October has arrived, and now you can go to Jewel and buy candy by the truck load without getting weird looks! “It’s fine! The candy is for the neighborhood kids!” The question is, what happens with the candy that is left over?? I always buy the candy I like so I can pack it in my lunch once Halloween is over… Whoops! When it comes to Halloween candy, I do not know where to draw the line!! When I have multiple mini Twix, Kit-Kat or Snickers in front of me, it’s hard not to go for it. This year, I will have some willpower and use the following tricks to avoid the sugary temptations that Halloween brings.

1. Buy Candy You Don’t Like

This was so hard for me to do. I walked past the bags filled with M&M’s, Twix, Three Musketeers and Snickers and went towards the Sweet Tarts, Whoppers, and Chewing Gum that I knew I wouldn’t eat. I’m pretty sure I could hear them calling my name! I thought to myself, why am I buying candy that I...

Differences Between Muscles Cramps, Spasms, and Soreness

Who has ever woken up in the middle of the night with the dreaded charlie horse cramp in their calf?? We have all heard about it but have you ever wondered why it happens? Listed below are the differences between a muscle cramp, muscle spasm and muscle soreness and how to help deal with and prevent them.

A muscle cramp is an involuntary muscle contraction. Meaning that the muscles fires without your control, and usually lasts for a short period of time.  There are many possible causes for muscles cramps such as: dehydration, electrolyte loss/imbalance, loss of sodium, low levels of magnesium, muscle fatigue, and lack of oxygen.

A muscle spasm is a reflex to something else that is going on in the body or trauma. There are two types of spasms that can take place: clonic and tonic. Clonic is an involuntary contraction that alternates between contraction and relaxation. Tonic is a hard, constant muscle contraction that lasts...

Have you heard of TRIGGER POINTS?

Trigger points are what people commonly refer to as muscle “knots”.  Trigger points are contracted muscle fibers within a muscle.  When muscle fibers are contracted, they are shortened. When the muscle is shortened, it affects the muscles strength and also the range of motion of that muscle.  These shortened fibers can also cause the muscle bundle to pull on its attachments which can cause pain in the joints they are attached to. Trigger points can be treated and eliminated with massage therapy as well as other soft tissue techniques like graston.

Trigger points can also cause referral pain in other areas of the body. It is possible to have trigger points in your back causing pain in your shoulder or vice versa. It is important to get your condition reviewed and examined by your chiropractor to determine what course of treatment would be best for you.

School is just getting back into session in the Chicago suburbs and routines are changing.  It usually takes families weeks to nail down the new schedules.  Here are a few easy steps to start to implement so everyone is off to a healthy school year!

1. Eat a nutritious breakfast.

While there has been a debate recently about the merits of eating breakfast for weight loss, it is agreed that kids should not skip breakfast. Breakfast is a perfect opportunity to help your kids get a healthy dose of nutrients such as fiber, calcium, and protein. Limiting sugar intake in the morning will help keep their brains firing at full force during their early classes. Great quick and healthy options include: Make ahead breakfast sandwiches or burritos, overnight oatmeal, protein shakes, low-fat Greek yogurt and fruit, or scrambled eggs and a slice whole wheat toast.

2. Limit liquid calories.

The easiest place to start is to limit sugary beverages such as soda. Sugary drinks are simply empty...

Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. Estimates vary, but experts suggest that more than 5 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s. This disease is currently ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and it is the only one that can not be prevented or cured. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia among older adults.

Changes in the Brain

It seems likely that damage to the brain starts a decade or more before memory and other cognitive problems appear. During this preclinical stage of Alzheimer’s disease, people seem to be symptom-free, but toxic changes are taking place in the brain. Abnormal deposits of proteins form amyloid plaques (abnormal clumps) and tau tangles (tangled bundles of fibers) throughout the brain, and once-healthy neurons stop functioning, lose connections with...

Cupping is a unique treatment that uses suction to lift tissue as a cup is moved by the therapist to decompress the underlying tissue. It combines various massage and stretching techniques with the application of a slightly pressurized cup. This helps to lift and separate the soft tissue, allowing for greater fluid movement and nutrient supply throughout the soft tissues. This nourishes, detoxifies, stimulates and increases range of motion. The cups come in various sizes depending on the treatment area needed.

Though it was recently made famous during the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics when the cupping marks (circular bruises) were visible all over swimmer Michael Phelps, cupping has actually been around for a very long time. Cupping is an ancient medical treatment; its Chinese roots date back to 300 or 400 A.D. Egyptian and Middle Eastern cultures also have ancient records of the practice. Cupping is still regularly used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Chinese hospitals and...

After an extremely trying day, one of the first thoughts you may have is how great it will feel to get under the covers for some shut eye.  Can the type of mattress you have really be impacting the health of your back?  Studies are saying YES!

In a published review from Medscape General Medicine, they found that up to 50% of people with back pain also suffer from sleep disturbances.  They also concluded that poor sleep can be used to predict delayed healing after an injury.  Furthermore, sleep is one of the key components to healing, regardless if an injury or illness.

The Journal of Chiropractic Medicine found significant improvements in subjects pain levels, sleep quality and stress-related symptoms when they replaced their mattresses.  We all know how stress can affect not only our quantity of sleep, but the quality as well.  What the study goes on to say is that the reverse is also true.  A lack of sleep will actually cause your...

Most of us know that incorporating nuts into our diet is important.  If you are like me you don’t necessarily know which nut is going to help with what, so you just eat a mixture and hope for the best.  After a lot of reading I’ve found that most researchers are putting walnuts on top!

Walnuts are part of the tree nut family which also includes hazelnuts, macadamia nuts (my favorite!), cashews, pine nuts, pistachios and Brazil nuts.  If you find you are having trouble getting your plant based omega-3 fats, grab a quarter cup of walnuts!  In that serving alone you will get 100 percent of the daily recommended amount.

Here are a few of the MANY benefits of walnuts for you to snack on:

1. Heart Health : Walnuts contain l-arginine (an amino acid) and omega-3’s which both offer numerous vascular benefits.  Due to anti-inflammatory properties, walnuts can actually reduce the formation of blood clots.  Walnuts will raise ALA...

Many people including the patients we see don’t want to bring up their “regularity” or lack there of.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that over 4 million people in the united states experience frequent constipation.  That number alone results in 2.5 million doctor visits a year! Studies are showing that patients are frustrated with conventional treatments that are not effective or long lasting enough.

It is time that we take a bigger look into natural alternatives to things that ail us.  Chiropractic care has been used by chronic constipation sufferers to help promote regularity for years!  Your chiropractor not only uses adjustments of the spine along with dietary recommendations to improve this condition quickly.

Constipation occurs when your colon absorbs too much water or the muscle contractions become slow and sluggish.  What leads to either case most often is a poor diet.  Most american diets are lacking...

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2014, more than 2 in 3 American adults were overweight, and 1 in 13 were obese. (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
We can contribute those statistics to our overwhelming addiction to sugar. What does your daily consumption look like? You may be surprised to find how much sugar is hidden in the things you consume almost daily. That grande vanilla latte – 34 grams of sugar – that’s over 2 Tablespoons. Add a blueberry scone to the order and you’re passing 50 grams of sugar and it’s not even 9am!
Obviously there’s a considerable amount of sugar in things like doughnuts and candy bars – but most of us are consuming sugar hiding in our processed foods and condiments. Did you know ketchup has about 3g of sugar in each Tablespoon?

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the maximum amount of added sugars you should eat in a...