30 Years of Adventure

30 years ago today I began practice in Medicine Hat, Alberta.  After graduating from Life Chiropractic College - West in December of 1984, my wife Pamela and I moved back to our home town of Medicine Hat to begin our careers as chiropractors.  With one young son and another on the way, I would practice solo until Pamela was comfortable leaving the boys. Graduating is one step to beginning practice.  National and provincial examinations needed to be successfully completed before a license would be issued to practice in Alberta.  On July 2, 1985 everything was in place for me to take over the Arcade Chiropractic Office from Dr. Ian Smith.  A great adventure began that day!

Looking back over the past 30 years, it has been an adventure indeed.  I have experienced and learned so much.  There have been many, many challenges and countless blessings. 
When I started practice, I thought I knew a great deal about chiropractic and health.  I was an honours grad after all.  Now, I know that I knew very little and that I still know just a tiny amount about the amazing human body.  That's one reason I am so thankful to be a chiropractor.  I don't need to know the minute workings of the body in order to help it.  I just need to know how to release it's potential.  That's what chiropractic does.  My job is to become ever more proficient at delivering chiropractic adjustments to enable my patients to experience the health they innately possess.  Along with the adjustments I have provided healthy lifestyle counseling to help people avoid the use of drugs and surgery whenever possible.

Upon reflection, there are many things from these years of practice that warm my heart.  There are the people who came to me, after having been everywhere and tried everything without success, and experienced a restoration of their health.  There are the young parents who were able to experience the joy of having a baby that didn't cry constantly.  There are the young children whom I adjusted who are now bringing their children to see me.  There are the smiles of the people who can sleep again, or walk again, or play again.  There the patients who have been able to return to work and support themselves and their families.  There are the support staff who have been able to be part of something greater than just having a job.  There are the associate doctors who have had the opportunity to develop skills to become great servant chiropractors.

I've also learned some other very important lessons.  Not everyone likes me or chiropractic.  I get fired on a regular basis.  I'm good with that.  Not all patients get the results either they or I desire, but I know their bodies are better for having been adjusted.  Not everyone values their health the way I value mine and they may not be prepared to work at, or invest in, being healthy the way I do.  Once I think I have things figured out, God sends someone through the door to prove me wrong.  Being the boss may seems like an enviable position, until the tough decisions need to be made and the tough actions need to be taken.  This has been 30 years of constant learning and it will continue to be as long as I am in practice.

Chiropractic has been good to me.  It has caused me to grow in innumerable ways.  It has given me a purpose bigger than myself.  There is no greater joy than helping people on a daily basis.  Chiropractic principles have guided me to live a healthy life.  I have been able to help my family be healthier as well.  Chiropractic has also given me and my family a very good and satisfying lifestyle.  I'm thankful every day that I'm a chiropractor and I have no desire to be in a different profession.  Let the adventure continue!  

Mastering the Tough Stuff

Usain Bolt receives a masterful chiropractic adjustment

When I graduated from Life Chiropractic College - West 30 years ago, I thought I had a pretty good handle on what it took to be a chiropractor.  Graduating near the top of my class I certainly had a lot of knowledge.  I also thought I had the skill to give a pretty good chiropractic adjustment.  When I started practice a few months later, I quickly realized that my knowledge and skill levels were far less than what I needed to be a great chiropractor.  There are still many days when I'm not sure I have arrived.  I still have much to learn about being a chiropractor.

In my early practice years I would go to seminars and watch to see how successful chiropractors conducted themselves.  The truly masterful adjusters had been in practice for years and regularly saw many, many patients.  People were attracted to their practices because their adjustments were extraordinarily effective.  Patients got results from these chiropractors they didn't get elsewhere.  Most of these chiropractors had one focus - to deliver outstanding chiropractic adjustments.  How did they get to be great adjustors?  They adjusted a lot of people and constantly focused on how they were providing those adjustments.  They weren't satisfied with being mediocre.  It was a constant that I observed in those who delivered outstanding adjustments regardless of which chiropractic technique they used. 

In Malcolm Gladwell's book, "Outliers", he proposes that in order to become truly great in a given field, a person needs to practice for 10,000 hours.  This applies to athletes, musicians, computer programers, scientists and, by extrapolation, even chiropractors.  While there may be holes in his theory, my experience is that when I had been in practice for 10,000 hours my skills where exponentially better than when I started practice.  When I had delivered 10,000 adjustments, my adjustments were amazingly more effective than when I thought I was a good chiropractor after graduating.  As I look back there has been a constant improvement of the effectiveness of my adjustments over the years.  I believe I am giving better adjustments today than I gave 5 years ago.  I see the same thing in my associate doctors.  They are becoming better and better with constant practice.  The more adjustments they give, the better the adjustments they give. 

I'm moved to reflect on the importance of mastering the difficult skill of the chiropractic adjustment because of a growing trend in the chiropractic profession.  There are groups of chiropractors, even here in Alberta, who are pushing to have chiropractors prescribe drugs.  Now there is a time and place for drugs to be used, but that should remain in the hands of those who's focus is medication - the medical profession.  There are real dangers for chiropractors being able to prescribe pain killers and muscle relaxants.  One such danger is that it is too easy.  Young chiropractors who have not yet mastered the chiropractic adjustment will be drawn to prescribe drugs to make up for the deficiency in their adjusting skills.  As a result they will prescribe more and adjust less never becoming masters and their patients will be worse off for it.  The default for most people, including professionals, is to take the easy road.  Sadly, when chiropractors are not masterful adjustors, patients usually don't get the results they were seeking and think chiropractic doesn't work.  Even more significantly the powerful effects of chiropractic on overall health are missed.  The great potential for these people has been denied because of the failure of the chiropractor to give the patient a great adjustment.

It has been fortunate for the chiropractic profession that we have not been able to prescribe drugs.  It has forced us to refine and master the chiropractic adjustment.  The result is that chiropractic has developed an enviable record of both results and safety.  This has not been an easy road for my profession, but it has been the right road.  The beneficiaries of taking this difficult path are the many patients who have had life changing experiences because of masterfully delivered chiropractic adjustments.  I pray that my patients are among those people.

AN ANTIDOTE TO SITTING ALL DAY

Sitting all day at work, school and often at home has become the prevalent posture in our society.  Increasingly, all this sitting is being attributed to a host of health problems including back pain, neck pain, headaches, diabetes, obesity, cancer and cardiovascular problems.  Indeed those who sit all day have higher mortality rates than those who don't.

To counter all the sitting we do, exercise is vitally important. Almost any exercise will be beneficial to help counteract sitting.  Walking, swimming, weight training and stretching will help.  Some exercises can be more effective and efficient than others.  Because time is often such a tight commodity, a good anti-sitting exercise should be able to be done in a short period of time.  Then it can easily be done daily or better yet, for people who spend their day sitting, twice a day.

I was reminded this past week of one exercise that is a fabulous antidote to all the sitting we do.  That is a back stretch over an exercise ball.  This short YouTube video demonstrates how easy it is to do.

I would like to add a few additional instructions for safety and maximizing the benefits.  

• Wear shoes or go with bare feet.  Socks can be too slippery and dangerous if you lose your balance.
• Only attempt this stretch if you can balance well on the ball while sitting.  If you are new to working on an exercise ball, have someone spot you until you are comfortable using the ball.
• Always move slowly and maintain complete control.  If you are wobbling on the ball, return to sitting and begin the stretch over again.
• When going from the sit to laying back on the ball, do a slight pelvic tuck to engage the abdominal muscles.  This will increase stability.
• Before raising the arms overhead, make sure the head is contacting the ball.  Keep the head against the ball during the entire stretch.  This will minimize the chance of neck injury.
• Hold the stretch for 5 slow breaths.  Breath into the abdomen rather than the chest.
• Don't over stretch!  The more often you do this stretch the further you will be able to stretch.  Just be relaxed and let the weight of your arms provide the stretch.
• When coming back up, again do a pelvic tuck and come up slowly.  Keep the head on the ball until the arms are again along the body.
• Repeat.
• Regular chiropractic adjustments and massage therapy will help this stretch to be more effective.

I don't know about you, but it seems that things that are good for me are easily dropped.  This ball stretch use to be a part of my regular routine and I've let it slip for months.  Well I've put it back into practice  this week.  Even though I don't sit all day, working on patients all day still puts me into flexion and this stretch is a great antidote.

If you sit a lot or spend time flexing forward this stretch is a simple and very effective antidote.  It only takes a few minutes to do.  Add it to your daily routine and you will appreciate how much better you will feel. 

Postnatal Depression

When a mother brings her young baby to see a chiropractor and neither parent has seen a chiropractor before, it is usually a sign of parents that have reached their limit with the child.  Such was the case recently.  Mom, obviously tired and distraught, brought her 5 week old baby boy to our office.  The baby was barely sleeping, constipated, hard to burp, and crying almost constantly.  This little bundle had the entire household worn out.

At the end of the baby's initial visit to our office, the mother happened to ask if chiropractic could possibly help the post natal depression she was suffering from.  My reply was that perhaps chiropractic could be helpful and we would discuss it on the baby's next visit.  When the baby was brought back to see me a few days later, he was sleeping better, pooping better and had a generally happier disposition.  (I wish every baby responded that quickly.)  I asked Mom how her depression was.  She replied, "I haven't noticed it.  I think it's gone!" That's exactly what I thought would happen once she got some rest and the anxiety of not knowing why her baby was so uncomfortable was gone.  This is a scenario I've seen many times.  Baby feels better and sleeps better and Mom's depression subsides.  Chiropractic care helped improve Mom's mood even though she never received a chiropractic adjustment herself.

This isn't an observation that only I've had.  A recent publication in the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics  called "Mama, please stop crying: lowered postnatal depression scores in mothers after a course of chiropractic care for their infants"  showed there is significant improvement in mother's post natal depression when their children are under chiropractic care.  The researchers didn't speculate why the depression subsided, but only recorded that it did.  My clinical observation is that the improved rest and peace of mind helps the mother's mood improve.  There can certainly be other contributing factors, but this seems to be very key.

It's not only new moms that become depressed when they don't sleep and are anxious about the well being of someone very close to their heart.  That can happen to all of us.  The conclusion is happy baby = happy mom. 

Staying Healthy - According to Mark Twain

"The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not."  Mark Twain from "Following the Equator" (1897)

Mark Twain is recognized as having been a very insightful individual.  Even in his humour he was a remarkably astute observer of human nature.  This quote was likely very truthful back in 1897 when he wrote it and is relevant today as well. The implication is that what we like the most to eat, drink and do may not be the best for us.

Mr. Twain is reminding us that good health is the result of the choices we make.  Having a healthy lifestyle often means making choices which we would prefer not to make but need to make for the sake of our well-being.   There are three areas in which he says we need to make the right decisions and not necessarily the easy decisions.

The sad fact is that so many foods that we like and that taste good are really detrimental to our health.  They taste good because of added sugars, unhealthy fats and chemical flavour enhancers.  Yummy tasting food is often devoid of essential nutrients as well.  So these foods are not only harmful, but empty as well. These are the foods we want to eat.  To be healthy we need to make food choices based not only on taste, but on nutritional content.  Pick the vegetables instead of the ice cream.

The same is true for what we drink.  Drinking water or tea is a healthier choice than pop or beer.

Then Mr. Twain says we need to do what we'd rather not do. The list of lifestyle choices which lead either to poor health or better health are long.  Choose to get adequate rest and exercise.  Develop stress control methods. Establish supportive relationships. Enjoy the sunshine. Get regular chiropractic adjustments and adopt a healthy chiropractic lifestyle. 

Good health comes from deciding to do what is best rather than what is easy or what we want.  The results are worth the effort.

Does Everyone Need to See a Chiropractor?

When people first find out I'm a chiropractor, there are two common responses.  First, is that they have been to a chiropractor and want me to "crack" their back or neck for them, often implying I should do it right there in the restaurant or wherever we may be.  Second are people who say, "I don't need to see a chiropractor.  I don't have back pain."  Should people who don't have pain go see a chiropractor?

It wasn't all that long ago that people only saw medical doctors when they were sick.  They only consulted a dentist when they had a tooth ache.  I'm old enough to remember those days.  The idea of consulting a health professional for prevention of problems is a fairly recent phenomenon.  Most of our society now sees the logic in seeing an MD, dentist, or optometrist before problems arise for either prevention or early treatment.  Using the same logic, it also makes sense to see a chiropractor before back pain, neck pain or headaches become problems.

Since every person has a spine, everyone has the potential to develop spinal problems.  Statistically, 80% of Canadians will experience back pain over the course of their lifetime.  For many of those people it will be debilitating; interfering with their ability to work or perform activities of daily living.  But the effects of spinal problems are not limited to pain.  Abnormal function of spinal joints results in irritation to adjacent spinal nerves.  This produces alteration of nerve function through the entire path of that particular spinal nerve.  The result can be health problems distant from the spine itself.  A person can suffer detrimental effects of spinal problems without actually having pain in their spine.

Chiropractors use the term, Vertebral Subluxation, to describe abnormally functioning spinal joints with associated nerve irritation.  It may or may not be accompanied by pain.  Chiropractors are uniquely trained to detect and correct Vertebral Subluxations.  Like most conditions, Vertebral Subluxations can be most effectively treated when they are detected early.  Once abnormal spinal joint function becomes chronic, associated muscles adapt patterns where they are either too tight or too lax.  The ligaments of the joints are weakened.  Blood supply to the joints is altered as well.  It's also significant that chronically irritated spinal nerves heal very slowly.  Consequently detecting and correcting Vertebral Subluxations early, even before there is associated pain, makes a lot of sense.  Seeing a chiropractor when you don't have back pain, neck pain or headaches is as logical as seeing a medical doctor when you aren't sick or a dentist when you don't have a toothache or an optometrist when you can see well.  

If you are the type of person that only consults a health professional when they have an obvious problem, you likely won't grasp the logic of seeing a chiropractor when you don't have pain in your back, neck or head.  But that doesn't mean that you don't have spinal problems.  Waiting until you have pain can result in much more damage to the tissues and prolonged treatment.  As well when treatment is delayed the outcomes are often much less desirable.

As always whether you choose to see a chiropractor when you don't have pain is up to you.  But the logical approach is to get checked and assure your spine is working as well as it can so you don't end up with debilitating or chronic spinal problems.  Regular chiropractic adjustments should be part of your healthy lifestyle.

Demon Sugar

The feature article in the May 12, 2014 issue of Maclean's is "Sugar Overload" by Kate Lunau.  The author reviews not only the health consequences of consuming too much sugar but also the strategies of the processed food industry to sell us sugar laden foods.

Ms. Lunau implies in her article that the link between sugar and health problems such obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and perhaps even Alzheimer's is a relatively new finding.  The reality is that this link was proposed in the 1970's.  William Duffy released his ground breaking book "Sugar Blues" in 1975.  Duffy argued that refined sugar is an addictive drug that is unnatural and leads to a host of physical and mental health problems.  Duffy was highly criticized and marginalized by the food industry.  Only those who were serious about natural health really took note.

"Sugar Overload" explores how mainstream science is now validating sugar's detrimental effects on human health. Take the time to read the article.  I'm not going to recap it.  Then get Duffy's book.  It will be an eye opener for you.  Although it is almost 40 years old, it is still very valid and is being verified by current science.

As you read this information also be very aware of the processed food industry's methods to have you buy and eat more and more sugar filled foods.  Food processors have a history of using whatever methods they can come up with to get people to buy their creations regardless of nutritional value. Think of their low cholesterol, low fat products which have turned out to be real health robbers.  (Don't hold your breath that their new gluten free products are going to be that healthy either.) 

The demon sugar can be beaten.  The answer is to eat unprocessed foods.  Whole foods with naturally occurring sugars do not affect the body the same as added sugar in processed foods. Shop the outside of the supermarket and avoid the middle aisles.  Real foods are found in the produce, meat, and dairy sections of the store.  Products in the center of the grocery are more likely to be processed with high sugar content along with other potentially harmful additives.

Eating wholesome, natural foods is an essential part of a healthy chiropractic lifestyle.