Spinal Health For Life

“A Hard Golf Lesson About Maintaining Good Spinal Health”

Today I am going to tell you a story of a patient I had a while back who threw his back out playing golf.

When he first came in he was extremely frustrated because he had just retired and his passion was to play golf  2 – 3 times per week.

He was also very impatient. He expected that 1 adjustment would cure him and he would be able to resume golfing the next day.

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I also had a hard time reasoning with him why he needed a spinal xray. He thought that I could just ‘pop’ his spine back into place without any type of examination but he finally agreed to get them.

Well, the xrays were not good news. The xrays showed that the spinal disc at the very bottom of his back had almost completely decayed away due to a subluxation that had been there for at least 40 years. This was causing him to have a severely pinched nerve in his lower back. He did not start a program of care when I explained to him that a quick fix was impossible.

The reason that I am sharing this story with you is because I have seen this happen time and time again. Someone works hard all their life, retires and is ready to enjoy their hobbies and is then crippled with a back problem that they have paid very little or no attention to their whole life.  This was not the first time this guys back went out.

The sad thing is this did not have to happen. You do have a choice. Regular chiropractic adjustments throughout your lifetime pay huge dividends later on.

Really … you need to take extra special care of your spine because  everything else depends upon it.

If you or anyone else in your family is struggling with a health problem, I may be able to help. All you need to do is give me a call.

Remember that consultations are always free of charge and we also offer family appointments. Our phone number is 905 335 LIFE (5433) or you can email me directly by clicking on the link on our home page.

Life Chiropractic … helping families just like yours build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives for over 25 years in Burlington.

Click Here To Book A Free Initial Consultation With Dr. Brad

Help For Allergies

“Reducing The Impact Of Spring Allergies”

It is that time of year when some of you may be experiencing allergy symptoms.

You need to understand that the watery eyes, runny nose and sneezing even though uncomfortable and annoying, are the way your body gets rid of the stuff you are allergic to.

Pollen for example.

You also need to understand that taking a medication that prevents watery eyes, a runny nose and sneezing allows the stuff you are allergic to, to stay inside your body.

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You can imagine that this cannot really be good for you especially when your body was trying to get rid of it in the first place.

Your body always knows best!

So, what can you do?

Here are my 3 best recommendations that I give all of my patients who have allergy symptoms:

1. Drink plenty of water as this will help cleanse and flush the stuff out of your body that you are allergic to.

2. There are several natural remedies to help support your immune system. You can find these at your favorite health food store. They are totally safe to take during high allergy season.

3. Remember that chiropractic care is the most important thing you can do to help super-charge your immune system. Nothing else even comes close to the powerful effect a spinal adjustment has on your defense system. And it is totally ok to get a few extra adjustments during the time of year when allergies bother you the most.

Most people who follow these 3 recommendations are much more comfortable during allergy season.

If you have any questions on this topic or any other health concerns you may have or a family member may have, please give me a call.

Remember that consultations are always ‘free of charge’ and ‘family appointments’ are also available.

Our phone number here in Burlington is 905 335 LIFE (5433) or you can email me directly by clicking on the link right on our home page.

Life Chiropractic … helping families just like yours build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives for over 25 years in Burlington.

Click Here To Book A Free Initial Consultation With Dr. Brad

Safe Gardening Tips

“Safe Gardening And Yard Work Tips”

It is that time of year again where you may find yourself doing a lot more gardening and yard work.

And because it does not matter how good your fitness level is, you can never prepare for this type of activity.

So, today I have a few helpful hints for you.

First of all, take your time. There is no need to rush.

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Yard work and gardening will never go away.

Take a break every 20 minutes especially in the beginning to rest your back a bit and have a drink of water to keep hydrated.

Cycle through 2 or 3 different tasks if you can. Work one job for 20 minutes, take your break and move on to the next. Mixing up your activities like this can be a real back saver.

If something does not feel right (neck pain, arm pain, chest pain, low back pain, leg pain etc.), stop what you are doing right away.

Apply a cold compress to the problem area and get in to see me right away so I can take a look.

Gardening and yard work will much more enjoyable and a good bit of exercise for you if you do it ‘safe and smart’.

If you have any questions on this topic or any other health concerns you may have or anyone in your family may have, please give me a call.

Remember that consultations are always free of charge and family appointments are always available.

Our phone number is 905 335 5433 (LIFE) or you can email me directly by clicking on the link on our home page.

Life Chiropractic…helping families just like yours build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives for over 25 years in Burlington.

Click Here To Book A Free Initial Consultation With Dr. Brad

Spinal Trauma And Fibromyalgia

“Fibromyalgia Has Been Linked To
Spinal Trauma”

Fibromyalgia ranks in the top 3 diagnosed conditions made by rheumatologists in North America.

As many as 25% of diagnosed cases of fibromyalgia are attributed to a prior traumatic event.

Whiplash-type neck injuries rank as the number 1 traumatic event when it comes to fibromyalgia.

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Car accidents especially, concussions, sports injuries or any type of fall or injury that sprains, strains or misaligns (subluxates) the vertebrae in the neck should never go unattended.

These can significantly increase your risk of developing fibromyalgia.

A thorough spinal examination by a chiropractor is what you need because this what we do.

This is our area of expertise.

Chiropractors get great results with fibromyalgia patients as well as whiplash-type neck injury patients.

If you require more information on this topic or any other health concerns you may have or your family may have, please give me a call.

Remember that consultations are always free of charge and we also offer family appointments.

Our phone number is 905 335 LIFE(5433) or you can email me by clicking directly on the link found on our home page.

Life Chiropractic … helping families just like yours build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives for over 25 years in Burlington.

Click Here To Book A Free Initial Consultation With Dr. Brad At The Burlington Clinic

Heart Disease And Posture

“Proper Posture Reduces The Risk Of Heart Disease”

Today I would like to discuss heart disease because my concern is that heart disease is now the 3rd leading cause of death in Canada.

70000 Canadians die every year due to heart disease and more than half of these right here in the province of Ontario.

You do not get heart disease because you have bad luck. Lack of exercise, a poor diet and smoking do not do you any favors either.

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This has been proven time and time again.

The biggest causative factor however in my opinion, is your spinal posture.

If you have forward head posture, a hump back or both, you are at a significantly higher risk of developing heart disease.

This was proven in a study that was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in 2004 where they followed over 1300 participants who had forward head posture and hump back for a 4 year period.

And when these participants were autopsied after death, the conclusion was ‘their posture was specifically associated with an increased rate of atherosclerosis (heart disease).’

What does this mean? It means that if you have poor posture in your neck or upper back or both, you are at a higher risk of developing heart disease.

To make sure this does not happen to you or anyone in your family, you need to have your posture checked by a chiropractor.

This is what we do.

All you need to do is give me a call. Or contact me directly by clicking on the link on our home page. Our phone number is 905 335 LIFE (5433).

Family appointments are also available.

Life Chiropractic … helping families just like yours build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives for over 25 years in Burlington.

Click Here To Book A Free Initial Consultation With Dr. Brad

Newborn Sleeping Posture

“Newborn Sleeping Posture Improved With Contour Pillows”

Last time we learned about proper sleeping posture for infants and newborns. When they get to be about 2 years of age, this is when you can consider having them use a pillow.

They do make contour pillows for infants and children and I would highly recommend you use one for proper neck support.

Now, it is critically important that you understand why every newborn needs to be checked by a chiropractor who deals with children soon after birth.

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The birth process itself can be one of the most physically traumatic events our spine will ever go through.

Fifty, sixty even up to 90 pounds of force is often times required to pull and twist your baby out of the birth canal using their head and neck as a lever (This is why vertical births are much safer but not commonly practiced in NA).

This is when we are most likely to get our first neck subluxation.

And if forceps or the vacuum assist are used, these will make matters even worse.

Remember that the spinal cord in the upper part of your neck is a bundle of every single nerve in your body.

A spinal misalignment (subluxation) here can choke the spinal cord and cause a wide variety of health issues.

The only way to remedy this is with a chiropractic adjustment. A chiropractic adjustment is 3 to 5 pounds of carefully directed, finger-tip pressure to realign those critical neck vertebrae so that they do not choke and interfere with the function of your baby’s spinal cord.

The benefit; optimal health and optimal wellness.

If you have any questions on this topic or any other health concerns you may have or your family may have, please give me a call.

Remember that consultations are always free of charge and family appointments are also available.

Our phone number is 905 335 LIFE (5433) or you can email me directly by clicking on the link found on our home page.

Life Chiropractic…helping families just like yours build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives for over 25 years in Burlington.

Click Here To Book A Free Initial Consultation With Dr. Brad

Proper Sleeping Posture For Infants And Newborns

“Safe And Proper Sleeping Posture For Infants And Newborns”

Last time we discussed proper sleeping posture which would apply to children of all ages as well as adults.

And as promised, today you are going to learn about proper sleeping posture for infants and newborns.

So, if you have a newborn in the household or you are expecting one, this is what you absolutely need to know.

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Having your baby sleep on their back is the safest and significantly decreases the risk of SIDS ( sudden infant death syndrome ) or crib death. And this is especially important during the first 6 months of life when SIDS is at its highest.

Don’t forget that SIDS is responsible for more infant deaths in the US and Canada than any other cause during the first year.

The crib mattress should be firm and covered with one sheet and only one blanket is the safest.

Avoid soft crib mattresses, puffy pillows and quilts, too many stuffed toys etc. as these can block the baby’s airway if they happen to roll over onto their side or stomach.

However, spending time on their stomach is essential while they are awake for 3 very important reasons;
1 – it helps to develop the proper spinal curves.
2 – it helps to develop the neck muscles.
3 – it helps to develop the shoulder and arms muscles.

We are going to conclude this discussion with some very valuable information next week but in the meantime if you have any immediate questions on this topic or any other health concerns that you may have or your family may have, please give us a call.

Remember that consultations in our office are always free of charge and we also offer family appointments.

Our phone number is 905 335 LIFE (5433) or you can email me directly by clicking the link found on our home page.

Life Chiropractic … helping families just like yours build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives for over 25 years in Burlington.

Click Here To Book A Free Initial Consultation With Dr. Brad

Proper Sleep Posture

” Sleeping On Your Stomach…Safe or Unsafe? Here Are The Facts”

Last time we talked about what kind of mattress is best for you to sleep on.

And in keeping with the same theme, I thought it would be important for you to learn about proper sleeping posture as this is actually more important than the mattress you sleep on.

So this will be our topic of discussion over the next few weeks.

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The absolute worst position or posture you can sleep in is on your stomach. Stomach sleeping is not good for you for 2 reasons.

One is that it will jam the spinal joints in your lower back and cause you to have morning lower back pain and stiffness.

Secondly, it is especially not good for your neck.

Because you have to breathe, you cannot sleep face down so you have to turn your head to one side or the other.

And what is even worse is if you also have your head cranked up on a pillow.

This kind of sleeping posture will cause all kinds of trouble such as headaches, neck pain and stiffness, pain, numbness and tingling into the arms, hands and fingers, spinal misalignments and pinched nerves in the neck and even spinal arthritis.

Next time you will learn how to avoid these problems but in the meantime if you have any immediate questions on this topic or any other health concerns you may have or anyone in your family may have, please give me a call.

Remember that consultations are always free of charge in our office and we also offer family appointments.

Our phone number is 905 335 LIFE (5433) or you can email me directly by clicking on the link on our home page.

Life Chiropractic …. Helping families just like yours build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives for over 25 years in Burlington.

Click Here To Book A Free Initial Appointment With Dr. Brad

Choosing A Mattress

“What Kind Of Mattress Should I Be Sleeping On?”

A very good question that I am going to answer for you today is … “what kind of mattress should I sleep on?”.

There is no one answer to this question as every body type is different and therefore requires a different mattress.

But I do have a few good pointers for you to follow.

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If you cannot get 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep or you are waking up with pain and stiffness or both, then your current mattress is not giving you adequate support.

You should be able to sleep comfortably for 7 to 8 hours and wake up feeling well-rested and limber having moved very little throughout the night if you are on the right mattress.

And it does not matter if you are on a coil mattress, a spring mattress, an air-bed, a waterbed or a futon – this should always be the case.

Now of course, we can never discount a spinal problem or improper sleeping posture as these can often times result in restless sleeping patterns and morning pain and stiffness.

So my best advice to you would be to look into these things first before investing in a brand new mattress.

If you have any questions on this topic or any other health concerns that you may have or anyone in your family may have, please give us a call.

Remember that consultations in our office are always free of charge and we also offer family appointments because spinal problems do tend to run in families.

And the sooner we can correct these the better.

Our phone number is 905 335 5433 or you can email me by clicking directly on the link found on our home page.

Life Chiropractic … helping families just like yours build healthy, vibrant, drug-free lives for over 25 years in Burlington.

Click Here To Book A Free Initial Consultation With Dr. Brad At The Burlington Clinic

Choosing A Chiropractor

“How Do I Go About Choosing A Chiropractor?”

The question that I would like to answer for you today is … “how do I go about choosing a chiropractor?”.

For sure you are going to know someone – a family member, a friend, a co-worker – who already goes to a chiropractor so this is always your best place to start to ask for a recommendation.

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In our office, our practice members are allowed to bring prospective new patients into the office to meet me, the staff, ask a few questions and most importantly observe a chiropractic adjustment.

So you may want to find out if you could do the same thing.

Of course, you can always do an internet search of the chiropractors in the vicinity of your home or place of employment and there is always the chiropractor locator found on the OCA web-site.

This may not represent all the chiropractors in your search area as not all chiropractors are members of the OCA (Ontario Chiropractic Association).

Now, if you end up with 2 or 3 choices at the end of your search, there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking to have a consultation with each one of them so that you can get to know each other and see if it will be a good fit.

Remember, that the most important thing is that you and your chiropractor are on the same page regarding your expectations which will always boil down to one of 2 things. Do you want spinal correction or do you just want pain relief?

If you have any questions on this topic or any other health concerns that you may have or your family may have, please give us a call.

Remember that consultations in our office are always free of charge and family appointments are always available.

And the reason we offer family appointments is because spinal problems do tend to run in families.

Life Chiropractic … helping families just like yours build vibrant, healthy, drug-free lives for over 25 years in Burlington.

Click Here To Book A Free Initial Consultation With Dr. Brad At The Burlington Clinic