With so much going on in life, sometimes it’s hard to prioritise the rest our body needs. For some, falling asleep is half the problem. Here are a few tips to help:

Minimise stress and anxiety. Keep a to-do list going throughout the day so that at night you can focus on getting sleep.

Create a bed routine. Just like with children, it is important that we learn to switch off by creating a routine where we can slow ourselves down, relax and get ready to sleep.

Avoid caffeine. The effects of caffeine can last over 8 hours, so watch out for that afternoon cup of coffee or caffeinated drink. Rather have a cup of herbal tea before bed (not green tea!)

Kill the lights. Create a tranquil atmosphere where you can relax before bed. Be sure your sleeping space is as dark as possible and as quiet as possible.

Unplug. Turn off the computer and TV and set aside your phone.

Check your mattress and pillow. Make sure your back and neck are getting proper support at night (I can help with suggestions).

It is almost Spring time! I hope that you are all gearing up from some warmth and hopefully some more exercise and movement as the weather becomes more friendly.

Healthy Articles
I often get asked "why should I stretch?". Here is a very simple explanation. I do of course recognise that it can be uncomfortable and quite sore but think about how good the body feels afterwards and how easy it COULD be if you stretched every day!

Have you heard of growing pains? As with many conditions, growing pains are still poorly understood but here is a little insight into this common cause of pain in childhood.

Sleep is extremely important! Are you thinking about getting a new mattress or pillow? Here are a few considerations that might encourage you to take the jump.

Recipe
My Mum has taken to sending me a new recipe everyday from various websites...I think she is trying to make the point that one should be adventurous with their cooking. Here are some of the ones that I have recently tried and loved!
Miso glazed eggplant - Yum!! Eggplant is a good source of  fibre, vitamin B1, and copper. It is also a good source of manganese, vitamin B6, niacin, potassium, folate and vitamin K. Miso is a great source of fibre and protein too.
Oven Roasted Cauliflower - this was delicious! Cauliflower is a great source of vitamin B6, vitamin K, vitamin C, folate & B5.
Roast Onion Soup - this is so nourishing and was really delicious. It only has 5 ingredients and has the most beautiful smell while roasting. It is also a great soup for when you are feeling rundown because of the huge amount of garlic and onion. The phytochemicals in onion help the functioning of vitamin C and garlic has great anti-viral and anti-bacterial qualities. 

Around Petersham
I went to Illi Hill with the lovely Bec (my locum). We both had salads and both food and service were great. A nice addition to the Marrickville cafe scene.
I've also heard of  a few new cafes opening in Dulwich Hill. I would love to hear your feedback!

My Favourite Things

1. The hug a bub - a light weight wrap that is a beautiful and easy way to carry a newborn, freeing up your hands and having many health benefits for bub. (now stocking hug a bub and manduca baby carriers)
2. Sitting to standing desks - have a chat to your workplace about the possibility of changing to one of these brilliant creations. The change in posture and movement throughout the day will do wonders for the posture and take the stress off your neck and lower back. 
3. Foam rollers - some of you think they are the devil but they are such a good way to release the muscles in the legs and lower back. Also excellent for the thoracic spine extension i.e. the opposite of slouching! 

Have a great week and look forward to seeing you soon!!

Amy

Wear the Correct Footwear:

One of the most common injuries is an ankle sprain, often from incorrect footwear. Make sure your shoes are in good condition. They should have good grip and support.  Make sure they are properly fitted and try to wear them in before getting on the court. I prefer Brooks and Asics.

 Stretching/Warm Up

Always warm up with an active warm up. This means a jog or any exercise or activity that mimics some of the actions of the game. The warm up decreases the chance of injury on the court as you are preparing the body for play. Even if you are running late, make sure you take the time to run from the car to the court or run around the court before going on.

It is also important to warm up your hands and fingers. Finger sprains are another common injury. This can be done with quick passes and also with by getting the hands moving without the ball.  

It is also important to stretch and cool down. This allows the muscles to gradually cool down and lessens the tightness felt after a game. This is often even more important than the warm up.

 Training

Make sure you attend your training sessions. This is to prevent injuries from improper throwing techniques, jumping/landing and changing of direction. It is important to master the technique of good chest, shoulder and bounce passes. It is also important to have the fitness to be able to stay on the court for a whole game. This includes cardiovascular fitness but also balance, coordination, strength and flexibility. Landing properly and learning to change direction quickly and safely are also important techniques to avoid excess stress on the ankles and knees. Training will also help develop the muscles around the ankles, knees and shoulders to prevent injury.

 Preventing Injury & tips for when injured

• Seek a pre-participation health check by a health practitioner to identify any musculoskeletal problems or to treat any current injuries.
  

• Make sure that you listen to your body. If you are on the court or are about to take the court and are sore or are not feeling well, do not take the court. 
  

• If you have weakness or pain in your ankles, knees, hips or lower back make sure you seek help from a health practitioner- Chiropractic, Physiotherapy, Massage or Acupuncture can be helpful. 
  

• If you have a sprain at a game, make sure you get some treatment on the injury as soon as possible to help bring the swelling down and speed up recovery. 
  

• If you have sustained an injury, ensure you receive rehabilitation before resuming play.

For more information contact Amy at Crystal Street Family Chiropractic - proud sponsor of Summer Hill Lakers Netball Club.

 

 

 

 

The most common cause of leg pain and cramps in young children is growing pains. Growing pains are a major cause of discomfort and can impact on a child’s concentration, physical and psychological wellbeing. Occurring in approximately 37% of children, the exact cause is still largely unknown.

 So what are the possible causes:

1.  Overuse of big muscles
   
2. Joint misalignment such as alignment of the knees or    feet
3. Psychological factors
4. We know that the first 5 years of a child’s life is when they have the greatest spinal growth.  During the 1st year, the spine increases by 12cm, between 1-5 years, the spine increases by 15cm, between 5-10 years, there is 10cm growth and between 10-18 years, 15-20cm growth.  This means if something was to interfere with this growth such as injury, birth trauma or sedentary lifestyle, problems may arise. 

So what do we know about growing pains?

1. The pain is usually in both legs 
2. It most often will come on in the afternoon or at night.
3. It is most common between ages 2-12 and is usually gone by puberty.
4. In order to be classified as growing pains there should be no signs of redness or swelling, no history of trauma and no decreased movement or limping.
5. There appears to be no difference in the amount of exercise or activity between those children with and those without growing pains.
6. There appears to be a family history of growing pains in the child’s sibling or parent.
7. The growing pains tend to occur at intervals of 1 to 3 months.

What can be done?

1. Look at your child’s knees and feet – Do their shoes fit?  Are they too worn? Do they require orthotics?
2. A little investigation of wellbeing  - What are their muscles doing? Are they dehydrated? Are they mineral or vitamin deficient? Magnesium deficiency is a common cause of leg cramps. Do they require more vegetables and fruit to give them nourishment  to alleviate cramps or help with neurological development?
3. Do they need to stretch? This includes hamstrings, quadriceps and lower back muscles.
4. What is happening in their spine and nerves. Have they fallen over and irritated joint or nerve function in their pelvis or lower back? Have they been sitting too much or with bad posture?  (This is where chiropractic comes in!)

Important note: there is a strong link between the legs, spine and pelvis. The muscles, nerves and joints in these regions can affect the other regions in the chain. Any interruption in the nerves running between the lumbar spine and the legs can impair function and cause pain. This is not to say that this is the whole cause of growing pains but studies are showing that treatment of these regions along with the legs themselves can help in resolving the problem.

 

Have you heard the saying “use it or lose it”?

Let’s apply this to your muscles. If you don’t keep yourself moving, you may tighten up and lose your flexibility and agility.

So how do we maintain our mobility? Stretching and movement!

Stretching not only gives you length and movement but also aids in breaking up adhesions and releasing tight bands in the muscle.

Here’s another analogy: When a gate hasn’t been used for a long time, what happens to it? The gate may rust or become hard to open. Once the gate gets some use, the rust starts to break up and it frees in its movement.

Just like the gate, stretching allows oxygen and nutrients to get to the muscles and other areas of the body. This allows for healthier muscles and joints.

Regular stretching can also improve body performance and help in injury prevention.

Just a 5-minute stretching routine before you go to bed can make all the difference. Remember as the weather gets colder, a warm up and warm down after exercise becomes even more important. Try an active warm up, like a brisk walk or jog and a good stretch afterwards to avoid tightening up and injury in the cold. 

It is almost the end of Summer! We have gone from beautiful hot Summer days to strange overcast Autumn days and back again....This is the time that the immune system takes a dip so look after yourselves with fresh brightly coloured fruit and vegetables and lots of sleep. 

Also, a reminder that I will be away from 11th March - 24th March. Bec, a fabulous chiropractor (my friend) will be the Crystal Street Family Chiro while I am away. If you would like to come in before I go please call the clinic (8021-4636) or book online. 

Research Bite: 
Granny Smith apples have recently been shown to improve faecal microbial composition and provide fuel for probiotic colonies. They were found to favourably alter the balance of various gut microbes through increasing bifidobacterium species more so than the red apples such as Fuji or Red Delicious. 

Research:
Curcumin (turmeric) has been found to be a powerful herb in treating many conditions including inflammatory conditions & depression. Have a read of some of the conditions it has been found to improve. 
Chondroitin for many years has been thought to be helpful in reducing symptoms of osteoarthritis. Its effectiveness has been questioned on many occasions but this latest study has had promising results. 

Article:
After many discussions with new Mums and Dads, I have compiled a list of tips for those first few weeks.

Out & About
Where the Monster Sat: I recently went for lunch and had a great vegie stack. They seemed to have quite a few nice breakfast options too. 
Palace Trader: Having recently finished renovating my apartment I am still in house mode. I noticed that this has opened around the corner from the clinic. Sourcing their furniture from France and Scandinavia, it really it a beautiful shop (although quite pricey!)

Recipes:
Quinoa, Pumpkin, Pomegranate & Ashed Goats Cheese Salad - most delicious, fresh & filling salad. Great as a main or as a side salad with a BBQ.
Roasted Figs - There a beautiful fresh figs available at the moment. I made this (with a few special purchases) and it was lovely!

Yoga to Go Special Offer:
Yoga To Go Studio would like to offer all Crystal Street Chiropractic clients $20 off any 6 week Beginners Yoga or Pilates courses commencing the Week of February 23rd.
Bookings are essential and can be made via the studio on 9569 0870

This list was compiled after many chats with new and expecting mums at Crystal Street Family Chiropractic



1. Have some clothes that make you feel comfy and happy in your hospital bag for when people come visit you at the hospital.

2. Accept help from family or friends that offer.

3. Have a list of chores you need help with so that if someone asks you can give them something and don’t be shy to do so.

4. Pre-cook meals that you can keep in the freezer or allow friends/family to fill the fridge or freezer. There are some great websites that create a schedule for meal drops from friends/family.

5. Order your groceries online. Coles, Woolies and Harris Farm have delivery and pickup services.

6. Let your partner be the gatekeeper for visitors and if you are tired let them entertain for you.

7. Don’t be afraid to cry – it’s a great stress release.

8. Realise that you are getting to know a new person and how they fit into your life - your norms will be challenged.

9. Have a nap when your partner gets home from work. They will be excited to be with bub and you can disappear for a little bit.

10. Ask friends or family to come over so you can have a shower, a nap or a brief relax if needed.

11. Get some fresh air. Take bub out for walks or let someone watch bub while you get some sun on your face.

12. Use your resources; lactation consultants, breastfeeding association, mothers’ group, facebook pages, paediatric nurses, chiropractors, physiotherapists etc.

13. Nap when bub naps or least give yourself a chance to put your feet up.

14. Having a messy house is not the end of the world!

15. Enjoy this time as in the blink of an eye they are all grown up!

With the holiday season almost upon us, it is important to know the effects that high heels have on your feet, knees and back. By understanding how wearing heels for long periods of time can affect your posture, you will hopefully choose to wear more spine friendly shoes (that are still fashionable) and perhaps carry a pair of heels for photos.

Why do you need to be careful wearing heels?

When wearing heels, your feet are on a “ramp”. This means that more body weight is put through the balls of your feet with downward pressure. As your body weight is moved forward, the upper body has to compensate by leaning back and putting pressure through your back muscles, like the erector spinae and quadratus lumborum. Prolonged time wearing heels can lead to the back muscles fatiguing and perhaps strain, which can lead to injury.























Let’s have a look at some of the parts of the body that are affected by heels:

FEET: The higher the pair of heels, the more pressure placed through balls of your feet.  Increasing heel height from 1 to 3inches increases this pressure from 22% to 76%! This means your toes can be squashed in this position for a long time, which can lead to ingrown toenails, bunions, blisters, hammer toes (contracture of toes 2-5) or a neuroma (thickening of nerve tissue).

ANKLES/CALVES:  prolonged use of heels can lead to stiffness through the Achilles tendons as your calves are in a shortened position. This explains the feeling of tight calves when taking the heels off after a long night or day. This puts you at greater risk of calf injury, so try and kick your heels off and stretch out your calves.

KNEES: The change of position at your feet and ankles puts increased pressure through your knees (especially the inside). This can lead to greater risk of osteoarthritis.

LOW BACK: Due to shift forward of your centre of gravity, your back extensor muscles will constantly be on in order to maintain your balance as your hips and spine will not be in optimal alignment. Anyone with lower back pain should be careful of standing too long in heels as their back muscles will get fatigued and risk bringing on lower back pain due to compensations mentioned above. This can lead to entrapment of nerves with symptoms of sciatica. The key is to sit down for muscle rest breaks.

HANDY HINTS WHEN WEARING/BUYING HEELS

·       Limit heel height or try wearing a wedge/platform to decrease the angle of the foot

·       Make sure shoes are the right size. It is better to shop for shoes in the afternoon when the feet have a little swelling from the day

·       Buy an open toe shoe – these allow for more space for the toes

·       Buy shoes with leather insoles to prevent the foot from slipping. This will also reduce the impact on the knees and other weight-bearing joints

·       Buy a wide variety of shoes to vary your footwear day to day. This helps prevent the body from forming bad habits

·       Wear heels on days where you are less likely to be doing much walking

·       Stretch! Especially focus on your calf muscles and feet

·       Wear flat shoes to work and change into the beautiful heels for the Xmas party

·       Often during pregnancy a little heel or wedge will actually be helpful in preventing back pain!!!

Adapted from articles on:
The Spine Institute, Women’s Health Magazine, CAA & NIB

Hi!

We are now half way through Spring with huge swings in temperature! Remember to keep cool or warm!! 


Research
If you wanted to justify your need to write lists (like me), the research is proving the health benefits.

A little humour
These 8 reasons to not see a Chiro made me laugh! Thought you might like it- especially those who tell me they hate doing stretches!

Interesting Reads
This month I have read some very interesting articles and thought I would share 2 of them with you.
Have you ever heard of adrenal fatigue? What are the adrenals? This article gives a little insight into these barely mentioned organs.
After suffering from a bit of jet lag following my trip, I read up on ways to improve sleep. This article had some good natural ideas. 

Out & About
I finally went to Daisy's Milk Bar this week for lunch. It was super cute with so many delicious options. A must try!

Extras
Pillows, rollers, massagers heat packs and supplements are still available for purchase. Currently I only have rollers in stock but am happy to order in anything you may need. 

Cancellation Policy
Just as a reminder if you do need to cancel or reschedule your appointment please give at least 12 hours notice or a cancellation fee will apply of $25. Missing an appointment without letting me know will incur the full fee of the consultation. 

Have a great week and I look forward to seeing you soon for a spinal checkup!

Amy