Life Chiropractic Centre

All posts by Dr. Brad

Structural Sleep Issues

5 Things That Can Disrupt Your Sleep


The past 2 weeks we have been discussing insomnia and what it is that may be preventing you from getting a good night’s rest.

We’ve already talked about things that may be over-stimulating your brain before bedtime and also the effects of mental/emotional stress.

Today we are going to learn about the structural issues that may be interfering with your sleep.

Structural issues are things like your own postural alignment (are you straight or crooked?), your mattress (is it soft and saggy and unsupportive?), your sleeping posture and even the pillow that you use.

Before I give you some helpful hints regarding these, I want to make you aware of the five signs/symptoms that there may be something structurally wrong.

Here they are …your sleep is interrupted by lower back pain or leg pain (sciatica) or restless leg syndrome (Jimmy Legs) or snoring or sleep apnea. Any one or any combination of these can eventually lead to insomnia.

Now here are a few helpful hints for you…

Regarding your mattress, it should meet the following criteria; you should be able to sleep comfortably and uninterrupted for 7 to 9 hours and when you awaken, you should feel refreshed, well-rested and not sore, stiff or achy.

The worst sleeping posture is sleeping on your stomach.

This can irritate the spinal joints in your neck and your back resulting in neck pain and lower back pain. It is far better to sleep on your side in the fetal position or on your back.

If you choose to sleep on your side, your pillow should fill the gap between your cheek and the tip of your shoulder so that your head and neck are perpendicular to your shoulders. And if you choose to sleep on your back, the pillow should elevate your head and neck 10 -15 degrees only.
 
For those who snore or who have sleep apnea, a contour pillow or an anti-snoring pillow has worked very well for many people. So this is something you may want to consider.

Next time we are going to talk about one more thing that could be the magic bullet to helping you solve your sleep issues and insomnia, so please be sure to check in with us next week.

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Stress And Insomnia

Stress And Insomnia


The past few weeks we have talked about insomnia and what it is that may be keeping you from getting a good night’s sleep.

Today we are going to touch on mental-emotional stress.

And before we get into some real-life current stressors, you also need to know that mental-emotional stress can also cause the following; headaches, achy and tight muscles in the neck, upper back and lower back, anxiety, depression, anger, irritability, loss of appetite, digestive upset, eating disorders, fertility issues, bed-wetting in kids and even substance abuse.

Since December of 2020, a huge source of mental-emotional stress has been a difference of opinion about the jab.

This has strained and destroyed countless relationships; familial, personal, romantic, professional, business and too many friendships to even count.

What is an even greater source of mental-emotional stress currently is all those people who have been fired or will be fired from their job or career because they have chosen or choose to exercise their right to informed consent about an experimental medical procedure.

I have heard such gut-wrenching stories every single day since December of last year.
My purpose here today is three-fold;

First of all to make you aware of the most common signs and symptoms of mental-emotional stress. To increase your awareness.

Secondly, that you are not alone and there are many local support groups ( you can find them on social media) for children, parents and those who have been terminated or will soon be terminated from their job and/or career.

And finally, if you are struggling and cannot cope (or any of your kids) and you know you need some professional help, please reach out to me and I will provide you with a reputable referral right here in Burlington.


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Trouble Sleeping

Are You Having
Trouble Sleeping


Back pain, irritability, anxiety, depression, difficulty paying attention, difficulty learning, poor memory, daytime fatigue, increased errors and/or accidents, hypertension, poor immune function and weight gain.

What do all of these have in common?

The answer is INSOMNIA.

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that can make it hard for you to fall asleep, hard to stay asleep, it may cause you to wake up too early and not be able to get back to sleep.

Thirty percent of Canadians suffer from some sort of sleep disorder such as insomnia.

And I would guess that with everything that is going on out there these days, that it is way more than 30%.

In fact, almost every new practice member lately has indicated they have difficulty sleeping when they fill out their intake forms.

The more disturbing thing however is that 1 in 3 kids have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, and 1 in 5 kids have difficulty staying awake during the waking hours.

Now if this sounds like you and/or your children, I would suggest that you follow me over the next few weeks.

I am going to discuss possible causes of your sleep disorders such as insomnia and I am also going to share with you some solutions that may help you and your kids get a better nights sleep.


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Sleeping Assessment

What's Keeping You From Getting A Good Night's Sleep?


So what is it that can keep you from getting a good night’s sleep?

Is has been my experience that there are 3 main reasons for this which I am going to share with you over the next few weeks.

And if you have trouble sleeping, I suggest you do a self-assessment as we proceed.
Because it could be one, any two or possible all 3 of these.

The first one is … are you over-stimulating your brain tissue before bed-time?

Secondly, are you overwhelmed with mental-emotional stress?

And finally, are there any structural issues such as your spinal alignment and/or your sleeping posture?

Today we are going to talk about the first one and when it comes to over-stimulating your brain tissue, here are the biggies …

Firstly; TV, cell phones and computers. It is highly recommended that you do NOT interact with any form of technology for at least 1 hour before bedtime.

You need to give your brain tissue some time to unwind and relax because chances are it has been subjected to electronic stimulation and electro-magnetic frequencies all day long.

It is also highly recommended that your bedroom is a wifi-free zone especially if you are a fan of 5G.

Secondly; alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and sugar are all stimulants. After your dinner time meal avoid alcohol, coffee or caffeine in any form and sugar (fruit juices, soft drinks etc.). It is also recommended not to use any nicotine for at least an hour before bedtime.

A glass of warm milk or a cup of relaxing, soothing, calming tea will serve your sleep habits far better.

And finally, if you need a little snack after your dinner time meal and before bedtime, avoid the sweet, sugary treats. These are the worst! Instead have a small protein shake or a cup of oatmeal.

These will not mess with your blood sugar and they will not cause insulin spiking creating a much more harmonious internal environment for your body to rest and repair.

Next time we will be talking about mental-emotional stress.


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Postural Consultation

Postural Consultation With Dr. Brad


Over the past month or so we have learned about 3 specific posture distortions that you should keep an eye out for in your own children.

One was forward head posture or tech neck, the second was thoracic hyper-kyphosis or humpback and the third was abnormal spinal curvature or scoliosis.

In these short videos, I explained the health implications associated with each of these posture distortions and I also gave you some tips on how to check for these at home.

And if you have not seen these videos yet, you can scroll down and check them out right here.

Now what do you do if you are unsure about something or you have a legitimate concern with one of your kids?

 For example you do the toe-touch test and you notice one of your child’s shoulder blades is poking out and is sitting higher than the other one. (This being a strong indicator of scoliosis.)

This is where I can help you because as with any posture distortion, a more thorough investigation is in order.

We start with a postural assessment and then I will be able to determine if I can help as a chiropractor or if an orthopaedic consultation would be a better way to go; especially in the case of scoliosis.
 
If you would like me to check your child or all of your kids for that matter, all you need to do is call our office and set up an appointment for a postural consultation.

The phone number to call here in Burlington is 905 335 5433 (LIFE).

And please use our voicemail if no one answers the phone (clearly leave your first name and phone number) and we will get back to you as soon as we can.


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Spinal Development

Importance Of Spinal Development In Girls


So what is it that affects teenaged girls more than teenaged boys?

It is the same thing that can affect spinal development, self-esteem, athletic performance and even lung capacity, digestion and fertility.

And what I am talking about is scoliosis or an abnormal spinal curve. Instead of a straight spine (normal), the spine is shaped like an ‘S’.

If you have children at home, females especially, I am going to give you 3 things you should look for to check for spinal curvature.

Recently, we have talked about thoracic hyper-kyphosis or humpback. And if you haven’t seen any of those video yet, you can scroll down and check them out.

Thoracic hyper-kyphosis (humpback) frequently accompanies scoliosis so this is one thing you can look for.

Another thing; are their shoulders level or un-level?

Put one hand on each of their shoulders while they are standing and check if your hands are level. This is best done from behind. If your hands are un-level, then their shoulders are un-level. This is another indicator of a spinal curvature.

And finally, does one shoulder blade seem to poke out more than the other?
The best way to check this is to have them bend over to touch their toes while you stand behind them and observe.

Do both shoulder blades lie equally flat on their ribcage?

Or does one seem higher or seem to poke upwards?
 
If it is the latter, then this is another indicator that they have a spinal curvature.

If any of your kids (males included) have any of these symptoms or signs, a deeper investigation is a must.

We will talk about what it is you can do about this next time.


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Aging Posture

Aging Posture Can Start
At An Early Age


It is the most common posture distortion in the middle part of your back; the thoracic spine.

It can reduce lung capacity by up to 30% in all age groups.

At least 40% of our elderly population have this posture distortion which increases their risk of stumbling and falling, it makes them 3 ½ times more likely to end up in a nursing home and a 2004 study concluded that the most severe consequence of this posture distortion is early mortality due to atherosclerosis (heart disease).

What I am referring to is thoracic hyper-kyphosis or that unsightly humpback.

Remember that forward head posture or tech neck almost always precedes humpback. It is very rare to have humpback without having tech neck.

The concerning thing however is that at least 34% of school aged children already have some degree of tech neck.

Technology is one of, if not the major cause of posture distortions and postural collapse in humans.

So knowing the potential long-term health implications of humpback, it behooves us as parents to keep a close eye on how our kids interact with technology.

When your children are looking at a screen (any type of screen), make sure they are standing upright or sitting upright with eyes up and chin up.

This is one thing they can do to ensure an upright, open and healthy posture system.

It is ever so true that ‘as the twig is bent, so grows the tree’.


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painkillers

Good Posture Can Help You Feel Better

Hello again. Dr Brad here.So how have you been feeling the past 14 months during these lockdowns?More headaches, backaches, sciatica, low energy, depressive episodes?If you have any or all of these things, rest assured you are not alone. I am seeing more of this in my own practice members which is atypical for most. Goes to show you what elevated levels of stress and social confinement does to the human body and psyche.I am going to explain why this may be happening and I will also show you one trick that could make a world of difference for you.First of all, think back to when you were a kid. You did something wrong, you got into some trouble and you were scolded by your parents. Remember how you responded to that … you may have been staring at your feet with your head down, arms folded across your chest, you may have even gone to your room and curled up into a ball on your bed for a while. This by the way, is a normal physiological response that is pre-programmed into each and every one of us. Closing in on ourselves like this is called a protective posture. This naturally happens when we are feeling overwhelmed and over-stressed. And who isn’t feeling overwhelmed and over-stressed these days?And the closing of our posture systems can be ever so subtle. The trouble however, is that as posture collapses or closes, our postural muscles become weak and fatigued making it more difficult for us to open up and stay that way. And this is when all those secondary issues will start …. the headaches, the backaches, the sciatic pains, the low energy levels and depressive episodes just to name a few.So when you catch yourself closing in on yourself, I would like you to try this. I would like you to hold a power pose for 2 minutes. What is a power pose? Envision Superman or Super Girl or Wonder Woman in their typical stance. Chin is up, hands on their hips and the chest puffed out. This is their power pose and you can do the same thing too. Benefits? Holding a power pose for at least 2 minutes will flood your body with testosterone. Testosterone is your ‘power’ hormone. It will also release endorphins into your body which are your ‘feel-good’ hormones. And a power pose will quash the cortisol levels; that nasty, destructive stress hormone. Good posture can thus help you to feel better.And you can do this anywhere and as many time as you want throughout the day.Let me know how this works for you. And if you don’t notice any significant change, there may be something else going on.You can reach out to me on fb and we can figure this out together.Click Here To Book A Free Initial Consultation

Backpacks and Tech Neck

Backpacks And Cell Phones

It is so refreshing to see all the kids going back to school.

The human to human inter-personal interactions are so important for the acquisition of social skills, their mental-emotional health and critical for the development and maturation of their natural in-born immune systems.

But, I have seen this a couple of times already; a child walking down the sidewalk wearing a backpack and texting at the same time.

These 2 things are a bad combination and let me tell you why.

Either one of these things on their own will predispose you to tech neck. And even more so when in combination.

Remember that tech neck is forward head posture with humping of the upper back and this can cause headaches, TMJ syndrome, neck and shoulder strain, digital dementia and it is just not good for a young and developing posture system.

So, if you see this pattern of behaviour in your kids, have a brief chat with them. Show them how to healthy-text; sitting and holding their phone in front of them – chin up and eyes up.

And a backpack has 2 straps because there are 2 shoulders.

Also, do not allow the weight of the backpack to exceed 15% of your child’s body weight.

Pack it light and wear it right!

Childhood is a critical time for development of the posture system and it is ever so true that ‘ as the twig is bent, so grows the tree.’

Have a great school year everyone.

Talk soon.

The phone number to call here in Burlington is 905 335 5433.

Click Here To Book A Free Initial Consultation

spinal alignment

Try Adding Chiropractic Adjustments

Over the past few weeks we have talked about the 5 most common complaints I have heard from people over the past 18 months.

These being headaches, neck ache, backache, depression and lack of energy/fatigue; in females especially between 25 and 50 yrs of age.

I have also given you a few tips on how you can alleviate these things at home and if you haven’t seen them yet, you can scroll down and check them out.

If you have tried them however and you are still struggling with your specific issue, the one thing you may be missing is a spinal alignment (chiropractic adjustment).

I am not saying that chiropractic care is a cure for these things but a lot of people get a lot of relief from their headaches and neck aches and backaches after a chiropractic adjustment.

A lot also notice their mood has elevated and/or their energy levels have elevated after an adjustment.

If you would like to investigate chiropractic care, I would like to invite you to come into our office.

We will have a chat about your current health concerns and do a detailed posture analysis. These are non-invasive and highly informative. I can then show you any issues you may have and how they may relate to your current health issues.

This will only take about 20 minutes and there is no charge to you. If you wish to look into things any further, the decision is totally up you and I will let you know what I think we need to do.

The phone number to call here in Burlington is 905 335 5433.

Click Here To Book A Free Initial Consultation
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