May – June 2011

Insid

e :

• The power of antioxidants

• Reduce your risk of flu this winter

• Back-related leg pain

Chiropractic and the Nervous SystemChiropractic is an approach to healththatcentresonthebody’snaturalabilityto function and heal itself. From themoment of conception when a spermand ovum unite to form a single cell,these cells divide and multiply intothe 75 trillion cells that make up youramazingbody.Thesecellsareconstantlyworking in a harmonious way to digestfood,pumpblood,breatheair,contractmuscles, heal wounds and thousandsmorebodyfunctions.

What’s even more amazing is that thesebody functions will alter according toyour environment. Ona colddayhairsonour skin raise to create an insulatingeffectandbloodisshuntedtotheinternalorgans to prevent heat loss. When wewalk up a flight of stairs, our heart rateincreases to allow for the increasedoxygenandnutrientsthatmusclesrequirewiththeincreasedeffort.

Centraltothisisthenervoussystem–thebrain,spinalcordandothernerves.

Sensory Nervous System

Receptorsalloverthebodyarestimulatedby changes in the environment. Forexample, pressure receptors, such asPacinian corpuscles, detect pressurein the buttocks when you sit. Thesereceptors then fire nerve messages tothe spinalcordandonto thebrain. Thebrain correlates this information withinformation from other receptors, suchas your eyes, to make the conclusionthat you’re sitting! This is the Sensory Nervous Systematwork.

Motor Nervous System

Motor nerves are those sent from thebrain that travel through the spinal cordtothebodycausingmusclestocontract.Thisallowsyourbodytomoveandyourorganstofunction.

Your Spine

Nerve receptors are extremely denseand numerous in the small musclesand ligaments around the spine. Spinalmovementisthereforeessentialforfiringsensory receptors thatactivate thebrain.Whenthespinelosesitsproperbalance,thisnegativelyalters thesesensorynervemessages. Chiropractors call this spinalimbalanceaVertebral Subluxation.

A vertebral subluxation is not alwayspainful,butitislikelytocompromisetheproperfunctioningofthenervoussystem.This may affect the ability of the bodyto auto-regulate – to keep the body inbalance–alsocalledHomeostasis.

Chiropractors recognise the inherentabilityofthebodytohealitself.Theyalsorecognise that vertebral subluxation mayinterferewiththisnaturalhealingprocess.

Gentle forces into the spine, calledSpinal Adjustments, are performed bychiropractors to help improve spinaland neurological balance. The type ofadjustmentusedwillvarygreatlyaccordingtothesizeandageofthepatient.

Thesoonerasubluxationisdetected,themorereadilyitseffectscanbeminimised,so thatproper recoveryandbalancecanberestoredtoyourbody.

Enter our competitionand WIN!

READERS!

Details inside

vertebral subluxation always

Back In Shape Chiropractic

Mount Riverview76 Rusden RoadPhone: 4739 3893

Monday 9.00am – 8.00pmWednesday 9.00am – 8.00pmThursday 9.00am – 8.00pmFriday 9.00am – 8.00pm

Leura165 The MallPhone: 4739 3893

Tuesday 10.00am – 8.00pm

Chiropractor:RICHARD J BOCK

BSc M.Chiro

Clinic Hours

Consultations at Mt Riverview and Leura as above are by appointment.

Your health is our concern but your responsibility. If you are unable to keep your appointment, please let the clinic know as soon as possible, and be sure to make up your missed appointment.

APPOINTMENTSYour appointment schedule is designed specifically to obtain the best possible results. Please be sure to make up any missed appointments. Should you wish to change an appointment, we would appreciate as much notice as possible so that other patients can be offered your time.

Given that a generous half-hour is dedicated to each appointment, an administration fee of $25 will be applied to appointments cancelled within six hours (or without any notice).

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READER COMPETITIONBe in the running to WIN a $50 shopping

voucher1) Just answer the following question: Which article did you like best in this issue of Your Chiropractor?

......................................................

......................................................2) Tick the box next to your preferred voucher below:

3) Post with your name and address on the back of the envelope to:Your Chiropractor Voucher CompetitionUnit 5/1 Almondbury RoadMt Lawley WA 6050

Must be received by latest post marked 31/05/2011 to be in the running

The winner of the competition in Your Chiropractor’s March 2011 edition was K. Savvas of Moil, NT.

THAT’S IT! GOOD LUCK!

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Fit children have different brains

AstudypublishedinthejournalBrain Research looked at the associationbetween childhood aerobic fitnessandbraindevelopment.

Thestudyincluded49pre-adolescentchildren whose level of fitness wasdeterminedbywalkingonatreadmillto measure oxygen absorption. AnMRI was then performed on allchildrentodeterminethesizeofthehippocampus.Thehippocampusisastructureinthebrainthatisinvolvedinlearningandrelationshipmemory.

The fitter children were found tohave a 12% (relative to brain size)larger hippocampus and performedbetter at memory and specialawarenesstasks.

Ref: Brain Research, Volume 1358, 28 October 2010, Pages 172-183.

nuts are also chestnuts, hazelnuts andalmonds.Goodnewsforchocolatelovers– dark cocoa-rich chocolate also doesverywellintermsofantioxidantcontent.Unfortunately,thisdoesn’tcanceloutthecalories,sojustalittleisbest.

Mostberriesalsocontainantioxidants.Other fruits and vegetables commonlyavailableandagoodsourceofantioxidantsinclude dried apple, artichokes, red andgreen chillies, prunes, black and greenolivesandredbeets.Ontheotherhand,watermelon and celery (whilst good foryou)havealmostzeroantioxidantpower.

Let’snotforgetherbsandspices.Clove,peppermint,allspice,cinnamon,oregano,thyme,sage,rosemaryandsaffronallhavesignificantantioxidantcapacity,althoughweonlyeverusetheminsmallamountssotheirbenefitisless.

Healthy pancakes with berries, nuts, cinnamon

and dark chocolate

Ingredients (serves 6)2cupsself-raisingflour,sifted¼cupcastersugar4eggwhites1cupreduced-fatmilk1/3 cup vanilla yoghurt with no addedsugar12/3 cups (250g) mixed frozen berries,thawed1teaspoongroundcinnamonCanolaoilcookingspray½ cup maple syrup, dark chocolate(shaved)andwalnutstoserve

Method1. Place flour in a large bowl and

stir in sugar and cinnamon. Placeeggwhites, milk and yoghurt in aseparatebowlandwhisktocombine.

Make a well in the centre of theflour mixture and add the eggwhitemixture.Stiruntilalmostsmoothandsetasidefor10minutes.

2. Fold 1 cup of berries through thebatter.Lightlysprayanon-stickfryingpanwithoilandheatovermedium-low heat. Using 2 tablespoons ofbatter per pancake, cook pancakesfor2minutesoruntilbubblesappearonthesurface, thenturnover.Cookfor a further1 to2minutesoruntilgoldenandcookedthrough.Transferto a plate and cover to keep warm.Repeatwithremainingbatter.

3. Toserve,topwithremainingberries,a fewwalnuts, somedarkchocolateshavingsandasprinkleofcinnamon.Drizzlewithmaplesyrupandserve.

Antioxidants are like tinycrime fighters.They race around scooping up the badguys–freeradicals,whichcandamageourbodies,speedupageingandcausedisease.The best way to get antioxidants is fromyourdietratherthansupplements,andherearesomethatreallypackapunch.

Forbeveragessomeexpertssayespressocoffee comes out on top with moreantioxidant value than other antioxidantcontaining drinks like brewed coffee, redwine,greentea,blackteaandprunejuice.Thestimulantaffectofcaffeinecancreateproblems with some people and so bestto limit coffee consumption to one a day.Certainly most teas are good sources ofnaturalandpotentantioxidants.

Nuts are also standouts in termsof antioxidant activity, with walnutsparticularlygoodbutotherantioxidantrich

The Power of Antioxidants

Across: 3.Antioxidants; 7. Cholecalciferol; 8. Hippocampus;

Down: 1. Sciatica; 2. Radicular; 4. Influenza; 5. Homeostasis; 6. Motor.

Good Health on the Menu

Reduce your risk of flu this winter by keeping up your Vitamin D

Thawingoutinthewintersunisagreatwaytowarmthebodyandthesoul. Sunexposure is also important for stimulatingtheproductionofVitaminD,whichrecentresearch has shown may reduce theincidenceandseverityofinfluenzaandotherinfectionsoftheupperrespiratorytract.

Headresearcher, JamesR.Sabetta,MD,andhis teamofcolleagues, followed198healthy adults during the autumn andwinter of 2009-2010 to see if declininglevels of Vitamin D during this periodcouldbeafactorintheseasonalincreasedprevalence of respiratory viral infections,suchasflu.

The study showed that people, whomaintain vitamin D blood levels of 38nanogramspermillilitre ormore, are lesslikelytogetviralinfectionssuchasfluthanpeoplewithlessintheirblood.

Of 18 people who maintained thatlevel during the study period, only threedevelopedviralinfections.Butofthe180other participants with lessVitamin D intheirblood,81(45%)didgetsickwithviralinfections.

Those with higher levels of Vitamin Dalsoexperiencedamarkedreductioninthenumberofdaystheywereill.

As recently as a decade ago, VitaminD was mostly thought of as a helper-nutrient. With a little bit of sunshine itwasassumednottorequiremonitoringorsupplementation.

But thatwasyearsago.TodayweknowthatVitaminDalsohasaroleinmaintainingcalcium balance (important for bonestrength and a healthy nervous system),immunity, blood pressure regulation,

helping with depression and reducing theriskofcertaincancers.

Most of theVitamin D we need to behealthy can be sourced by adequate sunexposure. However, efforts to reduce theriskofskincancerbytheuseofsunscreenshave led to an increase prevalence ofVitamin D deficiency. If you spend mostof the day indoors, you are likely to bedeficient,especiallyoverthewintermonths.

VitaminDalsooccursnaturallyincertaintypes of fish, such as herring, mackerel,salmon, and sardines, and in egg yolks.MilkisusuallyfortifiedwithvitaminD.

TherearetwomajortypesofvitaminD.Vitamin D3, also called cholecalciferol,is the type made in the body in responseto sun exposure and found in certainfoods.VitaminD3istheformusedinthebetter quality supplements. Vitamin D2(ergocalciferol) is the most common formusedto fortifycertain foods,suchasmilk.BothtypesofvitaminDmustbeconvertedintheliverandkidneystotheactiveformtobeusefultothebody.

Ref: Sabetta, J. PlosONE, June 16, 2010.

Philosophy from the world of silly thinkers!

1.Whycan’twomenputtheirmascaraonwiththeirmouthclosed?

2.Why does Goofy stand on twolegs when Pluto remains on four?They’rebothdogs.

3.If corn oil is made from corn andvegetableoilismadefromvegetables,whatisbabyoilmadefrom?

4.Ifamaniswalking ina forestandnowomenaretheretohearhim,ishestillwrong?

5.Didyouevernoticethatifyoublowinadog’sfaceitgoesmad,yetwhenyoutakehimonacarridehestickshisheadstraightoutthewindow?

MythIt’sOKtosleeponyourstomach,aslongasyougetagoodnight’ssleep.

FactStomach sleepers invariably developspinalproblemscausedbyhaving toturn their head to one side in ordertobreathe.Thiscreatestensioninthemusclesoftheneckandupperspine.Wedon’twalkaroundwithourheadsturnedthisway,soitmakessensenotto sleep like that for up to 8 hourseach night! Also, lying flat on yourstomach increases the curve of thelowerback,makingyoumorepronetolowbackpain.Changingyoursleepingpostureisnotalwayseasy.Eventhosewhostartoutwiththepreferredpostureoflyingonyourbackorsidemayenduponthestomachshortlyafterfallingasleep.

To help prevent sleeping on yourstomach try these tips. Even if itreduces the time you spend on yourstomachby anhour or so, itwill bewellworthit.

1. Whenonyourback,placeapillowunderoneorbothlegs.Thisallowsthelowerbacktorelaxandflattensthearchofthelowerspineslightly.

2. If you lie on your side, place athin pillow between your kneesandathickpillowatchestheight,towrapyourarmsaround.Thisisusuallycomfortableandhelpskeepthe spine ina relaxedandneutralposition. You might be surprisedhow easy it is to bring the extrapillows with you when you rollfromsidetosideduringthenight.

Regardlessofwhetheryouareonyourbackorside,apillowthatistherightheightisessential.Thepillowshouldbe pre-contoured or soft enough todeformtotheshapeoftheheadwhenrestingonit.

Myt h & Fa ct

ToTo helphelp sleepingsleeping

Across:3. Thesehelpyourbody toget ridof

freeradicals7. AnothernameforVitaminD38. Thisisastructureinthebrainthatis

involvedinlearningandrelationshipmemory

Down:1. ThistermrelatestoBRLP,whenthe

painistothebackoftheleg2. This type of pain follows a nerve

rootpattern4. VitaminDmayreducetheincidence

andseverityof__andotherinfectionsoftheupperrespiratorytract

5. The ability of the body to auto-regulate

6. Thesenervesaresentfromthebrainandtravelthroughthespinalcordtothebodycausingmusclestocontract

Each of the words can be found in this issue of “Your Chiropractor”. Answers are shown on bottom of inside left-hand page.

Back-related leg painIt is estimated that80%ofpeoplewill

experience significant low back pain atsomestageintheirlife.Back-relatedlegpain(BRLP)hasalifetimeprevalenceof40%.

Although less common than low backpain, BRLP accounts for greater workloss, recurrences, and higher costs thanuncomplicated LBP. BRLPwill eventuallyleadtosurgeryinupto10%ofseverecases.

Halfofthosewithback-relatedconditionsseek non-medical treatment, withchiropractic being the most commonlysoughtaftercare.

Back-related leg pain can be eitherradicular ornon-radicularinorigin.

Radicular pain is caused by irritation tothe nerve roots that branch off the spinalcordandtraveldowntheleg.Thisismostcommonly a result of a herniated disc ordegenerativespursinthespine.Thispainfollowsthedistributionpatternofthecertainnerve root. For example, compression ofthe L5 nerve root will typically give paininto the buttocks, the outside of the kneeandcalf,andthetopofthefoot.

Non-radicular pain does not follow anerverootpatternandtendstoberelatedtoproblemswiththedeepspinalmusclesandjointsatthebackofthespine.

Sciatica is a term that relates to BRLPwhenthepainistothebackoftheleg,inthedistributionofthesciaticnerve.

While surgery me be needed insome severe and/or chronic cases,a conservative approach, such aschiropractic and specific exercise, isusuallythepreferredoption.

A randomised clinical trial by Santillipublished in the journal Spine assessedchiropractic care versus sham carefor patients with acute sciatica andconfirmed disc herniation. Significantdifferences were observed betweengroups in both back and leg pain infavour of chiropractic group at the6monthfollow-upperiod.Thepercentageofcasesbecomingpain-freewas55%vs.20%forradiatingpain. Importantly,noadverseeventswereobserved.

Otherstudieshaveshownchiropracticcare to be superior to medical careforBRLP.

Best results are achieved when chiro-practic care is combined with exercise,particularlycorestrengtheningactivity.

Ref: Santilli, V. J Spine 2006 Mar-Apr;6(2):131-7. Epub 2006 Feb 3.

Practice UpdateOur Practice:

This is a traditional family practice committed to providing professional, friendly and comprehensive care to all patients. The Chiropractor is experienced in a broad range of problems.

PHONE CALLS:The Chiropractor may be contacted by phone during office hours. A message will be taken if the Chiropractor is with another patient and your call will be returned when the Chiropractor is available.

FEEDBACK:We are here to serve you. Please speak to your chiropractor or the staff about any concerns you may have. We see your constructive comments as helping us to help you and others.

VETERANS AFFAIRS:The chiropractors have satisfied the training requirements of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the clinic therefore has DVA approval for treatment.

BEING HEALTHY:Do you realise that being healthy is more than having NO aches & pains. Sick stomachs or headaches? The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Chiropractors define health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being”, not merely the absence or disease or injury. Health can be improved simply by eating a balanced diet, adequate sleep, regular exercise and by keeping the bodies structural frame and nervous system functioning at their best. A chiropractor is the best person trained to do this. So the great news is, YOU can choose to be healthier, simply by choosing a healthier lifestyle.

Free Spinal Examinations for Children:

Existing patients of this Clinic are able to bring their children in for a free spinal examination. These examinations must be booked specifically with reception, as they require a longer appointment time. We provide this free service as our contribution to better family health, as a child’s spine is the most neglected part of the health and quite often, spinal problems are inherited.

Chiropractic is preventive health care and if any problems do exist in children, they are usually easily and quickly corrected thus allowing the child to reach their optimal health potential.

YOUR CHIROPRACTOR is a service to patients of Back in Shape Chiropractic. Each edition of the newsletter will contain information on health issues relevant to you and your family, plus news about the clinic and its services. By keeping a copy of each edition you can build a valuable library to help you to get healthy and stay that way. Tell us of any topics you would like to see in future editions.