From the CDC.
Scientists believe that reducing exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can decrease the risk of skin cancer.
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month
Category: Uncategorized
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month
With over 5 million cases diagnosed in the United States each year, skin cancer is America’s most common cancer. Fortunately, skin cancer is also one of the most preventable cancers. By sharing facts about the dangers of unprotected sun exposure and encouraging people to check their skin for warning signs, we can and will save lives.
Wellness Hour – Reset
Manual Therapy and Relaxation all in one! Start with 30 min with Dr. Caroleigh with assisted stretching and Theragun percussive therapy, then transition to the Rejuvenation Room for 30 minutes of Aromatherapy, Far Infrared heat therapy and LED red and near infrared light therapy! 60 minutes to reset you neuro-musculo-skeletal systems.
This Wellness Hour is a great option for those looking for the “reset” button on your body. With this combination of therapies you may note any / all of the following: Increased cellular energy production (mitochondrial activation); increased blood flow with better tissue oxygenation and removal of cellular waste products; improved range of motion in the joints; decreased muscle tension; decreased pain; and overall relaxation. Packages are available.
April is Stress Awareness Month
Stress can be debilitating, and it can cause and/or aggravate health problems. And since stress is a normal part of human existence — nobody is immune to it — it’s important to arm ourselves with knowledge so that we recognize when stress rears its ugly head. (Amazingly, we don’t always notice it’s happening to us.) Stress Awareness Month happens each April.
It’s important to learn some strategies for coping with this particular silent scourge. You’ve come to the right place for that. This month I will be posting many different thoughts on stress awareness and management…
National Umbrella Month
Hey Portland! This is something we can celebrate most of the year.
🙂
I love umbrellas. (Especially ShedRain, made right here in PDX!)
How would I survive one of the rainiest months in the year without the ultimate hand-held weather accessory? Grab your ‘brolly” and galoshes and head outside for a little singing and splashing in the rain.
Can Chiropractic Help with Osteoarthritis (aka Joint Degeneration)?
If you’ve had back pain or a stiff neck, whether from arthritis or an injury, you’ve likely considered seeing a chiropractor. While it’s true that chiropractors manipulate or adjust the spine to improve pain and mobility, the benefits may extend beyond the back and neck. By using varying degrees of force in an effort to adjust misaligned joints, chiropractors try to improve the relationship between the spine and nervous system, which they believe may affect the function of all the systems in the body.
But what should you expect from a chiropractor visit and is it safe for arthritis? If you’re looking for a non-medication way to take the edge off of those painful joints, chiropractic care may be for you, as long as you remember to listen to your body, and find a chiropractor that will listen to you and your wishes.
Most of what chiropractors do today is gentler than “cracking” backs or “popping” necks into place. In fact, there are many different techniques that chiropractors use to adjust the spine, joints and muscles with varying degrees of force.
If you have back, neck or other joint pain due to osteoarthritis, chiropractic is one of the safest therapies you can use, explains Scott Haldeman, MD, a neurologist in Santa Ana, California and Chairman Emeritus of the Research Council for the World Federation of Chiropractic.
During your first visit, the chiropractor should take a detailed medical history and perform a physical exam of every joint to determine what approaches are right for you. This will determine if chiropractic care is right for you and what the specific care may be most helpful.
In my office, I like to use a broad range of therapies, tools and exercises to help your body do the best with what you’ve got. Chiropractors focus on the relationships between structure and function; if the structure of a joint is not able to function optimally (like it arthritis), then it can’t work as it was designed, which can leave to pain, dysfunction and further degeneration. So, helping the joints move as well as they can with keep them as healthy as they can be.
One of the best ways to help with the pain and stiffness of degenerative osteoarthritis is to use deep heat and joint mobilization; the heat will help to increase the blood circulation to the region to increase the nutrient availability and the joint mobilization helps to “slosh” the viscous synovial fluid over the cartilage lining the joints (this is how the cartilage with its poor blood supply gets nutrients).
Heat and hand and foot rubs? Sounds pretty nice, right?
If this therapy speaks to you, consider a Cozy Up, or a Cozy Up 2 session. 30 -45 minutes of our Rejuvenation Room; resting on the far-infared heated jade stone therapy mat, wearing hand and foot masks of intensely moisturizing blend of macadamia nut and rosehip oils, shea and coconut butters while wearing heated and weighted mitts and booties. (the Cozy 2 includes 15 min of joint mobilization as well.) Deep heating may help improve circulation and soothe arthritis and muscle pain.
National Compliment Day
On January 24, celebrate National Compliment Day by going all out with praise. The power of a compliment is pretty remarkable: either giving or receiving one can boost your happiness and confidence — making the act a win-win. You never know when someone could use some good vibes, so spread the positivity by giving someone a reason to smile!
Infrared Therapy
An estimated 20% of American adults suffer from chronic pain, contributing to skyrocketing healthcare bills, lost productivity, and poor quality of life across the nation.
Infrared light therapy is a modern approach to chronic pain management. Free from harmful chemicals and the risk of dependency, light therapy is a more natural method of healing your body from the inside out.
Rather than simply masking pain, infrared light therapy works differently to treat the underlying condition, enhancing tissue repair and performance, and allowing your body to perform at an optimal level of health and wellness.
How does it work?
Near-infrared wavelengths can penetrate deep into the muscle and joint tissue to alleviate pain, increase circulation and decrease inflammation. Infrared red light therapy provides compromised cells with extra energy to accelerate the natural repair of compromised tissue cells, foster cell production, and restore homeostasis within the body.
Light energy stimulates the release of nitric oxide, causing blood vessels to increase in diameter (vasodilation) and allowing more blood flow, oxygen, and other important factors to be delivered.
This increase in oxygen and nutrients, along with stimulation of the light energy emitted from red- and near infrared LED devices increases ATP production, which activates pain relieving pathways. This decreases pain and inflammation, and increases tissue regeneration in the localized area.
Consider adding LED light therapy to your health and wellness care.
Questions? Feel free to explore more on my blog, the Celluma LED therapy website (this is the FDA approved LED therapy panel we use), or contact me here.
Why a Self-Care Routine is Crucial to your Well Being
It’s easy to put yourself last on the list. You have children, a husband/wife/partner/dog/others and a job. This doesn’t leave much time for yourself.
But learning how to take care of yourself isn’t just a minor issue. If you don’t have a steady self-care routine, you’re going to reach “burnout,” the point where everything is overwhelming and impossible to get through.
Self-care is something you practice daily, and it’s taking care of your mind, body, and spirit, not just a massage, extra ice cream or a mani-pedi (though these are all lovely ways to treat yourself too).
You can start with calling a friend, going for a walk, or ten minutes of mindfulness. It doesn’t have to be difficult. Make sure it is something you like. That way you will continue with the practice.
Stay tuned for more…
Wellness Hour Spotlight – Vagal Nerve Toning
Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com
The Vagus Nerve is the longest nerve in our body, supplying both our organs and our brain with vital information. It controls things like our heart rate, digestion, breathing, swallowing, even our need to urinate – but it doesn’t stop there. The vagus nerve also affects, and it effected by, our mental health.
Since the vagus nerve is part of our parasympathetic nervous system (the opposite to the sympathetic, “fight, flight, freeze” nervous system), when it gets stimulated it increases what is known as vagal tone: slowing our heart rate and our breathing – overall calming our nervous system down.
In 2010 researchers at the Cleveland clinic found a positive correlation between a high vagal tone and positive emotions with overall good health. Meaning that when the vagus nerve is stimulated we feel better, can more easily overcome stress and are less likely to show symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTSD.
Our modern lives can be a constant onslaught of physical and emotional stressors. Very often we get “stuck” in our “Fight, Flight, or Freeze” sympathetic nervous system response and may not have the ability to self soothe. During this Wellness Hour dedicated to Vagal Nerve Toning, Dr. Caroleigh uses *all* the tools – weighted blanket, heated table, percussion/vibration, cool therapy and massage along part of the vagal nerve pathway for some examples – to help tone the vagal nerve and guide you towards the “Rest and Digest” parasympathetic nervous system response.
Stimulating or increasing vagal tone has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, depression and even PTSD symptoms. Studies show that when the vagus nerve is stimulated we can more easily overcome these mental health symptoms. So even if we feel bad, these feelings can be more short-lived and we can more quickly rebound from them. And as always, there is no shame in asking for help when things feel so overwhelming; think of your mental health like your physical health – having a supportive guide / teacher / mentor is a sure-fire way to help your health.
Visit “The Great Wanderer” post about the Vagus Nerve here.
Visit the Wellness Hour Page here.
(*Of course it’s not *all*, there are times when less conservative care is warranted and needed. If you are experiencing a behavioral health crisis, PLEASE SEEK HELP. Talk to your medical doctor, counselor, health nurse, psychologist / psychiatrist, and you can call, text or chat 988 to get compassionate care and support from trained crisis counselors. The new three-digit 988 number is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to reach out for help.
People can also dial 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.
The 988 dialing code connects callers to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline; a network of local crisis call centers throughout the country. In Oregon, 988 call centers are operated by Lines for Life statewide, and Northwest Human Services in Marion and Polk counties.)
Be Well.
Dr Caroleigh Elliott, Chiropractic and Wellness 