Do you know what pillow to use?

Are you sleeping on the right pillow?

   Many people ask us what pillows we recommend every day. There are many types out there from cheap to expensive. We mainly recommend a cervical pillow( the ones with the scoop and dip in them).  There are also many different materials used in the making of pillows, microfibres, foam and feathers to name a few. The biggest thing I tell my patients is that  we are all built differently, a women 140 lbs 5 foot 5 does not need the same pillow as a 230 pound 6 foot man.
    When sleeping the best position is on your back or the next best postion is on your side.The side lying pillow should be the depth of your ear to the tip of you shoulder when your neck is in a normal position (head not tilted).  When on your back your neck should be in the normal curve comfortably. You neck/chin should not be flexed forward as most people have too large of pillows thus reducing the normal neck curve and shortening the front neck muscles, overstretching the back neck muscles causing headaches, 'sleeping wrong' and 'neck pinches'.
Cervical Pillows can help to induce a proper cervical curve when used with back sleeping, thus reducing neck pain and headaches.
I usually recommend a normal foam cervical pillow for men, and the petite ones for women and teens as these are proportional to their size.
 Please don't forget your childrens spine!
Children also need proper neck support when sleeping, our 8 year old does not need the same size pillow as their parents. I like to  recommend a pillow that gently supports and is again smaller and proportional th their size. Theses ones are made of a memory foam to help induce the proper curve. Children 2-5 need and even smaller pillow that also gently supports the neck as they grow and develope the spinal musculature.At the clinic we carry all types of pillows for different body shapes and sizes.
Written By Dr. Joelle Johnson B.Sc.,D.C.
 We are located at Family First Chiropractic and Wellnes, 142 Erickson Drive, Red Deer, T4R 2X3
403-347-3261
www.family1stchiro.ca

How massage aids muscle healing

Works like anti-inflammatory pills CBC News

Posted: Feb 1, 2012 2:14 PM ET 

Massage helps relieve pain in damaged muscles by sending anti-inflammation messages to muscle cells, Canadian researchers have found.
Athletes have long sought massages to relieve pain and promote recovery. Despite reports that long-term massage therapy reduces chronic pain such as back pain, the biological effects of massage on muscles weren't known.
Now scientists at McMaster University in Hamilton have found evidence at the cellular level that massage blunts muscle pain in a similar way to anti-inflammatory pills.
The study in Wednesday's issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine examined the effects of massage therapy versus no treatment on the quadricep muscles of 11 young men who were recreationally active.
Scientists studied samples from the men before they exercised to the point of exhaustion, just after and then 2½ hours afterwards.
Massage could also help the elderly, those suffering from musculoskeletal injuries and people with chronic inflammatory disease, although that idea still needs to be tested, cautioned the study's lead author, Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky of the pediatrics department at McMaster.
The study does offer evidence that massage is a safe and viable option to use in medical practice, he said.
"We know that exercise is a panacea of goodness," Tarnopolsky said in an interview. "Massage might enhance some of the favourable benefits that we get from exercise."
When the researchers analyzed the muscle tissue samples for tears and signs of damage in the cells, they found massage seemed to blunt muscle pain using the same route that anti-inflammatory pain relievers do.
When the researchers analyzed the muscle tissue samples for tears and signs of damage in the cells, they found massage seemed to blunt muscle pain using the same route that anti-inflammatory pain relievers do.
What's more, Tarnopolsky said, the anti-inflammatory signals released by massage also improved the ability of muscle cells to make new mitochondria — the furnaces that convert food into energy.
That could explain how massage seems to speed up recovery in athletes with injured muscles, the study's authors said.
Tarnopolsky, who normally treats muscular dystrophy and mitochondrial disorders, became interested in investigating massage after he tore all of his hamstring muscles while waterskiing. He received massage therapy as part of his physiotherapy following surgery.
The analysis also suggested that one commonly held idea about massage isn't true: the researchers found no evidence that massage helped clear lactic acid from tired muscles.
None of the researchers knew which leg was massaged except the massage therapist and the leg that was massaged was randomly selected — two experimental steps that add validity to the findings.
The convenience factor of pills, the expense of massages and whether they are covered by provincial health plans are deterrents to greater use of the therapy, Tarnopolsky acknowledged.
"Definitely, [massage] is tiring the muscles out so they can relax and recover," said Jaqueline Gradish, a personal trainer in Toronto who lifts at least 1,000 pounds a day with her clients.
The study was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Warren Lammert and family.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2012/02/01/massage-muscle-repair.html

Fun CST facts-CranioSacral therapy

• CranioSacral Therapy can help heal chronic injuries, including head and neck pain.
• CranioSacral Therapy can relieve migraines and help find and release the cause of them.
• CranioSacral Therapy can assist the body when healing from dental work and help tmj syndrome in a non-invasive and gentle way.

Jeannette Raskin CST, RMT

practices at Family First Chiropractic and Wellness, call 403-347-3261 to book an appointment with her today. 142 Erickson drive, Red Deer, Alberta
www.family1stchiro.ca

Statin Drugs: The JUPITER Trial

Statin Drugs: The JUPITER Trial

The widely reported results of the JUPITER trial¹ is what brought "statins for all" to the mainstream consciousness. The question is, how many who reported on or adhere to the suggestions based on JUPITER have actually read the study? I suspect very few.Two papers subsequent to JUPITER challenged the notion that statins should be used as a preventive strategy. de Lorgeril, et al., concluded that "the results of the trial do not support the use of statin treatment for primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases and raise troubling questions concerning the role of commercial sponsors." And Ray, et al., concluded: "[B]ased on aggregate data on 65,229 men and women from 11 studies, yielding approximately 244,000 person-years of follow-up and 2793 deaths, we observed that statin therapy for an average period of 3.7 years had no benefit on all-cause mortality in a high-risk primary prevention population. Current prevention guidelines endorse statin therapy for subjects at high global risk of incident CVD as a means to reduce fatal and nonfatal vascular event. Due consideration is needed in applying statin therapy in lower-risk primary prevention populations."Not surprisingly, the primary author of the JUPITER study chimed in on this. In a Time magazine article⁴ about the obvious contradictory conclusions regarding JUPITER, Dr. Ridker stated:"I agree with the Ray, et al., bottom line, which is what we have always said over and over: the first things to do to prevent heart disease is to eat a proper diet, exercise regularly and stop smoking. But what [JUPITER] clearly shows is that even among people who are thin, who exercise, have low cholesterol and don't smoke, the risk is high if you have elevated levels of CRP. And being on a statin can lower your risk of having a heart event by half."According to Dr. Ridker's statement, JUPITER subjects were thin? Really? The median BMI was 28 and the interquartile range was 25.3-32. I am 6'2" and weigh 170 lbs, which means my BMI is 21.8, which is thin according to the real-world view of thin. However, in order to be thin, according Ridker, I would have to gain 50 lbs of fat.Also according to Dr. Ridker, being on a statin will cut one's risk of having a heart event by 50 percent. Really? There were 8,901 subjects, ranging in age from 60-71 years in the treatment and placebo groups. They were followed for a median of 1.9 years for the occurrence of the combined primary end point of myocardial infarction, stroke, arterial revascularization, hospitalization for unstable angina, or death from cardiovascular causes. In the statin group, there were 141 major cardiovascular events versus 251 in the placebo group.¹ Table 1 demonstrates what happens if you look at the math percentages in the fashion most people understand. If one took a statin, they had a 98.4 percent chance of not having a cardiovascular event, versus a 97.2 percent chance of not having an event when taking the placebo. Perhaps this is why Ray, et al., and de Lorgeril, et al., stated that the JUPITER results do not support the use of statins for preventing cardiovascular disease? There is only a 1 percent difference in cardiovascular events if normal, everyday math is applied. Is a 1 percent reduction in a cardiovascular event worth all the potential side effects (Table 2) associated with statin use?

If patients knew the potential side effects associated with statin drugs for a mere 1 percent reduction in risk of a cardiovascular event, would they take them so readily for prevention? I suspect most would probably choose otherwise.

Table 1: Findings From the JUPITER Trial
	Statin	Placebo
Events - raw data	141 / 8,901	251 / 8,901
Events - based out of 100	1.6 / 100	2.8 / 100
Actual incidence	1.6% on statins had events	2.8% on placebo had events
Prevention of events	98.4% were without events	97.2% were without events

Table 2: Potential Side Effects of Statins5-12
polyneuropathy	peripheral neuropathy	memory loss
aggression	irritability	cognitive defects
myalgia	muscle weakness	muscle cramps
rhabdomyolysis	ALS-like symptoms	fatigue
general mitochondrial disruption	erectile dysfunction

A Better Way to Protect Against Cardiovascular Disease

It is quite clear that cardiovascular disease is initiated and driven by ongoing inflammation; this has been known for many years. Cholesterol is only part of the issue, and elevations represent a component of the chronic inflammatory state. So, the focus should be inflammation reduction (a point I have made repeatedly in this column).

The current American diet is excessively high in sugar, flour, and fat calories (trans- and omega-6 fatty acids), which leads to substantially elevated postprandial levels of circulating glucose and triglycerides, referred to as postprandial dysmetabolism. The outcome is an immediate increase in inflammatory markers such as free radicals and C-reactive protein, and sympathetic hyperactivity, which is directly linked to the expression of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.^13-14

Not well-appreciated is that the postprandial dysmetabolic inflammatory state may be associated with the perpetuation of lumbar radicular pain, tendinopathies, and generalized musculoskeletal pain,^15-19 so we should consider addressing the dysmetabolic inflammatory state in patients suffering with chronic musculoskeletal pain syndromes.

In the clinical setting, a BMI above 25 identifies patients who are pursuing dysmetabolism. An operational goal should be to achieve a BMI below 25 by eating anti-inflammatory foods and exercising daily. Proper exercise is anti-inflammatory and has an appetite-suppressing effect. And when individuals eat an anti-inflammatory diet that includes lean animal protein, vegetables, fruit, nuts and low glycemic tubers such as sweet potatoes, the postprandial dysmetabolism is blunted.

The problem is that most Americans do not eat this way, so they perpetually live in the postprandial dysmetabolic inflammatory state. For more details, see the O'Keefe, et al., paper on this topic, available as a free full text.¹⁴

Supplements may also be useful at addressing chronic inflammation. The focus should be inflammation reduction, not trying to use natural cholesterol-lowering agents such as red yeast rice to replace statins that only offer a 1 percent better preventative effect (because your goal should not be to reduce patients' risk of a cardiovascular event by only 1 percent, even naturally, but to address the underlying causes of their high cholesterol). Of special consideration should be botanical anti-inflammatories, such as ginger and turmeric, which can be eaten with meals and/or taken as a supplement. Such botanicals function via multiple anti-inflammatory mechanism.^20-21 Additional key supplements include vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and magnesium.^22-24

A Final Note on Statins and Other Medications

Despite the negative tone presented herein toward statins, it should not be viewed that I am negative on statins in general. I am negative on the notion that they dramatically reduce cardiovascular events and thus should be taken on a preventive basis. Statins do offer anti-inflammatory benefits that may be of use to people in pursuit of dysmetabolic inflammation, which means I believe that "flamed-up" individuals with hypertension, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia should be on several meds. However, ideally, these medications should be used only in the short term, while people move back toward a healthy state. The problem is patients are generally not given encouragement and proper direction on pursuing a healthy lifestyle long term to improve their cardiovascular profile.

This information is brought to you by  the docstors at Family First Chiropractic and Wellness, located at 142 Erickson drive, Red Deer, Alberta T4R 2X3 403-347-3261 www/family1stchiro.ca

The Price of Children

The Price of Children

This is just too good not to pass on to all. Here is something absolutely positive for a change. I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's great.
The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition. But $160,140.00 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month,
* $171.08 a week.
* A mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.
Still, you might think the best financial advice is ; don't have children if you want to be 'rich.' Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $160,140..00?

* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
* A hand to hold usually covered with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.
For $160,140.00, you never have to grow up. You get to:

* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs,
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.
You have an excuse to:

* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watch Saturday morning cartoons,
* go to Disney movies, and
* wish on stars.


You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.


For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:

* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and
* coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat in history to witness the:
* First step,
* First word,
* First bra,
* First date,
* First time behind the wheel.
You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

Love & enjoy your children & grandchildren & great-grandchildren!!!!!!! It's the best investment you'll ever make!!!!!!!!!

Brought to you by the family and staff of Family First Chiropractic and wellness, we want you to become part of our family. We are located at 142 Erickson Drive, Red Deer, Alberta
www.family1stchiro.ca
403-347-3261

The Purpose and Power of Pain in Labor

The Purpose and Power of Pain in Labor

The pain of labor and birth worries most women.  No one enjoys pain and most of us are willing to go to great lengths to avoid it.  The pain involved in childbirth is no exception.  What women don’t usually know is that pain is central to nature’s simple elegant design for labor and birth.  Pain is not simply an unfortunate side effect of labor but is an important part of the normal process of labor and birth.

Our understanding of the role of pain in the normal physiology of birth came out of a deeper understanding of the hormonal orchestration of labor.  Three hormones play vital roles in the initiation and progress of labor and then facilitate recovery of the mother and ease the transition of the baby to life outside the uterus: catecholamines (stress hormones), oxytocin, and endorphins.

The hormonal orchestration of labor, especially in the early stages, is quite vulnerable and easily affected by what is happening around you.  Animals search out quiet, private spaces in which to labor and if they sense danger of any kind, labor stops.  We are not very different.  Fear, anxiety, not feeling safe increase catecholamine levels and can shut down our labors.  

As levels of oxytocin rise, the contractions become stronger and more painful.  Women instinctively change position and try to find comfort in a wide variety of ways in response to the pain of their contractions.  Thos high levels of oxytocin and the pain that accompanies them send a message to the brain.  More hormones, this time endorphins are released.  Endorphins decrease pain perception, moderate the level of oxytocin (giving the uterus, and you, little breaks) and help the laboring woman go into an almost dream-like state.  Endorphins seem to make women become more intuitive, to go into themselves and to get into a rhythm as they cope with one contraction after another.  It’s exactly what nature intended!

At the end of labor, it is not unusual to experience some anxiety with the strong, powerful final contractions.  This sudden anxiety stimulates catecholamine release in mother and baby.  This surge helps you become alert, more focused and extremely strong as you push your baby out.  At this stage, unlike in early labor, stress hormones actually help rather than impede the process of labor.  

If mother has high levels of oxytocin, endorphins and catecholamines at birth, baby is born with high levels of catecholamines too and is bright and alert.  High levels of endorphins in your breast milk will help ease baby’s transition in the first hours and days after birth.  Skin to skin on your abdomen, baby’s head and hand movements will stimulate your body to continue to produce oxytocin, the hormone that now takes on a new role, facilitating milk let-down as well as preventing excessive maternal bleeding.  High levels of all of these – catecholamines, endorphins, and oxytocin – contribute to the feelings of exhilaration, euphoria and joy that women describe holding their babies right after birth.

So what about the pain?  Right from the beginning of your labor, pain lets you know that this is not “just another day.”  Knowing you are in labor allows you to arrange for the help and support you will need.  Like other mammals we search for a safe, secure place in which to labor, a place where we have help and support.  Without pain to signal the start of labor there would be many more babies born in cars, shopping malls, and on the street, quite literally.  

Like other pain in our lives, this pain actually protects us.  If we touch a hot stove, we respond immediately by removing our hand.  In labor you feel the pain of a contraction and you move, rub perhaps moan in response to what you are feeling – not too different from the way you respond to pain in your everyday life.  As you try to get comfortable the movement, the touching, the moan also helps the progress of labor.  Your actions help ease the pain a bit and you manage to get from one contraction to the next even stronger contraction.Being able to handle increasing amounts of pain ensures increasing levels of oxytocin increasingly strong, powerful and effective contractions and ultimately the release of endorphins, “nature’s narcotic”.  Interestingly, if the pain is removed oxytocin levels fall and there is no endorphin release. 

In response to the pain you feel your position changes facilitating the baby’s turning and moving down through the birth canal.  Every time you move the diameters of your pelvis change, the baby gets wiggle room and is gently prodded into the pelvis and through the birth canal.  During this journey through the birth canal the pain and pressure you feel and your response to it actually help protect your birth canal and the baby.Think of how changing the way you walk in response to the pain of a blister protects your foot from further injury.  If you have been given an epidural and do not feel the movement of the baby through the birth canal, and therefore are unable to respond to the pressure, with oohs and aahs, by moving, by tightening and releasing vaginal muscles, the birth canal is more vulnerable to damage.  Your movement, at just the right time, eases the pressure on the baby and slows his descent.  You don’t need to read a book to do this.  Your body moves quite naturally (if your movement is not restricted) in response to what you feel.

What does all of this mean?  The important reality is that pain is part of a natural, complex system that keeps the uterus contracting, keeps the baby moving down, and keeps your body and your baby protected.  Remove the pain by interrupting its flow and progression any place along the way and you remove the signals that are your guide as you move through labor.  

Why feel pain in labor?  The answer is quite simple: it is part of nature’s plan for birth.  Pain promotes the progress of labor.  Responding to pain protects the birth canal and the baby and managing pain ensures high levels of oxytocin and endorphins which are both important for a faster, easier birth as well as an alert baby, and successful breastfeeding!

Brought to you by Dr. Joelle Johnson and dr. Stephen Kelly of Family First Chiropractic and Wellness at 142 Erickson Drive, Red Deer

www.family1stchiro.ca

403-347-3261

Benefits of Back Massage Therapy

Chronic back pain, most commonly lower back pain, is one of the most common complaints

among adults and as the popularity grows throughout the world for alternative treatments

and therapies, Back Massage Therapy has emerged as a favourite treatment of choice in

Jeannette,Chelsea,Michaelle

trying to attain chronic back pain relief.Back massage therapy offers numerous benefits. While general massage is well known to stimulate blood flow to the muscles and provide relaxation and a pleasurable experience, it does not necessarily provide the therapeutic value required to provide chronic back pain relief sought by sufferers of the condition. Back massage therapy by a specialist however can bring about significant relief within weeks, when therapeutic back massage techniques are applied to combat both lower and upper back pain.The positive results from back massage therapy can be multiplied when combined with complimentary treatments such as Chiropractic, Physical Therapy or even Acupuncture. A multi discipline approach will work best when the therapists communicate with each other and 'design' a program of complimentary treatments to achieve chronic back pain relief through a synergistic approach. Results can again be significantly improved with the patient taking personal responsibility and being proactive in achieving chronic back pain relief. This can be done with simple measures such as an improved diet, gentle exercise and stretching.

Benefits of Back Massage Therapy

• Massaging causes the muscles to become more relaxed which in turn increases their range

of motion. This is an enormous benefit when tension of the muscles causes a restriction in

movement. Relaxed muscles also help to reduce insomnia.

• Improved blood supply to the muscles assists with the recovery of muscular soreness from

physical activity.

• Massage increases endorphin levels in the body. This is highly beneficial as endorphins are

the 'feel good' chemicals produced naturally by our bodies. Heightened endorphin levels

assist in dealing with chronic back pain.

Massage therpy is located at Family First Chiropractic and Wellness, 142 Erickson Drive, Red Deer
www.family1stchiro.ca
403-347-3261

Recognizing the need for Chiropractic care in children

Most people recognize the value of chiropractic care for adults. But a more normally working nervous system can help everyone. Before subjecting their child to risky drugs or hoping it’s "just a phase they’re going through," wise parents consult our office.

Chiropractic care for children is different from that for adults. Tailored to their age and weight, their adjustments often require no more pressure than you’d use to test the ripeness of a tomato. Children in our office enjoy their chiropractic care and look forward to their visits.

Can you recognize the signs of spinal nerve interference in your children?
Proper maternal nutrition, exercise and regular chiropractic care help create the best opportunity for healthy prenatal growth. Baby clothes, bassinets and car seats are also concerns. These are important, but consider the trauma of the birth process.

Pulling, forcing and twisting a baby from the birth canal are still too common. Cesarean section, forceps, suction extraction or eager hands can do unseen damage. Even "natural" birthing methods can cause subluxations.

Subluxations are areas of your baby’s spine that interfere or distort controlling nerve impulses between the brain and body.
With vital neurological signals compromised, your child’s health is impaired from his or her first breath. Other problems can appear years later.
Only a chiropractic examination can tell if subluxations are involved.

Many infants and toddlers will rub or tug at their ears. If they can talk, they complain. If they can’t, their crying makes us feel helpless, even desperate.
Subluxations are often found in children who suffer from chronic earaches. An impaired nerve supply can make their middle ears and eustachian tubes susceptible to fluid buildup or even infection.Traditional treatment usually involves the antibiotic amoxicillin. The result? A recent study showed that children taking amoxicillin compromise their immune system function. They are twice as likely to have recurring ear problems than those taking just a placebo.Instead, restoring proper nerve supply with safe and natural chiropractic care has helped tho

Without the language to explain what’s wrong, some newborns exhibit unexplained crying, a lack of appetite, allergic reactions or other difficulties.

Newborns and infants often show a tendency to hold their head to one side or prefer breast feeding from one side.

These are ways they cope with abnormal spinal function and an impaired nervous system. Chiropractic care has been shown helpful for infants suffering from colic. As subluxations are reduced, more normal sleep patterns emerge. Many parents notice that other aspects of their child’s health improve as well.Chiropractors are alert to the many ways nerve interference can negatively affect your baby’s health.

From Family First Chiropractic and Wellness, 142 Erickson drive, Red Deer

www.family1stchiro.ca

403-347-3261

Baby & Child Chiropractic Care can help your child

Baby and Child chiropractic care can help with many of the following:
Nursing Difficulties
Colic
ADHD
Constipation
Bedwetting
Ear Infections & Tonsillitis
Chronic Infections
Improved Sleep
Strains to the spine due to falls & tumbles
Improved Behavior & Attitude
Stimulates Brain Development
Reduce Nerve System Stress
Spinal trauma at birth

Visit www.family1stchiropractic.caand www.icpa4kids.org for links to website information on chiropractic care for expecting mothers, babies and children. Dr. Joelle Johnson is a member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association. call (403) 347.3261 Located at 142 Erickson drive, Red Deer

www.icpa4kids.org - Why Chiropractic Care for Kids? with Dr. Claudia Anrig (YouTube video).

 

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