Towers Family Chiropractor

Helping You to Better Health Naturally

Healing Moisturizing Oil

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This is a recipe too but one for topical use only!    Castor oil is very healing (to learn more, read “The Oil That Heals” by Dr. William McGarey) and belongs in everyone’s medicine cabinet.  Many people have used it as a castor oil pack as recommended by Edgar Cayce and McGarey’s book explains how to do this.   It is best used topically as the book explains unless you know what you are doing and wish to use it internally as a laxative!

However, to use topically as a massage or moisturizing oil it is too thick and sticky to use alone.  Diluting it with a highly-absorbed oil such as argan is the key for using this therapeutic oil as a healing massage oil.  The essential oils make it a delight to the senses and add to its healing properties.  If you get massages, bring it to your therapist and ask her/him to use this instead of standard massage oils.

In general, for massage oils, use up to 15 drops total of essential oil(s) per ounce of castor/argan oil mixture.  Make it in small batches (2-4 ounces)  for freshness.

 

1 part castor oil ( be sure to buy organic, cold-pressed, solvent-free)

1 part argan oil (organic, cold-pressed, or jojoba oil)

a couple drops of vitamin E oil (optional)

frankincense  essential oil

lavender essential

Pour equal parts castor oil and argan oil into a glass bottle.  Cap and shake well. ( I use a 4 ounce brown glass spray bottle that the argan oil comes in.)  Add the essential oils one drop at a time so you can count them.  Add the vitamin E oil if desired.  Shake again.  Massage into sprain/strains, sore or inflamed areas, tight muscles, feet, hands.  Also can be used on the face by bathing the face first with a warm wash cloth, putting a couple drops of the blend on the wash cloth, and brushing over the face–very light and feels great!

 

Holy Basil DIY

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This powerful adaptogen herb is easy to grow, fragrant, attractive, loved by honeybees (so you are not just growing for your own benefit!),  easy to harvest, easy to dry, fun and easy to strip/store, and makes a yummy tea that you wouldn’t think would be highly medicinal!  What an olfactory experience that I totally enjoy!

Here are some volunteer baby plants near a mature plant.

I’ve posted a tea recipe previously but here I encourage folks to grow it themselves–even if you only have a patio or balcony, as long as you have at least half a day’s worth of direct sun, you can do it in a planter.  It can be started indoors in the Spring and planted outside once danger of frost is over– so you have until Spring to find some seeds (many seed catalogs have it–I prefer the “purple” variety).  Some nurseries carry the seedlings in the Spring but it is not that easy to find.  Here a few pictures that may inspire you.

I cut the plant at the base in late Summer or early Fall while there are still lots of green leaves but not too many flower spikes.  Then the plant can be hung upside down with some string in a dark, dry, warm area.  We have a shed that is perfect for drying.  After 3-4 weeks it will be thoroughly dry and the leaves will be ready for stripping.  In the photo above, notice several dried plants, the bowl of leaves that I stripped off the plants, and the bare plant that I discard–all on a sheet that makes it easy to gather loose leaves when you are cleaning up.

Here is the finished product–just the dried leaves.  I store them in a glass mason jars.  A gallon lasts me all year long until the next year’s harvest.  Great fun–give it a try!

 

Test For Health and Weight

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Our chiropractic/nutrition clinic now offers the BIA or Bio-electrical impedance analysis.  This test measures percent body fat, percent lean body mass,, hydration status, plus it is an excellent measure of overall health.

We use blood tests for measuring what’s in the blood, but did you know research shows we can use bio-electrical analysis to measure the components of your body weight?  This is useful information for gauging overall health or monitoring changes in weight and health as lifestyle changes are implemented.  BIA is the most accurate way to determine if the weight you lose is fat and if the weight you gain is muscle.  The best news is that this test, besides being accurate, is quick (immediate results), painless, and inexpensive.  BIA is FDA approved and has been used for decades in hospitals and in nutrition/health-related research.

How do we do the test?  The BIA test involves placing two electrodes on the right foot and two on the right hand.  An imperceptible low-level electrical current goes through these electrodes and the body.   The amount of fluid in the body affects the flow of electrical current and the BIA unit measures how this current is impeded through various tissues of the body.  The current will be impeded more in tissues that have less fluid in them such as fat and bone and it will be less impeded in tissues with more fluid such as blood.  Measurements of resistance and reactance are instantly generated by the unit and these numbers are entered into a software program to generate a report.  The report details the composition of the weight of the body and also hydration status.

Call 540-343-6636 to schedule your BIA today.

Neti Wash for Sinus Relief/Cold Prevention

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In the past we have posted about the benefits of regular use of the neti pot to rinse the nasal passages. Some people complain of continual sinus problems despite using the neti pot.  In such cases we suggest Neti Wash which  is an herbal extract that can be added to the salt water used for rinsing the nasal passages with the neti pot.  These herbs increase the anti-microbial effect of the nasal rinse.  For prevention of colds, it is a good idea to add the neti wash to the salt water–we keep some in our medicine cabinet at all times just in case a cold or sore throat is threatening or we’ve been exposed to sick people.  Give it a try and let us know what you think!

In our office, we have available the neti pots, neti wash, and the starter packs that include the neti pot, sea salt, and neti wash in one box.

“Yoga Toes”

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Are your toes being deformed by confining shoes?  Well, ideally we should all be going barefoot when we can and wearing shoes with wide toe boxes otherwise.  To begin to undo the damage done by wearing stylish shoes and to get some relief from bunions and hammer toes, try “yoga toes”.  I like to wear them when I’m taking an Epsom salt bath–very relaxing way to give your toes some attention!

Herbal Support for Body’s Defenses

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Michael and Monica attended a seminar last week in Pennsylvania given by world renowned Austrailian herbalist researcher /clinician Kerry Bone entitled “Defending the Human Fortress”.  In a nutshell his practical take home message was that there are some special herbs/phytochemicals that protect and strengthen cells.  Current research suggests that in this era of antibiotic-resistant infections daily use of these substances is very important, along with good nutrition, to protect not only  against infection, but also cancer, heart disease and other chronic disease processes.  Here are the key herbs/foods:

  • green tea
  • turmeric
  • resveratrol (as a nutritional supplement)
  • rosemary
  • garlic
  • ginkgo
  • the brassica family of vegetables

Make use of this information daily by including the easy things like garlic (freshly crushed is best), rosemary (best extracted in olive oil or taken as an alcohol extract pill), drinking green tea, and eating broccoli, kale, collards, radish, or cabbage.   Turmeric, ginkgo and resveratrol are easist to take as nutritional supplements.  We have Kerry Bone’s MediHerb products  offered through the company Standard Process available at our office;  they offer many of these herbs/phytochemicals in combination form.  Please call the office if you have questions!

 

Fountain of Youth Exercises

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We discovered the book “Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth” by Peter Kelder over 20 years ago and have marvelled at the strength and flexibility these exercises impart to those who do them regularly.  We now instruct our patients to do them as part of an advanced active physical rehabilitation.  They are valuable for re-establishing normal fluid ranges of motion of the spine and extremities.  We recommend the youtube video or the book for complete instructions for those wanting to add them to their fitness routine.  If joint restrictions are a problem, chiropractic care may be in order before the exercises can be performed without pain or discomfort.

 

Stop Mandatory Vaccination

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Have you heard that the Supreme Court has granted vaccine manufacturers  immunity from liability for vaccine-related injuries?  Learn more at the National Vaccine Information Center’s site .  NVIC has been advocating for informed choice regarding vaccination for decades and they need our help.  Please consider contributing to them and spread the word to friends and family.  We must not allow mandatory vaccination of any kind.  Thank you for your support.

Help for Aging Eyes

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For several years now we have been recommending to our patients vision programs from the Cambridge Institute for Better Vision.  Their program for presbyopia is especially effective, easy,  and improvement is often immediate–it’s possible to avoid needing reading glasses.   Eyes can get “stuck” in dysfunction just like joints.  While chiropractic works to improve joint function, these simple eye exercises work to improve eye function.  The eyes need nutritional support also; we recommend nutritional supplements and changes in diet based on an individual’s history and lab tests–taking a separate eye supplement is generally not necessary.

Holy Basil or Tulsi Tea For Sore Throats

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According to a native of India whom we happened to meet here in Roanoke, people in India chew the leaves of holy basil to get rid of sore throats.  Apparently, holy basil grows like a weed in parts of India so it is readily available.  Here in Roanoke, we may not have access to live plants most of the year but we can drink the tea made from dried leaves all year long.

For most Americans, the herb can be grown during the summer months, harvested in the Fall, and dried for use during the winter months.  It is an attractive, aromatic annual with leaves that are pleasant to chew raw but also make a delicious tea once dried.  The tea is available in stores as “Tulsi tea”.  Holy basil also is known to bolster the immune system, improve digestion, provide a calming effect, and balance blood sugar and cholesterol levels.  It is a real plus that it tastes good too.

Next time you get a tickle in your throat or you are exposed to a cold, don’t forget to make some holy basil tea.

Good Nutrition

Warming Broth for a Cold

When you're feeling down with a cold, the last thing you may want to do is cook!  Well, if you keep a few ingredients on hand you can make this nourishing, soothing broth in a few minutes.  If you … [Read More...]

Children’s Adjustments

Children with back pain

Children suffer injuries that lead to misalignments just as adults do. Children generally respond very well and quickly to gentle chiropractic adjustments. A case in point is that of a 5 year-old … [Read More...]

Towers Family Chiropractic

2302 Colonial Ave, SW, Ste A
Roanoke, VA 24015
(540) 343-6636

Our hours are:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday:
10:00am – 1:00pm and 2:00pm – 6:00pm
Tuesday, Thursday:
7:30am – 11:30am and 12:30pm – 4:00pm
Saturday:
9:00am – 12:00pm