The body needs consistent energy to get through the day. The central nervous system runs from the brain, down through the spine, and then towards…
Chiropractic medicine is used as a standard musculoskeletal injury/strain treatment and for rehabilitation. Chiropractic helps with: Different types of back pain Headaches Neck pain Shoulder…
Muscle tension in the neck is a common musculoskeletal disorder. The neck is made up of flexible muscles that support the weight of the head.…
Stress in the workplace is a serious issue. Working is rewarding, but it can become a cause for major stress as well. Studies have shown…
Pregnancy can take a toll on a woman’s body. New aches and pains start to present as the pregnancy progresses. Hormonal changes can affect the…
More individuals are reporting extreme levels of stress. Studies indicate that an increasing number of individuals are feeling worried, anxious, or depressed regularly from various…
When it comes to Neuromusculoskeletal disorders, many techniques are available for one to learn. Some of these techniques include:Â
Activator methodsÂ
Applied Kinesiology
Atlas SpecificÂ
Meric SystemÂ
Network ChiropracticÂ
Pro-AdjusterÂ
And Many MoreÂ
As a healthcare practitioner, upwards of 90% of your consultations involve a clinical investigation. The most often asked questions to patients include “How long have you had the pain?†and “What aggravates the pain?†However, it is imperative to determine the best course of treatment for patients. To properly do this, you do a functional history that includes all dimensions of wellness, not just physical and pain. These questions include:Â
Past Medical HistoryÂ
Occupational StatusÂ
Social StatusÂ
Medication HistoryÂ
Surgical HistoryÂ
Identifying non-neuro muscular disorders the patient may have like diabetes, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancerÂ
Understanding all areas of injury is vital due to neurological referred pain. Neurological referred pain occurs when signals get mixed in your neurological wiring. Sensory inputs from different areas of the body combine into single neurons (the nerve cells) in the spine. In the spine, they are integrated and modified before being sent to the brain. To properly assess and have successful treatment, one must identify the proper tissue that has been compromised.Â
Along with this, there are perpetuating factors that can lead to downfalls as well.Â
Mechanical Stresses
The stresses that directly impact pain and the skeletal system include short leg, hemipelvis, long second metatarsal, short upper arms, postural stresses, misfitting furniture, poor postures, abuse of muscles, and immobility.Â
Short leg is seen frequently and puts a biomechanical strain on the supporting muscle. This creates a distortion of axial alignment. The main muscle impacted is the quadratus lumborum. This muscle being compromised is one of the most overlooked sources of low back pain. Once this is identified, the shoulder girdle should be evaluated next. If individuals are suffering from low back pain frequently, nutritional inadequacies should be considered.Â
There are research studies done showing nutritional deficiencies to be associated with chronic neuromusculoskeletal system disorders. For optimal health, we focus on the body down to the orthomolecular components. These include:Â
B1
B6
B12
Folic Acid
Vitamin C
CalciumÂ
PotassiumÂ
IronÂ
MagnesiumÂ
InBody
Part of obtaining a full history is having patients undergo an InBody scan. This scan focuses on body composition and inflammation. It provides a full report of water, percent body fat, phase angle, visceral fat, basal metabolic rate, ECW/TBW and contains multiple segmental analysis sections. The InBody 770 high power technology to accurately assess patients.
[embedyt] www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwbIsPNUYqs%5B/embedyt%5D
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THE HUMAN BODY IS VASTLY INTERTWINED AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS SHOULD BE LOOKING AT EVERY AREA IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING PAIN OR DISCOMFORT. A DETAILED HISTORY CAN HELP DOCTORS GET TO THE ROOT SOURCE OF YOUR PAIN. -KENNA VAUGHN, ACSM-EP, SENIOR HEALTH COACHÂ
References:Â
Dr Ron Grisanti,D.C “Insiders Guide.†Functional Medicine University (FMU).Â
Williams FH. Neuromuscular complications of nutritional deficiencies. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2008 Feb;19(1):125-48, vii. doi: 10.1016/j.pmr.2007.10.006. PMID: 18194754. Â
Additional Online Links & Resources (Available 24/7)


Â
Online Appointments or Consultations:  https://bit.ly/Book-Online-Appointment


Â
Online Physical Injury / Accident Intake Form: bit.ly/Fill-Out-Your-Online-History


Â
Online Functional Medicine Assessment: bit.ly/functionmed
Â
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Disclaimer
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The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the musculoskeletal system’s injuries or disorders. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.  Read More…
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, CTG*
email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com
phone: 915-850-0900
Licensed in Texas & New Mexico
Stress can be defined as any external or internal challenge that disrupts homeostasis in an individual. How stressed an individual feels varies depending on their coping skills and mechanisms. For most, stress is anything that causes a flight or flight response. There are several emotions that cause individuals to feel this flight or fight response. A few possibilities are:
Bitterness
Resentment
Retaliation
Anger
Trauma
Betrayal
Rage
DepressionÂ
GossipÂ
Self-hate
Being rejectedÂ
LonelinessÂ
ShameÂ
A stressor produces different mixes of the nervous system and hormonal responses. One stressor may lead to the nervous system activation releasing catecholamines, but small amounts of adrenaline and cortisol. However, another stressor may result in the opposite reaction. In studies performed, it is stated that there are direct relationships between behavior, the brain, and immunity. One association that is well studied is the relationship between autoimmune diseases and self-hatred. By attacking ourselves with our own harsh words and negative thoughts, we see a direct relationship corresponding to an autoimmune response, ultimately ending in autoimmune disease. The study can be viewed below:
Dangers of Excessive CortisolÂ
Cortisol is released in times of stress. It is necessary, but when too much cortisol is released for too long, the body sees side effects. The adrenal glands are consistently producing cortisol. Cortisol stimulates the conversion of noradrenaline to adrenaline. This creates an increased amount of adrenaline in the blood. Cortisol also blocks the conversion of the T4 thyroid hormone. Due to this, individuals under stress may develop systems of hypothyroidism. Additionally, cortisol suppresses the production of T-cell activity. This increases the risk of infection.Â
Another study states that animals genetically susceptible to insulin-dependent diabetes (Type 1 Diabetes) developed the disease more frequently when they were subjected to stress. While under stress, the elevated cortisol levels in the bloodstream block insulin, making it difficult to control blood glucose. Â
Phase AngleÂ
Stress plays an essential factor in phase angle as it disrupts homeostasis. The phase angle is a snapshot at cellular health that provides practitioners with the integrity of your cellular membranes. The healthier an individual is, the higher their phase angle, making it harder for inflammation and infection to infiltrate. The more stress an individual is under, the higher their cortisol is. This increases their blood glucose level and can result in a higher body fat percentage. These combined decrease cellular health and cause a permeable cellular membrane. We evaluate and monitor our patient’s phase angle by using an InBody 770 machine. The anthropometric measurements show us where inflammation is and other significant numbers such as visceral fat, basal metabolic rate, and segmental water analysis.Â
[embedyt] www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwbIsPNUYqs%5B/embedyt%5D
Diagnostic TestingÂ
Although we utilize many different diagnostic lab companies, we use the Adrenal Hormone Report from Doctors Data to measure cortisol levels. A sample report is shown below:Â
Â
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CORTISOL IS NECESSARY, AND STRESS IS A NATURAL RESPONSE TO PROTECT THE BODY. HOWEVER, WHEN WE SEE THE “STRESS RESPONSE” ON FOR TOO LONG, WE KNOW OTHER ISSUES ARE GOING ON. IT IS CRUCIAL TO REMEMBER TO RELAX, TAKE TIME TO FOCUS ON DEEP BREATHING, MEDITATION OR YOGA, AND UNWIND. -KENNA VAUGHN, ACSM-CEP, SENIOR HEALTH COACHÂ
References:Â
Maier SF, Watkins LR, Fleshner M. Psychoneuroimmunology. The interface between behavior, brain, and immunity. Am Psychol. 1994 Dec;49(12):1004-17. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.49.12.1004. PMID: 7818221.Â
Dr Ron Grisanti,D.C “Insiders Guide.†Functional Medicine University (FMU).
Additional Online Links & Resources (Available 24/7)


Â
Online Appointments or Consultations:  https://bit.ly/Book-Online-Appointment


Â
Online Physical Injury / Accident Intake Form: bit.ly/Fill-Out-Your-Online-History


Â
Online Functional Medicine Assessment: bit.ly/functionmed
Â
Â
Â
Disclaimer
Â
The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the musculoskeletal system’s injuries or disorders. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.  Read More…
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, CTG*
email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com
phone: 915-850-0900
Licensed in Texas & New Mexico
The spine interconnects the entire body transmitting and receiving messages from the brain allowing for coordinated movement. Maintaining optimal spinal health requires some form of…
The endocrine system is very delicate and precise in the human body. The endocrine system is responsible for helping to control mood, growth, development, metabolism, how our organs work, and reproduction. The critical factor of the endocrine system is regulating how much of each hormone is released. This depends on how much of the hormone is already in the bloodstream and other substances like calcium.Â
Cortisol
One of the main hormones the endocrine system is responsible for is cortisol. Cortisol is the primary stress hormone and also increases blood sugars, enhances the brain’s use of glucose, and increases the substances that repair tissue. Additionally, cortisol is the primary hormone in control of our flight-or-fight response. However, the circadian rhythm of cortisol should always be considered. Cortisol is one of the hormones that is released in cardigan rhythm. Cortisol is usually highest first thing in the morning, drops, and will plateau for most of the day until evening time before bed, where it will drop again. Performing lab work to assess cortisol levels is beneficial as cortisol is responsible for many daily functions. Cortisol is produced by the Zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex and is regulated by several factors. It is influenced by sleep patterns, light/dark exposure, and mealtimes. Cortisol also helps with widespread tissue damage like inflammation, illness, or an infection as well as plays a role in mental and emotional stress. To test our patient’s cortisol levels and patterns, we use a test from DUTCH. This test is called DUTCH Plus, and a sample report is shown below. This test allows us to track a patient’s rhythm for 24 hours as well as other hormones.Â
Â
StressÂ
As previously stated, cortisol is the main hormone for controlling stress. While stress is necessary for the human body to function, chronic stress puts your health at risk. The body’s stress response system is normally self-limiting, and once the threat is gone, the stress levels reduce, and the body syncs back into a level of homeostasis. However, when chronic stress is around, cortisol remains on and pumps into the system at a high rate. This long-term activation of stress overexposes the body to cortisol and other stress hormones that lead to problems such as:Â
AnxietyÂ
Depression
Digestive problems
Headaches
Heart disease
Sleep problems
Weight gain
Memory and concentration impairmentÂ
Phase Angle
The phase angle is how health care professionals can monitor the integrity of cellular membranes. If the phase angle begins to decline, it has been linked directly to a decline in overall health. Similar to if phase angle increases, overall health is increasing. The integrity of cellular membranes is essential as cell survival depends on solid membranes. When the cellular wall is weak, it can collapse. From here, it is difficult for the body to take up the proper nutrients it needs. Additionally, with a weak cellular membrane, the cell is left with little to no protection from outside invaders. Stress impacts phase angle by causing individuals to gain weight and decreasing overall health.
We monitor a patient’s phase angle with the use of the InBody 770. This advanced machine allows us to not only track the phase angle of our patients but many other areas of their health as well, including but not limited to intracellular and extracellular water.Â
[embedyt] www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwbIsPNUYqs%5B/embedyt%5D
STRESS CAN BE MORE DEBILITATING THAN INDIVIDUALS REALIZE. A GREAT WAY TO COMBAT STRESS AND HELP PROTECT YOUR PHASE ANGLE IS TO PRACTICE GOOD SLEEP HYGIENE, EAT PROPER NUTRIENTS, REGULAR EXERCISE, AND MEDITATION. -KENNA VAUGHN, ACSM-EP SENIOR HEALTH COACH
References:Â
Keller A, Litzelman K, Wisk LE, Maddox T, Cheng ER, Creswell PD, Witt WP. Does the perception that stress affects health matter? The association with health and mortality. Health Psychol. 2012 Sep;31(5):677-84. doi: 10.1037/a0026743. Epub 2011 Dec 26. PMID: 22201278; PMCID: PMC3374921.Â
Mayo Clinic Staff. “Stress Management Resources.†Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 26 Feb. 2021, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/resources/hlv-20049495.  Â
Additional Online Links & Resources (Available 24/7)


Â
Online Appointments or Consultations:  https://bit.ly/Book-Online-Appointment


Â
Online Physical Injury / Accident Intake Form: bit.ly/Fill-Out-Your-Online-History


Â
Online Functional Medicine Assessment: bit.ly/functionmed
Â
Â
Â
Disclaimer
Â
The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the musculoskeletal system’s injuries or disorders. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.  Read More…
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, CTG*
email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com
phone: 915-850-0900
Licensed in Texas & New Mexico
Stress, like inflammation, is a natural response. We need stress to function on a normal basis.  So, when the question arises, “Are you stressed?†the…
There is so much more to stress than some people realize and what our body needs most often is a helping hand. Under times of stress, our body is looking for a leader that can safely and effectively bring our levels back to a happy place. Stress, Hormones, and Health are all related and all work off of one another to create the perfect balance. Sometimes what we need is a doctor who is educated, willing to listen, and most importantly, a doctor who cares. Health issues can cause more stress, but having clarity of these health issues and a personalized treatment plan can go a long way. Learn how to address stress, hormones, and obtain better overall health with an approach that is geared towards your body and your specific lifestyle all while keeping the focus on what your body is capable of.
The term allostatic load refers to any type of stress occurring in the body for long periods of time. Types of stress we encounter daily from environmental stress or psychological stress have the ability to alter the way our body operates. Stress is directly linked to causing inflammation. Stressors include: Trauma/mechanical, Infection, Toxicology, Nutrient Imbalance, Neurology, and Electromagnetic. When these stressors are present and coupled with genetic polymorphisms or epigenetics we see chronic issues arise. The chronic health conditions we see from stressors and epigenetics are IBS, Fatigue, Leaky Gut, Pain, Weight, Thyroid, Inflammation, Autoimmune, Depression, and Insulin Resistance.
Stress & Inflammation are responsible for the majority of chronic health conditions. When stress becomes too frequent, the communication between the signals in the body misfire. This leads to an increase in hormone production and a decrease in body functions (example: the Krebs cycle). We evaluate the stressors occurring in your life, pair them with top of the line diagnostic testing, and create a personalized plan for you to ensure your body receives the healing it needs.
Autoimmune diseases are a much larger problem than they were 10 years ago. Now, autoimmune diseases are reaching an epidemically high level with over 50 million people diagnosed. All autoimmune diseases are linked to one common condition, inflammation. An autoimmune disease is when the immune system is under constant inflammation from frequently recurring triggers. Those diagnosed with an autoimmune disease have one or more of these stressors overly present in their life:
-Chronic Emotional and Cognitive Stress
-Unhealthy Coping PatternsÂ
-Poor NutritionÂ
-Gastrointestinal Stress
-Adrenal Stress
-Hormonal StressÂ
-Inflammatory and Infectious Stress
-Toxic Stress
Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device: for a live webinar event covering stress, hormones, and how to improve your health! Learn…
Let’s be honest, making a change to your lifestyle is hard. Whether that is due to lack of time, motivation, or not knowing where to…