Dr. Mark and Dr. Chip's Healthy Blogs

Where Is My Health? Knowing where to look is the fastest way to find something. We help so many people recover their health because we know where to look. One of the key tenets of chiropractic is that health is our natural state. When someone isn’t healthy, we look for what could be interfering with this natural ability by looking for the underlying cause of the symptom. Typically, we find a disturbance in the controlling or regulating impulses of the nervous system, producing a myriad of conditions that go by thousands of different names. The most common source of compromise in this brain/body communication is from the moving bones of the spine. Headaches? Look to the spine. Acid reflux? Look to the spine. Inflamed tonsils? Look to the spine. Asthma? You get the idea. Does that mean chiropractic can cure everything? Of course not. But to regain your health, it’s a great place to start looking! Call today so we can check your health -- 217-228-2040

What causes Kidney Stones? Kidney stones are normally very painful so folks that have had them, want to never have them again.  Kidney stones are symptom of an underlying issue and can have many causes. In the natural healing world, we feel that anything can cause anything so the cause must be looked at very individually.  The kidney stone itself is a uric acid deposit, coming from improper protein metabolism and drainage issues in the kidney. A simple cause of kidney stones can be dehydration, lack of drinking good quality water and getting mineral or sea salt to help the kidneys work correctly.  Incomplete digestion of proteins or mal-absorption of nutrients necessary for complete digestion of proteins indicates a digestive or intestinal problem. Toxic liver and an overloaded lymphatic system can also trigger kidney stones as this over works the kidneys.  Subluxation of the mid thoracic vertebra with reduction of nerve flow to the kidneys reducing corre...

What causes Hiccups? As you may or may not realize, hiccups are symptom due to a spasm in the diaphragm. In the world of natural healing, we feel that anything can cause anything.  There must be some trigger though, for that individual to have the hiccups. This could be due to food allergies, indigestion and bloating, excitement, stress or other emotions, and subluxation in the cervical spine. The nerves that come from the spine at the C4 spinal level innervate the diaphragm.  We have had very good success in stopping hiccups by adjusting the upper cervical spine, especially the C4 area if it is subluxated. The T6 spinal level is involved with digestion and adjusting this area can also alleviate digestive problems that can stop the hiccups.  We have also found that using nutritional supplements to help with digestion, i.e. enzymes and betaine hydrochloride, reduce the indigestion and bloating and help to alleviate the food allergies which could lead to the sympt...

What can I do to stop snoring? As you may or may not know, snoring is a possible symptom of underlying issues. In the natural healing world, we feel that anything can cause anything so to stop snoring, you must figure out the cause of the symptom in that individual. Possible causes would include enlarged adenoids and tonsils caused by immune system problems or allergies, extreme fatigue from overwork and stress and possible hypothyroidism, and possible subluxation of the upper cervical spine impinging upon the nerves that allow the body control itself normally. The goal in the clinical setting would be to figure out which one or more causes are involved in that individual. The thyroid connection is often overlooked and we find it to be a very common problem, especially in women. Eating foods that are inflammatory to the body, like refined sugar and flour, can cause the tonsils and adenoids to inflame and lead to snoring as well. So there are many causes and to stop the symptom of s...

7 Things You Need To Know if Your Doctor Says Your Cholesterol Is Too High (Before Taking Meds!) When I first opened my medical practice in the mid-80s,  cholesterol , and the fear of having too high a level was rarely discussed unless your cholesterol level was over 330 or so. Over the years, however, cholesterol became a household word for something you must keep as low as possible, or suffer the consequences. Today,  dietary fat and cholesterol are typically still portrayed as the worst foods you can consume. This is unfortunate, as these myths are actually harming your health. 1  Cholesterol is one of the most important molecules in your body; indispensable for the building of cells and for producing stress and sex hormones, as well as vitamin D. Since the cholesterol hypothesis is false, this also means that the recommended therapies—low-fat, low-cholesterol diet, and cholesterol lowering medications—are doing more harm than good. Statin  ...

I just wanted to share with you this great Testimony.  We just love helping people feel better and enjoy their life the way they should. Patient Testimony:  What Was It Like Before I Came to See Dr. Mark? I was having a lot of pain in my hands – it was so bad I couldn’t sleep. Went to the doctor and they ran test for Lupus, Gout and Arthritis. They said everything was negative but said my immune system was not where it should be.  She also said we’ll see you in six months. That is when I went to Dr. Mark. How Is It Now? I started the nutrition program with Dr. Mark and in the three months I had no pain and feel more like I did at 40 – I am 69.  I’m also off all prescription drugs.    (J.T.)

Breakfast:   Start your day off with a good source of protein, such as, Eggs (organic or free range), Uncured Bacon, Sausage (with no sugar or MSG), and Nuts that are high in protein, such as, Macadamia, Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans, and Cashews.   You could mix these nuts with some plain Greek Yogurt.   A protein powder shake is another good choice, make sure your powder is low in sugar, in your shake you can add a few blueberries, avocados, spinach, and kale.   To make it dairy free just use water or unsweetened Almond or Coconut milk.   Another idea is to have a no sugar nut butter on celery or cucumber slices. (great for lunch too) There are lots of great ways to fix Eggs, scrambled, boiled, over easy/hard, omelets with veggies. The day before or on the weekend to get ready for your busy week, make up an egg casserole with sausage and veggies, top with cheese if you can have dairy.   Cut in squares and baggie up squares for a ready to go breakfast in ...

Can you imagine a machine that could heal your condition? Type in the right combination and cells react, repairing tissue and broken bones. A machine that regulates how many breaths you need for healing or one that beats your heart just enough to circulate the blood to areas in demand. A machine this advanced could also send signals to its operator to slow it down or enter a sleep mode so updates could be downloaded. It would be an amazing machine, cutting healthcare costs for millions. Undoubtedly, people would invest large sums just to have one and would go to great measures to take care of it. The demand for such a machine would be so great that suppliers could not keep up. Want to know something more amazing? This machine exists within you. In fact, it is YOU. You were born with natural healing ability—you just have to take care of it! At Natural Health we can help you take care of your body, finding what it needs nutritionally to stay functioning correctly.  Call tod...

            “From baby in the high chair to grandma in the rocker, the axial bones (spinal vertebra) are as liable to be displaced by noxious substances which enter the system in our food and drink or by inhalation, as they are by accident direct (trauma).”-DD Palmer, 1910             DD Palmer talked about primary subluxation by injury our accident, and secondary subluxation caused by toxicity, nutritional deficiency and stress. The reoccurring, or secondary, subluxations were not emphasized in my training, yet the majority of patients we see today are affected by them. In the past 50 years, and increasingly poor diet, greater toxic burden and the stress of modern living have moved us past the point where-in far too many patients-chiropractic adjustments alone are not enough to fully restore health.             As...

Do You Need Nutritional Supplements?                         The answer is that each person is very different in their daily nutritional needs.   It depends a lot on what they eat every day and the nutrition they absorb from that food that determines what nutrients they have in their bodies to handle that stress. The food they eat not only gives them the energy they need to move and think but needs to be used to help the body repair the damage done by moving and doing their jobs and activities. The problem comes is when the body doesn’t have the nutrients it needs for correct repair and must use what happens to be there.             A good analogy that I use is, you’re going to build a house and have a set of blueprints. If you use good building materials, you will end up with a good, strong, house. Using t...