Alive Family Wellness

Newsletter for August

2011-07-28T12:00:00.001+01:00

Here's the link for our August newsletter http://www.alive-chiro.co.uk/doctor.asp?chiropractor=57S

I hope you find it useful. Your feedback would be welcomed

Yours in Health

Peter

We Don't Crack Bones

2011-07-07T13:19:00.000+01:00

There are a lot of myths, misconceptions that go around about chiropractic. Some of the more common are:-

1. We crack bones.

People have confused chiropractic care with spinal manipulation but there is a huge difference.

For a start, anyone can do spinal manipulation with either no training or a weekend course. Only chiropractors can do chiropractic care and learning how to do it takes 5 years of intensive training.

Spinal manipulation is about forcing your bones where the manipulator thinks they "ought" to go. Very frequently your body doesn't want them to go that way so it resists. A lot of force has to be used to overcome this resistance. Your body always has good reasons for its behaviour - if it doesn't want to move a certain way or it causes pain it is because the body knows that damage will happen. Forcing your body to move where it doesn't want to go may cause more damage.

A chiropractic adjustment is about finding out what your body is trying to do and helping it along. Because your body is helping rather than resisting I don't need to use much force. People are often very surprised at how light a touch is needed and how quickly the body responds.

I often use the analogy that spinal manipulation is like pushing a car uphill with the brakes on. A chiropractic adjustment is like taking the brakes off and pushing it downhill.

Please let me know your comments, suggestions or requests for information on peter@penrithchiropractic.com

The cost of war

2011-05-21T11:19:00.001+01:00

Dwight D. Eisenhower. From a speech before the American Society of Newspaper Editors, April 16, 1953

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron."

Watching THE Wedding

2011-05-01T21:33:00.001+01:00

Like several billion others I spent Friday morning watching two young people getting married. I cried - but I always cry at weddings. Goodness knows what I'll be like at my children's weddings! What with crying through the ceremony, Dad-dancing afterwards and cracking bad jokes during my speech they probably won't invite me!

I was very moved by the sermons and speeches. The combined lesson they seemed to be putting over was "We know that there will be pomp and ceremony and media and wealth and pageantry and celebrity, but in the end all there is is love."

Service of others rather than self-service seemed to be the message. No wonder Catherine Middleton hesitated before agreeing to marry William. Now she is our princess - we own her, we claim the right to judge her and we will put our hopes and fears into her and William. We can even buy "Kate" dolls - that would freak me out!

So Catherine and William set out their stall - to be honourable, decent, loving and to act with humanity. In a world where common humanity doesn't seem very common that moved me very much.

All the pageantry and royal splendour was done in the way only we can do it. And we can do it because we have over a thousand years of unbroken tradition and gradual evolution of our society.

I have puzzled for years over what it means to be British. One factor seems to be an ability for all classes to adapt and compromise, and an adversion on all sides to revolution. I think this is because of a deeply engrained, shared and evolving sense of fairness. What gets us really fired up are things which we see as "unfair". I don't know if this is uniquely British, but I think one of our strengths is the institutionialisation of the idea of "fair play" and "sticking up for the underdog". Possibly these ideas helped us to lead the way in the abolition of slavery and the development of democracy.

I think we have lost confidence in these strengths. Certainly since the 1970's we lost our way really badly. We tried to be American, then we tried to be European. We tried a nanny state, then we tried "every man for himself", and nothing seemed to fit.

I've lost count of the booms and busts I've lived through and I don't know if we will ever stop making the same mistakes. What I do know is that I agree with two young people who try to put honour, duty, service of others and love above material things - because that is the only way to find peace and happiness.

Chiropractic aids movement, movement gives health and life

2011-04-20T13:05:00.001+01:00

Many thanks to a great chiropractor and inspiration, Dr Tedd Koren for this.

"Worms will not eat living wood where the vital sap is flowing; rust will not hinder the opening of a gate when the hinges are used each day.
Movement gives health and life. Stagnation brings disease and death."
- Chinese Medicine proverb

A subluxation is an area of stagnation: stagnated nerve impulses, energy and body structures. The job of the chiropractor is to locate and correct subluxations, permitting energy, healing and life to flow.

CLA Insight 5 tech patient intro

2011-03-25T10:52:00.000Z

Everyone coming to see us gets scanned using this technology. I was trained as a scientist before I became a chiropractor, and I'm naturally sceptical, so I like to measure what I'm doing and prove to myself that clients are getting the results they need.

Once you are alive all the rest is easy!

2011-03-23T12:53:00.001Z

For you to be alive your innate intelligence had to battle against the laws of physics, to turn chaos into complex order, to turn dead food into living tissue, and to grow you from a single cell into a highly organised thinking, loving, self aware person who is capable of changing the world.

Now that you have achieved the impossible - is there anything in life you can't do?

What is scientific?

2011-03-23T12:08:00.001Z

A science technician will refuse to countenence anything that hasn't been proven by the current scientific methods, but hasn't the skill to prove or disprove it himself. He believes that something is scientifically proven because someone has told him it is - this is faith not science ie Science as a religion. A science technician because of his certainty can often become a reknowned expert and be considered an authority.

A true scientist is interested in the boundaries between what is known and what is not known. He will ask "Is there an observable phenomenon that isn't yet explained?" He will then use the current scientific techniques to explore what can be tested to reach a new understanding. Nothing is taken on faith. A true scientist often struggles for accceptance because of the complexity of his ideas.

A genius will also ask "Is there an observable phenomenon that isn't yet explained?" He will try the current scientific techniques first, then, if they can't provide answers, he will invent a whole new approach to science and new techniques, and keep going until the problem has been answered. A genius is often persecuted as a heretic and trouble maker.

A genius will change the way we think about our world forever.

Nearly 100 years ago Einstein opened up a whole new field in physics. Most of us can't understand his work, but most of us think differently because of his insights.

Another reason I love what I do

2011-03-17T15:17:00.001Z

A 10 month old little girl was brought to see me in May 2010. She had had a very traumatic birth. She had to go immediately into resuscitation for 24 minutes. Then 2 hours after delivery she suffered a series of seizures that continued for 10 days. Her parents were told that she was brain damaged and would never see, hear or respond and would never walk.

She was taken to see a fellow chiropractor in February 2010 and transferred to me in May.

She and her family were in our reception in March 2011. When I walked in she saw me and smiled! She can now respond to her family and giggles and laughs at her brothers' antics. When they left she smiled and waved to us.

Can I prove that chiropractic helped her? Who cares! All I know is that my colleague and I kept her subluxation free while her parents did everything in their power with devoted love - her innate intelligence did all the work. I just felt priviledged to be able to be part of it.

PS. Could someone suggest how we can take unique human beings in unique situations like this and perform a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled study! Or why we should even try!

Why intelligent lifeforms are inevitable

2011-03-16T11:52:00.001Z

Professor Brian Cox's latest series is presenting brilliantly what has been known for a while - all the atoms that we are made of were made in the centre of stars. Nuclear fusion at tremendous pressure and temperature forced the atomic nuclei together to make the carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and all the other elements.

When the stars exploded the elements were ejected into interstellar gas clouds.

Within the clouds chemical reactions formed organic molecules (these have been detected in deep space)

The gas and dust coalesced to form stars and planets.

On planets where there was the right conditions (Earth and possibly billions of others) further chemical reactions eventually formed self copying molecules.

These eventually formed simple cells and the whole process of evolution was under way.

Evolution is survival of the most adaptable. To adapt means to be able to process information. So right from the start there was an evolutionary advantage in being able to process information quickly.

Animals have therefore developed bigger, faster and more complex brains over time. Animals such as Man, who have relatively weak bodies and no inbuilt weapons, have to evolve ways of transmitting information within the tribe quickly and accurately in order to survive. We also had to learn how to read each other's moods, so we became self aware and " intelligent".

Out of billions of planets which could sustain life what are the chances that a similar process has happened and that there has been other intelligent life out there? I would say 100%

Has that species learned wisdom as well as intelligence so that it hasn't immediately destroyed itself and its planet through war, pollution and mega weapons?

That is a more difficult question.

What has this got to do with chiropractic?

The next stage in Man's evolution is from intelligence to wisdom. The ability to process information properly within the body is crucial to that development. I believe that if enough people can think clearly and use their innate intelligence properly then humanity can make that transition from cleverness to wisdom.

Local Chiropractor Helps Defuse Ticking Timebomb in the Armed Forces

2011-03-03T14:12:00.001Z

Hands for Heroes – Free Chiropractic Care For War Veterans

With the tragic news of the death of Lance Corporal Liam Tasker in Afghanistan on 1^stMarch the total deaths from the conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq have now reached 537. 715 were “very seriously” or “seriously” wounded in action.(MOD figures)

These deaths are a sad and very tangible indication of the price being paid in the current military operation. Not quite as tangible but nevertheless very real, is the looming health problem which the Armed Forces face for over two decades after the current conflict ceases.

The alarm was raised by the Conservatives and David Cameron in 2009 that there was a “ticking timebomb” of a mental health problem looming in the Armed Forces and that many survivors of the conflict will pay a heavy price in terms of psychological problems and self harm.

Government figures released in 2008 indicated that over seven times more military personnel ended their lives or had an open verdict on their deaths in the years after the 1991 Gulf War than died in the conflict itself.

To date 537 service personnel have died as a result of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. This means there could potentially be a toll of over 3500 service personnel ending their lives in the two decades following the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

It is to help defuse this ticking timebomb that local chiropractor Peter Bennett of Alive Family Wellness in Penrith was attracted to “Hands for Heroes - Free Chiropractic Care for War Veterans”.

The initiative has raised almost £2 million worth of care for serving and retired war veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan in the five months since starting.

Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran turned business owner, trainer and author Craig Hinton formed “Hands for Heroes - Free Chiropractic Care for War Veterans” as a result of his own experiences.

Craig says “I came back from the 2003 Iraq war and for the first time in my life I was “flat”. Months later I had a breakdown. I went down the usual route of medication and things got much worse. Frankly, if I had had an “off” switch I would have flicked it. Then I read a book about the early chiropractors and about how they reportedly had 2.5 times the results with “mental health” problems than the equivalent medical institutes. This gave me the confidence to come off the medication and I took regular chiropractic care. With my chiropractor's help I recovered my health. I know my new understanding of the body and how it works literally saved my life.”

“Craig's experiences are really quite common in chiropractic case studies” Dr Bennett explains. “The original premise behind chiropractic was that it improved nervous system function. Today we hear how it can be effective with back and neck problems. This is really a “side effect” of improving performance of the nervous system by removing the results of physical, chemical and emotional trauma.”

For information on how to get free chiropractic care for veterans from Afghanistan or Iraq visit www.handsforheroes.org

To leam more about chiropractic care call Dr Bennett on 01768 899 036

Chiropractic care rated number one for low back pain

2011-02-24T12:21:00.001Z

This article appeared on Fox News. Their medical advisor talks about a survey in which consumers rated chiropractic care as their number one choice for low back pain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36RMezB5Mzg&feature=BF&list=PL7A081BEE25E4345C&index=18

Chiropractic care for babies video

2011-02-21T11:59:00.001Z

This is a great video from Fox News about chiropractic care for babies.

I have adjusted all my kids as early as I could - my youngest had her first adjustment at 30 minutes old. I passionately believe it has helped them all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EImH_mqNZA&feature=BF&list=PL7A081BEE25E4345C&index=16

Another good reason to quit smoking

2011-02-19T14:45:00.001Z

According to an article by Brianna Rego in Scientific American January 2011

"people worldwide smoke almost six trillion cigarettes a year, and each one delivers a small amount of polonium 210 to the lungs. Puff by puff, the poison builds up to the equivalent radiation dosage of 300 chest X-rays per year for a person who smokes one and a half packs a day."

That's 300 chest X-rays per year!!!

By the way, does anyone know what contribution is made to global warming by manufacturing, distributing and smoking six trillion cigarettes a year?

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=radioactive-smoke

Delighted musician

2011-02-15T11:01:00.001Z

Gary, a professional musician, just came in for his fourth visit. To quote him "I'm really delighted with the way my back pain has cleared up so quickly. I played a gig on Saturday and had no back pain for the first time in many months"

Gary knows that I haven't cured him - I have cleared the interference from his nerves and he is in the process of healing himself.

The quality of his life has improved because he can now do what he loves - playing in a band - without anything affecting his focus and concentration and taking away the joy.

Can chiropractic help with knee pain?

2011-02-12T20:55:00.001Z

A farmer came in with knee pain which hadn't eased in over a month.

I examined him, carried out a nerve function scan with my Insight Millenium, and talked him through the results.

I explained that I don't "treat" knee pain - I just correct subluxations so that his innate intelligence would do its' work.

He looked at me as if I was mad, but consented to being adjusted.

As he got off the bench and stood up a big grin spread over his face - "The pain's all gone - is that supposed to happen?"

On his third visit he said "You know you were talking about them nerve thingies. Well since my first visit I can think straighter, and I'm not feeling like my food is coming back up my throat when I go to bed at night. Is that anything to do with getting my nerves working properly?"

My answer "What do YOU think?"

Take YOUR time

2011-02-12T20:10:00.001Z

One of my coaching clients had a major breakthrough for her on Friday.

She had spent most of her life worrying about doing the right thing - which usually meant doing the thing which other people deemed to be right for her.

As most people don't even know what the right thing for them is, let alone the right thing for someone else, this just led to constant stress for my client.

We had been gently seperating the different strands in her life, putting things in order and reducing the emotional temperature. This had given her the mental space to think and meditate about her life and what she wanted in her life.

During her meditation it suddenly struck her "I should take my time"

"What do you mean by that" I asked

"I should take MY time! I don't mean doing things more slowly. I mean doing what I want to do, when I want to do it. I have been given a limited amount of time in this life. It has been given to me, not to anyone else - it's MY time"

This one thought has suddenly given her many things - the strength to say no - clarity about what SHE wants as opposed to what other people want from her - clarity about where she wants to go.

Now,all over her house, in her bathroom mirror, on her computer at work, stuck to her steering wheel, are the words

"Take MY time"

Does a negative mindset about money start here?

2011-02-09T22:05:00.001Z

We were having a family discussion yesterday about the early death of John Paul Getty III and the role, when he was kidnapped by the Mafia, of his grandfather John Paul Getty I.

My wife got into a heated debate with our son about whether John Paul Getty I did the right thing or not. This lead to her saying, in a heated fashion:

That money does not buy happiness
That ALL rich men have had to do something unethical to get their wealth
That she disapproved of extreme wealth because of this

I pointed out to her that she had no evidence for her opinions and that she was, unintentionally, instructing our children in the following way:

Money brings family strife and unhappiness
You will have to behave badly to become wealthy
And therefore if they become wealthy she will disapprove of them (and subliminally in their minds she will reject them)

This must have been one of many "bricks in the wall" of a negative attitude to wealth. The children often comment that teachers at school tell tales of money leading to unhappiness.

How can I educate my children in a way that allows them to choose success rather than failure?

Your ideas would be appreciated

Study Shows Chiropractic Care Quiets Crying Babies

2011-02-07T21:38:00.001Z

Baby’s tears not only concern mum and dad about his/her health, they often disrupt the entire family – and in worst case scenarios may impact postnatal depression and lead to Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Where should parents turn? Well, research authored by Joyce Miller of the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic at the University of Bournemouth details that an excessively crying baby drives 21% of families in the UK to seek care. She found that pharmaceutical, dietary and behavioral interventions often provide no comfort to the infants – or anyone in the family.

But, a trip to the chiropractor offers relief to crying babies and those living under the same roof.

Miller’s work, entitled Cry Babies: A Framework for Chiropractic Care, notes that persistently crying infants are traditionally diagnosed with colic – defined in 1954 by Dr. M.A. Wessel as “bouts of crying amounting to more than 3 hours a day, 3 days a week, for more than 3 weeks.” A useful description for research, but not very consoling to distressed parents. Furthermore, the diagnosis of colic implies gastro-intestinal disorder. Yet, out of the approximately 5,000 infants brought to the University’s teaching clinic in one year’s time, only 7% presented with digestive issues. 63% of these infants were brought to the clinic due to excessive, unexplained crying.

“Perhaps the term ‘colic’ should be abandoned,” writes Miller.

Why did chiropractic succeed where other options failed to sooth the seemingly inconsolable child?

Chiropractic care is primarily aimed at correcting problems in the spine and nerves. Miller's writings offer ever-increasing evidence that issues before and during birth contribute to irritability in infants.

Pressure in the womb, trauma during birth, the use of forceps or other extraction devices – may be the underlying cause for the discomfort of the crying infant.

I have found that gently correcting baby's spine brings about a significant reduction in their crying, followed by better sleeping patterns and an improvement in posture.

And, while tranquility leads to a happy household, pediatric chiropractic care offers long-term benefits as well.

Chiropractic provides a maintenance program for one’s nervous system that allows the human body to operate at peak efficiency. If the body is free of nerve interference, it promotes health. Providing chiropractic to an infant and continuing through adulthood is the true definition of health care – taking steps to ensure health instead of waiting for pain or illness. This is what I have had the privilege of providing for my own children and for many children in the Penrith area

Reference:

Joyce Miller, “Cry Babies: A Framework for Chiropractic Care,” Clinical Chiropractic (2007) 10, 139-146.

Abundance - reap what you sow

2011-01-26T12:44:00.001Z

I have read many self help books and seen many videos (The Secret, for example) over the years that talk about the Abundance Mentality.

This is the view that the universe contains so much energy and material that there will always be enough of whatever we need.

This is undeniably true. The next question however is "How do we get all that stuff to come to us in a useful way?"

The message I got from most of the books and DVDs was that I should sit and meditate. If I visualise strongly enough what my heart desires then it will magically appear.

Great concept - but I have found it impossible to put into practice.

First problem - do you know, with sufficient power and clarity, what you want out of life?

Second problem - do you have the meditation and concentration skills needed to maintain a powerful focus on what you want?

Third problem - usually what you have the strongest emotion about, and therefore what you focus on most, is something you are afraid of (loneliness, bankruptcy, debt etc), or something that is a current emergency, and therefore something that you don't want. According to the theory what you concentrate most on you end up getting more of.

Fourth problem - when you have put a lot of effort into the process and it doesn't show results quickily you get disheartened, lose momentum and energy, and focus more on the problem rather than the solution.

I have found that the older theory "As ye sow, so shall ye reap" works better for me.

There is an abundance of plant life in this country. Therefore if I were a farmer I should be able to visualise my crops growing in my field and I would have a great crop.

Unfortunately I would get an abundance - of weeds.

As a farmer I would have to take practical steps

I would have to have a vision of what crops I wanted and when I wanted them

I would plough the field

I would sow the seed

I would nurture the crops with water, fertiliser etc

I would chase off the rabbits and deer

Finally after 6 months of following the plan I could harvest my crop and feed my family.

I am a practical person with a short attention span. I've found that I get easier results if I think like a farmer!

I clarify what I want and when (and importantly, why!)

I create a plan with small action steps to keep my momentum going

I nurture the project with attention and course corrections when needed

I harvest the rewards when they are ripe and not before!

I find all of this so much easier with help from a life coach.

This is why I coach my clients. As an "expert friend" I can ask the right questions to get clarity in their goals. Their thanks when they have achieved their goals is a huge reward for me

Achieving anything is easier as part of a team. Find a team member to help clarify your goals - this could be a friend or a colleague or a professional coach.

Good luck and remember to be a good farmer

Hearing your gut reaction

2011-01-23T15:26:00.001Z

Good Feedback

You're probably familiar with the high-pitched squealing feedback of a megaphone. But there's another kind of feedback that helps keep us alive.

We all know that the brain and the rest of the nervous system orchestrates the function of every cell, tissue, organ and system of the body. Most of these impulses travel down the spinal cord and then out from between each spinal joint to service every part of the body.

Beat the heart! Secrete enzymes! Inhale! Blink! Make blood cells! Perspire! Produce stomach acid! Beat the heart!

It's a full time job. Good thing we don't have to think about all this or we wouldn't have time to do anything else.

But there's more. Organs and tissues originate their own messages that flow back up to the brain confirming that the instruction was received and acted upon.

Did it! Done! Got it! Sure thing! Will do! Okay! I'm on it! Did it!

This system is set up to protect you from harm and to help you make the right decisions, and 99.9% of it is done by your sub-concious mind.

So when you get a "gut reaction" what has happened is that your sub-concious has decided that you have made, or are about to make, a dangerous decision. Your body goes into "fight or flight" mode to enhance your chances of survival. Blood and other flows divert from your stomach to your muscles, lungs and brain, you breathe faster and you sweat more.

If you ignore these signs you ignore virtually all the information available to you.

Always follow your gut reaction!

Good feedback

2011-01-16T15:19:00.001Z

Good Feedback

You're probably familiar with the high-pitched squealing feedback of a megaphone. But there's another kind of feedback that helps keep us alive.

Beat the heart! Secrete enzymes! Inhale! Blink! Make blood cells! Perspire! Produce stomach acid! Beat the heart!

It's a full time job. Good thing we don't have to think about all this or we wouldn't have time to do anything else.

Of course, any interference or distortion of these controlling nerve messages and the heart doesn't beat correctly, the lungs don't fully inflate and our stomach produces too much or too little acid.

But there's more. Organs and tissues originate their own messages that flow back up to the brain confirming that the instruction was received and acted upon.

Did it! Done! Got it! Sure thing! Will do! Okay! I'm on it! Did it!

This feedback is crucial. If a vertebral subluxation complex compromises the signal to (or from) any tissue, it won't work properly.

The result? Ill health!

Migraine case report

2011-01-14T13:07:00.001Z

This is a lady in her 60s who had been suffering from at least two migraines per month for the last 15 years.

The scan of her motor nerves and autonomic nerves performed at her first visit in February 2010 severe disruption in her upper neck.

She received chiropractic care twice a week for the first 4 weeks, once a week for the next 4 weeks, then once a fortnight for 4 months. She is now checked once a month.

When the scans were repeated in August 2010 there was still some disruption but it was greatly reduced.

This lady has had no migraines since April 2010

2011-01-09T15:07:00.001Z

My Child Has a Fever

Most people automatically think that a fever is something bad that should be lowered as quickly as possible.

Not so fast!

It's important to remember that by itself a fever isn't an illness. It's usually a symptom of some underlying problem. Often, it's a natural way the body responds to fight viral and bacterial infections. Rushing in to artificially lower the body's temperature can actually serve to lengthen the time it takes the body to do the needed work.

Most fevers are usually not cause for concern until they reach a temperature of 104° F (40° C) and only then if the fever lasts for three days or longer. Check with your GP if you are concerned, and especially if there are other symptoms like rashes or swelling. Go to http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/en/CheckSymptoms for more advice

That said, it doesn't mean you should ignore a fever and take a cavalier attitude. A fever means the body is in a battle and has "set the thermostat a bit higher," using temperature to help subdue the enemy. Careful you don't throw open the doors and windows and force it to work even harder. More helpful would be a chiropractic adjustment or two to help the body work properly!

How much care do YOU want?

2011-01-09T15:03:00.001Z

Once You Go...

It keeps a lot of people from benefiting from chiropractic: they're afraid that they will somehow get "addicted" to our care!

While many of our practice members choose to come in on a regular basis when they're feeling great, they don't have to. They want to. For...

The early detection of vertebral subluxation complexes
Avoiding a relapse of their original problem
Being their best and staying well

These are choices practice members make, based on their understanding of what we do and how they value their health. I guess it's mostly about priorities. Each of us gets to choose how much attention we want to give our health. We honor that choice. Sure, we explain the benefits of periodic checkups, but our job is to offer the finest chiropractic care possible, and then it's entirely up to you to decide how much of it you want.

Consider the lilies

2011-01-04T12:36:00.001Z

I've never quite understood the bible parable that starts "consider the lilies".

Lilies, birds and all other creatures do a lot of work.

However, they only do the work they are supposed to do. Lilies never waste any time or energy trying to be poppies, or wishing they were poppies, or complaining to other lilies that those poppies have it easy!

They just focus on being the best lilies they can be. Maybe they can't be perfect, because the soil isn't right, or they don't have enough water, but they still focus on being the best they can be.

We humans suffer from choice.

As a result we don't know whether we're lilies, or poppies, or birds, or cats. Kind men try to be ruthless tycoons, brilliant academics try to be housewifes, artists try to be accountants.

It's difficult to work out what you are when everyone is telling you what you should be or do.

Often by the time you know yourself you are so loaded with responsibility that it seems impossible to change.

It is always possible to change.

It takes self knowledge, self belief, courage and faith.

Go for it

Financial spinal stress

2011-01-02T14:59:00.001Z

Financial Spinal Stress

Ever woken up in the middle of the night wondering how you were going to pay the bills? Then you know that a car payment or the electric bill can affect your health!

There are three types of stress: physical, emotional and chemical. Financial worries (and other anxieties) fall into the emotional stress category. And chiropractic can be helpful.

All three types of stress affect your nervous system. Like a chain that breaks at its weakest link, stress tends to show up where we are most vulnerable. Our neck. Our low back. Tightness between our shoulders. Stress can increase the frequency of headaches and compromise our ability to get enough restful sleep.

Chiropractic care, with its purpose of reducing neurological stress, can be helpful. Of course chiropractic care can't eliminate stress, but it can sure improve your ability to tolerate it. Regular chiropractic care now could be a wise investment for a healthier, happier and financially secure you!

Being my best or not being my worst

2010-12-29T11:33:00.001Z

Over the last few years I have spent a lot of time working on my weakest areas, and I can now proudly say that I have brought myself up to average in these areas!

If I had spent some of that time working on my strongest areas where would I be now? Possibly outstanding!

There are some weak areas that are critical and will undermine all your efforts - these have to be worked on. In my case my two critical weak areas were finance and organisation.

I struggled for years to change my nature and my personality in order to be organised and financially excellent. The breakthrough for me was reading The Seven Habits of Successful People by Stephen Covey. I realised that teamwork was the way forward for me. Teamwork is one of my strong points so I started using it to work on my weak points.

Specifically I found a team member (an excellent accountant) who held my hand with the finances, and another team member (an excellent PA) who organised me.

From that point on I could spare the time to work on my strengths. I was also working with my true personality rather than trying to change it all the time - much less tiring!

Why did it take me so long to work this out?

It's difficult to work out what to concentrate on when your nose is so close to the grindstone that you just focus on the next emergency.

Find a team member who can help you to back out and look at the bigger picture. This could be a friend, a colleague or a coach.

How to survive Christmas

2010-12-23T17:11:00.001Z

Why is Christmas traditionally the time for family arguments and stress?

Is it because every year we get built up into a frenzy of expectation by the media, films, TV and our own wishful thinking, to believe that Christmas will be perfect this year. Chestnuts roasting by an open fire, love, peace and goodwill to all men etc.

All the rest of the year I understand that my brother is a good bloke, but he is very different from me and I wouldn't want to live with him. I also understand that my parents have their own lives, I haven't lived with them for 20 plus years, and they have done all the looking after me that they want to. I also understand that I love my wife and kids but they have their own strong opinions which can irritate me.

All the rest of the year I can live with all that, but over the Christmas week I get upset that not everything is perfect in my world. Not everything goes according to my plan, not everybody wants to do what I want to do when I want to do it, and I start throwing my toys out of the pram!!

Sometimes I also get upset that not everything is perfect for others, that they are ungrateful enough to not be ecstatically happy AFTER ALL THE EFFORT I HAVE MADE.

Michael Neill, in his book Supercoaching, has a brilliant chapter to help with achieving a more serene life, and I think it applies especially over Christmas. It is about the power of being AVERAGE. That is, accepting that you will have an average Christmas. You will like some of your presents, but not be so keen on others. Your family will feel the same about your presents. You will have the average number of niggles or arguements with your relatives. You allow your relatives to be their normal, average selves, with their usual averagely annoying habits. You will allow them the average amount of time with you and allow yourself a long walk by yourself if you feel like it. Christmas dinner will be cooked to your average skill level and won't be a failure if it isn't to Raymond Blanc's standards. The news will be averagely depressing - in fact don't watch any news at all. The world usually manages without you watching it - so give yourself a holiday.

If you aim for an average Christmas, maybe you won't pay so much attention to the annoying bits and more attention to those nice moments when you realised you do actually like brussel sprouts for example!

So I wish you all an Average Christmas and an Average New Year!

Keeping safe and healthy in the ice and snow

2010-12-10T15:02:00.001Z

At this time of year we're seeing a lot more people suffering back and neck problems due to slips and falls in the ice and snow. We also see problems all the way through January, February, March and sometimes for several years due to the after affects of falls. A fall or a bad slip can lead to a whiplash effect throughout the spine. Many people recover quickly from this but many, especially the elderly, don't recover properly and have problems with the nerves in the neck and back which leads to health problems. We can sort these things out but investing in good walking boots (or even wearing socks over your shoes) could prevent these problems.

Family,friends and neighbours have an important role to play. Helping an elderly person by getting the shopping could prevent them having slips and falls and possibly broken hips, and would also prevent the loneliness and depression which can cause major health problems.

The healthier you are the less likely you are to get ill and it's easier to stay healthy than to recover your health. Your body needs extra vitamins and minerals to help the immune system fight off colds and flu. In winter we get less sunlight, tend to eat less healthy food and drink less water so you take in fewer vitamins. It is hard to know which your body needs at any moment so I always recommend a good multivitamin with minerals.

I am happy to answer individual questions about any health or life issue by phone on 01768 899 036 or by email alivechiro@gmail.com, or by Twitter (penrithchiro)

Avoid artificial sweeteners while pregnant

2010-12-08T21:25:00.001Z

Pregnant women who drink artificially sweetened soft drinks are more likely to give birth prematurely, according to a study conducted by researchers from researchers from the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen, Denmark, and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

"These findings may be really important in terms of preventing premature births, especially those that are medically induced by a woman's health care provider," said Shelley McGuire, a spokesperson for the American Society of Nutrition. "Certainly, until more experimental work is done, this study suggests that pregnant women should steer clear of artificially sweetened drinks."

Researchers questioned nearly 60,000 pregnant Danish women about their consumption of sweetened beverages. They found that women who drank one serving per day of a carbonated, artificially sweetened beverage were 38 percent more likely to give birth prematurely than women who did not consume such drinks. Women who consumed four or more serving of such drinks daily increased their risk of premature delivery by 78 percent. A similar, albeit smaller risk was seen for non-carbonated, artificially sweetened drinks. There was no increase in risk associated with sugary drinks.

A premature birth was defined as a delivery before the 37th week of pregnancy. Only deliberately induced premature deliveries were associated with artificial sweeteners; there was no connection between the sweeteners and spontaneous premature births. This suggests that artificial sweeteners may cause distress in either the fetus or mother that leads doctors to induce early delivery.

The exact cause of the connection could not be determined, but scientists believe that toxic breakdown products of the sweeteners might play some role. The sweetener aspartame, for example, is broken down in the body to phenylalanine.

"Large doses of phenylalanine are toxic to the brain and can cause mental retardation and seizures in people with a particular genetic disorder called phenylketonuria," writes Debra Lynn Dadd in the book Nontoxic, Natural and Earthwise.

"Other people experience headaches, depression, mood swings, high blood pressure, insomnia, and behavior problems," Dadd writes.

"Aspartame is not recommended for use by pregnant women as it is known to cause birth defects."

Sources:

Natural News
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7952469/Pregnant-women-should-avoid-diet-soft-drinks-researchers.html

Some facts about migraine

2010-11-30T16:11:00.001Z

1 in 7people in the UK suffer from migraine.
Migraine affects twice as many women as men.
Migraine affects people from all age groups(even young children) and all social classes.
Migraine costs the UK around £1 billion per annum.
The World Health Organisation has classified headache as a major health disorder and has rated migraine amongst the top 20 most disabling lifetime conditions.
A migraine attack can last for between 4 and 72 hours.
Sufferers experience an average of 13 attacks each year.
Migraine is more than just a headache. Other symptoms can include:
• visual disturbances (flashing lights, blind spots in the vision, zig zag patterns etc.)
• nausea and vomiting
• sensitivity to light (photophobia)
• sensitivity to noise (phonophobia)
• sensitivity to smells (osmophobia)
• tingling / pins and needles / weakness / numbness in the limbs.
Around 60% of sufferers never consult their G.P. because they mistakenly think that nothing can be done to help them. There is a wide range of effective treatments available including alternative therapies like chiropractic and acupuncture .
Migraine is triggered by a huge variety of factorsnot just cheese, chocolate and red wine! For most people there is not just one trigger but a combination of factors which individually can be tolerated but when they all occur together a threshold is passed and a migraine is triggered.

Thank you to Migraine Action http://www.migraine.org.uk/ for their help

Don't waste another minute

2010-11-25T18:15:00.001Z

The average human lifespan is 70 years or 840 months or 3360 weeks.

How much of that do you want to waste:

Avoiding activities because they might hurt?

Being in poor health?

Putting up with people or situations that are harming you or holding you back?

Avoiding telling the truth because of what you think might happen?

Drifting around because you don’t know what you want and you haven’t got a plan?

Any action is better than none at all. Start with small actions to build momentum. Once you get yourself moving the path tends to show itself.

Taking Probiotics Eases Cold and Flu-like Symptoms in Children

2010-11-22T16:05:00.001Z

A recent article in the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics reported on a study involving 326 children, ages 3 to 5, who participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled test of the effects of probiotics on cold and flu-like symptoms.

I follow health and wellness issues closely in professional journals and other publications. People often think of chiropractors in terms of treating neck and back pain, but many of my colleagues and I, myself, are involved in all aspects of our patients’ health and well-being, including proper nutrition and illness-preventative measures.

In this particular study, children in the study group were assigned at random to get one of three planned dosages. One group received just a placebo, or common sugar pill with no therapeutic value. A second group got a single probiotic dosage, and the third group got a combination probiotic dosage.

The study participants received their allocated dosage twice a day for six months. They were then analyzed to determine both the incidence of cold and flu-like symptoms during the test period, as well as the duration of such symptoms.

In comparison to the placebo group, those children who had taken the single-strain probiotic had a 53% reduction in fevers, a 41.4% reduction in coughing, and a 28.2% reduction in rhinorrhea, or runny nose.

The combination-strain probiotic group fared even better. The incidence of fevers was reduced by 72.7%, coughing by 62.1%, and rhinorrhea by 58.8%.”

The study also measured the duration of cold and flu-like symptoms in the study group, and, once again, there was a marked improvement for those children using some form of probiotics over the placebo group. The single-strain probiotics usage resulted in a lesser duration of symptoms by 32%; the combination-strain usage caused a 48% reduction in the duration of the symptoms. The study also concluded that children getting some form of probiotics had less need to take antibiotics during the test period and also were absent much less from nursery school or other group child care facilities.

Warning about codeine

2010-11-21T09:43:00.001Z

Do the dangers of codeine outweigh the benefits?

Scientists have raised serious concerns about the widespread use of one of the world's most common painkillers after studies showing that codeine may be unsafe, ineffective and potentially addictive for the millions of people who take it regularly.

The Government's independent watchdog on the safety of medicines has withdrawn codeine-containing cough mixtures for children after hard-hitting criticism by two Canadian experts suggesting that the drug should be phased out in painkillers meant for either children or adults.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued its warning about cough medicines containing codeine after receiving fresh advice from its committee of independent experts on the Commission on Human Medicines. The Independent has learnt that the commission had advance notice of a forthcoming editorial in a Canadian medical journal denouncing the widespread use of codeine in painkillers, especially for children.

Some 27 million packs of codeine-containing painkillers are sold over the counter each year in Britain, with a further 20 million prescriptions being issued to people suffering from severe pain resulting from chronic conditions such as arthritis and migraine. Some estimates suggest as many as 30,000 people may be addicted to the drug.

Growing concern about codeine, which has been used as a painkiller for about 200 years, has emerged from recent DNA studies showing that people with different genetic make-ups respond very differently to the opiod drug, which is inactive until it is broken down inside the body into highly addictive morphine.

The variability of people's response to painkillers containing codeine, combined with its potentially addictive nature when taken regularly, led Professor Noni MacDonald of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Professor Stuart MacLeod of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, to ask whether the time has come to phase out the drug completely.

In an explosive editorial published in the current issue of the journal of the Canadian Medical Association, MacDonald and MacLeod said that the public perception of codeine as a safe drug is fostered by its widespread availability in many over-the-counter painkillers, sold in Britain as well-known brands such as Nurofen Plus, Solpadine Max and Panadol Ultra as well as generic products.

"However, recent advances in our understanding of pharmacogenetics raise serious concerns about the safety of codeine, including emerging evidence that the narcotic can cause death even at conventional doses. Has the time come to phase out codeine altogether?" they asked.

Scientists have already identified some genetic factors that significantly affect the rate at which codeine is broken down into morphine by the liver. These genetic factors vary within the general population, making the response to codeine highly unpredictable from one person to the next, MacDonald and MacLeod said. "All of these genetic variations can have potentially serious clinical consequences. The wrong combination can result in toxic levels of morphine, even at conventional doses of codeine. For infants and young children in particular, this can be deadly because age appears to be a key factor in susceptibility to adverse effects of morphine," they said.

"Clearly, pre-testing all patients for genetic variants before recommending codeine would be expensive and impractical. A more logical solution might be to restrict access to codeine for infants and young children, the apparent highest risk group," they added.

On 4 October, the day that the editorial was published by the Canadian Medical Association, the MHRA wrote to medical authorities in the UK warning that its experts have advised that all over-the-counter liquid cough medicines containing codeine should no longer be used in children under the age of 18, following fresh advice from its independent committee of experts.

The MHRA said its review of liquid cough medicines containing codeine had found there were serious safety concerns due to differences in the way codeine was metabolised into morphine, as well as little evidence the cough medicines actually worked. "Overall, the risks of [over-the-counter] cough medicines for children containing codeine outweigh the possible benefits," the MHRA said.

The agency added that any generic cough medicines containing Codeine Linctus should now be banned for use by children under the age of 18. Branded products included in the ban on children's cough medicines are named as Pulmo Bailly, Galcodine Linctus and Galcodine Paediatric Linctus, the agency said.

The MHRA refused to comment on the reasons behind the ban and did not allow The Independent to interview the scientists on the Commission for Human Medicines who decided to issue the new advice. However, it is understood that some of the scientists on the Commission were made aware of the scathing editorial written by MacDonald and MacLeod, who are both eminent paediatricians of world repute.

The two scientists said that a more direct approach to codeine is now needed by banning its use altogether and turning to the administration of morphine - at least in hospitals - which is the active ingredient of codeine and is easier to control the appropriate dose as a painkiller.

Stephen Tomlin, a consultant pharmacist at the Evelina Children's Hospital at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London, said the variable nature of codeine's effectiveness has been known about in children for years and there are grounds for reviewing its wider use as a painkiller.

Sheila Kelly, chief executive of the Proprietary Association of Great Britain, which represents manufacturers of over-the-counter medicines, said: "There has already been a long, drawn-out discussion of codeine. If its value as a pain reliever had not outweighed the risks then it would have been withdrawn and the point is that codeine still has a value as a pain reliever."

Source:

Steve Connor, Science Editor

The Independent - 16th October 2010

Your Health Bank Account

2010-11-18T17:53:00.001Z

You are born with a certain amount in your health bank account:

Every time you have a trauma or stress or do something unhealthy, you make a withdrawal from you account.

Every time you do something healthy (diet, exercise, chiropractic care, emotional, spiritual) you make a deposit into your account.

If you withdraw more than you put in you will eventually be overdrawn and you will pay interest.

If you get badly overdrawn your bank manager (brain) will send you nasty letters – SYMPTOMS!

Chiropractic is part of the way you can gradually get yourself back into the black and start earning interest.

Reducing illness or creating wellness

2010-11-11T16:53:00.001Z

There are two approaches to health

You can wait until your body is sick enough to show symptoms then get medical care to reduce your illness by suppressing your symptoms or operating

REDUCING ILLNESS

Or you can strengthen and look after your body so that problems don't become symptoms

INCREASING WELLNESS

Is it better to give up smoking or have chemotherapy?

Starting a migraine support group

2010-11-01T13:25:00.001Z

First meeting of the inaugural Penrith migraine headache support group at the Penrith Methodist Church at 7 PM this evening. Hoping we get a good turnout. It was advertised in the local paper, but you never know who's reading it. Should be a great resource to local people suffering from migraines and headaches as I found that they had very little support.

Chiropractic care helps premature infant thrive

2008-09-02T11:55:00.001+01:00

Chiropractic Care Helps Pre-Term Infant Thrive

A case report authored by Kelly A. Miller credits chiropractic care with the successful management of a pre-term infant who had suffered severe lung ailments, gastrointestinal complications and developmental delays, both physical and mental.

More than 50,000 babies are born prematurely in the United States each year, according to Penrith-based Dr. Peter Bennett, D.C. Of those who survive, many suffer from lung ailments and respiratory distress, with some facing a life-long battle. In an interview for BBC News (4th June 2006) Charlotte Davies, spokesperson for baby charity Tommy's, said: "Currently, the rate of premature birth in the UK stands at the highest rate in Europe, with over 45,000 premature births every year, with a large proportion of these children born between 34 and 36 weeks.”
These alarming numbers have Dr. Bennett pointing to the case report published this year in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research. The report suggests that chiropractic care may alleviate some associated effects of premature births.

In this particular study, an infant born at 24 weeks gestation, underwent surgery and spent four months in a neonatal intensive care unit. After her discharge from the hospital, she continued to receive antibiotics as well as ventilation and oxygen therapy. Three months after her discharge, she was diagnosed by a
chiropractor with spinal subluxations. The infant weighed only 12 pounds; she was listless, constipated and congested. She was put on a regimen of regular chiropractic evaluations and adjustments, starting with twice daily for two weeks, that were decreased gradually to once every two weeks. During the course of chiropractic care, according to the case report, the baby increased her range of motion and started breathing on her own as her lung function improved; she was less congested and colicky and became noticeably more verbal and alert to her surroundings. She sat up and was able to stand on her own.

Four months later, the infant was virtually symptom-free and in no need of further medical attention. In her physical and cognitive development she was now one month ahead of her age.

“This case study, where chiropractic care improved health challenges associated with premature birth, is promising,” said Dr. Bennett, “but more studies of this kind are needed. Nevertheless, this report gives hope to many parents of premature babies with underdeveloped lungs. Even full-term infants as young as a few months can benefit tremendously from regular chiropractic care.”

Case of the month from Dr Martines, USA

2008-09-02T11:33:00.002+01:00

On Purpose
Case of the Month
July 2008

“Chiropractic Turned My Baby From
Fussy to Happy!”

“It was miserable to see my baby, Lance, in so much discomfort and pain. Only three weeks old, he was going thru a terrible cycle of being fussy and uncomfortable for days straight then fall asleep from total exhaustion. The cycle would then start all over again. The pediatrician said he had Colic and would eventually grow out of it.

“Thanks to my Mom and the prayer group at church, chiropractic was suggested. I had never heard about adjusting babies, but I was willing to try anything. To my amazement, there was immediate relief after his first adjustment. He always smiles after his adjustments and is a happy baby now. Dr. Martines is wonderful!”
- Melody

Foot note:
Melody and her husband were so thankful for the help chiropractic gave them they are designing and financing, a beautiful website to direct parents to chiropractors for their children.

Childhood obesity

2008-09-02T10:18:00.001+01:00

Childhood obesity and the resulting diseases such as diabetes are on the increase. This study shows that simple changes could protect your child.
An article in the March 2008 issue of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine found that turning off the TV and the computer helps young children improve their health. A group of 70 overweight children ages 4 to 7 were placed into one of two groups. One group (the intervention group) used an automatic monitoring device placed on the family TV and computer to keep track of time in use, (you could use a clock and a piece of paper) along with an intervention program to reward children for reducing TV and computer use. (Play with them or read to them) The other group (the control group) had no such device or intervention.
Results after 24 months were quite amazing. Children in the intervention group reduced their television viewing by 17.5 hours per week, as compared to only 5.2 hours for the control group. More importantly, the intervention group also reduced its body mass index (BMI), while the control group’s BMI increased. Members of the intervention group also significantly reduced overall food intake compared to the control group. The researchers concluded, “Reducing television viewing and computer use may have an important role in preventing obesity and in lowering BMI in young children.”

So, what does this mean for you and your kids? Fighting the war against obesity is as simple as getting your kids off the couch and away from that computer or TV screen (and the endless array of snacks kids usually keep on hand). You could use the TV listings to agree which programs to watch and watch only those. Spend more time doing healthy family activities – whether it’s walking the dog or playing football in the park – and your children will be on their way to a healthier lifestyle. You will also be healthier and happier and your family will be stronger. Now that’s something worth watching.