25Nov

Gas Pedal Versus Brake Pedal

November 25, 2020By

In our office, we talk about this concept of the gas pedal versus the brake pedal. For our nervous system to be in balance, the gas pedal should be balanced out by the brake pedal. Think of it like this: when we’re stressed, our body goes into fight or flight mode. Our blood flow moves from our internal organs to our muscles, our non-essential systems like digestion and reproduction get down-regulated, and our adrenaline and other stress hormones up-regulate to prepare us to run from the saber-toothed tiger that wants to eat us. Even though there are no longer saber-toothed tigers after us, our bodies respond the same way as if we were about to run for our lives. This response is managed by our sympathetic nervous system and what we refer to as the gas pedal. If we have a gas pedal then we must have a brake pedal and we do, it’s called our parasympathetic nervous system. This part of our nervous system is in charge of recognizing when the threat or stress event is over, pumping the brakes on those stress reactions we had during fight or flight mode, and helping us return to a balanced state.

Sounds simple, right? The problem is that stress in our modern world is much more complicated than whether there is a saber-toothed tiger chasing us or not. We experience stress in three ways: traumas (physical), toxins (chemical), and thoughts (emotional). We call this the 3 T’s of stress. These stressors can overwhelm our system and cause us to get stuck in a state of stress or gas pedal pressed to the floor constantly. This continued state of stress fatigues the body and mind and causes a state of dis-ease or a lack of ease in the body that can lead to illness and other issues. So, how do we pump the brakes if they aren’t naturally kicking in? With a chiropractic adjustment.

There is a nerve that runs from your brain down through your body called the Vagus nerve. This nerve can kick on the parasympathetic nervous system and essentially pump the brake pedal on that stress response. Chiropractic adjustments stimulate the Vagus nerve, which in turn helps pump the brake pedal on our stress response and bring us back into a state of balance or ease. Being in a state of balance allows you to sleep better, digest better, fight off infections better and a whole bunch more. Being in balance allows our body to perform at its best, the way it was meant to on every level. So when we talk about needing to pump the brake pedal, it’s because we’re seeing that the gas pedal is stuck on which means stress is stuck on. By giving you a great chiropractic adjustment, we pump the brake pedal on that stress response and help you get back to a state of ease.

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19Nov

Pay It Forward

November 19, 2020By

This is the time of year when we give thanks for all of the wonderful people and blessings we have. As our way of saying thank you to our community, every November we have a Pay It Forward campaign to collect non-perishable food for The Community Kitchen of Myrtle Beach. Located on Mr. Joe White Avenue, The Community Kitchen provides nutritious meals for hungry people and families in need in our community. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, they serve hundreds of meals to the hungry every day right here in Horry County.

Our mission each year is to try to collect a TON, literally 2,000 pounds of food to donate to The Community Kitchen. We’ve come close to that goal but we haven’t hit it yet. We have raised well over 1,000 pounds of food but we still strive for that 2,000 mark. Every year we compile a comprehensive food list with the organization that gives you lots of options for donating. Everything from grits to spaghetti sauce to canned fruits is on the list, so you can pick up whatever works for you while you’re out doing your regular shopping. Food donations can be dropped off at our office throughout the month of November. Normally, we try to deliver what we’ve collected before Thanksgiving but this year, we’ve extended the collection period to the end of the month. Be sure to grab a food list from our office staff to take with you when you shop.

As an extra way of expressing our gratitude to you this year, we’ve decided to raffle off some great prizes to pay it forward to YOU as well. Our first prize package is an Apple Watch, AirPods, and a 3 month membership to HOTWORX to inspire you to keep some movement in your life. Our second prize package is an RTIC soft-sided cooler, two RTIC tumblers, two beach towels, and a 3 month membership to HOTWORX to keep your bod ready for the beach over the cooler winter months. Our third prize package is a mystery kid’s prize. You can earn raffle tickets in four ways: donating to our food drive, leaving us a review on Facebook or Google, posting about us on social media (FB or IG), and referring a friend to take advantage of our $79 VIP special! We’ll draw the winners at the end of the month.

We are so thankful for all of our practice members, friends, and family. You’re our very special tribe and we couldn’t do what we do without you. So thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. Now let’s work together to Pay It Forward!

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17Sep

Harvey Lillard and the Birth of Chiropractic

September 17, 2020By

 

This month, chiropractic turns 125 years old! The story of D.D. Palmer delivering the first ever chiropractic adjustment is documented in his book “The Chiropractor’s Adjuster” published in 1910. The recipient of that first adjustment was a man named Harvey Lillard, a janitor who cleaned the building where D.D. Palmer’s office was located on the fourth floor. Harvey Lillard suffered from hearing loss after an incident 17 years prior when he was in a cramped, stooping position and felt something pop in his spine. He immediately noticed the hearing loss and sought out the advice of many doctors over the years. None of these doctors were able to help him and he eventually gave up on ever hearing normally again.

D.D. Palmer was intrigued by his case and worked to convince Harvey Lillard to allow him to perform a chiropractic adjustment on him. Harvey agreed. The adjustment D.D. Palmer delivered restored Harvey’s hearing and just so happened to be the first ever adjustment performed in the field of chiropractic. The date widely accepted for this incident is September 18, 1895. This is why we celebrate the birth of chiropractic on the 18th of September every year.

If you think the story sounds a little far-fetched, Harvey Lillard was interviewed directly about the incident and himself confirmed that D.D. Palmer delivered two adjustments to him and at this interview 8 months later, he was still hearing quite well. In fact, several chiropractors and researchers have gone on to help with hearing loss in a number of documented patients over the years. It’s important to note that there are several causes for hearing loss and not all causes can be helped by chiropractic. The types of hearing loss caused by a misalignment of the spine are collectively called vertebrogenic hearing disorders. Vertebrogenic hearing disorders can be greatly improved by chiropractic adjustments, just as in the case of Harvey Lillard.

Now you know the story behind the birth of chiropractic. All that’s left to say is… Happy 125th Birthday, Chiropractic!

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14Mar

COVID-19 chaos and how impACT Chiropractic can help!

March 14, 2020By

Hey Friends,
There’s so much information coming at us about COVID-19 and it can be scary. We know that the best thing to do right now is to make sure we’re all taking great care of each other and ourselves. Most importantly, taking care of our immune systems so that if you do come into contact with the virus, your body can fight it quickly!

Here’s a quick list of things you can do to boost your immunity:

GET ADJUSTED! ? We will continue business as usual over the coming weeks because we know how important a strong immune system is to fight ANY virus your body comes in contact with – an adjustment alone can boost your immune response by 200%! Now is when your body needs chiropractic care more than ever. We want you to know we’re taking extra precautions at impACT Chiropractic to keep you safe.

1. We are consistently wiping down all surfaces within impACT Chiropractic with disinfectant.
2. We have removed all the toys that are not easily wiped down or sanitized ? and will bring them back out once the threat is over. We apologize ahead of time if your kiddo’s favorite toy is missing when they come in. ☹️
3. All surfaces and tables are cleaned consistently and we will provide organic wipes ? throughout the office if you feel more comfortable doing so yourself.
4. If you call ahead to let us know you’re feeling ill, ??? we’ll move your adjustment to one of our private rooms or outside of normal office hours. Our private adjusting and screening rooms will be cleaned down thoroughly after each client.
5. We have spread out our schedule as much as possible to keep the waiting room as clear or free of people as we can. Come in, get your immune boost, and head home! ?

During this time, let’s all do our part to combat what we can control and keep using chiropractic to strengthen your immune system. There is no better time than now to make sure your body has the ability to adapt and respond to any virus or exposure out there.

FEED your body the good stuff! ??? More produce, less processed and sugary foods. Also, cut way back on mucous-inducing dairy.

MOVE your body! ?‍♀️ ?️‍♂️ Even if your workouts are relocated from the gym to your home, movement relieves stress and boosts your immune system! Make sure to break a sweat because that is how our body gets things moving on out!

SUPPLEMENT your system! Please see Kasey Bordas in our office with your supplement questions and needs. She’s our resident nutrition and functional medicine expert. We also carry elderberry syrup from Alex’s Elderberries and local natural honey from Carolina Shores Apiaries in our office, so pick some up when you stop by! (Honey is cash only.)

MANAGE your stress! ??? In scary times like this, stress levels can skyrocket. Stress is known to cause 90% of all illness and dramatically decreases our ability to FIGHT. Try your best to find peace and calm in each day. Meditate (ask us for recommendations), limit social media, love on your people, and stay calm. ?‍♀️?‍♂️

REST! Get plenty of restful sleep. ? Your immune system requires large amounts of energy and depends on adequate sleep to function at full capacity.

And of course, WASH YOUR HANDS often and thoroughly. ?

We’re in this together and we’re here for you.

Dr. David Turner + The impACT Chiro Team

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