Creation Chiropractic - Eden Prairie, MN
952.944.2133
300 Prairie Center Drive, # 200
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
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Creation Chiropractic Blog - Eden Prairie MN

A Footnote About Your Spine

Posted: March 26, 2018
By: Written by Dr. Matthew Alvord,

 

 

Your feet are the base of your body but your brain is the base of your feet. You may stand on your feet, but you stand because your brain controls your feet. Everything going on at one end of your body is being reported to the other end all the way to the ground. Your brain is fully aware of every demand of every ankle, heel, arch, toe and toenail. Every way you stand, walk, run or sleep and every pair of shoes, surface or circumstance. Your feet can’t do a thing without this vital connection and it is all communicated back and forth through your spine.

            As it turns out, your spine is the most important connection of your entire body.  Your brain may be the power source for your life, but any power station is useless without a connection to the places that need power.  We tend to realize this is true for our entire body, but often times the feet get left out because they are on the other side of the body. We know full well what happens when we stub our toe and that it is connected to our brain, otherwise we wouldn’t feel it. But when we have other foot symptoms, we tend to think they are only foot problems.  In fact, many foot issues aren’t even a problem with the foot at all.

            When your brain relates to gravity, it has to compensate for any variations from normal by moving your body underneath it to make up for any differences.  These compensations happen from your neck to your low back to your legs and eventually your feet.  When you get interference of these important message carried from your brain through your spine, your feet pay a price with everything else in your body. As the spine goes, so go the feet.  

            If you look at a logjam, the problem is higher up the river but all the logs are jammed all the way down the river. Some logjams are miles long but the logjam in your body is only feet long, going all the way to your toes. The jam usually starts at the top of your spine and continues all the way down to the last log. The longest recorded logjam was seven miles long.  That means that if you stood on the very last log of the jam, you couldn’t see the cause of the problem much farther up the river.

            The same thing happens with many foot issues.  We don’t see the real cause of the problem higher up in the body because we may not connect how we feel below with anything above that we don’t feel. Many people are standing on a logjam in their feet but have no idea that the cause of the jam may be higher in their spine because all they see are jammed logs as far as their eye can see.

            Once the cause of the logjam is removed, something kind of neat happens. Without having to touch a single other log, all the logs start flowing down the river again.  With one specific movement on top, the rest of the logjam clears itself.  This also happens with your body. When a specific interference is removed higher up in your spine, your entire body begins to function normally again.  All the way down to your feet.  

            Without having to touch your feet to help them function better, a chiropractor can adjust the jam in your spine and allow the intelligence from your brain to clear the rest of your body and feet.  You can’t tell where your log jam is coming from based on the log you are standing on and you can’t tell where your interference is coming from based on your foot symptoms, so make an appointment today so you can get a foot hold on your foot problem.

 


This Is ALL Chiropractic Is About!

Posted: March 12, 2018
By: Written by Dr. Matthew Alvord,

The Letter “N” In Function

 

 

A-    Life is expressed:

1.    Life is an expression of body FUNCTION.

2.     Body function is controlled by body CHEMISTRY.

3.     Body chemistry is controlled by ORGANS.

4.     Organs are controlled by spinal NERVES.

5.     Spinal nerves are protected by BONES.

 

B-    Life is interfered:

1.     A spinal subluxation represents a MISALIGNMENT of bone.

2.     A misaligned bone represents INTERFERENCE of nerves.

3.     Nerve interference causes DYSFUNCTION of organs.

4.     Organ dysfunction DISRUPTS body chemistry.

5.     Disrupted body chemistry DECREASES body function.

 

C-    Life is restored.

1.     Chiropractic adjustments RE-ALIGN bone.

2.     Bone re-alignment RESTORES nerve function.

3.     Restored nerve function NORMALIZES organ function.

4.     Normal organ function BALANCES body chemistry.

5.     Balanced body chemistry INCREASES body function.


Arthritis ... Not Your Parents' Joint Pain

Posted: February 26, 2018
By: Written by Dr. Matthew Alvord,

 

There are many kinds of arthritis conditions. Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, osteoarthritis…Oh my! But they all have one thing in common: Inflammation of the joints. “Arthro” means joint and “itis” means inflammation. So, arthritis simply means “joint inflammation.” However, when it comes to understanding what that actually means as a condition, it isn’t so simple.

The real concern should be, why? Why do you even have inflammation, whether it’s in your joints or anywhere else? Inflammation is a natural and normal way for your immune system to protect you and heal you. So which one of those things is bad for you? Neither. Inflammation is good for you. Always. So why do so many people seem to have a problem with it? Because it hurts. Because it can be associated with complications in the body. The truth is, if the inflammation we often times don’t like so much didn’t happen, we would have even more problems.

For example, let’s look at one of the latest popular ads for a drug called Enbrel. It shows a famous golfer who was having problems moving due to psoriatic arthritis, until he took this drug. He felt better. But how? Enbrel is one of many anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat or stop inflammation. Well, there is always a price to pay for anything we do to the body that it isn’t designed for. If you listen closely to the narrator, he begins to list all the concerns associated with this and the other anti-inflammatory drugs. He lists all kinds of immune system problems that normally we would have no problem fighting off naturally, because anti-inflammatory drugs are given to shut down the immune system. So he can swing a golf club, but now he will have a problem fighting off everything from the common cold to tuberculosis!

Luckily, perceptions are starting to change. In our parents day, inflammation was always demonized. “Get rid of it.” “Bad inflammation!” Luckily, perceptions are starting to change. That antiquated idea is dying out. Remember, inflammation is the main way our body protects and heals us. It’s a process that is involved with virtually every other aspect of function, so the immune system is pretty darned important. Inflammation is its main tool. Take that away, and we sign on for all kinds of other issues, even death as a possibility. So what can we do to respect this intelligence running our body?

All roads lead to the nervous system. It’s like the song, “The hip bone is connected to the knee bone,” only with your body systems. Arthritis pain is caused by inflammation, which is controlled by the immune system, which is controlled by the supreme system that controls everything in the body, the nervous system. And we all get interference to this system, called spinal subluxations. They decrease the function of the nervous system, which decreases the function of the immune system, which often increases inflammation, which often causes arthritis conditions, under many names. So regardless of whatever else you may do to treat the effects of inflammation, get your spine checked to make sure that the systems that control inflammation are working exactly as they should.


Uncomfortably Numb; The Growing Opioid Addiction

Posted: February 19, 2018
By: Written by Dr. Matthew Alvord,

 

Humanity, we have a problem. We were sold the idea that pain relief was health itself, instead of just being related to health. We were sold the idea that treating our pain and numbing up our lives was what we needed for a better life. We were sold “better health though chemistry” and chemicals for every ache and pain and condition. We were sold the idea that treating the effects of our problems would get to the cause of our problems. We were sold a lie, and it’s a big one.

There are no free lunches and there is no short cut to health. We can’t continue to put poisons in our bodies and expect our bodies to be better off. We are now paying the price for that lie with a nation-wide epidemic of addiction and even worse health because of it. Not only are individuals suffering more than ever, their families and friends are suffering as well. Opioid addictions have taken over the country, but there is hope. And it’s a big one.

Chiropractic gives people an opportunity to find a way out of their living hell by removing interference to the nervous system and restoring proper communication to the innate intelligence of the body and the source of all life.

There are three main ways this occurs:

1) Chiropractic helps people recover from addictions. This is possible because Chiropractic adjustments break up patterns in the brain and body that keep people in the same state of mind and the same habits that support addiction. Spinal adjustments help break people out of the addiction prison keeping them locked away from recovery. Research shows that adjustments help people stay free from addictive chemicals, prescribed or otherwise, when going through the twelve-step program compared with those not receiving chiropractic adjustments.

2) Chiropractic give people so much relief from pain that it often looks like a treatment for pain. Much like exercise looks like a treatment for weight loss, while the person is just getting in shape again, there is no exercise to lose weight. Exercise just allows people to lose weight if there is weight to lose while they are just moving better. Chiropractic adjustments simply return people to as higher level of function, decreasing the stress on their body and reducing pain in the process.

3) Chiropractic ultimately restores normal function to the body which allows the body to return to a better, healthy state, getting to the true cause of pain. Since pain is not the problem itself but rather a secondary condition to the problem, chiropractic gets to the causes of the cause. Instead of disconnecting the oil light, chiropractic changes the oil. So not only does the indicator of the problem go away, the problem itself has been addressed and your car and your body are healthier because of it.

The last thing Chiropractic does is the first thing everyone should do. It allows you and your friends and family to stay at your best before you even get to a place that requires you to take dangerous chemicals and pain relievers. It helps prevent the pitfalls that can happen when you aren’t working at your best and allows you to recover quickly and without complications.

Now you see that Chiropractic gives people a way out of the trap of pain and addiction that is gripping millions of people and lets them avoid these problems altogether. It’s time, it’s been time, but it’s not too late. Call us today (952.944.2133)  to help yourself and the ones you love. Get checked for spinal nerve interference to make sure you are working exactly the way you should before you get in a place that makes you uncomfortably numb.


The Facts About Fibromyalgia

Posted: February 12, 2018
By: Written by Dr. Matthew Alvord,


   If we look too closely at our problems, we can be convinced that we have a problem we need to address one way, when in fact, we actually have a different problem that needs to be addressed in another way. For example, if we look too closely at a ceiling light that is not working in our room, we might think that we simply need a new light bulb. But if it’s a switch problem, we need to step away from the light cover long enough to understand the relationship between the bulb and the wire leading to the wall switch.  If the lights still don’t come on after looking at the light switch, we might think we only have a switch problem.  If we take another step back from the room altogether, we might notice that the lights in other rooms of our house are out as well. In fact, if all the lights are out in all the rooms of our house, we don’t have a problem with any one room at all.

            Now, if we look at how we could treat the lighting problem in our house at different levels, they could all be addressed in a certain limited way, for a limited amount of time. If we think the problem is one room, we could light a bunch of candles and we will still be able to see what we want to see in the dark room.  If the whole house is dark, we could just get more candles, carry a flashlight, or even run a generator to artificially light the entire house.  Problem solved, right?  I think you can see the real problem here.

            It has been said that the only difference between the Dark Ages and today is that today we have artificial lighting. In other words, what have we actually improved?  When it comes to the human body and health, the dynamics that run our body functions and their problems and causes are basically the same.  Physiology hasn’t changed much at all, but our understanding and interventions have dramatically changed.  There are more sophisticated treatments for many conditions in the body, but are they actually getting to the real problem?

            When it comes to the specific condition of Fibromyalgia, there are many ways to treat the symptoms, but no therapy addresses the real cause of what controls all the muscles and connective tissue of the entire body. Therapists can prescribe all kinds of ways to numb up the effects of the problem, but they don’t get to the cause of why the problem exists in the first place. Nor can they, because they use candles and flashlights. If we take a step back from fibromyalgia like a lighting problem, we see that no therapy allows the lights to come back on because all the candles and flashlights in the world can’t restore the power in a dark house. 

            Even if someone feels better with a fibromyalgia treatment, their body isn’t functioning any better. What’s worse is they have a false sense of success because the house is lighter, but the power is still off. Worse still, since we are only designed to eat food, not only will anything else we consume have side effects, it is poisonous to our system. That’s a fact.

            In a certain sense, Chiropractors are like electricians. We don’t carry electricity, but we understand where the electricity comes from in your house and the vital relationship to all your rooms. We find and remove interference between your power source and the lights and restore the connection.  Our goal isn’t to treat your rooms or to even turn on the lights. But when we restore the potential back to your house, the power is available to turn on your lights again. 

            And let me save you the suspense: Chiropractic doesn’t treat Fibromyalgia, much less any other condition in your body. But when we remove interference between the Innate Intelligence running your body from your brain through your spine, all the tissues in your body have their full potential returned back to them to function the way they are designed. This includes all your muscle and nerve junctions through your body. 

            If all the lights go out in your house, don’t blame any one room, and save your candle and flashlight money.  If you are suffering from Fibromyalgia, you will want to make sure your spine is checked for interference so your entire body is working properly, including all your muscles. Fibromyalgia can seem like a daunting condition with limited relief but if we redefine the problem, your outlook can be brighter than ever.  


CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME (CTS)

Posted: February 5, 2018
By: Written by Dr. Matthew Alvord,

 

Need a hand with your hand problem? The first thing you need to consider is that maybe you don’t even have a hand problem. That’s right, I said it. Maybe your problem isn’t what or where you think it is. Sometimes problems are exactly where we feel them, but so often they are coming from other areas that we may never suspect because that area feels fine.

When people are diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome, it is usually related to inflammation and swelling in the wrist and is blamed on over-use activities for the cause. Doctors will observe that there is pressure on the nerve running through the wrist, so their solution ends up as CTS surgery. This translates as cutting the ligaments in the wrist so the bones don’t affect the wrist nerve as much, but this is so short sighted! All those bones, ligaments and wrist structures are specifically designed for you. Just cutting perfectly normal structures might make you feel better, but it will never make your wrist function any better.

It’s like observing a bucking bronco that keeps hitting the sides of a corral, and then the rancher just deciding to widen the fence! But when the horse hits the side of the wall less, can we really conclude that they have tamed the horse? Of course not! Taking anti-inflammatory drugs isn’t much better. That would be like drugging the horse to sleep. Even pain relievers will just numb the horse so they don’t feel the same fence, the same way. But you can’t argue with the short-sighted logic, if the goal is to just stop hitting the fence. Any of these therapies will change the dynamic of the bronco and the fence, but they will never get to the bucking. Ultimately, the rancher is left with the illusion that they have addressed the cause of the problem and yet, the horse isn’t any tamer and the wrist isn’t any better.

Office work and racket sports are common associations with the onset or worsening of CTS symptoms. But why do many other people doing the same activity, as those diagnosed with CTS never develop this condition? Are they trying less than people with carpal tunnel syndrome? There must be other factors that are associated with CTS, and there are. A major “make or break” factor is whether or not there is proper nerve communication from the brain to the hand. Carpal tunnel syndrome is one possible hand or wrist condition that may result in pain anywhere in the arm, but may present just like symptoms that are actually starting from a neck problem as a spinal subluxation. And to boot, your neck may actually feel great! So how can you really know?

Aside from treating the effects of CTS with drugs or surgery, get your spine checked for spinal subluxations to make sure your bucking bronco is tame before you start moving fence posts or putting your perfectly good horse to sleep. There is a really good reason why your bronco is bucking. Find out why. Giddy up! 


Bent Out of Shape? Scoliosis

Posted: January 29, 2018
By: Written by Dr. Matthew Alvord,

 

The spine adapts throughout life with a variety of curvatures, beginning at birth. When these curves become bigger than usual, this condition is called scoliosis. Medically, it is usually first treated with physical therapy. When the curves become bigger, bracing techniques are used to try to slow the progression. When curves get even bigger, you become a candidate for surgery, with all kinds of potential complications. All this for a condition with a cause that is largely unknown.

WOAH! We need to step back a moment before we can step forward with the right perspective. No matter what anyone decides to do from a treatment route, whether with children or adults, we need to ask a crucial question: Are these curves a normal adaptation of your intelligent body or not? Spinal subluxations will decrease your body’s ability to physically react to any of the demands placed on it. They interfere with nerve communication that controls all the muscles that maintain your spinal curves. This is done within the posture and balance systems that give your brain feedback relative to gravity, all through your spinal cord. In order for these curves to be exactly as your intelligent body requires, there can be no interference to this process. Otherwise, these curvatures can be different, worsened or caused completely by nerve interference.

Many scoliosis symptoms are considered relatively minor, such as decreased range of motion, tightness or posture issues. The main concern for these people is the curvature itself, not usually pain. This is a real testament to how the body can adapt in all kinds of ways without resulting in obvious symptoms until it becomes bad enough, whatever that is for each individual person. The temptation by therapists is to just try and stretch or manipulate the muscles and joint into what they think is normal, based on how they think the body should adapt. This never addresses why the curvatures are there to begin with, and the results show this. This is like trying to barricade a runaway truck with the foot still on the gas and just hoping to slow the truck, which often ends up rolling over the cliff anyway.

What happens to a snake when there is a stranglehold on its neck? It coils up, even around the very hand holding it. Can you imagine observing all the curvature the snake uses to adapt to this situation, and then just trying to straighten out the snake with the other hand? It doesn’t make much sense, does it? Well, this is kind of like what happens to many people with scoliosis. For the best intentions, most things done to assess these people never addresses their body’s ability to react appropriately, curves or not.

Only a chiropractic assessment and regular chiropractic adjustments will get your body working again the way it was designed. For any the uncertainties associated with scoliosis, one thing is for sure:  You definitely don’t want spinal subluxations complicating the very curves your body uses to survive. Get checked today and make sure the curves in your road are exactly as they should be. 


Can You Stomach the Truth? All About Digestion...

Posted: January 22, 2018
By: Written by Dr. Matthew Alvord,

 

There are many related digestive conditions, including everything from acid reflux, heartburn, ulcers, ulcerative colitis, and even mouth, throat and stomach cancer. And they can all have different causes. But do you know the one thing they have in common? They are all dependent on the nervous system to control and coordinate all the tissues involved with digestion. Nerves coming off the spine, communicating vital information from the brain, directly affect your ability to digest.

Nerves control the muscle that allows the valve to open and close that separates the stomach from the esophagus. This must happen at the right time so that food can move into the stomach and so stomach acids don’t move up into the esophagus. If this nerve from the spine is irritated, this valve will open when it shouldn’t and stomach acids, which are only designed for that area of the body, can now eat away at your esophagus and throat instead of eating away at your food! This will, in turn, affect things like acid reflux, but if you have it long enough, it can actually result in cancer. What’s worse, when people are diagnosed with this, they are given medications to treat the effects without getting to the cause. For example, Pepto Bismol just coats the esophagus to try to prevent the acids from eating it away. But no amount of pink rubber will ever address the spinal subluxations that often lead to this problem.

Nerves from the spine also control the organs of digestion, such as the liver, pancreas and gall bladder. So the very chemicals that break down your food are created in the right amounts only if you have a good nerve supply. In order to absorb the nutrients in your food, nerves must be involved. If this doesn’t happen right, all your good eating habits will be reduced and all those great nutrients will pass through you. After all, what good is good nutrition if you can’t even use it? If someone has spinal subluxations, testing of your body chemistry can show a problem in the blood or other place, but may actually just be a trickle down effect from having a problem in your spine.

As the food moves further down your digestive tract, you are still not in the clear if you have spinal subluxations. The orchestrated movement of your food requires a proper nerve supply from all the nerves that run along your small and large intestines. Finally, in order to eliminate what you are not using, the right muscles have to work in the right way. Otherwise, you can end up with complications like diarrhea or constipation.  

In general, digestion requires your body to be in a relaxed state. Any spinal subluxation can put your body in a flight/fight mode called sympathetic dominance. This means that no matter how much you chew your food and take your time eating in a peaceful environment, it will all be worthless if your body itself is not in a peaceful state. This is not possible with spinal subluxation. Get your spine checked today to find out where and how this interference affects everyone, especially those with digestive problems who probably have no idea of this important connection.


Feeling Outmuscled By Muscle Problems?

Posted: January 8, 2018
By: Written by Dr. Matthew Alvord,

 

Many muscle problems get better with chiropractic care, without ever treating muscles, without even trying. How is that possible? Chiropractic focuses on making sure that the intelligence that made your body, including your muscles, is able to communicate without interference. The power that made your muscles is the same power that gives your muscles power! This power is the intelligence that runs from your head to your toes, through your nervous system and spine, allowing your brain to move your toes with proper muscle tone. And then your toes and muscles return the favor, sending vital information back to the brain so it can make well-informed decisions.

The way to not get outmuscled by muscle conditions is to understand how your muscles work and why they have their tone in the first place. Muscle tone can be increased, which is usually called a spasm, and can produce pain, as well as decreased flexibility and function. But muscle tone can also be decreased, which can often cause similar problems for different reasons. No matter what your muscle tone is, you need to make sure that the tone is exactly what the intelligence running your body needs it to be. That means you can’t have interference between your brain and the nerves running through your spine that communicate with your muscles so they work and adapt correctly. 

Muscles work hard…. almost all the time, even when you are sleeping. Ever wake up with a muscle cramp? Exactly. The only time they stop receiving proper nerve signals from the brain is when you have interference to these signals, or when you are dead. And since you aren’t dead, without interference, your muscles are doing exactly what they need to do to react and compensate for all the different demands in your life.

For example, although people don’t like muscle spasms, they create a natural splint to protect a specific area for a specific reason. This allows you to heal better when it happens for the right reason, at the right time, as long as there is no interference to the spasm. Often times, the interference is causing the spasms altogether! If you treat this effect, it just takes away from this intelligent adaptation and will never get to the cause of why you have the spasm in the first place. You might feel better, but you won’t actually be better until the interference is removed.

Always remember that there is a good reason for everything your body does, whether we understand it or not, or whether we appreciate it or not. Just make sure that your muscles are doing exactly what they need to do for you, without interference from your muscle mover, the intelligence within you from your brain. The key is you spine, where the interference happens. This means that your muscle problem, wherever it is and however it is, may actually be a spine problem. So get checked by a chiropractor and don’t let muscle problems outmuscle YOU.


Your Best New Years Resolution!

Posted: January 2, 2018
By: Written by Dr. Matthew Alvord,

 

The phrase “yule” is derived from the old Norse word for “wheel,” and “yule tide” refers to the moment when the cycle of the year is at its low point, ready to rise again. It’s a time for renewal, restoration and re-creation. In fact, our namesake at Creation Chiropractic comes directly from this concept. Some assume there is a religious connotation, but it’s actually just a simple reference to the cause and effect relationship of life; the creation of life from two cells and one Creator, matter from the immaterial, life from seemingly nothing.  

But it’s that “nothing” that is everything. When it comes to your life, what matters is if it can come to you in the first place. In order for life to be expressed, there can’t be any interference between the intelligence that made you and you. Innate intelligence is specifically communicated throughout your entire body via your nervous system. This system connects your brain to your big toe, and everything in between. When the bones in your back misalign, they interfere with the intentions of the Creator that made you from two cells and creation can only happen when there is no interference to the cause of life. Spinal subluxations always cause your life to be less than what it should be and could be and since your nervous system controls and coordinates everything in your body, it also controls and coordinates your body’s ability to adapt to your outside world as well. So all your experiences, hopes, dreams and every single one of your New Year’s resolutions depend on your ability to relate to the new year through your nervous system. It’s a must for every resolution.

Maybe spinal subluxations have been tapping away at your energy, aspirations and expectations for so long, you don’t have goals for the New Year. Maybe they are just so low that you aren’t excited about the future at all.  Or maybe you haven’t even thought about what is possible when your life is at full expression.

Sometimes, life isn’t that bad but it isn’t that good either. But how would you know? If we get used to something long enough, we could just assume that that is the way it’s supposed to be. And most people can get used to a dimly lit room.

Everyone gets spinal subluxations, whether we have any symptoms or not. If you are lucky, you will have feedback from your body telling you to do something. Anything. But most people have no idea that they need to have their spines checked for subluxations because there aren’t any obvious indication to do otherwise. Most people think they are healthy until they are not. After all, most hospital beds are full of people who felt fine yesterday. It doesn’t have to be that way.

So here we are, at the beginning of another year of our lives. Another yule tide, another you tide, a chance for re-creation of the spirit that celebrates inside you, if it is just given that chance. A new YULE! We can either improve ourselves by making sure we are expressing life at our best or we can let our lives fall away into another year of mediocrity of a lesser life with interference. Make sure that your first resolution is to a visit a chiropractor so you can remove the interference to the rest of your New Year’s resolutions. Your future depends on it.

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