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Leo says happy Valentines. What are you giving the people you love?
How about the gift of health?
I will be offering $19 EXAMINATIONS WITH X-RAYS IF NECESSARY
To Anyone mentions this blog from Tuesday February 14th to Friday February 24th.
I will also be offering $30 massages starting tomorrow.
There is a limit of one per person and these gift certificates are in limited supply.
Just call 760-777-8377 today to follow up on this Valentines offer today.
In health,
Dr. H
You may have heard from your grandma that eating carrots can improve you vision. That may not be exactly true, but carrots do contain something called provitamin A carotenoids. These are pigments in some plants that can be converted by the body into vitamin A, and vitamin A is important to your vision.
Vitamin A is also helpful to bone growth and your immune system. As with other vitamins, there are different forms of vitamin A. One of the forms that is most usable to the body is called retinol, which is found in liver, eggs, and milk. One of the most common provitamin A carotenoids that the body converts easily to retinol is beta carotene. Beta carotene is found in yellow and orange fruits and vegetables including carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, and cantaloupe. Vitamin A is also one of the vitamins often used to fortify breakfast cereals.
Vitamin A is fat soluble, which means that the body stores it, mostly in the liver. That also means that it is possible to build up toxic levels of Vitamin A. This rarely happens from food sources because as the body builds up supplies of vitamin A it will slow down the conversion of beta carotene. When people do get vitamin A toxicity, it is usually from taking too much in supplemental or pill form. Toxic levels of vitamin A can cause liver problems, central nervous system problems, deterioration of bone density, and birth defects.
True deficiency of vitamin A is rare in theUS, but common in countries where malnourishment is widespread. As mentioned earlier, vitamin A is important to the immune system and vision. This is because the body uses vitamin A to make various internal tissues, such as those lining the eye, lungs, and intestinal tract. When these linings are weakened by vitamin A deficiency, it is easier for harmful bacteria to penetrate them and thus, people with vitamin A deficiency are more prone to infections, illness, blindness, and respiratory problems.
Aside from the malnourished, other people who may be prone to vitamin A deficiency include those who consume large amounts of alcohol and those with certain metabolic disorders that affect how fat and other nutrients are absorbed by the body.
Some recent and ongoing studies involving vitamin A and beta carotene include investigations as to whether high amounts of vitamin A contribute to osteoporosis, and whether beta carotene can lower the risk of some forms of cancer.
As of this writing the Recommended Daily Intake for Vitamin A was 2,310 IU for females and 3,000 IU for males. For a current list of recommendations and list of foods that contain Vitamin A from the National Institutes for Health visit http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamina/
Yoga is becoming a more and more popular activity in the Western world today. The number of places holding Yoga classes of many different types is on the rise. With a choice of Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Power Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga and many more it can be easy to get confused. This article will help you to understand the difference between the most popular types of Yoga so you can choose which type is right for you.
Hatha Yoga – In Sanskrit (an ancient classical language ofIndia) “Ha” means “sun” and “tha” means “moon”. This type of Yoga is a relatively slow paced, gentle type of Yoga and is a good place to start if you are completely new to Yoga and don’t know any of the asanas (poses). Like all types of Yoga, Hatha Yoga aims to unite the mind, body and spirit.
Ashtanga Yoga – Ashtanga means “eight limbs” in Sanskrit. It’s a fast moving, intense style of Yoga based on a progressive sequence of asanas, synchronized with the breath. Ashtanga Yoga can be quite physically demanding as you are constantly move from one asana in the sequence to the next, so you’ll find that it will improve your stamina as well as your flexibility and strength..
Power Yoga – This is a western interpretation of Yoga and is based on Ashtanga Yoga. A Power Yoga class may not necessarily stick to the exact sequence of poses like Ashtanga Yoga does, but it does involve practicing a series of poses without stopping and starting.
Iyengar Yoga – This type of Yoga is based on teachings by B.K.S Igengar and concentrates on the correct alignment and form of the body. Unlike Ashtanga Yoga, there is an emphasis on holding each pose for a long period of time rather than moving constantly from one pose to the next. Iyengar Yoga uses props such as blocks and straps to help align the body into the different poses.
Vinyasa Yoga – Vinyasa means breath-synchronized movement and is another fast paced type of Yoga, with an emphasis on breathing. A practice typically starts with sun salutations and moves on to more intense stretching. Throughout the practice each pose is balanced with a counter pose.
Bikram Yoga – Otherwise known as “Hot Yoga”, Bikram Yoga is practiced in a room heated to 105 degrees, with a humidity of around 40%. Generally a sequence of 26 different poses is practiced during a Bikram Yoga class and the hot temperature helps to loosen muscles. Due to the high temperature most people sweat a lot during the class and this helps to cleanse the body of toxins.
If you’re just starting out or have never done any Yoga before, you may want to try a few different types of yoga to find out what you like best. Remember, there’s no rule that says you have to stick to one type of Yoga.
Running is wonderful cardiovascular exercise and a popular workout choice for men and women. Just as a carpenter requires the right tools for his trade, the right pair of running shoes is essential for both the casual and the serious runner. There are some things to consider when purchasing a running shoe.
How far and often will you be running? If you are a casual runner (less than ten miles per week), then a basic running shoe will be fine. If you are training for a marathon, consider making a true investment in your running shoes for optimal performance.
Consider the arch in your foot. Those with a high arch, need a running shoe with a curved shape. If you have an average arch, a semi-curved shoe might be the best fit. Those with a low arch or flat feet need a straight shape shoe.
Understand pronation, which is the rolling of the foot from heel to toe through the foot strike. A proper or neutral pronation is hitting the outside of the heel and up to ball of your foot evenly across the front. This is how your foot reduces the stress of impact. Underpronation means that the outside of your foot takes most of the shock instead of finishing in the neutral position. Overpronation is too much roll across from the outside to the inside of your foot.
To determine your level of pronation, look at the shoes you walk or run in. Most everyone will begin on the outside of the heel, the real indicator is the wear on the forefoot. If most of the shoe wear is:
Where will you be running? Most people run on pavement or sidewalks, so most running shoes are designed with this in mind. However, if you are going to be running on uneven or softer surfaces (such as mountain trails or grass), look at shoes intended for those kinds of surfaces.
Shop for running shoes late in the afternoon, as feet are at their peak size at this time of day. When trying on the shoe, make sure there is a full thumb width between the end of the longest toe and the end of the shoe. In a properly fit running shoe, the toe box will allow the toes to move freely. The heel should not slip or rub against the shoe and the sole should flex with ease where the foot flexes.
Go to a store that specializes in running shoes or at least to a sporting goods store. The sales associates will be able to help you make a decision on the best shoe for you.
If you run often, consider purchasing more than one pair of running shoes. This way, you can rotate them. If you run often, your shoes should be replaced every six months or so.
Do consider price so your budget isn’t blown, but don’t sacrifice comfort and durability in the process.
Runners have a wide selection of styles, colors and levels of comfort from which to choose when looking at running shoes. Remember, whether you are a casual runner or a serious runner, comfort and excellent support are essential for the best performance!
In this video, Dr. Terry Schroeder, head coach for the US Men’s Olympic Water Polo team and some of his athletes discuss the vital role that chiropractic plays in sport and life. Now the head coach of the team, Dr. Schroeder competed for the US in 4 Olympics himself. He also happens to be a chiropractor.
Elite athletes know that any small difference in preparation, fitness, function or flexibility can make the difference between a Gold and a Silver medal – or no medal at all. In the video, Dr. Schroeder shares how every member of the men’s team now includes chiropractic adjustments in their regime. Although some were reluctant at first, after seeing the results teammates were getting, they all eventually came around. After all elite athletes are always looking for ‘an edge’.
In the sport of water polo, necks and shoulders take a constant beating from defenders. The shoulders in particular are prone to overuse injuries and hyper-extension. Shoulder injuries will sideline a player completely making it nearly impossible to train in the pool. As athletes of all level know, missing practice while recovering from an injury is vital time lost. Prevention and proactive care is the better route.
In the video you’ll hear Dr. Terry Schroeder’s personal story of how he was first introduced to chiropractic and also see him adjusting players on a portable adjusting table right on the pool deck.
We hope that be sharing examples of Olympic athletes using chiropractic care we can help spread the word among collegiate, high school and recreational athletes. Whatever your sport, we can help you achieve peak performance and prevent injuries.
Chiropractic care is standard for many pro golfers and increasingly for many Senior Golfers as well. Professional golfer Lori West attributes the reason she’s playing today to chiropractic. Nearly two decades ago, she began visiting a chiropractor for pain in her shoulders and neck. According to West, the care has infinitely improved her golf game.
The problem is that the golf swing, in and of itself, isn’t conducive to having a healthy back. To have a good swing you create tension in your spine. (This enables you to get good distance). The tension comes from the hips stopping and the shoulders continuing to rotate. Basically, you make a coil. You’re uncoiling when you start your downswing. Since that’s an awkward movement for your back, many golfers end up with lower back problems.
Here’s some chiropractic advice.
• Before your game, do some basic stretches. Stretch out hamstrings and groin area.
• Put a club across your shoulders and lean left and right.
• Get in a position of where you would be in a swing and bend left and right.
• Grab a club behind your back and raise it up, stretching your shoulder muscles.
• Grab the club backwards – so if you normally swing right-handed, you’d grab it like you’d be swinging left-handed- and take 10 practice swings that way. You’re stretching different muscles and it will help you loosen up considerably.
• Do neck stretches. Stiff neck muscles inhibit the rest of the body from turning freely.
Anything that helps your flexibility eventually helps with your game. As you get older, your swing naturally shortens since the muscles aren’t as supple. During the winter, work on stretching the muscles of the arms, shoulders and back. Flexibility is very important for older golfers.
Also, you have to have good balance if you want to hit the golf ball consistently. A healthy spine is paramount to proper balance and posture. Improve your balance and you’ll improve your consistency. In needed, orthotic stabilizers for your shoes can help improve balance so your swing is better.
Chiropractors care for your body as a whole, not just the back. So if your golf game is feeling out of sync, chiropractic may be just the very adjustment that your body and game needs!
Metabolism refers to the rate at which your body burns calories. Your metabolic rate is your personal “calories-per-hour” number. Your metabolism is lowest while you sleep and highest during and right after vigorous exercise. Here are a few tips for raising your metabolism:
1. Don’t skip breakfast
The morning meal jump starts your metabolism and helps to prevent bingeing later in the day. A cup of coffee does not count – the caffeine and added sugar may give you a bit of energy and suppress your appetite for a little while, but generally backfires causing severe hunger and overeating later in the day. Breakfast should include complex carbohydrates like whole grain (granola or oatmeal), along with some protein and fat (low-fat yogurt or milk) to keep your energy levels even and hunger in check.
2. Eat more often
Get into the habit of eating every three to four hours or at least four times a day. Eating frequently stabilizes blood sugar. When blood sugar drops too low you want to eat…a lot. By keeping your blood sugar stable you can control your appetite and keep you metabolic rate high. When you go many hours without eating your body will compensate by slowing down your metabolism to conserve energy.
3. Eat protein at every meal
Protein takes more energy and time to digest, and will leave you feeling full longer than eating carbohydrates alone. Research shows that eating more protein can help you lose weight without cutting calories. Try these protein possibilities: turkey on whole wheat; hummus and pita; vegetarian chili; fruit and nuts; or protein snack bars that contain 12 or more grams of protein.
4. Hold off on snacking
Many of us grab a snack for quick energy when we are feeling tired, but do not confuse true hunger with fatigue. If you are feeling tired go for a 15-20 minute brisk walk. This will raise your heart rate and give you a boost of energy. Follow it up with a large glass of cool water. If you are truly hungry have a protein- and complex carbohydrate-rich snack like whole wheat crackers and peanut butter or cheese.
5. Consume enough for your body’s needs
Eating too little slows your body’s metabolism the same way eating too infrequently does. If you want to lose weight, do not slash your calories too drastically. Instead, cut out some of the extras in your diet – things like soda, juice, packaged goods or candy. Processed foods tend to be high in fat and calories and low in vitamins, minerals and fiber.
In conclusion it is important to understand that your metabolic rate is controlled by many factors. You can exert a fair amount of control over many of these factors. This article has emphasized how your diet affects your metabolism, but clearly movement is the other major factor.
Either workout like this below, or work with your hormones with the “hormone diet”
Make a free 30 minute workshop this saturday Jan 21st.
Call 760-777-8377 to reserve your spot.
If you’re in pain, then that means that a nerve in your body is getting irritated which causes pain. Your nerves make up the nervous system, which is your body’s electrical system. Its job is to communicate information from one area of the body to another; you can think of it as a high speed fiber optic communication line in a city. Communication is essential for any city or society to function properly, and communication in your body is essential for your body to function properly.
There is also a layer of connective tissue that runs over top of your muscles and organs called fascia that also carries a slower electrical signal (think DSL cable line). There is a growing field of research on myofascial pain caused from restrictions in the fascia. Dr. Fulford, a natural medical practitioner, believed that fascial restrictions were the cause of many types of health problems and had many miracles in his clinic when he practiced.
By removing areas of interference in the spine and myo-fascial tissue outside of the spine many chronic pain sufferers can be helped. The cause of these restrictions can come from a wide variety of issues such as: accidents, falls, fractures, surgery, stress, chronic poor posture, extended sitting, etc.
By allowing the structure to function optimally, it will facilitate the healing process and thus reduce or eliminate your pain. Finding the cause of the problem is where experience in this special line of work comes into play. First you get a consultation (history) where the doctor will ask you questions about your condition and then you will receive a physical and neurological examination along with imaging studies on occasion. Our office is equipped with diagnostic digital x-rays and an MRI is just a referral away.
During the examination we’re going to evaluate your muscles, joints and nerves. We’re going to evaluate your posture and muscle imbalances to see if there is something that pre-disposes you to have this problem let’s say in your neck or your back.
It is one thing to get rid of your pain and it’s another to keep it from happening again. Let’s just say you have back pain from a faulty golf posture and swing. If this faulty posture leads to a pinched nerve in your back it would be silly to keep working on your back, when you re-aggravate 2-3 times per week.
That’s why we place a heavy emphasis on home therapy, stretching and certain types of physical therapies. Dr. Hashimoto holds a Doctorate in Chiropractic as well as multiple certifications and two of those are in Physiotherapy and as a golf fitness professional as well.
Having knowledge about proper biomechanics and specific sport biomechanics is key to preventing future problems. Sometimes a simple modification in your golf swing or weight training can make the difference of aggravation and smooth movement.
Again, if this is integrated with stretching, home exercise and strength/proprioception training is a great long term solution.
We utilize traditional forms of chiropractic for those who need it or seek it. Dr. Hashimoto has trained in many different methods to cover a wide variety of unique cases. For those who are concerned about the force, we use high frequency impulse mobilization tools that will gently loosen up the spine without any popping or twisting.
To loosen up tight muscles and fascia, there are more active forms such as Active Release Technique (ART), Graston and Percussion techniques (with a machine). This will cover more aggressive and gentle forms to alleviate tight muscles and joint fixations.
For those with extremely sensitive muscles we utilize low and high powered laser therapy which will stimulate healing, blood flow and decrease pain in your different body parts. This is a new technology and is utilized by most professional sports teams.
The field of laser medicine is growing exponentially because of its amazing benefits. We utilize several different types of lasers for different types of conditions.
The laser device has gained recent FDA approval for the non-surgical treatment of neck and shoulder complaints and is being used widely in the NFL and by the USPS tour de France team chiropractor.
How does it work?
When the body has an injury the cells are damaged and fail to function within normal parameters. Low level lasers penetrate deeply into the skin and work by restoring this abnormal cellular function. Physiologic effects include improved metabolism, circulation and tissue healing.
If you’re suffering from chronic degenerative discs or bulging discs in your neck or back, then maybe you could be a candidate for spinal decompression. This is a special table that is hooked up to a computer. You get strapped in and the machine will pull and relax at a certain frequency, which causes the muscles to relax and your discs to get stretched which creates negative pressure and sucks water back into the disc and helps the bulge get pulled back in; this results in getting pressure off the nerve and getting rid of your pain.
This is NOT the same as an inversion table or standard traction. Although both have great benefit, the difference is rate and frequency of the pulls. The computer is set up on a program that will trick your muscles into relaxing and thus it will pull directly on the disc instead of having the muscle fight the pull. This is what happens in inversion; the gravity pulls you apart, but the muscles will tighten up a little so you won’t have the same effect as spinal decompression.
“If you don’t use it, you lose it.” You body was made to move and move it shall. There are plenty of high tech passive therapies that are great for getting you out of pain, but despite all the technology out there, one of the best methods for pain relief and longevity is exercise and stretching.
This helps strengthen muscles and bones and helps the healing process. Bed rest and neck collars are yesterday’s news and movement is the new therapy.
Most patients think that when they go to a doctor’s office, that the doctor is responsible for their health. At our office the philosophy is for you take part of your health, let us facilitate it and finally to let your body do the healing.
For those of you that need a little more time with muscle therapy, getting a one hour massage will usually do the trick. Our office offers reasonable rates on this so anyone can afford to keep on this type of therapy.
Did you know that Dr. Hashimoto has authored a book on wellness and preventative care that you can follow at home? Ask him to show you a hard copy at your next appointment. Get a signed copy…this will be a bestseller some day soon.
Did you know that you can get a valuable coupon toward your first visit right here on the website? Download yours today using the button in the sidebar.
Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years and originally was used approximately 5000 years ago in the battle field during the Shang Dynasty as a form of natural pain relief. The soldiers found that certain areas of their bodies if “punctured” with the small tip of a stone would provide pain relief to different areas of the body.
After thousands of years of research acupuncture has become what it is today. The World Health Organization states that acupuncture treats 47 known health conditions which is greater than any other type of therapy that exists today.
There are different theories on how acupuncture works, but one popular theory is that it effects the regulation of blood flow. There are MRI studies done at Harvard that showed that by stimulating certain points for pain resulted in a reduction of blood flow to pain centers in the brain as well as increasing it in others. Some people believe acupuncture works by effecting the flow of energy called “Chi” (pronounced ‘Chee’).
Either way, the philosophy states that if there is a stagnation of energy or blood flow the result will lead to a future health issue. Although this concept may be foreign to Westerners, the idea of increasing blood flow to certain areas and returning balance to the body is understood in Western Medicine. Blood will bring nutrients, endorphins, neurotransmitters, hormones and oxygen; these are all essential in the healing process and that is what acupuncture does. It heals the body.
Some people think its placebo, but it is used on animals throughout the world with great results and animals don’t know how to fake a result.
If you’re scared of the needles, all you have to know is that each one is about as thin as the hairs on your head. If you close your eyes, you probably won’t notice it.
The reason why acupuncture can treat a wide variety of health conditions is because it works with blood flow.
Phone: 760-777-8377
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