Chiropractic and Muscle Spasm

Chiropractic and Muscle Spasm

Remember that time you bent down to pick up a pencil/pen, and your back twisted out of place. Instant pain as muscles went into spasm. The pain can be so intense that you can barely move. 

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

The answer is that it isn’t what you did. It’s what you didn’t do. The everyday act of bending down to pick up an object did not cause this chain of events to occur. These overextended muscles were already strained. Due to repetitive movements during our everyday activities and habits like swinging a hammer, heavy lifting or poor posture from sitting in front of a computer all day. Can cause muscles to become strained, stiff and go into spasm. They go into spasm is to protect the joint involved from further harm.

Usually muscles have become strained over a period of time. Then all it takes is a sudden movement like reaching down for a pencil 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 it is due to fatigue, dehydration or an electrolyte deficiency. Spasms can last seconds to several minutes. If it is caused by a protective mechanism to avoid further nerve irritation. Pain and Spasms can last for days or even weeks depending on the amount of joint irritation or disc involvement. Warning signs consist of stiffness and tenderness. Patients have reported feeling the need to stretch or rub muscles regularly due to stiffness and tenderness. There is usually an underlying cause to these symptoms that should be dealt with before escalating.

The good news is that Chiropractic care can treat most types of cramping and muscle spasms. Chiropractic can also help in prevent Muscle spasms from occurring in the first place. Proper nerve innervation is essential for proper muscle function. Regular Chiropractic adjustments locate and correct areas of the spine where there is nerve dysfunction.

In addition to Chiropractic care try the following that will aid in the healing process.

-Massage therapy assist in alleviating pain.

-Increase your intake of magnesium, calcium and water.

-Apply an ice/heat combo that will help with inflammation and increase blood supply.

Dr. Elton Clemence D.C.

Dr. Elton Clemence practices at Family First Chiropractic located at 142 Erickson drive in Red Deer. Call us today to book an appointment (403)347-3261 or visit us at www.family1stchiro.ca

CranioSacral Therapy and Our Children

CranioSacral Therapy and Our Children

Now that the kids are back to school and we are getting back into a routine some of us need to think about our children’s health issues and how we can help them make the most out of their school year.  CranioSacral Therapy, like most other formal and complementary treatments is never successful in 100% of cases. 

However, the following gives some idea of the degree of success in certain situations:

·         Dr. John Upledger's research has found that 50 – 60% of hyperactive child problems originate in the CranioSacral system and can be treated successfully with CST.

·         Learning disabilities and dyslexia – again 50-60% of problems can be effectively treated with CST if the problem is caused by a malfunction of the CranioSacral system.

·         Autism. Three years of intensive research with autistic children in the late 1970’s revealed significant reduction in self-destructive behavior and improvement in displays of affection and social interaction. These improvements, however, usually deteriorated in 3-6 months after the CranioSacral Therapy treatment discontinued.

Jeannette Raskin practices at Family First Chiropractic, 142 Erickson Drive, Red Deer, Alberta.  403-347-3261. www.family1stchiro.ca.

Small Bursts of Exercise Can Make Kids Healthier

Small Bursts of Exercise Can Make Kids Healthier

Exercise is one of the pillars of good health. Your body was designed to move throughout the day and in many different directions. With well over 200 joints, your body can do amazing things. This can be an impressive display of balance and power with hardly any discernable effort. Unfortunately, while digital technology has improved efficiency in many aspects of your life, it has also encouraged less movement and more sitting/ sedentary lifestyle.

Many people sit between seven and 15 hours each day. Excessive sitting increases your risk of metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Adults and children are facing these same challenges. The rising number of children suffering from obesity increases health risks and costs as the children grow to adulthood. In 2012, more than one-third of all children and adolescents were either obese or overweight.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), this number more than tripled from 1971 to 2011. This has lead to 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, lack of quality sleep and insufficient exercise.

Getting kids to exercise has become difficult over the past 20 years. What used to be common daily activity for children with their friends has turned into a chore. The effects of this difference in daily activities is showing up in 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 called the high-intensity interval training (HIIT).  They describe a more kid-friendly Fun Fast Activity Blast (FFAB).

The study evaluated 101 adolescents, measuring triglyceride levels, waist circumference, non-fasting blood glucose, c-reactive proteins, resting blood pressure, 20-meter shuttle run test and carotid artery intima media thickness.

The control group continued their normal activities, while the experimental group participated in three 20-minute high intensity exercise sessions per week for 10 weeks, involving an exercise of their choice from basketball, dance, boxing and soccer drills.

The results demonstrated benefits in both lower triglyceride levels and reduced waist circumference measurements. Researchers also found an unexpected advantage in the experimental group. These students increased the amount of physical activity by 16 minutes each day over the control group.

The increased activity during non-exercise hours suggested to researchers that increasing structured exercise may carry over to increased activity during unmonitored hours. The goal of the researchers in this study was to find an approach to exercise that was sustainable, practical and engaging for students.

Finding exercises your children enjoy may be one key to unlocking a desire to move throughout the day and enjoy the benefits that follow. Unfortunately, reduced time in physical education and recess time at school, combined with most school system's reticence to using stand up desks, significantly adds to the problem.

There isn't time to wait for your school system to change to impact the health of your children. Especially if your children are not getting copious amounts of physical activity at school, it's important to encourage them to be active in the hours they aren't in school and on weekends. Competitive school team sports are just one way of increasing movement and exercise. Consider joining your children after school for a quick 20-minute HIIT workout using an exercise tape, interval walking, biking, basketball, dance or any number of other activities. Children are more likely to do what you do and not what you say.

FFAB is a proven method of improving cardiovascular fitness. It's also important to incorporate muscle strength training.

Once done with your HIIT exercises with your children, spend a few minutes cooling down and stretching to reduce the potential for tight muscles. Flexibility is key to both strength and reducing the potential for injury. Just five minutes is all it takes. Consider yoga, martial arts or dance a couple times a week to increase flexibility and activity.

Your health is a complex combination of external forces such as nutrition, sleep, exercise and exposure to toxins, and internal forces such as motivation, hormones, enzymes, vitamins and neurological connections. Your internal forces are affected by external forces acting on your body.

Essentially, this means you become what you do each day. The more you move, the easier it becomes to move, and vice versa. Eating junk food, plastered in front of a computer screen and sleep deprived, it's difficult to scrape together enough energy to get up and get moving.

With better food choices and sufficient sleep, you and your children may likely experience better health, more energy, greater motivation to move and exercise and a better mood.

The more physically active your child is, the better they do in school.

Improved cognition may happen as a result of increased blood and oxygen flow to your brain, increased levels of norepinephrine and endorphins with a reduction of stress and an improvement of mood or an increase in growth factor that may help to create new nerve cells and support synaptic plasticity.

Chiropractic is great for kids to get them moving and keep them playing the activities they love. Consider bringing your children in for an examination and treatment to get their spine/ extremities moving optimally. This will ensure proper function and your children feeling great.

Dr. Stephen Kelly D.C.

Dr. Kelly practices at Family First Chiropractic located at 142 Erickson drive in Red Deer. Call us today to book an appointment (403)347-3261 or visit us at www.family1stchiro.ca

How does CranioSacral Therapy work?

How does CranioSacral Therapy work?

CranioSacral Therapy works by helping the body’s natural healing mechanisms dissipate the negative effects of stress on the central nervous system. This is accomplished by utilizing a physiological body system called the craniosacral system.  The craniosacral system consists of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord, extending from the cranium (head) down to the tailbone area (or sacrum). The role of this system in the development and performance of the brain and spinal cord is so vital that an imbalance or dysfunction in it can cause sensory, motor and/or neurological disabilities. For example, if the bite (or jaw) is out of balance, the whole head is out of balance, and often the whole body.
How can something so gentle be so powerful?

The craniosacral system has a rhythm that can be felt throughout the body, just like the pulse. By using a very light touch to monitor this rhythm from head to feet the therapist can pinpoint the source of an obstruction or stress. Then they can encourage the natural movement of the fluid and soft tissues to help the body self-correct. This simple action is often all it takes to remove a restriction. Sometimes, like peeling layers of an onion, once some restrictions have released and balanced, others may show themselves and need attention.

Who is CranioSacral Therapy for?

People may come for CranioSacral Therapy because they have acute physical problems like headaches or bad backs, or long-standing problems both physical and emotional. Others come for ongoing support in their busy lives and for help to meet life’s challenges.

Because it is so gentle and non-invasive, CranioSacral Therapy is suitable for everyone from newborns to the elderly. Mothers and babies often come for problems associated with difficult or traumatic births. Letting go of tension and fear held in the body enables both to settle into calmness.

CranioSacral Therapy supports your body’s innate ability to balance, restore and heal itself, as well as helping to reduce stress and build your underlying energy. The practitioner senses tensions in the body and helps them to release in a supported and comfortable way. During or after a session you may feel calm and energized, with increased clarity of mind and a feeling of well being.

Jeannette Raskin practices at Family First Chiropractic, 142 Erickson Drive, Red Deer, Alberta.  403-347-3261. www.family1stchiro.ca.