C. S. Lewis was a world-beloved author, philosopher, theologian, professor, and creator of that magical place my children know (and revisit often) as Narnia. Before passing away in 1963, this Cambridge professor had written down his thoughts about nearly every topic imaginable, and his writings survive with startling clarity to this day, unfaded by time or perspective. Now, you might be asking yourself why C. S. Lewis is featured in a health blog about chiropractic? After all, Lewis lived his life in England. Although natural health care and spinal manipulation have Egyptian, Greek, Chinese, and other ancient roots, modern chiropractic is a uniquely American phenomenon. In fact, the first chiropractic college in England was not even founded until 1964, a year after Lewis' death. And, to my knowledge, there is no evidence that Lewis ever visited a chiropractor or knew about chiropractic as a distinct medical science.
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Today is unseasonably warm, but winter will be here before you know it. Already, forecast high temperatures are just 37 for Peoria on Monday. Brr! Peoria always has the chance of a severe winter storm with looming threats of snow, ice, and power outages. Last week, I encouraged everyone to check your preparedness levels when turning your clocks back for daylight savings time. This week, the Peoria County Emergency Management Agency is also urging preparedness: This month, Peoria County's Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is raising awareness of Winter Storm Preparedness Month. The winter months are coming, which means freezing temperatures, snow, and ice are just around the corner. Along with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the National Weather Service (NWS), Peoria County EMA encourages citizens to prepare for those hazards this month, before they occur.
November is the time to start thinking about winter preparedness. Do you have an emergency supply kit at home and in your car? Severe winter weather can cause widespread power outages and dangerous driving conditions. With an emergency supply kit at home and in the car, you'll be prepared for the winter months. A home supply kit should be stocked with items to stay safe for at least three days. An emergency preparedness kit in a vehicle will help travelers stay safe and warm until help arrives. A winter storm preparedness guide developed by IEMA, NWS, and the American Red Cross is available at www.ready.illinois.gov. The guide provides tips for staying safe this winter and information about creating emergency supply kits. Residents of Peoria County are encouraged to participate in Winter Storm Preparedness Month by preparing for winter hazards now. For more information on Winter Storm Preparedness Month, please call Peoria County's Emergency Management Agency at 691-3111 or visit www.ready.illinois.gov. From the Peoria City/County Health Department:
The Peoria City/County Health Department is reminding the public that Thursday, November 15, 2012 is the 37th annual Great American Smoke-Out Day. On this day, the Health Department is urging area residents to quit smoking and to encourage others to quit. In Peoria County, about 1 in 4 adults smoke cigarettes. Peoria County lung cancer incidence rates exceed state and national averages. Not only do cigarettes cause cancer, but also cigars, pipes, and chewing tobacco. Additionally, lung cancer continues to be one of the top ten leading causes of death in the tri-county area. Greg Chance, Administrator at Peoria City/County Health Department states, "The past few decades have seen great strides in changing attitudes about smoking, understanding addiction, and learning how to help people quit. Yet, tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the US. The Great American Smoke-out challenges people to learn about the tools they can use to quit smoking and enjoy the health benefits." People who quit smoking will experience immediate health benefits. Within 20 minutes of quitting, heart rate and blood pressure drop. Within 12 hours of quitting, the oxygen level in the blood increases to normal. Within 3 months of quitting, circulation improves and lung function increases. Five years after quitting, the risk of many diseases, including cancer and stroke, decreases dramatically. Kicking the tobacco habit offers some additional personal benefits:
Research shows that smokers are most successful in kicking the habit when they have support, such as nicotine replacement products, telephone smoking cessation hotlines, counseling, and encouragement and support from friends and family members. The Health Department is partnering with the Illinois Department of Public Health, Hult Center for Health Education, and the Illinois Tobacco Quitline to provide education and smoking cessation services. For help to quit smoking, call the Quitline at 1-866-QUIT-YES. For information on other public health issues, visit the Peoria City/County Health Department website at www.pcchd.org. Have you ever had a great -- no, not just great -- a fantastic experience somewhere and just had to tell someone about it? Could be an exquisite meal, a roll-on-the-floor-laughing movie, the fastest shipping experience from an on-line retailer EVER, or the restoration of your natural health through chiropractic care. Of course you'd want to tell someone! There are whole websites dedicated to nothing more than customer reviews: the postives, the negatives, the experiences. People instinctively want the best: we want to find the fastest oil change, the lowest gas price, the nicest waitresses, the most succulent ribs. But when it comes to choosing a doctor, knowing what to look for gets a bit tricky. How do you know what you're looking for? Is a big office better than a small office? Is a single caring doctor better than a large staff? Will the doctor's personality be right for you? When every doctor starts to look the same online, you need other ways to make decisions. One way to decide which doctor to visit is to read reports from patients just like you. It's just like going to your trusted friends and asking them, "Hey, what was it like over at your doctor's? Is he good?" This is why Johnson Family Chiropractic is now collecting our doctor reviews in one location instead of scattering them throughout this blog. You need to be able to see at a glance just what this practice is all about. We invite you to check out our page of Patient Testimonials. Maybe our patients' experiences with Activator Methods and the Webster technique will resonate with your own health concerns. Maybe their recommendations and comments will help steer you in a direction that's right for you, whether that's here at Johnson Family Chiropractic or another doctor's office in Peoria. Lastly, we thank all of our patients who have given of their time and effort to write their reviews of our practice. Writing a positive review is the highest compliment we can receive. Thank you! Research into chiropractic and why it works is essential for both doctors and patients. Doctors use the research to inform our clinical decision making, and patients need the research as reassurance that chiropractic is safe and effective. Fortunately, there are now a wide variety of sources for high-quality, peer-reviewed research on chiropractic: there are many journals which specialize in chiropractic research, and many medical journals are publishing studies and articles regarding the use of chiropractic for a range of patients and conditions. I was excited to note that the Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology (JEK) has published the most recent full issue of their journal solely on the topic of "Spinal Manipulation." Often, researchers will use the term spinal manipulation loosely, so it sometimes refers to a specific chiropractic adjustment, but sometimes it may refer to a non-specific maneuver that may or may not produce pops or crackles in the spine. After all, a chiropractic adjustment is often different in both intention and execution than an osteopathic spinal manipulation. That being said, it is wonderful to see spinal manipulation in all its forms being properly considered in the health care field. From an article in Chiropractic Economics highlighting this event: Published by Elsevier, the JEK is the primary source for outstanding original articles on the study of muscle contraction and human motion through combined mechanical and electrical detection techniques. As the official publication of The International Society of Electrophysiology and Kinesiology, the journal is dedicated to publishing the best work in all areas of electromyography and kinesiology, including: control of movement, muscle fatigue, muscle and nerve properties, joint biomechanics, electrical stimulation, motion analysis, sports and exercise, measures of human performance, and rehabilitation.
At the invitation of the journal Editor-in-Chief Moshe Solomonow, PhD, MD, (Hon), three prominent individuals in the forefront of spinal manipulation research were selected to serve as guest editors for the Special Issue. Chris Colloca, DC; Joel Pickar, DC, PhD; and Malik Slosberg, DC, MSc, were invited to serve as guest editors and compile related papers from the worldwide spinal manipulation field for the issue. [snip] Together, they formulated an outline for paper submissions based upon general topics including the basis for spinal manipulation; epidemiology; clinical research; kinesiological research, and neurophysiological research. Through their our own personal contacts within the research community and keyword searches of the Pubmed database using “spinal manipulation” together with relevant categorical terms researchers and research groups who had published on these topics were identified. Original and review paper submissions from 31 individuals representing 25 institutions who were identified as lead researchers or department heads throughout the world and who were considered authorities within a given topic on spinal manipulation. Consistent with the professional diversity of spinal manipulation research, scientists with backgrounds in chiropractic, osteopathy, physical therapy, manipulative physiotherapy, and rehabilitative medicine were sought. In addition to these professional associations, submissions were sought from individuals within the disciplines of anatomy, biomechanics, biomedical sciences, education, epidemiology, engineering, kinesiology, medicine, neurology, and public health. |
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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. |