Madison Chiropractors Talk About New Year's Resolutions

By: Dr. Justin Walbom, DC and Dr. Greg Millar, DC CCEP
Millar Chiropractic - Madison, AL

It's New Years again already, and perhaps you're determined that this will be the year that you actually follow through with your New Year's resolutions. This is finally going to be the year that you make your self and your health a priority.  You'll eat better, exercise regularly, lose weight, and you're finally going to find our whether chiropractic care can make a positive difference in your life.

If you're like most people, you've probably been thinking about doing more to improve your health for many years. Perhaps you even have family and friends who have been recommending chiropractic health care to you for a very long time. You decide you're ready to take action and you make an appointment to see your local chiropractic physician.

Chiropractic health care is more important now than ever before. Today, many Americans are lacking health insurance or are under insured. Deductibles, premiums and copayments seem to keep rising while most household incomes have been stagnant. Because Chiropractic treatment is both corrective and preventative in nature, it tends to be a very cost effective choice and can play a large part in solving our current health care crisis.

In contrast to most medical care, chiropractic care is low-cost while providing high value. Chiropractic treatment  focuses on the musculoskeletal system - bones, muscles, and joints - but first and foremost, it addresses and optimizes the functioning of the nerve system.  Simply put, chiropractic care makes your nervous system more efficient. And an efficiently functioning nervous system is crucial for optimal functioning of all other critical body systems - your cardiovascular, respiratory, immune, endocrine and digestive  systems.

Chiropractic care utilizes a hands-on approach, and you'll notice that your visits with your chiropractor provide real, personal interactions between you and your doctor. Dr. Greg Millar and Dr. Justin Walbom of Millar Chiropractic Clinics in Madison, Alabama are highly trained in a variety of disciplines - including nutritional evaluation and restorative exercise - and he or she will make recommendations that are specially designed for your particular needs.

Chiropractic care itself - called spinal adjustments - is gentle and relaxing. Immediate results often include decreased pain and muscular tension, and a noticeable increase in mobility of the neck, back, hips, and shoulders. For patients with back-related pain, improvement is often noted within 24 or 48 hours. People also often report sensations of increased alertness and increased focus after chiropractic adjustments, and an increased feeling of relaxation, ease and general well-being.

Additional profound benefits of chiropractic care derive from its direct effect on nerve system functioning. Although chiropractic health care is not specifically a treatment for headaches, menstrual cramps, asthma, allergies or digestive problems, improvement in one's health may occur across the board as an indirect result of chiropractic therapy.

So, chiropractic care provides a tremendous amount of "bang for your buck" - a lot of health benefit for your health care dollar. And at Millar Chiropractic Clinics, located in downtown Huntsville, Jones Valley, Madison, and Decatur, you not only receive the benefit of treatment but also the benefit of your doctor's vast health-care knowledge - you learn about how your body works and how to best take care of it naturally. The original meaning of the word doctor was teacher, and Dr. Greg Millar and Dr. Justin Walbom are educators as well as a health-care provider, interested in all aspects of your health and well-being. Make it your New Year's resolution to become healthier

Millar Chiropractic - Madison AL
1908 Slaughter Rd. 
Madison, Alabama 35758
(256) 430-2700

http://millarchiro.com/millarchiropractic-madisonal-chiropractor.html

1Bronfort G, et al: Efficacy of spinal manipulation and mobilization for low back pain and neck pain: a systematic review and best evidence synthesis. Spine J 4(3):335-356, 2004
2Johnson C, et al: Chiropractic and public health: current state and future vision.
J Manipulative Physiol Ther 31(6):397-410, 2008

Madison Chiropractors Talk About The Skyrocketing Cost of Health Care

By: Dr. Justin Walbom, DC and Dr. Greg Millar, DC CCEP
Millar Chiropractic - Madison Al

Health insurance costs have been out of control for some time now. We're all painfully aware of this inflationary spiral. Monthly premiums are through the roof. Co-payments always seem to be on the rise, with out-of-pocket expenses that are so costly we might begin to wonder what we're saving by buying health insurance at all.

This is a burden we all share. For the self-employed, the monthly premiums for adequate individual health insurance are often $1000/month or more. Because of this, many small business owners, choose catastrophic coverage instead. Catastrophic policies will probably still cost $4000 - $5000 or more per year, and if you encounter medical problems, you could end up paying $5000 or more for out-of-pocket expenses.

Some savvy self-employed people combine a less expensive catastrophic (high-deductible) policy with a Health Savings Account (HSA) which allows them to save and use pre-tax dollars for health related expenses, included alternative and preventative treatments.

Dr. Greg Millar and Dr. Justin Walborn of Millar Chiropractic Clinics in Madison, Alabama say it is more important than ever for individuals and families to do what they can on their own to ensure better health. Improved health and well-being always translate into reduced health care costs.

Health-promoting lifestyle choices make a significant difference in both short-term and long-term well-being. Bad habits may need to be broken and replaced with new more positive habits. Nurturing good, healthy habits will pay dividends in better health, and will usually result in increased monetary savings by reducing your health care expenditures.

Nutrition and fitness are usually the main categories in need of improvement. Obesity, heart disease, chronic high blood pressure, and diabetes are a few of the main culprits that raise our national health insurance costs. Each of these can be positively impacted by engaging in regular exercise and improving your diet.

Other vitally important changes include stopping smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, drinking water instead of soda, reducing your snacking and portion sizes, and significantly reducing the consumption of processed foods - especially sweets and carbohydrates. Making all these positive changes, slowly over time, will improve your overall state of health.

Think in terms of the long haul rather than short-term results. Lasting change is a process that doesn't happen overnight. Our goal is a lifetime of good health supported by good habits. Think about how you can make small changes, one at a time, that will become part of your long-term lifestyle. 

It is also helpful to focus on what you are gaining, rather than what you are giving up.  For example, focus on preparing wonderful high-quality whole foods that are full of flavor rather than focusing on the less healthful foods you are giving up. To successfully replace your habits with more healthful ones, make sure to frame things positively. Instead of stuffing yourself with low quality purchased sweets that are filled with chemicals you can't pronounce, indulge your sweet tooth with one or two organic, dark chocolate truffles that are filled with antioxidants. Eat slowly, chew your food well, and really allow yourself to enjoy your meals.  Become a picky eater - make an effort to choose high quality whole foods and small portions instead of larger quantities of junk food. Chances are, you will learn to enjoy eating this way.

Chiropractic health care is an important part of the process of restoring well-being and reducing health care costs. Regular chiropractic visits can help a person stay active and are an important component in regaining your fitness. Chiropractic treatment helps to improve flexibility, stability and balance, which can increase your ability to exercise and make it more fun.

Your Millar chiropractor can be an invaluable resource as you work on improving your health. He or she will have many helpful recommendations regarding health-promoting nutrition and exercise, and will be happy to provide support and guidance in your journey back to good health.

Millar Chiropractic - Madison AL
1908 Slaughter Rd. 
Madison, Alabama 35758
(256) 430-2700

http://millarchiro.com/millarchiropractic-madisonal-chiropractor.html

1Fronstin P: Health promotion and disease prevention: a look at demand management programs. EBRI Issue Brief 177:1-14, 1996
2Parks KM, Steelman LA: Organizational wellness programs: a meta-analysis. J Occup Health Psychol 13(1):58-68, 2008
3Pearce PZ: Exercise is medicine. Curr Sports Med Rep 7(3):171-175, 2008

Madison Chiropractors Talk About Being Young, Feeling Young, and Looking Young

By: Dr. Justin Walbom, DC and Dr. Greg Millar, DC CCEP

Millar Chiropractic - Madison AL

We live in a youth-obsessed culture. Everyday we're bombarded with advertisements for lotions and potions that will supposedly help reverse or prevent the signs of aging. So many people believe in the power of the dollar. They spend vast sums every year on anti-aging, beauty, and cosmetic products in the false hope of being able to purchase remedies that will restore their fading youth.

Others hasten the loss of their youthful glow. Cigarettes, alcohol, and negative mental patterns such as resentment, jealousy, and anger all work to rapidly break down our health and vigor. Negative emotions are particularly insidious. Even if a person is healthy in other respects - eating a healthful diet and exercising regularly - stress, fear, anxiety, and ill-will relentlessly add invisible workloads to the day, sapping our vitality and aging us prematurely.

Most people who look and feel much younger than the age revealed on their birth certificates have learned how to create and maintain a positive mental attitude. It's amazing how much bounce you can add to your step when you purposefully set the intention to have a great day. Of course, this is not merely smoke and mirrors. Those who are intending to be young inside and outside also take the necessary steps to optimize their health and vigor. They don't regularly eat things like doughnuts and fried foods (except perhaps on their free food days). They make an effort to avoid eating fast food. Instead they eat lots of whole, natural foods, and organic fruits and vegetables, and make it a priority to exercise regularly, some even doing some form of vigorous physical activity five or six times each week.

These young-at-heart people get sufficient rest. They are willing to give up the attitudes, positions, and annoyances that do not serve their well-being. And many of them have discovered a natural healing method and philosophy that helps them to be well and stay well - chiropractic care.

Chiropractic is a smart, efficient form of natural health care. Chiropractic care helps remove physiologic obstacles to good health and helps your body learn how to maintain high levels of functioning.

The difference between people who have had a lifetime of chiropractic care and people who have never been to a chiropractor is usually striking. Dr. Greg Millar and Dr. Justin Walbom of Millar Chiropractic Clinics in Madison, Alabama say that those who have taken advantage of all that chiropractic offers will usually enter their advanced years with excellent posture and a normal, easy gait. Contrast this with people who have never taken proper care of their spine.  Too often they will become increasingly hunched over and stiff, walking with the type of gait associated with elderly people who are in poor health.  If you saw these two types of people walking down the street, it would usually be very obvious which one received regular chiropractic care over the years, and which one did not. 

After beginning chiropractic care many people comment that they feel as if they've let go of a big weight they didn't know they'd been carrying around. People say they feel lighter and they have more energy. They sleep better and enjoy increased vitality. They even feel as if they're taller.

Others comment that they've become more effective at work and in their personal lives. As a result of chiropractic care their bodies are expending much less energy in wasteful and unnecessary physiologic activities. The result is more available resources to do - efficiently and well - what is necessary each day out in the world.

One wonderful outcome is the ongoing recovery of the youthful appearance and outlook we always want to maintain.

Millar Chiropractic - Madison AL
1908 Slaughter Rd. 
Madison, Alabama 35758
(256) 430-2700

http://millarchiro.com/millarchiropractic-madisonal-chiropractor.html

1Egger GJ, et al: The emergence of "lifestyle medicine" as a structured approach for management of chronic disease. Med J Aust 190(3):143-145, 2009

2Reinehr T, Roth CL: A new link between skeleton, obesity and insulin resistance: relationships between osteocalcin, leptin and insulin resistance in obese children before and after weight loss. Int J Obes (Lond) Epub Jan 12, 2010

3Cohen DL, et al: Cerebral blood flow effects of yoga training: preliminary evaluation of 4 cases. J Altern Complement Med 15(1):9-14, 2009

What's Your Vibe?

By: Dr. Justin Walbom, DC and Dr. Greg Millar, DC CCEP
Millar Chiropractic - Madison AL

In the story of Snow White, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Bashful were precisely that. The names of the seven dwarves accurately and literally represented their overall vibe. It doesn't usually work that way for us, but we give off plenty of subconscious signals that let people know who we are and how we're feeling.  The look in our eyes, the tone of our voice, our facial expressions and posture are just some of the clues that let other people intuit what's really going on with us. Often, the vibe we're giving off is a more accurate reflection of our inner being than the words we are saying.

Other people can usually tell what's really going on with us, no matter what we say or don't say. But when we're communicating clearly and interacting meaningfully, we usually feel less stressed-out. The surprising benefit is that our health improves as a result.

Here's an easy way to determine whether you're sending out a negative or positive overall vibe - when you visit a friend who owns a dog or pass one on the street, does it growl at you or does it wag it's tail?  Do cats tend to hiss at you or do they instead offer a friendly purr? When someone introduces you to a toddler or baby, does he or she start to cry, or do they usually smile at you? These are all pretty reliable signs as to whether your personal vibe is more negative or positive.

Young children and animals are very perceptive and pick up on the subconscious signals people send out.  Who you are being is very clear to them. Many of us lose this intuitive ability over time, and pay more attention to what people say than to the subtle clues they give off that can tell us more about how they are feeling in general, whether or not they are being honest with us, and how overall trustworthy they are.

Over time, people often get used to being a certain way, and may not even realize that they've become chronically grumpy, angry or pessimistic. It's like they get stuck in an emotional rut, and may not even realize the way they are coming across to other people. If animals and young children react negatively to you, it may do you some good to take stock of the vibe you're sending out. Being chronically "negative" can also have a negative effect on your health. 

Negative and positive vibes can "rub off" on you too, especially if you're a sensitive person. If you spend time with a friend or acquaintance who is always very negative, and find that you end up feeling down, or angry, or depressed as a result, you would probably do well to limit the time you spend with them.

On another note, paying attention to the "vibe" can also be useful in health care interactions. You may wait for hours to see a doctor, and then even though they say nice words, you might sense that he doesn't really care about your well-being and just wants to finish with you and get on to the next patient. You may sense a similar vibe at the front desk - they behave politely, but you can tell that they're super-stressed and can't wait to get out the door themselves.

Most people will notice a significant difference between the vibe in a typical medical office and the vibe in a chiropractic office. Chiropractors tend to place a high value on the human component of their interactions with patients. Chiropractic offices strive to be a very welcoming environment. It is not unusual to hear people say that their chiropractor's office "feels just like home" and that the staff "feels like family".

You can tell that your chiropractor is genuinely interested in both your health and your well-being.  Chiropractors know that it's important to take the time to really listen to your concerns and to make sure you're getting the service and attention you need. Chiropractic is a wholistic healing profession which recognizes that the quality of the doctor-patient relationship is an important part of the healing process.

Millar Chiropractic - Madison AL

1908 Slaughter Rd. 

Madison, Alabama 35758

(256) 430-2700

http://millarchiro.com/millarchiropractic-madisonal-chiropractor.html

1Seedat S, et al: Life stress and mental disorders in the South African stress and health study. S Afr Med J 99(5 Pt 2):375-382, 2009
2Koetaka H, et al: Long-term effects of lifestyle on multiple risk factors in male workers. Environ Health Prev Med 14(3):165-172, 2009

Dealing With Arthritis

By: Dr. Justin Walbom, DC and Dr. Greg Millar, DC CCEP
Millar Chiropractic - Madison Al

Chances are, you either have some arthritis or know someone who suffers with it. According to the Center for Disease Control, arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States.1  Approximately 47 million people have doctor-diagnosed arthritis and 17 million have arthritis-attributable activity limitations.

Osteoarthritis, the most common form, is a degenerative condition affecting the joints and the soft tissues around the joints ─ the associated cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. The most commonly affected areas are the spine, the hands, and the shoulders, hips, and knees. The pain of arthritis, the reduced mobility, and the lifestyle accommodations needed for pain avoidance can be very discouraging and may even lead to depression.

Many anti-inflammatory drugs are available for the treatment of arthritis, and in recent years many of these have been found to cause severe side effects. Vioxx is the most notorious of these ─ cardiovascular complications caused a worldwide recall of the drug. Celebrex, another well-known arthritis medication, was also found to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke at high doses.

Fortunately, there are several wellness-based treatment alternatives to long-term medication. These include exercise, diet, and in many cases, chiropractic treatment.
Exercise is critical in restoring mobility and, over time, in reducing pain.2,3  Persons with osteoarthritis often experience a vicious cycle of deterioration. Pain causes reduced mobility (pain avoidance), which (paradoxically) actually causes more pain, which causes further reductions of mobility . . . . In time, the normal activities of daily living ─ getting out of a chair, opening a jar, bending and lifting ─ become a real challenge as the person struggles to avoid further pain.

So, restoring mobility is the most important factor in effective treatment of arthritis. Exercise ─ very gently at first ─ is the answer. Range-of-motion activities to get the joints moving again are very beneficial, including:
•    Arm circles
•    Wrist circles
•    Shoulder shrugs
•    Side-to-side bending for the lower back
•    Gentle knee bends
•    Ankle circles
•    Flexing and pointing the feet

Walking is one of the best forms of exercise for those with arthritis. Begin by walking one block, then two, then around the block. Walk five minutes daily for a week, then increase by a minute or two each day. Get up to 15 minutes of gentle walking, then begin to gradually increase your pace. The increased mobility will not only reduce pain, but also provide a cardiovascular benefit and improve one's ability to perform activities of daily living. 

Keep in mind that you don't have to do all 15 minutes at once to benefit from it.  You can take 2 or 3 shorter walks throughout the day and evening if you prefer.  This is especially helpful if you tend to be sedentary, as this helps reduce prolonged periods of sitting and the metabolic syndrome problems that go along with it.

If you are lucky enough to have access to a pool, swimming can be a great form of exercise that's easier on your joints.  Many recreation centers offer water aerobic classes for beginners to more advanced exercisers.  Other gentle exercise options include Yoga and Tai Chi.

Chiropractic treatment, in combination with an exercise program, may assist in restoring joint mobility and reducing pain. Gentle chiropractic manipulative therapy is designed to improve mobility of spinal joints. As spinal joint motion improves, pain lessens, and a positive cycle of return-to-function begins.

Ask your Millar Chiropractor about natural anti-inflammatory foods and supplements - such as Krill Oil, Boswellia, Ginger, Bromelain or fresh Pineapple, Tart Cherries (fresh, juice or extract,) Cayenne, Tumeric/Curcumin. and Astaxanthin - which can be a much safer pain-reducing option for many people with Osteoarthritis.

Millar Chiropractic - Madison AL
1908 Slaughter Rd. 
Madison, Alabama 35758
(256) 430-2700
http://millarchiro.com/millarchiropractic-madisonal-chiropractor.html

1"Prevalence of Doctor-Diagnosed Arthritis and Arthritis-Attributable Activity Limitation." CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report  55(40);1089-1092, 2006.
2Huang MH, et al: A comparison of various therapeutic exercises on the functional status of patients with knee osteoarthritis. Semin Arthritis Rheum 32(6):398-406, 2003.
3Suomi R, Collier, D: Effects of arthritis exercise programs on functional fitness and perceived activities of daily living measures in older adults with arthritis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 84(11):1589-94, 2003.