soccer players resizedI see a lot of children as patients in my San Diego chiropractic office. And, as a chiropractor in San Diego, I’m concerned with many things that affect their growing musculoskeletal system, from sports injuries to carrying a backpack, either improperly or packed too heavily. Now that it’s back-to-school time again, I’d like to add a health warning that you don’t always hear from a chiropractor, but one that is important, indeed. I know that parents are super-busy not only buying their kids back-to-school clothes, but also equipping them with all the sports gear they need for safe play, such as helmets, pads, braces and mouth guards. I applaud all parents who take that extra step to prevent broken bones, bruises and chipped teeth. But, there is one more danger zone that needs parental attention. Your child’s eyes. Eye injuries such as a scratched cornea, fractured eye socket, or permanent vision loss, can be avoided with taking these steps, encouraged by The Pennsylvania Association for the Blind what are they doing to prevent possible permanent vision loss, a scratched cornea, or fractured eye sockets?Ways to help your child to enjoy their favorite sports this season safely:

  • Wear proper eye guards (lensed polycarbonate protectors) for racket sports, basket ball, tennis or volleyball;
  • Use batting helmets with polycarbonate face shields for baseball and softball;
  • Use helmets and face shields approved by the U.S. Amateur Hockey Association when playing hockey.

It is important for parents to know that regular reading glasses, sunglasses, or even safety glasses do not provide the adequate eye protection for many sports. Eye guards can be purchased at sports stores or local optical store. But, be sure to ask someone familiar with your child’s eyesight to fit them properly, making certain that the eye guard contains cushioning along the eyebrow and the edge of the nose to help prevent your young athlete from cutting or damaging his or her face.

Source: Pennsylvania Association for the Blind

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Okay, if you read my blogs, even on an irregular basis, you know by now that I am a San Diego chiropractor who is a bit of an exercise fanatic (nut?). There are so many healthy reasons to exercise that not exercising by some individuals seems unduly resistant to their good health! Well, in a effort to coax those few exercise holdouts, and to say, “here’s an extra bonus,” to those of you who exercise regularly, I offer the results of a new study: According to research led by Brazilian researchers at the University of Campinas, the results of which will be published next week online in the open access journal PLoS Biology, there is yet another good reason to exercise. In addition to keeping the organs of the body functioning properly, helping the musculoskeletal system to stay strong and mobile, and burning calories for weight loss, exercise has also been found to restore the sensitivity of neurons involved in the control of satiety (which is to say, “feeling full”). This, in turn, contributes to reduced food intake and, ergo, more weight loss.

obesity is an enormous problem of epidemic proportions in this country. Factors such as changing eating habits (from healthy to “fast, fatty, and excessive”) and a sedentary lifestyle (for children as well as adults) have contributed to the obesity problem. It is also postulated that excessive consumption of fat creates failures in the signal transmitted by neurons controlling satiety in a region of the brain called the hypothalamus, and that these failures can lead to uncontrollable food intake and, consequently, obesity.

The researchers demonstrated that exercising (in this case exercising obese rodents) showed signals of restored satiety in hypothalamic neurons and decreased food intake. These findings confirmed that physical activity contributes to the prevention and treatment of obesity, not only by increasing energy expenditure, but also by modulating the signals of satiety and reducing food intake.

So, there you go, another good reason to exercise brought to you by your friendly chiropractor in San Diego!

Source:
PLoS Biology

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Why Can’t the Chicken Cross the Road?

August 21, 2010

Why Can’t the Chicken Cross the Road?
via Integrative Nutrition Blog by Integrative nutrition on 8/16/10
Crack! The egg bursts onto the pan and shines like the sunrise.  A familiar visual for many, eggs are an integral part of the American diet, but many of us don’t think twice about what kind of hens those eggs [...]

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Your San Diego Chiropractor Wants You to Know That Curling Up With Your Laptop May Be Bad for Your Health!

August 17, 2010

health problems due to bad posture occurs for many reasons and is nothing new to the spines of humankind. For thousands of years, men and women have hunched over their work, whether pounding rocks to make tools or pounding a keyboard on their computer. Fortunately, chiropractic was discovered in 1885 to remedy many of [...]

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San Diego Chiropractor: Exercise is Great, But Maintaining a Healthy Weight Takes More

August 4, 2010

Here’s another blog on exercise, my favorite topic as a San Diego Chiropractor other than talking about the benefits of chiropractic treatment. And, if you’ve read my other blogs on exercise, you know I’m a big believe in “move it or lose it.” But, if you’ve read the entire content of most of my blogs, [...]

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San Diego Chiropractor Asks: Does Your Insurance Coverage Exclude Chiropractic Care?

July 27, 2010

As a San Diego Chiropractor I often hear the disappointment in my patients’ voices when they find that their insurance plan doesn’t cover the full spectrum of chiropractic care. And, of course, anyone who has experienced the benefits of not only crisis chiropractic treatment and therapies, but holistic preventative chiropractic care as well, knows [...]

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Your San Diego Chiropractor Discusses: “When The Good Go Bad”

July 19, 2010

As your San Diego Chiropractor, I have a confession to make: I’m a health nut, plain and simple. I believe that the human body is an amazing organic instrument that, just like a musical instrument, requires care and attention in order for it to “play” the way it was designed to. Some health practices [...]

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Your San Diego Chiropractor Suggests That Staying Physically Active Should be a “No Brainer”

July 12, 2010

If you read my blogs on my San Diego chiropractic website, then you already know I adhere to the philosophy that motion is life. Our body is designed to move, move, move; to walk, run, play, and dance! My “job” as a San Diego Chiropractor is not only to get you out of pain, [...]

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Your San Diego Chiropractor Discusses the High Fructose/High Blood Pressure Connection

July 5, 2010

As a San Diego chiropractor I am concerned about the overall health of my patients. And, though chiropractic adjustments can go a long way in helping individuals to achieve better overall health, diet and exercise are always contributing factors. As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, excess weight can create a multitude of problems. One [...]

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Santa Diego Chiropractor Quotes New Research: Back Pain Can Be Bad for Your Brain

June 28, 2010

As a Chiropractor in San Diego I know the debilitating effects of back pain. Though some people try to “ignore” their back pain in the hopes that it will go away on its own, the majority of individuals know that back pain is difficult, if not impossible, to ignore. Back pain is a constant. It [...]

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