Can Chiropractic Care Help Whiplash? What Causes Whiplash? A whiplash injury occurs when the head and neck are thrown very quickly in one direction and then rebound in the opposite direction. In other words, the head is literally whipped around on the neck. In fact, this is how this specific injury got its name. The motion of whiplash causes damage to the joints, nerves, muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the neck. The stress produced by whiplash on the neuro-musculoskeletal system can be incredibly severe and traumatic. Research has shown that even a low-impact collision of 10 mph can cause a whiplash injury. Even in these types of accidents, the head can receive up to 250% more force than the car itself. Whiplash can also occur from sports injuries and falls. What Are the Symptoms of Whiplash? There are numerous and varied symptoms of whiplash. Neck pain is the number-one symptom. Some patients experience numbness in their shoulder blades and arms following a whiplash injury. Headaches can also be present, while some people experience pain in their eyes and other vision problems. Jaw pain, difficulty hearing, ringing in the ears and dizziness are not unheard of when a whiplash injury has Read more…
7 Ways to Support Healthy Liver Function
The liver is a large, meaty organ that is located on the right side of the body, just above the stomach. Weighing approximately 3 lbs., it is the largest organ in your body. It is also one of the most important organs—acting as your body’s personal toxic waste plant. The Liver’s Role Your liver chemically breaks down anything that you consume. It is your liver’s job to distinguish between the nutrients you need to absorb (like vitamins and minerals), and the dangerous or unnecessary substances that must be filtered out of your bloodstream (like drugs or alcohol). Unfortunately, maintaining the health of your liver is easier said than done. Pollution, processed foods, medication and alcohol consumption; all clog and overwhelm the liver. Making it difficult for it to process the nutrients and fats your body needs. This causes a buildup of toxins in the body, which drastically affects your overall health and wellbeing. Symptoms of Liver Toxicity An example of some of the symptoms of liver toxicity include: • Acne • Dry, brittle hair • Nightmares • Difficulty losing weight • Insomnia • Exhaustion • Flu-like feelings • Difficulty thinking or focusing • Pain under right rib • Blood sugar Read more…
With Canada’s 150th just around the corner I thought I’d pay tribute to one of my all-time favourite Canadians: Dr. Daniel David (DD) Palmer. Why is Dr. Palmer one of my favourites? He discovered the chiropractic profession! A Little Chiropractic History On September 18th 1895, DD Palmer delivered the first chiropractic adjustment to a man named Harvey Lillard. Harvey was a deaf janitor working in the same building as Palmer. He had lost his hearing years earlier after feeling a pop in his upper back. Palmer examined Harvey and found a misalignment in his spine. He decided to manipulate the misalignment, which ended up restoring Harvey’s hearing. Chiropractic was born! While Palmer quickly realized that chiropractic wasn’t a cure for deafness, he did discover that adjustments could relieve many of his patients’ pains and other symptoms. Symptoms like sciatica, migraines, headaches, and stomach complaints. Palmer continued to develop chiropractic and in 1897 established the Palmer School of Cure, now known as the Palmer College of Chiropractic. With his research underway, people became interested in Palmer’s new science and healing art. Most interested in chiropractic was DD’s son, Bartlett Joshua (BJ). BJ carried on his Father’s legacy and is often given credit for growing and Read more…
Two Natural Ways to Relieve Foot Pain
Approximately 75% of Canadians will experience some form of foot problem during their lifetime. Are you one of the 75% of people suffering? This week’s blog addresses two natural ways to relieve foot pain. Common Causes of Foot Pain Your feet are a complex system of 52 bones, 66 joints, 214 ligaments and 38 tendons and muscles. Even the smallest imbalance in your feet can cause pain. Fortunately, there are solutions but before we get into those let’s chat about some of the most common causes of foot pain. 1) Plantar Fasciitis Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most common causes of heel pain. It occurs when the plantar fascia attaches to the heel bone. The plantar fascia is a thick band of connective tissue that spans the sole of the foot and provides shock absorption while walking. Those with plantar fasciitis will usually exp erience pain in the morning, when they first step out of bed. The pain will usually improve over the day, with only a dull pain persisting. 2) Metatarsalgia Metatarsalgia results in a sharp pain in ball the foot, which is given its shape by the rounded ends of the metatarsal bones. The pain can feel like Read more…
Last week we talked about allergies, this week we’re talking about a common symptom of allergies: sinusitis. Let’s be real, no one likes having a stuffy nose. Especially, a chronic stuffy nose. You sound funny, food loses its flavor, and breathing becomes a hassle. Not to worry, there are some natural ways to relieve this pesky problem. What is sinusitis? In a nutshell, sinusitis is when the tissue lining the sinuses becomes inflamed. Normally, our sinuses are filled with air, but when we have sinusitis our sinuses become blocked and filled with fluid and germs that can grow and cause infection. Sinus blockages can be caused by the common cold, allergic rhinitis, nasal polyps, or a deviated septum. Sinusitis (or a sinus infection) occurs when the blockages become chronic. Symptoms of Sinusitis Include: Pain and tenderness over the infected sinus. A blocked nose or runny nose A high temperature Headaches or aches in the face near the nasal cavities Toothache Cough Pressure in ears Tiredness Are you one of the unlucky Ottawans suffering from Sinusitis? Try these natural remedies. Get Rid of Sinusitis with these 5 Natural Remedies 1) Flush Your Sinuses. You’ve heard of the Neti Pot, right? The little Read more…
Headaches are a difficult health issue to walk around with. Mostly, because they’re an invisible problem. They don’t make noise like indigestion or show on your skin like eczema. Outsiders can’t tell that they are there, yet the symptoms that accompany headaches are often debilitating for sufferers.
Is Sitting too Much Really that Bad? “Sitting is the new smoking!” at least that is what people are saying these days. Sounds a little bit extreme for some, but did you know that sitting can actually cause more than physical dysfunction and can also be systemic? Harvard University recently published an article stating that too much sitting is linked to heart disease, diabetes and premature death. The 2015 Inaugural Active Working Summit presented findings on the increase risk of lung, uterine and colon cancer with longer hours seated. More than half of the average person’s waking hours are spent sitting, watching television, working at a computer or commuting. Studies have also shown that brain function slows when the body is sedentary for too long. This is explained by the decrease in blood flow and oxygen to the brain. Sitting and Weight Gain If one spends a significant amount of time in a sedentary position throughout the day, they may find that weight gain becomes an issue. As the body slows down while in a resting and seated position, our metabolism slowly slows down as well. Calories are burned at a far lower rate when most of the muscles are Read more…
Arthrosis or Arthritis – What’s the Difference?
Arthrosis or Arthritis, these words look alike however they have two different meanings. Many people are not sure what the differences are. Some professionals don’t even bother explaining the difference anymore, resulting in even more confusion. I will try to give some clarity between these two words, so in the future you’ll know how and when to use them. Let’s start by a little bit of etymology (word origins) The word arthritis comes from arthri- (joint) and –tis for inflammation. On the other hand the word arthrosis comes from arthr- (joint) and –osis for abnormal. This doesn’t help explain the difference but sometimes it’s helpful to know where words come from. Two words same meaning Arthrosis is also known as Osteoarthritis. Both words are used interchangeably to describe the exact same condition. To help you remember try thinking of “O” for Arthrosis and Osteoarthritis. So what is the difference Arthritis is not a specific condition; it is actually a regrouping of multiple conditions affecting the joints including arthrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, gout and many others diseases you’ve probably never heard of. Some arthritic disorders can even affect the skin like psoriatic arthritis. So what is the big deal if Read more…
You have missed your period. You take a pregnancy test, and you are pregnant! But now what? Getting pregnant is a blessing but it comes with great responsibility. There are many decisions to be made which could potentially affect the outcome of your pregnancy and those decisions are not to be taken lightly. One of the most important things to do is prepare your body physically. This aspect of pregnancy plays an important role in the mother and the baby’s overall health and must be addressed as soon as the mother finds out she is pregnant. We all know that keeping physically active is important for the mother and the baby’s health but it is even more important for the mother to prepare her body physically by addressing aspects of the actual birthing process. For the body to accommodate the child in the uterus biomechanically, neurologically and physiologically, dystonia should be addressed. The definition of dystonia is an abnormal progress in labor and in Williams Obstetrics they describe three things that can attribute to it; Abnormalities of the expulsive forces (either uterine forces insufficiently strong or inappropriately coordinated to efface and dilate the cervix (uterine dysfunction), or inadequate voluntary muscle Read more…
As chiropractors, we come across a lot of patients who self diagnose and sometimes come up funny stories It’s sciatica… I know my brother had the same thing. It’s just normal headaches everybody has them. I don’t know how it happen, I swear I was doing NOTHING! Must be age. I’m getting old. One of my favorite: ”I don’t think it’s my joint’; it’s my muscles causing me pain”. Muscles would be the only cause of pain, according to a number of our patients. In a neuro-musculoskeletal disorder, the part ‘’musculo’’ represents only a third of the word and the same goes for an actual physical problem. In fact, there is rarely one thing causing your problem, it is often multifactorial. Let me explain, What is Pain? It is nothing more than the interpretation of a sensation by your nervous system. So, without nerves we could not feel the pain… We could also not feel anything else, move, breath, think, react, or just live. Pain is a sign of alarm to let you know something is wrong in your body. From there you have the choice to listen to it or to ignore it. Fun fact: Pain transmission in your Read more…