by Admin | Dec 27, 2017 | Uncategorized
With New Years right around the corner, we want to wish you a very happy new year! This time of year is when everyone begins to evaluate how they performed over the past year. What they did good, what they didn’t do so well in. Whether you were the person who out did your personal best, or you’re the person who needs to level up next year, this is the time most people decide to make a change. I’d like to propose a different perspective when it comes to the new year’s resolutions. Instead of waiting until the new year to re-design your life and where you’re going with it, do it during the year…multiple times. The more times we take advantage of assessing where we are and where we want to go, the more likely it is that we will reach our goals. Think about any successful business. They’re successful because they plan their year in advance. They know what heights they want to reach, what obstacles may be in their way and they constantly re-evaluate. If you’re not taking the time to evaluate your status, process obstacles and hang-ups, and come up with a plan on how to move forward, then you aren’t going to be as successful as you’d like to be. The approach of just seeing what happens is similar to throwing a bunch of spaghetti against a wall and seeing what sticks. The more precise and calculated your steps are, the more likely you will become what you’re looking to create. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, eat better, or be kinder…assess where you’ve...
by Admin | Dec 22, 2017 | Uncategorized
We live in a bubble. Our day consists of waking up, eating, going to work, coming back home, going to bed, and doing it all over the next day. When we live in a constant cycle which is the majority of humans, it can become difficult to see outside of ourselves. We get consumed with the daily minutia that fills our lives and have very little concern for what else is going on around us. Living in America, it’s very easy to fall into this trap with such a huge emphasis put on work, monetary success, and material things. Unfortunately, when we’re stuck in our daily cycle, we don’t have the chance to see what’s going on outside. We often miss the present moment and what the rest of the world is up to. Living consciously is a principle that we value at Hands For Life. It allows us to be in the moment more, and enjoy life. Not just become a slave to the process. When we serve the impoverished communities, our focus is with them, not with our daily tasks and duties. When we get out of our bubble and into the present moment, our lives take on a different meaning. No matter our situation, we still have the opportunity to be in the present moment where there is no worry, fear, or frustration. It simply just is. As the holidays approach, there will be plenty of time to spend with loved ones and family. If we spend our time worrying about the future or past, that time will be wasted. On the contrary, if we stay...
by Admin | Dec 15, 2017 | Uncategorized
Christmas is a great time to be around friends and family, receive gifts and have fun. It’s also a great time to pause and reflect about what we’re thankful for, how we’ve treated others, what kind of person we’ve been this year. In America, we have a tradition of receiving gifts on Christmas. It’s a great time for children and adults. However, a lot of the value in celebrating this holiday can get lost for this very reason. Regardless if it’s a birthday or Christmas, receiving a material gift gives us a very strong emotional response in our brain. However, this response is fleeting. It never stays. Once we’ve had our pleasure and moment of excitement, the feeling begins to fade. Eventually, it fades so much that it’s almost as if we never received a gift at all. This leaves us feeling empty and craving more. The cycle can turn into a negative loop that only tends to get worse if no intervention is made. This can lead to lots of spoiled kids and adults ☺. Giving is different than receiving. Sure, you don’t get the thrill of opening a surprise that is meant specifically for your enjoyment. Instead, you get the gift of seeing your present light up another’s life. If we all spent a little more time on giving this year, we’d have a better world, and a better life. This is exactly why we started Hands For Life. We saw the need and importance for chiropractic care around the world. Not just in our city. Also, we understood there was a significant financial barrier in third...
by Admin | Dec 8, 2017 | Uncategorized
This week’s blog is going to piggyback off the last post on fascia. As a recap, fascia is the outer layer that surrounds muscle tissue. It holds everything together. The importance of muscle goes without saying, but its ability to shift the spine out of neutral is the main concern for us as chiropractors. Fascia holds a significant amount of responsibility when it comes to the tone and flexibility of muscles. Tight fascia can pull muscles, and therefore, structure out of its normal alignment. So what are some ways we can reduce the facial tension in the body? First, and easiest way to do this is by drinking more water. Most people aren’t getting enough of it. The more dehydrated you are, the more tension will be found in your fascia and muscle. The best thing we can do for our comfort levels and muscle is to stay very hydrated. Another step you can take is by getting movement each day. Exercise is important for all physiological processes in the body to work correctly. However, without movement, muscle begins to tighten and become less compliant. What can you do to avoid this downfall? Move! Move every joint, multiple times every single day. This will help keep muscle and fascia hydrated, full of nutrients from the blood and happy. Finally, utilizing mobility exercises can be great for breaking down specific areas of fascial/muscle tightness. It’s helpful to have a few tools to get the job done. These tools include: -Foam Roller -Lacrosse Ball Most people who don’t have access to massage daily or weekly can use these items to break...
by Admin | Dec 1, 2017 | Uncategorized
Great question, and one that’s becoming more and more common for people looking to achieve optimum health. Before we get into the details, let’s explain why we’re discussing fascia. The reason it’s so critical to us from a chiropractic standpoint is because of its role in keeping the structure of your spine and nervous system functioning at a high level. Fascia can affect your spine in a negative way if not handled properly. When this happens, pain, discomfort, and other symptoms can be the result. Fascia is the outside layer that covers your muscle tissue. For many years, scientists thought the only purpose of fascia was to hold the muscle tissue together. However, in recent decades more has been discovered about the important role fascia plays in our health and function. Whenever someone feels pain or discomfort, the fascia could be a contributing factor. This happens for a variety of reasons: -dehydration -improper movement/posture -mental/emotional stress -etc. Dehydration can cause the fascia to clump up. When this happens, instead of sliding with little resistance every time we move, like it should…the fascia stays stuck in place and causes us pain and stiffness. Improper movement can cause fascia to be over-worked in some areas, and under-worked in others. This imbalance over time can lead to pain, stiffness, and loss of flexibility. Our emotions are also intimately tied to how our bodies function and perform during the day. When we’re stressed, overburdened, frustrated, fatigued, worried, fearful, or angry these emotions will cause a stress response in the body that results in hormones being released that tighten muscle tissue and fascia down....
