again. Cyclical, rhythmical, sinusoidal activities.

When a person is healthy, all aspects of her physical functioning are aligned with these ancient rhythms.1,2 Disease always reflects an aberration - a defect - in the cyclical, sinusoidal patterns of normal physiology.3 Persistent low back muscle contractions without corresponding relaxation cause pain. Persistent muscle contractions in small arterial blood vessels cause high blood pressure. Persistent abnormal cellular growth without corresponding cellular death results in cancer. Persistently elevated or depressed hormonal levels cause specific forms of disease. The list of these ebb-and-flow abnormalities - the named diseases - is extensive.

The nervous system is also affected by defects in normal rhythm. Epilepsy reflects an extreme of rhythmical aberration - jagged, compressed peaks of electrical discharge suddenly traversing large areas of a person's brain. On a subtler scale, small groups of nerve cells may fire inappropriately due to distortions in normal ebb-and-flow patterns. If such an altered pattern persists, these groups of nerve cells may transmit incorrect information to other important systems. Pain, symptoms, and even disease may result from such faulty connections.

Honoring the deep nature of how our bodies work goes far toward alleviating many disease states. Getting back into the natural rhythms of being human certainly helps many conditions involving back pain, neck pain, and headaches. Chiropractic care is an important part of helping reestablish the normal ebb and flow. Contact our office today and set an appointment to further discuss how chiropractic care may help reestablish your ebb and flow.

1Bowen RS, et al: Sex hormone effects on physical activity levels: Why doesn't Jane run as much as Dick? Sports Med 41(1):73-86, 2011
2Mazzoccoli G: The timing clockwork oflife. R Biol Regul Homeost Agents 25(1):137-143, 2011
3Hansen TW,, et al: Predictive role of the nighttime blood pressure. Hypertension 57(1):3-10, 2011

 

*From the February 15, 2012 Health Newsletter* 

Back Pain - Am I At Risk?

Are there risk factors for back pain? And, if there are, what can I do to keep myself healthy and well?Learning about potential risk factors and taking appropriate action will help ensure a stronger, more flexible, and healthier lower back.\r\

 Your Family and You

For the most part back injuries are caused by mechanical issues, and the tendency to get such injuries is not inherited.

However there are family-related behavioral tendencies, and these behaviors - while not "inherited" as such - may easily be passed down from parents to children. When we grow up, these ingrained habits of daily living may lead to back injuries.

Poor posture, lack of interest in exercise, and a tendency to be overweight are all patterns of behavior we learn from our parents. As adults, its valuable for us to make conscious efforts to revise these unhealthful patterns, being proactive in developing new behaviors that support our goals of health and well-being.


And, various health issues that actually may be inherited can increase a person's susceptibility to back pain and back injury. Your chiropractor will be of assistance in identifying such additional risk factors.

Are there risk factors for back pain? And, if there are, what can I do to keep myself healthy and well? Your chiropractor can help answer these questions and more.

One primary risk factor relates to exercise. Everyone has heard, "if you don't use it, you lose it". If you're not exercising regularly, your back muscles are deconditioned and much more susceptible to injury - the strains and sprains we're accustomed to calling "back pain".

Muscles get stronger when they're required to do work. Also exercise helps "train" the soft tissues around a joint - the ligaments and tendons - these supporting structures "learn" how to withstand mechanical stresses and loads without becoming injured. Basically, when you exercise - when you do any kind of exercise - your body gets "smarter" and you're less likely to get those annoying back problems.1

A related risk factor is weak abdominal muscles. When you were a kid, at some point one of your gym teachers probably told you to "suck in your stomach". Actually, it turns out that was pretty good advice. Your abdominal muscles support the muscles of your lower back. If your abdominals are weak or if you're not using them - letting them hang out and droop instead of keeping them activated - your body weight has to be held up by the muscles of your lower back. They're not designed to do that - they're designed to move your spine around. And eventually, these lower back muscles will give way under the excess strain. The result is a very painful lower back injury.

There are many easy-to-do exercises for your abdominal muscles. The key is to actually do them - and do them after you're finished doing the rest of whatever exercises you've scheduled for that day. How often? Three times a week is plenty. Abdominal routines are quick - no more than 10 minutes. And, remember to use your abdominal muscles throughout the day. Imagine your abdominals are being pulled in and lifted up. This is not a "tightening" - your thought should be "activate". Your body will know what to do, once you've started adding consistent abdominal training to your exercise routine.

Risk factors for back pain may also be found in your personal and family medical history.2,3 During your initial visit your chiropractor will ask you about accidents and surgeries you've experienced, and discuss any important elements in your family history. For example, surgery to remove an inflamed galllbladder or appendix or to repair a hernia may result in weakened abdominal muscles. A motor vehicle accident or a fall from a height may have caused injuries that healed with soft tissue scarring.

Learning about potential risk factors and taking appropriate action will help ensure a stronger, more flexible, and healthier lower back.

 

 Look for our "hardcopy" Health Newsletter coming soon....in the mail. 

A Westford Family Chiropractic "ALERT"!  90% of prospective patients will find their chiropractor ON-LINE.  Positive reviews are so important...and we / I hope that you feel Westford Family Chiropractic and myself provide you with top quality (5 star) chiropractic care.  I ask that each of you who receive a newsletter would kindly take the time to "write" positive review on one (or more) of these sites:   

     Click on the logo for the site which you may wish to provide a "review" and type "Chiropractor near Westford" in the search box.  Click on the Westford Family Chiropractic heading...Thank You! 

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When creating a "review" you will need to "verify" your authenticity by providing an email address.   THANKS!

   

February 2012 Special !!!

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Positioning Roll exclusive to persons NEW to our office.  Westford Family Chiropractic will always be happy to provide x-rays and evaluations to past and present patients for$25.00.

For any existing patient that refers someone to our office; we will provide you with a neck or back roll as our thank you!

Call Westford Family Chiropractic today!

(978) 692-4476   or

request an appointment on-line.

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