Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to a version of Weekly Well-Being that is about a week overdue. A special edition is in the works to make up for that, I promise you. In the meantime, I want to shift our focus away from the general public and put the spotlight on those of you that are athletes (or that know them). From the casual jogger or weightlifter or walker to the basketball star or football great or soccer dynamo...this newsletter is for you.

ATTN: Athletes

I've been keeping up pretty heavily with the NBA Playoffs this year, especially given that my long-time favorite professional sports team, the Orlando Magic, are finally rewarding my patience as a fan. For those of you who don't catch much pro-basketball, the NBA has done a great job marketing their product. Ratings are up and, thus, so are revenues. There is a series of TV ads that they've been running that are particularly impressive. They chronicle some of the greatest moments in NBA Playoff history and cap it off with the tag line, "Where will amazing happen next?" That's the NBA's catchphrase, as of late. "Where Amazing Happens"

Well, the body is where "amazing happens" all the time; and the health of your body is directly related to your ability to perform athletically. It's simple science. If your heart is not functioning at or near 100%, then you can't train as hard or perform as well. Perhaps most importantly, you can't get all the benefits from exercising. The same can be said for when the respiratory system (lungs and airways) aren't functioning properly. It can also be said for when the muscles are not balanced...or when the digestive system isn't working correctly.

Recall that the brainstem is directly responsible for the proper function of every part of the body. It routes, so to speak, every signal/message/impulse between the brain and the body.

So, let's run down a quick list of a few things that having that static communication between the brain and the body due to interference at the brainstem can cause...

-Imbalance in muscle tone
-Decreased cardiac (heart) output
-Decreased cardiac potential
-Decreased oxygen intake by the lungs
-Decreased CO2 out of the lungs
-Narrowed airways leading to the lungs
-Sinus congestion
-Dizziness
-Uneven perilymph in the ears (which is largely responsible for balance and equilibrium)
-Decreased immune system function
-Leg Length Inequality (one leg shorter than the other)
-Uneven weight distribution on each side of the body
-Lack of concentration
-Pain throughout the body
-Failure of the digestive system

To the athletes...any of that sound like some things that might change your games a little bit? I know that you are tough. We're all tough. But it's you, me, and your computer screen, here. Every one of the following can chip away and/or quite evidently keep you from maximizing your optimal performance level. Let's run down the list to drive home the point...

-Imbalance in muscle tone equates to an imbalanced athlete. One side constantly contracting faster and more frequently than the other. One side is weaker than the other.

-Decreased cardiac (heart) output, meaning that the heart may not pump as much blood. And pumping more blood is vitally important during exercise to supply your muscles with what they need to keep you moving at a faster pace.

-Decreased cardiac potential, so that when your body really needs to kick into high gear, the mind may be willing, but the heart unable.

-Decreased oxygen intake by the lungs due to improper lung function. The lungs work together with the heart to get the blood pumping and the body supplied with proper oxygen to allow for your increased activity.

-Decreased CO2 out of the lungs. The lungs exhale carbon dioxide...and they must or you'll otherwise start feeling the effects of what CO2 can do at higher concentrations, such as make you drowsy and pass out...not exactly the ideal scenario for you serious competitors, eh?

-Narrowed airways leading to the lungs and contributing to that nasty little condition known as activity-induced asthma.

-Sinus congestion due to head tilt causing one sinus to drain more so than the other.

-Dizziness due to a combination of decreased blood flow to the brain, decreased oxygen into the brain, and fluid imbalance in the ears.

-Uneven perilymph in the ears (which is largely responsible for balance and equilibrium)

-Decreased immune system function, making you more susceptible to allergic reactions, bacterial infections, viruses, etc. that can disrupt your entire athletic routine.

-Leg Length Inequality (one leg shorter than the other), causing you to concentrate your weight to one side.

-Uneven weight distribution on each side of the body.

-Lack of concentration because the brain's communication is decreased and the rest of the body is working overtime to make up for it.

-Pain throughout the body from nerve system instability.

-Failure of the digestive system to properly take in the nutrients from what you put into your body. What good does a healthy diet do if your digestive system can't properly put it to use?

Interfering with the brainstem can have a wide-ranging effect on the entire body. In order for you to get the most out of exercising or increase your performance to optimal levels, you CANNOT have the hub of your body network distorting the messages between the brain and body and decreasing the normal function of the body. You, simply, just CAN'T.

Michael Strahan, Joe Montana, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Lance Armstrong are just a few people who have vouched for the benefits you can receive from removing the interference to the body's ability to heal itself. The ELITE of their sport! Strahan went as far as to call Upper Cervical a "miracle," but we know that is not the case. The body is SUPPOSED to be well.