BothellChiropractic

By Donald M. Petersen Jr., BS, HCD(hc), FICC(h) Back on April 27, 2010, the Santa Clara County (California) Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance banning the use of toys to encourage children to eat unhealthy meals offered by restaurants. 1 This was the first move by a government body to try to address the obesity epidemic that is plaguing America's children. Approximately 12.5 million children over 2 years of age are currently considered obese. That's 17 percent of our children or one out of every six kids. 2 Shortly after the decision by the Santa Clara County board, Dynamic Chiropractic published an article focusing on the issue and asking DCs and their patients to contact McDonald's and encourage the fast-food chain to improve the meals it sells to children. 3 Then on Nov. 2, 2010, also as reported in DC , the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 8-3 to require that kids' meals meet certain nutritional standards before they can be sold with t...

Ever heard of TMJ? What exactly is TMJ you may ask. Or what causes it? How do I know if my jaw pain is TMJ or just another headache? Are invasive therapy's my only treatment options, or can Chiropractic help? Here are a few insights into the causes and treatments of what cause's “Temporo-Mandibular Joint” pain aka TMJ. You can locate the TMJ joint by putting your finger on the triangular structure in front of your ear. Then move your finger just slightly forward and press firmly while you open your jaw all the way and close it. You can also feel the joint motion in your ear canal. Open your jaw all the way and shut it. This simple movement would not be possible without the Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ). It connects the temporal bone (the bone that forms the side of the skull) and the mandible (the lower jaw). Even though it is only a small disc of cartilage, it separates the bones so that the mandible may slide easily whenever you talk, swallow, chew, kiss, etc. Therefore, da...

While your health food store likely stocks agave sweeteners, it may be best to keep them out of your cart. Many agave nectars consist of 70 to 80 percent fructose—that's more than what's found in high-fructose corn syrup! If you don't want to give up agave, look for types that contain no more than 30 to 40 percent fructose, recommends Christine Gerbstadt, MD, PhD, RD, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. Agave is also very heavily processed in an extremely energy-intensive manner that's similar to the way corn is converted into high-fructose corn syrup.    Doyle Chiropractic Clinic serves the communities of Bothell, Kenmore, Woodinville, and Lake Forest Park. Drs David Arthur and Suzie Shay have a combined 30 years of experience treating injuries related to car accidents, work, sports and Pediatrics. Please visit our website, www.bothellfamilychiropractic.com and our Facebook page facebook/doyleclinic.

  You have come for your first chiropractic assessment, and the doctor tells you that you have some misalignments/restrictions in your spine called subluxations. What’s next? How much chiropractic care are you going to need?   Based on information from your medical history, the physical assessment, and your current symptom patterns, your chiropractic physician is going to create a treatment plan based on three key factors: 1. Your personal health goals - short-term symptom resolution or long-term health & wellness? 2. The cause of your symptoms - the diagnosis – including the length of time you have had symptoms. 3. Your willingness to participate - following recommendations for stretches, exercises, etc. Your Personal Health Goals   Is it your goal to use chiropractic for pain-management or is it your intention to use chiropractic to help you be healthier?     If you simply want to have less pain today, often a single chiropractic treatment will do th...

  There's conflicting evidence regarding the safety of aspartame, a common chemical sweetener used in diet soda and other low-cal or low-sugar goods, but some people report headaches or generally feeling unwell after ingesting anything containing the chemical. To make life easier for everyone, this is one instance where you may want to follow the "better safe than sorry" principle. That's because a University of Liverpool test-tube study found that when mixed with a common food color ingredient, aspartame actually became toxic to brain cells. Making matters worse, aspartame is used in many diet sodas, and studies have found drinking diet soda may increase your risk of developing diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Also of concern with aspartame, researchers have found that one harmful breakdown product is formaldehyde. Sweet? We don't think so.

  Have we forgotten how difficult it is being a child? Just like adults, children have bones, joints, nerves and muscles that need attention from time to time. Kids also experience several major physical milestones during their first year of life that place an increased demand on the neuromusculoskeletal system – increasing the likelihood for injury and the need for chiropractic adjustments.   A child’s introduction to this life begins with perhaps the most physically demanding experience he or she will ever have to endure in this lifetime – childbirth! The journey down the birth canal is demanding on an infant’s body, but the combined stress of pulling, twisting and extending the neck of the child during the birthing process puts the infant’s spine at risk. Add any extra physical stress caused by difficult or assisted births (forceps or vacuum extractions), and it is not surprising one of the most common injuries resulting from childbirth is the cervical subluxation – where ...

  Stop! Before you read the rest of this article, check your posture. Is it in the correct position? Or is it slumped? Do you know the fundamentals of correct posture? Many of us do not give much thought to the subject. This is unfortunate because keeping your spine in the optimal position can deliver a lot more than just a pain-free back. Your chiropractor will tell you posture can affect other areas of your body, including your respiratory, circulatory and digestive systems.1   New evidence also reveals the close connection between your posture and how you think about yourself. In this issue of Wellness ExpressTM, we look at the close relationships of good posture, pain relief and psychological health. Posture & Pain Relief   Making the effort to be aware of your posture can go a long way to reducing pain and feeling better about yourself. Incorrect posture can actually cause pain to intensify and persist. New research published in the Journal of Experimental Soc...

  Pregnancy is a unique and challenging condition – for both the female who is pregnant and for her chiropractor! The effects of major hormonal shifts, an incredibly rapid weight gain (and then loss), and the stress associated with being a new mother all combine to make pregnancy one of the most common causes of low back pain. The Stats   Low back pain statistics for pregnant females are quite alarming. For the general population, it is estimated that approximately 70-85% of us will experience at least one bout of acute low back pain in our lives. 1   In the pregnant female population, the rate is 50-80% during a 9-month window! And for those women who experienced back pain during pregnancy, over 60% of these women described the pain as at least moderately severe, and close to 10% said the pain was “completely disabling.” 3 The Main Cause of Pain   Since low back pain often occurs in the later stages of pregnancy, experts suggest that the main cause of thi...