Tag Archives: cranial

Healing in the Holidays Series Part 2

Happy Monday Warriors!

Happy December!!  Only one month left in this year!!!🤯

I hope you enjoyed last month’s topic about healing in the holiday with your nervous system!  We are going to continue on this month talking amount nutritional and emotional tips to help you walk out of the holiday season healthier than when you entered!

The holidays can be a time where you are literally surrounded by temptations!  From work parties, to holiday parties to Christmas cookies, ect.  Everything is always in moderation, but sometimes you can ruin your whole progress in a year with going crazy all month!  So, just like we need to prep our brain and nervous system, we also need to help prep our gut or (second brain).  I don’t even want you to say DIET! That’s assuming food is bad. DIE is not a word we should be discussing when it comes to food. Food should bring life, right?!

It’s ok to eat food, food gives you life. The right food I should say! We just need to change from low frequency food to high frequency living food. I promise when you start viewing food as a frequency giving you life, it’s not hard to say no to bad choices.  But, if you aren’t there yet, here are some tips:

1.  Prep your gut.
With all the bad holiday choices of food, something you can do NOW is prep!
Prepare your digestive system to be more efficient so it can digest quickly all the toxins you will be consuming!

I suggest three different supplements to take to re-acidify the gut so that it can digest things quickly and effectively, and gallbladder support to help break down your food better!  ( If you read on down below about traveling I also recommend this triad as well! )

If we have stagnation within our gut and poor elimination patterns, you will constantly be reabsorbing what you are trying to get out, which includes toxins.

Most individuals with acid reflux and digestion problems don’t have an acidic stomach and intestinal tract that’s WHY they aren’t digesting their food!

2. Food Prep.

One thing you can do is also to prep your own food! There are so many keto and paleo friendly food choices out there that taste the same or better than traditional holiday sweets and carbs.
I recently brought a couple favorite dishes to thanksgiving and they were awesome!

Here is a great resource for many different holiday recipes.

https://www.healthfulpursuit.com/roundup/keto-holiday-recipes/

3.  Portion Control.  Try and keep your portions small.  Believe it or not if you can eat smaller meals more frequently, you will do a lot better than eating ginormous meals all holiday season.
TIP: If you eat a little too much, grab some Doterra Celery Seed Essential Oil to help soothe and break down your food a little easier.

4.  Liver Support.     During the holidays you will probably end up consuming a few beverages as well, which puts a stress on your liver. Thinking ahead and supporting your liver your own unique needs is key.  I do this in my genetic based nutritional protocols, but you can also just add in a little liver detox support if you know you will be consuming more than usual.

Which brings me to my next point.

WHY DIETS DON’T WORK!

Many people experience with diets that they DO end up losing weight for a certain period of time.  But generally what happens is that individual can no longer take such restrictions, falls off and ends up gaining it back quickly.  This is the time of year where new years resolutions will come up as well, so it’s important to prep your mind for what’s ahead.  The point is as I mentioned above.  You have to change your mindset around food.  Does it give you life and raise your energy or not?  WE ALL WANT MORE ENERGY!
I mean, that’s like a GIVEN day to day request of most of my patients.
In order for me to accomplish that, you also need to eat foods that give you life!

A lot of people need to really make a lifestyle change.  It’s not about dieting.  And one HUGE factor many don’t address is toxins.  If you have ANY plans to lose weight, then you need to detoxify your body FIRST.  FAT holds on to toxins so it will make losing weight impossible when you are loaded with them. Again my genetic based nutritional protocols can help get your body detoxing better to set you up for success.

Sometimes a little jump start with a ten day cleanse can be helpful as well, but the goal here is to make a lasting change right?!

5. Probiotics.  Not the pill kind.  Pill probiotics don’t actually re-populate the bacteria.  I will say that again.  In research, it’s shown that probiotics (the pill kind) don’t actually repopulate the gut.  But, they DO create an immune response, which is good.  Taking probiotics in a pill is transitory, meaning they go right through your gut.  A better way to help support those bacteria is to actually feed the good ones you got!  Increase your fiber, eat fermented foods with lactic acid (which they eat)!  This will strengthen the gut, and your immune system!

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Traveling!

If you are one of the lucky ones that get to travel somewhere tropical for the holidays, I also have some tips to help prep you!!  

1. Skin!

In the winter we don’t see as much sun (Well some of us!).  Back in the 1940s there was documentation that calcium is needed by the skin and needs a fatty acid to shuttle it.
When there is sufficient calcium in the skin, the skin can withstand the stress of the sun, and not get damaged i.e. sunburn!!

So if you want that nice tan, and to not burn and damage the skin you need a GOOD source of calcium and a fatty acid to take with you!

The ones I like are whole food sources.  You CANNOT just use any calcium.  Most on the market are INSOLUBLE and are Toxic!

You have use whole food forms which I can offer you.

Calcium lactate is the form of calcium that the body prefers in the bloodstream.  It is extremely bioavailable.  it converts only once in the stomach, and once this happens it’s in a form that the body can pick up and use.  But you always want to take it on an empty stomach!!

You also want to take a fatty acid to shuttle it to the skin!!  Cataplex F or flax seed works really well for this.

Take a dosage in between meals 8-10 calcium lactate and 5 cataplex F, every 4 hours you are in the sun!  

Calcium is water soluble, so you can’t overdo it, you will be using it up while you are in the sun.  So you have to keep replenishing it.  You literally won’t burn!!  

*These are products you can only get through my care.

2.  Digestive Support.  These are ones you should always take with you….

You hear of people always getting sick in Mexico, or some island so always make sure you have Hydrochloric acid, it’s your best protector against food poisoning.  When your gut is acidic, it will kill them quickly.

Digest forte and AF Betafood.  Are two digestive supports I HIGHLY recommend and take every meal I eat while traveling.

3.  Alcohol. When you’re in the sun you aren’t as hungry, but the third thing to bring is liver support.  You might have an alcoholic beverage right?
But your liver will take a hit when you do that!  Take some milk thistle to protect the liver.

SUPER TIP!  If drinking wine gives you pretty bad side effects…. I have a tip for you!  (No I don’t recommend drinking a lot of wine haha, but here is a TIP).  If you can’t break down wine well, that is because of the preservation that happens with wine.  You have a genetic component in the SULFUR pathway that doesn’t allow you to break them down.  Here’s the HACK:
Use one drop of FOOD GRADE hydrogen peroxide in your cup of wine.
It breaks the bond of the sulfites and tannins.
YOU’RE WELCOME!;)

 

 

OIL OF THE WEEK

On the spotlight this week is DoTerra’s Celery Seed oil!  A great one to have for the holidays and digestion support!

Celery was used as early as the 5th century by the Chinese, and is widely used in Indian Ayurvedic practices today. Conventionally grown grocery store celery looks nothing like the celery seen at local farmers’ markets. The celery plant grows up to three feet tall, is bright green, and radiating with life. Celery has a complex, strong, sweet, and spicy aroma. The plant takes two years to fully mature and produce its small fruit, which are tan to brown in color. The seeds are the primary repository for essential oil. Limonene, the dominant constituent, puts Celery Seed oil in the same league as the refreshing citrus peel and fir needle oils. Soothing digestive issues is one of the many benefits of Celery Seed essential oil.* Experimental research suggests that it may soothe muscles and help joint discomfort when taken internally.* The oil creates a calming, relaxing, and positive environment while providing cooling and soothing effects.

Uses

  • Consume one to two drops morning and night to promote healthy digestion.*
  • Soak in a relaxing, sleep-inducing Epsom Salt bath adding three to four drops to warm bath water.
  • Blend with Fractionated Coconut Oil for a soothing massage.
  • Diffuse to promote a positive and uplifting mindset.

Directions for Use

Diffusion: Use three to four drops in the diffuser of your choice.
Internal use: Dilute one drop in 4 fl. oz. of liquid or use in a veggie cap.
Topical use: Dilute one to two drops with a carrier oil, then apply to desired area. See additional precautions below.

 

 

 

That is all for now,

Have a happy and healthy week.

 

DR Hamel

 

 

 

Healing in the Holidays Series

Happy Monday Warriors!

It is the holiday season!!! This month we will going over various ways to help increase your body’s armor to keep the stress down.  We know the holidays are a happy time where families and loved ones come together, but it can also be a time of increased stress, trying to get things done, finances, family drama, traveling, ect.

I’m hoping that by posting these tips earlier, you all will be more prepared to handle and fight it off like a superhero! We are always striving to make the body more resilient right? We will be starting off talking about stress in the nervous system, and then following up in a couple weeks with tips for nutrition, traveling and exercise to keep you on track. So stay tuned!

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For a start, it has been shown in research that chiropractic adjustments boost the immune system. 

What happens with increased stress?  Your immune system goes down.  That’s why college students always experience getting sick after finals or on their breaks.  Once the adrenaline wears off, the effects kick in.

January is also the month of resolutions and goals (hopefully you have goals all year:)), but regardless, maybe a certain goal is saying: you’d like to workout more or eat better, you have to make sure your body can handle it. 

Just like how you would prep your notes for a presentation, or making a meal plan.  You need some sort of preparation for the body.

The prep phase so to speak.  In order to prep, you need to make sure your pain levels are down, and your brain and nervous system are communicating with one another.  When you do this, it makes less stress on the body, so that when those periods of increased stress come, your body can handle it and not go completely off course.

Cranial work in general is an amazing tool we have to help with the stress response. 

In research done specifically using cranial work for anxiety, depression and sleep, a study in 2011 testing over 100 patients,  found that using cranial based osteopathy (which i do) showed improvements in anxiety, increase in physical function, significant improvement in sleep function.  This is great!  A main reason in this study was improving sleep, and overall physical function.

When you are able to move pain free, and sleep (deep and rested), your body can heal and isn’t burdened by the littlest of things that come its way.

Which brings me to this point.  If you are in chronic pain, or aren’t sleeping, or you are already stressed, it is literally like typing into the computer all the keys at the same time.  Your brain can’t handle it.  Any little disruption, even a little stress can throw you off at that point.

So, our goal with the cranial care is to create that optimal environment for the brain, to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, and make sure the network of nerves are effectively communicating. 

It’s also important to note that stress isn’t always in your HEAD, but in your NERVOUS system. 

Have you ever been told when you’re stressed to stop and just relax? That it’s all in your head? It would be nice if it were that simple. But it’s not.
“Physiology research shows that the stress response memory lives in your nervous system. Take for example exposure to a stressful event. One in which you felt helpless, hopeless, and lacked control. In this case your autonomic nervous system (ANS) is engaged. This is the part of the nervous system responsible for controlling unconscious bodily actions like breathing. To be more specific, it was the sympathetic branch (fight or flight) of the ANS that kicked in while you were strained. In addition, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis of the midbrain began firing. In which a signal from your hypothalamus sends a hormonal message to your pituitary gland that stimulates to your adrenal glands.To activate this fight or flight response, stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released from your adrenal glands. They help our body suddenly mobilize to flee danger. According to Peter A. Levine, trauma expert in the field of psychotherapy, trauma occurs when this biological process is overwhelmed and a person is unable to release and process the stressful event. It is possible to avoid a traumatic response by discharging the energy generated. For example, shaking, crying, and screaming can allow the individual to physically process the stress.However, if the stress response is not processed, it remains in the tissues of the body. When a subsequent stressful event that does not pose a serious threat occurs, the traumatic memory is recalled. A large amount of stress hormones are released. Blood rushes to extremities, pupils dilate, muscle tone increases presenting as tension, breathing rate increases, the heartbeats faster, and sweating occurs. Hence, the nervous system responds as if this small incident is life threatening.

This biological response is clearly beyond the ability to rationally control. You can’t think your way out of it. 

Chronic stress leads to dissociation or immobility, a state of sympathetic charge and hormonal release, which is health damaging. The brainstem (the primitive part of the brain) governs emotional experience and biological response. When the brainstem is activated by fight or flight, it trumps the more developed front of the brain, the prefrontal cortex. It is therefore not possible to be in the primitive state of fight or flight and also to think rationally and critically (as the prefrontal cortex would have us do).

The work is then to re-train the body. These are tools to deactivate the sympathetic response and activate the opposing parasympathetic response, called the rest and digest mechanism. The goal is to feel safe. To regulate breathing, slow the heartbeat, and circulate blood back to the vital organs.

The next time someone suggests it’s all in your head, you will have a different response. ”
-Melody Walford.

Re-training the body through calming certain nerves down or reflexes or while stimulating others like the parasympathetic nerves in the brain is key here.  You need the nervous system to RECOGNIZE the problems and course correct.

We need to clear the stress out of the nervous system first!! This will prep the body to be able to handle things that come up!

A lot of people don’t think much about the nervous system.  But, the  nervous system controls EVERYTHING!  It is isn’t working or mis-firing, it will cause problems in your entire body.
Nerves have memory.  Sometimes just breathing, using products, meditating, exercise isn’t enough to de-stress your body.  The reason lies within your nervous system.

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BONUS TIPS:

Here are some tips to help you get out of a specific mindset:

1. Be Realistic.  The holidays don’t have to be perfect . As families change and grow, traditions and rituals often change as well. Choose a few to hold on to, and be open to creating new ones. For example, if your adult children can’t come to your house, find new ways to celebrate together, such as sharing pictures, emails or videos.

2. Set aside differences that may be in the family. Try to accept family members and friends as they are, even if they don’t live up to all of your expectations. Set aside grievances until a more appropriate time for discussion. And be understanding if others get upset or distressed when something goes awry. Chances are they’re feeling the effects of holiday stress and depression too.

3. Stick to a budget!  Before you go gift and food shopping, decide how much money you can afford to spend. Then stick to your budget. Don’t try to buy happiness with an avalanche of gifts.

Try these alternatives:

  • Donate to a charity in someone’s name.
  • Give homemade gifts.
  • Start a family gift exchange.

4. Plan ahead. Set aside specific days for shopping, baking, visiting friends and other activities. Plan your menus and then make your shopping list. That’ll help prevent last-minute scrambling to buy forgotten ingredients. And make sure to line up help for party prep and cleanup.  Goal setting is HUGE!!

Don’t try to make HUGE yearly goals or set new goals to try to get done in December.  Set your goals for earlier in the year to celebrate during the holidays!

5. Learn to say no. Saying yes when you should say no can leave you feeling resentful and overwhelmed. Friends and colleagues will understand if you can’t participate in every project or activity. If it’s not possible to say no when your boss asks you to work overtime, try to remove something else from your agenda to make up for the lost time.

6. Take A Breather.. Spending just 15 minutes alone, without distractions, may refresh you enough to handle everything you need to do. Find something that reduces stress by clearing your mind, slowing your breathing and restoring inner calm.

  1. Some options may include:
    • Taking a walk at night and stargazing.
    • Listening to soothing music.
    • Getting a massage or CHIRO!
    • Reading a book.

7.  Neuro Emotional Technique.  Come in and get some NET if you know things are going to be stressful and you already are feeling it!  Let’s change that mindset so you can go into your holiday with ease! This Technique is extremely successful for stress reduction.

8.  Essential Oils.  Essential Oils by DoTerra are amazing to diffuse in your home to help with emotional overwhelm, to carry with you or to take as a daily supplement to help calm the system.  Frankincense is a great oil for emotional stability as well as others.  Come learn more in my FREE essential oils class this wednesday. SEE BELOW

We will talk about nutritional help next time!

 

 

 

That’s all for this week.

 

Wishing you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.

 

 

What 3 our of 5 top reasons for death in the US have in common. 

Happy Monday Warriors!
I hope you all had a wonderful October, since it’s now NOVEMBER!
I can’t believe we are coming into holiday season already!  I also want to remind you that I do offer gift receipts which make great gifts! Giving the gift of health:)

A little housekeeping before we begin this month’s topic. 
I am so very thankful for each and every one of you, and so appreciate your referrals and reviews! They make my business run! Part of business is that price changes do occur due to real estate and other changes increasing. Starting December 1st I will be increasing my pricing for adults.
Pricing for pediatric patients will remain the same, depending on the time and case difficulty.
I’m sure you all understand and truly value the amount of heart/time I put into my care <3
If you have any further questions please let me know!

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I know it’s rather a downer subject this month, but the truth is that a little light needs to be shed on some of these things because they are preventable!  And really, proper diagnosis and care is key. 

When you search for the primary reasons that kill us in the US you will find these top 5.

1. Heart Disease
2. Cancer
3. Accidents
4. COPD
5. Stroke

Well, cancer is a mixed bag as far as diagnosis (although we know alternative options), and we can’t necessarily control unintentional injuries, although properly prescribed medications are a HUGE cause of death in the US.

The other 3 out of the 5 have something in common.  They all involve something, and all can be traced back to it.  Do you know what it is??!

Low Oxygen States.

Hypertension, COPD and stroke all are traced back to low oxygen states. 

In turn, theres two factors for longevity in life (physically).

1. Can you breathe/Vital Capacity Oxygen
2. Can you stand in a field of gravity (balance/proprioception)

And in reality, nothing supersedes oxygen.  Nothing in the body supersedes oxygen.  It’s the first thing we do when we enter the world and the last thing when we leave it. We can live without food and water for days and weeks, but only 4 minutes without oxygen.

The national commission on sleep disorders research states that 38,000 deaths occur on an annual basis that relate to cardiovascular problems connected to sleep apnea.  This includes high blood pressure, hypertension and stroke.  6 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea that is moderate to severe and may necessitate a late night visit to the ER. 1/2 of all hospital patients have hypertension.  MANY DO NOT REALIZE THEY SUFFER FROM SLEEP APNEA.

40% of the population has airway problems, meaning 1 out of 4 people!  In fact, anyone who needs braces is an airway case. Snoring is a major indicator of sleep apnea, as well as belly sleepers, chronic sinusitis cases, clencher/grinding of teeth, fatigue,TMJ, craniofascial pain and sleep disorders.

In heart disease and stroke, there is not enough oxygen pumping through the arterial system.
What carries oxygen around in the body?  The blood and circulatory system. And a nutrient called iron carries oxygen around. 

20% of our blood supply is in the brain
13% is in the liver
20% in the kidneys
47% rest of the body.

Although the brain utilizes a lot, it has to share the throne with other organs, meaning they must all get sufficient supply for the body to work in balance.

Here are some signs of low oxygen syndrome:
  • apnea
  • headaches
  • heart conditions
  • stroke
  • dizziness
  • body aches and pains
  • infections
  • tongue tie
  • clenching
  • bruxism
  • worm teeth
  • tooth loss
  • limited jaw opening
  • awake fatigued
  • pain medications
  • stuff/blocked nose.

The body is intelligent.  It is always trying to self preserve.  It will always defend itself by producing symptoms to signal to us that something is wrong. 

Unfortunately some of us don’t listen to those, or mask those signals with medications/supplements instead of figuring out the root cause.  And for many oxygen depletion is the key.

Another way to tell is by utilizing a pulse oximeter.  Any result less than 97-98% means that your body is hypoxic. You will also find a low body temperature, because the thyroid starts to combust energy and usually hypothyroid issues will ensue. 

So getting proper oxygen is so KEY!!
Since sleep apnea is so prevalent, and it puts a huge stress to the nervous system and cardiovascular system, it should be highlighted so much more than it is.
Because the only real option is a CPAP machine, many live with the ramifications of sleep apnea, and some better yet have no idea they have airway issues because they don’t’ really have sleep apnea symptoms.

Sometimes it isn’t always just an airway issue. Sometimes there’s issue with oxygen biochemistry wise with iron absorption and things of that nature to be able to carry the oxygen.  So you really do have to look at the entire picture, but most of what I see starts with airway.

So what do we do?

You need to get assessed for proper airway.  Airway issues can come from cranial problems (narrowness), tonsils/adenoids and narrow sinuses which usually track back to cranial problems.

Although I work closely with ENT’s, it’s not always the best option to go right ahead with a sinus surgery.
Most have a cranial problem and need help getting blood flow and oxygen into the brain in the first place.  They might have a tongue tie and a narrow palate which means again, not creating oxygen. Usually most are mouth breathers and need to retrain this pattern.

Usually it’s a team effort between myself, an orthodontist or dentist, myofunctional therapy and sometimes an ENT.

However, my care addresses both 1 and 2 of the factors for longevity.  Increases oxygen, and increases balance in the entire body.  2 for 1!

Case after case I will see in my practice their breathing improve through craniopathy care. When you open up the head it makes sense breathing will become better because their is an increase in blood flow.
This is why I always start with this care.  We need to get oxygen back into your brain quickly, back into your liver your kidneys and finally the rest of the body.

With sleep apnea cases, it’s always a team effort.  I have many case studies with sleep studies showing a decrease dramatically just with cranial care, but often times their is a huge bite problem that needs to be fixed in order for their airway to fix. 
Most just aren’t complaint with a CPAP, but they do help tremendously.

Kids can have sleep apnea as well!  Many children suffer from sleep apnea and oxygen depletion conditions.  Why?  Because of birth traumas, not breastfeeding long enough, using pacifiers and bottles which push the tongue down and don’t extend the palate.
You don’t want children growing without proper brain oxygen, and putting extra stress on their heart and cardiovascular system.

Bring them in.  We can assess it.

I hope this was helpful to you this month!
I will say most I tell have an airway issue have ZERO clue, and also have ZERO clue that the oxygen depletion is causing most of their symptoms.

Fix this, and you will be on such an amazing healthy road!

How infections affect the HPA axis.

Happy Monday Tribe!

I hope you all have had a wonderful past couple of weeks.  As we move into October, sickness is in full swing already due to many factors.  As we know a big culprit is lower vitamin D levels as well as enclosed spaces with lots of shedding viruses! 
However, even not in “flu season”, there are many viruses and bacteria that can affect the way your brain can function.
I came across some research lately, that isn’t that new but was very interesting when I dove deeper into it.
It’s research done from the society for endocrinology in Maryland. ( If you want the article just let me know).

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Before I begin, I should probably explain what HPA means.  HPA stands for hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. The hypothalamus and pituitary gland are in your brain, and your adrenal glands sit on top of your kidneys.  This is basically a signaling system.  The just HP axis, is a signaling system from your brain for many different hormones to be secreted, and organs to function.  You NEED that brain signal working first and foremost to be able to tell the organs what to do!


(not my image)

We know that for instance STRESS can make our immune system go down right?  Well, that is because of this pathway.  Stress activates the HPA axis and allows the adrenal glands to secrete cortisol (a stress hormone).  Cortisone controls the body’s blood sugar levels and thus regulating metabolism, acting as an anti-inflammatory, influencing memory formation, controlling salt and water balance, influencing blood pressure and helping development of the foetus. But chronic stress, means chronic cortisol being secreted and lots of problems.

The release of cortisol has many effects on bacterial and viral infections and on the immunity induced by these infectious agents. This study showed that HPA axis activation enhanced Mycobacterium growth in susceptible mice, and increased susceptibility to viral disease.  It also enhances the replication of some viruses.

This talk today though won’t be about that direction, because we know stress causes many problems.  Today we want to talk about the opposite direction: how these infections effect the HPA axis.

The HPA axis is a bidirectional communication between the brain and immune system.  The immune system will signal to the brain via something called cytokines, then the brain will respond by regulating the immune system in part through the action of the HPA axis.  It’s a feedback loop.

How do bacterial and viral infections activate this axis?!

The activation of this axis is probably the result of the action of inflammatory mediators (cytokines).  However, also possible that infections can get into the brain, and have a direct impact on how the HPA axis functions.

These are the infections they studied:
-Mycobacterium
-Endotoxins like salmonella
-Clostridium difficile
-Staph Aureus
-cytomegala virus
-HIV
-Herpes type 1
-sindbis
-newcastle disease
-influenza

They also found that the release of cortisol during cytomegala virus infection, wasn’t mediated only through the HPA axis, but can be released from the adrenals directly by the immune system.  

The HPA axis release following a viral or bacterial infection is advantageous to the invading organisms, as it serves to minimize the host’s immune response, enhancing the organisms ability to survive. 

An intact and HEALTHY HPA axis and cortisol response are necessary for host survival after exposure to an infectious agent as well. The lethal level of a pathogen depends on a complex interplay between the specific organism’s induction of an appropriate level of the host’s HPA axis response, the health of that response and pathogen interactions at the level of the cortisol receptor. 

ok ok enough research..

Basically Infections cause problems with how our brain functions and signals… Some infections can even affect the brain directly by being IN the brain, but don’t have to be.  They can have an effect on the brain through this axis not being regulated properly because of an infection!

As I mentioned previously, the hypothalamus and pituitary gland have MANY functions, and so we really need this signal to work well.  But, the research shows in the presence of infections it can’t work well.

SO…
Where does that leave us?

Well..

WE know that first the HPA axis needs to be supported and healthy so that the immune system doesn’t allow infections to arise. 

But additionally, infections NEED to be cleared in order for this axis to work effectively as well.

How do we achieve this?!

Well we look for both!

In my practice, we can support the HPA axis through enhancing how the brain is functioning through craniopathy and chiropractic care.  If anything is putting pressure or creating tension directly on the brain or directly on these glands, it has to be released in oder for the intact HP axis. 
Nutrition can also be given to help heal and nourish the brain if there has been any previous damage to the hypothalamus and pituitary either from trauma, stress or hormone dysregulation.

THEN.

WE must attack those infections!

I love using craniobiotic technique (CBT) in my practice to clear infections energetically.  More information is found on my website about this amazing technique.
We also use herbals and remedies if needed to kill the infections, but usually CBT will do the trick.

Lyme Disease Brain is a very real thing and needs MORE complex care, but infections in the brain like lyme disease and many other related viruses cause HUGE problems in brain function.

We then utilize genetic based nutrition to make sure that there are no cracks where infections can creep back in.  No detox pathways that are clogged, no blood brain barriers open, vitamin D is being absorbed (huge for infections) no hormone pathways blocked.

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Utilizing these methods, we can heal the brain and regain that HPA axis health that we need!

That is all for now.
Wishing you a happy and healthy week.


Dr. Hamel

The Meningeal Lymphatic System. Keeping this well, to keep YOU well!

The Meningeal Lymphatic System.  Keeping this well, to keep YOU well!

Happy Monday Tribe!

It’s been a couple of weeks since our last blog, and a lot has changed.  I definitely have been feeling the weight of the recent laws in California regarding vaccinations throughout the week.  Although extremely discouraging, I know that a wave of change has to come.  The fighting won’t cease, and it really has to stop here.  Prayer works!

Since the weather (for some) is changing, it means that immune systems change.  In fact, our immune system is always adapting. Because of all the increase in vaccinations (people shedding viruses), flu shots (which do NOT give immunity), decrease in sunlight, increase in inside time and EMF exposure, we are just exposed ALOT.
Creating a healthy immune system is a FULL TIME JOB!
Let me tell you!

It requires your internal processing working efficiently, and a HUGE player in that is your lymphatic system. 
This is the clear liquid that surrounds the cells of your body.  Except for cartilage, nails and hair your ENTIRE body is bathed in lymph.  Basically we are a big pool of it!
This is why diseases like: chronic pain or illness like Lyme, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, IBS, Crohn’s Disease, etc., you will have a lymphatic problem.  It’s a given.  It was definitely a given for me figuring out my healing journey.

If the body can’t rid of cellular waste during the healing process, the inflammation simply stays in the tissues causing pain. If it can’t get out of the body, you can’t get better.

So, since this liquid is everywhere we need to make sure that everywhere is draining and flowing.  One reason I’m very adamant about not having a sedentary life.  Even when you feel very ill, you must try and keep your body moving.  Unlike our circulatory system that is pumped constantly because our our heart beating, the lymphatic fluid is not.

It flows through movement.  And I mean movement everywhere from the head down to your toes.

It’s extremely important for the fluid surrounding your organs to remain in constant motion.  Why?

Because lymphatic fluid is like the plumbing system in our body.  It removes waste and toxins.  That means if it’s not working, then those substances will remain in your body, remain around those organs.


(not my image)

One area we DO not want this to remain is the BRAIN of course.

There is around 501 and 700 lymph nodes in the body depending on the person.  1/2 of all of those are in the stomach/abdominal cavity, and 1/3 of all the lymph nodes of the body are in your neck!  

For the sake of this week’s post I want to talk about the lymphatic system in the brain called the glymphatic system.  By meningeal I mean BRAIN.

Meningeal lymphatic vessels at the skull base drains cerebrospinal fluid.  We need spinal fluid drainage to flow freely so that our nervous system can work efficiently.  This fluid cushions the brain, and serves as a shock absorber for the central nervous system. CSF also circulates nutrients and chemicals filtered from the blood and removes waste products from the brain.

Impaired lymphatic drainage messes with your brain.  You get accumulated macromolecules in the brain when lymph doesn’t work well.  And that in turn will lead to brain inflammation.  In recent research, protein accumulation and aggregation in the brain, such as found in alzheimer’s brains, was linked to a backup of of lymphatic vessels in the meningeal (brain).

In yet another study, blocking meningeal lymphatic drainage aggravated parkinson’s disease like pathology in a mice study. 

I can give you this research if you want.

But in short, it’s suppper important for this system to work in your brain.  It can affect your memory, the way you process, your immune system (don’t want that waste product) hormone and of course the gut brain axis!

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You will get a problem in the gut brain as well.  Cranial brain problems are gut brain problems.
Remember 1/2 of your lymph nodes are in the gut. So, if the majority are in the gut and the brain, makes sense to make sure these two are working at their best right?!!

So… how do we keep this moving to keep up moving out of that toxic zone?!

1.  Make sure you are getting regular cranial chiropractic care. You cannot move this system on your own.  You need someone like myself who is trained to help get your cranial system moving.  If the bones/joint of your head are stuck, this fluid will get back up.  

Remember.  This system moves through motion.  So we must start with your head and work our way down your entire body to make sure there is no tension causing a backup.

2. Another form of body care that’s great is lymphatic massage or electric lymphatic massage.  I will say thought, this DOES not take away from needing #1. Colon hydro-therapy is also helpful to clean out stagnant lymph in the abdomen.

3. Keep moving.  Exercise daily, no matter what it is is so helpful.  Sitting for long periods, computer work, just being in stagnant positions creates a pooling of fluid.

4. Infrared saunas.  Very helpful for increasing circulation and getting that fluid pumping.

5. Nutritional.  There are some genetic components that can back up the lymphatic system.  This was a big factor for me.  It didn’t matter how much body work I got, I got to a certain point where I would plateau.  This being because my natural detox processes in my liver and kidneys weren’t working effectively to clear out what I needed. When I started focusing on this, I needed less massages and lymph clearing as my body was able to do it more efficiently.

When you are fighting infections though, you might need some extra help like those mentioned above even if your internal system isn’t too bad (which it probably is since you got sick!)

This system is really BIG for making sure your immune system is resilient.  So many individuals that come in for regular care are far less sick than those that aren’t.  And they recover more quickly.

Look forward to chatting with you in a couple weeks!!

Dr. Hamel