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Best Foot Massage: Where?

By On · Add Comment · In bodywork, circulation, crystals, feet, foot dysfunction, foot massage, low back pain, myofascial release, orthotics, pedicurist, reflexology, stability
Anybody who has ever been under my care knows the importance I place on the feet.  As our foundation, the feet are directly connected to low back stability.  When foot dysfunction is present it can lead to low back pain, sciatica and even herniated disks.  But foot dysfunction is not only related  to low back issues, it can also cause conditions of the ankles, knees and hips.

It’s probably no surprise, then, that I recommend custom orthotics for anyone suffering from a foot dysfunction.  But when it comes to caring for the feet, there is much more than simply adding orthotic support.  Like all musculoskeletal regions, the feet benefit enormously from a good bit of rubbing and kneading from massage.

There is a theory that toxins build in the body, and can be carried through the circulation to the feet, thus making it important to periodically get one’s feet massaged.  By massaging the feet, the theory goes, built-up crystal deposits can be taken up by the veins, and removed through the kidneys.  As a result, organs corresponding to the massage or pressure points get a ‘reflex’ stimulation and, in turn, heal the body of various ailments.

Now whether this theory is true or not is debatable, but at the very least foot massage must accomplish what all myofascial release does: it enhances circulation, breaks up muscular adhesions, and frees up joints and muscles to allow greater movement, balance and stability.  But most satisfyingly, foot massage feels good, so it relaxes us and allows us to unwind.

I am such a believer in this type of bodywork, that I am now on a quest to find the best foot massages and techniques from around the world.  I am currently receiving foot massage from the Oasis Relax Spa in West Hollywood.  On a five point scale I would rate them a three.

Some pluses are:

  • hour-long foot massage
  • includes neck, back, face and scalp massage
  • great price ($25)
  • nice, clean and quiet facility
  • lots of parking
  • open daily and long hours: 10am-10pm

Some minuses are:

  • foot massage portion not as long as I’d like, but therapist skill can make difference here
  • English not first language hampers communication–sometimes problematic during instruction (on positioning, and so forth)
  • some variation in therapist skills (I’ve got my favorites and I’m not telling you–find your own!)
  • Don’t always have small bills for change–bring singles, or tip in $5’s and $10’s

I would like to ask all my readers to please tell me where you get your feet massaged, and it can be anywhere in the world.  I want to know the best places for foot health including reflexology practices, and even pedicurists, if they do foot massage.  Please leave your comments below, and tell me why you like your favorite foot massage place.  Let us all help each other to find the best foot massages worldwide, so we can be certain that no matter where we are, we can take care of our feet when the need arises.

Chiropractic Clients are Healthier

By On · Add Comment · In Body, bodywork, diet, health care services, health habits, healthy lifestyle behaviors, Obamacare, prescription drugs

http://www.drnickcampos.com/

When it comes to healthy lifestyle behaviors, regular bodywork is right up there with good diet and exercise.  And in the realm of bodywork, nothing beats chiropractic for keeping people healthy and full functioning throughout their lifetime.

According to a 2000 wellness study,

Chiropractic patients ages 65 and older who were under chiropractic care for five or more years experienced 50 percent fewer medical provider visits than their comparable peers and spent only 31 percent of the national average for health care services.  The health habits of patients receiving maintenance care were better overall than the general population, including decreased use of cigarettes and decreased use of prescription drugs.

I hope Obamacare bureaucrats are paying attention.

Black Swan+Chiropractic

By On · Add Comment · In athletes, ballet, Black Swan, bodywork, chiropractic, dance, dance injury, diaphragm spasm, foot adjustment, Natalie Portman, performance, physical therapy, professional dancers, sports chiropractor

Saw the film Black Swan last week (I know…I’m so December 2010), and it stimulated some thoughts on dance and chiropractic.  The latest thriller from one of my favorite film-makers, Darren Aronofski, is an outstanding piece on the human psyche under the self-imposed pressures of excellence.  But I’m not writing this as a film critique; instead, I want to talk about something that grabbed my attention immediately: the accurate portrayal of the physical demands of ballet, and interestingly, what the lead character, Nina, used to help her handle the rigors of her art–chiropractic!

Now let me start by saying that I could find nothing by googling “Black Swan+chiropractic,” making me wonder if I had just imagined what I saw.  But…well, I did see Natalie Portman‘s character, Nina Sayers, getting her spasmed diaphragm released, a favorite therapy among some chiropractors.  And, for sure, I saw her get her ankles and feet adjusted.  I know I did, because it is a regular service I provide for my Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and West Hollywood chiropractic clients…so it caught my eye.

It was a fast scene, split second, easy to miss.  But because it’s a treatment I do every day, I was like…“Wow!  A tibiotalar adjustment.  Cool!

But my exhaustive research brought up nothing.  Hmmm….Let me try, “Black Swan+physical therapy,” and…there…it…was…hidden right under my nose (on IMDB no less, du-uh-uh-uh!):

“Due to a twisted rib injury, Natalie Portman had to receive physical therapy during filming. According to the director Darren Aronofsky, Portman is actually undergoing a real physical therapy session in one scene with the actual physical therapist.”

OK, ok…physical therapist…performing chiropractic…something that profession, along with medicine, condemned as quackery only three decades ago.  Harumph…

Well I guess that doesn’t take away from the fact that professional dance is grueling–a sport, similar to basketball in the types of moves a performer makes; similar in the stresses placed on the body. Professional dancers need regular bodywork, and for many of them chiropractic is the choice.

In fact, dancers are the professional athletes that have gravitated to my office the most for sports chiropractic care.  When the dancer’s body aches or is acutely injured, nothing beats chiropractic to help him or her return to the stage.

I treat the dancers in my office with safe, effective chiropractic care.  Like other athletes, a professional dancer’s livelihood depends on his or her optimally functioning body.  Nothing supersedes chiropractic in helping the body heal, musculoskeletally.  Nothing.

Black Swan is a great movie–check it out.  But keep your eyes open for the chiropractic treatments performed by a physical therapist; and remember, ballet and all other dance forms require an optimally functioning body for optimal performance.  Chiropractic is the right choice for dancers to stay healthy and heal from any injuries sustained in their grueling art.

Dance…chiropractic…of course.

Fall Asleep

By On · Add Comment · In bodywork, chiropractor, elderly, exercise, falls, health, medications, meditation, sleep, women

You know how I feel about adequate sleep–I think it’s absolutely crucial. Not only does getting a proper amount do amazing things for your health, but not getting enough can be simply disastrous. Check out the latest findings from the California Pacific Research Institute in San Francisco: Women over 70 who get less than adequate sleep are more likely to fall; and falls cause fractures as well as some deaths.

According to the study, which followed 3,000 women over 7o for a number of years, women who slept no more than five hours per night were at the greatest risk of falling and seriously hurting themselves. They were, in fact, likely to have two or more falls a year. Women who slept between five and seven hours were the next most likely to fall, and they did 40% more than the best rested. The women who slept the most, over seven hours, had the least risk of falling.

Although the study looked at women solely, it is by no means a female phenomenon. Men are at the same types of risk when not rested, and in light of the numbers of older people falling every year, it’s something to think about. Many people have trouble sleeping that’s for sure. Every reason to take up regular exercise, meditation and get some regular bodywork in. Each one of these practices should help regulate the natural sleep cycle. And I also think very highly of melatonin supplementation. No, it’s not going to work immediately over night, but try it for a few weeks or months and I’ll bet it helps.

There’s nothing like a good night’s sleep, so if you aren’t getting yours it would be wise to make changes, no matter what your age. And if you are having sleep difficulties, speak to your doctor about any medications you are taking that might be contributing. Otherwise go to the gym, stay away from stimulants (coffee, cocaine) close to bedtime, meditate twice a day, and visit your local chiropractor–she might be able to help–and you should be catching proper z’s in no time. And when you finally do, you’ll find that your balance is as steady as a rock.

Flawed Paradigm or Religious Propoganda?

By On · Add Comment · In bodywork, diet, errors, exercise, health, health paradigm, healthy lifestyle habits, high blood pressure, mandatory, medical mistakes, proactive, religion, revolution, sleep, truth

I get most of my health news off the news wires like Reuters or Associated Press. For anyone not familiar with these news outlets, they provide stories for use by newspapers, radio and television programs and other media outlets. It comes over as a “just-the-facts” piece that other writers can use to create a story, which essentially leaves the writer to choose how the story is told without losing its essential meaning and information.

So, as you can probably tell, I have a blast getting these facts-only stories and sending them back out with what I consider a more realistic twist. I know that nobody reading this believes for a second that the information we get over traditional outlets is the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It’s not about being a born skeptic as much as it’s about having way too many experiences of being told one thing but seeing another that makes us question what we are told.

Take for example the latest news being reported in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, which says that people who take a proactive approach to their health may, in fact, be better informed, but by no means are they necessarily more healthy. Now, when I see opening words of this sort, along with the headline, “Involved” patients not always healthier, I get an immediate chuckle. I chuckle because I know that either, one: they are providing faulty information; or two: they are defining terms a little differently than I would. I know this because I read the health news every day. I know that studies pour out every week showing that a proactive approach of incorporating healthy lifestyle habits is, without a doubt, the number one beneficial thing people can do to ensure better health and a longer life. But, then, stories like this one come out and, well…they make me chuckle.

So, according to this study, 189 people with high blood pressure were observed: Those people who wanted a greater say in their health care tended to have higher blood pressure and cholesterol than the people who let their doctors have most of the control. Oy vey. And the conclusion of the research team was that, “merely being involved in health care decisions does not necessarily make patients healthier.”

Well no ship, Sherlock.

Here are the flaws with these conclusions: First, being proactive goes way beyond “being informed.” Could you imagine if we extrapolated that idea–that is, considering simply being informed the same as being proactive–to voting (I’m informed but I don’t vote), to our work life (I went to college but I prefer not to work), or to our finances (I know I should save, pay my taxes, and my bills…but I don’t). We can all appreciate that proactivity is taking action–in the realm of health it’s exercise, adopting a healthy diet, regular bodywork, getting enough sleep, and so on, and so forth.

The second flaw of this study is that they used high blood pressure–hardly a measure of health, and more accurately a measure of potential disease–as the health parameter. People who have high blood pressure are already on the verge of illness. Please. Aren’t they already doing something wrong or neglecting to do some things right? And these are the folks we should use as our reference point that “simply being informed doesn’t lead people to be healthier”? How amusing. I really could go on for hours about the absurdity of this notion.

Studies like this are an unfortunate relic of the old health paradigm that I am so proactively trying to get you to abandon. That paradigm says, health is a chance occurrence and is fleeting. In other words, illness is inevitable (I’ve got no argument there) and only through medical intervention can you hope to stand a chance of survival (this, however, is false). Obviously, that message is not presented so blatantly, but you’ll find it if you simply read between the lines.

And this is exactly how powerful institutions attempt to control you. Just ask any major religion outside of the Church of Medical Science and they’ll tell you: It all starts with brainwashing. You need us. We’ve saved hundreds of millions of lives, and we save millions more every year; we’re here to save you. This has been propagandized for years; nothing new there. But the next step is to tell you that you can’t make it without said religion. Don’t meddle when it comes to your health; we know what we’re doing; we know your health and your body better than you do, and we’re here to save you. That’s where we are now. The third step is mandating conformity. Mandatory treatments, mandatory inoculations, mandatory obedience. We’re just starting to get a glimpse of this practice now. Hang on, we should be seeing much more of this in the future.

Then the break occurs; the unfoldment of upheaval. It has happened in every major revolt in history, including the American Revolution. And now, we are in the midst of a health paradigm revolution. Damn, I feel like Thomas Paine!

Here’s the bottom line: people who take a proactive approach to their health and well-being stand an exceptionally high chance of having better health, period. Proactivity means, “acting in advance to deal with an expected difficulty.” Acting. Not just being informed. Big difference.

Although this study comes to one very true conclusion, that “studies have found that patients generally tend to do better when they agree with their doctors on how to manage their health problems.” This, however, is not the same thing as people taking a proactive approach to their health. For sure, it helps when doctor and patient are on the same page; however, I highly doubt that anyone sets out to deliberately challenge one’s doctor when one’s health is on the line. But in an era of medical mistakes, profiteering, and just plain incompetency, where 98,000 people a year die as a result of medical errors (not accidents, not natural acts, but mistakes)…then yeah, people will question. And that, in my opinion, is highly proactive.

Social Connections Help Surgical Outcomes

By On · Add Comment · In anxiety, bodywork, chiropractic, chiropractor, exercise, fitness, friends, maintenance, massage therapy, pain, social circles, social support, socially connected, surgery, well-being

No, no, no…this story is not about who you know, but about how large your social circle is. People who are heavily connected–those with lots of friends and strong family ties–do better before and after surgery, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. Socially connected people feel less pain and anxiety before going under the knife, and they spend fewer days in the hospital and use less pain meds following surgery than their more isolated peers.

The study looked at 605 patients at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor who underwent major surgery of the chest or abdominal area. The original study actually sought to determine the benefits of massage therapy on surgery patients, but also collected information on the subjects social support networks. They grouped people according to how many close friends and relatives they had, how often they saw them, and whether they attended a place of worship or other social function at least once a week. Participants with large social networks were less likely to exhibit anxiety or feel pain before the surgery or afterward, and required less opiate drugs. As an aside, the research team found that massage relieved pain equivalently to a 1 milligram dose of morphine.

Well, two thoughts here: First, I’m not surprised by these findings but am pleased that this sort of thing has finally been looked at. Far too little time is spent on the mental and emotional components of health and healing. I speak about the social connection aspect of achieving fitness in my upcoming book, The Six Keys To Optimal Health–it seems obvious to me: The more connected you are to others and society as a whole, the more your health will flourish. Further, exercising in groups of two or more does wonders, as people who take advantage of this connection tend to work out more often and push themselves a little harder.

The second thought has to do with the findings on massage. Let’s see, regular bodywork–working out the stresses and tensions of muscles, tendons, joints and ligaments–helps reduce pain? You don’t say? Not only is this one of the major premises of my book, nothing is more obvious to a chiropractor. That’s precisely why we get such great results in chiropractic offices helping people who are in pain; because everybody–and I mean everybody–needs regular maintenance care to work out the wear and tear that accumulates in the body from daily living. Just as a car needs its oil changed and its tires rotated regularly, the human body needs its own regular bodywork.

Bravo! Great study. Heed the results folks–your social life is important in more ways than one. It greatly enhances your mental and emotional well-being, it’s fun, and it positively affects your physical health. And regular bodywork is as good as a shot of narcotic. Whoa! Now that’s a party.

Final Fitness Update…Ever

By On · Add Comment · In blood test, body fat, bodywork, chiropractic, cholesterol, energy, exercise, fitness, handstands, HDL, LDL, optimal health, posture, shoulders, sleep, stretching, triglycerides, weight loss, yoga
OK, this is it; my final fitness update. It couldn’t come at a more opportune time as I have just turned 40 today. Woohoo! As my brother told me, I have officially entered an age where each year will seem to pass in six month increments. Woosh…

I made my proclamation to become Fit in 90 Days on September 5th, so officially, my run should have ended December 5th. I was vacationing in Palm Beach at that time, so I actually needed another 14 days; which is probably the amount of time throughout the whole endeavor that I did nothing. No worries, 90 days, 100 days, it’s all the same.

As I’ve been reporting, I tried to exercise (gym) three times a week. I did several private yoga sessions with an instructor, and fined tuned my practice, which I carried out faithfully every day (OK, nearly every day). That was huge. I resolved some fairly irritating muscular imbalances that were causing low back discomfort, and I also did quite a bit of work on my shoulders. My new yoga routine improved my posture. I feel the difference.

I kept a regular chiropractic regimen–very important with all the moving and stretching and lifting and hiking. A combination of yoga and chiropractic is powerful, indeed.

I followed a pretty solid nutritional program–ate more fresh fruits and vegetables, drank lots of water, and took my daily vitamins. As usual, I was diligent about taking my essential fatty acids and alpha lipoic acid, the powerful anti-oxidant.

I think the most profound health habit I adopted through all of this, though, was seriously minimizing my consumption of refined sugar (started November 8th). As I described in an earlier post, I had a brief roller coaster ride with regard to my energy levels, but that evened out. Once I got over that withdrawal stage, my energy skyrocketed. And I lost weight as a result. Before “no sugar,” I lost four pounds (to 163 lbs.); afterward, eight pounds (to 155 lbs.). Nice. So in total, I’ve lost twelve pounds. Twelve pounds in twelve weeks. Very healthy.

Let’s review my goals: I wanted to lower my weight by seven pounds–I beat that. I wanted to lower my body fat. Oops, forgot to check it for this update. Sorry. I wanted to do unassisted handstands–didn’t do it (remember what the Yogi said?) Wanted to run Runyon Canyon. Nope, didn’t do that either.

So, you might wonder, what did I accomplish then? In my mind, I just made my routine a regular habit; I really am happy with that. It’s not a cop out. What I want from a health regimen is improved or maintained health. What I really want is optimal health. Without a doubt, I’ve accomplished that. I know with complete certainty that by putting this kind of consistent and careful attention into my body, there is no other possible outcome to be had. But as serendipity has it, I happened to take a blood test as a part of a life insurance policy I was pursuing, and they were kind enough to send me the results. I normally don’t put too much stock into these tests, because, as I’ve said, I know that if I do the right things, I’ll have a good functioning and healthy body. But hey, I was happy to check it out; I mean, it is my physiology. Here are the results:

  • Cholesterol–217 mg/dl. Between 200-239 is considered borderline high.
  • Triglycerides–58 mg/dl. Anything under 150 is normal. Hmmm.
  • HDLs–68 mg/dl. Anything above 40 is desirable, above 60, very good.
  • LDLs–137 mg/dl. Should be under 160 if have only zero or one risk factors.
  • Chol/HDL ratio–3.20. A desirable ratio is under 5; optimum under 3.5. Booyah.

Remember, the amount of cholesterol is not nearly as important as the amount of HDLs in your blood, and even less important than the cholesterol/HDL ratio (read the post, here). So, as to not bore you, all the other test were good to optimal too. Yes, I love tests, especially when they work in my favor.

So what did I accomplish? I motivated myself to exercise, eat well, get regular bodywork, sleep, and focus on my health in a proactive manner. I feel better, have more energy, feel more rested, look better, and have less physical discomfort all around. And, hopefully, I’ve shown you that with a little planning, and a large commitment, you can create a better place for yourself physically. You can achieve optimal health if you want it.

Chiropractic Can Pevent Drug Addiction

By On · Add Comment · In abuse, acupuncture, alternative, bodywork, chiropractic, chronic pain, disease, drug addiction, dysfunction, healing, low back pain, massage, opioid drugs, OxyContin, Percocet
You heard right – that miraculous healing art called chiropractic can actually prevent drug addiction. Here’s how: According to a large study conducted at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, nearly four percent of chronic pain patients abuse opioid drugs, such as OxyContin or Percocet. The findings are relevant because these numbers suggest that chronic pain sufferers are four times more likely to abuse opioid drugs then people in the general population (3.8% to 0.9% respectively). Since many chronic pain sufferers report great results through regular chiropractic care, it stands to reason that utilizing this exceptional form of bodywork can lower the risks of opioid drug addiction.

When it comes to pain, it is important to remember one thing, the function of pain is to tell you something is wrong. Whether that something is a biomechanical dysfunction or the onset of an organic disease (cancer, heart disease, etc.), the pain response acts as a warning signal to let you know that a problem is present. It seems that chronic pain is becoming more and more looked upon as an entity unto itself, and being treated as such with powerful opioid drugs. No doubt that occasionally the system goes haywire and pain develops for no apparent physical reason; however, this is more the exception than the rule (and likely due to other chemical, hormonal, neurological or organic imbalances), and it would, therefore, be prudent to find and correct the cause than simply treat the symptom with dangerous pharmaceuticals.

Drugs are important. They help us get over humps that can act as obstacles to our healing. Case in point: I had an emergency appendectomy last summer and I don’t know what I would have done without a couple – OK, seven – shots of morphine. The pain associated with appendicitis is excruciating – I was literally bowled over – and the opioid medication allowed me to handle the 22 hour wait for surgery. So I’m all for the drugs, man. But when they are prescribed simply for chronic pain – most commonly low back pain – something is seriously wrong.

I can’t say that all chronic pain sufferers can be helped by chiropractic care, but I know through my own observations, that far too many neglect to give it a serious try. If they are not fixed within one or two visits, they quit. And off to the pain specialist for a dose of OxyContin – the easy route, since pain will be alleviated quickly, although only temporarily. And since opioids also feel good – that is, they get you high – it’s no surprise that many people would rather take these addictive drugs, than suffer through chiropractic care and ice therapy, which takes longer and requires more work and has a financial commitment.

Fortunately, more people are looking to complimentary and alternative (CAM) health practices like chiropractic care, massage and acupuncture, to help alleviate their physical problems. According to the study, 54% of subjects had used or were currently using chiropractic care to treat chronic pain. Some other notable characteristics of CAM users are:

  • adults between 35-49 years of age
  • college educated
  • incomes above $35,000
  • have a holistic orientation to health.

And I would add wiser, more attractive, funnier, and all around better people. But, hey, that’s just my humble opinion.

TEMPUR-PEDIC PILLOW GIVEAWAY

Congratulations to Laurie H. of Los Angeles for winning the Tempur-Pedic Comfort Pillow in our Independence Day Raffle. Laurie says she’s especially excited since her neck has been bothering her. Nothing a little chiropractic care and a nice soft pillow can’t resolve. Thanks everyone for playing.
D.C.

Start With the Basics – Health First

By On · Add Comment · In bodywork, Centers of Disease Control, exercising, health, health care system, health practices, health theory, magic bullet, medical doctors, mentally balanced, nutritious foods, rest, toxins

Our health care system is in a shambles – so says the director of the Centers of Disease Control, Dr. Julie Gerberding. Her solution: start from the ground up – train medical doctors in health theory and practice, and not just the treatment of diseases.

Bravo! I’ve been pushing this agenda for the last seven years. In fact, my upcoming book – The Six Keys To Optimal Health – runs precisely on that premise. It makes no sense to me to neglect basic health practices and hope that, in the future, a magic bullet will be waiting to save us. That’s a big fat fantasy. Dream on.

If you are not eating wholesome nutritious foods, not exercising regularly, not getting sufficient rest, not working out the stress and tension of your body with regular bodywork, not keeping mentally balanced, and regularly ingesting toxins – like prescription and over the counter medications, recreational drugs and cigarette smoke – then you’re flirtin’ with disaster. And…guess what? It’s going to continue to tax an already overloaded and overpriced medical system. Michael Moore can make 5,000 films and presidential candidates can campaign on the Universal Health Care platform till kingdom come – if the people of this country don’t start with the basics, then it ain’t gonna get any better – just worse. Nuff said.

Copyright © 2013 Dr. Nick Campos - All Rights Reserved.