Upcoming Events (visit the events page for details)
Welcome Gregory R. Culver MA, LPC
Individual and Family Therapist
Greg Culver has spent much of his adult life dedicated to the study and practice of psychology, helping adults, children and families achieve their own goals of personal fulfillment and wellness. Greg graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX in 1992 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and received his Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the California State University, Dominguez Hills in 1994. He has been licensed as a Professional Counselor in the State of Oregon since 1998. In addition to years of training and experience as a Child and Family Therapist, Greg’s professional work has focused on concepts of community psychology, which maintains that mental health or mental illness is often the byproduct of interactions between an individual and their environment. Too often, mental health focuses on illness and “fixing” an individual without addressing the multiple contexts of our human existence. People are inherently social, and as a result mental health is promoted when an individual experiences meaningful and affirming interactions within their social context (family, relationships, workplace, school, community, etc...). Therapy is a process to identify changes an individual can make to adapt to their social environment as well as an opportunity to recognize ways their social context can be adapted to better fit the individual. The accessibility of resources to support change is vital to the success of creating an ideal person-environment fit.
Greg is delighted to be a part of Vital Health and Wellness where practitioners take a holistic approach to personal health and strive to treat the mind and body by promoting health rather than focusing on pathology.
Gregory R. Culver MA, LPC
Individual and Family Therapist
Phone: 503.709.8910
Email: greg.culver@vitalhealthpdx.com
A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book
Irish Proverb
As the summer draws near in Portland many of us begin planning vacations. Rest and relaxation have become recognized as more than just a tradition for the summer months. In fact, recent medical studies have shown that getting adequate, deep sleep and engaging in laughter provoking activities can prevent serious illness.
Studies have shown that laughter prevents heart disease by decreasing inflammation in the endothelial lining of our blood vessels. This prevents fat and cholesterol build-up in our coronary arteries and promotes healthy blood flow. In addition, laughter increases the production and actions of our T-cells and other immune cells that attack viruses, cancer cells, and fight infection.
Allowing ourselves to get enough sleep can be challenging for many of us. Without it, we experience less than optimal health. The Oregon Public Health Department of Human Services recently stated that 26% of Oregonians report getting less than 6 hours of sleep at night. A study conducted by researchers at London’s Westminster University shows that people who choose to sleep in longer, after initially waking and not feeling rested, consistently reported feeling "more leisurely and less stressed."
Acupuncture is highly effective in treating insomnia and reducing stress and anxiety. Stimulation of acupuncture points results in increased blood circulation and the release of endorphins, both of which promote relaxation and healthy sleep.
As you enjoy the warmer spring weather, treat yourself to good sleep, good humor, and the benefits of Acupuncture and Chinese medicine.
By Mae Costello, L.Ac.
Spring has sprung! Are you ready to spring into action?
As we emerge from hibernation and step into springtime activities, it can take a while to limber up and shake off that winter stiffness. Especially after a day of gardening, which requires so much rotation and twisting, you might be feeling sore and uncomfortable. So what to do? The best remedy for this sort of stiffness is some stretching! Lunge stretches (to open hips, spine, upper thighs, and calves) and forward-bending hamstring stretches (to open the back of the body) are a good place to start, but don’t forget to do some twisting stretches! Our bodies are springs and they need to be able to twist and rotate in both directions for spinal health, organ health, and general vitality.
Those of you who practice yoga are familiar with rotational stretches that involve a spinal twist. Some yoga teachers describe this type of twisting as a “wringing” (similar to wringing out a washcloth). This prepares the way for more fluids to flow into and nourish the joints and muscles as you untwist. Twisting is also excellent preparation for forward bending.
Here, I’d like to share with you one of my favorite twisting stretches—it is gentle on the spine, great for the hip flexors and groin area, and it should feel luxurious after a day of gardening, because it involves lying down!
Supine twist with bent knees and feet wide
Lie on your back with knees bent, and feet flat on the floor, with your heels pretty far away from your sitting bones. Position your feet wider than hip width, then drop both knees toward your left. Your right knee should be hovering near your left ankle and your right hip will have popped off the floor a bit, introducing a gentle twist to your spine. Now REACH through your right knee so that you feel a lengthening stretch from your right thigh through the front of your hip, possibly extending up into your low back. If you feel a good stretch through this area, what is happening is that you are shifting and twisting the relationship between your psoas muscle, your iliacus muscle, and all the nerves and blood vessels reaching down into the core of your inner thigh.
Linger here in this active stretch, reaching through the knee for a full breath or two, then do the other side, noticing which side started out feeling tighter. You might want to alternate sides several times, reaching and wringing open the front of your hips and thighs. Do they even out with a few repetitions? This can help unwind the one-sided rotational tendency we often reinforce through gardening. Lie face-up in the starting position again to "take in" the change. Your back may feel more at ease.
Now listening to your body, you might be led into doing a different stretch, perhaps a larger twist for your back with both knees together off to one side, or you may simply want to extend your legs flat out and rest. I hope the length you find through these twisting stretches puts some spring and ease into your movement. If you aren’t feeling enough satisfaction, and you are eager for help in finding a springier spine, just give a call.
By Kirstin Schumaker, BCSICM, LMT
Functional Abdominal Training
One of the key roles for the abdominal muscles is stabilizing the spine. How many of us have heard of a myriad of ways to do crunches? All of which are lying on our backs? You can do a sit-up all the way to your bent knees, you can crunch part way up and to the side or you can lift your legs and knees up and so on...
While this does strengthen your core it is not very functional. This does not help teach your abdominal muscles to contract when they are needed the most. In fact, it trains the muscles in an artificial setting. Throughout the day we are standing, walking, reaching and bending. These are the most common positions where spine injuries occur so these are the positions where we need to train our abdominal muscles to work.
Functional abdominal training would involve training the muscles in standing positions that first fully lengthen the muscles then contract the muscles in all three planes of motion. This concept is key. The muscles should be taught to contract in the sagittal, frontal and transverse planes.
Colling Chiropractic has functional assessment, treatment and training methods to help people of all levels of activity.
Once your training has been enhanced to include functional training you will be on your way to optimal functional health.
Kevin Colling, DC
Spring Fitness
Spring often generates an enthusiasm for fitness. And although this is good, unfortunately this enthusiasm can lead to injuries. Too often after a long winter of inactivity, getting fit can be strenuous on our bodies.
It is important to remember to ease into a workout program that allows our muscular, skeletal and cardiovascular endurance time to strengthen.
Daily stretching and water intake is one easy way to help avoid muscle strains and adhesions. Listening to your body is another. If you feel pain when performing an exercise, stop, slow down or modify the workout. “No pain, no gain” does not apply to muscle strain. Your body is sending a message that something is not right, and "working through the pain" can often lead to serious injuries. These set backs can not only be painful, but mentally defeating when beginning a new fitness program.
Adopting a program that balances stretching, strength training and cardio is the most effective approach to avoiding short term (which can often lead to long term) injuries.
Deep tissue massage compliments this effort to avoid injuries and maintain healthy muscle function. It helps rid muscles of lactic acid build up, which can cause dehydration in healthy tissue. It reduces adhesions, which can cause pain and limit range of motion. It also breaks down scar tissue buildup and increases circulation. Massage ultimately helps enhance muscular performance and allows the body to endure more strenuous activity without sustaining injuries.
Throughout my 14 year practice, I have encountered many different levels of fitness in my clientele. One thing is consistent; everyone suffers from an injury at one point or another and it is nearly always due to the lack of balance in muscle health.
If you would like further information as to how to avoid injuries or if you are suffering from one currently, please contact me through the clinic for an appointment or phone consultation.
In health and happiness,
Jennifer Fox, BS, LMT