Tuesday, December 4, 2012

The Survival Guide for Holiday Stress




Whichever holiday that’s presently looming, you know they’re not always the relaxing times you’d like them to be. This is especially the case at Christmas. Shopping and visiting and hosting and eating and drinking … it all becomes a mad blur that can leave you needing, well, a holiday.


Humans are pretty resilient creatures, but we can start to lag when we ask too much from our bodies for too long. The combination of the wrong food, too much booze, late nights, rushing around, and, let’s say it, family stresses, can all amount to overload, and we start suffering.

Moving into the holiday season, we should always try to keep our excesses to a minimum. Try to achieve a balance and remember to eat healthily as much as possible, despite the rather than less healthy meals that you may be obliged to eat to keep the peace with the relatives. Make sure you drink plenty of water to flush out your system, stretch out your muscles to ease the tension, and don’t forget that exercise during the holidays is not actually banned by law.

Here are some tips to keep you in tip-top condition if you’re going for …

Olympic Gold in Shopping

Keep well-hydrated. Drink eight to ten 8-ounce glasses of water every day, and don’t substitute any of that with coffee, tea, soft drinks and alcohol, because those are diuretics and will end up robbing you of water.

Stretch both before and after a marathon shopping expedition. Shopping can be stressful and your muscles need all the help they can get to stay relaxed.

Choose your shopping shoes for their comfort not style. You need plenty of cushioning to counteract those endless hours on your feet.

Wear comfortable clothing as well, and, if it’s cold out, have a few layers so you can peel them off and pile them on as you move from the streets to the warm shop interiors and back out again.

Wear a fanny pack (aka bumbag) rather than carrying a shoulder bag, and try to keep its contents to the bare minimum.

Any slight aches and pains you feel after a day out shopping, grab an ice pack and apply to the affected area for 20 minutes, before removing for at least two hours. Repeat several times over a day or two until you feel better.

A Little R&R

When having a serious shopping day, take a break every 45 minutes, or more often if you feel the need.

In a mall or a shopping area where lockers are provided, use one to store your shopping bags as you acquire them. Or if you can park close by, drop the bags in the trunk (boot) every so often.

If you’re hungry, eat something light or you’ll feel very sluggish when you resume shopping. It can also be dangerous to burden your system then continue with what can amount to physical exercise.

Coffee may seem like a good idea as a quick boost, but it adds extra stress to the system. As for soda, that’s also not a good idea. Ever. Stick with water.

Shopping With Children

Children and extended shopping trips don’t go together. Not only will they tire before you do and want to go home, they will want to buy everything in every shop. That’s a double whammy of whining that’s going to stress you out. Try and get someone to look after them instead.

That’s a Wrap

When you have a mound of gifts to wrap, make sure you don’t sit or stand in one position for too long, or you’ll start to ache. Vary your position, but avoid wrapping while sitting on the floor, even when carpeted, as this is very bad for your posture.

It may sound a little OTT, but stretch before and after wrapping your gifts.

Chiropractic Care Can Help

Dr. Jason Peloquin can help with natural treatment options if you experience any pain or discomfort after shopping.
For more information please contact Dr. Peloquin's office at 718-833-9255 or log onto his website for more information www.HandsofGoldChiropractic.com


Thursday, November 8, 2012

Is my Pain Serious?

In the field of medicine, the term pain management is code for drugs and intraspinal steroid injections. Pain management drugs are almost always opioids such as Vicodin, OxyContin, and morphine. Intraspinal steroid injections are at best a temporary fix, are often based on best guesses, and can have devastating side effects if done incorrectly.

On the other hand, chiropractic pain management always uses conservative methods of care. Chiropractic care does not introduce foreign substances or instruments into the body. The power of chiropractic care lies in its ability to facilitate the body's own healing mechanisms. In essence, based on a systematic analysis of the person's biomechanics and physiology, chiropractic care removes roadblocks to normal functioning of the nerve system. When the nerve systems pathways are free and clear, the body can begin to heal itself from the inside-out.
Your body is very smart. For many problems involving pain, all your body needs to heal itself is a freely functioning nerve system. The goal of chiropractic care is to enable such normal functioning.

How do you know whether your pain needs to be evaluated by your chiropractor? This is the age-old question. The answer needs to be specific to your particular problem, rather than a one-size-fits all solution. But there are good guidelines that everyone can follow.

First, is your pain deep and boring (that is, does the pain feel like it's boring into you)? Deep and boring pain usually means something is seriously wrong. If you're woken up at night by this type of pain, a visit to your chiropractor or family physician is in order. Kidney stones and inflamed gallbladders are common causes for deep, boring pain that causes a person to awaken from sleep. Severe heartburn is in this category, too, and should be evaluated by your doctor.

But these types of problems are easy to categorize. You'll probably know, instinctively, that something is wrong. Musculoskeletal pain is rather more difficult to analyze. For example, you lean over in a twisting motion to grab the glass of water on your nightstand and you feel a sharp pain in your lower back. Next morning you have great difficulty getting out of bed. Your lower back is stiff and sore. What should you do?

Your best course of action will be based on a self-assessment. If you're experiencing pain that radiates down your leg, or numbness or tingling sensations traveling down your leg, you should call your chiropractor's office and ask to be seen right away. Or, if you don't have any radiating pain, but sneezing or coughing does provoke a radiating sensation, take the same action. Similarly, the amount of pain you're having will determine what you do. If the pain is severe, see your chiropractor.

If none of these criteria are present, decision-making gets a bit murky. How you handle your problem will depend on your tolerance for pain. If you have low tolerance, make an appointment to see your chiropractor and get some expert treatment. If you have a higher pain threshold, you might still call for an appointment just to make sure that nothing is seriously wrong. Certainly, if you haven't improved at all after 48 hours, you need to see your chiropractor.

There is another important scenario. If you have a medical condition such as cancer, an endocrine disorder, or a systemic infection, a sudden occurrence of back pain needs immediate attention, regardless of how or why you think the pain occurred.  This is not to be an alarmist, but rather the recommendation is based on precaution. If there is an existing problem, then new issues need to be looked at closely, just to be sure.

These guidelines provide a sound basis for decision-making, but please remember they are just that - guidelines. Each person needs to be comfortable with their own process. And, of course, it's always much better to be safe than sorry. Your chiropractor is always available to help you sort out these kinds of problems.










Thursday, October 11, 2012

What is "Natural Flavor"?


Why do we need natural flavor if the product is already natural?

It’s at the end of many ingredient lists in processed food: “natural flavor.” But what substances fall under this benign label? What natural sources are they extracted from? If you shop in the center aisles of the grocery store, chances are those natural flavor ingredients came from an unexpected source and spent some time being swished around in a beaker.


Food science defines natural by what it is not: the FDA “has not developed a definition for use of the term natural or its derivatives. However, the agency has not objected to the use of the term if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances.”

This non-definition gives food companies plenty of room to tout “All Natural” on their packages even with ingredients that have been hydrolised, distilled and emulsified to taste completely different. Both natural and artificial flavors are chemicals – the distinction is whether they are completely synthetic or first derived from a natural source.

Former food marketer Bruce Bradley notes some notorious sources of natural flavors in his blog series All Natural . . . Really? One of the most cringe-worthy is shellac, the resinous secretion of female lac bugs used to glaze donuts and make shiny candy shells. Another natural flavor you wouldn’t find yourself consuming in nature is cystine, a dough conditioner derived from human hair and duck feathers. Maltodextrin derived from genetically-modified corn is also considered natural.

On a recent visit to multi-national flavor company Givaudan, 60 Minutes highlighted the use of beavers’ anal gland secretions in the manufacture of vanilla and raspberry flavors.  Please watch the video 60 minutes interview

For the discerning shopper, "natural" is little more than marketing hype. Organic foods are not always an exception since flavors constitute less than 5% of the total ingredients, and organic standards follow a 95% rule. Last year, the Organic Trade Association formed an Industry Task Force to review flavor categories and see if some flavors could be organically produced, which might be a step towards clarifying the flavor classification system.

In the mean time, food companies can enjoy using the umbrella term “natural flavors” to cover a whole range of proprietary chemical translations that make their product memorable, irresistible and, some say, addictive.

For more information on Dr. Peloquin and the Hands of Gold Chiropractic, please visit our website at www.handsofgoldchiropractic.com



Friday, October 5, 2012

The Benefits of Chiropractic for Children



Why would a parent not take a child to see a chiropractor? The basic answer might come down to no information or incorrect information.


Here are three basic reasons why not: 1. They don’t know about Chiropractic, 2. They don’t know about the potential benefits of Chiropractic or, 3. They think that a Chiropractic adjustment might be too rough for a child and cause pain or damage.

Once a person finds out about Chiropractic and begins to understand its benefits, it is point number 3 that must be understood and dispelled, as apparently, some parents think that a Chiropractic adjustment will be “too rough” for their youngster.

Chiropractors understand that all bodies are different and tailor their adjustments and the amount of pressure required based on the individual they are treating. A big football playing man in his 20s, a little old woman in her 70s and a child of 10, will all be looked at and evaluated for their individual needs.

In this way, it could be said that a Chiropractic adjustment can be as individual as a handshake. A strong man shaking hands with another strong man will give him a lot more pressure than if the same man was shaking hands with his grandmother or the child. When parents realize this and bring their child in for an adjustment, the results can be quite remarkable. Consider this case of a 7-year-old girl.

This child had been suffering from asthma since the age of 4. By the time she came to see a chiropractor, she had been treated medically with 10 different medications. Attacks of coughs and wheezing were daily occurrences. Physical activity was almost out of the question. Emergency room visits sometimes reached 5 per year. A test of lung capacity revealed she was operating at about 50 percent of her lung capacity.

An exam by her chiropractor revealed subluxations (partial dislocations) in the vertebrae at the middle of her spine. An individual program was tailored to handle these restrictions. With just one adjustment, some of the tightness in her chest disappeared and her coughing was reduced. After just 4 weeks of treatment, she was able to put aside her inhaler and get back to participating in swimming and running sports. After 3 months, her lung capacity was just about normal and all medications were stopped.

Had her parents avoided taking her to a chiropractor because of a fear that an adjustment might be too rough and cause her pain, the child might well be on her way to a dozen more medications, further restrictions of activity and even worse breathing problems.

Is Chiropractic for children too? By all means. Miracles can occur each and every day in Chiropractic with the right adjustment, tailored to the individual’s size, age, shape and need.

For more information on Dr. Peloquin and his office please visit: Bay Ridge Chiropractor

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Monday, September 10, 2012

Cold Laser Therapy Advantages and Disadvantages

 
Cold laser therapy is a newer procedure with several advantages and disadvantages. This article outlines some of the advantages, risks, and contraindications for cold laser therapy

Potential Cold Laser Therapy Advantages

Cold laser therapy is a non-invasive procedure, meaning that it does not require a surgical incision. This means that there is no prolonged recovery time. Laser therapy also does not involve taking any medications, and many patients prefer to avoid taking medications. Studies have so far found that cold laser therapy does not have serious side effects when used properly by a doctor.

Potential Cold Laser Therapy Disadvantages

Cold laser therapy does have several disadvantages. Patients do not typically get full relief or resolution from their pain symptoms after the first treatment. It takes a series of treatments, usually 8 to 30, depending on the severity and duration of the condition. Patients often have to return to the doctor for treatments at least 2 to 4 times per week. Old injuries may be aggravated for a few days after treatments, but for most patients this sensation is short term, lasting for a couple of days.
Medicare and Medicaid do not cover cold laser therapy expenses. Some major medical insurance carriers do assist with payment and others do not cover any of the treatment.
 
Contraindications
Cold laser therapy should not be used over any suspicious cancerous lesions, or carcinoma, over the thyroid, on pregnant patients, and there should not be direct irradiation of the eyes, as the laser can cause permanent damage to the eyes. Pregnant women are recommended not to undergo the procedure, since its effects on unborn children are not yet known. The doctor and the patient should use protective eyeglasses so that there is no direct eye exposure.

Summary

Cold laser therapy is one option among a variety of treatment approaches that can potentially provide pain relief or pain reduction, especially for patients seeking a treatment without the use of surgery or drugs. It can be used alone or in combination with a number of other therapies.
While it is still a relatively new treatment option and there is incomplete information about its optimal treatment protocol, it is considered a viable treatment option for those seeking an alternative to invasive treatment. Cold laser therapy is yet another method in the set of tools to help assist in pain relief, and it is considered a reasonable treatment option for certain types of pain by most health care professionals.

For more information on Hands of Gold Chiropractic, please visit their website at:www.handsofgoldchiropractic.com
 
 

Thursday, September 6, 2012

OWNING YOUR HEALTH




Recent discussions in the scientific literature are focusing on monitoring and possibly improving cardiovascular health in children. There's been a lot of conversation and a lot of controversy. An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association argued that universal screening of children could result in young people being put on cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins. And, according to certain experts, there just isn't sufficient medical evidence to justify such prescriptions.


These are not new proposals. In July 2008 the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that some children as young as 8 be treated aggressively with cholesterol-lowering drugs.  Soon thereafter, in November 2008, researchers recommended that statins be prescribed for millions of healthy people with normal cholesterol levels.
What's going on here? Healthy adults and healthy children should take drugs? How can we make sense of these medical controversies and how can we take action that is actually appropriate to the health and well-being of ourselves and our children?

First, it's very important to take responsibility. That's difficult, because it seems that we live in a culture of denial. No one is responsible for anything. "Twinkies made me do it." "I have bad genes." "It's not my fault."

A person's health is usually evaluated in the same way. Who is responsible for a lifelong two-pack-a-day smoker developing lung cancer? The tobacco company, of course. Who is responsible for someone gaining 50 pounds in a year? Well, the fast food chain is responsible. Who is responsible for hundreds of thousands of Americans developing diabetes each year? Candy manufacturers, naturally. Throw in doughnut-makers, too.

But, people are actually responsible for their own actions. Going further, in many cases people are partly responsible for the diseases and disorders they develop. It's not that I'm a bad person, but I may be making choices that aren't in my own best interests.

"Lifestyle health" is a relatively new term being used by many researchers and health practitioners. From a lifestyle perspective, many cases of diabetes, overweight and obesity, and high cholesterol are caused by lifestyle choices. High-fat diets, high-sugar diets, lack of daily fruits and vegetables, and lack of exercise will cause people to develop diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol.

Lifestyle health is directed at causing people to choose healthy behaviors.

So taking statins when you're healthy to prevent high cholesterol and associated cardiovascular and inflammatory disorders is highly questionable. Giving medicines - whose long-term effects are largely unknown - to children makes even less sense.

Am I going to choose risky behaviors for myself and recommend risky behaviors for my children, causing us to possibly need medications down the road, or am I going to choose and recommend healthy lifestyles and take responsibility for my health and well-being and that of my children?

Statins like Crestor and Lipitor have certainly helped millions of adults with serious health problems. Still, taking these medications is like slamming the barn door after the horse has run away.

Let's see. If I'm healthy now, will I choose to maintain my good health by regular exercise, a consistent healthy food plan, and sufficient rest? The choice seems clear.

For more information on Dr. Peloquin and his practice Hands of Gold Chiropractic, please visit his website at:
www.handsofgoldchiropractic.com
or like us on facebook at:
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Thursday, July 12, 2012

Interval Training and Cardiovascular Health



Interval training is an important part of aerobic exercise. If you're a walker or a runner, run intervals once a week. Walking and running build endurance by strengthening your cardiovascular system. Doing interval training once a week enhances your endurance by dramatically increasing the amount of blood your hear pumps every time it beats. (This is known as your cardiac stroke volume.) Interval training also increases the amount of oxygen you can take in on each breath. (This is known as your respiratory vital capacity.) The result is that you have noticeably increased speed and increased reserves when you need a prolonged burst of energy.

The same principles apply for any type of aerobic activity. . The interval system is easy to apply. For example, if you're a swimmer, you can do interval training with laps. If you ride a bike, you can do intervals with timed sprints.

There many books and magazine articles available to help you add interval training to your aerobics program. If you're doing aerobics exercise three times per week, you could use one of those sessions for interval training. Interval training is very powerful and the most important thing is to build up gradually.

To begin, you need to have a good base, meaning you do aerobic activity for at least 30 minutes. Using running as an example, you might be running 10-minute miles in at a fast "race pace". Ten minutes per mile is 2.5 minutes per quarter-mile. On your interval day, warm up by lightly jogging 1 mile. Then run four quarter-miles at a pace a bit faster than your race pace. In this example, you could run four quarter-miles at 2:25 or 2:20 per quarter. Then finish by lightly jogging for another mile.

Over time, your interval pace gets faster. You could do intervals with half-miles, three-quarters of a mile, or even a mile, if your weekly mileage supports such an interval distance. Most of us will see remarkable benefits by doing quarter-mile or occasional half-mile intervals.

One obvious result is that your resting pulse drops like a stone, because your heart is being trained to pump more blood each time it contracts. In this way, you save wear and tear on your heart. Owing to your heart's stroke volume, your heart beats less during the course of the day to provide the amount of blood you need flowing to your tissues.3 The takeaway is that your heart will last longer because you're doing intense vigorous exercise. That's a pretty remarkable result.

The bottom line is that interval training makes you stronger and faster. Your heart and lungs get a terrific workout with each interval training session. There's a big payoff for this once-a-week activity.

For more information on Dr. Peloquin and his other specialists at Hands of Gold Chiropractic please visit his website at:
http://www.handsofgoldchiropractic.com/ or like his facebook page at:

Hands of Gold Chiropractic on Facebook




Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Whats Wrong With My Back?


Not all back problems are created equal. One person may have been working on a home improvement project and injured her back while simultaneously bending and twisting. Another person may have developed back pain as a result of a vehicular collision. Another person may be experiencing back pain as a result of osteoporosis. Yet another person may have a serious illness which causes back pain as a related problem.

Back pain is a problem common to many types of injuries and illnesses. How can you tell the difference - in other words, how can you tell when back pain requires you to take action, such as seeing your chiropractor? A reasonable approach is to use a 48-hour guideline. Your body usually has a powerful ability to heal itself. If your back pain hasn't gone away on its own within 48 hours, then seeking professional assistance is a very good plan.

However, some situations require immediate attention. For example, if you've had an accident, seeing your chiropractor right away is probably the right thing to do. In another scenario, if you begin to experience severe pain without an obvious cause, then seeing your chiropractor right away makes a great deal of sense. Like many things in life, having physical pain requires us to use good judgment. The 48-hour rule-of-thumb applies to most situations, but if you've had an accident or are having an unusual problem, see your chiropractor as soon as possible, today if necessary.

When a person has back pain, it's very important to make sure there are no related problems. Most of the time there aren't, but no one wants to be the exception and it's always better to be safe than sorry. Making your own diagnosis is never a good idea. "Oh, that's been bothering me for months," some people will say. "It's just back pain." Of course, such an approach to one's health violates the 48-hour rule. If the problem really wasn't anything much, it would have gone away within a few days. Something else is going on, and usually the longer a physical problem is left untreated the more difficult it is to deal with. The old expression, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is as true today as it was 100 years ago.

Your chiropractor is an expert in back pain. They know that physical pain happens for a reason. Their job is to discover that reason, using the tools of history taking, physical examination, biomechanical analysis, and special tests, if necessary, such as x-rays and other imaging methods. Most of the time, the underlying problem is mechanical in nature, involving the spinal joints and associated soft tissues, including the ligaments, muscles, and tendons. Such mechanical problems cause the vast majority of cases of back pain, and are directly addressed by chiropractic care.3 In unusual circumstances, your chiropractor will refer you to another specialist. The important approach in all situations is to seek appropriate care. Your chiropractor's office is the right place to start.

For more information on Dr. Peloquin and The Hands of Gold Chiropractic, please visit his website at:
http://www.handsofgoldchiropractic.com/ or like our facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/HANDS-OF-GOLD-CHIROPRACTIC/306436553439

Thursday, April 26, 2012

SWINGING FOR THE FENCES




Game-changing plays in any sport and at any level are tremendously exciting. Whether we're watching Pop Warner football, middle school recreational soccer, high school basketball, or Major League Baseball, an extraordinary athletic play makes us stand up and cheer. If our team takes the lead as a result, so much the better.


Attempting to make a game-changing play is known as swinging for the fences. But forcing the action in this way is not always a good idea. People who want to be healthy and well can gain value from considering the contrast between swinging for the fences vs. staying within themselves.

For example, if you've played any team sport for any length of time, you know a little bit about what this feels like. Bottom of the ninth, your team is two runs down. You're at the plate with two runners on base. What's going through your mind? Hit a home run, that's what. One swing, game over. Forget situational hitting, you're swinging for the fences.

Or you're the quarterback of your football team. Your team is behind but the score is close. You know you need to make a momentum-shifting play. You've got years of mental images in your head of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady using the vertical part of the field, going downfield, way downfield. You call the play, take the snap, drop back three steps, and heave the ball toward your wide receiver racing to the corner of the end zone. The Hail Mary pass you've just thrown is the football equivalent of swinging for the fences. But your deep pass could just as easily be intercepted instead of resulting in the difference-making touchdown.

The analogy holds true in all sports. The game-winning penalty kick in soccer. The thundering, momentum-shifting slam dunk in basketball. The dominating volleyball kill shot which drains the spirit from the opposing team. Each key moment is a sport-specific swing for the fences. Again, the opposite result could just as easily occur.

We can see that striving to make a big play is often a mistake and can easily lead to a loss. Forcing the action never works. Smart athletes stay within themselves, letting the game come to them. The best athletes are able, more often than not, to rise to the occasion when an opportunity presents itself. Then, in the context of the flow of the game, you'll see the baseball flying over the fence or the beautifully arcing touchdown pass floating into the hands of the receiver.

This is especially true regarding exercise. When it comes to exercise, slow and steady wins the race. Trying to do too much usually results in an injury, which sets you back and wastes precious time in the recovery process. In strength-training, for example, lifting big weight is not the goal. Progressive, incremental gains are what build lifetime fitness. Aerobic exercise is similar. Going for a five-mile walk is a bad idea if you haven't walked at all in six months or more. Going for an eight-mile run when you're used to running three miles is another bad idea. Gradual increases in time and distance are what works.

Swinging for the fences is great when it happens. In exercise and fitness, achieving a personal best is cause for celebration. But in exercise and fitness, personal bests result from much effort and preparation. When you have a long-term, solid base of fitness, you can swing for the fences with confidence.


For more information on Dr. Peloquin and his office, please feel free to log onto his website at:
HANDS OF GOLD CHIROPRACTIC


Thursday, March 29, 2012

Chiropractic Myths and Facts


As successful as chiropractic has become, there are a lot of myths circulating among the general public. Times have definitely changed for the better, but the fact is that many people still do not understand what chiropractors do. Let's talk about a few of the more common myths about chiropractic.


Myth #1 - Chiropractors are not real doctors.

A chiropractic college grants a D.C. or Doctorate of Chiropractic degree. Chiropractors are licensed as health care providers in every U.S. state and dozens of countries around the world. While the competition for acceptance in chiropractic school is not as fierce as medical school, the chiropractic and medical school curricula are extremely rigorous and virtually identical. In fact, chiropractors have more hours of classroom education than their medical counterparts. As part of their education, chiropractic students also complete a residency working with real patients in a clinical setting, supervised by licensed doctors of chiropractic. Once chiropractic students graduate, they have to pass four sets of national board exams as well as state board exams in the states where they want to practice.

Just like medical doctors, chiropractors are professionals that are subject to the same type of testing procedures, licensing and monitoring by state and national peer-reviewed boards. Federal and state programs, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Workers' Compensations programs cover chiropractic care, and all federal agencies accept sick-leave certificates signed by doctors of chiropractic. Chiropractors are also commissioned as officers in the military.

The biggest difference between chiropractors and medical doctors lies not in their level of education, but in their preferred method of caring for people. Medical doctors are trained in the use of medicines (chemicals that affect your internal biochemistry) and surgery. Consequently, if you have a chemical problem, such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, or an infection, medical doctors can be very helpful. However, if your problem is that your spine is mis-aligned or you have soft tissue damage causing pain, there is no chemical in existence that can fix it. You need a physical solution to correct a physical problem. That is where chiropractic really shines. Chiropractors provide physical solutions -- adjustments, exercises, stretches, muscle therapy -- to help the body heal from conditions that are physical in origin, such as back pain, muscle spasms, headaches, and poor posture. Another distinction is the fact that it is completely appropriate to receive chiropractic care even if you do not have symptoms. Unlike standard medical doctors, whom you visit when you have a symptom to be treated, chiropractors offer adjustments to improve spinal alignment and overall well-being before symptoms develop.

Myth #2 - Medical doctors don't like chiropractors.

The American Medical Association's opposition to chiropractic was at its strongest in the 1940s under the leadership of Morris Fishbein. Fishbein called chiropractors "rabid dogs" and referred to them as "playful and cute, but killers" He tried to portray chiropractors as members of an unscientific cult who cared about nothing but taking their patients' money. Up to the late 1970s and early 1980s, the medical establishment purposely conspired to try to destroy the profession of chiropractic. In fact, a landmark lawsuit in the Supreme Court of Illinois in the 1980s found that the American Medical Association was guilty of conspiracy and was ordered to pay restitution to the chiropractic profession.

In the 20 years since, the opinion of most medical doctors has changed: several major studies have shown the superiority of chiropractic in helping people with a host of conditions, and medical doctors developed a better understanding as to what chiropractors actually do. Many people have returned to their medical doctors and told them about the great results they experienced at their chiropractors office. Hospitals across the country now have chiropractors on staff, and many chiropractic offices have medical doctors on staff. Chiropractors and medical doctors are now much more comfortable working together in cases where medical care is necessary as an adjunct to chiropractic care.

Myth #3 - Once you start going to a chiropractor, you have to keep going for the rest of your life.

This statement comes up frequently when the topic of chiropractic is discussed. It is only partially true. You only have to continue going to the chiropractor as long as you wish to maintain the health of your neuromusculoskeletal system. Going to a chiropractor is much like going to the dentist, exercising at a gym, or eating a healthy diet: As long as you keep it up, you continue to enjoy the benefits.

Many years ago, dentists convinced everyone that the best time to go to the dentist is before your teeth hurt, that routine dental care will help your teeth remain healthy for a long time. The same is true of chiropractic care for your spine. It is important to remember that, just like your teeth, your spine experiences normal wear and tear as you walk, drive, sit, lift, sleep, and bend. Routine chiropractic care can help you feel better, move with more freedom, and stay healthier throughout your lifetime. Although you can enjoy the benefits of chiropractic care even if you receive care for a short time, the real benefits come into play when you make chiropractic care a part of your wellness lifestyle.

For more information on Dr. Peloquin and the Hands of Gold Chiropractic, please visit our website at:
handsofgoldchiropractic.com

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

RIDING THE BRAKES

Every driver knows that you can’t get to your destination with one foot on the accelerator and the other on the brake. For safe, efficient travel you switch smoothly between these two pedals and you reach your goal effectively. But simple machines such as automobiles are fairly easy to operate. There aren't that many options. The human machine, on the other hand, has an almost infinite number of possible operating modes. And the human machine doesn't come with an instruction manual.


As an example, it's obvious that your car won't move forward if you're riding the brake. But it's not that obvious when you're holding down the corresponding metaphorical pedal of your physical organism. At some point, most of us slow ourselves down in this way without knowing it. And the price we pay may be far more serious than that involved in the necessity of re-lining the brakes of our car.

What does "riding the brakes" look like for humans? What slows us down? What actions interfere with our ability to thrive, our ability to enjoy vibrant good health? Not eating a wide variety of nutritious food is a prime culprit. Our bodies are not designed to live on fast food, lots of simple carbohydrates, and a dearth of fresh fruits and vegetables.1,2 Another "brake" on good health is lack of vigorous physical activity. Our bodies were designed long ago for vigorous physical work, i.e., exercise.3

It's really true that we're not born with an instruction manual. Parents know this all too well, first when their kids are infants and toddlers and much later when the formerly cute preschoolers grow up to become too-worldly-too-soon teenagers. But such an instruction manual would be invaluable for all adults and all young people. Finally, we'd be able to have access to first-hand information on how to take care of ourselves.

As the most basic example, when we buy a new car the schedule of maintenance is clear. Check-ups and an oil and filter change every 5000 miles. Bigger systems overhauls every 15,000 miles, with specific diagnostics and possible replacements at 30,000 miles, 60,000 miles, and so on. Most cars have a built-in reminder that flashes when it's time to go to the dealership. Everything's laid out for us.

But with our bodies - very possibly our most precious possessions - such formal guidance is just not available. All we have to go on is folklore and guesswork. And so people ride their brakes, blithely cruising along and never giving a thought to how they're really doing. But at some point a price must be paid and things begin to go wrong. At that point, it's often very hard to recover.


Put simply, if we're missing out on high-quality nutrition and plenty of exercise, we're "riding the brakes" and may find ourselves "coming to a stop". Hopefully we'll notice in time that we're "slowing down'. We can regain our normal "cruising speed" if we're willing to take healthy actions on our own behalf. Fortunately, there are many things we can do to restore our good health. Regular exercise, eating a variety of healthy foods, and getting regular chiropractic care are three important actions that, done consistently, will keep our physical "machine" in peak condition.


1Jonnalagadda SS, et al: Putting the whole grain puzzle together: health benefits associated with whole grains--summary of American Society for Nutrition 2010 Satellite Symposium. J Nutr 141(5):1011S-1022S, 2011

2Weiss EP, Fontana L: Caloric restriction: powerful protection for the aging heart and vasculature. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 301(4):H1205-1219, 2011

3Valente EA, et al: The effect of the addition of resistance training to a dietary education intervention on apolipoproteins and diet quality in overweight and obese older adults. Cliin Interv Aging 6:235-241, 2011

Thursday, February 23, 2012

The Father of Modern Medicine and Chiropractic


Chiropractic may only be 117 years old, but spinal manipulation has been around for thousands of years. Massage and manipulation are two of the oldest remedies known to man. In fact, the first pictures depicting spinal manipulation were discovered in prehistoric caves in Point Le Merd in southwestern France. These drawings depicted crude, non-specific attempts to manipulate the spine that date back to 17,500 bc. The ancient Chinese were using manipulation in 2700 bc. and James Cyriax, in his Textbook of Orthopedic Medicine, included a picture of a Buddhist temple with a statue over 2,000 years old showing manipulation of the lumbar spine.

More recently, Hippocrates (460-377 bc), the father of Greek medicine said, “Get knowledge of the spine, for this is the requisite for many diseases.” He wrote over seventy books on healing and was a proponent of spinal manipulation. This great physician was also the first to deal with the anatomy and the pathology of human spine. In his books, he provides a precise description of the segments and the normal curves of the spine, the structure of the vertebrae, the tendons attached to them, the blood supply to the spine, and even its anatomic relations to adjacent vessels. Hippocrates devised two apparatuses, known as the Hippocratic ladder and the Hippocratic board, to reduce displaced vertebrae.

Hippocrates believed only nature could heal and it was the duty of a physician to remove any interference preventing the body from healing. Hippocrates taught that the essence of life and the ability of the body to heal was the result of a vital spirit.

This concept, called Vitalism, persisted throughout ancient writings. The premise of Vitalism considers the human body and psyche as being animated by the vital force, which starts flowing at the moment of conception and which ceases with the death of the body. The flow of vital energy through the body nourishes, heals, develops, and sustains the body. This concept of vital spirit or Vitalism was later replaced with Innate Intelligence by D.D. Palmer, the founder of chiropractic.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Hands of Gold Chiropractic Voted Best In Brooklyn


Bay Ridge Brooklyn chiropractor, Dr. Jason Peloquin and staff at the Hands of Gold Chiropractic have won "Best Chiropractor in the Boro" by The Home Reporter, The Brooklyn Spectator and The Sunset News.


The contest ran from late December to early Februrary. During this time, voters logged into The Home Reporter's website and casted their nomination for the Best of the Boro contest. After the nomination period had ended, all of the users were be given the chance to vote on their favorite picks during the second round.

Dr. Peloquin was very excited about the good news and exclaimed, "It is a true testament to what we are trying to accomplish for our community. Individual personalized attention, quality care and long lasting results!"

Hands of Gold Chiropractic offers a wide array of alternative therapies. Patients seeking treatment at their Bay Ridge location are able to consult or be treated by a licenced acupuncturist and massage therapist. Nutritional counseling as well as non-surgical spinal decompression are also offered.

For more information on Dr. Peloquin and his office, Hands of Gold Chiropractic, please feel free to log onto his website http://www.handsofgoldchiropractic.com/ or you can catch up on their latest blog and health related topics by liking their Facebook page Hands of Gold On Facebook Link.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

HANDS OF GOLD CHIROPRACTIC NAMED BEST OF THE BORO

Dr. Jason peloquin and the Hands of Gold Chiropractic team have won the Best of The Boro Contest sponsored by The Home Reporter, Brooklyn Spectator and Sunset News.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Core Fitness - What Is It and What Is It Good For?



Core training is a no-longer-new catchphrase on the fitness landscape. The concept of core fitness, by now, has been promoted by every Pilates school, yoga center, and chain of fitness clubs around the world. Many doctors, including chiropractors, physiatrists, orthopedists, and even cardiologists, emphasize the importance of core training with their patients. Practically every physical therapist and personal trainer has learned a variety of core exercises to use with their clients. Core fitness has become an advertising buzzword, helping to sell all kinds of health-related products. The overall result is raised awareness of the importance of core strength and the opportunity to engage in a critically important form of healthy exercise.


What exactly is the "core" and what are you training when you train it? Your core muscles are your four abdominal muscle groups - the transversus abdominis, internal obliques, external obliques, and rectus abdominis. Back muscles, too, are included in the core group - specifically the erector spinae, longissimus thoracis, and multifidus. The importance of the core muscles is their ability to provide a "center" or focus for the physical work your body is doing. If your core is not fit other muscles will have to take over, leading to the likelihood of strains, sprains, and other injuries.

Who even knew we had a core? Plenty of people did, long ago, but in those days no one talked about a "core". For many decades football coaches, ballet instructors, and gymnastics coaches trained their athletes in vigorous and strenuous techniques that all focused on core strength. High school gym teachers knew about the core. Remember squat thrusts, jumping jacks, and push-ups? All those ancient exercises (that we used to groan and moan about) train deep core muscles. We were doing core fitness before there was "core fitness".

Why do we need core fitness today? More and more our work involves sitting down. We stare at computer screens for eight hours a day. Instead of doing physical work such as farming or building, we type on a keyboard and talk on a cell phone. The long-term result is that muscles, tendons, and ligaments lost their integrity. Tight neck muscles, tight lower back muscles, and weak abdominal muscles are the result, and these issues lead to more serious problems such as chronic headaches, cardiovascular stress, impaired digestion, and depression. We need fitness activities that start building us back up again, and the right place to start is at the center - by engaging in core fitness.

The best thing about core fitness is that you don't need any equipment. You could get a mat and a physioball, but those items are optional. Take a yoga class. Take a Pilates class. Learn a few core exercises and begin to do them several times a week. You'll soon begin to notice that you feel better, in general. You have more energy. You're sleeping better. Your mood is improving. All due to a few squats, a few planks, and a few push-ups. That's a pretty good deal.

Friday, January 20, 2012

YOUR BODY IS SELF HEALING



The greatest power in the universe is your own life force! The energy that keeps you alive also powers every bit of your healing! Will you use it to your full advantage or ignore and squander it, erroneously assuming your healing power is to be found elsewhere?

Your body is constantly working as best it can to preserve and improve its vital domain: repairing its parts when needed, regenerating, rebalancing and optimizing all of its functions. This healing force is vigorous and thorough, under favorable conditions.

With rare exceptions, your genes contain the perfect instructions for all manner of self-healing; it happens automatically. All that is needed is that we intelligently cooperate with the body’s calls for rest so that it can accomplish its tasks without interference. This means stepping out of the way and conserving energy so that our fullest energy potential is available for the healing work.

Some commonly overlooked habits that lead to miscommunication of teh brain to the body, and back again, are:


◦ignorance of ones self-healing ability


◦stress from incorrect beliefs and thoughts

◦stress from unnatural diet

◦stress from malnutrition

◦lack of raw foods in the diet

◦stress from working too much and too hard

◦stress from inappropriate exercise

◦stress from medicines, treatments and therapies

◦lack of rest and sleep

◦lack of social support

◦lack of self-love

Sure Chiropractic can help with your aches and pains, but a balanced diet and regular exercise with adequate sleep are paramount.
Until then, we are always here to serve your neweds and help you get back to wellness.

For more information on Dr. Peloquin and Hands of Gold Chiropractic, please visit our website at:

http://www.bayridgechiropractor.com/

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Four Resolutions for a Healthier Back


A Happy And Healthy 2012!


Change your habits to change your health. 

Eat more vegetables. Stress less. Take the kids out to the park more often. You may already have a long list of resolutions for the new year. This year, honor your spine, too. With the help of your doctor of chiropractic, these simple steps can promote a healthier back for the new year.

Consider replacing your pillow or mattress.

Do you wake up with aches and pains? It could be time to purchase a new mattress or pillow. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) recommends finding a mattress that evenly supports your whole body. There should be no gaps between you and the mattress when you lie down. When choosing a pillow, select one that supports your head and neck in alignment with the rest of the spine, whether you sleep on your side or back. Keep in mind that what works for your partner may not work for you— there isn’t one mattress or pillow that fits everyone. Simple adjustments, such as adding foam padding, can help tremendously.

Re-evaluate your posture at work.

Americans spend an average of 44 hours at work every week— often behind a desk. To avoid poor posture that can lead to tension, back pain, and joint problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome, check that your chair is the right size and adjusted correctly, says the ACA. Do your feet rest comfortably on the ground? Does the chair offer lumbar support? Are you able to tilt or swivel easily while performing tasks at your desk? Also, be sure you have adequate light (so that you aren’t straining to see documents or a computer screen), adjust your computer monitor so that it is at eye level, and wear a headset for longer telephone conversations. And don’t forget to take frequent breaks and stretch throughout the day.

Learn how to lift correctly.

Many back injuries are caused by improper lifting of items such as luggage, backpacks or briefcases, storage boxes, or even groceries. But knowing how to lift properly can prevent serious injury. First and foremost, don’t bend from the waist. Keep your back straight, and squat to reach the item. Then, keep it close to your body as you lift, and avoid twisting motions. When traveling, check all bags that weigh more than 10 percent of your body weight.

Eat right and exercise well.

Eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise helps your body stay toned and tension-free— and promotes a healthy weight and a happier spine. Smart exercise and a good diet can also prevent osteoporosis, which add strength to your spine and keep you from getting injured.