Previous Newsletter Articles      These articles have appeared in previous newsletters. They are full of insights and information to help you know how to take care of yourself. A Context For Healing (From A Perspective Of Wholeness) Spinal Care - What does that have to do with me? The Beauty and Simplicity of a Spinal Adjustment Children have spines and spinal problems, too! Greyhounds & Bulldogs Clean Air / Clean Water Deficiency and Toxicity Degeneration, Arthritis and Inflammation What Can I Do To Help My Correction Stabilize? Colds & Flu Flu Vaccine Myth Breast to Bowel: Introducing Baby’s First Foods Healthy Spines Is it really A.D.D? or ASC It takes some Adjusting John’s Story Summer Time - Time To Play Live Long, Prosper and Be Well Wellness & Aliveness (And the threat of the new antibiotics) Same Misalignment - Different symptoms Any Symptoms? Have Your Spine Checked first! Taking Care of Myself During the Holidays The Act of Grieving The Enemies of Progress - Ignorance, Prejudice and Superstition The Fallacy Of the Germ Theory Learn To Recognize The Warning Signs When Do I Need New X-rays? I’m Keeping my Spine Corrected, Why Am I Still Getting Sick? Back Packs…A.D.D., and Your Kid’s Future: More About Those Backpacks: Simple & Profound A CONTEXT FOR HEALING (FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF WHOLENESS)      Something that seems to be missing in health care these days is a picture big enough to determine the cause of health problems and what the appropriate care of the human body seems to be. Who has such a picture? What confusion! Can we evolve to spiritual beings and leave the body and the senses behind or do we need to be grounded by a body in this universe to comprehend the spirituality of life?      There is the physical body component of health somewhat determined by the genetics of the individual and is dependent on the elements of the earth necessary for the human to be whole physically (nutrition). Then, there is the emotional or energy body that's responsible for our senses, how we feel, how we relate to our environment and how we express our energy. The mental body or mind (our consciousness or unconsciousness that is aware of the processes of our life) is responsible for the cognition and apprehension of our processes. Our will gives the ability to make decisions or to alter them based on our rational observation of reality and how we think about it. Finally, there is our spirit (the spiritual body) which is our intuitive connection to the universe in ways that are not connected to our five senses.      In health care, there seems to be those that say that proper nutrition can cure all diseases. Then there are those that say medicine can cure all diseases. Then there are those that say that a spinal adjustment can cure all diseases, or acupuncture, or massage therapy, or psychotherapy, or going to the right church, and on and on. What an idea! All of these approaches have validity and at times that any one of them could be the answer to someone's condition!      We are physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual beings. At times, any one of these areas can be the cause of a symptom of a dis-ease process.      Lacking a spiritual connection can lead to a life of despair and loneliness causing sickness to move over into any of the other areas. Believing things that are not true (like drinking a fifth of Kentucky bourbon a day will not hurt you) can cause behavior that will cause emotional and physical complications and symptoms of a dis-ease (any life process not at ease).      Repressing painful feelings and expressing them as anger, resentment, spite, guilt, shame or even fear cause horrifying physical symptoms. Heart disease and cancer, the top two killers of our culture today may be emotional based diseases. These repressed feelings scramble our body energy patterns and some of us are in such constant need of having our body energy balanced to return to a state of health that we study and balance the chrakas, the meridians, the aural and etheric bodies. These therapeutic approaches have become a necessity in today's world.      I entered the world of chiropractic at age 17 when a chiropractor told me that a power of life flowed over the nervous system and it stopped when we died. When the spine mis-aligned it blocked this power to parts of the body and they got sick. Correcting the spine to a normal position sets this nerve power free and health returns. I immediately knew that was what I was called to do with my life.      Now, more than thirty years later and after twenty-five years of practice I know that this simple truth is still true. Miracles happen every day at the hands of chiropractors largely depending on the ability of the chiropractors to correct spines. I have witnessed almost every disease respond positively to a spinal adjustment. Sometimes the disease is the direct result of a spinal mis-alignment and it's correction results in a complete recovery. Sometimes the correction clears the nervous system and sets the nerve energy free which enables the body to deal more effectively with the condition.      My understanding of how the spine works now allows me to advocate lifetime spinal care to correct spinal mis-alignments and keep them corrected for as long as you live with as few adjustments as possible. Technology today allows the doctors in my office to make corrections that will last for months and years at a time. There is an initial recovery time where patients recover from years of the degenerative effects of spinal mis-alignments, but almost everyone finds relief in the first few minutes or few days.      It is hard for me to explain in words what an advantage it is to keep your nervous system clear by keeping your spine corrected. You see the nervous system is the master system of the human body: it is the foundation for the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies. It controls and regulates all of our physical functions. It allows us to sense or feel. It is the carrier of the impulses that allow us to comprehend, to think and to be aware. It allows us to relate to the world around us and connects us to the neocortex that allows us to develop the spiritual awareness and connection to our creator and to the universe created.      We must not deny the other areas of life that move us off center, which take us away from the life we were meant to live. We must integrate all of the aspects of ourselves to be whole or perhaps as whole as we are capable of being right now. Technology improves continuously to help us return to wholeness, physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Many of us in health care are becoming more aware of the need to examine all of the aspects of life and look for the appropriate tools to restore health and wholeness.      Good nutrition! A normally aligned spine! The release of stored and repressed painful feelings! The ability to change the mind when reality does not match the picture! The recognition and encouragement of the spiritual awareness in us all and the permission to express it! All these combined can create a vision for the twenty-first century for health care; a place for all of us as healers and those to be healed in an ever evolving and emerging transcendence as we comprehend our existence, ever changing, ever constant, a world of processes driven by the engine of pure love, the creative power of the universe. SPINAL CARE What does that have to do with me?      It is hard for me to imagine that I have been committed to chiropractic for thirty eight years. It was June, 1963 that I first knew of chiropractic and knew my destiny as a chiropractor. I still remember the conversation about a power of life that animates the human body, that flows over the nervous system and that spinal mis-alignments limit this power and that correcting the spine removes the interference and allows people to get well.      For me the practice of chiropractic is embedded in a philosophy. This philosophy of life and health has as its first principle the wonder of life and the wisdom of the body. The body always does what it has to do to take care of itself. Most of these processes are occurring unconsciously, below our conscious awareness. Unaware to us are the transmission of nerve impulses, the secretion of hormones, the circulation of the blood, the production of antibodies and the vast and unheralded chemical processes constantly maintaining our existence. Even more elusive are the processes of feelings and thoughts, and yet they are so natural, so normal to us that we rarely stop to consider their origins, actions and effects.      The second part of my philosophy encompasses the principle of interference. Its simple really, when something is not working, why not? What is keeping the body from doing what it needs to do? What is causing the pain? What is behind the illness or disease? What is interfering with the process? I maintain that most of the suffering that befalls us has at its core something interfering with the fundamental processes of life.      You may be asking “what does that have to do with me?” The answer is simple again really. By keeping your spine corrected you are living without a major interference in your life. The subluxated spine (the condition that forms the basis of my practice) interferes with the nervous system, the master control system of the body. The brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves comprise the system that controls and regulated all of the other systems of the body. Every movement we make is the action of a nerve from the brain. Every sensation we experience is registered by the nervous system. Everything we use to relate to the world outside of ourselves, including perception, learning, memory, spatial orientation, physical co-ordination, performance, behavior, and even the awareness that you are using to read this.      If your spine is subluxated you will eventually suffer from its physical effects or its neurological and physiological complications. You will also be more susceptible to injury and degeneration. You will have a more difficult time in prayer and meditation finding the God of your own understanding. Spinal care helps relieve suffering, serves as the foundation of a fitness or wellness program and enhances spiritual practices. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone realized the importance of keeping their spine corrected. The Beauty and Simplicity of a Spinal Adjustment      When John came in yesterday it seemed to be a routine visit, you see he had hurt his lower back a few months ago and when he lost his correction this time he had some low back pain (a new symptom of his mis-alignment). It wasn’t as bad as before, but John didn’t want it to get that bad again so he came in right away.      John first came fifteen years ago for a neck problem that resulted from football when he was a young man. Through the years John has been without the sinus problems and the occasional digestive problems and has felt better than most of the men his age and physical condition. Yesterday he was again touched by the remarkable results of a spinal adjustment and in his gratitude told me that he just wasn’t the same when he is out of adjustment. He tires out quicker. He doesn’t sleep as well. His relationships aren’t as good because he doesn’t have the patience for them. He doesn’t handle stress as well.      We talked about the principles of loosing a correction; about how most corrections are lost from fatigue and how to step out of the stress and leave it for awhile and then when ready to return to it. He knew he had lost this correction by taking on more than he could handle. In his gratitude he shared that over the years he had only found relief and the answers to his problems by having his spine checked and corrected when necessary.      There were times that John doubted our service and had X-rays taken by other Doctors and had various diagnoses for conditions. He had MRI’s to tell him how badly degenerated his spine and discs were and through it all the only relief and sense of being OK were found by a simple chiropractic adjustment. John’s own words were “you have virtually saved my life, if I had not have found the cause of my problem I would be addicted to alcohol or drugs or something to handle the pain and because of being unable to work I would have wound up in prison or worse.”      John’s story touched me very deeply. John understands the simplicity and the beauty of keeping his spine corrected and the profoundness of the complexity of all of the symptoms that result in the diseases that respond to a spinal correction. There is no replacement for John’s experience. No-one can change John’s mind.      Spinal misalignments, because they stress the central nervous system, affect us physically, but they also affect us emotionally, mentally and socially. It is such a simple and beautiful message. Dr. Hanson asked me why doesn’t everyone understand the way John does? Why do our patients leave their children at home to grow up with the same problems that they have?      I don’t know! But, if you are reading this please bring your whole family to have their spines checked for mis-alignments especially as you send your children back to school. Please, help us introduce this incredible service to as many people as you can.      This last week person after person has told me that when they are out of adjustment they feel like the world is bigger than they are and that they are smaller than their world is and, that after their spines are corrected they are once again bigger than their world. If for no other reason than to relate to our world in a more effective way, let’s keep our spines corrected for as long as we live. Children have spines and spinal problems, too      You know, we come with one, a spine that is. And the same injuries that have created the problems that we experience as an adult, many times started when we were children. The various traumas of birth, learning to walk, climbing trees, skating, skiing, sports, yeah - remember those things, that’s how it started. Those aches and pains, the physical limitations that slow us down later happened, often times, when we were young.      Infants who have a spinal misalignment are fussy; they are more susceptible to infections, digestive problems and altered sleeping patterns. The pressure on the nervous system from the misalignment creates a perception of “something’s wrong.” This perception of the outside world makes relating to the world and people difficult, and affects learning and development.      Children starting school with a spinal misalignment have a difficult time with the work and are either bored or have trouble focusing. We often hear that school is much easier after a child is adjusted.      There are other complications that come with certain misalignments in young children. Rather than the back pain, the complications are more nerve and function related. We have witnessed growing pains stopping, children no longer wetting the bed, asthma attacks stopping, seizures stopping and headaches and sinus infections disappearing.      Not all children have the symptoms when the spine is first misaligned; sometimes they develop much later, after years of progressive degeneration. It sure is smart to have children checked for the presence of a spinal misalignment to correct current or future problems that many of us have come to know, only too well.      In August we will set aside a special day to check your children and grandchildren, please bring them in for this special day. Give them a chance to have a life free of the symptoms and suffering that comes from spinal problems. Greyhounds & Bulldogs      Years ago there was a woman who paraded into my office in that sort of hands on her hips posture almost stomping her feet. She was a round faced woman, about five feet five, with a round plump body. She looked right at me and said: "Dr. Brooks I have been to lots of other doctors about my back pain who have told me to loose weight and I want you to know right now that some people are built like bull dogs and some people are built like greyhounds. I happen to be built like a bulldog, that is not my problem!"      I heard her. She was talking about her uniqueness and how much she had accepted herself. She was also talking about all of the other doctors who had not accepted her. She was a woman with a subluxated spine that needed to be corrected and then she would be free of her pain.      It always amazes me the number of patients that come to the office who have been told that there is this thing or that thing wrong with them and that it their fault that they are having the problems that they have. If they would have only been different, if they would have only lived differently. If you wouldn't have done that!      In our own life we can celebrate the diversity of our experiences, find our own uniqueness and expand our own aliveness. There is no place to get to, no final destiny where we will then finally be OK. We are OK where we are just as we are. Our lives need to be lived, experienced and celebrated.      Sometimes we ask questions about what's going on in our lives. I attended a Saturday afternoon seminar a few weeks back and Bill Tims, a Homeopath and well known nutritionist from Fayetteville Arkansas told a story about his son. It seems his son was playing basketball in high school and came home one day in a particularly gloomy mood. He asked his dad "What's wrong with my shooting? I can't seem to make my shots."      Well, his dad (realizing the importance of playing basketball to his son) wanted to help and was wise enough to know that we always get the answer to the questions we ask. If his son wanted the answer to the what's wrong question then he would find out all of the things wrong with his shooting probably making him an even worse shooter. So he bravely offered the idea to his son that he maybe could ask a different question. Bravely is the operative word here, as none of us want to look at things differently unless we ask, and often times things have to get pretty bad before we will ask.      But, by asking: "what will it take to be a great shooter?" the answers to that question will produce a different result. Fortunately his son was ready for help and his shooting improved almost immediately.      So sometimes we are bulldogs and sometimes we just want to be a great shooter. You know what's true to me is that in my own uniqueness I do have my own answers and that in your uniqueness you have your own answers. In our office at Brooks Spinal Care we attempt to create an environment where you can find some of your own answers and by correcting your spine so that you have less interference, fewer health problems, less to cope and deal with we help you find more of yourself and in turn discover more of who we are. Thanks for being a part of our world. Clean Air / Clean Water      In life breathing is not optional, nor is the consumption of water. As our world has become increasingly populated and industrialized both the air we breathe and the water we drink have become less and less biocompatible. We have become a part of the way air and water are filtered. If you are not filtering the air and water in your home and where you work, you are the filter.      No matter how well your spine is corrected and how clear your nervous system is, if you are becoming toxic from your environment your health suffers. Sick house and sick building syndrome are now epidemic. They are responsible for many of the allergies, symptoms and diseases that have resulted in a loss of vitality and have created the need to treat symptoms that are the result of the pollutants and their effect on your immune system, your nervous system and many of the glands and organs of your body.      These sick environments are also the result of another phenomena called the “ion effect.” All materials have either a positive or negative charge and emit these charges as ions or the electrons from atoms. These emissions are important because your body is designed to function and be well in a negative ion environment. The surface of the earth creates a negative ion effect, that’s why when you walk in the woods you can feel your body relax as you make the sound: “aah.”      To further emphasize this phenomena, when the moon is full the earth’s surface flips to a positive ion emission, and no one needs to tell us that we get a little crazy during the full moon, the hospitals and jails fill up, babies are born and …(you get the idea.) Synthetic fibers, from nylon to acrylic, emit positive ions, as do the chemicals used to process many of the materials in construction, from the formaldehyde in carpets to the acrylic paints used on our walls.      In the last twenty years a new technology has emerged to clean our air using the use of ozone to sanitize and oxidize large microbes and particles and the emission of negative ions to combine with particles smaller than one micron and drop them to the floor leaving the air we breathe clean, fresh and relaxing. This creates not only a non-toxic environment, but also creates an electrochemical charge that helps the body function more effectively.      Ozone is natural byproduct of lightening. When lightening strikes the O-2 (oxygen) in the air is converted into O-3 (ozone). This O-3 incinerates heavy airborne particles and is responsible for the clean, fresh smell that occurs after a rain.      By combining both of these technologies it is possible to eliminate the sick house or building syndromes. None of the air is filtered, leaving small particles and debris, but is cleaned by the natural processes nature intended.      I have personally watched this technology develop for twenty years and I believe it is now ready for broad consumer use. I am now representing the Ecoquest Company and have the product line necessary to keep both your air and water clean and biocompatible. Remember when most of us thought that those bottled water drinkers were weird.      If you are interested in more information about clean air or water systems please feel free to contact anyone in the office for more information. The following free brochures are available: Breeze AT, Purosonic Mister, and Clearly Living Water by Ecotech. You may call the office or simply make a note on the enclosed card and return it to our office.      It’s that time of year again when the North wind blows that cold arctic mountain air down the back of our necks. In Oklahoma (and most of the surrounding states) that wind blows right through the sweaters and coats made for a much milder climate.      With the demands of winter on the body, colds show up like stray dogs who need to be nurtured, fed and revived to a state of health. Unlike the flu, colds are not passed around, and no specific virus or bacteria is associated with a cold.      Lots of research has been done through the years about the processes involved with having a cold. All of these studies have indicated that these processes only appear during the times that the body is run down and needs to rebuild its deficiencies. The immune system needs to have periodic colds to keep us healthy and insure a long life; having a cold once or twice a year is normal and appears to prolong life even though these processes are not comfortable.      The flu and infections (particularly streptococcus and staphylococcus) are the product of a virus or bacteria that is passed around from person to person. It is our state of health that provides resistance to these invaders and allows us to completely withstand the assault or to allow our defenses to break down and succumb to the process of rebuilding our immune system. With all of the talk and publicity about viruses (the most notable being the aids virus) much more is now known about the processes and the outcome of the flu and other infections.      With all of the advancements in medicine, it is still necessary for our body to rebuild its own immunity. Flu shots, popular in the last few years, have saved a few lives, but have been responsible for severe reactions and sometimes death. So either way we are at risk, whether we choose to build our immunity naturally or artificially.      So, when we have a cold, if we rest and rebuild our defenses we are less likely to have it over and over. With the flu or infections the same is true. Recognizing that these are necessary to keep us strong and healthy does not make them any more enjoyable, but we might as well accept them for what they are.      The wisdom of "eat when hungry and rest when tired" has now been verified by research; research which has also proven the old home remedy: "feed a fever and starve a cold." Fevers are associated with the flu and infections and a cold with being run down.      Your body's defenses are regulated by the nervous system and you probably already know the value of keeping your spine corrected and your nervous system functioning normally. If you do have a cold or the flu this winter, and as your body rebuilds its immune system, your recovery will be much faster and with fewer symptoms if your nervous systems role is not inhibited and your body's ability to respond is normal. You will have greater resistance to the flu, less susceptibility to infections, and prevention from getting run down and having a cold. Deficiency and Toxicity      Because it is the ability of the body to resist the forces of gravity that maintains the correction of the spinal misalignment, fatigue is the number one cause of the breakdown that we relate to as the loss of a correction. Getting too tired puts us at risk to reproduce our spinal misalignment.      I usually divide the cause of this fatigue into three categories: physical fatigue, emotional distress and chemical imbalance. The first two are relatively self-explanatory, but the chemical imbalance may not be what you think.      During the decade of the 1970’s, most of the patients that I cared for were nutritionally deficient. These were the times when lots of medical doctors were saying that there wasn’t anything to vitamins; minerals were not even on the radar screen. Our society was just beginning to become aware (on a large scale) of the need for the essential amino acids (proteins) and essential fatty acids (fats / oils). Vitamin and Mineral deficiencies were beginning to be recognized beyond the obvious conditions like scurvy that has become a disease of the past because of a Vitamin C deficiency.      By the decade of the 1990’s however, most of the patients that I cared for were nutritionally toxic from taking supplements that were not compatible with their bodies. Putting substances in your body that are not compatible with your individual body chemistry can produce this toxic, poisonous or detrimental effect. This toxicity may not only be from food additives alone, but from growth stimulators, genetic engineering of foods, and drugs, medicines and various supplements.      It is possible to have your body tested individually for deficiency and toxicity. It is also possible to have your body tested for the compatibility of supplements and remedies (before you take them) for their therapeutic value and for their compatibility with your body.      I can envision a day when all medicines and supplements will be tested prior to prescription and that we can live without the guessing game that many people are now playing.      The amount of energy it takes to manage the toxicity robs us of the vitality necessary sustain the correction of the spine as much or more as the deficiencies that keep the body from being able to take care of itself. This then becomes one of the three major causes of the loss of your correction, the fatigue that neatly divides into physical fatigue, emotional distress and chemical imbalance. Degeneration, Arthritis and Inflammation      Daily we hear that someone is in pain from arthritis or that his or her pain is arthritis like it is a condition as if it is a life sentence. Rheumatoid or Osteoarthritis are types of arthritis, which can be painful, but there is often a misunderstanding about arthritic pain and various treatments to deal with it.      “Arthro” means joint and “itis” means inflammation. Rheumatoid Arthritis has a genetic element that causes the bones of the body to begin to change shape and deform the joints sometimes causing pain. Osteoarthritis is inflammation in the joints caused by previous injury or by degeneration.      To injure a joint in the body connective tissues (ligaments, tendons, discs, fascia or capsules) must be torn or damaged. These tissues have the fewest number of living cells and not only are the slowest tissues to heal or recover, but they only recover a percentage. What this means is that they never heal completely and when we use the once damaged joint too much it produces inflammatory chemicals that cause pain.      The other cause of osteoarthritis is degeneration. After seeing the X-rays of over 15,000 patients, I am convinced that degeneration is not from aging. The distortion of the body from the spinal misalignment with its accompanying muscular imbalance and abnormal movement make it a progressive degenerative (wear and tear) condition. This not only effects the bones and joints of the spine but the twisting of the shoulder girdle, pelvis and knees and ankles wears away at these joints. In my experience, more inflammatory pain is created by the progressive changes in the body by the spinal misalignment.      The pain is inflammation. Inflammation is caused by the chemicals which are the by products of metabolism, the process that converts the foods we eat into energy to drive the many processes of our body. Because this pain is chemical, there have been many drugs that will work to either block the pain receptors (so you don’t feel the pain) or to convert the inflammatory chemicals into normal metabolic waste that the body can eliminate through the bowels or the kidneys.      These free radicals (the name for the chemicals that cause pain) are the cause of the pain. The body only makes a certain number of anti oxidants (the chemicals that neutralize the free radicals) and the rest must come from the foods that we eat or the supplements that we take.      Many people have found that eating certain foods that are not compatible with their bodies will increase arthritic pain because they either leave more free radicals in the body after digestion or require the bodies supply of anti oxidants to neutralize them. By the same token, certain foods that produce more free radicals will relieve some of the inflammation.      In body chemistry there are only two areas of concern (1) what the body needs that it does not have (deficiency) and (2) what the body has that it does not need. The management of deficiencies and toxicities is perhaps the best-known way chemically to relieve the pain of inflammation, degeneration and arthritis.      It is also necessary to keep the spine healthy by keeping the misalignment corrected, which prevents the progressive degeneration from creating the inflammation and arthritic pain.      At Brooks Spinal Care our mission is to provide you with as much life as you can have by keeping your spine healthy and your body chemically health. Suffering is optional! What Can I Do To Help My Correction Stabilize?      “Is there anything that I should do, or shouldn’t do?” is the question most often asked by someone who has come to have their spine corrected. Most of the time this question is about feeling better as fast as possible. The truth is, the correction and stability of the spinal mis-alignment is the fastest possible relief most of the time. We need to use the pain to let us know to back off, slow down, make a change, let go... Pain is not our enemy. It is a necessary part of life. It alerts us to something that needs our attention.      “Is there anything that I can do to help the correction stabilize?” is the better question. The first few visits to our office I am working out the correction and getting it stabilized. The stability of a correction mostly depends on how severe the mis-alignment is and how well I am able to correct it.      I like to answer these questions by telling you that I am responsible for the stability of your correction at first. Then later I will give that responsibility to you. You see my job is to expand your life not limit it. I want you to be able to do more and be more of who you are with fewer limits. Worrying about whether you are going to lose your correction if you do one activity or the other usually gets in the way of your recovery. The longer you hold your correction the more stable it becomes and the more you are able to do without losing your correction. When you feel better you do more; expanding your aliveness.      If you lose your correction going for it, that’s the way to do it. Living in fear of losing your correction doesn’t work. I have never known anyone to lose a correction on purpose. If you lose it we can simply correct it again. So don’t hold back, go for it, or as Nike says “Just Do IT!”      Most corrections are lost from fatigue: either (1) from pushing too long, too hard, too fast or too far, (2) from taking on more responsibility than you can manage, or (3) from trying to hold onto something when you are ready to let go. Pushing is OK, taking on responsibility is OK, holding on is OK - know your limits. You’re the only one who knows. Even though most of us know when we have had enough, we know we can get hurt if we go any farther.      Most of us learn to tell how far we can go before we lose our correction. Some of us have a large range of activities that we can do and can push ourselves a long way. Others have a narrower range of activities before it puts the correction at risk. Do whatever you are able to do and if the correction of your mis-alignment is working you should be able to do more with your spine corrected than you are able to do when you are mis-aligned.      Those of us who have decided to keep our spine corrected for as long as we live know this principle form our experience. We know that keeping our spines corrected expands our ability to live. We live free of the symptoms of the subluxated spine and its effects on circulation, breathing, digestion and hormone balance. We can do more, perceive more, experience more, learn more and relate more effectively.      You will be able to do more with your spine corrected. It will push your limit out farther. It will expand your life, not limit it. So enjoy the expansion of your life, the increased awareness and the strength to be more of who you are. Encourage others to share the benefits of lifetime spinal care, especially those close to you.      I am so grateful to have this simple service to offer. Such profound results! I am in awe of the power of life to heal, to adjust, to adapt, to grow, and to evolve. Thank you for being a part of my life, for the patience necessary to understand spinal care and the wisdom to continue. Colds & Flu      Unlike the flu, colds are not passed around, and no specific virus or bacteria is associated with a cold. Taking antibiotics for a cold does more harm than good. By using antibiotics too readily, the risk of weakening the body’s natural immune defenses is raised thus leading to more illness and dependency on antibiotics -which becomes a vicious cycle. Using antibiotics in the feeding of farm animals is spawning super bugs. Scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have found that “The use of tetracycline on farms is pushing the evolution of these genes. We found tetracycline-resistant genes in soil and groundwater bacteria” said Rustam Aminov. (Tulsa World, June 10, 2001)      Herbal remedies are at least as effective as over-the-counter synthetic drugs without the side effects. Rest and fluids still rank first for treating the old common cold! Additionally, avoiding sugar intake will speed the recovery process.      The flu is a result of a viral or bacterial infection that is passed from person to person. Our general good health and a strong immune system provide resistance to these invaders and allow us to completely withstand the assault. Flu shots may not provide the preventive protection we seek. Some studies have found that vaccines are only 30 to 40 percent effective for older adults (the highest risk group). Whether we choose to build our immunity naturally or artificially we still face the risk of contracting the flu.      The simple wisdom of "eat when hungry and rest when tired" proves true. Listen to your body. The nervous system controls and regulates all body functions. When the spine is corrected the nervous system functions normally. Spinal alignment strengthens the body’s immune system and provides our first line of defense. Flu Vaccine Myth      Well, it’s flu season again, so let’s talk about what the flu actually is and the vaccination that is available. But let’s also include other ways to help you get through this sometimes-nasty infection. What is the flu?      Influenza is a respiratory infection that produces fever, chills, sore throat, muscle aches, and cough that lasts a week or more. The flu can be deadly for the elderly and those with compromised immune systems or who are suffering from diabetes, kidney dysfunction and heart disease. Each year about 36,000 Americans, mostly in these high- risk groups, reportedly die from flu complications such as pneumonia. What is the flu vaccine?      The flu vaccine is prepared from the fluids of chick embryos inoculated with a specific type(s) of influenza virus. The strains of flu virus in the vaccine are inactivated with formaldehyde and preserved with Thimerosal, which is a mercury derivative. Every year, federal health agency officials try to guess which three flu strains are most likely to be prevalent in the U.S. from the previous year, to determine which strains will be included in next year's flu vaccine. If they guess right, the vaccine is thought to be 70 to 90 percent effective in temporarily preventing the flu of the season in healthy persons less than 65 years old. For those over 65 years old, the efficacy rate drops to 30 to 40%, but the vaccine is thought to be 50 to 60% effective in preventing hospitalization and pneumonia and 80% effective in preventing death from the flu. Why do doctors say I have to get a flu vaccine every year?      Like all vaccines, the flu vaccine only gives a temporary immunity to the virus strains or closely related virus strains contained in the vaccine. The only way to get natural and permanent immunity to a strain of flu is to recover naturally from the flu. Natural immunity to a particular strain of flu can be protective if that strain or closely related strains come around again in the future. However, because the vaccine only provides a 70 to 80 percent chance of temporary immunity to selected strains and those strains may or may not be prevalent each year, doctors say you have to get a flu shot every year.      With all of this said, let’s discuss how you can avoid the flu. This may come as a surprise, but it is not the influenza virus that causes one to become sick. It is the body’s ability to defend itself as to whether or not one becomes sick. Not everybody gets the flu. The people, who don’t get the flu, obviously have a better ability to defend themselves from the virus. People get sick because: Their immune system is not functioning properly or, They are toxic. Making sure you are holding your correction will support the immune system.      People become toxic through a number of ways. The two most common are home and office surroundings (i.e., mold, asbestos, cleaning & paint chemicals), and what we ingest (processed foods, pesticides, steroids, drugs, etc.).      Check your house first. Do you have old carpets? Have they ever been wet? They are a storehouse for millions of toxic particles and organisms that you may be inhaling every day. The same applies to upholstered furniture. If you want to improve your air quality, we sell the best air filter on the market that will reduce your exposure to indoor pollutants.      Next, check your food and water. The Standard American Diet is loaded with toxins, unnecessary chemicals. Our bodies were simply not made to withstand all the junk that is out there. We are constantly feeding our live bodies with dead food. So eat more raw foods. Wild Oats is a great place to start. Select organic fruits and vegetables if possible. Lastly, consider an appointment for an ionic cleanse. This will help pull toxins out of your body quickly and painlessly. Breast to Bowel: Introducing Baby’s first foods      Feeding your infant the proper foods at the proper time is extremely important. I am going to cover the highlights of an article you can read in its entirety on the internet. If you aren’t connected to the internet, you can call us and we’ll get a printed copy to you. (The URL will be given at the end of this article.)      I highly recommend, as does the American Pediatrics Association, that you feed a newborn only breast milk until six months of age. If it is not possible to breastfeed, the next best thing is raw goats milk. Do not use cow’s milk! The digestive system can’t handle solid foods at this time due to its immaturity.      At six months, you can start introducing fruits and vegetables. Stay away from citrus fruits until later and start with pears, apples etc. Start with one fruit or vegetable at a time. This allows the body to adapt.      I would recommend buying a steamer and steaming the vegetables. The stuff in the jars is OK, but you will be loosing most of the nutritional value. Follow the same pattern as before, introduce them slowly to let the body adapt.      When you introduce juices, make sure you dilute them. They have an abundance of Fructose. Even though this is a natural sugar, it can overload the child’s system.      When babies start getting their teeth, they of course start salivating. This is needed for digestion of carbohydrates. It is advisable not to start grains until this point.      Stay way from refined grains such as white flour, white rice, white pasta. Instead use unrefined grains like brown rice etc. Once again there is very little nutritional value in refined grains.      I have not even come close to covering the entire article. I recommend you read the rest at… Baby's First Foods Healthy Spines      Each day we take care of the problems associated with the misaligned spine. Many of these problems are the result of years of the progressive degenerative effects of the misalignment with its muscular imbalance, abnormal movement and progressive degeneration. Many of these problems develop because the misalignments were created by accidents and injuries in childhood.      These can be the trauma of a difficult delivery to the falls off of the bed and learning to walk and run. Then there is school, bicycle wrecks, skateboard injuries, sports. It is hard to imagine in the world today that any child can make it through the growing years without an injury that misaligns the spine.      During the summer months we are advocating having your children checked for spinal misalignments. We are calling it “Healthy Spines”. Please take the time to have your child or children examined. If there is no misalignment we are all very happy, but if there is trouble already let’s stop in now and not wait for years of degeneration that has to be reversed. (* it takes one month to recover for each year the spine has been misaligned.)      Below is a list of common conditions associated with a misaligned spine in children. These are strong indicators that you children need to have their spine taken care of now. Conditions Affecting Children Symptom Frequency Chronic Ear Infections Headaches Allergies Seizures Crossed Eyes Nervous Stomach Growing Pains Restless Nights Colic Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) Learning Disabilities Turrets Syndrome Is it really A.D.D? or Atlas Subluxation      September 6, 2001 NBC Nightly News with Tom Brocaw reported on the epidemic proportions of school age children who are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. Twenty million prescriptions were written for children last year. On any given day, 3 million children are on medications such as Ritalin to control their behavior. Two to three times more boys are prescribed the drugs than girls. The problem is growing. Parents are being threatened by school administrators that their children must be given the drugs or they cannot return to their public schools. Many parents are resisting and their state legislatures are supporting them. Minnesota has just passed a law that protects parents from being forced into drugging their children. A similar bill is under consideration in Connecticut at present. Ritalin and similar drugs are considered “schedule 2 drugs” which refers to their highly addictive status.      A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in February 2000 reports that the use of psychotropic drugs such as Ritalin and Prozac is increasing at a dramatic rate. From 1991 to 1995 these prescriptions increased by 50 percent from 100,000 to 150,000 for children aged 2-4. In 1995, 60 percent of these youngsters on the drug were age 4; 30 percent were three years old; and 10 percent were two years old.      We’ve taken care of many children in our practice who have been diagnosed with ADD. Currently all of these patients are boys under 13 years old. These children have also had headaches or seizures in addition to their troubles with their schoolwork and the behavioral problems normally associated with ADD. After their spines are corrected, their symptoms begin to improve within weeks or totally disappear. Their grades improve and best of all, they no longer need the addictive medications.      If you know a child (and their parents) who suffer with Attention Deficit Disorder, share this newsletter with them. We are eager to offer a gentle treatment that corrects the source of the distress at the brain stem, rather than covering it up with drugs. It takes some Adjusting      For almost fifteen years we have been on the thirty-first floor of the University Towers building near downtown Tulsa. The view of the Arkansas River is stunning from here and watching the seasons change has been and will continue to be magnificent. Spring has brought the onslaught of colors. First it was the Bradford Pears in white and the frosty pink of the tulip trees, then the red bud trees in their fuchsia and purple accented by the dogwoods and now by the green of spring. It is the earth manifesting the glory of God in its splendor and grace.      As the spring has graced us with a promise of new life and vitality, so has the face of our office been changed. We have painted, changed lighting, recovered furniture, are in the process of re-doing the counter tops and finally we will be replacing the carpet. All of this remodeling seems to be the trend in America. Not long ago a decorator said to me: “your office does not match the quality of your patient care.” I knew immediately that that statement was going to cost me.      After so many years, change comes like a welcome relative who has come to live with us and it will take some adjusting. It reminds me of the start of the new patient, who, after that first adjustment, thinks everything is back to normal and everything is done. It takes some adjusting! When the spine has been misaligned and breaking down over time, the remodeling has just started.      As hard as we fight the reality of it, the spine, once it’s misaligned, has a weakness to misalign again for the rest of our life. This takes some adjusting, too. The beauty of our service is that you can choose to live with your spine corrected without the symptoms and suffering that accompanies the spinal and spine related problems. I have never met a patient who did not want to have one adjustment and have it fixed forever.      As the seasons of life change, the progressive nature of the spinal misalignment can be more devastating. Some remodeling is necessary and it takes time. Life is so much better with a normally aligned spine that keeping the spine corrected has allowed many of us to live fuller richer lives and to enjoy the beauty of a life of wonder and health, season after season. John’s Story      When John came in yesterday it seemed to be a routine visit, you see he had hurt his lower back a few months ago and when he lost his correction this time he had some low back pain (a new symptom of his mis-alignment). It wasn’t as bad as before, but John didn’t want it to get that bad again so he came in right away.      John first came fifteen years ago for a neck problem that resulted from football when he was a young man. Through the years John has been without the sinus problems and the occasional digestive problems and has felt better than most of the men his age and physical condition. Yesterday he was again touched by the remarkable results of a spinal adjustment and in his gratitude told me that he just wasn’t the same when he is out of adjustment. He tires out quicker. He doesn’t sleep as well. His relationships aren’t as good because he doesn’t have the patience for them. He doesn’t handle stress as well.      We talked about the principles of loosing a correction; about how most corrections are lost from fatigue and how to step out of the stress and leave it for awhile and them when ready to return to it. He knew he had lost this correction by taking on more than he could handle. In his gratitude he shared that over the years he had only found relief and the answers to his problems by having his spine checked and corrected when necessary.      There were times that John doubted our service and had X-rays taken by other Doctors and had various diagnoses for conditions. He had MRI’s to tell him how badly degenerated his spine and discs were and through it all the only relief and sense of being OK were found by a simple chiropractic adjustment. John’s own words were “you have virtually saved my life, if I had not have found the cause of my problem I would be addicted to alcohol or drugs or something to handle the pain and because of being unable to work I would have wound up in prison or worse.”      John’s story touched me very deeply. John understands the simplicity and the beauty of keeping his spine corrected and the profoundness of the complexity of all of the symptoms that result in the diseases that respond to a spinal correction. There is no replacement for John’s experience. No-one can change John’s mind.      Spinal misalignments, because they stress the central nervous system, affect us physically, but they also affect us emotionally, mentally and socially. It is such a simple and beautiful message. Dr. Marshall asked me why doesn’t everyone understand the way John does? Why do our patients leave their children at home to grow up with the same problems that they have?      I don’t know! But, if you are reading this please bring your whole family to have their spines checked for misalignments especially as you send your children back to school. Please, help us introduce this incredible service to as many people as you can.      This last week person after person has told me that when they are out of adjustment they feel like the world is bigger and that they are smaller and that after their spines are corrected that they are once again bigger than their world. If for no other reason than to relate to our world in a more effective way, let’s keep our spines corrected for as long as we live. SUMMER TIME - TIME TO PLAY      Many of our patients, especially in the initial phases of recovery want to know how to hold their corrections better. Should I do this? Should I avoid that? How about how I sleep? The kind of shoes I wear? Which exercises should I do? And, which ones should I avoid? The answers to these questions vary with each individual case, but I would like to start by separating the stability of the correction and the recovery from the effects of the spinal misalignment and the recovery from the effects of an injury.      Symptoms like headaches that are the direct result of the stress of the misalignment will usually be relieved immediately with an adjustment, but the vascular type of headache that has resulted from the long term effects of the spinal misalignment recover over time. It's easy to confuse the symptoms and although rest is advisable for the recovery of long term symptoms and will help your correction "hold" in the initially phase of recovery, there are times that no rest is needed to stabilize the correction and you can go on about life as usual.      The same is true for the strain (tearing of muscles) and sprain (tearing of connective tissue- ligaments and tendons) which take time to recover even after the misalignment is corrected, the structural stress removed, the nerve supply restored, and the body's inherent recuperative powers are functioning normally again.      The stability of the correction of a spinal misalignment depends more on the complexity of the misalignment and how effectively and competently it is corrected than it does on the things you do or don't do. Obviously, if you are a professional wrestler you will need more adjustments than if you are a corporate executive or professional. But, again this depends on the complexity of your misalignment, not on the severity of your symptoms.      We would all like to think that the more severe the symptoms the more serious the correction must be, but it's not. It's the interference caused by the misalignment to how your structure, your nervous system, and your body functions that determines the symptoms not the severity of the misalignment.      General physical fitness seems to be an advantage in holding a correction, but no specific exercises have ever proven effective in stabilizing the correction of a particular misalignment. Weekend warriors are particularly good for our business because they are constantly doing things that their body is not prepared to react to or to perform. So if you are going to play, prepare! Take the time to warm up before the game, and if possible train both strength and aerobic functions of your body relative to the activity.      Psychologically, it works better to consider the strength of knowing what the problem is when your spine misaligns again and that you can have it corrected, rather than limiting what you do in life fearing the weakness will give way and you will have to be adjusted again. Thank you Nike for giving us the advice to: GO FOR IT!      It is a wonderful service to be able to correct the interference to your life with the Chiropractic spinal adjustment and to help you do what ever you want to do. I hope your correction holds forever, but if it doesn't we are here to take care of you again. Live Long, Prosper and Be Well      After thirty-three years of practicing as a healer, licensed as a chiropractor, and being concerned with the welfare of the people that I serve, I am realizing a bigger and bigger picture of health and how to relieve the suffering of my patients. I have been a consummate student of healing and wellbeing during my years of practice and I am constantly looking at new ways to help you.      There are three areas now that I am concerned with and they form the basis of your care: Structural, neurological, and functional; Chemical; and Repressed feelings.      Spinal care represents the care of the body structure. If an injury has created a spinal misalignment and it is progressing and degenerating, it also is distressing the nervous system. This distress can affect the brain, brain stem, spinal cord or any of the peripheral nerves that are responsible for movement, sensation, the control and regulation of body function and chemistry, and our ability to relate to the world around us (which includes our thoughts and emotions). If you are a patient, you know the benefit of keeping the body structure aligned. You know that problems in the neck can affect the head or arms, problems in the upper back can affect breathing and digestion, and problems in the lower back can affect urination, reproduction and also affect the legs.      Body chemistry is another area that is actually very simple. There are only two areas that you need to consider. There are things that we need that we don’t have (deficiencies). And, there are things that we have that we don’t need that are gumming up the works (toxicity). In today’s world toxicity is a bigger issue that deficiency. The vitamin herbal, and supplement craze of the past twenty years has given a lot of people an edge on deficiency, even though some of the products people take are not compatible with their body and become toxic rather than therapeutic. I guess another way of saying this is that “I am certain that a headache is not from a Tylenol or Ibyprophen deficiency.”      Feelings buried alive become issues in the tissues and the seeds of disease. When a young boy falls out of the tree and breaks an arm he is taken to the doctor, the arm is cast and the bone heals. The boy however may be afraid to climb trees. There was more injured than just the arm. These traumas can be a source of not only behaviors but of physical reactions that left unattended will manifest as physical health problems and a source of symptoms and suffering. We can handle these reactions in our body for a number of years, but as we approach our late forties and fifties our body is no longer able to handle them.      The various traumas to our body structure that causes misalignments and to our non-physical body creating life altering physical mental, and emotional reactions becomes the interferences that work like the rubber band around the finger, limiting our life and causing problems physically, mentally, emotionally, behaviorally, and socially. Chemical toxicity creates more interference and what seems to be missing today is the rational thinking that suggests that something must be keeping a person healthy and living well.      At Brooks Spinal Care I correct structural problems, I recommend a nutritionist for chemical testing, and I teach a class about repressed feelings and facilitate their release. I am committed to providing you with the best possible answers to living a life of non-interference. It is possible to be happy and healthy through your years. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you. WELLNESS AND ALIVENESS (And the threat of the new antibiotics)      On the cover of the March 28, 1994 issue of Newsweek magazine, the headline read something like this "Antibiotics no longer safe or effective." For years now chiropractic and chiropractors have been suggesting that waging war with bacteria and viruses has not only not been effective but each generation of bacteria (about every twenty minutes) builds new resistance to antibiotics. The wide spread use of antibiotics for everything from a sore throat to various eye, ear, nose, throat, digestive and urinary infections has created an era of super bugs that antibiotics are no longer able to kill. Soon a simple surgery in a hospital will be unsafe because of these new man-made warriors.      The message is that we have the answers to our own health problems inside of ourselves and that our body has the ability to heal and recover from virtually every disease given the right environment and that the interference to normal body functions is removed.      During the last year, the articles have been appearing about the epidemics of the twentieth century, diseases like polio, smallpox, diphtheria, and others and the vaccines that have been credited with stopping them which were introduced at a time when each disease was already virtually stopped. Because, as the new bacteria that caused them spread from person to person we developed immunity the old fashioned way, we earned it. You see the human body can build its own resistance to invading bacteria and viruses; these antibodies are developed by our immune system as we encounter new invaders. Each time there is a new invader in our population it is passed from one of us to the other and we each in turn develop our immunity and these immunities are passed from the mother to child through the mother’s milk.      So, by the time we (the medical scientists specifically) have a vaccine developed, the majority of us have already become immune to the disease and those of us who were not well enough to develop our immunity succumbed. It was not the bacteria or the viruses that killed us, but our own state of health. In fact the research now shows that in many instances the vaccines killed more people than the diseases did.      Health is not merely the absence of disease, but a state of well being. A state that we each were born with and can have all of our lives, or find again if we have lost touch with our natural birthright. Through the years we have all heard that natural products are better for us than synthetic, that good nutrition is essential, that when we are young we need to exercise and that when we get older we have to, that we need plenty of rest, and God forbid that we should eliminate the stress in our lives. But that is only a part of the message that we should live our lives, joyously, playfully, spontaneously, that we should amplify who we are and continue to seek the environments and relationships that amplify our aliveness.      You see, it is so simple - if there is a rubber band around my finger, my finger won't be normal. It will lose it's ability to take care of itself and it may eventually succumb to infection or disease. Exercise won't work! There's no way to get enough rest and no amount of positive thinking will allow my finger to be all it can be.      The misalignment of the spine represents the same kind of pressure on the central nervous system and all of us that have had our spines corrected know of the benefits of taking away the stress of the subluxated spine. But there are other types of interference, like taking antibiotics to kill off the bacteria and viruses rather than resting and fasting to allow the body to heal itself. And like pushing too hard to satisfy our addictions to material possessions, relationships, the image or ourselves (that we protect so discretely), or even our psychological patterns like unworthiness.      We have become a people burdened by the stresses that we cling so tenaciously to and fail to ask the simple question "How's it working?" We stay in relationships that don't work, in jobs that are unfulfilling, and live in places that are not of our own choosing. How can we develop a passion for life if we have given up in so many ways?      The philosophy that supports chiropractic is one of expressing life without interference. The idea is: the bones in the spine get out of place and interfere with the nerves that make our bodies move, allow us to sense or feel, control and regulate our body functions and relate us (through our conscious and unconscious selves) to our world. This idea then fits into an awareness that allows us to transcend the consciousness that sees the problem outside of ourselves and the answer outside of ourselves to an awareness that interference or some form of roadblock is keeping our life from working and tragically, we are unable to recognize the interference until we begin to look for it and stop treating the symptoms.      How can we be whole and integrated without keeping our spines corrected and our nervous systems free of interference, and how can we be well without taking charge of our lives and living with integrity (doing what is right for us to do and not doing what is not right for us) and dignity (expressing the truth as we know it right now and know that it is our truth).      As we awake as a species to our own true selves and integrate our own true spiritual nature we will be able to express our lives from that source of abundance within us, our soul, our aliveness, our God. And, that in life there is nothing broken and nothing that needs to be fixed, there simply needs to be no interference. Join us in the quest for life, keep your spine and the spines of those close to you corrected for as long as you live and be sensitive to what's working and what's not working in your life. I love you. Same Misalignment      Different symptoms      Each day we see patients whose spine has misaligned again, but the symptoms are different than the ones for which they originally came to us. These different symptoms are the result of the same misalignment in different stages of recovery or different degrees of the same misalignment.      As patients recover (it takes one month to recover for each year the spine has been misaligned) pain usually moves from a larger area to a smaller area and gradually over time disappears completely. Nerves always recover from the brain down the nerve tracks or away from the brain. Pain that is moving down an arm or leg, even if it moves into the hands or feet is a sign of recovery even if the pain is worse than it was closer to the brain.      The next phenomena of recovery is what we call “awakening.” There are areas of your body that have not had a normal nerve supply for some time and when we correct your spinal misalignment and restore the nerve distribution there are parts of your body that begin to function normally. As these tissues, organs or glands begin to function normally they go through a “healing crisis.” During this time unusual feelings or functions will come and go. A knee may hurt for a few hours or a day and then quit. Your stomach will hurt for an hour or so, and pains will come and go not lasting longer than three days in any one place. Sometimes these symptoms will be forgetfulness or even being overly emotional for a few hours. These symptoms are annoying, but necessary as your body recovers.      As you recover there is a process known as “retracing.” Basically, you go back through what you went through to get where you are. If your spine misaligns again and begins to breakdown ten months after your first correction, you may have the symptoms of the part of your body that was breaking down ten years ago. If you came for back pain, your symptoms ten months later may be the elbow you injured ten years ago. As you recover the symptoms may change from pain in the neck, back or joints to shortness of breath, indigestion or swelling.      When you have reached maximum recovery, the first symptoms will be the feeling that you are tired or fatigued and tense, simultaneously. The loss of energy and the stiffness or tightness will be the first symptoms before the body systems and the body structure become symptomatic, dysfunctional or painful. Once the spine has misaligned again it progresses to one thing after the other.      During any of these times, if your spine misaligns again, the degree to which it misaligns may be more than it was originally or less than it was. Different degrees of misalignment affect different parts of the body structure and different aspects of the nervous system and create different symptoms. The pain may be in different areas of the neck or back. The pain down the back of the leg may have moved into the knee, or may even be in a different part of the body, like the shoulder or elbow. Because of the complexity of the nervous system, it is difficult, if not impossible to predict what the symptoms will be.      Patients that have been keeping their spine corrected for several months or years will have experienced all of these phenomena. Eventually we all become aware that whatever the symptoms are they probably relate to the spine and discover that whatever pain, discomfort, or dysfunction I am experiencing, it simple makes good sense to have my spine checked first. Any symptoms? Have your spine checked first!      When John came in yesterday it seemed to be a routine visit, you see he had hurt his lower back a few months ago and when he lost his correction this time he had some low back pain (a new symptom of his misalignment). It wasn’t as bad as before, but John didn’t want it to get that bad again so he came in right away.      John first came fifteen years ago for a neck problem that resulted from football when he was a young man. Through the years John has been without the sinus problems and the occasional digestive problems and has felt better than most of the men his age and physical condition. Yesterday he was again touched by the remarkable results of a spinal adjustment and in his gratitude told me that he just wasn’t the same when he is out of adjustment. He tires out quicker. He doesn’t sleep as well. His relationships aren’t as good because he doesn’t have the patience for them. He doesn’t handle stress as well.      We talked about the principles of loosing a correction; about how most corrections are lost from fatigue and how to step out of the stress and leave it for awhile and then when ready to return to it. He knew he had lost this correction by taking on more than he could handle. In his gratitude he shared that over the years he had only found relief and the answers to his problems by having his spine checked and corrected when necessary.      There were times that John doubted our service and had X-rays taken by other Doctors and had various diagnoses for conditions. He had MRI’s to tell him how badly degenerated his spine and discs were and through it all the only relief and sense of being OK were found by a simple chiropractic adjustment. John’s own words were “you have virtually saved my life, if I had not have found the cause of my problem I would be addicted to alcohol or drugs or something to handle the pain and because of being unable to work I would have wound up in prison or worse.”      John’s story touched me very deeply. John understands the simplicity and the beauty of keeping his spine corrected and the profoundness of the complexity of all of the symptoms that result in the diseases that respond to a spinal correction. There is no replacement for John’s experience. No-one can change John’s mind.      Spinal misalignments, because they stress the central nervous system, affect us physically, but they also affect us emotionally, mentally and socially. It is such a simple and beautiful message. Dr. Hanson asked me why doesn’t everyone understand the way John does? Why do our patients leave their children at home to grow up with the same problems that they have?      I don’t know! But, if you are reading this please bring your whole family to have their spines checked for misalignments especially as you send your children back to school. Please, help us introduce this incredible service to as many people as you can.      This last week person after person has told me that when they are out of adjustment they feel like the world is bigger than they are and that they are smaller than their world is and, that after their spines are corrected they are once again bigger than their world. If for no other reason than to relate to our world in a more effective way, let’s keep our spines corrected for as long as we live. Taking Care of Myself During the Holidays      As the Holidays approach, the increasing tension of the holiday traffic, the plans for Thanksgiving, the Christmas card and gift list, the plans for the family, all play a part in an ever increasing amount of activity between now and the first of the year. It is not as if there is not enough to be done every day. In my life there is work, school, friends, family, football, basketball, plays, movies, television programs, home maintenance, laundry, cooking, cleaning, the pet(s), the yard, auto maintenance, the rising price of gasoline. Good grief! Will there ever be time for taking care of myself.      To take care of myself I must pay attention to three areas that interfere with the normal functioning of my body.       Spinal misalignments are responsible for structural, neurological and functional problems. Muscle, joint, disc and nerve pain are the obvious symptoms. Circulation, digestion, respiration and sleep can be effected. And those things come with irritability and crankiness.       Body chemistry can be affected by those things that my body needs that it does not have (deficiencies) and by those things that my body has that it does not need (toxicities).       Unprocessed life events can be resolved in my mind and in my heart, but if I still have feelings about them they become “issues in the tissues” and the seeds of the body reactions and responses that are the source of pain, suffering, disease and even death.      As if that is not enough to consider, then I must pay attention to my financial, nutritional, exercise and spiritual needs. Somehow taking care of myself falls to the bottom of the list.      During the holidays it would be a great time to remember what you’ve learned as an airline passenger. As the plane is made ready for departure, the attendants are reminding us not to smoke, to place the tray tables and seat backs in an upright position and in the event that the yellow oxygen mask drops from the ceiling, put your mask on first and then put the mask on your child. What simple wisdom about taking care of ourselves, so we can take care of others.      During the holidays this year remember to put your mask on first. Keeping your spine corrected will make your holiday experience much more enjoyable and rewarding. Remember moderation, tolerance, faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love. The Act of Grieving      Grieving is the body’s response to loss. A loss can be the loss of a purse or wallet, a football game, a pet or someone we love. Grieving is thought of as something done by a widow. It is a physiological process that allows us to clear the feelings that occur when something is gone from our lives. Unless we contain, repress and deny our feelings associated with loss, the process of grieving takes only a few days.      There was a time when cultures allowed time for the grieving of the loss of a parent, a spouse or a child. Black was worn to symbolize life moving into the dark, the abyss, and the purgatory awaiting ascendance into heaven of the beloved. During this time the living were letting go of the pain, the sorrow and the attachment to the loved one as the loved one moved into the next life. There was wailing, deep crying, sorrowful moaning to empty the body of the survivor and to let go completely of the feelings that occur with the loss.      Sometimes professionals were hired to help grieve the loss. After only a few days, the survivor emerged with only loving, warm feelings for the deceased. There is a feeling of peace and wholeness, and there is a sense of life moving on, or reorganizing in a new way.      Since the Vietnamese War we have identified “Post Traumatic Distress Syndrome.” This condition is the aftermath of having overwhelming feelings associated with events that we were unable to process. Today more and more authorities are identifying that more and more of the events of our lives are traumatic, perhaps not as traumatic as the horrors of war, but the accumulation of these traumas without grieving them creates a continuous physiological stress on the body. This distress manifests itself as physical, emotional, mental or social disturbances. These feelings when they are buried alive never die. They become issues in the tissues and the seeds of disease.      Since the injury to America on 9/11 of last year, almost all of us have reacted to the trauma in various ways. One of the significant aspects of these reactions is sorrow and loss. On the anniversary of the day that America was attacked it is important for us to spend a few moments in silence, to grieve not only the loss of life, but also our sense of safety and our founding principles of liberty, and justice for all. We have lost some of our freedoms that we took for granted and have found the need to be more cautious and on alert. We may never again be able to enjoy the freedom and independence that we once knew.      For our own sense of well being, please join me in crying tears of grief for our loss, even wailing cries of sorrow. Let us awake refreshed, able to respond and ready to defend our basic freedoms. Long live America and the individual freedoms it represents. The Enemies of Progress Ignorance, Prejudice and Superstition      There are people who simply do not know about the benefit of having their spine examined, corrected if necessary and keep it corrected for as long as they live. Life is better with the spine in an aligned position. What is the master system of the body that runs, coordinates or controls all of the other body systems and functions? The nervous system! What is the biggest effect of the spinal misalignment? Compromising the nervous system! The second biggest effect is the progressive break down of the body structures. It always amazes me how many people suffer in ignorance from not knowing the devastating effects of the misaligned spine and not knowing that they can be relieved with spinal care.      As you tell people about us you will bump up against (and in some cases hit head on at 100 miles per hour) their beliefs about life, healthcare, doctors and how their body works. If someone believes that a headache is a Tylenol deficiency, then they are not nearly as open to the idea of finding the problem to be a spinal misalignment. Again it is so simple that a structural problem needs a structural solution, a chemical problem needs a chemical solution and an emotional problem needs an emotional solution. So many of the problems that ravage your friends and family are structural problems. Telling people about your experience with us is sometimes frustrating and sometimes rewarding depending on their beliefs.      Superstition is a shared belief about something that we know little or nothing about or have had no experience with. I remember the deserted tourist hotel on route 66 about a half of a mile from where I grew up. It was a spooky place and all of my childhood friends knew for sure that it was haunted. As an adult I would have armed myself with garlic and gone in the daytime, but as an eleven year old child it scared me to death the night that two of my friends and I broke in through a back window of the place. Sometimes the fear of chiropractors is similar to the hotel experience. The social prejudice is so strong and sometimes the experience that people have had with other chiropractors and chiropractic procedures has yielded the superstition so strong that the person that you tell about us “will never go to a chiropractor.”      Every time that human behavior changes it is because we have culturally or personally changed what we believe. We chiropractors have been our own worst enemies. We have believed that adjusting the bones of the spine one at a time will correct the spine back to a normal functioning mechanical system. After the one hundred and ten years that our profession has been in existence we have still never seen a bone out of place relative to the one above and below and if that bone is “popped” it is back in place on the post X-ray.      In 1977 when I attended my first NUCCA conference in Monroe, Michigan, the idea of correcting the entire spine back to a normal position from a small correction in the top of the neck using the “atlas” (first cervical vertebra) as a lever to move a force the entire length of the spine, challenged my beliefs about chiropractic and how the spine worked. After several years of attempting to prove this wrong, I finally saw a picture big enough to know that this was the only way to correct a spinal misalignment. Adjusting or manipulating the bones of the spine one at a time will relieve some of the mechanical stress on the spine, but unless the chiropractor is very lucky, it will not correct the spine.      This fall my fifty-third and fifty-fourth patients have started their careers as chiropractors. Today I spoke with another patient about the possibility of becoming a chiropractor. We must not let this knowledge die and we must continue to overcome the prejudice and superstition that exists in our world. I will continue to do what I can, thanks for doing your part. The Fallacy Of the Germ Theory      Here in our office we teach our patients that the nervous system controls everything. It controls and regulates every organ, every movement you make, every sensation you feel, and helps you to relate to the outside world. With that being said, the nervous system is vital to our very existence.      It has been said that you catch a germ and then get sick. This statement is in support of the germ theory. The germ theory says that there are germs around us everywhere and that we should do everything in our power to avoid these germs if you do not want to become sick. We should wash our hands, use antibacterial soap, don’t go around sick people for fear of catching these dreaded germs. Even as a young child I did not play with little girls for fear of getting their “cooties” or was that germs? Sounds funny? In some instances it is true. Or is it?      In microbiology there are only bacteria, viruses and parasites. Are these the dreaded germs that everybody keeps talking about? If so, why do some people get sick from these dreaded germs and others do not? Is it because that some germs are weak and others strong? This is the case for vaccination. By giving the body a weakened germ the body is able to make antibodies thus being able to fight off these germs. That is under the assumption that the immune system is not functioning at its optimal level.      Now, we are under the assumption that the nervous system controls and regulates every body function. If the nervous system is compromised, then we do not function at our optimal level. This in turn reduces the effectiveness of the immune system. When that happens you are more susceptible to any organism that could lead to your becoming sick. In another manner of speaking, these germs are opportunistic organisms. This means that if you give them the opportunity to gain an advantage inside your body they will take it and you can become sick.      You probably want to know how the nervous system can be compromised. When a misalignment is present in your spine your nervous system is compromised, the immune system is not functioning at its optimal level and you are more susceptible to these opportunistic organisms.      Thus, the germ theory does not hold much weight except when you have a misalignment. So, has your spine been checked for a misalignment lately? Learn to Recognize the Warning Signs      It’s a beautiful Sunday afternoon. The first signs of spring are everywhere. Ralph decides that it’s a good day to take the family for a ride in the SUV. As he is driving down a country road, a bright red light flashes on his dashboard. He continues to drive but the light bothers him so he eventually pulls over to the side of the road. He reaches under the dash and disconnects the wires leading to the light. Now he feels he can continue his trip without any distractions. He drives another ten miles when another red flasher lights up the dashboard. Now Ralph is really annoyed. He reaches for the screwdriver that he keeps in the glove box and yanks the offending bulb out of its socket. Finally, some piece of mind!      Suddenly, the car begins to sputter and stall. The engine is making horrible noises, and thick white smoke is pouring out from under the hood. Ralph pulls over just as the motor makes one last shudder, then whimpers and dies. Here he is, in the middle of nowhere, with three hungry children and a worried wife. He just doesn’t understand. The car was working fine this morning. There were no signs of trouble. How could this happen?      Most of us will agree that Ralph is responsible for his situation, and that we would have handled it differently. At the first sign of trouble, when the first warning light came on, we would have pulled over and checked under the hood. If unable to locate the problem, we would have called in the experts. Under no circumstances would we have simply ignored the warning signals. Yet many people continue to neglect their body’s own warning system. They cover up the danger signals that their bodies emit to warn of the malfunction and impending failure of vital organs and tissues. They short-circuit those red flashers by overloading on pills and medicine. They avoid correcting the malfunction that sets off the flasher and continue to do those things that cause their bodies to break down in the first place. Because they fail to heed the warnings, their problems persist and their health slowly deteriorates.      We’d all be a lot better off if we listened to our bodies. Because we have no replaceable parts, we must keep those we have in good working order. Why not come in today for a tune-up? After all, if we have to junk our bodies, where are we going to live? When Do I Need New X-rays?      You have experienced having your spinal misalignment corrected and the wonderful relief and enhanced life that happens when the spine is in its normal position and the nervous system distress is removed. Sometimes spinal misalignments change and new X-rays are necessary to correct the spine back to its normal position.      The technology that we use to correct the spine has become more sophisticated. The spinal adjustments that we make from the side of the neck using the Atlas vertebra are very specific. There are over 5,000 different misalignments and corrections on the right side and the same number on the left side. Each person’s misalignment is as individual as a fingerprint.      From measurements we make on your X-rays we calculate a vector (a direction that your entire spine moves as it misaligns) that determines where the doctor stands and the pathway into which we introduce the forces that move the bones back into a normal position.      Most of the time, the misalignment of the spine, once corrected, will always misalign the same direction and require the same adjustment to correct it. These are simple misalignments and if small are very stable and require few adjustments.      Sometimes the vector or pathway to which your spine misaligns changes and requires a different adjustment to correct it. This requires new X-rays to calculate a new vector or the spine will not correct back to normal. Sometimes a very small change in a misalignment requires a completely different correction.      Vectors can change during the early stages of care. A recent injury that has created a new misalignment is complicated when there has been more than one misalignment and we uncover an underlying or original misalignment from your initial injury. When you needed to be adjusted again, if you experienced different symptoms as you went through the correction, stability and recovery phases of care, your misalignment may have been complex (more that one misalignment in your spine).      New trauma or injuries may change the misalignment, sometimes for a brief time and then the spine returns to its original misalignment and is more easily correctable and much more stable.      Misalignments can be (1) simple and small, (2) simple and big, (3) small and complex or (4) big and complex. The difficulty in correcting a misalignment is determined by its size and complexity.      What does this mean to you? First, if you are having trouble with your adjustments please let us know, your misalignment may have changed and new X-rays are necessary. Second, due to the nature of your misalignment you may go through periods of instability where you have trouble holding an adjustment. And third, not everyone responds the same to spinal care; some misalignments of the spine are complicated and difficult to completely correct and stabilize before an adequate recovery time.      If you are having trouble with your corrections, please let us know. This helps take care of you and your spine. I’m Keeping My Spine Corrected, Why Am I Still Getting Sick?      This is very common question we hear every day. In fact, I used to ask myself the same question. I used to get the flu three to four times a year, and within the last two years I was having allergy problems for the first time in my life. And, no, it has nothing to do with Oklahoma. I have been keeping my spine corrected for about twenty years. I assumed that was all I needed to do stay healthy. I thought I was eating well, and I stayed pretty fit. And I kept asking myself, ‘why am I still getting the flu?’      I was under the assumption up until two years ago, that the Standard American Diet was pretty healthy. WRONG! In fact the SAD is basically responsible for the incredible poor state of health we Americans are facing these days.      I found out that the reason I was getting sick all the time was due to the fact that my body was toxic. How? From my diet. Dairy products were directly responsible for my allergies.      Your body is so busy dealing with the current toxicity that when anything foreign comes along, your body becomes overwhelmed and you get sick.      What do you do? First thing is to start eliminating cooked, processed foods, and replace them with raw foods. Second, sign up to do some Bionic Cleanses. The cleanse does an incredible job of removing toxins from the body. We are now doing these during normal business hours, so you can do one after you get a correction. Plan to spend an extra 15-30 minutes here at the office. Lastly, if you really want to learn more to change your eating habits, go to Amazon.com and buy two books: Conscious Eating by Gabriel Cousins, and The China Study by T. Colin Campbell. These books are incredible and you will easily begin to see the benefits of a true healthy diet. Back Packs…A.D.D., and Your Kid’s Future:      Kids have a special spinal health care needs…not unlike their adult counterparts. And those young spines carry all the same risks, assignments and stresses as ours. In the April 5th Wall Street Journal, Health Journal writer Tara Parker-Pope, points to one additional unique risk to young backs; the “Back-Pack Issue.” She points out that fourth and fifth graders: “…carry an average of 14 pounds in those fashionable, yet damaging backpacks. That’s about 15% of their body weight…equivalent to a 180 pound adult carrying 40 pounds on their back.”      What happens to kids with back pain? “Too often these young people are subject to the effects of Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.), chronic ear infections, growing pains, and leg cramps, all reflected in altered behavior,” Says Dr. Scott Hanson, a Brooks Spinal Care Associate. “ Equally too often these conditions are treated only with drugs, and the young patient is sent on his or her way…like a laboratory experiment … with ‘hopes’ that the drugs work and things will improve.”      Dr. Robert Brooks points out another choice, “In most of the youth cases we encounter, we correct the misaligned spine and the conditions disappear. The youngster’s behavior improves, because they feel better. They can pay attention, listen to others, and respond with their natural curiosity to learn. School grades often improve…and it all happens without drugs.”      Best of all, their future health is more likely to be stable and they can grow with all the advantages of a properly aligned spine.      We welcome the opportunity to meet, and care for the young men and women in your family and in your life. Let’s Celebrate “Focus on Kid’s Care” together. More About Those Backpacks:      Backpacks became a functional fashion a few years ago. But today they may the problem not the solution for carrying schoolbooks, computers, and sporting goods. In the Wall Street Journal article mentioned above, one high school principal is described who invites parents to meet with chiropractors to learn more about potential back injury caused by the heavy loads.      H.B. Dumeer, principal of the Cromwell Middle School in Cromwell, CT, is a chiropractic patient himself, and together with the school nurse randomly stops students with backpacks and weighs them. If the pack weighs too much, (not more than 5% of the student’s body weight)…they help the student sort out items to reduce the load. In addition, Mr. Dumeer, is spending $15,000 to buy textbooks that stay at home…with matching copies in the classroom…and he feels run the economics will pay off in the long. In the meantime he has: Banned backpacks in the halls of his school. Recommends that if you must carry one to and from school, make sure it has two padded straps. Recommends every backpack have an abdominal strap. Recommends every backpack have a “rolling-pull along.” capability…although the added risk of tripping others and blocking hallways is a challenge.      The article also talks about the “Back Balancer” an item being tested that redistributes the load. This device is co-designed by Dr. Ed Kois, a New Hampshire physician, of the Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, in Nashua NH.      We can e-mail or postal mail the complete WSJ article to you, or you may pick up copies in our lobby when you visit us. Simple & Profound      Tuesday was one of those days when so many of our patients were telling me what a great job that I was doing for them or about how good I am at what I do in chiropractic. It's wonderful to accept that kind of praise, but the underlying truth is that the spinal adjustment is such an incredible thing to do for you that sometimes we lose sight of the value of the service and give the credit to the server.      You see I love taking care of people! And, the spinal adjustment is the best thing that I have found to do for someone else. I am not the healer; your body heals itself. What I do is facilitate that process by removing the interference from your nervous system. The traumas that overcome your body's resistance and lock the stress of a spinal misalignment against your nervous system are relieved the same way that pulling a thorn or a splinter from your finger works. Once the interference is removed you recover. It's safe, effective, fast and gets us a lot of compliments.      This simple idea is so profound - this removing of interference. For thousands of years the human race has had the ability to heal without doctors, or drugs, or surgery or chiropractors for that matter. How we see things and in turn how we make our decisions (you know, the ones we make every day from the moment we wake up) either enhances the process of life or manipulates the process. It is a choice.      For years now I have subtly encouraged you to shift your perspective into an awareness of the power of your own aliveness and to see health as the normal state of affairs, manifesting perfectly without interference. Most of our patients are able to come to that awareness and those that have become patients with that awareness already have continued to keep their spines corrected. I too, have a spinal misalignment that periodically needs to be corrected and it is an easy choice for me to be adjusted when necessary.      There are of course other things that interfere with the process of life and become the seeds of the illness and the symptoms that result. In the last three years I have become aware of the power of the repressed emotions that result from a failure to complete an experience, most of the time in childhood, and how these very real forms of energy are stored physically only to appear years later as normal physiology becomes illness. The pollution in our air, food and water are also interferences that accumulate over time and as my father used to say "too much of anything can kill you."      You see it's so simple really that we have choices about how to take care of ourselves (once we see life as an incredible process). We are either removing interference, which takes away all of the causes of our lack of health and aliveness, or we spend our time manipulating the processes; we try anything that will give us some relief while the process continues to go mad. The sad truth is that our culture or society has totally accepted the paradigm of relief while the health of our people suffers and that our simple truth seems hard to comprehend.      Look around you today at the people who are not getting to the cause of their symptoms, that are doing what they do for relief, that have given up being well because they are not aware of the possibility of finding the cause of their problems and suggest chiropractic. It may be the place to start to develop an awareness of the concept of interference. The adjustment alone may be enough to restore health.      Today, when you have choices to make, ask yourself: are you pulling out the thorn - or, are you treating the infection? Are you having your spine corrected - or, are you taking pain relievers? Sometimes is seems too simple.