I did a post on Monday March 31st regarding a new supplement program that I had started in the middle of March. I am ecstatic about the results so far! Before I ever recommend supplements to the patients of my San Diego Chiropractic clinic I like to test them on myself first - so far this test has gone better than expected.
In my last post I had touched on some health issues that have been plaguing me for years. The issues that I mentioned were insomnia and anxiety.
To back track just a little bit, I had read quite a bit about hair mineral analysis over the years and out of curiosity finally had one done. My results revealed deficiencies in several minerals that can cause not only insomnia but anxiety.
I had begun taking the minerals that I was deficient in and as of this last Monday I had three consecutive good nights sleep. It is now Friday, April 04, 2008 and I have now had seven (7) great nights sleep.
For the first time in years I don't feel like I need a cup of coffee to get me started in the morning and I don't feel myself running out of energy in the mid-afternoon.
I am not sure at this point how I am doing with my anxiety levels. I definitely feel less anxious than I did. That being the case, I am reasonably sure that the only stress that has reduced in my life is the stress that I used to have when I was trying to sleep.
Either way, I am sleeping better, MUCH BETTER, and my anxiety level seems to be lower.
I realize that I have only been doing this for a few weeks but this is encouraging. My results thus far really makes me want to look at the rest of my health habits a bit harder. Maybe a few adjustments in my diet such as eliminating a bit more refined sugar and simply resisting the urge to succumb to unhealthy cravings could help me attain a level of health that I have not had in years.
Chiropractors education is much deeper regarding nutrition than what medical receive on this topic. If you want help with your nutrition please call us at (619) 280-0554 - we would be happy to help.
Yours' In Good Health,
Dr. Steve Jones
10393 San Diego Mission Road Suite 130
San Diego, CA 92108
(619) 831-8777
Showing posts with label Hair Mineral Analysis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hair Mineral Analysis. Show all posts
Friday, April 4, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
The Pursuit of Better Health
Like many of the patients in my San Diego Chiropractic practice, I desire to be healthier than I am. Chiropractors spend much of our time helping our patients relieve their neck pain, back pain, headaches, etc.
This year I am doing all I can to regain some of the health that I have lost along the way. As I have aged, I notice changes in my energy levels, my anxiety levels, my ability to get a good nights sleep, etc.
I eat reasonably well avoiding fast food and soda. I never have candy or chocolate in my house and I try to watch my fat intake. While this diet plan has kept me in decent shape in regards to my weight, my blood pressure and cholesterol level, I still feel like age is creeping up on me.
You guys remember fitness guru Jack Lalanne don't you? He is 93 years old, maybe older. That guy looks like he is 60 and can probably beat me and most of you in every test of physical strength and aerobic conditioning. If I keep going in my current direction, I will be in a wheel chair at 93 - if I am alive at all!
I think that most of us want the same things from a health standpoint. We want to not only look healthy but we want to be healthy. Health improvement can only be accomplished through proper nutrition and exercise.
For the last 20 years or so I have been a vitamin / supplement consumer. Truthfully, I am hit and miss with taking my supplements. The reason for my departures is the fact that I have no real guide for what I should be taking. At least until now!
In our pursuit of a healthier body, both Linda and I recently had our hair tested for mineral content (Hair Mineral Analysis). The results of my tests were what I would expect for a guy (me) that is forty something and has no real basis for taking the supplements that I have been taking over the last 20 years.
The lab that we used provides a full breakdown of the content of nutrient minerals, toxic minerals (including lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and aluminum) and a ratio of significant minerals. They also provided detailed explanations of the findings as well as supplement recommendations including the type and the time of day that they should be taken.
I like this type of nutritional assessment. Not only does it give me a starting point for taking nutritional supplements, but I can retest in 12 weeks and check my progress.
I recently read an interesting quote from a respected nutritionist. He said "It is a mistake to think that you can loose weight and get healthy, the real path to losing weight is by regaining your health".
I think I will run with this and see where it takes me.
If you want the tools to take your general health up a few notches a Hair Mineral Analysis is an excellent (and encouraged) place to start.
This year I am doing all I can to regain some of the health that I have lost along the way. As I have aged, I notice changes in my energy levels, my anxiety levels, my ability to get a good nights sleep, etc.
I eat reasonably well avoiding fast food and soda. I never have candy or chocolate in my house and I try to watch my fat intake. While this diet plan has kept me in decent shape in regards to my weight, my blood pressure and cholesterol level, I still feel like age is creeping up on me.
You guys remember fitness guru Jack Lalanne don't you? He is 93 years old, maybe older. That guy looks like he is 60 and can probably beat me and most of you in every test of physical strength and aerobic conditioning. If I keep going in my current direction, I will be in a wheel chair at 93 - if I am alive at all!
I think that most of us want the same things from a health standpoint. We want to not only look healthy but we want to be healthy. Health improvement can only be accomplished through proper nutrition and exercise.
For the last 20 years or so I have been a vitamin / supplement consumer. Truthfully, I am hit and miss with taking my supplements. The reason for my departures is the fact that I have no real guide for what I should be taking. At least until now!
In our pursuit of a healthier body, both Linda and I recently had our hair tested for mineral content (Hair Mineral Analysis). The results of my tests were what I would expect for a guy (me) that is forty something and has no real basis for taking the supplements that I have been taking over the last 20 years.
The lab that we used provides a full breakdown of the content of nutrient minerals, toxic minerals (including lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and aluminum) and a ratio of significant minerals. They also provided detailed explanations of the findings as well as supplement recommendations including the type and the time of day that they should be taken.
I like this type of nutritional assessment. Not only does it give me a starting point for taking nutritional supplements, but I can retest in 12 weeks and check my progress.
I recently read an interesting quote from a respected nutritionist. He said "It is a mistake to think that you can loose weight and get healthy, the real path to losing weight is by regaining your health".
I think I will run with this and see where it takes me.
If you want the tools to take your general health up a few notches a Hair Mineral Analysis is an excellent (and encouraged) place to start.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Why Is Your Computer Killing You?
Is Computer Work Killing You? CRPSS is probably the reason why.
I have a love / hate relationship with my computer. When I went to college in the early 80’s, computers were expensive, underpowered and not readily available. I remember doing research papers that would entail chasing down medical journal articles from my schools library and several local colleges. Hours or days would pass with me searching through the libraries of Stanford, San Jose State and Berkley just to find the content for one paragraph of a paper. What I would have done for the ease of our current internet. All of this research could have been performed in a matter of minutes from the comfort of my desk. It is this convenience that inspires the “love” in the love / hate relationship that I have with my computer.
Now for the downside, the “hate” of my love / hate relationship with this computer.
The more time that I spend sitting at my computer, the more I realize that it is the postural stress that my work station generates that is responsible for the “hate” part of my relationship with the computer.
Even though I am a doctor who has taken a special interest in the effects of postural stress secondary to computer use, I too succumb to the stresses of Computer Related Postural Stress Syndrome.
Computer Related Postural Stress Syndrome or CRPSS is a term that I coined to describe the effects of the postural stress that a poorly thought out work station places on the body.
CRPSS often causes neck and shoulder pain, back pain, arm pain and chronic tension headaches.
CRPSS is often confused with carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms. While CRPSS is not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, it CAN cause it.
You have probably heard and used the term “ergonomics”. Ergonomics is the study of how we can make a particular work station adapt to meet the physical demands of that stations operator. The idea is to reduce the physical stresses that the work station places on the operator to a minimum. We can use basic office ergonomic principals to reduce or eliminate many of the stresses that cause CRPSS.
CRPSS can result from any one or combination of:
1) Poor Seating Conditions
2) Incorrect Monitor Placement
3) Incorrect Keyboard Placement
4) Over-reaching for the Mouse
Poor seating can be remedied with the purchase of a chair with the following characteristics:
1) Ability to adjust the seating height
2) Adjustable armrests ( up and down)
3) Tilting back support
4) Tilting seating surface
These features combined with a chair that actually feels comfortable when being sat in can be very helpful in reducing Computer Related Postural Stress Syndrome.
Incorrect monitor placement is also a common source of postural stress and neck pain. Your monitor should be positioned directly in front of you. Your eyes should be parallel with the top one third of your monitor when you are looking straight ahead. A monitor that is positioned in a way that requires the operator to look up or down will stress the neck and eventually lead to neck pain.
Much like the monitor, your keyboard should be placed directly in front of you. Its height should allow your arms to rest comfortably next to your body while your elbows are bent no more than 90 degrees and your wrists are as straight as possible. A properly placed keyboard can help reduce neck pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain wrist pain and hand pain.
The final major factor in reducing the effects of CRPSS involves over-reaching. A mouse operated on the desk top lends itself to producing an over-reaching situation. This is bad news if you do a substantial amount of mousing. A mouse that is beyond your comfortable reach zone is likely to become a primary source of postural stress and aggravation. The solution to this problem is to position your mouse as close to your body as possible. This can be accomplished with a mouse platform that mounts to the armrest of your chair. There are several of these on the market that will do the trick. Make sure that the mouse platform that you choose is adjustable.
Anecdotal evidence from my clinic suggests that over-reaching for the mouse is a primary factor in the development of neck pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain, wrist pain and hand pain.
Reducing the postural stresses associated with computer work stations can prevent you from developing aggravating conditions that can lead to a lifetime of disability and a loss of employment (I see this in my office all the time). In many cases, simple rearrangements of the primary components of your work station can go a long way in reducing your chances of developing CRPSS.
I have a love / hate relationship with my computer. When I went to college in the early 80’s, computers were expensive, underpowered and not readily available. I remember doing research papers that would entail chasing down medical journal articles from my schools library and several local colleges. Hours or days would pass with me searching through the libraries of Stanford, San Jose State and Berkley just to find the content for one paragraph of a paper. What I would have done for the ease of our current internet. All of this research could have been performed in a matter of minutes from the comfort of my desk. It is this convenience that inspires the “love” in the love / hate relationship that I have with my computer.
Now for the downside, the “hate” of my love / hate relationship with this computer.
The more time that I spend sitting at my computer, the more I realize that it is the postural stress that my work station generates that is responsible for the “hate” part of my relationship with the computer.
Even though I am a doctor who has taken a special interest in the effects of postural stress secondary to computer use, I too succumb to the stresses of Computer Related Postural Stress Syndrome.
Computer Related Postural Stress Syndrome or CRPSS is a term that I coined to describe the effects of the postural stress that a poorly thought out work station places on the body.
CRPSS often causes neck and shoulder pain, back pain, arm pain and chronic tension headaches.
CRPSS is often confused with carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms. While CRPSS is not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, it CAN cause it.
You have probably heard and used the term “ergonomics”. Ergonomics is the study of how we can make a particular work station adapt to meet the physical demands of that stations operator. The idea is to reduce the physical stresses that the work station places on the operator to a minimum. We can use basic office ergonomic principals to reduce or eliminate many of the stresses that cause CRPSS.
CRPSS can result from any one or combination of:
1) Poor Seating Conditions
2) Incorrect Monitor Placement
3) Incorrect Keyboard Placement
4) Over-reaching for the Mouse
Poor seating can be remedied with the purchase of a chair with the following characteristics:
1) Ability to adjust the seating height
2) Adjustable armrests ( up and down)
3) Tilting back support
4) Tilting seating surface
These features combined with a chair that actually feels comfortable when being sat in can be very helpful in reducing Computer Related Postural Stress Syndrome.
Incorrect monitor placement is also a common source of postural stress and neck pain. Your monitor should be positioned directly in front of you. Your eyes should be parallel with the top one third of your monitor when you are looking straight ahead. A monitor that is positioned in a way that requires the operator to look up or down will stress the neck and eventually lead to neck pain.
Much like the monitor, your keyboard should be placed directly in front of you. Its height should allow your arms to rest comfortably next to your body while your elbows are bent no more than 90 degrees and your wrists are as straight as possible. A properly placed keyboard can help reduce neck pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain wrist pain and hand pain.
The final major factor in reducing the effects of CRPSS involves over-reaching. A mouse operated on the desk top lends itself to producing an over-reaching situation. This is bad news if you do a substantial amount of mousing. A mouse that is beyond your comfortable reach zone is likely to become a primary source of postural stress and aggravation. The solution to this problem is to position your mouse as close to your body as possible. This can be accomplished with a mouse platform that mounts to the armrest of your chair. There are several of these on the market that will do the trick. Make sure that the mouse platform that you choose is adjustable.
Anecdotal evidence from my clinic suggests that over-reaching for the mouse is a primary factor in the development of neck pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain, wrist pain and hand pain.
Reducing the postural stresses associated with computer work stations can prevent you from developing aggravating conditions that can lead to a lifetime of disability and a loss of employment (I see this in my office all the time). In many cases, simple rearrangements of the primary components of your work station can go a long way in reducing your chances of developing CRPSS.
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