Thank you!

Hi everyone

So summer is really busy with the family and outside activities. I came in today on wednesday for a few hours in the afternoon. I had a new patient on my schedule. One very important question is to ask how did the patient find me. I do it for stats at the end of the year to help me with my marketing and assess what works and what does not work. Is it an MD referring? friends? yellow pages ? internet?. I have to be honest and say that obviously there is nothing more exciting for me when I ask that question to get the answer "from a patient". Today my new patient was a referral from a patient. WOW that makes me feel good!!!

I am not sure if you realize that this is the biggest gift you can give to your chiropractor. This is a sign of confidence, satisfaction in your care and trust. I feel very honoured that you trust me in the care of your friends or family.

This is one thing we do not say very often but today I wanted to take the time and say

THANK YOU to all my patients for your referrals. I truly appreciate it. So when you send somebody remember that this is the most precious gift you can give to me.

Have a great week!! Remember to talk about chiropractic to your friends and family and I will be glad to help them out.

Thanks again

Valerie

One more reason why I love being a chiropractor!

Hi everybody!

So obviously there are many reasons why I love being a chiropractor! Love helping people, meeting patients, the freedom of being my own boss, could go on and on. Yesterday, I had one of these great moments in my practice and I wanted to share it with you.

In my practice, I treat a lot of children and babies as you must know but I also get some referrals from an MD for work related injuries. These cases are quite challenging, as they are complex most of the time. The patients usually have tried many therapies before they give chiropractic a try.

A few weeks ago, I had a case of a gentlemen who came in suffering of lower back pain, hip pain and upper back pain. He had been off work for a year and was actually now walking with a cane. He had so much pain from his hip and leg that he could only walk with the help of that cane. I will not go in to all the details of the exam and relevant clinical things but I can tell you that after reviewing his case, in my opinion, there were no reason why he would not respond. So we had a discussion about what I was going to do which included muscle work and adjustments. He was instructed to combine ice to all the other things he was already doing. He was so incapacitated that he was having trouble taking care of his little girl who is 11 months old.

So we started treatment last week. I did 3 visits on him last week. They were going well!! For sure, he was a bit sore but he was seeing a change so he was encouraged. When he came back this week Tuesday, I was bent changing my head rest paper when he came in to the room. When I looked up, I asked him "so how are you feeling after the week end? " He replied " LOOK NO MORE CANE" he had been walking with a cane for over 3 -4 months!! WOW !!

I was so happy!! He said he was so encouraged and happy that he had told his wife over the week end that all he wanted to do was give me a hug!! YEAH!! We exchanged a hug and continued with the treatment. He is not out of the loop yet but at least on the right way!

These moments are just so special. Chiropractic has changed his life. Originally when he came in, he was so discouraged and most probably now for the first time he was smiling and encouraged!! Wow it is a great feeling!!!

This made my day and I told all my friends!! For moments like these, I will continue to practice. It happens quite often but some are more powerful then others! I love being a chiropractor. At 14, when I said I wanted to be a chiropractor, I do not think I realized fully what it meant but now I know.

When you have passion for your work it shows ! Do something you love and you will see the days will just fly by without you noticing.

I hope you enjoyed the post and if you have great stories like that please share them with me! I would love the hear them.

Valerie

Postpartum Depression!! not to be ignored!

Hi everyone

This week I had the pleasure of attending the Grande Conference of the Association of Lactation of Quebec. Going to conferences is always so stimulating and fun. You not only get to meet colleagues but you get to listen to great speakers!!

The first day monday was on postpartum depression and the new paradigm. We had the pleasure of listening to an amazing speaker, Kathleen-Kendall Tackett. I learned so much on the subject. I thought it would be interesting to share with you some of the key elements.

Post-partum depression is sometimes not always talked about because of the stigma attached to it. Many mothers go untreated just because they do not get the appropriate help and first of all diagnoses. Breastfeeding also gets blamed easily with postpartum depression. Certain cultures say that 10-20% of mothers get postpartum depression but some people think that the numbers can actually be as high as 40-50%.

The old paradigm thought that the drop in estrogen and progesterone were some of the triggers for postpartum depression. Other risk factors identified were stress, pain, lack of sleep, inflammation, psychosocial trauma and a history of depression and anxiety.

The new paradigm and the latest research identified that the inflammation is actually the main trigger in postpartum depression and depression. Inflammation underlies all the other risk factors. It was found that the more inflammation you have in your plasma, the more depressed you may be. Normally, we can manage stress but when our system balance does not work you can not handle it and you start secreting some inflammatory components. You then add all the other possible triggers and your chances of having postpartum depression becomes very high!

The pro-inflammatory cytokines rise in the last trimester of pregnancy therefore mothers are at higher risk of depression in the last trimester. Moms that are showing signs of depression during pregnancy should be treated! It was shown that depression and anxiety increase the risk of preterm birth.

Breastfeeding is known to reduce these inflammatory cytokines because it has a calming effect on mothers and reduces stress and the stress response. It is key to help moms preserve their breastfeeding during these difficult period. Depression does change the way moms interact with their baby. It was also shown that depressed breastfeeding mothers touched, stroked and looked at babies more than depressed non-breastfeeding mothers. Breastfeeding is therefore good for mom and baby!!!

However if mom is experiencing breastfeeding difficulties and nipple pain, they were at higher risk of getting postpartum depression (38% versus 14%). This makes sense as it increases stress and inflammation therefore more at risk! So it is key to help mothers get out of breastfeeding pain and problems as quickly as possible. When the pain is gone ( i.e. inflammation is reduced ), the mood usually returns to normal.

She talked about the various treatment options for mothers . The traditional treatments such as antidepressants are sometimes necessary for a short course to get the mothers back on track. It should be noted that there is no contraindication to nursing with most of the antidepressants prescribed. Some alternative options such as omega 3 supplementation have been shown in many studies to help relieve depression. St- John's wort is also an herb used to treat mild to moderate depression. It is important to mention to moms that there are alternatives when they decide which way to go when it comes to treating depression.

This was a quick summary but you can find a lot more information on her web sites. I am also including the abstract of her article that talks about it. If you would like the full article email me and I will forward it to you guys.

http://www.kathleenkendall-tackett.com/

http://www.breastfeedingmadesimple.com/

http://www.uppitysciencechick.com/

I hope you will pay attention to mothers around you and see if they are suffering from depression. Don't be shy to get help if you are worried!!

Valerie

International Breastfeeding Journal

Review Open Access

A new paradigm for depression in new mothers: the central role of

inflammation and how breastfeeding and anti-inflammatory

treatments protect maternal mental health

Kathleen Kendall-Tackett*

Address: Family Research Laboratory, 126 Horton Social Science Center, 20 College Road, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New

Hampshire, 03824, USA

Email: Kathleen Kendall-Tackett* - kkendallt@aol.com

* Corresponding author

Abstract

Background: Research in the field of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) has revealed that depression

is associated with inflammation manifested by increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines.

Discussion: The old paradigm described inflammation as simply one of many risk factors for

depression. The new paradigm is based on more recent research that has indicated that physical

and psychological stressors increase inflammation. These recent studies constitute an important

shift in the depression paradigm: inflammation is not simply a risk factor; it is the risk factor that

underlies all the others. Moreover, inflammation explains why psychosocial, behavioral and physical

risk factors increase the risk of depression. This is true for depression in general and for

postpartum depression in particular. Puerperal women are especially vulnerable to these effects

because their levels of proinflammatory cytokines significantly increase during the last trimester of

pregnancy – a time when they are also at high risk for depression. Moreover, common experiences

of new motherhood, such as sleep disturbance, postpartum pain, and past or current psychological

trauma, act as stressors that cause proinflammatory cytokine levels to rise. Breastfeeding has a

protective effect on maternal mental health because it attenuates stress and modulates the

inflammatory response. However, breastfeeding difficulties, such as nipple pain, can increase the

risk of depression and must be addressed promptly.

Conclusion: PNI research suggests two goals for the prevention and treatment of postpartum

depression: reducing maternal stress and reducing inflammation. Breastfeeding and exercise reduce

maternal stress and are protective of maternal mood. In addition, most current treatments for

depression are anti-inflammatory. These include long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, cognitive therapy,

St. John's wort, and conventional antidepressants.

What is scoliosis?

hi everyone

I wanted to talk today about scoliosis because I had a 15 year old patient come in with that exact problem. Scoliosis of the spine is when the spine decides to curve sideways. It can happen to about 12% of the population! It usually will happen to young girls between the ages of 10-12 and in young boys between the ages of 11-13. The ratio is usually 8 girls to 1 boy. There are usually no known causes of scoliosis which is why it is called "idiopathic". It can be linked to many health issues as the vertebras turn sideways and can cause compression of the nerves and organs.

It is very important and I encourage all of my patients to bring me their little girls and boys at this age at least to do a simple screen of scoliosis. If it is detected early it can be monitored and helped by certain therapies.

At home you can at least look at a few things to tell you if your kids may have scoliosis

1- Look for a difference in shoulder height

2- Asymmetry in 3D of the shoulder blade

3-Hips are uneven

4- When your child bends down do you see a bump on one side of the back

If you suspect something call your chiropractor. The faster it is taken care of the better the chances will be that we can prevent progression with proper intervention. There is this great new product that is being used right now. It is called SpineCor. It is a flexible brace that will help correct the spine. There are many studies now that have shown it's efficacy!

Scoliosis can have consequences during your child's life.It takes two minutes to verify so feel free to call and bring me your kids to check if they have an issue or not.

Valerie Lavigne

La scoliose

LLES JEUNES COURBENT L’ÉCHINE

Votre enfant a-t-il toujours de la difficulté à se tenir droit? Ses épaules sont inégales, une bretelle de son sac à dos ne tient jamais en place ou encore vous devez toujours couper une jambe de son pantalon plus courte que l’autre? Il souffre peut- être d’une scoliose! Savez-vous que la scoliose peut affecter jusqu’à 12 % de la population de jeunes et de moins jeunes? Les chiropraticiens sont bien familiers avec cette réalité.

La scoliose

La scoliose est une déformation progressive en 3D de la colonne vertébrale. Au fur et à mesure de la croissance, elle entraîne une spirale dans la colonne. La scoliose est préjudiciable à la croissance de l’enfant, car elle rend son dos vulnérable contre la gravité. La colonne vertébrale s’affaisse de plus en plus ce qui a pour effet de nuire considérablement au système nerveux en écrasant les nerfs qui sortent entre chacune des vertèbres.

La déformation et l’écrasement de la colonne vont aussi entraîner l’affaissement de la cage thoracique et comprimer les organes vitaux tels le cœur et les poumons. Cet affaissement peut affecter la santé globale de l’enfant. La difformité spinale et l’affaissement de la cage thoracique provoquent souvent une bosse dans le dos (on se rappelle le bossu de Notre-Dame). En plus de tous les problèmes de santé occasionnés par la scoliose, les enfants atteints souffrent souvent d’un manque d’estime de soi. L’esthétique corporelle est essentielle à la construction de l’image de soi chez les adolescents.

Les causes

On ignore toujours ce qui peut causer la scoliose, bien que plusieurs chercheurs aient trouvé des pistes intéressantes. Toutefois, on remarque que cette condition a une incidence familiale très importante. Du point de vue chiropratique, l’examen attentifs de radiographies peut mettre en évidence des causes biomécaniques. En effet, une inégalité importante de la longueur des jambes, une malformation sacro-iliaque et vertébrale et un traumatisme important de la zone vertébrale L5-L3 peuvent être responsables d’une partie des causes associées à la scoliose. Informez-vous auprès de votre chiropraticien.

Le dépistage

Vous pouvez dépister une scoliose chez votre enfant en examinant attentivement sa posture. Voici quelques signes :

1- Hauteur inégale des épaules

2- Asymétrie en 3D des omoplates

3- Angles de taille asymétriques

4- Espace asymétrique entre les bras et le bassin

5- Hauteur inégale des hanches

6- Bosse dans le dos lorsque l’enfant se penche

Si vous reconnaissez un ou plusieurs de ces signes, vous avez peut-être détecté une difformité de la posture ou encore une scoliose. Il est important de consulter votre chiropraticien afin d’établir un diagnostic précis. Il pourra établir les risques de progression de l’état de la colonne de votre enfant et vous guidera à travers les étapes à suivre.

Selon la Société de la Recherche sur la Scoliose (SRS), plus le patient est jeune lors du diagnostic, plus les chances de voir la scoliose progresser sont importantes. Les jeunes filles sont plus souvent et plus sévèrement touchées que les garçons (8 filles pour 1 garçon). Plus la courbe est importante, moins la colonne vertébrale résistera à la gravité et plus elle risquera de s’effondrer1.

La période la plus à risque pour la scoliose est de 10-12 ans chez la jeune fille et de 11-13 ans chez le garçon. Si on dépiste une scoliose, il faut donc agir avant les premiers signes de puberté!Les traitements

Les causes

Plus on dépiste le problème rapidement, plus efficace l’intervention sera et meilleures seront les chances de réduire ou corriger la déviation pour ainsi éviter la chirurgie. Le port d’un corset peut être très efficace pour régler le problème. Effectivement, un corset flexible s’avère être une orthèse de choix puisqu’elle induit un mouvement correcteur dans la colonne vertébrale pour provoquer une rééducation neuromusculaire. Il n’est pas facile de trouver un corset adapté à votre enfant. Vous pouvez consulter le www.spinecorporation.com pour obtenir plus de renseignements sur le port du corset.

Finalement, si vous remarquez des déviations de la colonne chez votre enfant, n’attendez donc pas avant de consulter votre chiropraticien. N’oubliez pas, une colonne vertébrale en santé reflète un corps en santé. dépistage

1 Stephens Richards B, Bernstein RM, D’Amato CR, et Thompson GH. Standardization of Criteria for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Brace Studies: SRS Comittee on Bracing and Nonoperative Management. SPINE 2005; 30 (18);2068-2075

Ecrit par L'association des chiropraticiens du Québec

Gardening without hurting!!

Hi everybody

Even though it seems like we will never see the end of this rain, the long week end is approaching and the gardening season. Here are a few tips that can help you make sure you do not overdue it.

-Stretch upper back and arms before starting

-Make sure to bend your knees, do no bend at the waist when planting.

-When you pick up something heavy bring the weight close to you and bend your knees to lift

-Take breaks

-Make sure to drink and stay hydrated

-If you feel pain stop and ice for 10 min

Hope these few tricks will help your gardening season go a little smoothly!!!

Valerie

Bébé sur le ventre- trucs et conseils

Bonjour tout le monde

Aujourd'hui je tenais à discuter de l'importance de mettre bébé sur le ventre durant ces périodes d'éveil! Beaucoup de nouveaux parents hésitent à mettre le bébé sur le ventre pour plusieurs raisons. Principalement car le bébé pleure souvent et ne semble pas aimer la position. Pourtant mettre bébé sur le ventre est très important pour son développement. En mettant bébé sur le ventre, nous allons l'aider à commencer à utiliser ses muscles du haut dos et aussi aider le développement de la courbe cervicale. Le bébé commencera aussi à recruter ses muscles abdominaux. Cette position lui favorisera aussi le début de la marche à quatre pattes.

Tout le monde sait que la position recommandée pour dormir est sur le dos. Avec cette campagne, nous avons de beaucoup diminué les problèmes de mort subite du nourrisson. Le problème par contre est que maintenant les bébé semblent être constamment sur le dos : dans le banc d'auto, pour dormir, dans la balançoire etc.... Le crâne des bébés étant très souple quand une pression est constamment exercée sur les os du crâne, ils peuvent changer de forme et aplatir. Ce phénomène s'appelle la plagiocéphalie. Nous avons remarqué une grande augmentation de plagiocéphalie depuis la campagne de bébé sur le dos. Mais les avantages pour la mort subite du nourrisson sont trop importants donc maintenant nous devons éduquer les parents à mettre bébé sur le ventre durant les périodes d'éveil dès les premiers jours de vie de l'enfant!

Alors quelques trucs simples qui peuvent faire une grande différence. Vous pouvez mettre bébé sur le ventre accoté sur un coussin d'allaitement afin d'aider à relever le haut du dos un peu. Mettre aussi des jouets ou un miroir devant le bébé afin de le stimuler. Maman peut aussi aller se coucher devant afin de le garder intéressé.

Je vous invite à aller visionner un vidéo qui a été diffusé à la télévision au canal famille. Une de mes consœurs expliquent très bien les avantages et trucs.Bon visionnement!

merci Dr. Malenfant.

http://vtele.ca/videos/famille-2-0/bebe-sur-le-ventre-trucs-et-conseils_27014.php

A bientôt

Valerie