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

Dear Patient and Friend,

How do you see yourself in relation to the happenings in your life? Do you believe certain things just "happen" to you, maybe just by luck or caused by other people, without your ability to stop them or change them? Or, in contrast, do you believe you have the power to make changes in most areas of your life? This belief is described as "locus of control."

If you answered "yes" to the first possibility, you have an "internal locus of control." If you answered "yes" to the second, you have an external "locus of control." Studies have shown that most women have an internal locus, while most men have an external locus. Your beliefs about control can have a great influence on your decisions and behavior.

We commonly experience some wonderful personal accomplishments in the first two decades of life: feeding ourselves, walking, tying our own shoe laces, learning to whistle, riding a bike, driving a car, graduating from high school, finding a job. Each of these accomplishments toward adulthood brings with it a feeling of personal satisfaction and self-confidence. The feeling of "I can do it myself" is a very powerful realization.

As we mature, we begin to accept the fact that there are certain things that we cannot change. This can become a problem, though, if we view as "unchangeable" some important aspects of our lives that we can control.

For example, most of us have experienced health problems during our lives. We may have grown dependent on the authority of other people to tell us what is wrong and what to do about it. We may have lost the sense of choice about healthcare. Traditional medicine focuses on treatment of symptoms; however, the symptoms are not the true problem. Symptoms result from underlying problems which compromise our health, and these problems may worsen over time unless the underlying cause is addressed. Chiropractic care focuses on finding and correcting the cause of the symptoms and uses natural means to correct the problem.

Many times the underlying cause of symptoms is a subluxation (misaligned vertebra). Chiropractors focus on the human body as a whole unit, with special attention to the importance of the spine. Nerve impulses flow from the brain, through the spinal cord, to the rest of the body. Optimal health depends on the successful delivery of these nerve impulses to the organs, tissues and cells of the body. Each of the spinal vertebrae protects the nerves. If a vertebra is misaligned by the activities of life, the nerves can be affected and a health problem can result. Chiropractors correct the misaligned vertebrae with an adjustment and restore the free flow of nerve impulses through the nerve system. This enables the body to heal itself.

We have many choices in our lives these days: more options in the grocery store, on the internet, in the automobile showroom. We also have the most important choices to make in healthcare, and you have the power to choose wisely. Make your choice the natural, safe and effective choice. Make your choice chiropractic care for yourself and your family.

Healing Foods

Pineapples

Good for digestive problems, fevers, sore throats and generalized soft tissue injuries.

Its ability to break down blood clots makes it an excellent heart protector. The enzyme bromelain, present in fresh fruit, helps digestive problems and has shown antibiotic and anti-inflammatory effects. For maximum healing potential, fresh, ripe pineapple or freshly extracted juice must be your first choice.

Blackberries

Good for the heart, blood circulation and skin problems.

Beneficial for diarrhea because they contain enough soluble fiber and pectin.

Contain a useful amount of potassium.

A good source of vitamin C, which makes them a strong antioxidant, protective against cancer, degenerative diseases and infections. Extremely rich in vitamin E, this makes them useful for prevention and treatment of heart and circulatory problems.

"There are two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle."

Poor Telephone Posture Causes Problems

Your position when holding the telephone receiver can cause problems in the neck area which lead to headaches, neck tension, pain and stiffness. An estimated four million Americans suffer from chronic headaches, most of which are caused by neck problems. One major contributor to displaced vertebrae in the neck is the telephone.

Most people do not realize that awkward positioning, such as cradling the phone on the shoulder and bending the neck to fit the ear to the receiver, can throw the upper region of the spine (neck) out of balance. Pain can result as vertebrae become misaligned or locked, leading to abnormal muscle contraction and irritation of the nerves of the spine.

Headaches, another symptom of such a misalignment, are another way the body signals that something is wrong. Headache sufferers spend almost $2 billion a year on over-the-counter pain remedies that do not correct the problem. Painkillers only cover up symptoms that may become more serious. The cause of the headaches remains.

One proper posture, to avoid pain from vertebral misalignment when using a telephone, is to sit up straight, keep your head level and switch hands from time to time to equalize tension. Another is always hold the telephone with one of your hands and never cradle it between the neck and shoulder.

Chiropractic care can dramatically reduce headache pain because it corrects nerve system dysfunction that causes headaches. If your work requires repetitive actions that strain the neck and back, seek regular chiropractic adjustments to restore proper nerve system function. Feeling great can become an everyday occurrence with regular chiropractic care.

Can You Be Prosperous, Healthy and Maintain Your Spirituality?

New England Journal of Medicine, August 17, 2006; 355(7): 695-703

A new study has found that older Americans with more money also have better physical functioning. Each increase or decrease in level of household income, from poverty to wealth, is associated with a similar difference in physical capability.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that wealthier people aged 55 to 84 had an easier time walking, carrying, reaching, lifting objects, and climbing stairs.

Those at a similar age living below the poverty level were six times more likely to have physical limitations. A probable cause is the physical health problems that plague poorer people in greater numbers throughout their lifetimes. These can cumulatively cause chronic problems later on.

Do you believe that you could have all three–optimal health, abundant wealth and spirituality? I believe that we all can–if you’re willing to do whatever it takes.

It is my experience that many people believe that they can achieve only one state in their life. They might be wealthy; however, poor in health. Or maybe they are very spiritual people; however, without many physical possessions.

While it is a challenge, and takes hard work, confidence and determination, I believe we can have it all. One of the very first steps to mastering this is to set goals. Not many people ever do this and I believe that setting goals is the secret key to becoming healthy, wealthy and spiritual.

Most people don't understand that there is not much of a difference between properly constructed goals and having a genie that can magically grant your every wish. If they believed that they had the same effect, they would start constructing goals.

Whatever you focus your attention on you tend to manifest in your life. This is a universal principal of life. This is true whether you believe it or not. Just like the law of gravity, you don’t have to believe in it for it to work. The law of attraction, like the law of gravity, is a universal truth.

I am here to tell you that you absolutely can have it all. You are the artist of your life and your health. You can create the "life of your dreams" and you certainly can be healthier, wealthier and more spiritual than you have ever dreamed by simply deciding to.

Fascinating Facts To Think About

• Fresh pineapple is a great source of vitamin C, which may help ward off heart disease and cancer. It also contains manganese to keep your bones strong and an enzyme that helps relieve indigestion. Source: Health, March 2002
• Backpacks are getting too heavy. Some 71 percent of the members of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons felt that backpacks are a clinical problem for children, and 58 percent of the doctors reported seeing youngsters whose back and shoulder pains could be attributed to carrying backpacks that were too heavy for them.
• Fat is back., Essential fatty acids (EFAs), especially omega-3s and omega-6s, are necessary to rebuild and produce new cells. Along with improving overall health, EFAs keep skin tissue supple. Good omega-3 sources include flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds and vegetable oils, such as canola and walnut. Omega-6s are found in raw nuts, seeds, corn and beans. Source: Vegetarian Times, April 2002
• In a study performed by a team of Harvard University researcherswho monitored 121,000 women, results showed that women who exercise as little as half an hour each day, merely walking, lowered the incidence of colon cancer by 17 percent. Those women who did engage in more strenuous workouts lowered their risk of cancer by 50 percent. Source: Schuller, R. Possibility Living. Harper 2000
• How well is a new mother able to recognize the crying of her own baby? A study played tape recording sounds of the mother’s own baby crying, while the mother was sleeping. Eight out of ten times, the mother awakened immediately to the cry of her own baby. In a different test, the mothers awakened only half of that time when the crying baby was not their own.

I am amazed at how dramatically my son’s life has changed thanks to chiropractic care. I always thought that chiropractic care was only for adults. My experience at Cambridge Chiropractic really opened my eyes in many ways. I learned that symptoms like Danny’s can be caused by misalignment of vertebrae, leading to problems in the immune system.

When Danny was a baby, he had chronic ear infections, colds, and sinus infections. We were at the pediatrician’s office almost every week. He was taking antibiotics, Children’s Tylenol, and Dimetapp on a regular basis and even with these treatments, he seemed to always be getting worse.

I had been to a chiropractor once before for myself but never realized that chiropractors could help children. My girlfriend Ilyssa told me that she had taken her child to a chiropractor for similar health concerns and that she though a chiropractor could help Danny as well. I was willing to try just about anything at this point. I was tired of seeing him suffer.

On our first visit with Dr. Petrice I explained all of the symptoms that Danny was experiencing.(Dr. Petrice performed some tests and reported to me that Danny had subluxations (misaligned vertebrae) in his neck which was weakening his immune system and causing his symptoms. The doctor told us that adjustments would realign the vertebrae and strengthen his immune system, allowing his body to heal.

Now, one year later, Danny has no ear infections, colds or sinus infections and hasn’t taken any medication in a year. Danny is a much happier child and loves going to the chiropractor.

Thank you chiropractic and thank you Cambridge Chiropractic for helping my baby to be healthy again.—M. Evans

Closing Thoughts...I Am Thankful For...

• ...the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.
• ...the taxes I pay because it means that I’m employed.
• ...the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough food to eat.
• ...my shadow who watches me work because it means that I am out in the sunshine.
• ...a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.
• ...the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.
• ...all the complaining I hear about our government because it means we have freedom of speech.
• ...my huge heating bill because it means I am warm.
• ...the lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means that I can hear.
• ...the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that I am alive.
• ...the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby.
• ...weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been productive.

Nancy J. Carmody