Hayes Valley Wellness

Chiropractic

Hayes Valley Wellness — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 05:03:17 +0000

There are about 175 named techniques within chiropractic. They all share some philosophy and ideas, but they also differ in many ways. Chiropractic is most definitely a science, years of schooling, decades of research, and millions of patient visits prove that point. That said, it is just as much an art, truly. No two Chiropractors approach their patient in exactly the same way. After almost a decade of clinical experience, and as much study, I have a basic framework of the technique that called to me,Sacro Occipital Technique, but I also have thousands of hours of study outside of that, as well as the unique individuals who were attracted to my clinic. What I would say is that all Chiropractors who are effective have one thing in common. We believe the power to heal comes from the individual. We are merely creating a path for the body to heal. An adjustment is about more than unsticking a stuck vertebrae. An adjustment is a way to communicate with the bodies nervous system, to allow motion to happen wether it had been lacking, and to decrease it where it is too mobile. It is about decreasing pain and increasing strength and range of motion. Most importantly it is about allowing the body to function optimally, so that it can heal, and allowing the nervous system to run smoothly and without distraction. Motion is life, from the tiniest vessel in our body, from the smallest reaction in our cells, to the movement of our legs to run, our arms to reach, our lungs to breathe, our mouth to sing,or our mind to think. The tools that a chiropractor has are infinite, the adjustment is a term used to define what we do, but that’s like saying phone is for talking, have you used your phone lately? There are so many ways to adjust, depending on the joint, the spine, the jaw, the ankle, the elbow, all require different approaches and technique, but the intent is the same, to restore optimal function. If you want to function optimally, see your chiropractor.

Balance

Hayes Valley Wellness — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 02:34:43 +0000

Balance, its how we are able to get from point A to point B and every point in between. Balance is not a destination, it is a living, breathing, changing, growing entity. When we balance on two feet, we actually aren’t still, we are moving ever so slightly. Different postural muscles are contracting and relaxing, lead by our nervous system in a dance, choreographed for life itself. Movement is life. Every breath, every function of our organs, every cell requires balance. The ability to breathe requires a balance of pressure between the inside of our body and the outside, balance is everywhere. We require balance in our lives, between our friends, our spouses, our work, and fun, it is a balancing act. So how do we help the innate intelligence in our own body to balance the millions of processes required for life? The answer….. we allow ourselves to live a healthy life.
A healthy life is one that by definition is balanced. We rest enough to balance out the work we want to do to support the fun we want to have. We eat the foods that give the fuel required to do the activities we want to do. We realize that sometimes our bodies need a little help to get what it needs when rest and food are not enough, such as whole food nutrition, clean whole food and occasionally pure, synthetic vitamins,homeopathy, chiropractic, even skin care products that nourish us from the outside. We balance it out. What is important to realize is that no two people are alike. We all need some basic things to maintain a healthy life, vitamins, minerals, water, protein, fat, carbohydrate, rest, sunshine, passion, and love. Take stock of your life. Is it balanced? If its not, look at what is missing, and move towards balancing. Remember that balance is not a destination it is the journey of life, we need to take moments to realize where we need to focus our attention. Like the famous plate spinners, who, once they get all those plates spinning, need to constantly keep their eyes on every plate. Our body needs to do the same. As soon as one is set, another starts to wobble(http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=Zhoos1oY404&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DZhoos1oY404). Watch this, and you’ll get an idea of what it takes internally to make all the millions of processes work. Instead of 5 plates there a millions. All you need to do is take care of those ten things: vitamins, minerals, water, fat, protein, carbohydrate, rest, sunshine, passion, and love, and your body will take care of the rest.

Community

Hayes Valley Wellness — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 20:09:31 +0000

We all understand the concept of community. We rely on those around us for help and support when we need it, as well as support others in their times of need. We laugh and cry together, grow and guide, make memories, fight, make up, and more. Well, the same is said with our body.
How is our body like our community? We look to our body to support us as we go about our day. If we sit in front of a computer or are hiking Kilamanjaro, we still need the support of our muscles, bones, organs, even our mind to get us to our goals. With that view point it makes sense that we may have the same relationship with our own body as we may with our community.
If we fight with our body(eat foods that don’t nourish, drink too much or too little, engage in unhealthy life choices, keep a negative outlook,don’t sleep, etc) we need to make up. What happens when friends fight and don’t make up, well, the relationship doesn’t flourish, and may even end. What does “making up” look like.
Sometimes making up is as simple as saying I’m sorry/a glass of water/ a good nights rest. Sometimes it requires more effort like therapy/a cleanse/ giving up smoking/ daily meditation/ regular exercise/ a healthy lifestyle. The relationships that constantly work at improving usually do the best, so the second scenario really is the better choice. Creating a lifestyle that nourishes our mind and body will create a fulfilling relationship/ body that can weather those inevitable rough patches.
In the coming weeks I will delve in to how we can make the best choices for a healthy community internally, which gives us the vitality to support our community externally. If you are my patient you know I believe everything is connected, from our toes to our nose, and inside out. That the purpose of coming to my office is not only to get rid of your pain or other symptom, but to help you gain your vitality so you can achieve your goals, and enjoy your life.
I encourage questions, feel free to write me at drcolman@hayesvalleywellness.com if you have any questions or ideas for future posts. In the mean time start with making positive changes, even if that means an extra glass of water, a short meditation, a little extra exercise, or a trip to your Chiropractor, these all foster a healthy relationship.
To your health inside and out,
Dr. Colman

Inspiration!

Hayes Valley Wellness — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 20:48:58 +0000

I’m often asked by my patients what I eat, or what do I do for exercise, how do I stay healthy? If you visit my site, you have a good idea about what I eat, whole organic foods, and of course I receive regular chiropractic care, exercise varies from running and yoga ,to surfing and tossing my daughter in the air. Those things are all crucial, but why do I do them, what INSPIRES me? Inspiration is one of those things that can come in so many forms, a song, a book, a smile from your child,a lick from a pet, even from within. Where ever it comes from is not important, what is important is that it’s there. Inspiration is that little spark inside that gets us to read the book, take the class, climb the mountain, learn the foreign language, or take care of our body. It is the unknown possibilities of things to come, that internal aroma of enthusiasm. When someone starts working out, they aren’t inspired to keep the body they have, no,in their mind they see the body they are going to have , and start working towards that goal. If we wake each day inspired, we can’t help but make that day and each day after a growing and healing experience. It doesn’t matter if you have gone 30 or 40 or even 50 uninspired years, it can come at any time, and it is never too late. The trick isn’t to keep your eyes open for it but realize it has always been there,waiting for you. Imagine being inspired to eat healthy, to exercise, to smile, to look at things from a positive point of view each and every day. Having a full and healthy life wouldsimply be a side effect of your inspiration. This website, my office, the work I do was all originally just a thought an inspired thought, but with the hard work of my staff, my wife, myself, the web designer, etc.. it became real. I’m not always inspired, I have my off days, I’ve even had off years, blind to the inspiration both in and around me, what can I say, I’m human, sometimes I don’t see what is right in front of me. Inspiration is a lot like our eyebrows. Eyebrows are always there, but you kind of forget about them(my apologies to the aestheticians out there). As soon as you notice your eyebrows you wonder how you ever missed them. Inspiration is there,both inside and outside of you right now, you just need to notice it. Go live an inspired life! Leave a comment on what inspires you.

Antibiotic Resistance Could Bring ‘End of Modern Medicine’

Hayes Valley Wellness — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:35:35 +0000

The article I posted below is alarming. It is the Inspector General of the World Health Organization basically saying that is things don’t change,modern medicine will not be able to keep up with the infectious agents in the world. Well, this really isn’t a surprise, we wacky nutritionists and chiropractors among others have been beating that drum for decades. So what do we do about it? Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get sick while others don’t. Well, one of the reasons is a healthy and flexible immune system. How do we get one of those? You get it by having a body that is free to defend itself instead of distracted by itself. Those tight muscles, chronic low back pain, jaw pain, neck pain, headaches, constipation, gas, chronic illness, etc. are all signs something is wrong, and the body is distracted. You may have a digestion issue leading to nutritional deficiencies, which leads to weak ligaments, or a back issue that is affecting the nervous system, and as a result perhaps you digestion and immune system are not functioning optimally. Whatever it may be, taking the time to make sure the body is functioning optimally provides for the best defense, which as we all know is the best offense. Take time to read the article below, and make time to be well!

As bacteria evolve to evade antibiotics, common infections could become deadly, according to Dr. Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization.
Speaking at a conference in Copenhagen, Chan said antibiotic resistance could bring about “the end of modern medicine as we know it.”
“We are losing our first-line antimicrobials,” she said Wednesday in her keynote address at the conference on combating antimicrobial resistance. “Replacement treatments are more costly, more toxic, need much longer durations of treatment, and may require treatment in intensive care units.”
Chan said hospitals have become “hotbeds for highly-resistant pathogens” like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, “increasing the risk that hospitalization kills instead of cures.”
Indeed, diseases that were once curable, such as tuberculosis, are becoming harder and more expensive to treat.
Chan said treatment of multidrug resistant tuberculosis was “extremely complicated, typically requiring two years of medication with toxic and expensive medicines, some of which are in constant short supply. Even with the best of care, only slightly more than 50 percent of these patients will be cured.”
Antibiotic-resistant strains of salmonella, E. coli, and gonorrhea have also been discovered.
“Some experts say we are moving back to the pre-antibiotic era. No. This will be a post-antibiotic era. In terms of new replacement antibiotics, the pipeline is virtually dry,” said Chan. “A post-antibiotic era means, in effect, an end to modern medicine as we know it. Things as common as strep throat or a child’s scratched knee could once again kill.”
The dearth of effective antibiotics could also make surgical procedures and certain cancer treatments risky or even impossible, Chan said.
“Some sophisticated interventions, like hip replacements, organ transplants, cancer chemotherapy and care of preterm infants, would become far more difficult or even too dangerous to undertake,” she said.
The development of new antibiotics now could help stave off catastrophe later. But few drug makers are willing to invest in drugs designed for short term use.
“It’s simply not profitable for them,” said Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. “If you create a new drug to red cholesterol, people will be taking that drug every day for the rest of their lives. But you only take antibiotics for a week or maybe 10 days.”
Schaffner likened the dilemma to Ford releasing a car that could only be driven if every other vehicle wasn’t working.
“While we try to encourage the pharmaceutical industry to create new antibiotics, we have to be very prudent in their use,” he said.
But there are ways to limit the potential for bacteria to develop antibiotic resistance: Use antibiotics appropriately and only when needed; follow treatment correctly; and restrict the use of antibiotics in food production to therapeutic purposes.
“At a time of multiple calamities in the world, we cannot allow the loss of essential antimicrobials, essential cures for many millions of people, to become the next global crisis,” said Chan.

What can we learn from a 100 year old man

Hayes Valley Wellness — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:11:12 +0000

KOLKATA, India (AP) – A former Mr. Universe who has just turned 100 said Sunday that happiness and a life without tensions are the key to his longevity.
Manohar Aich, who is 4 foot 11 inches (150 centimeters) tall, overcame many hurdles, including grinding poverty and a stint in prison, to achieve body building glory.
His children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren gathered Sunday in the eastern city of Kolkata to celebrate his birthday the day before.
Hindu priests chanted prayers while a feast was laid out to honor Aich, winner of the 1952 Mr. Universe body building title.
Rippling his muscles and flashing a toothless grin, Aich says his ability to take his troubles lightly and remain happy during difficult times are the secrets to his long life.
That, and a simple diet of milk, fruits and vegetables along with rice, lentils and fish have kept him healthy.
He does not smoke and has never touched alcohol, he said. …

Learning to live a life filled with the things that nourish us will lead to a life full of rewards. Here is a 100 year old man, surrounded by 4 generations of his family, still going strong. He has not succumbed to the typical frailty of “old age”. Instead he has thrived by living a life that continuously supplies the nourishment his body and mind need to stay healthy and vibrant. What can we take away from this? Take a moment each day to focus on the things that are contributing to the betterment of your life, which of course also means your health. The stress of life can take a huge toll on our physical and mental well being. Taking the time to nourish ourselves with good food and water, exercise, meditation, family and friends, and all the other things that keep us growing strong are vitally important at decreasing the toll of physical and mental stressors. It is easy to do nothing about it, but, even easier to do something about it, you just need a little inspiration. Find your inspiration(s), whatever they may be, looking or feeling better, more energy to spend time with the kids or your significant others, seeing a mountain top, whatever it may be can only happen if you are healthy, and feeling and being healthy is just easier than not feeling and being healthy. Start today!

The Truth about Fat

Hayes Valley Wellness — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:04:39 +0000

Fat is one of those words that has many different meanings. When someone thinks of fat, they usually are thinking about that stuff that want to lose around their waste. Fat is so much more. It is how we obtain fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin E and Vitamin A, it is responsible both for causing inflammation and helping reduce it, depending on the type of fat that is making its way in to the body. In our food it can help satisfy hunger for longer periods of time, and be a crucial source of energy, it can also be very dangerous and harmful to our health. Trans fats, like those found in most pre-packaged baked goods and margarine are a true health threat affecting every cell they contact, right down to our DNA. Fat can also go rancid, but often it is hard to tell because fat doesn’t give off a particular smell to let you know, at least not for quite some time. Rancid oil however is not healthful. It is best to keep your oils in tightly closed dark bottles, and away from heat. Even foods like whole grains can have oils that go rancid, so keep your grains away from heat and light as well. Examples of healthy oils would be olive, butter, walnut, grape seed, and coconut. Unhealthy oils would be any oil that is partially hydrogenated, trans fats, most vegetable oil like corn, soy, safflower, and canola, and rancid oils. If you would like to learn more about fat please read the newsletter on Fats in our Nutrition section and please come to my next Doc Talk on Wednesday, March 14, where we will discuss how fat can help us age gracefully if we know what to do. See you there!

Help With Stomach Flu Outbreak

Hayes Valley Wellness — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:43:53 +0000

There is a very bad stomach flu going around San Francisco, a school had to be closed as a result, and I have had numerous patients that have had to deal with this nasty bug. Symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, cold sweats, stomach cramping, and fatigue. For all patients who have the following supplements, double you current dose for the next week or so: ProSynbiotic,Zypan, Enzycore, MultiZyme, TRMA, Diaplex, Spanish Black Radish,Cataplex E, Morinda Supreme(9/day max), SilverCillin, Gut Flora Complex, Immuplex, Cataplex ACP, Cataplex AC, or Takasumi Supreme(4 scoops/day max). If you are taking a smoothie, whole food fiber may be helpful, but don’t go above 2 scoops per day. We are anticipating a huge run on many of these products and are doing our supply stocked. Please call the office if you have any questions or concerns. Please understand that these supplements are not intended to cure, just support the body so it can best put up a strong defense.

Introducing Pulsed Electro Magnetic Frequency (PEMF)

Hayes Valley Wellness — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:09:00 +0000

All of our body functions require energy to flow unimpeded and in an orderly manner. PEMF helps your body’s energy flow to the cells that need it. Along with Chiropractic and Whole Food Nutritional Therapy PEMF can speed healing and provide you long lasting results, that is precisely why we are happy to introduce PEMF to the healing services here at Hayes Valley Wellness.

Listen to one of our patients already benefiting from PEMF:
“I am a diabetic and I test my blood sugar at least daily and since I have added the PEMF to my treatment plan and my blood sugar is more balanced! Thank you Dr. Matt” A. P. Atient

PEMF treatments are simple and painless. A 20 minute treatment 2-3 times per week is as simple as laying on a table on top of the PEMF generator. Simple people feel a slight tingling as the Pulsed Electro Magnetic energy vitalizes your cells for better function.

Ask Dr. Colman if PEMF is right for your treatment plan.

What’s it all about?

Hayes Valley Wellness — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 01:32:34 +0000

Everyday there are news stories that there is a new medical breakthrough or a new fad diet that that will melt away the pounds, but America keeps getting sicker and fatter. A news report recently gave the following info: “A new report, F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2011, from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), shows that 68% of Americans are either overweight or obese, and adult obesity rates have increased in 16 U.S. states in the past year and did not decline in any state. In 12 states, more than 30% of the population is now obese, while four years ago only one state reported more than 30% of its population obese.”
As a doctor with a practice that focuses on long term health and vitality, this subject comes up on a daily basis. If there is one thing I have learned about fitness, diet, and all around health, there is no magic, only understanding an individuals physiology, and helping them find their natural set point. That place where there physical and emotional health is at its peak. Many people lose weight, only to find that weight just around the corner. I my office, whether it is weight loss, or ending decades of migraines, debilitating back or foot pain, to anxiety and , all these things are linked in that it is all about helping the patient understand how not just to reverse these issues but maintain that level of health. To find that answer sometimes takes a little investigating on both the patient and my part, as well as education on what exactly living a healthy lifestyle looks like. That said there are certain constants in health, and many observations I have made about health and wellness that will apply to just about everyone. This blog is going to be dedicated to those observations, and hopefully those of you who decide to embark on the amazing and life altering journey of truly great health will benefit.