People need NUCCA! I sure do!  I’m so grateful for my NUCCA chiropractor.  I don’t know what I’d do without knowing how to get relief.  I had sharp pain into my trapezius and between my shoulder blades and into my neck.  It was worse with any type of movement and it completely kept me from enjoying my life the way I usually do.  It affected my physical body, but also my mood.

The interesting thing about my pain this week is that I also had two patients come in this week with almost identical pain as me and I was able to help them, too.  It’s a wonderful reminder to me of how cyclical the world is.  My chiropractor adjusted me and I was able to adjust my patients to get them functioning and feeling better. I wonder what they’ll be able to do now that their bodies are working optimally and they can think clearly again…

I love my job!  If you know of anyone with shoulder and neck pain, send them my way.  Together we can do amazing things.

In July 2008, I was interviewed by Dr. Richard Gracer of Gracer Medical Group in San Ramon, CA.  He was interested in the article published in the Journal of Human Hypertension, a peer-reviewed journal, regarding the study done at the University of Chicago showing that NUCCA reduces blood pressure.  The 50 person pilot-study showed that NUCCA reduced the blood pressure of the individuals who received treatment roughly the equivalent of two blood pressure medications taken in tandem, compared to the placebo group with essentially no change.

Here is the link to the interview: http://www.gracermedicalgroup.com/node/96

Enjoy!

Andrea Pritchett, D.C.

Before I talk about how easy the whole pregnancy, labor and delivery were, I want to make sure you know I am under NUCCA care.  That fact is the main thing that enabled me to get pregnant easily, the baby to grow healthy and strong, the pregnancy to be mostly without pain or discomfort, and for the labor and delivery to be smooth and quick. As an added bonus, pregnant women hold their alignment extremely well.

The only discomfort I had during pregnancy was hip soreness and aching while sleeping.  I would get stiff, and movement got more difficult with the extra weight I carried around, but no other pain.  I only had three or four days of very minor morning sickness very early in the pregnancy.

I worked up to the day Keaton was born, and part of adjusting is getting up and down off the floor to check the patient’s position on the table.  I also did a lot of squats at the office while seeing patients.  Adjusting my patients was not much different while pregnant than when I wasn’t.  Another benefit: it requires me to stay limber.

I started getting contractions around 4am on Wednesday, July 14th.  Everything continued progressing; there were no plateaus.  When my water broke at 9:30 am, we decided to go to Kaiser.  My fabulous doula, Stacy Hattori, was already at my house and she rode with us to the hospital.  When they examined me in triage, I was already 9 3/4 cm dilated.  Everyone worked as a fantastic team and Keaton was born quickly and uneventfully less than an hour after we walked in the front door.

It was such a wonderful experience.  Because I didn’t use any drugs, I was able to trust my body’s intuition and responsiveness, and my baby wasn’t drugged in any way when he was born.  Rather, he was able to push and maneuver effectively and was therefore born quickly and safely.  He was so alert, he even searched for his daddy’s face when he heard his voice.  Because I’d been under NUCCA care, my body was able to open up and move the way it needed to, and my hormones were being released properly to control the pain the way God intended.

With NUCCA, my mindset and purpose in pursuing and natural childbirth, my amazing doula, and my preparation with exercise and nutrition, along with the unparalleled support of my husband, we were able to welcome our son into this world calmly and beautifully.

I checked his spine, and although he had been holding his alignment for over three months, he needed an adjustment.  After adjusting his atlas utilizing the NUCCA technique, he slept for three hours.  For those who know what kind of napper he is, you’ll appreciate the accomplishment, as he usually only sleeps for 20-30 minutes at a time.

During sleep, the parasympathetic nervous system is active, allowing the body to heal.  After this incredible nap and an extended night of sleep, he was almost his normal self.  The cold never got too intense and he was able to breathe, even at night.

I’m very happy with how quickly his immune system worked to heal himself without allopathic medicine, by engaging the innate healing power that God gave him.  And, yes, NUCCA can be used on infants very safely and effectively.  My son’s first adjustment was when he was five hours old.

We never know if we may be the only one available to help someone. We all have talents that can be used as Christmas gifts or as gifts “just because.”  It may only take a moment to share some insight that may save someone’s life or improve their mental state.  It may take a few hours to teach someone a new skill, cook a meal for them or decorate or clean their house.  It may take $5.00 to buy someone a cup of coffee.  It only takes a few seconds to smile at a stranger or friend, or to say “I love you” to your family.

We get so busy, especially during the holidays, that we often forget the relational aspect of gift-giving and that the money spent does not necessarily make the gift valuable.

If you see someone whose health is failing, take a minute to tell them about NUCCA.  You could be giving them the gift of health.

We don’t usually know how much time we have on this planet, yet another reason to make the most of it.  Here are some reminders for myself as well as you.

1. Tell others what we appreciate about them. We influence others far more than we realize; they may need our encouragement or love.  Smile at a stranger; it may make a world of difference.
2. Our bodies are precious and need to be taken care of. It’s the only one we’ll ever have, and it has to last us as long as we’re on this planet, which may be a long time.  I have great-grandma who lived to be 107.  Can you imagine living that long with a body or mind that wasn’t appreciated or treated kindly as was therefore fatigued or failing?  Exercise, good nutrition, chiropractic and positive thinking will make a profound difference on how our bodies function.
3. Love ourselves. If we don’t love ourselves, how can someone else love us?  Appreciate and respect ourselves.  What we think about has a profound effect on our health.  Our thought processes will change the neurotransmitters released from our brains and affect our physical health.
4. From death comes life. Somehow.  We may not always know WHY someone was taken from us.  It may be revealed, but it may not.  There may be restored relationships.  Someone’s life may be sacrificed for another, such as the sacrifice the military men and women make for us.  It may be the memory of that individual spurring on a memorial fund for others.  It may simply be the memory of the individual affecting how one lives the rest of their life.
5. If we want to, we can improve someone else’s life by being outwardly-focused, loving and truthful. We may have decades left, but we may only have today.  Make a difference in someone’s life, just because.

Some people deal with pain daily and think it’s normal.  Some people don’t know how to find relief.

Some families live in a small home with everyone sharing rooms and other families live in mansions where there are plenty of extra rooms or even wings of the house that are not used.

I used to wear perfume and I loved it!  Now, I’m much more sensitive to fragrances.  Walking down the cleaning aisle of the grocery store was overwhelming to my olfactory glands (my nose).  I had to hold my breath.

Some women can walk in heals just as easily (so they say) as walking in tennis shoes.

New moms are exhausted, but soon adapt to the lack of sleep and function normally.

What is my point?

Our bodies can adapt to many stressors and situations – WITHIN LIMITS.

There are limitations to the malleability of our bodies.  There are limits to the amazing ability of our bodies to tolerate all we put them through.  Our bodies can heal themselves; they’ve been designed to do that.  Up to a point. When we abuse ourselves by over- or under-eating, over- or under-exercising, lack of sleep, high stress levels, chemicals we’re exposed to or that we eat,  or drugs that we take, some day our bodies will give out.  They can’t recover from all that we do without having some residual issues.

This is just like when Mom told us that she forgives us, but there are consequences.  There are consequences to our actions regarding our bodies.

Take care of your body!

• Eat properly; avoid toxins
• Sleep sufficiently
• Drink enough water
• Learn to relax; reduce stress
• Exercise regularly; have a routine and work up to it
• Get chiropractic adjustments as necessary

If you have any questions, feel free to call me and I can direct you.  I want everyone to increase their vitality!

There were many things I learned in the three day conference.  Some of them were technical skills: details of taking films, analyzing films and adjusting patients.  These were perhaps the most obvious things I learned, and certainly the things I attended the conference for.  I went to learn more details and to pick up more skill. 

In addition to that, I was inspired to become greater.  Not simply learning the details, but applying them.  I was reminded of the reason I apply them.  The joy of being a NUCCA doctor is to excel at my skill and continue to improve, being better able to take care of my patients and allow them to express life the way they were designed to.  I want to continue to improve so that YOU continue to improve!  I want to look at my skills critically and better myself every day. 

God has given me a gift.  My gift is to help your body heal.  I am not to simply take that gift and use it as it currently is, but to hone it, take care of it, and watch it grow.  What a powerful reminder!

I have always wanted to help people by becoming a doctor.  However, I never liked going to the doctor and didn’t like taking any painkillers or other medications.  In high school, my class took a tour of the local chiropractic school and I found out that chiropractic is more than getting rid of back and neck pain, but it actually helps people to be healthy without drugs and surgery.  I loved the idea!  

Once in college, I decided against medical school.  I began to think about chiropractic, but since I’d never been adjusted, I wasn’t ready to sign onto a chiropractic school program.  After I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry, I started working at a biotechnology company.  

A few months later, I was in a car accident and then started to see a chiropractor who did a traditional chiropractic technique.  I felt better but didn’t want to continue to see him as often as he wanted me to.  I then talked to a NUCCA chiropractor about his technique and began to get NUCCA adjustments.  It was amazing!  My body would heal itself and stabilize nicely!  Shortly after that, I decided that I had to do NUCCA.  I had to share that experience with other people.  I had to help people. 

I moved to the Bay Area and went to Life Chiropractic College West to get my Doctor of Chiropractic degree and then to practice NUCCA.  It has been a challenging, but extremely rewarding, journey.  Now I have the opportunity to share health information with others and to lay hands on them to allow the healing power to heal their bodies.  I wouldn’t trade it for anything!