Jenga and Your Spine | Walton Clinic of Chiropractic

So what DOES Jenga have to do with your spine???  Watch and find out.



Walton Clinic of Chiropractic, Springfield, IL.  (217) 544-4000  WaltonClinic.com

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Probiotics Gut Health & Depression???

By now you may have heard of probiotics.  Simply, they are the "GOOD" bacteria that live in your intestines (gut).  We all need them, but most of us don't have them in the proper amount.  Here's a quick video showing some new research on their importance.  


Contact the doctors at Walton Clinic in Springfield, IL for more information on other ways to fight depression or to schedule a FREE consultation.

NEWS STORY - Ear Infections & Chiropractic

Healthy Kids = Happier Moms!!!  We've seen families come in in a state of despair b/c their child is in pain & doesn't sleep.  It's frustrating b/c as a parent, you don't know what to do.  You know that antibiotics shouldn't be the answer b/c you've read that too much can harm your child....but your pediatrician doesn't have anything else to offer.  #WaltonClinicCanHelp #YourFamilyChiro #Springfield waltonclinic.com  *P.S. insurance typically does help kids in need of Chiropractic care!  Just ask the team at Walton Clinic of Chiropractic, Springfield, IL.

What Texting Does to Your Neck....

Have you ever wondered what texting does to your neck?  

Probably not....but, you may want to watch this.

The doctors at the Walton Clinic of Chiropractic in Springfield, IL see many people DAILY who's health has been improved by helping them restore proper positioning and function of their spine.  

Contact us for more info or to schedule a consultation at no charge.

  www.WaltonClinic.com  or  (217) 544-4000

Spinal Fusion Surgery?

WHAT THE.....?! This is what a typical spinal fusion surgery looks like. *warning: video may be graphic for some. Let's cover some reasons why this surgery makes NO sense.

1) There is ABSOLUTELY no research spinal fusion benefits a person (long term) UNLESS the spine is unstable. I hope most people plan on living long after they've had surgery.

2) The spine isn't moving/functioning properly which caused the herniation, degeneration, arthritis, etc in the first place. So, let's FUSE the spine to further prevent motion in the spine because that's going to help the problem????

3) Spinal surgeries have proven SOOOO successful over the years...right? Oh, so that's why the MAJOR INSURANCE companies had to create a specific code for FAILED BACK SURGERY.

4) Traditionally, the need for spinal surgery is based on the presence of a disc herniation confirmed on MRI, YET, research has shown time and time again that (conservatively) 60% of the population have DISC BULGES (confirmed on MRI) and have NO back pain whatsoever. Maybe it's not the bulge that's causing the problem???

5) Research continues to show that conservative care, i.e. Chiropractic and Physical Therapy (restoring proper motion & strengthening the musculature respectively) combined provide better long term outcomes in not only reducing pain, but increasing function and stopping and reversing the degenerative process.

6) We hear time and time again "Well, my insurance will pay for the surgery but will only cover a limited number of treatments for Chiropractic & PT." THIS is why your insurance rates continue to skyrocket. You elect to have a surgery which costs thousands of dollars and your insurance company pays for it. Insurance companies are in the business to make MONEY....NOT to make sure you're healthy. YOUR job is to make sure you're healthy.

Do you need any more reasons NOT to have spinal surgery, because I can keep going???

#WaltonClinicCanHelp #YourFamilyChiro #Springfield

waltonclinic.com 

*SCHEDULE a FREE consultation TODAY.

I Wish I Would Have....

Have you ever looked back at your younger years and said to yourself, "I wish I would have (insert comment here)."  You see, we hear this a lot at the Walton Clinic, mostly when it pertains to a patient's spine, posture, and over all health.  

Let me give you an example.  Recently, a new patient came to us with pain and stiffness in her neck, upper back, shoulder and had numbness going all the way to her fingertips.  She's in her early 30's, and at that age we all believe that we shouldn't have any problems until we're older.  She had no recent injury.  She mentioned she played sports growing up, but again, had no injury.  Sure, she had some bumps and bruises a long the way, but hey kids heal...right?  She stated she always knew she had a 'slight' scoliosis (improper curvature of the spine), but didn't think it ever affected her.  Now, back to her current complaints.  "It just came out of nowhere," she says.  You would not believe how many times we hear this a day.

In actuality, 90% of people's aches, pains....poor health don't just come out of nowhere.  Think about it.  Someone doesn't just get out of shape or overweight overnight.  It's an accumulation of not eating healthy or not exercising or both for months or years.  People don't just wake up with heart disease or high cholesterol.  Again, it's years of breakdown that occurs.

Poor posture may reveal potential future health problems.

So, when it comes to the patient I referred to earlier, I'm confident that had she had her spine checked by a Pediatric Chiropractor, who deals specifically with proper spine alignment and motion, nervous system function and their relation, at a younger age she would most likely not be experiencing her current aches and pains.  She'd be able to sleep comfortably at night and she'd be able to play with her young children without stopping due to pain.  She'd be able to enjoy life.

Do you want the most for your child/children?  Give them the best opportunity to have a healthy nervous system.  Get them checked by a Pediatric Chiropractor.  You get their teeth checked.  Your get their lungs and heart checked.  You get their ears and eyes checked.  Doesn't it make sense to get their spine and nerve system checked???  It just happens to control all other parts of their entire body.

Have questions regarding Chiropractic for KIDS or ADULTS?  Contact our office today to schedule a FREE consultation.  (217) 544-4000 or www.WaltonClinic.com

Medical Errors Kill 440,000 Americans Per Year???

Medical errors kill 440,000 Americans per year???  Click here to read the full article.

Yeeeeooow!  This stat has gone up.  Last report from several years ago was 225,000.

A little perspective: This would equate to about 670+ Boeing 747s full of people crashing....each year.  Would you fly if this were the case?

Let's say these were Chiropractic patients, and just .001% die from a Chiropractic adjustment.  That would be 4.4 people per year.  Chiropractors would be out of business if this were the case.  

It seems most people's fears develop from what they've heard, not from what is true or what they've actually experienced.  Chiropractic (as a profession) has been around for over 120 years and has been proven over and over to be safe and effective.  If Chiropractic were killing 4 people per year it would 1) be national headlines and 2) no longer be a profession.

Now, we're not saying 'don't go to the hospital.'  But we encourage you to look at more natural and obviously safer options especially before undergoing the risk of surgery.

Promise Yourself (a Mental Adjustment)

Today, I had the opportunity to attend a group with a fantastic message.  The name of this group, Optimist International, gives you some insight of what they're about.  But, it was their creed which they recite that got me thinking about how we should interact with other people, how we should interact with ourselves and how both affect our health.  

You see, all too often we get caught up in the physical component of our health, i.e. diet and exercise, etc.  We even stress those components to a greater degree in our office.  But, something that is often overlooked and has a huge impact on our health as well is the mental component of our health.  Now, I'm not a self-help guru by any means, but I do know how the nervous system works and that it controls EVERYTHING in your body.  So, to me, it's safe to say that by 'feeding' your brain with everything good....including thoughts will produce a positive outcome.

My challenge....

I challenge you (as I'm challenging myself) to review this creed (video below).  Make some changes in how you speak to others and yourself, if changes are needed.  I think you'll see how your physiology and health changes.  I think you'll also be surprised at the impact you'll have on the physiology and health of those you interact with.

We've seen time and time again at the Walton Clinic of Chiropractic, those who get adjusted on a regular basis tend to 'carry' themselves differently and in a more positive manor.  Without even realizing it, there's often a transformation in not only how they move, but also in how they communicate with others, and it all boils down to what you feed the nervous system.

If you'd like more information on Chiropractic, our office, or health in general, 

contact the Walton Clinic (click here) or call us at (217) 544-4000.

Conversation with a New Mom

Dr. Matt had a great conversation with a new mom this morning at the Walton Clinic!  Her son started life with colic...making life miserable for him, but also for mom & dad.  Their pediatrician basically told them he'd grow out of it.  Mom is concerned (as she should be) that his colic could be a sign of something else going on....and she's RIGHT.  

You see, just because something like colic is common with infants and they'll 'grow out of it,' doesn't make it NORMAL or right.  More and more research is showing that 80-90% of all newborns have suffered from SPINAL STRAIN during the birth process.  

As our conversation continued, mom relayed that her son may indeed be 'growing out' of the colic, but is now very congested and showing signs of a possible ear infection and having problems with constipation.  I explained to her this is a very common path we see in kids as they come into our office and are all subtle signs of SPINAL MISALIGNMENT that is causing stress to her son's nervous system.  Babies don't come to us because they're in pain or having a headache, etc.  They come to us because they're not able to live their life to their fullest potential because their nervous system is under constant stress.  And, going a step further, had mom come to us while she was pregnant or even before that, we could have helped make pregnancy and delivery easier for both her and baby...putting less strain on her newborn's spine from the get-go.

Mom went on to say how NERVOUS she was to bring her infant child to a Chiropractor.  That's understandable was my initial response.  I followed that up with the fact that Chiropractic is actually one of the safest forms of healthcare.  Don't take my word for it!  If you look at malpractice insurance for healthcare providers, Chiropractors actually pay a fraction of what the typical Medical Doctor pays.  Which quite plainly means, if we were hurting people we would be either out of business or our insurance rates would be through the roof.  The great thing about what we as Chiropractors do, is we can modify our techniques for our pediatric patients to provide a safe, gentle and effective adjustment.

That being said, if you owned a Ferrari, you wouldn't want to take it to just any mechanic down the
street because he was close or didn't charge much.  You'd want to take it to someone with training and experience.  Same goes true for your body and especially that of a child/infant.  Both Drs. Adrian Walton and Matt Link have the training and experience with working with infants.

As mom and I finished our conversation, she asked "why don't more people know about this."  I wish I had a good answer for that.  I think mainly it's fear of the unknown.  BUT, that is our goal....to make it KNOWN what we can do for you and your family.

If you are unsure if Chiropractic would be beneficial for you or your child, give Walton Clinic a call:  (217) 544-4000.  The docs would be happy to schedule a consultation (at NO CHARGE) to discuss your problems, explain more about what we do, and see if we may be able to help.  

How Did That Happen?

It seems like many times a week at the Walton Clinic of Chiropractic, when the doctors are going over x-rays with patients, we get asked the question "how did that happen?"  They usually ask that when their x-rays look horrible.  Now, the first assumption most people have is "shouldn't that patient know what happened to them?"  More often than not, patients tell us something like, "well, the pain just came on a few years ago and has been gradually more frequent/intense."  The answer to the "how did that happen" question is both easy and complex.

You see, degeneration on x-rays can occur usually one of two ways.  One, the person is in a traumatic accident.  We all know the story of Christopher Reeve who was famous for playing 'Superman' in the movies.  Several years ago he suffered an upper neck injury when he fell off a horse.   That trauma severely and quickly altered the function of his entire nervous system not allowing his muscles and organs to function properly from his neck down.  The other way most people's spines degenerate are from what we see most often in our office. We are seeing more and more patients who under go multiple 'minor' traumas over a period of years.  And, most people don't even know they are undergoing these traumas.  Poor posture, working at a computer for long hours, repeated smart phone use, talking on the phone, reading a book, poor sleeping positions, repetitive use activities, etc.  These are just a few examples.

Case in point, here's is a neck x-ray of a 15 year old in our office.  At 15 years old, he is already showing signs of degeneration by how straight his spine is from this view...with NO TRAUMA, and no pain in his neck for that matter.  Research shows that an x-ray like this will lead to issues like headaches, eye problems fatigue/thyroid problems, concentration difficulties, and asthma.

This is why we highly encourage everyone to take care of their posture, and get their spine checked regularly, even from a young age.  Think it's not happening to you?  How do you know?  It's time to put aside the belief that 'Chiropractic doesn't work,' or 'kids shouldn't get checked.'  Chiropractic itself has been around for over 100 years, and treatment of the spine through adjustments have been around for thousands of years.

For more information on Chiropractic, or to set up an appointment, give our office a call at (217) 544-4000 or go to www.WaltonClinic.com.

Pregnancy, Children, and Chiropractic

In the video below, Drs. Adrian Walton and Matt Link of Walton Clinic discuss a couple things regarding pregnancy and pediatric chiropractic that Dr. Matt learned at a recent seminar.  This is just the tip of the iceburg.  Soon, Dr. Matt will discuss Chiropractic Webster Technique that is used to allow breech babies to turn naturally and for allowing the birth process to be easier for both mother and baby.

For more information, contact our office at (217) 544-4000 or go to www.WaltonClinic.com