Live for today. Plan for tomorrow.

The only life we have is lived today. Not tomorrow and not yesterday.

How many folks do you know who spend almost all their waking hours fretting over what they had or had not done in the past or what someone had done to them. Then there are folks who do little more than worry about what might happen in the future. But, there are very few people you'll run across that simply enjoy TODAY.

It took me a while to realize that the only thing I can do anything about is today. Not only today, but this very moment. I was one of those who spent a good part of his life thinking about how I had been done wrong by this person or that. Or, how things might have turned our had some event have happened just a little differently. Well, things just CAN'T happen differently than they already have.

I see people in my practice, in my business circles and socially who simply worry about EVERY potential catastrophe or wrong turn. They're loaded up to the gills with insurance, take all kinds of drugs or spend inordinate amounts of time going to various doctors "just in case". I think I saw somewhere that 90% of the things we worry about NEVER come about. And, those that DO come about are things over which we have no control, anyway.

Here's my prescription for a better life. Live your life to the fullest today. And if you wake tomorrow, have another go at it. BUT in your quiet moments, visualize how you want your life to go, including the things you want to do, be and have and with whom you want them. Vow to do those things within your power to make those things happen and THEN to simply allow God (or the universe) to handle the details. When you awaken in the morning, check your list and get on it.

Life seems fullest when it is simply and joyfully lived. Appreciate the life you have. Live it well. Live it today.

Your Mama Was Right: Posture Matters!

Almost everyone has a memory of their mom (or dad) constantly reminding them to “Stand up straight! You don’t want to grow up with bad posture. Do you?” Or as one of my friends puts it, “Stand up straight and act like somebody!” While most parents dutifully admonish their kids to stand tall, they may not realize just how important that advice really is. There are many reasons why good posture matters, including self-esteem, career performance, even significant health considerations.

Let’s talk about how your posture affects several aspects of your life. At the end of the article, we’ll offer some tips on how you can start today to improve your posture and your life.

How you approach the world has a tremendous impact on how you feel about yourself. What’s the first impression you have of someone with slumped shoulders or their head drooping down? Honestly, that person is giving the impression that they’re beaten, sad or hopeless.

Life can be tough. Things happen to everyone that can hurt in so many ways. One way to respond to life’s calamities is to withdraw and become inward. When this happens and a person’s confidence is shaken they look defensive and passive. A slumped posture is almost like curling up in a fetal position while standing, hoping that no one will bother you. Unfortunately, most folks won’t bother with you in that posture.

On the other hand, good posture with your head up and shoulders back is a strong indicator of inner strength and self-confidence. A strong, self-confident person tells the world “Here I come. Give me all you’ve got!” When you stand tall, you tell yourself “I can! I will! I must!” From the standpoint of building and maintaining a strong self-image, one of the most important habits a parent can teach their child is to stand tall, keep your head up and your shoulders back. It will help that child withstand many of life’s challenges throughout his/her life.

There are many ways that an employer, customer or potential client will decide how you fit into their plans. One of the most important, yet subtle, ways others evaluate you is your body language. Let’s say you’re competing for a promotion to a management position with an equally qualified competitor. If the only difference between the two candidates is that one has poor posture and the other looks like a Marine, who wins? The Marine always wins. Every employer wants managers that are confident and show confidence in every way. And in some ways, poor posture communicates the same message as when someone won’t make eye contact. People wonder if you have something to hide. Good posture is like a good handshake. People make judgments about you based on their first impression. Make a good first impression. Stand tall. Head up. Shoulders back. Stomach in. It will pay you great dividends. Posture affects your health in several ways. From a purely mechanical standpoint, if things aren’t lined up the way they were designed, they simply wear out faster. People with arthritis in the joints or spine in their forties and fifties have generally had posture problems their whole life. Any good mechanic will tell you that poor wheel alignment will eventually cause all kinds of structural and mechanical problems with your car. It’s the same with your body. Structure affects function.

As a chiropractor, I see sick and hurting people all the time. One thing they all seem to share is some sort of posture problem. Sometimes, they come to me with pains in the neck and shoulders from driving or sitting at the computer for long hours at a time. Or, maybe a hip, leg or low back problem caused by sitting on a too thick wallet. Probably the most subtle, yet more important, effects of poor posture are neurological problems that can result. Often, people come in with strange problems from migraine headaches to high blood pressure corrected after adjustments to the upper neck. Everyone knows the plight of Christopher Reeves, the former star of the Superman movies. He was thrown from his horse and broke his neck and damaged his spinal cord. The actor was not only paralyzed from the neck down, but also unable to have normal bodily functions without the aid of machines until his eventual death. Postural problems can indicate similar, yet much more subtle spinal misalignments and neurological problems.

Many people have postural problems that may have resulted at birth that only become apparent later in life. Others may have had other trauma caused by injuries from sports, fall or auto accidents. Unless corrected, these problems only get worse with eventual health implications. Because these subtle misalignments and the posture problems they cause don’t involve broken bones, they’re generally not identified with medical diagnoses. For the most part, only chiropractors are trained to identify, locate and correct these misalignments.

So if you find yourself slumping and slouching, do something about it. Practice standing up straight with your head held high and eyes looking forward, not down toward the ground. Pull your shoulders back while tightening your stomach muscles and tucking your butt in. If you find that your posture problem is hard to correct and might also be related to other health problems, find a wellness-oriented chiropractor or e-mail me and I’ll help you find one in your area.

Stand up straight and tall. Let the world know you’re strong, confident and healthy!

Self-medicating

I thought about titling this article “Aleve” because that was the reason I’m writing today. But, I decided the problem of people self-medicating themselves with what they think are harmless over-the-counter drugs is much more dangerous than one specific dangerous drug.

My friend Jerry, whom I’ve known now for 40 years, called me recently to explain why he had been out of touch for a while. It seems that Jerry had been in the hospital recovering from an apparent reaction to the OTC painkiller Aleve. He did what the average American does and picked up a bottle of the painkiller at his local drugstore. After taking recommended doses for about a week, Jerry began to have a pretty serious nosebleed. When the bleeding didn’t stop, he headed to the Emergency Room. The bleeding stopped ONLY after he lost FOUR units of blood, a significant loss under any circumstance. A little more and he could have died. It’s taken several weeks, but he’s just now starting to regain strength.

Over the last few years, I’ve steered away from talking about symptoms and the risks associated with medicating away symptoms. Mine is a wellness practice and most of my clients come to me because they either want to get and stay healthy or they want to opt out of the “old way” of waiting until something’s broke to try to fix it or mask its symptoms with drugs. But, when you see a friend critically injured or hear of someone killed by what is purported to be a harmless drug, it’s hard NOT to speak out.

Just recently, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended stronger warnings on both prescription and over-the-counter painkillers like acetaminophen and ibuprofen, more commonly referred to as NSAIDs or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. BUT, how many people EVER read the label warnings of over-the-counter drugs? My guess is a precious few.

Obviously, we live in a drug culture in America. We seek relief and comfort from a bottle. Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to consider a new way of thinking. One of the things I try to get folks to do is to realize that they were designed to be healthy and that design did not include a shortage of drugs or a surplus of defective or unnecessary parts. Once we realize that health is part of the design and that symptoms are our friend and are NOT to be ignored, we can start to approach health matters a little more rationally. Another, thing that we work on in my office is helping people become responsible for their own health and not relying so much on a doctor or drug manufacturer to make important health decisions for them.

If I could convince you to change one thing as a result of reading this article, it would be to learn more about your own body, how it works and how specific drugs are supposed to work and the risks (side effects) they carry. When you work to build health instead of simply avoiding disease, your health and your life will take on a whole new meaning.

If you know someone that routinely takes NSAIDs (or any pain medication) please forward this article to them. Encourage them to explore other options for dealing with their symptoms.

Corporate Wellness: Bottom Line Strategies for Effective Healthcare Reform

It is clear to virtually every American (especially those of us in business) that healthcare costs are skyrocketing out of control. No one doubts that either the market will solve the problem OR the government will impose one on us. Managed care has failed from either a cost containment or quality of care perspective. Companies have reached the point where the cost of providing health insurance is almost as burdensome as government regulation. It’s time for some new thinking on healthcare and its impact on business and vice versa. “Corporate wellness” as an operational perspective instead of merely window dressing is one way to deal effectively with rising healthcare costs.

The Insurance Problem

The first step in correcting the problem is to realize that an employee’s health is their own responsibility. Expecting employers to provide unlimited health insurance coverage is simply unrealistic and unreasonable. It’s time for employers (on a broad scale) to reconsider their role in providing health insurance coverage. Instead of providing complete coverage for all employees through group plans, companies should begin to shift the burden of health coverage to those covered.

Here’s the approach. Provide catastrophic health insurance as a group benefit to all employees with a large enough deductible (say $5000 per employee) to make the cost affordable for the company. Then, allow employees to buy their own health insurance policies (based on their own needs) and pay for them through payroll deduction with pre-tax earnings. There are numerous insurance companies that sell individual plans on this basis. Everybody wins. Employees can tailor their coverage to their own needs and circumstances using their own doctors. Companies win by stopping the endless cycle of rising costs and ever-changing plans. And when individuals become responsible for the cost of their own insurance, they become more attentive to their own health. Besides, if an employee is interested in working for you ONLY because your company offers great insurance benefits aren’t they telling you they’re going to cost you more money in the future?

Develop a “Wellness Culture”

Our current “sickness culture” perpetuates the healthcare crisis and hastens the demise of market-based solutions. By sickness culture, I mean our focus on health problems instead of on having a healthy workplace and performance culture.

So, what would a “wellness culture” look like? First, instead of paid sick days, employees might be rewarded at year’s end with an attendance bonus. Employees would be reimbursed for successful completion of smoking cessation and weight-loss programs. Companies would invest in corporate memberships at local health clubs so every employee can participate. Employees would be offered in-house wellness programs on a variety of issues ranging from ergonomics to stress management. Finally, companies would commit to hiring and retaining healthy employees. Simply put, healthy employees cost less and are more productive than unhealthy ones. Applicants should be screened for health habits and practices that limit their productivity and increase the likelihood of future expense. While this may seem harsh, it rewards those employees whose personal lifestyle and habits ensure the best Return on Investment by the company committing to hire, train and pay them.

Be open to “alternative and complementary” approaches

Studies published in major medical journals reveal that individuals who use “alternative and complementary” health modalities (including chiropractic, acupuncture, yoga and massage) are generally healthier, better educated, take fewer medications and miss fewer days from work than the average American. Since these individuals look for ways to stay healthy without drugs and surgery, they end up being a net benefit in terms of attendance and productivity. Old prejudices in this area should be discarded in order for companies to improve productivity and increase profitability

Conclusion

Healthcare costs are increasing at a staggering pace. Managed care is an abysmal failure. Companies are buckling under the pressure of providing health coverage to their employees. American competitiveness in the market is sagging. These times call for extraordinary solutions. It’s time for American companies to consider some out-of-the-box solutions to the healthcare crisis. Corporate wellness is an approach that is timely, achievable and reasonable given the alternatives. All options should be considered while we still have a chance.

Shingles and Chiropractic

So, can chiropractic cure shingles? Of course not. But, neither can Medicine. There is no cure for shingles, a condition that causes extreme pain to those afflicted.

Shingles is a condition where the Chicken Pox (herpes zoster) virus settles into a person’s nerve root and causes no problems until activated, usually by stress. Once activated, the entire nerve is affected causing extreme discomfort and pain. Unfortunately, there’s little that can be done to alleviate the problem other than try to lessen the symptoms.

However, many sufferers of shingles have found that finding ways of reducing and dealing with stress keeps the virus from becoming active. One of those ways is getting adjusted by their chiropractor on a regular basis. Chiropractic adjustments help balance stress on the nervous system. Reducing that stress helps prevent shingles outbreaks and helps your body recover quicker when there is an outbreak.

If you suffer from shingles, I encourage you to find a wellness chiropractor whose focus is on the upper cervical spine.

Backpacks and Posture Problems: As the Twig is Bent So Grows the Tree

As we approach the coming school year, we head off to the stores and malls to buy school supplies. Of course, most kids have outgrown most of the clothes they finished the last school year in just a couple of months ago. And then, there’s the usual array of binders, pencils, paper and of course the trusty backpack.

If your kids are anything like mine, it almost seems like they need a pack mule to carry all their new supplies to school. And, it seems like the book bags and backpacks get bigger every year. At the same time we’ve tried to get a backpack that’s big enough to carry everything, we could be setting our kids up for future posture problems and potentially scoliosis and other health problems.

I don’t know about your kids, but mine seem to grow like weeds. The minute you turn your back, they seem to grow an inch before you can turn back around. While it’s not quite that dramatic, they really do grow rapidly. Then, somewhere around middle school most kids have what’s called a growth spurt where they actually grow even faster. Girls usually have their growth spurt earlier than boys. Hmmm. Maybe there’s a link between earlier growth spurts and a higher incidence of scoliosis in girls than in boys.

Here’s the problem. At a time when kids (especially girls) are growing rapidly, they’re also saddled with as much as 20-30 pounds of books, papers, etc. in their book bags. And as we all know, most of those bags are typically carried over one shoulder or the other. It’s like strapping a bowling ball to the top of a little pine sapling. Surely, it will bend under the weight. Your kid’s spine works the same way. Now, imagine that little pine tree growing in that bent over position. As it grows, it will grow in that same position. So, too, will your child grow to develop posture problems by carrying a heavy load of books on a regular basis while their bones are still softer and growing.

How can you tell if your kid is developing posture problems? Actually, there are a couple of ways. First, simply look at them from the back and then from the side. As you observe them from the back, see if their head tilts from one side to the other or if one shoulder is higher than the other. The slightest difference can indicate a problem that could get even worse over time if not corrected. Have them bend over at the knees. If you can see that one side of their back is higher than the other, there may be what’s called a functional scoliosis. Finally, have them turn so their side is facing you. As you look at them you should be able to almost draw a straight line from their ear, through their shoulder, hip, knee and ankle. If you can’t see that straight line, there’s a potential problem that should be addressed before it gets worse.

So, just what kind of problems might posture problems in kids lead to? First, bad posture can lead to structural problems that can lead to chronic pain and soreness in the neck, middle and lower back. Second, it will lead to uneven stresses on the spine and potential degenerative back problems as they get older. Finally, stress on the spine can also cause stress on the spinal cord and central nervous system. When that happens, there’s always the potential for a variety of chronic health problems.

So, what can be done to prevent and correct these potentially harmful effects on your kids as a result of heavy backpacks and book bags? Obviously, I think every child should be checked for postural problems at an early age. Many times these problems can be prevented with attention, exercise and good habits. Family chiropractors that see kids can recognize the problem and, in many cases, slow down or reverse the problem if dealt with early. While the kids might not like it, buy a book bag with rollers and an extendable handle or one that will distribute the weight load evenly. And finally, pressure should be put on school systems to reduce both the size and quantity of books a child should be required to carry home from school. These days, most families have a computer at home. School systems should make books available on DC (compact disk) to lighten the physical load of carrying books.

Your kids’ posture and health are worth the extra attention. Don’t let them grow into health problems that could have been prevented with a little attention.