​Some women carry the whole world in their handbag, but a heavy bag or purse can cause pain and injury to your back, neck and shoulders. Overstuffed bags also cause poor posture by encouraging the carrier to lean to one side. The good news is pain and injury can be easily avoided by following a few simple tips. Here are some provided by the Ontario Chiropractic Association:

​Choosing a handbag
1. Choose a handbag that is proportionate to your body size and no larger than what is needed. Your handbag should not weigh more than 10 per cent of your body weight.
2. Choose a handbag that has several individual pockets, instead of one large compartment. This will help to distribute the weight of the contents more evenly and keep them from shifting.

Packing a handbag
1. Change the size and weight of your wallet once in a while. You may also consider one wallet for your work and a different one for when you go out, as you may need different objects for both.
2. Ensure the weight is evenly distributed in the purse by using all the pockets.

Carrying a handbag
1. Use both hands to check the weight of the handbag.
2. Instead of always carrying your handbag on the same shoulder, switch sides often so each shoulder gets a rest.
3. Square your shoulders — many women have a habit of lifting the shoulder on which the purse is carried to keep the straps from slipping.

More tips
1. Try to maintain good posture. When standing, your head, shoulders, hips and ankles should line-up, one comfortably above the other.
​2. If you can walk to lunch or a meeting, lock your purse in your desk or locker and carry only your cash and/ or credit cards in a pocket. By following these simple strategies, it’s easy to lighten your load.

If you have any questions about posture and ergonomics, please contact Dr. Eve.

Pregnancy is an exciting  time in a mother-to-be’s life. Although joyous, expectant mothers undergo significant amount of changes as the baby develops. The back, neck and joints are the areas of body that tend to suffer the most. Along with an OBGYN, a chiropractor is a welcome addition to a woman’s prenatal care team. Chiropractors can help manage back and joint pain issues so that they don’t become an issue during delivery or impact a woman’s recovery time post-pregnancy. Here are 5 key ways chiropractors can help:

1. Chiropractic care keeps the spine in alignment

Pregnancy adds significant additional weight to a woman’s body in a short amount of time. This change bears on the spine, frequently pulling it out of alignment. When this happens, the pain can be quite severe. Chiropractic care during pregnancy works to keep the spine in alignment and all supporting tendons working optimally, to be better prepared and able to adequately support the extra weight.

2. Chiropractors can reduce the need for pain relievers by treating underlying issues.

Most times, individuals experiencing moderate pain pop a couple of over the counter pain relievers and think nothing of it. However, pregnant women strive to avoid medications when possible.

Chiropractic adjustments decrease the underlying issues that cause pain, so the patient relies less on medications. Experiencing less pain as well as eliminating the need for pain killers is a win-win situation for expectant mothers.

3. Chiropractors can help strengthen joints. 

Pregnancy really beats up an expectant mothers joints. Chiropractic care for expectant mothers is a productive way to minimize the effect the large, protruding abdomen has on her hips, legs, and ankles.

Treating the body as a whole, chiropractic treatment works to strengthen the body and promotes healing of injured or strained areas.

4. Chiropractors can help achieve pelvic alignment making the birth process go more smooth.

An aligned pelvis is critical to the birthing process, and increases the chances of being able to give birth naturally. According to the American Pregnancy Association,

“When the pelvis is misaligned it may reduce the amount of room available for the developing baby. This restriction is called intrauterine constraint. A misaligned pelvis may also make it difficult for the baby to get into the best possible position for delivery. This can affect the mother’s ability to have a natural, non-invasive birth.” 

An experienced chiropractor can effectively align the pelvis before delivery, so the mother is able to deliver with little incident.

5. Chiropractic care increases the body’s ability to bounce back

Let’s face it, every pregnant woman thinks “will I ever fit in the clingy red dress again?” The healthier and stronger a woman’s body is before and during pregnancy, the easier it is to get back into shape once the baby is born. Eating right and safely exercising are effective ways to accomplish this.

Chiropractic care is also a valuable component to fitness. Expectant mothers who choose chiropractic enjoy better posture, less pain, and increased mobility, especially late in the third trimester.

This allows them to maintain exercise routines and be active longer than those suffering from back pain and achy joints. After the delivery, it’s easier to get back into a fitness routine, and into that red dress, if the new mother’s joints, back, and hips are aligned and functioning properly.
​
Chiropractic care can serve to reduce pain and increase the overall heath of expectant mothers, letting her relax and focus on the more pleasant aspects of pregnancy. Expecting women who commit to chiropractic care can look forward to a stronger body, the chances of a smoother delivery, and an easier recovery after the baby comes.

This article excerpt, by Porterfield Family Chiropractic, was published June 15, 2015 and originally appeared here.

Sitting is the new smoking. You've heard it many times now. What can you do while sitting in front of a computer other than taking frequent breaks? Try this simple posture correction throughout the day:

May is here and we are finally getting the sun and warm weather we've been waiting for. A lot of you will be heading out to your garden this weekend. Before you rush outdoors, read these tips from the Ontario Chiropractic Association for gardening without injuries:

STRETCH
Before you start, remember to warm up for 10-15 minutes. Take a walk, even on the spot, gently swinging your arms and lifting your knees. 

1. Your sides

• extend one arm over your head
• bend left from the waist
• hold for 15-20 seconds and repeat to the right

2. Your thighs (quadriceps)

• Lean against a tree or a wall for support if needed
• bend your right knee and grasp your ankle with your left hand
• hold for 15-20 seconds and repeat with your left knee.

3. Your hamstrings

• while standing, reach your hands to the sky
• then, bending at the waist, reach toward your toes
• hold for 15-20 seconds

4. Your wrists (3 stretches)

• hold one arm out in front of you with the palm down, bend your wrist until the fingers point to the ground, using the opposite hand to hold this position
• place your hands in "prayer" position, and press your palms together
• keep your arm straight, and keep the arm in the "stop" position. Use the opposite hand to hold this position

5. Your shoulders 

• let your arms hang loose
• roll your shoulder forward then back

6. Your back

• in a seated position, bend from the hips, keeping your head down (Remember! You're hinging from the hips, and not the low back - always protect your back)
• reach for the ground

LIFT RIGHT

• position yourself close to the object you want to lift. stand with your feet shoulder width apart, head up, with your feet and body pointing in the same direction
• bend your knees and keep your back straight. Use your leg and arm muscles check the weight and slowly lift the load
• keep the load close to your body. Pivot with your feet instead of twisting while carrying the load
• bend your knees and slowly lower the load to its intended place
• Avoid heavy lifting immediately after bending or kneeling
• get help with heavy and awkward loads

REMEMBER!

• Alternate: heavy then light then heavy
• Change hands: take the strain off by changing the position of your hands
• Check your position: change it often. Kneel then stand or simply sit and take a break
• Lift right: knees bent, back straight. Load close to body
• Rake right: place one leg in front and the other behind to ease the strain on your back. Switch hands and legs
• Kneel to plant: use knee pads or kneeling mat
• Keep your back straight
• Take breaks frequently.

Remember, if your back pain lasts for more than two or three days, see Dr. Eve for an evaluation. 

To download the brochure from the OCA, click here. 

...The thigh bone’s connected to the hip bone. The hip bone’s connected to the backbone. The backbone’s connected to the neck bone...

We learn early on that our body is all connected. When there is a long standing problem somewhere in your body, chances are the problem is connected in some way to another area of your body. For example, if your feet are hurting, it may alter the way you stand or walk, leading to problems at your knees, hips and/or lower back. So what happens when your head is shifted forward?

Make an appointment with Dr. Eve and find out where your head is!

For every inch your head moves forward, it gains 10 pounds in weight, as far as the muscles in your upper back and neck are concerned, because they have to work that much harder to keep the head (chin) from dropping onto your chest.

This also forces the suboccipital muscles (they raise the chin) to remain in constant contraction, putting pressure on the 3 Suboccipital nerves.   

This nerve compression may cause headaches at the base of the skull. Pressure on the suboccipital nerves can also mimic sinus (frontal) headaches.  

Rene Cailliet M.D., famous medical author and former director of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Southern California states:

“Head in forward posture can add up to thirty pounds of abnormal leverage on the cervical spine. This can pull the entire spine out of alignment. Forward head posture (FHP) may result in the loss of 30% of vital lung capacity. These breath-related effects are primarily due to the loss of the cervical lordosis, which blocks the action of the hyoid muscles, especially the inferior hyoid responsible for helping lift the first rib during inhalation.”

It's not uncommon to observe 2" of anterior head placement in new patients. Would you be surprised that your neck and shoulders hurt if you had a 20-pound watermelon hanging around your neck? That's what forward head posture can do to you.   Left uncorrected, forward head posture will continue to decline. 

Those of you who sit at desks all day have the greatest potential for this damaging issue. 

Next time you're sitting at the computer or you are texting away on your phone (or while you are reading this blog right now), freeze and take a note of your posture.

Come in for a postural evaluation and ask Dr. Eve all about the dangers of forward head posture and how to correct it.