Healthy Living Chiropractic Newsletter
Cambridge Chiropractic 3939 Cambridge Road, Suite 100
(530)672–6451 www.cambridgechiropractic.com

Dear Patient and Friend,

Symptoms are our body’s warning system. When you feel symptoms such as pain or illness, do you find the cause of the symptoms or just silence it?

A red traffic light. The ringing of a telephone. The gas light in the dashboard of your car. The unmistakable sound of a police car siren. All of these examples are messages that tell us something is wrong, dangerous or require action. We learn to recognize the messages of many universal signals and taking the necessary action steps becomes a habit. We STOP at red traffic lights. We answer ringing telephones. We fill up the gas tank when the warning light comes on. We get off the road and let police cars pass. These are simple, well understood warning signals. We know what actions to take to respond to them. Why is it that in other areas of our everyday lives, such as health, we frequently ignore signals completely?

Maybe if our bodies were equipped with mechanical devices that beeped or set off a siren at the first sign of illness, we would learn to respond quickly to protect our health. Instead, most people ignore pain and symptoms, which are the brain’s way of letting us know a problem exists and needs to be corrected. We often expect the pain to just disappear or maybe a pill will mask the pain so it doesn’t interfere with our daily activities.

From the time we are children, many of us are taught to silence our body’s warning siren with a pill. When we do this, we leave the cause of the problem uncorrected and that can be potentially devastating. The underlying problem can become chronic, lasting months or even years and it can frequently lead to other major health issues.

Millions of people experience pain on a frequent basis. Many times this pain can interfere with their lives. They lose time at work and valuable time with their family. In many cases the pain can become debilitating. Conditions such as migraine headaches, back and neck problems, sciatica, arthritis and many other illnesses disable more people than heart disease and cancer.

Most important to optimal health is a healthy nerve system, which is composed of the brain, spinal cord and many nerves. When a spinal vertebra is out of its normal alignment, nerves can be irritated or pinched resulting in an interruption of communication in the nerve system, ultimately resulting in pain and subsequent health problems. Silencing or ignoring the body’s warning signals can prevent the detection and correction of the underlying cause of ill health. Act! Don’t just react. Listening more closely to the messages your body is sending can help you to become healthier than ever before.

The chiropractic model of health and wellness does not focus on pain and symptoms. The chiropractic model of health and wellness focuses on YOU and is centered on the philosophy that the human body, being knit together in a wonderful way, will heal itself given the right opportunity and circumstances. The passion for the Doctor of Chiropractic is to promote the healing process by locating and removing any interference or blockage in the nerve system, which may be interfering with your ability to express your maximum health potential.

All you need to do for optimal wellness is to take the first step and recognize the messages your body is sending. Don’t wait for something bad to happen. Make the decision today to live a healthier lifestyle because you deserve great health and wellness. You deserve a life filled with love, vitality and all of your dreams come true.

STRESS...It's Just A Part Of Life!

Stress is a part of our lives. There’s no way around it. Some of us wish there were a few extra hours in each day. We’re stressed out by the demands at work and at home. Family members may cause unnecessary tension. All of us experience the harmful effects of stress on a daily basis. Stress has become a serious health hazard and over time, stress can take a high toll on our mental and physical well-being.

Seven Substance Free Stress Reducers

1. Take timeouts: Take time out each day, devoting at least twenty minutes to activities that bring you pleasure. Such activities may include gardening, exercising, reading, listening to music or playing with your kids.

2. Breathe deeply: Practice deep breathing prior to and during a stressful situation. When most adults become stressed they stop breathing completely or practice shallow, rapid breathing patterns. The healthiest method of breathing is deep, diaphragmatic breathing because this sends an impulse to the brain to relax.

3. Reduce or eliminate caffeine: Concentrate on eating mostly whole foods that provide the body with sustained energy.

4. Practice staying calm in stressful situations: Our stress response is programmed into our nerve system. When we feel stress we automatically go into stress mode and react inappropriately. Practice everyday to re-program the nerve system with a new, positive response to stress.

5. Get enough sleep: Your body needs enough sleep to renew and repair itself and increase its defenses against stress.

6. Laugh it off: Five minutes of laughter each day greatly reduces stress. The more you laugh, the easier and more contagious it becomes.

7. Chiropractic Care: Chiropractic care is the quickest and most effective way to release stress in your nerve system. Removing interference and stress in your nerve system gives your body the ability to heal and regulate and its optimal level. Prevent stress by getting adjusted regularly and by living a healthier lifestyle.

20 Deaths Not Enough For Recall Of ADD/ADHD Drug

On February 10, 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that U.S. drug safety reports of 20 deaths linked to the Attention Deficit drug Adderall XR are not enough to remove the drug from the market.

Robert Temple, director of medical policy for the FDA said, "The cases are not convincing evidence the drug is clearly responsible for these deaths." He went on to say that while the FDA is deciding whether to conduct its own study of Adderall XR, the drug will continue to be available in the U.S., its biggest market.

U.S. House and Senate committees have been studying drug safety since the painkiller Vioxx was removed from the market after it was tied to heart risks and antidepressants were linked to an increased risk of suicide in children.

Adderall already carries a "black box warning," the strongest the FDA requires. It warns that amphetamines "have a high potential for abuse" and they "should be prescribed or dispensed sparingly."

The FDA’s ability to inform people about drug dangers has been questioned by Michigan Representative Bart Stupak. "If you’re going to keep this thing on the market, have a signed informed-consent for the patient, and make it mandatory."

It should shock you that every year thousands of people suffer from doctor prescribed adverse drug reactions and yet, the medical profession continues to prescribe drugs as if they had no long term, negative effect on the human body. As you know, drugs simply mask symptoms and inevitably allow the body to slip further into a diseased state. I hope it is becoming as evident to you as it is to me that drugs are NOT the solution to health and wellness because health comes from within.

The public is rapidly moving away from drugs. Thank God! It is clear to me, and I hope to you and your family, that better health through better chemistry has never worked.

Chiropractic philosophy has advocated and educated the public with a better and different paradigm. Better health through better living. As a chiropractic patient, you know that this is what our office has built its solid reputation on.

Pre-School Children Fastest Growing Group Given Antidepressants–Psychiatric Services, April 2, 2004

A study highlighted in the April 2, 2004 issue of Psychiatric Services reports that pre-school children are the fastest growing group of people in the United States being prescribed antidepressants.

The study covered the period between 1998 and 2002. By examining the insurance records of a random sample of two million children, researchers found that among children under the age of five, the number of boys prescribed antidepressants increased by 64% and the number of girls increased by 100%.

On March 22, 2004 the U.S. Food And Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning that patients taking antidepressants, including children and teenagers, should be very closely monitored for increasing hostility, anxiety, insomnia and other behaviors that may be signs of deepening depression and suicidal tendencies.

Even pre-school kids experience stress including family difficulties, jumping and falling, and lack of parental attention. I am concerned that we are nurturing a generation of drug dependent kids. What kind of mixed messages are we sending our children when we counsel them to "Just Say No" in the schoolyard, but greet them with a kiss and a pill when they get home?

What can you do? Keep your expectations of your children reasonable. Give just a little more of your valuable time and attention to your children. Let them know how much you love them and how proud of them you really are. Hug them and make them laugh at least 3 times every day.

Get their spines checked regularly for vertebral subluxation and nerve system stress. Corrective chiropractic care gently realigns the misaligned vertebrae into its normal, healthy position and frees the nerve system from any interference and stress. This allows your child’s nerve system and immune system to strengthen and function properly. As a practicing chiropractor specializing in pediatrics, I find that adjusting children and removing stress to their nerve systems, insures the best possible healthy and stress free futures.

Did You Know?–Fascinating Facts To Think About

• Olive oil keeps on winning. Researchers at Oxford University, England found in one study that countries with the highest intake of olive oil had the lowest rate of cancer. Olive oil decreases levels of a harmful acid in the body that may cause cancerous cells to grow, and increases the level of a cancer fighting enzyme.
• Drinking several cups of caffeinated coffee a day makes the body react as if it is under stress all day, say Duke University Medical Center researchers. When subjects had 250 milligrams of caffeine (about two cups of coffee in the morning and again at noon), stress levels spiked and stayed elevated late into the evening. Persistently high levels have been linked to heart damage.
• New research shows it is more important to avoid negative thinking than to just think positively. Researchers at Ohio State University studied middle aged and older adults, half of whom were caregivers for a relative with Alzheimer’s disease. At one-year intervals in this three-year study, participants reported their degree of optimism and pessimism, negative life events, depression, stress, anxiety and other issues. Individuals who reported the least amount of negative thinking turned out to be the healthiest of the study participants.
• Chronic stress lasting longer than a month may make the body more susceptible to cold germs, reports a study from Carnegie-Mellon University. Subjects experiencing long-term interpersonal problems and job related stresses were up to five times more likely to catch colds when exposed to a virus than those who were not under similar stress.
• Anxious exercisers are more likely to get hurt, according to a new study from the University of Washington in Seattle. Researchers asked 46 ballerinas to fill out questionnaires assessing their anxiety levels. Eight months later, the most worried dancers were three times more likely to have been injured than the more relaxed ones. "Excessive worry causes muscle tension and an inability to concentrate, which can lead to injury," explained researcher Ronald smith, PhD.

Chiropractic Miracles–"Listen To What Our Patients Are Saying"

When my daughter Daniela was diagnosed with scoliosis one year ago, I felt that the treatment options currently being offered by the medical doctors were not satisfactory. After researching many other methods, I felt that chiropractic would be the best, long-term option for Daniela.

This is when I contacted Dr. Petrice. From the very beginning I was impressed with Dr. Petrice and her fine doctors and staff. Dr Petrice answered every question and concern that I had and Daniela began her care at Cambridge Chiropractic. Her care plan consisted of three visits each week for many months. The most recent set of x-rays taken of Daniela’s spine showed that the progression of the scoliosis has not only stopped, the curvature is improving!!

What words do I feel best describe the staff at Cambridge Chiropractic ?

The words that immediately come to my mind are: high standards, friendly atmosphere, compassion, and good sense of humor.

I am convinced that the friendly atmosphere at Cambridge Chiropractic helps to reduce daily stress that is felt by many patients. This friendly atmosphere is so "infectious" that many good friendships have developed among many patients.

I am so very grateful to the doctors and staff at Cambridge Chiropractic for the wonderful care they have given Daniela. With your help, Daniela has been spared from having to wear a brace and as well from a potentially very dangerous surgery.–E. Henriques

Closing Thoughts–Interesting Facts To Brighten Your New Year

Fact #1: At least 5 people in this world love you so much that they would die for you.

Fact #2: At least 15 people in this world love you in some important way.

Fact #3: The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.

Fact #4: A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don’t like you.

Fact #5: Every night someone thinks about you before they go to sleep.

Fact #6: You mean the world to someone right now.

Fact #7: Without you, someone would not be living today.

Fact #8: You are special and unique in your own way.

Fact #9: Someone you don’t even know exists loves you very much.

Fact #10: When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good will come from it.

Fact #11: When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a closer look because you probably turned your back on the world.

Fact #12: Always remember the compliments you received and forget any rude remarks heard.

Fact #13: Always tell others how you feel about them. You’ll feel much better when they know.

Fact #14: If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know they are great.

Fact #15: You can have anything you want if you are just willing to go after it.

We covered lots of information in this powerful newsletter. I am proud to be a chiropractor and equally proud of you, my family of wonderful patients and friends. You should be proud of yourselves for being at the leading edge in healthcare and for choosing the "Chiropractic Lifestyle" for your family.

Life is wonderful and we all live a blessed life. It is a privilege and honor to serve my patients and to team up with you and help you to accomplish all of your health goals. Please share this wealth of valuable information with those you care for. The best gift you can give anyone is a gift of HOPE.

As we kick off 2006, I wish for you a magical year, a year of abundance, joy, vitality, and of maintaining the highest standards for your health and your family’s health. I wish for you a "Dream-come-true New Year." This is the time of year to be most grateful for all of the miracles in our lives. What a perfect opportunity to share precious moments with family and friends. There has never been a better time to share your love with all of those around you. Together, we can all help to make our world a better and healthier place to live. Are you ready to make 2006 the healthiest, happiest and most prosperous year EVER? GO FOR IT! You deserve it.

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