The Stress of Holidays on your Health!

 The holiday season is here, stress levels can be elevated.  Stress is not just for adults, but can and often does affect children as well, specially if the family is under stress.  When you are under stress your immune system does not function at the optimal level it needs to to fight off infections or pain.   At this time of year, if you add an already-weakened  immune system to being around large crowds of people who may be sick while doing holiday shopping, visiting family and attending parties, then you may be putting yourself at higher risk for illness.

 

The most common symptoms of holiday stress include headaches, backache, fatigue, irritability, high blood pressure and difficulties sleeping.

Chiropractic adjustments release muscle tension, reduce nerve irritation, improve blood circulation and boost the white blood cell count.  This helps the body return to a more balanced and relaxed state and helps your body fight off illness.

So, instead of giving up holiday memories with your loved ones due to sickness–decrease your chance of getting sick by keeping your stress at bay.  Contact ‘Chirpractic Wellness at Brier Creek" to see what we can do to help alleviate your stress levels and help you further enjoy your holidays!
Here are some things you can do to help decrease holiday stress:

• Lift packages correctly, firewood, groceries and other heavy items with your legs, not your back. When lifting, hold objects close to your body; rather than flexing forward, maintain a slight arch in your lower back and bend at the knees before standing up with the object.

When cooking or standing for an extended period, elevate one foot with a foot rest or stacked books, about six inches from the floor. Alternately elevating each foot relieves tired back and leg muscles.

Travel stress can be minimized if you start your journey having gotten plenty of rest ahead of time, allow plenty of extra time to your destination, pack light, use well-balanced wheeled luggage when you can and be careful to avoid heavy loads on your shoulders from bags with shoulder straps.

Place a pillow or folded towel behind the small of the back when traveling by car or plane, to help maintain the arch in your lower back and support the rest of the body properly. This relieves the discs and joint structures of the spine from unnecessary pressure.

Get enough rest. Many health problems that occur with the holidays are simply due to fatigue.

Stiletto's and The Chiropractic Perspective!!!!

OUCH!!!!

Written By: Sherry French

Ok Ladies, I know we all have been there, we have worn these type of shoes at some point in our lives.  When I was in my twenties and thirties, even during three pregnancies I wore high heels ( I know crazy, but a girl needs to feel sexy even at 9 months pregnant, RIGHT!). I still wear a high wedge at times, but that does give a different level of support then a stiletto.  Being married to a Chiropractor has given me a different perspective on the health of my spine, as well as educating me on the importance of good spinal support and health.

Here is an article I found and wanted to share with you regards High Heels and Chiropractic.


Two publications carried an article based upon a release by the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress. The articles from the January 2, 2008 Hudson Valley Press, and the January 8, 2008 Indiana Star, discuss the perils of high heels from a chiropractic perspective.  Dr. Gerard Clum spokesperson for the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress and president of Life Chiropractic College West in Hayward, California starts the article off by stating, "From a health standpoint, there's no good side to heels."

The FCP release notes that wearing high heels changes the biomechanics of walking, therefore affecting the foot, leg and spine. Dr. Clum notes, "Dangers associated with wearing high heels affect the entire body, particularly the knee, hip, and back." He continued, "The abnormal weight-bearing and stressful posture induced by high heels can strain both the low back and the neck, not to mention the foot, ankle, and knee."

The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress made several recommendations for women who wear high heels.

These are:
If high heels must be worn, Dr. Clum advises not to wear them for more than two hours a day. He states, "Many high-heeled shoes do not allow for proper space and movement of the toes.

Typically, the pointy toe of the shoe causes pain in the front of the foot, which creates pressure on the metatarsals." Doctors at the Foundation are not suggesting flat shoes but they do suggest wearing heels of two inches or less as a compromise. Dr. Clum summed up the chiropractic perspective by saying, "The vast majority of women who come for chiropractic treatment do not associate the heel height of their shoes with their ailments. It is important for women to realize that their everyday choices, including what shoes to wear, will affect their entire body, not only their feet."

If you are experiencing foot pain or lower back pain and have been a big supporter of high heels in your life, give
Dr. Craig French a call at 919-596-2900 for an exam.

The Pregnant Patient!

During pregnancy, a number of body changes occur to the expectant mother, some physiological (changes in body chemistry and loosening of the ligaments) and endocrinological (hormonal). These changes occur for the purpose of creating an optimal environment for developing the baby and well being for the mother. During pregnancy, most women experience a number of biomechanical and neuromuscular problems which respond favorably to gentle safe chiropractic treatment, along with massage and exercise instruction.

Approximately 90% of pregnant women experience back pain. Although the majority experience back pain in their last trimester, studies have showed that symptoms often begin by the twelfth week.

Risk factors for low back pain during pregnancy include previous back problems, increased weight gain, age, and multiparty (having had more than one child). Neck and back pain primarily occur as a result of increased weight gain, change in the distribution of weight thereby causing an increased demand on the spinal and pelvic muscles. These stresses also alter the normal spinal curves and related biomechanics. The result is increased physical stress to the body leading to pain and discomfort. 

 Chiropractic is a primary health care profession that deals with a wide variety of these types of musculoskeletal disorders. All functions of the body are controlled by the nervous system. This system consists of the brain, spinal cord, nerve roots and all nerves in your body. These delicate structures are protected by the spinal column and pelvis. Any of these bones can lose their normal alignment and may contribute to the above symptoms. Additional symptoms include headaches, nausea or insomnia.

There is a large amount of research supporting the efficacy of chiropractic during pregnancy. The results of some of these studies are summarised below:

• Women who receive chiropractic adjustments in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy were able to carry and deliver children with more comfort. (1)
• The need for pain killers during delivery is reduced by up to a half. (2)
• Approximately 91% of pregnant women with sacroiliac joint pain achieved relief with manipulation. (3)
• Almost 3 times less back pain was experienced during labor when 
  manipulation was administered during pregnancy. (4)
• Women had a positive response to chiropractic treatment for pre and post partum symphysis pubis dysfunction. (5)

(1) American Medicine Association records released in 1987 during the trial in US District Court Northern Illinois Eastern Division, NO. 76C3777.

(2) Freitag, Per: - Expert testimony of Pertag M.D., Ph.D. Comparing the results of two neighbouring hospitals, U.S District Court Northern Illinois Eastern Division, No.76C3777, May 1987.

(3) Daley et al, (1991) Sacroiliac Subluxation: a common treatable cause of low back pain in pregnancy. Fam Prac ResJ, 11 (2) 149-159.

(4) Diakow, PR. Et al (1991) Back Pain during pregnancy and labour. JMPT 14 (2): 116-8

(5) Andrew & Pedersen (2003) A study into the effectiveness of Chiropractic treatment for pre and postpartum women with symphysis pubis dysfunction, Eur J of Chiropractic 48, 77-95.

If you are pregnant and live in Durham or the surrounding areas of Raleigh, Morrisville, Brier Creek, RTP,  NC, contact Chiropractic Wellness at Brier Creek to get on the road to recovery as soon as possible.

Mobility!!

Imagine waking up one morning with a frozen shoulder where you couldn’t move your upper arm more than a few inches in any direction. How much would that impact your ability to do your job? How much would that affect your ability to drive your car or even to dress yourself? How much would that affect your ability to concentrate on anything other than your shoulder? Obviously, if your shoulder did not move correctly, it would have a dramatic impact on your life. Well, the same is true with movement in every part of your body. If things aren’t moving the way they are supposed to move, it will have a negative impact on your ability to function at work, take care of the demands of everyday life, and even your ability to concentrate.

Many patients with severe low back pain report that their pain came on suddenly when they did something as simple as bend down to pet their cat, put on their socks, or pick up the newspaper. Just about everyone would agree that a person’s body should be able to handle such simple movements. So what has happened?

In every one of these cases, the joints of the patient’s body were “all locked up” -- they were barely moving at all. When the joints in one area of the body do not move the way they should, other areas of the body are forced to move more in order to compensate. This creates a significant stress on those areas that have to pick up the slack, and it soon leads to pain and inflammation. At the same time, the areas that don’t have normal movement will slowly worsen as the muscles continue to tighten, the joints stick together, and the ligaments and tendons shorten. This leaves the body in a very unstable condition; if left unchecked, this process will continue until the body can hardly move at all. That is how a person comes to suffer flare-ups of pain at the slightest provocation.

Most of us have seen people who have lost most of their normal mobility: they look like bodies have been starched stiff whenever they try to move around. This is especially prevalent among the elderly. Contrary to popular belief, however, this is not an inevitable effect of aging; rather it is the inevitable effect of not maintaining the body’s mobility through exercise, healthy alignment, and body mechanics. There are people in their 60s, 70s, or even older, who are stronger and more flexible than the average person in their 30s, simply because they keep themselves exercising.

Maintaining mobility is critical in order to live free from pain and disability. Maintaining good mobility is not difficult, but it does not happen on its own. Just as in developing a good posture, it is necessary that you perform specific exercises and stretches to keep your muscles, ligaments, and tendons flexible and healthy. In addition, it is necessary that all of the joints in your body are kept moving correctly as well. Although this can be achieved to a great degree through stretching, most people also find routine chiropractic adjustments to be very beneficial.