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Good evening!

 I had quite a few patients come into the office with headaches this week.  Fortunately, they know that chiropractic can help them.  In fact, at least 4 of my patients had their headaches COMPLETELY DISAPPEAR by the time they left the office.

 How does Chiropractic help Headaches?

 Many times when a patient comes in with a headache, they have one or more misalignments or "subluxations" in their neck and upper back.  This misalignment causes abnormal pressure on the nerves that come out from the spinal cord and pass through the spaces between the vertebra (bones in the neck) to the organs, muscles, ligaments, and tendons of the body.

This abnormal pressure eventually results in neck pain, headaches, and even migraine headaches which can be debilitating and at their most severe have symptoms of light and sound sensitivity, nausea, and vomiting.

Chiropractic adjustments realign the bones in the neck, taking pressure off the nerves, which decreases pain and naturally returns the nervous system to it's optimum health.

Most patients with headaches will need a series of adjustments depending on several factors:

-severity of symptoms

-frequency of headaches

-stress level

-your water intake (dehydration can trigger headaches!)

-your diet! (fast food and junk food can trigger headaches too!)

-blood sugar levels...if these are not under control, patients may have more headaches

 The frequency of your care will be determined after your consultation and exam if you are a new patient, or it will be discussed at the time of treatment if you are an established patient.

 Either way, don't suffer!

Get adjusted and feel better NOW!

Have a great evening!

Dr. Kristine Baker

Good afternoon everyone!

Winter is on it's way...and so are more cases of Bell's Palsy and Trigeminal Neuralgia in Kansas City.

What causes this?

Many times it is cold wind to the face, or being outside in the cold with your face and head uncovered that triggers this numbness and temporary nerve palsy.

Usually, one side of the face is partially or mostly paralyzed, and patients have a hard time closing their eyes or brushing their teeth without the toothpaste and water running out of their mouth.

I just had a patient come in with Bell's Palsy...and when he initially called for his appointment, I had a pretty good idea that he had Bell's Palsy just from him describing his symptoms.

I measured the energy in his acupuncture meridians using the Acugraph Program.  It is a tool that evaluates the meridian or energy systems of the body and gives me a "real time" picture of that person's energy levels.  From there, I can give them a powerfully effective acupuncture treatment.  I also add in points classically known in Traditional Acupuncture for Bell's Palsy as well which has the treatment be even more effective.

Usually 3-6 visits will greatly help Bell's Palsy or trigeminal neuralgia, and in some cases, that short of a treatment plan will have it resolve itself.  Each case is different and responds at a different rate, so it is important to see how the body responds to care.  Sometimes, it takes a few more treatments if it is a particulary stubborn case.

If you or someone you love has Bell's Palsy or Trigeminal Neuralgia, please call me and see if Acupuncture can make a difference!

Have a great afternoon and stay warm!

Dr. Kristine Baker

Good afternoon!

Are you pregnant, overdue, and your prenatal care provider is threatening you with a Pitocin Induction?

Have you heard about Acupuncture to gently and naturally move you into labor?

How Acupuncture works:

Acupuncture is used to help a wide variety of health concerns and situations.

Energy in your body passes through channels we call meridians.

There are points on the body that act as switches to raise, lower, or otherwise balance the energy in the body.

By stimulating these points, it triggers the release of hormones in the body and a change in the flow of energy, that naturally sends a woman closer and closer to labor.

Acupuncture induction can be used when a woman is at her due date or an Induction is being recommended or mandated to her by her doctor, even if that induction is in the best interest of the baby and mom.

Pitocin, the chemical used to artifically induce labor, brings on labor contractions that are very strong and intense, which usually sends a laboring woman down a cascade of interventions and pain control that she may not have wanted...until her contractions became overwhelming.

A woman's body is designed to have smaller shorter less intense contractions in early labor that stimulate the release of chemicals that help a woman manage and breathe through her contractions more easily.  These gradually ramp up in intensity, frequency, and duration as labor progresses.

Using pitocin "fast forwards" you into more intense contractions early in labor.

If you are at your due date, or a Pitocin induction is scheduled and you would like to naturally encourage your body to go into labor, please consider a qualified Acupuncture practitioner.  Ask them your questions, and they will tell you if you are a candidate for Acupuncture for Labor Induction. 

I have even had women start to have mild contractions during their treatment, only to go into labor after leaving my office.

Please note that your practitioner will not do this protocol if you are simply uncomfortable with the late-stages of your pregnancy or you just want to deliver early.

I believe that in MOST cases, the baby will not come until he or she is ready and their body is mature enough to be born.

Remember your due date is + or - 2 weeks, so there is always a chance that if you are induced at 38 weeks, that you may actually be only 36 weeks, and your baby will have a higher probability of needing time in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) or other neurological delays.  Please consult with your prenatal care partner in determining what is right for you.  Every pregnancy is different, and there may be cases where an early induction is best.

Have a fabulous day!

Dr. Kristine Baker

Good afternoon everyone!

Below is an article that was e-mailed to me that has a lot of common-sense ways to keep yourself healthy and prevent the spread of the germs floating around this winter!

Pass this Blog Link on to your friends and family!

Have a great day!

Dr. Kristine Baker

Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital , Bombay Hospital , Saifee Hospital , Tata Memorial etc. Presently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical Centre, Malad (W).

The following message given by him, I feel makes a lot of sense and is important for all to know

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show=20 characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected o ne. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*


5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

Good evening everyone!

 Have you ever experienced pain or tightness in your jaw?  Or clicking? 

You may have TMJ Disorder (Temporomandibular Joint).

 What causes this?

-stress

-misalignment of the neck vertebrae

-a hit to the face

-whiplash injury

-head and neck injury

-dental cleanings and repairs

-dentures

I have seen and helped many patients who have TMJ problems.  Many times the problem is helped by adjusting the neck and upper back, as well as realigning the bones of the skull and face.

Almost always there is a tightening of the jaw muscles that needs to be relaxed as well.

If you are experiencing jaw problems or wonder if Chiropractic and Craniosacral Therapy can help you,

please call me at 816-256-3603.

Dr. Kristine Baker