Back to School Could Mean BACK INJURY for Your Child

A backpack should weigh no more than 10-15% of a child or teenager's body weight.

Do you know how much your child’s backpack weighs?

Answer:
The average middle/high schooler’s backpack weighs in at
a minimum of 25 lbs.!

Add that weight slung over just one shoulder as most kids carry their backpacks, and you have the recipe for spine and nervous system disaster! The weight and posture combination can put endangering stress and pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, which can effect the child’s overall health greatly!

What can you do about this problem?

#1 = You MUST get your child’s spinal health and posture checked out before any more damage is done!

Get a your children's spine and nervous system checked,
complete with x-rays (if needed) for only $37!
Don’t wait until the damage has occurred!

**Bring in your child's "loaded" backpack for evaluation & learn how to minimize the stress**
Schedule now! Call 817-421-4775 to Schedule!

More Reasons to Drink Adequate, Clean Water (Most of Which You Have Never Heard!)

Below is a Rant on the Importance of Water from
Dr. Mark N. Berry
- C.L.E.A.R. Certified Doctor in the Non-Surgical Correction of Scoliosis.
www.alabamascoliosiscenter.com

Water - Is it THAT Important to Spinal Correction and HEALTH?? YES!

1) More than 70% of the body is composed of water.

2) The nervous system is 90% water.

3) Water is involved in and REQUIRED for every bodily process ex: breathing, food assimilation, utilization, elimination and removal of toxins and waste.

4) Water is ssential for tissue repair, growth, and FUNCTION such as muscle function and especially tissues with no blood supply like ligaments, cartilage, and spinal discs.

5) Water pH should be slightly higher (approximately 7.5) than blood pH (7.3).

6) Water pH of 6 is 10 times more acidic than water with a pH of 7.

7) Water pH below 5.8, the body cannot absorb vitamins A, B, E, K

8) Water pH below 5, the body cannot absorb minerals sulfur, potassium, calcium, iron, chromium, vanadium.

9) Acidic water can cause muscle or joint pain, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, shut down nerves and neurotransmitters that create thirst for water causing further dehydration and health problems.

10) Most health conditions begin in an acidic environment.

11) Essential for all 9 bodily processes to function properly Skeletal, Muscular, Circulatory, Digestive, Excretory, Respiratory, Nervous, Reproductive Integumentary, Lymphatic, and Endocrine systems.

12) Musculoskeletal system structures (ex- muscles, discs, ligaments, cartilage) are rationed or eliminated from hydration first when the body is not supplied with enough water so more vital life systems such the nervous system and digestion can function.

13) Insufficient hydration can cause digestive problems

14) THE PURPLE PILL, SUPPLEMENT OR ANY OTHER PILL CANNOT TAKE THE PLACE OF ADEQUATE HYDRATION

15) Drink half your body water in ounces per day and double your intake if you drink coffee, tea, alcohol, or soda & drink even more if you are active in exercise or sports and in the summer months.

16) A Spinal Disc is 88% water, standing decreases disc water by 3% due to gravity = ½ to ¾ in physical height decrease, more than 3% decrease in disc water content causes the disc to become brittle and fracture because of the lost ability to form the gel component of the disc (aka mixing of the proteoglycan and water)

17) A Spinal disc that loses 10% of its water content in the lumbar disc which normally supports 75% of a person's weight will transfer the weight to the posterior (back) portions of the joints causing joint damage, pathology (disease), and spurs that can protrude into the nerve or spinal cord.

18) After puberty there is no blood supply to the discs so spinal motion is the only mechanism for nutrients and water to enter the disc and waste to exit the disc.

19) Showering/bathing in clean water is just as important as drinking clean water. Due to absorption of chemicals into the skin and chloride gas into the lungs.

20) For the cleanest water it should be filtered just before it hits the glass (drinking) or your skin (showering).

21) Distillation and reverse osmosis are not very effective at removing synthetic chemicals and actually make the water more acidic by removing the natural minerals.

22) Some things to consider when purchasing a water system ex- pH, chemicals removed, essential minerals maintained.

Dr. Mark Berry
http://www.alabamascoliosiscenter.com/

Dr. Berry recommends the Aquasana drinking and shower systems and he is currently researching Kangen water.

Posture is the Window to Your Spine...

...And an optimally functioning spine and nervous system = Optimal Health.

What does YOUR posture reveal about your health?Forward Head Posture (FHP) is by far the most common postural distortion that I encounter in my clinic. It is so common, in fact, that most people think it is normal. The cause is repetitive and chronic poor posture on a daily basis over time. We attend a minimum of 12 years of school. Add to that college, maybe even graduate studies followed by a job where we sit behind a computer! This is the norm. What happens over time is a phenomenon called “creep” where the ligaments and soft tissues of the spine that help support the normal curves and alignment change shape to now support the BAD posture. Due to the improper alignment, increased wear & tear on the joint structures and wedging stress placed on the discs, health problems arise because of the increased stress placed on the nervous system.

Stress on the nervous system = a decrease in function. FUNCTION! This means every function voluntary or involuntary. Every function of the human body traces back to a nerve root that exits the spine. Any injury, irritation or misalignment in the spine will affect the function of the nerve at that level.

5 Effects of Bad Posture

Prevention and Awareness is the best care for improving health and bad posture habits.

1. Tension Headaches: Sitting hunched over at your job, most commonly caused by your hands reaching for the keyboard when typing on your computer leads to your shoulders and head slumping forward. This posture tightens the muscles in your neck, upper back and shoulders. After awhile, the tightness causes nerve irritations and muscle spasms which restrict proper flow of blood to the back of your head. This leads to tension headaches.

2. Diminished Breathing: Poor posture can lead to severe kyphosis (hunched back) causing the torso collapse leading to breathing difficulties. Rounded shoulders and overly bent or imbalanced spine restrict the expansion of the rib cage, which restricts the rise and fall of the breathing diaphragm. Reduced rib and spinal mobility will affect the normal breathing movement. If the diaphragm can't rise, it won't be able to draw in as much oxygen during inhalation.

3. Fatigue: Fatigue is one of the most common causes of bad posture. Tired and tight muscles cannot support the skeleton as they are designed to do. Your muscles have to work extra hard just to hold you up if you have poor posture, leaving you without energy. Lack of adequate muscle flexibility and strength, abnormal joint motion in the spine and other body regions will lead to overall muscle fatigue.

4. Makes you look older: Never underestimate the beauty and health benefits of good posture. Often poor posture is just a bad habit that is easily corrected. Poor posture not only makes you look older, but could be the first step toward dowager’s hump, double chin, potbelly, and swayback as well as some internal problems too. When a person is hunched over or not standing straight that person may be perceived as older than they actually are. Good posture is not only beneficial to your body; it also makes you look taller and slimmer. What's more, good posture can convey self-confidence, which may just be the best accessory you can have.

5. Back pain: Most common consequence of poor posture, due to muscle strain, especially lower back pain. The back muscles, ligaments, and discs are under extra stress when the spine is not in proper alignment. Strong muscles help keep the spine in proper alignment and prevent back pain. Strong muscles also prevent the spine from extending beyond its normal range of motion, which is essential to protecting the ligaments and discs from injury.

"Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food." --Hippocrates, The Father of Medicine

Anti-inflammation Nutrition

The “Good” List (Eat these foods.)

Lean meats, veggies, fruits, nuts, healthy fats, & a high quality Omega 3 fatty acid supplement.

Lean Meats
Great sources of lean animal protein include: lean cuts of poultry, fish (wild-caught fish that have both fins and scales have the least amount of contamination), and lean cuts of beef (red meat is inflammatory, but lean, all natural and grass fed is the best in smaller portions).


Veggies
Fresh, frozen, raw, cooked. Eat more veggies. Raw is better, so including a salad with lunch & dinner is a great way to incorporate more veggies in your diet. I like to make up a big salad for the week so it’s already prepared & easy to take along to the office. Another great tip is to use baby spinach instead of lettuce. It tastes great & is far superior in nutritional value.


Fruits
Apples make great easy-to-take-along snacks. I like to eat them with almond butter. It is better to eat fruit alone, i.e. in the early morning or as a snack. Frozen fruits are really convenient b/c they are already washed & often retain more nutrients than fresh fruits. I recommend organic.


Fats & Oils
Ω3 fatty acids are very powerful anti-inflammatory agents. Be sure to choose one that is pharmaceutical grade. Olive oil is another very healthy fat source that tastes great on salads.


A Better Food Guide

Notice the absence of grains
(even “whole” ones), pasta, rice, legumes, SUGAR.









The “Bad” List (Foods to Avoid)


Anything processed, sugar, fatty meats, legumes, inflammatory fruits & veggies.

Processed foods include basically anything that comes in a package and has ingredients you cannot pronounce. Also any type of bread, pasta, rice is processed.

Fatty meats: pretty self-explanatory, but esp. large amounts of red meat should be avoided when combating acute or chronic inflammation.

Keep fruit consumption to a minimum as it contains high levels of sugar.

The nightshade family of veggies (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers) may also contribute to inflammation esp. in those with rheumatoid arthritis.

Legumes & grains contain lectins which are highly inflammatory & should be avoided.


7 Benefits of Ω3 EFAs

1. Freedom from pain & inflammation.
2. Better brain function & higher intelligence.
3. Feeling better with much less depression.
4. Lower incidence of childhood disorders. (ADD/ADHD, dyslexiadyspraxia, OCD)
5. Superior Cardio-vascular health.
6. Protection from heart attack and stroke.
7. Reduction of breast, colon, and prostate cancers.