The Upper Cervical Blog: More Energy for Healing?

The Upper Cervical Blog: More Energy for Healing?: How to Get More Energy for Healing, Digestion, and Thinking by Dr. Brandon Harshe “Better than 90% of the brain’s output is directed towards maintaining your body in its gravitational field. Therefore, the less energy one spends on one’s posture, the more energy is available for healing, digestion and thinking.” -Roger Sperry, 1981 Nobel Prize winner for brain research...

This is a great blog post about what is done at Vital Force Clinic in St. Louis. If you need a St. Louis Chiropractor check out our website.

Stay warm out there,
Dr. B

Thanksgiving Food Drive

We are hosting a food drive to benefit KirkCare. We are accepting non-perishible food items in our waiting room. As a bonus... if you have a friend or family member that may have a health concern, for a food donation we will do our whole new patient exam and x-rays for $27. This expires the week of Thanksgiving.

Need a St. Louis Chiropractor? Call 314-596-4070 today. Vital Force Clinic 10028 Manchester Road St. Louis, MO 63122.

"My Personal Battle with Drugs..."

Many of us have struggled with drugs. Let me tell you my story.

Ten years ago I was struggling with chronic illness. Even in high school I could remember thinking that I wouldn’t make it to my thirties. I was in constant pain in my back, neck and head. This probably led to the depression which actually ended up being worse than the pain. I was dependent on the giant Sam’s Club sized bottle of Advil that would always be empty too soon. Depression medications were my lifeline but I never felt quite like myself on them. Before I knew what I know now, drugs were my only escape from problems. And then something miraculous happened and I no longer need the drugs to live my life. But I still struggle with the question in my profession, Why is there such a craving for the ‘quick fix’ of drugs in this country?

These days I no longer keep the drug companies in business but I’m still fighting the same kind of battle. Let’s face it, as a society we are ‘hooked’ on drugs, both the illegal and the legal ones. Most people don’t know that it’s the legal ones that kill many times more people than the illegal ones.

The ‘quick fix’ mentality (not a true fix at all) is still common, but the good news is that things are changing. People just like you are getting smarter. I recently read that the pharmaceutical industry is now rethinking their strategy, because the medical profession and prescription drugs usually only deal with symptoms, and not the cause of sickness. Chiropractors have dealt with a cause for 116 years now, and have never wavered. And guess what! Now there are more visits to ‘alternative’ health care providers than ‘traditional’ ones.

6 years ago upper cervical chiropractic care saved me from headaches, chronic pain, and depression. The adjustments are gentle and patients don’t feel or hear a pop. I now do my best to help others with the same problems, as well as people with, migraines, neck pain, shoulder/arm pain, whiplash from car accidents, backaches, ear infections, asthma, allergies, numbness in limbs, and digestive problems just to name a few.

Oh, about the photo. Those are my precious kiddos Alexandra on the left and Addison on the right. These kids are a lot of work but one thing they don’t do much of is get sick. They have never been on antibiotics and don’t take any medications. I’m not saying they never get sick, but when they do have a sniffle or a fever the first thing I do is check them to see if they need an adjustment.

Here’s what some of my patients had to say:

“I used to have low back pain all the time… I used to be cranky and in pain and would lay on the couch all evening. I feel like I have my life back because I am no longer in pain… everyone around me mentions how much happier I am.”(Cathy Panopoulos- St. Louis)

“My neck pain was extremely severe when I first came to Dr. Bagley. I had frequent headaches in the base of my skull and even my immune system and attention span were not what they could be. Amazingly, upper cervical adjustments have helped me in all of these areas.” (Erin B. –Kirkwood)

“When I came in I was limping from a previous broken hip and my legs were different lengths. Since getting adjusted, I can walk almost perfectly and I feel generally better. I am so thankful for Dr. Bagley.” - (Marilyn Davis- Ballwin)

“I went from taking 5-6 pain pills a day to maybe 1 or 2 a week in a very short time. This care has changed my life.” (Angela P- Brentwood)

Forty-eight million Americans no longer have health insurance, and those who do have found that their benefits are reduced. That’s where chiropractic comes in. Many people find that they actually save money on their health care expenses by seeing a chiropractor. Another way to save… published, peer-reviewed research indicates that the immune system may be enhanced by chiropractic adjustments. The immune system is the system that helps the body fight colds, the flu, and many other sicknesses. Although all people respond differently to care, maybe you won’t be running off to the doctor as much once you start chiropractic. This is especially important if you are self-employed. And, an entire week of care in my office may cost what you could pay for one visit elsewhere.

You Benefit from an Amazing Offer- Look, it shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg to correct your health. You are going to write a check to someone for your health care expenses, you may as well write one for a lesser amount for chiropractic. When you bring in this article, you will receive my entire new patient exam for $27. That’s with x-rays, paraspinal thermal imaging….the whole ball of wax. This exam could cost you $200 elsewhere. But, please call right away because this offer expires on August 9, 2011, and I don’t want you to miss out. By the way, further care is very affordable and you’ll be happy to know that I have affordable family plans. You see I’m not trying to seduce you to come see me with this low start up fee, then to only make it up with very high fees after that. Further care is very important to consider when making your choice of doctor. High costs can add up very quickly. By law, this offer excludes Medi-care/Medicaid patients.

Great care at a great fee…Please, I hope that there’s no misunderstanding about quality of care just because I have a lower exam fee. You’ll get great care at a great fee. My qualifications…I’m a Cum Laude graduate of SLU. I’m a graduate of the prestigious Logan College of Chiropractic. I’ve been entrusted to take care of tiny babies to great-grandparents and possibly even your neighbors. I opened up this location in 2008 and live in Rock Hill. I just have that low fee to help more people who need care.

My assistant is Michelle, and she is a really great person. Our office is both friendly and warm and we try our best to make you feel at home. We have a wonderful service, at an exceptional fee. Our office is called Vital Force Clinic and it is at 10028 Manchester Road (at Sappington) in Glendale. Our phone number is 314-596-4070 and the website is www.vitalforceclinic.com Call Michelle or me today for an appointment. We can help you.

Thank you.
-Beth Bagley, D.C.

P.S. When accompanied by the first, I am also offering the second family member or friend this same examination for only $10.

P.P.S. Your time is as valuable as mine is. That’s why I have a “no-wait” policy. That means we do everything possible to make sure you are seen within just a few minutes of your appointment.

Need a St. Louis Chiropractor. Call our office we can help! 314-596-4070

The Caloric Mistake that Doubles Your Risk of Getting Fat

Artificial Sweeteners like Splenda use deceptive advertising and holes in FDA policies to deceive the public. Did you know consuming artificial sweeteners can cause distortions in your biochemistry, and if you drink diet soda in an attempt to lose weight, they won't help you. Instead, most studies looking at this show very clearly that diet soft drinks actually double your obesity risk by stimulating your appetite, increasing carbohydrate cravings, and stimulating fat storage!

More Deception:
Splenda is not a zero calorie product. In every little yellow death pouch (yes I’m dramatic) there are actually 4 calories. Sucralose (Splenda) is about 600 times sweeter than sugar, so if it was sold by itself we would only need a few grains to sweeten our coffee. So they added a bulking/diluting agent made of a type of SUGAR! So each packet really contains 4 calories which may not seem like a big deal if you are using one packet, but I know of plenty of diabetics that are using 10 or more packets a day, and that can have a dramatic effect on blood sugar levels.

What is it doing to our insides?
The animal study, published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, found that Splenda:
Reduced good intestinal bacteria by 50%, Increase pH levels and effected a glycoprtein that could have health effects especially people on certain medications. There are no long-term health studies to evaluate the health effects of chronic exposure to splenda (sucralose) which means your family could be the guinea pigs.

What other symptoms could be associated with the use of this drug?
The studies did show a strong association with migraine headaches in humans. In animals there were decreased red blood cells, increased male infertility, brain lesions (very high doses), Spontaneous abortions in nearly half the rabbit population given sucralose, compared to zero aborted ptregnancies in the control group, and a 23% death rate in rabbits vs a 6% death rate in the control group.

I’m convinced that splenda is a poison and is not as great as the corporations want you to believe. Do your own research and make your own decisions… its in a lot of things you may have once thought were healthy (breads, sugar chewing gum, children’s OTC medications, health drinks like 5 hour energy, supplements like Airborne and many more). If you want to avoid this for your family make sure to read the labels for Sucralose and/or Splenda. Other artificial sweeteners I also avoid are Aspertame (NutraSweet, Equal) and Saccharine (Sweet’N Low).

Yours in Health,
Dr. B


Need a Saint Louis Chiropractor? Call 314-596-4070
Vital Force Clinic
10028 Manchester Road
Saint Louis, MO 63122

The Young Woman's Breast Cancer Program

Vital Force Clinic invites you to support The Young Women's Breast Cancer Program at Rosemary Grove's Kirkwood location. Rosemary Grove is located at 101 A Argonne in downtown Kirkwood across from the train station.

This fundraiser will be held on Sunday, June 12th from 10am-6pm. You will get 20% of all art, gifts, jewelry, purses, skincare, make-up and health & wellness products! The 20% that you save will be donated to YWBC.

Special events will be taking place from 11am-1pm. You can enjoy mini anti-aging facials, 3 minute chair massages, Chiropractic posture checks, advice and tips from a cancer exercise specialist and enter a drawing to win a "Fab Facebook Photo Event"

This common problem can make you fat and forgetful!

We live complex and busy lives. Many of us wonder how we can get just a few more hours out of the day. The problem is to do that we sacrifice the easiest way to stay optimally healthy. Sleep deprivation is a key factor in many health problems including obesity. There are several ways to help you sleep better but insomnia can be an issue with many people. Insomnia is defined as the inability to fall asleep or to remain asleep long enough to feel rested, especially when this is a problem that continues over time. Whether it is by choice or because of insomnia, sleep deprivation does cause processes in the body become less optimum.

Why would less sleep cause us to get fat? Sleep-deprived individuals tend to eat more sweet and starchy foods. Researchers suspect the cravings stem from the brain being fueled by glucose (blood sugar) so our brain is searching for carbs. There is also a hormone called leptin which tells your brain that there is no need for more food. Leptin is reduced when we have sleep deprivation. So it makes sense that less sleep could cause someone to gain weight.

In a great FREE health lecture I will be giving on Saturday, April 9th at 11AM, we will be going over the WHY of sleep problems, simple solutions, and the role of your nervous system. I invite you all to come out and attend this breakthrough health talk.
When: Saturday, April 9th at 11:00 AM
Where: Rosemary Grove 101 West Argonne Drive Directly across from the Kirkwood Train Station with Lisa’s Photography.
RSVP: Please RSVP for yourself and guests to Michellevitalforce@gmail.com or call Michelle at 314-596-4070

Looking forward to seeing you there! Dr. Bagley

Need a St Louis Chiropractor? Visit us at Vital Force Upper Cervical Clinic 10028 Manchester Road Saint Louis, MO 63122

Free Natural Health Lecture

How To Wake Up Refreshed.... A Guide To Better Sleep Through Better Health

Presented by Dr. Elizabeth Bagley, DC on Saturday April, 9 2011 at 11 AM.
This lecture will be held at Rosemary Grove, located at 101A West Argonne Dr, across from the train station.

Please reserve a spot for you and a friend by calling Michelle at 314-596-4070 or emailing her at michellevitalforce@gmail.com

This is a free natural health lecture sponsored by Arbonne, Rosemary Grove and Vital Force Clinic.

“What Doctors do when They Feel Rotten…”

Dear friend,

I bet you have wondered this yourself. “What do doctors do…” Do they just take a ‘magic’ drug that they never told us about? Let’s face it, as a society we are ‘hooked’ on drugs, both the illegal and the legal ones. But, most people don’t know that it’s actually the legal ones that kill many times more people than the illegal ones. A gut-wrenching statistic I just read was that 1 in 4 children are taking a prescription medicine on a regular basis.

Let me tell you a little story.

17 years ago, I was in middle school at Parkway West when I started having serious feelings of depression and anxiety, terrible headaches, and all over body pain. I was scared. Talking to school counselors helped, but there was still something very wrong. I was afraid to tell my parents how I felt. Much of the time I felt alone. I explored the unfortunate route of prescription drugs. One would make me feel loopy or the next would make me feel wiped out but they kept me alive. The pain and symptoms got worse in high school. I honestly thought that everyone lived with pain and so I just accepted the problems.

Then, 6 years ago a friend introduced me to a man that changed my life forever, an Upper Cervical Chiropractor. That didn’t mean much to me at first but I knew he was different. He didn’t pop, bend or crack my neck. He gently and painlessly moved a bone in my upper neck. That week, my headaches were less severe and then gone. Soon after, most of the body pain that had plagued me for years disappeared. Then, there was the biggest change that I never expected. A few months into care I started feeling happier, less anxious, and more positive. The veil of depression and anxiety that had ruled my life for 11 years was lifted. I felt like a new person. Because of the great results, I decided to become an upper cervical chiropractor so I could help others.

The ‘quick fix’ mentality of ‘just take a pill’ (not a true fix at all) is still common, but the good news is that things are changing. People are getting smarter. I recently read in USA Today that the pharmaceutical industry is now rethinking their strategy, because the medical profession and prescription drugs usually only deal with symptoms, and not the cause of sick-ness. Chiropractors have dealt with a cause for 116 years, and have never wavered. And guess what! Now there are more visits to ‘alternative’ health care providers than ‘traditional’ ones.

6 years ago chiropractic saved me from pain and depression, and now I do my best to help others with the same problem, as well as headaches, migraines, chronic pain, neck pain, shoulder/arm pain, whiplash, backaches, ear infections, asthma, bedwetting, IBS, insomnia, allergies, numbness in limbs, ADD/ADHD, and arthritis just to name a few.

Oh, about the photo. That’s me on the left with my husband, Jason and my twin girls Addie and Lexi at my sisters wedding. I’ve had the twins adjusted since birth and they are very healthy kids. Obviously, they aren’t perfect but are a lot of fun. Keeping them well adjusted is going to keep them from having the health problems I went through as a child.

So, what is it that I and doctors that I know do when they feel rotten? We get checked to see if we need a chiropractic adjustment. When my body is balanced, it responds by healing itself, and the results are wonderful. It’s as simple as that!

Here’s what some of my patients had to say:

“When I came in I was limping from a broken hip and my legs were different lengths. Since getting adjusted, I can walk almost perfectly and I feel generally better. I am so thankful for Dr. Bagley.” - (Marilyn Davis- Ballwin)

“The gentle adjustment that Dr. B uses has made my neck and back pain go away and stay away for the majority of the last 3 years!”- (Mariann Wedel-Webster Groves)

“I went from taking 5-6 pain pills a day to maybe 1 or 2 a week in a very short time. This care has changed my life.” (Angela P- Brentwood)

You should know that I don’t heal anyone of anything. What I do is perform a specific upper cervical adjustment to remove nerve interference, and the body responds by healing itself. We get tremendous results.

Forty-eight million Americans no longer have health insurance, and those who do have found that their benefits are reduced. That’s where chiropractic comes in. Many people find that they actually save money on their health care expenses by seeing a chiropractor. Another way to save…published, peer-reviewed research indicates that the immune system may be enhanced by chiropractic adjustments. The immune system is the system that helps the body fight colds, the flu, and many other sicknesses. Although all people respond differently to care, maybe you won’t be running off to the medical doctor as much once you start chiropractic. This is especially important if you are self-employed.

You Benefit from an Amazing Offer. It shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg to correct your health. Look, you are going to write a check to someone for your health care. Why not write one for a lesser a-mount for chiropractic? When you bring in this article, you will receive my new patient exam for just $27. That’s with x-rays, paraspinal thermal imaging….the whole ball of wax. But, please call right away because this offer expires on Friday, February 18^th 2011 and I don’t want you to miss out (this special deal, by law, cannot be used for Medicare and Medicaid patients but we would still love to meet you). By the way, further care is very affordable and you’ll be happy to know that I have family care plans, senior discounts, and student discounts. You see I’m not trying to seduce you to come see me with this low start up fee, then to only make it up with high fees after that. Further care is very important to consider when making your choice of doctor.

Great care at a great fee…Please, I hope that there’s no misunderstanding about quality of care just because I have a lower exam fee. You’ll get great care at a great fee. My qualifications: I’m a graduate of SLU and Logan. I am board certified and licensed in the state of Missouri. I’ve been entrusted to take care of families from the tiny babies to the great-grandparents. I just have that low fee to help more people who need care.

My office is both friendly and warm and we try our best to make you feel at home. We have a wonderful service, at an exceptional fee. You will just love Michelle at the front desk when you call (ask her about her chiropractic experience). We are Vital Force Upper Cervical Clinic at 10028 Manchester Road (southwest corner at Sappington). Our phone number is (314) 596 – 4070. Call today for an appointment. We can help you.

Thank you.

- Beth Bagley, D.C.

P.S. When accompanied by the first, the second family member/friend will receive this same exam for only $10.

Avoid the Snow Shoveling Blues

Snow, although beautiful, can literally be a pain in the back. Here are my 6 tips on how to shovel properly to minimize the damage to your body.

1. Before starting to shovel snow make sure you warm up like any other physical activity. Try stretching or marching in place for a few minutes before putting on your snow gear.
2. Wear layers because as you go you may want to strip a layer off. Wear gloves and a hat over your ears to minimize the risk of painful frostbite. Also wear shoes that grip like boots because many times there is a layer of ice under the snow.
3. When picking a shovel, choose a smaller plastic one. They are lighter and will help keep the load down on your body. A curved handle absolutely puts less strain on your back. Before shoveling spray the shovel with cooking spray or WD-40 to help keep the snow from sticking.
4. Start slowly, take frequent breaks indoors and keep hydrated. We can definitely get dehydrated in the winter and passing out in the snow doesn’t sound like fun.
5. Stand with your feet apart slightly and bend your knees as you lift. Twisting your body while lifting will cause injury. Your feet should point in the direction you are lifting and throwing in.
6. Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages and energy drinks. These can elevate your heart rate, increasing your risk for heart attack. If you are out of shape to begin with, avoiding snow shoveling in general is a good idea. Think about hiring someone or you could always move to Florida (just kidding).
7. Proper spinal alignment is super important with any physical activity. Spinal balance allows our muscles and joint to work properly making it easier to avoid injury. Come in and get you and your family checked today and make 2011 the healthiest year ever!

Need a Saint Louis Chiropractor? Call us today at 314-596-4070 we can help!