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| Health & Wellness Updates | |
It Might Not Be the Eggnog...It Might Be Vertigo
"Dizziness" is a vague term used by patients to describe the perception of many different abnormal sensations. These abnormal sensations include the perception that the room or self is spinning, an imbalance or lack of coordination when walking (disequilibrium), or simply lightheadedness or the sensation of almost fainting (presyncope). True vertigo falls into this broad category of "dizziness" and is essentially the sensation of spinning with associated nausea.
 What kind of vertigo/dizziness do I have?
Vertigo can be broken down into two major groups; central and peripheral. Central vertigo means that the origin is somewhere in the brain, either from a pathological (ex; tumor) or physiological (poor functioning nerve cells) lesion. Peripheral vertigo implies that the origin is somewhere in the organs of the inner ear. Examples of peripheral vertigo include benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Meniere's disease, labyrinthitis, and migraine-associated vertigo. BPPV is by far the most common occurring at a rate of 64 per 100,000 people. The causative agents are canaliths (canal rocks) that form in the fluid filled canals of the inner ear and result in a mismatch of sensory information producing the spinning sensation. Physiological causes are also becoming more prevalent in society and are thought to be promoted by poor functioning nerve cells in the brainstem and in a certain part of the brain called the cerebellum responsible for balance and coordination. Lastly, cervicogenic vertigo is an exception as it is neither central nor peripheral and is thought to arise due to neck trauma, muscle spasm, and restricted neck motion.
What can I do at home to reduce the symptoms of an acute bout of vertigo/dizziness? Avoid the head positions that trigger the positional vertigo, ensure that your head is in a propped up position if lying on your back, and lastly pick a stationary object in your room and fixate your eyes on it until the symptoms abide.
What cutting edge treatment protocols can help my sensation of dizziness?
Conservative treatment of vertiginous symptoms secondary to BPPV include Epley's maneuver, Semont's maneuver, and general habituation exercises. The focus of these treatments is to reposition the canaliths (canal rocks) in the canals of the inner ear to non-offending positions. Treatment for physiologically induced vertigo aims at locating the aberrant or poor functioning nerve cells and applying a graded stimulus such as caloric irrigation (applying hot or cold water in the ear) rotatory activation (spins), balancing exercises, canal positioning techniques, oculomotor exercises (eye exercises), hemi-field visual stimulation, and one-sided chiropractic adjustments to improve the function of these cells.
Don't allow dizziness to limit your lifestyle. Call today to schedule your complimentary consultation. |
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| Exercise of the Month-Crunches
Don't waste your money on fancy ab machines that promise to give you a slimmer, trimmer waistline in no time. All you really need to know is how to do abdominal crunches properly. Here's how:
Lie on an exercise mat, knees bent, feet flat on floor. Cross arms in front of chest--don't grasp the back of your neck, as you might strain it. Lift your back off the mat, about 2 inches, while exhaling (you don't have to go all the way up to your knees!). Return to floor while inhaling. Hold each flex for five seconds. Use slow, controlled movements. Complete two sets of 10 reps, resting for 30 to 60 seconds between sets.
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Brain Exercise of the Month-Games & Puzzles
When gathering with family and friends this holiday season, you might very well find yourself participating in all sorts of fun activities. When it comes to choosing games and puzzles, did you know that these challenging activities are really hemisphere-specific brain exercises? Try to "balance" these types of games--promote brain symmetry by alternating the types of games you play:
Right-Brain Activating Left-Brain Activating
Jigsaw Puzzles (100 pieces or more!) Crosswords & Word Searches
Connect Four Scrabble
Twister Suduko & Jumble
Physical or Paper Mazes Monopoly & Trivial Pursuit |
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Make This Tonight (or take it to your next holiday potluck!):
Since we know you shall be bombarded with many, many unhealthy choices this holiday season, may we offer up and tasty and nutritionally delightful Mexican Christmas Salad? Variations of this salad are traditionally served on Christmas Eve throughout Mexico. Here is one version that we really liked (although we found lots online). It's easy to make and you might find yourself preparing on other occasions throughout the year...ˇSalud!
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
7 tablespoons olive oil
1 jalapeno chili, seeded, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled
4 navel oranges
2 pink grapefruit
1 head red leaf lettuce or Boston lettuce
3 avocados, peeled, pitted, sliced
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Pomegranate seeds (optional)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced, rings separated
Preparation:
1. Combine lemon juice and mustard in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Mix in chili and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)
2. Cut all peel and white pith from oranges and grapefruit. Slice oranges into rounds. Cut grapefruit in half lengthwise, then slice crosswise into half rounds.
3. Line platter with lettuce. Arrange orange slices in center of platter, overlapping slices. Arrange grapefruit slices around oranges, overlapping slices. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.) Arrange avocado slices around grapefruit, overlapping slices. Top with nuts and pomegranate seeds, if desired. Arrange onions over all. Drizzle dressing over.
from Bon Appétit, December 1992
(We couldn't find a graphic of the salad, so how about these cute kids celebrating Las Posadas, nine consecutive days of candlelight processions and lively parties that begin on December 16th throughout Mexico?)
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DID YOU KNOW? A Very Brief History of the Origins of Jolly Old Saint Nick
 He is known throughout the world, by various names: Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas, St. Nick, and Pere Noel. On Christmas Eve, countless children all over the world lie in their beds while "visions of sugarplums dance in their heads." When they awake they will excitedly check to see if Santa Claus has come to bring them gifts. Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, was born in Turkey in the 4th century. He was very pious from an early age, devoting his life to Christianity. He became widely known for his generosity for the poor. But the Romans held him in contempt. He was imprisoned and tortured. But when Constantine became emperor of Rome, he allowed Nicholas to go free. Constantine became a Christian and convened the Council of Nicaea in 325. Nicholas was a delegate to the council. He is especially noted for his love of children and for his generosity. He is the patron saint of sailors, Sicily, Greece, and Russia. He is also, of course, the patron saint of children. The Dutch kept the legend of St. Nicholas alive. In 16th century Holland, Dutch children would place their wooden shoes by the hearth in hopes that they would be filled with a treat. The Dutch spelled St. Nicholas as Sint Nikolaas, which became corrupted to Sinterklaas, and finally, in Anglican, to Santa Claus. In 1822, Clement C. Moore composed his famous poem, "A Visit from St. Nick," which was later published as "The Night Before Christmas." Moore is credited with creating the modern image of Santa Claus as a "jolly fat man in a red suit". |
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| Contact Us
Dr. John Conde is a Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist. He holds diplomate status through the American Chiropractic Neurology Board. His office is located at the Atlantic Grove in Delray Beach, Florida. For more information, or to make an appointment, please contact 561-330-6096 or info@thecondecenter.com | | |
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