Some Tips for Good Posture

Excellent posture is not only beautiful to look at, but it also reflects self-confidence. This can be beneficial in any environment where you want to be more impressive, like at a job interview or on a first date! Improper posture causes misalignment in your spine, and this can put excessive stress and strain on muscles, joints and the supporting connective tissues.

Forward head position occurs when the ear is not centered over the middle of the shoulder (from a side-view). Because the weight of the average head is approximately that of a large bowling ball, for every inch it drifts forward relative to your shoulder, 10 times more weight is exerted upon the muscles, joints and ligaments of the neck and upper back, causing strain in these tissues. This occurs most commonly when sitting in front of a computer screen or television. To avoid it, position the screen at the level of your eyes, preferably directly in front of you.

Slouching occurs when the upper back is over-curved and the shoulders round forward. This makes a person look tired or dejected, and is one of the most unattractive postures. It also alters the curvatures of the entire spine, so it is the least desirable in that respect too. Postural muscles of the lower back are placed under a tremendous load, increasing the likelihood that these tissues will become irritated or inflamed.

Pay attention to your posture when sitting or standing. If you know you are out of position, correct it. Instead of “pulling your shoulders back”, imagine standing as if you are a quarter-inch taller. The thoracic curve will balance out, and your chest should naturally rise, thereby allowing the shoulders to gently fall back into position. Head position will be more centered, taking stress and strain off the area where the head meets the shoulders.

Is that pill worth it?

Iatrogenic illnesses, or problems directly resulting from medical intervention, are the third leading cause of preventable deaths in North America, with most of these due to over-medication. Only heart disease and cancer lead to more deaths annually.

Most people take too much medication and don't get enough exercise.We have become a society of “need it now”: we have fast-food, fast cars and want faster and better technology all the time and this is spilling over into the healthcare industry. Most people nowadays are seeking that “quick fix”—that one-treatment wonder or one pill that will make them instantly better. We need to start taking care of ourselves. We need to shift to a more health-based paradigm and get back to the basics. The solution will not be found in the treatment of our problems, but in the prevention of them. A headache is not the indicator that the body needs more Tylenol! We need to reduce the amount of stress we are exposed to in our environments. We need to take control of our own health, and stop handing it over to a system that is inherently flawed.

Chiropractors have been working diligently for over a hundred years under the basic premise that “the power that made the body heals the body”. They adjust spines to remove vertebral subluxations—helping take stress away from the spine. Alleviating pressure from the sensitive joints and nerves of the spine works to facilitate a better mind-body connection, thus helping to improve the general health and wellness of the whole patient, no matter what condition they are suffering from. Since nothing is added or taken away from the body, it is the most natural, safe and effective thing you can do to enhance your health. Regular chiropractic adjustments help prevent sickness by making the body work better.

Sleeping Habits

While comfortability will vary from person, here's a quick comparison of different sleeping positions:

On your back
- Rank: The best
- Pros: Sleeping on your back on a medium-firm mattress helps to best support the natural curves of your spine. You should use a light or down-filled pillow, as thicker pillows can push your head too far forward.
- Cons: This position may contribute to snoring.

On your side
- Rank: Acceptable alternative
- Pros: Can adequately support your spine, but requires proper pillow selection. Be sure to use a firm pillow to separate your head and shoulder and a pillow between the knees to maintain pelvic alignment.
- Cons: Sleeping in this position has been linked to wrinkles and breast-sagging.

On your stomach
- Rank: Worst
- Pros: NONE
- Cons: Turning your head to one side while you sleep is bad for your neck. Also, if you have a soft mattress, your low back is almost guaranteed to be sore in the morning when you wake up from this position. If you can avoid it, DO NOT sleep in this position.

Chiropractic: The Right Care?

Approximately 80-85% of the population experience at least one episode of disabling back pain in their lives.  Most of these people report disturbances in their daily lives for a week or longer, and the vast majority of back pain sufferers say their back pain is a recurring problem.  Unfortunately most people go to their doctor to fix their problems, but most MDs can only provide explanations for your symptoms or provide medication to relieve inflammation or pain, only offering temporary relief.

The other option is for your MD to refer you to someone who specializes in the treatment of back pain such as an orthopedic surgeon, chiropractor, physiotherapist, massage therapsit, or acupuncturist.  Chiropractic is listed consistently in scholarly publications as an effective tool for back pain.  It has also been shown to be a relatively safe option for those seeking treatments with less side effects.  When compared to other options, consultation with a chiropractor was found to be just as effective as one with an MD or DO while costing 20-40% less.  Studies have also shown that among the most popular therapists to consult for back pain (family physician, chiropractor, physical therapist, and acupuncturist), chiropractors most often received the highest rating of satisfaction among all other professionals in the group.

From this, it is clear that chiropractic is the best choice for back pain.  Overall chiropractic has shown to be more therapeutically effective, cost-effective, and satisfying to the patient.

Sleep and Chiropractic

As you might expect we have a lot of patients from Microsoft, AT&T, T-Mobile, Nintendo and others all around Redmond.  One thing may of these patient have in common is difficulty in getting enough sleep.  Of course, most often this comes from the demands of the job and not allowing enough time to sleep.

However, I encourge them, (and you) to make an effort to improve their sleep.  Being sleep deprived lowers your immunity and impairs cognitive function among other things.  This may ultimately make you miss work or be less effective at work.

If a person has difficulty sleeping, I recommend two things which end up helping most people.  Chiropractic adjustments help the body be more relaxed and less tense.  They also help with pain if that is part of the problem in your sleep.  The other thing is melatonin.  Taken at night it can support your natural sleep cycles.

So in the New Year, resolve to get even just 30-60 minutes of extra sleep over what you do now.  It can make all the difference.

Joint Supplements

Many people ask me if there are supplements that can help with spine and joint healing.  While everyone will benefit from a healthy balanced diet, that is one of the chief recommendations I have when healing from spine and joint problems.  Many people eat far too much sugar and other refined carbohydrates such as white flour.  Among other things, high amounts of this in your diet promote inflammation.  This is a fundamental problem in the type of conditions I see everyday.  So a good diet is really your best supplement.

However, one other supplement can be quite helpful and that is glucosamine.  It is the most widely used supplement for relieving joint pain.  But it also serves as a building block for the development of cartilage molecules.  Glucosamine is well tolerated by most people.  Some forms are derived from shellfish so if you have a shellfish allergy, avoid those.  One study showed that over the long term, glucosamine offered the same level of pain relief as aspirin.  However, aspirin contributed to increased levels of arthritis in joints so affected while glucosamine helped lubricate the surfaces of the joints and thus slowed arthritis.

So many times we see the latest wonder supplement and wonder if it is right for us.  I don't recommend that everyone with a sore back take glucosamine.  But when there are long-term problems such as chronic pain or arthritis, it can be very helpful.  Ask us if you have any questions about whether it is appropriate for you.

TMJ Problems

Many people know that TMJ stand for temporomandibular joint.  That because problems with the TMJ or jaw joint, are extremely common.  This little joint has to put up with substantial forces when chewing food or even just with talking.  This makes it very susceptible to damage and injury.

Factors that aggravate the TMJ are dental problems such as misaligned or broken teeth, trauma, and postural stress.  Emotional stress and grinding of the teeth can both cause TMJ injury and be a symptom of it.  Other symptoms can include pain on one or both sides, pain in the teeth, headaches, and noises when you open your mouth. 

Here's a tip to test if your TMJ is in trouble.  Hold your fingers together and then bend the index finger.  Open your mouth as far as you can comfortably.  You should be able to easily fit the three straight fingers between your teeth.

Another tip to help your TMJ is to do a light massage on some of the muscles that affect it.  To do this, clench your teeth together while holding the first two fingers of both hands about two inches in front of your ears.  You should feel a muscle pop up as you clench.  Once you find that, relax your mouth.  Then do a light circular massage on these muscles with the same two fingers.  The pressure should be very light but you can do about 1-200 circles over these muscle once or twice per day.  

If none of this helps, the next step is to see your chiropractor.  We work with TMJ on a daily basis and can let you know if we can help of if other evaluation is necessary. 

Something Free from Your Chiropractor

How many of you know that Sept. 18 is the 115th birthday of chiropractic?  I'm sure most of you know it's back to school time.  What do these two things have in common you might ask?

Simply that they are occurring at the same time.  So we thought we'd integrate the two with a special drawing here at the office.  We are giving away an iPad!

Win by referring a patient to us before Sept. 18th.  You will automatically be entered in our drawing for a new iPad and other great prizes.  Ask us if you have any questions about things we help or if you need a free referral gift certificate.

The big question will be if you win the iPad do you get it or the kids who are going back to school???

Huge Memorial Day Special on Orthotics

I am very excited about this orthotic special.  Foot Levelers, our orthotic company has never offered something like this before.  Here's the details:

Just 2 days left on the huge Memorial Day special on all reordered orthotics.  If you are reordering, you can purchase any new pair of orthotics for $190.00.  Normally these range from $220.00 to $320.00 depending on the style.  But just for these few days, all reorders are only $190.00.  This is a great chance to get a new pair of orthotics or a second pair to minimize shuffling back and forth between shoes.  Call right away if you want to take advantage of this as it expires Friday the 28th. 
Happy Memorial Day

Vitamin D

Have you been hearing lots of news about vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin?  I certainly have.  Recently I made a point to ask manyof patients about it and at least half were already taking it!  Vitamin D has gotten a lot of attention in the media lately and rightly so.  Some studies have indicated that 80% of North Americans are deficient, especially those with dark skin. 

Dark skin does not appear to be as efficient in producing vitamin D.  Most of us work inside now.  In years gone by, many people were engaged in farming and other outdoor activities and received lots of sunshine.  Also, the farther north you live, the more likely you are deficient especially, in the winter.

The research is also showing us that vitamin D may be important in preventing many diseases such as cancer, diabetes, the flu, back pain, and arthritis.  In fact, a review of vitamin D research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that it's consumption lowered the risk of death from any cause!  A report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that post-menopausal women who took at least 1,100 IU of vitamin D per day had reductions in all types of cancer.

Ask us whether vitamin D supplements are appropriate in your case.  If you need a supplement, we carry a very good one from the Biotics company.  It costs only $19.00 and will last over 6 months for the average person.

Can Chiropractic Help With Allergies?

Since the beneficial effects of chiropractic adjustments on the nervous system are well documented, it's not surprising that many chiropractic patients report a reduction of allergy symptoms when treated regularly for vertebral subluxations. These misalignment or dysfunctional movements of vertebra can cause a local irritation in the spine which then creates an abnormal signal received by the central nervous system. When this incorrect signal occurs along the same pathway required for the input of normal environmental messages, the body may not interpret the information correctly. When this occurs, an allergic reaction can result.

Although scientific research shows chiropractic adjustments do not cause an improvement in all allergy cases, they're definitely beneficial for some. The reason for the inconsistency may be because there are a number of different causes for a patient's hypersensitivity. Vertebral subluxation is only one of many potential causes.

If you suffer allergies, consider chiropractic as one of your potential options. Even if it does not result in a reduction of your allergic symptoms, removing subluxations from your spine has several positive effects on your nervous system. And that reduces your overall physical stress level.