Friday, September 26, 2014

Eating right doesn't have to be that hard!

Being a chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City Virginia area I consult my patient’s on all aspects of their health.  Not only back related problems but also dietary advice.  We truly are what we eat.  Most people feel a bit overwhelmed when they start talking about their diets.  Oddly enough most of my chiropractic patients are doing most of the right things and a lot of times it is only a few small changes.  Although I can remember an ex-girlfriends dad talking about his diet and he said his was pretty good.  For instance I usually have a doughnut for breakfast, which is essentially the same as a bagel…  My girlfriend and I looked at each other and it was a race to say in “shape only.”  He needed a little more help.  Here are some pretty solid diet tips from the ACA.

Healthy Dietary Choices
Eat more raw foods. Cooking and canning destroys much of the nutrition in foods. With the exception of canned tomatoes, which have been shown to help prevent prostate cancer, fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables generally have more natural vitamins and minerals.
Select organically grown foods when possible, because they have lower amounts of toxic elements, such as pesticides and heavy metals.
Consume 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day. Whole-grain breads and cereals, beans, nuts and some fruits and vegetables are good sources of fiber. High-fiber diets can help prevent digestive disorders, heart disease and colon cancer.
Eat out more sparingly. Food preparation methods in restaurants often involve high amounts—and the wrong types—of fat and sugar.
Brown-bag your lunch to control your fat and sugar intake while adding nutritious fruits, vegetables and grains.
Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Don’t substitute coffee, tea and soft drinks for water.
Limit your intake of alcohol, and quit smoking. Drinking alcohol excessively and/or smoking hinder your body’s ability to absorb nutrients from food.

Vegetarian Diets
Research shows that a good vegetarian diet as part of a comprehensive health program can help prevent heart disease, cancer and other diseases. However, fried foods, hydrogenated fats and commercial meat substitutes may contain more sugar and fat than a meat-eater would consume. If you are considering a vegetarian diet, keep the following tips in mind:
Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes to consume a wide range of nutrients.
Consume fortified foods or take supplements, such as vitamin B12, to obtain the nutrients you no longer get from animal-based products.
Children, pregnant and breast-feeding women, and people recovering from illness should consult their healthcare practitioners before eliminating animal products from their diet.



Supplements
While dietary supplements are becoming increasingly popular, they are not substitutes for foods, nor can a person sustain good health simply by taking vitamin and mineral supplements. When taken properly, however, supplements can play an important role in achieving maximum health.
Since supplements are just an added source of nutrients, consume dark green vegetables, oils, nuts and seeds, which are sources of magnesium, fatty acids and many other vitamins and minerals.
Don’t “self-prescribe.” Consult your doctor of chiropractic to determine what supplements are best for you, especially if you have symptoms such as headaches, chronic fatigue or cardiac problems.


3122 Golansky Blvd, Ste 102
Woodbridge VA 22192
703 730 9588

Friday, September 19, 2014

Cutting stress to make those shoulder feel better!

Being a chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City Virginia area I see my fair share of stressed out people.  With I 95 constantly being under construction leaving my patients who work in the DC area guessing if their commute is going to be 40 minutes or 2 hours I can see why they get to my office with their shoulders pinned to their ears!  Those are the days when I crank the electrical stimulation up to 20 and quietly leave the room!  The ACA has put together a great list of ways to help cut the stress… or at least make it manageable!

Think Positively
“Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into positive,” said Hans Selye, author of the groundbreaking work around stress theory. When optimism is hard to muster, cognitive-behavioral therapy, which trains people to recognize negative thinking patterns and replace them with more constructive ones, can also help reduce the risk of chronic stress and depression.

Get Out and Enjoy Nature
While modern civilization has made our lives more convenient, it has deprived us of an essential source of stress relief—connection with nature. Studies show that interacting with nature can help lessen the effects of stress on the nervous system, reduce attention deficits, decrease aggression, and enhance spiritual well-being.

“Smell the Roses” for Better Mood
Aromatherapy, or smelling essential plant oils, recognized worldwide as a complementary therapy for managing chronic pain, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and stress-related disorders, can help you unwind. Orange and lavender scents, in particular, have been shown to enhance relaxation and reduce anxiety.

Relax with a Cup of Tea
During stressful times, coffee helps us keep going. To give yourself a break, however, consider drinking tea. Research shows that drinking tea for 6 weeks helps lower post-stress cortisol and increase relaxation. Habitual tea drinking may also reduce inflammation, potentially benefiting your heart health.

Laugh It Off
Humor relieves stress and anxiety and prevents depression, helping put our troubles in perspective. Laughter can help boost the immune system, increase pain tolerance, enhance mood and creativity, and lower blood pressure, potentially improving treatment outcomes for many health problems, including cancer and HIV. Humor may also be related to happiness, which has been linked to high self-esteem, extroversion, and feeling in control.

Build a Support System
Relationships are also key to health and happiness, especially for women. Women with low social support, for example, are more likely to increase blood pressure under stress. Loneliness may also contribute to stress in both men and women, also leading to poorer outcomes after a stroke or congestive heart failure. On the other hand, active and socially involved seniors are at lower risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Social support also helps cancer patients to boost the immune system and maintain a higher quality of life.

Employ the Relaxing Power of Music
Music, especially classical, can also serve as a powerful stress-relief tool. Listening to Pachelbel’s famous Canon in D major while preparing a public speech helps avoid anxiety, heart rate, and blood pressure, which usually accompany public speaking.
Singing and listening to music can also relieve pain and reduce anxiety and depression caused by lowback pain. Group drumming also showed positive effects on stress relief and the immune system. Music therapy can also elevate mood and positively affect the immune system in cancer patients and reduce fatigue and improve self-acceptance in people with multiple sclerosis.
To help people deal with stressful medical procedures, music can help reduce anxiety before surgery. When played during surgery, it can decrease the patient’s post-operative pain. Aiding recovery, a dose of calming music may lower anxiety, pain, and the need for painkillers.



Calm Your Mind
In recent decades, many forms of meditation have gained popularity as relaxation and pain relief tools. Focusing on our breath, looking at a candle, or practicing a non-judgmental awareness of our thoughts and actions can help tune out distractions, reduce anxiety and depression, and accept our circumstances. In cancer patients, meditation-based stress reduction enhances quality of life, lowers stress symptoms, and potentially benefits the immune system.
Guided imagery, such as visualizing pictures prompted by an audiotape recording, also shows promise in stress relief and pain reduction. Based on the idea that the mind can affect the body, guided imagery can be a useful adjunct to cancer therapy, focusing patients on positive images to help heal their bodies.


Enjoy the Warmth of Human Touch
Just as the mind can affect the body, the body can influence the mind. Virginia Satir, a famous American psychotherapist, once said that people need 4 hugs a day to help prevent depression, 8 for psychological stability, and 12 for growth. While asking for hugs may not work for some, massage can help us relieve stress and reduce anxiety and depression. Massage has also been shown to reduce aggression and hostility in violent adolescents, to improve mood and behavior in students with ADHD, and to lead to better sleep and behavior in children with autism.

Massage has other therapeutic properties, as well. Regular massage may reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension and may lead to less pain, depression, and anxiety and better sleep in patients with chronic low-back pain. Compared to relaxation, massage therapy also causes greater reduction in depression and anger, and more significant effects on the immune system in breast cancer patients.

Give Exercise a Shot
To get the best of both worlds, affecting the mind through the body while getting into good physical shape, try exercise. In one study, a group of lung cancer patients increased their hope due to exercise. Exercise can also reduce depression and improve wound healing in the elderly. Tai chi, which works for people of all ages, may enhance heart and lung function, improve balance and posture, and prevent falls, while reducing stress.


3122 Golansky Blvd, Ste 102
Woodbridge VA 22192
703 730 9588

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Benefits of regular Chiropractic Care

How can regular chiropractic care benefit me in the long run?  When talking with patients at my Chiropractic office in the Woodbridge, Dale City Virginia area I get asked that almost weekly.  The question has many different answers because there are so many health benefits to chiropractic care.  Here are some of the benefits with regards to the things most relevant to my patients. 

Avoid Drugs and Hospitals
Each year, about 4.5 million Americans visit their doctor’s office or the emergency room because of adverse prescription drug side effects. Chiropractic care is a drugless approach to health that has been shown to reduce pharmaceutical costs by 51.8%.
The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics reported that chiropractic patients under care results in a 43 percent fewer hospital admissions, then those under medical care.

Less Pain
When the spine is misaligned due to accidents and injuries, pain frequently develops. Research tells us that Chiropractic adjustments are effective for helping people with pain.

Sleep Better
With 40 million Americans experiencing a chronic sleeping disorder and 62% of American adults experiencing problems sleeping a few nights a week, Americans desperately need to sleep better.
Chiropractic has been shown to improve sleep, both in children and adults.

Fewer Colds and Flus
Dr. Ronald Pero, chief of cancer prevention research at New York’s Preventive Medicine Institute measured 107 individuals who had received long-term Chiropractic care. The chiropractic patients were shown to have a 200% stronger immune system than people who had not received chiropractic care.  Dr. Pero indicated that Chiropractic patients have incredibly strong immune systems, stronger than any group that he is ever measured.



Those are some of the popular reasons how chiropractic can benefit you.  Call us at our Woodbridge, Dale City Virginia chiropractic office if you are in the area or contact your local chiropractor and start taking an active approach to your health.


3122 Golansky Blvd, Ste 102
Woodbridge VA 22192
703 730 9588

Friday, August 29, 2014

Dehydration and your appearance!

Can we slow down aging or at the least its appearance!
We can’t avoid getting older, trust me I have tried.  So since that is going to happen anyway, how can we at least age gracefully?  One of the big things I beat my Woodbridge, Dale City Virginia Chiropractic patients over the head with is hydration.  Hydration plays a huge factor in muscle spasm but it also plays a huge factor in how we look.  That seems to get their attention more than how it can help with the spasms.

The term dehydration sounds so drastic and no one thinks it can happen to them.  After all we live in a world of abundance and water is everywhere.  I tell my Woodbridge, Dale City VA chiropractic patients yes water is everywhere but it isn’t in your glass.  That will get me the “oh yea but I drink plenty of tea, juice, coffee, soda…”  Dehydrate, dehydrate, dehydrate and dehydrate.  Caffeine and sugar drinks do the opposite of hydrate.  There is a reason you can sit down and drink a 64 ounce soda in a half hour lunch break but a 64 ounce water takes all day.  One is hydrating and one isn’t.  When our insides dry out so do our outsides.  Vanity is one way to get people back in to hydrating.

Tom Myers put together a great video that is 4 minutes long and really covers this information and it doesn’t involve reading!  So pop open a frosty water and enjoy! 
Link to Video



3122 Golansky Blvd, Ste 102
Woodbridge VA 22192
703 730 9588

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Child adjusting

Here at Doroski Chiropractic Neurology in the Woodbridge, Dale City Virginia area I get asked a lot by my patients if adjusting a child is possible.  There are many studies indicating that it is fine to adjust children and there is a fair amount of research also pointing towards the benefits of having your child adjusted.  I generally tell my patients that if your child is complaining of back pain which can be associated with heavy back packs, posture while playing video games or reading and over use of the computer then definitely bring them in for an exam.  Adults complain of pain while dealing with repetitive stress or posture issues but hardly ever think of it happening to their kids.  Here are some studies and information about the benefits of having your child adjusted.

According to Dr. David Sackett, the father of evidence-based medicine, there are three prongs to the evidence-based decision: clinical expertise, scientific research and patient preference. While chiropractic has more than 100 years of clinical expertise from which to draw, our profession is still quite young when it comes to its base of scientific research—a state that is even more so for one of our youngest subspecialties, chiropractic pediatrics. Dedicated researchers are working hard to fill in these gaps.  Recent studies are beginning to confirm what our century of clinical experience has already shown—that chiropractic care for children is not only safe, but also effective for a variety of pediatric conditions.

Dr. Joyce Miller and her colleagues at the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic in the U.K. have contributed much to our knowledge of chiropractic pediatrics in the past few years. Here is a brief summary of some of their latest studies:

Safety study: Miller et al. examined 781 pediatric patients under three years of age (73.5 percent of whom were under 13 weeks) who received a total of 5,242 chiropractic treatments at a chiropractic teaching clinic in England between 2002 and 2004.¹ There were no serious adverse effects (reaction lasting >24 hours or needing hospital care) over the three-year study period. There were seven reported minor adverse effects, such as transient crying or interrupted sleep.

Nursing study: Miller et al. also performed a clinical case series of chiropractic care for 114 infants with hospital- or lactation-consultant-diagnosed nursing dysfunction.² The average age at first visit was three weeks. All infants in the study showed some improvement, with 78 percent able to exclusively breastfeed after two to five treatments within a two-week period.

Colic: Browning et al. performed a single-blinded randomized comparison trial of the effects of spinal manipulative therapy and occipito-sacral decompression therapy on infants with colic.³ Forty-three infants younger than eight weeks of age received two weeks of chiropractic care. Two weeks and four weeks after beginning treatment, the infants in both treatment groups cried significantly less and slept significantly more than prior to receiving chiropractic care.

Long-term sequelae of colic: Research has shown that children who were colicky as infants suffer from poor behavior and disturbed sleep as toddlers. Miller et al. performed a survey of parents of 117 such toddlers who had received chiropractic care as infants vs. 111 who had not received chiropractic care.4 They found the treated toddlers were twice as likely not to experience long-term sequelae of infantile colic, such as temper tantrums and frequent nocturnal waking. In other words, colicky infants who had received chiropractic care were twice as likely to sleep well and to experience fewer temper tantrums in their toddler years.

That is just a sampling of some of the great work that is being done by the dedicated and hard-working researchers focusing on chiropractic pediatrics.

References:
1. Miller JE, Benfield K. Adverse effects of spinal manipulation therapy in children younger than 3 years: a retrospective study in a chiropractic teaching clinic. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2008;31(6):419-422.
2. Miller JE, Miller L, et al. Contribution of chiropractic therapy to resolving suboptimal breastfeeding: A case series of 114 infants. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2009;32(8):670-674.
3. Browning M, Miller JE. Comparison of the short-term effects of chiropractic spinal manipulation and occipito-sacral decompression in the treatment of infant colic: A single-blinded, randomised, comparison trial.  Clinical Chiropractic 2008;11(3):122-129.
4. Miller JE, Phillips HL. Long-term effects of infant colic: a survey comparison of chiropractic treatment and non-treatment groups. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2009;32(8):635-638.


Doroski Chiropractic Neurology
3122 Golansky Blvd, Ste 102
Woodbridge VA 22192
703 730 9588


Monday, July 28, 2014

Proper ergonomics for everything you do will prevent injury!

Unfortunately the days of "just do it" have passed most of us by.  Now we are at the age of "if I do it what will I hurt."  As a chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Lake Ridge, Dale City VA area I try to explain to my patients that even sitting can be done wrong.  That is where proper ergonomics comes in!  If you maintain a good posture while doing almost anything you should be ok.  Talking with your chiropractor and working with him or her on making sure you are using good posture can go a long way to preventing injury.  Here are the ACA guidelines on ergonomics.

What Are Good Ergonomics?
According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, ergonomics is the science of fitting workplace conditions and job demands to employee capabilities. An ergonomic assessment of the workplace critically appraises the physical work environment—followed by changes based on the assessment. Ergonomic principles are then used to make the workplace compatible with the employee, improving the employee’s safety and productivity. In other words, the easier it is to do a job, the more productive and happy the worker will be.
When considering the impact of proper ergonomics on workplace safety, three basic principles are especially important:

1- When lifting, the largest muscles in the area should perform the task. The larger the muscle or muscle group used for lifting, the lower the stress placed on smaller, more vulnerable muscles.
2- During any work activities, people should be able to comfortably assume a number of different postures and not remain in one position for an extended time. Muscles will fatigue and be more prone to injury when assuming a particular posture, especially a poor one (e.g., partially bent forward at the waist).
3- When performing tasks, it is important to keep the joints either in their neutral posture or approximately halfway into the range of motion. Working with your joints at the extremes of their ranges of motion for prolonged periods places abnormal stresses on them and can cause repetitive stress injuries.
When working at a desk, try these suggestions for greater comfort:
1- Choose a desk that is the proper height. All things on your desk should be within easy reach.
2- Your feet should be touching the floor, with the legs and body forming an angle of 90 to 110 degrees.
3- Keep your body straight with the head and neck upright and looking forward, not to the side. Do not hunch over or slouch.
4- Adjust the height of your monitor. Look forward with your head in a neutral position. Your eyes should be at the same height as the top of the monitor. Leaning your head forward can lead to headaches and neck pain.
5- When typing, keep your wrists straight, your shoulders perpendicular to the floor, and your forearms parallel to the floor.
6- When reading at your desk, use a bookstand or a paper holder to keep your eyes in the same neutral position you use to read documents on your computer monitor.
7- When talking on the phone, use a headset, when possible, especially if you talk on the phone for prolonged periods. Holding the phone between your shoulder and cheek will only lead to neck pain and headaches.
8- Stand up and stretch your legs with a short walk about every 20 to 30 minutes.
9- Take micro-breaks often, stretching your neck, arms and wrists, back, and legs. Simple stretches include neck rotations, fist clenches, arm dangles, and shoulder shrugs.
10- If your eyes concentrate on a particular object for long periods, relax your eye muscles by shifting your focus from objects that are close to you to objects that are farther away. This helps reduce eye strain.
When lifting, follow these simple suggestions:
When lifting from the floor, keep your back straightand lift with the legs. Do not bend over at the waist and lift with the muscles of the low back. Your body is more easily injured in this position. Keep the object being lifted close to your body. Keep your elbows flexed. Keep your head up and your neck straight as you lift.
When working with a computer mouse, try the following:
Don’t move the mouse with just your wrist. Use your entire arm and shoulder. Don’t rest your arm on the edge of the desk while manipulating the mouse. Hold the mouse loosely. Keep your wrist relaxed. Don’t hold it up or down; instead, hold it in a neutral (straight) position Move away from the mouse several times per hour and move your wrists, arms, and shoulders around.


Doroski Chiropractic Neurology
3122 Golansky Blvd, Ste 102
Woodbridge, VA 22192
703 730 9588

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Back pain information for a better understanding of causes and treatment.

Back pain is something that happens to most people at some point in their lives.  We see all sorts of injuries but one of the most common things we hear at DoroskiChiropractic Neurology in Woodbridge VA is "I didn't do anything."  In quite a few instances you didn't do anything, at that time.  It was all the stuff you did a month prior that created an environment where a sneeze caused the entire thing to fall apart.  That is where seeing a chiropractor on a regular basis helps, because you can keep making small corrections to your back to prevent the flare ups.

Back pain is very common and is treatable but it does require some regular maintenance once you have had your second or third injury.  Your back is made up of small joints held together by muscles and ligaments.  Once you sprain (stretch) the ligaments they become loose and even after they heal they are not as tight as before.  A good analogy I use with patients is a twisted ankle.  The first time you twist your ankle you did something.  You stepped in a hole, jumped and landed on it wrong…. Something!  The next time you did it you did something just not as traumatic.  Maybe you step off the curb funny.  The third time you are tying your shoe.  By the fourth time you woke up and your ankle hurts and you limp on it for a week trying to figure out what happened.  Your back is the same way but with many more moving parts that can cause the same stress and same pain.  That is why maintenance after your second or third time is necessary to prevent flare-ups.  Here are the ACA statistics about back pain.

Back Pain Facts & Statistics
Although chiropractors care for more than just back pain, many patients visit chiropractors looking for relief from this pervasive condition.  In fact, 31 million Americans experience low-back pain at any given time.1
A few interesting facts about back pain:
Low back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the Global Burden of Disease 2010.
One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year.2
Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work.  In fact, back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections.
Most cases of back pain are mechanical or non-organic—meaning they are not caused by serious conditions, such as inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture or cancer.
Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on back pain—and that’s just for the more easily identified costs.3
Experts estimate that as many as 80% of the population will experience a back problem at some time in our lives.4
What Causes Back Pain?
The back is a complicated structure of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles. You can sprain ligaments, strain muscles, rupture disks, and irritate joints, all of which can lead to back pain. While sports injuries or accidents can cause back pain, sometimes the simplest of movements—for example, picking up a pencil from the floor— can have painful results. In addition, arthritis, poor posture, obesity, and psychological stress can cause or complicate back pain. Back pain can also directly result from disease of the internal organs, such as kidney stones, kidney infections, blood clots, or bone loss.
Manipulation as a Treatment for Back Problems
Used primarily by Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) for the last century, manipulation has been largely ignored by most others in the health care community until recently. Now, with today's growing emphasis on treatment and cost effectiveness, manipulation is receiving more widespread attention.
Chiropractic spinal manipulation is a safe and effective spine pain treatment. It reduces pain, decreases medication, rapidly advances physical therapy, and requires very few passive forms of treatment, such as bed rest.5
In fact, after an extensive study of all currently available care for low back problems, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research—a federal government research organization—recommended that low back pain sufferers choose the most conservative care first. And it recommended spinal manipulation as the only safe and effective, drugless form of initial professional treatment for acute low back problems in adults.6
A patient information article published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association also suggested chiropractic care as an option for people suffering from low back pain--and noted that surgery is usually not needed and should only be tried if other therapies fail.7
The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) urges you to make an informed choice about your back care. To learn more about how the services of doctors of chiropractic may help you, review the results of recent research studies and contact a Doctor of Chiropractic in your area. Search our online database of ACA members to find a doctor of chiropractic near you.
Tips to Prevent Back Pain
Maintain a healthy diet and weight.
Remain active—under the supervision of your doctor of chiropractic.
Avoid prolonged inactivity or bed rest.
Warm up or stretch before exercising or other physical activities, such as gardening.
Maintain proper posture.
Wear comfortable, low-heeled shoes.
Sleep on a mattress of medium firmness to minimize any curve in your spine.
 Lift with your knees, keep the object close to your body, and do not twist when lifting.
Quit smoking. Smoking impairs blood flow, resulting in oxygen and nutrient deprivation to spinal tissues.
Work with your doctor of chiropractic to ensure that your computer workstation is ergonomically correct.
References:
1. Jensen M, Brant-Zawadzki M, Obuchowski N, et al. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Lumbar Spine in People Without Back Pain. N Engl J Med 1994; 331: 69-116.
2. Vallfors B. Acute, Subacute and Chronic Low Back Pain: Clinical Symptoms, Absenteeism and Working Environment. Scan J Rehab Med Suppl 1985; 11: 1-98.
3. This total represents only the more readily identifiable costs for medical care, workers compensation payments and time lost from work. It does not include costs associated with lost personal income due to acquired physical limitation resulting from a back problem and lost employer productivity due to employee medical absence. In Project Briefs: Back Pain Patient Outcomes Assessment Team (BOAT). In MEDTEP Update, Vol. 1 Issue 1, Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, Rockville,

4. In Vallfors B, previously cited.
5. Time to recognize value of chiropractic care? Science and patient satisfaction surveys cite usefulness of spinal manipulation. Orthopedics Today 2003 Feb; 23(2):14-15.
6. Bigos S, Bowyer O, Braen G, et al. Acute Low Back Problems in Adults. Clinical Practice Guideline No.14. AHCPR Publication No. 95-0642. Rockville, MD: Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, December, 1994.
7. Goodman D, Burke A, Livingston E. Low Back Pain. JAMA. 2013; 309(16):1738.


Doroski Chiropractic Neurology
3122 Golansky Blvd, Ste 102
Woodbridge VA 22192
703 730 9588