More Self Help Info for You

I have always believed that each of us can do a lot to take care of ourselves--if we know what to do. Yesterday was a gorgeous February 6, and I decided to take a long bicycle ride and see how tings were shaping up in the city I first saw 35 years ago.

Exercise is good for the cardiovascular system and also helps to build strong bones. It is also a way to "keep energy moving" so that our emotions don't get stuck. In this issue. I'm going to reveal how--and why--you should use a quick and simple technique when emotional intensity starts to build. I'll also tell you about an opportunity to get your bone density tested without cost.

My first local bicycle ride took place in January of 1976 when I arrived in Houston with a bicycle and a few clothes just days before starting Chiropractic College. Someone gave me a ride from Houston Intercontinental Airport to Pasadena. When I saw the local Klan headquarters during my trip to Pasadena, I wondered what kind of new world I was facing.

Yesterday's ride took me thirty-one miles through many neighborhoods. Rice U, Montrose and the Heights. Across Calvalcade to the North Loop; Lockwood to Telephone to Old Spanish Trail and back home. In Montrose, I saw where a new Whole Foods Market is nearing completion. We didn't have stores like that when I adopted the Houston area as my own. On Lockwood, I saw that nine more light rail stations were going to be built.

As I meandered through back streets, it was with great joy that I contemplated the maturing of Houston into a World Class place to live, work and visit. It also felt good that I was in shape to make this ride now that I'm in my more mature years.

The Emotional Neurovascular Technique

Sometimes thoughts come up that aren't as pleasing to us: In fact they are downright distressing. The thoughts and feelings that ride with them can de-stabilize the nervous system. It is most obvious when doing muscle response testing that thoughts that disturb us cause neurological confusion and muscle weakening.

What does this mean for you? It can mean that if you are becoming fixated on a memory or a worry while carrying a heavy object, that muscles will "turn off" causing the body to strain while performing an activity that you can normally handle with ease.

Whether you are exercising, doing the laundry or taking the garbage can to the curbside, your mental and emotional state during that activity can set you for spinal misalignment to occur. This is one of the most common scenarios when a patient comes to see me with neck or back pain when nothing obviously caused it.

A Dr. Bennett researched reflex points on the head that he found by accident. The flouroscope (x-ray) technology that he used to locate and study these points in the 1920s probably caused his death from overexposure to radiation. We thank him for his discovery of "Neurovascular Reflexes."

One of these NRs brings more blood supply to parts of the brain that help us process stressful emotional material.

To activate these points, first locate them with the index or middle fingers of both hands on your forehead. The .html version of this newsletter shows the location in a diagram of a person's face. The points are located above the pupils of the eyes along the bony ridge above the eyebrows.

After bringing the stressful situation to mind, find the points with the fingers. Do not press into your forehead, but find a direction of gently tugging on the skin that allows you to feel a pulse, similar to the one in your wrist. Once both fingers are feeling a pulse--usually out of synch with one another--keep the fingers in place until the pulses are happening at the same time. This will usually occur within 30 seconds to a minute. This will take the "charge" off of the thought, so that you can have some relief; and also prevent unnecessary misaligning of the spine. If things have already gone too far, just call the office for an appointment.

Bone Density Testing at No Cost to You!

During my bicycle ride yesterday, I had the opportunity to test my bone density while several miles from home. An ambulance pulled up behind me silently while I was stopped at a traffic light. Suddenly, the driver turned on the siren full blast and blared his horns. The noise was so shocking to me that I rolled sideways to get out of the way bringing myself and the bicycle to the ground with a thud. This is one way to determine whether your bone density is adequate without having to spend any of your hard-earned funds. I do not recommend this method. Fortunately I passed the test. Broken bones are more serious than out-of-place bones, though neither helps your health.

The easier way is to go to the Whole Foods Market at Kirby and Alabama in Houston this Saturday. A mobile van will be there starting at 11:30. Bone loss can start as early as age 30. Rainbow Light is sponsoring the event, and there is no charge. The testing takes about a minute. Don't find out the hard way that your bones are brittle. You can verify any details with the store.

Many people are under the mistaken impression that swallowing lots of calcium will prevent osteopenia and osteoporosis. Or taking some of the meds touted by celebrities on television. You are being fed half-truths (what does that say about the other half?) If you want nutritional help to keep your bones strong, let me know, and we can create a program together using natural supplements to protect your skeleton.

Guess it is time to sign off again.

Happy Valentine's Day. Remember to love yourself as well as others.

Yours in and for good health,

Stuart C. Marmorstein, D.C., D.B.C.S.