President Obama’s plan includes expanding the range of chiropractic services covered by Medicare and fully integrating chiropractic care into the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs health systems and the U.S. Public Health Service.

In his letter Obama concluded, “As we shift our health care delivery system towards a culture of wellness and disease prevention, I believe that chiropractors must play an integral role in expanding access to preventive care and strengthening our public health system.”

Make Your Voice Heard!
You can take action to protect your right to have chiropractic care covered in national healthcare by signing up to receive voter alerts from the ACA at ChiroVoice.org. Of course, your privacy will be protected. When you get to the home page there are two boxes on the right. Click on “Join Us” and “Contact Your Legislator.”

Dr. Pamela Wells is a Chiropractor based in Sunnyvale California.

Of types of treatment rated by respondents, chiropractic treatment scored a 58% rating, followed by spinal injections (51%), massage (48%) and physical therapy (46%). Other highly rated treatments were prescription medications, yoga, movement therapy and acupuncture.

In a sidebar article, Dr. Orly Avitzur, a board-certified neurologist stated that given the high incidence of adverse effects caused by prescription drugs (specifically opioids, such as Vicodin), she prefers to prescribe “hands-on” therapies.

Dr. Pamela Wells is a Chiropractor based in Sunnyvale California.

Find a Healthy Balance
Inflammation is not all bad. It is the necessary first step on the path to healing. Your body needs a healthy balance of pro and anti-inflammatory chemicals to function at it’s best. The problem is that the average American diet is heavy in the highly processed foods that promote inflammation and low in the real foods that help to prevent it.

The Good

Fruits & vegetables
Raw nuts
Lean meats, fish & chicken
Extra virgin olive oil,
coconut oil, butter

The Bad

Refined sugar, sweeteners, & flour
Refined oils (corn, canola)
Fatty meats

Its foolish to think that you can eat mostly ”Bad” foods and decrease inflammation with a fish oil supplement or an Advil. But does that mean you can’t ever again indulge in a chocolate chip cookie or a burger and fries? Of course not! Try to eat 80-85% of your food from the “Good” list. Then have fun with the remaining 15-20% with foods from the “dark side.”

Or as Michael Pollan simply states in his new book,
In Defense of Food, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

Dr. Pamela Wells is a Chiropractor based in Sunnyvale California.

To help decrease pain after an injury, try safe, natural alternatives first. Chiropractic treatment, ice and other therapies not only decrease pain but promote healing. Safe and effective nutritional approaches and supplements are also available.

Call our office: (408) 737-0330 for suggestions.

You can see the same thing at most gyms any day of the week…people using too much weight and then “cheating” unknowingly by using muscles not intended for that particular machine. Performing exercises beyond your fitness level or without the proper training is ineffective, painful, and likely to cause injury!

If you want to get fit, there’s no rule stating that you have to run! If you enjoy the outdoors, a brisk walk uphill can get your pulse up to a good training rate for most people. Start exercising at a level you can perform well and enjoy. Get some instruction from a personal trainer. Or give us a call. We can help you get started by setting realistic goals and teaching proper form.

Happy trails,
Dr. Pamela Wells - Your Chiropractor based in Sunnyvale California.

Absolutely! “Baby lifts” are a lot of fun for baby and mom. Just lie on your back with knees bent and lift your baby straight up as if doing a bench press. You’ll develop strong pecs and your baby will just think you’re playing.

The easiest exercise is to get outdoors and walk. If you think you might want to work up to jogging or you want to walk on trails you may want to invest in a jogging stroller. Or you may want to purchase a good quality backpack.

There are many wonderful places to walk or hike right here in our own backyard. Favorites include Deer Hollow Farm at Rancho San Antonio, Shoreline at Mountain View, and Sunnyvale Baylands Park. Older children can ride bikes on the paved trails or you could stop and fly a kite. Click on these links for ideas (www.bahiker.com/kids.html and http://www.parkhere.org) and get outdoors and play!

Dr. Pamela Wells is a Chiropractor serving the Sunnyvale California and the surrounding area including Cupertino, Mountain View and Santa Clara.

So what is your style?

Think about what activities you enjoyed as a child. Did you like tumbling in the grass, the rush of riding your bicycle, or the thrill of hitting a home run? And how about now? Does music get you moving? Do you look forward to some quiet time alone or do you prefer time with friends? Do you enjoy the equipment a gym has to offer or do you prefer to be outdoors?

Explore your exercise style. Try something new and different. Find out what makes you tick. For a more complete fitness program, try to include some cardiovascular exercise, some strength training and some stretching. But the most important thing is to keep moving and have some fun while you’re at it.

Dr. Pamela Wells is a Chiropractor serving the Sunnyvale California and the surrounding area including Cupertino, Mountain View and Santa Clara.

Terry took time off from his studies to train and participate in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. I am so excited now to be able to share this video, featuring Dr. Terry Schroeder, with you. In it, Dr. Schroeder discusses his experiences as an Olympic athlete and coach, and the role chiropractic has played in his life.

Just click on the link: www.californiachiropractic.com. In addition to more videos, there is great information on the Web site about health and healing. I know you’ll enjoy it.

Please let me know how you like it, and feel free to share it with friends or family!

Dr. Pamela Wells

Dr. Pamela Wells is a Chiropractor serving the Sunnyvale California and the surrounding area including Cupertino, Mountain View and Santa Clara.

Recent research indicates that only about 10% of maximum voluntary contraction (mvc) is necessary to create spinal joint stability during normal daily activities, while efforts of just 25% mvc provide maximal joint stability. Therefore, endurance (the ability to maintain a sustained submaximal contraction) is much more important than absolute muscle strength (the ability to generate force) in the prevention or rehabilitation of back injuries.

Research on rehab programs demonstrates that training for endurance has a significant impact on pain, function and disability. It is encouraging to note that endurance can be improved by 100-150% in as little as 8 weeks in patients with previous poor fitness levels.

Whereas most gym machines train muscles for strength, endurance can be trained without specialized equipment by performing low load, high rep exercises. And because endurance exercises are performed at a low mvc, muscles don’t need a day off to recover. In fact, best result come from performing the exercises once to twice daily.

Source: Slosberg, DC, MS Rehabilitation for Low Back and Neck Pain. Endurance Training and Muscle Fiber Types. Dynamic Chiropractic, April 2009

Dr. Pamela Wells is a Chiropractor serving the Sunnyvale California and the surrounding area including Cupertino, Mountain View and Santa Clara.