Headache and Migraine Sufferers Can Be Helped by Research Shared by Chiropractor in Freehold NJ

If you suffer with headaches or migraines, you are not alone.  A large portion of the population suffers with headaches unnecessarily!

The number of people who suffer from headaches every year is staggering. 

chiropractor freehold Headache and Migraine Sufferers Can Be Helped by Research Shared by Chiropractor in Freehold NJAnd a large percentage of these headache are “tension-type” headaches.  Another common type of headache is called “cervicogenic.”

 This is important because a 2001 Duke University study showed Chiropractic care helped both these types of headaches  both in frequency and severity of headaches.  The study also showed Chiropractic care worked better than many other treatments.

There are many types of headaches, and all have high success rates under chiropractic care.  Whether you suffer with sinus headaches, tension headaches, migraines, cluster headaches, cervicogenic headaches, it’s time you gained your life back!  Chiropractic is a natural treatment with no side effects. A chiropractor will do a full history and evaluation to determine the actual cause of your headache and then correct the cause with specific adjustments.  You no longer have to be on harmful drugs that at best might cover up the symptoms but definitely have multiple dangerous side effects.

Many headache sufferers have been helped by Chiropractic care!

If you are in Freehold, NJ or surrounding towns of Marlboro, Manalapan, Howell, Colts Neck, Jackson, Morganville, or other Monmouth County, New Jersey communities and would like to see if we can help you like we have already helped so many others, just give us a call at 732-780-0044.

If you have any family member or friends who suffer from headaches or migraines, share this information with them to save them more suffering.

For more information on Dr. Russell Brokstein, DC and Hometown Family Wellness Center, visit our website:  www.chiropractorfreehold.com

References:  https://www.fcer.org/html/Research/DukeEvidenceReport.htm

Research Shows ADHD Improves With Chiropractic Care – Freehold NJ Chiropractor

As a chiropractor in Freehold, NJ, I am constantly reviewing current research to educate my patients and the surrounding communities of the benefits of chiropractic care.   Recently I came across a study in the Journal of chiropractor freehold Research Shows ADHD Improves With Chiropractic Care   Freehold NJ ChiropractorManipulative and Physiological Therapeutics which provides new evidence linking vertebral subluxation with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The study discusses a case of a patient who was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by a general practitioner and was treated with chiropractic care.  Specifically, it seems that cervical kyphosis may be tied with the disorder.

The patient was “a 5-year-old diagnosed with ADHD and treated by a pediatrician unsuccessfully with methylphenidate (Ritalin®), Adderall and Haldol for 3 years.”

“After 27 chiropractic visits, the child’s pediatrician stated that the child no longer exhibited symptoms of ADHD.  The changes in structure and function may be related to the correction of cervical kyphosis.”

“The patient received 35 chiropractic treatments during the course of 8 weeks. A change from a 12° C2-7 kyphosis to a 32° C2-7 lordosis was observed after treatment.  During chiropractic care, the child’s facial tics resolved and his behavior vastly improved.”

Too many children today are suffering with ADD or ADHD and parents do not know where to turn.  Chiropractic has a very high success rate in helping these children and best of all, it’s a drug-free approach, so there are no side effects and the kids can many times get back to enjoying a normal, playful, lifestyle they are meant to have.

If you have a child suffering with ADD/ADHD or know somebody who has a child with this condition, please share this information.  I have been helping patients in Freehold and the surrounding communities in Monmouth County, New Jersey for the past 13 years.  There is nothing like seeing the positive changes in children suffering with ADHD when they begin chiropractic care.

For more information on Hometown Family Wellness Center and Dr. Russell Brokstein, check out our website and blog:  www.chiropractorfreehold.com

Reference:  JMPT – October 2004;27:e14.
http://www.mosby.com/jmpt

Freehold Chiropractor Informs Low Back Pain is NOT Just for Adults Anymore

Back pain is usually thought of as a problem in adults.  Research shows up to 80% of all adults will suffer low back pain at least once in their life.

Back pain is becoming more prevalent and an increasing problem for children and teenagers.  Many factors are leading to the increase in the symptoms.

A study done in Israel questioned more than 10,000 Israeli schoolchildren in grades 1 thru 6 regarding their average weight, average weight of backpacks, if there were on-campus facilities to store backpacks, the height of chairs and desks in relation to student height, seating arrangements, and physical activity during recess.

The results showed that between 30 percent and 54 percent of the students carried bags containing 15 percent or more of their body weight; almost 15 percent of the 1st graders and 20 percent of 6th graders sat in chairs of “inappropriate” height; in 74 percent of the classes, students sat chiropractor freehold Freehold Chiropractor Informs Low Back Pain is NOT Just for Adults Anymorewith their sides facing the instructor and in another 35 percent, students sat with their backs to the teacher; 30 percent of the schools did not have storage facilities for backpacks; in 48 percent of the schools, there was no organized play activity during recess and in another 6 percent there was no provision for any type of physical activity during recess.

Parents, your children are at serious risk of developing low back pain.  Not only the above risks mentioned in the research, but from the time of birth when the doctors twist the neck and shoulders to deliver a baby, the amount of times a baby falls when learning to walk, playing sports and other activities, children rough housing …just to name a few,  accumulate and cause the spine to misalign. There are  several steps you can take to maintain your child’s health:  Monitor the weight of your child’s back pack; talk to school administrators about repositioning desks and physical activity; and of course, have your child examined regularly by a doctor of chiropractic – it could prevent years of unnecessary back pain and spinal degeneration or arthritis.  Chiropractors will not put your child on harmful medications that have many side effects and can cause other health issues.  A chiropractor that works with children, does a thorough examination and use gentle techniques to correct the cause of the pain.

Our office in Freehold, NJ, Hometown Family Wellness Center has been helping children and adults get out of pain, but also to help them prevent and maintain a healthy spine and optimally functioning nervous system for natural health and wellness without drugs or surgery.  For more information on Dr. Russell Brokstein, DC go to www.chiropractorfreehold.com and check out our current specials, blogs and patient testimonials.

Reference: Limon S, Valinsky LJ, Ben-Shalom Y. Children at risk. Risk factors for low back pain in the elementary school environment. Spine, March 15, 2004;29(6):697-702.

Car Accident or Whiplash? Freehold Chiropractor Warns Not to Wait to Get Evaluated!

Every day people get into little fender benders and don’t realize the consequences of even just a 5 MPH bumper impact.  They feel fine immediately after the car accident but weeks, months and even years down the road you can start to experience neck pain, shoulder pain, tension, numbness and tingling and even headaches.

Watch this video to see a demonstration of what happens at 5km/h which is just 3 miles per hour!

As you can see, at just 3MPH, the neck whips backward and forward. This amount of force causes misalignments or subluxations in the neck which will put pressure on nerves. You can also get strain and sprain injuries which are further signs of whiplash injury. Many people who suffer conditions like fibromyalgia can correlate their symptoms back to the time of an auto accident.

You can experience whiplash even after a low speed accident. If you wait, you can develop spinal and disc degeneration down the road. Some research shows if a joint is misaligned for just 2 weeks, arthritis starts to develop.  Think of this like a cavity that forms and you don’t feel the pain for years when it has progressed and harder to take care of.

As a chiropractor in Freehold, NJ, I see many patients who come in with neck pain, headaches and migraines, numbness and tingling and they can’t figure out what caused the problem. After doing a thorough patient history, many times it can be matched to a past car accident. Be sure to get you spine checked after any accident, even if you don’t feel immediate pain, so you can prevent future problems and correct the underlying condition as soon as possible.  An auto injury many times goes undetected and needs somebody who does a thorough examination and has experience treating accident victims.

It is also very important to report the accident to your insurance company in case you do experience any symptoms and need treatment.  If you wait, then try and go back, they will most likely deny coverage.  By having a thorough history and examination by a chiropractor with experience with these injuries, you will have the documentation to prove correlation to the accident.

If you live in Freehold or nearby towns of Marlboro, Manalapan, Howell, Colts Neck, Jackson, Morganville or other Monmouth County communities, contact our office, Hometown Family Wellness Center or go to our website for more information: www.ChiropractorFreehold.com.  Let us know you were in an accident and looking for our special auto accident consultation and evaluation.

Suffering with Headaches or Migraines? Freehold NJ Chiropractor CAN Help!

Headaches and Migraines are one of the more common conditions that enter the offices of primary care physicians, including medical doctors and doctors of chiropractic.  The standard medical treatment revolves around the use of pharmaceuticals and/or injections which at best covers up the symptoms but causes many side effects.  Many patients report being too sedated by the medications that they can’t work or perform their normal daily activities.

The standard chiropractic treatment approach includes manual therapies such as spinal manipulation or adjustments, manual or mechanical cervical traction, mobilization techniques, trigger point therapy, therapies such as electrical stimulation, ultrasound, etc., and nutritional counseling.  While both approaches have pros and cons, there are far less negative side effects associated with the chiropractic treatment option.

Headaches are Generally Classified in 2 Categories:

Primary Headaches:  These include the migraine, tension-type and cluster headaches.

Secondary headaches are the result of some other condition or due to an injury after a car accident or slip and fall injury, due an infection, a sinus, jaw, and/or dental condition, a vascular injury such as stroke, even side effects from medications, psychiatric disorder and others.

Do you find yourself frequently utilizing over-the-counter medications such as an anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen: Advil, Nuprin; Naprosyn such as Aleve) or Tylenol,?

It is most likely the chiropractic approach will provide relief for your headaches.  Most headache patients have the vertebrae in the upper neck losechiropractor freehold Suffering with Headaches or Migraines?  Freehold NJ Chiropractor CAN Help! their normal range of motion and the muscles that attach to the base of the skull become overly tight and squeeze or compress the nerves feeding into the head.  This results in pain that radiates over the top or around the head, sometimes into the eyes.  Conservative Gentle Chiropractic care restores the vertebral range of motion, which in turn reduces the muscle tension and subsequent nerve compression, resulting in a reduction of headache pain!

If you’ve noticed stiffness in your neck, and tight muscles that when you push on them, it irritates the headache, that is a significant sign that the headaches are caused by misalignments or subluxation in the neck.  Chiropractors are the only health professionals trained to detect and correct these misalignments.

If you suffer with headaches and would like to end the suffering, contact our office, Hometown Family Wellness Center, located in Freehold, NJ and check out our website at www.chiropractorfreehold.com.  Dr. Russell Brokstein has been providing quality, gentle chiropractic treatments for over 13 years helping patients from Freehold, Marlboro, Manalapan, Morganville, Jackson, Colts Neck, Howell and many other communities in Monmouth and Ocean County New Jersey.

And don’t forget – if you have any family member or friends who suffer from headaches or migraines – share this information with them.  Chiropractic has over an 80% success rate helping headache patients.. all without the side effects of drugs and allowing patients to once again enjoy their family, activities and work.  We will do our best for you and all your loved ones!

 

Freehold Chiropractor Has The New Year 11 Day Body Transformation

Every year I see people all over making new years resolutions but never follow through.  They want to be more healthy, lose weight, work out in the gym… but how long does it really last?  I rarely see people keep it going for more than a month.  Then February hits and right back to the bad habits.

As a chiropractor in Freehold, NJ, I am also a health and wellness consultant.  It is so important for you to have a coach and hanging out with the right crowd that is motivated at making these changes a priority.

chiropractor freehold Freehold Chiropractor Has The New Year 11 Day Body TransformationWith the 2012 now here, I have created with many other health care providers, The New Year New You 11 Day Body Transformation!

Have you been discouraged by unsuccessful diets and weight loss?  Would you like to lose the weight, have more energy, reduce stress, sleep better, balance your hormone levels, improved mental clarity and be more healthy without drugs or surgery?

This program has the answer to why you have not been successful in the past and the TRUE solution to weight loss.

If you want the WOW factor that no other program offers, contact our office to get started on the New Year New You 11 Day Body Transformation Program.  Don’t procrastinate!  Make a change by taking action now!

You can listen to a short conference call by Dr. Glenn and Dr. Ina explaining the details of the program.  It’s only 23 minutes long!  Don’t worry about the deadlines as I will get you started at anytime and help you as much as you need.   Listen to the recording by dialing on your phone 641-715-3900 then enter pin code 566446#

Then contact me to place your order and get you started on your 2012 body transformation for better health and wellness.

To find out more about our practice, Hometown Family Wellness Center, and Dr. Russell Brokstein, check out our website:  www.chiropractorfreehold.com

Dr. Brokstein has been helping patients from Freehold, Marlboro, Manalapan, Howell, Colts Neck, Jackson and many other Monmouth and Ocean County communities for over 13 years utilizing multiple chiropractic techniques and state of the art technology for stress reduction, analyzing the nervous system, relief of back and neck pain , headaches and migraines, fibromyalgia, sports injuries, allergy relief, adrenal function, toxicity and weight loss programs that result in 5 to 15lbs weight loss in 11 days and 22 to 28lbs weight loss on the month program.  His 4 pronged approach to health and wellness is like no other and has gotten results where many other doctors have failed.  Best of all there is no drugs, side effects or surgery.

Suffering with Neck Pain? Freehold Chiropractor Suggests Exercise and Stretching!

My name is Dr. Russell Brokstein and as a chiropractor in Freehold, NJ, I see many patients with neck pain on a daily basis.  Many chiropractors just adjust their patients, but don’t show them exercises to help expedite recuperation.  In my office, exercise and stretching therapy is incorporated into all treatment plans.  Home exercise is so important and should be done by everybody.  If you have any pets, just watch them when they wake up from sleep or a nap and you will see the first thing they do is stretch to make sure all the muscles, tendons and ligaments are loose.

Exercise for the neck is very important since weak muscles are related to many painful conditions of the neck and, can contribute to fatigue, irritability, headaches and migraines, sleep loss, stress, numbness and tingling, shoulder pain and so much more.  When done correctly (perform slowly, staying within “reasonable” pain boundaries), you can increase your range of motion, reduce stiffness and tightness, and strengthen your neck muscles.

Just remember, before starting any exercise program to consult your doctor.  Also, if you have pain during exercise to get checked by  your doctor and report what you are experiencing.

The exercises below combine range of motion against light resistance in 4 directions (forwards, backwards, and left to right side bending).  To do these correctly use resistance similar to an arm wrestling contest:

1. Push your head into your hand while moving the head to the end of the range, “…letting the head win” (See A, C, E, G).

2. Repeat this going back in the opposite direction by “letting the hand win” (see B, D, F, H), again, moving through the entire range of motion.  ALWAYS push the head into the hands, Make sure you move the head against resistance in BOTH directions, 3 times each (A-B then B-A 3 times; C-D then D-C 3 times) then, (E-F then F-E 3 times, and lastly, G-H then H-G, 3 times).

The trick is doing this VERY slowly (to build motor control and coordination) and to move through the entire “comfortable” range of motion.  Repeat 3 times slowly.  If pain worsens, lighten up on the amount of pressure used or, stop the movement just prior to the sharp pain onset.  If you can’t make it to the end of the movement due to pain, make a note of how many reps it took before the onset or increase of pain and how far you could move your head.  Do 3 slow reps and then move to the next exercise direction.

chiropractor freehold Suffering with Neck Pain?  Freehold Chiropractor Suggests Exercise and Stretching!

(The arrow represents the direction the head is moving and the hands are resisting, but not stopping, the movement; Use light pressure through the full ROM)

These exercises can be performed 1 to 3 time a day, according to tolerance, and will increase your range of motion, increase strength, and build coordination, all at the same time.  Feel free to contact our office for additional exercises or to answer any questions concerning you, your loved ones, or friends.

If you are experiencing any neck pain, you are a candidate for chiropractic care.  Pain is a sign to you that something is wrong and shouldn’t be taken lightly.  The longer you wait to get a problem checked the more chronic it can become and more difficult to correct.

Chiropractors are the only health professionals properly trained to detect and correct the cause of musculoskeletal problems.  By find the cause of the problem, we can correct the cause, so you can once again enjoy your normal daily activities and be out of pain.

If you are in Freehold, or the surrounding towns of Marlboro, Howell, Jackson, Morganville, Colts Neck, or Manalapan and other nearby towns in Monmouth County, New Jersey, call our office, Hometown Family Wellness Center, for a consultation and find out why chiropractic has the highest success in patient satisfaction!

Visit our website for more information and health blogs by clicking:  www.chiropractorfreehold.com

Chiropractor in Freehold Recommends Nutritional Support for Your Joints

Over the past month we have been discussing recommendations on being healthy without drugs and surgery.  Today we are going to discuss nutritional support for your joints!  Previously we talked about the other 4 key steps:  proper sleep, stress reduction, dietary methods to reduce inflammation and pain, and posture.  You can read about these other steps by clicking:  Chiropractor Freehold NJ Blog.

As a chiropractor in Freehold, NJ I see thousands of people who are chiropractor freehold Chiropractor in Freehold Recommends Nutritional Support for Your Jointsexperiencing different types of joint pain.  From degenerative joint disease, to arthritis to normal wear and tear from not taking care of the joints.

The most common nutritional supplements on the market for joint support are chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine.  Research studies have proven that a lot of people can get relief from these two supplements and they usually see results in about 6 to 8 weeks.

I do recommend them to my patients, but I also know it doesn’t help everybody.  Being an athlete myself, I played competitive soccer for 28 years, I have tried these supplements but unfortunately they do not work for me.  They do not work for everybody but I still recommend on trying them.  You do have to be patient to wait to see if it will work for you.

For everybody, what I do is ask my patients five questions.  If they answer yes to at least two questions, then I can just about bet that they have a mineral deficiency without running a lab test.

The questions:

1) Do you have a repetitive injury like carpal tunnel or tennis elbow?

2) Do you notice you are pulling muscles and tendons more than usual?  (Maybe you notice sore muscles and tendons after a short hike, or after working out in the gym, or some part of your body hurts more than before, as examples)

I’ve had many of my patients say that their knees hurt after kneeling in the garden after five minutes while working with her flowers.  This is NOT normal!

3) How bad are your joints feeling on a scale of 1 to 10?  A score of 5 or more is a bad answer and is too much pain and inflammation.

4) Do you have scoliosis?

5) Does it feel as if your condition is worsening?

If I get two yes answers, chances are good that it’s a manganese deficiency.

Not only myself, but other doctors I know that also practice nutrition have seen magnificent changes in patients when we replace the manganese in their diet.  I’ve seen people getting ready for hip replacement surgeries that didn’t need the surgery once they supplemented with manganese.  There have been countless patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow, all deficient in manganese.  A manganese deficiency can easily be confirmed by hair analysis!

A chiropractor I know who is also a nutritionist told me:  One woman in her 40s was in tears because her knee pain was so great and she couldn’t walk anywhere for weeks.  After three days on manganese replacement, she was able to do her normal routine again.  Another woman in her 50s was able to jump up and down in aerobics class because her body “told her” through intuition that her knees were more stable after taking manganese for three days.”

Yes, our body gives us signals all the time about whether or not we’re ergonomically correct or if we are strong enough to do certain movements.

So what about the chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine?”

If you are already taking them, the supplements may be doing some good so you can continue.  But what I’m looking for is the decrease in pain and inflammation that results from restoring the proper levels of manganese.  It should occur in as little as three days and as long as two weeks.  When it comes to muscles, joints, bones, tendons & ligaments, manganese is key to your health!

The previous chiropractor told me she starts patients on a level of 20 mg manganese two times daily for six months depending on how low their hair analysis test results are.  “If we don’t have a hair analysis test, then I recommend 10 mg manganese daily for a week.  If there’s no improvement in one week, then it’s probably not just manganese that the person needs.  That person is probably very, very low in many minerals and needs a whole protocol of supplements to take to build up their body.”

She continues:  “The reason why I don’t recommend chondroitin sulfate or glucosamine is that the active ingredient in it is manganese.  You see, there’s so little manganese in the product that it takes two to three months to get relief using that chondroitin sulfate,” she said. “I want my patients to experience the quickest healing possible so I’ll use the real substance that they are missing – manganese.  My patients who have been on manganese for awhile sometimes stop taking it but when they notice their joints start hurting again, it means their manganese levels are falling again. They get back on track and the joint pain disappears.”

Manganese can be a simple solution for a lot of people and help for nutritional support to reduce the pain and inflammation.

My friend shared her protocol with her patients and it’s what I currently use with my patients:

  • A good multiple vitamin/mineral.  I have one that I depend on exclusively because it contains 450 mg calcium, 200 mg magnesium and 350 mg phosphorus.  These three have to be in the proper ratio for joint health.  A joint without calcium is a weakened joint.  Without the phosphorus, you can’t absorb calcium, and calcium and magnesium have to be present together.

• 10 mg manganese up to 50 mg manganese (50 mg is too much to guess on without a hair test; the mineral can be toxic in high amounts unless there is a deficiency.)

      • 200 mcg selenium (another mineral most are deficient in)

• 150 –300 mg germanium (reduces pain, oxygenates the area thereby decreasing Inflammation)

• 400 to 800 IU vitamin E

• 3000 to 6000 mg vitamin C

• 100 mg CoQ 10 (this can be wonderful at decreasing pain and inflammation)

• 3000 to 5000 mg omega 3 oils

These are what I use generally speaking, but every case is a little different. Some-times my patients modify their protocol a little bit, like take more germanium or more coQ 10…

Oh, one more thing… it is utmost important for your joints to receive chiropractic care, too!  Chiropractors find the joints that are restricted and are putting pressure on the nerves.  These restricted joints not only cause neck pain, back pain, headaches and migraines, sciatica and disc problems but can also cause many other healthy problems.  There is also research that shows joints that are misaligned for just 2 weeks start forming arthritic changes.   Your chiropractor will get the joint moving again and help prevent the progression of arthritic changes and help save your joints, but also improve your health, wellness and ability to enjoy your family, friends and normal daily activities.

You can see from my discussion with my colleague how much of a difference something as simple as eating right and taking your nutritional supplements can make in people’s lives.  Using nutritional supplements can speed your progress and even prevent further injury and surgery.  Don’t be afraid of them.

The best news is that approaching your health from a natural standpoint can only improve whatever health issue you are experiencing right now.

Freehold Chiropractor Educates Your Posture is Important to Maintain Your Health!

My name is Dr. Russell Brokstein, chiropractor and owner of Hometown Family Wellness Center in Freehold, NJ and today I am continuing the blog on Be Health Naturally without Drugs or Surgery.

The previous posts talked about sleep, stress reduction and dietary recommendations.  You can read the other blogs by clicking:  Chiropractor Freehold Blog

Today we are going to discuss your posture.  Your spine is the central support structure of your body.  Your spine carries the neurological lifeline from your brain to all the other parts of your body.  Your health really depends on thechiropractor freehold Freehold Chiropractor Educates Your Posture is Important to Maintain Your Health! flow of energy through an unrestricted nervous system.  When your spine suffers, your overall health can suffer too.  When you respect your spine by taking good care of it, your spine will serve you well by offering its strength and flexibility for a long time to come.

When your posture and spinal alignment are off, it can also lead to pain, back pain, neck pain, headaches and migraines, numbness and tingling, stress, fibromyalgia, sciatica, arthritis, herniations and disc degeneration.

Here are my two top recommendations for taking care of your spine:

  1. Be ergonomically correct when you sit at a desk, stand, bend or reach. “Ergonomically correct” is a fancy term for body posture that doesn’t cause stress to your body.

For example, which three of these postures do you think would be ergonomically correct:

    1. Sitting with your legs crossed at the knees.
    2. Sitting with your legs crossed at the ankles.
    3. Bending straight over to pick up a box with knees locked for support.
    4. Bending over to pick up a box with knees bent.
    5. Standing in a crowd with your weight centered on one leg for a long time.
    6. Standing in a crowd with your weight centered over both feet with your shoulder, back and head centered over your spine.

The answer is 2. 4 and 6.

Ask me to check out your posture. I’ll be looking at you from the side to see if the center of your ear, the center of your neck, shoulder, hips, knees and ankle all form a straight line.  If they don’t, then we need to work more on your posture.

Here’s how I remember how to stand correctly while lifting something heavy or just standing for long periods of time:  I think to myself, “Brace yourself!”  What I mean by this is that if I’m reaching down into the crib to pick up a baby, I must get ready for the act of lifting by bracing myself.  I brace myself by bending at the knees and keeping the weight as close to my body as I can.  The farther the baby is from my body, the more I’m at risk of injury.

Reaching for things far away from you is not a good habit if you want a strong spine.  Instead of reaching out to push or pull something, get as close to the item as you can, then lift it after bracing yourself.

If you have to stand on your feet for a long period of time, don’t get in the habit of putting most of your weight over one foot or on one leg.  Brace yourself by spreading your feet about shoulder distance apart, then stand solidly. You’ll feel better and look more confident as well.

Which of these are ergonomically correct?

a.       Loading up grocery bags in your arms, then trying to open your door with a key while holding all those grocery bags

b.      Sitting at a desk with the computer keyboard more than a foot away from the edge of the desk

c.       Looking at your computer screen that is 2-1/2 feet away by moving your head forward

d.      Sitting hunched in a chair or recliner

e.       Looking down at your computer screen or TV

f.        Doing dishes at the sink on top of a small rug or carpet strip

The answer here is f.  Standing on a carpet decreases stress on the spine more than standing on a hard floor.  That’s why a lot of the multimillion-dollar companies that set up booths at trade shows have carpeting in their booth on the floor.  They want to make you feel more comfortable and reduce the stress on your body that you’ve been feeling by walking for long periods of time.  It also helps their staff at the booth.

2. While I’m treating you, it’s important to NOT do any excessive lifting (over 15-20 lbs.) during the first 4-6 weeks of treatment.  In some cases, vacuuming and other household chores like laundry may be limited as well.  Ask me for specific instructions for your individual case.

So, now that we covered posture, next time we will be discussing your joints and nutritional support, so stay tuned.

Until then, have a chiropractor check your spine, as we are the ONLY health professionals properly trained to analyze, detect and correct subluxations which are misalignments of the vertebra that put pressure on the nerves and spinal cord and will decrease your over health and function.  Give your body the chance to be healthy naturally without drugs and surgery!

Freehold Chiropractor Recommends Dietary Methods that Reduce Pain and Inflammation

A couple of weeks ago I started a blog:   Be Healthy Naturally without Drugs or Surgery and we started off with the first step being Proper Sleep.  We then followed up last week with part 2:   The Importance of Stress Reduction in being Naturally Healthy.

Today, we are going to discuss dietary recommendations that reduce pain and inflammation naturally.  Reducing inflammation can also reduce other health chiropractor freehold Freehold Chiropractor Recommends Dietary Methods that Reduce Pain and Inflammationrisks and symptoms like cardiovascular disease, digestive issues like colitis and irritable bowel syndrome, asthma and allergies, diabetes, arthritis, certain types of cancer and so much more.  Many people don’t know the foods they are consuming are increasing their pain and swelling.  By making modifications in diet and nutrition, you can once again start feeling healthy and less pain.

My name is Dr. Russell Brokstein.  I am a chiropractor in Freehold, NJ and owner of Hometown Family Wellness Center.  We have been helping patients in Freehold and nearby towns of Marlboro, Manalapan, Howell, Jackson, Morganville, Colts Neck and other communities in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Dietary and nutritional choices have a big impact on health, including pain sensation and inflammation.  If you follow some of the following advice, you will most likely start to feel better too!

A diet that controls inflammation is high in antioxidants from fruits, vegetables and foods in that category that are known for their anti-inflammatory properties.  Incorporate these foods in your diet and watch your pain and inflammation decrease.

Fruits: apples, acerola berries, fresh pineapple, guavas, grapefruit and rhubarb, kiwi fruit, lemons, limes, oranges, kumquats, black currants, blueberries, raspberries, mulberries and strawberries, papaya, cherries, and tomatoes

Vegetables: spinach, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, cabbage, bok choy, onion, leeks, garlic, green onions, broccoli, cauliflower, broccoli sprouts, brussel sprouts. greens

Herbs & Spices: basil, oregano, mint, cloves, turmeric, cayenne peppers, chili peppers, parsley, rosemary

Fish and Meats: Cod, halibut, salmon, snapper, bass, whitefish, herring, trout, sardines, grass-fed beef, pork, naturally-raised (not on grain) chicken and turkey.

Whole Grains: brown rice, whole wheat, buckwheat, barley, rye, millet, spelt

Fats: extra virgin olive oil, avocado, hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts

You Should Know About the Red Meat/Inflammation Connection

Researchers have found a connection with red meats and inflammation, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you shouldn’t eat red meat.  The reason why they found this correlation is that most cattle are fed grains that fatten them up and change the fat composition of their meat.  A cow fed grains can’t even digest the grains properly in the first place!  The grain is high in omega 6 fats that increase inflammation.

When cattle are fed a diet that is high in omega 6 fats, their meat ends up low in omega 3 fats and high in omega 6.   So when you eat meat with an improper balance of fats in it, now you have created an imbalance in your own body. You’re more susceptible to inflammation.

What’s the answer?  It’s this:  eat grass-fed beef and other meats.  That way, the meat still has the correct balance of omega 3 to omega 6 fats in it.  By the way, grass fed beef is a lot tastier than the regular beef you purchase at the grocery store.  Fancy restaurant chefs use grass-fed beef because the taste is the best!

Natural Remedies that Help Decrease Inflammation

Ginger contains over 500 different compounds, many which have anti-inflammatory properties.  Try a 500 mg capsule or about one third of a teaspoon when you feel pain or inflammation, but don’t take it with prescription medications.  Leave at least an hour in between prescription medication and any herbs.  Cook with ginger regularly.  One simple recipe is to braise beef or chicken strips with broccoli and one-half cup diced or sliced ginger.  Use pineapple juice as a sweetener in this dish.   Serve with rice and a spinach salad.

Omega-3 fats – Americans have eaten too many omega-6 fats in their diet over the last 20 years, resulting in a widespread omega-3 fat deficiency.  Omega-3 fats prevent inflammation in the body and are correlated with allergies, asthmas, skin disorders and many other diseases.  Make sure you have omega-3 fats in your diet by adding three to ten capsules of 500 mg EPA with DHA (these are fish oils) daily.   But don’t just settle for any supplement; you’ll need a pharmaceutical grade fish oil that eliminates the heavy metals.  Ask me what type is best on the market and I’ll let you know at your next appointment.

Antioxidant Vitamins – Did you know that increasing your vitamin C intake could reduce inflammation in the body by 45%?  That’s what researchers reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in March of 2006.  Taking about 2000 mg vitamin C is a good way to start  decreasing inflammation in the body.  You can always increase the amount of vitamin C as needed.

Also, make sure that you get at least 400 IU vitamin E in your supplements daily.  Vitamin E is responsible for reducing inflammation of the muscles, which may be extremely helpful in your present health situation.

Germanium oxygenates your body cells, organs and tissues and provides pain relief in many people.  When using germanium, take the element on an empty stomach, and never at the same time with any prescription medications. 200 to 300 mg germanium or more may prove extremely helpful.

Using a combination of chiropractic with recommendations of sleep, nutrition, mental well-being and stress reduction, and exercise, we are leading people away from sick care of medicating and treating symptoms to a more natural real healthcare of making health a priority without drugs and surgery.

If you are ready to live a healthy lifestyle and prevent future symptoms and disease, find out more about our office:  www.chiropractorfreehold.com and take us up on our complimentary consult.

Stress Reduction is Another Important Step to Being Healthy Without Drugs or Surgery States Freehold Chiropractor

I have been helping patients for the past 13 years obtain optimal health and wellness without drugs and surgery.  Too many people rely on masking symptoms with drugs that at best just cover up symptoms, but result in many other healthy problems with their side effects.   In our Freehold, NJ office, Hometown Family Wellness Center, we take a different approach to your health with a multiple pronged approach including chiropractic, nutrition, stress reduction, weight loss, detoxification/cleansing and adrenal function.

I started this blog series several weeks ago to help others be more healthy naturally.  You can read the first of this series of blog posts by clicking here:  Freehold Chiropractor Shares Health Myths and how you can be Healthy Naturally without Drugs or Surgery.

The follow up to that post you can read here:  Be Health Naturally without Drugs or Surgery: Step 1 Proper Sleep discussed by Chiropractor in Freehold NJ.
This is just the start to you taking control of your health and making it a priority.  By following these steps, you will be healthy more naturally and won’t run to the doctor for medications.  The next step to taking control of your health is stress reduction.

chiropractor freehold Stress Reduction is Another Important Step to Being Healthy Without Drugs or Surgery States Freehold ChiropractorI’m sure you have many ways that you reduce stress, but take this little quiz to see if any of these very stressful situations have cropped up in your life.  In the questions that ask about three or four items, give yourself a check in the “True” column for every one of the items that apply to you (#8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16)

True     False

___      ___      1. Sometimes at night or during the day, I catch myself gritting my teeth.

___      ___      2. Lately, I’ve noticed that my reactions to other people’s mistakes or other people’s bad choices result in overreacting or flying into a rage.

___      ___      3. After an argument or heated discussion with someone, it takes me a long time to get over it.

___      ___      4.  At night, it’s difficult for me to fall asleep quickly.

___      ___      5. The old methods I’ve used for reducing stress don’t really work well anymore.

___      ___      6. While working on a project, I feel like the clock is ticking and am rushed to finish it in time.

___      ___      7. There are a few upcoming events in my life that cause social anxiety.

___      ___      8. In the last year, I’ve had a jail term or minor violations of the law.

___      ___      9. In the last year, I’ve moved, experienced a marriage or divorce, had a death in my family or amongst my friends, or experienced a foreclosure or had to take out a loan.  (Give yourself a check for each stress mentioned.)

___      ___      10. In the last year, I’ve experienced a son or daughter leaving home, trouble with in-laws, retirement or a pregnancy. (Give yourself a check for each stress.)

___      ___      11. In the past year, my income has not improved.

___      ___      12. In the past year, I was fired, changed to a different line of work, experienced trouble with the boss or co-workers, or had more jobs piled onto my regular workload. (Give yourself a check for each stress.)

___      ___      13. I recently started or ended school.

___      ___      14. I recently experienced a personal injury or illness myself or had a family member who has been ill or needs caretaking. (Give yourself a checkmark for each stress.)

___      ___      15. I recently experienced an incident of prejudice, social injustice or had a crime committed on me. (Give yourself a check for each stress.)

___      ___      16. I have diabetes, cancer, blood sugar problems, high blood pressure, or memory problems. (Give yourself a check for each stress.)

___      ___      17. I am overweight or seriously underweight.

___      ___      18. I was recently diagnosed with a sexually-transmitted disease.

 

Stress Score:   _______ True       ______ False

How did you do? The higher your number of “True” statements or “True” checkmarks, the higher your level of stress.

What Can You Change in Your Life to Decrease Your Stress?

The big question is how to arm yourself against the stress that occurs in life, because one thing that every one of us can count on is stress.

The reason why doctors like myself are so concerned about your stress level and the skills you have to decrease your stress is because stress makes the body kick out hormones such as cortisol that destroys your ability to rejuvenate your body.

High levels of stress hormones make it easy for you to put on weight around your waist, decrease your lifespan, and accelerate the progression of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and dementia.

So now, let’s look at ways you can relax.  Check off the methods below you use to relax.   At the end of the list, there are blank lines for you to write in any other methods you use to relax.

___      Fishing              ___      Schedule and take a long vacation

___      Listening to music         ___      Playing a musical instrument

___      Reading            ___      Watching sports games or attending sporting events

___      Singing             ___      Watching entertaining movies

___      Driving             ___      Attending concerts, plays or going to art museums

___      Praying             ___      Spending time outside in the fresh air

___      Socializing               ___      Laughing, cheering up friends, comedy shows

___      Hiking                          ___      Spending time with pets

___      Exercising

_______________________________________________________________      ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________

I’ll bet that you already have ways to relax but I will ask you this, though:  When was the last time you took the time to do some of these things that de-stress you?

Now don’t tell me that you don’t have time!  You know that you have to make time for these things, just to keep your sanity.  So now in the space below, I want you to decide what you are going to do for stress reduction in the next week.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

Commit to it and stick to your word. You will feel better – I guarantee it!

Now earlier I discussed stress hormones.  We have glands in our body called the adrenal glands, nicknamed the “stress glands” because they regulate 4 of the main hormones of the body that regulate stress to the body.  These hormones are adrenaline, norepenephrine, cortisol and DHEA.  When these hormones are in balance your body will deal with stress more easily and be healthy naturally.

Unfortunately, most people consume 2 products that destroy these glands and the balance of these hormones.  Too many people consume coffee and other caffeine products.  The caffeine dehydrates the tissues of the body and “kills” the adrenal glands.  The other products are refined carbohydrates such as sugar, white bread, white rice, white pasta, etc.

When your adrenaline levels are off for too long, it leads to heart conditions.  Imbalance norepenephrine levels leads to digestive issues like IBS, acid reflux and colitis.  Cortisol imbalance leads to allergies, weight problems, diabetes, immune problems, joint problems, fatigue and sleep issues..just to name a few.  The final hormone affected is DHEA which helps control the estrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels and when off balance leads to libido issues, PMS, Menopause, fertility problems and more.  So I guess you can see all the health issues that can be created by stress if the adrenal glands aren’t working optimally.

I get from many patients that they only drink one cup of coffee a day… hmmm, well is it a grande?  Seriously though, one cup a day over many days, months and years will destroy your adrenal glands.  It is the accumulative affects of the caffeine.  Just like if you told me you only smoked one or two cigarettes in a day.. you know over time that would destroy your lungs and lead to higher incidence of cancer.

In our office as part of your initial consultation, I evaluate your adrenal glands to make sure your body is regulating the hormones and stress levels properly so you will be healthy naturally.

Finally, it is scientifically proven that internal and external stressors lead to many health issues from heart conditions, digestive issues, headaches, fibromyalgia, skin conditions,  anxiety, depression, many dependencies like smoking and eating and so much more.  We are one of only 5 offices in NJ that has technology to analyze your body for over 50,000 stressors or sensitivities that can be causing many of your health symptoms.  Through bio-energetic stress reduction therapy, we are able to see how severely acute or chronic your sensitivities are.  We print you out a report then using the therapy, we positively recondition  your body to reduce the stress.

So, are you ready to lead a more healthy lifestyle without drugs or surgery?  Are you ready to enjoy your family and normal daily activities once again?  Taking care of these areas discussed is important to live a healthy long life.

We have been  helping people be healthy naturally in Freehold and the surrounding towns of Marlboro, Manalapan, Howell, Colts Neck, Jackson, Morganville and Millstone as well as other nearby towns in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Watch for our next blog on this series…Until next time, check out our website for more health info:  www.chiropractorfreehold.com or take advantage of our consultation and 4 pronged approach to help you reach your health goals!