"I'm too stressed!"

If you have ever felt this way, here are three scientifically proven ways to decrease stress before the holidays.





1. Eat Right
Stress levels and a proper diet are related closer than you might think. Unfortunately, it’s when we have the most work that we forget to eat well and resort to eating sugary, fatty snack foods as a pick-me-up especially when they are readily available during the holidays. Try to avoid the easy cookie on the tray and plan ahead. I like to carry a container of almonds in my car. Fruits and vegetables are always good, and fish with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce the symptoms of stress. A tuna sandwich anyone?

2. Exercise (Even for 60 seconds!)
Exercise doesn't necessarily mean power lifting at the gym or training for a marathon. A short walk around the office or simply standing up to stretch during a break at work can offer immediate relief in a stressful situation. Physical activity pumps up your feel-good endorphins and other natural neural chemicals that enhance your sense of well-being. Exercise also refocuses your mind on your body's movements, improving your mood and helping the day's irritations fade away. Consider walking, jogging, gardening, housecleaning, biking, swimming, weightlifting or anything else that gets you active. My 60 second exercise is sometimes a quick set of pushups or wrestling with my boys on the floor after work.

3. Count Your Blessings
There are many studies showing the benefits gratitude and happiness. They are definitely correlated. Thanksgiving is the perfect time of year to count your blessings. In our house this year we made a "Thankful Tree." Instead of the leaves falling off the tree we are putting them up. Every day we add a leaf with something we are grateful for.

Some thankful leaves that made the tree this year include: Squirrels, trees, chiropractic, my bed, family, cars, mail, pjs, music, church, Jesus, toilet paper, computers, yummy food, eggs, BYU football/rugby, hugs, shoes, Christmas trees, water, trains, bikes, flowers, exercise, snakes, and sunshine.

One more thing I'm thankful for is our PATIENTS!

We have the BEST patients. They voted us best chiropractic practice in the New Smyrna/Edgewater area so I guess the feeling is mutual. They are always willing to share their positive experiences and share chiropractic with their friends.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

We are excited to announce Dr. Tiffany Kelly joined our team at Coastal Chiropractic recently. She brings excellent chiropractic skills and knowledge to the office.

So you can get to know her a little better we had her write a little about herself and how she got involved we chiropractic.

I'm a "mover and a shaker".  Yes, I've always been fascinated by movement. Growing up as a dancer and gymnast, I was constantly intrigued by human movement and function. My inquisitive mind wouldn't let me sit still. I was the tactile one who always needed to find out how things worked. I grew up as the second of four kids in a family where service came first. My parents were big believers that the best way to show gratitude for what we had was to share our generosity and our talents. At 17 years old I experienced the benefits of chiropractic care while interning for a chiropractor in MA.  I wasn't in pain, but after receiving care I began experiencing greater forms of health I didn't even know I had.  I was convinced that I would serve others by helping them unlock this unused potential through chiropractic care.  That internship lead into my freshman year of college where I found myself starting my degree as a Kinesiology Major and Neurology Minor at Gordon College in Wenham, MA. Throughout school, I wanted to take blend my academic and philanthropic passions. I created a Physical Coordination Program for post stroke victims, Parkinson’s patients and other patients with motor deficits at the Center for Balance Wellness and Mobility,and worked in the Parkinson's Rehabilitation Program. Upon graduating I immediately started my doctor of chiropractic degree at Palmer College of Chiropractic, as school I had admired since I was 18.  Palmer College of Chiropractic in Florida was a change from growing up in New England my entire life, but I immediately fell in love with the school and the community and am proud to call Florida my new home. While at Palmer I learned the most important philosophies behind how and why I practice. I learned the importance of letting the body heal itself and understanding the patient as a whole. I have modeled my methods of care on that philosophy. I want to help patients realize their physical health, emotional , mental and spiritual health. After holding several leadership positions and being a Teaching Assistant for a 6 courses, I found my passion in the clinic where I devoted countless hours.  Patient care, combined my academic mind and my passion for service.  I had spent two school breaks serving as chiropractor for underprivileged communities in the Dominican Republic with Chiromission.  Upon graduating from Palmer, I was awarded the Clinical Excellence Award.  After leaving Palmer, I felt called to continue serving the people of the Dominican Republic. I just completed an 8 month mission trip through Chiromission and now serve as a board member. I strive to meet patients where they are in their journey to wellness.  I consider it a true honor to work with people from all walks of life and encourage them along their road to healing.

I am so blessed and so excited to be part of this practice and this community, that's working towards a world of wellness.

Come get to know Dr. Kelly and schedule an appointment so we can go over your case with her together.

We are so happy in our new office! Finally we have room to breathe and expand our services to help more and more people live healthier and happier lives.
We are continuing to make improvements to the building and the layout so that every patient is able to receive the best care possible with the best results possible. I'm going to include a few pictures of our updated treatment room as well. We've added half walls to increase privacy while getting adjusted.

Patients will continue to get the same great results as before with no wait times.

The best news of last week was that we are now able to offer

What is responsible for nearly 100 deaths a day in America?

In a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2011, Drug Overdoses in the United States caused 36,450 deaths. 73.8% of the drug overdoses were prescription drugs.

Other VERY important facts from the report include:

• In 2009, 1.2 million emergency room (ER) visits were related to misuse or abuse of

What are you thankful for? 

Most people answer family and HEALTH. I've found from past experience that the best gift you can give someone is something they value the most. We can't get you a new family, but we can help with your health (and your family's)!


Chiropractors are excellent at improving neck pain and headaches. What is one thing you can do to improve your neck pain and headaches besides getting adjusted by your chiropractor?

Just in time for gift giving and the holidays we now carry Chiroflow pillows in the office! Research conducted at John Hopkins indicated that Chiroflow pillows reduce intensity of pain, increase pain relief, and improve quality of sleep.

At Coastal Chiropractic we look at all possibilities to help our patients in Edgewater, New Smyrna Beach, Oak Hill, and Port Orange.

For those looking for an even more advanced and specific gift for loved ones this season, we are now distributors for custom made pillows. How is your neck different from mine?
We are all unique sizes, shapes, and have different sleeping patterns. Some sleep on the side, others on the back, and some on the stomach (not good, I'll explain later). Because of these differences it is important to have a pillow that fits your needs.

Ask us how we can make a pillow custom to YOUR needs.

Call today 386-427-8403

My son loves Bob the Builder. Bob usually starts his books / videos with the question, "Can we fix it?" After which they all say together, "Yes we can!" See how that applies with scoliosis below...

The Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health (JPMFH) published a case study on August 16, 2012, documenting the case of a young girl with scoliosis who was helped with chiropractic care. An additional study published in the June 2012 issue of the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine (JCM) reports on an additional case of idiopathic scoliosis being helped with chiropractic care.

According to the authors of the JPMFH study, "Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS), which accounts for approximately 80 percent of the reported cases (of scoliosis), is the most common orthopedic deformity affecting children." Scoliosis is classified as AIS (affecting adolescent) when it is detected at age 10 or above. The authors note that this form affects between 3 and 5 percent of adolescents and is more common in girls.

The authors of the JPMFH study noted that there are two medical forms of treatment for AIS which include bracing or surgery.  They note that the bracing option carries self esteem problems as the child is required to wear the brace upwards of 23 hours per day. The surgical option is limited in results and often requires multiple procedures costing upward of half-a-million dollars.  They note that there are multiple separate studies of chiropractic helping AIS in various publications.

In the case in the JPMFH, an eleven-year-old girl was brought to the chiropractor because her mother was concerned with postural abnormalities she observed in her daughter. The JCM case involved a nine-year-old girl who was also suffering with AIS and was brought to a chiropractor. Both children received a variety of chiropractic examination procedures, and both had spinal x-rays. The x-rays were measured for curvature angles with both girls having a 22 degree curve at their worst point.

In both these cases Chiropractic care was initiated utilizing different forms of chiropractic care for each of the two girls. Both girls were seen by the chiropractor multiple times on regular schedules over several months. Both girls were also subsequently re-evaluated and comparative x-rays were performed.

Subsequent re-evaluations and x-rays showed that both the nine year-old and eleven year-old showed corrections of the curvatures measuring 55 percent and 13 percent respectively. The case in the JCM noted that the young girl did not show any psychological issues sometimes observed with other forms of care for scoliosis. The authors of the JPMFH article noted that, in addition to the curvature improvements in their case, this patient also experienced decreased pain, increased range of motion, and improved quality of sleep.

How is your hygiene? I recently went to the dentist for a teeth cleaning and check up. No cavities, yay! The dental hygienist said that I have healthy gums and teeth (she also said I have a nice smile, but I think they say that to everyone). So, what's the difference between no cavities and hippo man pictured above? Easy answer, brush and floss everyday.

As I was getting my teeth cleaned the parallels between dental hygiene and spinal hygiene were too large to ignore. Avoid cavities (pain/back surgeries) by brushing and flossing (moving/stretching) and getting regular check ups and cleaning (chiropractic adjustments).

    The difference between  a healthy back and one that suffers from pain is in the day to day care of the spine. If you are in pain or know someone in pain, the good news is that there is help! We focus on getting people out of pain and teaching proper spinal hygiene to keep the pain away.
  
     Our bodies are designed to move and be pain free. Everyone deserves to enjoy life. If a joint or muscle is hurting, it is because something is not right with the alignment of the joints or muscles. The first thing we do with new patients is check the posture. This gives us clues on where the real problem is coming from. Once corrected, the pain goes away!

Call today to get your alignment checked and prevent pain!

It's Flag Day! And the birthday of the Army! I came across this article recently about the military and chiropractic care. There is no group of people that need chiropractic care more than the military. The extra strain they put on their musculoskeletal and nervous system NEEDS extra attention through chiropractic care! Have a read of the article below.

A piece of legislation passed by the U.S. congress on May 18, 2012 made strong pro-chiropractic statements while recognizing the benefits of chiropractic care for the men and women serving in the military. The original bill, numbered HR 4310, and titled the  National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, not only spoke to the benefits of chiropractic care for the military, but also noted that chiropractors are presently not paid at parity for their professional services as compared to other professionals who care for the military.

The language of the portion of the bill that addresses chiropractic is as follows HERE

June 14th is also right in between some birthdays in our family. We celebrated with a firetruck cake, which I think is pretty American. Mmmm... Firetruck cake...