Put simply, pregnancy is a journey. Pregnant women go through physical changes that are both beautiful and exciting, they have great anticipation for their family’s newest member, and they get to learn much more about their body and all-things pregnancy. On the other hand, this journey is also not without hardships; pregnant women experience physical changes that are uncomfortable and painful, have large lists of things to do and acquire in preparation for baby’s arrival, and they’re likely bombarded with a wide range of emotions regarding the days leading up to delivery, the birth itself, and the years following it all. To match all of this, interventions and complications during pregnancy and childbirth are on the rise, which is why it’s no wonder that moms-to-be can feel stressed and overwhelmed throughout their pregnancy. Things don’t have to be like this!

One of the biggest reasons why pregnant women in our office seek chiropractic care is to make sure that they do everything in their power to avoid interventions or complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Our goal for them is to be able to enjoy their pregnancy and to be able to have the birth that they want, which is why its always exciting when we hear from moms under care that their pregnancy and birth was completely different from their previous ones!

Here are some of the more common reasons why pregnant moms come to our office for care:

• Pain relief (i.e. back/hip pain, sciatic pain, rib pain)
• Wellness
• VBAC
• Happy, healthy birth

How can chiropractic care during pregnancy help reduce interventions?

Pain relief:

The […]

Fitness:

When it comes to fitness, it can be hard knowing where to start because there are so many ways of going about it: high intensity interval training, circuit training, strength training, endurance training, calisthenics, sports, and so much more. Deciding what to do or what combination of training types to perform can be overwhelming and paralyze people, but this is by no means the most important part when it comes to fitness. The key to achieving and maintaining fitness (and your overall health) is consistency. Every now and then you can absolutely feel the benefits to a single bout of exercise, such as a boost in mood and more energy, but exercising just once will never be enough to provide you with your health.

Healthy Eating:

On the other hand, when it comes to proper nutrition, it can be equally hard knowing where to start because there are as many types of diets than there are forms of exercise: the ketogenic diet, paleolithic diet, Mediterranean diet, veganism, vegetarianism, plant-based diet, pescetarianism, intermittent fasting, and many more. Similar to exercise, the biggest factor isn’t eating habits or picking which type of diet you’ll do, although varying nutritious foods will give you varying results, the most important thing is once again consistency. Similarly as well, you can feel benefits to eating healthy for a single day, such as feeling less bloated or not having a stomach ache, but it will never be enough to lose weight, stay lean or achieve a healthier body.

Chiropractic:

This principle holds true for chiropractic care. There are times where a single adjustment can be enough to provide pain relief, better range of motion, and a general feeling of wellness, but this by no means signifies that the health of your nervous system is […]

People of all ages can benefit from chiropractic care

Part of the chiropractic philosophy is that chiropractic care is appropriate for anyone, in fact a popular saying is that chiropractic benefits everyone across their life span, ‘from womb to tomb’. And yet while most people can easily understand adults needing chiropractic care, for many the concept of chiropractic adjustments benefiting those who are very young or much more seasoned can seem less obvious!

Two common questions we get asked in our clinic are “Why would babies need chiropractic?” and “At my age, is it too late for me to benefit from chiropractic care?” Well today we’re going to discuss the things that we do and the things that happen to us in each stage of life that could affect our body, as well as how we can counteract these things through chiropractic care!

Here we go!

Newborns:

Imagine it: you just had a baby. This tiny human has had no car accidents, no colds/flus and no falls. You might be thinking “Why on Earth would this baby need chiropractic support at such a young age if nothing has even happened to it yet?” Except something has happened. This baby has spent nine months slowly and gently developing in mom’s belly, until all of a sudden this baby is born. If you’ve ever been through labor or witnessed someone go through labor, you know that this process is not easy and it’s not gentle.

The vaginal birthing process involves hours of contractions that exert compressive forces on your baby. We know this process can be tough on babies because among the things that they can experience are getting stuck […]

It’s that time of the year again! The flu is working it’s way through schools and workplaces, and if you’ve ever had the displeasure of getting it, you know that it can force just about anyone into bedrest!

As we near the peak of this season, many people are wondering whether they’re doing everything they can to prevent or mitigate the effects of the flu for themselves or their loved ones. In particular, our practice members will often observe that many of their family members or friends are getting sick, but they themselves remain healthy or feel minimal symptoms when they are sick. Seeing this, they ask whether chiropractic has a role in supporting a healthy immune system and this is exactly what we’ll be discussing today!

The immune system has direct innervation from the nervous system

No system in our body works in isolation. At all times, the nervous system is actively transmitting messages to and from all of the organs and tissues in our body with the goal of maintaining balance in our constantly-changing internal environment. For example, the goal of respiration is to balance the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in our blood, and we’re able to do this because our nervous system has chemical receptors that detect and respond to changes in these two substances. Our nervous system also has stretch receptors that detect and respond when certain organs are overly distended, such as a bladder that needs voiding. The bottom line is that the only reason we’re able to maintain balance in our body is because our nervous system is able to quickly and effectively communicate messages from different organs so that an appropriate bodily response can be executed.

When it comes to having constant vigilance and regulation by the nervous system, the immune system is no […]

With the amount of people that we see day-in and day-out, numerous times per year we have practice members who are scheduled for surgery and they voice concerns about their ability to get adjusted during their recovery period. Because post-surgical recovery can last weeks, practice members worry that they won’t be able to receive chiropractic treatment and that their health and past symptoms will resurface during this time.

The good news? Most often than not, we have accommodations available to our practice members that allow them to modify their chiropractic adjustment to fit their post-surgical needs. This helps them keep  and continue the progress they’ve made under care so far, while still helping them recover quicker from the aches and pains associated with their surgery.

Our considerations with post-operative practice members:

The first things that we consider when it comes to someone who recently had surgery are:

• Where did the person have surgery?
• How recent was the surgery and how healed are the tissues?
• How is the person’s mobility?

Depending on the answer to these questions, we will determine:

• If the person can be adjusted at this time or if they need to wait for tissues to heal more.
• If the person needs to be adjusted seated in a chair for a few visits before going back to adjustments laying on a chiropractic table.
• If the person needs a few visits where they have a gentler approach to their adjustment.

Examples of people who receive chiropractic care post-surgery:

C-section moms:

Often we treat […]

Burnout, exhaustion, fatigue. We hear these words all the time in our busy, bustling society. The body is a machine, and when the body does not function properly, it can affect how we are able to live our lives. We can often feel tired or overwhelmed, but when our body is stretched to it’s limit, we can because exhausted, and exhaustion can wear on the body’s overall health. Many people seek out ways to help manage their energy levels such as drinking a caffeinated drink, or making sure their bodies are well fed with fuel, but what causes this fatigue and what are the best ways to combat it?

Understanding Fatigue

Fatigue is defined as extreme tiredness or weariness resulting from mental or physical exertion. This can make a person feel weak and sluggish and can cause them to struggle to complete their daily tasks. Over time, constant fatigue can have a wear not just on the body but on the mind as well, causing problem solving and critical thinking to become more difficult. If you have ever lost a night of sleep, you know that the next day you feel groggy and the easiest assignment can feel like climbing a mountain

Fatigue can be caused by a multitude of reasons. Often times it can be traced back to a lifestyle habit such as poor sleep habits or lack of exercise; sometimes fatigue can be a symptom of depression. Unrelenting fatigue can even be a symptom of a deeper issue. Fatigue is a common symptom of sleep apnea, and can also be a sign of physical stress and mental stress.

Studies have shown that sleep deprivation and the fatigue that accompanies it produces impairments in cognitive and motor performance equivalent to legally prescribed levels of alcohol intoxication. So if […]

What is Ehlers Danlos Syndrome?

Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS) are a group of rare inherited connective tissue disorders. The most common symptoms include:

• Joint hypermobility.
• Stretchy skin.
• Fragile skin that breaks or bruises easily.

EDS can affect people in different ways. For some, the condition is relatively mild, while for others their symptoms can be disabling.

Can I be adjusted safely if I have EDS?

This tends to be the most important question for new practice members who are coming in with a diagnosis of EDS. When it comes to getting adjusted with EDS, it is safe to receive chiropractic care, but you’ll want to let your chiropractor know of your diagnosis in case they want to modify the way they adjust you based on your diagnosis and symptoms.

What type of chiropractic technique should I try?

In our experience, if your EDS symptoms are moderate to severe, you will want to receive chiropractic care that involves a technique that uses less force. For example, you may want to avoid manual adjustments and instead try instrument-assisted adjustments. In our office we use a chiropractic technique (Torque Release Technique) which uses a gentle, specific, and effective tool to deliver adjustments.

What are the benefits of receiving chiropractic care while having EDS?

As mentioned, one of the most common symptoms for people with EDS is hypermobility of the joints. This not only means that a person with EDS has a higher likelihood of dislocating joints, it also means that the effects of everyday life can take a bigger toll on an EDS patient’s spine […]

How much do you know about the nervous system? You probably know that it includes our nerves, brain and spinal cord, and you also probably know that pinched nerves are not fun. Other than that, most people aren’t aware of the function of the nervous system and the huge role that it plays in our body and health!

The Nervous System in a Nutshell:

The nervous system consists of the brain in our skull, the spinal cord that is housed in our vertebral column, and the complex branching of nerves that go to all the tissues and organs in our body: from the skin in our scalp to the tips of our toes! And truth be told the nervous system is way more complex because it can be further divided into the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, the somatic nervous system, the autonomic nervous system, cranial nerves, and much more, but this is all beyond the scope of today’s goal!

The nervous system’s job is to work as a messenger in your body through electrical impulses. Through these messages, the nervous system allows you to have voluntary control of your body. For example, it allows you to move your body however you want, to sing, to dance, to do sports. It also allows you to control your breathing, for example it allows you to take a deep breath in, a deep breath out, and to hold your breath if you so desire it. The thing is that the nervous system also does so much more than this!

Also, the nervous system controls all of the things that we do involuntarily. It keeps us breathing when we’re asleep, it coordinates metabolic processes such as our digestion and blood pressure. Did you know the […]