Winter is tough on the body. Cold weather prompts biological responses including increased inflammation and higher blood pressure, not to mention the increase in exposure to germs, bacteria, and viruses like the flu. There are many things that you can do as winter approaches to bolster your immune system and give yourself a fighting chance against sickness. Here are six tips that you might hear in your local chiropractor’s office in Denver, Co.  

Exercise

Your chiropractor’s office in Denver, Co. would definitely tell you that exercise is key to boosting your immune system during the winter months, and physical activity can change white blood cells and antibodies on a cellular level. Physical activity is useful for many reasons, the most important being that it helps to flush out bacteria that could be harmful. Rapid breathing moves bacteria from the lungs and bronchial tubes, reducing the likelihood of bacteria settling in and making you sick.  

Eat well

Eating a well-balanced and healthy diet is critical to overall health and wellbeing no matter the time of year. This effort is especially important as the holidays roll around which and ushers in overeating and mindless eating. As these occasions approach, and the winter months set in, make a concerted effort to eat in a mindful way and to include copious amounts of fruits and vegetables in your diet; and maybe just one slice of pie this year.   

Sleep

Your body is dependant on sleep to fight off illness. During sleep, your body produces specialized disease-fighting cells called cytokines. If you have a regular sleep deficit, your body won’t produce enough of the specialized proteins or antibodies, overall cell reproduction slows, and you’ll find yourself sick much more often this winter.  

Get your shots

Flu shots can be hit or miss when it comes to protecting yourself from the influenza virus. But, getting the shot each year is better than having no protection at all. Ask your health care provider for recommendations on which immunizations might help to keep you healthier this winter. 

Stay clean

Keeping yourself and your things clean is an easy way to stay healthier this winter. Washing your hands often reduces the spread of germs and the chance of infection. Regularly washing jacks, coats, scarves, mittens, and hats also work to reduce the germs, bacteria, and viruses that you’re exposed to on a regular basis.

Holistic doctors are also sometimes referred to as Naturopaths. They go to medical school just like regular doctors, earn their medical degree, and go on to complete specialized, naturopathic training. They attempt to find the root cause of pain and treat the whole body in a way that’s different than conventional, Western medicine. Here are five reasons why it might be time for you to visit a holistic doctor in Denver. 

1. Your regular MD just isn’t listening 

If you’ve been going to the same doctor for a long time, or if you have a chronic condition that you’ve been suffering with, with little success treatment-wise, perhaps it’s time to seek out a holistic doctor in Denver. Sometimes patients feel like their regular doctor just isn’t listening, or they would prefer to see a provider who spends more time listening to the things they have to say. Active listening is a central tenant to the practice of naturopathic medicine and these providers spend a lot of their time with you listening to you talk about your body and asking questions.  

2. You want to treat your entire body, not just one ailment at a time

Naturopathic providers look at the big picture. Rather than focus on the specific site of your medical complaints, they would rather consider how the entire body is functioning that might cause exactly what you’re complaining about. Sometimes it takes a little bit of digging to find the root cause of a problem, and to treat it for good.  

3. To treat an illness not just its symptoms

If you’re tired of being sick, a visit to a holistic doctor might be a smart move. These doctors look to treat an illness, or the root cause of a condition, rather than medicate the symptoms. They look for long-term recovery and they also believe that the body can heal itself if the healing mechanisms are restored.  

4. To treat chronic pain without drugs

It’s become an all too common to throw prescription drugs at ailments and chronic pain in the hopes that they fix the problem. This method hasn’t been very effective and many patients refute the idea of spending the rest of their lives on medications to combat pain. A naturopathic doctor looks for nonmedication alternatives to treating chronic pain like meditation, acupuncture, stress reduction, supplements and vitamins, physical activity and many more “alternative” methods. 

5. If you feel you’re on too much medication

If you’re one of those people who hate taking medication on a daily basis or refuse to spend the rest of your life taking prescription drugs, then head to a naturopathic doctor to help you find drug free options. Holistic doctors do understand that there is a place in the practice of medicine for prescription drugs. However, they are more inclined to help the body to heal itself and to turn to “alternative” modalities that have shown great success in helping patients to feel better and to live healthier lives. 

More than 35 million people in the US depend on a chiropractor, in part, for their overall health and well-being. If you’ve been thinking of doing the same, a quick internet search for “chiropractors near me” will get you moving in the right direction. There are plenty of ailments, both obvious and surprising, that chiropractors can help with. Here are some of the most common reasons people go to a chiropractor in Denver. 

Sports Injury

Sports injuries bring plenty of people into the local chiropractor’s office. Whether you tweaked your knee playing soccer, over extended your shoulder playing softball, or rolled your ankle doing a layup on the court, a chiropractor can help. These injuries can range from minor to severe and these trained professionals can help alleviate pain and get you back on the road to recovery. The main goal is to address the bones and joints in the injured area and there are many treatment modalities including spinal mobilization and spinal manipulation that can be used to heal your injury more quickly.

Back/Neck Pain

Back and neck pain are one of the most common complaints that bring patients into the chiropractor’s office. Patients might have a compression of the nerves in their spine and not even know it. You might have a herniated disk causing inflammation, suffer from regular muscle spasms, unknown injuries to the ligaments and muscles that run along your spine, or neck pain from tension. With a few adjustments, your chiropractor can help to alleviate the pain from these conditions. Over a period of time, regular adjustments could promote total recovery. 

Headaches

Tension, migraines, and underlying problems with your neck could all cause severe and debilitating head pain. Manipulation of the cervical spine, the bones in the neck, is a common remedy that can help to alleviate suffering. Massage in a chiropractic setting can also offer relief for people who have regular headaches. 

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

This condition causes numbness, pain and tingling in the hands, fingers and wrists. It’s caused by compression of a large nerve in the hand, but treatment to alleviate this syndrome can follow the nerve all the way into the elbow, shoulder and neck. Whereas carpal tunnel has historically been treated with surgery, a visit to a chiropractor can put you on a path to a much less invasive treatment option. 

Arthritis

Arthritis is a condition that causes regular and sometimes constant inflammation of the joints. It is a painful and debilitating chronic condition. Many people who suffer from arthritis are on medications to manage it for the rest of their lives. Others, unfortunately, live in pain. If you’re an arthritis sufferer, there is another way. A visit to a chiropractor near you could mean a better quality of life. 

Chronic Pain

Chronic pain sufferers are typically faced with an impossible choice – suffer, or take potentially addictive pain medication. If neither of those choices sound good to you, consider a visit to your local chiropractor. These trained professionals will work with misalignments in your body to improve overall function and hopefully, decrease symptoms and suffering associated with chronic pain. 

Stress

Chiropractic adjustments also feel good most of the time, or at the very least, patients experience a sense of relief. Stress takes a horrible toll on the body in numerous ways and causes many hidden ailments. Adjustments can help to repair misalignments and encourage the body systems to work in optimal ways. Chiropractors also use other methods of treatment that can reduce the feeling and impact of stress on the body. You might experience massage, ice and heat therapy, electrical muscle stimulation, or one of the 200 identified chiropractic adjustment methods.  

Digestion Issues

Mysteriously, some digestion issues can be directly linked to muscular-skeletal problems. Constipation, pain, bloating, gas, or diagnosed GI diseases like diverticulitis, Crohn’s disease, or irritable bowel syndrome can all be helped with manipulation by a chiropractor of the lower back. Adjustments by nature reduce inflammation. Many of these conditions and diseases are directly caused by inflammation in the gastrointestinal system. 

Car Accident 

Another common reason that patients find their way to the local chiropractors office is a car accident. The sudden impact and violent jolt of an accident can cause outward injuries and hidden ailments. If you have been in a car accident and have ongoing pain after initial medical treatment, you should consider making an appointment to discuss the event and your symptoms with a chiropractor. 

Increased Overall Health and Well Being

Because the adjustments that chiropractors do on the body reduce inflammation in the joints and correct misalignment in the bones, regular visits can have a positive impact on overall health and well being. The underlying cause of many diseases is inflammation. Regular visits can greatly minimize the occurrence of inflammation throughout the body thereby reducing the symptoms you experience. 

If any of the situations above apply to you, and you’re not sure where to turn, call a chiropractor near you today to set up a consultation.

Advances in the medical research field have allowed new and different forms of medical treatment to become an option for patients. One of these new ‘types’ of medicine is alternative medicine. Like all medical treatments though, it is not for everyone and has both advantages and disadvantages.

What is alternative medicine?

Alternative medicine, while might seem kind of obvious, consists of alternative medical treatments instead of standard medical treatments. Although commonly interchanged, alternative medicine is different than complementary medicine. While complementary medicine is used to supplement traditional medical methods, alternative medicine is intended to entirely replace standard medicine as part of a patient’s treatment process. Some alternative medical approaches include:

– Herbal Remedies

– Dietary supplements

– Vitamin Regime

– Massage Therapy 

– Acupuncture

– Spiritual Healing

– Chiropractic Care

– Yoga

Pros of alternative medicine

1.) Root cause analysis

One of the biggest reasons there has been a major push for alternative medicine in the past few years is because it aims to identify and treat the root cause of a patient’s symptoms. Conventional medicine typically treats the symptoms of a person’s disease, which usually only further masks the underlying issue.

2.) Treats the whole person, not the disease

Unlike conventional medicine, which only treats the symptoms of a patient’s disease, alternative medicine treats the patient as a whole person. ‘A person is more than their disease’ is a common mantra among alternative medicine practitioners. This means a person’s disease could be stemming from a purely physical cause, but could also come from their mental and/or spiritual health. Alternative medicine does not rule out any factors right away but rather takes a detailed look at the patient’s daily routine, diet, mental, spiritual and physical health as well as any environmental factors that might contribute to a patient’s illness.

3.) Holistic and natural approach

Alternative medicine emphasizes the power and strength that comes with natural and holistic remedies. Standard medical treatments rely on prescription and over the counter drugs to cure a patient’s illness instead of exhausting all natural treatment options first. Alternative medicine searches to find sustainable and holistic remedies for a person’s sickness instead of prescribing a pill. Now, sometimes the only treatment for someone’s illness is in fact prescription medication but wouldn’t you rather know that is your only option before being prescribed a pill for the rest of your life?

Cons of alternative medicine

1.) Research is lacking

Due to the rather recent introduction of alternative medicine there is not as much research on this treatment method as there is for conventional medicine. While new research is being discovered every day, compared to standard medicine the research surrounding alternative medicine is rather limited. Equally, it is much harder to collect data for alternative medicine because of its holistic and full-service approach. Standard medicine has much more definitive data to support whether or not a drug or treatment is effective.

2.) Possible side effects

Alternative medicine is not as classically scientific as conventional medicine is which makes it more of an individual basis treatment method. Each patient is treated separately from the next, which means not all treatment methods react well or even work with every patient. Everyone has his or her own unique biological makeup so there is no telling how a patient will react, or not react, to each alternative medical treatment.

If you think alternative medicine might be the right path for you, make sure you mention it to your health care provider. For more information on alternative medicine in Denver check out Peak Health.

With the new year finally here, you may already have goals and expectations that are on your resolution list. Just 8% of people follow through with their yearly resolutions, most being health related. Whether it’s a change of diet or wanting to find a functional medicine Denver specialist, consider adding chiropractic care to your list. This quick guide will help you see the value that comes with receiving chiropractic care for your 2019 year.

Increased Mobility

Congratulations on your new job or new position! This means that you’re in peak physical condition to perform the job duties that are now required of you. Or are you? Perhaps your new position requires longer hours in a sedentary position. Or maybe you are required to travel more, leaving the airport at earlier hours and arriving late. Whatever the case, your body must be in top physical condition in order to accomplish these tasks. 34% of work injuries result in in overexertion. Back pain or muscle soreness can turn into long-term ailments that may even result in loss of work. You don’t want – or need- any health issues arising with your new position. Chiropractic care can offer a wealth of benefits for you and your job productivity. An adjustment doesn’t just help your spine, but increases mobility by unrestricting the soft tissue that surrounds your spinal joints.

Fewer Illnesses

“I love getting sick,” said no one ever. The CDC estimates roughly 5% out of 20% of individuals get the flu. So assuming that you’re just not into getting sick, you’d want to take all precautions and necessary steps of prevention, correct? Well, a Denver chiropractor specialist can help you beat the cold blues with simple adjustments. These adjustments free the subluxation that can interfere with the nervous system, ultimately strengthening your immune system.

Healthy Organ and Lung Function

Studies show that chiropractic care even leads to increased lung capacity and healthy organ function. Adjustments affect the whole body. This includes the nervous system and spinal nerve that has a direct correlation to some organs. Routine adjustments can improve some chronic illnesses by assisting in healthy organ function.

Overall Health

It’s important to be kind to your body. But it’s just as important to be kind to your mind. Routine adjustments helps to alleviate pressure off of certain spinal nerves that play a role in mental fatigue, brain fog or even depression.

Are you ready to put chiropractic care on your resolution list? Perhaps you’re wondering, ‘is there a reputable chiropractor near me?’ Peak Health helps you achieve your goals throughout the entire year and they are with you every step. From laser therapy to kinesio taping, our many services encourage you to stay healthy all year long. contact us today for more information about your first chiropractic session!