Bright Life Chiropractic 912.777.3717

We would like to thank all of our incredible practice members for making this very different year a very wonderful one for our team. Seeing you each adjustment brightens all of our days! Serving you and your loved ones is such a gift to our entire team. We couldn't be more grateful for you trusting us with your health! Now more than ever, a healthy nervous system is vital for optimal health. We look forward to serving you for years to come. Happy New Year from our family, to yours!

Focus and hyperactivity challenges, sometimes diagnosed as attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), can make day-to-day life harder than it should be, especially for children! As children grow, these challenges can hinder their brain function, social skills, emotions, etc. As a result, we must do everything we can to make sure that they can develop as best as possible. . Rather than simply looking to "treat the symptom," a fundamental understanding of neurological...ly what is going on in these children is crucial to create a proper foundation for their health. A study on girls aged 8-11 who were diagnosed with ADHD sought to understand how their development influenced their diagnosis. The study found that girls with ADHD had an increased presence of "primitive reflexes" compared with their peers. Primitive reflexes, like the rooting reflex you may have seen in an infant as they are learning to breastfeed, while neurologically appropriate in infants, should disappear as the brain develops. These 8-11-year-old children's reflexes suggest a functional disconnection in development in children with ADHD and neurosensory challenges. . The understanding gained in this study is absolutely massive in making decisions to help our children. Pediatric chiropractic facilitates proper neurological development in children by correcting subluxations, which can act as choke points to vital sensory information transmitted from the body up to the brain. It is not uncommon to see primitive reflexes, like those in the study, improve with gentle and specific chiropractic care. When we start to view health challenges from a neurological perspective of "why" versus simply trying to correct the symptom, we can take health into our hands. With neurologically-based chiropractic care, we remove subluxation from interfering and allow the opportunity for the body to function at its’ best on its own!

The nervous system and immune system are closely related, not only in function but also in development. They are so closely related, in fact, that many scientists have begun referring to the "neuroimmune system" when addressing their function. . . This two-way relationship between the nervous and immune systems makes sense when we think about how the body functions. When we get "sick," we often feel lethargic, depressed, move slowly, and don't want to get out of bed. Scientis...ts refer to these emotional changes as "sickness behavior:" we feel that way because the immune system's activity stimulates the body to rest. From an evolutionary standpoint, when we are resting we are at less risk of encountering a predator and therefore have a greater chance of survival. In the opposite direction, when we are stressed, the nervous system stimulates the nervous system to activate. Our nervous system is primal and doesn't do a great job of differentiating from social stress to life-threatening stress. If we are under threat from a predator, the immune system will naturally activate preemptively because predatory stress is associated with an increased risk of injury, and injury means possible infection. . . While this symphony and coordinated function in the body is beautiful, health challenges arise when we don't properly adapt to chronic stresses. If our immune system didn't properly develop due to lack of exposure, excessive use of medication like antibiotics throughout a lifetime, or other possible challenges, "sickness behavior" can become more of an everyday state as the immune system isn't strong enough to combat a pathogen. In the other direction, as immune stimulation from stress becomes chronic, autoimmune challenges from overactivation of the immune system can begin to arise. While we can treat either of these situations with medication, it is clear that adaptability is key. Chiropractic care helps our body better adapt to the physical, chemical, and emotional traumas we are bound to encounter daily. By helping us regain control of our nervous system, we can regain control of our health. See more

The healthiest people that I know have an empty medicine cabinet. Medication, while life-saving at times, has a role in treating sickness, not promoting health. Typically one medication can become many quickly as our health spirals, so researchers study this concept of "polypharmacy" to understand how it impacts our health long term. . . A recent study on polypharmacy (using multiple medications designed for helping one illness) looked at the health of elderly participants wh...o had at least 1 medication subscription without being hospitalized the year prior. Almost 50% of these individuals were on multiple medications. The researchers found that the more medications the participant was taking, the more hospitalizations they experienced and the shorter their life expectancy. . . While medications are a useful tool in fighting symptoms, they should be used as a last resort, not a first option. When we put our energy into creating health, we, by design, prevent relying on medication in the future. Every positive health decision we make today is an investment in our future selves. If we can correct how we function at the source, those symptoms no longer have a reason to exist! This means fewer or no medication is necessary at all! Improving our health and function should always come first! See more

Our emotions are more than emotions! They are created and tied to the physical body through chemical reactions and processes that occur. For example, when we feel happiness, that is our... body’s dopamine helping us feel that! . . Our body’s natural processes are housed and controlled by the nervous system. Our nervous system acts as our body’s main communication line, and every part of our body relies on our nervous system to keep functioning. So, if that line of communication becomes blocked, it’s hard for our body to function optimally, and we experience dysfunction! While many people understand that the brain's dopamine uptake is important, new research sheds light on how many of these receptors are located in the spinal cord! No wonder so many individuals under chiropractic care state they feel less anxious, depressed, and overall feel happier! . . Knowing that our body’s ability to regulate dopamine is important, we know that a properly functioning nervous system is necessary for optimal dopamine regulation. With the help of neurologically-based chiropractic care, we can remove any interference (subluxation) from the nervous system and allow our nervous system the chance to function as optimally as possible! See more

Our mental health plays a big role in our overall health. When we don’t emotionally feel at our best, we can find ourselves feeling removed from our day-to-day social lives, jobs, school, physical activities, etc. The same can also be said for the other way around. If we don’t physically feel at our best, we can start to have feelings of loneliness, depression, anxiety, etc., that take a toll on our mental and emotional wellbeing. This strong connection between the mind and t...he body isn’t anything new. . . Knowing how strongly connected the mind and body are means that when we are looking for ways to optimize our health, we need to take steps that cover us from both physical and mental health perspectives. For this reason, care such as chiropractic care is on the rise! Not only does correcting subluxation (misalignments of the spine that cause interference in the nervous system) allow us to feel better, but it helps the body achieve a state of 'ease' and has massive positive implications on our mental health! . . With daunting trends in health care ahead, individuals are taking more proactive steps to achieve the health of their choosing. A 2017 study conducted on the elderly found that there had been a 5% increase in mind-body therapies, including chiropractic care, since 2012! As we get older, we find ourselves feeling more and more limited, which can lead to a negative mental health state, but it doesn’t have to be that way! No wonder so many thousands of chiropractic patients have reported changes in various mental health challenges, from depression to anxiety to substance abuse disorders. Compared to standard pharmacological treatments that focus on decreasing the symptom versus improving health, chiropractic care does not have side effects that standard medications can. it’s also non-invasive. It has been proven to be a safe, effective, and gentle form of care that allows you to function at your best from the inside out!

There are cases in which decreasing immune system activity can be helpful. For instance, immunosuppression is used in cases of organ transplants to keep the body from rejecting the transplant. However, nobody should be walking around with an improperly functioning immune system ordinarily. A reduction in immune system response means an increased risk for our health. We are then susceptible to a variety of illnesses and diseases. When our body is unable to fight back, we are u...nable to overcome these illnesses. . . Scientists recently researched the nervous system’s role in the immune system and how it can play a role in reversing immunosuppression in patients. In their studies, the scientists gave growth hormone to two groups of immunosuppressed subjects. One group had a cut vagus nerve, whereas the other did not. The group who had the cut vagus nerve saw no change in immunosuppression after the growth hormone was administered. The group who did not have a cut vagus nerve received the growth hormone, and their immunosuppression was reversed! This shows the importance of the nervous system in immune system function. . . This research emphasized the role the vagus nerve and the nervous system play in our health. Without a properly functioning nervous system, all of our other attempts can fail/ Fundamentally, we must lay a proper foundation for our health before adding external factors. If we aren’t functioning optimally at our core, our body can’t appropriately respond to any other factors! A healthy and optimally functioning nervous system is the building block we need for success! See more

Opioids are a global issue. Unfortunately, the opioid crisis is impacting many people around the globe. When we feel pain, turning to highly addictive pain medication can put us at risk of being unable to turn back away from that medication. Highly addictive medication can become hard to leave behind, even after the physical pain is gone. Across the world, people die every day from opioids, and even more are hospitalized every day for opioid addiction. . . As a result, lookin...g for other forms of care and avoiding unnecessary use of opioid medication is important. For this reason, non-surgical and nonpharmaceutical forms of care are on the rise! In particular, chiropractic care has become a major source of healthcare for individuals seeking a better route. Rather than turning to external medications, patients turn to chiropractic care to restore optimal function and health. . . In fact, studies have shown that patients who see a chiropractor within 30 days of a spinal pain diagnosis decrease their risk of opioid addiction dramatically. In military professionals where chiropractic care is implemented, a 59% reduction in painkillers was found. This emphasizes how effective chiropractic care is when implemented in our healthcare plans! See more

Join us tomorrow for ice cream and adoptable kittens/puppies! Can’t wait to see you there!

Bright Life Chiropractic is looking to expand our team. We are a high volume, fast-paced chiropractic health care facility serving the families of the Greater Savannah area. We specialize in care for the pregnant mother and infants and see everyone, all the way to seniors. We have extensive in office training for the chiropractic assistant position. Job duties include, but are not limited to: making and receiving phone calls, scheduling appointments, patient history taking, b...rief patient examination, potential to take x-rays (will provide training and certification), assisting the doctors with necessary duties, front desk office duties, etc. Qualities of an ideal candidate include: willingness and motivation to learn new things, excellent customer service skills, flexibility in hours (**evenings and some weekends required), a team player, a dedicated and loyal individual who seeks a position of longevity, a creative and innovative mind, a definite multi-tasker, someone who loves serving others, and a compassionate heart. Bilingual is a plus, but not required. Previous medical/chiropractic experience not required. This is not a typical 9-5 job. Our hours vary and eligible candidates must be able to work 1-2 weekends per month, as well as, staying until 9pm one to two Nights during the work week.

It’s not a secret that sleep is a necessary part of our everyday life, and without it, we feel run down. We need to provide our body with meaningful rest for the body to rest & repair itself day after day! Our brain function, in particular, needs sleep as a reduction in sleep can disrupt the body’s normal processes. . . Insomnia is commonly found among elderly adults. Additionally, Dementia is considered another one of the most common diseases among the elderly and is a leadi...ng cause of disability, with Alzheimer’s as the most common form of dementia. Unfortunately, neurodegenerative diseases can decrease our brain function, and we must take extra care to help keep optimal function as much as possible. It can bring on forgetfulness, loss of ability to track time, difficulty with problem-solving and language, difficulty recalling, and recognition difficulties. Studies have proven how important sleep is to learning and memory functions time and time again. As children grow and develop, we know that they need sleep to help their brain function grow as they learn. So, it makes sense that we carry that over into adulthood. Studies have shown that over time, a lack of sleep can be detrimental to brain function through disruption to the body’s natural biochemical processes. . . Neuroinflammation plays a major role in the degeneration process. Without proper sleep, the body is unable to regulate this process properly. To help us keep our brains functioning optimally as much as we can, we need to make sure that the nervous system can regulate the necessary processes within our body properly. With the help of neurologically-based chiropractic care, the nervous system can function without interference and perform functional processes optimally! See more

Disc herniation is linked to long-term inflammation. In fact, in a recent study conducted, of 40 patients with lumbar disc herniation, 28% demonstrated inflammation. Researchers were able to predict whether or not someone had inflammation based on their disc herniation and level of associated symptoms!. . This information further emphasizes the connection of inflammation to disc herniation and allows us to gain a better understanding of how to work on the prevention of disc h...erniation. Inflammation is part of the body's normal immune response and is mediated by the Vagus nerve. Many studies have demonstrated that the improper function of the nervous system can lead to widespread inflammation in the body. To help improve inflammation, we need to ensure that our body is adequately equipped to control it! . . Neurologically-based chiropractic care emphasizes caring for the nervous system by removing any interference that can cause disruptions to the way we function. Through removing this interference, the nervous system can adequately handle inflammation, reducing the risks for disc herniation due to long-term inflammation later on! See more

Muscle contractions can come from a variety of places and can range in level of severity. When muscle contractions are more severe, they can lead to twisting, repetitive movements, and painful postures known as cervical dystonia. This can make living a high-quality day-to-day life very difficult for those who suffer. . . While there are options for treatment that have proven to help provide relief, they are not always the best choice. The injection of botulinum toxin (Botox) ...has been found to help reduce pain clinically; however, the injections are expensive and hard to keep up with. To find a more accessible form of care, a case study was conducted recently. A 14-year old girl with a 1-year history of suffering from dystonia presented to chiropractic care. She had a left head tilt and reports of neck pain. At the start of the dystonia onset, she reported only occasionally feeling a tremor and pulling feeling on the right side of her neck. She was then prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication and muscle relaxants, which was reported to show no improvements at all. The condition continued to progress in a matter of months to the point where her symptoms were more severe. She began to experience psychological and mental symptoms, such as becoming socially withdrawn, developing anxiety and depression, and being overall unhappy. . . Once presenting to chiropractic care, the patient began to see improvements finally! Over 3 months, chiropractic adjustments were administered 3 times per week to help her nervous system get back to optimal function in hopes that optimal function would allow for improvement. After this period, adjustments were reduced to twice a week for 3 more months. After just 1 week, she reported that her neck spasms and pain were significantly reduced. Over the course of care, her posture improved, and her muscular hypertrophy headaches and pain dissolved. At 9 months since starting care, she remained symptom-free! Chiropractic care allows our body to function at its’ best, giving us our best chance! See more

Allergies can place a large burden on us. Whether they be seasonal or year-round, we can find ourselves altering our day-to-day lives to accommodate our allergies and find even a tiny bit of relief. While we can reach for allergy medications in hopes of finding some relief, to truly find our best relief, we need to understand the way our allergies work on a functional basis and where they might be stemming from. . . Allergies are a result of a respiratory disorder. However, r...esearchers are finding that the issue goes beyond just respiratory systems. In fact, researchers have found that poor gut health can play a big role in respiratory disease through the gut-airway axis. Suffering from constipation can lead to poor balance in gut bacteria. To better understand the link between the two, researchers identified 57,786 patients suffering from constipation issues and compared them to 57,786 people who did not. When compared, it was found that those who suffered from constipation issues were more likely to have respiratory allergies than those who did not! The bottom line is that poor plumbing leads to poor health. Kids don't typically grow out of one issue; rather, they grow into another! . . Pediatric chiropractors have a unique role in our society's health by allowing our children to be better adapt to the chemical, physical, and emotional stresses they experience. If we notice constipation, or other challenges, at an early rate, it's a sign that something more can be going on. By taking the time to correct subluxation and allow our children to heal, we set them up for a world of health and opportunity. See more

Hey Bright Life friends, meet Biz! . . . She is one of the coordinators over at the Humane Society of Greater Savannah. We are so excited to be partnering with her for our adoptions event on Friday, October 23 from 2PM-430PM. ... . . Can’t wait to see you there! See more

Scoliosis can be incredibly hard on children as they are growing and developing, emphasizing the need for correction as early on as possible. A case study conducted recently focused on a 12-year old girl who found herself suffering from headaches after facing a head-on collision during a game of lacrosse. She presented to chiropractic care where she was assessed, and scoliosis of her spine was revealed. The goal for her care plan was to restore proper function to her spine an...d nervous system so her body could heal at its potential and reduce her symptoms of dysfunction headaches! . . Over the next 28 days, she was adjusted by her chiropractor before reevaluating. At the time of reassessment, improvement in her scoliosis was noted at a 45% reduction in thoracic curve as well as a 53.5% reduction in lumbar dextroscoliosis. She also noted an improvement in her headaches! With the help of chiropractic care, the body can get back to where it needs to be! When the body operates at its’ best, it functions at its’ best and, therefore, often decreases those symptoms of dysfunction that we feel! It’s vital that we listen when our body is telling us there is something is wrong! See more

ore and more commonplace and "normal." While many women are opting for the most natural birth possible, many others aren't aware of their options. So, when birth results in intervention, are there side effects we should be aware? . . Recently, data from 178 cases of consecutive infant births from 2010 were reviewed. While shoulder dysfunction was commonly noted in general, it was found to be more prevalent in cases of infants who were born via C-section than those born throug...h vaginal birth. With this data in mind, we must take the steps after birth to ensure that the baby’s & mom’s nervous system's function is as optimal as possible! The more intervention is needed in the birthing process, the more important it becomes to get checked for subluxation and remove both mom & baby's interference. Subluxation interferes with the nervous system’s ability to function, and as a result, our overall bodily function becomes impaired! Through neurologically-based chiropractic care, we can remove interference and restore optimal function See more

Thyroid issues and diseases have increased across the United States, with around 20 million people in the US suffering from any form of thyroid disease. It’s also estimated that 12% of Americans will develop a thyroid condition at some point in their life. While thyroid diseases are on the rise, understanding of thyroid diseases is lacking. . . The nervous system controls and coordinates the function of everything in the body, including the thyroid gland. As such, a recent ca...se study published in a chiropractic journal helps us gain a better understanding of the underlying connection between the thyroid and the nervous system. The patient in the study was a 61-year-old woman who had suffered for two years with hypothyroidism and was suffering a slew of symptoms, including lack of energy and weight gain. . . The patient was managed under chiropractic care, where subluxation (interference of the nervous system) was located. The goal of care was to remove subluxation so that her nervous system could function optimally, hopefully improving the function of her thyroid and reducing symptoms of dysfunction. Just 30 days into care, she reported an increase in energy and more stability in her weight! After two months of care, her medical doctor ran bloodwork, and her tests showed that her hormones had balanced out to normal ranges, meaning her thyroid’s function had improved! See more

Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMJD) are caused by a dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and impact around 30% of the adult population. As a result of this dysfunction, someone suffering can feel pain and discomfort around the TMJ, headaches, abnormal joint movement like clicking, and more. Other factors can aggravate this pain and these symptoms of dysfunction. . . A recent case study of a 36-year-old woman noted that her TMJ pain was particularly aggravated... by sleeping, movement, and straining motions. This made her pain a prominent factor in her life and greatly reduced her quality of life. At rest, she ranked her pain a numerical 7 out of 10, and with activities, it became a 9 out of 10. She presented to chiropractic care, where she was assessed for subluxation (interference of the nervous system function). Over the course of 8 weeks, chiropractic adjustments were administered to restore optimal function. At the end of care, she reported that her pain was completely gone and had not returned. . . While TMJD can be hard to approach in terms of care as they are often comprised of many factors, all of those factors have one thing in common: dysfunction occurs at the base level. While many therapies exist focusing on reducing pain, such as needling therapies, facial injections, and even surgery, this isn’t always the best option. Rather than focusing on treating and improving each symptom individually, the attention should be focused on improving function! When we improve function, we start to see the disappearance or decrease in the symptoms of dysfunction, allowing us to live a healthier, more optimal quality of life! See more

Join us next Friday, October 23rd from 2-430PM for our Dr. Ben and Jared’s Ice Cream and Adoption Day! . . We are so excited to be partnering with The Humane Society of Greater Savannah and other local shelters to find these ADORABLE pets their fur ever homes. See you there!

Childhood is a crucial time for growth and development. Children are constantly building fundamental thinking skills, motor skills, social skills, and more. Their experiences from childhood help shape the adult that they become later on. The same can be said for their health! If they suffer from poor health in childhood that remains unresolved, they carry that poor health into adulthood and, as a result, can lead to a lower quality of life. This can impact them socially, in their education and careers, and in their physical and mental health. . . Adjusting subluxations in children, before symptoms have the opportunity to manifest, is great not only for their short term health but also their growth and development.

One thing that we notice in chiropractic offices is that children do not simply "grow out" of one problem, instead they typically "grow into" a different problem. If the cause of an issue is not corrected, it remains to disrupt other functions of the body. With torticollis, subluxation is often present, which causes the head to move into that position. Recently, a case study was published regarding a three week- old child whose mother brought her to the chiropractor after fee...ling a nodule in her neck. It was also noted that the birthing process was difficult for the mother, a major cause of subluxation. . . Given that torticollis is a significant risk factor for plagiocephaly, she wanted to make sure she gave her infant the best care possible. After beginning to correct subluxation with chiropractic care, the infant girl was found to have 90% of her range of motion back and was also able to hold her head in a neutral position! After continued care, she was able to move her left arm freely and grab things, and the nodule her mother noted in her neck was completely gone! Chiropractic care works to restore the nervous system and body to where it can reach optimal function. With optimal function, our body works to restore and heal itself! See more

One of the most common changes people see when starting neurologically-based chiropractic care is an improvement in sleep! Subluxation causes our body to get stuck in a "stress" mode and limits how well we can rest and digest. By gently and specifically correcting subluxation with chiropractic adjustments, we are giving our body its’ best chance at getting the proper sleep it needs! It is no wonder that after chiropractic care, patients get better sleep and feel better their body is getting the rest it needs to heal and function properly!

YOU’RE INVITED! . . Join us for Dr Ben and Jared’s Ice Cream and Adoption Day! We will have ice cream, puppy snuggles, and a pretty cool grand prize! Bring your kids and family after schools gets out and share the afternoon with us! .... . WHERE: Bright Life Chiropractic 2 Park of Commerce Blvd, Suite D in Savannah! WHEN: Friday, October 23rd, 2020 TIME: 2PM-430PM . . See you there! See more

All about ZINC! . . . Listen in to Dr. Ben discuss some of the benefits of zinc.

Our brain works hard every single day to process both internal and external factors. Our senses work with our brains to process sight, touch, smell, sound, and taste. Our mind is also subconsciously working to keep our body functioning and moving. Even when we aren’t thinking about these processes our brain does the work for us! . . Knowing this, it’s safe to say that our brain function is essential. It works with the rest of our nervous system to ensure that our bodies can... keep going. Without it, our body wouldn’t be able to signal internally to perform essential functions that keep us alive such as breathing! We must ensure that the connection between the brain and nervous system are functioning to the best it possibly can, without any interference! This is where neurologically-based chiropractic care comes in. Neurologically-based chiropractic care works to remove interference (subluxation) from the nervous system so that the nervous system can function optimally. See more