All posts by Dr. Brad
Spinal Curve Scoliosis
“What Parents Need To Know About Treating Scoliosis At Our Burlington Chiropractic Clinic”
We previously discussed how you can assess your own child’s posture for distortions and what you also need to know is that poor spinal alignment can also mean that your child has a spinal condition called scoliosis.
When you are checking your child’s posture, if there is noticeable tipping of the hips, shoulders or both, this could very well mean that they have scoliosis.
Scoliosis is a condition where the spine curves into an abnormal C-shape or an abnormal S-shape. It can result from pathological ( disease ) conditions of the spine & it can also result from structural misalignments ( subluxations ) of the spine.
[flashvideo file=http://lifechiropractic.s3.amazonaws.com/06.12.2011.scoliosis.brad-1.mp4 image=https://lifechiropracticcentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/scoliosis.jpg width=500 height=299 /]
But irrespective of the cause, if scoliosis is not identified immediately & treated appropriately, it can lead to a life of pain & varying degrees of disability.
Chiropractic care has proven to be very effective in helping children with scoliosis, especially scoliosis resulting from structural misalignments of the spine because this is our area of expertise.
Depending upon the severity of the curve & the age of the child, chiropractic results can range from a complete correction to stabilization of the existing curve.
In the latter case, the child can often times avoid the need to have spinal surgery.
It you have concerns about your child’s posture, it is very important that you have it checked out by someone who specializes in spinal health.
It is far better to be safe than sorry & early intervention is so critical when it comes to scoliosis.
Remember that consultations in our office are always free. All you need to do is call 905 335 5433 to schedule your appointment.
So, if you do have concerns, don’t hesitate & call today.
Life Chiropractic – helping families build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives for over 25 years!
Click Here To Book A Free Initial Consultation With Dr. Brad At The 2501 Guelph Line Clinic
Chiropractic Care For Concussions
“Here Is Some Valuable Information From Our Burlington Clinic About Chiropractic Care And It’s Role In The Treatment Of Concussions”
There has been a lot of attention surrounding this issue over the past few years especially with the number of high profile professional athletes who have been victimized by this injury.
And of course, because there is such a strong hockey culture here in Canada, most of us know how this injury affected Sidney Crosby who is arguably the best hockey player in the world.
What all concussion victims should know is that Sidney started seeing a chiropractor this past summer who specializes in neurology & brain injuries.
[flashvideo file=http://lifechiropractic.s3.amazonaws.com/22.11.2011.concussions.brad-1.mp4 image=https://lifechiropracticcentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/concussions.jpg width=500 height=299 /]And even though he was well cared for by his team doctors & other specialists, it was his treatments with this particular chiropractor that really accelerated his recovery.
In fact, he is now expected to return to play sometime before the end of November.
It is important to understand that a concussion is when the brain violently strikes the inside of the skull resulting in very simplistic terms, a bruise.
This can happen from either a direct blow to the head as it did with Sidney, or it can happen from a violent movement of the head & neck with minimal or no contact as would be the case in a whiplash injury.
The swelling of the brain tissue, which happens when any type of tissue is bruised, is what causes all the unfavourable symptoms associated with a concussion.
If you or your child has suffered one or more concussions, regular chiropractic adjustments can still be a huge benefit to you & will complement any medical treatments you may still be having.
Re-aligning any misaligned bones in the head, neck or jaw will assist the recovery process & will help heal the injured soft-tissues around the head & neck.
For more information on how we can help, please call 905 335 LIFE ( 5433 ) or you can always schedule an appointment for a free initial consultation.
We look forward to meeting you & helping in any way that we can, so please call us today.
Click Here To Book A Free Initial Consultation With Dr. Brad At The 2501 Guelph Line Clinic
Managing Stress Part III
Effective Stress Management Will Address Both Mind And Body”
The first thing you need to do is be mindful of your rest, relaxation and sleep.
You need 7 to 9 hours of un-interrupted sleep per night.
No tossing or turning or TV’s and when you awaken you should feel well rested, refreshed and loose and flexible.
If you do not sleep comfortably ( tossing and turning ) and you are sore and stiff in the morning to the point where it takes you some time to straighten up and get going then you are probably not sleeping in the right position or on the right mattress.
Furthermore, once you get to 5 years of age, you should no longer be sleeping on your stomach.
This is not good for the neck or the lower back and will be a significant contributor to poor spinal hygiene.
Side sleeping or back sleeping is best and is facilitated by using the right pillow.
Contoured cervical ( neck ) pillows will help maintain proper sleeping posture and the vitally important cervical curve.
What kind of mattress to use? … I couldn’t tell you.
But what I can tell you is this.
If you are not sleeping comfortably for 7 to 9 hours and /or you are waking up sore and stiff , then your current mattress is not appropriate for you.
Whether to use a mattress that is hard or soft, a futon , a waterbed, an air mattress, a memory foam mattress etc. is up to you to determine.
Just make sure that when you buy a new mattress, you have a 60 or 90 day trial period.
You cannot tell if a mattress is good for you by sitting on it in the store.
You need to sleep on it for 10 -14 days to know for sure.
And make sure you take some time for yourself to do the things you love to do and are passionate about.
Have you ever been so engrossed in something that 3 hours only seemed like 15 minutes?
We all have.
Recent research on the mechanisms of aging tells us that if the mind perceives 3 hours as only 15 minutes ( for example ), than so does the physical body.
What effect do you think this will have on how your body ages?
Will it accelerate aging or slow it down?
Part 4 will continue with tips on how to effectively deal with your stress.
Click Here To Book A Free Initial Consultation With Dr. Brad At The 2501 Guelph Line Clinic
Cervical Spine Images
“Normal And Reversed Curve Cervical Spine Images”
WHY MAINTAINING A NORMAL AND HEALTHY CURVE IN THE NECK IS SO IMPORTANT
Science tells us that the state of your nerve system determines whether you have high or low resistance to disease.
If you are suffering from disease, the state of your nerve system will play decisive role in whether or not, or how rapidly you will recover.
By keeping your spinal column and nerve system free from stress, your health is optimized.
Book an appointment with us today.
GOOD POSTURE AND A HEALTHY SPINE = HEALTH, LONGEVITY AND INDEPENDENCE
An increase in the mid-back curve (humping) or a decrease or reversal in the neck curve decreases life expectancy. Older men and women with hyperkyphosis (humping of the middle back) or hypolordosis (straightening or reversing of the neck curve) die earlier. ref. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society -2004 ref. Men and Women: A Prospective Study Deborah M. Kado,MD,MS, et al
The neck must have a symmetrical curve to allow for proper health, longevity and function.
Any variation from normal places stress on the nerve system and decreases health potential. Ninety percent of the nerve system is for function NOT pain … which means that you can have a problem and not feel it.
Nerve Pressure is one of the things that have been proven to change the expression of your genes.
BAD genes can be activated with nerve pressure and GOOD genes get turned off with nerve pressure.
This is not good for any aspect of your health!
This is why people who consistently use strategies to improve their spinal function are healthier than those who do not.
Review the Chart of Effects of Spinal Misalignments found on this website that shows the typical symptoms a person would manifest with spinal problems in specific regions.
THE STATE OF YOUR NERVE SYSTEM EQUATES TO THE STATE OF YOUR HEALTH.
SICKNESS and DISEASE CAN BE MINIMIZED BY MAXIMIZING NERVE SYSTEM FUNCTION
CERVICAL / NECK ASSESSMENT IS CRUCIAL AND DONE VIA XRAY – IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO DETERMINE IF THERE IS A PROBLEM.
TO FIND OUT IF YOU and YOUR CHILDREN HAVE THE PROPER NECK CURVES, CALL OUR OFFICE AT 905 335 5433 AND WE WILL HELP YOU FIND OUT.
Click Here To Book A Free Initial Consultation With Dr. Brad At The 2501 Guelph Line Clinic
Managing Stress Part 2
“Stress Is Inescapable – Part Two Of Managing Stress From Our Burlington Clinic”
Dr Hans Seyle ( endocrinologist & stress expert ) says that stress is inescapable.
“ No one can live without experiencing some degree of stress all the time.
Crossing a busy intersection, exposure to a draft, or even sheer joy are enough to activate the body’s stress mechanism to some extent.
Stress is not even necessarily bad for you; it is also the spice of life for any emotion, any activity causes stress.
But of course, your system must be prepared to take it.
The same stress which makes one person sick can be an invigorating experience for another.”
So what happens when you face stress?
First, your body prepares itself for confrontation.
Messages of fight or flight are sent from your brain to your endocrine ( hormonal ) system.
If the stress stops, you revert to normal.
Secondly, if the stress continues, you go into a stage of resistance.
Your body adapts by putting up barricades.
You tense your muscles, raise your fever & struggle to prevail.
You either run from or fight the threat.
Third, if the stress still continues, you may pass into the stage of stress exhaustion.
Your body cannot stay continually in the fight or flight state, so your system falls prey to anxiety, ill-health & chronic dis-ease ( disharmony).
Understand that this bodily response to stress is not exclusive to adults.
It can happen to anyone at any age including children.
This is why parents must be able to identify the conditions & symptoms of stress in their children & then know what the appropriate measures are to protect their health.
Part 3 ( next week ) will begin to show you what you need to do & will cover the first of the 4 major components in effective stress management.
Click Here To Book A Free Initial Consultation With Dr. Brad At The 2501 Guelph Line Clinic
Newborn Head Movement
“This Is Very Important Information From Our Burlington Clinic For Any Parent To Read If Their Newborn Has Difficulty Turning Their Head To One Or Both Sides”
If you have noticed this to be the case, it is most likely due to a spinal strain ( having ruled out more serious complications ) which usually occurs during the birth process.
Because the baby’s head & neck are used as a lever to assist it through the birth canal, this can often times strain the spinal joints in the neck resulting in neck stiffness & crooked posture.
Understand that all the twisting & pulling associated with the birth process can result in up to 60 lbs of force on a neck that has yet to see one day of life outside of the womb!
[flashvideo file=http://lifechiropractic.s3.amazonaws.com/15.11.2011.baby.head.movement.brad-2.mp4 image=https://lifechiropracticcentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/baby.head_.movement.jpg width=500 height=299 /]Ask yourself how you would feel as an adult if someone pulled on your head & twisted it & your neck with 60 lbs of force? [ FYI – manual chiropractic adjustments employ 3 -5 lbs of force applied in a specifically controlled direction. ]
If the birth process itself was difficult or complicated, ie. prolonged labour, a forceps delivery, a vacuum assisted delivery or the baby presented in the wrong position, then the chances of your baby suffering birth trauma to the neck are even greater.
Other things that you may have also noticed ; your baby has difficulty holding their head in the upright position, they always hold their head turned or tilted to the same side, & you may even notice that they prefer to breast-feed from the same side only.
As a parent, you should not ignore these signs & symptoms as they are indicative of a definite spinal problem in the neck region. And in most cases, these injuries will not heal on their own & if left unattended they will set the stage for bad posture later in childhood & even degenerative spinal disease.
Early intervention is the key to preventing these things from happening and this is where chiropractic care can be of a huge benefit.
Gentle chiropractic treatments will help to heal the injured soft-tissues & correct the alignment of the delicate spinal joints.
This will ensure that as your baby grows, they will have good spinal flexibility & good posture both of which are essential for their overall health & well-being.
If you do have these or any other concerns about your child, you can call our office for more information on what we can do to help or you can always schedule an appointment for a free initial consultation.
Our phone # is 905 335 5433 & we have office hours on Mon,Wed,Thurs & most Sat mornings.
And, we have over 25 years experience helping children.
We would welcome the opportunity to help you & your family. Please call today.
Click Here To Book A Free Initial Consultation With Dr. Brad At The 2501 Guelph Line Clinic
Managing Stress Part 1
“Tips On How To Effectively Manage Stress For You And Your Family From Our Burlington Clinic”
This is an 8 part series on Stress Management
Here’s PART 1
Let’s start with a definition…..
Stress is the sum of all the biological reactions to any adverse stimulus [ physical, mental/emotional , chemical ], internal or external that tends to disturb an organisms HOMEOSTASIS. Homeostasis is the stability of normal physiological states of an organism.
Why do we need to learn how to manage stress for ourselves & our children?
Because medical research is now suggesting that up to 80% of all illnesses are stress related!
Here are the most common stress-related conditions/symptoms that I see in my practice: insomnia, anxiety, depression, headaches, spinal pain ( neck, lower back ), muscle tension, eating disorders, bowel problems ( constipation ), suppressed immune function, skin disorders ( eczema, psoriasis ), hormone imbalances, high blood pressure, fatigue, addictions & substance abuse, & stomach disorders ( indigestion, heartburn, ulcers ).
If you have even one of these, then you are most likely not managing your stress effectively.
Part 2 – next week – will explain how stress effects the human body.
Click Here To Book A Free Initial Consultation With Dr. Brad At The 2501 Guelph Line Clinic
Child Constipation
“Here Is Some Very Helpful Information For You If Your Child Is Suffering From Constipation From Our Burlington Clinic”
Constipation is typically characterized by infrequent bowel movements and/or difficult and hard bowel movements.
You need to understand that if your bowels are working properly, you should be having a bowel movement within an hour after each andamp; every major meal.
[flashvideo file=http://lifechiropractic.s3.amazonaws.com/08.11.2011.constipation.brad-1.mp4 image=https://lifechiropracticcentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/constipation.jpg width=500 height=299 /]Now, it is generally accepted within the medical community that 1 bowel movement per day is sufficient, but if your child is having only 1 to 3 bowel movements per week or even less, then there is a definite constipation problem.
And this would not be good for anyone’s health – adult or child – as waste material is toxic and needs to be eliminated from the body in a timely fashion.
Constipation is caused by several different things such as improper diet, drugs and medications, spinal misalignments and more serious complications such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome ( IBS ) and Crohn’s disease.
Here we will discuss the spinal cause of constipation as this is my area of expertise.
However, as with any type of health problem, it is very important to rule out the potentially dangerous causes before commencing any type of treatment.
So, you are probably wondering how chiropractic care can help someone who is suffering with constipation.
And aside from poor immune function andamp; poor posture, constipation is one of the main reasons that parents bring their newborns and young children to the chiropractor.
You need to know that spinal misalignments in the lower back area can irritate the nerves that go directly into the large intestine ( bowel ).
If you check the right hand column of the website for the Chart of Effects of Spinal Misalignments, you will see that it is the nerve associated with the L1 vertebra specifically.
This vertebra can become misaligned in several different ways – during the birth process, from falling on the tush which happens frequently as toddlers are learning to stand and walk – but irrespective of how it happens, when the L1 vertebra compresses the nerve, constipation is a very common side-effect.
So, the chiropractic approach to helping constipation involves gentle treatments aimed at restoring proper nerve supply so that the bowels can function properly.
If you would like more information on how chiropractic can help constipation, please call our office or you can always schedule an appointment for a free initial consultation.
Our phone # is 905 335 LIFE ( 5433 ) and please remember that we are here to help in any way that we can.
Artificial Sweetners Impact On Your Health
“Here’s What Our Burlington Clinic Has To Say About Artificial Sweeteners And How They Impact Your Health And Your Children’s Health”
All artificial sweeteners are toxic! ie. sweet’n’low, saccharin, splenda, sucralose.
ASPARTAME is a potent neurotoxin & accounts for 75% of all reported adverse reactions to food additives.
It has actually caused seizures & death.
Here are some of the 90 different health issues currently linked to aspartame:
Headaches, migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, irritability, fatigue, racing heart beat, insomnia, visual disturbances, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, ringing in ears, vertigo, memory loss & joint pain.
Research has found that aspartame can cause brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia & diabetes.
Also known as : Nutra-sweet, Equal & Spoonful.
Now you understand why ALL aspartame containing products carry a warning.
So, take home no artificial sweeteners period! “Diet” or “Sugar-Free” on the label means artificial sweeteners 99% of the time!
It is so much safer & healthier to use raw cane sugar, cocoa & if you do not want to use either one of these, you can use a natural & safe sweetener called Stevia.
Life Chiropractic Centre – helping families build healthy, vibrant, drug-free lives.
Click Here To Book A Free Initial Health C0nsultation With Dr. Brad At The 2501 Guelph Line Clinic
Antioxidant
“Natures Best Antioxidants”
A recent study conducted at Miguel Hernandez University (Spain) sought to determine which household spice was the best natural antioxidant.
The winner was CLOVES, coming in first place ahead of its other counterparts: oregano, thyme, rosemary & sage. Cloves were chosen as the best natural antioxidant mainly due to its ability to reduce lipid oxidation.
Lipid oxidation is one of the main reasons food deteriorates.
To combat food deterioration, the food industry uses synthetic antioxidants which are usually chemical compounds.
Recently , questions have been raised regarding the potential toxicity and side-effects of these chemical compounds. [ long overdue !!! ]
As a result, there is a growing interest in using natural plant-based products, such as cloves, to control food deterioration rather than chemical compounds.
So here are a couple of tips for you …….
When you are reading your food labels, if you cannot pronounce one or more of the ingredients, don’t buy it.
There is more than likely a chemical additive.
Use cloves or powdered cloves to control your own food preservation especially if you buy organic which everybody should.
Organic food typically contains no preservatives or chemical additives which is why it is much safer for and your children.
Click Here To Book A Free Initial Consultation With Dr. Brad At The 2501 Guelph Line Clinic