Archive for August 2016

This is the fun part: while water may be the plainest tasting drink, swimming is certainly a spicy form of exercise. The benefit begins when you enter your chosen water body: whether it be a pool, lake or ocean, the downward force of gravity is immediately suspended. This is why we feel relaxed when we float, and a key to why water is a great medium by which we can influence our well-being. 

• Swimming is holistic: a full body work out that comes with few of the side effects or risks inherent in running or cycling. The buoyancy effect provides a gentle resistance that naturally builds muscle and strengthens joints, rather than contributing to their deterioration. The upside to making swimming your main form of exercise is palpable. 
• Water therapy is great for improving back pain and increasing range of motion. Without being physically exhaustive, specific exercises and stretches within the pool can help you recover from injuries quicker.
  
• Soaking: warm water is good for joints, muscles and blood circulation. 

At Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center, we believe in water as both a weight manager and a life booster. Drinking enough of it and using it for exercise and relaxation are two ways we can make water a determining factor in our well-being. 

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

It’s never too late to start making water your main friend and health ally. Part 1 of incorporating water into your health plan is by just drinking it! Somewhere along the line, humans invented so many, “delicious,” alternatives that we seem to have lost our taste for water. This is an unfortunate circumstance for a populace that is chronically dehydrated. When you don’t hydrate, your body is forced to ration what water it does have, meaning that certain organs, namely the brain, are naturally prioritized over others. Your body simply isn’t working to its full potential when you don’t give it the right inputs. Here is the upside of a diet that includes a recommended daily amount of water (the general rule is 8 glasses, 8 ounces each for about 2L): 

• Mental clarity
• Healthy skin 
• Better digestive function
• Lubrication of joints
• Improved physical performance, no matter the task. 
• Reduced stress levels

From a chiropractor’s perspective, hydration is essential for not only the joints and bones, but also for the functioning of the nervous system. It’s time to put the chemical crutches and sugary sidekicks aside: coffee and alcohol often do more harm than good and the empty calories derived from soda are not helping either. Make a water bottle your friend and consume from it regularly: before you know it, drinking water will be a habit you can’t live without.

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

At Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center, one of the overarching complaints we hear relates to a collection of symptoms that includes inflammation of the joints, joint stiffness, and pain. These symptoms usually point to one of the 100+ types of arthritis. Arthritis prevalence is alarming: estimates vary, but some say that 1/5 Americans today have doctor-diagnosed arthritis. Out of these 2/3 are between the ages of 18 and 65. Of course, there is a correlation between arthritis and age: most experts agree that 1/2 people over the age of 65 are affected by the disease. Arthritis is a condition with no cure as of yet, but it can be managed to a very effective extent with the support of your chiropractor, and with a proactive approach to diet and exercise. Today, I would like to discuss a nutrient that is not only beneficial to the arthritis sufferer, but to anyone looking to mitigate inflammation, whether it is due to injury or the wear and tear of age: omega-3 fatty acids. 

Omega-3s are probably the only fat in the world that you don’t need to cut back on. While the human body can make most of the fats it needs, whether from ingested foods or other fats. This standard is not true for omega-3s: they are known as an essential fat because they can’t be made from scratch; they must be ingested with food. They are good for a whole range of conditions including the prevention of heart disease and their protective role against certain cancers. From the chiropractor’s perspective they are great because they block inflammation pathways. With rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease, the body attacks its own healthy tissue, creating inflammation which wears down the joints. 

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include fish, vegetable oil, chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts and green, leafy vegetables. It is easy to change your diet to accommodate for these nutrients and if not, there are fish oil supplements that can also make a difference. For help on optimizing your life to deal with any pain or obstacle that is holding you back from leading a full life, give our office a call at (408) 263-8025.

Dr. Gregory A. Lind, D.C. 

Chia seeds are the definition of a snack with a punch. Calorie for calorie, there may be no other food that delivers so much nutrition. This is probably what is behind chia seeds rise to prominence, especially in health food communities. From a chiropractor’s perspective, it’s always nice to recognize a healthy snack, especially one that is so beneficial to the musculoskeletal system. Here is why chia seeds are amazing:

• Easy integration: simple to prepare, and can be added to smoothies, soups, salads and oatmeal, with little to no difference in taste. A serving is just 1 ounce, or about two tablespoons, and this contains
• Power: A serving is just 1 ounce, or about 2 tablespoons. Here you will find 11g Fiber, 4g protein, 9g fat, of which 5g are omega-3 derived, and contribute to your RDA for calcium, magnesium, manganese and phosphorous. In other words, they are packed with healthy essential oils, and offer a lot of protein at a low cost in calories. Not to pile it on too thick, but a serving also contributes to your RDA for vitamins A, B, E and D and other minerals including sulphur, iron. 
• Anti-oxidants: chia seeds are rich with anti-oxidants, which are great for immune system functioning.
• Omega-3 fatty acids are known for their anti-inflammatory properties, making chia seeds a good option for people struggling with joint pain. 
• Bones: Chia seeds are rich in calcium and magnesium (proper amounts are essential for calcium absorption. 

The list goes on for the health benefits of chia seeds, but the point is not that you must immediately ditch your diet and start chucking chia seeds in every meal. It is about the awareness that small servings of extremely nutrient-rich foods can be added into your diet to make a huge impact. This is an example of chiropractic and nutrition going hand in hand. For help optimizing your diet to improve well-being, give our office in Milpitas a call today. 

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C.

Sometimes, it is important to remind ourselves of the basics. At our office in Milpitas, we practice the kind of chiropractic that can keep you swinging into old age. We truly believe that a proactive approach to health that includes chiropractic care, diet and exercise can reduce the likelihood of a visit to the emergency room. Whether you are looking to prevent an injury or recover from one, it makes sense to stack the odds in your favor. Common benefits of receiving treatment from Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center: 

• Better range of motion and spinal flexibility
• Increased energy
• Natural pain relief
• Better posture
• Holistic wellness and prevention of injury through education rather than medication.

Chiropractic can integrate with your lifestyle seamlessly. As both caregivers and those concerned for your well-being, we want to help by detecting and correcting spinal misalignment, and treating sore muscles and joints which allows you to focus on to pursuing things that make you healthy and happy. Call our office in Milpitas and start changing your life for the better today.

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

It has been said that sitting is the new smoking. While there is hardly a way to equate these two things, I can speak on the latter and confirm that chronic sitting is contributing to premature muscular and structural problems in the human body.

What is happening when we sit too much: 

• hip flexors are shortening
• digestion turns sluggish
• Brain function is slowing because circulation is stagnating 
• Posture deteriorating leading to back problems
• Muscles (especially in the shoulders and neck) tightening and atrophying

These are only a few examples to cover the scale of how harmful sitting for long periods of time is to the human body. Over months and years, these conditions can become chronic and life-defining. We want to help you get off the couch and get motivated: creating health goals, maintaining accountability, starting small and building on your success. It’s a tried and true formula that we can help you instigate in your particular life if you are truly trying to feel better. 

At Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center, we are advocates for your spine. If you realize you’ve been sitting too much, give our office a call and set up an examination. We can correct subluxation and treat muscles that may have become accustomed to the stagnation of sitting. Don’t let sitting take years off your life any longer: get up and give our office in Milpitas a call at (408) 263-8025. 

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

I am excited to give the people of Milpitas more reasons to get a massage because the benefits are seemingly endless. The boost your body receives physically in terms of tension decrease, injury improvement and range of motion increase are balanced by an emotional and mental boost that is less tangible. Simply put, a massage makes you happy. But how? It begins with the brain.

• Massage helps you stay in the moment. The parts of your brain associated with emotion act less strongly and you are able to differentiate thoughts from emotions and vice-versa. The perspective that is gained by a massage is crucial to resetting your frame of mind for the days ahead. 
• Massage encourages the brain to release more pain-fighting chemicals. Stress hormone activity is decreased and endorphins, the feel-good chemical, are let loose, helping to block pain signals and make you smile. 
• Massage improves flow of blood to the brain. The brain is the organ with top priority for blood flow, simply because it ceases to function without oxygen. While massage helps blood circulate more freely to all parts of the body, particularly those being targeted, the brain responds with sharper mental acuity. 

At Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center, we are in the business of making people feel good, the natural way. Massage is one of our most powerful and time-tested tools that we put at your disposal. We want to use it to help you leave the cycle of stress that can’t define and damage our daily existence. Give our office a call at (408) 263-8025 and set up an appointment to start feeling better today. 

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

Perhaps the only thing that can make a massage even more relaxing is understanding just what happens to your body and mind during the process. At its core, simply the feeling of another hand rubbing or kneading tight muscles makes you feel good, releasing endorphins that calm the nervous system. The more dexterous those hands get, the more massage can be used to truly reduce stress and ease pain. At Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center, we have the training and experience to provide you with a massage that will address your particular needs.

At it’s core, massage involves rubbing and kneading of joints and muscles to release tension and improve pain. Chronic tension in muscles is an underlying cause in many cases where people wake up stiff and sore, before heading to work and repeating the same cycle of poor posture and inactivity that contribute to the tension in the first place. Massage helps the body in the following ways:

• Relaxing the muscles: by relieving tension and stiffness
• Healing faster: by moderating inflammation and improving blood flow.
• Reducing frequency and severity of muscle spasms
• Improves joint flexibility 
• Improves range of motion
• Alleviates headache symptoms
• Boosts the immune system

There is no denying that a massage just feels good, and there is a lot to be said for that. You might notice an uptick in energy and mood for a period of days after a professional massage. For ailing and constantly achy bodies; for acute injuries; for or for just improving overall wellness, call our office and see how you can benefit from a massage today. 

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

It may feel like it just begun, but summer is nearing its climax: nothing signals this more clearly than the first week of school. As the children of the Bay Area prepare for yet another year of mental and physical growth, they are also throwing their spines into another year of potential trauma: the trauma involved with overstuffed, ill-fitting backpacks; the trauma of poorly designed classroom furniture; and more and more, the trauma involved with computer activity. However, a simple dose of awareness and a penchant for pro-activity on behalf of the parents can fight back against these trends and prevent them from doing damage to growing spines. 

• Backpacks: make sure they fit well, make sure they have two straps, and keep them loaded as minimally as possible. The maximum weight we should carry in a bag is 15% of the carrier’s body weight. While this is not always possible, keep an eye on the books or objects that may not be necessary for that day’s activity. 
• At home study-zone: you can’t control the quality of desks and chairs at school, but you can at home. Create a fun, healthy environment for your child to study in and they will probably respond by having more enthusiasm for homework! 
• Teaching posture: help your child become a trend setter by teaching them, or letting us teach them, how to achieve great posture and why it’s important. 

At Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center, we believe in the potential of every child. We also strongly believe that keeping their spines in shape and their nervous system free of interference helps them grow optimally. Help your child to enter this school year with their firmest foot forward by giving our office in Milpitas a call.

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C. 

The serious gardener is the one who spends their days in the summer heat creating a personal oasis that nourishes the mind and soul. The smart gardener is the one who also looks out for the health of their back in the process! The motions involved in gardening can be hard on the spine, and as such, we seek to remind everyone that observing a few tips can prevent injury, allowing you to enjoy your garden without any soreness or stiffness. 

• Keep your task in front of you: avoid working on multiple tasks and twisting your body between them. This will help you to keep your tools in front of you, so you don’t have to keep reaching behind yourself to retrieve that spade!
• Rest: take breaks, hydrate and admire your work! Preferably, do this from a shady spot. 
• Stretch regularly: before, during and after stretches will keep your body limber and prevent the kind of small injuries that accrue from the twisting, bending and dipping inherent in gardening.
• Use the power of your legs to lift! Everyone is told, “don’t lift with your back,” but this sage advice is very easily forgotten and very often ignored. Lifting with the legs will save you a lot of pain down the road. 

At Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center, we want you to enjoy the fruits and beauty of your labor without the slightest pain. To this end, we want to keep you well-adjusted, the chiropractic way! By having your body evaluated, we ensure that there is no structural abnormality that could leave you vulnerable to injury or subluxation that is creating nerve interference. Give our office in Milpitas a call at (408) 263-8025. 

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C.