Which Herbs are a Reliable Alternative for Chronic Pain?

Blog Graphic_HerbsMany people who suffer from chronic addictions, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders and chronic pain feel that the only solution is pharmaceutical drugs. But what if there was a reliable alternative? An alternative that would not have side effects and would allow patients to work through the pain.

Herbal Alternatives
There are several herbs that are used for pain/discomfort. This does not necessarily mean that these herbs act identical to the pharmaceutical drugs, however sometimes they do. Below are some examples of herbal alternatives:

Pain: Inflammatory (osteoarthritis and sports injuries)
Pharmaceutical Drug: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Herbs: Willow bark, Ginger, Turmeric, Celery

Pain: Autoimmunity (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus)
Pharmaceutical Drug: Corticosteroid drugs
Herbs: Turmeric, Feverfew

Pain: Spasm pain (tension headaches)
Pharmaceutical Drug: Antispasmodic drugs
Herbs: Corydalis, Wild yam, California poppy

Pain: Neuralgic pain (cancer pain and fibromyalgia)
Pharmaceutical Drug: Opiates, Antidepressants
Herbs: California poppy, Corydalis, Jamaica dogwood

All the herbs mentioned can be useful alternatives for the types of pain described. They may need to be utilized in high doses but according to research they are safe and surprisingly effective with beneficial effects in pain relief.

Reference: Bone, Kerry. Author of Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy and the Essential Guide to Herbal Safety.

How to Beat Spring Allergies

Blog Graphic_May16

Spring is finally here! Which unfortunately means the return of spring allergies. The dreaded sneezing, wheezing, coughing and itching has become more prevalent than ever before for not only adults but children as well. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, 23.6 million Americans were diagnosed with hay fever in the last year alone. So what has caused this increase? The pollen hasn’t changed. The answer is it’s the difference in how our bodies react to the pollen. Two trends that play a major role in how out bodies react differently are hygiene and diet. 

Hygiene: Today, our bodies no longer need to fight germs as much as they did in the past because we have developed a cleaner lifestyle. In other words, we are too clean and we don’t get enough exposure to common germs to keep our immune system in tip-top shape. Being so clean has resulted in the immune system developing more allergic reactions. 

Solution: Don’t think you need to sanitize everything! Let things get a little dirty. It will keep the immune system running efficiently.

Diet: Researchers are discovering that processed foods impact the immune system, which influences allergies.  The immune system acts as a barrier to protect the body against impurities. When it is broken down by sugar, grains and processed foods the body is less able to protect itself against allergens.

Solution: Avoid sugar, grains and processed foods. Eat more fresh produce, fish, nuts and drink LOTS of water. 

Chiropractic Care: A healthy immune system can be achieved by visiting the chiropractor regularly and here’s why. A healthy spine is essential for a healthy nerve system, which coordinates ALL of the other systems. After countless studies it is now known that chiropractic care has a beneficial effect on balancing the immune system. In addition to the growing research, there are numerous case studies of patients who have witnessed drastic improvements in their health and allergies.

 

 

Misconceptions of Healthy Food Labels

Blog Graphic_May6Going to the grocery store can be an easy task when looking for healthy foods, right? All you have to look for are words such as all-natural, organic, gluten-free, non-GMO, etc. However, relying on those terms alone can be misleading.

The term “health halo” refers to the perception that a food is healthy, whether it is or not. This perception is often times accomplished with clever marketing that focuses on covering the packaging with buzz words (organic, all-natural, gluten-free, non-GMO). While most of these foods are healthy some of them are not. They are processed junk food. Marketers use these words for a reason because research has shown that using a label that says organic on foods that are not truly organic can trick even the most educated shoppers into paying more. In fact research has shown that shoppers pay up to 23 percent more.

Instead of relying on labels and the buzz words that flood the packaging do the complete opposite. Try to fill the grocery cart with foods that do not contain labels. Don’t think the health claims are always correct, be hesitant. The health claims are truly only there to sell the product. One of the many positives of eating real food (fruits, vegetables, nuts.) is that you know what is in them. Remember, next time you are in the grocery store, “health halo.”

Torticollis? What the heck is that…

Go ahead and put your left ear on your shoulder right now. How does that affect what you do, or what you want to do? Are you able to work the same? Could you drive the same? Can you even breathe the same depth of air?

The answer is unequivocally, NO!  And what you just experienced for a moment is a case of torticollis.

Torticollis affects both children and adults and can have a significant lasting effect on the quality of life, and the quality of spinal health. When this goes untreated it ends up causing pain, skull shape changes, and scoliosis.  In babies this also affects how well they are able to breastfeed and can have a significant impact on their sleep cycle.

For kids, the cause is typically the birth process, which is why we see so many young kids (as young as 20 minutes old!) in our office.  We want to make sure that each child that comes into this world, regardless of the method (natural birth, c-section, etc).  In the video below you will see one of the many cases of torticollis that we have seen significant changes with in our office.

[video inside] 5 Reasons to See a Chiropractor During Pregnancy

Throughout pregnancy, there are obviously some major changes that happen that can cause discomfort, pain or even pregnancy issues.  Things like nausea, heartburn, constipation, and pubic pain are common for pregnant mom to experience. However, a pregnant mom under chiropractic care typically notices a decrease in pain, and is able to sleep and function better.

Callie shared her experience about how chiropractic has drastically improved her life and experience while pregnant.

Additionally, here are 5 reasons to see a chiropractor during pregnancy:

1. Shorter Labor Time

First times moms who received regular chiropractic care experienced a 25% shorter labor time. As for seasoned moms who received chiropractic care, the average labor time was cut 31%.  Vaginal delivery is strongly dependent on pelvic alignment and baby position. If there are misalignments in the pelvis, it can interfere with labor and delivery, thus increasing labor and delivery times.

2. Enhanced Fetal Position

The Webster Technique is a technique that allows baby to get into the best possible position for birth. It balances the pelvis and decreases the tension of muscles and ligaments and allows fetal positioning to be optimal.

3. Less Painful Labor

In a hospital study that incorporated chiropractic adjustments during the patient’s pregnancy, the results indicated that there was a 50% decrease in the need for painkillers during delivery, attributed to pre-delivery adjustments.

4. Better Chance of Natural Birth

Chiropractic adjustments can enhance pelvic alignment, allowing baby to get into the best possible position before birth, and allowing the mother to have the best possible chance at having a vaginal birth without the need for intervention.  Not only does chiropractic help with the alignment of the pelvis, but allows improved communication between the nerves, muscles and organs.

5. Better Recovery After Delivery

Before delivery, the body releases a hormone relaxin. The purpose of this hormone is to allow the ligaments in the body to loosen enough to allow baby to come into the world with decreased stress.  After giving birth the body will stop producing this hormone, and the body – especially the pelvis – will start tightening back up. Specific adjustments will allow the pelvis to heal in alignment, decreasing potential issues with pain in the low back, legs and even headaches.

For people in the Boise or Meridian area of Idaho, our office is conveniently located just off Eagle Rd.

Are you ready to improve your pregnancy, labor and delivery experience? Contact us for a free consultation and tour of our clinic. 

 

Emersyn: Reflux REJECTED with Chiropractic!

This is Emersyn – one of the most wonderful babies I have ever known!  Emersyn’s mom brought her in to our office to see if chiropractic could help with her reflux and colic issues.

 

reflux chiropractic emersyn

The reflux issues were cascading into sleeping trouble… and when baby doesn’t sleep, NOBODY sleeps!  Well, maybe Dad sleeps.  I guess it just depends on how things go in your house…  Anyway, you can read about how reflux was REJECTED with chiropractic below!

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Tyson: Chiropractic and Ear Infections

This is Tyson, definitely one of the biggest studs ever to step foot into our office.  His parents brought him to us because he had chronic ear infections.  Here is his Dad’s account of the miracle of chiropractic in this kiddo’s life:

 

Yorgason, Tyson

 

 

“Tyson had been having ear infections on and off for about an 8-9 month stretch.  We would go visit the pediatrician and treat the infection with antibiotics.  Over time, it seemed that the infections were coming back more frequently.  When we got up to Idaho, Tyson began showing signs of another infection coming on.  Generally he sleeps through the night, but he was waking up 4-5 times a night and then tugging on his ear when it was irritating him during the day.  After about 4 nights of this, we made the decision that we would like to try something different than the antibiotics, and go with the chiropractic route.  On the first visit, Dr. Ogle identified areas of misalignment in his spine.  Dr. Ogle examined Tyson and performed some adjustments on him, before we took him home. 

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