This week I heard something on the news that made me think about chiropractic. (Surprise, surprise!)  It was about Tiger Woods.  I learned that he had to bow out of last week’s Player’s Championship because of neck pain that was spreading down his arm.  My first thought was that he had a subluxation (a.k.a. misalignment) in his neck that was causing his pain. My second thought was, of course he has a subluxation!  Look at how much stress he’s been under the past 7 months!!  It was only a matter of time before it affected his body. 

Stress is a major cause of disease. It’s also the major cause of subluxations.  It doesn’t matter what kind of stress it is- physical (falls), mental (worries) or chemical (scents)- stress is stress and too much of it isn’t good for us.

We can all agree that Tiger has been under an extreme amount of stress lately.  Hopefully you don’t have anywhere near that much stress in your life, but it’s still important to manage the stress you do have by:

1. Sleeping
2. Exercising
3. Meditating
4. Eating well
5. Drinking water
6. Expressing yourself
7. Calming your nervous system by getting adjusted

These are a few steps that will help decrease the effect that stress can have on your life and body.

What do you do to bring your stress levels down?

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Continued from a few weeks ago, here are some more misconceptions people may have about chiropractic.

Myth #4: Chiropractic is dangerous.

Reality:  Recent research states that patients are no more likely to suffer a stroke following a visit to a chiropractor than they would after stepping out of  their family doctor’s office.¹   This means that there is no increased danger from getting a chiropractic adjustment than there is by going to your medical doctor's office. In addition, another study found that treatment of neck pain with anti inflammatory drugs, like Advil, cause 100-200 deaths per million cases. ² Compare this with the ratio of 1-2 cases per million for chiropractic. It’s about 100 times safer to go to a chiropractor than to take over the counter medication.  That’s something to think about!

^{1.Spine 2008 (Feb 15); 33 (4 Suppl): S176-183
2.J. Manipulative Physiol. Ther.   1995 Oct;18(8):530-6.}

Myth #5:  Chiropractic is only for adults.

Reality:  We know the importance of regular checkups for our child’s teeth and eyes but draw a blank when it comes to checking his spine.  Most adult problems that chiropractors deal with actually have a start in childhood.  The ‘growing pains’ of an 12 years old boy can become crippling low back and leg pains in adulthood.  Better to stop it at the beginning, than to wait until it gets worse. 

 
Myth #6:  Spinal adjustments are uncomfortable.

Reality:  Most times a spinal adjustment itself will not hurt at all. In fact a great sense of relief will be experienced. On some occasions it may feel like someone is momentarily pressing on a bruise. As your body adapts to your adjustments, you may experience some additional discomfort, similar to the sensation of tender muscles after starting an exercise program. Over time, as your nervous system integrates the effects of the adjustments, most people feel a continuing sense of ease. This is one reason many people make chiropractic the cornerstone of their wellness lifestyle.

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This is Part One of a two part article about some of the myths associated with chiropractic.

Myth #1:  Chiropractic is addictive.

Myth #2:  Chiropractic is just for back pain.

Myth #3:  “I can crack my own neck/back.  I don’t need a chiropractor.”

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That is one of my favourite songs of the holiday season but the past few days, it's been really true to life! It has been bitterly cold outside and for some of us it's an excuse to curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and a good movie. For others, this cold weather is wonderful because they get to ski, skate, snowboard or toboggan in the fallen snow. Unfortunately, there are  people for whom the cold weather is not fun at all because they feel achier and stiffer as the weather gets colder and damper.

We all know someone who is a human barometer who they can tell what kind of weather we are going to have simply by which joint is hurting! I have a dear friend who broke his ankle a few years ago, and he always knows if it’s going to rain, snow, or hail. Have you ever wondered why this happens? A possible reason is that your nervous system is meant to help you change according to the environment you're in.

When it’s hot, you sweat because the perspiration evaporates and cools you off. When it’s cold, you shiver because moving your body creates warmth. An injury, like a broken bone or a severe sprain, can affect that joint’s ability to adapt properly to temperature changes. Often, even after the injured joint is healed, the pain flares up during cold or damp weather. One thing to keep in mind is that the cold weather can affect you even if you haven't had a serious injury. Even seemingly minor neck or back pain can lead to increased pain in the winter.

So what can you do? Do you have to live with this every year when winter comes around?  Is the only solution  moving to the south?  There is another option! Getting chiropractic adjustments on a regular basis will keep your spine straight and get your nervous system healthy, which will help decrease your pain and your increased achiness in the cold. As your nervous system and joints get stronger, you won't notice the changes in weather as dramatically.

You may even start to enjoy winter—miracles can happen with chiropractic!

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Do you feel this way during the holidays? Like you want to cry?  Stressed and overwrought? Like Coco the cat*, we all have to do things that we don’t want to do, especially over the holidays.  That can lead to more stress and make happy times less so. It's hard to avoid stress but there are some things you can do to decrease it.

What?  Hard to believe that getting adjusted will help?  Getting chiropractic adjustments can make you more relaxed and at ease because adjustments help rebalance your nervous system. When your nervous system is balanced, you achieve a sense of calm that is deep and full.  It’s like your whole body and mind become peaceful and connected with each other.  Worries tend to melt away and problems don’t seem that big anymore.  All in a few minutes. It’s quite amazing actually.

Chiropractic can be a part of your holidays to help you get through the rush and actually enjoy the process! Now that would be really be a Christmas miracle!!

*BTW, this is my cat Coco.  She was not happy to play a reindeer but she was eager to eat the treats I offered her (which is what she was doing when this picture was taken—no part of her was harmed to take this photo, except for her pride).

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"What kind of pillow should I use?"
It's a common question that I hear from my patients. The answer depends on how you sleep. The proper pillow for your sleep position can prevent neck pain and even improve the quality of your rest.

So, do you sleep on your side or on your back?

If you're a side sleeper, the height of the pillow is important. If the pillow is too flat, your head will be tilted down and if it's too fluffy, it will be tilted up. Either can make you wake up with a kink in your neck. The perfect pillow will be thick enough to allow your head to be aligned with the rest of your body, without inclining it at an angle, like your head is when you are standing up.

If you mostly sleep on your back, then you want to make sure to provide support for your neck and the best pillow for that is a contour one. It will cradle the curvature of your spine so that your head is aligned with the rest of your body. When your neck is not supported, your muscles will continue to work throughout the night instead of resting and you may wake up feeling tired and achy. The contour pillows have a thin side and a thick side. When sleeping on your back, it may be more effective to use the thick side however, if you have a slighter body frame, the thinner side may be the best for you.

You'll notice that I haven't talked about stomach sleepers yet. From a chiropractic perspective, this is the least desirable way to sleep because it forces you to turn your head to one side or the other for a long period of time. This can cause neck pain, headaches and tense neck muscles. That said the best pillow for sleeping on your stomach, is actually no pillow at all! If you must have one, then get the flattest pillow you can find. This will prevent your neck from being propped up and turned at the same time.

A few simple changes in your sleeping habits could be the difference between waking up to a "good morning" or to a "pain in the neck"!

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The CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) opens this Friday in Toronto, Ontario. The CNE (or The Ex as it's also known) is a huge fair/amusement park that opens once a year at the end of August and to me, it always signals the winding down of summer.  It's been a long time since I've gone so I'm really looking forward going this Saturday.  The last time I went was in elementary school. The Board of Education used to give out free CNE passes at the end of the school year--does anyone else remember those?  I would take the TTC down to the Ex with my family and my best friend and we would talk excitedly about all the things we would do-all the exhibits we'd visit, the games we'd play, the treats we wanted to eat and the rides we wanted to go on!  The rides were so much fun! I loved Tilt-A-Whirl and bumper cars the best!

I still love those rides but now that I'm a chiropractor, I look at them from a different perspective. I now notice how much my head and neck whip around during the bumper cars and I can feel the bruises on my arms from being jostled around the Tilt-A-Whirl.  Sometimes I can even end up getting a headache or a stiff neck the next day. I guess it's true that children are able to bounce back (in this case, literally) better than adults. I miss the days when this was me too.

This time I'll have to make sure to make an appointment with my chiropractor so I can get adjusted a few days after I go on those rides this Saturday.  But it will be nice to feel like a kid again, if only for a little while!

What are your best memories of the CNE?

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Isn't it great that it's finally warm outside! And just in time for the first day of summer! 

You'll probably notice that with the warm weather comes your desire to be outside, exercising or doing activities around the city or your house.  Whatever activites you're doing, it's important to take care of your feet.

Over our lifetime we spend a lot of time on our feet. In fact, most of us walk an average of 6.5 km a day!   That’s more than 4 trips around the world in a lifetime!  Unfortunately, about 75% of us will suffer with some sort of foot pain at one point in our life which makes it hard to continue doing activities that we enjoy.

There are a few common causes for foot pain:

1. Plantar fasciitis- pain in the arch of the foot
2. Heel spurs- pain in the heels
3. Achilles Tendonitis-pain at the back of the foot and ankle

Some things you can do at home to decrease the pain are: 

1. Ice the area of pain
2. Stretch out the foot and calf muscles
3. Rest your feet

If the pain continues or starts to get worse, you may want to consider putting custom fitted orthotics in your shoes. 

The first thing to clear up is that custom fit orthotics are NOT the same as orthopedic shoes!  Orthotics are inserts that go inside your shoes to provide you with support for your foot.  There are different types of orthotics that fit into most types of shoes and there are also ones specifically geared towards certain sports, like skiing, golfing and tennis.  And if you’re looking for a sandal for the summer, there are styles of sandals that can have your custom fit orthotic built right into them.

So how do orthotics help?  Well, orthotics support the arch of your foot, prevent your ankle from rolling in or out and take the extra pressure off your knees, hips and lower back as you walk.  Pretty cool!  Without an orthotic to support the arch, your muscles and ligaments are forced to work overtime to lift the arch which causes your feet to work harder than necessary. When you wear orthotics regularly, the overworked muscles can relax and the weaker muscles will strengthen, providing you with more effective and efficient foot function. This lets you get through your day more easily and without pain. 

If you're not sure if orthotics are what you need, a consultation and a specialized examination will determine whether orthotics are the right solution for you.  So take a step in the right direction and find out if orthotics are right for you!

Enjoy the warm weather and we'll talk to you soon!

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