October Expert Columns

 

What Is Chiropractic?

By Chip Abbadessa, D.C.

The nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord. The nervous system is a power and communication network that controls all body functions. The spinal cord extends from the brain stem and enters the neural canal of the spinal column. The spinal cord is made up of billions of nerves and lies inside your spinal column. It is protected on all sides by bone – your spine! The spinal cord’s nerves branch out through openings between your vertebrae and connect to your internal organs and other body parts.

The nerves arise in the brain and travel down the spinal cord where they branch off and cover or blanket your body, touching almost every part of you. The nerves must be free from spinal stress to have and maintain proper (optimal) physical health.

The focus of corrective care chiropractic is to remove all interference to the central nerve system caused by subluxations or misalignments. The frequency and cost of care is determined by the severity of the subluxation and abnormal position of the spine.

The D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractic) specializes in the detection and correction of subluxation. Correction of subluxation will restore the lines of communication within your body and will improve your overall body function. Correction will improve your body’s natural healing potential and your body’s well being.

Drugs do not correct the cause of a person’s problems. They temporarily relieve a person’s symptoms but as soon as the effect wears off, the symptoms return. This is a difficult way to go through life. If drugs actually make you healthy then those taking the most drugs should be the healthiest but of course we know these people are usually the sickest. Side effects may cause even more problems and a person may become dependent on more drugs. Drugs take away our body’s natural healing ability and make us dependent on artificial supports. Drugs cover up the body’s warning signals that are telling us that something is wrong. When you take drugs, you feel better but your health continues to deteriorate.

Your body can make everything it needs – painkillers, antibiotics, insulin, hormones and hundreds of other chemicals or natural drugs. They are right there inside you. If your body is working right with no interferences, your body has its own internal drugstore. Correction of vertebral subluxations turns on your body’s natural healing ability (without drugs).

Many things contribute to your health, quality air, water, nutritional food and a healthy spine and nervous system! To find out more, please contact Dr. Chip Abbadessa at 234-5535.

Chip Abbadessa, D.C. has been a chiropractor since 1988 and practices out of the Castle Professional Center in Kaneohe. Call 234-5535 or visit www.docchip.com.

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Health Alert: DOES YOUR WIGGLE GIGGLE?
Lecithin – An Amazing Youth Element

By Teresa Denney, D.O.

Q: Is Lipo-Lyte safe?

A: Yes. Lipo-Lyte is a special, injectable mixture containing purified lecithin, as well as specific vitamins and nutrients to stabilize and optimize the fat-dissolving effect. Lecithin is a naturally occurring substance in the body, first used in the 1950s to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood.

Q: Is injectable Lecithin FDA approved?

A: Yes. In April 1999, the Food and Drug Administration approved for injection a Baxter Healthcare Corp. product that contains lecithin. Since then, both Baxter and Compounding Pharmacies have been able to produce this product.

Q: How can it be assured that the appropriate amount of fat — neither too little nor too much — is dissolved?

A: The Lipo-Lyte procedure has proven already to be safe and very predictable. Along with the clinical experience of our doctors and staff, results are very consistent.

Q: If the Lipo-Lyte shot dissolves fatty tissue, does it also dissolve other tissue?

A: No. Lipo-Lyte activates certain enzymes, which naturally dissolve only fat cells. Thus just the selected areas are slimmed and trimmed.

Q: What is the future of Lipo-Lyte?

A: Our center has signed an exclusive collaborative agreement with a biotechnology research institute in Denver, Colo., to determine if large quantities of fat stores can be safely dissolved with Lipo-lyte.

Q: Is Lecithin natural?

A: Yes. Lecithin is a naturally occurring substance in the body, first used in the 1950s to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood.

Lecithin is the most abundant of the phospholipids. It is a fatty food substance that serves as a structural material for every cell in the body. It is an essential constituent of the human brain and nervous system. It forms 30 percent of the dry weight of the brain and 17 percent of the nervous system.

Lecithin is also an important component of the endocrine glands and the muscles of the heart and kidneys. It makes up 73 percent of the total liver fat. Nervous, mental or glandular over activity can consume lecithin faster than the body can replace it. This may render a person irritable and exhausted. It is, therefore, of utmost importance to add lecithin to the diet, if the body’s own supply decreases — as in old age or working under stress.

Aloha Medical Center (formally Kahala Medical Center) is giving free consultations. Check out the web site www.lipolyte.com.

Dr. Teresa Denney, an osteopathic physician, has studied nutrition for over 30 years. She is the medical director for Aloha Medical Center in Waikiki. Visit her web-site at www.lipolyte.com. Call 732-0888 now for a free consultation.

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ASK JUDGE LEE

Title; Probate; Fraud; Prenup

By Richard Lee, J.D.

     Judge Lee: After my mother passed away, my sister convinced my father to place her name on the title so that she would have a say if something happened to my father. My father’s will left the property to both of us equally. Do I have a claim to half the property or do I only get half of the remaining one-half or one-quarter of the property? Signed, “Seeking Fairness”

    Dear “Seeking Fairness”: Many people are unaware of the seriousness of real property title. For example, often people are placed on title because lenders erroneously “require” guarantors to be on title to make the loan “cleaner” even when this is not the
deal the parties intended. Your situation is a common one where title is transferred to a child thinking that it will be “easier” to take care of the property if something happens to the owner and that the child on title will be trusted to do what’s fair. The owner sometimes even mistakenly thinks that the will would supersede the actual title. That is simply not true, not without litigation. If in fact you can prove fraud or mistake of fact through testimony or documentary evidence of intent, you may make a case to claim half of the property.

    Judge Lee: I stand to inherit substantial assets and my parents are insisting that I get a prenuptial agreement before I marry. Should I do it? Signed, “Not About Money”

Dear “Not About Money”: In today’s world of instant gratification where half of all marriages end in divorce, it would be wiser to be safe than sorry. Without a prenuptial agreement your spouse could be entitled to half of all earnings during the marriage as well as half of all appreciation of all assets owned by you at the time of divorce. A carefully drafted prenuptial agreement would be fair to both parties and oftentimes strengthens the relationship where each knows what the assets split will be upon divorce, rather than each guessing the other might be thinking the marriage was for money. An enforceable prenuptial agreement cannot be so one sided or unconscionable as to “shock the conscious.” It must be fair both at the time of execution and at the time of divorce; and there must be no surprises, i.e. there must be full disclosure of the extent of the assets and earnings. And, both sides should be represented by attorneys to prevent claims of undue influence or ignorance.

Richard Lee is a former Hawaii Judge and CPA. He holds a degree in economics from Stanford University and a Juris Doctorate from Hastings Law School. Richard Lee Consulting focuses on relieving stress for clients with real estate, business and legal problems. Mr. Lee teaches Tai Chi Qigong, provides free mediation for divorcing couples and is the founder of Perfect Mate Internat’l. He can be reached at 957-0000 or at rlee@richardleeconsulting.com.

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Ohana Hearing Care Offers Free Test for Hearing Help

By Don "Kona" Smith

More than 100,000 people have a correctable hearing loss. Yet less than 25 percent of these people have sought relief from this condition.

Hearing loss - even a mild hearing loss - can be more than just an inconvenience. Poor communication can be the source of tension and stress at home, on the job and between friends.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Nearly everyone with a hearing loss can be helped. Today there are viable solutions that work for virtually all types and degrees of hearing loss.

Providing patients with better hearing in noisy situations has always been a challenge. Recent developments in digital technol­ogy have enabled hearing aid users to hearing aid users. Clinical studies confirm that the latest digital hearing aids diminish background sounds up to twice that of ordinary aids. New “smart direction” technology actually senses when to reduce background noise for clearer understanding in noise.

Advanced hearing cares centers, such as Ohana Hearing Care in Honolulu, offers an exclusive “instant” test and demonstration for anyone with a hearing problem. Ohana pioneered this new method that uses specialized computer equipment that analyzes hearing loss and demon­strates a solution all within a few minutes time. The results are accurate and dramatic.

Additional, new technology enable a large variety of products as such TV Ears.” This new product is great for crystal-clear TV listening. It works great for all family members. Also available are “Aquanots” ear protection for swimmers and custom-fitted “Soundblock” protectors are a must for anyone exposed to noise. Musicians can save their hearing with the “Master Blaster” protectors.

In addition, “open ear” fitting technology is very comfortable and eliminates any sense of fullness in the ear canal. Ohana offers “total care” service plans and “no risk” 30-day home trials.

Early detection of hearing loss is criti­cal to proper treatment. For more information on the latest in hearing enhancements, or for an appointment, call Ohana Hearing Care at 593-2137.

Don “Kona” Smith founded Ohana Hearing Care in 1966 and has re­ceived numerous national awards for helping people overcome hear­ing loss over the past 40 years. His staff has a combined experience of 123 years in this business. Located at 1296 Beretania St. (at Times Supermarket), the phone number is 593-2137. Visit them on the web at www.ohanahearingcare.com.

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Hawaii Healing Arts College

Who Needs Another Pain In the Neck?

 By Rebecca Boswell

Constantly rubbing your neck? Wondering if that nagging pain will ever go away?

We spend so much time at computers, slouching on our daily commute, and doing all kinds of things that can be a pain in the neck in more ways than one. More frustrating still, is when this pain lingers, or worse, leads to chronic headaches or physical limitation.

But what do we do? Quit our jobs? Sell our cars? Say “no” to anything that is a pain in the neck (literally and figuratively)? It sure would be nice, but many of us do not have that luxury. Thankfully there are options available for those of us who need to find a way to create balance in our hectic schedules and find solutions for managing and even resolving unwanted aches and pains.

Massage and body work provide an excellent, non-invasive, non-chemical way to relax muscles and address chronic pain. Better still is that for each kind of pain, or preference, there is bound to be a type of massage or body work that is right for you. For instance, if you are interested in increasing flexibility, as well as range of motion to eliminate muscular discomfort, Thai massage can offer great relief. Or maybe you notice that your repetitive work habits and lifestyle patterns have caused your body to be structurally unbalanced, thus causing conditions that lead to strain and dysfunction. Rolfing provides an excellent avenue for finding the body’s natural alignment for optimal pain-free living. Suffer-
ing from a sports injury? What about sports massage? An accident? How about medical or resolution massage? Once you begin to look at what is available, you will see that your options seem endless.

So if you have pain there is no reason to let it go untreated. You see, pain occurs for a reason. It is the body’s alarm system, warning you that something is not right. It is like the fire alarm going off when there is a fire. Just as you would not simply ignore the alarm or try to muffle the sound instead of looking to see why it went off, it is important to listen to your pain and seek help in resolving it — before greater problems arise.

It is important to take care of ourselves, now more than ever. With life throwing so much at us each day, who needs another pain in the neck?

Rebecca Boswell, MBA, LMT is a nationally certified massage therapist and the coordinator for the Resolution Center at Hawaii Healing Arts College Hawaii Healing Arts College. Contact her at 266-2463 or email resolutioncenter@hawaii.rr.com.

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Emeralds Aren’t the Only Gems that Come in Green

 By Brenda Reichel

Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, wore her riches of gems and emeralds. Her “emeralds”, though, were probably peridot! A historic source of the green gem peridot is an island near Egypt known as the Island of Saint John. While the gem peridot is a different green from emerald, it is a beautiful gemstone in its own right.

The larger the peridot, like many other colored gems, the richer the color. Peridots in 10 carat or larger sizes are hard to come by, but moderately sized peridots are now being mined by several families on the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Gila County, Ariz. The peridot is also known to us in Hawaii as olivine.

The peridot is a gemstone well-suited to necklaces and earrings, because these types of mountings will not subject the gemstone to the kind of wear received by a ring setting. This is another reason why it is important to work with a professional whose training includes a gemological background.

The hardness of a gemstone helps determine which mountings are best and what kind of care is warranted in any jewelry bench work you may later require for cleaning or repairs.

We’d be glad to show you our collection of peridot, the gem that pleased Cleopatra. We’d also be glad to be your full service jewelers, the jewelers you can trust.

Brenda Reichel, owner of Carats & Karats Fine Jewelry, is a graduate gemologist, member of the International Society of Appraisers, and proprietor of an AGA-certified Gem Laboratory. She can be reached at 593-8122. Visit Brenda’s website at: www.caratsandkarats.com.

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Breast Cancer: Save Life with Early Detection

    “No one should die from breast cancer,” says Louana Kassebeer, Breast Cancer Outreach worker at the Waimanalo Health Center, “With the amount of breast cancer research and efforts in awareness and education, no woman or her `ohana should have to suffer.”

The American Cancer Society recommends:

  Yearly mammograms starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as a woman is in good health.

  Clinical breast exams (CBE) should be part of a periodic health exam, about every three years for women in their 20s and 30s and every year for women 40 and over.

  Women should report any breast change promptly to their health care providers. Breast self-exam (BSE) is an option for women starting in their 20s.

  Women at increased risk (e.g., family history, genetic tendency, past breast cancer) should talk with their doctors about the benefits and limitations of starting mammography screening earlier, having additional tests (e.g., breast ultrasound or MRI), or having more frequent exams. Not having the financial support or medical insurance to be screened or treated should never be a factor in woman’s decision to go untreated.

    Women who have become diagnosed may go into denial or for different reasons may not come back for treatment. Reasons could be for lack of insurance and money or because of fear. The word cancer has been a negative image for many. This may determine whether a person will seek the medical care that they need or go without. That’s why it’s so important to educate the community about the new research and treatments.

    Save a life with early detection - it may well be your own.

    Women age 50-64 without insurance or insurance that does not cover screening may come to the Waimanalo Health Center for free screening, education and case-management. The Waimanalo Health Center and the State Department of Health’s Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP) are working together to provide free service. The program also covers under insured and uninsured women age 40-50 with a history of breast cancer.

For more information and to inquire on eligibility requirements call the Waimanalo Health Center at (808) 259-7948.