A one-time specialized chiropractic adjustment, delivered to patients suffering from high blood pressure and misaligned C1 vertebrae (this is the first vertebrae located directly under your skull), resulted in significant reductions in diastolic and systolic BP compared to controls.

According to a press release from the University of Chicago Medical Center, Office of Public Affairs, the decrease in BP was equivalent to that seen with concurrent administration of two blood pressure drugs. None of the patients took any antihypertensive medications during the study period.

Half of the 50 patients received a specific C1 adjustment, while the remaining half received a sham procedure, carefully designed to mimic the actual adjustment in order to ensure blinding. This was possible due to the delicate nature of the C1 adjustment. The primary outcome measure, assessed after eight weeks, was change in systolic and diastolic BP compared to baseline readings. Average age of the study participants was 52.7 years; 70 percent were male.

Chiropractic has always been and will always be about normalizing the body’s function.

Yours in Health!

Dr. Gould

I’d like to talk to you about one of the most common joints in your body, the synovial joint. This joint is absolutely amazing, an engineering marvel.  It allows you almost unlimited movement, constantly repairs itself and if  properly cared for, will give you decades of trouble free service.

We all know of people that have joint problems.  Most people think  joint problems only occur in older adults. This is a myth, joint problems can occur at any age and have many causes, including genetics, abuse and lack of regular exercise.

The inner workings of your joints

There are many types of synovial joints in your body, regardless of their shape and how they function, they all have one thing in common, Articular Cartilage.  Cartilage is what covers the “joint surfaces” of all the joints in your body. It’s smoothness allows for very fluid movements, be it sipping coffee or hitting a golf ball.  It’s durability allows us to run, jump and lift heavy objects.

Under “normal” conditions, there is a constant turnover of articular cartilage in “all” of the joints of your body.  Because of this, any loss of cartilage due to normal wear and tear is matched by cartilage production.

What’s important for you to know is, what specific nutrients your joints need and how they are absorbed.  After all, it’s these nutrients that allow your joints to constantly repair and renew themselves.

Before we begin, let’s review some “very- basic”  joint anatomy (see picture).  Typically,  a joint is made up of two bones coming together, their “articulating ends” are covered with cartilage. The entire joint is then covered by a fibrous capsule and filled with a slippery nutrient rich synovial fluid. Note,  it is the cartilaginous ends, that actually slide on one another, that allow joint motion.

For cartilage to stay healthy,  it has to draw-in and absorb the nutrient rich synovial fluid.  This process of drawing in and releasing synovial fluid,  can only occur with “normal motion and loading” of your joints.

Without normal motion and loading, your joints will begin to degenerate!!!

Imagine having a golf ball sized sponge inside your clinched fist. If you put your fist in a bucket of water and slowly opened it,  the sponge would draw-in water. If  you then squeeze the sponge, it would release the water.  This pulling in and releasing of a fluid is very similar to what occurs in a healthy joint.  The scientific term for this is imbibtion.  Normal joint motion allows the nutrients rich synovial fluid to be draw-in and used by the cartilage.  Any decrease in joint motion and loading, will negatively impact the cartilage of the affected joint.

What specific nutrients are needed to maintain and repair joints?

For years I have been recommending Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulphate to all my patients.  I have found nothing more effective when it comes to maintaining the cartilage in your joints.   In my opinion, Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulphate are literally ” biological-spare-parts”  for your joints.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulphate Supplements have gone through a lot of changes over the years.  From the size of the pill to the actual absorption into your blood stream via the intestine.  There is a relatively new Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulphate product on the market that is simple to use, it tastes great and has an amazingly-high-absorption-rate.  As a bonus, it is available at most supermarkets. The product is called Elations.

If you take care of your joints they will take care of you.

The main reason people begin to feel old is due to a decrease in mobility or pain in their joints.  Are you experiencing these symptoms of degeneration?  If so, give me a call and come in and be evaluated.  One of the important things I do as chiropractor, is to locate joints that have lost their normal motion. Once these joints are located, I try to restore as much mobility as possible and immediately have the patient begin the Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulphate supplementation.

Keeping your joints healthy for a “lifetime” requires you to be proactive.  Begin today!

Yours in Health, Naturally!

Dr. Gould

Did you know…

Your heart beats over 100,000 times a day. It does this without the slightest thought from you. It pumps over 6000 quarts of blood a day through a network of blood vessels that if you were to put them end to end, would go over 60,000 miles. That is enough to circle the earth twice at the equator. Again, all this happens without your knowledge.

Your eyes instantly make over 10 million color distinctions. You have muscles that if they were to work together and all pull in one direction, would equal 25 tons of pulling power.

What is even more fascinating about your body is it does all of this magic and it is made up of 98% water. It’s run by a three pound lump of matter called your brain. Your brain is literally a universe in itself. It runs and monitors your entire body 24/7, 365 days a year for your entire life. It is still estimated that only 10% of your brain is used.

Our body works with laws. When I was going to Chiropractic College we would have weekly Philosophy lectures. On occasion the president of the college would give the lecture. During each lecture he would pull out his car keys and drop them on the floor. He was making a point that everything around us and inside of us, works because of laws. The keys fall and hit the ground because of the Law of Gravity. These laws are always present. There are probably 1000 different laws happening inside of you at this moment allowing you to read this post. Pretty amazing stuff, huh?

Yes, your body is amazing. However, are you trying to reach your potential? Would you like to reach your potential? If so, what is stopping you? Pain? Age? Attitude? Obesity? Time limitations? Fear? Procrastination? All these “excuses” can be overcome. Learning how your body works is the first step in becoming a healthier, fitter you. Developing and implementing a Wellness Strategy is what it is all about. I can help you with this.

If you seriously believe you are far more potential than you are actual give me a call.

Yours in Health!

Dr. Gould

Our attitude is absolutely critical when it comes to achieving optimal health. When we are happy it tends to suppress the release of stress hormones. Because of this fact alone it keeps our immunity fully charged up. When we are happy we tend to be more active, take deeper breaths and spend more time out in fresh air.

Some of you that are reading this may be rolling your eyes, thinking that if I had your life, I might not be so happy. I appreciate that thought, however, there are people that have lives that would make our worst days look like a comedy, yet they are happy. It has been said that we tend to be about as happy as we decide to be. Yes, it is an individual thing.

Is There a Secret to Happiness?

The happiest people have an uncanny ability to focus on what is good in their life, not on the bad. They focus on what they can do, not on what they can’t do. They focus on what is good and true. Remember, it’s a choice. Your choice!

Happiness truly does happen in the six inches between our ears, also known as our Headspace. So begin to elevate your thinking. It has been said that we do not create our own thoughts. I tend to agree. If you disagree with me. Stop reading this for a moment and try to stop thinking. So if we don’t create our own thoughts what can we do. Here comes the Secret. As thoughts come to us we can either accept them or we can dismiss them. That is very powerful. The key is to only accept and choose empowering thoughts. Let the other thoughts go right on by.

It’s true, our Headspace can make our daily experience one of joy or of despair. Choose Joy!

Yours in Health!

Dr. Gould

Are you in Pain? Do you frequently get sick? Do you feel tired most of the time? Do you feel bloated after eating? Do you have trouble sleeping? Do you have trouble having bowel movements? Do you crave certain foods? When you first get up in the morning do you feel miserable, tight and stiff?

Did you know?

These are common complaints of Baby Boomers. All these complaints are due to Lifestyle. Individual Lifestyle is determined by one’s Personal Philosophy. I would suggest to you, if you are suffering from “any” or “all” of the above, you need a new Personal Philosophy.

All the above symptoms are feedback, that your body-is-struggling. There are several ways of dealing with this feedback but only one correct way. Roughly 3% of our society chooses the correct way.

1. Many people choose to do nothing. We all know these people and their excuses: I can’t change. I’ve been smoking since I was 12 years old. I can’t live without junk food. I need my Whisky to sleep. I need my six pack at night to relax. Exercise makes me put on weight. I’m not that fat. This is the best one… I’m waiting till the beginning of the year to make my changes. I’m here to tell you, all of the above reasons are lies. People lie to themselves all the time and by doing so, allow their most precious asset “TIME” slip away. This is what I call a poor philosophy choice.
2. Many people choose prescriptions or over the counter medications. I have a question for you. Do you actually believe drugs correct the problem? They don’t! I know that drugs are amazing at getting rid of symptoms but it is a rarity when they actually address the causation of the symptom. Consequently, the problem continues unchecked and gets worse. This is also another poor Philosophy choice. I have to admit, this choice in many instances, is due to the Billions Pharmaceutical Companies spends on convincing the public via advertising that their drug is the answer to any and all health issues. The public has simply been dumbed down and brainwashed.
3. A small but growing group of people, however, have decided to become educated. The truth is… know one will ever care more or less about your health than you. By the way… it’s all up to you. In this group, all have concluded that if they want to enjoy vibrant health, they have to make a study of it. In other words, these people have decided to Get Real. They understand that if you want to get good at anything you have to make a study of it. Then they do something amazing… they put in the time and the discipline and within months they start reaping the rewards of amazing health and energy. In doing so, they have created a new Philosophy and are living a completely different much more enjoyable Lifestyle.

As a Wellness Coach, I help individuals navigate their journey back to a more vibrant Life. The journey begins by exploring their current philosophy. Finding what is right and addressing what is wrong. With effort, discipline and time, amazing things can happen.

If you have been procrastinating with any of the above and you are tired of feeling sick and tired, I challenge you to begin your journey and new life immediately. Action creates momentum. Momentum creates results. If you would like to know more please call me.

Yours in Health, Naturally!

Dr. Gould

Any amount of time spent walking will be beneficial, three to five hours a week devoted to it will give important benefits in several fitness categories.

Weight Loss

Walking is just as good as jogging per mile of exercise and total mileage, not speed, is the goal. It can be fast or slow to burn calories and it avoids the high impact problems for the obese. Although a reduced calorie diet is essential for most weight-loss programs, diet without exercise makes you lose muscle mass as well as fat. Your body reacts by increasing your appetite and as soon as you go off the diet you will eat more than you did before. Walking acts like a suppressant to your appetite. An ideal goal is 14 to 21 miles per week.

Aerobic Benefits

To improve cardiovascular fitness, brisk walking (3.5 to 6 miles per hour) is needed for 20 minute, 2 to 4 times per week. This kind of walking forces the heart to carry a higher-than-normal load, pushing it up to 60-70 percent of it’s maximum rate.

Cholesterol

Regular walking seems to increase the body’s level of High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), which in turn carries the dangerous Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) out of the arteries. This benefit decreases your risk of atherosclerosis, thus lowering the risk of heart disease.

Yours in Health, Naturally!

Dr. Gould

I find that the majority of people know very little about maintaining a healthy body. In fact, most people only become interested when they become ill or develop a disease.

Sad to say most people are oblivious to the concept of a health strategy. Partly due to ignorance, laziness and the insidious nature of a health care industry that is driven by selling more and more drugs to people that have been brainwashed into thinking that both health and disease come from the outside. We have always been taught that germs are out to get us and if they do, there is a drug for it. I’m here to tell you, there is another way, a natural more holistic way.

This is the first of several posts that I’m going to write, titled Common Sense Health Strategies. So let us begin learning how your body works and how to make it work better.

Your body is a High Performance Machine

What makes it such a high performance machine is its ability to rapidly respond to both internal and external stimuli. This rapid response is made possible due to your brain and nervous system. A truly Amazing Duo!

Did you know your nervous system was the “first” system in your body to be formed, after you were conceived? This irrefutable fact is a clue to your nervous system’s importance. Did you know your nervous system controls “everything” in your body? Essentially, your nervous system is an information super highway. The brain sends information to the body parts and then, the body parts send information back to the brain. This amazing feedback loop allows constant monitoring of all the systems of your body. This is why problems in the nervous system can create serious health problems. Because of this fact, your spine should be the first thing checked when you are not feeling well and regularly maintained to keep you well.

Fact: In the body information is Health! Lack of information is Disease!

Your spine is made up of many segments called vertebrae. The vertebrae are stacked on top of one another. Your spine acts like a support structure for your upper body, it also houses and protects your spinal cord and it allows you bend and twist. On occasion these segments can lose their proper alignment or relationship with on another. When this happens, the nerves exiting the spine can become pinched causing a disruption in the communication between the brain and the affected body part(s). If this communication is not restored the body’s level of functioning is reduced. This reduction in functioning can predispose you to illness, pain and disease.

Strategy #1 “Spinal Hygiene”

Keeping your spine in proper alignment by having it checked and if needed, having it adjusted. Did you know your current level of health is in direct proportion to the level of communication that currently exists between your brain and your body. This simple fact has eluded the masses with the exception of elite athletes and those who seek optimal health.

Sadly many people deal with health problems by simply drugging the symptom. Drugging the symptom however, never corrects the cause it merely allows it to get worse. This is why I say common sense is not so common.

Have you had your spine checked recently? Do you know that is suffering, if so, please share this post with them.

Yours in Health!

Dr. Gould

I mean Nuts!  Most people that have this syndrome dread trying to fall asleep at night.  Like all syndromes, depending on who you talk to, you will get a different cause and a different solution.  I always look for the holistic solution, one that works-with-the-body.

My curiosity with restless leg syndrome started many years ago when my uncle Eddie came to town for a visit.  At the time, he was 76 years old and grumpy.  It turns out that he was grumpy because he wasn’t sleeping.  After a few questions he told me that he had been to several doctors over a period of 6 months for Restless Leg Syndrome.  He said that each doctor he went to put him on a different medication, none of which helped him.

In my opinion, Restless Leg Syndrome is a vasculature (blood flow) problem.  Not enough blood flow! Think about this, what do you do when your hand falls asleep?  You shake it.  What do you do if your arm goes to sleep?  You shake it.  What does shaking do?  Simple, it helps to restore blood flow.

Years earlier I had watched a program on PBS about exercise. The program was full of great stuff. All the latest findings.  One of the interesting findings was how age effects our muscle’s ability to grow and become stronger.  The exercise physiologists did an experiment. The purpose of the experiment was simply to see how an 84 year old’s muscle would respond to exercise, compared to a 17 year old’s muscle. Muscle volume of each individuals thigh muscle was measured using a CT scan before and after 6 weeks of training.  The results were astonishing.  The 84 year old and the 17 year old’s muscle volume increased the same amount.  Proof that exercise works at any age.

What does this have to do with Restless Leg Syndrome? Everything!

My thinking with my uncle Eddie was this, if muscle can respond at any age, so can the vasculature.  My uncles primary complaint was in his calf muscles.  I told him that I had a hunch of how to remedy his problem.  He was skeptical.  After all, he had gone to all the medical specialist in his area and nothing helped.  I told him that I wanted him to start doing calf raises several times a day.  He was to do them in a specific way. I did not give him a number of reps to do, I only told him to do them until his calf muscles started to burn then he was to stop. I told him to do this a minimum of 5 times a day for 6 weeks.  Several months later he came back to Ohio for a visit.  He walked up to me smiling, it worked! I said what worked? He said I did the exercises you told me to do, within 3 weeks my legs stopped bothering me at night and I have continued to do them every day.

Below is a short video demonstrating how to do calf raises. I always tell people to do them on the stairs while holding on to the bannister for stability. It is important that you allow your heels to drop all the way down and it is equally important to go all the way up into a complete contraction. You continue doing these until you feel a burn then stop.  The purpose of this is to increase blood flow and over time create collateral circulation.

Since then I have had many patients get wonderful results by doing the same thing.

Please let me know how this works for you.

Yours in Health!

Dr. Gould

Drink more pure water. Is that hard to do? No it isn’t. However, very few people drink enough water. As we get older the thirst area of the brain gets sluggish causing us to be less thirsty. So drink more water. The rule of thumb is 1/2 our body weight in fluid ounces a day. If you weigh 100 pounds you should drink 50 fluid ounces per day of pure water. Not Scotch, Beer or Tea. Water!

When you eat, thoroughly chew your food. See my post on Belching, Bloating and Flatulence. Digestive problems are a symptom. Find out the cause and then makes some changes.

Get some daily exercise. It’s a fact, our bodies were not meant to be sedentary. Again another simple suggestion but how many people follow through.

How are you sleeping deeply or lightly? You need several hours of deep sleep. REM sleep is the best by far for healing. Is you mattress sagging? Is your bedroom to cold or to hot? Maybe you need absolute quite. If so, buy some ear plugs.

If you smoke or do drugs, get help so that you can quit!

The bottomline is, we are all different. What works for me, may not for you but it is our individual responsibilty/duty to find out what works the best for ourselves. To do this is really simple, we have to turn our Shoulds into Musts every thing else will fall into place.

Be Well!

Dr. Gould