Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Magna Minute: Welcome to our New Location

Construction Pictures from the New Magna Chiropractic Building

As many of you know, we will be moving office locations at the end of the month.  Our new location will be 2424 Airway Ct. (next to Prudential) which is located just off Lovers Lane, only a mile and half from our current location.  Stay tuned for more information, pictures, and video on the move. 

For now, here are some pictures of the current construction that is going on at our new location:

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Chiropractic Care Essential for Olympic Athletes

More than 100 chiropractic doctors in North America are being sent by Florida-based Maximized Living (ML) to the 2012 Olympics. They have been chosen to help members of USA judo, weightlifting, wrestling and sitting volleyball win a medal. This is the first time that a large group of chiropractic doctors have traveled with Olympic bodies to represent the US at the games. It is also the largest contingent of chiropractic doctors to have been selected to support and care for American athletes in London.

The ML Sports Council has worked closely with many national governing bodies to bring a holistic, whole-athlete approach to health that includess chiropractic principles, balanced nutrition, mental preparedness and fitness programs focused on building strength, endurance and enhanced performance. Dr. Ben Lerner, a former all-American wrestler and founder of Maximized Living, has bridged a gap in performance management by creating the first and largest certified network of chiropractic doctors trained in whole-athlete care. ML Sports Council chiropractic doctors are certified not only in advanced chiropractic techniques but also in nutrition, detoxification, exercise and mental preparedness.

Jose Rodriguez, USA Judo Executive Director, commented, "This is about making our athletes stronger, faster and sustainably successful. Our partnership with ML has given us the education, support and comprehensive principles to increase stamina, strength and perform at their pinnacle in London."

Terry Steiner, 2012 USA Women's National Coach commented, "I have seen a tremendous value in our partnership as it pertains to the performances of our Olympic team. I can further see the positive, life-long effects these doctors can have on their lives after London."

"We're proud of the selfless commitment our Sports Council doctors have made in helping USA's elite compete at the highest level, achieve peak performance, recover faster, sustain fewer injuries and reach for the gold. Our Sports Council's success is a testament to the performance and recuperative aspects of chiropractic and the critical role Maximized Living doctors play in helping to unlock the full human potential," commented ML CEO, Shel Hart.

Chiropractic doctors are not only being utilized by athletes at the 2012 Olympics but also by the 2010 Major League Soccer World Champions, Colorado Rapids, US Martial Arts, the International Brazilian Jujitsu Federation, many top MMA teams, and hundreds of athletes and teams at all levels and all over the world.

The World's Fastest Man Utilizes Chiropractic Care, Shouldn't You?


World's fastest man, Usain Bolt, says that he is fit and ready for London's 2012 Olympics and is convinced his defense of the 100m title could trigger one of the fastest ever races in the blue riband sprint.

Bolt is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and (along with his teammates) the 4×100 metres relay and the reigning Olympic champion in these three events. He is one of only seven athletes to win world championships at the youth, junior, and senior level of an athletic event.

South Florida's Dr. Michael Douglas who is certified in Chiropractic Neurology has been the official Chiropractor of the Jamaican Olympic Team since 1996. He blends sports injury rehabilitation and traditional chiropractic care techniques and has performed these techniques on thousands of patients as well as on some of the world’s greatest Olympians such as Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, Veronica Campbell, Shelly-Ann Fraser and more.

Many, unfortunately, turn to chiropractic care only AFTER they have been injured. But,
in addition to improving performance, speed and agility, ongoing chiropractic care and therapy can offer several health and wellness benefits vital to everyone:
  • Improved Posture
  • Increased Range of Motion
  • Increased Flexibility
  • Reduced Risk of Injury
  • Reduced Migraines and Severe Headaches
  • Improved Recovery After Sports Injuries
  • Increased Blood Circulation and Oxygen Flow in Body
  • Pain Reduction in Major Joints
  • Better Focus and Concentration
  • Reduced Stress
  • Improved Immune System (for warding off common illnesses and diseases)
Whether you are suffering from a car accident, occupational injury, sports-related trauma or everyday pain, chiropractors everywhere are ready to help you even at the 2012 Olympics.

Chiropractic therapy offers several benefits for athletes who are constantly pushing their bodies to the max. In fact, other top athletes such as Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong each have regular chiropractic care regimented into their routines.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Magna Chiropractic is Lowering It's Fees

In a day & age when the cost of everything is going UP... our prices at Magna Chiropractic are going DOWN!

You heard me right... going DOWN! We are committed to your family's health and wellness, so we are doing what we need to do to make it affordable for you and your family to come in for chiropractic care.

We've recently partnered with a company called ChiroHealth USA (CHUSA) to set up a reduced fee schedule for our patients who are out of their chiropractic benefits for the year or didn't have chiro benefits to begin with. Being in network with CHUSA allows us to set our fees for cash patients at a fraction of Medicare's allowed amount... Enrolling in CHUSA's network means we can pass these reduced prices on to you!

Because it's important to us that your whole family is well, we've also set up discounted family plans. To qualify for family care, only one member of the household needs to be enrolled with CHUSA and you need to come in for care on the same day.

Please call our office today with any questions about CHUSA enrollment, as well as to schedule an appointment. As always, we look forward to taking care of all your family's chiropractic needs!

Kelli Brown
Insurance & Billing


Dr. Hawley is retiring from lecturing nationwide and is back in the clinic full time and is now accepting new patients.  Tell your family and friends to come by chat with him.

At MAGNA Chiropractic Dr. Hawley and Dr. Rogers do full physical evaluations and help educate the patient on what/where their problem is coming from. They offer many forms of treatment and in many cases work in conjunction with your Medical Doctor. 

The Dangers of Forward Head Posture


For every inch the head moves forward in posture, it increases the weight of the head on the neck by 10 pounds!

That's a telling statement.  Forward Head Posture can cause head and shoulder tension and lead to pain.  All of this is caused by everyday hurdles that face us, such as stress, computer work, laying on the couch (couch neck), reading, and texting (text neck).

Long term abnormal neck posture can lead to muscle strain, pinched nerves, disc herniations, and arthritis.  The damage and repetitive stress can be long lasting and irreversible if left uncorrected. 

Have you ever seen someone whose head leans forward and their head seems to be an eternity away from their shoulders. Is this you? Is this Someone you know??

What do you do about forward head postureChiropractic care is a highly recommended treatment option for Forward Head Posture and Magna Chiropractic provides safe and effective treatment options to keep you fit, active, and healthy.

We offer safe, gentle adjustments along with rehab exercises and various other types of treatment plans.  For more information, give us a call or visit our website.

Magna Chiropractic
165 Natchez Trace, Suite 201
Bowling Green, KY 42103
(270) 746-9400

Monday, July 16, 2012

The "Check Engine Light" A Case of 3 Mechanics

The check engine light came on in my car. I pondered what to do and where to take it. So here's what I did. 

I took the car to a mechanic. He said that over the course of evolution the check engine light came about, there is no mechanical reason for having one, it has no function, and he recommended taking it out.

I decided on a second opinion. I took the car to another mechanic. He specialized in fuels. He said fuel specialists weren't sure why check engine lights come on, but he had several liquids, and other additives that he wanted me to use on a daily basis. He said that they would make the light dim enough so I would not notice it when it was trying to tell me something.

I decided on a third opinion. This mechanic said my car was intelligently designed and that all things were put there for a specific purpose. The check engine light meant something was wrong. He decided to look for the problem that was actually causing the light to come on, and address it from the source instead of "taking it out" or "treating with other liquids and potions". What he found was a simple electrical short that was easily fixed, and with minor regular maintenance it should run perfectly as it was designed to do.

All too often people are looking for solutions that come from pills, potions, and chemicals or even worse surgery without addressing the root of the problem. There are times when all of the above is needed, but none should be the first line of defense. Don't just cover up the symptoms or have the problem removed, get an accurate diagnosis from someone who understands this and has been trained to look at things from this perspective.

Times and healthcare are changing. As we evolve and get better educated, we are (re-) discovering that there is a balance in all things and cutting things out, or masking the symptoms is in most cases not the best answer as it was thought years ago. Chiropractors are being included in the FRONT line treatment at VA hospitals, on EVERY major sports team, placed on Hospital staff, and some insurance carriers are mandating that Chiropractic and physiotherapy be tried FIRST before back surgery is performed. If you or someone you love has an "engine light" going off, I urge you to seek Chiropractic care first and have the problem properly diagnosed.

At MAGNA Chiropractic Dr. Hawley and Dr. Rogers do full physical evaluations and help educate the patient on what/where their problem is coming from. They offer many forms of treatment and in many cases work in conjunction with your Medical Doctor.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Pharmacies vs. Health Food Stores: Which do you prefer?


The drug industry is constantly trying to convince you that drugs are good for your health while nutritional supplements and healthy foods are somehow bad for you. This same line of nonsense is also repeated by the FDA, which goes out of its way to censor the truth about the healing properties of natural foods like walnuts, cherries and berries.

http://www.anh-usa.org/

The drug industry and the FDA are, of course, just plain wrong about all this. Although their advertisements show happy, healthy people taking pharmaceuticals, in the real world, people who take their drugs are extremely unhealthy, depressed and highly toxic.

But don't take my word for it: Check out the people walking in and out of
pharmacies versus the people who visit health food stores:

* People who visit pharmacies tend to have toxic livers, poor kidney function (because drugs damage the kidneys), wild mood swings, terrible digestion and elimination capabilities, poor skin health, poor posture, low energy, sleep disorders and sexual dysfunction. They tend to be suicidal while living in chronic pain. They have huge medical expenses that often send them into bankruptcy.

* People who visit
health food stores tend to have healthy skin, happier outlooks, better energy, better sex lives, healthy sleep, healthy hearts, healthy liver function and greatly improved brain function. They are more creative, adaptable and optimistic, and they tend to enjoy their lives. They spend relatively little on health care expenses while investing their money in organic foods, green products, medicinal herbs and nutritional supplements.

The choice is up to you.  Which group would you prefer to join? You can choose either one by deciding what to put in (or on) your
body. If you choose to contaminate your body with pharmaceuticals and medications, you will experience increased liver and kidney toxicity, reduced cognitive function, skin health problems, sexual dysfunction, mood disorders and other such problems.

On the other hand, if you choose to nourish your body with superfoods, organic
products, healing herbs and nutritional supplements, you will experience a more healthful and joyful life with improved brain function and memory, healthy skin, stable moods, abundant energy, restful sleep and healthy fertility, among other benefits.
The pharmaceutical industry wants you to choose their drugs, of course, and they don't care what happens to your health and happiness as a result. In fact, the worse your health gets after taking their drugs, the more of their drugs you'll need! The side effects of one drug become the "disease" that's treated by another drug, so it's all great for repeat business!

Keeping you ignorant: What the
drug industry and the FDA absolutely do NOT want you to learn is that healing foods, herbs and supplements make virtually all pharmaceuticals obsolete. If you really knew the truth about what these items can do to protect your health and cure degenerative disease, you'd probably never take another chemical pill in your life. That's why the FDA works so hard to censor nutritional supplements and make sure they can't make truthful, scientifically-validated claims on their labels.
http://www.anh-usa.org/

The FDA has even gone after healing foods. The scientific literature says conclusively that walnuts lower high cholesterol. It's the natural result of eating the healthy plant-based oils in the walnuts. The FDA, however, has threatened walnut companies with fines and imprisonment for merely linking to scientific studies that describe the health benefits of walnuts.

This is how the FDA keeps people in the dark and achieves its agenda of censoring the truth about
foods and supplements while promoting toxic pharmaceuticals that keep the drug companies in business.
Change your decisions and you'll change your life: It's up to you to determine how the rest of your life will be experienced. If you continue to find yourself standing in line at the local pharmacy, or if you look in your medicine cabinet and notice a half-dozen prescriptions, let that be a wake-up call. These drugs will never give you health or happiness. They will never create the life you're truly looking for.

Instead, take a walk to the other side of the street. Walk into a health food
store. Ask the friendly staff how to get started with healthy living. These people are incredibly helpful, by the way, so don't be afraid to ask questions.

Spend your
money at the health food store instead of the pharmacy and your entire life will improve as a result. As you improve your physical health, your brain health will get better, too, and you'll notice life getting better in many ways: Improved relationships, enhanced career (because having a healthy mind improves your job performance, too!), improved self image, increased stamina and much more.

You'll sleep better, eat better, think better, poop better and feel better. Everything your body is supposed to do naturally will simply work better as you align yourself with the natural laws of health and nutrition. You can embrace those laws by visiting practically any health
food store and taking advantage of the remarkable health-enhancing products they carry.

So find your local health food store and give them a visit! I even support Whole Foods, too. I realize there has been some controversy about Whole Foods, but compared to all the other grocery
stores, Whole Foods has achieved some astounding accomplishments. I'm glad Whole Foods is successful, because I sure wouldn't want to go back to shopping at some conventional (toxic) grocery store, would you?
Remember, you vote with your dollars -- both in terms of what industries you support as well as what health outcome you will create. If you invest your dollars in natural health products, you will get a healthy result.

So the next time you have a choice between pharmaceuticals versus healing foods, walk over to the health food store and choose healing foods!

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Hometown Doctors Teaching Nationally

Magna Chiropractic's very own Dr. Hawley recently spoke at the Logan College of Chiropractic Homecoming and Midwest Conference on June 21st. His speech focused on "Treating Moderate to Severe Cases with Traction/Decompression and Adjunct Procedures" and was heard by over 500 chiropractors from around the nation.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

6 Unexpected Culprits of Back Pain, Coming in at #1 is...

Culprit No. 1: Your fancy office chair
Even an expensive, ergonomic chair can be bad for your back if you sit in it all day without a break. Sitting not only lessens blood flow to the discs that cushion your spine (wearing them out and stressing your back), but it puts 30 percent more pressure on the spine than standing or walking, says New York City chiropractor Todd Sinett, author of The Truth About Back Pain.

Be sure to stretch at your desk and get up every hour to walk around. Don’t assume that built-in lumbar support makes your chair back-friendly - in fact, for many people, lumbar supports don’t make a bit of difference, especially if they aren’t positioned properly (at the base of your spine), says Heidi Prather, a physical-medicine and rehabilitation specialist and associate professor of orthopedic surgery and neurology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

No matter what type of chair you sit in, make sure your head is straight (not tilted down) when you’re typing or reading. Avoid slouching and adjust your seat so it tilts back slightly to help alleviate some of the load on your back, Sinett says. And keep your feet planted firmly on the floor.


All information can be found here.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

6 Unexpected Culprits of Back Pain, Coming in at #2 is...

Culprit No. 2: The wrong shoes

When you strut in stilettos, your foot strikes the ground in a toe-forward motion rather than the normal heel-toe gait, stressing your knees, hips, and back, Sinett explains. "Wearing heels also alters the angle of your body so your weight isn’t evenly distributed over the spine," he says. This instability can set you up for pain and injury radiating from your knees all the way to your back.

Another shoe no-no: the backless kind (even flats and flip-flops), which allow your heel to slide around. Again, the lack of stability distributes your body weight unevenly, putting more pressure on your spine. Your shoe should firmly hold your foot in place to keep you stable and protect your back, says Sinett, who also advises sticking to heels that are less than three inches high
.

Friday, June 8, 2012

6 Unexpected Culprits of Back Pain, Coming in at #3 is...

Culprit No. 3: Your beloved smartphone or tablet
Mobile technology has not been kind to our backs and necks, Prather says. "We’re hovering over laptops, iPads, and smartphones all the time," she notes. "This head-down position strains the muscles in the neck, and the pain can extend all the way down your spine to your lower back." Take frequent breaks, and try to look straight ahead - rather than down - while using a laptop, tablet, or phone. You can buy a stand to help hold your laptop or tablet at a more back-friendly height and angle.

A diagram of text neck strain:

Thursday, June 7, 2012

6 Unexpected Culprits of Back Pain, Coming in at #4 is...

Culprit No. 4: Extra pounds

Carrying even just a few extra inches around your midsection - whether it’s due to belly fat or pregnancy - makes your pelvis tilt forward and out of alignment, as your body works to keep itself balanced. This can cause excessive strain on your lower back, Dr. Akuthota says. He recommends doing this easy stretch several times daily: Tighten your abs (like you’re bracing for a punch in the stomach) to activate core muscles and take a load off the lumbar discs; hold 10 seconds, then release. (Pregnant? Check with your doctor before doing any exercise.)

And if weight gain is your problem, consider making whole grains an essential part of your slim-down plan: A new study from Tufts University found that those who ate three or more servings of whole grains a day had 10 percent less abdominal fat compared with those who ate essentially no whole grains.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Top 6 Unexpected Culprits of Back Pain, Coming in at #5 is...

Culprit No. 5: The wrong bra

Large-breasted women obviously carry significantly more weight in front than those who have smaller breasts. This can lead to hunching and sore neck and back muscles, Sinett says. A bra that offers proper support can actually minimize that forward hunch and relieve pain, while one that doesn’t may exacerbate the problem, as you hunch or strain even more to compensate for uncomfortable straps or a band that rides up.

Research shows that many women wear the wrong size bra, but the right fit can mean the difference between sagging and supported; get fitted by a bra professional. Prather says you may want to try a T-back (a.k.a. racer-back) style. "It gives the body a cue to pull the shoulders back," she says.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Top 6 Unexpected Culprits of Back Pain, Coming in at #6 is...


Culprit No. 6: Your crazy schedule

Just like the rest of you, your back muscles can tense up when you’re frazzled. Muscles are designed to contract and relax, Sinett explains, but when you’re stressed, they may contract so much that they can eventually start to spasm. Stress also boosts production of the hormone cortisol, which increases inflammation and can lead to achiness, he says.

On top of that, "Chronic stress can affect the way a person perceives pain," says Alan Hilibrand, MD, spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and professor of orthopaedic and neurological surgery at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. "So those who are stressed will often have a harder time managing back pain than those who aren’t." Low-impact aerobic exercise (think walking or working out on an elliptical trainer) may help relieve back pain and ease stress - so you can beat the pain for good.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Treating Sports Injuries

Sports and exercise are important steps to maintaining health. Unfortunately, however, injuries during participation in sports are all too common. Often, these injuries occur in beginners or those who don't use proper safety equipment or become overzealous about an exercise regimen. 

Strains and Sprains
  • An acute twisting or overextension of a joint can lead to tears of muscles and tendons, called "strains," and tears of ligaments result in "sprains."
  • In mild injuries, just a few fibers are torn or stretched. Severe injuries, where there is a tear through the full thickness of the structure, frequently require surgical intervention.
  • The intervertebral disc, a ligament between the vertebrae of the spine that works as a shock absorber, can also be torn, resulting in a disc bulge and/or herniation.
Tendinosis
  • In those who are training too much, overuse of a particular joint or joints in the body can result in pain and dysfunction. There injuries are called "overuse syndromes."
  • A common overuse injury is tendinosis, a condition in which the tendon becomes inflamed from repetitive use.
Stress Fractures
  • Some athletes may experience a stress fracture, which occurs when an abnormal amount of stress is placed on a normal bone, such as in a runner who rapidly increases the amount of mileage, rather than gradually progressing to longer distances.
  • Shin splints are caused by microfractures on the front surface of the tibia (shin bone). This is most often seen in runners, although other athletes can be affected.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Sports injuries are most often diagnosed from the history of the activity which brought on the pain, along with a physical examination. In some cases, X-rays are necessary to rule out a fracture. Fractures require the application of some stabilizing device, such as a cast, after the bone is put back into position. Rarely, surgical intervention is required. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound may also be used.

There is a relatively standard treatment protocol for most types of sports injuries, which involves:

    • Rest. Generally no more than 48 hours of rest and/or immobilization is needed, depending on the severity of the injury.
    • Ice or heat can help with pain reduction and tissue healing.
    • Compression of the area may reduce the amount of swelling from the injury.
    • Elevation of the injured arm or leg above the level of the heart is thought to be helpful in reducing swelling.
    • Joint manipulation. Recent research has shown that, in some cases, joint manipulation can help with pain reduction and more rapid recovery.
Prevention  
In many cases, sports injuries can be prevented. Proper conditioning, warm-up and cool-down procedures, understanding proper techniques and using appropriate safety equipment can substantially reduce injuries.


How Can MAGNA Help

At Magna Chiropractic, we have many tools and resources to help you prevent as well as treat any and all of your sports injuries. Prior to participating in your sport, our office offers some beneficial treatment options with Kinesiology Taping. Here is how it works, the tape is applied along muscles, ligaments, and tendons (soft tissue) to provide a lightweight, strong, external support that helps to prevent injury and speed recovery.

The tape works differently for different injuries. It can lift and support the knee cap, holding it in place for Runner's Knee. It can support sagging muscles along the arch of the foot, relieving the connective tissues for Plantar Fasciitis. It can also lift the stress off of shin splints to allow pain release and give the body a better opportunity to recover. Depending on how it is applied, it supports, enables, or restricts soft tissue and its movement.

By stretching and recoiling like a rubber band, the tape augments tissue function and distributes loads away from inflamed or damaged muscles and tendons, thereby protecting tissues from further injury. Please check out the following link for more information on this very impressive treatment option that MAGNA offers for you: Kinesiology Tape

If you fall victim to a sports injury, MAGNA also offers multiple treatment options to improve your condition. From Joint Manipulation of the affected joint and associated spinal segments, to pulsed ultrasound that helps to heal your joint supporting tissues. MAGNA is also proud to offer cold laser which is a treatment modality that promotes blood flow to damaged areas, reduces swelling caused by bruising or inflammation, as well as increase cell reproduction and growth to get you back on the field or course at a faster rate. 

As always, proper spinal motion achieved through regular Chiropractic Adjustments will help your body function at it's highest capacity. 

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Bike Fit Basics

Whether you ride on-road or off, pedal casually or competitively, it's important to pay close attention to how your bicycle fits your body. A properly fitted bike will allow you to ride comfortably and safely, avoid injury, and produce more power, so you can go faster with the same or less effort. In general, when fitting a bicycle, there are five basic components to consider.

1. Frame size is not necessarily dependent on your height; rather, it is more a matter of leg length. Simply, the frame should be easily straddled with both feet flat on the ground, and with an inch or two of clearance for a road of hybrid bike and about four inches of clearance for a mountain bike.



2. Saddle height should be set so that your knee is slighly bent when the pedal is at its lowest position and the ball of your foot is on the pedal. A saddle, or seat, that is too high or too low can cause pain and lead to injuries of the back and knees.



3. Saddle position can be checked by sitting on your bicycle (hold onto a friend or a stationary object) and rotating the pedals until they are horizontal. Your forward knee should be directly over the respective pedal axle when the ball of your foot is on the pedal.



4. Saddle tilt can be gauged simply by feel or by using a carpenter's level. Generally speaking, your seat should be level with the ground. If the saddle tips too much in either direction, pressure will be placed on your arms, shoulders and lower back.



5. Handlebar position and distance is mostly a matter of personal preference because it affects shoulder, neck and back comfort. Typically, handlebars are positioned higher for comfort (a more upright riding position) and lower for improved aerodynamics.

Always Wear a Helmet!


A bicycle crash can happen at any time; however, according to the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration, a properly fitted bicycle helmet reduces the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent and the risk of brain injury by as much as 88 percent. The following are tips to help ensure the correct helmet fit.

•The helmet should be level on the head, and it must cover the forehead.
•The Y of the straps should meet just below the ear.
•The chin strap should be snug against the chin so that when you open the mouth very wide, the helmet pulls down a little.
•Put your palm on the front of the helmet, and push up and back. If it moves more than an inch, more fitting is required.
•Shake your head around. If the helmet dislodges, work on the strap adjustments.
•Do not wear a hat under the helmet.
•All helmets sold in bike shops must be approved by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and should carry a CPSC sticker.

Magna Minute: Dr. Rogers Explains Travel Tips

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Forward Head Posture











In the poster on the left, the first sketch (top-left) represents “perfect” head posture. A line dropped from the center of the external auditory meatus (EAM) would land directly in the center of the shoulder (the tip of the acromion process). The graphic on the right demonstrates the progression of forward head posture (occasionally referred to as “anterior head translation”).


According to Kapandji (Physiology of the Joints, Volume III), for every inch your head moves forwards, it gains 10 pounds in weight, as far as the muscles in your upper back and neck are concerned, because they have to work that much harder to keep the head (chin) from dropping onto your chest. This also forces the suboccipital muscles (they raise the chin) to remain in constant contraction, putting pressure on the 3 Suboccipital nerves. This nerve compression may cause headaches at the base of the skull. Pressure on the suboccipital nerves can also mimic sinus (frontal) headaches.


Rene Cailliet M.D., famous medical author and former director of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Southern California states:


“Head in forward posture can add up to thirty pounds of abnormal leverage on the cervical spine. This can pull the entire spine out of alignment. Forward head posture (FHP) may result in the loss of 30% of vital lung capacity. These breath-related effects are primarily due to the loss of the cervical lordosis, which blocks the action of the hyoid muscles, especially the inferior hyoid responsible for helping lift the first rib during inhalation.”


Persistent forward head posture (a.k.a “hyperkyphotic posture”) puts compressive loads upon the upper thoracic vertebra, and is also associated with the development of Upper Thoracic Hump, which can devolve into Dowager Hump when the vertebra develop compression fractures (anterior wedging). A recent study found this hyperkyphotic posture was associated with a 1.44 greater rate of mortality.


It's not uncommon to observe 2" of anterior head placement in new patients. Would you be surprised that your neck and shoulders hurt if you had a 20-pound watermelon hanging around your neck? That's what forward head posture can do to you. Left uncorrected, FHP will continue to decline. Chiropractic can be very corrective, especially in the hands of a chiropractic rehabilitationist. Our specialty is in reversing the joint fixations (what we refer to as “subluxations”) and in re-invigorating the muscles that normally retract the head.


Complete article found here

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Dishman McGinnis Eagle Run 5K


Magna Chiropractic hangs out at the Eagle Run 5K, taking care of runners using kinesio tape and stretching techniques. Awesome Day!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Introducting A New Product To Our Rehab Program: The Halo Trainer

We just got this item in the mail today, the Halo Trainer allows you to determine the level of difficulty for developing a strong core. For more information, check them out here: halotrainer.com








Thursday, January 26, 2012

Happy Healthy Essentials

Check out Happy Healthy Essentials for your opportunity to develop a LIFE STYLE CHANGE...

Contact Jodie Hawley or Lilly Van Wyk
Happy Healthy Solutions
165 Natchez Trace, Ste 201
Bowling Green, KY 42103
Phone: (270) 843-6781
Fax: (270) 746-0240

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Monday, January 16, 2012

The World's First Bionic Burger Video

Why McDonald's Food Is Indestructible

It's always entertaining when the mainstream media "discovers" something they think is new even though the natural health community has been talking about for years. The New York Times, for example, recently ran a story entitled When Drugs Cause Problems They Are Supposed to Prevent (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/health/policy/17drug.html?_r=1...). We've been covering the same topic for years, reporting on how chemotherapy causes cancer, osteoporosis drugs cause bone fractures and antidepressant drugs cause suicidal behavior.

The latest "new" discovery by the mainstream media is that McDonald's Happy Meal hamburgers and fries won't decompose, even if you leave them out for six months. This story has been picked up by CNN, the Washington Post and many other MSM outlets which appear startled that junk food from fast food chains won't decompose.

The funny thing about this is that the natural health industry already covered this topic years ago. Remember Len Foley's Bionic Burger video? It was posted in 2007 and eventually racked up a whopping 2 million views on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYyDXH1amic...). And this video shows a guy who bought his McDonald's hamburgers in 1989 -- burgers that still haven't decomposed in over two decades!

Now, he has an entire museum of non-decomposed burgers in his basement.

Did the mainstream media pick up on this story? Nope. Not a word. The story was completely ignored. It was only in 2010 when an artist posted a story about a non-decomposing McDonald's hamburger from six months ago that the news networks ran with the story.

Check out the video link above and you'll see an entire museum of Big Macs and hamburgers spanning the years -- none of which have decomposed.

This is especially interesting because the more recent "Happy Meal Project" which only tracks a burger for six months has drawn quite a lot of criticism from a few critics who say the burgers will decompose if you give them enough time. They obviously don't know about the mummified burger museum going all the way back to 1989. This stuff never seems to decompose!


Why don't McDonald's hamburgers decompose?
So why don't fast food burgers and fries decompose in the first place? The knee-jerk answer is often thought to be, "Well they must be made with so many chemicals that even mold won't eat them." While that's part of the answer, it's not the whole story.

The truth is many processed foods don't decompose and won't be eaten by molds, insects or even rodents. Try leaving a tub of margarine outside in your yard and see if anything bothers to eat it. You'll find that the margarine stays seems immortal, too!

Potato chips can last for decades. Frozen pizzas are remarkably resistant to decomposition. And you know those processed Christmas sausages and meats sold around the holiday season? You can keep them for years and they'll never rot.

With meats, the primary reason why they don't decompose is their high sodium content. Salt is a great preservative, as early humans have known for thousands of years. McDonald's meat patties are absolutely loaded with sodium -- so much so that they qualify as "preserved" meat, not even counting the chemicals you might find in the meat.

To me, there's not much mystery about the meat not decomposing. The real question in my mind is why don't the buns mold? That's the really scary part, since healthy bread begins to mold within days. What could possibly be in McDonald's hamburger buns that would ward off microscopic life for more than two decades?

As it turns out, unless you're a chemist you probably can't even read the ingredients list out loud. Here's what McDonald's own website says you'll find in their buns:

Enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid, enzymes), water, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, yeast, soybean oil and/or partially hydrogenated soybean oil, contains 2% or less of the following: salt, calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate, wheat gluten, ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride, dough conditioners (sodium stearoyl lactylate, datem, ascorbic acid, azodicarbonamide, mono- and diglycerides, ethoxylated monoglycerides, monocalcium phosphate, enzymes, guar gum, calcium peroxide, soy flour), calcium propionate and sodium propionate (preservatives), soy lecithin.

Great stuff, huh? You gotta especially love the HFCS (diabetes, anyone?), partially-hydrogenated soybean oil (anybody want heart disease?) and the long list of chemicals such as ammonium sulfate and sodium proprionate. Yum. I'm drooling just thinking about it.

Now here's the truly shocking part about all this: In my estimation, the reason nothing will eat a McDonald's hamburger bun (except a human) is because it's not food!

No normal animal will perceive a McDonald's hamburger bun as food, and as it turns out, neither will bacteria or fungi. To their senses, it's just not edible stuff. That's why these bionic burger buns just won't decompose.

Which brings me to my final point about this whole laughable distraction: There is only one species on planet Earth that's stupid enough to think a McDonald's hamburger is food. This species is suffering from skyrocketing rates of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, dementia and obesity. This species claims to be the most intelligent species on the planet, and yet it behaves in such a moronic way that it feeds its own children poisonous chemicals and such atrocious non-foods that even fungi won't eat it (and fungi will eat cow manure, just FYI).

Care to guess which species I'm talking about?

Source:
http://www.naturalnews.com/030074_Happy_Meal_decompose.html#ixzz1jdBUogY7

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Magna Minute: 2012 New Year's Resolutions

Now Offering Vitamins and Herbal Teas To Conquer The Cold and Flu Season

Magna Chiropractic is gearing up for the winter season by offering our patients the following vitamins and herbal tea remedies to get you through the cold and flu season and be ontop of your game when spring time sunshine rolls around.

The Healer Tea
The Healer Tea ($10.00)
Clears out the sinus passages and can alleviate symptoms of allergies, colds, flu and headaches. The Healer contains herbs to help boost the immune system. This is a two-step process: First, shake the jar and take a whiff to open congested areas. Breathe deeply as the herbs work into the sinus passages. Next, drink a strong cup of The Healer. If you add milk and honey it will taste like Chai Tea.

Walk in Balance Tea
Walk in Balance Tea
($10.00)

Contains herbs that help boost the immune system during cold season and have traditionally been used to calm the nerves and settle an upset stomach, allowing the mental and physical aspects to come back into Balance.

For more information on Nuwati Herbal products, please visit nuwatiherbals.com


Zinc Plus Lozenges
($10.00)

Is for treating or preventing low levels of vitamin B, C, and zinc. It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor. A vitamin and mineral combination. It works by providing vitamins and minerals to the body to help meet nutritional needs.

Vitamin C 1000 Plus
Vitamin C 1000 Plus
($17.00)

Plays an important role in supporting immune function. As an antioxidant, Vitamin C helps neutralize harmful free radicals in cells and works as a catalyst for the absorption of other essential vitamins and minerals.

For more information on these products, please feel free to contact us at our offices and we'll be happy to assist you.

Magna Chiropractic
165 Natchez Trace, Suite 201
Bowling Green, KY 42103
(270) 746-9400
www.magnachiro.com

Monday, January 9, 2012

Winterize Your Health

WINTER: The bitter weather. The short days. The fattening food. Winter brings some of its own health challenges, but you can stay healthy as we head into the springtime.

New Year's Resolution One: Keep the Weight Off this Winter

The winter just wouldn't be the same without cookies, bread and anything laden with butter, cream and cheese. Studies show that, on average, Americans gain one net pound per year because of winter eating of so-called comfort foods. There are ways to avoid this weighty dilemma by serving highly nutritious, tasty food even when temperatures plunge below freezing. Helpful tips include: -- Eat enough fiber, especially in the form of fruits and vegetables.

-- Serve fruits and vegetables that are currently in-season; they will taste much better than out-of-season produce.

-- Substitute high-fiber sweet potatoes for high-carbohydrate potatoes.

-- Use low-fat dairy products in recipes.

-- Use applesauce in place of butter or oil in cakes.

-- Rely on seasonings and herbs rather than fat for making food tasty.

Who Knew Something So Simple Could Do So Much: Avoiding the Cold and Flu Through Handwashing

Experts increasingly believe handwashing to be the most important element of germ control and disease prevention. Cold and flu viruses are more likely to permeate the immune system when the weather turns bitter. Besides getting an annual flu shot (available to anyone over 6 months of age but especially recommended for people aged six months to 18 years and from age 50 years and over), there are precautions that everyone can take to avoid catching a virus and/or spreading one to others. Handwashing, experts increasingly believe, is a valuable tool at anyone's fingertips.

Do you know that there is a correct way to wash one's hands?

If you are using soap and warm water:

-- Rub your hands together hard for at least 15 seconds sing a song such as "Happy Birthday" twice, which will be roughly that length.

-- Make sure you wash areas that frequently get missed: the backs of the hands, between the fingers, the thumbs and the fingernails.

-- Use a paper towel to turn off the water if you use your bare hand, it will be re-contaminated.

-- If you are using waterless soap:

-- Make sure it contains at least 70% alcohol.

-- Rub the soap solution into every area of your hands until they are completely dry.

Winter Blues: How to Handle Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Nearly everyone gets the winter blues at some time or another, but for some, they are actually a serious medical disorder. It is estimated that over 6 percent of Americans suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and over 14 percent get the milder form called Subsyndromal Seasonal Affective Disorder (SSAD). Both disorders are more prevalent in the parts of the world closest to the poles, leading researchers to think that down feelings in the wintertime are related to the lack of daylight. Your doctor can help determine whether or not your depression is season-related, but how do you know when your depression is severe enough to warrant a trip to the doctor?

Symptoms of depression include:

-- Feelings of sadness, hopelessness and helplessness

-- Lack of energy

-- Feeling slowed down

-- Trouble falling or staying asleep

-- Changes in appetite and/or weight

-- Inability to concentrate or make decisions

-- Thoughts of death or suicide

-- Loss of interest in people and activities

-- Restlessness

If you don't have severe symptoms of depression but are simply feeling blue this season, there are things you can do to lift your spirits, such as:

-- Make it a priority to get exercise. On the rare sunny winter days, go outside and take a brisk walk so you get the mood benefits of sunlight as well as exercise.

-- Take a daily vitamin.

-- Stay well-hydrated by drinking water whenever you are thirsty.

-- When the sun is out, do your work by a window.

The Great White Death Commeth: How to Safely Shovel Snow

Most portions of the U.S. are expected to experience a snowier-than-usual winter, according to the 2009 Farmer's Almanac. Unfortunately, this means we will all be shoveling our driveways and sidewalks more often. Shoveling snow is a moderate-intensity exercise that could result in injury if done incorrectly. Follow these tips to stay snow-safe this winter season. It will take some preparation, but your legs, back and heart will thank you:

-- Before shoveling, warm up your muscles in your legs, arms, shoulders and back by stretching.

-- If you must stand on ice, put down salt or sand to give your feet some traction. To maintain the best balance, stand with feet apart at hip-width.

-- Use an ergonomic shovel with a bend in the handle it will save your back by permitting you to bend less. When you do need to bend, bend at your knees.

-- Spray the dish of the shovel with olive oil before you start. The oil will help the snow easily slide on and off.

-- To give yourself the best leverage, space your hands apart on the shovel handle.

-- Don't put too much snow on the shovel at once. Shovel only truly manageable amounts of 1 to 2 inches at a time.

-- Protect your back by tightening your stomach muscles while you lift.

-- That said, if you can, push the snow instead of lifting it.

-- Walk to drop the snow rather than throwing it, but if you must throw it, do not bend at the waist, but instead rotate your entire body to face the direction of the throw.

-- Slow down. Most injuries occur when people try to shovel too quickly.

-- Take a break every 5 to 10 minutes to regain your breath. Shoveling snow is like weightlifting, and if you don't take breaks, you put could yourself at risk for heart attack.

-- If you are overweight, elderly, or have a history of heart or back problems, you should forego shoveling snow altogether and use a snow blower or else have someone else shovel your snow.

Source: Medical News Today