If you've looked outside, it seems Old Man Winter refuses to let go. The first Hillcrest Run Club run of the season was planned for April 18 and that date doesn't look promising. So, due to the large amounts of snow we have outside, we'll be canceling the Wed evening club until the ground is ready for it. In the meantime we do a dog walk every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 10:45AM. The route is the same as the run and we'll be going rain, snow or shine. Look for updates on our facebook page as to when the Wednesday @ 615PM runs will start. Have a great day!

I love everything about chiropractic. Its not only a form of natural health care, its an art. It takes dedication, skill, practice, passion, physical ability, personality, compassion and so much more. There are about 65 chiropractors in the Eau Claire WI area. Each one is different in most if not all the aspects I laid out above and very few have those characteristics mastered. For me, knowing that my profession requires a dedication to always improving, keeps me yearning for more.
Every patient's body is different. With practice, acquired skill and some natural physical talent, a chiropractor should continue to refine their art of the chiropractic adjustment each day. I'm very blessed and thankful to have practiced in a variety of chiropractic clinics around the country. These experiences have refined and shaped the skills I possess today. This not only includes the chiropractic treatment process, but also the bedside manner, passion and commitment to be the best with each patient that comes into my office. This is my office and I stand behind the care I give to every person I see.

Chiropractic patients normally come to my office for a select few reasons. Its normally neck pain, low back pain, sciatica or a nasty muscle spasm that just refuses to go away. Yes, chiropractic adjustments are great for these ailments. However, potential patients usually don't realize all the other wonderful improvements they'll make along the way. 
Its incredible how many people suffer from headaches on a regular basis. Its also surprising that most people don't consider chiropractic as a potential treatment for their chronic headaches and migraines. Just a few weeks ago I was in a consultation with a new patient. She had come in due to low back pain and sciatica. She never wrote down or mentioned headaches mostly because she was in so much low back pain she had forgotten, but also because she didn't think it pertained to chiropractic. Boy was she wrong! She had been experiencing headaches every day for years. Four days after her first adjustment I asked how everything was going. She said the low back pain was beginning to subside and more notably, she hadn't had a headache since the first time she saw me. It was surprising to her and to me it was another inspiring reason to come to work each day. Its now been 3 weeks of regular chiropractic care without a headache and her low back pain/sciatica is down to 2 out of 10 on the pain scale.
​There are many other great benefits of chiropractic care that I see first hand each day. Torticollis, latching, digestive problems and bed wetting in infants and children. Range of motion, fatigue, sleep, joint pain, athletic performance and many other improvements are made consistently with patients of every age. Not only do patients get out of pain and dysfunction, but they get their lives back so they can live at their best without physical limitations they had before.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but chiropractic can't fix you in one treatment. Pain is usually one of the last symptoms to show with disease and disfunction. Its also one of the first things to resolve. One treatment might get you out of pain momentarily, however, look deeper at why you were in pain in the first place. It could be due to a multitude of reasons. Many people sit at a desk or in a vehicle for long hours at work. Many people have had some sort of trauma whether a car accident, fight, slip on the ice or otherwise. Many people have imbalances in their musculature leading to poorer and poorer posture and spinal support. Whatever the reason, its likely been festering for some time and it'll take some time to treat and obtain lasting healing results. 
Don't stop there! Once you're feeling better and quality of life has been improved, don't quit. You're ready to graduate to the next level of care. Just like a retainer after braces, chiropractic maintenance care keeps you living at that high level. If you're still working at a desk or in a car, you're continually doing the things that put you in a poor state of health in the first place. Not everyone can quit their desk job or suddenly take all the stress out of their lives. Thats where periodic chiropractic adjustments come in. They work to combat the negative effects of all those things every person does to their bodies each and every day.

SPORTea® is a tea blend made up of premium black and green teas, ginseng, ginger, electrolytes and Vitamin C.
Created in Colorado by a herbalist looking to make a delicious and healthy active lifestyle drink, SPORTea®’s following and dedicated drinkers are passionate about this special product… For good reason as it was named "Colorado's Best"
After trying out SPORTea® as a hot beverage, I’m sold. Not only is this an extremely tasty and refreshing beverage, the health benefits extend beyond hydration as the ginseng, ginger and black/green tea blends may provide a heavy dose of other benefits as well:

• Long lasting, jitter free energy that promotes stamina and mental alertness
• Protection against mental and physical stressors
• Better circulation and muscle function

Lastly, it’s important to take note that SPORTea® is sodium, sugar, calorie and artificial sweetener free. No need to worry about your sugar intake!

Personally, I love this drink as a hot beverage as it warms you from the inside out without the dehydration of caffeinated black teas or coffee.
The main upsides of SPORTea® compared to other sports beverages and teas is that it keeps you going throughout the day with zero jitters or worry of calories from sugar.
To purchase SPORTea®, visit SPORTea®’s Amazon page here.
If you don’t believe me, read the reviews on Amazon – this product has an amazingly loyal following for good reason. There are people on there who have been drinking this awesome tea for over 15 years!

One of the great perks of being a chiropractor is the constant patient interaction and interesting communication with a wide variety of individuals. Over the years I've learned quite a bit about watches both from patients and my own experience. Here's a list of some of the best made and reliable wristwatches for active people who just want their timepieces to keep on ticking.

Deer season is upon us and with it comes hunting accidents. One of the more frequent accidents is simply falling out a tree stand. Whether its climbing up or down a tree, falling asleep in the early morning or just losing your balance; a tumble from 20 feet up can do serious damage. Neck and spinal injuries are very common in falls from heights leaving people permanently disabled or even killed. Do yourself a favor and buy a harness for your stand. Better yet, buy a safety rope along with it to prevent falls as you're climbing up and down your ladder as well. A harness can easily be the difference between minor soreness after a fall or being paralyzed for the rest of your life. Be safe and good luck this season!

​Dr. Pellatt

If you're looking for the best overall fitness tracker, look no further. The Garmin Vivosmart is currently as good as it gets for activity trackers. I've tried the Fitbit Charge, Fitbit Charge HR, Misfit Shine, Garmin Vivofit 2, Mio Alpha 2, Mio Fuse and now have held onto the Garmin Vivosmart.

The others came close, but possessed certain flaws that turned out to be deal breakers for me. The Misfit Shine came in at second place. It's comfortable, simple and records just about any activity including sleep. The deal breaker: the circular tracker has the ability to fit into a wristband, pendant or shoe fob. Unfortunately, it comes out of the wristband quite easily and can easily be lost.

The Fitbit Charge and Charge HR had great potential. The app was the most fun to use out of the bunch and it tracks extra stats like stairs climbed and constant heart rate (with the HR version). However, the screen scratches easily, the band is rather wide and you're not able to shower or swim with it on.

The Mio Alpha 2 and Fuse are very convenient heart rate monitors but poor fitness trackers. The wrist based heart rate monitor worked very well even at high activity levels and with weight lifting. The Fuse tracks daily activity fairly well but currently misses out on sleep tracking. The app is rather useless and basic. Both are bulky units and thus usually sat on my desk until I was ready to go to the gym. If you're looking for a workout tracker they're great, but if you want a daily activity and sleep tracker I'd look elsewhere.

Now to the Garmin products. I really wanted to love the Vivofit 2. It has a battery life of over a year, is waterproof, has an always on screen and features an innovative clasp which should stay on through any activity. The device, unfortunately, sits rather high on your wrist and isn't quite as streamlined as something like the Shine or Fitbit. While at the gym or working on patients I noticed it would press very hard into my wrist because of that.

The Vivosmart does much more than Vivofit 2 while also shedding the bulk. The Vivosmart is thinner and sits lower on your wrist. I noticed right away that it was much more comfortable than the Vivofit 2. The Vivosmart receives smartphone notifications including texts, email, Facebook and Twitter. The Fitbit Charge only notifies of calls. The Vivosmart has less battery life than the Vivofit 2 and Misfit Shine but I've noticed better life (8 days) than the Fitbit or Mio units. The "move bar" gets you off your butt by vibrating if you're sitting too long. The device also vibrates for notifications and with the alarm clock feature. The touch screen on the Vivosmart works flawlessly even in the shower and blows away the lousy touch screen of the Mio Fuse. The Garmin sleep tracking graph isn't quite as nice as Misfit but I think it's more detailed and useful compared to Fitbit. The Garmin Connect app isn't nearly as pretty as Misfit or as socially connected as Fitbit, but all in all it gives me the information I'd like to know.

Best of the bunch: Garmin Vivosmart

Pros: Waterproof. Smartphone notifications. Comfortable. Good battery life. Sleep tracking. Vibrating alarm clock.

Cons: Lack of strong social network. Screen not always on.

Good luck tonight Badgers! #OnWisconsin

A healthy mind and body should not be expected. It's earned through smart choices, hard work and dedication.

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Do you think you're getting enough water throughout your day? If not, this illustration could put the positives into perspective and help you avoid the negatives of not drinking enough.

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