What My Dogs Taught Me for the New Year

     Over the holidays, I spent some time getting my house in order.  I caught up on several of my honey-do's, added a little bit of extra sleep, overindulged on wonderful holiday foods (thank you to all of my patients for the wonderful goodies), re-motivated myself to exercise (again, thank you to my patients), and did some plain old thinking.  Yes, I mean just sitting down in a quiet place, and reviewed, everything.

     As I was trying to do this, my dogs thought it a wonderful time to come and show me some love.  I have two beautiful, affectionate, King Charles Cavalier Spaniels that love to make themselves at home in my lap.  Of course, I was thinking, I couldn't spend the time or energy on the dogs at that moment.  So, I put them down.  Well, they gave me a curious look, and decided that I must have lost my mind, jumping back on my lap again.  So we played this game for several minutes, and I realized that I was losing the battle, and so, they won.  "Have at it boys, I am all yours!"

     As I began trying to settle back into my contemplations, I began stroking the dogs lightly, and as usual, they loved it.  At that moment I had a revelation, dogs are pretty smart.  Though many think they aren't, they really are.  So often in life when things get tough, we quit.  We quit emotionally, physically and become depressed about the situation.  As I watched my dogs reaping the benefits of being fully committed to having my lap, I realized that through constant perseverance, we win.  Even if it isn't at that moment, ultimately, we win.  I also realized that they were 100% committed to getting what they want.  What a concept.  So I sat there scratching and petting my puppies, smiling, and admiring the wonder with which we are created, and the simplicity of it all.

     Later that evening, I was totally into a college football game on TV, when the dogs again harkened me from my pleasure.  More like "barkened" me to action.  Yes, it was 10:00 pm, and they were ready to go out for the last time to do their business.  However, I wasn't ready.  Absolutely not!  The football teams were battling in the red zone, and I needed to watch what happened next.  It was a pivotal point in the game.  Bark, bark, bark, with a look between frustration and anticipation. "Not yet dogs, I'm not ready."  Bark, bark, bark, with even more gusto.  Now when I looked at them, their tails wagged even more, and they assumed a crouched position, as if ready to pounce.  I could see there was no wait for them, so out they went.

     A short time later, there came a knocking on the back door.  Yes it was the dogs again.  You see, they figured out that by hitting the dog door, it bangs up against the back door, and they end up knocking at the door letting me know they are ready to come in.  How convenient, for them.  Again, I was summoned away from the game for my dogs.  Did I tell you my dogs are smarted than the average canine?  They aren't, but maybe more persistent.  So in they come, full of excitement, happy to see me.  What a greeting!  After a round of petting and treats, they went to their beds, and promptly went to sleep.  Again, as I stared at the dogs realizing just how smart they were.

     So I am sitting there having learned several things from my dogs.  Persistence pays off.  Always be excited to greet someone, and be willing to show your love with enthusiasm.  How often do we take our loved ones for granted?  When was there a time that you met a stranger, and could have brightened their day with a wonderful, heartfelt smile?  What a lesson.

   Finally, I am watching them get a full nights sleep to be ready to go the next day, while I was staying up late.  I know that I pay a price the next day not getting adequate sleep.  It would affect my mood, relationships and the overall outcome.  How stupid, selfish and ridiculous.  Enough I thought, turning off the TV and heading to bed.

     Thank God for our pets.  They are amazing and can teach us so much.  A wonderful patient of mine, Michelle N. showed me a wonderful bookmark that said, "To err is human, to forgive is canine".  What would our world be like if we could forgive and forget, and shower love on all those that we meet?

     I hope you spend some time thinking about ways to enhance your life.  Remember to follow through with your commitments, especially in regards to your health.  After all, it is a precious commodity, that when lost, is extremely difficult to return.Have a wonderful, prosperous and happy New Year.

-Dr. Clare

Keep it in Perspective

One of the first set of questions that new patients ask when reviewing their health and exam findings is, "How did this happen," followed by, "What pills can I take, vitamins do I need, and exercises or stretches can I do to fix this?"  We all want to know why we are experiencing certain problems, but deep down we have the answer, and it usually has something to do with our past.  It may take a few days, but eventually people figure it out.  Then they want an instant cure or fix.  They have a Coming to Jesus moment where they wish to atone for past faults and mistakes, and expect immediate satisfaction/relief.  I love the enthusiasm, and the genuine desire to get it done.  However, there are two things generally missing, the first is a resolve to do what it takes, for however long it takes, to right the sinking ship.  The second, is an understanding of time.

It reminds me of the movie Funny Farm, where Burt Reynolds decides to commit suicide by swimming as far out into the ocean as possible, and drown.  When he gets to the point of quitting, he realizes that there is too much to live for, and he needs to get back to shore.  At that point, when he knows that he can't make it alone, he begins to promise to God that if he makes it back and saves him, that he would give half of everything that he owns to charity.  So he swims, and as he gets closer, he starts to change the deal.  "God, remember when I promised you half?  Would 25% be okay?  After all, I am going to live a better life anyways."  And so it goes.

I often see this from patients.  They either get frustrated by the time it takes to regain their health, or they lose the initial desire and commitment to truly correct their problems and lead a healthy life.  Patients initially see the wisdom in sticking to a treatment plan that gets them feeling better, but more importantly, helps them correct their health problem.  This also helps minimize the long term health complications that they want to avoid.  This sounds great, and boy are they enthused.

So what happens?  As soon as the pain starts to go away, then their lives are way too busy to take care of themselves.  The kids need to be picked up, soccer games, school activities, walking the dog, and so on.  When in pain, people do almost anything to avoid it.  However, when things get better, it is no longer a priority, and thus forgotten.  What happens is that they lose the big picture, and forget to keep things in perspective.  How well does a household run when mom is sick, or dad is injured?  Not well at all.  If we don't take the time for ourselves, and keep our lives and health in perspective, we are guaranteeing a failure of it at some time. 

Realize that most health issues don't occur overnight, and that there are no instant fixes in this world.  If someone is promising that, you know the old saying, if it seems too good to be true, then it must be.  The longer you stick with a program, the better the results you get.  Quitting in life is not an option.  Committed, consistent actions give the highest and best results.  Don't let excuses keep you from living the life of your dreams.

-Dr. Clare

Stress and the Holidays

It's the holiday season, and are we having fun yet?  I hope everyone answered yes.  Now if I asked are you feeling the stress of the holidays, especially with how quickly it seems to have caught up with us?  Would you again answer yes?  I can tell you with my own personal poll, the majority of people answer with an emphatic YES!  Who makes the holidays stressful?  How does it affect our body?  How can I get rid of it?  All great questions. 

In this Blog, I am going to answer the first question, "Who makes the holidays stressful?"  The answer is as simple as looking into the mirror.  We do of course.  Now many of you may argue that the stress if from external sources, that are plotting for your demise.  I assure you, though you have only limited control over external stressors, the person that controls how they affect your life is ultimately you.

Realize that stress comes in many forms.  There are physical, chemical, emotional and even spiritual stressors.  We play the lead role in how they affect us, and it starts with your thinking, your perception.

I once heard that  FEAR stands for False Evidence Appearing Real, and that 95% of the time the things that we fear, never happen.  Of the 5% that does, it is rarely as bad as we expect.  Our imaginations are amazing when it comes to making mountains out of molehills.  Why do we always visualize the worst possible scenario?

So, how can I apply this to my life, and the upcoming holidays?  Simply this, check yourself first.  See how you respond to different people and situations.  Are there family issues at play, are there too many 'cheats' to your diet, and is alcohol poisoning your judgment?  Ask yourself the question, "Is the way that I am acting/feeling right now creating an undesired level of stress or anxiety?"  If so, then change your mind and change your response.  Make the choice to focus on the good and love if possible, before condemning.  Again, how does a negative emotion affect you?


When we look at the body, stress on the nervous system adversely affects how information is transmitted and processed.  A somatovisceral response is one that creates problems with our organ systems, when the body has been damaged or stressed.  As a chiropractor, we detect areas of stress in the spine, reduce and eliminate them, so the body can heal itself and function at it's optimal level.

With regards to the holidays, what is the purpose of Thanksgiving?  Isn't it to give thanks for all of your blessings, challenges and opportunities throughout the year, much like the Pilgrims did 389 years ago.  Really try entering into this season with the feeling of love and thanks.  Robin Sharma authored a great book, Who Will Cry When You Die.  The underlying theme is to live your life to the fullest, not getting stuck on things that are out of your control, and live today the best you can.  You can only do so much, beyond that, WHO CARES!  If you don't, then does it really matter?  Give yourself a break, say something positive to yourself, and move on.  After all, we are not guaranteed another day, let alone another Thanksgiving Day. 

In closing remember the old saying, "The past is yesterday, and it cannot be changed.  The future is tomorrow, and we are not guaranteed that there will be one.  Today is the present, and it is a gift from God!"

Have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving.

-Dr. Clare

Thanksgiving Food Drive - Thank You!

Today was a great day at ProHealth & Wellness.  I would like to personally thank each and every patient that was involved in our food drive.  With so many of our patients participating, we collected a ton (not literally) of food.  Remember, that you can continue to participate through the 19th of November, with each can of food that you donate, you receive an entry for a free massage 1 hour massage.

ProHealth & Wellness began with the idea of making a profound impact to health and lives of our community, in a positive, loving, caring way.  I am honored, and truly enjoy the opportunity of making a difference in the lives of my patients.  Though the word "Chiropractic" means done by hand, I believe that it must be done with the heart first.

Again, thank you for making a difference, and being our patients.

-Dr. Clare

What is Laser Therapy?

At ProHealth & Wellness, we continue to search for medical advances that assist in the treatment of our patients.  Most people are aware of the use of lasers in the military and for surgery, but not everyone has heard of non-invasive Cold Laser Therapy.  Laser Therapy was initially used by doctors in Europe in the early 1970's.  With over 30 years of research, and 20,000 research articles, it finally received FDA approval in 2002, with the stronger Class IV Laser in 2005.

After exhaustive research and testing, I introduced Class IV Laser Therapy to our office in order to assist patients return to health by stimulating tissue repair and growth.  That is one of the major benefits to Laser Therapy, improved healing.  Of course there are other benefits, such as decreased pain, decreased swelling, decreased scar tissue formation, improved healing time, and increased circulation.  Another benefit is that a treatment with the laser has little or no sensation.  Occasionally patients will note a soothing warmth, but add that they like the way it feels.  It can even feel relaxing!

As a chiropractor, and a chiropractic sports physician, utilizing the laser in conjunction with adjustments has greatly increased my patient healing times, helping alleviate pain quickly so I can focus on correcting spinal problems as efficiently as possible.  Laser Therapy isn't only used on the spine.  Extremity related issues such as shoulder injuries, knee pain/swelling, plantar fascitis, tennis elbow, and carpal tunnel syndrome have all responded well to the combined treatment of adjustment and Laser Therapy.

How does it work?  The process is known as photobiostimulation.  Basically, with specific infrared wavelengths of light (not visible), photons penetrate deep into the treated tissues to activate mitochondria.  Mitochondria are organelles found within the cells of the body, that act as power-plants.  Injured tissues have significantly lower energy production, and is one of the reasons it takes so long to heal.  By stimulating the mitochondria, we increase the available energy production of the cell, thereby increasing all activity of the cell, including healing.  Of course increasing the metabolic activity of the cell helps to increase the movement of nutrients into the cell.  With more food, comes greater energy, and thus the tissue heals...faster!

So many people including doctors are unaware of this therapy.  I have been very pleased with Laser Therapy, and the benefits my patients have received with its usage.  I am extremely excited about the impact this treatment will have on our community, helping people heal faster and enjoy life to the fullest.

-Dr. Clare