Stressed? Here's a Tip!

Posted by: The Balancing Center

Are you feeling anxious? Nervous? Stressed? Have you ever? Will you soon?

Here’s a new, old way to destress and relax: exercise. (Surprise, surprise?) New research suggests that exercise causes certain neurons in your brain to suppress your stress and anxiety response.

When you strengthen your heart, lungs, and muscles, you also strengthen your brain’s ability to stop your neurons from firing the stress signal. Imagine experiencing overall reduced anxiety because of your daily walk, yoga class, or dance class!

If you want to experience the benefits of regular exercise without joining a gym, try incorporating our Foundational Movement Practices into your daily routine. The FMP are easy, quick, and ultimately life-changing because they retrain your whole body to sit, stand, and move better. As an added benefit, the FMP make everything you do over the course of your whole day exercise! According to the research, that will in turn decrease your stress and anxiety. It’s a win all around!

Read all about this fascinating research here.

Orenda is Hosting an Open Event!

Posted by: The Balancing Center

Did you know that just like your atlas is the master control of your spine, your pituitary gland is the master control of your endocrine system? Chiropractic adjustments are effective at unwinding locked sections of your spine but if your endocrine system is on the fritz, your body might still be operating at reduced efficiency. The endocrine system controls cell growth, sex hormones, thyroid function, and the adrenal gland--it’s clearly important to have that system operating at full throttle!

That’s where Orenda can help! Orenda offers a line of supplements designed to support your endocrine system. In fact, we like to think of Orenda as the “chiropractic” for the endocrine system! For optimal health, the doctors and bodyworkers at The BC often recommend one or more of Orenda's supplements in conjunction with regular chiropractic and therapeutic care.

Want to know more? You're in luck! Orenda is hosting an open informational session on:

Thursday, July 11 at 7:00 pm

Hilton Garden Inn

10 E. Grand Ave

Chicago, IL 60611

The event will feature Dr. Shanhong Lu, speaking on "The Science of Toxicity and Stress as it Affects the Endocrine System." Bob and George Hall, the co-founders of Orenda themselves, will also be speaking!

For more information, visit Orenda’s website to find out more! You can also contact us at The Balancing Center to get more information!

Adapt to the Normal You Want

Posted by: The Balancing Center

The first week I lived near the El, I thought I would go crazy from the constant, disruptive rumbling. The second week I lived near the El, a guest asked me, “How do you sleep with that noise?” and I answered, “What noise?”

Humans are fantastic at adapting to their environments and mental, physical, and emotional circumstances. We tune out background noise, adjust to the fluctuating temperatures of the seasons, and can live fully without the full use of our bodies. The human capacity to adapt is remarkable--so remarkable that we often take it for granted and do not even remark on it!

Humans also adapt exceptionally well to pain and discomfort. When we are in a suffering state for long enough, our bodies come to accept that suffering as normal as part of its remarkable survival mechanism. If my body thinks it is under a constant threat, then my constant state of emergency response will become my new normal. I won’t look for an alternative solution because why would I? According to my body, everything is just fine. If I haven’t been able to stand up straight for over half my life, then that crooked view would grow to seem normal.

Which is your "normal?"

Having a misaligned spine is an example of a threat to your body. And you might not even know you are under a threat if you have been misaligned long enough. But even if your body thinks everything is fine, the stress of that misalignment is taking its toll.

Increased stress leads to increased cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone that regulates countless bodily functions, including blood pressure, blood sugar, and the immune system. Too much stress and too much cortisol can lead to high blood pressure, hyperglycemia, suppressed immune function, thyroid troubles, weight gain--you might have heard this list before. At some point we might even grow accustomed to hearing that list of “bad things” thrown at us from every healthy corner of the Internet.

We have certainly grown accustomed to using medication to ease us into normalcy. But that’s not the point. Neither is the point the laundry list of scary things that can happen because of increased stress. The point is, you might ask yourself what pains or discomforts in your life and your body have you come to accept as normal? And is that really the “normal” you want or need? If so, then awesome. But if not, then what kind of normal do you want? What can and will you do to create that new and (hopefully) better normal for yourself?

One option would be to see if your neck is out of alignment and if you have been living under the low but constant level of stress that can cause. Getting back into alignment and balance can help unravel several other issues and problems that appear in your life--clearing the way for your body to relax and heal itself from the inside out. Now, what if that were your new normal?

Fighting Tiger, Fleeing Rabbit

Posted by: The Balancing Center

A rabbit might flee if something startles it. A tiger might fight. Adrenaline is what provides both with the energy to either run or attack; both enter a defense mode where their senses heighten and not-essential-to-survival systems, like digestion and procreation, power down. The rabbit doesn’t have time to eat if it is on the run. The tiger isn’t concerned with sex in the middle of a battle.

While the kinds of threats to humans have changed since we hunted and foraged, our physiological responses to those threats have not. When a driver cuts you off in traffic or when someone verbally assaults you, your body enters the same defensive system as the rabbit or tiger. Your adrenaline increases, your senses heighten, and your body’s not-essential-to-survival systems shut down. You too cannot focus on eating or procreating if you think you are under threat. But once the threat is gone your body can return to its normal state: at rest but ready to spring into action.

What if you suddenly found out that your body has been operating under a low but constant threat for days, weeks, months, or years? That your adrenaline has been pumping at a low but steady rate for all that time? That the systems not necessary for immediate survival--digestion, circulation, elimination, recreation, and procreation--have been operating at reduced efficiency?  

Did you know that when you are out of balance, this is exactly what happens? If your spine is out of alignment, your body cannot get a good grip on the ground and your finely tuned physical sensors think that you are about to fall over at each and every minute. Your body goes into a mild defense mode to protect you from the perceived threat that you are about to trip or topple over.

 

As anyone who has ever been frightened knows, being in defense mode with your adrenaline pumping and your heart racing and your senses on overdrive is incredibly stressful. Mild but prolonged stress can take as large a toll on your body as short but intense bursts of stress. And because your body thinks it is in a mild emergency, your body thinks that this stress and defensive strategy are normal. It’s not looking to correct itself. And while it might seem like nothing is wrong, it also seems undesirable to walk around in a constant state of distress.

No need to fear, however! (No need to stress about it!) The doctors and practitioners at The Balancing Center offer a simple solution: get balanced.

If your body gets balanced, your body can actually, finally, and fully relax. You can breathe, rest easy, and take your time to go about your day. You’ll be able to stop defending and start digesting, stop protecting and start procreating! (If that’s what you want, of course.) Run into the office today to see how you can get out of defense and into health!

Connect to Health, Connect to Life

Posted by: The Balancing Center

How many connections did you make yesterday? Not only in the networking sense, but how many times did you seek out a way to connect to something or someone? Yesterday, my attempts to connect to the Internet easily ran into the double digits. I also texted several different people, caught trains, chatted with family, and basically spent my entire day, in some fashion, making connections.

This is how a day goes for many (if not most) of us because humans have an almost innate need for connection. We are born crying out, waving our hands in the air in the attempt to make a connection. As we grow, we seek to sustain and enhance the connection we initially craved.

When we lose our connections, whether to people or places or the Internet, it is frustrating or sad or painful. Considering how easy it is to lose the most obvious connections, it is no wonder we often overlook one of the most understated, yet important, connections we have ever wanted and needed: our connection to the ground beneath our feet.

Often we’re not even aware that we have lost connection to the ground. An accident or trauma, (whether physical or emotional), can cause damage to our spine so that our nervous system becomes locked, tight, or confused. Such trauma might be painful or uncomfortable, but underneath the pain and discomfort lies something even more harmful. When our spine is locked, damaged, or confused, the rest of our body compensates to make up for the trauma. This compensation often, if not always, causes our body to fall out of balance. For instance, if your neck becomes locked, your hip might tighten and your leg might shorten to keep you standing upright.

An imbalanced body means we have an uneven connection to the ground. Losing this connection causes our body to become even more confused as it seeks out an even and balanced relationship with the earth. But our bodies have amazing abilities to adapt to uncomfortable situations and we come to accept this imbalance and disconnection as normal. Our body has to now fight against gravity to maintain its locked position; we have to fight to keep our hip tight and our leg short.

And this is how many (if not most) of us go about our day! We’re generally not frustrated with this loss of connection because we’re not even aware of it. But even if we don’t notice it directly, that disconnection interferes with our energy and health in many significant ways.

Are you connected to the ground? At The Balancing Center, we help you answer that question. Whether you are or you aren’t, we work to improve your balance to get you even more connected to the ground. What was once a weak signal, one flickering bar, can become a full broadcast, five strong bars of connection.

So come on in, get balanced, and satisfy your lifelong search for connection!

Spring has Sprung!

Posted by: Dr. Fedeli

    

June is such an energetic month and we see a lot of our patients increasing their activity levels as they enjoy the good weather. That’s why we thought it was time we had another conversation about...

Foundational Movement Practices!

You’ve heard about them. You’ve worked on them. And you love them...right? The truth is that many patients could use a refresher. There is so much new information to digest at The Balancing Center and something as compelling as the FMP program is definitely worth extra study. It’s our hope that this month we can all renew our commitment to Foundational Movement Practices in order  to maximize our energy, stay balanced, and get the most out of our workouts.

What are Foundational Movement Practices?

They are movement patterns and sequences that encourage your body and nervous system to re-calibrate and stay balanced. They teach you to navigate and move your body as it is anatomically designed to move so that your nervous system creates new and more balanced muscle memories. You will also gain a new sense of proper posture in everyday activities, such as sitting at your desk, standing in line, lifting things, and working out.

How do I learn them?

Your third visit to The Balancing Center is your introduction to FMP. In just ten minutes your doctor can teach you the exercises and help you practice them. Many of our patients enjoy such fabulous results that they schedule an FMP session for every visit. Any time you stop by our office you can request an illustrated packet describing the exercises in detail. These will help you practice at home.

Any additional resources?

So glad you asked! The doctors have created short videos demonstrating and explaining each exercise in the FMP sequence! These are incredible visual tools for patients who want to get the most out of their care at The Balancing Center. You can find these videos in the FMP section of our website.

What’s so great about these exercises?

Another excellent question! Foundational Movement Practices have helped many of our patients achieve breakthrough results, whether they are trying to get out of pain or maximize their day-to-day performance. Check out what some people have said about how FMP have helped maximize their care: Whitney's testimonial!

Experience amazing results by scheduling your Foundational Movement Practice session today!

During the month of June, refer a Friend and receive a FREE Foundational Movement Practice session on your next visit (a $45 value)!
Offer Ends June 30, 2013. 

Blood Sugar - Take Control!

Posted by: Dr Ken Bennett

A patient of mine, let’s call him Doug, came in primarily for help with anxiety issues, but also some pain and discomfort in his back and body.  He is also floating between pre-diabetes and diabetes.  In about six weeks or so of treatment with Barry’s bodywork and my care (primarily B.E.S.T. treatments) Doug’s spine and alignment are better and his nervous system is functioning with more ease.  As a result his anxiety and discomfort has improved a lot and he’s very excited with his progress.  

Last week, I encouraged him to try using Orenda’s Balance Spray.  The herbal ingredients in this spray have been shown to have a ‘balancing effect’ on blood sugar and insulin; both are issues for those with diabetes, and cortisol, our stress hormone that goes up when we’re anxious or stressed.  People like Doug with anxiety and pre-diabetes can greatly benefit from this ‘balancing effect’.  

It’s been less than a week since he started using the Balance Spray and the first words out of Doug’s mouth this week were, “What in the @#$^% is in that Balance spray?!”  He said he’s never seen his blood glucose numbers this low in the 3 years he’s been checking it 4x’s a day.  He’s also lost 5lbs in a week after being stuck at a weight plateau for the past 3 years.  

Of course, you don’t have to have anxiety or diabetes to benefit from our care.  We help the nervous system, which is the master control of your body, to function optimally.  When a healthy nervous system is combined with the right supplement, amazing results are possible.