If you remember high school biology class, you most likely remember the animal specimens you reluctantly had to dissect.  Worms, sheep brains and frogs – all preserved in an odiferous chemical solution of formaldehyde.  Formaldehyde is also known for its use in the funeral industry as an embalming fluid.

In June 2011, government scientists expressed concern for formaldehyde exposure after finding ‘worrisome quantities’ of the chemical in plywood, particle board, mortuaries and hair salons.  Several human studies went as far as reporting an association between formaldehyde exposure and lung and nasopharyngeal cancer.  It is now considered by the EPA a probable human carcinogen (Group B1) – it’s also a trace ingredient found in your flu shot.

For chiropractors, it is ‘worrisome’ that millions of flu shot recipients have no idea of what’s being injected into them every year.  Inevitably, we’re all going to get a dose of formaldehyde when we die.  The question is, do you feel comfortable having it injected artificially into your body when you’re still alive?

The word diagnosis derives from the Latin 'di' which means two, and 'agnosis' which means without knowledge.  So you can say a diagnosis is a meeting of two minds that don't have a clue about what's going on - not very comforting if it's a team of doctors trying to figure out what's wrong with you!

A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) revealed some rather shocking numbers about physicians’ diagnostic accuracy and confidence (1).  Turns out the 118 MDs who participated in the study were right only 55% of the time on easy cases and just 6% on the tough ones.  Even more surprising, an earlier Pew Survey (2) showed that patients were 41% accurate in their own self-diagnosis from on-line resources, giving them a statistical advantage over their more 'learned' MD counterparts.

So the question is, do we really have a 'health crisis' in this country, or is it just an 'OVER diagnosis' problem - a system clogged with people lead to believe they have pressing health issues when in fact they don't?  When it comes to knowing what ails you, two heads aren't necessarily better than one.  Maybe it's smarter to just trust the REAL doctor inside you.

(1) JAMA - Physicians’ Diagnostic Accuracy, Confidence, and Resource Requests Nov 2013, Meyer et al
(2) Pew Research Internet Project - Health Online 2013, Fox et al

New trends in intermittent fasting and time restricted eating have taken the stage as holistic techniques that not only help with weight loss, but can restore entire physiologic systems of your body. It's reported in the medical journal Cell Stem Cell that restricting all food intake (aside from water) for three days can actually reset a damaged immune system.

Where medicine's approach to health favors addition - more prescriptions, more procedures, more therapies - studies like the one above support the concept that 'less is better' when it comes to restoring health and maintaining it for a lifetime. Many health issues resolve not because of what you ADD to your body, but because of the bad stuff you SUBTRACT from it... and Chiropractors have been leading the charge of 'subtracting for better health' since its inception.

On top of your list of 'subtractions' should be the regular detection and elimination of spinal Subluxations - the subtle nerve disturbances that throw your body out of balance and put you in a state of dis-ease. That, in combination with healthy caloric restriction methods like intermittent fasting, can reset your body and your health back to factory settings.

If you bought a blender solely for the purpose of chopping ice, you'd be missing out on its potential to do so much more.  After spending some time with your new appliance you may discover it can also grind fresh almond flour or make delicious smoothies - the culinary sky's the limit once your mind opens to possibility.

If you went to a Chiropractor solely for the purpose of easing back pain, you'd likewise be missing out on the many health benefits that come from its proper use.  After spending time in regular care you may notice your energy increasing, your sleep patterns normalizing, your digestion improving - a few of the many health changes that come from maintaining a healthy spine and nerve system.

When it comes to Chiropractic, don't sell the product short by using it only for pain relief. Do your homework and discover all the features and benefits this drugless form of care can offer. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how it can transform many aspects of your health - the sky's the limit when your Life line is clear.

Did you know the very first Chiropractic adjustment wasn't for back pain?  Here's how it all started as told by our founder Dr. D.D. Palmer…

"Harvey Lillard, a janitor, in the Ryan Block, where I had my office, had been so deaf for 17 years that he could not hear the racket of a wagon on the street or the ticking of a watch.  I made inquiry as to the cause of his deafness and was informed that when he was exerting himself in a cramped, stooping position, he felt something give way in his back and immediately became deaf.

An examination showed a vertebra racked from its normal position.  I reasoned that if that vertebra was replaced, the man's hearing should be restored.  With this object in view, a half hour's talk persuaded Mr. Lillard to allow me to replace it.  I racked it into position by using the spinous process as a lever and soon the man could hear as before.

There was nothing 'accidental' about this, as it was accomplished with an object in view, and the result expected was obtained.  There was nothing 'crude' about this adjustment; it was specific, so much so that no Chiropractor has equaled it."

And that’s how Chiropractic was born on September 18, 1895 - good thing D.D. was a great persuader!  Happy 123rd Birthday!

Knee sore on Monday... Creaky back on Tuesday... Congested on Wednesday - there must be bad weather in the forecast. How many people do you know who attribute their aches and pains to what's going on outside, instead of trying to find and fix the real problem INSIDE?

When your body responds negatively to every change in environment, the problem isn't the weather - most likely you're breaking one or more of the cardinal rules of Health. Proper nourishment, full body motion, adequate rest and internal cleanliness aren't cliché healthy needs. Practicing these basic habits enables your body to thrive amid the stresses it experiences every day. Fail to eat right and your body won't resist the elements. Fail to move your joints fully and even the barometric pressure of weather will wear them down. Now you've become a victim of your environment, instead of being a master of it.

If weather was the real culprit of your aches and pains, wouldn't EVERYONE around you feel the same thing? We all share the same atmosphere!  Instead of blaming the elements, strengthen your nerve system, move your body and build up your innate ability to adapt to whatever mother nature throws your way.