To say I played rough when I was growing up would be an understatement. Everything was a body contact sport, including board games. If my friends and I were not throwing each other to the ground, we were slapping each other around. There was often blood; often crying. As we got older crying became tabu, but the physical nature of our play only intensified. We were physically invincible. As I moved on to high school and college I still gravitated to contact activities.
In my seeming invincibility, little did I realize that each tumble, each hit, each over-exertion was producing small injuries to my body. In particular my spine was receiving repeated trauma. Some injuries, like falls out of trees, were more significant than others. For the most part they were pretty minor, but there were certainly a lot of them. I don't think a day went by that I didn't do something to overstress or injure my body.
Everyone of these small injuries resulted in a slight weakening of the tissues. That tissue was then more susceptible to injury by the next trauma. Over time all these little injuries added up until the area was weakened to the point of becaming symptomatic. This is the common scenario with spinal problems. Repeated micro traumas weaken the spine to the point that the spinal joints lose their proper function and the spinal nerves become irritated. This is how most vertebral subluxations come into being. They are developing long before symptoms are ever present. The good news is that as chiropractors, we are specifically trained to detect vertebral subluxations before they become symptomatic. Even though the problems have been developing for years, with proper assistance, the amazing human body can still heal these injuries.
I don't think I was necessarily harder on my body than most young boys. Though girls may not be as physically abusive as boys, they can be hard on their bodies in different ways. We all suffer from accumulated spinal injuries. I can tell you from personal experience that with regular chiropractic care vertebral subluxations can be corrected and spinal health restored. My spine is in much better condition than it was 20 years ago. I rarely have any spinal symptoms any more. Given all the abuse I gave my back, that says a lot about chiropractic care. I'm certainly not physically invincible any more (and I never really was). Those times of rough housing were fun, but there is always a price to pay. I'm thankful that because of the chiropractic care I've received I can still have vibrant health.
Thursday 31 March 2011
Saturday 26 March 2011
Spring Cleaning
Spring time signals new beginnings in nature. Flowers bloom and babies are born as the lengthening days bring refreshing after the gloom of winter. Within us humans there is also a stirring of renewal. People become motivated to put out the old and begin anew. Traditionally, spring cleaning is done to get rid of the cobwebs and grime that accumulate over the winter. Garage sales are planned to reduce the clutter.
Perhaps spring is also the right time to clean out our bodies as well. A time to remove the "junk" that has built up in our systems over the winter when the cold weather prompted us to eat more comfort foods than we should have. Often winter is also a season of reduced physical activity which results in the build up of more toxins in our bodies. Or perhaps our body systems just want to be flushed out; a sort of freshening up for spring. It's a good time to do a detox.
There are many effective approaches to detoxification. Usually they involve a low allergen diet, cleansing herbs, nutritional support, exercise, rest, and drinking plenty of water. When done over a period of 10 to 28 days they are usually gentle to the body while still effective. Detox procedures that involve short term "purges" should be undertaken only by the very healthy.
Cleansing the internal parts is very beneficial for overall health because when there are less toxins in the body all it's systems can work better. When the insides work better we have more energy, sleep better and think better. Who doesn't want that?
Perhaps spring is also the right time to clean out our bodies as well. A time to remove the "junk" that has built up in our systems over the winter when the cold weather prompted us to eat more comfort foods than we should have. Often winter is also a season of reduced physical activity which results in the build up of more toxins in our bodies. Or perhaps our body systems just want to be flushed out; a sort of freshening up for spring. It's a good time to do a detox.
There are many effective approaches to detoxification. Usually they involve a low allergen diet, cleansing herbs, nutritional support, exercise, rest, and drinking plenty of water. When done over a period of 10 to 28 days they are usually gentle to the body while still effective. Detox procedures that involve short term "purges" should be undertaken only by the very healthy.
Cleansing the internal parts is very beneficial for overall health because when there are less toxins in the body all it's systems can work better. When the insides work better we have more energy, sleep better and think better. Who doesn't want that?
Tuesday 22 March 2011
Routines
As I got up before dawn this morning to do my exercise routine, I was muttering under my breath about the DST change last week. Getting up to exercise can be difficult at any time, but this week has been particularly hard. However, I do know that keeping my routines will help me to adapt to the change. (See my earlier post, Time to Change.)
During my warm up exercises I began to reflect on the importance routines for our overall health. An exercise routine implies to me that I have a specific time and procedure to exercise, not that I do the same exercises all the time. By having a routine, I make sure that my exercises get done. If I leave it till I feel like it, I likely won't exercise. For me early mornings work. If I exercise in the evenings I have more trouble getting to sleep.
Likewise, I have a routine for taking supplements. The containers are in a certain order in the drawer so I don't forget any and I have a specific time when I take them. Occasionally I take a product that doesn't effectively work with my routine. That supplement often gets forgotten.
In the evenings, my routine before bed helps me to unwind and calm down. I understand how important my sleep is. If you ask my wife, she'll tell you I'm usually asleep in less than 10 minutes (often much less). If I don't have this time to unwind, I toss and turn for sometime before sleep is possible.
It's sad how things that are most beneficial for us to do are usually the first things we let slide. Maybe it's because the important things are not always the most fun things. This is particularly true when it comes to our health. Having established routines helps to make sure the important things get done. And routines will help me adapt to this accursed time change.
During my warm up exercises I began to reflect on the importance routines for our overall health. An exercise routine implies to me that I have a specific time and procedure to exercise, not that I do the same exercises all the time. By having a routine, I make sure that my exercises get done. If I leave it till I feel like it, I likely won't exercise. For me early mornings work. If I exercise in the evenings I have more trouble getting to sleep.
Likewise, I have a routine for taking supplements. The containers are in a certain order in the drawer so I don't forget any and I have a specific time when I take them. Occasionally I take a product that doesn't effectively work with my routine. That supplement often gets forgotten.
In the evenings, my routine before bed helps me to unwind and calm down. I understand how important my sleep is. If you ask my wife, she'll tell you I'm usually asleep in less than 10 minutes (often much less). If I don't have this time to unwind, I toss and turn for sometime before sleep is possible.
It's sad how things that are most beneficial for us to do are usually the first things we let slide. Maybe it's because the important things are not always the most fun things. This is particularly true when it comes to our health. Having established routines helps to make sure the important things get done. And routines will help me adapt to this accursed time change.
Saturday 19 March 2011
The Back Bone's Connected to ... Everything
Perhaps one of the most dangerous developments in modern health care is to look at parts of the body or individual body systems without the context of the whole body. Too often when a patient has a symptom it is viewed as an isolated element. The reality of the matter is that the body was created as a single whole unit. No part can function effectively without the other parts functioning. The implication is also true that when one part is not functioning the whole cannot function either.
A headache is a good example of this. A pill may reduce the pain, but it won't fix the cause. Does a headache mean there is a problem in the head? It can, but it can also mean there are problems elsewhere in the body or even outside the body. Food allergies produce headaches. So if the digestive system is ignored the real cause of the headache won't be determined. As far removed from the head as the feet are, chronic foot pronation can cause headaches. Altered gait produces a chain of events during walking that causes abnormal muscle pull on the head and headaches. Vertebral subluxations in the neck and upper back have been shown to frequently cause headaches. It is common knowledge that stress, allergens, and sleep disturbances can also cause headaches. These things are all originate outside the body and if the focus is limited to the head, the cause of the headache will never be determined. Consequently, there can be no prevention or proper management of the headache.
Headaches provide a ready example of how the body functions as a unit, but the same is true for every symptom. Stomach aches are not necessarily the result of a sick stomach. They are simply a sign that the body is not working properly. A cold indicates that a virus is stressing the body, but why isn't the body strong enough to fight that virus? Pain in the hip can be the caused by a vertebral subluxation in the back. These examples are just a smattering of the many possibilities.
When a person has symptoms, it is simply a case of the body not functioning properly. The body must be looked at as a whole to determine the root problem. One part cannot be separated from the other parts if the body is to be truly healthy. That's why chiropractors look at the body as a whole unit. Everything's connected to everything else. This is particularly true of the spine. Nerves exiting the spine go directly to every part of the body. A healthy spine is a key component to a healthy body.
A headache is a good example of this. A pill may reduce the pain, but it won't fix the cause. Does a headache mean there is a problem in the head? It can, but it can also mean there are problems elsewhere in the body or even outside the body. Food allergies produce headaches. So if the digestive system is ignored the real cause of the headache won't be determined. As far removed from the head as the feet are, chronic foot pronation can cause headaches. Altered gait produces a chain of events during walking that causes abnormal muscle pull on the head and headaches. Vertebral subluxations in the neck and upper back have been shown to frequently cause headaches. It is common knowledge that stress, allergens, and sleep disturbances can also cause headaches. These things are all originate outside the body and if the focus is limited to the head, the cause of the headache will never be determined. Consequently, there can be no prevention or proper management of the headache.
Headaches provide a ready example of how the body functions as a unit, but the same is true for every symptom. Stomach aches are not necessarily the result of a sick stomach. They are simply a sign that the body is not working properly. A cold indicates that a virus is stressing the body, but why isn't the body strong enough to fight that virus? Pain in the hip can be the caused by a vertebral subluxation in the back. These examples are just a smattering of the many possibilities.
When a person has symptoms, it is simply a case of the body not functioning properly. The body must be looked at as a whole to determine the root problem. One part cannot be separated from the other parts if the body is to be truly healthy. That's why chiropractors look at the body as a whole unit. Everything's connected to everything else. This is particularly true of the spine. Nerves exiting the spine go directly to every part of the body. A healthy spine is a key component to a healthy body.
Wednesday 16 March 2011
The Way to a Man's Heart
My first wife is a fabulous cook. She makes meals that not only taste out of this world but are healthy as well. What a combination! What more could a guy want? Great food that's also good for you.
I took a course from a nutritionist a few years ago. One of his sayings was, "If it tastes good spit it out!" In relation to so much of the food consumed in North America, this is great advice. As a society we consume foods which are pleasant to our taste buds but harmful to our bodies. They are empty calories devoid of nutritional value and full of chemicals that stress the body. Foods that are addictive and compromise the functioning of almost every body system. These are the foods the TV commercials and magazine ads tell us we can't live without. (Where are the ads from the carrot farmers, who produce real food?)
My first wife taught me however, that nutritious food can also taste good. Using ingredients found in the outer aisles of the supermarket (you know the produce, dairy, meat aisles), along with some spices and creativity, delicious meals can be made that provide what the body needs to function. Dishes made with real, unprocessed foods are chalk full of vitamins, minerals and micronutrients that we're only beginning to understand the value of.
Being a great cook is just one of the many reasons I'm still married to my first wife after 37 years. Good tasting, nutritious food is not an oxymoron. My first wife taught me that.
I took a course from a nutritionist a few years ago. One of his sayings was, "If it tastes good spit it out!" In relation to so much of the food consumed in North America, this is great advice. As a society we consume foods which are pleasant to our taste buds but harmful to our bodies. They are empty calories devoid of nutritional value and full of chemicals that stress the body. Foods that are addictive and compromise the functioning of almost every body system. These are the foods the TV commercials and magazine ads tell us we can't live without. (Where are the ads from the carrot farmers, who produce real food?)
My first wife taught me however, that nutritious food can also taste good. Using ingredients found in the outer aisles of the supermarket (you know the produce, dairy, meat aisles), along with some spices and creativity, delicious meals can be made that provide what the body needs to function. Dishes made with real, unprocessed foods are chalk full of vitamins, minerals and micronutrients that we're only beginning to understand the value of.
Being a great cook is just one of the many reasons I'm still married to my first wife after 37 years. Good tasting, nutritious food is not an oxymoron. My first wife taught me that.
Saturday 12 March 2011
Time to Change
Tonight we move our clocks ahead one hour for Daylight Savings Time. I like Daylight Savings Time, but I abhor that we have to switch time. Why can't we stay on summer time all year round? As it stands now we are on Standard Time for only four months. The gradual creep to shorten Standard Time is an indication that legislators are seeing its decreasing value.
There are certainly problems that arise from switching time. This spring time change is particularly problematic. Chronobiologist Till Roenneberg at Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, Germany, indicates his studies show our circadian body clocks, that are set by darkness and light are disrupted by time change. Roenneberg says, “The consequence of that is that the majority of the population has drastically decreased productivity, decreased quality of life, increasing susceptibility to illness, and is just plain tired.” While a Swedish study in New England Journal of Medicine in 2008 found heart attack risks increase 6% to 10 % in the days right after the Daylight Saving Time change. The lead author Imre Janszk said, “The most likely explanation to our findings are disturbed sleep and disruption of biological rhythms.”
There are certainly problems that arise from switching time. This spring time change is particularly problematic. Chronobiologist Till Roenneberg at Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, Germany, indicates his studies show our circadian body clocks, that are set by darkness and light are disrupted by time change. Roenneberg says, “The consequence of that is that the majority of the population has drastically decreased productivity, decreased quality of life, increasing susceptibility to illness, and is just plain tired.” While a Swedish study in New England Journal of Medicine in 2008 found heart attack risks increase 6% to 10 % in the days right after the Daylight Saving Time change. The lead author Imre Janszk said, “The most likely explanation to our findings are disturbed sleep and disruption of biological rhythms.”
There are also safety concerns, with the journal Sleep Medicine reporting the number of traffic accidents in the U.S. spikes on the Monday after the clocks move forward. Canadian researchers have pegged the increase here at 8%, according to a 1996 study. While in Sweden, it jumps by 11%. Although I didn't come across any studies, there are also indications that work related injuries increase following the spring time change.
Because we do have to make the time change this year, there are some things that can help us adapt. First is to avoid evening light during those first longer days to help your body clock adjust. Secondly take some melatonin, a hormone our bodies naturally produce at night, to help activate your body clock. Thirdly, keep as much of a regular schedule as possible, including meal times. Fourthly, minimize caffeine consumption during the day and avoid exercise in the evening. Give yourself at least an hour to "wind down" before bed.
As I change my clocks tonight I'll be reflecting on the waste of time it is for billions of people to be doing this. I think we should be communicating to our legislators that staying on Daylight Savings Time year round makes sense. We could have the energy saving and recreation benefits, that are always quoted, while avoiding the health and safety issues.
Wednesday 9 March 2011
My Back's Out'a Whack
Patients have many ways to describe what they think is wrong with their backs. These include: "My back is out of place." "I've got a pinched nerve." "I have a slipped disc." "I have a 'cold' in my spine." While these descriptions can be helpful for a chiropractor to grasp what a patient is feeling, none of terms are accurate regarding what actually happens in the spine. Vertebra can become minutely misaligned, but if they really were out of place that would be a dislocation and the person wouldn't likely make it into a chiropractic office. The same is true of a pinched nerve. This is a very rare and extremely painful situation. What we do commonly see are irritated nerves. There is a big difference. Discs don't slip. They can degenerate, bulge or herniate. As for the 'cold' in the back, there is the possibility that your back could ache due to a virus. But then you should be aching all over. Viruses don't specifically attack the spine. The "back out'a whack" is probably more accurate than these other descriptions.
When a spine is "out'a whack" or not working properly, we have a very descriptive term for it. It's call a Vertebral Subluxation or often just a Subluxation. Don't let the Latin intimidate you. It's easy to say and understand. It implies that five abnormal things are happening in the spine. First there is a loss of proper motion between the individual bones of the spine. This may result in them appearing out of line with each other on an x-ray. Secondly, swelling occurs due to the abnormal motion or injury. This swelling results in irritation on the nerves which exit the spine and go to all parts of the body. This is the third problem. The fourth issue is that ligaments connecting the spinal bones are damaged. And lastly the muscles which move the spine cannot work properly due to injury, swelling or nerve irritation. All these things are occurring simultaneously and each component affects the others. The result is a spine that isn't working properly. People can experience pain, stiffness, numbness, headaches, digestive problems, and the list goes on. Or they may have no symptoms at all.
Chiropractors are specifically trained to find and correct Vertebral Subluxations. It's our specialty. And now you have a better term for your back problem.
When a spine is "out'a whack" or not working properly, we have a very descriptive term for it. It's call a Vertebral Subluxation or often just a Subluxation. Don't let the Latin intimidate you. It's easy to say and understand. It implies that five abnormal things are happening in the spine. First there is a loss of proper motion between the individual bones of the spine. This may result in them appearing out of line with each other on an x-ray. Secondly, swelling occurs due to the abnormal motion or injury. This swelling results in irritation on the nerves which exit the spine and go to all parts of the body. This is the third problem. The fourth issue is that ligaments connecting the spinal bones are damaged. And lastly the muscles which move the spine cannot work properly due to injury, swelling or nerve irritation. All these things are occurring simultaneously and each component affects the others. The result is a spine that isn't working properly. People can experience pain, stiffness, numbness, headaches, digestive problems, and the list goes on. Or they may have no symptoms at all.
Chiropractors are specifically trained to find and correct Vertebral Subluxations. It's our specialty. And now you have a better term for your back problem.
Saturday 5 March 2011
Health Care Reform
There is an ongoing debate in Canada and Alberta about how to reform our publicly funding health care system. The governments at both levels have commissioned numerous studies which have recommended a myriad of changes. Always the studies have found that our current approach is unsustainable and some type of user pay must be introduced into the system to prevent collapse. Yet over the 20 years I've been following this process, there has been no significant progress in reforming our health care system. This lack of progress has baffled me.
A recent article in Macleans by Andrew Coyne entitled "The biggest hurdle to reform: unions" gave me some real insights into why after all these years and all the studies we continue to have a health care system that is unsustainable. Our public sector and health care unions are so committed to maintaining the status quo that they are hobbling the legislators. The result is that we are stuck with a system that is increasingly inefficient and unresponsive. It is a health care system that, although once the envy of the world, has rapidly fallen to become one of the least effective. Our population is suffering all because we can't let go of the flawed premise that health care must be totally free for everyone.
One thing ignored in our system of free health care is a basic of human nature. We value what we pay for. When health care is free it becomes a right instead of a priviledge. Over time we value it less and less. The system has become abused by both users and providers as they have lost sight of need for the checks and balances that financial input provides. Chiropractors have noticed all along that patients value our services when they pay for them. Those who pay their bills actually seems to respond better to care than those who don't. They value what they pay for. And we as providers need to be responsive to the needs of the patient or they will withdraw their financial support for what we do. The transfer of money is beneficial for both patient and doctor.
I'm not suggesting that Canada abandon universal health care. What I am suggesting is that we implement some of the changes recommended in study after study to introduce a form of user pay. Either we make changes or our the system will collapse completely. How long can we allow the public sector and health care unions to force the maintenance of an unsustainable health care system? The patient is dying but can be saved if the treatment is changed.
A recent article in Macleans by Andrew Coyne entitled "The biggest hurdle to reform: unions" gave me some real insights into why after all these years and all the studies we continue to have a health care system that is unsustainable. Our public sector and health care unions are so committed to maintaining the status quo that they are hobbling the legislators. The result is that we are stuck with a system that is increasingly inefficient and unresponsive. It is a health care system that, although once the envy of the world, has rapidly fallen to become one of the least effective. Our population is suffering all because we can't let go of the flawed premise that health care must be totally free for everyone.
One thing ignored in our system of free health care is a basic of human nature. We value what we pay for. When health care is free it becomes a right instead of a priviledge. Over time we value it less and less. The system has become abused by both users and providers as they have lost sight of need for the checks and balances that financial input provides. Chiropractors have noticed all along that patients value our services when they pay for them. Those who pay their bills actually seems to respond better to care than those who don't. They value what they pay for. And we as providers need to be responsive to the needs of the patient or they will withdraw their financial support for what we do. The transfer of money is beneficial for both patient and doctor.
I'm not suggesting that Canada abandon universal health care. What I am suggesting is that we implement some of the changes recommended in study after study to introduce a form of user pay. Either we make changes or our the system will collapse completely. How long can we allow the public sector and health care unions to force the maintenance of an unsustainable health care system? The patient is dying but can be saved if the treatment is changed.
Tuesday 1 March 2011
The Greatest Thrill
Helping people without the use of drugs or surgery was one of the prime motivations for me becoming a chiropractor. There have been so many situations where people with very difficult conditions have responded wonderfully to my chiropractic care. I am regularly in awe at what the human body can do when given the opportunity to heal itself. Thrilled may be an understatement of my emotion when it happens. As a chiropractor I realize that my role is to simply remove the blockages to the body's healing.
There is one type of condition that thrills me, above all others, when it responds to chiropractic adjustments. This is the very fussy baby. The situation is that the baby isn't sleeping, mom & dad haven't slept in maybe weeks, and everyone is at their wits end. I truly do not know what is making the baby so fussy. There are many possibilities and many theories. What I do know is that if the baby's spine is not functioning properly, the baby cannot be healthy. Seemingly minor spinal dysfunction can cause great distress to a baby. These spinal problems may be the result of the birth process.
If the baby is found to have a spinal problem a very gentle chiropractic adjustment can start the corrective process. Because the problem is new, in comparison to adult problems, it usually responds quickly. There have been so many of these babies I have adjusted over the years who have become different children almost overnight. The crying gives way to cooing. Many moms have told me they had to get up in the night to see if the baby was still alive because they couldn't believe the baby could sleep so well. I guess if we hadn't had a good sleep for weeks we'd be pretty tired too; like the babies seem to be. To see the fussy baby become content and the young parents able to enjoy the baby and life - that is still the greatest thrill I have as a chiropractor.
The thrill goes on because I also know that not only is the baby more comfortable for today, but I have also had a positive influence on it's future health. Absolutely thrilling!
There is one type of condition that thrills me, above all others, when it responds to chiropractic adjustments. This is the very fussy baby. The situation is that the baby isn't sleeping, mom & dad haven't slept in maybe weeks, and everyone is at their wits end. I truly do not know what is making the baby so fussy. There are many possibilities and many theories. What I do know is that if the baby's spine is not functioning properly, the baby cannot be healthy. Seemingly minor spinal dysfunction can cause great distress to a baby. These spinal problems may be the result of the birth process.
If the baby is found to have a spinal problem a very gentle chiropractic adjustment can start the corrective process. Because the problem is new, in comparison to adult problems, it usually responds quickly. There have been so many of these babies I have adjusted over the years who have become different children almost overnight. The crying gives way to cooing. Many moms have told me they had to get up in the night to see if the baby was still alive because they couldn't believe the baby could sleep so well. I guess if we hadn't had a good sleep for weeks we'd be pretty tired too; like the babies seem to be. To see the fussy baby become content and the young parents able to enjoy the baby and life - that is still the greatest thrill I have as a chiropractor.
The thrill goes on because I also know that not only is the baby more comfortable for today, but I have also had a positive influence on it's future health. Absolutely thrilling!
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