ALERT: Stress relief for this economy

We are all being hit hard. Your job or your spouse’s job may be in jeopardy. We all need relief. You may be feeling run down and stressed out over the economy and wondering what you can do.

I don’t have any easy answers. But I want to give you some relief. We all know that stress, whether its emotional or physical makes everything else tougher to handle and creates even more stress.

Listening to the new Presidents speech I was particularly taken by the following quote:

"You know, there’ a lot of talk in this country about the federal deficit. But I think we should talk more about our empathy deficit – the ability to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes; to see the world through the eyes of those who are different from us – the child who’s hungry, the steelworker who’s been laid-off, the family who lost the entire life they built together when the storm came to town. When you think like this – when you choose to broaden your ambit of concern and empathize with the plight of others, whether they are close friends or distant strangers – it becomes harder not to act; harder not to help."

This made me think, WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP? I have a successful Chiropractic clinic and what can I do to help people feel better during this economic squeeze.

I immediately thought of Massage, I offer it in my clinic and now have an intern from Northwestern. So … why not give away a free relaxing and energizing massage to help people combat the stress they are feeling.

I am giving away free massages from now till the end of February.

Spots are filling up fast, so call now and reserve your spot now to get some relief.

Call: Meehan Chiropractic and Sports Rehab at – 815-267-3707

Weekly Health Tips

Mental Attitude: researchers comparing the IQ of chidren raised in orphanages to those who were rescued at some point by foster parents discovered a dramatic difference. In some cases, it meant the difference between borderline retardation and average intelligence. One-on-one care at a young age has a definite impact on cognitive and intellectual development. According the this work, the earlier children are taken out of the institutional environment, the less stunting occurs. Children rescued before age 2 showed a 15 point IQ increase. Children raised by their biological parents still did much better than both groups – at about 10-20 points higher than the foster care group.
Associated Press, Dec. 2007

Health Alert: Incontinent Memories. A study from Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center suggests people taking anticholinergic drugs face a risk of memory and cognitive problems. Such drugs are used to treat high blood pressure, asthma, Parkinson’s disease and incontinence. Those taking the medications showed a 50% faster decline in cognitive skills and memory.
Associated Press, April 2008

Diet: Breast Cancer and Weight. Keeping off weight after being diagnosed with breast cancer greatly increases a woman’s chance of survival. Comparing survival rates with body mass index calculations, researchers found that for every 11lbs gained after the initial diagnosis, the risk of death from breast cancer or other causes increased by 14%. Women classified as obese died at twice the rate of normal-weight females.
Reuters, Dec. 2007

Exercise: Calories Burned at Rest! Our bodies burn calories as a result of workouts, increased daily activity, and something called “afterburn”, which is an added of strength training exercise. “Depending on how hard you work out, your metabolism can stay elevated for up to 48 hours after you’ve finished lifting.”
Gary R. Hunter, PhD, University of Alabama at Burmingham

Chiropractic: Simple Back Pain Demonstration. Try this: Sit-up straight and have a friend put their hand flat on your low back. Then pretend to drive, work on the computer, read a book, etc. You should feel the muscles of the low back tighten. This is a simple demonstration of how the low back fatigues as everyone holds these positions all day long, over the entire workweek, over their entire lives. Daily stretching and routine chiropractic care can help diminish the effects of everyday activities.

Wellness/Prevention: The Secret of Longevity. Researchers form the University of Cambridge report they have found four basic lifestyle habits that can add 14 years to your life when all are observed: Don’t smoke; get regular physical activity; eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily; and drink alcohol only in moderation.

Quote: “The patient should be made to understand that he or she must take charge of his own life. Don’t take your body to the doctor as if he were a repair shop.”
Quentin Regestein

Change4Life

A great video to start the year with.





This video is part of a British campaign to improve peoples health. The British are facing the same problems with chronic health problems that we are (obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes etc.). The spot above was made by the people who brought us Wallace and Gromit (if you have children you'll remeber "Curse of the Were-Rabbit").

I particularly like the message of the video "Eat Well, Move More, Live Longer". Too many of us eat poorly, move minimally and as a result live less. If that isn't bad enough, we pass this on to our children and as a result we are seeing rising rates of obesity and adult onset diabetes in elementary school children.

The take home message is: get out, get moving and eat more real food (not fast food or processed food). I know its winter time and going outside can be tough but we all need to move (especially our children) so be creative - if there's snow make a snow man or snow angles, race around the house (as long as its safe). Get moving and stay moving.


For more information on this campaign: http://www.nhs.uk/Change4life/Pages/default.aspx
It has some nice tools for better diet.