What's the best position to sleep in?

When lying down in bed:

• Find the mattress that is right for you. While a firm mattress is generally recommended, some people find that softer mattresses reduce their back pain. Your individual comfort should guide your choice.

• Choose the right pillow, too. Special pillows are available to help with postural problems resulting from poor sleeping positions. I prefer an organic latex contoured-shape pillow to support the neck.

• Avoid sleeping on your stomach.

• Sleep on your side or back, which is often helpful for back pain. If you sleep on your side, place a pillow between your legs. If you sleep on your back, keep a pillow under your knees.

Sweet dreams and I hope this helps!

What is good standing posture?

When standing:

• Bear your weight primarily on the balls of your feet.

• Keep your knees slightly bent.

• Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart.

• Let your arms hang naturally down the sides of the body.

• Stand straight and tall with your shoulders pulled down and backward.

• Tuck your stomach in.

• Keep your head level. Your earlobes should be in line with your shoulders. Do not push your head forward, backward, or to the side.

• Shift your weight from your toes to your heels, or one foot to the other, if you must stand for a long time.

Chiropractic care will promote good alignment allowing the body to hold better posture more naturally without having to think about it too much. If you start to see your posture decline, it’s probably time for a spinal tune up adjustment!

Condition of the Month: Headaches

Many headaches are caused by the top vertebra (C1 or atlas) out of alignment. This puts pressure on the nerves that control blood vessels that supply the brain, cranial nerves that go to eyes, ears, nose, throat, immune glands, and affect balance and blood pressure and the endocrine (or hormone) system. 

Assessing the posture gives us a picture of what's going on with the alignment, checking range of motion helps determine which segments are fixated or stuck and computerized nerve scans tell us which nerves are pinched or irritated. Whiplash injuries such as car accidents and ski/snowboard falls contribute to a loss of the natural curve of the neck putting further pressure on these delicate nerves.  

If you are suffering from headaches or migraines, or have had concussions and whiplashes in the past, make sure to get your neck assessed and adjusted! Many techniques can be utilized from manual osseous styles to gentle instrument adjusting.

What is good posture if I sit all day?

Ergonomic Considerations

How we hold and move our bodies every day, even while doing something as simple as sitting at a desk, can have an impact on our posture. Below are some general ergonomic tips to help reduce the chance of pain and injuries:

While sitting at a desk:

• Keep your feet on the floor or on a footrest, if they don’t reach the floor.

• Don’t cross your legs. Your ankles should be directly in front of your knees.

• Keep a small gap between the back of your knees and the front of your seat.

• Your knees should be at or below the level of your hips.

• Adjust the backrest of your chair to support your low- and mid-back or use a back support.

• Relax your shoulders and keep your forearms parallel to the ground.

• Avoid sitting in the same position for long periods of time. Take breaks and move your body.

An imbalanced body structurally can make attaining good posture very difficult, so don’t forget the importance of chiropractic to improve and maintain your alignment so you can sit at your desk with ease.

The Big Idea

A slip on the snowy sidewalk in winter is a small thing. It happens to millions.

A fall from a ladder in the summer is a small thing. It also happens to millions.

The slip or fall produces a subluxation. The subluxation is a small thing.

The subluxation produces pressure on a nerve. That pressure is a small thing.

That decreased flowing produces a dis-eased body and brain. That is a big thing to that man.

Multiply that sick man by a thousand, and you control the physical and mental welfare of a city.

Multiply that man by one hundred thirty million, and you forecast and can prophesy the physical and mental status of a nation.

So the slip or fall, the subluxation, pressure, flow of mental images and dis-ease are big enough to control the thoughts and actions of a nation.

Now comes a man. And one man is a small thing.

This man gives an adjustment. The adjustment is a small thing.

The adjustment replaces the subluxation. That is a small thing.

The adjusted subluxation releases pressure upon nerves. That is a small thing.

The released pressure restores health to a man. This is a big thing to that man.

Multiply that well man by a thousand, and you step up the physical and mental welfare of a city.

Multiply that well man by a million, and you increase the efficiency of a state.

Multiply that well man by a hundred thirty million, and you have produced a healthy, wealthy, and better race for posterity.

So, the adjustment of the subluxation to release pressure upon nerves, to restore mental impulse flow, to restore health, is big enough to rebuild the thoughts and actions of the world.

The idea that knows the cause, that can correct the cause of dis-ease, is one of the biggest ideas known. Without it, nations fall; with it, nations rise.

This idea is the biggest I know of.

B.J. Palmer, 1944

Ginger for Detoxification

Did you know that ginger is a natural detoxifier?

During this time of year we are stressing our immune systems from overworking during a busy Christmas season or overindulgences of sugar and alcohol due to many festivities.

Even cold weather and decreased vitamin D from lack of sunshine makes our immune systems have to work that much harder.

So let’s talk about the benefits of ginger.

Ginger is a root that has anti-viral properties which makes it a soothing and healthful natural medicine during winter months when colds and flus are at a high.

Ginger is also effective with nausea and used commonly as a digestive aid.

After the indulgences of the holidays, many people are thinking of easy ways to help detox the body.

Try cutting and boiling a 2" piece in water for 20 minutes or grating some in a cup of boiling water, add a spoon of honey to sweeten (optional) and enjoy!

It’s a great way to soothe and warm the body in the cold winter months.

Targeting Muscles to Improve your Posture

Many people see a chiropractor to help improve their posture. The biggest postural concern I see is shoulders rolled forward.

Targeting the muscles between the shoulder blades will strengthen the rhomboids to help keep the shoulders back improving posture.

In addition to strengthening the muscles in the back, it is also beneficial to stretch the muscles in the front! The pectoral (chest) muscles and the front of the shoulders (anterior deltoids) can become shortened and further roll the shoulders forward. Look up a doorway stretch to add to your stretching repertoire.

So, back to the Shoulder Blades…hold the first position as the shoulder blades squeeze together, and rest in the second position. Repeat several times.

Do this regularly with a monthly chiropractic adjustment for a winning combination for postural correction.

Let it Snow! 3 Winter Activities & how to Prevent Injury

I am ashamed to say I have not written a blog post for a year! Like everyone else, I am finding myself too busy and not taking the time. But, like anything that is important, we have to make time for it so here I go!

As I look outside, snow is gently and consistently falling in beautiful dancing flakes. It looks bright and festive, and is a relief to many after the torrential rains we have had. But with the snow, comes concerns with keeping you healthy and strong doing new winter activities.

• Shovelling snow

Any new activity is hard for the body when we are not used to the movement. Shovelling snow is a big one! Loading the body with the weight of snow while bending forward and often rotating to pile it are all of the worst positions to be in! The spine is stressed in flexion and weakest in rotation, so make sure you keep your core strong and contracted, make slow and deliberate movements, and limit tossing snow. Instead, push snow in smaller amounts and pile in front of you without lifting the shovel in the air to throw it. It may take a few minutes longer, but will be much easier on your back.

Also check out something like foundation training to improve core strength at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BOTvaRaDjI or be consistent with your own workout routine whether at the gym or at home to build strength and prevent injury.

• Walking/Getting Around in Winter Conditions

Be aware as snow falls and gets compacted on driveways and parking lots, it can become very icy! I have many patients every season who injure themselves after a slip and fall. Always wear shoes with good grip, walk on snowier surfaces instead of packed down areas that tend to be icier, and be extra cautious in parking lots especially getting in and out of your vehicle.

Balance is important to prevent injury so consider adding yoga to your routine. Yoga is great for not only balance, but improves flexibility and spinal strength. I like Boho Beautiful Yoga https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x39wJQ1BK-E (short sessions free on YouTube) or support a local studio in town.

• Skiing/Snowboarding/Winter Sports

With the mountain opening for the season in 1 week, we should have already been working on getting in shape for our winter activities (see my blog https://andrea-mulligan.squarespace.com/config/pages/58f6e742e4fcb54285fe5657 from January 13th 2020). But, it is never too late to start! In addition to the above links, exercise caution with your first few days on the mountain. Don’t overdue it, stop before you are too tired, take multiple breaks. Your body will get stronger as you do more, but be patient and gracious to your body’s abilities. And don’t be crazy…you have a whole season to get there. You don’t want an injury to put an end to your winter.

Email me with any questions or concerns and don’t forget that chiropractic plays a huge role in balance and strength.

Yours in health,

Andrea

Clarity on the Webster Technique in Pregnancy

With the intent of supporting natural childbirth in the mid 1980s, Larry Webster, D.C., developed a chiropractic adjustment now called the Webster technique. This adjustment improves pelvic balance. When the mother’s pelvis is out of alignment, the ligaments that connect from the pelvis to the uterus increase their tension (tone) resulting in an imbalance. The chiropractic adjustment affects this alignment and surrounding soft tissues. It is important to realize that many pregnant women are seeking ICPA doctors throughout their pregnancies to utilize the many additional benefits of the Webster technique and chiropractic in general. For every stage of pregnancy, this adjustment reduces interference to the nervous system, balancing the pelvic bones and muscles, and sets the stage for success.

Williams Obstetrics tells us there are three components of birth:

POWER: The nervous system (Power) operates in all body processes, including childbirth. For birth to proceed, the nervous system must facilitate the transmission of information through the body. Chiropractic care removes interferences and imbalances to the nervous system.

PASSAGE: For the baby to descend through the birth canal (Passage), the balance of the mother’s pelvis is vitally important. With chiropractic care, the muscles and ligaments of the pelvis are free to move and function for the benefit to the mother and the baby.

PASSENGER: The baby (Passenger) is part of this cooperative endeavor, where the mom and the baby play vitally connected roles.

The clarification is NOT that the Webster Technique turns breech babies, but that it promotes pelvic balance of the mom.

*This article appeared in Pathways to Family Wellness magazine in Winter 2018 & modified by Dr. Andrea Bologna

Are you Bored yet? 3 Things to do to Keep you Productive!

With self-isolation and drastic changes in many of our work and social schedules, we have been definitely spending more time at home. I have to admit, it has been nice to have the extra time to catch up on my chiropractic pediatric and pregnancy-related newsletters and articles, as well as more self-care like exercising and yoga. But, I don’t remember ever doing as much baking as I have in the last 2 weeks, so I suppose an increase in exercise is a must to combat the extra calories consumed!

With more time on our hands, there is the risk of boredom. I think teenagers feel this the most, but there are times when I have to keep myself motivated to keep being productive when it can be easy to sit around with my nose in a book or on my screen.

Here are some helpful hints to keep focussed and productive during this down time:

1. Write a short list of what you would like to accomplish for the day.

   Keep it simple and realistic, like:

   -do a load of laundry

   -read 1 chapter

   -tackle 5 emails

   -cook a big portion of 1 meal to freeze the extra

   -go for a walk around the block

   It is very satisfying to feel like you have accomplished tasks, even the most mundane ones. And this keeps you focussed, and less likely to watch cat videos on Facebook for an hour straight.

2. Learn something new

   There are some really good (and FREE) online course that I have done many times through websites like coursera.org or edx.org. There is no catch, no fee, just access to online courses through prestigious universities like Harvard and Berkeley and MIT. I have done courses on Astronomy, the psychology of happiness, mountain ecosystems, sharks, and the pyramids of Giza to name a few.

3. Keep a Routine

   I find it helpful to maintain a routine or schedule, even if we don’t really have to be anywhere at any time. I like to try to go to sleep at approximately the same time and wake up at around the same time, so it keeps me trained for when I return to work. This will avoid sleepy mornings when you stayed up too late and help keep that productivity up since you are not going to be fighting against a mixed up internal clock.

In the midst of this strange time, enjoy the little things and try to find something positive to be grateful for every day.

-Andrea