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Thursday 28 February 2013

Shortening the Road to Recovery After an Auto Accident Injury: Your Chiropractor Can Help




It’s a great success story that most of us probably haven’t heard very much about.  America’s roads have become far safer across the past 20 years.  By just about any measure, travelers are much less likely to experience an auto accident injury than they were in the late 1980s and early 1990s. 

Fast Facts:  Motor Vehicle Accidentsby the Numbers

Vehicle Miles Driven.  Americans traveled 2,172 billion miles in 1991 and 2,979 billion miles in 2009.  That’s a 37% increase.

Motor Vehicle Accidents.  During the same 1991-2009 period, the number of accidents on U.S. roads actually decreased by 10%, dropping from 6,117,000 to 5,505,000.  So even though we’re traveling more miles, we’re having fewer accidents.

Occupant Fatalities.  The number of motor vehicle occupants killed in accidents during 1991 was 31,934. That number declined by 23% to 24,474 in 2009.  The fatality rate per 1,000 accidents dropped from 5.2 to 4.4 persons.  That means that when we do have an accident, it’s become less likely that someone traveling in the vehicle will be killed.    

Occupant Injuries.  The statistics show an even more positive trend with respect to injuries.  The number of occupants injured in accidents fell 29% from 2,850,000 in 1991 to 2,011,000 in 2009.  The injury rate per 1,000 accidents declined from 465.9 persons to 365.3.  Simply put, our motor vehicle accidents seem to be injuring fewer drivers and passengers when they do occur.
It’s likely that this general trend toward safer roads is being driven by a combination of factors.  It could be the way we’re driving that’s producing fewer, less serious crashes.  It could be the way our roads are designed, maintained or policed.  It could also be the active and passive safety features now included in many of our vehicles.  But whatever the reasons, we can all agree that this is good (if under-reported) news for our nation’s travelers.  

 

But What if I’m One of the Two Million Unlucky Ones this Year?


As encouraging as this trend is, it obviously means little to you if you or someone you care about is actually injured in a car accident.  Even in cases where drivers and passengers walk away from a wreck believing they’re “uninjured”, accidents can have profound, long-lasting health consequences for those involved.  It’s not uncommon for some types of symptoms to appear only gradually days or weeks after the event itself, delaying effective diagnosis and treatment.  Symptoms may also come and go intermittently, making it more difficult to associate them with the accident.        
Fortunately, there are things you can do to safeguard your health and improve your chances of a more rapid, complete recovery following an auto accident.  Clinical studies have demonstrated that chiropractic care can shorten recovery time and decrease the amount of permanent physical damage sustained in a collision.

Take Care of First Things First. 

Always address any life-threatening injuries first.  If you experience (or have reason to suspect) significant bleeding or bruising, broken bones, internal pain, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, or shock, you should seek immediate help from healthcare professionals who specialize in treating trauma injuries.

Recognize Signs that You May Be at Increased Risk of Developing Chronic Problems. 

Be sure to tell your doctor if any of the following warning signs apply:
  • A prior history of back, neck or shoulder problems (including previous injury).
  • Distinct numbness, tingling or pain immediately following an accident.
  • Increased muscle tension or reduced range of motion after the crash.
  • You were involved in a rear-end collision.
  • Your head was turned at the moment of impact.
  • You have symptoms that don’t resolve or that become generalized.

Wednesday 27 February 2013

Are You Sitting Properly?





If you are an office worker you probably spend at least six or seven hours a day sitting on the job. Add more time sitting in the car, at dinner and lounging with some late night TV and the total hours of sitting rockets up to somewhere around ten hours.

When is the last time you thought about how you sit?

Probably never or a long, long time ago!

Promise yourself that you’ll take a critical look at how you sit after you read this article. If you are sitting and reading this online, go ahead and freeze right now and really think about how you are sitting. Compare your sitting position to this checklist:  

Proper Sitting Posture Checklist  

Sit with your legs uncrossed with ankles in front of the knees.
Place both feet firmly on the floor.
Get yourself a footrest if your feet don’t reach.
Your knees should be lower than your hips and the back of your knees should not touch the seat.
If your chair has an adjustable backrest, move it to support the arch in your low back. If you don’t have a backrest, ask your employer about getting one or invest in it yourself.
Get up and move around every hour. Take a break from sitting even if you cannot stop working. Make a phone call standing up or close your office door and lie down for a few minutes on your stomach. At the very least, shift your sitting position occasionally.  

Why Sitting Posture is Important  

Good posture is important for long term health and disease prevention just like daily tooth brushing. And, similar to tooth brushing, habits are formed early and can be hard to break later in life.

Good sitting posture reduces the stress and strain on ligaments. Ligaments are responsible for holding the joints together, so ligament stresses can make you prone to joint injuries. Proper posture also reduces muscle fatigue. When muscles are able to work efficiently they use less energy and don’t get tired as easily. Abnormal motions or positions that are repeated over and over again on a daily basis are contributors to degenerative arthritis and joint pain.

Most adults would readily agree that posture is important. Most of that group would also admit that they don’t actively think about posture…it just happens. For the next 30 days, make an effort to really think about your posture and pause a couple times per day to compare your current position to the checklist provided above. It takes about 30 days of focus to break an old habit or develop a new one, so if you concentrate on your sitting posture for 30 days, you’ll be well on your way to a lifetime of better musculoskeletal health.

As always, if you need a recommendation for a good chair or back rest, ask any member of our team.


Author Bio:

Dr. Matt Ramirez specializes in auto injury recovery and rehabilitation and has enhanced and improved thousands of lives as well as treated people of all ages over the years. He is also an expert in health and wellness, massage therapy, chiropractic care, and more... If you are searching for Murray, Utah Chiropractor, Dr. Matt is the best.

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Monday 25 February 2013

Have High Blood Pressure? Check Your Mercury Levels




Mercury toxicity should be evaluated in any patient with hypertension, coronary heart disease, cerebral vascular disease, cerebrovascular accident, or other vascular disease.” This was the conclusion of an August 2011 study that appeared in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension. 

For those of you lucky enough to not know the term, hypertension is the medical name for high-blood pressure. About one out of every three adults in the United States has high blood pressure (National Center for Health Statistics, 2008) so the odds are that at least one of your parents or grandparents is affected. Or, perhaps it you that has high blood pressure? Either way, this is a study you’ll want to know about since it clearly connects how mercury toxicity (which can be tested for and reduced) can manifest itself as hypertension and other vascular diseases.

Most research studies you hear about on the evening news or popular science programs are full of data and statistics. These types of studies are typically trying to correlate two facts – such as people with higher mercury exposure have greater incidence of heart disease – and may go future to try to establish causation. However, statistical methods don’t ever really settle the causation question. For that we need biochemistry.

Biochemistry is all about understanding the different pathways that nutrients (and toxins) travel in our bodies. This particular study looked at the many internal processes that mercury interferes with in order to establish a biochemical basis for the resulting symptoms  - hypertension and coronary heart disease. Here’s what they found.

Mercury:
  1. Inactivates many reactions that depend on sulfer-containing enzymes
  2. Inactivates many sulfer-containing antioxidants
  3. Substitutes itself for zinc, copper and other trace minerals in certain reactions
As a result:
  1. Mitochondria – the energy powerhouses of the cell – malfunction
  2. The body’s oxidative defenses are diminished increasing oxidative stress and inflammation
Which manifests in the body as:
  1. Hypertension (high blood pressure)
  2. Coronary heart disease
  3. Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
  4. Cardiac arrhythmias
  5. Atherosclerosis
  6. Renal dysfunction, and
  7. Proteinuria
Even if you didn’t follow any of the preceding couple paragraphs, you can appreciate the need to ‘connect-the-dots’ between cellular-level processes and downstream diseases. This study connected the dots between high levels of mercury and the many downstream disease states listed. A brilliant piece of work!

So, what should you do if you have hypertension or other types of coronary heart disease? The study authors advise testing for acute or chronic mercury toxicity. Modern mercury toxicity tests are done using urine, blood, hair and toenail samples so they are minimally invasive and results come back fairly quickly.


About the Author:

Dr. Matt Ramirez is a trusted Chiropractic in Salt Lake City who specializes in auto injury recovery and rehabilitation and has enhanced and improved thousands of lives as well as treated people of all ages over the years. He is also an expert in health and wellness, massage therapy, chiropractic care, and more...

Friday 22 February 2013

Fun With Google Body Browser




If you remember the launch of Google Earth and your reaction the first time you saw satellite imagery that allowed you to zoom down and look at your own car parked in your driveway, you’ll be awestruck again by the Google Body Browser.

As the name implies this is a tour inside the human body. Peel back the layers, zoom, rotate and explore your innards in a brand new way. This project is still in the ‘lab stage’ over at Google, but is already an incredible tool. If you are a visual learner, you might find a new love for anatomy.

Google Body Browser allows you to isolate certain organ systems, individual organs and bones to get a better look at them. Once you have the view you want you can zoom and rotate it in three dimensions. All the supporting structures remain visible to keep the context.

Still images don’t do the tool justice. You really need to use the online interactive version. Since this tool is from Google, it seems to work best in Google’s own Chrome browser. You can find it here - http://bodybrowser.googlelabs.com/body.html# 

A couple cool features to point out... You can turn on and off labels to all the different body parts as you explore. If you ever need to study for Jeopardy and learn the name of the muscle that controls your little finger—it’s in there!
Of course since it’s a Google product, you can search too. If you can’t quite remember where the sciatic nerve is you can type it into the search box and it will be highlighted for you. If there are muscles, bones or joints we discuss at an appointment and you want to share the explanation with your spouse or friends later, just search for it by name.

You can also send a link to a specific view that you have created. If you need to share an idea or diagram with another person or save it for future reference, you can create a link that will go right back to that view. Here is an example that should take you directly to a view of the C1 vertebra – also known as the atlas. http://goo.gl/8q0W2

Interacting with this tool makes me wish something like this had been available for anatomy classes. If you have kids or friends in any type of human biology class, forward them this link so they’ll know about this great learning tool.

Have fun exploring Google Body Browser on your own!


Author Bio:

Dr. Matt Ramirez specializes in auto injury accident injury and rehabilitation and has enhanced and improved thousands of lives as well as treated people of all ages over the years. He is also an expert in health and wellness, massage therapy, chiropractic care, and more...

Thursday 21 February 2013

Apollo Chiropractic is a Complete Care Chiropractic Clinic specialized in auto injury rehabilitation.
Don’t suffer another minute after an auto accident. Start on the road to recovery today! (801) 685-2862
http://apollochiropractor.com
Managing chronic back pain through:
Physician services
Physical therapy
Psychological counseling
Occupational therapy
learn more here:http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/living-with-chronic-pain

Wednesday 20 February 2013

The Benefits of a Cervical Pillow

Can your pillow really make a difference in your health and how you feel during the day? Absolutely! Cervical pillows are specially designed ergonomic supports for your neck. They hold it in the proper position during sleep, while also cradling the head and shoulders. It is important that your neck and head are at proper angles when you are lying down, in order to avoid strain and pain in the morning. Depending on how you sleep (on your back, side, or stomach), the proper angles for your head and neck will vary. You will want a cervical pillow that rises to the level of the neck and compresses where the head rests.

Cervical pillows are usually made with memory foam, which is excellent at compressing and decompressing around your neck and head. Memory foam provides superior ergonomic support and an excellent night’s sleep.

You’ll want to choose the right cervical pillow for you, based on how you sleep and on your personal preferences. Several options are available: ·        

  • Cradle Pillows: This type of pillow distributes the weight of your head evenly with the goal of reducing pressure on your neck and spine. It is also good for maintaining proper breathing alignment and preventing snoring. ·        

  • Neck Pillows: Neck pillows are designed to provide support to the natural curve of your neck, and are best for those who sleep on their side or on their back. These pillows come in a variety of sizes to provide comfort to a wide range of body types. ·        

  • Side Pillows: These pillows have a curved edge that is higher on the side and lower in the middle. This design provides proper neck alignment. Side pillows cradle the upper vertebrae because of the front edge, which is tilted forward. This frontal curve also offers space for your shoulders and provides extra comfort to this area. ·        

  • Cervical Rolls: Cervical rolls can be used in several places on the body: under the neck, under the head (offering superior back alignment), under the knees (good for lower back problems) and behind the back to support the lumbar region. ·        

  • Comfort Pillows: These pillows are more like traditional pillows in their shape and feel, for those who prefer that kind of support. However they provide better ergonomic support than a traditional pillow.  

To choose the best pillow, think about how you sleep most often. If you are a side sleeper, you’ll benefit most from side pillows, cervical rolls, and neck pillows. For back sleepers, try cradle pillows, neck pillows and comfort pillows. Whatever pillow you choose, avoid buying a pillow that is too small or too large as that may reduce the pillow’s ability to provide the support you need.


About the Author:

Dr. Matt Ramirez graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Human Biology in 2004 and received his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree in 2006. He specializes in auto injury recovery and rehabilitation and has enhanced and improved thousands of lives as well as treated people of all ages over the years. He is also an expert in health and wellness, massage therapy, chiropractic care, and more...



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Saturday 16 February 2013

Chiropractic for Spinal Stenosis




Spinal stenosis occurs when the spaces in the spinal column narrow, putting pressure on the spinal cord and associated nerves. Spinal stenosis usually involves one or more of the three main spinal areas: the spinal canal in the center of the vertebral column, the canals located at the roots of spinal cord nerves, or the spaces between the vertebrae through which nerves leave the spine and go to the rest of the body. The condition is most commonly acquired due to degenerative conditions of the spine, including normal aging, or it can be inherited.

Depending on the location of the stenosis, different areas of the body may be affected. Stenosis on the lower part of the spinal cord can cause pain or numbness in the legs, while pressure on the upper part of the spinal cord can cause similar problems in the shoulders. The condition most commonly affects men and women over 50 years of age. However, it may also occur in younger people who have been injured or have conditions that result in a narrowing of the spinal canal, such as achondroplasia (dwarfism).

Diagnosis of spinal stenosis may be made through taking a medical history, thorough physical examination, and imaging tests such as X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scans. While there is no cure for spinal stenosis, traditional treatment may involve medications and/or surgery. Surgery is invasive, expensive and painful, and the medications may have significant side effects. In addition, medications often don’t do anything to resolve the cause of the pain; they simply mask it.

Chiropractic treatment for spinal stenosis avoids both medications and surgery. It is based on the idea that restricted spinal movement can result in pain and dysfunction. Chiropractic manipulation (adjustments) may be used to restore movement and function. Spinal decompression therapy, a treatment in which the bones of the spine are gently pulled apart using traction, can also be used to treat spinal stenosis. By increasing the space between the vertebrae, pressure on the nerves can be relieved and pain significantly reduced.

The degree of success of chiropractic treatment for spinal stenosis depends on many factors, including the patient’s age, the length of time the stenosis has been present, and the presence of concurrent conditions that may complicate diagnosis, treatment or rehabilitation. A good chiropractor will work with other health care professionals as needed to ensure that you get the most holistic and best possible care for your specific symptoms.

Friday 15 February 2013

Buying the Right Exercise Ball




Exercise balls can be used to treat back pain and are effective in preventing, reducing and rehabilitating lower back pain in particular. Exercise balls are a wonderful addition to the fitness arsenal, but to get the most out of using one you must choose the right size ball for you. An excellent way to ensure you get the right ball is to schedule a personal consultation with a fitness and rehab professional. However, since that is not always possible, the following are some general guidelines these professionals have developed to help you choose a ball.

There are typically five different diameters of exercise balls to choose from, in centimeters: 45, 55, 65, 75 and 85 cm. They are each designed to fit a certain body type. Your height is not the only determining factor in terms of ball size; your weight and body composition are also considerations.

Be sure the various balls are inflated and available for you to test before purchase. Sit upright on the ball, ensure that your feet are flat on the floor and that your weight is evenly distributed. Your knees should be level with your pelvis, or just slightly lower. This position is key because you want an angle of 90 or greater at the knees and hips, to avoid stressing either of these pivot points. Your ears, shoulders and pelvis should form a vertical line, without your body leaning in any direction to maintain stability. You can check this alignment by gently bouncing up and down.

In general, people 5’ and shorter do best with the 45 cm balls, and people 6’8” and taller do best with the 85 cm balls. If you are heavier than average, you will compress the ball further when sitting on it. Therefore you should consider buying the next ball size up in order to ensure you have the 90-degree angle or greater for your knees and hips.

Also remember that you can adjust the ball somewhat yourself. For example, if the angle of your hips and knees is much greater than 90 degrees, you can deflate the ball a little. This can be useful if you are out of shape and/or new to using an exercise ball, as the flatter ball will be more stable and easier to use. However if you are in better shape or are more experienced with exercise balls, a flatter ball will be less effective at training your back muscles to improve their balancing and stabilizing abilities. If you initially buy a ball and deflate it, you can always add more air later to increase the difficulty level and train your muscles further. 


About the Author:

Dr. Matt Ramirez is a Chiropractor in Salt Lake City who specializes in auto accident injury recovery and rehabilitation and has enhanced and improved thousands of lives as well as treated people of all ages over the years. He is also an expert in health and wellness, massage therapy, chiropractic care, and more...

Thursday 14 February 2013

What is Spinal Decompression Therapy?




Spinal decompression therapy is a treatment option for people with long-term back pain, sciatica, leg pain, degenerative disc disease, herniated discs, numbness and other conditions that have not responded to initial treatments such as manipulation and physical therapy. All of these conditions may be the result of compressive forces on your vertebrae, which can cause spinal misalignment and compressed discs.

Compressed discs can lead to herniation or bulging of the discs, thus pressure on the nerves. In addition to the pressure and compression, the nerve itself may not be able to receive the nutrients it needs to heal and work properly.  Often, surgery is used to decompress the spine, which is invasive, painful, and carries significant risks. Medications to reduce pain are also often used, but they do not treat the source of the pain and only mask it.

Spinal decompression therapy is a non-invasive, non-surgical alternative that offers gentle spinal decompression through the use of specially designed, FDA-approved equipment. Prior to treatment, patients are thoroughly examined both manually and through the use of imaging technology in order to determine which spinal discs are compressed, and if the treatment is suitable and has a high likelihood of success.

Patients are placed on a decompression table in a comfortable posture that depends on which area of the back needs treatment.  The treatment applies a specific force to the compressed discs, and a computer alternates the decompression force with relaxation periods. Usually, there is a series of 15 one-minute alternating decompression and relaxation cycles, for an individual treatment time of 30 minutes. This process serves to gently elongate the spine and to create a vacuum that pulls the disc back into its proper location and shape within the vertebrae. Realigning the discs in this manner can reduce pain and promote healing. However, it may take up to 20 treatments for complete relief.

Not everyone is a good candidate for spinal decompression therapy. Research has shown it to be very effective for some patients but not for others, and it is not entirely clear which people it will work best on. Therefore, it is important to work carefully with your Murray Utah chiropractor to be sure you have a good chance of successful treatment. Your chiropractor may precede each treatment with soft tissue muscle work to reduce the body’s natural reflex reaction and prepare the muscles for the traction forces. He or she will also work with other health professionals as needed to determine the precise nature of your back pain and the type of treatments that are most likely to resolve your pain at its source. 

Wednesday 6 February 2013

Chiropractic for Upper Back Pain



While lower back pain seems to get all the attention, upper back pain is increasingly a problem, especially with more people spending time working at a computer, which often leads to bad posture if the computer is not ergonomically adjusted. Seeing someone hunched over a laptop is a common sight these days. It can also be caused by an acute trauma to the neck, such as whiplash from an auto accident. Chiropractic care can be a useful tool for this type of pain.

Also called thoracic back pain, upper back pain can either develop slowly over a few days or weeks, or may appear quickly as the result of an injury. You may first notice stiffness and aching between the shoulder blades or dull pain extending across your shoulders, which can become gradually more painful as time goes on. As the muscles and vertebrae of the upper back and neck are so closely connected, you may also feel neck pain and stiffness. This condition can make it difficult to move normally while doing daily tasks, and even make it difficult to sleep or roll over in bed.

Upper back pain may be caused by stress, tension and bad posture, or possibly may be related to arthritis, a disc injury or rib joint dysfunction. Both emotional stress, such as problems with job, finances or family, and physical stress due to a bad diet, lack of exercise or environmental pollutants, can contribute to this type of pain. As the thoracic part of the spine is designed primarily to create stability in the trunk, upper back pain is less commonly caused by degenerative disc diseases such as scoliosis, and is more usually due to muscle strain and tension causing pain and a slight dislocation of the vertebrae.

While anti-inflammatory medications or other pain relievers may be used to help relieve pain in the upper back, they do not address the underlying cause of the pain, which could lead to it becoming chronic. A chiropractor can treat the cause in a safe, comfortable way.

Your pain may be caused by a chiropractic subluxation, which is when one of your vertebrae becomes slightly out of alignment due to muscle tension or stress, putting pressure on a nerve. A chiropractic adjustment can realign your vertebrae, alleviating the pain. A certified chiropractor can treat the muscle strain and/or joint dysfunction that leads to upper back pain, and will work with you to develop an effective treatment strategy targeted to your specific needs, which may involve chiropractic adjustments and suggestions for changes in diet and exercise.

Tuesday 5 February 2013

Benefits of Vitamin K1



Of the three K vitamins, vitamin K1 (phytonadione) is the one we get from plant foods, and is the most important one for proper coagulation of the blood (or “Koagulation” in German, which is the origin of vitamin “K”). Without vitamin K we would eventually bleed to death from any small wound or bruise. It may also help prevent both osteoporosis and atherosclerosis.  It plays a role in reducing inflammation and regulating cell growth.

Consumption of vitamin K may also reduce your risk of contracting non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A study conducted by researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that those who had the highest intake of Vitamin K1 had the lowest risk of contracting the disease, slashing their risk by 45 percent.

Vitamin K1 is associated with higher bone mineral density, and thus is helpful in preventing osteoporosis and reducing the rate of bone fractures. It also reduces calcium buildup in the arteries, protecting against atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries.

Though deficiency in vitamin k is uncommon, newborn infants, people who are malnourished or those who suffer from alcoholism are at the greatest risk of deficiency. Also, as absorption of vitamin K (and all other fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, E and D) depends on bile, those who have had their gallbladder removed may be at risk of developing a vitamin K deficiency. Some signs of deficiency are easy bruising, increased menstrual bleeding, nosebleeds, bleeding gums and blood in the urine.

It is a fat-soluble vitamin, and the best sources of it can be found in such green leafy vegetables as kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, broccoli, spinach, brussels sprouts, lettuce and parsley. It can also be found in vegetable oils, potatoes, tomatoes, oats and asparagus. 


Author Bio:

Dr. Matt Ramirez graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Human Biology in 2004 and received his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree in 2006. He specializes in auto injury recovery and rehabilitation and has enhanced and improved thousands of lives as well as treated people of all ages over the years. He is also an expert in health and wellness, massage therapy, chiropractic care, and more...

Monday 4 February 2013

What is “Normal” Blood Pressure?



Your blood pressure can change on a regular basis, depending on what you are doing, your diet, temperature, overall health, level of stress and the medications you may be taking. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a common problem these days, though hypotension (low blood pressure) can sometimes cause problems too. So just what is considered “normal” in terms of blood pressure?

Blood pressure is the measure of force on the body’s arterial walls as the heart pushes blood through the body. The amount of blood being pumped, in addition to how large and flexible your arteries are, determines your blood pressure. Two measurements are responsible for determining your blood pressure: systolic pressure and diastolic pressure.

Systolic pressure is the measure of pressure in your arteries when your heart contracts, and diastolic pressure is the pressure measured when the heart is at rest. The accepted measurement of “normal” blood pressure is considered a systolic measurement just below 120, and a diastolic measurement just under 80 (written as 120/80). Anyone with a measurement higher than that, but below 140/90, has pre-hypertension or “high-normal,” and someone whose blood pressure is higher than 140/90 has hypertension. A measurement higher than 180/110 indicates a hypertensive crisis, and emergency care should be sought.

Though a person with blood pressure lower than 90/60 is considered to have hypotension (low blood pressure), in general, the lower your blood pressure the better. Low blood pressure is not considered a problem unless it is causing symptoms such as dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting, in which case a doctor should be consulted, as it may indicate dehydration or a more serious medical problem.

High blood pressure is the more common problem, as it makes the heart work harder and is damaging to the arteries, leading to a greater risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney disorders. Systolic pressure rises in many people as they age, due to the buildup of arterial plaque over time and stiffening of the arteries. About a third of American adults have high blood pressure.

One high reading in itself does not necessarily indicate that you have high blood pressure. For example, many people find that just visiting the doctor’s office is stressful, which temporarily raises their blood pressure while there and it falls back to normal levels once they leave. However, if either the systolic or diastolic reading remains high over a period of time, then treatment for high blood pressure will be necessary, which can involve changes in diet and lifestyle and/or medication.


Author Bio:

Dr. Matt Ramirez graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Human Biology in 2004 and received his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree in 2006. He specializes in auto injury recovery and rehabilitation and has enhanced and improved thousands of lives as well as treated people of all ages over the years. He is also an expert in health and wellness, massage therapy, chiropractic care, and more...