The man holding the large trophy over his head while strolling through Wrigley Field... is Jonathan Toews, the captain of the 2010 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks hockey team. Toews was also a hero of the Canadian gold-medal Olympic hockey team, which defeated the United States in the gold-medal game in thrilling overtime fashion. But Toews's last couple of seasons, since the Stanley Cup victory, have been marred by concussions. Hockey is a violent and brutal sport, and although headgear is worn by all players, concussions can happen on even routine hits when a player's head strikes the glass, boards, or concrete-hard ice. Toews has suffered multiple concussions, leading many sports and news outlets to wonder if he would ever be the same. Toews says he's fully recovered. And he credits chiropractic neurology.
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Are pesticides harmful to your child? Of course! Toxic chemicals will always have an impact on your body. From the very founding of chiropractic, chiropractors have recited the three main causes of stress in the body: "Thoughts, Trauma, Toxins." Anxiety or mental unrest; falls, bumps, and poor posture; chemicals, drugs, and allergens; all of these can disrupt the nervous system and affect the delicate balance between the organ systems of your body. This important message is even more relevant this week, since the American Academy of Pediatrics has released an urgent call for all parents and doctors to reduce children's exposure to pesticides: About a month ago, I mentioned an important paper on the relative safety of chiropractic for spinal health care from the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress. This paper describes the proper role of chiropractors in health care, urging all people to try safe and non-invasive chiropractic care before attempting invasive techniques such as steroid injections or surgery.
Well, it looks like I'm not alone! Chiropractic Economics is reporting that major media outlets all over the country are reporting and focusing on this paper as well: You may be looking at your phone or computer right now, wondering if chiropractic can help you. What is chiropractic? How is chiropractic different from the other medical sciences? Is it worth a try?
Palmer College of Chiropractic, in Davenport, Iowa, has developed a clear-eyed and concise description of the identity of a chiropractor: "The primary care professional for spinal health and well-being." The implications of this sentence are extraordinary. After all, the spine is arguably the most important structural part of the skeleton since it provides security for the spinal cord. The spinal cord is the primary interface between the nervous system and every other cell and organ in the human body. Therefore, the health of the spinal cord may well determine the health of the entire body. So chiropractic is definitely the go-to profession for back pain and neck pain... and it can help with other conditions as well? The identity statement of Palmer College, which has been painstakingly crafted over many years, expands on the premise: "Chiropractic focuses on neurological and musculoskeletal integrity, and aims to favorably impact health and well-being, relieve pain and infirmity, enhance performance, and improve quality of life without drugs or surgery." I see patients every day who can say that their quality of life is improved because of chiropractic health care, without the invasiveness of additional drugs or surgery. For some, the quality of life improvement is drastic, such as being able to garden again, to dance again, or to run long distances. For others, the quality of life improvement is subtle but no less important to them: the ability to sit at a computer again, to sleep four hours in a row, to sit through a class without agonizing pain. Improvements in quality of life without the possible side effects of more medication or without the permanency of surgery? Priceless. The Palmer College identity statement lists the many duties and abilities of a chiropractor: Now that you're all done with your Thanksgiving feasting, here's food for thought on the gorging habits of some of our national idols: professional football players.
We're constantly told that obesity is a danger to our health (and it is!), but many of these football players are giants of men who are often over 300 pounds. Are these men obese? Since they're athletes, are they healthy? What are the health impacts of living large? Would these men naturally be this large? What about life after football? Although the job requires some football players to be enormous, what are the potential chronic health effects of gaining all this weight? These questions and many more are covered in a fascinating series of articles by Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. I highly recommend the entire series of articles. Here's just a snippet to whet your appetite: |
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DisclaimerUnless otherwise attributed, all content is written by Kyle Johnson, DC, of Johnson Family Chiropractic of Peoria.
All images used are under Creative Commons license. Although every effort has been made to provide an accurate description of our chiropractic care and its benefits, the information given on this website and blog is not intended to be, nor should it be interpreted as, medical advice for any condition. If you have any questions regarding your condition, you should seek the help of Dr. Johnson in person, so that he may properly assess your condition. This blog is provided by Johnson Family Chiropractic of Peoria, S.C., proudly located in Peoria, IL. |