YOUR Body of Health Blog

WATER WEEK!


Water Week is a challenge for you to drink only Water for 7 straight days. That's right.... nothing but H2O. Water Week will begin on Monday July 13th (12:00 AM) and last until Sunday July 19 (11:59 PM). Here are the rules: No Juice No Soda No Coffee No Tea No Alcohol No Milk No Gatorade Etc. Just pure H2O. During the challenge you will discover all of the wonderful benefits that drink water will bring into your life. Included are: Weight Loss Decreased Headaches Decreased Blood Sugar Decreased Hunger Improved hydration Detoxification Improved energy Overall improved health How much water should you drink? Take your body weight in pounds and divide that number in half. You should drink that many ounces per day. (ie 180 lbs /2 = 90 oz of water). Participants can be entered to win a great prize from Body of Health. Once you have completed the challenge write us a letter, or e-mail about your experience with the Water Week Challenge. All of those who write in will be entered to win a Theracane Massager. ($40 value) It is one of the greatest tools for getting rid of Trigger points and working out sore muscles.


Submit your story to:
staff@yourbodyofhealth.com 

or mail it to:

Water Week
Body of Health
985 NW 23rd St
Corvallis, OR 97330

To be eligible for the drawing entries must be received by Friday July 31st.

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Pounds for Profit Challenge

Some of you may know that we are involved with a local giving program called Points for Profit. In fact, last year we were voted the Points for Profit Business of the Year. If you aren't familiar with the program, nonprofit organizations in the Linn/Benton area compete for points by shopping at local businesses who are in the program. At the end of the year the groups with the most points earn a cash prize.

Part of our contribution to this program has been to try to improve the health of people involved. So we started the Pounds for Profit
challenge where groups can earn points as their members meet weight loss and fitness goals.  Tonight we had the pleasure of awarding the grand prize to one of my favorite charities: Sunshine Kids.  This group puts on camps for kids with cancer.  For more information on this organization visit: http://www.sunshinekids.org/

The Sunshine Kids

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Relay for Life Report

On Friday June 26th we had a great time treating at the Relay for Life event in Lebanon, OR.  We were out there for about 5 hours doing massage and chiropractic for the people who walked the track at Lebanon High School.  We treated a lot of low back pain, neck pain and even some headaches.  Thanks to those of you who helped out in this great cause.  Also thanks to the folks who provided testimonials about chiropractic care at the event.  Thanks to Wendie for turning us on to this event!  Here are some pictures and a testimonial from the event.

4ai.jpg
Dr. Young and KaLynn Alley, Future Miss Oregon (and Miss America) at the ACS Relay for Life.

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Body of Health at Relay for Life in Lebanon


On Friday June 26th the Body of Health team will be at it again.  This time we will be in Lebanon High School the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life event.  Relay for life participants work in teams and have a representative walking or running the track around the clock.  Some events will go as long as 24 hours.  Each person involved is encouraged to raise at least $100 in sponsorship for the laps walked by the team.

We are honored to be a part of this event.  Some of you may know that Dr. Young lost his mother to cancer around this time last summer and we know that most of our lives have been touched in one way or another by this disease.  For this reason we will be operating a bit differently than we do at most events we do.  Usually we offer free chiropractic and massage.  At the Relay for Life we will be helping to raise money be collecting donations for our services.  Massage will be provided by Wendie Gum, LMT $1/minute and chiropractic will be as much as you can donate.  100% of the money we collect will go to this worthy cause.

You can find us at Lebanon HS Friday Afternoon/Evening and Massage will be available Saturday morning.  Please stop by to see us and support this worthy cause!

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Body of Health at Midsummer Night's Run

a Midsummer Night's Run

Body of Health was at the Midsummer Night's Run event in Corvallis at Crescent Valley High School.  We got to treat a lot of great people (runners, spectators, etc) and some of them have made the choice to use Body of Health as their chiropractic and massage providers.  Here are some of the conditions we treated on Saturday night:
  • Arch pain in the foot - We used Kinesio Tape to support the arch and activate foot muscles before the race.  The runner reported back that he had almost no pain in his foot during the run which is unusaul for him.
  • ITB tightness - The Iliotibial Band ( ITB ) is a common tight spot on runners.  This is the tendon that runs down the side of the thigh to the knee.  We successfully treated this using massage, low level laser therapy, adjusting the hips/pelvis, and stretches. People were amazed by the great results they got after treatment.
  • Neck Pain - Adjusting and massage worked well for several people who came in with neck pain and even headaches.
  • Low Back Pain - This is a classic.  As usual we were able to get people out of low back pain using massage and chiropractic.
  • Shoulder Pain - There were quite a few shoulder pain cases that presented to us (not related to the race of course).  We took care of these with massage, chiropractic and low level laser therapy.
Of course we dealt with other types of aches, pains, strains, and sprains.  We handed out a bunch of Band Aids.  We also saw people who were in to improve their performance (and it worked!).

We are very proud of the Body of Health team which ran in the 2k Race.  It consisted of Mandy (our office manager (and my wife)), our kids Taylor, Rilee, and Alston, Nephews Gage and Bryce, Niece Jessica, and Grandpa & Grandma Mike & Freeda.  Everybody had a really good time and did well.  Freeda was the fastest in her age/gender group in the 5k and Taylor was running hard for the full 2k race at just 4 years old.  Nice work team!

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Video Testimonial of the Week

Here is a testimonial from one of our happy patients. She has been treated with chiropractic and massage for back and neck pain.


Have you had a great experience at Body of Health Chiropractic and Wellness Center and would like to share it?  Here are some ways you can do that:
  1. Post a comment on this blog about your experience
  2. E-mail your testimonial to blog@yourbodyofhealth.com
  3. Call us or next time you are at the clinic ask if we could create your own video testimonial

 We really appreciate ALL of our patients and thank you for sharing the continued joy and health you have received as we have worked together. Thanks for spreading the news!

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CBS: ADHD Drugs May Present a Cardiac Risk... Chiropractic Helps!

This is another great clip from CBS which supports the chiropractic approach to health care.  The doctor in this segment discusses the cardiac risks associated with amphetamine drugs used to treat ADHD and recommends alternate therapies such as chiropractic for managing this condition.  Watch and learn:

*** Note: While Bacardi endorses CBS... Body of Health does not endorse Bacardi.  I have written a letter to CBS about matching endorsements that support the messages in their videos and apologize for the ad in the beginning of this video clip.


Watch CBS Videos Online

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Scrubs on Chiropractic

If you watch the popular NBC TV show, Scrubs then you have probably seen the following clip:

I think this clip is really funny and you may be surprised to find it on my Pro-Chiropractic blog.  Some Doctors of Chiropractic would take deep offense at  a scene like this but I think its cool to be spoofed right along with mainstream medicine.  I think there is a couple of interesting things to teach from this clip.

     1) People don't just take a "Chiropractic Class".  To become a chiropractor it requires at least 90 semester or 135 quarter credits at a 4 year university followed by 4 years of doctorate level education at a chiropractic college.  (That's at least 7 years of education and training!)  The academic program for chiropractic school requires more credit hours of lecture and labs than medical school programs.  I doubt our janitor would have time to hold down a day job AND go to "Chiropractic Class" at the same time.

     2) REAL chiropractors would never just grab somebody and adjust them.  Chiropractic procedures are only performed after a thorough initial examination including patient history, postural assessment, ranges of motion, orthopedic testing, spinal examination, and vital signs.  We want to identify anything that would possibly... I don't know... make a patient fall over paralyzed!  (even if we had practiced our technique on many mop heads with no complaints).

     3) Chiropractic is performed with informed consent.  Before an adjsutment a chiropractor should inform you of what your diagnosis is, what we would hope to accomplish by care, and the potential risks of treatment.  Before being adjusted people should have the opportunity to ask any questions they have and receive an answer.

     4) Chiropractic adjustments are not about making things crunch.  While there is a popping noise that sometimes occurs when a patient is adjusted popping is not the ultimate goal.  The purpose of the adjustment is to restore proper balance to the nervous system, the joints and muscles.  It should only be performed by trained professionals or interns who are under the supervision of an attending physician.  Being adjusted by a friend who knows how to "crack a back" can be dangerous and lead to greater injury.  These manipulations should only be performed after a skillful assessment by a trained and licensed doctor.  (This goes for adjusting yourself as well).

I hope you laughed and learned today! If you need an adjustment give us a call (541) 753-1287. (I have taken more than a few Chiropractic Classes ).

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Medicine and Low Back Pain


Some of you may have visited your General Practitioner before for back pain.  If you did then it is likely that they recommended one of three interventions: 1) Drugs 2) Physical Therapy 3) Lifestyle Education.  The use of drugs to treat back pain is somewhat controversial with the possibility of side effects.  Most back pain is mechanical so a pharmaceutical approach will not completely resolve a mechanical issue.  As for physical therapy an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association states the following about physical therapy for back pain: "Modalities...used by physical therapists... may provide short-term symptomatic relief, but there is no evidence that they alter the long-term course of acute or chronic low back pain."  (JAMA. 2008;299(17):2066-2077).  Lifestyle education is effective but slow to react.  When you have back pain you need help right away and proper lifting mechanics and posture training is effective for prevention but once you have a problem it isn't very quick at decreasing back pain.

So what about the approach that a chiropractor would take?  The treatment used most frequently used by chiropractors is spinal manipulation.  The goal of this treatment is to correct the mechanical problem causing the back pain.  What does the JAMA article previously cited say about spinal manipulation?  

"...Spinal manipulation generally results in more rapid recovery if applied within 3 weeks of onset of acute low back pain.

...Spinal manipulation for chronic low back pain provides benefits similar to a prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug;
it is more effective in the short-term than placebo and general practitioner care and in the long term vs physical therapy."

Remember, this is not from a chiropractic journal.  This is published by the American Medical Association and it clearly states that spinal manipulation is an effective treatment for acute low back pain and superior to general practitioner care and physical therapy for chronic low back pain.  So you may wonder why your General Practitioner never uses spinal manipulation to treat your back pain.  The reason is that they receive very little training in how to perform these techniques.  Physical Therapists are prohibited by the limits of their license from performing the types of manipulations described in the cited article.  So both of these practitioners treat back pain the best way they know how.  Genereal Practitioners who understand the prevailing research refer low back pain patients to an expert in spinal manipulation such as a chiropractor.  According to their research, it seems to be the most sensible approach.  


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Body of Health Online

Social networking is changing our society.  It is possible to know what is going on with anybody who cares to put their information out there at any given time.  We're talking about Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. Did you know that Body of Health has a presence with many of these forms of social networking?  In fact this blog that you are reading is a form of social networking.  Its a way for you to stay connected to a group or a topic that you are interested in.  Here are some ways that you can interact and keep up with information we have that is beneficial to you and your family.

Blog:
    The Blog is updated regularly by Dr. Young.  Here you will find longer articles and information about chiropractic, lifestyle, inspirations, and clinic news.  Check back to the blog regularly as we feel that this is an important step to getting information about health, chiropractic and other important issues.  On the left-hand sidebar of the blog you will find a subscribe button (pictured below).  By providing your e-mail address you can be notified any time there is a blog update.  Your e-mail address will NEVER be used for solicitations or sold to a 3rd party.


Twitter:
    
Our most recent venture into the world of social networking is Twitter.  Twitter is a really fun way to follow what is going on.  We update it several times per day and include images, inspirations, news, and other fun things.  Twitter accounts are free and easy to set up.  You can get to the Twitter website from the link on the left-hand sidebar of this blog (pictured below).

Twitter updates can be received on your cell phone or desktop computer.  Who knows?.... From time to time you may be able to find special deals from the clinic by following our Twitter link.

Facebook:
    
Currently Facebook is the #2 website on the internet and so of course we have a presence there as well.  If you have a Facebook account please join Body of Health Chiropractic & Wellness Center's group.  You can get to it by simply entering "Body of Health" on the search line in Facebook.  Another option is to Click this Link to get to the group.  The group will keep you clued into upcoming events.  In addition there is an "Ask the Doctor" type forum where you can post questions you may have about health, chiropractic, or anything, and it will be answered by Dr. Young or one of the other practitioners at the clinic.

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