Chiroblog

If you weren't aware, I have never been adjusted before in my entire life. As a staff member at a Chiropractic office, it was only fitting to start chiropractic care so I can experience what everybody else was raving about. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, because I most definitely was. The interns did a fun but comprehensive exam with me, and then Dr. Rubin did a wonderful job explaining each adjustment he was making (this eased me quite a bit). My first adjustment was an absolute breeze! However, that doesn’t mean I felt a change right away. I have since had about six adjustments and I began to feel a difference after the third adjustment. I sleep better and I have found that I am able to stand on my feet longer without my lower back aching. Even my emotional well-being seems to be better. Hmm...Never expected those kind of changes! Tune in to hear more changes I have noticed about my overall health!

There are a few buzzwords I continue to hear at the office that I have never heard of before. One of those words being: Subluxation. I took it upon myself to research the word subluxation to find out what it means and what it has to do with chiropractic.

            Subluxation is formally known as vertebral subluxation, which is a spinal bone that is out of alignment in relation to the spinal bone above or below it, affecting the nerves that come out of the spine. Chiropractors recognize the neurological impact that is associated with the loss of normal motion or position of spinal bones as relating to health.

            So, what causes spinal bones to become misaligned and lose their normal position?

Chiropractors recognize three general types of stress that cause subluxation.  They call them the 3 T’s: Trauma, toxins, thoughts. 

Trauma-Physical stress is the most easily understood. Whiplash injuries due to a car accident are common occurrences. The whipping action of the head can produce profound changes to the neck and its graceful forward curve.  But physical stress can also be from repetitive micro-traumas such as excessive computer work (causing neck or back pain, as well as wrist and thumb pain), or from sports-related repetitive motions (such as swinging a golf club, tennis racket, or baseball bat the same way over and over again for years).

Toxins- Chemical stress in the form of drugs, alcohol, food preservatives and artificial ingredients can affect muscle tone and result in changes to proper spinal alignment.  You truly are what you eat, and if what you eat has more of a negative effect than a positive one, that can cause subluxations. 

Thoughts- Emotional stress such as anger, grief, fear and many others can cause supporting muscles to tighten, the spine to stiffen and postural changes to emerge.

One way to visualize subluxation is that of a circuit breaker that prevents an overload to the brain by dampening the ability of nerves to conduct nerve messages. Another way is to think of a dimmer switch.  If you want the power on at 100%, but the most you can turn it on is to 50%, that would be really frustrating!  Chiropractors fix these ‘dimmer switches’ or subluxations, and turn the power back on 100%. 

This is like a whole new language to learn.  Never heard of health being talked about like this before.

#DailyChiro, #kidchiro, #RFC  

Today I was in charge of creating one of the bulletin boards in the office. The theme Erin and I decided on would revolve around children and chiropractic. The question that resonated with me was, why is it important for children to have chiropractic care? To answer this question in a fun way for families to understand and even for their own children, was through the Minion’s theme:

A “Minion” Reasons to Love Chirokids!

A “minion” reason #1: Chiropractic boosts your immune system. Adjustments provide positive effects on your immunity. When you have a strong immune system as a child it makes for a healthier adulthood, too!

A “minion” reason #2: Chiropractic is safe. Have no fear, chiropractic is here and it's safe! Chiropractic is a healthy choice for all ages, especially children.

A “minion” reason #3: Chiropractic reduces stress. Children can have stress too. Children are under more pressures each year with school and activities. Adjustments have positive effects on children in reducing their stress. 

A “minion” reason #4: Chiropractic can improve posture. Have you ever had a family member, teacher or coach ask you to “sit straight,” or ‘walk with a book on your head to improve your posture?” Chiropractic works to restore the normal function of your spine, which also restores your natural, healthy posture.

A “minion” reason #5: Chiropractic helps with so many issues. Chiropractic adjustments can help with alignments by restoring the body’s natural function, including the respiratory system (like the lungs and sinuses and ears), the gastrointestinal system (for example, the stomach and intestines), and even the nerve system (the brain and spinal cord and spinal nerves).  

#DailyChiro, #kidchiro, #RFC

My name is Emily Barnett and I am new on staff at Rubin Family Chiropractic. I will be working the front desk and writing weekly blogs about my journey working in a chiropractic office. First thing you should know is that I have zero background experience in chiropractic. Because of this, my blogging journey will be quite entertaining as I learn more about this field and write about it in a way you could understand, if you’re in the same boat as me of course.

I’m very excited about being a part of the team here at Rubin Family Chiropractic. I believe, despite my lack of knowledge in chiropractic, I can provide valuable skills to the office. I’ve had a lot of experience working with children.

In 2012, I accepted an internship at Walt Disney World as a character and parade performer. My time at Disney consisted of being friends with many of your favorite classic Disney characters.  Most importantly, I was friends with Tinkerbell.   I had a magical time meeting and interacting with families from all over the world. My job description not only was to high-five and hug kids for a living, but it was also to bring joy into people’s life.

Currently, I work for a princess company based in Atlanta. I attend birthday parties and corporate events on the weekends. I lead these events as fairytale characters and my events consist of princess lessons, interactive storytelling and sing-along, face painting and balloon animals.

This experience has enabled me to be able to keep children entertained and connect with them on a level that they would understand. I’m looking forward to learning more and sharing all that I have learned as a chiropractic assistant. 

This is Part 1 of a multiple part series of blogposts regarding the 'Ah-Ha" moments had in Italy during our 25th wedding anniversary celebration.  Food was a tremendous part of the Italy experience, and Italians REALLY know how to do food!  First off, gluten-free and dairy-free options were EVERYWHERE, in every restaurant.  The phrase "Senza Glutine" (Gluten-free) was on most menus, and walking through especially Florence and Rome, the English words "Gluten-free" were on handwritten signs in many of the hundreds of little cafes we walked by.  We were concerned about being hungry the whole trip, but on the contrary, it is harder to find gluten free options in my travels in North American cities than in Italian cities!  Our incredible Tauck tour guide Andrea even pointed us to the Cremearia, a little hole in the wall place that served Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free and Soy-Free Gelato!  It was a highlight of our trip, to eat this one of a kind treat in front of the 2000+ year old Pantheon!  

Next was the amazing TASTE of the food, especially their fruit and vegetables.  We ate tomatoes every day with every meal...breakfast showcased flavorfull roasted half tomatoes with olive oil and seasoning, lunch featured incredibly delicious and fresh cherry tomatoes, and dinner almost always included some variety of tomato-based sauce. We were eating tomatoes and melon and apples and lettuces like raddichio, endive, arugala, that burst with flavor (like when we were kids).  The food was so fresh and so lovingly prepared and gushing with taste explosions, compared to the same items that here in the States would just be ordinary.  

Why is food so good in Italy?  They don't have 'organic' there because EVERYTHING IS ORGANIC. They don't have Monsanto based agriculture, where food is genetically modified and highly industrialized. They do fresh and organic the way we do pre-packaged and microwaveable.  The reason I am writing this series is to display some of the differences between what they do and what we do, in hopes that we can learn a lesson or two from our Italian friends.  Next in the series will be a post about how Italians view 'time." 

               Have you ever thought about how certain meats may be the primary trigger for your constant and annoying headaches? Almost everyone at some point in their life have experienced a headache, and we all know the most common factors contributing to headaches can be stress, anxiety and not getting enough sleep, water or food. However, there are also certain foods that may be the primary cause for your headaches.  

              The majority of processed meats, like hot dogs, bacon, salami, pepperoni, ham and other cured meats contain preservatives such as nitrates. These nitrates can cause the blood vessels to dilate, setting the stage for a headache. You might be asking yourself, how does this happen? Well, our body produces nitric oxide, which is a gas that expands blood vessels. Nitrates increase the production of nitric oxide and the result appears to trigger headaches in sensitive individuals.

              Many drinks and even dried fruit contains a preservative called sulfites.  This is also seen in some wine and champagne.  These can cause major headaches within a few hours after eating or drinking something with sulfites.

              The worst of all is MSG, or mono-sodium glutamate.  This is common in fast foods and in stir fried “Chinese food.”  This preservative can cause significant headaches as well as irritability and hyperactivity.  The big issue with MSG is that there are dozens of names for it.  Look them up here: http://www.truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html

The best way to pinpoint the food that is triggering your headaches is by keeping a diary. Studies have shown that keeping track of what you eat for even a few days can help you make changes in your diet. If you are experiencing these constant headaches, try using a notebook, or take advantage of technology and try one of the many special headache apps to keep track of what you are eating. 

Chiropractic care is so important for your kids' proper development. Come see us today!

Pediatric Adjusting Meme

It's better to grow healthy children, than repair damaged adults 

Amplifeied

Health is freedom! Do something every day to improve your health!

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