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

Dear Patient and Friend,

What is your "philosophy of life?" What are the beliefs and values by which you live? We don’t often discuss our philosophy with others; however, the choices that we make and the actions we take in everyday life reveal our beliefs and values. For example, if our philosophy of life places high value on working hard, we will probably work hard all of our lives and find great satisfaction in such work.

Our parents often share their philosophy with us as children. "Pretty is as pretty does" is a proverb mothers sometimes used to teach their daughters their own belief that a person’s character is more important than their appearance. Learning life philosophies from our parents is a very valuable part of growing up. Other philosophies are handed down in families as well, including the "philosophy of health." Of course, we live in the age of advertising. Drug advertisements are all over the internet, TV channels and magazines. Thousands and thousands of drugs are easily accessible. This may override the healthcare values and practices we were taught when we were younger.

The first is allopathic medicine. This is a mechanistic approach to health in which the body is divided into different systems and a medical doctor who focuses solely on this system is considered a "specialist." For example, cardiologists are heart specialists and respiratory specialists focus on the lungs and respiratory system. These doctors diagnose their patient’s illness by examining smaller parts of the whole structure. A condition is diagnosed by gathering test results and symptomatology, then introducing a treatment, usually drugs, in hopes that the medication will relieve the symptoms and restore the sick body to health.

This approach disregards the understanding that the human body is very intelligent and is fully capable of healing itself of disease and weakness. This human intelligence needs no help, other than a fully functioning nerve system. Sometimes the body may deteriorate so badly that it needs drug intervention to sustain life until the body can regain its ability to heal itself.

The second health care philosophy is chiropractic care. The chiropractic philosophy of health 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.

The philosophy of chiropractic encourages us to take control of our own health, listen to the messages our body is sending us, and get to the cause of the problem instead of simply covering them up with medication.

What is your "philosophy of health?" If you suffer from pain or illness and desire a long-term solution to optimal health, make an appointment TODAY to visit your chiropractor. If you value your body’s ability to heal itself and you believe natural approaches are best, choose the philosophy of chiropractic care. You will be glad you did!

In this extraordinary Patient Newsletter, Chiropractic Miracles, we will discuss different topics of interest, documented research studies, and even personal success stories. I will reveal to you my personal "Guide to Chiropractic Wellness" which will absolutely arm you with the tools necessary to make the best health decisions for yourself and your family.

Before we move ahead, let me first thank you for continuing to be a wonderful patient and friend and for choosing to live the "Chiropractic Lifestyle." I commend you for taking charge of your health and the health of those you love!

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 Action Steps to Reduce Stress:

• Take time outs: 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.
• 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.
• Reduce or eliminate caffeine: Concentrate on eating mostly whole foods that provide the body with sustained energy.
• 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.
• Get enough sleep: Your body needs enough sleep to renew and repair itself and increase its defenses against stress.
• Laugh it off: Five minutes of laughter each day greatly reduces stress. The more you laugh, the easier and more contagious it becomes.
• 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.

CDC Makes Another Health-Harming Pitch For Flu Vaccines

Yahoo News, November 13, 2006

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials are worried that an overstock of flu vaccine could lead to millions of doses being thrown away. This could discourage manufacturers from making as much vaccine in the future. As a result, the CDC is encouraging Americans to get flu shots even after Thanksgiving, which is when public demand generally drops off.

More than 110 million doses are being made for the 2006-2007 flu season. This is a record amount; the previous high was 95 million in 2002-2003. That year, 12 million doses went unused and one manufacturer ceased to make shots. This year, CDC officials are promoting November 27 through December 3 as "National Influenza Vaccination Week."

Meanwhile, PutChildrenFirst.org, an advocacy organization of parents with autistic children, has sounded a warning about thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative found in most flu shots. They contend that thimerosal contributes to autism and other developmental disorders in children. Thimerosal was removed from other childhood vaccinations in 2003, but flu vaccine sold in multi-dose vials still has the preservative.

This just doesn’t seem logical. When demand drops for this useless and potentially dangerous vaccine, the reaction of the CDC is not that we need less of it made, but that more Americans should get vaccinated.

This is a familiar plea from the CDC, being the same one they made last year. Of course, they justify their concerns by trotting out erroneous numbers like the estimated annual number of flu deaths (36,000) when the real number for 2002 in America was less than 800. Is the CDC's job to protect the public health or the massive profits of the drug companies?

Statistics clearly show that the potential for risk involved with the flu vaccine is much greater than the potential benefit. Here is yet another example of the failure of "better health through better chemistry."

Patients who receive regular chiropractic care strengthen their body’s own immune system to adapt to the environmental circumstances and fight off the germs and bacteria that they come in contact with every day.

The Wellness Revolution

There are two basic reasons to consider chiropractic care. First, is the correction of the cause of health problems and the other is achieving optimal wellness for a lifetime.

Subluxations (spinal misalignments) are the cause of many health problems. The brain communicates to every tissue, organ and cell in the body through the spinal column. Any interference in nerve flow can cause a distortion of messages being sent from the brain to the rest of the body. This may result in symptoms and health problems.

A chiropractic adjustment is necessary in the correction of subluxations. When we experience symptoms such as pain, headaches, digestive disturbances, allergies, etc. we may try external means to mask the symptoms however, this does not correct the internal cause of the problem, the subluxation. The foundation of chiropractic is to locate and correct the underlying cause of health problems–a practice bringing relief of symptoms and then ultimately optimal health and wellness, naturally.

Approximately one-seventh of the U.S. economy, about $1.5 trillion, is devoted to what is erroneously called "healthcare." Healthcare is a misnomer, as this one-seventh of the economy is really devoted to sickness. Sickness is defined in the dictionary as "ill health, illness, a disordered, weakened condition, or a specific disease." The sickness industry is reactive. They provide products and services reactively to people with an existing disease ranging from the common cold to cancer. These products and services seek to treat symptoms or eliminate disease. Despite the enormous size of the sickness industry, no one really wants to be a consumer.

In the next ten years, an additional $1 trillion of the U.S. economy will be devoted to the Wellness industry. Wellness is defined in the dictionary as, "the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal."

The Wellness industry is proactive. People voluntarily become consumers. Their health goals include feeling healthier, increasing energy, reducing effects of aging, improving performance and fitness levels, and to avoid becoming consumers of the sickness industry. Everyone wants to be a consumer of this earlier-stage approach to health. Within the wellness industry, products and services are provided proactively to healthy people in order to continually promote a healthy lifestyle.

As a chiropractic patient for life you are aware that chiropractic is at the forefront of the Wellness Revolution. There is no other health care profession that promotes and educates patients to live a wellness lifestyle. It is never too early to begin to live the Chiropractic Lifestyle. Chiropractic care is a health care approach based upon the body’s natural ability to heal itself and is a very important step in a commitment to optimal health and wellness. Optimal health and wellness is one of our most valuable possessions and we should value ourselves enough to strive for the highest level of health.

Fascinating Facts To Think About

Did You Know?

• Whiten your teeth the natural way. "To keep teeth bright and prevent yellowing you need to remove the staining bacteria", says Lana Rozenberg, DDS. "This is exactly what happens when you chew certain foods that produce a high salivary flow," she said. So, in addition to apples, take a bite out of pears, kiwis, celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and cucumbers. Brighter teeth are just another perk to eating healthy foods.
• Fish oil or soy oil taken in daily supplements improves heart function and protects against heart attacks, concludes a study published in the journal Chest. Investigators gave 58 cardiac patients either two grams of fish oil or two grams of soy oil each day. After 11 weeks, all of the participants exhibited significant improvement in cardiac function. Those taking fish oil saw results within the first three weeks, whereas it took over eight weeks for soy oil to show positive results.–Source: Natural Health Magazine, July/August 2005
• Green tea may help fight skin cancer, according to a study published in Archives for Dermatology. The tea’s polyphenols–natural compounds already shown to neutralize cancer causing chemicals in test tubes-were found to have anti-carcinogenic potential for skin as well. Researchers speculate that green tea enriched products could one day help prevent skin disorders.
• More than 46 million people in the United States have made the decision to quit smoking and have succeeded. This accomplishment has far - reaching health benefits, as described by the U.S. Surgeon General: "Smoking cessation represents the single most important step that smokers can take to enhance the length and quality of their lives."
• New research suggests that antibiotics often don’t help acute sinusitis in kids. So why prescribe them and raise the risk of creating antibiotic-resistant bacteria? Ask your child’s doctor about alternatives.–Source: Health, July/August 2005

At the age of 21 I was involved in a very bad car accident. The damage to my car was extensive and so was the damage to my body. I was taken to the hospital immediately following the accident. The doctors took X-rays of my neck and back and luckily I had not broken any bones. They told me I was fine and sent me on my way.

I knew in my heart that I was not fine. Three weeks after the accident I began experiencing painful headaches. They lasted for days at a time. I couldn’t go to work and I couldn’t exercise, which is something I love to do. I was miserable. I knew I needed help but the doctors didn’t seem to have any answers for me.

My friend Anne recommended I visit her chiropractor, Dr. Petrice was hesitant because I thought chiropractic care was only for people with back problems. I wasn’t sure how a chiropractor could help my headaches. By this time, chiropractic care seemed like it was my only chance at feeling good again and regaining my life. I decided to give it a try.

On my first visit with Dr. Petrice she explained that the car accident caused the bones in my neck to move out of alignment and pinch nerves. This was the cause of my problems and I immediately began a schedule of adjustments to correct the misalignments of my spine.

It was absolutely incredible. Within one month of regular care, I am no longer experiencing headaches. What I was even more pleasantly surprised to realize is that my energy is better than ever, my allergies no longer exist and I am sleeping like a baby. I am feeling better than ever before.

Words cannot express how grateful I am to my friend Anne for introducing me to the doctors and staff at Cambridge Chiropractic. I can’t believe nobody ever told me about the benefits of chiropractic before. I am sure going to tell everyone I know.–M. Lange

Closing Thoughts...Thoughts for the New Year...Right Now...

Somebody is very proud of you...Somebody is thinking of you...Somebody misses you...
Somebody wants to talk to you...Somebody wants to be with you...
Somebody hopes you aren’t in trouble...Somebody is thankful for your support...
Somebody hopes everything turns out all right...Somebody wants you to be happy...
Somebody wants to give you a gift...Somebody thinks you are a gift...
Somebody loves you...Somebody admires your strength...Somebody is thinking of you...
Somebody wants to be your shoulder to cry on...Somebody would do anything for you...
Somebody wants to be forgiven...Somebody treasures your spirit...
Somebody is grateful for your forgiveness...Somebody wants to laugh with you...
Somebody remembers you and wishes that you were there...
Somebody needs to know that your love is unconditional...
Somebody wants to tell you how much they care...Somebody wants to share their dreams...
Somebody wants to hold you...Somebody wants you to hold them...
Somebody counts their blessings for your friendship...Somebody can’t wait to see you...
Somebody loves you for who you are...Somebody loves the way you make them feel...
Somebody is always there for you...Somebody is glad that you are his/her friend...
Somebody is alive because of you...Somebody wants to get to know you better...
Somebody wants to be near you...Somebody had faith in you...Somebody trusts you...
Somebody needs your support...Somebody needs you to have faith in them...
Somebody will cry when they read this...Somebody hears a song that reminds them of you...
Somebody needs you to pass this on to them!
–Author Unknown

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 2007, 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 2007 the healthiest, happiest and most prosperous year EVER? GO FOR IT! You deserve it.

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