Chiropractic Elk Grove

We buy life insurance and medical insurance just in case…, right?  On some level this is a good thing.  We don’t want to leave our loved ones behind with the added worry on having to figure out how they can afford to bury us on top of having to grieve over us passing.  As for medical insurance, we don’t have to worry about how to pay the large hospital bill after an accident when we have missed work all because of it. 

Chiropractic is about a hundred years old and still misunderstood.  I want to clear it up for a couple of you that might still be confused.  This again is only my opinion - doesn’t mean much other than to me and my patients.  If I could get the general public to change their view of chiropractic as bone doctors to doctors of the nervous system that would be the first step in the right direction.   If you knew what I know, if you could borrow my brain for a second, if you went to chiropractic college - there would be lines of people lining up out in front of every chiropractic office.  There are some people who see chiropractors today and don’t know the totalaty of what they are “buying.”  It is our job as chiropractors to educate you as to what it is and what you are getting in an adjustment.  The only reason you see models of spines and pictures of x-rays in our office is because it is the means by which I can contact and make a difference on the nervous system.  It is the spine the houses the nervous system. 

One of the things you are getting, when you are under chiropractic care, and may not be aware of it, is faster healing compared to that of your co-worker/not adjusted counter part, if you were both in the same accident.  Chiropratic is becoming known as preventative medicine.  You should definitely see a chiropractor first.  If there is no change in your condition you should then consider a different route.  Each condition and time for which relief should be felt is different for everyone.  For some people it will be one adjustment that makes them feel better.  At most, I would give it four weeks to feel a difference.  You and the doctor should have a conversation about your progress at that point if you haven’t seen/felt any.  Have the doctor take out your original intake form and initial exam to make comparisons with.  In relation to insurance, chiropratic is something to have just in case.  At this point, until  I tell you more about what I know about it - you might just have to trust me. 

Think Chiropractic First,

Dr. Munoz

There are things we are bringing in to our home that are toxic.  You don’t have to worry about the air pollution outside.  You are buying the air fresheners and cleaners that are not only doing damage to the environment but to our own lungs when we inhale them.  These chemicals can allergies, asthma, sinusitis or bronchitis.  In order to get better you should at least think about helping it out by reducing the chemicals you expose your lungs to on a daily basis in your own home.  So, yes, what I am suggesting is that you create your own cleaning products.  Make sure you label the bottles. 

Since I have talked about air-freshners before I found some more solutions you can make at home -  one that is not toxic to your house, children, lungs, pets.  The air-freshners they at the store actually diminish your sense of smell so if the toxic part didn’t get you maybe that will.  So does smoking by the way. 

• Simmer water and cinnamon or other spices on the stove. 
• Place bowls or vase of fragrant dried herbs and flowers in the room
• Prevent cooking odors by simering vinegar (1 tbsp in 1 cup water) on the stove while cooking.  To gt such smells as fish and onion off utensils and cutting boards, whipe them with vinegar and wash in soapy water

Live Healthy,

Dr. Munoz

Source:  Eartheasy.com Non-Toxic Home Cleaning

Morphine is not prescribed for Rheumatoid arthritis.  If you/your friend has RA and have progressed to a point where you/they are experiening joint pain it really does hurt.  The cartilage in between bones are deteriorating.  RA is not a joint ony disease.  Organs may be effected as well.  Some RA patients suffer from ulcers and heart complications.  None of the drugs given for RA cure RA.  If they have you on medication they are going to check you often.  They are checking to see if the side effects of the drugs are too dangerous to continue to give you the drugs.  RA patients’, mild or severe cases, life expectancy are shorter than someone without RA. 

If you have rheumatoid arthritis you might have been given a combination of these types of medications:  disease modifying antirheumatic drugs, anti-inflammatory medications, cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, antimalarial medications, tumor necrosis factor inhibitor, human interleukin-1 receptor antgonist, biologics, immunosuppressant and/or a corticosteroid.  Disease modifying antirheumatic drugs and anti-inflammatory are two standard drugs given to RA patients.  Methotrexate is the most commonly distributed disease modifying antirheumatic drug.  The most common anti-inflammatory drug given to patients with RA are aspirin or NSAIDS, like ibuprofen.  NSAIDS lead to stomach problems so COX-2 inhibitors might be given to a patient with patients already known to have stomach issues.  The problem with COX-2 inhibitors is that they reportedly give patients heart attacks.  Antimalarial drugs have high toxic side effects so they give them out and watch your body’s reaction closely by asking for frequent blood tests.  Tumor necrosis factor medications are the newest class of medications available.  They block an inflammatory protein.  More patients with time have to be on these drugs for longer time in order to learn of the results and side effects.  Examples of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors are commonly named: Enbrel, Remicade and Humira.  Human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist drug is a synthetic protein that blocks the inflammatory protein interleukin-1.  This is given to patients over 18, along with disease modifying antirheumatic drugs or tumor necrosis factor drugs, and that have not responded to one or more disease modifying antirheumatic drugs.   Biologics are available to patients with RA that do not respond to the tumor necrosis factor drugs.  The two type of biologic drugs available are administered via injection through a vein.  The last two to speak of are immunosuppressants and corticosteroids.  Immunosuppressants have toxic side effects so are reserved for severe cases of RA.  They will give these harsh drugs to people that haven’t responded to other medications.  Corticosteroids are used to decrease inflammation.  They have dangerous side effects as well. 

Sometimes a total joint replacement is required.  The most successful surgeries are when knees or hips are replaced because how much larger these joints are compared to finger joints, for example, and because of the more simple directions of motion these joints do. 

Physical therapy is definitely needed after surgery but should be attempted before surgery for patients with RA in order to delay loss of joint function through a set of range of motion exercises.  Chiropractors do the same thing.  We are putting motion into the joints. 

Take Care,

Dr. Munoz

Do we all agree or know that the heavy metal, mercury, is bad for us?  I can come back to this topic later in more detail.  I found an article by Maura Judkis, January 28, 2009 that says Mercury was found in High Fructose Corn Syrup!!! Just the thing I have been talking about.  The number one source of mercury in our systems is still from our amalgum feelings.  Heavy metals are neurotoxins, toxic to our nerves!  The only thing we have heard from the media is that we are getting mercury from our fish - not true.  And to boot, here is another reason to stay away from the HFCSs, they have mercury in them!  They replaced HFCS for sugar in all the processed foods because it’s a cheaper ingredient.  To name just a few foods that include them:  yogurt, soda, candy, juice and jelly.  Particular brand names that have been shown to contain mercury are:  Hershey’s, Quaker, Hunt’s, Manwich, Smucker’s, Kraft, NutriGrain, and Yoplait.  You buy these products I know thinking you can trust them because of the wholesome names and faces on the commercials or of their mascots.  You think because they have been around for a long time they are safe.  The article says the FDA knew about the toxic substances.  Sorry to break it to you.  We live in an age that you have to be in charge of your own food safety.  The smallest amount of mercury can be seriously unhealthy.  David Wallinga, M.D., confirms what we have been talking about to you in our office, ” Mercury is toxic in all its forms.  Given how much high fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered.”  Stick to organic.  If you don’t buy organic make sure you clean the produce off well.   Buy food grown out of the earth, created by and made for you by God.  Stick to the produce isles of your grocery store. 

Watch What You Eat,

Dr. Munoz

Formula vs. Mother’s Milk - No Contest! The advice to make homemade baby formula as a alternative to commercial formula has been one of the most controversial positions taken by the Weston A. Price Foundation — and also one that has elicited the most grateful praise. 

While government officials and orthodox pediatricians are often appalled at the thought of a parent mixing up baby formula — and one based on raw milk, no less — the feedback we have received from parents has been extremely positive.  If you educate yourself about this you could know more than the doctors - I challenge you.

Some breastfeeding advocates have also criticized our stance, claiming that by providing a more healthy alternative to commercial formulas, we are discouraging breastfeeding.  Make no mistake:  the best food for baby is breast milk from a healthy mother.  There is nothing else on Earth that has IgG (Immunoglobulin G).  This comes from mother’s milk and is a critical in coating the intestinal lining and digestive track with immune system protection.   It can bind to many kinds of pathogens, for example viruses, bacteria, and fungi, and protects the body against them.  By giving your child a strong immune system and digestive system from a young age you are protecting them against future issues with allergies, leaky gut, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and other autoimmune and nutrition based diseases. 

However, many situations call out for a good substitute:  adopted and orphaned babies, babies born to mothers with serious health problems, and babies whose mothers do not have enough milk ( a situation that does happen occasionally) deserve to receive something better than commercial formula.  Remember I told you there is toxic corn syrup in those cans of formula.  For a developing child they should not be ingesting that stuff.    I don’t have children and I plan to breast feed for as long as my child will take it but if for some reason he/she doesn’t take to me I will make my own formula.  It’s just a good idea.  That way I know what is going into my child and I know the quality and freshness of the ingredients.  I will be adjusting my child.  I will be giving them the best chance at a healthy life from the beginning of their lives. 

Keep Our Children Healthy,

Dr. Munoz

Source:  Mercola.com, Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Volume 6, Number 2, Pages 18-28

 Avoid Sugar:  Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately after consumption.  As you likely know, a strong immune system is key to fighting off viruses and other illness.  It is especially imperative to avoid sugar if you feel you are coming down with something.  Keeping sugar out of your diet for the long haul will do wonders for your health and make your body stronger, which will make it harder for the your system to fall suseptible to illnesses.

Be aware that sugar is present in foods you may not suspect like ketchup and fruit juice.  In America, the average person takes in about 140 lbs. of sugar.  For all the steps to building your immune system to its peak levels, which is by far the most effective way to avoid the flu, other illnesses and chronic diseases.  Excessive consumption of sugar has been associated with increased incidences of type 2 diabetes, obesity and tooth decay.  Do not think that sugar substitutes are any better for you because they aren’t. 

Definition of corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup according to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: 

Corn syrup is a syrup, made using cornstarch as a feedstock, and composed mainly of glucose. A series of two enzymatic reactions are used to convert the corn starch to corn syrup. Its major uses in commercially-prepared foods are as a thickener, sweetener, and for its moisture-retaining (humectant) properties which keep foods moist and help to maintain freshness.^[1]

Corn syrup is used to soften texture, add volume, prohibit crystallization and enhance flavour. Because cane sugar quotas raise the price of sugar in the United States^[2], domestically produced corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup are a less expensive alternative often used in American-made processed and mass-produced foods, candies, and sodas to help control costs.^[1]

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) – called isoglucose^[1] in Europe and glucose-fructose in Canada – comprises any of a group of corn syrups that has undergone enzymatic processing to increase its fructose content, and then been mixed with pure corn syrup (100% glucose). HFCS is ubiquitous in processed foods and beverages, including soft drinks, yogurt, cookies, salad dressing and tomato soup.^[2]

[edit] Health effects

Critics of HFCS point out a correlation between increased usage of HFCS in foods and obesity rates in the United States over three decades. Some allege that HFCS is in itself more detrimental to health than table sugar (sucrose); others claim that the low cost of HFCS encourages overconsumption of sugars. The Corn Refiners Association has launched an aggressive advertising campaign to counter these criticisms, claiming that high fructose corn syrup “is natural” and “has the same natural sweeteners as table sugar”.^[25] Both sides point to studies in peer reviewed journals that allegedly support their point of view.

Consuming HFCSs is linked to obesity and insulin resistance. HFCSs are found in processed foods such as sweeten jams, condiments like ketchup, and soft drinks.  It is also a favorite ingredient in many so-called health foods.  It was found that soft drinks sweetened with HFCS are up to 10 times richer in harmful carbonyl compounds, such as methylglyoxal, than a diet soft drink control.^[27] Carbonyl compounds are elevated in people with diabetes and are blamed for causing diabetic complications such as foot ulcers and eye and nerve damage;^[28][29]

A study in mice suggests that fructose increases obesity.^[30] Large quantities of fructose stimulate the liver to produce triglycerides, promotes glycation of proteins and induces insulin resistance.^[31] According to one study, the average American consumes nearly 70 lb (32 kg) of HFCS a year, marking HFCS as a major contributor to the rising rates of obesity in the last generation. ^[32]

In a 2007 study, rats were fed a diet high in fat and HFCS and kept them relatively sedentary for 16 weeks in an attempt to emulate the diet and lifestyle of many Americans.^[33] The rats were not forced to eat, but were able to eat as much as they wanted; they consumed a large amount of food, suggesting that fructose suppresses the sensation of fullness. Within four weeks, the rats showed early signs of fatty liver disease and type II diabetes. Shapiro et al. fed rats a high-fructose diet for six months and compared them to rats that had been fed a fructose-free diet. Although the rats that had consumed high levels of fructose showed no change in weight, when compared to the rats that had consumed a fructose-free diet, levels of leptin in the blood of rats fed a high-fructose diet indicated the development of leptin resistance. When the rats were switched to a high-fat diet, the leptin-resistant rats, those fed a high-fructose diet, gained more weight than those who had not developed the resistance and had been fed a fructose-free diet.^[34]

• Limit processed foods.
• Avoid foods that contain added sugar.
• Choose fresh fruit rather than fruit juice or fruit-flavored drinks. Even 100 percent fruit juice has a high concentration of sugar.
• Choose fruit canned in its own juices instead of heavy syrup.  
• Drink less soda.

^References:

¹⁾^ ^{a b} Knehr, Elaine. “Carbohydrate Sweeteners”. Virgo Publishing. http://www.foodproductdesign.com/articles/463/463_0505CARB_5.html. Retrieved on 2008-10-17. 

Ok, I am going to talk about this again because it keeps on coming up.  It keeps on coming through the door.  If you think you have sciatic pain or you’ve been told that you do by your medical doctor I am going to tell you what to do to help get rid of the pain.  I have shared on an individual basis with some of you that come in complaining of it.  I thought I would share it with more/with as many that want to read about it.  Some people have true sciatica while others might have a problem with their piriformis and have piriformis syndrome.  The piriformis muscle sits in the middle of each buttock.  This is how it can appear on either side.  The muscles starts at the sacrum (a part of your spine) and ends (attaches to) the top of the femur (what you may call the hip bone or top of leg bone).  This muscles function is to rotate our leg out.  If we do this action too much, possibly because our hips are rotated, the muscle begins to tighten up.  The sciatic nerve does make this muscle move.  The nerve takes different paths in each one of us.  For some of us the sciatic nerve may go over, under or through the muscle.  Under normal conditions the nerve should innervate (give instruction to the muscle to move) and move on past it to innervate other muscles lower down in the leg.  If the muscle is too tight, abnormally functioning, the nerve with act up by giving us that signal of radiating pain down our leg.  You should still go to see a chiropractor to get your hips straightened out so that the muscle doesn’t continue to tighten up.  There is something you could do to the muscle to “calm” it down, stretch it out and keep the pain from returning.  This is how you do it:  Start with lying on your back.  If the pain is primarily on the right side.  Cross the right leg over your left, placing your right ankle on the upper part of your left knee, creating a figure four.  Then bend your left knee bringing your left knee (that is carrying your right ankle and leg) up to your chest.  The best part I have found to hang on to (for best results) is pulling the left bent knee towards yourself with both hands by placing hands on top of that knee or if you can between that same bent knee.  I hope you understand what I am trying to describe here.  You can look up stretches of piriformis muscle, I am sure, by now on YouTube for a visual.  If it still doesn’t make sense come in and I’ll show you.  This can keep the pain away for some of you at least until you can get in next to get adjusted.  We really do want you out there living a happy healthy life. 

Stretch,

Dr. Munoz

The next time you go to the store pick up some of the following healthy foods:  avocados, raw almonds, coconut milk, coconut oil, olives or lamb.  These are sources of good fats.  Over time try and replace the bad fats in your cupboards with these kinds.  The bad fats are the transfats you’ve been hearing about lately.  They are almost in all processed foods.  Other bad fats are hydrogentated, partially hydrogenated and vegetable oils.  Bad fats are linked to chronic inflammation, cancer, fatigue and neurotoxic illnesses.  Look on the side of the olive jar.  Make sure the ingredients aren’t too many.  It should be olives, the brine and maybe one or two other listings.  Make sure the side of the lable stays simple.  Adding these few things to your diet, preferrably making them the majority of your diet,  could lead to cancer prevention, healthy brain development, weight loss, cellular healing, anti-inflammation.  These good fats are lacking in the Standard American Diet.  These good fats are essential for hormone production.  This is the basics of the Dr. Pompa’s Diet.  Ask in our office more about it.

Eat Healthy,

Dr. Munoz

Ok, here it is from the U.S. World and New Report, a few things consumers should take advantage of the falling prices on the following things.  This was written/published today by Kimberly Palmer and Kirk Shinkle.  In short without much explaination here, this is what the outcomes were:  In regards to Transportation: 1) Buy a used Prius now.  The prices are low.  Don’t buy a new car right now.  Fly to visit a family in another city.  Education 2) It’s the right time to return to school if you are thinking of getting retrained in another line of work.  Gas: 3) May go up even though it’s cheap now.  Apparel: 4) Hold off on any plans for shopping for now.  Prices are high but dropping.  Housing:  5) If you can afford to travel right now take advantage of cheap hotel fairs and wait to recorate the house. Food: 6) Verdict says cook at home.  It’s cheaper.  This is the subject I want to stay on for a little bit.  

Because of the current economic status, I hope you are spending some more time at home with the family, making them dinner and sitting at the dinner table together.   Hopefully, you have picked up fresh vegetables and fixed a well rounded meal for your family.    Nutrition is so important at any time but can get us through the stress of life.  Stress will tax our immune system and make us prone to illness. 

 We might not like what’s going economically in our household, our community, our state, our nation, or world.  But maybe we need this time to reflect and bring us back to basics.  Maybe we could slow down and count the blessings we do have around us like each other.  We’ve been needing and meaning to spend time together and have great conversations and share ideas.  Tonight, have each member of the family share their thoughts, their day’s events, their goal or dreams.  Remember this is the most current information on the economy things are going to change.  It won’t always be this way.   No storm can last forever. 

Live Healthy,

Dr. Munoz