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A. |
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A science, art and philosophy
whose thesis is that the Power that made the body
is the Power that will heal the body. It is a
hands-on approach to healing, whose primary focus
is the restoration and maintenance of normal body
function, emphasizing balance to an imbalanced
system. |
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Q. |
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Is chiropractic care a painful experience? |
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A. |
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Bio Energetic
Synchronization Technique (B.E.S.T.) is a
non-force, energy-balancing technique whose application never produces any discomfort or pain. It results in extreme relaxation for the patient. Spinal manipulation, depending on the technique, might be uncomfortable, especially at first. The amount of discomfort experienced with spinal manipulation depends on how tender and tense the patient is and how much force is applied. |
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Why do I hurt? |
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A. |
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Pain is always an indication that an imbalance between the physical body, mental
body, energy body and memory body exists. The primary causes of pain are physical stress, chemical stress, and mental-emotional stress. A related and less frequently asked question is, What is causing my body to be out of balance?" Imbalances occur when one of the six essentials of health are not followed. These six essentials are: what we eat and drink, how we breathe, rest, and exercise, and what we think. Once the cause is identified and neutralized then
the healing is spontaneous and pain will no longer be necessary. |
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Q. |
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Doctor, how long will it take to feel better? |
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A. |
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Every situation is different. Most patients experience significant relief within a week and at least 80-90% relief with four weeks of care. |
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Q. |
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Should children receive
chiropractic care? |
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A. |
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Since B.E.S.T. is so gentle, children not only respond quickly and beautifully, they also love it. Children typically fail to tell parents right away when something is bothering them so I recommend an adjustment every 3-4 weeks as a preventative. |
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Q. |
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At what age should a
parent bring a child to a chiropractor for an
adjustment? |
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The birthing process is a
very traumatic experience, especially for the
cervical spine which is weak and vulnerable to
injury. Therefore, the answer is right from
birth. |
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Q. |
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Will chiropractic
adjustments relieve stress? |
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A. |
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Accumulated stress and
tension relief is a highly predictable clinical
outcome. |
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Q. |
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Since stress occurs all of
the time would the patient always need to receive
adjustments for relief? |
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A. |
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The ultimate goal for a doctor is not to be needed very often. When a person is
expressing their genetic potential and are experiencing a maximum level of health, little, if
anything,needs to be done for that person. However, once the patient is balanced, stress and tension can accumulate without symptoms. Regular chiropractic care is a tool that a person can use to maximize function and express more health throughout his or her life. |
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Q. |
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What more can I be doing
to relieve the stress in my body? |
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A. |
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Spend more time in healing mode vs stress mode. One can do this by paying attention to their choices in the six essentials of health mentioned earlier; what you eat, drink, and think plus how you breathe, rest, and exercise. The lifestyle, environment, and attitude of the patient all factor into a patient's response to care. Making a change for the better, in any or all of those areas, is a good starting point. |
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Q. |
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When the doctor recommends walking, what does walking after an adjustment immediately do for the patient? |
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A. |
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Walking with the arms relaxed
and freely swinging at the side stimulates the
cross-crawl reflex which helps the timing of the
body. This also helps the nervous system re-integrate to a new, more balanced state. Since B.E.S.T. is a body-balancing procedure,substantial stress and tension can release while walking following an adjustment. |
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Q. |
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How can I tell if the pain
I am feeling should be treated by a medical doctor
or a chiropractic doctor? |
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A. |
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If your pain or situation does not improve within two weeks, further testing or a medical referral is considered the standard protocol in the industry. Often pain that is treated with medication only never gets to the cause so in either case, a combination of professional care is always preferred. If the patient is in a complete health crisis and it is a life-threatening emergency, medical attention is usually warranted until the crisis is over. |
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Q. |
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Can chiropractic care improve osteoporosis? |
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A. |
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Chiropractic care will
continue to help patients whose bone density is
less than ideal. The type and kind of procedure may
need to be adjusted. B.E.S.T. is therefore an ideal
procedure to use under these circumstances. |
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Q. |
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Are there different kinds
of chiropractors and treatments? And, if so, how do
I know which kind to go to, and which treatment is
best for me? |
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A. |
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There are many techniques in
chiropractic and they all work. Therefore, the
technique is not as important as the doctor. The
philosophy of chiropractic, that a person's innate
intelligence is the healing force, is what makes
this profession unique. Frankly, some doctors own
this principle and have more faith, confidence, and
belief than others. Seeking out a professional who
embraces this philosophy is an important first
step. |
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Q. |
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How do you handle the
common cold or flu? |
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A. |
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Louis Pasteur believed that
the reason a bacteria, virus, fungus, etc. could
infect a human being is due to the lifestyle,
genetics, diet, environment, and thought process of
the person. Although this view is not the accepted
view of the medical community, people are becoming
more and more aware of its truth. Ultimately the
germ is not nearly as important as is the
resistance of the host. Killing the germ assumes
the germ is responsible for the sickness. This
outside-in approach to sickness is inaccurate and
inadequate. |
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Q. |
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What do you believe to be
the greatest health risk in America today? |
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A. |
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Over 100,000 people die each
year due to a reaction to a properly prescribed
medication. This number, combined with negative
reactions to improperly prescribed medication
(doctor errors), makes this the number three cause
of deaths in America, behind heart attacks and
strokes. Psycho tropic drugs, like Ritalin and
Prozac, are being marketed to children at alarming
rates. Today's over-the-counter drugs were the
prescription drugs of 10 years ago.
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Q. |
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Why do I need food
supplements? |
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A. |
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Unfortunately our farming
soil has been greatly depleted of minerals.
Therefore we need to have supplements to put into
our bodies, as a replacement for what we are not
getting from our foods. Most people are not
composting their own mineral-rich soil and
producing good quality, mineral-rich fruits and
vegetables. We are just not getting what we need in
our diets today. In order to increase the "octane"
in your diet you need to have some form of
supplementation. |
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Q. |
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How do I determine what
supplements to take? |
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A. |
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It is important to be tested
to determine how much of, and what kind of
supplements that you need. Unfortunately there is a
lot of consumer confusion in the marketplace
because there are so many supplements that are
available today. Generally speaking, you can't go
wrong with a whole food supplement like Barley
Grass, Sperolina or Super Blue Green Algae, etc.
However, that is assuming it doesn't irritate your
body. |
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Q. |
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What do you think of the
Atkins diet? |
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A. |
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The problem with the term
"diet" is that it implies short-term and that is
why diets don't work. The way you approach eating
needs to be done from the viewpoint of your
long-term lifestyle. The goal that will produce the
best result is to achieve normal function with the
digestive system. The problem that I have with the
Atkins diet is that it recommends way too much
protein. Excess protein is the number one
dietary problem in America today. Our bodies are
designed to be alkaline. Therefore, if a person
stays on a high protein diet for very long,
eventually he or she will become too acidic and
begin to feel fatigued and exhausted. |
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Q. |
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What do you think about
the Eat Right for Your Blood Type diet? |
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A. |
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I believe that the
recommendations in the book, Eat Right 4 Your
Type, by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo, are an excellent
resource for identifying foods that will irritate
your body based on your blood type. Further, that
those recommendations have legitimacy. However, I
do not agree with his dietary recommendations. He
recommends a diet that is too acidic and he does
not take food combining into account. |
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Q. |
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Do you recommend food
combining? |
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A. |
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Food combining is one of the
principles that we do recommend because proteins
and starches do not digest simultaneously. Harvey
and Marilyn Diamond have written a book called
Fit for Life, which is a great resource for
food combining. To maximize digestive function you
need to avoid eating protein and starches at the
same meal. |
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Q. |
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When are the best times to
eat? |
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A. |
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Your body cycles for
digestion between 12 noon and 8 p.m. Therefore it
is always ideal to wait until noon to eat. If you
are hungry before noon eat fruit. However, children
do need to eat in the morning because their body is
growing. Adults stop growing by age 25 and by age
33 the body's metabolic rate starts decreasing.
Therefore, as we get older, our caloric need
decreases. Our bodies continue to regenerate
throughout life, so our need for alkalizing foods
will continue. |
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Q. |
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How do you recommend that
I lose weight? |
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A. |
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Your body weight is a
reflection of how well your body is functioning.
Therefore, losing weight is not a realistic goal to
have. In other words, your weight is an effect, not
the cause. Therefore, I recommend that you adjust
your goal to be improving normal digestive
function. What that means is that if you eat two to
three times a day, it is normal to have two to
three bowel movements per day. They should float
and not sink; they should be light brown, formed,
and be non-odorous. The amount of time it takes
food to go from the mouth to the anus should be
approximately 18-20 hours. When your body is
functioning normally, you will be satisfied with
the outcome and that will be your ideal
weight. |
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Q. |
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How do I get my children
to eat fruits and vegetables? |
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A. |
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That can be quite a task.
First of all, both husband and wife have to lead by
example in this area. If there is one unwilling
parent it is more difficult to make this work.
Secondly, you have to take away the menu, so to
speak. If children know that they can choose they
will not select fruits and vegetables. Therefore,
if you are firm about what the menu is going to be,
they will realize that they have no choice and they
will eat fruits and vegetables. The more they eat
them, the more they will ask for them. The less
they eat them, the less they will ask for them. It
is absolutely essential that children get
alkalizing fruits and vegetables into their body.
If a child's growth is negligible from one year to
the next, which is not normal, that almost always
indicates that the child does not enjoy eating
fruits and vegetables. Further more, the problem
with allowing a child to be in charge of the menu
is that they lack the knowledge to make healthy
food choices. To a child, potato chips taste better
than a carrot stick.
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Next to nutrition, I am asked
more questions about exercise than any other
subject. |
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Q. |
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What are the best
exercises for me? |
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A. |
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Although individual exercise
needs do vary, there are two exercises everyone
needs: stretching and walking. The body can't
function 100% without these two exercises. You can
sufficiently stretch the entire body in 5-10
minutes. Continuous walking for 30-40 minutes 3
times a week is the minimum. One hour everyday is
ideal. |
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Q. |
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When do I know if I have
worked out too much? |
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A. |
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Few people over exercise; the
vast majority don't get enough. If you work the
body excessively, it is normal to be stiff and sore
in certain areas of the body. If discomfort
persists for more than 48 hours, you probably over
did some activity. A general rule of thumb is you
exercise to the point of pain, not THROUGH
the point of pain. |
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Q. |
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I don't enjoy exercising,
but I know I need to get stronger. Do you have any
suggestions? |
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A. |
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Exercise is work. These terms
are interchangeable. Sitting in a chair is work,
just like going for a walk is work. It is more
stressful to sit still than to walk and move. The
human body was designed for constant motion. Make a
game out of it. Walk a distance, i.e. a mile, time
yourself and check your heart rate. Keep checking
with each successive walk and monitor your
program. |
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Q. |
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What if I have pain while
I'm exercising? |
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A. |
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The rule of thumb is: If it
hurts during the activity and the pain stops when
you stop the activity, lighten the activity -- walk
a little slower, lift less weight, shorten the
range of motion, etc. If pain persists after you
cease the activity, you need to avoid the activity.
Get checked to determine why the body is having
difficulty handling the activity. |
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Q. |
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Is running good? |
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A. |
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Jogging is not running. You
must be in excellent physical condition to handle
the stress of running. Body weight needs to be on
the ball of the foot, full stride and the head
should not bounce up and down at all. Get into
condition for running by mountain walking first,
then do short sprints, 40-60 yards. Jogging is very
stressful on the body. It is jarring to the joints
as well as the organs. |
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Q. |
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Besides stretching and
walking, what other exercises do you recommend? |
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A. |
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The best strengthening tool I
have ever used is a Total Gym. It's affordable,
costs between $200 - $2,000, and it is very easy to
use. It works all of the major muscle groups and it
stretches the muscle so I feel looser and stronger
when I am done. I am able to maintain good physical
condition working out 20 minutes, three times per
week. There are many strengthening / conditioning
tools on the market. Find one that exercises
numerous muscle groups at the same time. Your
strength is dependent on the synergistic effect of
numerous muscle groups. That is why walking is such
a great exercise. |
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Q. |
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How much cardio-vascular
conditioning do I need? |
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A. |
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Once you start losing your
breath, "huffing and puffing," your body is in
oxygen debt. In other words, you are burning more
oxygen than you are able to consume. Your age, your
weight and your condition (your current level of
condition) are factors that determine how long you
want to keep your body in oxygen debt. If you are
over the age of 50, considerably overweight and you
are not use to losing your breath, then only
exercise to the point of oxygen debt and start
slowing down. You want to work your way up to at
least 20 minutes of accelerated breathing 3 times
per week. If your breathing is so fast that you
can't carry on a conversation, you are overdoing it
and definitely should slow down. |
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Q. |
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How do I handle muscle
cramps? |
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A. |
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Cramps are caused by
excessive lactic acid accumulation in the muscle.
Once cramping has occurred, you must cease the
physical activity so the body can process the
accumulated lactic acid. A timing problem (a muscle
is too tight), being dehydrated or a mineral
imbalance are the primary causes of muscle cramps.
Drink 24-36 ounces of water at least an hour before
you exercise. If cramping continues, be checked for
timing imbalance and nutritional need. |
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Q. |
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I have a very busy
schedule. How do I find the time to
exercise? |
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A. |
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Add activities gradually such
as five minutes of stretching first thing in the
morning, and a 15-minute walk after work three
times a week. Write your plan on a piece of paper
or on a calendar. As your body gets stronger, your
energy level increases and exercise will become a
time saver.
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