The Health and Wellness Blog

So you have found out that you are expecting, congratulations! Here’s to first words, first steps, and of course the growing pains that come along with the labour and delivery. The most common symptoms of pregnancy that women rank among the more displeasing are morning sickness (nausea and/or vomiting), fatigue (tiredness), and pain in the back, pelvis, and sciatic nerve distribution.   Because of the release of the hormone Relaxin (produced by both the ovaries and placenta during pregnancy), the ligaments of the pelvis relax and the cervix both widens and softens. This is to prepare your body for the symphysis pubis is the joint…

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What is the cracking sound that happens during an adjustment? –Dr. Tiffany Huggins, DC. Frequently my patients refer to their chiropractic adjustment as ‘cracking their spine’. I quickly remind them that we crack eggs, but we adjust the spine! They rebut with the simple question of why does that sound occur when we are adjusting the body using particular chiropractic techniques?     The sound occurs when an adjustment or spinal manipulation is performed using the diversified approach. The sound is called a Cavitation and it is the same noise that happens when you ‘crack your knuckles’. The dictionary definition…

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In today’s NFL all players, agents, Medical Directors, therapists, owners and management understand that in a high speed collision game injuries are just part of the package.They have come to understand that the chiropractic perspective is to treat the cause of the injury and not just the symptoms. That is why all NFL teams use chiropractic to care for their high priced athletes. They want them to function at their highest level and heal from injuries as quickly as possible. Chiropractors are not only trained in neuromusculoskeletal systems but can also give advice on athletic training, nutrition and injury prevention.…

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Why take vitamin D during the winter? Sunshine! Many patients ask what supplements they should be taking during the winter months to help ward off common bugs, the flu, and the winter blues. While every case is different, there are a few natural vitamins and minerals that apply to almost everyone. The first is Vitamin C. Known for its antioxidant properties, vitamin C can help boost the immune system and shorten the duration of the common cold. It also functions as a natural antihistamine which can help control allergies by reducing the histamine levels. Vitamin C…

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Spring is in the Air…or is it? Spring is in the Air! Well here March has finally arrived. I know from the news programmes that February past has been some of the coldest in history. Not one day made it to zero or above. I know that it was the top of consciousness and therefore the topic de jour for most of the month. In the past you always heard of the February Blahs. It is the fact that many people get down in the dumps during the shortest month. Did you know that it is…

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If you suffer from headaches with any regularity then the obvious answer to the above question is a resounding yes. Those that don’t get headaches really can’t understand what you are going through. Now it is a reality that there are several different types and causes of headaches. I think back a number of years ago to an Arnold Swartzenegger movie where he played a Kindergarten teacher. He complained of a headache and the precocious 5 year old suggested it could be a tumour. It’s not a tumour! Well in statistics the chance of having headaches from a brain tumour…

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One thing my Dad (And Chiropractor) always said when we were younger (and to this day) was that if you want to achieve your goals, you need to write them down, read them, re-read them, and take the necessary steps to make them happen. Last New Year’s Day, we all sat around the dinner table enjoying the first meal together of 2014 when we began sharing our resolutions for the upcoming year. It was here we vowed to work out more, eat less, and my brother and I decided we would complete a 10 and 5K run respectively. For those…

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Well you do not have to be a guitar aficionado to appreciate the beautiful sound of a well-tuned and crafted instrument.  Is that stunning sound a Martin, Gibson or Larivee? As a matter of fact it does not matter what instrument that you are partial to as long as the sound is the right pitch and resonance. Any instrument needs to be well tuned….otherwise a stairway to heaven could sound like the highway to hell. Now turn the tuning pegs of the guitar randomly in any direction and what does that fabulous guitar sound like?? Sour …. Out of sorts……

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With Labour Day weekend knocking on our door, we all know what that means…back to school! There are certain triggers in my mind that indicate the end of summer and one is the Ex. Although I don’t remember the last time I went to the Exhibition, it does sound the death of summer. It marks the return to that institution of education. Even though it has been many years since I went back to school, September still evokes a twinge of change and apprehension. With children returning to school today, there seems to be a plethora of supplies and gadgets…

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Oh I do remember those years quite vividly. My 20’s were essentially spent at University and then on to Chiropractic College. My three children are now in that demographic (Gen X, Echo Gen…Not sure) so I get to experience or should I say observe what their social milieu and the fabric of their interaction is all about. I suspect it is similar to what the boomers went through. What is he talking about?? Quite frankly prior to the arrival of children they are on a continuous fest. Socializing involves alcohol. Often these events occur more than one time per week.…

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If you have ever been to a Chiropractor, you have probably undergone the necessary paperwork followed by an in-depth chat with your doctor about your personal and family medical history and then a battery of testing including a neurological, orthopedic, and postural evaluation. At our office we then send out for any required specialized testing such as Radiographs (x-rays) so we can make sure we have all the pertinent information to give you the correct diagnosis. Once we have collected all test results, we present the patient with a Report of Findings where we will explain all of our findings, …

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Story of the Month—Bed Wetting There was an 8 year old boy, let’s call him Bradley, and Bradley was active in sports, loved model cars, and camping trips with his family. Bradley was a popular kid as he played on multiple sports teams and received many invites to birthdays and slumber parties. Bradley found himself making every excuse in the book to avoid overnight events as he suffered from nocturnal enuresis better known as bed wetting. He felt as though he was missing out and eventually his friends stopped asking him to come. His shame and embarrassment of a problem…

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Magic Cure for Back Pain? Dr. Tiffany Huggins Now I would hate for this blog to start with outrageous claims like we are magicians or have a ‘cure-all’ for every disease and condition that plagues the human population—but Chiropractic does  improve overall health and facilitate better healing and optimal wellness when adjusted at regular intervals. Did you know chiropractic can affect conditions beyond the traditional headaches, neck and back pain? Did you know it can BOOST your immune system? Here are 5 conditions that we can help that you may not have known possible! Allergies. You have heard those friends…

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