Commercial Drive – East Vancouver Chiropractor; Dr. Dominic Chan DC – “How Chiropractic Works (In Everyday Terms)”

This is a very important question and one that many people have of Chiropractic, especially those that have never been to one. So how does Chiropractic work?

I’ve heard people and even patients say to me, “Chiropractors ‘crack’ bones, re-align your joints and then you feel better”. Well, although that’s not entirely wrong, it’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

What’s missing in this description is the understanding that your nervous system plays an even bigger role. Let’s put it this way. Most people will seek the help of a Chiropractor when they feel pain or discomfort. Ever stop to think what exactly is going on here? Well, pain is your body’s way of telling you that, ‘something’s wrong’ and you need to address it. “Pain” is how your brain interprets the signals it gets from the rest of your nervous system. Like cars travelling on a highway, your nervous system is how your brain and the rest of the body communicates with each other.

Now most people have experienced a traffic jam before. Cars and trucks just stuck and going nowhere. But a few miles ahead is a three car pile-up. This small accident can have a significant effect on traffic for miles. This accident can even stall traffic going the other way!

Well imagine if something similar occurred with your nervous system. The signals traveling along your nerves like cars on a highway can become ‘stalled’ or interrupted. Now a chain reaction occurs resulting in your body feeling “PAIN!!”.

Now how Chiropractic works simply is to help to restore function! Chiropractic works to keep your nervous system working well and making sure there is no irritation or ‘roadblocks’ along this information highway. Chiropractic care can help to reduce inflammation in irritated tissue thereby restoring normal function and reducing pain.

This can be done without the use of drugs, which often just temporarily mask the symptoms. It’s like tricking your brain into thinking there’s no problem at all.

Hopefully this explanation helps to get people thinking differently about pain. More importantly, I hope it helps you to understand how Chiropractic works!

If you have questions or comments, get in touch with your COMMERCIAL DRIVE – EAST VANCOUVER CHIROPRACTOR HERE!!

Commercial Drive – East Vancouver Chiropractor; Dr. Dominic Chan DC – FYI: “The Good, The Bad and The Nutty”

Sometimes I get a craving for the munchies. You know what I mean? food that you can just pick at while you’re enjoying your favorite show. Well, the next time you feel like this, put down the chips!…..and reach for some nuts!

Nuts are power packed for their size. Some studies have suggested that adding nuts to a diet that is low in saturated fats and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. A ha! but there’s a catch. The type of nuts that were studied are restricted to; almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachio nuts, walnuts and pine nuts. (Sorry all you Macadamia nut lovers)

Now although nuts can be high in fat, the fat is considered a “heart healthy” or unsaturated. This type of fat may help to lower your LDL levels, also known as the “bad” type of cholesterol.

One more tidbit of healthy information. A study conducted on women who ate nuts found that those who ate 5 or more, one ounce servings of nuts per week, reduced their risk of developing Type II diabetes compared to women who ate few or no nuts at all. Wow! that’s a huge difference. However, it must be said that if you are going to add more nuts into your diet, it’s best to choose wisely. The “flavored” nuts ie. BBQ flavored will probably be more harmful than good. The flavoring and all that added salt will just do you more harm than good. So be choosy and smart about your nuts!!

As always, visit the website of your COMMERCIAL DRIVE CHIROPRACTOR IN EAST VANCOUVER HERE!