WOW! 2012 Already! Happy and Healthy New Year to all!
Hi Everyone!
Our guest speaker for January's meeting of the Mishawaka Fibromyalgia Support Group was Dr. Kevin Hancock, Chiropractor and Health Care Practitioner extraordinaire! He has done remarkable things for my neck and lower back, and for my overall health and well-being this past year. I highly recommend his expertise! For much more than his Chiropractic expertise, as it turns out!
When he told me about this awesome non-invasive medical devise he's been using, I wanted to be certain all of you knew about it too! It's called the EsTeck Medical Devise. It's an outstanding devise, not only for his chiropractic patients, but for anyone who chooses to get a scan performed. You can use the information gleaned as suggestions and requests for your doctor to look into!
As Dr. Hancock said, this machine is not necessarily an actual diagnostic tool, but rather it provides a guide in the manner of triage and a monitoring tool. It has been used regularly in China and India for almost 10 years in order to give the patient a preliminary tentative diagnosis (triage) so that the medical personnel will have an idea of where to start in their healing process, saving precious time in already amazingly busy facilities in these countries.
The devise is completely non-invasive. Much like an EKG, EEG or EMG machine there are two biosensors (sticky pads) attached to your temples, a finger pulse monitor, a sensor pad to lay your hand on, and two pads to set your feet on. All the readings come from these areas at once, and the EsTeck Devise does some enormously complex mathematical calculations to measure up to 69 parameters of the human body with amazing accuracy and reproducibility.
So what are are some of the things measured by the EsTeck Medical Devise? It evaluates:
~ overall homeostasis score
~ basal metabolism
~ the current function of each organ in the body - liver, heart, kidney, etc
~ brain function by individual lobes
~ the hormonal activity - thyroid, parathyroid, adrenals, etc
~ cardiovascular function
~ electrolyte status and function
~ oxygen status and function
~ mitochondtial activity
~ autonomic nervous system activity
~ spinal health
~ disease status - cardiovascular, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, tissue inflammation, etc
~ body composition - lean mass, fat mass
~ the amount of water inside your cells and outside of your cells
as stated, up to 69 parameters are measured!
Once the electrodes are attached, and your feet and hands are placed, the entire procedure takes from 2 to 5 minutes. And the results are available immediately - no wait time for "tests to come back." Dr. Hancock will need to read and describe/explain the results, but you have them right away! And you can both discuss what to do from there.
It is true that many doctors in the U.S. have not heard of the EsTeck Medical Devise yet, but it has proven to be very effective, efficient and most helpful in the countries where it is well-established. For now, a reading from the devise will give you much needed information about your body and how it is functioning. Armed with this information, you can go to your doctor and say, "I'd like to have this or that checked." And the best part is that after Dr. Hancock, or your doctor treats the condition, you can go back for another scan and find out if the treatment is indeed working or if you need to raise the dose or change to something else.
Dr. Hancock also has available whole food supplements by Standard Process, a highly respected company in business since 1929. I have been taking their product called "Min-Chex" since I got shingles back in November and find it most helpful! This particular product helps to balance the central nervous system (shingles, remember?) while it also helps support thyroid and adrenals. The company makes a number of excellent whole food products, including the "General Health - Daily Fundamentals" which includes packets of 3 capsules of whole food nutrition consisting of a multi, a capsule of trace minerals-B-12, and a Tuna Omega 3 EPA-DHA capsule. All supplements are Gluten-free. Because they are whole food supplements, they are completely bio-available, that is, your body absorbs them and utilizes all the nutrition your body needs. Standard Process Products are only available through a Health Care Provider and not sold in stores. For more information check out www.StandardProcess.com (Note 1: if you're looking for natural help for thyroid, adrenals,etc ask Dr. Hancock about these Standard Process products). (Note 2: I found out online that these excellent products are available for pets as well - horses, cats, dogs, and more.)
Dr. Kevin told us about a doctor in California who charges $170 for a scan from the EsTeck Medical Devise.
Dr. Hancock's regular fee is only $50. This is so that more people can take advantge of its help!
I highly recommend you take advantage of this devise. For piece of mind, and the knowledge it can give you of your own body.
Contact Information:
Dr. Kevin Hancock
6910 North Main St., Unit 23
Granger, IN 46530
574-271-1111
Showing posts with label body scan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label body scan. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Fibromyalgia and Tai Chi for relaxing stress
Our speaker for November's Support Group Meeting was Kathy Stiffney, a Licensed Massage Therapist and a Tai Chi Instructor from Goshen, IN. She has been teaching Tai Chi for 11-12 years, and this was our topic the evening
Kathy had been a kindergarden teacher for 27 years, and began training as a massage therapist during that time. She later began learning, and then teaching Tai Chi. It turns out that she, like me, has been fond of all things Asian for many years and this has pulled her to this method of exercise and stress-relief.
Tai Chi, she explains is a very subtle art. It developed originally as a subtle form of martial art, and has evolved into its own profund mental and physical discipline, which focuses specifically on promoting health, relaxation and the cultivation of the internal vital energy known as to the Chinese as Chi.
Tai Chi does not focus on the gross motor skills like so many other exercises do. Its purpose is different. It's purpose is to promote:
Relaxation
Strength
Breath
Energy
Balance
Thinking & Memory
This method of movement is both gentle and yet demanding. It involves slow, balanced, controlled movements utilizing the whole body in a flowing sequence of positions called, "the form." It is an art of complete inner calm and serene focus. (As I mention in my book, Fibromyalgia Basics, I've been doing Tai Chi, in my own form, for nearly 13 years. I find that focusing on Tai Chi - my movements and the breathing - takes my mind OFF of other things...like pain, or depression, or stresses or worry running around in my mind. And doing this daily, ten minutes every single morning, bolsters me for the long haul.)
Kathy demonstrated about 5 minutes of beautifully fluid movements, explaining that she is deep breathing as she moves, she is moving slowly and deliberately, and showed the muscle strength being used to keep the movements slow. And as she turns this way and that, she is slowly massaging internal organs building up the muscles and strengthening the organs - heart, liver, lungs, spleen, intestines etc. This is healing because strength in these muscles helps them function more effeciently.
Because we were a small group she asked us to join in. We all rose, even the husband of one of our members, FF. It turns out that he pretty much put us all to shame, even with his chronic back pain! Kathy was able to come around to each of us to help perfect the stance and movements as we went along for some very basic beginning movements.
She also showed us how her class "Ohm's." She said they do ohming before and/or after the class to achieve a sort of connection. She demonstrated how it was done. The toning was very calming just listening to her. I asked if we could all do it together. Everyone was up for it, even FF. The idea is to take in a long slow deep breath, and then let it out slowly, as long as you can - all of it - while releasing the word "Ohmmmmm." Toning in this fashion assures all the "bad air" is released, before taking in more "good air." The "mmmmm" sound resonates so deeply, especially with all of us doing it together - one could actually feel it resonating in the bones. It felt really, really nice - soothing on a physical and emotional level, as well as a deeper level yet. And guess what? It turns out that FF is a prodigy, outlasting all of us in the length of letting out the bad air, on several occassions! Whoda thunk?
Kathy then showed us how to "body scan." We all know that tension can create pain. But, she said, we often don't realize when we are tense. She described a personal example. She was laying on her couch watching TV one evening when she decided to do a body scan. She took inventory of her body, from feet, legs, torso, arms, neck and even scalp. She discovered that her legs were tense, so she consciously stretched, then relaxed them.
I would have to say that it could be a real benefit for all of us to do regular body scans. I did this at home and realized that after being on the computer for only 15 minutes my neck was tense. I moved and stretched, and began again on my computer. I discovered that I need to do this body scan about every 15 minutes, and then move and stretch again. I'm certain this body scan prevented a nasty stiff neck before bedtime. It's kind of like taking inventory as to how we hold ourselves. We often hold tension in our body for whatever reason, without even realizing it - neck, shoulders, arms, legs, stomach, back, even our face!
Then we learned how to do stretches ala Tai Chi! Wow, did that feeel good! But you'll have to make an appointment with her to learn how to do it! *:)
There's no doubt about it. Kathy has a lot to teach that can help anyone with Fibromyalgia or chronic pain. Her classes are in Goshen, often at The Retreat Goshen's Women's Health Center, and are set up for six weeks at a time, to learn the basics.
Contact Information:
Kathy Stiffney
Family Chiropractic
1119 South Indiana Ave.
Gishen, IN 46526
(across from Goshen Middle School)
For appointments: call Kathy at 574-202-7710 or 574-534-4591
Kathy had been a kindergarden teacher for 27 years, and began training as a massage therapist during that time. She later began learning, and then teaching Tai Chi. It turns out that she, like me, has been fond of all things Asian for many years and this has pulled her to this method of exercise and stress-relief.
Tai Chi, she explains is a very subtle art. It developed originally as a subtle form of martial art, and has evolved into its own profund mental and physical discipline, which focuses specifically on promoting health, relaxation and the cultivation of the internal vital energy known as to the Chinese as Chi.
Tai Chi does not focus on the gross motor skills like so many other exercises do. Its purpose is different. It's purpose is to promote:
Relaxation
Strength
Breath
Energy
Balance
Thinking & Memory
This method of movement is both gentle and yet demanding. It involves slow, balanced, controlled movements utilizing the whole body in a flowing sequence of positions called, "the form." It is an art of complete inner calm and serene focus. (As I mention in my book, Fibromyalgia Basics, I've been doing Tai Chi, in my own form, for nearly 13 years. I find that focusing on Tai Chi - my movements and the breathing - takes my mind OFF of other things...like pain, or depression, or stresses or worry running around in my mind. And doing this daily, ten minutes every single morning, bolsters me for the long haul.)
Kathy demonstrated about 5 minutes of beautifully fluid movements, explaining that she is deep breathing as she moves, she is moving slowly and deliberately, and showed the muscle strength being used to keep the movements slow. And as she turns this way and that, she is slowly massaging internal organs building up the muscles and strengthening the organs - heart, liver, lungs, spleen, intestines etc. This is healing because strength in these muscles helps them function more effeciently.
Because we were a small group she asked us to join in. We all rose, even the husband of one of our members, FF. It turns out that he pretty much put us all to shame, even with his chronic back pain! Kathy was able to come around to each of us to help perfect the stance and movements as we went along for some very basic beginning movements.
She also showed us how her class "Ohm's." She said they do ohming before and/or after the class to achieve a sort of connection. She demonstrated how it was done. The toning was very calming just listening to her. I asked if we could all do it together. Everyone was up for it, even FF. The idea is to take in a long slow deep breath, and then let it out slowly, as long as you can - all of it - while releasing the word "Ohmmmmm." Toning in this fashion assures all the "bad air" is released, before taking in more "good air." The "mmmmm" sound resonates so deeply, especially with all of us doing it together - one could actually feel it resonating in the bones. It felt really, really nice - soothing on a physical and emotional level, as well as a deeper level yet. And guess what? It turns out that FF is a prodigy, outlasting all of us in the length of letting out the bad air, on several occassions! Whoda thunk?
Kathy then showed us how to "body scan." We all know that tension can create pain. But, she said, we often don't realize when we are tense. She described a personal example. She was laying on her couch watching TV one evening when she decided to do a body scan. She took inventory of her body, from feet, legs, torso, arms, neck and even scalp. She discovered that her legs were tense, so she consciously stretched, then relaxed them.
I would have to say that it could be a real benefit for all of us to do regular body scans. I did this at home and realized that after being on the computer for only 15 minutes my neck was tense. I moved and stretched, and began again on my computer. I discovered that I need to do this body scan about every 15 minutes, and then move and stretch again. I'm certain this body scan prevented a nasty stiff neck before bedtime. It's kind of like taking inventory as to how we hold ourselves. We often hold tension in our body for whatever reason, without even realizing it - neck, shoulders, arms, legs, stomach, back, even our face!
Then we learned how to do stretches ala Tai Chi! Wow, did that feeel good! But you'll have to make an appointment with her to learn how to do it! *:)
There's no doubt about it. Kathy has a lot to teach that can help anyone with Fibromyalgia or chronic pain. Her classes are in Goshen, often at The Retreat Goshen's Women's Health Center, and are set up for six weeks at a time, to learn the basics.
Contact Information:
Kathy Stiffney
Family Chiropractic
1119 South Indiana Ave.
Gishen, IN 46526
(across from Goshen Middle School)
For appointments: call Kathy at 574-202-7710 or 574-534-4591
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