SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER

16 Jan 2024

  SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER   The daylight hours are reduced, the skies are gray and it’s cold outside. You feel like staying in, you have no energy and feel like sleeping all the time. Are you feeling sad?  Some people call it the wintertime blues. Could you possibly have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?   WHAT IS SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER (SAD)?   Seasonal affective disorder can occur any time of year. SAD usually occurs during the fall and winter (it’s not the same as the holiday blues). Sometimes it’s called the winter blues. During the fall and winter, we have less daylight hours.  Less daylight hours can change chemicals in the.

Essential Oil Safety

18 Aug 2020
0 Comment

ESSENTIAL OIL SAFETY: Safety first!  There can be too much of a good thing.  Several recent headlines have reported people being injured by using essential oils. Essential oils are a good thing…when used correctly.  Do your research before using an essential oil because essential oils are more than a fragrance. These oils are highly concentrated, meaning that you do not need many drops. Several things you will need to consider before using an essential oil:  Health (allergies, pregnancy, cancer, pregnancy, etc.) Medications (blood thinners, etc.) People around you (they could be sensitive to the scents) Seizures (some of the stronger oils could trigger seizures) Going outside? (citrus-based essential oils can.

Cat Got Your Tongue?

26 May 2020
0 Comment

CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE? Ever get tongue-tied while speaking and someone asks you if the “cat got your tongue?”  Did you know that there is actually a condition called “tongue-tie?”  The official name for tongue-tie is ankyloglossia.  Ankyloglossia is when a short, thick, tight band of tissue (the lingual frenulum) limits tongue movement. Correct Tongue Position The tongue needs to be in a specific position in the mouth when we are not eating or speaking.  The correct resting position of the tongue is at the top of the mouth, about ½ inch behind the front teeth. Your entire tongue should be pressed against the roof of your mouth.  Your lips.

EAR PAIN FROM FACE MASKS

12 May 2020
0 Comment

  During this COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve heard so many people complaining of ear and head pain due to wearing face masks for long periods of time. One way to reduce ear pain is to not wrap the elastic around your ear. Connect the elastic strips together by some type of clip in the back of your head or wrap it around your hair. Many facial and scalp muscles connect in the area around the ear. By restricting movement of those muscles, it can cause a headache, earache or facial pain. You may not be able to limit the amount of time that you need to wear a face mask, but.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

22 Oct 2017
0 Comment

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  One in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.  Approximately 85% of women have no family history of breast cancer.  Breast self exams and mammography are two ways to identify changes in breast tissue and diagnose breast cancer. Breast thermography is another way to identify breast cancer cells before they divide and multiply.  Thermography can identify changes in breast tissue before Stage 0.  This test is painless (no compression), with no radiation and is reviewed by a nationally acclaimed interventional radiologist. Consider having a breast thermogram in addition to self exams and mammograms.  The thermogram is an “adjunctive test and does not replace.

ALIGN THE SPINE

24 Jan 2017
0 Comment

ALIGN THE SPINE Vertebrae are more than just bones that prevent you from turning into a pile of goo.   They protect the spinal cord.  Nerves come out from the vertebrae and innervate various parts of the body.  Muscles, tendons and ligaments also connect with the spine.   If the spine is out of alignment, the vertebrae (1)  can pinch the spinal cord and reduce the cerebrospinal fluid from flowing smoothing (2) can pinch the eight cervical nerves, which can send pain signals down to the fingers and toes and (3) can also cause problems with muscles, ligaments and tendons. In this Align the Spine series, we will discuss the.

Personal Summers

14 Nov 2016
0 Comment

Personal Summers We can laugh at personal summers or hot flashes…unless you’re in the middle of an intense heatwave yourself.   They can be awkward or downright embarrassing.   Is there a way to prevent or minimize hot flashes? First, talk with your OB/GYN about your symptoms.  The symptoms may or may not be related to menopause.  There is relief out there! Second, take a look at different things that can cause you to become hotter than usual. Food – Carbohydrates and sugars increase your body temperature.  By reducing your carbohydrate and sugar intake, you can keep your body temperature at a comfortable level.   Eating a high carbohydrate meal.

Sleep Soundly

30 May 2016
0 Comment

SLEEP SOUNDLY Our nervous system consists of the Central Nervous System and Peripheral Nervous System.   The Peripheral Nervous System is divided into the somatic, autonomic and enteric nervous systems. The Autonomic Nervous System is subdivided into the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems. The Sympathetic Nervous System is related to fight-or-flight. When this fight-or-flight system is engaged, bodily functions like digestion slow down, but your blood pressure and heart rate increase. The Parasympathetic Nervous System is associated with relaxation, rest-and-digest, and gives the body a chance to recuperate from the Sympathetic Nervous System activities, and bodily functions like digestion speed up. So what does the nervous system have to do with.

Mulch Madness

31 Mar 2016
0 Comment

Spring has sprung The flowers exclaim! The leaves are young, Grass needs to be tamed. Hours of yardwork Are waiting for you. Muscles may smirk From all that you do!   As the temperature gets warmer and we start shedding our layers of clothing, we start planning various backyard adventures.   Unfortunately, many of us have been sedentary over the winter months.   We may be tempted to participate in a marathon backyard weekend project, which usually leads to a doctor’s visit the following Monday.   Tips for a pain and injury-free project: Hydrate before starting your project. Warm up muscles. Stretch muscles. Pace yourself doing the task.  Make frequent and lighter.

GOT KNOTS?

16 Feb 2016
0 Comment

GOT KNOTS? February 15, 2016 PROBLEM:   I’ve got knots/lumps in my muscles. WHAT KNOTS ARE NOT:  At one time, it was thought that knots were from a build-up of lactic acid (lactic acidosis).  Lactic acidosis is a result of intense exercise.  When you exercise, your body uses oxygen to break down glucose for energy.  During vigorous and extended activity (i.e. running a marathon), enough oxygen may not be available.  When oxygen levels drop, the body metabolizes glucose anaerobically for energy, leading to lactate formation.   Normally the body processes out the lactate quickly, but under extreme conditions, lactate may build up.    (Sometimes lactic acidosis can be a side effect of medication.

Click to View the Areas We Serve

East Rockingham County, Virginia: Elkton (22827), McGaheysville (22840), Massanutten (22840, 22827), Cross Keys (22841), Mount Crawford (22841), Keezletown (22832), Penn Laird (22846), Massanetta Springs (22801), Pleasant Valley (22848), Harrisonburg (22801, 22802, 22803, 22807), and the surrounding areas.