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Why Might I Be Magnesium Deficient?

magnesium
Why might I have low Magnesium levels?

An estimated 80% of Americans are deficient in magnesium likely due to these two common problems: 1) Chronic stress and 2) Diuretic use
Chronic stress is becoming more of a common complaint these days. It is defined as the response to emotional pressure suffered for a prolonged period over which an individual perceives he or she has no control.  It stimulates a hormonal response that increases natural Corticosteroids in the body. While the immediate effects of stress hormones are beneficial in a particular situation, long-term exposure to stress creates a high level of these hormones that remains constant. This causes a myriad of health concerns and just one of the consequences is the depletion of the bodies magnesium levels.
A diuretic is any substance that causes an abnormal increase in urine production. Some of the most commonly used diuretics include: caffeine, alcohol, and blood pressure medication. You may be unaware that your habitual diuretic use in the form of coffee and/or alcohol intake is depleting your magnesium levels.
Persons only slightly deficient in magnesium become irritable, highly-strung, and sensitive to noise, hyper-excitable, and apprehensive. If the deficiency is more severe or prolonged, they may develop headaches, migraines, twitching, tremors, irregular pulse, insomnia, muscle weakness, jerkiness and leg and foot cramps.
If magnesium is severely deficient, the brain is particularly affected. Clouded thinking, confusion, disorientation, and marked depression may be consequences. Comprehensive studies have shown repeatedly that low magnesium levels are associated with diabetes and high blood pressure. The standard of care for expecting mothers with preeclampsia is high-dose intravenous magnesium in the hopes of preventing seizure.

Magnesium supports these important cellular functions:

  • Promotes cellular energy production
  • Supports synthesis of essential molecules
  • Provides cofactor support for more than 300 enzymes
  • Supports ion signaling across cell membranes
  • Supports the ongoing activities of bone formation and resorption
  • Helps facilitate muscle contraction
  • Supports the body’s energy production, which is used by the central nervous, neuro-muscular, and cardiovascular systems

Ideally, magnesium should be obtained through a balanced whole foods diet. Green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale are excellent sources of magnesium, as are some beans, nuts and seeds, like almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds. Avocados are also a good source. Juicing vegetables is an excellent option to ensure you’re getting enough of magnesium in your diet.
When introducing a magnesium supplement, be sure to start with a low dose around 200mg/day and slowly increase your intake over the course of a few weeks to 400 to 800 mg a day. (High dose magnesium supplements have been used historically to relieve those suffering from constipation.) If you abruptly introduce too much at once, your Gastro-Intestinal system may become upset.
Magnesium has recently been the focus of many interesting studies. Dr. Mark Hyman, M.D. calls it “the most powerful relaxation mineral available” and highlights its’ important role in relaxing our muscles and fighting inflammation.

Magnesium is one of my “go-to” recommendations for patients who suffer from headaches and/or muscle cramps.

In good health,
Kelly Baltuska, DC


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The Benefits of Learning to Crawl Before Learning to Walk

ApolloLawnMy heart breaks a little bit each time I hear a parent boast about their infant skipping a stage of the developmental process as if they have a prodigy. As a father of three, I understand how proud a parent can be about their kids. As a Chiropractor, I understand how skipping developmental stages can be disastrous for the well-being of the child. The more I learn about anatomy and physiology, the more profound my appreciation for the miracle of human life. As simple as it may seem, each stage in the infant’s growth is paramount to the proper coordination of the Central Nervous System. Please do not rush your child past these important milestones in their life. Crawling generally begins at around 6 to 9 months of age. Check out these amazing skills that are fine tuned when a baby practices crawling:

Benefits of Crawling

Gross Motor:

·        Increases strength and coordination throughout the body

·        Builds neck, back and stomach muscles to sit and stand upright

·        Develops cross-crawl patterning (example: right arm moves with left leg, and vice versa). This reciprocal movement pattern lays strong foundations for walking, running, and climbing stairs.

Fine Motor:

·        Bearing weight on hands develops arches in the palm necessary to hold and manipulate objects

·        Develops shoulder, arm, wrist and thumb stability for writing

·        Develops both sides of the body so children learn to cross midline and acquire hand dominance

Sensory Processing:

·        Decreases tactile sensitivities by providing deep pressure input to the hands

·        Activates muscles and joints of trunk, arms and legs for body and spatial awareness

·        Builds muscles that coordinate breathing for self-soothing

·        Development of motor planning (praxis) as child plans how to move their body from point A to B

Academic:

·        Improves attention

·        Develops communication between both hemispheres of the brain for higher level skills such as reading, speech and communication

·        Develops depth perception and binocular vision as child’s eyes learn to focus and move from looking far away to nearby their hands while crawling. These same eye movements are used to throw and catch a ball, read or copy from the board.

As you can see, there is more going on in the little bundle-of-joy than meets the eye. If your kiddo goes from being carried everywhere to standing and walking without practicing these important tasks, the child may even be at a disadvantage when learning other important developmental stages throughout their lifetime.

Common reasons that a baby misses the crawling stage include:

·        The baby is held too often without any necessary “Tummy-Time”.

·        The parent is afraid about the safety of putting their child on the floor because of trauma hazards, choking hazards, or sanitary concerns.

·        The parent assists the child in a standing position to encourage the standing posture prematurely.

·        The child is placed into a baby holder of some type which positions them in the standing position for extended periods of time.

Unfortunately, a parent who is happy that their kid is developing at an incredible rate may not understand what the poor kid is missing. Please forward this to a friend of yours who has a baby so that they do not accidentally make this mistake. At the same time, don’t be too bummed out if your toddler has already started walking around without having learned to crawl. Be sure to have them adjusted routinely by the family Chiropractor to allow their Central Nervous System to function a greater potential allowing natural healing to take place.

Kelly Baltuska, DC

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Dr. Baltuska talks about the conditions chiropractors treat

On October 21, I was able to chat with Chad Austin on his Internet radio show, “Be Fit…For Life.” In this excerpt from that interview, I discuss the many conditions that chiropractic care can treat. Enjoy.

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What conditions do Chiropractors Treat?

Chiropractic care can help with many different health conditions. Some of the more common reasons patients seek care is for neck pain, mid and low back pain, headaches and pain in the joints of the limbs. Any and all types of body aches and pains. Other conditions include: Stress, anxiety, scoliosis, sciatica, postural abnormalities, overuse injuries, sprains and strains, motor vehicle accidents, whiplash, disc herniations, muscle tension etc. Some conditions that the public may not be aware of include chiropractic care for infants, babies, and children. Chiropractic care may help in the treatment of earaches, bedwetting, ADHD, learning disabilities, colic, reflux, constipation, etc. Chiropractic care can take great care of mom throughout pregnancy to keep her out of pain and really prepare for a successful delivery. If the baby is in the breech position, the Chiropractic Webster Technique can encourage the baby to change to the proper head down position so that mom can continue with a natural delivery as opposed to cesarean section. Chiropractic care is for people of all ages and anyone with a spine. Regular Chiropractic adjustments throughout lifetime have been shown to improve the immune system, slow and even stop the progression of disease and illness, and help you to perform optimally and to your best potential.

This show was recorded on Monday, October 21st 2013 when Dr. Kelly Baltuska, DC was a guest speaker on the VoiceAmerica Internet Radio on the Health and Wellness Channel on the Show “Be Fit… For Life” with Host Chad Austin. www.baltuska.com

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Listen to Dr. Baltuska discuss the goals of chiropractic care

On October 21, I was able to chat with Chad Austin on his Internet radio show, “Be Fit…For Life.” In this excerpt of that interview, I go into some detail about the goals of chiropractic adjustments. Enjoy.

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What are the goals of a Chiropractic Adjustment?

Chiropractic adjustments seek to allow the Central Nervous System to function at a greater potential, allowing natural healing to take place. Chiropractors spend many years studying human anatomy and physiology to learn what the body needs to function as it was intended to. The Brain and Spinal Cord together make up the Central Nervous System. This CNS is housed and protected by the Skull and the 24 bones of the Vertebral Column. Each Vertebral segment, one upon another, should be able to flex, extend, laterally flex, and rotate. It is a Chiropractors main concern to palpate the patient’s full spine to find areas of restriction that might be causing pain and inflammation which can inhibit the expression of the CNS through the canal between 2 consecutive vertebrae. This Intervertebral Foramen is the tunnel created by 2 vertebrae. Tiny nerve roots pass through this tunnel bilaterally along the entire spinal column. The nerves continue running throughout the whole body and are responsible for the control and coordination of every body system including: the Cardiovascular, Hormonal, Reproductive, Circulatory, Gastrointestinal, Lymphatic, Nervous, Respiratory, Digestive, Immune and Musculoskeletal systems. By imparting a high-velocity, low amplitude thrust with the hands, a Chiropractor seeks to restore the joint range of motion of each vertebral restriction, to decrease pain and inflammation and allow the CNS to function to a greater potential, so that natural healing may take place.

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There is No Such thing as Flu Season

Flu Season

Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. These are all seasons.

Flu is not a season. There is no such thing as “the flu season”. Instead, we see trends every year when much of the population allows their immune system to falter due to poor daily lifestyle choices. It is common to see decreased exercise, decreased physical activity, decreased skin exposure to sunlight with decreased vitamin D levels. These practices can be difficult to continue during the colder weather.

The holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s encourage poor eating habits with an abundance of easily and readily available “food-like” substances that offer absolutely no nutritional value. There is a direct correlation between an increased sugar intake with decreased immune system function.

Try your best to adapt (or begin) your exercise routine to the climate change. This will allow you to gain the benefit of an increased immune system from physical activity. (There are far too many benefits of exercise to pass up.) Also, continue (or start) to eat real food. Truly nourishing whole food. Avoid fast food, restaurants, processed, packaged and frozen foods. Instead, consume plenty of colorful plant-based foods. Supplement with vitamin D year-round and increase your intake during the winter months. Consider a daily dose of Elderberry and a probiotic of some kind also.

Visit your Chiropractor for a full spine Chiropractic adjustment so that your Central Nervous System will be able to perform at a greater potential and increase your immune system function. All of these together will improve your already outstanding ability to adapt to your environment and remain strong and healthy throughout every season. (even the fabricated seasons)
In good health,
-Kelly Baltuska, DC

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Kefir Demonstration: Monday, November 18th at 7:30pm

The last Kefir Workshop was a success! Jennifer and I had so much fun sharing some of our favorite probiotic snacks and discussing the wonderful benefits of a balanced Gastro-Intestinal system. I am very pleased to have received such great feedback from past guests about the many ways that this superfood is helping multiple body systems.

The health of my family and friends has improved so much since we have began consuming this natural, affordable and delicious probiotic that I cannot help but to share it with everyone. Please join me on Monday, November 18th at 7:30pm for a free demonstration of how to prepare Kefir: fermented milk. This event will be held at Providence Activity Center: 10113 Lenexa Dr. Lenexa, KS 66215

BONUS ROUND! Join us earlier with Chad Austin Fitness at 6:30 for a free boot camp style workout just before the Kefir demonstration. Exercise, healthy food, and chiropractic; What a powerful combination for optimal health and wellness!

My lovely wife Jennifer will be serving free samples of some of our family’s favorite Kefir recipes that may include: Kefir Popsicles, pancakes, smoothies, banana bread, and avocado dip. Delicious!

I will provide a “how to” packet of information to take with you and even share some Kefir grains with those eager enough to get started right away. Here is a link to the information packet if you are interested but will not be able to attend the event: https://baltuska.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/making-Kefir-handout.pdf

Please RSVP by either joining the event on facebook, emailing me at [email protected], or call the office: 913-492-9290. Invite your friends and family!. I look forward to seeing you there and sharing this wonderful, functional super food with you!

You can read more about the power of a healthy gut in my newsletter at this link: http://t.co/iUFEWJOjkH

I hope to see you all there,
Kelly Baltuska, DC
www.baltuska.com
Office: 913-492-9290

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Happy National Chiropractic Health Month

Get Vertical!

Highlighting a theme of “Get Vertical,” the American chiropractic association (ACA) will encourage everyone to lead a healthy life by promoting joint health through physical activity. ACA wants people to get off their couches and office chairs, stand up and move! In other words, Get Vertical!
ACA is emphasizing joint health because joints are critical to all movement and allow us to carry out normal activities of daily living. Some 150 million to 200 million cases of back pain send people to the doctor every year—and many of those are related to joint injuries. The bones that make up the joint allow movement, but it is the muscles that pull the bones that produce the movement.
The movements that you perform on a daily basis are critical to long-term joint health, as are proper nutrition, a healthy exercise regimen, and a healthy lifestyle. Moving a joint through its full range of motion serves several important purposes. Joints are not supplied directly with blood as are other organs within the body, but instead are nourished with synovial fluid that is forced into the joint cartilage through pressure resulting from body movement. So the saying, “Use it or lose it” applies to joint function. There is no better time to get adjusted than this month!

Kelly Baltuska, DC

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Guest Speaker on VoiceAmerica Internet Radio Show on October 21st, 2013

Austin-showI am very honored and excited to have been a guest on the VoiceAmerica Internet Radio show “Be Fit… For Life” on the Health & Wellness channel. Fitness professional, Insanity instructor, and Personal Trainer, Chad Austin and I discussed how the healing power of Chiropractic can help you “be fit for life”. Tune in and tell your friends! I was on the show Monday, October 21st at noon and you can listen to the recorded audio anytime at this link to the show:
http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/73584/preventative-health-care-through-healthy-habits

 

Other guests on Chad’s segments include:

Diane Altomare: Speaker, author and coach
Todd Markley: Creator and owner of Success Meals KC
Kyle Maynard: Author, speaker and athlete
Dave Ward: BeachBody Coach and creator of the Fit Club Network

 

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Emotional Freedom Technique

Thank you all for a successful first patient appreciation day! I hope you enjoyed the goody bags and can truly appreciate how each item represents a strong and equally important part of your overall healthcare. We are living in a time where 80% of our healthcare challenges are due to lifestyle choices. I have said it before and I will say it again and again; your health and well-being does not fall in the hands of any doctor, hospital, nurse, pill, or single treatment. Ultimately, your individual healthcare is your responsibility.

We can all always work to improve our habits and practice of:

  • healthy dietary habits and supplementation
  • a well balanced exercise routine with cardiovascular, strength training and stretching
  • a full night’s sleep
  • prayer and/or meditation
  • Chiropractic adjustments

If you reflect on where you are at in each of these areas, you may find that you do an outstanding job in one area or another and fall short in others. Choose a way to improve one of the poorer areas of your own healthcare and your body will thank you. If you are unsure about how to work on any specific area, call or email me with any questions or concerns.

Upload:
I have uploaded the easy-to-follow Emotional Freedom Technique Guide to my website at this link: Emotional Freedom Technique. This is a quick, free and simple way to work on the area of prayer/meditation side of your healthcare. It utilizes points on your body that correlate with acupuncture meridians that you simply tap with your fingertips as you focus on deep breathing and a power phrase and/or prayer. It is being taught and used around the world by many different health professionals to treat many nasty and uncomfortable problems including: Stress, anxiety, obsession-compulsion, depression, poor self image, post traumatic stress, sleeping problems, aches and pains and many others. You can get started immediately and use it whenever and wherever with great results. This, like Chiropractic, is a nice conservative, cost effective and natural start to treating an issue before moving on to more invasive treatments such as medication or surgery.

Take care of the temple,
Kelly Baltuska, DC

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Dr. Kelly Baltuska’s Chiropractic Treatment Table

This is my favorite piece of equipment. (Besides my hands)

ChiropracticTable                   Here is my Leander Motorized Flexion-Distraction and Motion Adjusting Chiropractic Table. It was built in Lawrence, Kansas. This table allows me to adjust the patient while their spine is in a continuous, automated, passive flexion motion. This provides a smooth, predictable and repetitious motion, both in distance and frequency. It allows the patient’s spinal tissue to relax and stretch, providing me the opportunity to apply a very comfortable corrective force to encourage natural healing and optimal expression of the patient’s Central Nervous System.

As the patient’s spine oscillates, I apply specific contacts throughout the spine, pelvis, hips, ribs and head creating a negative pressure in the Inter-vertebral disc between two consecutive spinal vertebrae. This causes fluids to be imbibed, re-hydrating the discs while also stretching out all of the soft tissues that surround the spine and ribs.

I am very proud of this piece of equipment, and I have seen numerous patients slowly lie down because of excruciating pain and rise after their adjustment with a huge sigh of relief and enormous smile on their face. Consider this your invitation to discover Chiropractic, and experience the wonderful relief that accompanies a spine that is free from restriction.

In good health,

Kelly Baltuska, DC

 

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