Let’s first talk about what the Webster Technique is!! The technique is a way to check the bones, ligaments and muscles of the pelvis for any imbalances/restrictions. Since your ligaments are looser than normal, you can thank the hormone Relaxin for that, and you have a new life living and growing in your uterus, it can become a lot easier for your joints and muscles to go out of whack on you. This is why we use the Webster Technique on ALL of our pregnant mommas, whether you have low back pain, pubic pain, sciatica, and/or a mal-positioned baby which is a baby that is not head down. 

​The eustachian tubes in kiddos are more horizontally placed in the ear canal than adults (more vertical). This allows for things like bacteria and breast milk to get stuck in the canal and cause a bacterial infection called otitis media, a fancy name for middle ear infection. This is why if you have seen me in the office I always stress about how to correctly breastfeed/bottle feed a baby. It is important that we feed our babies at an angle so that there is a smaller chance for bacteria to get trapped and build up causing recurrent infections. However, anatomy can only explain one part of ear infections. 

Nutrition history is riddled with nonsense. People have been advised to do all sorts of strange things that challenge common sense. Some of these things are not only useless, but potentially harmful. The worst part...a lot of this misguided advice is still being pushed. Here are the top 5 contenders for the worst advice in history.

2. Everyone should eat a low fat, high-carb diet...even diabetics. Several studies have shown that low-fat diets can adversely affect some the key risk factors for metabolic syndrome and heart disease. 
3. A calorie is a calorie, food quality is less important. Eating a high protein diet can boost metabolism by 80-100 calories per day and healthier foods have varying effects on feelings of fullness so it takes less good foods to appease your hunger than junk foods, or those 100-calorie snack packs. 

For more information visit: 
eatlocalgrown.com/article/12863-the-worst-nutrition-advice-in-history-here-s-top-5-contenders.html?c=cure

We see it everywhere we look around today, somebody on their phone, and not talking, but looking down on it because their either texting, or maybe chasing after a pokemon or some other creature. In today's society it seems like everyone has a phone glued to them and are constantly looking down at some kind of screen. So it's no wonder more and more people are experiencing shoulder and neck pain and maybe even headaches. As Family Wellness Chiropractors, your family's overall health and wellness is our biggest priority. If you are using your cell phone or tablet a lot then be sure to consider the following information. 

An adult head weighs between 10-12 pounds in the neutral position. As the head tilts forward the orces seen by the neck surges to 27 pounds at 15 degrees, 40 pounds at 30 degrees, 49 pounds at 45 degrees, and 60 pounds at 60 degrees. These changes are what actually causes Forward Head Posture of "text neck". 

Many times, it's just not logical to put your phone or tablet down until your finished with it, so taking breaks is vital. 

Stand up or change positions every 15-20 minutes to reduce neck and shoulder muscle fatigue. This can include just looking up and stretching your neck. Just as looking down for long periods of time is all about repetitive stress to the cervical spine, looking up and stretching in the opposite direction may relieve the pressure on the neck/spine. 

If All Else Fails
Prolonged texting with your neck craned forward, without taking a break, may cause irritated nerves and, over time, disc degeneration, headaches, and other problems. If you are in pain after using your cell phone or tablet for prolonged periods of time, then be sure to get in and see your chiropractor. Pain in the cervical spine or shoulders may be an indication that there is some form of cervical spine issue brought on by repetitive stress syndrome leading to spinal misalignments. 

Minor misalignment of the atlas can potentially injure, impair, or compress and/or compromise the brain stem neural pathways. The relationship between hypertension and the presence of circulatory abnormalities in the area around the atlas and posterior fossa of the brain has been known for more than 40 years and manual correction of the atlas misalignment has been associated with reduced arterial pressure. 

For more Information visit:
www.chiro.org/research/ABSTRACTS7Atlas_Vertebra_Realingment.shtml

If the stress is prolonged, the hypothalamus will trigger the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the anterior pituitary gland. This will then stimulate the adrenal cortex to release steroid hormones called corticosteroids. Corticosteroids then turn on transcription of certain genes in the nuclei of target cells. 
In other words, when stressed or afraid, our bodies release various hormones to create a biomechanical response. Yet, what if the source of that stress or fear is a prank? What if there is no actual danger? Our body has just released a deluge of hormones, we're in fight or flight mode, and we're geared up charged, ready to defend ourselves against...nothing. What happens to all those hormones that are flooding our body, entering cells, affecting muscles, and preparing to help us defend ourselves? When we look at misalignment this way, it's easy to see how emotional stressors may very well affect our spine and result in nerve interference. ​

Additional chemicals consumed include caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. Any chemical we put in our body is going to affect our overall health and irritate the optimal function of the nervous system creating nerve interference. 

It's estimated that there are about 80,000 chemicals on the market in the U.S that have never been tested. To put this into perspective, let's compare the FDA, which has banned only 11 products, to the European law where over 1,000 products are restricted. In Europe it is required that the manufacturer proves the chemical is safe prior to releasing it to the public as opposed to the US where chemicals are not subject to FDA approval. 

Tragically, studies have shown that many of these chemicals are not metabolized by the body and so they pass to the environment through human waste. Rebecca Klaper and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee recently tested Lake Michigan and found evidence of 32 pharmaceuticals and personal products in the water and 30 in the lake's sediment. Ecologists have long acknowledged that pharmaceuticals are polluting the environment. 

The Chiropractic Response
Clearly, no matter how hard we try, it's not going to possible to completely shelter ourselves and our children from all exposures to chemicals. We live in a society that makes that next to impossible. But with education and research we can at least avoid some of the more blatant chemicals. Making dietary changes, researching the best household cleaning supplies, and picking the best personal-care products, is a start.

The biggest concern must be how exposure to these substances is affecting our health and what to do about it. Regular chiropractic checkups and adjustments will surely be the first step at reversing the spinal misalignment being caused by these chemical stressors, and also the physical and emotional ones as well!