Dr. Sisu Restore Balance Integrative Medicine

One area of health which postural alignment directly impacts, though you may not initially think it, is our DIGESTION.

When we consider digestion and all the required factors to ensure it runs smoothly, it’s unusual to think about our posture and yet it may just be the most important factor of all.

For digestion to function as desired at all, it’s vital that the organs in the digestive system remain aligned correctly. Poor posture like slouching, standing with the hips drawn forwards, and even just sitting for too long every day, all have direct impacts on our digestive system. This will cause not only a slowing down of the metabolism but also creates a more complex system for the body to navigate food through in order to pass waste.

This, in turn, hinders the absorption of nutrients from food, and we’re left with an increased likelihood of nutritional deficiency and gastrointestinal disorders like IBS.

In order to improve and maximize the efficiency of our digestive system, we must first prioritize our alignment.

Improved digestion is just one of the things you can expect from beginning a path towards optimal postural alignment.

You can feel better in your body! Osteopathic treatments can help with your posture and realignment, call today for your appointment!

Are you over 40 and would like to work on your posture, strength and stability and learn some tips to age gracefully? Join Lisa, Certified Yoga Therapist for 5 session series designed to promote increased strength and stability, improved posture and balance, and more flexibility:

Weekly Online: 5 Sessions: Therapeutic Yoga for Empowered Aging — Lisa J Haskins Yoga Join Lisa, Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT/1,000 hours) and Experienced Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 500) for a 5 session series designed for individuals 40 and over to promote increased strength and stability, improved posture and balance, and more flexibility. Participants will practice therapeutic t

Among the numerous symptoms and effects of poor posture, increased stress and tension has to be one of the most debilitating and frequently observed by chiropractors.

This can be due to a number of things, but most often from physical stress being placed on the body due to poor alignment, which translates to soreness and pain, which in turn leads to mental stress.

The decreased levels of testosterone caused by poor alignment can also be a factor, as cortisol levels will increase to counteract this. The posturally challenged individual will be left stressed, sad, and unwilling to move the body to shift it! (This may sound extreme, but trust us, we’ve seen it happen!)

In fact, it’s even possible to build resilience to stress by remembering to sit up straight and commit to a period of proper posture instead of allowing the body to be slouched or hunched throughout the day.

You can feel better in your body! Osteopathic treatments can help with your posture and realignment, call today for your appointment!

In her powerful TED Talk on body language and posture (linked below), Amy Cuddy has discussed how holding the body in various positions has specific effects on our overall mood and outlook. It can increase confidence, decrease anxiety, and ensure that all bodily functions are optimized.

She describes how taking a ‘large stance’ such as expanding the feet wide and opening the arms out to the side actually increases testosterone production and reduces stress hormones significantly.

It goes without saying that the way we hold ourselves has a direct effect on outlook and mood.

Take a listen to Amy’s talk and share in the comments what you think!

https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are

You can feel better in your body! Osteopathic treatments can help with your posture and realignment, call today for your appointment!

There are numerous practices, like yoga and pilates, which are beneficial for your overall alignment, flexibility, and postural health. But what they don’t tell you about this kind of exercise is that they are most beneficial only if you enter into them with a certain level of awareness about your existing posture and alignment.

Yes, regular practice of yoga CAN positively impact your posture as the spinal muscles become strengthened to support a more upright and erect spine. But it’s important to begin these exercises from a place of correct alignment to ensure you don’t continue to practice compromise movement patterns. This hugely minimizes the effects of the practices and can actually be more hindering than helpful.

It’s no wonder that professional athletes are turning to functional movement exercises and yoga practices in their time outside of official training hours. The general basis for this being that the more awareness and understanding of our own physical bodies we have, the more effective any kind of movement exercises will prove.

When will you assess your alignment?

You can feel better in your body! Osteopathic treatments can help with your posture and realignment, call today for your appointment!

Do you want to reduce fatigue in your everyday life?

Believe it or not, fatigue and even depression can be impacted by poor posture! This is because the flow of energy around the body becomes restricted by misaligned joints and closes off the circulation of blood and energy.

You’ll be amazed at how energized you’ll feel after just a short time of ‘standing up straight’ and maintaining proper alignment as you go about your day. Individual bodies will require different kinds of adjustments and correctional exercises. However, it’s crucial to see a chiropractic professional when you begin on your journey towards proper postural correction.

There are even studies which look at the increase in instances of depression and mental health imbalances as a direct result of poor posture caused by our modern day sedentary and desk-bound lifestyles.

What do you think? How do you feel after a day of standing tall?

You can feel better in your body! Osteopathic treatments can help with your posture and realignment, call today for your appointment!

Keep bones and joints healthy by optimizing your postural alignment!

Over time, poor skeletal alignment can result in muscular and joint pain that very often leads to arthritis, scoliosis, osteoporosis, and countless other skeletal issues in older age. The thing with postural alignment is that each body differs considerably, and as such the ‘optimal’ alignment for one body and skeleton will ultimately be extremely different to the ‘optimal’ alignment for another.

Chiropractic professionals help to assess individual needs and your body’s unique postural tendencies - whether it is completely out of alignment or could do with some minuscule adjustments to improve. From here they are able to correctly prescribe a course of movement exercises to ensure your posture is returned to its optimal alignment.

This is why individual postural alignment consultations are so vital, as just doing exercises you think will improve posture may, in fact, prove damaging for your particular needs.

What are you waiting for? Your spine will thank you!

You can feel better in your body! Osteopathic treatments can help with your posture and realignment, call today for your appointment!

Exciting day in the office, having Dr. Polahar shadow and share her knowledge and skills with our patients at Restore Balance. She will soon join the practice and offer Osteopathic Medicine treatments. Call to get on her waitlist!

The good news is that unless you’re already suffering from an extreme spinal curvature, the effects and symptoms of poor posture can almost ALWAYS be reversed. It’s also worth noting that many of these simple exercises can be performed at home after an initial consultation to ensure they are the correct motions for your body.

This means that quite often it’s possible for you to return yourself to optimum health and happiness simply by remembering to prioritize proper alignment throughout your day!

Try these simple corrections to optimize alignment:

- Sit up straight

- Tuck your chin in towards your chest to lengthen the back of the spine

- Don’t cross your legs when sitting at a desk - this places unnecessary pressure on the lower back muscles and compresses the lumbar spine.

What are you waiting for? Start correcting your posture today!

You can feel better in your body! Osteopathic treatments can help with your posture and realignment, call today for your appointment!

Living with chronic pain can be incredibly challenging, especially when it comes to back pain, neck pain, or relentless sinus issues. Finding effective relief often feels like an endless journey. Osteopathic medicine offers a holistic and patient-centered approach that provides lasting relief and enhances overall well-being. Let’s explore how osteopathic medicine can help conquer these chronic pain conditions.

Osteopathic medicine is a distinct branch of healthcare that focuses on the body’s musculoskeletal system and its role in overall health. Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs) are fully licensed physicians who receive specialized training in the musculoskeletal system. This training enables them to use hands-on techniques, known as osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness and injury.

Benefits of Osteopathic Medicine for Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek medical care. It can stem from muscle strain, poor posture, or degenerative changes in the spine. Osteopathic medicine offers a comprehensive approach to managing back pain:

OMT Techniques: DOs use a variety of hands-on techniques to improve spinal alignment, enhance mobility, and reduce muscle tension. Techniques such as spinal manipulation, soft tissue stretching, and myofascial release can alleviate pain and promote healing.
Holistic Approach: Osteopathic physicians consider the entire body, identifying and addressing contributing factors such as muscle imbalances, joint dysfunctions, and lifestyle habits. This comprehensive approach can lead to more effective and long-lasting relief.
Patient Education: DOs provide guidance on exercises, posture correction, and ergonomic adjustments to prevent future episodes of back pain and promote overall spine health... read more here: https://restorebalance.net/benefits-of-osteopathic-medicine-for-musculo-skeletal-and-sinus-issues/

Figures show that between 30-40% of the elderly adult population suffer from some sort of postural or spinal deformity.

If you’d like to reduce the likelihood of developing a spinal curvature or difficulty with alignment as you age, then it’s vital for you to begin addressing any postural difficulties as soon as you can!

Optimal postural alignment allows for correct energy flow through the body, causing muscles to return to normal functioning as it’s ensured they do not have to overcompensate for poor posture. This results in improved circulation, faster healing time from injury and illness, and an overall boost in energy levels.

You can feel better in your body! Osteopathic treatments can help with your posture and realignment, call today for your appointment!

Great day in the office today, Happy Friday! I love to see my patients’ progress and help them in ways they have not been helped before. Today a couple of patients told me thst coming to this office improved their health significantly and one brought a token of gratitude, these beautiful flowers. I am blessed to have a job I am passionate about and to really make this impact in my patients lives! ,

Lisa Haskins, CIAYT, M.Ed, NCBT is back to teach this workshop, which will help you reconnect with your body and recover balance in the body and the mind.
Are you dealing with thyroid or throat issues? Feeling lost or struggling to express yourself? Or feel as if you are moving through life without a clear sense of direction or unable to express your truth? Realigning, releasing, and navigating with wisdom toward what serves body, mind, and spirit requires clear seeing, inner strength, and skillful alignment of our actions. Intentional choices can support us in making decisions with clarity. Listening and acknowledging the messages from the body and a still mind can support us in moving forward, in setting guideposts, and in releasing what does not serve our well-being.
Join us to learn and practice the tools and techniques of therapeutic yoga: meditation, affirmations, mudras, chanting, mindful yoga movements, reflective writing, and breathing techniques designed to support you in regaining an alignment between your actions, your clear voice, and your deeply held meaning and goals!
Date: 06/15/2024
Time: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: Restore Balance Integrative Medicine
5236 Dawes Ave, Alexandria, VA 22311

Exciting weekend learning the latest in Functional Medicine in Las Vegas to better serve my patients!

For the nearly 30 million Americans who have diabetes, many will be surprised to learn about an unexpected complication associated with this condition- gum disease!

As if bad breath isn’t enough, diabetes-associated gum disease can also increase the risk for heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease.

When was the last time you saw your dentist? A healthy mouth goes beyond a nice smile!

There are lifestyle interventions that you can easily implement if you have prediabetes or diabetes! Contact our office if interested to work with us!

Weight loss is a great way to reduce your risk of diabetes-related complications. Do it safely with this Your body mass index (BMI) tool: http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/weight-loss/assess-your-lifestyle/bmi-tool.html

A meal plan for a person with diabetes isn’t very different from a healthy diet plan for someone living without diabetes.

A diabetes-friendly meal should be composed of:

25% lean protein: beans, lentils, fish, chicken

25% whole grains: quinoa, brown rice, pasta

50% low-starch veggies: carrots, cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach, peppers, etc.

Have a favorite diabetes-friendly recipe? Share it below!

There are lifestyle interventions that you can easily implement if you have prediabetes or diabetes! Contact our office if interested to work with us!

Beat the Bloat Class
We are continuing to offer classes at Restore Balance! As you embark on a journey toward holistic health and well-being, take advantage of our Digestive Health Classes held online that are designed to support your healing!
Bethel Wagner, Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach is back to teach this workshop, which will help you recover balance of your digestive tract.
Why You Shouldn’t Miss Out:

Do you ever sit down to enjoy a meal only to have it ruined by bloating or pain shortly after finishing?

Do you feel like you’ve done the work to clean up your diet, but you’re still experiencing troubling digestive symptoms?
Join us next week on Zoom to learn about solutions to this issues! https://www.wellnessliving.com/rs/event/sage_wellness_center-8wnpbc?k_business=430072&uid=0&id_class_tab=2

Lisa Haskins, CIAYT, M.Ed, NCBT and Dr. Sisu are back to teach this workshop, which will help you reconnect with your body and recover balance in the body and the mind.

Are you dealing with thyroid or throat issues? Feeling lost or struggling to express yourself? Or feel as if you are moving through life without a clear sense of direction or unable to express your truth? Realigning, releasing, and navigating with wisdom toward what serves body, mind, and spirit requires clear seeing, inner strength, and skillful alignment of our actions. Intentional choices can support us in making decisions with clarity. Listening and acknowledging the messages from the body and a still mind can support us in moving forward, in setting guideposts, and in releasing what does not serve our well-being.

Join us to learn and practice the tools and techniques of therapeutic yoga: meditation, affirmations, mudras, chanting, mindful yoga movements, reflective writing, and breathing techniques designed to support you in regaining an alignment between your actions, your clear voice, and your deeply held meaning and goals!

Date: 05/19/2024
Time: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: Restore Balance Integrative Medicine
5236 Dawes Ave, Alexandria, VA 22311

The state of your microbiome plays a role in insulin resistance. Your gut is home to billions of bacteria creating a delicate microbiome. In a healthy gut, the beneficial bacteria outnumber the harmful. However, when the bad guys take over, the release of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can cause insulin resistance.

Has your doctor talked to you about your gut health? Our office can help!

We are continuing to offer classes at Restore Balance! As you embark on a journey toward holistic health and well-being, take advantage of our Digestive Health Classes held online that are designed to support your healing!
Bethel Wagner, Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach is back to teach this workshop, which will help you recover balance of your digestive tract. https://restorebalance.net/beat-the-bloat-class/
Registration link in comments.

Beat the Bloat Class - Restore Balance Beat the Bloat Class We are continuing to offer classes at Restore Balance! As you embark on a journey toward holistic health and well-being, take advantage…

Thank you for the nomination!

CommunityVotes Alexandria VA 2024 Official 2024 Community Voting Awards Platform for Alexandria, VA. Where the community votes for their favorites every year.

The management of diabetes has improved significantly over the years.

Helpful interventions include blood glucose control through diet and physical activity and regular screenings for the eyes, kidneys, and feet.

Early detection is key! Make sure to keep up with routine physicals.

There are lifestyle interventions that you can easily implement if you have prediabetes or diabetes! Contact our office if interested to work with us!

Gestational diabetes is another serious type of diabetes that impacts women during pregnancy. With this type of diabetes, blood sugar levels are raised above normal placing both mother and child at increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the future.

In most cases, there are no symptoms. A blood sugar test during pregnancy is used for diagnosis.

Did you or someone you know have gestational diabetes? How did you cope?

Sign up now for this , which will help you with your body and in the body and the mind!

❓ Do you have with maintaining ?

❔ Are you feeling , , and lacking ?

❓ Having difficulty identifying what you need to realiven and to cultivate a felt sense of ?

❔ Are there and that may be held and entangled in the body?

❓ Confused or concerned about a ?

👉 Join Dr. Anca Sisu and Lisa Haskins, C-IAYT (certified yoga therapist), M.Ed, NCBT, to explore the science of the nervous system and its impact on digestion.

👉 Experience a variety of yogic tools and techniques to reinvigorate, restore, and nourish to empower you on a new path to and .

Details and sign up on our website.

🧘‍♂️ Embark on a journey toward and , take advantage of our & Classes at Restore Balance Integrative Medicine that are designed to support your healing!

This IS the time and place to get the the support you need!

📅 Next Dates: April 4 and every other week after

🕰 Time: 7 - 8 p.m. EST on Zoom

💵 Cost: $15 per session

Find details and sign up link on our website!

Type 1 diabetes results from a lack of insulin production. Type 2, on the other hand, results from the body’s inability to use insulin efficiently.

Only type 2 is potentially preventable.

Which type do you have?

There are lifestyle interventions that you can easily implement if you have prediabetes or diabetes! Contact our office if interested to work with us!

🥦 10 Day !
🔎 Where? Online, on Zoom
🗓 When?
1️⃣ 2/21
2️⃣ 2/26
3️⃣ 3/1
🕖 Time? All calls will be at 7pm EST / 5pm MT
✅️ This is a whole with plenty of for real whole food for 10 Days.
✅️ This is an opportunity to wean away from sugar, white flour and some of the foods that make us feel and affect our .
✅️ This cleanse is a great opportunity to re-boot and get daily support to make it happen for you!
Learn more on our website in the News section!

🧘🏻‍♀️🧘🏻🧘🏻‍♂️ Join this class for gentle warm-ups and exercises to improve the depth and ease of followed by an integrative practice for and .

DATES: February 1st & 15th, March 7th

🌬 Release stress
🌬 Balance the nervous system
🌬 Increase mental clarity
🌬 Revitalize + oxygenate your body
🌬 Increase energy
🌬 Improve the depth and ease of breathing

Find out more on our website! Link below.

🥦 10 Day !

🔎 Where? Online, on Zoom

🗓 When?
1️⃣ 2/21
2️⃣ 2/26
3️⃣ 3/1

🕖 Time? All calls will be at 7pm EST / 5pm MT

✅️ This is a whole with plenty of for real whole food for 10 Days.

✅️ This is an opportunity to wean away from sugar, white flour and some of the foods that make us feel and affect our .

✅️ This cleanse is a great opportunity to re-boot and get daily support to make it happen for you!

Learn more on our website in the News section!