AMI Chiropractic Clinic Blog

DEVELOPING A HEALTHY CHILD Bottom Line: “It takes a village to raise a child.” You’ve probably heard that quote in the past, and there is a lot of truth behind it. During childhood and adolescence, our bodies and minds grow at an unprecedented rate and set the foundation for the rest of our life. Our development is forged through the challenges and new experiences we encounter growing up. Top researchers have discovered that our experiences around food, movement and exercise play a massive role in our future health and even our susceptibility to disease processes as we age! Why it Matters: Developing a healthy child isn’t easy. The ease of modern living includes everything from food delivery to instant downloads of the latest video games. Yet, if you’re like me, there still never seems to be enough time!   It can be challenging to encourage healthy habits for ourselves and our kids. However, a little bit of effort today can pay huge dividends down the roa...

How Heavy Is That Backpack? Bottom Line: Even though an iPad can store an entire library worth of books, most children still attend each day carrying an oversized and overweight backpack filled with heavy textbooks. While it may not seem like a big deal, recent studies have shown that carrying the weight of a typical backpack is one of the top reasons why children suffer with back pain. A vast majority of children wear rucksacks every day that, on average, weigh 15 lbs or more. That’s a heavy bag for a small child! Over time the stress of the load can result in back pain, a rounding of the shoulders and postural changes. The spinal compression caused by a heavy school bag often has children leaning forward to compensate, which begins a vicious cycle of postural issues, compensation and pain. Here are a few key facts: Up to 30% of kids may suffer from back pain due to carrying a heavy backpack. Limiting the total weight of the backpack to less than 10% of yo...

TECH NECK Bottom Line: Smartphones and tablets have quickly become a part of our everyday life. Many kids spend hours per day messaging with friends and playing the latest games. Often, it’s done with their neck bent forward, shoulders rounded, and arms holding the phone up in front of their eyes. New research has shown this type of awkward position can lead to a painful condition called “Tech Neck.” Why it Matters: Recently, Scientific Reports published a shocking paper which found a “horn” growing off the back of the head of kids who spent a great deal of time on their cell phones and tablets. This extreme variation of Tech Neck is suspected to be caused by constant pressure placed on the back of the head (the occiput) when the head is bent forward and chin is tucked. The excessive force can result in calcification of the soft tissue, which can start to look like a “horn” growing out of the back of the head! Did you know… Kids may be spending up to 140...

THE TOP 3 CAUSES OF HEADACHES Bottom Line: A variety of factors can cause headaches. The good news is that many of these are lifestyle factors and habits and patterns that you can control. By understanding a few of the most common causes of headaches, you will have the information you need to make those key changes and to get on your way to finding lasting relief! Ironically, one of the most common causes of headaches is over medicating. In fact, overuse of many over the counter medications is a leading factor in a rebound headache, which is why pills may not be the best option for care. Many tension headaches get their start with repetitive motion and poor posture while sitting or standing at work or performing repetitive motions. Keeping your shoulders back and your spine in proper alignment throughout the day can help prevent future episodes. And finally, most of the good stuff like coffee, cheese, alcohol and meats have substances that can cause headaches. You do...

The Bowling Ball and the Pin: How Poor Posture Causes Neck Pain Bottom Line: The average human head weighs about 8-10 pounds. Each day we all walk around with a bowling ball (our head) balancing on a pin (our neck).  Driving a car, working on the computer, and using a tablet/phone all usually result in less than ideal posture. With every inch our head learns forward an addition of 10 pounds of weight is added on our muscles, joints, tendons ligaments, discs and nerves etc. The more the head leans forward, the more the pin is under stress! Unfortunately, the neck is not designed to hold this extra weight and this is where the problem starts… As your head leans forward the shoulder start to roll with it causing stress in the shoulders, upper back and mid back. It is crazy how poor posture can lead to so many health problems! How We Can Help: Here at the AMI clinic in Bedford we see lots of patients complaining of neck pain that is a result of an anterior...

Is Your Phone Causing Tech Neck? Bottom Line: Staying connected to friends and family, catching up with emails, reading the latest news, watching our favourite TV episodes and playing games can come at a price! As a society we are spending to much time looking down at our mobile phones. Screen time may be anything from 1, 2, 3 hours or more depending on your use. Let's face it, a lot of these hours are spent in an awkward forward head posture that experts have begun to call 'tech neck'. A 'tech neck' can result in neck and upper back pain, stress and tension, headaches, spinal disc issues, and even trapped nerves. Here at the AMI Clinic in Bedford we work with people who are experiencing these symptoms associated with a 'tech neck'. We offer advise our patients on how poor posture using a mobile phone can lead to dysfunction and symptoms abd advise on how simple stretches, using the correct posture  and postural exercises can ...