Bursts of Exercise Can Make Kids Healthier

Exercise is one of the main pillars of good health. Your body was designed to move throughout the day, constantly and in many directions. With well over 200 joints, your body has the ability to do amazing things. This can include an impressive display of balance, power and flexibility with hardly any discernible effort. However, unfortunately with the improvement in efficiency of our every day life with digital technology, a sedentary lifestyle has been adopted. This lifestyle discourages movement and leads to more sitting behaviours.

Most people sit between seven to fifteen hours each day. Excessive sitting increases your risk of metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

It’s not just adults that face these challenges. Children are becoming increasingly sedentary and the rising number of children suffering from obesity is sky-rocketing. About one third of all children and adolescents are either overweight or obese. This trickle down effect means that there are a staggering number of adults who are now at higher risk of multiple health concerns, ranging from obesity to degenerative arthritis.

Contributing factors to declining health include poor food choices, insufficient exercise and lack of quality sleep.

Getting kids to exercise has become increasingly difficult over the past 20 years. What used to be common daily activity for children playing with their friends has turned into a chore. The effect of this attitude shift is evident with the growing number of children suffering from obesity.

Recent studies have shown that children may benefit from very short periods of high intensity physical exercise. Researchers have modified the term “high-intensity interval training” (HIIT) to a more kid-friendly version of “Fun Fast Activity Blast” (FFAB).

The study evaluated 101 adolescents, measuring triglyceride levels in the blood, waist circumference, blood sugar, heart markers, blood pressure and aerobic activity. They monitored a group that continued their normal activity and a group that participated in three 20-minute high intensity exercise sessions per week for 10 weeks.

They found that the group that exercised had lower triglyceride levels and reduced waist circumference. They also found that this group increased the amount of overall physical activity (not including these sessions) by 16 minutes per day compared to the group that didn’t exercise at all.

This increased activity during non-exercise hours suggested to researchers that increasing structured exercise actually increases overall activity levels during unmonitored hours. This discovery is a step in the right direction to finding a program that works to make daily exercise both practical and sustainable.

Finding exercises that children enjoy may be the key to unlocking the desire to move throughout the whole day. Unfortunately, reduced time in physical education classes and recess, combined with spending the majority of the day sitting at desks, significantly adds to the problem of sedentary lifestyles.

There isn’t time to wait for the schools to change their physical activity requirement. Therefore, it’s important to encourage them to be active in the hours they are outside of school and on weekends. Competitive sports, interval walking, biking, basketball, dance or any number of 20-minute high intensity interval training workouts can be beneficial. Joining the kids for these workouts would be beneficial not just for their health but for yours as well. Kids are more likely to do what you do and not just what you say.

A healthy lifestyle involves many factors such as nutrition, sleep, exposure to toxins, low stress levels and exercise. Essentially, you become what you do each day. The more you move, the easier it becomes to move and vice versa.

The more physically active your child is, the better they do in school, the better their mood and the better the family functions as a whole.

Chiropractic care is another great way to ensure both you and your kids can get moving and keep them moving. Bring in the kids for an assessment and treatment to get their spine moving optimally and keep them playing the activities they love. This ensures proper function and keeps everyone feeling great!

How to Combat Text Neck aka “Tech” Neck

How many times in a day do you find yourself staring down at a screen? How many times do you look across the room and see every member of your family looking down at a screen? Whether this is cell phone use, watching a movie on your laptop or playing a game on your iPad, the act of holding your head flexed down and forwards while looking at your device, places your neck in a stressed position. Our neck normally has a slight curve in it that gives it the strength and power to keep our head on our shoulders. However, when this curve is straightened with prolonged forward posture, it places a lot of strain on the structures in the neck.

Maintaining this head-forward posture can lead to muscle strain, disc injury, nerve impingement, and arthritic changes in the neck. This increases the potential for ongoing neck and shoulder pain, headaches, and pain that goes down the arms. Thus, “text neck” or now more appropriately “tech neck” because it’s not just texting, was born. All this screen time has the potential to damage the neck.

For every one inch of forward head posture, the weight of your head increases by 10lbs. The more your neck drifts forward, the more weight it has to carry and support. This disorder is associated with chronic headaches, upper back pain and neck pain. Medical research has also uncovered evidence that this forward posture can be related to early onset arthritis and can even decrease lung capacity. Try this experiment: Have your head tucked back over your shoulders and take a deep breath. Now push your head forward and try to take that same deep breath. Was it more difficult to take the second breath?

So what can we do to fight “tech neck”? These devices are going to be a part of our life for a long time, so we need to find a way to modify our behaviours to prevent serious health issues from occurring. Here are seven simple ways to incorporate change in your everyday life to prevent the negative effects of this condition:

1. Exercises and Stretches- Postural exercises can help improve your posture, strengthen your neck and create better habits for everyday life. To aovid developing degenerative neck changes due to posture, incorporate these exercises and stretches into your daily routine.

2. Set Time Limits- Limit the amount of time and frequency that you use your device. If you have to use it for an extended period of time, take plenty of breaks. Develop a habit of taking a three minute break for every 20 minutes that you use your device. Make sure that you change your posture during these breaks and ideally move around to get your blood flowing.

3. Set Automatic Reminders- Utilize an automatic alarm with your device to remind you to take a break. These reminders will ensure that you don’t get too focused on your task to take a break and the automation ensures that you don’t forget to stop. Make sure you don’t ignore these reminders, or you may pay for it later on.

4. Use a tablet holder- Purchase a holder to elevate your device to significantly reduce the amount of neck flexion and forward posture. Try to keep the device as close to eye level as possible to prevent the strain in the neck when looking down for long periods of time. A tablet holder, cell phone holder, and propping your laptop up to eve level are all easy options that can reduce the amount of strain on the neck.

**For students out there, propping up your textbooks in the same manner will prevent the same issues from happening when studying for prolonged periods of time.

5. Sit in a Proper Chair: Switch to a chair with a headrest, proper lumbar support and one that prevents you from slouching forward. By making sure that the back of your head is always in contact with the headrest while using your devices, you can ensure that you’re not looking down with your head flexed forward. No matter the quality of the chair though, it’s important to still take breaks!

6. Use Pain as a Warning: If you’re experiencing headaches, pain in your neck, pain between the shoulder blades, or numbness and tingling going down into your arms, there may be a serious issue going on. Pay attention to these warning signs and act quickly to make changes to reduce or eliminate the head-forward posture that is straining your neck.

7. See a Chiropractor: Chiropractic treatment is the best option for any of these issues. Getting an assessment and adjustment can help not only with the symptoms but can also help prevent this issue from occurring in the future.

If you are having any of these symptoms, or simply just want a checkup for you or your children, book an appointment today. The sooner you seek treatment, the more likely it is that you’ll find success in treating the problem.

Eight Simple Ways to Prepare for Pregnancy with Chiropractic Care

 Many couples are planning for a family and preparing your body for the journey of conception, pregnancy and delivery is important for both the parents and the baby. There are many ways that people can prepare physically and emotionally for pregnancy, but the following are some tips that can help with the process.

 

1.     Vitamins/Supplements- Moms, start by taking a high quality prenatal vitamin, Omega 3’s and a B-complex to reduce stress. The father should be supplementing as well, focusing on a B-complex, Vitamin C and Zinc.

2.     Eat Real Food- Eat real, whole food. Stay in the outer perimeter of the grocery store. And remember, if your grandmother wouldn’t recognize what you are eating as food, you probably shouldn’t be eating it.  

3.     Cut Out Processed Food- Refined sugar, white flour, prepackaged food, and trans fats/hydrogenated oils should all be avoided in general. These foods have been proving to be extremely unhealthy and should be actively avoided.

4.     Increase Water Intake- People don’t drink enough water. Nowadays, everyone tends to be dehydrated without even realizing it. Water consumption has decreased, while caffeine, sugary drinks, energy drinks and alcohol use is increasing. These trends need to be reversed for expectant parents. Water consumption needs to be increased, while all of these other drinks should be eliminated.

5.     Analyze Medication Use- Look at your medication use and work with your healthcare provider to reduce if possible. If you are using over the counter pain medications, see if there is an alternative for pain management. Perhaps conservative management or manual therapies, such as chiropractic, massage therapy, physiotherapy, acupuncture, physical therapy, or osteopathy can help to reduce pain.

6.     Reduce stress for both future parents- It’s important to identify your stressors, whether it’s from work, home, relationships, or family and determine where you can make changes to reduce these stressors. It’s important to reduce stress for both mom AND dad, as this can affect fertility. 

7.     Chiropractic Care- Support a healthy nervous system through routine chiropractic care for both of the parents.

8.     Detoxify and support your body- Discuss this with your chiropractor, naturopath or healthcare provider. This can include digestion, elimination, hormonal and immune system support.

I woke up with a kink in my neck!

Many patients come into the office complaining they ‘slept’ wrong or have a ‘kink’ in their neck. This is often caused from sleeping in the wrong position in the wrong place. If you slept on the couch with your neck twisted to the side, the joints can become misaligned, which can cause the muscles in the neck to tighten up. This can then lead to pain and spasm, and you will need a chiropractic adjustment to alleviate the pain and realign the spine. It won’t just ‘go away’ over time. 

Another point to consider is the type of pillow that you sleep on. Flat pillows do not support your neck and spine when laying in your back or side. Pillows that are too thick tend to prop your head up at an equally awkward angle. It’s important to find a pillow that is the right size for you, and chances are it won’t be the same pillow that fits other people in your family. If you can’t share clothes with someone, chances are you can’t share a pillow either, purely based on size.

While you are sleeping, if your fingers or hands go numb, chances are you are not getting the support required for your spine while you are sleeping. Pillows that support the proper curvature of the spine are the best for back sleeping. Side sleepers need a pillow that is the depth of your ear to shoulder to keep the neck in a neutral position and to prevent the nerves that go to the arm from getting impinged and causing your hands to fall asleep.  

Stomach sleepers are notorious for waking up with neck and arm pain. Lying on your belly with your head rotated to one side all night is going to cause imbalances in your neck. One side of your neck will seize up and the other side will be over-stretched, which will cause discomfort. Retraining yourself to sleep on your back or side will enhance your sleep and reduce your pain and discomfort.

As always, if you have neck pain when you wake up, you need to have yourself evaluated by a chiropractor. Good pillows are helpful but they don’t correct the bad movement patterns, imbalances and poor alignment causing the problem in the first place.

Benefits of Essential Fatty Acids

What makes fatty acids so “essential”? The fact that our bodies don’t make these fatty acids, makes it necessary to get them from our diets. They are important part of building healthy cells, maintaining brain and nerve function and act as a precursor to certain hormones.

There are different types of fatty acids, one being called Omega-3 and one being called Omega-6. Examples of Omega-3 fatty acids are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), both of which are found in fish oils. Omega-6 fatty acids, such as ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), are found from plant sources such as nuts and seeds.

The average North American diet has an Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio of 12:1. The ideal ratio should be around 4:1. Scientists estimate our ancestors consumed Omega-6 and Omega-3 fats in a ratio of close to 1:1. As vegetable oil consumption and processed grain consumption have risen, so has the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fats. This creates a very inflammatory environment and goes a long way towards explaining why 4 in 10 people who die in North America each year die of heart disease. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 matters, but so does the total amount of each.

Omega-6 is pro-inflammatory, while omega-3 is neutral. This means that the more omega-3 fats you eat, the less omega-6 will be available to the tissues to produce inflammation. A diet with a lot of omega-6 and not much omega-3 will increase inflammation. Conversely, a diet of a lot of omega-3 and not much omega-6 will reduce inflammation.

Omega 6 oils are unstable because they’re made of polyunsaturated fats. Cooking at high heats, microwaving, or frying will oxidize the fats. Oxidized omega-6 does damage to your DNA, inflames your heart, and raises your risk for several types of cancer, including breast cancer. It also interferes with brain metabolism. When companies use these oils in packaged foods, they stabilize them to increase shelf life through a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation takes already harmful fats and converts them into synthetic trans fat. Unfortunately, trans fat is even worse for you.

Elevated Omega-6 intake is associated with an increase in all inflammatory diseases! The list includes (but isn’t limited to), cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome & inflammatory bowel disease, macular degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, cancer, psychiatric disorders and autoimmune diseases.

Try to eat foods high in Omega-3’s and take supplemental forms of Omega-3 from quality sources, especially when pregnant or nursing. Some other steps that can help this ratio and overall health:

1.   Avoid Vegetable Oils and Products Containing Them– These oils mess up the balance of protective Omega-3 fatty acids and potentially dangerous Omega-6 fatty acids in the body. They also contribute to inflammation and arterial damage.

2.   Eat more Saturated Fats and Other Healthy Fats– getting enough saturated fat from sources like animal fats, coconut oil, organic dairy, etc is essential to give the body all the building blocks it needs for proper cell and hormone function.

3.   Optimize Vitamin D and Fat Soluble Vitamins- Fat soluble vitamins at the right dosage have a protective effect on tissues and organs (including the heart).

4.   Get Enough Omega-3s- These help balance out the Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio in the body and prevent inflammation. Omega-3s also can thin the blood and keep it from clotting too regularly, a risk factor in heart disease. Having a proper Omega-3 balance also helps keep triglyceride levels in check.

5.   Exercise– You’ve heard this one before, yet most of us don’t get enough exercise. Exercise helps strengthen the heart and tone muscles. It increases circulation and reduces stress hormones- all good things to help reduce your risk of heart disease.

6.   Reduce Stress and Get Enough Sleep– High stress levels and lack of sleep can both increase inflammation and stress hormones in the body. Both are also linked to higher levels of many diseases, including heart disease, and increased overall mortality

7 Ways to Combat Stress in Pregnancy

Many expectant mothers are under large amounts of stress getting ready for a new baby in the house. This involves changes in relationships, worry of the unknown and the constant pressure to be the ‘perfect’ mother. All of these stressors can affect both the mother and the unborn child.

There are several types of stress that can cause significant issues with both mother and baby, which include physical stressors, chemical stressors and emotional stressors.

Some chemical stressors include smoking, caffeine consumption, and unhealthy eating. Combatants of these stressors include healthy eating, vitamin use, and moderate exercise use.

Stress in pregnancy predicts premature birth and lower birth weight.

Cigarette smoking predicted lower birth weight. Recent well-controlled human studies indicate that pregnant women with high stress and anxiety levels are at increased risk for spontaneous abortion, preterm labour and delayed growth (reduced head circumference in particular).

How can you change these outcomes and prevent stress to baby?

1.     Eat healthy

2.     Take time for you and take care of your health and enjoy life

3.  Make realistic expectations for being a mother- you cannot do it all- ask for help from family and friends for food preparation, cleaning, laundry and try to relax more.

4.     Rest and sleep- your body will need more of this as you get further along in your pregnancy

5.    Take your prenatal vitamins (especially B complex) and eat healthy.

6.     Make a date with your husband and get away one last time before life gets busy with baby.

7.     Chiropractic adjustments reduce strain off the nervous system, reduce pregnancy related pain and release pain relieving hormones, which elevates mood and reduces stress.

NEW Clinic Location: Momentum Health Mahogany

 

I am very happy and excited to announce that I am now working full-time (Monday to Friday) at Momentum Health Mahogany in SE Calgary. Momentum Health Mahogany is in a gorgeous new space and I am honoured to be practicing in such an inspiring multi-disciplinary clinic. 

The address and contact information for the clinic is as follows: 

Momentum Health Mahogany
#110-7 Mahogany Plaza SE
Calgary, AB
T3M 0T7
Phone: 403-454-8460

This clinic is located in the new Mahogany plaza, south of Mahogany Gate SE, on the east side of 52nd Ave. Access is right off of Stoney Trail, heading Southbound on 52nd Ave, and it's the first left onto Mahogany Gate SE. We are right across the parking lot from the DQ, and Tim Hortons is directly behind us. There is free parking available in the parking lot. 

  

My hours of operation (as of Sept. 11, 2017) at this clinic are:

Monday: 1pm-7pm
Tuesday: 8am-12pm
Wednesday: 1pm-7pm
Thursday: 8am-12pm
Friday: 1pm- 5pm

These hours will be what I will be starting with for the time being and I will add more hours depending upon demand. I would be honoured to treat you and your family at this new location, particularly if this location is more convenient for you. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at dr.marleelameris@gmail.com or call the Momentum clinic at 403-454-8460.

Why Should My Kids See a Chiropractor?

I get this question all the time. Adult patients that are under care, often ask me why their kids should see a chiropractor. They have come in for pain, tightness or stiffness and it’s difficult to understand why they’d need to bring in their kids who seem to be doing just fine. However, pain isn’t the only reason to go to the chiropractor. Just like kids might not realize they are getting a cavity, but go to the dentist anyway, getting assessed by a chiropractor can help discover underlying issues before they become a problem.

Below I’ve gone through some frequently asked questions by parents on why to get chiropractic care for children. If you have any other questions or inquiries, I invite you to contact me and I’d love to discuss this further. My email is dr.marleelameris@gmail.com.

Why chiropractic care for kids?

Children have many falls, injuries and accidents as they grow. These small falls, such as when they are learning how to walk, can accumulate into bigger issues as the spine and nervous system grows and matures. This can cause the body to not function properly. The pain and issues may not show up for years it is important to get your child spinal checkup on a regular basis.

When should I get my child adjusted?

All children should be adjusted as soon after birth as possible because the birth process is often traumatic. Even the ‘easy’ births can have some ‘hidden damage’ to the nervous system. Studies have shown that many children who experience colic, reflux, gassiness and fussiness at the breast have spinal issues in their neck and skull from the birth process.

What if they are older, say 3, 7 or 12, should I still get them checked?

ABSOLUTELY! Many children have spinal dysfunctions from normal developmental milestones, such as learning to pull themselves up to standing, walking, running and falling. Often the toddler years are just an accumulation of falls on the buttocks, head trauma and multiple other injuries, all of which can impact their growth and development. Children who are incredibly active, whether that be with sports, school or playing on the playground, could use an assessment to make sure they are moving properly. 

Getting your child checked and adjusted in these crucial growth times can assist in better sleep patterns, potty training assistance, increased attention and focus in school and an overall reduction of bed-wetting, constipation and irritability.

Does it hurt?

Chiropractic care for adults and children are very different. Chiropractors who focus on adjusting children use very gentle specific techniques and adjustments. Often there is less than 3-4 ounces of pressure with the adjustment and it is done with a very light touch. The amount of pressure is incredibly gentle and is equivalent to the force used to check the ripeness of a tomato. Chiropractic care for children is incredibly safe, gentle and effective.

Chiropractic and Muscle Spasm

Remember that time you bent down to pick up a pen or load the dishwasher and your back seized up? Instant pain pierced through you as muscles went into spasm. The pain can be so intense that you can barely move. 

Could something as simple as picking up a pen really cause such pain?

The answer is that it isn’t what you did. It’s what you didn’t do. These overextended muscles were already fatigued, strained and overworked. Due to repetitive movements during our everyday activities and habits like heavy lifting or poor posture, simple activities can cause muscles go into spasm. These muscles go into spasm to protect the joint involved from further harm and to protect ourselves from further injury. However, sometimes this spasm can be excruciating.

Usually muscles have become strained and overworked over a period of time. Then all it takes is a sudden movement like mindlessly reaching down for a pen or making the bed, and the already strained muscle goes into spasm. Muscle spasm or cramping is an involuntary, sudden, severe muscle contraction. This contraction can cut off blood supply which can cause even more pain and cause the muscle to contract even further. Spasms can last from a few seconds or can immobilize a patient on the floor for hours because the muscle won’t relax with movement. It all depends on the cause of the spasm.

If the spasm is due to fatigue, dehydration or an electrolyte deficiency, they can last seconds to several minutes. If it is caused by a protective mechanism to avoid further joint irritation or nerve involvement, pain and spasms can last for days or even weeks. Warning signs of a potential muscle spasm from occurring, consist of stiffness, tenderness and the need to stretch or put pressure on the muscles. There is usually an underlying cause to these symptoms that should be dealt with before the symptoms escalate.

The good news is that chiropractic care can help treat most types of muscle spasm and can also help in preventing muscle spasms from occurring in the first place. Regular chiropractic adjustments assess and focus on areas of the spine where there is joint dysfunction and muscle tightness. If you can catch the issue and get it treated before it evolves into full spasm, then you will save yourself a lot of pain and discomfort.

In addition to chiropractic care, massage therapy, supplementing with magnesium, increasing your intake of water and applying an ice/heat combo can all help with decreasing inflammation and preventing muscle spasms.

Seven Easy Tips for Long Flights

Sitting for prolonged periods of time while traveling on a long airplane flight can put extra stress on the spine and nervous system causing pain and discomfort. Here are a few tips to prevent and alleviate that discomfort on your next flight; whether it’s for a work trip or a vacation destination.

1.      Choose an Aisle Seat – This will allow you to get up easily during the flight to stand up and walk up and down the aisle to keep your blood flowing and muscles loose.

2.  Keep Moving-

Often sitting for long periods of time, whether it’s at work or in the air, will cause back and neck pain. To prevent this from occurring, get up multiple times throughout the flight to prevent fatigue and pain when you land!

3.      Stay Hydrated – Drink plenty of water before, during and after the flight to prevent muscle spasms and headaches.

4.      Pack Light – Prevent injury by avoiding lifting heavy bags at the airport or during your travels after the flight. Either avoid the heavy carry-on bags or ask for help when putting luggage in the overhead compartments.

5.      Bring Pillows – Bring a neck pillow along to support the neck during the flight and a small pillow to put behind your back to support the lower back. If you have shorter legs, it’s also advisable to have something thighs don’t lose circulation by pressing against the seat.

6.      Remove your shoes – Kick your shoes off to allow your body to be more comfortable during the flight.

7.      Get Adjusted – Before a flight, ensure that you get adjusted to allow your body to have optimal spinal positioning. After flying, get adjusted as your body has been stressed from long periods of sitting in an upright position and the neck tilting from one side to the other.

9 Tips for Those With Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction

Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD) is a condition that causes excessive movement of the pubic symphysis, either anterior or lateral, as well as associated pain, often due to a misalignment of the pelvis. Commonly associated with pregnancy and childbirth it is thought to affect up to 25% of pregnant mothers, some (7%) of sufferers continuing to experience serious symptoms postpartum. SPD is associated with pelvic girdle pain (PGP) and the names are often used interchangeably.

Typical treatment advice usually given to women includes avoiding strenuous exercise, prolonged standing, vacuum cleaning, stretching exercises and squatting. Nothing with the legs apart in an open stride or straddle type position.

Chiropractors experienced with treating SPD, pelvic pain and dysfunctions in the pelvis and spine will assess the instabilities and adjust the pelvis and spine accordingly. The sacroiliac joint is typically always involved and will need to be assessed as well. This will reduce the stress to the pelvic floor and alleviate the tension in the ligaments, nerves and musculature involved. Women are often placed in a trochanter belt or a pelvic lumbar pregnancy brace to stabilize the symphysis from shearing. Often the baby is in a malposition and after a specific chiropractic adjustment, the SPD pain is alleviated and the baby can move into a better, optimal position. The Webster technique can also be used to help this process.

Some home treatments that can also help include:

1.     Bracing the pelvic floor muscles before performing any activity which might cause pain

2.     Resting the pelvis and ice the involved area

3.     Using arnica to help with inflammation and pain

4.     Sitting down for tasks where possible (e.g. preparing food, ironing, dressing)

5.     Avoiding lifting and carrying items

6.     Avoiding any straddle movements especially when weight bearing.

7.     Bending the knees and keeping the legs 'glued together' when turning in bed and getting in and out of bed.

8.     Placing a pillow between the legs when in bed or resting

9.     Avoid twisting movements of the body.