Did you know that there are 11 deaths reported with the use of 5-hour Energy and at least 5 deaths reported for the use of Monster Energy Drinks?  It is important to note that the details surrounding these deaths are not all cited, so there is great possibility of adverse reactions of energy drinks with medications and/or alcohol.  

Energy drinks do not provide energy, such as the type we get from carbohydrates for example.  They provide caffeine, a stimulant to your nervous system.  The goal of an energy drink is to boost your mental alertness, appearing as an energy boost.

Consumerlabs.com privately tested the caffeine levels in some popular energy drinks.  

• 8-Ounce Cup Of Coffee: 95 milligrams

• Monster Energy M-3 Super, 5-Ounces: 206 milligrams

• 5-Hour Energy, 2-Ounces: 206 milligrams

One of the problems with energy drinks is the quick uptake of such high levels of caffeine.  Most people may have more than one cup of coffee a day, but they drink it gradually rather t...

Every patient that has come into our office has heard about some form of arthritis. Whether that is osteoarthritis, arthritis, or the infamous rheumatoid arthritis. But when asked if they knew the difference between them, there is always a slight pause followed by silence. This blog is going to go more in depth about rheumatoid arthritis and explaining what the signs and symptoms are as well as treatment options.

Before getting into signs and symptoms let us discuss some basic information about the body.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system – which normally protects its health by attacking foreign substances like bacteria and viruses – mistakenly attacks the joints. This creates inflammation that causes the tissue that lines the inside of joints (the synovium) to thicken, resulting in swelling and pain in and around the joints. The synovium makes a fluid that lubricates joints and helps them move smoothly and prevents the bones from rub...

Contrary to popular belief, you can sustain a whiplash injury from more than just being rear ended!  Whiplash is an acceleration/deceleration injury…meaning, it’s a rapid forward and backward (or side to side) movement of the head and neck.  Although most common to occur during a car accident, whiplash is known to occur in other situations, especially sports such as football, gymnastics and boxing.

Whiplash is deceiving because after your vehicle is rear ended, you may feel pain quickly or you may not develop symptoms for several hours, weeks or even MONTHS!  This type of injury can occur at speeds as low as 5mph!  Whiplash is so dangerous because it can affect not only muscles, but ligaments, tendons, discs, joints, nerves AND your brain.

After an accident most people opt to visit their primary care or the ER.  It is important to note that the ER and primary docs are looking for fractures after a car accident.  Your chiropractor will take a series of x-rays including flexion and ext...

What causes heat exhaustion and heatstroke?

Heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke, occur when your body can’t keep itself cool. As the air temperature rises, your body stays cool when your sweat evaporates. On hot, humid days, the evaporation of sweat is slowed by the increased moisture in the air. When sweating isn’t enough to cool your body, your body temperature rises, and you may become ill.

What is heat exhaustion?

Heat exhaustion happens when your body gets too hot. It can be caused by physical exercise or hot weather. You may experience:

• Heavy sweating
• Feeling weak and/or confused
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Headache
• Fast heartbeat
• Dark-colored urine, which indicates dehydration

What should I do if I think I have heat exhaustion?

If you think you have heat exhaustion, get out of the heat quickly. Rest in a building that has air-conditioning. If you can’t get inside, find a cool, shady place. Drink plenty of water or other fluids. Do NOT drink alcoho...

Although many people feel that Apple Cider Vinegar is something new on the health scene, it’s actually been around since 400 B.C.  Hippocrates, Father of Medicine, treated his patients with it!  Apple Cider Vinegar has been traced back to Egyptian urns and even Julius Caesar’s army used it to fight off disease.

Apple cider vinegar is made from fresh, crushed apples which are allowed to mature and ferment naturally in wooden barrels.  Natural ACV is brown in color, usually has a cobweb-like substance floating in it and never needs to be refrigerated.  It often has a very pungent odor and may even cause you pucker!  These are all good signs of a natural ACV!  That cobweb-like substance is called the “mother” and that is where all the benefits are found.

You may have noticed over the last few years it has become harder to find natural ACV.  Stores took some of them off their shelves because consumers buy based on looks and natural ACV is not all that appealing to the eye!  They began to...

I run into clients that are not regularly eating breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Just like most of you my schedule is hectic and limited. At least two days a week I’m out of the house by 6 am and do not return before 8pm. It’s imperative that I start with a healthy breakfast so keep me going on those 14 hour days. I often start the other 5 days with a 60-90 minute workout heavy on weight lifting. So how do I do it? How do I have time to make such a complete breakfast? What do I eat before/during/after workouts?  I often get asked by clients and friends alike what goes into my protein shake. So here are the answers.

Base: I keep it simple and easy and start with water. Depending on the amount of frozen ingredients I’ll use between 4-6 oz of filtered water. If I’m making the shake for my husband or company I’ll sometimes substitute some of the water for coconut or almond milk – just to mix it up a bit.

Veggies: I like frozen broccoli, kale and spinach as my ...

Shopping for the right supplements can be an overwhelming task.  Nearly every store has an aisle from floor to ceiling filled with hundreds of different brands.  Not only are stores carrying supplements, BUT you can buy them off infomercials and individual sales companies.  Where do you start and who do you trust?

Supplements can most definitely help recovery time, improve energy and aid in nearly every function of the body; IF you are taking the right type.  The number one reason I hear in the office for why people stopped taking their supplements is they didn’t “feel” a difference.  Pending on the purpose and the quality of the supplement you will not always “feel” a change within your body.

If you take anything away from this blog post please know that generic supplements aren’t even worth the $5.00 that you paid.  I hate to put it so bluntly, but they are the lowest quality on the market.  The FDA does not require regular tests for effectiveness, safety or ingredients on suppleme...

Body fat percentage is simply the percentage of fat that your body contains. For your body to function properly it is essential that your body contains a certain amount of fat. Body fat helps regulate your body temperature, it cushions and insulates organs and is the main form of the body’s energy storage. It is important for everyone to have a healthy amount of body fat.

When people say they want to lose weight it is implied that they want to lose fat.

Calculating your body fat percentage is a better way to determine what your weight loss goals should be and if they are realistic. Rather than just stepping on a scale and deciding how much weight you want to lose, it is better to determine your body fat percentage and achieve a healthy range. So before you decide you need to lose 20 pounds, first remember that your body weight consists of lean body mass and body fat.

The amount of body fat that you do or do not have can be potentially dangerous to your health. Carrying too much body...

Determine Your Body Fat Percentage

Body fat percentage is simply the percentage of fat that your body contains. For your body to function properly it is essential that your body contains a certain amount of fat. Body fat helps regulate your body temperature, it cushions and insulates organs and is the main form of the body’s energy storage. It is important for everyone to have a healthy amount of body fat.

When people say they want to lose weight it is implied that they want to lose fat.

Calculating your body fat percentage is a better way to determine what your weight loss goals should be and if they are realistic. Rather than just stepping on a scale and deciding how much weight you want to lose, it is better to determine your body fat percentage and achieve a healthy range. So before you decide you need to lose 20 pounds, first remember that your body weight consists of lean body mass and body fat.

The amount of body fat that you do or do not have can be potentially dangerous to...

When patients come into our office with low back pain or symptoms resembling sciatica one of the muscles we check in on is the piriformis. During the examination we will check on range of motion and strength of different muscles to see if we can narrow down where the pain/discomfort is coming from. It is usually not just one muscle that is tight or restricting but the piriformis is tight in most if not all in our patients.

The piriformis  is a flat, pyramid-shaped muscle that lies parallel to (in line with) the gluteus medius and underneath the gluteus maximus muscle in the hip area.The muscle passes through the greater sciatic foramen (a space in the pelvic bones, on each side of the center) and to the upper part of the greater trochanter (a bone ridge near the top of the femur, or thigh bone). It takes up the most area in the greater sciatic foramen.

It is a small muscle when compared to other muscles of the region. The piriformis helps rotate the hip and works with other rotators....