Carl Irwin's Chiropractic Top Tips and Cranial News

Massage Wednesdays at Carl Irwin Chiropractors

2012-02-09T16:08:00.001Z

Wednesdays are now

Massage Wednesdays

at Edgware & Mill Hill Chiropractic Clinic

Have a 1/2 hour Massage after your chiropractic treatment for only £20.00

Opening Introductory Offer of £10.00 on Weds 22^nd February

**Must be used in conjunction with a chiropractic treatment on same day

**Limited spaces and by appointment only.

Call 020 8905 4440 or email reception

to book your massage

Only 2 weeks to go - to get a FREEBIE

2012-02-02T18:15:00.000Z

And get your back problems sorted...

Don't miss out on this opportunity to receive your new patient visit and trial treatment FREE.
This offer at Carl Irwin Chiropractors ends on 15th February and we don't want to break your heart by turning you away after this date.

so lets all be happy for Valentine's day and remember to make an appointment before its too late.

Call us on 020 8905 4440 or e mail info@carlirwin.co.uk

Please drive carefully in this weather. I don't want to see you with whiplash

2012-01-30T22:39:00.001Z

Just helped someone who has been suffering with headaches for years. It's so great seeing them painfree and not loading themselves everyday with painkillers. I'd like to help you too

2012-01-26T17:45:00.001Z

If you take an aspirin, but keep hitting your head with a hammer, the pain will always come back. Eliminating the cause of your headaches, not just masking the pain, is the goal.

Natural Headache Relief

Consider the cost of traditional medical treatment, time lost from work, over-the-counter and prescription drugs, alternative therapies (i.e., biofeedback, hypnosis), pain management and countless other remedies people seek to rid themselves of headache pain. The financial impact is in the billions each year.

Tension-type headaches, usually brought on by emotional factors such as depression, grief, job and family stress, and anxiety.
Migraines, usually accompanied by sensitivity to light and nausea/vomiting. These may result from diet (caffeine, chocolate, processed foods), hormonal changes, changes in altitude (flying), tiredness or stress.
Cluster headaches, usually occurring on one side of the head, are often triggered by alcohol, heavy smoking or histamines produced by the body.
Hormonal headaches may occur along with other PMS symptoms or during and after a woman’s monthly period. This type of headache may also occur more frequently in birth control pill users and during pregnancy and menopause.

Many people run to the store to purchase any type of pain-reliever that promises a “quick fix” for the relief of the symptoms of the pain. But often, these types of drugs produce a “rebound effect” which actually contributes to still more headaches, with more pain medication needed, and so it goes…
Alternatives to drug-therapy include aerobic exercise, to relieve stress and tension, herbal therapy, acupuncture and you guessed it... chiropractic adjustments.

If you know someone who numbs their body with drugs, urge them to consult our practice so we can determine the underlying cause of their headaches. Headaches may be common, but they’re not normal. Today’s chiropractic care can be helpful at reducing and/or eliminating the frequency and duration of headaches, without the undesired side effects of medications.

Call us for a free no obligation visit on 020 8905 4440 or email info@carlirwin.co.uk

Another Safe Arrival

2012-01-19T17:51:00.004Z

It has been a really lovely day in clinic today, especially as one of our patients has delivered her second baby girl, safely.

Chiropractic is really great at helping during pregnancy not just for back pain but also in maintaining the optimum position for the baby, hence enhancing a more natural birth.

Once the baby has been born we also will check the baby for any cranial faults, as some sources link that to things like colic and also we check the neck especially if the cord has been wrapped around it.

We must not forget mum as chances are her pelvis may need a little re-aligning too. Why else do you think your health goes down hill after having children!!

We don't charge for a baby's post natal check at the Edgware and Mill Hill Clinic and we are happy to see anyone you may know.

Call our clinic on 020 8905 4440 or e mail info@carlirwin.co.uk

Do You Know How to Sit?

2012-01-18T11:09:00.000Z

Its really lovely helping so many people with back related problems. Be if through sport, pregnancy or the stress of day to day living, it is amazing how much it affects the spine. What is even more incredible is that so much of it can be prevented by simply sitting better...so

...Do You Know How to Sit?

Yourposture when seated can have a significant impact on your overall health.

Wehave become a society of “sitters.” We sit in front of our computers, in frontof our televisions, at our desks, in cars and planes, in chairs reading, on the loo, while eating… we sitand sit some more, day in and day out. Believe it or not, the way you sit canhave a great impact on your health and well-being through our spine, causing nerve pressure and subluxations, slowly wearing our spines down from an early age.

Whatcan sitters do to avoid some of the health issues linked with sitting?

•Adjust your chair and computer monitor, sothat you are sitting as straight as you can. Ergonomic chairs are available tohelp maintain better posture

•Makesure your back, neck, head and eyes are all facing forward in a straight line

•Sittingin the same position for any length of time causes fatigue; shift your bodyweight from time to time and monitor your posture; make sure your chair isadjusted to the proper height.

•Usea footrest to relieve pressure on your legs and thighs.

•Getup periodically to walk, stretch your legs, and give yourself a break!
The school day and manyjobs require long periods of sitting. If you have one, and you experienceneck aches, back pain, headaches, poor concentration and attention span, be sure to mention it the next time you’re in our practice.Getting up and moving around every so often, even for two minutes, or doingsome “desk” exercises may help alleviate the strain on your neck and back. Wecan help!

Callour friendly team on 020 8905 4440 or e mail info@carlirwin.co.uk to learn more.

News Clip about ADHD and Chiropractic

2012-01-05T18:30:00.000Z

We've been doing this for years with kids but not been allowed to say due to Advertising Standards Restrictions in the UK.... now its in the news

News Clipabout ADHD and Chiropractic

How to Catch a Cold and more

2012-01-05T17:38:00.001Z

Januarys Digital News

Articles include

How to catch a cold !

Is Antibacterial Soap Really Necessary?

Click link below to read more

January Digital News

FREE Family Health Magazine

2012-01-03T09:18:00.001Z

Happy New Year to all.

Now is the time of year when many of us are at our most stressed. The return to work or school to many is big shock to the system and the relaxing break we have all had and it is sure to creat more than a few subluxations. Ultimately we slowly start to get run done and commonly by end of January we are innudated with people needing treatment for all sorts of problems not just neck and back ache.

Now is the time to have a spinal health check. Why wait to get sick when you can prevent this from occuring, so if you have not made an appointment book yourself and the rest of the family one with us today.

Call us on 0208 905 4440 and receive a 10% discount on any visit recieved before 17th January 2012.

PRINT THIS OUT AND BRING IT TO YOUR APPT AND WE WILL GIVE YOU 10% OFF, IF YOU ATTEND BEFORE THE 17TH JANUARY 2012

Attached is a FREE link to Pathways Family Health Magazine (digital addition).

As always Jennie Ohm and her editiorial team have put together some really good stuff on natural health for all the family.

This is one of my favourite magazines, hope you enjoy it too.

Pathways Family Health Magazine

Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy and rich 2012

Carl

PS - Get your 10 % discount book an appointment before 17/1/12. Call 020 8905 4440
PPS - Free Pathways Family Health Magazine link here

More Tablets over Christmas & New Year?

2011-12-23T11:02:00.001Z

With the run up to theChristmas festivities and the New Year holidays coming ever closer, many of us will either be working a lotmore from home or be trading our desktop computers for laptops or tabletcomputer for ourselves and the kids. Have you thought about the consequences of this change. It’simportant to maintain good posture when working at a laptop to prevent episodesof back pain, neck pain, headaches or repetitive strain injuries occurring.

Here are 10 tips to set up your laptop/tablet correctly or toconsider when buying a new laptop.

1) Use a large screen.This helps to stop stooping over to make out the smaller details on screen.Increasing to font size or window zoom will also help.

2) Place the screen at eye level. Ideally set yourlaptop height and screen angle so you can sit comfortably without bending orrotating your neck. Keep the laptop at arm’s length. Use a laptop stand or athick book if you need to.

3) Don't Slouch. If youhave to work on your lap, then raise the laptop by placing it on top of your computerbag or briefcase.

4) Use a separatekeyboard. If you are sitting at a desk using a separate keyboard allows yourshoulders and arms to be relaxed. It also allows your screen and keyboardheights to be independent.

5) Use a separate mouse.This again helps with shoulder and arm posture. Remember to keep your wristflat whilst using it.

6) Recline slightly. Ifyou can’t use a separate keyboard and mouse then try to use a reclining chair.This helps to reduce neck strain whilst working.

7) Prop up your feet. Yourknees should be at the level of your hips. If your hips are too high place afootrest under your feet to maintain perfect body angles decreasing strain onthe low back.

8) Make your chair workfor you. If you have an adjustable chair makes use of it. Ensuring thearmrests, lumbar support and chair height are aligned correctly to your bodywill reduce stress on the body.

9) Take a regular break.Get up and move around regularly and after every hour doing some simplestretches will help.

10) Travel light. Becareful how heavy your laptop bag is and use a rucksack if possible.

If you have any painsrelated to using a laptop or computer remember, it’s important to get theminvestigated. Check the website at www.carlirwin.co.ukfor more information or ring our clinic for a consultation on 020 8905 4440.

If only Santa had a chiropractor

2011-12-23T08:56:00.001Z

My kids would have got bigger presents!!!

T'was the day before Christmas, but there was no cheer.
No jingle bells jingled, no sound of reindeer.
The word had gone out that Santa was sick.
There would be no visit from jolly St. Nick.

The people were sad; nogaiety sounded.
For Christmas had come, but Santa was grounded.
He drove down the road, and what should he see?
But a sign for a doctor, who was a D.C.

NowSanta was not one to like a new tactic,
But all else had failed, so he tried Chiropractic.
He entered the office and saw at a glance,
in a place such as this, illness hasn't a chance.

Theoffice staff smiled, the music was sappy,
with all of the patients contented and happy.
In a very short time, to judge by the clock,
he was in the adjusting room, talking to Doc.

It mustbe the hurry, the tension and all,
I simply can't seem to get on the ball.
Life used to be easy; just kids, toys and whistles,
now I dodge smog, spaceships and missiles.

AndDoc, take a look at the size of this pack!
Have you any idea what it does to my back?
Poor Santa was miserable and just barely able,
with the help of the Doctor, to get on the table.

TheDoctor was gentle; without a fuss or a tussle
he examined the vertebrae and relaxed every muscle.
He spotted trouble and then with a click,
started aligning the spine of old St. Nick.

Santafelt aches and pains slipping away
and in no time at all he began to feel gay.
The air was a tingle with new fallen snow
and a healthy Kris Kringle was rarin' to go.

As hewent out the door, he threw them a kiss;
why, it had been centuries since he felt good as this!
Then once more he shouldered the bag full of toys,
his heart overflowing with true Christmas joys.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM CARL IRWIN, ADAM KAY & ALL THE STAFF AT THE EDGWARE & MILL HILL CHIROPRACTICCLINIC

Having just finished treating a lady who was temporarily paralysed following a botox injection, what better opportuntiy to write further about this new craze. She still is not 100% and though we have her walking and getting about most of her daily roles she is still plagued with headaches, if she is not adjusted regularly.

It’s the hottest craze since hula-hoops and there’s a line at the plastic surgeon’s office a mile long to get one. What is it? Why it’s the latest wrinkle eraser of course, the injection of the botulinum toxin! One injection removes those crevices and creases, those crows’ feet and smile lines, those forehead wrinkles and frown lines. So what could possibly be wrong with this simple and relatively inexpensive way to turn back the years on your face? Plenty!

Consider the facts…

• The injection comes from the "botulinum toxin" which causes botulism, a food poisoning that causes muscle weakness

• It doesn’t work on all wrinkles, only the ones caused by tension in certain muscles in the face

• The effects don’t last more than a few months and cost hundreds for each session

• Treatments could result in the inability to raise your eyebrows or squint or express facial expressions, resulting in a mask-like appearance

• Unwanted effects include headache, nausea, drooling, swelling, redness, droopy eyelids and feeling as though you have the flu

Still want to make that plastic surgeon appointment?

Perhaps you might consider some natural wrinkle-reducing alternatives, such as avoiding smoking, eating a healthy diet, including more vegetables and juicing, exercising regularly and making sure you get the proper amount of sleep. Unless of course the idea of injecting poison into your body and preventing your face from showing expressions seems more appealing to you!

The kids are right school is ….”bad for your health”

2011-09-06T12:11:00.001+01:00

After the long summer holidays, it’s time for your kids to go back to school! Perhaps it will even be a new school? But guess what school may educate the mind, but these days we question its value physically...Lack of exercise, poor diet, and being cooped up all day in a classroom with the heating on and the windows shut are a definite recipe for an unhealthy child.

Here are my top tips to help your children through the school term.

Sleeping
It is important they get enough sleep so that mind and body can work normally. They may have picked up some ‘bad’ sleeping habits from the holidays. Computers, play stations, xbox etc over stimulate the brain and affect the quality of sleep so avoid them for at least an hour before going to bed. Also try to get them to bed a little earlier so that you wake up fully refreshed!

Early Morning Exercise
Once you are in a routine of sleeping and waking up at the same time during weekdays, why not try to get up a few minutes earlier so that you can do some gentle exercises and stretching.

Healthy Breakfast
Never miss breakfast! It is the first and most important meal of the day. But before you eat drink a large glass of water first. Ideally 15 minutes before you eat, say before you dress. Then go for healthy cereals that contain oats and whole grains. How about porridge or muesli? Add your own fresh fruit like chopped apples and bananas. Then have some protein like scrambled egg or an omelette with beans, or for the really healthy some spinach. Don’t start your day on a piece of toast. It’s as good as eating cardboard.

On the Way to School
We all know this but try walking or cycling to school, if you can. Make sure you carry a bottle of water with you though!

Sitting Down In Class
Slouching is bad for your back. Kids may not even know they are doing it. It happens slowly as we gradually lean forward creating an unnecessary curve on our spine. Get them to it on a chair and make sure your back is straight. Lean your back gently against the chair. Keep their feet flat on the ground rather than swinging. This will help you stay comfortable and relaxed. If the chair is too small speak to their teacher or the schools health and safety governor.

Break times and after school
Sitting is one of the biggest causes of back problem, what ever the age. Its incidence is increasing in kids. So encourage your kids not just to sit about during their break times and once home from school. Many schools run clubs that your kids can go to. Select ones that get them outside in the fresh air and doing some exercise. Boys seem worse than girls and as they hit their teens they tend to try and chain themselves to the sofa, the TV and the game console. Encourage them to drink water and teach them the difference between a good and bad snack.

We at Carl Irwin, Chiropractors, can offer further guide you on kids’ posture, exercise and nutrition. During September we are offering spinal health check to under 16’s so call us on 0208 905 4440 for an appointment and let us show your children how important their posture back is to their health and well being.

PS : The spine is so important, and I know we are already filling up with appointments so don’t delay your kids' spinal health check. Call us today 0208 905 4440 for that appointment

Healthy Snacking

2011-08-16T12:35:00.000+01:00

Fancy a healthy snack rather than than chocolate and biscuits, delivered to your work or home.

I ve just arranged an offer for our patients to try out graze healthy snacks.

I get mine twice a week and its so much better than the digestives. And it works out cheaper as the healthy snacks i receive stops me eating the rubbish that costs more..

Here's the link...enjoy
free box code: RXQVZRDM

they enter at: http://www.graze.com/

The Big Clear Up

2011-08-16T10:17:00.001+01:00

Now the the big clear up is under way and people are starting to get back to normal daily lives following the riots last week. I thought focusing on cleaning up ouer enviroment from the inside would be a good conversation point. So in looking at this and health the role of the " bacteria our body loves" needs to be considered.

Antibiotics are drugs that fight bacteria that cause illnesses such as pneumonia and meningitis. By now, we all know that antibiotics have little effect on illnesses caused by viruses, such as colds or the flu.

But in our haste to kill germs (thinking that by doing so we’ll produce health), we often overlook the good bacteria.

Not all bacteria in the body is bad. In fact, without the good bacteria, digestion and other bodily functions would be seriously compromised. Unfortunately, when people take antibiotics it kills the good with the bad. That’s when it’s especially helpful to be mindful of probiotics.

The word probiotics means “for life,” and they are the beneficial or “good bacteria” that can help promote health.

Probiotics support the body’s natural immune functioning and help digest the food we eat. In fact, the gastrointestinal tract is home to more than 400 different types of bacteria, acidophilus being the most familiar. Probiotics also help to keep the level of harmful bacteria in check.

A large percentage of probiotics comes from dairy products that contain lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, such as yogurt. Probiotics are also available in supplement form. Currently there are studies being conducted to assess the effectiveness of probiotics in treating many types of conditions, including Crohn’s Disease, lactose intolerance, high cholesterol, eczema, vaginal and urinary tract infections and the prevention of respiratory infections in children.

If you would like to start taking Probiotics or other supplements speak to us as we can often pass our trade discounts onto you, when purchasing through the clinic.

Murdoch's media malpractice and the genetic altering of human beings through DNA vaccines

2011-07-20T11:52:00.000+01:00

Following the fall from grace of News International, there are now many stories being uncovered, this to me is an important one for anyone who has a concern regarding what we are really putting into our bodies.

Read on via this link

Murdoch's media malpractice and the genetic altering of human beings through DNA vaccines

I then ask, if this is occurring, what's happening in other fields, that effect our daily lives, like medication, food processing and so on.

Yours in health

Carl Irwin

Carl Irwin, Chiropractic Associates
Edgware, Mill Hill, Stanmore's Favourite Chiropractors

For appointments, call 020 8905 4440

Antibiotics aren't always the answer

2011-07-19T09:03:00.000+01:00

Prompted yesterday by a patient with a terrible ear ache, I'd like to share with you a recent article I featured on our health interests.

Antibiotics aren't always the answer

I am pleased to say, like most, who come to us with this type of problem, they respond really well, to our type of chiropractic care.

So please feel free to contact us if any of the family have an ear ache...even if its an informal chat over the phone. Both Adam and I are always happy to speak with you.

Chiropractic can have very some far reaching effects (that we can't always explain), but if means keeping us away from the medicines...great

Yours in health

Carl Irwin

Carl Irwin, Chiropractic Associates
Your Favourite Chiropractors

For appointments, call 020 8905 4440

Back to the Beach

2011-07-18T17:09:00.002+01:00

Last year we had several nasty neck injuries after patients hurt themselves surfing on their summer holidays. In an attempt to make us all a little more aware of such hazards I have put together some tips for the summer.

Carl

Focus on… Your Holiday and Beach Sports

The holiday season is upon us and the long, hot days of summer can entice many people to spend their days by a pool or at the beach, relaxing in the sun or splashing about in the water. In recent times, there has been a growing trend towards participating in sport at the beach – whether it be grabbing a board and hitting the waves or forming a team of likeminded enthusiasts and organising an impromptu game of beach volleyball.

Naturally, with these kinds of activities, it is inevitable that at some point, injuries will occur. With spirits high and caution low, it is no wonder that accidents happen with people often taking less care than they perhaps should.

The last thing anyone wants on holiday is an injury, particularly a serious one which can take weeks or even months to heal properly.

The following tips and advice will help to keep you safe and reduce your risk of injury so that you can carry on enjoying your summer and making use of the glorious sunshine.

Surfing

Surfers can be prone to shoulder strain. When the shoulder is overused, through paddling and pushing yourself upwards it can lead to rotator cuff impingement and tendonitis. This is signalled by pain in the front shoulder and deltoid region. A chronic condition like this is commonly seen in beginner surfers due to poor paddling or in older surfers who have been paddling for years. If paddling becomes painful for your shoulder, or you notice swelling around the joint stop immediately and rest. This is the kind of injury that will only become worse the more you try and battle through it.

Older surfers should also beware as the risk of significant injury doubles for a surfer in his 40s or later compare to a surfer under 20 years old.

Swimming

Swimming is a low impact activity and therefore one of the least dangerous sports in terms of the risk of suffering a sports injury. This is partly attributed to the relatively slow speed of movement, lack of contact and predictable environment. However, if you are not a regular swimmer, then the sudden increase in activity can result in an overuse injury.

Much like surfers, swimmers can develop Impingement Syndrome in their shoulder joints involving an inflammation of the rotator cuff.

As with surfing, make sure you stop if your shoulder starts to feel inflamed. If you are serious about your swimming, specific stretches and exercises can be done to strengthen the muscles and tendons surrounding the rotator cuff and make the shoulder more resistant to injury.

‘Breast-stroke’ knee is another common swimmers’ injury and presents as swelling and pain in the knee joint. It can be caused by poor technique or just overuse.

As before, make sure not to push your body above and beyond its natural limits. Pain is your body’s way of preventing you from causing any further damage, so make sure you heed its warnings!

Running

Running along the beach can be one of the most invigorating forms of exercise around It’s also one of the most effective. Running on sand will strengthen your ankles, arches and muscles below the knees. You will also burn 1.6 times more calories per mile on each run. On top of that, running on sand is less high impact so will be less damaging to your joints.

The downside of running on sand is that you are prone to certain injuries. Due to the uneven terrain, you can easily end up straining your Achilles tendon or calf muscles.

Barefoot running may be tempting but can lead to plantar fasciitis or ankle sprains because of the lack of support.

To reduce the risk of injury, try to run near low tide where the sand is softer, flatter and more shock-absorbent.

Beach Volleyball

When playing volleyball, you’ll most likely find yourself doing a lot of jumping and landing which can be very jarring to the body. Playing on sand will reduce the impact, compared to playing on a hard court but you should still be careful to bend your knees when you land to avoid knee and ankle injuries.

Don’t try to hit the ball as hard as you can every time it comes anywhere near you – this is a sure fire route to shoulder and back injuries. Vary your pace and don’t get too carried away in the spirit of the game.

It may only be a casual game, but you should still do some gentle stretching to warm up your muscles before you begin. A game of volleyball can be filled with sudden movement and lunges, which can be extremely painful and dangerous if your muscles aren’t ready for it.

Ask our chiropractors for further advice if you are suffering from pain which you suspect has been caused by these or similar activities.

In fact rather than hurt your back carry the luggage before you get to your holiday destination call us and have your back checked....the worse thing is lifting with your back out of kilt.

Scoliosis Helped with Chiropractic - A Case Study

2011-06-15T09:17:00.000+01:00

In the May 16, 2011, issue of the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health is a case study documenting the improvement through chiropractic of a 14-year-old girl with idiopathic scoliosis. Scoliosis is described as a lateral curvature of the spine with vertebral rotation. According to the study author, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis affects between 2 to 9 percent of the population.

Idiopathic scoliosis means curvature of the spine from an unknown origin. The results of this can include such problems as back pain, postural problems, self-image issues, and in more severe cases, even breathing difficulties.

In this case, a 14-year-old girl was brought to the chiropractor for evaluation of her adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. It was also reported that her chief complaint was mild mid-back and hip pain made worse by running cross-country at school and sitting in a chair for prolonged periods of time. She also reported that she did not have the same level of stamina as other girls on her cross-country team.

A chiropractic examination was performed which included postural x-rays. The curvature was measured on the x-ray to be 24 degrees on the primary curve and 17 degrees for the secondary curvature. Chiropractic care was initiated at a frequency of twice a week for 2 months then decreasing to weekly for a while before eventually being seen on a monthly basis. During this time the patient was given chiropractic adjustments along with rehabilitative exercises.

After 17 months of care, her scoliosis had improved from angles of 24°/17° down to angles of only 15°/6°. Her breathing improved as did her chest expansion ability. The range of motion for her torso also improved. All the indicators continued to improve on follow-ups over a 4 year period.

In his discussion, the author summed of this case by stating, "Chiropractic rehabilitation, when correctly applied to patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, can have a significant, longstanding effect on the structure of the spine and related symptoms."

For more information and to book your free intial cosultation call 020 8905 4440 or e mail info@carlirwin.co.uk

Carl Irwin & Associates
Edgware, Mill Hill & Stanmore Chiropractors
96 Edgware Way
Edgware Middx HA8 8JS
020 8905 4440
info@carlirwin.co.uk

Beat Bank Holiday Back

2011-05-27T11:29:00.000+01:00

Now is the time to consider getting ready for the gardening and with the changes in the weather we are tempted into the garden to do our first piece of manual work for ages. Sadly year after year our receptionists are swamped with people in pain, requiring immediate help. If, like many people, gardening is your one main leisure activity, it is not just the soil you need to prepare. We believe it pays to be prepared especially if you are to enjoy a pain free summer.

The main cause of back pain when gardening is the prolonged stretching of the ligaments and joints in the spine; that is to say stooping for long periods, or kneeling bent over whilst planting. These positions place considerable stress on the ligaments and joints in the lower lumbar spine and cause them to become inflamed and tender. This in turn provokes muscle spasm either side of the joints and ligaments, and gives rise to deeper, duller, achy type of pain that occurs over the following few days. Digging may well also give rise to back ache if muscles are not prepared beforehand. So it pays to exercise the joints, and muscles before you grab your tools!
 Gently stretch your muscles and ligaments for a few minutes before and after gardening, but avoid bending down to touch your toes - this can cause damage

 When mowing lawns with a hover mover try to resist the temptation to swing the mower from side to side in an arc. Instead mow forwards and backwards as you would with a conventional cylinder mower.

 If you suffer from knee problems or osteoarthritis and tend to stoop rather than kneeling, then use a cushion to kneel on or when bending try keeping the back as hollow as possible.

You should exercise to keep fit so that you can enjoy your gardening, rather than using your gardening as an exercise to keep fit. Here are the chiropractor's top ten gardening tips:

 Wear light, but warm clothes and make sure your lower back is covered at all times. Don't let sweaters ride up.

 Kneel on one leg rather than bending repeatedly from the hip.

 Use long handled tools for pruning taller plants and hedges.

 Use only a small spade/fork for digging and keep your back gently hollowed.

 Vary your position; do not always work to one side.

 Do shorter bursts of varied work rather than one lengthy task.

 Keep your back straight when carrying, better still use a wheelbarrow.

 When finished, have a warm bath or shower.

 Avoid a long sit down in your favourite armchair afterwards, stand up regularly and walk around, to keep your muscles from seizing up.

If you ache the next day, rest and seek the advice of our chiropractors who will advise you whether you should apply heat, or icepacks to the area, or if you require further treatment. Call us on 020 8905 4440 or e mail info@carlirwin.co.uk

THINK ABOUT IT…

2011-04-04T12:05:00.000+01:00

If someone wrapped a rubber band around your finger to the point it began to painfully throb would you take a hand full of aspirin or would you take the rubber band off?

Exactly!

Health is not in the bottle.... it's in YOU!

Remove the interference and live life to the fullest!..

That’s how Chiropractic Works too, by removing the interference.

To celebrate our 20th year in practice we are offering a No Charge first visit, call our clinic for details on 020 8905 4440.

Carl Irwin & Adam Kay
Edgware & Mill Hill Chiropractic Clinic
http://www.carlirwin.co.uk/

April's Digital Adjustment

2011-03-28T11:48:00.000+01:00

This months digital adjustment is now available to download

In this issue topics discussed are :

The Big Idea

Diets don't Work

Immune - Nervous System Link

March Health Interest Articles

2011-03-22T13:37:00.000Z

Here are our selected health interest articles for March

Small Bones/Big Job

The Atlas and Axis are tiny bones that have a very important job. Learn more. more »

Getting On Your Nerves

Could that pain in your legs be sciatica? Find out. more »

Fear of Fevers

Is your child's fever a reason to worry? Usually not - here's why. more »

Kissed by the Sun?

Getting that bronzed glow makes some people feel more attractive. But at what price? more »

Sick of Debt?

Too many bills can drain your health along with your savings. Learn what to do about it. more »

Do You Get Enough?

It's natural and absolutely essential for proper digestion. What is it? more »

Aerobic? Anaerobic?

Cardio? Or weight training? Find the right balance! more »

What's Your Comfort Food?

What makes comfort food comforting? Learn more. more »

Share Carl Irwin, Chiropractic Associates's health interest articles with friends and family by clicking "Email a Friend" in the footer of each article.

Yours in health

Carl Irwin

Carl Irwin, Chiropractic Associates

Visit Our Website

For appointments call 0208 905 4440

Pathways Connect Digital Edition

2011-03-14T12:26:00.000Z

Just to let everyone know that this months Pathways Connect magazine published by the ICPA is available as a digital edition for this month.

Its really popular in our clinic and we'd love to share it with you too

Here is the link....PATHWAYS CONNECT

Enjoy

Our latest health interest articles

2011-02-14T11:29:00.000Z

Here is the link to our most popular health interest articles requested in February

Click here to go to our latest health interest articles

your feedback is always appreciated

February Digital Adjustment

2011-02-08T13:30:00.000Z

Here is this months Digital Adjustment Link

Topics include:

Chiropractic and Disease

When chiropractors observe that chiropractic care has helped people with a wide variety of health problems, some mistakenly think that means that we treat disease.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Less Is Not More

What are you hoping to get from your chiropractic care? Less pain? Less tightness? Or more health? More movement? Or more life?

Normal vs. Average

You weigh yourself on the scales. You take the temperature of your child. A doctor takes your pulse and measures your blood pressure. These measurements are compared with hundreds of other people from which averages are obtained. Which begs the question, is average normal?

For appointments call Carl Irwin, Chiropractic Associates: 0208 905 4440
Edgware & Mill Hill Chiropractic Clinic
http://www.carlirwin.co.uk/

Natural News - Dr Andrew Wakefield Innocent?

2011-01-28T08:28:00.000Z

Documents have emerged today proving the innocence of Dr Andrew Wakefield, the vaccine / autism researcher who has been falsely accused by the British Medical Journal of "fabricating" the study data he published in 1998.

The documents, just made public yesterday, reveal that other researchers replicated his results independently and with documentation, 14 months before Dr Wakefield published his own work.
We have the full story and the links to these documents that now shatter the BMJ's false reporting and blatantly dishonest misrepresentation of the facts:

http://www.naturalnews.com/031116_Dr_Andrew_Wakefield_British_Medical_Journal.html

Dr Wakefield is now demanding a retraction from the British Medical Journal. Will the BMJ issue one? Unlikely, given that this whole thing has been a political witch hunt to begin with and never had anything to do with scientific truth from the very beginning!

Here is Dr Wakefield's retraction demand:

http://www.naturalnews.com/031117_BMJ_Dr_Andrew_Wakefield.html

It's not just the BMJ that's spouting lies, by the way. It turns out that much of modern medical "science" is technically and scientifically speaking just pure hokum and quackery. Get the facts on the fraud of modern medicine:

http://www.naturalnews.com/031121_medical_research_fraud.html

http://www.mlive.com/health/index.ssf/2011/01/andrew_wakefield_demands_retra.html

8 Great Exercise Tips for 2011

2011-01-05T14:14:00.000Z

1. Have a Plan. Consistent exercise requires focus, and focus requires a plan. Outline your workouts by day, week and month so when you hit the gym, you know just what to do.

2. Don't Overdo It. In the real world, you're not competing on "The Biggest Loser." Work out for five hours a day and you'll end up burned out, injured or both. Try 45 minutes, 3-4 times a week.

3. Fight Temptation. We're talking about the inevitable temptation to skip a workout. When you're having a "bad day," stay strong and get to the gym. Skip out and you'll regret it; make it happen and you'll feel great afterward.

4. Schedule Breaks. Many people are afraid to stop working out once they start, but you need time to refresh yourself and allow your body to do the same. Schedule a consistent break (3-4 days or an entire week) every few months and then start right up again.

5. Be Creative. Your body and mind get bored after a certain amount of time doing the same thing. Mix things up every so often, whether it's trying a few new exercises, changing the time of day you work out, or even changing up the setting (e.g., running outside versus on the treadmill).

6. Recruit Support. When it comes to exercise, some people can fly solo, and that's great; but for others, they need a friend or spouse to help keep them on track. If you can't do it alone, don't be afraid to ask for help.

7. Less Is More. Unless your goal is to look like a body-builder, you can put the heavy weights down. Body-weight, resistance bands and balls, and other basic equipment can get the job done just fine.

8. Stay Positive. This is the most difficult tip to stay true to, but it's also the most important. Every day isn't sunshine and roses; that's true in life and in your exercise routine. Some days or weeks, you won't feel as if you're making any progress. That's the time to stay positive, fight through it and remember why you decided to start exercising in the first place.

Brought to you by :

Carl Irwin, Chiropractors

96 Edgware Way

Edgware HA8 8JS

For Appointments Telephone 020 8905 4440

Email info@carlirwin.co.uk

January Digital Adjustment

2011-01-04T15:31:00.000Z

Happy New Year

Trust you are having a good start to 2011.

Here is the link to our January Digital Adjustment in this issue we have articles on

• Financial Spinal Stress

• Once You Go...

• My Child Has a Fever

• Good Feedback

Yours in health

Carl Irwin

Carl Irwin, Chiropractic Associates

For appointments, call 0208 905 4440

Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year from Edgware & Mill Hill Chiropractic Clinic

2010-12-22T09:07:00.001Z

T'was the day before Christmas, but there was no cheer.

No jingle bells jingled, no sound of reindeer.
The word had gone out that Santa was sick.
There would be no visit from jolly St. Nick.

The people were sad; no gaiety sounded.
For Christmas had come, but Santa was grounded.
He drove down the road, and what should he see?
But a sign for a chiropractor, who was a D.C.

Now Santa was not one to like a new tactic,
But all else had failed, so he tried Chiropractic.
He entered the office and saw at a glance,
in a place such as this, illness hasn't a chance.

The office staff smiled, the music was sappy,
with all of the patients contented and happy.
In a very short time, to judge by the clock,
he was in the adjusting room, talking to Doc.

It must be the hurry, the tension and all,
I simply can't seem to get on the ball.
Life used to be easy; just kids, toys and whistles,
now I dodge smog, spaceships and missiles.

And Doc, take a look at the size of this pack!
Have you any idea what it does to my back?
Poor Santa was miserable and just barely able,
with the help of the chiropractor, to get on the table.

The chiropractor was gentle; without a fuss or a tussle
he examined the vertebrae and relaxed every muscle.
He spotted trouble and then with a click,
started aligning the spine of old St. Nick.

Santa felt aches and pains slipping away
and in no time at all he began to feel gay.
The air was a tingle with new fallen snow
and a healthy Kris Kringle was rarin' to go.

As he went out the door, he threw them a kiss;
why, it had been centuries since he felt good as this!
Then once more he shouldered the bag full of toys,
his heart overflowing with true Christmas joys.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM CARL IRWIN, ADAM KAY & ALL THE STAFF AT THE EDGWARE & MILL HILL CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC

XMAS AND NEW YEAR
OPENING HOURS 2010/11

Xmas Eve (Fri) -Open until 4.00 pm
Xmas Day (Sat) -Closed

Mon 27th Dec -Closed
Tues 28th Dec -Closed
Wed 29th Dec -Open
Thur 30th Dec -Open
Fri 31st Dec -Open
Sat 1st Jan -Closed
Mon 3rd Jan -Closed
Tues 4th Jan -Normal Hours

Edgware & Mill Hill Chiropractic Clinic
96 Edgware Way Edgware Middx HA8 8JS
Tel 020 8905 4440
info@carlirwin.co.uk
www.carlirwin.co.uk

Winter Cold and Flu Defence

2010-12-08T13:42:00.000Z

Winter Cold and Flu Defence

If you're looking to gear up for the cold and flu season without subjecting yourself or your family to the potential dangers of the flu vaccine, take heart: There are natural ways to boost your immune system and reduce your risk of getting sick. Here are a few to discuss with your doctor.

Last year, swine flu was a bust. The hype, the worldwide craze, the unnecessary vaccine, all fizzled out. Fewer people died of the swine flu in the 2009-2010 season than an average flu season. (Of course, that's not to diminish the fact that some people did in fact die.) But let's turn our eyes to the present, for the flu is back this winter season. We don't yet know how many people will be affected; perhaps it will be an average one, perhaps a true pandemic. No one knows for sure, but we must do everything to prepare our families, boost our immune systems, and have effective, natural treatments at the ready.

The influenza virus starts in November, but doesn't peak in activity until February and usually winds down in March. Approximately 5-20 percent of our population gets the flu, many mild, some so severe that they need to be hospitalised. On average, 36,000 people die from the flu in our country, the majority of them being the elderly; the death toll is 250,000 to 500,000 worldwide.

We are all familiar with the standard flu symptoms of fever, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat, rhinitis (stuffy nose) and myalgia (muscle pain). Children can also experience nausea, vomiting, otitis media (ear infection), and diarrhoea. The illness lasts up to a week, with cough and malaise lasting up to two weeks. Younger children (6-20 percent) can experience febrile seizures concurrently.

As stated, the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones is to boost your immune system and reduce your chances of complications if you do contract the flu or even a stubborn cold. Preventing and treating the flu is very effectively done using natural medicines, including vitamins, minerals, botanicals, and homeopathy. A combination of some or all will boost your immune systems for the entire winter season.

Vitamin C

A study of 715 people showed that flu symptoms were decreased by 85 percent when people took 6 grams of vitamin C as a one-time loading dose, then continuing with 1 gram three times a day, compared with people taking only the 3 grams daily. The message here is to take a lot of vitamin C the first day you feel symptoms or the first day people around you are getting sick, and then take 3 grams daily after that. Keep in mind that vitamin C can loosen stools, so be careful if you are predisposed to this.

An additional study showed that vitamin C is 10 times more effective in its antiviral properties when taken with iron. Ten to 20 mg of iron can be taken on a daily basis, and is also a good mineral to balance the stool-loosening effects of vitamin C.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D has exploded in research and popularity the past few years. Most of us are familiar with its bone-building properties, however new research suggests it improves the immune system as well. Have your doctor test your vitamin D levels before supplementing. Research suggests 2,000 IU daily is safe for most adults and children. Higher doses are safe and effective, but must be monitored by your doctor.

Elderberry

Elderberry (Sambucus) was researched in a group of 60 people and found to alleviate symptoms four days earlier compared with controls. Elderberry helps boosts the immune system and is great-tasting for kids. Start taking as soon as symptoms manifest.

Ginseng

Panax quinquefolium (ginseng) was studied in a large group of 323 patients as a preventive natural medicine. The group that took panax experienced 30 percent less colds compared with the placebo group (people who didn't take ginseng), and average number of sick days were 11 compared with 16 in the non-treatment group.

Oscillococcinum

Last, but not least, the well-known oscillococcinum is a homeopathic flu treatment that is created new every year. Tough to pronounce, but effective; a Cochrane review of all oscillococcinum studies showed that it reduces the length of illness compared with placebo.

There's a high likelihood that the flu and/or colds will affect your family every year. In most cases it's nothing more than an inconvenience; in some cases it can be deadly serious. Prevention and immune boosting is essential for everyone to ensure that when they do get sick, it is only a short and mild inconvenience. Trust in the power of natural medicine. Talk to your doctor for more information about these and other natural ways to boost your immune system and ward off colds and the flu.

The Flu Vaccine: A Few Words of Caution

Flu vaccines are available on an annual basis, but concern should be taken for the following reasons:

• Flu vaccines contain thimerisol, a neurotoxic mercury preservative.

• Children with severe egg allergy should not get the vaccine.

• Children with Guillain-Barre syndrome should not get the vaccine.

• Young infants with low immune systems should not get the vaccine.

• Children with acute illness should not get the vaccine.

4 Healthy Habits

Besides considering the natural immune boosters discussed in this article, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention offers these common-sense tips for preventing cold/flu transmission. Yes, you've heard them before, but are you and your family practicing them or ignoring them - and paying the price?

Keep Your Distance. Avoid close contact with people who are sick, and when you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick. If you can, spend plenty of time in bed resting. A day off from work may save you (and the co-workers you could infect) substantially more time and inconvenience.

Cover Up. This seems easy, but how many people don't do it? Always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. If you feel a cough/sneeze coming on and do not have a tissue handy, cover your mouth/nose completely with your hands and then wash your hands immediately. If your hands aren't available, sneeze/cough into your sleeve; anything except the air, where your germs can be inhaled by those around you.

Stay Clean. Wash your hands frequently to minimize the chances that something (or someone) you've touched will get you sick. If soap and water aren't readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, which is easy to carry with you in a purse, backpack, etc., when you're on the road. Again, sounds easy, but considering how many people don't wash their hands even after visiting the bathroom, we thought it deserved repeating.

Hands Off. Germs are often spread by touching something that is contaminated with germs and then touching the eyes, nose or mouth. If you're a "hands-on" type of person, keep in mind that you need to wash your hands frequently (particularly when in public places) or eventually, someone else's germs will become yours.

Acknowledgments to Jared Skowron, ND. He is the author of Fundamentals of Naturopathic Paediatrics.

Forward Head Posture

2010-11-22T13:09:00.000Z

Know Someone With Forward Head Posture?

Forward head posture

No wonder you’re always tired. You have a forward head posture!

Neck pain, fatigue, carpel tunnel syndrome, TMJ syndrome, fibromyalgia, headaches ~ can how you hold your head be the cause of all these conditions? If you, or someone you know, suffers from forward head posture, and an estimated 90% of the population do, then the answer is definitely yes!
With correct head posture, the ear is centred over the shoulder. If the ear is off centre to the front of the shoulder, this is known as forward head posture. For every inch the head is forward of this centre position, it exerts an additional 10 pounds of pressure on the muscles in your neck and upper back, causing them to work harder to keep your head erect and your chin up!
But how do you get into the habit of a forward head posture? Today’s use of computers, television and video games may contribute to this condition which ultimately compresses discs and causes extensive damage.

Here are several ways to help correct this condition:

Receive regular chiropractic adjustments
Make sure your child’s backpack doesn’t exceed 15% of his body weight
Take regular breaks from sitting at the computer

It may be hard to believe, but how you hold your head may be an important key to your health!

November Digital Newsletter

2010-10-28T13:57:00.000+01:00

Link to our November Digital Newsletter

enjoy

A Day in the Life of a Spine

2010-10-11T15:27:00.000+01:00

Ever wanted to see the simple stresses and strains you put your back through on a daily basis...watch this video and see why chiropractors recommend a regular spinal health check

Click here to go to video

National Back Pain Week 2010

2010-10-11T10:57:00.001+01:00

As part of National Back Pain Week 2010, we are offering FREE SPINAL HEALTH CHECKS between 11th -19th Oct at our Edgware Clinic.

This includes a

Private consultation
Physical, orthopaedic & chiropractic examination
Computerised SpnieLab
X rays ( if deemed nec, first 2 films only)
Confidential Report of Our Findings
A referral to another specialist if we feel we cannot help you
Satisfaction Money Back Guarantee should you start care (see website for details)

Call our clinic today to book your appointment on 020 8905 4440 or e mail info@carlirwin.co.uk

This Months' Health Interest Articles

2010-10-11T10:23:00.000+01:00

Each month we select our patients most popular health interest articles...click here for direct link

Please feel free to share them with your freinds and family

A Healthy Immune System Repelling Disease

2010-09-29T09:27:00.003+01:00

From Carl Irwin, Chiropractors covering Edgware, Mill Hill, Harrow, Stanmore, Bushey & Radlett

Today I have been told of a book a collegue has been reading by Dr Tim O’Shea about the cure for cancer and urge you to read it too. Dr Tim is a chiropractor and a true genius and this chapter contains some of the most important information you may ever get your hands on.

The following is an excert from the chapter:

WHAT IS CANCER?

Everybody talks about the immune system, but few can tell you what it is. Your immune system is a complicated system of cells and biological reactions which the body employs to ward off invaders and to prevent its own cells from deteriorating or mutating. The immune system is responsible for recognizing foreign proteins and cells and for triggering an attack against them. The immune system is a never-ending second-by-second check of all your cells to see if they still look like the rest of you. If they don’t, they’re immediately attacked: the inflammatory response.

Most legitimate researchers, including Nobel prize winner Sir MacFarlane Burnet, [22] know that in the normal body hundreds of potential cancer cells appear every day. These defective mutated cells are usually destroyed by the normal immune system and never cause a problem. Cancer only gets started when a failing immune system begins to allow abnormal cells to slip by without triggering an attack on them. Other cancer cells do not trigger the immune response at all because the DNA is not that different from normal cells. Then they begin to proliferate, having lost the ability to specialize. That’s what cancer is. Runaway tissue.

So looking at it this way, a tumor is a symptom, not a problem. A symptom of a failing immune system. (Moss, [22])

WHAT CAUSES CANCER IN THE FIRST PLACE?

Here’s where the dog and pony show comes in. The traditional cover story is that we don’t know what causes cancer so therefore we have to keep spending £100 billion per year to look for the cause.

In reality the opposite is true. The true causes of cancer are well known, well documented and have been for decades.

What alters normal DNA? How do normal cells become persistent mutant cells, which grow tumors?

There are thousands of everyday DNA-altering, carcinogenic situations, well researched. Let’s list just a few:

■60,000 chemicals in our air, food, and water

■vaccines

■processed foods

■Genetically Modified foods

■prescription drugs

■over-the-counter medications

■tobacco

■air pollution

■fluoridated water

■pesticides on produce

■herbicides on produce

■chlorine

■other contaminants in our water

If fruits and vegetables are not marked organic, they are sprayed. What do you think happens with all those tons of military-grade commercial pesticides sprayed onto the crops, poisons which cling to the plant? When it rains, the poison washes down into the soil, is taken up by the plant and becomes part of the plant. And they tell you just wash the fruit before you eat it and it’ll be fine? And this is what we feed our kids, and all this is legal. These poisons alter human DNA.

With vaccines, it’s deliberate cell invasion: attenuated or mutated antigens injected into the child’s blood. Sixty-eight vaccines before age 18 [Vaccination Is Not Immunization [4] ]

Looking for a cure for cancer – who are we kidding? A cure for cancer that will enable us to continue defiling our blood with all the above carcinogenic substances, right?

Cure for cancer? Step one: stop poisoning your blood with the causes!

The enzymes in raw food coupled with natural enzyme supplements are the active components of blood detoxification. See ENZYMES chapter. Remember, the blood goes everywhere – it is the milieu in which all cells of your body are bathed every second of your life, from birth to death. The condition of that blood determines the ability of your cells to perform its 2 main life functions:

■taking in oxygen and nutrients

■getting rid of wastes

In overcoming cancer, blood oxygen is everything.

Dr Tim O’Shea takes on phone consultations - Specializing in difficult, confusing, incurable and hopeless cases, these consults are for those who believe they’ve ‘tried everything.” ?????: they haven’t, because they’re still sick.

See other chapters on the Holistic Management of Cancer

To the Cancer Patient:

Natural Cures vs. Traditional

www.thedoctorwithin.com/cancer/To-the-Cancer-Patient

acknowledgments to Karen McMinn of Chiropractic Life

Healthy Up Your Diet

2010-09-16T14:20:00.000+01:00

We're in a war, pure and simple, and the majority of us are losing it. We're fighting formidable opponents including the fast-food industry, the soft drink manufacturers, and any company that mass produces processed and preservative-, artificial ingredient-laden food. It's time to healthy up your diet and shift the balance of food power. Are you ready to make healthier choices for a healthier life? It's not as hard as you think.

These days, we all get plenty of advice on how to avoid the worst food choices, from "Don't buy the 'meal' at a fast-food restaurant" to "If you need to run into the convenience store, take only enough cash for the purchase" to "Stay on the perimeter of the grocery store; that's where the healthier foods [e.g., fruits and vegetables] are." But what if garbage bags or cat food are on your grocery list? Should we hire a shopping mercenary for a quick, temptation-free retrieval of these necessities from the "bad" middle section of the store? Maybe we should teach our cats to eat lettuce. (Good luck with that.) Really, the only way to tame the processed food monster is to outsmart it.

Unfortunately, the deck is stacked. Food advertising promotes the unhealthiest items - overloaded with fat and piled high at two to three times what an adult portion should be. Food is available everywhere we go - in vending machines at schools and gyms, food courts at department stores and malls, restaurants that take your phone/fax/online order so you can pick up a meal on your way home, drive-thru coffee, fast food ... the list is seemingly endless. Add these facts of life to the reality that many of us are increasingly sedentary at both our jobs and in our leisure activity, and Houston, we have a problem.

Too Much Weight = Trouble

It's no secret that obesity and its associated diseases can have serious health consequences. Over the past 34 years, hospitalisation costs for obesity have soared: up $92 million for child admissions and $31 million for adults in the US, and we in the UK are thought to be worse than that. And once the scale says we're overweight, not to mention obese, our overall risk for a host of health problems increases.

Conditions Associated With Overweight/Obesity

Nutrition is complex and highly individualized. Each person has different caloric needs, activity levels and food likes/dislikes. The key is to spend some time thinking about what we eat and how we eat. Then we can make strategic changes that will allow us to fuel up without ballooning up.

Get the Most From Your Food

Food is fuel, but it's so much more. Eating is often the most reliable social part of our day with family or friends. It represents a chance to care for others or ourselves. What we ate as children can comfort us or bring back wonderful memories. And trying new foods can heighten our senses and provide the thrill of novelty. But at its foundation, food needs to be what it is - fuel. If our way of feeding others or ourselves puts us on a path toward obesity or its related diseases, then we're misusing food. As a habitual tool for comfort or as a reward, food can becomes an instrument for the psyche and takes on a role it isn't strictly meant to play.

A Strategic Plan to Healthy Up Your Diet

Eating healthy is a process. We look at where we are, see where we want to be and figure out how to get there. To look at where we are, we need to examine our habits and food choices.
As an example, let's say we've fallen into the habit of grabbing a mocha coffee drink (with whip, of course) on the way to work, and heck, why not a scone? So, before we even check our e-mail, we've consumed (assuming a 2,000 calorie-a-day diet), 39.5% of our daily calories, 55% of our total fat, 22% of our sodium, 34% of our carbs (assuming we're getting about 60% of calories from carbs), and 20 grams of protein.

Food Calories Total Fat Cholesterol Sodium Carbs Protein

Mocha 330 15 g 50 mg 130 mg 43 g 13 g

Blueberry Scone 460 22 g 75 mg 420 mg 61 g 7 g

Total 790 37 g 125 mg 550 mg 104 g 20 g

With the exception of the protein, those are pretty sobering figures. More sobering, what you've consumed will still leave you craving a mid-morning snack, and probably sooner than later. How about substituting a coffee/hot chocolate mix and toast? Well, that's better: 18% of our daily calories, 19% of total fat, 9% of sodium and 8% of our calories from carbs, with 11 grams of protein. And we're getting good fats from the peanut butter and fibre from the bread

Food Calories Total Fat Cholesterol Sodium Carbs Protein

Coffee /Hot Chocolate 122 2.5 g 0 mg 5 mg 0 g 0 g

2 slices of toast (whole wheat) 138 2 g 0 mg 218 mg 22 g 7 g

Natural peanut butter (1 tablespoon) 94 8 g 0 mg 2.5 mg 3 g 4 g

Total 354 12.5 g 0 mg 225.5 mg 25 g 11 g

Let’s Talk Easy Versus Healthy

Is it more work to remember to pack a hot-chocolate packet, and bread with peanut butter? That depends. Which is harder - carrying lunch or tacking on an extra hour of aerobics to your gym visit? On average, a 240-pound person will need to do one hour of water aerobics or similar activity to burn the 436-calorie difference between these two meal options, according to the Mayo Clinic. So, if we're talking easy, it's actually easier to not put weight on than have to try and work it off.

That said, healthy eating requires some planning. Here are a few meals and some key ingredient substitutions that can help keep unnecessary calories out of your mouth (and body):

Making Healthier Choices: Some Key Things to Consider

Preparation - Simple changes like replacing milk/butter with low-sodium chicken broth, baking food instead of frying and using grape seed oil for cooking instead of butter can make a real, long-term difference in your health.

• Focus - Don't bring more stress into the process! By taking a good look at where you are, health-wise, and talking to your health care practitioner about what you should focus on (reducing sodium or carbohydrate intake, getting more fibre, increasing your "good" cholesterol, etc.), you can get a handle on the changes that will make the most difference in your health.

• Variety - Food boredom can mean you dread lunch and leave it sitting in the fridge at work, choosing to drive off with co-workers for a burger and fries instead. Making meals as interesting as possible means we will look forward to eating and enjoy it.

• Veggies - Trying to fit a vegetable into every meal or snack gets us closer to the 4-5 portions recommended.

• Realism - Unless a chef plans your meals, we're each responsible for making our own healthy choices. Know what is realistic for you and change what you can. When you're comfortable with the changes you made, re-evaluate your diet again and see what can be tweaked. Stepping down from a mocha to coffee/hot chocolate can lead to a step down to green tea - a drink that both supports your health and warms you up!

Making healthier choices isn't easy, certainly not these days and certainly not when it comes to food, but the choices you do make can make a big difference. No one's telling you swear off your favourite foods (if they happen to be less-than-optimal in terms of nutrition); it's about shifting the balance of what you eat so you end up with more healthy foods and less unhealthy ones. Now that's a recipe for long-term health and wellness.

Watch What You Eat - Here are just a few of the health problems associated with obesity:

Type 2 diabetes

High cholesterol

Some cancers

Stroke

Osteoarthritis

High blood pressure

Liver/gallbladder disease

Gynaecological problems

Sleep apnoea and respiratory problems

Special thanks to cookcamp.co.uk and Sara Tiner

Lucozade and Iron Bru linked to Hyperactivity

2010-07-30T13:18:00.000+01:00

The makers of two of Britain's best-selling soft drinks, Lucozade and Iron-Bru, have been forced to warn parents that the drinks may cause hyperactivity. A newly introduced EU law compels both drinks to display a warning that they contain artificial colours linked to behavioural problems in young children.

Manufacturers were asked to remove the colours two years ago by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) following a study which found they worsened the behaviour of young children. Lucozade Original's lurid yellow appearance comes from sunset yellow, or E110, while Irn-Bru's distinctive orange glow comes from sunset yellow and a red colouring, ponceau 4R (E124).

Both also contain sodium benzoate (E211), a preservative that was found to cause hyperactivity by Southampton University, but which is not covered by the EU rule. Lucozade's owner GlaxoSmithKline warned shoppers about sunset yellow voluntarily, but it and Irn-Bru's maker AG Barr have to state that the additives "may have effects on activity and attention in children".

Jackie Schneider, of the Children's Food Campaign, said: "I can't imagine a good reason why they are using these additives. [The drinks] don't seem to be marketed at children but they are linked to sporting activities."

Source- The Independent - Sat 24th July 2010

New Classes at Edgware Clinic

2010-07-16T13:24:00.000+01:00

Just to let everyone know that we are now introducing spinal rehab/exercise classes.

Developed by Dr Adam and Myself we have combined the best of Pilates, CHEK and isometric exercise to give you a great work out, while strengthening up your back and spine.
We are only accepting 3 per class so its going to be very focused for you to get the most out of it and Dr Adam will be taking the classes himself.
There are three levels of class - so we expect you to be able to progress to the advanced classes quite quickly.
For more information call us at the clinic on 020 8905 4440 and speak to myself or Dr Adam directly.

Ross Sisters Exercise Programme - Do not try this at home without seeing your chiropractor first !

2010-07-03T12:42:00.001+01:00

Now that the sporting programme on TV is drawing to a close, it's time to get off the sofa and get exercising.

Dr Adam & I have completed our advanced exercise programme for patients. Its available as a download and demonstrated by the Ross Sisters. The warm up takes about a minute then the hard work starts so please watch this through

Do not try this without seeing us first ( you'll see why if you watch this demo) there is an assessment we need to do before allowing you to try this out.

Enjoy...this is the link

Yours in health

Carl Irwin

Carl Irwin, Chiropractic Associates

For appointments, call 0208 905 4440 / 01923 855 600

Wayne or Murray are not the only injury worry this summer…

2010-06-23T12:46:00.000+01:00

The British Chiropractic Association warns that the Wimbledon & World Cup Fever are set to increase our sedentary lifestyles – with record hours on the sofa!

It is no secret that us Brits seek sanctuary on our sofas. Research from the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) reveals that 32% of the population spend more than 10 hours each day sitting down! But, this summer, we are more at risk than ever of becoming couch potatoes and suffering the repercussions as with 52* games of the World Cup remaining, football fans face an extra 79 hours of lounging around over the next few weeks and that’s not taking into account those games going to extra time and penalties! Then there’s Wimbledon to watch as well !!!!!!!!

Carl Irwin, a chiropractor with the BCA is concerned about the effect all this extra sitting down could have: ”Our lifestyles are sedentary enough but, during televised sporting events like the World Cup and Wimbledon, people spend even more time sitting down. Lack of exercise is our worst enemy and we should avoid sitting for prolonged periods of time, as sitting incorrectly puts almost twice as much pressure on the back than when standing.”

And that’s not the only health hazard during this tournament. Football fans will argue that jumping up to celebrate a goal or berate the referee is an involuntary action, but doing it too quickly may be more harmful than sitting down for prolonged periods. Carl Irwin explains: “Going from a fixed posture when sitting down to quickly jumping up on your feet in excitement could be potentially damaging.”

Follow this simple advice from the BCA to have a pain free World Cup:

• Warm up - Stand up every twenty minutes; start during the national anthem and continue as the game goes on.

• Kick off - Make sure you are active during court rotations or half time; there is plenty of light exercise you can do during the breaks.

• Drink Up! - Try drinking water instead of beer or tea and coffee; it will be healthier, as well as help you concentrate on the game.

It’s not just our posture that is at risk from spending so long seated; consistent inactivity may leave us open to other health problems. Heart Research UK, the national charity funding pioneering medical research into prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease, has the following advice to increase activity levels:

• Exercise needn’t to be dull. If you are enjoying watching a sport, get out there and play. With longer days and lighter evenings, getting out to the park is the perfect way to end the day.

• 10 minute rule – if a journey would take you less than 10 minutes to walk, then leave the car at home!

• Try to use the stairs instead of a lift or escalator.

• Stop emailing or phoning work colleagues located in the same office. Get up and walk over to them.

• If you get a bus to work, get off a few stops earlier and walk the remaining journey.

• Get out at lunchtime and go for a brisk walk; you’ll go back to your desk feeling refreshed.

• Whatever you are doing, take regular breaks. Never sit in the same position for more than 40 minutes, less if possible. When you do take a break, walk around and stretch a little.

To find details of your nearest BCA chiropractor, visit www.chiropractic-uk.co.uk or call Carl Irwin direct on 020 8905 4440

Thank you Apple

2010-06-09T16:07:00.000+01:00

Thank You Apple - had my first Ipad casualty today.

I never released how cumbersome and heavy the new Apple ipad is. I can almost guarantee that using this freehand will give users a bad neck and shoulder and as yet I have not worked out how to use it without getting such a problem.

But never fear us chiropractors are here.

H1N1 SCAM INVOLVING THE W.H.O.

2010-06-09T15:50:00.000+01:00

H1N1 SCAM INVOLVING THE W.H.O.

A stunning new report reveals that top scientists who convinced the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare H1N1 a global pandemic held close financial ties to the drug companies that profited from the sale of those vaccines. This report, published in the British Medical Journal, exposes the hidden ties that drove WHO to declare a pandemic, resulting in billions of dollars in profits for vaccine manufacturers. Several key advisors who urged WHO to declare a pandemic received direct financial compensation from the very same vaccine manufacturers who received a windfall of profits from the pandemic announcement.
During all this, WHO refused to disclose any conflicts of interests between its top advisors and the drug companies who would financially benefit from its decisions.

All the kickbacks, in other words, were swept under the table and kept silent, and WHO somehow didn't think it was important to let the world know that it was receiving policy advice from individuals who stood to make millions of dollars when a pandemic was declared.
WHO credibility destroyed
The report was authored by Deborah Cohen (BMJ features editor), and Philip Carter, a journalist who works for the Bureau of Investigative Journalism in London. In their report, Cohen states, "...our investigation has revealed damaging issues. If these are not addressed, H1N1 may yet claim its biggest victim -- the credibility of the WHO and the trust in the global public health system." In response to the report, WHO secretary-general Dr Margaret Chan defended the secrecy, saying that WHO intentionally kept the financial ties a secret in order to "...protect the integrity and independence of the members while doing this critical work... also to ensure transparency."
Dr Chan apparently does not understand the meaning of the word "transparency." Then again, WHO has always twisted reality in order to serve its corporate masters, the pharmaceutical giants who profit from disease. To say that they are keeping the financial ties a secret in order to "protect the integrity" of the members is like saying we're all serving alcohol at tonight's AA meeting in order to keep everybody off the bottle. It just flat out makes no sense. But since when did making sense have anything to do with WHO's decision process anyway? Even Fiona Godlee, editor of the BMJ, had harsh words for the WHO, saying, "...its credibility has been badly damaged. WHO must act now to restore its credibility."

Yet more criticism for WHO

The BMJ isn't the only medical publication criticizing WHO for its poor handling of conflicts of interest. Another report from the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly also criticized WHO, saying: "Parliamentary Assembly is alarmed about the way in which the H1N1 influenza pandemic has been handled, not only by the World Health Organization (WHO), but also by the competent health authorities at the level of the European Union and at national level." It went on to explain that WHO's actions led to "a waste of large sums of public money, and also unjustified scares and fears about health risks faced by the European public at large."

The funny thing is, natural health advocates told you all the same thing a year ago, and we didn't have to spend millions of dollars on a study to arrive at this conclusion. It was obvious to anyone who knows just how corrupt the sick-care industry really is. They'll do practically anything to make more money, including bribing WHO scientific advisors and paying them kickbacks once the vaccine sales surge. The vaccine industry and all its drug pushers are, of course, criticizing this investigative report. They say WHO "had no choice" but to declare a pandemic and recommend vaccines, since vaccines are the only treatment option for influenza. That's a lie, of course: Vitamin D has been scientifically proven to be five times more effective than vaccines at preventing influenza infections, but WHO never recommended vitamin D to anyone.

The entire focus was on pushing more high-profit vaccines, not recommending the things that would actually help people the most. And now we know why: The more vulnerable people were to the pandemic, the more would be killed by H1N1, thereby "proving" the importance of vaccination programs. People were kept ignorant of natural remedies, in other words, to make sure more people died and a more urgent call for mass vaccination programs could be carried out. (A few lives never gets in the way of Big Pharma profits, does it?)

Here's a summary of how the WHO vaccine scam worked:

Step 1) Exaggerate the risk: WHO hypes up the pandemic risk by declaring a phase 6 pandemic even when the mortality rate of the virus was so low that it could be halted with simple vitamin D supplements.

Step 2) Urge countries to stockpile: WHO urged nations around the world to stockpile H1N1 vaccines, calling it a "public health emergency."

Step 3) Collect the cash: Countries spend billions of dollars buying and stockpiling H1N1 vaccines while Big Pharma pockets the cash.

Step 4) Get your kickbacks: WHO advisors, meanwhile, collected their kickbacks from the vaccine manufacturers. Those kickbacks were intentionally kept secret.

Step 5) Keep people afraid: In order to keep demand for the vaccines as high as possible, WHO continued to flame the fears by warning that H1N1 was extremely dangerous and everybody should continue to get vaccinated. (The CDC echoed the same message in the USA.)

This is how WHO pulled off one of the greatest vaccine pandemic scams in the last century, and it worked like gangbusters. WHO advisors walked away with loads of cash, the drug companies stockpiled huge profits, and the taxpayers of nations around the world were left saddled with useless vaccines rotting on the shelves that will soon have to be destroyed (at additional taxpayer cost, no doubt) or dumped down the drain (where they will contaminate the waterways). Meanwhile, nobody dared tell the public the truth about vitamin D, thereby ensuring that the next pandemic will give them another opportunity to repeat the exact same scam (for yet more profit).

The criminality of the vaccine industry

The bottom line is all this is a frightening picture of just how pathetic the vaccine industry has become and how corrupt the WHO and the CDC really are. What took place here is called corruption and bribery, folks. Kickbacks were paid, lies were told and governments were swindled out of billions of dollars. These are felony crimes being committed by our global health leaders. The real question is: Why do governments continue to allow public health organizations to be so easily corrupted by the vaccine industry? And who will stand up to this profit conspiracy that exploits members of the public as if they were profit-generating guinea pigs?

The next time you hear the WHO say anything, just remember: Their advisors are on the take from the drug companies, and just about anything you're likely to hear from the World Health Organization originates with a profit motive rather than a commitment to public health.

Oh, and by the way... for the record, there has never been a single scientific study ever published showing that H1N1 vaccines worked. Not only was the H1N1 pandemic a fraud to begin with, but the medicine they claimed treated it was also based on fraud. And now we know the rest of the story of why it was all done: Kickbacks from Big Pharma, paid to advisors who told WHO to declare a pandemic.

Sources for this story include:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Swinef...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy

June Digital Adjustment

2010-06-07T12:16:00.001+01:00

Do Germs Cause Disease?

How do you "catch" a cold? How do you "get the bug" that's going around? Many people believe that germs cause disease. Not exactly... more»

The Meaning of Pain

What is the purpose of pain? Pain causes you to pay attention to something that's not working right. It's a warning that a limit of some type has been reached... more»

Burning Calories the Easy Way!

You may know a few people who are engaged in a sedentary lifestyle who never work out, yet seem able to maintain an ideal weight. How do they do it? more»

Share Carl Irwin, Chiropractic Associates's health news with friends and family. Forward this email or click here to view the full newsletter and click "Email a Friend" in the footer.

Yours in health

Carl Irwin

Carl Irwin, Chiropractic Associates

Visit Our Website

For appointments call 0208 905 4440 / 01923 855 600.

Beat Back Holiday Back

2010-05-28T09:43:00.000+01:00

Beat Back Holiday Back ……High-Risk Moments for Your Low Back

How to Avoid Injury and Pain

Acknowledgements to Marc Heller, DC

What are the high-risk times and events for your lower back? Why can you get into more trouble doing something as simple as picking up a loaf of bread from the trunk of the car, rather than doing something more challenging? What simple steps can you take to avoid injury and pain? Let's get the answers to these questions and more.

Two Critical Moments

When it comes to your lower back and injury risk, there are two critical times when you need to be especially careful. One is first thing in the morning. Your back is actually swollen at that time. You are substantially taller, and the discs have extra fluid in them. A careless forward bend or twist first thing in the morning can do substantial damage to your discs or other back structures. It doesn't seem fair that such a simple thing, bending and twisting, something you have done thousands of times before, can suddenly cause big problems.

The other critical time is after you have been sitting. Long car drives or airplane trips are especially challenging. In this case, the culprit is something called "creep." This means that your ligaments and tendons lengthen into the position that you have been in. Think of sitting as a bent-forward position, as your legs are forward. The ligaments and tendons do not provide protection properly when they have been lengthened by creep. When you first get up from sitting, you are at risk. The longer you have been sitting, the higher the risk. If you sit more upright, with good lumbar support, you will have somewhat less risk.

Here are some common events that can contribute to lower back pain. Keep in mind that in all of these scenarios, your back was already vulnerable.

Scenario #1: You didn't sleep well last night, perhaps from sleeping in an unfamiliar bed after travel, after sitting too long. You get up, feel stiff, but ignore it. You sit down in a soft chair to enjoy your morning hot drink. You get up and get a sudden sharp stab in the back.

Scenario #2: You get up from sleeping, and sit at your laptop, and get entranced by a video or article. You end up sitting far longer than you planned. You get up, and can't completely straighten up.

Scenario #3: You get up from sleeping, drink your morning coffee, which wakes up your gut, and you go to bathroom to empty your bowel. You are a bit constipated, and have to strain. When you get up from the toilet, your back spasms.

Overnight sleeping, even a good sleep on your favourite bed, leaves your back somewhat swollen. Swollen may be an exaggeration, but the reality is that there is extra fluid in all of your joints.

If you have a good back, none of this matters. If you have a vulnerable back, it all matters. Ideally, when you get up, you should do some kind of activity that warms up and "wrings out" the excessive fluids. A short walk, some simple movements, can make a real difference. Sitting down at the computer, sitting on the toilet, etc., can get you in trouble.

So, who has a good back versus a bad back? Unfortunately, most of us have bad backs, at least in the sense that they can be subject to injury and pain at any time. In fact, studies suggest that as many as eight in 10 people experience low back pain during their lifetime. That's a lot of back pain already happening or waiting to happen. And as you can tell from the above discussion, some of the scenarios whereby people experience back pain are all too common.

How to Avoid Injury and Pain

Don't bend over immediately after sitting. Sitting, even in good posture, puts you at risk. The longer you sit and the worse the seat, the more at risk you are. Airlines are very risky; it's hard to get up and move around because of the tight quarters, and the minute the plane stops, you bend over and get stuff from under the seat, or reach up, and twist and lift to get your bag from the overhead compartment. After a long sit, give yourself at least a few seconds of backward bending and/or moving around to reset your spine. Then you can carefully, using your hips rather than your back, bend over to pick up something.

When you sit, don't slump. Slumping reinforces the risks, makes it more likely for something bad to happen to your discs or joints or muscles. So, sit up straight, and keep your back in neutral. Neutral means that you keep a bit of a lordosis in your lower back, keep the lumbar spine from slumping forward, stay more upright. This simple action can make a huge difference. Like any habit, this will require you to "Just Do It" for a few weeks.

Talk to our chiropractors about these and other high-risk moments for your lower back and what you can do to relieve low back pain or avoid the pain altogether. We can be contacted via email info@carlirwin.co.uk.

For more information visit our website : http://www.carlirwin.co.uk/

or call our friendly team
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Radlett Chiropractic Clinic - 01923 855600

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Shouldering Too Heavy a Load

2010-05-26T16:09:00.000+01:00

Day after day, year after year, children trot off to school carrying a significant burden with them: their backpack. Backpack weight is a major health issue, and it's only getting worse. Here's what you can do about it.

Do you know what's in your child's backpack, how much it weighs, or how that weight is affecting their neck, shoulders, back and spine? You need to know, because studies suggest far too many children are carrying far too heavy loads to and from school, and with serious consequences.

For example, a 2003 study in Spine found a significant relationship between the incidence of lower back pain among school children (ages 12-18) and both the weight of their backpacks and the amount of time the backpacks were used. Some backpacks were inordinately heavy; 18.9 percent of the students surveyed carried backpacks that weighed more than 20 percent of the student's body weight when full.

In another study, published in the same journal a year earlier, four of five children said their backpacks were heavy, and two-thirds said they felt fatigue when carrying theirs. The study also showed that lifetime prevalence of low back pain was related to the amount of time children carried backpacks on their shoulders.

Not very good news, is it? So, what can you do as a parent to help your children in this regard? Here are a few simple suggestions courtesy of National University of Health Sciences:

*Make sure your child's backpack weighs no more than 10 percent of their body weight.

*Also ensure that it doesn't hang more than 4 inches below their waistline.

*Urge your child to wear both shoulder straps. The straps should be adjustable so the backpack can be easily fitted to your child's body.

*Try an eco cart - a back sac on wheels to help with those heavy loads

*Improve seated posture with a GameBall...read more

For more information visit our website : http://www.carlirwin.co.uk/

or call our friendly team

Edgware and Mill Hill Chiropractic Clinic - 020 8905 4440

Radlett Chiropractic Clinic - 01923 855600

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Bad Posture Caused by Texting

2010-04-30T11:04:00.000+01:00

Tell Your Family & Friends: Your Body Is Sending You a Message

The need for chiropractic care has significantly increased with advances in mobile technology, and the reality that the public at large is constantly "connected." About two years ago, I started to notice that more and more young people were coming to my office and presenting with similar complaints.

They all had neck pain, headaches, shoulder pain, or numbness and tingling into the upper extremity.

During a report of findings meeting with one of these young patients, her mother asked me, "Well, what does she have?" I looked over at the patient and noticed that she was buried in her cell phone with her head flexed forward - texting. With that, I replied, "It's simple. She has text neck." I pointed out to the patient's mother that at 16 years old, her daughter had a reversed cervical curve with mild degenerative changes, and that she was too young to be experiencing these bony changes. I then asked the patient how often or how much she texts. She replied that she texts all day long, and that it is her primary mode of communication.

These days, people are constantly "connected" to their hand-held devices, whether it is their cellular phones, portable video games like Nintendo DS, e-readers such as Amazon Kindle, or they are just using apps on an iPhone. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that young people 8-18 years old spend in excess of seven-and-a-half hours a day using some form of mobile media. As a result, this younger demographic will surely be presenting to our offices with more forward head posture (FHP).

Many, if not all chiropractors have at one time or another conducted a screening to educate the public on the importance of good posture and explained how poor posture negatively affects the body's ability to function. Fortunate chiropractors are able to book a future appointment on the spot. If they are really lucky, the potential patient actually showed up for their appointment. We then have the task of re-educating that patient on how the brain and the spine control function and how "posture equals function." This process of getting the patient to understand and see the real need for care is often long and tedious, and unfortunately not always effective.

This should not be the case when talking to patients about FHP. As technology advances in the market of hand-held mobile devices, we need to educate the public that where the head goes, the body will follow. If a patient has FHP, then they will have rolled shoulders. With rolled shoulders, a concave chest can follow, and often a pelvic tuck. It is pivotal that chiropractors concentrate on the condition of forward head posture related to the use of technology.

Text messaging was reported to have addictive tendencies in the Global Messaging Survey by Nokia in 2001, and was confirmed to be addictive in a study conducted at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium in 2004. Since then, a study at the University of Queensland in Australia has found that text messaging is the most addictive digital service. It has been compared to being as addictive as cigarette smoking. The text reception habit introduces a need to remain connected, called "reachability."1

Because the demographic of people ages 13-27 is one of the largest groups of texters, we can expect to see a large increase of medical and chiropractic conditions within the next decade. The amount of time spent in a forward head tilt while texting or gaming, surfing or browsing the Web has increased as hand-held mobile devices such as cell phones, video games, and MP3 players have become smaller, mobile and essentially a direct extension of the person.

Look around you and you will see people with FHP using hand-held mobile device at tables in restaurants, at red lights in their cars, walking through the mall, in line at the grocery store, and even sitting in your reception area or exam rooms. We are a society that is "connected," now more than ever before, and we are suffering the health consequences.

The problem is getting worse each year. According to data released Dec. 15, 2009, by the Census Bureau, Americans sent 110 billion text messages in December 2008. In the same month in 2007, Americans sent 48 billion messages.2 Amanda Lenhart; a senior research specialist for the Pew Internet and American Life Project is not surprised that the trend is especially prevalent among teenagers. "Teens are still developing their communication habits. Adults have preset ones already."3

The world is becoming more mobile. Children are getting mobile phones at younger and younger ages due to affordable prices and parents wanting to stay in touch. Hand-held mobile devices are performing more daily functions and are more portable than ever. Google's vice president of engineering and mobile applications, Vic Gundotra, noted: "We are seeing a very fundamental shift where increasingly, particularly among the young demographic and in Asian countries, the primary access to the Internet is not through the PC but through mobile devices."4

Fast Facts: The Consequences of Forward Head Posture

 Long-term forward neck posture leads to "long-term muscle strain, disc herniations and pinched nerves." (Mayo Clinic Health Letter, March 2000)

 In regard to respiratory dysfunction in chronic neck pain patients, a recent study "demonstrated a strong association between an increased forward head posture and decreased respiratory muscle strength in neck patients." (Cephalgia, February 2009)

 "For every inch of forward head posture, it can increase the weight of the head on the spine by an additional 10 pounds." (Kapandji, Physiology of the Joints, Volume 3)

 "Loss of the cervical curve stretches the spinal cord 5-7 cm and causes disease." (Dr. Alf Breig, neurosurgeon and Nobel Prize recipient)

 "90% of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by the movement of the spine," says Dr. Roger Sperry, Nobel Prize recipient for brain research. Dr. Sperry demonstrated that 90 percent of the energy output of the brain is used in relating the physical body to gravity. Only 10 percent has to do with thinking, metabolism, and healing, so when you have forward head posture, your brain will rob energy from your thinking, metabolism, and immune function to deal with abnormal gravity/posture relationships and processing.

 According to Rene Cailliet MD, director of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Southern California, forward head posture can add up to 30 pounds of abnormal leverage on the cervical spine. This can pull the entire spine out of alignment. FHP results in loss of vital capacity of the lungs by as much as 30 percent. This shortness of breath can lead to heart and blood vascular disease. The entire gastrointestinal system is affected; particularly the large intestine. Loss of good bowel peristaltic function and evacuation is a common effect of FHP. It causes an increase in discomfort and pain because proprioceptive signals from the first four cervical vertebrae are a major source of the stimuli which create the body's pain controlling chemicals (endorphins). With inadequate endorphin production, many otherwise non-painful sensations are experienced as pain. FHP dramatically reduces endorphin production.

 FHP has been shown to flatten the normal neck curve, resulting in disc compression, damage and early arthritis. (Roentgenographic findings of the cervical spine in asymptomatic people. (Spine, 1986;6:591-694)

Research performed by Informa Telecoms & Media reported that in 2008, almost 162 million smart phones were sold, surpassing laptop sales for the first time. The research also suggests that smart phone sales will continue to be immune to the global economic downturn. With technology advancing, sales of the hand-held mobile device staying strong and people's desire to stay connected, FHP will be more prevalent than ever.

Of course, forward head posture is not a new condition. Chiropractors have been treating and educating our patients on the dangers of FHP for years, and the health conditions that FHP or anterior head carriage contribute to are well-researched and documented. [See "Fast Facts" table above.] So, the next time you are performing a report of findings on a patient and you see a straightening or reversal of the normal cervical curve with or without osteophytes at the anterior bodies of the lower cervical spine and possible disc degeneration, ask about the patient's texting habits and other use of hand-held devices. The connection is obvious, meaningful, and demands a need for care.

Discuss with patients the negative effects of a repetitive stress syndrome and make them aware of how many hours they are using their hand-held mobile devices and how many hours their children are using these devices. I am sure that you will see a light bulb turn on above their head indicating that they "get it." You will have greater compliance with their care plan because they will understand what is causing their condition, and how it will negatively affect their body in the future.

References

1. Ahonen TT. M-Profits: Making Money From 3G Services. John Wiley and Sons Ltd., 2002.

2. Statistical Abstract of the United States. U.S. Census Bureau.

3. "Americans Have Gone Text Crazy." Los Angeles Times, Dec. 16, 2009.

4. "Google Searches for Mobile Computing Edge; Software Giant Bets Big on Android Apps Like 'Google Goggles.'" CNBC; updated Dec. 3, 2009.

Acknowledgments to Dean Fishman, DC, CFE, AHFI

For more information visit our website : http://www.carlirwin.co.uk/

or call our friendly team

Edgware and Mill Hill Chiropractic Clinic - 020 8905 4440

Radlett Chiropractic Clinic - 01923 855600

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April Health Interest Articles

2010-04-13T12:06:00.001+01:00

Popular Patient-Requested Health Articles

We have discovered that the following eight topics are amongst the most popular health topics requested by our patients

It Hurts to Open Your Mouth -
TMJ is a common condition that causes pain when you eat, talk and chew. Chiropractic care can help! more»

Spinal Fusion: Just the Facts -
Spinal fusion surgery - what is it? What's it for? And what are the risks? more»

Innie or Outie? -
"Innie" or "outie"? What determines the type of belly button your child has? more»

Tattoos - Safety First!
They're the rage, but you need to know how to protect yourself before, during and after a tattoo. more»

So You're 50...
You're 50 and your doctor says it's time for a colonoscopy. What is it? What is it for? more»

Good Fats vs. Bad Fats
There's a lot of talk about fats these days, but are there really such things as "good" fats? more»

How Much is Enough?
It's important to engage in physical activity at every age - but how much is enough? more»

When Fear Goes Too Far
Phobias are irrational fears that interfere with a person's daily life. But where do they come from? more»

For more information visit our website : http://www.carlirwin.co.uk/

or call our friendly team

Edgware and Mill Hill Chiropractic Clinic - 020 8905 4440

Radlett Chiropractic Clinic - 01923 855600

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Four Ways to Keep Kids Moving

2010-04-06T11:55:00.000+01:00

... during the Holidays

1. Lead by Example

Common sense and science suggest that as parents, we exert a tremendous influence, for better or worse, on our children. When it comes to exercise, an adult couch potato effectively nurtures a child couch potato, who then becomes yet another adult couch potato years down the road - a vicious cycle of inactivity that increases disease risk. Get off the couch, get away from the laptop and show your kids the value of an active life filled with physical activity.

2. Unplug for Awhile

Speaking of couch potato syndrome and its inherent dangers, one of the worst effects of technology from a health perspective is that people tend to end up sitting, rather than moving. Hours on end of TV, video games, and even phone and computer "activities" like instant messaging, chat rooms and other pursuits leave very little time for exercise. While there's no easy solution, establishing a daily time limit on these activities is a great start.

3. Find the Time

When we're young, we spend hours in the yard or on school grounds playing our favourite games; then we slowly get more and more responsibilities and somehow, the time just seems to disappear. It happens quickly, right around the time daily homework comes along. What can you do about it? It's the same advice, whether young or old: Find the time. Pencil physical activity into your child's daily schedule and don't let "life" ever erase it.

4. Make It Fun

It's a truism whether you're an adult or a child: You're more likely to stick with something if you enjoy it. Too often, exercise becomes more of a chore than a pleasing activity, and this often begins at an early age, basically as soon as children get involved in the rigors of organized sports. Sure, it's never all fun and games, but exercise shouldn't be a dreaded activity, not if you do it right. Be creative and teach children that active is fun at any age.

For more information visit our website : http://www.carlirwin.co.uk/
or call our friendly team

Edgware & Mill Hill Chiropractic Clinic - 020 8905 4440

Radlett Chiropractic Clinic - 01923 855600

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April's Digital Adjustment

2010-04-06T08:58:00.001+01:00

To go to Aprils newsletter click here

In This Issue

Neck Adjustments Are Safe!

Germs Are Not the Enemy!

Resolution Check-In

Can You Defy Gravity?

For more information visit our website : http://www.carlirwin.co.uk/

or call our friendly team

Edgware & Mill Hill Chiropractic Clinic - 020 8905 4440

Radlett Chiropractic Clinic - 01923 855600

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TAGSEdgware and Mill Hill Chiropractic Clinic, Radlett Chiropractic Clinic, Harrow Edgware Mill Hill Stanmore Bushey Radlett Elstree St Albans Watford Chiropractor, PPQM, Chiropractic, chiropractor, chiropractors, chiropractic, British Chiropractic, United Chiropractic, General Chiropractic, back pain, sciatica, sports injury, whiplash, headache, migraine, colic, slipped disc, neck pain, carl irwin, adam kay, danine irwin, baby massage, cranial chiropractic, cranial chiropractor, SOT, SORSI, SOTO- Europe, chiropractor Mill Hill, chiropractor Edgware, chiropractor Stanmore, chiropractor Finchley, chiropractor Bushey, chiropractor Radlett, chiropractor St Albans, Chiropractor Watford, back pain Finchley, back pain Hendon, back pian, Edgware back pain Mill Hill, back pain Stanmore, back pain Bushey, back Pain Radlett, back pain St Albans, back pain Watford

Oh My Blooming Back

2010-03-30T09:02:00.000+01:00

Now is the time to consider getting ready for the gardening and with the warming of the weather we are tempted into the garden to do our first piece of manual work for ages. Sadly year after year our receptionists are swamped with people in pain, requiring immediate help after the Bank Hoilday. If, like many people, gardening is your one main leisure activity, it is not just the soil you need to prepare. We believe it pays to be prepared especially if you are to enjoy a pain free summer.

The main cause of back pain when gardening is the prolonged stretching of the ligaments and joints in the spine caused by stooping for long periods, or kneeling bent over whilst planting. These positions place considerable stress on the ligaments and joints in the lower lumbar spine and cause them to become inflamed and tender. This in turn provokes muscle spasm either side of the joints and ligaments, and gives rise to deeper, duller, achy type of pain that occurs over the following few days. Digging may well also give rise to back ache if muscles are not prepared beforehand. So it pays to exercise the joints and muscles prior to descending on your garden in the spring.

Top Tips for Preventing Back Pain
• Kneel on one leg rather than bending down repeatedly from the hips.

• Try and keep your back hollow when digging, with the legs well spaced apart.

• Try and vary the tasks of the day into short bursts of different activities rather than slogging all day at one thing.

• When mowing lawns with a hover mower try to resist the temptation to swing the mower from side to side in an arc. Instead mow forwards and backwards as you would with a conventional cylinder mower.

• If you suffer from knee problems or osteoarthritis and tend to stoop rather than kneeling, then use a cushion to kneel on or when bending try keeping the back as hollow as possible.

• If you ache the next day, rest, and seek the advice of your chiropractor who will advise you whether you should apply heat, or icepacks to the area, or if you require further treatment.

You should exercise to keep fit so that you can enjoy your gardening, rather than using your gardening as an exercise to keep fit.

Here are the chiropractor's top ten gardening tips:

 Gently stretch your muscles and ligaments for a few minutes before and after gardening, but don't bend down to touch your toes - this can cause damage.

 Wear light, but warm clothes and make sure your lower back is covered at all times.

 Don't let sweaters ride up, keep the back warm while gardening, especially this time of year.

 Kneel on one leg rather than bending repeatedly from the hip.

 Use long handled tools to prune tall plants.

 Use only a small spade/fork for digging and keep your back gently hollowed.

 Do not always work to one side only; vary your position.

 Don't do the same work for long periods, vary your task.

 Keep your back straight when carrying, better still use a wheelbarrow.

 When finished, have a warm bath or shower.

 Do not sit in your favourite armchair afterwards, stand up regularly and walk around.

For more information visit our website : http://www.carlirwin.co.uk/

or call our friendly team

Edgware & Mill Hill Chiropractic Clinic - 020 8905 4440

Radlett Chiropractic Clinic - 01923 855600

Vaccinations - A State of Fear

2010-02-25T15:28:00.000Z

As we draw to the close of baby month at our clinics, we have yet to discuss vaccinations and today it was truely brought home when a long term patient came in for their adjustment.

As I entered the room she said " Carl, if i did not know you better I'd have walked out of the clinic to never return."

On asking why, she said " well you have a leaflet on vaccination and as they have been of enormous value to the health of world, how can you, put such anti-vaccination propoganda in your reception"

It's interesting that the leaflet concerned or the very large folder in our waiting area, containing many different trials and reports aurguing both sides of the vaccination debate, had not been picked up and even flicked through let alone read. But then again how many people really make decsions based on truely informed consent rather than taking someone elses word, that its ok, its safe etc etc

What we need to do here is take a few steps back and look at what is driving us to make so many decsions about our health. If any choice we make is distorted by the perception of fear it is not really our own choice, as that decision will not take into consideration your own core and essential values.

So in provding information at our clinics, we do so to give you the opportunity to make informed decisions about the health and wellbeing of your families from a place of trust and certainty, rather than from an unstable foundation created by fear.

During Baby Month we are offering parents the opportuntiy to bring their "kids" in for a COMPLIMENTARY Cranial Chiropractic Health Check

For enquiries and appointments telephone
Edgware & Mill Hill Clinic - 020 8905 4440
Radlett Clinic 01923855600
or email info@carlirwin.co.uk.

Colic - who says there's no RCTs

2010-02-17T08:57:00.003Z

As our baby month continues and there is a international call for more substantiated research on how chiropractors helps children. More so, some the medical community insist that without RCTs chiropractic's worth will not be proven. Here is one that supoorts the evidence...

The Short-term Effect of Spinal Manipulation in the Treatment of Infantile Colic: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial (RCT) with a Blinded Observer

This section was compiled by Frank M. Painter, D.C. Thank you

FROM: J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1999 (Oct); 22 (8): 517–522
Wiberg JM, Nordsteen J, Nilsson
Center for Biomechanics, Odense University, Denmark

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is a short-term effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of infantile colic.

DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial.
SETTING: A private chiropractic practice and the National Health Service's health visitor nurses in the suburb Ballerup (Copenhagen, Denmark).

SUBJECTS: Infants seen by the health visitor nurses, who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for infantile colic.
INTERVENTION: One group received spinal manipulation for 2 weeks, the other was treated with the drug dimethicone for 2 weeks.

OUTCOME MEASURE: Changes in daily hours of crying as registered in a colic diary.

RESULTS: By trial days 4 to 7, hours of crying were reduced by 1 hour in the dimethicone group compared with 2.4 hours in the manipulation group (P = .04). On days 8 through 11, crying was reduced by 1 hour for the dimethicone group, whereas crying in the manipulation group was reduced by 2.7 hours (P = .004). From trial day 5 onward the manipulation group did significantly better that the dimethicone group.

CONCLUSION: Spinal manipulation is effective in relieving infantile colic.

From the Full-Text Article:
Discussion

When we compare our results with those of the only other prospective trial on spinal manipulation in the treatment of infantile colic, [7] we see that the results are virtually identical for our manipulation group. In the previous trial, mean daily hours with colic were reduced by 66% on day 12 of the trial, and in our trial we saw a reduction of 67% on day 12 in the manipulation group, whereas our dimethicone group only had a reduction in daily hours with colic of 38% by day [12]. These similarities strengthen the conclusion that a positive effect of spinal manipulation exists in the treatment of infantile colic. These strong similarities perhaps also suggest that we may be dealing with an underlying anatomic/physiologic disease mechanism rather than a psychosocial one, but that remains to be clarified.

Initially we planned to have a baseline observation period of 7 days, but soon after the start of the project we had to revise this to 4 days because the families demand for fast action was too strong. If we had upheld the 7-day baseline observation period, it would have been difficult to recruit a sufficient number of participants because parents would have sought help elsewhere. The problem is understandable in retrospect because families of infants with colic are under a tremendous psychologic strain, as anyone with infantile colic experience will appreciate. We do not think that reducing the length of the baseline observation period has any effect on the validity of the results because this was the same for both treatment groups.

We would also have liked a longer follow-up period, but once again families with small infants are busy families (colic or not). It was our impression, that it would not have been possible to keep those participants who still had colic in the trial much longer, whereas those who were helped by the treatment would want to get on with normalizing their family lives. The result of a longer follow-up period would thus have been an unacceptably high number of dropouts. Furthermore, in the previous trial on spinal manipulation in the treatment of infantile colic, they had a follow-up at 4 weeks but found that the reduction in crying was clearly within the first 14 days, and no significant change occurred in the last 2 weeks of follow-up. [7]
The pretrial characteristics of the 2 treatment groups show only 1 significant difference. The age of the infant when colic started was 2.2 weeks in the dimethicone group compared with 1.2 week in the manipulation group (P = .02), and this could potentially be a problem. If infantile colic tends to disappear spontaneously after a given number of weeks, the difference could have meant that infants in the manipulation group might be more likely to experience spontaneous alleviation of symptoms than those in the dimethicone group, and this could be the reason for the observed effect. But because the age of the infant on entry into the trial also has the same 1-week difference in age and because both groups on entry had infantile colic for 3.7 weeks, this could not have been the reason for the observed difference.
If, on the other hand, infantile colic tends to stop spontaneously at a given age, then the 1-week age difference would instead have favored a higher rate of spontaneous disappearance in the dimethicone group, and this was not evident. So even if the difference in age on debut of symptoms was statistically significant, it did not affect the validity of our results.
There were 9 dropouts in the dimethicone group and none in the manipulation group. This could be interpreted as a sign of parents' bias against dimethicone, but inspection of the data in the last infantile colic profile completed before dropout show clearly that for all where information is available, the dropout was due to a genuine worsening of symptoms and not parents' bias. By excluding data from the dropouts, we are excluding more severe cases from the dimethicone group, and this has the effect of making that group appear better that it actually was. Thus we are introducing a serious bias against showing an effect of spinal manipulation, and despite this the manipulation group did significantly better.

Spinal manipulation is normally used in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, and the results of this trial leave open 2 possible interpretations. Either spinal manipulation is effective in the treatment of the visceral disorder infantile colic or infantile colic is, in fact, a musculoskeletal disorder, and not, as normally assumed, visceral. This study does not address this issue.

Conclusion

Spinal manipulation has a positive short-term effect on infantile colic.

Chiropractic and Cranial news brought to you by Carl Irwin, Rachel Wharton and Adam Kay, Doctors of Chiropractors

For Appointments and Enquiries call
Edgware and Mill 020 8905 4440
Radlett 09123 855600

email info@carlirwin.co.uk

Chiropractor Hendon, Chiropractor Finchley, Chiropractor Harrow, Chiropractor Kenton, Kingsbury, Chiropractor Wembley, Chiropractor Edgware, Chiropractor Mill Hill, Chiropractor Stanmore, Chiropractor Bushey, Chiropractor Borehamwood, Chiropractor Elstree, Chiropractor Radlett, Chiropractor Shenley, Chiropractor Park Street, Chiropractor Watford, Chiropractor St Albans.

My Favourite Advert

2010-02-11T21:46:00.001Z

Birth & Your Children’s Health, are they related?

2010-02-09T16:39:00.002Z

In the second of our features during Baby Month, we look at birth & your children’s health. Are they related?

Most cranial chiropractors will agree that the birth process is probably the first point in life where the skull and spine can get hurt. Many also recognise that intrauterine constraint due to the mother’s pelvis being out of balance; could lead to a strain being applied to the baby’s head during pregnancy. From a cranial chiropractic point of view, this may increase the likelihood of a more difficult delivery, with more than normal forces being applied to the upper joints of the baby’s neck, where the spine meets the base of the skull.

A number of early childhood conditions such as ear infections, colic, feeding problems, tonsillitis and other recurring upper respiratory problems may be related to damage at this level and may respond well to cranial chiropractic care. Well that is according to the chiropractic literature. Other sources would like to disagree, and the debate goes on and will probably do so for years. It’s almost the equivalent to the debate about the use & safety of vaccinations, but they are still being used routinely. But …ask any mother who has taken their baby to a cranial chiropractor and the support is unanimously pro cranial chiropractic.

What of the long-term consequences? How would an irritated nerve in an adult present? Back pain, sciatica, neck pains, arm pains, headaches are common presentations to cranial chiropractors but in baby, such skull and spine damage, could be setting the stage that affects the body’s ability to grow, develop, self regulate and heal at 100%? And by doing so, would this lead to ill health later in life?

An article was written by Dr. Henry Winsor, a medical researcher from the University of Pennsylvania, and was published in the Medical Times back in November of 1921.

Dr Winsor, through his research on cadavers, was able to demonstrate in nearly 100% of his case studies, a direct correlation between levels of spinal curvature and spinal degeneration (ie spondylosis), with corresponding diseased organs supplied by the same level spinal nerves. He concluded that irritation of the nerves due to chronic spinal degeneration led to a constriction of the blood vessels supplying the organs involved, eventually inducing a diseased state.

So, does our spine play a role in our overall health and wellness? If so, the assessment and maintenance of the human frame should start early, and continue throughout life, if optimum health is to be achieved. …You decide.

Carl Irwin, is a Doctor of Chiropractic, he runs the Edgware, Mill Hill & Radlett Chiropractic Clinics. With 20 years practice experience the clinics are able to provide you with fast accurate assessment & treatment, using the latest technology and treatments techniques. They’ll even guarantee your satisfaction.

During Baby Month we are offering parents the opportuntiy to bring their "babies" for a COMPLIMENTARY Chiropractic Health Check

For enquiries and appointments telephone 020 8905 4440 or email info@carlirwin.co.uk.

Andrea's Colic

2010-02-01T17:49:00.001Z

During February we are focusing on how children and babies benefit from chiropractic. I have reprinted this story from Chicken Soup For the Chiropractic Soul. Richard thank you for the idea

Andrea's Colic

Little Andrea came to my office at the age of two and a half months for the condition of colic at the urging of grandma, who is a patient of mine. Mom was also a patient who was helped with migraine headaches and lower back pain during her pregnancy with Andrea.

Andrea’s mom had a long delivery, which can put stress on the baby’s neck and middle back. From the beginning, Mom stated that life with Andrea was miserable due to her being colicky. During her maternity leave, it took hours to get ready to go grovery shopping – it was an all day event. Often, they had to leave the grocery store early due to Andrea’s constant crying. At night she was up every two hours crying, and it took one half hour to one hour to get her to go back to sleep.

On baptism day there were five babies being baptized, and Andrea cried throufghout the entire ceremony. Grandma was often the babysitter and she called Andrea the “Screamer” “We’ve got to get this handled”, Grandma said.

As the consultation continued, I explained to Andrea’s mom that colic is a digestive disorder where gas is formed in the baby’s stomach and small intestine. This causes much pressure and pain for the baby in these areas, which makes the baby irritable, with inconsolable crying, and it arches it’s back a lot. Mom said Andrea was experiencing these same symptoms and she was told that this was a condition that her child would just have to eventually outgrow.

To ease her concern, I explained that the spinal adjustment for a baby is altogether different from a d traditional manual manipulation adjustment for an adult. It is very light, gentle and not at all uncomfortable for the baby.

Mom was excited and Andrea started care that day. Mom noticed improvement right away. Andrea could sleep better during the night. Now mom could take her shopping without the constant crying. She could also be taken to family gatherings without being disruptive. She was completely over her symptoms in thrity days, and then waqs put on a wellness plan.

Grandma said that after chiropractic care, Andrea was a lot of fun to play with because she was now quiet and content. Now Mom is a big supporter of bringing a baby to a chiropractor for colic. Two and half years later, Mom states that Andrea has not had the many ear infections and colds that other babies and toddlers often get. She says that bringing Andrea to me waqs the best thinbg she could have done for her.

It gave me tremendous satisfaction as a chiropractor to give andrea a healthy start in life!

By Kurt R. Schaarschmidt, DC

During February all babies & children are invited to our clinics for a complimentary chiropractic health check.

Do call us on Edgware 0208 905 4440 or Radlett 01923 855600
or email info@carlirwin.co.uk

3 Steps to Better Health

2010-01-25T10:39:00.000Z

Sleep More

We've become a culture of sleep deprivation rather than rest; there are so many things to do and so little time to do them that we often sacrifice what we need most for good health: sleep. Poor sleep contributes to fatigue and irritability in the short term and is linked to serious health conditions in the long term. So tonight, turn in early and get the sleep your body and mind deserve.

Eat Less

Excess - another cultural staple that wreaks havoc on our bodies and leads to obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and more. Portion control is a major step toward attaining and maintaining a healthy weight, as is eating less overall. Too many of us fall victim to the buffet and "super size" mentality, rather than eating frequent small meals that will fuel your body the right way.

Keep Moving

With obesity at an all-time high and on the rise, there's no better time to get off the couch and start moving. It's a simple concept: When your body moves, good things happen - increased metabolism, fat loss, better circulation; and when it doesn't move, you're setting the stage for all sorts of negative consequences, including weight gain, various diseases and even cancer. To the chiropractor movement is life without it we cannot survive, be healthy and truly express our vitality

Share Carl Irwin & Associates Chiropractors's health interest articles with your friends and family.

DURING JANUARY WE ARE SEEING ALL NEW PATIENTS FOR ONLY £27 (incl x ray) .

Thats a 60 % saving, call us to make an appointment

Visit Our Website http://www.carlirwin.co.uk/

For appointments call Edgware 0208 905 4440 / Radlett 01923 855 600

100 of Types of Arthritis

2010-01-20T09:46:00.000Z

100 Types of Arthritis?

There are over 100 types of arthritis; chiropractic care may prevent and relieve its symptoms. more »

Share Carl Irwin & Associates Chiropractors's health interest articles with your friends and family.

Carl Irwin & Associates Chiropractors

DURING JANUARY WE ARE SEEING ALL NEW PATIENTS FOR ONLY £27 (incl x ray) .
Thats a 60 % saving, call us to make an appointment

Visit Our Website http://www.carlirwin.co.uk/

For appointments call Edgware 0208 905 4440 / Radlett 01923 855 600

Swine Flu - Much Ado About Nothing?

2010-01-08T10:08:00.000Z

click here to goto article link website

What if you had a pandemic and no one came?

Just change the way you measure those infected. In a remarkable development the CDC has announced that they are going to change the way that Swine flu cases are defined. It seems the grand total of 1200 deaths from H1N1 wasn't sufficiently scaring the hell out of people enough to go out and get vaccinated so why not bump up the numbers to put a chill in the air?

While the news media is widely reporting long lines at clinics for the vaccine other sources suggest a different story. In New York last week officials were prepared to administer 31,500 vaccinations a day at seven free clinics throughout the city. The total vaccinations administered on Saturday was 1,701. The New York Times reported vaccine workers standing around with nothing to do and officials perplexed by the low turnout.

Meanwhile government officials and vaccine manufacturers were hauled before Congress which was investigating why so little vaccine had made it to the public and here we are dead in the middle of the season. Everyone blamed those slow virus growing chicken eggs, the public’s fear of vaccines and regulatory hurdles that won’t allow them to use adjuvants. Only 49 million doses had been delivered by this week.

All of this doesn’t seem so much a mystery to me. The drug companies were paid ahead of time to produce the vaccines, surveys of your average earthling revealed that more than half would not get the vaccine, low turnouts materialized so why would the vaccine manufacturers spend any more money to produce more vaccine when they probably won’t be able to get what they will produce off their shelves by the end of the season?

$1.5 billion was paid by the US government for Swine flu vaccine – that’s $600 per taxpayer. In what seems incredible Glaxo won’t tell what they are getting from the UK government for its H1N1 concoction and Baxter settled out of court after accusations of fraud for overcharging for their Swine flu vaccine. Despite this Britain still went ahead and contracted with them for 132 million doses!

Its like getting vaccine out of the back of a panel van in the alley from your local neighborhood criminal.

And these are the people we are supposed to trust when they tell us to just roll up our sleeve and get in line? I'm sure such criminal behavior would never spill over into the science or manufacturing of the vaccine - right?

Despite the changes in definitions to bump up the numbers some experts don’t seem to think there is anything to worry about. Ira M. Longini Jr., a flu epidemiologist at the University of Washington and Michael T. Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, both said the new figure doesn’t come close to the 90,000 people Obama said would drop dead this flu season.

In fact according to Dr. Longini deaths were likely to be in the 30,000-to-40,000 range, and Osterholm said they would “have a long way to go to even get there.”

Sounds like a typical flu season to me.

As always I look forward to your feedback, comments and suggestions.

Matthew McCoy DC, MPH

matthewmccoy@comcast.net

Editor - Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health - Chiropractic

http://www.chiropracticpediatricresearch.net/

Chiropractic and Cranial news brought to you by Carl Irwin, Rachel Wharton and Adam Kay, Chiropractors

For appointments call Edgware 0208 905 4440 / Radlett 01923 855 600.

Chiropractor Hendon Chiropractor Finchley Chiropractor Harrow Chiropractor Kenton Kingsbury Chiropractor Wembley Chiropractor Edgware Chiropractor Mill Hill Chiropractor Stanmore Chiropractor Bushey Chiropractor Borehamwood Chiropractor Elstree Chiropractor Radlett Chiropractor Shenley Chiropractor Park Street Chiropractor Watford Chiropractor St Albans.

January's Digitial Adjustment

2010-01-08T09:46:00.007Z

Click here to view the full version of your January Digital Adjustment! Feature articles include:

How Well Do You Adapt?

Have you ever thought about the difference between something living and something dead? What changes the moment that we, or our pet or a tree stops living? more»

Bones or Nerves?

We live our lives through our nervous systems. Whether it's enjoying a sunset, digesting dinner or warding off an infection, our nervous systems control everything. Better nervous system = better life. more»

Now Accepting New Patients

If you've experienced great results from safe and natural chiropractic care, we hope you'll share your experience with friends. You see, we don't benefit from the billions of ad dollars spent by the pharmaceutical industry... more»

The Healing Power of the Mind

Question: What do the spells cast by voodoo practitioners and researchers testing the effectiveness of the latest drug concoction have in common? more»

Share Carl Irwin & Associates Chiropractors's health news with friends and family. Forward this email or click here to view the full newsletter and click "Email a Friend" in the footer.

Yours in health

Carl Irwin

Carl Irwin & Associates Chiropractors

Visit Our Website

For appointments call Edgware 0208 905 4440 / Radlett 01923 855 600.

Chiropractic and Cranial news brought to you by Carl Irwin, Rachel Wharton and Adam Kay, Chiropractors

What is Chiropractic ?

2009-12-24T19:32:00.000Z

Here's a link to an article I wrote back in 1997 for postive health magazine. I forgot all about it until i found it on the net
click to link to article

Happy Holidays

2009-12-23T08:45:00.002Z

Just want to wish you and your family happy holidays and a peaceful refreshing new year.

2010 is a new decade and a clean sheet for us all to move forward and create. Many of us have held back, put things on standby and waited...for what. I think we are all slowly realising that we are all the creators of our own life experience, with the politicians, media etc treating us all like puppets and manipulating our perceptions of the world so we do, feel and act as they want us too.

My challenge for next year is to break free from this thinking and I am excitied at the endless possibilities & opportunites we all have to live our lives with love. light & abundance.

God Bless

XMAS AND NEW YEAR OPENING HOURS 2009/10

Xmas Eve (Thur) -Open until 4.30pm

Xmas Day (Fri) -Closed

Sat 26th Dec -Closed

Mon 28th Dec -Closed

Tues 29th Dec -Open

Wed 30th Dec -Open

Thur 31st Dec -Open until 1.30pm
Fri 1st Jan -Closed

Sat 2nd Jan -Closed

Mon 4th Jan -Normal Hours

Swine Flu is Officially a Fiasco

2009-12-11T12:44:00.000Z

"Its official and I’m declaring it,"
says Matthew McCoy Editor - Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health - Chiropractic.

Full article link ..... http://researchupdate.mccoypress.net/2009/12/09/swine-flu-is-officially-a-fiasco.aspx

The 2009 Swine flu “pandemic” is a bonafide fiasco. A fiasco is a complete failure - an ignominious, humiliating and disgraceful failure. All the evidence at this point clearly shows that from the government to public health to the pharmaceutical industry - nothing panned out the way they predicted it would.

In a recently released report:

Presanis AM, De Angelis D, Hagy A, Reed C, Riley S, et al. 2009 The Severity of Pandemic H1N1 Influenza in the United States, from April to July 2009: A Bayesian Analysis. PLoS Med 6(12): e1000207. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000207

According to these researchers (which include scientists from Harvard, the UK Medical Research Council and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) H1N1 swine flu won't be as severe as was feared and when the fall and winter wave of H1N1 swine flu is over, it will have been no more severe than an average flu season.

In fact, according to one of the researchers - Dr. Lipsitch “The good news is that ... the severity of the H1N1 flu may be less than initially feared."

Let's not forget that the White House predicted as many as 90,000 dead and such dire predictions set the stage for the rolling back of all sorts of civil liberties along with the spending of billions of dollars of taxpayer money that went directly into the pockets of drug companies that were absolved of any risk from adverse reactions from the vaccines they manufactured.

We are just getting the first reports of those adverse reactions. Of course there have been the multiple reports on the internet of anaphalactic reactions and neurological disorders immediately following vaccination but now we have more “authoritative” reports from the CDC and the Vaccine Adverse Events Reportiong System (VAERS).

According to this report:

CDC and FDA staff members searched the VAERS database to identify all U.S. reports of adverse events after vaccination with H1N1 vaccines and 2009--10 seasonal influenza vaccines during July 1--November 24.

3,783 reports of adverse events were received through the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System through November 24 after receipt of H1N1 vaccine. Of these 204 were categorized as serious. In addition, 4,672 adverse events reports after receipt of seasonal influenza vaccines were received, of which 283 were serious.

VAERS data indicated 82 adverse event reports per 1 million H1N1 vaccine doses distributed, compared with 47 reports per 1 million seasonal influenza vaccine doses distributed.

They excluded 62 reports due to “insufficient” information.

During October 5--November 20, a total of 46.2 million doses of H1N1 vaccines and 98.9 million doses of seasonal influenza vaccines were distributed to U.S states and territories. (The government was originally hoping to vaccinate 100 million Americans with H1N1).

The serious adverse event reporting rates were 4.4 and 2.9 serious adverse events per 1 million doses distributed for H1N1 vaccines and seasonal influenza vaccines, respectively.

VAERS received 13 reports of deaths occurring after receipt of H1N1 vaccine. In nine of these deaths, significant underlying illness was reported.

There were 10 reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome, and two additional reports of possible Guillain-Barré syndrome identified by medical officers reviewing other reports to VAERS describing neurologic events.

VAERS also received 11 reports of anaphylaxis, and an additional eight reports of possible anaphylaxis were identified by medical officers reviewing reports to VAERS of serious allergic events.

Three of the Guillain-Barré syndrome cases and 15 of the anaphylaxis cases were coded as serious adverse events, in accordance with federal regulation.

The remaining 173 nonfatal serious adverse events after vaccination with H1N1 vaccines are under chart review. These reports fall into the following diagnostic categories: neurologic or muscular condition other than Guillain-Barré syndrome (49 [28%]); pneumonia or influenza-like illness (27 [16%]); other noninfectious conditions, including multiple medical symptoms (19 [11%]); respiratory or ear, nose, and throat condition (17 [10%]); allergic conditions other than anaphylaxis (16 [9%]); pregnancy complications** (15 [9%]); other infectious symptoms (10 [6%]); gastrointestinal (eight [5%]); cardiovascular (six [3%]); and psychiatric (six [3%]).

Remember all those news conferences where they told us how safe the vaccine was?

Adding to the evidence that H1N1 fears were overblown can be found in a report just published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Surveillance of the 2009 H1N1 virus in China shows that the majority of those infected had a mild illness.

Adding salt to the wounds is an Editorial in the NEJM on the need for science in the practice of public health. The author states that to date H1N1 has not been as lethal as first feared.

Luckily, for the most part, the public didn’t buy into the fear and manipulation churned out by the media, the government and the drug companies. Thankfully we also have the internet and unconventional forms of information distribution. If all we had were the big three networks, cable news and Sanjay Gupta to rely on to give us the truth, no doubt many more would have died or been permanently injured from this fiasco.

The only thing that’s left to do is to hold the congressional hearings on why this was allowed to happen and which heads need to roll. Considering that they spent taxpayer dollars to investigate baseball players taking steroids, one could assume that something so much bigger, so much more damaging to the public health and trust and something people actually care about could warrant congressional hearings.

Don’t worry – I’m not holding my breath.

As always I look forward to your feedback, comments and suggestions.

Matthew McCoy DC, MPH

matthewmccoy@comcast.net

Editor - Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health - Chiropractic

http://www.chiropracticpediatricresearch.net/

Posted by Matthew McCoy DC MPH

The Big Idea

2009-12-09T16:33:00.011Z

Based on BJ Palmer's 1944 original transcript this is The Big Idea
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqwdTUMfppA

Chiropractic and Cranial news brought to you by Carl Irwin, Rachel Wharton & Adam Kay, Chiropractors

Chiropractor Hendon, Chiropractor Finchley, Chiropractor Harrow, Chiropractor Kenton, Kingsbury, Chiropractor Wembley, Chiropractor Edgware, Chiropractor Mill Hill, Chiropractor Stanmore, Chiropractor Bushey, Chiropractor Borehamwood, Chiropractor Elstree, Chiropractor Radlett, Chiropractor Shenley, Chiropractor Park Street, Chiropractor Watford, Chiropractor St Albans.

New Research Sheds Light on Chiropractic, Speech & Learning Disorders

2009-12-02T19:23:00.000Z

New Research Sheds Light on Chiropractic, Speech & Learning Disorders

Recent research reporting on improvement in a 4 year old boy undergoing chiropractic care reveals that chiropractic may play an important role in managing children with speech and learning disorders.

Atlanta, GA, November 22, 2009 --(PR.com)--

The research, reported in the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic, includes a review of the literature supporting the role of chiropractic in children suffering from a number of disorders that share their origin with learning and speech delay.

“Research is revealing that there is a relationship between abnormalities in the spine, the nervous system and brain” stated Dr. Ben Lerner, lead author of the paper. “Basic science research shows that the proper development and function of the brain relies on proper structure and movement of the spine from an early age.”

Research has shown not only that the developing brain relies on normal structural integrity and joint movement, but that complex neurochemical communication and pathways involved in helping humans to “feel good” are tied into spinal biomechanics and their related neurological pathways.

“It makes perfect sense when you think about it” stated Dr. Sheri Lerner, a co-author on the paper. “We see this shocking increase in the diagnosis of things like ADHD, learning and other behavioral disorders at the same time that we see a huge increase of sedentary behavior in our children.”

According to Dr. Matthew McCoy, a chiropractor, public health researcher and editor of the journal that published the study, “Researchers believe that the increase in the diagnosis of learning disorders, ADHD, pervasive developmental disorder, Tourette’s Syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders, have their root in a “perfect storm” of abnormal spinal development coupled with cultural changes.

These changes include an increase in television watching, computer use, computer games and lack of exercise causing an increase in obesity and diabetes in children. “Together with the abnormal spinal development these habits are simply stunting the development of our children’s brains” stated McCoy.

In the case reported on in the article the initial application of chiropractic was followed by nutritional advice which included eliminating sugar and grains from the patient’s diet. Correction of the neurological interference was the first priority however.

According to Lerner “Children’s nervous systems need the constant stimulation of movement in order to develop and function properly. Abnormal position or movement of the spinal vertebra can develop and this can lead to nerve interference. It is this interference, called vertebral subluxations, that chiropractors correct.”

The child reported on in the study suffered from a number of health challenges including speech so impaired that others could not understand him. Frustration and anger ensued when the child started school and still did not speak. Efforts at speech therapy left the parents wanting for other answers and so they sought chiropractic care. Immediately following the first chiropractic adjustment the patient began speaking and putting together full sentences that were coherent and understandable. He was also able to recognize his written name for the first time following the first adjustment. He has since started to color with crayons and he can now understand and follow verbal directions. Prior to care he was emotionless but he now smiles and cries appropriately.
The authors of the study call for more research on the role of chiropractic care in these types of disorders.

Contact Information

Matthew McCoy, DC, MPH
matthewmccoy@comcast.net
http://www.chiropracticpediatricresearch.net/
Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health - Chiropractic

Braces

2009-12-02T08:52:00.000Z

I am curious if anyone can put light on why after spending several thousands pounds on braces to straighten ones teeth, you need to wear retainers to stop them going back out of line again. ??????

The Healing Power of Nature

2009-11-26T12:06:00.000Z

In a world increasingly dominated by video games and processed foods - conveniences that typically keep people indoors and sedentary - spending time outdoors is an absolute necessity from a health and wellness perspective. Evidence suggests a lack of time spent enjoying nature and all it has to offer can directly and indirectly contribute to obesity, depression and other serious health conditions.

Wherever you are right now, stop for a moment or two and picture yourself outdoors on a sunny afternoon, taking a brisk walk on the beach or through a park. Feel the sun on your face and the wonder of your outdoor environment filling up your senses.

If you're outside already, good for you - it's a great place to be when it comes to physical and mental health. If you're indoors, which is where an increasing number of people spend the majority of their day, make sure you take time whenever possible to enjoy what nature has to offer, because research suggests it's an important contributor to your lifelong health and wellness. In short, the natural world offers something that the indoor environment cannot. The prevalence today of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, obesity, and health issues related to over stimulation by the ever-present electronic environment can be directly related to an absence of time spent enjoying nature, replaced by increasing time spent on the couch watching TV, playing video games and soaking in artificial light.

Nature Deficit Disorder
In Last Child in the Wood: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, R. Louv links ADHD to a lack of exposure to nature and makes reference to nature deficit disorder. He reports that thoughtful exposure to nature can be a powerful form of therapy for ADHD. He notes that in addition to needing good nutrition and adequate sleep, children may well need contact with nature.

The triad of inattentive, impulsive and hyperactive behaviour has increased dramatically in recent years. Thinking beyond the widespread use of drugs that is standard treatment for ADHD, exposure to nature can have a positive influence on concentration. Children are better able to focus after a 20-minute walk in a natural setting. In fact, taking walks in nature (e.g., the woods or a beach), compared to in urban or residential areas, has resulted in improvements in ADHD symptoms. This form of natural therapy does not have the stigma associated with it that more traditional therapy has, is inexpensive, and does not have the potential side effects of drug therapy; not to mention that many children are resistant to taking ADHD drugs.

Depression: A Lack of Nature?
Approximately 20 percent of the population is affected by depression during a given year. No one is immune: It affects males and females, children, adolescents, adults and older adults of all ethnic and racial groups and people of all educational and income levels. Older adults have the highest rate of depression, with twice as many women as men afflicted. A common no pharmaceutical treatment recommended for the prevention of depression is exercise. It has been found that "green" exercise provides adults with a "recess" in a natural environment. Joggers who exercise in a natural green setting with trees, foliage and landscape views feel more restored and less angry, anxious and depressed than people who exercise in a gym. It has also been noted that one of the main benefits of spending time in nature is stress reduction.

Kids get depressed, too. Parents, educators and health care professionals need to understand that nature can be a safe and useful antidote for emotional stress. One of the tragedies associated with the increase in depression in children is the rate at which American children have been prescribed antidepressants. Reports have linked this increased prevalence with elevated rates of adolescent suicide.

A number of factors may have led to the escalated use of antidepressants among children. These factors include increasing rates of depression in successive age groups, a growing awareness of and screening for depression by paediatricians, and assumptions that the effectiveness experienced by adults using antidepressant medications will translate safely to children and adolescents. The growth in such prescriptions written for children has occurred even though antidepressants were not approved for children younger than 18. Although exposure to nature may have no impact on the most severe cases of depression, we do know that nature experiences can relieve some of the everyday pressures that may lead to childhood depression.

Fitness, Fatness and the Absence of Nature
There has been dramatic increase in childhood obesity during the past two decades. In the past 20 years, the prevalence among children ages 6 to 11 has more than doubled, going from 7 percent in 1980 to nearly 19 percent in 2004.

The rate among adolescents ages 12 to 19 has more than tripled, increasing from 5 percent to 17.1 percent. This growing incidence is alarming given the short- and long-term consequences associated with obesity, and can be expected to increase health care expenditures (to treat obesity-related conditions) and negatively impact the overall health and well-being of the population. Although obesity-associated disease occurs most frequently in adults, important consequences of excess weight as well as precursors of adult disease occur in overweight children and adolescents.

An increase in overweight and obesity in children and adolescents can lead to an increase in type 2 diabetes, high blood lipids and hypertension, as well as early maturation and orthopaedic problems. Overweight children and adolescents are more likely to become overweight or obese adults. In addition, the psychosocial problems and depression noted above are common consequences of childhood overweight and obesity.

Using Nature to Prevent Childhood Obesity
The word nature seldom shows up in the literature on childhood obesity. Studies that have evaluated the outcomes of dietary and physical activity changes for the prevention of obesity in children showed only a small but positive impact on body mass index (BMI). Nearly all studies that focused on combined dietary and physical activity approaches demonstrated some improvement, but the effects of activities in a natural environment have not been adequately studied.

The complexity of childhood overweight and obesity is not addressed by simply blaming it on an increase in consumption of junk food and time spent watching TV, DVDs and other visual media. Just as important as the limitation of passive leisure time is playtime that is unstructured, imaginative and exploratory with exposure to the outdoors. Play in a natural setting seems to offer special benefits including better motor fitness, especially in terms of balance and agility.

The Centre for Disease Control & Prevention recommends key strategies to prevent childhood obesity including BMI measurement in schools and offering nutritious choices in school meal programs. Physical activity guidelines include daily physical education classes and intramural programs for all grades with active play and recess activities for younger students.

Health in the Electronic Age
Children who prefer to play indoors "because that is where the electrical outlets are" can be deprived of sensory simulation important to their growth and development. True, these days’ laptops, iPods and mobile phones allow children (and adults) to play video games, watch movies and listen to music outside, but that's not really taking opportunity of the beauty and health benefits nature can provide.

Kinaesthetic sense (the ability to monitor movement and know where the body is in space) is replaced by the secondary vicarious, often distorted, dual sensory stimulation of vision and sound only. A well-developed kinaesthetic sense is important to health. Evidence suggests that people with a poorly developed kinaesthetic sense are subject to alienation in addition to injury. Sensory experiences link us to our exterior world. A rigid and limited environment seriously limits healthy growth and development of individuals or the group.

Louv proposes that there is a direct relationship between one's exposure to nature and their health and well-being. Health is difficult to define because it is something you feel, not see. You feel one with nature not just through what you see, but how you feel. Nature should not be overlooked as a healing balm for mitigating the emotional hardships and stress of life. It is possible that the healing effects of spending time in nature is the most overlooked field in modern medicine, even though we know that exposure to plants or nature speeds up healing time following trauma. Something to consider as you pursue whole-body health and wellness. Talk to your chiropractor for additional information.

Thanks to Dr. Meridel Gatterman in helping write this article.

Chiropractic & Cranial news brought to you by Carl Irwin, Rachel Wharton & Adam Kay, Chiropractors

Novembers Digital Adjustment

2009-11-20T09:06:00.000Z

Healthy news from Carl Irwin.

Published monthly by Dr Carl Irwin & Associates Chiropractors.

Feature articles include:

How Can I Get My Spouse To Come In?

It's a question we hear all the time. If you’ve experienced great results from care in our office, it’s only natural to want someone you love to benefit too. Here are some approaches you may find more helpful than threats...read more

How to Catch a Cold

Some people seem to expect a bout with a cold or the flu each year. If you haven’t had your quota yet, here are some things you can do:...read more

Do I Need Antibacterial Soap?

By the looks of most bathrooms these days, just about everyone is using antibacterial soaps. In fact, it takes some effort to find soap that isn’t antibacterial...read more

10 Reasons NOT to Eat Sugar!

Sugar, in its many forms, is an increasingly common ingredient in processed foods. Many of us eat the equivalent of 53 heaping teaspoons of white sugar every day!

Here are ten reasons to avoid refined (white) sugar:...read more

Sick n Tired of Feeling Sick n Tired?

Beat the winter blues with our web offer

Share Dr Carl Irwin & Associates Chiropractors' health news with your friends and family.
Forward and share this today.

click here to view the full newsletter & subscribe to regular updates.

Yours in health

Carl, Rachel & Adam
Carl Irwin & Associates Chiropractors

Visit Our Website

For appointments call
Edgware & Mill Hill Clinic 0208 905 4440
Radlett Clinic 01923 855 600.

© 2008 Dr Carl Irwin & Associates Chiropractors

Neck Stretches for The Office

2009-11-05T18:07:00.000Z

Standing for long periods of time or sitting at a desk all day can take a toll on your neck. To prevent or reduce stiffness and pain, try simple neck stretches throughout the day.

For the first stretch, lower your chin to your chest while keeping your shoulders nice and straight. Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. You'll feel tension in the back of your neck. Relax and slowly lift your chin to the starting position.

Next, rotate your head to one side while keeping your shoulders nice and straight. Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. You'll feel tension in the side of your neck and your shoulder. Relax and slowly return to the starting position. Turn your head to the other side and repeat the stretch.

Next, tilt your head so that you're moving your ear toward your shoulder. Don't bring your shoulder up to your ear. Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. You'll feel tension in the side of your neck. Relax and slowly return to the starting position. Tilt your head to the other side and repeat the stretch.

When you're stretching, keep it gentle. Breathe freely as you hold each stretch, and be careful not to bounce. Expect to feel tension while you're stretching. If you feel pain, you've gone too far.

For Video of these exercises go to:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/neck-stretches/MM00708

Chiropractic & Cranial news brought to you by Carl Irwin, Rachel Wharton & Adam Kay. Leading Chiropractors for Hendon, Finchley, Harrow, Kenton, Kingsbury, Wembley, Burnt Oak, Colindale Edgware, Mill Hill, Stanmore, Bushey, Borehamwood, Elstree, Radlett, Shenley, Park Street, Watford and St Albans.

Letting Go

2009-11-03T09:44:00.007Z

Once there lived a village of creatures along the bottom of a great crystal river. The current of the river swept silently over them all ... young and old, rich and poor, good and evil. The current going its own way, knowing only its own crystal self.

Each creature in its own manner clung tightly to the twigs and rock that sat on the river bottom, for clinging was their way of life, and resisting the current was what each had learned from birth.

But one creature said at last, "I am tired of clinging! Though I cannot see it with my eyes, I trust that the current knows where it is going. I shall let go, and let it take me where it will....Clinging, I shall die of boredom."

The other creatures laughed and said, "Fool! Let go, and that current you worship will throw you tumbled and smashed across the rocks, and you shall die quicker than boredom!"

But the one heeded them not, and taking a breath did let go, and at once was tumbled and smashed by the current across the rocks.

Yet in time, as the creature refused to cling again, the current lifted him free from the bottom, and he was bruised and hurt no more.

And the creatures downstream, to whom he was a stranger, cried,"See a miracle! A creature like ourselves, yet he flies! See the Messiah, come to save us all!"
And the one carried in the current said,"I am no more a messiah than you. The river delights to lift us free, if only we dare let go. Our true work is this voyage, this adventure.

"But they cried the more, "Saviour!" all the while clinging to the rocks, and when they looked again he was gone and they were left alone making legends of another Saviour.

RB - Illusions

Chiropractic & Cranial news brought to you by Carl Irwin, Rachel Wharton & Adam Kay. Leading Chiropractors for Hendon, Finchley, Harrow, Kenton, Kingsbury, Wembley, Burnt Oak, Colindale Edgware, Mill Hill, Stanmore, Bushey, Borehamwood, Elstree, Radlett, Shenley, Park Street, Watford, St Albans, London & the Home Counties.

The Spontaneous Healing of Belief

2009-10-26T14:45:00.005Z

What would it mean to discover that everything from the DNA of life, to the future of our world, is based upon a simple Reality Code—one that we can change and upgrade by choice? New revelations in physics and biology suggest that we're about to find out! ...

Chiropractic & Cranial news brought to you by Carl Irwin, Rachel Wharton & Adam Kay. Leading Chiropractors for Hendon, Finchley, Harrow, Kenton, Kingsbury, Wembley, Burnt Oak, Colindale Edgware, Mill Hill, Stanmore, Bushey, Borehamwood, Elstree, Radlett, Shenley, Park Street, Watford, St Albans, London & the Home Counties.

This Weeks Health Tips

2009-10-21T13:09:00.002+01:00

Here are our selected health interest articles:

Spinal Cord Injuries
How much do you know about spinal cord injuries? Here’s some information to get you started… more »

What Does the Pain Feel Like?
Can you describe your pain? Do you know what it might mean? Can Chiropractic help? more »

What Did You Say, [Mom]?
Noise-induced hearing loss isn’t curable, but it is 100% preventable. Why you should be concerned… more »

Women and Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis prevention starts in childhood – with particular attention to nutrition and exercise. more »

Get the Lead Out…
Exposure to lead can be extremely toxic. Learn about avoiding potential sources of exposure. more »

Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Anti-inflammatory foods reduce pain and your risk for chronic heart disease. Add these to your diet! more »

Fit and Healthy Seniors
Aging does not necessarily mean “getting old.” Find out how to keep your body and your brain fit! more »

Drug-Free Stress Busters
Stress can be over-whelming. What do you do for stress relief? Does it help you or hurt you? more »

Share Dr Carl Irwin & Associates Chiropractors's health interest articles with friends and family, by going to http://www.carlirwin.co.uk/

Slow Down to Slim Down !

2009-10-19T16:34:00.006+01:00

Starting with this edition of our e news we will have contributing editor JJ Virgin PHD. JJ Virgin PHD is the celebrity expert at the forefront of wellness. She is the nutrition and fitness expert on the Dr. Phil SHOW, for Gene Simmons of Kiss and his reality show. Suzanne Summers, The recent Superman movie, ABC's Extreme makeover, NBC'S I-Village, TV Show "E", Popular Magazines and more!... Have fun with this, right now, go to Google, and Google her name. JJ VIRGIN. Each week JJ will be giving us tips for healthy living, weight loss, and looking great! This is an exciting edition and upgrade to our letter. It is our goal, to bring you as our valued patient, the very latest in health information so you and your family can stay informed, happy and healthy! A recent article in the Washington Post shared 7 secrets of highly obese people. What they revealed is that obese people start eating sooner, consume greater amounts of food and eat faster than their slim counterparts (oh yeah, and they skip breakfast too). In our world of super sizing this is not good news.

Slow Down to Slim Down !

When we consume our meals too quickly, the feeling of fullness and satiety are delayed, causing us to overeat. Inhaling food makes it tough for our digestive systems to function properly, resulting in heartburn and indigestion. Frenzied feeding causes the gut to contract, sends us running to the bathroom and prevents necessary nutrients from being absorbed by your body. Consequently, weak digestion leads to a weak immune system… leaving you susceptible to illness. The interplay of proper nutrient ingestion, digestion and absorption to your overall health is quite spectacular.

How do you know when you are eating too fast? Well, if you don’t fully swallow each bite before taking the next one, that’s a red flag. Believe it or not, the whole digestion process starts in your mouth in the chewing phase. Chewing well grinds food into small bits, allowing it to be more easily swallowed. Well-chewed bits of food are more easily coated with digestive juices once in the stomach. Chewing well also allows the molecules of nutrients from the chewed food to be more quickly released and assimilated. Keeping a food in the mouth longer allows the food’s flavors to be recognized by the tongue. When the tongue recognizes the flavour it sends a message to the brain, which in turn sends messages to the digestive system resulting in the release of the digestive juices needed for that food.

Bottom line: We should be chewing at least 20-25 times per forkful. Follow these 9 strategies to shift gears from chowing down to slowing down during mealtimes: ·

Never “dashboard” dine. Like laws to prevent folks from using cell phones while driving, the nation should enact new regulations to prevent us from eating in our cars
Eat meals at a regularly appointed time at your designated eating area-i.e., the dining room or kitchen table. Last time I checked, beds and sofas were developed for other purposes. ·

Focus on your food - be mindful not mindless, and tasteful vs. being tasteless

Use chopsticks – I dare you to eat quickly with these suckers. ·

Shrink your plate to shrink your belly – Remember that the average person’s stomach holds about 1 quart of food. Look at your plate, and make sure the food quantity matches up. ·

Load up on non-starchy veggies for volume – Your body and your health will thank you for getting in 5-10 servings a day

Put your fork (or chopsticks) DOWN between bites – perhaps spend those seconds chewing per the above guidelines? ·

Shrink your bites and increase your chewing. ·

Remove the food triggers – do you have a candy dish on your coffee table? Get rid of it. Don’t leave candy or sweets in view, in fact get all the enemies out of the house.

JJ’s Favorite Shake Mix
The basic elements of your shake should be protein powder (plain or flavored), water, healthy fat, fiber, organic fruit and ice. Make sure that your protein mix doesn't contain sugar or artificial sweeteners. Look for mixes that are sweetened with sugar alcohols, preferably xylitol or the herbal extract stevia, and avoid fructose-sweetened powders. I prefer whey, rice, pea and/or hemp based protein powders. Ideally use a blend of several of these or switch them around so that your body doesn't build up sensitivity to one of them. Avoid soy-based protein powders! I usually use organic frozen berries rather than fresh ones as they make the shakes thicker. Add in extra fiber by adding freshly ground flax seed meal and/or a fiber blend supplement. You can also add in healthy fats by replacing ¼ cup of water with light coconut milk, adding a tbsp of nut butter, Salba, flax seed meal or an essential fatty acid oil blend.

Power Shake Recipe
1-2 Scoops of protein powder (25 – 30 g of protein) 1-2 Tbsp Fiber (flax seed meal, Salba, Fiber blend product) 1 cup of fresh or frozen organic berries 1-2 Tbsp of healthy fat (e.g., organic almond butter, Udo’s oil or ¼ cup of light coconut milk) 1 cup of water Blend, add ice and blend again to desired consistency.

October is Health Pass month.
If you have a friend or loved one that you feel could benefit from drugless Chiropractic Care, simply call us and mention the Health Pass. The Health Pass enables those you care about to receive a consultation, examination, and X rays if needed, for the special discounted amount of £19. Just call the office directly at the above number or respond to this newsletter and mention the Health Pass Program, to make their appointment. The greatest gift we can give to someone else is the gift of drugless health.

Please call our office for your appointment today.
Radlett 01923 855600
Edgware & Mill Hill 020 8905 4440

Chiropractic & Cranial news brought to you by Carl Irwin, Rachel Wharton & Adam Kay. Leading Chiropractors for Hendon, Finchley, Harrow, Kenton, Kingsbury, Wembley, Burnt Oak, Colindale Edgware, Mill Hill, Stanmore, Bushey, Borehamwood, Elstree, Radlett, Shenley, Park Street, Watford and St Albans.

Birth Trauma – Can it Determine Future Health?

2009-10-14T11:22:00.013+01:00

Most chiropractors will agree that the birth process is probably first point in life to insult or damage the cranial/spinal system. Many also recognise that intrauterine constraint due to a mother’s pelvis that is distorted or out of balance; can lead to asymmetrical strain patterns being applied to the baby’s skull during late pregnancy. Logic indicates that such a distortion increases the likelihood for a complicated or difficult delivery -- the increased forces of which are borne by the upper joints of the baby’s neck where the spine meets the base of the skull.

A number of early childhood conditions such as inner ear infections, colic, feeding problems, and lowered immune function may be related to damage at this level and as such respond well to cranial chiropractic care. But what of the long-term consequences? Can early craniospinal damage lead to nervous system damage, setting the stage for reduced efficiency in the body’s ability to grow, develop, self regulate and heal? And by doing so, will this lead to ill health later in life?

A colleague recently sent me a copy of an article I remember reading some years ago when I was in university. It was written by Dr. Henry Winsor, a medical researcher from the University of Pennsylvania, and was published in the Medical Times back in November of 1921. Dr Winsor, through his research on cadavers, was able to demonstrate in nearly 100% of his case studies, a direct correlation between levels of spinal curvature and spinal degeneration (ie spondylosis), with corresponding diseased organs supplied by the same level spinal nerves. He concluded that irritation of the nerves due to chronic spinal degeneration led to a constriction of the blood vessels supplying the organs involved, eventually inducing a diseased state.

Our craniospinal health clearly plays a great role in our overall health and wellness. Therefore, the assessment and maintenance of the human frame should start early, and continue throughout life, if optimum health is to be achieved.

Acknowledegment to Dr I Smith DC for originally producing in this article, that appeared in Shropshire Star Newspaper" on 27th July 2004 under the section of "Today's Health".

Chiropractic & Cranial news brought to you by Carl Irwin, Rachel Wharton & Adam Kay. Leading Chiropractors for Hendon, Finchley, Harrow, Kenton, Kingsbury, Wembley, Burnt Oak, Colindale Edgware, Mill Hill, Stanmore, Bushey, Borehamwood, Elstree, Radlett, Shenley, Park Street, Watford and St Albans.

October's Digital Adjustment

2009-10-07T09:44:00.009+01:00

Healthy news from Carl Irwin.
Published monthly by Dr Carl Irwin & Associates Chiropractors.

Click here to view the full version of your October Digital Adjustment!

Feature articles include:

Cause or Effect
Many think pain is a problem. Headache? Numb it. Gall bladder malfunctioning? Remove it. Sore throat? Soothe it. These "solutions" make the symptom the problem rather than the underlying cause. more»

Do You Yo-Yo?
I'm not talking about yo-yo tricks like "Walk the Dog" or "Rock the Baby." I mean, does your weight go up and down? Are you famous for exercising, then stopping? more»

Survivor
We've become a disposable society. We're lucky if our television lasts 10 years. Computers? Two or three years! Unlike mechanical devices, some say our bodies are designed to last 120 years or longer... more»

How did You Sleep Last Night?
If you find yourself yawning throughout the day, it may be because you aren't getting enough sleep. Or enough high quality sleep. The problem? It may simply be the amount of light you're exposed to. more»

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Yours in health

Carl
Dr Carl Irwin; Associates Chiropractors

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For appointments call Edgware 0208 905 4440 / Radlett 01923 855 600.

© 2008 Dr Carl Irwin & Associates Chiropractors

Chiropractic's 114th Birthday

2009-10-05T16:14:00.002+01:00

September 18th, 2009 was chiropractic’s 114th birthday! On that day, Daniel David Palmer made the connection between the spine, nervous system and overall health and well-being. And the trusting deaf cleaner Harvey Lillard allowed Mr Palmer to adjust him, which resulted in his hearing being restored.
We’ve come a long way since then: chiropractic is a household name, from the original Palmer Chiropractic schools in America there are now dozens around the world including Australia, New Zealand, U.K and most recently Barcelona Spain!
But where we’ve failed miserably in chiropractic is letting the public know what we actually do.
In a nutshell:
Chiropractors save lives!!
Chiropractors change lives!!
Chiropractors Remove Nerve Interference.
Chiropractors are Health, Lifestyle and Wellness Consultants.
Chiropractors are leaders of True Proactive Health Care (as opposed to sickness care).
It is a bold statement to say that Chiropractors change lives but every day in our practice we see people whose lives have been changed from having to live with problems that can be rectified from having interferences removed from their nervous system. Remember the nervous system controls virtually every cell, tissue, muscle, gland and organ in the entire body. The nervous system is housed in the moving bones of the spinal column.
Chiropractors Remove Nerve Interference to allow the body to heal itself naturally as it was designed to do.

Monday Morning Motivation

2009-10-05T08:26:00.003+01:00

Don't let the difficulties get you down. Let them get you going. Seize each opportunity to grow stronger and more purposeful. Discover again and again how good it feels to be confident and effective. The challenges may indeed be great. With your dynamic resourcefulness, your creativity, your focus and persistence, you are greater than any challenge. You can make a difference now. You can keep going as long as necessary, until your goal is reached.

Feel the unshakable confidence that comes from successfully navigating through a difficult situation. Feel the satisfaction of knowing that you've lifted the world higher through your efforts. You have what it takes to do what you must. This is your moment to truly shine.

Chiropractic & Cranial news brought to you by Carl Irwin, Rachel Wharton & Adam Kay. Leading Chiropractors for Hendon, Finchley, Harrow, Kenton, Kingsbury, Wembley, Burnt Oak, Colindale Edgware, Mill Hill, Stanmore, Bushey, Borehamwood, Elstree, Radlett, Shenley, Park Street, Watford and St Albans.

Should You Get a Flu Jab?

2009-10-02T08:59:00.005+01:00

Before You Do, Make Sure You Understand the Potential Risks

Every year just before the weather turns colder, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention begins an advertising campaign geared toward motivating the masses to get the flu vaccine. They talk about the number of deaths each year that are attributable to the flu and the number of missed work days that cost employers hundreds of thousands of pounds. This year, that campaign will likely be even more urgent due to outbreaks of the "swine flu" virus, which have spread from one country to the next in the past six months or so.

Should you get yourself and your children vaccinated against the flu? This article is not intended to encourage you to vaccinate or not to vaccinate against the flu, but rather to provide you with some basic information so you can decide for yourself. Of course, you should always talk to your doctor when deciding whether to receive any vaccination or medication.

What Is the Flu?

Influenza is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and body aches, as well as diarrhoea and vomiting. The flu can cause complications such as pneumonia or dehydration and may aggravate existing conditions like asthma and heart disease. It is spread from person to person in respiratory droplets when people who are infected cough or sneeze.

What Is the Flu Jab?

The flu jab is an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm. The flu jab has been approved for use in people older than 6 months of age, including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease).
What the CDC doesn't tell you is that the other ingredients in the flu jab include, but are not limited to the following:

* Ethylene glycol - antifreeze
* Phenol (also known as carbolic acid) - a disinfectant and a dye
* Formaldehyde - a known carcinogen (cancer-causing agent)
* Aluminium - associated with Alzheimer's disease and seizures, and has produced cancer in laboratory mice, but is still being used as an additive to promote antibody response
* Thimerosal - a mercury disinfectant and preservative that can result in brain injury and autoimmune disease
* Neomycin and Streptomycin - used as antibiotics and have been known to cause allergic reactions in some people

What Are the Potential Side Effects?

Just like all vaccines and medications, there are potential side effects associated with the flu jab. The CDC and other health care organizations would have you overlook them for the supposed benefit of being inoculated against the flu. However, it's important to at least be familiar with these potential side effects and weigh the potential risk vs. benefit when deciding whether you or your child should receive the jab.

Minor side effects can include but are not limited to soreness, redness or swelling at the injection site, low-grade fever and other aches and pains. More severe, life-threatening complications have proven to be rare, but the danger still exists that someone can suffer severe effects from this alleged beneficial vaccine. The most common dangerous side effect is an allergic reaction. Since the vaccine is grown in eggs, it is more dangerous for those who have had an allergic reaction to other vaccines in the past. These reactions can include breathing problems, hoarseness or wheezing, hives, paleness, weakness, and a fast heartbeat or dizziness. The CDC has recognized the danger and recommends that those who have had an allergic reaction to a vaccine in the past not get the flu jab before speaking with their health care professional.

An even more serious side effect is Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). This is a disease in which the body damages its own nerve cells, resulting in muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. While most people eventually recover, some have permanent nerve damage and 5 percent to 6 percent of those who develop GBS will die. The CDC would remind you that only six of every 1 million people injected with the flu jab will develop GBS. That's small comfort if you're one of the six, of course.

Is Getting a Flu Jab Worth It? You Decide

After careful consideration of the risks associated with the vaccine, it's wise to weigh those risks against those of the flu. The CDC talks about the benefits of being vaccinated, but are those benefits backed up with the facts? The flu vaccine is always changing because the flu strains change from one year to the next. (The swine flu is once such variation.) The manufacturers of the vaccine take a jab in the dark and hope they'll hit the right strain each year, but the fact is the flu jab is only 70 percent to 90 percent effective.

Dean Eurich, a clinical epidemiologist and professor at the school of public health at the University of Alberta, recently considered the data and reported that over the past 20 years, vaccination rates among the elderly have increased from 15 percent to 65 percent, but hospital admissions and death rates from all causes have not declined proportionately. "Only about 10 percent of winter-time deaths in the United States are attributable to influenza, thus to suggest that the vaccine can reduce 50 percent of deaths from all causes is implausible in our opinion," Eurich said.

A further study by Sumit Majumdar, MD, reached the same conclusion. According to his research, after considering all the facts and taking into account immunizations, socioeconomic status, sex, history of smoking and the severity of the flu, the actual benefit of the flu jab is "reduced to a statistically non-significant level of 19%."

A recent article published in the Lancet medical journal suggests the flu vaccine is having little or no effect on the number of elderly people developing pneumonia each year, and a recent study led by Michael Jackson, MD, of the Seattle-based Group Health Centre for Health Studies, that compared 1,173 pneumonia patients between the ages of 65 and 94 who had been vaccinated with 2,346 people who hadn't, determined that the risk of contracting the lung disease wasn't reduced by the jab.

The Safest Way to Avoid the Flu

The CDC and the Academy of Paediatrics (and probably your Mum when you were growing up) advocate simple health habits to prevent the spread of illnesses like the flu.

Taking these steps can help people avoid the flu without having to get a flu jab in the first place:
-Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough/sneeze; throw the used tissue away.
-Wash your hands often with soap and water as soon as possible after coughing or sneezing.
-Keep yourself and any babies and children in your care away from people who are coughing or sneezing.
-Try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth if you in close contact with people who are sick or have been sick.

Consider these suggestions, along with the above information regarding risks vs. benefits, before getting a flu jab this year, and of course, talk to your doctor for more information. After all, it's your health and the health of your children at stake.

Definitely Don’t Get a Flu Jab If...

The Academy of Paediatrics provides guidelines for circumstances under which you should not be vaccinated with the flu jab or nasal spray. According to them, you/your child should not get vaccinated if any of the following applies (whether restriction applies to flu jab, nasal spray or both is noted in parentheses):

-Less than 6 months of age (flu jab); less than 5 or older than 49 (nasal spray)
-Moderate to severe febrile (fever) illness (both)
-History of Guillain-Barre’ syndrome (both)
-Hypersensitivity, including anaphylaxis, to eggs, to any influenza vaccine dose, or to any of its components (both)
-Asthma, reactive airway disease, or other chronic disorders of the lungs or cardiovascular systems (nasal spray)
-Have underlying medical conditions including metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, renal dysfunction, and haemoglobinopathies
-Received other live vaccines within the past four weeks (nasal spray)
-Known or suspected immunodeficiency disease, or receiving immunosuppressive therapies (nasal spray)
-Take aspirin (nasal spray)

We would like to thank Dr Anrig of the International Chiropractic Paediatric Association in providing the resources to produce this article.

Chiropractic & Cranial news brought to you by Carl Irwin, Rachel Wharton & Adam Kay. Leading Chiropractors for Hendon, Finchley, Harrow, Kenton, Kingsbury, Wembley, Burnt Oak, Colindale Edgware, Mill Hill, Stanmore, Bushey, Borehamwood, Elstree, Radlett, Shenley, Park Street, Watford and St Albans.

A Big Thank You

2009-09-26T11:07:00.005+01:00

A Big Thank You to everyone who has supported todays open day at the clinics.

It's only 11.00 am and we have 26 new patients booked in already.

Thank you all again in supporting this day of raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Chiropractic & Cranial news brought to you by Carl Irwin, Rachel Wharton & Adam Kay. Leading Chiropractors for Hendon, Finchley, Harrow, Kenton, Kingsbury, Wembley, Burnt Oak, Colindale Edgware, Mill Hill, Stanmore, Bushey, Borehamwood, Elstree, Radlett, Shenley, Park Street, Watford and St Albans.

More ways Children benefit from Chiropractic Care

2009-09-24T15:03:00.005+01:00

It is important to note that chiropractic is not the treatment of conditions and is rather the restoration of normal body function. In that light, read some current research showing how chiropractic care has restored function in those with the following conditions:

The child experienced a return in her ability to smell and resolution of sinusitis with chiropractic adjustments

Chiropractic cranial care was rendered, which appeared to assist a positive outcome in a child with developmental delays

A seven year old child with asthma, allergies and chronic colds helped with chiropractic care
A child with cerebral palsy improves under chiropractic care

A child with transient motor tics benefits from chiropractic

Chronic otitis media, headaches and sinus pressure is improved in an 8 year old child with chiropractic care

Infantile Colic and acid reflux resolved with chiropractic care

Pregnancy & Birth
Current Articles & Studies:
Exercising in Pregnancy can Boost Baby's IQ

The Importance of Choosing your Birth Care Provider

New Study Finds Home Birth as Safe as Hospital Birth

C-section Not Best Option for Breech Birth

Patience during stalled labor can avoid many C-sections, study shows

Electronic Fetal Monitoring Does Not Save Lives

Chiropractic & Cranial news brought to you by Carl Irwin, Rachel Wharton & Adam Kay. Leading Chiropractors for Hendon, Finchley, Harrow, Kenton, Kingsbury, Wembley, Burnt Oak, Colindale Edgware, Mill Hill, Stanmore, Bushey, Borehamwood, Elstree, Radlett, Shenley, Park Street, Watford and St Albans.

Chiropractic Care During 1918 Influenza Epidemic Reveals Startling Statistics

2009-09-17T16:30:00.006+01:00

At last I found it so for everyone who was interested in the statistics relating to 1918 flu epidemic read on.

Thank you Dr Bob Apol

During the 1918 influenza epidemic, Davenport, Iowa, medical doctors treated 4,953 influenza cases with 274 deaths. At the same time, 150 chiropractors, students and faculty of Palmer School of Chiropractic treated 1,635 cases during the influenza epidemic with only one death.

For full article go to http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1733660/chiropractic_care_during_1918_influenza.html

Great News

2009-09-16T08:33:00.006+01:00

I am really excited today as I want to let you all know that we have enlisted the help of JJ Virgin PHD, the celebrity wellness expert. She is not a chiropractor but is at the forefront of nutrition and fitness.
She is the expert on DR. PHIL SHOW. For GENE SIMMONS OF KISS AND HIS REALITY SHOW. SUZANNE SUMMERS. SUPERMAN AND THE RECENT SUPERMAN MOVIE, ABC's EXTREME MAKEOVER, NBC'S I-VILLAGE,TV SHOW "E", POPULAR MAGAZINES,AND TONS MORE...
Best of all she is now working with our clinics. Her is info brilliant covering obesity, wellness topics, diet resistance and much much more.
Check her website out http://www.jjvirgin.com

Chiropractic & Cranial news brought to you by Carl Irwin, Rachel Wharton & Adam Kay. Leading Chiropractors for Hendon, Finchley, Harrow, Kenton, Kingsbury, Wembley, Burnt Oak, Colindale Edgware, Mill Hill, Stanmore, Bushey, Borehamwood, Elstree, Radlett, Shenley, Park Street, Watford and St Albans.

Something For the Weekend

2009-09-10T16:54:00.005+01:00

St Albans Complementary Health Fair

Sunday 13th Sept 10.00am -4.00pm

St Albans Town Hall
Market Place
St Albans
AL3 5DJ

SEE YOU THERE.........................

Chiropractic & Cranial news brought to you by Carl Irwin, Rachel Wharton & Adam Kay. Leading Chiropractors for Hendon, Finchley, Harrow, Kenton, Kingsbury, Wembley, Burnt Oak, Colindale Edgware, Mill Hill, Stanmore, Bushey, Borehamwood, Elstree, Radlett, Shenley, Park Street, Watford and St Albans.

Chiropractic is Safe for Children - Read the research

2009-09-09T08:47:00.003+01:00

Chiropractic is Safe for Children: Read the Research.

For Immediate Release
For Information Contact ICPA-610-565-2360

ICPA Members Define the Practice of Pediatric ChiropracticThe ICPA's ground breaking study, The Safety and Effectiveness of Pediatric Chiropractic: A Survey of Chiropractors and Parents in a Practice-Based Research Network, was published this month in the prestigious, biomedical journal, Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing. The objective of this study was to describe the practice of pediatric chiropractic, including its safety and effectiveness. The results of the study determined that " the indicated primary reason for chiropractic care of children was "wellness care." With respect to condition-based presentations, musculoskeletal conditions were the most common, in addition to nonmusculoskeletal conditions of childhood. The most common techniques used were Diversified Technique, Gonstead Technique, Thompson technique, and Activator Methods. Treatment-associated complications were not indicated by the chiropractic and parent responders. Chiropractor responders indicated three adverse events per 5,438 office visits from the treatment of 577 children. The parent responders indicated two adverse events from 1,735 office visits involving the care of 239 children. Both sets of responders indicated a high rate of improvement with respect to the children's presenting complaints, in addition to salutary effects unrelated to the children's initial clinical presentations."Dr. Joel Alcantara, ICPA Research Director and presenting author said, " this paper shows the preliminary results of the ICPA's Children's PBRN on the safety and effectiveness of pediatric chiropractic- Phase One. The final data is now compiled and we have begun data collection for Phase Two of our Children's PBRN. We are pleased that a major biomedical CAM journal respects the importance pediatric chiropractic and we foresee greater collaboration with the general CAM and allopathic community on the importance of chiropractic for children. The ICPA/ PBRN is the largest, practiced based research network in the profession. We encourage our doctors to invite other colleagues to participate in this unique opportunity to establish clinically relevant, evidenced based research for family care.

Visit the ICPA website to view the abstract. http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102697428450&s=424&e=001Yv5KXTAk1A3uBvobRIlAbXws-lgjYcrDyty6lUEcPghn9a1a0SIIFyy0zONKGiknBgVeBb6OWzqmuZvY0B7L9dnIVQp9008UDPEl_JLAJnOFVHog7W0xsQ==

Time Out 2

2009-09-07T14:47:00.002+01:00

So... have you done it yet?
Have you really looked at and taken action on what we spoke about last week?
We spoke about Mastering your time.
The sole purpose for mastering your time is because you deserve an organized and productive life.
You really do.
Here is the cool part. When you are more organized (because you know you are worth it) you are able to be, do and have more in your life and you are able to be, do and have more for others in our lives as well.
You get to show up in situations as the best you - you can be. That means at work, with your children or grand children, with your spouse and with your friends. When you bring your best you forward, you will be amazed how that inspires others to be the best that they can be.
We see this all the time in other aspects of life. Let's look as sports. If you or your child is on a sports team, they tend to play better when they play stronger teams. The other team inspires them to up their game.
We see this at work when we have a "boss" who leads through vision and inspiration instead of "just do what I say" tactics. Re-read what I wrote last week and be sure to take the time to apply the strategies and take action.
For those of you who did take action - WELL DONE
Keep it up - you will love the results.

Top Golf

2009-09-05T09:17:00.004+01:00

For those of you who want to be top of your game we will be up at TOP GOLF, WATFORD today.

Our aim is help the aspiring golfer improve their game by reviewing their posture and spinal mechanics, whilst relating this all back to their golf swing, stance and address.

We all really excited and this be a fun day for everyone.

See you there.

Chiropractic & Cranial news brought to you by Carl Irwin, Rachel Wharton & Adam Kay. Leading Chiropractors for Hendon, Finchley, Harrow, Kenton, Kingsbury, Wembley, Burnt Oak, Colindale Edgware, Mill Hill, Stanmore, Bushey, Borehamwood, Elstree, Radlett, Shenley, Park Street, Watford and St Albans.

Time Out

2009-09-03T15:06:00.006+01:00

Happy Thursday.

Recently I wrote about taking time for you.
Thank you for your e-mails back. I appreciate the feedback.

Some of you first thought when you read the e-mail was - "What Time?" Let me first say a very clear - "I hear you!!!"

With a business and three children I used to think the very same thing. What I discovered was that people always seem to have the time for the things that they believe are important in their life. So what I began to do is re-evaluate the things in my life and recategorize what is important and why. Once I started to get my time schedule and what is important in line with each other, life took on a whole new meaning. Things changed. Once I realized what was the most important in my life and alotting specific times for each thing I found our just how efficiant I could be with certain things. This allowed a lot more structured for time for the most important things in my life. For me the important things are time for my family, me and the practice. After that it is all negotiable. When we plan our time and schedule a date with our spouse it happens. When was the last time you looked at each other on a Thursday night and said, "Boy there is nothing going on tonight, let's go out!" That never happens. So we must plan. When planning be sure to count yourself very high on the list of things important. Remember, no one gets to the end of life and wishes they had worked more.

What matters to you?

Chiropractic & Cranial news from Carl Irwin, Rachel Wharton & Adam Kay. Chiropractors for Hendon, Finchley, Harrow, Kenton, Kingsbury, Wembley, Burnt Oak, Colindale Edgware, Mill Hill, Stanmore, Bushey, Borehamwood, Elstree, Radlett, Shenley, Park Street, Watford and St Albans.

Clinic Open Day - Sat 26th Sept

2009-09-02T13:13:00.007+01:00

NATIONAL BACK PAIN WEEK 2009

“Relieving your Pain is just the Beginning”

Clinic Open Day
Saturday 26th September
10.00AM – 4.00PM

· ALL NEW PATIENTS – no charge
· ALL CONSULTATIONS – no charge
· ALL EXAMINATIONS – no charge
· ALL X-RAYS – no charge

For Appointments & Enquiries call

Edgware & Mill Hill Chiropractic Clinic Tel : 020 8905 4440

96, Edgware Way, Edgware
Middx HA8 8JS

Radlett Chiropractic & Back Pain Centre Tel : 01923 855600

96, Watling Street Radlett
Herts WD7 7AE

Chiropractic & Cranial news from Carl Irwin. Chiropractor for Hendon, Finchley, Harrow, Kenton, Kingsbury, Wembley, Burnt Oak, Colindale Edgware, Mill Hill, Stanmore, Bushey, Borehamwood, Elstree, Radlett, Shenley, Park Street, Watford and St Albans.

Latest Mercola newsletter

2009-08-31T08:19:00.003+01:00

Why are These Bizarre Ingredients Allowed in Beauty Products? Dangerous ingredients sabotage your health -- and beauty. Which of these toxins do your products contain?

FDA's Mercury Ruling Defies ALL Scientific Reasoning
Why would the FDA go ahead with a new ruling that could put your family's health at risk?

Another Poison Hiding in Your Environment
This little-known but pervasive and toxic endocrine disruptor is one of the most common causes of low-functioning thyroids.

Eat Fat With Tomatoes to Absorb All the Nutrients
Fail to incorporate this handy trick and you may miss out on some of the most important nutrients in tomatoes.

How to Combat the Latest SupergermsKeep yourself and your family safe from drug-resistant bacteria with these simple tips.

Is Forced Experimental Vaccination On the Way? Get the facts and be prepared as the threat of mandatory vaccination looms very real in the US.

Have You Heard the Latest on Exercise During Pregnancy?An exercise program during pregnancy may have far-reaching benefits.

Legal Immunity Set for Swine Flu Vaccine MakersHow many people understand that if you or your family are injured by the vaccines you have NO legal recourse against the manufacturer?

Prostate Cancer Treatment ChoicesAn expert review of treatment options for prostate cancer by one of the most prolific writers in medicine.

Simple Inexpensive Solution to Radically Lower EMF Exposure Leading EMF expert reviews how you can use household items to reduce the dangers of EMF in your home.

Chiropractic & Cranial news from Carl Irwin. Chiropractor for Hendon, Finchley, Harrow, Kenton, Kingsbury, Wembley, Burnt Oak, Colindale Edgware, Mill Hill, Stanmore, Bushey, Borehamwood, Elstree, Radlett, Shenley, Park Street, Watford and St Albans.

Officerobics

2009-08-28T23:49:00.001+01:00

Tips for Office Fitness

 Move the wastebasket to a different spot every day (never within easy reach)
 (but make sure this varies in position regularly)
 If you are right handed, answer the phone with your left hand
 When possible take calls standing up
 When put on hold, inhale and exhale deeply using your diaphragm for the duration of the visit
 Make a point to stand when a colleague enters your work area to conduct a conversation
 Stand at the end of each discrete task
 Change the height of your desk chair every day
 Switch the style of desk as often as possible
 Change your monitor position morning and afternoon
 Raise and lower keyboard daily
 Rearrange furniture in your work area at least once a month
 Place frequently used materials on the bottom shelf of a book case
 Use a restroom that is upstairs, downstairs or in an inconvenient spot
 Take a walk for half your lunch, or go to the gym to work out
 When the boss isn’t looking lean back and put your feel on the desk

Chiropractic & Cranial news from Carl Irwin. Chiropractor for Hendon, Finchley, Harrow, Kenton, Kingsbury, Wembley, Burnt Oak, Colindale Edgware, Mill Hill, Stanmore, Bushey, Borehamwood, Elstree, Radlett, Shenley, Park Street, Watford and St Albans.

Carl Irwin's Chiropractic Top Tips and Cranial News

Massage Wednesdays at Carl Irwin Chiropractors

Only 2 weeks to go - to get a FREEBIE

Please drive carefully in this weather. I don't want to see you with whiplash

Just helped someone who has been suffering with headaches for years. It's so great seeing them painfree and not loading themselves everyday with painkillers. I'd like to help you too

Natural Headache Relief

Another Safe Arrival

Do You Know How to Sit?

News Clip about ADHD and Chiropractic

How to Catch a Cold and more

FREE Family Health Magazine

More Tablets over Christmas & New Year?

If only Santa had a chiropractor

Popular Patient-Requested Health Articles for November

Popular Patient-Requested Health Articles for November

Phone Facts

Is Your Job a Pain?

Self Esteem = Success

Is Bone Loss Inevitable?

Life After Loss

Inflammatory Foods

Keep Moving!

Subluxations and Stress

What comes first

Adaptability

Cruising Altitude

What's the Big Deal?

It is Not All in Your Head

Chiropractic Back Care Week Ends on Oct 22nd 2011

Second Thoughts About Injecting Poison...

The kids are right school is ….”bad for your health”

Healthy Snacking

The Big Clear Up

Murdoch's media malpractice and the genetic altering of human beings through DNA vaccines

Antibiotics aren't always the answer

Back to the Beach

Scoliosis Helped with Chiropractic - A Case Study

Beat Bank Holiday Back

THINK ABOUT IT…

April's Digital Adjustment

March Health Interest Articles

Pathways Connect Digital Edition

Our latest health interest articles

February Digital Adjustment

Natural News - Dr Andrew Wakefield Innocent?

8 Great Exercise Tips for 2011

January Digital Adjustment

Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year from Edgware & Mill Hill Chiropractic Clinic

Popular Patient-Requested Health Articles - Dec 2010

Winter Cold and Flu Defence

Forward Head Posture

Know Someone With Forward Head Posture?

Here are several ways to help correct this condition:

November Digital Newsletter

A Day in the Life of a Spine

National Back Pain Week 2010

This Months' Health Interest Articles

A Healthy Immune System Repelling Disease

Healthy Up Your Diet

Lucozade and Iron Bru linked to Hyperactivity

New Classes at Edgware Clinic

Popular Patient-Requested Health Articles

Ross Sisters Exercise Programme - Do not try this at home without seeing your chiropractor first !

Wayne or Murray are not the only injury worry this summer…

Popular Patient-Requested Health Articles

Thank you Apple

H1N1 SCAM INVOLVING THE W.H.O.

June Digital Adjustment

Beat Back Holiday Back

Shouldering Too Heavy a Load

Popular Patient-Requested Health Articles

Bad Posture Caused by Texting

April Health Interest Articles

Four Ways to Keep Kids Moving

April's Digital Adjustment

Oh My Blooming Back

Popular Patient-Requested Health Articles

Vaccinations - A State of Fear

Colic - who says there's no RCTs

My Favourite Advert