The answer to the second question can be answered through these 4 facts about chiropractic care and wellness.

4)  Symptoms, such as headaches or back pain, are not the problem, but the body’s way of alerting us to an underlying cause or issue.  If only the symptoms are treated and eliminated, then the initial cause of those symptoms is still at large.

3)  Our bodies are designed to restore and heal on their own, but will respond and react to outside factors.  If these factors become too much, our bodies start to show signs of wear as they try to maintain balance.

2)  Chiropractic and wellness care is focused on improving function instead of hiding symptoms.  This means that by treating the spine with chiropractic care, we allow the body to function at maximum efficiency.

1)  Chiropractors are health care professionals that treat based on the value of preventative care versus symptom-based care.  By receiving regular chiropractic adjustments, a patient’s spinal health is maintained which allows for the body to function at its best.

Chiropractic care is used to treat a variety of conditions, and can eliminate the need for prescription medication or invasive surgery.  Understanding wellness care can help improve your body’s function and allow you to live a more enjoyable life.

Otitis media can be caused by bacteria or viruses, so antibiotics will not have any effect on viral-based ear infections.  Many parents also turn to surgery if their child is experiencing frequent ear infections.  These surgeries require anesthesia and the placement of ear tubes to relieve pressure and help drainage.  Although these surgeries can be effective, it often has to be repeated which means additional surgeries and more general anethesia for a small child. 

 So how can chiropractic treat ear infections?  This type of treatment helps facilitate drainage in the ears which releases the pressure and fluid that builds up during ear infections.  Chiropractors will monitor the child’s ears over the course of treatment to make sure the ear is draining properly.  Also, children that are able to have their ears drain naturally will build up antibodies and be able to fight off future ear infections and fluid build-up more easily. 

Our office sees many of these cases during the winter and early spring, when these infections occur most often.  It is a safe, quick and effective treatment and might keep your child from having to undergo invasive surgeries.  Our office will be happy to answer any questions you might have on this subject–either through the comments section or through the contact form on our website, http://www.myerschiro.com .  We would also love to hear about your experience with your child’s ear infections and how chiropractic care helped.

Exercise is something the majority of us wish we did more and one of the most common New Year’s resolutions to be made and broken.  Whether it be time constraints, work conflicts or lack of motivation, we tend to think more about exercising than actually exercising.  However, it can be easier and more convenient than we envision.  Here are some easy tips to help carry out your exercise plans.

1)  Schedule your workouts. Write down your workouts in your planner, phone, or e-mail calendar.  Rather than waiting for the perfect moment to exercise, having a pre-scheduled workout will offer extra motivation and allow you to know exactly what you’ll be doing during the workout (cardio, weight training, etc.).

2)  Take it easy. Start off slow and gradually increase exercise time and difficulty.  Working out isn’t a competition, so there is no need to take on more than your body can handle.  You want to finish your workout feeling good about what you did–not needing a week to recover from it.  There are a number of steps to meet any goal, so don’t forget about them!

3)  Resist Skipping. Eventually, there will come a time where you will have the urge to skip a workout.  Whether you had a bad day at work or feel too tired, use those moments to make your workout happen.  You will most likely regret skipping your workout, but will feel better mentally and physically if you stay true to your plan.

4)  Make sure to take breaks. This is true for both the actual workouts and your extended plan.  Don’t be afraid to take a break or two during your workout to refresh and stay hydrated.  Also, it is a good idea to take a short break (3-4 days to a week) after a few months of an exercise routine.  Use this time to evaluate your workouts and add something new to your future routine.

5)  Keep it fresh. In relation to the previous tip, your mind and body will get bored if your exercise plan never changes or progresses.  Be creative with your workouts.  Try a new activity or add new stretches or exercises in place of old ones.  Even changing the setting can have a big difference.

6)  Health in numbers. Some people enjoy working out alone, but many people enjoy having an exercise partner.  This person can help motivate and keep track of exercises.  Many people find that they are more likely to exercise and stick to their plan when exercising with a friend, co-worker, or spouse.

7)  Keep it simple. When working out at a gym, the amount of equipment and machines can be intimidating.  But for most people, basic equipment is adequate and appropriate for accomplishing fitness goals.  Resistance bands, exercise balls, body-weight, and simple machines are great for achieving health and fitness goals.

8)  You can do it! Remember to stay positive and allow yourself time to meet your goals.  You’ll have “off-days” in your exercise routine, just as in other aspects of life.  Just remember…you are accomplishing the biggest goal of exercise just by trying:  being a fit and healthy you!

Your chiropractor can work with you on planning an exercise routine and demonstrating specific stretches or exercises to help you achieve your goals.

If you have any ideas for future posts or have a story that you would like to share (personally or anonymously), please feel free to send your ideas and suggestions to contact@myerschiro.com .  We appreciate your feedback and would love for you to share your chiropractic success story with others.

Most people use a wait and see approach hoping that the “catch” they feel goes away.  The pain often leaves but its original cause remains hidden.  Six months, a year, or more time might pass before something else (an injury, accident or daily stress) causes the pain to return; only this time it is worse.

It is all about function.  If you experience lower back, hip or posterior leg pain, make an appointment today.  An adjustment will address the cause while helping to prevent severe pain and dysfunction in the future.

Before you don your gloves to rake, dig or trim, prepare your body..  Preparation will help you avoid most common sprain and strain injuries.

 Stretch slowly and deliberately before starting any physical activity.  Take frequent breaks to minimize straining muscles that are working much harder than they normally do.  Drink plenty of water.  Hard work dehydrates your muscles making them vulnerable to injury.  Lastly, stretch again before you sit down to relax.

 For more detailed information about specific stretches call my office for an appointment.  As a chiropractor I have the knowledge and experience to help you improve your conditioning to prepare yourself for your next weekend warrior work detail.

And the lucky winner was:   

David C. of Redmond!  David wrote a wonderful review for Myers Chiro on Google, Bing, Yahoo and Facebook:

“I have been to several chirpractors over the past 12 years for back pain and Dr. Myers is the only one who has actually taught me how to improve my condition through strengthening excercises and by making minor changes to my desk/computer configuration to reduce tension in my neck. In the past 5 months I have greatly reduced my back pain and neck pain. I haven’t felt this well since I was a teenager. Dr. Myers is a great coach and is very concerned about his patients. I highly recommend Myers Chiropractic!”

Thank you to David and everyone else who participated in our first Myers Chiro giveaway!  Check back on our blog or follow us on Facebook or Twitter to find out about more drawings or giveaways coming up!

 Imagine my delight when after the first week of care 6 1/2-year-old HR reported his proud achievement. 

 Enuresis (bedwetting) is difficult for a family at best and is often emotionally devastating to the child.  The pressure felt by the family to change the behavior and the guilt for not being able to make a change is overwhelming to all.

 Autonomic nerve fibers embedded in the urinary bladder must communicate to the Central Nervous System (CNS) when it is full.  This message wakes the sleeper and alerts the child to use the restroom.  When spinal dysfunction occurs in the lower spine, correct signals from the bladder do not get to the brain.  The child does not wake until it is too late. 

 I am convinced that this is what happened in HR’s case.  During an examination I found hypomobile or poorly functioning joints in his lower spine.  As a result, the messages from the bladder were interfered with.  Once the joints were adjusted and free to move more normally, signals of a full bladder could get through to the CNS without interruption.  HR woke up and went to the bathroom on his own.

 For more information on childhood enuresis and chiropractic care go to http://www.icpa4kids.org.  Listed on this site are several studies demonstrating the help children with enuresis receive from chiropractic care.

 Chiropractic care is improving the lives of people every day!  How about you?  Call my office today to make anappointment.  Learn how chiropractic care can help you and your family.

Chiropractic adjustments improve the body’s ability to function.  After a chiropractic adjustment, people experience improved range of motion and overall function.  Patients also sleep better, digest their food more efficiently, have fewer headaches, decreased asthma attacks, improved immune responses…the list goes on and on!

If you want a better life, to feel more alive, and be more active try chiropractic care–- it’s not just about back pain!

Practitioners of natural medicine have been warning our patients for years and offering safe and natural solutions to their pain.  There are many herbs used to reduce inflammation and pain.  Hands on modalities like chiropractic adjustments are incredibly powerful pain relievers that remove dysfunction, which often is the underlying cause of pain.  These remedies most often treat the underlying cause of the pain–not just mask the symptoms that the pain causes.

Of course some people will want to take these drugs and an occasional dose may not hurt but these chemicals are powerful.  Remember to ask yourself before taking the next over the counter painkiller, how might this drug may be harming my body.

For more information on reducing pain through more natural and gentle ways, call and make an appointment with our office!  We would love to help in reducing your pain and sharing the chiropractic lifestyle.