Enjoy Byram Day on October 1, 2011

After rescheduling due to rain, we're looking forward to Byram Day this Saturday, October 1 from 12:00 to 5:00pm. Byram Day will be held at Neil Gylling Park, Mansfield Drive in Byram Township, NJ. Opening ceremonies will be at noon.

This year's theme is "Volunteers Build Our Community." Where applicable, Byram-based vendors (i.e. scouts, non-profits) have been asked to promote volunteerism in some way, as well as provide information about, and sign-up sheets for the volunteer opportunities available to community members.

Byram Day draws thousands of visitors each year. There will be carnival rides, pony rides, incredible food and plenty of shopping.

Optimal Family Chiropractic will have a tent on the field. We'll provide literature about chiropractic care and conduct non-invasive neck and foot scans. The scans are fun and show individuals if they have possible subluxations of the neck or imbalances of their feet. Dr. Brenda Rooney will be available to discuss the scans and talk about wellness.

Enjoy the Hackettstown Street Fair this Sunday!

The annual Hackettstown Street Fair will be held this Sunday, September 25 from 11:00am to 5:00pm. The Fair will be located on Main Street in Hackettstown and offer a variety of enjoyment for everyone. There will be crafters and artists, vendors, music, food, games, clowns, dancing and inflatable rides including a moon-walk.

Come stroll through Hackettstown on Sunday and enjoy the event.

Admission is free!

Is Your Body Merely a Collection of Parts?

In school you learned that the human body was divided into different parts. The mouth, esophagus, stomach and intestines made up the digestive system. The bones made up the skeletal system. And so on. This has contributed to the widely-held belief that you and I are merely a collection of parts, a belief that stands in the way of better health. It’s responsible for:

Isolation: Incorrectly thinking that organs and tissues operate independently of each other rather than together as part of an integrated whole.

Mechanism: The belief that we’re simply a collection of parts in which identical inputs (drugs) should produce identical results in all subjects.

We chiropractors go beyond mechanism to embrace what’s called vitalism:

Wholism: Each “part” has a purpose that contributes to the whole.

Intelligence: You and I can learn, create and adapt to our environment.

Self-healing: Cut your finger and your body can heal it. Mechanisms can’t.

Since the nervous system regulates these vital processes, chiropractic care is the centerpiece of the growing interest in vitalism.

ANJC Health eNews is provided on behalf of local member chiropractors and published monthly by the Association of New Jersey Chiropractors.

Join the Fun on Byram Day and Netcong Day!

This weekend there are two community events that will provide lots of entertainment for children and adults. On Saturday, September 10, Byram, New Jersey will celebrate Byram Day between 12:00 pm and 5:00 pm at Neil Gylling Park, Mansfield Drive, Byram Township.

Byram Day draws thousands of visitors each year. The fun filled day begins with a 5K Race at 9:00am. The main stage opens at 12:00 noon with an Opening Ceremony celebrating "Volunteers Build Our Community." A number of volunteer organizations will be on hand to exhibit what they do to enhance our community. Rides for children and games for kids and families continue throughout the day. Something new to try this year is an Obstacle Course sponsored by RDA Fitness guru Rob Austin. Adults can shop the vendors, view the Classic Car and Truck Show or attend school in the Historical School House.

Food is available throughout the day, and music will be provided in the picnic area, so come for lunch and stay and enjoy a leisurely dinner.

Come one and all to the Netcong Day Annual Street Fair on Sunday, September 11 between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm. The day will be filled with family fun, lots of vendors and crafters to visit, food, entertainment, free children’s rides, community booths, games and activities. A 5K race at 10:30 am will precede the day's activities.

Both events are family oriented and filled with fun.

Optimal Family Chiropractic will attend both days and provide educational information about the many conditions that can benefit from chiropractic care. We will provide non-invasive neck scans and foot scans. Neck scans can identify subluxations of the neck. Foot scans show if feet have flat or high arches, both of which can negatively affect feet, knees and back. Stop by our tent if you attend.

Chiropractic Care for Children

Chiropractic care can have an immense impact on the wellness of a child. However, many parents may be unaware of the benefits it can have on their children’s health. This unawareness can provoke apprehension, resulting in theories against the matter, such as:

Children are fragile; chiropractic treatment is not the same for a child as it would be for an adult.

Availability of medications that relieve pain and cover a vast array of diseases.

Children are simply too young for treatment.

Unawareness of chiropractic methodologies and practices. If parents are unsure about the benefits of chiropractic care themselves, why would they send their kids there?

Encouragement is key for parents that are apprehensive. They should be fully informed of the benefits, the safety factors, and the positive outcomes that come from chiropractic care. It is important to explain how children can be highly vulnerable to long-term injuries from daily activity. As children are constantly growing and adapting to the natural transformations, they become prone to long-term injuries, or developing musculoskeletal disorders that can last for many years.

According to Dynamic Chiropractic, “children's bones and muscles are more elastic and heal faster. At the peak of adolescent linear growth, the musculoskeletal system is most vulnerable because of imbalances in strength and flexibility and changes in the biomechanical properties of bone.”[1]

Chiropractic care can help prevent children from developing:

Long-term musculoskeletal dysfunctions

Imbalances in the body

Dependencies on medications

In a To Your Health article, “The same treatments we administer to adults are just as safe for children. Ailments that adults commonly come into our offices with happen to children as well. Chiropractic techniques performed on children are modified so the procedures are gentler for the child's particular body type.”[2]

Another way a chiropractor can help prevent children from the development of postural and musculoskeletal disorders is by ordering them Stabilizing Orthotics. Many children suffer from pronation and the low arches in their feet can disrupt normal gait patterns and create postural imbalances later in life.

In an article concerning children’s foot health, Dr. Brian Jensen states, “Foot problems from childhood can interfere with adolescent (or adult) spinal function, which can result in poor biomechanics and accelerated degenerative changes in the knees, hips, and spine.”[3]

Children that are monitored and treated by a chiropractor can reduce the risk of developing postural disorders and other ailments that typically go unseen. Parents should be encouraged to have their children routinely examined. A few steps towards prevention can make a great difference in long-term postural stability in a child.

[1] Pate, Deborah. (October 21, 2010). Musculoskeletal Development and Sports Injuries in Pediatric Patients. http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?t=34&id=54950
[2] Wong, Kevin M. (August, 2007). Chiropractic for Growing Bodies. http://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=932
[3] Jensen, Brian. (Nov/Dec 2006). Can Orthotics Help Kids? Transitions, NYCC

Adapted from Foot Levelers' Notes.

Barefoot Running

Until recently, most of us considered athletic shoes an important and essential part of our athletic training gear. Every year since the mid-1970s, the big running shoe companies have introduced new product lines based on shoes with increased cushion and support. Today, however, there has been an uprising among subgroups of runners, cross-fitness enthusiasts and weight lifters: Less shoe is better, and no shoe is best.

The premise behind barefoot running is essentially that the intrinsic muscles, joints, ligaments and mechanoreceptors of the feet require stimulation to function properly. And this optimal function is inhibited by highly supportive and cushioned shoes.

If you’re interested in trying out barefoot running, consider this advice before you begin.

• Start with walking barefoot or in minimalist shoes, and gradually work into running.



• Progress to short runs. Begin running only five minutes per run, and gradually increase.
  


• Rather than going totally barefoot, use a minimalist shoe to protect your feet from thorns, glass, nails, stones and other debris.
  


• Stop barefoot running at the earliest sign of pain.



• Avoid running barefoot in freezing temperatures. Shoes protect us from frostbite if nothing else.



• Be prepared for blisters and calluses to form as you transition to barefoot running.

ChiroHealth is a health news update of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA).

The GREEN Summerfest in Vasa Park, NJ

On Saturday and Sunday, August 13 and 14, a very special event will be held for the first time in Vasa Park. The park will be transformed into a 2-day eco-friendly festival with a concert showcasing New Jersey's most popular bands. The theme of the event will be green products, services, a craft section, natural foods and delicious festival foods and the Kids Traveling Shindig, a special section with kiddie rides, bounces, clowns, face-painting and kid-oriented entertainment.

An invitation is extended to local civic/non-profit organizations to participate as exhibitors. A separate area will be created called the "Community Square" where local organizations can get involved in the festival, promote your group/club, or an event you are planning.

If you are an exhibitor and would like to come FREE, come up with an activity, a draw or an attraction that will complement the event. Make it interesting...make it fun...make it interactive...

Proceeds of the Summerfest will benefit Mt. Olive Recreation.