Find the Right Pillow for a Healthier Night’s Sleep

Sleepless in America?

For more than one in three Americans, getting a good night’s sleep isn’t as easy you might think. According to a recent poll by the National Sleep Foundation[1], a combination of daily stress and lifestyle choices (including nighttime activities as well as eating and exercise habits) is causing more than a third of the U.S. population to get fewer hours of sleep than they need. Not surprisingly, the same proportion report that sleepiness has in some way affected their quality of life.

 The Long-Term Prescription for Quality Sleep.

Many studies have focused on the time we devote (or don’t devote) to sleep. However, a good night’s sleep is about more than just quantity. It’s also about quality. If you’re sleeping poorly, experts point out that developing a sensible routine and avoiding certain behaviors around bedtime can improve your chances of falling asleep quickly and sleeping soundly through the night. Here are a few of their suggestions:

· Go to bed at the same time each evening and wake up at the same time each morning.

· Exercise regularly but avoid increasing your heart rate within two or three hours of bedtime.

· Eat dinner early enough in the evening so that digestion doesn’t interfere with bedtime.

· Drink plenty or water but avoid drinking hot or cold liquids before or after bedtime.

· Reduce or eliminate caffeine and other stimulants in your diet.

· Sleep on your back and/or your side. Don’t sleep on your stomach!

When it Comes to Sleep, Little Things Matter More Than You Might Think.

And They Add Up.

While finding more effective ways to manage stress and making adjustments to your lifestyle can take some time, there are several “little” things you can do right away that may improve the quantity and quality of sleep you get. These things focus on your sleeping environment itself:

· Make your room is as dark as possible at bedtime.

· Reduce background noise.

· Keep your bedroom at a cool, comfortable temperature.

· Sleep on an appropriate mattress.

· Choose the right pillow.

 Is Your Pillow Doing Its Job?

Let’s face it. You probably don’t give a lot of thought to the pillow you sleep on. And you probably didn’t give your pillow much thought when you purchased it either. The truth is that most people don’t. It’s not unusual for a person (or a couple) to spend thousands of dollars on a high-quality mattress but then buy pillows that don’t support the head and neck properly. That’s because—while they understand that sleeping on the wrong mattress can quickly lead to a backache—they aren’t aware that poor alignment of the neck and upper back during sleep can lead to other, more subtle problems that they may not associate with the spine.

If a person’s head is supported by the pillow at a level that’s either too high or too low relative to the rest of the body, the neck and upper back can be placed under stress. Similar stress can also occur if their upper back is not supported along with the neck (so that the head tilts forward), or if the head is allowed to roll sideways when the person is sleeping on his or her back. Symptoms include snoring, insomnia and waking up with a headache, stiff neck or numbness in the arms and hands. If you’re experiencing these sorts of symptoms, you may be sleeping on the wrong pillow.

 What Makes a Pillow “Right”?

Choosing a pillow is a very personal decision. The pillow that’s right for someone else may not be right for you. Nevertheless, we’ve provided some basic guidelines that will make it easier for you to choose the right one. The right pillow:

· Supports your head at the proper height whether you’re sleeping on your side or on your back.

· Supports both your head and neck in a neutral position while you’re sleeping on your side (Make sure there is no gap between the pillow and your neck!).

· Provides adequate support for both your neck and upper back while you’re sleeping on your back.

· Keeps your head tilted in the proper neutral position while you’re sleeping on your back.

· Prevents your head from rolling sideways while you’re sleeping on your back.

· Is easy to move on.

In general, you’re looking for a pillow that supports your neck, cushions your head and keeps your spine in alignment. It must be comfortable!

 Purchasing Tips

· Know what you like. Do you prefer a pillow that’s “bouncy” or one that can be “molded” to the shape of your head and neck? How “dense” do you like your pillow to feel? Is it important to you that the material “breathes” and offers good insulation from heat and cold? Maybe you prefer a pillow made of synthetic or hypo-allergenic material? The more clearly you can describe your preferences, the more likely it is that a knowledgeable salesperson will be able to help you find your ideal pillow.

· Don’t skimp. Like most things, pillows can differ a great deal in the quality of their construction and materials. They also (naturally) differ a great deal in their price. Buy a better quality pillow if you can, since they’re generally made of materials that will provide better support, comfort and durability. But keep in mind that the first priorities are comfort and function. Just because a pillow is expensive doesn’t mean it’s right for you.

· Take the time to “test drive” and compare. Many department stores, mattress retailers and specialty bedding shops will have sample pillows that you can try. If possible, follow the “Ten Minute Rule” and test drive pillows in your favorite sleeping positions. Remember—you and your pillow will be spending about eight hours together every night for several years, so it makes sense to choose wisely now.

· Avoid buying a matched set of pillows for yourself and your partner. Keep in mind that your partner probably needs a different pillow that you do.

 Get an Expert Opinion from the Doctor Who Understands Your Neck and Back Best

If you’re not sleeping as well as you used to, or if you’re waking up with a headache, stiff neck or numbness in your arms or hands, we invite you—and your pillow—to visit our office. At University Chiropractic, we understand that the way you sleep affects your health. And that your health affects the way you live your life. We have a special deal on a Water Based Pillow that you can modify to fit your spine & posture while you sleep.   Call today to get details or save yourself one before they are all gone. Sometimes a small thing (like a new pillow) can make a big difference!

Bibliography

(n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2011, from The Better Sleep Council: http://bettersleep.org/

CBS The Early Show. (2009, February 11). Purchasing the Right Pillow. Retrieved August 10, 2011, from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/06/19/earlyshow/main2947304.shtml

Gordon, S. J., Trott, P., & Grimmer, K. A. (2002). Waking cervical pain and stiffness, headache, scapular or arm pain: Gender and age effects. Australian Journal of Physiotherapy(48), 9-15.

National Sleep Foundation. (n.d.). 2010 Sleep in America Poll Summary of Findings. Retrieved August 10, 2011, from http://www.sleepfoundation.org/sites/default/files/nsaw/NSF%20Sleep%20in%20%20America%20Poll%20-%20Summary%20of%20Findings%20.pdf

Surgery or Chiropractic for Chronic Sciatica Sufferers?

Pain coming from compression or irritation of the sciatic nerve is called sciatica. Sciatica – which can include pain, tingling, numbness and muscle weakness – is really a symptom indicating an underlying problem, not a diagnosis in and of itself. This article will explore in detail the findings of a recent controlled study comparing spinal manipulation (chiropractic) and surgery for people whose sciatica did not respond to traditional medical treatment approaches.

The study discussed here was conducted by the National Spine Center in Alberta Canada and published in October of 2010 in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics[1]. The 40 study participants all had sciatica lasting over 3 months which had not responded to treatment with pain medications, lifestyle modifications, physical therapy, massage therapy or acupuncture. They had all been referred by their primary care physicians to spinal surgeons who had deemed them appropriate surgery candidates.

Instead of having all the patient proceed with surgery, they were split into two groups – one group to undergo a surgical microdiscectomy and the other group to be treated with standardized chiropractic spinal manipulation by a single chiropractor. (If not satisfied with the results they obtained from their assigned method, the patients were allowed to switch to the other treatment plan after 3 months.)

So what happened? Both groups made significant improvements over baseline scores – meaning that they saw noticeable improvements whereas previous approaches had failed. A full 60% of the study participants benefitted from chiropractic spinal manipulation to the SAME degree as if they underwent surgery. And, after 1 year there was no difference in outcome success based on the treatment method. That means that a full 60% of people referred for surgery by their primary care physicians and accepted as surgical candidates by the neurosurgeon could actually get similar results with chiropractic. That is a lot of potentially unnecessary cutting, anesthesia and ER time.

There is one paragraph in the results section of this study that is easy to overlook, but incredibly important. There were originally 120 candidates of which 60 met the study criteria and were asked to participate. Of these 60, 20 refused. Why? Because they had never been offered spinal manipulation as an alternative to surgery! They didn’t want to participate in the study and be randomly placed in the surgery group without first trying the spinal manipulation! This is incredibly telling. Not only does it demonstrate that there is still a lot of education about chiropractic that needs to happen among the public and among primary care providers, it also demonstrates that people understand the risks and costs of surgery and want to exhaust other possibilities first.

This was the first study to ever look at people who had failed traditional medical management of sciatica. Currently most patients that fail ‘conservative care’ are referred for a surgical evaluation. Now we know that 60% of these folks could avoid surgery and get similar long-term outcomes with chiropractic.

Please share this article with anyone considering surgery for sciatica.

[1] McMorland G, Suter E, Casha S, du Plessis SJ, Hurlbert RJ., Manipulation or microdiskectomy for sciatica? A prospective randomized clinical study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2010; Oct;33(8):576-84

The Role of Antioxidants in Good Health

Everyone has heard about the importance of a balanced diet for maintaining good health. Similarly, everyone knows that they should be getting exercise - or at the very least adding more activity into their days. Getting a good night's sleep is essential - without it, you'll find that your immune system starts to slack off a bit and you put yourself at a greater risk for catching a cold or coming down with the flu.

We all know what we should be doing, but let's be honest: very few of us eat a balanced diet all of the time. Many of us make the choice to take the elevator rather than the stairs and we try to find a parking place that's as close as possible to our destination rather than taking the opportunity to walk a little further. We also tend to let stress, work, social gatherings and more interfere with the amount of sleep that we're able to get each night.

When we don't go the extra mile to take care of ourselves, and when our immune systems start to falter because of it, we may not feel it right away. Soon, sluggishness starts creeping in. This sluggishness not only slows us down, it also ages us prematurely.

Fortunately, there's something that we can do to counteract some of these effects. We can maintain our vigor and reduce the risk of disease simply by adding antioxidants to our diet.
What are antioxidants? The simplest answer is that antioxidants are plant-derived compounds that help prevent and repair cellular damage. Vitamin C, Vitamin E, selenium, lycopene and resveratrol are all examples of antioxidants that are found in fruits and vegetables. By making an effort to add antioxidants to our diet, we can slow the cellular damage that leads to disease.

Antioxidants are, in effect, sponges that soak up the free radicals in our systems. Excess free radicals are generated by the less healthy foods that we eat, alcohol that we drink, smoke that we're exposed, and stress that we endure.

Free radicals damage our DNA and other cellular structures at the molecular level. Antioxidants roam around the body inactivating the free radicals and also assisting in damage repair. Damage that isn’t repaired can cause a cell to die, malfunction or replicate uncontrollably (such as in a tumor).

You can fight back against free radicals by adding a lot more fruits and vegetables to your diet. But most of us need to supplement our diets even though our diets are good.  In todays farming processes most, if not all, of our produce is picked too early (not when ripe, full of phytonutrients) & sprayed with pesticides and herbicides.  The best supplement we have found on the market is OPC-3.  Click on this link to find out more information or call our office, University Chiropractic, 919-493-1940 to ask questions.

Below is a post from a colleague of mine that I thought would be of interest to many people looking for an alternative to the medical paradigm. I welcome questions and comments.

Pro-Vaccine Immunologist Admits a Shocking Truth About Vaccines

 For several years, until April of this year, I had been lecturing nationally to health professionals about the great vaccine hoax. Attending one such seminar was a board member of an association of health professionals, who invited me to speak on this subject at their national conference. I did, and had 90 minutes to present the most salient points from my 12-hour seminar. It caused quite a stir, and several clinicians thanked me for having the courage to speak the truth about this controversial subject.

Later that day, I sat on a panel of four experts to answer questions from conference attendees. Many of the questions were directed at the PhD immunologist on the panel, asking if the statements I had made in the morning presentation were true. To my surprise, the immunologist confirmed every assertion I had made.

The first was that it is pointless to administer drugs intended to stimulate antibody production to babies who are too young to produce antibodies. Infants in their first year mostly depend on generalized, non-specific immunity, including (hopefully) immunoglobulins from breast milk, to protect their young bodies from infection. They do not produce antibodies of their own until about age one. Despite this basic fact, the medical establishment insists administering a total of 19 shots, containing 24 vaccines, to infants on the 2, 4 and 6 month pediatric visits (Source: cdc.gov). Somehow, the basic facts of human physiology and development do not apply to vaccines.

 Below is a transcript of a conversation/ interview of an exchange between an attendee and the immunologist about this question. She declined to be identified in my presentations, including this post, perhaps because she knows that anyone who speaks the truth about vaccines is savaged by the medical establishment and their compliant lapdogs in the mainstream media. It is professional suicide for anyone in conventional medicine to question the unquestionable (yet unproven) assumptions about vaccines: that they are effective, safe and necessary. I have stopped lecturing publicly on this subject for the same reason, because the attacks in recent years have become particularly vicious; and because my main message in my teachings is about personal responsibility, innate wholeness and opening to the largeness of who we are, not just vaccines.

 Here’s the transcript of this shocking exchange:

Q. So the science seems fairly clear that for the first year of life, probably, that the immunization is not stimulating the kind of response we expect it to stimulate.

A. True.

Q. So what’s the rationale for continuing to do that if it’s not doing what it’s supposed to be [doing]?

A. The vaccines are given at pediatric wellness visits, and the idea is that you are training the parent to bring their child in at all the pediatric wellness visits, and that it’s only the year visit that actually is truly important. But that for most parents you are not going to get them to bring their kid in if they don’t come in at two months, four months, and six months. And so it’s actually more of a training thing.

It’s interesting, I was on the phone with [?] county public health last week, with one of their vaccine nurses. She was like, ‘Oh, you’re talking about vaccines? Make sure you tell them they have to do that year shot because the first three [the 2, 4 and 6 month shots] don’t work.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I know.’ [laughter].

 Now, the person speaking here is not some kid with a blog. This is an impeccably-credentialed, pro-vaccine PhD immunologist. She knows more about the detailed intracies of human immunology than I ever will. I have great respect for her, and her decades of dedicated work in this field. And I was so glad I was sitting right next to her as she confirmed what I and others have been saying for years.

 Let’s muster the courage to question the Unquestionable Vaccine Assumptions, and ask, “Are they effective? Are they safe? Are they necessary?” The best, most rigorous science we have says “No,” or, at least, “We don’t know,” to all three questions. And clear, independent thinking about it generally concludes that vaccines are about profit, not health. I’ve had a natural family health practice for 21 years, and have never told a parent not to vaccinate their kids. That’s a personal decision. Bottom line: ask the tough questions, find your own answers, and decide for yourself. Our future is at stake.

 thanks for reading, Dr Kirk