In modern society the priority is productivity. How much can we get done in a day? What can we accomplish? As a result, rest and sleep are usually neglected. How often do we hear of people bragging about needing only 4-5 hours of sleep?

Unfortunately, our understanding of the brain and nervous system tells us this is unhealthy.

Let me explain why. The brain has its own sewer system called the Glympathic system. It is similar to the lymphatic system. It’s main goal is to maintain the delicate environment our brain needs to function properly by removing metabolic waste and toxins. During waking hours, the Glympathic system is mostly inactive.

However, while sleeping, the Glympathic system canals open up by an astounding 60%!

The Cerebrospinal Fluid can flow more freely through out the Glympathic system while you are asleep sweeping away the proteins and waste that are tied to many Neurodegenerative diseases of the brain. When this flow is disrupted it allows build up and plaque in the brain.

The early results of research in this area show that sleeping on your SIDE is the best at opening up the Glympathic system. In rodents, 25% more CSF flow is seen in a side laying position. (good news side sleepers!)

Why does this matter to us at Precision Chiropractic?

Structural abnormalities within the spine also prevent proper flow of CSF in the head and neck. Instead of a steady flow, structural abnormalities cause turbulent flows that causes damage to the sensitive tissues in the Brain and central Nervous system.

Correcting and stabilizing the underlying structural abnormality allows the CSF to return to a normal state.

Combining a good night’s rest with a specific correction of the spine leads to a healthy brain!

How do the doctors at Precision Chiropractic determine when you need to be adjusted?

At Precision Chiropractic, we focus on identifying and correcting Structural Abnormalities in the spine. In particular, in this article we will be talking about how we know when a correction is needed on a day-to-day basis in our office. Using the latest diagnostic tools available we are able to determine the characteristics of the Structural Abnormality.

Allow me to give you an example of what I am talking about: A scientist, when identifying diseases, looks for certain patterns, behaviors, signs, and symptoms. For instance, in diabetes, common red flags are frequent urination, tiredness, lack of concentration, and slow-healing wounds. In addition, tests such as the Fasting Glucose Test, Oral Glucose Tolerance test, and Hemoglobin A1c Test are used to screen and diagnose diabetes.

Similarly, abnormal Structural Shifts have certain patterns, behaviors, signs, and symptoms. Once you understand the disease then you can look for the clues or indicators.

Common Signs and Symptoms include:
1. Headaches/Migraines

2. Neck and Shoulder discomfort and Pain

3. Abnormal Head tilt and/or rotation

For Structural shifts in the spine, there are four primary indicators:
1. Secondary Postural Compensations

2. Abnormal Structural Findings on Digital Spinographs

3. Automatic System Imbalance

4. Friction detected with the NeuroFunctional Scanner

Readings taken with the NeuroFunctional Scanner allow the doctor to detect friction and constriction to the nerves caused by the underlying Structural Shift in the spine. This invaluable high-tech tool allows the doctor to determine whether a patient needs an adjustment, and afterwards, if the adjustment was successful in correcting the Structural Shift.

Unlike conventional chiropractic where spinal manipulations occur on every visit, at Precision Chiropractic, we use the latest advances in technology to ensure that when we make a correction, it’s at the right place and time. This is essential for the stabilization of the spine as well as achieving a long-term solution for our patients.

Would your scab heal if you picked on it every day?

It’s time for a more scientific method.

Call our office and come to one of our introductory presentations or schedule a Complimentary Consultation to find out more about Structural Abnormalities and how they might be affecting your health.

Every so often, a prospective patient wants to know if they really need x-rays.  This is an important question for us to address, and certainly a fair one to be asked since not all chiropractors use x-ray in their practice.  X-rays are a standard part of our NeuroStructural Chiropractic examination, just as they are standard procedure for a dental visit.  In a dental setting, patients understand that periodic x-rays of their teeth give the doctor valuable information about the structure, alignment and overall health of the teeth.  A dentist’s x-rays eliminate any need for guesswork, and actually increase the safety of the patient and the quality of care.  At Precision Chiropractic it’s no different.

Most patients’ initial concern regarding x-rays is the radiation – they don’t want the exposure.  This is, of course, a legitimate concern, so let’s take a minute to address it.  Radiation from x-rays used for diagnostic purposes (as we use them in our practice) is measured in milliseiverts (mSv), and the dose a person receives is called the effective dose.  Different tissues in the body have varying degrees of sensitivity to radiation exposure, and the term effective dose is used as an average risk over the entire body.

To provide a frame of reference, we are exposed to radiation from natural sources all the time.  The average person growing up in the U.S. receives an effective dose of about 3mSv per year from cosmic radiation as well as naturally present radioactive materials.  Altitude also plays a role, but the largest source of background radiation exposure comes from radon gas in our homes.  Much like a cut on your finger, your body tissues can and do heal from the “wound” created by an x-ray, as long as the exposure is neither too large nor too frequent.  Applying this to our practice, the specific NeuroStructural views we take of the neck amount to 0.2mSv. To put this into perspective, it’s about the equivalent of just over 3 weeks’ worth of what you’d normally be exposed to from your natural surroundings.

You might still be wondering why we even need x-rays in the first place.  No two spines are shaped exactly alike, and no two spines move in exactly the same way.  In fact, asymmetry in our bodies is the rule rather than the exception, making relying on our sense of touch alone a gamble (and one we’re not willing to take).  We use state-of-the art high-frequency digital x-ray technology in our practice, which minimizes the exposure to our patients while providing us with the highest resolution images.  We utilize these images to customize care for each of our patients, while maintaining the highest standard of safety and quality.

Starting an exercise routine can sometimes be very intimidating and complex but today we are going to talk about a simple exercise that can be done at home with no equipment or require a lot of time.

Planks look so simple that one might assume it’s not doing anything at all but don’t be fooled. This exercise works out your abs, obliques, hips, and back. It is one of the best exercises you can do for core conditioning.

So what is a plank? A plank is where you hold the trunk of your body( off the ground) in a straight line.

Here are the instructions from the American Council on Exercise

• Hold your elbows directly under your shoulders and place your wrists in line with your elbows.
• Push your body up into your upper back and hold your chin close to your neck (like you’re holding an egg between your chin and your throat).
• In this position, brace your abdominals—contract them like expecting a punch in your stomach, squeeze your gluteal (tailbone) and thigh muscles simultaneously while continuing to breathe normally.
• Hold a plank at least 20 to 30 seconds. (When using correct form, it is not necessary to hold it for longer than this amount of time.) Rest for approximately one minute and repeat three to five more times.
• Start doing the plank using your elbows and toes (feel free to drop to your knees if necessary) and progress up to a high plank when you feel you have developed the necessary strength.
• Make sure to pull in your bellybutton while you are in the Plank position!

TOP THREE BENEFITS OF PLANKS

1. Reduces low back pain
2. Increased spinal flexibility
3. Improves balance and posture

A FEW EXTRA TIPS

1. don’t hold your breath while you are doing planks
2. make sure your elbows and hands are shoulder width apart
3. holding the position too long ( proper form is more important then length of time)

Start doing planks today to protect your structural corrections and to improve your spinal hygiene!

For some extra motivation, check out this video of the Guinness World Record holder for the longest plank!

You can have high blood pressure (hypertension) for years without any symptoms. Uncontrolled hypertension puts you at an increased risk of serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke. High blood pressure typically develops over the course of many years and, fortunately, can be easily detected. Once you know you have high blood pressure, you’re able to make changes to get it managed.

But what if there’s a missing piece to the puzzle? It sounds strange that your spine could be connected to hypertension, but several research studies have shown that it may be the case. Structural Shifts of the spine, particularly in the upper cervical area, have been found to cause a decrease in blood supply to the brainstem and an increase in systemic blood pressure.

If you’re familiar with scientific research, you’ll know that a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study is about the most unbiased you can get. A study of this nature was done to see how correcting the Atlas Displacement Complex would affect blood pressure. The results of the study were remarkable – over the course of the 8 weeks the patients were observed, those in the group that received the chiropractic adjustment saw as much improvement in their blood pressure as the group that took two different antihypertensive medications.

At Precision Chiropractic, outcomes are extremely important to us. This is evident in our process and procedures.  In other words, we’re keeping score.  We know there is no “high blood pressure adjustment”, and this is exactly why we measure each patient’s status and need for an adjustment on each visit. What we do know for sure is that helping our patients to not only correct, but also stabilize their adjustments, leads to the best possible outcomes. Maybe you’re tired of all the medications, or maybe you’re just looking for a different approach.  Either way, our complimentary consultation is the perfect way for us to get to know you, for you to get to know us, and to see if a Structural Shift of the spine may be contributing to your hypertension.