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Family Chiropractic Experience in West Fargo, ND

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

The Kaste Family Experience with HTC

My name is Kaja Kaste and my family and I started treatment at Healing Touch Chiropractic in October of 2009, to say the least we were in bad shape. I was currently in the middle of my second pregnancy and having severe pain in my lower back, which I chalked up to simply have back pain with my pregnancy, but by this point I was having problems walking sometimes. I did my initial scan and found out my results and started treatment with Dr. Tiffany immediately. During my consultation we also talked about my son whom at the time was 7 months old.

My pregnancy with Gracin had been relatively easy, with no major complications until delivery. Gracin got “stuck” and needed to have vacuum assistance not only once but a total of 4 times to get him out. This caused trauma to his head including a large bruise and cut. This healed, but it wasn’t until I discussed this with Dr. Tiffany and we did a scan on Gracin did we find out the lasting results of this traumatic birth on my sweet little boy. This finally answered a few issues we had been having with him with sleep patterns and fairly severe reflux (we usually dirtied a full burp cloth after every feeding). After a few treatments with Dr. Tiffany we started to notice a huge difference and now he sleeps through the night, take regular naps, and no longer deals with reflux. We have also noticed a difference in his immunity.

The next challenge was talking my husband Kory into “trying it out.” Like me, Kory had experience with chiropractic care but was reluctant to accept that he needed treatment that would require him to get adjusted regularly. But I can tell you since he started his treatment in December he is a different person and no longer has pain every day.

In Febuary we brought our beautiful son Nolan into the world. Nolan’s delivery was great and we needed no medical intervention in the delivery. By this time we knew the benefits of chiropractic care and that starting it early would be the most beneficial for Nolan. Two days after Nolan was born we took a trip to the office and he was adjusted, to this day he sleeps very well and has never had an issue with reflux.
I also am a firm believer that the chiropractic care and prenatal massages I received while pregnant better prepared my body for the birth of Nolan. I also had a much quicker recovery afterward, which I could not be more thankful for!

Our overall experience at HTC has been amazing. Dr. Tiffany and Lyndi make the experience very comfortable and fun!

Why Do We Compare Our Health To Others?

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

Why do we compare our health to the health of our friends, family or someone we do not even know?  Do you ever find yourself saying, “My mom had headaches when I was growing up, so it’s no surprise that I do, too”?  Or what about, “My friend can eat all the fast food he wants and never gains a pound.”  Or, “My doctor told us that heart disease runs in our family, so I better be prepared.”

What do these mean?  Does it mean that because your mom had headaches, you will have them?  Or because your friend is thin and eats low quality food, that means that if you do that, you will be thin, too?  If heart disease runs in your family, are you becoming a victim to the diagnosis? 

Or in all of these cases, do you have a choice?  Do you have a choice to do things differently?  Of course, you do!  It is a choice to take personal responsibility for your life.  What in your life is a result of a choice you have made?  Everything!  There is no such thing as a mistake, unless you don’t learn from it.  What if your doctor told you that because of the strong family history of heart disease or diabetes or cancer, there is a strong likelihood that you may suffer from these chronic diseases?  Would you change your lifestyle?  Or become aware of your lifestyle choices?  What would you do?  Wait for the diagnosis?  75% of chronic diseases (heart disease, diabetes, cancer) can be reversed by our lifestyle choices.  That means 3 out of 4 people, if they improve the function of their body, their body can heal.  Healing doesn’t take place at the same time as disease does.  If your nervous system isn’t working properly (which it isn’t if you’re suffering from disease), you’re not eating whole food, you’re not moving your body or thinking well, is your body in a healing state?  What are you waiting for?  Find a chiropractor who can help lead you to this life.  We are here to serve the Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo communities.

So, the question comes back to, “Why do we compare our health to others?”  You deserve a life free from disease.  You deserve to live happily and freely.  You deserve to express life at a high potential.  Start today by doing one thing to move you closer to health and happiness.

Are Your Fears Holding You Back?

Friday, May 21st, 2010

 Fear – def: be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event. 

 Fear is not real, but thought to be real by the beholder.  As the definition suggests, it is the apprehension about a ‘possible’ or ‘probable’ situation or event.  What we think about becomes and if we are thinking of negative thoughts, we are likely to get just that – a negative event.  Fear is driven by low self-esteem and therefore leads to unworthiness and undeservedness.  In our chiropractic office in West Fargo, ND, we ask what holds you back from achieving all that is possible?

-          Do you think about what other people think?  I learned this a few years ago from my coach and maybe it will help you.  She said, “It is none of your business what anyone thinks about you.” 

-          What if I say or do something that I shouldn’t have?  If so, recognize it and learn from that situation. 

-          What if I fail?  Successful people fail more often than they succeed.  If we are scared of failures, we will never success.

-          What if I succeed?  This is the most common fear. Learn to embrace it!!!

 The first step in overcoming your fear is to acknowledge it and break it down to discover what you really are afraid of.  Then ask yourself, “What could be the worst thing that may happen?”  Once you determine this important step, you will set forth conquering it.

Spinal Brushing and Flossing

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

Are you taking care of your spine like you take care of your teeth?  Dentists have trained us well that we are to get our teeth cleaned and checked every 6 months.  This is to maintain and keep our mouth healthy.  Dentists say they can tell a lot about your health by looking in your mouth.  What does your chiropractor tell you about your health?  Unlike our teeth, we only have one spine and it is not replaceable.  Why do we wait until our spine isn’t working to take care of it?  Chiropractic is about keeping the connection to your brain and body strong, therefore improving how your body is functioning.  Without spinal brushing and flossing, we are forced to make decisions that are reacting to the circumstance – whether that is drugs (anti-inflammatory or pain medication) or surgery. 

Please don’t wait for symptoms to get your and your family’s spines checked.  Our children need their parents to take responsibility now for the health of their child.

Allergy Tips From A Chiropractor In West Fargo ND

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

Is it “Allergy Season” for you?  Do you have red, itchy, watery eyes?  Runny nose?  Constant sneezing?  Are you allergic to certain foods or smells?

What is your body telling you?  Is it telling you that it’s tapped out?  Is it able to handle another toxin or stressor?  It’s giving you a sign…are you taking the cue?  Are you covering the symptoms up with pills, potions or lotions?   Have you ever thought about why you have allergies and other people don’t?  No, allergies are not ‘normal’.  Allergies are ‘common’. 

There are many ways to get your body to function at a high level, without medications or anything else synthetic.  Here are some tips to get your body to begin moving TOWARDS health:

 Adjusted Weekly: Getting your nervous system to function without interference (think of poor cell reception), is the best chance to live at your fullest.  Find a chiropractor and begin to see what life has in store for you!
Drink Water: Drink ½ of your body weight of pure water in ounces.  (e.g. 150 pound person will drink 75 ounces)
Reduce Sugar: Get the sugar out!  Decrease processed foods (boxed, canned, bagged), pastries, snack foods, pop, juice, dairy and gluten.
Eat Whole Foods: Food is Medicine.  Consume whole, organic foods.  The best way to get all of what your body needs is to eat fruits and vegetables.  Eat foods that are living, not dead.
Adequate, Routined Sleep: For an adult, the average is 6-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. 
If it’s not uninterrupted, I would suggest to find the cause of the disruption.  Healing takes place during the sleeping hours.
Stress Level: Stress interrupts all healing processes in the body.  First, acknowledge the stressor.  Second, find ways to better adapt to it.  Instead of reacting to something, be proactive and think through it before it becomes reality. 
Omega-3’s: Fish oils (pharmaceutical and pure) are part of baseline nutrition, along with a multivitamin.  Consult your Chiropractor for more information on dosages.

We are either moving TOwards health or away from health at all times.  What choices will you make today to move you towards health?

Can Love Influence Health?

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

“Decisions are based on 2 things: Love and Fear” – Bon Jovi

In relation to your health, what are you basing your decisions on?  Do the decisions look different whether they are rooted in love or fear?  Ask yourself these questions:

 -          When deciding to go the chiropractor, are you getting adjusted to prevent pain or are you getting adjusted to facilitate the body’s ability to heal?

-          When deciding to exercise, are you thinking about the need to exercise because you do not like the way you look or are you going to exercise to fulfill a necessity for life – movement. 

-          When deciding to eat whole foods, are you doing so because your medical doctor suggested you eat whole foods so you avoid disease (heart, cancer, diabetes, etc.) or are you eating whole foods to improve overall health and well-being?

How often do you think about how you think?  Are you being reactive or proactive? 

Keep this in mind when making decisions about your health:

We spend the first 40 years of our life doing nothing and the next 40 years of life wishing we would have done something.  What can you do today to work on health and well-being in the first 40 years of your life so that you can live with NO REGRETS?

Another Chiropractic Miracle: The Power of the Human Body

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

I first met Benjamin (Baby Ben) five weeks ago at our office in West Fargo, ND. He was 3 months old at the time and was a sad, frustrated, irritable, discontent baby. He was in pain. He was not doing the ‘normal’ things happy babies do. The first hour of our time together, I caught a sneak peak on what that family has been struggling through since he was born, but was getting worse. Instead of being held like a baby (in a rocking position), the only comfortable place (for a few minutes) was to be straight up and down. He did not act like an infant – his arms and legs were rigid, his stomach hard, yet his head wasn’t strong enough to be held on its own. He wasn’t sleeping, had colic for 8-10 hours in the day (and getting worse), and was discontent in all activities.

I will never forget that first day – the pain of this sweet, innocent boy; the endless love and concern of his beautiful mother; and the mother’s knowing that little Baby Ben could get better and be happier. By the time the nerve scan was complete, he had been screaming for 30 minutes and was sweating. It was heartbreaking.

I gave the mother a brief synopsis of the stress on his nervous system, and it was completely evident why he was in pain. His nervous system was taxed severely. His mother saw the scan and cried. Although she knew she was in the right place, there are no words to describe the pain a mother and father feel when their child is hurting. All I could do was hug her and reassure her that Baby Ben’s body was going to heal. She was happy, yet devastated on the reality of the situation. This was the first introduction to chiropractic for this family – and wow, how it has changed their life.

The second visit was the similar. He cried for over an hour straight and was sweating by the time they left. Yet this time, he got adjusted – and their lives would never be the same after that first adjustment.

To bring this story to the present, we had his re-evaluation yesterday and as we were talking, she told me that after the first appointment (5 weeks ago), she went home to tell her husband of her experience and the initial stress scan results, and they sat and cried. As we completed the scan at the re-evaluation (which Baby Ben didn’t cry through), the results were absolutely astounding! After an intense series of adjustments over the last 5 weeks, 95% of the stress in his nervous system was gone and his function had been restored! When removing the subluxations (interference to the nervous system), his body was able to heal. Not only did his body heal, but his family’s life also changed forever. This time there were tears – but tears of complete joy and gratitude.

Thank you…to Baby Ben, his mommy and daddy and big brother for allowing me to be a part of your life. Once again, a miracle witnessed…and I am forever grateful for you.

You Become What You Think About

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

DO or DO NOT, there is no ‘try’. – Yoda

This is a subject discuss daily in our chiropractic office.  I ask my practice members, do you find yourself saying, “I will try doing that, but…” or “I’m not sure I will have time, but I will try”? When you say “try”, what does it mean? Is it lack of faith in yourself? Is it lack of information regarding the situation? When did we start thinking like that? For some, I think the thought process continues as we experience life and that those thoughts become a reality for some. What we tell our subconscious becomes real. If we tell ourselves, “I’m not going to be able to run this race”, your subconscious believes it. For some, this language was never learned or passed down, whether from parents, peer groups, spouses, etc. For others, it may have started during the impressionable ages, like grade school and junior high and may continue throughout life. It happens when we listen, accept and believe what others think of us. We came into this life (for most) with having no fear, not comparing ourselves to others, not caring what someone’s opinion is of us. What changes this attitude? In order for this to change, we need to focus on filling up our ‘positive tank’, so we will not succumb to who others believe we are. When you were in junior high, did anyone ever tell you that you couldn’t accomplish something? Absolutely! Did you listen to them? If so, did you make their assumption your belief? If we don’t believe in ourselves, many times we not only will listen to the naysayers, but also believe them. In that scenario, the one who suffers is us. The best way to make this change is to focus on the good, the great, and the beautiful part of you. Thoughts become things. You have a choice. Choose to make yourself the best you can be so you can offer the world so much more.

What was life like when you were five years old? What did you love? What did you do? How did you think? Finishing the sentence below may open you up to the difference in thinking from then to now. Have fun!!

“When I was 5 years old, I _________________________________________.”

Medicine Cabinet or Wellness Cabinet

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

What’s in your medicine cabinet?  I grew up with a medicine cabinet comprised of aspirin, Tylenol, robitussin, pepto bismol, cortisone cream – basically any anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-microbial pill, lotion or potion.  That was what I knew to be ‘wellness’.  I didn’t know that those medicines were treating the symptom and not the cause of the symptom.  Only until about 7 years ago, did I think more in depth about how those pills, potions and lotions were affecting the body.  Over the course of the last years, my wellness cabinet consists of:

Essential oils

  • Lavender – soothing properties; relax your body and mind for sleep, soothes cuts, scrapes
  • Peppermint – reduces motion sickness, reduces stomach pain/improves bowel function, energizes your mind and body, opens sinus passages and improves congestion
  • Thieves/immune support – anti-viral, antiseptic properties help protect the body from the onset of flu, candida, cold, etc.  It may also help with lung dysfunction, such as bronchitis, peneumonia, coughs, etc.

Vitamins and supplements

  • Multivitamin and mineral supplements
  • Fish oil
  • Flax seed (oil or ground)
  • Antioxidants – Vitamin A, B, C, D, E, K
  • Echinacea

The question to ask is, “Is this treatment or recommendation addressing the underlying cause of my problem?”  If not, keep searching for answers through a holistic minded individual.  If so, you’re on the right track!

Would You Be Your Best Friend?

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

You may be thinking, “What is she talking about?!?!”

If your best friend were to talk to you like you talk to yourself, would you like him/her?  It is important to become aware of you – what you say, what you do, what makes you say and do things.  The more aware we are in life, the more we will see opportunity to improve ourselves and everyone around us. 

Now, you may be thinking, “How do I start taking the steps to talk nice to myself like I would a best friend?”  Awareness is the initial step to this process and is the catalyst for personal growth.

 “Love yourself, for if you don’t, how can you expect anybody else to love you?”

This process takes some time, which is why this is called a ‘process’ and not an ‘event’.  The first thing I would encourage you to do is to Write a Love Letter to Yourself.  In this letter, write everything that you like about yourself.  After listing the character traits, write all of your talents and skills.  Continue with your desires and what you’ve always wanted to do.  In this letter or inventory, you are ONLY to focus on what you love about yourself.  You will be amazed on how many GOOD things there are to focus on!  This exercise is to minimize the negative thinking and move your thoughts towards positivity, optimism and growth.  Optimists are always looking for the positive in every situation, the opportunity in every problem, while pessimists tend to look for the down side and the problem in every opportunity. While writing this letter, you will be amazed at how extraordinary you really are. 

Take a big step towards self-fulfillment.  The first step is to DECIDE.  Please send me any exciting news and updates, via this blog or visit us at our chiropractic office in West Fargo, ND.  I would love to be a part of your growth.

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