Living In Balance

High blood pressure (HBP) is a condition that damages the walls of blood vessels and can lead to a number of other diseases such as heart disease and stroke.  Think of an overinflated tire.  Overtime, if there is too much pressure in that tire it is likely to wear out faster and in some cases blow! That’s especially not good for blood vessels to do inside of your body.  So how do doctors determine if you have HBP?  Simple: it’s that test they do just about every visit when they inflate a cuff around your arm to measure blood pressure.  It is measured by two very important numbers: systolic (the top number when your heart beats) and diastolic (when your heart is relaxed).  In a relaxed state you want those numbers to be around 120/80 (systolic/diastolic) or slightly less.  While HBP is mostly avoidable with lifestyle changes (proper diet & exercise), studies have shown that chiropractic adjustments, particularly to the upper neck, can lower you...

Did you know that automobile accidents often cause injuries that can be extremely painful and debilitating?  Whiplash injuries are among the most common form of injury that results from a minor fender bender all the way up to a totaled car.  A whiplash injury occurs during a car accident when someone’s head is thrown forwards and backwards (or side to side) due to an abrupt force and results in tearing of the muscles and ligaments.  Patients will sometimes not even feel the pain until they wake up the very next day after the inflammation has set in.  I’ve had patients say that they felt like a train wreck waking up the next day when they felt nothing the day of the accident! Just how does chiropractic help? Chiropractic is known to have a great success rate in treating whiplash injuries by helping your body heal itself without the use of drugs. Patients are often amazed even after the first adjustment when they feel their pain decrease and notice that they regain ...

Should I be wearing a back brace? A lot of people that suffer from chronic lower back pain consider (or even wear) a lower back support brace on a regular basis.  One thing you should consider is “what does that brace really do to help you”?  In most cases, a lower back support brace is great for new injuries.  It helps maintain your posture and helps keep the pressure off of your spinal nerves that would typically cause the pain.  However, know that in most cases wearing a lower back brace should only be done on a short term basis.  A good comparison is wearing a cast after breaking a bone.  If you’ve ever broken a bone and been in a cast (or know someone that has) what do you/they typically notice immediately after getting the cast removed?   Some of you probably answered “wow, I need to shave that leg/arm!”  Others probably thought that your muscles seem to be smaller and weaker compared to the other side.  Wearing a cast is of...

 Dr. Scott takes us inside his kitchen to reveal his secret to getting the most out of summer vegetables... JUICING!

In this week's episode of "Chiro Connection" Dr. Scott shares practical tips to reduce chemical stress on your body, thus making it healthier. Too much chemical stress creates tension which causes spinal subluxation, which is a major deterrent to your health.

Here are some fun facts that you didn’t know about your spine -As we get older, it’s not uncommon to lose about an inch in height.  This is due to the discs in your spine wearing down and “shrinking”. -Most humans are born with 33 vertebrae (“backbones”).   However, some naturally fuse together as we grow and we end up with 26 as adults. -Both humans and giraffes have 7 cervical vertebrae (neck bones).  However, a giraffe’s neck is about as long as a full grown human is tall. -A newborn human spine is C-shaped.  The S-shape develops as the baby learns to hold their head up, crawl, and ultimately walk.  It’s the S-Shape that allows us to walk upright with two legs. -You wake up in the morning slightly taller than when you went to bed.  This is because your discs (essentially your shock absorbers) tend to lose water throughout the day due to supporting your bodyweight.  Sleeping at night gives the discs a chance to rest, rehydrate, and ...