Belvidere Chiropractic Center

Do You Have Trouble Sleeping ? – National Sleep Awareness Week

Dr Jon P Heins — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:00:36 +0000

Well You’re Not Alone! Surveys have shown that Between 40% to 60% of the General Population has Trouble Sleeping. Daily Stress and Worries, Pressures from Job and Family, Body Aches and Pains caused by Uncomfortable Beds or Pillows, and Many Other issues Can Keep You from Getting Enough Quality Sleep.

Your Family and Friends Have Probably Been Telling You to Eat Better and Exercise More. You see it on TV, in the News and All Over the Internet, Doctors, Nutritionists, Dietitians, Health Care Professionals and Alternative Health Practitioners are Continually introducing some “New“ Fad Diet. If You Would Like Some Useful information Regarding All This You can Read Two of my Previous Post Series Titled ‘Family Fitness’ HERE and ‘Healthy Aging’ HERE and After You’ve Read Them Don’t Forget to Come Back to Finished Reading This Post too.

Hopefully, You’ve made some Healthy Lifestyle Changes. You’re Cutting Back on Your fat and sugar intake, Watching Your calories consumed, and are Doing some sort of Physical Activity You and Your Family Enjoy Doing for 60 minutes a Day. But In Addition to Physical Fitness and Healthy Eating, Another Important Key Factor to a Happier Healthier Lifestyle is Getting the Appropriate Amount of Sleep.

And Since March 7th to the 13th is National Sleep Awareness Week this is a Great Time for me to Post This Article.

Why is Sleep so Vital to Your Good Health and Well Being? And Why is a Lack of it is Such a Serious Matter?

Dr. Frederick R. Carrick, DC, PhD, President of the American Chiropractic Association’s Council on Neurology says it best:

“Sleep is One of the Most important Functions of the Brain. Through it, our Bodies Recharge and Renew for the Next Day’s Challenges. Sleep Regulates Your Mood, is Related to Learning and Memory, and is a Key Factor in Your Health, Weight, and Energy Level.”

Not Only Can Not Sleeping Enough Slow up Your Productivity and Ability to Remember information, Lack of Sleep Can also Lead to Serious Health Consequences and Endanger Your Safety and the Safety of Those Around You. Since Lack of Sleep is Commonly Known to be Associated With:

Increased Risk of Motor Vehicle Accidents.
Increase in Appetite resulting in an Unhealthy Weight Gain.
Increased risk of Diabetes and Heart Problems.
Increased Risk of Depression and Substance Abuse.

What Can You Do To Begin a Path Towards Better Sleep and a Healthier Lifestyle?

You Can Start by First Assessing These 3 individual Needs and Habits.

How do You Respond to different Amounts of Sleep?
Pay attention to Your Mood, Energy and Health after a Bad Night’s Sleep opposed to a Good One.
How often do You get a Good Night’s Sleep? If Your Answer is “Not Often”, then You may Need to consider Changing Your Sleep Habits. When You Begin this Process, You may realize that often You are Not Getting what You would Call a “Good Night’s Sleep.”

Then, to Begin Your Path for a Better Night’s Sleep, You and Your Family Members can Follow These 8 Tips:

Establish Consistent Sleep and Wake Schedules, Even on Weekends!
Create a Regular, Relaxing Bedtime Routine such as Soaking in a Hot Relaxing Bath or Listening to Soothing Music. Begin an Hour or More Before the Time You Expect to Fall Asleep.
Create a Sleep-Conductive Environment that is Dark, Quiet, Comfortable and Cool.
Sleep on a Comfortable Mattress and Pillow.
Use Your Bedroom Only for Sleep. Avoid Watching TV, Using a Computer, Using Your Cell Phone, or Reading in Bed.
Finish Eating at Least 2 to 3 hours Before Your Regular Bedtime.
Exercise Regularly During the Day or at Least 3 Hours Before Your Bedtime.
Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol close to Bedtime.

Most importantly, Make Sleep a Priority, schedule Sleep like any other Daily Activity. Don’t Make it the Thing You Do Only After Everything Else is Done. Stop Doing other things so You Get the Sleep You Need.

How Much Sleep Do You Really Need?

Unfortunately, there is No “Magic Number” for Everybody. Not only do Different Age Groups Need Different Amounts of Sleep, but Sleep Needs are also individualized. Just like any of the Traits You are Born with, the Amount of Sleep You Need to Function Best may be Different for You than for someone who is of the Same Age and Sex. While You may be at Your Best Sleeping seven hours a night, Someone Else may Need nine hours to Have a Happy, Healthy, Productive Life.

The Following Information Below, However, Can Be a Used as a Guide to Help You Get Started with Figuring Out About How Much Sleep You Need Based On Your Age:

Newborns (1 to 2 months) 14 to 18 hours

Infants (3 to 11 months) 13 to 16 hours

Toddlers (1 to 3 years) 12 to 14 hours

Preschoolers (3 to 5 years) 11 to 13 hours

Children (5 to 12 years) 10 to 11 hours

Teens (13 to 17 years) 9 to 10 hours

Adults (18 and Up) 7 to 9 hours

Try Starting in the Middle of Your Age Group and Pay Attention to Your Own individual Needs by Assessing These 6 Things:

How You Feel on different Amounts of Sleep.
Are you Productive, Healthy and Happy?
Do You Have Health issues?
Are You Experiencing Sleep Problems?
Do You Depend on caffeine to get You through the Day?
Do You Feel Sleepy when Driving?

These are questions that Should Be Asked Before You can Find the Number that Works Best for You.

After You and Your Family make a Commitment to Getting the Sleep You Need You Will Enjoy These 3 Things toward Beginning a Path Towards Better Sleep and a Happier Healthier Lifestyle:

Being More Productive.
Being Less irritable.
Being Less Excitable and Less Stressed.

Although Healthy Eating and Physical Activities are Key Components to a Healthy Lifestyle, Getting the Proper amount of Sleep each night is also Equally important. Since, How well You are Sleeping is inherently linked with How Much You Eat, How Much You Exercise, and How You Function on a Daily Basis. The Proper Amount of Sleep will Help You Get on the Road to Better Physical Fitness, Healthier Eating, and a Healthier Lifestyle for You and Your Family.

How Can Chiropractic Care Help You Get a Better Night Sleep?

If You are experiencing Pain and Discomfort at Night or Have Difficulty Falling Asleep, a Visit to Your Local Doctor of Chiropractic Can Help. Your Local Doctor of Chiropractic is Trained to Treat Spinal Problems that Commonly interfere with a Restful Night’s Sleep, We also offer individually Ergonomic Advice that can Help You improve the Quality of Your Sleep. As Wellness Experts, Doctors of Chiropractic Provide You with a Different Approach to Your Sleeping Problems, Without the use of potentially Dangerous Sleeping Aids, Which are Commonly Known to Cause Strange Dreams and Sleep Walking. And Whose Use Leaves You in a Mental Fog the Next Morning.

I Hope You Found this Post Useful and Welcome any of Your Thoughts on this Subject.

So, if You Like to, Feel Free to Leave a Comment Below.

And If You Don’t Want to Miss any Future Posts, Just Subscribe to the Email Updates HERE, and/or the RSS Feed HERE (See: What’s This?).

You can Also Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, or LinkedIN.

How Does Chiropractic Care Help Your Heart? – February is American Heart Month

Dr Jon P Heins — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:00:32 +0000

How Does Chiropractic Care Help Your Heart?

February is American Heart Month. Since Heart Disease continues to be is our Nation’s #1 Killer and is the Greatest Burden on Our Health Care System Today (Costing the United States of America Billions of Dollars Each Year in Health Care Costs and is showing No Signs of Stopping)! So, There is No Better Time to Tell You About the importance of Your Heart Health!

Although Your Family History and Genetics do have a part, Most of the commonly known, Lifestyle Choices that are Risk Factors like, smoking, excessive weight, stress, lack of physical activity, and diets high in saturated fat, for example, are Under Your Control.

You can read Two of my Previous Post Series: Family Fitness HERE and Healthy Aging HERE for More information on this and also, The American Heart Association has Valuable Resources to Help You Educate Yourself on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention. So, please feel free to visit their site HERE to learn even more about heart disease causes and prevention.

You probably are aware that Diet and Exercise are Key Factors in Preventing Heart Disease. However, you probably are Not Aware that Chiropractic Treatment may Also Be Used to Fight Against Heart Disease!

Research has shown that “Chiropractic Adjustments to the upper part of the neck can have a Positive Effect on Significantly Lowering Your Blood Pressure for an Extended Period of Time.”¹ While other studies Have Shown that adjustments of the bones in your neck and lower back can Stimulate Particular Nervous System Reflexes, Causing a Decrease in Overall Heart Rate and Blood Pressure.

In Addition to this, there are Some Other Positive Effects when you engage in Regular Chiropractic Treatments.

First, seeing a Chiropractor Gives You Access to Advice from a Trained Health Care Professional. In Today’s Age, the internet is often used as the first place to obtain health information, However, this can Often Cause an inaccurate Self-Diagnosis, so talking with a Trained Health Care Professional about Your Concerns can Make Clear many Questions You may Have.

Second, a Healthcare Practitioner can Provide You with the Support and Guidance You Need to Change and Apply New Health Strategies.

And Third, Regular Chiropractic Care can also Relieve Your Stress, which is Also Great for Your Heart!

So Regular Chiropractic Treatment Combined with Positive Lifestyle Changes of Proper Nutrition and Exercise can Prove to be a Powerful Ally in the Fight Against Heart Disease!

I Hope You Found this Post Useful and Welcome any of Your Thoughts on this Subject.

So, if You Like to, Feel Free to Leave a Comment Below.

And If You Don’t Want to Miss any Future Posts, Just Subscribe to the Email Updates HERE, and/or the RSS Feed HERE (See: What’s This?).

You can Also Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, or LinkedIN.

¹ Journal of Human Hypertension 21, 347-352 Atlas Vertebrae realignment and achievement of arterial pressure goal in hypertensive patients: a pilot study. G Bakris et al. {pub. May 2007}.

Congratulations to the Winner of the FREE Sylvania 32” LCD HDTV! – Patient Appreciation Week 2010

Dr Jon P Heins — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:01:24 +0000

Congratulations to the Winner of the FREE Sylvania 32” LCD HDTV! – Patient Appreciation Week 2010.

During the 1st Week of February 2010, To Show You Our Appreciation, to All of You for Choosing Belvidere Chiropractic Center, to be Your Family Chiropractic Center, Where Generations of Your Family are Cared for by Our Family, We are had our Patient Appreciation Week.

It’s a Pleasure to Serve all of You and Your Families in Belvidere and the Surrounding Communities for 10 Years Now!

Here is a Slide Show of a Few Photos of Some of Those Who Stopped By:

We Hope You All Enjoyed it as Much as We Did! And Really Liked all the Food, Refreshments, and Your Gift Bags.

And of Course, All of You Filled Out a Raffle Ticket that Was then Entered Into a Drawing to Win the 32” Sylvania LCD HDTV. Just For Stopping By!

We also allowed All of You Another Chance to be Entered into the Drawing to Win the 32” Sylvania LCD HDTV by Following Three Simple Steps, that involved:

1. Using Twitter to Help Promote Our Patient Appreciation Week by Re-Tweeting the Original Post.

2. Leaving a Comment in the comments section below the Original Post about How Chiropractic Care has either Benefited Them or Someone in Their Family.

3. Subscribing to This Site via the Email Updates HERE.

After Finishing ALL THREE STEPS by 11:59 pm EST January 31st, a Raffle Ticket was filled out for them so they were also Entered Into the Drawing to Win the 32” Sylvania LCD HDTV.

This was all done to:

i. Help Promote our Patient Appreciation Week.

ii. Let Others Know How Chiropractic Care Helps Many of You and Your Families.

iii. Get You to Subscribe to This Site’s Articles & Events Page for Some Free, Continually Updated, Helpful Information Regarding Your Health and Wellness and Other Special Events going on at Belvidere Chiropractic Center.

Why?

Because We Love Helping Those of You Who are Having Difficulties Enjoying the Activities You and Your Family Really Love to Do Due To Back Pain, Neck Pain, Headaches, and Many Other Conditions such as: Sciatica, Herniated Discs, Arthritis, Shoulder, Arm, Hip, Leg, and Jaw Pain related to the Spine, by Diminishing or Even Eliminating Your Pain with Chiropractic Care “the #1 Top-Rated, Most Helpful, Highly Satisfied, Treatment by a Health-Care Professional”¹ as well as General Spinal Check-Ups, Supportive, Maintenance and Wellness Care for You and Your Entire Family. And so You can read, at Your Own Leisure via Your Email, This Site’s Home Page for Some Free, Continually Up-dated, Helpful Information Regarding Your Health and Wellness and Other Special Events going on at Belvidere Chiropractic Center.

I Know What You Are Probably Thinking About Now, ‘Well Enough About All This! Who Won the Sylvania 32 inch LCD HDTV Already’ Right?

As You Can Probably Tell, We Really Enjoyed This Year’s Patient Appreciation Week! And We Really Love What We Do! So, Sorry for not telling You Who Won until the End of the Post…

So Without Any Further Ado… Drum Roll …

AND THE LUCKY WINNER OF THIS YEAR’S PATEINT APPRECIATION WEEK PRIZE OF THE SYLVANIA 32 INCH LCD HDTV HERE AT BELVIDERE CHIROPRACTIC CENTER IS:

Harold Read

CONGRATULATIONS WE HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR NEW LCD HDTV!

Thanks Again to All of You Who, Stopped By and Visited Belvidere Chiropractic Center for our Patient Appreciation Week, for Bringing Your Families, Telling All Your Friends, Helping Promote our Patient Appreciation Week on Twitter, Letting Others Know About How Chiropractic Care Helps Many of You and Your Families by Commenting on the Original Post, and Subscribing to This Site’s Articles & Events Page.

As always, Feel Free to Leave a Comment Below.

And If You Don’t Want to Miss any Future Posts, Just Subscribe to the Email Updates HERE, and/or the RSS Feed HERE (See: What’s This?).

You can Also Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, or LinkedIN.

¹ Consumer Reports Survey {pub. May 2009}.

How Would You Like to Win a FREE Sylvania 32” LCD HDTV? – Patient Appreciation Week 2010

How Would You Like to Win a FREE Sylvania 32” LCD HDTV? – Patient Appreciation Week 2010

Dr Jon P Heins — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:03:53 +0000

How Would You Like to Win a FREE Sylvania 32” LCD HDTV? – Patient Appreciation Week 2010.

TWO Chances to Win!

Stop By and Visit Belvidere Chiropractic Center during our regular office hours the 1st Week of February 2010, for our Patient Appreciation Week.

This Year is a Very Special One, as we are Celebrating Serving You and Your Family in the Belvidere and Surrounding Communities for 10 Years Now!

It’s a Pleasure to Serve You and We Appreciate You for choosing Belvidere Chiropractic Center, to be Your Family Chiropractic Center, Where Generations of Your Family are Cared for by Our Family.

To Show You Our Appreciation, we are having a Patient Appreciation Week from February 1st through the 5th. There will be FREE Food and Refreshments and the First 100 People That Come In During the Week Will Be Given a FREE Gift Bag and EVERYONE Will Be Eligible to Fill Out a Raffle Ticket that Will then Be Entered Into a Drawing to Win the 32” Sylvania LCD HDTV!!! All for Just For Stopping By!

So Bring Your Whole Family and Tell Your Friends!

WAIT, I said you have TWO CHANCES to WIN! What is the Other Chance to Win the Sylvania 32” LCD HDTV?

Continue reading and follow these THREE simple steps by 11:59 pm EST January 31st …

NOTE: The FIRST STEP will require you to have a Twitter Account. If you don’t already have one, Sign Up for One HERE (it’s FREE and all you will need is your Email address), and while you are at it, you should also Follow @BelvidereChiro.

If you need help with using Twitter, watch the Video Below: How To Use Twitter.

How To Use Twitter on Howcast

You can also look to Twitter’s Support Page for any additional help.

STEP ONE: Re-Tweet this post …

Simply click on the Tweet This Button below to let your followers on Twitter know about How to Win the FREE Sylvania 32” LCD HDTV …

STEP TWO: Leave a Comment …

Leave a Comment in the comments section below about How Chiropractic Care has either Benefited You or Someone in Your Family.

STEP THREE: Subscribe to This Site via the Email Updates …

If you are already subscribed to the email updates, then you’re good to go!

If not, simple Subscribe HERE TODAY!

After Finishing ALL THREE STEPS by 11:59 pm EST January 31st, a Raffle Ticket will be filled out for you so you will be Entered Into the Drawing to Win the 32” Sylvania LCD HDTV!!!

The Winning raffle ticket will be Drawn on February 8th, 2010 and we will announce who won on the next post shortly after that.

So, have fun and we’ll see you at our Patient Appreciation Week.

And one last thing, in addition to Following @BelviderChiro on Twitter, you can also subscribe to this site’s RSS Feed HERE (See: What’s This?), become a Fan of Belvidere Chiropractic Center’s Facebook Page HERE, connect with us on MySpace HERE, and LinkedIn HERE.

Congratulations to the Winner of the FREE Sylvania 32” LCD HDTV! – Patient Appreciation Week 2010

What are 4 Easy Things You Can Do to Stimulate Your Minds to Create a Healthy Lifestyle? – Family Fit Lifestyle Month (Part 3 of 3)

Dr Jon P Heins — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:56:48 +0000

What are 4 Easy Things You Can Do to Stimulate Your Minds to Create a Healthy Lifestyle? – Family Fit Lifestyle Month (Part 3 of 3).

Also being “fit” isn’t just about eating better and exercising; being fit also includes doing things that stimulate your minds.

1. Play a fun game with your family at least one night a week. Games like Scrabble help with spelling, Candy Land with colors, and Yahtzee with sequential or logical skills.

2. Limit television and screen time to less than 2 hours a day.

3. Keep TV out of children’s bedroom. 69% of 6 to 14 year olds have TV’s in their bedroom and they average 3 ½ hours a day of TV and 8 ½ hours a day of electronic media (Kaiser Family Foundation).

4. Make sure you and your children get enough sleep. Children need at least 9 hours of sleep. Adults need a minimum of 6 hours.

It is our job as parents to role model good eating and fitness habits, provide healthful shared meals, and set limits on junk food, screen time, and sleep time.

This can be an overwhelming list so, try small changes at first.

Pick one thing regarding being physically active, one thing regarding healthy eating, and one thing regarding your mind and work on those first.

I hope you found this series useful and welcome any of your thoughts on this subject.

So, if you like to, feel free to leave a comment below.

If you don’t want to miss any future posts, just subscribe to the Email Updates HERE, and/or the RSS Feed Here (See: What’s This?).

You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, or LinkedIN.

What are 12 Easy Things You Can Do to Promote Healthy Eating to Create a Healthy Lifestyle? – Family Fit Lifestyle Month (Part 2 of 3)

Dr Jon P Heins — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:07:37 +0000

What are 12 Easy Things You Can Do to Promote Healthy Eating to Create a Healthy Lifestyle? – Family Fit Lifestyle Month (Part 2 of 3).

Family fitness is about a lot more than exercise. Food and eating habits are just as important. You must also practice good diet and eating habits as well.

1. Eat meals together as a family.

2. Eat a small breakfast daily. A yogurt smoothie, multigrain toast with preserves, and some fruit.

3. Limit fast food. No more than 1 a week! It’s a treat not a nutritious meal!

4. Use correct portion sizes. 1/2 a plate of fruits and/or veggies, 1/4 with protein, 1/4 whole grains.

5. Portions add up. 100 extra calories a day will add 10 pounds to your weight in a year. That’s just 4 Oreo cookies or 2/3 of a soda/canned drink a day!

6. Limit sugar-sweetened beverages. Try water with a squeeze of lemon.

7. Drink more water.

8. Get your children involved with grocery shopping and reading food labels.

9. Let children have one day a week to cook healthy meals. It is more likely that your kids will eat healthy foods if they have had a hand in preparing them.

10. Find recipes for healthy good tasting snacks you can make. Hummus and pita chips, celery sticks with peanut butter, or fruit with yogurt dip.

11. Take a healthy cooking class together.

12. Focus on prevention of weight gain, not losing weight.

Next Week: What are 4 Easy Things You Can Do to Stimulate Your Minds?

If you don’t want to miss the last post of this series and my future posts, just subscribe to the Email Updates HERE, and/or the RSS Feed HERE (See: What’s This?).

I hope you find this information useful and welcome any of your thoughts on this subject. So, if you’d like to, feel free to leave a comment below.

What Are 8 Easy Things You Can Do to Be Physically Active Together to Create a Healthy Lifestyle? – Family Fit Lifestyle Month (Part 1 of 3)

Dr Jon P Heins — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:02:10 +0000

What Are 8 Easy Things You Can Do to Be Physically Active Together to Create a Healthy Lifestyle? – Family Fit Lifestyle Month (Part 1 of 3).

Encourage physical activity of at least 60 total minutes a day. (Try for three 20 minute physical activities. A short walk around the mall, cleaning the house, or going to the playground.)
Get your pet in on the action by giving it a good walk each day. (This will not only get you a better behaved pet as it will burn up excess energy and get tired, but it will also serve to make your entire family more fit. If you don’t have a pet, it wouldn’t hurt to rescue one.)
Start a Saturday morning ritual. (Go bike riding, hill climbing, hiking, or walk / run the track at a local high school.)
Play Sports or non-competitive alternatives (biking, jump rope, Frisbee).
Change Your Routine activities (walk rather than taking the car; use the stairs rather than an elevator).
Try some new physical hobbies (gardening, sightseeing, bowling).
Have Family outings (apple picking, camping, fishing).
Enjoy being outdoors (beach, swimming, hiking).

Make it FUN! This is important! If you and your family really enjoy the activities you are doing together you will be more inclined to make the time and do them.

Next Week: What are 12 Easy Things You Can Do to Promote Healthy Eating?
Followed by: What are 4 Easy Things You Can Do to Stimulate Your Minds? One week after that.
If you don’t want to miss the rest of this series just subscribe to the Email Updates HERE.
Or you can subscribe to the RSS Feed Here (See: What’s This?).

I hope you find this information useful and welcome any of your thoughts on this subject.
So, feel free to leave a comment below.

What Are 24 Easy Things You and Your Entire Family Can Do to Work Together to Create a Healthy Lifestyle? – Family Fit Lifestyle Month.

Dr Jon P Heins — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:02:46 +0000

What Are 24 Easy Things You and Your Entire Family Can Do to Work Together to Create a Healthy Lifestyle? – Family Fit Lifestyle Month.

Happy New Year!

How many of you are thinking about making a New Year’s resolution to lose weight and to exercise more? Especially after all that eating and drinking some of us may have indulged in during the celebrating with all our loved ones.

Well, good news! January is Family Fit Lifestyle Month.

Family Fit Lifestyle Month was established to “promote parents and children to work together to get in shape and get healthy.”

A family that gets fit together becomes a much stronger and healthier unit.

And although January is Family Fit Lifestyle Month, healthy habits and becoming health conscious, should be an all the year around, lifelong undertaking for all of us and our entire family and enjoying activities together is a great way for us to spend more time with our family.

This will be a 3 Part Series Divided Up into the 3 Key Areas to Creating a Healthy Lifestyle: Physical Activity, Healthy Eating, and Mental Activity.

The First Part: What are 8 Easy Things You Can Do to Be Physically Active Together to Create a Healthy Lifestyle? Will be posted tomorrow, followed by the Second Part: What are 12 Easy Things You Can Do to Promote Healthy Eating? The following week, and then the final Third Part: What are 4 Easy Things You Can Do to Stimulate Your Minds? One week after that.

If you don’t want to miss this series just subscribe to the Email Updates HERE.

Or you can subscribe to the RSS Feed Here (See: What’s This?).

I hope you find this series information useful and welcome any of your thoughts on this subject. So, feel free to leave a comment below.

Have a Happy Healthy New Year!

Thank You for Helping Us Play Santa – Salvation Army Annual 2009 Angel Tree Toy Drive

Dr Jon P Heins — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:01:22 +0000

Thank You for Helping Us Play Santa – Salvation Army Annual 2009 Angel Tree Toy Drive

We are happy to say this year’s Salvation Army Annual Holiday Angel Tree Program was a Huge Success!

Your generosity and kindness will bring happiness to local children whose families are experiencing an economic hardship and would have been unable to provide gifts for their children. It is people like you who help instill the true values of the season.

With your help we were able to collect almost a hundred new toys for deserving children of needy families in the local community who counted on you to make sure they had a Merry Christmas this year. There were so many generous donations that we had to have the Salvation Army come several times to pick up the toys since they were taking up the entire waiting area! The Salvation Army then sorted and delivered your gifts to all the local little angels just in time for Christmas!

We know how busy you are this time of the year and we thank you for remembering those who are less fortunate while you were out shopping for your loved ones. We would also like to thank those of you who used the Discovery Toy site, to order toys and have them shipped directly to our office. Your kindness and generosity is greatly appreciated!
And we would also like to thank Belvidere Green for helping spread the word about the Salvation Army Angel Tree Toy Drive on their Post: Bending over Backwards.

“Any society, any nation, is judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members — the last, the least, the littlest.” ~ Cardinal Roger Mahony

And Finally, I have included this YouTube video of one of my favorite bands, Third Day, from the Album: Christmas Offerings, entitled: “Christmas Like a Child”, hope you enjoy it!

From Our Family at Belvidere Chiropractic Center to Your Family, have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jon, Kimberly, Stephanie, and Lauren

Can You Help Us Play Santa ? – Salvation Army Annual 2009 Angel Tree Toy Drive

How Can Chiropractic Help TMJ joint problems ? – National TMJ Awareness Month (part 3 of 3)

Dr Jon P Heins — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:03:47 +0000

How Can Chiropractic Help TMJ joint problems ? -National TMJ Awareness Month (part 3 of 3)

How Can Chiropractic Help TMJ joint problems?

You may ask, “Why do you recommend chiropractic to correct a problem with my jaw?” In a previous post, I discussed how Chiropractic techniques that work so well with the spine can be applied to other joints in the body. The answer is simple; chiropractors are trained to correct problems due to bone misalignments.

Chiropractic care for the your TMJ joint can ease pain by correcting the misalignment between your spine and nervous system. Chiropractic can be effective at reducing your pain associated with your TMJ, either when used alone or as a complement to other treatments. This is because, rather than changing your diet or modifying your teeth; it relaxes your muscles, adjusts your joints and uses specific trigger points to accurately re-position your jaw. When done successfully, this will not only relieve your pain in the short run, but it can help prevent your TMJ pain from returning.

Chiropractic treatment of the TMJ joint focuses on relieving tension in the muscles around the joints themselves, using trigger point therapy. (A trigger point is a very sensitive area made of muscle fibers. Trigger points feel like knots and may cause pain or even a twitching response when pressure is applied to them.)

In some cases, misalignment of the jaw that results from improper posture or a back problem can cause your TMJ joint disorder. An approach to treating TMJ caused by misalignment in your neck and upper back is to perform chiropractic adjustments on your spinal joints in these areas. In addition, trigger point therapy is used to relieve tight muscles in the back around your spine. This reduces the amount of stress put on your jaw so that other treatments to adjust your jaw will be more effective.

When these treatments are employed, motion of your jaw joint can improve and your symptoms such as: ear pain, jaw locking, headaches, and neck pain can be reduced.

Why Should You Use Chiropractic for TMJ Joint Disorder?

While there are numerous ways to treat TMJ joint disorder, scientific studies have shown that chiropractic was helpful in cases of TMJ. In a 2003 study, 15 participants were administered treatments. All participants showed improvements in the distance they could open their jaws and in pain measurements. Although this group was not compared to a group receiving traditional treatment, it shows that chiropractic treatments show promise as an emerging treatment for TMJ joint disorder.

Many report relief and satisfaction with chiropractic care for TMJ joint disorder. In a survey of 192 members of a health maintenance organization published in 2003, nearly two-thirds reported using some form of complementary medicine to treat TMJ. Almost everyone surveyed used complementary approaches together with other traditional treatments, and the greatest satisfaction was reported for the hands-on alternative therapies, including chiropractic.

Chiropractic may be used alone or in conjunction with other treatment approaches. Medications can include anti-inflammatories, analgesics (pain killers) and muscle relaxants, as well as local injections of corticosteroids in severe cases. Application of hot and cold compresses also reduces inflammation. When teeth grinding or clenching is an issue, wearing a mouth night guard can help prevent these actions during sleep. Bite plates can help correct misalignment. Stress reduction, relaxation techniques, jaw-stretching exercises, and modifying chewing habits are all behavioral approaches that are proven effective.

More research into chiropractic methods used to treat TMJ joint disorder are needed; meanwhile, evidence from existing studies as well as patient testimony suggest that chiropractic therapies are helpful in relieving TMJ symptoms.

If you are experiencing symptoms of TMJ, receiving treatment from a chiropractor can help.

You may also find relief with some or all of the following therapies:

• Moist Heat: Moist heat from a heat pack or a hot water bottle wrapped in a warm, moist towel can improve function and reduce pain. Be careful to avoid burning yourself when using heat.

• Ice: Ice packs can decrease inflammation and also numb pain and promote healing. Do not place an ice pack directly on your skin. Keep the pack wrapped in a clean cloth while you are using it. Do not use an ice pack for more than 10 – 15 minutes.

• Soft Diet: Soft or blended foods allow the jaw to rest temporarily. Remember to avoid hard, crunchy, and chewy foods. Do not stretch your mouth to accommodate such foods as corn on the cob, apples, or whole fruits.

• Jaw Exercises: Slow, gentle jaw exercises may help increase jaw mobility.

• Relaxation Techniques: Relaxation and guided imagery can be helpful in dealing with the pain that accompanies TMJ dysfunction. Deep, slow breathing enhances relaxation and modulates pain sensations. Some have found yoga, massage and meditation helpful in reducing stress and aiding relaxation.

• Side Sleeping: Sleep on your side using pillow support between shoulder and neck.

• Relax Facial Muscles: Make a concerted effort to relax your lips, and keep teeth apart.

• Yawning: Use your fist to support your chin as you yawn to prevent damage to the joint and to prevent your jaw from locking open.

In addition, you should avoid:

• Jaw Clenching

• Gum chewing

• Cradling the telephone–this may irritate jaw and neck muscles

• Anesthesia, which can affect mouth opening and damage joint

• Long dental appointments requiring an open mouth for more than thirty minutes

References:

Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2003 Sep; 26(7):421-5.

Journal of Orofacial Pain 2003 summer; 17(3):224-36.

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