Life Chiropractic Centre

All posts by Dr. Brad

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.

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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.

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Fatigue And Low Energy

3 Tips To Help Restore Your Get Up and Go

Fatigue, sluggishness, lack of energy … also one of the 5 most common complaints I have heard over the past 12 plus months.

Especially from females and mom’s between 25 and 50 years of age.If you are struggling with low energy too, I have 3 simple tips for you that will help you to reclaim your get-up and go.

First of all, eat better!

Less refined foods/carbs (the sugary sweet stuff) and more unrefined carbs such as whole grains, fresh fruit and uncooked (or slightly steamed) veggies.

Pair these with your favorite protein for sustained energy levels. You can also try 5 or 6 smaller meals throughout the day instead of 2 or 3 large meals.

This will also help with maintaining good energy levels all day long.

Secondly, drink more water and less caffeine, alcohol and sugary drinks. Remember that water is 2 parts hydrogen and 1 part oxygen. Oxygen is a necessary ingredient for the production of energy inside your body.

How much should you drink?

LOTS!

And number three, exercise!

Less sitting and more exercise.

Adults between 18 and 65 years of age need a minimum of 25 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise every day. And you don’t need a gym membership. Exercise can be as simple (and effective) as a brisk walk, a bike ride or a light jog.

One of the many benefits of exercise is that it increases your respiration which means you draw more oxygen into your body. Remember that oxygen is that necessary ingredient for energy production.

There you have it.

 Three simple tips that you can start to implement right now today that will certainly give you more get-up and go!

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Back Pain Relief

3 Simple Tips To Help Relive Backache

Backache is one of the top 5 most common symptoms that females especially have complained about over the past year and a half or so.

And the presentation of backache varies from person to person. Some people have backache when lying/sleeping, others when sitting, others when standing (at the kitchen sink for example), others when walking and others when bending/lifting.

If any of these sound familiar, here are three tips for you to help make your activities of daily living easier for you to get through.

First of all is sleep. Your mattress and sleeping posture are important and you can scroll down and check out past posts I have done on both of these topics. But just a reminder, sleeping on your stomach is not your best sleeping posture as it is can easily irritate the spinal joints in your neck and your lower back both.

Secondly, should you use an cold pack or a hot pack when your back is bothering you? Remember that when you have pain or discomfort, there is also associated inflammation. In this case it would be the spinal nerves or the spinal joints or both, in your lower back area. So, when you add heat to something that is already inflamed, it can make the problem 10 times worse.

This is a common mistake many people make. Cold compresses (ice) on the other hand are a natural anti-inflammatory and you can never go wrong with a cold compress for 15 minutes on the tender spot 3 or 4 times a day.

And finally, if you need to sit a lot throughout the day (eg. your job), it is far better for your back to sit on a posture disc or an exercise ball or use a sit-stand capable desk. Any one of these will take a huge load off of your lower spine (especially if you are carrying a few extra pounds around the waistline) and all three of these recommendations collectively can prove to be a real back-saver for you.

Next time we are going to talk about fatigue so if your get-up-and-go has disappeared lately, you may want to check out my next post.

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Depression Solutions

Depression ... Try This When You're Feeling Down

Depression.

One of the top 5 complaints that I have heard from patients during the past 16 months during the revolving lock-downs.

And even though we have been given some of our freedoms back of late, a lot of people are still struggling with this because their lives have been permanently altered.

One of the many residual effects of lockdowns that the experts did not predict.

Now as you know I am not a psychologist or a psychiatrist but I have treated many, many people (too many than I would like to admit) with various degrees of depression, so I can speak a little bit towards this.

If you are anyone in your family is struggling with some depression, I have one simple tip for you.

One of the very best things you can do to elevate your mood is exercise. Exercise releases endorphins into your body. Endorphins are your feel-good hormones or what I like to call your "happy hormones".

And if you are not a gym person like me, exercise can be as simple as a walk, a hike, a swim, a bike ride, or a yoga or pilates class. And the more of this you can do outside in nature, the better. Because nature is never depressed or depressing.

Exercising 3 or 4 times per week (and you can also make it a family event) will go a long ways towards keeping those happy hormones circulating throughout your body which in turn will help to keep your mood elevated.

Give it a try!

Next time we are going to talk about backache.

Along with headaches, neck aches, depression and fatigue, backache also made it into the top 5.

 So if you or anyone you know is suffering from backache, please be sure to visit our next post

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Sleeping Posture

Sleeping Posture And
Pillow Selection

Hey doc… should I be sleeping on my stomach, my side or my back? And what kind of pillow should I be using?

Hi guys.

Dr Brad here and today we are going to talk about sleeping posture and pillows because I get asked these kinds of questions all the time.

First of all, stomach sleeping is by far the worst sleeping posture in my opinion. It is not good for your neck alignment because you have to torque your head and neck to one side or the other so you can breathe.

And this will irritate the highly sensitive joints in your neck which can result in morning headaches, neck ache and neck stiffness.

Similarly, sleeping on your stomach will irritate the spinal joints in your lower back which can result in morning backache and stiffness.

If you are a side sleeper the important thing is that you have enough pillow between your cheek and the tip of your shoulder to keep your head and neck perpendicular to your shoulders.

Also, sleeping in a fetal position with arms across your chest and a small pillow between your knees will increase your chances of having a restful and peaceful sleep.

For you back sleepers, your pillow should elevate your head and neck 15 to 20 degrees only, arms along your side or across your abdomen (not hands behind your head) and a couple of pillows under your knees will help especially if you suffer from lower back pain.

What about pillows … should you use a contour pillow, a cradle pillow, a water pillow, a bamboo pillow, a memory foam pillow etc.?

This I cannot answer for you.

My best recommendation however is go to a store such as Sleep Country where they have every type of pillow for you to shop, compare and choose from. Consulting with one of their sleep experts will help you make the very best choice for your specific requirements.

And knowing what your neck posture looks like would be advantageous for pillow selection and this is what I can help you with.

I hope you find this to be helpful and if you have any questions/comments please reach out to me on fb and I will be sure to assist in any way that I can.

Next time, we will talk about depression and some natural ways you can try to elevate your mood.

So, if you or anyone in your family is struggling with this, please be sure to check in.

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Best Mattress

What Is The Best Mattress For Me?

Should I sleep on a firm mattress, a soft mattress, a coil mattress, a spring mattress, one that pops out of a box or a memory foam mattress?

Hi guys.

Dr Brad here and I get asked these questions all the time. And if you are wondering the same thing, I am going to try and help you out with this today.

The answer to this question is honestly; “I do not know?” I have no idea what type of mattress would be best for you.

But this is what I do know… the best mattress for you would meet these 3 criteria;

1-you get 8 to 10 hours of sound, deep sleep.

2-you do not toss and turn; you sleep in the same position pretty much the entire time.

3- you feel well rested and refreshed when you get up; you are not sore, achy or stiff and it doesn’t take you 10 minutes to get to walking upright.

So, the trick is how do you find such a mattress?

My best recommendation would be this; when you are ready to purchase a new mattress, purchase from a mattress store that will offer you a trial period.

Some will offer you a 120 night trial period for you to try it out. That way you will know if the one you purchased works for you, or if you need to change the design or go firmer or go softer etc.

Now what about if you do not sleep alone?

Often times your partner will have different mattress requirements than you will. In this circumstance you can get a split mattress where one side is designed specifically for your partner and the other side is designed specifically for you.

There is always a cost factor to consider but sleep is important for many things so it’s a wise investment.

And a good and proper mattress will always have more longevity.

Next time we will talk about sleeping posture and pillows.

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