Back Clinic Health News El Paso Functional Medicine Team. Chiropractor Dr. Alex Jimenez brings the latest articles, blog posts, technology, and advancements in health for the El Paso, TX. community. Dr. Jimenez follows health science, which is the protection and improvement of the health of families and communities through the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Combined with this comes research for disease and injury prevention and detection and control of infectious diseases. In addition, we take a global functional fitness treatment approach to regain complete functional health.
Dr. Jimenez presents health news El Paso articles from his own experience and various sources on a healthy lifestyle or general health issues. I have spent over 30+ years researching and testing methods with thousands of patients and understand what truly works. Health professionals try to prevent problems from happening or recurring through implementing educational programs, recommending policies, and administering services. A big part of public health involves the promotion of health care equity, quality, and accessibility.
Antibiotics have long been used to treat infection and illness. While they can be effective, there is a down side. Antibiotics can have some unpleasant side effects. What�s more, bacteria can become resistant. The more you take the less effective they can be, making the healing process much more difficult. It isn�t smart to depend on antibiotic for ultimate health. The better route is to take a more holistic approach by incorporating chiropractic, nutrition, exercise, and healthy lifestyle changes.
What Are Antibiotics?
Since the discovery of penicillin in the 1920s, antibiotics have been used to treat illness and infection. They have become a major component in American medicine. However, few people know exactly what they are or how they work.
They are medications that are used in the prevention and treatment of infections such as pneumonia, kidney infection, or an abscessed tooth. They are a type of antimicrobial drug and are not effective against viruses like the flu or a cold. As medicine has made significant advances in treating some of the worst and even deadly illnesses in the world, more are being developed to better target specific bacteria.
How Do Antibiotics Work?
Different antibiotics work in different ways on the cells that they seek out. Cells in the human body have some similarities to bacteria. Antibiotics affect those properties in bacteria that are different from human cells.
For instance, many strains of bacteria have cell walls while human cells do not. Penicillin prevents the bacteria it attacks from building those cell walls. Other antibiotics use other differences such as how they copy DNA or build proteins or dissolve bacteria cell membranes. The effects that antibiotics have on bacteria are intended to keep it from replicating and kill it.
Do Antibiotics Only Affect The �Bad� Bacteria?
Unfortunately, antibiotics can�t always distinguish between �bad� and �good� bacteria. This means that while they attack the harmful bacteria that is making you sick, they also attack the resident, helpful bacteria.
The �good� bacteria, or friendly bacteria, keeps you healthy in a variety of ways. It protects you from certain illnesses and keeps your body functioning at an optimal level. When you no longer have that friendly bacteria in your body, you lose out on the health boosting benefits that they offer. What�s more, when you lose the friendly bacteria it leaves room for certain other harmful bacteria to come in.
How Do Bacteria Become Resistant To Antibiotics?
When these medications are misused it can result in the emergence of bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics. There are several ways that they can be used inappropriately. They are only meant to be taken for a limited time, usually five or ten days. When they are taken longer than that or when several rounds are taken back to back, that qualifies as misuse. It can also occur when antibiotics are taken for viruses or other purposes for which they are not intended.
What Happens When Bacteria Become Resistant To Antibiotics?
Bacteria has a very strong ability to adapt to environments in order to survive. It can evolve and change as their environment becomes uninhabitable, such as with increasingly higher antibiotic doses. As bacteria is exposed to antibiotics it will make adjustments, adapting to them, even thriving.
The bottom line here is that while these medications may be beneficial in certain situations, they should be used as rarely as possible and usually as a last resort. There are many lifestyle changes that a person can make that can help them stay healthy and prevent illness so that they have no need for these medications.
A healthy diet, regular exercise, proper food handling and preparation, adequate sleep, regular chiropractic treatments, and eliminating unhealthy activities like smoking and alcohol consumption can all lead to better health and fewer illnesses. It is much easier and less expensive to prevent illness than it is to treat it.
Health: At its core, chiropractic is about allowing the body to naturally seek its natural balance, allowing all systems to work together. When it is unencumbered it can actually begin to heal itself. However, it can only attain proper function when it is at its proper structure.
When the structure becomes impaired through disease, stress, or injury, function becomes impaired. The degree of impairment often depends on a variety of factors including the nature of the root cause, the length of time it is left unchecked, and the patient�s support system.
Chiropractic is an exceptional part of a patient�s wellness team, addressing existing conditions as well as preventing many health issues. While most people relate the physical aspect of chiropractic to the practice, it is really a whole body approach to wellness. Chiropractic address body, mind, and spirit.
Health
Body
Chiropractic for physical health helps manage pain and heal injuries. Patients who receive regular chiropractic care enjoy a greater range of motion and improved mobility as well as decreased or even the elimination of pain in the body. Spinal misalignments can cause misalignments I other parts of the body which can cause a variety of symptoms from pain to impeded organ function.
When a part of the body is injured, such as the ankle, the body attempts to compensate. It may cause the pelvis to tilt or the spine to curve. The patient may experience pain in the hips, knees, and lower back.
Chiropractic addresses these issues, seeking out the root of the problem and then working to bring the body back into perfect balance. It is a viable and effective treatment for back pain, joint pain, sprains, carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, and tendonitis. However, it can also be used to treat digestive disorders, asthma, and allergies.
Mind
Imbalances of the mind, such as depression and anxiety are not only destructive and debilitating on their own, they can also exacerbate pain and immobility in the body. These conditions often occur when there is an imbalance of some kind, usually within the brain.
When the body itself is out of alignment, it can inhibit the transmission of messages between the brain and vital nerves. Misalignment that blocks the central nervous system can cause imbalances in the brain, leading to conditions like depression.
Spinal misalignments and pain put a great deal of stress on the body which can affect the mental state. Physical stress that comes from injury or illness can bring about anxiety and panic disorders. When left unchecked, it can lead to mental health issues that can affect family, work, and social activities.
Chiropractic for mental health addresses several mental health issues by aligning the physical body and promoting whole body wellness through lifestyle changes, diet, exercise, and other therapies like massage. When the whole body is in alignment, mind, body and spirit are healthier.
Spirit
You don�t hear a lot about chiropractic for spiritual healing, but many practitioners are discovering the spiritual benefits of the treatment. Doctors have long known that a person�s thoughts contribute to their physical health. A person�s spirituality, their connection to whatever that means to them, plays a very significant part in their overall wellness both mentally and physically.
Chiropractic for spiritual healing may incorporate meditation, yoga, massage, and breathing exercises into treatment. When the physical body is out of balance, the spirit can become imbalanced as well. Bring the body into alignment, and the spirit will follow.
The nervous system is what controls the entire body; when there is interference, the energy cannot flow as it should, causing discomfort and disease mentally, physically, and spiritually. When the flow of energy is without interference, the body can begin to heal itself.
Injury Medical Clinic: Elderly & Geriatric Fitness
Everyone has stiff, sore muscles now and then. From overdoing it at the gym to sleeping in an awkward position, there are many reasons you might feel some muscular aches and pains. Some medical conditions or illnesses can also cause soreness. Several studies have found a remarkable, effective, inexpensive cure that is natural and safe � magnesium.
Pain � It�s All In Your Head
Well, it�s in your brain, anyway. A chemical in the brain, NMDA, is responsible for pain. When this brain chemical is overly stimulated, the body experiences pain. The way the brain processes pain in an individual determines how that person will experience it and manage it.
There are very few medications that deal directly with NMDA, balancing it and decreasing its production. However, the side effects of these drugs are usually significant and undesirable. Magnesium has been found to calm production of NMDA without causing the side effects or toxicity. What�s more, magnesium is very inexpensive. It is far cheaper than pharmaceuticals at just pennies a dose. One drawback is that the FDA has not yet put its stamp of approval on the mineral that is often called the �gateway to health.�
Clinical Studies Find Magnesium Is An Effective Way To Relieve Pain
A study published in The Journal of Physiology in October 2010, explores the effectiveness of magnesium in decreasing nerve pain. The study, conducted on rats, found a strong link between magnesium deficiency and pain. In fact, that authors of the study suggest that pain is increased, or the sensitivity to pain is increased, due to magnesium deficiency.
As people are moving away from fresh foods, processed foods are becoming more prevalent. While processed foods offer easy, quick preparation and gratification, the trade-off has been a significant decrease in nutrition, leaving most people magnesium deficient. However, adding a magnesium supplement that provides 250 to 500 mg of the mineral will not only eliminate the deficiency, but decrease the pain as well. This usually happens surprisingly quickly � after only a few weeks you will notice a definite difference.
Chia Seeds Are High In Magnesium.
Other Benefits Of Magnesium
Magnesium has a wide range of uses and benefits for the entire body. It has long been used to treat indigestion as well as constipation when taken by mouth. For heartburn and indigestion, magnesium hydroxide has been noted as the fastest acting. It is also given to pregnant women to treat high blood pressure (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia). When given as a shot or by IV, magnesium helps lower blood pressure during pregnancy. It is also the treatment of choice for eclampsia because it reduces the risk of seizures that accompany the condition.
Magnesium, given intravenously, is effective in treating torsades de pointes, a type of irregular heartbeat. Additionally, it is believed to help these other conditions:
Various types of pain including nerve damage associated with certain cancers, pain after surgery, pain after hysterectomy, and chest pain.
A healthy diet, regular exercise, and reducing the stress in your life will also help with your pain management. When your body is properly nourished it functions at a more optimal level, meaning not just less pain, but better management of it. Exercise causes your brain to produce endorphins which not only minimize pain, but also boost your mood.
Stress can make you more sensitive to pain, causing you to feel it more and experience it on a more intense level. It decreases your ability to tolerate pain and manage it. Even learning relaxation techniques and breathing exercises can help you better manage stress that you may not be able to eliminate completely. Adding magnesium to your diet can help improve your overall wellbeing as well as decrease your pain.
The human body needs vitamin D in order to build strong muscles and bones. When the body does not get enough vitamin D, it is not able to absorb calcium effectively. This makes it very important for good bone health. Children who do not get adequate vitamin D develop rickets, a condition that causes weak bones, deformities in the skeleton, and a stooped posture.
What Is Vitamin D?
Most people believe that vitamin D is a vitamin; it isn�t. It is actually a hormone. A vitamin is a nutrient that the human body requires but is unable to produce. This means that it can only be obtained through supplements and food.
However, the body is able to manufacture this vitamin. When the skin is exposed to the appropriate sunlight, the body begins a process that produces vitamin D. It should also be noted that vitamin D plays a part in a strong immune system and can prevent certain chronic diseases in older adults.
There are supplements for people who do not produce enough vitamin D or who do not get adequate amounts in the food that they eat (fish liver oils, certain fish, and egg yolks are good sources). Children and adults typically do not get enough from their foods and activities. People spend a great deal of time indoors with adults at work and children at school. The emergence of digital devices and video games has managed to keep children inside as they engage in these activities.
This vitamin is not measured in milligrams like many other supplements, but in International Units (IU) instead. Research has caused the daily recommended allowance for vitamin D to increase over the years, and the current recommendation is 400 IU. It has been determined that this amount is the most beneficial in promoting healthy bones.
The Role Of The Skeletal System
The skeletal system has several functions. The first and most obvious is that it is the structural support for the body. It also protects vital organs.
For instance, the skull protects the brain and the rib cage protects the lungs and heart. It is also an anchor point for muscle so it helps with mobility. The red bone marrow provides illness fighting white blood cells, as well as red blood cells. Calcium is stored in the marrow, as is phosphorous. Certain minerals and fats are stored in the yellow marrow which is found in the long bones of the body.
How Vitamin D Benefits The Skeletal System
Getting enough vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium which is a bone building mineral. In addition to that task, it also promotes good muscle health.
Stronger muscles can work much more effectively in protecting the muscles and supporting the skeletal system. This can help with joint health as well. Older people who have adequate vitamin D do not fall down as often and people of all ages have fewer broken bones.
Results Of Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency is a serious condition mainly due to its essential role in the body�s ability to absorb calcium. Muscle weakness and bone pain are two common symptoms, but are typically seen in more severe cases.
A simple blood test can check for vitamin D levels � and it should be checked regularly. Even �minor� cases of low vitamin (those without any symptoms) have been linked to some serious health conditions including:
Increased risk of death due to cardiovascular disease
Vitamin D is generally very accessible. You can get it through foods and sunlight or via a supplement. People who may have some trouble getting adequate amounts are those who have limited exposure to sunlight, fail to consume the necessary levels of the vitamin, and people who have dark skin. If you think that you may have low vitamin D, it is best to talk to your doctor so you can come up with a plan to get your body back in balance.
5 benefits of�walking in order to achieve better health is not new. Doctors and fitness experts have been touting its benefits for decades. When you walk, you engage more than 200 muscles � this includes your pelvis and spine. This makes it an exceptional complement to chiropractic treatment. However, if you aren�t convinced, these five compelling reasons that chiropractic patients should walk are sure to win you over.
5 Benefits Of Walking
Helps With Weight Loss & Weight Management
When you are carrying around excess weight it can lead to back pain and impaired mobility. Fat around your middle, especially in the stomach area, throws your body off balance. There is extra weight in front and it pulls that portion of your body forward, causing a swayback effect.
The pain in the lower back that is caused by this pressure can be excruciating. Over the long term this can cause damage to your spine and cause misalignment. While girdles or slings may help, the permanent remedy is to lose the weight. Walking is an excellent, low impact exercise that helps you lose weight, stay active, and stay healthy.
Improves Mobility & Flexibility
As we age we become less flexible and we don�t have the mobility of youth. As you walk, your circulation increases and that helps improve flexibility and mobility.
Add a little light stretching to the mix, along with regular chiropractic treatments and you will have a much better range of motion. Your posture will improve and you will reduce your chance of injury during physical activity. All this greatly enhances your spinal health making walking a great complement to chiropractic care.
Relieves Back Pain
Back pain is one of the top reasons that Americans miss work and worldwide it is the number one cause of disability. It is also expensive. Each year, Americans spend upwards of $50 billion trying to escape back pain.
Walking is recommended by the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) to help ease back pain. It is a very good, low impact exercise that helps you manage your weight and stay active � excess weight can cause your back to hurt. Walking helps relieve back pain, but it can help to prevent it as well. Even walking for just 30 minutes a day 3 to 5 times a week is beneficial.
Rehydrates Spinal Discs
There are small, fluid filled disks that lie between each vertebrae, acting as a cushion. As you move about during the day, gravity and certain movements cause your spinal disks to compress, squeezing the water out of them. This can lead to back pain and mobility issues.
The increased circulation from walking helps to force water into this area and the disks absorb that water and are rehydrated. This allows them to continue doing what they are supposed to � act as shock absorbers for your spine. It also helps if you drink plenty of water and stay hydrated throughout the day.
Improves Circulation
Good circulation is integral to spinal health as well as a properly functioning central nervous system. When you walk it increases your circulation allowing your blood to carry vital nutrients to your spine, organs, and your entire body. The soft tissues are enriched and nourished as toxins are flushed out.
Another benefit of this increased circulation is a decrease in blood pressure. It brings your body into balance so your muscles, ligaments, and joints are nourished. This, in turn, helps to make your chiropractic treatments more productive and beneficial.
5 benefits of walking is beneficial for whole body wellness. It can help you reduce your risk of many serious health conditions including diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure. It is also great for giving you a mental health boost and make you less prone to osteoporosis. So commit to walking just 30 minutes a day, 3 to 5 days a week. You will be astounded at the difference it will make.
Injury Medical Clinic: Elderly & Geriatric Fitness
Allergy Sufferers!�As winter gives way to spring, seasonal allergies can really get you down. Whether you get a few sniffles and some sneezing or you are down for the count with every terrible allergy symptom known to man, it can make spring pretty unbearable.
There is no shortage of allergy medications on the market, but they come with their own issues. The majority of them cause drowsiness and other unpleasant side effects, leaving you barely able to function. Those that are made from a �non drowsy� formula sound great, but if you have certain health conditions, like high blood pressure, you are out of luck � and stuck either taking the ones that make you sleep sucking it up and dealing with your allergies sans medication.
That�s no way to live.
What Are Allergies?
When your immune produces histamines in response to an allergen that you encounter the physiological reaction that you experience is broadly referred to as allergies or hay fever. The allergens may be simple substances that normally do not affect people, but when your body is out of balance, it can cause a variety of problems.
Symptoms of allergies include:
Runny nose
Stuffy nose
Headache
Sneezing
Itchy eyes
Coughing or scratchy throat
Skin Rash or Hives
Swelling
Diarrhea
Nausea
Fatigue
Anaphylaxis, severe, life threatening allergies can include swelling of the airways, tongue, and throat, inability to breathe due to blocked airway, and other dangerous symptoms.
The allergens can be something you come in contact with, like poison ivy, something you breathe in, like mold or dust, or it can be something you ingest, like strawberries or peanuts. Different people will have different allergies, but those who are allergic to the same things may not have the same reaction. Often a doctor or allergist will diagnose your allergies.
Chiropractic Care For Allergy Sufferers
Chiropractic treatments have been found to be very effective for relieving allergy symptoms and even stopping allergies at their source. It reduces the severity of allergy symptoms as well as the frequency of occurrence. It does not work like allergy medications which have an anti-histamine effect and only work as a short term fix for your allergy symptoms.
Chiropractic treatments help your body become more balanced so that it is better equipped for combating allergies at the source. When your spine is not aligned it can impact your nervous system leading to a variety of problems � including allergies. Your immune system can be affected, causing it to malfunction.
A chiropractor can help relieve the stress on your nervous system by aligning your spine. This takes the pressure off of nerves, allowing your immune system to function at a more optimal level. This makes it easier for your body to ward off infections while recognizing allergens as harmless.
When your immune system encounters allergens it doesn�t overreact to them. Instead, the reaction is much more subdued, or even nonexistent. Chiropractic has also been found to help asthma patients breathe easier. Asthma symptoms are diminished.
Chiropractic care is more than just spinal manipulation, though. It promotes whole body wellness. Patients are taught exercise, stress relief, and nutrition so that the entire system is treated. The whole body treatment plan for chiropractic patients will help you be allergy free in a short time.
It is important to follow your chiropractic plan thoroughly and consistently. Get plenty of rest and take time to destress. The more you can relax and take care of yourself, the healthier you will be overall. Chiropractic care can help so many health conditions; it can actually make you healthier. Allergy sufferers or if you are struggling with allergies for the first time, give chiropractic care a try you just might be surprised.
When you walk, more than 200 individual muscles spring into action which includes all of the muscles in your spine and pelvic area. There�s no denying that walking is good for you and very beneficial to overall health. It is also very effective for spinal health. In most cases, walking is an excellent complement to chiropractic care. Here are 5 good reasons for chiropractic patients to get moving.
Walking Benefits:
Prevents & Relieves Back Pain
The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) recommends walking to help relieve back pain. It is a low impact exercise and very gentle on the back, burning around 265 calories in 30 minutes.
You should avoid walking on uneven terrain or concrete to keep it low impact and avoid injury. Exercise also releases pain relieving endorphins in addition to aiding in other conditions that can relieve pain which includes improving flexibility and mobility, helps rehydrate spinal discs, increases circulation, and aids in weight loss and weight management.
Increases Circulation
Walking increases circulation throughout your body, including your spine. This ensures that you have a continual flow of blood to the muscles and nutrients to the spine. Soft tissues are nourished and enriched while harmful toxins are drained away.
Walking is integral for spinal health. It increases circulation which, in turn, lowers blood pressure. This helps bring the body into balance and increases your stamina. As blood is moved through your body it nourishes all of your muscles, making you stronger and making it easier for you to exercise. Basically, the more you walk, the more you are able to walk.
Improves Flexibility & Mobility
As walking increases circulation, flexibility and mobility are enhanced. When combined with a regimen of light stretching, walking can increase flexibility and a better range of motion. This has the added benefits of reducing the risk of injury and improving posture.
The ACA recommends a series of stretches combined with cardio, including walking, to help with back pain management and good spinal health. It is a very good accompaniment to chiropractic care and is an effective supporting activity which will help your treatment work even better.
Helps Rehydrate Spinal Disks
During the day movement causes compression of your spinal discs, squeezing out the water that fills the discs so they provide a cushion or your vertebrae. The increased circulation that comes from walking also helps to move vital water to the area.
The discs absorb this water, rehydrating them so they can continue to do their job as shock absorbers for the spinal column. This is also a great case for staying well hydrated by drinking lots of water not only while you walk, but also throughout the day.
Aids With Weight Loss & Weight Management
Extra body weight can cause significant stress on the spine. Abdominal fat can create excess weight in the front, causing a swayback effect in the spine. This puts pressure on the lower back, resulting in pain in that area.
The spine is part of the body�s core and the muscles that surround the spine aid in balance and movement. When excess weight is present those muscles become strained as they must work harder to maintain balance. Walking helps with weight management and weight loss eliminating or reducing the effects of excessive weight.
Walking benefits your whole body. It reduces your risk of heart disease, improves blood sugar and blood pressure, reduces your risk of osteoporosis, helps you maintain body weight, improves your mental health, and can even reduce your risk of certain cancers. With your spine at the core of your body, good spinal health plays a part in every one of these conditions. By combining walking with chiropractic care, you are giving your body its best chance at good health and optimal function.
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Relieves Back Pain
Chiropractic Care For Allergy Sufferers
