The C1 vertebra is positioned around the brain stem. Subluxations at this level interfere with the function and performance of the nervous system at that level. Interference to the function of the brain stem can have devastating effects to the health of an individual. Second, the researchers found that after chiropractic care was administered to remove the C1 subluxations, 91% of the M.S. patients found symptomatic improvement! Furthermore the study revealed that following chiropractic care the patients also showed no farther progression of the disease! NO FURTHER PROGRESSION OF M.S. OVER A 5 YEAR PERIOD OF TIME!!!

The researchers concluded that correction to the upper cervical subluxation may arrest and reverse the progression of Multiple Sclerosis! If you have a friend or family member please have them checked by a qualified wellness chiropractor for subluxations. It may save their life!

Reference: Elster EL: Eighty-one patients with multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease undergoing upper cervical chiropractic care to correct vertebral subluxation: a retrospective

analysis. JVSR, August 2004!

Chiropractic treatment consisted of 4 weeks of treatment. The results revealed that chiropractic management improved patients’ cervical and lumbar ranges of motion, straight leg raise and reported pain levels. These chances were judged to be clinically important with the confines of the sample only. In another study, 538 fibromyalgia patients revealed that chiropractors were one of the more common health care professionals visited by fibromyalgia patients. Wellness Chiropractic is the natural choice for the management of fibromyalgia. We use special computerized equipment ideal for these patients. It’s safe and effective! Call Gateway to Wellness Chiropractic for a consultation to determine if Wellness Chiropractic could benefit you and your health.

Have your loved ones checked for nerve interference today

Sources: The effectiveness of chiropractic management of fibromyalgia patients: a pilot study.

Blunt KL, Rajwani MH, and Guerriero RC. J Manipulative Physiological Therapy; 1997: 20(6):389-

99

Prospective, longitudinal study of service utilization and costs in fibromyalgia. Wolf F. Anderson J,

Harkness, D et al. Arthritis and Rheumatism, 1997; 40, pp. 1560-70.

A recent study indicates that an aspirin-a-day may do a lot more damage to your health than just stomach problems. The American Association for Cancer Research in Phoenix, Arizona presented a study in October, 2003. The study indicated that people who take an aspirin-a-day may risk pancreatic cancer! They studied 88,000 women who took aspirin for a long period of time. Women who took two or more aspirin a week had an increase risk for pancreatic cancer by a whopping 58% and the women who took 14 or more aspirin a week increased their risk of pancreatic cancer by an amazing 86%!

Why would someone take an aspirin-a-day? We are made to believe that an aspirin-a-day will reduce our risk of heart disease. It may reduce our risk of heart attacks but we increase our risk for other diseases such as stomach problems, kidney problems, stopping your blood from clotting correctly and even pancreatic cancer.

According to recent studies, research shows that aspirin might cause as many problems as it’s supposed to prevent. The HeartCenter online recommends not taking an aspirin if you have high blood pressure. Another recently discovered aspirin side effect is aspirin-induced asthma, which could effect up to 21% of all those who regularly take it or other NSAIDs. This discovery was based on 66 medical papers dating back to 1964.

According to a new study in the British Medical Journal, many people who regularly take aspirin still suffer from heart problems, giving birth to a new condition: aspirin resistance.

Doesn’t it make better sense to reduce your risk of heart disease by adopting a wellness lifestyle? With a healthy lifestyle there are no risks of side effects.

There is continued evidence that we should question the benefit of a flu shot. More and more, the drug companies that manufacture the flu shot are pushing the use of flu shots. They want every man, woman and child to receive their product. At Eastern Illinois University, every student pays for a flu shot in their tuition; then the University looks like the “good guy” by offering “Free Flu Shots” for the students. Recently, I am hearing of doctors who recommend flu shots for infants. These babies are already receiving numerous vaccines in their first year of life and there is mounting concern over the cumulative effect of multiple vaccines. Adding another vaccine just increases the risk of potential serious complications.

In the March/April 2002 issue of Midwest Nurse Week, a journal for the nursing profession, an article on an influenza (flu) outbreak was published. They reported that an outbreak of influenza was hitting urban areas of Nebraska. This was not surprising since it was during the flu season. The disturbing news is that nearly all of the residents received the flu shot prior to the outbreak. One resident even died as a result of complications. Are flu shots ineffective?

We may ask ourselves, how effective is this flu shot? Experts have already asked themselves this question. Dr. J. Anthony Morris, former chief Vaccine Control Officer of the US Food and Drug Administration stated, “There is no evidence that any influenza vaccine (flu shot) thus far developed is effective in preventing or mitigating any attack of influenza. The producers of the vaccine know that they are worthless, but they go on selling them anyway.”

Chiropractic is the best “shot.” Wellness chiropractic care has been demonstrated to boost the immune system, making chiropractic the healthy choice if you wish to protect yourself this flu season. Have your nervous system checked to determine if chiropractic might help you.

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Regardless of race, age, or gender, anyone can develop high blood pressure. It is estimated that one in every four American adults has high blood pressure. High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the heart work too hard. It also makes the walls of the arteries hard. High blood pressure increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, which are the first and third leading causes of death for Americans. High blood pressure can also cause other problems, such as heart failure, kidney disease and blindness.

Most people try to address high blood pressure by taking medications. The problem with this approach is that it treats the effect, high blood pressure, but not the cause. The drug approach also subjects patients to serious side effects. A safe and effective solution may be found in a wellness approach.  In a wellness model, we don’t seek to treat high blood pressure or prevent high blood pressure. Wellness is about making active choices and lifestyle decisions to create a state of optimal function and expression. Wellness involves lifestyle choices that determine our health. In a Wellness Chiropractic model we encourage you to make lifestyle choices like specific chiropractic adjustments to restore optimal function to the nervous system. When the nervous system is free to run our body, abnormal blood pressure may seek its normal levels. We may also choose lifestyle changes in diet, exercise, meditation and yoga to improve our state of well-being.

Studies support a wellness approach to tackling the blood pressure dilemma. A study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics examined the effects of chiropractic adjustments on high blood pressure. The study concluded that chiropractic adjustments were not only effective, but also a safe alternative to the medical model. The men and women who participated in the study and received chiropractic care experienced a significant decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The individuals who were in the control group and the placebo group did not experience the improvement. In another published study from the same journal, 75 people who suffered from high blood pressure received specific chiropractic adjustments. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased in the adjusted group but not in the control group. Also noted in that study was that the people with the higher pre-treatment blood pressure experienced the greatest benefit!

Wellness Chiropractic has always been about restoring health and wellness to the body not treating back or neck pain.

Each year millions of people rush to get their annual flu shot hoping to stay healthy and well through the coming flu season. The results seemed to be mixed. Some people do seem to make it through the flu season unscathed, but others have less favorable results. Each year, I have one or two patients hospitalized as a result of bad reactions after their flu shot. I watch numerous patients immediately acquire the very sickness they are trying to avoid and I witness others who get the flu later during the flu season anyway. Why is this? Some people have bad or allergic reactions to the preservatives and chemicals in the flu shot. In addition, researchers have found that repeated flu shots may actually lower your natural antibody levels thus making you more susceptible to the infection.

What about more serious consequences and side effects? Dr. Hugh Fudenburg M.D., the world’s leading immunogeneticist and one of the most published biologists of our time states, “If an individual has had 5 consecutive flu shots, his/her chances of getting Alzheimer’s Disease is 10 times higher than if they have had 1,2 or none. This is due to the mercury and aluminum in every flu shot. The gradual mercury and aluminum build up in the brain causes cognitive dysfunction.” Another common side effect is Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which is an immune mediated neurological disorder.

Instead of injecting poisons and toxins into your body this year, improve your immune system with chiropractic wellness care and a healthy lifestyle. Chiropractic should be the first choice for health care; drugs and surgery should be a last resort!

Stress is an unavoidable consequence of life. The epidemic of stress is seen by some as our leading health problem. Surveys indicate that Americans perceive that they are under more stress than ever before.

A 1996 Prevention magazine survey discovered that 75% of Americans feel that they have “great stress” at least one day per week and 33% experience “great stress” more than twice per week. Other surveys indicate that Americans perceive that their stress levels today are much worse than they were a decade or two ago.

The amount and severity of stress is escalating.  Without stress, life would be boring and incredibly dull. Stress is not always harmful.  Good stress can promote wellness. Bad stress triggers unhealthy biological responses.  Life with too much stress becomes a health challenge and may ultimately damage your health and well-being.   Stress enters our world from day one. An infant may experience anxiety when their needs are not being met by their caregiver (food, love, hygiene, comfort, nurture, etc.).

Stressors then continue throughout our entire life. In our modem day world, stress tends to be persistent, pervasive and non-forgiving. Stress seems to come at us from every direction. Our lives seem to be filled with the emotions of stress: worry, fear, anxiety, loneliness, pressure, anger, regret, pressure, sadness, and the list goes on. The pressures from work, relationship problems, challenges with our children, money problems and personal losses have become the norm in contemporary society. Television and the internet only add to our levels of stress. Disturbing images of war, terrorism, murders, 9/11, disasters and plane crashes play nightly on our television. The body can only handle so much before it breaks down.

The build up of stress is often manifested in the body in the form of subluxations. The effects of stress become ingrained in our nervous system and the damaging effects accumulate over time. Virtually every system of the body (eg, the heart and cardiovascular system, the immune system, the lungs, digestive system, sensory organ and brain) may become challenged. The effect of stress-induced subluxations can have far reaching effects on health.

We may not be aware of the accumulated stress that they are experiencing. With the stresses placed upon our nervous system in today’s society, it’s no wonder that our health is worse than ever. The unhealthy impact of stress on our nervous system is easily detected and corrected with wellness chiropractic. Be sure to be checked for subluxations; it’s simple and safe.

Make sure your family is checked for subluxations.  Ask the front desk about our family check-up plan.

One mechanism behind the connection between the nervous system and immune function is the direct control of immune system components by the division of the nervous system called the sympathetic nervous system. This was suggested in 1987, when researchers reported the presence of norepinephrine (a.k.a. adrenaline, a stress hormone) from sympathetic nerve fibers in immune system tissues and organs, such as lymph nodes and the spleen. Norepinephrine was thus proposed as an important regulator for these components of the immune system, stemming from the sympathetic nervous system. (1)

An early exploration of this link between the nervous system, immunity, and Chiropractic was performed in 1989, at New York University. The immune systems of those under chiropractic care were compared to members of the general public, and patients with cancer and other terminal illnesses. Over three years, those people under chiropractic care for more than five years demonstrated 200% greater immune function than those who had not received chiropractic care. Their immune systems worked 400% better than patients with cancer and terminal disease. These findings prompted further exploration of the reasons behind the chiropractic-immunology connection. (2)

A 1992 study continued examining the regulation of immunity by the sympathetic nervous system, finding dense collection of adrenaline-specific receptors in immune system organs. This research lays the foundation for the three-way connection between the nervous, endocrine (hormone), and immune systems. Importantly, the sympathetic nervous system is also closely connected to the body’s stress response. With chronically elevated stress, sympathetic activity increases, and stress hormone concentrations fluctuate. This alters immune system function, thereby changing susceptibility to various diseases. (3)

Another mechanism connecting chiropractic care and immune function was studied in 1991. This research found improve immune response in adults that had been adjusted by chiropractors. White blood cells called neutrophils and monocytes, which consume and destroy pathogens and diseased cells, undergo a respiratory burst of activity in response to illness or infection. This burst response is enhanced by chiropractic care. (4)

A research group at the Sid E. Williams Research Center of Life Chiropractic University studied a group of HIV positive patients who were adjusted over a six-month period. The adjusted patients had a 48% increase in CD4 cells, the immune system cells most impacted by HIV and AIDS. The control group of patients that were not adjusted did not demonstrate this dramatic increase in immune function, rather an 8% decrease in CD4 cell counts over the same period. (5)

In 2000, a comprehensive review of the literature was performed to summarize our current understanding of the integration between our nervous system and immune system. The study confirms the brain and immune system are the two major adaptive systems in the body. These systems must communicate during illness, to maintain homeostasis and health. This communication is accomplished by direct sympathetic nervous system influence, and by hormone output from the pituitary gland. (6)

Further research is being performed to fully understand the influence of Chiropractic for enhanced immunity. You may have already noticed suffering fewer colds, avoiding the flu, or simply recovering from illness more quickly, since you’ve started Chiropractic care. There are scientific reasons for your experience, and continued tune-ups will keep all of the systems your nervous system controls healthy and strong.

Chiropractic has given the sight back to the blind and life back to the lifeless. The healing power of the body is so incredible that miracles happen when subluxations are removed. Imagine the power that is turned on when your subluxations are removed. Imagine the diseases that are prevented or averted as a result of the chiropractic adjustment! This is what we call the “Silent Miracle.”

As we approach fall apple orchards across the country are preparing for the fall harvest. Most people have a favorite apple variety and with 100 commercially grown varieties in the U.S. there is no shortage of options.  Apples are a diverse fruit found around the world and are packed with nutrients and fiber.

Nutritionally, apples are an all star.  Vitamins A, C, E, K and B are all found in apples. Minerals, electrolytes, and phytonutrients are also abundant in apples. Apples contain no sodium, fat, or cholesterol and for a medium-sized apple you are looking at about 80 calories.   So as you can see it really is a great choice for anyone that is conscientious about what they eat.

For the maximum benefit eat your apples raw with the skin.  The skin of the apple is where you will find your highest concentration of fiber and  nutrients.  I recommend that you eat organically grown fruit whenever  possible, but if that is not an option apples are a fruit that can be easily washed.  You don’t want to offset the benefits of the apple with the harmful effects of chemicals that may have been sprayed on the fruit.

Finally, if where you live allows it, take advantage of the fall weather and the apple harvest, pile into the car and go apple picking. Many orchards allow you to pick your own apples and often have special events throughout the fall to draw people in. Make an afternoon of it.  Enjoying the sunshine with loved ones, walking around the orchard in the fresh fall air, and of course eating the fruits of your labor makes for a well rounded day of health and wellness.  If you don’t live in a region where you can pick apples, still make a day of it.   Pack a picnic with your favorite food, including apples, and take a trip that includes a nice outdoor hike and picnic!  How do you like them apples?