Day 20 | Sports and Fitness Awareness Month

Many times when we're young, we don't realize that the "everyday" back pain and discomfort can be a sign that we need to pay closer attention to the way we perform in our workouts and sport activities.  We take a pain killer, or "work it off" by pushing our bodies harder and once it starts to feel better we don't give it a second thought.  Until we wake up the next morning or turn the wrong way or get up from sitting through that long lecture or meeting.

For the most part our bodies, especially when they are young, can take a lot of hits and get back up without you ever knowing that something is being done wrong or not being taken care of as it should.  This is why it is such a challenge for patients to understand the way chiropractic really works - which is to PREVENT pain and discomfort from happening as much as possible.  

Dr. Michael's 5 Steps to Busting Free From Back Pain:

1. Regular Chiropractic Care - This will keep your spine in line which keeps your entire nervous system optimally functioning.  Patients have a hard time fathoming the vital importance of this.  Without your nervous system working, you're not working.  It's that simple.  So keeping that in check, keeps everything in check.  And more importantly you PREVENT back pain and discomfort from 

2. Ease Your Back In & Out Of Workouts - Assuming you are an athlete or fitness buff (which means you are regularly exercising) you must remember to take the time to warm your back up and slowly engage your muscles and organs properly before and after every workout.  This is a step that so many people skip and find themselves with a bad back down the road.  It doesn't always happen immediately which is why we tend to think we can get away with it.  If you're doing 30 minutes of working out, make sure you have at least 3 minutes up front and 3 minutes at the end to ease your back in and out of your workout properly.  You'll PREVENT back pain and promote good workout habits!

3. 1-Week Back Focus - Take the next 7 days and focus on your back every single day.  How do you sit?  (At your desk, while driving, at work, while eating supper, while in the bathroom, while watching television, in bed, etc.) Do you slouch a lot?  How about standing? (At the copier, in line at the grocery store, while cooking, while washing up, etc.)  Is more of your weight on one side than the other?  Does your back hurt after too long?  Pay attention to the feeling when you are laying down. (While sleeping, lounging, etc.)  Do you feel any pain or discomfort anywhere?  Is it more painful sleeping on your side, on your tummy, or on your back?  Focus in and let us know what you find.  We'll be happy to show you simple techniques that really work!

4. Eat Your Back to Health! - Yes it can be done!  A lot of your back pain can be alleviated with a proper diet.  So many times the food we eat affect us in ways that we don't realize.  When we think of food's negative effect our mind goes to eating rotten food, downing too many sweets, taking in foods we're allergic to, or getting a tummy ache from food that we're not use to.  Again, because Dr. Michael's approach is all about "PREVENTION", we want to give the body the best chance to thrive.  And it canNOT do that on foods devoid of proper nutrition.  A simple way to eat your back to health is to add in nutritious whole foods and cut out the processed, refined, sugary stuff.  Engaging a health coach for long term education may be a great way to learn how to do this more effectively.

5. Water Your Back - In Dr. Michael's opinion, water is the best way to get your hydration AND the best way to keep your back healthy and strong.  Caffeinated drinks (Especially if you over use them) tend to give your body a "false sense of strength" and can make you push yourself further than you really should.  Sugary, processed, or artificially flavored drinks with zero nutritional value do not promote good back health.  Water does.  

Day 19 | Sports & Fitness Awareness Month

Study after study, proves that working out is good for us and makes us feel great.  So why not work out with your spouse or significant other to bring out the best in your relationship?  

Exercise helps us to feel healthy, strong, and fit and keeps everything working well in our mind and body.  When you workout with your spouse, you will find that you can encourage each other to do more than you would on your own which gives each person a feeling of receiving support.  You can also motivate your partner to exercise when they would normally pass it up. (and vice versa)  Keeping that accountability is a form of showing that you care.  It also puts some spice and aliveness into your relationship as any kind of sport or fitness can naturally draw out the fun and flirtatiousness of healthy competition!

Day 18 | Sports & Fitness Awareness Month

What does a good nutritious meal have to do with your ability to perform better in sports?  Well, the easy and short answer is - A LOT.  Your entire body needs a lot of things to perform well in sports and what you put into your body should never be left out.  One of your top priorities should be a nutrient dense meal that feeds your body and your brain so you can maximize your performance and optimize your body's natural healing processes.  

How to make sure your meal is "nutrient dense"?  Here's two simple ways to start:

1. Plant based foods that are local, organic, homegrown, seasonal, non-gmo are best.  Start there and go for a WIDE variety.  Different foods have different nutrients so the more variety in color, texture, taste (sweets, sour, bitter, salty, etc), and seasons they are grown in the better.   Fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds make for the greatest meals and snacks for athletes.

2. Cut out PROCESSED and REFINED.  Anything that has been packaged, frozen, ready made, dried, cured, etc has gone through a "process" that cuts out the nutrients from the actual food it came from.  If that!  Many processed foods contain more ingredients that are made to keep them fresh or tasting artificially "good" and a lot of that is more chemical than nutritional.  It's harder for your body to break it down, let alone figure out what to do with it.  Refined salt, sugar, flour, and other ingredients basically go through an extreme process to take all the natural nutrients OUT of the whole ingredient (how it started) and then manufacturers add back in nutrients.  There are many healthier alternatives that don't cause your body harm or the feeling like it's not "satisfied" and actually cause you to crave more of the bad stuff.  

Day 17 | Sports & Fitness Awareness Month


Many parents ask us about the pros and cons about putting their child into organized sports.  Aside from the many health and safety benefits that organized sports offer, there are many other benefits that sports can give to your child.  Here are our Top 3:

1. Camaraderie - Sports offer an opportunity for your child to meet new people and share an interest in a particular sport.  Being a part of a team is also a great way to gain insights on how to work together, resolve conflict, and achieve a goal as a group.  It instills a great sense of team spirit and can be utilized both on and off the field for life.

2. Commitment - Playing any sport requires a certain responsibility for your child.  They will have to keep up with studies, practice their sport, keep time commitments, and a whole host of other things that contribute to a team dynamic.  Commitment through one game, a month of practice, and entire season is a huge way for your child to feel part of something bigger than themselves alone.  All the habits that are naturally born out of their commitment to their team and their sport, will enhance their lives in positive ways forever.

3. Coaches - Coaches (the really good ones) offer your child another positive role model to look up to.  They are great encouragers and motivators and instill leadership qualities in your child.  In addition, great coaches will usually look at the whole child and inspire them both on and off the field.  There are so many great coaches (known and unknown) who have made a significant impact in the life of a child.  Because playing a sport can be a complete experience, most adults will look back at times when they played a sport as a child and have fond memories.

Day 16 | Sports & Fitness Awareness Month


Dr. Terry Schroeder, a chiropractor, US Olympic Water Polo player and US Olympic Water Polo Coach grew up in a household where chiropractic was a way of life. To this day, he is the only 4 time Olympian in the sport of water polo in the United States and we suspect that it has more to do with how he views health as a way of life which for many Olympians, can be the edge that they need.  Take the 2012 world's fastest man Usain Bolt, he and his teammates all utilize chiropractic as part of their training to improve performance and to increase speed and agility.  

Chiropractors are trained to help each person obtain a state of health naturally and so if you think about it from the athlete's perspective, the earlier you begin, the better off the athlete's overall well being in the long run.  Many chiropractors take an approach that addresses the whole person by also focusing in on nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle which all contribute to optimal health.  According to a Fox News Health Report, "this holistic approach can reduce the need for potentially addictive pain medication or invasive surgery and it also cited that the Annals of Internal Medicine's recent study showed that spinal manipulative therapy performed by a chiropractor, along with exercise, relieve neck pain more effectively than medicine.  The article further cited that the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics reported that an integrated approach to health care - including chiropractic care - results in a 51.8 percent reduction in pharmaceutical costs and 43 percent fewer hospital admissions.


This is an incredible testament to chiropractic and the benefits that they can produce for athletes.  Because of the use and many times over use of the body, it is important to keep fit, strong, and overall healthy from the inside out.  Chiropractic adds value to that and your chiropractor can support you every step of the way with your athletic goals to greatness!

Day 15 | Sports & Fitness Awareness Month

Attitude is everything.

It's not the only thing, but it is everything if you want to achieve a a happy and healthy life.  Take Arthur, he could have easily given up.  In fact, everyone around him his doctors and even yoga instructors did not believe there was anything they could do for him.  They did not believe he would get even a little better, let alone heal.  That was not even on the radar.  But something in Arthur, kept him going.  At least in his mind and with his attitude.   He kept searching when his body had stopped, and when everyone around him wouldn't give him the time of day.

Then it happened.  One person.  That's all it took.  ONE PERSON to believe in him, to say he could do it, and to believe along with him that IT. WAS. POSSIBLE.  His transformation from wheelchair to walker to walking wonder is changing the lives of many - not because of the fact that everyone was wrong but because his attitude did him right.  If Arthur can do this in 140 days, what can YOU do?

Day 14  |  Sports & Fitness Awareness Month

Stretch!  Strengthen!  Life!  Lengthen!

It's what you need to do to take best care of your spine while you workout or do your sport!  Always remember that and you will prevent injury and increase performance and healing times!

STRETCH - Always stretch before and after your sports and workouts.  Even if it doesn't seem like nothing is going on, A LOT is going on that will not only help you to warm up, but it will help you to physically do more.  Think about when you first get going in the morning as opposed to when you're nicely in a groove about an hour or two later.  It's the same effect.  Stretching gets your muscles warmed up, the blood flowing in all the right places, and it also helps to support your spine during physical activity!  For more on stretching properly, we would suggest checking out a yoga class in person so you can get proper instruction and guidance.

STRENGTHEN - Your core strength is key.  Hone in on that belly button and pull it in toward your spine when you do any kind of physical activity.  Make that your practice until it becomes your habit.  The trick is to be able to do that and still breathe deeply.  It's not easy but it will help to keep your structural foundation strong.  Why is that important?  For balance and stamina!  If you want to learn more about core strength, we'd suggest a good pilates workout.

LIFT - What does lift mean?  A few things in this context.  "Lift your attitude - Lift some weights - Lift your sportsmanship"  This is going to do a number of things as you can probably guess.  Lifting your attitude and sportsmanship during physical activity are a great way to consciously put your mind on the positive in every aspect of your game. It will increase your performance outcomes tremendously, decrease injury, and have heads turning when you show up to your next match. (that in itself can put the idea in your opponents mind that you've come with your all!)  Next, lifting weights are a great exercise to incorporate into your regime to strengthen your entire body, bones, and your mind as well.  The body will produce feel good hormones as well as the nutrients needed through that exertion to create strong muscles, bones, and joints.  Focusing on positivity during weight training, will result in better sculpting, flexibility, and a strong posture.  We suggest lighter weights and more reps with Cross Fit type weight training to keep your mind and body in good shape all around.

LENGTHEN -  Consciously lengthening your spine at all times is a great practice.  Whether you are doing your sport, working out, or sitting at breakfast, lengthening your spine is important to your overall health.  There are millions of nerve fibers that stem from the nerves that are attached to your spine.  These are the VITAL roots of every possible function in your body which is why it is ever so important to see your chiropractor to keep that spine aligned!  In between your visits, lengthening your spine will help those nerves and nerve fibers to keeping flowing and doing their job and it will also keep your spine happy and healthy to serve you during sports and exercise!  Want to learn more about how your spine works?  Visit our practice or come in to our FREE Monday Spinal Health Class for Newbies! 

Day 13 | Sports and Fitness Awareness Month


Ugh...You work many hours, you're sitting all day, and you're lock in on that chair like a magnet's got you trapped.  What do you do?  Here are some quick tips to help you get through the day and structure in some movement that will help you to feel better!

Movement for the Busy Lifestyle:
At Your Desk, While You’re Cooking, When You’re Watching TV:

1. NECK STRETCHES - Move your neck now and then.  Bend your head forward and feel the back of your neck and shoulders stretch.  Count to 8.  1001, 1002, 1003, etc. to 1008.  Do the same from side to side and by tilting your head back. It will be great to stretch and expand your neck and release a lot of the tension that gets locked into your upper back.  That’s where oxygen can get blocked and toxins and tension can get trapped.  Think of the goal to keep everything flowing like a steady river in your body.  

2. SHOULDER ROLLS - As easy as these little things are, they will help your body to feel like you are taking care of it.  Your body will respond WELL to this!  Keep the shoulders rolling backward 8 times and forward 8 times.  We like to do things in segments of 8.  You can pick a number that suits you.  It gives the exercise you do structure which healthy habits respond well to!

3. THE STRONG ARM (HANDS & ARMS TONING) -  We love to do this.  It jiggles your muscles (or lack of them!) and believe it or not will help to build them and get your arms on their way to more strength and tone.  Loosen up your fingers and with an open hand, just put your arms up and shake like crazy for 8 seconds.  Make sure to get the whole arm flailing.  It’s fun and increases ENERGY!

4. HULA HIPS - Anyone been to Hawaii?  Their ancient dance moves are both beautiful and therapeutic at the same time.  Bend your knees and circle your pelvic area to the left 8 times, then circle to the right 8 times.  Do more sets if you have more time at the copy machine or while you wait for the rice to cook at dinner!  Great to do all the time!   Especially for women, this is a great exercise to do to ACCESS your feminine power source - which is all down in your hips and in your reproductive area. For men, this is also the seat of your power - men tend to get more locked in the hips and this exercise can help you to be more flexible but also to keep your lymphatic system moving as it should.  

5. LOVELY (LOOSEY GOOSEY) LEGS -  These are fun too.  You may want to be careful you don’t hurt yourself at first! Along with those Hula Hips being important to get that area moving, you also much make sure the “sediment” doesn’t settle in somewhere and get comfy.  Give your legs a big shake out after Hula Hips and then bend your knees, bring them up and turn your ankles in circles to the left 8 time and then to the right 8 times.  Do the same with your knees.  Take the bottom part of your leg (below your knees) and try to circle it 8 times to the right and left.  Be careful to do this in a comfortable way that is not too twisty.  It should NOT hurt to do this.

6. BELLY BUILDING! - 10 sets of 8 jumps in a row (straight up and down) with a few seconds of rest in between. (do more if you can and if you have more time)  Do this one any time in the kitchen, at the copier, on a stand up break!  It will get your heart pumping and it is actually great for your digestion, intestine health, and belly toning!  Super simple and EASY!.

7. BREATHING FOR BEAUTY, BRAINS, AND YOUR BODY -  Breathing is so simple and something that can be a great part of your daily “exercise” to start.  It’s something you can do consciously maybe at 8am and 8pm.  Give yourself some kind of structure as when you want to consciously stop as if your life depended on it and take 8 deep, full body breaths in and out preferably with your eyes closed.  Block everything out and clear your mind and just decide that all that matters in that minute or two of breath work is YOU.  To concentrate on this without getting distracted, see if you can focus in on the breath going in and out of your nose - feel the way it feels going in and then going out.  Hone in on that one spot and make a conscious effort to make you matter in that one moment EVEN IF it is only for this breath work exercise.  You will be able to add more time for you by taking this one small step toward better taking care of yourself.

Yes it can!  How?

Let's focus in on your muscles.  Water is a vital nutrient for any athlete and plays a critical role in both performance and healing.  During any kind of athletic activity, your muscles are constantly moving and exerting themselves so that your body can perform.  During an actual match or race, stress hormones increase naturally and your body is exerting itself at a much higher rate.  Without proper amounts of hydration before, during, and after a workout or match, your muscles can become overworked or even start to break down.  This then leads to tension and could very well result in spinal subluxation.  

As many high performance athletes know, dehydration can positively affect muscle generation, flexibility, stamina, and overall performance.  Research has found that the amount of water within the cells play a critical role in whether or not muscle breakdown occurs.  Biochemistry Journal reported that a "decrease in body water leads to cells shrinking and protein breakdown."  If you are trying to increase muscle or performance then it makes perfect sense to add water to your regime.  Keeping your body, particularly your muscles, hydrated during athletics will increase the chance of vital nutrients reaching all your muscles and it will also keep your spine in check so that these nutrients flow throughout your entire body.

Day 11  |  Sports & Fitness Awareness Month

If you have kids, you know they move around A LOT!  They get into everything, they are naturally curious about everything in the world around them, and every chance they get, they're up and about moving, playing, and in essence, figuring out how to use their body!  

From when they are born until adulthood, a child's nervous system, organs, bones, and muscles are developing.  Meaning that they are not fully formed, matured, or figured out yet.  This is why they can be clumsy and get hurt!  

Starting your child with chiropractic care from a young age, will help their entire system to develop in a very balanced and healthy way.  You always want to give their bodies the best chance to form, grow, and develop in the way it was designed to.  Chiropractic serves that very purpose in 2 major ways:

1. Chiropractic is natural.  It is a drugless practice and can be a vital part of their Whole Health.  It is designed to give your child's body the best chance to heal itself.  This, in the long run, will help your child become stronger in all ways.

2. Chiropractors are trained to look to the spine to find the root of almost all health problems.  If you keep that in check, you keep your overall health in check.  As your child grows up and they become more and more active, it is important to keep looking to their spines to make sure it is properly aligned.