BACKPACKS: Pack it light and wear it right!

School kids today not only have a lot on their minds, statistics show that they are also carrying a heavy load on their backs. 

A recent poll indicates that 76 per cent of Ontario Chiropractors agree that overloaded backpacks are a leading cause of back and neck pain in many of their school aged patients. 

The long-term implications of carrying a heavy backpack are poor posture,  neck and arm pain as well as irritation of the spine, joints and muscles. 

To avoid problems, start by choosing the right backpack.  Make sure the backpack is made of lightweight material, has two wide, adjustable shoulder straps that do not cut into the arm, contains a waist belt, several individual pockets, a padded back and is proportionate to the child’s body size.

The load in a backpack should not exceed 10 percent of the child’s body weight for elementary aged school children and 15 percent for those in secondary school. And the contents should be evenly distributed with heavy items packed closely to the body. 

When putting the backpack on, a child should place the backpack on a table or chair, bend at the knees and lift with the legs while putting on one shoulder strap at a time. Before your child walks out the door remind him or her not to wear the bag on one shoulder and to adjust the straps so the bag fits comfortably close to the body. 

Having your child checked by a Chiropractor may be your first step  in adding a preventative approach to your family’s healthcare.

Free Community Outreach Dinner: Managing Stress to Save Your Life!

Do you Suffer from Stress?

Do you get headaches, tightness in you back and neck or trouble breathing because of stress?

If so, you need to consider attending this event.

We all have stress in our lives and any lessons and strategies we can learn in order to manage our stress more effectively will only enhance our lives.

On Thursday July 29th, 2010, The Family Chiropractic Centre is hosting a free community outreach dinner to help teach how to Manage Stress to Save Your Life.

This dinner will be held at the Holiday Inn on Scottsdale Drive in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. 

Seating begins at 6:30 pm with Dinner at 7:00 pm.

There is only an investment of your time for current patients (and current patients can bring up to 5 guests for Free)

To attend, please sign up by calling The Family Chiropractic Centre (9-987 Gordon Street, Guelph, Ontario) at 519-837-1234 or email @ familychiropractic@rogers.com before July 27th.

If you are not a current patient and would also like to attend I would suggest that you give them a call anyways.

But sign up as soon as possible, because seating is limited.

Why suffer from Sciatica?

Hi, I’m Dr. Brent Lipke .

Your sciatic nerve is the longest and largest nerve in your body.  It begins in your lower back as five smaller nerves and extends down the back of your leg to your toes.  And, if you have burning pain, numbness or tingling down your leg, often aggravated by sitting or changes in position, you may have damaged the sciatic nerve causing a condition known as sciatica. 

Historically, drugs, surgery or physical therapy have been used to treat the pain of sciatica but often bring little or no relief.   

Research has shown Chiropractic to give long term results, because it corrects the cause of the sciatica by re-aligning the vertebrae and thereby removing the bony pressure on the sciatic nerve.

 To learn more about how a safe, gentle and scientific, Chiropractic adjustment could TRANSFORM your health contact your chiropractor.  If you are interested in a complimentary consultation, CALL  The Family Chiropractic Centre, 519-837-1234, or visit us online at http://www.guelphchiropractors.com .

I’m Dr. Brent Lipke, educating you to help you educate others !

How to reduce allergy frustrations

 by Dr. Brent Lipke DC

With the decrease in air quality that comes with warmer weather many of us begin to experience the agony of dealing with allergies.

The sneezing and watery eyes occur when the immune system OVERreacts to an allergin, things like dust or  pollen, and produces too many neutralizing chemicals, called histamines, to counteract it.  Drugs called anti-histamines are often given, but long-term use may cause blood pressure or heart problems.

Chiropractic focuses on balancing the nerve system which CONTROLS the immune system, allowing it to function normally which handles the CAUSE of the allergic reaction.

To learn more about how a safe, gentle and scientific, Chiropractic adjustment could TRANSFORM your health contact your chiropractor.  If you are interested in a complimentary consultation, CALL me at The Family Chiropractic Centre, 519-837-1234. 

I’m Dr. Brent Lipke, educating you to help you educate others !

How Chiropractic Care can help with ADHD

Discover the High Performing Athletes Secret Weapon

 By Dr. Brent Lipke DC

Did you know that over 80% of Olympic athletes competing at the  Olympics receive chiropractic care before they compete.

Many amateur and professional athletes wouldn’t dream of competing without first getting a chiropractic checkup including; Joe Montana, Evander Holyfield, Jose Canseco, Dan O’Brien, Arnold Schwartzenegger, and Tiger Woods.

These athletes have discovered the Chiropractic secret.  Research has shown that athletes under chiropractic care react 30% faster, are more coordinated, execute fine movements better and have improved accuracy and precision.

All this occurs because the nerve system in these athletes is kept free of stress and any injuries are corrected early before they can develop into a major problem in the future.

To learn more about how a safe, gentle and scientific, Chiropractic adjustment could TRANSFORM your health contact your chiropractor. 

If you are interested in a complimentary consultation, CALL  The Family Chiropractic Centre, 519-837-1234. 

I’m Dr. Brent Lipke, educating you to help you educate others !

Suffer from TMJ? Chiropractic Care can help

By  Dr. Brent Lipke DC

 If you place your fingers in front of each ear and open your mouth you can feel movement in your jaw joint.  This is where your skull’s temporal bone attaches to your mandible or jaw bone, called the temporomandibular joint or TMJ.

When this joint is misaligned it is called TMJ syndrome.  Symptoms include an inability to fully open the mouth, clicking or popping when eating or talking and sometimes the jaw may even temporarily lock up. 

Causes include gum chewing, trauma to the head/jaw or neck, and dental work where the mouth is open for a prolonged period.

Chiropractic focuses on correcting the cause of the TMJ dysfunction by gently re-aligning the jaw itself using low-force techniques.

To learn more about how a safe, gentle and scientific, Chiropractic adjustment could TRANSFORM your health contact your chiropractor.  If you are interested in a complimentary consultation, CALL The Family Chiropractic Centre, 519-837-1234 or check out our website @ http://www.guelphchiropractors.com

I’m Dr. Brent Lipke, educating you to help you educate others!

Is it safe to visit your Chiropractor?

Have you ever wondered if going to to chiropractor was safe or not?  Perhaps fear is stopping you from getting the chiropractic care you need.  Well here are the facts.

Chiropractic is the largest non-drug healing profession in the world today.  Nothing is put into your body and nothing is taken out, so the risk of a side effect is minimal.  In fact the New Zealand Commission of Inquiry concluded Chiropractic as a whole to be “remarkable safe”. 

Special LOW-FORCE techniques can be requested and are often used; for infants after difficult births, for children after slips or falls, for seniors, or people who are in severe pain and cannot tolerate a conventional adjustment.

To learn more about how a safe, gentle and scientific, Chiropractic adjustment could TRANSFORM your health contact your chiropractor.  If you are interested in a complimentary consultation, CALL  The Family Chiropractic Centre, 519-837-1234. 

I’m Dr. Brent Lipke, educating you to help you educate others !

How to keep from Shrinking as you Age

by Dr. Brent Lipke DC

Your spinal bones begin to deform, your discs swell then shrink, your ligaments, tendons and muscles harden and weaken. What is happening?  Your spine is degenerating!

Spinal degeneration, like tooth decay is often a painless process.

Along with spinal damage, your nerves, and internal organs can also be affected.  You have less ability to deal with the stresses of life, you lose energy, and you may even lose height.

Spinal stress often causes the spinal bones to misalign, irritating the surrounding nerves, bones, discs and ligaments causing them to degenerate prematurely.

The earlier it is identified, the greater the chance that Chiropractic can reduce, halt or even reverse spinal degeneration by improving spinal function and posture.

To learn more about how a safe, gentle and scientific, Chiropractic adjustment could TRANSFORM your health contact your chiropractor.  If you are interested in a complimentary consultation, CALL me at The Family Chiropractic Centre, 519-837-1234. 

I’m Dr. Brent Lipke, educating you to help you educate others !

Trouble Sleeping? Tips for getting a better night’s sleep

By Dr. Dan Vitale DC

Tired, low energy, achy? It could be you aren’t getting enough sleep.

Work, finances, poor health, household responsibilities, relationship issues and child care can all affect sleep.

If your having trouble sleeping, change your sleeping habits for a better night’s sleep.

You may not be able to control or eliminate all of the factors that interfere with your sleep, but you can create an environment and adopt habits that encourage a more restful night.

Try these suggestions if you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep:

• Go to bed and get up about the same time every day, even on weekends. Sticking to a schedule helps reinforce your body’s sleep-wake cycle.
• Don’t eat or drink large amounts before bedtime.
• Avoid nicotine, caffeine and alcohol in the evening.
• Exercise daily, especially aerobic exercise. It can make you fall asleep quicker and make you sleep more restful.
• Don’t exercise within 3 hours of your planned bedtime.
• Make your bedroom cool, dark, quiet and comfortable.
• Sleep primarily at night.
• Choose a comfortable mattress and pillow (review this with your Chiropractor as he/she can help you individually depending on your sleep position).
• Avoid stomach sleeping: a poor sleep position can negatively affect your muscles, ligaments and joints over time.
• Use the bed to sleep. Avoid reading, eating, watching television, playing games or using computers in bed.
• Start a relaxing bedtime routine; examples include warm bath/shower, reading a book, meditation, or listening to soothing music with dim lights.
• Limit your time awake in bed. If you are not able to fall asleep, do not stay in bed. Try a relaxing bedtime routine.
• Go to bed when you are tired and turn off the lights.

Getting a great night’s sleep is one of the most important factors in setting a healthy environment to allow our bodies to function, heal and recreate optimally.

Other factors that you should focus on include a healthy diet, daily physical activity, stress-coping technques and decreasing nerve stress through a regular chiropractic adjustment.

To learn more about how a safe, gentle and scientific, Chiropractic adjustment could TRANSFORM your health contact your chiropractor.  If you are interested in a complimentary consultation, CALL  The Family Chiropractic Centre, 519-837-1234. 

I’m Dr. Dan Vitale, educating you to help you educate others !