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

Dear Patient and Friend,

What causes illness? What causes disease? Are some people just born to be sick while other people spend their entire lives being healthy? I don’t think so.

Understanding the cause of illness allows us to reach and maintain an optimal state of health. Think of it this way … Germs are seeds and our bodies are the soil. Many people mistakenly believe the cause of disease is from the seed or the germ. However, if the ‘Germ theory of disease’ were correct, there would be no one living to believe it. There are agents of disease surrounding us all of the time. Viruses and bacteria are everywhere we go and on everything we touch, but they cannot affect us unless we are susceptible. They can only affect us if our immune system is not strong enough to fight it off and adapt to the environment.

As long as our body, or the soil, is attuned to the natural flow of life and therefore having a strong resistance, optimal health is the only thing that can occur.

We see this truth in the words of Claude Bernard, "Illnesses hover constantly above us, their seeds blown by the wind, but they do not set in the terrain unless the terrain is ready to receive them."

Chiropractic is a science that uses the natural, innate power of the body to achieve and maintain optimal health. When our body is in line with the natural flow of life, we express it at our fullest potential. When interferences occur, our health becomes hindered and our body is more susceptible to disease.

Vertebral subluxations are a common interference in the nerve system. Vertebral subluxations impair normal nerve flow, thus weakening the body’s immune system, making us susceptible to disease. Chiropractors are doctors who are specifically trained to analyze the spine and correct vertebral subluxations, restoring and maintaining the true health we deserve to enjoy. Germs are a part of the disease process, however, they are not the direct cause of disease. It is the body’s susceptibility to germs that is the cause of disease.

We are all born with the natural, innate ability to be healthy and fight disease. We need to keep our "soil" healthy and strong with regular chiropractic care to increase the body’s ability to ward off disease.

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.

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!

Celebrate the 37th Anniversary of "EARTH DAY" April 22, 2007

Who Says You Can’t Change The World? In Honor of "Earth Day," We Are Celebrating the Week of April 22—April 28

"Earth Day," which began in 1970, is now celebrated by millions of people worldwide. This year is its 37th anniversary and around the world, hundreds of thousands of nongovernmental organizations, governments, teachers and faith-based groups, among others, are making plans to declare that they are part of something extraordinary: a worldwide movement to protect our planet, our children and our future. This year, Earth Day Network’s theme is "Protect Our Children and Our Future."

This Earth Day, hundreds of major events will take place around the world, in communities large and small, in classrooms, in parks, on beaches and in places of worship. From Kiev to Beijing, from India to Romania, from Africa to the Americas...we will demonstrate our diversity and our resilience.

"Earth Day" is a perfect opportunity to reflect on the inter-relationship between human ecology and global ecology. "Earth Day" educates and mobilizes people worldwide for environmental protection. It is our responsibility to keep our environment clean and safe for generations to come and this is a great opportunity to bring people together for the common good.

And you needn't wait for April 22 to help protect the Earth. "Earth Day" is every day—to build a better future for the environment, we all need to be working toward solutions on a year-round basis. "Earth Day" is the only event celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. More than a half billion people participate in "Earth Day" campaigns every year.

Who Says You Can’t Change The World? YOU can make a difference!

Calmness Is Healing—CHI Newsletter Fall 2003

In an emergency room, a calm patient is far more likely to survive than a hysterical one with a similar injury. Calmness accelerates healing and recovery time. In fact, calmness not only governs healing, it is a prime determinant of "Quality of Life."

While inflammation, pain and edema can be described as noise in the cellular matrix of the body, fear, worry and irritation would be noise in the nerve system. These noises interfere with our lives, exhaust us, and wear down our resistance to disease, making us more susceptible to colds and flu therefore, impeding recovery.

When our bodies are quiet, they are capable of amazing things. Calming noise in the nerve system is probably the single most important factor in increasing the body’s ability to heal itself and in increasing quality of life. When our nerve system is quiet we are able to think more clearly, concentrate better and adapt to the environment at a much higher level.

A chiropractic adjustment is the quickest and most effective way to calm the nerve system and improve healing. Since the nerve system is the chief means of communication in the body, noise can interfere with nerve flow and lead to health problems. Doctors of chiropractic specialize in calming the nerve system by restoring vital communication within the body.

Do This, Live Longer—Men’s Health March 2002

Ever wonder if the two minutes it took you to scarf down that bag of chips took two minutes off your life? Health experts at Loma Linda University studied members of the California Seventh-Day Adventists, many of whom lead rigorously healthy lives and live longer than the rest of us. According to the study, here’s how many years each of these habits could add to your life.

I hope that it is as obvious to you as it is to me that better lifestyle choices and simple lifestyle changes can dramatically affect the quality of the rest of your life. As a matter of fact, 37 percent of cancers and 50 percent of heart disease cases can be prevented through making these simple, yet critical, lifestyle changes. Regular chiropractic care, in addition to eating right, exercising, getting proper rest and reducing stress, will absolutely improve the overall health and wellness of you and your family. Remember that chiropractic is not a treatment of any disease, it is a lifestyle that one chooses to live for the rest of their life to stay healthy and improve their quality of life.

Adapting to Stress: Body and Mind

Dr. Ben Lerner, thebodybygod.com

Health is a state of well being in three distinct areas: 1. Physical 2. Mental 3. Social.

One of my major rules for "Maximized Living" is "Peace Management." A negatively stressful life will rarely lead to a healthy body. A struggling, desperate individual will likely experience illness, despite following most of the other important rules of wellness. Even if you could be healthy while experiencing stress, you'd just be a healthy miserable person. And...who wants that?

On the other hand, someone who has peace of mind, knows who he or she is, works hard to emerge victorious over struggles and experiences loving relationships will very likely enjoy ongoing good health. If you're not having a good time living in your body, it's hard for that body to be well or for you to call it healthy. The fact is, you can't separate your wellness from your emotions. Every feeling you have affects some part of your body.

All feelings create physiologic change. Skin, heart rate, digestion, joints, muscle energy levels, the hair on your head and endless cells and systems you don't even know about change with every emotion. These changes can be called the stress response.

Celebrations and tragedies alike cause a stress response in the body. Some stress is unavoidable. The only stress-free people on the planet can be visited at any local cemetery. On the other hand, stress becomes negative only when:

• Your response to it is negative.
• Your feelings and emotions are inappropriate for the circumstances.
• Your response lasts an excessively long time.
• You are feeling continuously overwhelmed, overpowered and overwrought from the circumstance.

Our personality and emotions are not pre—determined and pre—programmed as we once thought. You are not who you perceive yourself to be! Many of us feel stuck inside a brain that doesn't work the way we want it to. What science has discovered is that we control our genes—they don't control us!

Although your DNA is your basic blueprint, it is triggered by our attitude and environment. By beginning to embrace and cooperate with life and recognizing how powerful you are, you can start to have a spirit of overcoming, experiencing positive, healthy stress, rather than living as a victim in a state of overwhelm and negative stress.

Stress has become a serious health hazard. If you don’t get a handle on it quick, stress can take a huge toll on your physical, mental and social well-being. Let me share with you the most simple way to turn stress into your ally and not your enemy...

Regular chiropractic adjustments are the quickest and most effective way to reduce stress to your nerve system. Spinal nerve stress, caused by a vertebral subluxation, is a dangerous mechanism that damages nerves, weakens health and depletes energy stores. Many people may walk around with a painless subluxation for years without knowing it. Doctors of chiropractic are professionals who specialize in correcting vertebral subluxations, the cause of spinal nerve stress, which leads to increased energy, improved health and a rejuvenated body.

Fascinating Facts To Think About

Did You Know?

• Trading in the spikes. In a recent study of 500 women by the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society, only one in four women reported they regularly wore to work shoes with heels higher than one inch. Twenty-something’s were twice as likely as 40 to 50 year olds to wear low heels.
• A surprising tension buster is commuting to work. Fewer than one percent of Americans would willingly eliminate their daily commute, finds a new study. "People use commuting as a de-stresser. For many people, it’s their only time to be alone."
• Stop skipping breakfast. Diet research shows that eating in the morning can speed your resting metabolic rate by 10 to 25 percent after your meal, according to Georgia G. Kostas, RD, director of nutrition at the Copper Aerobics Center in Dallas. That means, you start burning calories at a much quicker rate than if you waited until noontime to grab your first meal.
• Too much nasal spray can be harmful. especialUsing decongestant sprays too frequently and for too long can cause "rebound" congestion that is often worse than the original problem, says Margaret Reilly, clinical pharmacist at Orlando Regional Medical Center. If severe enough, this rebound effect can lead to addictive use.
• A daily dose of chocolate may reduce the risk of hypertension and diabetes. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating 3.5 ounces of antioxidant rich dark chocolate daily for 15 days reduced insulin resistance and lowered systolic blood pressure significantly in healthy patients. White chocolate offered no benefit and milk chocolate wasn’t tested. All chocolate is high in calories, so opt for dark in a limited amount.–Source: Natural Health Magazine, July/August 2005
• Researchers tested fitness walkers’ reaction to three types of sound:Silence, light rock music and hard rock music. The music that increased endurance and lowered heart rate the most was light rock music. Hard rock music had about the same effect as silence.

I have been suffering with asthma for most of my life, almost 30 years. I experience asthma attacks at least twice each month. I have come to accept it because doctors have consistently told me that I simply have to learn to live with it. When I would get an attack, I would take the necessary medications to feel better, but it was only temporary, until the next time. There seemed to be no hope for a full recovery and a normal life for me.

As a child, this was devastating. I couldn’t take part in many school activities because I was fearful of the consequences. I was embarrassed to have to use my inhaler in front of all of my friends. It became a real inconvenience in my life, however, I got used to it as I grew older.

Four months ago, I experienced a neck injury and my friend Amy referred me to her chiropractor, Dr. Petrice. I was a little hesitant to go because I had never been to a chiropractor before and I knew nothing about chiropractic. The pain was so severe that I decided to go so that I could feel better. I had lots of questions and I wasn’t really sure how chiropractic could help.

On my first visit, Dr. Petrice made me feel so comfortable and welcome in the office. All of my questions were answered. By the time my exam was complete, I knew I was in the right place.

What really changed my life, however, was that Dr. Petrice told me that the injured nerves that are causing my neck pain also control my breathing abilities. She also explained that when my spine and nerves were healthy again, my breathing may improve as well.

Needless to say, I have been getting adjustments three times each week for the past three months and I have not had an asthma attack since. Oh, my neck pain is better too.

I can’t believe that I suffered needlessly for 30 years and none of my doctors recommended I see a chiropractor. Dr. Petrice has truly made a difference in my life and now I can share chiropractic with everyone I know. I am truly grateful! Thank You!—D. Pertenski

Closing Thoughts...–The Rules for Being Human

• 1. You Will Receive A Body. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period of this time around.
• 2. You Will Learn Lessons. You are enrolled in a full time informal school called LIFE. Each day in this school you will have opportunities to learn lessons. You may like the lesson or think them irrelevant and stupid.
• 3. There Are No Mistakes, Only Lessons. Growth is a process of trial and error: Experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately are a "success."
• 4. A Lesson Is Repeated Until Learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can then go on to the next lesson.
• 5. Learning Lessons Does Not End. There is no part of life that does not contain its lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned.
• 6. There Is No Better Than Here. When your "there" has become a "here," you will simply obtain another there that will again look better than "here."
• 7. Others Are Simply A Mirror Of You. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself.
• 8. What You Make Of Your Life Is Up To You. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you choose to do with them is always up to you.
• 9. All Of Your Answers Lie Inside Of You. The answers to your life’s questions line inside of yourself. All you need to do to make the best decisions is trust yourself.
• 10. You Will Forget All This, And You Can Remember It Whenever You Want. Remember these essential rules for being human. Share them with others.

Please re-read #1. Love it, or hate it, this is your body for the rest of your life.
You can’t replace parts as you can on your car. You can’t trade it in for a 2007 model.
You must take care of this one because it’s the only body you’ll ever have.

I am so proud to be a chiropractor and so proud of you for making the best decision to live the "Chiropractic Lifestyle." You have raised your standards of your own health and well-being. Congratulations for being the best "Human Being" you can be!