It’s that time of year again where school busses are on the road and school supplies are on discount (because who really has enough pens?). It’s also the time to pick out your child’s backpack. Using backpacks is an efficient means to carry a number of books and items in a practical way by distributing the heavy load across a strong back and shoulder muscles. However, improper use can lead to spinal dysfunctional movement, poor posture and down the road, pain.
 
The biggest risk is overloading. A study in Spine Journal found that the weight of backpacks significantly affected the rate of low back pain in children. According to the study, carrying an overloaded backpack frequently caused compression of spinal discs in the lower spine. They concluded that a large portion of low back pain suffers presented changes in the lumbar spine with MRI scans. The distortion of the natural spinal curvatures in the middle and lower backs, as well as the ribcage leads to pain. Over time this causes forward rounding of the shoulders and an anterior (forward) head posture. This pulls the neck muscles and contributes to headaches, shoulder pain, low back pain and arm pain. Although not fully researched yet, the regularly recommended weight should be around 10-15% of the child’s body weight. So your 100-pound child’s backpack should be between 10-15 pounds.
 
Habitually carrying backpacks over one shoulder cause muscles to strain and compensate for the uneven weight (also talking to you Mom’s with an overfilled tote). The spine will lean to the opposite side and stresses the middle back, low back and ribcage asymmetrically. This type of muscle imbalance will cause muscle strain, muscle spasms and back pain in the short term. Long term effects will cause posture issues and a speedy development of back problems later in life if not corrected.
 
In 2013, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission cited 5,415 backpack-related injuries treated in the emergency room.  Spine Journal reported over 60% of adolescents between 6 and 19 years old have reported their backpack has caused back pain. There is little chance there will be permanent damage caused from carrying a heavy backpack, but can set your child off on a dysfunctional postural course leading to spinal issues later in life. Set your child up for success this school year with a light and even distributed backpack. The American Chiropractic Association lists a few things to consider:
 

• Is the backpack the correct size for your child?
• Does the backpack have padded shoulder straps for comfort?
• Are the shoulder straps adjustable?
• Does your child use both straps?
• Does the backpack have a padded back?
• Does the backpack have compartments to keep items in place?

 
References:

1. Neuschwander T, Cutrone J, Macias B, et el. The effect of backpacks on the lumbar spine in children a standing magnetic resonance image study. Spine 35(1):83-8. 2009.
2. Aprile I, Di Stasion E, Vincenzi M, et el.  The relationship between back pain and schoolbag use: a cross-sectional study of 5,318 Italian students. Spine 16(6):748-55. 2016.

It’s no secret that the sun, in moderate doses provides many health benefits, including to help our bodies manufacture the essential nutrient, vitamin D. When avoiding sun overexposure, vitamin D must be supplemented in your diet to decrease deficiency and increase overall function. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to certain kinds of cancers, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, depression and many other ailments.

With it being beach season, many people are looking for the best sunscreens to cut their risk of sun overexposure, sunburns and skin cancer.

The issue? All sunscreens are NOT created equally. In fact, a 2019 report from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that nearly 2/3 of sunscreens don’t work and/or contain toxic ingredients that are readily absorbed by your body. In fact, a recent study found that sunscreen chemicals hit the bloodstream within one day of using them.

There is NO clear evidence that using sunscreens will prevent skin cancer and some ingredients may even fuel the development of skin cancer. Nearly 67% of sunscreen products reviewed by the EWG either didn’t work adequately to protect from UV rays or they contained dangerous ingredients. Some of the most harmful ingredients include oxybenzone and retinyl palmitate.

Oxybenzone is the most widely used in U.S. chemical-based sunscreens. Lab testing shows skin penetration rates of 1-9% and is concerning because it is a known endocrine disruptor. This means it acts like an estrogen in the body and is linked to abnormal sperm function in animal studies and endometriosis in studies of women. Oxybenzone also acts as a skin allergen to a significant number of people.

About 40% of sunscreens reviewed contained vitamin A ingredients like retinyl palmitate. This type of ingredient can react with UV rays and actually increase the risk of skin tumors, according to government animal testing.

In fact, scientists don’t know for sure if sunscreen even helps prevent melanoma. The EWG notes in its executive summary of sunscreen guide, “Sun exposure appears to play a role in melanoma, but it is a complex disease for which many questions have not been answered. One puzzling fact: Melanomas do not appear on parts of the body that get daily sun exposure.”

This EWG’s 13th Annual Guide to Sunscreens report shows that, while there have been major improvements over the last decade, most sunscreens available for purchase in the U.S. still contain dangerous chemicals or fail to offer enough protection against damaging ultraviolet rays.

A past EWG report cited research of Brain Diffey, PhD, emeritus professor of photobiology at the Institute of Cellular Medicine at Newcastle University. He proved that, on average, U.S. sunscreens allow about three times more UVA rays to transfer through skin compared to European sunscreens. About ½ of the sunscreen products sold in the U.S. wouldn’t pass the more stringent European standards because they don’t filter enough UVA rays.

This fact matters because UVA rays are more abundant than UVB rays, and the damage from UVA is more subtle than sunburns induced by UVB rays. UVA rays can damage your skin invisibly by suppressing the immune system and aging skin faster. Overexposure of UVA rays are also linked to the development of skin cancer (melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma).

In a newly proposed rule from the FDA, the agency is finally voicing concern about the role of UVA rays in the development of skin cancer. It started that “UVA exposure is a significant concern,” and high SPF products currently on the market may expose users to “excessively large UVA doses.”

Despite evidence showing if sunscreen even prevents skin cancer, it’s still legal from sunscreens to make cancer prevention claims. The FDA banned the use of misleading sunscreen bottle label claims like “waterproof” and “sweatproof” in 2011, but other misleading marketing terms are still used including “sun shield” and “age shield”. These terms imply full protection, reassuring someone that it’s all they need to protect their skin. We know that is simply not true.

From 2007-2018, there as been a 41% increase in mineral sunscreen in the U.S. These sunscreens tend to block UVA better than chemical sunscreen ingredients and also tend to be rated safer in EWG’s database. Many contain harmful chemicals and even mineral-based ones often contain nanoparticles – minute ingredients that can cross the blood-brain barrier harming our bodies and aquatic life. Thankfully Hawaii has been able to ban oxybenzone in sunscreen due to its ability to bleach and kill coral reefs.

We suggest steering clear of spray sunscreens because of the difficulty to apply the necessary thickness for adequate protection and the increased risk of sending sunscreen chemicals directly into your lungs. Almost 30% of sunscreens tested were in spray form, The FDA raised concerns about spray sunscreens, even though the agency hasn’t banned them yet.

The EWG has been pushing the FDA to update and improve sunscreen regulations for years to better protect public health. Now, the FDA is finally taking up this issue and proposing big changes to sunscreens. The downside? This is all still in the works, so it doesn’t yet pertain to sunscreens on sale now.

The EWG reports, “In February, the agency at long last issued a proposed set of final rules. As written, the new rules would bring significant advances in both effectiveness and safety…But many big chemical manufactures and sunscreen companies are lobbying heavily for a much weaker proposal that would likely leave the state of sunscreens in the U.S. largely unchanged.”

Now, it’s important to note there is NO PERFECT SUNSCREEN. Plus, sunscreen is unique compared to many other personal care products because you coat it thickly onto your skin, often multiple times per day. These reasons are why it’s very important to look for safer sunscreens if you use them and recognize that you can’t only rely on sunscreen to prevent sun overexposure.

“No product is going to be fully protective and no product will last on your skin for more than 2 hours max,” explains Lunder. She says thickly applying sunscreen coatings, reapplying every time you’re out of the water and choosing a better product to begin with are all key.

Here’s a complete list of the EWG’s sunscreens and you can search all sunscreens here:

The most precious gift in life is good health. If you don’t believe me, ask anyone who is chronically ill or fighting a disease. Without hesitation they will tell you that what they want most is “my health”. Likewise, if you ask any parent with a sick child what they would be willing to do to give their child good health, they are most likely to say “anything and everything”.

            The World Health Organization (WHO) describes health as follows: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This definition has not been altered since 1948 and yet what we have modernly come to recognize health as being “the absence of symptoms and disease.”

            Due to the quick-fix theory and instant access that so many live by, people think that the answer to all ailments can be found in the utilization of a drug, medication or surgery. Instead of focusing on the basis of good health, science has concentrated on trying to find the cause of disease and on defining the ability to fight disease.

            What is today called traditional medicine works at eliminating or controlling signs and symptoms of disease by utilizing external invasive forces, such as surgery. It is mechanistic in nature by using chemicals in the form of drugs to change chemistry, attempts to control readings and battles disease by attempting to take over the body’s innate wisdom. All while working at relieving pain and postponing death – regardless of quality of life. This is NOT health.

            The health care system in the United States is in serious trouble. In the U.S., more money per capita is spent on health care than any other country in the world. We have become the product of commercialized propaganda and have made many decisions about health that actually lead to increased disease and morbidity. The U.S. makes up less than 5% of the world population, yet Americans consume more than 50% of prescribes drugs worldwide.

            Many reputable and highly regarded researchers have provided information to governments that could serve to improve the health of our communities and save taxpayers billions of dollars; yet few of these ideas are ever implemented. Documentaries such as Doctored, Bought, Undoctored,  Sicko and Making a Killing: The Untold Story of Psychotropic Drugging present facts that are hard to believe – and fatal to ignore.

            The dedication of the majority of medical doctors is without a doubt to the wonderful advancements that have taken place regarding crisis and emergency care. For that we are grateful. Yet, at the same time, there have been serious abuses of power. The influences of control by pharmaceutical companies towards how health and health care is perceived is definitely a concern. We are constantly bombarded with this information. In an average 1-hour news TV broadcast, there are 24 commercials and 17 are prescription related.

            The book The Truth About Drug Companies says, “Drug companies are involved in every detail of research, from design of the study through analysis of data, to deciding whether to publish the results or not. That involvement has made bias not only possible but also extremely likely. Researchers don’t control clinical trials anymore, sponsors do.”

            According to WHO, the United Sates, who has excellent resources of scientific minds and technology, is not among the top of the healthiest countries in the world. As health care systems go, the U.S. holds the esteemed position of…37th! Can you believe that? We spend the largest amount towards health care, take the most prescription medications and yet 36 countries rank higher than our stars and stripes. Shocking!

            Under the heading, “ World’s Heathiest Countries,” Bloomberg’s ranking positions the U.S. at 33rd, Canada at 14th and Australia as 3rd. To achieve better results with your family’s health, you must be willing to think differently, look at all of the available options and make wiser informed decisions.
 
Albert Einstein said; “You cannot solve a problem with the same level of thinking that created the problem in the first place.”
 
            Therefore, we must encourage all politicians taxpayers and health care professionals to recognize the value of moving our health care system to embrace and respect the human’s body innate ability to health itself.

            Every spine might have a subluxation (displacement that affects the nervous systems self-healing and self-regulating mechanisms). We know that each subluxation leads to dis-ease and, in time, full blown disease. Every subluxation needs to be adjusted and ultimately needs Chiropractic.

            The developer of Chiropractic, B.J. Palmer said, “Every man, woman and child has a spine. It makes no difference whether he or she is black or white, red or yellow, whether they live on a mountain or in a valley; on land or water; at the North Pole or equator; rich or poor-it is equally applied.”

            It is our hope that this motivates you to come learn and communicate the large amounts of research towards this exceptional healing art called Chiropractic, whether for your child, a loved one or yourself.
 
Dr. B.J. Palmer said; “Potentially every sick person is demanding Chiropractic-calling for it, needing it, crying for it-actually shouting for it, but doesn’t know.”
 
            Be the person who tells them. We can only impact those around us by talking about it, whether it be uncomfortable or not. Share your knowledge to those who may not know. I leave you with this: Syrus said, “Many receive advice, only the wise profit from it.”

1. Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19-22 June, 1946; signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States (Official Records if the World Health Organization, no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April 1948.
2. Dr. Marcia Angell, MD. The Truth About Drug Companies (2005)
3. Dr. Gilles LaMarche. The Art of Being Healthy, Real-Life Accounts of Children and Mothers Healing with Chiropractic (2016)

Subluxation. A word you will hear in our office frequently. But what does it mean?

The aim of the Chiropractic adjustment is to remove subluxations within your spine.  A subluxation is first found as a segment within your spine which is not moving correctly. Without proper motion, your brain does not receive correct sensory information and thus your brain will not send out the correct neural response. Imagine stroking a feather across your cheek and your brain  puts out a response as if it is a blow torch. This incorrect response can be manifested in a multitude of ways, including pain, headaches, increased blood pressure, gastrointestinal issues, and dysfunctional movement patterns, just to name a few.

The most important word to hang onto is NEURAL.

Your brain and descending nerves are the biggest players being affected here. Your spine and joints are the medium we use to reach this essential self-regulating, self-maintaining and self-healing system. When this system is not functioning properly, it goes into a stress response with muscles spasms, joints restricting motion, nearby nerves are choked and chafed, and your internal regulatory system loses control. 

​
In fact, the literal translation of the word subluxation is: 
SUB – under, below, beneath
LUX – light, lumen
ATION – result or product of an action

​
When you are subluxated, your internal light is not shining at maximum capacity. Ridding yourself of subluxations does not remove dis-ease but adds in life and light. Come get adjusted and turn the light on in yourself.

Bacteria is all around us and is a very important component within our bodies to function properly. With the concept of sanitization and antibiotics in modern society, we are less prone to run into the necessary bacteria our gut requires. This is why your doctors suggest taking a supplemental probiotic to guarantee your system has the bacteria required. Probiotics are species of health-promoting bacteria that we require for proper digestion of food and immune defense against illness promoting bacteria, viruses and fungi. Ten years ago, this was a foreign concept for many and most people but probiotics, the good bacteria naturally found in our guts, have now become a household name. However, prebiotics are a relatively newer concept which are making news these days.
 
What are prebiotics? Prebiotics are natural carbohydrates that are hard for humans to digest, meaning they stick around long enough to remain intact at the end of the digestive process. They work to actively promote the growth of good bacteria in the digestive system. More simply, prebiotics are the food for the probiotics in our systems.
 
How do prebiotics and probiotics work together? When prebiotics meet probiotics in the colon, fermentation takes place resulting in the production of short-chain fatty acids, lactate and gas. When consumed, studies show that prebiotics lead to an increase in the growth of good bacteria in the gut. The more good bacteria, the less opportunity for bad bacteria to grow and take over. This leads to a longer term healthy gut and overall wellness.
 
Where can I find prebiotics and probiotics in my diet? You probably don’t realize that you are already eating them! You can find both prebiotics and probiotics in some pretty common foods
 
Prebiotics

• Bananas
• Onions
• Garlic
• Leeks
• Asparagus
• Artichokes
• Soybeans
• Whole-wheat foods

 
Probiotics

• Yogurt
• Kefir products
• Aged cheeses
• Kimchi
• Sauerkraut
• Miso
• Tempeh

 
The real magic happens when these two types of products are eaten together (think: bananas on top of yogurt). And if you find these foods aren’t on your normal grocery list, you can always opt for a nutritional supplement. We recommend Innate Choice probiotics which you can pick up at your next office visit.
 
Are there long term benefits of prebiotics and probiotics? Research shows that the total number of bacteria living in healthy adults amount to 10 times more bacteria than number of cells in the human body! In fact, a healthy digestive tract should contain over 2 pounds of bacteria. When your body is supplied with the necessary health-promoting bacteria, bad bacteria is unable to grow leading to disease. This leads to overall wellness and has shown to help with these digestive afflictions:
 

• Assist in treatment of diarrhea
• Reduce irritable bowel symptoms
• Reduce the recurrence of bladder cancer
• Prevent various infections in the intestines
• Prevent and treat urinary tract and yeast infections
• Prevent and treat eczema, especially in children
• Prevent and treat symptoms of cold and flu

1. Bengmark S. 1998. Immunonutrition: role of biosurfactants, fiber, and probiotic bacteria. Nutrition. 14:585-94.
2. Gill HS and Guarner F. 2004. Probiotics and human health: a clinical perspective. Postgraduate Medical Journal. 80:516-26.
3. Reid G, Jass J, Sebulaky MT, McCormick JK. 2003. Potential uses or probiotics in clinical practice. Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 16(4):658-72.

Your brain processes 400 billion bits of information per second, but we are consciously aware of only 2,000 of those. It picks up info from our external environment; like temperature, pressure, the ground beneath you, air quality, and the things touching your skin; as well as our internal environment; like digestion, respiratory, heart rate, and overall body positioning (proprioception).  Your brain quickly categorizes this info in order of importance and what needs to be conscious to you; that is hot, move your hand; and unconscious; your clothes touching your skin or heart rate. The majority of info is unconscious to us so we can focus on the world around us.
 
The purpose of your brain taking in this mass amount of unconscious sensory info is to be able to output the proper motor control to function in our surrounding environment; so we can balance and stand upright on uneven ground.
 
Every time any of your joints move you are relaying information your brain. Without joint movement, or with improper joint movement, your brain is receiving a false message. A chronic decreased range of motion associated with subluxation results in adaptive neuroplastic changes resulting in increased pain (nociception) and decreased proprioceptive input into the brain. In general, neuroplasticity refers to an adaptation of the nervous system in response to changes in the internal and external environment. Ultimately this means your nervous system changes and adapts to the information it receives, therefore leading to changes in what your body puts out.
 
Say for example your pelvis is not moving through full range of motion. Your brain is receiving a signal that the ground is at a different distance than it truly is. This is one reason why you may stumble or trip over something that is not there. Your brain thinks the ground is there, but in reality it is not.
 
Joints need to go through full ranges of motion, against resistance, every day to stay healthy and continue proper communication with the brain. Type 1 mechanoreceptors are only active while at extreme ranges of motion and when healthy joints are in both a static position and in motion. This is important because these receptors only fire at extreme or end ranges of motion, therefore FULL range is essential. It is also important to note that input is received while in motion and while at rest because it goes to show that information to the brain is a basic nutrient needed for proper control and function.
 
This defines the essential nature of continuing proper joint movement while conscious feeling pain and while NOT feeling any pain. Continue to feed your brain and nervous system with proper full range of motion of all joints, especially spinal joints, with chiropractic care. Specific adjustments through chiropractic care restores full motion within joints and continuing to move every day is what helps maintain it. This evidence gives us the understanding of how important joint movement is to not only feel better, but to function better overall.  
 
References:

1. Lesk, M. Info capacity one in a million; information vs attention. Intl Jol Comm. 2012;6:13.
2. Seaman, DR. Joint complex dysfunction, a novel term to replace subluxation/subluxation complex; etiological and treatment considerations. JMPT. 1997;20(9).
3. McLain. Mechanoreceptor endings in human facet joints. Spine. 1994;19(5).
4. Wyke, B. Neurology of cervical spinal joints. Physiotherapy. 1979;65:72-6. 

Sickness is always multifactorial and is the overlying symptom to an underlying issue. A problem is not solved by losing sickness, but by discovering health. Symptoms can come in many forms: low back pain, high blood pressure, headaches, obesity, arthritis, digestive issues, cancer…the list is never ending.
 
You were NOT born that way. You do NOT have a deficit or are weak or are unable to function properly. Your body is an amazing incredible system that is self-healing and self-regulating. The difference between illness and health is giving your body the environment and input it needs to THRIVE.
 
Move – do you have full ranges of motion?
Mobility in your joints allow for the necessary input to your brain. Without movement there is an increase in nociception leading to pain. More than likely, your pain is coming from a lack in motion within any or all of your spinal joints, not just the site where you feel pain. In fact, research shows restoring motion in C1; atlas; the first vertebrae in your spine increased the straight leg raiser test; how high can you lift your leg when laying on your back without pain. You are completely and entirely connected. This proves how restoring motion in one part of your spine can greatly affect other areas. In your body right now, what may not be functioning properly which you cannot feel through pain and are not consciously aware of yet?
 
Eat – how are you fueling your body?
Are you eating wholesome foods and getting the essential nutrients needed for proper cellular function? Omega-3, vitamin D, vitamin A and probiotics are the essential nutrients your body needs to function that we cannot get in the grocery store and your body cannot produce. All other things necessary for your body can be found in wholesome food. How many fruits and vegetables have you eaten today? The ratio should be 2:1 vegetables to fruit. Also, to prep your digestive and metabolic system, make sure you are getting FRESH FIBER. The mechanical action of chewing stimulates your brain and preps your system for digestion.
 
Think – what kind of thoughts and emotions are you feeling today?
We are communal animals. We need to be surrounded by others, have someone to talk to (a confidant) and feel loved. Stress is plaguing our modern society and is prevalent in everyone’s lives. Chronic stress affects function at all levels, makes your body adapt to a long term fight-or-flight response and ultimately impairs your own health and wellbeing. Research has clearly defined how stress promotes various forms of illness including but not limited to heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, anxiety and most cancers.
 
Again, your body is an incredible self-healing and self-regulating entity! You are NOT lacking, weak or born without anything. Everything you need to live a healthy long fulfilling life you are equipped with. Give yourself an environment which allows you to function properly and you will be healthy. It’s that simple. Truly.
 
References:

1. Pollard, Ward. The effect of cervical or sacroiliac manipulation on hip flexion range of motion. JMPT 1998;21(9).
2. Furman, Gallo. 2000, The Neurophysics of Human Behavior.
3. Fletcher RH, Fairfield KM. Vitamins of chronic disease prevention in adults: clinical applications. JAMA 2002; 287(23):3127-9.
4. Meany M. 2001, Stress and Disease: Who Gets Sick, Who Gets Well. Cortext Educational Seminars.