We are open today! Hershey and Annabelle wanted a snow day but we made them come to the office to play in the snow!

To understand what is left to do we first need to understand the mechanism of ear infections in children. The reason children often “grow out of” chronic ear infections is because the problem is a structural problem. As an adult your eustachian tubes are positioned in a vertical manner that allows them to drain easily and their size allows for proper equalization of air pressure in the middle ear. A child’s head is not fully grown causing the eustachian tube to be smaller and positioned in a way that makes it harder for the ear to drain and the air to equalize in the middle ear. Therefore any upper respiratory infections or allergies that cause the eustachian tube to swell slightly can cause problems with air pressure in the ear. When the middle ear does not have the proper air supply a vacuum develops which allows fluid to be sucked into the middle ear. The fluid build up itself does not mean that the child has an ear infection, but the longer the fluid stays in the ear the more likely bacteria will grow and an infection will develop. The inflammation of the eustachian tube and fluid drainage can take several weeks to clear when left alone.

A safe alternative to deal with ear infections which has no harmful side effects is a chiropractic adjustment, which allows the ears to drain and the air pressure to equalize in the middle ear. As drainage of the ear is allowed and air pressure is normalized the ear will heal quickly. Chiropractic care also aids the immune system which naturally speeds the child’s healing. So stop the frustration of pain, sleepless nights, rounds of unsuccessful antibiotics and unneeded ear surgeries on children by calling today to schedule your child’s free ear exam.

We suggest you go shopping today and buy the things you will need for the next couple of days. Spend most if not all of your time in the produce section. Purchase fruits and vegetables that you’re craving and stand out to you. You’re body knows better than you do most of time.

A suggested shopping list: All fruit and veggies should be bought in whole form

Apples

Grapefruit

Bananas

Oranges

Peaches

Grapes

More Lemons

Broccoli

Onions

Garlic

Carrots

Green Beans

Mushrooms

Squash

Zucchini

Cucumber

Lettuce

Beans (Black, Pinto, Garbanzo)

Rice (Brown preferably)

Quinoa

Gluten Free Oats

Fish (white, tilapia)

Chicken (Organic free range)

Turkey (Organic free range)

Raw Almonds, Pecans, Pumpkin Seeds, Pistachios, or Walnuts

Coconut Oil

Olive Oil

Chicken Stock

Vegetable Stock

Tahini (to make humus)


This should get you started. The point of this is too eliminate toxins and common food allergies. If you want to add things in like tomatoes, peppers, eggs, strawberries, or if you have a question about a particular food, come by to get tested for food allergies.


Herbal teas are extremely helpful during the cleanse. Red clover is good for systemic detox but shouldn’t be used by those who have grass allergies. Milk Thistle cleans the liver. Mint will calm a stomach cramp and aid digestion. Senna will stimulate a bowel movement but should only steep for a minute or two. There many more out there that are helpful but these are the one I use most frequently.

More tomorrow, hang in there!

Chiropractic:
Chiropractic Works by Timothy Feuling
Chiropractic First by Terry Rondberg, DC
Chicken Soup for the Chiropractic Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Fabrizio Mancini, D.C.
One Minute Wellness by Ben Lerner, DC

Women’s Health:
Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms? by Datis Kharrazian, DHSc, DC, MS
Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler, MPH
Slim Sane and Sexy by Jay Mead, MD and Erin Lommen, ND
Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
Are You Tired and Wired by Marcelle Pick

Nutrition:
The Yeast Connection Handbook by William G. Crook, M.D.
The Candida Cure by Ann Boroch, CNC
Eat Taste Heal by Thomas Yarema, Daniel Rhoda and Johnny Brannigan

Children’s Health:
What Your Doctor May Not Tell you About Children’s Vaccinations by Stephanie Cave, MD
Vaccination is Not Immunization by Tim O’Shea, DC

Health in America:
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
Selling Sickness by Ray Moynihan and Alan Cassels
Overdosed America by John Abramson, M.D.

Emotional Health:
Your Body Can Talk by Susan Levy, DC and Carol Lehr, MA
Feelings Buried Alive Never Die by Karol Kuhn Truman

Others:
Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton
Adrenal Fatigue 21st Century Stress Syndrome by James L. Wilson, ND, DC, PhD

Monday and Tuesday, the 21st and 22nd, we will have normal business hours.

Brandy will be in the office for Acupuncture on Monday, the 21st.

 Wednesday we will be by appointment from 9am to Noon.

Please plan your appointments next week around these holiday hours!

We have to sift through cryptic jokes, endless adverstisements that hope to bank off of this movement, and finally misinformation regarding the disease portrayed.

Eventually you'll read, see, or hear something that sounds acutally beneficial to know.  Such as, early detection and screening are key to preventing breast cancer, which is true.  But then they go on to say that you need a yearly mammogram after 40 yoa or 30 if someone in your family has had breast cancer. 

Its somewhat sad to say that mammograms are no good.  Still considered the gold standard for screening for breast cancer, they have been proven to spread cancer if you already have it, produce cancer if you don't have it, and provide false positives to those reading the films.  So, it causes cancer, spreads it, and tell you you have when you don't.  Doesn't sound like something I want my wife to be subjected to yearly.

The good news is that there is a safe and more accurate alternative.  Its called thermography.  Using a thermographic camera that is sensitive to body heat it can detect hot spots that could be potentially dangerous.  All without smashing your breasts and putting you at risk of getting the disease that your were screening for.

Below is a local sight that can perform this safe and more accurate procedure for you.

http://alvanzasalonandspa.com/oklahoma-city-ok-metro-breast-thermography.htm

Join us for More Business of Being Born! This is the sequel to Business of Being Born. Purchase your ticket by Oct. 1 for the Oct. 4 showing! TIME AND TICKETS ARE RUNNING OUT! At last check there were only 30 tickets left! Purchase  tickets online at http://mbobbok.eventbrite.com/

We can all agree that shoes were designed to protect our feet not just from the elements but also ourselves.  No more stubbing, stepping on stickers, hook worms, freezing feet, and for all you clean freaks out there, no more dirt everywhere.  But have we really stopped long enough to understand the mechanism of the foot or the importance of input we receive through them.

For lack of time and reader's attention I won't go into the intricities of the how the foot works through the gait cycle.  But I hope you can take my word for it that the foot is a true mechanic marvel.

First of all, for the foot to properly respirate (pronate, supinate) through each step the hallux (big toe) must dorsiflex (bend up).  For all the shoes I've seen, there are few that have a large enough toe box or flex in the front of the shoe to support proper range of motion in the hallux.

Secondly, some shoes have an arch, some have none, and some have too much of an arch.  Not all feet were created equal.  Different feet need different shoes.  Our arches in our feet act as an absorber as the foot strikes the floor.  The arch will slightly colapse (pronate) to elongate our feet to displace gravity out as we step.  If your shoe has too much of an arch for you foot your feet won't pronate at all, negating the mechanism that you were given to support your own gait.  On the other hand (or foot), if you have a flat arch and no arch in your shoe you're in a constant state of pronation, and you will put too much pressure on your heel and big toe joints.

Lastly, we have an abundance of proprioceptors, or cells designed to let or brains know where we are in space, in our feet.  They use movement, vibration, and touch to sense the slightest changes under our feet.  If we wear thick soled shoes its like trying to listen to music with ear plugs.  Our feet will sense changes in the enviroment and can change our gait and steps accordinly without the aid of shoes.

We should be able to walk barefoot on almost any surface for prolonged periods with no pain or discomfort.  We have a layer of highly keratinized skin on the bottom of our feet that responds to stress and grows thicker with more input and use.   If your joints in your feet, ankles, knees, hips, or low back hurt when you stand or walk for any length of time then something isn't right and you should get your feet in here to let us check it out.

A quick Q and A.

High Heels?  No.  Wedges?  No.  Shape ups (rocker bottom shoes)?  NO!.  Sandals?  Maybe, be more specific.  Barefoot?  Yes.  Barefoot shoes?  Depends.  Pizza?  Yes, but no olives.

I'm suggesting a no shoes week next week.  I know this isn't going to fly at most establishments but we will have no shoes here at work and you're welcome to join us.

So exercise, do your cardio and strength training, but don’t over do it. Give yourself days off, don’t exercise vigorously for 3 hours a day, you don’t need it. You can get in an effective work out in 30 minutes to one hour a day, for five days a week and be healthy!

To counter act the oxidative stress created by exercise be sure you are getting plenty of antioxidants in your diet, and if you aren’t getting enough from food then supplement with a high quality antioxidant.

Good antioxidant food sources include: Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, small red beans and kidney, pinto and black beans, avocados, cherries, green and red pears, fresh or dried plums, pineapple, kiwi, artichokes, spinach, red cabbage, red and white potatoes (with peel), sweet potatoes, broccoli, green tea, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, ground cloves, cinnamon, ginger, dried oregano leaf and turmeric powder and of course dark chocolate.

Need a high quality antioxidant supplement like Nutri-West’s Co-Q10 Plus, just ask next time you are in the office!

I will envetabely upset numerous people with this post but since when do I take into consideration what people will think about the presumed truth.

Chairs and Shoes might be the worst things to happen to our bodies.

Chairs historically were designed to place someone apart from the masses.  A throne or litter (human powered transport) were nothing more than glorified chairs.  For the most part the rest of the human race was rarely in a chair.  Work was done standing, resting was done reclining on a bed or the ground, and transportation was done by walking or riding an animal (which is not just sitting).

Being bipedal beings we are designed for basically three postures: Standing, Squatting, and Laying.  But as you can see most of our day is filled with sitting.  When we sit we remove our natural defenses to gravity and normal force (the equal and opposite force that the earth applies back on us).  These include our feet and ankles which pronate or elongate to cushion force, the bowing of our largest bone in the body the femur to redirect force outward, and our pelvis which does the same (there are more but we will minimize the details).  So essentially, when we sit we're in 150% gravity on our lumbar spine as opposed to 100% while we're standing.  In addition, we are in constant hip and pelvic flexion when we sit for prolonged period which can change the natural mechanisms in our hips, knees, lumbar spine, and feet.

Think of how many hours you sit a day.  Driving, working in front of a computer, watching T.V., eating, using the restroom are the ones I can immediately think of but there are much more. 

Did you know that in Eastern culture they don't have sitting or comfort toilets.  They squat, like we were designed to.  And it has been found that squatting to defecate can decrease potential bowel diseases.  When we sit they are muscles that aren't relaxed, specifically our pelvic flour muscles which need to relax in order to let go of waste.

Now I know you're not going to stop sitting.  Frankly, I have an indescribable love for my couch and other inanimate objects that I plant myself on.  My point is that we need to limit our sitting time on a daily basis.  If you're going to sit try a ball or chair that moves.  And walk every now and then.  I know the weather is crappy but it wouldn't hurt to walk. 

I will touch on shoes in the next few days.

Working out is one of the best things a woman can do for a healthy pregnancy. Strengthening the core muscles is a great way to get your body ready to carry a child. For pregnant women, the benefits of exercise are directly linked not only to how you'll feel during pregnancy, but also to how your body will be prepared for labor and delivery. An exercise program during this time should focus on posture, abdominal strength, support of the pelvic organs, energy and endurance. While exercise may not be able to eliminate all of the discomfort associated with pregnancy (heartburn and back pain), it can definitely help to relieve pain, help with circulation, digestion, and constipation, as well as improve posture and muscle tone, which you'll need to support joints that are loosened by various hormones as your body prepares for childbirth.
The most important muscles for expectant moms to strengthen are the core muscles consisting primarily of the midsection of your body, from the groin to the shoulders. The muscle groups included in your core lie deep within the body and include the pelvic, abdominal, back and chest muscles. These muscles attach to the spine, pelvis and scapulae and provide the foundation for all other movement. They also offer balance, stability, and flexibility to the rest of your body.
The pelvic floor makes up a significant piece of your body’s core. The foundation for all movement, balance, stability and flexibility begins in the pelvis. In times of change, such as during pregnancy and childbirth, we can support our bodies by creating strength in our core. You might not know that seven out of ten women have disorders of the pelvic floor. It’s not surprising, given that the pelvic floor supports the bones in the spine; structures the abdominal cavity, muscles and organs included; controls the passage of urine and stool; contributes to a woman’s sexual pleasure; and facilitates the childbirth process.
Pelvic floor disorders often start during pregnancy due to the weight and pressure of the baby. Contributing to this is the hormonal shifting and the anatomical changes that result from birthing, which include stretching and might include tearing or cutting through the muscles of the vagina or perineum (as occurs in an episiotomy), and a woman’s pelvic floor certainly suffers. However, weak pelvic floor muscles can be avoided by living a healthier lifestyle and including a core strengthening routine to your daily life before or during pregnancy. Pilates and Yoga are a great style of exercise to strengthen the core muscles. Pilates focuses on strengthening the core or “powerhouse” and fusing the mind and body to create balance and grace in movement, and Yoga involves the drawing in and up of the pelvic floor.
Stages Health and Fitness certified fitness instructors can assist the pre and postnatal woman strengthen the core muscles through a modified sequence of Pilates and/or a pre-post pregnancy yoga class. To learn more about our services or for further information go to http://www.stageshealth.com.
By taking an active approach to strengthen the core, you will maximize your health and keep your body strong during and after pregnancy.

What makes your body acidic you may ask? Some things that cause you to be more acidic include highly processed foods, sugar, alcohol, coffee, soda, most bottled water, STRESS, and most meats. What are some symptoms of being too acidic? Early signs include bloating, headaches, constipation, anxiety, unexplained fatigue, acne, PMS, low sex drive, cold hands and feet, joint pain and mucous in your head and chest to name a few. As you continue to get more acidic symptoms can progress to bacterial infections, allergies and asthma, yeast infections, insomnia, depression, foggy brain, eczema, and inflammation and swelling to name a few. And if you let your acidity levels get severe problems include rheumatoid arthritis and cancers among other diseases.

So how do you keep your body from reaching these high levels of acidity you may ask? Lifestyle and diet are how you fight off high acid levels. You must want to get better! Vegetables are your number one food defense to alkalize your body. The darker and leafier the better! Beans and legumes are another source of alkaline food. You can find many charts of alkaline versus acidic foods online. (http://www.acidalkalinediet.com/Alkaline-Foods-Chart.htm) When it comes to lifestyle taking care of yourself and including stress reducing activities are a must! Many people also don’t realize how acidic the water they drink is, drinking at least half your body weight in ounces of alkaline water is another important way to keep your body alkaline rather than acidic.

If you have any questions on alkaline/acid balance in the body don’t hesitate to set up an appointment to talk to us!

First, lets look at manufacturing of fish oil. We have all heard that mercury is bad for us and that fish can be high in mercury. So what stops fish oil supplementation from being high in mercury? If it is not manufactured properly nothing stops it from being high in mercury. Therefore when taking a fish oil it is important that it be properly distilled to remove mercury, lead and other toxins. Another factor to look at in a high quality fish oil product is freshness. If it is not fresh it oxidizes, becoming rancid and is no longer good for you, and in fact may be causing some health problems. How do you know if your fish oil is fresh? Your capsules should not smell fishy. If they smell fishy they have begun oxidizing. Both fishy smell and taste are a sign of poorly manufactured fish oil. Any company can claim they have proper manufacturing practices but only third party testing can guarantee quality, freshness and potency. High quality companies that produce fish oil will allow a third party to test their product and determine if it is what they say.

When it comes to Omega 6s as a population we eat large quantities of food that contain omega 6. Omega 6’s promote inflammation, depress the immune system and increase blood clotting, they are the unhealthy fats. It is estimated that in america we get 20 times more omega 6s than omega 3s. You do not want to be adding any more omega 6 to your diet, in fact you want to be cutting it out!

What is EPA and DHA? DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) are omega-3 essential fatty acids that reside in the membranes surrounding every cell in the body they are required for proper nervous system and brain function. EPA and DHA, like all essential fatty acids, are not produced by the body and must be obtained from diet or supplementation. The ratio of DHA to EPA will be dependent on the condition being treated for. In Pregnancy it is is recommended that 300 mg of DHA be taken a day. A supplement for general wellness will usually have a 1 to 2 DHA to EPA ratio.

One final question that often comes up is omega 3s from fish versus flax. While flax is a plant based omega-3 ALA (alpha-linoleic acid) it has been shown that the conversion from ALA to EPA and DHA is unreliable and some people cannot convert it at all. Therefore, it is better to get your Omega-3s from a fish source.
If you’ve realized you are taking a poor quality fish oil, or none at all be sure to ask for a high quality fish oil supplement next time you are in.

It seems that medical community is behind in what they learn in school.  I can't tell you how many people I have heard, seen, or treated that have had braces on certain joints for soft tissue damage.

For your standard sprain/strain which lands on the scale between a 1 and 1 1/2 out of 3 grade scale for torn tissue the most common treatment is splinting or bracing for a series of weeks.  In other words the goal is to limit most, if not all, movement.  This is utterly ridiculous.

When you injure soft tissue (muscle, tendons, ligaments, fascial planes) the area will inflame and go through a process to heal which includes laying down scar tissue.  Scar tissue is a type of cartilage that ends up being highly innervated (lots of nerve endings) and is used as a patch.  This patch can be torn again because it isn't near as resilient as the tissue it is replacing.  Your body lays down scar tissue haphazardly in a cobwebb type fashion.

So lets get this straight.  You injure some soft tissue close to a joint, then you're required to brace it for a few weeks.  In this period scar tissue will fill all surrounding areas: decreasing range of motion; increasing pain; and making this process easily repeatable.  Not to mention the only way a joint can stay healthy is to move it so it can pump sustenance in and out itself.

As long as you haven't broken anything, have a complete tear, or plan on playing full contact sports directly after injury a brace is the wrong treatment.  It will set you up for repeat visits to the very physcian you received the brace from.

Its important to continue to move the area that has been damaged.  This will pump out inflammation as well as send in needed nutrients.  The scar tissue you start forming will be more functional as it will line up in planes of movement.  Healing time will be shorter with a more optimal outcome in the future.  Now I want people to understand that they shouldn't just start working out that area either.  Limited exertion should be observed and a release to return to certain activities should be acquired before going crazy in that area.

Lets get smart and keep moving.

Do you ever notice how often you sit a day?  You sit in a car, sit at work, sit on the couch, if you're a white collar worker there's a good chance you'll sit the majority of your life.  Its no surprise that the elderly are replacing hips and knees.

I don't know if this is common knowledge or not but gauging how people are going about preventing and treating bone loss it seems to be less than obvious.  Bone is a living tissue not an inert substance you use to function.  It is constantly building and breaking itself down.  It utelizes minerals and vitamins to build a matrix that is resilient and somewhat flexible.  Often, those that suffer from bone loss attack this chronic problem through diet but this is only have of what should be done 

Just consuming the essential vitamins and minerals that bones use to grow will not be enough to reduce bone loss.  In order to strengthen bone you must put stress on them--natural stress.  Bone will lay done more dense tissue in areas of high stress and take away from areas of low stress in order to be efficient and utilize all sustenance consumed.  If you don't use your hip or knees, guess what--you will lose them.

I suggest to my patients to start walking.  Most of the time they say that this is too high impact.  Well, that's what you need to grow bone.  Biking, swimming, and the use of an eliptical machine will not put the necessary stress on bone tissue.  These particular exercises are called "open chain" exercises and don't employ the usual kinetic mechanism that we were designed to use.  While these might be great for rehab of a joint or soft tissue injury initially they don't benefit bone and joint health long term.

So hang up your keys sometime and take a trip, or stand up at work not just to use the restroom and walk around.  There really isn't much excuse, walk.

Most people know they can see a chiropractor and have bones and joints adjusted to remove interference from their nervous system, so that their bodies can function at an optimal level of health. But something you may not know is that every chiropractor is different and some, including the doctors at Revolution Chiropractic, can also perform cranial and visceral (body organ) adjustments.

The cranial plates in your head come together in what is known as suture joints. These joints have a rhythm of movement with your breathing and craniosacral pump (which is the pump that moves spinal fluid up and down your spine). When this rhythm is not working, with respiration and the craniosacral pump, you can get various types of symptoms including headaches, vision problems, decreased mental acuity, and other symptoms. Restoring the proper motion to these joints takes knowledge, patience, and very little force. It is very important that the person performing cranial adjustments be highly trained in the anatomy and biomechanics of the cranium and proper techniques for moving these bones. While the adjustment is extremely low force, a cranial bone moved the wrong way can have very troublesome side effects.

Also, when a baby is born vaginally the cranial bones are put through the birth canal causing them to mold properly and start this rhythm of movement. If a baby is born C-section they do not have the opportunity for their cranium to go through the birth canal, and it is therefore very important that their cranial bones be checked for proper movement to allow normal development. A baby who is having trouble latching on to breast feed is often found to have an occiput (lower cranium bone) that is malpositioned.

Visceral manipulation involves using soft tissue attached to organs to move them into the proper position. “Dropped” organs can cause a wide array of symptoms. A dropped bladder can be involved with a bladder infection, a dropped kidney can contribute to back pain, a stuck diaphragm can be involved with various respiratory problems, a malpositioned stomach can be involved with digestive problems and hernias, and a stuck iliocecal valve can contribute to either diarrhea or constipation depending on if it is stuck open or closed. These are a few examples of how visceral problems can present for a need to be adjusted to allow the body to function at it’s optimal levels of health.