Stress comes in three primary forms: emotional, physical and chemical.  Dealing with each component can help make your life well, less stressful.  Here are some helpful hints on how to beat the stress.

 Emotional-Make it a daily habit to find the good in life.  Be gracious and humble.  Thank those around you for their impact in your life, be it large or small.  Compliment someone.  Focus on the positive and see challenges as new opportunities for wisdom and growth.  Do one thing nice for yourself a day.  Do one thing nice for someone else.  Volunteer, give and grow.  Pay it forward.  Rinse, and repeat, daily!

 Physical-S t r e t c h........do some form of physical activity from walking, running, bouncing on a workout ball, chasing your kids, dogs, grand parents or your neighbors kids, dogs or grand parents.  Move, get mobilized.  We use it or lose it.  S t r e t c h.......M a s s a g e.......and always remember to use proper techniques when doing any kind of physical activity. Get the heart pumping and feed your body with the innate energy it craves.  Get a chiropractic adjustment to restore vitality to your tissues.  B r e a t h e.....rinse, and repeat, daily!   

 Chemical- We are what we F E E D ourselves.  Take accountability for the fuel you place into your system.  Garbage in, garbage out.  The reverse is also true.  Eat plenty of fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts and feel free to pile on even more omega-3, that stuff is amazing.  Add daily vitamin's to your regimen and drink plenty of water.  Avoid processed foods including high intake of sugars.  Eat meat, but in moderation. If you drink alcohol, keep it in moderation as well.  Limit all medications if possible. Go natural! Rinse, and repeat, daily!  

Strive to be healthy and have a great attitude.  That's a large portion of the battle.  Make reducing stress in your life a priority and take accountability for that change.  In the long term, it could play a key role in extending your life. 

At the very very least, SMILE!

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recently issued new guidelines that affirm the importance of physical activity among people living with type 2 diabetes.

According to their report, “participation in regular physical activity improves blood glucose control and can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes mellitus, along with positively affecting lipids, blood pressure, cardiovascular events, mortality, and quality of life."

The new guidelines recommend that people with type 2 diabetes perform 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise (40 percent to 60 percent of maximal aerobic capacity) throughout the week. To share more information on managing Diabetes with your patients, download the ACA’s Healthy Living Fact Sheet.

Source: American Chiropractic Association,www.acatoday.org

Consumer Reports Health: 3 out of 4 readers use chiropractic, other therapies

With everything going on in life, things can get a bit taxing. But there’s actually an easy way to keep stress at bay — taking time to connect with the mind, body, and the needs of each.

Pausing for a little bit each day and reconnecting with your inner self and physical requirements works wonders on the mind, spirit, and body. It’s also an excellent way to ward off too much stress. Check out five easy ways to stay calm, relaxed, and connected to yourself throughout even the busiest days.

Breathe – It may feel silly to remind oneself to breathe, but it is so important.  There are two types of breathing: shallow and deep. Taking shallow chest breaths causes the body to operate in “fight or flight” mode, which is highly stressful.

Less oxygen goes to the brain and the body continues to operate on high alert. It is important to take deep abdominal breaths, which stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. This optimizes digestion, relaxation, and detoxification while keeping hormones balanced.

Gratitude – Remembering things to be grateful for throughout the day really does wonders for personal state of mind and

Laughter – As the saying goes, laughter is the best medicine. Laughing for 10 minutes a day will do amazing things. It changes the physiology of the entire body —increases circulation, releases different “happy” chemicals in the body, reduces stress, keeps everyone in a lighter frame of mind, helps the heart, and can even burn calories!  It’s contagious, too!for the body. Positive thinking releases chemicals that help with digestion, euphoria, relaxation, and overall well-being.

Sit in Silence – Taking 10 to 30 minutes to quiet the mind and clear thoughts can be beneficial. If meditating is not preferable, spend the time visualizing goals for the day.  This will put focus on personal needs, which will be relaxing later when the day starts to get stressful.

Walking – Take a 15 to 20 minute walk outside to clear your mind. Sometimes all that’s needed is fresh air and sunlight. Taking a step away from the computer, the phone, the office, etc. can really help clear thoughts and be very calming.

Stress is almost unavoidable these days but there are many ways to keep it at bay.  Practicing these five methods is a great start.

The white blood cells, known as T-lymphocytes, have been found to have receptor sites for chemicals produced by the nerve system called neurohormones and neuromodulators.  These chemicals stimulate or inhibit the activity of the white blood cells.

The research also found that the white blood cells also produce the neurohormone and neuromodulator chemicals that suggest that the white blood cells can also communicate with the nervous system.

The authors of the study suggest that spinal misalignments, subluxations, can negatively affect the body's immune response by interfering with the communication link between the nervous system and the immune system.  Chiropractic adjustments correct spinal subluxations and help restore this communication link.

This research simply proves what chiropractors have known for years, that the nervous system is in direct control of the body's immune system and that interfering with it in any way can adversely affect how it functions.  Any malfunction of the body, especially a malfunction of the immune system, will cause the body to become unhealthy.  Chiropractic wellness care keeps your body and your immune system functioning at it's highest level, which is how its innately intended to perform. 

2. Take lessons: The right swing technique can do more than just improve your game, it can also spare you plenty of unnecessary pain. Working with a CPGA professional is a great way to learn the basics.

3. Warm up and warm down: Take a few minutes to stretch before and after your game. Start with a brisk walk, then do some light stretching.

4. Push, don't carry, your golf bag: Pushing or pulling a bag on its wheels and taking turns riding in a cart can help you take a load off and prevent a back injury. If you prefer to carry your clubs, consider using a double strap carry bag that evenly distributes the weight.

5. Choose the right shoes: Wearing a golf shoe with good support and the proper fit can go a long way to prevent some knee, hip and lower back pain.

6. Drink lots of water: Dehydration can cause fatigue and increase your risk of injury. Water and juice are ideal refreshments. Drinking alcohol depletes the body's fluids and can lead to stiff muscles and soreness later on.

It's a big problem and the study found three main causes among emergency room patients.

"About 70 percent are for self-harm attempts, and 13 percent to 14 percent are kids getting into products," said Daniel Budnitz, MD.  "The other 16 percent are adolescents and adults that generally fall into two groups: the younger adults that are misusing over-the-counter products because they are trying to get better pain control and don't understand the risks, and the older adults that are making some errors using opioid combination products." 

Studies have shown chiropractic manipulation is effective in relieving pain.  Coupled with the proper nutrition and antioxidants, this natural solution is gaining popularity all over the world.  If you or anyone you know is suffering from pain, please call us today so we can provide immediate help when you need it.

Certified hypnotherapist and teacher of natural healing practitioner Karen Erickson offers the following holistic ways to fight insomnia:

1. Work to reduce daily stresses in your life.  When you come home from work, take time to relax and wind down before jumping into something else.

2. Cut out caffeine.  If you can't cut out caffeine completely, at least drink only low or sugar-free caffeine drinks.  Also, don't drink caffeine drinks after 6pm.

3. Have quiet time.  Meditate at least 30 minutes a day.  Go for walks or do yoga.

4. No late night eating.  Don't eat food three hours before going to bed.

*Magnesium eases breathing: some immunologists suggest taking 400 mg of magnesium helps with nasal allergies and breathing problems.  Magnesium is also a natural muscle relaxant too as a bonus if you suffer from frequent muscle spam.

*Drink a lot of cool water: It probably seems counterintuitive to recommend drinking water with all of that liquid in your sinuses, nose and eyes.  But rehydrating is one of the best ways to eliminate toxins from your body.

*Take a whole food based vitamin C: Vitamin C acts as a natural antihistamine.

*Wear sunglasses when going outside: Allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, creates a certain amount of photosensitivity.  Wearing sunglasses helps reduce your sensitivity to light and thus helps your eyes from excessive watering.

*Check the local pollen count: While this seems obvious, most people forget to do it.  If you have severe allergies, you might consider wearing a mask on days when the pollen count is sky high.

If you've taken these steps and find you, or someone you know is still suffering from allergies, send them our way.  We've had great success treating allergy sufferers with electronic acupuncture.  Also, keeping your spine healthy is helpful in combating allergies as it helps boost the immunity to ward off unwanted intruders.

Headache sufferers are turning to alternative methods for headache prevention, including chiropractic and physical therapy, to eliminate specific habits that lead to repetitive and painful headaches, such as bad posture and working conditions ranging from the height of the cubicles and chairs to the way employees sit.

Alternative methods are also being used for pain-relief education, long-term relief from headache pain, and ultimately headache prevention.  If you or anyone you know suffers from headache pain, please get in to the office so we can help provide relief.

The Effects of Pregnancy on
Low Back Health

Back pain is common during pregnancy, especially during the last trimester. It also occurs frequently following birth. In fact, back pain is so common during pregnancy that injury or misalignments may be overlooked. Many women simply think that back pain is part of the process and that there's nothing they can do about it but suffer.

You don't need to suffer! Though back pain may subside temporarily, if spinal misalignment occurred during pregnancy or labor, there may be future problems. Once the spine become misaligned, the overall health of the spine is compromised. Inflammation is the body's natural response to injury in an attempt to protect the area from further damage. Unfortunately, it can also lead to pressure, compression of nerves and further degeneration of the spinal components.

In a recent study, it was found that disorders occurring during pregnancy involving pelvic misalignment as well as dysfunction of the sacroiliac joint (joins the pelvis to the sacrum, or lowest portion of the spine). The researchers were investigating the causes of lower back pain and strain symptoms during pregnancy. Their findings support the idea of further evaluation for lower back pain during and after pregnancy.

Chiropractic care during pregnancy can help ease pregnancy symptoms and labor as well as provide evaluation for aftercare treatment should a misalignment occur.

If you or a friend is suffering from back pain (whether from pregnancy or not), give us a call!

Sipko T, Grygier D, Barczyk K, Eliasz G. The Occurrence of Strain Symptoms in the Lumbosacral Region and Pelvis During Pregnancy and After Childbirth. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2010;33(5):370-377.

Your neck is the most vulnerable part of your spine.  Not only does it support your 10-12 pound head, maintain a gentle forward curve, and permit head rotation, but it must also allow the free flow of nerve impulses to the head, face, hands and the rest of your body.  Besides discomfort and annoyance, chronic neck pain is a sign that something is wrong.  many everyday things can cause neck pain, such as watching TV, using your computer, reading a book or falling asleep in a chair or on an airplane.  The temporary pain that results can resolve on its own, especially when the offending activity is discontinued.  When it doesn't, a more serious underlying problem may be indicated.

A thorough examination can determine if you're a good candidate for chiropractic care.  These tests may involve your ability to turn and bend.  Muscle tone of the supporting muscles in the neck may be tested. Diagnostic imaging to reveal the underlying structure of the spine may be requested.  These and other tests are designed to identify the cause and location of your neck pain.  The most common cause of neck pain is functional distortions in the spine resulting from vertebral subluxations.  These subluxations are seen in cases of reverse cervical curve, whiplash and joint instability.  The body responds by tightening muscles in the neck, "splinting" the joint to protect it from further insult.  Chiropractic care can help.

Most of the pain-sensing nerves in the neck are located in the pairs of facet joints on the back side of each vertebra.  These smooth, interlocking surfaces allow you to rotate your head and bend your head up and down.  If these joints become locked or fixated, neck pain can result.  Chiropractic care can help restore proper joint motion.  A more difficult problem to correct is the degenerative changes that result from neglect.  Years of uncorrected spinal problems can cause bone spurs, disc thinning and other forms of spinal decay.  these types of problems respond more slowly, and some type of ongoing supportive chiropractic care may be necessary.

Our response to stress is another common cause of neck pain.  Deadlines.  Rush hour traffic.  Over commitments.  Work pressures.  Family obligations.  Ever meet someone that's a "pain in the neck?"  Each of us is susceptible to our body's unconscious response to people and circumstances.  These perceptions can show up as episodes of neck pain. If the weakest link in our bodies is our neck, stress shows up there.  While chiropractic care cannot reduce the stress of your busy life, it can help improve your ability to handle and tolerate it.  Without drugs or surgery.

Why did the chiropractor take pictures of my neck?

Many patients are surprised when their chiropractic examination involves other areas of their body besides the local sight of their symptom(s).  some neck pain cases can be a compensation to problems in the feet, knees, hips and lower back.  The chiropractor see's you as a whole person, not just a collection of "parts."  

Will I have to have neck adjustments?

If your problem is the result of abnormal motion or position of spinal bones in the neck, cervical adjustments can be effective.  There are many ways to adjust the neck and chiropractors become experienced masters at making the proper adjustments. Years of practice make these spinal adjustments safe and effective.  Much safer than common Aspirin or muscle relaxers. 

How long will I need chiropractic care?

Some patients see quick improvement and immediately discontinue care.  They often suffer a relapse since muscles and soft tissues have not had time to fully heal.  Others discover that degenerative changes to their spines make periodic check ups a worthwhile investment.  Will make recommendations, but how long one benefits from chiropractic care is up to the individual.

Sciatica often worsens with extended bed rest.  Pain medication or muscle relaxers are unable to correct nerve compression caused by a bulging disc or hypertonic muscle.  Physical therapy merely exercises the unstable joints.  Surgery often involves cutting away disc tissue or removing bone to make room for the nerve.  Fortunately, sciatica often responds to safe, natural chiropractic care.

Improving joint motion with a series of chiropractic adjustments has produced results for millions.  "Before" and "after" images of the lower back often showed improved disc height and spacing.  Many patients report that they can resume their lives and that their symptoms disappear without drugs or surgery.  There is hope!

-  How do you get sciatica?

It's easy to trace some spinal problems to an event, such as a car accident.  Yet, sciatica is often the result of cumulative damage.  Years of bad posture, poor muscle tone, excess weight or countless other causes set the stage.  then, something simple like bending over to tie your shoes can trigger an episode.

-  Can anything else cause sciatica?

Spinal degeneration can be another culprit.  Instead of disc thinning that puts pressure on the sciatic nerve roots, arthritic bone spurs can intrude into the space normally reserved for the nerve.

-  Can chiropractic cure sciatica?

Actually, chiropractic doesn't cure anything!  Only your body can do that.  The chiropractic approach to sciatica (and other health problems) is to help restore proper spinal functioning, reducing the nerve irritation and revitalizing your body's own healing ability.

-  How long will I need chiropractic care?

Most sciatic sufferers are delighted with their results after weeks or months of care.  Naturally, each patient responds differently.  Many discover that years of neglect have produced spinal instabilities that never fully heal.  These patients elect to continue, with periodic checkups.  The choice is up to you.  It's your health, and your choice.

If you know of anyone suffering from sciatica or any other spinal dysfunction, please have them contact our office for a consultation.  It's always my greatest honor to serve those in need.

Justin Snyder, D.C.

The medical approach puts chemicals into your bloodstream to change the way your body works. For instance, laxatives speed up elimination, and antacids reduce stomach acid. Neither approach addresses the problem and can increase the risk of organ damage or other potentially fatal mistakes due to negative drug interactions. Rather than treat the symptoms of a problem, chiropractors focus on finding and treating the cause.

A thorough examination helps locate areas of nervous system compromise. Then, specific chiropractic adjustments are performed to restore proper nervous system functioning and your body's ability to regulate and heal itself. Without drugs. Without surgery. Chiropractic is simple. It's natural. It honors the wisdom of your body and has helped millions enjoy relief and maintain better health for more than a century.

Who can chiropractic help?

Improved nerve communication between your brain and your body can help everyone. If you have nerve interference, you could be a good candidate for chiropractic care. With modified adjusting approaches, Tulsa chiropractor Dr. Snyder helps children, the elderly and those with special needs.

How long will it take?

Since chiropractic care depends on the healing abilities of each patient, results can vary from patient to patient. Some detect changes in a few short days or weeks, while others takes weeks or months before showing progress.

Will I have to go the rest of my life?

I personally chose to receive regular treatments. Since doing so, I've found I'm sick less often, and in the unfortunate event I do come down with something, the duration I'm down is generally shortened. Some patients chose to follow this rule of preventative care, and as a result their prevention helps make sure once they get well, they stay well.

Does my insurance company cover care?

While most insurance plans cover chiropractic care, each of us has the freedom to place a different value on our health. While insurance is helpful, be careful. Don't allow a profit-motivated company make decisions about what to do with your health. Ultimately, good health is about personal responsibility. Call today to find out how we make chiropractic care affordable for just about anyone.

Upon impact, your body pushes deeply into your seat.  your head, momentarily isolated by your neck, delays its reaction while your body quickly reaches the limits of your seat.  Unrestrained by a seat belt your head is jerked back and then forward beyond its normal limits. This all happens in the blink of an eye and has long lasting effects.

Don't minimize your own injuries because your car has sustained little or no damage.  An immediate chiropractic examination is essential.  Pain medicine won't heal inflamed tendons and ligaments.  Muscle relaxers won't heal torn muscles.  Only specific chiropractic treatment can help restore proper motion of position to help insure proper healing.

Patients often ask the common questions after an accident:

Why do I have pain in my arms and hands?

Because the nerves to the arms and hands exit the spine through the injured area of the neck, numbness and tingling are common.

Why did my headache start more than a week after my accident? 

Whether you've been in an accident, stressed at work or overexerted yourself in the garden, your body is constantly adapting to the environment.  When ones capacity to adapt is exhausted, symptoms can appear.  this can take days, weeks, months or years to appear.

Will I ever be normal again?

Many chiropractic patients reports improved spinal curves and an end to their symptoms.  Those who delay seeking appropriate care often discover that scar tissue and spinal instability require periodic checkups.

If you or anyone you know have had the misfortune to be involved in an automobile accident, please come in or send them to Snyder Chiropractic & Acupuncture for an immediate evaluation. Don't be mislead by the damage to your car.  People react much differently than glass, plastic and metal.

Rear-end collisions, even at low speeds, can cause significant damage. Through the use of live subjects in crash tests involving rear-end collisions, scientists discovered the damaging effect of increased head accelerations during these auto accidents. In fact, sometimes reaching up to 9G's(1G=force of gravity) What this implies is a person’s head, which on average weighs approximately 10 pounds, all of a sudden weighs 90 pounds. In its most basic version, whiplash is explained as: a person’s body is pushed one way, while the person’s head is pushed the opposite way. This causes multiple collisions within the body. I.E. The brain impacting the inside surface of the skull, then impacting the air bag etc. It comes as no surprise that much of the injury occurs in the ligaments that join the vertebrae that lie in-between the torso and the head, that keep your head and neck stabilized.

This issue was viewed specifically by Ivancic and colleagues at Yale University. They discovered that while performing an example collision, the pressure in the lower part of the neck was 269.5 Newtons, or nearly 60 pounds of pressure, in approximately 1/20 of a second. This is the fact: when the strains are concentrated in such a small area, the human spine is not built to handle it. Research has shown that these forces are much more powerful than those that would normally act on the ligaments holding the spine together. Proper treatment if received early enough, can help ward off long lasting spinal pain and dysfunction. If you or anyone you know has had the misfortune of being involved in an accident, please call our office for an immediate appointment. We've helped people in Tulsa for year and it's continues to be an honor.

Whiplash Accidents and Neck Injuries Treated, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Call 918-749-7772 to make an appointment.

Before you bundle up and head out to free your car or shovel your driveway and sidewalk, follow these simple steps and I guarantee you will prevent yourself a lot of hurt the following morning…

1. Drink water and stay hydrated.
2. Warm up. Especially if you are going out in the early morning. Do a couple jumping jacks or run in place. Get the blood flowing to your extremities.
3. Shovel early and often. Don’t let it pile up.
4. Use your legs, not your back. You may not look as good as your neighbor, but I promise you that will FEEL a lot better than he will the next morning. Feel free to give him my number!
5. Stretch!!! Your body is not used to doing these types of motions so give it a well deserved cool down.

(Thanks for Dr. Lenny Roberts for the great article!)

Researchers in Sweden looked into the relationship between rapid neck movements and impacts on sensorimotor functions in patients with chronic neck pain. The study has some intriguing findings that could be useful for shaping treatment plans.