Overcome your sinusitis today!

August 3, 2009 at 1:21 pm (Nutritous Healing, Spine Health) (, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , )

Forty million Americans suffer from sinusitis. You may have experienced acute sinusitis in which the nasal cavities of the nasal passages become inflamed, mucus is built up and it blocks drainage.  This maybe following a cold, and you have symptoms such as painful pressure behind cheekbones, headaches, nasal congestion etc… For some people this is not a temporary problem. If you have chronic sinusitis, you spend majority of each year experiencing symptoms such as fatigue, facial pain, headaches, mucus secretion, bad breath, post nasal drip, and etc.

1. Get steamy

Take a hot shower or better yet try steam treatment to help rid you of the inflamed mucus. The steam you breathe can be enhanced with sinus-clearing essential oils. Try adding Eucalyptus, lavender, oregano or peppermint to a large bowl of steaming-hot water.  Drape a towel over your head and the bowl, and breathe deeply for 10 minutes. You’ll feel relief within that time.

If you are short on time, apply a warm wash cloth over your eyes and cheekbones for relief.

1. Get fit

Aerobic exercises at least three times a week can help drain sinuses naturally, which then reduces inflammation and risk of an infection.  Physical activity helps cleansing you of toxins and relieve accumulated stress. Dawn’s info or link?

1. Flush the sinuses

Make sure you use a saline solution that does not contain preservatives; they can impair your nasal function. To make your own preservative-free saline solution, add one table spoon of non-iodized salt to one pint of distilled water and rinse your sinuses, and nasal passages with it daily.

1. What to eat

Eating lots of fruits and vegetables and staying away from sugar, dairy products, wheat, alcohol, and foods that can increase mucus inflammation is key in staying healthy, and avoiding those sinusitis episodes all together.  Take your natural anti-inflammatory (e.g. fish oil). Try adding garlic, onions, horseradish, hot pepper and ginger added to any soup broth to open up the sinuses. Drink lots of hot herbal tea.

1. Killer immune system

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you exercise, eat right and your nervous system is functioning properly, you shouldn’t be suffering from any aches, pains, tiredness etc…

Your brain controls everything and it communicates with all of your organs through the nervous system/spine. If you have an abnormal neck curve, you have a low resistance immune system which in majority of cases does not cause any symptoms.  So get your immune system checked before it’s too late. Also check out this post about Immune System!

Is your sinusitis life-threatening?

In addition to being painful, a chronic sinusitis can be dangerous and in rare cases causes blindness or even death.  You may have tried anti-biotics for your sinus infection; unfortunately antibiotics kill the helpful bacteria in your gastro-intestinal system and can cause a variety of other problems if taken frequently. Before your sinusitis becomes more than just a head and face pain, prevent it.

Call 949.387.1333 in order to avoid sinusitis being a detrement to your health! We serve Orange County, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, or Irvine.

Permalink 1 Comment

How can Chiropractic Help with Blood Pressure?

June 3, 2009 at 12:46 pm (Spine Health) (, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , )

Most people come to chiropractors in hopes of getting rid of the aches in their back and neck. In my office however, we educate patients on all other benefits of chiropractic. Your posture is a representative of your spine and your spine is extremely important; it holds and protects your nervous system. Your nervous system is THE MOST important organ system in your body because it controls EVERYTHING! one of the most VITAL things it controls is your heart. Sometimes due to the stresses that we have in our lives, some sudden, and some overtime, the spine will shift out of place and shuts down the nerve into a specific organ or musculoskeletal unit. Irregular heart beat, high blood pressure, or difficulty breathing often times are caused by these shifts in the spine. Most postural dysfunctions are asymptomatic, but often times patients who come in with high blood pressure with have an abnormal posture or misaligned spine in their neck and mid back area. Chiropractic care can help regulate blood pressure the natural way and without ANY medication! Check this video about natural ways of controlling blood pressure, and once you are ready to put your health first and help yourself to natural ways of lowering your blood pressure, give us a call at 949.387.1333 for a consultation.

Permalink Leave a Comment

6 natural ways to beat allergies

May 29, 2009 at 1:08 pm (Nutritous Healing, Spine Health) (, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , )

Here are top 6 ways to beat your allergies this spring:
1.    Correct your ‘allergy posture’
Your brain communicates to every cell in your body through your nervous system.  The information gets sent down into your neck and then the rest of your body.  If you have a misalignment in your neck that is blocking life and energy into the rest of your body, the communication is stopped.  The goal of chiropractic care is to located these blocks that are causing major stress on your body and thus enable the immune system to communicate more effectively with the nervous system.

2.    Eat allergy-fighting food
Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids help fight inflammation and can be found in cold-water fish, walnuts and flaxseed oil.  Garlic, onions, ginger, turmeric, citrus fruits like lemon and oranges also contain natural anti-histamines.

3.    Aqua therapy
This natural allergy remedy simply involves drinking lots of liquids to help flush out mucus. However, when you hydrate, you also need minerals to hold onto the water.
Hot liquids can help rid your of congestion.  Mint and Green tea work well and contain lots of anti-oxidants that will keep you young as a ‘side-effect’ too.  Stay away from black tea, coffee, milk, alcohol and anything with preservatives and additives in it.

4.    Beneficial Bugs
Healthy gut flora is essential for wellness of the immune system. Probiotics are the natural and beneficial bacteria in your gut that contribute to your overall health.  Disturbed flora can deplete your gut of normal flow of good bacteria.  Probiotics can replenenish your source of good bacteria in your gut, and stimulate your immune system in order to prevent you from developing allergies and treating them.

5.    Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar contains many healing properties and is often used to ease the symptoms of sinus infection as well as to treat allergies developed from exposure to pets, foods, and various environmental agents. In addition to being rich in vitamins E, A, B1, B2 and B6, apple cider vinegar contains potassium, calcium, and magnesium. It reduces the amount of mucus in the sinus cavities, soothes sore throats, and will shorten the duration of colds.

6.    Raw local honey
There are reports that eating honeycomb that comes from the area where you live can relieve symptoms of allergy. The theory is that by chewing a little honeycomb made by local bees you can desensitize yourself to local pollens. Try it daily before allergy season starts so that you build resistance against it. A spoonful a day will keep allergies away!

Call us if you have any questions 949.387.1333

Permalink Leave a Comment

More on Chiropractic & Kids

September 25, 2008 at 7:38 am (Spine Health) (, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , )

What conditions in children can improve with chiropractic care?

Spine plays an extremely important role in protecting the nervous system, visceral organs, immune system and etc… Thus entrapment or pressure on the spinal nerves can cause a variety of conditions. Chiropractic care has been shown to help with such conditions some of which are as follows: Otitis media (chronic middle ear infection), colic, persistent earaches, asthma, ADD/ADHD, headaches and bed wetting. Call 949.387.1333 to see if Chiropractic Care can benefit a condition your child has.

How are children’s spinal problems evaluated and treated?

After a careful and extensive evaluation and multiple neurological and orthopedic exams specifically designed for young children, misalignments can be found. Chiropractors who are trained to evaluate pediatric patients will use gentle light finger-tip adjustments to correct spinal malfunctions.

What if our child doesn’t have any symptoms?

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The importance of a healthy spine and nervous system is paramount for your child’s future. Symptoms are always the last thing to show, and the first thing to go away; the same way you can have a cavity without any toothache, your child may have asymptomatic misalignments. Prevention is the best line of defense with regards to health. Regular chiropractic care in both children and adults have shown to help with improving immune system. Call 949.387.1333 to see if your child qualifies for a free spinal screening.

Is chiropractic care safe for children?

Proper adjustment provided by a chiropractor who is well trained and specializes in pediatric care is both safe and effective.

The best time to get your spine checked is when you’re an infant. If you have children, bring them in for a free spinal screening. Call us at 949.387.1333 to make an appointment.

Permalink Leave a Comment

Chiropractic for kids…

September 22, 2008 at 6:05 pm (Spine Health) (, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , )

Chiropractic and Kids:

I am often asked if chiropractic can be helpful to children. You may be surprised to know that many spinal problems begin in childhood or even at birth. Birth process is one of the most traumatic experiences many of will ever go through. If you think about the incredible stress that a newborn child has to go through to become part of this world, it is not surprising to see how they can have misalignments in their spine through this process. Spinal segments can jammed or misaligned by the position of the baby in the womb, during labor, or birth process itself. As our babies grow, they fall multiple times per day to learn how to walk; this is traumatic to the spine as it is in its most sensitive growing phase. These apparently innocent, frequently occurring falls as well as automobile, or any other significant unsupported movement of the head and neck can create spinal misalignments. Visit my website to get more information or call me for a free consultation 949.922.3465

Permalink Leave a Comment

‘Back to school’ kind of pain…

August 23, 2008 at 11:15 pm (Spine Health) (, , , , , , , , , , , , , , )

As summer ends, fall brings with it fashionable rain-jackets, beautiful weather, as well as heavy backpacks for our children. If you have children, you may notice that it almost seems like they may need a pack mule to carry all of their heavy text books and supplies. If your child is one of them, you could be setting him or her up for future posture problems, irregular gait cycles, scoliosis, chronic fatigue, and a long list of health problems. We often wonder why our young adults slouch, have poor posture, don’t stand up tall, or sit straight. Poor posture habits follow a trend, children carry huge overloaded backpacks, adults have very fashionable-yet-heavy purses or lug briefcases to work, and most of us spend too many hours hunched over a computer.

If your children are suffering from poor posture that is exacerbated by heavy bags, they are not alone. Poor posture is not only habitual, but also is a result of low self-esteem, existing scoliosis or increased spinal curves. Whatever the case maybe in your child, you should also be aware that poor posture can cause degenerative problems in the spine, chronic pain, muscle aches, poor circulation and can affect their breathing. The trouble with heavy backpacks is kids are saddled with them during their growing phase. Visualize a bowling ball strapped to the top of a little pine tree; the pine tree will grow in that same bent over position.

How can you tell if your child is developing posture problems?

Simply look at them from the back and the side. If you are looking at them from the back, see if their head tilts more to one side (remember this would be very subtle), also note if one shoulder is higher than the other. Remember the difference would be very subtle but important to note because it could indicate a problem. Have your kids bend over the knees and see if one shoulder blade comes up higher than the other. Now look at them from the side, and make sure their shoulders are not rounding forward a lot. Also their ear, shoulder, hip, knee, and outer portion of ankle should line up in a straight line on each side.

What kind of problems might poor posture in kids lead to?

Structural problems can lead to chronic pain and tightness in the neck and mid-back. Uneven or asymmetric stress on the spine can cause additional strain to certain parts of the spine as they grow and a degenerating spine is a result of that as they age. Spinal strain can also put pressure on spinal cord, nerves, and central nervous system causing migraine headaches, digestive difficulties, chronic fatigue, asthma, and etc…

What can be done?

Check their backpacks. Unfortunately most kids will not compromise their fashion for rolling backpacks, so here are a few tips to picking a good backpack. First try it on; the straps should feel snug and a close fit to the shoulders. Make sure the backpack is centered and not below the waist, to minimize the uneven pressure on their growing spine. Encourage your children to buckle up the strap around the waist (even-though it’s known not to be the most fashionable). The middle strap will help the backpack fit better and keeps it in place. Check their backpacks to make sure they are only carrying the essential textbooks and remove what’s unnecessary. Limiting the weight of the backpack load to 10% of their body weight is helpful. Last but not least, encourage them to keep their backpacks on both shoulders, and not on one!

Finally do not ignore if they are complaining of neck or lower back pain; as they shouldn’t have any pain. Get your child evaluated here with us to check their spine and make sure there are no structural asymmetries and to prevent health problems from occurring in the future. Call us at 949.922.3465 Your children’s posture and health are worth the extra attention.

Permalink 5 Comments

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.