New Video! Kristen’s healing after car crash
PLUS…Health Newsletter just for you!
Our newest chiropractic assistant Kristen took some time to share with you exactly what chiropractic means to her including her recent recovery from a car crash, her experience as a Chiropractic Assistant and why she loves working at the office.
Be sure to introduce yourself next time you see her!
Also, to bring you extra value for being a part of our office, we have included our latest “Wellness Express” edition packed with information and a great exercise to help with flexibility and spinal function! This edition discusses elbow injuries and possible causes
>>CLICK HERE for Wellness Express Newsletter<<
Click HERE to visit our entire learning library!
Thanks for watching,
New Spring Chiropractic
Our bodies have incredible ways to regulate homeostasis and prevent illness and disease. One of the most important ways it does that it through the Endocrine system. And I’m going to show you how the chiropractic adjustment undoubtedly influences the Endocrine system.
The Endocrine system is responsible for hormone production and regulation. It’s often called the hormonal system. The hormone we are specifically concerned about today is cortisol.
Increased levels of cortisol result in increased blood sugar and a suppressed immune system.
There are 24 vertebra in our spine that house the spinal cord, and our spinal cord is connected to the brain. The benefits of the chiropractic adjustment, like positively affecting hormone regulation, don’t occur simply because a bone is moved in the process- it happens because the adjustment directly influences the brain. This is incredibly important to understand. Let me explain how.
When a vertebra is adjusted, special nerve receptors embedded in the joint capsule called mechanoreceptors are activated and fire sensory information to the brain. These signals are received and integrated by the hypothalamus, which in turn noticeably change the brain’s activity in response to the sensory input from the adjustment. The hypothalamus is a small region located at the base of the brain near the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus is vital for the proper regulation of body functions including temperature, sleep, thirst, and circadian rhythm. This is one theory why patients have reported better sleep quality after beginning chiropractic care.
Pituitary gland activity dictates the production of cortisol.
But the most important role of the hypothalamus is the linkage of the Nerve System to the hormonal or endocrine system via the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus receives sensory information from the adjusted vertebra of the spine, and produces neurohormones as a result that activate or inhibit the release of hormones from the pituitary gland. This happens due to the improved quality of sensory information that is sent to the hypothalamus from the mechanoreceptors. The hypothalamus, having improved information from the body, is now able to inform the pituitary gland, thus modulating its activity and output. The reason this is so important to understand because pituitary gland activity dictates the production of cortisol in the adrenal glands.
The adrenal glands are small glands located on the top of each kidney. They are part of the endocrine system and are responsible for responding to times of stress. The adrenal glands respond to stress by producing cortisol. Increased levels of cortisol result in increased blood sugar and a suppressed immune system. A long-term chronic increase of cortisol can result in many negative outcomes, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, weak muscles, characteristic bodily changes, and brittle bones. Cortisol, when produced by the adrenal glands, result in breakdown of muscle due to cortisol’s influence on the liver. This is why it is so important to prevent excess levels of cortisol from being produced. It can mean the difference between health and suffering.
Excess cortisol throws the entire endocrine system out of whack. The great news is that the chiropractic adjustment helps the endocrine system accurately regulate the release of beneficial hormones, helping you to achieve and maintain optimal health. Many patients have noted increased resiliency to illness, greater sleep, less pain, and the ability to return to more physical activity. Our doctors recommend regular spinal checks to prevent unnecessary injury for adults and abnormal development for children, both of which could result in the need of costly orthopedic surgeries.
References:
https://collectedmed.com/index.php/article/article/demo_article_display/7659/83/1/1
https://www.sharecare.com/group/american-association-of-endocrine-surgeons
https://www.sharecare.com/health/endocrine-system/what-is-function-cortisol-hormone
Every parent wants a healthy child.
Our children are the closest family to us. They are our own flesh and blood. We would do anything to ensure success for our kids. But the problem is, with all the information we have at our fingertips, how do we know the best way to help them when a problem occurs in their health or performance?
We can easily become overwhelmed by options. Time is precious when your child has a problem that must be fixed.
There seems to be an opinion from every side when it comes to a child’s health. But we know through science and proven research this truth: that good health depends upon a strong and properly functioning immune and nervous system. Without these building blocks of health in place, a child can suffer from a host of problems, including decreased performance in school and athletics, sleeping issues, infections and bed wetting to name a few.
A properly functioning nervous and immune system is the key to a healthy, happy child who will resist infections, allergies, and chronic illnesses. This can mean the difference between an A+ student, or a cranky child who can’t focus and is failing in school.
IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT
Children want to make you happy and proud by getting good grades. But sometimes there is a disconnect between what they know they should do and how their brain can make that happen.
The way our office approaches finding and correcting these disconnects is based on neuroscience.
At this point, you may be thinking, “But I’ve taken my son or daughter to see a Doctor/Chiropractor/Counselor before and he/she didn’t help at all!”
I completely understand your frustration.
If you have already tried numerous therapies in hopes of helping your little loved one heal and recover from their problem, you’re not the only one. We see this quite often in our office. It is completely normal to be skeptical. But our approach is different from traditional chiropractic offices. We don’t simply focus on things like decreasing pain and increasing range of motion, but we focus on assessing your son or daughter’s health concern on a deeper level.
Let me explain.
The brain controls optimum function through its neurological circuitry. It is constantly receiving information from every facet of the body, and in turn sends back ‘fine tuning’ messages, many times per second. This means every cell, gland, organ, muscle, tendon, etc. in the body is constantly being monitored via these circuits to the brain.
However, from time to time, circuits break down – very similar to a fuse blowing in your car or home. Power is now lost to that circuit, reducing function.
Reduced function = sickness, decreased performance, poor grades, etc.
I have an example that explains this problem. It can happen to anyone, including children.
You see, sometimes there is a decrease in how well your child’s nerves are able to carry the information to and from the brain to rest of the body. Think of nerve signals like the invisible signals that connect our electronic devices to WIFI and cellular towers. We can’t see these energy waves, but we sure know when there is a problem! If we can’t connect to an application or make a phone call, the first thing that we look at is the signal strength.
Our bodies work in a similar manner.
We know through science that the nervous system controls and coordinates all activity in a child’s body. Everything from breathing, digesting food, and studying is dependent on a healthy nervous system. You may not immediately think this could affect grades in school, but it has the capability to take a kid from failing to succeeding.
We don’t want any child to be held back from a scholarship or school acceptance because their brain and nerves weren’t functioning at 100%.
Yes, I said FUNCTIONING, not FEELING. This is the most important thing to consider when dealing with children and their nervous system. Often times cognitive function is not always measurable by traditional means. A reading or writing test tells you the EFFECT of a child’s good or bad behaviors, not what is causing them. Remember the problem of a bad WIFI or phone signal? Symptoms in a child are his or her outward expression of a decreased or faulty signal from the brain and nervous system.
I look for the primary condition that is affecting your child, not simply treating their symptoms that are seen on the surface.
When assessing the nerves and brain of a child, a dysfunction may not be able to be felt and seen like with a simple cut or bruise. Brain function and neurologic health is deeply rooted and requires advanced knowledge when looking for an answer. This is where we may be able to help.
New Spring Chiropractic uses a method of neurological restoration. This involves a prioritized set of treatment protocols that evaluate all the neurological circuitry and the facets of body function they represent.
Think of it as restoring function to your child’s body by turning on switches that are currently off in his or her brain.
We evaluate and address areas of physiological and neurophysiological function that you may not even know could possibly be related to their complaint. Some of these issues may have been present for a long time.
My wife, Dr. Allison Gimbert, and myself have spent years and years studying and applying our knowledge of child development and physiologic function. We are passionate about helping the next generation be happy and healthy.
We invite you to schedule an appointment to find out how we may be able to help your child be the best he or she can be.
Our approach CAN mean long-term, sustainable results- not temporary fixes that require a lifetime of care.
So if you DO want to learn more about this unique approach to neurologic restoration… At the bottom of this page there’s a simple web form.
If all this makes sense to you…
Then simply give us a call or schedule an appointment online to be seen as soon as possible.
Yours in Health,
Drs. Sean and Allison Gimbert
Stretching tips and myths debunked for greater spinal health.
Stretching has been touted for it’s many benefits, some of which are true and some that are not-so-true. Do you know why we should stretch, and for what reasons? Here are some things to consider before doing your favorite sport or activity.
Warming up before an event or activity is often combined with stretching. But did you know that stretching before physical activity has been shown to have no little to no effect on injury prevention? Only a proper warm-up prior to activity is most likely to prevent injury.
Think back for a moment to your days of middle school gym class. Yes, for many of us this is a cringe-worthy thought. Those awkward days of puberty, disproportionate body parts, coupled with the stresses of fitting-in while somehow playing it cool like you have it all figured out as a 12 year old. Those wonderful days of ill-fitting clothing and the not-so-hip athletic shoes your mom picked out for you. They weren’t the pair you wanted, but mom said they would look great on you. Oh, how she was wrong. Yep, we’re talking about those days.
During gym class everybody stretches, and stretches, and stretches, for what seemed like an eternity. Some days, you likely spent this time thinking how awful your tennis shoes looked compared to the popular kid’s brand shoes, and imagined how you could somehow switch shoes with him or her without them knowing. The idle fantasies of youth is really creative, isn’t it? But back to those stretches.
The old practices of stretching simply doesn’t help us from getting injured.
Even though most of us can remember a time in gym class during grade school where the class would stretch before playing a game or running, this practice simply doesn’t help us from getting injured. It can help lengthen muscles, but the kind of gym class stretching you likely remember well is a thing of the past.
Today, warm ups should consist of functional movements that prepare your body for the activity you are about to be doing. Think about the field goal kicker you have seen on the sidelines during a game. He isn’t spending his time focused on stretching to “stay loose”, but working on movements that will improve the kick and the activity he is trained to perform. He actively engages his body and muscle by performing practice kicks. This helps his brain and muscles form connections that improve his performance on the field. That is a pretty amazing concept if you think about it, right?
We should approach stretching with some basic information. This information should help you to feel empowered and not afraid of stretching for greater health. Stretching can actually lead to injury and thus may not be appropriate for athletes before commencing activity. This will vary and depends on the activity. Ask us on your next visit if you have specific questions.
The football kicker, as well as us, will benefit greatly if we stretch after activity. For healthy individuals, 30 seconds of stretching per muscle group will increase range of motion. That is all it takes! This is great news for those who find stretching time consuming or laborious. However, certain muscle groups and injuries require additional time or repetitions. We can help you decide how long each muscle group should be stretched.
Stress affects your muscles negatively.
One reason why muscles go into spasm or become tight is due to emotional (psychological) stress that affects a part of your brain called the Limbic system. The Limbic system is a complex area of the brain that controls mood, emotions, and behavior, motivation, and long term memory. Complex processes like hormone regulation are affected by this system. When the Limbic system processes negative emotional stress, one thing that can result is a physical reaction in the muscles. The emotional stress could then manifest as a muscle spasm or increased muscle tone over different areas of the body, such as the shoulder and neck area, the low back, and the pelvic floor area.
There is evidence that the Spinal Shifts or Subluxations that are corrected by Corrective Chiropractic Care can be caused in part by our thoughts and mental stresses. These thoughts then develop into physical problems- first, the spinal problem occurs, then as a result, the muscles tighten as a compensatory mechanism to prevent further rotation and injury of the spine. We have found this to be true in many patients who experience stress from a job or personal reasons.
This can manifest as a simple tight muscle, or leave you or me predisposed to developing trigger points. Trigger points develop as a result of muscle dysfunction, and is from sustained shortening of the muscle fibers. The area within the muscle is very painful when pressed and causes the pain to travel to other areas of the body, such as the shoulder or hip. We find that addressing the underlying spinal problem often allows the muscles to relax and the trigger point to go away. For particularly bothersome trigger points, we also have therapeutic options that can help to provide safe and effective relief.
In summary:
- Stretching is great after workouts and activity, but the evidence does not support stretching before activity. It can, depending on the activity, be best completed after you exercise or are finished being physically active.
- Hold stretches for 30 seconds to improve range of motion and relieve stiffness
- Mental stress can cause spinal Subluxations which result in muscle spasm and trigger points.
- Trigger points are painful areas with a muscle that
References:
Liebenson, Craig. Rhabilitation of the Spine: A Practicioner’s Manual, 2nd ed. Chapter 19: Manual Resistance Techniques. Lippincott Williams.2007.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbic_system
http://www.chiro.org/LINKS/ABSTRACTS/Stabilizing_The_Pelvis.shtml
http://www.chiro.org/ACAPress/The_Pelvis.html
Dr. Sean Gimbert had the opportunity to sit down with WNZF radio of Palm Coast and share his take on current health issues, chiropractic advancements, and his background. Listen and learn more about your community and how to stay healthy.
Millions and millions of children are being diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (abbreviated ADD) and ADHD every year. The numbers are steadily increasing every year with no signs of slowing down. Something clearly is changing in our children, but what? If attention deficit disorder is suspected in a child, or even an adult, there are potential problems to rule out. It is imperative to finding the best treatment option for these children.
Ruling out potential problems
A common first line defense for attention deficit disorder and ADHD is prescription drugs. But before jumping into dulling the senses and decreasing stimulation through pharmaceuticals, we must consider if the problem is better corrected through natural means. Our children and families, after all, should not be burdened with a lifetime of drug therapy if it can be avoided. We must look to brain function for guidance. But how?
First, an impaired functioning nervous system MUST be identified and corrected or all other treatments will be limited or useless. Yes, prescription medication has their time and place, but often results in simply patching a problem instead of CORRECTING the underlying cause. There are specific centers in the brain that, if not functioning properly, can result in certain behavioral problems.
“The choice is whether to patch the fault or find a complete solution.”
The higher cognitive functions like information processing and memory formation is essential to the young child. The limbic system of the brain is responsible for successful integration of our 10 bodily senses and making sense of the world around us. In additional to the 5 senses we commonly think of, the brain also senses changes in temperature, pressure, chemical or hormone levels, and proprioception (sense of posture and body position).
Our bodies have an internal system called the Automatic Operating System (aOS for short) that can be compared to a computer or cell phone’s operating system (think Apple’s iOS). Our aOS is responsible for ensuring smooth “background performance” of the body by coordinating things like attention, sleep, digestion, breathing, and heart rate. These things are very important for pediatric health. The aOS works without conscious effort, taking in information from our ten sensations and transmitting the nerve information to the brain.
While a computer’s iOS may need to be updated with new advances to prevent sluggish performance, our bodies’ aOS is a little different. In order to have OPTIMAL function throughout the body, brain and nerve health must be maintained. Attention deficit disorder and ADHD are just one “symptom” that can arise from a fault in our aOS. The choice is whether to patch the fault or find a complete solution.
A key area that influences the performance of the aOS is the limbic system. What is the limbic system, you ask? It is a collection of brain centers (the hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus) that influence arousal, motivation and learning. It helps us respond to emotional stimuli and is involved in reinforcing behavior. The limbic system of the brain is responsible for successful integration of our 10 bodily senses and making sense of the world around us.
In additional to the 5 senses we commonly think of, the brain also senses changes in temperature, pressure, chemical or hormone levels, posture and body position, as well as sensing pain. Seems pretty important, right? Well, if the limbic system becomes overwhelmed with abnormal or excessive information from the body, then problems can develop.
“A child with attention deficit disorder or ADHD may have a faulty response to minor stimulus, creating an effect that is only appropriate for times of more serious stress.“
The amygdala, a part of the limbic system, is our “emotional brain” and is responsible for handling stress within the body. The amygdala is a very helpful portion of our brain that helps decide what to do with the thousands of senses the brain receives every minute. Responses to this information can either be healthy or unhealthy.
A healthy response to sensation means that the body addresses important problems by creating a temporary adaptation. A good example is this kind of response is the body redirecting heat to the organs of the body when someone is experiencing hypothermia. When the person’s body temperature increases, the body allows heat to return to their toes and fingers. This kind of adaptation is a healthy response in times of stress.
On the other hand, it would be inappropriate if the person simply takes a cold shower but the body interprets this as hypothermia and prevents heat from reaching their arms and legs, resulting in shock. The body overreacted because the brain interpreted the message wrong.
An overreaction in a child, whether it is a behavioral outburst or inability to focus in school, may be from a similar response in the brain’s limbic system. This can happen in the brain if the limbic system is taxed.
This excess activation of the amygdala and hippocampus causes a stress response in the body. Our bodies are very resourceful in dealing with stress, but if these brain centers become overtaxed, this may result in a host of problems. Possibilities include sensitivity to pain, adrenal fatigue, thyroid dysfunction, high blood pressure, and mental fog in the adult. In a child it could result in behaviors that include a withdraw from social activity, acting out towards parents and teachers, inability to complete tasks, and lack of motivation.
We are able to safely and painlessly assess if a child may have decreased cognitive resiliency due to excess stress to a brain center. We find that a child’s behavioral problem most often result from a problem in the craniocervical junction of the spine or from the brain directly. These problems can then be corrected through either structural chiropractic adjustments or brain therapy. Our doctors are able to assess if a brain center is not making appropriate connections with other parts of the brain, and perform neurologic integration therapy that naturally improves the child’s function. The beauty of this approach is that we are not treating symptoms, but looking at overall function of the brain. When function is improved, we find that many of these problems have promising outlooks.
One pediatric patient with attention deficit disorder had a dramatic improvement in only 2 months of care. The boy said,
“I am now able to focus better in school and am making better grades. I don’t get distracted as much, plus my body feels a lot better too.”
His mother states that he is also making more eye contact and his teacher even noticed he was paying more attention in class. This is just one example of what is possible with an optimal functioning nervous system!
Give Us A Call => 386-227-7534
Click here for more info on neurologic integration