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August Patient Testimonial

When I started bringing my daughter in for adjustments, she was four months old and screamed all of the time. She had severe reflux and gastrointestinal problems, which caused her to scream 20 hours a day - and I'm not exaggerating! Her doctor at that time had me convinced it was due to food allergies and had us change to an amino acid formula, which still wasn't helping.

I spent several hundred dollars on tests to figure out what was wrong, but nothing ever showed up. I finally decided to get a second opinion from another doctor, because I knew deep down that there was something more than just allergies that was causing her to act like this. The doctor informed us that our daughter has torticollis and recommended that we go to a chiropractor.

After the first adjustment with Dr. Leif, she actually slept through the night, I couldn't believe it! I was so taken back by this that I had to keep checking on her to make sure she was still alive. The next day she was a completely different baby, she actually wanted to play instead of screaming all day from the pain. It was amazing to finally see her smile and hear her coos of joy, I can't even express how happy I was that day. Now she is a normal 6 month old who is colic free! I thank God every day for putting Dr. Leif into our lifes. It is truly amazing what he has done for my daughter.

Christine

Check out this video about how chiropractic care has helped this family! This video is posted on Active ChiroCare's facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lincoln-NE/Active-ChiroCare/197059225304?ref=ts

1 Way to Keep ACTIVE this summer!

It came to me, as I started sweating after being outside for about 15 seconds and walked from my car to my office that, "Man, it is really hot out here!" (the heat index was 110 degrees). I also realized that not everybody knows how important staying hydrated is, especially when the heat is as bad as it is right now.

Here are some facts about water that you may or may not know, so that you can keep on living an ACTIVE life this summer!

Think You're Drinking Enough Water? By Leroy R. Perry, Jr.

Condensed from PARADE

If you're not, you could end up with excess body fat, poor muscle tone, digestive complications, muscle soreness -- even water-retention problems.

Next to air, water is the element most necessary for survival. A normal adult is 60 to 70 percent water. We can go without food for almost two months, but without water only a few days. Yet most people have no idea how much water they should drink. In fact, many live in a dehydrated state.

Without water, we'd be poisoned to death by our own waste products. When the kidneys remove uric acid and urea, these must be dissolved in water. If there isn't enough water, wastes are not removed as effectively and may build up as kidney stones. Water also is vital for chemical reactions in digestion and metabolism. It carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells through the blood and helps to cool the body through perspiration. Water also lubricates our joints.

We even need water to breathe: our lungs must be moist to take in oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide. It is possible to lose a pint of liquid each day just exhaling.

So if you don't drink sufficient water, you can impair every aspect of your physiology.

The minimum for a healthy person is eight to ten eight-ounce glasses a day," says Dr. Flaks. "You need more if you exercise a lot or live in a hot climate. And overweight people should drink in an extra glass for every 25 pounds they exceed their ideal weight. Consult your own physician for their recommendations.

At the International Sports Medicine Institute, we have a formula for daily water intake: 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight if you're not active (that's ten eight-ounce glasses if you weigh 160 pounds), and 2/3 ounce per pound if you're athletic (13 to 14 glasses a day, at the same weight).

Your intake should be spread throughout the day and evening. You may wonder: If I drink this much, won't I constantly be running to the bathroom? Yes. But after a few weeks, your bladder tends to adjust and you urinate less frequently but in larger amounts.

And by consuming those eight to ten glasses of water throughout the day, you could be on your way to a healthier, leaner body.

Calculating Your Own Daily Water Requirements By Dr. Thomas Stearns Lee

The human body is composed of 25% solids and 75% water. Brain tissue is said to consist of 85% water.

It has become a practice to regard a "dry mouth" as a signal of body water needs, which is further assumed to be well-regulated if the sensation of "dry mouth" is not present. A dry mouth is the lastoutward sign of extreme dehydration, however. Damage occurs to the body at a persistent lower level of hydration. Because of a gradually failing thirst sensation, the body becomes chronically and increasingly dehydrated.

Signals of dehydration can be any of the following symptoms:

• Heartburn, stomach ache

• Non-infectious recurring or chronic pain

• Low back pain

• Headache

• Mental irritation and depression

• Water retention ( ironic but true! )

Further problems often develop when the sensation of thirst urges an intake of water, and instead, soda pop, coffee, or alcohol-containing beverages are taken to quench the thirst. While these beverages contain water, they are actually dehydrating fluids. Not only do they eliminate the water contained in them, but they also cause you to lose further amounts of water from your body's reserves!

Daily Water Requirements: Drink 50-75% of your body weight in ounces. Sedentary people: 50%; Active people: 75%

Example Calculation:

Pounds of body weight Water requirement from above (75% of body weight for an active person) Add for dryness of climate Add for strenous exercise	150 lb. 112.5 oz. + 16 oz. + 16 oz.
Total per day	144.5 oz.
Divide by the number of hours you're awake to find your hourly water requirement: 144.5 ÷ 16 =	9 oz.

Therefore, a 150-pound active person who works out should drink 9 oz. of water for each hour awake.

Pediatrics and Chiropractic

I had the opportunity to attend a pediatrics seminar this past weekend in Hartford, CT. The seminar was beneficial for me because I was able to learn new ways about how to implement having parents bring in their kids to get checked for subluxation (misalignments in the spine).

We all ask our kids to brush their teeth every morning before school and every night before they go to bed, don't we? How much more important is it that they be checked to make sure that their nervous system and spine are in the right position so that they can live an ACTIVE life?

Active ChiroCare is starting a new policy regarding getting kids introduced to chiropractic from the time they're born. That's why as of this week, all expecting mothers who are patients here at Active ChiroCare will be given a Gift Certificate for their unborn child, that will be good for a free exam and consultation, to be used after they are born to make sure their spine is in alignment.

Please call Active ChiroCare at 402.323.7838 to learn more!

- Dr. Leif

Patient Testimonials from this past month!

At Active ChiroCare, it's always gratifying to see our patients getting out of pain and living their lives optimally and at peak performance. Here are couple testimonials we received from some of our patients this past month. 

Testimonial #1: Amanda presented our office with headaches she experienced 3-4x/week, as well as she had some upper back/neck pain. She had tried over-the-counter medication (among other things) to help with the pain and headaches. Since coming to Active ChiroCare, Amanda says, "I have reduced my headaches to maybe 1-2 per month, and I no longer have sharp pain in my neck and back." 

Testimonial #2: Duane presented to Active ChiroCare with numbness in his fingers, along with sore shoulders and a stiff neck. This is what Duane has to say about receiving regular chiropractic adjustments, "Dr. Leif has improved my physical well-being and taken away the pain. I'm able to work, play and sleep much better than before. I would highly recommend Dr. Leif to anyone in need of chiropractic." 

Please think about who else YOU know that could benefit from chiropractic and help them get their life back with chiropractic!

Active ChiroCare - It's what's in the name

I've had many inquiries recently why I decided to switch the name of my office from Olson Family Chiropractic to Active ChiroCare.  The first reason was because I wanted to project to the community what my focus in chiropractic is -- helping people attain an active lifestyle through the elimination or reduction of neck or back pain, headaches, scoliosis, or sports-related injuries.  I also liked the word "active" because I, myself, am very active and athletically-minded.

As far as the word "chirocare", I feel like it's a combination of 2 words:  chiropractic and healthcare.  To me, "chirocare" means giving patients the tools live an active life by not only chiropractic adjustments, but also by utlizing massage therapy techniques, sports injury rehabilitation techniques, as well as specialized soft-tissue techniques for tight and sore muscles.  

For more info on what "chirocare" is, as well as the services we offer in our office, please visit the "ChiroCare" section on our website at www.active-chirocare.com.  

- Dr. Leif Olson

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