Start Somewhere

This year I plan to talk a lot about restoring health and wellbeing. Partly because it’s the journey I am on personally, and partly because I see so many people around me that are either working on the same thing, or who feel discouraged about it. One of the things I’ve discovered about making changes in your health, is that it doesn’t matter where you start, but it’s important to start somewhere.


One of the main perspectives of chiropractic is that our bodies have an inherent ability to be well, to heal and rejuvenate. I have seen this borne out time and again both personally and professionally. So never fear! If you’re alive, chances are you have the capacity to improve your health situation.

The subject of healing is huge, because there is not only a range of physical health to consider, but also mental, emotional and spiritual health as well. I’ve seen people improve their lives by starting in any one of these areas and following it all the way through. By that I mean, they might start by focusing on their emotional wellbeing by going to a counselor or psychiatrist, or whatever they find is necessary to feel balanced emotionally. Becoming balanced emotionally shows them other problems they had been unaware of, and now see more clearly since they are feeling better. If a person starts to feel better emotionally, chances are they’re going to want to feel better physically, so they might find themselves making changes to their diet and how they exercise etc.

I think most of us start with whatever is “yelling at us the loudest”, by that I mean, our biggest problem. Since I’m a chiropractor, I see lots of people whose “loudest” problem is back or neck pain. When they come in to resolve that problem through chiropractic adjustments, they may begin walking to help support the muscles surrounding their spinal column, and as a result, begin to lose weight. This in turn helps their diabetes. You get the picture.

It's all connected, and any positive thing you do for yourself will have a positive impact on all areas of your health and wellbeing, whether you keep all your New Year’s resolutions or not. So go ahead and start somewhere that feels “do-able”. Whether its tackling your biggest health problem, or making a small change in your daily habits, every good thing you do for yourself is never lost, and will help you on every level.

Have You Tried Massage?

    If you are looking for a way to positively impact your health, consider a massage. Everyone is trying to find ways to stay healthy and feel better, and I’m here to tell you this is one of the best ways I know. You don’t have to give anything up or reduce anything or change anything about yourself (except you might have to be willing to feel great. I have actually known a few people who weren’t but they’re very few and far between!)

    Massage therapy is the manipulation of muscles, tendons, and fascia (both deep and superficial) in the body to promote healing and wellbeing. There are many different styles, focusing on creating different effects, but they all have the same general purpose.

    Specific benefits of massage include musculoskeletal pain relief, decreasing anxiety associated with temporary issues, and decreasing blood pressure and heart rate. Done on a regular basis, it can help with managing chronic pain, and help decrease a person’s susceptibility to anxiety and depression.

    One of the things I like best about massage is that it’s one of those things you can do for yourself that is not only good for you, but feels great. The benefits from even one treatment are long lasting, so getting a massage once a month or so can benefit your health and make you feel better all month long.

    Dean Copeland, LPN, LMT is the Massage God at our clinic. I used to call him the massage therapist, but that name seems so inadequate when compared to how I felt when I got off the table after the last massage he gave me. It was like having a new body, or remembering what my body used to feel like when I was a kid. He knows many different techniques and he was good at listening to me when I told him about how I was feeling and what I wanted. He did nothing that was jarring or harsh. So I’m a Big Fan.

    There are lots of things in life that feel good but aren’t good for you (I’m sure you know what those are!!!!), but this is one thing that feels wonderful and improves your life at the same time. Kind of a “No-Brainer”.

Dr. Cross Elected Treasurer of The Congress of Chiropractic State Associations

In November, Dr. Don Cross was elected Treasurer of the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations(COCSA). I sat down with him recently to talk about his new position and what lead up to it.

Dr. Burkhead: When did you first become interested in COCSA? What has your involvement been with this organization?

Dr. Cross: I went to my first meeting in 2007 as the representative for Florida, as I was the president of the Florida Chiropractic Association at the time. I represented Florida through 2008 and then in 2009 I was elected to the Board of Directors and represented 14 states in the Southeast Region. In 2010 I ran for the Executive Committee but lost that election. This year I was asked to run again and was elected treasurer.

Dr. Burkhead: What made you want to be involved with an organization like this?

Dr. Cross: Well, the changes in National Health Care are affecting everybody, providers as well as patients. I wanted to make sure that chiropractic is included as these changes are happening. To help make those changes you really have to be involved nationally, not just at the state level.

Dr. Burkhead: So how does COCSA do that?

Dr. Cross:   COCSA supports state organizations by acting as a clearinghouse of information, and giving state organizations a national political voice. This is especially important for small state associations that don’t have the budgets or the manpower to do that on their own.

Dr. Burkhead: Why is doing this important to you?

Dr. Cross: Even though I practice in a small town, getting involved in this leadership means I can make a contribution that effects not only the nation, but also my patients on a local basis. That’s important to me.

Don’t Give Up On Yourself

When I tried to quit smoking it took me about 7 years. I had managed to quit for a year while I was pregnant (for which I am still grateful) but a year after my daughter was born, I started again. I hated that she might be subjected to second hand smoke so I was motivated to try and quit. I’d quit for a year or two and then I’d start up again. For a long time I was under the illusion that I could “have just one”. Of course if I smoke one, I’m going to smoke a whole pack. Eventually, I realized that I am someone who can’t even have just one, so I worked on strategies for how to not “have just one”.

I haven’t smoked since 1990, but the lessons I learned from it stick with me to this day.
These days I’m working on changing my eating habits. There are stretches of time where I do really well and then others where I fall off the wagon. But what I learned from quitting smoking is to not give up on myself. Even if it takes a while to get back to working on the problem, it’s OK. Every bit of experience I gain with it helps in the end. I just have to “get back on the horse that threw me” with a new strategy for staying on!

Hey! Doc’s Christmas Lights are Up!

For those of you that haven’t seen them, they are spectacular. Every year he puts them up, and cruising by to see the extravaganza has really become a holiday tradition for many folks here.

Doc started this ten years ago as a gift to his wife. Initially there were a few displays in the front yard, and about 10,000 lights. Now it encompasses the property and has grown to 88,000 lights! He starts in September checking to make sure all the lights work. Can you imagine? Of course if you are a friend or family member of his you can since you’ve probably been co-opted already (Hey! What are you doing this weekend?…..).

The lights are turned on by a timer every night staring at 6:00, and they start shutting down at 9:30. They will be up until about the second week in January. So come and get some Christmas cheer! You can make this your new holiday tradition if you want. The address is 500 Forest Dr. Quincy, Florida. If you need a map to his house, look on our website, www.crosschiro.com.

Bring Your Kids!

I've just found out that we offer care to kids under the age of 16 for free if they come in with their parents to get adjusted. If the child has no major problems but is coming in to maintain their spine, they are eligible.


I think this is great. You could potentially prevent many problems for your children later on by doing this one thing. Misalignments of the spine can happen and cause no pain whatsoever. Riding a bike, jumping on a trampoline, the stresses of school, backpacks that are overloaded with textbooks- these are all things that can be stressors to your child's spinal column. Even if they are not causing any pain, it doesn't mean they don’t cause dysfunction and they can worsen over time in some cases. By correcting them while your kids are young and not in pain, it can help their overall health and ability to function. Should your child be in an accident of any kind that requires extensive examination and a longer course of treatment, the costs would be the same as yours.

There are so many causes of spinal misalignment, and some of them can happen as soon as we’re born. The process of being born in and of itself can create a problem. Why wouldn't you get your child's spine checked for misalignments and dysfunction the way you get their teeth checked for cavities? It's preventative and may save them trouble down the road.

The New Health Chat

Welcome to the new Cross Chiropractic Health Chat!  My name is Dr. Tammy Burkhead and I will be posting this blog to share with you what is going on at our clinic, as well as our perspectives about health, healing and chiropractic. Mysty, Rachel, Sandi, and Doc will also post, as they feel inspired.

Sometimes in the rush of the day, it’s difficult to have conversations that go a little deeper, so this is the place for that. We welcome your comments and insights, because if you are reading this, you are clearly someone interested in questions about health and well-being.

I’m a Doctor, But I’m Also a Patient

I'm a new doctor here at Cross Chiropractic Center, and I'm also a new patient. As part of my orientation to this clinic, Dr. Cross had me start as a new patient  like everyone else does, just to see what our patient's experience is like, and to help me maintain the alignment that is so important to good health

Mysty started my examination by asking me about my health history and then Dr. Cross did some orthopedic/neurological tests and a comprehensive spinal exam. They were so streamlined and efficient together, (of course they've been working together for some time now). They explained chiropractic to me using a video that was simple and direct, and they were very good about letting me know what they were about to do.

After my history and tests, Dr. Cross determined that he didn’t need to see any diagnostic imaging such as x-ray or MRI, so after 15 minutes of ice therapy and a massage to reduce inflammation, he was able to adjust me using Activator technique. He started at my feet and worked his way up, and by the time he had finished, I felt like a new woman.  I had such a good experience that I was very glad to have chosen this practice in which to work.

Now that I have my Florida license (at last!), I’m excited to be seeing patients myself and to have the chance to give you the same kind of care I received so you too can be at your best.