One of the primary causes of headaches is the constant stretching (weakening) of a network of muscles at the top of either side of your neck and occiput (base of your skull) called the suboccipital triangle, or SOT. These muscles contain the highest percentage of mechanoreceptors (receptors that sense mechanical sensation and pressure) of any region in your entire body.…
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Don’t Let YOU Down!
When a patient steps into my office, that chiropractic adjustment doesn’t end until that patient is noticeably better and I have done all I can to balance the spine by removing a vertebral subluxation (misalignment of the C1 and/or C2 vertebra). Restoring proper balance to the spine, which removes pressure from the nerves and allows the body’s innate intelligence to…
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Where Neck Stiffness & Upper Back Pain Come From
Neck stiffness and/or upper thoracic (upper back) pain is very common and can be caused by a number of different reasons. Sleeping on a pillow that’s too flat or too fluffy can cause neck stiffness or upper back pain. A car accident, even a minor fender bender, can cause neck stiffness or upper back pain. Spending too much time hunched…
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YWTL for Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain is one of the most common problems I see in my office. In my experience, if arthritis, ligament/tendon damage, and a torn rotator cuff is ruled out, shoulder pain is always a result of a misaligned C1, C2, and/or 1st rib. But can anything be done about it before, and until, you see a chiropractor? Actually, yes. A…
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DIY Gentle Cervical Home Rehab
If you’ve followed me on social media for a little while, you know that I talk about reversing the amount of flexion our bodies undertake on a daily basis, i.e. sitting hunched in front of a computer or staring down at the phone for long periods of time. I won’t get into ergonomics like I have in the past, but…
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Black History Month in Chiropractic
Black history in the chiropractic profession is a very obscure subject. 95% of what I’m sharing here, I only learned in the last two days. I found these tidbit both interesting and eye-opening. Hopefully you do, too. Enjoy! 1.) Harvey Lillard was an African American owner/operator of a janitorial business in the Ryan building in Davenport, IA where DD Palmer…
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Headaches & Why You Get Them
Everyone gets headaches at some time or another in their life—some more frequently than others, and some more intensely than others. Headaches are classified as primary or secondary. Examples of primary headaches are tension headaches, migraines, and cluster headaches. There are a lot of moving parts as to how and why primary headaches occur, but no one-size-fits-all reason that fits…
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How & Why A Specific Chiropractic Adjustment Can Lower High Blood Pressure
A 2007 study in the Journal of Human Hypertension proved that a specific chiropractic adjustment of the C1 vertebra (aka Atlas) lowered blood pressure significantly. In the 8-week double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 25 hypertensive patients received a specific upper cervical chiropractic adjustment via the NUCCA (National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association) method and another 25 hypertensive patients received sham adjustments. The NUCCA…
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Dr. Gonstead Said it Best!
Want to know what kind of chiropractor I am? Want to know how I practice chiropractic? Want to know what kind of chiropractor I had already decided I wanted to be before I ever got into chiropractic school? The answer to all those questions is… The kind of chiropractor Dr. Gonstead described above. THIS is the chiropractor I am, this…
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Instant Gratification + Your Health = Bad Health
Get rich quick. 0% down, 100% financing. Lose 10 lbs in one weekend. Take a painkiller to dull that pain. Gain 20 lbs of muscle in one month. Get a gastric bypass to lose 100 lbs in four months. Get a liposuction with your c-section like all the movie stars. Our society is all about instant gratification. What’s in it…
