The Gal with the Broken Smile

My daughter Lexi was the type of gal who once she set her mind to accomplish something, never gave up. An admirable characteristic for a young woman making her way in the world. It helped her accomplish good grades, get challenging jobs, transfer to UGA, befriend a diverse group of friends and travel the world. Her CAN DO attitude that allowed her to pursue many of her life's dreams ultimately resulted in cutting her life short. She suffered an acute manic episode in November 2010 followed by a fall into the depths of depression from which she never recovered. Despite a nurturing home environment, psychotherapy and alternative care her depression made life for her ultimately unbearable. Rather than focus on how to lift herself up from her sorrow, she focused on how to relieve her suffering as quickly and as permanently as possible.

My goal is not to dwell on her loss, but to shed light on how we can help avoid crisis. The July 2011 issue of COSMOPOLITAN Magazine includes these tips for suicide prevention.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention her are steps to take when you or a friend seem troubled.

WHEN YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT A FRIEND

Say You're Concerned- When you're alone, tell her, " I'm worried because you seem disconnected. Please tell me what's going on." Knowing you care can convince her to open up.

Offer To Get Her Help- It's often tough for a suicidal person to take that first step to seeing a professional. Gather the names of local psychologists gets the ball rolling.

Follow Up- Call her a day later to see how she is and if you can help. Should she brush you off, say "If anything happened to you, I'd be devastated." Hearing that may make all the difference.

Enter Emergency Mode- If she admits she wants to end it all or jokes that her life is worthless, call 911, take her to Emergency Room, or contact her family.

WHEN IT'S YOU WHO FEELS DOWN

Don't Remain Isolated- Approach a trusted friend or family member, and tell him or her how you've been feeling. You may try to talk yourself out of interactions like these by assuming that you're a burden to them or they don't care, but your thinking may be skewed right now.

Note How Long You've Been This Way- If you feel sad, empty, or hopeless and these emotions don't lift after two weeks, seek out a counselor. Also, steer clear of alcohol or drugs-they can darken your thoughts and make you feel more despondent.

Make The Call That Could Save Your Life- Should you feel any impulse to harm yourself, call 911 and let the operator know you need help, head to the ER, or dial the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

Chiropractic Storm Relief

It was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, quite different from the day that tornadoes stormed through Georgia and Alabama.
Massage therapist Theresia Greer and I exchanged chiropractic and massage services (along with homemade cookies and Jana water) for donations to the American Red Cross Storm Relief. We had a booth at the Roswell Cycling Festival on Canton Street where we worked on necks, backs, legs, knees and feet of cyclists, vendors and spectators. We raised over $100 and spread the good will of chiropractic across the land. If you didn't have an opportunity to participate in the Mayor's Ride, test out the mountain bike trails or watch the Criterion Races, make sure you put the first Sunday in May on your calendar for next year.

Pull Weeds, Not Your Back

Pull Your Weeds, Not Your Back, When Gardening
As springtime approaches, weather warms up and leaves turn green, many people will spend more time outside planting bulbs, mowing the lawn and pulling weeds. Gardening can provide a great workout, but with all the bending, twisting, reaching and pulling, your body may not be ready for exercise of the garden variety.

Gardening can be enjoyable, but it is important to stretch your muscles before reaching for your gardening tools. The back, upper legs, shoulders, and wrists are all major muscle groups affected when using your green thumb.

A warm-up and cool-down period is as important in gardening as it is for any other physical activity," said Dr. Scott Bautch of the American Chiropractic Association's (ACA) Council on Occupational Health. "Performing simple stretches during these periods will help alleviate injuries, pain and stiffness."

To make gardening as fun and enjoyable as possible, it is important to prepare your body for this type of physical activity. The following stretches will help to alleviate muscle pain after a day spent in your garden.

Garden Fitness Stretches
Before stretching for any activity, breathe in and out, slowly and rythmically; do not bounce or jerk your body, and stretch as far and as comfortably as you can. Do not follow the no pain, no gain rule. Stretching should not be painful. o While sitting, prop your heel on a stool or step, keeping the knees straight. Lean forward until you feel a stretch in the back of the thigh, or the hamstring muscle. Hold this position for 15 seconds. Do this once more and repeat with the other leg.
Stand up, balance yourself, and grab the front of your ankle from behind. Pull your heel towards your buttocks and hold the position for 15 seconds. Do this again and repeat with the other leg.
While standing, weave your fingers together above your head with the palms up. Lean to one side for 10 seconds, then to the other. Repeat this stretch three times.
Do the "Hug your best friend." Wrap your arms around yourself and rotate to one side, stretching as far as you can comfortably go. Hold for 10 seconds and reverse. Repeat two or three times.
Finally, be aware of your body technique, body form and correct posture while gardening. Kneel, don't bend, and alternate your stance and movements as often as possible to keep the muscles and body balanced.

When the Bulbs Are Planted...
If you already feel muscle aches and pains and did not complete the warm-up and cool-down stretches, there are ways to alleviate the discomfort. Apply a cold pack on the area of pain for the first 48 hours or apply a heat pack after 48 hours, and consider chiropractic care.

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Get Your Energy Flowing

How can you get your energy flowing? One great way is to get outdoors and join other fitness-minded fellows and gals for the 1st Kiwanis Spring K Classic on Saturday, March 26th. You can be a walker, a jogger or a competitive runner in the 5K or 10K run. You can bring your little ones to participate in the free 1 mile fun run. Leading Edge Sport and Spine will be manning the Aid Station with exercise mats and stretching devices for you to warm-up, first aid, if you get hurt, and a Thumper Foot Massager to ease your feet at the end of the run. The run meets at Roswell High School. Your registration of $20 pre-race or $25 race-day supports Kiwanis charitable projects for youth, seniors and the environment. Stop by our office for a registration form or download one on the website http://www.springkclassic.com/. Be the 10th person to bring your registration form to our office on or before Saturday, March 19th at Noon (we will be open) and you will receive a Limited Edition Leading Edge Sport and Spine Sports Cap.

Protecting Patients and their Chiropractors in Georgia

There is a saying, "All it takes to let Evil triumph is enough good people doing nothing." There are those in Georgia who would like to see chiropractic patients and their chiropractors lose access to care, lose reimbursement for care and further limit the scope of practice. Insurance companies, medical associations and those who disparage governmental regulation are among those forces who would like to see chiropractic wither on the vine. I am not one to sit by idly and let my patients face discrimination because they have chosen to use chiropractic instead of drugs and surgery.

Last week I spent Thursday morning, along with other Doctors of Chiropractic, lobbying our legislators to support a pro-chiropractic bill in the Georgia Senate. The bill would limit chiropractic adjustments, chiropractic manipulation and chiropractic services to only a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic. This would prevent HMO's from tricking citizens into signing up for health plans that stated that "chiropractic" was included in the plan, and then having the "chiropractic" services being supplied by someone who was not a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic. I meet with Senator John Albers and stopped off at the office of Senator Judson Hill to urge them to support this bill, and protect chiropractic patients and their chiropractic doctors. I believe it takes more than good intentions, it takes action on those intentions to make Good triumph over Evil.

Top Athletes Benefit from Chiropractic Care

ACA Today News- Recent news stories about Washington Redskins wide receiver Santana Moss and professional golfer Michelle Wie have mentioned chiropractic care as an important part of helping both athletes stay competitive. Moss told The Washington Post that he sees a DC (Doctor of Chiropractic) twice a week to help his aging body cope with the rigors of playing professional football. NBC Sports recently ran a story on its Website stating that Wie is seeing a DC to recover from back problems in time for next season.

Here we have two athletes, two different genders, two different age groups, playing two very different sports- yet both are using chiropractic care to help them stay in their game. Are you letting pain, stiffness or lack of stamina prevent you from staying in your game? You don't have to be a professional athlete to receive the benefits of chiropractic care. You may be a softball player on the company team, an ALTA player for your subdivision team or the parent of a varsity lacrosse player. Chiropractic care is a safe and effective approach to enhancing sports performance, avoid injury and treating pain, strains and sprains.

Dr. Schantz is a Certified Golf Conditioning Specialist and a member of the American Chiropractic Association Council on Fitness and Sport Injuries.

Get Outside & Keep Yourself Happy!

Do not feel guilty if you do not belong to a gym or fitness center. I do not belong to a gym, and I spend a good amount of time (I could do more) staying fit. Last weekend was a welcome break in the South Freezer temperatures. My daughter Lexi and her friend joined us on a hike along Lookout Mountain near Chattanooga, TN. The trail leads to Sunset Rocks, a popular climbing area and historic site.

We have plenty of natural resources available within a 1-3 hr. drive from Atlanta that many people in Florida would love to have. Take advantage of the great outdoors. I having nothing against gyms and fitness centers. My God! If it weren't for the Roanoke Athletic Club, I would have never met my wife Dixie back in 1980. I LOVE AEROBICS!