 Hello, everyone! It’s Dr. Bob with Lowcountry Chiropractic. I hope all of you are doing well! This blog’s topic is particularly rousing and I know you’ve all been waiting with bated breath for this post. Today, we’re talking about: constipation. Yes, that’s right! Today, we’ll discuss how you can manage constipation, which can be an uncomfortable and persistent condition. Constipation can affect anyone. About 4 million Americans complain of frequent constipation, making it the most common digestive complaint over any other chronic digestive conditions. However, constipation is 3 times more common in women than in men, 1.3 times more common in nonwhites, and much more likely to occur in anyone over the age of 65. That said, mild constipation can negatively impact your quality of life, while severe constipation can result in a costly trip to the emergency room. I want to save you the trouble and discomfort, which is why today’s post is dedicated to natural methods of relieving constipation.
Now, most individuals struggling with constipation aren’t even aware they have the condition. That’s because they are unaware of how often they should be having bowel movements on a daily basis. Once? Twice? Three times? Well, everyone is different. Some people will have bowel movements more frequently than others. However, a general rule of thumb is this: If you’re eating three meals a day, you should be performing two or three bowel movements a day. At the very least, one bowel movement per day is necessary for optimal health. If you find yourself struggling to have a singular bowel movement, or even going days without having a bowel movement, this is a strong indicator you’re dealing with constipation. However, since everyone’s body is different, it’s important to understand how your body operates. If you generally have a bowel movement twice per day, at around the same time, a sudden change in this schedule should tip you off. Or, if you have bowel movements thrice per week and this has been the case for a majority of your life, you’re probably not constipated. Therefore, the consistency of one’s bowel movement is more often used as a gauge of one’s health than one’s frequency. If you have fewer than three bowel movements per week, your stool is dry and hard, or your bowel movements are painful, these might be further indicators you’re struggling with constipation. When you eat, part of the digestive process begins while the food is still in your mouth, as enzymes in your saliva begin to break down what you’re eating. The majority of the digestive process, however, takes place in your stomach, small intestine and large intestine. Enzymes and acids there extract nutrients from what you’ve eaten and deliver those nutrients into your bloodstream. The small intestine, which is generally twenty-feet long and one inch in diameter, continues the digestion process. Then, the large intestine (or colon), which is generally five feet long and three inches in diameter, wrings the remainder of nutrients still left in the food out. The intestines are both organs and muscles. In order to move the food along these lengthy channels, they must perform a movement called peristalsis. Peristalsis is “an involuntary constriction and relaxation of the muscles of the intestine, creating wave-like movements that push the contents of the canal forward.” When these muscles are working properly, leftover remnants from digested food are spirited along the digestive tract without issue or delay. However, when these muscles refuse to work or are slow to do their job, people end up with what’s called “lazy bowel syndrome” or sluggish bowel or slow gut. The major concern regarding constipation is the retention of certain toxins created during the digestive process. When leftover food materials remain in the digestive tract for long periods, these toxins can be reabsorbed into the body and cause many problems. You may experience nausea and bloating. Excess hormones are often excreted in our stool and, with the reabsorption of these hormones, you could become estrogen-dominant, which is related to weight gain. Retained fecal matter also impacts the intestinal flora, which can leave your bowels open to opportunistic cancers, diseases, and infections. Sluggish bowels can occur due to a lack of fiber in one’s diet or even because of an overuse of laxatives. That’s the frightening truth: using laxatives to cure constipation can actually lead to more constipation. That’s why I want to equip you with alternatives which will hit at the root of the problem and help you achieve a healthier bowel. One of the easiest ways to improve the health of your gut is to increase your fiber intake. I recommend each of my patients take fiber on a regular basis (i.e. once a day). You can invest in psyllium powder, a fiber supplement which comes in both pill and loose powder form. Why not just incorporate more fiber-rich foods into your diet? Well, I recommend that as well, but most of us will inevitably fail to do so on a consistent basis. Investing in a supplement will ensure our bodies are receiving the necessary amount of fiber every single day. That said, a well-balanced diet with plenty of fiber is crucial to maintaining not just a healthy bowel, but a healthy body. To further combat constipation, you should make sure to incorporate whole grains (such as whole wheat bread, pasta, oatmeal, and bran flake cereals), legumes (i.e. lentils, beans, soybeans, and chickpeas), an assortment of fruits (i.e. berries, apples with the skin left on, bananas, and pears), vegetables (i.e. carrots, broccoli, dark leafy greens) and nuts (i.e. almonds, pecans, and nut butters). In addition to a plentiful diet, you need to make sure you’re drinking enough water. It’s easy to forget when our day-to-day schedules become hectic, but dehydration is sure to make existing constipation worse. Drinking plenty of water softens the stool, making its passage through the digestive tract easier. The average person should drink at least half of their body weight in ounces of water every day. For example, a two-hundred pound man should consume at least one-hundred ounces of water every day. Another product which can be ingested to help relieve constipation is aloe vera gel. This gel softens the food material being digested and coats the inner lining of the intestinal tract, thus helping to facilitate a smoother journey. If your intestines are inflamed or damaged and this is what’s causing your constipation, aloe vera gel will help to calm down an irritated bowel. Many aren’t aware chiropractic care can play a huge role in relieving constipation! There are sixty-two nerves emanating from the spine which affect or control organ, gland, and cell processes. A handful of these nerves are responsible for connecting your brain to your large and small intestines. The signals which control peristalsis (the movement of the bowel) are being sent by the brain. If there are any places where those nerves are compressed, the signal from the brain is being impeded. Therefore, the intestine cannot operate as needed. Compression, or subluxations, can be caused by a traumatic incident, a fall, or even sleeping wrong. With chiropractic care, these subluxations can be resolved, thus freeing up those nerves to perform their regular functions. All of the body’s processes are connected and, with chiropractic care, you can expect multiple issues (which may seem unrelated) to be improved. There are plenty of medications available on the market which promise to treat constipation, but many of these medications only loosen the bowel muscles. They do not target the root cause of constipation and, as mentioned earlier, they can actually make constipation worse down the line. Additionally, many constipation medications come with side effects. For example, with many laxatives, you can expect bloating, gas, cramping, and nausea to accompany their intended use. There are natural means to alleviate the pain and discomfort associated with constipation and I hope you’ll try those mentioned above. If you’re currently experiencing persistent constipation and are unsure what to do, go ahead and try these natural remedies. No one should have to suffer with the fatigue and irritability which constipation is liable to cause. Reclaim your bowels and your life. The sooner the better! We here at Lowcountry Chiropractic are here to help. Send us a quick email or phone call. I’ll perform a thorough analysis of your situation and investigate whether a subluxation is the cause of your constipation. I hope this information was helpful to you! I look forward to seeing you and remember: I’m Dr. Bob and I have your back covered!
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 Hey, everybody! It’s Dr. Bob here with Lowcountry Chiropractic. Hope you’re doing well and staying healthy out there! Midsummer is characterized by luscious blooming flowers, buzzing bees, days spent by the pool, and washing pollen off of our cars. With all this time spent outside, our bodies are coming into contact with so many potential allergens. Which is why today, I want to talk about a common occurrence many people in the US and across the world suffer from - sinus issues and allergies! In this post, we’ll discuss how to practically and naturally treat both ailments. Of course, as with any disease or illness, you can always choose medication to combat your symptoms. In chiropractics, we prefer to target the root of the illness. Medications can come with side effects, some more detrimental than others. Why suffer with drowsiness or potentially affect your organs when you don’t have to, right?
Most allergies occur when stimulants in the air come into contact with our sinuses. We are all exposed to pollutants and irritants on a daily basis; however, some people are affected to a higher degree than others. This difference comes down to how well our immune systems are working. Ideally, when our bodies are functioning optimally, white blood cells respond to the presence of an allergen and remove the unwelcome guest from the body. This quick response stops the body's inflammatory response from taking over and causing us discomfort. However, in some cases, our immune systems can actually overreact. This overreaction leads to the development of certain substances which trigger the inflammatory response. This response is accompanied by sneezing, coughing, blocked sinuses, and watery, itchy eyes. Therefore, how do we regulate our body’s response to allergens? After all, aren’t our bodies just doing what they’re supposed to do, if a bit too well? Over-the-counter medication such as an antihistamine will limit the body’s ability to produce histamine, a chemical substance which triggers the inflammatory response. Decongestants, on the other hand, will attempt to repress the inflammatory response in certain areas, such as the nose and the sinuses. While corticosteroids are a type of hormone which works to repress the body’s inflammatory response long term. After prolonged use, antihistamines can cause excessive dryness. Decongestants can raise blood pressure, cause insomnia, and restrict urinary flow. Corticosteroids are a much more risky endeavor, particularly because they are meant to be taken long-term, even once symptoms have disappeared. Side effects of corticosteroids include weight gain, fluid retention, and increased blood pressure. On the more serious side, they can cause diabetes, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, and fungal infections of the mouth. It sounds like the side effects might be worse than the original symptoms, right? Now, the question is: How can I treat my allergies and sinus problems without using the most common over-the-counter medications? This is where chiropractics come in. The nervous system (i.e., brain, spinal cord, nerves) is where we tend to begin since the nervous system controls the ten other systems in your body—the integumentary system, skeletal system, muscular system, endocrine system, cardiovascular system, lymphatic system, respiratory system, digestive system, urinary system, and reproductive system (female and male). Likewise, the nervous system also controls the immune system. If the immune system is working properly, then there should be no allergic reactions. If the nervous system is triggering the immune system, then we must help regulate the nerves in order to allow the immune system to operate effectively. In some instances, if you’ve experienced a trauma or even slept wrong for an extended period, the vertebrae protecting your spinal cord move out of alignment. Once out of place, these vertebrae can irritate the nerves radiating out from the spinal cord. Each nerve has a specific function. Their job is to deliver information from the brain to various body parts. The nerves which control the immune system are generally located in the neck area, behind the ears. In chiropractic care, we look for subluxation in these neck joints and vertebrae. A pinched nerve in this area could impact the immune system in a negative way. Once found, the subluxation can be manually corrected. No need for injections or medications! The body should then be given a chance to self-regulate and heal. Another treatment option is to manually adjust the sinus passages above and below the eyes. The sinuses consist of eight hollow spaces in the bones, which make up the cheeks, forehead, and temples. Optimally, the sinuses are covered by a thin film of mucus to capture dust and pollutants which might be in the air before they reach your lungs. Certain over-the-counter medications will attempt to dry out these passages, but if you’ve ever suffered from dry sinuses, you know that’s not ideal. When your sinuses are blocked or inflamed, a chiropractic adjustment might be in order. Using a small instrument referred to as an activator, a chiropractor can apply pressure below and above the eyes to open up the sinus passages. This allows trapped mucus in the sinus area to drain and clear out. If you’re tired of taking over-the-counter allergy medications every day and suffering from continued allergy symptoms, try seeing a professional chiropractor. You can also look into natural supplements such as vitamin D3. You can pick this up from your local pharmacy, vitamin shop, or grocery store. This vitamin can stimulate the immune system. Most people lack a sufficient amount of vitamin D3 due to a lack of time spent in the sun. For every thirty to forty pounds of weight, it’s recommended you take 1000 IU of vitamin D3. The supplement is relatively inexpensive and will help with more than just stimulating your immune system. Vitamin D3 will also help your body fight off colds, flu, and other ailments. Vitamin D3 also promotes calcium absorption in the intestine. It allows for normal bone mineralization, as well as prevents hypocalcemic tetany (which is the involuntary contraction of muscles, including cramps and spasms). When you lack the required amount of vitamin D3, your bones can weaken and become brittle. The other suggested supplement is olive leaf extract. Similar to vitamin D3, it’s great for stimulating the immune system and maintaining good health. Olive leaf extract is full of antioxidants—mainly polyphenols. Polyphenols are organic compounds mainly found in plants and research shows they might have a hand in preventing cognitive conditions, cancer, and osteoporosis. The superstar ingredient in olive leaf extract is oleuropein. Oleuropein is an anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antimicrobial agent, in addition to its antioxidant properties which fight against cell damage. Research into oleuropein proves the agent can prevent bad cholesterol build-up in arteries, lower the risk of diabetes, and lead to a stronger immune system. There are always natural remedies to combat our health issues and there’s no reason to continue suffering. If you’re interested in having a chiropractic adjustment done, give us a call! Send in a contact form on our website. We’ll set up an appointment, analyze your spine, and try to help you feel better! We look forward to seeing you in the office! This has been Dr. Bob and I’ve got your back covered!  A brand new year is here! I want to share some of the best tips you can do for your body to keep healthy and happy in 2021!
Hello everyone! It's Dr. Bob Salamon with Lowcountry Chiropractic. Welcome back to the blog and a very Happy New Year to you! I hope you're staying safe and well out there, and I hope you're taking care of yourselves! Welcome to 2021! I think we are all very happy to see it here, and we are all happy to get out of last year and all of its craziness. With a new year comes resolutions to work out, eat better, and be healthier overall, right? Sadly, these resolutions usually only last for a short time. In honor of that and in honor of 2021, I want to help you achieve your goals. So, I wanted to share a list of things with you that you'll be able to stick with and make part of your everyday life, to make sure this year and beyond are the healthiest they can be. If you do everything on this list that you're about to read, you will get healthier without question. It's a simple list, but I won't lie to you; it won't be easy. Each of the listed items takes effort on your part to incorporate them into your lifestyle. I personally have nothing to do with this list, outside of providing it for you, except for the last point we will talk about today. Let's kick off this new year and jump into this list to start on a healthier and happier you! #1 Go Green! I'm not talking about saving the earth, I'm not talking about saving trees from getting cut down, and I'm not talking about global warming. I am talking about eating healthy and eating green things. Some of the best ways to eat green are by eating things like salads, fruits, and vegetables. It's not only about eating green things but also about eating multicolored things. They call this kind of diet "eating the rainbow" because those are the things that have a lot of phytonutrients and antioxidants in them like berries, nuts, peppers, romaine lettuce, and much more. I eat a lot of my green food raw. I eat salads a lot, but at night I'll have a piece of fish with green beans and the green beans will be raw, because when you cook food it tends to remove the nutrients from it. When I say "go green" I really mean that you need to get away from eating food that's white or brown, and you need to eat colorful things that come out of the ground or grow on trees. Eating this way will help you become much healthier! Another reason to eat green is that they are alkaline in nature and not acidic. You'll find acidic elements in starches, bread, pasta, candy, and sweets. Fruits and veggies will make your body more alkaline. This is so important because diseases like cancer thrive in an acidic environment, and you don't want that! #2 Refine Your Life! What do I mean by this? I'm talking about refined sugars. You want to try to eliminate eating foods that have unnaturally occurring sugars in them and replace them with foods that only have natural sugars. Unfortunately, almost all the products you see on the shelves of a grocery store have a ton of refined sugars in them. Why do we want to avoid refined sugars? There are a lot of reasons, but the two most important are as follows:
#3 Get a Supplemental Plan! I'm not talking about a medicare supplement for insurance. I'm talking about health supplements to the foods that you eat. We are not going to get 100% of everything we need from the food that we eat every day. To help with this, you want to try and supplement your intake with various items. I take Juice Plus+, which is whole foods in capsules. If I'm not getting 100% of all my fruits, vegetables, and berries every day this supplement helps to bridge the gap between what I am eating and what I should be eating for a healthy body. In terms of supplementation, I take fish oil and coconut oil which are huge anti-inflammatories. You might want to consider adding one or more into your diet. Another supplement you should look into adding that I always talk about is vitamin D3. It is an extremely great and inexpensive supplement to boost your immune system. Boosting your immune system is so important when we are already dealing with COVID, the flu season, and more. You want your immune system to be working at 100% so it can defend itself against some of these dangerous things that are out there. I recommend most people take between 3000 to 5000 IUs of D3. I'm taking 10,000 right now during the pandemic. I will say that I haven't felt anything in terms of a sniffle or a sore throat since this pandemic has started, so I know it's doing something good for me! #4 Don't Be a Couch Potato! We've had a lot of couch potatoes in 2020 and so far into 2021 because a lot more people are working from home and they're not as active as they should be! You need to incorporate exercise into your routine. You need to add not only cardiovascular exercises like running, walking, swimming, or biking, but you also need to add in cross-training with weights, high-intensity interval training, and more to trick your body (in a good way!) to keep improving. If you do the same workout every time, your body gets lazy. You have to mix it up, which is why I do Crossfit. Every class is different, incorporating different body parts every session. Don't be a couch potato! You have to get up and start a habit. It takes three weeks to make or break a habit, so let's do this! #5 Rest and Relax! This means getting enough sleep every night, and that means at least 7-8 hours, which is recommended by the experts. The primary reason to get enough sleep is that during your REM stage of sleeping, your body is taking the time to repair itself from all the work you've done throughout the day. The neurons, synapses, the coverings and linings of your organs, your blood vessels, and your whole body heals and repairs itself when you're sleeping. #6 Don't Worry - Be Happy! What does this mean? Experts say about 95% of what we worry about is either really not important or is never going to happen, so we really shouldn't be worrying about them. We spend too much time worrying about things that aren't going to occur or even impact us. What I would challenge you to do this year is to take a more positive approach to life if you're not already. Try to look at the glass as being half full instead of half empty, and look at the blessings you have in your life instead of the negative things. Put a list together if you have to, but we all have many things we can be grateful for in life. This can give you a little joy and optimism as you go through this year. #7 Get Connected This is the one thing on the list that you need me for! I'm not talking about getting connected on social media (shoutout to Creative Consulting for doing an amazing job!). No, this is getting your brain and body to talk to one another. This is the only way your body is going to stay optimally healthy. There is a little thing called the spinal cord that connects the brain to all of your body parts, along with the nerves that go out from your spinal cord. If you don't take care of your spinal cord and the spinal nerves, your brain (which makes all of your body's decisions and sends out all the messages out to your body) will be sending those messages out, but they will reach their destinations improperly. So, the body is not going to be effectively doing the work that the brain wants it to. Also, if those nerves aren't working properly, the body can't communicate back to the brain. The brain will then not know what decisions it should really be making. How do you keep this connection working properly between your brain and your body? Go to a chiropractor! I am trained to remove subluxations of the spine, which are conditions where the vertebrae are irritating a spinal nerve and interfering up the conduction of mental, electrical and chemical impulses from the brain to the body. I and my fellow chiropractors are trained to remove those subluxations from your body and allow your brain and body to communicate as they should! It's amazing what benefits you'll see when your body is free from subluxations. By removing subluxations, your body can experience:
I don't want you to stress out and think that you have to do this list perfectly. You just need to follow it fairly well, because if you're not doing any of them and you implement even some of them into your life, you'll see a huge improvement in your health this year. You'll lose the weight that you want to lose, you'll build muscle mass, you'll sleep better, you'll have more energy, you'll have better focus, and you won't get sick as often. The real important thing on this list, outside of the essential chiropractic care, is nutrition. Nutrition is the most important thing you can do for yourself in 2021, but of course, I want you to do this whole list! I hope this helps and gives you a little encouragement for the new year. This is going to be a better year for you but you have to want to make it better! ! If you need any help with the items on this list, we do offer consultation on each of these topics. Come see me, call me, or email me to get started. Remember, I am Dr. Bob and I've got your back covered. See you next time, readers. Stay safe out there and Happy New Year!  When it comes to the world of chiropractic care, just like any medical profession, you will hear some pretty crazy myths and rumors that can spread like wildfire. These can cause some hesitation and even fear for people who've never sought out care before. Today, we are going to be debunking some chiropractic myths to get rid of any fear or hesitation that you might have!
Hi everybody! It's Dr. Bob Salamon here with Lowcountry Chiropractic. I hope all of you out there are saying healthy and safe. I also really hope that while we inch closer to flu season that you take the time to read my last blog on the importance of keeping your immune system strong. If you've already read it, I hope that you've started to implement everything I talked about into your everyday life. I know some of it might be a huge lifestyle change, but each of those tips and suggestions will guarantee that you're not worn down all the time, you're not getting sick all the time, and that you are consistently feeling better more often than not. If you have any questions about this or would like to come in and chat more about getting the care you need and starting your chiropractic journey, please don't hesitate to do so. We are here for you! Since we are reaching the end of October and are getting very close to Halloween, I thought it might be interesting and fun to switch things up a little bit with the blog. I hear all kinds of strange myths, rumors, and incorrect facts that my patients heard and believed before they started to come see me. Sometimes the things they've heard have prevented them or made them skeptic about coming and seeing me sooner. So, in the spirit of All Hallows Eve, I wanted to debunk a few of these crazy myths and take the scare out of the care in your chiropractic journey. Myth #1 Chiropractic Care is Expensive! Fact: I can't tell you how many times I've tried to debunk this either in my blogs, in the videos I post, in my social media, or when someone comes into my office. This is one of the very first things I will share with my patients and potential patients: I will never allow the cost of care to get in the way of the care you need to feel better. I am willing to work with all of my patients to create a payment plan or a financial plan based on their financial standing. Also, keeping up with your chiropractic care and working towards being aligned and allowing your body to be working at 100% capacity is much more affordable than the alternative. It is also an all-natural alternative to expensive drugs both over the counter and prescribed. It can also be much more affordable and effective than injections or invasive surgeries. It can also prevent you from missing days off from work or even the potential of losing or having to leave your job because you're in so much pain or recovering from surgery. That can be a huge money saver and a good professional decision too. Chiropractic care is also much less expensive than your regular checkups! Myth #2 Spinal Adjustments Hurt! Fact: When you come to get adjusted for the first time, you might be nervous about the fact that an adjustment is going to hurt. An adjustment involves the subtle and conservative movement of joints and the spine that are restricted and causing you pain. These actions will not hurt you! We are expertly trained to make sure you don't feel pain during an adjustment. Most patients will feel some kind of instant relief or release during or after their appointment, making it something they look forward to. If you are nervous I will walk you through exactly what I am doing during your adjustment, I will prep you for each step, and I will not rush through the adjustment. We can take the whole experience at your speed. Myth #3 Chiropractors Only Treat Back Pain Fact: If you've just started reading my blogs or following us on social media, you know that this is not true! Chiropractic care is a whole-body treatment, working to help your whole body work at optimum health. Chiropractors are working with your back and spine to make sure that you don't have a pinched nerve or vertebrae out of place that will cause a subluxation. These subluxations can cause pain anywhere in your body, can weaken any system of your body, and can affect your sleep, digestive system, how often you get headaches, and much more. Since we are helping alleviate pain and issues in your whole body, we work on all parts of your body, not just your back! Chiropractic care can also be used to help assist with pregnancy-related issues and help promote a safer and more comfortable delivery. According to the National University of Health Sciences, chiropractors help resolve and manage a wide range of health conditions for over 30 million Americans of all ages every year. Myth #4 Chiropractic Adjustments Are Not Safe Fact: This is also very false. Chiropractic care is one of the safest and all-natural treatments you can give your body. According to the Health Journal, this rumor is so popular that many studies have been done to prove that chiropractic care is very safe. Recent studies prove that any risks or negative effects are extremely rare. It is safer than surgery and any medical side effects that can come from medications and surgery. Studies have even gone on to prove that chiropractic care is safe for patients of all ages. Myth #5 Chiropractors Aren't as Educated as Medical Doctors Fact: This is one of the hardest myths that I and others in the chiropractic world have to fight against every day. Every chiropractor goes through an incredibly demanding educational process and program that is very similar to medical doctors. Most chiropractic programs require a four-year undergraduate degree before you are accepted into a four-year doctoral program to become a chiropractor. As many of you know from reading my recent blogs, I graduated and worked professionally in another field before going back for my doctoral degree. The educational journey and curriculum you take during these four years are very similar to that of a medical doctor. Instead of focusing on surgery and pharmacology, a chiropractor spends their time focusing on joint mobilization, the muscular system, the nervous system, and radiographic imaging. Many schools require their students to do at least one year of clinic residency before they can practice on their own. You also must complete a very difficult, challenging, and rigorous set of board examinations before you are given your license to practice! I hope these five debunked myths have shifted your opinion of chiropractic care and cleared up any hesitation or fears you might have had. Many myths are floating around out there so if there is something I didn't touch on, please don't hesitate to reach out or call us. We are always here for you to talk about how chiropractic care can help improve your life and quality of living! Until next time, I'm Dr. Bob Salamon and I've got your back covered!  As you've read in many of my blogs, chiropractic care is the key to helping with many common and dangerous ailments. Did you know that blood pressure is one of the many conditions that chiropractic care can help manage naturally?
Hey everybody! Dr. Bob here with Lowcountry Chiropractic. I hope you're staying healthy and well out there. In this week's blog, I am going to be talking about blood pressure. We are going to cover what high blood pressure is, how it's measured, and what you can do to help control it. Since I am a chiropractor, I am of course going to talk about the natural ways of going about doing that. I am also going to mention some of the medications that are available out there to help control blood pressure as well. We don't personally recommend these prescriptions, but we are going to mention them today. Your blood pressure is the pressure on the walls of your blood vessels. There are two numbers you'll get when you get your blood pressure taken. The systolic number is the top number and the diastolic number is the bottom number. Say your top number is 120 and your bottom number is 80, that's normal! What that systolic number measures is the pressure that is placed on your artery walls when the heart is contracting and pushing blood through the blood vessels. When the heart is at rest and not contracting that is the diastolic or lower number. If your systolic number is 120-129 you are considered pre-hypertensive; most medical doctors won't do much more than give suggestions to change your lifestyle, exercise more, and eat better. Stage one hypertension is when you're 130-139 systolic and 80-89 diastolic. Doctors will typically start to give you medication in this phase. If you're 140/90 or higher that is considered Stage 2 hypertension. You will usually be put on multiple medications at that point. Anything over 180/120 is considered a medical emergency. Medications that are available for high blood pressure do one of three things:
We as chiropractors are not big proponents, as you know, of medication. We think that things can be done naturally, with fewer side effects, and we work with the body and not against it. I did some research on some foods that can naturally help your blood pressure that I wanted to share with you today. These delicious foods include:
You might be asking yourself how chiropractic care fits into helping take care of high blood pressure. We all should know that the brain, spinal cord, and nerves control every function in your body. So, if there is pressure on the nerves in your body, your body is not going to work as it should. Nerve impulses help control the size of your blood vessels. When you have a subluxation (a bone that is out of place irritating a nerve) the blood vessel connected to that nerve can either dilate or constrict. If it constricts, there is less space for the blood to flow, which puts extra pressure on the vessel walls, thus increasing blood pressure. If the blood vessel dilates, the extra volume can create inflammation that can also increase blood pressure. Chiropractic care corrects the subluxation, allowing the nerves to communicate with the blood vessels, thus normalizing the diameter of the vessels and therefore regulating blood pressure. These are just some thoughts that I wanted to share with you on how you can realistically manage high blood pressure. Chiropractic care, good nutrition and exercise are excellent ways to naturally manage your blood pressure over your lifetime. Hopefully, this helps! Remember, I'm Dr. Bob and I've got your back covered! |
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