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How Chiropractic Can Help with Work-Related Injuries

By Dr. Jon Thomas, DC, PSc.D, Board Certified Chiropractic Physician.
What is Labor Day All about?

Courtesy of Wikipedia
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It is an annual national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City. In 1884, Labor Day was celebrated in New York on the first Monday in September. The idea of a holiday for workers spread rapidly to other cities and states. Labor organizations played a big part in that.  
By 1885, Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers throughout the United States. On June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making Labor Day a legal holiday.
Common Workplace Injuries
Work gives people a sense of purpose and fulfillment. For most people, work is a major part of life. Unfortunately, work can sometimes lead to injuries. Here are some of the most common causes of workplace injuries:
Overexertion: Lifting, pulling, pushing, reaching, holding, and carrying, can all cause serious injuries, especially when a person is attempting to work with something that’s simply too heavy to easily lift. Overexertion is the number one cause of workplace injuries. If an object is too heavy or awkward, or the person lifts with the back as opposed to the legs, injury can result.
Slips and falls: Although slip and falls can frequently be avoided, slips and trips they are the number two cause of workplace injuries. Falls on wet and slippery floors or tripping over an object causes many serious injuries every day. One of the best ways to avoid slips and falls is to simply pay attention to the potential hazards in the workplace. (This is hard to do if your nose is constantly buried in your smartphone)
Courtesy of Wikipedia
Repetitive Motion: Repetitive motions such as typing and using a computer for most of the day can strain muscles and tendons. This can lead to back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Setting up a workspace that’s ergonomically correct can reduce the incidence of this type of injury. Getting up from the chair and stretching for a few minutes each hour can also help.  Raising a computer monitor to a higher position can also help.
Vehicle Accidents:  When car accidents happen, people usually get hurt. Workers who drive as part of their jobs are on the road more than others so they are statistically more likely to be involved in car accidents. Distracted driving due to texting and other activities cause many car accidents. When driving, it’s very important to focus completely on driving.
Falling Objects: Head and neck injuries are a common result of falling objects in the workplace. That’s why hard hats are required at construction sites. It’s important to be aware of areas where things may be prone to falling. As much as possible, it’s a good idea to avoid standing in spots where things might fall.
Falling from High Places: Falling from a roof, a ladder, or down a stairway can cause serious injuries. Even a fall from a chair that someone stands on to change a light bulb can cause a serious injury. Paying attention and being careful are the keys to avoiding these injuries.
Walking Into Things: People walk into walls, doors, cabinets, glass, windows, tables, chairs, and other solid objects all the time. Some suffer from knee, neck, and foot injuries. Like other types of injuries, most of these can be avoided simply by paying attention.
How Chiropractic can help after a workplace injury?
Courtesy of Vibrant Life Health Center
When you are injured on the job, you want to get back to normal as soon as possible. Chiropractic care is the best treatment option for many common workplace injuries, including back injuries, neck injuries, bursitis, tendinitis, and rotator cuff tears.
Seeing a chiropractor as soon as possible after a work-related injury can dramatically improve your chances for a speedy recovery. People sometimes think that the body will heal itself over time. Occasionally, that’s true. However, some injuries don’t get better. Some injuries get worse.
An experienced Chiropractor can put patients on the road to recovery from an injury. After a careful and thorough evaluation, a Chiropractor will develop a treatment plan that will address the specific nature of the patient’s injury.
At Vibrant Life Health Center, I’ve helped many patients get back to work and back to their lives as quickly and as safely as possible. My goal is to help you to reestablish a normal and healthy life. If you're looking for effective relief after a work injury, call our office today to set up a consultation. 
Life in Balance Tip of the Week: Chiropractic works!
Courtesy of Vibrant Life
A growing body of research shows that the services provided by chiropractic physicians are effective, safe, and cost-effective for many conditions. The following are excerpts from some of the recent research.
“Acute and chronic chiropractic patients experienced better outcomes in pain, functional disability, and patient satisfaction; clinically important differences in pain and disability improvement were found for chronic patients.”Haas et al (2005), Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics
“In our randomized, controlled trial, we compared the effectiveness of manual therapy, physical therapy, and continued care by a general practitioner in patients with nonspecific neck pain. The success rate at seven weeks was twice as high for the manual therapy group (68.3 percent) as for the continued care group (general practitioner). Manual therapy scored better than physical therapy on all outcome measures. Patients receiving manual therapy had fewer absences from work than patients receiving physical therapy or continued care, and manual therapy and physical therapy each resulted in statistically significant less analgesic use than continued care.” Hoving et al (2002), Annals of Internal Medicine
“Chiropractic patients were found to be more satisfied with their back care providers after four weeks of treatment than were medical patients. Results from observational studies suggested that back pain patients are more satisfied with chiropractic care than with medical care. Additionally, studies conclude that patients are more satisfied with chiropractic care than they were with physical therapy after six weeks.”Hertzman-Miller et al (2002), American Journal of Public Health
“Many treatments are available for low back pain. Often exercises and physical therapy can help. Some people benefit from chiropractic therapy or acupuncture.”Goodman et al. (2013), Journal of the American Medical Association  
For more interesting research excerpts, go to the ACA Today website.
To find more research about chiropractic services, visit the World Federation of Chiropractic's Reading List
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This article provides a brief history of Labor Day and a list of common workplace injuries. I’ve also discussed how chiropractic can help when a person has a workplace injury.  
If you have a comment about this article, please leave it in the comments section below. If you know of someone who might benefit from the information in this blog, please share it with your friends and colleagues, and also on social media.
The Google Plus button and other social media sharing buttons are below.
At Vibrant Life, we address all of the key elements to add vibrance and vitality to your life. This includes nutrition, chiropractic care, and fitness. If you need to consult with a chiropractor about your neck, back, or any other health concern, please contact our office to set up an appointment.

Courtesy of Vibrant Life 
Dr. Jon Thomas is a Board Certified Chiropractic Physician. His practice, The Vibrant Life Health Center, is located in the Mandarin section of Jacksonville. His interest in health and fitness started early, and his athletic pursuits have included BMX racing, Professional Snow Skiing, Water Skiing, Baseball, Weightlifting, and Martial Arts. After studying and learning from some of the top health experts throughout the world, Dr. Thomas dedicated his life to helping people of all ages to transform their lives. The objective for each patient is to initiate the body’s healing and to work progressively toward a body that functions optimally. Dr. Thomas is seen regularly on TV on First Coast Living, where he discusses the transformations of his patients. He also speaks at events throughout the community and writes informative articles to improve the health of residents throughout Jacksonville.

Keith lost 62.2 pounds in just 40 days on NutriMost!

By Dr. Jon Thomas, DC, PSc.D, Board Certified Chiropractic Physician.
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
The Olympics have been exciting to watch. To see great athletes like gymnast Simone Biles and sprinter Usain Bolt at the top of their games and giving peak performances is very inspiring. Two of the top swimmers in the Olympics have strong ties to Jacksonville. Ryan Murphy, who graduated from Bolles High School, won Gold Medals in three events. That officially makes him the best backstroke swimmer in the world! Joseph Schooling of Singapore won the Gold Medal in the 100-meter butterfly. He also is a graduate of Bolles High School.
For me, watching the Olympics has been almost as exciting as watching NutriMost patients transforming their lives as they get with the program and begin to achieve their weight loss and wellness goals. Lots of people get frustrated when they try to lose weight and get back into shape. They try this and they try that, but if they don’t see positive results in a reasonable period of time, they can become discouraged. On the other hand, when they start on NutriMost and begin to see results in the first few days, they get excited about it. As a practitioner, it’s very gratifying for me as well.
Keith sets the record for NutriMost at Vibrant Life!
Keith is the champion of his own health today. He recently shared his story on our Life in Balance TV segment. Losing 62.2 pounds in 40 days, he broke the record for the Vibrant Life Health Center. We’re very proud of him. Although he didn’t get a medal for his outstanding achievement, he gets to live a transformed life. Better still, he continues to work toward his wellness goals.
"I tried everything before and would lose weight and gain it right back,” he said. “I even got a trainer, but never got the results. Just a sore back. Doing this program doesn't hurt and my skin feels cleaner. Most importantly, with Dr. Jon's help I now know how to stay healthy!
“When my wife and I met with Dr. Thomas at the Vibrant Life Health Center, there was no sales pitch. After laying out the NutriMost program and answering our questions, Dr. Thomas stepped out of the room to give us a few minutes to think about it. We didn’t have to think about it for long.
“We could see that I was going to get one-on-one help with the program and that Dr. Thomas would keep me accountable. After I started the program, when I sent him a text, he didn’t just send a clinical response back to me. He was more like a coach, helping me to stay motivated.
“With NutriMost, you can eat great meals at restaurants or make them yourself at home. The book lays out what you should eat and you can go to the grocery store and get it yourself. That’s not like other programs where you have to buy their products. I had a 52-inch waist before NutriMost, and I’m down now to a 44-inch waist.”
After losing a lot of weight like Keith has, the body needs to be reprogrammed to keep from gaining the weight back. This is the reset phase in which we reprogram the metabolic trigger points so the body doesn’t return to its previous state. Long-term success doesn’t come from dieting. It comes from transforming the metabolism so that it burns fat while maintaining a healthy level of fat in the body.
If you’d like to lose 20 pounds or more in just forty days, the NutriMost system can certainly help. Check out the written testimonials and the video testimonials. If you have questions about NutriMost, make an appointment and I will be happy to answer them.
Courtesy of Vibrant Life Health Center
Vibrant Life Health Center Gives Back to the Community
The Vibrant Life team recently collaborated with Archbishop Leonard Love and Bishop Carolyn Love of Truth for Living Ministries to provide children with some of the supplies they will be needing for the school year that has just gotten underway.
Life in Balance Tip: Juice Plus+
One of the greatest things my wife and I have done for our family was getting everyone on Juice Plus+. In today's world, no matter how hard we try we can't always seem to get all the necessary nutrients our bodies need.
Juice Plus+ is whole food based nutrition, including juice powder concentrates from 30 different fruits, vegetables, and grains. Juice Plus+ helps bridge the gap between what you should eat and what you actually do eat every day. It’s not a multivitamin, medicine, treatment or cure for any disease. Juice Plus+ is made from quality ingredients which are carefully monitored from farm to capsule to provide the natural nutrients your body needs to perform at its highest level.
Courtesy of Juice Plus+
Everyone wants to eat right and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, maintaining a balanced nutritional diet can be a challenge. Healthy eating is about getting back to basics. For a healthy diet, it is recommended to fill half your plate at each meal with fruits and vegetables. However, healthy eating takes time, planning, and it can be expensive. Most people have a daily fruit and vegetable consumption gap as a result. Juice Plus+ products can help you fill that hole in your diet.
Eating healthy is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of disease. Having the right fuel in your body helps it to run better. Juice Plus+ puts more of the valuable nutrition from fruits and vegetables back into your diet to improve health and wellness. Give yourself a better diet and a healthier lifestyle. Also, for every adult that gets onto Juice Plus, one child can get it for free. Call us at Vibrant Life for details.  Try Juice Plus+.
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This article features the personal testimony of Keith, who lost 62 pounds in 40 days on the NutriMost program. I have also discussed how people, including myself and my family, are getting the nutrients their bodies need by using Juice Plus+ products.  
If you have a comment about this article, please leave it in the comments section below. If you know of someone who might benefit from the information in this blog, please share it with your friends and colleagues, and also on social media.
The Google Plus button and other social media sharing buttons are below.
At Vibrant Life, we address all of the key elements to add vibrance and vitality to your life. This includes nutrition, chiropractic care, and fitness. If you need to consult with a chiropractor about your neck, back, or any other health concern, please contact our office to set up an appointment.
Dr. Jon Thomas is a Board Certified Chiropractic Physician. His practice, The Vibrant Life Health Center, is located in the Mandarin section of Jacksonville. His interest in health and fitness started early, and his athletic pursuits have included BMX racing, Professional Snow Skiing, Water Skiing, Baseball, Weightlifting, and Martial Arts. After studying and learning from some of the top health experts throughout the world, Dr. Thomas dedicated his life to helping people of all ages to transform their lives. The objective for each patient is to initiate the body’s healing and to work progressively toward a body that functions optimally. Dr. Thomas is seen regularly on TV on First Coast Living, where he discusses the transformations of his patients. He also speaks at events throughout the community and writes informative articles to improve the health of residents throughout Jacksonville.

Food Facts: QR Codes, GMOs, and other trends in packaged foods.

Courtesy of Visit Jacksonville
By Tracy Thomas,
Doctor's Wife & Mother of Four.
Dr. Thomas recently wrote a blog post about the advantages of buying locally grown foods, especially from farmers’ markets. We’re fortunate to live in a region where good things grow throughout the whole year, and those foods can be brought to market very shortly after they are harvested. No preservatives and no packaging.
One thing Dr. Thomas didn’t mention is that those fresh foods generally don’t require labelling. What you see is what you get. Bananas are bananas, tomatoes are tomatoes, and potatoes are potatoes. It’s fairly straightforward.
However, for lots of reasons, many of us are not able to go one hundred percent natural in our food choices. Most people buy packaged foods at least some of the time. When it comes to packaged foods, it’s very important to read and understand the labels.
The Food and Drug Administration and Food Labeling Requirements
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
According to the official FDA website, “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for assuring that foods sold in the United States are safe, wholesome and properly labeled. This applies to foods produced domestically, as well as foods from foreign countries.”
The FDA website has a great deal of information about lists of ingredients, how foods should be labelled, and much more. There’s even information on how companies should figure out serving sizes to include with their food labels.
Comedian Brian Regan tells jokes about the serving size for fig newtons. The serving size on the label that he saw was two cookies. He asked, “Who eats two cookies?” The serving size for his ice cream was half a cup. “Who eats half a cup?”
Nutritional information is generally presented per serving. In other words, the number of calories printed on the label is the number of calories per serving, not per container. It’s important to understand that when making food choices. If the container has three servings in it and you like to eat the whole thing, the calories, grams of fat, etc. all have to be multiplied by three.

QR Codes and Food Labels
One recent trend in food labelling is the use of Quick Response codes. They’re also known as QR codes and they consist of black and white blocks of shapes, lines, and squares that are now seen on many products including packaged foods. QR codes can be scanned with smart phone apps. Once scanned, information about the product can be accessed.
President Obama recently signed a law requiring food companies to flag genetically modified ingredients in plain writing, an icon developed by regulators, or with digitally readable QR codes. The new law allows companies to disclose the presence of GMOs using QR codes rather than words on labels. This news was recently covered in a Wall Street Journal article.
So, for some food products, the only way to get nutritional information is with the QR codes. That’s fine for people who have an app, but it’s tough luck for people who don’t have an app. Here are two of the apps that are now available.
QR Code Reader: To scan a QR code or barcode, simply open the app, point the camera at the code, and you’re done. There’s no need to take a photo or press a button. The app will automatically recognize any code your camera is pointing at.
Shazam: According to the company website, this app is “one of the world’s most popular apps, used by more than 100 million people each month to magically connect to the world around them.” This app does much more than read QR Codes.  
Growing concerns about Genetically Modified Organisms
“GMOs are organisms that have been created through the application of transgenic, gene-splicing techniques that are part of biotechnology.” OrganicItsWorthIt
One thing that many people have become concerned about in their food is the presence of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Genetic Engineering, the science of GMOs, allows genetic material (DNA) from one species to be transferred into another species. The result is organisms with combinations of genes from plants, animals, bacteria, and even viral gene pools.
Genetic engineering is a new science and there are a host of unknowns about genetically engineered crops and GMOs. Research is accumulating which suggests that GMOs may not be safe. If GMOs are in products, many consumers want to be aware of it and they deserve to have the means to find that important information. Many consumers want to avoid GMOs as much as they possibly can.
If you’re concerned about GMOs, as everyone should be, start looking for the Certified NON GMO label on the food products you purchase.
The trend toward fewer ingredients
Another interesting trend in the food industry is the movement toward fewer ingredients. In fact, fewer ingredients is now being used as a selling point for many foods.  Many people feel that fewer ingredients equates to more natural and better for the body. There’s certainly some logic to that.
Products ranging from chocolates by Hershey to ice cream by Haagen Dazs to snack bars from General Mills now consist of fewer ingredients than similar products in the past. The Wall Street Journal recently published an interesting article about this trend in packaged foods.
Take back your health. Know what you’re putting into your body.
It’s extremely important to know what you’re putting into your body. The human body is complicated and it requires good foods in order to run optimally. If you can’t find the ingredients of a food product, you probably shouldn’t be eating it. If you need to get an app to read QR Codes, I encourage you not to put that off. Download an app and start using it.  
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This article discusses the importance of reading food labels and how to read food labels. I have also discussed nutritional information that is now available through QR codes, the trend of some food producers toward using fewer ingredients, and GMOs in food products.
If you have a comment about this article, please leave it in the comments section below. If you know of someone who might benefit from the information in this blog, please share it with your friends and colleagues, and also on social media.
The Google Plus button and other social media sharing buttons are below.
At Vibrant Life, we address all of the key elements to add vibrance and vitality to your life. This includes nutrition, chiropractic care, and fitness. If you need to consult with a chiropractor about your neck, back, or any other health concern, please contact our office to set up an appointment.

Tracy Thomas is the Vice President of the Vibrant Life Health Center. After experiencing the transformative power of Chiropractic and proper nutrition in her own life, Tracy made it her personal mission to help others to find their own paths to true health and wellness. Tracy is dedicated to developing and providing the best care available to patients at the Vibrant Life Health Center. She helps clients implement and stick to programs that lead to positive lifestyle changes. Tracy is sought after by chiropractic practices throughout the country for training and consultation pertaining to the implementation of nutrition programs.

Hector Lost 30 Pounds in 40 Days on NutriMost; Also, What is Fat Metabolism?

By Dr. Jon Thomas, DC, PSc.D, Board Certified Chiropractic Physician.
Courtesy of Vibrant Life
I’m humbled to be a tool that people can utilize to get their lives into balance. Some people are doing a lot in their attempts to lose weight and get healthier but they’re just not seeing the results they want. I have the privilege of helping people get past those frustrations and get to the next level with their health. For example, Hector was walking a lot and watching what he ate, but not seeing the results he wanted. With NutriMost, he experienced tremendous results.
Hector’s Story
“I’m a little bit of a health nut, and I met Dr. Thomas’s wife through the Chamber of Commerce. I’m a great believer in chiropractic and I’ve been going to chiropractors since I was 30. I’ve been to many capable doctors over the years. I’ve found that when you leave a chiropractor’s office, the doctor usually tells you that you’ll feel better the next day. With Dr. Thomas, I felt better immediately. He did a great job on my neck and back. Instead of feeling better the next day, I felt better by the time the appointment was finished.
“As I mentioned, I’m into health and fitness. I was walking five miles a day and trying to eat the right things, but I wasn’t seeing results in terms of my weight. After several visits to Vibrant Life for chiropractic adjustments, I became interested in the NutriMost program.  Dr. Thomas has an area in his office where numerous hand-written testimonials of NutriMost patients are hung up. It was obvious to me that NutriMost has been producing excellent results for lots of people. I also had an opportunity to speak to several of Dr. Thomas’s NutriMost patients while I was at Vibrant Life. Their enthusiasm was infectious.
“When I started on NutriMost, I anticipated lots of hunger. Surprisingly, that was not the case. You eat real foods that are healthy and satisfying. Instead of eating junk foods out of a bag or a box, I’ve learned to prepare healthy alternatives. The foods I’m now eating satisfy my appetite and give me all the energy I need. There are lots of foods to choose from. NutriMost taught me how to eat the foods that will take the weight off and keep it off.  
Courtesy of Vibrant Life
“I found that NutriMost is a very motivating program. Believe me, when you lose a pound and a half the first day, as I did, you feel highly motivated. By the end of the first week, I had lost six pounds. With other programs you might lose a pound or two per week, maybe six pounds in a month. If you really stick with some of these other programs and never have a setback, you might lose anywhere from 12 to 24 pounds in three months. It’s easy to become discouraged when it takes forever to get modest results. On the other hand, seeing results day after day and week after week on NutriMost kept me motivated. It’s not hard to stick with a program when you’re seeing such positive results.
“The ability to contact Dr. Thomas was key for me and it is for just about everybody who gets on the program. That was especially true in the beginning when I had lots of questions. I’m not a big guy and I lost 30 pounds in 40 days. The really cool thing is that by the time I finished, I had all the information I needed to keep the weight off, including all the great recipes. I had learned about foods that I really liked that would keep me healthy.
“One of the most important things NutriMost did for me was to educate me about how different foods were affecting me. You don’t see that in other programs. NutriMost taught me which foods would take me out of fat burning mode and put me back into fat making mode, so to speak. Those foods vary from person to person so you really have to know which foods affect you in that way. For some people pizza is bad. For other people, pizza is just fine. I learned that if I ate the wrong stuff, I immediately put on weight. I also learned that if I got right back on to the good foods I’d learned about on the program the weight came right back off.
“There are some serious side effects to the NutriMost program that people should be aware of. For example, my blood pressure dropped about 25 points and it’s now in the normal range at 120 over 77. Losing weight is also good for the joints. Prior to NutriMost, I had pain in the back, neck, elbows, and knees. After NutriMost, those joint pains were almost completely gone. Also, following an injury to my ankle I had pain for a year. Now I barely notice it. Other unanticipated side effects include better sleep with no snoring, a higher energy level, and an increased libido.”

Understanding Fat Metabolism
Unlike other weight loss programs, NutriMost analyzes fat metabolism. Fat metabolism is controlled by organs, hormones, neurotransmitters, vitamins, minerals, and metabolites. There are lots of moving parts and when they are not working together the way they should, the fat doesn’t get burned. If you never figure out why your body isn’t burning fat the way it should, efforts to lose weight will be very frustrating, as millions upon millions of people know.  

Courtesy of Vibrant Life
Phase One of NutriMost involves repairing the patient’s fat metabolism. After the fat metabolism is running properly, the body gets reset. We give people an in-depth understanding of how the system works, what throws the system off-course, and how to get back on track if that becomes necessary. With NutriMost, there are no magic pills that make people lose weight.  We equip patients with the nutritional weapons they need to succeed.
If you’d like to lose 20 pounds or more in just forty days, the NutriMost system can certainly help. Check out the written testimonials and the video testimonials. If you have questions about NutriMost, make an appointment and I will be happy to answer them.
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This article features the personal testimony of Hector, who lost 30 pounds on the NutriMost program. I have also discussed fat metabolism and how to fix it so the body burns fat the way it should.  
If you have a comment about this article, please leave it in the comments section below. If you know of someone who might benefit from the information in this blog, please share it with your friends and colleagues, and also on social media.
The Google Plus button and other social media sharing buttons are below.
At Vibrant Life, we address all of the key elements to add vibrance and vitality to your life. This includes nutrition, chiropractic care, and fitness. If you need to consult with a chiropractor about your neck, back, or any other health concern, please contact our office to set up an appointment.

Dr. Jon Thomas is a Board Certified Chiropractic Physician. His practice, The Vibrant Life Health Center, is located in the Mandarin section of Jacksonville. His interest in health and fitness started early, and his athletic pursuits have included BMX racing, Professional Snow Skiing, Water Skiing, Baseball, Weightlifting, and Martial Arts. After studying and learning from some of the top health experts throughout the world, Dr. Thomas dedicated his life to helping people of all ages to transform their lives. The objective for each patient is to initiate the body’s healing and to work progressively toward a body that functions optimally. Dr. Thomas is seen regularly on TV on First Coast Living, where he discusses the transformations of his patients. He also speaks at events throughout the community and writes informative articles to improve the health of residents throughout Jacksonville.