Know Your Flow: Part One

A Review Of Important Flow Patterns In The Body

     Our friends over at Merriam-Webster Dictionary define "flow" as movement “in a continuous and smooth way.” It is no wonder, then, that health practitioners commonly use this term when talking about health, something we certainly desire to be “continuous and smooth”. The average person knows enough basic anatomy to feel comfortable listening to a description of the cardiovascular system and how blood is pumped from the heart, through the arteries, to the tissues, from the tissues, into veins, and back to the heart. With just a little bit of coaching they could probably even tell you how the blood carries nutrients, removes waste, and delivers oxygen to the cells of the body. If you were to limit the FLOW of blood to an area of the body you would decrease its ability to function in a “continuous and smooth” way. Reduce or stop the flow of blood for long enough and you would deprive tissues of vital ingredients essential to their survival. 

     Blood is just one of many essential components that must flow uninhibited through our bodies in order to sustain health.  The nervous system is the master controller of ALL bodily functions. The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves which extend to every area of your body. The nervous system controls and regulates every conscious and unconscious process in the body and just like the blood that flows through our arteries and veins, the nervous system depends upon unrestricted flow of information from brain to body and back to the brain. When operating unencumbered, the nervous system is capable of meticulously balancing the chemical reactions in our body, directing the operation of our organs, dilating and constricting blood vessels, directing healing processes, integrating sensory information from the rest of the body, and so much more!

     Just like the flow of a blood vessel, the flow of information along the nervous system can be interfered with, causing impaired function and even damage to tissues if the interference is sustained for a long enough period of time. The most common way in which the nervous system is subjected to interference is through the misalignment of spinal vertebrae which applies forces to the nerves reaching out into the body. These misalignments can be present for years or decades before the effects of decreased nervous system function are felt by the individual. Imagine a spinal misalignment causing a slight decrease in the function of one part of the liver. Over the course of several years, the ability of that portion of the liver to process toxins is inhibited as a result of this interference and eventually, the body develops a toxicity leading to poor health. If left uncorrected, this imbalance within the body can lead to premature aging, damage to other organs, and a general feeling of fatigue/sickness.

Check back next week for more about FLOW and how it keeps us healthy!

Taking Control of Your Health

     For as long as we’ve been walking the earth, humans have craved control over their situation. We see this desire for control in the magnificent buildings and machines that dot our country’s landscape from coast to coast. We have overcome and tamed the forces of nature with dams, airplanes, bridges and boats. Modern medicine is no different in its ultimate goal but rather than taming stone and steel, the medical researchers of the modern ages have been on a quest for control of the human body through the use of drugs and surgery. There is no doubt that through centuries of trial and error we have accomplished some amazing feats that have saved millions of lives. Unfortunately, the train of thought behind most of this advancement has its basic premise rooted in the delusion that we, as humans, are more capable than the in-born power of our bodies that has been sustaining life since the very beginning. Instead of asking the question, “how can we make the body submit to our will?” what if we were to ask, “how can we embrace and support the natural healing potential which ALREADY exists within our body?” Any one of you reading this is intelligent enough to know that headaches are not cause by pharmaceutical deficiency in the body and yet societies best solution for years has been the medicine cabinet!

     Every minute of our life, from before our birth until our dying breath, our nervous system orchestrates a master symphony of physiological processes that exceeds the complexity and accuracy of any machine or software program ever conceived. When we smell warm pastries or freshly brewed coffee, our perception of that smell is integrated by our brain and the physiological process of salivation instantaneously begins while thousands of other bodily functions continue without interruption and without our conscious participation. This is just one of hundreds of thousands of environmental responses that occur within each of us throughout any given day. The efficiency and integrity of these actions as well as the vital functions of our major organs is reliant upon a properly functioning nervous system that is free from any interference.

     Chiropractors recognize the existence of three categories of opposition to nervous system health: Thoughts, Traumas, and Toxins. Exposure to these “Three T’s” is unavoidable in our daily lives but with a concentrated effort, we can reduce our vulnerability to their effects. Each of our bodies has a threshold of tolerance to negative health factors that it is able to deal with. The occasional (weekly) soda, for instance, is generally not enough of an insult to our bodies to cause a rapid fall from health. When we exceed our threshold of tolerance by dumping large amounts of toxins into our bodies (daily sodas, tobacco, alcohol, etc.) we weaken the body and lower our resistance to disease. This is just one small example of how our behavior affects our health. Everything we choose to expose ourselves our bodies to including, but not limited to: unhealthy foods, polluted air, bad ergonomics, falls, addictions, and long periods of inactivity, takes us one step further from health or one step closer to sickness. In contrast, when we consume healthy foods, exercise regularly, and maintain healthy relationships we advance towards health and leave sickness behind us. 

     One of the clearest indicators of poor or declining health is the presence of subluxations in the spine. A subluxation is a misalignment which negatively impacts the proper function and motion of the body. Subluxations occur when a toxic/traumatic/thought threshold has been exceeded and the body succumbs to the “something’s gotta give” laws of nature. Subluxations in the spine create interference within the nervous system and decrease the ability of our brain to send and receive messages regarding body function. With so much of our health depending on constant, clear, efficient, and precise communication between the brain and the rest of the body, subluxations can negatively affect our health in a dramatic way. You may have never heard the word "subluxation" before but the vast majority of the world's population is being negatively affected by them. Chiropractors are the only health professionals in the world trained to detect and correct subluxations of the spine.

     In our office this week, our welcome board reads, “Your body’s ability to heal is greater than anyone has permitted you to believe.” We regularly assist our patients in rediscovering the natural healing capabilities of their bodies through regular, specific chiropractic care and through teaching basic healthy lifestyle choices. Your body is capable of healing most everything on its own, you only need to provide it with the proper ingredients and ensure your body systems, especially your nervous system, are operating at full efficiency. 

If you would like to have your family’s and your own spine checked for subluxations by a chiropractor that focuses on specific correction and whole body wellness, give our office a call at (810) 212-1200.

Also, don't forget to follow us on Google+ , Facebook, Twitter, and check out our Pinterest page! We love feedback and would be honored to have you share our social media posts with your friends and family!

Back to School: Lightening the Load

As parents and children prepare for the end of summer and a return to school schedules, now is a great time to make conscious decisions that can help protect the ones you love most. If you are like us, your mailbox and email inbox has likely been jammed full of back to school advertisements trying to spur you into a last minute shopping spree of pens, pencils, highlighters, binders, notebooks, rulers, scissors, glue sticks, and so much more. With the lists of suggested back to school items at many office supply and department stores extending to multiple pages, it can be tempting to over-buy as an instinct to give our children everything we are told they need. While some of those items might be necessary, take a moment to consider the added strain which unnecessary weight can place on a child’s body throughout the school year.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that a child’s backpack weigh no more than 10-20% of their body weight. For example, a 60lb child’s bag should weigh no more than 6-12 lbs. and for a 120lb high school student, 24 lbs is still the upper limit! Overloaded backpacks can contribute to back pain, poor posture, muscle strain, and can negatively impact healthy growth and development over time. The best way to check the weight of your child’s backpack is to have them step on a bathroom scale wearing the backpack and then again without the bag, subtracting the smaller number from the larger. It is important to check the weight of the bag throughout the year as school work and projects begin to be transported back and forth between home and school.

Limiting backpack weight can be a tricky task as the workload for students increases and heavy textbooks find their way home. One of the most basic ways to ensure that book bags don’t become overloaded is to buy smaller bags with multiple storage compartments, thereby limiting the storage capacity and evenly distributing the weight. Another thing to consider is that some textbooks are available online for free or for a small fee depending on the publisher. This eliminates the need to carry heavy textbooks to and from school. Parents should also encourage their children to use lockers or desks to store materials/items that are not necessary to complete homework assignments. A monthly purge of folders and binders also eliminates unnecessary paper weight and gives parents an opportunity to review schoolwork to check for missing/incomplete assignments.

Once you have ensured that your child’s bag is not overburdening them, it is important to check the way they are carrying the bag to make sure the weight is being appropriately distributed across their body. Bags should be worn with both straps evenly tightened, with the bottom of the bag at or above the waistline.

Despite all of these changes, it is still important to make sure your child is evaluated regularly by a chiropractor that has additional training in pediatric care. Specific and gentle chiropractic care throughout childhood can help ensure proper growth and development, strengthen the child’s immune system, and improve cognitive function!  To schedule an appointment with Dr. Hannah for your child(ren) and yourself, give us a call at (810) 212-1200!

Migraines: The Great Equalizer

From Wall Street CEOs to your local barista, chronic migraine headaches are a debilitating condition which bring most sufferers to their knees for hours or even days at a time. Those of us who have ever had the misfortune of experiencing a migraine know that they can bring our lives to a grinding halt and hold us hostage in our own bodies. Migraines can leave us feeling emotionally and physically exhausted once they pass and fearful of their likely return. With the pharmaceutical industry making millions of dollars annually from the sale of medications aimed at migraine relief, it would seem that a solution would be readily available. The reality of the matter is that most individuals continue to suffer while they continually bounce between doctors, medications, and various behavioral changes. 

What if the answer to relief of chronic migraines was as simple as addressing a structural misalignment that was robbing your body of the opportunity to function at 100% of its natural ability? At the base of each of our heads is an area known as the Upper Cervical Spine. This region of the neck has three characteristics that are not found anywhere else in the spine: (1) it is highly mobile, (2) it is VERY susceptible to misalignment and (3) the close tolerances in this area mean misalignment of the bones can physically inhibit the flow of blood, cerebral spinal fluid, and electrical communication from the head to the rest of the body. This interference decreases the body's ability to function and heal properly. Migraine headaches are one of MANY symptoms that can occur as a result of an Upper Cervical misalignment.

Upper Cervical chiropractors like myself are trained in the precision analysis of the bones of the upper neck and the detection and correction of misalignments in this area. When the structural integrity is restored and the flow of vital messages between the body any brain is allowed to resume uninhibited, health returns and the body thrives! Migraines are one of the many conditions that respond exceptionally well to specific Upper Cervical care and we love hearing from our patients about how they now have relief from the chronic migraines which have held them hostage for years.

Dr. Alex Wolfe

Welcome!

     We are so grateful for all the love and support that the community has shown during our start-up process. Hannah and I couldn't be more excited to begin our work with the residents of Metamora and the surrounding communities within Lapeer and Oakland Counties. We are committed to providing quality chiropractic care and health education to all those who seek our services.

     How can you help? The biggest compliment from our friends, practice members, and family is a personal referral of anyone you believe could benefit from our services. Be it through the sharing of our website, the gift of our business card, asking them to follow us on Pinterest, Twitter or an invitation for them to like the Wolfe Family Chiropractic Facebook page, we would be honored to be a part of their journey towards better health! 

     If you have already come into the office and begun care, we would love for your to leave us a review on Google to help others hear about the great work we are doing!

     In the coming weeks, look for more from Wolfe Family Chiropractic as we settle in and get to work, positively impacting the lives of our practice members and working to educate individuals of all ages about the benefits of specific chiropractic care.