A Daydreamer

More Time For Daydreaming As We Age

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:33:10 +0000

A recent study suggests that healthy older adults need less sleep than younger adults and, of course, far less sleep than babies. I have a theory about why that is and my thoughts are not just as a chiropractor, but as a baby boomer. I think that the “older and wiser” adage applies: As we get older we realize that our time on the planet is limited, so why would be want to waste any of it sleeping beyond what we need, just because some folks continue the ole “eight hours a night!” mantra. Even if the urge is solely subconscious, we seem to want to stay awake and enjoy as much of life as we can…or at least get as much done as we can. Young adults often live in the kind of “magical thinking” that keeps them from saving money, for instance, or living a healthy lifestyle, and they have no problem sleeping ’til noon when they can. They think that they have “all the time” in the world, but we, boomers, know how quickly all that time passes!

The study, published in SLEEP (the official journal of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society), revealed that out of eight hours in bed, the time spent actually sleeping declined progressively and significantly with age. Adults aged 66-83 slept 20 minutes less than 40-55 year-olds who, in turn, slept 23 minutes less than young adults aged 20-30.

Okay, you’re probably thinking that a few minutes a night isn’t really going to give you all that much more time to do things. But, the interesting thing is that even though deep ( slow-wave) sleep, which is thought to be the most restorative phase of sleep, decreased with age as well, and even though older adults slept less deeply and less overall, and their sleep was less continuous than their younger counterparts, they also showed less need for a nap during the day.

Add those extra minutes at night to the time saved “not napping” and it adds up to a whole lot of time to not only daydream, but to live those dreams!

Technorati Tags: baby boomers, healthy older adults, sleep

Could Chiropractic Treatment Be The Answer to Affordable Healthcare?

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:03:51 +0000

Call me a daydreamer if you want to, but as a chiropractor I am looking forward to the day when alternative medicine isn’t considered “alternative.” With today’s high costs for conventional medical procedures, as well as the exorbitant insurance premiums charged to cover them (when they do), and with the expanding health problems of aging baby boomers, it seems to me to be a good time to look at the non-invasive, drug-free, natural approach to health that chiropractic brings to the healthcare bargaining table.

Unlike surgery and the long rehabilitation process that it often requires, chiropractic treatment can help individuals to get out of pain and back into their daily activities (such as working) much faster. And, unlike pharmaceuticals that carry dangerous side effects that can actually end up costing whole lot more than the original condition they were supposed to improve due to the fact that previously “healthy” body parts become inhibited and diseased, there are no unhealthy or dangerous side effects with chiropractic treatments. But, there are side effects…positive ones, such as enhanced circulation, elimination of lactic acid, easier travel of oxygen and nutrients within the body, more flexibility, much less general pain and soreness, faster recovery time, and a more tranquil feeling.

Chiropractic: A gentle, natural, and cost-effective way to get healthy and stay that way!

Technorati Tags: chiropractic, chiropractor, conventional medical procedures, healthcare costs

The Value of Daydreaming

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:59:41 +0000

I am a chiropractor who often must sit with patients and look them directly in the eyes contact while explaining my findings after a lengthy physical. During these times I’m often fascinated to observe who is actually listening and who has gone off to “the Bahamas,” as I often think it. Though I can see the effects of losing a person’s attention, I can never quite pinpoint when that shift takes place. Is there a precise “moment” when our minds shift from attention to wandering into the realms of possibility and potential? A new study on “mind-wandering” indicates that there is.

The study was recently published in PNAS by a group of scientists, led by Kalina Christoff of UBC and Jonathan Schooler of UCSB. They used fMRI to capture the moment of daydreaming. The subjects were given an extremely tedious task and, when their mind started to wander, the changes in their brain activity were recorded in the scanner.

The results suggest that mind-wandering may evoke a unique mental state that may allow otherwise opposing networks in the brain to work in cooperation. In recent years scientists have demonstrated that daydreaming is such a fundamental feature of the human mind that it’s frequently referred to as the “default” mode of thought. Daydreaming, scientists argue, is a crucial tool for creativity. Instead of focusing on immediate surroundings, the daydreaming mind is free to engage in abstract thought and imaginative ramblings. (Not good news when a patient needs to hear a diagnosis, a child needs to pay attention in class, or someone driving a car needs to be fully focused.) And, as a result, we’re able to imagine things that don’t actually exist.

“If your mind didn’t wander, then you’d be largely shackled to whatever you are doing right now,” says Jonathan Schooler, a psychologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara. “But instead you can engage in mental time travel and other kinds of simulation. During a daydream, your thoughts are really unbounded.”

I’m all for “unbounded” thought, but unfortunately the mind of many of us appears to “free” itself, unexpectedly, and when it needs the boundaries of focus. Not all daydreaming is productive or creative, but it may be necessary. Maybe we all need “daydreaming breaks” throughout the day to allow our mind the freedom (and safety) to roam.

For more on this study, go to scienceblogs.com and read more. Jonah Lehrer is an excellent writer

Technorati Tags: creativity, daydreaming, mind-wandering, research

Do You Sleep Like a Dolphin?

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:33:20 +0000

Do you sleep like a baby or do you sleep like a dolphin? Baby’s sleep deeply with their muscles relaxed and their mind at ease. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? When was the last time you slept that way? Unfortunately, most of us sleep like dolphins, which is to say not completely asleep and not totally awake. Dolphins turn off half their brain and close one eye, allowing them to be partly asleep and partly awake at the same time. Stress from our day-to-day life can keep our muscles tense at night and our mind on “repetitive stress mode,” reliving the day’s events. That’s why I have a biofeedback therapist in my chiropractic clinic who teaches our patients how to breathe like a baby, and how to help relax both body and mind, so that they can sleep like a baby at night.

Technorati Tags: biofeedback, dolphins, good night's sleep

What Are Your Dreams Made Of?

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:01 +0000

What’s in a dream? To Freud, dreaming provided a playground for the unconscious mind. To Jung it was a stage where the psyche’s archetypes acted out primal themes. To newer psychologists, dreams help the brain to consolidate emotional memories or to work though current problems, like divorce and work frustrations. To chiropractors, dreams simply mean that their patients are sleeping at night!

What if the primary purpose of dreaming isn’t psychological at all? Weird concept? Well, in a paper published in the October issue of the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Dr. J. Allan Hobson, a psychiatrist and longtime sleep researcher at Harvard, argues that the main function of rapid-eye-movement sleep, or REM, when most dreaming occurs, is physiological. Whoa! Physiological? Now, that’s right up a chiropractor’s philosophical alley!

Dr. Hobson believes that the brain is actually warming its circuits in anticipation of the sights and sounds and emotions of waking. “It helps explain a lot of things, like why people forget so many dreams,” Dr. Hobson said in an interview. “It’s like jogging; the body doesn’t remember every step, but it knows it has exercised. It has been tuned up. It’s the same idea here: dreams are tuning the mind for conscious awareness.”

Drawing on work of his own and others, Dr. Hobson argues that dreaming is a parallel state of consciousness that is continually running but normally suppressed during waking (except, perhaps when we’re “daydreaming”? -admin).

“Most people who have studied dreams start out with some predetermined psychological ideas and try to make dreaming fit those,” “What I like about this new paper is that he doesn’t make any assumptions about what dreaming is doing,” said Dr. Mark Mahowald, a neurologist who is director of the sleep disorders program at Hennepin County Medical Center, in Minneapolis.

The paper has already stirred controversy and discussion among Freudians, therapists and other researchers, including neuroscientists.

For more on this story, go to: nytimes.com

Technorati Tags: dreaming, research

Pain: A Daydream or A Nightmare?

admin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:39:20 +0000

If pain is “real,” why do placebos work sometimes? Good question! As a chiropractor, I treat a lot of people who are in a lot of pain. I have worked with people who were experiencing excruciating back pain and I’ve treated people who “should have” felt a lot of pain considering the condition of their spine, who weren’t. Pain tolerance differs greatly between people, and that is why I always ask my patients to pinpoint the level of pain they are feeling on a scale from 1 to 10. Could it be that pain may be “all in our heads.? A recent study appearing in the journal Science has revealed that the “placebo effect” goes right down to the spine, i.e., the spine is capable of regulating pain by dampening pain signals.

Through the use of fMRI, German researchers studied changes in spinal cord activity when individuals believed that they had been given an anesthetic rather than a placebo. They found that simply believing a pain treatment was effective actually dampened pain signaling in a region of their spinal cord, called the dorsal horn, suggesting a powerful biological mechanism was at work.

Traditionally, experts have viewed the effect of placebos as psychological, but the new research is the latest study to show evidence that there is an important physical component. The researchers found that the placebo effect is particularly strong when treating central nervous system conditions, like depression and pain.

For more on the researchers and their fascinating study, go to: reuters.com

Technorati Tags: back pain, pain, placebo effect

The Whole Person Phenomenon

admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:40:31 +0000

Fifteen years ago when I was attending chiropractic college near Atlanta, Georgia, a fellow student shared with me that had doctor had discovered a small tumor in one of her breasts. I asked her what she intended to do about it. After all, we’d just spent two years studying the amazing powers of chiropractic treatment, but there was nothing in what we’d learned that indicated that it had any efficacy in eliminating tumors. She said, to my surprise, that she’d decided to “leave it alone for now,” even though her doctor told her that she was “dreaming” if she thought that the tumor would just disappear. So, a recent paper in The Journal of the American Medical Association, and reported in the New York Times online, was particularly exciting for me. The paper noted findings, over a period of two decades, that indicated that many small tumors would likely not be a problem if they were left alone, undiscovered by screening. It stated, in fact, that many of these small tumors were destined to stop growing on their own or shrink, or even, at least in the case of some breast cancers, disappear.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that cancers require more than mutations to progress,” said Dr. Barnett Kramer, associate director for disease prevention at the National Institutes of Health. “They need the cooperation of surrounding cells and even,” he said, “the whole organism, the person.” He said that the immune system or hormone levels, for example, can squelch or fuel a tumor.

Cancer cells and precancerous cells are so common that nearly everyone by middle age or old age is riddled with them, according to Thea Tlsty, a professor of pathology at the University of California, San Francisco. She said that that fact was discovered in autopsy studies of people who died of other causes, with no idea that they had cancer cells or precancerous cells. They didn’t have large tumors or symptoms of cancer. “The really interesting question,” Dr. Tlsty said, “is not so much why do we get cancer as why don’t we get cancer?”

For much more on these exceptional findings, go to nytimes.com. My friend, by the way? She’s a happy, healthy chiropractor in Los Angeles, California, these days, and the mother of a beautiful two-year-old girl!

Technorati Tags: breast cancer, prostate cancer, research

Daydreaming About a Good Night’s Sleep

admin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:26:24 +0000

As a chiropractor, I treat many older people. Over the years, I have noted that as men and women age, the quality of sleep they get at night alters drastically, especially among women who are post-menopausal. I’d often attributed the sleep differences between my particular male and female chiropractic patients, to stress levels, mainly because the women who complained about not getting enough sleep were more “tightly-wound” than most of men who came to see me. However, a new study conducted by researchers in the Netherlands, indicates that even though elderly women in a sleep study reported shorter and a poorer quality of sleep, they were actually getting longer and less-interrupted sleep than the elderly men in the study.

The participants, aged 59 to 97 years old, were asked to wear an accelerometer that measured their sleep activity, and also to keep a sleep diary for six consecutive nights. According to the study, the female participants reported an increase in the time it took them to fall asleep, a shorter sleep time, and poorer sleep quality than the male participants reported. However, after examining data from the accelerometer measurements researchers discovered that the women had actually slept longer and experienced less sleep disturbances than the men. In fact, the study found that men actually overestimated the amount of sleep they got and the quality of their sleep. In other words, the men may have been “daydreaming” about getting a good night’s sleep!

Technorati Tags: sleep quality, sleep research

Are You A Day Dreamer, But Awake All Night?

admin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:36:21 +0000

Insomnia seems to be common these days, and people are walking out of drugstores with over-the-counter sleep aids or they’re leaving the office of their medical doctor with prescriptions for drugs that promise to give them a good night’s sleep. As a chiropractor, I hear from my patients that most of the time, the non-prescription meds don’t work at all for them, and that even if the pills their medical doctor prescribes may work for a while, they are well-aware of the harmful side effects of these drugs, including addiction. That is why many people, like my patients, are choosing a natural alternative, like chiropractic, to help them sleep at night.

What is causing people to miss out on a good night’s rest, and what can be done to change the trend? I, for one, meet a lot of people who are simply stressed out. Stress causes pain in the body because it creates muscle tension. It also interferes with the nervous system, which includes the digestive and autoimmune systems. With so much going on in the body, is it any wonder that people who are stressed can’t sleep?

Chiropractic adjustments remove nervous system interference in the body and stimulate relaxation centers in the brain. In addition, most chiropractors teach their patients how to breathe in a way that helps reduce stress responses.

So, if you’re a day dreamer, but not a night sleeper, give your chiropractor a call and get the help you need.

Technorati Tags: chiropractic, chiropractor, insomnia, stress

Chiropractic Care Can Help Arthritis

admin — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 05:23:59 +0000

Arthritis is generally confusing to most suffers.Often the word, “arthritis,” produces fear of a future that includes crippled and twisted joints. However, many conditions from benign to severe are filed under the term, arthritis. For our purposes we will limit this discussion to the most common forms of arthritis.

Osteoarthritis and Chiropractic Care

Osteoarthritis, degenerative arthritis, or degenerative joint disease (DJD) are the names for the most common form of arthritis, which is also called, spondylosis, if it occurs in the spine. Basically, the condition is due to the erosion of the cartilage that lines the joint surfaces, and it is found not only in humans, but also in all mammals. When joint cartilage is injured, the sensitive bone tissue that is normally protected by the cartilage becomes stressed causing degenerative changes in the joint. Now and then, osteophytes, or bone spurs, can ensue when the bone around the joint increases quickly. Bone spurs produce painful inflammation to other tissues surrounding the joint aggravating the already grievous condition.

Degenerative joints as a rule occur in the lower neck and lower back, the knees, hips, and fingers. Previous trauma, certain occupations and activities, weight, diet, and heredity all appear to affect both the onset and severity of DJD.

The symptoms of DJD perpetually involve some degree of pain and/or stiffness in the body part involved. If the weight-bearing joints, such as the hips or knees are involved, ones mobility can be affected particularly in the more advanced stages of the condition. In some cases, if the joint is sufficiently worn and the person can no longer walk without severe pain, the joints are surgically replaced with synthetic devices. Of course, one should make an effort to manage the condition early on in ones life to avoid the need for surgery.

The best management of DJD is, without exception, prevention that involves taking care of ones joints at an early age.

* Making sure that all injuries to joints are properly treated will help to avoid future problems.
* Shoes with suitable support and shock absorption should be worn by those whose jobs demand extended periods of standing or walking.
* Weight loss through proper diet will help to lessen stress on weight-bearing body joints.

* Care should be taken to cushion knees from pain aad strain when kneeling on hard surfaces.

* Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables as they include natural vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are crucial for the health of the joints, as well as the rest of the body.

Recently there have been some studies that show that the nutritional supplement, Glucosamine, can help with DJD and can possibly help rebuild joint cartilage. However, it must be used over time and does not work in all conditions.

Chiropractic adjustments aid in the restoration of proper mobility and function to the spinal joints. Chiropractic care is not only a smart idea, but extremely effective in relieving the debilitating pain of arthritis. Your Chicago chiropractor is highly trained when it comes to arthritic pain relief. In addition, chiropractic modalities such as joint mobilization, ultrasound, cold laser therapy, massage and electro-therapy may be used to aid in the treatment of painful and stiff joints. Sometimes a brace is used to help stabilize the joint in order to alleviate pain. Movement is vital to the maintenance of arthritic joints. A chiropractor often suggests gentle, mobilizing activities such as stretching, yoga, and tai chi can be beneficial.

Gout

An elevated level of uric acid in the blood and the deposition of uric acid crystals in the joints produce gouty arthritis. The most common joints are the big toes, the knees, ankles and wrists, and is often characterized by excruciating pain and swelling. Most people who develop gout are predisposed through heredity, though episodes are more often than not brought on by binge eating of agitative foods, when dehydrated or fasting, or after a major surgery or illness. Certain foods such as red meat (especially organ meat), certain seafood, legumes, and mushrooms have the natural substance, Purines, that are metabolized in the liver to form uric acid. Since individuals with gout cannot efficiently metabolize uric acid, the accumulation in the bloodstream produces joint problems. In addition to the foods mentioned and additional foods containing Purines, other dietary restrictions need to be followed including the avoidance of alcohol.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease of systemic origin. The direct cause is not known, but it is thought to be connected to a problem with the immune system. The most common joints affected are the small joints of the hands and fingers, the feet, knees, and shoulder, while other areas of the body can be affected as well. The condition is usually associated with morning stiffness that is aggravated by motion. Further symptoms can include general malaise and fatigue, and in its more advanced stages other systems of the body may be affected. Rheumatoid arthritis can be easily identified through particularized blood tests. Though, currently, there is no cure, in addition to medication and vitamin and diet therapy, treatment should include chiropractic treatments to mobilize joints and help to relieve the pain and stiffness associated with this disease. Additional modalities such as ultrasound, heat, electro-therapy, and massage may also be helpful. Your Chicago chiropractor is dedicated to supporting individuals in getting relief from the pain and suffering associated with arthritis.

Technorati Tags: arthritis, chiropractor, joint pain, joint swelling, pain relief