Dr. Pam's chiropractic and wellness blog

New Blog web address

2009-11-27T16:20:00.001-05:00

Hi there! Our blog has changed. We have created an entirely new website at www.StoneFamilyChiropractic.com and our new blog entries are located directly on that site. Let us know what you think of our new website. Thanks for visiting!

Starting Life out RIGHT!

2009-11-08T09:40:00.004-05:00

I had the most honoring experience on Sunday as I was asked to check and adjust a one-day old newborn baby. This baby was brought into the world under the best of circumstances. A healthy mom who was adjusted her entire pregnancy and ate extremely well. She was calm and had a great attitude. It was a very fast labor (less than 5 hours) and a water birth at North Fulton Hospital. The midwife was there to help if necessary, but none was needed. The mom pushed the baby out on her own, with no doctor, nurse or midwife grabbing the newborns neck to pull her out. She truly "birthed" the baby.

The next day they were home and I was invited over. Checking a newborn is one of the best gifts I can give to a family. A chiropractic adjustment on a newborn is very light and gentle, and can remove any problems that occur from being curled up inside the womb for several months, as well as during the birth process itself. Clearing out any problems at one day of age will allow that baby to express her full potential.

As far as I'm concerned, that little girl is lucky her parents understand that and care enough about her to have her checked. Chiropractic care is for people of all ages, including one-day old babies, and can make a remarkable difference in your life!

The Evil Empire

2009-11-05T21:42:00.003-05:00

In Boston, they are called "The Evil Empire" and in 2009 they will be referred to as World Series Champions. Of course, I'm talking about the NY Yankees who won the the World Series last night....something that I am not crazy about since I am from Boston and truly feel they are the enemy. So, for me to write about it here must be big, right? Well yes, but they really were the best team.

Did you know the Yankees have a team chiropractor that travels with them? How many teams have that? Probably none, but I don't know. Sure they can afford it, but more importantly, how much did that chiropractor help the team stay healthy and injury free? I saw someone today mention how the Yankees "bought" the World Series with their high salary players (and potentially a chiropractor), but it isn't always luck that keeps a player healthy. Who knows what the magic formula is, but I like to believe that the chiropractor who took care of them this season had a huge role in keeping their bodies working well and efficiently.

The die-hard Red Sox fan in me wishes they were injured so we (Red Sox) could have had a better chance this year, but the Chiropractor in me is happy that they have someone to keep them at their best.

Swine Flu thoughts

2009-11-01T17:51:00.010-05:00

These days, more and more people are asking me my thoughts on the swine flu and whether or not their child should get the vaccination. People are afraid their child may die from the swine flu, and sure, a person could potentially die from the swine flu, but they could also die from a reaction of the swine flu vaccination, from being in an auto accident or even some other accident. Don't let people tell you that the vaccination is safe, when they hardly have tested the vaccination in the way they should, so there really is no way to know.

Giving out the swine flu vaccine these days is like the big test, to see if people have any side effects to it. Every vaccine has a side effect of some sort, that we do know. Yes people are scared and the media tends to make it worse, however at the same time there are Pediatricians and other MD's telling people that they would not vaccinate their own child with the swine flu vaccine. Do a google search or look it up on You Tube, and you'll see. Here's a great place to start:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/21/Special-Swine-Flu-Update.aspx

Estimates are that over 5.7 million people have had the swine flu this year, yet the deaths from it are a fraction of that. It is a pandemic because it spreads easily, not because people die from it. It appears that it is a very mild form of the flu and estimates are that thousands of people have probably had the swine flu and don't even know it. Of the 36 children who have died from it between April and August, six had no chronic health conditions, yet they did have a co-occuring bacterial infection. Was that an underlying factor? Have these children been vaccinated prior? If so, how has that affected their immune system?

My stance on the swine flu is the same stance I have for any other disease out there. The strength of your immune system will determine how well you can fight it off. Was your child (or you) breastfed? Are you or they eating 3-5 servings of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables every day, (7-9 servings for adults), are you getting sufficient sleep, have you cut back or eliminated sugar, and are you/they getting adjusted, removing interference in the nervous system -- which controls the immune system?

These are questions you have to ask yourself. Don't make any decisions based on fear, as that isn't the best way to make any decision. How strong is your immune system? What are you doing to assure that your immune system is as strong as it possibly can be? Are you getting adjusted to help yourself? These are questions you have to address.

Personally, there is no way I am getting a swine flu vaccine nor am I giving it to my son. I have faith that the body can heal on its own and I do what I believe is crucial in giving my family the best opportunity to be healthy.

Inspiring others

2009-10-28T07:26:00.004-04:00

The other day I had a patient come back to the office, a woman who hadn't been in for two years. She had been under care for almost a year previously, and for whatever reason, stopped coming in yet decided to come back in this week.

When she walked into the office, I really didn't recognize her. The face and smile looked familiar, but I noticed her hair was different and she just really looked different. I couldn't really figure out why, as most people I remember. My student intern did the examination on her, and came out and told me the woman had lost 80 pounds. That was it! She was a whole new person!

When I sat down to talk with her, she told me that I helped to inspire her to lose the weight and get back in shape. She had taken up running and triathlons (my two passions), and said a lot of the reason she made the change is from what she learned by coming to my office. That is one of the BEST compliments I can receive and made me feel so good to hear that, knowing that her life is now better.

I love being able to change people's lives or at least make a difference in their lives. I know that by adjusting them that happens, but when a big shift like this occurs, it feels even better. Chiropractic care is so much about leading a healthy lifestyle and removing nerve interference so the body can function at its best. Exercise and nutrition are key components and it is nice to know that what we are doing in the office is inspiring others to get and stay healthy!

Pushing yourself

2009-10-25T15:19:00.004-04:00

Fall season brings many things, including marathon season! Today was the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC; the Chicago Marathon was a few weeks ago, and the NYC Marathon is next week. I have friends running in all of them and have actually run all those three marathons myself.

Running a marathon is a pretty big test of strength. It requires a tremendous amount of dedication (to do it right) and often times requires digging in deep to your inner core and pushing yourself beyond limits that you are not use to. Today I ran with a few friends and one of them commented that when you train for a marathon, you really need to push yourself when you don't want to. You go out in cold days, rainy days, days you don't feel good, in the dark, in the humidity, and all sort of conditions. When you are finished, you feel good and realize that you just did something you didn't want to.

So....the next time that person goes to do something they don't want to, they can always look back to the marathon or marathon training and say: "I did it then, I can do it now." Excuses get thrown out the door and toughness steps in.

Do you need a goal? Do you want to test yourself? Certainly a marathon is a great goal, but what about a half marathon? Or a 10k? What about doing something you never thought you could? How would that make you feel? What kind of confidence would you gain? There are many races in the fall and spring, so find one for next year and start training now. Most likely, you will be happy you did as you will push yourself to new limits and will be happy you did.

Exercise

2009-10-20T20:29:00.004-04:00

Today I ran 6 miles on the treadmill and as I looked around the gym at all the people working out, I saw men and women of different sizes and ages. It made me think about exercise and weight loss, and exercise and back pain, and how they relate to one another. If you are not exercising regularly, your back muscles are deconditioned and much more susceptible to injury (a.k.a. "back pain"). If you are overweight, your body has to work harder to keep yourself upright, and you also can end up with back pain.

Muscles get stronger when they do work. When they sit at a desk all day (or on the couch), they get weaker. When you exercise, you are less likely to get back pain. If you do have back pain and you don't exercise regularly, you should consider beginning an exercise program. It will help tremendously. I know from personal experience the more I exercise, the LESS my back hurts. Most people think that would be the opposite, but in fact, when my muscles are stronger and more flexible from working out, my back is in good shape.

If you are having questions about working out, and what may be right (or wrong) for you, ask us, we may be able to help!

Where did the week go?

2009-10-17T15:34:00.003-04:00

Well, so much for updating this blog a few times a week. I went out of town for 3 days last weekend and have spent all week trying to catch up on everything. So much for relaxation!

So this week had some great "miracles" as some people like to call them, I just call them chiropractic working at its best. I had a woman come to me since her baby was in the breech position. Her OB scheduled the C-section and she left his office a little freaked out, after having two other children vaginally, why would this happen? Fortunately, she was smart enough to research it on her own, and discover that the Webster Technique could help, and found my office via the internet.

After four visits doing the Webster Technique, the baby moved into the head down position and "miracle"....no need for a C-section! That is a huge success story. Because of how she was able to be helped, she saved herself surgery and three weeks of recovery time. That is never fun, especially when you have two other little ones (plus a newborn) at home. I wish her OB knew about chiropractic, and when she mentioned it to him she said he just rolled his eyes. THAT is a shame.

Hopefully we can keep getting the word out there about chiropractic, the Webster Technique, and the amazing power of the human body to heal itself.

Swine Flu numbers

2009-10-06T21:57:00.002-04:00

According to the CDC, as of Sept. 5 2009: 43,771 have been infected and 302 deaths, which means the death rate is 0.6%.....very low for any flu. Those are reported infections, people who went to the Doctor and were diagnosed. However, if you go by CDC estimates, one million people have been infected with 302 deaths, then the death rate is 0.03% ... which means 99.97% will not die from this flu.

Those are pretty strong odds on surviving, and in my opinion, the vaccine is much worse than the flu itself. Build your immune system through proper nutrition and chiropractic adjustments. Ask us how those can help!

Where would you be?

2009-10-01T16:04:00.008-04:00

Where would you be if the Chiropractic profession never existed? Would you be sicker? Would your kids be as healthy? Would you be in pain? Would you be stressed? Would you be taking more medications? Would you be married to the person you are married to now? Would you be living where you are living?

These are questions that I have actually thought about in the past two weeks. On Sept. 18th, Chiropractic celebrated its 114th birthday. Back on that day in 1895, the first official adjustment was given by DD Palmer. A man's hearing returned and thus DD started investigating how pushing on the back could make that happen. He and his son BJ then fully researched and developed Chiropractic, and here we are today.

So, I was thinking about where I would be if I had never become a Chiropractor? I know I wouldn't know my husband nor would I be living in Georgia (I doubt it at least). I moved here to go to Chiropractic College and met him, so if Chiropractic was never around there would have been no reason to move here. I doubt I would know my patients and I wonder how healthy I would be.

After 14 + years of regular chiropractic adjustments, I know my nervous system is functioning at its best, I don't get sick as often and I don't get injured as much (from all my running). I could NEVER imagine not ever being adjusted again. I am SO thankful that chiropractic was founded, because I love this profession and I love my practice. It is so much better than my days in corporate America!

So, where would you be if you never ever ever got adjusted before? It is scary and sad to think about and all I know is I am very glad for that first adjustment by DD Palmer. It is ultimately because the profession was founded and developed that I am here, that I am married to my husband, that I am living in Georgia, and that I know all the patients and friends in my office.

Happy Birthday Chiropractic, and thanks Julie for making a beautiful cake for us as we celebrated the 114th birthday of Chiropractic!

Fever in children

2009-09-28T22:12:00.004-04:00

This past weekend my son woke up with a fever, and was tired and slightly cranky all day long. So, what did we do as parents? Aside from just holding onto him, we did nothing. Do you think that is bad or the right thing to do?

His temperature got up to at least 102, as it could have been higher but he squirmed around too much to get a full reading. When I got home from the office, I adjusted him and put him in for a nap, and let his body do the rest. Upon waking, I just played with him easy as his body temperature was pretty high. When he woke up on Sunday morning, the fever was gone and he was back to being his happy 'ole self.

No, we didn't give him Tylenol to bring down the fever, we let his body do that on its own. You see, fever is a natural defense mechanism of the body and it is there for a reason. When you articifically bring it down with medications, it doesn't have the ability to fight the fever on its own. By letting the fever run its course, it goes away faster and now he has the ability to fight it off again in the future.

The human body is very amazing in what it can do, you just need to trust in it, remove interference from that healing process, and give it time to heal. It will take care of itself.

Flooding in Atlanta

2009-09-23T06:41:00.003-04:00

If you live in Atlanta (or followed the news here), you know we have had massive floods the past few days, nine people have died, and millions of dollars of damage have resulted. Yesterday, Governor Sonny Perdue was on TV declaring a state of emergency, and said "give it time for the waters to recede." That resonated with me, since as long as there is no interference, nature will do its job and the water depth will decrease. Interference here, would mean something that is preventing the water from going down, like if the water filled up a pool or other solid area. I have a small plastic kids pool in my office and it is filled to the top with water. That water isn't going to recede easily, the "interference" that prevents that is the plastic part of the pool. Make sense?

The human body is the same....give it time and the body will heal, as long as there is no interference. Interference can be from a vertebral subluxation, a misalignment in the spine that is preventing the body from healing on its own. Removing that interference, which is what us Chiropractors do, and then the natural healing process of the body can heal. You can't lose 30 pounds in one day, you can't get to 15% body fat in one day, the body needs time. Just like the body needs time to heal. We as chiropractors help that process, by allowing the body the opportunity to heal as best as possible when we provide a chiropractic adjustment.

Make sense? It does to me. The natural order of the universe is what makes sense to me. If you want more of an explanation, let me know. Remember, chiropractic works!

Wellness Workshop

2009-09-15T21:43:00.004-04:00

Tonight we gave our Wellness Workshop in our office, which is a special consultation for new and prospective patients. One of the statistics that is mentioned is how over 16,500 people die every year from bleeding stomach ulcers brought on by NSAID's --- non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. You know - Ibuprofen: Aleve, Advil, Motrin -drugs like that.

Most people are unfamiliar with that, not realizing that one of the top side effects of NSAID's is gastrointestinal bleeding. So, they take Advil when they have a headache, back pain, menstrual cramps, whatever it may be, and years later end up with ulcers. Then they wonder why or how they could have got an ulcer.

Our talk goes on to discuss that there are other options for dealing with those headaches, back pain, and menstrual cramps, or whatever ache & pain they may have. This includes chiropractic care, exercise and nutritional advice, all of what we offer in the office. People shouldn't be a victim of NSAID's, they should educate themselves on what the cause of their problem is and natural ways to work to correct it.

Doula night

2009-09-10T21:18:00.003-04:00

I went to a Doula Night on Tuesday -- basically an educational meeting on training and mentoring doula's. A doula is basically a birth coach and advocate, hired by the pregnant woman to assist her during birth, to be her support, and so forth. Every pregnant woman that I see in my office I tell them about doula's, and really encourage them to hire one. I wouldn't suggest anyone go through a pregnancy without one!

I learned some new things and met some new people, which is always nice. Two of the larger doula organizations out there are DONA and CAPPA, so google them if you want more info. Plus I can recommend some names to anyone in this area, if they are ever interested. Keep that in mind if you or someone you know is pregnant!

Love my patients

2009-09-06T21:43:00.004-04:00

I tell you, I really love my patients. It is just nice to have patients who are educated, who are open minded, who listen, who learn, who research things on their own. Of course, not every patient is that way, but many are.

I have open adjusting with a reception room that all blends in, so people tend to all hang out and talk with each other. Just the other day, two families were there and one mom started talking about the absurdity of the Swine Flu and the vaccine, and the other mother agreed, and a conversation started between them as well as others there. It is just so refreshing to have "like minds" together, who can agree on this subject and they talk intelligently about it.

They aren't basing their decision on listening to anyone else, they are making that decision based on what they've learned on their own. They say the children who are not vaccinated have the parents who are the most educated and there is no doubt in my mind that is true. I really appreciate it when my office can be filled with these educated parents!

Success Story

2009-09-02T14:51:00.002-04:00

I love it when we have good success stories here in the office, and it happens on a very regular basis which is even more exciting! Some call it chiropractic "miracles", I just describe it as something that is supposed to happen when the body is free of nerve interference and working properly.

One of my new patients started here about a month ago, complaining of migraines 4-5 times a week. I don't know how someone could deal with that once a week, let alone 4-5 times in one week. He would take medication whenever he got the migraine and his doctor wanted to increase it to a daily dosage, just to prevent them from happening at all.

After one month of care, he's down to one migraine a week, sometimes none in a week. That is great news, I love it! Drugs would have covered up the problem, and we are working to correct it. I look forward to the day he comes in and says they are all gone. That is how chiropractic works ... removing interference so the body can function properly. The body that made the body heals the body, it happens no other way. Not drugs (though yes they are sometimes helpful), but turning to the innate healing power of the body is what works best, without any side effects. Now that's just one more success story that we've had this year!

Dead Animals & Maggots

2009-08-30T16:53:00.005-04:00

Wow, what a gross title but it sure is attention getting! Each week I write a different quote on a dry board in my office, all designed to educate and inform people on something health or chiropractic related. This one caused a lot of people to ask what I was talking about and after a brief explanation, they "got it."

So....when you see a dead animal that is covered in maggots, what are your thoughts? Gee those vicious maggots killed that animal? Or was the animal dead first and that is what attracted the maggots? Looking at it that way the answer is obvious, but what does that have to do with chiropractic? Well, nothing directly related to chiropractic, but everything related to health.

The comparison is to germs and disease --- does germs cause disease or is it that disease attracts germs? If germs caused disease wouldn't EVERYBODY get sick if there were germs around? Why is it that some people get sick and others don't? Doesn't it depend on the health of the individual and how resistant they are to illness? The answer is yes, how sick you will get really does depend on the strength of your immune system.

People who are getting adjusted regularly (nervous system has direct control over the immune system), people who are eating 9+ servings of fresh raw fruits and veggies everyday, people who are getting sleep, exercising, drinking plenty of water, these are the ones who are going to be healthier and can fight off illness versus those who don't. I see it in my office with my patients on a very regular basis.

So that brings me to the Swine Flu, which I'll really save for another posting (or several), and the people who are going to really be affected by it are the ones who have weakened immune systems to begin with. On the news the other night they showed an interview with a very large, overweight man who said "yes I'm going to get the shot."

My impression of that is well of course he will, he's not someone who's healthy to begin with and doesn't realize (or care) that prevention is the best approach to health. He views prevention as getting a shot and I view prevention as developing immune system strength through nutrition, exercise, sleep, attitude, and chiropractic adjustments. It works, you just have to try it.

Daily Affirmations

2009-08-28T10:43:00.004-04:00

It always amazes me how powerful daily affirmations can be. Basically, you tell the world what you want, or else you will get what is "left over". I use to be very consistent with daily affirmations, visualizations, and writing in my goal book -- on a daily basis for several years. Then, something came up and I have become very irregular with it over the last 18 months or so, but this week I committed myself again to doing that routine every day. Now that it is here in writing, I'll be held even more accountable!

Short, simple statements of what you are, not what you want. I am healthy, I am happy, I am prosperous. Not....I want to be healthy, I want to be happy. That won't work. Put it in the current state and see what happens. Write out your goals each day, even if it is brief. Think positive thoughts, images, and feelings.

As someone once told me: life isn't about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself. Perfectly stated and true! www.drpamschiro.blogspot.com

Michael Jackson's death

2009-08-26T14:08:00.005-04:00

The news that Michael Jackson's death is being ruled a homicide shouldn't be so surprising, considering all the drugs he was on at the time. What makes me sad is that it got this far, that he had to rely on so many drugs to make him sleep. His family is quoted as saying it was a "gross violation of duty and care for Michael Jackson." That indeed.

At the same time, his Doctor is not fully responsible for Jackson's health, Jackson is himself. He was the one who chose to medicate himself, and took these drugs on his own accord, and whether they were pushed on him or not, we'll never know. Yet, as talented a musician he was, he changed his looks to become someone else, never seemingly happy with who he was. He had so many resources available to him, yet did he make the healthiest choices?

I guess we'll never really know, but it certainly seems that he was not living a wellness lifestyle. It just shows that drugs can be lethal, whether it is prescription, over the counter, or illegal drugs, they all have the ability to kill. Sometimes they help, but many times they do not. The Institute of Medicine states medical errors account for at least 100,000 deaths per year; 195,000 people die each year in hospitals due to preventable errors; and JAMA states that 225,00 people die every year from prescription medications. Sounds like a LOT of people to me.

How many people die from a chiropractic adjustment every year? Have you heard? Do you know? None. Can you imagine if 225,000 people died every year after getting adjusted? Would Chiropractic even be in existence? No question in my mind that we'd be shut down, yet here it happens with arguably the most famous musician of our time, but then people look the other way for the thousands of other people who die from prescription drugs as well. That is a shame.

Start living a wellness lifestyle if you aren't already. Get your spine adjusted, eat organic, exercise regulary, and think twice about taking medications. Find out what the side effects and contraindications are, and see what else you can do instead. http://www.drpamschiro.blogspot.com/

U.S. Healthcare by the numbers

2009-08-24T15:09:00.003-04:00

A recent paper showed that 2 trillion dollars a year are spent on health care, and that taxpayers pay 44% of this. US Consumers are more dissatisfied with their healthcare than other nations, and about 50 million Americans are uninsured.

34% of Americans believe medicine can cure any illness as long as people have access to advanced technology and treatment, and health premiums have risen 98% since 2000! 70% is spent on chronic illness, including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, obesity-related disease and arthritis. The numbers are sad and staggering, and go on and on....

According to the WHO, in terms of life expectancy, the United States lags far behind most other comparable nations. Compared with 30 other countries, the US has the highest incidence of all cancers. The US ranks 28th in infant mortality among 39 industrialized nations.

What is wrong with our society? In my opinion, people are too reactive and not proactive. People don't trust their instincts, they are lazy, prefer the easy way out, would rather watch TV and eat bad food, and not care about their health until it is too late.

Most people prefer to take drugs to get better (and then those above statistics appear), instead of eating whole foods (not processed ones), eating 7-9 servings of raw fruit and vegetables a day, exercising, and getting adjusted to have a healthy nervous system. Of course there are those of us who do work to stay truly healthy, but we are in the minority now.

Our society is not headed in the right direction, and I have concern for our future, if we keep it up. Drugs don't heal, only the body can heal itself.

To read more of these statistics, visit http://healthnews.mccoypress.net on 8/24/09.

I'm a mom

2009-07-31T07:10:00.013-04:00

Oh my gosh, there is now a baby seat in the back seat of my car. There's a high chair in my kitchen. There are sippy cups in my sink. There's a crib and diaper genie in what use to be my guest bedroom. There are toys everywhere. My house is no longer clean. It's not really wierd, as I guess I've just been waiting for it and expecting it for a long time. After all, a two-year pregnancy is a long time.

Some have referred to it as "pregnant on paper", I like to call it my two-year pregnancy, yet in reality, it is simply the story of adoption. My husband and I recently adopted a 15-month old baby boy from Russia, something that took endless hours of paperwork, an incredible amount of patience, and yes, two years to complete. I had kept it very quiet in the time we were working on it, I felt it was better to keep it to myself versus telling everyone about our journey, mostly to save myself from answering constant questions. Yet, now that it is finalized, we no longer feel the need to keep it quiet.

During this journey, we made two trips to Russia, most recently, a four-week visit -- yes, that is 28 days. We spent about a week in Moscow, and the remaining three weeks in Siberia, which is where Alex was born. Siberia, you know, the place you use to joke about when you were a kid, the place you really never knew anything about, the place you imagined to be cold and dark and scary. Luckily, Siberia in the summer isn't cold (though February was a different story), yet it was quite the interesting experience.

We did have a translator available, but the majority of the time we were alone, navigating ourself through the city, shopping, eating at restaurants and trying to get around. We were without hot water for two weeks, as they do that periodically to clean the hot water tanks that service the whole city. That was a whole lot of fun, trying to shower and wash dishes with ice cold water, but we survived. We had internet service, but it was often slow and not always available. Music and TV were all in Russian, so we really didn't listen to either. We had a washing machine, but had to hang dry our clothes. Life was different, and the luxuries we typically had in the USA were no longer there. I must say, it made me appreciate the USA much more!

But the end result is an adorable, 15-month old boy whose life is now changed. He is being given a home, attention, two parents who love him, and so much more. He is a child whose life is changing for the best. He now will grow up in the "chiropractic lifestyle" -- getting adjusted, homeopathic remedies, organic foods, etc. He will be introduced to the wellness and drug-free way of life. It will be exciting and thus far, he is doing great adjusting to our home and each of us (as we are to him). We are all doing great.

It will be nice to be able to experience what my patients, friends and family go through as they raise their children, as I will now be able to relate a little better. I'm sure I will become even a better Chiropractor because of this, and I (we) have so much to look forward to. Though its a journey that has taken two years, we know it is just beginning.

My Aching Back

2009-06-30T05:32:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I "threw out" my back, which a lot of people seemed to think was funny ..... like, how can Chiropractor hurt her back? Does a Dentist not get cavities? Do Dermatologists never have moles or warts? Do Cardiologists never have heart problems? Do Obstetricians never have babies? OK, that last one may be going a little bit far... but the point is, yes my back was killing me and it wasn't fun.

When telling the story, most people remember only the fact that I was picking up a piece of paper and think that is how I hurt it. When in reality, I was lifting heavy weights the day before, then that morning (a Sunday), I was moving stuff around in my garage, bent over at all sort of angles, twisted myself, and probably did not use my body in the best possible way. But when my cleaning project was completed in the garage, I was happy it was done and left to go upstairs. As I did, I saw a piece of paper on the ground and bent down to pick it up. And that is when it happened: "rip" and ooohh it hurt.

I went to stand up straight and knew that wasn't going to happen, so down I went on my hands and knees. I crawled around for a minute or so, and eventually got back up but the damage was done. This wasn't a minor pull, but a bad one and it didn't go away quickly. I've had this happen before, but it has been months or maybe even years since it felt this bad. In the past when I aggravated my back, I'd get adjusted and stretch it out, and it got better within a day. Not this time, I could tell it wasn't good.

If you have ever talked to me about my back, you know I use to have real bad back problems (L5 disc issues), and these days, I manage it well with weekly (or every other week) adjustments, massages, regular exercises and stretches. Those all make a huge difference and if I stop doing any of them, my back grabs me. Fortunately, I know this well by now and typically do a good job of keeping up with everything to prevent it from happening (a majority of the time).

So,why did it happen this time? No reason for sure, but it certainly wasn't from picking up a piece of paper or even moving things around in the garage. It was probably because I hadn't been massaged in a few months, plus I had rushed through my stretching routine after my runs, and my adjustment schedule was very irregular. Things just got in the way, and I neglected myself to a small degree, and now I was paying the consequences. Luckily, I had two student interns from Life University in the office, who did most of the adjusting for me for the two days I was in pain. A few adjustments later, a massage, stretches and time all got the back feeling better within a week.

So there, I am human. I am real. I have back problems too, just like many of you. I know how to manage it and usually do a good job with it. How about you? Are you managing your health and spine properly? Are you getting adjusted regularly? Are you stretching consistently? Are you exercising and getting massaged, all which will help you in many ways? If not, you should really consider it, so the next time you hurt yourself (if at all), you recover fast instead of it taking weeks. Your body and health should be your most prized possession, not a car, or a house, or a boat. Your own body. It cannot be replaced. Take care of it and it will take care of you.

Have you ever misplaced your keys?

2009-05-31T16:48:00.009-04:00

In the past month, have you ever misplaced your keys? Have you gone into a room to get something, and then forgot what you went to get? Have you ever lost track of what you were thinking? Have you ever started a project then got sidetracked, and didn't finish it? Have you ever started to say something, but then forgot what you were going to say? Have you ever been bored? Well if so, then you need to be on Ritalin, or Adderall, or Concerta.

You see, those are some of the exact symptoms a child with ADD or ADHD has. Not following through on things, losing things that are necessary, easily distracted, fails to finish schoolwork or projects, forgetful in daily activities. My husband likes to joke to me that I am ADHD, and you know, I do believe that if I were a child in today's school system, they'd want to put me on some sort of stimulant drug. I like to stay busy, I get bored easily, and I can be forgetful so I have to write things down (lists after lists....).

It frustrates me when parents put their children on these drugs. Yes, they do work, I see children be much more calm when they take their Ritalin, but what are the long term side effects? We know the short term side effects (insomnia, weight loss, headaches, irritability), but what is going to happen to these kids when they are 40, 50, 60 years old, when they were taking these drugs when their mind was most rapidly developing?

Ritalin is classified as a schedule II controlled substance, which is a rating given to prescription drugs that have the greatest abuse and dependence potential. Other drugs that share this category are Morphine, Opium, and Cocaine. Does that sound like a good product for children to be on? Just recently, they discovered that Red Bull has traces of Cocaine in it. Is that surprising?

What about having your child (or you) take Omega-3 fish oil, one loaded with more DHA than EPA, which is more appropriate "brain food" for these kids (or some adults). DHA is what OB's recommend to pregnant women, it is important for the brain and nervous system of the developing fetus. What about the developing brain of a 7 year old, or teenager? What about adults who misplace keys, or got bored? I know I take my fish oil every day (the HIGH quality kind).

Just recently I passed a fairly rigorous exam to award me a new certification in Pediatrics. I completed a 180-hour post graduate course through the Academy of Chiropractic Family Practice and Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics, and thus by passing the course I have gained greater knowledge and confidence in working with children and pregnant women (and a few more letters after my name).

Some of the topics covered included Nutrition, prenatal care, working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADD/ADHD, sensory integration disorders, cranial sacral therapy, and (the obvious) chiropractic analysis and treatment. Though I hardly announce my accomplishments to others, I want people to know this so you feel even more confident in coming to see me (as well as your children) and for referring others to the office.

I've learned more about ADD and ADHD, and want to help these kids, and help make this community (and world!) a healthier place. For now....it's back to that other project I was working on!

Swine Flu

2009-05-01T07:19:00.006-04:00

Several people have asked me about the Swine Flu lately, so I felt compelled to write about it. As of this writing (Thursday night), the number of confirmed cases of the swine flu worldwide is 257, according to the World Health Organization, 109 of which are in the USA. The number of confirmed deaths is 13 (12 in Mexico and 1 in the USA, and that one was a child from Mexico that died while in Texas). The number increases if they look at suspected cases. As of yesterday, the number of suspected cases was 1,614 with 18 deaths, so those extra people may have another form of the flu, or some other bug.

The way I look at it, is how can I become one of the 244 confirmed cases, or 1,596 suspected, who have survived this flu? It's not like 100% of the people are dying. People are getting sick and still living.

We are close to a "pandemic", which means that a new infectious disease is spreading throughout the world. It doesn't mean everyone will die, it doesn't mean dead bodies will be piled high on carts & buggies (visualize those photos from the early 1900's), and it doesn't mean our food and water supply will decrease. Back then, we didn't pay as close attention to hygiene or taking care of ourselves. We didn't have the knowledge to build our immune system to fight off disease, and we didn't have the medical knowledge and capability to fight disease if/when it happened.

With the Swine Flu, health officials from the CDC recommend taking several precautions to avoid getting swine flu. First, they recommend frequent hand washing and trying to stay in good general health. They recommend getting plenty of sleep, staying physically active, managing stress, drinking fluids, and eating healthy foods. They also advise people to avoid touching surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Also, they say to avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Isn't that what I talk about in my office every day? Should any of those be a surprise? Are they hard to do? Getting yourself healthy, building your immune system so you can fight off disease if and when you get it. The only thing they didn't mention was chiropractic care, and getting regular adjustments. Chiropractors helping patients battle the flu is not a new occurrence either.

During the 1917-18 influenza epidemic, which brought death and fear to many Americans, it has been estimated that 20 million people died throughout the world, including about 500,000 Americans. It was chiropractic's success in caring for flu victims that led to the profession's licensure in many states.

Researchers reported that in Davenport, Iowa, out of the 93,590 patients treated by medical doctors, there were 6,116 deaths -- a loss of one patient out of every 15. Chiropractors at the Palmer School of Chiropractic adjusted 1,635 cases, with only one death. Outside Davenport, chiropractors in Iowa cared for 4,735 cases with only six deaths -- one out of 866. During the same epidemic, in Oklahoma, out of 3,490 flu patients under chiropractic care, there were only seven deaths. Furthermore, chiropractors were called in 233 cases given up as lost after medical treatment, and reportedly saved all but 25. In another report covering 4,193 cases by 213 chiropractors 4,104 showed complete recovery.

Seems like Chiropractic care made a huge difference in helping people with the flu, right?

I'm not surprised the health officials don't talk about chiropractic care, because they don't know enough about it (or don't want it to be effective), as their focus is on medicine. Speaking of medicine, the Tamiflu is what they are recommending those those at risk. In 2007, Tamiflu went through some rough times when the FDA finally began investigating some 1,800 adverse event reports related to the drug. Common side effects of Tamiflu include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, fatigue, and cough. All in all, aren't those the very symptoms you're trying to avoid?? And isn't this a new strain of the flu?

Okay, am I concerned about the Swine Flu? Yes. But not necessarily for reasons others are. I'm concerned because I don't want to see this world in a panic, I don't want people to die, I don't want this country, state, or town to be quarantined, and I don't want people to be forced to get a vaccination. If they come up with a vaccine quickly, then chances are it won't be tested accurately, it may not be effective, and it probably will cause more harm than good. That is what I'm afraid of (come to my Vaccine talk on Sat. 5/2 to learn more).

I remember a report from NY University and the University of Lund, Sweden, that showed that people under chiropractic care had a 200% stronger immune system than people not under chiropractic care. So, if the Swine Flu does happen to come to my community, I am certainly glad that I get adjusted and that my immune system is that much stronger to fight it off.

Isn't it reasonable to think that your vulnerability to the Swine Flu (and from dying from it) depends more on your personal health than it does on bugs? Don't you think you should focus on building a strong immune system, eating lots of fruits & vegetables (antioxidants!), getting plenty of rest, decreasing your stress levels, and getting adjusted so your nervous system can work as best as possible to fight something off? Take megadoses of Vitamin C, try the homeopathic remedy Oscillococcinum, take whole food supplements and antioxidants, try Elderberry and extra garlic, and certainly get adjusted.

So, if I am wrong and a massive pandemic hits and there are millions of deaths, then I am sorry. In the meantime, I am going to encourage all of you to do what you can NOW to build your immune system as strong as possible. Don't panic. Do what you can to be healthy (through all the ways mentioned above) and be a survivor.

College hoops

2009-04-02T19:50:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago I worked at the ACC men’s basketball tournament here in Atlanta, as a “Talent TV Statistician” for Raycom Sports. What this means is that I sit with the TV announcers, keep statistics during the game, and pass information to them to say during the game. I also work in conjunction with another statistician who relays information from the game in progress to the TV truck. We all work together to make sure that what goes on the TV screen is the same thing that the announcers say.

As a TV statistician, I do everything from keeping track of when teams go on scoring runs, to what player hasn’t scored in a while, to the largest lead, to scoring droughts and giving the announcers fouls, turnovers, and other game stats. It is a lot of work, and you have to really pay attention to the game, but it is also very fun. On top of that, I get paid pretty well to work the games, so that makes it just so much more worthwhile.

It is always a lot of fun to work the games, since I love college basketball and it is just really neat to be contributing to the production of the game. I was able to work several other games this season for Georgia Tech and Georgia, though much less than I normally work. I get to sit with the announcers, directly opposite the team benches, and at about mid-court. They are pretty prime seats!

So, this weekend as you watch The Final Four, keep in mind that when the announcers say all those statistics, they are getting that information from someone else. When you are watching the game (or any game, whether it is basketball, football, baseball, ice hockey, soccer, etc.) the score that is listed on the screen, the home team is always the bottom team (or team listed on the right). And, that little box that the score appears in is called “The Bug.”

Home birth and healthy babies

2009-03-01T17:07:00.005-05:00

In February, I spoke at a home birth meeting, talking about the relationship between chiropractic and pregnancy. It was sort of like "preaching to the choir" in a sense though, since all the mom's there are passionate about natural birth and health. I love being involved in the birth community, as I feel pregnancy should truly be a wonderful, positive experience in a woman's life, and not a "medical procedure" as it is made out to be these days.

In talking with home birth midwives over the years, some of whom have been doing this for 25+ years, they all share an amazing love for helping women achieve the natural birth they want. Many people in our society believe that home birth is dangerous, that women or the baby have a high chance of injury or dying, versus a hospital birth. In fact, statistics prove it opposite. In talking with one midwife, after attending thousands of births over 30 years, there have been only two instances where they had to transport the woman to the hospital. Two. That's it.

You look at hospital birth statistics where the C-section rate is 30% or higher, and you realize that those C-sections are primarly hospital induced events, where hospital procedures are implemented, the doctors get in the way of mother nature, and things go wrong. Pitocin, epidurals, internal exams, breaking water, etc., all of these are things that either the woman or doctor elects to do, and often times it leads to problems.

What is a natural birth? A birth where there are no drugs involved. Being induced with pitocin or some other drug, and then laboring without and epidural and giving birth, is not a natural birth. Having an epidural is not a natural birth. Many women think just because they don't have a C-section that they've had a natural birth.

Of the hundreds of infants I have taken care of over the years, I will say there is an absolute difference between the ones that were born without drugs, versus the ones born with drugs. When I say drugs, that is any drug to induce labor, any drug to decrease or eliminate pain, or a C-section. The babies that are 100% natural are much more observant, more alert, more happy. The ones where the mom elected to have pain meds or something else, their babies are not as alert or observant. Doctors will tell you there is no difference and that the drugs have no effect on the baby, but they do. I can see it on a regular basis.

Also, in talking with women who have had a non-natural birth and then went on to have a natural birth the second time around, all report an amazing difference in their experience. Yes they have to now deal with the pain of labor, but that brings them more in tune with their bodies and they all report they are happy they went through with it. I have never heard anyone regret having a natural birth.

Taking care of children and pregnant women is a passion and specialty of mine, and I love to see them have positive experiences. If you are pregnant, please strongly consider a natural birth (and preferably a home birth), as it will be healthier for you and the baby. Chiropractic care will help you through the pregnancy, will help the baby after birth, and is positive in so many ways. Less low back pain, shorter labor, healthier pregnancy, are all "side effects" of chiropractic care during pregnancy. And as far as I know, those are side effects that most pregnant women want!

Kooza

2009-01-29T16:05:00.007-05:00

Last weekend I went and saw Cirque du Soleil's performance of "Kooza" at Atlantic Station in Atlanta. I am a huge fan of Cirque du Soleil, seeing probably 10 or so of their performances, with my first one being in 1993 in New York City, and my favorite being "O" in Las Vegas.

I am always amazed at the incredible talent and strength of the performers. The athletes are all in incredible shape, have very little body fat, amazing strength, talent, balance, flexibility, and focus (and more!). Some of the acts they did included riding a bicycle on a highwire 25-feet above the ground, an third person sitting on a chair that was balanced between two bikes that were on that same highwire, an artist balancing on chairs 23-feet in the air, people balancing on huge balls, jumping and twisting on these huge wheels, and so much more. It is just unbelieveable the moves that they do.

One act that stands out in my mind is three female contortionists that bent their bodies backwards and into awkward positions. I sat with my jaw wide open as they did these strange moves, wondering how it was possible for their spine to get in these bizarre and somewhat gross positions.

I realized they practice for hours on end, focusing on every move, with no room for error. They watch every bit of food they eat and how it affects them. They are totally present in all that they do, and most likely, are totally confident that they will succeed. Doubt does not exist in their mind.

At the same time, I realized that they have a full crew of massage therapists, Chiropractors and Dieticians on tour with them, working with all the performers every day. These are performers who rely on very specific movements and perfect timing with all that they do. Do you think their nervous system should be functioning optimally to help them perform? Or, do you think they could care less about how their bodies perform?

Remember, Chiropractors focus on the central nervous system and the overall functioning of the body, striving for optimal health and performance. What if these performers weren't getting adjusted? What if they weren't focused? What if they didn't pay attention to their bodies?

If you have never seen a Cirque du Soleil performance, put it on your goal list to see a show at least once in your lifetime. Observe the performers and be amazed at their talent. Then think about yourself. No you don't have to be a world class performer, but if you paid attention to your body just a little bit more, what would your health be like? Would you be more fit? Eating better? Exercising more? Getting adjusted more? Go see Kooza and be inspired!

It's a Wonderful Life

2008-12-28T21:01:00.008-05:00

One of my husband's favorite movies is the Christmas movie "It's a Wonderful Life". Once again, we watched it this year and for whatever reason, I thought more about its message the past few days than I ever have in past years.

The basic message focuses on the impact you have made on people that you have encountered in your life. What would their life be like if you weren't around? How many people have you affected? How many people have affected your life?

I started thinking about where I am and the steps that I took in my life that got me here. I believe everything happens for a reason, and things in our past happened in order to bring us where we are now. We can create our future, good or bad, based on our thoughts and actions, yet if we sit around and do nothing, we won't have much control.

I thought about when I moved to New Jersey in 1993. I left family and friends in Massachusetts, but moved to start a "new" life. Though it wasn't a great career move as I had three jobs in three years, it was in New Jersey that I met my Chiropractor, Dr. Jon. He was the one who influenced me, who told me about chiropractic and motivated me to change careers and go back to school. Fourteen years later, here I am in Kennesaw, Georgia with my own Chiropractic office, loving my office and patients, and happily married. What if those things hadn't happened? What if I never moved to NJ? What if I never listened to Dr. Jon, and what if I stayed in NJ? Where would I be now? Who would be your Chiropractor?

It made me think of one friend in particular, who encouraged her friend to bring her 8-month old son in to my office to get adjusted. After months of re-curring ear infections, this mom was frustrated and "tried" chiropractic. Five years later, that little boy is free of ear infections, getting adjusted still, very healthy, and his life is changed. What if that mom never made the decision to try chiropractic? What if her friend never told her about my office?

What if, what if, what if? Who are the people you have touched? Who has touched you? Is there anyone who caused you to make certain decisions, that forever changed your life? How many people have you influenced in your life? Remember, you are here for a reason and people come in and out of our lives for reasons, and we are all meant to be here. Think of the people in your life who are where they are because of you, and how much of an impact you have made. Keep on being positive!

Thank you for being part of my life (and for reading this!). Happy New Year!

Sticky and Sweet

2008-11-28T18:41:00.001-05:00

I figure with a title like that I am bound to get some attention, and have people read this! However, that is the title of Madonna's 2008 concert tour, which I went to at Philips Arena last Monday night.

Twenty years ago when I was living in Southern California, Madonna played outside at the California Angels (now Anaheim Angels) baseball stadium. I wanted to go to the concert, but I was a poor college student and didn't want to spend the money, so I passed. Later on, I regretted it, so this past spring when I found out she was coming to Atlanta, I jumped on the opportunity and bought tickets.

After a 30-minute warm-up by a disco DJ, we sat around for an hour until she finally showed up on stage a little after 9:30pm. It was really one of the most incredible concerts I have ever been to....unbelieveable video production, lights, entertainment, and of course dancing. She danced around the stage (even jumped rope to one song) for two hours, singing a mix of old and new songs.

At one point during the performance, when they were showing videos of her close up on stage, I was thinking how strange it seemed that grown adults were singing and cheering on a 50-year old, scantily dressed woman. She had tiny outfits on, and she is 50 years old. However, close up videos on her showed amazing definition in her arms, and after a 2-hour show, I thought about how hard a work-out that was. Yes she snuck off stage a few times to change her outfit, but aside from that, she danced around the stage a lot. It was impressive....especially since she is doing a "workout" like that several times a week as she tours around the world.

However, Madonna has always paid attention to her health, and includes chiropractic care as part of her lifestyle. In fact, she has her own Chiropractor on tour with her, making sure she is able to perform at her best for each performance. Yes, she does have the time and money to hire people to help keep her healthy, but it is her choice to do that.

So, what choices are you making? Are you exercising regularly? Are you eating well? Are you getting adjusted regularly? How do you want to look and feel at age 50? I know I see 50+ year old people who have never paid much attention to health, they take drugs for problems and think that they are staying healthy because of that. Health is about the body functioning as optimally as possible, as long as possible. You aren't healthy because you take high blood pressure meds, or cholesterol meds, or other drugs. Health is about optimal function, gained through daily exercise, fruits and vegetables, organic foods, positive thought, and a properly functioning nervous system.

Are you doing all those things to stay healthy? Which one or more do you have to work on? Remember, good health isn't good luck or good genes.... it's about good decisions.

San Antonio Rock 'n Roll marathon race report

2008-11-17T10:44:00.003-05:00

Well there is something to be said about experience and nutrition! Both played a pretty big role in my marathon on Sunday, and I’m very excited that I finished in under 3:50 and qualified for Boston (3:48:03). This is my third time qualifying, and each time I have snuck in just under the qualifying time….but I guess that really doesn’t matter. This was my first marathon in 8 years, but if you count the Ironman in 2004, it was the first one in 4 years (but for me, you can’t really “race” a marathon after biking 112 miles).

I chose San Antonio mostly because it was a flat course, and because I’ve never been there before, so why not, right? My training was pretty much on target from the start, I did 5 long runs of 20 miles in training, so I felt good prior to the race. I actually ran less weekly mileage for this marathon than any in the past, which sort of scared me, but then again, my aging legs probably needed the rest. I did bike more however, so I’m sure that helped.

So, the race….the start was about 3 miles from the finish line, so they had to bus us to the starting area, and it was a chilly 41 degrees. However, that is perfect marathon weather, as it did warm up to 60 by the time it was over. No clouds, no wind, just perfect. That is what I was wanting, and it happened!

There were 30,000 runners, with 10,000 of them doing the marathon and the rest doing the half. We were on the same course for 10+ miles, and though it was crowded, it didn’t affect my running at all. I listened to my friend Angie, who told me to start slower than I initially wanted, so I did. After a quick bathroom break at the 5 mile mark (the only stop on the course, yeah!), I jumped back on the course and the 3:45 pace group was right there. So, I decided to stick with them to see if they could get me in on time.

In 5 of my prior marathons, I’ve always gone out fast, built some “cushion” room, and would fall apart around mile 18-20, and then totally struggle to finish. I sort of expected that this time, since that has been my experience. At the halfway point today, my time was 1:53 which had me a little nervous. This marathon pace team wasn’t on target (that’s a 3:47 pace), and judging by my past marathons and my breakdowns at the end, I didn’t have much cushion to fall back on. But, I felt pretty good, so I just kept telling myself to go.

This is where I think nutrition was huge! In my prior marathons, I’d just drink water, and take a gel pack towards the end. This time, past Ironman and recent racing experience has taught me to consume calories during the run, something I’ve really never done before in marathons (which really explains my prior breakdowns!!!). So, I wore my race belt with Sustained Energy mixture in thick concentration, and drank it at 5 points during the race. I have to believe this helped, as I really never brokedown, never hit “the wall”. I had one mile that was over a 9min pace (the potty break mile), and other than that, all my miles were pretty steady. The last three miles were about 15 seconds slower than what I was averaging during the prior 23, and that is such a huge accomplishment for me.

Of my 7 marathons, this wasn’t my fastest, but I definitely feel it was my best all-around race. There was no falling apart at the end, no moaning that I’ll never do another one. I’m still in shocked that I felt so good during the race, that I was steady and never really hit the wall. Maybe my past experience helped a lot. In addition, I was thinking about Angie’s comments (regret/embarrassment lasts forever, and pain is only temporary), and Keith’s comments about the race starting at mile 20. I wanted to qualify for Boston so badly, and didn’t want to have regrets later on, so I kept those two people in mind throughout the race. Thanks for your encouragement!

OK, other race highlights……did I mention it was flat? There was one decent climb around mile 5, and a few other small hills, but nothing major. If this had been Boston, I doubt I would have been able to stay steady, not with those hills, but this was nice and flat and encouraged good running. We did run by the Alamo, plus a few historic Missions in San Antonio, and through two wealthy neighborhoods with beautiful houses. There were bands throughout the course, as well as lots of cheerleading teams, so that is always great to have them to encourage you on.

After the race, Matt & I had lunch at the Riverwalk (very cool place in the city), took a nap, and had a post race massage. Now it’s time to rest up, head back to Atlanta, and decide whether or not I want to run Boston in 2009, 2010, or at all. Retiring (again) from marathons on a positive note sounds like a good idea. We’ll see. Thanks for reading this far!!

I hate to cook!

2008-11-02T09:51:00.006-05:00

You would think that as much as I talk about the importance of proper nutrition, that I would spend more time preparing my meals, however, that is not the case. When I get home late at night, the last thing I want to do is cook, so usually my husband prepares the meals (after all, he likes to so that is good!).

On Thursday's, since it is my day off and I have more time, I either like to attempt to cook or just go out to dinner. So last Thursday, I found a recipe that said "Prep time 6 minutes, cook time 15 minutes" .... cool that is my idea of cooking! I bought the necessary food and about 3o minutes before we planned to eat, I went into the kitchen to start cooking. I start prepping, then notice the next step in the recipe was to "marinate 1 hour". AHH! Why don't they tell me the prep time is 1:06 then!!! My husband wisely tells me that I have to read the whole recipe first, and my simple reply is "this is the reason I hate to cook".

Needless to say, the fish only marinated 30 minutes or so and the dinner surprisingly came out fine. This was despite the fact that I had my laptop in the kitchen, and every free minute I had I went to the computer to work on something. I'm just not a patient person and I don't like to waste time, so whenever I cook I'm usually multi-tasking, which is a good way to burn food. It's the ADD in me, unable to do nothing for even just a few minutes. To me, cooking is stressful and I'd rather be doing something else.

I'd rather go out to dinner or have someone else cook for me (a personal chef sounds like a good idea, but that costs too much money). I've been told to get a crock pot. I actually had one, but gave it away because I never used it! So, my promise to myself is to buy another crock pot and start focusing on preparing meals more often.

Eating right is all about preparation. I do know that when I go grocery shopping on Sunday and buy food for the week, I eat much better at lunch and for dinner. I have fruit and nuts to snack on, and healthy foods for lunch. I have food at home that we can have for dinner. If I don't go shopping on Sunday, I'm rushing out at lunch trying to figure out what to eat, which isn't smart nor healthy.

So my new positive affirmation that I am adding to my morning routine is.... "I love to cook!". If affirmations do work, maybe someday I will truly start to enjoy cooking. As for now, it's time to go shopping. Or...should we just go out to dinner tonight?

What causes illness?

2008-10-25T21:58:00.003-04:00

What causes illness? What causes disease? Are some people just born to be sick while other people spend their entire lives being healthy? I don’t think so.

Understanding the cause of illness allows us to reach and maintain an optimal state of health. Think of it this way … Germs are seeds and our bodies are the soil. Many people mistakenly believe the cause of disease is from the seed, or the germ. However, if the ‘germ theory of disease’ were correct, there would be no one living to believe it. There are agents of disease surrounding us all of the time. Viruses and bacteria are everywhere we go and on everything we touch, but they cannot affect us unless we are susceptible. They can only affect us if our immune system is not strong enough to fight it off and adapt to the environment.

As long as our body (or the soil) is attuned to the natural flow of life and has a strong resistance, optimal health is the only thing that can occur. As Claude Bernard says, “Illnesses hover constantly above us, their seeds blown by the wind, but they do not set in the terrain unless the terrain is ready to receive them.”

Chiropractic is a science that uses the natural, innate power of the body to achieve and maintain optimal health. When our body is in line with the natural flow of life, we express it at our fullest potential. When interferences occur, our health becomes hindered and our body is more susceptible to disease.

Vertebral subluxations are a common interference in the nerve system. Subluxations impair normal nerve flow, thus weakening the body’s immune system, making us susceptible to disease. Chiropractors correct subluxations, restoring and maintaining the true health we deserve to enjoy. Germs are a part of the disease process however, they are not the direct cause of disease. It is the body’s susceptibility to germs that is the cause of disease.

We are all born with the natural, innate ability to be healthy and fight disease. We need to keep our “soil” healthy and strong with regular chiropractic care to increase the body’s ability to ward off disease.

The chiropractic model of health and wellness focuses on YOU and is centered on the philosophy that the human body, being knit together in a wonderful way, will heal itself given the right opportunity and circumstances. Correcting blockage in the nerve system can interfere with your ability to express your maximum health potential.

To those in my office, thank you for choosing to live the "Chiropractic Lifestyle". I commend you for taking charge of your health and the health of those you love!

My Dad

2008-09-27T19:26:00.015-04:00

This past week marked the one year mark of my father passing away, and its hard to believe that a year has already gone by. He passed away last year after falling ill over the summer, and then went downhill in a matter of two weeks. It was a sad time for my family, as can be expected.

My father and I were never very close. It is sad to think about that, as I never was "Daddy's little girl" and we really didn't share much. We rarely spoke, as every time I called home he'd put my mother on the phone. When I went home, we spent time together, but never alone. In between those visits and phone calls, I'll have to admit I didn't think about him much.

However, I have thought of my dad more this past year than I did the previous five years combined. It seems so strange, as he really was never a part of my life, but I found myself thinking of him so much these past 12 months, and definitely more this past week. On Monday night at 8pm, I thought of my call to my sister one year earlier when I heard the words that he died. I thought of him on so many occasions this past year, it doesn't seem to make sense to me. I hear that is normal though.

Maybe I'm wondering why we never had a good relationship, why it was always strained. Maybe I am wishing he was more loving, or happier, or not as angry. A daughter is supposed to have a great relationship with her dad, but it certainly wasn't with us. I know he loved me and our family, but he didn't always show it. I see dad's in my office just loving their daughter's, and I hope that continues for you all. For those of you who don't, maybe that should change, so there is no regret later on. I wish he and I had a better relationship, and though I'm thankful for what he did bring to me, I always longed for more.

Life is too short to have strained relationships, and not to make the most of the life you are given. For those of you who have poor relationships with others, work to patch those. If your health has suffered lately, work to regain it. You only have one life, one body, one chance, so make the most of it. You'll be happy you did.

Marathons, Massages & Chiropractic

2008-09-13T17:50:00.004-04:00

As many of you know, I am currently training for the San Antonio Rock 'n Roll marathon in November. With just 8 weeks to go, my running has increased significantly as I prepare for the race. My goal is to qualify for the Boston Marathon, which means finishing this one in under 3 hours and 50 minutes, so I am working hard to hopefully achieve that goal.

Every other week I am now doing my long runs, and increasing the time of the run by about 15 minutes each month. It started as a 90-minute run, then crept up to the three-hour runs I am doing now. I am going to cap it at 3:15, then will cut back as I taper three weeks before the race. Though I have been running for more than 25 years now (wow!!!) and have done six marathons, the experience is so helpful, but my legs feel it. I'm in that 40-44 year old age group now, and I have to pay closer attention to recovery.

Thus, I have been getting massages at my office every other week, after my long runs. They have become a critical part of my training, as I do not think I would feel as good as I do if I weren't getting massaged. In addition, I am getting adjusted every week or every other week. Both the massages and adjustments are helping my body stay uninjured, flexible, and healthy enough to keep on training.

As I was getting massaged today, I was thinking about all the people out there, especially athletes, who do not get massaged. I just don't get it. It is so beneficial in many ways and I am very thankful to CJ and Ashley who are both working on me (no, not at the same time....but alternating weeks). Adjustments keep my spine in alignment, free of nerve interference, and massage helps flush out the tight spots and the toxins, both allowing me to keep on running. I'm honestly amazed I feel as good as I do.

If chiropractic or massage is not on your program of health, you should add them. I wouldn't be as competitive as I am without regular massages and regular adjustments. Power on!

Closed on Thursday's

2008-08-28T17:09:00.002-04:00

Some of you have asked why I am closed on Thursdays, and just the other day I was reminded as to why I am. Though there are several reasons, one seems to stand out more than others.

I wanted to go to REI, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Best Buy … all on Barrett Parkway. Because of my schedule, I decided to go on Saturday, thinking it wouldn’t be too bad. They are all near each other, “I can just zip over after work and be out of there quickly” I thought. Boy was I wrong! The traffic was unreal, I had a hard time finding a parking space at REI, and it took about 10 minutes just to drive across the street to get to Best Buy. Unfortunately, they did not have what I needed, so I had to go to Radio Shack at the mall. So, I deal with the traffic and get to the mall, only to find out that Radio Shack is no longer in the mall. AAHH! So, I went to Sears, since I was right there, I thought maybe they’d have what I needed. Well, they didn’t, but luckily the sales man was nice and told me to go to Radio Shack. I didn’t want to tell him that was what I had tried to do, yet fortunately he told me they moved to the intersection of Hwy 41 and Barrett Pkwy. Great I thought, now I can get this wire that I so badly needed (and yes, I needed it before Sunday morning), but err….that meant getting back on Barrett Parkway again!

So, I did and slowly made my way to Radio Shack, got my wire, and went home. I truly think I spent more time in my car than I did in any of the stores during that adventure. That moment further confirmed why I am closed on Thursday’s…. so I can run my errands on those days, when traffic is much less, thus less stress. On Thursday’s, I can go to the post office, the bank, get my hair cut, shopping, or whatever else I need to do and I don’t have to worry about weekend traffic.

Lately, another nice thing about being closed on Thursday’s is that I can do my “long run”. As many of you know, I am training for a marathon and part of the training is long training runs. So, today I went out and ran for three hours….yup, a leisurely 3-hour jog on a Thursday morning (at Kennesaw Mountain). As long as that may seem, it does feel good once it is over, and will help me prepare for this race.

So, in case anyone wondered why I am closed on Thursday’s, to me those are two great reasons.

The Challenged Child

2008-08-18T10:53:00.002-04:00

This weekend I attended a seminar called “The Challenged Child” and it covered children who were handicapped, had Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Muscular Dystrophy, Torticollis, Shaken Baby Syndrome, and more. Most of the content of the seminar discussed what each is, potential causes, and then ways that chiropractic care, nutrition, horse therapy, and other “alternative” things can help these children.

It’s always amazing to me to realize how much nutrition plays a role, especially in Autism. Certainly we talked about the Mercury/Vaccination - Autism link, yet focused on how changing a child’s diet can have profound effects on the child’s behavior. Studies show that children with Autism have vitamin and mineral deficiencies, lower amino acids, higher glutamine, and fatty acid deficiency. DAN! -- Defeat Autism Now – (www.autism.com) is an organization dedicated to research on the causes of Autism and ways it can be treated. I had never spent much time on their website until this weekend, when I discovered it was full of fantastic information. If you know a child with Autism, I highly recommend you visit this site, tell their parents about it, and become more knowledgeable.

According to researchers, Autism is treatable and can be reversible. I know I have taken care of several Autisic children, and have seen positive changes in their behavior. Add to that, a significant change in diet, and I believe that a child with Autism can be helped significantly. There are several DAN doctors in this area, including one Naturopath that I highly recommend. Look into the vaccination & Autism link, get children on a gluten-free diet, get them adjusted, do the research yourself, and become more informed. These children can be helped. Ask me about it, and please don’t give up.

And yes, I also learned more great things about taking care of children with CP, MD, and torticollis!

Acworth Women's Triathlon

2008-08-10T21:32:00.003-04:00

Today I raced in the Acworth Women's Sprint Triathlon, my third triathlon this season. With over 500 participants, the race brings in women from all around the area, many of which are first-time triathletes. It is a great opportunity for women to get out there and race and not feel pressure from the men (sorry guys), which can be intimidating, especially if you have never done a race before.

I was very excited about the race, because I finished 2nd overall Master's (which is basically anyone over 40 years old), and 22nd overall. I raced well, and what probably "won" me the 2nd place award was my transition times, which is when you go from the swim to the bike, and then the bike to the run. My times in the 3 sports were all good, yet I think it was getting out of the transition area before other women in my age group is what helped me a lot. Usually my transitions slow me down, but not this time, so that was exciting (though I didn't know my transitions were fast until after the race when I saw the results).

I know I "passed" people in transition, yet the most satisying one was a woman I passed at about the 1.5 mile mark on the run (a 3.7 mile run all together). She was the only one to pass me on the bike and I worked hard to catch her, and then had to keep on running hard so she wouldn't catch me. I was very tired as I finished, and heard lots of people calling my name as I was running down the finish chute, but I was too tired to look and say hi.

Sometimes I wonder why I push myself and what motivates me, but I guess it is just the competitive spirit within me. Winning awards is extra motivation and certainly nice, and usually pushes me to work harder. I like racing because it gives me something to aim for, a goal, and an extra reason to stay in shape. Next up is a triathon in September, so until then.....

What motivates you? I encourage you to find something you like, whether its running, triathlon, tennis, yoga or whatever it is, and get involved, participate, and have fun. It can bring rewards to everyone who does it, in some way or another. Enjoy!

Skip Caray

2008-08-04T21:53:00.003-04:00

This morning I read in the newspaper that long-time Atlanta Braves announcer Skip Caray died yesterday. He was only 68 years old. Anytime someone dies, it is sad, though it seems especially worse when someone leaves us at a young age. No, 68 isn't "young" by many standards, but he certainly should have had many years ahead of him. I personally want to live to 100 (at least), which is 32 more years than Skip had.

Back in the late 90's and 2000-2001, I worked at a lot of Braves games and saw Skip in the press box. He was a large man, probably close to 80 pounds overweight, and though he had lost a lot of weight in recent years, the health problems that built up from that time finally caught up to him. The article said he was "battling diabetes, congestive heart failure, an irregular heartbeat and reduced kidney and liver functions". These are symptoms of someone who isn't living a healthy lifestyle, and his body just couldn't handle the extra weight he carried around.

He left behind children and grandchildren, all of whom now must go on without him. Children now without their grandfather, taken from them at too young an age. It just makes me so sad, and wonder...could this have been prevented? My belief of course, is yes. We'll never know the stress he experienced from his job or life in general, but when I see someone that overweight, I know his body has to work extra hard to function. That internal stress caused things to break down.

I wish I could encourage everyone to live a healthy lifestyle, to not be overweight, to exercise daily, to eat healthy, and to get adjusted. Who knows how much longer Skip would have lived if he did these things, though I believe his life would have been better.

So, anyone out there who is overweight, not eating well, not exercising, not getting adjusted, PLEASE make a serious effort to change. If you can't do it for yourself, do it for your family, your kids, your grandchildren. It can make a difference in your life. I just wish Skip had done that, he will be missed.

August 3, 2008 "Personal Section"

2008-08-03T19:56:00.001-04:00

July marked the two-year anniversary of my bike accident and I am happy to say I am all healed up. Just a recap (sorry to those who already know this), but in 2006 I was hit by a motorcycle while biking in the mountains of North Georgia. I broke 3 bones, was all scraped up, and missed almost five months of practice. Last year I had surgery on my wrist after it just wasn't healing the way it should, and I think I can comfortably say I am doing better. I will never be back to 100%, but at least I can do most things these days without pain. Even a few months ago it still hurt to adjust, it hurt to do some yoga moves, it hurt to climb out of a pool, but not anymore.

Thus, it took 2 years for my wrist to heal ... so everyone should keep that in mind, especially when experiencing neck pain, low back pain, leg pain, or whatever. The body takes time and needs time to heal. Inside all of us is an incredible inborn intelligence, that allows us to heal and regulate, called our innate intelligence. We don't have to tell our body how to make our heart beat, or breathe, or digest food, or heal broken bones, our innate, inborn intelligence does all that. If it is not working properly, then symptoms begin, as healing and regulation slows down or doesn’t work as efficiently. Chiropractic adjustments can help by "turning on" that innate intelligence to function at a higher, more proper level, so healing can begin. That is what true health is all about.

Is your body functioning at its best? Are you getting regular adjustments to ensure that it is? Is your nervous system free of interference? We utilize high-tech computer scanning at our office to assess the health of your nervous system so we can help you. It is my goal to help others and encourage them to live a healthy lifestyle, one free of nervous system interference. If you know anyone who hasn’t been checked at our office, please send them our way.

July 2008 "Personal Section"

2008-07-27T19:41:00.000-04:00

On Sunday I participated in a sprint triathlon, my first triathlon in two years….the first since my bad bike crash in July 2006. I chose this race as my first one back since it was a sprint race, plus it was an all-women race (632 participated). I didn’t feel nervous, though I didn’t sleep well the night before, which typically means I’m thinking about a lot of things, so I guess I was thinking about the race too much! (nerves??).

The race was held at Lake Lanier Islands, and we swam 1/3 mile to start it off. An 18 mile bike came next, and I was pretty happy with my bike, considering it typically is my worst event! It was rolling hills and I started counting the miles left when I saw mile 3 (“Only 15 to go!”), which is probably not a good thing to do. Fortunately, we ended with a 3 mile run and that is where I made up some ground, passed a few people in my age group, and ended up finishing 34th overall. It’s amazing at how fast some of these women are, especially on the bike. So, I was happy with my placing considering I haven’t raced in two years, and considering I have only been biking for 3 months.

I do have another triathlon in July (in Chattanooga) and a third one in August (see Office News & Events above for info on it). How about you? Are you working hard for something? Getting in shape, staying in shape, participating in any events? Tennis, golf, swimming? I encourage you to find something you like to do and stick with it, make it a habit, something that motivates you to stay in shape and keeps you happy!

I’m going to end with a story that someone sent me recently, titled “Garbage Truck.”

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean,he was really friendly.

So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so..... "Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't."

Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

Make it a great day! We hope to see you soon.

June 2008 "Personal Section"

2008-07-27T19:36:00.000-04:00

A slip on the snowy sidewalk, in winter, is a small thing. It happens to millions.
A fall from a ladder, in the summer, is a small thing. That also happens to millions.
That slip or fall produces a subuxation.
The subluxation is a small thing.The subluxation produces pressure on a nerve.
That pressure is a small thing.The pressure cuts off the flow of mental impulses. That decreased flowing is a small thing.That decreased flowing produces a dis-eased body and brain. That is a big thing to that man.Multiply that sick man by a thousand, and you control the physical and mental welfare of a city.Multiply that man by a million and you shape the physical and mental destiny of a State.Multiply that man by one hundred thirty million, and you forecast and can prophesy the physical and mental status of a nation.
- BJ Palmer

The above is a quote from BJ Palmer, the developer of Chiropractic (his father DD gave the first adjustment in 1895). It’s a great quote, as it really talks about how those small little falls that we all go through as we’re growing up, can lead to big problems down the road. That is why I love adjusting children, because I truly know how much it can help them now, and more importantly, in the future.

In May, I attended a 4-day Pediatric Extravaganza seminar in Philadelphia, which focused on all aspects of children’s health, from chiropractic, pregnancy, vaccination, positive thought, homeopathy, illnesses, and other topics. It was great to see some friends and learn some new things, and to see my mom. She flew down from New Hampshire and we got to hang out together. We went to the Liberty Bell, and other historical areas of the city. My sister also flew in for 2 days, so it was nice to all be together on Mother’s Day. Thanks for making the trip mom!

I wish everyone safe travels this summer, drink lots of water in this summer heat, and most of all, have fun (OK, get adjusted too!). Have a great start to your summer, and remember that regular adjustments keep your spine in line! I hope to see you soon! Dr. Pam