Benefits of Adding Algae to Your Diet

 

Blue-green algae (BGA) are among the most primitive life forms on earth and have been consumed as food or medicine by humans for centuries. BGA contain various bioactive components, such as phycocyanin, carotenoids, γ-linolenic acid, fibers, and plant sterols, which can promote optimal health in humans. They prevent against oxidative stress in the body, as well as the prevention of metabolic and inflammatory diseases. The two most common forms of blue-green algae readily found are chlorella (pictured above) and spirulina.  Chlorella is a nutrient-rich freshwater algae loaded with protein, fiber, and anti-oxidants.  Some benefits are detoxification of your gut, can help clear skin issues, remove dioxins from breast milk, aids in digestion, boosts your immune system, and improves cardiovascular health.  Chlorella is packed with B12, carotenoids, magnesium, zinc, potassium, omega-3's, and folic acid among many others.  A good quality chlorella should be made to not lose any of the nutrients and minerals in tact when the cell wall is broken.  We prefer Wuji Chlorella in our office as they have the highest standards for growing and producing their algae.  Chlorella can be found in tablet or powder form and is an easy addition to your daily diet.  Similarly, spirulina is a cyanobacteria superfood with many of the same properties of chlorella.  It contains B-vitamins, beta-carotene, protein, vitamin E, anti-oxidants, among many other nutrients.  It has been shown to boost energy, lower cholesterol, stimulates your immune system and its responses, decrease blood sugar spikes, and aids in weight loss.  Another big benefit of spirulina is reduction of allergy symptoms when you take it regularly.  What's even better is that there are limited to no negative side effects to taking algae, it is simply a food.  Visit Wuji Life to learn more about the amazing benefits of these two blue-green algae.  

Yours in health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

 

Chiropractic Care Shown to Help During Addiction Recovery

 

Overcoming addiction is a multi-step process that requires help and multi-faceted plan.  While it seems impossible, taking an approach to include non-traditional therapies have shown to aid in the recovery of addicts.  Therapies such as chiropractic, acupuncture, massage therapy, reiki, meditation, and yoga are just a few that healthcare professionals are starting to incorporate to help those suffering from addiction. When overcoming addiction, patients often find that anxiety and depression are factors for what led them down their path of addictive behavior.  While caring for your mental health during recovery, we also need to seek care for our physical health to move towards the healthiest self you can be.  A 2020 study showed how neurologically based chiropractic care can help those in addiction treatment.  It compared the difference in a group of male patients who underwent chiropractic treatment and those in a placebo group.  All patients were undergoing addiction treatment.  Depression and anxiety were assessed at the beginning and end of the 30-day study.  Results showed that there was a 97% improvement in depression and a 36% reduction in anxiety with a 100% retention rate in the patients undergoing chiropractic care during addiction treatment. In contrast, the placebo group had a 0% retention rate.  Showing that chiropractic can help improve the body's function at the core so that it is better able to deal with and process issues that present themselves.  Better function at the source is the result of removing interference to our neurological system!

Yours in health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

 

Vaden, C.D., DC, Holder, J.M., DC, DACACD, McCoy, M., MPH, DC, Sanders, J., DC & Holder, A.M., DC DACAD. (2020). P300 Wave Outcomes in Subluxation Based Chiropractic in Residential Addiction Treatment:A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. A. Vertebral Subluxation Res., 178-192.

 

Understanding the Emotional Side of a Physical Injury

 

While we understand how a physical injury impacts our body's way to move, function, and regulate itself, we often are focused on the short-term physical destruction and how to heal those issues.  We often overlook the long-term and emotional toll that an injury can leave behind.  Especially traumatic injuries can take a heavy toll on our emotional health without even realizing it.  Our body adapts to this stress acutely, and it often goes unnoticed that there are emotional issues that go unaddressed.  An interesting study conducted last year looked at traumatic injury patients at a level 1 trauma center that were assessed for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  Of the 200 patients assessed, 1 month after their injury 26 were diagnosed with PTSD.  The most common injury of these patients were road traffic injuries, and their mood and cognitions were negatively effected.  Bad memories and constant guarding along with tense posture were some of the symptoms reported.  However all 200 of the patients studied were found to have the same symptoms as those diagnosed with PTSD, just not as severe.  This highlights the body's way to adapt to acute stress, whether it be physical or emotional.  While the remaining 174 patients were not diagnosed with an emotional disorder, they still had significant issues that needed to be addressed.  While they may not be considered severe, over time a small amount of emotional stress will build and eventually have physical breakdown in the body.  We have three types of stress that we deal with:physical stress, emotional stress, and chemical stress.  In my office, I regularly have patients report feeling calmer, less anxious, and more energetic after chiropractic adjustments.  This is due to removing interference to the nervous system and allowing the body to better adapt to emotional stress.  While they may be seen initially for pain, it is common for them to feel better emotionally as well.  Sleep disturbances decrease, moods stabilize or increases, anxiety decreases, or even better is that for some they are actually able to relax after chiropractic adjustments.  Children especially see quick emotional responses to chiropractic care.  More often than not, we overlook or just don't realize that a physical injury has effected us on an emotional level.  We don't know why we feel a certain way.  This is because your body has "gotten used to" the physical injury and so we aren't connecting the physical with the emotional issues.  When we understand the relationship between physical trauma and emotional response to that physical injury we can better heal ourselves.  

 

Yours in health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

 

Agarwal, T. M., Muneer, M., Asim, M., Awad, M., Afzal, Y., Al-Thani, H., ...El-Menyar, A. (2020). Psychological trauma in different mechanisms of traumatic injury: A hospital-based cross-sectional study. Plos One, 15(11). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0242849 

How Your Neck Could be the Cause of Your Dizziness

 

New research is finding one root cause of dizziness...imbalances in your cervical spine (neck).  It is estimated that upwards of 30% of our population suffers regularly from dizzy spells.  Dizziness is a term used to describe a range of sensations, such as feeling faint, woozy, weak or unsteady. Dizziness that creates the false sense that you or your surroundings are spinning or moving is called vertigo.  These symptoms are not only scary to experience, they often hinder our daily lives and with extreme cases of dizziness can be debilitating. While there can be MANY causes for dizziness or vertigo, a 2020 study highlighted misalignments of the upper neck to be a cause of cervicogenic dizziness.  Cervicogenic dizziness is caused by functional issues in the cervical spine which inhibits normal movement of the muscles, ligaments, and receptors surrounding the vertebrae in the neck.  These abnormalities in the cervical spine have been known to be the cause of approximately 65% of dizziness in the elderly population.  A chiropractic adjustment can remove these misalignments to restore proper structure and therefore proper function of the nervous system.  Imagine having a kink in your garden hose.  Some water is still getting through, although it's not as strong or forceful as normal.  When you remove the kink in the hose, the water is able to flow freely without interference and function properly.  Dizziness is often a symptom that can go away immediately after an adjustment.  Finding the root cause of a symptom is of utmost importance to allow the body to function freely without interference.  

Yours in health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

 

Sung, Y. (2020). Upper cervical spine dysfunction and dizziness.  Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation, 16(5), 385-391. doi: https://doi.org/10.12965/jer.204612.306

Image courtesy of Cell*Axys 

Benefits of Garlic-It's Not Just for Cooking!

 

Garlic-by now you know it makes your food taste wonderful, and have probably even heard of people taking garlic supplements to boost their heart health.  However, did you know that garlic directly impacts your immune system?  Garlic has been proven to decrease the number of colds by 60%, and of those infected with the "common cold," garlic was discovered to reduce the length of symptoms by 70%!  This powerhouse food was often prescribed to combat a variety of illnesses before modern medicine.  Not only does it boost your immune system and prevent infection, garlic (and its sulfur compounds) have been proven to lower blood pressure, reduce fatigue, lowers total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels, increases antioxidant enzymes while lowering oxidative stress, decreases bone density loss, and detoxes heavy metals from the body.  Even elite athletes take garlic because of its ability to increase cardiac stamina and raises their peak heart rate giving them a higher exercise capacity.  

If getting more fresh garlic into your diet isn't feasible, try a high-quality garlic oil.  A normal garlic dosage for fresh garlic would be 2 cloves of garlic a day to boost your immune system and enjoy the many benefits of garlic as mentioned above.  You may also substitute 1-2 drops of garlic oil.  In our home, we often use garlic oil (found at most health stores) and put a few drops on the bottom of my kids' feet, place socks over top of their feet while they sleep.  The scent of garlic oil is very STRONG, so use caution.  It is of utmost importance to get a high quality garlic oil or garlic supplement without added fillers.  Garlic is a simple, inexpensive way to help boost your health and immune system function and is one of the oldest forms of medicine known to man.  

Yours in health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

Relief from TMJ

Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMJD) are caused by a dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and impact over 10million Americans yearly.  Commonly known as "lockjaw," TMJ causes pain and discomfort of the jaw as well as headaches, clicking of the jaw, ear pain, ringing in the ears, dizziness, unexplained tooth pain, grinding of the teeth, pain in the face and cheek, and muscle stiffness.  TMJ can also cause issues with the shoulders and neck including muscle soreness, loss of range of motion, and numbness or tingling in the hands and fingers.  When you open your mouth, the rounded upper ends of the mandible on each side of the jaw glide along the joint socket at the base of the skull. Then when you close your mouth they slide back to their original position. This is where many people with TMJ hear popping in their jaw.  While TMJD can be hard to approach in terms of care as they are often comprised of many factors, all of those factors have one thing in common: dysfunction occurs at the base level.  While many therapies focus solely on pain relief, such as needling, facial injections, and even surgery, one treatment focuses on removing the cause of  TMJD.  That treatment is specific cervical chiropractic adjustments.  By removing interference to the trigeminal nerve, the joint is able to move properly as well as release tension of the surrounding ligaments and muscles.  Have more questions about TMJ and other disorders of the jaw?  We can help.

Yours in health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

Keep Your Lymphatic System Moving

 As we enter into colder months where we are exposed to less sunlight and are more sedentary, our body needs to keep its lymphatic system clear and moving to avoid getting sick.  Our immune systems and lymphatic systems are directly related.  The lymphatic system helps defend the body against illness-causing germs, bacteria, viruses and fungi. The system builds immunity by making special white blood cells (called lymphocytes) that produce antibodies which are responsible for immune responses that defend against these diseases.  The lymphatic system is also responsible for removing excess fluid from our tissues, as well as absorbs fatty acids and subsequent transport of fat, (chyle), to the circulatory system.  Furthermore, our nervous system is in charge of sending the signals to the lymphatic system to properly function and fight off disease by making immune-responsive cells.  When our lymphatic system isn't draining properly, you may feel congestion, runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, headaches, sinus pressure, tender or swollen lymph nodes, and overall malaise or weakness.  It is important to help our lymphatic system function properly by helping it to drain so we don't feel these symptoms.  Look at the picture above to see just how many lymph nodes we have throughout the body!  Neurologically-based specific chiropractic adjustments help to keep our nervous system functioning properly to ensure direct communication to the lymphatic system.  Drinking extra water, percussion of the lymph nodes, exercise, detoxifying the gut, and soft tissue stimulation also can help the lymph nodes to drain in times of over-activity.  

 

Yours in health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com