Dr. B’s Articles

STRESS AND THE NERVE SYSTEM By Elana Brown, D.C.

Editor’s Note: Dr. Elana A. Brown practices chiropractic In Brooklyn, New York. She is a long time reader of Health Freedom News, and we now welcome her as a contributor.

Today it is a sign of the times to find people complaining that they are under stress. Many more people feel that their illnesses and symptoms are stress related. We live in a “nervous” world. Many are afflicted with nervous hands, nervous voices, nervous stomachs, nervous colons, or just plain “nerves.” Chiropractic is also a sign of these times, and has always explained that stress does affect bodies by affecting our nerve system or rather our “nervous system.” Stresses come In three categories: physical , chemical, and emotional. Physical stress can be caused by car accidents, bicycle accidents or falls and may be realized long after the incident occurred. Chemical stresses can be caused by the foods we eat, the pollutants In the air, or even medications.

Emotional or mental stresses are caused by the way we think and feel in response to outside stress. These are similar to chemical stress because, for example, when we become angry, a certain chemical is released in the body so that the whole body will know that we are angry. Sadness is another chemical to be released In the body, and even love releases yet another chemical. They all need to be absorbed and eliminated by the body, but when the body Is not strong enough, this leads to a disease process. All of these chemicals and changes can be accommodated by the body, but only up to a point. Each person is different and has his or her own limitations, stressors and ways of dealing with their stresses. Stress seems to be necessary for us to grow In life, so we cannot avoid all stress and expect to be healthy, mature adults. But, of course, how react to stress, will also help greatly.

Chiropractic adjustments most definitely help us to deal better with stress. In fact, the adjustment to the spine is just as it sounds, not a radical change, not necessarily a major immediate, difference, but a gentle adjustment which allows the body to keep functioning as intended. The adjustment is needed to correct misalignments along the spinal column to allow proper nerve flow. The adjustment corrects the structural changes that can cause functional changes In the body. Chiropractic is a safe and effective way to regain nerve health and to maintain that health. Chiropractors are licensed by the State Education Department and are qualified professionals who are responsible to help you maintain your health. Only through chiropractic adjustments can we hope to attain the goal of changing our nervous system into a properly functioning nerve system.

Stress and Nerve System Part II By Dr. ELANA BROWN, Chiropractor

Chiropractors understand that stress “affects the body causing subluxations, which are aberrations within that “cause” a malfunctioning system or organ”. The science of chiropractic has been established for almost 100 years and has understood that when a body is overloaded with stressors, it will need help to handle that load. More common today, we are aware of the various aspects of our lives, which when working together can help us to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

1) We know that we need a good diet. Although differences between individuals exist, it can be found that a diet high in vegetables, with protein is best; along with no refined foods, including sugar and white flour and keeping away from chemicals. Vitamin supplements may also be needed as one lives and changes one LIFESTYLE.

2) Exercise is now spoken about readily, to help the whole body to build strength and resiliency.

3) Rest and recreation are extremely important to give our bodies a chance to repair daily damage as well as to replenish itself. Recreation helps us to keep our minds alert as well.

4) Having a good mental attitude is crucial to good health, because negative thoughts and worries only work to make our bodies more toxic. A good attitude and belief system will give meaning to even the hardest of times as well as allow you enjoy the best of times.

5) And last but certainly not least, we need a properly functioning nerve system to coordinate our bodily functions.

The nerve system is the communication system that connects the brain to all parts of the body. In today’s times, our nerve system is constantly being bombarded and overloaded. Our senses pick up hundreds of sounds when we step outside our homes, not to mention how many sounds we hear inside our homes. Our eyes must be alert to many obstacles in our path whether we are driving or walking in the city streets. Our senses are also aware of irritants in the atmosphere, be it pollution, a difference in the ozone layer, or an irritation from someone who is annoying you. Even the Food and Drug Administration has acknowledged that medications leave remnants in our nerve system. When a body is overloaded with stressors, it will need help to handle that load. This is when hyper-sensitivities may occur causing symptoms which are the body’s way of eliminating toxins are also a warning signal that something you are doing is wrong. “Subluxation” as mentioned above, may be viewed as a circuit breaker that turns off the electric system of a house. When an improper surge of energy rims through wires in a house, that room’s circuit breaker will shut off if it is functioning correctly.

Remember, that circuit’s cutoff switch was designed to cut off the energy to that area to save the entire system or house. The chiropractor helps to turn back on those circuit breakers of the body so that each organ and gland and cell of the body can do its job properly and efficiently. The subluxation is interference in the nerve system that does not allow for proper nerve conduction. If is often viewed as a misaligned bone of the spine which puts pressure on a nerve. An example would be what is known as a “pinched nerve.”

Subluxation can be present even when no pain exists. Long before pain develops, a nerve may be compromised. Chiropractic adjustments can help enable our bodies to adapt to all the changers going on around us. Only chiropractic adjustments can remove subluxations that would otherwise let stress get the best of us. As subluxations decrease in number, the proper functioning of our body increases. A better functioning nerve system means a body where food is digested and absorbed properly. A spine in its proper structural alignment will be better able to accommodate to and allow its proper bodily function.

CHIROPRACTIC, THE NATURAL HEALTHCARE By Elana Ava Brown, D.C. July 2007

What do Arnold Schwartzenegger, Jack LaLanne, and Tiger Woods have in common? They all have been receiving chiropractic care for most of their lives. Jack LaLanne became a chiropractor in the 1930s, and is probably the only person mainly responsible for starting the fitness trend here in America. He has been under regular chiropractic care, eats nutritious foods, takes supplements, and, of course, exercises two hours every day at his current age of 92. Arnold Schwartzenegger has his “Arnold Classic” alongside the “International Chiropractor’s Association” convention in Ohio each year. He has been quoted as saying, “Chiropractic care and fitness training go hand in hand. Together, it is the best way to stay fit and balanced and healthy.” Arnold’s family is under regular chiropractic care as well. Tiger Woods was brought in for regular chiropractic care by his father around the same time that his father first put a golf club in Tigers’ hands. That was before Tiger was even 5 years old. His father knew that keeping Tiger’s spine balanced and aligned would help him to accomplish his goals. It certainly has.But with all that the media has told and not told about chiropractic care, we have been fighting the fight for natural, drugless healthcare, strengthening body and mind instead of polluting or desecrating the species of Man and living things. Yes, chiropractic addresses the spine, which includes all of the vertebrae – cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral regions (neck, upper back, lower back). Yes, we also handle extremities such as the shoulders, rotator cuffs, elbows, wrists, hands, hips, knees, ankles, and feet – although sometimes we cannot bill for these things on insurance claim forms. Yes, we address the nerve system and help “nervous” conditions because that nerve system is housed and protected by the vertebral system. And, yes, this nervous system controls and coordinates all of the organs and systems of the body. And that is how chiropractic helps internal organs, by affecting the vertebrae and nerves connected to those organs. Our nerve system, or nervous system, is composed of two parts: The parasympathetic system and the sympathetic system.

Many of today’s health problems are due to the poor nutritional value found in the foods we eat. We therefore need supplementation, detoxification, as well as exercise, sleep, and rest. But our body can also be stressed because of an overly-stressed spine and sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic system is our stress system, usually thought of as the fight-or-flight system. When it is not balanced with the parasympathetic system, we have a body “thinking” there is a “tiger” there, when there may not be. This can affect the digestive system, the glandular system, the reproductive system, the elimination system (including the lungs, skin, kidney, bowel, and sinuses), and, therefore, any system of the body. Chiropractic care of the spine normalizes those systems by straightening the spine, correcting the alignment, and correcting the posture – including scoliosis and other problems. Posture is Important. Our posture, last but not least, is crucial to our health and well-being and even to how we look. Studies done by psychiatrists with chiropractors show an exact correlation of emotional disturbances with spinal posture. Most, if not all, symptomatic patients being prescribed psychiatric drugs, be it Prozac in adults, or Ritalin and Adderall in children, all have a forward “translation” of the cervical spine. Their head juts forward. And, yes, they usually eat “a lot of white sugar.” This forward head puts pressure on the brain and spinal cord – in particular, the meninges (cover of the brain and spinal cord). As reported by Dr. Alf Brieg, a neurosurgeon investigating this phenomenon, such pressure also affects and causes neurological problems – even of the lower extremities. Posture can affect the digestive system, the lungs and elimination system, and again all the previously-mentioned systems of the body. So having your posture checked and corrected will improve all of the aspects of your life and health along with all of the other great things you are doing for yourself and for those you care about. You already are doing so much to stay healthy and vibrant – you don’t want to miss this aspect.

Children are affected immediately at birth in our “modern” medical society. In fact, children may have birth trauma, it has been noted, in 80% of births. This trauma means that at least some nerve flow is blocked in this infant’s body due to medical procedures having placed extreme pressure on a newborn’s skull during the birthing process. This is why we long ago found it necessary to check all newborns for spinal, especially cervical, blockages. Add to that, OSHA reports that “47% of all children fall on their head by age one.” Children between the ages of 2 and 5 fall at least 200 times. And don’t forget to add to that teenage sports and other injuries, poor diet, and emotional stresses as well. And just a final note to remember – one dollar of natural care versus forty dollars of medical care, natural healthcare including chiropractic is a fraction of the cost of today’s medical “health”-care system.

Dr. Elana Ava Brown graduated from Brooklyn College with a B.S. in Economics, then as a chiropractor from New York Chiropractic College in 1987, and is a second-generation chiropractor. Her father was the first in the family. When opening her own chiropractic office in Kensington, New York in 1991, her father told her that “the only magazine you need in your reception room, is Health Freedom News.” She does public speaking with her focus on community and family health for all ages, and with extra emphasis on leading a non-drug approach to life while educating the public on natural health. Her avocations include running, dance, and martial arts. Dr. Brown recommends the following reading for further information on chiropractic: “Stay Fit Seniors,” The Chiropractic Journal , May 2007, Hans Selye, M.D.’s book Stress of Life, and the works of D.D. Palmer. For more information, she may be reached at (718) 853-1818. Or contact Dr. Jesse Jutkowitz, D.C. advbiostructuralcorr.com

Pregnancy And Chiropractic By Dr. ELANA BROWN Chiropractor.
Practice located in Brooklyn

When a woman is pregnant, every aspect of her being is involved in the development of her newborn. The food she eats, the blood she contains, the oxygen she takes in, all goes to nourish the fetus within her. Chiropractic adjustments work through the spinal column in order to normalize the nerve system. A mother should want her nerve system to be as near 100 percent perfect as possible. Misalignments, called vertebral subluxations, can cause interference in that nervous system which can affect the mother and can also affect the infant. Proper nerve flow is needed for every organ of the body to function. The heart, lungs, stomach, reproductive organs are all dependent on the energy supplied through the spinal cord. The spinal cord is the communication system between the brain and organs and cells of the body.

One can understand that brain damage can affect the body, but we need to understand how interference in the spinal nerve flow can also affect the body adversely, even on a much smaller level. A woman’s body goes through hormonal changes as well as structural changes in order to help the fetus. If the structure of the spine is misaligned, it will cause weakness, possibly pain, and probably changes in the functioning of the body. For example, the bones of the pelvis move to accommodate the fetus throughout its nine months of development. These bones again move when labor is to begin. If these bones are fixed and are unable to move properly, how will proper development and/or labor progress? And if the bone~ in this area are fixed, they may also be affecting the nerve transmission in the area and there is a loss of energy needed to help both mother and child.

Pregnancy is a major stress on a woman due to increased weight and changes on the system. Chiropractic helps alleviate that stress.

Women who have had chiropractic adjustments throughout their pregnancies have repeatedly reported easier and more satisfying pregnancies. They also report a special healthy and secure quality to their new infant. Finding these misalignments and helping to correct them is what a chiropractor does. And in addition to what we have already mentioned above, the connection of these misalignments usually helps the mother in the relief of back pain, digestive problems, leg pain and weakness, as well as many other problems which may be caused by nerve interference. We also know that as the mother experiences better health, so does the infant.

Children And Chiropractic By Dr. ELANA BROWN
Practice Located In Brooklyn

People often ask, why would children need to have chiropractic adjustments? The answer to this question is basically the need for chiropractic care in the community at large. Chiropractic is a wonderful way to maintain health even before an illness or pain syndrome begins. In fact, if you ask someone who is ill, when their illness began you begin to understand that there was a day before they were ill. On that day, they said they were fine and healthy. But were they? If they were so healthy yesterday, why are they sick today? We, as chiropractors, understand that there was a weakness in the body, particularly the spine, which allowed that body to become susceptible to disease.

In children, we want to keep their bodies trouble-free by checking the spine as soon after birth as possible. In fact, even the birth process itself, as performed here in the United States can cause imbalances in the infant’s spine.

The procedure itself is stressful to the newborn, especially to the neck area.

Statistically, it has been shown that most newborns have an imbalance from birth causing one arm to have more strength than the other. This can easily be traced to interference in the nerves in the neck which run through the arms. Many of children’s health problems can be greatly reduced by chiropractic care. The adjustments on infants are, of course, quite gentle as the bones are not yet hardened. But babies and children usually enjoy the adjustments and often enjoy going to the chiropractor’s office. Children also respond to the adjustment very quickly because they have not had the problem for a long time. Regular spinal adjustments are therefore an excellent way of keeping the nerve system normal.

And since the whole body relies on the nerve system, this is a great way of maintaining health as well as gaining health.

Toddlers and children frequently fall as they learn more about life and about themselves. These falls are an example” of the many physical traumas that children undergo as they grow. Football injuries, bicycle injuries and accidents are other traumas. Misalignments in the spine are direct results of these types of trauma. In fact, pain may or may not be present for there to be a misalignment. But pain may ensue after weeks pass and weaknesses may appear months later, long after the cause has been forgotten. Chiropractic is a drug-less, natural form of health care designed to help adults and children, get through the stresses of life in an easy and pain-free way. Don’t you want this for your child?