The most common reasons people choose to participate in BrainTap therapy sessions are for stress reduction, goal setting, sleep, weight loss, and anxiety.

By using BrainTap Therapy. we are easily able to make impressions into the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is really what is driving the majority of your day. Most people think it is your conscious mind. Your conscious mind is only doing about 3% to 5%. Your subconscious mind is the record or play tape that is happening in the background.

We can impress the subconscious mind with BrainTap. It is getting the subconscious mind to work better, and it is also getting the left and right brains to easily communicate more efficiently.

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BrainTap Therapy uses a headset with stimulating lights and a voice-guided meditation to get the patient into an impressionable subconscious mindset. BrainTap Therapy offers many different sessions designed to help people with sleep issues, stress-reduction, weight loss and more.

What is BrainTap therapy and how does the technology work to retrain the brain?

Dr. Chris Serafini: It is a phenomenal technology we started using in the office. They’re referencing it right now as the technologic meditation of our day. Basically, BrainTap is a headset that you put on, has lights in the ear phones, and they’re going to stimulate acupuncture points in the ears using auriculotherapy. There is a visor that goes across the eye and there’s different LED lights in the nose, and they’re also blinking at different frequencies and brightnesses, all while you’re taking a guided meditation.

The concept of BrainTap is to get us out of what we reference as Beta brain waves. Beta brain waves is what we’re all in right now. That’s problem-solving, getting through your day. When we get into Alpha, Alpha is that woozy, drowsy, dream-like stage. You’re not quite sleeping, but you’re not quite awake. When you get into Alpha brain waves, your brain is very hyper focused. It’s in a calm, healing state and your subconscious mind is very easily moldable and impressionable. If we can get you into Alpha where your subconscious mind is very easily moldable, we can implement concepts, ideas, goals, things like that, and we can now have them stick into the subconscious mind, which basically gets you to take action steps towards that.

What are some of the conditions BrainTap therapy helps with and what condition benefits the most from this therapy?

Dr. Chris Serafini: There are so many sessions. There are over 800 different sessions. Your typical go-tos are sleep, stress-reduction, weight loss, PTSD, sports performance, business and wealth, brain fitness, how to eliminate negative self-talk, stuff like that. Once again, we can get you on a certain track with a particular bundle or area that you want to work on. We concentrate on those conditions, and those sessions are specific to those conditions.

Are there different BrainTap sessions used to treat different issues?

Dr. Chris Serafini: Yes. Once again, there’s over 800 different sessions. We typically will categorize those in what we reference as bundles. Each bundle will have anywhere from 20 to 30 sessions in there, and there’s typically a sequence of sessions to get you the desired outcome or result that we’re looking for as you go through each sequence.

How long is each session, and what does it feel like for a patient?

Dr. Chris Serafini: Most sessions are anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes. Typically, that’s what they’re going to be. Most people, when they get done, they’re going to have a feeling of calmness or relaxation. They’re kind of in a quiet state. A lot of times they feel as if they’ve taken a power nap.

Learn More

If you are interested in speaking with Dr. Chris Serafini, visit www.thescottsdalechiropractor.com or call 480-443-7678 to schedule an appointment.

Click here to receive more information & to schedule your consultation.

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Some of these tips might seem obvious, but everybody really should be implementing all of them.

1. Diet: Start with eating a healthy, well-balanced diet. If you want to live a pain-free lifestyle, you have to put good stuff in to get good stuff out. I think diet and nutrition are very important for that.
2. Exercise: Get some sort of exercise on a regular basis. I really coach people on trying to exercise at least four days a week. If you are only exercising three days a week, that means you are not exercising more than you are exercising. So, you at least want to try to get those four days in.
3. Meditation: Incorporate some kind of de-stress technique into your day.
4. Detoxification: You’ve got to eliminate the toxins that are inside the body.
5. Supplementation: I probably take 20 to 30 pills a day. I do that because I deal with sick people every day. I know what the body needs and I try to give myself as much of that as possible so that I can live as healthy as possible.

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There are simple things we can do to prepare our bodies for living a pain-free life such as exercising, eating healthy, nutritious food, and getting chiropractic adjustments to align the spine and improve body function.

How can chiropractic care help people get their bodies in the best shape to avoid pain and injuries?

Dr. Chris Serafini: Really, correcting spinal misalignments allows the body to function better and more efficiently. When the skeletal structure gets out of position, the body just doesn’t function the way it’s supposed to. Most people would understand that. They know when something’s out of place, whether it’s a crick in the neck or something in the low back, those kind of issues. Really chiropractic adjustments are going to help realign the body and allow it to function better, thus avoiding injuries and so forth.

What role does diet and nutrition have in living a pain-free life?

Dr. Chris Serafini: I think the great philosopher, Hippocrates, the father of all medicine, said it best. He said, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” You are what you eat. It’s very true. If you want to live a pain-free lifestyle, you have to put good stuff in to get good stuff out. I think diet and nutrition is very important for that.

We know exercise keeps you in shape. Can it also prevent painful conditions from developing?

Dr. Chris Serafini: Yeah, we always reference in our office, “motion is lotion.” A body that moves is healthy. When joints get stuck and out of position, this leads to degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis. When you look at an old person, for instance, if you can see them walking, and you can tell that their body is not moving the way it’s supposed to, it’s very stiff, and very rigid, versus in comparison to somebody who might be elderly, but their body isn’t very stiff and rigid; It’s very fluid motion. There are two different types of, what I would guess you would say, ideal positions or ideal postures in movement. Once again, motion is lotion. As long as you keep your body moving, you should ward off things like degeneration and osteoarthritis.

There are many medications we can take to help make the pain go away. We know they don’t address the cause of the pain. How do you get people to try other alternatives to alleviate their pain?

Dr. Chris Serafini: You really have to educate them on exactly that topic, specifically on finding the cause of their problems. Some people just want a pill or a lotion, or a potion to make their pain go away. If you don’t address the cause of what their problem really is, then they just really won’t get better, for long term anyway.

What are some other healthy habits people should adopt to try to live a pain-free life?

Dr. Chris Serafini: I would say diet is a really important one, exercise, obviously. Motion is lotion. Meditation, de-stressing yourself, detoxification, I think, is one that’s overlooked. People don’t like to detox. It’s no fun, but you should certainly implement some sort of detoxification process, and then, supplementation. Most people aren’t getting the amounts of nutrition that they need in their normal daily diet, at least at a therapeutic level, so supplementation is important, as well.

Learn More

If you are interested in speaking with Dr. Chris Serafini, visit www.thescottsdalechiropractor.com or call 480-443-7678 to schedule an appointment.

Click here to receive more information & to schedule your consultation.

The post Tips for Living a Pain-Free Life appeared first on Scottsdale Chiropractor.

There are a lot of traumatic processes that happen with infants and small children. Here are the three main reasons parents should seek chiropractic care for their children:

1. The Birthing Process Can Be Traumatic to Infants: One important reason that parents should consider chiropractic for thier infants is the birthing process. It is very traumatic going through the birthing canal. Most people overlook that sometimes.
2. Children Lack Postural Coordination: The lack of postural coordination that young children have causes misalignments. As you notice with infants, they don’t have the proper coordination muscles to hold their heads up, so they get that floppy kind of posture in their extremities. This can cause misalignments. Think about the falls that toddlers and young children take. According to the research, by the time you’re the age of 13 you’ve had about a thousand traumas. So, when we look at the experiences of children, there are a lot of areas where they could have possible misalignments and lots of issues.
3. Improve Nervous System Function: Chiropractic care improves nervous system function by removing interference causes by misalignments in the spine and joints. Any kind of nervous system interference is going to decrease the overall function of the body. Chiropractic can help improve that function, even in infants and young children.

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Parents can seek chiropractic care for their children from the time they are born. Chiropractors will very gently examine children of all ages to reduce any interference with the nervous system allowing for proper growth and development.

What age is safe to start chiropractic care for children?

Dr. Chris Serafini: It’s a great question. Really, any age. I adjusted my daughter when she was about 10 days old. A lot of people don’t quite understand what a pediatric adjustment is really like. It’s not how you would traditionally adjust an adult. It’s mostly just pressure. The spine, obviously, of infants and children are very delicate and you don’t really need a lot of force at all. It’s just really pressure. It’s not like a traditional adjustment where you’re using force. But we reference in chiropractic from the womb to the tomb, so really at any age.

Why would infants and small children need chiropractic care?

Dr. Chris Serafini: Well, there are a lot of traumatic processes, especially the birth process. As the infant is going through the birthing canal, believe it or not, that’s a very traumatic process. If you’ve ever seen it, you would kind of know. And then the lack of postural coordination. As you notice with infants, they don’t have the proper coordination muscles to hold their heads up so they kind of get that floppy kind of posture, head position, in their extremities. This can cause misalignments. And then, think about the awkward positions that they’re in. Think about the falls that they take. According to the research, by the time you’re the age of 13 you’ve had about a thousand traumas. So, when we look at children, when you really think about it, there’s lots of areas where they really could have possible misalignments and lots of issues.

What are some chronic pediatric conditions that upper cervical chiropractic can help with?

Dr. Chris Serafini: Very, very successful with ear infections or torticollis issues, colicky issues. Believe it or not, chiropractic is very well-known for being very successful in those.

Can upper cervical chiropractic care help treat asthma and allergy symptoms?

Dr. Chris Serafini: Yes, they can, but don’t just limit it to upper cervical. Working on the rest of the neck or upper thoracic, mid-thoracic, can also help with those conditions as well.

How can ongoing chiropractic care make kids stronger and healthier?

Dr. Chris Serafini: Well, like I stated before, there’s a lot of traumatic processes that kids go through that we kind of overlook and ultimately chiropractic is reducing their interference, realigning the structural bones of the body, thus allowing the body to function better.

Learn More

If you are interested in speaking with Dr. Chris Serafini, visit www.thescottsdalechiropractor.com or call 480-443-7678 to schedule an appointment.

Click here to receive more information & to schedule your consultation.

The post Pediatric Chiropractic appeared first on Scottsdale Chiropractor.

The great philosopher Hippocrates, the father of all medicine, was well known for saying, “Look well to the spine for the cause of disease.”

The reason why he said this is because the spine houses the master control system, the nervous system. That system controls every other system in the body. So, if a bone is out of place and putting pressure on a nerve, wherever that nerve goes, at the end of that nerve, that organ or body part is not going to function properly.

The point of the adjustment is to relieve that pressure, thus restoring proper nervous system function. That is really how and why a chiropractic adjustment is done.

The post Chiropractic Adjustments: Why They Work appeared first on Scottsdale Chiropractor.

A chiropractic adjustment works to relieve pressure off nerves caused by misaligned bones, not just in the spine but all over the body.

Let’s start off by describing what an actual chiropractic adjustment is, and what it feels like for someone who has never experienced one.

Dr. Chris Serafini: Basically, it’s a technique of manually moving a bone that’s out of place, that’s putting pressure on discs and nerves, to its normal position, thus taking the pressure off of discs and nerves. And usually the patient’s going to feel that when they do to get the adjustment, and maybe even hear a click or a pop.

What happens inside the body when a chiropractic adjustment is performed?

Dr. Chris Serafini: Basically, as I stated earlier, you’re really just moving a bone that’s out of position. Oftentimes a patient will either hear a pop or a click, they’ll feel the motion that happens as well. And the pop and the click is interesting, because a lot of people think it’s bone cracking, but it’s actually not. It’s called a cavitation or an audible. And really what’s happening is inside the joint, there’s gas that’s inside the joint, nitrogen gas. And that gas is escaping out of the joint. So, an analogy they use, is like when you go to crack your knuckle in your finger, and hear the pop. And then you try to do it again instantly afterwards. You don’t hear the same noise because there hasn’t been enough time for gas to rejuvenate back in the joint.

Are there different types of chiropractic adjustments, or ways to perform them?

Dr. Chris Serafini: There sure is, and they vary tremendously. Most chiropractic adjustments, people understand or are familiar with is the spine, but keep in mind, we adjust extremities. The cranial bones of the head, you can adjust those as well and TMJ. We really can adjust just about every bone in the body. And they do vary tremendously as I stated, but basically, it’s the same result. You’re moving a bone that’s out of position, putting pressure on discs and nerves, back to its proper position.

Do you use any tools or technology to assist you with a chiropractic adjustment?

Dr. Chris Serafini: I do. I still do use my hands, and chiropractic is, actually the literal interpretation of that is done by hand. So, I do use manual adjustments with my hands, but I also use different equipment. One’s called an adjuster. It’s literally hooked up to a power source. It has a power cord. And the real benefit of the adjuster is it’s adjusting you multiple times a second while you’re in motion. It’s a very dynamic and unique correction that you can’t mimic as a manual adjuster. I also use drop table. Drop table is really just a table, literally it drops, but it is using gravity to help facilitate the adjustment as well. And then I also use what’s called a speeder board. It’s really just a small drop table. I use that a lot for extremity work.

What type of conditions benefit the most from chiropractic adjustments, and why?

Dr. Chris Serafini: You know, with 17 years of experience, it’s ironic, but I would definitely say most musculoskeletal pain really, really benefits greatly from chiropractic adjustments. Such as headaches, migraines, you get phenomenal results with headaches and migraines. Sciatic pain, low back pain, neck pain, but you know, sometimes it’s overlooked, and a lot of extremity issues, shoulder pain, elbow, wrist, knee, ankle, hips, things like that. We get great results with that as well.

Learn More

If you are interested in speaking with Dr. Chris Serafini, visit www.thescottsdalechiropractor.com or call 480-443-7678 to schedule an appointment.

Click here to receive more information & to schedule your consultation.

The post The Science of a Chiropractic Adjustment appeared first on Scottsdale Chiropractor.

It’s the middle of January…how are those resolutions coming along? Don’t be discouraged if you haven’t succeeded in accomplishing all those goals. Rather than throwing in the towel, try following these simple tips to improve your everyday health.

Stay Hydrated.  Drinking water is essential to staying healthy. Every cell, tissue and organ in your body depends on water to survive and work correctly. Your body uses water to maintain its temperature, lubricate your joints, allow for proper circulation and remove waste. To maintain good health, the average person needs to get 30 – 50 ounces of water per day. Keep in mind that it is best to drink gradually throughout the day. And don’t forget that you can also hydrate on water-rich foods such as cucumbers, lettuce and spinach.

Get Moving. There is a reason why doctors say “sitting is the new smoking.” Being sedentary can increase the risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases and even contribute to anxiety and depression. To reduce those dangers, try parking at the far end of the lot, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, standing while talking on the phone, taking a walk during lunch breaks and investing in a stand-up desk.

Get Enough Sleep. How much sleep are you getting each night? If you are not getting at least 7 hours, you may be setting yourself up for a host of problems. Lack of sleep not only leaves you feeling fatigued but it can lead to depression, weight gain, high blood pressure and heart disease. To improve the quality of your sleep, go to bed at the same time every night.  Be sure to avoid caffeinated drinks after 3:00 in the afternoon. And lastly, limit screen time in the hour leading up to bedtime.

Remember that even small changes can yield results. By incorporating these tips into your everyday routine, you can improve your health in 2019.

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The top 3 health resolutions that people should strive for in 2019:

1. Lose Weight:  I think that weight loss is number one. Most of us probably have a few extra pounds that we could lose.
2. Detox and Cleanse:  Number two is trying to implement some better dietary habits, maybe a detoxification program. I do a detox every January. We have a talk in our office about cleansing and detoxification versus dieting, things like that. I think everybody needs to do some sort of detoxification process. I’ve done many of them over the years.
3. Exercise:  And the third one, I would say, start an exercise plan. If you’re not exercising currently, you need to start some sort of plan.

Ask your health professionals, personal trainers, or anybody you feel that you would need to speak to in order to get advice on all three of these resolutions.

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