Author - Dr. Anna Neff

DIZZINESS, FALLS AND POSTURAL INSTABILITY

As we age, we will be seeking healthcare services and interventions that will allow us to do so in an active and graceful manner.  Increasing or maintaining functional ability is the key goal for healthy aging.  Falls, secondary to balance disturbances, are a leading cause of fracture, loss in confidence and negative alteration of lifestyle in the elderly.  Therefore, any healthcare intervention that can help older adults overcome activity limitation due to chronic pain or other deficits (such as musculoskeletal conditions) should have a role in their healthcare.  Chiropractic is a key contributor to facilitate healthy, functional aging.
Clinical and research in falls, postural instability, balance and dizziness has enormous impact on the aging population.  The chief modifiable risk factors […]

Headaches, Chiropractic, and Prevention

Headaches affect most of us—in fact, 9 out of 10 adults! (with more younger patients showing up in chiropractic offices suffering with this condition, too!)
Some headaches can be occasional or frequent, dull or throbbing, or more like a debilitating pain with nausea and vomiting.  Triggers are those factors involved in bringing on a headache, such as the following:
• Foods: Caffeine, high sugar or salt content, red wine, cheese, chocolate, nuts, or cured meats.
• Environmental Stimuli: Noise, light, stress, or weather changes.
• Behaviours: Posture, insomnia, excessive exercise, blood sugar changes, dehydration, sinus problems.
Today, Canadians engage in more sedentary activities, and spend more hours in one fixed position (usually sitting). This increases joint irritation and muscle tension in the neck and […]

Text Neck is the new “epidemic”

Proper posture is an important part of every person’s health. Good posture helps to minimize abnormal stresses on your spine, while projecting confidence and adding inches to your stature! With poor posture comes increased stress in certain regions of your spine. Over time this increased stress can lead to stiffness, pain and permanent changes in your skeletal system. It is very difficult to reverse the changes once they occur, so everyone should always try to maintain good posture to reduce the negative stress on the skeletal system.
SLEEP:
We spend 1/3 of our life in a lying position. If our sleeping posture is poor, we may be causing unnecessary stress on our skeletal system. The recommended way to sleep to minimize […]

Your neck could weigh up to 42lbs on your spine!

It’s a hardly noticed posture: sitting at your computer jutting your head forward to look more closely at the screen, or dropping your head down to text on your phone. This seemingly harmless posture can cause compressions in the neck and lead to headaches, fatigue, irritation, poor concentration, and injury to the spinal vertebrae.
Because of the complexity of the neck, it’s no wonder that a Canadian study reported that 2/3 of patients experience some sort of neck pain in their lifetime, and the age demographic of these patients is getting younger!
Proper posture keeps the muscles supportive of your back and neck, and is able to hold the weight of your head—as much as 12 pounds. When your head juts […]