Category Archives: Madison Chiropractor

Middleton Chiropractor April Newsletter From SHCC

Lowering Your Cortisol Levels

Cortisol, known as the stress hormone, is one of the body’s instinctual response hormones to the fight-or-flight situation. It is released by the adrenal gland during times of stress and has several functions in the body, such as blood-pressure regulation, glucose mobilization, and reducing inflammation. However, although beneficial and even crucial in many aspects, chronically increased levels of cortisol will impede your body’s overall health. Cortisol is one of the hormones responsible for tearing down muscle tissue. It also increases fat stores, particularly in the abdominal area. One way to keep this destructive hormone lowered is to avoid stressful situations as much as possible. Another way to lower cortisol levels is via a proper, well-balanced diet with the right nutrients. Research suggests certain nutritional strategies may help to reduce levels of cortisol in the body. Here are a few to consider:

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Studies reveal that taking fish oil for as little as three weeks reduces cortisol levels compared to placebo. Wild Alaskan salmon is one of the premium choices for omega 3. Other foods high in omega-3 fatty acids include halibut, walnuts, almonds, and flax seed oil.

Vitamin C: Increasing your intake of vitamin C, which is found in citrus fruits such as oranges, as well as bell peppers and dark green leafy vegetables, could reduce cortisol levels. A research study conducted at the University of Alabama concluded that rats supplemented with vitamin C had reduced levels of cortisol after a stressful event compared to those receiving a placebo.

Low-GI Foods: Low-glycemic-index foods can lower cortisol levels in your body. It is recommended to consume foods such as eggs, meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables to lower cortisol levels. High glycemic index foods containing large amounts of sugar or starch are poor choices for reducing this hormone level, and may even increase the level of cortisol in the blood. High-glycemic-index foods require utilization of almost an equivalent mass of animal protein to keep glycemic balance. It is also necessary to avoid extreme lowcalorie diets. Low-calorie dieting is a major stress to the body and increases cortisol production while simultaneously reducing testosterone levels.

Dark Chocolate: Good news, chocolate lovers: Eating dark chocolate may aid in relieving stress. Researchers in Switzerland examined the effects of dark chocolate on stress metabolism. At the end of a two-week study, scientists observed that the group given 40 grams of dark chocolate per day experienced decreases in blood cortisol levels compared to the control group.

Keep in mind that in addition to proper diet, getting the adequate amount of sleep (seven to nine hours of sleep per 24-hour span) and a regular exercise regimen are crucial in lowering levels of the stress hormone. Additionally, rose hip extract has been found to reduce cortisol levels and thus reduce stress.

Dynamic Chiropractic

Middleton Chiropractor March Newsletter From SHCC

New Location and Hours

For patients who have not had an appointment for some time, we are now settled in our new location. The address is:

1468 N. High Point Road Middleton, WI 53562

We are located directly behind the old clinic and in the first building on the left when turning into Foxridge Hills Office Park.  Normal clinic hours have resumed. They are Monday through Friday 8:30 to 6:00, Saturday and Sunday by appointment.

Orthotics Can Help Lower Your Pain

Orthotics are shaped insoles placed inside shoes with the purpose of restoring natural foot movement. This is necessary when the natural balance of our lower body has been disrupted by, for instance, over-pronation or the foot rolling in. Over pronation is more commonly due to the arch falling.

Many common complaints such as muscle pain, heel pain, knee pain and lower back pain can be caused by poor foot mechanics. As the arch falls, the lower and upper leg roll in causing the hip on the same side to lower. This side where the arch dropped will call raise the shoulder on the same side. A rotated foot can cause many other postural misalignments. This results in joint dysfunction and pain.  If left uncorrected, it may result in arthritis, sciatica, headaches and more.

Chiropractors treat the whole body and can determine how the use of orthotics can complement our treatment. We also use specific mobilization and manipulation techniques to ensure that areas of restricted movement are released, which will have an effect on how your feet are functioning, helping your problem resolve better. It doesn’t make sense to just put an orthotic in a shoe without both using manipulation to clear the restrictions in your foot and give specific exercises to strengthen the supportive musculature.

Dr. Brent is trained in fitting custom orthotics and can determine if you require orthotics.

 

Middleton Chiropractor December Newsletter From SHCC

Clinic Hours & New Location

As the holiday season approaches, schedules can get crazy. At SHCC the schedule is going to be really crazy through December 13th! Dr. Kowalke is assisting another doctor transition to his next journey- retirement. Normal business hours will resume after December 13th.

Clinic Hours through December 13th
Monday: 12pm – 2pm and 5pm – 7pm
Tuesday: 8:30am – 7pm
Wednesday: 12pm – 2pm and 5pm – 7pm
Thursday: 8:30am – 7pm
Friday: 12pm – 7pm
Saturday and Sunday by appointment.

Coming Soon – SHCC New Location!
In the coming months, SHCC will be moving to the building directly behind the current clinic location in the same business park. This location will have greater space to offer more services and help more people get well. This move is tentatively scheduled for the end of December/beginning of January, however, we’ll continue to keep you updated on our official move in date.

The new address will be:
1468 N. Highpoint Rd. Middleton, WI 53562

Half Empty or Full

What’s your worldview? Are you an optimist or a pessimist by nature? Do you always expect good things to happen or are you waiting for the other shoe to drop? Our mental attitude affects how we interact with others and how we respond to events and the comings and goings in our daily lives. Remarkably, our mental attitude also affects our health and well-being. How we feel, not only mentally but also physically, is significantly impacted.
A plastic surgeon named Maxwell Maltz wrote Psycho-Cybernetics, a groundbreaking book that has been continuously in print for almost 50 years. Psycho-Cybernetics, one of the original self-help books, popularized the idea that the subconscious part of our mind is a goal-seeking mechanism. Maltz famously compared the subconscious to a guided missile, stating that the subconscious would do exactly what it is programmed to do. If you want to achieve a goal, Maltz proposed, visualize its successful completion. Visualize the fun you and your family are having on your trip to Hawaii or Italy. Provided that the instructions are clear, your subconscious will go to work to cause your goal to manifest in your life.
In terms of health, for example, attitude is critically important. How do you respond, internally, if a nearby co-worker coughs or sneezes throughout the day? Have you noticed that if you think that you, too, are going to get sick, that in fact you do? But others, exposed to the same environment, do not. Is it possible that these others paid no attention to the ill co-worker, that they did not internalize the notion that they were being exposed to contagion? Such a scenario is not necessarily true, but it is possible. The conclusion could be that our thoughts matter. As Earl Nightingale, one of the pioneers of the personal development field, famously stated, “You become what you think about”.

 

 

Middleton Chiropractor November Newsletter From SHCC

Part 3 of nutritional advice from your Middleton chiropractor.

PROBIOTICS

There are 20 times more bacteria in our body than there are cells in our body. At any one time, we have more bacteria in our body than people have lived on the planet. A pro biotic is a friendly or good bacteria that keeps us healthy. To maintain good immune and intestinal health we need to maintain 85% good bacteria and 15% bad bacteria. In most people this is reversed and the result is inflammation and sickness.We need probiotics because chlorine and fluoride in our water destroys our good bacteria. Poor eating habits, alcohol, antibiotics, birth control and over the counter drugs also kill our good bacteria.A large part of our immune system is in our gut so keeping our gut healthy increases our immune system. When the bad bacteria overcome the good, it leads to gut malabsorption problems and poor gut health. If our body can not absorb the nutrients it needs, we do not have the building blocks to heal.
Natural probiotics include yogurt, fermented vegetables like sauerkraut and soybeans (miso and tempeh) and sourdough bread.

PICKING THE RIGHT SUPPLEMENT COMPANY

Since there are no FDA regulations or watch dogs for supplements, anybody can make them and sell them . Unfortunately there are a lot of companies out there selling you supplements that are made in a home kitchen, garage or on a dirt floor. Sometimes companies cut costs and do not put the amount of the supplement that is listed on the label. A study performed on a major chain store that sells supplements showed that one brand had on average 20% less of what was listed on the label.

Buying from a reputable company is necessary. Metagenics is GMP certified which ensures a high quality of cleanliness and manufacturing processes. They use pure and safety reviewed ingredients. Human effectiveness studies are performed. Each batch of the supplement is also sent to other companies to make sure what is listed on the label is in the supplement. They also have the largest MDs and PHDs on staff.

Buying from a good company will ensure you are getting good quality and well manufactured supplements.

Middleton Chiropractor October Newsletter From SHCC

Nutrition Tips From Your Middleton Chiropractor Part 2

VITAMIN D

Vitamin D has an anti-inflammatory effect which helps decrease pain and cellular death. It is also important for building bone and maintaining bone density. It greatly improves immune function.

360 patients had an unknown cause of low back pain for greater than 6 months. Blood vitamin D levels were tested. 299 of the 360 had deficient vitamin D levels. The deficient people were given a vitamin D supplement. After 3 months, the 299 subjects defined as deficient reported a disappearance of low back pain. In total 341/360 were relieved of their chronic low back pain.

Vitamin D is created in our body by the sun. People in Wisconsin get little sun in the winter so vitamin D is essential to supplement to maintain an anti-inflammatory state. To get vitamin D take supplements or go to a tanning bed. If you choose to go to a tanning bed, make sure the tanning bed has UVB rays in order to get a sufficient amount of vitamin D. Food sources include fatty fish like salmon, UV irradiated mushrooms, beef liver and cod liver oil. Flax seed is another source of vitamin D.

TURMERIC, GINGER and BOSWELLIA

The healing benefits of these have been known for over 2500 years. These have a major anti-inflammatory effect to decrease pain and cellular death.

Turmeric acts as a Cox inhibitor much like ibuprofen. It also has an anti-cancer effect.

Ginger has the same effect especially with arthritic pain and digestive problems.

Boswellia, found in pineapples, also has a major anti-inflammatory effect.

So cook with ginger, turmeric and eat more pineapple.

Middleton Chiropractor September Newsletter from SHCC

Nutrition Tips From your Middleton Chiropractor

We all know we should eat healthier and exercise more. Much of the food we eat has very low nutritional value, preservatives, artificial sweeteners and a lot of calories. Poor agricultural practices have decreased soil nutrients which decreases the nutrients in the food we eat. Our body has its own chemical factory and can make some of the nutrients it needs. However, some nutrients are required that our body cannot make. It is important to take supplements to give our body what it needs to heal and to have an overall anti-inflammatory effect since inflammation in the body results in many of the unwanted health conditions we suffer from everyday.

MULTIVITAMIN
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, “Insufficient vitamin intake is apparently the cause of many chronic diseases. A large portion of the general population is at risk for chronic diseases for this reason. Most people do not consume an optimal amount of all vitamins by diet alone. In conclusion they recommended that all adults take a multivitamin/ supplement a day.”
The best natural way to get the vitamins and minerals you need, eat a lot of fruit and vegetables all day long.

FISH OILS
Many studies have shown that fat in humans acts like an organ. As bad fat (trans fat) breaks down in our body it creates a pro inflammatory state and increases inflammation in the body ultimately leading to cell death. As good fat (omega 3) breaks down, there is an anti-inflammatory effect. So having more omega 3 and limiting trans fat will decrease overall inflammation in the body leading to a decrease in arthritis and muscle pain. Fish oils also lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol which decreases cardiovascular disease. They also improve mental function.
Natural sources of omega 3 fatty acids include salmon, flax seed and walnuts.

Middleton Chiropractor August Newsletter from SHCC

Tips to Heal Part 4 from you Middleton Chiropractor

Playing the Doctor. Please Don’t:

  • Don’t do it.  Avoid poking and prodding the areas adjusted.
  • Do not adjust/ crack/ pop  your neck or back yourself. Avoid excessive range of motion especially with your neck.
  • Avoid extreme bending, reaching or working overhead.  Be careful  shampooing your hair.
  • Do low impact exercises such as stretching, walking and swimming.  Avoid high impact jarring exercises like long distance jogging.  Keep moving to stay loose.

 General Tips:

  •  Exercise and stretch regularly.  Perform multiple low impact exercises. If lifting weights, do not lift too much weight, watch your technique and isolate the muscles you are trying to work. Move smoothly with no jerking motions.
  • Eat healthy.  Take supplements
  • Drink at least a 1/4 your weight in ounces of water a day.  If you weigh 180 lbs, drink 45 ounces of water a day.

Text Neck:

Technology can improve our quality of life, but it comes with a price: being huddled over devices for long period of times can do more harm than good. Using certain devices for extended periods of time can easily lead to neck strain, headaches, and pain in the shoulders, arms and hands. Anyone who has used a cellphone or tablet for an extensive amount of time has probably experienced the peculiar strain it puts on your upper body. These conditions even have their own name now: Text Neck.Here are some simple strategies to help shut down text neck strain:

Take frequent breaks

Taking frequent breaks and looking up from your device can provide your neck with some relief from the pressure of looking down.

Sit up straight

It is important to sit up straight while texting. This way you can maintain good posture, relieving your back and shoulders from the strain of being hunched over.

Hold the phone a little higher

Holding the phone closer to eye level helps maintain a healthy posture and puts less strain on the neck.

Stretch

Be sure to stretch often between long periods of extended use of devices. You can rotate your shoulders with your arms by your sides to relieve tension. You can also tuck your chin down to your chest and then look up – this helps to relieve some of the tension in your neck built from the common forward-down position you adopt when looking at your device.

Thank you for your referrals!