Evolution has yet to catch up with our transition from hunting and gathering in the wild to hunching and typing using a search engine. The hours of staying sedentary with small micro movements are hard on our backs, our necks, and our wrists. One statistic reports that your fingers travel 15-20 miles a day when typing. That’s some serious training required to complete that near marathon daily.Use these simple tips below to ensure that your workstation is set up to optimize your health and wellness.
Keep your feet flat on the floor or on a stool.
Knees should be parallel to ground or slightly below parallel.
Your low back should be supported with a cushion or built in support.
Recline your chair to 100-110 degrees so that the chair starts to work for you, decreasing the work for the postural muscles and decreasing the pressure in the discs of the low back.
To see if you are the correct distance from your screen, lean back in your chair, hold your right arm out horizontally, your middle finger should almost touch the centre of the computer screen.
Your eyes should be in line with a point on the screen about 2-3” below the top on the monitor casing (not the screen).
Elbows bent at, or greater (i.e. more open), than 90 degrees.
Upper arm and elbow are as close to body as possible.
Wrist is as straight as possible when using mouse.
Head and neck are as straight as possible, no rotation, flexion, or extension required when in working position.
Neutral shoulder position (not shrugged near ears).
Centre yourself to the ‘B’ on the key board .
And most importantly, take frequent breaks!
If your computer is starting to win the battle and you are noticing aches and pains such as sore shoulders, headaches, numbness into the hands or achiness in the forearms, Active Release Technique might be an option for you. Read more here: http://www.qiintegratedhealth.com/art.php
Happy typing!
Dr. Robin Armstrong, Chiropractor & Active Release Technique provider
by Dr. Robin Armstrong, Chiropractor, Active Release Provider
Pregnancy is an exciting time for you and your family, not to mention your body. As your uterus expands to accommodate your growing baby a variety of changes occur that effect the balance in your frame. Keeping your body balanced during this time can not only relieve discomfort but can also optimize your labour and the development of your baby.
Changing Posture
As your pregnancy progresses, a hormone known as ‘relaxin’ is released to enable the joints surrounding your pelvis to expand for the passage of your baby. This hormone acts throughout your body causing all your joints to become more supple and moveable. You may experience more flexibility or you may begin to experience discomfort in areas you have had problems in the past. Your centre of gravity is beginning to change as your belly expands while the baby grows, increasing the curve in your low back. For women who have had low back pain in the past, this might become aggravating. In addition your breasts are changing and may start to put strain across your mid back between your shoulders. For some women, pregnancy is the first time they have experienced back pain. Often this is due to a combination of factors above: a change in the distribution of weight, and an increase in mobility of the joints.
Relieving Pain
On of the many benefits of exercise during pregnancy is decreasing discomfort from the many changes to your frame. A regular walking and stretching routine can help keep your muscles long and loose. Exercise programs such as prenatal yoga, prenatal fitness, or aqua fitness can be a great way to have a program tailored to your pregnant body as well as meet other pregnant moms. If you are finding that these solutions are still resulting in back or pelvic discomfort, chiropractic is a gentle and safe treatment modality. Using techniques specific to pregnant women, greater balance can be achieved with chiropractic adjustments or Active Release Technique, a muscular treatment for tight and tense muscles.
Supporting Baby
The uterus is suspended in the pelvic bowl with ligaments that attach to the pelvis. If the pelvis is aligned normally, the uterus can expand without restriction. If the pelvis is misaligned due to a history of problems, or due to the action of relaxin on the joints, the uterus can sometimes become slightly twisted which causes the baby to be positioned in a more cramped space. Sometimes when a baby is in a malposition prior to labour, or if labour is not progressing smoothly, it can be attributed to this malalignment of the pelvis which impacts the position of the uterus, and thus the baby. Religning the pelvis allows the baby to move free of restriction. Research has even shown that women under regular chiropractic care have shorter labours.
Enjoying the Changes
During your pregnancy your body changes and grows in exciting ways. Don’t let pain or discomfort stop you from appreciating this exciting time in you and your baby’s life.
If you have any questions about how chiropractic might benefit your pregnancy, please feel free to call the office and speak with Dr. Armstrong directly.604-742-8383
Science is beginning to prove what traditional Chinese medicine has claimed for millennia: rather than masking symptoms, Chinese medicine provides curative effect, only now measured at the cellular level!
A recent double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial out of New York, NY by Drs. Li and Brown turned out some ground-breaking results. It showed firstly that a combination of Chinese medicinal herbs had only slightly lesser anti-inflammatory effect than that of the corticosteroid Prednisone, the allopathic drug most commonly used for the treatment of asthma. None of the common side effects of steroid use were observed in those treated with Chinese herbs.
Atopy denotes a condition in which inflammation of a specific tissue of the body occurs as an autoimmune hyper-response to some external stimulus. In the case of asthma, the walls of the lung’s airways become swollen causing a reduction in the space through which air travels in and out of the lung, resulting in the typical symptoms of difficult breathing and wheezing. Studies have shown that people with atopic conditions have an imbalance of the T Helper cells of the immune system. T Helper cell 1 (TH-1) is shown to by abnormally elevated, whereas T Helper cell 2 (TH-2) are shown to be abnormally decreased, causing the auto-immune hyper-reactivity seen in atopic conditions.
Prednisone causes a complete drop in both TH-1 and TH-2 cells, effectively reducing the hyper-immune response of inflammation, but leaving the body susceptible to other harmful external agents. The study showed that patients treated with the Chinese medicinal herbal formula not only showed an appropriate decrease in TH-1, but an equally appropriate increase in TH-2! This was shown to result in a balanced immune system, no longer over-reacting to benign stimuli, while keeping an appropriate strength to fight off potentially damaging agents. These patients were further observed to retain this T Helper cell balance and it’s concomitant health benefits for an extended length of time after cessation of herbal treatment.
This ground-breaking trial opens the door for further research of this kind as science begins to measure, by its own terms, what traditional Chinese medicine has touted for three thousand years. The gap between eastern and western medicines is being breached. Stay tuned!
In this fast- paced world, it can feel as though there are more demands on our time that ever before.Juggling career, family, and home responsibilities and the day-to-day challenges that go along with them, seems to take all of our energy, leaving none for ourselves.However, if we empty our own reserves, we are less able to take care of ourselves let alone others in our lives.
There are times in life when we need a helping hand – someone or something to help us get back up and continue forward. Natural Spiritual Healing is a highly effective way of helping to restore balance on all levels and give our overall energy system a boost.Individuals suffering from disease or illness benefit from healing as it strengthens the immune system and helps speed recovery as the body’s own healing mechanisms are enhanced.Those struggling with stress find that they feel more settled within and are more balanced emotionally.
At other times, it may help to talk to a professionally trained counselor to help us better understand ourselves and explore issues at a greater depth.We often have a sense of what to do or where the problem lies; it is learning to access our own inner wisdom that will assist us in moving forward to live the life we want.
Life does not have to be a struggle – we can reach out for help when needed and learn tools that will help us lead a more balanced and happier life.
Here are the tips I give my patients on staying healthy, preventing disease, and recovering from existing health conditions. 1: Exercise:
Chinese medicine recommends a moderate amount of exercise:30 minutes, 3 times per week.The rest is negotiable and varies, as does everything else, according to individual constitution.It is also important to note that excessive exercise consumes lung and heart Qi, so moderation is the key.
2.Relaxation:·A fundamental practice in maintaining health and balance is a good but simple meditative technique.Breathing.The goal is to get into one’s breath – don’t try to alter it, or change it, just visualize and feel it going in and out of the lungs – for 20 minutes per day.This takes us out of our heads and into our bodies, turning off the harmful effects of stress.·In TCM, a healthy body relies on a relaxed Liver, which regulates the flow of Qi, Blood and Emotions in the body.Stress impacts the Liver’s ability to maintain good flow of Qi, leading to imbalances in all organs’ energetic systems.·Start out by setting aside 5 minutes every day.If the mind wanders away from the breath after only 10 seconds, notice it and bring it back.Remember, it’s called a ‘practice’ for a reason.Do this for 5 minutes, then 10 minutes, working your way to 20 minutes.·20 minutes may seem like a long time that you can’t afford.Consider that you can’t afford not to practice it.·Get to 20 minutes a day for a month and you won’t recognize yourself.
3.Diet:
·Chinese medicine speaks of a ‘Clear Bland Diet’, the description of which is closely resembles our common anti-Candida diets.To keep it simple:i.Consume all types of food in moderation when in a state of good health.
1.Generally, avoid the excessive consumption of greasy, deep-fried, sweet, and raw foods.These tend to hamper the Spleen’s ability to extract the pure energies and excrete the impure energies from our diet, leading to Dampness, the symptoms of which often closely resemble the effects of excessive Candida albicans.2.Avoid excessive consumption of spicy foods and alcohol as these lead to an imbalance of the Liver energy system.3.Avoid excessive consumption of salty foods as these lead to imbalances in the Kidney energy system.
ii.It may be necessary to adopt a more rigorous and exclusive diet when managing existing health imbalances. It is often difficult to reverse such imbalances with diet changes alone; a TCM herbal protocol is recommended.
Consult with your TCM doctor for more information.Content written by Dr. Peter Wood
There seems to be a lot of confusion and controversy surrounding the topic of the H1N1 swine flu vaccine. Here is my opinion: don’t get vaccinated. I’m not. This is a flu virus. The human immune system is set up to adapt to new strains of viruses all of the time. This is how it learns. Statistics show no increase in yearly deaths related to the influenza virus worldwide; we are at the normal average calculated over the last 20 years. Other studies show that flu vaccines don’t even work. Media has blown the death toll numbers out of proportion. Of the 3,600 deaths being reported, only 257 are listed on the Center for Disease Control (CDC)’s website as having tested positive for the virus whereas the rest were deaths related to pneumonia, a bacterial complication.
To me, the risks involved in getting the flu shot far outweigh any potential (not even proven) benefit.
New studies out of China have found that the Indigo plant, from which 3 Chinese herbs (Qing Dai, Da Qing Ye and Ban Lan Gen) are derived, has been effective in treating the swine flu. These herbs have been known for some time in Chinese Medicine to be antiviral agents.
Here is a website with a good summary of reasons not to get vaccinated: http://www.chronogram.com/issue/2009/11/Whole+Living/What-the-F?page=1
I was sent the links to the following series of youtube videos. I imagine being Dr. Null, knowing all that information, would be somewhat frustrating.
By Dr. Robin Armstrong, Chiropractor & Active Release Technique provider at Qi
THE LURE OF THE GOLF COURSE IS STRONG.On a sunny day, who can resist the call of freshly mowed greens?By the year 2020, the World Golf Foundation expects there to be 55 million participants in the game of golf.Unfortunately, low back pain is one of the most common golf related symptoms, comprising up to 50% of all complaints.So how can you prevent yourself from becoming another statistic?
We can prevent golf related low back pain in three key ways:
1. Consult the experts.In professional golfers, low back pain develops due to repetitive strain - long hours on the course cause problems.But in most amateurs, low back pain results due to the wide variation in the golf swing.Inconsistency leads to back pain as a result of poor swing mechanics.It is worth it to spend some time with a golf pro to analyze your swing and give you tips to stay more consistent.A few extra yards wouldn’t hurt either.
2. Warm up.You’ve probably heard this before, but it cannot be emphasized enough.A scientific study found that injuries were reduced by about 60% in golfers who stretched and warmed up for at least 10 minutes before playing.Unfortunately, another study of over 1,000 amateur golfers found that only about half performed some sort of warm up.Your warm up should start with some dynamic movements to increase your body temperature first, then stretching, then some practice swings.Some experts even suggest hitting balls at the driving range first before heading to the course.
3. Prepare your body.Because golf is a game of all ages, and accessible to so many people, we may forget that it is a physically demanding sport.To specifically avoid low back injuries it is important to have a strong core, which means developing our abdominal muscles and our supporting low back musculature.It is also important to have full rotational range of motion in our lower spine.Be sure to include stretches that involve a rotational component, such as lying twists.Finally, the muscles around the hips must be flexible to full rotate through the hip joint, and allow extension of the hip.
What if an injury does happen?
Don’t play through back pain -it will only get worse.Put ice on the injury as soon as possible to decrease inflammation and consult a health professional to get a diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Golf is a wonderful way to stay active, get outside and be social.If we use the tools above to prevent injury we will be able stay on the greens for years to come.
Complimentary Posture Check with Dr.Robin Armstrong, Vancouver Chiropractor, Yoga Instructor, Active Release Technique Provider
Saturday March 21, 2009
12-2pm
Lululemon
2113 W4th Avenue
When was the last time you had your posture checked? Poor posture affects the way we feel about ourselves, predisposes us to headaches, backaches, and joint pain. Come see how you stack up and get some tips on improving or keeping great posture.
I was recently reading an article about Madonna’s personal trainer, and it got me thinking about the common misconceptions about abdominal strength. Although my hopes are that the old fashioned sit up has left our gyms for good, after attending a cardio class at the Kitsilano community centre, I discovered that the public’s desire to do 100 crunches for a good workout is still alive and well.
Here are my tips for a healthy (and perhaps aesthetically pleasing) core:
Always maintain the curve in the low back. Our spines were architecturally designed to carry a load. Remove the architecture (the curve) and we become less structurally sound.
Our legs are heavy! It is easier - and safer - to lift and carry a heavy box close to our body. The same applies to our legs and our spine. If we do ab exercises with our legs straight, it puts alot of unhealthy load on our spine, if we keep our knees bent, we diminish the load, but reap the returns.
Quality over quantity. 100 sit ups does not a healthy body make. Choose safe and effective exercise over repetitive out dated exercise. Here are two of my favourites
Front Plank: Lying on your stomache set up your elbows stacked under your shoulders, forearms on the floor. Curl your toes under and lift your body so that you are parallel to the floor. Do not let your hips pop up or sag down. Hold for 30 secs. Repeat
Side Plank: Lying on your side, set up your elbow so that it is staked underneath your shoulder, forearm on the floor. Set up your feet either a) Flexed, one foot stacked on top of the other, or b) Flexed, one foot in front of the other on the floor. Lift your hips up so that your body is parallel to the floor. Do not tipforward or back, keep yourself perpendicular to the floor. Hold for 30 secs. Repeat. Switch sides.
I would like to dispel some misconceptions about counselling and psychotherapy (words that will be used interchangeably here):
1) Going to psychotherapy doesn’t mean that you are psychotic or that you will be diagnosed as a psychopath. “Normal” people go for counselling and psychotherapy to feel supported and get help with their lives.
2) Going for counselling or psychotherapy doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you. Sometimes there are obstacles between how your life is now and how brilliantly sane you really are. Then we work to remove those obstacles. Whether or not there are obstacles it also helps, categorically, to have someone to see your brilliant sanity and reflect it back to you.
3) I am not, as a Registered Clinical Counsellor, going to prescribe medications. Although medications are helpful for some peoples’ mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing, you will need to speak to your doctor or psychiatrist if you are seeking pharmacological or medical support. If you feel it would be particularly supportive to see additional healthcare professionals (i.e., acupuncturists, herbalists, massage therapists, chiropractors, naturopaths, etc.), with your written consent I am happy to consult with them and work as part of a team on behalf of your wellbeing. In psychotherapy, the therapeutic relationship is the medicine.
4) Psychotherapy does not have to be about finding what’s wrong with you or your life. Psychopathology is what we, as psychotherapists, call “what’s awry” in peoples’ personalities and moods. Psyche means, “the vital principle or animating force within living beings, and pathology means, “a departure or deviation from a normal condition.” (Normal is more accurately described as “commonly accepted” here). Sometimes there are things awry and we can work to improve those conditions. That doesn’t change the fact that you are fundamentally and brilliantly sane, and that that sanity can justifiably be the focus of psychotherapy.
5) Psychotherapy is most accurately translated as “healing of the mind, spirit, and animating principle.”
Everyone needs support sometimes. It can help to talk to someone who is going to listen and be there just for you. A counselling or psychotherapy session is just that - a time just for you.
It can be equally helpful for you to have a therapist who can be a reliable source of comfort not because then you will have to depend on them, but because then you can depend on them. When you have a counsellor, you can count on having a stable, warm and kind force in your life. You don’t need to do it alone.
What you find has been wounded in relationship can be, and some would say needs to be, healed through relationship. A psychotherapeutic relationship is a healing relationship.
You can use the counselling session to explore your thoughts, feelings, sensations and emotions. This is a time when you can feel your way through your whole life, whether your experiences seem to be positive, negative or neutral. You may just begin to feel as though you are living more fully!
Marlise Meilan, M.A., R.C.C., Contemplative Psychotherapist (Buddhist Mental Health Therapist).