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Dr. Zack's Health Blog

An ongoing series of informational entries about your health

Cupping Therapy? Is it the right choice for me

November 6, 2019

You may have seen elite athletes like Micheal Phelps with those big purple circles on his shoulders. Or maybe you have heard from a coworker that they love to get their back cupped. Cupping therapy is making some headlines and has some great health benefits. Cupping has been used for over 3000 years, originating from Chinese and Arab traditional medicine. 


In a recent press release, the NIH referred to a 2015 systematic review and meta-analysis of cupping that concluded, “cupping could be effective in treating the pain and disability associated with chronic neck pain and chronic low-back pain in the short term.” In a study of 70 patients suffering from tension and migraine headaches, the application of cupping improved 95 percent of the cases reducing the severity of the headaches by an average of 66 percent, and the patients experienced the equivalent of 12.6 fewer days of headache per month. Unquestionably, those results indicate cupping is a very safe and powerful non-pharmacological approach.


Cupping therapy works great in tandem with Chiropractic care. While the adjustment helps free up those joint restrictions, cupping works with the inflammatory process, to help promote healing in damaged musculature. Allowing you to start feeling relief quickly while your body's inflammatory process starts healing.


Headache!!!!

November 6, 2019

Headache Sufferers- Listen Up!

There are many different types of headaches, but one of the more common, and often debilitating, is a migraine headache.

A migraine headache is usually an intense, throbbing pain on one, or sometimes, both sides of the head. Most people with migraine headaches feel the pain in the temples or behind one eye or ear, ​although any part of the head can be involved. Besides pain, migraines also can cause nausea and vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound. Some people also may see spots or flashing lights or have a temporary loss of vision.

Migraine can occur at any time of the day, though it often starts in the morning. The pain can last a few hours or up to one or two days. Some people get migraines once or twice a week. Others, only once or twice a year. Here are some tips to help you from being one of the 29.5 million Americans who will experience a migraine this year:

1. Eat at regular intervals. Hunger is a migraine trigger. Avoid known food triggers, including chocolate, alcohol/wine/beer, dairy products, citrus, fried foods, pork, onions, tea/coffee, and seafood. Foods that contain nitrates, MSG or aspartame(NutraSweet) can trigger migraines.

2. Stay well hydrated with 6-8 glasses of water each day. Avoid caffeinated beverages.

3. Eat a diet rich in antioxidants and omega 3 fats.

4. Sleep 6-8 hours each night. Migraines have been linked to lack of sleep as well as excessive sleep.

5. Avoid strong odors like room deodorizers, perfume, and smoke.

6. Avoid spending time in rooms with fluorescent lighting or near computer monitors that flicker. Avoid glare. Have your eyes checked regularly by an optometrist to minimize the effects of eye strain. When using computer monitors, consider antiglare screens and proper lighting. Newer LCD and Plasma screens minimize flicker.

7. Avoid frequent use of over-the-counter medications as these have been shown to increase the likelihood of progressively more frequent “rebound headaches”.

If you suffer from headaches, we may be able to help. Chiropractic care is a proven treatment for many types of headaches including migraines. And our convenient hours and affordable fees won’t leave you with any other type of headache! 

Dr. Zack's Health Blog


Eat Veggies

Healthy Eating Habit #3

August 16, 2019

Eat more Vegetables

Now I know I sound like a nagging parent, but eating more vegetables can have a huge impact on your health. A recent study has shown that eating more vegetables decreases your risk for cardiovascular disease.

Try and eat each meal like the plate shown below, also try and eat the vegetables first. Eating this way you fill up on the nutritious foods at the start of the meal and usually, you are not as hungry at the end.

Another great way to eat more vegetables is to replace one of the snacks that you eat during the day to raw vegetables. Carrot sticks maybe some celery or be bold and eat radishes.

Healthy plate
Drink water

Healthy Eating Habit #2

July 30, 2019

Drink Water

Drink a lot of water. How much water? Follow the guide below for an estimate on how much water to drink every day. Drinking water has many health benefits:

1. Regulates your body temperature

2. Helps your body absorb nutrients

3. Removes waste and toxins

4. Cushions your joints

5. Helps deliver nutrients and oxygen to your cells

A couple of additional things about water drinking:

Pop or soda does not count as drinking water. These sugary drinks have been shown to dehydrate the body.

If you are having trouble drinking enough water, try and track your progress with a chart or an app on your phone.

For more information about healthy eating habits schedule an appointment with Dr. Zack @ 320-333-9391

Drinking water Chart
Meal Prep

Healthy Eating Habit #1

July 30, 2019

Meal Prepping

One of the biggest issues with eating a poor diet is convenience foods. An easy way to stop eating so many convenience foods is meal prepping. Meal prepping can be done in a few steps.

1. Choose recipes ahead of time. Focus on getting a mix of these macronutrients in addition to a serving of fruit or vegetable:

Lean proteins (chicken, fish, beans, yogurt)

Complex carbs (quinoa, rice, oats)

Healthy fats (Avacado, olive oil, nuts, seeds)

2. Pick a day of the week to do your groceries. Usually, this is best done before the work week starts, but find which day works best for you.

3. Invest in high-quality food containers. This will allow you to make healthy portions of your meals and take meals on the go. Make sure you get containers that are microwave-safe to allow for quick reheating.

4. Prep meals for the week. Set aside time to prepare meals for the next 3-5 days. After you finish cooking and portioning your meals refrigerate or freeze your meals. Most pre-made meals can last 3-4 days in the fridge.

5. Repeat weekly. Meal prep will soon become routine and you won’t even have to think before doing it.

If you would like some additional help, give Dr. Zack a call at (320) 333-9391 to schedule a nutrition appointment.

Weight Loss

Diet is a Scary Word

July 29, 2019

"Diet", wow that seems like a scary word. Let's look at what diet really means, and what it doesn't. Diet isn't just something you do when you want to try and lose weight, it's the foods we eat every day. Whether we eat fast food every meal or just vegetables and protein, what we eat is our diet. Very often when I ask someone what their diet is like they respond with, "I haven't dieted in years." "WHAT???!!! You haven't eaten any food in years!!" is my normal response back.

We need to change the way we look at diet and dieting. Eating a "Diet" is something we all do, eating a "Healthy Diet" full of lean proteins and plenty of veggies is something we should do. We all know that it's rather tough to eat a "healthy diet" all the time. Sometimes we need to start dieting to help learn "healthy diet" habits. We all need to be reminded of how to eat properly, without overeating or eating lots of unhealthy foods. If you are trying to start dieting and it's not teaching you healthy diet habits, you should maybe reconsider it, and look for an option that does.

This week we will talk about different ways to learn healthy eating habits.

Dr. Zack

First Blog Entry

July 18, 2019

Keep watching this page for a bunch of great information about chiropractic care, healthy lifestyle choices and diet reviews. 

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