El Salvador Mission Trip 2010

I just returned from a chiropractic mission trip to El Salvador, and to say it was an eye opening experience would be a drastic understatement. The term ‘life-changing’ would be more appropriate – it flipped my world completely upside-down on every level: professionally, personally, and spiritually. My expectations were exceeded in every way imaginable. Humility, gratitude, and confidence are my immediate emotions, but the overall impact of the trip will likely be fully realized throughout the course of my lifetime.

I must admit that my intentions of this pilgrimage were not completely selfless. One of my main objectives was to gain invaluable clinical experience, especially in the adjusting aspect of care. In this category, mission accomplished: I personally adjusted nearly 400 people and cared for over 3,000 Salvadorians that came to our site for chiropractic care. However, this was just a small part of what I gained through the experience. I helped change the lives on a personal level, community level, and national level within the course of my one week residence. I was part of a group of 25 chiropractors & students who made an impact on the collective consciousness of a nation, one that will continue to resonate in the coming months, years and decades.

The main thing I noticed among the people of El Salvador is how grateful they were for the care. They valued our efforts and the impact we made on their lives in the short time we had together. From infants to elderly patients, cerebral palsy children to women who suffer from lupus and other disorders, we cared for everyone who walked in the door- regardless of appearance, social status, hygiene, race, gender, nationality, or religion. Doctors put down their stethoscopes to get adjusted. Government employees loosened their ties to kneel down on the table. Homeless men and women were welcomed with open arms. No one was turned away.

And they were grateful indeed -- we received countless gifts, food, blessings, hugs, and smiles. We talked to them about chiropractic and its global effects on health and they actually got it! By the third day, there were over 100 people lining up outside our site at 8am when we arrived. By the fourth day – over 200, and by the fifth day – over 300 people in line! What if this is what it was like in America? People lined up for chiropractic care rather than for prescription pills? A glorious and refreshing notion to consider.

One of my major take-aways from the experience was that I need to figure out a way to provide care to people who need it but can’t afford it, without jeopardizing the business. To give for the sake of giving, to love for the sake of loving, to serve for the sake of serving….out of abundance. This is the Lasting Purpose of Chiropractic.

I am so honored and grateful to be a part of an unbelievable group of chiropractors and students who helped serve the country of El Salvador through chiropractic this past week. A special thanks to Dr. Shawn Dill for organizing the trip – his vision is too big to be ignored and too powerful to be contained. I also want to thank Dr. Jason Gonzales and soon-to-be Dr. Mylene Hopf, whom I worked with directly: you made my experience as complete as I could have hoped for.

Until next year….muchos gracias y Dios bendice las personas de El Salvador!

Why Breastfeeding is Best

• Breastmilk provides all the nutrients needed in the first six months of life
• Breastfed babies have low rates of diarrhea and few respiratory diseases
• Human milk offers protection against chronic diseases
• Breastfeeding comforts baby and fosters psychological closeness between mother and child
• Many nursing mothers lose weight easily after giving birth
• Hormones produced while nursing help the uterus contract
• Breastfeeding may be protective against breast cancer
• Breastfed babies have better tooth and mouth development
• Breastfeeding protects against food allergies

*Taken from Judy F. Wilson, Director, Nutrition Services Staff, Office of Analysis, Nutrition and Evaluation, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA

Exercise Tips

• Functional strength training is best to maximize performance in activities of daily living. This means moving away from machine resistance training (which only works 1/2 of the kinetic chain) and towards resistance with full ranges of motion in a functional position, such as standing. Examples include squats, lunges, and push-ups. (1)
• Studies have shown that using unstable platforms during strength training help best recruit trunk stabilizers & postural muscles. These muscles function to help keep the body balanced and supported through all types of movement and activity. (2)
• The 'Superman' exercise (either on the stability ball or on hands and knees) has been shown to be the most effective trunk-stabilizer exercise for back stabilizer activation, and the 'Side Bridge' (with elbow and forearm as stabilization) has been shown to be best for lower abdominal muscle activation. (3)
• Those who incorporate core stability exercise in prevention & rehab of lower extremity injuries (such as ankle sprains and knee injuries) have been shown to be 5x more likely to return to vigorous sports activities compared to those who did not incorporate this type of program. (4)
• Complex movement activities like yoga, tai-chi, and playing piano have been shown to help exercise the neural networks in your brain and improve cognitive function. (5)

1. Santana JC, MEd, CSCS. Functional Training: Breaking the Bonds of Traditionalism, 2007 (DVD).

2. Norwood JT, Anderson GS, Gaetz MB, et al. Electromyographic Activity of the Trunk Stabilizers During Stable and Unstable Bench Press. J Strength Conditioning Res. 2007; 21(2): 343-347.

3. Behm DG, Leonard A. Trunk muscle electromyographic activity with unstable & unilateral exercises. J Strength Conditioning Res 2005;19:193-301.

4. Willardson J. Core Stability Training: Applications to Sports Conditioning Programs. J Strength Conditioning Res 2007;21:979-85.

5. Ratey JJ, MD. Spark. NY: Little Brown, 2008.