Osteoarthritis: What can ACTIVATOR Chiropractic do to help?

Osteoarthritis: What can ACTIVATOR Chiropractic do to help? Yesterday I treated a patient with it. I balanced his entire body, relieving joint fixations and correcting misalignments that were causing abnormal joint stresses. Getting those arthritic joints normally positioned and moving better helps relieve pain. And he'll benefit more now from daily exercise. I LOVE what I do!

Five Keys to Healthy Sitting

Keys to healthy sitting include:
--- Both feet flat on the floor,
--- Knees slightly lower than the level of the hips,
--- Back resting comfortably against your chair,
--- Keep your head in line with center of gravity of your body (avoid head-forward postures).
--- One of the most important features of whatever chair you use is that you can change the height of the seat.

Could It Be Shingles?

Back pain or headache that is severe, often "burning" or "searing," that doesn't get better with chiropractic treatment or good home care may, unfortunately, turn out to be shingles. If you've had chicken pox, you are vulnerable to getting shingles. The virus from chicken pox sequesters in the nerve ganglia alongside your spine, where it stays with you for life. Stress, getting overheated (hyperthermia), and ingestion of foods containing a high arginine / low lysine ratio (peanuts, chocolate, etc.) can stimulate an outbreak of the virus. This is shingles. The pain presents along a dermatome, the section of skin supplied with feeling by a spinal nerve. It may run in a line from your spine across & under your arm, or across part of the head or face. Soon, painful blisters appear along the pain line. See your M.D. or Doctor of Chiropractic if you think this is happening to you.

5 Things to Know About Fender Benders

1. The visual damage to your car is not necessarily an indicator of the impact on your body.
2. Feeling confused, "fuzzy," disoriented, and irritable often follow.
3. Symptoms may have delayed onset; you may "feel fine" for the first few days, or even longer.
4. The sooner you come in to see me and get your whole body checked & balanced, the better, and your chances for a speedy recovery are improved.
5. If you don't have Medpay on your auto policy, get it. If you have it, and you're in an accident, your own insurance will cover your care, so you or your doctor won't have to wait for the other party's insurance to pay. It's insurance that's really worthwhile.

Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs)

Genetically modified foods may be associated with allergies, immune problems, faulty insulin regulation, and other health problems---the bottom line is, we don't really know for sure. The long term effects aren't fully understood. In addition, many GMO crops are designed to resist herbicides and pests, so they are loaded with toxic residues. Wouldn't you like to know whether a food contains GMOs, so you make a choice of whether to eat it or not? 

Total Body Balancing

I am a Total Body, Low Force chiropractor, and have been in practice in Santa Cruz for 30 years. I use Activator Method, the most widely used method of low force adjusting in the world. ACTIVATOR is comfortable, precise, and thorough. The patient's total body gets balanced at every visit, and I do craniosacral each visit, as well. I'm happy to answer questions; give me a call. 831-476-2168.

Neck Pain and Tension

Neck pain and tension can be a difficult cycle to break. My Chiropractic approach is to adjust misalignments, release fixations, and share home care advice: ergonomics, posture (including sleep), etc., tools patients can use on their own to get relief.

Pelvic Distortion

What is pelvic distortion? Why does it matter? If your pelvis gets distorted, it becomes unlevel. This makes an unstable foundation for your spine. It's uncomfortable, and may lead to problems above, in your neck or shoulders. As an Activator Chiropractor, I can correct this with a gentle, comfortable full-body balancing.

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The Truth About Palm Oil

Have you noticed Palm Oil appearing in our supermarkets & food stores? Perhaps you've noticed it being touted as new & improved, healthy, and budget friendly? Hmmm.......truth is, Palm Oil is highly processed (extracted and treated with heat and / or chemicals). If solvents are used in extraction, the oil may contain chemical residues. Although it is low in unsaturated fatty acids & thus  less prone to oxidation, its oxidized portions are highly inflammatory in the body. Worst of all, it is very environmentally costly. In Indonesia, thousands of acres of forests are being clear cut and burned to plant palms for production of palm oil, creating pollution, reducing forests' carbon sequestration, and destroying native rain forest habitats. 

Chiropractic: How Long, How Often?

Patients commonly want to know: "How often do I have to come in, and for how long?" In my chiropractic practice, each patient's Treatment Plan is tailored to the individual. Some patients come in for their initial treatment and one follow-up, and they're done. Some people need more. It depends on the person's problem, their general health, whether they've been injured, whether they follow Home Care Instructions, etc. As soon as each patient is sufficiently improved and able to continue healing on their own, I release them. I am always available to support them, should they need me again. 

Four secrets to a strong immune system

Four secrets to a strong immune system: 

(1) Avoid sugar---the amount of sugar in one soft drink suppresses immune function for up to 12 hours. 

(2) Support the health of your intestinal tract by taking a good probiotic---up 70% to 80% of our immune system is in our intestinal tract. 

(3) Get plenty of sleep. 

(4) Find effective ways to manage your stress.

29 Problems, 29 Solutions

As an Advanced Proficiency Rated Activator Chiropractor, I have 29 adjustments for the knee. 

 In-other-words, in Activator, the Advanced doctors, who are the most highly trained, have 29 tests for misalignment or aberrance of the structures of the knee. This includes the osseous components (the bones) as well as soft tissue (muscles and their tendons which act on the knee). We even have new adjustments for the medial and lateral meniscus, which, in my practice, I am finding very helpful for my chronic knee patients.

Can Chiropractors Opt Out of Medicare?

 

No. Medical doctors can choose to opt out, but Chiropractors cannot.

If a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic sees a patient who has Medicare, the Chiropractor must, by law, report it to Medicare. Medicare covers Chiropractic treatment to the spine, and patients with Medicare insurance have the right to have their Medicare pay for their spinal treatment. 

If your Chiropractor sees Medicare patients but does not accept assignment (accept payment from Medicare), you must pay at the time of service, your Chiropractor then sends the report of her / his services and charges to Medicare, and you will be reimbursed directly from Medicare. 

Medicare will process the statement of services and charges received from your Chiropractor, and then send the statement on to your secondary or supplemental carrier. Whatever amount your supplemental insurance will pay, they will also send the reimbursement directly to you.

Pregnancy and Postpartum

A hormone called “relaxin” is generated in a woman’s body when she is pregnant. It has a loosening effect on her joints, partly to prepare the pelvic joints for passage of the baby through the birth canal, but it affects all the joints in her body. Because of this, her joints become more vulnerable to misalignments or distortions.

It is especially beneficial for expectant moms to come in for periodic full-body balancing. My Activator Chiropractic method is gentle, comfortable, precise, and especially suited for women in pregnancy.

After the birth, relaxin slowly dissipates, but for a while the mother’s joints remain susceptible. So continuing to get checked and balanced, while the body returns to pre-pregnancy status, is a good idea.

Ribs---Like a Bucket Handle

Think of each of your ribs as being like a bucket handle:  on our right side, each rib is attached in our back at a thoracic vertebra, and curves around under our arm and across our chest, where it attaches in the front to our sternum. Ditto each rib on our left side at the matching spinal levels.

With inhalations, our chest expands. With deeper breaths, the ribs move up / out from their front & back attachments, in the same way that a bucket handle moves from its attachments on either side of a bucket.

An impact on a rib in the back can affect its attachment in the front of the body, and vice versa. Impacts on side(s) of rib(s) can disturb their attachment(s) in front and / or back. Careful assessment of the rib cage is part of my full-body balancing with Activator Chiropractic.

5 Secrets of Neck Pain Relief

 

5 SECRETS OF NECK PAIN RELIEF

WATCH OUT FOR HEAD-FORWARD POSTURES,

     which strain the muscles in your neck.

USE YOUR HEADREST,

    especially when you're a passenger. with someone else driving.

SLEEP ON THE RIGHT PILLOW,

    one that adequately supports your cervical spine.

BE KIND TO YOUR NECK,

    guard against sudden extreme movements, or repetitive motions 

    of your head.

GET YOUR SPINE CHECKED

    for underlying problems by your Activator Chiropractor---ME! 

Reversal of Cervical Curve

Often after an injury such as whiplash, there is a reversal, or “straightening” of the normally forward-facing curve in the neck. Sometimes this happens in absence of injury, and is unexplained. The altered curve changes biomechanical function, posture, and may result in chronic discomfort. The cervical vertebrae should be gently and precisely aligned, and appropriate exercises and stretches prescribed. Traction is often part of my treatment plan for this.

 

Scoliosis--An Unwelcome Spinal Curve

Our spines have normal front-to-back curves:  forward-facing curves in the neck & low back, and a backward-facing upper back curve.

But “sideways” curves in the spine, called scoliotic curves, aka "scoliosis," those that you would see if the person has their back to you, are abnormal and can cause trouble. They have the effect of weakening the stability of the spine, which affects the attached and related soft tissue, including muscles and organs. 

Severe or advanced scoliosis can impair the lungs & breathing, as well as the functioning of other essential internal organs, and may require surgical stabilization. 

In my practice, I have worked with scoliosis patients who have successfully chosen to avoid surgery, and instead relied on consistent, regular, specific exercises and regular chiropractic care to manage the effects of their abnormal spinal curve(s). 

Reading In Bed

Patients often tell me how they habitually read in bed, propped up on pillows behind their back, neck, or head. These patients are often plagued with chronic neck or back discomfort, exhibit poor posture, have headaches, and have pain or paresthesias in their arms or hands. Frankly, it is almost impossible to healthfully position oneself for any amount of time by propping up on pillows and sitting or partially reclining this way in bed. It just doesn’t work, doesn’t give healthy support for the back, the spine, the neck, or the shoulders. It’s much better to enjoy reading elsewhere, but if you must read in bed, lie on your side and support your book on a pillow adjacent to the one supporting your head.

Aberrant Cranial Rhythms

The bones in our head have very subtle rhythmical motions, that are not synchronized with our heartbeat or breathing. They are associated, however, with the circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid, the fluid that that bathes our brain and our spinal cord.

The rhythms can become aberrant, or abnormal, if they get “stuck” or out of their normal pattern. Balancing, or correcting, the aberrance can relieve headaches, vertigo, tension in the jaw or face, and patients report partial relief of sinus congestion. I have had patients tell me that they had felt “out of sorts” or irritable, before receiving cranial balancing, but felt relieved and better afterward.

       Cranial balancing is part of every patient's full-body balancing in my practice.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis: What can ACTIVATOR Chiropractic do to help? Yesterday I treated a patient with it. I balanced his entire body, relieving joint fixations and correcting misalignments that were causing abnormal joint stresses. Getting those arthritic joints normally positioned and moving better helps relieve pain. And he'll benefit more now from daily exercise. I LOVE what I do!

Neck Pain and Tension

 

Neck Pain and Tension

Neck pain and tension can be a difficult cycle to break. My Chiropractic approach is to adjust misalignments, release fixations, and share home care advice: ergonomics, posture (including sleep), etc., tools patients can use on their own to get relief.

6 Secrets to Strong Immune Function

     (1) Cut way back on all forms of sugar. The amount of sugar in one soft drink suppresses immune function for up to 12 hours.

     (2) Minimize high-glycemic carbs. These foods rapidly elevate your blood sugar.

     (3) Support a healthy intestinal microbiome with a diet of fresh vegetables and fruits, organic as much as possible, with plenty of prebiotic fiber (feeds the good bacteria in our intestinal tract), small amounts of healthy meats (if you choose to eat meat), and healthy fats.

     (4) Take a good-quality, high-potency daily probiotic. Up to 70% - 80% of our immune system is in our intestinal tract!

     (5) Get plenty of sleep.

     (6) Find effective ways to manage your stress. 

Chronic Pelvic / Low Back Pain

If you have chronic pelvic or low back pain, it is critical to look for what is happening at your feet (called your "pedal foundation"). If you pronate or have flat arches, this reverberates all the way up through your legs, knees, hips, pelvis, and into the low back. Unless your feet are addressed, a treatment plan for your pelvic or low back pain may not be successful.

5 Secrets of Neck Pain Relief

WATCH OUT FOR HEAD-FORWARD POSTURES,
which strain the muscles in your neck.

USE YOUR HEADREST,
especially when you're a passenger, with someone else driving.

SLEEP ON THE RIGHT PILLOW,
one that adequately supports your cervical spine.

BE KIND TO YOUR NECK,
guard against sudden extreme movements, or repetitive motions
of your head.

GET YOUR SPINE CHECKED
for underlying problems by your Activator Chiropractor.

Yes! Medicare Covers Chiropractors

If you have a question, you can call Medicare (1-800-MEDICARE), and you will reach an actual person, who will answer your questions with patience and courtesy.

When Medicare receives your Doctor's Statement for your chiropractic care, they process it first, then they automatically send it on to your supplemental insurance for that part of processing. You don't have to do a thing!

Medicare covers chiropractic care, but currently, only for treatment to the spine. It doesn’t cover extremities, exams, or adjunct therapies. Yet. But we’re (your chiropractors) working on it.

Medicare patients are welcome in my practice. Chiropractic care is excellent support for senior's health, wellness and vitality. And the Activator method is low-force and gentle. Please call with any questions or to schedule your appointment today.

Why I am a Chiropractor

  

Five whiplash injuries in my youth---from auto accidents, none of them my fault---led me to become a Chiropractor. Good Chiropractic care relieved my pain and helped prevent degenerative changes that might have severely limited my function later in life. I'm grateful, and I love being able to help others as a Doctor of Chiropractic.

Essential Function of the Pelvis

 Our pelvis, commonly called the “pelvic girdle,” is the bio-mechanical foundation for our whole body. Everything above and below depends on the stability of the pelvis.

     If your pelvis becomes distorted, due to a fall, a sudden twist or jolt, or just due to accumulated stresses, then it becomes unlevel. An unlevel foundation is an unstable foundation. This can reverberate downward and affect your lower extremities, or upward and affect your chest and neck. 

     As an Activator Chiropractor, I specialize in full-body balancing, including careful attention to the pelvis. This helps my patients’ adjustments to be more effective and more long-lasting.

Chiropractic: How Long, How Often?

 

Patients commonly want to know:  "How often do I have to come in, and for how long?" In my chiropractic practice, each patient's Treatment Plan is tailored to the individual. Some patients come in for their initial treatment and one follow-up, and they're done. Some people need more. It depends on the person's problem, their general health, whether they've been injured, whether they follow Home Care Instructions, etc. As soon as each patient is sufficiently improved and able to continue healing on their own, I release them. I am always available to support them, should they need me again.

Hinge Joints

   Our knees, the joints in our fingers, & our elbows are “hinge” joints—-similar to door, window, etc. hinges---meant to move in one geometric plane.

Introducing a rotating force in these joints causes injury, sometimes mild with a relatively easy recovery, but sometimes serious sprains that are not only difficult to recover from, but may leave lasting damage to the joint tissues.

Another force these joints are not meant to tolerate is hyperextension. Taking a hinge joint  past its end point of tolerance for extension will cause injury. I often see this in patients who have propped their heel on a stool or ottoman, causing hyperextension of the knee.

       Lateral forces such as sometimes happen in football to players’ knees, often also injure & can permanently damage a hinge joint. 

Distant or Local?

Tingling or numbness in the hand or arm is a sign of nerve impingement, and finding a solution requires differentiating between a local origin, i. e. in the arm, wrist, or hand, or an impingement happening further away, perhaps in the neck or shoulder region.  

The patient’s presentation, orthopedic tests, and careful assessment of the neck and involved upper extremity will reveal the source of the the problem.

In some instances, there is more than one site of impingement, e.g., symptoms in the hand may be due to a “double crush”—-impingement in both the new and the wrist. 

Twist & Lift---A Bad Combination

  Lifting when the body is twisted to the side—either left or right—is a recipe for back pain, often in the thoracic region. 

An example is lifting a child into or out of a carseat. The lift + twist action often necessary to do this can torque the rib cage, stress and misalign vertebrae, & set off muscle spasms, 

As soon as the child is able to climb in and out of the carseat on their own, give your body a break and let them do it.

In the interim, take care to twist as little as possible when getting them in / out, and try to keep your body as close to them as possible while doing it. This creates shorter-lever stresses on the back and spine, helping to make it less likely that you will injure yourself.

Chronic Neck Pain

Successful treatment plans for chronic neck pain should include home care counseling for postures and ergonomics.

There are usually modifications that can be made in the patient’s positions & pastures during different activities—e.g., computer use, kitchen chores, sitting, standing, and sleeping—that will help.

An important key to change is the patient’s developing an awareness of their body’s positioning, and this may take some practice. I often recommend setting a timer, using it as a reminder to “check in”—where is my head? am I slumping? leaning in to see my computer monitor?

Using the right pillow for sleeping, changing the height of one’s computer monitor so that it is at eye level, getting computer glasses with corrective lenses if one is having a hard time seeing the screen, raising the height of one’s work space on the kitchen counter—-all are simple things that can make a big difference.

Accentuated Curve in the Low Back

  An abnormally accentuated lumbar curve, whether congenital or acquired, can result in disequilibrium and vulnerability in the lower back.

Sometimes this is partially alleviated with postural counseling, Activator adjustments, and specific exercises. If the patient habitually “locks back” their knees when standing, changing this habit often helps a lot.

Ergonomic counseling about sitting, sleeping, etc. can also help.

But often these are only partial solutions. A patient with this condition may need more consistent chiropractic treatments, the frequency of which can be judged according to what works for each individual. 

A Torqued Tibia

Rotational stresses acting on the proximal tibia (where the large bone in the lower leg, the tibia, articulates at the knee) are common in people who drive a lot, e.g. for a job.

The tibia is not meant to rotate at this joint, but will tolerate some rotational stresses for short periods of time or if the stress is not repetitive or chronic.

Patients whose work requires a lot of driving often come in with aberrance and pain in their right (gas / brake foot) knee. Usually I find, and adjust to relieve / correct, rotational stress of the involved proximal tibia. 

Medicare "Advantage" Plans

If you are eligible for Medicare, but choose a Medicare Advantage Plan, you have opted for private insurance that is outside of Medicare.

Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private companies, e.g. Humana, United Health, Blue Cross, etc., and often include benefits not provided by regular Medicare, such as vision, dental, etc. 

This type of private insurance plan must conform in certain ways to the rules of Medicare--such as limiting charges for certain services--but is administered by the private companies which sell the plans. Patients still have many of the rights and protections provided under original Medicare.

Whiplash From a Fall

Being rear-ended is not the only way one can suffer whiplash. A fall that “whips” the head and neck will have a similar result, and often takes a similarly extended recovery time.

Though the cause is different, my treatment plan is the same:  rest, anti-inflammatories such as ice and topical arnica, gentle chiropractic adjustments with the Activator instrument, and active care as soon as possible (stretches and exercises) to assist healing.

A Key Headache Solution

Persistent headaches that are unrelieved by clearing the cervicals, the cranial rhythms,, and occipital tension can have a hidden and often unsuspected etiology.

The key, discoverable by a highly trained, Advanced Proficiency Rated Activator Chiropractor like myself, may lie in the position of the posterior arch of C2.

When the arch is abnormally stressed superiorly, it often causes a headache.

This is quickly and comfortably corrected with the Activator instrument, applying the correct contact on the C2 posterior arch, and vectoring the instrument to make the adjustment. 

A "Hitched Up" Hip

Patients often tell me they feel that one of their hips feels “higher” than the other. 99% of the time, they are correct!

A common underlying cause of this is distortion in the pelvis.

The “pelvic girdle,”  or pelvic composite, consists of several movable joints—-the sacroiliac, lumbosacral, hip, and pubic symphysis joints. Distortion of the pelvis can involve one, two, or several being misaligned or aberrant positionally in articulation with their neighbor(s).

After careful assessment of the pelvis, I make precise, directional adjustments with the Activator instrument to correct the distortion and bring relief of discomfort or a “hitched up” hip.

"Knock Knees"

Remember when you were a kid and some other kid you knew had knees that “bent in,” or “bumped” each other? 

Sometimes this was somewhat insensitively referred to as “knock knees.”

This condition, professionally called “genu valgum,” can be due to a rotation of the femoral head in the ball-and-socket hip joint, or to pronation of the foot, both of which result in an abnormal “Q angle” relating to the knee.

Foot pronation, or the falling inward of the medial side at the plantar arch, is the most easily correctable. Appropriate orthotics, often over-the-counter if properly fit, will help.

Orthotics should be consistently worn; going barefoot should be avoided.

As an Advanced Proficiency Rated Activator Chiropractor, I precisely evaluate and adjust the bones of the pelvis, hip, knee, foot, and entire involved lower extremities for this condition.

Prepare for Summer Fun

As summer approaches, patients begin to come in with sequelae of warm weather activities, one of which is water skiing.

Having fun water skiing without appropriate preparation of one’s musculature, especially the muscles of the low back, can lead to unpleasant consequences.

Simple strengthening exercises that prepare the muscles for summer activities can prevent a lot of unnecessary discomfort.

Pain That "Caps" the Shoulder

When there is pain in the deltoid area, around the upper area of the arm at the shoulder, or at the insertion point of the deltoid muscle on the outer upper arm, it often is not due to a problem in the shoulder itself.

Rather, the origin of the pain is in the neck.

Misalignments or degenerative changes in the spine in the lower cervical region, at C6 - C7, can cause this pain that presents this way in the upper shoulder.

No-Till Farming

Want a vibrant, healthy garden that produces nutrient-rich vegetables, herbs, fruits, etc. while sequestering carbon by increasing soil organic matter (SOM)?

Disturb the soil as little as possible.

At Singing Frogs Farm north of San Francisco, a “No Till No Kill” system is an example. 

They cover their planting beds with mulch and compost instead of plowing or using herbicides. New plants are inserted directly into the compost; they use a high biodiversity of cash & cover crops which are continuously rotated to break weed, disease and pest cycles.

This system retains more water, requiring less irrigation, & produces high crop yields. 

It has increased SOM by 400% in under six years, sequestering significantly more carbon.

        The Singing Frogs system is applicable to more than 80% of farms around the world---the majority of farms are under 5 acres.  https://regenerationinternational.org/2021/03/08/best-practices-how-regenerative-organic-agriculture-and-land-use-can-reverse-global-warming/

Listen to a podcast by owners of Singing Frogs Farm at https://www.resilience.org/stories/2015-05-27/paul-elizabeth-kaiser-sustainable-farming-2-0/  

"Noisy" Knees

  If you hear a “crunching” or “grinding” noise in your knee when you bend it, this is a sign of an arthritic, or degenerative, condition called Chondromalacia Patella.

For various reasons, the patella, or kneecap, may begin tracking abnormally as it slides up and down in a groove on the front of the femur with bending of the knee, resulting in abnormal “wear & tear” in the articulation.

If not corrected with the proper treatment plan, the condition can advance to painful and debilitating arthritis.

The patella should be adjusted by vectoring the ACTIVATOR instrument appropriately to correct its tracking. I also give the patient exercises to prevent recurrence.

Nerve "Maps"

      Areas of our skin receive sensory innervation from particular spinal nerves. 

      These sensory areas, called “dermatomes,” are predictable from person to person, and can be “mapped” on a model of the human body.

      An a an example, if a patient presents with pain, or with numbness & tingling, in a specific area of the arm or hand, the doctor can identify the involved spinal nerve(s) based on the dermatome map of the upper extremity.

      As an Advanced Proficiency Rated Activator Chiropractor, once the involved nerve(s) is / are identified, I can make precise, gentle adjustments accordingly to relieve nerve impingement & help relieve the patient’s symptoms.

Gardening With Native Plants to Attract Birds

Have you ever considered that garden plants native to your area have advantages for birds and for you as well?

A landscape of drought-tolerant natives will use less water in your garden, can be more resistant to native pests, and natives provide food suited for area birds.

Find out why “yards with non-native plants create ‘food deserts’ for bugs and birds,” find the best plants for your area, and learn how to create your native plant garden at: 

https://www.audubon.org/PLANTSFORBIRDS?emci=c10dc46c-ff2b-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&emdi=2b6388a5-d02d-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&ceid=721242

"Craning the Neck"

Have you ever heard the expression, “don’t crane your neck?” It’s really good advice---”craning,” or straining, the neck, such as to better see a computer screen, or when accommodating to bifocal lenses, sets one up for neck pain and headaches.

These postures cause abnormal cervical stresses, and one of the common results is a superior misalignment of the posterior arch of the 2nd cervical vertebra, C2.

In my practice, about 80% of my headache patients have this misalignment.

It is corrected by precise, gentle adjustment with the Activator instrument.

Got Cranial Rhythms?

    We all do. 

The bones in our head have very subtle, normal, rhythmical, motions. 

These motions are not synchronized with our heartbeat or breath. They are characteristic to the cranium, and are thought to be related to the circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord. 

Abnormalities in the rhythms can be associated with headaches or vertigo, or just feeling "out of sorts." 

I find that balancing the cranial rhythms often relieves a patient’s headaches, and can be effective for vertigo as well. 

Balancing patients' cranial rhythms is part of my focus on overall, full-body balancing.

More "Bang" for Your Exercise "Buck"

An exercise routine can be great, but if performed when the body is in dis-equalibrium, aka a state of imbalance, it will not be maximally effective.

For example, strengthening the muscles that support the low back, including the abdominals, is an essential part of relieving low back pain, protecting the low back and keeping it healthy.  However, when your underlying framework---the bones and joints of your pelvis and spine---is skewed, or out of alignment, your exercises won’t work, or hold, as well.

I can help; as an Advanced Proficiency Activator Chiropractor, my focus is on restoring balance and equilibrium to your body, which supports & enhances your exercise regimen.

GERD

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD, is a common and uncomfortable condition caused by dysfunction of the circular muscle (sphincter) at the lower end of the esophagus.

This allows stomach acid to seep back up into the lower esophagus, resulting in irritation, inflammation, and burning pain (“heartburn”). 

It is important for this condition to be addressed by a medical doctor, because chronic, untreated GERD can lead to more serious consequences.

In the meantime, I have an adjustment, done with the Activator instrument, that often brings temporary relief.