Holiday stress can carry over well into the new year.

Are you overwhelmed by stress?   Got the Holiday Hangover from the recent holiday season?

Well, you’re not alone. Studies show over 54% of people are concerned with the amount of stress in their daily life. Many of us carry this stress in our shoulders and neck. Muscle tension in our shoulders can contribute to headaches, neck and back pain.  Chronic stress can lower your energy levels resulting in irritability, illness, and even depression. But, there is good news! A few simple changes to your daily routine can help you dramatically decrease your stress level, boost your energy, and ultimately live a healthier and happier life. Keep reading to learn how.

Why it Matters

One of the best ways you can increase your energy levels and reduce stress is with motion! Our bodies are built to move. Improving spinal motion, or segmental motion is one the ways that chiropractic adjustments help you move and feel better. Research has shown that chiropractic adjustments can significantly reduce muscle tension in the shoulders, helping reduce pain, improve range of motion, and decrease stress!

“…cervical muscle tension was significantly reduced bilaterally after (an adjustment).”

“…we observed metabolic changes in the brain and skeletal muscles, as well as reductions in subjective pain, muscle tension… (after a chiropractic adjustment)”

Next Steps: If you know someone who gets sick around the holidays it is likely due to stress. Show them you care and share this research with them. These simple tips for reducing stress will help them have a happier and healthier holiday season!

Science Source:

Glucose Metabolic Changes in the Brain and Muscles of Patients with Nonspecific Neck Pain Treated by Spinal Manipulation Therapy

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Volume 2017. Article ID 4345703

Central Motor Excitability Changes After Spinal Manipulation: A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study

Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. Volume 25. Number 1. January 2002

Stress in America Survey. American Psychological Association. 2010

Dr. Craig Hazel’s mission is to help families THRIVE. After graduating from Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education, he went on to earn a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and a Bachelor of Science in Anatomy from Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas Texas. He is passionate about seeing children and families in his private practice at Synergy Chiropractic in Kanata Ontario. A sought after speaker, he has been featured regularly on TSN Team 1200, CTV and Rogers TV. He is also the Chairman of the Alliance for Chiropractic of Ontario.

The best way to feel more energized? Stay active! Top research journals have shown that moderate exercise can increase your energy. A simple 10-15 minute walk can get your blood pumping and increase the oxygen coming into your body, helping you feel more energized and maybe even helping you shed a few extra pounds.

Why it Matters:

Moderate exercise can help you feel energized by releasing endorphins,

New Year = a fresh re-start

which make you feel happier, while contributing to a better quality of sleep. Additionally, exercise helps train the heart to work more efficiently. Ultimately, your immune system will also function better with consistent exercise. In other words, exercise can not only help you feel more energized, but it can reduce your likelihood of getting sick. And combining a moderate exercise routine with chiropractic care may be one of the best ways to stay healthy and energized all year long.

▪    Exercise releases endorphins which make us feel more energized and happier

▪    A simple 10-15 minute walk per day can improve your energy level by over 20%

▪    Regular exercise can help you sleep better and reduce your risk of getting sick

Don’t feel like exercising?  You choose your pain.  It’s either the pain of feeling terrible and living in so-so or poor health or the pain of getting up and exercising.  The former results in more pain.  The latter allows you the joy of experiencing something great later.  Have you ever had a great workout and been miserable afterwards?  Then let’s get moving and choose the ‘pain’ of exercising shall we?

And another thing – stop feeling like it is an “ALL OR NOTHING” thing!  Many people get caught up in the notion that you have to ‘kill yourself’ in order to get a great workout; or if you usually do 60mins and you only have 30 mins then it’s not worth doing.

Nonsense.

All exercise helps your body.  Even if you have 10mins, you can get a great 10 mins of activity and feel great afterwards.  Who doesn’t have 10 mins?

Next Steps:

Start with a simple calendar. Schedule at least three days per week that you can take a 10-15 minute walk. By putting the activity on your schedule, it’s more likely that you will follow through. Also, ask us about how chiropractic care may be able to keep you pain-free and on track with your exercise goals. We want to partner with you to make this year your healthiest and happiest year ever!

Comment below – what are you committing to doing?

Science Source:

Sports Med. Endorphins and exercise. 1984

Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. February 2008

Dr. Craig Hazel’s mission is to help families THRIVE. After graduating from Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education, he went on to earn a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and a Bachelor of Science in Anatomy from Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas Texas. He is passionate about seeing children and families in his private practice at Synergy Chiropractic in Kanata Ontario. A sought after speaker, he has been featured regularly on TSN Team 1200, CTV and Rogers TV. He is also the Chairman of the Alliance for Chiropractic of Ontario.

New research has shown that not only can a good night’s sleep keep you mentally sharp, but it can also help you stay healthy by strengthening your immune system. For years health practitioners have believed that sleep supports the healing process, and now new evidence has been discovered that indicates sleep also plays a role in regulating your immune function. Your immune system is the complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that protect your body from disease, so keeping that system functioning at its highest level is very important to your overall health and wellness.

While you’re asleep, your central nervous system is in constant communication with your immune system. Many immune system functions operate on a 24 hour cycle, just like your sleep schedule. In fact, your T-cells (you immune system’s “Navy Seals”), which are some of the most important immune cells, are very, very active while you’re asleep. Everyone may not require the same amount of sleep, but the research is clear: getting a good night’s sleep will help bolster your immune system.

– Your body uses sleep as its time to rest and recover.
– Sleep patterns are tightly linked to your immune function.
– Chronic sleep issues promote inflammation and pain.

Sleeping well has been proven to be an essential part of staying healthy. Sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, can make it extremely difficult to get a good night’s sleep and leave you feeling tired and sleepy all day. If you have experienced difficulty sleeping, let us know. We have an upcoming workshop where we’ll be discussing not only the causes of many of these issues, but also the action steps you can take to FINALLY get a great night of sleep!

Sleep Disturbances

Neck and back pain are the most common reasons people experience sleep disturbances. Patients talk about sleeping on the floor, or sleeping in a lazy boy, or even sleeping bent over their bed attempting to get into a position that helps them get those few precious moments of rest and relief. Talk about a pain! All you want is the ability to get some rest, yet every position seems to make things feel worse. Well, don’t worry – you’re in the right place to get back on track!

Your body needs rest to heal. If you are in pain, it can be challenging to find a comfortable position to rest. As Chiropractors, we understand this better than anyone. Chiropractic care has been shown to increase your spinal range of motion, decrease inflammation, and even reduce the pressure on the delicate nerves exiting your spinal column – all of which will make it much easier to find a comfortable sleep position.

– Finding a comfortable position to sleep when you’re in pain can be difficult.
– Adjustments reduce the stress on your spine, helping you more easily find a comfortable position to sleep.
– Sleep is essential to healing because your body is better able to accelerate the healing process when properly rested.

If stress has kept you up at night, you’re not alone. However, you can rest easy knowing you’re in the right place! Chiropractic adjustments can help reduce the stress in the muscles supporting your head and neck, allowing you to experience a more comfortable – and more restful – night of sleep.

Join us October 30th at 6:15pm for our “Sleep Better Tonight” Workshop!

Science Source:

Sleep and immune function. European Journal of Physiology. 2012

Neurophysiologic effects of spinal manipulation in patients with chronic low back pain. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2011

Dr. Craig Hazel’s mission is to help families THRIVE. After graduating from Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education, he went on to earn a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and a Bachelor of Science in Anatomy from Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas Texas. He is passionate about seeing children and families in his private practice at Synergy Chiropractic in Kanata Ontario. A sought after speaker, he has been featured regularly on TSN Team 1200, CTV and Rogers TV. He is also the Chairman of the Alliance for Chiropractic of Ontario.

Have you ever had a “dead arm”?

It’s an uncomfortable combination of pain and numbness from sitting or sleeping in an awkward position that thankfully goes away after a few minutes. If you have cervical radiculopathy, that same feeling of pain, numbness, and weakness in your arm isn’t likely to go away on its own. Intense pain, numbness, or weakness in your arm and shoulder is commonly caused by a neck injury.

If a disc, bone or ligament irritates or compresses a nerve root in your neck, it can create symptoms in your arm and shoulder. The nerves that exit the spine in your neck are responsible for the sensation and strength in your arm, and when those nerves become aggravated, it can result in pain.

Why it Matters:

Cervical radiculopathy is often misdiagnosed. It would seem as though the pain in your arm would be an “arm problem,” not a neck problem. Arthritic and degenerative changes slowly change the structure of your spine. Add in any sports injuries, poor posture, and the effects of gravity, and you quickly create a situation where your biomechanics, or how you move, is less than ideal. Over time this can result in destructive changes to the bone, disc, and ligament which in turn irritate the nearby nerves.

Fortunately, exciting new research has showcased that Chiropractic care may be one of the safest and most effective conservative care options to help you recover from cervical radiculopathy.

– The nerves in your neck travel down your arm and hand to provide strength and sensation.

– Arm and hand pain or weakness can originate from the nerves coming from your neck.

– Research has shown Chiropractic care can provide more relief than many commonly prescribed medications and injections.

Next Steps:

Be sure to attend our next workshop on June 26th at 6:15pm which will help give you practical tips to avoid neck and arm pain. The care we provide is specifically designed to help you find lasting relief and regain your quality of life, and in this complimentary workshop, you will discover all the natural ways cervical radiculopathy can be prevented and treated.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Science Source:

Spine Manipulation Post-Epidural Injection for Lumbar and Cervical Radiculopathy: A Retrospective Case Series. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. September 2004 Chiropractic Treatment of Cervical Radiculopathy Caused by a Herniated Cervical Disc. JMPT 1994

Dr. Craig Hazel’s mission is to help families THRIVE. After graduating from Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education, he went on to earn a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and a Bachelor of Science in Anatomy from Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas Texas. He is passionate about seeing children and families in his private practice at Synergy Chiropractic in Kanata Ontario. A sought after speaker, he has been featured regularly on TSN Team 1200, CTV and Rogers TV. He is also the Chairman of the Alliance for Chiropractic of Ontario.