Dr. Craig Anderson

Thinking you are Happy

2013-12-15T21:26:00.001-06:00

Think yourself happy!

Is becoming happier as easy as trying to become happier? The latest research by two US academics suggests it might be.

Writing in The Journal of Positive Psychology, Yuna L. Ferguson and Kennon M. Sheldon present the results of their recent experiments into ‘trying to become happier’.

In the first study, two sets of participants listened to ‘happy’ music. Those who actively tried to feel happier reported the highest level of positive mood afterwards. In the second study, participants listened to a range of ‘positive’ music over a two-week period; those who were instructed to focus on improving their happiness experienced a greater increase in happiness than those who were told just to focus on the music.

What seems to have made one group so much happier than the other in their respective studies was a combination of actively trying to become happier and using the right methods – in this case, listening to happy music.

Ferguson and Sheldon’s important findings challenge earlier studies suggesting that actually trying to become happier was, in fact, counterproductive. “[Our] results suggest that without trying, individuals may not experience higher positive changes in their well-being,” they write. “Thus, practitioners and individuals interested in happiness interventions might consider the motivational mindset as an important facet of improving well-being.”

And that’s definitely something worth thinking about.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17439760.2012.747000#.Ui2hr8ZJOBI

Family Night at Back Experts

2013-12-13T19:22:00.001-06:00

Complimentary Chiropractic Check-Up and Wellness Adjustments for children 18 and under.

January is a critical time to keep the immune system maximized. Dr. Anderson is offering a unique opportunity to to get the kids healthy and have some fun at the same time. See consumer reports study on cold and flu symptoms and chiropractic.

Wednesday January 15th starting at 6pm

Join us for a night of fun with the kids.
We will have a Movie Playing with snacks and give-a-ways.
Free scoliosis screening and evaluation with digital printout for your records.
Free wellness adjustment for the kids if needed.

Sign-up for this free event for priority scheduling. Walk-in will be taken on a first-come first served basis.

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Need Help with Flu Symptoms – Try Chiropractic First

2013-12-13T18:17:00.001-06:00

Consumer Report conducted a study of people with cold and flu symptoms. 47% of people using chiropractic says it helped a lot. More than over-the-counter medication. So next time you have the sniffles, try chiropractic first.

Dr. Craig Anderson

Week of Giving at Back Experts

2013-12-08T16:03:00.001-06:00

This week (12/9-12/12) we are collecting food for a Community Dinner is East St. Louis. This dinner feeds about 700 people the week before Christmas. In addition to feeding families, the kids get a chance to pick up toys and the families leave with a box of food to help out for the rest of the month.
My family will help with delivery along with our Church. Any donations given this week will directly to this work. Back Experts is helping collect…

Specific Food Items
- Stop by the office (or email Carlene) to get the specific items needed.
Donate $30 to stock one box of food
Donate any toy item
- New of gently used
Donate any Clothing Item
- Gentle Used

Each item you donate your name will go in a drawing for a free adjustment. If you donate 15 items you get 15 entries. Donate $30 and get entered in the free adjustment drawing PLUS a drawing for a free neck pillow.
Thanks for everything,
Dr. Craig Anderson

Donate at 19 Mullanphy Garden Shopping Ctr; Florissant, MO 63031
Call: 314-837-9911
http://www.backexperts.com/the-clinic/map-to-the-office/

Headaches from the Neck

2013-03-06T12:58:00.000-06:00

Willpower -- Not So Powerful.

2012-02-13T09:26:00.000-06:00

"This time I'm going to lose the weight." "I have had it! I'm going to start exercising and eating right!"

Living a healthful lifestyle is not rocket science. In fact, you know what you should be doing right now. (Put down the donut). Why is it that we so often fail in making good choices in our health? One possibility it we set ourselves up for failure.

Here's the typical scenario. Billy wants to start exercising. He starts going to the gym 6 days a week for 45 minutes. This lasts 2 weeks then he misses a day. He feels bad about it but tries harder. After a month he is back to his couch potato ways, never to darken the door of a gym again. He failed.
Billy set himself up for failure. He was unrealistic about his abilities and most of all his willpower.

Psychologist and lead researcher Loran Nordgren, PhD, of Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management says "The key is simply to avoid any situation where vices and other weaknesses thrive and, most importantly, for individuals to keep a humble view of their willpower."

Keeping a humble view of willpower is key. Make realistic goals. Maybe plan to exercise twice a week for 12 weeks, then increase. Set yourself up for success then build on it. When it comes to diet, try to focus on one thing first. Maybe you need to cut soda, or eat 1 extra serving of fruit a day. Give yourself a time frame and celebrate when you make your goal. Then set another one.

Keep it real and you will succeed.

Diet Soda, Weight Gain and pH Balance

2012-02-06T14:49:00.000-06:00

A constant theme in my office is weight management. Most people with weight problems often choose to drink Diet soda, bad move. This video does a fantastic job explaining this seemingly contradictory fact.

More than Low Back Care?

2012-02-06T13:08:00.000-06:00

Far too many people still believe that chiropractic care isn't necessary unless they're suffering excruciating low back pain. The millions who do receive regular adjustments know that chiropractic can resolve their back pain, and more and more may also be learning about the potential nonmusculoskeletal benefits.
Take as an example the patients in a recent study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. Twenty consecutive patients from each of 87 Swedish chiropractor's offices (1,504 total patients) completed questionnaires within two weeks of previous treatment. The questionnaires documented numerous reported improvements in nonmusculoskeletal symptoms, including:
· easier to breathe (98 patients);
· improved digestive function (92 patients);
· clearer/better/sharper vision (49 patients);
· improved circulation (34 patients);
· less ringing in the ears (10 patients);
· acne/eczema better (8 patients);
· dysmennorhea (painful menstruation)
better (7 patients); and
· asthma/allergies better (6 patients).
The number of spinal areas adjusted was also related to the number of positive reactions. Fifteen percent of patients reported positive reactions after having a single area adjusted; 35% of patients reported positive reactions after having four areas adjusted. Overall, 23% of chiropractic patients reported experiencing positive changes in symptoms that were not musculoskeletal in nature.
Have you experienced nonmusculoskeletal benefits following chiropractic care, and if
so, have you told your doctor of chiropractic? Always report any reactions (good or
bad) you experience during or following an adjustment.
Leboeuf-Yde C, Axen I, Ahlefeldt G, et al. The types and frequencies of improved nonmusculoskeletal symptoms reported after chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Vol. 22, No. 9, pp559-64.

Insulin, Diet and Energy

2010-05-07T09:26:00.000-05:00

From our workshop Monday, here is an excerpt where I talk about why it's important to consider how you eat as much as what you eat. Learn more about diet HERE.

19 Mullanphy Gardens - Florissant, MO; 63031 - 314-837-9911- http://backexperts.com/

PODCAST: Interview with Dr. Tepperberg about Water, The 500 Calorie Swing - Episode 2

2010-01-07T16:24:00.002-06:00

Smoking and Weight Gain
Interview with Dr. Tepperberg about drinking water
The 500 Calorie swing and weight loss.

Subscribe via iTunes here...

Download the mp3

19 Mullanphy Gardens - Florissant, MO; 63031 - 314-837-9911- www.backexperts.com

PODCAST: Weight Loss and Exercise - Episode 1

2009-12-29T17:28:00.011-06:00

Download this episode (right click and save)

Exercise and Weight Loss

In The News: Taco Bell and Weight Loss
Exercise and Weight Loss
Listener Question: Marathon Training

Subscribe via iTunes here...

19 Mullanphy Gardens - Florissant, MO; 63031 - 314-837-9911- www.backexperts.com

Back Experts Podcast on iTunes

2009-12-28T10:03:00.000-06:00

It may not seem like a big achievement but our podcast is now on iTunes.

If you are not familiar with iTunes, it’s a service by Apple that allows you to subscribe to different podcasts. It automatically downloads new podcasts into a folder for you to listen whenever you want. You can also sync them a iPod, but it’s not required.

You can download iTunes with this link. Then subscribe to our podcast with this link.

Or if you don't want to go though the iTunes option, click here and listen online.

My Advice For Turkey Day

2009-11-25T14:15:00.001-06:00

By: Dr. Craig Anderson

With Thanksgiving hours away, it’s time to prepare your body for a massive inflow of calories. I’m not going to tell you to skip dessert or cut your portions. I say eat up and enjoy. Here’s how to make the most of the calorie fest we call -- Thanksgiving.

Burn some calories in the morning. When you wake up tomorrow take a 30 minute brisk walk or join a Turkey Trot race. The benefits of moving your body first thing are two fold. First is the obvious – exercise will increase your metabolism and prepare your body to use the calories from the Turkey feast. Second, this will help with the guilt of eating a hefty meal…
Eat a light snack 3 hours before the big one. Some people starve all day to prepare for the massive dose of food. This is a mistake. Keeping your body from this kind of starvation state will reduce the amount of calories converted to fat. I suggest eating a bowl of fresh fruit, maybe a light sandwich. Smaller than a regular lunch but enough to satisfy.
Eat Slow. The faster you eat to more you can eat. Your body will turn off the hunger centers in your brain when your blood sugar goes up. If you eat fast enough it’s possible to eat tons of food before this hunger center turns off. This will lead to over eating. So take it slow and listen to your hunger.
Have No Guilt. Be thankful for the food in front of you. We are so blessed both individually and as a nation. Be thankful for God’s blessings and enjoy. Enjoy the turkey, gravy, brownies, homemade bread, family and friends. Don't worry, there will be plenty of time to exercise after the new year…

VIDEO: Excerpts from Brain Workshop.

2009-10-21T13:28:00.001-05:00

Workshop on The Brain from Craig Anderson on Vimeo.

Video from our workshop on Oct 6th. The focus of this workshop was how the brain and nervous system prioritizes body function.

Learn about our Workshop Series

www.backexperts.com

Slides for “Why Move” Workshop

2009-10-20T10:57:00.002-05:00

VIDEO: Preview of Fall Makeover

2009-10-05T10:03:00.001-05:00

5 Part Series Starts this Tuesday

2009-10-02T09:32:00.001-05:00

I have finalized the titles of this series. This is new information and presentation and I am excited to get rolling. My 11 year old will be here to help record the talk for those of you who cant make it…

10/6: It's All Starts In Your Brain

10/20: Why Move Your body

11/3: How Your Body Makes Energy

11/17: Your Body and Stress

12/1: Get the Most from Your Body

See you at the office at 6pm, Tuesday October 6th.

A little behind the scenes: I’m going to use something called “The Brain” to do the presentation. It’s not a typical way to present information. It’s formatted in a similar ways that the brain stores memories…could be interesting.

Introducing the Fall Makeover

2009-09-23T16:46:00.001-05:00

By: Dr. Anderson

Welcome to a new season – Fall. I love when the seasons change. This change of season brings about an opportunity for other changes, in your habits. It’s a great time to to assess where you are in life, set goals and make improvement where needed.

Fall is also a time to gain weight. It’s well know that people gain weight in the Fall. I think there are several reasons.

More clothes to cover your body so a few extra pounds wont hurt.
Animals store more fat just before Winter. Humans may have similar wiring that encourages eating.
More social eating. Halloween parties, football tailgating, and eating in groups for any reason promote grazing and consuming large amounts of calories.
More couch-potato-ing. Less sun means less activity.

To help combat this trend, I am happy to announce my Fall Makeover. This post is the first of 8 weeks of posts and workshops aimed to support you in your health goals.

We will cover it all.

Diet and exercise, how and what to eat.
What stress does to the body
How the body works
and some good ole’ fashioned anatomy.

Each week (or more) I’ll post an article on the blog with links and recourses for you to read and use.

Every other week we will have an in-office workshop. I have a series of 5 free workshops planned, the first on is October 6th. They are scheduled for every other Tuesday, register here.

We are also going to do some tracking for you. If you like, we will take your weight and blood pressure starting the first week of October. Then as you progress through the season you can see your progress while you implement what you are learning during our Fall Makeover.

Attending the workshops are not needed but highly recommended. Let me know if you want to join the process by registering.

Have a healthy day!

Stay Tuned for the Fall Makeover

2009-09-23T13:48:00.001-05:00

Next Workshop Survey Results

2009-09-10T14:39:00.001-05:00

Based on the results our next Workshop will be Getting the Most from Your Brain, I will incorporate it with our Fall Makeover series of workshops on October 6th!

Class Name	Percentage
Get the Most from Your Brain	41%
Weight Loss in the Real World	25%
Caffeine and Adrenaline	17%
Cool Human Anatomy	9%
The Swine Flu and You	8%

Thanks for everyone who took the Next Workshop Survey.

Donate to MS Research and Support

2009-09-10T08:20:00.001-05:00

I will be participating in the MS Bike ride this Saturday with about 3000 other riders.

The purpose for the ride is to raise money for multiple sclerosis research and support in the St. Louis area. Please consider donating a few dollars to this worthily organization.

This ride is in 2 days. So donate today with the link below:

Secure Gateway MS Donation page for Dr. Craig Anderson

Thanks for everyone who has already donated.

Doctors in 1919 Call for Exercise to Combat Flu

2009-08-26T12:38:00.001-05:00

I was doing a little reading about the flu in 1919. I found a nice article from the New York Times describing how doctors at the time were predicting an outbreak based on last years (1918) outbreak. [1]

There are two pieces of advice given in this article that can apply to us 90 years later:

1. “those who are weak are advised to build up their strength”

2. As a preventative …exercise, good food and vigilance”

That is solid advice. Today doctors focus on a vaccine that may not even work. Last year doctors “still recommend getting the flu shot even if it doesn't prevent you from getting sick.”[2] There must be a reason most doctors don't get the flu shot themselves? [5] Maybe it’s because the flu shot does not protect kids [3]. It’s also not so effective in the elderly[4].

So what do you do? Listen to the doctors from 1919. Since it’s well known that moderate exercise will always boost your immune system? I would start there.

If your doctor has been in practice since 1919 you may get some good advice about prevention of the flu. Otherwise do your homework. Get proactive in your health with exercise, good food and vigilance.

Forced Exercise

2009-08-26T11:02:00.001-05:00

By: Dr. Craig Anderson email

You have heard the saying, “You can lead a horse to water but you cant make them drink”. When it comes to your health this is so true.

In the business of healthcare it’s hard to force someone to be healthy. Smoking is a great example of this. Everyone knows why they should not smoke. Telling someone to stop smoking isn’t going to get them to stop. The decision has to come from within. The same is true with exercise. Yes you can force someone to exercise. To get the full benefits, the person has to WANT to exercise.

I came across this little study looking at the difference between forced exercise and spontaneous exercise in rats and I think it has some applicability to humans.

If someone is forcing you to exercise you will get a lot of benefits such as weight reduction, muscles tone increase and good feelings of accomplishment. There is one piece that maybe limited if your not having fun with the exercise. The hippocampus doesn't get the same benefits.

The hippocampus is a structure deep inside your brain. It has many roles one is building your brains architecture. If it’s not working properly stress and anxiety can be the result.

So if you want to get the most from exercise start between your ears then get moving.

Learn More:

Cost-Effective Care: The Evidence Mounts

2009-08-21T14:06:00.001-05:00

Tell your legislators: chiropractic reduces health care costs, and a growing body of evidence is proving it

By Peter W. Crownfield, Executive Editor

Only weeks after the release of a Wellmark pilot study that suggests chiropractic reduces both costs and need for surgery, Milliman USA has released findings from "An Actuarial Analysis of the Impact of Chiropractic Care on the Costs of Medical Care for Patients With Common Spinal Diagnoses," a previously confidential report that adds to the evidence linking use of chiropractic services with significant cost savings.

Milliman USA was retained by Triad Healthcare, Inc.

- which administered the chiropractic program for the Wellmark study - to "conduct an actuarial analysis of the cost of medical care for commercially insured (non-Medicare) patients with certain common diagnoses." The analysis was intended to address the following question: 'Does inclusion of chiropractic benefits in a health plan change the total costs of health care for individuals with certain diagnoses, and if so, in what direction and by how much?'"

To answer that question, Milliman analyzed two data sets: one representing approximately 1.9 million member months of claims data (1996-1998) for patients with common spinal diagnoses, and a second featuring 1998 claims data only, representing 665,000 member months. Spinal diagnoses were determined by the ICD-9 code included in the patient data. The first data set came from the MEDSTAT MarketScan Research Database, representing inpatient and outpatient health care utilization by patients nationwide who are covered by the benefit plans of large employers; the second comprised claims data from 14 managed care plans throughout the U.S. provided by a physician-profiling vendor.

According to the executive summary of the report, "[T]he two analyses indicate that spinal patients who seek chiropractic coverage have materially lower health care costs than those who do not. The difference is consistent in all years and between the two data sets. The difference range from 10% to 23% lower costs for those patients who sought [chiropractic] care."

Specifically, total costs per member, per month for patients who sought chiropractic care in 1996, 1997 and 1998 (the first data set) were $178.86, $183.41 and $197.42, respectively, compared with total costs of $231.21, $220.45 and $242.75 for patients who did not seek chiropractic care. Analysis of the second data set showed a similar trend: In 1998, per-member, per-month costs for patients who sought chiropractic care were $213.83 vs. $236.27 for patients not seeking care.

The report then projects these cost savings to a 1 million member population with an assumed incidence of "common spinal diagnoses" of 6 percent and an assumed 50/50 ratio of members seeking chiropractic care vs. those not seeking care, and an assumed per-member, per-month cost savings of $40, leading to a total monthly savings of $1.2 million. Doing a little projecting of our own, that's a total annual savings of $14.4 million when a mere 1 million spinal patients utilize chiropractic care.

Source: http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com

No Excuse Not to Exercise, Run In the Water

2009-08-21T13:42:00.001-05:00

If you can stand up or walk, or move your arm, or breath, you are a candidate for an exercise program. I believe that anyone can exercise. In my 12 years of patient care I have never heard an acceptable excuse. Don't tell me you are too tired. I don't want to hear about how it hurts. Whatever your problem save it. (Cue little violins…)

You can exercise. If you can contract any muscle, you can exercise. If you are bed ridden and can only move your eyes, you can exercise. You see, exercise is simply taking the function that you do have and using it. Then pushing the limits to improve that function.

If it is painful for you to walk because you have been carrying a lot of extra weight. There’s good news…fat floats. You can walk in a pool.

A nice little study came out this week about exercise. Researchers studied fifty-seven physically inactive, overweight, and obese men with an average age of 44. These guys were randomly assigned to exercise three times per week for 12 weeks on either a treadmill or in a pool. Body composition was measured and there was absolutely no difference between the two groups.

So throw off the excuses and move your body.